into how two teens were struck and killed near the lutherville station over the 4th of july weekend. in this case, however, mta stresses this woman suffered noncritical injuries, and they say she should okay. reporting live in mount washington, brian kuebler, abc 2 news. meanwhile, baltimore county police want you to take a good look at the man in the picture we're about to put on your screen. he is someone they think could help them in their investigation into that light rail incident that killed two teens. police say the man is not in any trouble. but they think he may have seen something that could help them. he was a passenger on the light rail train that struck and killed jared connor peterson and kyle wankmiller. both were 17. police athe teens were walking on the tracks near the lutherville station when they were hit by the train from behind. liss think the man in the photo may have vital information. >> some things that the detectives have garnered during their investigation. they really believed that this man saw quite a bit, and he may

even have experienced quite a bit while being a passenger on that train. >> once again, we want to make it clear that this man is not in any trouble. but police think his information could be vital to their investigation. if you think you know who this man is, call him and ask him to call police at 410-307-2020. detectives just want to figure out what happened on that terrible day. anne arundel county police say they have no suspects and no motive in a morning shooting that left one man dead. it happened around 7:00 this morning at the rainbow view apartments in glen burnie. witnesses heard shots and called police after seeing the victim lying near the road. by the time officers arrived, the man was already dead. the victim has been identified as 28-year-old lamont gordon, junior. tonight there are new concerns about air safety. this after a southwest airlines flight bound for baltimore sprung a football-sized hole at 30,000 feet. tonight investigators are trying to determine what caused

it. this is newly released cell phone video shot by a passenger shown on youtube. you can see daylight coming through the plane's ceiling. oxygen masks committee employed during the harrowing emergency landing. >> we definitely knew something was going on because we kept going further and further down and we could see the trees, and we were thinking where are we going to land this big plane. >> southwest 37 jet made an emergency landing in west virginia. no one was hurt, and the passengers took another flight to bwi thurgood marshall. southwest says the jet was 15 years old and was last inspected just six months ago. no precipitation around the region. maryland's most powerful radar confirms that. and for the remainder of the next couple of hours, look for partly cloudy skies. temperatures hanging in the 80s. tomorrow is going to be a different day, but not necessarily a different feel. we'll tell you all about it, coming up. all right, norm, thank you. the sixth try is apparently the charm. the space shuttle endeavour -- >> seconds and counting.

>> -- is getting ready to blast off into space. >> primary control of all the vehicle. >> the shuttle is sitting at the very spot where apollo 11 was 40 years ago. these are live pictures. >> sound -- >> 40 years ago on the eve of the first moon landing mission. the shuttle is heading to the international space station. bad weather and technical problems have already delayed the launch five times. >> three, two, one, booster ignition and liftoff of endeavour, completing kibo and fulfilling japan's hope for an out-of-this-world space laboratory. >> a beautiful launch from cape canaveral. there goes the space shuttle endeavour. bucking the trend in this recession. harford county leaders vote to lower the tax rate for homeowners. it is one of the highest caps on taxable property, but harford county will almost cut that in half over the next two years.

today as abc 2 news jeff hager reports, many tax-strapped residents say it's still not enough. >> reporter: they gather here at the mccall senior center for camaraderie and a card game, and it won't cost them a dime. >> we're all retired. we're all on fixed income. and we're not getting any raises on anything. >> reporter: but many of them are finding that their biggest investment, their home, is also their biggest expense. and the costs continue to climb. >> i'm moving to texas because of what you're talking about. and i'm trapped in the market value has gone down 30%. >> reporter: bill nichols' problem is a problem shared by many americans today. in this economy, they see the value of their homes dropping while their tax bill continues to go up. it's really no wonder they're looking for someone to blame. >> the politicians make too damn much money and steal too damn much money, period. >> reporter: it's a complaint which hits home with members of the harford county council. >> my taxes went up just like

everybody else's. >> reporter: captain jim mcmahon and other councilmembers have already taken action in recent years to lower the homestead tax credit. that credit limits the amount of your home's value that you must pay taxes on. a year ago the county dropped it from a maximum increase of 10% each year to 9. and now it's going to drop it to just 5% two years from now. >> but people last night were advocating hey, thou we want to go to zero. well, that's all well and good. we still have to pay the bills. >> reporter: it's estimated the cut will save homeowners like these hundreds of millions of dollars over the next decade. and help them hold on to what they've got. >> building my house, buying a property and everything cost me $36,000 to build out. now i'm paying so much money in taxes on it, i can't afford to sell it. i can't afford to move it. if i had to, acouldn't afford to buy that house. >> jeff hager, abc 2 news.

>> harford county executive david craig is expected to make it official, signing the tax cap reduction measure tomorrow morning. there a new push to get congress to approve legislation allowing prison cell phone jamming. maryland's top corrections official gary maynard testified today in washington. a maryland inmate was sentenced to life without parole this year for using a cell phone to order the killing of a witness. but critics say jamming devices would interfere with emergency response and service to law- abiding citizens. it's no surprise the cost of a college education is going up. and president obama is pledging to do something about it. he has a lan to invest $12 billion in the nation's community colleges, and the timing is just right. thanks to the recession, community colleges are watching enrollment go up this summer while funding goes down. and montgomery county, for example, in maryland, even this 8 a.m. statistics class is a summer hot spot. >> we have filled pretty much every seat.

>> a lot more inexpensive than going to university for class. >> community colleg have long been a money-saving option. but the economic downturn has put a spotlight on two-year institutions, which added nearly 50 course selections to its summer schedule just to meet demand. baltimore city is getting an economic stimulus boost to improve its water taxi service for commuters. the free service called the harbor connector currently running from fells point to tide point. come this fall, the service will also run in canton. commuters can catch the water taxi and watch it too monday through friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with stops every 10 to 15 minutes. people who already use the service say it's a faster way to get to work, better than driving. >> i actually live farther up in the city. and i have to go all the way around the whole way. it's just really not as fun. >> the city also plans to buy two new boats and make improvements to the piers. and while we're talking about traffic, we have an alert for you tonight. the lombard street improvement

project is now underway. crews have blocked off several lanes of traffic. the improvements were scheduled to begin in early spring, but they were delayed because of a massive water main break. today crews worked on the milling, resurfacing and sidewalk repairs. transportation officials expect to see at least three lanes of traffic open between light and president's street. the project is expected to be finished by late fall. and more streets are blocked off around mount royal because of artscape. it starts on friday. there will of course be art exhibits, interactive family fun, projects, food, and plenty of it. among the headliners at the live concerts this year, di on warwick, cake, robin thick. the baltimore ravens have reached sellout capacity of 70,000 tickets for an international soccer game. we knew this would be a hot one. the ac milan versus chelsea football matchup will be held at m&t bank stadium. it is part of the world

football challenge that brings european teams to the u.s. to compete. this is the first time a soccer game has been held at m & t. it means big bucks for baltimore, and city officials couldn't be happier. >> when you have 70,000 or more people coming to the city, it's going to be a money generator for local businesses in the city, hotels. so i don't have a dollar amount, but i think the city will definitely benefit as a result. people spending money. >> the event will be held friday, july 24th at m&t bank stadium. other cities hosting the tournament include atlanta, dallas, and los angeles. the recession hits home. coming up, good news for buyers. achieving the american dream is a lot less expensive than it was. and the ravens make terrell suggs the richest linebacker in nfl history. hear from him later in sports. 2-degree guarantee for today 87 degrees. that's what we had to hit. what was the high today?

>> right on. >> shoots and scores! 87 was the official high. our winner today from easton, daniel patrick. congratulations. you scored an abc 2 bobblehead. the forecast coming up. >> watch abc 2 news any time on channel 1 with comcast on demand. friday at 11, how hard it is to crack your wifi? >> yeah, it's that easy. >> it just as easy to protect your pc. and we're going to show you how. abc 2 news friday on your set, net and cell.

a dull metal clanking sound. bear groans. ♪ ominous music ferocious growling. roaaaaaarrrrrrr!!!! ♪ whistling bluegrass tune

ah, just installed fios in the whole building. now everyone has the fastest upload speeds. and we're giving them a mini netbook. well, i'm sticking with cable. so's ted. (voice) no i'm not! he's just goofing. (voice) no i'm not! (sighing) ted has betrayed me. (announcer) unlike cable, fios brings 100% fiber optics straight to your home and when you switch now, you can get a free compaq mini netbook. just pay shipping, handling and taxes. with fios, you'll get razor-sharp tv, blazing fast internet and crystal-clear phone service all for just... sign up today. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v, and for a limited time, get an incredible compaq mini, to get the most out of your fios internet. get it all together with a great deal on fios tv, internet and phone plus get a free compaq mini netbook. just pay shipping, handling and taxes. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v before time runs out on this astonishing offer.

the mother of a maryland soldier killed in iraq says she wants to know more about how her son died. according to the star democrat of easton, shawna filed a freedom of information act last month. but she says the army didn't give her any new information, saying the investigation is still ongoing. her son, michael yates of federalsburg was one of five men shot to death by a fellow soldier inside a baghdad clinic last may. if you are a perspective first time home buyer, the time for you to pounce on that piece of the american dream is now.

according to the latest statistics, home prices are falling to levels not seen in years. as abc 2 news brittney gordon reports, those who are priced out of the market just a couple of years ago are now riding the wave to settlement. >> home prices are going down. >> reporter: first time home buyer rich is on a real estate cloud 9. he just got a great deal on a home in bolton hill. >> absolutely. there is no question in my mind that the particular house that i'm buying, or will be purchasing would probably go for a lot more. any other time. >> reporter: rich is not alone. according to the latest statistics, from the metropolitan regional information systems, home prices are dropping all over the local area. from this time last year to right now, the average sold price has dropped over 16% in baltimore city. while the numbers are smaller in the counties, they still show a significant drop. and that drop equals a great time for first time home

buyers. >> i did have a listing. it was for a single family cape cod in the randalls town area. i put it on the market on friday and had five offers by the following thursday. it was priced at 1,999. real estate mcneil has noticed a bump in the market, a bump she attributes to first-timers getting in on good deals. she says the typical person jumping in on their first home make around 60 to $65,000, and has stable employment. she says that these buyers would have been priced out of the market just a few years ago. >> with nothing that you can get for under 200,000. now we're finding not only town homes, but single family homes that are being offered at around 200 to 250 that you can certainly get. >> reporter: one more incentive? president obama is offering an $8,000 tax credit for first- time home buyers. in owings mills, i'm brittney gordon, abc 2 news.

[ closing bell ] >> even spongebob was there for his sent anniversary. and he had something to clap about on wall street. the dow closed up 256 points. the s&p gained 26 points. and the nasdaq closed up 63 points. now the forecast certified baltimore's most accurate, here is chief meteorologist norm lewis and maryland's most powerful doppler radar. >> maybe it's just me there is something about spongebob being on the familiar of the new york stock exchange. it just doesn't seem quite right. >> he lives in a pine am under wall street. we could sing that song. >> i never thought about that. >> does it have a ring to it? >> not actually. you're kind of coming off of that. >> no, we're still on it. >> sorry about that. let's take a look outside right now. my condolences. >> it's actually pretty good. >> well congratulations then.

our temperature at bwi right now 86 degrees. 39% humidity. wind from the southwest at 7. the pressure steady, 30.00. there are the tides tomorrow at 40 mchenry, high and low tide. right after the noontime hour the high tied. winds 8 to 14. sun comes up at 5:53. we'll set at 8:31. the high today 87. hit our 2-degree guarantee right on the nose. look at winchester. they got the 93 degrees. temperatures right now 86 in baltimore. 83 in york. 88 in the hagueerstown region. we fit that 2-degree guarantee three days in a row now. early this morning, a few little light clouds kept it from getting real cool. so it didn't get down to the record low of 55 degrees. there is the clouds. increasing across the region. the majority of the shower and thunderstorm activity right now south of st. louis heading down towards cape gerardo, missouri. some showers moving down boo the carolinas. we will see some scattered showers tomorrow, but most of them are going to be south and north of the baltimore area. not a whole lot of rainfall on

tap. but edo can have rain in the seven-day forecast. right now nothing showing up. no precipitation on maryland's most powerful radar. things are looking pretty good across the region temperature- wise. and precipitation wise. but we do need the rain. manchester right now 83. 84 in reisterstown. laurel at 85 degrees. towson 83. 82 in edgemere. aberdeen right now at 81. the forecast overnight. clouds will continue to increase as that system moves in our direction. but the majority of the showers will split apart and go around the region. the heaviest rainfall into the carolinas. we do need some rain, and there it is right there. friday evening, it will be getting its act together and moving in our direction for during the day on saturday. here is your forecast for the overnight period. increasing clouds, 63 for the low during the day tomorrow. 87 degrees with mostly cloudy skies. a few showers around. but quite frankly, i don't think you're going to see a whole lot of general rainfall in the region. the extended outlook. the best shot for rain won't be coming in until saturday. scattered shower and thunderstorm activity. sunday partly cloudy.

chance for showers back in to the weather picture on monday and tuesday again with below normal temperatures. we'll see you tonight at 11:00. >> thanks, norm. well, at least part of the time they're apparently having a ball today at sonia sotomayor's confirmation hearing. maryland senator ben cardin joked with the supreme court nominee about helping the baltimore orioles baseball team. he explained how. >> the major league baseball strike you allow the season to continue so cal ripken could become the ironman. we just want to invite you as a baseball fan, we want to invite you to an oriole game, and we promise it will not be when the yankees are playing so you can root for the baltimore orioles. >> that's a great invitation, and good morning, senator. you can assure your baltimore fans that have i been to camden yards. it's a beautiful stadium. >> as a district court judge, in 1995, sotomayor issued an injunction against baseball team owners for alleged violations of the national

labor relations act. during negotiations with the players union. it ended the longest baseball strike in history. terrell suggs will be the highest paid linebacker in nfl history. the ravens today locking him up to a 6-year, $63 million deal with $33 million in bonuses. the bonus money is second only to peyton manning in the nfl, and is believed to be the most ever for a defensive player. the deal got worked out in a marathon negotiation yesterday between his agent and the team. suggs is excited to stay in purple and black for most if not all of his career. >> the raven identity. and i'm convinced, i'm pretty sure i'm one of them. some people when they retire, like walter payton, they'll always be there. tom brady will always be a

patriot. ray lewis, he'll always be a raven, you know. i think this gave me the opportunity to solidify that i'll always be a raven. >> and this is good news. john harbaugh was obviously relieved and suggs will be a raven long-term. he also said he plans on meeting with derrick mason next week. if mace does day retired, who should the raven goss after? i asked that question today on twitter and facebook throwing out names like marvin harrison and trading for brandon marshall. here are some of the responses. quote, i would rather see them go to a no receiver than see them sign burris or marshall. quote, they would love their wide receivers. why should they do anything? what a mess! yikes. another one. marshall, he is a beast entering his prime years and i have a feeling he'll keep his nose clean if he gets 85 to 95 receptions which could be good for evan. thanks for all your responses. adam jones didn't get a hit in his first all star game last night, but he was hero with the

game-winning rbi. jones is the youngest o's position player since cal ripken in 1983. the game is tied at 3 in the 7. brad hoff of to rockies. the long fly off jonathan's pappelbaum. wins the game and mvp for that catch. top 8, after the nl walked victor martinez, jones off san diego's heath bell, flies out to right field. detroit's curtis granderson who had tripled comes in to score. the al would hold on and win 4- 3. jones just happy to play a role. >> it's still surreal to me, you know. i was the right man at the right time. i'm glad that the national league decided to -- ahead of me and gave me the opportunity to bring in the run. these are veterans. so you see a young guy sitting on the deck, go after him. i'm glad he got a ball up and i was able to get wood on it and get to it the outfield. >> nice job by adam jones.

that's sports. i'm rob carlin. we wrap up the news after this. who says there's nothing like the taste of cool whip ?

♪ she does. obviously they do. ♪ oh, and her.

this bar is an excellent source of fiber. there's no fiber in this. tastes too good. there is fiber. [ chuckle ] no. i can't taste the fiber in this chocolate. they have 35% of your daily value. hmm. oh, samples. hmm. autobahn. wackenschdol. fiber one chewy bars. cardboard no. delicious yes. and that is all for us on abc 2 news at 6. i'm marybeth marsden. thanks for joining us. we'll be back here tonight at 11. we hope you'll join us then. enjoy your evening. >> thanks for choosing abc 2 news at 6. for more news, watch abc 2 news at 11, or go now to abc2news.com. abc 2 works for you.

switch to abc 2 news at 11 and marybeth marsden. breaking news first. >> we were the first to bring it to you. >> saving you money, keeping you safe. abc 2 news at 11 works for you. >> make the switch and you'll see. friday at 11, how hard is it to crack your wifi? your computer? >> i'm in their network. i'm past their firewall. now. >> yeah, it's that easy. >> pretty scary. >> it's just as easy to protect your pc. and we're going to show you how. abc 2 news friday on your set, net, and cell.

a dull metal clanking sound. bear groans. ♪ ominous music ferocious growling. roaaaaaarrrrrrr!!!! ♪ whistling bluegrass tune

there's the other stuff. ♪ and then there's kraft macaroni & cheese. ♪ kraft has more cheese than those other guys. no wonder they call it the cheesiest!