budget crisis. find out how you can get your opinion to him. meantime, thanks for joining us on a friday morning. >> yeah. two weeks to go till she becomes mrs. rob pringle. >> he loves hearing that, by the way. >> that's pretty funny. i like that. we had ourselves a little roller coaster ride last night. you can see the cluster of stores flare up right over central maryland. that red shading and portions of carroll county and northern baltimore county dumping between 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches of rain. some heavier stuff is riding up on through central pa. let's check out that storm system out of here. we had leftover fog to dole with this morning. we had 2 1/2 inches of rain with the rainfall tally with the storm center doppler extending down to 83 in the city. it's a little wet and patchy

fog this morning. 68 on average the temperature. we'll go partly sunny with storms at 5:00 p.m. we'll see what's happening on the roads now with kim. if you are traveling 83 southbound, that tree has been cleared out of the right lane so traffic is able to flow freely. we are still working a couple of incidents in the city. all lanes remain blocked because of the earlier crash. the tow truck is en route. st. pauls street at north charles street. we have a water main break out in pikesville. as you see, as we look at 83 southbound right now, you have a 20-minute commute from the pennsylvania state line to about the beltway. also, as we check around the beltway, everything is running smoothly, especially on the east side from white marsh boulevard headed to harford road. this is the bw parkway at 695. you can see traffic is flowing freely at this time. all being brought to you by

93.1, wpoc, baltimore's country music station. jamie and megan, back to you. let's get you updated on the breaking news. investigators confirm that four people were killed after their helicoltonner crashed late last night. sherrie? >> reporter: investigators with the national transportation safety board and the faa will be back at the scene today after a helicopter crashed and killed four people in central maryland. the crash happened last night about 10:30 near smithsburg about ten miles east of hagerstown. the helicopter burst into flames when it crashed into a highway. authorities say it was a robinson r helicopter. the owner is morrison aviation out of wilmington, delaware. the helicopter did not hit any cars when it crashed into the eastbound lane of i-70. it's not sure whether weather played a role but visibility was not good at the time.

a bright light of electricity crashed in the air when the aircraft apparently hit a power line. >> there were power lines that were down near the scene that we're seeing obviously right off. so there was concern about traffic eastbound and westbound. east and westbound 70 was closed immediately. >> the crash victim's names have not been released pending family notification. sherrie johnson, abc 2 news. an assistant field hockey coach at towson university faces child pornography charges. john kovak was arrested in march after being caught sending sexually explicit text messages to a retired police officer who he thought was a 13- year-old girl. if convicted, he faces a maximum 20 years behind bars. here's the latest now at to youson high -- towson high

school. there will be a hearing scheduled for 2:00 on a restraining order to block the school from being closed down. the high school announced it would close earlier this month because of financial issues and lower enrollment. students, alum my and parents have been fighting ever since to keep tc open. new details about a maryland boy who disappeared in south carolina just moments ago the coast guard resumed their search for the child in south carolina with his family for a baseball tournament. officials said that the boy was part of a group of eight children who went out yesterday afternoon and found themselves in trouble on the ocean. the boy went overesh board and has not been found. the other seven children were rescued. governor martin o'mally wants to hear from you regarding the latest round of budget cuts. state already slashed $280 million and may need to cut hundreds of millions more. the governor says some programs will be spared, but the money has to come from somewhere. right now, o'mally needs to find up to $750 million in spending, reductions by labor

day, and he wants your input. so here's how you can weigh in. to comment on the budget situation, you can head right now to abc2news.com and look under the links. send your message off to the governor. here's a look at what's happening today on july 24th. the third minimum wage increase in three years goes into effect. it's up to $7.25. the cash for clunkers program officially starts today across the country. so cash in that gas guzzler of yours and buy something new and more fuel efficient. i love this. the bay sox will host the city's largest pillow fight tonight right before the game takes on the reading phillies at 7:05. there will be a lot of -- >> feathers flying. >> during the whole game. seventh inning, pull out the feathers from your tongue stretch. we'll head off to pennsylvania this morning. >> yeah, our neighbors to the north. look, they are dealing with flash floods. after hearing about the

region's fastest roller coaster, a man challenges the ride to see if his toupee would come flying off. so did it? >> you have to stick around for that one. let's check outside. the temperatures right now 68 degrees. a live picture, still dark out there. we'll see what justin has to say when we check in with him. here's mark jones. tonightance the night. 70,000 there at m & t bank stadium. right, mark? >> reporter: yeah. and we're ready for it. the commute is a good one out there if your ride is on light rail or metro system, both are running on time. out there on the buses, look for number 9 to be diverted in the area of cran brook and green side. that's due to mees activity. the 77 with a diversion in the area of edmondson and ingle side. look for the 17 bus to be diverted at nursery and winterson. ongoing construction on the scene. for the mta transit team, i'm mark jones. my doctor told me i had to start doing things for my heart,

but i wasn't ready to give up taste. sometimes, sacrifice is the name of the game. well, i've heard eating whole grain oats... can help lower my cholesterol. it's going to be a challenge... sure we want to lower our cholesterol, but let's be real, being healthy is tough. yea. honey nut cheerios cereal... tastes great and can help lower cholesterol. bee happy. bee healthy. try apple cinnamon cheerios. baked in apple with... a daring amount of cinnamon.

okay. our job is to report the facts. >> the facts, "baltimore" magazine is out with the "best of" edition. so our very own delia goncalves

now baltimore's best reporter. we knew that already. congratulations to the mommy to be. the magazine credits delia with the aability to break down tough stories so everyone can understand. i have to say, she's just a sweetheart. >> we have two great reporters right there. >> right. >> and of course we want to thank you, bawment more, for voting megan and i the friendliest news team in town. we humbly accept the honor. that's very nice. >> very sweet. let's look at the weather. here he is, justin berk. >> it is my honor to work with you guys. you are fantastic. >> aww. >> all right, enough with that. let's wipe it off. let's try to wipe off some of the rain. this is near harrisburg, pennsylvania. 5 inches of rain from the thunderstorm yesterday that sat there for a couple of hours.

look south of stewartstown. let's bring it back home. you can see north of towson 1.85 inches, an 1.25 in westminster. we were socked with that stuff. that didn't load up. needless to say, we're checking out what should be a very humid start to the day, patchy fog, 68. i was about to show you some of the heaviest rainfall totals. i guess i'll do that in the next weather hit after 2:00 p.m. we'll fire up more storms with the 2 degree guaranteed high of 84. let's see back out on to the roads with kim. >> reporter: as you make your way on route 70, if you are headed in that direction, you are not going anywhere any time soon. what you might want to do is try 40 westbound. that will take you out past the accident and reconnect you back with route 70. also good news, the earlier tree has been cleared out of the roadway, so the right lane

has been opened. still dealing with the crash approaching elswood avenue. another crash downtown, st. pauls street at north charles street. they have the water main break still going on at painted post road. looking at the maps, you don't have any problems to let you know about at either of the tunnels this morning. the beltway is checking in incident free. as you check the outer loop on the west side between liberty road, things are flowing freely at this time. looking at the camera, this is the bw parblg way. traffic is light, volume building, but things are looking good at this hour. jim may and megan, back to you. we continue to follow breaking news out of washington county. >> a helicopter crash kills four people and i'll have the latest information coming up. wow, is this... fiber one honey clusters? yes.

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again, the news this morning. concentrating on what happened in washington county. >> authorities say a helicopter crash killed four people. sherrie? >> reporter: megan, jamie, investigators are trying to figure out what caused the helicopter to crash in central maryland killing four people on board. the crash happened last night around 10:30 near smithsburg. the helicopter burst into flames. it was a robinson r44

helicopter. the owner is listed as morrison aviation of wilmington, delaware. investigators are not sure if weather played a role in the crash, but visibility was poor. it was limited by fog. witnesses say the helicopter was flying low when a bright arc of electricity flashed in the air when the aircraft apparently hit a power line. the aircraft did not hit any cars when it smashed into the eastbound lanes of i-70. >> there had been some fuel spilled along the interstate and so forth. initially, the fire department units basically effected fire suppression to the helicopter itself along with preventing any exposures, fuel spreads or any other hazards associated with the crash site. >> reporter: investigators with the national transportation safety board and faa will be back on the scene this morning trying to figure out the cause of that crash. the victims' names have not been released pending family notification. sherrie johnson, abc 2 news.

here's a look at some of the other stories abc 2 news is working on for you this morning. police have a husband and wife team accused of a string of burglaries. jerome herron and his wife tina charged with up to 20 burglaries in carroll county in that area. police have recovered important stolen items including money issued by several foreign countries. if you think you could be a victim of this crime spree, call the westminster barracks. here's the number, 410-386- 3000. let's go to cecil county where an elkton man is in jail, arrested a second time now. charles samuel hall, police say, broke into several homes in chesapeake city and elkton. authorities don't think he acted alone. he allegedly made off with more than $14,000 in stolen items. police say he's admitted to an addiction to painkillers. so that may have been a motive.

two of the best soccer teams in the world will take to the field in baltimore tonight. chelsea and a.c. milan were supposed to practice on the field at m & t bank stadium but doggone weather, justin. they wanted to see the natural grass that's been brought in just for the game tonight. so the game is sold out. if you are going, it's recommended you use public transportation. people living in harrisburg are dealing with heavy flooding. severe storms started rumbling through early last night caused major flooding around the harrisburg area. emergency crews were so busy, they responded to a number of water rescues. 5:48. jamie, you can't get mad at me anymore. you are baltimore's nicest news guy so you have to live up to the title. this morning, we're looking at yesterday's rainfalls. totals in general that we got clobbered with in frederick,

2.41 inches. monkton, 2.22. adamstown 2.19. maryland science center checking in with hefty rains around most of the area yesterday. as we back it up, we he can show you what it looked like as the storm complex was coming through during the evening and overnight hours. we had this semi coastal tropical system working its way through. it was not truly a tropical storm, but it behaved like one with the banding rain and heavy downpours and winds pushing about 35, 40 miles per hour as it made its way onshore in new england. i'll show that you view in just a moment. stores continue to virginia beach and outer banks. check out the storm here rolling its way through eastern new england, amming its way through with 3 to 5 inches of rainfall. yes, though, 30 to 45 mile-per- hour winds. that storm system continues to wrap its way up. we've got this cold front that will bump into the moisture we've got in play. a little fog this morning rolling through the afternoon. we'll watch storms develop to

our north and west. unfortunately, harrisburg will get hit with more flooding, and that will drain down the susquehanna. so look for high water. these storms are rolling through. tonight we slip is t. back to 68 with fog and more storms on sunday. kim? >> let me give you an update on some of the road closures that you can expect to see downtown tonight if you are headed towards m & t bank stadium. expect race street closed by austin street. they will keep three lanes of westbound lombard street open. a quick update route 70 westbound out towards washington county. all of the lanes have been reopened. all of the crash activity has been moved over to the shoulder. it will take you a little bit of time if you are headed out towards deep creek lake or the west virginia area. all of the incidents have been

cleared up. we'll take a look at the bw parkway and 695. it is flowing freely and no problems to let you know about. jamie and megan, back to you. aleen gabey's inlaws under town and she got up early any way with shortly long. thanks for coming in. >> thanks. >> megan keeps hitting the spot, that's right there. >> he's a great dog. he's 8 years old actually. >> tail wagging, very friendly, loves people. >> was cuddling with you earlier, too. a sweetheart. >> i'm getting a little attached, which is rough, but it's nice when you have a pet coming into the home to plan ahead. one of the tricks that i like is to make sure they can smell the same. so i actual i had brought this morning a little dryer sheets. that's a nice trick to have up your sleeve. so when you are ready to introduce to pets, it might

take a couple days. you might need to keep the cat in a separate room or have a carrier available. you can rub each with a dryer sheet. that way they smell the same. >> no intimidation there? >> that's really the first thing they are going for rather than sight like us is scent. so if they smell similar it won't be as difficult for them. you can use a dirty sock or laundry you haven't cleaned yet. if you have a kitty in the mix, make sure there is a place for the kitty to run to. if the cat can get away, he'll feel comfortable. even if it's high up. and have a leash on the dog. >> i say use the snuggle as opposed to the dirty sock. quickly, tell everyone when you can find shorty long. >> the information's on the screen. he is up for adoption today. >> oh, you hear that foot pounding? we have to tell everybody because it's lost in translation with the camera. he's got a long body and short

so the name's very appropriate. >> yes. >> give him a home. he's a great dog. >> look at the legs. there he goes. >> at the jazz club tonight, shortly long. >> that's right, here we go. it may be an exciting ride, but one sking is man says it's not -- one south carolina man says it's not hair raising. dennis long saw a tv commercial that says a roller coaster said it goes to fast it can take off your toupee, and so he took up the challenge. he kept his arms down. conclusion? his hair stayed in place and the owners said despite what's in the commercials, the ad isn't exactly a true to life depiction. nice toupee. >> i think it's a good gimmick. still to come, why would any woman want to trash her own wedding dresh? >> i don't know, but believe it or not it's the newest thing

sweeping the country. we'll show you coming up.

...i-can-get-him-a- math-tutor" button. it's my "save-so-much- on-school-supplies- he-can-stop-using-his- sister's-old-backpack" button. it's my "save-so-much- i-can-get-a-binder- for-every-day- of-the-week" button. there's no school on saturday and sunday, genius. don't ruin this for me. (announcer) staples equals savings on everything for back to school. staples. that was easy.

breakfast. it's kind of early, buddy. you've got to need to take some cholesterol off you. honey, have you been reading the cheerios box again? he got that off the box. (announcer) cheerios is made with 100% natural whole grain oats to help lower your cholesterol. that was very thoughtful of you. very early, but very thoughtful. (announcer) cheerios. good for the heart. an idaho bride to be got practice taking the plunge before her wedding. >> sarah park dressed up in her wedding gown to ride the water

slides. she got the idea from a photographer who will photograph this, capture the slide for the couple's wedding album. it's part of a recent trend called trash the dress where brides dress up in white just to get dirty. she he will not get married in the dress. she borrowed this for the photo shoot. on august 1st, she will walk down the aisle in a special gown she bought in china. don't look at me like do i think this is a good idea. >> we'll find out. right now, outside the door we go.

captions by: caption colorado, llc (800) 775-7838 e-mail comments@captioncolorado.com seconds away from 6:00. good morning. i'm jamie costello. >> i'm megan pringle. it's finally friday. thank you for joining us, july 24th. first, here are the stories we're working on for you today.