delete his cyber friends. abc 2 news jeff hager spoke with the alleged victim today. >> reporter: you can see him on his myspace page. but the teen behind the picture, anthony palmerino can usually be found perched on a school at a popular cyber cafe. when he walked out into the parking lot on sunday, someone was waiting for him. >> we were standing out there, and george comes out of nowhere. why did you try to delete mimi? i didn't touch his myspace. >> reporter: but someone did. he acknowledges someone deleted the friends on his myspace page adds a joke. but police say he didn't find the humor in it, only rage. >> he came right towards me and pulled out his knife. and i jumped back. i was really scared. >> reporter: the owners of the cyber cafe say they have an open door policy and indicater to students and professionals. they say this is an isolated incident.

>> it's a community atmosphere. so many people visit us. however, as a community atmosphere, people tend to try to build that community up. >> reporter: but just as people you meet on the web may not be what they appear to be, the same may be true here. >> he is always around here. he just never acted this way. >> reporter: court records show has a record of mental disorders and once torched a property in taneytown, items he never mentions on his myspace page. >> arts is being held at the carroll county detention center on $7,500 bond. crime has dropped 11% in the state last year. according to a maryland state police report, there was a 20- year low in murders in baltimore city. that's down 17%er from last year. the violent crime in the state dropped 2% in 2008 compared to 2007. 13 of maryland's 24 jurisdictions reported

deductions in violent crime. glen burnie's football team will have to forfeit its first game of the season because of illegal practice. according to anne arundel county, school of athletic rules, school teams cannot practice outside of the practice period which actually starts on august 15th for high schools. several glen burnie players practiced using school equipment in june. glen burnie was scheduled to pay south river high school in the season opener for both teams. the schools will still play, but it will be recorded as a forfeit win for south river. over the past couple of hours, we had one little shower and thunderstorm activity make its way up 95. it formed right here around the white marsh area, made its way up towards the aberdeen area, giving them a pretty good soaking. it's now in the process of falling apart, but there are a few other scattered showers across the region. if we pull back, you can see them on the eastern shore around dover, and also some moving in from the mountains of the virginia area. as we go through the evening, pop-up showers are likely because of the heat and

humidity. your forecast for the next couple of hours partly cloudy. a few pop-up showers. temperatures will hold in the 80s. tomorrow is going to be bringing in more general rainfall. we'll tell you all about it, coming up. >> thanks, norm. now for a look at tonight's top stories, the svi has joined a child porn investigation. john nicklas and shannon honea are charged with child abuse and sex offenses after police raided their home last week and found images on cds, dvds and computer equipment of children ranging from 2 to 13 years old being sexual abused. nicklas' ex-wife says she has three children, including two young daughters. police are now investigating whether those children or family members were victims. governor o'malley supports say a new red line plan. it would run from red lawn to johns hopkins bayview medical campus in east baltimore. the 14-mile red line would include 20 stations, including five that would be underground.

now in canton where the light rail would surface near the can company, many people are not happy. some say the line would create more traffic and cut the community in half. baltimore city could lose its horseback police unit. the city council has cut funding for 121-year-old baltimore mounted police unit. the department is rung out of money to feed and house its six horse. the mounted unit was formed in 1888 to enforce the city's 6 miles per hour speed limit for horse-drawn carriages. but now they're used for public safety. prosecutor says a new york mother who drove the wrong way in a crash that killed her and seven other people was drunk and using marijuana. the medical examiner's report found that diane shuler's blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit. shuler, her two young daughters and three young nieces died july 26th. three men in the suv shuler hit

also died. shuler's 5-year-old son survived the crash. the term "thumbing a ride" has a new meaning now that drivers are texting while they're driving. now expert says the dangers of texting and driving have really gotten out of hand. tonight the governor wants us to think about taking texting off the road. diana avellar has the story. >> a tow truck in a pool. a car plowed into it in pieces. both drivers in the hospital. all because of an accident police say was caused by texting. >> and i watched the tow truck ram into the white car at full speed in my rear view mirror. >> reporter: accidents like these are the driving force behind a september summit announced tuesday by transportation secretary ray lahood. >> the public is sick and tired of people being distracted and causing accidents. >> i think they should stop. that's why i pulled over because i have a phone conversation right now. >> i almost hit a couple of people as a matter of fact. so i know what they mean.

>> . >> when they are done, have i expect to have a list of concrete steps to announce. >> reporter: one may be to a federal ban on cell phone use and texting while driving. >> what gets drivers to change their behavior is a strong law, strongly enforced. >> reporter: the statistics are shocking enough. one study found texting behind the wheel is one of the most dangerous things a driver can do, making it 23 times more likely they will crash. >> anyone who says they can text and drive is misleading themselves, and even worse. they are going to be killing other people on the highway. >> in most of the country, it's still perfectly legal to drive while texting. in fact, only 16 states in the district of columbia have passed laws that ban the practice. diana avellar, abc news, chicago. senate majority leader harry reed says the senate will vote to extend the life of that popular cash for clunkers program.

reed made his prediction after meeting with president barack obama at the white house. the cash for clunkers program is rung out of money. the house passed the bill last week to provide $2 billion more dollars to renew the program, which gives consumers up to $4,500 to trade in their gas guzzlers for more fuel efficient vehicles. senator dianne feinstein had been holding out for higher fuel efficiency standards, but new details on the program changed her mind. >> the good news is that apparently people are buying more cost efficient vehicles. the best solution is to continue and extend the program as it is. >> this is a horrible policy idea. and the fact that people buy cars when you give them free money does not mean that that's what the federal government should be doing. >> senator jim dement says he does not intend to block the bill. the senate's week-long vacation starts on friday. two high school

administrators face criminal charges. they're in trouble for praying during a school-sponsored luncheon. >> it is disturbing, you know, that when you read it and you hear about it that somebody can actually be charged with criminal charges for praying, you know. where is it going at this point? and also ahead, a light show in oregon. a patrol car camera catches some incredible pictures during a storm. and from sparrows point tonight, feels like 88. temperature 82. norm's got a complete look at your forecast, baltimore's most accurate, when we come back. (announcer) when verizon brings 100% fiber optics straight to your home

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a controversy is brewing in florida after two high school administrators are now facing charges for praying dur a school-sponsored luncheon. it started with a blessing that the athletic director robert freedman alleged lid gave during a school luncheon at pace high school at the request of principal frankly on january 28th, nine days after a judge issued a school order for any activities at school sponsored events. freedman said the aclu brought the issue to the judge's attention, but did not seek any

criminal charges. many business owners have signed supporting prayer in school. >> it's disturbing, you know, that when you read it and you hear about it, that somebody can actually be charged with criminal charges for praying, you know. where is it going at this point? >> well, the case is expected to go to court next month. that is where it is heading. coming up, got a gripe? well, instead of picking up a phone to complain, some savvy customers are taking a shortcut. we've got the detail. hi, i'm jamie costello. we continue to help you during these tough economic times by inviting you to our website, abc2news.com on our financial survival guide page. and on there today, you're going to find out should you refinance a second mortgage? we're going to put you through some steps to if this is the best way to get you out of debt. plus, did you know more water is used in august than any other month? six things you can do to save money on your water bill. those stories on our financial

survival guide. but check back often because we're always updating the information. i'm jamie costello.

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sex in the city 2 is in the works and people lined up to be a part of that blockbuster hit. while the roles they by be auditioning for may be silent, they still had a lot to say for lindsey davis. >> reporter: stilettos, socialites, and city chic style. don't let the loud appearance fool you. these are the silent types. aka sextras. they have dusted up their manoloesque shoe for a chance to land a role as an extra in the "sex & the city" sequel. >> you just never know. this is new york, and it's the movies. anything could happen. >> reporter: these are the diehards. those who simply won't settle

for living vicariously through carrie bradshaw and her gal palace. they brave the heat for hours for a nonspeaking part. >> it's about small roles and crossing the street creatively. >> reporter: while an audition in the big apple is considering considering many consider the show's fifth character to be new york, the show had to be fashion. laura is hoping to be the 7th, or 8th, or just get a second on screen. the call is for models, celebrity types, socialites, gays and lesbians, international types, and soccer players. are you really a soccer player? >> yes, i am. >> i am dressed to be a socialite. coy be any of the above. >> i think i would be playing myself. >> reporter: time warner's first "sex & the city" film has gross in order than $310 million worldwide. the sequel is set to be released in may of next year. the a-list stars are already set. it's a cast that of course showcases single city life with

style, humor, and friendship. so even an extra has big shoes to fill. manolos, of course. lindsey davis, abc news, new york. president obama is meeting with democratic senators today. the discussion is expected to center on overhauling the nation's health care system. but no doubt he'll get some well wishes from the lawmakers. after all today happens to be president obama's 48th birthday. no word on how he plans to celebrate the big occasion. talk about weather now. severe thunderstorm is causing flash flooding across central kentucky. take a look at the streets. one official says as much as 6- inches of rain -- i don't think we're looking at the right pictures. but flash flood warnings are in place for several counties. rescue crews are busy trying to work to free three people who were trapped in submerged vehicles. officials are urging residents to seek higher ground and not drive through flooded areas. there we go. lightning footage of an incredible storm. this video is captured by a

camera in a redmond, oregon police car saturday. you can see the lightning strike a telephone pole causing a transformer to explode and knock out power to the area. dispatch was not able to send units everywhere there was a fire. fire crews say they were overwhelmed, receiving hundreds of calls over a two-hour period. wow. >> we'll see if we can rerack some of that video from louisville. it was incredible the amount of rain they got in a very short period of time. one of the areas i think it was around barts town, which is just outside of louisville. but the downtown area, they basically had to stop. imagine stopping in downtown baltimore? no, you can't do it. anyhow, we've got scattered showers around our region. nothing like that on tap. that's because of the heat and the humidity. take a look outside right now. your shot from harbor cam overlooking the downtown area. the flag on federal hill getting a bit of a workout. our temperature right now still at 87 degrees. 48% humidity. wind currently from the

southwest at 7, and the pressure 29.91. temperatures across the area, well, they continue int the upper 80s in some places. 84 right now in york. 81 in dover. 82 in atlantic city. 84 in packs river. and ocean city down on the boards, 87 degrees. take a look at the tropics. you know we haven't had much going on at all there is still not much going on there is florida right there. there is the carolinas. by the way, there is the coast of africa way over there. watch what has been going on over the past 24 hours. a little tropical wave hiding itself right behind our abc 2 logo right there. we're going to be keeping our eye on that system because it could develop -- well, actually it's the first sign we've had of anything happening down there. we'll keep our eye on it for you as we watch the tropics. but right now nothing happening. a lot happening out to our west. around our region, a lot of sunshine, a lot of humidity today, gave rise to a few little light scattered showers. you can see them right there. a futon eastern shore and over into portions of delaware. but back in the ohio valley, that's where all the action has

been today with very heavy shower and thunderstorm activity that system is going to actually pass down into the carolinas. we will see some showers out of it during the day tomorrow. and tomorrow is going to be a much cloudier day than it was during the day today. right now maryland's most powerful radar not indicating any precipitation in the metro area. but we have seen some thunderstorm activity develop out here around the white marsh area, run right up 95. but for the most part, we've been precipitation-free around the region. but as we go through the evening, pop-up showers are likely. moncton right now at 86. 88 in towson. edgemere at 86 degrees. 86 in eldersburg. 85 in westminster. fallston 83. havre de grace 85. annapolis 82. and 87 right now in rock hall. your forecast for tonight. a few pop-up showers. and then tomorrow is going to be an a increasing cloudy day with afternoon and evening showers moving into the region. and then once again on thursday, a chance for some scattered showers. but then cooler air, lower humidity moves in for at least a couple days.

here is your forecast with the overnight period. partly cloudy, a few showers tonight. 70 for the overnight low. during the day tomorrow, we're talking about increasing clouds with scattered storms with a high of 89 degrees. your extended outlook for the next couple of days, there it is right there. a chance for shower and thunderstorm activity during the day tomorrow. and then thursday things are going to clear up and cool down just a tiny bit as we get dryer air moving in. but the heat comes back for the weekend on saturday and sunday with scattered showers and thunderstorm activity that will continue into the first part of next week. and don't forget, you can always go to our website, to abc2news.com to check out our interactive radar. that's what it looks like. you click on the weather tab once you get to the website, and you can take the radar and basically drive it yourself. you can maneuver around, see where all the shower activity. let's take a look. look at that stuff out in kentucky. that's the shower and thunderstorm activity that came marching through louisville area as it makes its way down towards johnson city, tennessee. again, it's on our website at abc2news.com, 24/7, 365. >> thanks, norm. the market up all the way

around. the dow jones up 33. s&p 500 up just over 3. and the nasdaq up 2.7. important news for air travelers. department of transportation says that fewer flights were on time in june than in may. the d.o.t. says hawaiian airlines once again had the best ontime performance, while comair, a subsidiary of delta airlines had the worse. as far as airports are concerned, bwi thurgood marshall increased in the arrival and departure percentages, but still dropped four slots in the arrival rankings. are you planning a trip out of town? there is a new way to get trips on flights. united airlines and jetblue are introducing twitter exclusive promotions called cheaps. they award airline followers. but you also have to stay alert because they could disappear in just a few hours. speaking of twitter, you may think of it as another social networking website. but many use verse discovered

it is a fast and easy way to resolve customer service complaints. abc 2 news samantha hayes explains. >> reporter: got a complaint this when you call a company's customer service line, you often hear something like this: >> your call is important to us. please stay on the line. >> reporter: and sometimes you never get an answer. >> mostly it's that the people you call simply don't have any kind of real expertise in whatever product you're dealing with. >> reporter: fed up with poor customer service, some consumers are finding another way, twitter to social networking site. it's also a place where consumers can tweet their complaints, and many major companies are paying attention. >> so if i post on my twitter account that i had a bad experience with comcast, and i get a message back from comcast, the person who is liable to write you back is probably better positioned to fix my problem faster than somebody of the general customer service line. >> reporter: using twitter amounts to shouting your complaint through a mega phone.

companies don't want one customer's bad experience to influence others. >> on twitter, i have a short little message that i can do in seconds. and that puts the onus then on someone from the company to get back to me. so it changes the dynamic, instead of me being at the whim of the company, they are now having to respond to my now more powerful voice. >> reporter: but using twitter also has its risks. responses may come from scammers too. >> just because you're using twitter doesn't mean that the responses you get back are necessarily from the company. >> reporter: in washington, i'm samantha hayes, abc 2 news. and i'm marybeth marsden. coming up new at 6, your local post office could be closing. the postal service is considering down-sizing because business, well, it just isn't what it used to be. you'll see which locations in our area could be consolidated. ocean city passed emergency legislation banning the sale or possession of salvia. a hallucinogenic drug sold by

many boardwalk shops. we'll take you undercover to see its dangers, and how salvia is pro moded to teens as a legal high. those stories and more coming up at 6. when you first smell the incredible scent of gain laundry detergent, time stops. ( ♪ ) your heart races. ( ♪ ) your eyes close. ( ♪ ) and you realize you're in love...

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and over 15,000 titles on demand per month. what else does fios bring that cable doesn't? how about easy-to-use on screen widgets that offer instant updates on local traffic, news, weather and more. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v today to order fios tv, internet and phone for just $79.99 a month for the first six months. that's like getting all three amazing fios services for the price of two. and now get even faster internet speeds. plus, ask about our free wifi at thousands of hotspots nationwide. to get amazing tv, our fastest internet ever, and phone at this incredible low price, call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v today.

looking for some new digs? here is a place that comes with a pretty hefty price tag. a new luxury skyscraper has been unveiled in bangkok, thailand. it is 77 stories. the building will include offices and two hotels. but if you want to live in the very best apartment, you'll shell out $10 million. wow. are your teenagers using drugs for an