they say they didn't chase? >> well, based on the history of baltimore city cops, that remains to be seen. that's why i say we don't know all the fax. >> reporter: while police are withholding the suspect's name, they say he remains in serious condition at the shock trauma center, and could face a series of charges, including manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and auto theft. for now, the victim's family is left to deal with its loss. >> we're just trying to be strong for the parents. of kiara. >> and for the 6-year-old daughter she has left behind. in randlestown, jeff hager, abc 2 news. >> kiera mckay graduated from randlestown high school in 2002 and had recently enrolled in classes to pursue a career in the medical field. no criminal charges will be filed in the death of two teens struck by a light rail last

month. conner peterson and kyle wankmiller were walking on the tracks when they were struck and killed by a train near the lutherville station. the incident was an accident. mike hill says the operator and other witnesses were interviewed. >> the detectives talked to the operator, talked to several witnesses, looked at the evidence that you all know of, the videotape from within and outside of this light rail train. and in that, you know, this driver said he didn't see them. >> hill does say the witness captured on tape that they wanted to talk to never came forward. tonight police are looking for a driver who hit a baltimore city police officer and a woman. it happened just before midnight in southeast baltimore near east monument. we're told the officer only has minor injuries. however, the woman was dragged by the car. she was taken to johns hopkins hospital, land is no word on her condition tonight. police are looking for a driver. a woman driving a gold honda.

in the towson, police have investigating a crash. the crash involved one vehicle. the driver was taken to sinai hospital. he was not seriously hurt. a federal appeals court in virginia has upheld the capital murder conviction of d.c. area sniper john allen muhammad. a three-judge panel issued its unanimous ruling today. they rejected several claims by muhammad, including that he never should have been allowed to act as his own lawyer. the shootings by muhammad and lee boyd malvo terrorized the area. the slot machine slowdown in anne arundel county. the county council has tabled discussions about whether to rezone land near the mall. the property could be used for the state's largest casino. but indecision is causing a

delay, and that's keeping the slots issue there at a stand still. >> anne arundel county needs to make a decision. right now we have that indecision gumming up the works and keeping that largest number of slots licenses from moving forward. >> council won't be talking about the rezoning until the fall. the council chairwoman told the sun the zoning decisions have no impact on the state's licensing process for slot machines. eunice kennedy shriver is in critical condition at a massachusetts hospital tonight. a family spokesman says the 88- year-old sister of president john f. kennedy is surrounded by her family. her husband, children, and grandchildren are all at her side. shriver founded the special olympics. an autopsy report says cocaine contributed to the death of television pitchman billy mace. the 55-year-old died of a heart attack in his sleep. his wife found him unresponsive at their condo in tampa in june. mays had used cocaine days before his death.

the report said although mays died from heart disease, cocaine was a contributing cause of death. maryland health officials are reporting a fifth death related to the swine flu. an adult from the washington suburbs who had other medical conditions has died. officials are not releasing any further details about that person. department officials say more deaths are expected with swine flu and of course the seasonal flu. and the swine flu is expected to be back in full force this fall when school starts again. today the federal government came out with guidelines for fighting the virus, which has infected more than 160,000 people worldwide. abc's viviana hurtado reports the vaccine under development will be the front-line defense. >> reporter: the first volunteers are being vaccinated for clinical trials in seattle, with more still being recruited to test the safety of the swine flu vaccine and reassure the public, as opposed to the one in 1976 that killed more people that year than the flu.

health experts insist this vaccine will be safe. with 2 billion people, or 1/3 of the world's population expected to be infected with h1n1, inoculation may be what contains the virus. >> our scientists are working hard to have a vaccine ready for consumption by mid-october. >> reporter: scenes of custodians busy disinfecting surfaces will likely be part of back to school this year. that's because top health and education officials are encouraging school closures where students have fallen ill with the flu, as they did in the spring. >> when you close the school, you have real social costs. you may reduce the spread of flu for a period of time, but you also increase the number of kids who may be unsupervised. >> reporter: but they're also recommending sick student and staff stay home 24 hours after the flu breaks. >> ill students and staff should be separated and given

protective gear such as a mask until they can leave a school. >> reporter: officials say if the outbreak is more severe, k through 12 school should actively check students and staff for fever and also move desks farther apart. the vaccine won't be made available to the public until mid-october. viviana hurtado, abc 2 news, washington. >> and studies of the swine flu vaccine will begin next week at the university of maryland. authorities say 67 young adult volunteers and 67 senior citizens will get a detailed screening and/orienttation on monday. if they give their consent, they'll get shots to test the effectiveness of the vaccine. the vaccines are set to arrive at the medical school today. we'll have a full report for you on abc 2 news at 5. a former miss maryland is in trouble with the law tonight. tia shorts pleaded guilty to obstructing a police investigation in a drug case. shorts had originally been charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and drug

possession charges. her boyfriend, his brother, and their 67-year-old mother were also arrested in the case. she will be sentenced in november. shorts was crowned miss maryland, usa in 2004. we are learning more about the gunman who killed three women and wounded nine others at a pittsburgh area health club this week. george sodini bought some handgun accessories from the same gun dealer who sold to virginia tech shooter seung-hui cho. the president of the wisconsin- based dealer is confirming the purchases, and says he is cooperating with investigators. sodini opened fire in l.a. fitness club on tuesday, killing three women before killing himself. four of the women wounded in the shooting at the l.a. fitness club remain in the hospital. it's been more than a month since michael jackson died in his california home. an investigation into his death is still going on, and there is a battle between family members over jackson's final resting place. he still has not been buried. the pop star's brother jermaine

jackson talked with cnn's larry king about the ordeal. >> i want him at neverland. and there is a question -- there is a question -- she is your mother. can't you say hey mom? >> i was the only one, larry there is like so many. >> meanwhile, a law enforcement official says michael jackson's doctor gave the pop star multiple sedatives, along with a powerful anesthetic hours before his death. the official spoke to the associated press on the condition that he or she remain anonymous. weeks after her husband admitted to having an affair, south carolina's first lady is moving out of the official governor's house. in a statement, first lady jenny sanford said she is moving to the family home on sullivan's island some 120 miles east, but she says she will continue working on her marriage. governor sanford's affair with an argentine woman went public after he went missing for several days. tonight he says this decision

is best for the couple's reconciliation efforts. and taking a look at the forecast. i tell you. we have had a gorgeous, gorgeous start to the weekend. low humidity this morning. not typical for august and high temperatures today. low 80s. you have to love that. 82 at bwi thurgood marshall so far. 81 for philly. you head up towards york, pennsylvania did not get out of the 70s. some of the coolest highs we've ever seen this early in august. typical high 87 degrees. but the record high is up around 105 or so on this day. just a mild, mild day. we're going to enjoy that into the evening tonight. temperatures dropping down into the low 60s. partly cloudy and pleasant. we'll talk about a huge heatup coming our way. a few more dog days to come. we'll tell you when they a live in just a few. >> all right, thanks. and you can expect some traffic delays in baltimore county, at least one section. the seminary avenue bridge is primarily closed, starting today. the bridge in lutherville is

closed for demolition. they're replacing the bridge, built in 1900, with a new bridge. seminary avenue between railroad avenue and greenspring drive will be closed until next tuesday. several homes in northeast baltimore have been flooded after a water main break. a 16-inch water main broke in the 2800 block of kirk avenue. public works officials say there was substantial flooding in about eight of those homes, including one house that had water up to the first floor. we're told bge has shut off electricity and gas to the neighborhood, and the red cross and the city housing document are assisting the homeowners. they hope water service will be restored by tomorrow. and tomorrow sonia sotomayor will be sworn in as the first hispanic justice on the supreme court. sotomayor was confirmed by the senate in a 68-31 vote. she is only the third woman to serve on the nation's highest court. a court official says her swearing in ceremony will be the supreme court's first to be

open to television cameras. going green. changes for the governor's mansion to make it more environmentally friendly. area crews heading out west to battle wildfires. how long they're be there, and what exactly they'll do. and another sign that the economy may be making a turnaround. some numbers that are better than economists had predicted. and a beautiful day today. 81 degrees in arbutus. she back with the full forecast. ♪

[ female announcer ] arthritis targets your body where it's weak. where it's vulnerable. ♪ tylenol arthritis works with your body to block the pain, without interfering with certain high blood pressure medicines like aleve sometimes can. ♪ so you don't just feel better, you feel better knowing doctors recommend tylenol more than any other brand of pain reliever. ♪ i need the baker file stat!! reply!! still making changes. circle back later!! what's with the yelling? oh, our internet slows down during peak hours so sending e-mails and large files just takes forever. so, we just yell. ben!!! thanks for the flowers!!! i thought you hated me!!! lol!!! semi-colon! right parenthesis! winky emoticon! (announcer) switch to verizon and get a dedicated high speed internet connection from our office to your small business

so you won't be slowed down even if your neighbors are online. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v today and for only $79.99 a month for 12 months with a 3 year contract you'll also get our award winning internet security suite, unlimited nationwide calling, and over $180 back in available online rebates. plus, the reliability of the verizon network. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v today for the verizon single line business pak and data protection pak. one of the many tools in the verizon small business toolbox.

you're watching baltimore's station that works for you. now abc 2 news at 5. >> volunteer firefighters from maryland headed out west to battle wildfires in oregon. and we were there as they geared up for the long trip. >> reporter: right now several fires are burning in central oregon, and crews are having a tough time bringing them under control. but they are getting some help from maryland.

>> we're mobilizing one of our type 2 initial attack crews. they're a 20-person crew, and they're going to be dispatched to oregon state to assist in wildfires on that part of the country. >> reporter: while they're packing their bags and ready to help, they don't know exactly how their kills ask will be used. >> never can tell. we're on a line crew. we might be digging line or dry mopping. just whatever they need us to do. >> it's a commitment. and it's -- it's tough leaving home. but it's good to go out and do a job that benefits natural resources in the western united states, and protect folks' homes and their possessions. >> reporter: the volunteers are taking needed equipment with them. and they will get more once they get their assignments. >> a deployment center, make sure they have all their equipment and their needs are met before they go out. >> we're told the crews will return home in about two weeks. good luck to them. hurricane felicia has weakened to a category 2 storm

as it heads towards hawaii, and residents there are getting ready. people are preparing for whatever might come their way, including rain and gusty wind. >> i'm concerned about what might happen, you know. we're not really -- we don't really have a hurricane here in a long time. >> anyone visiting home depot is reminded to stock up on essentials. officials at the emergency operation center are in preparation mode. all government agencies have been placed on alert. the big island has 32 emergency shelters available to the public should the need arise. a typhoon is pounding taiwan with heavy winds and rain. meteorologists forecast the storm will dump 40 to 50 inches of rain. imagine that. government offices and schools are closed tool in preparation for the strongest typhoon to hit in years. fishing vessels and boats have been ordered to take shelter in port. now the forecast certified baltimore's most accurate by weather rate, and maryland's most powerful doppler radar.

>> we had nothing but blue skies and great temperatures for august. >> i'm telling you, marybeth. >> weird. >> it is. it is unusual. and just yesterday, one of the coolest highs on record for early august. and today barely scraping into the 80s. we're used to pushing 100 this time of year with humidity too. we're loving this. >> yes, we are. >> friday evening, we need to get out there. i'm telling you. let's take a look at what we're seeing outside right now. gorgeous, gorgeous stuff. 81 degrees right now at bwi as you take a look at the inner harbor. as you see the humidity, that's really the bright spot for us. 34%. that just feels terrific. let's show you a little weather in motion. and as we take a look at the weather bug at damascus, a few more clouds billowing up as we worked into the afternoon. but all in all a terrific day of weather. i think we're going to see a similar pattern tomorrow. a little warmer, and probably a few more clouds as we go into the afternoon, maybe the slight chance of a shower or storm. you take a look at the low temperatures from this morning

and 59 degrees. some of the disturbance down in the mid-50s at daybreak this morning. just unseasonably cool stuff. but no one really complaining when you are the cool starts in early august. 81 right now at bwi. terrific stuff even as you head well southbound. 79. that's it. scattered 70s all over the map. 78 from york right now. and 68 out at far western maryland. just a gorgeous, gorgeous scenario. absolutely nothing on maryland's most powerful radar. we have a clean sweep. and i expect this to hold tonight into the early part of the day tomorrow. late tomorrow afternoon as the clouds bubble up, could see a couple of isolated thunderstorms. not expecting a lot. but you have to watch out for that, especially if you're out on the water later on tomorrow afternoon. satellite radar, we're all clear across maryland. but you do see more cloud cover drifting in out of the west. i think we'll see a few more clouds early in the evening. clearing overnight, and then tomorrow afternoon, watch for a sunny start and more clouds late in the day. a light south wind well. will see temperatures beginning

to head up. in the mid- to upper 80s as we get into late tomorrow afternoon. a weather-maker moving across the great lakes. an area of low pressure here. but this is going to continue to weaken and drift well north of us. so we're looking at a good weather scenario across most of maryland through most of the weekend. i do look for a much hotter scenario sunday and into monday. more on that in a second. here is your forecast and details there is the weather- maker. it stays north and fizzles out. we'll get clipped by a few clouds. maybe just enough unsettled pattern in the atmosphere to trigger a couple of thunderstorms tomorrow afternoon. i think it's nice on the bay early tomorrow, taking the boat out. you've got to love the start. a south wind 10 to 15. a few gusts late in the day could get a little choppy. sunrise 6:13. tomorrow temperatures start to head up. we're looking at 87 or so with sun and clouds. a warmer scenario on tap

through the da, topping out around 87 degrees. and we're going to push boo the 90s. take a look at this on is seven- day forecast. here is the trend for you. it gets hot, hot, hot. look at this sunday, 94. monday we are pushing up to 97 degrees. some spots could be a little hotter as you head south of the city. so watching for that warming trend bigtime. and again tomorrow afternoon, maybe just a pop-up storm or two. >> thanks, wyatt. parents, we have two important recalls to tell you about tonight if you have little kids. first cir co restraint booster seats. they were just sold at target stores, and that's where you can return it for a full return. and 13 is the jump and jive doorway jumpers. the strips of fabric that attach the toys to the jumper aren't permanently attached so your child could choke on them. throw away and call the manufacturer for a new set of toys. for details go the abc2news.com

and then on product recalls. well, the economy is still on a roller coaster ride. the federal reserve announced today the consumers are still playing it safe. they would rather pay down their credit card bills than go on a shopping spree that could slow in an economic recovery. as consumer spending accounts for 70% of economic activity. but there are signs that the recession may be receding. fewer workers are losing their jobs. as abc's diana avellar reports. >> reporter: on capitol hill, bureau of labor statistics commissioner keith hall was cautiously optimistic. >> the last three months there has been clear moderation in the job loss. >> reporter: despite the loss of 247,000 jobs in july, it's the smallest reduction of any month this year. raising hopes that the economy is on the road to recovery. >> the job loss has been very broad, and it's been very deep. and we're backing out sort of the same way so far. >> we received additional signs that the worst may be behind us.

>> reporter: president obama praised july's job loss numbers as a good start. >> we will not have a true recovery as long as we're losing jobs. and we won't rest until every american that is looking for work can find a job. >> reporter: the president said federal stimulus dollars are helping to make that possible. [ applause ] they are already funded at least 100 new jobs at amtrak to restore railcars like this one. >> i think this is a blessing. i was ready to lose my house. >> reporter: and allowed simonton windows to rehire all the workers they laid off. >> i would get to come back to work and get a paycheck every week. >> the combination of the impact of the tax stimulus, as well as some general recovery, and i think some market share gains that we're making have really allowed us to call our employees back. >> reporter: friday's report featured a couple of other positive developments. workers hours are increasing, and paychecks are growing once

again. diana avellar, abc 2 news, chicago. two window washers get the scare of their lives. they're left dangling from a high-rise after a platform tilts. we'll show you the dramatic rescue. and a crime caught on tape. a thief runs off with a giant yellow m&m. >> watch abc 2 news any time on channel 1 with comcast on demand.

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... earl! stop your time-wasting. with a laundry detergent. ♪ take my breath away gain. to smell it is to love it. what are you waiting for?

here is a look at what is coming up for you all new at 5:30. i'm kelly swoope. the governor's mansion is going green, and we're going inside for a tour. we'll take you there. and kids in baltimore county are protesting a police officer's reassignment. we'll tell you why. plus, radio ads offering loans that you never have to pay back. could it be too good to be true? we'll let you know. plus, how is that weekend

looking? wyatt is back with baltimore's most accurate forecast, all new at 5:30. >> thanks, kelly. our look around the nation starts in california where two window washers were rescued after dangling from a long beach high rise. the metal scaffolding slipped, but the workers were wearing safety harnesses and they didn't fall. rescue crews quickly rescued one man. the other held on the the platform for about 45 minutes until a firefighter rappeled down and helped the firefighter get hauled up on to the roof. neither was seriously injured. a boat yard goes up in flames in northeast massachusetts. it started at mellonson's boat yard in ipswich. it sent flames and black smoke into the air and spread to a neighboring home. no one was hurt. a surprising abduction case in missouri. police are looking for an eminem candy display stolen from a convenience store in arnold. this video shows the man who stole it, the suspect wearing a baseball cap came in, bought a 30-pack of beer, and 15 minutes later he returned with no hat,

threw the packs of m&ms on the floor and walked out with the display man under his arm. >> it shows one customer holding the door out for him while he is emptying out the candy. >> police are still looking for the m&m thief. >> i don't think they have much crime in arnold. what do you think? if you don't qualify for the cash for clunkers program, it may not be the end of the road. some tips to keep your car running longer, on abc 2 news at 5:30, which starts in two minutes.