chief medical examiner in baltimore to determine if the baby died from natural causes. >> at this point it appeared to be somewhat unusual, again, the circumstances, there were items scattered and broken in the residents. in other words, the house was in disarray. it was a little unusual, investigators from the homicide unit took over the investigation. >> reporter: for now residents in the victim's apartment building can only speculate. >> i was like, what happened? they think a baby got sick or died. i said maybe it was sids. >> reporter: in anne arundel county, jeff hager, abc2 news. >> investigators have been questioning residents at the complex to learn more about what may have happened in the hours leading up to the child's death. now, to a developing story, a bel air family wants answers into the mysterious disappearance and death of their son. police say they found the remains of michael hogan three years after he went missing from a recovery and therapeutic facility in shrewsbury,

vermont. authorities ruled out foul play. but as abc2 news megan pringle tells us the family is hoping a forensic scientist from towson u and her students will help find out exactly what happened. >> reporter: michael hogan was at spring lake ranch in vermont for just over a year when he disappeared. it was five years ago. after three years of following leads police notified the family that pieces of michael had been found less than a mile from the ranch. >> so they called and they said they found a skull. and it was a male. they could tell by the size of what they found that it could very well be michael. >> reporter: the state medical examiner's office identified a skull found by a hunter in the woods as michael hogan. up to this point the family believed he was missing but now they want to know what happened. >> i just want answers. i want to know what the truth is, what happened to him. there's no cause of death.

there's no manner of death. and how did he wind up where he wound up? that's the question. >> we know michael is gone, that we know. i guess that's closure to some degree. but we still don't know what happened. >> reporter: with no evidence of homicide vermont state police deemed the case not suspicious and the crime lab wasn't involved. but michael's father didn't think that was enough. and reached out to a forensic specialist at towson university to see if she could help. >> i said i think i can assemble a team of students that can come out and get real life field experience while enabling a fully gridded highly powered search to occur. >> reporter: she and her students spent two full days uncovering remains of what is believed to be hogan's body. >> i feel we didn't scour every place available. >> reporter: hoping to uncover enough to find answers about his mysterious death. >> we may never know but we

need to feel we did everything we could to -- to solve this mystery. >> reporter: a mystery a family hopes ends in closure. megan pringle, abc2 news. >> the forensic team sent all their findings to the vermont medical examiner's office from there they will be sent to the smithsonian institution of natural history where the curator of forensic anthropology will try to identify the cause of death. a broken leg didn't stop a maryland state trooper from making an arrest in frederick. trooper first class jeremy tindall stopped a car for speeding last night on i-270. police say the 22-year-old passenger acted suspiciously. he was ordered out of the car and a plastic bag of drug pairer in naila fell from his pants leg and he took off running. he said he felt a pop in his left leg but managed to pull the suspect to the ground. a muggy start to the week. we did get some sun this

afternoon, you're looking at a live picture of the traffic cam, at i-695 and 70. traffic is actually moving. wyett everhart has the forecast to tell us more. >> a kind of a murky monday especially early on but we got nice sunshine this afternoon. i can show you that clearing going on on the visible satellite view. you can see that from east-to-west now. clouds beginning to break apart. we may have decent clearing around for the evening here. maryland's most powerful doppler radar tracking a couple showers, primarily the northern, eastern shore up through cecil county and elkton. other than that right now not a lot of rain statewide. so, variably cloudy conditions this morning, probably decent clearing for most of us. 70s and fairly muggy. we'll talk about how your workweek shapes up in a few minutes. big storm to the south. we'll talk about that, coming up. the latest on the fate of baltimore's beverage tax. last week city council members said the tax was drying up.

they had looked at alternatives to the tax but realize those wouldn't bring inasmuch money so the plan to put the four-cent tax is back on the agenda tonight. at 6:00 we go live to city hall where a vote is expected. trash pickup could be a thing of the past in baltimore city. the service cost the city $1.1 million a year, with three-person crews making 300 stops a day on the average. everything picked up is taken to the trash insinration plant on russell street but bulk trash pickup could end on the 30th, the end of the fiscal year. the city's budget problems could impact the pension plans for the police department and fire department. the city has had no trouble paying into the pension plans which reportedly slipped to 40% to 50% of their future liabilities. the city and unions acknowledge the system is broken but haven't agreed how to fix it with a deadline quickly approaching. a spokesman for stephanie rawlings-blake tolls us under the current pension plan

members can retire as early as 40 with full benefits. rawlings-blake supports comprehensive pension roreform because she believes firefighters and police officers deserve good retirement but must be one the city can afford. the battle for slots at arundel mills mall is heating up. the trial began today over the proposed slots casino. the cordish company is suing the anne arundel county elections board claiming that it overlooked fraud in the petition drive to put that issue before voters. a citizens group and the maryland jockey club which operates laurel and pimlico are fighting the proposal. the jockey club says the casino will put laurel park out of business. confuse seems to be spreading -- confusion seems to be spreading tonight as the gusher in the gulf continues. we still don't have a handle on how much oil there is or how to stop it. bp says it's doing everything possible. the administration seems unable

to figure out what to do with bp oil. john hendren has more. >> reporter: the obama administration insists they are riding herd on bp. >> we will keep our boot on their neck until the job gets done. >> reporter: bp officials say they hear that loud and clear. >> i think everyone is frustrated. we're frustrated. >> reporter: who exactly is in charge? for now, apparently, bp. >> bp or the private sector, the only ones who have the means to deal with the problem there. >> reporter: the federal government could commandeer control of the entire operation and salazar says if necessary it will but the coast guard commander says that's not likely. >> to push bp out of the way would raise a question to replace them with what. >> reporter: take the chemical the epa wants them to stop using. bp says it will, perhaps. >> if we can find a better alternative or someone else can find a better alternative, we would be more than glad to use it. >> reporter: that oil pressing a dozen miles into the

marshes, time is one thing louisiana doesn't have. >> everyday this oil sits and waits for clean-up is one more day more of our marsh dies. >> reporter: the white house released this photo of president obama speaking with gulf governors to show the administration is on top of this situation. but with each day their patience is wearing thinner. >> we are going to be tireless in working to do everything we can, to support the community and everybody whose livelihoods have been in peril. >> reporter: since obama announced a moratorium on new offshore drilling in the wake of the spill at least seven new permits have been granted. epa officials say they are better described as modifications. abc news, washington. mid-atlantic beaches should be safe from the oil spill barring a hurricane or strong storm. that is according to a university of maryland researcher. jim carton says the gleam heads away -- the gulf stream heads away from the continental shelf. it should be carried away from the coast of virginia, maryland and delaware.

he says it could be off the maryland coasts, however, in about three weeks. for continuing coverage on the story, log on to our web site at abc2news.com. you can find our special gulf oil spill section at abc2news.com/oilspill. secretary of state hillary clinton is in china today but her visit is overshadowed by events elsewhere in asia. after south korea accused north korea of sinking one of its warships they cut trade with the north and promised more consequences. seoul is northerly korea's number two -- north korea's number two trading partner. clinton says the u.s. and china must coordinate a response though china remains officially neutral on the investigation so far. >> this is a highly precarious situation that north koreans have caused in the region. >> the white house issued a

statement saying president obama has directed his military commanders to work closely with south korea to "ensure readiness and to deter future aggression." the united nations secretary general said today he expects measures appropriate to the gravity of the situation will be taken by the security council. a dundalk bar owner is shot dead outside of his own business. tonight his friends want answers. the latest on that investigation. and, sugary drinks are not just bad for your teeth. in tonight's "health alert," why sugar may also raise your blood pressure. blue, it's smooth-sailing. why both sales are up for the first time since 2007. currently at northeast middle school it's 75 muggy degrees. wyett has the complete forecast coming up.

home sales jumped 7.6% last month.

the federal government provided a big boost to spring sales offering first-time buyers a attacks credit of up to $8,000 while homeowners looking to upgrade could qualify for a credit of up to $6,500. incentives expired on april 30th. both sales took a big hit in 1991 when the federal government imposed a luxury tax, then came high gas prices and the economy affected sales but as abc2 news's don harrison tells us there are signs of recovery for the first time in nearly three years. >> reporter: along with other luxury items boat sales have taken a hit in this economy. just released sales numbers show signs of hope. the first three months of the year are sailing in a positive direction, the first time it's happened since 2007. >> right now i got a beautiful carver, 45-footer. >> reporter: michael sweeney sells boats and has lived through the rough seas in this recession. >> 2008 was kind of devastating

with the way the economy hit. of course we were just selling used boats only. everything that we could get, but new boats were really devastated. >> reporter: michael sells used boats which is showing the best growth. he feels optimistic. >> it's encouraging, yes. i think we see a lot of light at the end of the tunnel. people are much more positive than they were 18 months ago. >> reporter: some buyers are seeing a difference with this current economy. >> it might not be great but it's looking up. >> reporter: the boat market has been softer the last couple of years but things look like they are changing as one prospective buyer told me he's just looking. if things get better just looking could change into just buying. i'm don harrison for abc2 news. people in south dakota are recovering after several tornadoes were spotted over the weekend. they were part of a storm system that brought large hail, rain and high winds to the great plains. in north dakota two women had

to be rescued when floodwaters submerged their car. in kansas, a tornado touchd touchdown over the weekend as well. wuftsz over 645 -- wind gusts over 65 myles caused major problems. flash flooding may become a bigger concern tonight. thank you for joining us. >> we are tweaking the forecast. we had intermittent sunshine at times in the afternoon but most of us were clouded in through the day. it's a tough forecast this week because we're going to get that back and forth of the clouds. there's a storm offshore. >> heat coming, too. >> heating up. so changes in the weather. >> lots of changes. >> i wish the mugginess would go away. it's going to keep going up. >> wow. >> let's look outside now.

as you look at the inner harbor you can see, kind of what we've been seeing all afternoon. generally cloudy conditions but as we have been working into the afternoon here you can see temperaturewise, 77 degrees now. that's the story from bwi marshall. humidity at 66%. and the barometer 30.21 and falling. take you to baltimore today, through the day you can kind of see the changes in the sky as we worked into the afternoon. variably cloudy skies, breaks of sunshine at times. for the most part here it was a generally cloudy scenario. earlier today really socked in with the cloud cover. then some breaks of sunshine in the afternoon. the clouds coming from offshore, out of the south and east tonight so it's been a different kind of weather pattern than we've seen the last month or so. rainfall totals, minimal. just patchy light showers, drizzle at times. 3/100 inch of rain at mount airy today. about a 10th inch from jessup

and just under 3/1 so 00th in potomac. so "today," balmy, upper 70s. 64 today. it depended on where you were. ocean city up to 69 this afternoon. again, right now temperaturewise just all mid-70s. warm kind of a day though because the humidity level is so much higher than it has been in the last several weeks here so it -- 77, feeling a lot warmer than it has. our winds now light and out of the south around 5 to 10 miles per hour. not enough to break up the humidity but here's that weather pattern i was talking about. you can see generally real murky conditions and spirals of cloud cover coming from offshore, putting down a couple of showers in places like the eastern shore, st. michael's, easton, some rain potential there. the core of the rain now is well south of us from virginia beach south into western north carolina and you can see the clouds spinning from offshore, that is that offshore storm that we're watching very closely over time here, see what it does.

we're at the very beginning of the hurricane season here as we go towards june 1st. here's a look at the forecast model. as we go forward in time here we'll watch this decision turbans, it looks like it's going to continue to spin to the south. that should allow for more sunshine tomorrow. perhaps a little warmer but still upper 70s a good bet and variably cloudy conditions. then we roll forward into tuesday, the storm still staying south but a boundary pushing from the north and east, backdoor cool front may spawn a few showers at least intermittently wednesday afternoon so we'll watch that. tonight, 62 or so the showers end. the chance for fog to develop by daybreak as well and then we go into tomorrow for you, your 2-degree guarantee, about 78 or so, partly sunny conditions. also the chance for a shower but i think we'll see more blue sky mixes in tomorrow. then tomorrow night dropping down to 60 degrees. some clearing and still mild out there. that is for sure. we're going to have your 7-day forecast coming up shortly here.

we now know the line-up for this year's festival. "third eye blind, billy idol and ever clear will highlight the festival in columbia. there will be local acts, too, including jimmy's chicken shack, great name for a band. tickets for the daylong festival september 18th go on sale this friday. it's worth the price of admission just to say jimmy's chicken shack on tv. cutting out sugary drinks can mean a trimmer waistline but can it also raise your blood pressure? you can't do much but sleep in this new york city hotel room. we'll check out the latest hospitality trend. ♪

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i'm megan pringle. police are trying to figure out who shot and killed a dundalk bar owner. his friends are trying to figure out why. many kids feel tormented either at school or on-line. we'll tell you what the state is doing to make you aware. and managing money 101. sounds good but some critics say what is happening on college campuses is going to give your kids an f in personal economics. those stories and more plus wyett's forecast, coming up ahead at 5:30. in tonight's "health alert" -- pediatricians are relaxing their stance against swimming lessons for children younger than 4. in the past the american academy of pediatrics said that swim classes might give toddlers a -- and parents a false sense of security. the group says its fine for children as young as 1 to take classes. pediatricians say parents should choose class that's emphasize water safety and

require a parent or other adult to be in the water with the child. also in tonight eights "health alert" -- there's growing concern sugar is not so sweet on your health. apart from adding unwanted pounds there's evidence that sugar may raise your blood pressure as well. here's abc's dr. timothy johnson. >> reporter: we've all heard that cutting back on sweetened drinks can meet a trimmer waistline but a new study now claims that blood pressure levels can also benefit from this practice. adults in the u.s. drink an average of 2.3 servings of beverages sweetened with sugar or high fructose corn syrup, that has been linked to higher risks of obesity, diabetes and problems with metabolism. its effect on blood pressure has been less clear but now researchers at louisiana state university are one step closer to a link between sweet drinks and high blood pressure. researchers monitored 810 adults between the ages of 25 to 79. they were given less than one

serving of a sweetened drink each day over an 18-month period. by the end of the study blood pressure levels were down significantly. part of the result can be attributed to weight loss experienced by the participants. but that was factored out and the blood pressure decrease still significant. improving blood pressure of course means a w3lower chance o developing heart disease and strokes. with this "medical minute" i'm dr. timothy johnson. here we go again. next time you book a flight is a good chance the ticket is going to cost you a little more if not a lot more. we'll tell you why, just ahead at 5:30 which starts in two minutes.

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a dundalk neighborhood is angry and sad tonight after a man is gunned down outside of his own bar. i'm megan pringle. lee martin was a friend to everyone in this quiet neighborhood. his friends want answers. roosevelt leftwich has more. >> reporter: county police are still looking for suspects in the case. they won't talk about a possible motive but folks who knew lee martin say they can't imagine why anyone would want to kill him. everybody who knew 44-year-old lee martin thought he was great. everybody who knew him said he ran a clean bar, was the first to want to help others. who would shoot him? everyone wants to know who knew him. >> we're a close-knit neighborhood. we're devastated because nothing like this has ever happened around here. he's going to be missed very much. >> reporter: jillian skeleton runs the