sherrie johnson joins us live with details. >> reporter: good morning. authorities are still searching for answers about this fire. investigators say it may not necessarily be a case of arson, but it was set by a person. they are not sure if fire was set on purpose and more than 90 people combed through the rubble during the investigation. the fire destroyed four city building in the adult entertainment district. federal bureau of alcohol tobacco firearms and explosives says the fire started in a video peep show room at the 404 east baltimore street. the fire was so intense, a wall collapsed and crews had to dig it out which was difficult. >> imagine filling four rollback dumpsters by hand with -- a shovel full at time and that's what happened. it was a big fort by a lot of guys that worked 8, 10-hour days, 7, 8 days in a row and

really brutal conditions. >> reporter: the atf interviewed about 60 people about this fire but they still need more help. they plan to put up fliers in the -- flyers in the block area offering a $5,000 reward for information. now if you know something about this fire, you can call 1-888-a-tf-fire. in the studio, sherrie johnson, abc2 news. 6:31. taking a look at news around the nation this morning, more information on the gunman who threatened school board members at a meeting in florida. you've seen the video by now. we have learned a lot about what they did to make it through that tense situation. here's ryan owens with more. >> reporter: police say the man who shattered the monotony of the school board meet was 56-year-old excon with a grudge. clay duke was angry the board fired his wife a. special ed teacher earlier this year. >> he loved me. he loved his family. and he was just trying to have

people stop, as he would say, dump on me. >> reporter: on clay duke's body they found something even more disturbing. >> he had another box of ammo and i believe that box was full and contained 50 rounds. >> reporter: the potential for bloodshed was overwhelming. minutes before duke started to fire, the room was full of students receiving awards. suddenly he walked in, spray painted a red v on the wall and began waving a nine millimeter handgun e warnedyone to leave except for the men on the school board. >> everybody in this room except you. [ beep ] behind counter hit road. >> reporter: others scrambled to safety, board member ginger littleton snuck back in and tried to knock the gun out of duke's hand with her purse. >> i have three wonderful daughters, and they said mom r. you just stupid. what were you thinking? >> reporter: her ring at of

bravery was not the only one. the superintendent calmly negotiated with duke trying to get him to let other board members leave. >> here's dwhient want to happen. i don't want anybody -- listen to me for a minute i don't want anybody to get hurt and i've got a feeling what you want is the cops come in and kill you because you are mad because you said you are going to die. why? this is not worth it. this is problem. please don't. please don't. please. [ gunfire. [ . >> reporter: police say duke fired at least 14 round every single one missed. >> i am telling you right now i have no doubt that i am here by the grace of god. >> that was ryan owens reporting. the repeal of don't ask don't tell takes a step forward. house passed the measure to overturn policy yesterday but the bill faces an uncertain future in the senate. house previously passed a

larger defense bill included the repeal. the bill got held up and eventually killed in the senate. senate republicans have promised not to do anything. legislative work until they are finished extending the tax cuts. a true baseball legend is dead. hall of famer and cleveland indians pillar bob feller died after long battle with leukemia. he burst on the baseball scene at the age of 17 in 1936, the youngest player to natch major league game and wass first to patch no hitter on opening day a mark that stands today. another little-known fact about him. some believe he he was the first pitcher to clocked at throwing more than 100 miles an hour. he is dead at 92. the new york jets suspend strength and conditioning coach sal alo si. indefinitely after learning more about the incident in which he tripped a miami dolphin player during sunday's game. jets discovered he order five inactive players to form a wall along the sideline for a punt return during which he tripped

knollen carl. team originally suspend him for the season without pay and fined him additional $25,000. you have less than one week to help make the season brighter for a child in our area in need. next wednesday, we are going to take all the toys, this is the lobby, and we will be bringing them to area kids. so you have between now and then to deliver the toys for the 12th annual kindertime toy drive. we teamed up with the baltimore symphony orchestra. so tonight wyatt everhart will be live at the toy drive during the evening newscast between five and 6:30. drop off toys until december 21st and that's next wednesday, and if you want to donate and wonder what do you need and where do i drop them off, there's a lot of questions. we posted everything on abc2news.com. you can click on the kindertime link under the marketplace tab. you have the christmas cards and have been meaning to write

and get them out the door. >> well, you better get moving. >> look at this. >> well look at package. we have the exact date you need to send everything out to ensure that it gets through to its christmas defendant initial we are not the only ones affected by the cold temperatures. the aquarium has new guests working to keep warm. we will introduce you to them coming up next.

oh, i see. a throne for the tv... room for movies... your workout gear... non-stop football... it's a man cave! the boys next door will never leave. who says we want them to? if you want to make sure your gift gets to the destination by christmas, you better send them quick. here's dates you need to keep in mind. if you shipping fed ex ground dhifery send it out by tomorrow. if you are shipping via ups it has to be sent out by next tuesday with three days select

to get there by christmas. start writing the christmas cards. because you have been meaning to get those out first class, they need to be sent by monday. express mail can be sent by wednesday. and if you are planning on sending the letter or a package to somebody in the military overseas, it needs to be sent by saturday. so, dates to keep in mind. and if you have grown with the idea of battling the crowds at mall almost as much as shipping fees tomorrow is free shipping day more than 1500 online retailers will send your order you guessed it, free. it starts at midnight on friday and end at midnight saturday. and started in 2008 but didn't pick up steam until last year when 750 merchants took pardon part. now double the amount to the offering the deal this year and go to free shipping day.com and again, free shipping day.com for the very extensive list of those participating websites. southwest airlines will add new flights for those of you

from two new jersey and new york. and you will love the discount airline because they are adding three nonstop flights between bwi and new york airport. it starts in june and it will launch the southwest they want to save you money and they are offering fares get this, as low as 49 dollars. one way between baltimore and newark. the sale end at midnight tomorrow and is good for travel between june 5th and august 12th of next year. now they have to do is do that for somewhere like jamaica or bahamas or something like that. >> $49. coming up, they are not ruling it arson but they are not saying it's not. >> coming, the latest on what investigators are saying about the fire that darkened downtown baltimore for a little more than a week. and an 18 year mount vernon institute destroyed by the second five-alarm blaze. now the owners saying she may never be able to open there again. it's okay to enjoy the occasional movie from time to

time. even love one or two. but would you legally change your name because you were so enam weared movie? one baltimore area man did. we have a winter weather advisory until 9 p.m. and we have snow on the way. i will tell you when the snow gets here and how much we will see coming up. kim. >> reporter: traffic is dispg along nicely here on 895. no problems on 95 either. we are getting word of a multivehicle crash up in joppa. i will let you know where and how that will affect your commute when "good morning, maryland" returns after this.

now, "good morning, maryland." thursday morning, thanks for joining this morning. i am megan pringle. >> i am charlie crowson. this is your abc2 news to go. let's get started off before we get to lynette charles and school closings to tell you about all due to the inclimate weather forecast. lynn jet will tell crowe about it in a second. >> they are listed on screen. we have got charles county, public schools are closed today. st. mary county public schools are closed. and calvert county public schools closed today due to the

weather. let's send it over to lynette and see what's going on. >> all right. that snow is getting closer to us. check it out on the satellite and radar. it's down to the south and west getting closer. it's into west virginia right now. you can see the blue stuff. back towards the west you can see mixture of the purple. the onset into southern maryland, see sleet across the area. y where else, northern parts, everybody will get snow across the area for today. so be on the lookout for that. here's the hour by hour. by nine, temperatures right around 20 degrees. and we will be under mostly cloudy skies. then we will see some snow really getting in here by lunchtime today. that continues until 4 and 8 this evening. it's going to be below or around freezing all day. the system is fast moving and it's not going to dump down a lot of accumulation. that's good news to hear. let's go to kim brown and see if she has good news on the roadch good morning. >> reporter: thanks. the fact that the snow is not going to come in until after morning rush is good news this

morning. so be thankful for that. 895 southbound heading towards the harbor tunnel, traffic is moving well. no problems. no delays. also around the beltway or 95, as we look at the maps, we are work multivehicle crash up in joppa at pulaski highway and mount road. expect lane closures there. now back to you. >> thanks. you can see the smoke from that five-alarm fire all over the citych it was amazing. it happened last monday and all of you took pictures and told stories and investigators released new information surrounding that fire. sherrieionson joins us with more -- sherrie johnson joins with us more. >> reporter: authorities say they need help from the public with information about the fire. ftf -- atf says it was set by a person but they don't know inform it was set intentionally. fire that hit the block destroyed four city buildings in the adult entertainment district. they believe the five-alarm

fire started in video peep show room at 404 east baltimore street. it's believed someone allowed into the room or slipped through a back door to escape the cold actually set the fire. the atf says they have interviewed about 60 people about this fire. they need more help. >> has been with the assistance of citizens that brought us to this point in the investigation. information is instrumental in corroborating what the fire scene has revealed. but we know there are others out there that we have not heard from. >> reporter: investigators plan to put up flyers in the block area offering a $5,000 reward for information on the fire. now if you know something, call 1-888-atf-fire. sherrie johnson, abc2 news. 6:48. investigators are still trying to determine the cause of that tragic fire in east baltimore that killed six people

including three children under the age of 10. neighbors are trying to cope with the loss of the slatterfield who lived in the house on homewood avenue since the 1960s. the elderly couple had been married for more than 50 years and their great grand daughter was staying with them with her three children. a memorial outsighted home keeps growing as neighbors deal with the tragedy. >> it feels empty. just sad. feels so empty. and then i live right here and it's like my house was the only house that didn't get damaged and it hurts. it hurts. >> you know we are a community, and those of house have been gracious enough to have each other's company for so many years, it's just a hard loss. >> fire investigators continue to try to determine the cause. right now it's unclear whether there were work smoke alarms inside the home. other families affected by the fire are getting shelter and help through the city. a homeless man is in the hospital this morning after

serious burns on 75% of his body. police say they found him yesterday afternoon on fire outside the safeway in canton. firefighters were called to the 2600 block of boston street after reports of a brush fire when they found the man. they are trying to figure out how the fire started. done' coffee in mount vernon on charles street was there for more than 18 years. last week a feeble-alarm fire destroyed the building and it's unclear whether it will reopen. the coowner donna crivello returned to survey the shop and she says she has no idea if she will be able to reopen at that location. she is waiting for workers to clear out rubble and to inspec the building to make sure it's structurally sound. >> i have absolutely no idea how long it's going to take. and the engineers need to know that. but luckily for me, i have other things to do and you know, i am doing a cooking class tonight

in columbia and we are work on some christmas eve menus. i have other location so i can be a little distracted. >> and an investigation into the five-alarm fire continues. but preliminary finding suggest that it may have started from an electrical problem on the first floor. it climbed to the top of the four-story building through ventilation shafts. it's a local chain and there are four other location including one in charles village. the bigger -- bitter cold is taking its toll on special wide life. national aquarium is caring for sea turtles rescued from the cold atlantic waters. many of them become stranded strandeded because the ocean waters cool before they migrate. they were flown in from new england aquarium to baltimore earlier this month. and they flew in first class. and another five are expected to arrive later next week. >> only the best for them. >> one is going to be named crush. bill cosby will be in baltimore to be the star

attraction at political fund raising dinner for otis rollie a form he city housing and planning official. dinner is at the treemont grand on january 11th. and it's expensive one. 4,000 dollars a plate. there will be an estimated 500 dollars head reception and 75 dollar for a stand up performance. a jury is speced to deliberate in the case of an army doctor who refused to deploy because he questioned president barack obama's u.s. citizenship. hugh ternal colonel laken says he was wrong to do so and would deploy if he could. earlier the jury convicted lakin of missing a flight that would have taken him to fort campbell for his eventual deployment. maryland base was chose eans trial site for logistical purpose not because of a connection to lakin. a consume are alert this morning. anybody who has a young child, the government is banning drop

side cribs after the deaths of more than 30 infants and toddlers in the last decade. consume product safety commission voted unanimously to ban sales and the resale of the cribs. they say the side rail that moves up and down is dangerous allowing parents more easily to lift the child from the crib. but the child can get stuck between the rail and the side of the crib causing injury and sometimes even death. most of us have a fascination with movies. escapeism never hurt from time to time a parkville man took love of a 1982 film tron and the upcoming flick tron legacy to all new heights. todd hartley legally changed his name to tronster hartley eight years ago. he changed his name to tronster after his boss told him he could not do business under a nickname. hartley says he is wearing the name with pride as the sequel of the film tron comes out and hits theaters friday.

in 3d and i max. go so see it. >> think about it. really well but you change your name. boardwalk in ocean city could get a face lift. the city plans a public hearing in february to get public opinion on replacing the two mile long boardwalk. resort official reviewed option for replacing the boardwalk and the project could take two or three years to complete. and much of the southern walkway is yellow lineed and must be prepared or replaced each year undernote that. so many support the piles and the beams right there. but they say it is 60 years old and they can't hold nails and wood replacement cost about $10 million. it's tradition going on for 20 at the senator theater. bring in a canned good and you get to watch it's a wonderful life on the big screen. the theater has new owner and people were worried this tradition may come to an end. >> yeah, but there's no need to worry. they are keeping it alive. this saturday and sunday, 10 in

the morning watch the movie for free if you bring a food donation. and they are showing it on christmas eve morning at 10. that's my favorite movie. >> talked to a friend while watching it and she cried the whole time. >> i cry every time i see it. >> do you. >> great movie and always at same time. >> the name change thing. >> yeah. >> i am changing my name to the dude. >> the dude. >> the big dude. >> the dude crowson. >> lynette, what you change your name. >> now, maryland's most powerful doppler radar and forecast certified most accurate by weatherate. >> i am changing it to sunshine i like that. is that good? >> appropriate. >> all right. satellite and radar. we wouldn't see sunshine today. i am trying to be your sunshine. but we see snow moving in here as we go throughout the day. and we can see up to ionch. baltimore to the north down to the south of maryland about one to three inches and three to four in southern virginia. so we do have that area of low pressure scooting off toward the east of us. but stay to the south.

and that's what's going to help with us snow going into time. future forecast brings the snow in here going into the afternoon. and than we clear things out for tomorrow. it's going to be a nice day continuing as we go into saturday as well. and then that temperature at 32 degrees today that winter weather advisory in effect by tonight, 19 degrees. snow showers heavier to the south. and tomorrow, the temperature coming in at 35 degrees. more sunshine and still cold. and here to check out seven-day forecast, we improve mooning we dry out heading into next week. but right now over to kim brown with your traffic. good morning. >> reporter: thanks. good morning. a good quiet start to the roadways so far so good. a minor delays because of some volume building up. as we look at 695 at providence road, traffic moves well. we have a serious crash in joppa pulaski highway at mountain road involving three vehicles. and still dealing with a broken water main in baltimore city east north avenue at north collington. the center lane remains blocked. >> thanks so much for joining us this morning. >> she is sunshine and i am the dude and you are spunky. who are you?

>> spunky brown. >> love it. you worked it. >> now to new york for "good morning, america." back at nine and we will see you soon.

oh, i see. a throne for the tv... room for movies... your workout gear... non-stop football... it's a man cave! the boys next door will never leave. who says we want them to?