rachel good morning. we are going to be dealing with a wonderful wednesday out there. we will have clouds to start and that gives way to sunshine. temperatures will be in the 50s

for today just like yesterday. and unsettled weather is back on horizon and then a pour tension for a nor'easter. i will talk about that later. but right now maryland's most powerful radar is dry and it will stay that way through the rest of today. 43 right now in easton. and we are looking at temperatures right around 40 in goldsboro and 41 right now not dealing with the wind chill. the wind will pick up more as we go throughout the day. let's check the traffic with angela. good morning how are the roads looking first and foremost. >> reporter: good morning. wonderful wednesday i like what you said. that's what we are looking for. on the roads for your commute other than the overnight maintenance work we have got going on one area to report. traveling through the jessup savage area on washington boulevard route 1, water main work at mission road between route 3 # and 175. -- 32 and 175. let's look at outside. 95 just south of the city.

looking pretty good making your way to 695 and here's what you will find on 695 at baltimore national pike. charley and megan over to you and good morning. hundreds of homes are without heat this morning. it's from a gas main that broke yesterday. >> and linda so is live this morning in southwest baltimore with an update on efforts to repair that. linda. >> reporter: this is a massive undertaking. they have a mobile command center set up here. they have the tents out and bge crews are out in force and working to restore the gas tohundreds of homes and businesses in the area. we are about a block away from where the gas main broke and it will take several days to make the repair. crews were fixing a water line yesterday morning when it broke and hate gas line right next to it. all gas was shut off to about 900 homes. and businesses in the area. there's an elementary school and senior living facility nearby all without heat this morning. >> the water line broke and gas line was located and the

pressure could have broken the gas main and we believe asphalt may have fallen on top of the gas main as well. >> reporter: we just got off the phone with the baltimore city schools to find out if frederick elementary will be open. they say the decisioner will be made around 5 -- decision will be made around 5 or 5:30. if bge crews have not been to your home to turn off the gas which they need to do, call this number, bge's line is 410- 685-0123. that's 410-685-012 #. let crews inside -- 410-685-0123. linda so, abc2 news. members 69 house of del be can -- of the house of delegates will consider a bill to legalize same sex marriage today. it passed through 45 law makers in the senate and is expected to be introduceed in the chamber. one how reese pub -- house

republican echoed his support. should it pass maryland will be the #th state to pass same sex marriage. residents would see ion crease of 6% total, 2% over three years for the gas stacks. there's a -- tax. there's a provision if gas prices rise too much halting the #%. we could see $-- 2%. we could see 5 bucks a gallon by this summer. in washington an agreement would deliver $20 to the average worker a week. they hope to hand it to the president later this week. a 2 percentage point cut in social security would be extend and benefits renewed and doctors would be saved from cuts to the medicare payments. baltimore city mayor administration has now come up with a new plan they say could help save baltimore. >> the plan has safeguards to protect the city from losses.

and sherrie johnson is here with the latest. >> reporter: this morning at board of estimates, officials will unveil a contract with down horse racing. according to reports, they will run the second annual baltimore grand prix. the new contract says a portion of the money from each ticket sold will be placed in a lock box escrow account controlled by a trustee to make sure they pay city admission and amusement taxes and service fees. eye comes after last year's financial problems -- it comes after last year's financial problems. the lock box eliminates concern the city won't get paid. city can inspect down horse racing financial records at any time to check out the group's debt. the city ended the five-year contract with baltimore racing development last year after there was $12 million in debt. the board of estimates meeting starts at 9 this morning and they are expected to vote on that contract. sherrie johnson, abc2 news. the uva george huguely

murder trial, today is day 8. he is accused of murdering his on again off again girlfriend yeardley love. the coroner testified saying that love had alcohol and prescription meds in her system at the time of the death. but they were not lethal amounts. man who did that autopsy is she died from cardial being a arrhythmia brought on by trauma. huguely pleaded innocent. a juror dismissed from the case has spoken out. >> only thing that's is important is whether or not she would be alive if he hadn't put his hands on her. >> the prosecution is expected to rest making way for huguely's defense. stay tuned for "good morning maryland" at 6 and we will have a report from charlottesville. for continuing coverage, head to abc2news.com and look under featured stories and click on the story and it will take you to articles and links including a live twitter feed

from charlottesville. also, a man found guilty of murderrering a corrections officer will begin phase -- murdering a corrections officer will begin phase two. defense will bring witnesses for and against the death penalty. he was found guilty of the stabbing death. we have not seen much of winter weather for sure. >> that's true. >> providing it would be a pain in other parts of the world. >> it's a big problem. we will show you the winter weather across the midwest. you don't want to miss this. also ahead, allergies are a nagging problem. why doctors say the medicine you are taking may not be helping. and as we go to break on good morning maryland at 4:30, that's wrigley field. opening day is month and a half away. we are back in a bit.

now "good morning maryland"

at 4:30. look at this picture. croatia where ducks and swans were able to find the only spot on the lake that was not frozen. the rest of the lake was covered with snow and a sheet of ice. luckily for the bird, they don't mind sharing. it was not quite as picturesque in missouri where drivers what heck of a time contending with winter weather. snow made the road slick bringing out tow trucks to pull out stuck cars. freezing rain is expected as the storms wind down across the midwest. we don't necessarily have that much in our forecast. we are not expecting that, are we? >> no not today. but nor'easter potential as we go into your sunday. so we will talk about that later because it depends on the track of the storm. that's all i am going to say right now. today, satellite and radar not picking up on a whole lot. if you want the snow, you have to go towards the north because we are not going to be dealing with any of that. we are dealing with a couple cloud out there this morning. but that's going to give way to

plenty of sunshine going into the afternoon. it will be a nice day on tap. temperatures coming in right around 36 degrees in towson. 37 in chestertown right now. bel air 39. and temperatures well above average this morning. and as we go into the afternoon, your hour by hour forecast brings us to 37 by 8 p.m. and will be object the breezy side. wind at 10 to 15 miles an hour. out of the northwest making us feel chillier for today. 53 degrees is well above average once again. and again i will gib outdetails on that nor'easter coming up. but right now let's go over to angela with a check of your traffic. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. and things are starting out just the way we like them towards the weeps morning drive. let's check traffic around the area heading to bwi marshal this morning. traveling on i-195 northbound with the lane closure at maryland 295. emergency construction there. speaking of 295, the bw parkway traffic is quiet between maryland 32 and i-695 and if you get an early start on your

drive to work towards the capital beltway, i-95 in columbia at maryland 32. now back over to you. 4:41. funeral arrangements for the late whitney houston are official. >> how her life will be honored and how the hometown and home state are paying tribute this coming weekend. new clues found in the trash discarded by josh powell. what investigators have found that the dad threw away before killing himself and his two young sons. and as we go to break, a live look at baltimore's inner harbor. a beautiful start to the day and there could be changes on the way but lynette is not going out on that limb yet. good morning maryland continues in a bit.

why gl news time 4:44. time five things to know. gop can cates hit the road. rick santorum will be in north dakota. and mitt romney is in michigan

talking about jobs and labor groups. and herman cain will not shaking his groove thing. republican turned down an offer to appear on dancing with the stars. reports show producers are eyeing michelle bachmann. first lady michelle obama and jill biden will join other officials in washington today to unveil a new report outlining opportunities for states to better support military spouses deserve afg job where state lies represents required. a new exhibit is set to open at the museum in washington. it pokes fun and shows the history of presidential campaigns called every four years presidential campaigns in the press. it includes relics from presidents and comics. a new unlikely item dubbed the super food. it provide fiver that could be a substitute for whole grain. trainers are recommending it to clients and seed can be found in gnc and you can find them at whole foods. now to the latest on saying

bye to a popeye con. funeral arkments are set in her -- arguments are set in her hometown. megan has more on death of pop icon whitney houston. >> reporter: the funeral will be invitation only. close family and friends say their good-byes at newark new hope baptist church. this is the place where houston sang in the choir. there's no public service planned but houston's family are asking any donations in her memory be sent to the arts focus public school in new jersey that she attended. the school is named in her honor. and on saturday, the governor of new jersey had ordered that flags be flown at half-staff in memory of houston. tune in on friday, 20/20 will air a two-hour special beginning at 9:00 called one moment in time, the lie life of whitney museton -- houston. and you can head to

abc2news.com for complete coverage for more under the top stories you can learn more about it again abc2news.com. charley. in news closer to home the harford county teen suspected in his father's murder was officially charged tuesday. robert richardson iii was indicted on first and second degree murder charges. he was arrested in january and will remain behind bars at the harford county detention center. and a former baltimore city police officer is facing some familiar criminal charges allegations of sexual assault. a 13-year-old girl told relatives it happen the in the basement of a home. she was therefrom out of town and reported it to school officials when she returned after the christmas break. the former officer is troy gee and pled out to prior charges he attacked young girls in his basement. a 60-year-old is under arrest for allegedly touching a woman at a lowes on ritchie highway. samuel garris was found across

from the stouter. victim i doctor. garis who is now in jail. another evaluation for the man accused of killing a fellow patient at a state mental hospital was ordered from a judge. they say andre mayo is competent but it focused it be on a particular -- on a particular point in time. the hospital where the patient stayed workers there are now calling for a budget boost. a rally will be held at 2:30 this afternoon calling for legislators to boost the budget to improve safety at the hospital. union members and hospital leaders will be at that rally recommending that the hospital also include other things. sock doctors are saying that if you take antibiotics to treat a sinus infection, it may not work. after comparing two groups one with antibiotics and otherswithout, the drugs didn't make that much of a difference.

the study appears in the journal of the american medical association. author suggest hot steam and eucalyptus oil is the best treatment for sinus infections. your favorite color of lip stick could have lead in it. 400 poplar brands have trace amount of lead. eye doesn't appear to be changing and doesn't exceed safe levels. the top ten include some buy loreal and maybe lien. you remember from the cafeteria days mystery meat. never a favorite but it could make a comeback and parents need to remember to pay attention to labels and they change them periodically. being an educated shopper is easy thanks to labels that tell you what's not only in your food but also where it comes from. everything you need is required for some foods. >> the country of origin

labeling is one of the most popular consumer policies in the united states and around the world. >> consumer groups like dc based public citizens say the labels were added in 2009 to meats, nuts and fruits and veggies but labels like those in the grocery store could disappear summer dropping first from beef and possibly from pork. ten minutes away from five. around the nation this morning, the school in ohio is making news for paying students to go to class. last year, only 84% of students at don community high school showed up on a regular basis. so the principal started something new. he teamed up with private donors to offer students cash for coming to class. seniors who arrive on time five days a week and behave well get $25 every friday. under class -- underclass men 10 dollars. when a student gets paid an extra five dollars is put in a savings account and they can redeem it after graduating. a interesting story out of

new york. police were following a stolen vehicle and the driver couldn't pull over and couldn't be seen in the car. that's interesting. officers thought the driver slid down in the seat trying to hide. but it turns out the driver was an len-year-old -- 11-year-old boy. car was stolen early sunday morning and eye womens were found that were stolen from other cars along the same street. the boy will appear in family court set for later this month. a tip from a witness has led investigators to a washington state recycling center looking for anything josh powell dumped the day before he killed himself and his two young sons. search teams have found a religious book that belonged to josh powell. detectives say that powell kept next to nothing in the house when he torched it but put up family photos to fool cps workers that he provided a loving home. there's evidence that he also searched the explosive properties for gasoline. it's a knock on the door most women would welcome but this deliveryman showed up in miami at a home and wasn't

interested in spreading loved. he rushed in a gun demanding monday crane jewelry. he robber took -- money and jewelry e took advantage of the -- he took advantage of the valentine day and neighbors say they can understand why the woman did because it's valentine's day and the suspect is still on the loose. sports news this morning, tim tebow is doing work with kids today. he will take part in the america's biggest bedtime stories event and it's reading initiative for kids and tebow will read his favorite childhood book green eggs and ham by dr. seuss and it will be broadcast on the web. orioles signed the centerfielder to a one-year contract and avoiding arbitration. adam jones agreed to a deal with the o's. here's lynette with the forecast. good morning. we are seeing temperatures and

feeling temperatures not so bad this morning. 39 degrees close to 40 already. courtesy of the cloud out there. not so bad. we don't need the heaviest coat in the closet not as of yet. but 41 right now in dc and 43 in easton along the eastern shore here. we are a little chillier into york pennsylvania coming in around the freezing degree mark. but, the big story is what's coming down the pike. so, we are looking at the satellite and radar. this is the national picture here. now we do have a storm that's originating out of the west. and what's doing happen is it's going to -- going to happen is it's going to drop in southern california and down into northern mexico. then it will gather a little steam and then it will make the north east turn. so by the time we hit the weekend, well, we could see the potential for a nor'easter out there. and it depend on the track. you heard us say this so many times. so if it takes a track more southerly, we will be in all rain heading into saturday

evening and into your sunday morning. and then if it takes a track that is a little bit further to the north, yes, we do have the chance of potential for again some snowfall across the area. but we don't know anything about snowfall totals and again, we are watching the track of this system and we will know more as we head into the next couple days or so. but for right now, we are not dealing with a whole lot across the area. we are looking at our weather pattern and we have high pressure that's going to be moving in from the west today. and it will be giving us the winds out of the northwest and they will be picking up a bit. it's going to be breezy as we go into the day. we are watching for the cold front to pass through as we go into tomorrow. so, we get a quick dose of some sunshine and then we will get rain moving in as we go into your thursday. but future trend basically picking up on the fact we have the one disturbance that came through yesterday valentine day not so bad. it held off until litter in the evening a couple sunshine or peeks of sunshine as we went through the day as well. but for thursday, there's the rain that's moving in. it could be making rush hour a

little bit on the bad side coming home. a little bit of slick roads. take it easy going into time. friday looking good and then that's when the weekend comes upon us. there's an angel. i will get rid of him. he was too cute. but for today, temperatures right around 53 degrees. let's check the traffic with angela. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. and good morning everyone. heading out for the wednesday morning drive, want to mention our linda so is out on the scene of this water and gas main break situation. road are closed there at frederick avenue. and millington and we looked at the situation probably brunswick street is going to be your best alternate to get around that. let's get a look at traffic flow for those of you traveling in the joppa and bel air areas on. a nice ride on i-95 at maryland 15 # with no earl -- shall 152 with no early delays or distractions and you should have no issues maneuvering around the roadwork as we look live at 59 on the tidings bring. one lane gets by in the southbound direction.

megan and charley over to you. continues ratchet up against israel and iran. >> blasts has been seen in thailand and georgia. israeli officials say they are linked back to iran. amanda knox has legal troubles. legal move now being made by prosecutors. we will give you a look at that in a bit. heading to break, a live picture of washington, d.c. you can see the monument in the distance. we will be right back.

now "good morning maryland" at 4:30. couple minutes away from five. news around the world, police in thyland are investigate can be -- thailand are investigating a series of bomb blast that happened yesterday. police are tracing a possible link to attacks in israel and the country of georgia on monday which beans benjamin netanyahu blamed on iran. officers found an iranian id at the scene. and in moscow some are targeting prime minister putin.

more than two dozen protested yesterday against putin saying he needs to go. riot police moved in and broke up the crowd. but the protests comes ahead of next month's presidential elects. but for the first time in the years, the russians are challenging putin's control. american amanda knox legal troubles still not over in italy. prosecutors have filed an appeal against her acquittal in the murder of the british student a jury convicted her and her exboy of murdering her thee years ago but they were cleared in october after appealing the verdict. excitement building in rio de janeiro ahead of the most famous carnival. people have been picking out masks and costumes. it officially begins on friday but the huge street party draws up to two million people have started a couple days early. now, good morning maryland." >> reporter: we are