the flashing blue light has become synonymous with baltimore city as a one-eyed mascot on a beer can. for better or worse it is baltimore and a crime fighting tool mayor stephanie rawlings-blake has been looking to double down on since her days as council president. a bet she cashed in at wednesday morning's board of estimates meeting. >> the security cameras will be used in the application. when the database is complete it will allow police and control rooms to immediately identify a particular area where a crime is. >> reporter: thanks to a donation by the abel foundation the city will now develop a way for businesses and residents to opt in to the existing city watch grid. basically giving police access to the security cameras when a crime happens near them. it's optional but could exponentially increase the reach of catching crime on tape

or preventing it. >> when you give us access to the cameras inside of the locations it just further stretches our arms. it gives us more ability to solve crimes. >> reporter: the police department is on board as this new application would give them countless more eyes after a crime happens. a striking for instance is the shooting at a chinese carry out on greenmount avenue last year. this video led to an arrest in the november 2011 shooting. a result police believe they would see more of and more quickly if they already had access to private cameras in conjunction with the public ones. >> this is a great tool. because, now, when we get the call, before even going out and wondering and questioning as to whether or not, man, i hope they have a camera, now we know. that is just, again, just one step closer to solving cases. >> reporter: this program won't be up and running for a while yet but when it is the

city expects the first to sign up to be hotels and hospitals. for more on why the foundation decided to fund this new program go to abc2news.com. >> brian kuebler. thank you. the city credits these cameras saying they are central crime fighting tools. jamie costello talks about how effectsive they are. >> reporter: in 2010 the city says crime watch cameras led to 300,000 arrests, most property crimes but 125 for violent crimes. the most famous one was in 2009. you can see in the report 17-year-old lament davis start firing shots as the camera readjusts you can see witnesses helping a 5-year-old girl shot in the head. maven wyett was shot and today she still struggles with injuries from that day. the shooter had a lengthy criminal record at 17 years

old. he will spend life behind bars. jamie costello, abc2 news. >> thank you. folks are cleaning up in the midwest and more heat after violent storms. wind, hail and thousands of lightning strikes. in new york city alone there were 100 lightning strikes in just 15 minutes. in pennsylvania, the severe weather left more than 150,000 without power. traffic signals went out, thousands of air travelers were left stranded. we have course had our storms last evening. thankfully very %.ykyk+mal dama out of that round. a couple of isolated showers onj maryland's most powerful doppler radar tonight. not far from manchester headed to western baltimore county. could make their way to gsykykyñ

reisterstown, westminster even. a couple of storms over harford county now. other than that, relatively quiet on radar. it's muggy and the air temperatures which are now in the low to mid-90s feeling like more around 100 in spots because of that thick humidity. the rest of the evening, chance of a shower or storm and 90s, we'll talk about how temperature change in the weekend coming up. >> thank you. more bad news for annapolis scam. one day after getting hit with a two-year prison sentence in anne arundel county, fracking without a license, the paper pleaded guilty to a similar case in queen anne's county. it shocked clack overcharged people in three states. in maryland people paid 10s of thousands for jobs he was not allowed to do. he owes $500,000 in payback and

penalties brought by the maryland attorney general. in the dark of the night it disappears becoming a hazard. but even after accidents a local jetty remains ungliched. tonight at 11:00, a investigation into the south jetty which some call a navigational hazard. it's the place that dave woodland was killed memorial day weekend. after a boat he was in crashed into the solid concrete wall. his friends are now trying to get lights on the walls so this never happens again. >> we would not want another family to hurt like this. he was truly a special guy. he loved people. big old smile. he would light up a room. he would not want this to happen to another family. >> tonight at 11work we break down the history of accidents at the jetty and explain why before it gets lit someone has to figure out who owns it. in our consumer alert, honda is recalling over 320,000 cars because apparently

the doors may not close. the recall effects 2012 model honda crv crossovers and 2013 model acura rlx sedans. honda says the problem is in the door lock and the door could even open unexpectedly. no one has been hurt so far but if you have one of these cars you can expect a letter from honda on how to get the problem fixed. that will come by mid-august. a more urgent recall if you drive a 2013 ford escape. do not drive it. ford says the suv can catch fire because of a faulty fuel line. so far no one has been hurt in this case. escape owners will get loner cars until the dealer corrects this very serious problem. chick-fil-a taking heat for its stance on gay marriage. the company president said the company supports the traditional family unit. and that people should not try to redefine what marriage is all about.

the comments sparked a social media controversy with some people calling for a boycott of the fast food chain. others voicing their support. a chick-fil-a spokesperson says it will continue to treat everyone with respect and leave the same-sex marriage debate to the government in the future. george zimmerman facing murder charges in the death of trayvon ramos. still ahead, what he had to say in his first tv interview about what happened that night. and why martin's family is so furious. katie couric is gearing up for her new talk show but already has given out some advice. what her team says you should do when you're a house guest. and, prime time emmy nominations are here.

if your vacation takes to you a friend's house, what to do to make sure you're a good house guest. katie couric has what you need to know. >> i hope you're enjoying your summer. it's been a very busy one for me as we prepare to launch our new show this september. meanwhile, i've been thinking about all the topics i want to explore. some of them are serious. some are fun. but i hope they will all be useful. for example, at this time of year, as we take our summer vacations, a lot of us may be staying as guests with family and friends. there's an old saying, house guests are like fish after three days they start to stink. so i asked phyllis golanis of thetime of of "the new york times" how we can all avoid being bad house guests. >> my dad used to say the way to be the best house guest is to stay home. but i actually think he was taking it a little too far. i think if you, as you say, if you jump into the family, or the household as much as you

can and really show that you're an enthusiastic participant of what is going on i think you can make yourself pretty, pretty much a valuable asset. if people are cooking, chop an onion. if they are going out to grocery shop offer to kick in some money. >> really be a participant. not just say is there anything i can do, do it, right? if you're the host you say no, don't worry about it. if they just jump in there and start doing the dishes you're secretly grateful. >> not even secretly. that's a good one. >> obviously it's a good idea to pitch in and help out your host. phillip also said a handwritten note or something that can be shared like wine or fruit is the perfect way to say thank you at the end of isolated shower stay. before i overstay my welcome i'll say goodbye for now. see you next week. meanwhile, be sure to catch the debut of "katie" starring september 10th. >> you heard it, it's your station for katie.

september 10th 40:00. we just learned that katie is going to be live in our studio on monday. make sure you check out abc2 news at 5:00 to learn more about her show. we're very excited about it. i've been a katie fan sins "the today show" days. >> you're not alone. >> cool to have her on abc now. a couple of showers and storms on maryland's most powerful doppler radar. not a lot of activity but some storms flaring up in northeastern carroll county. it's not severe now but dangerous lightning and gusty winds. will be at the end of the 795 spur to westminster and into reisterstown in pretty short order. also, some storms, not moving much over bel air and back up through delta in harford county. again, other than this particular cluster we're not seeing a lot across the state. show you some of our hd weather bug cameras, this one in downtown bel air.

of course in the heart of harford county, the skies getting stormier. some rain coming down on main street. it's much, much needed rain. we like the rain. we don't want damaging winds but love the rain right now. you can see storm clouds flaring up across mount airy, our view from summit ridge, again, all this rain will be welcome. we're anywhere from a half-foot to nine inches below our typical annual rain. it's been a dry stretch, not the severe drought of the midwest but it's been very dry here in the mid-atlantic states. take you to a current view of annapolis, beautiful shot, 90 degrees, winds east at 9 miles per hour. our humidity has really made things feel just a bit hotter today. these numbers, the solid 10 to 15 degrees cooler than yesterday but still in the 90s. still the humidity a factor. the bigger factor today, the evening thunderstorms last night, they contributed to higher humidity in the atmosphere today. so the heat index values still

pretty oppressive. still feeling like 100 downtown. feeling like 109 the frederick way. always one of the hot spots it seems. a new boundary of storms blowing in later this evening if they hold together. it looks like we could see more showers and thunderstorms. in a generally unsettled pattern the next two days or so where we could see much-needed rain at times across the state. severe weather threat, it's potentially there especially tomorrow afternoon. the rest of this evening the weather looks relatively non-severe though there will be some gusty thunderstorms. the overall east coast pattern is getting active. there's still much hotter air from missouri through kansas and much of the midwest of the country. milder air trying to punch in, not really making it here yet. we still have hot humid conditions across the mid-atlantic states including all of maryland. hit and miss showers and storms, certainly a possibility. and we go, not just through the night but into tomorrow evening and again these storms if they punch into maryland could pack severe potential but then we think just on and off showers

tomorrow night into saturday morning. boy, this one was from early morning rain before sunrise on saturday. giving it a chance to soak in. we could use that. our partners on the eastern shore could use it. our temperature pattern improving for the northeast, reaching down into maryland, for tomorrow afternoon looks like much of the day could be spent even in the 70s on saturday. although we still think we end up in the 80s. overnight 74, partly cloudy with stray showers and storms. we'll see how the line west holds together tomorrow, 85 with variably cloudy skies and strong storms. tomorrow night 70, mostly cloudy, some of those thundershowers could linger out there. the 7-day forecast, again, we keep the chance of rain in through at least early saturday. right now we'll keep it dry on sunday, for the moment. next week looks a bit hotter but nothing like the heat we had faced at times this year. still watching for that potential of an early august heat surge but next week right now looks actually not that

unusual for late july. >> ok. i'm not going to complain. >> you had the right yesterday. 104. >> no complaints today. thank you. the envelope please. tv's baltimore native will recognize today as the 64th emmy nominations were announced. brandi hitt with more on who will walk the red carpet. >> reporter: "homeland," and "mad men." >> reporter: this could be a historic year for "mad men" with another best drama emmy nomination the series could be the most honored tv drama ever. it led the pack with 17 emmy nominations. tied with "american horror story." the mini series "hat fields and mccoys" got 16. with "breaking bad and ""modern family" getting 14. jimmy kimmel gave viewers a taste of what the ceremony will be like. >> theyroused me out of bed in

the middle of the night. >> clearly. >> this could be just as good as noon, really. [ laughter ] >> reporter: here's what made the grade for best comedy series. >> "the big bang theory." "curb your enthusiasm." "girls." "modern family." "30 rock." and, veep." >> reporter: all the adults in "modern family" were nominated for their roles and will share the red carpet with stars from the big screen. nicole kidman and clive owen received their first emmy nods for "hemingway." along with kevin costner for "hat feedle" and julianne moore for "game change." >> betty white, off their rockers. >> reporter: you can expect more laughs when kimmel hosts the emmys on abc september 23rd. brandi hitt, abc news, los

angeles. coming up, hundreds of firefighters lost their lives trying to save others on september 11th. what firefighters are doing here in baltimore today to honor those fallen heroes. and, back to school time almost here. what doctors say you should do every year before your kids head back. @

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there's new information tonight in the war against cervical cancer. doctors have always said the best chance for survival is early diagnosis. but, a new study finds insurance coverage could have an impact on when cervical cancer is detected. women with private health insurance found the disease earlier than women on medicaid or without insurance. researchers say the findings prove that all women need

access to affordable cancer screenings. women with demanding jobs g attacks. a new study shows that 38% of women in those positions have heart-related problems. including stroke, and need heart surgery to remove blockages. card cardiologists say it's important for women and their doctors for a look at ways to limit stress. before you know it, your kids are going to be heading back to school. doctors say now is a real good time to schedule your child's checkup to make sure everything checks out before you head back to school. >> you always want to check the heart and lungs and make sure they are ok. we usually get a family history and make sure there's nothing to follow up on or heart problems the child might have, especially if they are going to be in the sports. >> if you have concerns to discuss with your pediatrician or your child has multiple health issues doctors recommend letting them know ahead of time so you get a lot more time for that visit.

abc2news.com is the place for all the health information you need. check our page. you'll find the headlines today and interesting categories to make sure you and your family get all the information you need. george zimmerman gives his first television interview since he shot and killed trayvon tropical wave martin. why he says he would not change a thing about that mart. the light street watermain break expected to take months to repair. tonight cameras are underground to show you more. >> we're getting ready for the premiere of "the dark knight rises," the most highly anticipated movie of the summer. it's christmas in july. we're here for the premiere.

the former

neighborhood watch volunteer accused of killing and shooting trayvon martin spoke out for the first time on tv. george zimmerman had a lot to say including what happened with "god's plan." karen travers with more on zimmerman's controversial words. >> reporter: this tv interview since he shot and killed trayvon martin, george zimmerman stuck to his side of the story. >> is there anything you regret? do you regret getting out of the car to follow trayvon that night? >> no, sir. >> do you regret you had a gun that night? >> no, sir. >> reporter: he told fox news he believes the shooting was almost out of his hands. >> i feel it was all "god's plan." for me to second guess it or judge it - >> reporter: martin's family was outraged. they said he must worship another god because their god wouldn't want trayvon martin dead. but he did offer this regret. >> i wish there was something, anything i could have done that

wouldn't have put me in a position where i had to take his life. >> reporter: parents say he could have avoided the shooting by identifying himself or never leaving his vehicle as police instructed him to do. zimmerman apologized to the martin family in court in april and did again last night on fox. >> i am sorry that they buried their child. i cannot imagine what it must feel like, and i pray for them daily. >> reporter: the interview has legal experts scratching their head. they say it's risky. >> every statement that he makes, every comment that he makes, in the context of this interview, will almost certainly be fodder for prosecutors who are looking for an excuse - >> reporter: zimmerman insists martin was the aggressor who slammed his head on the concrete and went for his gun. zimmerman said last night he's not a racist nor a murderer. karen travers, abc news, washington. light street downtown is getting ripped apart as the city works to

replace that 20-inch water line. there's also another line that didn't break. along with with other problems they might find. roosevelt leftwich joins with us more on what you would call a street overhaul. >> reporter: this is a picture of light street in better days. the actual break of the 20-inch main happened here where this red van is. there's another thing under the street too. you see the yellow line there? that is a 10-inch line as well. that line is going to be taken up as well. it's almost as old as the 20-inch line. so the city wants to be proactive, take this all the way back to baltimore street. >> reporter: what can you say? it's a big hole in the ground and now has a lot of smaller ones with it. it's just the first steps to rebuild the streetscape, a lot of digging still to do. that 20-inch water line is four feet