muhammed went on a shooting spree with teenage accomplice lee boyd malveao in 2002. it left ten people dead. news4 pat collins is live at the scene of that murder with more. >> reporter: october 9, 2002. this sunoco station, manassas, virginia. dean myers is pumping gas when he is shot and killed by the snipers. it was a murder conviction in this sunoc case that sent john allen muhammed to death row. sniper john allen muhammed now has a date with death. november 10th. muhammed is set to be executed in the commonwealth of virginia. paul ebert is the prince william county prosecutor who put muhammed on death row. >> i don't take any pride in

obtaining the death penalty for anybody. i often said the death penalty is reserved for the worst of the worst. he caused a lot of problems, a lot of heartache to people from which they'll never recover. >> at the time there was a lot of anger. i would have killed him with my bare hands then, if i could have. seven years go bynd it's different. you can't hold all that anger for all that time. >> that is one of the surviving victims of the sniper. he was attacked outside his restaurant in clinton. you were shot five times? >> yep. >> reporter: you were on the edge of death? >> oh, yeah. i was close. pretty close. >> reporter: it was one of the most horrific serial acts of violence in the history of washington crime. october 2002. everyday people doing ordinary

thin things, shot and killed for no apparent reason. a cabbie pumping gas. a man mowing the grass. a woman leaving a home depot store. ten people killed. four people wounded and a series of random sniper attacks that terrorized the washington community. >> if you could say one thing to muhammed before he died? >> i'd probably say, god bless you. i hope in the next life -- >> reporter: has this been a hard struggle for you coming back? >> sure. sure. >> reporter: john allen muhammed is 48 years old. he could still appeal all of this to the supreme court.

his sniper side kick lee boyd malvo was a teenager at the time and he is doing life. jim, back to you. >> pat collins live for us in manassas. thank you. more details now on executions in the commonwealth. nearly 340 inmates have been executed in virginia dating back to the first electrocution in 1908. but the electric chair is rarely used today. most inmates opt to die by lethal injection. that became an option for inmates back in 1995. of the nearly 340 deaths, 75 have been carried out by lethal injection. earlier this year the va general assembly attempted to expand provisions of the death penalty, but governor tim kaine vee toed the measure and the senate upheld that veto. now to the latest on the murder of yale grad student annie le. the new haven medical examiner determin determine asphyxiation caused

her death which means she was probably strangled. the 24-year-old student was missing five days before her body was discovered in yale's medical research building last weekend. investigators released a lab technician who worked in that building, raymond clark. they are awaiting test results on dna samples they collected from him last night. investigators say they collected 150 pieces of evidence in this case, as well as questioned 150 people. the massive fire that destroyed a prominent d.c. home this summer raised serious questions about the upkeep of the district's fire hydrants. peggy cooper's northwest d.c. home was destroyed by the fire and firefighters said theyad trouble getting the necessary water pressure to fight that blaze. today council member jim graham held a public hearing on this issue. derrick ward is live to tell us how this went. >> reporter: it was late july when that fire occurred. in the interim there has been a

lot of investigating and things going on to figure out if things could have been done better. what came out of this hearing today at the d.c. city council, there needs to be better coordination between the fire department, which desperately needs water and water and sewer authority which supplies it. the fire burned quickly and the closest hydrants didn't work. nearby hydrants on chain bridge road worked but were fed by eight-inch water mains and couldn't fight such a substantial blaze. chief ruben today called it the perfect storm. >> the incident commander needed to use hydrants more than one mile away to eventually secure a reliable, high-volume water flow. this process was both difficult and time consuming to accomplish as it required the use of multiple fire engines to stretch fire hoses between the hydrant and the house. >> reporter: council members expressed concern today that after earlier fires with hydrant issues, there was an awareness of this kind of problem. >> we again find ourselves guessing at what needs to be

done and figuring a way to determine whether what needs to be done will, in fact, be done. the district's preliminary report on this fire noted that the fires at the georgetown library and adams mill road in between, initially raised these questions about the district's water supply. >> there was just one out of service hydrant in the vicinity of this fire. its highly visible status ring signal fair fighters immediately to use other hydrants. status of servesability was a nonissue as for fire flow and water pressure. >> reporter: the question remains, did this fire burn a house and its valuable contents or did it burn a bridge, as well? >> the loss of the public's confidence in the collaboration between our water authority and the fire department is our principle focus today. >> reporter: key issue in this fire turned out to be some maps that the fire department had

they wanted to make sure when they found a hydra they weren't hooking up to another low pressure one. they had to wall a wasu manager because the maps they had weren't up to date that. took 40 minutes. whether that had some bearing on fighting this fire, the chief couldn't say and said we may not ever know that answer. live outside the wilson building. back to you in the studio. >> thank you, derek. if you drive through the chevy chase section of montgomery county, you might want to watch your speed. the old speed cameras along connecticut avenue, they are going to be replaced with laser cameras. that's according to "the washington post." these cameras are going to make it easier to tell exactly which one of those vehicles is speeding. the current cameras, if it's too difficult to tell which car triggered the camera, all the vehicles are let off the hook. two of these lasers specific can catch your license plate cameras

could be up and run buying friday. a lot of clouds. we had a few sprinkles. that's been about it. look at right now on doppler. you can see a few showers that moved through around silver spring. a few up in frederick county. with a brisk northeasterly wind though, our temperatures into the low 70s and today, our average high now is 79 degrees. here is our weather question of the week. which occurs more frequently, an average high temperature of 80 or higher or average high temperature below 55? i guarantee you, wendy and jim will get this correct this week. it's that 50/50 shot, bob. see you in a bit. >>. >> tonight we finally have a clear picture how health care reform might look. the senate finance committee laid out its detailed bill today that has no public option, no republican support. democrat senator max because cuss says he's got the plan.

>> every american can find quality, affordable coverage that cannot be taken away. while getting rid of the government pln would be a good start, the democratic bills we've seen would still grant the government far, far too much control over the health care system. >> here are some of the key points in this $850 billion democratic bill. everyone must buy insurance, with fine for violators and subsidies for people with lower incomes. there would be no income tax hike. instead fees on drug and insurance companies. employees who don't cover workers could reimburse the government for coverage. democratic leaders of congress brought in a popular singer/songwriter today to lend support to the health care debate. paul simon joined senate majority leader harry reid and house speaker nancy pelosi this afternoon. simon co-founded the children's health fund which provides medical care for poor and under served kids. he believes a health care measure would go a long way to

fill the gap in health care. he belted out a tune. ♪ poor kids can't vote ♪ neither can they afford to higher lobbists to plead their cause or to describe their situations. >> simon urged law makers to approve health care for the children. the purpose of today's event was to raise awareness for the more than 21 million children who will benefit from health insurance reform. meanwhile, president obama will be at the university of maryland in college park tomorrow to tout his health care reform to younger americans. university officials are warning there is no camping out overnight. lines will begin starting to form about 5:00 a.m. the rally will be held at the comcast center. doors open at 9:00 a.m. with an 11:00 start time. seating is based on a first come/first serve basis. the rally is free and open to the public. governor martin o'malley will

attend the event. it's president obama's third visit to the college park campus. when news4 at 5:00 continues, the race for governor is almost a dead heat. we are going to find out why the voters of northern virginia could be the key to a victory. a yearbook controversy, a lesbian student shut out of her class pictures. how the school responded to our report. >> when you thought the controversy over the congressman interrupting the president was over, a former president is throwing in the race card. >> i think it's bubbled up to the surface. because a belief among many white people, not just in the south but around the country, that african-americans are not qual

cooling off and it's quiz time, too. >> i made a guarantee that i'm confident you will both get this correct. our average high is 79 degrees. which occurs more often in washington, average high of 80 or higher during the year or average high below 55 degrees? there are your choices? >> average high 80 or higher or average high below 55. year or september? >> entire year. throughout the year. >> average high is 80 or higher.

>> a. >> nobody picked b. it didn't matter because either a or b was correct. the average -- i did get you. i had a happy face on that. 109 days out of the year our average high is 80 or higher, and also 109 days out of the year here in washington our average high is below 55 degrees. how about that? you couldn't get it wrong. i give you a gift every once in a while. outside our current temperature, 73 degrees. that's more like almost the beginning of october. to our north, boy, has it been cool. as a matter of fact, northern parts of new england under a freeze warning tonight. you can see that little weather front that moved to our south. that is a big weather front where the cool air with a northeasterly breeze. that will stay with us tomorrow. in and around us, there have been a few sprinkles. you can see a couple up there in

northern parts of maryland. and a few right around washington. maybe around silver spring. right into northwest washington. there are lonesome rain drops, a little bit heavier around st. mary's city, too. the real rains have been more to our west and southwest. down in southern parts of the country. down there they are still under flood watches and flood warnings. down around alabama, it's been a wet afternoon. overnight tonight, we are going to continue to see that weather front to our south tomorrow. once again with that northeasterly breeze we are going to see some of that moisture in on us. the moisture will continue to be around. gradually as we get into the weekend, high pressure comes in over us with drier air. i think we'll be seeing a lot of sunshine. temperatures tomorrow, once again below average, below 80 degrees. the high only about 71. cloud kwi, cool, tonight temperatures will be dipping into the 60s. tomorrow when you get up and head out, a lot of clouds around with a northeasterly breeze. we'll see temperatures only around 60 degrees and some

sprinkles, maybe some drizzle. it will be a bit breezy tomorrow, too. we'll see that east to northeasterly wind stronger. that is a reason there is a coastal flood advisory for folks on the western side of the bay. temperatures around 70 degrees. then again, there was our quiz with the answer. we are going to be heading for more cool days by only four weeks from now. our average high temperatures is only 69 degrees. >> it's coming. i always love it when the question is all of the above. that's the easy answer. >> can't get it wrong. >> great. thanks, bob. jim? >> thank you, wendy. a new statewide poll today suggests virginia's governor race is tightening. republican bob mcdonald leaves jim deeds with 20% undecided. earlier this month, mcdonald's lead was about ten points. tomorrow, the candidates for

governor will debate in northern virginia. "meet the press" moderator david gregory will moderate the debate. he joins us in the studio with a preview. tomorrow's debate could be critical. northern virginia could be particularly critical in this race. >> absolutely always is. the presidential race, was critical, as well. for crede, he is struggling with his base. that's why he got president obama do an event with him and we'll see imagain. he is trying to keep a little bit of distance because in virginia we've seen the president's approval rates dipping to a little below 50%. >> this is going to get a lot of national attention. could the president hurt or help deeds? >> the health care debate is something animated conservatives around the country in opposition to the president's health care plan. we'll see. i think this question will come up in tomorrow's debate.

health care matters a lot. >> it is an off year. we saw it turn purple, if not blue during the presidential race. does it surprise you mcdonnell is still having a lead? works one of the traditions in virginia going back to 1977, the party in power doesn't necessarily produce the governor of a same party. it's gone in that opposite direction since 1977. so the republican opposition can help mcdonnell here. his positioning and strength among independents and women. all of those are plus factors. creigh deeds have been trying to poke holes. that number is striking. 20% undecided. the reason i think this debate is so important tomorrow is this is a time for undecides to lock in. it's the fall.

really zero in on the issues that virginians care about. >> you mentioned women a huge block. and this thesis in his grad school days, how much of an impact do you see that having? what kinds of legs? we've already seen it in some spots. >> i think the threshold for this will be whether words matter to some people, but how 's been translated into actions and the positions mcdonnell has taken over the course of his political career. and senator deeds is trying to make an issue of. mcdonnell said it was an academic exercise and they are no longer his views. trying to discuss what's changed for him will be an important part of this. >> interesting to see them face off tomorrow night. you'll be there. >> i'll be there. looking forward to it. >> thank you. >> wendy? still ahead on news4 at 5:00, accentuate the positive. a local fashion designer catering to most women in america, those of us who have curves.

plus called to serve. we'll tell you why a local student may be forced to put his higher education on hold. and if you think someone is special, e-mail us their story.

the chesapeake bay is very sick. the president of the maryland waterman's association says 550 million gallons of sewage go into the bay every day. advocates are praising the epa's newly announceded role in policing the run-off that goes into those waters. >> i'm really happy to see they are going to crack down on all pollutants and put teeth in the law so that what one man saves, another man doesn't destroy. >> government officials say the epa plans to help protect the chesapeake bay will be implemented this fall. one montgomery county business is helping to lead the nation in producing renewable energy. isaiah leggett joined officials. they announced the company will participate in a pilot program to turn petroleum-based plastics into gasoline, kerosene and jet and diesel fuels. >> montgomery county is proud to

provide the first site where this innovative technology is seen here. this type of public-private partnership is essential to insist the united states to overcome an environmental and economic challenge. >> the oil generator was constructed at the county's solid waste transfer station. apparently, there is no recession when it comes to tourism in the old dominion. kof jim cain said tour many was at an increase of 2.8% from the previous year. good news for virginia workers. tourism generates more than 210,000 jobs. the head of virginia tourism says the commonwealth benefitted from travelers who decided to take their vacations closer to home. coming up on news4 at 5:00, flu shots for your dog. the rush on vaccinations. what you need tonow before sending your canine to the kennel. >> a gay student told she could

not take your yearbook picture. we are going to hear what the school had to say. >> and a cocaine drug ring bust. find out who was caught on the wrong sidef the law.

welcome back to our second half hour. i'm wendy rieger. >> i'm jim handly. coming up, a passion for plus size.

an alexandria designer customizes for women with hips. and marcus mason knows how to take a hit. what keeps him grounded here the at home. and racism in america. presidential concerns in black and white. we begin with half hour with our top story. an area police break up a major drug ring operating out of the maryland suburbs. 12 suspects are facing federal drug charges in association with a drug ring police say operated in southern maryland. federal and local drug agents say they have permanently brought down the operation that moved drugs in prince george's, charles, st. mary's and calvert counties. tracee wilkins joins us to tell us about this. >> because this is a federal case heading to court, there are still a lot of details the u.s. attorney does not want to share just yet. what we do know is this was a major drug operation. drugs were moved onto maryland from outside of the state and sold primarily in southern maryland. today police announced they brought this cartel down and

plan on keeping it down by hitting it where it hurts. >> their goal is not simply to prosecute individual drug dealers. our goal is to uproot entire drug dealing organizations. >> reporter: that is what federal drugt agents, attorneys and local police agencies say they've done with the latest drug bust focusing on southern maryland. police say the dealers operated from november 2006 to september of this year, moving large amounts of powdered cocaine and crack. it appears this drug case started in st. mary's county. this is where most of the indictments are. the maryland state's attorney won't say a whole lot about what happens next because this case has to do to court. we do know the ring leader is among the 12 who has been indicted and one former d.c. police officer. >> if you catch one drug dealer and send him to jail, he can be replaced very easily. if you prosecute the entire organization, if you uproot that from the community, you take the money in capital, you can make a

big impact on drug dealing. >> reporter: that goes to the heart how the u.s. attorney for maryland plans on prosecuting this case. already one house on 3 notch road in st. mary's was seized. 20 warrants served yielded $200,000 in cash. $30,000 from a bank account, 11 automobile one race car, four motorcycles worth $50,000 a piece, and jewelry. once liquidated, the cash from the cases goes back to the counties involved. the feds want more. >> we are seeking a court order that will require these defendants to pay up to $1.5 million, which represents what we allege are the proeds of this criminal operation. >> reporter: it's the power of a federal drug case versus a local one. >> this is a whole different ballgame for these defendants. instead of going to court in st. mary's county or prince george's

county, we are going up to the federal jail. they are not stopping at the jail in charles county. they are going up the road. >> the former d.c. police officer who was indicted in this case, a 42-year-old darryl carter, he served on the force from 1990 until 2002. police spokesman say it's not clear why he left the department. this case includes indictments for 11 other defendants from prince george's, charles, st. mary's and calvert counties. they are looking at the possibility of ten years to life in federal prison if convicted. thank you. police charged a man in the abduction of a woman in fairfax county. the suspect is 25-year-old daniel munoz. an officer recognized him from a sketch. he was charged with assault and abduction. >> the education of a former soldier is hanging in the balance. after being discharged from the army, he is trying to finish his senior year at american university. recently he learned he may have to redeploy to iraq. keith garvin has his story.

>> reporter: american university, like every college campus, has students from various backgrounds, different cultures, different countries, different life experiences. str adam lapiscapo's a representative of one of the fastest-growing segments of today's population. >> i was in mosul three or four months then baghdad. >> reporter: he spent four years in the army. 15 months took place in combat in iraq before the surge that helped quell much of the violence. during that tour, he was so determined to attend american for its renowned international relations program, he finished his admissions packet during combat patrols. >> i would have a flashlight and write my whole admissions essay. i did that for at least a few weeks, a month. i got interrupted. >> reporter: after being discharged from the army, he began classes in the fall of

2008, but on the first day of classes this smester, he received a startling letter from the army. it said he would have to deploy to iraq again this october. his contract with the army mandated he serve four years on inactive ready reserve, a system that can call discharged soldiersack to duty. >> very dedicated. to see that interrupted again as the semester is beginning is really a very sad story. >> reporter: with the same determination he displayed in iraq, he sought an exemption the very next day. >> the next two to three weeks i worked on getting letters from faculty members, from the group i worked with, student veterans of america, from my senator. >> reporter: last week he received another letter granting hi exemption. the shock he felt on the first day of class was replaced with almost overwhelming joy. >> the mission had to be done.

i knew that. i was going to do my best and do whatever needed to be done for that to happen. >> reporter: american university, keith garvin, news4. >> he does not know if this exemption will give him enough time to graduate. he says he is not trying to get out of deployment, just trying to delay it so he can finish his education. he says if he has to return to iraq before he graduates, he will do so and he will do so willingly. former president jimmy carter is the latest national figure to weigh in on the heckling of president obama. he is blang the incident on racism. it was one week ago president obama was interrupted in congress. joe wilson loudly called the president a liar. mr. carter says this outburst stems from racism. >> i think an overwhelming portion of the intensely

demonstrated animosity toward president barack obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he is african-american. racism still exists. i think it's bubbled up to the surface because of a belief among many white people, not just in the south, but around the country, that african-americans are not qualified to lead this great country. >> mr. carter added that he is grieved and greatly concerned some americans hold such belief. still to come tonight on news4 at 5:00, it's not the swine flu, but the dog flu that has people running to the vet. what pet lovers need to know. >> and are the clouds going to clear out in time for our weekend? bob is back with the seven-day forecast.

tonight's wednesday child is a youngster you may remember we met 1 1/2 years ago on a trip to the wax museum. >> barbara harrison meets up with tricia. >> great to see you. >> you, too. >> i hear you've gotten into dance since we saw you last, is that right? >> yes. >> guess what we are going to do? we are going dancing. we met up with director nancy newell. you can see we've got traditional classes. i teach tap, this is hip-hop. >> i like more hip-hop. >> we've got the guy for you. >> the dance instructor was warming up in the studio when we arrived. nancy introduced us and drisha was ready to get started. >> let's see what you can do.

oh! >> drisha is a very quick learner. she knows how to do anything she puts her mind to. >> shauna branch works with drisha who has been in foster care several years now. she is thinking of perhaps being a dancer when she grows up. >> i wanted to be a lawyer. >> why not now? >> well, i might -- because i want to do dancing and a lawyer. >> why don't you plan on doing both things? >> i want to do three things. acting. >> acting. >> kwame who is going to medical school next year told her she should pursue all her ambitions, some which changed when we first introduced her as a wednesday's child. she was 10 then. although she's grown a lot in the last 1 1/2 years, one thing hasn't changed, her need for a family. >> i would like a family that

cares for me, who teaches me how to be independent. >> you were great. i'm going to give you this t-shirt when you go on the road together, you have a costume. >> dris h everyone a was thrilled. nancy offered her a chance to come back and take classes here on scholarship. we all agreed she would make a fine dancer and actress, and a lawyer. barbara harrison, news4 for wednesday's child. >> she's got the moves. if you have room in your home and heart for a wild waiting, call our special adoption hotline. 1-888-to-adopt me or log on to nbcwashington.com. the socks help with that moon walk. >> yes. let's check bob's moves. >> i saw that moon walk. i've been working on it. i don't authentic i'm going to get it. outside, 73 degrees. uniform temperatures with that

northeasterly wind. there have been a few showers. you can see boy, they are few and far between. there is one up there in carroll county for you folks around westminster and a couple of others, but not much going on. overnight we'll continue some tee a few clouds. only about 60 degrees. then as we get into friday and saturday though, high presse comes in. right now i think the weekend looks fine. more rain though with a little bit of a change in the pattern. next week looks like we could be in for several wet days after the weekend. back to you. >> a high tech surgical center for children will soon be coming to washington, thanks t $150 million donation from the united arab of emirates. they plan to use the money to find ways to reduce or eliminate the need for surgery in children. megan mcgrath explains. >> reporter: imagine a hospital without main, where you use the child's own immune system to

attack systems and cure disease, avoiding surgery all together. sounds like a pipe dream? not to the men and women of children's national medical center. $150 million donation could make it all possible. the money will be used to build a new pediatric surgery center. >> we want to make surgery less invasive, more precise and pain free. >> reporter: avoiding pain. even alternatives to the surgery. it would mean children like amanda don't have to suffer. she lost her leg to bone cancer when she was 2. her parents hope other families will be spared such trauma. >> to hear they are dumping money into that is so exciting. >> reporter: the donation is one of the largest ever made to a u.s. pediatric hospital. it comes from the government of abu dabe.

his son was treated at children's hospital ten years ago. his challenge to doctors, to come up with a cutting-edge plan to change the way surgeons treat their patients. >> all these things are possible. they are within our reach now. it just takes the right team of people working together with resources to make it happen. >> reporter: the money will be dispersed over five queeyears. it is a staggering sum of money, one doctors hope will change and save lives. megan mcgrath, news4. still ahead, plus size designs. why you don't have to go far to celebrate yo

being plus sized and fashionable doesn't always go hand in hand. >> but in alexandria, a woman is trying to change that. she started a line of tailored clothing. jane watrel reports. >> reporter: it's the rallying cry of fuller-figured females around the country. >> we want to look good. stop throwing the mumus, dusters and caftans on us. >> when you are curvy, you encounter problems in the marketplace. things don't fit so right. things don't look as good as you want them to look. i was like, if i'm having these problems, other women must be having these problems. >> reporter: so frazier rodriguez set out to make a change in the plus-size world.

the former journalist with a passion for fashion launched kingly and posh, a clothing line she designed for women sizes 14 to 22. >> you use the theory add fabric. he we don't believe in that. we believe in quality clothing that is tailored to fit and flow. >> how does it feel? >> it feels nice. i like it. >> reporter: rodriguez spent months talking to fuller-figure women and doing extensive market research before starting her alexandria business last year. it's now in 20 boutiques and is doing a healthy business online. not surprising to this plus size model. >> there's not anybody else i know of that has this type of style in the plus industry. i think it's a great mix. >> reporter: so far rodriguez appears to have tapped into an underserved market. >> i didn't want to contribute t-shirts. i wanted to make something that

matters that people can embrace. i think i hit the nail on the head because people really are embracing the line at this point. >> reporter: frasier rodriguez is already working on her spring collection with a sable audience waiting in the wings. over half of american women are size 14 and up. jane watrel, news4. rightow rodriguez has five different clothing designs on her website. prices range from $75 to $150. you can get more details on nbcwashington.com. your kids might not be the only ones in line for a flu shot this fall. dogs might need them, too, for canine flu. the american veterinary medical association says dogs most at risk are those who spend a lot of time in kennels or large-ups of dogs. the group says canine flu is highly contagious. the symptoms include coughing and fever and cannot be transferred to humans. a i'm barking it's because i'm

angry. >> your bark is worse than -- >> the bite. yes. >> i love that evening establish bulldog that was there. >> they are cool looking. >> talk aut a guy who would like to be a big dog for his hometown tree. marcus mason finally, finally glad that he is on the redskins roster, hopefully to stay. he grew uprooting for the cowboys, but is savoring every second of playing for his hometown team. it's especially nice when his home away present home is more spectacular than any person or player the at redskins park not named dan schneider. it's part of what we had a chance to see with our visit with our hometown kid done good. this beautiful spread in potomac, maryland, is where marcus mason has been going for years for a little r&r. naturally, we had to find out the story. what's up, man?

it's bigger than i thought it would be. >> it's a good size. >> this is your place, i take it? >> i come by, hang out. swim in the pool a little bit. go upstairs, watch movies. itunes here. i get out my songs. this is where i come and get piece. >> mr. vasos is john vasos. john and his wife joan have four children of their own, but marcus might as well be number five. >> you hear the door open and you go, marcus is home. he has a very busy schedule. last year he was kind of bouncing around from team to team. i never knew when he would walk through the door. he does, he sits down. he fits in. sits at the counter with the rest of the kids, grabs a bowl of cereal. he is part of our family. >> reporter: you know marcus loves being around. he calls the basement his sanctuary.

it's a place fit for a king, or in this case, a mason. he can do everything from play pool and video games to take batting practice. i'm serious. casa de vasos has an indoor batting cage. or he hits the theater room. movies are aplenty and so are dreams. he often thinks of one day finally playing in his first regular season nfl game. >> i think about it all the time. i would have to do it on special teams. there is a great running back. >> learning how to have an impact on special teams has been the hardest part of nfl life for mason, but he isrowing up on and off the field, which the vasos witnessed.

>> to watch him progress during the spring and summer, you can see he is more mature. you see the way he carries himself. he would really be successful. >> they are not the only ones. mason regularly visits georgetown prep. marcus says attending private school kept him focused and out of trouble. >> just the neighboood i grew up in, like, it could go either way. going to prep kept me off the streets. so i felt my life changed after first starting off at mater dei then going to georgetown prep. >> mason is a true prep success story. on scholarship, he graduated as the leader rusher in maryland high school history. he always made the spectacular look routine, thinking of one day being an nfl running back. >> it's something he dreamed about all along.

what was the first video we watched? the walter payton freshman year? i said this is who you want to be like. he watched it. we watched it together. it's fun watching him work. >> reporter: now 25 years old and in his third year in the nfl, mason has been cut and re-signed more times than he cares to remember. now, maybe, just maybe, marcus mason's travels will finally end at home. he really is like a member of the family there. john vasos has known marcus mason since his georgetown prep day. vasos is a peewee football coach. he coached marcus' cousin and that's where they formed that bond. >> nice house to hang around in. >> not bad, huh? >> thank you, dan. coming up, a yearbook controversy. an openly gay student gets word from a school that planned to keep her out of the picture.

a lesbian high school student in charles county, maryland, was recently told she would not be allowed to wear a tuxedo for her senior yearbook photo. >> this outraged the student and her mother. it was a decision they believed discriminated against the teager based on sexual orientation. >> reporter: the teenager tells me she just doesn't like wearing girls clothes. this afternoon, i was able to break the news to her the school reconsidered her wardrobe wish.

>> i don't dress like a girl. this is how i dress. i dress t-shirts and jeans. i don't dress earliy. >> reporter: eboni williams is an out and proud lesbian who attends west lake high school in waldorf. two weeks ago she went to get her senior picture taken. she wanted to wear a tux and not the drape that the girls wear. williams was told to either wear the drape or she would be left out of her yearbook. >> i don't think it's fair, if i don't feel comfortable wearing the drape, that i should have to put it on. >> reporter: williams' mother was with her and told the school principal her daughter should be allowed to wear what the male students wear. >> i'm totally behind her not wanting to do it, and for her not to be in her yearbook after working four years to be able to graduate, i don't think it's fair. >> reporter: a charles county schools spokesperson told me west lake principal changed her

mind and would allow eboni to wear a tux. >> she came about that decision through investigation of past policies at west lake and other high schools in the unty. when she found it had been allowed before, she decided to reverse her decision. >> reporter: the school system hadn't told the team or mom when i interviewed eboni a second time and broke the news. they are going to let you wear the tux for your picture. what do you think? >> i think that's great. i want to feel comfortable. i don't feel comfortable in a drape. >> reporter: the school system spokesperson says it was not the interest in news4 that changed the principal's mind. that the principal made this decision earlier this week and planned to meet with eboni's mom in the next few weeks to tell them. eboni will take part in the reshoot session scheduled early next month. >> thanks, michael flynn. coming up next, health care reform in detail. >> j