accounts of this disaster are startling. it happened so quickly the shaking ground was the only alert many people had according to a tsunami warning official. a samoan official said we heard the roar and sat down and prayed. and one television executive said, everybody scrambled to get up into the hills, and many didn't make it. we've lost everything, but at least we've got our lives. officials in our area are closely watching this disaster, and even though samoa is thousands of miles away, the impact of the devastation is not lost on people here, who are pulling together to rush aid to the islands. jane is here now with more on the story. >> jim, local american samoans with relatives on the islands say the news is not good. villages are flattened and communication is spotty. they are bracing for a catastrophe. an island paradise crushed by a

tsunami. following tuesday morning's deadly tsunami, powered by an 8.3 earthquake. this capitol hill worker was in samoa over the weekend. >> i have heard so far that there's quite a number of deaths. mostly in the far western end of the island, as well as in the downtown areas. those are the two main areas where people are found dead. what is unclear at this point is how many are missing. >> reporter: nearly 2,700 miles from australia, the epicenter of this earthquake was just off the coast of america samoa. and the effects could be felt for miles. because america samoa is a u.s. territory with a representative in congress, u.s. disaster relief services are at its disposal. red cross workers are in emergency mode to help get aid

to those who need it the most. >> we've got a lot of villages that were completely destroyed. a lot of infrastructure down. so moving people around, both getting to the island, getting supplies to the island, as well as getting our volunteers around is going to be quite a challenge for a while. >> reporter: the tsunami started as an underwater earthquake. the motion from the quake added energy to the water. pushing it toward the surface. and creating waves that were devastating once they made landfall. >> phone lines have been down, power's down. parts of the roads, you know, are damaged to the point you cannot cross them. we've had some hurricanes, you know, but nothing like what we've experienced this time. >> reporter: the region is still dealing with aftershocks. the strongest, a 5.6. the focus is on rescue efforts, and damage has made parts of america samoa incessible. we just got an animation

from the folks at noaa. it shows this is the buoy height to measure the terrible tsunamis. unfortunately the tsunami and earthquake were almost coincidence. there you can see the earthquake and then the tsunami spreading out with time. and that's a wave, an ocean wave that in the deep waters of the ocean, may only rise beyond per septemberible. but as it comes to the beach areas, it can increase in amplitude and just be devastating. so you can see how that earthquake generated this wave train that is now spreading across the pacific over 10 to 12 hours. for us, right now, we've had a few waves in the atmosphere that have triggered off a few sprinkles and showers. those will be dissipating as we go through the nighttime hours. colder days ahead. here's our question of the week. which month does the average low temperature fall the most?

september, october, november, december? i'll tell you how low the temperature will get as we move into october. back to you. >> thank you, bob. they're not the usual suspects in a gang investigation, but tonight police in fairfax county say a father and daughter are under arrest and charged with trying to recruit teens into a gang. pat collins joins us with the latest. pat? >> reporter: by the time most gang members reach the age of 43, they're usually dead or in jail or learned to go straight. most gang members. police say this 43-year-old man used his 17-year-old daughter to try and lure students at the fairfax high school into the notorious violent gang known as the bloods. you can imagine how parents feel about this sort of unauthorized

extracurricular activity. >> that's scarey. very scary. you expect schools to be a safe place. >> sad, really. >> that should not be allowed. the word gang should not be used in the schools. >> reporter: according to the affidavit, the gang makes money by committing lar sensies and robberies. charges members $80 a month dues. don't pay your dues, you're threatened with violence and forced to commit a crime. they say the recruitment took ace on and off the campus of fairfax high school. the gang promised recruits protection, use of cars, even bail money. captain ken caldwell is with the fairfax city police. what do you make of something like this? >> it's very unfortunate set of circumstances, obvious live. but what i would say about that as bad as that is, i'm glad that

we were able to investigate it aggressively, and come to a swift resolution in the case. >> reporter: the man charged in this case, 43-year-old theodore alonzo olds. he's charged with gang recruitment, gang participation, robbery, and use of a firearm. suspect theodore olds taken off to jail. his 17-year-old daughter taken to a juvenile detention facity. back to you. >> pat collins in fairfax county tonight. thank you. fairfax county police are also looking for the man who tried to abduct a teenager on her way home from school yesterday. the 15-year-old attends woodson high school. authorities say a man in a white pickup truck stopped and got out of the truck, offering the girl a ride. when she said no, the man grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him. a passing driver stopped and tried to intervene just as the teen broke free. she was not hurt. police say the suspect's white

pickup has a pickburg steelers sticker on the back window and window. a 14-year-old student has died from the swine flu. school officials say she attended montbellow middle school up in baltimore. the school says she had no underlying medical condition. no other details about the victim are being released to protect her prif sieve. this is the ninth swine flu death reported in maryland. in our area, metro is trying to keep the virus from being spread among commuters. megan mcgrath explains how. >> reporter: it's an unwritten rule of riding metro, keep to yourself and respect the space of others. unfortunately germs don't have the same code of conduct. the flu virus can invade your space without warning. and unlike an unsavory passenger, you won't see it coming. >> i was just traveling, and that's something i definitely thought about while i was, you know, on the plane or on the

metro. you never know what you're touching or who's been there. >> no question you have many people in a small area. you're going to have a problem. >> reporter: to help protect riders from seasonal and swine flu, metro has increased its cleaning regimen. instead of every other week, work crews will disinfect rail cars and buses every week. station cleanings where hard surfaces are sprayed and wiped down will continue to happen every day as they do now. >> the fare card machines, railings, handrailings, escalator railings, that type of thing. we can't protect people completely, but we're trying to make an effort for both our riders and our employees. >> reporter: in addition to the scrubdowns, there are also posters and station announcements that remind passengers to cover their coughs and wash their hands. attention surrounding last year's outbreak of the swine flu has raised the awareness of just

about everyone. riders say they're glad metro is taking precautions and they're being proactive, too. >> we are doing something differently, like kind of like you go home, if you feel sick, some people are not shaking hands as much. or you see a lot of hand sanitizer around. >> i'll be washing my hands and constantly making sure i don't get sick. >> reporter: metro will continue with the stepped-up cleaning schedule through the end of flu season, which is expected to be sometime imarch. megan mcgrath, news 4. health officials say the washington area hasn't bee hit as hard as some places like memphis and austin. still, the health and human services are warning employers to plan for a worst-case scenario with many workers out sick and disruption in their operations. heading south starting tomorrow, amtrak will offer a new service that will originate in lyncurg, virginia, and make

stops at union station and make stops along the northeast corridor. am strak sponsored a whistle stop today. fairfax county leaders say the new train service will be a boon for residents. >> what this pilot program does is it brings a transportation -- a new transportation option to us here in fairfax. whether it's to go into the central part of the state, since right now we don't have a rail option at all, or get the midday downtown d.c. rail option. >> the train will make five stops before arriving at union station. the return trip will happen each evening. the pilot program is scheduled to last three years. firefighters in norther virginia are investigating an early-morning house fire. flames ripped through this home in the 5000 block of annendale. firefighters are unable to get

inside the home because of the damage to the structure. it made it unstable. there were conflicting reports from neighbors as to whether there was anyone inside at the time. but firefighters say no one has been found. just getting started tonight. coming up, several teens at a local high school could face charges as police investigate incidents of their sexting in their schools. rear-ended her at 50 miles per hour. admitted afterwards to painting her nails while driving. >> families who have been impact by accidents caused by distracted drivers are speaking out. as officials meet here to figure out how to deal with the problem. the pilot who became a celebrity after landing a plane in the hudson river has finally returned to the skies. >> washington rises to the list of top best cities. but for whom? news 4 at 5:00 continues.

in all electric delivery truck made a debut on capitol hill today. the truck is built by a company called navistar. it can travel up to 100 miles and produce zero tail pipe emissions. the truck was developed from the department of energy and made possible by a $39 million grant from the stimulus package. navistar plans to produce 400 trucks and create about 700 jobs. distracted driving is what brought experts together for a summit being held here in washington today. government officials released

disturbing statistics. 6,000 people died last year at the hands of drivers not focused on the road. and one in six accidents is now being blamed on distracted driving. officials are not just talking about cell phone use, they say even changing the radio station puts others at risk. then there are the families of the victims. derrick? >> as you mentioned, the u.s. department of transportation, which is holding the summit, said about 6,000 people died last year in crashes involving distracted drivers. the numbers tell the magnitude of the problem. but it's the stories behind those numbers that really speak to the toll of distracted driving. eg lost his mother. >> the driver behind her that rear-ended her at 50 miles per hour admitted afterwards to painting her nails while driving. >> haley lost a father. >> i knew my life would never be the same. >> dave lost a son. >> the crash recorder said she

never touched her brakes. >> all those accidents involved distracted drivers. the survivors bear the emotional scars of loved ones lost, but others like cheryl adams still bear the physical scars. >> i remember lying on the concrete and hear a woman scream, she lost too much blood, she's not going to make it. >> they add faces to the statistics. adams' story is particularly troubling. she was on the sidewalk at 13th and l during the evening rush back in 1993, when drivers intent on ming a red light collided. >> in the blink of an eye, my legs were pinned between the car and the base of a lamp post. >> statistics show while cell phone use may be theost notorious cause of distracted driving, it isn't the only cause. in an increasingly busy society, these survivors are pushing for technological phones that won't work while in a car in operation by the user. and changes in the laws and enforcement. but most difficult? changes in behavior behind the

wheel. >> checking that text message, is that more important than the life in the next car? >> the summit ends tomorrow. the transportation secretary expects to emerge with the first steps toward comprehensive guidelines to counter the problem of distracted driving. right now the district of maryland and virginia have restrictions on texting while driving. >> derrick, thank you. the airline pilot from the miracle op the hudson landing is ready to go back to work. captain chesley sullenburger and his first officer will fly from laguardia to charlotte. sulley continues to be honored all over the country for the emergency landing in the hudson river when his plane hit a flock of geese. all 155 people onboard survived. >> how comforting it would be to hear his voice. >> if you knew you would be on his plane at the helm. >> bob, is it still raining out

there? >> a couple sprinkles. feeling a little bit like october, november, which brought me to the question that anna has been pondering. here it is. as we head into october, which month does the average low temperature, that is from the first of the month to the end of the month, fall the most? september, october, november, or december. which month? >> my answer is november. >> november. >> october starts tomorrow, so i think i'm going to go with october. >> you're going to go with october. very good. ann missed this one. >> that means i got it. >> yes, indeed. it is october. the average for october, the average low is 56. we dropped 12 degrees by the end of october. the average low is 44. september drops ten degrees. november only drops eight degrees. by december we're into some cold weather. here's what's going on over us right now. our temperatures this morning

were feeling a bit like october. 56 degrees early this morning. look around the lakes. it was in the 40s early this morning. right now, we're at 62 degrees. with that chilly air that has been coming in, we had the sunshine and clou. little ripples, little waves in the atmosphere. not unlike the waves in the ocean. that's our ocean of air. brought in the clouds and here and there they have a few passing sprinkles. here we are in washington. there was one earlier right over us. you can see a couple more for folks out in the mountains. syracuse, new york, right now 46 degrees. and rain showers. on top of mt. washington, about 5,000 feet up in the atmosphere, 30 degrees. with the cold air above us, enough instant, one shower for you folks around arlington, alexandria, a couple more moved down into the north, and a few more out in the mountains. those are the spots for the folks out across extreme western maryland that are under frost advisory tonight. overnight tonight, the clouds will be moving on out. high pressure settles in on us

tomorrow. so a really delightful day. after a chilly beginning, a lot of warm sunshine. later on in the week, area of low pressure will move to our north. as that happens, we're going to see some moisture coming in. i think any rain showers would be holding off until late friday, maybe lingering into early saturday. tomorrow morning, boy, to be lingering around anything warm, it will be a chilly morning. by afternoon, near 70 degrees. so a few sprinkles around, rather chilly when we have those sprinkles. after 9:00, 10:00, things clear. temperatures could be as low as the high 30s. spots like leesburg, out to min as is with lie winds. a lot of sunshine. sparkling blue sky. beautiful day tomorrow afternoon with a temperature around 70 degrees after that chilly beginning. late friday, and into very early saturday, that would be the chance for some more rain showers. as we head into october. look how october will be milder. i think on saturday.

about 64. sunday rht now looks like another great day, with a lot of sunshine. by the end of the month, though, on average we lose 12 degrees. >> i haven't done a quiz in a long time, so i'm rusty. >> ask the same question tomorrow. thank you, bob. coming up, the search for some thrill-seekers who parachuted off a tv tower in virginia. they knocked out power to thousands when they landed. the places to shop if you're looking to upgrade your kitchen

years in our area may be reunited with his owners soon. the dog's name is brindle. this is a picture of him when he was a year old. he disappeared in northern virginia ten years ago. last week a woman and her daughter in oklahoma found the dog lying in their bushes. 1,500 miles from where he disappeared. they say he was near death. they took him to a vet who was able to find a microchip under brindle's skin that contained enough information to track down brindle's owner. animal rescue workers are waiting for him to get healthy enough to travel. police in southeast virginia are looking for three parachuters who caused a big power outage. witnesses saw three people with parachutes jump from a 1,000-foot-tall tv tower around 6:30 this morning. according to dominion virginia power, one parachew chutist

thought wos to hit a power line, it knocked out power to nearly 500 customers. the parachutists raced away in an suv. it is not clear whether any of them was injured. a utility official says they are very lucky they were not electrocuted. you try that once, what were they thinking. >> i was going to say, what were you thinking. when our broadcast continues, police investigate seral incidents of sexting at a local high school. a call for jim graham to step aside in the wake of a scandal involving a senior aide. a big boost to medical research after president obama visited the national institutes

welcome back, everybody. at 5:30. >> coming up in this half hour, the place to find the best deals for the stuff in your kitchen, a call for a d.c. councilman to step down after a top aide is charged in a bribery scandal. d.c. is top of the list for best cities. but we begin with our top story. teens sending explicit pictures of themselves to other teens, and police are taking notice. >> in fairfax county, the school year isn't even a month old and already police are handling a spate of texting cases, where students send nude photos of themselves to other teens. the increased attention comes after some special training.

>> the fairfax county commonwealth attorney's office is revieng the cases that have emerged since the start of the school year. the training along with growing awareness among parents makes it likely even more sexting cases will be uncovered. four cases of sexting in just the first month of the school year at one fairfax county high school. police sought search warrants because they seized six students' cell phones, phones used to send nude foet totes. in one case, the student was just 14. nearly a dozen teens, all juveniles, were involved. >> the fairfax county police department does take the issue of sending nude photos amongst kids very seriously. >> reporter: they say the spath of cases reflects the growing awareness of the seriousness of texting. school principals got a crash course. mike mcdonald has been a driving force behind the evident to get the word out. >> every high school and middle

school have been trained in how to deal with these cases. they know exactly who to contact if they have a case. and there's a procedure in place with the prosecutor and police department how to exactly deal with the cases in the future. >> reporter: mcdonald launched his information and training campaign last year, after two sexting cases at the high school where he works. >> ultimately the problem is the teens do not know what they're doing is wrong. they don't know it's illegal. they don't know there are long-term consequences through their actions. >> reporter: in the latest cases at lee high school, evidence has been forwarded to the commonwealth's attorney's office. mcdonald says the real goal is not punishing the teens, but preventing the photos from reaching pedophiles. >> deterring the picture from ever being taken, if we can do that, that's the ultimate goal. we will attempt to erase it from everywhere we can. if it gets on the internet, it's difficult to make sure it will be deleted everywhere. >> no charges are filed with the four recent sexting cases.

at 6:00, a closer look at the long-term consequences for teens. >> julie, thank you. president obama described it as the single largest boost ever to biomedical research. the government is providing $5 billion in grants to find cancer, autism and heart disease. the president made the announcement of the campus of institutes of held in bethesda, maryland. he said it will not only save and enrich the lives of people around the world, it will also help improve the economy. >> we also know that these investments will save jobs. they'll create new jobs. tens of thousands of jobs, conducting research and manufacturing and supplying medical equipment and building and modernizing laboratories and research facilities all across america. >> the president said money for the research grants will come from the $787 billion economic stimulus bill. and will support some 12,000 projects.

now to the latest on that d.c. bribery scandal that has delayed some taxi legislation in the city. last week the chief of staff for jim graham was indicted and accused of accepting cash and gifts for promoting the taxi bill. he's on administrative leave, but d.c. republicans also want graham himself to take a leave of absence. chris gordon has our report. >> reporter: the district of columbia republican committee september this letter to vincent gray urging him to tell council member jim graham to take a leave of absence until the fbi has concluded its investigation. >> it is the appearance of corruption going on in the wilson building. we're hoping that the council will show that it's serious with the new ethic laws and ask council member graham to step aside during the investigation. >> reporter: last week the fbi searched the offices of council member graham on the same day they arrested his chief of staff, ted loza. loza is under indictment for allegedly accepting bribes of $1,500 in cash, trips, and other

things of value in exchange for helping an individual in the taxi cab industry, with legislation limiting the number of taxi licenses, but granting his group an exception for hybrid vehicles. loza has pleaded not guilty to the charges. two staff members who work on the committee that councilman graham chairs, the committee on public works a transportation, have received subpoenas to appear here next week at the u.s. courthouse and testify before the federal grand jury. david and steve have been prepared to answer questions about taxi cab industry ledge lags. the letter from the republican committee asked to enforce d.c.'s new ethics laugs, and tell graham to take a required leave. the letter was hand delivered to chairman gray's office, who responded through a spokesperson saying, jim graham hasn't been charged with anything. the chairman is monitoring the developments of this

investigation very closely. should there be an appropriate occasion to take action, then action will be considered. the investigation into d.c.'s taxi industry has been going on for more than a year now. there have been reports that payoffs amounting to more than $100,000 are being reviewed. along with the role of other d.c. public officials. chris gordon, news 4. let's get a check on the weather now with bob ryan. >> jim, it is a chilly one. look at our temperatures at dulles. 58 degrees after a few passing sprinkles. that's about it. we're going to be seeing those move on out. for overnight, heading out for the game, the last one, it will be feeling more like football weather. 57 degrees. and tomorrow morning, boy, it will be a bundle-up morning. there will be spots into the 30s tomorrow. and into the low 40s around town. highs tomorrow, we'll get up to near 70 degrees. so some delightful weather. after that, the weekend, i

think, we'll start out with morning showers on saturday. then end with a lot of sunshine. sunday looks great. and next week, too, a lot of nice october sunshine. temperatures near 70. back to you. >> thank you, bob. still to come tonight, families across the area voice their support for a scholarship program that's facing funding cuts. we'll find out why these cats are wearing wigs. boss: so word's gettin' out that geico can help people save in even more ways -

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tonight's wednesday's child is a young lady who is making a

lot of progress and learning to communicate. she's often shy when she first meets new people. but barbara harrison tells us she quickly warms up, especially when there's a party going on. tonight we get to meet deja. >> deja, hello. how are you? hi. >> reporter: we met up with deja where she came with her social worker. can i be the pusher? dave and denise greeted us. with the rest of the staff, we were off to the party room. >> lots of celebrations here. we're excited to have deja. >> reporter: deja is 12 years old, and has down syndrome. she was a little overwhelmed by all the excitement. she has been in foster care since she was 8. >> deja has been in care since 2005. and most of our children come into care because they've been abused, neglected or abandoned. >> reporter: deja loves the

giant inflatable playground and wasn't shy about trying it out. those who know her say she's curious and outgoing, and loves interacting with those she knows. like eric donovan, her instructional assistant. she said key ja loves to play and laugh and learning to communicate in several different ways. >> simple signs, such as please, and more, and eat and drink. she also has some words that she verbalizes. >> reporter: deja has made a lot of progress. her social worker says she's doing very well. >> she's very playful. she can be very affectionate. and she loves music. and she has an absolutely beautiful smile. i'm looking for a family that is patient, hopefully has experience working with a child with down syndrome, or if not, willing to learn how to deal with her special needs. >> reporter: deja was presented with her very own cake, and there were some other surprises, too. >> in addition to deja's cake, we thought we could give her

some pump-it-up gear to take back to her home. we'd like to have deja and her friends come back and see us for the ultimate party where they can bounce and eat cak and pizza and ice cream and everything like that. >> reporter: this day made for some wonderful memories for deja as she waits for a family to call her own. barbara harrison, news 4, for "wednesday's child." >> if you have room in your home, in your heart for a child, call 1-888-to-adopt-me or to our home page at nbcwashington.com. hundreds of families protesteat the save school choice rally on capitol hill today. rally organizers say the d.c. opportunity scholarship program faces elimination by president obama and congress. the scholarship provides low-income parents living in d.c. the opportunity to enroll their child in a d.c. private school.

students receive up to $7,500 in tuition vouchers. the organization says over 3,000 students have benefited from the scholarship. the program was launched in 2004. coming up, find out what made the district the place to be for young professionals. we'll have the details. plus, tonight, the place to shop if you're looking to get items for your kitchen at a major discount. and in sports, a maryland running back iscstatic just to play while his father played in the nfl, just behind bars. as news 4 at 5:0

a new survey of which u.s. cities will be the next hot spots for college graduates puts d.c. at the top of the list. once we're out of this recession, some experts are predicting our area will soon be

even bigger magnets for young job seekers. michael flynn has our report. >> reporter: washington, d.c. comes out on top in which u.s. cities will be youth magnets after the recession. some college students in our area say they already know why. >> it's everything you want. like the new new york kind of. >> there's a lot of start-up job opportunities. lots of places to live. >> reporter: six experts in fields ranging from demographics to economics were asked which cities will emerge as the hottest, hippest destinations for professionals in their 20s, when the economy improves. they looked at job possibilities, affordability and quality of lif washington tied first with seattle. >> i think it's just on the cusp of becoming a really cool place to live. >> reporter: dr. rachel franklin is a senior lecturer at the university of maryland on the migration of young people in the sufficient of the he was one of the panelists used in the

article. she ranked washington as her first choice as the next youth magnet city. >> what we'll see changing now is the federal government is still able to hire, so we have money when a lot of corporations don't have money. but we've also seen this sort of new blooming of enthusiasm for public service. >> reporter: franklin credits president obama for that. on campus at the university of maryland today, many students feel optimistic about living and working in the area after graduation. teresa is a sophomore who wants to start her career locally. >> it's such a bigarea. there's so many businesses based in maryland and dflt c. especially, that i feel there's definitely a ton of possibilities for people who just graduated. >> reporter: for others the metro area is already crowded enough. >> not necessarily d.c. >> reporter: in washington, michael flynn, news 4. to see the other cities that made the top ten list, just go to nbcwashington.com and search as seen on nbc 4.

amazing, huh, d.c. tops the list. now, let's see what's in store for news 4 at 6:00. before that, let's check in with jim hanley honoring local students. hi, jim. >> reporter: yes, we're right next door, and we're hearing from some of the essay winners right now of the hispanic heritage contest. joining us is station manager nicole. a lot of winners in here today. at is the theme of this year's essay during this month now? >> the question for this year was why is the hispanic heritage month so important. >> what did you take away? some of these essays are very inspiring. >> they really are. i think the biggest thing is to see the pride and passion that the students continue to have year after year in honoring their own hispanic culture. >> what do they learn from all of this? because they get a lot out of participating in this contest. >> you know, we agree.

i think seeing it from their point of view, they learn that their culture really does have a place here in the united states, amongst themselves internally and their friends as well. >> so they get a lot and they give a lot in this contest, too. thanks so much, nicole. we appreciate it there is a lot of excitement going on in here. i think we just had the first-place winner read her essay, too. back to you from studio a. >> those essays are always impressive. now we're going to see what's in store for news 4 at 6:00. jim, good to see you. >> coming up in our broadcast this evening, military leaders are asking president obama to send more troops to afghanistan. we'll have the report on a meeting held at the white house today about that. the death toll continues to climb in america samoa. a tsunami crashed into that island yesterday. it was terrible. also, news 4's keith garvin was in rwanda recently to get a

firsthand look how that east african nation is healing 15 years after the awful tragedy there. the stories coming up at 6:00. >> thank you. now, dan's here, he's going to tell about a maryland running back with an interesting story. >> this is a guy who's a very, very good player for maryland. they thought he would be good, but maybe not quite this good. it's been a rough start to the season for the maryland football team. the terps 1-3, with clemson coming down on saturday. no matter how badhings get, one maryland player just happened to be on the field. a place he never thought he would be. here's more on terps running back david. >> reporter: he never had any desire to play football as a kid. he just joined a team because his best friend did. in high school, he says he was never a star. despite being the area's second leading rusher. last year, in his first season at maryland, he didn't expect to play. he finished the year with over 400 rushing yards.

can you sense the theme here? david has been exceeding expectations his entire life. >> i'm always surprising myself. you know, i don't -- i'm my biggest critic. honest, if you ask me, i never thought i would be doing anything like this, you know. playing a division one level. i would never have thought i could. let alone make an impact. you know, let alone have the coach say he has to play me. i would have never thought. >> reporter: he says just playing for the terps is a dream come true. once again, this kid who is built like a fire hydrant is on pace to be the team's second leading rusher. and he's improved in every facet of the game. special live receiving. he already has more catches through four games than he did all of last season. and this is still a kid who truly appreciates the opportunity to play for his home state team. >> this is big. you grow up watching it on tv. you're like, man, i wish i could

do that. that would be sweet if that day ever came, that i can run out to the turtle dressed in red and black with the m, and represent my hometown, my home school, home state. and it's reality now. >> reporter: the other reality is his last name. if it sounds familiar, it's because it is. redskins fans remember his father, dave, as a pro bowl kick returner and running back for the giants. dave has had numerous legal problems since retiring in 1998. he's currently in jail in south carolina on a rape charge. the younger david said he's seen video of his dad's career one time. on the replay of an old game that popped up on tv. he said he watched exactly three plays. he says having the name has its pluses and minuses, but he does still have contact with his father.

>> i mean, we talk every now and then. we don't talk football. that's a real important fact that he never talks to me about football. it's never, when you run the ball, you've got to do this. it was never that. >> reporter: david has a great support system at home with his mother and stepfather. and he equates his relationship to his famous nfl father to that of an uncle, who he sees every once in a while. but there is part of him that would love to have his dad show up for a game in college park. >> you know, it means a lot to me. because i know that -- i mean, he was -- that's something that he will hold on to and he'll love. if i can do that for him, i would love for him to be in the stands to watch me plaf. >> reporter: he could one day prove to be better than the man who shares his last name. >> he would love to just start

winning some games there at maryland. >> yeah. >> his father left when he was just a baby. his mom and stepfather raised him. he has a great core there. he says the biggest influence on his life, not his father, but probably his stepfather. >> wow. good story. thank you, dan. let's look out for him on e field. win some games. coming up, from pots to pans, mugs to measuring cups, where to shop and save if you're looking for ways to look like a chef, even if you don't cook like one. and kittens with wigs. we're going to find out what these odd themes are all about after the break.

with tv cooking shows growing in popularity and movie about julia childs, a lot of folks want to whip up delicious meals just like a chef. but the fancy pots and pans don't come cheap unless you head to the restaurant supply store. bob hansen explains. >> we're going to start off with a little insulted butter here. >> reporter: stacey miller knows the way around his cramped south park kitchen. >> spices and salt. >> reporter: but stacey also knows how to save a few bucks. most of the pots and pans, whisks and appliances lining his kitchen walls don't come from pricey cooking or department stores, but from restaurant supply stores. >> i would go there first before anywhere else of the. >> reporter: on market street in downtown san diego, two very different looking stores cater

to culinary penny pinchers. >> 25 kinds of fry pans here. and i've got more over there. >> reporter: this is where our local restaurants buy their supplies. but you can, too, whether it's a stack of ceramic plates, a shiny pitcher, an industrial-sized ladle or a cookie sheet. >> $5.50. and a regular stor you're going to pay $18 to $25 for the same pan. >> reporter: for 51 years, san diego restaurant supply has been on the same corner, selling stoves, spoons and salt and pepper shakers to professional chefs. >> we're going to find a lot sturdier merchandise here that will hold up in a commercial kitchen frlt. >> reporter: it's not only better made, in many cases they're third to half the price of high-end cooking stores. now, 90% of the people that come to a restaurant supply store come from restaurants. so should you be intimidated when you're the one out of ten who just wants to buy something for your kitchen? >> they don't care if you're spending $5 or $5,000, it's just as important to them. >> we try to treat everybody the

same. we greet them, how can we help you. >> it's restaurant quality stuff. and this stuff's almost indestructible. >> reporter: fse, also on market straight, looks more like a restaurant supply warehouse. but don't let it fool you. down the aisle a unique collection of plates, bowls and more. >> i probably have 30 or 40,000 cups and mugs right now. >> reporter: most of these have small flaws that keep them from a particular hotel or restaurant, make them dirt cheap for you. >> there's a lot of odd colors and odd shapes and sizes. really kind of cool. >> reporter: and it's a secret way for you to entertain on a budget, from mugs to measuring cups, your first stop should take you to where the restaurants go. you don't have to cook like a pro to look like one. just have a taste for bargains. >> that was bob hansen reporting. by the way, experts say you don't have to go out and buy whole sets. instead, three or four individual pots and pans that

work best with what and how you cook. also, there's the talent end of it, too. just because you look the part, you know. >> right. a new book shows cats in a whole new way. it's called glamour puss, the enchanting world of wigs. you heard me right. as you can see, it shows a variety of cats in a variety of wigs. why wigs? that's what i want to know. well, it was a brainstorm of a woman in texas. she founded a company called kitty wigs.com and was amazed at how it took off. look at these cats. especially since the wigs cost as much as $50. oh, miff gosh, for a cat wig. she teamed up with a former photographer for the fort worth star telegram. she snapped shots of these cats in wigs. >> there is something -- >> most of the time i think people dress up their animals, i think that's kind of crazy. i feel sorry for the animals. but with this you just make the cat feel so special.

like i'm on the catwalk, you know. they're like strutting around. >> glamour puss even includes a photo of a cat wearing not just a wig, but glasses as well. the book hits stores tomorrow. >> you know those cats love that, right? >> these poor cats, really. and they're 50 bucks a wig. this is not a cheap hobby, people. >> there is subject just a little -- >> a little off. >> -- creepy about that. on that we say so long. a man and his teenage daughter accused of recruiting a local high school -- some local high school students to join a gang. >> health care workers are now being urged to wear masks to help protect them from the swine flu.