officers three ak-47s, one tec-9 and four handguns, one with a laser scope. in one transaction, birch drafted a phony bill of sale, using a fictitious name for the man he thought to be that felon. suspect birch lives on pequot road in alexandria. today i talked to david, one of his house mates. >> he didn't say where he got him from. i didn't ask him. >> reporter: where did he get these guns from? >> gun fairs, probably. buying them from other people out of papers. >> reporter: did he keep them around the house? >> i never saw any. >> reporter: did he show them to you? >> no. me and him don't talk like that. like i said, until they came to the house, i never expected something like that. he's not that type of person. >> reporter: so what do you make of that? >> i have no clue. threw me off guard. >> reporter: austin birch, charged with money laundering, charged with illegal gun sales,

out on a money bond, pending further court action in the case. now, it's against craigslist policy to sell guns on its website. pat, back to you. >> pat collins. thanks, pat. some developing news tonight. the principal of mckinley technological high school in the district has been reinstated. the principal was placed on paid administrative leave last week after allegations that he doctored student transcripts. d.c. public schools say its lead investigator on that case admitted to giving false information to witnesses, which may have compromised that investigation. principal penneder will be back on the job monday. it is judgment day for a former park ranger who admitted to murdering his wife and two stepchildren. carillo dean pled guilty to the crime and was sentenced today to three life terms. he called police to his home in triangle, virginia, february of 2009 to report a domestic

dispute. and when officers arrived, they found the family dead. a psychiatrist later said that the man had severe emotional problems, and under a plea deal, dean was spared the death penalty. an american airlines flight from our area was diverted to ohio today. flight 547 left reagan national this morning, bound for chicago. but it had to be diverted to dayton. and airline officials say there was a problem -- possible problem with air pressure in the cabin. flight attendants became light-headed and asked the pilot to drop the oxygen masks. the plane landed safely, and a few passengers were taken to the hospital for check-ups. a new plane was sent in, and the flight continued to chicago. d.c. mayor vincent gray is proposing a mix of cuts and tax hikes to balance the city's next budget. of the tax increases would come from people buying movie tickets, parking in the city's garageses, and from residents who earn more than $200,000 a year. tom sherwood looks at the

numbers. >> reporter: mayor gray has been warning for months that the 2012 budget would be tough. and he says it is. >> this is a tough budget. i'm not going to represent it as anything else. i have said that over and over and over again. it is a tough budget. >> reporter: the mayor's budget, a balance of cuts and tax increases, faces a two-month review by the d.c. council, which is divided on tax increases during tough times. >> i don't have any doubt there will be changes that will be made in this budget. because there always are. and it's a great opportunity to hear from people. >> reporter: the gray-proposed cuts. about $113 million in social service programs, like welfare and assistance and homeless services. $36 million, about $18 million each from schools and public safety. and another $22 million would be taken out of the city's economic development project, which could anger neighborhoods planning on that money. the cuts in the schools would have been about $75 million more, except for new revenue from an improving economy.

gray proposed raising about $150 million in diverse taxes and fees. including $34 million from a slight increase of 1/2% on income taxes for anyone earning more than $200,000 a year. $18 million by raising the parking garage tax from 12 to 18%. $22 million by refiguring how multistate corporations pay taxes. and even $2.3 million from charging sales taxes on movie tickets. d.c. independent chief financial officer natt gandy said gray has done a good job of balancing spending and revenue with a simple goal. >> not spending anything more than what we take in. >> reporter: tom sherwood, news4, washington. the mayor also said he recognizes that recent scandals over the high salaries and expensive suvs for the city officials could make it harder to get this budget passed. now, the latest on the crisis in libya. libyan rebels say they would

accept a ceasefire from moammar gadhafi, under certain conditions. the head of the opposition's governing council met with the united nations envoy today. he told reporters, they would be open to a cease fire, if gadhafi pulls his forces out of all cities, and allows peaceful protests. the u.n. is hoping to broker a long-term political solution. meantime, gadhafi is vowing to stay in power, even as members of his inner circle continue to defect. news4 has learned of a northern virginia connection to the libyan rebel forces. a former general who defected here to the u.s. after a fallout with gadhafi is back in libya to take on his former boss. news4's jane watrel is live in fairfax county with the latest on this story. jane? >> reporter: well, general halifa hefter, not a young man, in his late 60s, but didn't hayes hesitate to go back to libya, fueled by an intense

hatred for moammar gadhafi. [ gunfire ] >> reporter: as opposition forces battled the regime of moammar gadhafi, a new rebel commander has emerged. general hefter, who spent the last two decades living in fairfax county, after defecting from libya. >> and hefter is well-known. he's -- he is a man of dignity and decency. he is the type of person a lot of people hope is going to make a change on the ground with his leadership and military expertise. >> reporter: hefter lives with his family in this high-rise, located in the busy skyline section of fairfax county. attempts to leave a message for his family were unsuccessful, as the family's phone was no longer accepting voice mail. hefter left for libya several weeks ago to help the opposition forces organize. since none of the rebels have had formal military training. >> and this is really a bunch of amateurs who are fighting on the side of the rebellion, and that senior military leadership was

going to have to emerge, as well, if they were going to be able to wage anything like an effective, sustained campaign against the libyan army, which after all, is organized, better trained and better armed. >> reporter: the fighting has been fierce in the western sections of libya. with hefter, no stranger to gadhafi's army. he commanded libyan forces in the 1980s when gadhafi attempted to try and take control of neighboring chad. now, this general will fight against his old boss. >> i think general hefter will play a major part in organizing the part of the conventional libyan soldiers who defected from the regime. >> reporter: hefter is the third opposition leader in less than a month. it's an army formed of everyday citizens fueled by their hatred of the dictator reporting live in fairfax county, i'm jane watrel. back to you. >> all right, thanks, jane. the u.s. military began a massive effort in japan today to

help find any remaining tsunami survivors. thousands of american and japanese troops will spend the next three days searching japan's coastline. about 17,000 people are still unaccounted for. there were new concerns about those near one of japan's nuclear power plants. for the first time, radioactive elements have been discovered in the ground water below the plant. japanese officials say the drinking water is not threatened, because the plant is not near streams or wells. let's take a look at our forecast. another chilly day, but change is in the air. finally. we might see some sunshine. >> doug, fill us in. >> yeah, we're seeing a little bit of sunshine out there right now, and what a difference the sun makes this time of year, that nice sun angle making for a pretty nice afternoon down in toward the cherry blossoms. but also some cloud cover, and yes, even some shower activity, as well. and flurries to the west. take a look at this shot, you can see a lot of sunshine from our tower cam. live digital doppler showing showers in southern maryland and back into portions of maryland

and west virginia, and even virginia around winchester, we are seeing some snowflakes out there, as well, trying to mix in. they will continue to do so throughout the night tonight. do not expect any accumulation. 48 degrees right now, the current temperature. winds out of the west-northwest at 15 miles per hour. but the winds gusting upwards of 30 miles per hour, that makes it feel even cooler ousds. so we need all of the sun we can get. 44 right now in hagerstown. 48 to the south at culpepper. fredricksburg coming in at 50 degrees, and leonardtown coming in, the warm spot, 51. what can we expect throughout the evening to county? dropping to 43 by 11:00. a scattered shower or two across the area, and even a couple wet snowflakes, even close to the district tonight. but once again, it will not amount to anything before you wake up tomorrow morning. i'll let you know when we finally see some warmer weather coming up on our full forecast. >> thanks, doug. it's the latest sign the economy is strengthening. the white house, however, says it's still a long way to go. the labor department says the nation's unemployment dropped to

8.8% in march, a two-year low. the total of 216,000 jobs were added in march. >> that makes 1.8 million private sector jobs created in the last 13 months. and the unemployment rate has now fallen a full point in the last four months. >> this is the steepest drop in unemployment since 1983, but some critics say the drop is artificially low, because so many people have simply stopped looking for work. the economy has some people looking for new ways to make money. here's john schriffen. >> reporter: are you tired of getting burned by your boss, ready to quit and step out on your own? this just might be the place for you. i'm john schriffenter international franchise expo. coming up, how one of these business opportunities could be your ticket to economic freedom. angry over art. wait until you find out how much money is being spent on a sculpture inside this building that many of us will never get

to see. this construction project along the an costa river was anyoned nearly a decade ago. so why is it just now opening to the public? we'll tell you. [ male announcer ] this year, get the most out of your lawn

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a spring storm is dumping some heavy -- look at this heavy snow across new england, northern new england. maine getting really hit hard. forecasters are predicting up to 14 inches of snow up there. heavy, wet snow-covered roadsides and trees, knocked limbs, knocking out power. 10,000 homes and businesses are now without any electricity. dozens of schools were also shut down. >> another bad storm system caused some serious damage across central florida. five tornadoes were reported along with walnut-sized hail and flooding. 70 mile an hour wind gusts ripped through this mobile home park in sarasota. the same gusts flipped small planes over at an airport. thousands of people are now dealing with power outages and damage to their homes. makes us feel like whiners here, when we've been complaining about our cloudy skies, but the weather is starting to clear and that's a good thing for you heading to the cherry blossom festival. the peak bloom ends today.

and that's when 70% of the trees around the tidal basin will have their blossoms. this year's peak bloom was shortened from five days to three. >> so will this be a weekend for whining? >> you know, yeah, half a weekend for whining. because we still have some cool air coming in. we still have a couple light showers that could be out there, maybe even a couple wet snowflakes early tomorrow morning. but then we're going to see the temperatures more spring-like as we make our way toward the end of the weekend, and especially starting next week. let's show you outside right now. we to have some sunshine out there, a few cherry blossoms in the distance as we look across the potomac. not a bad afternoon right now, if this was late february. but this is early april. april fools. mother nature playing a joke on us today, as temperatures are where they should be for late february with the current temperature now at 48 degrees. live digital doppler radar showing showers around southern maryland, toward the west, as well, west virginia, just to the south of hagerstown, martinsburg seeing a few showers.

but maybe even a few light snowflakes. a great picture out of strasburg, virginia, a facebook picture today, thanks for sending it, whiby the way, beautiful picture of the tops of the mountains covered in snow. a really nice shot. i'll tell you what, a beautiful afternoon across our area when you're seeing the sun. the sun makes a big difference. 48 degrees but actually feels like 22 with that wind out of the west-northwest at 15 miles per hour. we're seeing even higher wind gusts, as well. 44 in hagerstown, 48 in culpepper and 50 in fredricksburg. you add in the wind and get the wind chill. upwards of 30 miles per hour in frederick, manassas, la plata, waldorf leonardtown, hunting town, a very windy afternoon, as well. so much more of a winter day than spring day. and that's not going to be changing very quickly. look at this storm system. here's the big storm up toward the north and west. or north and east of us. but there's another storm dropping through the ohio valley that's going to make its way through our area. you can see the snow toward the west right along the allegheny

front and then more rain down south and west. so we could see some of that come in through the area overnight tonight. so expect a few showers, a few sprinkles overnight and into the day tomorrow, as well. tomorrow i think you'll need to take the umbrella with you, no matter where you go, as this area of low pressure slides through the region during the day tomorrow. another very chilly start to the day tomorrow. some areas temperatures around freezing. but i think we'll warm up into the low 50s during the day tomorrow. at least during the afternoon. as that area of low pressure slides by. a couple of showers during the day, but not a washout. sunday, that area of low pressure moves well out of our way. we see a lot of sunshine before another warm front moves through. we could see a couple of showers late in the day on sunday, as milder air starts to make its way back into the region. but good news s i think stunnun is going to be a pretty nice day for the most part. breezy and chilly, 47, dropping to 41 degrees. tomorrow morning, look at these cold temperatures. 32 to 36 with a morning snowflake or sprinkle. that could even be around the

beltway. mostly cloudy and cold tomorrow morning as we make our way through the day tomorrow. we'll see those numbers, 49 to 54 degrees, 30% chance of some rain throughout the afternoon, but don't expect too much. sunday looking great, 57. 70 on monday. and the potential for some strong maybe severe storms monday night into early tuesday before things cool back off towards the middle of the week. so we're going to have to watch out for that next storm system. but at least now looking at a little bit of a warm-up. >> all right. i'm feeling the urge to plant. >> you know, a good weekend to do it, sunday a good day to do it. >> thanks. the newest section of d.c.'s river walk trail opened today in southeast. it was completed nearly ten years ago, but it was off limits to the public until now. news4's megan mcgrath tells us why the gates have finally been unlocked. >> reporter: on a damp and chilly day, it's pretty quiet. but when the weather improves, this picturesque promenade is expected to be a lunch time favorite. the navy today opened their section of the river walk to the

public. from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., monday through friday, people can enjoy the 2,300 foot walkway along the anacostia river. >> i think that's a pretty nice thing, especially at lunch time. something to do. >> yeah, something new. something -- the children and grandchildren, you can show them, have an outing for the kids. >> reporter: the walk runs along the back side of the navy yard, and was slated to open right around 9/11. the attack put everything on hold. new security systems were put in place, and this morning, the promenade opened for the first time. >> d.c. is for a long time wanted us to open up the river walk, and finally we have systems in place that allow us to have a safe environment, and secure the navy yard while giving the public access to the river walk. >> the new section rinks up with another stretch by the yards development. the navy display ship, the berry, is moored along the walk, so pedestrians can stroll up to the destroyer and take a tour. there are a few exceptions to the hours.

for example, this section will not be open on weekends or federal holidays. also, the navy can restrict access at any time without notice for safety or operational reasons. from the river walk, megan mcgrath, news4. >> coming up next on news4 at 5:00, riding out of the red. why metro's plan to cut costs could mean a longer commute for you. also, it hasn't happened in 60 years. what officials credit with driving down the number of debts on area roads. i'm liz crenshaw. what's the status of phosphates in laundry detergent following the recent phosphate ban in dishwasher detergents? that's the question.

. so what are the local speed camera laws? what's the best way to ripen an avocado? and the question about phosphates and laundry deterjents. you know what this means? it's friday. we're asking liz. yay. how are you? >> good. >> our first question comes through the e-mail from a viewer named jeff. he's a little confused on the local speed camera laws. what are the laws in our area? >> okay. we went to the governor's highway safety association to help us with this answer. it said the local speed and red light camera laws vary by state,

of course. in maryland, cameras are we are mitted for red light and speed light violations, however you will only find speed cameras in montgomery county and prince george's county. both come with a fine ranging from 40 to $100. in d.c., cameras are permitted for red light and speed violations. these come with a $75 fine. however, in virginia, cameras are only permitted for red light violations, so there's a $50 fine for this charge. so, yeah. changes from area to area. >> so you can pick where you want to speed. yes. the next question comes in from allen in virginia. he wants to know, what's the best way to ripen an avocado? i'm thinking guacamole and margaritas. >> we took your question to the california avocado commission that says simply place the fruit in a plain brown paper bag at room temperature. the avocado should be ready to eat in two to five days. adding an apple or banana speeds up the ripening process because

of the gases from the other fruits. ripe avocados can be refrigerated but not for more than two to three days. and they do not recommend a micro wave. keep them out of the microwave. >> yes. our last question comes through e-mail from a viewer named linda. she says she knows about the ban on phosphates in our dishwasher detergents and wants to know about the status of our laundry detergent. >> the american cleaning institute helped with this answer. you should know that phosphates have been used for years to boost cleaning, but the epa says excess phosphates can lead to water quality problems, including harmful algae blooms and declines in wildlife and wildlife habitat. so the american cleaning institute says phosphates in laundry allergyents were lowered in 1972 in response to these environmental problems. and then phosphates were completely phased out of laundry determiningents by major manufacturers in '94.

by the way, phosphates were eliminated from diswashing detergents last summer. if you've got a question you would like us to consider for ask liz, send it to nbc washington.com. you can also connect with me on twitter. just search liz crenshaw and on facebook by searching liz crenshaw's consumer watch. so, yeah, laundry deterjents back in the '70s, they figured that out. >> i'll have to think about that when i eat my guacamole. >> don't speed or go through any red lights. >> no. pat? >> thanks. coming up, prince william let's us in on a little secret less than a month before his wedding. plus, outrage over a piece of art in northern virginia. and it has absolutely nothing to do with the image. also, on the road to repair their image. what pepco is doing to improve communication in local neighborhoods notorious for power outages. and how the makers of madden

football are hoping to teach a lesson to young athletes through this video game.

welcome. and happy baconalia! baconalia? mm-hmm. why, it's the sacred festival of bacon. a celebration of baconian delight. come celebrate baconalia! we're open to 7 new ways to enjoy bacon. denny's. america's diner is always open. a fast forward through the headlines.

a 19-year-old from alexandria, virginia is behind bars, accused of selling guns illegally on craigslist. aust austin birch thought he was selling to a convicted felon, but it turned out to be an undercover cop. an american airlines flight from reagan national to chicago was diverted to dayton, ohio this morning. there was a possible problem with the plane's air pressure. two flight attendants first noticed it, and became dizzy as the plane reached 28,000 feet. d.c. residents who make more than $200,000 a year will see higher taxes under mayor gray's 2012 budget proposal. fees for things like parking and garages will also go up. and programs in education and summer jobs would see cuts under the proposed plan. and now let's fast forward to the weather. doug? >> a cool day once again. at least we're seeing a bit in the way of sunshine across parts of the area. we're also seeing a couple light showers right now, as well. the big story, though, is still the temperatures. temperatures right now running between 15 and 20 degrees below

average. elkridge, west virginia, 37 degrees. snow, hagerstown, and raleigh, the average temperature should be near 70. they're at 51 degrees. the good news, we're going to see a big change in the weather pattern, and that means much more like spring over the next couple of days. i'll update you on when that change is going to occur coming up in the full forecast. or at least the extended forecast. >> thanks, doug. a new defense department building in alexandria is at the center of a new controversy tonight. >> massive traffic jams are expected when it opens in the fall. now the community has learned that more than a half million dollars is being spent on public art fair. julie carey is live outside the marks center with this firestorm. jules? >> reporter: about 6,600 defense department workers are scheduled to converge in the fall when that big building behind me opens with very few traffic improvements on the horizon. and that's why residents in the area and elected leaders were surprised to learn that there is a budget, it seems, for public art.

a ferry riding a toad. it's just one of four sculptures that are finalists for public art that will adorn this department of defense building opening in the fall. it's part of the base realignment and closure plan. but it's not the quality of the art that's caused a furor. it is the price tag. $600,000 for public art when there isn't enough funding for the needed road improvements here. >> the sculpture they're talking about is of a child's fantasy. the problem is, it's in the middle of an adult's nightmare and that's really the issue. spending $600,000 on sculpture, regardless of whether you like it or not, when that money needs to be spent on transportation improvements. >> reporter: the d.o.d.-funded sculptures will be placed at the transportation center in the complex, where buses and shuttles will come and go each day. community members who serve on a brac advisory committee say they were taken by surprise that more than a half million was going into art. >> the surprise tag is shocking, more than $600,000.

i was hoping some of this money could have been spent on the road improvements. until we deal with the traffic issue, we're going to have lots of problems. and nobody will come to see the art, if we don't get the roads fixed. >> reporter: but local artist who is have worked to develop the public art entries defend the process. matthew harrwood is co chair of the city's public art committee. he says he first notified the advisory committee in 2009 that he was hoping to add public art to the site. the four finalists are formally presenting their artwork today to a committee. harrwood says public art is often controversial in the beginning, but hopes it will be embraced. >> hopefully they'll take the first bite and over time realize the complexity of the project, what it contributes, it will be lasting gift to the city. and i think people will appreciate it. >> reporter: but the money being spent isn't the only concern for residents around here. folks who live around this building in the west side of

alexandria say they feel like they have been left in the dark in this whole arts election process. i'll have more on that coming up on news4 at 6:00. back to you. >> all right, julie, thanks a lot. pepco president tom graham left his office to go in the field with his crews. it was a ride-along that responds to customer's probls. today we caught up with him. they were in a neighborhood with a report of wires down. graham says he wanted to get a better understanding of some of the challenges that the crews are facing in the field. >> our top priority right now is improving t reliability for our customers. and i'm out here getting a better idea on the time it takes to get to a location, what the process is for inputting information, and then what the process is for getting dispatcheded to other locations. >> one lesson graham says he learned, traffic in d.c. is bad, and that can really affect their response time. congress is apparently close to reaching an agreement on spending cuts to fund the

government and a way to avoid a possible shutdown. both democrats and republicans are now discussing a compromise on a spending bill that would include about $33 billion in cuts. it would mean big reductions for many domestic programs. lawmakers have to reach an agreement by april th. that's a week from today. the deal would fund the government through the end of september, and it would avoid a partial shutdown next weekend. metro is considering some service cuts to help close the agency's budget gap. the list of possible cuts would include longer wait times between trains, cutting some bus routes. metro said they're working to close in had on a $72 million gap. the agency's board of directors is now asking local jurisdictions to make up for what they call underperforming routes. a final vote is expected on april 14th. your car has become a much safer place out there on the open road. the transportation department

says the u.s. recorded its lowest number of fatalities in more than 60 years, and back then, the country was about half the size it is today. traffic fatalities fell 3% last year, and 25% over the past 5 years. better roads, tougher dui enforcement, and safer cars are all being credited. >> even though we have good results for this year, they're not good enough for us. we want to do more. we want to reduce deaths to zero if at all possible. >> experts say car makers are also working on technology to help drivers navigate the roads better. the next challenge is educating drivers on other threats behind the wheel, including texting and talking on your cell phone. next at 5:00, controversy over a premie drug. what the makers are doing to make things right days after they jacked up the price. they say you have to suffer for the sake of style. but not like this. tonight, the serious health

warning from doctors about

can you enjoy vegetables with sauce and still reach your weight loss goals? you can with green giant frozen vegetables. over twenty delicious varieties have sixty calories or less per serving and are now weight watchers-endorsed. try green giant frozen vegetables with sauce. soft! hard! [ male announcer ] how do you decide between crunchy and soft tacos? why don't we have both? [ male announcer ] old el paso. hard and soft tacos. ♪ feed your fiesta. a drug approved to help prevent preterm births gets a big price cut. the drug mckenna was approved by the fda in february. the cost of the injections would increase from $10 a piece to more than $1,500. now the company says it will slash prices amid backlash from

patients, which means 85% of patients will now pay just $20 per injection. spanx is coming under fire. a neurologist says it may cause nerve damage. she is especially concerned about teenagers who wear it you said sports uniforms. the doctor tells "consumer reports" she treated a soccer player with a compressed nerve in her leg, a problem probably caused by spanx. the doctor warns tight clothing can cause everything from yeast infections to abdominal injury. nbc news contacted spanx which said, quote, in ten years of selling spanx, we have not had this issue. big changes for a popular video game. madden football will no longer allow players to return to the field after suffering a concussion. ea sports, which makes the game, says it has an obligation to recognize that brain injuries are one of the biggest issues in all levels of football. the move follows the nfl's

movement toward treating concussions more seriously, and evaluating players more completely after they suffer injuries. coming up, only 28 days until the royal wedding. tonight, i will tell you how a local business is giving you the chance to feel british and experience the couple's big day. and in sports, nationals' manager in rockville maryland native jim wriggleman is living out a dream, coaching his team. now he is doing his best

a local man is in libya, leading forces against moammar gadhafi. he defected to fairfax county from libya 20 years ago and has returned to his homeland to help

lead the rebel forces. the newest section of d.c.'s river walk trail opened today in southeast washington. the 2,300 foot promenade is located along the anacostia river mind the navy yard, finished ten years ago, but off limits to the public due to security concerns after september 2010. they are calling it a big tourist attraction. today is the last day to see the cherry blossom festival and with the blossoms at their peak. that means 70% of the trees around the basin will be in bloom. the national park service short earned this year's peak bloom from five days to three. the royal wedding of prince william and kate middle tob is less than a month away now. but today, prince william took a little time from his wedding planning to give his grandmother, the queen, a tour of his workplace. the prince pilots a sea king search and rescue helicopter for the royal air force, but while on the ground, he acts like any

other flight lieutenant, who is about to get married. and he made a confession about the big day. he's a little nervous. >> rehearsals the other day, my knee started tapping quite nervously. it's quite a daunting prospect, and exciting. a lot to be done over the next four weeks. >> the prince has invited his entire search and rescue team to the wedding. they will tie the knot april 29th. >> well, if this upcoming wedding is wetting your palate for some scones, cream and black and white pudding, then you need to head to the british pantry and tea shop out near dulles. it's got everything you need to scratch all your royal itches. and will send you home humming god save the queen. when you spot the iconic phone booth in olney, virginia, pull over and grab yourself a little slice of the kingdom. >> this is our table for two, a very popular table.

we call it the queen's table. >> reporter: felicia, of the british pantry and cafe has created a tea room so perfectly english, you feel like you're visiting with your mum. >> this is daisy. she helps out with the teas. we have had quite a few people who would like to snag daisy. >> actually, what they want to snag are memorabilia featuring william and kate. it's selling to beat the band. >> obviously, all of the time we have had three separate shipments and not been able to keep anything in stock. >> reporter: la-sal has got the plates and cups and tea towels which people say they'll use as flags on the royal day. >> it's a different generation, i think. this is what the country really wanted. i think we've got a beautiful girl, we've got hand some prince. and i think, you know, everyone is thinking about the queen. >> reporter: on the other side of the shop is a pantry, a well-stocked corner store. >> we cater to, you know, the

parts that just yearn for that taste of home. >> reporter: here they can stop up on their mcinvitees and hb sauce. >> people put it on all of their breakfast products, on everything. i know people who put it on mashed potatoes. >> reporter: in the freezer, it's filled with assorteded meat pies, white and puddings and home made scones. >> i have a lot of requests for people to come in and buy my scones. so i think i've done pretty good. >> reporter: the scones will be center stage as she prepares for an abundance of teas during wedding week. >> little surprises for everyone, and then every sitting we'll have a raffle. >> reporter: can't get to london, hang out with lisa. enjoy a lovely high tea, and celebrate the new monarchy. >> there's a british pantry in alexandria, as well, but no tea shop there. if you're looking for tea shops, there's a website called

teamap.com. it will guide you to one near you. and follow me to london for the week of the wedding as we look at the united kingdom, celebrating the royal wedding. and you gave us a taste of your -- >> scones are amazing with clotted cream and the strawberry -- >> yeah. >> oh my goodness. >> that's right. >> best biscuits i've ever eaten. >> worth the trip. >> here's a final check of the weather. >> a beautiful picture, guys. just a really nice picture. take a look at this. this is towards strasburg, virginia in the shenandoah valley. i've got this picture on my facebook page today. take a look at the snow on the top of the peak. this is in the shenandoah valley, a beautiful picture. this is the kind of picture i think you'll see tomorrow with light snow this n portions of this area. but not accumulatinging snow, so don't worry about that. but we will see light snow to the north and west towards winchester, martinsburg, frederick, hagerstown, light

snow overnight tonight. most of the area will see rain, maybe mixed with snow. even around washington with temperatures around 35 degrees. 32 in warrenton and 34 towards fredricksburg. so a cold morning tomorrow. tomorrow afternoon, it will all be rain. 53 degrees for a high temperature on your saturday. 53 in warren beton. once again, expect the umbrellas to be handy tomorrow, but not a washout. only a 30% chance of showers. sunday looking good right now with a high of 57. monday, up to 70 degrees before a cold front moves through and brings the chance of strong to severe storms on monday night. tuesday, temperatures cool back down to around 65 degrees. something else going on on sunday. i'll be at restin town center for the kidney walk, starts at 2:00 on sunday. come and join me out there. the should be beautiful. 57 degrees under partly cloudy skies, to a great cause. the first annual kidney walk. thanks. all right. and let's take a look at sports tonight and talking about the nats. >> i'm talking about the nationals, we're talking about baseball season, the best season of all, in my opinion. >> yeah, because it's sunny and

warm. >> it's sunny, warm, baseball. >> like it's supposed to be. knchsel. supposed to be. roe probably the best season for jim riggelman. his passion is one reason the organization believes riggelman can turn things around in the nation's capital. riggelman's goal is to help his team earn its first winning season in five years. lindsay czarniak tells us, jim riggelman's baseball dreams began in his own backyard. >> reporter: 20 miles from nationals park tucked away in a neighborhood is the house where jim riggelman's baseball dreams were born. it was a happy childhood, playing ball at the local parks. jim's mother, virginia, remembers a voice so obsessed with baseball, he didn't want to do anything else. >> we would go on vacation, he would stay with some of the neighbors, because he didn't want to miss his baseball. practice or games or whatever. and he loved that he played all the time.

and he would ask me every day, you think it will be raining tomorrow? you think -- so like i was a weather man. >> reporter: jim riggelman hardly remembers his real father, charles, a sergeant in world war ii. who died of lung cancer at walter reid medical center when jim was just 2 years old. charles is buried at arlington national cemetery. where jim and his brother visited often growing up. it was jim riggelman's stepfather, bill hardster, who introduced him to the game of baseball. >> he loved the senators, and had his tran sister radio, and he would sit down on the back porch and introduced me to the game by his love for the game. he got me playing catch in the backyard and that kind of stuff. and took me to my first game at griffith stadium. and just walking through the ramps, getting a glimpse of the

field and seeing that manicured field, i knew then that's what i wanted to do. >> riggelman spent the first seven years after being drafted by the dodgers, trying to make it to the big leagues. during that time, he spent his off seasons back in rockville, organizing impromptu clinics for neighborhood kids. >> just kids in the neighborhood i haven't seen in 25 years. but when i did come across them, yeah, i remember when jim came home, we would go up to civic center or lone oak and hit us a ball and teach us how to ground the ball, catch the ball, things like that. so it's exciting when i see friends that remember jim. >> now jim riggelman has brought his passionate work ethic back home to d.c. just like when he was a kid. his mission is all baseball. and that means winning with the nationals. >> we're going to make this a winner. so i don't want anyone to use the word patience, because i know people get tired of hearing about patient. i don't really want to be

patient. you know, that -- you know, the vulture. he's saying patience, hell, i'm going to kill somebody. we all want to win, but -- >> jim riggelman is a players manager, and some escape that for being soft. it really isn't. what they do in the clubhouse, day-to-day basis. kind of puts his time and effort into their lives outside the baseball field today nationals are off. they will resume their series tomorrow against the braves. they unfortunately lost their home opener but 161 to go. >> held them to just two, so not so bad. >> great analysis there. >> ray of sunshine in that game. coming up.

ever dream of being your own boss? how this event is giving people the tool to make that reality. and for all your news, follow and for all your news, follow na great looking lawn like this, but trying to grow grass from seed in tough areas like deep shade, along the driveway,

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a lot of people in our area will spend this weekend finding out more about ways you can become your own boss. >> it's the franchise expo, and it's in town as john schriffen reports, it may not cost as much as you think to become a small

business owner. >> reporter: juicy burgers for the held-conscious eater. >> we have 110 locations worldwide. >> a traveling video game ride. the number one caribbean food franchise in the country. >> this is for anybody who really has the entrepreneurial spirit. >> reporter: the nearly 200 business opportunities at this year's international franchise expo is what attracted charles phasa phasan. he worked in the school system but was laid off last july. >> i thought it would pick up immediately with all of my experiences and i found out i didn't and couldn't. >> reporter: with the numerous jobs he's held, he's hoping to become his own boss. what do you look for in a booth? >> i look at the product line or service, something i would be comfortable doing. >> reporter: experts say some hot businesses are in the service industry and franchises related to children. james mass andrea says people

are hesitant to open a business on their own are a perfect fit for the franchise industry. >> a system that has been in place, tested, fine tuned, and there is an operation and team behind it. >> reporter: many business opportunities may seem attractive, one of the biggest hurdles is having enough money. some of these start-up costs can range into the millions, but there are others that are as le little as $10,000, like jenny king, a commercial cleaning company. if you're worried with about finding a loan, the franchise industry says it has that figured out, as well. >> they have seen these type of economic developments and cycles before. and they're very creative with their lending programs. >> are you actually looking for a business today? >> yes. >> okay. >> i'm looking to see what's out here. >> reporter: he's still looking for the right fit, but hopes through a franchise he will soon be able to retire. at the washington convention center, john schriffen, news4. >> will g huck to him. experts say it's important

to do your homework. talk to other franchise owners about their successes and more importantly, their failures. >> and be prepared to have some capital in reserve so you can live on that, because it may take a few years for your business to become profitable. >> that's it for news4 at 5:00. thanks for joining us. >> news4 at 6:00 starts right now. nbc 4, washington's news leader. now live in hd, this is news4 at 6:00. a craigslist bust. a teenager was arrested for trying to sell guns, including an ak-47 online. the new d.c. budget could hit a lot of people in the pocket, especially anyone who goes to the movies or uses a parking garage in the city. >> new concern that radiation from japan's damaged nuclear plants could effect drinking water if the situation isn't brought under control. we begin with the situation in libya. yesterday, the rebels were in retreat. today, they're said to be advancing. good evening, i'm jim vance. >>