welcome to "news4 this week." hi, i'm veronica johnson. we're going to show you some of the more interesting local stories making news this week. among them, deer are showing up in the most unexpected places in the district. why the multiplying numbers could be dangerous to you. a bethesda father beats a deadly obstacle. turning a deadly diagnosis into hope for many. students from low income neighborhoods learning life lessons through dance. why this is to successful, it's getting honored by the white house. an sbrer rupgs a local radio station didn't expect to get. a car slammed into 106.7.

yep, the fan studios in fairfax city. it happened when the sports junkies were on the air. tracee wilkins reports, it gave them something to talk about. >> it almost reminded me of the earthquake. >> i thought it was another earthquake. >> screeching metal and glass exploding. >> i was sitting in the call screening room. the segment just ended. i was coming in here. >> about 7:39, adam was working in the call screen room, walks in here because he needed to up load the podcast. >> a second or two after i walk out of the room, i heard a boom. it sounded like lightning hit a tree. then we hear glass shattering. >> a honda civic slammed into the building. straight into the building, into the call screening room where

interns and producers are usually there. >> seconds earlier, who knows what would have happened. >> i know this, adam is not a stuff guy. he scares. >> he jumped. >> all of us would have been if we were in the same situation. >> i started shaking. can you imagine a car is going to drive-through your building. >> i went in there to open the door and he was wedged there with his chest on the steering wheel. >> he was butt embarrassed. >> he has to be mortified. >> he says he was trying to avoid a pedestrian. we'll take him at his word. >> we have to get twit pics. >> we have a breaking news story. it happened in front of us. >> he was shaken up. no bumps or bruises or anything. he got out of the car and seemed all right. >> he took out not just one

room. two rooms in this office are done. >> we all got lucky and dodged a bullet or dodged a car. >> we're going to cooley's house. >> reporter: normally, there's an intern who sits here and a call screener who sits here. thank goodness for vacations, this room was empty. i'm tracee wilkins, news 4. >> talk about a close call. an iphone app is getting credit for helping d.c. police track down two thieves. officers use find my friends to help people recover their stolen iphones. the first involved a man robbed in franklin park. his wife, in pennsylvania, used the app to track the phone and police found the thieves 15 minutes later. >> totally amazed the police department responded so quickly and didn't say there's nothing we can do for you.

this is as close to looking for a needle in a hay stack as you can get. >> hours later, a similar incident happened. a man says a responding officer used his iphone to track down the robbers. you can get that for android phones, too. it's considered one of the poorest areas in washington, d.c. now a brand-new program is helping those living in public housing move out to buy their own home. as john schriffen explains, it's part of the first greenhousing complex in the southeast. >> i'm going to get a dining room. we are going to have thanksgiving here this year. >> reporter: this is a dream come true for this 31-year-old. she has the sole responsibility of taking care of her children, brother and mother. she moved into this newly renovated five-bedroom,

two-bathroom house. it's part of d.c.s public housing program. >> we have always utilized the housing system. i have always worked, always been in school. once you get on each level, sometimes you need to boost to get to the next level. >> reporter: she's getting the boost thanks to federal stimulus money. d.c. used it to clean up this ward. as part of the program, a portion of her monthly rent gets put into an escrow account. she can use the money as a down payment for a new house. >> it says we are going to create economically diverse housing in the city so every family, every child, will be able to have a reasonable chance of achieving the american dream. >> reporter: there's an added bonus. this housing complex is green. to reduce the carbon footprint, they were made with recycleable materials from the roof to the

siding and the wood floors laid out throughout the entire home. these low e windows that help keep the heat in. all throughout the house is energy star appliances from the air conditioner, the water heating unit and this brands new stove and refrigerator. this is our little space. >> reporter: lee now has this advice to others who are hesitant about getting out of the system. >> it can work for you but for you and your family in a positive way to become part of your journey, not the end of your journey. >> john schriffen, news 4. >> that's a good point, just part of the journey. a 12-year-old girl is being called a hero for helping firefighters save the lives of three people. china livingston heard alarms going off in an apartment building one afternoon. she went out to check and saw

people trapped on the third floor balcony. she explained the emergency to the operator. >> i told the lady what was going on and there was a fire that was occurring and two adults and a baby were stuck on the third balcony and they could not get out. it was too much smoke in the building. >> firefighters rescued the three people trapped by raising a ladder. investigators say the fire started from a kitchen accident in a neighboring apartment. go ahead, china. if you think you are seeing a lot of deer, you are not imagining it. this is the time of year when they mate and travel in different areas than normal. one had to be rescued from the title basin. the wondering deer with pose a real safety hazard. >> reporter: a daring rescue. a woodland animal out of its comfort zone. it took effort to save the buck, but before long, he was out of

the water. >> for century, there were deer in the area hunted by the indians. they are making a comeback, still, in this area, this part of town, it's not a normal occurrence. >> very rare. i have heard of it happening once before. >> reporter: it's not rare to see deer elsewhere in the city and the suburbs, especially this time of year. it's the rutting season when bucks, in search of mates will wonder. they won't let a roadway or traffic get in their way. motorists have to watch out and exercise deer prudence. >> the probability of your hitting a deer will increase this month and next month. you have to be cautious and on guard for that. >> reporter: they like to roam during the same periods we do, the morning and rush hours. >> you are aware of them in the evenings and dusk. they seem to be habitual

animals. >> you know you are in an area where there's a population of deer, a presence of deer, slow down and be on the watch for them. >> reporter: a typical deer versus car encounter can result in $3100 worth of damage. around here, an area where they typically are not. complicating efforts to calm the herd for the survival and safety. >> they are coming in to get food the best way they can. >> derrick ward news 4. >> the deer that fell into the tidal basin was not seriously injured. he was checked by the veterinarian and released in the wooded area. i understand this time of year for them is called the rut. one of the biggest music names to come out of d.c. on news 4, we tell you this special message this artist had for prince george's school

children. a

well, it's a startling statistic. lung cancer strikes 1 in 14 americans. 55% of lung cancer victims have never smoked. lung cancer survivors and their families started a 5k walk called breathe deeply to raise money for the cause. jane watrel has more. >> a physical. i was healthy. three months later, i was coughing up blood and diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. >> reporter: he was never a smoker. the bethesda father of two beat hodgkins lymphoma as a teen. now this. >> number one cancer killer.

it is in twice as many women die of lung cancer as they do breast cancer. yet, nobody talks about it. >> reporter: jerry started talking about it with his doctor and friends and a 5k walk was formed. hundreds of people touched by cancer coming together on the national mall. she lost her mother to the disease. >> part of what we are trying to do is nationwide create places for people to go, things they can join into and become part of a community. >> reporter: there is reason for hope. doctors say lung cancer is treatable, if not curable, if found early enough. more research is needed. the five-year survival rate is only 15%. >> jerry is an example of the changing face of lung cancer. he is a patient that is beating the odds in a lot of ways.

>> reporter: jerry, pictured here with bruce springstein is handling it the only way he knows how. they have $2 million in research grants to fund new drugs, create tests for lung cancer and find genetic markers. jane watrel, news 4. fall is in full swing. a sign of winter is already here. the popular outdoor skating rink is open for the season. we were at arlington as crews were getting the popular rink up. it's open every day, even holidays from now until the end of mid march. if you don't know how to skate, no worries, they offer lessons. anytime, go ahead and try your hand. >> the world's longest running television game show is retiring after five decades in the business. that's right.

>> good evening. the answer to the opening question is the united states news and signing treaty's and documents is in the lobby of the state of washington. >> he's stepping down as host of "it's academic" for health reasons. he's been on for 50 years. this video from 1961. h he's being replaced by hillary howard. we wish her luck. let's turn local couch potatoes into fit athletes. still ahead, we'll tell you about the military inspired work out that's changing the lives across d.c. for a lot of people. first, when we return, why

a d.c. dance program that helps at risk young people received a big honor at the white house. the first lady presented the

dance institute of washington with an award on the arts and humanities. jim handly reports, their programs have made a big difference in hundreds of lives. ♪ >> reporter: they are drawn here to dance and three state of the art studios in columbia heights, 175 students from 3 to 21 years old come together to learn the movements, the steps and all about focus. >> elongate. use energy. smile. >> reporter: 17-year-old daniel started dancing here at the dance institute of washington when he was 14. >> the passion. i think i fell in love with hip hop first. once i started doing ballet. i liked it because of the girls. >> reporter: now he's taken to the stage. beyond dance, these students

from low income neighborhoods are learning life lessons through an after school program called positive directions. >> it works with youth on life skills as well as dance. we work with the whole child. we work with them on conflict resolution, financial literacy, nutrition. >> not just dance classes, but life skills. [ applause ] >> reporter: the students in the institute were honored at the white house. first lady michelle obama presented them with the 2011 arts and humanities youth program award. >> it's a validation, as long as you keep moving in the direction, keep dancing the daily dance, good things, great things can actually happen for you. you can achieve your dreams. >> reporter: he traces his passion back to his teenage years when his goal was to dance with the theater of harlem.

he made it happen. now, he's helping young people fulfill their dreams. 100% of the students graduate from high school and go on to college. some with careers in dance. the secret to success here? >> hard work. keep your goals bigger than your obstacles. >> reporter: jim handly, news 4. >> that is one phenomenal program. high school students in prince george's county had a rare chance to meet a celebrity from the music world. a rapper surprised students at central high school. he was there to encourage students to axel in school. he was born and raised in d.c. he says the fact he was able to speak to students today shows how much hip hop has grown here in the district. >> it wasn't possible when i was in high school. we had no rappers. the thought of anybody walking through that door, maybe a

quarterback for the redskins. >> he is happy. he just released an album calls "ambition." he's embarking on a 43 city tour for that album. you may never have thought about joining the military.

so, you may not be ready to join the military, but it doesn't mean you can't get fit like a soldier. we are checking out soldier fit and exercise boot camp. we asked these troops what's your work out. >> good afternoon soldier fit. >> it's different than other boot camps. >> ready? begin. >> it's more family oriented.

drill sergeants won't yell at you. >> last 30 seconds, pick up the speed. >> it's not going to be in your face. we work with the individuals. we allow them to go at their own pace and eventually, down the line, they get the results they are trying to achieve. >> i used to be 280 pounds. i couldn't bend over and tie my shoes. i used to say i was a chris far lee lookalike. i have gone from a chris far lee lookalike to what you see today. >> i couldn't do a push up, now i'm cranking out 20 like it's nothing. >> probably do some stability ball work, medicine ball work, tire flips, off the wall work out stuff. you'll see our instructors in fatigues, the cadences are going to be military. all the troops, as we call our clients, our troops. they will fall in before the

work out. they will line up like in the military. you'll see all ranges, all sizes, all ages, male and female. all walks of life. we have individuals who are about to get deployed or individuals who may be 300-400 pounds trying to get back in shape and need something different that wasn't working for them. >> here i am, 30 pounds lighter, working out three times a week and feeling good. it's a hard work out. you feel it every week. >> it's a life changer. it's not just a fad. it's literally, a lifestyle. >> love it. soldier fit has different locations in maryland. we have details on our website and firsthand account of what it's like to try out the work out. go to www.nbcwashington.com for more details. well, if you were rich, had money coming out of your pockets, enough to live anywhere in the country, where would you

pick? most would want somewhere tropical and warm like hawaii. a lot of millionaires live closer to ocean city than waikiki. this year, it beat out hawaii which led the pack the last couple years. more than 7% of households in maryland are millionaires. never knew

the best place for a vacation is mississippi. you mean louisiana. florida's where folk's want to be. alabama's got you all beat. no matter which state you choose, everyone agrees the gulf is vacation at it's best. mississippi outdoors, louisiana seafood, florida beaches, alabama shoreline. so come on down to mississippi, louisiana, florida, alabama. the gulf is the world's goodtime headquarters. and we are 100% open for business.

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