for travel on any airline, with no blackout dates. welcome to "news4 this week." >> hi, everyone. i'm veronica johnson. we are going to show you the more interesting local stories making news this week. among them, murphy as mayor. he's playing marion berry in an upcoming movie. home for the holidays. the emotional reunion one family wasn't sure would happen this year. the results of the battle of the ages workout challenge. we'll see if being older or younger helped the winner shed more pounds. a mother accused of indecent

exposure because she was breast-feeding her child. the security guard is the one that didn't know the rules. >> reporter: she was shocked and humiliated while breast-feeding her son. she was there to contest a ticket when her son got hungry. she went into the hallway to feed him. >> i grabbed a cough diaper, put it on top and was nursing the baby. you can imagine if you are nursing like this and told to get up. i have the child in my arms. i'm struggling to get up. i leaned against the wall, braced my foot on the shoulder, still holding the child and nursing like this. >> reporter: it's when a second security guard got involved. >> i was told i could not breast-feed there. i wrote down what she was saying.

i couldn't believe what i was hearing. she said yes, this is indecent exposure. it shocked me more. >> reporter: it shocked the man who wrote the laws for it. >> we need more training because this lady was entirely within her rights of d.c. law to do what she did. >> reporter: we asked people to react to the fact they told her to stop breast-feeding and one called it indecent exposure. >> mothers should be able to breast-feed when ever they need to. it's part of the human interaction. she shouldn't have been told to leave or stop. >> i think it was a misunderstanding about the rules for the security guards. women should have the opportunity to breast-feed. it's probably a training issue. >> reporter: she says it would be nice if someone would apologize.

>> i feel vindicated. i hope the apology happens. >> i think somebody will be apologizing. they say the security guards are not employed by the dmv. they work for a private security company. they have been reminded d.c. code permits a mother to nurse a child in public. the district root beer stand that became a global hotel empire will have a new ceo. it's the first time in over 40 years. bill marriott jr. is stepping down. he's still going to be around for employees that depended on his leadership. we have the story. >> reporter: bill marriott jr. says he's just stepping aside, not retiring. marriott naming a new ceo addressing hundreds of employees in bethesda. >> i have been with the company 60 years in june.

ceo 40 years in november. this is a good time to move on. >> reporter: there were a few laughs and fond memories shared. it was an announcement employees knew would come one day, but dreaded hearing. >> he's like a father figure to so many of us. i thought i would retire before the chairman. that didn't happen. >> reporter: the company started with a family root beer stand near the 14th street bridge. they turned it into a $10 billion 3600 hotel empire with 129,000 employees in more than 70 countries, setting the bar for hotels worldwide. >> i worked three to four days a week to learn the business. >> reporter: arne sorenson will take his place. he'll be the first nonmarriott to take the role as ceo. he'll take the title of executive chairman. >> i thought for years pity the

person who tries to follow bill marriott and fill his shoes. he's a man we all love. i don't think i will try to fill his shoes in that sense. >> reporter: the marriott family has been known for flil ant pi donating millions to those with disabilities and mr. marriott known for his charisma and jokes. this is the right time for him to hand over the reigns. he promises to remain hands on. >> i'm not retiring. i am not retiring. i'm still going to be around here. >> reporter: sorenson will step up into the ceo position at the end of march. in bethesda, maryland, news 4. okay. right here, two local developers want you to help them revolutionize the h street corridor. they are taking ideas from neighbors for what to do with a

building setting empty. bars and restaurants helped bring business to the area. the developers put a huge sign out hoping to bring more than night life to the corridor. >> the system was broken. all decisions were being made by money from wall street. we said let's turn it upside down. let people in the neighborhood be part of developing their neighborhood. when you ask people what they want, they will support the business they choose. >> fantastic. they created poplarize.com to solicit ideas. they hope to have a plan by early 2012. hope it works. >> marian berry's story is about to gain prominence with plans to develop a film about his life. the actor playing him is an u x unexpected choice.

doreen gentzler has more. >> reporter: marian berry's colorful life is headed to the small screen. hbo and spike lee are starringed eddie murphy as mayor for life. they are consulting with the authors of "dream city." harry is one of the book's authors. >> we asked the question, why do the people love him so. i think that question still is unanswered for a lot of people. maybe spike lee and eddie murphy can help answer that question. why do the people love him so. in there lies a terrific story. i think it's a service to answer the question. >> reporter: barry emerged from civil rights in the 1960s to serve on the city's school board, council and the city's second mayor in 1979. in 1990, he was caught smoke in

crack-cocaine in an fbi sting operation. he served six months in prison. made a political comeback as mayor again in 1995. >> if anyone is going to get the the essence of marian barry, it will be spike lee. having eddie murphy could be extremely powerful. what makes marian run, why people love him and why people hate him. >> i love them. i think it will be good. >> i'm a marian berry fan. i grew up in the '70s. it's a good fit. >> reporter: doreen gentzler, news 4. >> it hasn't been made yet, but it's going to be good. >> the other author is tom sherwood. still ahead, an incredible reunion for a family and their pet. one dog showed up after disappearing eight years ago. your house may look fe

for the second straight year, d.c. is topping the list of best cities for business. the market watch study compared 102 cities taking into consideration how much business is considered and how much they boost the local economy. washington was given praise for job growth and personal income. boston, mass and omaha, nebraska. good for us. holiday decorating is big tradition for many this time of year. are you keeping your family safe? last year, there were 13,000 people ending up in emergency rooms as a result of holiday decorating accidents. liz crenshaw has more on holiday hazards to easily prevent. >> trying to be as individual lent as possible. >> reporter: at the consumer product testing center in

rockville, maryland they showed us the reality of holiday hazards. how a live, dried out tree like this can go up in flames in seconds. >> a dried out christmas tree can burn faster than newspaper. have a person in the family who is the designated waterer and make sure it's watered every day. >> reporter: if you buy an artificial tree, make sure it's fire resistant. >> please don't use a string of lights where some work and some don't. that could pose as a fire hazard. >> reporter: avoid lights with a broken socket or damaged cord. >> look for frayed wires. if you see that, throw the decorations away. >> reporter: the safety director for underwriters laboratories tests products for hazards. they warn against buying counterfeit lights. >> if they don't have a safety seal, you are asking for

trouble. >> reporter: safety seals cig any fie they meet standards. you want to make sure you know the difference between indoor and outdoor strands. the red label csignifies it's safe to use outside. testers say they appear to be getting safer. >> the products are getting better because we see a lot of l.e.d. lighting being used for light strings. the l.e.d. lighting takes less energy. the chance of overloading cords is reduced. >> reporter: an average of 130 deaths each year over a three-year period from fires started by candles. they remind consumers to keep candles away from curtains, decorations, trees and other evergreens. >> if you are aware they pose a hazard, it can keep you and your family safe. >> liz crenshaw, news 4. >> don't use metal nails or

staples when hanging the lights outside. you can damage the wiring which can cause a shock and pose a fire hazard. something a lot of people don't know. coming up, a singing superstar stops by to brighten up kids. the one thing a family credits for bringing their dog back

you may know this guy. he came to town to spread joy for the holiday season. he stopped by the richard england boy's and girls club. it was part of the giving tour to bring awareness to the children in the foster care system. >> it's the right thing to do. it's not about the accolades. i appreciate it. it's about helping the kids out. yeah. it's a good thing. >> i think we can hear that. the event was the last stop of a

tour that gave toys, books, clothing and warm meals to 3,000 foster children. it's nice during the holiday. a hometown hero returned in time for the holidays. a marine who wasn't sure if he would get home to see his loved ones arrived at reagan airport. erika gonzalez was there for the emotional reunion that brought christmas early. >> reporter: after a 15-hour flight, scott motley's plane arrived at reagan national airport. this would be the best christmas ever. the first year i don't ask for anything. >> reporter: he's been serving his country in the marines for several months. it was his first tour of duty. >> i have had a dad and brother over in vietnam. a son is different. we are so thankful he's home. >> reporter: his mother admits

there were days she didn't think she would see her son again. >> i had to accustom myself to the fact any day we would get a knock on the door saying he wouldn't be coming back. >> reporter: but you didn't get that knock? >> no, we did not but somebody did. >> reporter: he is a former marine himself. he can see the effects of war all over his face. >> he looks older. he's changed. >> reporter: he was happy to be back with his boys and the fire department he was once a part of. >> prime rib from mike's american grill. >> reporter: it's a homecoming sure to be filled with favorites. erika gonzalez, news 4. >> was that mike's american grill? that's a plug there. motley says this christmas is something he'll cherish for years and years to come. another family reunion

happened. a reunion eight years in the making. it starts with a pet in virginia and picks up 2,700 miles away. shomari stone has the conclusion. >> reporter: a special moment for chris and her daughter elaine. >> good girl. >> reporter: it wasn't always happy times in fredericksburg, virginia. their dog ran away eight years ago. >> it's an awful feeling when you let your dog out and they don't show up for breakfast ten minutes later. it's a sickening feeling. >> reporter: they put up flyers and checked shelters. >> after awhile, the acceptance kicks in. the dog is not going to come back. >> reporter: a woman found the dog 2700 miles away from home. animal control found a microchip inside her and called the family with the good news.

>> i thought somebody was playing a joke on me that knew me from years past. two or three hours later, we found out it wasn't a joke. she was flown from sacramento to jfk. we picked her up in new york. >> it's the best christmas present, ever. >> reporter: this family learned a lesson, walk your dogs on a leash and put my kicrochips in r pets. >> that's the key. we would not be here with her if we did not put in the microchip. >> reporter: she's friendly and loves the doggie biscuits. i tell you one thing, this is going to be a special christmas for them. i'm shomari stone, news 4. >> dogs are very smart. they'll figure it out. next, two local women set

out to see if their age makes it easier or more difficult to slim down. the results of our

here we go. remember these bouncing feet? back in october, first lady michelle obama set out to break the guinness world record for the most people doing jumping jacks. some 300,000 people participated in the event worldwide shattering the old record. the event was part of the first lady's let's move initiative to fight childhood obesity. big success. hey, if you are thinking about your new year's resolution, you might find inspiration in the next story coming up. after eight weeks, we have the final results of the weight loss competition. two women, 30 years apart in age

set out to get fit. doreen gentzler shows us who shed the most pounds. >> i'm feeling good. i feel great. >> i fit in clothes i haven't worn in awhile. >> i have taken two inches off my waist. >> reporter: they are two women on a mission. a mission to get fit. they are 30 years apart. we wanted to see if age would affect how easily a person can lose weight. when we first met wakefield, she said she was ready to make a change. >> i was unhappy. i wasn't feeling great. i was trying to get to that point where nothing really made me happy. >> reporter: she says after undergoing bypass surgery, she wanted to get healthy. >> i have heart disease in the family. i need to be very concerned about how long of a life i'm going to have. >> for the last two months, both women have been working with

personal trainers who have not only set up exercise regimens for them, but advised them on their diet. their plans were laid out for them, it was up to each woman to find the motivation and commitment to stick with the program. >> people think there's a trick to weight loss. there isn't. it's dumby free. it's simply being consistent. >> reporter: today, the final weigh in. lynch when we met her weighed 178 pounds. today, she's at 169. that's a nine-pound weight loss in two months. >> much better. >> reporter: next, wakefield weighed 218. today, she's at 193 pounds. she's the winner with a 25 pound weight loss. >> amazing accomplishment, especially in two months. i'm very excited and loving it. >> i'm happy because i had

struggled for so long to get nine or ten pounds off. this is super motivation to keep it going and toward my goal. >> reporter: lynch lost eight of the nine pounds in the second month of the challenge. she admitted she didn't really follow the diet and exercise plan like she should have. youth prevails but lynch and her trainer agree age wasn't the reason. >> it's the number. her metabolism is slower than britney's, i'm sure, but she can do everything britney did. >> doreen gentzler, news 4. >> see that? that was inspirational, wasn't it. a lot of us are going to wait until january before we start our programs. both women agree they were both winners. both are excited about their weight loss. they hope to continue losing weight in the new year. that's all for "news4 this

week." i'm veronica johnson. thanks for joining us. have a great one. [ female announcer ] what would you call an ordinary breakfast pastry that's been wrapped in a flaky crust stuffed with a gooey center toasted up all golden brown then given a delicious design? a toaster strudel. pillsbury toaster strudel. so delicious...so fun. pillsbury holiday star cookies start with pillsbury cookie dough easy. then add my own favorite frosting and sprinkles. just three ingredients to sweet memories. holiday ideas made easy.

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