investigation. >> i do this in the hopes of restoring some semblance of calm to the city, which has been in turmoil for several weeks. >> tonight thousands are expected to attend a rally led by the reverend al sharpton in florida as protesters nationwide are calling for zimmerman's arrest. news 4's jane watrel joins us live from northwest with more on the locals who are calling for justice. jane? >> reporter: pat, it's been almost a month since trayvon martin's death but the outrage is building across the nation and here in washington. dozens of handwritten letters are being sent to sanford, florida to plead for justice and protest the death of 17-year-old trayvon martin. students at d.c.'s magnate school without walls are outraged. >> it's something that you can't even imagine and is so scary, just the concept, you feel so

motivated to do everything and anything you can. >> reporter: the death of the unarmed teen by a neighborhood watch captain has ignited a call to action around the country. the shooter, 28-year-old george zimmerman, graduated from high school in manassas before moving to florida. he has claimed self-defense and has not been charged so far with any crime. florida is one of 21 states with the so-called stand your ground law. a tragic death that has me mezmerized former prosecutor glen ivy the father of five boys. >> in places like maryland for example there is a duty to retreat unless you're in your house. the castle doctrine says you don't have to retreat in your house. if you're out on your street and somebody threatens you and approaches you, there is a duty to try and get away and defuse the situation that way if you can. >> it's crazy. >> reporter: at virginia state university hundreds of students rallied for justice. many faculty members and staff joined in with signs of protest. back at school without walls, students hope their letters from the heart will help motivate

prosecutors to seek charges against the shooter. >> i am 17 just like trayvon and i am african-american just like trayvon. i also have a bright future which was snatched away from trayvon simply because he looked like he was up to no good. >> reporter: and tonight there will be another rally to call for justice in trayvon martin's death. the rally will be held at howard university. reporting live in northwest, i'm jane watrel, news 4. a woman eight months' pregnant stabbed in the stomach in her home. the attack happened this morning on 9th street southeast. erika gonzalez joins us live from howard university hospital where the victim is being treated. erika? >> reporter: wendy, police say the baby's name was curran rashad hunt and neighbors tell me mom and dad were eagerly awaiting his arrival until the tragedy. the stabbing happened at these apartments on 4220 9th street

southeast. an anonymous neighbor tells me the expectant mom came pounding on her door, yelling for help around 2:30 this morning. the neighbor says she called 911 after noticing the victim was bleeding from her stomach. during that time she says the expectant mom's boyfriend and family arrived. the neighbor tells me the mother-to-be told her she was asleep on her couch when a man she didn't know entered the home wearing some type of hood and stabbed her. 7th district police says there is no sign of forced entry to the apartment. we found this door and window on the complex shattered. neighbors say a family member of the victim, enraged by what happened, likely caused the break. >> that's sad, real sad. i feel sorry for her and the baby. >> well, it does concern me. i know things happen all over so i stay prayed up. >> reporter: the victim was transported to the howard university medical center where the baby later died. the mother is recovering.

anyone with information is asked to call d.c. metro police. there is a $1,000 reward for anyone that leads detectives to an arrest and a conviction in this case. we're live in northwest today. erika gonzalez, news 4. d.c. police also investigating a triple stabbing in northeast last night. the victims were all women stabbed near trinity university on rhode island avenue. paramedics found them on nearby franklin street. one of the victims is 17. police say the attack happened after an argument and they have made an arrest. the suspect is also a female and a juvenile. all of the vick timgs atims are to survive. new developments tonight in the federal criminal investigation of d.c. mayor vince gray's 2010 campaign. "the washington post" is reporting investigators are focusing on a so-called shadow campaign. it allegedly raised and spent money to get gray elected but was not disclosed on campaign finance reports. news 4 has reported on the

shadow campaign but "the post" report adds many more details about who within the campaign may have been involved. gray's office declined to comment about "the post" story. today john edwards' name is being connected to the alleged millionaire madame in new york. according to dna info.com, a call girl working for anna christina alleged madame told investigators she was paid to have sex with the former senator. she said it happened in 2007. while edwards was in new york, fund raising for his failed presidential bid. his lawyers issued a statement that reads in part, quote, mr. edwards categorically denies he was involved with any prostitute or service. some critics are accusing president obama of playing pipeline politics. in oklahoma today, he announced he is fast tracking approval for the southern part of the keystone pipeline. analysts say the move is an effort to defuse republican critics who say high fuel prices are his fault. they say he is restricting

domestic production. >> over the last three years i've directed my administration to open up millions of acres for gas and oil exploration across 23 different states. >> one of the reasons you're seeing oil prices continue to go up because the president refuses to open up lands for oil and gas exploration. >> anybody who suggests that somehow we're suppressing domestic oil production isn't paying attention. >> republicans say approval, pipeline approval is needed in the north. the present today of course announcing he is fast tracking the southern portion of the pipeline. police in france are trying to figure out if the terror suspect killed in a violent standoff had any accomplices. mohammed merah was killed today after a 32-hour standoff in the city of teluse. he died in a gun fight with police shot in the head as he jumped from his apartment window. police hoped to capture him alive so he could stand trial.

merah was wanted in the deaths of seven people including three children. he claims to have ties to al qaeda. well, back here at home we started out with clouds and they have given way to some sunshine. tomorrow we could get some temperatures climbing way into the 80s. >> yes. it was actually hot out there once the sun came out. but we got some monsoons heading our way, doug. >> yeah, i do think we could see monsoonal like rains coming up on saturday and sunday. tomorrow, however, yes, a very nice day. after a beautiful day today, 76 degrees right now at the airport. winds right now out of the south about 7 miles per hour. we're dealing with plenty of sunshine. it is a spectacular afternoon. 81 right now in manassas. 75 in gaithersburg. down toward southern maryland, la plata right now at 81 degrees and pax river at 71. so a nice evening tonight. but look at storm 4 radar. nothing to show you here but watch what happens when we zoom out. this is a monstrous storm. we've been talking about it all week long. it is very, very slowly making

its way our way so we'll have one more nice day tomorrow before the rain moves in here and that rain is going to stick around right on through the weekend. overnight tonight 65. by 9:00, 64 by 11:00. temperatures tomorrow morning with some fog looking at around 58 degrees. some of the fog could once again be on the dense side so watch out for that when you step out the door tomorrow morning. i'll show you what to watch out for next though in my full forecast. >> thanks, doug. d.c. mayor gray is holding his first public meeting tonight to discuss his effort to woo washington football back to the city. he wants the team to move its training facility from virginia to land next to rfk stadium. some say it's part of a bigger goal of having the team play here as well. tom sherwood is here with the latest on that story. >> pat, there is a lot of land around rfk but also a lot of concern about the idea. on a bright thursday afternoon, land around rfk stadium on east capitol hill is mostly quiet.

but the mayor's plan to have the redskins training facility occupy 30 acres of any future development will be the subject of the first public meeting tonight. tlnchts's a l there's a lot of benefits. first of all it's civic pride. >> jack evans keeps a table top game in his office with other sports memorabilia. evans will join the mayor at tonight's meeting and says the skins' training facility can blend with other neighborhood economic developments and not be an eye sore dimming development. >> it logically follows you put the practice fields, hotel, hall of fame. in many ways, the economic benefit is the tourists it brings and the people it brings into the city for games and other events. >> reporter: opponents of bringing the redskins' training facility to land around rfk stadium say it should be rebuilt for neighborhood purposes and to take advantage of the anacostia river. several neighborhood leaders previously have told news 4 that they do worry that the skins' 30-acre facility would sap local development plans in the works

for ten years. they're vowing to fight the mayor's idea. tonight's potentially tense meeting is at the old d.c. armory. it was just coincidental today that the national guard troops were training right outside. they said they're not preparing for tonight's meeting. and tonight's meeting is open to the public. 7:00 p.m. at the d.c. armory. pat? >> all right. thanks, tom. coming up next on news 4 at 5:00, vandals sinking to a new low causing thousands of dollars of damages to a local cemetery. >> a local barber shop turned crime scene and it all traces back to several bottles of tide detergent. >> metro's makeover. an inside look at repairs to one of the busiest stations in d.c. and the cherry blossom festival is under way but will the weekend ruin the experience?

metro is giving riders a first-hand look at the upgrades under way. this video from the website showed workers removing the center escalator from the station's south entrance yesterday. because the escalator is so large, crews had to break it into several pieces. dupont's south entrance is

undergoing complete reconstruction. the escalators are expected to be closed for at least another six months. well, baltimore is also known by its nickname. charm city. well, now alexandria wants a nickname. the city council is thinking about expanding a campaign that refers to old town as charm-ville. they want to spend an additional $100,000 for magazine ads this spring that push charm-ville as the perfect overnight destination for tourists. some residents think it's trite and silly. what's wrong with old town? tourism officials think it will bring more tourism and dollars to old town. >> we like old town. tourists have been flocking to the tidal basin for the annual cherry blossom festival and now the national park service is making it easier for visitors to learn more about the festival. new signs posted around the tidal basin allow you to take self-guided, educational tours. a new smart phone app puts

festival events right in the palm of your hands. news 4's megan mcgrath has more. >> reporter: for many a trip to see the cherry blossoms is an annual ritual. >> i'm a native washingtonian. lived here mostly all my life. and i just love it. it's just a beautiful occasion. it's kind of a tradition. >> reporter: but this year visitors will notice something different, special signs have been placed along the tidal basin allowing visitors to take self-guided, educational tours. >> i think they're a great idea. education is always a good thing. >> reporter: this sign talks about how scientists have created clones of the original trees so when one dies it can be replaced by a genetically identical tree. another sign gives the history of the cherry blossom festival. >> you can't have park rangers at every single tree. it is nice to have that information available for everybody. >> i learned a lot in the past 20 minutes being out here. >> also new this year a free cherry blossom app for your phone.

you can look up events and come up with a personal schedule. if you're a foodie you can also check out the cherry inspired specials at local restaurants. and helping people enjoy the festival to the fullest isn't just a nice thing to do. it makes good economic sense. all of these visitors are spending millions of dollars during their stay. from the tidal basin, megan mcgrath, news 4. >> what's the rain going to do to the blossoms? are they still pretty tight on the tree? >> they're starting to come down now. the winds have been light the last couple days but i'm worried about the storms on saturday because it won't be just rain but i think some storms with some wind and heavier downpours and that could put a damper on things. if you can get out there today or tomorrow to see the cherry blossoms you'll be in good company because it is going to be fantastic. look at that shot right now. it is simply gorgeous all across the area. some people even say, hey, it's a little too hot too early. well just wait. tomorrow is going to be a lot

warmer than it is right now. with the current temperature sitting at 76 degrees right now at the airport with winds out of the south at 7 miles per hour. we have plenty of sunshine right now and our dew point at 62. that number is normally reserved for summer time so, yeah. definitely feels like summer outside. 83 the current temperature in fredericksburg. 84 culpepper. 77, a trio of 77s in martinsburg, leesburg and winchester. annapolis along the bay right now at 67 degrees. satellite and radar showing you the cloud cover that we saw earlier today and the fog. you can really see that very well defined here as just to the east of the blue ridge. that's where we saw the fog. the fog burned off around 11:00 and then 12:00 so by noon today we were starting to see some pokes of sunshine. that's when the temperature began to soar. t and it is soaring across the eastern half of the nation right now because of the huge area of low pressure. out ahead of this very warm. chicago right now at 82. cincinnati into the low 80s today but this storm is going to make its way very slowly across the country and it will affect

us starting tomorrow night. i think tomorrow another nice day. i think we'll stay on the dry side tomorrow but then this rain right here and this is the frontal boundary, you can see some tremendously heavy rain in toward the south into portions of alabama and mississippi a little earlier. that rain was making its way our way and we'll see a lot of rain this weekend. so once again if you have plans on saturday, if you have plans on sunday, you may want to think about changing those plans if they have to do with anything outdoors. very warm across the region today with that sun. tomorrow still warm. i think we'll see plenty of sunshine tomorrow. can't rule out an isolated shower but right now i think most of us should remain on the dry side but then here comes the rain. you see the front out ahead of it rain. some of that will be heavy at times. i think some areas could easily pick up one, two, even three inches of rain between friday night and sunday afternoon as this area of low pressure just me anders across the region. it moves down to our south on sunday. that's going to give us more of a northeasterly wind. i think that will help to cool

things down so sunday not only a fairly rainy day but i also think we'll see some cooler temperatures and some breezy conditions so sunday looking a little nasty when you compare it to where we have been over the last couple days and where we'll be tonight and tomorrow. this evening partly cloudy. a great evening. nice and warm. 64 to about 70 degrees. anything you want to do outdoors tonight it's going to be perfect for it. tomorrow same deal. temperatures climbing into the low to mid 80s around the area after some areas of dense fog tomorrow morning we'll start off on the mild side and then, boom. there is our day tomorrow. 79 to 85 in some locations making it into the upper 80s tomorrow down to the south your four-day forecast showing a high of only 67 on saturday with some storms likely. 58 on sunday. and then a cool, breezy 57 degrees coming up on monday. >> yikes. >> we do need to see some rain but we obviously don't want to see it all come in at once. >> thank you, doug. it's an incredible story of survival and determination. hear from the indiana mother who lost her legs protecting her

children in a tornado and what she plans to do now that she is out of rehab. a scary statistic. a local county ranks number one for pedestrian deaths. tell you what local leaders are doing to try to save lives. i'm liz crenshaw. how long should your dish washer last? the life span of your household appliances, a new liz

tonight in sports dan hellie tells us about a marathon runner with a special story. >> among the proud finishers at last weekend's rock 'n roll half marathon was jacqueline bourgeois. she finished the race in 2:20:29. commendable by anyone's standards. what you don't see from the outside is her fight with the painful condition known as glass or brittle bones and how she chooses to deal with it head on. >> i'm winning the fight against osteo genesis imperfecta. >> reporter: among other things the bone disorder means she has a collagen inefficiency, the key building block to bone structure. the result is that her and others with the condition are more prone to breaking bones. she's had more than her fair share of breaks. >> at least 30. you definitely don't count like your fingers and toes and stuff.

you don't even go to the doctor. you know what to do. >> reporter: the remedy? stay active. that is exactly what she's done. >> it may seem counterintuitive but actually being more active makes your body better. you try to get over the fear of i'm going to hurt myself because the benefits are beneficial. >> she committed to weight and strength training two to three times a week. the workouts have improved muscle mass and bone density. >> it is easy to make an excuse to not want to work out, oh, i'm going to hurt myself, this and that. but she doesn't ignore it but just puts it in the back of her mind this is what she needs to do to get better. >> reporter: the benefits have been so great she has made plans for future races including marine corps marathon. she's also started a facebook group unbreakable stride to encourage others who may feel restricted by physical ailments. >> you're limit edifice cli,

sometim -- limited physically you feel isolated. you try to get out there and meet with people and do things you enjoy and really not always take no for an answer is another one. and how many people have told me, you shouldn't be doing that. aren't you scared to run at all? i think, well, i can either live my life in fear that every time i go somewhere i'm going to fall down and hurt myself or i can just live. i just choose to live. jacqueline is scheduled to run a 10-k in richmond in about a week and marine corps marathon in october. if you'd like to follow her progress join the unbreakable stride facebook page. >> that's great. >> it's great. impressive. she looks good, too. >> the body is amazing. >> it is. up next, sex sells in old town, alexandria but this local store is raising a lot of eyebrows with its latest promotion. i'm darcy spencer in langley park. we caught people on camera crossing busy roadways here in prince georges county without a

crosswalk. i'll tell you about a plan to start ticketing people for jaywalking. and they risk their lives in combat. now some medal of honor recipients are

the police chief in the trayvon martin case is temporarily stepping down. martin is the teenager killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer in sanford, florida.

the volunteer has claimed he shot the boy in self-defense but martin was not armed and no charges have been filed. the sanford police chief says he stands by his department's investigation but believes he has become a distraction. police are investigating the stabbing of a pregnant woman in her southeast washington home early this morning. the victim is in stable condition at howard university hospital. the infant boy was delivered but he later was pronounced dead. police say there is no sign of forced entry into the home. d.c. mayor vincent gray is meeting with residents of ward 6 and 7 later tonight to discuss the pros and cons of having a redskins training facility come back to d.c. gray supports a plan to build it on the land near rfk. it would also include a hotel and hall of fame. the team currently trains in virginia and plays in maryland. the mayor's meeting is at 7:00 tonight at the d.c. armory. let's fast forward to the weather. doug? >> the weather just continues to get nicer as we move on throughout the rest of the evening tonight. it is going to be spectacular. a great night to get out and about. a nice night to eat outdoors or

maybe take a look at the cherry blossoms. take a look at the temperatures right now. 76 degrees in the washington area. down to the south, richmond right now coming in at 80 degrees and back to the west that's where our air is coming from tomorrow. 84 in charleston west virginia. 83 in columbus, ohio. right now it is 81 degrees in jackson, kentucky. a very warm day in store for tomorrow. i think tomorrow could be the warmest day so far this year. our previous warmest day 82. going for a high tomorrow of 83 degrees but that is still nowhere near the record. we'll talk more about temperatures tomorrow and the weekend as things may go down in a hurry. >> thanks, doug. well, sex always sells and a local shop is getting a lot of attention for one of its curb side ads. >> but some nearby parents and nearby businesses rather say a sign outside the lotus blooms shop crosses the line. >> news 4's derrick ward has more on the controversy in old

town. >> reporter: it's a time of year when foot traffic picks up in old town alexandria with no shortage of signs aimed at enticing patrons. it is an important part of doing business in a place like this. but there is one sign outside a shop here in old town that is getting a lot of attention though all of it is not necessarily what the proprietor might expect or want. >> i find it very offensive. >> it doesn't offend me but i can see where it would offend a lot of people. >> a sign outside lotus bloom advertises class instruction in a certain intimate act described by two words which uttered by themselves wouldn't get a passing notice but put them together and you raise eyebrows. >> we haven't had too many complaints. we teach a lot of different work shops on a variety of topics. >> the proprietors describe the shop as a place where customers can discuss such topics, ask questions, and make intimate purchases with candor and without judgment. it's a business started by a nurse who saw a need, a niche to be filled. >> mostly we just try to advertise because people don't know there is an education

aspect to the store. >> reporter: in most cases people walked by without even noticing but in a few instances the sign did get a second glance and reaction. >> numerous people come down here, mainly children, and old people, and i think it's totally disrespectful. >> it doesn't really bother me. i mean, for kids walking by maybe it would bother them but for me, just another store. the class is popular. the next session is sold out with a backlog from january. and next week there will be another session, an advanced course on the same subject. in old town, derrick ward, news 4. officials for the city of alexandria say they have not received any recent complaints about that sign. it's completely senseless. that's what a cemetery official says about the desecration of tombstones in frederick county. this week more than a dozen tombstones were damaged. several beyond repair at the new market cemetery. some of the stones date back to

the 19th century and can't be replaced according to the frederick news post. the cemetery is offering a $500 reward for information that can help them catch the vandals. prince george's county police are launching a new campaign to save lives in an area that has the most pedestrians' deaths in the state. darcy spencer is live in langley park with this. >> reporter: hi there, wendy. langley park is one of the target areas for this safety campaign. there are a lot of pedestrians in this area. if you take a look behind me you can see a barrier that was erected along university boulevard to try to keep pedestrians from crossing this dangerous roadway. this week they are handing out literature. starting next week police start ticketing for jaywalking. in january of this year michael thomas and mildred freeman were struck and killed while crossing oxon hill road in prince george's county. the driver didn't stop and has never been found. >> we don't have any answers at all. >> how hard is that? >> it's kind of hard because you

always want to bring closure to at least see justice being done or have the person arrested. >> reporter: the couple who were walking hand in hand on their way to a bus stop are part of a troubling statistic. the county has the highest number of pedestrian fatalities in the state and like many victims the couple were not in a crosswalk. >> you know, when you are going to get a bus stop and you're going to work you're really not thinking about a crosswalk but the quickest way to get to the bus stop so you can be off to work. but, again, if they were in the crosswalk it may not have happened. >> waiting for the white sign that says it's okay to walk. >> reporter: for the first time in a decade the county has joined the metro area's street smart campaign. on wednesday officers were in langley park and other areas in the county providing information to walkers in english and spanish before a push to begin enforcement next week. >> we're noticing a high volume of pedestrian traffic not obeying the pedestrian laws such

as crossing at crosswalks or crossing into traffic. >> reporter: in 2009 and 2010 there were 23 pedestrian deaths in prince george's. last year two dozen. police say in 75% of the cases the pedestrian was at fault. some point to the crosswalks themselves placed far from bus stops and shopping centers. still, there are questions as to whether walking in a crosswalk will make a difference. >> would he have stopped if it was in a crosswalk? i don't know. they weren't in the crosswalk and he wouldn't have been charged but he didn't stop. >> reporter: this campaign is going to affect pedestrians, people on bikes, as well as motorists. if you're caught jaywalking you could face a fine of up to $50. there is also some warnings that are being handed out to motorists. if you fail to stop for someone in a crosswalk, you could be hit with a $500 fine. consider yourself warned. reporting live from langley park, darcy spencer, news 4. we have breaking news in the death of whitney houston. the los angeles county coroner has just conducted an autopsy on

the singer and released the report. the 48-year-old died of drowning, heart disease, and cocaine use. there was no trauma or foul play suspected. the final coroner report will be available within two weeks. houston was found dead in february at a hollywood hotel as she was preparing to attend a grammy preparty. an unexpected speed bump for drivers early this morning on the southeast-southwest freeway. drivers heading westbound near main avenue had to avoid debris. asphalt fell off the buck of a truck. it then hardened, causing at least three drivers to get flat tires. crews had to block the lane of the freeway to keep drivers from hitting that asphalt. there were no injuries. new, affordable housing is now available here in the district. mayor gray joins community leaders to celebrate the grand opening of eden place at beulah crossing on eastern avenue in northeast. the development has 63 new three-story town homes with three to four bedrooms and two and a half baths. the homes include private yards and community open space and

they're available to first time home buyers the first phase of the project was recently completed and five home buyers have already moved into their new homes. sunday is national medal of honor day. years ago congress set aside march 25th to recognize the bravery of service members whose conspicuous gallantry in battle earned the nation's highest military honor. the nature of the award is such that it is often given posthumously. there are fewer than 100 medal of honor recipients alive today. american airlines honored many in the group by flying them from new york to d.c. for a luncheon that launches a weekend of tributes in their honor. the medal recipients and their families were greeted warmly at reagan national airport. up next, a big surprise for some local high school students. why they won't have to foot the bill for their college education. and is marriage becoming obsolete? a new report reveals something about relationships in this country and the one thing that could determine whether y

love and marriage. two words that don't necessarily go together anymore. a new report from the national center for health statistics finds half of all marriages still end in divorce. however, the number of couples choosing to live together unmarried has nearly quadrupled. the study also found those

live-in couples who eventually take the plunge are more likely to divorce than those who never lived together. the report found that ethnicity plays a role in whether your marriage is successful. 70% of asian women were still in their first marriage after 20 years. hispanic women were also more likely to have long lasting marriages. it was no ordinary day at school for some high school students in d.c. nine gifted students were surprised with full scholarships to george washington university. officials went to eight different schools throughout the city handing out these scholarships. each worth about $200,000. one student at cesar chavez high became emotional when she found out she would not have to pay for books, tuition, room and board, or anything else when she goes to gw. >> i'm just very happy to have the opportunity to go to gw. this is my first choice and i'm just very excited and glad that they saw something in me. >> she wants to be a special events coordinator and own her own business.

so far about 133 students have received the tractonburg scholarship. the graduation rate for these students in this program close to 90%. >> congratulations to them. still ahead, it's a hot commodity on the black market. why crooks are swiping bottles of tide. i'm liz crenshaw. how long should the new paint job on your house last? the life span of home improvements, a new liz quiz is coming up. and out there right now simply gorgeous conditions. a great evening tonight. a pretty nice day tomorrow. and then things go down hill in a hurry. i'll s

a local barber shop was selling more than hair cuts. police arrested four men for allegedly selling stolen bottles of tide out of the back of the shop. this was the nuveau hair store on chillam. the suspects have been charged with theft. police say there will be more. in addition to stolen tide patrons could buy other hot items at the shop. >> they could get stolen liquid tide, counterfeit designer jeans and dozens of bottles of dove beauty wash. these are items stolen from local retailers. >> who knew? the theft of liquid soap like

tide is a national problem. in fact, some retailers actually won't carry the laundry detergent because it is such a target for thieves. replacing an appliance or making a home improvement can put an unexpected dent in your wallet. >> so knowing when to anticipate something is about to break may help cushion the blow and the budget. liz crenshaw is here with her latest liz quiz. how long should it last? >> how long should it last? we turn to kiplinger's personal finance for this quiz. it did the research and found out how long major items should last when used every day. get your pens and paper ready. here is the first question. i presume you have a washing machine, right? >> yes, i do. >> okay. how long should a washing machine last -- eight years, 12 years, or 16 years before you should replace it? >> i would say at least 12. >> she is right. industry experts say both washing machines and dryers typically last about 12 years. here's an every day appliance.

how long should a dish washer last -- seven, ten, or 13 years? >> ten. >> actually, it should last 13 years according to the appliance manufacturers. dish washers require very little maintenance as long as you run them regularly. next? how long should a furnace last, ten years, 20 years, or the life of your house? >> i think 20 years would be nice. because you pay a lot more for it. >> actually 20 years is right. >> okay. >> the department of energy and industry experts say furnaces should last between 15 and 20 years. furnace filters, however, only hold up one to three months so be sure to change them accordingly. now on to a few home improvements. so how about this? how long should a coat of deck stain or sealer last, three years, five years, or ten years? >> three years. >> he's right. water repellent deck stains and sealers generally last about three years. industry experts say it depends on exposure and traffic.

so have you ever painted a house or had your house painted? >> yes. >> okay. so how long should a coat of exterior paint last, six to ten years, ten to 14 years, or 14 to 18 years, a coat of paint? >> six to ten. >> he's right. manufacturers say a properly applied coat of exterior paint should last between six and ten years. next? do you know how long a standard incandescent light bulb should last? a thousand hours, 8,000 hours, or 25,000 hours? >> i'm going to go with the second one. >> reporter: 8,000? >> yes. >> reporter: actually a standard incandescent light bulb should burn 1,000 hours. compact fluorescent bulbs burn longer but cost more. cfl's outlive incandescents eight times over. how old is your mattress? >> it was a hand me down. >> reporter: how long should a mattress last? five to seven years, 10 to 12, or as long as it feels comfortable?

>> i would say as long as it feels comfortable. whatever works for you. >> she is right. even though the better sleep council recommends replacing your mattress every five to seven years, mattresses age differently, so if you don't notice any back or sleep problems, hold on to it. >> i sleep pretty well. >> fine with you? >> exactly. >> so the bottom line is don't throw it out if it's working. >> right. >> but i think it's good to know when something might be about to sort of give up the ghost so to speak. >> we did pretty well on the quiz. >> you guys did. you've been owning houses for a while. >> we have. >> thanks, liz. >> mattresses inside them. >> yes. >> thanks, liz. >> you're welcome. >> here is doug with another check on our weather and what's heading our way. you guys did a lot better than i did. >> don't feel bad. >> you're a guy. >> i came to my own house. >> do it every three or five years. >> what this is? >> and paint that deck, doug. take a look right now.

a beautiful day. it's going to rain on your houses this weekend. just letting you know. >> glad they're painting. >> we're dealing with sunshine, a beautiful, beautiful afternoon and if you have any plans this evening or let's say this, if you don't have any plans make some for this evening. the cherry blossoms are going to be spectacular tonight. a great day to get out for the day tomorrow and then things go down hill quickly. 76 degrees the current temperature. winds out of the south at 7 miles per hour. take a look at the numbers. 81 right now at rockville. 78 in reston. 81 in manassas. 85 down here in warranton, virginia. right now hunting town coming in at 74 degrees. so some very warm air and i think we'll get even warmer during the day tomorrow. don't expect any rain this evening. storm 4 radar all clear in our region. as we widen out here there are a lot of storms down to the south. this is a monster of a storm. take a look at where the rain is. you can see it along the coast of the carolinas and then it extends all the way back toward colorado. so this storm encompasses nearly

two-thirds of the nation right now. not everybody is seeing the rain. there are some areas that have seen rain in the past and now that rain is moving to the east. heaviest rain right now over portions of alabama moving toward georgia and eventually it will move our way. this storm system is moving extremely slowly and that's how it's going to move through here. that means we're going to see a couple days of rain. overnight tonight, 58 degrees in washington. 54 in gaithersburg. 52 in manassas. something else we'll see overnight tonight the same scenario plays out as did, it did the last couple days. fog tomorrow morning. maybe some areas of dense fog so watch out. give yourself a lot of extra time when you leave the house tomorrow morning. tomorrow afternoon, 80 in leesburg. 84 in culpepper going for a high of 87 in fredericksburg and 83 in the district. i think tomorrow is going to be a fabulous day. only chance of rain back to the west and toward portions of west virginia. that should be about it. the next couple days? well, as i mentioned, here comes the rain on saturday it will linger right on through the morning on monday so expect a

very rainy period and much cooler temperatures as you make our way into early next week. >> thank you, doug. the megamillions jackpot is growing and it's now at a whopping $290 million. lottery officials say this is the largest jackpot so far this year. the drawing takes place tomorrow. virginia has seen quite a few winners during the last 12 months. your chances of winning are one in 175 million. the winner can choose a one-time cash option of $205 million. >> yikes. sweet. coming up on news 4 at 6:00, there was a bomb threat in d.c., part of an elaborate plan to rob a bank. we're also calling out the biggest gas guzzlers on the road and will reveal which vehicles save you the most money at the pump. plus, there was a very rare sighting of a panda bear in the wild. i'll be joining jim vance for that and much more coming up in just a little bit on news 4 at 6:00.

and up next, a mother lost both of her legs shielding her children from a killer tornado in indiana. tonight an exclusive look inside her recovery. >> for all your news you can follow news 4 online. search nbc washington on

it began as a story of

incredible survival but has become a story of recovery and determination. stephanie decker is the indiana mother who placed her body over her children to protect them during a tornado earlier this month. the children survived without a scratch. but she lost both of her legs. nbc's savannah guthrie has an exclusive look at the rehab efforts since leaving the hospital. >> reporter: stephanie decker is learning a new way to manage life's everyday tasks. >> how about that? >> that's ten. >> reporter: and bidding up her strength for her physical challenges. >> we can do this. >> reporter: she says her fierce determination comes from a great gift -- a second chance. >> i have another shot at life, and i don't want to blow that. you know? i want that. i'm going to make the best of it whether i have legs or not. you know that's not important to me. a lot of worse things could have happened that day and they didn't. i'm thankful for that.

>> reporter: that storm reached 175-mile-per-hour winds and as it neared her home stephanie fled to the basement with her kids 8-year-old dominic and 5-year-old reese. she wrapped them in a blanket and laid on to knp of them. the storm demolished their home. the kids miraculously survived but stephanie was badly injured. just days later from her hospital bed, stephanie told matt she was no hero. >> it was instincts. it was protecting my children. it is, you know, you have three children and you understand. there is nothing you won't do for them. you get a mama bear out there and they're vicious. you know? they're going to do what they have to do. so i -- i honestly feel like it is just me protecting them. >> stephanie had seven broken ribs and both legs were partial liam p partially amputated.

>> it's not a negative part of my life. it really isn't. it is now just part of my life and how i choose to make it a positive, how i choose to live my life is all up to me. >> reporter: last week she moved into the southern indiana rehab hospital where she spends three hours each day in intense physical and occupational therapy. >> she is very motivated and she, like i said, was in great shape before. so she is way ahead of the curve i would say to what you'd typically see. >> reporter: she says her greatest motivation is her desire to get back home, to enjoy the simple things in life. >> i want to be the one to help pack lunches and do backpacks and read stories at night. all of those little things we did every night that we never really thought about when we all sat down at the table and had dinner together and talked about what happened that day at school and, you know, did you enjoy music class and art class? i don't get to do those things.

>> that was savannah guthrie reporting. stephanie has made so much progress doctors say she may be able to go home as early as monday but she still needs to have one more operation before she can get fitted for her pros th outrage over the deadly shooting of a black teenager in florida is growing. it has forced a change at the top. >> i must temporarily remove myself from the position as police chief for the city of sanford. i do this in the hopes of restoring some semblance of calm. also tonight we now know the official cause of death of singing sensation whitney houston. >> there is a storm coming that could threaten the peak blooms during the cherry blossom festival. good evening. welcome to news 4 at 6:00. i'm wendy rieger sitting in for doreen.