te movies and full seasons of shows instantly on any screen. find out more online. welcome to "news 4 this week." hi, everybody. i'm veronica johnson. we're going to show you some of the more interesting local stories making news this week. among them -- >> you can save money by the way you drive and how you drive. >> shaving hundreds of dollars a year off of your gas payments. that's right, it is possible. we'll show you how to pump those brakes to save money at the pump. and it's the workout that could give you your best bikini body ever. check out the free class that will teach you all the right moves. and how is life different after leaving the white house? we'll catch up with former first lady laura bush in an exclusive interview. first though, you drive past them every day, but have you

ever taken a hard look, a real hard look at the large highway signs and the tall light polls along our roadways? in the wake of a sign that came crashing down in our area, the news 4's iteam tisha thompson shows us what kimt of shape ou signs are in and whether you need to worry about another one falling down. >> reporter: virginia crews working overtime repairing highway signs after this sign came crashing down on interstate 66. >> i was surprised that the sign structure on i 66 had fallen because we are out there inspecting them frequently. >> reporter: he's inside of our signs for the virginia department of transportation. >> we've been doing quality assurance inspections. >> reporter: they still don't know why it fell but inspectors are focused on the anchor bolts. after weeks of negotiations vdot released its inspection records to the news four iteam. internal records show an estimated 8% of northern

virginia's can at the lever and overhead signs are in poor condition. the records show these high map light poles have the most problems. >> inspectors look for very specific things. for instance, on this high mass poll they have a problem with the electronics and the system holding up the lights. down below they also really focus on anchor bolts. these are what's holding it to the ground. they don't like it when they have too much space, there's no watchers, and there's too much clearance underneath. >> reporter: vdot's internal records show as many as 25% of high mass poles are in poor or serious condition, but roper cautions the records are out of date and the number is closer to 15%. >> half of those reports i noted that about half of those that i pulled had sufficiencies that had been corrected. >> reporter: many have been repaired or replaced. the news four iteam went up and down northern virginia highways checking out some of the worst rated. near gallon lows pole, a cracked

foundation. on 66 near roslyn, washers and nuts coming off, duct tape holding broken parts together. >> the public can see corrosion on a bridge beam, a sign, or a pole. it doesn't necessarily mean that they need to be concerned that that structure is in danger of falling. >> reporter: roper says these structures are safe because they're inspected every five years. >> they're massive and they're heavy. >> reporter: henry says signs should be inspected every two years. >> they're always a risk if they're not in good repair. >> reporter: back on 66 near arlington, inspectors noted missing bolts on this heavy cross beam more than three years ago. news 4 found there's only one bolt now holding it on over a lane of traffic. after we told vdot about what we found, they took the entire sign down. as for that sign that fell, vdot says inspections showed it was in good shape.

they're now working overtime to inspect more than 500 similar cantilever signs. there's a makeover in the works for america's front yard. yeah, the national mall is due for some much needed renovations. tracy will kins got a look at the plan improvements which for some mall goers sound pretty surprising. >> reporter: the topic of discussion for some time now, what are we going to do to improve the look of the national mall? well, now three different architects have been selected to redesign three different areas of the mall and we asked people around town, do you think that these new designs are going to help improve america's front yard? >> is this for sure or this is -- >> yeah, this is selected. this will be what they're working on when they start to do the construction. >> reporter: using my ipad i showed people who are on the mall every day what some of the plan designs for its big renovation are looking like. the reaction was interesting. can you imagine the mall even looking like this?

>> that's quite fancy. >> reporter: after a contest between a number of arc tech turl firms and the public having an opportunity to weigh in, the design was chosen. and in the end, olan and weiss manifredi were chosen. it will include a new amphitheater surrounded by a canopy of trees, and that's just the beginning. there will be a pavilion, restaurants, etc. what do you think about that? >> well, i like a pavilion for a place to have a picnic. i don't know how i feel about restaurants. >> reporter: outside the pavilion will be a walkway to the title basin. >> fabulous because it incorporates jefferson and that portion of the mall which has always felt separate. >> reporter: by the lincoln memorial rogers marble architects and peter walker and partners will transform constitution gardens by adding a water basin for model boats and ice skating. >> i would like an ice rink. >> reporter: and they'll also have a new restaurant pavilion overlooking the park. >> actually, i like it. i like it. i do.

i like the idea of a way to hang by the lincoln memorial. you know, as long as it doesn't look too commercial. that would be my concern. >> reporter: now construction is expected to begin in the next two years and they're hoping to have it all wrapped up by 2016. in southwest, i'm tracee, wilkins, news 4. >> 2016, that's years away. a lot of us are hoping for a break from high gas prices. relief could depend on how you pump your brakes. liz crenshaw did a simple test to show you how simple driving habits could save you hundreds of dollars a year. >> most of us feel hopeless when we pull up to the pump because of the high cost of gas. >> reporter: our experiment starts with two now 2012 lincoln mkzs. we borrowed them from land over hills, maryland. the cars were identical until we got our hands on them and created some fuelish mistakes. east west lincoln sales

consultant, nathan gray, was our bad gas mileage driver. in his lincoln we lowered the recommended tire pressure by seven pounds per tire. we loaded 200 pounds of extra weight in the trunk. >> we've loaded it down with two full golf bags, free weights, luggage. >> reporter: we set his air conditioning to full blast, 60 degrees. >> you can save money by the way you drive and how you drive. >> reporter: john townsend from aaa was our good gas mileage driver. his lincoln had proper tire pressure, no extra weight in the trunk, and he used no ac. we filled both car's gas tanks to the top and set off. first we stopped and started in traffic. nathan did jack rabbit starts. john, slow and steady. on the highway our good driver used cruise control at 55. our bad driver zoomed up, slowed down, and drove up to the speed

limit, 65 miles per hour. so will the condition of the two cars and the way our testers drove them really affect gas mileage? 90 miles later we topped off our tanks. >> it stunned me. >> reporter: our bad gas mileage car used 3.6 gallons. it got 26 miles per gallon. our good gas mileage car used 2.8 gallons or 33 miles per gallon. seven miles per gallon better. if you drive 15,000 miles a year at $4 a gallon, you would save $516 every year just with proper tire inflation, no extra weight, cutting back on the ac, no jack rabbit starts, and a steady pace. >> this is a way that you can really change the outcome, drive the same car, but drive it in a different way. you are literally winning the war against the high costxd of

gas. >> reporter: liz crenshaw, news 4. liz says that you could save even more if the car that you drive is not brand new like the ones that we tested. give it a try and see how much you can save. well, he used to take secret morning walks on the national mall. still ahead on "news 4 this week," former first lady laura bush shares more about what she misses at her days at the white house. plus, it's not just for kids. cap star joel ward shares some [ female announcer ] with xfinity,

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dr. maya an gel low and wrapper common join causes for a good cause in washington d.c. they raised money for the sea forever foundation. it helps at risk kids in the district by supporting them with educational and leadership skills. news 4 emceed the event. in addition to the sea forever foundation, this year's

fundraiser will help with renovations at the ma yeah angelo school in ward 7. former first lady laura bush also came to town for a big fundraiser recently. she says that life after the white house sure has changed quite a bit. barbara harrison caught up with former first lady in an exclusive interview. >> reporter: from end to end, from the white house to the lincoln memorial all the way to the capital and back to the white house is almost 7 miles. that's a very good walk for someone who lived at the white house. >> reporter: when she was living at the white house former first lady laura bush says walking that seven mile round trip was one of her favorite things to sneak out and do very early in the morning. it's the national mall that brought her back to washington this week. >> and i did have a lunch for the trust for the national mall. i want everyone to know about it because i think everybody can raise some money for the trust. over 24 million people a year come to our national mall and so

you can imagine that number of people, the wear and tear on the mall. >> reporter: her five-year commitment to lead that effort is not the only thing keeping laura bush busy. she was last in town a few months ago with a group from egypt for her women's initiative project. >> we're thinking about other countries in the middle east where we really believe women will lead in the democracy movement. >> reporter: and washington is on her agenda again for later this month when she'll join her husband and former president clinton to push for the completion of the national memorial in shanksville, pennsylvania. >> those heroes on flight 93 saved us, really. they saved the people in washington. really, to have had the capital hit would have been such a blow for our country. >> reporter: you've been very busy since you left the white house. busier than you were your eight years here in washington? >> definitely not busier now than at the white house, but i am busy. george and i are both enjoying

our life in retirement. >> reporter: so what's life like after washington? >> i go to the grocery store. i go shopping. i do everything obviously. >> reporter: and as busy as she is these days, she still likes to get in that walk, especially when she's visiting washington. on the national mall, i'm barbara harrison, news 4. that was pretty cool to catch up with her. well, hey, it's no day at the beach, but it's going to help you get ready for the beach. coming up, find out where to take the free, that's right, free workout class that will help you get that bikini body and a local urban legend comes to life. an inside look at what it took to life. an inside look at what it took to bmaybe you can be there;

maybe you can't. when you have migraines with fifteen or more headache days a month, you miss out on your life. you may have chronic migraine. go to mychronicmigraine.com to find a headache specialist. and don't live a maybe life. a day to thank me for all of the little things. like being the only one who knows how to turn on the dishwasher. not saying "i love you" in front of all your friends. and always finding everything for everyone. happy mother's day, family. you love me! you really are the best. i can't argue with you. now join me while i eat cake and receive gifts. [ male announcer ] celebrate mom. buy any kfc 10 pc meal or larger and get a free double chocolate chip cake. buy any kfc 10 pc meal or larger you know chase freedom gives you 5% cash back

at grocery stores this quarter. thank you. happy shopping! activate your 5 percent cash back at chase.com/freedom. and now, new cardmembers get 100 dollars bonus cash back after they spend 500 dollars within the first three months. visit chase.com/freedom or your local branch today. in news for your health, some of the stars from washington capitals team are sharing the diet details that keep them focused and energized on the ice. you might not lose any weight on their plan. what doreen genzler learned

about their diet might even surprise you. >> we have these power gels. i have one of those between the first and second. i have a banana between the second and third. if it goes any further than that, then we have white rice. >> i always eat fish the night before a game. and sweet potatoes. a lot of vegetables. >> reporter: sure, a healthy diet can help any professional athlete reach maximum potential, but is it enough when the game goes into overtime and you've been on the ice for hours? not always does the capitals head athletic trainer. he says the caps have recently changed the way they nourish the team based on advice he got from experts in another sport. >> we actually got a great suggestion from some people that work with the tour de france as far as what they do for those long bike rides. we implemented a lot of those techniques here. >> this says between overtime they snack on fruit like oranges and bananas, things that have

natural sugars to boost energy, as well as white royce with soy sauce. >> we use that because it's high on the glycemic index and it's also easy for your body to digest. when you're out there and you're fatigued and tired, the last thing you want to do is take the energy away from your muscles and use it to digest food. >> smith says the rice with the soy sauce helps replace lost water and salt due to sweating. speaking of hydration, some of the guys we spoke to say they often pass on sports drinks and go for something a little different. >> my roommate, we've been sucking back pedialites. we'll head up to cvs. >> it's weird that we pick up those bottles at the cash register. pedialyte has lower amounts of sugar than other sport drinks. i'm not going to call them a baby. the players also emphasize that they don't eat too much before a game because they need to stay, you know, light on their skates.

yeah. well, go caps. bathing suit season is just about here so if you're not feeling beach ready just yet, who is really, well, you might want to check out the bikini body workout at washington sports club. not only is this class free, yeah, free. we like free around here. you can also do it at home. we stopped by. we asked the beach babes, what's your workout. >> the bikini body work out targets the bikini zone. that's the upper body, that's the abdominal area, the glute, buttocks area, the thighs. the concept of the workout is keeping your heart rate up at all times. when you keep your heart rate elevated, you're burning more calories. 45 seconds of cardio, then it goes straight into strength building, upper and lower body, then goes right back to 45 seconds of cardio. and it alternates.

>> double time. >> lower body, head to toe toners, hip trimmers. dip crunches. your side flank, cap, the hips. >> hold it up. >> it was definitely a lot of eggs err sies and there was no relaxing around. we worked every single muscle that there is. >> we're working much harder than the guys out there pushing the heavy weights around so i think it's very challenging and it's very masculine to do these kinds of things. >> i love the whole ab workout. that's definitely an area that you want to have, you know, toned and slim at the beach. she also does a lot of squats. that's working your thighs. >> it's definitely no day at the beach. >> you can take it anywhere and you can change it up. as long as you do these moves and do whatever cardio you want to do, you're golden. >> they're definitely moving.

washington sports club is offering the bikini body workout class free to everyone. it's a promotion in conjunction with the "fitness" magazine. if you don't have time to get to the gym you can get a list of the exercises from the magazine's may issue. of course, like always, there's a link on our website, go to nbcwashington.com. we've got them there for you. it's rumored to be lurking in the wilderness. how the goat man is jumping from the woods into local theater

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more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. brighten mom's big day with colorful hanging baskets and color bowls. (bell ringshi. yes? you know those delicious granola bunches in honey bunches of oats? i love those. we've added more to every box. really? wow! honey bunches of oats. make your day bunches better. a spine tingling, bite your nail kind of site around baltimore's harbor. nik wallenda of the famous flying wallenda family successfully walked a 300 foot long wire about 90 feet above the water. his great-grandfather did a similar walk about 40 years ago. riply's entertainment organized the stunt to promote the opening of the new ripley's believe it or not museum in baltimore.

got to go. if that didn't give you the chills, this story might. it's a home grown urban legend of man beast that roams the wood of prince george's county devowering anybody caught out there alone. there's a movie that's now giving new life to that legend. derrick ward tells the tail of the goat man. no one can quite pin down the day the legend started, but by the late '60s and into the '70s, it was thriving. >> experiments took place back in the '50s and '60s. animal genes and human genes created a concoction. >> reporter: one of the places the goat man was said to frequent was the grounds of the old glendale san any tori up wielding an axe and exacting an evil toll for his misfortune upon wild pets, and the occasional prince gorges county resident. he is he was borne out of an experiment in bellsville. that's where derek parks was bitten, so to speak.

he was working as a contractor. >> once we started cleaning out one of the buildings and talking to one of the professors and scientists, that's when i found out about the myth of the goat man. >> reporter: but from myth to movie plot is no short trip, especially for a filmmaker first time out. >> the biggest thing is budget and if you're working on a shoestring budget and trying to put together a class a movie, it's an extreme challenge. we came into this project with a business sense and organized. we had a vision in mind. it made it a little easier of doing a story. >> reporter: park said the biggest challenge was special effects. he was surprised at just how much movie related business there is in the area and how much help. >> i really got a good feeling and sensation of so many people that are in the art of making a movie don't mind stopping what they're doing and giving you a hand. >> reporter: some of the actors had previous experience and other locally based movies such as the civil war epic, gods and generals. some were folks with a will to play a part. the film got made and even got

some buzz at a few festivals. derek parks says he wants people to come away entertained, not thinking about how much the movie cost to make. the filmmaker and most locals will readily admit this is a legend. it's a legend endured, no basis in science and fact. it's all in fun and there's nothing to worry about, or is there? look at derek getting us all scared. well, if you want more information about how you can view the movie, just go online, nbcwashington.com. that's all of our news 4 this week. i'm veronica johnson. thanks for joining us. until next time, be safe, be kind, and be happy.