and now, from washington's leading news station, this is news4 at 6:00. good evening, on this saturday night of memorial day weekend, i'm chris gordon, welcome. a perfect day to open those public pools today. the swim center in rockville, maryland opened for the first time this morning, and kids took advantage of the hot and humid weather by having some fun in the water. what's the weather going to be like tonight? meteorologist chuck bell joins us now. live from the weather center. chuck? >> good evening, chris. and good evening, everybody. memorial day weekend off to a nice and steamy start across the area. there have been a couple rumbles of thunder across parts of pennsylvania. show those on the radar. current temperatures, mild, indeed. already in the mid 80s, most locations topped out in the upper 80s about an hour or two

ago, but clouds moved in a little bit and one or two lonesome showers on radar. one west of the winchester area in the mountains of west virginia. most of the action, though, centered across parts of central and eastern pennsylvania. that line of showers is losing intensity as it drifts southbound. but for you folks that live very close to the pennsylvania border, north of hagerstown, north of frederick, maryland and west of i-81, there will be a chance for you to at least get a couple of rain showers here over the next couple hours before everything fades away by 9:00, 10:00 this evening. so your evening planner, temperatures in the 80s now with storms mainly to the north of the d.c. metro area. warm and humid through the evening hours, and then another muggy and potentially foggy start on your saturday morning. what will that mean for rolling thunder and the rest of the weekend plans? i'll give you that answer, coming up. okay, chuck, see you then. a big dress rehearsal tonight for tomorrow's national memorial day concert. the star-studded tribute to our veterans will air on pbs, news4's darcy spencer is live tonight from the west lawn of

the capitol. and she has a preview for us. hi, darcy. >> reporter: hi, chris. the rehearsals have been going on since 9:30 this morning. country music singer trace atkins on stage now. the full dress rehearsal later this evening. the public is invited to attend, and the best thing about this, it is free. now, the concert is going to feature rock band daughtry, ""american idol"" runner up jessica sanchez, natalie cole and many more performers. it's a tribute to fallen heroes and this year dozens of veterans returning home from iraq and afghanistan are going to be brought on stage for a special tribute. >> it's right up at the top of the show for us. you know, to just truly say thank you and we're a grateful nation for your service and sacrifice. >> it's a big commitment to come here and do this every year. >> it's a big commitment, but it's a privilege. it really is. it's a way of paying back in a

very small way a price that many others have paid far, far greater than i ever will if i come for the next 100 years. >> reporter: so the gates opened at 5:00 this afternoon. people, again, are welcome to attend. it is open to the public. that full dress rehearsal will get under way at 8:00 this evening. now, if you ask me, this is perfect weather for an outdoor concert, but it is pretty toasty. so make sure you bring some water if you're coming out. the concert itself will happen here tomorrow night. reporting live from the capitol, darcy spencer, news4. >> sounds good. thank you, darcy. ♪ and the rockets red glare the bombs bursting in air ♪ >> the pickering, ohio central jazz band did the honors of singing our national anthem to begin ceremonies at the u.s. navy memorial today. the u.s.s. north hampton association participated in the wreath-laying ceremony.

the north hampton was assigned as a so-called doom's day ship during the cold war. >> the ship that we were on was the president's ship, the floating white house during the cold war administration. so we're having a special commemorative ceremony here today to have our ship's model displayed in the president's room. >> very patriotic, makes you feel proud to be an american. and we've still got a heartbeat left in us yet. >> earlier today, rolling thunder also participated in a wreath-laying at the navy memorial. neighbors and friends pounded the pavement today in bowie, maryland. dozens turned out for the memorial day weekend parade. the procession began at bowie high school. people say they came out to celebrate america's heroes. >> definitely to give thanks to the veterans that supported our country. >> freedom is not free. you've got to remember all those

men and women in our armed services. >> this year's event featured high school marching bands, pipes and drums, and the panquillty steel band. while many of us are making the holiday in our hometowns, millions of americans are hitting the road for the start of the summer travel season. and for a lot of us, that means hitting the beach. brian mooar reports. >> reporter: on this memorial day weekend, get-aways don't get much better than this. >> starting to kick off summer, just chilling with some friends. always a good way. i mean, beautiful memorial day weekend. >> reporter: not so in myrtle bea beach, where swimming was probated as beryl was bearing down on the southeast, threatening to make a wet memorial day. but it was a great day for a parade in chicago. addressing graduating cadets at west point, vice president biden noted that america's days at war are now numbered. >> president obama and i came to

office determined to end the war in iraq responsibly and today our troops are home. >> reporter: across america, a weekend of relaxation and reflection. brian mooar, nbc news. still ahead on the broadcast tonight, goats are normally nuisances, but not in prince george's county. why the animals are helping clean up a popular shopping center. plus -- why prince william never thought he would settle down with just one woman. details of the new biography up next. coming up tonight, a triple threat of extreme weather coast to coast, plus new concerns about calcium supplements and heart attacks, and

a new biography about prince william makes some revealing claims. the author of the new book titled "the man who will be king" said the failed marriage of his parents said it would have an impact on him later in life and didn't expect to be settled down. >> reporter: a year into their marriage and could william and kate look any happier? but why did they take so long to go from college sweethearts to married couple? a new biography about prince william out next mon claims it was the devastating breakdown of

his own parents' marriage which left the young prince scarred. according to the book's author, william was unsure if it was possible to love just one woman. he knew his father had a long affair with kamila parker bowles, while diana had extra marital relationships of her own. >> william had a terrifically difficult upbringing. when his mother was alive, he had to live through the rows and the tears, the tantrums, the huge public glare of the breakdown of his parents' marriage. and then his mother died. so is a true trauma in his adolescence. >> reporter: the book's author writes the loss of his mother made william scared of becoming attached to another woman. but he did become close to kate, even though he was startled by the public's intense interest in her. an unhappy reminder of his mother's experience, which the book says made him feel clause tree phobic. >> i think william's reluctance to get married quicker was simply this.

he's very unsure. he takes his time over everything. >> reporter: it seems william's patience has wade off, overcoming the obstacles appears to have made this couple's bond only stronger. they certainly do look happy now. i just want to show you the staging and seating that's going up right in front of buckingham palace, and that's for next weekend's special jubilee concert, just part of the celebrations to mark the queen's 60 years on the throne. next weekend, big party right here in london. back to you. >> okay, did you know kin, thank you. coming up next, not everyone thinks having goats spruce up a local enabled enabled is a good idea. plus if you have a barbecue plan for tomorrow, chuck bell has

there's a revitalization effort under way in the temple hill section, and the group behind the effort used a novel approach to landscaping around a popular shopping center. they used goats. now, while the program may not create jobs, it is drawing some attention ask planners say that's just as important. derrick ward has our report. >> reporter: some folks in prince george's county have been quietly working to revitalize the branch avenue corridor near iverson mall. meet some of the workers, mother nature's lawnmowers. >> the iverson mall can plant

beautiful rose bushes and make a beautiful garden. >> and also for them to see there is a farmer's market here. again, we want people to shop local, spend money in their communities. >> reporter: so what's the logic behind foregoing the john deere and opting for a billy goat? a lot of it has to do with the environment. >> the goats are actually fertilizing the environment with a slow-release invite general. >> reporter: there are a lot of curious stares from passers-by. you may see a lot of things at iverson mall, but usually goats aren't among them. >> this guy looks pretty good with some curry. >> reporter: it is thinking outside of the box. of maybe too far outside for some. >> it's bad for people who want jobs to cut the grass. >> reporter: as far as the goats are concerned, they're just doing what goats do. >> i was very pleasantly surprised to see the goats, because i've never seen goats in real life before. >> reporter: and don't be surprised if you get a little attached. >> this one, i adopted her. >> we want innovative and creative things to happen in prince george's county. and so, you know, there is no better district than district 7.

>> reporter: mary bowen says each goat can eat 10 to 15 pounds of vegetation per day, and you can get her goats for a fee, based on the size of the area you want cleared. >> baaa. >> reporter: in prince george's county, derrick ward, news4. >> he seemed to like that. >> absolutely right. i think it's great. >> that's going green. >> the greenest you can possibly be. no doubt. and, boy, the weather could not have been any nicer outside today. that looks like it's going to continue on into tomorrow, as well. that's important, because, of course, sunday, tomorrow, that's rolling thunder here in washington. one of the biggest demonstrations we have all year, 500,000 harleys coming over the memorial bridge tomorrow, and the weather looks to be very, very cooperative. outside for now, we are seeing a few showers cook up, but that didn't interfere with people getting outside on the boats. this is down near alexandria, virginia. on the boats, on the lawns, on the golf courses, in the pools, at the beach, anywhere you wanted to go today, the weather was very, very cooperative. we have seen some storms fire up

across parts of pennsylvania. show those on the radar in just a second, but that guy right there, he's not worried about it. drifting by the woodrow wilson bridge in the distance behind him. current temperature at national airport, a little bit of filtered sunshine, 84 degrees, dew points in the mid 60s so humidity 53%, south wind at 8%. southerly winds will continue for the remainder of the holiday weekend. so if you like today, there's very good news in the forecast for the next couple days. 84 now in frederick, maryland. 85 in waldorf, and la plata. 79 at naval air station. 80 degrees in annapolis, and folks, along the west side of the chesapeake bay, picking up a hint of a cooling bay breeze, but across virginia, mid to upper 80s. this evening, partly cloudy. there are some storms firing north and west. we'll be fading out between now and 10:00, and evening temperatures mostly back into the mid and upper 70s. storm 4 radar, most showers now along the maryland//pennsylvania border, drifting southbound but

losing intensity they come south. if you live north of i-70, close to the pennsylvania line, you have a very good chance of getting some of these showers. the further down into the d.c. metro area you get, i think most if not all of that will dry up before it gets here. but i can't give you the -- 100% dry forecast, even in d.c. proper, until those showers actually fade away. but most of us will be fine. tropical storm beryl continues to inch closer to the georgia coastline. that may impact our forecast as we get towards the wednesday time frame. in the meantime, that line of showers and thunderstorms inching its way closer to us over the next few hours. it's right along and just to the sourth of this weather front which will stay to our north all weekend long and act as the mechanism to fire off another round of showers and storms tomorrow, and just like today, some of them might drift down into our area by late afternoon into the evening time frame. most of the day will be dry tomorrow, but again, the further north and west you go, a little better chance for some showers and storms. and on to our memorial day

monday holiday, the summer pattern continues. and by monday and tuesday, everyone's rain chances sneak up just a little bit. so for the overnight hours tonight, any showers will be gone by 10:00, 11:00 leaving us with just a few clouds and patchy fog by morning. another muggy start, for sure. start-off temperatures, upper 60s to near 70. tomorrow back up near 90 degrees with a chance of isolated showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. if you're headed down to the beach, 70 degrees, the current ocean temperature, and sitting on the sand tomorrow and monday, as well, plenty of sunshine. plenty of humidity and plenty warm. temperatures in the upper 70s. if you're sticking around here, 89 tomorrow, low 90s, monday, tuesday, before we cool things out a little bit and get some more needed showers late next week. >> with memorial day, you're allowed to wear white shoes, white belt and white pants. >> that doesn't make it okay, from a fashion sense. >> the people who do it are called golfers. >> that's true. coming up in sports, possibly the best catch of the year ahead. plus, steven strasburg is an ace, and now guess what?

he's turning into a slugger.

so this memorial weekend, the nats are well positioned. >> yeah, they're in first place, trying to stay there, because the braves are in second place and they're playing the braves. the nationals are looking to bust open that lead a little bit. they have a two-game division lead over the braves and the mets, as well. the team that couldn't score runs is riding the hot bed of

the usual suspect, ryan zimmerman, who has hit safely in six of his last seven games. and their second-best hitter right now? that's their ace, steven strasburg, hit a homer in his last outing, and clearly the man who can deal can also rake. they're in the second, he lines one up the middle. tyler moore goes to third. after that, at bat, strasburg, now 7 for 17, batting .412 on the season, look out ted williams. next batter is espinoza, deep to left, major bomb off mike minor the pitcher. espinoza's fifth of the year, nats up 4-0. bottom of the fifth, strasburg facing uggla with a 4-2 lead. uggla, first hit against him today is -- just out of the reach of bryce harper, the two-run shot ties the game at four. you know he wants that bat. the team, they have his back.

the team, the pinch hitting king here sends it deep to the gap in left center. ian desmond scores. nats retake the lead. but tracee, not good, comes up lame, forced to leave the game. right now, the nats lead 7-4 in the seven enth inning. chris davis and the orioles looking to improve against the royals this season. scoreless in the bottom of the second. dav davis deep, drilled to left. the solo shot is chris's eighth homer of the season. orioles take a 1-0 lead. later in the inning, two on, two out for avery. he skies one high to left. alex gordon and jerryd dieson, look out. both went for it, collide, a very scary scene, both down. but gordon on your right, look, he has the ball. he made the catch. and the inning is over. gordon would stay in the game. dieson forced to leave. right now, tied at 3 in the

seventh. one side note. adam jones in this game, he's extended his hitting streak to 17 games now, pretty impressive. the duke blue devils. go on, admit it. the words alone muster up feelings of extreme dislike in these parts. one side of the maryland blue and fans think of basketball, the bitter rivalry, so strong, the lack of warmth spans all collegiate sports. and today the two rivals met in the ncaa in the final four. first quarter, scoreless. kevin cooper gets around his defendtory billy griffin. later in the quarter, joe cummins to griffin, maryland leads 7-4 at the half. and other semi final top seeded loyola taking on the four-seed notre dame. second quarter greyhounds up 3-1. ward gets past his defender to eric lusbe who fires and scores

his third of the game. loyola takes a 4-1 lead. in the third quarter, 6-3, greyhounds, lusbe again, his fifth goal of the game. 50 of the season. that kid can score. loyola goes on to win 9-7. they will play either maryland or duke in monday's title game. and finally, video from a junior college baseball game in washington state being seen all over the country. here's why. why the center fielder. derek salberg going back, and an unbelievable catch. he high-jumped the outfield fence. chuck, you already saw that video and you said it's only a two-foot-high fence so you didn't give him much credit. >> it's a good jump, though. >> look, he does the high jump back and hurdles. maybe he should have been a track star. athletic kid. spectacular. it actually saved the game, too, that's what's more important. columbia college, two outs in the bottom of the ninth. that would have been a home run that would have tied the game.

that's what's more important. >> very good. you worry about the warning track. >> he didn't care about the warning track. you got hops like that, go over the fence. >> amber, chuck, thank you. thank you for being with us. we have one final story tonight. stray dog that really loves to run. this stray has followed a cyclist for more than 20 days on their journey along the sichuan tie bet highway. the dogs name is little sa. one of the cyclists fed it and that's all the dog needed. one cyclist started a blog about the dog's journey and that blog has 40,000 followers. the dog is following the cycle