welcome to "news4 this week." hi, everyone. i'm veronica johnson. today on the show, we're going to show you some of the more interesting local stories making news this week. among them, it's an infomercial sensation, but does the no-no hair remover really do that. we'll check out the device that promises a painless path to smoother skin. from hardship to hope. the ex-wife of the beltway sniper reveals what she knew ten years ago and how she's trying to move on by helping others. and, an emotional homecoming game. students rooting for a classmate who suffered a paralyzing accident. what he did that brought the crowd to tears. first, our iteam investigation that anyone who parks in d.c. will want to see.

are certain employees getting parking privileges the rest of us don't get. news4's iteam has been undercover for the mast month to find out who's parking for free. tisha thompson has our report. >> reporter: pay to park, or pay the fine. >> what happens if you don't pay the meter? >> then you get a ticket. >> reporter: parking officers don't play around in the district. >> i got a ticket. i'm only three minutes over the time limit. >> reporter: but after getting a tip from a viewer, the news4 iteam started its own parking patrol. wait until you see which district employees are illegally parking all day. and getting away with it. >> oh, wow. that's interesting. >> well, i think it's unfair. >> reporter: it's 7:00 a.m. spots are filling up fast around the d.c. government's center on 14th in northwest. while some drivers drop in coins, it's hard not to notice, car after car after car sitting at unpaid meters. hanging on the mirror?

handicapped placards. according to d.c. law, placards only allow you free parking for twice the posted time on the meter. we watched this guy day after day park his dodge charger on "dstreet at a two-hour meter. he climbs into a d.c. department of transportation van that drives across town where it drops him off at his job directing traffic. three hours after his time expires, his car still sits near the reed center. no money in the meter and no ticket on the window. >> for the last few weeks we've been watching you park this car with a handicapped placard. say again? you don't want to give a comment? we also see this employee parking each morning at a meter, but not paying up before heading to work. one day directing traffic, another day patrolling k street for parking violations. that's right, she writes parking tickets. >> they should have to pay like

everybody else. >> reporter: but parking isn't the only thing we noticed. we followed one of the ddot vans as had drives around for two hours, it stops at a staples, cvs and restaurant before dropping any officers off. we also catch some of the vans running red lights. >> anybody that runs a red light, or breaks a traffic law, that sort of stuff, that's not tolerated. >> reporter: john lyle with ddot said all of its employees are expected to follow the law like everyone else. >> the concern has already been raised with the supervisors to make sure they tell their staff that that's not acceptable. >> reporter: as for parking, lyle said district employees do not get a free pass. and using a handicapped placard does not allow for unlimited use. >> that's an issue that we've been trying to address and it's why we created the red top meter program, so that everybody would have to pay for parking, because we really think that's going to cut down on the fraud. >> reporter: tisha thompson, news4 iteam.

>> after watching our investigation, d.c. council member mary shay said it might be time to do a citywide recall to make sure only those with disacts get a placard. she's interested in teaming up with the data bases to check quickly for violators. maryland voters made history this year. that had some couples looking happily to the future. maryland is one of the first states to approve same-sex marriage instead of having a court decide the issue. the new law takes effect next year. megan mcgrath shows us what that means for one local family. >> reporter: for bonnie and romrom romy, the passage of 6 -- >> i burst out crying. of course. just absolutely thrilled, delighted. >> i'm proud to be a marylander.

>> reporter: reverend berger and reverend paladino have helped hundreds of other same-sex couples commit to their partners. both are ministers who have performed same-sex marriages in d.c. now they look forward to their own wedding in maryland. >> my beloved actually got on her knee and -- and proposed. so that's in the future. >> reporter: like many around the state, berger and paladino watched the election results, as passage became clear. reverend berger got calls from couples she married in the district who wanted to take their vows again in their home state. >> as we followed it on facebook, people were saying, ref remembered bonnie, we got married in d.c., but now can we get married in maryland. >> reporter: she's proud the answer to that question is now yes in maryland. >> it opens my heart. it just says, hurray. hurray for people who went

beyond their own comfort zone to realize that when somebody is not free, none of us are free. >> reporter: reverend berger said she performed the first same-sex marriage on the d.c. steps of the courthouse when it became legal. she's looking forward to doing it again in maryland on january 1st. this year the tenth anniversary of the beltway sniper shootings brought back a lot of painful memories for people. and that includes the ex-wife of convicted sniper john allen muhammad. she told doreen gentzler how she moved on from hardship to find hope. >> on the 23rd, atf knocked on my door to take me to the police station for questioning. that's when they told me they were going to name john as the sniper. >> reporter: that was also when mildred muhammad would learn her husband was really out to murder

her and the ten innocent people who were killed were just a cover. >> so that he could come in as the grieving father and get custody of the children. >> reporter: she said he was abusive to her. after she left him, he disappeared with their three young children. when she finally got them back a judge ordered a restraining order against her ex-husband. >> he said, you have become my enemy, and as my enemy, i will kill you. he said that right in my face. >> i think people would be surprised to know that other people have attacked you. >> they don't consider me, or my children, to be victims. after john was caught, there were people who said to me, to my face, or e-mail, or letters, that if i would have stayed with john, then he would have just killed me. >> after all you've been through, how do you cope with

that kind of thing? >> people were expressing their emotions out of pain. and if they could not get to john, then the next person would be me. >> reporter: at first, mildred muhammad worked hard to protect her family's privacy. but as the years have passed, she has channeled her pain and hardship into hope. she started a nonprofit and website dedicated to helping victims of domestic abuse. she's also in demand as a public speaker, reminding people that all domestic abuse victims pay a painful emotional price. >> you don't have to feel like you're alone, and you don't have to feel like this is your fault. >> reporter: it wasn't until the day her ex-husband was executed in 2009 that mildred said she finally felt safe. >> my life was my own again. and i didn't have to look over my shoulder. >> reporter: doreen gentzler, news4. and mildred muhammad did not comment on recent interviews from lee boyd malvo, who claimed

he was brainwashed and abused by john allen muhammad. but she did tell us that her three kids are doing well despite the traumatic childhood events. two of her kids are in college studying opera and her son is studying to be a professional football player. we have a link to her website. visit nbcwashington.com. an apple store surprise. one of the newest apple gadgets in bethesda. we'll get the experts' take on the latest. this isn't just about tearing down buildings. this is about building lives. >> why

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[ female announcer ] there are lots of differents ways to say get well to your loved ones.is ca. [ female announcer ] but when u send a kleenex®are pack, complete with america's softest tissue, you're also giving a warm gesture of care. kleenex®. america's softest tissue.

♪ in everything you do [ female announcer ] add your own ingredients to hamburger helper for a fresh take on a quick, delicious meal. it's one box with hundreds of possibilities. progresso. in what world do potatoes, bacon and cheese add up to 100 calories? your world. ♪ [ whispers ] real bacon... creamy cheese... 100 calories... [ chef ] ma'am [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. a once rundown public housing project near nats park in d.c. is now a unique mix of affordable housing and homes with up to $1 million. tom sherwood takes us there.

>> reporter: 37-year-old chanel caldwell was holding her ribbon cutting scissors tight. the former ambulance driver couldn't stop smiling. ten years ago, she was moved out of this rundown rat-infested public housing at third and l street near capitol hill. and was promised ten years ago new housing when it was built. >> i thought was never coming back. we moved to richmond. but there were no jobs there. so we moved back. into my mother's basement. i know she is about the happiest one. she's probably doing back flips right now in the basement because we have our own spot. >> reporter: a spot ten years later what's now called capitol quarter. a mix of 323 town homes and apartments, 50% market rate and selling for $600,000 to $1 million. the public housing segment is up to three bedrooms, are sprinkled among the houses. chanel lives in one with her two children and husband, tyrone.

>> you can't tell whose income is what. they're not walking around with their wallets exposed. >> it does say to people that isn't just about tearing down buildings, this is about building lives and people coming back to be able to build their lives. >> reporter: near the new ballpark, capitol quarter is part of the massive makeover in the southeast, including this soon-to-open ice skating rink. chanel gave notice about that skating rink. >> so y'all are going to see me in my ice skates with my little skirt, twirling around. >> reporter: tom sheer wood, news4, washington. >> a happy lady, and a funny lady, too. the 23 acres of development also includes new homes for several hundred senior citizens. well, fuzz-free and pain-free. coming up, see if you'll want to say yes to the no-no hair ♪ i -- i got it, i got it made ♪ ♪ i got it made, i got it made ♪ ♪ i got it made fresh at subway ♪ ♪ breakfast made the way i say ♪ [ male announcer ] at subway, you got it made.

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apple fans are clamoring for a new toy.

there were no long lines at the apple store in bethesda the night before its release, but the tech blog gadget box said the great alternative for those who want the ipad but don't want the higher price tag. but some analysts still say one drawback of how much the mini costs, the cheapest ipad mini is $329. about $130 more than the amazon kindle fire. users don't seem to mind paying a little more. >> i have started to do all my newspapers, magazines, books on my technology. but i'm finding that the iphone, the text is getting smaller and smaller. and the ipad, i like to read in bed. it's a little too clumsy and i drop it. so this to me is the perfect size. >> so you won't hurt your toe, okay? the regular ipad, the mini is available with different storage devices. you can get the big one, the small one, whatever storage size

you want. an extremely popular infomercial promises to get rid of unwanted hair without any pain. so many viewers have been asking about the no-no that liz crenshaw decided to find out, does it really do that. >> introducing no-no from radiancy, the hair removal break-through that gives you smooth, sexy skin with no pain. >> reporter: hair removal with no pain. that's exactly why emily of fairfax, virginia, wanted to give the no-no a try. >> i tried other hair removal things. i tried the epilater, wax, they're painful. >> reporter: so we paid $282 for the no-no and brought it to emily. it comes with the power supply, thermacon tips, buffer, cleaning brush and smooth cream. >> it uses heat to remove the heat, to achieve long-term

reduction in hair regrowth. >> but -- >> does it really do that? >> in menopause, i've gotten some facial hair, so i'm interested in this. i've gotten fuzzy on my cheeks. i'm going to try my legs, my underarms. >> reporter: she also wants to get along coarse hair on her hairline and upper lip. it was time to get started. do you feel anything when the light goes on and -- >> i can tell you, actually, no, not really. i just feel a little jump, which is great. there's no pain associated at all. >> reporter: no-no recommends using the device two to three times a week for the first four to six weeks. so we left the no-no with her and followed up with her six weeks later. she said the no-no held up well. >> everything worked beautifully. the heads stay in place. it charged well. >> reporter: she described one small learning curve. >> so i'd have to pull my face a little bit, make sure the skin

was smooth before i ran it over the skin. it is a hot wire that you're using, so you have to be careful with it. >> reporter: she used the no-no on her face. >> it really did zap the hair. the hair is coming back, but very fine and short. so i'm very pleased with how it did on my face. >>eporter: on her hairline -- >> it's finer and growing in more slowly. it's a little bit less, yes. >> reporter: and her legs. >> i did my right leg only. and you can really feel the difference. i mean, it is thinner, there's less of it. it grows back more slowly. that's the key thing. >> reporter: so the no-no, does it really do that? >> it really does that. >> reporter: for $282, would you buy one? >> i would absolutely buy one, yes. i'm really pleased with it. i'm looking forward to using it more consistently over a longer period. >> there you go. well, a homecoming game that had everyone rooting for one

student. next, see how one teen who suffered life-threatening injuries

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we end now with the incredible story of a local high school student. he was paralyzed during a family vacation. after months of rehab, he reunited with classmates at a homecoming game. and what happened next had the crowd in tears. erica gonzalez reports from burke high school. >> reporter: the sights and sounds of a packed stadium. homecoming. 17-year-old nick balinger asked his girlfriend to be his date. but how do you dance with a beautiful girl when you're paralyzed from the chest down. balinger's going to have to figure that out. one of many new firsts for the burke high teen who suffered a life-threatening injury in his spinal cord while vacationing with his family in hawaii. >> dove in. thought the water ws deas deepe

than it was. >> reporter: after weeks of intensive physical therapy, a break-through. balinger took his first steps. >> both my sons play baseball. i think all that training as an athlete has really groomed him to be resilient. >> reporter: before the accident, balinger and his baseball team won a state championship title. and tonight are being honored with rings. in a moment that would make even the hardest of hearts tender, the teen who spent his last birthday in icu telling his parents he couldn't feel his legs. stood up from his wheelchair to receive his ring. >> i didn't want to disappoint my teammates, so i got better. >> reporter: to learn more about nick balinger and how to help him and his family, go to nbcwashington.com. erica gonzalez, news4. >> thanks for joining us. that's all for "news4 this week."

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