welcome to "news4 this week." hi, everyone. i'm veronica johnson. we're going to show you some of the more interesting local stories making news this week. among them -- it's inauguration time. we're going behind the scenes of the parade checking out the inaugural balance fashions and how this year's ceremony will be different from the last. finding love at the library. it's true, the event that lets you check out more than books. and a fond farewell for why the hogettes are hanging up their snouts and dresses. first the world is reacting to the doping confession by

cyclist lance armstrong. after years of suspicions and denials, he admitted to oprah winfrey he did cheat in the tour de france and other races. tom sherwood has local reaction that rangeses from disappointment to i told you so. >> reporter: the bike shop action the admission wasn't that surprising. >> yeah, i think it's one of those things that just like was inevitable, it was a matter of when was it official. >> reporter: in a recorded interview with oprah winfrey, one of the world's most famous cyclists is said to have admitted years of cheating. what do you think about it? >> it's a bummer. i was a big advocate of him. he's one of the reasons why, you know -- one of the reasons why i became big in biking, is because of his story. >> reporter: sport media management consultant doug eldridge agrees armstrong could face more than criticism. >> this is not a public relation

battle, but quite literally a legal battle. >> reporter: he could face legal claims from sponsors like the u.s. postal service, which backed six of his seven tour wins. >> there's a potential defrauding of the u.s. taxpayer. >> reporter: back any bike shop, owner denies and her staff said they're ready for the story, as sad as it is, to be over. >> it leaves me personally with a heavy heart. >> everybody was well, you know, i like to believe the epic story. >> reporter: tom sherwood, news4, washington. yes. so we have to move on to better news here. just that, one of the world's bigs charities, a goodwill story in manassas just made more than $11,000 from auctioning off a piece of artwork. richard jordan has more on how they spotted this valuable donation. >> we received different things. this is a very nice piece. >> reporter: maria can pick out a diamond in the rough. rivera has been sorting through

charitable donations for years, but she has never seen anything like the old oil painting of a woman drinking tea, now valued at $12,000. >> it's the real deal. >> reporter: the donation was dropped off at the manassas store and donation center. the woman in the painting is no mona lisa, but rivera knew there was still something special about her. >> i said, let me take this one out. >> reporter: rivera said the picture aside. sure enough, the hunch proved right. >> we decided it was in our best interests at that point to get it appraised and authenticated only to learn it's an batista batiglia painting, which is worth about $12,000. >> reporter: he hope the donation was an act of goodwill. the charity fully expects someone, at least maybe two, three people, will come forward to say they are the ones that made the contribution, but there's no way to verify that. so it goes back to the old rule on the playground -- finders keepers. the proceeds will be used for

job training. rivera said she had a feeling the painting would pay off. >> i didn't know how much at that time, but i said, we have some money here. >> reporter: in 345 that's, richard jordan, news4. the real deal. speaking of words of art, inauguration days is almost here. we got an inside look at the works of art created for the inaugural parade, the hargrove company in atlanta, maryland has been making floats since 1949. workers have spent thousands of hours on this year's floats that will represent the home days of the obamas and bidens, and key moments in civil rights history. well, organizers hope a different approach will help cut down on the chaos ticket holders experienced in 2009. there would be more volunteers directing visitors to the right areas for the ceremony. a new mobile app. will also help guide people around the congested areas. more cell towers are going up to make sure that everyone has

phone service. in fact, 250,000 people are expected to attend the swearing-in alone. president obama will show his support for d.c. voting rights during the inauguration for the first time his limo will have the district's taxation without representation license plates on it. the white house says the president has seen how unfair it is to the families in the district to work hard, pay their taxes without having a vote in congress. that's right. the plates will be on the white house vehicles throughout president obama's second term. well, 40,000 people are expected to pack their presents to the inaugural ball events. that means that there's a lot of competition to find the best evening gowns. angie goff got help to find out what's appropriate and what's on trend. ♪ >> reporter: when getting ready for a presidential night of unpredictable fashion, choosing

a dress can be daunting at the ritz carlton, we catch up with april yvonne, who with the help of saks, shows us house to make a statement. first suggestion -- go glam. >> right now we have lawrence, sporting a gorgeous gold baglia misha dress. this is indiana spired by the red carpet. the gold shimmer is in, it's on trend. >> reporter: april says bed belle of the ball in bronze. >> the bustiers bodice top brings everything in and lets it flow down. we've paired it with a gorgeous statement necklace. >> reporter: another trend color. she says blues are the new black. >> if you want to be patriotic and don't want to do too over the top with red white and blue, go ahead and go with navy. >> reporter: for those who want to get bolder, she says go green. >> sort of reminiscent of a green goddess. if you want to take a chance, try mixing this with animal

prints. >> reporter: polka dots are in this season, the peplums are back and a bodice keeps it trendy but classy. the big question -- what will she wear? ♪ at last >> reporter: she wowed the world with a one-shoulder gown with a gown by jason wu. >> i think she'll definitely stray away from doing any creams or whites, but she might move over to the colorful side, maybe do a pastel color, purple or pink. >> reporter: angie goff, news4. >> so cool. she says she's choosing life over beauty. still ahead the drastic surgery that a local beauty queen is about to go through after competing in the miss america pageant. pageant. we have your gift card

kids... they'll tell you exactly what they're thinking... pageant. we have your gift card especially my niece. the moment she pointed out my moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis... well, it was really embarrassing. so i had a serious talk with my dermatologist. this time, she prescribed humira-adalimumab. humira helps to clear the surface of my skin by actually working inside my body.

in clinical trials, most adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis saw 75% skin clearance. and the majority of people were clear or almost clear in just 4 months. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. make the most of every moment. ask your dermatologist about humira, today. clearer skin is possible.

a local beauty queen is getting ready for a dramatic surgery. after competing in the miss america pageant. 24-year-old allyn rose, this year's miss d.c., will undergo a double mastectomy. she has not been diagnosed with breast cancer, but she did find out that she has the gene that greatly increases her risk for the disease. >> you know, it was tough to sit there and say i'm going to make this radical decision to change my body, but i think the more i did my research into it and i found out, you know, that my mom wasn't designationed with stage 1 at 27, it was stage 3/borderline stage 4. she almost lost her life. >> she plans to have reconstructive surgery after the mastectomy. more and more emergency roo visits are now linked to energy drinks. they're known to cause insomnia, nervousness, headaches, fast heartbeats, even seizures.

between 2007 and 2011, the number of patients doubled. most cases involved teens or young adults. billions of dollars are spent on gift cards, and chances are you're holding a few, right? liz crenshaw explains the latest gift card rules to know, and how to make sure you get the biggest bang for your buck. >> there is something you know people can get exactly what they want. >> they're practical. >> now it's time to spend the gift cards you received. but first, take a look at the fine print. gift card rules changed in recent years. >> the very first thing i would say is to be mindful of the expiration day. >> reporter: pamela bangs, the publisher of "consumer reports" the good news is federal rules require money on a gift card to be good for at least five years from the date the card was purchased. >> i do often forget about them, but eventually i find them somewhere in my wallet.

>> reporter: beware, if you hang on to them for more than a year, the value may start slipping away. >> if you don't use your card for 12 months, you could be assessed a monthly fee that eats away the value of the card. >> reporter: remember, treat your gift card like cash, and keep it safe. if you lose it or it's stolen, you may be charged a fee to replace it. that's if the store agrees to replace a gift card at all. it's also up to a store's policy whether you can combine gift cards. >> most stores want your business, so they'll try to work with you. >> reporter: retail gift cards can only be used at the retailer or restaurant named on the card. bank gift cards can be used wherever the brand is accepted. it's important to know there's a difference, though, between bank gift cards and prepaid bank reloadable cards. prepaid bank reloadable cards do not fall unit the gift card rules, so you may be hit with more fees. >> there are federal protection under federal law, but the best

railroads comes with credit cards. >> not happy with the gift cards you received? "consumer reports" says consider exchanging them or selling them online. you can do that at several web sites. gift cards, a great way to take advantage of most holiday sales without hitting your bank account. >> i usually use them straight after i get them. >> liz crenshaw always helping us out. they're trying to set the mood. coming up, why you might want to forgo a bar for a trip to the library. plus this -- >> i can't take it! you might be surprised at what prompted this meltdown. it's still ahead on "news4 this week." [ fingers tapping ]

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the site unveiled a new search engine called "grass search." it mines your facebook connections to give you personalized answers about people, photos, places and interests. facebook says the new search engine will only use public information on people's pages. it's still in testing now. the search engine is only available to a limited number of people. well, if it's a relationship connection that you're searching for, you might want to try your luck at a place that's normally reserved for studying. news4's david culver checked out the first of many new speed dating events at a library in alexandria. >> reporter: inside the library, dating is on a deadline. >> time to move, guys. >> reporter: the folks gathered here are all about efficiency. >> nice to meet you. >> reporter: there's little time for awkward pauses or second thoughts. just when you get comfortable drp [ laughter ] >> just kidding. >> reporter: you're walking. you get to go northward.

>> reporter: the rules are simple, three minutes later, the bell rings and you move along. in an age where some would go online to find love -- >> you use the internet i'm sure. >> reporter: those here choose different types of face time. >> more intimate setting that the online option cannot provide. >> kayla. nice to meet you as well. >> you do have to have a bit more guts to do something like this. >> reporter: and sometimes brutal honesty. >> i don't think we'll date. >> i know it's an age thing. >> kayla found her suitors a little older. >> i wasn't born yet. >> that's all right. you're forgiving. >> reporter: but she made a f few -- >> that too. >> reporter: a good thing for kayla's best friend turned wing man. >> she didn't want to come by myself. i figured, you know, it's an

opportunity to be social. why not? >> reporter: he met a girl he kind of liked. >> she left before i even got up. it's all good. >> reporter: his advice? >> come with a friend. at least you leave smiling. >> reporter: and if all else fails, you can always check out a book. in alexandria, david culver, news4. there are five more speed dating events scheduled for the beetly library this year. the next one is on valentine's day. if you're not doing anything, it's at 7:00 p.m. one last cheer for the hog either, nbc. [ female announcer ] there are lots of different ways to say get well to your loved ones. ♪ this came for you, mommy. [ female announcer ] but it takes the touch of kleenex® brand, america's softest tissue, to turn a gesture into a complete gift of care. [ barks ] send your own free kleenex® care pack... full of soothing essentials

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i can't take it! i can't take this! i can't take it anymore! i can't -- [ screaming ] i think i heard my husband say the same things. those overtimes. we don't have to tell you that

football fans are certainly passionate about their teams. one ravens fan, hear his reaction to the double o.t., it takes it to a whole new level. keith letourneau living in bel air, maryland, and he absolutely lost it. a lot of people thought he was hamming it up for the camera, but his wife says she is tapes it and says he always celebrates a big ravens wince this way. that's so funny. game over for one of the iconic cheering groups in washington. after three decades of the pigpen, the hogettes are calling it quits. news4's pat collins sat down with the boss hog ette cheer. >> root 'em out, hogs. [ snorting ] >> reporter: 1983, the redskins went to the super bowl. "tootsie" was a big box office success, and the hogettes got

together in what we now call the pigpen. 11 grown men dressed as women with muumuus and pig snouts, and off-the-wall cheering squad named in honor of the hogs, the nickname of the famous offensive line. now after 30 years, the hogettes have decided to hang it up. why, mikey t? why? >> well, pat, 30 years of guys in pig snouts and dresses, we thought that was enough. >> reporter: you look at the hogettes, and you have to wonder -- how did they get guys to do this? no problem, says the boss. >> in order to be a hogette, you had to be big, family man, huge redskins fan, and willing to put on a hog cheerleader outfit. >> reporter: with the snout? >> with the snout. >> reporter: and then learn that cheer. >> re 'em out, re 'em out,

root 'em out hogs. >> reporter: little by also the past is fading away. no rfk, no hogs, and now no hogettes. it just won't be the same [ snorting ] in virginia, near the pigpen, pat collins, news4. [ snorting ] maybe pat will just keep that costume on. the hogettes' legacy is more than just about football and pig snouts. they've also raised millions for children's charities right here in this area throughout the years. so we thank you for your time and service with that. thanks that's all for "news4 this week. j.c. i'm veronica johnson until next time be safe, be kind and remember to be happy.