area, a lot of trees, open space out there. not a very congested area. and as chopper 4 pulls out, you get a better picture of what happened there. we know this was a single engine plane and helicopter that collided in mid-air. three people have been killed. two people have been rushed to the hospital. let's hear now from authorities who are there on the scene. >> we were told there was a mid-air collision near the frederick municipal airport. between a small helicopter and a small plane. we, fire rescue, have concern that we have three -- that have succumbed to injuries, because this mid-air collision, and we have a -- not-so-serious patient and semi serious. they're being transported to a hospital. and at this point we're just trying to stabilize the scene and then it will be a police

investigation. >> again, right now trying to stabilize the scene. the police are out there, they're investigating, as well. some context to put this in context for you. there had been several near misses between helicopters and small planes in that area. this was back about seven years ago. but that was at the time because there was no control tower at frederick airport. in fact, some of the maryland state police helicopter pilots who have been flying in the area had complained and warned there could be a collision in the air because of that. but in may of 2012, a frederick county did get the money from the federal government to build that control tower. that was supposed to mid mitigate some of the dangers. but as we can see here, something has occurred mid-air. and you're getting a wide look now at the area -- getting a better perspective of some of the debris that's fallen in that area. again, investigators are on the ground trying to make sure there are no more victims.

we can confirm two people being treated at trauma center. chris lawrence at the live desk, back to you. >> thank you, chris. now to our other top story tonight at 5:00. security at the white house. the latest white house fence jumper appeared in court late this afternoon. >> and we have learned this is not his first run-in with police around the white house this year. we have live team coverage. we're going to begin with mark segrav segraves, who just got out of the courtroom. >> rep that's right, wag wendy. i'm here at federal court, u.s. district court and as most of the lawyers in our audience know, in a courtroom, you usually only speak if you're spoken to, and if you're the defendant, you always let your lawyer do the talking. but several times today, dominic tried to speak directly to the judge. and several times u.s. marshals had to tell him to be quiet. last night, dominic al sanaa

jumped the fence before being taken into custody. today the 23-year-old man from bel-air, maryland, was wearing blue hospital scrubs and large bandages on his arm as he appeared before a judge. he tried several times during the hearing to get the judge's attention. each time, marshals calmed him down. when the hearing ended, he continued motioning to the judge as the marshals grabbed his arms and ushered him out of the courtroom. court documents show al sanaa was arrested twice in july for similar incidents. on july 27th, he jumped over a barrier near a restricted guard post at the white house and was arrested. a judge released him, pending a later court date. three days later, he was arrested again. this time at the treasury department around the corner from the white house, where he fought with police and secret service. police say he yelled obscenities at the guard and became hostile. he stated he was there because he was being targeted due to his race by the rothchild family who owned the federal reserve bank.

he said he wanted the cameras placed in his house removed. and he stated the first barrier he jumped over was easy and the next fence to the south grounds of the white house would not be a problem as well. he was arrested and released after that second incident, as well. and ordered to wear a monitoring bracelet on his ankle. he never showed up for his court date for either of the previous arrests. now he will be in d.c. superior court tomorrow morning on those two july charges and his failure to appear for those hearings. and then he's back here at federal court on monday for the fence-jumping at the white house last night. in the meantime, he'll undergo a psychiatric evaluation. coming up at 6:00, with what the white house is now saying about recent security breaches at the president's home. reporting live at u.s. district court, mark segraves, news4. >> and we're getting our first look now at the dogs that work with the secret service at the white house. that's hurricane on the left, jordan on the right. the secret service tells us both were treated for minor bruising

after last night's jumper incident, but both are now back on the job. this latest incident follows changes in security at the white house, including the resignation of the secret service director. joining us with some insight is nbc news senior white house correspondent, chris jansing. did the protocols work according to plan last night? >> reporter: yeah, that's the first thing, jim and wendy, the white house will say, is this time it worked. obviously, they have that embarrassing incident back in september when somebody scaled the wall and actually got well into the white house. this time he was stopped very quickly with those dogs who have become instant celebrities. but this will be reviewed, nevertheless, every time there is a fence-jumper. it's not an unusual occurrence. there is a review. but there is a larger review that is ongoing as a result of some of the more embarrassing incidents that happened, including that one in september. some of the things they're looking at is are there different ways they ought to be using personnel. are there different, better uses of technology. is there technology they don't have now that they should.

and maybe the biggest question is about those barriers, and you heard him saying it was easy to get over. they have this second row of bike racks there that aren't very high, in addition to the fence, which is very historic. should there be a higher fence, should there be some other sort of barrier. there is always this very difficult push/pull between wanting this to look open, to be the people's house, but also providing security, obviously, for the first family. there is that ongoing review. there will be a report, some of which, not all of which, will be made public. the question was asked today at the press briefing, whether or not the president would veto and the answer from press secretary josh earnest, the president would look carefully at the recommendation, take very seriously what the security experts have to say, and they will go from there. now back to you, jim, wendy. >> all right, thank you. chris jansing at the white house. new video tonight of a man who had to be rescued from a d.c. creek. this happened right on the maryland line here near where

south capitol street and southern avenue intersect in southeast d.c. firefighters haven't said if the man fell into the creek or got stuck. but they loaded him on to a backboard and pulled him up the steep embankment on a ladder. we're working to find out how badly he was injured. a grandmother with dementia dies steps away from the police who were supposed to find her. tonight that police department says they messed up. shomari stone is live with more on the apology and what's being done now. shomari? >> reporter: this new report reveals that the u.s. park police did not at times effectively communicate during the search for 83-year-old victoria kong during roll calls. that's when one shift comes in and both shifts are supposed to share information. last year, kong's family tells me they were heartbroken, devastated, when her body was airport from miami she after an extended vacation in

barbados. >> on a personal note, to say that i'm appalled is an understatement. these comments are gut-wrenching and tear at the thread of our law enforcement profession. >> reporter: u.s. park police acting chief robert mclean apologized to the family of 83-year-old victoria kong after the office of the inspector general found five officers made inappropriate comments during a search for her last year. >> well, the ig found that the behavior of the officers had no bearing on the outcome of the search. i wanted to take this opportunity to discuss the report and the insensitive remarks made by a handful of park police personnel. >> reporter: kong went missing after landing at reagan national airport last may. her body was found off the gw parkway, along an embankment three days later. of her family was concerned about her short-term memory loss. according to the new ig report, in a recorded phone call line at the dispatch center, the shift commander with the u.s. park police described victoria kong

as a 9,000-year-old alzheimer's woman, and said she probably went into the [ expletive ] river. >> these comments are gut-wrenching and tear at the thread of our law enforcement profession. >> reporter: the report says four other officers made insensitive comments in an internal memo. >> i had the opportunity to meet with the kong family yesterday. although mere words are inadequate, i was able to offer my personal, sincere condolences to the family and to apologize for the insensitive comments made by the park police officers. >> reporter: now in the report, the shift commander also adds that he was frustrated by the staffing shortage last year at the time of the comments. now, the five officers, according to the acting chief, they were disciplined. however, we were not told how they were specifically disciplined. and i reached out to the kong family, and they were unavailable to comment on this new report. live in southeast d.c., shomari stone, news4. it will be nearly a year before the suspect accused in three high-profile murders in

alexandria goes on trial. charles severance heard his trial date in person today in court in alexandria, where he appeared live for the first time. julie carey is live outside the courthouse with word on who else appeared in that court hearing. julie? >> reporter: well, today was the first time the victims' families have had a chance to see in person the man accused of kill their loved ones. all three victims shot to death, just inside the front door of their homes. also today, the judge laid out a road map for their families about how this murder trial might progress. >> we all miss ruth ann dearly, every day. >> reporter: john kelly is a neighbor and close friend of murder victim, ruth ann lodato. he wore this pin to court, a remembrance of the beloved music teacher who was shot as she answered h door february. charles severance is also accused of killing nancy dunning, the former sheriff's wife, more than a decade ago. and transportation planner ron

kirby last november. relatives of kirby and dunning were also in the courthouse as the judge rejected a defense request to give them until 2016 to prepare for trial. judge jay morrow rausch set october 5th, 2015, as the trial date. >> i think the families will appreciate the judge's commitment to setting the trial date to sticking to a schedule for these families who have -- in cases been living with this for more than ten years. there has been no certainty since their lives have been shattered. >> reporter: charles severance sat quietly in court. the striped jail jumpsuit in this picture now replaced by a green one. his parents sat in the front row. today severance's attorneys got permission to hire two outside investigators to help with their case. they hinted they may also ask the judge to try the murder cases celebrately, to sever them. can you say whether it is your intent to sever the cases? you mentioned in court.

>> i can only say we need to look at the discovery materials once we get them to make that kind of decision. it's just too early. >> reporter: now, the judge also made her first ruling today on our request to have cameras in the courtroom of this high-profile trial. i'll tell you what she decided coming up on news4 at 6:00. reporting live from alexandria, i'm julie carey, news4. >> julie, thank you. nearly 8 million air bags recalled. could you get yours replaced now, even if you wanted to? we'll tell you what the automakers are saying about it today, and about you taking your car to the dealership. plus, one of the first arrests under maryland's new revenge porn laws. we're going to hear from the victim, only on news4. and reports of viral meningitis at the university of maryland. what we're learning from the health department. >> how's our weather? >> a solar eclipse tonight. trading-in or selling your car, truck or suv? webuyanycar.com takes the hassle out of selling in just 3 easy steps. one, get your free online valuation. two, book an appointment.

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we're staying on top of our breaking news in frederick

county, maryland. a plane and a helicopter have collided. take a look now. this is new. chopper 4 is giving us our first look at the site where the helicopter went down. you can see this is in a slightly different area. it is near some of the buildings in that facility surrounded by a ring of trees. there is not much left of the helicopter, unlike some of the images of the small single-engine plane that we were seeing earlier in which they were bigger pieces. we can tell you, we did just get a statement from the faa that says the cirrus sr-22 aircraft and r-44 helicopter collided in mid-air, near the frederick municipal airport about 3:40. they're saying that the aircraft was inbound to the airport, and the helicopter was involved in some training exercise. the ntsb on the ground and taking part in the investigation. at the live desk, chris

lawrence, back to you. >> quite a perspective. we want to update you on the massive air bag recall. the government says the cars need to be fixed now. but we have learned some dealers don't have the parts. >> consumer reporter erika gonzales spoke with a local woman who worries about her safety. >> reporter: air bags from shrapnel. the national highway traffic safety administration says take your car to the dealership and have it replaced immediately. >> i have had the car since 2003. and nothing has happened. and -- >> jane conlin of silver spring reached out to us as soon as she heard the news. her honda accord is on the list but says she was turned away at the dealer. >> he says we don't have any of

the parts. we have nothing. >> reporter: jane's story is one we're hearing from a lot of you. we called automakers impacted by the recall and got a response from most. but have not heard back from honda. the responses we have received widely, everything from disabling the air bags to handling the problem on a case-by-case basis. this is a list of all of the vehicles that have been affected by this air bag recall. and you can find it on our website, nbcwashington.com. as a matter of fact, this 2006 honda ridge line is one of the vehicles on this list. the air bags, the takata air bag attention in the honda make up more than 5 million recalls on the list. >> reporter: jane just wants the air bag problem fixed. >> but i really wish they would tell us if we could have it disabled. because i am -- i'm a realtor, and i don't want to put people in my car, and -- it would be dangerous. >> reporter: you can find each of the automakers' responses with how you should proceed if your air bag is on the list on

our website, nbcwashington.com. erika gonzales, news4. blustery day out there today. >> yeah. >> yeah, we have seen winds gusting upwards of 20, 30 miles per hour. the wind whipping right through the buildings. you needed the jacket across the region. if you didn't have the jacket, you're doing this thing. look right now. with some sunshine, it did come out and is help us to get to 67 degrees. that's where we were a little earlier this afternoon. now down to 64. those winds still out of the northwest at 20 miles per hour. latest wind gust at 30 miles per hour. so, yes, we are still defining continuing to see wind and we'll see it into the overnight. 61 degrees, cooler. gaithersburg at 63. and winchester. nice afternoon when you consider where we were yesterday. only in the mid to upper 50s. no rain to talk about. storm team 4 radar all clear. and right now we're starting to lose the cloud cover. that's some really good news. the eclipse starts at 5:53 tonight, off to the west, just as the sun is starting to go

down. i'll have much more at 5:45. stay tuned for that. there is the nor easter and look how big a storm this is. this really is a monster of a storm. for us, did not bring that big of an impact. as we mentioned the last couple days. but the boston area, winds of 50 and 60 miles per hour, a lot of trees down, power outages down in that area. some beach erosion. this will not go down in the history books as a monster storm for them either. but it is a monster as far as size goes. future weather showing what we're dealing with tomorrow morning. some sunshine early. a very nice start. but it will be a cool start by tomorrow afternoon. still more sunshine. we're talking about a pretty nice-looking friday. look at the overnight lows. 46 in leesburg. 47 gaithersburg. 44 in frederick. and 51 in downtown. we are talking a pretty cool start to your friday. but all in all, friday is looking like a very, very nice day with a high temperature of around 67. still dealing with a little bit of a breeze. right through friday and saturday. not quite as windy. sunday the wind picks up with a high of 66. still quite nices after a

frontal boundary. monday, 67 degrees. what's going on on sunday? a lot of you, and there are going to be a lot, running the marine corps marathon on sunday. starts at 7:40 in the morning. 53 degrees, chilly side. 59 by 11:00. again, a little breezy, but the wind not quite as strong as we were thinking yesterday. so that's good news. our own chuck bell from storm team 4 going for a personal best this year. call me, check. tell me what that personal best is. 67 on monday. tuesday and wednesday, look athe those numbers, guys. highs in the upper 70s. >> thank you, doug. it was a call for help during a domestic violence dispute. find out what happened after police got on the scene and how one man wound up dead. parents and kids could be just hours away from learning if they can sleep in a little longer before starting the school day. we'll have a live report on the we'll have a live report on the impact in fairfax, next.

he's been called a super lobbyist, the ultimate washington insider. ed gillespie paid millions to lobby for the oil companies for a student loan company that overcharged taxpayers. his firm even lobbied for five foreign governments including a dictator now awaiting trial for war crimes. and then there's enron. gillespie lobbied for them while they committed the largest corporate fraud in us history. ed gillespie. the million dollar lobbyist whose never looked out for you.

new details tonight about a

hit and run crash that still has a d.c. teenager fighting for his life. we first told you about this tuesday night that a boy was struck at the intersection of east capitol and 50th streets here in northeast. we have now learned the boy is a student at nearby hd woodson high school. d.c. police still looking for a person in a dark-colored vehicle who sped away without stopping. students in fairfax county could learn if they're going to be able to sleep in later next school year. >> that's right. the school board will cast their final vote tonight on a plan that would push start times later. it's something that's being considered by county and city school districts across our region. and even being pushed by maryland governor martin o'malley. news4's kristin wright joins us live with a preview of tonight's big vote. >> reporter: well, students, parents and school board members, school officials in fairfax county have been talking about this for a long time now. and finally tonight, here at jackson middle school, there is going to be a decision. here's what is on the table.

a middle school start time of 7:30 with the goal of moving them closer to 8:00 a.m. high school, 8:00 or 8:10. right now, high school students start at 7:20. and many are getting up at 5:00 something in the morning. elementary students wouldn't see much of a change. researchers that studied the fairfax county school district say the older students just aren't getting enough sleep. and here's why many parents agree. >> i've heard that some of the high school buses have to leave at 6:30 in the morning. lots of these kids do sports and then they have to do their homework and it's brutal for them. >> reporter: there is opposition, of course. one of the reasons being the cost, $5 million. now, if the school board votes to approve these changes, they would start next school year. the meeting is tonight at 7:00 here at jackson middle school in falls church. live in fairfax county, kristin wright, news4. >> thanks, kristin. now at 5:00 -- >> a health scare at the university of maryland.

we have new details on the reports of viral meningitis. and white house jumpers are multiplying now. we'll look back at the incidents not so rare. we're also going to have an update on breaking news from frederick, maryland. a deadly mid-air

right now at 5:30, a life or death financial. >> opening doors to a block full of cops. with guns drawn, somebody sitting here with a gun and we were being held hostage. >> it turns out to be a prank. a victim of so-called swatting tell us her terrorizing tale as the number of cases spike. some filed a petition to the white house that could change your holidays schedule. and a local mother of twins. her life changed in an instant after the death of a son. now she has something to smile about. and we are staying on top of our breaking news tonight. investigators fanning out across the area that surrounds frederick municipal airport

after a small cirrus plane on its way to the airport collided mid-air with a helicopter that was on its way to a training exercise. investigators are working two crash scenes just a short distance apart. we know that at leas three people are dead, two it others taken to a nearby hospital. chopper 4 over the scene, and we have a crew on the ground headed to the airport. we'll keep you updated here on news4 and on nbcwashington.com. now to health concerns tonight at a local university. >> tonight some students are being treated for viral meningitis. pat lawson muse at the live desk with the details. >> wendy, this involves three separate cases of viral meningitis. all on the university of maryland's college park campus. school officials tell us, one of the most recent cases involved a student who was diagnosed over the weekend. they say all three students are believed to have had contact with one another. no one has been hospitalized at this point. we're told they're all being monitored and they're all being treated for their symptoms, which typically can last up to

ten days. again, this involves cases of viral meningitis, which the cdc says is often less severe than bacterial meningitis and usually revolves itself. that's latest from the live desk. back to you. >> pat, thank you. tonight a sheriff's deputy in prince george's county is on administrative leave after a shooting. and a short time ago, we learned the man who was shot has died. the deputy was on a domestic violence call on houston street in suitland early this morning. after some sort of confrontation, he shot the man in the chest. the officer was not injured. in prince george's county, again last year, the state's attorney's office prosecuted 2,500 cases of domestic violence, and this summer we saw a spike in those crimes that ended with the murders of four young children. i spoke today about those cases with prosecutor angela alsobrooks. >> it's not limited to intimate partners. this violence really has spread across our families and really has i think increased the

urgency for all of us to eradicate it, to make sure there is not only killing the adult, but we have to really recognize the whole family is impacted by domestic violence. >> and you can hear more of my conversation with alsobrooks on domestic violence in the county this sunday morning on "viewpoint." last night's fence-jumper is just the latest in a spring of similar security breaches at the white house over the past five years. in june of 2009, a woman got over the fence carrying a backpack. the grounds were locked down at the time because of concerns she could have been carrying explosives. turned out to be harmless. two years later, a homeless man makes it over the fence, got tackled quickly by the secret service. you can see two officers leading him away in handcuffs. fast forward two years to june 20th, 2013. a code pink protester got arrested for jumping during a protest against guantanamo bay. this spring, a man whose identity has not been released arrested after getting over the fence. and then lamonth, two incidents.

september, a man holding a peek achew doll and wearing pokeyman clothing got over the fence. he was quickly arrested. perhaps the most embarrassing, a week later a man with a knife made it over the fence and got inside the white house before secret service managed to stop him in the east room. following that incident, a second barrier was put out in front of the north lawn fence. the secret service director resigned amid controversy from that breach. and a series of other lapses with the agency. we are learning more now about a high-profile star-studded event set to take place at the white house next month. a salute to the troops workshop and concert will take place on november 6th. it's to celebrate military service members, veterans and their families. artists including mary j. blige, common, willie nelson and romeo santos will perform. president obama will also give a special address to honor the troops. if you plan on heading to

the concert for valor on veterans day, expect to see stepped up security. u.s. park police tell us they will treat the concert on the mall in a similar fashion to the 4th of july festivities. so expect numerous security check points. the concert features music mega stars like bruce springsteen, kerry underwood and metallic. 800,000 people are expected to attend. the chance to pay final respects to ben bradley. his funeral is next wednesday at the national cathedral. there will be limited seating. a section will be roped off for current and former washington post employees. bradley led that newsroom for more than two decades and oversaw coverage of the watergate scandal and past away earlier this week at the age of 93. so-called mayor for life marian berry being honored today for four decades of public

service. radio 1 declared today marion berry day, and hosted the councilman at their studios. listeners called in between 9:00 and 4:30 this afternoon to ask questions. some special guests also joined him on air throughout the day. berry was first elected to the d.c. city council back in 1974, and served four terms as mayor. still to come at 5:00 tonight, her most personal moments broadcast worldwide online. now one woman's ex charged with revenge porn. >> yes, i made a video. but that doesn't give him the authority to display my body or my sexuality for others' enjoyment. also a local mother now a mega millionaire. what she plans to do with her winnings. >> doug? >> guys, take a look at this. the sun starting to be seen out there. a few clouds. but we've got a solar eclipse happening. it starts in d.c., and about the next 15 minutes, this is a live shot from l.a.

we are also streaming this on nbcwashington.com. i'll be back with more on what you can expect this evening, coming u

welcome back to news4 at 5:00. i'm dianna russini. we told you yesterday rg3 will not play monday night, according to our sources. today head coach jay gruden said he is sticking with colt mccoy as the starting quarterback. i had the chance to go one-on-one with the new quarterback as he gets ready for his first redskins start against the team he grew up rooting for. >> you know, for me, i don't think my approach will change all that much. i really try to prepare each week as if i was the starter. we know we have a challenge ahead of us this weekend. so it will be important for us to practice well. >> on sunday, the chances of you

playing were decently high but not that high. did you have family and friends that were maybe thinking, wow we just came here thinking there was no shot and then we got to see him? >> yeah, i had some family here and best friend from high school and wife and baby. we had babies all over the house. friends and family. it was a fun weekend. yeah, they were in for a total surprise, for sure. >> reporter: what did they say after the game? >> they were fired up. they said they were just spectators in the first half and in the second half, on the edge of their seats. >> reporter: what's your wife like right now? >> she's pretty good. she was an athlete too, so understands the competition factor. and she's been real supportive of me over the last couple years, and it's been tough not playing, and not knowing your role exactly. so, you know, she's been great. and i'm sure she was nervous in the bleachers, but she's fine. she'll be all right. >> reporter: bleachers? it's like he's still back in high school. mccoy says not much changes when

you go from third string to starter. one thing does. the number of ticket requests from family and friends, you can imagine, he's getting swarmed with those now that they're going back. >> yeah, they've got a lot of tickets when they don't just have bleachers. >> where are the bleachers? >> exactly. a mom from prince george's county is one of the newest millionaires in our area. aisha hawkins just claimed her check from the d.c. lottery. hawkins is a stay-at-home mom of twins from capitol heights. she started a nonprofit to help critically ill children after losing a child. on september 9th, she matched all but the mega ball numbers. she bought her ticket at palisades deli and market on macarthur boulevard. congratulations. a mother is living in fear tonight because she doesn't know when will be the next time cops come knocking at her door. we'll tell you about an alarming prank that is spreading across the country. and it's a step in the right direction. we're going to learn how a woman's crusade in the battle

against hiv and aids is a very personal fight. ♪

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only on news4. a woman speaking out now about her ex who posted intimate photos and videos of the two of them to the internet. >> now he's facing charges under maryland's new law against so-called revenge porn. news4's pat collins has that story. >> reporter: 29-year-old patrick himba, said to be one of the first men charged under maryland's new revenge porn law. today i spoke to the victim in the case. when you saw yourself on those porn sites, what went through your mind? >> i felt helpless. i felt like all these people are enjoying something that was supposed to be so beautiful and intimate. i was making love to my boyfriend. i didn't -- i wasn't starring in a porn movie for people to enjoy. >> reporter: we call her jane. because of the sensitive nature of the story, we're not using her real name or showing her face. she is 40 years old, she said she met him last february on an

online dating site. she says they recorded some of their sexual encounters. >> it was consensual at that time, it was for each other's viewing. it was something i did for someone i cared about and loved. >> reporter: last month she says he posted some of the intimate videos on virus porn sites. she says some ended up on asian porn sites, some on italian sites. why do you think he put those intimate pictures of you on the porn sites? >> to gain power over me. to put me in my place as a little woman. to show me that he can still call the shots. >> reporter: jane has compiled this binder. it's extensive. it has tabs and pictures and documents, detailing her stormy relationship with him, and this revenge porn case. >> it's pretty much ruining me. and it's going to keep ruining me. these things don't just go away.

>> reporter: the victim says she actually wrote a note to his parents to try to get him to stop. more about that coming up at 6:00. i'm pat collins, news4. about 1 in 20 people in the district have hiv. this weekend, nbc 4 and the local community will come out and support for the 28th annual walk to end hiv. a local woman, amy krautwurts is walking for a special person in her life, her grandfather. news4's zachary kiesch has her story. >> hubert, jr jr. >> reporter: in 1986 when he lost his life to the hiv virus, the treatments were few. three decades later, his granddaughter has dedicated her life to being part of the solution at the walkman clinic. >> i know he had the courage to stand up to aids in 1985 by participating in the first

clinical trials of azt at the national institutes of health. >> reporter: azt. a controversial and often painful treatment brought to live by matthew mcconaughey in the movie "dallas buyers club." >> the whole purpose of the study is to determine if it's helping people. >> reporter: there have been thousands of selfless people who helped raise awareness for hiv. over time, their efforts led to group ground breaking treatments. many on hand this saturday. the good news, testing is up and new cases down and the witman walker clinic here is a big reason why. they offer support, they offer counseling, they offer tips to people who need it and don't turn people away. because the fight to end hiv here in the nation's capitol is real. >> too real to ignore. and the fact is, we simply cannot allow myths and misconceptions to dictate our thinking about hiv anymore. we just can't afford it. >> reporter: two approaches have been key in the fight. testing and changing stigma by personalizing the story. >> he was infected through a

blood transfusion. >> reporter: we walk for his courage and countless others fighting this disease on saturday. reporting in northwest d.c., zachary kiesch, news4. "news4 today" anchors aaron gill crest and eun yang will walk this saturday. saturday morning, 7:00 at freedom plaza. thousands of federal workers are asking president obama to declare the day after christmas a holiday. they have signed a petition on the white house website, saying that since christmas calls phenomenon a thursday, a lot of people are likely already taking it off. this petition also says with the recent pay freezes and the furloughs, it could be a morale booster. a solar eclipse out there, doug? >> yeah, guys, i'll tell you what. this is really going to be cool. maybe not in our area. that's going to be the issue here. our tower cam picking it up fairly well. the sun coming down through the clouds and that's about the only -- only issue we're going

to have is the fact that by the time the sun gets down, that's when the solar eclipse is really happening around our region. so your evening planner first off, sunset tonight, 6:19. 64 degrees. a little on the windy if not breezy side. it will be a little chilly by 11:00 tonight. talk about that solar eclipse. again, skycast 4 paints it out fairly well. the sun making its way down around that 6:19 hour, and as it does so, that's when we see at least the biggest part of the eclipse actually occurring. this will be a partial eclipse and happening now. beginning at 5:53. that's in two minutes. it will actually start, it will be near the horizon at 6:17. and that's when we have the best chance of seeing the most of this. now, out towards the west, a completely different story. towards l.a., take a look at this. this is a live shot now from the griffith observatory out there in los angeles. really, really neat what's happening. you can seat moon encroaching from the northeast portion of the screen here, coming right across. you also notice on the sun there, those huge sun spots, much bigger than any planets in our solar system, quite amazing.

we are now live streaming this on nbcwashington.com. this will be going on out towards l.a. for about the next three hours. for us, we've got another 20 minutes of it. that's really going to be about it. so if you're thinking about getting out to take a look at it, remember, don't look directly at the sun. you may -- whether looking through sunglasses or some device. we're not going to have long with it. as far as the weather is concerned, no problems of the just a bit on the breezy side. don't worry about any rain. all the rain from the nor'easter towards boston and maine. for us, though, hasn't really been much of anything. saw about an inch of rain yesterday, and really just the wind. now, 67 degrees on your friday. a beautiful weekend. saturday and sunday, both looking nice. we will see some rather breezy conditions on sunday, but not all that bad. so for the walk to end hiv looks great on saturday. marine corps marathon looks great. and look at tuesday and wednesday. highs could even get close to 80 degrees. >> wow. can't beat it. thank you, doug. have you heard of swatting? it is a scary prank, and one

mother explains the police encounter that brought her to tears. >> reporter: when is a traffic signal more than just a traffic signal? well, when it makes your home safer. i'm adam tuss, we'll tell you the story of this community coming up.

tensions erupted again in ferguson, missouri, as protesters were angry about the autopsy report leaked yesterday. it claimed michael brown was trying to reach for an officer's gun when he was shot and killed by that white police officer. autopsy details raised speculation that officer darren wilson may not be facing any charges. wilson's lawyers are denying any responsibility for the leaks. check out this video. you can see a man throwing a molotov cocktail there. he's throwing it at a home while a family slept. it happened in suburban detroit. the woman who lived there, smelled the smoke, woke up her husband and four children. their house is destroyed now. but everyone is okay. police are still looking for the man who did it. it's a prank that primarily

has been aimed at celebrities. until now. >> a philadelphia woman says she has been the victim of something called swatting. nearly a dozen times in just the past couple of of weeks. harry hairston from our sister station in philly looked into this growing frequency of a dangerous prank. >> it's so stressful that i can't -- i barely sleep. i barely eat. it's -- i'm scared to go to go to work and leave my child, because i don't know what's going to happen. >> reporter: gentleman nika franklin says it comes at all times of the night. episodes of swatting. someone calling the cops, claiming her life is in danger. >> the first time it was shots being fired inside the house. and the cops came here like ready to take down the door. >> reporter: it was around 1:00 a.m. a family, including her 3-month-old daughter, were all asleep. >> opening doors to a block full of cops with guns drawn saying somebody was here with a gun and

we were being held hostage. >> reporter: philadelphia police tell me they answered 18 calls within three weeks and each time there was no emergency. plus these fire incident reports obtained by the nbc 10 investigators show firefighters were called to the home four times within seven days. >> there was an investigation taking place. and that's still continuing to try and track whether or not -- what location those phone calls are coming from. >> reporter: philadelphia police say making a false report is serious, but even if they catch those swatting, the laws have yet to catch up with technology. under pennsylvania law, reporting a crime when there is none is a third degree misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum fine of $2500, and a year in prison. also charges must be brought within two years. state senator vincent hughes wants to change that, by introducing a bill with tougher penalties. >> we're talking about penalties fill knee first degree.

doing a life sentence. >> reporter: hughes says he also wants anyone convicted of swatting to pay for costs inoccurred from the hoax. >> somebody has got to do something. they can't keep telling us they can't do anything. somebody has got to do something. >> reporter: franklin says she was last swatted two weeks ago. the police tell me their investigation is ongoing. and senator hughes tells us he'll reintroduce his bill in december. harry hairston, news4. news4 at 6:00 begins with breaking news. >> tonight, three people are dead after a small plane and helicopter crashed in mid-air. two others survived and were rushed to the hospital. >> it happened in the air above frederick municipal airport in maryland. pat lawson muse is at the live desk with the latest. >> apparently pat is having a little bit of trouble hearing us. but we can give the gist of this. okay, now we've got pat.

so let's go to pat at the live desk for the latest. >> yeah, chris, here's what we know. the faa says around 3:40 this afternoon, a small cirrus plane and helicopter collided over the airport. the frederick county fire chief tells us through people are dead, two others rushed to the hospital. investigators are combing two crash sites, one you see the small plane went down, landing in the trees along a field. there is another crash site just a short distance away. this is where the helicopter crashed, and it appears it landed between two buildings. we're told the helicopter was on its way to a training exercise when this happened. the small plane was coming in for a landing at the airport. now we still don't know who was on either of these aircraft. again, three people are dead, and a couple people have been taken to the hospital. we've got a witness, andrew maine, near the scene, lives near the scene. he and his father heard the crash ands