welcome to "news4 this week." >> hi everyone i'm veronica johnson, and we're going to show you some of the more interesting local stories making news this week. among them making a comeback. two young emts badly hurt are back to work with a new bond. and it was a turning point in our history. now you can see it like never before. we take you inside an exhibit that's helping visitors get a complete picture of the night president abraham link un was assassinated. and she's already breaking barriers. now a rising star in ballet is making history on one of d.c.'s stages. we begin with a new era for metro. for the first time in nearly a decade some sleek, new trains are on the tracks.

riders took the inaugural trip this week. the new 7000 series cars are generations ahead of the current cars. transportation reporter adam tuss was aboard the first blue line train to take passengers and he tells us it did not disappoint. >> good morning, welcome aboard metro rail. this is a new 7000 train. >> reporter: and with that off and running. the best way to describe it upgraded. seriously upgraded with lots of flat screen monitors better seats, more room and no musty carpet. here we are on board the first trip on the new 7000 series rail car. shout it out, how is it? [ cheering ] >> reporter: i'm told none of these people work for metro. they all seem to be enjoying their trip. there were even fancy new metro shades to go along with the first trip and the excitement. >> man, this is an awesome train right here. they need to have a lot of these on the line. >> what makes it so good? >> the interior exterior everything about the train.

even the voice announcements. everything about it. it's beautiful. >> reporter: and about those announcements -- >> this is the blue line train going to town center. >> reporter: they're pretty good. some riders say it's time they saw this kind of upgrade. >> when i first started riding about five years ago, in the $3 range and it's in the $5 range now. absolutely you want to get the most bang for your buck. >> reporter: we caught up with metro's board chair who told us these cars are safer and stronger. >> the car may get damaged, the customer shouldn't be. >> reporter: a new day for the second busiest subway system in the country. now metro leaders tell us the next new trains should roll out in the next couple of weeks and the red line expected to get it. dozens of prince william county parents are standing by the school system's controversial plans to not build a new elementary school. the sign near the new -- the sign near new woodbridge development advertises the future location of the elementary school but the school

board says they may need to site to relocate a traditional school. the majority of parents who spoke at the board meeting supported the board's plan. >> i believe that the new school at the site needs to be designated for porter traditional school. it is an exceptional school. and the number of students applying for the lottery every year is growing. >> i understand that needs change and we must be able to adapt to change but right now, our need for a community school has not changed. >> those living near the elementary school say they feel misled adding they were promised a new school to help with their growing population but the school system says while it was proposed it was never promised. well they were seriously hurt trying to help drivers who crashed on the capital beltway. now some emergency responders who spent weeks in the hospital are back on the job. as news4's jackie benson tells us the crash has led to a great new bond.

>>. >> reporter: you'd be forgiven for mistaking them for the cast of a tv drama series but these four volunteer emergency medical technicians came by their close relationship not through a script but through a terrible real-life tragedy. these are images of the aftermath of the horrific collision february 15th on the beltway near river road. the glen echo ambulance was on the shoulder emergency lights flashing. emts sydney marshall and tom shriver were tending to patients. for unknown reasons the driver of a pickup truck lost control and struck the toyota with tremendous force. the two other members of the crew saw it happen. and with what a superior described as consummate professionalism despite their shock and horror began assisting the injured, which now included two of their own. hospitalized with serious injuries including broken bones, internal injuries and numerous deep gashes marshall

and shriver discovered a second family. >> it's kind of forced us together with this common experience. it's not an experience any of us wanted to have. >> reporter: sidney celebrated her 20th bitter day in the hospital. >> i didn't want to be sidney college student, that's just boring. i have a passion for helping people and i wanted to do that for the glen echo community. >> i was originally going to medical school and i actually like this so much that i'm trying to go career right now in a fire department around here. recently all four of them attended a ceremony for heroic actions by montgomery county police and firefighters. needless to say, they were greeted with a standing ovation. and with that a new project to prevent flooding in d.c. is under way. this gigantic tunnel-boring machine will begin digging a hole under first street northwest. the tunnel will provide storage

for nine million gallons of storm water to keep it and sewage from flooding homes in the bloomingdale neighborhood. the project will take about a year to complete. some d.c. public school kids will get a pretty incredible opportunity this fall. five students each from ban ker and mckinley tech high schools can apply for dual enrollment at howard university. those accepted will be able to take two free classes each semester. the city plans to expand the dual enrollment program to all d.c. high schools in and over the next three years. usually it's out with the old and in with the new, but this time the old is just getting a new home. the major move two century-old builds areings are making in d.c. and it's a northern banks tradition that wants to be a northern virginia tradition. the sweet treat that's hoping to make a big hit here.

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what's old will be new again in downtown d.c. there are plans to move two historic buildings in mt. vernon square. it's part of a development project on new york avenue. the first building a carriage warehouse built in 1891 will be moved about 30 feet. that process is expected to take about a week. it's the largest building moved in d.c. history. the second building a warehouse from 1907 will be moved in june. well ballet history was made this week at kennedy center's eisenhower theater where two african-americans broke the color barrier in a major classic production and it featured a ballerina the world is buzzing about. misty copeland. pat lawson muse sat down with her about shattering stereotypes. >> reporter: backstage at the kennedy centering, misty copeland warms up for perhaps the biggest performance of her career.

it will be her american debut, as the coveted lead dancer with a major company in ballet's classic "swan lake." >> i've been dancing in "swan lake" my entire career but never saw the lead as an opportunity. >> reporter: paired with washington ballet theater's brooklyn mack, the two will go where no dancers of color have gone before becoming the first african-americans to dance the leading roles in a major classic production. >> i think there's a lot of anticipation and obviously hopes and pressure surrounding it but more than anything i'm just excited. >> reporter: the ballet world has changed much since misty donned her first ballet slippers at 13. >> once i started dancing, i was never singled out as being a black dancer. once i became a professional that's when it kind of all hit me. >> reporter: her 5'2" inch muscular frame and her color made her an unlikely ballerina.

but by 17 she had turned pro. at 24 she had become only the third black soloist with the famed american ballet theater of new york in its 75-year history. today, she continues blazing a trail. for aspiring young ballerinas misty copeland has become a model for the evolving world of classical dance. these southeast d.c. youngsters are dancing in her footsteps. >> she's not like in the back or anything. like she's in like the front practically. so like that's like really cool. >> personally i'm not small comparing to a lot of the people i dance with. i am a little bigger. in my muscle size and whatnot. >> she brought to the table athleticism. >> what's your advice to aspiring ballerinas? >> do it because you love it

because the work that you put into it is so much more difficult than i think getting up there and kind of being in the spotlight. i think just visually being able to see dancers like brooklyn and i approaching it i think gives them different dreams. >> reporter: and it proves that dreams come true. >> misty copeland's popularity now transcends ballet. we've seen her in an underarmor commercial and on tv as a dance show judge. she's written two books and is working on documentaries for the oxygen network. her performances this week all sold out. an event that's often part of the outer banks vacation will soon be available in northern virginia. duck doughnuts is opening franchise's in herndon, fairfax, even arlington. the pastries are made to order and they're so popular that customers often wait in line at beach locations, me included. so can the business survive,

though in this area where everyone is in a hurry? >> we're working to build some type of online app so people can order ahead of time and pay ahead of time as well. >> one other thing we're trying to bring from duck doughnuts from the outer banks is that magical experience. i had such a good time at the outer banks, we want to bring some of that magic here. >> the owner is still looking for staff. the herndon location opens in two weeks. fairfax sometime next month and arlington later this year. great jobs for kids this summer right? well it's a landmark at the university of maryland but activists say its name needs to change. the reason when "news4 this week" returns. and president lincoln's assassination 150 years later. the silent witnesses that paint the picture of that fateful night, next. you wish your dog could

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this week marks 150 years since abraham lincoln was shot and killed inside a d.c.

theater. lincoln was at ford theater with his wife when john wilkes booth shot him during a play. lincoln died the following morning at a house right across the street. ford's theater is commemorating lincoln's death with unprecedented access to the theater as well as artifacts from that night. on wednesday morning, bells tolled across the city in lincoln's honor. as the city looks back at this turning point in history, you have a chance to see an incredible collection of historic items that no one has seen together since that night. they're on display at ford's theater center for education. as new 4's aaron gilchrist shows us they build an exhibit called silent witnesses. >> reporter: small and ornate set alone and brightly lit, it is the weapon that ended one of our greatest presidents and placed ford's theater in history in a way no one expected. this is john wilkes booth .44

caliber pistol fired at president lincoln from less than a foot away. >> it would fit easily into a coat pocket or a pants pocket. it just took one shot one lead bullet. that unfortunately, is all it took to assassinate the president. >> reporter: this exhibit of items were in the theater or carried by abraham lincoln the night he was assassinated. over decades scattered around the country and reassembled to tell a special story. >> it was an international event that changed the course of our history. one of the things we're hoping is when people look at this exhibit, they will see the human element of it. >> reporter: this play bill much like one we would see tomorrow for the night's performance of "our american cousin." they played "hail to the chief" when lincoln walked in. but many of the other items start to tell the story of violence and despair that would mark the night. this bunting, ripped from outside the president's box and used to cushion his head as he lie on the floor.

it's still stained with his blood. the 6'4" lincoln wore this topcoat to the theater that mid-april night. >> the coat was actually given to abraham lincoln by brooks brothers. it was made by brooks brothers and given to him for his second inaugural. >> reporter: mary lincoln gave the coat to the family's favorite door keeper after the president died. he let friends snip small pieces from the shoulder where blood had soaked through eventually causing the sleeve to separate. there are pieces from others. laura keen starred in the play that night and rushed water to lincoln's side. his blood soaked her cuff as she cradled his head. ford's theater also wants us to see this larger-than-life lincoln the history books elevate was also just a human being. the library of congress loaned these items that were in lincoln's pockets when he was shot. an ivory pocketknife, a confederate $5 bill, a remierngdnder of his trip to the confederate

capital a few days before. >> we had a pair of his glasses. the arm had broken off and he tied it with a piece of twine back together. that's how they have been saved. >> reporter: they have all been saved, including the carriage that took the lincolns and their guests to the theater. on display at the smithsonian. $35 million of american history, a story of an american president, but also a story of a real human tragedy. in washington aaron gilchrist, news4. >> and you get goosebumps just thinking of getting the opportunity to see all of that. admission to the exhibit is free but space limited each day. after memorial day, all those items will go back to their original homes in different parts of the country. stay tuned, because this morning later on for the lincoln assassination, a special program marking 150 years since the death of our 16th president. it begins at 9:30. well it may be time to

cheer on the nats but it's going to cost you. where our home team ranks when it comes to how much you'll shell out to go to the game.

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some students are pushing for the university of maryland to change the name of the school's football stadium. according to the "washington post" the students argue that former university president h.c. byrd who the stadium was named after was a racist and segregationist. they argue that goes against the school's mission and principles. a name change would come from the board of regents for the university system of maryland. well if you're a nats fan, it will cost you just a little more to take the family to the park this year. there's a new report out that says a family of four will shell out an average of $232 for one game. that's the seventh most expensive fan experience in baseball. the price includes four tickets,

parking, four hot dogs and soft drinks two beers, two adult-size hats. all that would only run you about $163 at an orioles game among the least expensive in baseball camden yard right up the yard love them. the most expensive day at the ballpark is reserved for the big guys red sox, yankees and cub fans. well that's all for "news4 this week." i'm veronica johnson. thanks for joining us. we leave you with incredible gopro video of a space walk. i love this. until next time, be safe be kind, be happy, everybody.

if you run over somebody it's usually because you were driving too fast or you didn't look before you turned or you didn't stop for someone in the crosswalk. always be alert. pedestrians don't come with airbags.

right now on news 4 today, celebrities, large crowds and an even larger headache trying to get around the earth day rally and concert. we have your complete guide plus what organizers are asking for anyone planning to attend. and mild today but rain in the forecast for tomorrow. the latest timing, coming up. developing this morning in the district, southern avenue shut down in southeast because of this crash. take a look here. two cars collided just before 1:00 a.m. the black car flipped over. six adults were involved in the crash. two r were rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. we're working to find out what led to that crash. let's