welcome to news 4 this week. >> hi everyone. i'm veronica johnson. we're going to show you some of the more interesting local stories this week. among them watch what you write on-line. the tough lesson a local woman learned about the renews and how can you keep yourself out of legal trouble. plus partying with the chief. the special treat hundreds of young girls got thanks to d.c.'s top cop. and ping-pong wizard has a new challenge to overcome in his quest for glory. but first, the hot weather may make you want to take a dip in the water. may make it sound like the perfect plan but the u.s. park police want it get the word out this isn't the place it cool

off. the potomac river near great falls is dangerous, even for experienced swimmers. jackie benson talked to one young athlete who narrowly escaped drowning. >> reporter: when we see images like this rescues from the potomac river, many people assume the person couldn't swim or fell in from the rapid. it is often a mistaken assumption. >> people don't think it happens, but it does. >> reporter: a college rower and strong swimmer, on memorial day weekend lasted year, splashing around with friends on a stretch of the potomac south of great falls when something she did not think could happen did happen. >> i was carried out by the current. ended up in rapids. realized that i went over the -- i'm so thankful that the kid who jumped in and got me we didn't know each other, we were complete strangers. he jumped in and got me we are still friends now.

>> reporter: u.s. park police officers bruce martin and enrique wong try to stop a rescue before it becomes necessary. they know the vast majority of drowning victims of are between 18 and 25 and think it won't happen to them. >> they will get out of the water when they see us. unfortunately we will give them warnings and they will go right back in when we leave. >> reporter: and if you're wearing a swimsuit they will probably talk to you. >> you didn't come here to swim did you? >> oh, no. >> reporter: jerry marshal says his officers are making more warning contacts than ever but washing visitors especially young people are still getting in the river. >> there were 130 search and rescue missions. eight were by rescues taking a basket down and getting folks in the basket and bringing them up p. this year alone, we've had 33 already. >> reporter: these signs aren't here because the park service doesn't want people to have fun.

they are here because they want people to leave alive. jackie benson news 4. >> for sure. it's becoming a popular water sport but now there are new rules for people who want itto fly jet packs in ocean city. you can't be within a hundred feet of any object or person. that can be a challenge at beaches especially during the summertime. jetpacks must be operated in at left six feet of water. you can't good more than ten feet up in the air. also you must wear a life vest and helmet. that of curse is common sense. florida, texas, hawaii have similar rules for jet packs. a new push to fast track transit improvements in fairfax county. the project begins with widening rude 1 to six lanes between the beltway and prince william county. rapid bus transit would be added between alexandria and woodbridge by 2028. and metro's yellow line would be

extended by 2040. but some virginia leaders say the changes need to happen much sooner. they are calling for solutiones it speed things up. heavier traffic, a large number of pedestrians in more expensive housing is a forecast for the d.c. area in the next 20 years. that's when the d.c. population could hit nearly 800,000 according to d.c. mayor. she appeared on msnbc's "morning joe" and says the city is booming right now. but investments need to be made no match that. >> we're going to invest in our metro and part of the things that all of us mayors are talking about is what the congress can do to help us. >> the lot of time d.c.'s population was up to 800,000 was during the 1950s. here we go again. well, a concert to be at the summer. 168 young girls got a chance it see it for free, thanks to d.c.

police chief. she's got to shake it off with the daughters of police officers and other employees at the taylor swift concert. ♪ ♪ >> yeah i think you will notice there is only one of us that's very rowdy. in fact i've gotten in trouble a couple of times. almost ejected twice. >> taylor swift, one of the pop stars in the world performing in d.c. in the crowd police chief and a whole bunch of really lucky girls. >> the best part was probably when the lights came on and the stadium was going white and red and everybody was just loud. >> people don't realize how difficult it is to be the child of a police officer. >> it is two-fold. an opportunity to acknowledge her staff and families but also the chance to mentor these young women. >> for mom or dad to come home and say, i got you taylor swift

tickets, oh, my god, how great is that. >> he said have you ever listened to taylor swift and all this other stuff. i said yes. he said oh, well we've la here in got us tickets. i started doing cart wheels around the room. >> 168 girls and more than 20 sham chaperones. they of course, said thank you to the chief. >> well the chief didn't pay for all of the tickets. they were donated. but still, great for all of the girls and the memory they will always have. >> she gave her life it save another. but a connecticut teen was making a huge impact even before that thanks to her work with the charity in our area. her story, coming up next. >> and it was the mall. now it is a pile of rubble. we are getting a unique view inside.

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well she was just a

teenager but rebecca towns end already had a bucket list. it included a saving a life. she died doing just that. saving the life after friend. but as news 4 reports, her story is inspiring people here in our area and around the world. >> i could have sailed there. she sailed volumes across the world. >> reporter: rebecca towns end just graduated high school. rebecca and a friend were crossing the street on the way home from crossing fireworks when she saw a car headed toward them. rebecca was able to push her friend to safety, but she was killed. her friends weren't surprised that rebecca would sacrifice herself for someone else. but what did surprise the young girls' family and friends was a letter they found after her death. a bucket list. for the future rebecca to complete. a kiss in the rain. to fly to spain. and to save a life.

it turns out rebecca townsend was well on her way it saving lives well before she pushed her friend out of the direct path of that car. >> she had many talents. she had made life possible. because some kids have no future. she has given them a future. >> reporter: townsend was raising money for arlington academy of hope to help fund a school in uganda. the teenager from connecticut formed a connection with a young girl from uganda named joy, who she sponsored. the two never met but exchanged letters. rebecca touched the lives of many in africa but helped save young girls like joy and helped provide them a future long before she gave her own life to save a friend. >> a touching story. but for me an affirmation of the goodness of the kids in this country and people of this

country. >> reporter: they are raising money in rebecca's main to continue raising money for the schools and medical assistance for joy's classmates in uganda. >> if you would like to learn more about the work in uganda go to the wrc app and search remembering rebecca. it could be the search of home delivery. but for now it is just a concept. and it got its first test this week in virginia. we'll show you the first drone delivery. and opinions are everywhere on-line. but yours could get you in trouble. the potential for review backlash when news 4 this week returns.

well can be it was once the mall to go to in montgomery county now we are getting a very unique look at the barron white flint mall.

mike perks shot this eerie video with the help after drone. it quickly went viral on social media. this is what the mall looks like now. can you see all of the walls are began inside. all of the stores demolished. the escalators ripped apart. mall owner said it should get the complete demolition permits in a week or two. the property will be developed into a mixed use area. oh i used to shop there. it looked nothing like that. for the first time ever drones have made a delivery. it happened in virginia. the drone delivered medication it a clinic in a small town in the southwestern part of the state. the delivery was part after government-approved test. they traveled about a mile from a local regional airport. the governor called it a kitty hawk moment. >> revolutionizing the way we deliver health care. we can now get to areas during horrible weather. these drones can fly. so this is the first in the nation to do this.

>> reporter: tests like this lead to new high-tech jobs in the southern part of the state. everyone has an opinion. if you read on-line reviews about products or businesses you ne that people aren't afraid to share those views. but free speech may not always protect you from being sued if you post an unflattering review. consumer reporter erica gonzalez has our story. >> reporter: carol is looking to upgrade the bathrooms in her gaithersburg home. new showers, tile and cabinetry. she is going to spend a lot of money to fix two bathrooms and she wants to go with the best contractor with the job. she narrowed it down to two. chose one. but it's the one she didn't choose that she wrote a review about on-line and why we're talking to her now. >>. you feel like what you gave was an honest review? >> yes, i do. >> reporter: she said rhett view was mostly positive. however db --

>> i let people know not to use him because i felt he was too pushy. >> they contacted me with a suit for slappeder. i contacted an attorney. the attorney said it is weak if anything but for your best interest i would just take it down. so i did. >> reporter: jack is with the consumer federation of america. >> there is not a lot consumers can do in this situation. that's why it is the wild west. you really don't have much protection against the company that doesn't like your review. >> reporter: keep two things in mind. number one always most on an anoun mouse basis. number two, be towardready to go to bat about your posting. whether it is about a hotel, auto service or the hamburger you had for lunch, are you willing to go to court over it? >> for the most part you are protected by freedom of speech. however, that does not necessarily stop a disgrunt elled and particularly wealthy

company from coming after you. >> reporter: and for many people like cheryl, the thought of being sued is enough it make her sick. >> i did not want it deal with any repercussions after negative review. >> reporter: when you're the one reading reviews, they say take them with a grain of salt. too good and they could be planted by the company. too bad could signal someone with an axe to grind. >> it's one of the biggest shows on television and one of its writers got his start at a local high school. we'll talk to him next.

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the bionic man of the table tennis world, a montgomery county athlete has overcome the challenge of a partially mechanical heart for one of the top players in the world. now as he tries to qualify for the paralympic games in rio, he

finds another battle. >> life has been about denying the odds. >> reporter: for table tennis lover, the odds have been stacked at times. five open heart surgeries, pacemaker, partially medical cal heart and most recently a diagnosis of parkinson's disease. it's the parkinson's that brought 41-year-old lavine here to the table tennis center in gaithersburg. he is part of the u.s. paralympic program and is the first person with parkinson's to qualify for any paralympic sport. he will be in rio 2016. he loves the rush of the game. the win. but plays for his health. table tennis takes stamina, it takes focus. he believes this is what he needs to keep his parkinson's from getting worse. you really feel this is part of your survival? >> a hundred percent. >> reporter: doctors across the

country are touting table tennis as therapy for parkinson's. >> not only improved my cardiac issues but in terms of the parkinson's disease, it greatly improved my muscle stiffness, which i didn't expect. >> reporter: he said it also helps with balance and muscle weakness. >> there is something about table tennis and what it does for the brain that is really beneficial. >> reporter: same game new reason it play. as a young boy, he played the low impact sport because it was something his little heart could handle. >> it gave me some kol confidence in myself being able to actually play something physical and enjoy it. >> reporter: lavine says the proof is in the power of the paddle. just watch. >> right new i have it deal with the shaky hand, go figure. but how do i compensate? take this beautiful thing here i have in my hand this ping-pong paddle stick it in my hand and guess what? focus, focus. handshaking is began completely. >> reporter: after his first

international table tennis match in barcelona last month, lavine has a world ranking thanks in part to coach larry hodges. >> with lavine today is not the lavine of a year ago. >> reporter: each serve, forehand back hand he is the tiniest bit closer to the game and goal of keeping his heart and hand healthy. but being this good actually takes a lot of practice. he was here about 20 hours a week and typically plays like someone who knows what they are doing. >> you think my hand are shaking because of parkinson's, but really i'm scared to death to play against melissa. >> it looks easy table tennis. but no, hand/eye coordination going on. all right, "game of thrones" leads the emmys. 24 nominations. but did you know it had a connection to potomac, maryland. the screen writers told us that he got his start at churchill

high school's drama program. >> you know, we not only did a fall play and spring musical but we did student-directed plays and i never wasn't working on something. and again, just learning as much as i about the arts. >> support the arts, support theater. he was originally drawn to the "game of thrones" because it's about politics. that's true. thanks for joining us. until next time, be safe be kind, be happy. good night, everybody.

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frontline plus. the vet's #1 choice. right now on news 4 today, d.c. police are investigating a shooting in southeast. while you were sleeping, we learned new information about the victims. good morning, i'm chuck bell, finishing my homework. skies are clear. a complete check of the forecast, ahead. >> that was a good cover there. pack your patience. we're going to help you navigate around the hiccups. >> good morning, everyone. thank you for joining us. >> welcome to news 4 today