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 making news this week. among them, an unlikely survivor of the atomic blast lives right in our backyard. the special significance it carries now. plus, it's a zoo out there. the historic site where goats have been doing some landscaping this week. and there are the new fad in motor sports, but are they safe? we take a look at the effort by local governments to rein in jet packs. but first, the end of summer vacation is about 600 kids that were back in class in week. it's part of a special schedule

to help kids maintain what they learned throughout the year. we joined those kids for the first day back. >> summer's over here at samuel tucker elementary school. >> the front office has a buzz and school is in session here in alexandria. >> okay, questions, go ahead. >> if you are saying, school, already? you're not off. it was a five-week summer vacation, and just four weeks for staff. out of 14 elementary schools in the division, tucker is the only one in class today. principal renny pascal. >> the statistics have not confirmed anything other than what common sense already shows teachers every day, that when our kids come back to school today, they're ready to go. they're going to be pretty much right on mark with where they left off on june 22nd, which was our last day of school. >> when i walked into the first grade class, it looked like any other day. >> the hunter searched for whales in the cold seas of the far fourth.

>>al san diaw public schools leave it up to each school to decide what works best their femme. f an attempt at mt. vernon didn't work out, but here, it's something they have done since 2004 and parents have embraced. >> the modified calendar works so well here at tucker. it is truly part of our community's culture. our parents value it tremendously. it's really what makes tucker, tucker. >> reporting in, zachary kieff. students will return to an important building upgrade. eleanor roosevelt now has a new heelgt and cooling system. school records show the old system was beyond repair. and school leaders say that system just kept malfunctioning on a regular lay sis. a recent investigation found hundreds of schools in our area with aging air conditioners and fur nations. well, d.c. council member mary

shea says she's pleased with the progress school leaders have made to get ready for the new year in the district. she carried out her annual readiness tour through schools in ward three. she said that things are much better compared to just nine years ago, when she was often find missing books, chairs, other classroom needs at start of the school year. august 24th is the first day of school for d.c. students. well, families taking in a game at nats park have a new way to join us. the nationals opened up a family lounge. it features comfortable chairs for moms to nurse and pump, even diaper changing stations, a playing area and game area. the lounge is just off the first base line near section 223. millions of people marked a somber milestone this week. 70 years ago, the u.s. dropped an atomic bomb. in japan, people marked a moment

of silence. a bell tolled at the time the bomb detonated and people released dozens of lanterns. tom sherwood has more to the story. >> at the smithsonian, visitors looked over the plane that dropped the atomic bomb. but the terrible violence of that day 70 years ago also has a different peaceful story. here on the quiet grounds of the national arbor lee tum in northeast washington sits this b bonsai tree. >> it's an amazing feat that it was started 390 years ago and generations and generations have cared for it. and it's still alive and healthy today. >> but that's not the whole story. the 390-year-old tree survived that atomic bomb blast. given to the u.s. in 1975 for

the american by centennial, it wasn't until 2001 officials learned from visiting japanese that the tree had been two miles from the blast. that contrast of long life and violence doesn't go unnoticed among visitors. >> feels pretty magical to be here. and good reminder of something that was terrible. >> the generations of people that worked on it is phenomenal. >> joanne clauden, director of the national bonsai foundation, says the tree has a message for everyone. >> i hope that future generations and other people who come after us will stand in front of the tree and feel that same aura of forgiveness and hope, hope for the future. >> the exhibit is free and open to the public seven days a week. in the district, tom sherwood, news 4. >> that's one big bonsai. two major hotel chains are set to join the waterfront.

hilton head and hyatt are bringing a 300,000 square foot duel-branded hotel to the southwe southwest wharf. 175 rooms and an extended stay house will include 238. they're set to be between main avenue and wharf street near the seventh street park. both hotels should be open for business in fall of 2017. right around the corner. one of the biggest names in comedy, but he's tackling a serious issue. we go running with kevin hart, when news 4 this week returns. and you may be feeling the summer heat, but have you thought about how it impacts your pets? tips to keep them safe, coming up. and, if you're a pet lover, clear your schedule today to help us clear the shelters. animal shelters all over the region are hoping to find families for all the dogs and cats. most are even cutting or waiving the fees involved. our wendy riegger will be live

from one of the shelters later this morning. we have a list of participating shelters on our website. just down the load the nbc washington app. news 4 "this week" will be right back.

historic congressional cemetery in the district looked a little more like a zoo this week. about 30 dairy goats grazed in pens outside the burial areas. they get rid of invasive species including vines and poison ivy. all that chomping and chewing eliminates the need for chemicals. among those buried at congressional cemetery, j. edge jar ho edgar hoover and phillip souza. for more, head on onto to nbc washington and download the app. you may have seen the crowds during your morning commute. possibly. hundreds of people turned out at the georgetown water front to

run a 5-k with comedian kevin hart. the actor who this in town for a show, put on the run with the nike run club to promote healthy living. hart told the crowd it didn't matter if they ran, if they jog or if they walk, as long as they got through it. after leading the run, hart waited at the finish line to give a high five to everyone who took part. stood on top of an office building to announce that the district is getting 35% of its energy from wind power. officials signed a contract to receive power from a wind farm all the way up in pennsylvania. d.c. spends between $50 and $70 million a year to heat and cool its office space. and the new wind power agreement is supposed to save about $45 million over the next 20 years. well, they shoot you up about 30 feet in the air with the power of just a water, but that can be dangerous. we take a look at what some local cities are doing to keep

jet pack riders safe, and it's becoming popular with daredevils and some of those daredevils are coming to d.c. we talk with some residents about their run-in with roof runners.

okay, so, the next time you're at the beach, you may spot something new flying above the waves. jet packs. a hot vacation trend this summer. tischa thompson and our team went to ocean city to find out how safe they are and why the government is now getting involved. ♪ >> riders say they have a superhero like appeal. >> you feel like ironman. >> and their pop eularity is on the rise. operators of these vertical water craft, or jet pack vessels, promise a unique and thrilling experience at the beach, thrusting you as high as

30 feet in the air and back into the water. >> feels like you're coaching mother nature. >> they've caught the eyes of beach-goers, and maryland's department of natural resources. >> almost likes alien-like coming across the water, flying through the air. >> julie brown says it's not quite an invasion in ocean city yet, but with three vendors renting the machines, safety concerns have state officials taking action. >> they can get in close to restaurants and zip right up into canals and that's where the safety concerns come in for us. >> maryland just put a new set of temporary emergency regulations into place regarding jet packs this summer. making it the first state along the mid-atlantic coast to do so. you have to wear a helmet and stay 100 feet away from bridges, buildings, shores and other structures, among other rules. the state of maryland says it is not only concerned what is happening above the water, but also what happens when you go under. >> when you go in the air and you intentionally try to make

yourself go under water, that is against the regulation. because of the shallows out here, that's the reason. >> you don't want people breaking their necks. absolutely. you come up, you come down and all bells are off. >> deep creek lake as restrictions on where and what time of day you can use jet packs. the i-team found a different story in new jersey, delaware, virginia, d.c. and north carolina, where some have proposed specific regulations for jet packs, but as of now, they all fall under current rules for jet skis and other water vessels. even though justin wood runs chesapeake fly boarding out of delaware, he's just up the street from the ocean city beaches, so, he says he's sticking to the maryland rules. >> i think it's a good thing. nobody should, you know, have these things and just running around. >> shawn at oc jetorators says he's glad maryland dropped the age from 16 to 14 without

parental consent. >> it's a nice age. they're really, you know, too young to do any of the big kid stuff. >> officials and vendors hope the rules they worked on together will keep it that way. >> you want people to have a good experience. >> maryland says its temporary jet pack rules could become permanent as early as this fall to keep these rides flying high into the future. tischa thompson, news 4 i-team. >> okay, guys, today, news 4 is working to clear the shelters. but when you get that new member of your family home, there are some things you need to know to keep them safe in the warm weather months. we have some simple steps that you can take to protect your pelt. >> meet james, the most proper looking, adorable 5-year-old standard poodle you'll ever see. he's happy and healthy now. but last summer, after a fun dip in a creek, something you wouldn't expect. >> we took him home and gave him a bath, didn't think anything of

it. >> within a few hours, james was lethargic, had vomited and was shivering. >> we couldn't figure out what was going on. >> his owners rushed him to friendship animal hospital. an iv and days later, they saw something on his back. the clue to what had happened. >> and noticed that his entire back was just raw, little bloody, you know, kind of puss full. >> it was that bath that left james terribly sick. a severe painful bacterial infection. >> she said, did you use shampoo, well, yeah. was the shampoo old? well, yeah, the shampoo was a couple years old. >> it's a bacteria that normally lives on the dog that gets in the shampoo and then, because the shampoo sitting around for awhile, especially if it is in a warm environment, the bacteria can go crazy. and then you pour that on your dog. >> the vet sedated james, shaved him down and give him a good an till bacterial wash and prescription. >> so, people can decant that big bottle into smaller bottles

and then at the end of the summer, throw that tiny bottle away and have your nice clean bottle ready for next summer. >> but that's just one issue. vets say they see in warm weather months having a barbecue, remember, very easy for docks to get into your trash, getting a corn cob, something like this out is the perfect size to get stuck in their small intestine. and then, there's something called garden hose syndrome. >> the hose has been sitting in your backyard, backing in the sun all day. you turn it on and go to squirt your dog down, not realizing how hot that water gets and you can actually cause burns, which can damage the skin. >> also, hot pavement can equal burned paws. keepingydrated in the heat is a must. >> docks adogs are really bad a cooling their body temperatures. >> dojames is back to his old sf with a new bottle of shampoo. >> spend the $4 on a new bottle of shampoo. not worth it.

>> in northwest washington, melissa millay, news 4. >> that's pretty amazing. well, you can join wendy this morning, as nbc 4 clears the shelters. two to the nbc washington app for tons of resources on our adoption campaign, plus, these tips to keep your pet safe and we have everything that you need, so that you can adopt a pet. just search clear the shelters. well, they are some of the most impressive athletes on tv today. and six local men are headed to las vegas in hopes of becoming the first american ninja warrior. we'll show you their runs, we'll show you their runs, coming up.

♪ ♪ turn around ♪ every now and then i get a little bit hungry ♪ ♪ and there's nothing really good around ♪

♪ turn around ♪ every now and then i get a little bit tired ♪ ♪ of living off the taste of the air ♪ ♪ turn around, barry ♪ finally, i have a manly chocolatey snack ♪ ♪ and fiber so my wife won't give me any more flack ♪ ♪ i finally found the right snack ♪ ♪

a dangerous game catching on around the world is now showing up here in our area. daredeviling leap from rooftop to rooftop, and other structures, like the folks you see in this youtube video. it's called free running. some georgetu town neighbors sa

they see these runners around. >> they quickly admitted they were doing free running, which was running around on buildings and so forth and i said, that's really not the best place to be doing that. >> you don't want people running around in your roof. these are historic houses. >> d.c. police say they're aware of the practice and hope the georgetown case is just a one time thing. but if you see someone doing it, you should report it. violators could face charges. >> he is confident. >> oh, my goodness. it was a good week for some local daredevils who prefer to keep things legal. jeff briton was the only one, only of two men to complete the "american ninja warrior" finals course in pittsburgh, but five other guys are also moving onto the next round in las vegas from this area. d.c. firefighter mike bernardo and d.c. lawyer shawn darling

hammon. both made it to the doorknob arch. adam grossman and ted mitchell placed in the top 15, enough, also, to move on. and we wish them a lot of luck. that's all for news 4 "this week." i'm verronica johnson. thanks for joining us. we're going to leave you with some dogs arriving for adoption. remember to help us clear the shelters today. until next time, be safe, be kind, be happy. bye-bye, everybody.

right now on news 4 today, overnight, a local police officer chased a man fleeing from a crash. next thing you know, there's a struggle for his gun and it goes off. more explosions from a factory in china where blasts killed dozens of people. this morning, how officials are responding to the threat of polluted air right now on news 4 today. announcer: news 4 today starts now. welcome in and good morning on this saturday morning. i'm adam tuss. >> i'm kristin wright in for angie gosk. feels good, but it's about to get hot. >> we were talking, it felt like fall earlier. now, the