welcome to "news4 this week." >> we'll look at some of the more interesting stories in "news4 this week." dozens of drivers in montgomery county learn a valuable lesson, why everything isn't always as it appears. new laws in the district, what homeowners need to know before it starts to snow. ♪ >> a d.c. radio legend is silenced remembering a beloved ed walker. good saturday morning. i'm veronica johnson. we begin this morning with a mystery, a maryland music teacher who almost choked to death in front of her students. marilyn said just drinking or eating could trigger it.

she ignored it for years hoping it would go away until it was almost too late. ♪ >> the sweet sound of these students playing music is a little sweeter for marilyn beason these days. because last spring the students watched her nearly xhoek to death. >> when it happened in the school setting it was extremely dramatic because i thought i am going to die in the school cafeteria in front of my 9 and 10-year-old students. >> marilyn said choking so severe her throat would close up had been happening the last few years but never saw a doctor about it. >> it's one of those things i kept putting off and putting off until it happened again in a more severe circumstance. >> after that incident at calvert elementary school she was taken to the local emergency room where doctors discovered part of the problem, one of her arteries was pushing up against

her esophagus and that's what was causing the problem. >> it's probably in 1 to 2% of all people but very few are asymptomatic. >> she was transferred to the hospital where she met the surgeons and they say they had never seen a case quite like hers before. >> you don't see a lot of these cases. surgeon, when you have a chance to do something new or original, it's exciting. >> after studying her skin, doctors figured out a way to reroute that artery and take the previous off her esophagus. it took two surgeries and three months of recovery. marilyn came back to school this fall. >> can i hear everybody on open d please. >> she was joined by doctors who shared information about her condition with her students. >> it was nice to come back and reassure the kids her teacher

will be fine. >> i would like to do everything i can to give back to all these people that helped me. i knew my students would love seeing the physicians and to bring some awareness to other people about choking issues. ♪ >> that was doreen reporting. marilyn beason is doing so much better now and the doctors say those surgeries completely resolved the problem that was caution her choking. a reminder to all of us, don't postpone getting medical attention when you suspect there's a problem. a major step in the process to put toll lanes outside the beltway. the virginia department of transportation board approved the concept and final designs still have to be worked on but two new express toll lanes are expected to be set up in each direction on beltway 15 and hey market. the lanes would let drivers pay a toll to get around traffic and carpoolers could use those lanes for free.

construction slated to begin in 2017. one year and $36 million later your commute should be a little easier. a major project wrapping up along the road west of leesburg but transportation reporter adam found out not everyone is che cheering on those changes. >> reporter: in fast growing loudoun county is it growing from this by this. >> we continue to grow significa significantly. we grow by 33 people a day. >> reporter: yes, 33 people and a third of all the jobs. >> and people have to get there. >> reporter: that's why you have to find ways to help everyone get around what's become a crawl. >> especially outwest it's become kind of chaotic. >> reporter: shane is a salesman all throughout loudoun county. >> a 20, 30 minute drive turns into an hour. >> reporter: showcasing improvements just outside leesburg and new lanes for

trucks and roundabouts and new ways for those in this community to get out of their community and onto a main road. when vdot took on this project they were thinking about the road and also thinking about the trail, hikers and cycliscyclist. this is a brand new tunnel built here underneath one of the new int interchanges. >> reporter: ben stein is happy vdot is addressing the issues here but not necessarily happy with all the crowding. >> overexpansion of the metropolitan area, unsustainable. people trying to work in d.c. >> reporter: he's not ready for this place to be the new ashburn. there's no slowing the growth. right now 70,000 vehicles a day passing through this stretch. in leesburg, adam tuft, lea -- . did you know you're more likely to have an accident if you are texting behind the

wheel. this week, the police took to the roads to crack down on it. reporting from bethesda. >> reporter: most of us can probably figure out better things to do while sitting in traffic. the problem comes when drivers start moving when it stops. that's when corporal robinson comes in. he may be homeless to those not paying attention. his sign says otherwise. >> police officer looking for distracted drivers. >> reporter: he's seen quite a few of those drivers talking, texting and even scrolling through apps. >> looks like she's on facebook. >> reporter: he's notifying his officers down the road. >> do you have driver's license and registration? >> reporter: and they're pulling them over. he said it's become major problem. >> we're seeing as we pull cell phone records they're distracted related accidents because people won't put their phones down.

>> reporter: they are many. >> in lane one you have a silver car and she's texting while driving and not wearing a seatbelt. >> it wasn't the right thing to do. >> it's a habit and sometimes you touch the phone even if it is hands-free. >> reporter: a habit montgomery police say they're trying to break. >> that way we can reduce accident and save lives. >> reporter: news4. next week, how uber says it's trying to save you money on your trip to work. she bate breast caeat breas had to fight her way back to her family. family. this local

i was at my shop tied up with a customer when i realized the time. i had to get to the bank before it closed, so i made a break for it. when i got out it was almost closing time. traffic was bad.

i knew i was cutting it close. but it was ok. i use td bank. it's got the longest hours and stays open an extra ten minutes every day. i'm sid. and i bank human at td bank. there's a brand new option in the uber app to save you money. uber pool. it started this week. it will connect you with someone traveling the same way so you

can share your ride and split that cost. select the uber pool. p-o-o-l option in the app. it's 25% cheaper than uber x. the service goes from the district to arlington, alexandria and reagan national and dulles international airp t airports. you saw the information first on 4. after five long months we talk to a montgomery county police officer how it feels to be reunited with his canine companion. and remembering the great ed for the girl scout meeting...

okay. for the soccer team...

for the girl scout meeting... how many meetings are you having?! giant just dropped prices on thousands more items. which makes the checkout lane, victory lane. my giant. dozens of d.c. inspectors will be out on the streets this winter enforcing new snow rules. if you own a home in the district, you could face fines if you don't clear your sidewalk from a snowstorm. mark segraves reports there's even more responsibility for you if you live next to an alley.

>> reporter: for years the district has had laws requiring residents and businesses to shovel their sidewalks after a snowstorm. the old law was never enforced. this year, new law goes into effect. if homeowners don't clear 24 hours after a snowfall, they face a $25 fine and businesses fined 1$150. >> gone should be the days people and disabled and elderly, everybody, when they can't get out of their house because some people let their snow stay on the sidewalk and people have to walk on the street or slip and slide on the sidewalk. >> reporter: district officials will use two methods to enforce the new law. after each storm the inspectors will hit the streets, 40. >> they will be out and about. >> reporter: and residents can make an anonymous call without

having to confront their neighbors face to face. >> we will have anonymous calls and not have challenges like this on the streets of d.c. >> reporter: and it requires homeowners who live next to the alley to clear the curb cut as well. >> we need homeowners and business owners to make sure the city is cleared as quickly as possible during a major snow event. >> reporter: seniors and disabled residents are exempt and can let them know so they won't ticket them and be put on a list for volunteers to come clear their sidewalks. in the district, mark segraves, news4. a huge accomplishment for thousands who wear the 40th marine marathon. the first time this runner won the full race and jenny su wonc was the first race she ran.

and you can see recaps on our nbc washington app. just search marathon photos. a local woman recovering from breast cancer and reconstruction is now devoted to exercise as part of a comeback. the studio is rallying around her raising money to help fight the disease. melissa has her story. >> reporter: sherry segal is a survivor, now devoted to exercise as part of her recov recoverly from breast cancer. >> it makes me feel like i am doing something that makes my body better. >> reporter: sherry was diagnosed in january of 2014. >> the day i got the phone call, i'll never forget having a little piece of scrap paper and writing on that paper, cancer. >> reporter: she was just 41. it was her second routine mammogram. >> knowing what that feels like as a mother, as a wife, as a

child, was probably the worst day of my life. >> reporter: sherry test positive for the broaka gene an had three surgeries and ovaries removed and breast reconstruction. >> it was limited how much i could push or pull or lift. >> reporter: after that surgery, sherry, a physical therapist ached to start training in potomac with this group of women as she worked her way back into her workout. >> i was able to modify, thanks to the amazing instructors here. >> reporter: she says she remembers being fearful and weak but they started to dissolve with each movement. after her first hour-long class, sherry felt like she was back and she broke down. >> i have fought for it and i had won and i was going to finish this class. i was feeling so great. and then i cried like a baby. it was the most beautiful -- it

was a beautiful cry for me and it felt great. >> reporter: while the surroundings here may be intimidating for some. sherry says seeing her body strengthen and morph has been therapeutic. >> i'm in awe of sherry. >> reporter: this is a crew of women supporting her. >> she's a survivor. >> reporter: she's a fighter and inspiration for everyone here. sherry is now cancer-free. >> find something you love. find soak you love that makes you feel good. >> reporter: in montgomery county, melissa mollet. news4. a battle poltimore family w three this month. they were born at greater baltimore center. the couple's doctor says he hasn't seen identical triplets in his three decades at the hospital. the odds of it happening without in vitro fertilization is about 1 in 2 million.

wow! a new picture of the beloved panda cub baei bi. -- biei bei. he is starting to get his teeth this summer. you can see pictures online. eight months after having his partner taken away from him, a montgomery county police officer has his best friend back with him. we first told you that chip story back in terms. he was taken away from phonfone even though he wanted to adopt him. they were tracking him down and learned he had been given to a warrior dog foundation and adopted some nine hours from here. >> it was ended a long search

from chip to bring him home where he belongs. it's going to be an exciting night tonight to have the entire family and the two dogs back together. >> montgomery county police say they can't discuss the situation because it's a personal matter. they say fones received a memorandum detailing why the department sent chip away. ed walker, she was a legend on the radio for 60 years. this week, his voice was sile e silenced. the 83-year-old host of the big broadcast on wan view was silenced just hours after his last broadcast. ♪ >> reporter: from the moment they hit the air in washington, joy boys, willard and ed scott. >> a lot to say but one more time we say hello as we wrap it up. >> reporter: for 25 years, walker and scott did their daily

statist stick live on wcr radio. >> if one of us was down the other would pick the other up. >> you talk about it as memories and we talked about it as it happened. it was real. we had a good time and the audience had a good time. >> walker went on live wamu with the big broadcast live each week with live shows. walker, recently diagnosed of cancer recorded his last show two weeks ago, from his hospital bed in his gown. his voice weak, he insisted sitting up to do the show. >> that's 25 years of my memories of hosting the big broadcast here on wamu. >> on sunday night, walker listened to that final broadcast, then, surrounded by family and loved ones, passed away. >> for one more time, let's end this the way we always do. my name is ed walker and

remember it wouldn't be sunday evening if we didn't have any to sing -- ♪ ♪ i'd lo love to spend each sun with you as friend to friend i'm sorry -- ♪ >> ed walker, one of the best. a local moving company saves christmas for many kids in

a happy ending to a story we told you about this week on the need for storage space for the montgomery county toys for tots program. they were worried it wouldn't happen this holiday season because he couldn't find the space to sort those toys. metropolitan news saw the story and offered their space. they collected 60,000 toys for kids from 150 different agencies. it's a race that draws thousands every year and the

drag strip is 17th street. we leave you with pictures from the 29th

. . ♪ welcome to "redskins chronicles." i'm larry michael at redskins park. the skins with a bye coming off that big come-from-behind win over the bucks. next in washington, a date in new england with new england on november 8th. a perfect time for us to pick up the story of charley taylor. part three of taylor made for the hall. >> as the 1967 season began, clearly charley taylor found his purpose. a wide receiver for only a year, already thbe