welcome to news 4 "this week." >> hey, everyone. i'm chris lawrence. we'll show you some of the more interesting local stories making news this week. among them, what are you looking for in a new home? an amenity aimed at a growing hobby. and she's undergoing cancer treatment. she didn't plan on missing ol the incredible technology for this student. ♪ and like you've never seen them before, taking maryland by storm. but first, it has been a crazy week for metro and after nearly a year of searching, we thought the system had the top man for general manager locked in, but that quickly changed when metro announced cohen was out.

the next search lasted just two days and metro says their second pick paul wiedefeld has agreed to at that time job and this time it appears the geel will stick. he will be formally introduced in a couple weeks. but there is also talk about what the former head of bwi marshall needs to do to make your experience better. ed a gam adam tuss has the early reaction. >> reporter: he needs to get out and mix with riders for see what they're going through. absolutely. just like i do. all right from outside of. >> reporter: from outside of metro -- >> overall paul needs to help restoring confidence. safety has to be a top priority. >> reporter: those who know him say he's a doer. he's dealt with huge

construction projects like expanding bwi marshall airport to the major player it is today, seeing record numbers of passengers. >> so he covers i believe all of the requirements that they're looking for. >> reporter: he will be appointed at the next board meeting on november 19. and in a statement wiedefeld says he's hundred be4u78 humble. a lot of people said this was a messy process and after announcing the gm, some on the board lashed out at those who >> i don't appreciate and i will say this very publicly some of the elected officials in the region and i believe their asinine comments. the governor of virginia, some of the congress people, one of my colleagues on the counsel. give me a break. >> again, the deal is still

being xwoenegotiated, but wiede should be the official gm by the middle of the month. the program behiis being suspended. the system was supposed to detect missile he is and probably the d.c. area. the program cost fax payers horn $2.5 billion. but its run away trip has put the system in jeopardy.payers h $2.5 billion. but its run away trip has put the system in jeopardy. some in pennsylvania are also filing damage claims with the arm after the tether took down power lines. you will soon have another way to feed the meters next time you head to downtown silver spring. over the next couple week, crews will replace the 1100 parking meters with new smart meters. if you had the change, coins will always remain an option. 50 cents won't get you as

much as it used to as d.c. parking meters. right now that's how much you pay for 15 minutes of parking. next year, it will only get you 13 minutes. the change is happening because the district decided it could not extend parking meter hours until midnight. now you'll have to feed the meter until 10 p.m. council member says it's been a long time since rates have gone up. >> i don't think this is out of step and i think this is a better approach and the extended hours. >> the flew ranew rates go into on june 1. there is a new amenity, high tech closets for growing plants. the legalization of marijuana gave one developer an idea and it's proving to be a pretty good one. mark segraves checked out a new complex that sold for over $800,000 with the closet installed and plans for plenty more.

>> retrofit this, it could fit thousands. >> this three bedroom condo in northwest is just one of hundreds of new homes being built across the district. it has lots of features you'd expect to find like a wet bar and wine fridge. but it's one of the first new homes in d.c. to have one of these. >> had to put up a sign because people would be like what the hell is this. >> reporter: it's marijuana grow closet. >> the in addition differeninit thought this would be a perfect opportunity to put in a grow closet since it's now legal to grow marijuana in your home. >> reporter: it's equipped with power, water, drainage and an exhaust fan. they teach customers how to grow marijuana. and they're not surprised. >> whether people looking to grow legalada can any bus,

or just organic, it's a huge moment. >> and his business is taking off. >> is spurs it and we're hoping that a lot of people will keep gardening as a passion so maybe one day they will brooi a condo with a grow house in to it. >> reporter: and he plans on including grow closets in all of his new homes. >> i have a property in mount pleasant i'm working on and another property in petworth that will definitely have these. >> wow. well, the couple who bought the condo do plan to use the grow room, but not for marijuana. just guardnardeners. if you want won't, it will cost but $5,000 to get you set up. why you'll have to plan a little differently when you visit the national zoo this

winter. and getting towed is bad enough, but some are forced to pick up cars in near pitch black

could yyou you could soon g tour of the u.s. naval academy without going to annapolis. films crewed for a 360 virtual tour. the capital todgazette reports t officials are recrewing tviewin footage. when it's online, you can even go some in the buildings. it will not show gates or security personnel. redskins say their trademark is not as offensive as others. they say it's infested with racist and offensive names for every kind of product imaginable. the redskins are appealing a

judge's order which canceled the team's registration. native americans have until january to respond. daylight hours going shorter, the national zoo is changing eithits hour. so starting in january, the zoo will open later and closing earlier. exhibit hours will change from 9:00 to 4:00 which is an hour earlier than the current time. zoo officials say the main reason is security. there haven't been any issues, but they want everyone to be safe. she can't physically be in class, but the community is making sure this student doesn't miss a thing. the incredible technology that will help a little girl battling cancer stay connected to her classmates. and metro's manager isn't the only big announcement in town. the nats have a new skipper. the dra

. .

we don't have the drugs that could rid cancer yet, but we do have the technology that allows child to be free throwed for cancer to trance fosport her ba a safe and happy place. wendy rieger has her story. >> you can see it connects. >> i do. >> reporter: payton is her own mission control, driving around a robot that allows her to be anywhere that she can't be. >> my mom made it up. >> reporter: and it will take over when payton heads to sloan kettering hospital in new york to get treatment for her cancer. she'll be gone for five weeks. but not really. i payton will virtually still go to class, socialize with her friends, travel the halls of her

school with the help of this segway type device from double robotics. >> she's here, she's with us and engaging in the school day just like the rest of them. >> the pep benefit is huge. she has control over her day to day activities in the school whereas cancer takes that away. >> reporter: payton will run it off an ipad. she can see and hear what it sees and hears and her classm e classmates can talk to her like normal. payton and her classmates got the hang of it rather quickly. >> it's been pretty seamless. >> reporter: yet there is still of a bit of a learning curve. >> try not to crash into walls. >> reporter: but payton can handle a bump in the road.

>> just move it around and hope that i have a good would i gi-f. >> reporter: she's the new kid in town and the cancer just introduced itself a few months ago, as well. a lot for a 10-year-old to handle and then her mom learned of this robot. >> it had to be quick because with cancer, there is no time. >> reporter: it costs about $3,000 and paypayton's new frie came up with the money and then payton seized the controls. >> it's technology. what 10-year-old does not love technology. there is a cool factor. >> reporter: there is a very cool factor to all of this. as a bunch of 10-year-olds learn that no matter where payton go, she will still be with them. >> wow, amazing technology. payton even more so. to learn more about the robot,

open up the nbc washington app. a news 4 iteam discovered one neighborhood tow yard that some call scary. >> reporter: it sounds like a scene from a horror movie. walking down a pitch plaque road, near train tracks. surrounded by warning signs and barbed wire. some drivers got towed ended up here, cash in hand, to retrieve their cars. alone and scared. at least five companies have lots on this stretch of paramount drive in rockville. and our cameras rolled as trucks arrived with towed vehicles into the night. >> i thought it was the wrong address. >> reporter: and as derrick tried to get his car back. >> i'm a 200 pound man and my

uber driver did not leave safe leaving me. >> reporter: we brought our nigs vision camera to give you a sense of what this place is like. if you were towed here, this is how you would find it, this is how it would look without the benefit of night vision cameras. firing up the high beams is the only way to get a sense of the footing and behind the fences where all the towed cars sit. montgomery county investigators have received formal complaints from drivers. >> county law requires that the storage lot be brightly lit. that's the exact language, brightly lit. >> does this look brightly lit to you? >> no. there was more light coming off the cake from my last birthday. >> reporter: we caused the tow companies and one says they don't own the lots, they rent them and that they did install a motion detecting light neert

front gate and they're also concerned about darkness because their tow truck drivers must work in it. but the tow truck company and landlords conditions s can't b. that falls on the owners of the lots where the cars were originally parked. we reached out without success to see if they're aware p. >> if they continue to have storage lots like this, they will start getting tickets. >> reporter: but a new law going into effect in weeks will give the county the authority to go after the tow companies, too. >> no lights. >> reporter: and the iteam spotted at least two of the companies warned drivers on their sign they have to call ahead to get their cars back. county investigators say that is illegal, for a. >> that would be a blatant violation of state law. >> reporter: because if companies are out selling, the cars must be retrievable continuously around the clock.

whether in broad daylight or the dark of night. scott mcfarland, news 4 iteam. >> the towing company says it did not know of the law and one update after questioning the companies, the iteam found out some of the lights on paramount drive have now been turned back on. we'll keep watching this story. this parody has become a big hit. the story and challenge behind it next.

first frt. first we thoutd it would . >> reporter: baker's last managing gig came in cincinnati, but he's been a fixture for more than 40 years. last week the nats reportedly offered the job to bud black, but that deal fell through. mostly over length of contract and money. forget uptown funk.

some midshipmen are showing off their annapolis pride and they have a challenge for other navy citie cities. so check out nat town funk. ♪ >> the creative force for the video reworked some of the lyrics of the hit. and in it they talk about downtown annapolis, which is also known as nat town and also challenge other navy cities to creates their own spirit videos. you can see the full video on our facebook page. well, that will do it for us. that's all the news for this week. i'm chris lawrence. we want to thank you for joining us. we'll leave you with the giant baby panda learning how to stand. have a great weekend. ♪

thank you so much. did you say honey? hey, try some? mmm that is tasty. is it real? of course... are you? nope animated you know i'm always looking for real honey for honey nut cheerios well you've come to the right place. great, mind if i have another taste? not at all mmm you're all right bud?

never better i don't know if he likes that. yeah part of the complete breakfast welcome to "redskins chronicles," i'm larry michael. each week we take an in-depth look at this team's store read legacy. today we sit down with super bowl champion, the one and only joe theismann. redskins on sunday taking on the unbeaten new england patriots. skins coming off a bye last week after beating the bucs 31-30 two sundays ago. wh