right now on news4 this week, keeping metro running. the new tools that the agency has. the big bright, in your face, the next place you'll see the digital billboards in the district. and secret list, names thousands of people banned from maryland casinos, but nobody can see it. we'll take a look at why. welcome to news4 this week. hi, i'm chris lawrence. metro's new plan to fix its aging fleet of rail cars. we get a sneak peek at the tools being used to diagnose the problems, hoping to make your ride smoother and safer.

>> we're starting on the air conditioning for next summer now. >> reporter: metro giving us an up close look to new upgrades and trains maintenance. >> sometimes we have to pull the cars out because they get too hot. >> reporter: the plan is to use this specialized wand to better clean the air conditioning system so that it works consistently. >> we actually test these on the car. >> reporter: metro showed us how they're going to get broken down trains back in service faster with this new tester. for the first time engineers can troubleshoot on board instead of hauling the train off to the shop. >> that saves us times and we can make sure to have the car back in service as quickly as possible. >> reporter: metro says the train boors open and close 45 million times a month throughout the system. some older and newer models are getting new parts. >> we are changing all of the rollers. >> reporter: those trying to mainta t

says upgrades mean fewer delays for the riders. there's a lot of work to do but metro won't rush their back to good initiative. >> the new culture we have here. we're going to fix it and then put it out. >> reporter: written wright, news4. >> you can see more coverage in the special transportation section of the nbc washington app. just search transportation. well it won't be long before fairfax county residents have a new place to turn when they have complaints about police conduct. this week the county board voted to create a new panel. it comes after the police involved shooting of john gear three years ago. the citizen review panel will take a second look at certain police internal affairs investigations. the bureau chief has more. >> it was the august 2013 police shooting of an

gear, and the sexy that followed that led to sharp criticism of the police department. and ad hoc practice commission was formed and today one of its major recommendations won approval. >> that motion is approved. >> a police civilian review panel will be created, something the police chief calls the right move. >> this goes a long way to restore public trust and confidence in fairfax county police department, the nation and our community here in fairfax county want more transparency and we're delivering that. >> the panel will not handle complaints about police use of force, another recently created position, an independent auditor will tackle those. this group will review claims on abusive conduct. any complaints start with the usual police internal affairs investigation. but if the citizen is not happy, they can turn to the civilian review panel and that group can press the police. >>he

soft interview, you didn't press this person. you ought to go back and interview this witness again. >> the lone no vote from the supervisor who worries about the impact on officers. >> it has and it will impact recruiting and moral. >> jeff stewart was one of john gear's best friends. while not perfect, an important step. >> so far the county has done more than has ever been done and they're taking the stepgs in the right direction. >> the nine panel members will will be selected early spring. news4. more of the large outdoor video billboards are coming to the district. the advertising screens have been up for several years at the verizon center downtown. this week the d.c. council gave preliminary approval for five

the council restricted where the other video signs might be allowed in the future. >> to narrowly tailor this to no more than five signs at the ballpark and in that area as a part of clear entertainment a a area. >> the nationals want the billboards in1258d before the 2018 all star game. two more years before you can go to the top of the washington monument. this week the national park service said it will take until 2019 to fix the monuments elevator issues. the park service says it was getting a big donation to fix the elevator once and for all. it will be 2019 before everything is fixed. but helping in that effort is david ruben stein. he's donating the money to correct the ma can call and computer issues. this is the second time rubenstein came to the aid of the

after the earthquake he donated half of the $15 million needed to repair the structure. if you commute to d.c. from virginia you know crossing the pa totomac can be a challenge. we'll show you a mode of transportation some people are promoting to ease congestion. 'tis the season for lots and lots of packages. we have tips to keep all of your gifts safe when they're deli

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could this be the future gond da la other the key bridge. the business improvement district is promoting the district. it would ferry thousands of commutesers between georgetown and rosalynn. the proposal is far from certain but the gondola made an appearance this week to try to drum. business. the national zoo's panda cub bei bei is accepting visitors. the panda house has been closed

when bei bei underwent surgery. he suffered an intestinal blockage after eating too much bamboo. you can see the panda from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. the dioceocese held a servi this morning. the appointment to lead arlington came straight from the pontiff. >> i'm so thankful to our holy father pope francis for installing me to this diocese. he will be serving 600,000 catholics across northern virginia. when we come back, outsmarting the crooks. how to keep all of those holiday packages delivered safe when you're not home. and maryland newest casino is

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see if you're eligible for 12 months free at mybreo.com. as the holiday shipping season heats up, a lot of mail carriers are worried and anxious. a local postal worker was assaulted and robbed, something that happens all too often this year. this week darren ward looked at how they handle this risk, especially at night. >> it's the time of year when the days are shorter and more of their work is done in darkness >> you're trying to improve to be out there before dark. but sometimes, you know, mail can come late. it's something we can't control. >> something else they can't control. the seasons. this is the time of year when they're busiest, online purchases, cards and gifts. >> management, i think they're doing everything for us to stay safe. >> that includes briefing on

what to do if there's a threat. it was this weekend that a letter carrier was attacked and robbed of his mail and wallet and cell phone. police are looking for these two men in connection with that incident. >> some of these concerns are shared by other carriers, u.p.s. and fedex. >> the safety protocols are visible and nonvisible but the goal is the same. >> the main concern obviously is for us to stay safe. >> news4. of course it's the packages most thieves are after and unless it's happened to you don't give much thought to where the packages are dropped off. susan hogan has four things you should know to outsmart the crooks. >> shipping companies are expected to reach a record number of drivers between now and christmas, 1.5 billion packages. is it's really up to you and me to make it difficult for them. four things you need to know. request a signature delivery option. this requires a signature when the packages are d

ask the delivery service to leave your packages at a side or back door or even an enclosed porch. have your packages delivered to your office instead of your home and getting a tracking number. most retailers will offer the service to you. now some of the major shipping companies offer service to alert you when a package has been delivered. sign up for that. that way you can alert a neighbor to grab it for you before someone else does. head over to your nbc washington app and search preventing package theft. the mgm national harbor casino opened this week and you may be surprised to learn that every casino in the state is expected to benefit. in a deal state lawmakers made years ago, maryland law and horseshoe casino in baltimore will get to keep a higher share of slot revenue than mg

their taxes once the added competition entered the market. lawmakers are hoping that the mgm revenue will make up for the lost revenue from the other casinos. the news4 i team found maryland has a list of players prohibited from entering some local casinos. but you can't see that list. some say that's an abuse of power aimed at keeping highly skilled players from winning. ♪ >> joe stiers is a pro. >> you see the same people everywhere you go. >> he's from silver spring and plays in the major poker tournaments. >> you travel to a different city all the time. >> he used to spend plenty of time at the blackjack tables in maryland but says he's no longer allowed inside

booted in 2013 because he's a card counter. >> they pulled the care out from behind me. >> that's a player what can track how many face cards are in the deck. >> that happened to other people i know too. they kick you out without a warning. >> yeah. >> horseshoe casino declined to comment on the case. in a lawsuit justin mills said he was accused of card counting too at maryland live casino and was booted. his eviction from the casino is seen, posted on youtube. mills argued that the casino didn't train its security that card counting is not illegal. the case is pending. but in court filings they've denied the allegations. >> the news4 team wanted to know how many players have been booted from one or all of maryland casinos and we found out through a public records request. we found 3600 of them. ea

maryland state officials have. >> but who was booted and for what? the state doesn't specify. the list of banned casino players are kept private unlike other states in our region. we found delaware, pennsylvania and new jersey each post the names of gamblers booted by government gaming investigators, some for cheating or fighting on the casino floor like these customers in delaware. casinos in other states are permitted to boot players for card counting even though it's not illegal. still we found hundreds of other evictions for rule breaking are publicly listed which experts say insurance that the gaming officials are held accountable and that the evictions are justified. james carnel who wrote a book said when the casinos were

he expects a more transparent system will be considered. >> maryland is moving in the right direction in that way, as far as bringing in casino experts, gaming experts, not just lottery people taking on the casino park. >> we asked the maryland gaming control agency for an interview to talk about the system of excluding players but they declined instead saying that when a public disclosure of an excluded individual is appropriate and can provide a benefit to the casinos, we will do so. and points out that the banned listeds in other states contained decades old casings. the lists need to be current, relevant and practical. stiers has appealed to the state to overturn his eviction. >> it financially impacts you. >> a crushing blow. >> scott mcfarland, news4 i team. >> we saw a le

in scott's piece, the maryland lottery and gaming control agency says it's reviewing its list of excluded players and will make a decision about the form and content of public drix distribution in the future. viz the washington app and click investigation. when we come back, making sure military families have a special holiday season after losing a loved one to war. ♪

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news4 is working for you in the community. children in need will find presents under the tree this christmas thanks to the sheriff's office. operation blue cruiser collected toys, coats and other items in special events like stuff the cruiser. and this year the effort is expanding. our goal this year is to take 50 senior citizens shopping and also 50 teenagers shopping.

teenagers. we're going to take 50 teenagers and 50 seniors shopping at $100 a piece and get items they need for christmas. >> you forget how special christmas can be for teenagers. the gifts will be distributed later this month. more than 100 children were recently treated to some holiday cheer in arlington. it's a time that can be better sweet because they've all lost parents who have served in the military. we have a look at the organization bringing them a little winter wonderland. >> it's incredible. it's really -- it's so much fun. >> mickey and her 6-year-old son are happy. >> it's yof well ming but like a good overwhelming. >> yellow ribbons united offered a winter woshdland. toys for tots provided gifts. >> it's fun to see other people that lost their

than 100 kids and wives of fallen u.s. service members. christopher's father was killed in afghanistan in 2011. >> while we're here for a sad reason, we're also here because people want to make us feel good. >> the joy of the holiday season is sometimes overshadowed by the loss. but the organizers say that gifts and the love shown here tonight can help the families with their grieving. >> very important, especially during the holiday season. >> christopher received his gift and showed respect to the marines. >> you can never forget this night. never forget this night. it's -- the memories will last forever. >> in arlington, news4. let's all keep those families in our prayers. that's ul for news4 this week. i'm chris lawrence. we're going to leave you with ur

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♪ welcome to "redskins chronicles." i'm larry michael at redskins park. each week on "redskins chronicles" we take an in-depth look at a piece of this team's storied legacy. today the great hall of famer bobby mitchell and the rivalry between the red skips and philadelphia eagles. this week's redskins