right now on news 4 this week, birthday celebration, people from far and wide come to the nation's capital to celebrate the 4th of july. heroes honor two capital police officers injured in that shooting at a congressional baseball practice. a saint for their bravery. and talk about christmas in july, we'll show you what items to buy right now for a discount. >> announcer: welcome to news 4 this week. >> hey, everyone, i'm chris lawrence. it's one of the busiest times of the year in our nation's capital. thousands flock to the district to celebrate our country's 244th birthday. there was rain that didn't move out in time for the fireworks on the mall. news

who said there's no place they'd rather be on the 4th. >> it's fantastic. it's quite a display. we're very happy. >> reporter: a magnificent display of bright lights and colors over the national mall. the third year in a row for the covell family, they're from boston. >> it's fantastic. washington always is the best in the country. >> i like the different colors. >> reporter: thousands watch in excitement, dress in patriotic red, white and blue. >> it's fun watching the fireworks. >> celebrating our freedom and independence. >> reporter: on a hot evening. >> making america great again, one drink at a time. >> it's the 4th of july. i'm here to be with my fellow americans. >> reporter: security was tight with law enforcement in suvs and on bikes. military officers surveying the crowd. bomb sniffing dogs inspect. >> anything can happen. you never know what's

happen. >> reporter: several streets were closed with metro buses blocking cars and trucks from plowing into the crowd. the cavell family appreciates the security and the phenomenal fireworks. >> it's a fantastic experience. >> come here as long as we can. it's great. >> reporter: shamari stone, news 4. >> never get tired of seeing that. and as we celebrate our nation' founders this week, there was a special ceremony to honor two modern day heroes. news 4 megan fitzgerald takes us to congressional cemetery for two officers we're thankful for saving lives. >> reporter: we pledge allegiance to a flag which reminds us that the liberty we enjoy has come at a cost. >> our founding fathers signed the declaration of independence. of those men only one is buried here in washington, d.c. >> reporter: so, in the congressional cemetery where many american heroes

honor two more. >> special agent bailey, you and special agent greiner embody the essence of self sacrifice. >> reporter: it was last month when a gunman opened fire on a baseball field in alexandria where members of congress were practicing. >> all of a sudden we heard shots. it was clear pretty quickly it was a shooter there with a high-powered rifle. >> reporter: while the members ran for cover, special agent david bailey and crystal griner both highly respected veterans of the force instantly fired back. not thinking twice about sacrificing their lives to save those they swore to protect. >> thank you to the d.c. society of the sons of american revolution. greatly honored to be here. thank you for the award. >> reporter: brianer wasn't able to attend the ian poulter, but her supervisor accepted the award for her. >> i just wanted to

i know she wished she could be here. >> reporter: two officers thankful for the recognition, but it's the entire nation that is grateful to the men and women like them who protect the freedom we enjoy. reporting in the district, megan fitzgerald, news 4. >> the summer season usually brings droves of people to d.c. southwest waterfront for crabs and fresh fish. several businesses say they're losing money this year. a developer's crane is blocking access to the parking lot to the wharf. news 4's derek moore took a look at the problem this week. >> reporter: the fish market has been through some changes and it's more than 200 years on the southwest waterfront. but never on the scale of what's coming. the challenge these merchants face is staying afloat till next spring when the first phase of changes are due to be done. >> this used to be all parking here for the market, for the wharf. >> reporter: it's been shifted to make way for a new market hall and restaurant being

there used to be some 50 or so meter spaces. now the spaces are free, but getting them requires getting in line. the development partners are paying to have an officer here to manage entry and exit to and from the lot. when the lot fills, it streets the other options. >> i have a lot of customers who are just, i'm sorry, i just can't do it. they come down here and they get $250 tickets. they change the pattern. >> reporter: people do indeed love their fresh seafood. >> i'm still coming to get my clams. >> reporter: and some of the fish market patrons here today like what the future holds for their favorite fresh seafood destination. >> so good, it's going to be better when they open this place up. >> reporter: the development group says there will eventually be a 2,500 space underground lot with access to the fish market, and this well worn trail leading to lan fant plaza will be replaced with a more formal pedestrian access. and the 200 year old fish market should fit right in after these challenges are over. >> but i'm grateful it's still here.

waterfront, derrick ward, news 4. >> when we come back, as the temperatures heat up, prices on some items go down. consumer reporter susan hogan has a look at the things to buy right now. and we'll show you three big summer construction projects inside the beltway that could have a major impact on your commute.

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well, the next time you're in leesburg, you could be on camera. the town signed a contract with motorola to outfit police officers with new body cameras and they are also going to install new cameras in patrol cars. the program is expected to cost more than $170,000 and it will start sometime next year. you can say it's christmas in july. retailers offering some incredible deals on items you would never expect to buy in the heat of the summer. consumer reporter susan hogan dug up four seasonal products to get your hands on right now before the deals are gone. >> reporter: okay, so, summer is in full s

some pretty good sweet deals going on right now. actually, some of the products that are on sale probably will surprise you. so, here are four of the biggest deals you should know about. air conditioners are a hot item right now. usually we don't see them go on sale until after the summer ends. but not this year. one of the hottest deals we found is at best buy, the winter 13,000 btu portable ac for $405.99. that's reduced from $654. a savings of $249. is your girl looking pretty nasty? retail me not shopping experts say july is the best month for discounts on grills. we found some of the best deals on amazon, including the char broil performance, 475 four burner cart gas grill for just $159. that's down from $349.99. crate and barrel is offering up to 50% off on outdoor furniture. but thei

on way fair.com offering up to 70% and free shipping on orders over $49. if you're looking to score big on summer clothes and sandals, you will find the best deals right now as retailers are pushing out summer inventory to get ready for fall clothing. i know it's so hard to hear this, but there are some back to school deals going on right now for the month of july. so, all of these deals head on over to our nbc washington app and search july deals. >> boy oh, boy, back to school. as the summer rolls on, road construction projects are heating up across the region. adam takes a look at three big projects that could impact your commute. and historians could be one step closer to solving one of the most notorious mysteries, a newly discovered photo appears to show missing aviator a meal i can't air heart alive.

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switch to fios gigabit connection with tv and phone for $79.99 a month online for the first year. plus hbo for one year and multi-room dvr service for two years, all with a two-year agreement. and switching has never been easier. get out of your contract with up to a $500 credit to help cover your early termination fee. go to fiosgigabit.com earha for so many people driving is more than about getting from

independence. a lot of older drivers can be reluctant to hang up their keys. consumer reports recently took a look at programs and strategies that can either help seniors drive more safely, or recognize when it's time to retire from the road. >> reporter: sandra cunningham is 70 years old and despite having parkinson's disease, she would like to continue driving as long as possible. she's got a lot of company, too. 38 million americans over the age of 65 have a driver's license, including 3 1/2 million who are older than 85. you may assume that older drivers are more likely to be involved in a collision than their younger counterparts, but -- >> decades of crash data say that isn't the case. the highest rate and the most dangerous drivers to others are actually the youngest drivers. >> reporter: this could be in part because seniors are more likely to obey speed limits and far less likely to text and drive. cunningham also worked with

certified driver rehab specialist. these specialists assess older drivers for things like vision, memory, processing speed, and range of motion, and help equip them with tips and tools to keep them safe on the road. >> making sure i can see over the wheel, adjusting my mirrors properly. >> one of the biggest things is keeping active and walking because, you know, the aerobic exercise is a great thing for your body and your mind to keep your responses quick. >> reporter: the goal, keep seniors behind the wheel as safe and as long as possible because putting the brakes on driving could lead to other problems down the road. >> there is a much higher rate of depression after seniors stop driving. and data has shown that it actually increases their mortality rate, they're much more likely to end up in a nursing home. >> here's the key. >> when you can drive, at least that gives you some independence and some worth, self-worth and confidence. >> consum

senior drivers. they also recommend taking a drivers education course through aarp. for more information on this you can go to our nbc washington app and search safe driving. new parking rates are being hold out in bethesda. street parking will now cost $2.25 an hour. surface lots, $1.50. garages will be a dollar, 1.25 depending which one you're using. it also affects street parking and garages and lots that will be phased in the next few weeks. it will take-two to $3 million to overhaul the elevator system at the washington monument. it's been closed since last august and this week we learned the national park service has put the contract out to bid for the new system. the hathey hope to secure new contract by august. elevator has broken down a couple times in the last few years. the historical society of washington, d.c. had to move out of the carnegie library this

temporary home inside the museum. the d.c. public library also has some material that will be moved including its washingtonian collection. after everything is out, the carnegie building will be transformed into an apple store. the summer is usually a time for lighter traffic inside the beltway, but there are plenty of construction projects around the area. that can impact your commute the rest of the summer. three of the biggest in our area right now, i-66 inside the beltway. the tolls are being added. the third street tunnel project also known as capital crossing. and rockville pike, right in front of walter reed. the transportation reporter is working for you with what you need to know. >> reporter: it seems like everywhere you turn, you find this. >> summer construction. >> are you kidding? this corner right here is the worst. >> reporter: this driver, barbara, has a wish

get it all done at once, not over and over again. >> just grind it all down and put all new stuff on it. >> reporter: well, there is plenty of grinding. the work heating up. >> it starts, it hasn't stopped. it just goes on and on and on. >> reporter: let's take a tour of some big projects starting in virginia. construction barrels line the side of i-66 in northern virginia where the tolls are underway. this road is actually going to be widened in the future. tolling on i-66 inside the beltway starts in december. in maryland on rockville pike walter reed medical center, a huge project to take a pedestrian tunnel under the pike so people have an easier time getting from the metro station to the center. during the coming weekend in july and august there is actually going to be major lane closures here for this work. and in the district, the third street tunnel project takes on a new shape and form every day. construction happening right next to the busy road here has brought lots of new traffic

the first building of the capital crossing project directly above the tunnel, by the way, expected to open next year. adam, news 4. >> well, this showed up on just about everyone's social media feed. unlocking a mystery. why a grainy photo could reveal what really happened to amelia earhart.

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members of the community in northwest d.c. came together this week to help victims of a devastating apartment fire. more than 200 people lost their homes when the rolling terrace apartments caught fire in june. one man died, several others were injured. students at san miguel middle school along with the borger management company teamed up to give fire victims household items, clothing and other supplies. >> we're part of the community and we feel when the community needs help, as a school that's our mission, to h

losing a home is not easy and so i think that if we can bring some happiness to them, that's something that we want to do. >> we reached out to investigators who tell us the cause of the blaze still under investigation. this week we learned about some fascinating new evidence about the disappearance of the first female pilot to fly solo across the atlantic ocean. amelia earhart and her plane vanished in 1937 on her attempt to fly around the world. she is thought to have crashed and died in the pacific ocean, but now some 80 years later, some say a photograph buried in the u.s. archives proves she survived that crash landing. tom sherwood has reaction. >> reporter: a constant crowd visits the amelia earhart exhibit of the smithsonian air and space museum. the famous pioneer aviator disappeared 80 years ago, trying to be the first woman to solo fly around the

mysteries of the 20th century, what happened to amelia earhart. >> reporter: curator dorothy has her own pilot's license. she handles unending requests for information about earhart. >> it is a very popular person disappearing off the face of the earth literally. >> reporter: now a history channel documentary airing sunday and assisted by nbc points to new evidence uncovered in once secret photos housed in the u.s. archives. the photograph according to facial imaging test appears to show earhart and her navigator fred nunan a dock next to a japanese ship. the documentary suggests it's the strongest evidence yet that earhart survived her crash and probably later died in japanese custody. >> none of that has been explicitly defined. so, this adds another layer. it's another tool in their investigation. >> reporter: at air and space, families are drawn to the story. 11-year-old jason carpenter studied her in school. >> where she crashed, t

but no one ever knew. it was always a mystery. >> reporter: and javier melendez of florida said his young daughter prompted their visit today. >> when you're looking around all the astronauts, she was asking, why are they all boys? i have to show her that girls can actually make and do anything that boys can as well. >> reporter: amelia earhart, still officially unaccounted for, but still teaching others. in the district, tom sherwood, news 4. >> fascinating. that's going to do if for news 4 this week. i'm chris lawrence. we're going to leave you with some more pictures of the fireworks on the national mall. thanks for joining us. have a great week.

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