right now on "news4 this week," stopping the leak. crews are working to plug a water-logged metro tunnel, but is it working? only nbc4 was allowed underground to show you the repairs aimed at improving your commute. journalist journalist honored. given a special award by her peers. and then, emotional reunion. we're there as a local man and the mother who put him through foster care see each other for the first time in decades. >> announcer: welcome to "news4 this week." >> hi, everyone, i'm jim handly. we begin this morning with a story you saw only on "news4 this week." water leaks along the red line that could be causing delays for your ride. now work is in full swing to fix e

out, it's not easy. transportation reporter adam tuss has details after getting exclusive access to the tracks. >> reporter: about 15 stories down, way down below wisconsin avenue and rockville pike, you get here to the red line tunnel. and in this tunnel, there's a problem. a water problem. it's everywhere. >> you have to get to this issue. this is an issue that's been an achilles heel of this system almost since day one. >> metro has literally sprung a leak and all that water gets on to the tracks, corroding rails, equipment, power supplies, and potentially causing delays, even fires. take a look for yourself. this is what metro has been dealing with for a long time here inside some of the tunnels. the water literally just comes down because these tunnels are beneath the water tables. >> as you know, adam, this goes back years and years and years. >> reporter: andy

assistant general manager for rail. >> a lot of these tunnels were built to take on water and leak. >> reporter: these guys are what metro hopes are the solution, a company called j track that specializes in keeping the water out. their forte is actually water proofing mines. now they drill into the red line tunnel, injecting a grout that turns into a rubber substance as tough as a car tire, then it covers the ceiling. metro gm says it appears to be working and he believes the system itself is starting to get back on good footing. >> i do. i really do. i think across the board, i think public sees it. they are starting to feel it. >> reporter: the good news, all the recent rain we've had seems to have been kept under control. work isn't done yet. metro says it's still too early to declare success. along the red line, adam tuss, nbc4. a d.c. journalist gunned down at a bus stop two years ago now received a special

press club. police tell us scharnice milton was used as a human shield during the shooting. she was not the intended target. the shooter has never been caught. [ applause ] >> reporter: recognized with a standing ovation at the national press club's annual journalism awards, parents of sharnice milton, 27, a reporter for capital community news was shot and killed the night of may 27th, 2015 as she waited for a bus. she was returning home from covering a community meeting for capital community news. the police told them the intended target of the shooting grabbed the reporter and used her as a human shield. >> i never had a chance to really make the big bylines, but working alongside, you know, wonderful colleagues all throughout this town and when she was tragically taken

>> reporter: d.c. police released these images of riders described as persons of interest in the murder, but despite the wide dissemination of those images, no arrests have been made. milton's parents express gratitude at the recognition, saying it keeps her memory alive. >> i was very excited that her peers recognized her strength and her commitment to the community. and how important she was to washington, d.c., and to the world. >> proud that she really would have gone so much further. she had it in her. it's blessing my heart to see that she won't be there. >> now, milton's name will be placed also on a new book store in the district. it will be the first book store of its kind east. now to a heartwarming reunion four decades in the making.

a man from ft. washington went into the foster care system as a baby, but never gave up on the search for his biological family. thanks to his determination and social media, richard santiago was reunited with his mom, and only on 4, megan fitzgerald was there to see it. >> reporter: from the outside looking in -- >> traveling, bowling, fishing. >> really anything that involves being together. >> reporter: -- it seems like richard santiago and his wife fran have it all, but this couple will be the first to tell you that no one's life is perfect. >> it's a loneliness that i can't describe. a monumental hole. >> reporter: as a child, richard was in foster care before being adopted by what he describes as an abusive woman. for his entire life, he's been searching for a connection to his past. >> and me, you know, trying to find my family for 40 years, you know, and i was always looking around, man, where's my mother, where's my father? >> reporter: for years richard

through documents and records online. >> keep having searches that made it such a difficult task, but, yeah, every time he got ready to give up, why are you giving up? hang in there. you don't know what's going to happen. >> reporter: what happened three months ago is what richard calls fate. he tracked down who he thought was a relative on facebook. >> checked it, facebook request. acceptance. and i did that, and i dialled her number through messenger. she says, i'm your aunt. >> reporter: so after a lifetime of waiting -- he found her. there was a lot of hugs and tears to go around. a reminder that no one's life is perfect and challenges will arise, but with determination and perseverance -- >> it's all good. >> reporter: -- richard and his family know that anything is possible. >> love you. >> love you, love you too. >> reporter: reporting in prince george's county, megan

>> now, richard and his wife tell us they are planning a celebration in the coming days and making arrangements for his mother to move in with them. when we come back, running for office. the top prosecutor in prince george's county announces her run for county executive. what angela alsobrooks wants to accomplish if she gets the job. and the cheap airfares may be enticing, but they do come with a catch. what you need to know before you book that next trip.

keeping communities safe and promoting small business. those are two of the top priorities for angela alsobrooks if she becomes the next prince george's county executive. alsobrooks has been prince george's county states attorney since 2010. alsobrooks says she wants to hire more police officers and encourage minority-owned businesses. sh

in early education. >> all of us want the same thing for our families, a safe community, a quality education for our children, security and stability for our aging relatives, and good-paying jobs for an eager workforce who are looking for a hand up, not a hand out. >> current county executive baker cannot run for another term because of term limits. but alsobrooks will have plenty of competition in the crowded primary. state senator anthony mewes has already announced a run. he's the husband of nbc4 anchor pat lawson muse. board of election anchors also indicate lewis johnson has filed to run in the contest. the maryland state primary is a ways off, next june. nbc4 is working for you. when we come back, a local woman cancels her trip because of emergency surgery. then she learns her airline tickets were nonrefundable. what you need to know before you book. andt'

major renovation at the university of maryland. now we're getting our first look inside the new cole field house. still ahead, how this project is impacting people beyond the campus borders.

we send our kids out into the world, full of hope. and we don't want something like meningitis b getting in their way. meningococcal group b disease, or meningitis b, is real. bexsero is a vaccine

in 10 to 25 year olds. even if meningitis b is uncommon, that's not a chance we're willing to take. meningitis b is different from the meningitis most teens were probably vaccinated against when younger. we're getting the word out against meningitis b. our teens are getting bexsero. bexsero should not be given if you had a severe allergic reaction after a previous dose. most common side effects are pain, redness or hardness at the injection site; muscle pain; fatigue; headache; nausea; and joint pain. bexsero may not protect all individuals. tell your healthcare professional if you're pregnant or if you have received any other meningitis b vaccines. ask your healthcare professional about the risks and benefits of bexsero and if vaccination with bexsero is right for your teen. moms, we can't wait. z2fwdz z16fz y2fwdy y16fy

it's a new era for cole field house. host to so many historic events and best remembered as the place you went to cheer on the maryland terps and boo duke, of course. well, now cole has undergone a major makeover. leon harris gives a look now at the new cole field house. >> from this -- to this -- to this. >> this building is a game changer for us. >> three, two, one. >> a first look inside the new cole field house. this historic building transformed. it's not only a state of the art practice facility for the football team, but now it will be home

medicine, as well. a living laboratory of research and innovation, with a big focus on something that's been in the news a lot, brain injuries and neuroscience. >> the headlines are scary. they are alarming. but i'm glad they've gotten our attention, because they should, and because the questions they raise are exactly the questions we'll start answering here at cole. we love our terps. we love our sports. but we love our athletes even more. >> what the new cole field house will do is a 21st century porch that brings together not just athletics, but its integrates with neuroscience, research on the brain, brain recovery, and larger human health. >> $the 155 million renovation is expected to be fully

leon harris, nbc4. >> looks spiffy there. if you're one of thousands of drivers that use route 1 in fairfax every day, the good news, the new segment is now finished. officials cut the ribbon this week. the road is now six lanes with turn lanes and bike lanes, too, upgraded signals and the ability to accommodate future bus rapid transit. >> this is just one of many, many, many projects in fairfax county and in northern virginia as a result of a real stepped up push to improve transportation. >> the project realigned the highway to avoid the historic gunston hall property. nbc4 responds to your complaints about nonrefundable airline tickets. you may not realize when you opt for that cheaper airfare it often comes with restrictions. consumer reporter susan hogan is working for you with what you need to know before you b

your next flight. >> when we purchase an airline ticket, we, of course, are always looking for the cheapest fare, but sometimes you may not realize you chose a nonrefundable flight. what happened to a damascus woman may have you looking twice at the fine print. >> it doesn't hurt. >> mary donaldson has been suffering from crones disease for 25 years, so when she started to feel a little bit better, she decided to book a trip. >> i have never been to denver, it was on our bucket list of things to do. >> she and her husband booked a fight, but wasn't long after mary's health began to deteriorate. >> i got very sick. i was hospitalized. >> so the couple had to cancel their trip and asked united airlines for a refund. >> i told them i'm in the hospital, i cannot fly. i don't know how long i'm going to be in the hospital. i need a major surgery. >> that's when mary realized she had purchased nonrefundable

clear. >> if you're somebody like me, what does that mean? why doesn't it say nonrefundable on the tickets that you print out? >> right. >> so i had no idea. >> and united stuck to its policy, nonrefundable means just that, even with a hospital note. so why do airlines offer nonrefundable tickets in the first place? the industry's advocacy group, airlines for america, tells us nonrefundable fares offer more affordable travel options, help reduce passenger no-shows, and avoid the cost of a seat when a reservation is cancelled. while nonrefundable tickets often cost less, you have, of course, more restrictions. that's why you pay more for refundable tickets. it gives you a lot more flexibility. now, in mary's case, just as many airlines do, united issued her a credit instead of a refund to be used within one year. >> i was like, i don't know if i'll be able to fly within a year. >> that's when m

responds, and just like other nonrefundable ticket complaints we received, we reached out to the airline. >> and that evening i got a phone call from united airlines and they said that they had no idea that my condition was as serious as it was, and they refunded our money 100%. >> $976.80. we followed up with united and asked if it refunded mary simply because we called, or is there an actual exception to the nonrefundable rule? it turns out there is. cases such as death of the traveler, traveling companion, or immediate family member, if you're called for jury duty and certain illness situations, which made mary eligible for a refund. >> with the bills coming in now, it's like thank god they refunded our money. i'm very glad you guys helped, and it was very quick. >> airlines for america tells us that there is no industrywide policy when it comes to change

individual carrier. back to you. >> now we know. amc wanted to change the iconic marquee at the uptown theater in d.c., but now the company is having second thoughts. we'll explain how local neighbors may have saved a piece of history.

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an iconic image almost became a causality to corporate branding this week. the uptown theater sign is rooted in d.c. history. amc owns the building, and the company wanted to put its name front and center, but that didn't sit well with folks in cleveland park. nbc4's kristen wright has more on the fight to keep the past present. >> the uptown theater has been around forever, 80-plus years in cleveland park. the uptown holds a lot of movie memories. >> the uptown theater is where i came and saw movies as a kid, as a young

looking forward to taking my own son. >> reporter: the uptown sign is one of the most iconic in town. it's always been there, the thought of it going away. amc theaters, which owns the uptown, was planning to take down the famous neon letters and replace them with "amc." the neighborhood didn't like that. >> it's the same as walking past the mom and pop's restaurant that all of a sudden has an applebee's sign in front of it. >> i'd wonder why they'd done it and taken away something that's been a part of this neighborhood for so many years. >> reporter: cleveland park amc commissioner wasn't going to let it happen. >> there was a huge effort afoot that included tweeting at amc and their head of p.r., ryan noonan, e-mailing them, calling them, writing letters. >> reporter: it appears to have worked, and the sign may be saved. >> when i think of going to the movies here, i think of going to the uptown, not going to the amc loews

>> i for one am glad to see it, as well. finally, a video we think you're going to love. who says you can't have a little fun at work? check this out. ♪ look at her go. she's got some moves. a food worker clearly enjoying a rendition of "crazy little thing called love" at the verizon center this week. thanks so much to nbc4 viewer carol walker for sharing that with us. that's it for "news4 this week." i'm jim handly. we leave you with video from redskins training camp. football will be here before you know it, folks. thanks for joining us, and have a great week. ♪ ♪

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"news4 today" starts now. >> a deadly crash and close call right now "news4 today," a violent crash and damage that could have been much worse. it could have a major impact on your weekend travel plans, two big projects from metro and how you can get around all that mess. >> talking about savings so good, how to save big bucks on back to school supplies and more all weekend long. >> back to school? august 5th? >> i know. it's crazy. i knew in june this summer would fly by. >> welcome to this saturday morning. i'm adam tuss in for d