they say it shows the car of 19-year-old ashanti billie entering and leaving joint expeditionary base little creek last monday. what isn't clear, who was driving the car as it left that base. police later found that car and ashanti's cell phone. so far no sign of her. >> the 19-year-old is originally from prince george's county and she was in the norfolk area to attend culinary school. our bureau chief tracee wilkins talked to her former teachers today in upper marlboro. tracee? >> reporter: just explain to you, wendy, the kind of girl this young woman is. she graduated in 2016 from wise high school but will still call her teachers to tell them how she's doing and will stop by from time to time to see if she can help out with anything here at the school. that is why so many people are saying it is extraordinarily unusual that no one has heard from her in more than a week. >> once a puma h,

that's my baby. >> reporter: when i mention the name ashanti billie, i get smiles from her teachers and administrators. >> she is outgoing, lovely, allegation giving you a hug, always positive. >> reporter: the 2016 graduate would should times come back for visits. >> she would come just as recently as last year's concert, and she jumped right in and started helping. >> reporter: billie, as she's known to friends, sometimes calls her former teachers telling them what she's up to. >> prior to her going down to virginia beach, i spoke to her just checking in to see how she was doing. she was very excited about going to culinary school. >> reporter: that is why everyone is shocked to hear she has disappeared and has not been seen for more than a week now. >> we've been praying and hoping for a very favorable outcome. >> reporter: billie is now a student at the art institute of virginia beach. around 5:00 a.m. on september 18, she is seen entering a naval base in norfolk where she worked as an assistant manager at a sub shop. her car is seen leaving a short time later. she never

though, and has not been seen since. later that same day her cell phone was found in a dumpster a few miles away from the base. last saturday her missing vehicle was discovered about six miles away from where she was last seen. her mother who still lives here in prince george's county is in virginia beach searching for her daughter and posted this heart felt plea on facebook. >> please bring my baby ashanti home, please. >> reporter: at wise high school, students, teachers and administrators are worried and praying. >> maybe someone saw something, someone knew, someone heard of something. >> reporter: the fbi is taking the lead in this investigation. they are still working with local police down there in virginia beach, but they are asking anyone with information that can help to give a call. they are offering a reward of up to $10,000. for information on how to contact them, go to nbc washington. reporting live in upper marm borough, i'm tracee wilkins. back to you in the studio. >> tracee, they say in the first 24 hours after someone goes

i'm curious if she's been missing more than a week why we are just starting to hear about it now. is there a reason why they delayed shouting it out this way? >> reporter: well, this may say a lot about this investigation because as it stands, they are really focused down there in the norfolk area. and while this is the first time that we are reporting about it here in our market, they have been reporting about it every day down there. this is a major story there and we are bringing attention to it here because of her connections to our area. >> okay, great. tracee wilkins, thank you, tracee. >> now to a discovery that led to a lockdown in a local high school. a teacher spotted something that looked unusual, and officers wound up finding the student with a gun. that teenager taken into custody as police still try and track down one other person tonight. news 4's pat collins is in potomac high school in oxon hill. pat? >> reporter: jim, anxious moments here today. a student with a gun inside the school. parents on edge outs

you came to get your daughter. >> yes. >> reporter: you worried for her? >> yes, i was. >> reporter: you're worried for her safety here? >> yes. >> reporter: parents rushing to potomac high school to check on the safety of their children. as a parent, what do you think about? >> i want to have my child go to another school, yeah. >> reporter: worrisome, huh? >> absolutely. i was all the way in silver spring at work. imagine the state of panic. >> reporter: worry in the air following a gun incident here. >> i'm just a little concerned, very upset about it, but, i mean, hopefully this will be resolved by today. >> reporter: a tenth grader at potomac high cuffed and led off for questioning. arrested after he was caught with a hand gun inside the school. now, nobody was hurt, but the school was placed on lockdown for about two hours. >> i actually received a text on my phone and it really upset me. >> reporter: it happened around 9:45 in the morning.

in the hallway. one was a student, the other a trespasser. they were exchanging money. the teacher got suspicious and called the school cop and -- >> he patted down the tenth grader and found the gun and they made the arrest. >> reporter: nathaniel laney is the principal here at potomac high school. >> do you think you need metal detectors here? >> that's not for me to decide. >> reporter: now, that trespasser has been identified as a former student here. he ran from the school, but police say they know who he is. they are trying to track him down now. jim, back to you. >> so, pat, this is a private school. you mentioned no metal detectors. most of the students wear uniforms. is that what raised the attention with these other students not in uniform? >> reporter: oh, no, this is a public school. >> okay. >> reporter: this is a public school. they wear uniforms here. they have khaki -- kha p

and if you're a freshman, you wear a red shirt. and if you're in the tenth, 11th or 12th grade you get to wear either a blue or a white shirt. but this is a prince george's county public school. >> and why don't they have metal detectors at that school? >> reporter: i don't know. i don't know if there is a policy to have metal detectors here. >> all right. >> but they don't have them here. >> pat collins. thank you, pat. >> one person is dead after a motorcycle and a tractor-trailer collided in fairfax county earlier this afternoon. this was on back lick road in springfield about 1:00. police closed back lick in both directions between barta and fuller ton roads and we're still working to find out who was killed and how this crash happened. were you in that nightmare commute along the bw parkway this morning? more than a dozen crashes. the first happened in the southbound lanes at maryland 197 in laurel. one person was trapped and had to be freed by rescue

were blocked for hours. more than a dozen other crashes followed. the good news, all lanes are back to normal tonight. >> a fire and mysterious death inside a home and now investigators are exploring underground tunnels on the property. news 4 was on the scene as explosives experts pulled up to date two weeks after a deadly fire, investigators are still combing through the house and the yard. news 4's chris gordon joins us now live from the property on danbury road in bethesda. chris? >> reporter: jim, we watched bomb technicians work here today inside this chain link fence as they searched the house behind me for evidence of explosives. now, we are told that in the basement they found something that looks like a bunker, tunnels that were dug, chemicals stored inside including gasoline. now neighbors are concerned. they want answers. they want to know l

a fire truck rolls up to the house on danbury road in bethesda this afternoon. since the fatal fire broke out here on september tenth, investigators have been trying to determine the cause. neighbors say they'll be relieved when they finally get some answers. >> i want to know whether there was anything wrong with the house itself, whether there was a gas line or something strange was going on there. we just don't know. >> reporter: investigators are finding underground tunnels dug around the house. a piece of heavy earth moving equipment sits in the backyard. investigators are collecting and testing chemicals that are stored here. they are finding electrical wiring, and hoarding conditions in the basement with piles of all kinds of materials. fire fighters with chain saws are cutting trees and bamboo to clear the backyard, looking for clues. but more than two weeks after the fatal fire that killed a man trapped in the basement of this bethesda home,

still seeking answers. >> they think they have narrowed down the area of origin, trying to identify what in that area could have ignited the fire. >> the resident of the home got out and yelled for help. he suffered injuries and was treated at a local hospital and released. the flames were too intense to get to the man who died inside the house. police investigating the death say they need the results of the autopsy. >> we are waiting on results from the medical examiner regard to cause of death and other information as well. >> that was chris gordon reporting from bethesda. now to puerto rico where the governor is calling on the u.s. government to provide more help as that island deals with devastation from hurricane maria. governor ricardo ricelo says he spoke with president trump about a long term package that will be presented to congress. millions of u.s. citizens in puerto rico are without food, water

president trump announced he will be traveling to that hurricane-ravaged island next tuesday. >> fema, our great first responders, and all available federal resources including the military are being marshalled to save lives, protect families, and begin a long and very, very difficult restoration process. >> we need more help. we need more resources and at the same time congress, solidarity and all the help that they have pledged through social media and phone calls with our staff, now is the time to materialize it. take action. let's get the funding for puerto rico. >> now, new video out of puerto rico now shows the national guard delivering food, water and other supplies to hurricane victims. electricity may not be fully restored for more than a month now. drinking water is also scarce. so bottles of water are really important. >> and

continues to churn off the coast, now off the outer banks. but it has been downgraded. amelia draper is in the storm center to tell us what impact is it going to have, if any, at this point? >> well, the biggest concern in the outer banks would be some storm surge flooding of about one to 2 feet. in the outer banks, most of the areas there are either under a storm surge watch or storm surge warning. take a look at the latest track. this just came out issued by the national hurricane center. the storm now about 160 miles east, southeast of cape hatteras. max winds sustained at 70 miles an hour still continues to move very slowly towards the north at 7 miles an hour. throughout the day tomorrow and into thursday it is going to start to curve out towards the sea eventually heading out towards the east and out of the area. so, the impacts on the outer banks will continue to be the most felt right now through the day wednesday. potentially into thursday morning. you can see that is the entire track there. here is the latest tropical storm warnings. these are in effect through friday. but i suspect they will be cooled down a little earlier back here in our

it is all about the heat and humidity continuing to feel like mid july. when we get a break from the heat and humidity and breaking down your day hour by hour coming up in about 15 minutes. >> we'll see you then. thanks. a feud between the president and the nfl intensifies after the dallas cowboys take a knee in protest. white house correspondent halle jackson joins us live to explain why the president says he felt ashamed. >> i'm going to read this teleprompter. please forgive me. shout out to d.c. public schools. here we go. >> yeah, that was during the emmy's. now dave chappelle is visiting one of our d.c. public schools and he brought along a very cool guest. that g

as they take a knee collectively, boos can be heard. from this sell-out crowd in arizona. >> they call themselves america's team. the dallas cowboys last night became the latest nfl team to take a knee with team owner jerry jones joining players. then they stood together for the anthem. all of this after the president's controversial comments about players who kneel. >> it's a very important thing for the nfl to not allow people to kneel during the playing of our national anthem, to respect our country and to respect our flag. >> the president today also saying he has not been too preoccupied with th

players who kneel during the anthem. and this evening the latest effort to repeal and replace obamacare is officially flat lined. we are going to be hearing from nbc's halle jackson in just a bit. >> that's right. also this afternoon on news 4 at 5:00 -- >> now i'm going to read this teleprompter. please forgive me. shout out to d.c. public schools. here we go. >> only on 4, dave chappelle who gave that shout out at the emmy's this month was at his old school today. >> and he walked in with none other than comedian jerry seinfeld. news 4's kristin wright live after she had a moment with chappelle. kristin, that had to be great. >> reporter: it was fun. all right. so, a few jerry seinfeld, dave chappelle sightings in d.c. today. one of them at duke ellington. i want to walk you over to a place i consider very special to me now. right here, this is where i got to meet dave chappelle.

a funny thing happened in washington today. jerry seinfeld and dave chappelle at chappelle's old high school, duke ellington. their film crew rolling, ours, too. we're pretty sure the comedians are in town shooting seinfeld's show comedians and cars getting coffee. their car, however, their classic car needed a jump. chappelle and seinfeld looked unphased joking around outside the school. by the way, chappelle is a long-time supporter. remember this at the emmy's last week? >> now i'm going it to read this teleprompter. please forget me. shout out to d.c. public schools. here we go. >> back to today. before seinfeld and chappelle took off, i got the nerve to say hello. i'm kristin wright with channel 4 in washington. just wanted to say hello. one last joke about my photographer. >> this your

>> that's our guy. >> those few minutes, that was the funny thing that happened in washington today. >> reporter: so, dave chappelle was here last week talking to students in the theater program and we understand he is going to be back on friday. back to you. >> how fun. it's so great. and what a cool looking car. nice to know it had to be jump started. [ laughter ] >> even the billionaire comedian's car has to be jump started. >> we are not alone. kristin, fun day for you. wow, we want to shift back to the white house now. we mentioned earlier that the president was questioned repeatedly today about the nfl team's kneeling. we want to go to nbc's white house correspondent halle jackson. let's start with the nfl issue, halle. the president taking heat saying he should be focused on recovery in puerto rico. this afternoon he appeared to double down. >> reporter: oh, yes. i was sitting out there in the rose garden, guys, in the nice heat here in washington and the president insisted he is not preoccupied with this

and paraphrasing him here, i can do a lot of things at one. i can jump on my job and talk about this as well. he certainly doubled down, triple quadrupled down. given the tweets we've seen from him the last few days. he says he doesn't think it is okay to disrespect, in his words, the country, the flag, the an them. he said he was ashamed to see this. he did not mince words here, even with really the growing controversy now. we are on what, day five, day six of this fire storm over professional athletes, over the nfl. what owners and players are doing after you saw that show of unity last night on the field during monday night football, including jerry jones, the owner of the cowboys locking arms with his team, and kneeling before the national anthem. but the president insisted he is still focused on other big priorities like, by the way, the growing crisis in puerto rico. the president commended his team for doing what he believes is

touch with the governor down there, with the mayor of san juan as well, and even added to his schedule late this afternoon, this briefing before he flew up to new york just a little bit ago about disaster relief in the situation room with his top aides including the head of fema. >> halle, let's switch gears for a bit. a topic mr. trump once called easy but now calls complicated. with the latest gop efforts officially dead, will he have to work with democrats and is there going to be fall out for the latest failure to follow through on that major campaign promise? >> reporter: that is a great question because that was central after a year and a half on the campaign trail covering republicans, every single one of them promised to repeal and replace obamacare. let me tell you what the west wing is talking about today. not health care, it's tax reform. already, you have seen and i tried to shout a question at the president whether he's giving up on health care. at this point that is so clearly back burnered for this administration. instead, the president, his team, and frankly republicans just on pennsylvania and capitol

you are seeing this big plan unrolled tomorrow that our sources tell us is going to streamline some of the tax brackets. it's going to work on that corporate. the president has said he wanted closer to 15%. it looks like it might be hovering around 20% for corporate tax rates. but the president is going to be on the road. he's heading to indiana to unveil this and the white house is absolutely full steam ahead on that. not talking much about what 0-3 now for republicans when it comes to health care reform. >> a big day down there at the white house. our thanks to you, halle jackson. we appreciate it and we invite you to keep 2 right here for all the latest coverage for the nbc white house team ahead on nightly news with lester holt. that's right after news 4 at 6:00 tonight. >> it's a new twist on an old classic. a very relevant and modern message. and the conversation being raised by the d.c. production of arthur miller's iconic and classic death of a salesman. >> and those

sticking around, folks. amelia draper is back with more on when we might see a cool down and some relief. you're looking live theren i ralph northam: i'm ralph northam, candidate for governor, and i sponsored this ad. they're studying for 21st century jobs. but ed gillespie supports donald trump's plan to take money out of virginia public schools and give it to private schools. as a washington dc lobbyist, ed gillespie worked for lenders trying to keep student loan rates high. and ed gillespie's plan to cut taxes for the wealthy could cut virginia school funding, too. ed doesn't stand for education.

i don't know what it was like here in the city, but in annapolis, i woke up to an overcast morning which was so nice and a breeze was

the heat and humidity. >> and of course now we have full sunshine back and heat and humidity and pretty much full sunshine in the forecast tomorrow. but as we look to our rain chances, they are also going to be really low. this month has been pretty dry. our rainfall deficit, how much rain we need, is down by about an inch and a half. take a look at your weather headlines and you can see what is lacking in any of them isn't a mention of rain. it is all about the temperatures. tomorrow when you factor in the humidity with the heat, it will feel like low to mid 90s. on thursday we transition to more comfortable weather. it's breezy out there especially during the morning and midday. that was the humidity levels throughout the day. and fall is back on friday, especially on into the weekend. this weekend feeling very much like fall. i know there are a lot of fall festivals going on so bring out the vest, the flannel, the plaids all of that. you're definitely going to want to wear it, but need to wear it. temperatures in the 70s

83 in potomac, 72 in the riverdale area. clouds right now mainly due to maria. tomorrow we'll have cloudiness from maria. we start off 69 degrees. like wendy was enjoying this morning. still clouds around tomorrow morning, but the sunshine quickly makes an appearance by the lunch the time hours. low 80s by noon, high tomorrow of 89 degrees. it is feeling like summer once again. it is humid throughout the day, 7:00 p.m. 84 degrees. most of us completely dry tomorrow from start to finish just like today. unless you're east of 95, there was a small chance for a shower. so, take a look at how the weather certificate going to impact your wednesday. out the door tomorrow morning it is mild and dry. so some good news there. if you want to have lunch outside, i almost think it is going to be too hot especially if you work inside the beltway where all the concrete makes it feel a little more uncomfortable. if you're dining in the shade tomorrow, it will be nice. recess for the kids outside rr

after school activities most of us are dry. make sure the water bottle is packed in the bag. as we look to thursday, this is that transition day i was talking about. we have lowering humidity throughout the day, it is breezy. temperatures in the low 80s by friday. we continue to see a nice tumble, 74 degrees. already thinking about friday night football with it feeling like fall, perfect weather for high school football games on friday. we start at 6:00, 72 degrees by 10:00 p.m. 66 cool, comfortable degrees. there's the weekend. october begins on sunday. high temperatures in the low 70s. >> mel, thank you. a new landmark mall has been long in the making, but this isn't what some envisioned. >> the plan is to turn an old macy's into a homeless shelter and what that means for redevelopment. >> i'm julie carey in fairfax county where a man has been blasting a high powered laser

other night. coming up you'll see how the crew inside helped tra him downck a

you each drive a ford (all) yes.ght? i'm going to show you a next generation pickup. awesome. let's do this. the bed is made of high-strength steel, which is less susceptible to punctures than aluminum. stronger the better. and best of all, this new truck is actually- (all laughing) oh my.... the current chevy silverado. current chevy owners and lessees get a total value of ten-thousand, six hundred dollars. or, 0% financing for 72 months on this silverado all star. find new roads at your local chevy dealer. yeah, i just saved a whole lot of money by swhuh.ing to geico. we should take a closer look at geico... you know, geico insures way more than cars. boats, motorcycles... even rvs! geico insures rvs? what's an rv? uh, the thing we've been stuck on for five years! wait, i'm not a real moose?? we've been over this, jeff... we're stickers! i'm not a real moose? give him some space. deep breaths, jeff.

great savings. and a whole lot more. >> announcer: you're watching news 4 at 5:00. >> the big stories at 5:30, new surveillance video of a missing woman's car leaving a naval base in virginia beach. 19-year-old ashanti billie, she is from prince george's county and attends culinary school in norfolk. she worked at the naval

more than a week, and more disturbingly, police found her car and her cell phone a few miles from that base. >> police took a local high school student into custody earlier today after resource officers found a gun on that teenager. school officials say a teacher at potomac high school noticed the student and a trespasser were in the hallway. no one was hurt and police are still looking for that other individual. >> and it is over, the latest effort to repeal and replace obamacare, officially dead. senate republican leaders announced today there will be no vote on the graham/cassidy bill. they say they are now looking ahead to another big issue, tax reform. >> a fairfax county man is facing charges this evening. he targeted the police chopper with a high-powered laser. it happened saturday night in centerville near dulles

the video shows how the chopper team tracked the guy down and got him arrested. julie? >> reporter: well, jim, all the things they do here, rescues, medivac, all challenging enough without someone aiming a laser pointer at the police chopper. but the crew aboard the other night, they wanted to make sure it was the last time he did that because the next time it might have been a jet headed into dulles. >> you know what, those lights don't flash up. it was flashing through our window. >> reporter: that's the conversation in the chopper just moments after the pilot and two crew members were alarmed to find a blazing light suddenly flashing into their eyes. tammy russell was up front. >> that time the lights actually bounced off these monitors here in the aft cabin striking my partner in the eyes and a third time. >> reporter: down below they noticed a suv had strobes flashing. they contacted dispatch to get cars on the groundmo

their infrared camera shows officers pull him over, then report what they discovered inside. >> i think he just has a laser pointer. >> there it was. there was a laser pointer in there. >> pointing the laser at us, it's not cool. >> was it directed at us? >> there's no doubt. >> reporter: this laser attack one of roughly 3,000 across the country already reported to the faa this year. >> probably the vast majority aren't malicious. it's just people that are curious. but it can have really bad consequences. >> reporter: in this case a high powered laser was recovered. this is no pen size laser. its effects led crew members to seek medical treatment. >> there wasn't any kind of after effect. all three crew members later in the evening reported having issues with vision, blurriness and headaches. >> reporter: the crew members have since been cleared for duty. paramedic russell glad they helped stop the suspect. >> the satisfaction that we were able to

have done this to someone else. >> reporter: in fairfax county, i'm julie carey, news 4. >> we have some breaking news here at the live desk. another top government official is leaving because of clashes with the trump administration. nbc news just confirmed the acting head of the dea is going to resign by the end of the week. now, law enforcement officials tell "the new york times" truck rosenberg has become convinced president trump has little respect for the law. rosenberg used to serve as chief of staff to former fbi director james comey. if you remember when president trump suggested that law enforcement officials could rough up suspects they were putting into vehicles, it was rosenberg who wrote an e-mail to his staff saying that's unacceptable and we have to call that out where we see it. again, the acting head of the dea stepping down because of clashes within the administration. i'm chris lawrence. jim, wendy, back to you.

>> news 4 your health, nearly one in five teenagers has had a concussion. according to researchers from the university of michigan, this survey of 13,000 adolescents finds about 19% had been diagnosed with at least one concussion. 5.5% had multiple concussions. males, older teenagers, and those who played competitive sports had the highest risk of getting a concussion. >> here's something we hear an awful lot about. doctors are no longer recommending vitamin d supplements for seniors to help prevent falls. there is not enough proof to prove this according to the u.s. preventive services task force. instead, exercise is the most effective. patients may also want to consult their doctor for personalized guidance separately. the task force concluded there is not enough evidence to recommend vitamin d or calcium supplements to lower the risk of fractures in older

>> tax reform, it's lawmakers next big challenge. and some details of a gop plan are already leaking out. >> ahead, what parts of the proposal could mean for some popular deductions. >> it was once one of the most notorious youth detention facilities in our region. it is now home to one of the most inspiring d.c. government employees i have ever met. i'm a lawyer,news 4, you're and i have clients, and i am proud to do what i do on behalf of my clients. narrator: the clients john adams and his team are so proud to work for? banks accused of money laundering. big corporations accused of defrauding taxpayers. and mortgage lenders accused of unfairly foreclosing on homes. now he wants to be attorney general. john adams: the best attorney general the powerful and well-connected can buy. i'm mark herring, candidate for attorney general, and i sponsored this ad.

ralpand i sponsoredralph northam, canthis adfor governor narrator: ed gillespie says dr. ralph northam doesn't show up? dr. ralph northam was an army doctor and a volunteer medical director at a children's hospice. he passed the virginia law requiring concussion standards for school sports. the smoking ban in restaurants. and dr. northam is working to connect veterans to good paying jobs in virginia. ed gillespie is a washington dc corporate lobbyist. he shows up for whoever pays him.

in sports whether it's youth or professional, the words coach and the word trust often intersect. today the fbi is laying the hammer down, though, against several college basketball assistants. news 4's carol maloney joins us on a scheme that involves athletes, cash and kickbacks. >> reporter: wendy, the dark under belly of college basketball, that's how the acting u.s. attorney described the situation today basketball coaches from four top programs as well as executive from adidas, charging ncaa schemes. talking about influencing star athletes choice of schools. shoe sponsors, agents, financial advisors, even tailors. one high school funneled $100,000 to get him to commit to play at an adidas sponsored school. former nb

one of the persons charged. he is an assistant from auburn. the other three schools with coaches named in this investigation are arizona, usc and oklahoma state. >> some of the nation's top programs soliciting and accepting cash bribes, managers and financial advisors circling blue chip prospects like coyotes, the defendants exploited, the hoop dreams of student athletes around the country. >> reporter: one of the schools not specifically named but being connected to this investigation is the university of louisville and the ncaa could come down hard on hall of fame coach rick petino's program. already with scandals involving prostitutes. something to keep an eye on as the scandal continues to unfold. >> this is big, carol. we're going to be hearing a lot more about it. thank you. with health care in the rearview mirror, republicans are looking ahead now to tackle a new challenge, tax

tomorrow the gop will reveal the framework for the president's plan. it is expected to simplify tax brackets from seven to three and axios is reporting the lowest individual tax rate will actually increase from 10 to 12%. with standard deductions will double. policy experts say that could lead to fewer people getting tax breaks for homeownership and charitable donations. the highest tax bracket, by the way, will fall from about 40 to 35%, and we expect them to tout a lower corporate tax rate, too. >> it is the story of a man betrayed by the american dream. arthur miller's death of a salesman now on a d.c. stage. there is a new twist to this classic. >> this old macy's at the landmark mall will soon be turned into a temporary homeless shelter and not everybody is happy about it. coming up we'll tell you when the changes are cing andom

dad,i got it dad.ar... thanks. alright, you're all set. you're welcome. play oldies. nice dad! free-range chickens. organic free-range chickens, non-gmo, 100% vegetarian fed- raised with no antibiotics ever! we should post this.

than anyone in america. hashtag organic. hashtag happy. hashtag... well, all the hashtags! when you go to a shopping mall or what's left of one, you expect to see stores and restaurants, not a temporary homeless shelter. but that's exactly the controversial plan in the works for the landmark mall in alexandria, and news 4's meagan fitzgerald talked to neighbors about it today. >> reporter: well, the folks over at the carpenter homeless shelter see this as a win/win situation and here's why. they say they need two years to renovate their current location and they say the owner of this building needs two years to figure out how to redevelop the area here. meanwhile, the city says by the first of the year this building could likely be home to some 80 homeless residents. >> it's just been unattended to. >> reporter: there's no wonder why neighbors want to

changes at the landmark mall. for the last few years, the once iconic mall has gone downhill. >> retail/residential, that sounds like a nice idea for revitalization. >> reporter: many folks weren't expecting the homeless shelter to be the latest development. >> but at the same time, here's a need, here's an opportunity. >> reporter: for years the plan has been to redevelop the old mall, but the owners say it will take them about two years to figure it out. >> the time line seemed to match up in terms of their redevelopment plans and our need for a temporary site for our current shelter. >> reporter: former alexandria mayor kerry donlly who is also the vice chair of the homeless carpenter shelter said it will take two years to renovate their current location so he calls it an ideal situation even though it is a temporary location, some neighbors aren't entirely sold on the idea. >> i don't know. i just don't think it's a very good idea. >> reporter: reporting in alexandria, mean

>> let us know what you think. should empty retail buildings be turned into homeless shelters? that's our question on our nbc washington facebook page today. so far the majority of you say yes. >> remember death of a salesman? did you have to read it in high school? arthur miller's iconic american tragedy is about to open or just opened at ford's theater in downtown d.c., a story of willie lohman flaws, betrayed by the american dream. it adds a twist to the classic by casting an african-american actor to play this historically white character. willie lohman is a character every actor wants to tackle. greg wallace never thought he'd have a chance. >> i wasn't sure an african-american willie lohman existed. >>ep

in this together. >> i think that we should look upon the humanity as one single entity and therefore whether you're black, brown, yellow, orange or come from mars, you know, i think that we're talking about people, their emotions relating to the hungry. >> they tie them so when you finish paying for them they're used up. >> reporter: death of a salesman and arthur miller's towering creation taking us through willie lohman's last day as he stumbled through his failures, delusions and family dysfunction that leave him defeated and suicidal. >> i think willie had spent his life standing in line for the piece of the pie and then he wakes up and realizes not only does he not get the pie, but the line has become longer. >> reporter: written in the 1940s, miller's work has stood for decades as an indictment of america's corrupted view of success, and it reminds us we are not all created equally. >> this idea of the american dream,

who is entitled to it? what do you have to do to get it? was relevant then and is relevant now. so, it's still a question we haven't answered yet. >> reporter: ford's theater is also prescient in its timing. it put dweeath of a salesman on its schedule 18 months ago before the turmoil of our presidential election. yet willie lohman's lament is similar to the cry of frustration still heard across our land. >> willie says, there's too many people. that's what's ruining this country. population is getting out of control. the competition is madening. smell the stink from that apartment house and another one on the other side. i mean, that's -- every time i say that line it resonates. >> reporter: the director says by using a diverse cast, he is being true to miller's philosophy of one humanity. >> we live in a multi racial society. be

play today he wouldn't write just about a white family in 1948 in brooklyn. he would have a multi racial cast. >> reporter: ultimately willie lohman is not the story of a white man or a black man, it is the story of a human who has an intrinsic value and deserves to feel loved. reminding us attention must be paid. >> we're going to ask for an advance and i'll come home to the new york job. >> the great craig wallace went to howard university, studied in london. he is a great shakespearean actor and a huge actor in our town. death of a salesman at ford's theater is in downtown d.c. obviously and the show runs through october 22nd. i got to see a little of their rehearsal when we were there interviewing him. can't you just listen to that beautiful voice all day long? >> amazing. >> he's just amazing. the whole cast is amazing a. >> something to take in. beautiful work. so nice, wendy. all right, amelia, speaking of nice, this weather i'm

to be complaining in a couple months that it's not warm enough. >> too cold. it's so funny. everyone either loves this or hates this weather. >> she's a hater. >> i'm a hater. >> umenyioraing loviyou'lling l weekend. more fall like weather. i want to show you storm team 4 radar. no rain tonight. as i widen the image, i'm adding the satellite picture. that shows the clouds as well. you can see the spinning thing down there. well, that's maria. it is bringing rain to parts of virginia down through north carolina, especially along the coast. and some thin clouds to our area, especially east of 95 right now. currently our temperatures are in the 8s. 83 degrees in washington after our high today of 86 all the way to 88 in frederick and down to 78 degrees in fredericksburg. the exercise outlook for tomorrow looking good during the morning hours. plenty of clouds and comfortable with temperatures in the 60s. by lunch in the 80

the evening hours in the 80s as well. sunset time now very sadly before 7:00. coming in at 6:57. more on how humid and how hot it is feeling and when this humidity breaks. we're going to send it outdoors to somara theodore. >> hey, amelia. it feels warmer than it actually is. that's because we've seen the tick in the humidity. let's look at the feel like temperatures. that's what really matters. right now it feels like 86 degrees. we're a tad bit lower, 3 degrees lower in the district. feels like near 90 in leesburg. as we head throughout the coming days we're going to start to see this humidity drop. but we still have another day to deal with it as we head through tomorrow, expect it to feel very muggy and sticky. but then by thursday it will significantly drop as a front passes through that is going to reinforce some cooler and dryer air so we should start headed towards more comfortable conditions arriving there by friday. so let's go ahead and get your out the door planner. here's what you need to know. tomorrow grab the ng

folks. your summer clothes are going to be a necessity through wednesday, possibly even a tad bit through thursday. waking up tomorrow temperatures are in the upper 60s. we are still dealing with that humidity. but for more on when that fall weather is going to start to come into play, amelia, how is it looking? >> as we were talking we're going to see it really start to feel like fall around here friday on into the weekend. somara put together a great story, pumpkin spice and change of the season. you need to check out her instagram. i don't know how she does it but it's awesome. thursday is breezy, highs in the low 80s. 82 degrees. then we're in the mid 70s and then we're in the low 70s saturday and sunday. i do keep pointing this out, but i'm kind of looking forward to it. 53 on sunday in d.c., in the suburbs we're in the 40s. we've already had that happen in september. all the way in the beginning of the month. sunday, well, that is when october begins. after that we stay in the mid 70s for the most part. >> amelia, thank you. you

comes along that makes us smile. that's what this one did today. a little boy is able to see clearly for the first time in his life. thanks to wearable technology, doreen gentzler has this story. >> felix regis is trying to read words. >> there you go. now we're going to do it with our glasses on. >> wide. >> this 10-year-old boy from reston has a whole new outlook. >> what this does is give him theabilities to actually see what's outside of what for him i think is just a gray area. >> for more on felix's story tune in tonight to news 4 at 11:00. you've got to see it, folks. it's a great story. >> yeah, you do. so, a job is something you do to earn money, yeah? >> but a career, well, that's very different. how one man turned his job cleaning floors

that's changed the lives of those he encounters every day. >> i've seen how this can turn a person's life around.

when i was 3, children's so i can play with my grandkids. so i can celebrate 50. when i was 14, they saved my heart so i could bring family together. so i can help cardiac patients just like me. so i can serve my country. so i can do what i love. so i can give back. so i can play in the junior olympics. so i can make plays. so i can do this. so i can race my friends. children's national didn't just help us grow up, they helped us grow up stronger. do your holiday shopping on thisus.ason introducing the monumental gift shop

now through november 7. the more you play, the more gift bucks you'll earn to redeem for monumental gifts like jewelry and electronics. come in today and play to earn your private shopping event for the holidays. play to win. win to shop. the monumental gift shop at mgm national harbor. now through november 7. this is monumental. only on news 4, we're so pleased to bring you this story. a man devotes his life to helping people who got into trouble. >> it all started with a job, washing floors in d.c. government buildings.

three decades later, a building is being named in his honor. and news 4's mark segraves has his story. >> i believe i was sent here for a reason other than just a district government job. >> reporter: for three decades carl mathews has worked for the d.c. government. the vast majority of those years at the district's youth detention center located in ann arundel county. it is called new beginnings today. it's on the same campus as the old oak hill youth detention center which was closed in 2009 after incidents of abuse and moore living conditions surfaced. while mathews has been at the facility for decades through the good and the bad, he really doesn doesn't consider it work. >> it is a call because i've lived this life. so, when you have lived this life, they feel that. they know that from me. they know i've been there. they know i've felt their pain. >> reporter: mathews is isn't a counselor or a guard. he cuts the grass and fixes things. years ago he started teaching

skills. skills they can use in the real world. >> i've seen how this can turn a person's life around. it gives them a chance to have hope. >> reporter: they will tell you mathews gives them something much more than job skills. >> when i need somebody to talk to, like he'll be right there. i talk to him. he be giving me knowledge, you know, and he pulls me up sometimes when i'm down. >> he can relate to what we've been through. he's a great guy. he's somebody you can basically look up to. >> reporter: today district officials and those who matthew has mentored over the years gathered for the ribbon cutting and dedication of the new beginnings auto repair garage. carl's cars. >> i couldn't shake my past and i was afraid you would judge me. so, you have to look at a man that went through that and now you're talking about naming something after him? they said i would never be nothing. [ applause ] >> reporter: while it is unusual to work in a government building

says he has no plans to retire because there's still a lot of young people who need his help. >> i know that distant look in their eyes sometimes when they just need somebody to talk to. i've been there. so, it gives me a connection that i can't -- you can't put in a job description. it's just meant for me to be here. >> reporter: in ann arundel county, mark segraves, news 4. >> now at 6:00, a mother's tearful plea for answers. >> somebody bring my baby ashanti home. >> a young woman spotted on a military base a week ago. secrets buried underground, raising more questions for the investigators. from the streets of d.c. to the disaster zone in puerto rico, how some local official are helping in the aftermath of hurricane maria. the ceo of equifax is stepping down after that historic data breach, but he's not leaving

begins with breaking news. >> we have new clues in the mysterious disappearance of a 19-year-old from prince george's county. >> take a look at this surveillance video. it is dark and grainy, but you can see the woman's car leaving a naval base in virginia on the right side of your screen. now more than a week later, still no sign of ashanti billie and her parents are pleading for help. >> billie went to high school in upper marlboro, but then she moved to the norfolk area for culinary school and she worked at a sandwich shop on that naval base. our bureau chief tracee wilkins is in upper marlboro with the breaking details of this story. tracee? >> reporter: people who know her say this is not like ashanti billie. this is a girl that keeps in contact with her teachers and administrators at wise high school although she graduated in 2016. her family is down in norfolk right now helping the fbi. they want their girl back home. >> she's just