right now on "news4 this week," back to work for federal workers after an end to the government shutdown, but some of those workers will never see the pay they lost. it talk wh one of them. open for business. visitors can once again browse all of the smisonian seums. find out what could be the lasting impact of the shutdown. and breaking the bottleneck. several big transportation projects planned to ease your commute in virginia. we'll tell you when they'll start and how long it will take. >> announcer: welco to "news4 this week." hello, everybody, i'm leon harris. we're going to start with the end of the longest shutdown in government history. ma federal workers were back on the job this week, and most of them will also get back pay

for the time they were furloughed. but other contracted workers will never see the money they lost over the last five weeks.e aio talked with one of those workers who helps keep the public safe. t, sit, sit. >> reporter: taking care of her two dogs, that's just one of the many expenses she has had to worry about since the shutdown started. she is a benefit security offir over a decade. she was recently laid off from a previous job and haddust star working at the smithsonian when the shutdown began. >> a lot of the days on day, oh, i'm going through a whole lot, you know what i mean? >> reporter: and what she also knows, she desperately needs f medici high blood pressure and cholesterol, but she can't afford it right now supply is running out. >> and it's not fair, but life is not fair. anyw it's all in how you respond to t >> reporter: although she heads back to work at the museum,

another concern, how to get there. >> it's so expensive to drive your car or, whatev you know what i mean. and then you've got to have money to get on the s card because you haven't been working. >> reporter: there's also no telling if the govshnment will down again. it's why she says she's looking for a new job. >> i jus do not want to be in this situation again because of the federal if you don't put things in perspective, legislation and stuff like that, i don't want to be a part of it. >> it was a welcome sight for visitors in the district, all of the smithsonian museums and the national zoo reopening this week. many people flocked to the mall the day the doors reopened. news4's derrick ward talked with pele who run those properties who are just happy to be bk on the job. >> how are you doing? >> i'm really good. >> reporter: it was a chance to get up close and personal with patrons at the nationaeu m of african-american history and culture after the unplanned hiatus. >> i felt myself talking to the ancestors by myself. >> reporter: director lonnie

bunchen says it was a missed opportunity to compel and inspire visitors. >> people love what theyo here. they almost feel like, yes, not getting paid was horrible. but being taken away from being able to engage the public, to care the stories they about was even more difficult. >> reporter: over at the national zoo, keepers andlu eers came in during the shutdown to make sure the animals were okay. >> we have some incredible staff here. >> reporter: do you think the zoo's residents didn't notice th difference, theack of visitors? think again. >> ourreat apes a our elephants, they do notice when the visitors are there and when they're n there, there was more tension between the animal keepers and the animals in ourr >> reporter: at the national air and space museum, they are among the smithsoniant useums t were able to stay open a few days into the shutdown, but eventually had to close their doors too.or with mork going on, that wasn't interrupted.

>> the entire facade will be renewed, all of the systems and all of the exhibitions. we are just gow gettingng in a very significant way, at least visible to the public. >> reporter: on the upside, that work could go on during what would have been business hours since they were closed and the public wasn't in the way. but ifc the pub wasn't there, neither was their money. revenue from the gift sh , food concessions and the imax theater is an important source of funding that can't be made up. more traffic relief coming for northern virginia commuter $1 billion worth of new projects are about to begin. much of that money will go toward toll lanes, but as julie carey reports, some will also go to fixigne of thest bottlenecks around. >> reporter: if youl tra i-95 south through prince william, you know the spot. right around the bridge even early afternoon it can look like rush hour. howard harris can tell you the problem. >> there's no way to rge. you've got two or three exits for 12 getting on 95 and that's

what's congeing all the traffic back. >> and you lose a light. >> yeah. >> reporter: but in richmond, the governor ralph northam alongside the transportation secretary detailing four major projects designedo reduce congestion and one ofld them w add an auxiliary lane to 95 south. >> anybody driving on the main line on a day-to-day basis have been so frustrated. >> this isst fantaic for prince william county. >>neporter: the constructio to break this logjam cous start a early as late 2020 and that is ahead ve to eight yea of when it might have been funded. some commuters, though, wondering about t headaches of more construction that could begin here as soon as nextyear. >> i think it will definitely help, but how long will it take an how much more traffic are we going thave. >> reporter: there's news on the i-95 express lanes too. a new reversible ramp is coming to connect near san tara

hospital with the hot lanes. the deal with the company that adds those lanes moving ahea over on the beltway a green light to build the final two and the express taking lanes right up to the legion bridge, something likely to up the pressure on neighbor maryland. s awhat it really does is p lot of pressure on maryland to step up to the plate and figure out theirth side o road. >> reporter: the construction on the virginia side for the final stretch of express lanes set to beginn 2021. in northern virginia, i'm julie carey, news4. when we come back, a commuter option which usually costs a little money, and t-- i the district is going to be free the nextew weeks. check your drawers and pockets. those old phone a tablets may be worth something. we'll tell y

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intensive care unit in the country. and giving parents peace of mind. it's less recovering in our bed, and more jumping on yours. stronger is standing out and standing proud. because we don't just want your kids to grow up. we want them to grow up stronger. if you u the d.c. circulator, you won't have to pay for the next few a change was already planned

before the shutdown started but the mayor says it's all a part of her fair s ftruary program. standard fare is about $1. the circulator buses are used to supplement metro rail and metro bus and theixuses run routes through downtown d.c. and into rosalind operating every ten minutes. a reminder, the d.c. street car in northeast always also free to use. news4 is working for you in the community with a word ofn urgent need at local food banks. the beginning of the year is ways a difficult time at food pantries, but the federal furlough seems to have added to things this year. contributions are down in fairfax county. >> we gave out about 600 pounds last week to families who were in need as a result oei not b able to get a paycheck. so we really need your help to refill the pantry so we can continue to meet the needs of our community. >> now, here's what they really need.

cooking oils, dry beans, laundry detergent, cereal, and food gift cards. if you want to helpou just search food bank in the nbc washington app. coming fauquier county where this summer's county fair has been cancelled. the reason, not enough parking. in a letter released this week, the county board of supervi crs says thastruction of a new sports complex directly behind the fair grounds is to blame for this issue. because of that work, less than 200 parking spots wil be available for the event. kingeeds more than 2,000 p spaces. this july would have marked the fauquier county fair. when we come back, d.c. parking permits sold on the black market. a ns4 i-team investigation into that problem is leading to changes yhat could impactr visitors. and are your old electronics justooaking up in your drawers collecting dust? we're working for you to put a little extra casetin your little extra casetin your wall

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big changes for a parking program in the district are the focus of a news4 i-team investigation. e found rampant abuse of visitor parking passes clogging up some neighborhood streets. as investigative reporter scott marlane shows us, a new law an ne c oversighould crack down on those profiting off osqd.c.'s parkinueeze. >> reporter: circling for a spot in the district, you might have spotted these parking passes stuffed into dash boards of cars. people who live in d.c. can obtain these temporary visitor parking permits from d.c. police stations for their guests. they have to be renewed every two weeks b there's no limit on getting new ones. the news4 i-team found that has led to abuse of the program. >> we're not talking one extra car or two extra cars, we're >> reporter: last year we heard from frustrated

homeowners about neighbors using the passes over and over for their own vehicles for months at a time. we even found this man profiting off the program. >> i'll get you a new one. >> reporter: illegally selling the passes in the downtown area. >> the idea is not to make this a small business or cottage industry for selling tickets. >> reporter: after our reports, homeowner chisholm said things improved in her neighborhood for a while. >> a few weeks there weree peo who you had identified, they kind of like disappeared. but then i guess when the heat died down, they came back. >> reporter: at a recentvi ry neighborhood commission meeting, she had the passes have now popped up again. >> are you going to do anything? > reporter: but new legislation, first introduced by charles allen could stop those exploiting the passes. >> the reason it's necessary is that there's nothing in the code that actually stops them or prohibits them from repeatedly reupping them in 14 days. >> reporter: the new bill sets a

limit on use of the visitor passes. people will only use them 90 days per calendar aar. >> asn administrative matter it's not effiteent. >> rep the i-team found other changes arie coming too. the district department of transportation is working to take over the system. that could mean e newctronic system where drivers could go online to request passes rather than go somewhere in person. right now the system for getting these parking i passes simply a paper system. the new digital system would make enforcement easier. >> that might curtail it. >> reporter: a spokesman tells us the new plan is expected t be in pla by january 2020. >> parking is still 40s minutes a wait to get a parking space. >> reporter: in the district, scott mcfarlane, news4 i-team. this week we learned one of our region's top cops is stepping down. chief thomas manger of montgomery county announced that he is going to retire in april. manger has been wearing a badge for more than four decades.

he became an officer in fairfax coun back in 1977, later serving as the county's chief for six years. manger then came across the river to become chi in montgomery county the past 15 years. he tells our pat clins that he has no regrets about his life in law enforcement. >> what i really miss being a chief for the last 20 years is being out on thead being dispatched to calls. being a cop, you've got a front row seate greatest show on earth. and i enjoyed being a police officer and injoyed that kind of work. >> he tells us that he won't be sittg back and just settling down in retirement. he's going to be leading the major cities chiefs association ast expands its legislative agenda. now, did you get a new phone,pu tablet or cr over the holidays? have a drawer full of all those old phones an tablets that you are no longer using? it turns t outse old electronics could be worth a good chunk of change. consumer reporter susan hogan

working for you, helping you cash in on your old devices. >> reporter: robin newhouse treating herself to a n laptop, which means there will be one more old laptop hiding in he kitchen cabinet just above the drawer full of outdated blets. >> i always feel bad throwing them away but i don't really know what to do with them. >> reporter: the tech team atep consumer rts says don't throw them awayay theyot be the latest models, but they could be worth something. >> big electronics companies when they're putting out their new products, they do a lot to make everything seem exciting and fresh, but your old stuff that you have lying around is still perfectly sgood. if i working, it's a great way to make some extra cash. >> reporter: there are plenty of online classified serviuss you can but if you want something simple, think about ecatms. they're popping up across the country where you canell mp3 players, tablets and cell just p your device in at the

gones. kiosk and it will examine it to determine the tstorage, condition and the value on the market. then they'll make youn offer. >> sell it for cash now. >> reporter: and if you agree to sell, voila, cash on the spot. online buyback services such as declutter and gazelle work in much the same way. answering a few quick queions ts you a price, and if you are happy, you can just rent a free shipping label, box up youd device and it off. maybe you'll even me enough to pay off some of those holiday bills. and before you sell any electronics that once housed any personal data, be sure to logny out of accounts, including cloud-based storage and disable any appck that t your device, like find my iphone. then be surehe device has been completely erased. on a phoneer you wouldrm a factory reset, which scrubs it clean. you don't want anyou bank a information, family pictures or even your browsing history ending up in the hands of

someone you don't know. back to you. >> good advice. thank you, susan. when we come ck, an uplifting story of support. how total strangers are steppg up for a federal worker facing an impossible choice. pay forhe c or get her rent in on time. reynold's kitchens™ has eliminated plastic wrap

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during the recent government shutdown, a federal employee was facing a stark choice, either pay her rent or pay for her chemo treatments. the shutdown actualer, lly put her life at risk. we first introduced you to this mother of three early in january. news4's nicole jacobs recently met up with hergain and she saw how strangers pitched in to help this woman's fight. >> chemo is rough. reporter: sometimes harder than you think you can endure. >> you don't know what you're going to feel, if you're going to be okay. >> reporter: three words, y, have canc changing the shape of your life. >> it's like somebody just ripped the rug out from under

you. is this it, frank? is this the last of the chicken? >> reporter: we first introduced you to her last week. >> i'll never forget that moment. i actually dropped to my knees. >> reporter: a 43-year-old mother of three btlingcancer. >> in that moment, it's devastating, life raltering. orter: but who knew a government shutdown would cause her to choose between a payment ofreatmentr rent. >> chemo. chemo trumpsevything. >> reporter: she works in program analysis, supporting i.t. in the deparent of treasury. >> i love my job. always have. this is what i wanted to do. i'm a veteran. >> reporter: out o work for 35 days until president trump's announcement to reopen the government. >> it is real. then when i t saw february 15th date, i'm still nervous. >> reporter: hanging on to every single dollar and every good memory, it reminds her of the go people in the world. >> someone actually called in to the hospital and took care of my

account. th wiped out my entire orlance. >> rr: and the virginia man who paid her february rent. >> my life is in some congressmen and senators and vice president pence. >> reporter: even when congress isn't seeing eye toeye, it's the prayers and well wishes from strangers that keep her going. >> way to go. good luck. that's all for"news4 this week." i'm leon harris. we're going to leave you with me pictures of this latest winter snow to blanket our area. thanks for joireng us. have a week.

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nothing works faster. we see your pain and what's possible without it. excedrin extra strength. >> announcer"news 4 today" starts now. less than 24 hours since this shocking picture from virginiaovnor ralph northam' past resurfaced, resignation comments are being heard. many say it is time for him to step down and allow move on. to also this morning, in maryland hitting a woman while she was holding a small child. we'l have an update on the victim's condition just ahead. telcome in ons saturday morning, the 2nd of february, 2019. good morning to you. i'm david cuweer. hank you for joining us. we'll have the latest