. god is still amazing. the message from the pastor of this capitol heights church after this overnig fire. we'll get a closer look at the damage. deputies arrest a northern virginia teacher accused of public intoxication but wait until you hear where he was arrested and what officersound on him. and another mild and warm day with a mix of clouds and sunshines across the area. but i'm tracking the chance for rain and rumbles ofi thunder. l have more on the timing coming up. >> announcer: "news4 midday" starts now. good morning.

happy friday. and welcome to "news4 midday." i'm cory smith. >> and i'm erika gonzalez. and we begin in prince george's county where a church community is assessing the damage after an overnight fire. >> this fire broke out at the new life worship center in capitol heights where news4 nicole jacob has been talking to faith leaders all morning.le nicowhat are they saying? >> reporter: well, cory, pastore juan wil said they have no steeple but they do have a sancary and for that he is thankful to god and passerby he said is an angel. >> in the darkness of the skies, ding last night's powerful storm, a crash of lightning struck new life worship center. >> right above us here is the nursery and so had it gotten past this level, then we would have lost the main sanctuary. >> reporter: the pastor juan wilder gives us a closer look from the inside. >> the damage is on the roof from the holes here. >> reporter: it is a ll he

never expected to get but grateful for the call prince george's county fire department received. >> there was an angeli rid by. called it in right on time. >> reporter: he g-- he began to pray immediately andtr ting. >> there is no weaponrm fo against us shall prosper. >> reporter: a sanctuary and a place of worship to many. >> we don't take for granted what the lord has done for us. >> reporter: there is damage, ch of which we cannot see but it is god's favor we can't see. >> my faith is renewed. this is on 100 now to know that god, you know what, i was worried for a moment but you still get the glory for this. >> reporter: the pastor said the steeple will have to be replaced as well as most of the doors from the inside and the outside of the church. the church nursery is not functional and he also said that at this hour the re upainst the clock to get the holes in the roof covered before more storms roll inhis afternoon.

erika cory, back tyou. >> thank you, nicole. right now fire investigators are trying to figure oh sparked flames at a senior home. >> this is similar to the story that we saw that it was a b of lightning. this fire started in the attic of the center building in the development yesterday afternoon and residents heard a loud bang and thenmelled smoke. they helped prince george's firefighters quickly move residents to safety and the good news is nobody was hurt. some tenants are sure the building was hit by lightning. >> it hit right over my apartment. 4:30. >> what did it sound like? >> just abig clash. a big clash. >> my goodness. everal apartments were damaged by smoke and water. and the red cross is helping those redents with a place to stay. >> glad those folks got out okay. turning to your weather now. because this morning flooding a major problem along the

mississippi river n. iowa, 61 of 99 counties have now been designated as disaster areas by state or federal officials. unusually high snow melt and untimely heavy rainfall have been the culprit for the widespread flooding this spring. >> and our area could be in for a wet weekend, amelia, luckily,t nothing likt kind of flooding but incredible to hear the stories about the lightning bolts that may be to blame for the fires wve been reported. >> absolutely. and we're in severe weather season now and that is why we say if you have severe thunderstorms or just thunderstorms in the area, you need to head indoors l here is aok at storm team 4 radar now. virtually dry across the areaan d a lone shower there in west virginia but most of us going to stay completely t dry for midday and early afternoon. even on into the late afternoon hours most ofhe area looks to stay dry. you could see this storm system back to our west right now. i want to time outhe rain chance for you. here we are at noon. notice future weather keeping us completely dry at 2:00 p.m. we

start to see an isolated shower or two develop around the blue ridge or shenandoah and d.c. area dry around 3:00 p.m. but once we hit 4:00 p.m., a lone shower in northern virginia and the panhandle of west virginia. but the storm chantoday is during the evening hours. here we are at 5:00 p.m. notice the bright colors showing up on future weather. that is really heavy rainfall. and notice how th rain is still favoring areas north and west o washington until as we move to about 8:00 tonight. chance of rainry and evedy overnight tonight, the potential for heavy rain like we saw in spots yesterday still exist tonight as coming up at 11:20, more on rain chances over the weekend and it is not a wash-out. you, ma'am. so the battle between congressional democrats and the white house is escalating. now thery house judiciahair is threatening to hold the attorney general in contempt of congress. while president trump said hbl

might ck members of his administration from testifying to congressional committs. nbc's chris pollone has the very latest. >> reporter: hoping to hearro f the special counsel, the house judiciary committee is now negotiating directly with representatives mueller.ert by passing the justice department after road blocks and .ignals of more to co president trump on fox news renewing his threat to block don mcgahn, a key source for the mueller report, from testifying to> congress. >don't think i can let him and then tell everybody else you can't and especially him because he was a counsel so they've testified for many hours all of them. >> so as far as you're concerned it is done. >> i can't sayne cannd the other can'ts. >> so is it done? >> i would say it is done >> it is aon c conscience day in whichill barr was no a no-show at a judiciary committee. >> he's failed the men and women of the department of justice by placing the needs of the president over the fair administration of justice. >> reporter: and the speak of

house accused barr of lying in earlier congressional testimony. >> he lid to congress. f anybody else did that, it would be considered a crime. nobody is above the law. >> reporter: while some democrats are calling for barr r hed he's be impe also facing the threat of being ld in contempt of congress if .e doesn't turn over the entire mueller report republicans dismissing it all as political theater. >> knock yourself out.ou if yhink people need to go to jail, try to pin them jail. >> reporter: a political battle which could soon spill over into the courts. >> ife dcrats do pursue contempt contempt of congress against attorneyeneral they won't carry much weight but what it will do for democrats trying to get the full mueller report and sidence it would ensure that it will endure a lengthy court fight. in washington, chris pollone, nbc news. this morning the city of baltimore has a new mayor. jack young said his predecessor's resignation willo make the city stronger. young automatically became the

mayor yesterday when catherine pugh resigned. you remember she' o accused receiving roughly $800,000 from a hospital networkhend otrs that did business with the city of baltimore for copies of her children's boo. now yesterday pugh's lawyer read a statement toer report >> i am sorry for the harmi tha have caused to the image of the city of baltimore and the credibility of the officee of th mayor. baltimore dserves a mayor who can move our great city forward. >> catherine pugh has not been see in public inweeks. more than a month ago she began sick leave when she was aspitalized for pneumonia. d.c. police trying to determine whether a body found near the chain bridge is that of a frederick county teen. >> yesterday thepr cipal at taskar ora high school sent out a letter tells patien -- tellins and students about the death. his mains were found in the district over the weekend. police have not officially connected the student's death to

the mutilated body found in a wooded area found near the chain bridge but they do sanspect g may have been involved and are telling parents to keep a closer eye around their kids. >> cameras up around my house just to be safe and i'm very cautious of what i let them do and where they c.. >> dolice haven't been able to identify the body because it was so badly damaged. some students in loudoun county are finishing off this week without their teacher. he was arrested forpublic intoxication while on the job at mill run elementary school in ashburn. brian shamer was arrested yesterday. deputies said they found bottles of alcohol with him. and new thisng morni driving for free in the district could come to an end. the city is looking into the possibility of adding tolls on roads or bridges coming into d.c. nbc4 megan mcgrath has more on that. >> reporter: charging tolls to drive in certain parts of d.c. are charging fees to cross over

using one othe bridges. well the d.c. council has proposed a study to look at just that, according to our news parter wtop. now d.c. has the w secondrst traffic congestion in the country according to a survey by interix and drivers lose 155 hours a yearti sit in traffic and costing drivers over $2,000 a year in gas and lost time. tolls have been controversial in the past and have come up before but some on the council point to the horrible congestion we're seeing now and say all options need to be explored.w nerk city recently approved a similar con just shun pricing bill. the studyn our area would take about a year to complete and would weigh the pros and cons of charging the results will be released in july of 2020. in the district, megan mcgrath, nbc4. he plotted to bomb the new

york subway and now he could be a free man. coming up, why prosecutors are in favo the new deal. plus, last-minute drama at the kentucky derby. first the race favorite is first the race favorite is scratched and now ther ise while shopping at sears, you need to place yourself in the moment. you need confidence in the appliances you select to build the home and life you love. our products and services bring moments like this to every family. shop top-brand appliances including kenmore at sears.

welcome back. the man who plotted to blow up new york city subway systems will likely be a free man. >> he was sentenced to time served yesterday. over the last decade he met with federal investigators more than 100 times and revealed everything he knew about al qaeda. agents fid he helpedl at least three terror attas and a judge and federal prosecutors said doing so earned him a second chance at life. could have earned multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole had he not cooperated. well back here at home, d.c.

mayor muriel bowser will announce a plan to allow the sale of recreational marijuana as early as nexta ye despite a congressional ban. residents could grow and possess small amounts of marijuana but hacould not legally puse it. in the past when the d.c. government hasnsidered legalizing sales, congress warned that even holding public hearings would violate federal law. the mayor, though, disagrees. >> it is always bn our opinion, rachel, that the council has thethegal auority to proceed with hearings. and that continues be our view. >> d.c. council chair phil mendelson will hold hearings on pot proposals but don't get hopes up yet. the ban eires in 2020. >> virginia metro riders there is a preview of the summer extended metro shutdown at half a dozen northern virginia stations. melissa mollet has more on the weekend road conditions.

>> i'm melissa mollet look at metro for this weekend. we do have stations that will be closed. and buses will replace trains there. but let's s what we're talking about. yellow line, about huntington, eiseower, king street and braddock road and crystal cid anwon't stop this weekend at dca because of the repairs that are happening. also closed on the blue line, van dorn street for the weekend. as far as the red line, singlet cking between medical center and grovener and your regular service silver and ornl and green. see you monday for news4 today. have a great day. >> thank you, ma'am. there is a warning for dog n owners airfax county. neighbors in one community believe that coyotes are targeting their pets. > and northern virginia bureau reporter david culver headed out to the community where residents say three dogs were snatched and killed. >> cell phone video of 12-year-old chipper. small but feisty. part of the family, his owners say. >> show themow you dance. >> reporter: the family didn't

want to go on camera but tell me one night in early march chipper had briefly gone outside and his owner out there with himnd she noticed twooyotes like these also in her yard. >> the next thing she knew she heard theog across t street in the woods. it was found the next day on the playground by the belevedere elementary school kids. i think it was the kiergarten class. >> reporter: you could imagine the small children making that disturbing find. we've reached out to fairfax county police and they work with animal contro they tell us they have not verified any coyotes attacking pets in this area. however, neigh say that since chipper's death in early march, there have been at least two other silar attacks on small dogs. residents here are hoping more could be done to keep other pet owners from suffering the same loss. in fairfax county, david culver, news4. >> how terrible. >> megan mcgrath had seen a coyote on the way into work around the rock creek park.

>> and every one says the same thing. keep an eye out. wet weather will play a factor in the 145th kentucky derby and now there is a new favorite. omaha beach had to be taken out of the race and now game winner is a favorite with a 9/2 odds. more than 150,000 people will gather at churchill downs for the big party. catch the action here on nbc4. derby coverage begins tomorrow afternoon at >>2:30. got him. number 1500. >> so you know they count everything in major league baseball but this is a big one. nationals ace steve strasburg recorded strikeout number 1500 last night as you just heard fromhe nouncer, reaching the milestone fastest in major league history in terms of inningshe p strasburg who doesn't show too much emotion described it as pretty cool.- historyking strikeout also came on the same night the nationals fired their pitching

coach. it is no secret that the team has been struggling lately. the aull pen was a problem now injuries are keeping starters like anthony rendone, turner and zimmerman and zott off the field. still a long season. they have time. >> they have 250 more games to go there is a new miss usa thin g. >> and the annual pageant was held last night in nevada and local women made it far. cord elia cran shaw made the top she has a incredible story. she was once in foster care and now works for the d.c. child and family services agency. >> love that. and miss maryland, maryella peppin made the top ten and she's a towson university student. >> and it was miss north colina who took home the crown.t chelsea crisand out of 27 she's the oldest woman ever

crowned miss usa.he love tatural hair. >> i do too. looks good. so money considered d.c. an international city with a diverse population. >> and this weekend a special c chance ck out the diversity. everything you need to know about the d.c. embassy walk when we come>back. we took a one-time trip to parade. >>is

who's dog is this? it's my special friend, antonio. his luxurious n r calms my nerves whem worried about moving into our new apartment. why don't we just ask geico for help with renters insurance? i didn't know geico helps with renters insurance. yeah, and we could save a bunch too. antonio! fetch computer! antonio? i'll get it. get to know geico and see how much you could sav i on rentersurance.

a beautiful beach, breath-taking views and all of theo seafood ycould stand. just one tank of gas away. we scoured the maps for a cool getaway that won't break your bank. >> and molette and her photographer made it on one tank of gas. >> one tank of gas for a road trip. three hours later we are far

from big city bustle as we ride into chincoateage. >> here we go. >> there you go. it is good. hey, oh, my gosh. >> it is f noted oysters and orams. >> repter: in a matter of weeks people will flock to this oasis to find serenity on the sandy beach or fun sailing the water.or famous its wilife nestle inside of the national wildlife refu ae, where wild horsesnd ponies roam free. >> it is a dream come true. >> up the steps we go -- >> all 175 steps and we'll be at

the top. >> reporter: inside of the historic lighthouse, over 150 plus years old and where we tok in a breath-taking 360 degree view. >> this is awesome. >> on one tank of gas, you too, could come to chincoteage lighthouse. >> and d only takes one to create a lifetime memories here and we did it on one tank of gas. >> beautiful. >> really beautiful. the oysters molette was talking will be on full display on the 51st annual seafood festival tomorrofrom 10:00 to 4:00 p.m. so let's turn to the weather now. 've had this topsyturvy kind of week around here with nice days and then major storms last night. so what is shaping up for friday night, is it a stay in or go out kind of a day? >> it depends on your mood.

butthe weather factors intoth at. we'll deal with late day showern and thderstorms north and west of washington. but as we head into the evening and overnight hours, the chance for rain area-wide increases so i know on top of a lot of people's minds, including my mom, when do i cut the lawn with this weather? so if you are heading out today, tou are okay. try to ge it done before 4:00 to play it safe but push it later. morrow we're looking dry the entire day. but maybe the lawn is wet in the morning so you wait for it to dry out. sunday i wouldn't count on doing yardwork with showers in the forecast. scattered late day showers today and the best chance for rin area-wide is in the evening and overnight where you could still see heavy rain because ty the humidif other factors. plenty of rain but dry time and nothing to cancel plans over on saturday. sund might bea different

story. currently our temperatures are in the 60s and mid-70s. 74 in washington. 75 in manassas. 66 back in leesburg. more cloiness north of d.c. more sunshine here in the district and for areas south. and throughout the day we'll continue to see a mixof clouds and sun. here is a look at dew point temperatures to determine the humidity out there. when we're in the 60s, especially in early may, it is feeling muggy out there. and we'll continue to notice that humidity throughout the day today on into tomorrow. the humidity drops down on sunday as well as our temperatures. not today, though. a high of 85 degrees. our average high now around 70. so it is warm and humid. again with scattered showers and thunderstorms later. so for the afternoon hours, seeing frederick county and ieryland and fauquand areas back to the west with the best chance for a late-day showr thunderstorm today. into the evening hours, around dinnertime and overnight, everybody has the chance for rain and maybe heavy rain especially while we'releeping d then looking to tomorrow, with a high of 81 and stim

humid. mainly cloudy or a stray shower or thunderstorm later in the day. but that is a really low risk at about 30%. however, i am tracking rain overnight saturday, again it could be heavy just like tonight and that rain likely lingers on into sunday, at least during the morning hours. i'll be timing out the weekend up hour by hour and coming with future weather around 11:40. >> thank you, ma'am. a cooking no-no. the cdc is out with a new warning about chicken. >> and banned from facebook. a look at some of the high-profile people being purged from the platform.

>> announcer: you're watching "news4 midday." under pressure to crack down on extremist content, facebook announces bans on some high-profile personalities and several others from the social media platform. >> nbc's miguel almaguer has more on the efforts to remove

voices deemed harmful: >> reportis morning some of the nation's most divisive voices silenced online. facebook banning several prominent extremist groups. including conspiracy theorist alex jonesr1vk of info wars ors farrakhan, the islam leader with a history of anti-semitic language. it is t stop of misinformation and radical behavior across ch platforms whi includes instagram. facebook labelling the groups dangerous telling nbc news in a ysstatement, we've alwa banned individuals or organizations that promote or engage in violence and hate, regardless of ideology. the process of evaluatingol potential vitors is extensive and what led us to our decision to remove these accoun today. info wars led by jones faces the harshest ban. facebook and instagram pledging to remove any posts containing

info wars content unless they condemn the radical sites. jones known for pedaling conspiracies about the sandy hook elementary shootingalling it a hoax and a claim he later blamed on psychosis. >> they just banned me. >> reporter: nbc news reaches out to louis farrakhan but did not get a response. this week facceooko mark zuckerberg announced a redesign of the site. >> we're worki hard to completely remove groups if they exist primaly to violate our do policies or hings that are dangerous. >> reporter: twitter, youtube and ap ale haveeady banned jones and info wars and faceboor iefly ban the the two back in february of 20 -- of 2018. facebook ban comes as social mediams platforace pressure to better police content and eliminate online hate speech that could inspire violent acts. >> that wasag miguel almer

reporting and adds that facebook will use editors for watch for new and dangeroustspos here is something to think about before making the next dinner. the cdc is warning people don't watch raw chicken. it is contaminated with bacteria lyle salmonella and washington it could spread it around the kitchen. this goes against a lot of what our mothers taught us growing up. to prevent food poisoning. cdc said place raw chicken in a disposable bag before putting it in the shopping cart and wash your hands with warm and soapy water and designate a separate cutting board for chicken and i prefer it not be wood and cook it nool the internal temperature is 165 degrees. >> no wood? >> it retains bacteria. >> learn something from erika every day. so it is an experiment aimed at moving some of the d.c. most detested pests. >> this will make your skin crawl. but it is costing you hundreds

ofhousands of dollars. this morning jodi fleischer and the new 4 i-team show us how the city is taking a gamble on what could be a aground-breng step to rid the city of rats. >> reporter:s in unusual aimed at winning the rat race. birth control for rodents. scott bennett is all for the city trying new treatments. the alley behind his adams morgan restaurft is one several around the district part si. city crews are filling these si. boxes with aproduct called contra-pest. >> it is a sweet tasting liquid and they drink it and they abcome un to reproduce. >> reporter: it is never tested on this kind of scale across a major city but with complaints on the rise the healthpa dertment girard brown said it is worth trying. >> i think this is a real-world test zplnks it is a costlyam e. the product alone cost $300,000. and the company'sge larst

shipment ever. >> we get the ques oon all the time, why would i use birth control on a rat? >> reporter: randy hanes operationsat sennes tech and said it is a long term and more humane solution. >> you should see fewer juveniles. >> and they hope to see a drop in comaints near those alleys. >> we'll be more exciteddif we ermine it is successful. >> reporter: tonight on news4 at 5:00 and 11:00, see what other cits who tried the product had to say about it and why some of them are no longer using it. jodi fleischer, nbc4 i-team. this weekend you cld avel the world without ever leaving d.c. embassies in the district are making it all possible. the around the world embassy tour willallow you to experience the food and art and dance and fashion and music of ifferent countries. steve shullman is here with me for more on this event. steve, thanks for joining us.

this is an annual event and when you think of d.c. you thi of old buildings in stuffy old its but that is not it at all. >> people go back to the native arments to get into the spirit of things and if culture is one of party like trinidad a obago, you're going to have fun. but if it is a culture with beverage and food, they'll show so it is really a widespread thvisit to e part of the world europe.s not include europe is going to be next saturday, the 11th. >> so we have three new embassies participating and another venue. >> myanmar and india and guyana wi participate and panama hasip articated off site and going cto the chancethis year to showse and plus cameroon back into its embassy unde renovation for a number of

years. >> i i watched the promotional video before the show and every single country had a food offering. that is a huge part. ecwhat could people expt in terms of the culinary delights. >> it is a huge sampling and the embassy along massachusetts avue and embassy row and uvc and van ness and international court so you could get a variety of foodnd some will have d samples an a lot of benchages both alcoholic and non-holik. a to?nd what else are you up >> i came here with flower mood and g inside for the international aspect to see the floral arrangements. e.u. opens its embassy next saturday the 11th and then fiesta asia happens on may 1th downtwn on pennsylvania avenue. plus there is internatiol

programming at embassies and elsewhere thrmoghout theh. go to passportdc.org and start an itinerary for tomorrow. >> and that is where you could signed up for around the world tour. >> you don't have to sign up. just show up. but get the itinerary and so you want to see whereou want to go. >> and bring an empty stomach. thank you. we appreciate it. erika. coming up, a closer look at coming up, a closer look at what

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i'm really excited about this because i'll be here this weekend. a familiar face is back on nbc this weekend. adam sandler returns to host "saturday night live" for the first time since he left the show more than 0 -- more than 20 years ago. it is a nostalgic night for

sandler and snl fans. >> look at this guy. wow! so young. cajun man. in a wig. and so what is that? is that the paparazzi shots of me. >> sandler's trip down memory lane gets creepy but saturday night show will certainly be one that you won't want to miss. it starts tomorrow night at 11:30 right here after the news on nbc4. a shameless plug there. >> over/under how many old haracters they bring back? i'm going over throw. >> i like the turkey in my bigw brohoe. >> take it away amelia. >> as we take a look at our rain outlook, people are saying when uld i get outside and dealing withsrain. dry.f the day is looking once we hit about 3:00, 4:00 p.m., we'll start to see showers and thunderstorms bubble up and

from frederick and fauquier back to the west. once we hit the evening hours when you are heading out for dinner or overnight in when you are in bed, rain is most likely oving through the area and it could be heavy in spots. similar to tomorrow, maybe a stray shower or thunderstorm during the day but most of the saturday completely dry. movingnto the evening and especially overnight hours, again on saturday, where hravy n looks to move through the area and then a good chance that ou're dealing with some showers outere on sunday. we keep monday and tuesday dry. here is your weekend planner. we start offrr to at 66 degrees. mostly cloudy skies throughout the day. 16 p.m., 30% kpans --hance for a shower and high tomorrow 81 and the rain overnight on p saturdaytentially still out there on sunday morning at 8:00 a.m. and it could be heavy and moderate intu nae. much cooler and no hint of humidity on sunday with a temperature of about 73 degrees. and maybe some showers out there sunday during the afternoin and even hours as well.

so let's time it out. with future weather, 7:00 a.m., clouds in place but no rain. around lunchtime, a few spotty showers and i'm not seein that but once we hit 3:00 or 4:00 p.m., maybe an isolated shower and more anemic than whatre futu weather is showing you hear. but here is heavy rain overnight saturday into sunday. this is midnight. look at thisin heavy ra in northern virginia. and then moving through the d.c. metro area into maryland, between midnight and 5:00 a.m., so getting up early on sunday likely to deal with rain outth e and even around the midday, showers and spots as we head into the afternoon and evening hours. impacking potentially the area. so if i had to make the call, getting out door yardwork done and tyngs like that, saturda is the better day compared to sunday. here is your ten-day forecast.y monda dry with a high of 77 degrees. beautiful sunshine. really nice day. on tuesday we'll have mostlki sunny s with a high around

80. maybe an isolated shower out there on wednesday and then the chance for somerain next thursday and friday. i mean, guys, the trend is your friend on friday with rain and why not change that. >> all right. >> i won't call that friendly. look at all of that rain. oh, there is a large plumeof oke behind us. >> you are right. >> we'll see what that is. >> now that u know what to avoid for the rain,e'll help you plan outdoor ahiivities ts weekend. >> and we hope this is a face u that yost can't resist. the puppy in need of a home and how to keep dogs from getti

welcome back. there are simple tricks available to make your dog ma happier andt and less bored every day. lauryn from the humane rescue allience is here for mor on the mental enrichment for your dogs. good morning and before we get the tips to -- >> the real stars of the how. >> this is an adorable little girl.

this is joan. >> joan is about two months old and she's the last remaining puppy from her litter. just one of the hundreds of animals we have available for adoption at our two adoption centers and in foster care. >> and i love the puppy noises. its the equivalent of a purr. >> i think she's just enjoying being in my arms right now. >> she's super cute. weeks old. >> that is right and spayed and ready to go into her new home. >> and if you are wondering, we think something in t beagle family or beagle mixed in. >> definitely a houbd based -- a hound based on looks but if you ant to spot it, a medium to large size dog she'll be your dog. >> she's adorable. look at that nap. howou could say no to a face like that. so transferring food out of the bowl into something else is trick number one. >> critical. daupgs are not meant to be provided food without anyffort and so to afford them an opportunity to play for it and work forit and you have puzzle

toys to slow down the eating and a wobbler and this may take time and mental stimulation. it is a little bit exhausting. you could also take treats on a walk and have theood as part of your walk and enrichment. animals enjoy even if you have a yard, they need that one on one time to focus effort for them ngen you do your walks in the morning and eveni for example. and speak with them along the way to they ar atune for look out for you and paying attention and if you take the food from the bowl on and walk a they know they are looking for that and paying attention and it is effort and work for them. you could aso freeze some -- so this is a hard rubber toy. >> what do you freeze in it? >> with food and peanut butter over the top and take it out and this will take them minutes or hours to work through and when i you leave in the morning pop it for your dog or scents are another good mental enrichment opportunities for imals. >> how does this work. >> coconut extract and almond

extract to put in a little spray sbottle and adde water and spray it and vary it. so the animals have difference. i think you get bored if you had the same thing to play with every day. so if you mix it up day-to-day, one day they get a coconut and the next day they get almond scent and o d they have green beans and the next day they may have food and peanut butternd again it is leaving unknown and a little bit of novelty so they are enriched and lessikely to be destructive or stresses when you are not home. q> i have two hounds at home that are very srrel motivated and i've been having time with polka dot lou who just turned one to getim to stop chasing the squirrel on the leash. i'm trying to get everybody to a dead stop and sit down and be calm for 15 seconds before we get back to walking again. is that generally effective or i should take it to another

level. >> if you consider what is mort motivated ogs than a squirrel and what kind of treat or food. >> so far i come up with nothing. >> keep tryin alsof you provide visual barriers if you anticipate, these are all good training tools but more than anythingve gi them something to walk -- it is a great opportunity if you d't allow them to go after squirrels. >> thank you very much. if you would like to add joan or other animals to your family go to humanrescuealliance.org. >> thank you, chuck. back to the live pictures we brought you before the end oft the las segment. it appears that there is a fire andr the 14th street bridge ohio drive. >> you could see jefferson and cory and i noticed you would see the weflames, re still making calls to find out what this is about and we know that you saw the large plumes of smoke so we wanted to get information to you so we're still working on that. we'll take a turn now.

you don't have to go to a galaxy far, far away to do something fun to do. "star wars" fans need only head to virginia. >> or if that doesn't float your oat, sail back in history. r the mcflys deals f weekend. >> it is known as the boat that leps win the war and you could get up close and personal. and i'm tommy mcfly with what is on tap. the higgins boat display in old town alexandria i the national inventors hall of fame museum to commemorate the 75th anniversary of d-day an ithe boat on display throughout july and check it out and the man who invented it hand e higgins will be inducted into the hall of fame. >> are you feeling all right? > torrow at belmont ridge middle school, fans of "star wars" are in for a treat and so

bobba fet> we have confirmed now that this is, in a car fire that we're seeing the large plumes of smoke close to the jefferson memorial. >> you could see traffic is impacted slightly to your right and see crews onscene and when you see the white smoke that means water is being poured on the fire and it is getting put out. we'll check a iain to see there are any injuries involved

but again we have confirmed this is a car fire near the 14th street bridge and ohio drive. be sure to che onlinend in the nbc washington app for updates. olympic dreams >> coming up, meet a local teenager who is laser focused on that goal. why her coach

i'm leon harris.

you know we're used to seeing heroes on the pages of books but tonight we'll introduce you to a hero who likes them. rick daniels is a character ins hi own right, you could see it the minute you meet him but it is the characters he's created in childrens books making a difference. his goal is to make sure no child is ever bullied again. something he's passionate about because he knows what it is like to be bullied. >> when i was a child in the third grade i wasos diagn with lead poisons and doctors told my parents it would struggle with learning and which had t has. >> tonight on harris' heroes on news4 at 5:00. some people lucky enough to find wheir callingen they are young and soar to unimaginable ights. a young woman from maryland discovered her destiny early on and setting her sights on becoming the world's best. meagan fitzgerald introduces us to a fencing phenom.

>> to be a fierce fencing competitor takes strategy, focus, and hours of training. >> it is a complex thing. >> you never know who ishen the side of that mask.h and w move they'll make next. >> it is an honor to coach her. she's very dedicated and fully committed. >> reporter: this is honor johnson. >> fencing shows me that i could defeat any challenge in front of me. >> reporter: she's just 1 years old and her coach from the capital fencing academy in bethesda said she's one of the n greatest yo talents he's ever seen. > i would sayhe she's t best in america. >> reporter: she qualified and competed in tournaments around w theld. most recently in poland where she won the bronze medal. but if you ask her mother,

she'll tell you that tis sport has changed her life. >> i see a kid transform from being very shy and introverted to someone with a lotof pr and a lot of passion and a lot of courage. >> reporter: she may be young but her sights are set high. >> i believe i could even qualify for the olympics maybe. i' aiming for 2024. >> reporter: so remember the ame -- >> honor johnson. >> reporter: because when her game face is on, no challenge is too great when you are focused on determinesed to win. >> if you are confident and believe in yourlf, then you have the right mentality and tate of mindan d you could achieve anything. >> reporter: meagan fitzgerald, nbc4. >> where do i place my bet now. she's going to olympics. >> we believe it. back over to amelia for a final check of the weather. >> a latest check of radar where we are dry across the area and

most of us stay dry today but once we hit dinnertime into the overnight hours, this is where we'll see some rain, maybe a few rumbles mo thunder ng through the area and some heavy rain is possible just like what we saw in spots last night around miight and in washington, you know what i'm talking about. high temperature today of 85 degrees. tomorrow a high of 81. maybe a stray shower or thunderstorm during the day. but once again rain more likely overnight. where it could be havy in spots. occasional showers on sunday with highs around 70 degrees, erika. >> thank you, ma'am. that is it for "news4 midday" and thank you for joining us. we're back on the air this morning first at 4:00. >> get news and weaer updates any time at the nbc washington app. have a good day and enjoyfr you y and your weekend.

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>> we're blindfoldedecause we didn't want to see each other's outfits for the kentucky dey. we were holding each other's outfits, we are so excited. >> i said to him,r bring you best jockey, okay. we are going to rally. >> it's going to be good. >> are you feelingit i think my name should be little biscuit. ♪ three, twoone. in five, four, ♪