thanks for joining us for 9news now at 5:00. 9news now at 6:00 starts right now. from the first local station with news in high definition, this is 9news now. >> this good friday, pope benedict xvi presided over the catholic church's traditional ceremony reenacting jesus christ final hours in crucifixion and he did so under a cloud of scandal as the catholic church tries to deal with priest abuse cases. the pope is not addressed the scandal at all during this holy week, but the archdiocese of washington is speaking out. lindsey joins us live from the information center with more on this. lindsey. >> many of the victims say it's too little, too late. a group gathered across from st. matthew's cathedral today. one of the victims is a former catholic priest. he was abused while in the seminary and he wants the pope to step down. it may be good friday for

catholics, but it's been a difficult week for the catholic church. >> it's painful. there are people who are praying for the victims. >> the voice of the faithful gathered for the faithful, he says he was sexually abused while in the seminary. >> he was holding my hands down. >> he says anthony went on to abuse others, including an 8- year-old boy and a mentally disabled man. he died before going to trial in 2006. >> those who have the ability to be abusers found a safe haven in the church. >> the buck stops with the pope. >> i would like to see him step down if possible. >> many victims want the church to recognize the abuse and apologize. >> i know as a victim, what i wanted when i went to church, i wanted validation. did my abuser abuse others? i wanted the answers because that helped validate my own story. >> becky says her family

priest sexually abused her when she was only eight years old. donald walked out of st. matthews, across the street, and joined the group in prayer. it's a good will gesture, but victims want more. >> i just hope that the gesture is followed up by some actions. >> i am told that the church will pay for victim's counseling and now abuse allegations are reported to authorities, but the victims say they still believe the church wants to keep sexual abuse allegations quiet. lesli. >> all right lindsey, thank you for that. virginia governor, bob mcdon got a threatening letter. governors at offices across the country are on alert. at least 30 governors received the threat. they were sent by a group called guardians of the free republics. the fbi and virginia state police are investigating. apparently, there is a family connection between the suspects in the mass shootings

on south capital street. 9news now has learned the 14- year-old suspected of driving the get away van is the younger brother of suspect, orlando carter. he is now in protective custody. but questions remain about why orlando carter wasn't in custody before the shooting. dc police say they tried to get an arrest warrant back in march, but the u.s. attorney's office would not take it to a judge. >> i would expect that if the police department can present a case with as much information as they did in this one, that the next time this happens, an arrest warrant would be issued. >> in a statement, u.s. attorney, ron said there was not sufficient probable cause for the warrant. san was already in prison. it was believed the south capital street murders were revenge killing for that. new tonight, a prince georges county police officer will go on trial this month for

drunken driving. officer darren ross flipped his cruiser last january. he took a breathalyzer test, but police have not released those results. he has since been suspended since the crash. he goes on trial april 19. now to a commuter alert on what has been a very busy good friday. vre trains are moving through alexandria. the train service was stalled for hours because of an on going police standoff close to the tracks. a sheriff deputy tried to serve an eviction notice. he heard gun shots. no hostages, no one hurt, but one guy inside. gary has more. >> hostage negotiators spoke to the gunman trying to talk him out. residents were escorted by police. this couple is trying to move in. >> it's slowing our move down. we just moved here and trying to paint our place, our movers come tomorrow. >> others are making contingency plans. >> we are going to have to go to our inlaws house and spend

the night there, but you know, miner inconvenience, as long as the police are safe and they get the guy out of there all right. >> some residents are on an area list serve, got e-mails throughout the day. >> we got one, there's a police situation here, and it is looking to be a standoff. >> csx railroad tracks are in site of the department. delaying some vre and amtrak passengers, metro continued to run. >> they are still talking. one police official said i hope this is over soon. so do the residents. >> now in dc. both sides of kennelworth avenue will be closed tonight starting at 7:00. the district department of transportation will do some demolition work to remove beams from the eastern avenue bridge, which crosses over kennel worth. this is a live look at that project. vdot says the work will continue through 9:00 a.m. on saturday. >> all right, let's check other conditions on the road. patranya, it has been very, very slow. >> definitely an under

statement this evening for sure. we still have this problem, 95 southbound, the loop from the outer loop going south, we still have that left lane shut down due to seven vehicle involved accidents and the drive going south, about an hour delay all the way to triangle. so a tough spot for the easter weekend get away on 95 southbound. moving to the next spot that we are tracking this accident on the toll road, still has all lanes blocked at this hour, you can see delays backed up to 495 and beyond. switching on to good news on the capital beltway through virginia and maryland, we are not seeing any accidents or incidents. traffic moving pretty well by other standards. but of course, a lot of tourists in town, out of state license plates, so be extra careful, use extra caution. lesli, back to you. all right, we could not ask for a better forecast. devon, how is it feeling out there on the terrace? >> feels like i'm laying out to get my tan on for the summer, lesli. another beautiful day, we

topped out at 77 nationally. an official 80-degree day over there. here's where your temperatures are standing. cooler towards prince georges county. over the northern virginia side, we have hit numerous 80- degree temperatures. way out west, cumberland was up to 86 degrees later today. here's our forecast for this evening. temperatures will be through the lower 70s in many cases and into the upper 60s. light breeze if any from the south coming in. you see the sunset tonight, it will be at 7:33. a lot of people out last night, a lot of patios full. it's going to be another one of those and several more nights to go before our next shot of rain returns, lesli. >> children will get some fun activity out at this year's white house easter egg roll. the children will get to dance, do some yoga, or participate in other sports. the white house step staff staff will be on hand to talk about eating well. and the author of harry potter

books will read to the children out there. ahead, we are live at the title basin where the cherry blossoms are in full bloom and you'll find out about some little known attractions you might want to check out. but first, how an industry in west virginia could be threatening your drinking water. stay with 9news now. that story is coming up right after the break.

environmentalists call it a major victory. miners in west virginia say they will lose jobs. the epa put out a water quality standard related to mountain top mining. it is a number for the level of toxins in measured water. miners say this will make it nearly impossible for them to do their job and critics say that's the point. >> it's going to be hard for any kind of big economic enterprise to meet the standard which will protect the streams throughout the country, but

especially in areas that are affected by mountain top removal mining. >> mountain top mining is estimated to have destroyed land the size of delaware. many experts believe it affects water ways in the country. no one realliments any unscheduled face time with the irs, but if you are concerned about an audit and not sure about how long to keep your documents, here is a brief guide. most of us should keep our tax records for three years. some documents like records to purchase a home or sale, any stock transactions or business transactions should be kept longer. if you have employers working for you, you need to keep those documents for at least four years. and organized supporting documents ahead of time, so you won't have to scamable. up next, two alleged rapes occur at a metro station, but the public doesn't find out until two months later. what's going on? and here's a preview of

tonight's cbs evening news. new economic numbers show more than 160,000 jobs were created last month, but a lot of people are still hurting. we'll tell you who tonight. only on the cbs evening news.

a convicted sex offender be forbidden to use or possess a computer for 30 years even after being released from prison? the federal court says no. the case involves mark russell of columbia. this week, an appeals court ruled his punishment was too harsh. a man has been charged with raping a woman at the metro station garage. and some metro riders want to know why they are just finding out about the incidents two months after the alleged crime. back in february, a woman was getting into her car when police say 19-year-old jonathan duffy raped her at knife point and stole her car. with duffy, there was a 13-year- old girl. he has been charged with

statutory rape, but metro's board chairman says alerting the public got lost in the shuffle during the snowstorm. >> that's not an excuse. i take the metro every day and most of the times i have to walk from my house. so somebody got raped, they should have made it their business to put it in the news. >> it shouldn't have happened in the first place, and i'm really not in charge of the individual staff members. that's something that the general manager and the people in that office do. but, i have no reason to believe that this kind of mistake would be made again. >> in addition to those rapes, there were two sexual assaults on metro access buses in january involving contract drivers. also new at 6:00, students at howard university are on alert tonight. school officials are taking -- masked men with guns held them up. howard is increasing security on campus. police believe four men are

behind the robberies. changes are coming to security check points at airports across the globe. a new policy announced today will steer passengers into secondary screening and pat downs if they match a list of characteristics provided by intelligence agencies. so now, travelers coming from certain countries will not be stopped unless they match that list. >> i don't see a problem with it at all. increased security is good for everybody. >> i wish they did security that made sense, that was consistent and seemed to make a difference. >> a side note, the u.s. government has no authority to screen passengers in foreign airports. officials offered to share intelligence and they hope that other countries will get on board with the plan. if foreign airlines will not follow the u.s. guidelines, american authorities can fine them or ban their aircraft from landing on u.s. soil. one of the most popular spots in dc has to be the title basin. the cherry blossom festival is in full swing and alex is there.

alex. >> reporter: well, everybody says the best time to be in the nation's capital is when the cherry blossoms are blooming and when they are the main attraction. today, these trees steal the show, drawing many visitors. and interestingly, these cherry blossoms are causing quite a stir in the kenwood neighborhood of bethesda. many folks spent the day here going for a stroll, taking pictures, and just enjoying the wonderful spring afternoon. >> people shouldn't go through downtown, it's so crowded and, you know, traffic and everything. it is just beautiful. they should come here and enjoy it. >> you have people in your front yard just smelling them and parking everywhere. >> reporter: must be nice to have a cherry blossom tree in your front yard. those cherry blossoms caused some traffic tieups in the

kenwood subdivision and around the title basin. if you are headed out this way, expect some delays. finding a good parking spot could be a challenge. we are enjoying it so far. i'm alex, 9news now. >> they sure are beautiful, whether they are on the title basin or in the kenwood neighborhood. thank you for that, alex. and the weather couldn't be better for taking them in wherever you go. >> we are talking 10, 15- degree temperatures above where we should be. it makes up for all the snow, or does it? >> yes, it does. as long as you say there's no more snow coming. next three days feel just as nice. temperatures mid to upper 70s. dulles hit 80 today. many of us, especially northern virginia, parts of montgomery county and parts of frederick county in maryland and out west, many 80-degree temperatures there. but i'm going to go with the official temperature, a little bit of a south breeze in the potomac. weak front saturday into sunday.

this is a few clouds. i'll show you exactly what is going to happen with that later. clear and cool in the overnight hours. only into the 40s. upper 40s for most of us. lower to mid 50s as you go into the heart of washington. tomorrow morning, we are through the 50s, maybe close to 60 as soon as mid-morning rolls around. sunrise at 6:50 on saturday morning. here's a few of the clouds by midday to afternoon. upper 70s, lower 80s once again. if you are over into the atlantic, winds coming off the cold waters, still at 50-degree water temperatures in many cases. this gives us a good look at the eastern panhandle of west virginia. cumberland hit 86 today. that was the warmest i saw. as we go toward washington and east, we get that effect of the winds blowing off the cold water. a natural air conditioner. here's the 9 future cast. lots of sunshine here. the front could bring a few sprinkles upper elevations, garrett county, even martinsburg.

as we go to washington. the front is going to die out and nothing really coming in, except for a few clouds and return a lot more sunshine once we get that to move back out. and sunday late more into monday and tuesday. low temperatures tonight, around the beltway and just outside. temperatures generally mid to upper 40s to 50s. great low temperatures. maybe a bit cool, i can't quite call that chilly, though. tomorrow afternoon, some of our warmest readings out west, northern virginia, even up to montgomery county, prince georges county, and up to the bay. annapolis at 70 with that wind coming off the water. into the seven-day forecast, mid and upper 70s. right back up to possible 80s as we go next week. we strung together just one awesome, awesome week. but it is going to have an end by the time we get to next thursday. widespread showers moving in. it is such a fast moving storm, right as we go into next weekend, could be just as nice as this one. >> i tell you what, none of us are going to complain with 80-

degree temperatures on there. it's looking good. >> all right. another runningback? >> i would argue that it would be nice to get some guys to block for all the runningbacks that we now have, but dan snyder likes flashy guys. clinton portis has been the man since '04. he's going to have to work for it this year. details on willie parker. plus the nats play their finale and head to dc. we'll tell you how they got ready for opening day. coming up, 9sports.

it's time for 9sports with brett haber, the best sports in town. >> well, if you thought the redskins back field was crowded -- you better scoot over more, because another former pro bowler entered the mix. former steelers runningback, willie parker signed a one-year deal with the redskins, worth up to $3.1 million. parker who went to the pro bowl in '06 and '07 began last

season. suffered a toe injury and lost that job to mendenhall. there will be an open competition for the starting job with the redskins. here's what they will be deciding between. a 28, 29, and 30-year-old. all of whom who have been to the pro bowl twice, but portis is the youngest of the three and the most productive. he has the highest yards per carry and the highest total career yards. larry johnson had the best single season in 2006. meanwhile, redskins rolled out the red carpet today for notre dame. the gw will visit tonight and tomorrow. mike shanahan will attend his pro day in two weeks. all right, so what if bob huggins coach is in a track suit. he can coach in a dress if he brought a national championship to west virginia. they held their final practice today before tomorrow's final four showdown against duke. it is a doubly doubly poignant

occasion. doing so at his own alma mater, where he played and where he graduated. >> i can remember sitting on my grandfather's lap listening to west virginia football and basketball games. athletics are everything in the state. we don't have professional franchises. there's not really anybody else to root for. >> i root for bob huggens. of course, both final four games right here on 9. butler, michigan state just after 6:00 followed by the mountaineers and duke and 9news now will follow the games. dc united looking for their first goal of the year. they'll try to punch it in the net tomorrow night in their home opener. united got blanked 4-0 in their first game against kansas city. after six weeks of grueling and for the most part, meaningless baseball in the florida sun, the nationals are on a plane to washington tonight. they will play the red sox tomorrow in their final

exhibition game and monday, the big opener. that is scott olsen, big whip against big poppy. that's your fifth starter right there in all likelihood. unfortunately, jason spoiled it, bases loaded in the sixth, sox beat the nats 7-2. make sure you join us monday for live team coverage of nats opening day. sarah, dave, and i will be live from the ballpark from the president's first pitch down to the post game locker room interviews and sunday night, the day before a special opening day edition of sports plus 11:35 p.m. yankees and blue jays yesterday from spring training. i want you to watch kyle phillips, as he nails him in the melon. thankfully, it hits him in the helmet, because if that had hit him in the squash, he would have been an unconscious baseball player. in a way, it is surprising that doesn't happen more often when you have a left-handed batter

and a right-handed catcher, because he doesn't really lean into it, but he is fine. how many fingers, and he kept playing. >> he was smiling because he had that protective hat on. >> those things are practically made of plastic. >> quick reminder of the forecast. >> remind you that it's going to stay great all the way through the next weekend through the next five days. next rain shower holding off really until next wednesday, thursday, and hold temperatures down briefly, but right back for a beautiful weekend next weekend. >> sounds good. that's it for 9news now at 6:00. the cbs evening news is next. derek will see you for the area's only local newscast at 7:00 and i want to remind you about our early morning show. 9news now starts at 4:35. join andrea and angie and howard to get your day started. don't forget, wusa9.com is always on and we hope you have a great, great weekend.