hello. i'm andrea roane. j.c. hayward is off today. there is encouraging news out this afternoon about the safety of our nation's roadways. deaths due to traffic accidents have hit the lowest level since 1949. our own jessica doyle talked to drivers in arlington about

staying safe on the road. >> reporter: accidents happen! >> we lost our brakes going through a pile of water and we hit the car in front of us. >> wow. were you wearing your seat belt at the time? >> probably not. i bet not. >> reporter: more of us are wearing our seat belts nowadays. >> i wear it because my wife said she wouldn't take care of me when i became a vegetable. during those times, she said when i was not wearing it because she was convinced we were going to have an accident. she's right. >> seat belts are a major factor that explains why traffic fatalities nationwide have dropped to a level not seen since the truman administration. and area drivers are taking in car safety features very seriously. >> we want airbags. car side protection, all of it. >> reporter: car seats are believed to have saved 300 lives around the nation in 2009 alone. in the washington area, 100 lives are believed to have been saved because of airbags but

the most important thing you can do to stay safe is buckle up. seat belts are believed to have saved 400 lives. the number would have been higher if everybody was wearing a seat belt. >> fatal accidents like this one this week in fairfax are becoming less frequent. the national highway traffic safety administration reports traffic deaths were projected down 3% for 2010 and down 25% since 2005. jessica doyle, 9news now. seat belts and airbags aren't the only major factors contributing to the drop in traffic fay at fatalities. the government also credits crack down on drunk driving. >> a commuter alert. the outer loop in alexandria will go to just two lanes. starting tonight at 8:00, there will be just one lane open in the local lane and express lanes between the eisenhower connector and telegraph road. the work should wrap up by tomorrow morning. >> the president of pepco got a

firsthand look at what his repair crews are up against. thomas graham was riding along in one of the utility's large trucks when it received word about a tree down in northwest washington. service was knocked out to dozens of customers this morning. >> the old tree, blue sky day. ground is a little soft probably from the rain and the tree toppled over. we responded. one of the things i've learned today is that one of the challenges that we have is traffic. it took some time to get here. it is a big truck. and it is not easy to maneuver. >> graham says it was a pretty big tree that came down. he estimated it would take about an hour and a half to complete the repairs. a former charles county school official faces up to 15 years in jail. she's accused of stealing federal funds intended for low income students. prosecutors say barnes thomas used more than $100,000 to buy more than 200 electronic items

including nintendo wii consoles, games, televisions, ipads and ipods. barnes thomas coordinated charles county's title i program until last year. montgomery county police are looking for two missing teenagers. 15-year-old stevonya reid and 17-year-old destiny magana were last seen wednesday afternoon in rockville. reid's family believes she may be in need of medical attention. two men are being held in connection with the murder of a university of maryland student. police say 22-year-old steven weaver and 23-year-old deandre ricardo williams broke into the home of justin overcash last january. he was targeted because he had been dealing drugs from the house. court documents say evidence at the scene is consistent with that story but family and friends say dealing drugs did not define his life. >> kid was a scholar. he was a physics major, an

astronomy major, he has done so many things to help people and the fact he was targeted like this, it still upsets me to this day. >> officers say williams was the shooter and weaver drove the get away car. but both are charged with first- degree murder. people living near the college park campus report a strange sighting. a hazardous materials team was called out to wells run creek an adelphi road to check out the fluorescent green stream. a nontoxic die used to identify boiler leaks is to blame. they say the dye does not pose a health threat and should dilute within time. the national park service is hoping he'll discover the cno canal's hidden gems. the park service will start a 40-week park discovery program. the program includes web-based guides that highlight different places along the nearly 200 mile canal. the guide includes nearby

points of interest, photos, video, suggested itineraries and driving directions. the navy yard opened its river walk for limited public access today. gates at the east and west end of the waterfront promenade at the washington navy yard will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. monday through friday. the river walk terminates at the yard's park to the west and 11th street to the east. >> turning now to the unrest in libya, opposition leaders say they would agree to a cease- fire if moammar gadhafi pulls his military forces back and allows peaceful protest. despite signs of cracks in the government, the gadhafi regime is putting on a big show of support for the cameras. danielle nottingham has the latest developments. >> reporter: outside moammar gadhafi's compound in tripoli, his supporters say they won't back down. >> we are not afraid of your -- we will always protect our leader. >> reporter: everywhere, journalists go in the libyan capital, citizens issued

weapons by gadhafi say they're ready to fight. >> they're coming to attack my country, you know. >> where did you get this gun? >> gadhafi hasn't been seen publicly for almost two weeks but he issued a statement saying he's not the one who should go. >> the white house sees signs gadhafi inner circle is crumbling. two top officials have defected and there are reports that an aide to one of his sons met with british officials and is working out an exit deal for the libyan leader. on the ground, rebels say they would accept a cease-fire and called on gadhafi to pull forces out of cities and allow peaceful protests. but government troops have posted opposition back to the city where it is trying to regroup. nato is now leading the air campaign and some u.s. lawmakers were not happy to learn american planes will end combat missions this weekend. >> the idea that american air power is grounded unless the place goes to hell is so unnerving, i can't express it.

>> the obama administration has not ruled out arming the rebels but is counting on political pressure and growing divisions inside the regime to force gadhafi out. danielle nottingham, cbs news, the white house. rebels who have been allowing journalists to travel along with them have stopped the practice. they say the move is designed to avoid giving away their positions. >> still to come on 9news now, sweet tasting cupcakes that make you want to have a baby. literally! trust me. ♪ >> plus, the academy of country music awards are just ahead. we'll talk live to country superstar blake shelton when we come back.

just over a couple of weeks until your tax deadline. the i.r.s. says the average refund this year is about $3,000. they've already received a little more than 75 million returns so far. with the majority of those qualifying for some money back. winners of the latest megamillions drawing will be receiving more than $19 million each after taxes! seven new york state workers came together yesterday to claim their winnings. >> it has been a blur. >> just hasn't sunk in. >> still in disbelief. >> the man who bought the winning ticket had someone cut in front of him while he went to get a candy bar. that delay may have accounted for the big jackpot.

the workers have not been back to their jobs in albany since winning the lottery. it is unclear if they'll ever return. all of that money still couldn't buy an elaborate estate near san francisco. the megamansion sold for $100 million and that makes it the most expensive single family home in the u.s.! the mansion, built to look like an 18th century french chateau, was bought by a russian billionaire. although it dwarfs nearby homes, the neighbors don't seem to mind. >> they're happy. because ultimately, it will make their homes more valuable. >> i was surprised that a $100 million house sold in this market or any other market. >> situated on 18 acres, the megamansion has over 25,000 square feet. it boasts five bedrooms, a ballroom, wine cellar, gym, spa, tennis courts and an indoor and outdoor pool. it is the beginning of a new day. those were the words of university of maryland president wallace lowe as he cut the ribbon on new charging

stations in college park. electric car drivers will be allowed to use them for free. two of the stations are located at the student union building. three others are across the campus. in his state of the union address, president obama said he hoped the country will have a million electric vehicles on the road by the year 2015. president obama will be showcasing energy efficient vehicles in landover. you're looking at a live picture as the crowd there waits for the president to arrive at a u.p.s. shipping facility that features a fuel-saving fleet. the white house has been especially attentive to rising gasoline prices sand eager to focus public attention on long- term energy strategies. the administration's energy proposals include boosting domestic oil production, increasing the use of natural gas and alternative fuels and making cars and trucks more efficient if the president arrives before the end of our newscast, we'll bring. >> little bit of that. overdue, expectant mothers should consider a trip to

charlottesville virginia and a special bakery. there is something special about the lemon drop cupcakes. they apparently induce pregnant women to go into labor and the medical experts are stumped. however, 19 overdue babies have been born after their mothers ate just one of the lemon drop cupcakes. >> i was five days overdue. we came back downtown and i got one and it worked! >> i was in the hospital. i think my daughter was maybe five hours old and i called the cupcake shop. it worked! >> their baker says she mixes in a little extra love in every batch. there is encouraging news about another kind of labor. the labor department reports that 216,000 people landed a new job last month. that brings the unemployment rate down to a two-year low of 8.8%. companies put workers on the payroll at the fastest two- month pace since the recession

began. switching gears now, we invite you to tune into the 46th annual academy of country music awards right here on channel 9 this weekend. the event is cohosted by blake shelton who is standing by live in las vegas. blake, thank you for joining us. how are things going? are you finished with rehearsals for the day? >> oh, god no! i think i'm still continuing with rehearsals from two days ago! >> blake, what kind of a show are we going to see. with the oscars, the cohosts were doing skits and routines throughout the performance but then the grammys were heavy on music. what will the academy of country awards look like? >> we're kind of a combination of the two, you know. we're doing a few skits which is new, i think, for the academy. but mostly, i mean, it is about the music. with the academy of country music awards. country music has always been

about performances and you know, great songs and you'll see plenty of that if i don't screw things up too bad. >> i don't think you'll do it at all. you'll be just fine. you were talking about the performances and some unusual pairings there you've got james taylor but you also have a lot of people are looking forward to this, sugar land, jennifer nettles appearing are rhianna. did you get a chance to see the two of them rehearse? >> no. i don't know what the hell that's going to be. i'm as curious about it as anybody. who would have ever imagined rhianna at the academy of country music awards. not me. but i guarantee you, my face is going to be glued to that stage to see what happens. >> blake, we'll be watching as well. he's a busy man, not only a host. he's a nominee, the fiancee of a nominee and he's planning a wedding as well. congratulations on everything, blake. we'll be watching the 46th

annual academy of country music awards here sunday night from 8:00 to 11:00. have fun! >> thank you! >> and anny has our forecast. >> hi, andrea. out here live on the weather terrace, i felt a few little drops. it is a great day out here. we're talking about another chance for some rain and some snow. we'll talk about that when we come back after the break.

>> what a gray, yucky start to friday. do things get better? not for a couple of days. here is your day planner. 50s by 3:00 and then 6:00, 49 degrees. it will be cloudy for much of today and tonight. cloudy skies for this afternoon. .wind gust, it is feeling cold out there when you factor these. 23 out of the northwest for d.c. 20 in winchester. 25 for martinsburg. factor that in with the current temperatures and we're talking temperatures feeling like it is in the 30s in a lot of locations including downtown at 38 degrees. 35 in martinsburg. 39 in luray and 36 degrees in

frederick. here is a look at the national picture. we're looking at the snow that really impacted parts of the midwest and also really the northeast where the nor'easter is going to bring a lot of snow into parts of maine, massachusetts, and vermont. winter warnings in effect. if you have travel plans or people coming from this area, we have winter warnings in effect where we can get one, two feet of snow locally. in some of the locations at the worst of it. the future cast for our area, we talked about the chance for some snow once again. here we go. by 3:00, maybe some light scattered showers. for the most part, partly cloudy through tonight. it will be breezy. the breezes don't calm down until after midnight. tomorrow, look again. another system coming on through and bringing in some rain, some snow to martinsburg tomorrow morning. d.c. getting rain by the afternoon around lunchtime. highs for today, it is cool out there once again. lower 50s for d.c. 49 in

gaithersburg. 48 from martinsburg and 50s along the eastern shore. keep in mind we should be low 60s. so, yeah, this is not normal. lows tonight again, cold. if you have plans for dinner, bring a jacket and you'll need your winter coats again. mid-30s for frederick. here's how your seven-day outlook is looking like. so, we're breezy this weekend. and we don't dry out until later saturday and then sunday afternoon is not a bad day because the good news is we'll be in the upper 50s and we're not expecting breezy conditions. so, it won't be too bad. that's a day to get outside and enjoy it. now, monday, tuesday, we're warmer at 75 but showers coming on through and then tuesday, chance for some thunderstorms. wednesday, we're looking at high near 58 degrees. after the warm front to start off the work week, by the middle of the work week, we're back down to the upper 50s. thursday, dry, high around 60 degrees. partly cloudy conditions. we're back cooking in the kitchen after the break. óoóoó?

to say it was a shock is just a complete understatement. i mean, i don't think there are words. you... don't have a choice of getting breast cancer. i had no choice. that 3-day gave me that opportunity. and i can actually do something to help. 60 miles in 3 days-- i can do that. we can rid the world of this terrible disease...

so that no mother... granddaughter... sister... daughter... mother... go through what my wife had to go through. (man) register today for the... because everyone deserves a lifetime.

there's a sign of spring popping up in our 9news now kitchen. cliff lowe is culinary director for the new seasons 52 fresh grill and wine bar just across from white flynn. thank you for being here. >> thank you very much. >> tell us about the philosophy about that what will be served at season 52. >> it is a fresh grill and wine bar. you can encounter something new all the time. behind that, everything is good for you. no item on the men you on a over 475 calories. >> we like hearing that. we don't have to think about whether it will be good for our body. >> in the wine bar part, we have 100 selections and 62 by the glass. and all kinds of good stuff. >> you're just opening. you haven't had the official

public opening. when will that take place? >> we're in training right now. we have a fabulous team getting ready to serve on april 11th. you can make reservations now though. >> look at what you can reserve when you get there. one chef called asparagus the green goddess of vegetables. i noticed nothing heavy. >> i saw on your weather it is going to be 75 degrees. springtime is coming. fresh asparagus. here's what it looks like fresh. then just steam it lightly to bring up the color. i'm going to show you two preparations in a second. here is a simple salsa. you won't get it in the timeframe we have here. you can go on the web site or seasons 52 web site and check out recipes and videos. take fresh tomatoes and olives. a little bit of lemon juice and lemon zest. some fresh, chopped roasted garlic. then we've got some basil and some parsley that we're going to put in there. >> again, it is fresh. >> a pinch of black pepper and extra virgin olive oil. i know that is fast.

it will look something like this here. >> that looks like something that would be good over fish. not just the vegetables. >> then we take the asparagus fresh here. we blanched it for a little bit. brought out the color. we can serve it just like that. >> a minute or two in boiling water? >> maybe a minute or two, yeah. not too much. then you could serve it chilled with that same topping that we just made right here. and a little bit of feta cheese over the top. or what i like to do is just spritz it with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. we use this in the restaurant. >> one spritz. one calorie. i like that. >> we put that on a plate. warm grilled asparagus. same topping. tomato and olive salsa then we do some feta cheese right on top. >> about 30 seconds. anny come in for the important part, the dessert. we have healthy eating and healthy dessert. >> 29 seconds. >> the thing about season 52,

we try to serve a smaller portion. we don't want you to skip dessert but we want you to get the real thing. three ounces to get flavor in. nine different flavors. if you're celebrating a birthday, an anniversary or using our private dining room, this is how it would be. >> it looks great. cliff, thank you and congratulations. it opens april 11th, seasons 52. that's it for us. have a great weekend. we'll see you monday! mr. perdue!

mr. perdue! what does it mean that perdue is the first chicken company to have a usda process verified program? it means the usda verifies that my fresh, fit & easy chicken is raised cage-free and fed an all-veggie diet with no animal by-products. is it true your chickens are never given any hormones or steroids? yes, it's true. [ camera shutters clicking ] so, what's next? is there a movie deal? thank you... [ chickens clucking ] now ladies, don't get any ideas. [ male announcer ] perdue. the first chicken company to have usda process verified programs.