two inches per hour. this is going to be a mess for the commuters going out 50! we've got rainfall rates one to two inches an hour toward davisonville and forestville. the good news is there is no hail reported with these storms. primarily the flash flooding. that is the biggest threat. national airport was getting hammered about 15 minutes ago. it is now moving east. anybody going out 50 toward annapolis and really going up the bw parkway toward baltimore, the heavy rain is just now crossing the east side of that. wheaton, you're left with moderate rain. potomac, moderate rain. as you go toward rainsville past great falls. the heavy activity is east of town. that's where the severe thunderstorm warnings have been posted. we're look at primarily most of the counties now in the metro area are under a flash flood warning. that means flooding is occurring. please do not cross a flooded

street by car or by foot. we'll keep you posted at the bottom of the screen of the watching and warnings and we'll break in if necessary. >> thank you, topper. we do have other breaking news out of fairfax county at this hour. right now, police, road and utility crews are on the scene of a major sinkhole. this is in oaken. it is at the intersection of hunter mill road and vail road. this sinkhole is across the majority of the roadway. the whole thing is closed out. water gushing out of there. a lot of work to be done. speaking of our roads, monika samtani has the timesaver traffic. we know traffic is bad when the weather is nice. >> yeah, absolutely. exactly, derek. you saw the sinkhole and here's the map showing exactly where it is in oakton at hunter mill road. the closest major intersection is vail road. the smaller intersection is bk if you know that area. so, in that area, what you're going to need to do is go ahead and avoid it or if you need to get around it, stick to route

123. i just got off the phone with fairfax county police. they have now left the scene to letting the water authority do their work. it will take awhile. let's take you around town. i've been watching the cameras this afternoon and with the rain coming down as hard and as fast as it has been, there is a lot of problems. here's an example. on the westbound side of -- eastbound side of i-66 at monument drive, watch out. there is an accident, a car went over the guardrail. it has been there for awhile causing those delays. we'll show you what it looks like at the american legion bridge. visibility has been the biggest issue here. both loops of the beltway are seeing the effects of it basically between tysons, silver spring and college park. heavy traffic there and we'll take a last look at 270. leaving the beltway, pretty much all the way past falls road toward frederick, you'll see stop and go traffic because of the weather and the low visibility. back to you. lesli? >> monika, thanks. brittany norwood, the former college soccer star turned murder suspect made an appearance in a montgomery

county courtroom today. she's accused of killing her coworker at the lululemon athletica store in bethesda back in march. andrea mccarren was in the courtroom for the proceedings today. what did you hear? >> reporter: lesli, the high profile trial is now set to begin october 24th. it is expected to last about eight days. and today in the courtroom, the key prosecutor, montgomery county state's attorney john mccarthy, detailed the evidence that he'll present at that jury trial. 28-year-old brittany norwood is accused of killing her 30-year- old coworker, jayna murray, in a struggle so violent, it crushed murray's skull and severed her spinal cord. montgomery county state's attorney john mccarthy outlined some of the evidence he will bring to trial in october. more than 1100 pages of discovery, crime scene photos, dna, along with expert analysis of blood splatter, fingerprint and shoe prints found at the scene. although she's locked up, norwood has been allowed

contact visits with her family. >> i think she's doing pretty well under the circumstances. i though that the detention centers has made great efforts to make it as comfortable as possible for her. >> she has pleaded not guilty to the murder and for the first time, norwood's lawyer raised the issue of her mental competency. >> in a case like this, you have to explore every possibility because you know, as you go along, you discover certain things in a case. and our investigation is still continuing. >> reporter: in court, norwood wore a tan prison jumpsuit. her hair pulled back in tight cornrows. she appeared tired and rested her chin on her hand for much of the hearing. now, the judge who will preside over this trial, robert greenburgh, noted that because of the high public interest and of course, the nature of this crime, lesli, many of the proceedings may have to be moved to a larger courtroom. >> a lot of people are watching this case, andrea. thank you. coming up, the suspected

arsonist charged with setting three fires in d.c. pled not guilty today. 26-year-old maurice dues of northeast d.c. being held without bond. he's charged with setting fire to a vacant home on 48th place in northeast back in april. five firefighters were hurt in that blaze. authorities also believe dues started fires in maryland as well. well, the space shuttle "atlantis" made history this morning despite some questionable weather, the shuttle lifted off, it will be the final liftoff we'll ever see for a space shuttle. manuel gallegus has reaction from the many spectators. >> reporter: the shuttle "atlantis" commander said let's light this fire one more time and with that, the shuttle "atlantis" blasted into space. accelerating to 100 miles per hour in 8 seconds, straight up. >> 2, 1, zero and liftoff. the final liftoff of atlantis. >> reporter: the shuttle "atlantis" rocketed into the cloudy florida sky.

>> space shuttle spreads its wings one final time for the start of a sentimentsal judicialny into history. >> there were some tears and fears. >> it is one of the most amazing things. i'm so emotional. >> i was crying. no doubt about it. i can't help it. >> reporter: for this 36th trip to the space station, only four astronauts journeyed instead of the usual six or seven. this time, there is no back-up shuttle in case of emergency. it is up to the russians to provide any rescue. just before liftoff, shuttle commander christopher ferguson, paid tribute to everyone at nasa. >> the shuttle is always going to be a reflection of what a great nation can do when it dares to be bold. >> for thousands of employees, once atlantis returns, they'll be out of work. jim mazer is the head of california-based rocket time which makes the shuttle's licht rock ed engines. now 300 scientists are out of

work. >> we don't know what we're working on next. >> so far, nasa hasn't revealed exactly what it has planned next for space exploration. >> for the last time, the space shuttle's main engines have fallen silent. >> reporter: the agency is tremendously proud of its 30- year shuttle legacy. there has been talk nasa may try to fly to an asteroid or mars. but manned flight is years away. i'm manuel gallegus, derek, back to you. >> the obama administration is promising to have nasa work on a new spacecraft that will take the united states even deeper into space. we've got a lot more ahead tonight on the final shuttle mission. coming up, we go live to our own kristin fisher at the kennedy space center where today's launch, for her, was a true family affair. we'll also take you over to goddard's spaceflight center in greenbelt where today is pretty bittersweet because people work there and their jobs could be in question. right now, we've got a

cautionary tale. a 28-year-old father of three young children is killed after trying to change a flat tire. >> police say eric vila pulled his car over when another car drifted off the road and slammed right into his vehicle. delia gonsalves is live with a warning for how to avoid this kind of thick. >> reporter: derek, especially during rain showers like right now when visibility can be an issue on the beltway, aaa using this tragedy to remind all of us about safety when we're on the road. it was a horrible scene on the outer loop of the beltway. just before the 95 split thursday evening. police say around 6:00, eric av la and his wife pulled their white cadillac over on the shoulder to repair a flat. they even called some friends who responded in the silver highlander. when suddenly, this toyota camry swerved off the road, colliding into both cars before it erupted in flames. avila died at the hospital.

>> he has three kids, so beautiful. his wife is so nice, too. >> it is an example of what can happen on a busy highway when you attempt to change the flat. which is something that you should avoid at all costs. >> reporter: so, we had aaa service techs demonstrate exactly what a driver should do in that situation. first, they say get off the road, even if it means driving on a flat. >> it is better to drive the car on a flat tire on the rim than put yourself in harm's way. >> you should look for the nearest exit on the highway. extricate yourself from the situation and never put yourself or your passengers in harm's way. if you can escape the car, exit the car, stand 150 feet away, that's the safest thing to do. >> reporter: then put on your hazard lights, pop the trunk and set up triangles, cones or flares. the key is do whatever you can to be seen. whether you're changing your tire or you call for roadside assistance.

and we're also told if you don't have cones or flares, you can use something as simple as a hand ker ship on your windshield so other drivers can see you and you can be safe on the road if you efer have to pull over. they caution you not to pull over in any circumstances on the beltway. in regard to the accident, two adults, two children were hurt. they'll be ok. police are yet to file charges. back to you. >> thanks, delia. great advice. we appreciate it. >> if you're driving in prince george's county, you need to know the county executive is planning to put speed cameras at more than 100 sites. it is part of a program approved back in 2009 but never implemented. prince george's county can fine you $40 for speeding 12 miles per hour or more in school zones and it projects the program will generate about $7.5 million. well, prince george's county council member leslie johnson was back at work today at her council office. that's according to a council

spokesperson. but she still refuses to talk to us about why she's rejecting her colleague's demands to quit now. johnson and her husband, jack, the former county executive, are both awaiting sentencing for their roles in an on-going corruption scandal. we have assigned scott broom to continue pursuing leslie johnson for answers. here's what happened today. >> the reason i've tried so hard to get leslie johnson to answer my questions is because of how absurd the situation seems to so many people. afterall, here at the federal courthouse in greenbelt, she's already pled guilty to trying to hide bribe money from the fbi. yet she continues to resist her colleague's calls to resign effective immediately. instead, she'll stay in office until july 31st and continue to collect her pay. so far, i've pursue disgraced prince george's county less he will johnson to her home where neither she or her convicted husband answers the door.

and to her husband where leslie johnson did show up to work today. but my request to visit her office and interview her was denied. and she stayed out of sight. johnson is squeezing another four weeks out of the taxpayers by saying she will not resign until july 31st. she'll be paid $1850 per week until then. that's a total of $7500 before she's gone. added to at least $48,000 she's been paid since she took office in january. her lawyer told me today she will not be answering any questions about this. but that doesn't mean i'm going to stop trying. so, today, i've come to the little shopping center nearest leslie johnson's home, again with my flip camera here, hoping to catch her. i mean, afterall, she has to come out and get milk and eggs sometime. >> have you seen leslie johnson today? >> no, i haven't. >> what do you make of this case? >> that's a politician for you. you found guilty, you're in

trouble. you still get paid to get to be a criminal. the rest of us have to work to pay off your problem. >> reporter: which brings me back here to the federal courthouse. johnson is not finished here. she still has to be sentenced in october. and all of this may not look so good to the judge. jon will be asking for leniency instead all of this may end up costing johnson more time behind bars. in greenbelt, scott broom, 9news now. leslie johnson has been stripped of her staff, her cell phone and her car. a spokesman for the council said she could not describe the work johnson was doing in her office today. still ahead, a man who was with his young son dies after he falls head first, reaching over a railing for a foul ball. also ahead, we'll tell you about a new app loaded with hundreds of things to do for kids in and around d.c. top? >> severe thunderstorm warnings are now being extended and expanded. we'll show you live doppler

9000 hd. fairfax county under a severe thunderstorm warning as well. prince william until 6:00. prince george's county extended until 6:00. massive line of showers and storms straddling 95. we'll come back and track them for you and look ahead to the weekend.

>> her new release date is july 17th. yesterday, anthony looked ready to walk out as a free woman. she smiled and talked and wore her hair down for the first time since her trial began. but her mood changed when the judge sentenced her to the maximum under florida law. four years for her four lies that sent police on several bogus searches for her daughter caylee. she'll have to pay $4,000 for those lies. this florida case has spurred action in maryland. state senator nancy jacobs wants to make it a felony for a report not to report the death of a child. she's drafting a bill to present in the next legislative session. derek? well, lesli, fans and texas rangers themselves are in shock and offering their condolences today after one of the fans at the stadium died reaching over a railing, trying to grab a foul ball. and it happened right in front of his 6-year-old son. duarte brings us the rest of the story. >> reporter: the family of shan stone says it is devastated

after the father's tragic death at rangers ballpark. the 39-year-old caught a foul ball that all-star outfielder josh hamilton threw into the crowd. but stone leaned too far over the left field railing and fell head first, 20 feet to the concrete while his son watched. >> the son cried out daddy! >> fans tried to grab stone as he fell. others tried to shield the 6- year-old son cooper from the scene down below. >> he was calling for his dad. we didn't want him to see what was going on. >> reporter: first responders say stone was conscious right after the fall and asked them to check on his son. stone, a firefighter went into cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital and died shortly after. >> we're very heavy hearted about this. and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family. >> reporter: the rangers' josh hamilton was said to be distraught after the game. >> i'm so glad we didn't see that. >> reporter: this isn't the first fall at a rangers game. almost a year ago to the day, another firefighter fell 30

feet while trying to catch a ball. he fractured his skull but survived. the stone family is asking for privacy. duarte geraldino for cbs news. >> this is the second fall since may. second death i should say of a fan at a major league baseball game this year. back in may, a fan died at a colorado rockies ball game. for more fallout today from the tabloid phone hacking scandal in england. police arrested a former top aide and friend of british prime minister david cameron andy colson is expected of tapping into cell phones and intercepting voice mails. prime minister cameron announced two separate investigations into the matter and proposed tighter rules for britain's free for all press. lesli? >> all right. well, president obama certainly -- says uncertainty over the debt limit is keeping businesses from hiring. he made this comment in response to the latest disappointing unemployment

reports. >> today's job report confirms what most americans already know. we still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do to give people the security and opportunity that they deserve. >> today's labor department report revealed employers added the fewest jobs in nine months and the unemployment rate rose to 9.2%. [ bells tolling ] >> wall street did not like the news. unemployment numbers sent stocks lower. the dow dropped 62 points to close the week at 12,657. the nasdaq fell 12 points and the s&p 500 lost nine points. right here, we're tracking the numbers when it comes to rainfall and that is a big deal because flash flooding is going to be an issue. >> it is. more so hail or damaging wind. flash flooding is the main issue with this. we're looking at a flash flood watch until about midnight. severe thunderstorm watch until 9:00 p.m. a little bit ahead of schedule in terms of our timetable. that's good news.

it gets out of here quicker. the highlighted yellows there, that's the severe thunderstorm warning down toward fredericksburg and stafford county. also to the south of town. in through charles county and answer arundel county. the watch continues until 9:00. i think though if you're in leesburg and back into winchester and culpepper, i think the threat of severe weather is just about over. here's why. look at this intense line of showers and thunderstorms from almost baltimore on the east side of 95 all the way to the east in through prince george's county and backcrossing over 95 just north of fredericksburg. these are heavy rainfall makers and a lot of flash flooding going on. so, don't cross a flooded street by car or by foot. we'll zoom in. see the reds here. that's rainfall rates of one to two inches per hour. thankfully, the storms are moving east at about 15 miles per hour. heavy rain in woodmore and

davidsonville. also heavy rain upper marlboro. it will head toward shadyside and head off to the east. now, we'll move back to the southwest and this is very heavy rain. i mean just around garrissonville over toward -- south of woodbridge, it is just about to cross 95. this is going to go into southern maryland around charles county, hughesville and the reds again, one to two inches per hour. big time rain. now, we'll back the radar back out a little bit. kind. widen it out. we'll show you where all of this is going to go in the next hour. it will push across east. it will hold together. it will stay pretty intense in terms of rainfall rates but it should be almost east of the bay or at least to the day within the next hour. so, that is good news. so, maybe the best advice is to wait to come home and come home late. thunderstorms safety, secure loose objects, lower the deck or patio umbrella and stay away from windows. temperatures because it has

been raining, are rain-cooled. 75 downtown. 27 in gaithersburg. 75 in manassas. the outside story, severe weather still possible. especially east of town. watch goes until 9:00. flood watch until midnight. storms will be ending well before midnight. don't cross flooded streets. for tonight, showers and thunderstorms. some heavy. some severe early. everything tapering off before midnight. lows 56 to about 72. next seven days. we're actually setting the stage for a pretty nice weekend. maybe some residual clouds early tomorrow, primarily south but upper 80s, not that humid. 90 on sunday. sunshine. not that humid either. it does get hot on monday and tuesday. mid-90s monday. some of those storms can be strong but in the wake of that, refreshing. i know it is hard to believe. low humidity will be refreshing wednesday and thursday. >> thanks, top. >> up next, looking for something to do with the kids this weekend? we'll tell you about a new tool that puts hundreds of ideas

right in your hands. ú

>> you don't have to go far to embark on a kid-friendly excursion! but if you've ever wondered what to do with the kids around town, a new app may help you answer that lingering question. the next time the kids whine about what to do, skip the guidebook! a new app brings d.c. to your finger tips. >> this is easier. it is interactive. it is colorful. kids can read it to you. >> speaking with kids is the brainchild of candy stapen, a noted family travel expert and author of scores of get away guides for use around the world. she says the app help.s parents plan ahead. >> there's nothing worse than getting to the city and realize gol, i could have slept over at the international spy museum but i didn't know. >> you didn't know you could snore and roar with the animals at the national zoo either. stapeen says what makes this $2 app different from others is that it does the work for you. from what to do to how to get there.

>> which exhibits in the different museums target which ages. teenagers, young kids and grade- schoolers. grade-schooler, international spy museum. >> for the smaller set -- >> puppet making workshops for ages 4-8. >> reporter: once you decide what you want to do, you can compile a list with easy maps, food locations, shopping, you name it. >> you create your own itinerary. it is a guidebook in your hand. >> fun facts about the locations can get the whole family in on the excitement. and when it is hot and you can't quite get to the beach, stappen says consider one of the city's natural treasures. >> rock creek park is fabulous on weekends. it is shady. you listen to the bubbling creek. ride a bike, take a walk. there are wonderful things to do. >> reporter: you can download d.c. with kids from the apple itunes store. many of the options on this app are free. including a great place on the first floor of the american history museum and the

sculpture garden. the app also lists discount days to take in activities at theatres around town. >> coming up next, new at 5:30... >> hundreds of nasa employees and their families gathered here at goddard spaceflight center to watch the shuttle launch. i'm lindsey mastis. that story is coming up. [ female announcer ] welcome to busch gardens williamsburg,

where d.c. goes to get away. maybe it's because washington d.c. loves the legendary coasters. or that your entire family will have fun,

even the little ones. it could be that water country usa has more of the waves, slides and rides everyone wants. so plan your getaway and come play. you never know who you'll run into. get started at buschgardens.com/dc. >> there's the graphic. severe weather alert day. top, talk about the storms.

>> we got severe thunderstorm warnings south and east of town. we aren't done with the severe weather yet. we have severe weather storm warnings from anne arundel county to charles county until 6:00. st. mary's county until about 6:15 down here. we're going to zoom in. the biggest threat is indeed heavy rainfall and flash flooding. so, do not cross a flooded street. you know somebody trying to go home out 50, it will be slow going down 301, it will get worse as heavy rain approaches la plata. could be heavy rain. severe thunderstorm watch until 9:00. a flash flood watch until midnight. derek? >> two, one, zero and liftoff! >> besides the forecast that called for some rain and plenty of cloud cover this morning, atlantis blasted off on the final mission of nasa's 30- year-old space shuttle program. >> about a million people gathered at the kennedy space center and surrounding towns to watch this morning's launch. our kristin fisher was there

amongst them at cape canaveral. kristin, you got to take this in with the first mom in space who also happens to be your mom. >> reporter: yeah, it was such an incredible experience. so happy the shuttle went today. it is the end of an era for our country's human spaceflight program and for the nasa employees and for me. i grew up surrounded by shuttles. >> kristin, you're going to go bye-bye on a jet. jet. >> it shouldn't be too surprising that my very first word was jet. then came -- rockets. >> for christmas, at just 17 months old, i got a toy airport set from santa. >> it is an airport. >> for halloween, i didn't stand a chance. i was going to be an astronaut whether i liked it or not. my parents torturers were dr. jana and bill fisher, the first astronaut couple. they couldn't understand why

anyone wouldn't want to wear a space suit. >> by golly, kid, you're going to be an astronaut. >> my dad applied to be an astronaut when he was 12 years old. this is the rejection letter which nearly 30 years later, he flew in space. but it was my mom who got the first flight. >> three weeks and counting. >> she was about to become the first mother in space. >> mommy is going to go on the space shuttle. this is our last night home. and i love you more than anything in the whole world. >> welcome to our preflight crew press conference. >> november 1984. it was the golden age of the shuttle program. challenger, the first shuttle disaster was still two years way. my parents knew the risks. that's why they made these movies, if they didn't come back, at least i would have this. >> say mommy, have a good launch! >> kristin is so excited.

>> she's really up for it. >> kristin, lighten up. >> three, two, one and liftoff of "discovery." >> it was the first and only shuttle flight to the satellites. once mission accomplished, the crew got a call from president ronald reagan. >> anna, i couldn't help but wonder if you would recommend the career as an astronaut to your daughter, kristin? >> that i would, mr. president. the experience is just everything i expected and even more, seeing the world below us, it makes you realize just how we're all just part of this world, it is a truly incredible experience. i'm going to recommend it to her highly. >> reporter: so, here we have astronaut dr. annalee fisher right here with me on the day of the last shuttle launch. mom, you know, this is a question i'm sure our viewers want to know. what happened? how come i didn't become an astronaut? >> maybe you'll be the first

journalist in space. >> good answer. i like that. so, we had a great time watching the last shuttle launch. it was so emotional. we both got teary-eyed. i definitely saw a tear stroll down your cheek. >> you might have seen one or two. >> what was going through your mind? >> i was thinking how bittersweet it is and how incredibly proud i am to have been a part of this program. the shuttle program is just amazing. and all of the work that all of the people at the kennedy space center and across our country have done, i'm just so proud to be an american and to be a part of this program. >> so, what do you think about the future for nasa's human spaceflight program? what's next for nasa? >> well, everything has to come to an end. we're now getting ready to go beyond so we're getting ready to design and build our next vehicle. and we're going to go out farther into space while the commercial folks come up into lower orbit. i think it is very exciting. >> well, this woman, this astronaut here, she may look very prim and proper but just

wait until you see her during a launch. she gets absolutely wild. you're not going to believe this and i'll show it to you coming up at 6:00. >> oh, what a special story, kristin. thank you to you and your mom. you guys look just alike. >> i'm telling you, wow. >> we're happy you stayed a journalist. >> we're happy to have you. >> or else we don't get to see that great video. >> maybe the first journalist in space. i have something to aspire to. >> thank you. >> well, you can imagine how bittersweet it is obviously for people who have been out into space but for those who are at goddard spaceflight center in greenbelt, they definitely shed a tear today. >> tough day for them. nasa employees creating some of the cargo that actually went up with that shuttle and for them, it really is the end of an era. lindsey mastis was there as they watched the shuttle reach for the sky one last time. >> two, one, zero and liftoff! [ applause ] >> i've been here 34 years.

so, i saw the first one and now i've seen the last one. it is pretty sad. >> sad because the end of nasa's shuttle program means the u.s. will have to rely on russia to send astronauts into space until a new american spacecraft is built. >> one final time for the start of a sentimentsal journey. >> goddard doesn't seem to be affected. >> it is hard to say good-bye to people you've been working with for 20 years. >> for the younger generation, this does seem like the end. >> this is my first time and you'll never get to see it again. >> this flight is crucial to employees at goddard. there are two pieces of cargo they designed. >> the tools on the end of this robotic arm are the same being used on the shuttle. and this is used for practice in what would an refueling mission. they'll also be using it for practice in space. >> it will be operated by the space station robot arm but down here from the ground. >> from this, to learn how to refuel satellites in space.

the second piece of cargo includes clothing and supplies for the future. because there is still so much to learn. just think, the apollo program put people on the moon. the shuttle program took astronauts to the international space station. there will be another project soon. >> we're actually going to put a science laboratory on the surface of mars and measure what's there. >> liftoff. >> reporter: the last shuttle launch seems to be inspiring a new generation, one that's determined to go even further. >> i would like to see the atmosphere and saturn. >> reporter: i'm lindsey mastis, 9news now. >> atlantis will be returning to earth in 12 days. after that, it will be up to the private companies to create the spaceflights. until then, america will have to rely on russia to send its astronauts into space. that will cost more than $50 million per trip! >> here on the ground, we're talking severe weather and volume and a huge sinkhole. monika? >> this happened in oakton,

lesli at about 1:39 to be exact this afternoon. look at that. this is hunter mill road. it is closed at vail road. it will be awhile before they can fix this problem. in the meantime, they suggest just avoid the area of oakton. if you need to get around it, i suggest you use lawyers road and route 123, that combination. luckily, topper tells me that the severe weather has come and gone from that area, not far away from there on the inbound or eastbound side of i-66, this is what authorities have been dealing with. a car went over the guardrail here on 66 as you come out of centreville. expect heavy traffic because of it. it is not affecting westbound 66. there, the lanes are open. now, i'll take you to the beltway on the west and northside of town. this is the volume we've been talking about and still some poor visibility. i'm going to say it is a good hour and 10 minutes leading tysons corner and heading toward the american legion bridge before the pace

improves. guys, back to you. thanks, monika. >> coming up next, police arrest the so-called shower bandit in manassas. plus, arlington residents are nothing if not generous. we'll tell you where the county ranks in the highest performing goodwill donation centers in the country! >> don't forget, we're always on at wusa9.com. stay with us. we'll be right back.

an update on the alleged cheating scandal. the u.s. department of education has reportedly joined the investigation into the big gain on some d.c. standardized test scores. school chancellor caya henderson said today she welcomes the probe into a "usa today" report that says more than 100 schools had unusually high rates of erasures on the exams. the u.s. education department would not confirm or deny that the investigation is going on. police say they have arrested the so-called manassas shower bandit. edward maurice jones is charged with one count of burglary and many more pending. police believe he's hit several businesses while they were closed and in one case, he allegedly took a shower and shaved before he ran off with a laptop. investigators say they recovered property from one of the recent burglaries in jones' home and now he's being held

without bond. d.c. fire investigators are trying to figure out what caused a popular liquor store to go up in flames this morning. somebody saw fire at the u wine and beer shop on 13th and u streets in northwest. it was around 5:00 a.m. there was a martial arts dance studio in the building. most of the damage was on the first floor. the owners believe the cause could have been electrical. arlington residents are being praised for their charitable giving this evening. the goodwill donation center on glebe road is one of the top performers in the country. officials say it ranks sixth out of more than 2600 in the country and that's what happened last year. it came in right there in the top ten. lines of cars with donations can often be seen snake around the parking lot. folks in denver say the rain was coming fast and furious. >> coming up, a woman barely escapes her car before it sinks under floodwater. top? >> it is a good lesson learned.

flash flooding is the main problem with these storms. we'll show you live doppler 9000 hd. we still have warnings out east of town, calvert county, anne arundel county and charles county. this is the line of showers and thunderstorms we're concerned about. we'll track it for you and look ahead to the weekend. >> l.a. is preparing for the royal visit of william and kate. i'm sandra hughes in los angeles and i'll have that story coming up. [ female announcer ] welcome to busch gardens williamsburg,

where d.c. goes to get away. maybe it's because washington d.c. loves the legendary coasters. or that your entire family will have fun, even the little ones. it could be that water country usa has more of the waves, slides and rides everyone wants. so plan your getaway and come play. you never know who you'll run into. get started at buschgardens.com/dc.

round two goes to the bulls in pamplona, spain. an australian man was gored in the leg after losing his balance in the bull ring at the end of the sprint. three other people were treated for injuries they received from either falling or being trampled by the bulls. los angeles is preparing for a royal visit! the duke and duchess of cambridge are coming there to spend the weekend as part of their honeymoon trip to north america. sandra hughes is there live with the preview. hi, sandra. >> reporter: hi, lesli.

well, we like to call them william and kate even though we know their normal names are the -- their formal names are the duke and duchess. they will be touching down in about 45 minutes here in l.a. at the airport. they'll meet with the governor and then will be whisked over to the beverly hilton hotel. they'll meet with philanthropist but l.a. traffic being what it is, it could slow down even royalty. still, there is much anticipation about their arrival. bunny harrison is flying the union jack. she lives next door to the home of the british console general where the british couple will be staying. >> it is really exciting. i never thought i would be next door to any royal. they're just a beautiful couple. >> fans of the famous couple are already dreaming of a royal sighting. >> we're definitely hoping to see what she's wearing. >> fresh off their canadian trip, the royals will be working while in l.a.

they'll promote british trade at this beverly hills hotel, they'll honor british films with a red carpet affair at a newly renovated british theatre downtown and visit an inner city arts program. tonight, there is a reception at the console general's home then lights out. the no parking signs are up. some neighbors of the british general have signed temporary no trespassing orders so the neighborhood isn't overrun by paparazzi. >> los angeles police are gearing up. >> we have a number of officers were metro division who will be assigned to the personal protection detail. they've made a number of security arrangements along with the british security and the state department. >> reporter: prince william plays in a polo match tomorrow in santa barbara. $4,000 tickets do offer some up- close contact with the royal couple but the rest of us will probably have to watch them on tv. of course, the reason we have to watch them on tv is this is mostly a private weekend trip. there are really no public

events. but william and kate being who they are, many fans are hoping that they will sort of break from their schedule, walk over to wherever they find a crowd and talk to some of us commoners. lesli? >> a lot of people want a glimpse of them. that's for sure. thanks so much, sandra. derek? >> thanks, lesli. a colorado woman barely escaping with her life when her car was sinking after heavy rains quickly swamped the denver metro area. take a look at the driver's vehicle nearly covered in water right underneath a bridge. teresa kauffman said she was headed home when that storm hit. >> when the bus came, all of the water went over my hood and my car started turning sideways then it was up to my lap within seconds. i went out the window over my roof. i knew i only had moments before it was gone and it was gone. >> kauffman's car did eventually sink in the high water. she said it was another hour before she could even see her car above the receding water and of course, more credence to

what topper is always telling us about do not ever drive through the rising water because you never know how deep it is. >> listen to what she said. it was a matter of seconds before it was up to here. it doesn't happen slowly. it happens quickly. >> it can overwhelm. >> the good news is it can also recede quickly. we're seeing the showers and thunderstorms moving east of 95. west of 95, the threat of severe weather is over. let's start with the severe thunderstorm watch. it has been trimmed a little bit. it essentially covers now 95 east until 9:00. that's indeed good news. if you're out in martinsburg and leesburg, even manassas, monika mentioned going out to 66, heavy rain is over and the severe weather is also over. all right, live doppler 9000 hd, you can access this on our web site along with our interactive radar at wusa9.com. we're looking at a pretty solid line of showers and thunderstorms south of annapolis through southern prince george's county. charles county and into southern maryland. the good news is out to the west, just some light showers.

that's about it. we'll zoom in and it is going to be rough going here in terms of driving in this. this will reduce visibility. if your windshield wipers are on, the headlights have to be on. that's law. shadyside, hammered. one to two inches of rain per hour. lessennening up in davidsonville. parts of 301 are improving. we'll go south and southwest of this area and we'll find tons of rain here. waldorf, st. charles, over toward baden, this is all headed off to the east. we're looking at rainfall rates more than two inches per hour. hail for a second, just northwest of waldorf. that's gone away on the scan. still extremely heavy rain. keep that in mind. allow extra time to get home. only way you can do it on a friday with big thunderstorms. we'll widen out a will ilbit. we'll put this into motion. it goes generally east. it holds together, hammers north beach, benedict, leonard, finally begins to move across the bay. so, we're looking at severe

weather still possible east of i-95. flooding safety, never cross a flooded street by car or by foot. check your sump pump and your flashlights and your batteries. that's something you ought to do any time we talk about severe weather. we'll salvage a nice weekend. some morning clouds, 90 on sunday. not humid. monday, it gets a little hot. mid-90s. a thunderstorm possible late. better chance of storms on tuesday. a really nice break. mid-80s is really kind of nice this time of year with sunshine and low humidities wednesday and thursday of next week. >> tuesday during the day, rain? >> at least in the morning and early afternoon. >> thank you, sir. >> coming up new at 6:00, a survivor shares his story. justin describes in detail a motorcycle crash and 22 hours spent trapped in a ditch.

professional football players and owners are embroiled in this on-going contract dispute. we still don't know when they're going to get back to work. >> our high school players will practice in less than a month. 9 sports will be covering your high school like nobody else with our weekly high school football show. the sports team needs your help! kristin berset is here to

explain why. >> we need your help composing the theme music for this fall's game night report. you could win a free professional recording session and hear your music on tv. all you have to do to enter the contest is log on to dc.high schoolsports.net and send us your own 30 second instrumental. the entries are already pouring in. last week, michael ciao in alexandria submitted his theme, hustle and respect. >> wow. something i made, if people like it, wow, that would be amazing. >> we're taking tunes until july 15th so there's still time to hit the keyboard, guitar or any other instrument for that matter and join michael in the race for our new theme music. starting july 18th, your friends and family members can log on to dc.high schoolsports.com and vote for your track. the top four will become our finalists and the winning theme will be chosen by a panel of

wusa9 media experts. remember that free professional recording session up for grabs? it will be held right here at golden sound studio in kensington, maryland. good luck, high schoolers. we look forward to hearing what you have in store for our high school sports coverage this fall. >> thank you so much, kristin. you can determine the theme music for this season's high school football show. all you have to do is enter the contest at dc.high schoolsports.net. you can win a recording session. thanks for joining us. 9news now at 6:00 starts right now. dark skies, strong winds and heavy rains pummel the d.c. area and more severe weather is still to come tonight. so, the 9news now weather team has declared a severe weather alert day. chief meteorologist topper shutt is in the weather center with the latest. >> good news, bad news. if