armando trull is joining us from rockville with survival tips. >> good morning. the heat advisory as you heard from howard kicks in at noon. that means combination of high temperatures and humidity that will feel in the triple-digits. with us is jan desimone with clean air partners. you have a heat advisory color- coded warning. >> code orange day which means unhealthy for sensitive groups. >> what should they do. >> limit physical outdoor activities today. >> reporter: you have tips to make the environment a little better also. >> we do. so, today for example don't cut your grass today. wait a day or two until air quality improves or if you plan to barbecue use a gas or electric grill instead of charcoal and people can visit clean air partners.net. >> and take mass transit to work. >> here's how to save the environment. here's how to save yourself. we recommend loose, light clothing, not just texture but color. and a hat or cap because the brain is one of the first things that's affected by high temperature. sun glasses to protect your eyes, sunscreen with a hig

armando trull is live with more on how you can stay cooler. 78 degrees already, armando. >> it will be a combination of high temperature, high humidity and could get in the triple- digits, at least feel in the triple-digits and with us is jan desimone with clean air partners. she will have some tips for us. what is clean air partners. >> a nonprofit organizations that educates resident on ways to improve air quality and protect your health. >> you have color-coded heat warnings. >> we do. it is code orange air quality day which is unhealthy for children, older adults and people with respiratory problems and we ask they limit their drought door activities today. >> if you have to go out what are tips? >> instead of driving alone car pool, take public transportation or telework. we have a list of additional tips of cleanup partners.net if they want to find out more information. this is how you can save the environment and how to save yourself agree administration from the heat. in washington, d.c. you have cooling centers open from noon to 6:00.

armando trull is live at george mason university with more. armando? for all the men and women who went in to warm days it is great news because now their degree will be picked up courtesy of uncle sam. every man and woman who currently wears a military uniform or served in the armed services in the past will have a chance at free tuition for a bachelors tree at a public university. this is great news for vets who have had to strug until the past. >> some nights i don't sleep because i wonder how i will pay my electric and phone bills or the next set of tuition. >> better late than never is the way i look at it. >> it provides housing and text book allowances also. it is the largest expansion of veteran benefits since world war ii says the bill's sponsor. >> we're not done yet but this is a huge step. >> reporter: the measure provides additional financial assistance for those who want to attend a private university. >> reporter: and there are thousands of eligible servicemen and women in the dc area and they will hopefully take advantage of this great

reporting live, armando trull. back to you. >>> the metropolitan washington airport authority wants your input on raising rates on the dull tess follow road. they plan to hold hearings whether to increase the toll next year by 25 cents with incremental increases in future years. they are accepting comments on- line at their website through september 14th. and you can find a link to it at wusa9.com. just look for this story under virginia news. >>> metro fired two drivers. one who refused to allow a passenger off the bus after they argued. and a second driver was arrested for driving with taa suspend license. and a third driver who was suspended after a passenger took this photo of her talking on the phone is back on the job. investigators determine she used the report to -- the phone to report a mechanical problem. >>> jim webb met with the 53- year-old who had sentenced to hard labor in myanmar. webb won his release on saturday. >> it was a good gesture to return home with his family. i appreciate them honoring th

armando trull is on the scene with details. >> reporter: good morning. as you can see right behind me the accident scene at the intersection of suitland parkway and stanton road. the medical examiner's office just left the body of a john doe, a man crossing stanton road when he was struck by an eastbound vehicle as he was crossing. the man does not have any identification on him. he is believed to be 40 to 50 years old. a man who is black but that's the only information we have on him right now. police say the vehicle that struck the man is a dark blue or black-colored vehicle with windshield damage and the passenger side mirror has been broken off. that vehicle did not stop. the impact was so great that it hurled the body of the man about 60 feet on to the side of stanton road, and police right now are looking for that vehicle and trying to determine exactly what happened. traffic around stanton road and suitland parkway has been affected. affected. s you can see some of the areas have been closed off by orange cones. this is an area to avoid if you can

plagued the first week, creating plenty of chaos and confusion. 9 news now digital correspondent armando trull has more from crossland high school in temple hills. armando? >> at least several hundred students here at this particular high school high school are hoping there will be an end to the chaos and confusion this morning when they show up to classes, but they are not holding their breath. >> i want to offer my sincere apologies. >> reporter: that's all the prince georges county school superintendent could say given one of the worst starts to a school year in the county's history. what's more, the prince georges county school system apparently knew months before the first school bell rang this monday that it had major problems with the scheduling system. problems which forced 8,000 students to cool their heels in school gyms, cafeterias and auditoriums for lack of class schedules. >> we write it up by hand, write it for the data processor and the child. >> reporter: despite an all hands on deck approach, to schedule students the old- fashioned way on thursday there were 1900 students wit

armando trull for 9 news now and wusa9.com. in the last 12 hours this has been a top story at wusa9.com. one writes -- get your thoughts heard the story son the front page of wusa9.com. >>> metro's trains will run in manual mode for the foreseeable future. they have been running that way since the june 22nd crash that killed nine people. metro manager says that trains will not return to automatic mode until problems related to that crash are fixed. metro repair crews are fixed a crack rail on the system's red line. it was discovered yesterday between the friendship heights and bethesda station. an inspector walking the tracks saw it. after single tracking it is back to normal this morning. >>> two virginia transit agencies are getting money to help your commute. the vre is getting $9.8 million which will go to buying locomotives and the prtc is getting $3.9 million. that will add two deuces to the fleet which goes from prince william county to the district each day. >>> trying to push through his health care reform plan, presid

hours be prepared for lane closures because of construction work. 9 news now digital correspondent armando trull is live in laurel, maryland with more. armando? >> good morning. i am here at an area where a lot of heavy equipment has been staged but this is not for 95 construction. this is actually for the inner county connector but because the inner county connector will overlap 95 as you can see the traffic moving on 95 overnight will be affected while the icc is completed. work on the intercounty connector is speeding along. bridge abuts, testle and sound walls are going up at record speed. >> everyone is looking ahead and being as positive as we can and doing the best job we can. >> reporter: that means traffic on existing roads is being disrupted. the greatest on i-95 where as many as four lanes are being closed in the overnight hours to accommodate icc construction. some neighbors who live near the 19-mile stretch of road are not pleased. >> things will be built along the road and just as crowded as it ever was. i don't think it will do much except spur more development. >> reporter: the f

digital correspondent armando trull is live in bethesda with more on theolair-minute rush. armando? >> behind me is a trailer full of automobiles just pulled up to the dealer lot. it seems cash for clunkers is spurring a lot of sales and a lot of hard up dealerships. all good things must come to an end and on monday at 8 p.m. eastern, cash for clunkers reaches the end of the road. uncle sam's handout has gemmed up a half million new car sales. >> it is generating a lot of sales. >> from that point it was a positive reaction that we had to the program. po>>re rter: but even if customers are getting as much as $4,800 in rebates for their gas guzzling battle wagon, dealers say uncle sam has been slow in reimbursing them for the redates. >> it was taking hours to transmit one. >> struggling to get a recognition as far as is this approved or rejected. haven't gotten a lot of feedback. >> reporter: but feedback from consumers is loud and clear. the $3 billion in rebates was scooped up in record time. gm and ford decided to ramp up production and bring back some laid off workers because of

digital correspondent armando trull begins our coverage. he's live on captiol hill. armando? >> reporter: ted kennedy was the third longest serving senator in american history. for 46 1/2 years, he fought countless political battles hoar on captiol hill, winning his share of them and in doing so he leaves a legacy that has touched the lives of millions of americans. when ted kennedy took over the senate seat left vacant by his brother's election to the presidency in ' 62 he never suspect head would be among the longest-lasting senators in american history. a legislative record of 47 years, which influenced education, civil rights, immigration and health care and earned him the respect of presidents. >> the life of senator edward m. kennedy has made a difference for all of us. >> reporter: he called himself the liberal senator from massachusetts and the political opponents he faced down couldn't help but give him respect. >> he is a fabulous united states senator. when he's against you it is tough. when he is with ya it is a great experience. >> reporter: americans never elect

our digital correspondent, armando trull is in damascus with the latest. armando? >> we have just learned that there's a barn fire on wild cat road and firefighters are battling it. we are not sure if it is related though the incidents that kept them busy this morning and just learned a few minutes ago that an undetermined number of mailboxes were vandalized in the damascus area with baseball bats and police have found a stolen vehicle that was torched. they are shot sure if any of these incidents are linked to the incident from earlier this morning. far hay bails were set ablaze on kings valley drive, mountain view road, watkins road and woodfield school road. three mailboxes were torched. the fire started around 3:00 a.m. and it took firefighters over six hours to contain all of them, no one was injured. and here's what maybes and -- neighbors told us a while back. >> i woke up at 5:00 a.m. and heard some noise and looked outside and saw flames and fire trucks. >> reporter: how does it feel to know this is just one of seven arson fires set throughout the neighbor

armando trull for 9 news now and wusa9.com. >>> state employees in maryland need to prepare themselves for furloughs. under a deal worked out between the governor's office and labor unions, employees will take from three to ten furlough days depending on their gallery. the days would be taken early next month and may of 2010. most offices will shut down for five days. vernoro'malley is expected to announce $470 million in budget cuts today or tomorrow. >>> the government is urging drug makers to get an h1n1 flu vaccine out faster. a panel of white house scientists wants production pushed up by at least a month. health and human services secretary believes the virus could peak in the early fall and could be deadlier than the normal flu season. the cdc deputy director believes the spread of the flu will be worse among children. >> when school starts again, there will be the likelihood those folks most likely to get/vv the school age population will be back together and you will see an increase in disease again. >> reporter: spike in the flu cases in the fall could be followed by the regu

armando trull for 9 news now and wusa9.com. if you missed any of what he was saying it is on our website at wusa9.com. >>> police are renewing their efforts around the tourist destination. a 20-year-old man and a 17-year- old were shot by a still unknown suspect on saturday evening at the inner harbor. the visitors to the harbor will see an increased police presence which is expected to be a permanent part of the landmark. michael vick is speaking about his time in prison and the impact it had on his life. he is speaking about it on 60 minutes. >> the first day i walked in to prison and they slammed that door i knew the magnitude of the decision that i made. and poor judgment and what i loued to happen to the animals. and, you know, there is no way to explain the hurt and guilt i felt. >> the "early show" will air portion of the interview which did not run on last night's "60 minutes." >>> jessica toilet is off today but we still have a "living $mart" report for you. a local company is protecting you from defaulting on student

at the wilson building, armando trull for 9 news now and wusa9.com. >>> 9 news now has learned about some changes coming to the dced if president they are coming after crews had problems with water pressure fighting last week's fire at the former school board president's house. according to a spokesperson, the department is now staffing two of the city's six special water supply companies, so they can respond to all reports of building fires in parts of upper northwest and in far southeast and northeast. the 2007 report recommended that all six of the city's special water supply units should have around the clock staffing. chief dennis rubin said last week that funding was not available. you can read more about the changes in our dave statter's blog, statter 911@wusa9.com. >>> and right now, animal control experts are on the scene of a fire in alexandria. it is because fire crews discovered dozens of potentially dangerous snakes. the snakes were inside the home, located in the 5700 block of -- only six of the snakes survived. the snakes are not poisonous and they are onnoise legal ow

remember that baby step. 9 news now digital correspondent, armando trull , is live from a city pool in northwest washington. he has more. good morning, armando. >> reporter: good morning, andrea. the wilson aquatic center will be opening in just about an hour and as you heard from the newly-married kim martucci we have had a temperature drop from the 100s to the 90s and that's why pools like this are important for you to keep your a cool on a hot day. >> i really want to be an ice cube today. >> no kidding. the temperature hit the century mark yesterday. and while today won't be as hot you may still want to be an ice cube because the mercury will be in the low to middle 90s. so if you are going to do anything like this outdoors, drink plenty of water and pace yourself. >> i'm not pushing myself too much. i feel it is safe. >> reporter: many pools are keeping longer hours. >> we will be extending pool hours from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. at 13 locations this the district. >> if pools aren't to your liking there are ways to cool off in many parks and outdoor venues. if you are staying at h

armando trull is live on the campus of george mason university where president obama will holdal celebrationvent for the bill. armando? >> it is not just after they leave the military, any active serviceman or woman, who began to serve after september 11th, 2001, is eligible for essentially a bachelor's degree at uncle sam's expense. every man and woman, who currently wear the military uniform or served in the armed services in the past will have a chance at free tuition toward a bachelor's free at a public university. this is great news for vets who have had to strug until the past. >> some nights i don't sleep because i wonder how i will pay my electric or phone bills or if that much my next set of tuition. >> better late than never. that's the way i look at it. >> reporter: it provides housing and text book allowances also. it is the largest expense of veteran benefits since world war ii says the bill's sponsor. >> reporter: this is a huge step. >> reporter: the measure provides addition am assistance for those who want attend a private university. there are thousands of active servicemen

reporting live armando trull for 9 news now and wusa9.com. >>> the fighting to connect montgomery and prince georges counties north of the beltway is far from over. but we now know that metro's proposed purple line connecting the two counties will be a light rail system. it will be an above ground trolley system similar to those used in artttt e,north carolina or san francisco, california. a long way to go before the rail is reality. the next step is getting the federal transit administration to help too to pay for the 16- mile project from bethesda to new carrollton and you can see it runs close to the path of the capital crescent trail. that is drawing opposition. you can see that side of the story at wusa9.com. just click on maryland news. >>> we have a followup on two stories we told you about last night. u.s. park police are investigating a fatal pedestrian accident on the baltimore-washington parkway. it happened near route 450. police say a man was struck by a vehicle as he tried to cross the highway. it is illegal for pedestrians to be on that section of the parkway and there'

that's where we find armando trull. >> reporter: well, good morning. they are launching an initiative that is called don't forget and it features a poster with a ping and a ribbon around it and that is to remind people when they leave their cars parked they don't leave any items visible to thieves because thieves have been very busy the last few months. it has been a busy thumber for thieves targeting parked cars in silver spring. last month there were 20 thefts from vehicles in garages. in june, items were taken from 35 vehicles. most of the crimes seem to center around nine public parking garages near the downtown silver spring area. police say thieves will be tempted by anything that is visible inside the car. anything from small change to electronics. gps units seem to be the most popular stolen item. and andrea, police are going as far as telling you to wipe off the marks that the gps holder suction cups leave on the windshield when you put them there because they don't want you to give any indication that your car should be targeted and they will

reporting live, armando trull for 9 news now and wusa9.com. >>> new this morning, homicide investigators may have made a break in the murder of an acupuncturist in her home. she was found murdered in her home in the 4100 block of hummer road in annandale last month. this is surveillance footage released by investigators. they are looking for a person seen getting out of a dark- colored car and walking to the ctlaim p'sce of business which was her home. if you can identify the vehicle or the person call police. they want to hear from you right away. >> paramedics put their live on the line to save an injured hiker in shenandoah national park. this is video of yesterday's rescue. the paramedics lowered a stretcher to the edge of the cliff to get to the man. another hiker helped the team to hoist the injured man back in the helicopter. >>> this morning, all nine victims from saturday's midair collision have been accounted for in new york city. we're talking about that crash between a small plane and a helicopter. they crashed and fell in to the hudson river off manhattan. search teams recov

armando trull is live in southeast with the latest. >> reporter: here's the situation at stanton road. traffic is moving smoothly in and outbound of the district. there is no accidents here right now. that was not the case a few hours ago. around 2:30 a.m., police say a man was walking on stanton road and basically crossing suitland parkway when a vehicle that was traveling at a high rate of speed inbound on suitland parkway hit that man. the impact was so severe it basically hurled the body around 40 feet and in to the side of suitland parkway. police do not know who that man was. he was not carrying i.d. or if he had i.d. the i.d. was knocked away from the body because of the impact. they also don't know who was driving the car. all they know is the car is a dark blue or black vehicle, small in size. and they believe the vehicle may have some windshield damage and the passenger's side mirror maybe broken off. they don't have any tag information on that car. that's the story here on stanton road and suitland parkway. reporting live, armando trull for 9 news now and wusa9.com. >> the

armando trull is at the wilson aquatics center in northwest washington. armando? >> good morning. wilson aquatics center opened at 6:00 a.m. this morning. so did the "titanic" aquatics center it is a way folks can cool off on a hot day. cleanliness is next to godliness and in her case coolness, too. >> you take a bath, shower, inside, air conditioning. >> we have more tips from folks trying to beat the heat on the hottest day of the year and will work just as well today when the temperature is in the low to mid 90s. >> drink a lot of water. >> and make sure you are find cool activities for children because they tend to be more susceptible to extreme heat. >> it is fun they are the children. i don't have a problem sitting out here watching them. it is safe. >> then there are the contrarians who drink hot coffee and want more sun. >> i actually came outside to get warm. it is so freezing with the air conditioning. >> the cold air exposure to the sun is no laughing matter so protect your skin with sun screen. the pools will remain open until 9:00 tonight. and if you are going to stay

o'malley will reveal details about metro's new purple line. 9 news now digital correspondent, armando trulls live outside of the metro station with a preview. armando? >> in two hours, governor o'malley is expected to give a green light to the light rail system known as the purple line. it is over $1 billion expected to create thousands of jobs and for many folks the best way to get from prince georges to montgomery county. the purple line-1 -- will have 14 stops linking portion and montgomery counties in an east- west loop. new carrollton on one end and bethesda on the other. the project mainly funded by federal money is expected to create 35,000 jobs and to stimulate the economy in less developed sectorss of both counties and considered a more efficient and environmentally friendly alternative opposed to expanding existing highways or building the intercouldn't kerr. the project has had detractors who say it will affect the hiking and biking trails so there maybe some lawsuits that maybe blocking the project. but at this point it looks like a green light for the purple line. reporting liv

armando trull is along i-95 in laurel with this story. armando? >> reporter: no kidding, andrea. you want to see work in full swing? look at this. all of these workers just arrived this morning and they are getting ready to start construction on this portion of the intercounty connector which is actually the one that will go right over i-95. by the time all is said and done, 43,000 cars a day are expected to travel between prince georges county and montgomery county. that means that the traffic on i-95 will be affected because they will be closing four lanes of traffic in the overnight hours in order to get that work done this is maryland's most controversial highway project, especially for homeowners living next to the construction. >> it is an eyesore for us. >> reporter: it is an expensive eyesore. the most expensive highway in maryland. the 19-mile long intercounty connector will cost $2.6 billion the pace of work has sped up in the last few months with bridge abut. s, treesles and sound walls going up at record speed says this spokesperson for the project. >> we are pretty f

reporting live i'm armando trull trull. back to you. >>> new this morning, intelligence officials in pakistan are trying to confirm the death of the country's top taliban chief. u.s. and pakistani officials are saying ma pseudomay have been killed in a cia-targeted missile strike earlier today. the report of his death are based on communication intercepts. his death would be a huge blow to activity in he region. he has been responsible for a campaign of violent suicide attack and assassinationses against pakistan's government. >>> three sailors sentenced to life for the rape and murder of another sailors life are getting conditional pardons from governor kaine. they confessed to killing michelle bosco in ' 97 but they say their confessions were coerced. another man, omar ballard was convicted for the same crime and he said he acted alone. >>> >> serious great doubts about at least 11. the governor's decision means they won't spend anytime time in jail. bosco's mother say she is furious with the governor's decision. >>> a ca

our 9 news now digital correspondent armando trull has that side of the story. >> reporter: the heat advisory kicks in at noon. >> i just deal with it, you know, simple as that. nothing you can do about it. >> reporter: mother naturing is dealing a mix of high humidity and high temperatures [ speaking in spanish ] >> in english that means today the mercury could reach 100 degrees. >> i will be inside most of the day. >> that is a good idea because air quality can be dangerous. >> it is code orange air quality day today which means it is unhealthy for sensitive groups like children, older adults and people with respiratory problems and we recommend they limit outdoor activities. >> reporter: what about activities. >> it is a great day not to drive alone, car pool, public transportation is a good alternative and also teleworking. >> reporter: the district has opened cooling centers at -- i have some beat the heat tips for you. wear loose, light clothing if you are out and about today. for example, this shirt is made of a reflective material that bounces away the sun's rays and don't fo

armando trull has more on the developing story. >> the prince georges county says the choice is simple, accept furloughs for ten days or fireworkers permanently. the county union says there are other ways to balance your broken budget and now a court has weighed in and as you say the outcome could have far reaching implications here in prince georges county and throughout the region. prince georges county furloughed 5900 workers last year including firefighters, police officers and other employees protected by union contracts. the county, facing a huge budget deficit, told unions to choose between ten days of furloughs or permanent layoffs. >> we see it as unnecessary. we see excess funds, surplus funds that are in the county covers as a result of reserve funds. >> reporter: that's why several unions sued the county saying there were other ways to save money without breaking the contractual obligations. on tuesday a federal judge agreed ruling they violated the institution by rendering contracts meaningless. the the county says it will appeal. otherwise to comply with the court's opini

our digital correspondent, armando trull brings us up to date on exactly what has happened this week. >> i want to offer my sincere apologies. >> reporter: that's all the prince georges county superintendent could say given one of the worst starts to a school year in the county's history. what's more, the prince georges county school system apparently knew months before the first school bell rang this monday that it had major problems with the scheduling system. problems which forced 8,000 students to cool their heels in school gyms, cafeterias and auditoriums for lack of class schedules. >> we write it up by hand and then write it for the data processor and a copy they are the child. >> despite an all hands on deck effort to do it the old- fashioned way, on thursday there were 1900 students without schedules and with four days of lost classes to make up. the portion county school system is trying to find if under the contract it has legal recommend days with the software provider but the provider says it has installed this program elsewhere and this is the only place where a similar

our 9 news now digital correspondent armando trull has more from the construction scene. >> reporter: as part of the hot lanes construction project they will build a new bridge for 495 and chain bridge road. in fact, that is making holes that will make poet posts and those posts will support the bridge but that means there are details you need to know about. >> reporter: the next month and a half if you travel southbound 495 you can no longer exit the northbound chain bridge road because exit 46-b is closed. instead you will be detoured to the dulles access road, 267. once there, you will be able to get to chain bridge road by taking exit 19-a, if you are heading to tysons, or 19-b if mclean is your destination. also be aware, if you travel eastbound 267, you can no longer cut across 495 to get to chain bridge road. you will also have to continue to 19-a or 19-b. it will take six months to finish building the bridge. that means if you are driving in this part of 495, especially in the overnight hours between 9:30 p.m. and 5:00 in the morning expect lane closures. in tysons, armando tr

armando trull is in our information center with more. armando. >> good morning. >> supporters said the county needed the jobs and tax revenues. opponents said the wal-mart would be built on the graves of civil war dead. the majority of speakers supported bringing a superwal- mart to locust grove. they say the residents of the community would benefit from the jobs, tax revenue and inexpensive shopping options. >> i think wal-mart does a lot of great things like putting money back in the school system and there's nothing out here. >> reporter: the store would be located near the wilderness battlefield, where grant and lee first fought and 29,000 soldiers lost their lives. >> they should be considerate enough not to do it where there is possibly civil war buried. >> reporter: they rejected the arguments of the historians and preservationists, middle east from out of town that said the big box store would hurt the historic site located on 2700- acres and didn't think it was necessary to consider a different location. they said it would bring

reporting live in northwest dc, armando trull. back to you at the information center. >> thank you very much. >>> a followup to a story we told you about in may. the dc fire department has ruled the explosion that killed a man in his own home was an accident. vernon mccoy died in the blast at 1126 46th street southeast. investigators think that a furnace malfunctioned causing a gas leak. when he opened the door to his basement, fresh air, mixed with gas and the explosion occurred. >> well, with schools across the country set to open the government is getting ready for the expected spread of the h1n1 virus. officials expect a vaccine to be available by mid october. and they want schools to be the principal site for getting flu shots. however, when it comes to closing schools, that decision will be left to local authorities. we're also developing and sharing mitigation measures, a huge range of strategies to help to limit the spread of the flu from encouraging people and children to wash their hands frequently, stay home when they a

our 9 news now digital correspondent armando trull has more from metro's fort totten station. >> reporter: metro is seeking $7 billion over the then next ten years order to make capital improvements needed to maintain safe, reliable service. >> i think they can get everything they can get because it has been really rough. an hour each way and a lot of repairs need to be done. whatever congress will give them they need. >> reporter: metro's general manager is hoping a big chunk of change will come from uncle sam. >> bring it on. because it is such an important part of our city here in dc and most of the people are federal employees that ride it so it is helping everybody. >> reporter: catoe has asked them to approve the senate's lead and approve $150 million for next year. the amount will be matched by maryland, virginia and the district. the meeting with three senators from the transportation subcommittee lasted 75 minutes and a good deal of the discussion centered on june 22nd fatal crash of what steps could be taken to prevent similar accidents in the future. >> that is most people's me

armando trull is live in temple hills with new information on this schedule snafu. armando?well, andrea, apparently school officials were aware they were having problems with the computer that basically schedules the class for 120,000 students but they were unable to solve those glitches and that meant during the first week of school, 8,000 kids had to sit around and do nothing. >> have more than 8,000 students without a schedule on the first day of school inexcusable. >> reporter: the computerized scheduling program ran in to major problems months before the first day of class, yet officials were unable to fix the glitches and had no backup plan in place. when the bell rang on this monday, thousands had to wait in school gyms, cafeterias and auditoriums until the grownups could figure out a plan b. in a last ditch effort the school system was forced to use every available staffer to fill out schedules by hand. by thursday, there was still 1900 students in the wrong place at the wrong time. the school system is hoping by the end of the day all the problems that remain will b

armando trull is live outside of the wilson building with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, andrea. marion barry is one of the most controversial politicians in our area and today's "washington post" article will probably add to that controversy. those who dislike barry will probably say, eh, more of the same. those who love barry will say it's no big deal. the "washington post" says council member marion barry has been six times more generous than his peers when it comes to awarding outside contracts using the taxpayers ' dime. the article claims there is little evidence of what taxpayers got in return. between twerch and 2009, the board eight council member dolls doubt $252,000 for outside contractors for consulting work, media relations and temporary workers. some money may have been for political campaigning and not constituent services according to the post. the second biggest spender was brown, whose office spent $45,000 during the same time period. the council's contracting policies are being investigated because of a recent sc

armando trull is live at the new carrollton metro station with more. good morning. >> reporter: actually the purpose is not to waste as much gas. governor o'malley will be here at the station to announce his support for the purple line and that's the last hurdle the project is facing. maryland can now apply for federal funding for what could be one of the largest mass transportation initiatives in the state. it would be an east-west loop in the northern part of the metro system. the $1 billion project will connect new carrollton and prince georges county to bethesda and montgomery county with 12 additional stops along the way. >> i think light rail is the answer. we see it being so successful that we need the capacity that light rail offers that buses don't. >> it is more friendly than existing highways. it is expected to have one of the highest ridership levels, carrying thousands of people including many federal workers. now, andrea, he purple line has its detractors. some say it could spoil the hiking and biking trails along the c&o canal but some s

digital correspondent, armando trull is live in silver spring with an initiative to help you out. good morning. >> good morning, andrea. in 30 minutes, montgomery county police will be handing out flyers in parking lots in silver spring like this one. it is part of a don't forget initiative. it is a crime busting move that is supposed to remind folks not to leave valuables visible in cars because this could attract thieves an thieves have been busy as of late. last month there were 20 thefts from vehicles parked in public garages in silver spring. bethesda -- thefts took place both during the day and night. the crimes have occurred in nine public garages, most near the downtown area of silver spring. police say the most popular stolen items are gps units. mp-player and laptops are also high on the thieves shopping list. however, police say even a little change maybe enough to tempt thieves to break in to your car. police are going as far as recommending if you have a gps unit and you use a suction cup to keep it in place on the windshield to wipe the windshield down because you do

massachusetts democrat served in the senate for 46 1/2 years. 9 news now digital correspondent armando trull is joining us live from captiol hill with more. armando? >> andrea, during those 46 1/2 years, the man known as the liberal lion of the senate fought countless legislative battles. he won many of them and today leaves a lasting legacy in american politics. ted kennedy took over his brother's senate seat in ' 62 when jfk was welcomed president. 47 years later, his accomplishments in the political arena eclipse those of his two older brothers who died at the hands of assassins. he became the third longest serving senator in american history and along the way the law he helped to enact would touch millions of american and earn him the respect of those elected to the office he never achieved. >> the reason he's been able to help deliver voting rites an immigration rights and helped people who are vulnerable is because he fights. >> reporter: those he fought in the senate respected his tens in a citity and ledgetive skills. >> he remains the single most effective member of the senate. >> r

armando trull is live in bethesda with more. armando? >> reporter: well, don't feel so bad for dealers because some of these dealers are getting rebates back from automakers who are eager to get people on the show room before the wheels come off on the cash for clunkers program. all good things must come toed and and at 8 p.m. eastern cash for clunkers reaching thenal of the road. uncle am cease handout has generated a half million new car sales. >> it is yen rating a lot of sales. >> it was a positive reaction to the program. >> reporter: even if customers are getting as much as $4,500 for rebates, many dealers say uncle sam has been slow in reimbursing them for their rebates. >> it was taking hours to transmit one. >> getting a recognition as far as is it approved or rejected. they haven't gotten a lot of feedback. >> reporter: feedback from the consumers has been clear. it was scooped up in record time. gm is expecting to ramp up production and bring some laid off workers back because of the program. >> if you come in, tell them hones

digital correspondent armando trull is live in springfield with the story. armando? >> reporter: andrea, good morning. this is the portion of 95 an 395 where those hot lanes were going to be built, but now the state of virginia, which was planning to sell bonds in order to pay for the construction, says swinging the deal is too expensive so the hot lanes are on deep freeze. construction on the high occupancy toll lanes was scheduled to begin in 2010. new lanes would run from spotsylvania county to the pentagon and would have been built on 9 a 5 and 395. car pool commuters, buses and motorcycles would get to use the lanes at no cost. but cars with fewer than three occupants would have to pay tolls. the exact toll would vary depending on the time of day and the amount of vehicles on the road. the more cars, higher tolls. those that don't want to pay would use the nonhot lanes for free. virginia had entered in to a partnership with an international construction company to build the hot lane an australia company had been picked to collect the tolls. hot lane construction

armando trull is at the wilson building with more on what the "washington post" uncovered about marion barry's spending habits. armando? >> it is more controversy for one of the most controversial politicians in the district. the "washington post" says marion barry has been six times more generous to his than his peers. there is it little evidence of what taxpayers got in return. he dolled out $252,000 to outside contractors for consulting work, media relations and temporary workers. some of the the money may have been for political campaigning and not constituent services according to the post. the second biggest spender was brown who spent $45,000 during the same period. the contracting policies are being investigated because of a recent scandal involving barry and a former girlfriend who he had hired as a contractor. barry said he has broken no laws in his contracting activity. >> the "washington post" does not say that any of the activities it uncovered is illegal. live at the wilson building 9 news now and wusa9.com. >>> after an apparent clamp down on demonstrations in teheran th

armando trull for 9 news now and wusa9.com. >>> time for another "living $mart" report. one of ford's most popular models is once again rolling off the production line. the 2010 taurus is officially back with a new design. in the early ' 90s the taurus was the best-selling car in america. ford hopes bringing it back will help to turn around the financial fortunes. the car will sell for $26,000. >>> living smart correspondent jessica doyle is off this week but she le ftndhibe left behind money re'sngideas to idea toeae insurance premium. pay in a lump sum annually. rates can decrease that if you y monthly. quit smoking an you'll lower pa insurance premiums for being smoke free and workout becae r better health can save your li ony your life insurance wstcohen you cefa thste face t mandatory physical examination. adding together these cost savings and you cecould cut you bills by a couple hundred dollars a year. fomore money saving tips go to wusa9.com and click on "living $mart." >>> horse racing's most popular philly is branching out. kindle jackson winery announced a li

kaine says a weak economy and shaky bond market are to blame. 9 news now digital correspondent, armando trull , is live from springfield with the story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the hot lane construction project would have run on this part of 395 and 95 and the state was going to pay for that by selling bonds. virginia's transportation secretary says the cost of financing the deal is too great so hot lanes are on a freeze construction on the high occupancy lanes would have been built on 95 and 395. car pool commuters, buses and motorcycles would get to use the lanes at no cost but cars with fewer than three occupants would have to pay tolls. the exact toll would vary depending on the time of day and the amount of vehicles on the road. the more cars, higher tolls. those that don't want to pay would use the not hot lanes for free. virginia entered in to a partnership with a construction company to build the hot lanes. and an australian company had been picked to collect the tolls. hot lanes construction on the capital beltway will not be affected by this decision. >> reporter: t

armando trull for 9 news now and wusa9.com. >>> the senators death came in a statement released by his family. here's part of it. we have lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joy us light in our lives but the inspiration of his faith, optimism and perseverance will live on in our hearts and lives. we knew senator kennedy was living with brain cancer but there had been signs his health was deteriorating. he asked massachusetts lawmakers to revamp state law allowing them to appoint his replacement instead of holding a special election. he said he wanted to be sure massachusetts had two votes in the senate. >>> it made headlines when the senator did not attend the funeral of eunice kennedy shriver. the founder of the special olympics died at the age of 88. senator kennedy blamed his health for keeping him from her funeral. >>> republicans are praising the life and career of senator kennedy. california governor arnold schwarzenegger, who's married to kennedy's niece maria shriver called him a loving husband, father, uncle brother and rock of the family. nancy reagan says he is c

with a back to school sales tax this summer and it started at midnight in virginia. 9 news now armando trullng us live from alexandria with more. good morning, armando. >> good morning. i'm here at the wal-mart in alexandria with some of the things you will get a tax break on if you do your shopping. paper, glue, binders, for example, look at this nifty book bag. crayola crayons, markers, protractors, calculators. all of these things as long as they don't cost more than $20. as far as clothing is concerned it is limited to 100. accessories, scarfs, ties, belts and even beach wear and sportswear and all kinds of shoes and things you wouldn't expect like hats, lingerie, even girdles. now my social producer put together a list of some other things but these are electronic, off audio systems, tvs, these aren't on the virginia sales tax list. but wait a minute, what's that bobalou says even though it isn't on the official list some stores like wal-mart are giving you a break. so if you come to wal-mart and other stores you will get a break on electronics also. >>> it is time for another living sm

armando trull is live in the 41st block of southern avenue in capital heights with more on the story. >> good morning. the apartment building you see behind me here in capitol heights has some beautiful large ma churr oak trees. a combination of heavy rains that loosened soil around the roots and strong winds that pushed on the canopy made sure that tree had enough. an oak tree weighing several tons came crashing down on the roof of a capital heights pardon me building damaging one apartment on the top floor as well as side windows. initially several dozen residents were evacuated from the building until emergency responders could determine the safety. once they did, everyone was able to go home and get shut eye. two were displaced. they are being held by the red cross. thankfully no one was injured an repairs are underway this morning. they are expected to be wrapped up by later tonight, at the latest tonight. andrea, that's the latest right now here in capital heights. reporting live, armando trull for 9 news now and wusa9.com. >> thank you. >>> right now a water main break is causi

armando trull is outside with more on the story. >> good morning. it is a report that will ruffle some feathers here at the wilson building where marion barry works as well as other council members. look at the article, it says barry tops peers in contract spending and according to the article includes handing out thousands of dollars to contractors so they can perform services as well as political campaigning and it is work that does not have a clear boundary according to the article. the "washington post" says council member marion barry has been six times more generous than any of hi peers when it comes to awarding outside contracts using the taxpayers ' dime. the article claimed there is little evidence of what taxpayers got in return. between 2007 and 2009, the ward 8 council member dolled out $252,000 to outside contractors for consulting work, media relations and temporary workers. some of the money may have been for political campaigning and not constituent services according to the post. the second biggest spender was qualmy brown whose off

armando trull had a chance to talk about the man of the liberal lion of the senate. >> as news made headlines and filled tv screens, the initial reaction from some followed by the realization that an era in american history had ended. >> he was someone who had strong principles that he believed in and which was unusual for many current legislators. >> he was remembered by those he met during his 46 1/2 yearlong senate career. >> it is exciting. i was in first grade at the time. it was a real honor to have him come to our house. >> everybody knows him. >> and by those who knew of his achievements of the liberal lion of the senate. >> he led the way for civil rights, american disabilities act and a lot of people that didn't have the opportunity to speak. he spoke for them. >> reporter: some people were harsh over the one event that may have cost him the presidency and a young woman her life. the 1969 accident where a woman died inside the car he was driving for ever marred his legacy in the eyes of some while others were more forgiving. >> that might have been a shock that brought him around to

armando trull for 9 news now and wusa9.com. >>> a prince georges county mother is calling for action against a bus driver who put her son off the bus. 6-year-old decarlos jackson wasn't supposed to be on the bus but he said a teacher put him on board. once on the bus the driver made the child get off at a stop several miles from his home. he was picked up bay stranger who luckily happened to be a parent who drove him back to school. >> i think she should have already been suspended and/or fired. >> reporter: michael doddson is the direct of transportation and he says the driver may face disciplinary action. they say that decarlos should have not been put off the bus because she knew he wasn't win of the students she was supposed to take home. >>> police are investigating the murder of two virginia tech students. two students were found inside of jefferson national forest. it is a popular hiking area for tech students. it appears both were shot. one was found inside of a car and the other outside. police have not identified possible suspects or a motive. >>> today mourners will have o

three were set in mailboxes outside of homes. 9 news now digital correspondent, armando trull is live in the 24,000 block of woodfield school road with more. >> that's pretty much all i can tell you but these images will tell you the rest of the story. one of those fires is here on woodfield school road. this is the scene where firefighters are trying to put out the fire. you can see the firefighters actually adding water over there. to your right and if you come back you can see the firefighters are still working on the truck, trying to get the fire out. a lot of smoke pouring out of that fire and with us to talk a little bit about what has been going on all of this morning is captain with the montgomery county fire department. what can you tell us about the fires? where did they begin? how did they start and what are you looking for? >> we had four hay bail fires such as this one. also some mailboxes that were intentionally set on fire. at least three in the damascus area. at in the point investigators are looking for information from the community asking them to call 240-777-2263.

have shut down the outer loop on to 123 north toward mclean. 9 news now digital correspondent, armando trull is live where all of the construction on the outer loop is and he has more. >> it is part of hot lanes construction and you can see part of that activity. that blue drill right there is actually making holes in the ground. those will be the support posts. the posts are for a new bridge that will go 495 over chain bridge road but it is creating detours you need to know about. the next month and a half if you travel southbound on 495 you can no longer exit the northbound chain bridge road because exit 46-b is closed. instead you will be detoured to the dulles access road, that's route 267. once there you will be able to get to chain bridge road by taking 19-a if you are heading to tysons or 19-b if mclean is your destination. be aware if you travel eastbound on 267 you can no longer cut across 495 to get to chain bridge road. you'll also have to don't 19-a or 19-b. and andrea, all of this construction activity around 495 and chain bridge road will continue for six possibility oh months.

discovery that the one firefighters desperately needed last month had been mislabeled. 9 news now armando trull has more. >> reporter: fire hydrant 03553 on chain bridge road is now marked in red. it is a warning to firefighters it cannot supply enough water to help them do their job. however, on the night of the devastating fire that destroyed the mansion wasa had mislabeled the hydrant in blue. >> it has to be a mistake. >> reporter: a mistake that led firefighters to believe the water flow was 1500-gallons a minute when it was 300-gallons a minute. not enough to feed their hoses. >> that's distressing. >> reporter: so distressing that a week after the blaze the district pledged to work with wasa to begin an aggressive testing of all 4,000 water hydrants in the district. >> they are building a database and will share additional information with us about the gallons a minute flow. >> reporter: until that testing is complete, the fire department promised to send specialized tanker trucks to fires in areas with low water pressure. >> that was armando trull reporting. >>> investigators are trying