. >>> baltimore is a struggling economy could mean the end of the city cops policing on horseback. the city council has slashed money for the baltimore mounted police unit. the unit was founded in 1888 to enforce the city's 6-mile-per- hour speed limit for horse-drawn carriages. officials say that the officers patrol the downtown area and are a true downtown safety tool. >>> the council will vote next month on a bill to install speed cameras. it proposes installing cameras at about a dozen schools this fall. drivers got going 12th miles over the speed limit will get a to get in the mail. >>> there could be action on the cash for clunkers program as early as today. the white house is warning that the program could sputter to a stop on friday unless more money is approved for it. >> ago, who expected car dealers to be saying this? chrysler >>, send us more cars per -- >> chrysler, send us more cars. >> dealers credit cash for clunkers. the rebate offer brought this woman in. she traded her 1986 a van for a new ford escape. she more than doubled her fuel efficiency. and she helped to give up for its first sales increase in nearly two years. >> sales elevat

baltimore city could lose its horseback police unit. the city council has cut funding for 121-year-old baltimore mounted police unit. the department is rung out of money to feed and house its six horse. the mounted unit was formed in 1888 to enforce the city's 6 miles per hour speed limit for horse-drawn carriages. but now they're used for public safety. >>> prosecutor says a new york mother who drove the wrong way in a crash that killed her and seven other people was drunk and using marijuana. the medical examiner's report found that diane shuler's blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit. shuler, her two young daughters and three young nieces died july 26th. three men in the suv shuler hit also died. shuler's 5-year-old son survived the crash. >>> the term "thumbing a ride" has a new meaning now that drivers are texting while they're driving. now expert says the dangers of texting and driving have really gotten out of hand. tonight the governor wants us to think about taking texting off the road. diana avellar has the story. >> a tow truck in a pool. a car plowed into it in pieces. both drivers in th

. >> baltimore city of's mounted police unit has been here for more than 120 years but unless they get some financial help, they will not be along -- that will not be around much longer. >> and injury update from the raven's training camp is coming up in sports. >> see if the weather system will bring big storms our way for tomorrow. right now in baltimore, 87 at bwi marshall. >> officials are working on a broken water main in northwest baltimore. sky team 11 over the scene just before 4:00 this afternoon. part of that road is closed down, which means you want to avoid that. if you can. no word on when it will be fixed. the hospital ship returned this afternoon after a four-month trek to south america. >> mounted officers have been part of the baltimore landscaped and the city police department for 120 years, but soon they could be gone, that is unless they find $200,000 needed to care for the horses. rob roblin is live downtown. >> this unit has been here since 1888. it is the oldest, continuously running horse patrol unit in the country. >> he knows that you are going to bring him ho

baltimore city police mounted unit could be disbanded if it does not get a private funding. the budget ranges between 150,000-$250,000 was cut from the budget. city police commissioner says the officer unit is a priority and he vows to seek private funds including charitable donations. baltimore's horse patrol unit is the oldest continuous running unit in the united states. several more baltimore county residents are recovering from carbon monoxide poisoning after a scare this morning. our reporter spoke with some of the victims. the name of the management company -- >> and neighbors believe that the carbon monoxide detectors save 20 lives this morning. this man called 911 when the alarm sounded. >> my alarm went off in my house. saying it was carbon monoxide -- i got the family out. the fire department came. >> his wife and four children were among 10 residence here rushed to the hospital with co poisoning. >> the readings begun our equipment was -- we got from our work equipment showed there were readings of carbon monoxide. >> she found nothing had been fixed when she came

. >>> money problems may force a baltimore tradition off the streets. the city's mounted police unit is in danger of folding after 121 years. the city is making budgets everywhere. the amount of police units is running out of money to feed and board its six horses. police say the horses are more than good relations. they patrol the downtown area, and police say the horses are a true public safety tool. they're great for crowd control, and they go places that control cars can't. >> we can -- we sit ten-feet high so, we have an advantage. we can actually look into backyards and see if there is anybody perhaps breaking into a yard or doing something they shouldn't be doing. >> i really hope we find a way together to keep the mounted unit in baltimore city. it's important public safety tool. it's important for the police department. it's important future a big city that has big crowd events and the like. >> police are hoping that a private foundation can help keep the unit going by raising $200,000 by the end of next month. mounted unit was formed in 1888 to enforce baltimore's, get this

police mounted unit in the city. it is an important tradition and is important for a loss safety. >> the unit has been a part of the baltimore city police apartment for several years and is the oldest continuously running mounted horse police unit in the country. if you want to help, go to our web site at copper wbaltv.com. >> 71 degrees. coming up, an unusual issue that is under investigation. >> i was covering my ears because the shots were so loud. >> a routine visit to the gym turns deadly when a gunman walked in and opened fire. capturing the beauty of nature. sharing what i see. that's my vision. and i'm living it. every day, transitions lenses are there to help care for my sight. announcer: transitions lenses adjust to changing light to reduce glare and help protect your eyes from uv damage so you can see better today... and tomorrow. lve your vision. transitions. healthy sight in every light. transitions lenses are available at an america's best location near you. >> good morning. we have a friend coming in. we have a good chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms late this afternoon and overnight tonight. the cl

her goal was to raise $200 to donate to the baltimore police mounted unit. she wanted to do her part to help. >> historic figures and keep our city safe. and things like that are important to the children. they love animals and love to, you know, see that kind of stuff out in the open. very important to save something that has been around for so long. >> it has been cut. so the mounted patrol unit needs $200,000 to keep going for another year. >> if you have a story to tell us, we want your take on it. you can upload pictures, video and written stories by going to foxbaltimore.com/your take. and you can send photos directly from the cell phone to pics at foxbaltimore.com. >> maryland's 2010 gubernatorial race is underway. governor o'malley is focused on reducing maryland's deficit however. now the big question tonight, will former governor ehrlich want a rematch? he is not decided. ehrlich has about $150,000 in his campaign coffers. governor o'malley has raised 2 million. >> you have to be responsible about one's leadership role in the expert preparing for t

>>reporter: the mounted police unit has been around since 1888. >>> scary moments for baltimore county family when they came home to find their house on fear. it happened just before 2 in the 1600 block of wentworth avenue and parkville. family was gone for only awhile only to find firefighters battling the blaze hen they came back. the house was damaged. seriously. however no one was hurt. >>> alcohol is likely to blame for a deadly boating accident last weekend. 26-year-old scott yaiing of parkville was tubing on the back river sunday when he was suddenly hit by the boat prop then killed. 30-year-old jay more was behind the wheel of the vessel charged with driving the boat under the influence of alcohol. >>> first on fox now. chilling 911 calls that flooded washington county first responders after the helicopter crashed along i 70 last month. kathleen jones us now with more. kathleen. >>reporter: there were dozens of 911 call. many of them travelers on the highway in disbelief as they tell dispatchers about the disaster. at frederick airport tuesday another pilot with advance helicop

we will try to sort it all o >> it is a very familiar sight on baltimore city streets. the mounted police unit has been around since 1888 but unless they get some financial support, it will disappear. after september, the future is uncertain. some $200,000 is needed for the horses. rob roblin joins us live with more on the story. >> first of all, this unit has been around for a long time, over 120 years. they need some financial help because of the budget cutbacks. when you talk to the officers in the unit, they will tell you very fast how valuable this unit is. the mounted unit has been here since 1888. it is the oldest running horse patrol in the country. >> it was funded by a cavalry civil war soldier. >> because of budget cuts, $200,000 is needed to provide for the horses. if they don't get that money, and the unit will be dissolved. >> it would be a shame to lose the unit. >> when you talk to the officers, you learn that the horses are valuable tools in fighting crime. >> we can see overtop fences. we can regulate traffic. when it comes to crowd control, there is nothing better. they will

baltimore county police officer's wife, that sucks. >> reporter: cardin also contributed to the city's mounted police unit. although the financial factor has been resolved the police department has it not finished an internal investigation into what happened. >> i don't know, though, that this is much beyond the scope of a couple officers who used poor judgment. and i'm going to reserve much more comment until i know more of the facts. >> reporter: cardin goes on to say, "i certainly hope the blame for this is placed on me and none of it is given to any of the brave officers of the baltimore city police department." cardin also extended a personal apology to the police commissioner and mayor. he writes he hopes his fiance will also forgive him for the way he proposed. weijia jiang, wjz, eyewitness news. >> thank you, weijia. at this point it's unclear whether cardin broke any ethics or criminal laws. >>> today new furloughs were announced to help get maryland out of the red ink. legislative workers will also be taking furloughs. the plan calls for legislative offices to be shut down at least five days duri

. >>> budget cuts could cause one of the oldest mounted police units in the country to shut down. the baltimore city police department is hoping a private foundation can raise $200,000 before the end of september to keep the mounted patrol unit up and running. if not, hay and feed, they will have to run out for the unit's six horses and force officers to move on to different assignments. the budget for the horseback unit would cut from over $19 ,000 last fiscal year to just under $47,000. $195,000. the unit has been around for 121 years. commissioner bealefeld says he won't let it shut down. we'll see what happens. >>> police say a bunch of men robbed two people at a light rail station. they say two 17-year-olds and 25-year-old man have been charged with armed robbery. police still looking for five other suspect. the two victims told police a group of eight men stole cell phones around midnight on saturday near the cromwell light rail station. then the suspects boarded the bus. >>> an arraignment scheduled later today for mark floyd, the man police say is responsible for a double stabbing in no

money to care for half a dozen horses in baltimore's mounted patrol unit eliminated and a new round of city budget cuts targeting the police department. >> the mounted units are very viesmghts i really would hate to see anything happen to that. >> reporter: this lieutenant wonders why they can't find other places to cut. >> when they go into a crowd, it can be a riot, and when they start walking up, everybody disappears. one horse is worth 15 officers in a crowd control situation. they do great work. >> reporter: if the mounted patrol unit is disbanded some of the officers are planning on taking their horses home or trying to find alternative homes for them in the country but they're really hoping it doesn't come to this. >> i think we need to raise a couple hundred thousands dollars. >> reporter: to keep feeding the horses? >> to keep feeding the horses and the training that they need to do. it's expensive. >> reporter: the baltimore community foundation will oversee police foundation efforts to gather donations. >> they are trying to raise money so that they can keep it going. >> reporter: after all, it has been going si

. >>> tonight baltimore police commissioner fred bealefeld is vowing to save the mounted patrol unit. eyewitness news was the first to break the story that the unit is in jeopardy because of budget cuts. our media partner the baltimore sun reports that commissioner bealefeld is vowing the program won't go under his watch. >>> officers ambushed by gunman, a five-year-old girl shot in the head, a dozen people shot at a backyard barbecue. the list of recent crimes in baltimore is violent and disturbing, but tonight neighbors are taking their streets back. eyewitness news is live downtown. kai jackson explains why millions across the country are spending the night out. kai. >> reporter: that's right, vic, national night out is an annual take our community back effort. many say no community has a greater need of being taken back than baltimore. as west baltimore, residents get together for a nationwide ritual called national night out. >> a lot of young people, they see more violence, moore crime, but we're going to give the community back to them. >> reporter: there's police presence on j

. >> baltimore city police may have to dismount their mounted police unit because of funding issues. city council cut funds for the mounting police force. meaning the department will run out of quickly for feed and board for six horses. police are hoping that private donations will save the unit. >> we would love big company to come in ask maybe buy a horse or name a horse. so we will take anything we can get. >> mounted police unit has been around since 1888. >> despite strong opposition from neighbors today the governor threw his support behind the red line. jeff abell reports. >> with the red line many things are possible. >> despite signs of protests, the governor on tuesday announced his support for a new light rail line. >> baltimore right now ranks 14th, for the 14th worse traffic in the nation, and therefore, we must move forward with the red line. >> the proposed red line would run 14 miles, linking west baltimore to east baltimore. and part of it running through a ton mel and part of it running on the surface. >> we don't want it on the surface. >> many residents in canton

. >> money to care for half a dozen horses in baltimore's mounted patrol unit eliminated and a new round of city budget cuts targeting the police department. >> the mounted unit is a very great unit i would hate to see anything happen to that. >> reporter: lieutenant jean ryan of the fop wonders why the city can't find $150,000 somewhere else in the budget. when they go in a crowd, it can be a riot, when they start walking up, everybody disappears. one horse is worth 15 officers in a crowd, crowd control situation. and i've seen it work, i mean, they do great work. >> if the mounted patrol unit is disbanded some officers are planning on taking their horses home or trying to find alternative homes for them in the country, but they're really hoping it doesn't come to that. >> i think they need to raise a couple hundred thousand dollars to be able to do that. >> feeding the horses,. >> keep feeding the horses and the training that they need to do and it's expensive. >> laurie crossly with the baltimore community foundation will oversee police foundation efforts to gather donations. >> they are trying to raise money so they can kee

mounted patrol faces elimination. baltimore city police department is slashing the budget. officials say they will save $150,000 if they get rid of the horses. sources close to the unity a number of officers hope reporting will lead to donations to save the horses. we talked to the fraternal order of police how important the mounted patrol is. >> when they go into a crowd it can be a riot. everybody disappears. one horse is worth 15 officers in a crowd control situation. i have seen them at work. they do great work. >> to make a donation to feed the horses and try to save the mounted patrol look for this story under local news. >>> a former candidate for state senate is behind bars charged with attempted rate. the cambridge police officer said he heard a woman calling for help then saw him holding her down against her will in his law office. >>> major damage just west of here at a high school in middle on the in frederick county. investigators say arsonists caused $75,000 in damage to the artificial turf field, burning a 240 square foot patch in it. the incident is under investigation. >>> we are in for a hot and sunny tuesday. temperatures starting to climb. how war

baltimore city's most visible police units does not disappear. officials need to raise $200,000 to cover the food and boarding expenses of the mounted patrol unit. they will accept donations in the hope of meeting the september gold. >> these are really tough times. there is not a county executive or mayor or governor in the country that is not faced with a lot of difficult decisions. but i hope we can find some way to maintain the police mounted unit in this city. it is an important tradition an important public safety and law enforcement tool. >> if you would like to help out the in it, go to our website, wbaltv.com. >>> community members to to the streets last night as a call to stand at a crime and violence in neighboring st. organizers hope events will bring a neighbor's fed up with being prisoners in their own home in touch with police to keep them safe. >> any of the police at these events will tell you that numerous people are coming up to them. >> they have grown up with that and they know what it is about and they know they are here to help us and to fight crime against the community. >> there were recording opportunities for baltimore

you could soon be seeing the end of baltimore police on horseback. the city's mounted unit may have to dismount because of funding issues. the city council cut funds for the police force meaning the department will run out of money for fee and boarding of the six horses. police hope are hoping private donations will save the unit. >> we would love a big company to come in and maybe buy a horse or name a horse. we'll take anything we can get. the mounted police unit has been around since 1888. >> and badly needed transportation project or just a bad idea. the answer probably depends on where you live. govenor o'malley revealed his support for the controversial red line rail system in canton yesterday and its still has neighbor there's buzz. joel smith is there with us this morning. >> good morning joel. >> good morning to you patrice and what is quite a scene here. the govenor announces his reasons for this plar plan but while he was announcing the reasons, it got lowvmentd a lot of the protesters here were yelling and chanting during the speech. a lot will worry about what

baltimore national night out events took place in several locations in the city and in the surrounding counties. >>> this morning city police commissioner fred beelfeld is riding to the rescue of the city's mounted police unitthe long-time program is in jeopardy of being disbanded due to budget cuts. $150,000 is needed to keep the mounted patrol unit going. our media partner the baltimore sun is reporting this morning the commissioner is vowing the program will not go under during his watch. >>> a warning from world health officials this morning. the swine flu pandemic is likely to escalate this fall. the steps are being taken to keep students and school staff safe. eyewitness news and mary bubala is live outside our state health department. good morning once again, mary. >> reporter: good morning again, don and good morning everybody. school officials in maryland are really concerned that the swine flu vaccine will not be ready on time, that it will be ready after the start of school. health officials are working to develop a vaccine for the h1n1 virus but say it won't be ready until october. as it causing lots of concern for education officials who fear an outbreak this fall when school starts. unlike sea

police department's mounted patrol unit. earlier this week, "eyewitness news" broke the story that city budget cuts may force the department to do away with it. according to the baltimore sun, only $a 50 donations have come in. 2,000 is needed. >>> shots of 4! could be heard today. over 144 players of all ages lit the links. it was the an actual tournament for all of the golfers in the golf programs and their families. the golfers made new friends, learned new skills and competed in the sport they love. >>> it's the soda fountain of the future. it features a touchscreen where you can choose your classics, with more you have probably never heard of. coca-cola is testing 15 of the machines in southern california. we'll be right back.