"news 4's" darcy spencer joins us live with details. hi, darcy. >> reporter: hi, chris. here are the changes. a new shuttle service is going to be offered between haynes point and jefferson. it's only going to cost you a dollar. also two new capitol stations are going to be added. this is all an effort to make it easier to come down here and check out the cherry blossoms. here it is mid-march, st. patrick's day, and already the cherry blossoms on the tidal basin are starting to bloom. >> we came in actually for a conference and we decided to come into the city for the evening and we've been enjoying the cherry blossoms and the monuments. >> reporter: they're not even at peak yet. is that a good thing they're out? >> that's great. it's great. i would like to see snow in the winter, but i'm loving it. >> reporter: the snow, that's not likely to happen. but the national parks predict they'll peak on tuesday because of the warm winter. >> it's nice to walk around and see the trees and see them bloom. >> reporter: earlier in the day the tidal basin was swarming with thousands

darcy spencer is live at the scene with the latest. darcy? >> reporter: we're still trying to piece together what happened here, but multiple agencies are indicating there was some sort of pursuit involving prince george's county police at 4:15 this afternoon. you can see the intersection is southern and pennsylvania avenue. they are getting ready to haul away one of the vehicles. i personally counted three vehicles seriously damaged here in this intersection this afternoon and there was involvement by a metro bus. i counted one person being transported off the bus being treated as a mass casualty incident here. we're told by d.c. fire and ems that six people were transported in total, inclupd colluding a few children who were injured. one of their police cruisers was struck while responding to the scene by someone who was not involved in this incident. that police officer also was transported to the hospital apparently nonlife threatening injuries. i was able to talk to people who were on the bus when this happened. the vehicle that was in p

darcy spencer is live at the club with reaction. darcy? >> reporter: chris, i can tell you there's a lot of concern because there have been these prior incidents of violence in the past involving this nightclub, but i also spoke to people who frequent the club and they say it's a nice place and they hate to see it shut down. the sign says open, but the island cafe in upshire street in northwest washington has been shut down. that's by order of the police chief after a man was stabbed and seriously wounded inside of the business. ma'am, could we get your comment about the business being closed. >> reporter: the violence broke out at 2:00 saturday morning. police say the similar was stabbed in the stomach while arguing with another man. >> that's sad. in the neighborhood stabbings and shootings, they have to cease. this is crazy. >> never seen anything, anything out of order here at all. it is always been a beautiful place. >> reporter: this isn't the first time the chief has shut down the island cafe. she gave the same order in march of 200

news4's darcy spencer is live in d.c.'s shaw neighborhood, where plenty of people are cashing in on this shopping spree. hi, darcy. >> reporter: hi, chris. all you need to do to participate in today's cash mob is to have 20 bucks and the desire to support local independent businesses. they watch from the mt. vernon metro station with cash in hand ready to buy. the target, the old city green business at 9th and n streets in the shaw neighborhood of northwest d.c. once inside this so-called cash mob went to work buying and supporting this local business that was once a vacant lot. >> i got some petunias, and i was looking for something for a planter on my front porch. >> reporter: the event is part of international cash mob day, sponsored by think local first d.c., which use social media to draw in customers. >> i think it's really fun. think local d.c. organized this event to kind of support local businesses, and drive a big burst of traffic, i guess, to a local business and everybody bring cash, buy something, and it's, yo

news4's darcy spencer joins us now live from the tidal base within more. hi, darcy. >> reporter: hi, chris. i don't know about you, but i can't think of a better way to celebrate st. patrick's day. are a lot of people out here at the tidal basin. it feels like a summer afternoon t is warm weather. we have got a little breeze going, tons of people out here, all, this the star of the show, these beautiful cherry blossoms, as you said, they started to bloom. now getting the peak right, that is a little bit tricky. national park service initially predicted around march 24 to 391st. the new prediction is for the peak blume to start on tower tuesday and last through friday, the blooming already started. we can thank a mild winter for this early start and people are out here trying to get a sneak peek. >> is a surprise that everything bloomed so early. it is beautiful. >> eager to come out this afternoon, spend a little time soaking in the sunshine and enjoying the cherry blossoms. >> i think it is wonderful and beautiful. we are fortunate enough to be here this w

darcy spencer is there live with more. darcy. >> reporter: doreen, i want to start with a little bit of good news. the victim did survive this shooting. in fact, i'm told he was conscious, he was alert and talking to detectives before he was transported from the scene. this investigation is moving into the third hour. detectives are still here on the scene. there's a lot of concern in arlington county tonight because this gunman is still on the loose. you heard a few pops? >> three. >> reporter: a man in his late 20s was shot and wounded here in arlington county just before 8:00 p.m. >> no trouble in the neighborhood until tonight. >> reporter: police say the victim who speaks spanish had just gotten out of his car when the armed suspect approached, said something in english and opened fire. >> suffered two gunshot wounds, one to the abdomen and one to the upper leg/thigh area. that individual was transported and treated on scene. he's at a local hospital right now. >> reporter: police say the gunman ran away toward arlingt

news4's darcy spencer joins us live with the latest. >> reporter: chris, i can tell you, this early voting center has reopened. voting was disrupted for a period of time today because of this shooting. it broke out right around 3:30 this afternoon as people were here coming to this center to vote in the early voting process. you can see here behind me that it has, in fact, reopened. we're told the man was not shot inside the community center. he was shot outside, and then stumbled inside to receive help. at that point, the community center was placed on lockdown. we're told that no voters were inside at that time. but the center had to be closed down for about 20 minutes this afternoon as police conducted their investigation. >> one of our staff members heard a gunshot, and followed emergency procedures to go ahead and lock down the voting area when she heard that. that was at about 3:30 this afternoon. none of our poll workers left the area. no voters, no one entered the room. no voters present at the time. >> there was someone standing out there directing voters coming in to try to vote.

from brook, virginia, darcy spencer, news 4. >> this next story, cows in clothes.e got to see this. some cows in maryland are getting a new set each and every holiday. no one can figure out who's behind doing it. the bovine's statue stands at maryland's department of agriculture entrance and exit. a lot of people seem to enjoy them. why wouldn't you? people drive either way to see what thir wearing and workers say it's all year long. even if they figure out who's behind it, they're hoping that the tradition will still stay alive. why not, right? cows in clothes. >> well, the idea of being close to thousands of bees is enough to make, well, me, run in the opposite direction. a lot of people shudder. still ahead, meet a georgetown man whose knack for bees is helping save dozens of local gardens and up next, the fairfax county kids who >>> okay. i'm getting hungry about now. this sounds good. hawaiian pizza, black beans, salad -- not imagine what you would be finding in a school lunchtime. fairfax county public schools looks for better options to add to next year's me

darcy spencer spoke tonight with the beating victim's partner. darcy. >> reporter: doreen, yeah. police officials tell me that they do not believe that those two incidents are connected. this brutal beating took place right here on georgia avenue monta monday night. there were a number of of people out at the time, and the victim's partner is hoping that witnesses will come forward. >> it blows my mind that people can be so violent for no reason. >> reporter: this man who doesn't want to show his face or give his name out of fear of retaliation is talking about the brutal attack on his partner. >> he said there were some things said, mhomophobic remark. >> reporter: the 29-year-old victim stepped out of a cab, and that's when the slurs started. either assaulted, and he then called his partner. >> i did hear the scuffle on the phone and i heard voices and the phone went dead. so they were smart off to turn the phone vol. >> reporter: the victim's jaw was shattered in two places and it got worse. he was attacked again, dragged on the sidewalk and robbed. they made off with his ipho

news4's darcy spencer recently sat down with a young lady in arlington whose own transplant came much than she expected. it was before her 21st birthday. veronica now has a story she wants you to hear. >> reporter: veronica stempo is only 21 years old but already has been a recipient of a heart transplant. she was diagnosed with an enlarged heart. >> my heart started failing to the point i couldn't climb up the stairs. i couldn't breathe. nothing. >> reporter: that happened when she was 20 years old. she was hooked up to a heart pump and was on the wait list for a new heart for ten months. >> every time your phone rings, you have this anticipation that it's -- oh, you know they found something. they got something for me. anytime, even -- it sounds horrible. even when you see a crash you're like i hope i get a heart soon. >> reporter: her father don had the same heart condition and received a heart transplant. he passed away in 2009 just a few months later his daughter's heart got worse. >> i kind of wish i had him to share my story with and compare and everything. i guess he's in my h

his father spoke to darcy spencer. >> he gave his life in service to his country.e're immensing proud of him for that. >> brad quinn is the father of michael quinn of percival, virginia. he died in a military helicopter collision in yuma, arizona on february 22nd. tonight his son made a final return to his hometown. he spoke exclusively to news 4. >> the important thing was to get him home, his sisters and mother and i really appreciate all the support we receive from the marine corps and everyone else involved in activities since the incident, and we wanted him home. >> a police led procession drew resident who is lined the sidewalks with candles and flags. >> right now i think everybody should learn that, you know, each day is very precious and you need to take it a step of at a time. >> quinn was in training preparing to the employed to afghanistan. two helicopters collided in the desert sevenlt were killed in the crash. >> he died doing what he was wanting to do. he was training hard for a difficult mission that we asked these marines in our service to do our c

news 4's darcy spencer has the red flags that help police track him down. she's live tonight at the university of maryland. darcy? >> well, chris, we're right across the street from the university police department. it was here they received information right around 9:00 or 9:30 last night that these threats were being posted on websites. they worked it all throughout the night and they say they were able to track these postings down to this young man here. he's a 19-year-old student and he was taken into custody on campus this morning. a university of maryland student has been arrested for allegedly threatening to go on a shooting rampage at the college park campus. university police tracked down the students through internet postings and arrested him on campus around 10:00 sunday morning. police say he was unarmed. >> it was terrifying that that could even be a possibility at this campus. i'm relieved he was arrested. >> reporter: the suspect has been identified as 19-year-old alexander song of fulton, maryland. he was taken for an emergency psychiatric ev

news 4's darcy spencer has our exclusive report from the ihop in columbia heights. >> reporter: well, chris, that shooting did happen right here inside the ihop restaurant one week ago. now, the victim tells me as a gay man he has been targeted in the past because of his sexual orientation. but it has never become this violent. he was shot in the stomach, just got out of the hospital on thursday. >> that's the biggest thing that really concerns me, is that it's so easy for people in our society to take a life or even attempt to take a life. >> reporter: it was one week ago that this man, who doesn't want to be identified, was shot and wounded inside the ihop restaurant in columbia heights. police are calling it a hate crime. >> i was shot actually in my abdomen. >> reporter: and that struck your liver? >> yes, ma'am. >> reporter: the victim, who is gay, says he was instructed by police to avoid discussing the details of what happened. but in an exclusive interview with news 4 he says he and his friends were targeted based on their sexuality. >> yes, i do believe it to be a hate crime.

. >> darcy spencer sits down with this remarkable young woman who has a message she wants the world to hear. >>> plus, training like a tribute. how to get fit with a "hunger games" workout. and why the pope is now donning a sombrero. >>> and coming up tonight on "sports final," tiger woods is back. we'll head to bay hill, kentucky, cruising to the final four. plus, we'll introduce you to a skateboarding phenom. that and more on "sports final" [ female announcer ] with xfinity, you can always expect more. like more on demand shows and movies than ever. and more ways to discover them too. plus more speed from america's fastest internet provider. so you can run more devices at the same time. ♪ feel a firework [ female announcer ] and best of all, it keeps getting better. no wonder more people choose xfinity over any other provider. ♪ love can be so mystical ♪ >>> as we just reported at the top of tonight's newscast, former vice president dick cheney is now recovering from a heart transplant. darcy spencer sat down with a young transplant recipient in arlington who has a message that she w

. >>> i'm darcy spencer in langley park. we caught people on camera crossing busy roadways here in prince georges county without a crosswalk. i'll tell you about a plan to start ticketing people for jaywalking. >>> and they risk their lives in combat. now some medal of honor recipients are >>> the police chief in the trayvon martin case is temporarily stepping down. martin is the teenager killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer in sanford, florida. the volunteer has claimed he shot the boy in self-defense but martin was not armed and no charges have been filed. the sanford police chief says he stands by his department's investigation but believes he has become a distraction. >>> police are investigating the stabbing of a pregnant woman in her southeast washington home early this morning. the victim is in stable condition at howard university hospital. the infant boy was delivered but he later was pronounced dead. police say there is no sign of forced entry into the home. >>> d.c. mayor vincent gray is meeting with residents

. >> i'm darcy spencer in anne arundel county. a man found a badly injured pit bull in this parking lot and that has sparked a dog fighting investigation. i'll have the story ahead. >>> and the debate. should it be illegal to smoke in your car if you have kids u >>> an american staff sergeant is in u.s. custody in afghanistan tonight accused of going door to door and gunning down 16 afghan civilians early sunday. his name hasn't been released yet but there is word he was deployed from a military base in washington state in early december. the afghan army has stepped up street patrols to prevent an violent retaliation. >>> a university of maryland honor student is psychologically evaluated after his arrest for threatening to carry out an attack on campus this weekend. police say 19-year-old alexander song made internet threats to carry out a shooting rampage. he was arrested yesterday and police say he was not armed. >> reporter: republican candidate mitt romney is celebrating his 65th birthday on the campaign trail today. alabama

. >>> i'm darcy spencer in suitland. a realtor preparing this home for sale is attacked and sexually assaulted in the basement. i'll have the latest coming up on news 4. >>> cash grab? dozens of drivers scrambled to collect bags of money that >>> opponents of president obama's health care reform law will have their say in court next week. the supreme court takes up the challenge to the law with arguments that are set to begin on monday. >> the controversial research project at the liberty middle school in clifton, virginia has forced a principal there to change the way politics is taught to the kids. administrators say an 8th grade teacher asked students to research the weaknesses of only republican candidates. the principal called the assignment one sided and said from now on students should be able to research the candidate of their choice from either political party. >> today may be your last day to catch the cherry blossoms at their peak. heavy rain is expected to hit the area this weekend and it will likely knock ma

darcy spencer has more on all that and on the person who was arrested in all of this. >> reporter: it was a violent crash involving several cars and a metro bus in the middle of a busy intersection in southeast d.c. at least six people were sent to the hospital. it was a wild ride for passengers on that bus. >> you seem pretty shaken up. >> i'm very shaken up. >> were you trying to get somewhere today? >> to work. >> reporter: it started with a traffic stop in prince george's county. police there say the driver took off, then crashed here at pennsylvania and southern avenues on the d.c. county border. prince george's police say they did not pursue the car. >> i heard a lot of boom, boom. i look up, all this has happened. but the bus driver did a good job maneuvering over it. so we were pretty safe. >> reporter: at least one passenger on the metro bus had to be taken to the hospital. three children were injured in the crash. a responding st. george's police officer was injured when a driver did a uturn in front of them. the smashed cruiser with at least two floot tires was towed away.

last week our darcy spencer talked to the victim after he was released from the hospital. >> this particular type of hate in the city is nothing new. it's definitely not new to me. though i've never been attacked in this particular manner. >> reporter: the shooting has been described as a hate crime and today city leaders promised these kinds of attacks will not be tolerated. >> the crimes of this nature cannot and will not be tolerated in the district of columbia. because all of our residents have the right to walk our streets free of the fear they will be targeted simply because of who they are, whom they love, or the way they choose to worship. >> reporter: now there is no official hate crime charge in the city of washington. but if hate is determined to be the motive for a crime, the convict can get a lot more jail time. for example, assault with a gun, the maximum penalty there, 30 years. but if hate is determined to be the motive for that same assault, the maximum penalty, 45 years in jail. live at the wilson building, pat collins, news 4. >>> now to new information in the trayvon mart

it's going to be a time you're not looking for it. >> reporter: darcy spencer, news4. >> a neighbor hasem, but unfortunately it cannot record. police only have a vague description of the attacker. >>> the man who killed the former d.c. council intern will spend more than three decades behind bars. omar cotton received a sentence of 36 years in prison for killing sutton two years ago. sutton was the intern of brown. sutton refeudsed to give cotton's girlfriend a ride to work. his body was found on mother's day of 2010. >>> the man who set fire to a d.c. club will spend an additional 35 years behind bars. graur is in prison for assaults the manager of good guys in november 2007. he then set fire to the club leaving the manager with severe burns to his body. when he died, grire was originally sentenced to 20 years in prison. his second sentence will begin after his first one ends. >>> right now president obama is on his way to south korea. he and more than 50 other world leaders are meeting to discuss how to keep nuclear materials out of the hands of terrorists. the visit comes as tensions

darcy spencer reports on the difficult recovery. >> completely broken jaw in the front. >> reporter: he doesn't want to be identified for fear of his safety. he's the victim of a violent hate crime. his jaw wired shut after it was shattered in two places. >> two titanium plates hold iin my front jaw together. >> reporter: the victim now home from an eight-day stay in the hospital was robbed, beaten and dragged down a sidewalk because he's gay. police called the attack a hate crime. >> i would like to think it was just a crime. i don't know. but, i mean, that is what was being screamed out at the time. >> reporter: the attack happened in the victim's own community. it started right here at the corner convenience store. he says it's shaken his sense of safety. >> oh, absolutely, absolutely. i don't like leaving the house alone right now. >> reporter: the attack happened march 12 on georgia avenue in columbia heights. the victim stepped out of a cab when he was attacked, twice. >> the next thing i know, i'm being dragged and kicked repeatedly and i just remember clawing the ground tryin

darcie spencer will have reaction on today's sentencing coming up today at 5:00. >>> jury deliberations could begin later today in the wrongful death case against virginia tech. the families of two of them claimed their children may have survived if the school had notified students earlier. they want officials to be held accountable. earlier today, the integrity of charles staiger was the focus. as the state sought to establish he didn't try to cover up mistakes. it will be up to the jury of seven to decide. >>> the terrible shooting rampage in afghanistan will note change his commitment to bring u.s. forces home in a responsible manner. defense officials tell nbc news the capital murder charges against him are possible. and his court-martial may take place in afghanistan. taliban insurgents opened fire on a delegation of afghan officials who attended a memorial service today for the villagers. it included two brothers of afghan president hamid karzai. they were not injured. >>> it's decision day in the deep south. republicans are casting their votes in the presidential primaries. mitt

darcy spencer, news 4. >>> we had a scenario play out in books and movies, a major city destroyed byuclear weapon. it may not be a reality. a government study looks at what would happen if they set off devices next to the white house. yes, devastation for people and buildings within a half mile of the blast. the study finds outside of the blast zone, a nuclear explosion could be fairly survivable. the government said it would send warnings afterwards, that is, if the cell towers were not destroyed through tv, radio, e-mail, text and twitter. >>> a baltimore man is charged with assault and disorderly conduct after attacks a high school student. cell phone video captured the fight last wednesday. witnesses say vannison put on a ski mask, approached the 16-year-old and hit him in the face. the student hit back once. the fight started over french fries thrown in the cafeteria. >>> there was a heavy police presence at a high school today. a student threatened to bring a gun to potomac high. we have reaction from parents. >> reporter: this is the day officials at potomac high school were w

kenneth he will buehrle confronted that issue head-on today in an interview with darcy spencer live outsidehe willson building this morning. darcy? >> reporter: these allegations surfaced in today's washington times, i have been here at the wilson building all day getting reaction. some folks saying these allegations are quite disturbing but ellerbee himself says he denies these allegations, they are unfounded. he says he never sexually harassed anyone. kenneth ellerbee called to testify before the judiciary committee on his performance as chief on the dc fire and ems department. on the same day the washington times reports a woman accused him of sexual harassment when he was fire chief in sarasota, florida. in a one-on-one interview with news4, he denies the allegations. >> i never meant to never intended to and never did harass anybody or anything like this and i think the article clearly said i didn't say anything to anybody that was disrespectful, i didn't touch anybody. >> reporter: the newspaper reports the woman said ellerbee leered at her several times and dismissed her complaints w

darcy spencer is in thornberg, virginia in spotsylvania county with more. >> reporter: it's looking really on the slushy side. earlier today it was like a winter wonderland and a half hour ago we had a little snow shower that came through. now a lot of people thought their snowball making days were over for the season so today they were caught off guard. on the prince william parkway, no snow. a little further south in fredericksburg there was snow but not enough to delay. further south some residents say they got half a foot. were you expecting to hit this kind of snow? >> no. actually i was in south carolina where it was like 70 so we hit this and it was like oh, okay. >> reporter: this guy was walking his dog gemini in a pair of shorts in the middle of a snowstorm, traveling from north carolina, accumulating snow was the last thing he expected. how is gemini taking this? >> he's confused. he's from florida, so he's not used to the snow. >> reporter: jackson has to get his walk in, too, the first time this labradoodle's paws have been this cold. he's never been in snow before? >> never b

darcy spencer has our report. >> reporter: $70,000 worth of d.c.d ems polo shirts are sitting in boxes inside this warehouse. so why haven't they been distributed? it all boils down to a controversy over this patch. d.c. fire and ems chief kenneth ellerbe won't hand them out because of this patch. he wants firefighters and ems workers to wear uniforms affixed with this patch. >> if we can get money back for them, fine. if we can't, we usually hire about 100 summer employees. we may let them wear the shirts. i don't want to waste anything. >> reporter: the 1700 polo shirts were ordered by former fire chief dennis rubin, who had started to phase in the new patch. but the shirts have apparently been gathering dust in the warehouse for about a year. >> it affects morale overall. >> reporter: how so? >> the employees don't feel valued. >> reporter: the union argues that the shirts which are fire resistive should be worn, not put on the shelf. >> it's been a huge push for fire resistive wear. we're not backing off from that. these shirts have been provid

in suitland, darcy spencer, "news4 today." [ honking ] >>> hundreds gathered at a church in chardon,o, to say good-bye to one of the students killed at a high school shooting. 16-year-old daniel parmertor was late to rest yesterday. friends and family remembered him as a computer whiz who just loved to laugh. students lined the street around the church holding signs that said "we are one heartbeat." the families of all three victims have agreed to donate their organs. the two other boys killed in the attack will be laid to rest this week. >>> a driver crashed into a fast-food restaurant in montgomery county. check out the damage here. the car crashed into a pizza hut along georgia avenue in silver spring yesterday afternoon. the crash shattered some windows and doors and sent glass flying everywhere. no one was hurt. the windows were boarded up and the restaurant was able to remain open for business. >>> well, the time right now is 6:36. stolen valor. how one local couple is trying to honor real american heroes while busting frauds who are posing as them. >>> and you may use facebook

news4's darcy spencer reports. >> reporter: the sign says open, but the island cafe on upshur street in the petworth neighborhood of northwest washington has been shut down by order of the police chief after a man was stabbed and seriously wounded inside the business. ma'am, can we get your comment about the business being closed? the violence broke out around 2:00 saturday morning. police say the victim was stabbed in the stomach while arguing with another man. >> that's sad, you know. in the neighborhood, stabbings, shootings, they've got to cease. this is crazy. >> never seen anything, anything out of the ordinary here at all. it's always been a beautiful place. >> reporter: this isn't the first time the chief has shut down the island cafe. she gave the same order in march of 2008 when a man was shot inside the club. some residents fought to have the bar's liquor license taken away. >> this is the third documented, clear incident with a stabbing or shooting in three years. so, i think there's clearly going to be a push to get the license revoked. >> reporter: the chief has ordered

at the tidal basin, darcy spencer, "news4 toid. >> it's a cheap date, he said. come on, now. >>> all right, this morning, many of you are recovering from st. patrick's day celebrations. ♪ >> d.j. clark's set the irish tone with bagpipes outside the famed downtown d.c. bar. inside, the day kicked off with eggs and kegs on the brunch menu. later, p.j. clark's served up corn beef and cabbage, and of course, a lot of beer. over in gaithersburg, people lined the streets for a parade. dozens of groups walked washingtonian boulevard, including dancers, clowns and bagpipe bands. the city also hosted an after party at the nearby lakefront plaza. [ cheering ] >> cheers! from president obama. the president surprised revelers at the irish pub near union station and even had a beer. a distant cousin from money gall, ireland, joined him for the trip outside the white house. one of president obama's great, great, great grandfathers emigrated from ireland in 1850, believe it or not. >>> now to "decision 2012." puerto rico's holding their primary. the tiny island offers 20 deleg

in burke, virginia, darcy spencer news 4. >>> two other 9/11 search-and-rescue dogs have been treated with the stem cell therapy and we're told they're doing well and back to their normal activity. >>> coming up tonight a very profitable technology giant apple ready to share its wealth. >>> and doug has an important forecast if you plan to head out to see the cherry blossoms this week. >>> coming up in sports the mess in the midwest. hoyas seniors facing a hash reality. peyton has finally made his decision. i'm guessing tim tebow is none too happy about it. news 4 at 6:00 continues. >>> technology giant apple has gotten so big and it makes so much money that it's ready to spread the wealth around. apple ceo announced a dividend today as well as the stock buyback plan which many see as apple's reward for turning out such popular products. >> reporter: the decision by apple ceo tim cook to pay a $2.65 per share quarterly dividend is something the late steve jobs was reluctant to do. >> it's an unsteve jobs like move to give back cash and to pay attention to wall street or acknowledge th

darcy spencer joins us.s in our newsroom with more. >> wendy, both dogs could have died from their injuries. they were apparently dumped on the side of the road after being involved in the vicious fights but a local animal hospital is providing for their care free of charge. >> hello. this is princess. >> reporter: her name is princess and she is recovering at the animal hospital in anne arundel county from life threatening bite wounds. >> she is a love bug. she will give you kisses. she's a little nervous at first but she'll start warming up and give you kisses and just loves to sit on your lap and cuddle. >> reporter: authorities believe the pit bull was a bait dog in a dog fighting operation. it's sad that someone would use these poor dogs as, you know, fighting dogs because they are so sweet and so trusting. >> reporter: princess was found wandering in a parking lot on richie highway in brooklyn park nine days ago. one of her wounds was so severe it left a gaping hole under her arm that got infected. >>

we definitely need independent eyes to review the case. >> reporter: darcy spencer, news 4. >> a grandwill consider evidence in the shooting on april 10th. the justice department is sending resources to sanford. they want to ensure that the growing tensions in that community do not boil over. tonight civil rights activist al sharpton is expected to join the city leaders in sanford. that will be at a town hall meeting where they intend to talk about the investigation. >>> d.c. councilmember david catania got emotional today as they passed a bill he has been working on for the past two years. it focuses on youth behavioral health and truancy. it comes after the murders on south capital street. nine people were shot in a drive-by shooting back in 2010. four died. today the councilmember was thanking the mother of one of the victims when he got emotional. >> i am honored and humbled -- you know, after these tragedies happened, you can't simply light a candle, walk down the street and call it a day because the people who are harmed and wounded by these actions live with these wounds and wal

reporting live from suitland, darcy spencer, news 4. >> thank you, darcy. >>> the push to bring tablend and a possible casino to prince george's county just took another step forward. this afternoon the state budget and taxation committee approved the gaming expansion bill 10-2. the measure would allow table games, black jack and such in casinos. right now only slots are allowed. the bill would also clear the way for a new casino. the national harbor could be home to that casino if voters approve it in a referendum. the gaming bill now moved to the full senate. >>> it might seem too tempting to pass up. $50 bills flying all over interstate 270. now maryland state police want the people who grabbed that money to turn it in. the cash came out of the back of an armored truck that was driving northbound on the roadway at the time just south of route 109. around 9:00 this morning is when it happened. somehow the back door came open. bags of bills ranging from 1 to $50 bills were lost. coins were spilled out, too. police say no charges will be filed if you return the cash to their rockville

. >> reporter: i'm darcy spencer in burke, virginia.his 9/11 hero and fema dog was forced into retirement because of arthritis. today she received a special treatment aimed at putting a spring back in her step. i'll have the story coming up on news 4. >>> and the harlem globetrotters show off their skills off the court. ♪ pierre! your fashion is so "right now," but your banking is so last season! earn more with high yield free checking at capital one bank. instead of some unfashionable rate, your checking could be earning five times the national average. and free atms anywhere. five times the interest? that's hot. oooooo! let's catwalk! you want more interest? open an account at a capital one bank. what's in your wallet? does this make my tuches look big? >>> the hoyas look sad. >> yes. >> that was sad. >> the ncaa tournament is always tough because everybody comes home sad except the eventual champion. >> the winner. >> georgetown back home after getting knocked out of the ncaa tournament by north carolina state yesterday. it's the thi

darcy spencer with our report. >> reporter: statistics show prince george's county has the highest number of pedestrian fatalities in the state. do you think it's dangerous in the county trying to cross the roads? >> yes it is. cars don't stop most of the time. it's dangerous out here. >> reporter: in 2009 and 2010 there were 23 pedestrian deaths in prince george's. last year two dozen. police say in 75% of the cases the pedestrian was at fault. >> i think they should improve on what they're doing, much better than they're doing. >> wait for the white sign that says it's okay to walk. >> reporter: for the first time in a decade the county has joined the metro area's street smart campaign. on wednesday officers were in langley park and other areas in the county providing information to walkers in english and spanish before a push to begin enforcement next week. >> we notice a high volume of pedestrian traffic that aren't obeying the pedestrian laws such as crossing at crosswalks or they're crossing into traffic. >> reporter: in january of this year michael thomas and mildred freeman were s

. >> darcy spencer, news 4. >>> the national association of black journalists is reporting that the martin family is planning a civil lawsuit in connection with the case. the target will most likely be the homeowners association where zimmerman was a neighborhood watch captain. turning now to our weather, a gray day with drizzle. is heavier rain in the works? chuck bell is in storm center 4. chuck? >>> yes, indeed. heavier rain is definitely on the radar now just down to our south and west. it's raining cats and dogs down in charlottesville right now. temperatures 55 drizzly degrees here in washington but 64 in fredericksburg where the warmer air lies down to our south. we have the cool stable marine layer. light rain and drizzle on the western side of the metro now but showers and some stronger thunderstorms now. no severe weather but plenty of thunder and heavy raun to charlottesville. you folks in stafford, spotsylvania, be on the lookout. some late night rumbles of thunder. what about tomorrow and the rest of the week? that's coming up, chris. >>> thank you, chuck. there is still no wo

news 4's darcy spencer joins us live from the scene with no information she has just gathered. >> reporter: yeah, chris, just within the last couple of minutes i was able to find out that they actually found two letters at this restaurant with white powder, with what's believed to be white powder. you can see this investigation is still taking place about half the block up here on i street. initially a restaurant employee opened one letter and found white powder. that initiated the investigation. during the course of them being inside the restaurant, they found a second letter. the first letter, that substance was tested and deemed to be harmless. d.c. hazardous materials crews were called to the blt steak restaurant in downtown washington near the white house just before 4:00 this afternoon for a suspicious letter. apparently a letter containing white powder was delivered here and opened by a restaurant employee in an office. what do you think about that given the fact that you're close to it? >> it's kind of scary, but you know, it's 2012 and that's just how the world operates, unfortuna

news4's darcy spencer was in freedom plaza where hundreds of people gathered. >> reporter: at the wilson building in downtown d.c., hundreds rallied and called for an arrest in the shooting death of 17-year-old trayvon martin. >> trayvon will never have the privilege of hearing a dad call me dad de, a life with so much promise snatched from us. >> he was shot and killed by this man. zimmerman claims he fired in self-defense. sanford police declined to press charges. >> i just feel sorry for him. he did not do anything. he was just walking in the street. if you shot him, you didn't have to use that. he could have skrus called the police. >> it's shocking this day and age a 17-year-old boy would be shot down for walking to the store. whatever your race or religion, this is just a tragedy. >> as protests are being held across the country, the police department is warning against vigilanteism. zipperman's attorney says he's aware of the public outcry and threats. zimmerman says trayvon martin attacked him. >> i can't say as to where he is, because i don't know. >> those statements unlikely t

darcie spencer was in the courtroom, and she's here to tell us what happened there. >> wendy, at the sentencing today, a prosecutor said he has an unhealthy fascination with fire. after setting the blazes, he would often call 911 and knock on doors. he wanted to be a hero. the fire on 48th place last april flashed over. the roof collapsed, trapping and injuring several d.c. firefighter zplz it's really -- i thought i was going to die. >> he sustained burns to his hands and arms. he gave a victim pact statement today as the man who admitted to setting the fire was sentenced. >> this is something that's going to affect all us directly involved for the rest of our lives. we're never going to forget it. >> maurice admitted to setting at least eight fires in d.c. and prince georges county over the span of three and a half years, he was sentenced to 25 years behind bars. in court, he said, i take full responsibility for it. i'm trying to get myself together to get the help i need so i can come back. prosecutorers outlined a bizarre motive for the crimes. he said the fire so he could be par

darcy spencer here now to tell us why. darcy?porter: the shirts are gathering dust in a warehouse here in the district because they have this patch on them. it's the patch used by the former fire chief. the current fire chief says it's an unofficial logo. inside this warehouse in northeast d.c. sits $70,000 worth of d.c. fire and ems department polo shirts packed away in boxes. chief kenneth ellerbe won't distribute them because sewn on to this is this patch used by the former fire chief. ellerbe wants firefighters to wear uniforms with this patch. >> i don't want to waste anything. i don't want to be faced with something somebody else ordered. sometimes there is trickery in terms of one administration to another as well. >> reporter: the 1700 polo shirts were ordered by former fire chief dennis rubin who started to phase in the new patch. but they have been gathering dust in the warehouse for about a year. ed smith, president of the union representing d.c. firefighters explains the difference. this is the patch that is back in u

darcy spencer has new developments. >> reporter: the justice department is investigating to make surerly by authorities in sanford, florida.

darcie spencer has more on the motive for that arson spree. >> reporter: was it good being there and able to state how this impacted you? >> absolutely. >> reporter: robert alvarado gave a victim pact statement in court as the man who set the fire that injured him was sentenced for his arson spree. >> this is something that's going to affect all of us for the rest of our lives. never going to forget it. >> reporter: the fire in northeast washington last april flashed over, the roof collapsed, trapping and injuring several d.c. firefighters. >> truly, i thought i was going to die. >> reporter: maurice dues admitted to setting at least eight fires over the span of three and a half years. he was sentenced to 25 years behind bars. in court, he said, i take full responsibility for it, i'm trying to get myself together to get the help i need so i can come back. prosecutors say he set the fire so he could be part of a rescue mission. on some fire scenes he took action to help people escape harm after setting the blaze. is prosecutors say as the flames were burning here at the house on 48th

darcy spencer reports. >> i never meant to never intended to or never did harass anybody. >> reporter: ellerbee called to testify as chief of d.c. fire and ems department on the same way the washington times reports a woman accused him of sexual harassment when he was fire chief in sarasota, florida. >> when i looked at the article, the deputy chief said my time there was valuable. >> reporter: he denies the allegations in a one-on-one article. >> the article said i didn't say anything to anybody that was disrespectful, accident trust anybody. >> reporter: newspaper reports the woman says ellerbee leered at her several times and dismissed her complaints with disparaging remarks and allegations by a couple of female firefighters and earliby looked them up and down and talked to their chests. >> i think what they were referring to was a uniform inspection activity. if you were to find out my name right now, how would you find out my name? >> looking at your tag. >> okay that's where most people in the public safety wear their identification. >> reporter: the report notes that ellerbee's

reporting live from the newsroom, darcy spencer, news 4. >>> a 16-year-old girl has been assaulted walking home from whitson high school. it happened yesterday around 4:00 on a popular path near pickett road. that is just three miles away from another sexual assault last week. in the latest case the girl says the man grabbed her neck and dragged her into the woods. there was a struggle, she screamed and he ran off. the victim ran to a nearby house to get help. police are trying to figure out if the attacks are connected. >>> there is a new lawsuit over bullying filed in montgomery county today, but the alleged victims are teachers. the accused bully, the principal. news 4's chris gordon is live on the reportedly outrageous actions some teachers say forced them out of their jobs. >> reporter: the teachers tell me they wouldn't have filed this lawsuit here at the montgomery county circuit court if there had been any alternative. but they say for the past four and a half years at their school, things have gone from bad to worse. the teachers and their attorney filed the lawsuit against the mo

darcy spencer spent the day in thornberg, virginia, down in

darcy spencer talked with ellerbee a few minutes ago and we will have a live report coming up on news4 at 5:00. >>> he has hit the road an emotional farewell today for colts quarterback peyton manning. at a giant news conference, the team owner announced he was releasing manning after 14 years in indianapolis. the two men said they had long discussions about moving forward together but in the end, the most logical decision was to part company. >> nobody has had it better than i have playing for the indianapolis colts these 14 years. i can't say how thankful and how fortunate i feel to have played here but, yeah, i still -- i love playing quarterback. >> the 18 jersey will never be worn again by a colt on the field. >> manning says he fully intends to play football next season. there are plenty of teams who are interested, including the redskins. so, stay tuned. >>> when news4 at four continues, snooki says it's true, she is pregnant. how the "jersey shore" star is preparing for motherhood. >>> why was nicolette sheridan's character killed off desperate housewives? >> and prince harry s

reporting live from thornberg, virginia, darcy spencer, news 4. >> thanks. we saw some clouds of snow showers actually behind her. is that right, doug? >> that's right. take a look at that picture. what you're seeing right there is actually snow falling from the clouds. you may not see it there but to the right let's go back to the right, guys, you see clearing skies here, that right there you see it coming down almost looks like a thunderstorm. that is actually a snow shower. should we put it behind me here? i'll step back. but out there right now this is the snowstorm here. you see it over the last 12 hours making its way through the area. most of us and most of the areas, most of the people watching right now didn't see much at all. just seeing some snow showers. but look down to the south. an abundance of snow upwards of 3 to 6 inches in some locations. some areas picking up as much as 10 inches of snow and we're not quite done yet. as a matter of fact, darcy right now, if you can still hear me just to let you know, here you are right here in spotsylvani