derek valcourt wjz eyewitness news. >> thank you. what is bge saying? rob gold, spokesperson for bge. you told us 170,000 homes without power. is there any up diet that? >> -- is there any update to that? >> it dropped by 1,000. well over 2/3 of the customers we lost we've restered in just about -- restored in just about three days, half a million people. we've got a lot of equipment, a lot of people here. we should make a good dent in that number today. as we move towards the rest of the week we will see the number decline. towards the end of the restoration we will start to get to the individual homes where there's a poll that has one wire that goes to a home, it's their service. that's where it begins to get a bit tedious and the numbers start to slow down because of the labor intensive nature of going from one home to another. >> if you're that person on that one pole system you're thinking about yourself as you would be. you were telling us yesterday that it was going to be saturday or sunday before you think you'll have everybody restored. any cha

derek valcourt has concerns over the possible salary increase. derek? >> reporter: we're not talking about a large increase. we're talking about a 4.1% increase if approved but it comes after the closure of two fire companies and it has some folks crying foul. >> it's infuriating. really is. >> ianthea darling is not happy that the firefighters who run near her are slated to close. which is why they are considering giving fire chief james clack a $3200 raise next year has her so upset. >> people's lives are in danger. and you're talking about giving someone a pay raise? please. come on. >> reporter: mayor stephanie rawlings-blake wants a contract extension for clack until 2018, with incremental pay raises. chief clack released a statement to wjz saying, i am very happy that the mayor has asked me to continue to serve as fire chief for the next several years. we have made great progress and have more work to do. >> reporter: the mayor also issued a statement, praising the fire chief and touting his accomplishment. >> the mayor points to only 17 last year

i'm derek valcourt.lain coming up on,,,, ♪ [ horn honks ] ♪ oh, those were the best of days ♪ ♪ i still feel the summer rays ♪ that graced our backs as we went down the lane ♪ [ horn honks ] [ male announcer ] when your car is more than just a car to you, the right insurance matters. are you getting the coverage options you need and the discounts you deserve? for an agent or quote, call 800-my-coverage >>> coming up on eyewitness news at 6:00, penn state punishment, hands down harsh penalties in the wake of the jerry sandusky case. wjz has complete coverage of the penalties and the impact. >>> the man accused of the horrific shootings in colorado appears in court, what victims are saying tonight. >> new concerns about the safety of the bay bridge, why drivers are calling for changes before it's too late. >> and is much needed rain on the way? bob will have the answer in his upcoming forecast. >> check in for all these stories and breaking news. >> wjz eyewitness news starts now. >>> no mercy, the ncaa ha

derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness muse. >>> derek. you, howard police offering a reward for information that leads to pham's arrest. >>> the families of two american missionaries in england are hoping their quickly released. tribes men took them hostage. they're demanding police release their uncle from prison in exchange for the americans. today the u.s. embassy is in close contact with egyptian authorities. >>> the obama campaign and mitt romney butt heads over the economy. drew levinson has tonight's campaign 2012 report. >> reporter: while mitt romney spent sunday at church, president obama's advisors again hammered him over when he left his company. he was still in charge through 2002. a period when bane shipped jobs overseas. >> when you're signing a document that says you're the chairman of the board and 100% ownership of a company in what world are you living in that you're not in charge. >> i think it is very troubling that the president would direct his campaign to label someone like governor romney as a felon. >> reporter:

derek valcourt has more on why bge officials say that this is all necessary, what's the deal? >> reporter: bge says that increase would amount to a little more than $11 extra each month for their average customer. but customers many of them say it's unfair they say they are already paying plenty. >> reporter: one month after a massive storm that left hundreds of thousands of its customers without power for days, bge says it wants to raise its rate under the distribution portion of the bill. that's the amount they charge to deliver the electricity to your home. a spokesman says the money is needed to update their infrastructure. >> this is a bad time to be asking for an increase. there is no good time in this economic environment and we get that. we are not tone deaf to that. but on the other hand. if we do not seek you know the enhancement of our infrastructure and continue to keep it in good repair both from a safe perspective and reliability perspective we will fall behind. >> reporter: bg & e says it's only increased the distribution prices one other time in the last decade

i'm derek valcourt, at the arundel live casino. they're raking in big bucks. dollars in the state. and for lucky winners. that's coming up. >>> check in for more on these stories and all the day's breaking news. >> wjz eyewitness news at 6:00 starts now. >>> holiday heat. temperatures soar, with tens of thousands of people still without power. >> how much longer will repairs take? >> hello, everybody. i'm denise koch. >> and i'm vic carter. here's what people are talking about tonight. >> five days after the monster storm, and still thousands of people are spending fourth of july without air conditioning or power. crews continue to work around the clock, clearing

we're live, derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> derek, thank you. last year, the public service commission ruled utility companies can collect a fee on losses incurred during the first 24 hours of a storm. >>> animal rescuers are nursing a dog back to health, after someone threw him into a trash can in baltimore. vic is in the newsroom with more on the dog's condition. vic? >> mary, it's another disturbing case of animal abuse in the city. someone discovered the dog inside a trash can monday, severely emaciated. veterinarians believe he is about 5 years old, but only weighs about 27 pounds. the dog named thor continues to receive help from the animal care shelter. police are looking into the case. >> what is hartbreak -- that is heartbreaking to see, vic. the center needs donations for thor's medical bills. he will be put up for adoption once he is recovered. >>> a major drug bust on i-95. wjz is live at state police headquarters in pikesville. rochelle ritchie is there and explains how that bus went down. rochelle? >> reporter: well, kai, state pol

we're live, derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. jessica? >> reporter: derek, thank you. hughes the latest-- here's the latest on this severe weather. right now, more than 147,000 are without power. utility companies say could take more days. and so far, six storms are blamed on the heat. you can find forecast updates any time on wjz.com. well, the weather, definitely a concern for tomorrow's fourth of july celebrations. and so is the potential for violence in those big crowds. in baltimore, the holiday has police taking action. wjz is live downtown. adam may is live at harbor east, and the look at the sta's safety plan. >> so many issues, mary. the strategy of this new plan is really straightforward. that is to avoid a repeat of what happened. >> reporter: fights, shootings and violence, last fourth of july, at baltimore's inner harbor, left a scar on the city many will never forget. >> people that are planning to come down to act like troublemakers or to cause problems, will be dealt with very swiftly. >> reporter: top brass unveil a new strategy to keep people safe. re

derek valcourt. >> thank you, derek. stay with wjz for first warning weather forecast with the latest on weather advisories, wjz.com. >>> we have breaking news from eastern baltimore county. there's a fire. battle a two alarm fire, a transformer caught fire. we have more on this breaking story coming up all new at 5:00 and 6:00. >>> the body of a swimmer in the bush river is recovered. jemandu long was found in the river trying to cool off. suspected he drowned but the state medical examiner will make the official ruling. >>> the f.a.a. is montgomery county investigated a small plane crash. denise in the newsroom. denise? >> it crashed near the rural airfield. the plane recently passed its inspection and was in order. kai? >> all right, denise. thank you. the latest will be at 5:00 and 6:00. >>> johns hopkins hospital is nudged out as the nation's top ranked hospital for the first time in 22 years. johns hopkins is number two now, which is still nothing to be embarrassed about. the difference is simply one more nationall

derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >>>. >> all right, thank you very much derek. the apartment building is owned by the housing authority. >>> two men are in custody for the robbery of a 7/11 store. the men arrested shortly after holding up the 7/11. police say one man was armed with a handgun the other had a sword. at one point the clerk was punched before the suspects fled. >>> many police departments used cameras to record you. now a civil rights group says you should be able to turn the cameras on police without fear. wjz is live, adam may has the latest on the ongoing legal debate over video taping police. >> today almost three dozen police agencies across maryland got a letter from the aclu. the aclu says that some of them are not doing enough to protect your constitutional rights. this 2010 scuffle between baltimore police and a woman at preakness set up a legal fire storm when police seized the phone of an eyewitness who took video. then when chris sharp got his phone back the video and other videos of his children were all deleted. >> the way it was expla

our first warning weather coverage continues with derek valcourt.w the city is trying to keep that number from growing. >> outside it's a scorcher, inside health city offices it's the phones heating up. >> this is kimberly. i'm call calling from the baltimore city health department. how are you doing? we're calling our senior citizens to make sure that you're doing okay. >> the city set up a phone bank calling thousands of baltimore residents over the age of 80, checking on how they're handling the heat. those who don't answer may get a visit. >> we're going door to door, doing everything we can to make sure we reduce the number of heat related deaths. >> already maryland has seen two deaths from the heat. doctors say those most at risk have underlying health problems. >> they do worse with the heat and they do worse with every day of the heat. you can see increasing problems and increasing deaths as the heat waive goes on. >> but it's so hot even healthy adults are having trouble. >> i've gotten dizzy. i decide decided to carry an umbrella today be

derek valcourt is live with the clean up from when's storms but let's begin with bob turk who is tracking new storms in maryland right now. >> these are not severe but there are some areas with heavy downpours. we have a batch of activity north of the city and southwest of us as well, particularly on the beaches. local area, some good stuff going on across portions of hartford county, bel air, that's all moving pretty much from northwest to southeast towards the eastern shore. another batch to the northwest of the city around westminster and ham stead and up by pretty boy dam, that's moving off to the southeast. these showers are going to be moving into baltimore county. i think we have a chance in the baltimore region of getting some of this stuff here closer to our area very shortly, in the next hour or two. you could see some heavy downpours and maybe some lightening as well. haven't had any reports of any gusty winds. these are typical afternoon thunderstorms. tomorrow this front will kind of stall out. it looks like we will have a chance of more rain, maybe some drenching thunderstor

wjz is live at the shopping center, derek valcourt has the latest on the search, derek. >> reporter: one of the victims worked here at the nail salon. she was apparently afraid of her ex-boyfriend, even had a restraining order out against him. she's in the hospital, he's on the run. when gunfire erupted inside the nail and hair care spa saturday night -- >> it was frightening. >> reporter: christa lopez was one of the employees that ran for cover. the gunman, tuan pham shot the mother of his two children the áf. he is also accused of shooting her male friend who was waiting to pick her up after her shift. >> i heard what i thought were fire crackers and i ended looking out and a man was running away with a gun in his hand. >> reporter: police found pham's get away car. it was abandoned 2-1/2 miles away from the crime scene. >> everybody is praying that he gets caught. >> reporter: lopez credits motorcycle riders eating at a restaurant for helping victims. >> all the community helped. >> i guess it can happen any place but once again it's not going to deter me from coming back. >> rep

derek valcourt breaks it down. >> reporter: black tape covers the number on city truck 10, a sign of loss. a death in the family. truck 10 is one of three fire companies permanently closed under a major restructuring plan that eliminates the rotating closures forced on the fire department years ago by budget cuts. >> this means that every day, 24 hours a day we know exactly where all of our fire suppression companies are. >> effective today, the fire company of about two dozen firefighters that operates truck 15 in east baltimore and squad 11 near john hopkins are no more. those firefighters have been reassigned to other fire stations and to ensure each community can be covered in an emergency several other fire companies will be relocated to other fire stations. >> i want to reassure the community that when you call 911, you will get the same high level of emergency medical services as well as fire protection. >> reporter: the two companies closed today. truck ten gets a temporary reprieve. they will be responding to calls until october 1. >> we will fight like hell to keep that ope

derek valcourt reports this morning.lice think they have a motive and new lead in the case. >> when gunfire erupted inside the nail and hair care spa saturday night. >> it was frightening. >> employee employees ran for cover. the gun man 35-year-old shot shot. >> i heard fire washingers -- fire crackers. i see the gun running with a gun. >> how ard county police found pham's get away car. it was abandoned some 2 and a half miles away from the crime scene. >> everybody is hoping and praying he gets caught. >> some motorcycle riders helped treat the victims and restore calm until the police arrived. >> the community really helped. >> employee s are still shaken, the salon business is getting back to normal with supportive customers saying they understand it was an isolated incident. >> it's not going to defer me from coming back. >> pham faces charges of first and second degree murder when he's captured. >> their conditions have been upgraded from critical to serious and fair. >>> it's a big day for the obesity drug knexa.

derek valcourt, wjz. >> good news, they are making some headway derek. >>> here are the latest numbers from bge. the largest number of power remained in ball mother county with 75,000. a little fewer than that in baltimore city. and in an run dell 54 54,000 people remain in the dark. >>> now to bernadette woods. a lot going on. >> first we're going to start out with friday night's storms, this is still the big story of why we had these power outages. we had this line of thunderstorms come through. that whole line taking everybody down with it. we saw wind gusts over 70 miles per hour. we were talking about yesterday. that's equivalent to hurricane force wind gusts. you see it made its way to the eastern shore and eventually out to sea. behind it, a look at doppler radar and show you that what we have going on. here's a look at that storm. off to the northwest this is really building into a big complex and it's going to continue tracking to the east- northeast. this is still hours away. we could see these storms moving our direction. and so far they have had the history of being severe.

derek valcourt has more on that. >> reporter: bge says essentially in this 57-page report, that it's due to the bizarre and massive storm that ripped through just last month, they said they did the best they could. >> reporter: the devastating storm struck maryland with a vengeance. and when it was all over, parts of maryland looked like a war zone, leaving 760,000 bge customers without power. many of them frustrated, waiting days in the sweltering heat, as the overwhelmed utility company went to work. >> they should have been here by now. >> two or three days. and i don't see trucks working. >> reporter: so all of bge crews went to work right away. this just-released report from the company to the maryland public service commission indicates bge struggled to bring in help from out-of-state workers. in part, because it struck with little warning, unlike hurricanes which are forecast days in advance. >> had we had the advanced notice, the ability to set down 1,000 out of state workers before it could hit, one could presume we would have restored power even quicker. >> reporter: it too

live at city hall, derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> thank you very much, derek. the chief's contract allows for the mayor to terminate the chief's employment at any time if she chooses. >>> for breaking news we're following, sky eye chopper 13 is over the scene of an accident in on i-83 northbound. >> two lanes of traffic getting by on the left of this three- car accident on the jones falls expressway, northbound, right before ruxton road. and at least one person has been in the ambulance for transport. and the traffic is backing up quite a bit. as more people are leaving the city northbound. reporting live from sky eye chopper 13. i'm captain jeff long. now, back to you. >> okay, jeff. thank you. >>> police are asking for your help, finding two men wanted for allegedly engaging in sex acts with an underaged girl. take a look at these two men. 19-year-old nicholas jackson and lawrence mayo. investigators say they took a 13-year-old girl to a home where the girl engaged in sexual activity with both men. each is charged with second- degree rape. anyone with informa

. >> derek valcourt, live tonight. jerry sandusky is still awaiting sentencing after being convicted of 45 criminal counts of abusing boys. >>> you may want to save a little extra cash if you're planning a road trip any time soon. gas prices are up for the third straight week. experts say there's no relief in sight until maybe after labor day. during may and june things went down but then we hit july and the numbers they actually tripled. experts say this is not at all normal for this time of year. >> nothing has been typical about gas prices this year. we saw them extremely high earlier in the year when typically they are lower because demand is down. then they typically increase a bit during the spring. particularly when we see the refineries do the switch over from the winter field blend to the more expensive spring and summer blends. this year has been off where they did go up a bit. >>> here's the numbers, the current area average is $3.47. last year we were paying $3.34. real steady incline there. >>> more to com

first warning weather coverage continues now with derek valcourt at the poor pool -- pool at the park. good afternoon, derek. >> reporter: good afternoon. a lot of folks already jumping in the pool, just opened its doors a couple minutes ago. as you can imagine kids were lining up wait withing to get in. -- were lining up waiting to get in. this is the 11th heat advisory so far this year. if you don't take it seriously, it can catch up with you right quick. >> all you have to do is step outside to feel the effects. >> sweat, my hair goes crazy. you know , i can't even wear any make up. no one has been wearing anything on their face. >> it's been way too hot. >> health officials call this weather dangerous. so far extreme heat has contributed to the deaths of 23 people in maryland, ball -- baltimore city recording more than any other jurisdiction. >> day after day after day of high heat, the most as vulnerable of us in the community are even more as vulnerable, so that includes the elderly folks with underlying heart conditions. it's critical for them to be in cool spaces where they ca

derek valcourt has reaction to the controversial decision. >> reporter: over the course of the six-year contract, the fire chief would earn an extra 18% pay raise. >> reporter: just days after the controversial closure of two fire companies, due to budget constraints, the city's board of estimates in a 3-2 vote, decided to grant the mayor's request to extend city fire chief james clack's contract until 2018. the vote grants clack $28,700 worth of pay increases over seven years, a 2% over all years, except year 4, where he would earn $8%, nearly $14,000. the mayor touted clack's accomplishments as fire chief, pointing to a record low 17 fire fatalities last year and only three this year. >> i believe allowing to extend his contract would improve public safety in the city. >> reporter: but the pay increase outrages firefighters and their union representatives. >> if there's no money there's no money. we should all feel the pain. it's my opinion, we should just turn the raise down. again, it's a slap in the face to the people that he leads. >> you don't give yourself a raise, you don't acc

derek valcourt in north baltimore, with more on what you need to know to stay safe. derek? >> reporter: again, four people have been confirmed dead. all due to the heat. and health officials know that the reality is there will likely be more. >> reporter: in this heat wave, much of maryland is baking. folks trying to stay cool any way they can. >> i get very, very concerned about the alloys. >> reporter: state health officials concerned, too. already four deaths from the heat. two from baltimore city. one in montgomery county, and another in wicomico county. doctors say those at risk have underlying health problems. >> they work with the heat. and they do work with every day of the heat. so you can see increasing problems and increasing deaths, as a heat wave goes on. >> reporter: but it's so hot, even healthy adults are having trouble. >> i've gotten dizzy. so i decided to carry an umbrella today. because the heat just pounds on you. and it's excruciating. >> reporter: that's why the city health department took to the phones. >> hi. this is kimberly. i'm calling from the b

and as derek valcourt explains, jackpot winners aren't the only ones raking in the cash. >> reporter: the early numbers here at maryland live casino have been impressive. they are bringing in more than a million dollars a day in gaming revenue. >> reporter: the machines are on and the seats are full. in fact, maryland live casino estimates about 20,000 customers a day are rolling in through their doors. gamblers seem to love it. >> it is always something. >> reporter: jumping for swroi are the -- joy are the winners. already $169 million, paid out to those with luck on their side. several of the luckiest, have walked home with $50,000 jackpots. >> one lady who very first trip to a casino. we had given her a free play to come try. she hit on her first spin. she didn't even understand what happened until we started bringing her out the money. excited as could be. >> reporter: the casino made $28.4 million in less than one month of operation, after payouts. >> i think that's awesome. >> reporter: the state gets 67%. that means maryland live has already paid in taxes. money that goes into

derek valcourt has more on the video and the growing problem of flash mob crimes in maryland. >> reporter: as you're about to see, when this kind of crime happens, so many teenagers take part, that there is little that store owners and employees can do to stop it. >> reporter: may stweard -- 23rd, at this the 7-eleven on light street, surveillance cameras recorded as the teens went to the back of the store. when store employees in the red shirts realized what was happening, they blocked the doors to stop the young thieves from leaving. but the kids physically struggle to get out and even appear to hit the store manager, who then swings back. after the brief altercation, many kids dash out the door. witnesses saw it all. >> they really started hitting that guy. he couldn't keep getting beat on. so he eventually let them out. and then they just ran. >> reporter: after reviewing this surveillance video, the baltimore district attorney's office opted not to pursue criminal charges in the case, saying not every conflict warrants them. joons what happened here is not an isolated incident. it is

live in west baltimore, derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> all right. thank you very much, derek. now, it's important to point out, no fire stations are closing. and no firefighters will lose their jobs as a result of this restructuring. >>> the washington monument down in d.c. may be closed to the public for much longer than previously expected. the historic 550-feet tall tower suffered serious damage at last summer's east coast earthquake. massive scaffolding will now have to be built around the top of the monument to make repairs at the very top. it could keep it closed until 2014. and the repairs could cost more than $15 million. >>> keeping money in the pockets of most americans. president obama is now urging congress to extend those tax cuts for middle class americans while letting them expire for top earners. tonight, danielle nottingham reports for wjz from the white house. >>> president obama positioned himself as a middle class warrior, challenging congress to immediately renew bush-era tax cuts, only for americans who make less than $250,000

i'm derek valcourt.ou one of the videos coming up on eyewitness news. >>> this is mark viviano in owings mills. a blazing had the start to ravens training camp. we'll hear from ray lewis and ray lice, when eyewitness news continues. ray lice, when eyewitness news continues. >>> sweltering continues return. how long will this blast of heat last? don't miss the updated first warning forecast. check in for these stories and all the day's breaking news. wjz eyewitness news at 6:00 starts now. >>> wanted. a picture of a suspect in the abduction of cal ripken's mom. >> tonight, what police know about this man. >> hello, everyone. i'm vic carter. >> and i'm denise koch. here's what people are talking about tonight. >>> one step closer to cracking the case. a picture of the suspect wanted in connon

derek valcourt has the latest on the investigation. >> reporter: police do not know exactly what happenedin fact, they are not certain how long this woman had been dead. >> saturday night just before 7:00 police were called to this apartment building, on 29th street in charles village. inside one of the apartments they found a badly decomposing body of a woman. police say it appears she had been dead for one week and her corpse was not alone. >> there was an individual who was inside of the apartment with her. she was taken into custody and questioned. at this point no charges have been brought. >> the woman's body has been sent for an autopsy and police are waiting to determine her cause of death and if charges will be filed. >> reporter: police say they do know who they woman is but are not releasing her identity yet. she's 41 and that apartment was not hers. jessica. >> thank you . commuters in downtown baltimore will have to deal with traffic detours for a few more weeks. light street will continue to be shut down as crews work to repair the 133-year-old water main that ruptured last

first we go to derek valcourt with more on the damage those fierce storms caused around the state. good afternoon. >> reporter: hi. the storms that rolled through last night nowhere near as powerful as the ones we saw on june 29th but the storms that rolled through last night did knock down some trees, some power lines and ef -- even sparked a couple of house fires. >> what started out as a scorcher of a weather day with record breaking heat. >> it feels like you're in a furnace. >> it's like walking into a sauna. >> soon took a wild and wicked turn. from chopper 13 you can see the line of storms stretch across the region bringing intense rain and at times fierce lightening. it was a lightening bolt that struck the home of edward thomas and his wife. >> i was looking out the back door and saw sparks like a flare going off back. i yelled to my wife we've been hit by lightening. >> as the two made their way out and called 911 fire began to damage their home. firefighters got the blaze under control but not before extensive damage. >> what's not burnt is water damaged. >> high winds t

>> that was derek valcourt reporting. now, it is important to point out, no fire stations are closing. and no firefighters will lose their jobs as a result of this restructuring. >> on top of days of power outages, now comes an urgent request to conserve water. it's going out to the 1.8 million people tied to the baltimore water system. alex demetrick reports, it's the first step in stopping a potential disaster. >> reporter: when big water mains break, like this one in halethorpe, a few years ago, or this one in dundalk, big damage follows. and now, a water main just as big is threatening to give way. >> we've gotten ahead of a potential serious matter. >> reporter: it was found with a robotic tool that baltimore's dpw started using last march. scanning from inside, it discovered a metal layer, called restressing wire that is rusting away, the same cause of past major breaks. >> putting the ground back in the 70s. ask they were manufactured by companies that really didn't know how to manufacture pipe very well. >> report

we're live, derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> thank you, derek. stay with wjz for first warning weather coverage. >>> there are still plenty of headaches. mike hellgren has new information on the repairs. >> reporter: as crews work in the triple digit heat, they're ready to go underthe street to repair the broken street. patience is wearing thin. with no water, some businesses remain shut down. >> we lose about $4,000 to $5,000. >> reporter: it will be three streets before they're opened at lombard wjz has learned the main has been identified at high risk before the break, but no immediate plans for repair. >> it's not the first time we had to deal with it. at the rate we're going, it won't be the last. >> reporter: five miles of pipe a year is replaced a year, but they're trying to increase it to 40. there are high-tech methods to search for the leaking mains. the director of public works hopes using that technology will keep the agency ahead of disaster. >> we probably won't be able to use all the pipes, but there's some things you can do to giv

derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> wjz 13 checking in for first warning weather coverage. for updates on the forecast, go to wjz.com. >>> right now, crews are hard at work trying to repair the broken water main in the heart of the city. sky chopper 13 is live right now where there's gridlock and extensive work is done on the main. mike hellgren has new information on the repairs. >> reporter: the line that broke here previously classified as high risk and the time estimate to fix it has not changed. it's still three weeks. the new pipe has arrived, ready to go seven feet under light street replacing the broken main that ruptured monday creating chaos. traffic is still snarled here and patience is wearing thin. some businesses remain shot down with no water. >> lose $4,000 to $5,000. >> reporter: it will be three weeks before light street opens between baltimore and lombard. >> every year. make sure they are under the ground. >> reporter: wjz learned the main was identified as high risk before the break but there were no immediate plans for repair. >> this is not the first

derek valcourt with the growing health dangers from this heat. derek? >> reporter: it can make folks miserable, kai. city officials opened up pools for an extra hour today and tomorrow as they deal with another code red day and folks trying to beat the heat. everyone has their own words for it. >> miserable. >> scalding. >> sticky. >> reporter: all you have to do step outside to feel the effect. >> sweat. my hair goes crazy. you know, i can't even wear make-up. no one is wearing anything on their face. it's way too hot. >> reporter: health officials call this weather dangerous and extreme heat has contributed to the death of 23 people in maryland. baltimore city reporting more than any other jurisdiction. >> the danger is with day after day after day of high heat, the most vulnerable of us in the community are even more vulnerable, so that includes the elerly folks with underlying health conditions and it's critical for them to be in cool spaces to stay hydrated. >> reporter: hydration is the key for survival for anyone working outdoors. roofers baking

derek valcourt has the latest from city police. >> police say they are not sure exactly what happened. in fact, they aren't certain how long this woman had been dead. >> saturday night just before 7:00 police were called to this apartment building on 29th street isn't the southern area of charles village. inside one of the apartments they found a badly decomposing body of a woman. police say it appears she had been dead for at least one week and her corpse was not alone. >> upon entering into the apartment there was an individual who was inside of the apartment with her. she was taken into custody and questioned. at this point no charges will be brought forward. >> the woman's body has been sent for an autopsy and police are waiting for those results to determine her cause of death. >> police say they do know who that woman is, although they are not releasing her name. they can tell us she was 41 years old and the apartment where her body was found was not hers. >> the apartment building where her body was discovered is owned by the baltimore city housing e authority. ed -- housing au

derek valcourt has more on this controversial policy. derek? >> reporter: it sounds strange. but it is all legal. you might not have had power for days, but bge can still collect a special charge on your bill. >> reporter: a lot of tall trees surround monty reiner's pikeville home, part of why she loses power a lot. including the last storm. >> i was out of power for six days. >> reporter: now she's one of many bge customers angry to learn that state law allows power companies to recover some of their losses by adding a bill stabilization fee under the distribution portion of the bill. >> i think 6 is way beyond pain and suffering. and now i have to pay them for my pain and suffering vmentz. >> reporter: maryland alows the fee and bge says they need it. >> i think what the commissioner tried to do is strike the balance, in making sure the utility is financially strong. while at the same time, making sure the customers are not unnecessarily, financially burdened during a power outage goes on for days. >> reporter: the fee on your bill may be less than a dollar. consumer advoca

i'm derek valcourt at the new maryland live casino where they just finished their first month and rakingin big bucks. what it means for tax dollars in the it means for tax dollars in the state and it's the perfect match for the perfect moment -- oreo the dunkin' way. introducing the new oreo coffee coolatta and new oreo vanilla bean coolatta. taste the fun today. america runs on dunkin'. hurry in to dunkin' and try the new >>> exactly 6:26. hits the jackpot, it's been 24 days since maryland live opened its door. the winners there aren't the on ones raking in some cash. >> the early numbers here add maryland live casino have been impressive. they're bringing in more than $1 million a day in gaming revenue. >> the machines are on and the seats are full. in fact, maryland live estimates about 20,000 customers a day are roll anything through their doors. gamblers seem to love it. jumping for joy are the winners, already $169 million paid out to those with luck on their side. several of the luckiest have walked home with $50,000 jackpots. >> one lady, very first trip to casino, we gave her a

we're live, derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> okay, derek. thank you. >>> so here now is a breakdown of this severe weather. right now, more than 140,000 bge customers are still without power. utility companies say repairs could take several more days. >>> and so far, six deaths in maryland are being blamed for the storms and the heat. stay with wjz. when storms hit, you can find forecast updates any time on wjz.com. >>> fourth of july celebrations across maryland tomorrow. in baltimore. the holiday has police taking action. bge is live at the inner harbor. adam may with a look at their new plan for safety. adam? >> reporter: vic, the goal of this new strategy is very straightforward. police are hoping to avoid a repeat of what happened last year. >> reporter: fights, shootings and violence, last fourth of july at baltimore's inner harbor, left a scar on the city many will never forget. >> people are planning to come down to act like troublemakers. or to cause problems, will be dealt with very, very swiftly. >> reporter: top brass unveiled a

derek valcourt reports with more on the search for a suspect. >> reporter: when gunfire erupted inside the nail and hair care spa saturday night. >> it was frightening. >> reporter: christa lopez was one of the employees who ran for cover. pham shot the mother of his two children. he is also accused of shooting the male friend who was waiting to pick her up at the end of her shift. >> i heard what i thought were fire crackers. i look around and i saw a man who was running with a gun in his hand. >> reporter: police found pham's vehicle abandoned. >> everybody is hoping he gets found. the community really helped railroad the -- really helped, the salon is getting back to business. >> i guess it can happen any place but it's not going to deter me from coming back. >> reporter: anyone with information on pham's whereabouts is urged to call police who are offering a 2, $2,500 reward for information that helps with his capture. >>> racing to get baltimore's grand prix in check before a major deadline. tonight they spoke about the events financial health, wjz is live downtown along with what

. >>> i'm derek valcourt with the new leads police are tracking down as they try to find a man who openedail salon. that story coming up on eyewitness news. >>> on track, i'm mike hellgren with a major announcement about the health and stability of baltimore's grand prix. >> check in on these stories and the day's breaking news. eyewitness news starts right now. >>> hi i'm kai jackson. >> and i'm mary bubala. we start with breaking news. >> a deal has been reached. >> reporter: rice will take the money and run. $25million guaranteed. that's part of a five year deal worth a potential total of 40 million. rice earned the big payday by becoming one of the big offensive threats in the league. last year he led the nf

but first, derek valcourt has the latest. >> reporter: this has been especially dangerous because ofhe continued high temperatures that we see. bge says they are prioritizing their repairs based on public safety and based on the needs of their infrastructure. we talked to rob goulde about how they are restorying power just a short time ago. >> there's a frustrationing that continues to grow day by day with our customers. but i would tell you that, most of our customers underthat our employees are working as hard as they can to restore power. >> now more than 60% of customers have their power back on but that's little consolation to those who are living without air-conditioning in these dangerous conditions. as you can see there's quite a few more crews here that have just arrived trying to restore power at north rogers avenue and groveland avenue. they have been here for some time. they are trying to sort their way through a tangled mess of wires and limbs. we're going to continue to stay with bge as they work to restore power in maryland. >> first warning weather coverage continues

derek value valcourt has the latest on those injured and the search for the man responsible. good afternoon, derek. >> reporter: good afternoon. police say that they found the suspect's get away car abandoned on a street in columbia. now they're trying to find the man who they say opened fire on his ex-girlfriend inside a busy nail salon. >> this is 35-year-old tuan minh pham now on the run. saturday night arnold 7:00 he came armed with a gun to a salon where his ex-girlfriend and mother of his two children worked. >> we heard pop, pop, pop. >> employee s at near by cold stone heard and saw some of the chaos. he encountered a male friend of the technician waiting to pick her up. the two men began to fight, shots were fired and the struggle moved inside the salon. >> they ran by and they want into the nail salon -- they went into the nail salon and we heard more pops. we were like, what's going on. we see a guy come out covered in blood. he had the gun in his hand. as soon as i saw the gun i was like, oh, my god. >> she was shot in the shoulder, her male friend also shot. >> i

i'm derek valcourt.l explain coming up on eyewitness news. >>> check in for more on these stories and all the day's breaking news. >> eyewitness news at 5:00 starts now. >>> what did they know. top penn state leaders accused of covering up for jerry sandusky. >> the startling discoveries. >> i'm mary bubala. >>> fresh pain for penn state university. a new report says the state's most powerful leaders covered up the child sex abuse scand alt for more than a decade. randall pinkston reports for wjz from philadelphia. >> reporter:

derek valcourt tells us what is in the report. derek? >> reporter: well, essentially, this report says that given the extreme circumstances around that storm that struck maryland, bge did the best that it could but that is little consolation to customers who in some cases, spend a week or more without power. >> reporter: the devastating storms struck maryland with a vengeance. and when it was all over, parts of maryland looked like a war zone, leaving 716,000 bge customers without power. many waiting days in the sweltering heat as the overwhelmed utility company went to work. >> they should have been here now. >> reporter: so all of bge crews went to work right away. this just-released report from the company to maryland's public service commission indicates bge struggled to bring in help from out-of-state utility workers. in part, because the storm struck with little warning, unlike hurricanes, which are forecast days in advance. >> had we had the advance notice, the ability to bed down say, 1,000 out-of-state utility workers. >> report

i'm derek valcourt.no in arundel mills, where they just finished their first month. and they're raking in some big bucks. what it means for tax dollars in the state. and for some lucky winners. that's coming up. >>> check in for more on these stories and all the day's breaking news. eyewitness news at 5:00 starts now. >>> sweating and struggling. more intense heat, as thousands remain without power. >> now, the repair efforts grow more desperate. >> hello, everyone. i'm vic carter. >> and i'm denise koch. kai and mary are off tonight. here's what people are talking about. >> more

i'm derek valcourt.p on eyewitness news. >>> check in for more on these stories and all the day's breaking news. eyewitness news at 5:00 starts now. >>> i'm kai jackson. >> and i'm mary bubala. here's what people are talking about. relief tonight, from the hot temperatures. but maryland is still feeling the impact from the deadly wave. mike hellgren has new information on those who died in this heat wave. mike? >> mary, a report came out less than an hour ago, from the state department of health. and it showed the number of heat-related deaths in the state had risen to 18. seven of those deaths were here in baltimore city. and three in baltimore county. and the number could rise at the number of autopsies is completed. >> reporter: the heat wave is history, fueling storms that left hundreds of thousands without power. and killing a stunning 18 people in maryland. >> what's it been like for you hee past couple of days with

derek valcourt is live in the newsroom with more on the arrest of the dj known as stash. >> reporter: stash was arrested. steven smith, known to 98 rock listeners as "stash "was arrested sunday night, when police say his vehicle slammed into a car, stopped at a red light, near i-95. that car then crashed into a third car. several people suffered minor injuries. police say they conducted field sobriety tests on the 47-year- old. and then placed him under arrest for dui. schmidt has not been on the air at 98 rock monday and tuesday. >> the station is declining to comment, calling it a personnel matter. >>> growing controversy to raise minimum wage. struggling families take on politicians. wjz is live at city hall. adam may has the calls for change. >> reporter: for the last couple of years, plans to create jobs and fix the economy have been hung up in congress. in the meantime, members of the working class are being becoming the working poor. >> reporter: baltimore city hall, packed with people demanding raise in minimum wage. bruce gross recently lost his construction job. now he's rai

i'm derek valcourt. i'm explain coming up on eyewitness news. >>> shocked so many in baltimore. 12-year-old, murdered while he was on has porch. i'm mike hellgren at the courthouse downtown. i'll tell you what happened when the three young men accused of killing him face the judge. >> check in for more on these stories and all the day's breaking news. >> eyewitness news at 5:00 starts now. >>> undercover boss. a city firefighter charged in a prostitution ring. >> details in the internet operation and why the fbi is involved. >> hi, everybody. i'm mary bubala. >> i'm kai jackson. here's what people are talking about. >> a city firefighter is arrested during a federal raid and charged with running an online prostitution ring. tonight, we have learned this is not his first arrest. wjz is live at city police headquarters. jessica kartalija has the disturbing details. jessica? >> reporter: they tell me he was a firefighter paramedic out of rowland park. and has been apparently running this online prostitution ring and after-hours club for years. >> reporter: this is where baltimore c

i'm derek valcourt. >>> check in for more on these stories and all the day's breaking news.ewitness news at 5:00" starts now. >>> hi, everybody. i'm mary bubala. >> i'm kai

. >> i'm derek valcourt at the new maryland live casino where they just finished their first month ande big bucks. what it means for tax dollars in the state and for some lucky winners. that's coming up. >> it's summertime, which means lots of crab feasts. wjz wanted to see your crazy crab photos. here are just a few. to see the complete slide show go to wjz.com. ,,,,,, 3q hey, i'm joey aragon. see that film? people call me about this every day. my dishwasher must be broken. you know, it's not always the machine. it may be the detergent. add finish power up to boost your detergent and you'll see a huge difference. watch what it can do. look at that sparkle! now that's clean! cloudiness! spots! tough stains! even dishwasher build-up! gone! just like that! so don't give up. add finish power up. wow! see the difference! it's a must have! >>> it's been a month since maryland casino opened. >> the winners aren't the only ones raking in the cash. >> the early numbers at maryland live casino has been impressive. they're bringing in $1 million a day. >> the games are on and the seats are full.