as derrick ward reports, help came in from down the street and across the country. >> it has automatic the amenities you expect in a tree house. easy access, practical furnishings, a great view, and, of course, a setting. what this tree house didn't have is the blessing of fairfax county's zoning officials or approval of an anonymous complaintant who brought the issue before the zoning board. >> less and less to believe it was any of my neighbors. i don't think it was neighbor within a couple of blocks. >> reporter: he learned early on he didn't need a buildg permit, special permission from the fairfax county zoning board was needed and on this first attempt at getting that variance he was denied. now before he left on his last deployment to iraq, he promised his sons he would build them a tree house upon their return. >> my whole deployment i must have made hundreds of sketches. what can i do to fulfill my promise to build a tree house? we had two great trees. >> reporter: while the pear and son's project seemed destined to become firewood a fire had been lit in the community and all

derrick ward has the story. >> reporter: ivy city owes the origins to the railroads. b & o brought a railroad here. new york avenue and the industrial character largely define most people's notion of the area. travel down one of these streets and go back in town. ivy city was becoming increasingly african-american. >> at this time, it was like a little village. >> reporter: this school was built as a colored school. it was named for alexander crumb el, a saint in the church. the building and heritage was a source of pride to the city. she was a student there. >> i ended upcoming back to teach at the school. >> reporter: they say it was a community school before the term. >> the neighborhood people were very cooperative and supportive. it was a wonderful time i had here. >> reporter: since the closing in the '60s, the school fell into disrepair. alumni gather and pray this building will be put to use again in a community left with few amenities. >> this is a historical place. >> reporter: they are encouraged by what's happening in ivy city. change is in the air. there

in upper marlboro, derrick ward, news4. >>> coming up next here tonight, santa trades in his sleigh for a fire truck, to make a special christmas eve delivery. >>> chuck's back with a [ male announcer ] you haven't seen anything like pizza hut's new big dinner box. it's an epic-sized box filled with all your favorites. you get two medium one-topping pizzas, eight intense wings, and five freshly baked breadsticks. why settle for just one of your favorites? get them all in one epic box. order the big dinner box today and call dinner done! only $19.99. and only at your pizza hut. >>> there's an employee at reagan national airport making one of the busiest travel days of the year a bit brighter. andy works for the airport authority, and also plays the french horn. he spent time there yesterday as a volunteer playing for travelers. >>> a group of local firefighters playing santa delivering toys to needy children. that might be a little scary, santa. they spent the morning surprising girls and boys with gifts. the kids' faces say it all. they couldn't be more excited to unwrap the presents. i

news4's derrick ward tells us. >> reporter: there are waving chirns in those cars. these cops are out to capture holiday spirit and they're getting backup from young residents all too happy to assist. they sit down with the big man. then into the aisles for some shopping. the ninth annual shop with a cop. >> we started the program in 2003 with eight children. >> reporter: this program is aimed at seeing that the christmas wishes of about 80 deserving children don't go unanswered. >> this program is good for the children. it's good for the community. and it's good for the police officers as well. >> reporter: retailers like target and prince george's plaza fund the excursion with $100 gift cards with each child. >> it gives you a great feeling to know that we are giving back to the community and we're helping children and families in need. >> reporter: these young people are recommended for the program by their schools. it's been a tragedy, some kind of adversity in their lives that makes the holiday spirit a challenge. but here on this day, the only challenge is cho

in caroline county, derrick ward, news 4. >> a scandal unraveling about how the remains of u.s. service members who made the ultimate sacrifice were treated. it follows an admission by the air force today the cremated returns of 274 men and women killed in action m unceremoniously dumped. some remains were sent to a land fill in virginia. the airs force said it has opened up a hotline and an e-mail account for concerned families. for one woman whose husband was killed in action in 2006, that's not enough. >> absolutely mortified. just i was so angry and i felt betrayed by my, you know, by these people down at dover. >> air force officials said today they will apologize to families involved but only if the families contact them. >> there is an alert tonight from the group in charge of keeping the skies over our areas safe. they say if you hear loud aircraft overhead between midnight and 2:00 a.m., you shouldn't be concerned. it's because the north american aerospace defense command will be conducting training flights to test a warning system. f-16 jets and coast guard helicopters

news4 derrick ward is showing the last-minute rush to make the donations before the clock strikes midnight. >> reporter: the line started forming early in the day at the salvation army collection center on little river turnpike. car after carloaded with donations. >> coats, you know, shirts, pants and some shoes. >> a bike. >> reporter: they devised a system to handle their year-end rush. receipts at one location, drop-offs at another. >> we get tons of donations. >> reporter: that's not just how it works behind the scenes in the warehouse area, it requires more heavy lifting than usual as the clock ticks toward midnight. >> give them a receipt, and that's how the process goes. >> reporter: regular retailers, we talk about this being the busy season starting with black friday, super saturday, cyber monday, but for this industry, this is their busy season. you might say this year it's like super saturday in reverse. >> it's all in the motivation, it's a tax deduction for donations, but it's not the only motivation. >> that was not really the motivating factor. get the tax deduction and help

news 4's derrick ward takes us to area celebrations, seeped in the spirit of giving. >> reporter: more than a thousands of the catholic faceful made the christmas mass at the shrine part of their christmas celebrations. the cardinal urged those gathered to take the time to reflect on what the day and holiday means. >> we have responsibilities, sons, spouses, family, children, work, dogs, vocations. but christmas, christmas is the time when we recognize, there is more. >> reporter: it echoes the message from the pope, when the vatican mass urged christians to move away from the consumerism that has so come to define the holiday. this mass not only provides an opportunity to define a message about the radio meaning of the holidays, but for many families, it's an opportunity to put that into perspective. following the mass, the shrine's christmas dinner. ♪ it draws about 1,000 diners who are alone or in need and volunteers to serve them. for some, it's about carrying on a personal tradition. >> the people that's lonely and don't have no food. >> reporter: and for others, it's the start of

derrick ward is live at the police station with the latest on this. derrick? >> reporter: he was released on his own. while this is sorted out, the deputy faa administer will be running things. meanwhile, federal officials and legal council are trying to figure out his employment status. a car headed the wrong way at 10:30 at night here on old lee highway. an officer spots him. >> a traffic stop that determined through a field sobriety test that he was intoxicated. >> he was the head of the federal aviation administration. babbitt previously worked on regulatory matters for the faa. he was an eastern airlines pilot before that. he's well respected in the aviation industry. he was alone in the car when he was stopped. he was heading the wrong way on a curvy section of lee highway. in a statement, he asked for a leave of absence, which was granted. no one answered our knock at his listed address. just after drinking. >> obviously, don't drink and drive. there are programs. don't get in a car, call a cab. it's the best advice i can give you. >> reporter: it's unc

derrick ward joins us live in the studio. he spoke with a man who says he's one of the victims. derrick? >> thisuy acted and talked like a legitimate touns counselor and provided statements. it was all a scam. now a disabled veteran's dreams and savings have been stolen. the former marine injured while in the corps. >> i decided to hire someone to help me invest it. >> reporter: it seemed like a god send when this man came to church. he taught classes in personal finance and offered to help chris manage his investments through his company. he convinced him to move his money into one new account, then another. over the course of the business dealings, he counted him as a friend. >> as well as a brother in christ, the way we call it. i felt comfortable with him. >> reporter: when the time came for him to draw down some of the investment, the friend revealed himself for what he was. >> a wolf in sheep's clothing. >> reporter: the evasion about why the banks wouldn't pay out. watson was putting money into the investment accounts. holmes was keeping it. watson found out when he checke

derrick ward is at the crime scene with more on this. >> reporter: lots of questions as the investigation continues. first and foremost, why. the man who made the call brought police here. he indicated he was suicidal. within 30 minutes of their arrival he was dead. shell casings fell in a drive way on valley park drive. it was an incident that started with a troubling call around noon. >> he was threatening suicide and complaining of workplace issues. >> reporter: sources tell us, the initial call was placed to maryland park police. the county police responded and things escalated. >> they surrounded the street that the citizen lived on. at that point, the armed man came outside the home. he was armed with a handgun and he waved that gun in a threatening manner and several officers shot that man. >> reporter: a neighbor who lives nearby saw police on the block and wondered why. then it became clear. >> i heard gunshots. the police cars were still out there. then that makes me nervous. then, i saw the police running to his car with the gun in his hand. >> reporter: a nearby elementary sch

coming up at 5:00, derrick ward will have a live report from reagan national airport from the d.c. area. >> meanwhile, taking a live look outside, what a day we had. it was almost beach weather out there. it certainly made things easy for people heading home for the holidays. >> doesn't feel like the holiday season it's so warm. doug kammerer is here. no snow coming, huh? >> not for us. really across the entire nation. i think, no matter where you go, it's looking good. there's a few areas of snow toward the great lakes, wisconsin seeing snow, chicago seeing snow. watch for that. i don't expect delays there. the other area of snow is new mexico. the entire country is looking good as far as travel is concerned. snow near the great lakes. down to the south in new mexico and west texas, that area could see accumulated snowfall. in dallas, if you are headed to dallas, could see rain in that region. watch out for that. the rest of the country, high and dry. a very good day out there as far as traveling is concerned. 50 degrees is the current temperature with winds north-northwest at 13

derrick ward is here to explain what it means for government workers. >> the federal government is hoping to avoid nightmare commutes. they can't change the weather, but they are changing how they react to it. what kind of winter will it be? lots of snow and ice? with our weather here largely dictated by water temperatures. does that mean average snowfall, 14.5 inches for d.c., or less or more. >> precipitation wise, it's a toss up. equal chances is what we say. >> after the traffic nightmares, the federal government is defining closing policies that didn't serve well in february. >> it took me seven hours to get home. >> or this summer with an earthquake. >> an earthquake is different than a snowstorm at night as well as a snowstorm in the middle of a workday. each must be handled differently. >> the new policies will keep some features of the old. that part of the policy, tweaked. >> we had a release based upon leaving two hours earlier but not with an end time frame. it's a new option we incorporated. >> the other option, immediate dismissal with all non-emergency employees leaving. th

derrick ward with more on the story. derrick? >> reporter: this is always a busy intersection here at the intersection of 7th and f northwest. tonight, there's a hockey game going on. last night, a world wrestling event. the crowds had to be comparable. that's what makes the crime disturbing. it was about 7:30, the victim was leaving a garage. as she stopped, the assailant came up to the car. >> the location we have, like you say is the 700 block of f street where the suspect entered the vehicle. he ordered her to drive elsewhere at some point, he stopped and they sexually assaulted her. she had a child in the car. the child was not injured in the car at all. >> reporter: now, the woman contacted police in the area of 4th northwest. it's several miles north of here. they don't have much of a description. they are trying to review security cameras in the area and also canvas the area to see if anybody happened to see anything. we understand the toddler was not hurt. if you remember back in 2009, not far from here at the intersecti

derrick ward is live along route 7 with more on this. derrick? >> reporter: we are here on route 7 near vienna. police believe he is targeting neighbors. they want to catch him. he is entering the homes while the residents are asleep in their beds. there have been 11 burglaries since april. police believe the same person is responsible. some occurred in vienna, others in herndon. they show the man they believe is behind the burglaries. >> after he burglarizes the homes, he takes the credit cards from the home and uses them. each of the burglaries the suspect is entering the home through an open garage or unlocked door. >> he's able to find unlocked doors with amazing regularity. he hit four different homes, two on adjacent streets. the other was walking distance away. the most recent last monday here on statute lane. >> he's entering in the early morning hours while the residents are inside sleeping. >> reporter: there's been no confrontation between the victim and the residents. regardless of the neighborhood, locked and secured doors are a must

that's where we find derrick ward live with the very latest. what's it looking like, derrick? >> the weather is kind of cold and crisp here, but there's warm feelings among the folks behind this project. within the hour there will be of course a new way to get across the river and of course an easier way. this is a project that actually started on the planning phase under mayor anthony williams. today quite literally is when the rubber will hit the road. take a look at the construction. we have showed you about the ceremonial openings at the span. essentially what this does is completes the system of freeways and connects i-395 and the southeast/southwest freeway to 295. and it does it in a lot easier way. joining me now is peter mcdonough, a project manager for ddot. tell the viewers what they will see different when they come across the river later today to get into the city. >> the big difference will be the weave that occurred before for 295 northbound traffic into the city will be eliminated. they will come in at a crossing from the left lanes eliminating the weave from t

derrick ward has the report. >> reporter: the former marine wanted to build a wheelchair accessible homeas to investment compensated to pay for it. >> i decided to hire someone to help me invest it. >> reporter: it seemed like a god send when this man came to his church. he taught classes in personal finance and offered to help chris watson manage his investments through his company. he convinced him to move his money into one account, then another. watson came to count him among his friends. >> as well as brother in christ. >> when it came time to take the invesmentes, the friend revealed himself. >> a wolf in sheep's clothing. >> reporter: why the banks wouldn't pay out while watson was putting the money into investment accounts. holmes was keeping it. >> there was no record of my name, account or anything. >> reporter: a visit to this office complex that was supposed to be the headquarters for christian financial services. the doors were locked and holmes wasn't here. >> he accepted $200,000. he was supposed to invest that money. he put nit a business account and spent the money. >> l

derrick ward has more on this. >> it's an effort among d.c. police and law enforcement. the biggest results yet. millions of dollars worth of illegal drugs and guns. enough hardware to arm a militia. almost ten grams of cocaine. 23.5 pounds of marijuana, heroin, ecstasy. >> the atf, fbi and immigration and the u.s. attorney's office. they got to know their targets all too well. >> the suspects during those discussions made it clear they had no problems shooting or killing police officers or security guards in the course of their criminal conduct. >> reporter: operation manic operated out of a recording studio. it was the scene of illegal transactions. they kept up the front of making hits, they were making cases. >> the criminal network, word gets around quickly. it didn't take long for the operation to be operating at a high level. >> 70 of the operators have been arrested. a number of cases bragt, among them arms and drug dealer chris fer washington he offered to sell undercover officers grenades. weapons with murderous histories. more are being tested to uncover their

derrick ward is in georgetown now. some of the people who live there are cautiously optimistic about this. >> reporter: indeed they are, jim. if you look over my shoulder here, it's hard to see because it's silhouetted against the evening sky. this building used to figure prominently in the city's infrastructure, utility infrastructure. now, it could be georgetown's future. it's not among the oldest structures, it was actually build in the '40s. this steel and concrete, the west heating plant does hold architectural significance. >> it's a great example of the kind of stripped classical art style. >> reporter: it used to serve steam heat. lately, the federal government used it as a back-up plant. recently, the services administration deemed it a surplus property to be bought, torn down or something else put here. >> if they knock it down and dig down, it could be a nightmare. >> reporter: todd lives in a row of townhouses across from the plant. the earthquake did a number on his home. >> the mortar is not the greatest.

in northwest, derrick ward, news 4. >>> there's a search under way. it continues tonight for a blind man in our area who has been missing. mitchell smith was last seen two weeks ago getting on an amtrak train heading for birmingham, alabama. he got off the train in north carolina and he hasn't been seen since. jackie bensen spoke to the man's family and joins us now with more on this. jackie? >> reporter: he is originally from that area. he moved to birmingham and took the train back here in early december to see family. when the visit was done, he headed back to birmingham. that's where the trouble came in. according to the police in charlotte, he was on route to washington, d.c., when he exited the train in charlotte and did not get on the train when it returned to birmingham. he is legally blind in both eyes, carries a cane. his grandmother is very worried. >> we are all concerned because it's not normal, you know? even if he landed somewhere where he doesn't know where he is, his way is pick up a phone or find a phone or get a phone and he will ca

derrick ward has the report. >> reporter: there have been 11 burglaries since april. police believe the same person is responsible. some occurred in vienna. never too far from route 7 or fairfax county parkway. police released this video at a maryland business that shows the man they believe is behind the burglaries. >> he's taking credit cards from the homes and going to maryland to use them. >> reporter: what's more troubling is how he's entering the homes. >> he's entering through an ope garage or unlocked door. >> reporter: the burglar was busy in late september. he hit four different homes including residence here on shaker woods drive. in all the homes, he's managed to find an open door. two of the four september 29th burglaries occurred within walking distance. one on sandy court and the other on rowland drive. >> he's entering when the residents are inside sleeping. >> reporter: there's been no confrontation. that's been fortunate. the property crime hasn't turned into something more serious. locked and secured doors are a must. >> lock your doors at night. w

in georgetown, derrick ward, news 4. >>> the search continues for a group of burglars linked to sevenreak ins. home surveillance video was taken. three suspects breaking into a house. police say one of the suspects used a propane tank to smash a bathroom window, then climbed inside. investigators say that they aren't your average crooks. the burglary ring takes its time spending hours inside the homes. >>> in frederick county, maryland, four teens arrested for arson. they found marine flares purchased at a nearby walmart. they tracked down the kids by surveillance video. all the suspects confessed and admitted to setting another fire on a deck in the same neighborhood last week. >>> mothers in the d.c. area are among thousands in the country who took part in a nurse-in in all target stores. a mother says she was harassed by a couple employees for nursing her 5-month-old son in the store. she was covered up and in a secluded area. she complained to target's corporate office. this woman, at a target store in virginia wanted to show her support. >> it's a hard thing nursing a baby. it's

now back to you. >> derrick ward, thank you so much. we appreciate it. >> yeah. special thanks to all the men and women who serve here and abroad. >> that's right. >> seven minutes after our 9:00 hour right now. this is a big question, who says that you can't make an entire meal out of chocolate? >> not us. you can certainly do it this month. we'll show you why the ritz-carlton, oh, just take a look at this, is making it possible. we'll taste literally some of the sinful sweets [ male announcer ] it's a rule of nature. you don't decide when vegetables reach the peak of perfection. the vegetables do. at green giant, we pick vegetables only when they're perfect. then freeze them fast so they're are as nutritious as fresh. [ green giant ] ho ho ho. ♪ green giant fantastic! pro-gresso ] they fit! okay-y... okay??? i've been eating progresso and now my favorite old jeans...fit. okay is there a woman i can talk to? [ male announcer ] progresso. 40 soups 100 calories or less. at bank of america, we're lending and investing in the people and communities who call greater

back to you. >> derrick ward, thank you. >> turning now to politics. former republican front-runner herman cain says he'll decide when to withdrawal. his faltering campaign ran into trouble when a woman says she has a 13-year affair with them. cain says they were just friends. the day after the story broke, he would reassess his campaign. he won't make a decision until he speaks to his wife. >> after the complete reassessme reassessment, i will say something formal. okay? there's nothing new here. no new questions. no new answers. all right? >> herman cain's campaign has been steadily losing momentum for five weeks when sexual harassment allegations came to light. >>> ken cuccinelli confirmed he has his eyes on the governor's mansion. he will run in 2013. it will set up a clash with lieutenant governor, bill bowling who is planning on running. he was elected attorney general two years ago. he gained a high profile nationally. he challenged president obama's health care reform plan and became a favorite among virginia's tea party voters. julie carey wil

news 4's derrick ward has more on how people in our area use it to share the spirit of the season. >>ter: more than 1,000 of the catholic faithful made the christmas mass at the national shrine of the immaculate conception part of their day. they took time to reflect on what the holiday means. >> we have responsibilities, some to spouses, church, family, work, but christmas is the time when we recognize there is more. >> reporter: it echos a message from the pope with the vatican mass that called for christians to move away from the consumerism that has so come to define the holiday. this mass not only provides an opportunity to hear a message about the true meaning of the holidays but for many it offers an opportunity to put those things into practice. following the mass, the shrine's christmas dinner. ♪

derrick ward reports. >> reporter: a gentle bend in the washington and old dominion trail is a sign in the turning point of this family. paul was biking this trail when he crashed. three days later he died. since the loss, paul's wife and his daughter have come to find some solis knowing that he died knowing what he loved. he rode 2,000 miles a year. >> biking was one of his favorite activities. the trail was his favorite biking spot. >> reporter: and there would be something else to help remember paul. a red heart above his driver's license says it all. paul was an organ donor. >> that choice that we made by checking that box over 25 years ago really became an important decision. >> reporter: paul's liver, kidneys and heart valves went to recipients who needed them to live. skin and bone were also donated. >> it was really important to him because he wanted to help people with parts he couldn't use anymore at that point. live on in someone else. >> reporter: nationwide the 100th million donor was just registered. >> 18 people die every day because there aren't enough organs to go arou

news 4's derrick ward has more on how people in our area used the holiday to share the spirit of the season. >> reporter: more than 1,000 of the catholic faithful made the christmas mass at the national shrine of the immaculate conception part of their holiday observance. accord cardinal donald whorl, arch bishop of washington, took the day and the time to reflect on what the holidays mean. >> we have responsibilities, some to spouses, children, work, fami family, but christmas, christmas is the time when we recognize there is more. >> reporter: it echos the message from the pope at the vatican mass who called for christians to move away from the consumerism that has so come to define the holiday. this mass not only provides an opportunity to provide a message about the true meaning of the holiday but it also the chance to put that true meaning into practice. following the mass, the shrine's christmas dinner. ♪ it draws about 1,000 diners who are alone or in need and volunteers to serve them. for some it's about carrying on a personal tradition. >> the people that's lonely and don't

. >> reporter: derrick ward, news 4. >>> gop presidential hopeful newt gingrich celebrated christmas in d.c. and is speaking out for the first time about his campaign's failure to make the primary ballot in virginia. it's a story you saw first on news 4 at 6:00. the republican party announced that gingrich required to obtain the required signatures to make the ballot. his campaign manager blamed it on the state's cumbersome process whchlt we caug process. when we caught up with gingrich at the basilica where his wife was singing, he took the blame. >> it was our fault. we hope to launch a write-in campaign. we believe virginiians have the right to choose and shouldn't have only two candidates to choose from. we plan to launch a write-in campaign. >> i understand that's not allowed in the primary. >> well, we need to fix that. >> rick perry also failed to make the ballot, which means that mitt romney and ron paul will be the only two on the ballot. >>> president obama spent a quiet afternoon at the beach house and then went to a military base to attend church services. the obamas spen

nbc's derrick ward explains. >> reporter: 34-year-old rodney edwards was shot saturday evening. he was shot several times in front of his home in greenleaf park. family members want to know why a police officer opened fire on edwards. they heard the shots. >> i walked to the door. when i opened the door, there was a blue van, cargo dan, dark tinted windows and an undercover police with a 9 millimeter and he looks like he was laying back. he had been shot. >> reporter: they say edwards had just been dropped off by a friend. >> he got out of her car and sat down on the curb, said that he had been drinking, you know, he was going to sit down here for a minute, and then turn around, and then within five minutes, five shots rang out. >> reporter: they also say the shooting was unprovoked. county police paint a very different picture of what happened on greenleaf. they say the officer had just left a toys for tots event here in palmer park and was on his way to another assignment. >> he came across this person lying on the side of the road, which he wanted to help and see what was wro

derrick ward has more on that. derrick? >> the recent release of 2900 prisoners from cuba, some political and some foreigners gave the family of alan gross that their loved one would be home by year's end. it appears now that is not the case. they are not anticastro. this protest outside the cuban interest on 16th street is apolitical. they can be described as propeace and proalan grove. >> we feel he is been mistreated. >> reporter: he's been in prison for 753 days of charges of espionage. he went to the nation to provide internet access to the jewish community. now, his wife says he's a broken man. >> i'm getting hopeless. he's a strong man. to see him like this, nobody could believe that he has been affected the way he has. >> reporter: those who have known him the longest say he would never engage in regime changing or spying. it was solely humanitarian. >> he thinks he can help people. >> it is not about alan's religion. it is not about where alan is. it is about the injustice that is taking place in cuba. >> reporter:

derrick ward is live at the police station with the latest. derrick?babbitt was alone at the time of the traffic stop and fortunately, no other vehicle involved. it happened on saturday, here in the 3900 block of old lehighway in fairfax. >> a vehicle on the wrong side of the road on the highway. a traffic stop. >> reporter: the wrong way driver was the administer of the federal aviation admission, babbitt. >> the driver was intoxicated, placed him under arrest. >> reporter: he took the helm of the agency in 2009. before that, he was with the faas management advisory council that requires guidance. he had previously been a pilot. the incident occurred two blocks from the police station on a stretch of road with curves, hills, cross traffic and blind spots. fortunately, no collision with oncoming traffic. as the holiday season approaches, more parties, get togethers and alcohol and more opportunities for this to turn tragic.

derrick ward is out there with the latest. derrick? >> reporter: it started around noon today.y a call was placed to maryland park police by a man in the home of the 6700 block of valley park drive. >> he wa

that is where news 4s derrick ward joins us live with the latest. >> reporter: as you said, this is particularlyling on a lot of levels. the kind of crime that happened. the woman had her child in the car. third, because it happened in what i

in fairfax, derrick ward, news 4. >> thank you. >>> we have breaking news that's going to affect your commute in fredericksburg. an accident involving an overturned truck filled with logs. it's in the southbound lanes of 95, mile marker 30. it is making a mess of traffic there. traffic is just getting by in one lane. that's an overturned tractor trailer filled with logs. >>> route 7 in tyson's corner shut down because of a deadly crash. a woman was killed after she was hit by a small truck. police are still on the scene. they expect all eastbound lanes to be closed for at least a half hour. the woman charged in a series of crimes will remain in jail. through her lawyer, the 26-year-old waived her right for a preliminary hearing. the judge decided there was enough cause to keep her in j l jail. she will stay there until further action by the court. >>> a key d.c. council committee passed a sweeping ethics reform bill. it comes days after an fbi raid of harry thomas jr., under investigation for his use of city funds. tom sherwood joins us live from the wilson building downtown d.c. with

derrick ward checked out the travel on the ground and through the air. he's at reagan national airport. hey, derrick? >> how are you? if you are traveling more than 50 miles you are going to have company and lots of it. it's the mode on the move literally and in terms of growth. business for bus lines have seen a 32% increase in the last year. low prices are obviously part of it. 20 bucks to the big apple is hard to beat. there are more ways to pass the time. >> lots of youtube. my iphone. my friend, girl talk. >> reporter: the train is holding its own after years of predictions and the demise of the passenger rail. there seems to be light left in the iron horse. >> we finished with our best thanksgiving ever. along with that, our best annual year ever with just over 30.2 million passengers in the last fiscal year. >> reporter: with 92 million americans expected to travel more than 50 miles over the holiday. 84 million are expected to drive. gas prices are up over last year. no surprise there. it will be cheaper to rent a car. still, despite the fare incr

in columbia, derrick ward, news 4. >>> facebook unveiled a new time line profile today.eature creates a montage of what you have shared since you first joined facebook. users have seven days from when they activate the new design to what they want displayed in their profile. >>> shopping for the latest high-tech gadgets can be confusing. >> we have help. liz is here with the latest high-tech toys. >> electronics top many wish lists this year. an explanation on what they are and what they do. jim berry, hello, welcome back. >> nice to see you. >> jim is here to explain what is going on. good year for electronics? >> we are buying more electronics than before. televisions, a big gift for 50 years or so. this has never been a better time to buy a television. prices are spectacular. i have been writing about this for a long time. number three on the wish list this year. one is tablet computers. ipads very successful. you have choices now in screen sizes and price range. this is the new kindle fire. this is a seven inch screen you are seeing. this really gets you into amazon

derrick ward with a look at what officials are doing with that. >> he's awake? he's breathing? >> reporter: the prince george's county 911 center in bowie gets more than 1 million calls a year. 20% of them fall into this category. [ inaudible ] >> reporter: the men and women of the emergency call center are well trained, prepared for almost anything. >> we have a six week academy they have to attend to get certifications to actually go through the protocol systems we have. >> reporter: no training gets back the precious minutes from prank calls. time taken away from someone who may be in dire need of help. in fact, the county fell behind. they were two seconds outside the nationally accepted standard for dealing with emergency calls because 911 operators were dealing with non-emergency calls. >> you are under immediate threat, you need to get through to emergency services right away. it's what 911 is for. >> reporter: since the number has been in place, the response in calls increased significantly. inquiries like this -- >> you want to call who? >> i want to call the water dep

. >> all right, derrick ward. thank you. >>> in an argument between two bus drivers may have prompted one to crash her bus into a building today early this morning. this was at a bus parking lot in waldorf. school officials say two female drivers had a dispute. the judge refused to grant one a restraining order. three people received minor injuries. it's not known if the other driver is among those hurt. >>> the federal government is facing a third partial shutdown. news 4's jane watrel is here to talk about what is causing the stalemate this time. >> it's complicate d but it stes from a fight over taxes and spending. the obama administration is alerting employees a government shutdown could happen and what steps they should take should one occur. >> here we go again. >> we have been down that road before. >> reporter: that's the reaction of workers worried about the threat of a government shutdown as partisan politics turns nasty. >> it's continuely playing itself out. it's partisan. people across the country kno

derrick ward is here to look at what officials are doing with this. derrick. >> not too long ago, they were two seconds behind the national standards handling emergency calls. nonemergency calls were eating up precious time. now, they have a handle on the problem. >> he's awake and breathing? >> reporter: it's a state of the art place in bowie. they operate the fire trucks and police cruisers. when you have an emergency, they will likely be the first points of contact. >> police, fire, ambulance. [ laughter ] >> reporter: that obviously was not an emergency. >> you want to call who? >> the water department in loudoun. there's no water at this location. >> reporter: nuisance, yes. emergency, no. it's more than an annoyance. >> the 911 number is for emergencies, only. it's life and death. a heart attack, your house is on fire, you are under immediate threat. there's a crime in progress. >> reporter: when operators deal with these calls -- [ laughter ] >> it takes those precious seconds away from the 911 calls. >> reporter: they set up a non-emergency nu

derrick ward has our report. >> reporter: the court filings spells out a scheme by which cocaine and used cars were sold and a portion of the money sent to hezbollah. investigators with the dea say the cocaine came from south america and the used cars came from columbia, maryland and burtonsville. an export company and burton business are among 30 from michigan to miami named in the federal filing. >> the idea was to get the money into the banking system in lebanon. >> reporter: the way it works, money is wired from lebanon to buy the cars in columbia, burtonsville and elsewhere. the cars were sent to africa. proceeds from the sales of the cars and coke in africa gets sent back to lebanon. the lebanese canadian bank was among the chief entity. once the money was back in the middle east, a substantial portion of the money would find its way to hezbollah. >> terrorists going to networks for funding. we have recognized if drugs are generating $400 billion a year around the world and state sponsorship of terrorism is declining, terror is fueled by drug trafficking is on the rise. >> repo

derrick ward has more. >> reporter: this isn't recording equipment. they are the tools of a deadlier trade. these weapons were seized at the offices of a phony recording studio. >> some of these guns are stick-up weapons used by drug dealers, gang members. >> reporter: police say it department take a talent search to make it successful. >> criminal networks, word gets around quickly. it didn't take long for the operation to operate at a high level. >> reporter: police linked some of the guns to violent crime cases. they have also uncovered and hope sidetracked worrisome connections. >> these were mexican cartel folks. pretty serious. >> reporter: in all, some 161 firearms were seized. nearly 10 kilograms of cocaine, marijuana, heroin and ecstasy. d.c.s police chief was not without its dangers to those working undercover. >> those suspects made it clear they had no problems shooting or killing police officers or security guards in the course of their criminal conduct. >> reporter: not only is there an immediate benefit to public safety getting these gu

news 4's derrick ward is live in falls church, virginia for a secondary event. good morning. >> reporter: we're here in falls church for an event under way for a couple of days, always a good cause especially this time of year. i want to show you video of the effort that's been going on earlier this week, it's decorate a vet. for many of us, there are those mundane tasks like gutters and yard work and things like that, things, raking leaves especially this time of year, things we put off or even avoid. for veterans with injuries that affect their mobility or folks getting up in age these things can be frustrating and sometimes insurmountable challenges, that's where decorate a vet comes in. it's a non-profit. it's manned and womaned by volunteers who also do other work like making houses wheelchair-accessible, putting rails in, and this time of year they're adding a special twist to it, of course, making sure that holiday decorations aren't among the things that just fall by the wayside just because logistically it's a problem. this is the brainchild of two loca