"news4's" derrick ward is live. derrick? >> reporter: we're live at cockerel.ews are on the scene. they shut off the valve. that's going to be the beginning of things. this doesn't bode well for duke street traffic for the rest of the morning because it looks like they're going have to do some za vags. that coulda

derrick ward. back to you. >>> we just learned that manassas city schools will not open until thursday for the earliest and that may just be for teachers. several districts are closed tomorrow, too. prince georges and fairfax county schools and montgomery, so will arlington, prince william and manassas park city schools. that's because of that refreeze we'll have over the next couple days, right? >> that's because we're seeing some melting. the sun is creating some melting going on, exposure to sun, especially just south and east of the metro area where it's a little above freezing there. in washington and western suburbs it's still hovering right around 30 degrees, and many cars are looking like this. make sure you clear your entire car. i was happy to see in derrick's live shot there a lot of cars going behind him. they did not have snow on their rooftops, and that is a great thing to do. when you're driving along, that's going to blow off into the vehicle behind you. take frequent breaks shoveli

news 4's derrick ward is live now with the first wave of spectators. derrick, how is it looking out there so far? >> reporter: it's looking pretty good, actually. we're outside the panda enclosure itself, sort of inside the zoo in the inner sanctum. we've been getting glimpses of probably the most 5-month-old in the city right now. and he's growing significantly. we are told you that he can sort of exert his own will. the other day, we're told, the pandaen hadalers wanted to get a blood sample. he protested so much they said, let's not do it. he's getting stronger and more popular. they're advising folks to come early and line up early. the doors will open at about 9:00 and the panda house will be open until 4:00 today for this first public viewing of bei bei the panda. he hasn't actually been outside yet. maybe we'll get a glimpse of that happening as well. live at the national zoo, news 4, derrick ward. >>> many will dedicate part of this holiday weekend with a day of service. today and monday, volunteers with the rock creek conservancy will clean and

derrick ward is live there. he'll have a report in about 15 minutes. >> such a cutie. >> eating. >>> other news here, that's a location for a brand new $98 million fbi bulling in our area. the central records complex will be built on a 60-acre complex of land just east of winchester, virginia. it's expected to bring 1,200 jobs to the area. time for a check of our forecast. >> to do that, we'll check in with tom kierein. he's outside. look at him. >> there he is. >> he's amidst the fog. the fog behind me is rather dense in northwest and partly around the region, too. it's not widespread. the sun trying to break through the fog. the camera is about 300 feet above the terrain here. it's above most of the fog. above that we have a mostly clear sky. we'll have sunshine breaking out. by noontime ought to be in the upper 40s and briefly low 50s around 2:00 or 3:00. five, back down to the upper 40s under a mostly cloudy sky, late tonight, getting chilly, back down to the low 40s by late this evening. then that big chang

. >>> derrick ward live where one ticket was sold. a $1 million ticket isn't bad at all. >> reporter: of those three sold in maryland, two were in prince george's county. we're outside the 7-eleven in bladensburg. take a look at the shot we took earlier. including owner, he's indeed checking his tickets. he was kind of surprised he sold one of those second-tier winning tickets for $1 million. now, of course, merchants who sell those winning tickets do get a percentage, 6%. but, of course, who wouldn't rather have an actual winning ticket in their hands. but as i said, there are three locations in maryland, two in prince george's county. take a look at the map. one is at a gas station on walker mill road. the second is 7-eleven on annapolis road and a wawa on ar

but as derrick ward reports, the county is concerned about the rink and it's location. >> reporter: the ice is synthetic, the fun is real. for mark cohen of poolsville, this is a natural way to indulge his lifelong love of the sport. he even coaches it. >> i thought if i ever get a chance and could have my own place, my own rink, i could have more flexibility. >> reporter: this rink isn't just about fun. there's a solemn meaning behind what's going on here. it's also a fitting way to remember his stepdaughter melody. >> huge hockey fan. if it was a friday night, we'd have pizza and puck nights. that was one of her favorite things. >> reporter: she shared his passion for hockey right up until her death last july. she was just 35 when she died from a respiratory illness, and the rink is named after her. >> i just thought the greatest thing would be to do a tribute. >> reporter: but there's a problem. cohen's property is in an agricultural reserve. thousands of acres are protected montgomery county green space. as such, there are limits and

"news4's" derrick ward is live. derrick? >> reporter: we're live at cockerel. crews are on the scene. they shut off the valve. that's going to be the beginning of things. this doesn't bode well for duke street traffic for the rest of the morning because it looks like they're going have to do some za vags. that could take six to eight hour on usual. if you take transit in the area, expect to be late because of these workarounds. back to you. >> thank you. >>> our other top story is the weather yochl u see everybody bundled up there. "storm team 4" meteorologist chuck bell and tom kierein tracking the latest on what can be the coldest day since march, last march. let's start things off with chuck bell. hey, chuck. >> yes, indeed. coldest day and we actually had snow on that particular day. no real big snow in the forecast. the winter cold is here and the failure ares are going to continue particularly outdoor to the blue ridge. it's a bundle up kind of a day. the hash tag is #layerup. temperatures are in the 30s. windchills, the real issues you'll be dealing with

derrick ward, "news4." back to you. >>> thanks, derrick. >>> new developments in the capture of drug lord joaquin el cha powe guzman. >>> the recall you're going want to hear about before your son or daughter's next dose of cough medicine. >>> and you're going to want to warm up your car before you leave. take look at these temperatures. we're below freezing in some areas. areas. what will it be like? you can't predict the market. areas. what will it be like? but through good times and bad... ...at t. rowe price... ...we've helped our investors stay confident for over 75 years. call us or your advisor. t. rowe price. invest with confidence. may not always be clear. but at t. rowe price, we can help guide your retirement savings. so wherever your retirement journey takes you, we can help you reach your goals. call us or your advisor t. rowe price. invest with confidence. >>> drug lord joaquin el chapo guzman could soon be behind bars in the u.s. they want to question actor sean penn who secretly interviewed

live at dulles, derrick ward, news 4. >>> montgomery county emergency officials trying to get help to people still snowed in their neighborhoods. they say the clean upprocess will take days. the highway services special operations center working around the clock to clear roads and montgomery county schools working to remove snow from its buildings. dmv is relax something rules. don't panic if you're due for an inspection. the dmv will waive the $20 inspection fee. it is also extending learner permits if you were not able to make your driving test. and we will put more information on those cancelations and how to reschedule on the nbc washington app. >>> tood.c.'s mayor wants to red you that the snow emergency is still in effect, so that means no parking on the snow emergency routes. if you do, you will get a $250 fine plus a $100 towing fee. they have already issued more than 3,000 tickets and towed more than 50 on cars. the lot was closed yesterday, so the district waving "tiniving t storage fee but tlot will reope today. >>> not only do we have all the delays on our app, you can tra

derrick ward is there live. >> reporter: well, we can tell you that there is a definite road closureere. eastbound university, you're being diverted at piney branch. we don't see any water in the street, but there are some vehicles pulling in and there is a wssc vehicle here. it looks like held probably have to move snow before they can get to the break. but they know that there is a break here and definitely a street closure. so if you are venturing out, that's something that you will have to deal with. saving grace being federal government, schools and lots of businesses are closed, so traffic is lighter. but you also have one lane, maybe two at best. so eastbound university boulevard, you're being diverted at piney branch. height want to avoid this area if at all possible. find another way around it. we're not seeing much of a backup because of the lighter volume of traffic, but this will be an adverse situation for some time as you're looking above now from chopper 4, you can see traffic is starting to slow through the area somewhat. but something you want to a voigvoid today if

we want to get more from derrick ward. >> reporter: of those -- right, exactly. of those folks who have been released, there are actually four but one may have decided to stay in iran. these are new developments coming in within the last hour. but we're hear outside the "washington post" because one of those people is a reporter for the post who was stationed in iran. he is indeed on his way home. jason rezaian had been held in tehran for about 545 days. he was charged with working to overthrow the government there. he, again, was released among five americans. one of them, a former marine, amir heck tani had been held for four years. there was a christian minister say media abedini who had been held for three years and nos trattou las cause ravi. we've been told he's not leaving. they all are released in exchange for clemency in exchange for seven iranians charged in the u.s. six had duo citizenship. now, i don't know what this will mean for the warming of relations with iran, but with the nuclear deal that has been announced shortly after that, it seems they ha

live in montgomery county, derrick ward, back to you. >>> good example of what to wear today.ther will impact all of your plans today, morning, noon and nigtime. take it easy, everybody, if you can delay anything this morning until it gets warmer. that will be a great idea. more about the weekend snowstorm in five minutes. >>> northbound bw parkway after 193, slowdowns starting because of a crash there. delays on the red line and another problem on the inner loop of the beltway. details coming up. >>> developing in tennessee, a search for a toddler missing for days. 2-year-old noah was on a hike with his sister and grandmother when he disappeared five days ago. his grandmother says she was focused on the little girl and when she looked up, know wnoah gone. making the search more difficult, the freezing cold temperatures. >> got to hang in there. you never know. miracles do happen. and i hope this is a miracle. >> well, rescue crews say that it is possible that the boy found some warmth in a hole or perhaps under a tree. but that is unlikely. the sheriff department says they're

derrick ward, "news4." back to you. >>> i'm pat lawson muse with this just in to the "news4" live devg. a new promise to help clear the roads for one of the hardest hit areas after the blizzard. officials say ddot will make at least one pass through every neighborhood road by tomorrow morning. however, a bit of caution comes with this promise. here's what we heard a few moments ago. >> one pass means just that. one pass is one pass. it doesn't mean the streets will be clear or two cars can pass but one pass. they would do that by taking some of the heavier equipment off of the primary roads and putting them into your neighborhood. >> the loudoun county sheriff is asking everyone to stay off the roads to let vdot plows get through safely. parts of loudoun got 36 inches of snow. eun? >> thank you, pat. new school closings into our news room in the past hour. check this out. schools in fauquier county say they will be closed tomorrow and thursday. tomorrow washington counties, maryland schools and morgan count

derrick ward, news 4. back to you. >>> family demanding change. the call for action after a man died just feet from a fire station. what his loved ones want. >>> and the blizzard caused some major damage. how a pru >>> the family of a man who died just feet from a d.c. fire station wants to make sure no one suffers the same fate as their father. 77-year-old medrick mills jr. died two years ago this month. firefighters refused will help for mills. they said 911 needed to be called before they could respond. the mills family says that similar incidents still happen to this day and that needs to stop. >> how many more times does this have to happen, guys? you have a brand new fire chief. it's still happening. so obviously the changing of chief didn't change a culture. >> the mills are suing the district, but a d.c. law condition allow residents to sue the city for negligence by employees. >>> a pipe burst monday at the curling club creating a giant hole in the ice. and this happened in the middle of their curling season forcing the club to close. it

derrick ward visited the home of carolyn marshall. you might call her a super fan. >> reporter: when you first enter the marshall home, there is a subtle hint, the chairs. one burgundy and one gold. when you get to the basement, there is no subtlety, you're immersed. when did you start? >> i would say sometime in the late '60s. >> reporter: there is the practical. >> redskins barbecue grill that will not ever be used. >> reporter: there is the collectible. >> this will be worth something a few years from now. >> reporter: and rg3 and the burgundy and gold guarded by the hogs. and photos that will sadly never be repeated. >> santana moss, sean taylor. >> reporter: through thick and thin, she's hung in there and the collection has grown. she's a true fan. >> we have been counted out, thrown out, nobody has given us a chance for nothing this entire year. even when the cowboys were 3-7, they still have a chance, that's all the analysts talked about, cowboys still have a chance. >> reporter: believe it or not, her granddaughters and so tha

derrick ward, news4. >> he has spent $40,000 on the rink. since we visited, the county has asked him to take down a facebook page that publicizes the spot and even offered to help him move the rink, but he didn't agree to that. he has started a go fund me campaign to pay for legal expenses. to learn more head to our nbc washington app and search ice rink fund-raiser. >>> well, it's a popular place to work out in the morning, but you might have to change your routine. the reason why the national zoo is changing its hours, next. >>> and a workout will cost you a little bit of sweat, but not much else. how d.c. is making it easier for you to keep up those new year's resolutions. >>> you may have to adjust your exercise routine along one of d.c.'s most popular paths. the national zoo is shortening its hours. gates now open two hours later than they used to. they open at 8:00 a.m. and they'll now close at 5:00 in the winter months. it's 7:00 p.m. during the summer. that means a lot of walkers and runners who regularly go through the zoo will have

. >> "news4's" derrick ward has more from the stadium. what's it like out there, derrick? >> reporter: big day on fedex field. the last time washington was in the playoffs was back in 2013. the last time they won was 2006. of course, they're hoping for a repeat performance here today. they take on the green bay parkers. kickoff is at 4:40 p.m. of course, the packers are the 2010 super bowl champs, but we're hearing from one redskins super fan who says she's got a lot of faith in this team this time around. have been counted out, dished out, thrown out. nobody has given us a chance, nothing this entire year. >> here's the thing. tailgaters can get in at 11:00 a.m. others can park at noon for a 4:40 kickoff. something you need to know if you're taking the metro. morgan is the closest one and track work has been suspended or the orange, blue, and silver line. it's going stop at noon to help you get here a lot easier. at fedex field, derrick ward, "news4." >>> we're learning new information how a texas mother planned to go on the run with her son. officials say tonya couch too

"news4's" derrick ward is live with the message they're hoping to spread today. derrick, good morning. >> reporter: indeed they plan to be here starting at 7:00. they'll open the parking lots in landover. there will be a rally around 10:00, 10:30, and then a march over to the jericho city. it tells part of the story. there have been two homicides. compare it to the 79 before that, 54 before that. the trend is going the wrong way. behind each of the numbers is a life lost and perhaps even tear in the fabric of this community. that's what they hope to start healing. they hope this will be a start aimed at a holistic approach to ending violence, resolutions that people will deal with peacefully instead of violently. that all gets under way for their observance of the holiday. we're live here. back to you. >> thank you, derrick. 6:47. today they'll block traffic in honor of better pay. it will be toward independence avenue southwest. they plan to stop traffic on the kutz bridge around 12:30. they're asking for $15 an hour. >>> it's 6:47. and leaders at prince william

derrick ward is on the scene. >> yeah. we want to check with him. >> they have an alarm going off. >> derrick, are you there? >> reporter: yes, i'm here. we're in the 10900 block in manassas. you can hear that alarm. that is what some people say actually alerted them to this. otherwise they had no idea. i'm going to pan over here to another biuilding, which is als in danger of collapsing. it may have the same issue, so they evacuated that building. we went to a nearby firehouse where some of those folks were. they have them on buses. they're waiting for the red cross to show up. no one was injured, third quarterful thankfully in this. they'll be looking for a place to stay. we understand the red cross is also assisting those families while investigations continue and structure engineers get out here to determine how safe the buildings are. we understand crews will be here to secure the properties and board up. we're live in manassas, derrick ward, "news4." back to you guys. >> all right, derrick. thank you. >>> we want go b

derrick ward is talking to some of them now. we'll hear from him coming up in about 15 minutes. >>> metro's former interim general manager will stay on the transit agency. he will stay on with them. he is now the new executive manager officer -- managing officer. he will provide overall support. >>> with breaking news, i'm scott mcfarlane. internal auditors for d.c. public schools say there was gross mismanagement of money by a former athletic director. she served from 2011 to 2015. colleagues found $32,000 in cash in bags waiting to be deposited for months in her offices. and the internal report says hundreds of thousands of dollars from proceeds and ticket sales and concession sales during high school sporting events were deposited weeks or months late. even though the bank in which d.c. public schools has an account is just across the street from athletic department headquarters. the audit questions why the athletic director aloud some student fund money to be spent on hospitality suite buffets and extravagant food for adults

derrick ward is live at the vienna station to tell us more about what paul weiderfield to the line. folks had a lot of questions, right? >> reporter: indeed they did. this is a planned ride-along with metro's gm and a local member of congress, both regular users of metro. they got to see firsthand what passengers were up against and got to hear from some of those passengers as well. the trip from vienna on capitol south is usually a 40-minute ride. on this day it took longer. this is what thousands of constituent constituents have to deal with. >> we'll be moving momentarily. >> reporter: orange line trains were among those single tracking part of the way, this meant crowding and delays. what's going on today. >> what's going on? >> we'll be moving momentarily. >> we had a cracked rail. when it gets very cold, the steel basically, you know, it cracks. it cracked. when it cracks, they send out an emergency crew to make sure it's safe to go over. if it's not safe to go over it, they repair it. >> reporter: that provided an opportunity for some back and forth among passengers and two p

derrick ward explains why the church made the decision to terminate the worker. >> reporter: maria higginsas moved emotionally during mass at mouth seton mass today. >> the music and readings all said everyone is welcome but we sat and it made me cry. >> reporter: her tears were for her son jeffrey and his husband, fired from his position of church canter and got the word from the pastor back in november. >> i was called to the office here and told that he had discovered that i was gay and married and he asked if i would resign. i said that i wouldn't resign, good at my job and didn't see a reason to resign. he terminated me. >> i met people from the choir, met the pastor. never thought it would happen. >> they gathered with about a dozen family members and supported for a silent protest outside morning mass seeking to second a message. >> came down here to support my son. what happened to him was wrong and i'm really proud of him for standing up for what he thinks is right. >> reporter: there were waves a few car horns. higgins has appealed the paster's decision to the archdiocese to no a

news 4's derrick ward has the story. >> reporter: prince george's county police crime scene investigators returning to the 3900 drop of killborn drive in clinton. daylight had revealed a cell phone amid the fallen leaves and an important piece of evidence and the last time they were here it was to investigate a homicide, a disturbing scene for residents. >> there was a body on the ground. >> reporter: someone called police saying the man's body was near the driver's side of a black mercedes and it was still running. the victim had upper body trauma. residents of the block had heard something, but nothing alarming. >> odd noise, but something like gunshots. >> wow! >> reporter: indeed, this was a quiet cul-de-sac and not much happens and neighbors look out for each other and the police presence fired up a network of concerns. >> i got the message and she said i'm calling to see if you got the okay. >> reporter: this is where the car was and this is the one anomaly in the neighborhood. there's no house on this lot and not a lot of lighting and it provides a cut-through to allentown road. >>

we're live in college park, derrick ward, news 4. back to you. >> thank you, derrick. >> the roads are pretty much rough all over the region right now. >> the officials want you to take heed. our meagan fitzgerald is live at the reeves center. >> we'll get to her in just a second. they've been warning us about the fact that the plows are out there. the storm isn't over. so, you know, as quickly as they're able to push some of the snow off the roads, a lot of roads are becoming covered again. this is a live picture from -- >> georgetown pike you mean. georgetown pike in great falls and fairfax. that's a long, windy road. treacherous even when there is no snow on the ground. >> this picture, doesn't appear to have been really touched in terms of plows going through there. i think this is probably representative of what you might see if you trice to venture out on your neighborhood street. >> we had ddot on earlier in the show elling us their plan of action was to do this at the same time. >> maybe if you heard a plow come through your

news 4's derrick ward is live outside of l'enfant plaza with more on the massive lawsuit filing today. derrick. >> we expect to learn more details about that later today. we can expect there will be issues of compensation and accountability. as you mentioned, whatever health risks some of those passengers may have been exposed to during that incident. the incident started out as a normal enough commute for metro riders and virginia bound yellow line train. as that train left the station here in l'enfant plaza, it encountered smoke in a tunnel. several railcars were engulfed. 80 people were injured . one woman died. in the ensuing investigation, it turns out there were issues with ventilation system, whether it was functioning properly, whether or not it was or could have been or should have been activated remotely. and there is also issues of coordination with the response. metro general manager says they dealt with some of those issues like the ventilation system. they put a firefighter in the control center to help real time coordination of any issues. and scrutiny now. federal scru

news 4's derrick ward spoke to the homeowner today. >> reporter: it was thursday morning when an upper marlboro homeowner heard a loud noise coming from upstairs in the family townhouse. she's gotten the kids off to school so it couldn't have been them. >> i thought one of the picture his fallen or something like that. >> there is a construction site nearby and at first she thought the loud noise may have come to this sight, but upon closer examination of the house she saw something much more troubling. >> at first she saw these holes inside the bedroom wall, and inside the bathroom another hole, whatever it was, it traveled through the bathroom walls across the bathroom and into the far wall to the headboard and these are shotgun pell pellets. i was just right there tern minutes ago and i was fixing my daughter and everything and we were just there and we left because the school bus came. that's how we survived. >> after checking with one neighbor who had had no idea what was going on a neighbor from the other sideshowed up and said he'd been cleaning a shotgun when it went up. how de

live in montgomery county, derrick ward, back to you. >>> be sure to check your smoke alarms.s a message from fire officials in prince journals cou georges county this morning. officials are trying to figure out whether a space heater caused a fire in temple hills. a woman suffered burns over 40% of her body after being trapped in her basement. the smoke detector in the home was not working. firefighters found five other homes in the same neighborhood with no working smoke detectors. as you head out the door, take our coverage of the cold weather with you, download the nbc washington app. >>> greg hall was killed in a car crash yesterday morning. he unsuccessfully ran for a seat in 2013. police say an suv crossed the center line and hit his car head on. investigators are still trying to pinpoint a cause. >>> today marks one year since the fire killed a couple and their grandchildren inside their annapolis mansion. a dried 15 foot christmas tree caught fire inside the home. an a touchdown f report foutf r power outlet overheated. >>> today a vote to double fine for selling toba

in prince george's county, derrick ward, news 4. >>> pull the gloves out and turn the heat up. you'll certainly need it this evening if you'll be out and it's still breezy out there and still seeing winds gusting over 30 miles per hour and temperatures are starting to fall off fairly rapidly and you can see the current windchill readings there and 19 degrees and what it feels like in leesburg and generally low 20s and cold and windy and i wish i could tell you that we'll lose it by tomorrow morning and while it does ease some overnight and 12 to 22 degrees and the actual air temperature across the area will be dry tomorrow. we're not expecting any flurries as was the case this morning and while we do have another cold one coming up tomorrow, comparable to today in many ways by the end of the week, tfl temperatures will be going way up as far as traveling, exercising out and about and the one thing where the cold will hit us the most is if you'll try to get out and excersize so it's looking like an inside day for kids' recess and tomorrow we'll take you hour by hour and show you

. >> still ahead, derrick ward will have more on today's lawsuit filing from outside the l'enfant plaza metro station. >>> it took several hours and 60 firefighters to put out a fire at a power plant around baltimore. fire erupted in a pipe at the brandon shores power plant. take a look at that. it was fueled by coal and shot flames 90 feet into the air. firefighters used extinguishers to put out the fire. water could have damaged the pipe. nobody was hurt. >>> four people recovering from this crash on rockville pike happening around 9:00 last night. a little foggy, but traffic cameras caught the backup. montgomery county fire and rescue say two cars crashed, one of them flipped over. everyone is expected to be okay. >>> today, d.c. mayor muriel bowser will announce a new chief technology officer. the policy makes computer data and codes available to the public for review and analysis. mayor bowser says this is part of her goal to have a transparent government. >>> new this morning, alabama back on top, a national champion, alabama won a high scoring game against undefeated clemson to t

let's check in with derrick ward. >> reporter: yeah, good morning. is what you are going to encounter if you are out. lots of mounds of snow. you have to be careful as intersections because visibility is down. you have to look and almost assume that there is a car coming beyond that mound of snow. and the other challenge is side streets. take a look at this, we just left the scene of a fire not far from here in in the chillum area. and fire trucks are actually getting struck. they had to try to shovel the truck out. actually got a snowplow to try to pull it out. they pulled it out from one position and got stuck in the other position. and then side streets just challenging. and you have to consider the folks will be walking along those streets, as well. so again, caution is the name of the game if you are indeed going to be out today. you have to assume that what looks wet could be ice with the subfreezing temperatures that we still have and no sunshine to help in that melting process. but a lot of people are venturing out because they have to today.

derrick ward, "news4." back to you. >> thank you, derrick. >>> new this morning we're working to learn how a fire started in northwest d.c. firefighters rushed to a house fire near gallaudet to put out a house fire. everyone got out, no one was hurt. >>> developing this morning two woodbridge men will appear in federal court for allegedly trying to join isis in syria. joseph a farrokh was charged. he's charged with supplying materiels support to a terrorist nation. mahmoud elle hassan will charged with driving him to the airport. >>> serving back to normal at the arlington police didn't. they evacuated the building after a bomb threat. we're told the threat came from an automated phone call. dogs came in to sweep the building. they detected something in the lobby. they came in and asked people to avoid the area. police were moved to a temporary location. the scene was cleared around 9:30 last night. >>> a metro train had to single track after man stabbed himself saturday evening. the pentagon city station ne

derrick ward has a preview of the new congestion easing ramp. >> reporter: it's just a ramp, you say. this is not just any ramp. it will help northern virginia carpoolers rise above it all. that's the traffic along seminary road. prior to the opening of this ramp i-395 hov 3 commuters wanting to hook up to seminary roam to get to the mark city and this part of alexandria had to get off at the franconia-springfield exit and sit in five miles of seminary road traffic. well no more. this ramp will allow them to make that transition a lot easier. it's going to be hov 3 at all times. open to buses. the cost is $76 million, but the value and time saved, priceless. in alexandria, derrick ward, news 4. >> there's a new proposal to extend the 95 express lanes in stafford to fix backups at the merge point. dell watt mark cole wants to add an extension of the lanes on to u.s. 17. for this to work, vdot would have to negotiate with transurban. the work would be done somewhere around 2020. a lot of you have complained about the backups at the merge since the express lanes opened back in december o

but as "news4's" derrick ward reports the community has concerns. >> reporter: the ice is synthetic tun is real. for mark kohn of poolesville, it's his ability to enjoy his life long sport. >> i thought if i could ever have a chance, my own place, my own rink, i could have more flexibility. >> reporter: this rink isn't just about fun. there's a solemn meaning. it's a fitting way to remember his stepdaughter melanie. >> huge hockey fan. we'd have pizza and puck nights. that was one of her favorite things. >> reporter: she shayed her passion for hockey up until her death. she was 35 when she died from a respiratory illness. the rink was named after her. >> i thought it would be the a greatest thing. >> reporter: there's a problem. kohn's property is in an agricultural reserve. as such there are limits and rules governing what goes on. inspectors had already visited and they had an issue with the lighting. >> immediately took those down. >> this looks like all of the kids here and they're having a great time. >> reporter: but it's popular and important. jim brown is president of the pool

derrick ward, "news4." back to you. >> looking forward to that. thanks, derek. there is a new proposal to extend the 95 express lanes in stafford. they want to add an extension of lanes. for this to work vdot would have to agree with the operators. the work would be done somewhere around year 2020. a lot of you have complaining about it since the express lanes opened up. >>> today one of the prince william county dale care workers will be in court. both sara jordan and keira spriggs worked there. they hit children and stepped on toddlers. the trial for jordan who is on the left begins this morning. >>> 6:34. we expect a former turner elementary teach never court who is charged with cruelty to a developmentally challenged child. d.c. police say he pull a boy out of class last month squeezing his arm so hard he left a mark. he was frustrated because he wouldn't stop talk and would gonlt tois next class. he no longer has a job. >>> maryland state police have discovered the woman found dead on 301 was tiffany. they're not sure what killed her. the autopsy found no s

in prince george's county, derrick ward, news 4. >>> i'm storm team 4 meteorologist tom kierein. we had our first flurries of the season and passing snow showers. right now the storm team 4 radar showing some of these streaming down the chesapeake bay. you heard of lake-effect snow, we have bay effect snow occurring along chesapeake bay, the length of the bay. the wind picks up moisture off the bay and brings in the streams of the snow showers. locally a few lingering flurries here in northern montgomery county, up near damascus, gaithersburg. a few other scattered flurries here, patches showing up here. once this snow shower came across fairfax county and put down a dusting of snow on this deck. share your photos on facebook and twitter. we'd love to see them. >>> u.s. stocks briefly plunge after china halts trading. opening day of 2016 is sharply lower with the dow down 350 points. global markers were weak everywhere following poor manufacturing data that sent china's shares tumbling. european trading down. market watchers say unrest in the middle east may make things worse. we

at fedex field, i'm derrick ward.back to you. >> thanks, derrick. >>> developing this morning, one of five americans released from iran released back home. matthew trevithnick back in boston overnight. he was a separate release. he was detained for 40 days. as for four other americans, three are recovering in a u.s. hospital in germany right now. they were receiving medical and psychological evaluations and then they'll head back home. one of them, "washington post" reporter jason rezaian was held for more than 500 days. he talked to the paper saying, police let everybody know my "post" family is high on my list and said, quote, i'm a helluva lot better than i was 48 hours ago. >>> a senior administration official told nbc news that the u.s. citizens who, quote, wished to depart iran have left. >>> well, leaders at prince william county schools have tried to ease concerns of threats at three of their schools. they're taking part in a community town hall meeting at 7:00 tonight. violent threats were found on bathroom w

derrick ward, news 4. >>> 9:06. family demanding change. the call for action. what loved ones want. >>> and the blizzard caused some major damage. now how a prince george's county county business is trying to make repairs and save a big tou ♪ you like being picture perfect. you should want your banking to be too. stop into td bank and we'll help set you up with picture perfect banking. new customers, open a checking and savings account and you can get a polaroid cube+ video camera on the spot. >>> the family of a man who died just feet from a d.c. fire station wants to make sure no one suffers the same fate as their father. 77-year-old medrick mills jr. died two years ago this month on rhode island avenue. firefighters refused help from hills. they said 911 needed to be called before they could respond. mills family says similar incidents are still happening to this day and that needs to stop. >> how many time does hthis hav to happen? obviously the changes of chief didn't change the culture. >> the mills are suing the district, although it's not clear whether

"news4's" derrick ward is live aet the stadium. take a look. derrick krk you feel the anticipati anticipati anticipation? >> reporter: i tell you what. the sun is makes a bold appearance. you know, it's been ten years, a whole decade since washington has won in playoff period. they appeared in 2006 but that didn't go too well. we're definitely hoping for a big win and folks are just starting to appear here at fedex field. some of those early tailgaters. here are some of the things you need to know. it will be an hour before you actually can get into that red zone parking lot to begin your tailgating activities. now, other permit holders, they can get in at noon and the air force is here. the gates are going to open at 2:00. the game kicks off at 4:40. and if you're taking metro as you are often advised to do, be aware on the orange, blue, and silver lines. they're suspended the track work at noon. that will make it a lot easier for you to get here and leave. we're live at fedex field. back to you. >> thank you very much, derrick. >>> this mornin

we are live here in montgomery county, derrick ward, news 4. back to you. >>> dress like derek, you need your warmest winter gear. still below freezing in much of the region. hour by hour, by 2:00, making it up to 32, 33 degrees. bright sunshine. back below freezing by 6:00 p.m. 11:00 tonight, mid 20s. overnight tonight very cold again. you need your warm coat, scarf, gloves, warm hat waiting for the metro and the bus tomorrow morning as temperatures will plummet again down into the teens starting off early wednesday morning. a look at that warming trend on the way, that's coming in a few minutes. >>> today virginia governor terry mcauliffe is expected to sign a trade agreement between the port of virginia and cuba's muriel port. he is in cuba now expanding relations between the common wealth and the island nation. yesterday mcauliffe announced a new educational exchange between virginia commonwealth university and the university of havana. >>> airlines have some catching up do when it comes to safety. australia's quauantas topped th list. jetb

"news4's" derrick ward is live there. derrick, what do you know?> the alarm you hear went off just after midnight and led to 67 people being evacuated. that roof over the stairwell collapsed. the same situation seemed to have prevailed. were taken to a nearby fire station. they're being kept warm on buses until more permanent housing can be found for them. >> i've been there for seven, going on eight years. that roof has been ready to collapse. >> i heard a lot of stomping and they were hitting my window. they were trying to get me out. we all woke up and they were here. >> reporter: the investigators will come to this scene, determine exactly what happened. structural engineers will determine if they can eventually be let back into the building. it's going to need more shoring up before kit be reoccupied. derrick ward, manassas, "news.". >>> surprisingly the number of power outages pretty low. just over 600 customers waiting to get the lights turned back on in northern virginia. bge has 200 without. pepco reporting 20 outages across its area. powe

derrick ward, news 4. back to you. >>> so let's get real. the snow is not going to melt.t's too much of it. >> by july. >> right. so removing all the snow in big trucks, you might ask where does it all go. here is an abc for you. d.c. crews are dumping snow in lot 7 at rfk stadium. there is some concern that debris and chemicals will go into the water ways once that melts. district officials from the environmental did department he checked the site and the water will go through mesh screens and into a catch basin, and not all correctly into the anacostia river. florida mo >>> most of metro back up and running and it's taken a massive effort. special equipment had to make you multiple passes to push snow away from all three rails. >> we don't want to put people out there leaving them strapped, so we're taking our time and getting it right. >> metro couldn't put an exact numb number, but it's been expensive. >>> we're just days away from the first primary vote in decision 016. presidential hopefuls are in iowa this week. first we want to say good morning to edward lawrence

we have team coverage tonight and derrick ward starts us off along minnesota avenue in southeast where police are trying to track down the driver of this hit and run. derrick? >>. >> we're at the intersection of minnesota avenue and you can still make out the marks made by investigators as they investigated this hit and run that turned out to be fatal the lights pretty much what we have now and what you can't see well in this intersection is the special lighting, a system of lights, buttons and signs that are supposed to help pedestrians get across the street safely. sadly, early this morning it didn't. the victim of a hit and run moments before the impact. captured by surveillance cameras mounted on an apartment building. police say 36-year-old ian jerome butts was crossing at the cross walk when he was hit and killed and it was after 4:00 a.m. and we're freezing the video here. it's unpleasant beyond this point. oswald durant is manager of these apartments and they help deter crime and the nearby intersection is fitted with new light to help pedestrians and motorists avoid each other

derrick ward is out with the last-minute rush. >> reporter: how are you?ust like the road crews are getting ready with the salt trucks and the plow, folks are here at trader joe's and they spent most of the earlier part of this day getting ready. >> it's a ritual when there is a snowstorm in the forecast, parking lots, teaming with cars and baskets with bags brimming with essentials, whatever they may be. >> fruits, salad, cheese and wine. >> some milk, bread and all those things. >> coffee. >> here at this trader joe's in fairfax, yesterday was their busiest day ever. yesterday was busy too, and tomorrow? >> we'll stay open until we no longer can tomorrow. i have plenty of people here and we'll try our best to stay open until 9:00. >> remember the shopper who said wine was among the essentials and elsewhere, it's proof that that's a popular taste for being snowed in. in some cases they're close to being sold out. >> some of the biggest sellers are right there and we're starting to run low. >> there's no shortage on the sense of excitement, camaraderie and

derrick ward, news 4. >>> like the guy right behind you. eah. >> god speed. >> thank you, derrick. >>> power outages, we can't say it enough, and they will be inevitable, folks. if you're lucky enough to have a generator, we have a warning for you tonight. >> our news 4 consumer reporter susan hogan has more on what you need to know to be safe. >> we all love a generator baz it does come in handy, of course, one of the biggest risks of using a generator is carbon monoxide poisoning and let's get you trite what you need to know. take a look. never use a generator inside and that includes, folks, your garage and basement and by opening up your doors and windows and that will not build up carbon monoxide buildup in your home. the best place to store your generator is under a deck or a canopy and away from windows, at least six inches to a foot away from your home and keep that generator on a dry surface. >> you know, susan. we all know that carbon monoxide they say is the silent killer. what are some of the warning signs for people to remember?

at the metro station, derrick ward, news 4. >> all right, thanks, derrick. very appropriate. >>> stay ahead of the weather no matter where you are. storm team 4 is updating the forecast on our nbc washington app 24 hours a day. even set weather as your start screen so it pops up as soon as you open the app. >>> 11 new jersey schools received mass shooting and bomb threats this morning. all of the schools were evacuated or placed on lockdown when they got the threats. officials say in each instance someone claimed to have planted a bomb or claimed they were planning mass shootings. students were able to continue their days once officials determined those threats were part of a hoax. schools in several other states in the northeast and in iowa also reported threats today. officials say it was not immediately clear if the threats were linked. >>> a judge in texas has postponed a hearing for the so-called affluenza teenager. there was supposed to be a hearing to determine if the teenager violated his probation on his drunk driving probation. ethan couch's attorn

. >> a lot of you are seeing gridlock in the parking lot and derrick ward is in fairfax. does it look? >> reporter: it looks pretty crowded. that's an indicator and suppose you don't have access to the broadcast, a good indicator of an impending snowstorm, a grocery store parking lot. it's all around us. >> grocery store parking lots are a sure sign of coming snow. there's another indicator. >> got some bread in here and eggs. >> milk, bread and all those things. >> yesterday was the busiest day the store has ever had in the 17 years that it's been open. >> reporter: one line snaking amid the aisles and split off to three for the open registers. >> next, it will be perfect for you, sir. >> i think we prepped pretty well for it, but you just can't order enough milk. >> and for some, you just can't be too prepared especially with the little ones. >> i think we'll have some activities to do, some homework to do. >> reporter: homework on a snow day? got to keep those young minds at the ready and to keep those minds of legal drinking age at the ready. there's another popular c

news 4's derrick ward reports on how the survivors are hoping that this doesn't happen again. >> reporter: 7887 lawsuits, count them, 8g7 lawsuits filed on today the anniversary of the accident, and filed on behalf of passengers who survived. report after smoking brakes on the yellow train line brought a response eerily similar to the events one year ago today. an evening commute turned chaotic and deadly. virginia bound yellow line train encounters smoke from an electrical ark as it leaves the plaza station. one person dies. another 80 passengers are injured. in need of rescue. jonathan rogers was among them. >> we were totally helpless. we were told, stay put, like the best thing you can do is stay put. if you open the doors, get off the train, the train can't move so you'd be jeopardizing everybody else if you try to get off the train. so there was nothing to do but just wait and hope. >> reporter: he says he and other passengers took turns giving passenger carol lynnine glover cpr but she did not survive. >> bringing her through the train, her being unconscious, that's the main thing

new members were sworn in today in ash burn, and as derrick ward reports, the ceremony today was the first indication that things are changing in the county. >> reporter: there were a number of firsts. while the actual swearings in had already been done because the law said they had to by the year's start, this largely ceremonial event at the lands down resort held some real significance. the fact that republicans and democrats on the board took their ceremonial oaths in the same place at the same time. they chose the resort because it was the right size to handle the gathering. incoming board chair phyllis randall says expect more. >> in loudoun, we don't sit in traffic as democrats or republicans. >> reporter: her speech offered a nod to a key issue, tgsz, and a look at how she, one of only two african-americans ever elected to the board, plans to chair it. it will be a balancing act. loudoun's changing. good going forward, it is my fervent hope we will set a new tone on this board. >> reporter: now not only dealing with the changing demographics but its distinct characters, east a

"news "news4's" derrick ward is on his way.m on twitter for developing throughout the day. >>> 10:26. remember pay phones, pay booths? yeah they're making a comeback sort of. they're going to be unveiled on the sidewalks on new york city. the hotspots will have super fast and free wi-fi. phones with free calling. and they're going to have these little ports where you can plug in and charge your phones. at least 7,500 are due to go online in the first half of this year. >>> call it a new year's regulation for women's magazines. they'll no longer use "bikini body" or "drop two sizes "on their cover. they don't like the term and want it retired. the editor in chief wrote a dear john type of letter and they're going to start applying those in the january issue so they will no longer appear on any of their covers. i agree. how about strong body over bikini body. >> keep working out. >> keep working out. >> oh, man. well, you're going need to work out because it's going to be cold out there in the week ahead, right? >> it sure is. >>