derrick ward, news 4. >>> we'll check back with you, derrick. tharpg you. fire officials spent the morning battling a house fire. >> chris lawrence at the live desk with more on that. >> check your smoke alarms. they may have saved one's life in montgomery county. a person was sleeping inside this home when the smoke alarm went off. want to call your attention to something. officials think it started in the living room. burned out christmas tree in the corner. we can't confirm the fire started with that tree, but at least a possibility. here's a look at the you can see how quickly this fire spread. it's showing severe damage from all the smoke and fire. again, sometime this week take a few minutes, check your wiring, replace the batteries. make sure the smoke alarms are up and running. >> chris lawrence at the live desk. 6:05 now. an investigation under way on a fire that broke out. this is on richmond highway. about 9:15 in the alexandria section of the county. >> the building is filled with antiques from more than 30 dealers. we know that part of the buil

derrick ward is live in st. mary's right now. >> what is it looking like?: it is nice to look at and not bad to get around in. we are in leonard town. take a look. this is the scene. again, you can see they have decent snow. snow on the grass. the non-paved surfaces. paved surfaces, whether treated like these roads or just the ambient temperature makes it so, you can pass, there is no snow on that. we're even seeing grassy areas that are starting to be cleared of snow. we're getting the mix of rain and sne thow folks have talked about. mary's county, they are putting a lot of things on hold. high school activities, practices, games, things like that, outings, they've been postponed, put off because of this weather. they got ahead of the storm in terms of treating the

derrick ward, news 4. >> derrick ward just mentioned a woman killed today, and we have learned her death was another case of domestic violence. if you or someone you know has been a victim of domestic violence, we have resources that can help. you'll find those in our nbc washington app >>> okay. so you remember the swimmer from stanford who was sentenced to a few months in jail for rape? well, he's now appealing his sentence. why he says his trial wasn't fair, and who he's now blaming. >>> a stadium in shock after a collapse on the court. you're going to see the emotional reaction coming up. what a young man was doing moments before he fell. >>> but first, new findings in the death of a teenager from prince george's c mom,on my car insurance of money by switching to geico. i should take a closer look at geico... you know, geico can help you save money on your homeowners insurance too? great! geico can help insure our mountain chalet! how long have we been sawing this log? um, one hundred and fourteen years. man i thought my arm would be a lot more jacked by now. i'm not even sure this i

we've got derrick ward on his way to the scene. he'll be able to work his story and get more. >>> it's 5:04 p a go fund me page for two loudoun county sheriff's deputies has almost reached its kpoeld goal. people have donated lnl 10,000 sds in one day. >> douglas johnson jr. has no bond. the shooting happened christmas eve as the deputies were responding to a domestic call in sterling. johnson pulled a gun on the deputies as they were trying to arrest him. okay. >>> hawaigh a patrol officer is remembered as a great man. he was killed after a suspected drunk driver slammed into his patrol car. police say the officer and his partner were rear ended outside of oakland. he leaves behind a wife and three children. the driver is in the hospital in serious condition and will be charged once he's released. >>> president trump spent his christmas in florida at his estate in mar-a-lago. before they left for the holiday, he and the first lady recorded aid special message. >> melania and i are delighted to wish america and the entire world a v

derrick ward, back to you. >> thank you, derrick.e you the breakdown when it comes to driving during the holidays, police are cracking down on dui -- with dui arrests. what about driving the day after you had a little too much at a holiday party. the "today" show sheinelle jones is letting us know when that feels like. take a look. >> it's so much harder. it feels like there's a weight. oh, my goodness. okay. >> think of -- such a focus so hard. >> just horrible. >> it's horrible but eerily -- you can catch more of her struggle on the road just >>> new year's resolutions aren't just for adults. >> doctors say it's a good time to help the kids focus on forming better food habits. parents can ask hem to help clean up their toys and clean up the table after meals. older kids can start to implement healthy lifestyle changes too by drinking reduced fat milk, more water, saving soda and juice for special occasions. teens can get in on the act too. >> they can aim to eat two servings of fruit and veggies after the new year. >> just like us.

derrick ward. back to you. >> thanks, derrick. >>> a security problem at some of our local schools was exposed. >> it came after a man tried to get quick cash. it is a story you'll only see on news 4. we were there when police arrested sheffield early yesterday morning. police say he entered at least eight private and public schools in prince george's county. they say he walk ed the halls during school hours, looking for empty, unlocked classrooms. >> to steal credit cards from the teachers' purses, staff's purses. immediately leave the school and go to various stores. >> police say this is surveillance footage of sheffield inside target and other stores. they say he bought items at the stores using stolen credit and debit cards. he is likely going to face charges in prince josh already on probation for something similar in charles county. >>> montgomery county is finished reviewing security at its 200 plus public schools. administrators launched the review after allegations of a rape inside rock vi

derrick ward is at the scene with the very latest. >> reporter: we're at the intersection of rockville pike and congress allege lane in rockville. this intersection was the scene ever a fatal crash last night. police say it was about 11:45 when the 2008 bmw was heading north on rockville pike turning on to congressional a lane making that left turn when it collided with a scooter that was southbound on rockefeller centerville picenter pike. the guy on the skeecooter died the person driving the bmw ran but they caught up with him. the victim is stanley redler of rockville. and the bmw 24-year-old mark androtti, who has been charged with dui. anyone who has seen anything, get in touch with police. derrick ward, news 4. >>> also this morning, a little girl is recovering after she was shot in the leg. d.c. police say kids were playing with a gun when it went off saturday afternoon. the shooting happened inside an apartment along pomeroy. so far no one has been charged. >>> here we are the time of year when you want to be with your family, right? relative getting together. but i have to thi

derrick ward has new images of the people that police are looking for. >> reporter: they may not look like grinches but fairfax county police say they've been trying to steal christmas and over the last couple of days have been as busy as elves. over a 12 hour span on saturday, police responded to at least 17 calls for car break-ins. >> everybody's been texting each other, letting everyone know to be careful and be on alert. >> reporter: these burglars were busy but what they did was quite different from what they'd been doing. the trio didn't just break-in in to a car they stole it. thanksgiving or christmas but nothing ever like this. >> reporter: in fact, police say on at least two occasions the burglars may have entered homes to get keys to more vehicles, often entering through garages. police are looking for those three individuals and they hope these surveillance images captured by homes they've hit will help them capture the culprits. they're asking residents not to make the crooks jobs any easier. be aware. in this neighborhood they are. >> basically, all the time. the whole c

. >> and derrick ward is live near the scene with the latest. >> reporter: good morning. we're at the intersection of rockville pike and congressional lane in rockville. you can see now the scene is clear, but about where that bus is, there are smil some investigative markings out here. it was about 11:14 last night. and when you take a look at the video, you see a scooter there, that was one of the vehicles involved. police say a bmw was northbound about to make the left turn on to congressional lane, at the same time that scooter was headed south on rockville pike. now, they are trying to figure out how they collided, but when they did, the driver of the scooter suffered injuries that proved to be life threatening. and he died a shorts ti time la. the driver of the bmw ran but they caught him a short time later. they have identified them both, they say that the guy on the scooter was 56-year-old stanley redler of rockville. and the driver of the bmw was in-year-old mark androtti, and he has been charged with dui. and we understand the victim lived just a short distance

live at westfield montgomery mall, derrick ward, back to you. >> wait there. before you go. here's the question. have you done your christmas shopping? >> reporter: i'm not saying. [ laughter ] >> what? what do you mean you're not saying? >> he's a politician. he's a man of the people. >> yeah. that's right. >> right answer. >> i don't recall. >> i guess it is a guy thing. >> it's a guy thing. all right. thank you, derrick. oh, my gosh. a reminder here to always lock your cars when you go shopping. last minute or not. this is important. especially after packing your cars with the christmas gifts because police in west springfield say three people were stealing people's property and even a car on stanhope place. officers responded to 17 calls saturday morning. in two cases the crooks may have gone inside people's homes so that they could get their keys. >>> all right. this morning, at least ten people are without a home take a look at this cell phone video here. you can see the flames rip through a house. then jump to other homes in southeast d.c. the fiery scene was on 21st

live in leonard town, derrick ward, news 4. back to you. >> thank you very much. >>> folks, check this out. some thick flamkes coming down, coating trees and everything else it hits. richmond, virginia, folks are waking up to a winter wonderland. >> from the capital of the commonwealth, let's go to the deep south. this is atlanta, georgia. look at that. it is covered. some parts of georgia, get this, more than ten inches of early friday to prepare for the weekend. >> and then there's this. a football field coated in snow. not much of a shocker. but it's mississippi. from georgia to mississippi, we talked about louisiana, you know these folks are stoked because they don't usually get snow like we get snow but it is hitting hard there. even went to houston. >> crazy. >> i know. >> because of all of this, we decided to postpone our nbc 4 community shred at fedexfield. it is popular so we want you to be informed. sheryl on twitter said it would have been nice to do it with hot chocolate and shred the snow. we know it is kind of dan

. >> derrick ward is live in southeast. what do we know so far? >> reporter: well, we do know that as bad as things look, it could have been a lot worse. ten people were displaced by this two-alarm fire. started at 4:00 a.m. you can see the extensive damage. smoke still coming from one of the houses that probably received the most damage. a few feet across, the house was damaged from radiant heat. this is video of the scene earlier. this happened at 4:00 a.m. one of the residents of one of the houses was the first to detect something was going on. she knocked on neighbors doors, woke them up and they had to rush out. some kids in diapers. one child is among those displaced. pretty much what they have on their backs. the red cross is he, city, as is the ward 8 council member's office. they're all there to help the folks out. there's no good time for a fire but, of course, this time of year makes it that much worse. the red cross is here. they have folks on a warming bus. they are making arrangements for them to stay in hotels and to get some clothe

derrick ward, news4. back to you. >> good luck to all the last-minute shoppers out there. >>> let's turn our attention to northern virginia where fairfax county police are preparing to charge a teenager with murder. news4's darcy spencer spoke with neighbors in reston which is shocked by the family tragedy. >> reporter: fairfax county police retu attorney and her husband were murdered. flowers and candles dropped off by friends and neighbors line the end of the driveway. >> they were very friendly and kind people. >> reporter: a quiet vigil were held across the street. the couple who just moved in months ago are gone. buckley kuhn-fricker was killed along with her husband scott when they confronted a teenager known to them at 5:00 in the morning on friday. police tell us that 17-year-old also shot himself but survived. he remains in the hospital in critical condition. now police have obtained petitions charging him with these murders. many were thinking of the frickers young son who was seen playing baske

redskins player is threatening to sue police in loudoun county recent traffic stop but as nurz 4s derrick ward reports police say it's just not true. >> reporter: it was wednesday december 29th. departmenties with the loudoun county sheriff's office were conducted a speed enforcement in ashburn. they were using a radar to determine the speed of an object. the sheb's office says su'a craven, say washington redskins safety, was speeding. >> said i was going 39 in a 35. >> reporter: the official report says it was 39 in a 25-mile-per-hour zone. about a mile away they pulled cravens' car over. >> they got squad cars out here. >> reporter: it ended here in this parking lot. cravens says this is where he was surrounded by police, roughed up a little bit 1/4 he started doing a narrative, filming it with his phone. the video was posted to his twitter account. >> well, they say stay in your car right up on me. i said what? pulled me out of the car said calm down, started pushing me up against the web. office also says cravens was cited for having car windows with too much tint. he says the deputy that

derrick ward reports on this washington christmas day tradition. >> reporter: centuries of tradition. each step, each gesture. the christmas mass at the national shrine of the immaculate conception. the faithful gather in the basilica in the holiest of christian days to celebrate. ♪ elsewhere in the building an army of volunteers was already busy, gladly taking on tasks that most of us would seek to avoid on a holiday. >> upstairs they're feeding the soul and the spirit but down here they're feeding the body. both equally important today. >> at mass we heard god's word to us. go love one another. and now we come down here and we put it into practice. >> reporter: this dinner is as much a tradition as the ceremonies upstairs, for those who serve and for those who are served. >> i'm 92 1/2. i have absolutely no family and no relatives. i'm very, very grateful to have someplace to go. because it's a family holiday. >> we've been here before to celebrate. we just wanted to come back and give a little to the people who really need something today. >> i haven't volunteered in quite some tim

derrick ward, news 4. back to you. >> thank you very much. back in in a little while. >>> check this out. these are some pretty thick flames coating the trees and, of course, everything else it hits. you're looking at richmond, virginia, where folks there are waking up to a winter wonderl d wonderland. that's the best flakes, in my opinion. the big, thick ones. >> i thought you meant watching from the outside, looking out on tv. that's my preferred view. >> that's good, too. >> it is nice this time of year. you want to see a lot of snow? head to the deep south. atlanta, georgia. this is atlanta. some parts of georgia has already seen inches of snow. some schools releasie ining studenting from school early. preparing for what is a mess down there. >>> take a look at this. >> that was nice. >> used to be a drummer. not a shocker this time of year to see this thing. this is mississippi. all snow. you know they're stoked. snow is hitting several parts of the country. even houston got some snow. >> unbelievable. >> crazy. >> because of all the sno

derrick ward is breaking down what we need to know. >> good morning. we're sort of in that sweet spot, the area between christmas and new year's eve where people go on vacation. schools are out. but police are stepping up enforcement, not so much for the sake of citations but to keep you safe. there have been several accidents in the area. speed and road conditions and things like that. there's things to be aware of because there is a tendency to speed. we talked to some drivers yesterday who say that they follow an old adage and watch out for the other guy. >> be more defensive this time of the year. you never know who is crazy. >> a lot of people drinking. they don't know what they're doing. >> reporter: so aaa says that this is indeed the deadliest time of the year for the roadways. and police are going to be stepping up their enforcement and their citations all over the jurisdictions, several jurisdictions. metro will be open until 2:00 a.m. on new year's eve. that's something they've done in the past. 2:00 a.m. does help. you can ride met oro on n

national guard armory, derrick ward, news4. back to you. >> derrick, thank you very much. great event there. >>> meanwhile, there's a debate over whether the recently passed senate tax reform bill is going to add to the country's debt problems. it's been projected that it could add at least $1 trillion to the debt. >> that's right. so, now, senate majority leader mitch mcconnell is disputing projections that things would get worse, in fact, he's insisting that it will help families. >> the fact of the matter is, the average family of four would get about $2,200 a year in tax relief, and that's pretty darn important to them. >> mcconnell also predicted that the house and senate can iron out its differences to get the measure to the president before christmas. >>> and now to local reaction on the tax reform bill that could impact you. d.c. mayor muriel bowser in a story you will only see here on news4, she says the bill will only hurt district residents. >> we're very concerned, obviously, about a bill that was rushed through the senate, and with it appears that many senator

news4 derrick ward is live now to take a look at what happened. what do we know about what happened there, derrick? >> reporter: well, all we know for sure is one man is dead, rest still under investigation. all happened in this house you see behind me here. it was about 2:15 this morning when police first responded. and before dawn they towed a vehicle away. take a look at video from morning. police say they got report of gunfire. when they got here found adult male outside taken to the hospital where pronounced dead and someone inside this house shot that person from inside the house. now the other circumstances are still under investigation. we do know that there is it a broken window up on the second floor of the house. it appears to it be broken from the inside. whether that's related to ts incident is part of the investigative process. police say that they are talking to several witnesses and they have a lot of information, a lot of evidence to go through, consult with the u.s. attorney's office before anything in the way of charges or anythi

and news4's derrick ward is at the national guard armory this morning where people are pouring in to celebrate. >> reporter: protecting the capital and defending the nation since 1802, that is the theme of the annual awards ceremony for the d.c. army and air national guard. we're here at the d.c. national guard armory, where they're going to be recognizing superior soldiers and civilians, those who indeed protect the capitol and defend the nation, something they've been doing for a couple of centuries. now, be some special recognition for the pilots and maintenance crew of the d.c. air national guard f-16 that went down in clinton back in april. that pilot is being heralded as a hero because he directed that plane into a wooded area about 600 feet from some homes out there. so, a lot of important things going on here today for those who protect and serve not only the nation but the nation's capital. live in the d.c. armory, derrick ward news4. >> all right, derrick, thank you very much. >>> meanwhile, there is a debate over whether the recently passed senate tax reform bill is going

derrick ward, news4, back to you. >> derrick, thank you. >> new developments on the gop tax plan after concerns there would not be enough votes to pass the measure. today there is more optimism that the measure will pass. a vote is expected early next week. the house and the senate are set to release their joint bill within the hour. this after lawmakers amended the bill to increase the child tax credit refund to $1,400. senator marco rubio pushed for the increase yesterday. today we also learned that two ailing senators, john mccain and thad cochran, are expected to be back next week to cast their votes. >> a housekeeper convicted of ste virginia family face 20 years in prison. but a jury had other plans. ahead at 5:00, the second chance she was given that has the victims of her crime seeing red. >> you probably don't recognize those flags, but some residents in this vienna neighborhood did and were alarmed to see them flying here. coming up, why they want the flags taken down and what the man who owns them has to say. >> and a virginia congressman the latest to be accused of sexual m

derrick ward, news4. back to you. >> all right, derrick, thank you. >> a texas congressman who has come under scrutiny for sexual harassment allegations says he will not run for reelection, but he will remain through the end of his term. republican blake farenthold says that inexperience led to an office that fostered destructive gossip and off-color jokes. he also said he failed to treat people with the respect they deserve. but farenthold denies harassment claims by his former communications director who received an $84,000 settlement. three other members of congress have resigned or retired in arizona's trent franks, michigan's john conyers, and minnesota senator al franken. >> omarosa man gault newman said she was fierds and had to be removed from the white house groin grounds are completely false. she said secret service deactivated her card because her access is changing. she spoke on "good morning america" today about concerns she's had during her tenure. >> woman in this white house as a senior sta

we are live in reston, derrick ward,ws year and a baffling mystery, too. derrick, thank you. >> the executive director of a shelter for victims of domestic violence has been fired. the news comes after tracee wilkins reported on deplorable conditions at the family crisis center of prince george's county. something the director sophie ford denied. >> reporter: you think the food is fine, the room temperature is fine, interest isn't a mold issue, that's what you're saying? >> that is what i'm saying. >> after our story aired, county officials inspected the shelter and told us they found concerns leading to ford's termination. >> only on news4 this evening, a man busted for a brazen crime. accused of stealing from teachers' purses in classrooms during the school day. police tell us the man targeted schools in both montgomery and prince george's countys. as our county bureau chief tracee wilkins reports, it is >> reporter: this is video you will see only on news4. nakeem is in custody. blade enz berg police, the lead agency in the case say he was caught wanderi

we're live in reston, derrick ward, news4. back to you. >> all right, thank you, derrick. now with he go to a troubling story in maryland raising concerns about security at schools in our area. a man in custody tonight accused of stealing from teachers. after taking credit cards from their purses during the school day, our prince george's county a story that you'll see only on news4. >> well, it's egregious act to go into the schools where you have children and educators that are teaching our children to steal from them. >> reporter: this is video you'll see only on news4. nakeem sheffield is in custody. they have sheffield on video wandering into public and private schools during school hours looking for teachers purses. >> he'd walk around the schools, enter classrooms that were unoccupied at the time. he would steal credit cards from the teachers' purses, staffs' purses, immediately leave the school and go to various stores. >> reporter: police say they have video of sheffield and target, safe way and sometimes giant using stolen credit cards and debit cards. >> most of

. >> derrick ward is live in the alexandria section of the >> derrick, what can you tell us?porter: good morning. the scene has cleared. we know fairfax county police were concentrated on the wooded area around the apartment complex. as you can see now, it is pretty clear here. most of the residents we've spoken to here don't seem to have any i thinkling as to what happened. someone called news 4 and reported police were investigating a possible shooting or stabbing. we haven't confirmed that with fairfax county police. we have no information about a victim or possible suspect. some tense moments last night and early this morning, around 1:00 a.m. this morning, when the investigation was taking place. we hope to have more information from fairfax county later today. to the suspect or information about a victim. we're live in alexandria. derrick ward, news 4. back to you. >> a lot of questions still out there. all right. we'll check in later. >>> 8:30. developing this morning, the senate passing a sweeping code. the vote went into the early morning hours as lawmakers passed it

derrick ward, news4. back to you. >> thank you, derrick. erika? >> tonight we are learning how walt whit man high school senior navid sepehri died. the medical examiner said he died of an acute alcohol poisoning complicated by drowning and hypothermia. he didn't come home saturday night. his father found his body the next day in a small pool of water in a wooded area in bethesda. sources tell news4 sa ferry disappeared after he left the party alone despite friends' concerns. >> heading home for the holidays can be a little complicated when you're traveling with a four-legged friend. what you need to know to protect your pet when you're on the road this holiday season. >> a jury convicted a housekeeper for stealing jewelry on the job then they turned around and did something unexpected for this single mother. why she is not only avoiding jail, but she's also little extra cash. and we are in snow mode this afternoon, and how much you'll see all comes down to where you're going. >> storm team4 all over it. up to the minute updates for the next three

news4's derrick ward is live outside her apartment building on fenwick lane in downtown silver spring. derrick? >> reporter: well, indeed. that is the question that is reverberating throughout this neighborhood. certainly throughout this building. why would a son kill his mother? that is exactly what happened here last night. an 88-year-old woman found dead. police say her killer was her 61-year-old son. it all happened in the seventh floor apartment where rose dyer lived. police say her son garvey dyer who lives in bethesda, came here, shot her, then turned the gun on himself. neighbors say the victim was a matronly figure in this neighborhood. >> i've seen her off and on, and even on the shuttle bus she'd be going to appointments or she has to go to the grocery store. >> reporter: police were called to the apartment for the report of an assault, and they say relatives alerted them of a concern for the victim. derrick ward, news4. >> new concerns about pedestrian safety after an suv struck and killed a man who was crossing rockville pike. this is video from the scene near the vrockvi

news4's derrick ward has reaction from teachers, students and parents who testified. >> reporter: it was a major accomplish. for ballou senior high school in southeast. the entire june 2017 senior class graduated. but a report done by public radio station wamu and national public radio last month says that many of those who graduated shouldn't have because of too many absences. education chair david grasso says it's tragic, but it's not just about ballou. >> ballou high school's community did not create their present day dilemma. it operates in an inherited public education system steeped in segregation in the dock and the entire country. >> ballou 11th grader says now from the negative perception, thoughts the school had overcome. >> i take offense, first of all, that the accusations that were made were from former teachers and that a lot of people claimed that it's all about the students, but they didn't take into account what students had to say until after the damage was done. >> reporter: two investigation s are going forward into what happened at ballou and what is happening th

news4's derrick ward is in the newsroom and he had spent all day analyzing this report. derrick? >> you know, this report is telling, and while it doesn't find dereliction of duty among the hundreds of law enforcement officers sent to charlottesville to keep the peace, the findings say that their orders of preparation kept them from doing as well as they could have. >>> court looked at the three days this summer when white supremacists and counter protesters converged on the city of charlottesville and clashed over the city's decision to move a statue of confederate general robert e. lee from a public park. the author of the report is lawyer tim, a former u.s. attorney. he says he went into this project with one important city leaders not expect a whitewash or a witch hunt. so, where did those facts lead them? to the conclusion that critical mistakes were made, particularly in how police were prepared and deployed that weekend. both virginia state police and charlottesville city police. >> they were doing what they were told. i think the plans that were in place did not allow the

derrick ward is live now on black fir court with more on the victims. derrick? >> reporter: good afternoon. this is where this is all going on now. you can see that the house is still the scene of a lot of investigation. detectives have been going through the scene pretty much all morning and they are about wrapping up now. we now know the names of the victims. they're 43-year-old buckley tricker and her husband 48-year-old scott fricker. they were found shot to death in this house earlier this morning. there was a third person who was also found shot. that person has been taken to the hospital in critical condition and that person's name has not been released. now, investigators say there were indeed several people in the home at the time among them the three children, the youngest of which is middle school the family had endeared themselves to this community. even though they've only been here for about three months, this is what one neighbor had to say. >> we went to the house warming in august and we were at a christmas party up the street like two days ago.

derrick ward, news4. >> i'm erika gonzalez. we are following two breaking stories from the live desk. first in manhattan where a car jumped a sidewalk and plowed into pedestrians. six people had to be taken to the hospital. they are all expected to survive. the driver believed to be in his 60s crashed into at least two other vehicles before hitting the pedestrians. police are questioning him, but this does not appear to be terrorism related. >>> want to switch to another story now. in new mexico where the governor has called a deadly school shooting a heinous and horrific act, a student opened fire killing two classmates. the shooter also died. investigators are not releasing a lot of details in this story and we are still working to learn more about the circumstances surrounding that shooting. doreen, we'll send things back to you. >> erika, thank you. >>> fire fighters in california are losing ground relentless winds and dry air fueling at least four wildfires that are still out of control. homeowners are running for their li

we'll never frlgt that. >> reporter: derrick ward, news4. >> a local crime ring busted wide open. how social media helped police crack the case. >> a woman who stared at the solar eclipse suffered permanent eye damage howit despite wearing the glasses. >> the first snow of the season moves in tonight and tomorrow. >>> well, do you love it or hate snow of the season and asked how you felt about it. take a look at the results of our online survey. most of you say you're ready. you love it, bring it on, more than half of you. >> i wonder how much of that is women saying that. i just want to change my wardrobe. i want to wear different things. >> i want to wear muk luks. >> this is boot season. >> these are not the boots women look forward to wearing. [ laughter ] >> am i right, you guys? >> set them straight. i've been getting boots delivered to my house the last couple days. i know what boots you're talking about. >> they sit at the door for days. these are not the boots we're looking forward to. >> but the boots will be necessary and you're talking about the boots none of us want t

derrick ward, news4. >>> today's your last chance to donate to charities. remember the new tax law that doesn't apply to this year's taxes. so the donations have been pouring in to the good will in arlington. goodwill says new year's eve is always the busiest day of the year. >> it's wonderful. we appreciate the support of the community. so we really appreciate the support that we get from community. >> between yesterday and today it received 1,500 donations. from what everything you were saying, you only think it's cold now. it's getting worse. >> oh, it's going to be brutal for all the folks going out. maybe headed to see fireworks, maybe going to hit up some bars a little bit. whatever you have in store for your new year's holiday, i need you to put on the long johns, every layer you got, just throw it all on, it's going to be very cold. let's see what it feels like right now. this is pretty bad. 20 degrees at the moment. take a look at the winds because that's what's playing a significant role in making it feel so cold. feels like temperature right now

news4's derrick ward has his story. >> reporter: the last time we all saw captain jonathan morgan heout of the skies in clinton maryland seconds after he ejected from his crippled f-16 fighter like this one. he was short of andrews air force base. >> when i realized i couldn't make the field, i was looking outside the aircraft fryitrying find a place to put it to cause the least harm. >> reporter: mission accomplished. no one on the ground was hurt. for that he was honored by the d.c. national guard. >> air champion jonathan r. arnold. >> reporter: that bright april morning it began with a training mission. he made a sharp right turnover d.c. and realized he had a problem with the engine. i am over old town alexandria. my engine gives out on me. >> reporter: he dropped the fuel tanks. >> i decided to drop them over the potomac. >> reporter: debris was found national harbor. they did no damage when they hit the ground, but morgan and his jet quickly becoming a multi-million dollar glider not out of trouble yet. >> i'm told i have a flame coming out of the back of the engine. >> report

. >> news4's derrick ward joins us to explain the mistakes charlottesville is accused of making. it's a store yy you are seeing first at 4:00. >> reporter: poor planning, that was one of the key findings in the 200 page independent released today in charlottesville this summer. white supremacists converged on the sid amid word there were plans to move a statue, a confederate general robert e. lee from the park. clashes erupted from protesters, counter protesters, a shot was fired and someone used a flame tloer. 32-year-old protester heather heyer was killed as a car plowed into the crowd. chafe ee in private practice filed the report and said there should have been more sharing among the police agencies involved and the agencies should have been deployed differy. occurring on market street said, and this is in the words of his assistant and the words of somebody else on the command staff, hold on, let them fight. it will make it easier for us to declare an unlawful assembly. is that misconduct? no, i don't think it goes as high as misconduct. i think it's part of a plan. the part

. >> derrick ward is following it all and has the latest on a developing story. derrick, what are you learng? investigation. here is what we know. this happened last night around 9:30 at a home in the 800 block of h street northeast. police were responding to a call for a domestic disturbance. they confronted a man whom they say appeared to be armed with a handgun. at some point police fired their weapon wounding that man. we hear now from the chief police. >> our officers responded for a second time to a domestic situation. they were out here. they were looking for a suspect and he returned to a home. not really sure about the details of the domestic. when they get on the scene, they confront an adult male who appears to be armed with a handgun. the officers end up firing their weapons. >> now, police will tell you that these are some of the most dangerous calls they respond to. this is still under investigation. that man has not been identified but he is in critical condition. back to you. >> all right, derrick, thank you very much. >>> meanwhile, we are learnin

. >> reporter: in southeast, derrick ward, news 4. >> a reminder to always lock your car and keep valuables out of sight. three people were stealing property and the thefts all fairfax county police say they stole a car on stanhope flas and they may have gone into people's homes to get the keys to the vehicles. >>> we are tracking a developing story now involving the top leadership at the miss america organization, ceo sam haskell, the organization president and chairman all resigned today. this follows a huge outcry after the huffington post ahold of an e-mail exchange between the leaders. they allegedly mock the sex life and weight of 2013 winner mallory hagen. hasket said he made a mistake of words. the outing president apologized to her and nbc news has not vir fied the e-mails. >>> a mult billion dollars digital media and broadcasting company is saying sorry after an explosive report revealed disturbing accusations, three vice media employees as reported by the new york times received settlements harassm allegations. one was against the company president. the company's co-founders rele

tonight he spoke with our derrick ward who is live with the latest. >> reporter: the butler family has indeed been there throughout this ordeal. and if this lead proves true, if her killer has indeed led authoti family, it will close a chapter but not the wound. nearly nine years of not knowing for the family of 47-year-old pamela butler missing from just before valentine's day 2009. >> to be honest with you, i knew because she's my sister, i knew probably a week in that, you know, we weren't going to find her alive. >> reporter: it wasn't until her former boyfriend jose angel rodriguez cruz was arrested and admitted killing butler in october that he really sank in. he said he really liked rodriguez cruz when they first met. >> he seemed like a really nice guy, to turn out to be just a sick character. >> reporter: in an agreement with prosecutor, rodriguez cruz pled guilty to second degree murder. he killed butler after they argued in their home. sources tell news 4, they began searching a wooded median separatihe virginia, a development they've waited years for is still bittersweet. >

derrick ward news4. >>> all righty, folks, taking a live look outside at union station.et ready for a mild weekend with a cold blast in a few days. lauryn will be back in a few seconds here, but she's also talking a little bit about snow. what? >> and it looks wet in that picture, so definitely raining outside right now. and you're going to want to fire up pt e-zpass! oh, yes, tolls on i-66 are almost here. we'll let you know what you need to know before y ou >>> make sure you have an e-zpass inside your car if you're going to drive along i-66 tomorrow inside the beltway. that's where tolls are going to there. this is happening just during rush hours, eastbound between 5:30 and 9:30 in the morning and westbound between 3:00 and 7:00 in the afternoon. now, if you drive alone, you're going to pay a toll using your e-zpass. if there are at least two people in the car, the tolls are free if you have an e-zpass flex. got that? anyone can drive in these lanes during the off-peak periods or the weekends. that's when the road pretty much goes back to normal. a lot of changes hap

derrick ward, one of the most interesting men in the world. derrick? >> reporter: it's cold down here. it's a bit chilly. all over the area, folks were out. some because they had to be. midday, during the warmest part of the day, still below freezing. that's the kind of day it's been. while it is december, cold weather should come as no surprise. this blast of arctic air is a bit more than people are ready for right now. 's gary wolf says he was homeless but after years on the streets, he's gotten his life together and winters on the streets are just a cold memory. this cold weather out here, oh, man, you have to be under the influence in order to get through it. >> reporter: life goes on under the warmest clothing. he can recommend what to buy, a staple of his native beirut. >> i stay out here all day. >> reporter: she comes from a warmer place. >> you just wear lots of clothes. >> reporter: good advice whether national harbor or, you know, down by the water. and usually it's not a crowd but you see more people down here. we're tracking snow on storm

. >> doug and part of the story but let's begin with news4's derrick ward live in national harbor to show us how people are braving the elements and we know that wind can whip off the water, daerric. >> reporter: i don't think they are braving the elements. they are just staying indoors. of course, you have the christmas tree down here and the spectacular view. usually there's a good crowd down here but not tonight because of the weather. the few folks that are venturing out are hearing to dress warmly. at the st. luke catholic church community center, an annual event put on for the kids. >> i think everybody knows how cold it is, especially today. we're really feeling it. so it's great that we're able to provide them with a coat and keep them warm. >> indeed. the blustery winds have everyone bundled up. >> i have an alpaca sweater and hat here. i stay all day here outside. >> reporter: meanwhile, elsewhere these kids were here for a cause. they have to deal with the local temperatures. the mercury barely climbed above freezing but there are jobs to be done for these musicians. it's

in ruston, derrick ward, news4. >>> all right. we are heading into the holiday weekend and get a check on the forecast. >> absolutely. tomorrow team 4 weather center with everything you need to go. >> cold right now. >> absolutely. a lot going on. as the christmas draws closer, we are looking at the rain, temperatures dropping through next week. talking some snow. >> i'll have that in a moment but first through the friday. temperatures peaking low to mid-50s not a bad day as far as temperatures to get the last minute shopping. the good news we'll be staying dry so i know it's clou will stay at bay until we head into overnight hours. so great travel day today but the rain is moving in tonight. i'll time that out. looking like a sogy saturday. for your christmas day, at this point not expecting a white christmas but a few snowflakes. i'll talk about that more detail coming up. >> thanks so much. in airports three days before christmas. videos show passengers streaming outside in glass. air conditioner overheated this morning and set

derrick ward, news4. back to you. >> thank you, derrick. erika? >> five years ago today at this time the numbers were still going up. and the horror was still becoming real. after the death settled, we learned a gun plan ended the lives of 20 little children inside sandy hook elementary school in newtown, connecticut, and along with the nearly 2 dozen children, six adults were killed. it was supposed to be the shooting that changed the debate about guns in this country, but it hasn't. ♪ ♪ >> a group of people gathered outside the association this morning, still pushing for better background checks and new regulations. many of the parents who lost their children have made gun rights advocacy their life's work since that tragedy. former white house press secretary jay carney remembered the victims, tweeting this message saying it was the worst day at the white house. i saw my normally stoic boss break down. i lost my composure at the briefing. as a parent i could not comprehend the horror of sandy hook. i think of the innocent children and the brave

in aspen hill, derrick ward, news4. >> now, in an effort to save lives in fires like that one you just saw, there is a new law starting on monday everyone who lives in maryland will need a smoke detector that has a built in battery. the battery lasts for ten years. homeowners caught without the proper device could face a misdemeanor charge. landlords are responsible for apartment smoke detectors. >>> all right. now we are going to get a check on the weather. not as cold as yesterday, but boy that's not saying much. still pretty frigid out there. >> that's not saying much as all. let's check out with the meteorologist as we head into the holiday weekend. how cold will it get? >> oh, my goodness bone chilling. that's the difference. we will have snow chances. but stepping outside in the district 27 degrees. how are you doing, 21 up there, leesburg at 23. farther another frederick in the teens. so as we head throughout the day, is there hope in sight. tah-dah, 34 degrees, that's as warm as it will get. more clouds building through the day. and like i said we do have stomp snow chances com

now we're live in virginia, derrick ward, news4. ck >> derrick, thank you. turning now to storm team4 and the forecast that is about to get really chilly and really fast. >> doug is coming to us from burke, virginia, where an entire neighborhood is joining forces to spread some holiday cheer. and, doug, it looks like you have a lot of new friends out there. >> yeah, apparently people couldn't come out to see me live today. they couldn't make it out today. we've got a ton of people out here today. and you mentioned the neighborhood. there are seven houses here. this neighborhood so much bigger than this. that's why they love doing this on this street. we are on marshall pond row. this is one of the pipes that they have here. that means seven houses, you can see those houses decorated so nicely. when the sun goes down, what a different view we have from just an hour ago. now you can really see the lights in all their glory across the yard. take a look. this is a different vantage point. this shows you down the road from our mass cam. this shows you what we're

. >> derrick ward following developments from the news room. thanks. >>> more developing news this morning in what was a cold overnight, imagine this, being out there for several hours. that was the reality for montgomery county firefighters battling this fire in potomac. fire investigators will be back out on the scene today. there's no word yet how it started. that's why they'll be there to figure that out. we do know the damage pretty extensive about $1 million worth. >> then there's this, dozens of people in gaithersburg have to find a new place to live after a missive fire there strikes there. this is video you'll only see right here on news 4. look at the flames coming out of that building. resident capturing the flames. this fire started around 4:00 in the morning yesterday. everyone got out safely, thankfully. but they had to brave the bitter cold when they were out there and despite the ordeal, residents are just focussing on the fact that everyone is safe. >> nobody got hurt, we're okay. we're just need money. red cross will come and

an investigation revealed dozens of students graduated last june when they should derrick ward will have was discussed at 4, 5:00 and 6. >>> southern california, new evacuation orders sent out overnight as the thomas fire continues to rage. so far 238,000 acres along with hundreds of homes have burned. that fire 30% contained. updates in the nbc washington app. >> taking a look at your roads. chopper 4 over the beltway. this is inner loop at georgetown pike. rest of the beltway looks good. no problems on 270. inbound 395 getting slow because of that crash at boundary channel drive. guys? >> melissa, i need to make a correction to something said earlier. chuck will be the one shoveling snow. >> what? >> for anyone who gets an inch. >> i'm sick. barely made it to work. >> it's a weather alert day. snow mainly north and east of the district. could see light snowfall around otherwise, a quick mover. it's not going to last long. but it could lower visibility for a time in maryland. otherwise, it's moving out for your friday night. 50s next week. >> 50s now. i saw you stretching this morning.

in silver spring, derrick ward, news4. >> here at nbc4, we are committed to helping families find help from domestic violence. we call it safe at home. we have a list of stories and resources that can help and even save lives. so, head to the nbc washington app and search safe at could take more money out of your pocket and give it to metro. >> jim and wendy are in the newsroom with more on this. hey, guys. >> pat and leon, the governor makes a pitch for the budget today and it includes a call for higher taxes at the gas pumps. hotels, even for raeal estate. >> why the governor's tax hike says it will affect all of virginians. he says it will be good for people in northern virginia. we'll hear what lawmakers are saying about this proposal. >> also tonight for the first time in my life, i learned to wrap a present, folks. i know it sounds kind of lame. >> didn't look like it had been wrapped by crazy monkeys. >> well, there is a lot of help with that one. >> i don't see you touching the package. >> i was kind of guiding. i point to where the tape goes. but you should know, wendy rieger,

convicted and ordered to pay restitution, but the maryland family says they're still waiting for tis derrick ward. >> reporter: for philip and barbara butler, time is not necessarily the healer of wounds. at least not the psychological wounds they suffered at the hands of this man, william atchison. this picture shows him as a man of the cloth. he entered the butler's lives wearing another kind of cloth, the robes of the kkk. >> it never leaves you. >> reporter: it was january of 1977, the butt letters had recently gotten married and found a home here in the county. they knew prince george's county had issues racial tension. cross burnings and other parts they thought they found refuge here in college park woods. they got a call from a neighborhood about a fire outside the butler's home. >> i opened the door. there was a big old 8 foot cross burning. >> reporter: investigators soon honed in on atchison and the leader of the robert e. lee branch of the clan of maryland. he had been busy burning crosses, making pipe bojz, making threats to people like martin luther king's he was charged and convict

ahead on "news 4 today," derrick ward is live on the scene with breaking news. >> reporter: a two-alarmd. i'll tell you all about it coming up on news 4. >>> a child shot and killed. the death investigation untolding days befountold i -- unfolding days before christmas. >>> we have rain through portions of the mid-atlantic. snow along the east coast. it is making for messy commuting weather as you're traveling on this day before christmas eve. we'll talk about the warm temperatures out there for today. big cooldown for christmas. i'll let you know if there is snow in the forecast. that we'll be rooting for when she sounds to south korea. we'll introduce you to the speed skater already making history months before the winter games. >> i love that story. >> i do, too. >>> all that and a look at your holiday travel forecast. >> we're back in a moment. join us. >> announcer: "news 4 today" starts now. >> as we approach christmas, we're on christmas eve eve. consider the holiday photos now, if you're doing them outside. this is a big holiday weekend. good morning. i'm david culver. >> i'm me