i'm green minded and glad there's a rebait rebate for that as well. >> reporter: i'm gigi barnett, wjzyewitness news. >> thanks, gigi. >>> b >>> >>> beautiful weather out there. some people out there, including myself, would like to see the winter weather but this isn't going to be a big one. we'll take it to you in a minute. we got up to 57 degrees, way above any weather. we started the day at 28 degrees and you can see way above the average as far as the high goes at 46. other than oakland, we're all above freezing. the winds turned around to the north that will bring cooler air. but in baltimore, i don't think we're getting to freezing. these are factors working against the storm on our way. there's a lot of moisture, severe weather too, and as it moves into some colder air, this is going to be snow mainly for the mountains in appalachia. as you cross over in maryland, some of the amounts really die down. as far as virginia goes, there will be higher amounts. also for anyone skiing in the mountains this president's day weekend, great for you guys. here's a bull's eye heaviest amount

gigi barnett explains police have a better idea of who they're looking for. >> reporter: the police are looking for this man. on january 21st, shortly before 11:00 p.m., investigators say he walked up to a woman, sexually assaulted her, and then ran away. >> they were unable to locate suspect of the. investigation at that point turned over to criminal investigation division. >> reporter: now detectives look for witnesses too. the suspect was wearing a dark colored jacket, and an earring that night. he has one tale tell feature. >> on his cheek. >> reporter: police are on the lookout too. >> that's nod good, concerning, very concerning. >> reporter: i'm gigi barnett, wjz news. >>> a goat nicknamed tuscany was found by a girl. the goat had a heavy chain actually embedded in its neck and had to be surgically removed. after seeing the story on the news, an owner of the ranch adopted tuscany. living a much happier life we hope on that ranch. >>> it looks like artists will soon be able to sell. not violating free speech rights. judges accept the terms of the artists, they can sell their works

gigi barnett found people outside enjoying the sun. the sun has set, it's a beautiful night. a lot drier than it was this time yesterday. bernadette woods right now live with an updated look at first warning live doppler radar. >> we have that blast of winter sort of a taste of winter actually has come and gone. top áf it is clear -- it is clear as can be. as far as temperatures go, we want to switch it over and show you we are cooling down. we're up above average once again this afternoon. 30s to our north and to our south. we are cooling down before yet another round of cold weather heads our way. >>> more pain at the pump. gas prices in maryland have jumped 10-cents despite falling crude prices, the prices are averaging a little lower at $3.37 a gallon. this is still 27-cents higher than january of last year. oil analysts expect gas prices to hit record highs thanks to the ongoing tensions of this week. >>> we still have a lot to come on wjz tonight. >> what happened yesterday at the united nations was a travesty. >> now it's u.n. backlash. u.s. leaders speaking out after

i am gigi barnett. >> i am tim. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> it's cool outside and you expect that for february. we are smack in the middle crossing over into the second half of the month. >> but really clear beautiful. saw the moon tonight. >> a nice start to the day and it will be a gorge outs one -- gorgeous one like yesterday. look at that sky. it's just clear. hard lay cloud anywhere. we will -- hardly a cloud anywhere. we will see clouds ahead of the storm system we have been talking about. and there's the moon we have been talking about. it's a gorgeous day to see the stadiums lit up. 30 right now at bwi marshall. 32 on the shore. and we are consistently across the area for the most part in the 30 degree range. 27 over towards cumberland. high pressure in control that will ease off to the east. but mild air for today still in the forecast. our temperatures are going to start off in the 30s. and then we will go up to a high of around 50 degrees. in the low 50s around much of the area calling it 54

i'm gigi barnett. >> i'm tim williams. the temperatures are in the 30s. we expect that for february. not as warm as this week. monday we got up to 7 degrees. we is not seep that since then, but a clear day early on. clouds increasing ahead of a system that will move through the region. the same system that dumped 2 feet of snow on denver, not in the same way, but it is headed this way. our forecast not too bad, but again it will be changing throughout the day. star off in the 3rds. sunshine early on, clouds increase up into the 40s and expect to see rain late tonight. we will talk about how it impacts the rest of the weekend in your first warning weather forecast. >> thank you. >>> a change of heart for the susan g. komen foundation. days after it pulled funding for cancer screening away from planned parent hood. kai jackson has more on the foundation. >> reporter: there was no running for the conreversety created by susan g. komen for the cure who yanked funding by planned parent hood. >> i think that we have seen a displ

gigi barnett explains, they now know who they are looking for. >>> they are looking for this man. on january 31st. shortly before 11:00 p.m., investigators say he walked to a woman in a strip mall and sexually aassaulted her and ran away. >> officers canvassed the area. they were unable to locate the suspect. the investigation at this point turned into the criminal investigation division. >> the detectives are, are looking for witnesses, too. the suspect was wearing a dark- colored jacket, jeans and a gauge-style earring that night. investigators say he was one tall tale feature. >> the scar on the right side of his face and cheek. >> shoppers say they are on the look-out, too. >> very, very close now. i have daughters. that's not good. concerned. >> i'm gigi barnett, wjz "eyewitness news." >> if you have any information on the case, the police say you should call the detectives at 410-222-3416. . >>> a maryland woman is dead after a one car crash in caulkies eastville. 49-year-old was ejected from her car as she lost control and struck a guardrail. it happened early this morning

i'm gigi barnett at baltimore's central booking.t story is straight ahead. >>> an award-winning american journalist is killed in syria. who is responsible for the deadly attacks? ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> it's 5:28. 61 degrees and partly cloudy. good evening. thank you for staying staying with eyewitness news. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. despite protests from city leaders nationwide. a controversial immigration enforcement program comes to baltimore. starts today. and baltimore's mayor is speaking out against it. gigi barnett is live with details. gigi? >> well, kai, it's called a secure communities program. but those against it say it makes their neighborhoods anything but safe. >> reporter: right across the street from baltimore central booking, protestors called this rally a move to block a controversial jail-based deportation program. >> and we are going backwards instead of forwards in our country. this is the way it's going to be. >> reporter: the u.s. immigrations customs enforcement, also called

i am gigi barnett. >> and i'm tim williams. it's a calm start to the day. yesterday by this time we had winds already gusting up around 30 miles per hour and the chill was already there. we are taking a look outside. clear skies for the most part. a mostly sunny day shaping up without the wind there's not really a windchill at all. the temperatures are true temperatures. temperatures right around 30 degrees right now. 32 is the temperature in hagerstown, 35 out to. we have 34:00 a.m. bwi marshall, 21 degrees out in oakland. we start off at those temperatures that get to unseasonably chilly 46 degrees. overnight lows down to around 29. for tomorrow, 61. we will have your complete updated forecast coming up in just a moment. >> here's what people are talking about. we are learning more about a serious fire that left seven firefighters injured on friday. as alicia chang explains, neighbors called 911. >> those recordings were just released. in the new could hear fear and neighbors voices as they braced for the wind to spread the flames. take a listen. >> it's

. >> i am gigi barnett. >> i am tim williams. >> it started yesterday evening and you see the clouds are out there and the snow is falling. and area wide snow is falling across the area. the road surfaces themselves are just warm enough that really the snow is not sticking but you will find in the north and western suburbs. some areas it is starting to cool down and this is the live doppler radar. and right now we have steady bands of snow and light rain down towards the eastern shore. we will give you an idea what to expect. the front that is bringing the cold air is bringing it through the region and the low bringing in the rain is down to the south. >> that is a coastal storm and you will see it in the carolinas. and we will get another blast of rain and snow during the afternoon hours. so the accumulation will not be over. we will get a break late in the morning. the advisories are in effect. and through the northern state. and winter storm warnings in effect for far west maryland. and the far western edge of gain gain. it is going to get a preat the time decent amount up to 8 in

i'm gigi barnett. >> and intelligence. overtures in the crude -- in the 30s across the area. >> super bowl sunday. >> i had to bring that up. i thought we were all going to boycott it, but it turns out we are not. >> no unity involved in this. we are all kind of dealing with the weather moving across the region. around the beltway in north and west of the lake we did see snow coating and parts of the area toward frederick coming to washington county as well. up to about 2 inches. mostly a coating around about weight. when you go outside today if you are north of the area, you may see some on the car, maybe on the grass. not much on the streets. the streets were still to want to have it take hold. temperatures are going up already. we are above freezing just around the entire state about. 42 on the show -- sure. starting off and 30s. a light shower across the region and we could route with the afternoon. temperatures up to 47 degrees. your complete forecast coming up in just a few moments. >> thank you, tim. it's onward to

i'm gigi barnett. >> i'm tim williams. the temperatures are in the 3rds and 40s across the region, it is a very windy start to the day. of course, the wind started yesterday after the front moved through here. the from has moved through, but we are left with the wind, fortunately it is not so cold that we have a wind chill. the wind is part of the forecast today, so much so there is a wind advisory in effect for today. we're going to be watching temperatures in the 40s moving across the region. for the most part that is not the head line for the story. the story today is the wind. the winds will be a factor throughout the afternoon. the wind chill factor go into effect for 8:00. it is for the entire area, except for far western maryland, that has lake affect snow because of the system brings the winds through. that's going to be the case there. the wind advisory is with us through the evening. windy, more sun than clouds. overnight lows 29 and tomorrow, the temperatures stay in the seasonably chilly, the average is 48 degr

gigi barnett, wjz eyewitness news. >> if the petition drive is successful voters will decide the issuen november. >>> turning to sports, the nba's best players put on a show. defense was optional. durant lead the way. he scored 36 points and was named the games most valuable player. the west wins 152-149. >> ugly uniforms. >> oh. nascar will try again today to hold the great american race. the daytona 500 was postponed for the first time in its history due to torrential rains there. the green flag is expected today at noon although weather could be an issue once again. >> well, excuse me. let me show it to you nascar fans. here is first warning doppler weather radar. i just kind of cruised it down toward north central florida. >> that is strong. >> and this moisture just continues to march from left to right, from ocala all the way across to daytona. it is like an 80-90% chance of rain today and here in baltimore we can appreciate it. if you are holding an outdoor event that big you know you pretty much -- weather it is the grand prix, whether it is the preakness, you know it just dawn

gigi barnett. >> so if this measure reach it is ballot, voters will get a chance to decide in november. >>> governor martin o'malley make as national television appearance. he was a guest this morning on face the nation. the governor spoke to bob shaffer and talked about a number of topics and shared his thoughts on the republican presidential campaign. >> i think the number one issue is whether or not our economy is getting better. >> reporter: governor also answered questions about gas prices after this. and newt gingrich's claim that he could bring them down to $2.50. o'malley says republicans are bringing up gas prices now to take away from the improving economy with president obama. >>> it's just two days until the michigan primary and candidates are working hard. >> reporter: for these conservative christians their faith has a heavy influence in their politics. gunther is facing the race closely. rick santorum is his candidate. >> he stands for family value. >> reporter: santorum appeal helps push him to the top of the polls in michigan. mitt romney who was once the favorite in h

i'm gigi barnett. that story is just ahead. >>> and ready for the weekend. will this spectacular weather hold out? don't miss the updated first warning weather forecast coming up. ,,,,,,,, >>> broken doors, hot classrooms and cracked doors. it's what baltimore teachers and studentses say they deal with every day. but the city's proposed bottle tax increase could change that. and gigi barnett explains, students plan to take their requests to lawmakers in annapolis. >>> on an unseasonably warm winter day at patterson high school in southeast baltimore, this is the cooling system. that is just one problem with the 50-year-old building. >> it's hot in here. only one window that works. and half of these classrooms is beat up. >> reporter: today, students rolled out their plan to rally city and state lawmakers in annapolis next week. asking them to the port to propose bottle tax hikes from 2 to 5 cents. that what boosts baltimore's school construction budget by 140%. some councilmembers are all for it. >> i challenge the taxation and finance committee to come out

. >> i'm gigi barnett. that story is next. ♪ [ music ] ♪ i'm every woman >> the family makes accommodations for fans who ,,nt to pay their respects to mine was earned over the south pacific in 1943. vietnam, 1967. i got mine in iraq, 2003. usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection, and because usaa's commitment to serve the military, veterans and their families is without equal. begin your legacy, get an auto insurance quote. >>> it is 6:30. 44 degrees and cloudy. good evening, everyone. thanks for staying with wjz. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. around the world, the lesions -- legions of fans of whitney houston will be able to watch her funeral after all. it will be broadcast over the internet. randall pinkston reports outside her church in newark. >> reporter: police are putting security measure negligence place for whitney houston's funeral in saturday. officers placed barricades around the new

as gigi barnett reports, no other african american woman has reached her rank. >> reporter: congratulatory e- mails for lieutenant bianca thompson flooded her inbox this week. >> i don't think it's setting in yet. it's surreal. >> reporter: last month, she received a major promotion in the baltimore fire d. >> i'm the first african american female lieutenant in fire. >> she put in the application two years ago. she waited, waited more. then the phone call came. she joined the apartment shortly after 9/11. >> that was my epiphany for what i wanted to do. i wanted to help people. so a month to the date from 9/11, i resigned from the fbi. >> reporter: lieutenant thompson now has several paramedics, firefighters and equipment under her command. say they say she's a trailblazer. >> i'm happy for her. and i'm happy for the department. and now she's making history. >> reporter: but thompson says her goal now is to get others like her to the rank of lieutenant and beyond. >> i don't want to stay on. and i'm not going to stay on. you know, i expect a lot of my peers to come right behind me. >> repo

. >>> i'm gigi barnett at the university of maryland school of medicine. that story is coming up. >>> and another mild february evening. stick around for the updated first warning forecast coming up. okay, that looks great. were you profitable last month? how much money is in your checking account? have the browns paid you for their addition yet? your finances are scattered all over the place. mm-hmm. what are your monthly expenses? you keep your receipts in plastic baggies? seriously? [ announcer ] get it done and get it off your mind with quickbooks. organize your small business finances all in one place, even online banking. and now your business can be at your fingertips, anywhere. quickbooks, guaranteed easy or your money back. learn more at quickbooks.com. is there a prize in there? oh, there's a prize, all right. is it a robot? no. is it a jet plane? nope. is it a dinosaur? [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] inside every box of heart healthy cheerios are those great tasting little o's made from carefully selected oats that can help lower cholesterol. sti

i'm gigi barnett. that story is next. >>> i'm jessica kartalija. coming up on wjz, how a baltimore county teacher is cell bracing the same birthday as one of its own students will i'll -- students. i'll explain. >>> when will the skies get clear again? bob has the answer in the forecast. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> he was the lead singer of one of the most popular groups of the '60s. davy jones of the monkees has died at the age of 66. >> here we come ♪ walking down the street ♪ >> davy jones was already a seasoned performer when producers picked him and three other unknowns to be the monkees. it was 1965, and the beatles were invading america. hollywood wanted to create its own american version. the monkees tv show featured the comediantics and music of the group with jones as the heartthrob lead singer. jones was the only british monkee. the band churned out a string of hits, including "i'm a believer," and "day dream believer," which jones sang lead. most were written by well-known song writers. critics dubbed the group, the pre-fab four, a knock j

gigi barnett explains how students are trying to sway lawmakers. gigi?> baltimore's proposed bottle tax hike has many opponents. but today, the plan picked up some support in the form of students. >>> on an unseasonably warm winter day at patterson high school in southeast baltimore, this is the cooling system. that is just one problem with a 50-year-old building. >> it's hot in here. only one window that works. and half of these classrooms is beat up. >> today, students rolled out their plan to rally city and state lawmakers in annapolis next week, asking them to propose a bottle tax hike from 2 to 5 cents. that what boosts baltimore's construction budget by 140%. some councilmembers are all for it. >> i challenge the taxation and finance committee to come out here and walk to the school, stand in these classrooms, see what these students have to go through. >> in the state of maryland, baltimore city probably has the oldest set of buildings. >> reporter: terrell williams is with build baltimore, one of the groups pushing for the bottle tax hike. and ne

i'm gigi barnett. thanks for joining us.e a wonderful weekend. >>> good morning, cincinnati and welcome to "cbs this morning saturday." i'm rebecca jarvis. >> and i'm john miller. coming up a saddening trend, teens and tweens are turning to the internet to ask, "am i ugly?" how to reach kids with such low self-esteem. >>> also do you love your cell phone? >> i have to say, we're having a long affair. >> i am addicted to my cell phone. i cannot live without it and therefore i am a nomophobiac. >>> and from trash to treasure. the basement discovery that made a man a multimillionaire. just one of the stories behind the headlines. >>> but first, a story that's been making headlines for the past two years. in april of 2010 the body of monica beresford-redman was found in a sewer in mexico. her husband, bruce, a former reality show producer was arrested for her murder. now for the first time he's speaking out from behind bars as he prepares to go on trial. "48 hours" correspondent troy roberts got the story. >> reporter: it happen

. >>> i'm gigi barnett, "wjz" "eyewitness news." >> >> if this bill passes, defendants who file their taxes jointly will see their tax refunds right away because this could potentially affect an innocent person. >> >> a family using a generator as a source of heat overwhelmed with carbon monoxide. it happened here in the 1100 block of dundock avenue. firefighters had to evacuate the affected homes and ventilate them. no one had to be taken to the hospital. >> >> prices of gas has -ped more than 10-cents. average $3.00 a 52 in maryland. some places teeters above or below that. nationally, it is lower, $3.37. still, 27-cents higher than january of last year. oil analysts expect the gas prices will hit record highs during the first half of this year, thanks in a large part to the ongoing tensions in the mideast. >> >> still a lot more coming up on "wjz" "eyewitness news," a plane crashes into a house tonight, how everyone onboard this plane managed to survive. >> >> a young teacher murdered. a community mourns as police move in on his killer. >> >> a deep freeze, europe is getting slappe

i'm gigi barnett "wjz." >> if voters pass the measure, maryland will become theth state to legalize samearshall airport set as new record for passengers, more than 2.3 million passengers flu through that airport in 2011, up two percent of 2010 and all time record high for bwi. airport officials say the number means more than just set agnew record. >> what it means, is access to baltimore for the tourist locations, jobs, businesses in baltimore. direct access. >> reporter: this is as much of a surprise, leading carrier for 2011 was selfless once again. they have more than 12.5 million passengers. >> >> celebrating black history month, today students spoke about the importance of education. competing in "wjz"'s black history oratory contest. >> reporter: 20 students compete in baltimore. part of "wjz"'s continuing community commitment. each student's speech is based on one of three famous quotes >> . education is the passport to the future. tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for today. >> winning first place -- >> we let the opportunities that we have to learn slip away, we pay for it d

. >> i'm gigi barnett, the answer is straight ahead. >>> and ,,

. >>> good morning, welt come -- welcome, i'm gigi barnett. >> i'm tim williams. go outside and you'll see sun breaking through. that's an indication of how things are shaping up. if you liked yesterday, it won't be like that. we got up to 57 degrees at bwi. we want to show you the first warning doppler weather radar. we're showing you a moisture rich system to the south. the problem is, however, that those snow showers, rain showers and that moisture in general is not making it to the ground, it's contributing it to the ground. that's the indication of what's to come. a lot of the moisture is staying to the south. the watches and warnings are showing this. maryland is not under a watch or warning. that's how it's shaping up. this is going to move to the south. with a few hours away of it moving on through, there's the possibility of a trace of snow late tonight and temperatures go back into the 40s this is pretty much going to move on by. we'll have the forecast in a few moments. >>> a maryland man's fate rests with the jury after both sides wrap up their case in

i'm gigi barnett, the answer is straight ahead. >>> new information on that accident that we have been following on 295, we will tell you what it is and what is blocked. >>> joan and melissa reality show is back on tv, an inside look at new season coming up with joan and melissa being joan and melissa. stay tuned. morning edition continues right after this. ♪ [ male announcer ] for our families... our neighbors... and our communities... america's beverage companies have created a wide range of new choices. developing smaller portion sizes and more low- & no-calorie beverages... adding clear calorie labels so you know exactly what you're choosing... and in schools, replacing full-calorie soft drinks with lower-calorie options. with more choices and fewer calories, america's beverage companies are delivering. >>> bottom of the hour, look at mr. bow, looking down at brewers hill and the frost on cars down there. sharon has the latest on the roads, marty has the weather. >> let's take a look at watch, warning and advisory. fog trying to form in the area. nice flow cutting over the cooler g

as gigi barnett explains, for some, that battle will be waged in churches. >>> the hope of marriage is on the horizon for same sex couples in maryland, thanks to a ground breaking vote in the legislator last week. >> it shouldn't matter who you decide to love. we should still all have the same ex-equal rights no matter what. >> reporter: those against the bill say the fight continues for them and one place where the war may go on is at places of worship. >> he is a pastor of the rising sun baptist church in baltimore county, says the next step is collecting signatures to place the issue on a referendum come november. >> reporter: members of the church of baltimore lobbied lawmakers to allow same-sex marriage and agree with opponents on one thing. >> religious groups on both sides released statements indicating where they stand and encouraging parishioners to get involved. >> maryland will become the 8th state to legalize same-sex marriage. >>> gasoline prices are on the rise, average price is $3.56 nationwide. you will have to dig deeper in maryland. a gallon of regular cost $3.61 here

i'm gigi barnett. >>> and i'm tim williams. it's a cold start to the day. we haven't seen mornings this cold in a while. we have a cold snap. yesterday, we were up to the 30s and 40s. it dropped quickly into the teens. that's where we'll start today. all of the disturbance precipitationwise is gone. the temperatures are just cold. we're at 22 in bwi and 29 on the shore and 19 in oakland. we're dealing with the wind today. 20 towards hagerstown. that means we're dealing with a windchill. it feels like 13 degrees out around the beltway and some feels like negative 5 out towards oakland and 7 degrees towards ocean city. the forecast today, up to freezing. 32 degrees was the daytime high. the winds will subside and it will take a while. breezy and 20 degrees and for a while, mostly sunny. we'll have the forecast coming up. >>> here's what people are talking about. it's a sad day in music after the sudden death of whitney houston. she was found dead last night in a hotel. the death comes on the eve of music's biggest night. ♪ i'm ever woman ♪ >> reporter: whitne

have a good day i am gigi barnett that's the report.er. ,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> welcome to "cbs this morning saturday." i'm seth doane. >> i'm rebecca jarvis. coming up, it's not just celebrities falling victim to prescription drugs. why doctors say it is now an epidemic. >> plus they make you feel stupid, they may be a waste of time but your boss loves them. we'll tell you how much better off you are without meetings at work. >> it seems you have a problem with meetings. also, the new coffee shop trend. baby baby babycinos. >> oh, my gosh. >> also in virginia this could be a big day in the trial of george huguely, the university of virginia lacrosse player accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend yeardley love in 2010. his lawyers could wrap up today sending the sensational case to the jury. whit johnson takes a look at the defense strategy. >> reporter: facing a life sentence it's down to the wire for george huguely's defense. on the stand friday huguely's aunt walked jurors through surveillance video from a restaurant the night before the mur

i'm gigi barnett. here's what people are talking about.d their cases in a debate over the state's same-sex marriage bill. opponents and supporters went back on the issue late last night, during a house delegates hearing in annapolis. the house needs 71 votes in favor of the bill for it to pass. a similar bill, allowing same- sex marriage passed last year but fell short in the house. >>> two 12-year-old girls were injured after they were struck by a van. it happened at the intersection of north frederick avenue. medics rushed the girls to a nearby trauma center, with serious injuries. but doctors say they should be okay. the drivers stayed at the scene. the cause of the accident is still under investigation. >>> this is a story that grand prix racing fans will love. a new organizer is stepping up to save the baltimore grand prix. stephanie rawlings-blake says she is keeping it a secret and not announcing the organizer until wednesday. the last one owes $12 million to the city and private contractors. >>> here's a look at today's first warni

gigi barnett has more on the pulitzer prize-winning award. >> reporter: he covered the middle east forearly 20 years as a reporter for the washington post, new york times and the u.s. secretary clinton remembers him as a talented writer. >> he was someone i always turned to and read to carefully. and if i didn't have it time when i got to the press reporting. >> he won two pulitzer prizes for his award in iraq. a photographer with him carried his body over from syria to turkey. >>> a guilty verdict and the defendant collapses, not uncommon in the courtroom. but as joan murray reports from south florida, there was additional drama when the man told deputies he it taken poison. >> reporter: just as he was being fingerprinted, marran staya collapsed. before the commotion, stroya had drunk an unknown liquid from this aspirin bottle. he told deputies it was poison. the 7th floor of the courthouse was closed, as stroya was taken out on a stretcher. he's the same man you may remember last year, who came to the courthouse with a gun and threatened to kill himself. in that case, a judge talked

and as gigi barnett reports, that brought the u.s.retary of labor from washington to see the progress. >> reporter: this is one of baltimore county's fastest- growing manufacturing plants. workers here build hybrid parts for general motors. recently, sales have picked up. the work has, too. >> please be safe. please. >> reporter: the boost in jobs here has attracted the attention of u.s. labor secretary hilda soliz. she toured the plant today, with governor martin o'malley. >> we've seen a lot of factories closing down in this industry. now they're popping up. and to see it happen here in baltimore, maryland, it's the wonderful site. >> reporter: manufacturing jobs were hard hit. ma companies ship jobs overseas to china and mexico. and some plans took or -- in some plants, lines took over the workers spot. soliz says maryland should see more manufacturing jobs return. >> now is not the time to pull away from these kinds of investments. it's a time to make sure that we stabilize the economy. >> reporter: right now, this gm plant has ab

in baltimore county, i'm gigi barnett, wjz eyewitness news. >>> now in addition to saving lives and putting out fires, lieutenant thompson also owns a successful jewelry company. >>> still to come tonight on wjz eyewitness news. glitter bomb. mitt romney, the latest victim in the troubling trend on the campaign trail. >>> chaos in syria. will the u.s. be forced to take military action to stop the violence? >>> warmer end to the week with a cold weekend. i'll have the exclusive first warning five-day forecast. ♪ [ male announcer ] for our families... our neighbors... and our communities... america's beverage companies have created a wide range of new choices. developing smaller portion sizes and more low- & no-calorie beverages... adding clear calorie labels so you know exactly what you're choosing... and in schools, replacing full-calorie soft drinks with lower-calorie options. with more choices and fewer calories, america's beverage companies are delivering. vietnam, 1967. i got mine in iraq, 2003. usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a

i'm gigi barnett in whitemarsh. the details are just ahead. >>> the skies are mostly clear. the sun is bright. could rain clouds ruin your thursday? >>> wjz 13 is always on. for the top stories on wjz.com, for instant updates and first warning weather all the time, click wjcom. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> everybody coming in, tim says, it's like spring out there right now. >>t is. >> it's beautiful. >> except it's beautiful in the sky. but when you look at those pictures, all the trees are brown. it's like it doesn't match. something in your brain doesn't register. you're expecting to see all the green. and we're already starting to hear talk about an early allergy season. but we are going to enjoy these warm temperatures while they last. and we ve another day or so of them before we see any changes. right now, we have 53 degrees, our temperature. relative humidity at 41%. winds from the west/northwest, at 31 miles per hour. barometer is high at 30.24. across the state, look at these temperatures. our average now is 74 degrees. we have temperatures in the 50s. we have 53 in bwi

gigi barnett joins us now with more on the impact cornelius had. >> and that radio station is magic 95.9. detectives confirm that the creator of a musical journey of love, peace and soul, took his own life. don cornelius was a pioneer in the music industry. >> reporter: for 35 years, don cornelius was a conductor on the hippest trip in america. sowm train. this morning, police ruled his death a suicide. >> hello, magic. who is there. >> at magic 95.9 f.m. in woodlawn, baltimore county, the phone line is lit, with callers, looking to share their memories of cornelious. >> reporter: i can't even wrap my head around that. it's like unbelievable. >> he's always been here. >> full train dancers. the performers. or the soul host of soul train. >> reporter: cornelius was smooth, according to long-time baltimore dj, tim watts. >> stunned. stunned. i couldn't get myself together. i found out when i got here this morning. >> reporter: watts says he was a pioneer during the danca -- dance era. because it was virtually the only television showcase with black singers. >> in the 70s and 80s, he was it

i'm gigi barnett. here's what people are talking about. >>> a developing story in any roundal county, a police officer is accused of tipping off suspects before a drug bust. rick alexander warns the suspects of the raved on thursday night. during the arrest police learned that the suspects moved several grams of marijuana to a nearby home. witnesses pointed the finger at alexander. the 46-year-old is a 14 veteran on the course. he is facing charges. >>> a young woman is in the hospital this morning after a bus hit her near johns hopkin university. it happened last night on st. louis paul street. the woman ran out in front of the bus and the impact was so hard it shattered the windshield. police are trying to determine who is to blame for the accident. >>> you don't have to pay more to see the ravens play next season. the teach has decided not to raise ticket prices. that's three straight years age row. the ravens games have stayed the same price. the average ticket price at m&t bank stadium is $130. >>

gigi barnett has reaction to his sudden death. >> don cornelius was a pioneer in the music industry. today, police confirm that the creator of soul train took his own life. >> reporter: at magic 99.9 f.m., the phone line is lit with callers, looking to share their memories of soul train creator, don cornelius. >> i can't even wrap my head around that. it's unbelievable. >> because he's always been here. >> i couldn't decide whether i wanted to be a soul train dancer, or a singer or a soul train host. >> reporter: for 35 years, he created a musical journey into love, peace and soul. police have ruled his death this morning a suicide. >> stunned. stunned. i couldn't get myself together. i found out when i got here this morning. >> reporter: long-time baltimore dj, tim walts knew -- watts knew cornelius well. he said he was a pioneer. >> in the '70s and '80s, he was it. that was the only place we could see it. we would turn it on saturday afternoon, and we were like one big community. >> reporter: they opened the mikes once again to honor the creator of a show, now long gone. >> he repr

i'm gigi barnett. that story next. >>> governor o'malley's state of the state address. warren. coming up tonight on eyewitness news, find out what he has in store for the state. >>> check in for more on these stories and all the day's breaking news. >> eyewitness news at 5:00 starts now. >>> inside the wild chase and shootout that left one man dead. [ sirens ] >> hear the gunfire as it unfolded and the witnesses who watched the frightening chain of events. >> hi. i'm kai jackson. and i'm mary bubala. here's what people are talking about. >> we have new information about a man who stole a police cruiser, before officers shot him to death in a parking lot. tonight, we've obtained new footage of the chaotic scene. wjz is live downtown. mike hellgren is at city police headquarters. the agency leading the investigation. mi

gigi barnett has more on the hearing in annapolis. >> reporter: the house judiciary help and government committees, operations committees, rather, all had hosted hearings on this government's bill today. o'malley is urging lawmakers to pass the same-sex marriage bill to provide children of gay couples with stable homes. this would religious groups from lawsuits if they choose not to marry same-sex couples. meanwhile, the committees are also hearing a proposal to create the constitutional amendment to define marriage in maryland as between one man and one woman. however, that is not expected to pass. >> wjz is in annapolis for this debate. hear from both sides coming up all new at 5:00 and 6:00. >>> a homeowner in anne arundel county has a lot of damage to their home right now. sky eye chopper 13 is over the 500 block of king malcolm drive in odenton. that's where an suv crashed through the wall of the house. the driver was able to put the car in reverse and drive out. the building inspector is on the scene. no one was hurt. >>> let's check on the roads with kristy breslin at wjz traffic