. >> hi, kai. if the maryland transportation authority has its way, all of these toll booths will soon become history. but it's far from a done deal. >> reporter: whether it's stopping to pay cash or slowing down for an ez-pass, there's always a delay, driving through toll booths. so the in -- maryland transportation authority is studying what it would take to get rid of them. >> there's a customer convenience factor. also an environmental factor, not to have cars stop and idling in toll booths. >> reporter: they use all electronic tolls. and to convert the others would cost upwards of $187 million, money the mdta says they don't have yet. but the idea is already sparking concern from the federation of employees who represent the nearly 200 toll booth workers. >> we've had no discussions. and that's why we were demanding that the state sit down with the employees and the employee represent to work through that. >> the changeover would mean foe options to pay cash. >> reporter: ez-pass holders get 1

kai? >> they face a maximum penalty of three years in prison. >>> more leaks. and the arrest of george zimmerman. more protests across the country are being planned. >> reporter: george zimmerman remains free and is not talking about the shooting death of trayvon martin. but with continuing calls for his arrest, zimmerman's family is going public. robert zimmerman, jr., told cnn, his brother acted in self- defense and, quote, stop someone from arming him. the 17-year-old martin was not armed when the neighborhood watch volunteer started following him. zimmerman told police he thought martin looked suspicious. >> he's got his hand in his waistband. and he's a black male. >> reporter: across the country, demonstrations over martin's death show no signs of letting up. >> reporter: here in sanford, another demonstration is scheduled for saturday, demanding that zimmerman be put on trial. all of the protests have been peaceful. but local businesses are worried. >> what was your reaction when yo

one of the brothers, sun sung hung kai. it's asia's largest redevelopment, it's owners, raymond and thomas were arrested on suspicion of corruption a big deal here in hong kong. we'll bring you more on that in a second. and also this tech developer, hon hai, have seen their stock fall. they are down about 1.3%. they are the headquarters of foxconn. their share price is slipping. serious labor violations have been found in foxconn headquarter in china. an audit has found staff worked excessive overtime, wages were often unpaid and salaries often didn't cover basic living expenses. if you own an apple product, how do you feel? we are joined more now to talk about this report with eunico yoon. >> reporter: well, 35,000 workers were interviewed and many of those workers at plants manufacturing apple products said there were several different safety violations, health from health and safety violations to unpaid overtime and also to excessive work hours. some of them were egregious violations, according to auditors, they were the

kai? >> reporter: leopold has vowed to fight the charges and remain in office. >>> tonight, there is new surveillance video of george zimmerman being taken to the police station, right after he shot and killed trayvon martin in florida. the video is igniting a new debate over this neighborhood tragedy. >> reporter: this video shows george zimmerman, the night he shot trayvon martin. zimmerman's lawyer says his client acted in self-defense because he was attacked by the teenager and had his nose broken. but the martin family's attorney says the video shows no evidence of that. >> thank god for surveillance video because obviously there was a conspiracy to cover up the truth and sweep trayvon martin's death under the rug. >> reporter: in the police report, officers did write that zimmerman's nose was bloody. after interviewing neighborhood watch in the area, authorities let him go. that decision continues to stir protest around the country and the national media are now camped out in sanford

kai jackson has more on this disturbing case. kai? >> reporter: kimberly pled guilty to a crime that police say nearly killed a woman in baltimore. this woman, 45 year old, kimberly of atlanta, georgia, pleaded guilty to a bizarre and potentially deadly crime. she was charging people up to $1500 to inject silicon in them to improve their appearance. >> reporter: she lied saying it was for medical use, like the kind in breast implants but it was industrial silicone used for things like paint, even auto polish. she pled guilty for using the misbranded and unadulterated drug. >> you can't buy silicone from your local hardware store and inject into someone's body. >> reporter: the silicone got into her lungs and sent her to the hospital. after the dancer left, she said, you almost killed me. prosecutors say she got no reply. prosecutors say she used super glue to stop the leaking. >> for exotic dancers, apparently, there was an accepted practice. >> reporter: sentencing is scheduled for july 12. back to you. >>> thank you, kai. prosecutor

hi, kristy. >> hi, kai. hi, everyone. we definitely are seeing some delays already on the inner loop. if you're traveling in that direction, it slows down over to security boulevard. on the north side outer loop, brake lights as well, from york road to charles street. average speed in that direction, probably around 35 miles per hour. but after that delay, it does break free. northbound if i have, stop and go from 32 to 175. 95 southbound. an accident at 32. that's sitting on the right- hand shoulder. other accidents include sweet air road at jarrettsville pike. bradshaw road at merriman lane. north washington at east madison. and also north avenue at harford road. let's now take a live look. as you can see, we do have some slow traffic there on the beltway, west of york road. this traffic report is brought to you by the cochran firm. if you or someone you know has suffered a personal injury. call 1-800 the firm, or visit them online for your free consultation. back to you. >>> media here in baltimore are remembering a pi

kai? >> complete coverage continues now with bob turk. he has a closer look at the strength and location of this earthquake. >> this is an area that gets lots of earthquakes this week. it struck in the southern state of guero, not far from acapulco, and not far from oaxaca. struck about 2:00 this afternoon. the initial quake was 7.4 and had an aftershock of 5.1. by the way, our earthquake was 5.8 last summer in this baltimore region. the quake, about 11 to 12 miles underground. mexico city, 200 miles away. they really felt the effects that far away. and it was felt as far away as guatemala city. this is on the pacific ring of fire. they happened daily there. but this was a very, very large earthquake. kai should. >> -- kai? >> all right, bob. thank you. there was no damage to the runways and operations are returning to normal. >>> more breaking news. this time in baltimore county, multiple people are stabbed in owings mills. but that is only part of the story. captain mike perry above it w

kai? >> bernadette, thank you. >>> an investigation is under way tonight, after a 12-year- old ignites a flair while on a school bus full of students. it happened this morning, while the bus was heading to chestertown middle school. these are photos sent to us by a viewer. all 28 of the students got off the bus safely. seven students were treated for minor smoke inhalation. still no word on how the smoke ignited or why the student had it. >>> orioles begin with an eye toward ending a long streak of losing seasons. sports director mark viviano is with the team in sarasota. he says the o's are practicing the power of positive thinking. >> reporter: well, there is sun here in sarasota. that is symbolic. for some o's fans, the hope of the coming season may be hard to see. blocked by a dark cloud of many losing seasons. 14 straight seasons, without a winning record. it is the second longest losing streak in all of pro sports. only the pittsburgh pirates have suffered longer. but for these oriol

kai is live in the newsroom with more on a major milestone. kai? >> vic, workers switch on a massive power system at the site. it will eventually provide electricity to the signature skyscraper. a transit hub and the memorial and museum. the feeders will supply 100 megawatts to the site. that's enough juice to power typical apartments. the unfinished one world trade center is one of the city's towellest structures. -- tallest structures. >> this past marked the 9/11 attacks. >>> teresa garcia reports for wjz, the wildfire has killed an elderly couple and the search is on for a missing woman. >> reporter: planes are dropping fire retardant on the wildfire outside of denver for a second day. winds have been light. >> we're hopeful that this is going to be a good day. the air support, lots of firefighters on the ground and good weather conditions. >> reporter: the u.s. forest service is now in charge are the operation. -- of the operation. and more firefighters are arriving to build containment lines. around the st center of the blaze. >> they have be

kai? >> andrea, thank you. >>> a mother and daughter from silver spring, maryland, survive the wreck. >>> dramatic end. an islamic extremist is dead after a fierce gun battle with police. tina kraus has the latest for wjz. >> reporter: french commandos stood down, after a deadly 32- hour standoff in toulouse. the siege ended with gunfire and explosions at the apartments of suspected killer mohammed merra. the 23-year-old was hiding in the bathroom when police stormed his home. prosecutors say merra had several guns and fired at police. officers shot back, hitting him in the head, as he threw himself out the window. police negotiators say an hour before his death, merra admitted to killing a teacher and three students at a jewish school this week and murdering three french soldiers earlier this month. detectives say merra filmed the killings and was proud of them. merra is seen in this amateur video, claimed to have links to al qaeda. he called the attacks, payback, for the killing of pales

>> thank you, kai. the captain is accused of causing the wreck and then abandoning ship. >>> the state of new jersey is mourning the loss of one of its representatives. donald pane passed away today from complications from cancer. painwas 77 years old. >>> he fought off a home invader now. a maryland man has fought off a state gun control law. alex demetrick reports, it's a legal victory for carrying a concealed weapon for self- protection. >> reporter: buying a handgun in maryland means paperwork and a background check by state police. to carry a concealed gun for self-protection takes a special permit. granted to those. >> mr. woler was the victim of a home invasion on christmas eve, of all times in 2002. >> reporter: the suspect was captured by raymond woller and his son. he's now out of jail. >> when he went to renew his conceal permit, he didn't get it. >> despite the fact that the criminal lives just miles away. the spite the -- despite the fact that it had taken police two hours to respond, that

hi, bernadette. >> hello, kai. and everybody out there. yes, you definitely needed a jacket this morning. that's why you needed the freeze warning. it did get down to 31. most north and west of that, down into the 20s. we're south and east of that. for the most part, we stayed above freezing. now, we'll switch it over and show you temperatures. we've rebounded into the 50s this. is just a couple of degrees below average. not too far off. but compared to yesterday, in general, we're 5 to 15 degrees cooler. there's a little bit of a chill in the air, despite that sunshine. however, we have another warmup coming our way. >> we look forward to it, bernadette. let's check on the roads with kristy breslin at wjz traffic control. >>> well, quite a start we're off to out there. on the north side of the outer loop, we have an accident at loch raven boulevard. and the top side, that's from jones falls expressway, to harford road. the west side inner loop, also struggling in that direction. over to security boulevard. and if you're traveling 95 south

kai? >> roth welwas training as a police cadet when she disappeared. >>> some good news on the jobs front in maryland. in january, the state added 5,000 jobs, lowering the unemployment rate to 6 1/2%. the figure is the state's lowest since january of 2009. the national unemployment figure is at 8.3%. nearly all of the job growth, 82%, was created in the private sector. >>> looks like winter is over, despite what the calendar says. wjz is in towson today and found people outside enjoying the above-average temperatures. some at the park, others in the garden, whatever. look at that. we all need to get in our gardens, don't we? here's a look at a pleasant afternoon, with clouds and sunshine. wjz has weather and traffic together. meteorologist bernadette woods is here with the updated numbers from first warning weather. >> hello, kai. and we continue to say this and sound like a broken record. but another very warm afternoon. showing you first warning doppler radar. and there is a chance for a

. >> reporter: kai, these are ugly allegations. they involve misuse of county resources, misuse of powrp. and also some of a sexual nature nature. >> one of maryland's most prominent and powerful lawmakers, john leopold, has been indicted on four counts of misconduct in office. they contend he regularly used his protection squad for his own political and personal benefit. it includes sworn officers, regularly, requiring them to replace, distribute and check on political campaign signs, often several times a day throughout the 2010 campaign season. leopold is the republican who has served as county executive since 2006. he's long been dogged by allegations of impropriety. including a cam plaint he was engaging -- complaint he was engaged in sexual activity outside of a mall. leopold has always denied wrongdoing and says opponents want to drag his name through the mud. but emit david is taking the allegations seriously, saying mr. leopold frequently asked these officers to drive to a location where he engaged in sexual activity with

kai is live in the newsroom with the latest on the story. kai? >> reporter: in april 2007, 32 students and a faculty member were murdered in a rampage at virginia tech university. now, the parents are going to court. they filed a wrongful death lawsuit against university officials, claiming they waited too long to alert students after the first shooting on cam pus, before the -- campus, before the majority. they settled out of court with the university. vic? >> reporter: thank you. the gunman behind the massacre killed himself. >>> family ask friends remember the young baltimore girl, allegedly beaten to death by her father. the viewing for 5-year-old maya car was held today on wabash. police say her father, 22-year- old matthew carr, killed her in a fit of rage, after she had an accident. her funeral is tomorrow. >>> harford county police are looking for a suspect after five men were stabbed in edgewood. the men, between the ages of 17 and 22, were walking to a house when they were attacked by a large group of men. all five are in stable conditi

kai reed joins us in the studio with more on that. >> the protesters are demanding what the color change in priorities. less money spent on more and more on issues here in the united states. the demonstrators rallied, including people from all walks of life. nicholas powell says he was appalled to hear about 16 afghan civilians killed over the weekend, allegedly at the hands of an american soldier. >> i have to think about it from the perspective of if that was my son, my mother, my sister. that is my immediate reaction. >> the u.s. has been an estimated $4510 billion in afghanistan. the protesters believe that could have been better spent and the united states, like on unemployment. >> been in on education and

kai reed reports. >> according to the indictment leopold used members of his police security to he is court him to parking lots for sexual rend views. it alleges leopold have sex with another county employee in her car. the officers would wait for him. >> our side will prevail. >> he told us he only briefly read the charges when we interviewed him. >> are these allegations false? >> i believe whether all the facts are known, all the relevant facts, that we will prevail in this case. the proper and only forum for discussing these issues is in court. not the press. >> leopold is also accused of using police officers as political workers during his 2010 re-election campaign by requiring them to place, replace, and check on campaign signs at various locations throughout the county while on duty. the indictment has three separate occasions where leopold

let's go to katty kay.u. >> yeah, lawrence, i thought it was interesting what you write about in the book the inside and the outside, and of course, the amount of money in politics. the last british general election cost $75 million, which is bargain basement democracy compared to what they cost here. we now have the supreme court ruling that's opened the flood gates and it seems that this is going to have to be done by presidential leadership, but no president can get into office and stay in office if they don't take part in the system of super pacs, right? it's now so corrupted, the system, that how do you get out of it? >> no, that's exactly right. and you will see neither of the major party candidates in this election pick up this issue because it would be hypocritical. how can you take on super pacs while having your own super pac standing next to you raising all the money in the world. and the astonishing thing in the republican primary is that buddy who was literally the most qualified candidate on t

i'm kai jackson. >> and i'm jessica kartalija. mary is off tonight. and here's what people are talking about. >> hollywood star george clooney spends time behind bars. police arrest him in washington, d.c., during a protest against brutality in sudan. danielle nottingham joins us with the latest. >> reporter: agents cuffed george clooney and hauled him away in a secret service van, during a protest at the embassy of sudan. he, along with his father nick clooney and other activists, crossed a picket line. >> just a warning, you will be arrested. >> reporter: it was an act of civil disobedience, sending a message to the sudanese government. >> we need humanitarian aid to be allowed into sudan before it becomes a crisis in the world. the second thing we need is for the government in cartume to stop randomly killing its own innocent men, women and children. >> reporter: demonstrators blocked the entrance to the united sudanese embassy to symbolize the blockage of food and aid. >> sudan's darfur region. he escaped two years ago. [ inaudible ] make the inte

i am kai jackson. i will have reaction from the white house coming up. [ chants ] >> emotions running high between two groups of protesters in an area high school. the reason for that heated show down. >> i am sharon gibala with wjz traffic control. if you are about to head out for your morning commute looking at delays now in the usual spots. we will del tell you what the speeds are in just a few. over to marty. >> ever wonder what a life is like with them, they will tell you, it is a new show, gabfest on the tv guide network, you stay tuned, the two allies join us as ,,,,,,,,,,,, land o'lakes spreadable butter with canola oil is made with sweet cream, canola oil and salt. just three natural ingredients. what's in your spread ? >>> this is wjz tv, wjz hd, and wjz.com, baltimore. >> good morning, maryland. now, don scott, marty bass, and the latest breaking news from wjz's news team, your first warning weather, and wjz traffic control with sharon gibala. it is wjz, maryland's news station. >> it is 6:3

>> i'm kai jackson. >> and i'm mary bubala. here's what people are talking about. >> cornered in taluz. right now, police are corralling a suspect who is holding up 17 people. the suspect is telling people he killed for al qaeda. >> reporter: french police are trying to capture a suspected killer. they have been in a tense standoff with mohammed merra, who shot at them this morning. police say a french man drove to his school and killed teacher jonathan sadler, his two young sons and a little girl. hundreds of mourners gathered in -- jerusalem to bury the victims. he vow the -- the french foreign minister vowed he would fight the crime. >>> president nicolas sarkozy said that france must be united. and again, escaped on a motorcycle. france's interior minister says the suspect claims to have connections to al qaeda. he says merra was reportedly seeking payback for the killing of palestinian children in the middle east and the french army's involvement in afghanistan. aftergan authorities say merra was arrested for bomb making i

kai jackson is in the newsroom with more. kai?> denise, we know more about the indictment in those details. let's give them to you. leopold has been charged with four counts of misconduct in office. and one count of fraudulent misappropriation of a fiduciary. the indictment alleges that he was using his squad for personal and political advantage. he had workers place and distribute campaign signs and also alleges the officers would pick up campaign checks. it also alleges he used his protection staff for his own personal benefit, including driving him to a commercial parking lot and waiting for him while he engaged in sexual activity, with another county employee. again, these are the charges in the indictment. >> wjz is analyzing this complex indictment. we will have complete coverage including reaction from john leopold himself, coming up new at 5:00 and 6:00. >>> we're also following major tornado concerns across the country today as twisters touch down in am alabama, mississippi, tennessee, kentucky and ohio. this is video fro

kai? >> thank you. let's check on the roads with kristy breslin at wjz traffic control. >>> hi, kai. happy monday. a couple of accidents to start off the rush hour. traveling in the bel air area. 543 at crescent knoll drive. also perring parkway. east northern parkway at mclean in the city. and glen burnie, richie highway at georgia avenue. we did have an earlier car fire. 75 southbound at franklin boulevard that was just cleared. but traffic is still a little slow as you approach franklin boulevard. as far as delays, very minor at this hour. on the west side loop, slowing. and the west side inner loop will make some brake lights as you make your way through. let's take a live look. that's the beltway at old court road. and we'll take another live look. as our camera switches here. okay. this traffic report is brought to you by the cochran firm. if you or someone you know has suffered a personal injury, call 1-800-the firm. or visit them online. back over to you. >> thank you, kristy. >>> beautiful bloo

. >>> and kai, that officer has been suspended. no charges filed. the victim's family searched hours frantically for her, not knowing what happened. because no one reported it. >> reporter: a baltimore city police officer is under fire. with a growing investigation into his possible conduct in the shooting of a 13-year-old, monet turnage. after sources say the weapon used to kill her was found inside his car. wjz has learned high-level talks are under way about the officer's future. and all homicide shifts are actively investigating the death. the dna samples have even been taken from the officer in question. >> stop the killing. >> reporter: lawmakers are calling for action in the heartbroken community in northeast baltimore, where this happened. >> what can we say to our children, when those charged were protecting them, harm them? whether it's a parent or law enforcement? >> reporter: two boys have been charged with involuntary manslaughter. the parents say they accidentally shot turnage, then hid her body. >> i think -- i don't think it's enough

. >> i'm kai jackson. here's what people are talking about. >> we begin today with that breaking news from pennsylvania, where there's been a shooting at the university of pittsburgh. denise is in the newsroom with more on the still-unfolding story. denise? >> the shooting occurred at the western psychiatric institute and clinic. and at least two people are dead and five are injured. police, responding to a call for a hostage situation, first came upon the shooting. shots were apparently exchanged between the gunman and police, and a police officer was one of the five injured. a s.w.a.t. team is on the scene now. buildings are on lockdown. the school is on spring break. there are reports there may be a second gunman on the loose. now, the clinic describes itself on its website as a top, academy-based -- academic based center. this is part of that care. >> we continue to monitor developments in pittsburgh. we'll bring you any updates as soon as we get them. >>> deaths and destruction. president obama and le

kai? >> jessica, thank you. major marchanti leaves behind a wife and four children. >>> the mission is staying on track, despite anger of the u.s. soldier massacre of civilians. the u.s. will stick to its war strategy. >> reporter: staff sergeant robert bales told a u.s. attorney he has no memory of when nine people were murdered. >> i'm concerned about his being a danger to himself. >> reporter: brown says bales, who was in custody at fort leavenworth, is worried about retaliation against his fellow soldiers in afghanistan. the killings have sparked protest, calling for u.s. forces to leave. but the top commander told a congressional committee, it remains the same. >> i wish i could tell you. >> the current plan is for u.s. troops to withdraw. again today, the white house says there are no plans to change that. >> we are in the process of transitioning security lead over to the afghan security forces. >> reporter: those who know bales continue to express disbelief over what happened, including former nfl fullba

kai? >> reporter: this is another example of the future workers.t we call for change in leadership involving john leopold. >> he cannot function as the chief executive of this county any longer. >> reporter: they voted online for a no confidence vote with overwhelming results. 396-14. they don't have confidence in the chief's ability. firefighters call it a dangerous move that could cost lives. >> the membership overwhelming has no faith in his ability to keep guiding the fire department. >> reporter: the police union's vote of no confidence of john leopold appears to be an effort by some to restructure the leadership of analana county. there were channels of misduct in office. despite calls to step down, leopold said he's innocent and will remain in office. the firefighter's union said they'll take the results of the no confidence vote to the county executive and the fire chief, but again, it's not binding. they don't have any power themselves to remove them from office. denise? >> thank you. >>> a father in massachusetts is facing criminal charge

i'm mary bubala. >> i'm kai jackson. here's what people are talking about. >> heartbreaking homecomings. people in the tornado-ravaged midwest, are picking up what is left of their homes. terrell brown reports. many are also counting their blessings. >> the thick brick walls for st. joseph's church. >> history and god's plans have taken care of it all of these years. and i guess it was time for it to go. >> reporter: martha sparse's father and grandfather helped build the church. it's weathered many storms. today, they presented with one of the building's bricks. >> i have a brick from st. joe's church, which i'm going to cherish the rest of my life. >> reporter: and the marble altar, wednesday's tornado left both of them untouched. >> reporter: cold, rocky mountain air, colliding with warm, wet, midwestern weather, spawned at least 27 tornadoes wednesday. >> they stretch from kansas to tennessee and in a period of over 24 hours, killed people and injured hundreds. the largest of ef4 leveled this. it wrecked parts of the

. >> five years ago when the houston area mom adopted her daughter le kay born with cerebral palsy and epilepsy doctors offered this prognosis. >> she may never walk. she may never talk. she may never show emotion. fix your feet. >> reporter: there's been significant progress. christy says la hey's language is developing and for two years she has been using a walker instead of a wheelchair. but three weeks ago christy was delivering her daughter to class. she says school officials told her she could no longer use the walker at school because the little girl had recently fallen in the parking lot. the news was devastating to christy who believes if le kay can't use her walker at school and is limited to her wheelchair it is like a step back in her daughter's quest for independence. >> if she can walk now, please let her walk. don't strap her in a wheelchair. school. aye. >> reporter: christy says she met with school officials and with their knowledge recorded the conversation. >> why isn't it safe? >> i just told you. we don't feel like it's safe any longer. we're going to not do what t

>> reporter: kai, the manufacturer took caffeine out of four loko. but some, including maryland's attorney general, say it's still too strong with alcohol. and he would like to see the portion size downsize said. >> reporter: it's nicknamed blackout in a can. and the furor over four loko has reached a fevered pitch. saying a settlement with the maker over its packaging and marketing doesn't go far enough to regulate the drink. four loko gained notoriety, over several deaths in maryland, including that of courtney spery in 2010. >> she blacked out within 30 minutes of having the alcoholic beverage. >> and 30-year-old michael trulock. >> it could have been any of these children out here. >> reporter: the government will mandate labels, saying it contains the same amount of alcohol as 4 1/2 beers. they're also requiring resealable cans. but critics, including attorneys general in more than 30 states, led by maryland's doug gansler, wrote the ftc, calling four loko, disarmingly sweet, eye-catching cans, normalizing and promoting binge drinking, especiall

. >> i'm kai jackson. here's what people are talking about. >> new video of the man who shot and killed trayvon martin. it raises new questions about his claims of self-defense. randall pinkston reports for wjz, from sanford, florida. >> this video shows george zimmerman the night he shot trayvon martin. zimmerman's lawyer says his client acted in self-defense because he was attacked by the teenager and had his nose broken. but the martin family says the video shows no evidence of that. >> thank god for surveillance video. because obviously there was a conspiracy to cover up the truth and sweep trescron mart-- trayvon martin's death under the rug. >> reporter: in the police report, officers did right by reporting that he was bloody. afterwards, authorities let him go. that decision continues to stir protests around the country. and the national media are now camped out in sanford, covering the story around the clock. >> reporter: sanford police are warning reporters they could be arrested for stalking if t

the mob may have organized on social media, police fear, kai jackson has the story. >> reporter: calm in and around the inner harbor was shattered after a large number of teenagers converged near the arena. like others this recent incident turn violent and police believe they organized on social media. >> fought over trivial silly things. >> reporter: amon tyler who worked at a restaurant watched it unfold. >> a lot of people running around, frantic and scared. >> reporter: police used a taser to break up a fight. and another teen was taken to the hospital. >> a petty dispute, they exchanged words it turned physical. >> reporter: the inner harbor is a crowned jewel, both esthetically and financially. loss of visitors here is very critical none of the business we contacted wanted to go on tv to talk about it. the harbor is baltimore's economic engine and the mayor says making sure it runs safely is the priority. >> i'm committed to making sure the harbor is safe for our citizens as well as visitors. it's a landmark and i'm going to protect it. >> reporter: the downtown area streets and

kai reed, wbal-tv 11 news. >> 3 baltimore fire companies could end up closing this summer, under the latest proposal -- budget proposal released by baltimore mayor stephanie rawlings-blake. the controversial decision is not sitting well with the firefighters' union. >> york gambling with citizens' lives and fireman's lives. i think it is absolutely disgusting. >> it gives them permanency, reliability, and predictability and allows the department to plan every day, whatever de of the week is, for those closures so they can respond more efficiently to calls. >> the fire chief will decide on the closures. to inspect the whole proposal, you can log on to our website, wbaltv.com, and click on local news. there is no smoking gun, no one concrete fact that led to the death of baltimore county firefighter mark falkenhan. >> there is a list of secondary issues that added up to the tragedy. no single factor led to the death of volunteer firefighter mark falkenhan. he was killed while battling an apartment fire in hillendale last january. the fire chief was left unsettled by the reality that th

kai reed, wbal-tv 11 news. >> things are beginning to take shape at the new maryland live casino. an exciting delivery made to arundel mills today. >> tomorrow's:round of the n.c.a.a. tournament, as we get ready to take on the greyhounds. >> it is still snowing up in new england, but it feels like summer here in maryland. we will see how long the warmer temperatures hang around with a seven-day forecast. right now, 71 degrees in ♪ [ male announcer ] everyone at southwest airlines works together for one goal -- to get you where you're going. and with flights all over the country to choose from, it's a good thing we love our work. and now we're excited to take you to the beaches of northwest florida. fly nonstop from bwi airport to panama city beach. book all of our destinations only at southwest.com. >> the first phase of opening the merrill like casino at arundel mills is underway. the first 100 slot machines were delivered to the facility that it is expected to open sometime in june. rob roblin was there for the delivery. >> american life casino will be one of the largest gaming

i'm kai jackson. >> and i'm mary bubala.e talking about. >> the scandal shaking the top of anne arundel county government. shakes files of county executive john leopold. wjz is live. mike hellgren has more on the outrage over what some are calling illegal spying. mike? >> and kai, it's not only his political rivals, but his family members. we're talking about very personal information. that some came from statewide criminal databases. >> reporter: anne arundel county executive john leopold is accused of using his police security detail as his own private investigators on political opponents, collecting thick files on the county dime. >> what bothered me was when he went after my son and members of my familiful. >> reporter: carl snowden says it further erodes trust in leopold, following the county indictment that he misusing power. >> i think citizens of anne arundel county are going to be demanding to know, how extensive was this particular surveillance camera campaign? >> it's beyond appalling. and it's a complete perversi

no one was hurt and kay has plenty of time to cool off behind bars.if that marriage will last. that is your 5 at 5:30. >>> weekly jobless claims numbers have to be released 3 hours from now. should give us a better idea of the unemployment landscape in our nation. before we get the data we are looking at who is hiring right now. >>> unemployment at 3 percent we are looking for a lot of jobs out there and we are finding them. ip, banking and there is adobe. this is the first company i brought to you today. this is a company we talked to the hiring manager there. he told us they like to see that you can come in as a candidate and they have made mistakes. are you blurred from those mistakes in your past jobs celebrate your failures is what they told us. they really appreciate that. digital marketing they made photo shop. you have seen these programs on the computer. they want to do more with movies and screaming and television that is now on the web. they are looking for people that can help them with that a thousand jobs engineers sales marketing. they

kay is housed in timpanogos star-2. next door with the men in star 1. >> i never actually contributed as for as in the making of it, but, yeah, i was using. i love him. there was nothing i would have ever done to hurt him in any way. so, yeah, i mean, if he was going to go down, i was going down with him. >> she could have decided, well, this guy is a no-good guy, and left me. it means a lot to me that she still cares. you know, she's still there. >> although they live just 100 feet apart, kay and scott are not allowed to visit each other. the few moments a week she passes by in sight of the men's yard is the extent of their contact. >> there's times i wish i could just sit down and talk to him or give him a hug or whatever. but i feel lucky, i do. i'm lucky that i just get to see him and have him right there. >> just a little glimpse makes my day. you know, it's right there on my wrist, my watch. when it comes that time, i'm there. >> with their parole hearings coming up, both scott and kay hope to be out of prison wit

kai reed is live in the newsroom with the very latest. >> according to police, a car pulled up to the town house around 3:45 this afternoon. several people got out and walked inside the town home just before the fight broke out. as baltimore county police arrived at the home of around 3:45 tuesday afternoon, a car had already rushed one get them to the hospital with life- threatening injuries. >> individuals entered a townhouse at this location and got into a physical fight with residents of the home. >> several people suffered minor injuries and a second victim was taken to hospital with stab wounds. neighbors heard a gunshot as the car that first pulled up to the house left the scene. >> 15 or 20, cars were in the neighborhood. all you heard was there were some shootings and stabbings. >> we do believe that a shot was fired. we are still attempting to gather forensic evidence and we do not have reports of anyone being shot at this time. >> police interviewed witnesses in the neighborhood and at northwest hospital, where the most seriously injured victim was treated. a white car with

kai reed, wbal-tv 11 news. >> we will be right back with the latest on the struggle to win in ohio. >> chilly temperatures again tonight, but a big warm up in the forecast. that is coming up next. 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. usaa. we know what it means to serve. on this super tuesday, ohio is still too close to call, and it is the biggest prize by far tonight. that is where romney and santorum continued to battle it out. >> steve handelsman is in columbus, ohio with night's commitment 2012 report. >> celebrating victories in oklahoma and tennessee, sixth win since january, plus leading tonight in ohio. >> we have one in the west, the midwest, and the south, and we are ready to went across this country. >> santorum, a proud social conservative, can make a new cl

kai? >> reporter: mike, thank you. >>> police are not releasing the children's names because tay are charged as juveniles. >>> baltimore police are searching for a sexual predator, after a woman says she was attacked in her bedroom. jessica kartalija is in the newsroom with more. jess? >> reporter: the woman tells detectives, the intruder broke into her north baltimore home late last night. it happened in the 3300 block of frisbee street. the victim said the man sexually assaulted her. she describes her attacker as 6 feet tall. he was wearing a black mask with gloves and a hooded sweatshirt. police are asking for help identifying that suspect. denise? >> thank you, jessica. if you think you have information, you're asked to call baltimore police. >>> today, the family of a man who killed trevon martin is speaking out in his defense. randall pinkston reports for wjz, from sanford, florida. >> reporter: george zim areman remains free and is not talking about the shooting death of trayvon mar

kai jackson explains why neighbors and city leaders are outraged. >> reporter: when it is blazing hotltimore nothing cools kids off better than a pool. yet this year, as in years past there may be fewer of them to take a dip. >> it has to be a concern that we are closing any resources for young people and neighborhood residents. >> reporter: the department of recreation and parks wants to close 7 to 13 pools this year to save money, also known as neighborhood pools, a spokesperson for that agency tells us just as the city is facing a budget shortfall so is recreation and parks. members of the city council tell us they have no power to add anything to the mayor's budget. she can only make cuts, but they are hopeful she is willing to compromise before any pools are closed. recreation and parks tells eyewitness news from inspection to maintenance to staffing, oning and operating a city pool is expensive. >> all those on the city council want to work toward a good solution for young people in the city and for opportunities for young people. >> under the plan none of the park pools would c

a short time ago, our own kai jackson spoke with bob schieffer, the host of face the nation, with the expansion of the show to one hour. >> our first one-hour broadcast will be coming up sunday. and our lead guest is going to be the vice president, joe biden. >> congratulations on the anniversary. what do you expect you'll hear from the vice president? and what do you plan to ask him? >> well, to tell you the truth, i've already interviewed him. so i can tell you -- >> prayer enough. >> i'll tell you, we flew out yesterday to milwaukee. to interview the vice president. and basically, what he said was, nothing good about mitt romney. [ laughter ] >> the white house says -- has decided that the general election campaign is already under way. that's what this is all about. they made a judgment that mitt romney is going to be the guy they're going to run against in the fall. and they want to get their licks in early, while the republicans are still carving on each other. and so pretty much what we talked about is how democrats see this campaign shaking up, or shaping up. and how the repub

i am kai jackson. well tell you about the big celebration coming up. >> reporter: if you are headed out on the roads no delays just yet but we do have a handful of other problems. we will go down that list in just a few. right for you over to marty. >> all right baking for a million dollars. not one but two baltimore ladies are finalists in the pill bier bake off. not one but two. and they are going to join us on coffee with before heading to florida for the finals. you stay tuned. we will be right back with more of the eyewitness news morning of the eyewitness news morning edition. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 6ca7aqa/@ >>> this is wjz tv, wjz hd, and wjz.com, baltimore. >> good morning, maryland. now don scott, marty bass, and the latest breaking news, from wjz's news team, your first warning weather and wjz traffic control with sharon gibala. it is wjz, maryland's news station. >> it's friday. >> a nice start to the weekend. hello everyone, i am jessica kartalija, wjz has weather and traffic together, sharon we

kai? >> amazing story, jessica. thank you. >>> police need help identifying a man wanted for at least six burglaries in baltimore county. detectives created a sketch of the suspect. police say he broke into several hows by climbing into winds in the whitemarsh area over the weekend. investigators are concerned because people were at home at the time of the crimes. anyone who recognizes this man should call police. >>> also in baltimore county, a possible case of animal abuse after 18 dogs are abandoned in two locations. wjz is live. mike schuh explains, there is speculation that a breeder set the dogs loose because they're too old. mike? >> reporter: you know, most of the strays that end up in shelters are mutts. but these are high-quality dogs. ask that is the mystery. how did 18 high-quality dogs end up at two shelters? >> today, the kennels in baltimore county are a bit more crowded. 18 dogs, like this juvenile pure bred boxer, were rounded up in two locations. >> what's surprising is how many of these dogs are p

people have already starletted to gather -- started to gather here one of three rallies in our area to kay they will then march to city hall. the death of trayvon martin struck a raw nerve in maryland more than 100 people came to rally in west baltimore in advance of a larger one at 5:00 p.m. tonight near the inner harbour. >> there is in way that a man, a young man, that has not done any type of crime, or any wrong should be stripped away from his family. >> trayvon martin could have been anybody's son your son my son anybody's brother, anybody's nephew. >> reporter: they said the martin case shows the need to make racial profiling illegal. >> why did you pick this person out in the first place with a was he doing that was so different from any other 17- year-old that you felt that you had to call 911 the second question is when you were told, by 911 not to follow, why did you follow? >> reporter: in annapolis legislative black caucus drew attention to the cause. >> we are concerned we believe justice has not been served this young man was actually taken away in a body bag his body was ex

i am kai jackson reporting. back to you. >> thank you very much.he monument and much of washington, d.c. sits on land that was once a swamp. >>> now back across the district line the effort to overturn maryland's recently passed same sex marriage law is underway. they have launched a petition drive to force it to referendum. the group needs to collect nearly 56,000 signatures by june, otherwise same sex couples will be able to marry in the state starting next year. >>> turning to sports the ravens will be shopping for defense after losing two starters in free agency. jarod johnson has agreed to a contract with the chargers. he played nine seasons here in baltimore after being drafted out of alabama. he set a ravens record by playing in 130 straight games. and corey redding is heading to end end police. he will reunite with chuck pagano. >> that is getting old, coaches raiding us. figure out what his middle name was. huge round of applause core cry redding, jarod johnson, gave it up for us. >> yeah, they played well. >> they left it all on the field

kai jackson reporting, back to you. >> thank you, kai. police have video from the night and are reviewing it as they continue to investigate. >>> this morning city police are also looking for the person responsible for a fatal shooting in east baltimore. it happened near pratt and joplin. police say a man was shot in the chest and died. they do not have a suspect or motive. homicide continues to investigate. >>> dozens of students are recovering after three school buses collide. it happened after the buses left frederick douglas high school. they were in a line at a traffic light when one rear ended another, causing that bus to hit a third and a chain reaction accident. the accident sent 34 students to hospitals with what turned out to be minor injuries. >>> voters in illinois will cast ballots in today's primary for the republican candidate they want to take on the sitting president. susan mcginness follows campaign 2012 for wjz. >> reporter: rick san santorum is defending comments he made in illinois. >> we need a candidate who is going