megan mcgrath reports. >> reporter: police gather evidence. the stairwell, a crime scene. following a deadly early morning shooting. according to police, an argument broke out just before 1:00 a.m. shots were fired and four people were struck by the flying bullets. one man was killed. another critically injured. two women suffered nonlife threatening injuries. >> i think it's pretty bad. normally this is a good complex. but to come home to see this going on is kind of shocking. >> i've been here about eight years and this is the first time that someone that i know of in this area that's been shot. but it's everywhere. where can you go? you can't hide. it's always here. >> reporter: police cordoned off the parking will the lot as thed if witnesses. no word on what the argument was about. police say the shooting is an isolated incident. they say the gunman is an acquaintance of the victim. he was seen running from the scene. in oxen hill, megan mcgrath, news 4. >>> police have not released the name of the suspect or the victims. >>> coming up in the show tonight, we'll show

family, his countless friends and colleagues are also mourning his death this morning. >> news4's megan mcgrath is on capitol hill with the latest on reaction. megan, good morning. >> reporter: well, good morning. senator edward keptly kennedy had been ill for quite some time, but when he couldn't attend the funeral of his sister, many realized how ill he had become. he was very well respected here on capitol hill. his loss is being keenly felt by many. heas a huge force on capitol hill. a man of influence, a senator respected by liberals, conservatives and moderates alike. only two other u.s. senators have served longer than edward kennedy. he was known as a staunch life-long liberal, but senator kennedy had no trouble reaching across the aisle working with colleagues whose views were often at odds with his own in order to effect change. senator kennedy was a champion of civil rights, labor, education, and he was passionate on the issue of health care. in fact, in the week before his death, the massachusetts senator wrote a letter to the governor and lawmakers in his home state asking for a ch

megan mcgrath has more. >> reporter: a moment often re-enacted.attle of gettysburg, the turning point in the civil war. in three days, a bloody battle. union forces fought back confederate advance. changing the tide of the war and ultimately preserving these united states of america. >> battle of gettysburg is such an important moment in this nation's history. it's not where the nation was born. but where the nation was saved. and i think -- the identity we all have as americans in many respects comes back to gettysburg. that conflict. that we somehow got over and got past. and emerged a stronger nation. >> gettysburg national pk is an historic gem. more than 1 million visitors come each year. looking across the beautiful field, many try to envision what it was like. >> you are able to walk along the battle fields. see how some of the generals made their decisions. and basically, and just think what you would do, or what i would do if i was here. >> helping paint the picture is a beautiful new museum and visitors' center. dedicated in 2008 with ov

megan mcgrath is there with details. we understand the home was full of snakes? >> reporter: yeah, a bits of a surprise for firefighters responding to a routine house fire here in the kings town section of alexandria. they responded to this fire a little after 8:00 this morning when they arrived, they were told by the homeowners on the scene that there were a number of snakes, about 30 snakes, inside the home actually in the bedroom where it appears that this fire began. what we're being told is that none of those snakes were venomous, though some were apparently quite large, they were of different varieties and being held in different containers inside that bedroom area up there on the second floor. their understanding that one of the people who lives in the house is an eagle scout, has an interest in snakes and actually is running a sort of informal rescue of sorts, if you will, that he takes in snakes that other people no longer want. he cares for them and uses them as teaching aids to teach others about the care and -- care of snakes. when firefighters went i

i'm megan mcgrath.'ll have the latest on that investigation coming up in a live report. >> plus, what's happening in our area today that could prove to be critical in the fight against the swine flu. >> and if you thought yesterday was hot, you haven't seen anything yet. tom will be back with details of another scorcher. "news 4 today" is back in two minute >>> more problems for metro. a track worker killed late last night. we're live with details and more on what you should expect when you board the trains today. >> plus, fighting the swine flu. what will happen in our area today that could help save millions of lives worldwide. >>> good morning and welcome back to "news 4 today." i'm joe krebs. >> and i'm barbara harrison. let's take a live look outside at 6:30 on this monday morning. here's what we saw. the sun -- you can see it through the clouds. a lot of haze out there and it's hot. 77 degrees. tom's here to tell you what's coming. >> we're going to be cooking. a torrid afternoon with het r summer

megan mcgrath has that story. >> reporter: a 75-year-old corroded pipe. that was servicing the high drapts in the neighborhood and that landed inability to get water to the area is one of the major things that thwarted efforts to get the fire out. >> not only were homes of a much different size but it is also probably significant corrosion to have a tremendous impact on the amount of gallons that can be pumped through the pipes. >>> according to a preliminary report released by the city, the two hydrants closed to the home pumped 323 and 296 per minute respectively. that is significantly less water than needed to put out a fire in such a large home without sprinkler. >> the significantly off what we needed. but it's important to remember again, as the mayor said, is 15,000 square feet, which is a very big house. and the house was significantly involved. so it was probably, you know, 800 to 1,000 gallons or more short of what we needed. >> responding crews said they couldn't get enough water to do their jobs. as emergency crews ran hose lanes to hydrants f

megan mcgrath, thank you. >> our time is now 5:38. temperature 73 degrees in washington. >>> hate speed cameras? well, you're not the only one. we'll show you how vandals targeted the devices in montgomery county and why police say it's no laughing matter. >> he was ticketed for helping a famili family of geese cross the road. we'll tell you how the situation ended in court. (announcer) now skating...jim perdue. there's no the factaround that my perdue perfect portions fresh chicken breasts are perfect. each piece come individually wrapped, so you can cook what you need and easily store what you don't. and they're perfectly sized to cook quickly and evenly in only 10 minutes. it's the perfect answer to your dinner routine. (announcer) perdue perfect portions. also in a variety of all natural seasonings. >>> weather and traffic on the 1s, good morning. now at 5:41, 73 in washington under a mostly clear sky. temperatures in the 60s in the suburbs and rule areas reported by weather watchers this morning. and we'll have some hazy sunshine

news 4's megan mcgrath joins us now with details. good morning, megan. >> reporr: well, good morning, joe. this happened very late last night. the house that was impacted here, the house that was sprayed with bullets is here on the rn coulder of frederick douglass place southeast at the intersection with tobias. the shots were fired from somewhere in the immediate area, possibly the street. standing on the sidewalk looking at the home, we saw nine bullet holes in the side of the home in the downspouts, the pillars, near the front door. according to police, some of those bullets pierced the walls of the home and actually entered the house. that how the 13-year-old was struck in the back. according to police, the girl was about to get into the shower when she was shot. she apparently could not be seen from the street. she was in an interior room so it wasn't a situation where someone could see her from the street and fire shots. so they're trying to figure out exactly what happened here, whether or not the house itself was targeted or w

megan mcgrath has that story. >> reporter: we are going to walmart to get water. not exactly the kind of vacation experience they were looking for. the family visiting from portsmouth, virginia, woke up to find their hotel without water. >> no water. couldn't take a shower. >> not too good. you know, we will make it. we are going to the zoo now. we will be gone all day. hopefully it will be back on when we get back. >> reporter: a 12-inch water main burst early this morning on south reynolds street in alexandria. the pipe is right out in front of the washington suites hotel. at 83% capacity, the break left 300 guests high and dry. >> no water at all, none. not lean bathroom, nothing. no water, period. >> rorter: also affected, the condominium complex. officials say it could be 8 to 12 hours before the water comes become on. >> going to west virginia tonight. getting out of here. >> for the weekend. i won't be here. >> reporter: south reynolds street has been closed in both directions. a gush of water from a pipe undermines the asphalt and cracks the pave many. >>

. >> megan mcgrath reporting live. thank you very much. >> this morning the search is on for who threw an explosive device inside a mailbox in northeast washington. the blue sidewalk mailbox exploded last night in the 4800 block of meade street northeast. the explosion sent debris about 60 feet, damaging street lights. no one was hurt, but people were temporarily evacuated from their homes. investigators describe the device as a motor-type of fire work. >> well, the former alexandria police chief is expected in court on driving under the influence charges today. david baker was arrested last month after a crash in arlington. he resigned just days late police say baker's blood alcohol level was 0.19%. that's well above virginia's o >>> more faout aft a judge in charles county, maryland, admits deflating a woman's car tire near the courthouse. robert nalley has resigned as chief administrator of the circuit court. "the washington post" reports that nalley will not step down from the bench, however. the woman says nalley

joe, back to you. >> megan mcgrath reporting live. thanks very much, megan. >> happening today, president obama is retooling his message about overhauling the nation's health care system. and he'll likely unveil it today at a town hall meeting in new hampshire. the new pitch is aimed at people who already have health insurance. the health care issue has sparked heated debates across the country. president obama has called the debates healthy, but opponents say it's a sign of widespread public dissatisfaction with the president's ideas. >> what this country desperately needs is a real, honest discussion about what the problem is. we're going broke on health care. >> the people who are protesting are the taxpayers who are thinking, wait a minute. we have to pay for all this. maybe we need to slow down. >> president obama said he's confident that despite the heated debate reform will happen this fall. >>> things definitely got testy at one health care town hall in virginia. democratic congressman hosted it in rubbingersville hoping to get

eun, back to you. >> megan mcgrath.an, thank you. >>> one of the issues senator kennedy was most passionate about was health care reform and with the debate raging on his voice and leadership wille sorely missed. until now there has been very little republican support but democrats say respect for kennedy may change minds. >> the ironic thing is that now that he's not there it might finally get done. it might be an opportunity for democrats and republicans to come together. >> still, republicans, close friends of edward kennedy say admiration will not swing many votes. >> well, police are investigating the stabbing of two transgendered people in the district. the victims are found in the 200 block of q street northwest yesterday afternoon. both were taken to the hospital. one victim a 21-year-old joshua mack of clinton, maryland, later died. the other, 26-year-old darius queen of southeast washington, is expected to be okay. it does not appear at this point that the stabbings were hate crimes. >>> a local couple is happ

with no sales tax that can add a lot of savings. >> that was megan mcgrath reporting. virginia has a 5% sales tax so you'll save that 5% on school supplies. the holiday starts tomorrow and runs through sunday. >>> coming up, sonja sotomayor confirmed as the first hispanic justice on the supreme court. wendy rieger joins jim handly next. >>> police arrested a 14-year-old and an 18-year-old in connection with the robbery and murder of a man in charles county, maryland. >> new video of the man who opened fire the at a health club on tuesday night killing

as news4's megan mcgrath reports, there cautious optimism among fans that this is going to be a good year. >> reporter: fans have gotten a feel for the team during training camps. but tonight is the first time that they get to see the redskins really reply. the skins take on the ravens in their first preseason game in baltimore tonight. fans will be watching closely. hoping to gain insight into the way the season will go. >> a lot of optimism. you know, i'm -- there's a lot of hope but we -- we have to see, you know. if they can keep the injuries away, i think we will be all right. >> preseason is an opportunity for them to see what their strengths and weaknesses are and adjust. like i said we will see some of the strengths and probably some of the weaknesses. >> reporter: last year's season was a bit disappointing. a strong start sizzled and taking the skins out of playoff contention and fans are hoping for more this time around. >> hopefully the redskins, redskins fans. and i'm hoping for the best this season. hopefully we will get a chance to see some of the new backup quarterback

megan mcgrath talked with the girl and her family this morning. they say it could have been a whole lot worse. >> right here. >> reporter: queen gaither points out one of the bullet holes. late last night gaither's town home was hit by a hail of gunfire. some of the nine bullets pierced the wall and entered the house. gaither's 14-year-old daughter, who was upstairs, was hit twice in the back. because she is a minor we are disguising her face. >> heard the pop come through the window, in the room. it struck me in the back. >> did you know you had been shot? how many bullets came into your house? >> nine. nin. two struck her. two was in the pillow. if she was laying on her bed on her pillow she would have gotten hit twice. >> reporter: this isn't the first time the home has been hit by bullets. the hole in this picture is from another incident that happened four months ago. no one was hurt that time. she says young people gather on her corner and in the park across the street when guns are drawn, her house is in the cross fire. >> i think they were

megan mcgrath is live with details and reaction. megan. >> reporter: keith, this started as a pilot program in eight d.c. public schools. the kids were tested for gonorrhea and cla mid ya. the results were surprising, so surprising school and health officials have decided to expand the testing program to all high schools in the district of columbia. teenagers are used to taking tests. it's part of going to school. but in the district of columbia, there's a new test this year. one that requires lab work. d.c. public schools will offer tests for sexually transmitted diseases at all high schools beginning this fall.he taking the test is vo luntary, and will not require parental t.en the move comes after a pilott. program in eight d.c. schlsil found that between 12% and %14 of the 3,000 teens% tested were positive for either cla mid ya or gonorrhea. many pents praise the program. >> they're able to get treated and get cured and be educated to keep it from happening again. >> it's important for teenagers to understand what the risks are a

in the district, megan mcgrath, news4. >> it is powerful and something that you won't forget. that's going to do it for "news4 at 5:00." we thank you for watching. coming up, ben bernanke gets a nod for his second term as fed chairman. wendy joins jim vance next for "news4 at 6:00." >>> f

megan mcgrath is live at glen forest elementary school in fairfax county with more.ood morning. >> reporter: good morning. kind of strange, august 3rd and we're talking about students going back to school but that's exactly what's happening. hundreds of students in fairfax county will be back in the classrooms later on this morning. they attend schools that run on a modified schedule. it's a different calendar than the other schools in the system. there are actually ten such schools here in fairfax county. instead of going on a long summer break, like everybody else, they basically go to school for nine weeks and then they have three weeks off. so they have that shorter three-week summer vacation. and the hope here is that the students won't forget as much over the holiday break there, that they'll be able to retain more. it also allows them to have a longer school year. now we're here at glen forest elementary. this is one of the schools that runs on the modified calendar. the program started back in 1996 with timber lane elementary school and then it's expanded fro

>> megan mcgrath live in alexandria.thank you. >> three frederick county teens have been charged with vandizing the football field at middletown high school. police say the teens admitted to burning part of the artificial turf early saturday morning. it caused about $20,000 worth of damage. investigators say the teens will attend -- all attend brunswick high school. they've been released to their parents as authorities figure out what to do next. >>> five people were injured in a serious car accident just steps away from a planned press conference with district leaders. a car smashed into the back of an suv, flipping the suv onto its roof. it happened yesterday afternoon on pennsylvania avenue at alabama avenue in southeast d.c. witnesses ran into the intersection to help the injured. two were taken to the hospital by helicopter. >> a snake collector is in the hospital after being bitten by his newest acquisition in southeast washington. 31-year-old jason dale had just bought the snake from a neighbor. he thought the sna

megan mcgrath is joining us from chinatown. for some it could be more convenient, and others it could be inconvenient. >> reporter: i would go for convenient because there are a lot of people out the just frustrated because they can't place ahone call in the underground areas of the metro system because their carrier doesn't have the hardware they need to provide that service. well, that's going to be changing here. soon you'll be able to place that call from inside the tunnel, from inside the underground areas within the system. over the next two months, sprint, nextel, at&t and other companies will have service available to the underground stations. right now there is only one company that works in the tunnel areas. installation will be done when metro is closed, so don't worry about disruptns to service. they are going to do it when the system is not open. you can expect to see large cabinet-like structures to house the electronics at the end of platforms. they are also going to install new cables and antennas. you should be

megan mcgrath has the story. >> reporter: at first glance, it looks like the metro train operator is sleeping. but he's actually writing a text message as the train speeds along the tracks. the cell phone video taken by a passenger was posted on youtube. the operator was suspended. >> there is no excuse for it. and it's very dispinting. especially given the fact that our train operators and really all of our operations personnel, for that matter, every single person of the transit agency knows what the rules are. >> reporter: the video was taken june 5th before the recent train collision that killed nine people. but metro officials say they only became aware of the incident after the crash. the operator captured in the video has already served the five-day suspension and is driving once again. a fact that some metro riders find disappointing. >> too short. too short a time to be suspended. i mean people get -- that is a smack on the hand. maybe a month. but it could be better. >> when i'm driving andf i use my phone without a blue tooth, then i'm driving with me, myself and any the c

news 4's megan mcgrath joins us from northwest washington this morning with more. good morning, megan. >> reporter: good morning, joe. in just a couple of hours, classes resume here at george washington university, and already you can see young people walking around the foggy bottom area at all hours. apparently, there are some thieves out there who are taking advantage of that situation. students are being asked to be extra careful and to travel in groups following a series of robberies in the area. there have been about a dozen robberies over just the last few months. some of the victims have been gw students. now, some of the incidents involved a large group of people who jumped their lone victim. the most recent incident happened this weekend. at 21st and l street. a woman at that location had her purse snatched off her shoulder. other robberies have happened along pennsylvania avenue near 24th street. now, councilman jack evans represents the area. he's talked to police, and he says that they have assured him they will increase their presence in this area. >> p

news 4's megan mcgrath joins us now live from the greenbelt metro station with more on this story. morning. >> reporter: good morning, joe. metro has had some disturbing incidents lately. of course, there was that deadly crash that took place back in june, and now we're learning more about another incident in which a worker was killed and yet another where a train operator tested positive for drugs. metro has had a difficult year. most recently on sunday, michael nash, a track repairman with 21 years of experience, was struck and kled by a piece of maintenance equipment. his death the tenth on the system in 2009, coming on the heels of june's deadly collision. and now, word of another disturbing incident. on july 31st, an operator delivered a train from the yard to the greenbelt station with too many cars, ten instead of eight. a passenger pointed out the mistake. the operator later tested positive for drugs and is now in rehab. >> the operator that was involved in briing the train from the yard to the greenbelt station platform tested positive for drugs. he is currently in a drug

megan mcgrath is live in alexandria this morning with the details on the commonwealth's new tax-free i, megan. >> reporter: good morning. we are in full swing with back-to-school shopping season here. we have some folks in the back-to-school aisle at walmart. today is an excellent day to buy your supplies in the state of virginia. that's because back-to-school supplies, 20 bucks or under, and clothing and shoes, $100 or under, those items are exempt from the 5% sales tax. now, that deal starts today and it runs through sunday. now we have been talking to folks this morning about what they're doing in terms of strategy. we got a lot of folks who are out here hitting the stores before they go to work this morning, trying to get it all done, get it done early. talked to one mother, and she says getting the tax break really helps. >> we try to take advantage of it every year. me coming this morning, i will be out again tomorrow morning, you know, trying to pick up such items as their clothes and shoes. >> reporter: it gueets expensiv >> it gets very expensive. i have three. me coming earl

and megan mcgrath joins us with more. >> this happened very early in the morning, around 2:30. police say a pedestrian was talking in the crosswalk at the intersection of suitland parkway and statten road when he was struck by a car. the car september going. it did not stay at the scene. the police are loong for a driver. >> the road closed in both directions this morning, and lying on the side of the road the body of a pedestrian. he was struck and killed around 2:30 in the morning. the driver kept going. police say the man was crossing when the car slammed into him. >> athis time we don't know if he was crossing against the signal or not, and that's part of the investigation. he was struck in the crosswalk by a vehicle, and he suffered blunt force trauma and was thrown about 120 feet. >> orange paint marks the spot where the victim landed. people say it's sad but not surprising, because cars often fly down this stretch of the highway. >> people are flying. it's a major thorough way into the area. even on the off hours, it's like a speedkiooor f t lhengki for tc ca ennvthe iro

megan mcgrath talked with the girl and her family and joins us from the neighborhood with more on the story. >> reporter: good morning, joe. you assume you are going to be safe inside your own home. that proves not to be the case for one family in southeast washington. they were home late last night, a mother and her three children, and they were inside their town house, and there was a commotion outside and somebody opened the fire. some of the bullets pierced the walls of the town house, went inside some of the rooms. a 14-year-old girl upstairs was shot twice in the back. she points out one of the bullet holes in her living room. last night her town home was hit by a hail of gun fire. the bullets pierced the wall and entered the house. her 14-year-old daughter, who was upstairs, was hit twice in the back. because she is a minor, we are disguising her face. >> it just struck me in the back. >> did you know you had been shot? >> i thought i had been glazed. >> how many bullets came into your house? >> nine. nine. but two struck her. and two was in her pillow, pulled out. they said if

right now news 4's megan mcgrath joins us live from arlington national cemetery with more. good morning, megan. >> reporter: well, good morning, joe. that's right. today the public will have a chance to say a final farewell to senator edward kennedy. as you just saw in the live picture, he is lying in repose in the jfk library in massachusetts. the doors are going to be opening in a few hours and mourners will be given the opportunity to file past the casket and pay their respects. then later there's going to be a funeral mass, a private funeral mass, on saturday morning in boston. and then senator kennedy will be brought here to washington, d.c. he will be laid to rest here by his brothers at arlington national cemetery. senator edward kennedy will lie in repose beginning this morning until 4:00 this afternoon at the john f. kennedy library in dorchester, massachusetts. among those asked to stand vigil, kennedy's first press aide, kerry robinson. >> we've been to be with him, to stand by him at the kennedy library during this vigil. and it's very kind of the family to think

megan mcgrath is joining us with the details. >> hi, megan. >> reporter: good morning. it is the largest kidney swap of its kind. 14 people were involved. patients from georgetown university hospital as well as the washington hospital center. seven people donated kidneys. seven people received the kidneys. they created an organ pool of sorts to increase the chances of finding a match. later today all 14 willth gather one place. some will meet each other for the very first time. others did get a chance to meet before the surgery took place. now, it is a chance for even those who have met one another to say thank you for the donor giving the kidney. it is certainly something to change their lives. nbc 5 talked to several of the recipients who said living with kidney disease has been very difficult and they expect this will transform their lives. >> i do not want to live like this. i want to die. >> very draining. it is no kind of life that i want to wish on anyone. >> reporter: now, why would someone give a kidney to a complete stranger? that's what happened in some of th

news 4's megan mcgrath joins us from that intersection with more. good morning, megan. >> good morning. >> reporter: good morning. neighbors say this intersection has been a problem for a long time, and that they've been asking for a stoplight. yesterday, we had a very serious accident here and a 12-year-old boy is fighting for his life. now, this accident happened just a little bit before 4:00 yesterday afternoon. a voex wag ann pass sat with four people inside was stopped in the northbound lane of ridge road. they were trying to make a left onto morning star drive when a ford pickup truck slammed into the back of the sedan. 12-year-old joseph opeakoon was sitting in the back seat of the passat. the driver and two other passengers are listed in serious condition. two of the other injured are relatives, relatives of t boy who is most seriously injured. now, the driver of the pickup truck was not hurt. he did stay on the scene. ridge road is a very heavily traveled road. gets very, very busy during the rush hour period. and oftentimes people, accordin

megan mcgrath has more on the investigation. >> reporter: police gather evidence at the port take bella apartments on livingston road the stairwell, a crime scene following a deadly early morning shooting. according to police, an argument broke out just before 1:00 a.m. shots were fired and four people were struck by the myflying bullets. one man killed, another kritsicily injured. two cripple suffered nonlife threatening injuries. >> i think it's pretty bad. normally this is a good complex. but come home to see this going on is kind of shocking. >> i've been here about eight years and this is the first time that someone that i know of in this area that's been shot. but it's everywhere. you can't hide. >> reporter: police cord doned off the parking lot at they searched for witnesses and processed the scene. no word on what the argument was about. police say the shooting is an isolated incident. they say the gun plan is an acquaintance of the victim. he was seen running from the scene. megan mccain grath, news 4. >>> a bri zen thief hits sax fifth avenue. >>> police in d.c., maryland and

megan mcgrath is live in montgomery county. >> reporter: what they are see something a bump in car thefts. in almost all of the cases, the owners of the cars left their valuables out in the open, and the temptation proved to be too great for some would-be thieves. police are reminding people to hide your valuables. >> good morning. >> morning. >> reporter: at the cameron street parking garage in downtown silver springs, a gentle reminder, don't forget to keep your valuables out of sight, or better yet, take them with you. there was three thefts of cars from this garage in july. officers have began to hand out flyers reminding people to stash anything of volume. >> if you leave something in your car, that somebody can see from the outside, that gives them the opportunity to break into your car and take their property out. and so in crimes, that's what we want to eliminate, the opportunity. >> reporter: the driver this car left their gps succession cup to the windshield in plain view. this woman says she always protects were volumes. but her friend, joanne, admits sometimes she for gets. >>

news4's megan mcgrath spent the morning on capitol hill. she joins us now. i'm assuming lots and lots of reaction. >> reporter: absolutely. senator edward kennedy was one of the longest-serving, most influential senators on capitol hill. when he was unable to attend his sister eunice's funeral two weeks ago, it was a sign to many that his condition had taken a very grave turn. so while his death is not necessarily come as a surprise, it's really still quite a blow to his friends and colleagues here on capitol hill. at the u.s. capitol, and at his office in the russell building, flags are at half staff in honor of senator edward kennedy. with his passing, the senate loses one of its most effective and dedicated lawmakers, and a politician willing to reach across the aisle to bring about change. >> what was remarkable is he was respected perhaps most by some of those who id yo logically differed with him the most. and that kind of evidence of mutual respect, even when you differ on opinions, lord knows we can use more of that in politics today. >> reporter: as

in oxen hill, megan mcgrath, news4. >>>n breaking news from thaila. a pilot was killed in a plane crash. it happened this morning after thailand resort island. it skidded off the runway and crashed into the air contr tower. thai officia say the chief pilot was killed and s others injured. the airport runway has been closed for investigation. >>> right now, former president bill clinton is in north korea. mr clinton is expected to push for the release of the two american journalists arrested after entering north korean territory. former president clinton arrived in north korea this morning. some north korean leaders greeted him at the airport. this is only the sond time a former american president visited north korea. jimmy carter did it last while clinton was in office. >>> we are following new developments in the case of three americans detained in iran. reuters is reporting that the three americans being detained in that country are now under interrogation. iranian state television is reporting that the issue is being used as propaganda against the

megan mcgrath joins us with more on this. >> reporter: leon coleman said that he was building a brand new subdivision in the upper marlboro area called king's grant. he took lot payments, as well as other deposits from 10 different people who thought that they were buying their dream house. now, this was back this 2004 and coleman never built a single house. the victims lost their money and in some cases had their credit ruined. coleman was convicted on all 16 counts and ler on this morning a judge will hand down his sentence. he could get 15 years per count. that's if he got the maximum, a max of 240 years behind bars for this scheme. we're expecting to hear from five or six of the victims. they're expected to tell the judge just how their lives have been changed by coleman's scheme, how they have been financially ruined. also coleman's wife is in the courtroom. so possibly we could be hearing from her, as well. she may testify on behalf ofsiog under way and we're expecting it to last about an hour and we are expecting to hear from witnesses -- or from the victims who say that their

megan mcgrath joins us live where a news conference just wrapped up. >> reporter: firefighters say that 80% of the first floor was fully engulfed by flames when they aived on the scene. this was a very, very large house. so this was a huge job from the get go. then fire crews arrived and tried to hook up to the hydrants. they could not get water on to the fire. and as they struggled, the home continued to burn. so what happened? the city released a preliminary report. we some have some answers. a 75-year-old corroded water pipe, that's what was servicing the fire hydrants in the neighborhood and that pipe and the inability to get enough water is one of the major factors that thwarted efforts to put out a massive fire. >> not only has it been here probably since the homes were of a much different size, but it is also probably of significant corrosion to have a tremendous impact on the amount of gallons that can be pumped through the pipes. >> reporter: according to a preliminary report released by the city, the two hydrants closest to the home pumped 323 and 296 gallons of water per minu

megan mcgrath joins us with more.od morning. >> reporter: senator edward kennedy will be buried with congressional honors saturday evening. an army firing party will fire a volley and a bugler will play "taps" during the ceremony. visitors will be able to go to arlington. it will be open on saturday. but they will be kept away from the kennedy burial site. he was a son o massachusetts. but the liberal lion spent much of his time at his second home here in washington. ted kennedy's years in the senate along with his two years in the army qualify him for burial at arlington national m cemetery much his grave expected to be 95 feet south wrf the eternal flame burns in memory of john f. kennedy. also buried at the site, brother robert. >> the hope rises again. >> reporter: while ted kennedy spent much of his life in the public eye, his burial service will be private with only family and friends in attendance. visitors wishing to see other parts of the cemetery will be able to do so but will be kept site. and robert e. lee

news4's megan mcgrath is live at freedom plaza downtown. >> reporter: good morning. 7:30 tonight, that's kickoff. and it's the ravens versus the redskins. redskins fans of course very, very anxious to see what their team is going to do. there is a lot of excitement. we've been talking to the fans here today, and i would say that they are cautiously optimistic about tonight's game, as well as the season. fans have gotten a feel for the team during training camp, but tonight is the first time they get to see the redskins really play. the skins take on ravens in their first pre-season game in baltimore tonight. fans will be watching closely hoping to gain insight into the way the season will go. >> there is a lot of optimism. there is a lot of hope. to see if they can mesh together, keep the injuries away, i think we'll be all right. >> pre-season is the time to see what their strengths and weaknesses are and adjust. we'll see some of the strengths and probably some of the weaknesses. >> reporter: last year's season was a business disappointing. a strong start fizzled taking the skins out o

megan mcgrath reports. >> reporter: supt land parkway closed in both directions early this morning. lying on the side of the road, the body of a pedestrian. he was struck and killed around 2:30 in the morning. the driver kept going. the police say the man was crossing suitland parkway at the intersection with stanton road when the car slammed into him. >> at this time we don't know the -- whether he's crossing against the signal or not. that's part of the investigation. he was struck in the cross walk by a vehicle and he suffered blunt force trauma, thrown 120 feet. the vehicle struck him and has not been identified andid not stop. >> reporter: orange spray paint marks the spot where the victim landed and it is quite a ways down from the intersection. people familiar with the neighborhood say it is sad but not surprising. they say cars often fly down the straight stretch of the parkway. >> people are flying. it is a major thruway into d.c. so people are constantly flying and even in the off hours, it is almost like a speedway. >> reporter: suitland parkway reopened in time for the m

news 4's megan mcgrath joins us from the scene with more now. megan? >> reporter: well, barbara, police say that this was some sort of a domestic dispute that ended in a stabbing. two men were stabbed. one of the victims has died at an area hospital. i'll step out of the way here and you can see the scene behind me here. we are at the 7-eleven at the intersection of rhode island avenue and greenbelt road. this is where the two victims were found. they came here in a car, stumbled out of the car, we're told by police, and fell to the ground. police were called to the scene and things went from there. apparently, though, this all began a little bit before 4:00 this morning at a home that's near this 7-eleven. there was some sort of a domestic dispute. it took a violent turn. two men were stabbed. they got into a car, a sedan. they made their way here to this location, this 7-eleven. again, that's where they got out of the car. one of the men fell to the pavement. police were called. both of them were transported to area hospitals, and one of them was pro