monique griego. >> reporter: they are always in ne of donated items. they expect to give away 500 gifts this year. >> and it does a body good. in health watch the new research of vitamin d and its effects on making bones stronger. >>> the death ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> it is just before 6:30, cloudy. a tense situation along the korean peninsula. following the death of north korean dictator kim jong il. the scene is creating confusion on what will happen next. >>> a news anchor also teared up. >> how can he pass away like this says this man. i'm so heartbroken he says. the 69-year-old dear leader as supporters called him died saturday of a heart attack. kim was known as a master manipulator with nuclear ambitions. his death has world leaders watching north korea closely. >> it's my biggest concern

monique griego explains what could be behind it. >> reporter: good morning. the pentagon says it can't pinpoint an exact reason but believes victims may be feeling more comfortable in coming forward. a new 121 page pentagon report shows a rise in the number of reported sex assaults at the top three military academies, the naval academy, the west point one and the one in colorado springs. they rose to 65 this year, an increase over time. >> over time we have allowed more and more participation by women and they should be free from sexual harassment of any kind. >> what is behind the rise? they point to this case. he was kicked out of the academy for conduct unbecoming of an officer. they say that have made it a more open environment to report crimes. they say they take it seriously. we have zero tolerance for this behavior. within the last year they had 22 inspects compared incidents compared to the year before. >> they include training over all 4 years of the program. >>> police are searching for a man who hid in the back seat of a woman's car and robbed her

i'm monique griego. coming up, we'll have more on how they're making christmas happen for baltimore families. >>> chilly night ahead. stick around for the updated first warning weather forecast. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> the bald eagle may be a national symbol. but it takes local help to rescue alex demetrick reports, that's what happens. >> if a bald eagle can't fly, it can't feed or protect itself. >> i think because it was out there for so long, with not a lot of nourishment, that it was getting weaker. and jpped just didn't seem to do much. >> he responded when outdoorsman adam glasgow came through. after it was netted. he covered its head with a towel. >> and i slid down until i could get to its legs and feet. once i had its feet, i knew i would not get hit by the talons. >> when eagles are in trouble, people will go try extraordinary lengths to try to save them. >> i'm upo the skid -- up on the skid, reaching back, grabbing the bird, something like that. >> reporter: both were eventually brought back an

i'm monique griego. coming up, we'll have more on how they're making christmas happen for baltimore. >>> clear and chilly. bob will have more on the weekend weather in the updated forecast. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> a food and drug administration panel is considering whether new warning labels should be added to newer generation birth control pills. some studies show they can put women at higher risk for serious blood clots. bigat shaban reports in tonight's healthwatch. >> reporter: richard and diane amons daughter annie ate right and exercised regularly. but two years ago, she had a heart attack at age 35 and died. >> the medical examiner told me it was probably caused by a blood clot. >> the amons family blames her birth control. annie was taking a new form of birth control. studies show that yaz and yaznin kimawt -- may put women at higher risk. >> reporter: this drosperinon, or yaz, or yaz-like pills, increase that clot a little more. >> but bayer, the maker of two of the most popular pills, found no

monique griego has the latest. >> reporter: good morning. her family held a vigil to renew their calls for justice but this morning it is still not clear how much progress police have made in their investigation. gone but not forgotten, family and friends of phylicia barnes light candles in her memory. >> right now, this is a hard time for my family at this hour you know because it was 365 days ago around this time that we were calling and crying and could not understand where she was at. >> p the time in the time that has passed police have said little about their investigation. they say their work has never stopped. >> no one in either police department has forgotten this case, that we are still hoping that people with information come forward. >> her death is still felt all the way to north carolina, where her high school classmates dedicated a memorial garden to her. >> it made my heart sing because they -- they really cared enough about her to do something like that -- >> now at 1 point police seemed to be focusing their investigation o

wjz and monique griego are live there. good morning. >> reporter: good morning.rivers will get a short three week grace period before that camera starts ticketing drivers in january. they are set up in scruption zones, if you blink you blink you might miss them. >> they were mine and i owned them -- earned them i should say. >> they will be there now where a new overpass is being constructed. >> follow the law and you won't have a problem. >> it follows the death of workers. >> we want them to be safe and slow down an be attendant. >> they will get a grace period, then you will get a notice but no tickets before fines start january third. >>> and including this new camera there are 4 in work zones in baltimore county, don. >> thank you very much, monique, in all now 10 work zones in the state are using sped cameras. >>> there is a plan in the works to save the baltimore grand prix according to our partner the sun. there is now a possibility according to the sun that wilkes lane capital will invest in baltimore racing development and give it some cash flow. >>> a

i'm monique griego. coming up, we'll have more on how they won cupcake wars. >>> a light rain is falling. but it's mild outside. there is a chance of snow in the forecast. with the new year comes resolutions, when we resolve to stop snacking and slacking, resolve to start reading and running. this year, resolve to help someone else, too. resolve to support the american red cross. because the red cross provides hope, help, and compassion, not only during disasters, but every day. resolve to do something that means something. support the red cross before the new year. visit redcross.org today. >>> an historic settlement to the families of those killed in the worst mining accident in decades. the owners where 29 men died last year has agreed to pay $200 million in settlements. federal officials released the final report today, detailing hundreds of safety violations. a woman is dead after falling 75 feet into the water from the queen mary ocean liner in california. authorities say the woman was apparently d

i'm monique griego.oming up, we'll have more on how they're making christmas happen for baltimore families. >>> don't let the sun fool you. it's pretty chilly outside. bob is updating your first warning forecast. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> we have an update for you. a nightmare in blacksburg, virginia. a shooting on the virginia tech campus. two people have been shot and killed, include a police officer. the gunman is still on the loose. the campus remains locked down. the officer was reportedly shot during what is being described as a routine traffic stop. a second victim was killed nearby in the parking lot. wjz will continue to update this story throughout the newscast. >>> a firefighter dies battling an apartment house fire. the massachusetts firefighter went into the building to help someone who was trapped, then got stuck in the fire when a portion of the house collapsed. at least one other firefighter has reportedly been hurt. no word on how that fire started. >>> a student jumps to the rescue when

i'm monique griego. coming up, we'll let you know about the city's latest moves to make it easier for them to operate. >>> just days before returning home to maryland from pakistan. a maryland man is abducted. i'm jessica kartalija. who is now claiming responsibility next. >>> a once-in a-decade storm. winds cause all kinds of trouble across california. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> it is now 6:30 and 51 degrees. good evening, everybody. thanks for staying with wjz. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. the most wind-- winds continue to hammer the state. thousands are without power and there is millions of dollars of damage. >> two days of wind left behind struct struction -- destruction in several states. >> it's just destruction everywhere. >> reporter: gusts sent a tree crashing into this northern california home. splitting it in half. the wind blew out the windows in a utah school bus and ripped a roof off a colorado condominium. a pasadena couple was asleep when this tree smashed

monique griego has more on the holiday circ dulasymphony. >> reporter: it's christmas. entertained with body-defying acts. >> you'll really see a fantastic sort of marriage between the holiday celebration with the circus acts. >> reporter: contortionists entangling their bodies that they dance through the air to the baltimore symphony orchestra, playing holiday hits. it's all part of cirque dela symphony. >> we'll fly out over the audience. sometimes we get kind of low. >> reporter: combine that with the symphony's powerful sounds and -- >> when you see the show, you will never think of some of the pieces of music the same for the rest of your life. >> reporter: these performers believe the show will run circles around anything you've ever seen before. monique griego, wjz eyewitness news. >> hmm. circ du lasymphony has several showings this weekend. and you can buy your tickets online. >> is it proper to gasp during that? >> well, i do. i've been told to be quiet before. >> i can't imagine that at all. >> unbelievably fit athletes. >> yes, they are. >>> let's take a loo

monique griego has the story. >> reporter: good morning.tigation. >>> last night they lit candles in honor of the 16-year-old who disappeared while visiting her sister in baltimore. in the time that passed police have said little about their investigation, lending little insight to how she wound up dead floating naked near the dam. city and state police detectives tell us their work has never stopped, back to you. >> this morning anne arundel county police are searching for three men accused in a bizarre attack in brooklyn park. a 25-year-old man tells police he was pepper sprayed, stripped half naked and robbed at a bus stop on richie highway late tuesday night. the suspects got away with cash and the victim's cell phone. anyone with information is urged to call anne arundel county police. >>> the state's healthcare commission is calling for tougher monitoring of cardiac stint surgeries at the state's 23 hospitals. investigators say hundreds of patients may have been implanted with unnecessary stints by a former cariology gist at the st. j

here is monique griego with the story. >> reporter: good morning, everyone, drivers will get a shorteople going over the limit. the latest on the inner loop of i 695 at frederick road where a new overpass is being constructed. it saturdayed after several highway workers were killed. critics accused governments of using them to generate money. >> the wife of jackson son jack johnson will be sentenced today. she faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a quarter million dollars in fines, her husband was stebsed ed sentenced to 7 years. stay with us for more on those stories. another shooting there. @ ♪ >>> welcome back to "the early show," everyone. it is a friday morning indeed. i'm jeff glor, along with erica hill. chris wragge is off today. we are been talking about staying in shape at all ages. we will talk to four long time friends in their 60s and 70s who have played basketball together for 40 years. how awesome is that? they plan their lives around the tuesday night game with where the old guys play against the young guys and tell us why they do it and how they prepare

monique griego, wjz eyewitness news. >> incredible. the circ cirque du soleil symphony has several shows. for a link to buy your tickets, go to wjz.com and click on this story. >>> still to come. a ray of hope. the first signs of life in more than three years from an american missing in iran. >>> no deal. why a roommate rejects a plea to keep him out of jail. >>> cool but dry weekend. i'll have the exclusive first warning five-day forecast. >>> and here's today's report from wall street. we'll be right back. ,,,,,,,,,,, [ male announcer ] are you paying more and more for cable and enjoying it less and less? stop paying for second best. upgrade to verizon fios and get tv, internet and phone for our best price online -- just $79.99 a month for two years with a 2 year agreement. it's an amazing holiday deal. but don't wait. it's only available for a limited time. so go to verizon.com/superoffer to sign up. act now and we'll add a special bonus -- $300 back. fios delivers the best picture quality, plus america's fastest, most consistent mo

monique griego has more on the city's latest move that will make it easier for vendors to keep operating. >> reporter: the craze caught on quick. >> it's economical. it's delicious. >> they're convenient. they're just always right there, wherever you want them to be. >> reporter: the gypsy queen is just one of the many high-end food trucks circling baltimore. >> caught the wave as new trucks were coming in. and it's been fabulous so far. we're really, really fortunate. >> reporter: a year ago, tom mooney ditched his brick-and- mortar restaurant to open up the queen. since then, they have been selling crab cakes like crazy. and mooney says it continues to boom. thanks to a pilot program that was set to expire december 31st. >> in june, the city changed its food truck policies, making it easier for them to operate and less confusing to obtain permits. there really wasn't a central database that you could look at to say this is what i need to do, in order to operate a food truck. >> reporter: the new policies also created designated parking areas, and did away with a proximity ban. moody sa

monique griego has more on what led to the shop shutting down. >> reporter: after more than 40 years of dressing up, cutting up and dealing out delicious sausages, today pollack johnny's will serve the last customer at the lexington market. >> i'm sad because i've been here a long time. >> reporter: owner diane wilkins said her decision to shut down the iconic stand came down to one simple reason. >> it is just not bringing in enough revenue at this point to have the doors remain open. >> reporter: news of johnny's dem ice quickly spread throughout the market. >> it sadens me, because like i said it is one of the few african-american businesses still here in the market. >> reporter: gregory is a faithful customer and a fellow shop owner. he said the closing of pollock johnny's is part of a larger trend. >> a couple of bakeries have closed in the last week and a half or so. i think it's a shame. that business was there for 0 years. >> reporter: many business owners believe a drop in customers has to do with the fact that the lexington market has gone from being world famous to infamou

monique griego was there. >> reporter: after months of being operated for military families, these final moments are filled with anxiety and a lot of anticipation. >> i'm excited to be with him for christmas. they were among the dozens of family members and supporters who gathered to give heroes welcome to the last 300 air force members to leave iraq. >> the military is good for them. it's a relief to know they're home and safe. >> reporter: the cheers that accompanied every arrival shows just how thankful the crowd was to see those troops home. >> i didn't know it was going to be that big. >> reporter: for many today's journey home is part of a new beginning. >> have some time to reflect on the whole 9 years of what went on in iraq. just happy that mission accomplished. >> reporter: beyond this door, just like their family, the airmen also have a hard time waiting. >> we hear all the noise and just can't wait to get all of our bags and stuff. >> reporter: staff sergeant michael compared his reunion to one thing. >> it's like christmas day. >> reporter: despite all of this attention and

monique griego is in the news reasonable with more. >> reporter: jess, more than 700 workers say last week they were told not to show up for work after the holidays. our partner the sun reports the workers are being furloughed until early march. federal law generally requires employers with 100 or more workers to give 60 days notice to the workers or their union before laying them off. but those workers won't be completely without a paycheck. the state's unemployment insurance division is accepting their claims for unemployment benefits. back to you, jess. >> monique, thank you. >>> union officials could not be reached for comment. >>> service mebs at the navel academy in annapolis and other military academies are reporting a risen the number of reported sexual assaults. according to a new pentagon report 22 incidents were reported at the navel academy last academic year compared to leave the year before. the pentagon says efforts to encourage more female soldiers to report abuse may be partly responsible for the increase. >>> a much drier day in our area today but residents are deali

monique griego has the story. >> reporter: good morning, jessica. and good morning, everyone.ay be feeling more comfortable in filing reports. the new pentagon report shows a rise in the number of reported sexual assaults at the top three military academies. >>> the number of reports rose from 25 in 2009 to 41 in 2010, and to 65 this year, an increase of 160% over that time. >>> military leaders believe the increase is due to recent efforts to make it easier for victims to come forward. jess. >> monique, thank you. >>> a vigil will be held tonight for phylicia barnes, the 16-year-old who disappeared one year ago today. the teen went missing while visiting family in baltimore over the holidays. her body was found in the river in april. no arrests have been made in that case. the vigil starts at 7:00 tonight at the bap at baptist church in baltimore. >>> police are searching for a man who hid in the back seat of her car and robbed her. after that he took off. >>> hundreds of workers say they were laid off without being notified. according to our partner the owner did not give th

monique griego is live with the latest. >> reporter: we have had less than 200 murders, the latest was it was 219. the rate has fallen every year since 2007. the state attorney has been cracking down on repeat violent offenders like john wagner, the man who killed a hopkins researcher. back to you. >> a crash is blamed on a distracted driver. police say two cars crashed head on, forcing firefighters to cut one of the drivers out of her car. no word open her condition. >>> anne arundel county police are trying to track down a man suspected of breaking into a car dealership. police say they tried to steal catalytic converters. >>> up next tips on how to start up your own business and in the midst of an obesity >>> there you go. a beautiful start to the day here on a tuesday morning. welcome back to the "early" show. i'm chris wragge alongside rebecca jarvis. erica hill has the morning off. probably still opening up christmas gifts. >> she got so many, right? >>> forget about the spa. many women are finding a great way to relax is to fire off a few rounds at the shooting range. >> exactly

monique griego has more. >> reporter: in just a few years, it's risen to life. this is a big part of that convenience. a grocery store opening up on the row this week. >> we saw this as a really great opportunity for us to come into an area where we didn't see the need being filled. there's a lot of development, a lot of growth out here. >> reporter: right now employees are stocking shelves and doing other final touches as the chefs prepare all the ready made foods that they are famous for. >> customers want to pick up a hot dinner and take it home. >> reporter: it brought much needed jobs. 79% of the employees live in baltimore city. >> i think it's a great thing putting jobs back in the city. >> reporter: the grocery store is only one part of what's set to open in the next few months. >> there's a lot of excitement in the area. >> reporter: in addition to the business growth, there's a new set of high end apartments. >> everyone is looking forward to having the services that we have here. >> i can't wait for it to be open. >> wjz eyewitness news. >>> the crew

wjz is live downtown, monique griego has an inside look at the numbers. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, jess, and good morning, everyone. as of this morning we have had less than 200 murders this year and while, yes, that is still a pretty high number it is actually the lowest it has been since the 1980s. the latest homicide was on christmas eve in cherry hill. a man was found dead in a home's front yard. with days to go before the calendar turns 195 people have been listed as murdered. last year the number was 219. going back to 1993, 353 people had been murdered. >> the goal is beyond the numbers because what -- here is what we know, is while the numbers have come down over the last four years, it hasn't changed people's perception. >> it has fallen, part of a trend. >> the are using technology, data, crime pattern, maps to figure out what the hot spots, what the trends are -- >> -- repeat violent offenders like john wag wagner, he is serving a life sentence. >>> -- also at a 30 year low, jess. >> monique, thank you. looking in terms of percent

. >> reporter: monique griego, wjz eyewitness news. >> the remaining locations are both in morrell park. >>> time for a quick look at stories you'll find in tomorrow morning's edition of baltimore sun. why home values in maryland have dropped. a preview of the terp game against albany marking the debut of maryland's new big man alex leb. and a look at 2011 local food trends, from food trucks to farewells to some favorite restaurants. for all of this, read the baltimore sun and look for the forecast from the wjz weather team. >>> get ready for one of the most entertaining award shows of the year. tonight the best and brightest will celebrate at the kennedy center honors. tune at here at 9:00. >>> and don't miss the cbs evening news. here are stories they are working on. >> in 2005, the community of houma lost six national guardsmen in iraq to one attack. i'm michelle miller. we're here to see what one town's small sacrifice still means as the war in iraq comes to an end. that story is tonight on the cbs evening news with scott pelley. >>> still ahead on eyewitness news, a delivery driver

monique griego has more. >> awesome. the winners. >> it's delicious small town like this. >> it was thrilling. it was thrilling. >> a year ago, shelly standard took a chance and opened up flavor cupcakery. >> the new cupcakes were all the rage. and it was the satisfied customers that pushed to test the baking against the best. on the food network show, cupcake wars. >> a few weeks later, shell and her baker, jason henzly, battled it out in california. >> it was intense. a little crazy. >> during cupcake wars. >> they use those cupcakes to create a massive display for the big event. this time, it was for the nutcracker. >> we were determined to win. determined to do it as calm as we could do it. >> and win, these cupcakes did, with all of the customers watching. this has brought these a lot of business. >> it's really incredible, what we're getting back from the community. >> and it's that that they are hoping to bring back. >> and flavor cupcakery's episode of cupcake wars airs tonight at 8:00 on the food network. >> am