el presidente del consejo de la ciudad phil mendelson, senalo que no esta dispuesto a apoyar la idea la canciller de educacion del distrito de columbia anuncio el cierre de algunas escuelas. esto segun dijo es parte de un plan para consolidar planteles, algo que ya ha originado preocupacion. maria rosa lucchini con los detalles. continua el plan para reformar las escuelas publicas del distrito de columbia....la canciller de educacion anuncio que 15-planteles seran cerrados y consolidados con otras escuelas...la razon, el bajo numero de estudiantes matriculas en algunas escuelas... "de la manera que estamos organizando las escuelas, pensamos que podemos disminuir algunos problemas, tambien trabajar con la comunidad para asegurar que todo marche bien" 13-de las escuelas seran consolidadas a fines de este aÑo escolar.. entre ellas estan la escuela intermedia macfarland, la elemental marshall, choice at hamilton, spingarn y spingarn stay shaw, prospect, davis, kenilworth, winston, ron brown, ferebee-hope y mcterrel...ademas, mamie d. lee y sharpe health seran consolidadas el proximo aÑo

northwest washington for 9news. >> bruce tells us this time around michael brown will run for phil mendelson'sacant seat as a democrat. anita bonds was appointed to mendelson's seat under the special election. she will be a candidate in the april contest as well. >>> so you're all excited about the chance to see the redskins' first playoff game in five years? >> what that means if you're trying to buy tickets for sunday's game at fed ex field. make sure you do not get scammed because that's going o. that story coming up -- going on. that story is coming up. >>> your taxes are going up for 2013. congress did stop the big tax hike everybody has been talking about for months but there are a couple of other taxes you need to know about. i'm going to tell you about them coming up at 6:07. you're watching 9news. >>> redskins fans beware. ticket scammers are out to get you. if you aren't careful, you could end up a victim. >> this game against the seahawks is already sold out. chances are there are plenty of phony tickets out there. ken molestina is going to explain how thousands of us could get scam

. >>> new at 6, phil mendelson and council member mary shay will state their case about presidential license plates tomorrow. they were invited by the white house to meet in the west ring. the city council president wants to urge president obama to use taxation without representation license plates on the vehicles. the city puts the phrase on the license plates and has since 2,000 to call attention to the lack of voting members in congress. and some news about the flu outbreak. 41 states now, including maryland and virginia, dealing with a widespread outbreak and that is not severe. he will try to make sure the well-stocked. >> we will make sure everyone who wants and needs one has an opportunity to get it and we hope the space replannish quickly. >> the flu has hit earlier this year and usually peaks in january or february and can still sicken people late as may. >>> coming up on the news edge, bin laden photos, should thy be released. a judge's sharp response to publicly showing the images of the murdered terror leader. and why a minister was shot from giving a bless at the preside

he lost his seat to grasso, but brown picked up petitions to run in a special election for phil mendelson's vacant seat. already there are 14 candidates vying for that seat. it's just possible the winner would could cool out with only a few thousand votes. this is bruce -- come out with only a few thousand votes. this is bruce johnson reporting from northwest washington for 9 news. >> anita bonds was appointed to fill mendelson's council seat until special election. she is a candidate as well in the april contest. >>> today is the first day courthouses in maryland were officially open for business since the state's same sex marriage law took effect and in montgomery county six couples officially tied the knot at the judicial center. the first was jeff averly and joe rue. they've been together nearly 14 years and are in the process of adopting their 2-month-old niece. >> the first day they said i could get the license i ran over here. i work across the street. they're asking me when do you want to get married and i'm like as soon as possible and this was the first time and we took. it >> mar

. >> if there's one part of the government that is more useless than phil mendelson, it would be the inspector general. >> christopher is head of the local police union. he believe, like robinson, that part of the reason is being done that the photo enforcement program brings in millions for the city. $95million last year alone. >> if you have someone bringing in dollars, no one wants to investigate this person or that office, that's a problem. even if there wasn't a problem this time, if that office knows that it won't be investigated in the future, that's a recipe for abuse. >> the reason i'm doing it is because the public needs to be made aware on what's going on behind closed doors. >> now here's where it gets interesting. after kristen's story aired, we did hear from the d.c. cops. a spokesperson contacted us with the response, it was the statement and it reads, the allegations were reported to metropolitan police departments division and the office of the inspector general and handled accordingly. whatever that means. okay. there we go. >> so, we had an inch today, on this date

brown, a former independent, now plans to run as a democrat to fill the seat vacated by phil mendelson who is now council care. our own bruce johnson served as a master of ceremony. >>> we know you want some tickets to sunday's playoff game, but buyer beware. we'll show you why some scam artists could be the big winners this weekend. >> one of the our colder nights ahead, many areas below freezing. we'll come back, see how low it's going to go, already 28 in gaithersburg. >>> i'm anita brikman with this health alarm the fda has approved a -- alert. the fda has approved a new flu vaccine for adults that's manufactured using animal cells. that processes faster taking weeks instead of months. health experts say this type of vaccine could be a rapidly produced weapon if a new strain emerged and we face a flu pandemic. >> this health alert is sponsored by cancer treatment centers of america, care that never quits. to learn more visit cancercenter.com. >>> if you haven't done it yet, be sure to download the 9 news ipad app. it offers you news at your fingertips. there's hd video plus live in

anita bonds was appointed to phil mendelson's council seat until the special election. and she is a candidate in the april contest. >>> still to come when 9news continues, thousands will pack fed ex field to watch the redskins and the seahawks on sunday. if you are planning to buy a ticket, we have some important information that will keep you from getting ripped off. >>> this week marks the 150th anniversary of president abraham lincoln's signing of the emancipation problem cha nation. the -- proclamation. the official document was displayed at the national archives but it's now been returned to storage because it can be damaged by exposure to light. if you missed seeing the proclamation, you have a second chance because starting today, the first draft of the emancipation proclamation is going to be put on display at the library of congress. it will be shown as part of the ongoing exhibit the civil war in america. the draft will be on display until president's day february 18. >>> coming up next, howard in the forecast. >> jc, we had teens in spots this morning. while

. >> if there's one part of the government that is more useless than phil mendelson and the judiciary committee, it would be the office of the inspector general. >> the head of the local police union believes, like robinson, that part of the reason nothing is being done is because the photo enforcement program brings in millions for the city. $95million last year alone. >> you have someone bringing in tens and millions of dollars, no one wants to investigate this person, that's a problem. and even if there wasn't a problem this time, if that office now knows it won't be investigated in the future, that's a recipe for abuse. >> the reason i'm doing it is because the public needs to be made aware of what's going on behind closed doors. >> and after our story aired at 5:00, d.c. police spokeswoman sent us this statement, quote, the allegations were reported to metropolitan police department internal affairs division and the office of the inspector general and handled accordingly. >>> it's a popular pain medicine, but tonight, a panel wants to make it harder for you to get your hands on i

white house fence, but now we're hearing it's been watered down and is just you and council chair phil mendelson. what happened? >> it wasn't exactly as you described. after we passed the resolution asking the president to put on these plates with the phrase taxation without representation, it occurred to me we shouldn't just let be it passing a resolution that, we should have some way of delivering it. so i thought it would be a good idea if all the council members could walk over to the white house and deliver it unto someone. so i called the white house, the intergovernmental affairs office and said is there somebody we could give this to and that led to some discussions about well, maybe we should actually sit down. you come into the west wing and i said i would have to bring the chairman, too, as a matter of protocol. so that's how that happened. >> it was sort of the white house who said no, don't bring all 13 members. just pare this down. >> no. they thought it would be more productive if we had a conversation because at the end of the day what i'd like to do is i'd like to have the presi

. >> mayor gray and phil mendelson say the savings will not be spent on social services, but returned on taxpayers. not this year. >> we didn't spend enough and a lot of programs that needed more spending. the reality is, the city's financial health is pretty good. >> now is not the time to reduce taxes or add more dollars to social services, because what? >> well, i think we do have some social service needs. i'm looking forward to being able to address some of those out of what we think will be additional revenues. >> locking forward to the next budget. >> pay increases, police and fire? >> councilman jack evans agrees with the move that bank all of that $1.5 billion. but he says emergency responders and taxpayers will see relief sooner rather than later. >> we increased our income tax from 8.5 to 8.9. it's due to sunset. i would sunset it now. >> we should point out the number of council members, marion barry, jim graham, and others will fight this. they want some of that money because of social service needs. as a matter of fact, jim graham is home with the flu. he did say, can't

phil mendelson is against both ideas and says the response to gun violence is not to have more guns. >>> an emotional gathering in colorado today at the aurora movie theater where alleged gunman james holmes opened fire reopened for business. some of the victims attended the opening while others boycotted the event. >> reporter: victims, their families and first responders returning to the theater where a gunman opened fire nearly six months ago killing 12 and injuring dozens. they're at the theater for a private ceremony called a night of remembrance to be followed by a movie screening after the company that owns it reportedly spent $1 million on renovations remodeling the interior. >> we've come here this evening resolute that this 1 act of violence will never define us as a community. >> reporter: colorado governor john hickenlooper is among the attendees, but the reopening is not welcomed by all those who were affected by the massacre. many victims' families are boycotting the event, some sending a rejection letter to cinemark after receiving an invitation from the theater's owne

. >> my understanding is that he talked to the mayor and phil mendelson and there was an agreement we could relax the cap for this instance, but it turned out only two members took advantage of it, so it doesn't make sense for to us talk about those kinds of things as opposed to us working together to make sure these kind of things don't help again. >> reporter: 48 out of 50 firefighters turned the department down when asked to help christmas eve. it's no secret the fire chief and the union have been at odds. about a year ago a roomful of firefighters turned their backs on the chief and walked out of a state of the department speech he had just given. in 2010 the district put a law into place limiting the number of overtime hours a firefighter can work, a law the union would like to see overturned. one other note, fox 5 obtained an internal document showing new year's eve the department was looking for staffing for five medic units and eight ambulances for a total of 13 units, not the 11 we were originally told. in the fox 5 newsroom i'm paul wagner. >>> a news alert out of d.c. tonig

council chair phil mendelson and mary chae will meet with the intergovernmental affairs staff.hey're hoping to put the taxation without representation license plates on the inaugural parade limo. president clinton is the last president to have used the taxation without representation plates. >>> well, it is just ten days until the presidential inauguration and obviously the parade that goes with it. january 21st is when that happens and there's a company in prince george's county is doing their best to work quickly. the what are grove company has been making the floats for the last 17 parades all the way bang to the trueman administration. this year they're building eight floats involving everything from metal work to wood and sewing. incredibly they got the contract for the job this late december -- in late december and they are hustling. >> we're honored we're selected to represent the country. and that they trust us to pull off one of the major events held every four years. >> they have their own major event. 60,000 feet of lumber is going to be used in their work. 300 gallo

for a long time the group dc vote and various other people have wanted, including mary chay and phil mendelson have wanted as a ceremonial for him to make the taxation without representation plate the idea being a lot of people don't understand what it means. there are a lot of people that come into town, have no idea that there is no congressional representation for the district. this is nothing, if you don't guess, a reminder. i am of the personal opinion that it's pretty difficult to envision a scenario in which dc is going to get representation any time soon if the city has to go through these kind of obertures just to get the tags on a limo changed. they went through quite a bit between having sit-down meetings with the office of interior, between actually getting the plates made and delivering them to the president. i mean it was a lot. there is some symbolic value to this but i feel like it's a little too much. we are on the hook with obama for think inc.ing something is going to happen that probably isn't in terms of anything he is going to be able to do for the city. >> he has been th