ron matz takes us inside to show us what make this is train garden so special. >> reporter: the holiday train garden at the glenn avenue fire station is right on track. now in its 56th year, the longest continually operating train garden in baltimore. four trains running constantly, the set-up begins in october. >> a small scene can take 10-12 hours to do, much less getting the other stuff ready. so just the scenes themself take up a lot of time. >> reporter: it's 40 by 15 feet, from harry potter to winter wonderlands and even mr. bo. the display takes up half of the firehouse. at glenn avenue, it is all about tradition. >> some people generations after generations sign our guest book we have upfront and many people have been coming here since they were children and they are bringing their grandchildren. so it is amazing. >> reporter: there is no charge to get in but donations keep the trains running. >> we thank you for your contributions. this is self sustaining so your contributions keep us going every year. >> it is something we enjoy seeing the families coming in and enjoying the t

. >>> i'm ron matz. at baltimore city college. >> christmas eve will find you. >> where the school choir is getting ready for the trip of a lifetime. the story coming up, here on wjz. >>> long island serial killer. a key discovery that could help police track down the murderer. >>> surprise moves. jerry sandusky waives his right to a preliminary hearing. what he sayless after court. ,,, >>> it is just before 6:30. 41 degrees and clear. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. a surprise legal move by former penn state assistant coach, jerry sandusky. he waived his right to a preliminary hearing, meaning the case goes directly to trial. manuel gallegus reports for wjz. the decision spares a number of accusers from having to relive their stories on the stand. >> reporter: jerry sandusky told the outside court he would prove he is not guilty of child sex abuse. >> stay the course. fight for four quarters. we'll wait the opportunity to present our side. >> reporter: the former penn stat

and that's why we plan on keeping it here for a very long time. >> in dundalk, ron matz, wjz eyewitness news. >> i love that, ron. well, more than 30,000 people are expected to visit the wise avenue this year. the train garden is open through january 8th. for more information, go to wjz.com. click on the seen on section. you see it, ron? >> anyone deserves to be on a billboard and in lights, it's ron matz. >> you got it. >>> still ahead on eyewitness news. a fierce bidding battle. elizabeth taylor's ledge understandary jewels hit the auction block. you won't believe the outcome. >>> illegal carry-ons. how drug smugglers snuck 150,000 pounds past security. >>> i'm bob turk. a bit of rain on the way. then a cooldown i'll have the exclusive first warning five- day forecast. >>> here's today's report from wall street. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, [ 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. i

ron matz joins us. we continue with train -- yes ron. >> i wanted to mention, i don't know if you remember this, the last time they played this super bowl there they had a frigid cold front that moved in and temperatures in the 40s. >> that i don't remember. >> at least 10 years ago, maybe longer. >> really the weather -- >> -- perfect -- >> -- as you -- >> -- gorgeous -- >> -- south florida -- >> -- oh, yeah, i plan to retire that. >> where are you getting the money? >> from you. >> oh ho ho. >> oh, i digress, i am sorry. we are here at the glen avenue fire station, the 56th year for their train garden, it is a record. my folks brought me here when i was a kid not too long ago. we have got it for you when the eyewitness news morning edition eyewitness news morning edition rolls on,,,,,, >>> hi, happy holidays from wjz. >> well, done. well done, indeed. thank you so much for joining us. >>> 46 degrees right now with 70% humidity. there is that mild flow this morning, our normal daytime high is five, wind

ron matz has more on what is in store for the school's world renowned choir. >> reporter: some membersf the baltimore city choir are going to the white house, for two performances tomorrow. >> the chance to even be in the building with the president is absolutely mind-blowing and i'm really excited to do it. >> reporter: there's so much i'm thinking about. but mainly, it's the fact that we're performing at the white house. >> reporter: choir members are excited. and director lindell hall is bursting with pride. >> the choir members have been working very hard in the last few months, in preparation for not just the holiday season. but in preparation for performances such as this. >> reporter: about 20 of the choir's 95 members will be able to make the trip. >> reporter: especially with barack obama. i was ecstatic about the whole entire situation. >> reporter: leave the castle on the hill tomorrow morning, heading to d.c. >> i always knew we would get something big, but i never knew it would be the white house big. >> we're lucky to be invited, blessed to be invited. i'm really excited.

ron matz reports, what is blooming there now will put you in a holiday mood. >>> all the buds -- buzzt the rawlings conservatory is about a plant in mexico. >> looking at .7. >> it's showtime. >> is it poinsettia or poinsettia? >> it's like tomato and tomato. nothing is wrong. >> okay. >> poinsettia was brought to the u.s. in 1825. an. >> an ambassador to mexico, joe poinset, came back with cultings. -- cuttings. >> this is bursting with color and a lot more. >> came to see all of the poinsettias and bring back memories of when we were children and used to come over here and spend days. >> and we're reminiscing from her childhood as she drove around the complex. and she told about warmer days. >> reporter: pick one up for a great gift. we have poinsettias for sale from $4 to $18, various sizes. >> reporter: this is baltimore's own poinsettia. it's called jingle bells. >> john phantom. >> john phantom discovered the jingle bels -- >> poinsettia. because of the breaks? >> because of the color breaks. >> reporter: poinsettias, their time of year. >> they're gorgeous. one is more beautifu

singing ] ♪ i'll be home for christmas ♪ ♪ if only in my dreams >> reporter: a dream come true, ron matzitness news. >> the city college choir has traveled to france, italy and spain, and has also performed at carnegie hall. i wonder if they need an extra bass. >> jump on the bandwagon. >> there you go. >>> still to come. heroic actions caught on tape. see how a group of strangers save a little girl, trapped under a car. >>> disturbing merchandise. how one vendor secretly sold poison to one customer at a california flea market. >>> bob turk here in the first warning weather center. more of this mild air headed our way. i'll have the exclusive first warning five-day forecast. >>> first, here's our report from wall street. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, -dad, why are you getting that? -that's my cereal. is there a prize in there? oh, there's a prize, all right. is it a robot? no. is it a jet plane? nope. is it a dinosaur? [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] inside every box of heart healthy cheerios are those great tasting little o's made from carefully selected oats that can help lower cholesterol. stickers? u

. >> reporter: ron matz, wjz eyewitness news. >>> how cute is that. oh my gosh, there's a live look at the hanukkah house. it commemorates a jewish tradition. lights there will last even longer than that. >> the little girl when she said happy hanukkah. it was more like, did i get it right. it was great. still to come, human shield, a man holds his own daughter to keep police at bay. wait until you see what happens. >> money matters, congress battles over a payroll tax cut that impacts m,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, . >> it is just before 6:30. good evening everyone thanks for staying with wjz. here are some of the stories. powerful blizzard is hammering the nation's heartland. we begin with terrell brown. >> reporter: stranded vehicles were piling up as fast as the falling snow in parts of kansas and oakland. nearly a foot of snow closed highway and sprong winds added to the dangerous condition. at least six deaths are blamed on the storm closing highways from new mexico to texas. >> they told us it's conditions all the way through. >> it was really crazy. it t

. >>> ron matz has the latest on barry levinson's plan to return to the diner. >> reporter: diner thel soon be a broadway musical. director levin marked the movie in baltimore. telling the large crowd, the stage version is well on its way. >> it's really coming along. and it's very indicative of what the film is. so it's not like reinventing and turning it into some kind of -- something other than what "diner" really is. ♪ [ music ] ♪ good morning baltimore >> reporter: baltimore hit broadway night yoo nine years -- nine years ago when "hair spray" became a smash. can this do it, too? >> back then, it was a good movie. and i think it's a good movie now. i think it's going to work. >> reporter: levinson sees a big role for women in the musical. >> we're able to open up the subtext of -- in terms of a female, so that they can sing. and suddenly they add another layer to the piece. >> reporter: actress ellen barkin, the only female lead, says "diner" holds a special place. >> for me, it's the most important, groundbreaking, iconic piece of work i've ever been a part of. of course, it's d

ron matz is live with this new recommendation. >> reporter: the ntsb is urging a total ban on all cell phone use by all drivers even with a hands free device. a survey finds 1-5 text behind the wheel and more common with younger drivers, here in maryland texting behind the wheel or using a hand-held cell phone is already illegal. but aaa mid-atlantic says a total cell phone ban goes too far. >> the recommendation by the ntsb is something that from our experience and our research has not been met with much public support or legislative support. >> the ntsb doesn't have the power to enforce the ban. it is up to the states to pass new laws, don, back to you. >> a ban on using gps is not included in that federal recommendation. >>> after an out of the ordinary accident snarled traffic on the beltway we are getting a better idea of the extent of damage. on monday the raised arm of a backhoe slammed into the underside of the overpass on the beltway. they found damage to two support beams, one of which needs replacement. weekly inspections will be done until permanent repairs can be made in t

ron matz has more on this case. good afternoon. >> reporter: hi, don, it happened during yesterday's afternoon rush hour while a truck was moving construction equipment along southbound 695. the raised boom of a backhoe slammed into an overpass, bending one of the beams that support a raised section of i- 95. the impact damaged a highway sign, sent metal pieces flying into the road and nearly wrecked cars that were driving alongside the truck. witnesses say they could not believe it. >> i heard a loud noise, saw the backhoe lift up off of the trailer. >> there is no where to go in a car, either your reflexes are do i duck, do i try to get -- what can you do? you are in a seat belt. >> traffic was backed up for miles as crew shuts down lanes to see if the overpass suffered damage. don, back to you. >> thank you very much, ron. >>> nobody was hurt. >>> prince george's county may be ready to fight for slot machine gambling to pay for new projects. according to the post the county executive says he is open to adding a s

. >> all right, straight out to ron matz, wise avenue. how you doing buddy? >> reporter: we are doing great, everybody. it is train garden morning here. one of the biggest and best here, the wise avenue volunteer fire company, 31st year. here is wayne nickel, good to see you. >> good morning. how you doing? >> great. >> let's talk about it, six levels, 9 trains, tell us about it. >> another great display here at wise avenue this year, running a lot of local trains, ravens beating up on the steelers. >> got to have that. >> got to have that especially this year. we have a lot of nice baltimore stuff set up on this display. >> how long does it take you to set all this up and how many people are involved in it? >> 10 people here that set this train display up. we get six weeks build it from scratch. it is a lot of work. it is actually a whole year process with planning it out an everything and making our purchases but we put it together in six weeks to have it ready for the public right after thanksgiving. >> it is awesome. i want to talk to bill, a volunteer he

ron matz has the latest on barry levinson's plan to return to the diner. >> diner, the movie, will soon be a broadway musical. director levin marked the 30th anniversary in baltimore. the stage version is well on its way. >> it's really coming along. and it's very indicative of what the film is. so it's not like reinventing. some kind of something. ♪ [ music ] >> reporter: baltimore hit broadway in a big way nine years ago, when "hair spray" became a smash. can diner do the same? the owner of hollywood diner says yes. >> back when it came out, i think it's a good movie then and good movie now. i think it's going to work. >> reporter: they see a bigger role for women. >> we're able to open up the subtext, in terms of the females. so they can sing and suddenly they add another layer to the piece. >> reporter: actress ellen barkin, the only female lead, says diner holds a special place. >> for me, it's the most important, groundbreaking, iconic piece of work i've ever been a part of. of course. it's "diner." >> singer sheryl crow has written 16 songs for the musical. and if all goes well,

. >> reporter: ron matz, wjz eyewitness news. >> the ticket information about saturday night's diner celebration at johns hopkins university, log onto wjz.com, and click on the news tab. >>> well, we're dealing with a damp tuesday. and keeping our eye on the possibility of some snow. it's cloudy and rainy. bob turk has a look at what we can expect tomorrow and the next few days. >> as you mention, it is december and so abnormally warm. >> let's take a look at conditions right now. starts out pretty mild. maybe even low 60s before it begins the cooldown. late in the afternoon, we'll be back in the 40s. tomorrow night, upper 30s. maybe 4, 5, 6:00 in the morning, on thursday. that's when we expect to see maybe a change to wet snow for a little while. a couple of hours. then the sun comes back outside on thursday afternoon. back up to 46. 48 on friday. cooler on saturday and sunday. 42, 24. with a lot of sunshine. 44 on sunday. kai? >> bob. thank you. >>> a woman dies after falling 75 feet off a cruise ship in california. authorities say the woman was apparently drinking before she lost

in the past they have performed, france, italy and new york's carnegie hall, of course ron matz is a proud alum. >> he is. give them a round of applause, when they are able to walk into america's house all decorated up and song. that is cool. >> i like the idea. >> still trying to wrap my head around a corporate tatoo. what are you going to do put like amtrak on your arm or -- curly neal sitting over here one of america's great professional athletes could you imagine? >> underarm or on your neck -- >> -- okay, all right. that just tells you the minutea on which they were working on the contract. one of the real big issues, a, b, c, d, e, f, g, but on page 18 no corporate tatoos, if you were a right-handed batter you could put it right there. >> sure. not now. >> if you don't mark yourself for life, you better really be worth it. look, because i am kind of into body art, i am not going to lie. we discussed this on the show. i have got like 5 at that times but, man, 0 man, you know, you -- those don't-they do not go away. they are there forever. >> and none of them are corporate to my

ron matz, wjz, eyewitness news. >> the acoustics made it sound absolutely angelic. >> oh wow!we had that. >> i still have the chills. >> thank you for watching 9news now at 6:00 a.m. good morning, i'm andrea roane. >> thanks for joining us, you made it to wednesday. i'm mike hydeck. glad you're here. here's monika samtani. traffic momentarily. >> what will today and the weekend look like? howard bernstein gives us a little preview in weather first. >> not bad at all today. more clouds. winds are light. maybe a stray shower but a bettha