but as abc 2 news roosevelt leftwich tells us, that's not going to last too long. >> reporter: every state department gets a cut. although two got chopped a little deeper than the others in the initial round of cuts as the state grapples with the $700 hole. health and hygiene loses payments to hospitals and nursing homes. and the university of maryland system is losing some $40 million, prompting an emergency meeting of the regents tomorrow to figure out how to deal with the shortfall. >> eliminated of classes, we're going to try to do everything we can to make sure it does not increase time to degree. there are -- all this -- >> reporter: hogan says by taking such a hit, the university's state-supported fund balance will be low. state treasurer says it may be time to consider raising tuitions, something that hasn't been done in four years. >> you begin to sacrifice the quality of what the students are investing in. with their tuition dollars. and that has to be weighed. >> reporter: there is another $420 million worth of cuts that have to be made by labor day. and state employees wo

roosevelt leftwich explains it to us. >> reporter: it is state-of-the- art 1863. it's burr rid under tons of snow when the roof collapsed during the great president day storm of 2003. it's been out of sight for more than 12 years. now it's just weeks away from rejoining the museum's collection. >> it takes really 19th century skills and talents to be able to put together a steam locomotive from the civil war period as you might imagine. you can't order parts from a warehouse. >> reporter: but the perkens is one of the last engines to be restored. three others are still waiting their thurn and they need everything. >> this is the first engine to be restored after the roof collapse from the iron work all the way up to the wood had to be replaced by hand. it's slow and intricate work. it has to be done by people that know what they are doing. >> reporter: to fit old trains, you need old tools. at 107 years old, this machine is what you need for the old parts that haven't been made in 100 years. in many cases, they just winged it. >> all by hand. a lot of it is just f

in baltimore, roosevelt leftwich, abc2 news. >>> 5:50.ust rolling down the window and going for a nice cruise? would be nice if it was the weekend. we have to get to work but a nice day to do so. getting outside, i say just pack a brown bag, go out there and enjoy it pause another beautiful day on tap. 63 degrees in baltimore to start. 50s back in into the mountains. a sign of cool air trying to work back in. we had the frontal boundary push through, still under the influence of low pressure in eastern canada. strong storms across the northern plains will dive to the south but could spread a few clouds our way. otherwise, great weather. computer model keeping us very dry as we head in through today. just a few clouds in the afternoon. watch the northeasterly push, could throw some showers off the coast of the delmarva tomorrow afternoon. maybe clipping portions of the metro area with the chance of a shower. this will reinforce some of that cool air but still relatively pleasant, nothing in terms of real heat to be found. yesterday we hit

i'm not going to leave them just because somebody is ignorant. >> roosevelt leftwich, abc 2 news. >> if you have any information about the salon break-in, rosy says there is a reward being offer by metro crimestoppers. the number 20 call 1-866-7-lock- up. >>> few for a look at tonight's top stories. police have beefed up their presence in east baltimore after a series of shootings left 15 people hurt. it all started sunday night when a gunman shot 12 people at a cookout. two more shootings followed. the target of the first shooting is one of the members of the blackwell family. police say the family is a well- known drug organization. police believe there is a widespread turf war that stretches back at least two years. >>> and as police step up patrols in east baltimore, city officials say $10.1 million in federal stimulus funds will go to hire 50 new officers. the officers will be placed on foot patrols around the city as part of a strategy to help the department win back the community's trust. >>> and friends and family were memorialized four people killed in a helicopter crash las

as roosevelt leftwich tells us, it's an idea that has many starting their engines. >> sometimes when you're driving around downtown, it can feel like you're on a racetrack. for the rushing cars along pratt street don't have a thing on this. right now the city, the state, and a private development firm are looking at the feasibility of bringing a grand prix-style race that would cut through the heart of the harbor, all the way over to russell street and back. >> estimates are 150,000 visitors, $100 million in economic impact. which is generated from the visitors, from the hotels, meals, et cetera, and also major national television exposure. >> reporter: a race of this caliber would bring a lot mother than say lots of tourists and tourist dollars. we're talking about international exposure. millions of people worldwide love this type of racing 689 however, folks here in baltimore hopes this type of racing brings something else to the city, a better roadway. you can hear the bumps and lumps even before you see them up close. race fans worry while the city can prevent a great tourist pa

at fort detrick, roosevelt leftwich, abc 2 news. >>> now the forecast certified baltimore's most accuratehere is chief meteorologist norm lewis and maryland's most powerful doppler radar. >> this is not summer in baltimore. >> no, i'll tell you what. i went back through the record books, and just the normal records that we keep, and i can't remember a 4th of july weekend that was as nice as what we have just had. it was absolutely gorgeous. we did have a few clouds around. but for the most part, very pleasant temperature-wise. it's going to stay that way for the next couple of days, even though we're going to start creeping up to more normal temperature. normal temperature is 87 degrees. a little more humid. >> but still not bad. keep our fingers crossed because waiting for the next shoe to drop. let's take a look outside right now. shot from harbor cam. the flag getting a little bit more breeze out there as the afternoon goes along. the temperature at bwi down 1 degrees since we last talked, down to 8 degrees. 33% humidity, wind from the northwest at 6, and the pressure steady, 29.7. her

roosevelt leftwich has more about the painstaking process to bring some of the old engines back from disaster. >> reporter: it is state-of-the- art. state-of-the-art 1863. but that person who was buried under tons of snow during the storm of 2003 has been out of site for more than three years. after method kohl rebuilding and restoration, is now just weeks away from joining the museum. >> it takes really 19th century skills and talents to be able to put together a steam locomotive from the civil war period. you can't order parts from a warehouse. >> it's one of the last engines that was damaged that day to be restored. three others are still waiting their turn, and they need everything from wood and iron work to mechanical repair. >> this is the first engine to be restored, everything from the iron work all the way up to the wood had to be replaced by hand. it's very slow and intricate work that has to be done by people who know what they're doing. to fix old trains, you need old tools. at 107 years old, this belt- driven machine is what you need to make parts that haven't been made

roosevelt leftwich, abc 2 news. >>> and pitching in to help the community. coming up, dozens of volunteers work out before working on a project to help the community. >>> and we'll tell you about a new program that helps area high school students get a jump- start on a career. >>> yesterday i gave you a 2- degree guarantee for today of 86 degrees. our high today got to 82. just had a little bit more clouds than what i expected. we've got our forecast coming up, which does include a pretty decent weekend if you don't mind it. hazy, hot, and humid. forecast coming up. >> watch abc 2 news any time on channel 1 with comcast on demand. [ female announcer ] swiffer wetjet cleans so completely you'll never go back to your old mop again. ♪ don't you want me baby? ♪ don't you want me ohhhh! [ female announcer ] why go part of the way clean? swiffer wetjet antibacterial cleaner kills 99.9 percent of bacteria mops can spread around. swiffer cleans better or your money back guaranteed. ♪ don't you want me baby? >>> you're watching baltimore's station that works for you.

abc 2 news roosevelt leftwich tells us parents and students feel betrayed. >> reporter: it's a very sad day, but also very frustrating. so everyone rallied to get it all out. six weeks before school was supposed to start and parents and kids were excited and ready. tuition checks were written. plans were made, and uniforms purchased. everything was set, but now families like the joneses are scrambling. >> i'm here if the school is going to tell us or direct us where to take our kids. >> it's really a mess. i have to go into another school and try to get relationships with other people and with other teachers. >> reporter: parents say they didn't know the school was closing until their kids found out about it on facebook and told them. today teachers were officially notified, but they had already found out through a blog. with so little time to adjust, it's simply heartbreaking. >> i don't think it will be [ inaudible ] than it's been with these kids. i can't even explain the bond and the closeness that these children have. >> reporter: the diocese said they tried everything to try to ke

but as roosevelt leftwich tells us, this is only the first round of some deeper cuts to come. >> take the actions necessary. >> reporter: it was more of a matter ofs ting the t's and crossing the i's. looking at what could get the ax, the list touches every state department, some a little harder than others. >> however difficult, our choices that will also allow us to come through the other side of this recession sooner than most other states in the union. >> reporter: the cuts are a mix of reducing the budgets of many programs and state agencies. the chesapeake bay 2010 trust fund loses 2 million. stem cell research loses 3 million. the maryland lottery loses $5.5 million from its advertising budget. medicaid payments to nursing homes and hospitals are dropping $34 million. and the university of maryland system is losing a whopping $40 million. >> and as today's list of proposed cuts will confirm, there are no sacred cows left. and everyone will be affected to some extent by these decisions. >> reporter: there is limited job loss in this round of cuts. the state will lay off only 39

in canton, roosevelt leftwich, abc 2 news. >> this is a talker. we want to know whether you think.hould the city force nacho mamas to remove its elvis statue from the sidewalk? to take part in the online poll, log on to abc2news.com and look on the right side of the home page. >>> now the forecast certified baltimore's most accurate. here is chief meteorologist norm lewis and maryland's most powerful doppler radar. >> well, we have some heavy weather down over southern maryland this afternoon that has now shifted to the eastern shore. but the heavy weather is not done. but again, it's very isolated. very small pockets of it here and there. and the severe thunderstorm watches that we've got on the eastern shore continue until 8:00 tonight. we'll show you where the storms are. let's take a look outside right now. the shot from harbor cam overlooking the downtown area. yeah, looking kind of, ugly out there. showers are on the way towards the baltimore region. right now at bwi 82 degrees. 67% humidity. wind currently from the southwest at 8. and the pressure 29.75. this are your tides

roosevelt leftwich tells us about the painstaking process to bring some of the old engines back from that disaster. >> reporter: it is state-of-the- art. state-of-the-art 1863. but it was buried under tons of snow and rubble when the roof collapsed during the great president day storm of 2003. it's been out of sight for more than five years. and after methodical rebuilding and restoration, is now just weeks away from rejoining the museum's collection. >> it takes really 19th century skills and talents to be able to put together a steam locomotive from the civil war period, as you might imagine. you can't order parts from a warehouse. >> reporter: it is one of the last damaged engines to be restored. three others are still waiting their turn. and they need everything from wood and iron works to mechanical repair. >> this is the first engine to be restored after the roof collapsed, from the iron work all the way up to the wood had to be replaced by hand. it's very slow and intricate work that has to be done by people who know what they're doing. to fix old trains, you need old tools. a

roosevelt leftwich with more from annapolis. >> reporter: some departments took a bigger hit than others. the biggest losers stem cell research, $3 million. higher education more than $40 million. and the maryland lottery promotion budget cut by $5.5 million. 39 people will lose their jobs, and 18 is open jobs won't be filled. the state whittled down expenses by decreasing budgets and cutting programs to get already budgeted money back into the general fund. every state department was touched, except one. education. >> there one day will be a recovery. and when that recovery comes, our ability to capitalize on that, to compete not only nationally, but globally will depend upon the job we do to protect the priority of education in the here and now. you have to think for every dollar cut from the state budget, someone is going to be affected somewhere. from a seat improvement at m&t bank stadium to a medication that goes to a senior citizen, all these type of things depend on state dollars. but the cuts are going to get worse. >> folks who say that that government needs to operate like a b

roosevelt leftwich takes a look at how consumers and others are reacting to the new gm. >> reporter: virginia fell in love for the fifth time about six months ago. her last relationship lasted for many years until she had to let her loved one go after a terrible accident. we're not talking about changing boyfriends or husbands for that matter. we're talking about her wrecked late model gmc jimmy, and her new love, this chevy hhr. >> the performance all the way around. open up the hood. >> reporter: it's that kind of loyalty that gm needs to get back in order to be successful again. gm came out of bankruptcy in only 38 days. in that time they closed plants, cut the dealer network and inconvenienced many people. the dealer arrest still fighting the cuts, but hope the consumers come back. >> i think you will see a much more competitive general motors and chrysler for that matter going forward. >> reporter: back in the 1970s, you could go to almost any parking lot in the country and find that three out of every four cars were american made, and most of those cars were gm. back in the day

as abc2 news roosevelt leftwich tells us the owner is getting ready to fight for the king. >> reporter: if your elvis sticks out more than 12 inches from the building you have to put it back inside. statute 32-01 thus so states. that is the problem in anut shell. the elvis was too big for the city to handle or so it would seem. especially since it was out there plain as day for everyone to behold in its elvisness glory. >> it's impeding pedestrian flow. i mean, it was right here, like just -- this. up against the wall. >> reporter: but why after 15 years did elvis have to go? he feels some hound dog didn't like his blue eyes crying in the rain or at least his blue suede shoes. the suspicious minds feel it's someone with a beef who narcked on elvis whose presence is all over the restaurant. a person caught in a trap and can't walk out or can't walk around this icon of canton. >> this points out the hypocrisy of government sometimes to focus and worry with one complaint, we have to take it in, yet we have thousands of signatures. a lot of people in the neighborhood want it back. >> repor

in canton, roosevelt leftwich, abc2 news. >>> 5:50 now. 71 degrees in baltimore. we've got low to mid-70s in all the big cities along the east coast. 60s inland. we had a chance to clear out overnight but the skies erupted in the evening hours. we held off the rain most of the afternoon with the exception of places from anne arundel county to the eastern shore with some really rough weather during the afternoon hours. we had our rain in baltimore north side last night. again, clear to partly cloudy setup. definitely feeling the warm pinching of the humidity and we'll fire up more showers and storms. again, there's one particular computer model indicating the better chance into the mountains but we may have an isolated shower this afternoon. can't rule it out with the heat and humidity. looks like some of the energy could reach us overnights. we may increase our chance of rain tonight through tomorrow morning. and then throughout the day tomorrow good chance of some rain so maybe a slow ride getting to the beaches but we should improve a little over the weekend. th

in baltimore, roosevelt leftwich for "good morning, maryland." >> how about that?>> that's pretty good. >> a.c. milan tends to attract 50 million television viewers worldwide for each game. so if you think, like what is this whole football thing about? the rest of the world is at least excited about it. the 70,000 fans are going downtown. >> i got nothing. i got nothing. i don't get it. i'm not a soccer fan, i'm sorry. i'll watch tonight. >> i'll bet if you went to the game, you would get it because it is exciting. on television, something is lost in translation, but it's cool. >> justin, how about the weather. >> the announcers and the occasional streaker. >> there you go. >>> weather tonight, iffy. remember blake from last night? they were going to the concert in d.c. and they got rain. i thought the rain would be gone by that point. i was able to extend some apologies because of the big storm yesterday in d.c. the atmosphere is primed for one more round today. it's possible that there could be storms this evening. 72 in easton. this was a snapshot from yesterday

in baltimore, roosevelt leftwich, abc2 news. >> one of the most popular races to visit baltimore may return visit. according to the baltimore business journal city and state leaders are thinking about bidding to bring the volvo ocean race back to the region. baltimore would once again be the around the world sailing race, with the stop in maryland and annapolis, national harbor in prince george's county serving as co-host. the race is every three years and usually makes at least one stop in a u.s. port. it would be great if you were here. the last visit was in baltimore in 2006 and 250,000 people flocked to the inner harbor to see the spectacular boats. this year boston hosted the eight-month race. justin? >>> did you notice all the race footage was stormy? lightning, rain, big waves. we hope to have much better weather in safe harbor if that's the case when it comes back to town. this is the time of year when overnight temperatures could stay in the mid-70s. it could be stifling hot. here we are into the 9:00 hour, back to 70 degrees. serious lease, this has been an impressive relie

in baltimore, roosevelt leftwich, abc2 news. >> bge says it has applied for $200 million in federal stimuluso set aid side for -- aside for energy improvements. >>> now to try to save you more money. all of us are usually trying to find ways to cut our cell phone costs and abc2 news carla wohl shows us how to change your cell phone number, the number on your bill that is. >> reporter: it is a necessity in today's connected world. but cell phones can be very expensive. >> about $150 a month. >> reporter: figuring out how to save can be confusing. considering that the four major carriers offer 210 plans. those plans have optional add-on. >> there's about 10 million combinations of adons and plans to come up with. >> reporter: shork created billshrink.com to cut through the confusion. >> either import your bill or manually estimate your usage. >> reporter: the computer does its thing analyzing usage and comparing in this case more than seven million plan combinations, even takes into account signal strength. the result, this customer could save $830 over two years by switching plans. he says mo

in severna park, roosevelt leftwich, abc 2 news. >> and roosevelt tells us several of the large malls in anne arundel county offered no comment about the proposal. >>> tonight baltimore police want to find the man responsible for robbing the bank of america on north charles street near east lexington. that's downtown. it all happened around 11 this morning. police say the dye pack and the bag of money did explode, and they were able to recover all the stolen cash but, they weren't able to nab that robber. >>> new at 5:30 tonight, federal prosecutors have dropped charges against former washington, d.c. mayor marion berry. u.s. park police arrested berry saturday on charges he was stalking his ex-girlfriend, donna rice whitehoff. he says they were on the way to a 4th of july celebration when the ex-girlfriend decided she didn't want to go. the 73-year-old says he should not have been arrested, and that it has caused great pain to his family and to the community. >>> now a look at tonight's top stories. baltimore's police found the man who forced the evacuation of william paca elementary

but as roosevelt leftwich tells us tonight, there are no major layoffs planned for state workers, at least for now. >> there are many things that we are going to have to do. >> you can describe it as cutting the budget with a fine razor instead of a blunt ax. the governor took little bits here and there to cut down the deficit by about $280 million. >> we will, however have, to make cuts that we wish we did not have to make. >> reporter: some departments hit than others, the biggest losers stem cell research, $3 million. higher education more than $40 million. and the maryland lottery promotion budget cut by $5.5 million. 39 people will lose their jobs, and 18 open jobs won't be filled. the state whittled down expenses by decreasing budget and programs to get already budgeted money back into the general fund. every state department was touched, except one, education. >> there one day will be a recovery. and when that recovery comes, our ability to capitalize on that, to compete not only nationally, but globally will depend on the job we do to protect the priority of education in the

i'm roosevelt leftwich. here's what's making news. it will be some time before we learn what caused the helicopter crash that killed four people. cheryl conner joins us after speaking to the chief flight instructor of advanced helicopter concepts. >> reporter: the company insists it met the standards and its pilot was both experienced and cautious. before the helicopter crashed down, witnesses say it caught fire and hit power lines. the company in charge of its upkeep advanced helicopter concepts based in frederick says it recently checked out fine for flying. >> the 100 hour inspection is done every 100 hours of knight. on top of that, we do a 50-hour inspection and every 25 hours the oil's changed. >> reporter: the pilot was 24- year-old jeffrey nordis of column ya the chief flight instructor says he had 630 flight hours but there was more to be said about his decisionmaking. >> the type of pilot he was, he was very cautious, very safe. always reminding his students about weather, about terrain. >> reporter: one of his last decision

in annapolis, roosevelt leftwich, abc 2 news. >> the former owner of the original steak house and sports heater in parkville has apparently gone missing, leaving behind millions of dollars in debts and confused creditors. osama el atari owned four of the restaurants in maryland and virginia. in court documents, banks say he used nonexistent life insurance policies to get millions in loans. creditors say he owes nearly $42 million. el atari failed to show up for a hearing to consider his creditors' petition to force him into bankruptcy. >>> and now for a look at tonight's top stories, a former baltimore city police officer has been charged with attempted murder. police say 59-year-old daniel marshall shot a man during an argument. the sykesville man is charged with attempted first-degree murder, assault, reckless endangerment, and handgun crimes. marshall was a city police officer from 1976 until 1986. he left the force because of an injury. >>> baltimore police have arrested three men in connection with last month's shooting at the 700 club on pulaski highway. but tonight a female suspec

in gambrills, roosevelt leftwich, abc 2 news. >> the dog's owner was not available for comment. >>> now for a look at tonight's top stories, a boy is recovering after getting trapped in a sand hole in ocean city. it happened today near 37th street. ocean city officials say the boy was digging two holes in the sand with other children when they tried to connect the two underground, the sand collapsed, almost suffocating the child. lifeguards worked on the boy. he was taken to an area hospital. >>> investigators say an arsonist is to blame for a three-alarm fire sunday morning. the fire started at the greens on robins way in westminster. authorities say someone spotted a man running from the apartment complex. later, wayne harry doherty was arrested. by coming to the complex, police say doherty violated a protective order filed by his ex-girlfriend. doherty is being held at the county detention center. >>> confirmation hearings for supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor continue today. the nominee vowed not to let her personal views affect how she would rule on cases. sotomayor told a sena

roosevelt leftwich is working this story. >>> are lawmakers nearing a compromise on health care reform? we've got the latest from washington. >>> and a frightening story involving an apparent case of product tampering. the dangerous drugs found in a candy popular with children. norm is all over the forecast, and it's all ahead on anson 2 news at 5:30. see you then. >>> to iowa where a race car driver is recovering after crashing his car. check this out. two cars collided on the track at the knoxville raceway. one car burst into flames. firefighters pulled the driver from the burning car. the firefighters had minor burns. the driver also had some burns to his face and legs, but we're told he is out of the hospital tonight and doing well. >>> what goes up must come down. the boat goes airborne during a race in washington over the weekend, and starts flipping. amazingly, the driver of the boat wasn't seriously hurt. >>> and the traffic jam at a court in phoenix. that's because 3600 people were ordered to show up at the same time. but only about 300 of the people summoned to court actually

and as abc 2 news roosevelt leftwich tells us, lawmakers say concern from the public is what is behinds new look at security. >> reporter: think about the number of times that you go to the store alone because you know that that area is safe. a quick trip to the market, the dry-cleaners, a quick bite at the fast food place. think about the number of times you avoid a place because you feel that it's not safe. >> but there is a concern that exists, and a perception of a concern for safety in going out

in baltimore, roosevelt leftwich, abc 2 news. >> bge says it has applied for $200 million in federal stimulus money set aside for energy improvements. if they get ate share of that cash, the company says the cost to consumers would be even less. >>> now to an abc 2 news update. baltimore county police say the driver in a deadly weekend crash in essex will not be charged. 12-year-old joseph alan hudson was killed when he was hit and killed by a car by a car while crossing north point boulevard. the driver, 18-year-old jameel wilson swerved, hitting other vehicles. police believe the kid crossing the street was at fault. the driver was taken to franklin square with minor injuries. another driver went to shock trauma, also with minor injuries. >>> police in baltimore have got another homicide on their hands. they say a man was shot in the head while he was sitting in a car near the corner of falls and cedar crofton roads. it happen around 5 this morning. still no word on suspects or motive. >>> and now for a look at tonight's top stories. baltimore city police are on the scene as we spe

as roosevelt leftwich tells us, the farm struggling to deal with the devastating turn of events. >> reporteralways been a tough old goat, the first to run after strangers in the yard. but now anna is in pain, her eye swollen after her head was caught in the vice-like jaws of a pit bull. >> i saw the pit bull with anna's face and its mouth flipping anna around like a rag doll. i couldn't believe what i was seeing. >> rt

and as roosevelt leftwich tells us, the city is hoping it will be a start of the comeback for the centuries old building. >> reporter: he definitely doesn't look like a donna. joel has been busy supervising work crews trying to get his family's flower shop, donna's flowers ready this weekend. they're expanding in what they hope will be new territory, even if just a few months. >> tourists, locals who don't visit our shop on maryland avenue would be exposed to us. and of course the tourists with the boat shows. so we thought there were opportunities that we were missing. >> reporter: the city of annapolis regained control of market house two months ago after

roosevelt leftwich, abc 2 news. >>> tonight a gunman is on the loose after a morning murder. it happened around 7:00 this morning at the rainbow view apartments in glen burnie. as police look into this case, abc 2 news joce sterman has more on the lingering questions. >> reporter: anne arundel county police block off the streets and block the view to bystanders, keeping the grisly scene of the morning murder behind a curtain. >> about quarter to 7, i hear a bang, bang, bang. so i was thinking it was fire crackers. >> reporter: instead, police say it was gunfire, shots claim the life of a man witnesses say was brought down as he walked through this wooded path at the rainbow view apartments. >> a male person lying on the ground. >> reporter: nearly seven hours later, it still hasn't been moved as police continue to process the scene and search for evidence. >> they're going to continue to interview witnesses, and the scene is being processed. and the investigation is very active. >> reporter: and it was that police activity that surprised people who live here. >> you get up in