reporting live in downtown baltimore, sherrie johnson, abc2 news. >>> it is 5:46. let's look at some of the other stories we're working on for you this morning. imagine waking up and finding that your property has been vandalized. that's the reality for several people in northwest baltimore this morning. police say cars and homes on bealer avenue became an open target for a 17-year-old around 2:00 this morning. 10 cars vandalized. the boy is in police custody this morning. >>> also this morning, president barack obama actually did bounce the first pitch last night but the ceremonial pitch at the all-star game barely reached the plate. st. louis cardinals star albert pujols helped him out to scoop the toss. last night the president met or adam jones, joe madden, derek jeter and ryan howard before the game in the locker room. the american league took the victory 4-3. >>> as for the game played in two hours and 31 minutes, it came down to the catch from tampa bay's carl crawford. in the eighth after a triple from curtis granderson it turned out that our adam jones sen

sherrie johnson live with the details. >> reporter: good morning. we're on lombard street in downtown baltimore where traffic is starting to pick up just a bit but it will probably get worse before it gets better. that is because the lombard street improvement project begins this morning. crews have already set up barriers and blockades and are directing drivers in the correct lanes they need to be in. you can see with the arrows there. the improvements were actually scheduled to begin in early spring but it was delayed because of the massive watermain break. since then most of the infrastructure repairs have already been completed. now crews can start the next phase and today crews will work on improvements like milling, resurfacing and sidewalk repairs. during the first phase of the project transportation officials expect to keep at least three lanes of traffic open between light and president streets. they also have parking restrictions and extended work hours just to try to help reduce the congestion. if you're headed down here today and you're

sherrie johnson, abc 2 news. >>> 5:47. a warm, humid morning. 73 degrees right now and fairly uniform. some 60s around the area but we're all dealing with some form of cloud cover. showers back to our west. the first round will pass off towards our north and west. we will be watching the clouds build up and the chances increase as the day wears on. this afternoon, showers and thunderstorms erupting. we had a better chance today than yesterday. the storms will actually continue to generate and get even stronger during the evening hours towards our west. looks look a main line of storms pushing through the mountains. not the best traveling days to get away for the weekends into the mountains and out to the beach. even though it does look like part of the evening will be dry across the chesapeake. the one wave watches the showers get through the morning hours. then another round of clouds with the cool air filtering in through the afternoon. tomorrow will be a day with sun in the morning turning partly to mostly cloudy in the

sherrie johnson, abc2 news. >>> 5:32. a health scare for french president nicolas sarkozy after he collapsed during a workout. his security says he fell down while jogging at the palace of versailles near paris yesterday. so far medical tests have shown sarkozy's illness was due to heat and overwork. doctors already sent him home. he's out of the hospital now. >>> in india, a military milestone. the country launched its first locally-built nuclear-powered submarine. that makes india now one of only six countries in the world to design and construct such vehicles. the indian primen prime minister says it means no aggressive plans. >>> james von brunn is expected to be in court later this week. the 89-year-old was supposed to be in court earlier this month but his attorney said he was still recovering from his gunshot wounds and could not leave the hospital. von brunn's court appearance is scheduled for this thursday. >>> baltimore county police have a person in custody this morning in connection with a sunday morning stabb

i'm sherrie johnson. i'll have that story, coming up. it's july 15th, and i'm erika, with a recap of the past 24 hours on royal caribbean's liberty of the seas. debbie from rhode island laced up the gloves in the fitness center. brooke molloy floated with friends through jamaica. late night explorers climbed mountains under the stars. and finally, jose rodriguez rocked the house in the karaoke club. that's the news. i'm erika, cruising with royal caribbean. why aren't you? because at safeway, there's always... freshly picked produce at great prices. it's 100% guaranteed to be fresh and ripe, every time. so hurry in for delicious goodness, all right down the street. that's ingredients for life. that's safeway. right now, get sweet blueberries -- just 99¢ a pint with your club card. safeway just lowered the price of summer. when you first smell the incredible scent of gain laundry detergent, time stops. ( ♪ ) your heart races. ( ♪ ) your eyes close. ( ♪ ) and you realize you're in love... earl! stop your time-wasting. with a laundry deterg

i'm sherrie johnson. i'll have the latest on the search. and seals better. you can even drink water with it on. introducing new crest whitestrips advanced seal. it's an all-new technology... that molds and adheres to your teeth better... ...giving you a dramatically whiter smile. whitening that fits nd eve smile. new crest whitestrips advanced seal. [ elevator bell dings ] od night amerio alarm buzzes ] [ evoreldis, elat bl ngs ] rings ][ stct, go nhtme- [ alarm buzzes, elevator bell dings ] ♪ deitreal fruit d w thore ofhe whole grnsoubody needs. trgrn can help you d w t tt a d.e whole grnsoubody needs. >>> 5:44. an afternoon shooting near the almeida puts a northeast neighborhood on high alert. >> let's get right to abc2 news sherrie johnson. she joins us with this story. >> reporter: a search is underway to find a murderer after a four-hour barricade came up empty. this started 3:00 yesterday in the northeast baltimore. city officers locked down part of the 3000 block of the almeida at east 29th street. looking for the man they say killed another man just

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four people dead, sherrie johnson joins us with the latest. sherrie?porter: megan and jamie, yes, investigators are trying to figure out what caused a plane crash. interstate 70 has reopened to traffic in both directions since that crash. this all happened last night around 10:30 ten miles east of hagerstown in smithsburg. authorities say it was a robinson r44 helicopter. federal aviation administration records list the owner as morrison i've yaption out of wilmington, delaware. investigators are not sure if weather played a role but visibility was limited by the fog. witnesses say the helicopter was flying low when a bright arc of electricity flashed in the air when the aircraft apparently hit a power line. the aircraft did not hit any cars when it smashed into the eastbound lanes of interstate 70. >> there had been some fuel spilled along the interstate and so forth. so initially, the fire department units basically affected -- effected fire suppression to the helicopter along with preventing exposures, fuel spread, or any other hazards associated wi

sherrie johnson is monitoring the developments from the breaking news center and joins us now with more. sherrie? >> reporter: a new general motors is expected to emerge from bankruptcy protection this morning. it took only 40 days to reorganize what was once the world's largest company. general motors is expected to cut jobs, factories and brands. fritz henderson is expected to announce gm would cut another 4,000 white collar jobs as sales aross the industry continue to slide. the problem is, june numbers show consumer spending is down. nearly one in ten americans is without a job, the highest rate in 25 years. some say it may be time for a second government stimulus pack often. nancy pelosi says the first stimulus needs time to work. >> this third quarter is a big quarter for the stimulus. i think people will begin to see more of the results. >> reporter: retailers are looking towards the third quarter worried sales will go down. again, they say the critical back to school season is important. reporting live in the breaking news center, sherrie johnson, abc 2 news. >>> health experts

sherrie johnson live with the latest. what is going on? >> reporter: good morning. new charges have been filed against city councilwoman helen holton, along with a powerful developer who is responsible for developing harbor east where we're standing this morning. the new charges involve developer john paterakis. he's charged with one count of conspiracy to violate campaign finance law. the charges stem from a poll conducted for city councilwoman helen holton. according to the indictment paterakis paid for part of that poll. holton is facing two counts of conspiracy to violate campaign finance loss. she could face a year in prison and a fine on top of each of the counts. ronald lipscomb already pleaded guilty and in doing so court documents showed he implicated john paterakis. in a statement released holton's attorney says he's confident the new charges against her will be dropped as well. a spokesperson for mayor sheila dixon said that she's not going to comment on these new charges. we want to hear what you think about the new indictments. log on to abc2news.com an

sherrie johnson is live with the latest including concerns about public safety. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. yes, in just a few minutes one of the trucks here at the john steadman station and 24 firefighters will not be assigned here any longer. they will be moved to other parts of the city. mayor sheila dixon, she called for budget cuts for nearly every city agency. she believes shutting down truck number 2 saves money and jobs. firefighters hoped federal stimulus money might become available to keep the trucks here but that was not the case. truck 2 responded to more than 3,000 calls last year and last week it was the first truck to put water on the steeple of the historic bethel ame church fire. truck 2 covers the central business district along with surrounding neighborhoods and without it crews at other stations nearby will have to work harder. >> if it takes you a minute longer to get to a call then that's a minute longer where somebody's having difficulty breathing, where somebody's house is on fire. >> reporter: two ambulance crews will actual

sherrie johnson joins with us a look ahead. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. president barack obama is taking aim at republicans while members of his own party bicker among themselves about his health care plan. tonight the president will take the plan to the american people in a primetime news conference. he's trying to inspire lawmakers to pass his plan before they break for the rest of the summer. the plan is expected to top $1.5 trillion. both the democrats' bills in the house and senate would reform insurance to stop denying people with pre-existing medical conditions. and also compete with private-run plan to compete with insurance with lower costs. on capitol hill republicans continue their steady pressure and opposition to the president's plan. >> what we're seeing currently is a bipartisan majority has formed against the current proposal. >> there's about 10 issues that we're concerned with. obviously cost cutting is first on the list. >> i know that there are those in this town who openly declare their intention to block reform. >> reporter: presiden

sherrie johnson has more. >> reporter: good morning. governor martin o'malley asked for it and he got it. today the governor is headed to philadelphia to learn more about federal money baltimore received to keep more police on the streets. the announcement actually will come later this morning from vice president joe biden and attorney general eric holder. with the violent weekend in baltimore where more than 23 people were shot this money could not come at a better time. it's part of the community-oriented policing services program or c.o.p.s. over 7,000 cities applied for it. baltimore is one of over a thousand cities actually selected to receive the money. the obama administration will give out $1 billion in aid to help cities and states keep police on the street during these tough economic times. for every dollar delivered another $7 in requests will unenanswered under the grant program. each state selected is entitled to at least $5 million in c.o.p.s. money. sherrie johnson, abc2 news. >>> police officers could soon have a more ef

sherrie johnson is following this story on the final farewell to the king of pop. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. michael jackson will be laid to rest. his family will say goodbye at a private ceremony at forest lawn cemetery. he will be laid to rest in a specially designed costume. then the world will join jackson's family in a star-studded sendoff at the staples center in los angeles. mariah carey will sing her version of jackson's hit "i'll be there." and the dancers who would have been part of his fiewbl tour will take -- final tour will take the stage. jennifer hudson, lionel richie, usher and others will be there. from the sports world, magic johnson and kobe bryant. not coming, debbie rowe, lisa marie presley and elizabeth taylor. thousands will be there to celebrate the king of pop. >> i was going to go to one of his concerts. i'm going to this. >> reporter: as the world prepares to say goodbye new information about his death surfaced in the investigation, that both of jackson's arms were scarred with track marks consistent with the finding of a po

abc2 news sherrie johnson has more on what is going on in northeast baltimore this morning. >> reporter: yes, this morning baltimore city police are searching for a suspect after a four-hour barricade came up empty yesterday. officers locked down part of the 3,000 block of the almeida at east 29th street in northeast baltimore. they looked for the man they say killed another man just a block away. the murder victim has not yet been identified but police say he was shot several times. police brought in three people for questioning but still came up empty. police, armored vehicles and s.w.a.t. teams filled the area leaving many neighbors confused and upset by the violence. >> ( indiscernible ) >> reporter: the police consider the suspect armed and dangerous. officers say it shouldn't be too long before they bring him to justice. we'll be in touch with officers throughout the morning to bring you the latest information. sherrie johnson, abc2 news. >>> another sign of the tough times -- baltimore city firefighters are appealing for basic items to make their firehouses livable. after a tour

sherrie johnson, abc2 news. >>> 6:34. it's been a year since a government scientist killed himself while being investigated for a deadly anthrax mailing in 2001. now the justice department is on the verge of closing this case. bruce ivins worked as a microbiologist at fortdy trick in -- fort detrick in fredrick county, he killed himself as the fbi closed in on him last summer. officials wanted to close the case last week but government lawyers wanted more time to review the evidence and wanted to decide what could be made public and what couldn't. police say they are confident that ivins acted alone. >>> health officials will gather in maryland today for a summit to discuss the swine flu. they will talk about potential vaccines, new ways to report it and getting ready for an emergency as they get set for the flu season this fall. >>> people selling homes are trying to come up with insevennives for you to buy them. a homeowner in san diego is desperate to sell. buy his house, he'll throw in a $200,000 bentley. the san dieg

sherrie johnson, abc2 news. >>> 5:33. a warning to keep your valuables out of your vehicle or get them secured and out of sight. police in anne arundel county say there have been at least 10 car break-ins thursday alone in severna park and arnold. here's a look at the two men police are calling suspects in the crimes. they say the men either broke out the windows or gointo unlocked cars and sold gps units, cell phones, chargers, credit cards which they use. so if you have any information call metro crime stoppers at 1-866-7-lockup. >>> a new study suggests that texting while driving increases the risk of a crash. much more than previous studies have found. researchers at virginia tech say drivers who text take their eyes off the road longer than they do when talking or listening on cell phones. also, when drivers of heavy trucks text their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting. >>> baltimore city developing a citywide strats gee to reduce -- strategy to reduce teen pregnancy. according to officials the

sherrie johnson's been live on the story since this started. sherrie?porter: baltimore county police are searching for at least two suspects at this hour after a liquor store owner was shot and killed here. it happened just after 9:00 at the putty hill liquor store in the 7900 block of bel air road in nottingham. now, mees tell us that the store owner was shot and killed during a robbery. the store owner was a man believed to be in his 40s. police searched the area for much of the night looking for clues, anything to help in his investigation. >> we believe we may have two suspects that we're looking for. we don't have anything we can release to the public yet because we're trying to verify a lot of information. right now, everything is preliminary in nature. >> reporter: here at the putty hill shopping center, you can see there are security cameras. police hope that these cameras will prove to be helpful in the murder investigation. now, we are also told that the store owner who bought this store about ten years ago leaves behind a wife and three child

abc2 news sherrie johnson has more on the big debate. >> reporter: president barack obama says healthare reform has been talked to deadged it's time for action. he says out-of-pocket costs for americans are spiraling while health insurance companies have reaped record profits. he also says families are spending more for less care. the president issued his first health care related veto threat and warned he will not sign a bill that taxes health care benefits. the push for health care may have caused his approval rating to slip but it's not dlipped below republicans. according to the latest abc news/"washington post" survey, approval on how he's handling key issues has dropped. >> the more people learn about it, everybody knows an awful lot about health care and they codo want change but are worried about the costs and worried whether they will have to give up what they have. >> reporter: president obama will hold a primetime news conference wednesday night hoping to sell his program to the nation. you can watch it here on abc2 news starting at 8:00. >>> preparations are still being ma

i'm sherrie johnson, i'll have the latest on this case. >>> good morning to you. jamie costello. megan is taking this day off. this is thursday, july 23rd. in the news, you watched him last night. the president spoke to you last night about your pocketbook and your health. did he win you over? we will find out. >>> from tickets to paperless, to this. wait until you see now how you can get on to a plane. >>> and that's the way it was. the most trusted man in america is laid to rest today. all that and more coming up in the next half-hour. right up to dpiewm time at 7:00. >>> here's your forecast with justin berk. >> good morning. 6:29. works out so well when we can make a promise and come through on it. as we've been watching for the last hour and a half, maryland's most powerful doppler radar getting very active. this is southern maryland. cambridge, up towards easton, hefty rains and yes it extends up the bay now. shady side about to get it. we've got a little shower popping in annapolis. even around the bay bridge near kent island. so we've got some rain to deal

sherrie johnson has that story.and more in 16 -- on "good morning maryland." >>> rain rolling in across the eastern shore. cambridge over towards easton, looks like parts of caroline county still getting fresh lightning strikes. you'll see that one there. another one pushing through, at least just south of caroline county and the corner. we're watching cambridge and looks like st. michaels crossing the bay bridge, on in through anne arundel county, pushing through shady side, headed up by annapolis and though the rain is not here yet in the baltimore area the wider view indicates it's rolling from south-to-north. we've been watching this satellite imagery because this system that is sitting off the coast and pumping in this tropical feed does what v a tropical connection. it looks like it's trying to get organized in a hurry. we'll continue to watch this as it rolls up the coast with a tropical-like environment today. very, very moist. periods of locally heavy rain. even thunder and lightning mixed in. our two-degre

i'm sherrie johnson, that story is coming up. ♪ the art of getting dirty. the art of getting clean.ew powerfully formulated wisk®... is better on tough mud stains than tide total care. wisk®. powerfully clean. perfectly priced. ( music throughout ) hey bets, can i borrow a quarter? sure, still not dry? i'm trying to shrink them. i lost weight and now some clothes are too big. how did you do it? simple stuff. eating right and i switched to whole grain. whole grain... studies show that people who eat more whole grain tend to have a healthier body weight. multigrain cheerios has five whole grains... and 110 calories per lightly sweetened serving. more grains. less you. multigrain cheerios. into to the latest on the light rail accident that killed two people two weeks ago. police say they are trying to find a potential witness who could help baltimore county police. abc2 news sherrie johnson now with the story. >> reporter: baltimore county police continue to search for answers after a light rail train hit and killed two teenagers. now police may have a new lead. they are searching for

reporting live in downtown baltimore, sherrie johnson, abc2 news. >>> 5:05.e, saving money is in, losing it is out. the latest bankruptcy brands we've come to love but are fading into the zarkness. >>> and we're working to save you money on your medical care. which appointments to skip, which ones are a definite must? >>> and it's been so nice this week. 65 degrees now. we'll find out what happens for the rest of the day. but in the meantime we see how your morning commute is moving along. >> reporter: good morning. the commute is a good one out there if your ride is on light rail or the metro subway, both on time. out there on the buses look for the number 3 bus, to be about 15 minutes late. 17 diverted at nursery and winterston, construction there, and 22, at university and 41st, a diversion there because of watermain break repair. a dull metal clanking sound. bear groans. ♪ ominous music ferocious growling. roaaaaaarrrrrrr!!!! ♪ whistling bluegrass tune but i've got a warm, fresh baked strawber toaster strudel. see the difference? mmmm. i do. (announcer) p

i'm sherrie johnson.show what you it means for his approval rating. 24 hous on royal caribbean's liberty of the seas. stingrays in the caymans gave the murrays a honeymoon to remember. ulrich from germany kissed a dolphin, right on the lips. back on the ship, the afternoon bridge action was almost non-stop. and finally, an ice cream cone was rescued... on deck 11. that's the news. i'm julio perez cruising with royal caribbean. why aren't you? but i've got a warm, fresh baked strawber toaster strudel. see the difference? mmmm. i do. (announcer) pillsbury toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat. kids are hungry after school. that's why i always have totino's pizza rolls. big pizza taste. in a bite size roll. kids can't resist their delicious pizza flavor. totino's pizza rolls. the pizza way to snack. >>> everyone is talking about health care. >> president barack obama's system appears to be losing ground on capitol hill. sherrie johnson is here to explain how this will affect you. >> reporter: president b

i'm sherrie johnson, i'll have that story coming up.

i'm sherrie johnson. i'll have that story, next. fios guy! where ya headed?h, just installed fios in the whole building. now everyone has the fastest upload speeds. and we're giving them a mini netbook. well, i'm sticking with cable. he's just goofing. (voice) no i'm not! (sighing) ted has betrayed me. (announcer) switch to verizon fios tv, phone and internet today and get an ultra-sleek compaq mini netbook. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v >>> good thursday morning. i'm megan pringle. here are the top stories we're working on -- baltimore's mayor walks with residents, part of a long journey to take back their streets. >>> fire rips through a pikesville landmark. we're going to tell you about what is ahead for suburban house. >>> and nasa starts another countdown for the space shuttle endeavour. all those stories and a lot more just ahead. thank you so much for joining us. what do you say we look at your weather? here's meteorologist justin berk. >> 6:44. this morning's low, we drop back to 58 degrees. 54 was the r

i'm sherrie johnson, i'll have that story, coming up. >>> welcome back.n tuesday, june 25th the world was shocked to learn that pop star michael jackson had died and today the world will say goodbye this. is a live picture of the staples center in downtown los angeles. trucks starting to pull up when we checked in earlier, about 45 minutes ago. it was empty so people will certainly be converging on that scene. it will be a mob scene today. we're going to send it over to abc2 news sherrie johnson, following this story today. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. today's memorial service for michael jackson will read like a who's who list, a star-studded tribute planned for the king of pop at the staples center in los angeles. the dancers from jackson's final tour will perform. musicians mariah carey, beyonce, smoky robinson, jennifer hudson, lionel richie, usher and stevie wonder will also perform. from the sports world, magic johnson and kobe bryant. diana ross is a maybe and former girlfriend brooke shields is a yes. all the jackson family is expected

i'm sherrie johnson. i'll show you what that means for his approval rating. [ alarm buzzes ] [ elevator bell dings, telephone rings ] [ indistinct conversations ]

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i'm sherrie johnson, that story coming up.t's july 16th, and i'm julio perez with a look at the past 24 hours on royal caribbean's liberty of the seas. stingrays in the caymans gave the murrays a honeymoon to remember. ulrich from germany kissed a dolphin, right on the lips. back on the ship, the afternoon bridge action was almost non-stop. and finally, an ice cream cone was rescued... on deck 11. that's the news. i'm julio perez cruising with royal caribbean. why aren't you? >>> good morning. i'm jamie costello. >> i'm megan pringle. thank you for joining us. it's wednesday, july 29th. probably going to be another hot day. we'll check with justin in a moment. first, the stories we're working on this morning. >>> there's already a beefed-up police presence following the bloodshed in east baltimore and many more officers on the way. courtesy of washington. >>> and, a big name in baltimore business now linked to the ongoing investigation of a city councilwoman. >>> the victim of nd

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sherrie johnson -- indicted again.ie johnson has that story of the day. >> reporter: one of the baltimore's most influential businessman facing criminal charges against city councilwoman helen holton the indictments come two months after similar charges against helen holton were dismissed. john paterakis owner of h & s bakeries and developer of harbor east. the state prosecutor says he gave helen holton $6,000 to help pay for a political pull. earlier this year holton was indicted on charges of bribery and perjury. a judge dismissed those charges back in may and this time the charges that she violated campaign finance laws. here's what she had to say back in may after the initial indictments were dropped. why i am thankful for this day, that i'm that much closer to the restoration of my good name. and the work that i've done in serving the city. >> reporter: helen holton's attorney released a statement saying that in part miss holton is innocent, there was no conspiracy and she's confident this charge will meet the sam

abc2 news sherrie johnson joins us now with the details. >> reporter: some journalism students at morgan state university are talking about allegations of misused funds, a violation of first amendment rights and wrongful firing. after six years as morgan's media adviser denise brown was fired last month. she says the termination is linked to series of articles and opinion pieces published in the school newspaper in february. student reporters allege funds were taken from the student government association budget. letters prove the administration wanted to meet with the students individually to examine their evidence. in june brown was told her contract would not be renewed until the matter was renewed. one week later she was fired. brown is now seeking legal action. >> just the fact that you want to meet with them by themselves speaks, or suggests intimcation and so therefore, once you have me out of the way you'll try to speak to those students. >> we feel as if it is our duty to be able to notify the students of what is going on with their money. >> reporter: a school spokesperson says

sherrie johnson is here with a look at gm and the economy. cirie? reporter: a new general motors is hours away from exiting bankruptcy this morning 40 days after entering into it. gm was once one of the biggest auto companies in the world. now they are continuing to downsize. they are expected to cut jobs, factories and brands. the ceo could announce 4,000 more cuts as sale as cross the industry continue to slide. >> really, the story is for consumers. if you are thinking of buying a new car, now is really a good time to take a look. >> reporter: coming up at 6:00, we'll hear more what experts have to say about the economy and another stimulus package. sherrie johnson, abc 2 news. >>> all right. tack a look outside right now. the very, very pleasant start to the day and continuing our trend with below normal temperatures. you want to find heat, we'll crank it up over the weekend but nothing oppressive. we are looking outside at basically clear skies this morning. a little cluster of showers falling apart east of the mountains and through central vir

sherrie johnson, abc2 news. >>> parents, if you have a teething child there's an important recall to tell you about. martins food markets and giant food stores have removed all varieties of cottontail teethers from their stores. they are being recalled because there's a gel in them and it may be contaminated with bacteria. this is serious. the recalled products include cottontail's ice gel teether keys and cottontail's fun pals teether. the bacteria can cause stomach pains, vomiting and diarrhea in children with weakened immune systems. if you have one, throw it out immediately. take the receipt to the store for a full refund. >>> the head of the consumer product safety commission says manufacturers must comply with new rules aimed at keeps children's products safe or face the potential of big-time fines. cpsc head eye nez 10en balm says her agency will get new tools next month and plans to use them to protect consumers, especially children. in august the maximum penalty the agency could impose for violations increases significantly from $1.8 million up to $15 million. >>> and let's

abc2 news sherrie johnson joins us now with the details and what is scheduled to happen in less than two hours. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. yes, in about an hour and a half john steadman station in downtown baltimore will not be the same. one of the trucks at this station and 24 firefighters will be relocated to another area of the city. baltimore city mayor sheila dixon called for budget cuts in almost every city agency. she believes shutting down truck 2 saves money and jobs. firefighters had hoped federal stimulus money might become available to keep the trucks here but that wasn't the case. truck 2 responded to more than 3,000 calls last year and just last week it was the first truck to put water on the steeple of the historic bethel ame church fire. truck 2 covers the central business district along with surrounding neighborhoods and without it crews at other stations nearby will have to work harder and some firefighters say it could affect public safety. >> if it takes you a minute longer to get to a call than thets a minute -- that's a minute longer where someone

i'm sherrie johnson. i'll have that story coming up. q they have alzheimer's and heart disease, diabetes and cancer, and they've heard that biomedical research offers hope -- that it could control, maybe even cure, their disease. senator barbara mikulski understands the importance of innovative biomedical research for patients, their families, and our economy here in maryland. call senator mikulski today. tell her thanks for protecting the promise of biomedical research and the maryland jobs it provides. it's not just the future. it's life. >>> 6:44. good morning. i'm jamie costello. >> i'm megan pringle. thursday, july 30th. it will be steamy out there but before we get to the weather let's look at the top stories. >>> crime and property taxes. they should be the mayor's focus but new accusations may have her a little distracted. we'll find out. >>> she was in charge of the school newspaper and now she's at the center of a controversial first amendment debate. >>> might quench your thirst but will it co

i'm sherrie johnson. i'll have that story, next. o ready. aim. protect.eosporin® gives you infection-protection, and pain relief. neo to go!® plus pain relief. every cut. every time. everywhere. only band-aid® brand plus antibiotic waterproof... has antibiotic ointment directly on the pad. and now it's 100% waterproof. one-step infection protection from the brand you trust. >>> welcome back to "good morning maryland." baltimore city police are investigating a shooting that left an 18-year-old man clinging to life. sources tell our forecast photographer pete "on the street" o'neal shots were fired before midnight on wilson and division streets. the unidentified man was taken to shock trauma. no word on his condition. >>> 1:00 this morning, police in southeast baltimore were at this seen of a double shooting. sources tell abc2 news the 20-year-old man was hit in the leg, a 25-year-old man shot in the head and chest no word on their conditions and right now police in this case are looking for a suspect and a motive. >>> these types of shootings, we hear abou

sherrie johnson, abc 2 news. >>> here's a look at some of the other stories abc 2 news is working on for you this morning. police have a husband and wife team accused of a string of burglaries. jerome herron and his wife tina charged with up to 20 burglaries in carroll county in that area. police have recovered important stolen items including money issued by several foreign countries. if you think you could be a victim of this crime spree, call the westminster barracks. here's the number, 410-386- 3000. >>> let's go to cecil county where an elkton man is in jail, arrested a second time now. charles samuel hall, police say, broke into several homes in chesapeake city and elkton. authorities don't think he acted alone. he allegedly made off with more than $14,000 in stolen items. police say he's admitted to an addiction to painkillers. so that may have been a motive. >>> two of the best soccer teams in the world will take to the field in baltimore tonight. chelsea and a.c. milan were supposed to practice on the field at m & t bank stadium but doggone weather, justin. they wanted to se

sherrie johnson live downtown with more details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. yes, if you normally travel downtown during your morning commute, preferably on lombard street you might want a different route. today kicks off the lombard street improvement project and crews already blocked off several lanes to start working on it. the improvements were scheduled to begin in early spring with -- but it was delayed because of a massive watermain break. since then most of the infrastructure repairs have been completed, now crews can start the next phase and today they will work on improvements like milling, resurfacing and sidewalk repairs. the project that transportation officials expect to keep at least three lanes of traffic open between light and president street. they will have parking restrictions and extended work hours that will be used to help reduce some of the congestion. right now it seems things are smooth here, not too many problems to report now but later on today you want to be patient because there could be more delays. this project is expected to be

sherrie johnson, abc2 news. >>> tough story to tell you about. relatives remember a mother of two shot and killed this past weekend. last night hundreds of family members and friends gathered in the parking lot of the clubhouse bar in baltimore to say goodbye to shonte ellis who was shot while sitting in the driver's seat of her parked car. witnesses say she was texting when the gunman walked up, opened the door, shot her over and over again. she leaves behind a 3-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son. >> he say grandma, they didn't have to do this to my mother. they could have put her in the hospital for a couple of days but they didn't have to kill her! >> whoever, did not have to shoot her 10 times in the chest because i could never imagine in my wildest dreams what could she have done so wrong they never even gave her a chance. >> this morning police are still looking for the gunman. >>> co-workers of a taxi driver killed in a crash in north baltimore are starting a fund to help out his family. longtime cab driver harvey braggs killed sunday

sherrie johnson's live. what have you learned? >> reporter: so far we have learned this morning, baltimore county police are searching for at least one suspect after a liquor store owner was shot and killed right here. that shooting happened last night at the putty hill liquor store locate in the 7900 block of bel air road. police tell us the store owner was shot and killed during a robbery. the store owner was an adult male believed to be in his 40s, and he was shot in the head. police searched the area for much of the night looking for clues, anything to help this this investigation. >> we believe we may have two suspects that we're looking for. we don't have anything to release to the public yet because we're trying to verify a lot of information to talk to witnesses inside or outside of the store. right now, everything is very preliminary in nature. >> reporter: now, we are told that the store owner owned the store for about ten years and leaves behind a wife and three children. sherrie johnson, abc 2 news. >>> now to a story

sherrie johnson tells us what is on tap. >> reporter: it's called a peace offering between a harvard professor and police officer who arrested him. this meeting will be moderated by president barack obama over beers at a picnic table behind the white house. it's the follow-up to the president injecting himself into the middle of an arrest in cambridge, massachusetts. president obama's friend, a black professor at harvard, was arrested by a well regarded white police officer. the white house hopes a few cold beers calm what became a heated racial disagreement. dr. henry gates jr. was arrested two weeks ago at his home. gates forced his way in the home when a lock jammed. a nearby woman called 911 concerned about a possible break-in. sergeant james crowley arrived at gates' home, arrested him for disorderly conduct. that charge was dropped but tensions escalated over whether crowley treated gates differently because he was black. obama weighed in and said the police acted stupidly. he then requested the men drink over beers. which beers will they drink? gates likes red stripes, obama l

i'm sherrie johnson, that story is coming up.nnouncer: 93% of those who tried activia would recommend it. jillian, you had occasional irregularity... i know that you were just living with it. that was my normal. i thought that was normal. what changed? i saw activia in my mom's fridge, tried it for a couple of weeks. and it's liberating. hummm. announcer: activia is clinically proven to help regulate your digestive system in two weeks when eaten every day. ♪ activia and now try a delicious blend of cereal, fiber and activia yogurt. new activia fiber. >>> just before 6:30 on a tuesday morning. here are some of the stories we're working on. l.a. police are hoping to avoid a mob scene before and during today's public memorial for michael jackson. >>> president barack obama meets with the man who is considered really in charge in russia. >>> and, a wrong-way crash in north baltimore overnight, neighbors say it might have been prevented with a simple fix by the city. >>> good morning, thank you for joining us, i'm megan pringle. these

sherrie johnson, abc2 news. >>> 5:02.ozens of people turned out in east baltimore to remember a mother of two who police say was shot 10 times over the weekend. last night hundreds of family members and friends gathered in the parking lot of czech -- clubhouse bar on erdman avenue. relatives tell us shonte's ellis was shot 10 times. relatives say she was texting when a gunman walked up to her car and shot her 10 times. she leaves behind adar and 12 -- daughter and 12-year-old son. the son says why did they have to kill her. >> the guardian angels attended to the vigil and says it's up to the community to help stop the violence. police are looking for the gunman. >>> a cab driver killed on sunday night. harvey braggs was killed when witnesses say he was making a u turn. he was hit by another car. he died on impact. >> it's hard to believe. it's a shock for the company, the whole company, entire company. we have a big shock. >> right now police are not commenting on the crash since the investigation continues but we'll keep

sherrie johnson is live in downtown with more. >> reporter: good morning. if you normally travel downtown on lombard street for your morning commute you may want an alternate this morning. today starts the new improvement project. you can see that crews are already set up. they blocked off several lanes to start that project. the improvements were scheduled to begin in early spring but it was delayed because of the massive watermain break. since then most of the infrastructure repairs have been completed. now crews can start the next phase and today crews will work on improvements like milling, resurfacing and sidewalk repairs. during the first phase of the project transportation officials expect to keep at least three lanes of traffic open between light street and president street. parking restrictions and extended work hours will be used to try to cut down on some congestion. drivers, expect some delays, be patient if you're traveling in this area. reporting live in downtown baltimore, sherrie johnson, abc2 news. >>> 5:01. imagine waking up and finding yo

sherrie johnson, abc2 news. >>> 5:21. the nation, investigators trying to pull together clues after another college campus shooting. this one in houston. six people were shot and wounded at a community rally on the texas southern university campus in houston. it happened shortly before midnight. they are being treated for serious but nonlife-threatening injuries. police believe it was gang-related. no arrests have been made in this case. >>> a suburban boston police sergeant accused of racism after he arrested renowned black scholar henry louis gates jr. at home insists he's not going to apologize. the charges against gates were dropped earlier this week. >>> let's >> to oklahoma. a highway patrol trooper caught on video fighting with an ambulance driver he pulled over has been suspended for five days. video shows martin grabbing a paramedic, pulling him and putting him in a chokehold. you've seen this before. >>> and sad news, gidget, the chihuahua, the bug-eyed big-eared star of the 1990s taco bell commercials has died.