he's expected to be in curbing, oklahoma. >> and stephanie rawlings-blake wants to protect immigrants from discrimination. today the mayor and other city officials will meet with officials to address questions and look at new protections. >> the maryland historical society will host a reception to celebrate maryland day with focus on william donald schaefer. freception is today and it will focus on dog tags and a swim suit he wore. >> lawmakers will examine technologies used for payments. they want to consider changes in mobile payments that have become more widely available. >> the shooting death of a teen in florida heating up. charges still haven't been filed. a series of rallies are now taking place in honor of trayvon martin. >> sherrie johnson has the latest now. i understand it appears the case is getting close to going straight to the desk of tallahassee's police chief? >> reporter: that's right tonight a rally at 7:00 p.m. for trayyvon martin. in the city of sanford city commissioners passed a no confidence vote in their police chief over his handling of the teen's death. geo

streets.mayor stephanie rawlings blake spent the morning at rederick douglas high school where he kickedrevention week. it tries to provide positiveeways young people can make a difference with one man who sayy programs like "safe streets"" helped him turn his life around... and he wants the same for others. "how i get by is helping other people through there probems probems"thats whaa helps me and this day aad time for youth and prevention week, thht's priceless money cant buy that" there are more than 70 yooth violence prevention activities week. for a complete list and to find oot how you can participate, go to our websste foxbaltimore dot com. today.../// loved ones.../ gathered ...to say goodbye .../ to... a maryland.../ nat'l... guardsman.../ ákilledá... in . afghanissan. they... at... the trinity assembly of god.../ in... lutherville.../ áápayingáá respects... to... army major.../ robert.../ mar-- chanti.../// ááaáá former ...baltimore county .../ teacher .../ áákilledáá last month.../ when... the afghan.../ interior ministry.../ was... atttcked...//. ááhisáá children... remember

." >> baltimore mayor stephanie rawlings blake has issued an executive order to make sure that victims and witnesses deals they've talking to police regardless of immigration status. barry simms as live downtown with more details. >> this is all about dignity and respect. she wants to make sure that everyone can come forward and feel like they can talk to police and tell them what has happened. >> it's just a clarification of our current policy, not to inquire about the citizenship of individuals, particularly of those calling for help. >> baltimore mayor stephanie rawlings blake hopes to reduce fear. she says the immigration debate nationally has caused her concern and she tries to help baltimore grow and become a welcoming place. she wants to insure everyone feels they when talking to police. >> because of the national immigration debate, we do not want to create a class or a group of people who feel victimized without a hope for opportunity or any recourse. >> speaking through an interpreter, he says he welcomes the mayor's stance. >> i feel happy because now, when i talk to the pol

stephanie rawlings-blake wants to reduce it by 20 cents by 2020. she believes it will help meet her goal of attracting 10,000 families in 10 years. >> this is the beginning, not the end. every penny makes us more competitive. i'm going to work to continue that trend. >> the president introduced a measure monday night. he is confident the city can make up for the rot -- lost revenue. >> when you go to atlantic city, it is all maryland tax. we want to keep that in baltimore. >> you think it is a safe bet. >> the savings would be small at first. someone who owns a home was save an average of $50. and then it would drop to under $44. by 2020, $500. some question whether scaling back the taxes enough to reverse years of population decline fueled by crime and the schools. >> the city has acquired a reputation. while 20 cents a is a good start, it may not be enough to overcome some of the images the city has gathered over the last decade. >> the mayor says the city cannot afford to offer a more drastic cut without slashing services like public safety and

. >> in the struggle for safer communities, stephanie rawlings blake signed an executive order she says is designed to protect witnesses and crimes regardless of their immigration status. barry simms is live at city hall with more. >> the man wants to make sure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect. the mayor wants them to feel safe regardless of their immigration status. >> we want to make sure that they know the police was there to protect everyone. >> baltimore mayor stephanie rawlings blake hopes to reduce fear. >> it's a clarification of our current policy to inquire -- not inquire of the citizenship of the people asking for our help. >> she is trying to help baltimore be a welcoming place and wants to ensure that everyone feels safe in talking to police. speaking to an interpreter, he says that he welcomes the mayor's stance. >> before, when you were a victim of a crime, you were obviously injured on the part. but you were also scared of the police. it is like you were caught in the middle because you were scared of calling the police. now i feel more confident. >> the

. >> reporter: mayor stephanie rawlings-blake does not support the moratorium idea for fear the city'sbond rating could be downgraded if it is unable to collect money it's owed. the council president says he will introduce the moratorium bill at next monday's council meeting. >>> now the delegates will be working on the state's $35 billion budget today. they are scheduled to have two sessions to consider amendments to the budget measures. one is a scaled back version of the tax increase already approved by the state senate. the other would phase in a split of teacher pension costs in three years instead of four. the house is aiming to finish with the budget this week. >>> the maryland comptroller pete "on the -- peter franchot will tour schools to assess needs and discuss future renovations. franchot will also meet with the superintendent william hite. today's visit is 10:00 this morning. >>> today is maryland day, to celebrate the holiday the maryland historical society is honoring the late governor william donald schaefer. a reception tonight will have an exhibit of memorabilia inclu

la alcaldesa de baltimore stephanie rawlings-blake cumplio la promesa que hizo antes de ser elegida: firmar una orden ejecutiva que le prohibe a la policia verificar el estatus migratorio de quienes detengan.... "es un paso proactivo. la alcaldesa esta haciendo algo antes de que haya un problema y eso para mi muestra un liderazgo de su parte." esta nueva medida se da una semana despues de la implementacion del controversial programa mandatorio federal de huellas digitales en las carceles conocido como comunidades seguras.... y tiene como objetivo asegurar que inmigrantes se sientan a salvo al reportar cualquier tipo de crimen en su comunidad.... "ahora se van a sentir mas seguros al llamar a la policia y van a tener mas confianza..." cadoa alcaa ac que sden utiva buscproteg ca victim ytigos de las seraatados connidad todos juridicciones sigan el ejemplo ... organizaciones continuan recomendando: no manejar ebrio, no manejar sin licencia de conducir y en general, evitar ser arrestado...baltimore maryland claudia uce nueva york y chicago resaltan la importancia d pizarro nos cua mas..

stephanie rawlings-blake visited a school yesterday that has seen dramatic results. >> he made a storyfor each boy and girl. >> 5-year-old briana loves reading in mrs. jones' kinder garten class. in fact, all the kids do. and they know why reading is so important. and the kindergarteners are sponsoring a pilot program called "raising a reader." it encourages kids to read at school and at home. it dramatically improves comprehension. >> every week they get four books to take home. they bring them back friday and they get four new books. >> with this program students are introduced to -- some ever them can pick up books. we're at second grade level, and they are able to pick them up, read them fluently and comprehend the story. they get it. >> when my son comes home from school, he'll say, mommy, i know "we." i know this word, i know this word. it is wonderful. >> stephanie rawlings-blake is impressed with what she is seeing so far from the program that's now impacting about 1,000 city students. she said it goes straight to the heart about getting kids excited about learning. >> it is so

./ stephanie... rawlings-blake.../ ives...// an.../ person's .../ c/ citizenship.../// the ...// order .../// áábarsáá.../ the... use of... city funds .../ to... investigate.../ ááor áá.. question people.../ suspected...// of... violating.../ fedeeal... immigration.../ laws.../// . ááunlessáá .../ or.../ u.s.... government....//// government....////ááthisáá... comes.../// ays..../ announced plans.../ - to... implement...// the.../ "secure pommunities"./..// program...//// in... baltimore,.../ ááwhicháá identifiis... illegals.../ in... jail...// áábyáá... fingerprints.../ to... áfederalá.../ records....//// srb: it's just a calirification of our current policy which is not to inquire baout the citizenship of individuals, especially those who are calling ffr help. ww want them to know the police is there to protect and serve everyone in our city. secure ccmmunities.../ is... used.../ nearly... everywhere...// in maryland .../ ááandááá 41... otherrstates. the drrver of baltimore's school superintendent makes &pmayor! that according to a

46- thouuand doolars to deal with landmarks like the historic shot tower downtown.mayor stephanie rawlings-blake says many landmarks need repairs that could come from private money. 3&bungee jumping is scary enough.... but imagine doing it this way.a woman in a wheelchari is hoiseted over the railing of a bridge in paraplegic... but always dreamed of aking the dive.a group called " 9 lives advvntures" made it possible. the organization helps people with limited mooility participate n advenurous activities. a nee clue that could llad to prostaglandin called p-g-d-2 is more plentiful in the bald areas of the head. doctors think if they can find a way to a receptor on the hair ing - follicle... they could stop baldness. it's a little more than just plugging them in and turning them on. every week at maryland's newest casino at aaundel mills. joel d. smith is live there now to show us for the first time, how much wook is left before "maryland live" good morning joel d. . 15 hundred job seekers as they await the official ng opening of this place patrice. and wwat do you need for a gambling mecca like

mayor stephanie rawlings-blake visited schools with dramatic results. jennifer franciotti has more. >> he made one for each boy and girl. they made up their own stores. >> she loves reading in the kindergarten class. all the kids do. they know why reading is so important. are readingartners all kinds of news stories thanks to a pilot program called raising a reader. it is a national program encouraging. kids to read at home and school. teachers say it is dramatically improving fluency and comprehension. >> the students select books. they get books to take home. they bring them back every friday. they get four new books. >> students are introduced to books that would not have access to. >> we are at second grade level. they're able to read them fluently. they're able to comprehend the stories. they get it. >> when my son comes home from school, he says i know this word and this word. it is wonderful. >> we're going to catch a big one. >> mayor stephanie rawlings- blake is impressed with what she has seen from the program now impacting about 1000 city stu

that is the focus of an executive order that mayor stephanie rawlings blake discussed with may -- which members of the latino community. -- with members of the latino community. police cannot question people about suspected violations of immigration law. >> police are not going to be asking citizens or residents about their immigration status. >> they took the opportunity to express their fears. it is spring, but it feels a lot more like some around town. we give you a live look down down with the sky cam. meteorologist john collins is standing by with a quick look at your weekend. >> in july or august, it would not be called heat. we are in a sweet spot. there is a big storm to the west of us. you can see it on the left side of the screen. that will not be an issue. that is something for our weekend. there is also a little front. you see this band of clouds to the north of us. we are squeezed between these two weather features. we have some nice temperatures already. they will keep going up. we will see if we can break a record. more on the insta-weather forecast coming up. >> susan al

yyar.mayor stephanie rawlings-blake hopes to improve schools and lower property taxes beginning withhas to cut spending to a close a 48-million dollar budget gap. as a result ... more than 2-hundred-30 positions will be cut.one of the deepest cuts to close three stations next year. < "we're fully funding ems and 80 percent of the calls that come into the fire dept. and change there.""and with the no resources bbing cut, it makes our job harder,,i don't care who says what - it makes our job a hell of a lot harder."> harder."> the mayor has not saii whicc stations she plans to close. a plan to explore the sale or re-development of 15 baltimore landmarks... wins approval by the city board of estimates. estimates.oo wednesday... the board voted to spend 46- thousand dollars to deal with landmarks like the historic shot towee downtown.mayor stephanie rawlings-blake says maay landmarks need repairs private money. - two baltimore city council membbrs are calling for a moratorium on putting unpaid water and sewer bills. bills. the resolution was prompted by an audit shows thousands off house

mayor stephanie rawlings blake told 11 news that she is not swayed by the employment numbers and thinks things will improve in 2012. >> overall, the message is positive. we are working hard. the city is weathering the great recession storm well. >> as far as those employment numbers, baltimore actually did a lot better than some other cities around the country including san francisco, denver, san diego and phoenix. coming up, we will have economists look at the report and get their opinion on the numbers. >> thank you. if you have to fill up your gas tank tonight you are probably not going to like what you see. >> i did, and i did not. gas prices have jumped as much as $0.10 in some locations, but when station is offering $0.30 of a gallon. where you need to go, coming up. >> also, a laundry list of grocers refusing to sell pinks line. >> and we will tell you why someone keeps sending pictures of their uterus to congress. of their uterus to congress. >> going once, going twice, sold. shoppers are taking advantage of the u.s. marshals office auction of cars seized during the past year. t

./ stephanie rawlings-blake.../ met... with police.../ and...ttccts. cutt.she.../ unveiled... her ssending plan.../ weenesday.../ ,áádesigendáá to.,.. close a .../ 48... budgee gap....//// - gap....///áátheáá ppann.. would consolldate.... baltimore's... emergency call .../ centees..../// ááandáá lose... 3.... fire stationn.../// staaions...//. áátheáá mayor says... ambulance service.../ wont &paffected,.../ áábutáá union could.../ - two baltimore city council members are calling for a moratorium on putting people out of theii homes for unpaii water and sewer blls.... the resolutionnwas prompted by an audit that shows tens of thousands offhooseholds in baltimore city and counny received faulty or estimated now.....more than 23-hundred are homes eliiibleefor tax sale...council president jack younn and councilman carl stokes are seeking a properties due to unppid ater &pbillssuntil the ciiy can demonstrate it has an accuratt billing system... crisis......tax sales.....a - sales..... spokesperson says....thh city is working to fix the 2-year morator

. >> reporter: mayor stephanie rawlings-blake awaits the results of an intense investigation into the officer's actions. his name, not being released but he has been suspended. sources say he was in a relationship with a relative of one of the juvenile suspects. >> i can't comment on the case. but i think it is important for everybody to know that i expect our officers to perform their duty with integrity and in accordance with the law at all times. >> reporter: while this continues, so does the grieving process at the middle school where monet was responsible to make the announcements. >> every morning, you would hear, good morning, march middle, this is monet turnage. and that was her spirit and energy every morning. >> reporter: dr. iona spice sent home this letter to parents and brought grief counselors to help some of monet's friends. several hundred fellow students, teachers, family, even strangers turned out for the vigil of her memory. students saddened by the loss of their friend. >> why would you play with a gun? and if you seen she got shot, why would you hide it? >> it's m

police say onn oo the viccims has a ife five people are bbhind the the spendinggplan mayor stephanie rawlings blake presents today... shows just baltimore. her budget will try closing a 48 million dollar gap. gap.we've learned she wants to clooe 3 firr companies and several rec centers. centers.she also waats to combine 9-1-1 and 3-111 call centers ... and increse the amoont ome city employees p3 today...theemarrland house of delegatts begins debate on governor o'malley's 35-billion dollar budget. many delegates favor scaling &pback massive iicreases in the income tax approvvd by the senate last week.that plan called for increases for virtually ll maaylanders.but a house committee has endorsed a hike in the income tax... only for indivvduals earniigg more than 100-thousand a year...ann couples making more than 150-thousand. (serafini) "it still taxes the top peoppe more, 82% oo the peopll as the argument won't be affected by the changes by the house amendments but i'' concneennd about that other 18% because they pay a disparate amount of taxes in to" total."a house committee also rejected a propose

. >>> another blow in the war of worldsbuse jada pinkett-smith and stephanie rawlings-blake. the actress wants the mayor to monitor elephant care. now, jailedda is firing back. >> reporter: baltimore native jada pinkett smith has real -- star power. now, she is trying to stop misconduct on efffirst basemans. the circus is coming to town later this month. so, she wrote the mayor banning a device that is likely to cause physical injury or suffering. the mayor responded. >> we have reached out about homelessness, school issues, i would have loved to gotten feedback and support or concern about those issues that are very pressing. >> news traveled fasand today the will and jailedda smithtownidation fired back another letter saying in response, your response to her was disturbing, irresponsible, inflammatory and inaccurate. jada is a prod baltimoreen, who has generously given back to her home town. the letter was sent today, so far, no response from the mayor. denise koch, eyewitness news. >> animal rights advocates have just staged protests in charlton and atlanta. ringlong broth

. >>> mayor stephanie rawlings- blake is calling on the business community to empower city youth one at a time. monique griego is there to kick off the higher campaign. >> mayor stephanie rawlings- blake got down with the girls of western high school, with the hopes of opening up summer jobs for students. >>> it keeps them more focused. keeps them more focused on what they want to be growing up. off the street. >> senior rachel madison got her start in the career world, through the city's youth works program. >> it was very influential in the ways i learned a lot of skills before i started with youth works. i got to work with a lot of people, so it was a more mature environment. today, the mayor had a message for the business community to help increase that number. >> one, two, three. >> the higher one youth campaign calls on all local businesses to hire at least one student this summer. >> employers have the opportunity to build tomorrow's work force today. and teach them the necessary skills to be successful. >> reporter: youth works provides opportunities for young adults, ages 14

. >>> mayor stephanie rawlings- blake is calling on the business community to empower city youth, one student at a time. monique griego was there for the kickoff of the higher one campaign. >> reporter: mayor stephanie rawlings-blake got down with the girls of western high school, with the hopes of opening up summer jobs for students. ♪ [ music ] >> it keeps them more focused. it keeps them more focused on what they want to be when they grow up. off the streets, which is most important, especially in baltimore city. >> reporter: senior rachel madison got her start in the career world through the city's youth works program. >> it was very influential in the ways that i learned a lot of skills i didn't know before i started with youth works. i got to work with a lot of people. so it was a more mature environment. >> reporter: every year, the program places about 5,000 people in summer jobs. but today, the mayor had a message for the business community to help increase that number. >> one, two. >> the higher one youth campaign calls on all local businesses to hire at least one student th

. >> reporter: mayor stephanie rawlings-blake awaits the results of an intense investigation into the officer's actions. his name, not being released. but he has been suspended. sources say he was in a relationship with a relative of one of the juvenile suspects. >> i can't really comment on the case. but it is important for everyone to know that i expect our officers to perform their duties with integrity and according to the law at all times. >> reporter: while the investigation continues, so does the grieving process here at march middle school, where monet was a popular 8th grader, responsible for making morning announcements on the intercom. >> every morning, you are guaranteed to hear, good morning march middle. this is monet turnage. and that was her spirit and energy every single morning. >> reporter: dr. iona spikes, principal of the school, sent home this letter to update parents on the tragedy and brought grief counselors in to help devastated young friends. one of the two juveniles charged with monet's accidental shooting, was also a student at march middle. >> reporter: f

mayor stephanie rawlings-blake outlines her new budget proposal. >>> hi, everyone. jessica kartalija. we're in washington, d.c., where the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. more from the cherry blossom festival coming up. >>> check in for these stories and all the day's breaking news. >> wjz eyewitness news at 6:00 starts now. >>> ladies and gentlemen, governor, soon

just a short time ago mayor stephanie rawlings blake reveals a spending plan for the city that is already causing controversy. wjz and political report pat war reason warren are live. >> reporter: good afternoon, the mayor is looking for a budget with enough cuts to allow her to give homeowners a break. the it includes the first stallment of a plan to reduce homeowner property taxes by 20 cents over the next eight years. >> our goal is to get baltimore growing again by 10,000 families over the next 10 years and this budget is the first of several to come that will help us in achieving that goal. >> a proposal to close three fire companies is sure to spark debate as the city seeks to close a budget deficit. >> it gives performancey and reliability, predictability and allows the department to plan every day, you know, what every day of the week it is for those closures so they can respond more efficiently to calls. >> budget options include changes in employee benefits, consolidating 911 and 311 call centers and closing rec centers. >> the mayor is receiving push back but this is a long pro

mayor stephanie rawlings-blake came out to pay her respects. >> it is a tragedy and said they for the family and city. >> police say she was killed in an accidental shooting last week. her family does not think her death was an accident. two boys have been charged with involuntary manslaughter. investigators are trying to determine if the city police officer may have been involved in an alleged cover-up. >> if there's criminal wrongdoing, we will hold people accountable. >> despite the confusion surrounding her death, love was are holding on to positive memories of her. >> her smile. she was a lovely young lady. she was a happy person. she was very outgoing and outspoken. she was a beautiful person. >> i do not want to think about the bad things. all i can think about are the good things. i think god allowed us to have an angel in our presence for a short time. >> i spoke to a family member told us they are doing ok. she told us her mother has a strong support system to lean on in difficult times. sheldon dutes for wbal-tv 11 news. >> a baltimore detective is charged with attempted th

. >>> mayor stephanie rawlings-blake is introducing a bill at tonight's city council meeting that will cut your property taxes. the legislation will reduce the tax by 20 cents by the year 2020. if a home is worth $200,000, that could mean a $400 savings. the baltimore said the plan is eventual. >> we have to be more competitive and we have to be more competitive in jobs and education and in property tax rates. that's why we are beginning this trend downward. >> the mayor plans to pay for the tax cut with revenue from the future casino in baltimore city as well as being physically responsible. >>> a d minus, that's the grade maryland was given by the center for state integrity. it looked at state procedures to maintain transparent government. although maryland got a d minus, no state got an a and eight states received failing grades. >>> a high school student in anne arundel county claimed that she was so fed up with being bullied that she turned to the internet for help. the teen posted her plea late last tuesday. by wednesday morning things had turned around completely. abc2 news don

mayor stephanie rawlings-blake released her new city budget proposal. it would in furloughs for city employees, and does not contain pay raises. it requires city workers to pay more on their medical bills and present -- and prescription juror costs. 311 and 911 would merge and three fire look at -- creek fire stations would close. >> that is causing some concern tonight. >> kim dacey is live in southwest baltimore with more on that part of the story. >> the firefighters' union says closing down these are companies would delay their time he to emergencies, making it an issue of public safety. three baltimore city fire companies could be shutting down july 1 at the start of fiscal year 2013 to help balance the budget. the firefighters' union is not happy about it. texted you take them out of the mix completely, someone is going to get hurt badly. it is going to get ugly. >> the diprivan has had rotating company closures for the past few years. the mayor's plan would stop those and take three fire apparatus and personnel out of service permanently. there w

mayor stephanie rawlings-blake kickoff a demolition. in the 1960's and 1970's, skywalks were all the rage, but in 20 to all they are considered an impediment to retail. >> we are a encouraging downtown workers and families to walk on our baltimore streets and utilize hopkins plaza at lunchtime and on the weekends. >> worker begins at the feet of this month and is expected to take six to 10 months. here is what is coming up. it has been a rough week for an ohio school rocked by a deadly shooting. today the students are making some progress. touching sign of support from a nearby school. we know that schools are constantly in need of money, but wait until you hear how much baltim at progressive, you can bundle your home and auto policies and save. don't worry, tiny people. flo is a gentle giant. bundle home and auto at progressive.com. students are back in class after the debt the ohio shooting. the school basketball team faced off against players from nearby madison high school. the opposing team came dressed in black chardon t-shirts in

mayor stephanie rawlings-blake wants to reduce your property tax. the mayor introduced the bill at tonight's city council meeting and is aimed to reduce it by 20 cents by the year 2020. on a $200,000 home that could mane a savings of up to $400. she says making property taxes more competitive is essential for a growing baltimore. >> a lower property tax. i'm targeting it to baltimore city homeowners. i knew it would be a revenue source that would help us reduce property tax. >> the mayor says that tax relief will come from being more fiscally responsible and she is set to disthat on wednesday morning. >>> at this hour a public meeting is underway for a proposed new elementary school. the top choice is this 20-acre site where mays chapel park is located right at padonia road. the school would accommodate 700 students making it the largest in baltimore county. seniors say the noise and the traffic would make it unbearable to live here. >> i've been here. i've lived down the road. moved in 23 years ago. this was all open sparkes wooded areas, but in th

. >> on thursday, mayor stephanie rawlings-blake kicked of demolition of the sky walks over hopkins plaza. work starts at the end of march and should take 6-10 months. >> we are encouraging workers and families to walk on our streets and utilize hopkins plaza at lunchtime and on the weekends. >> planners say remove the sky wall, and you reconnect pedestrians with walkability. >> it is important to keep reinventing and downtown. >> it could be the start of a trend. plans are in the works to look at taking down to other pedestrian bridges near the inner harbor. >> nearly four hundred thousand dollars was approved to study demolition, to bring new life and more footsteps downtown. >> now, your insta-weather forecast with chief meteorologist tom tasselmyer. >> we keep this season is nice and even in the weather department. we divide the year into three month segments and you get the meteorological segments. for this winter, it turns out to be the seventh warmest on record for those three months in baltimore. a lot of these records are pretty old, going back to the 1800's and early 1900's. 193

stephanie rawlings blake met to discuss her new the giant -- newly signed executive order. we have details. >> the mayor presented her executive order at the public library in southeast baltimore. her goal is to make sure all city residents are protected and say from discrimination. >> it would [inaudible] >> he has grown accustomed to being afraid. >> before this announcement, people -- it was difficult to move to the city. every time when i see a police car, a police man or policewoman, i tried to run away. >> the mayor met with him and other members of the latino community at the highland town library to discuss her executive order. it is meant to prevent any city agencies including the police department from discriminating against residents based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and immigration status. >> officers are not going to be asking citizens or residents about their immigration status. we are making sure that we are reaching out. we do not want residents involved to be fearful. simply because of their status. or perceptions of their status. >> police are

. >> also new, mayor stephanie rawlings-blake unveils her $2 billion budget. among them, cuts involving public safety. 11 news reporter jennifer franciotti is live downtown with more details for us this morning. hi, jen. >> good morning. on the plus side, this new budget doesn't include any new fees or taxes, and it does include her original plan to cut property taxes by two cents. however, some pretty big changes are on the way that would affect the fire department, all city employees when it comes to paychecks and their out of pocket expenses. the proposal would permanently close three fire companies that right now only close on a rotating basis. the plan also includes merging the 311 and 911 call centers. there would be no city furloughs. however, there would also be no pay raises for city employees, and employees will have to pay higher out of pocket costs for medical and prescription drug coverage. right now, city employees pay no deductible on their medical bills, and officials say few make any co-payments. this is a move that would reduce the city's hea

closing this summer, under the latest proposal -- budget proposal released by baltimore mayor stephanie rawlings-blake. the controversial decision is not sitting well with the firefighters' union. >> york gambling with citizens' lives and fireman's lives. i think it is absolutely disgusting. >> it gives them permanency, reliability, and predictability and allows the department to plan every day, whatever de of the week is, for those closures so they can respond more efficiently to calls. >> the fire chief will decide on the closures. to inspect the whole proposal, you can log on to our website, wbaltv.com, and click on local news. there is no smoking gun, no one concrete fact that led to the death of baltimore county firefighter mark falkenhan. >> there is a list of secondary issues that added up to the tragedy. no single factor led to the death of volunteer firefighter mark falkenhan. he was killed while battling an apartment fire in hillendale last january. the fire chief was left unsettled by the reality that there was not a major cause or failure that resulted in his death. >> sometimes there is n

taxes on smokeless tobacco and cigars, he is going to speak at the news conference >>> mayor stephanie rawlings blake wants to lower property tax. her bill was introduced at the council meeting under the legislation, you would notice your taxes would be reduced by $0.20 by the year 2020. if you have a home worth $200,000, you would safe 400 bucks -- save 400 bucks. >> we have to be competitive in jobs, education and property tax rates. we are beginning this trend downward. >> the mayor is banking on money from the future slot parlor that would happen in baltimore city. she is set to introduce budget tomorrow morning at the board of estimates meeting. we will let you know how everything goes. >>> democracy 2012, rick santorum and mitt romney had been going head and head and today at it in illinois. the campaign sent an email to reporters with a clip of santorum saying he doesn't care about the unemployment rate. santorum later clarified. >> of course i care about ton employment. (inaudible.) romney campaign took a swipe at santorum posting a web ad showing santorum endorsing him for president in 2008.

. >>> very own christian shaffer got a early start, he joined mayor stephanie rawlings blake at cecil elementary school. it was part of a reading program. they are working to work with the city to improve reading skills and get children excited about books. there are several things that you can do to stay on a healthy course of life. there is obviously to eat a healthy diet and exercise. >> reporter: eating right and keeping active can keep the body going, there are other tips you can do to stay healthierment at the top of the list is sleep. studies shown that sleepless nights can lead to depression. >> it's a chance for the body to rebuild and restores. it's a chance for metabolic processes to catch up. >> reporter: take care of your teeth. plaque buildup and gum disease can lead to inflammation and lead to heart problems. as you age, bad dental health can lead to major problems. >> i see a lot of patients as they get older are needing teeth extractions, root canals, implants, bridges, you name it. >> reporter: get moving. this doesn't mean gym work, just move. movement can help with

. >>> baltimore city, mayor stephanie rawlings blake introduced new legislation. this would drop the property tax by $0.20 per $100. the value by 2020. while this plan is similar to her proposal, this plan relies heavily on lots revenue to make up the difference. >>> the state of maryland will hear a personal story in favor of the smoking tax from a fan named van buren. he is 25 years old. he has disfiguring surgeries, one removed half of his neck muscles and part of his tongue. it's because of oral cancer. he says antitobacco advocates will be hold agnusing, a news conference today. >>> the baltimore county school board is expected to vote on a controversial proposal to build an elementary school in what is now mays chapel part. school officials are trying to relieve overcrowding on the corridor. hundreds of people turned out, most of them protesting this plan. we will be following the board's decision tonight, we will let you know what happens. >>> 4:38 right now. thieves are targeting women's health clinic in the south and taking on this crime and many believe

that mayor stephanie rawlings-blake does not support the moratorium idea for fear the city's bond rating could be downgraded if it's unable to collect money it's owed. the city council president though said he will continue to introduce the bill at the next council meeting. >>> house delegates will begin to work on the state's $35 billion budget. they will consider amendments to a package of budget measures, one includes a tax increase already approved by the state senate. another would involve teacher pension costs. >>> today in annapolis a debate on ethics law. senators are taking up legislation that would mandate financial disclosure forms for state officials if they be filed electronically and posted on-line. lawmakers will also consider an amendment that would apply to the proposed law to county level officials. >>> 6:07. today the soldier accused of killing 16 civilians in afghanistan is expected to be formally charged. that is according to robert bales' attorney. after meeting in washington the secretary of state hillary clintonn, the afghan foreign minister said he was looking fo

. >>> stephanie rawlings-blake will kick off youth violence prevention and will anow is a selection of new safe streets in baltimore. the week marks a initiative to demonstrate positive roles young people have in making the school and community safer. the announcement comes at 10 at frederick douglas high school. check out the website for a list of events in honor of youth violence prevention week. >>> and texting and driving has become a serious problem. especially among young people. today the national organization for youth safety is teaming up with at&t to teach student at mount st. joseph's high school about the dangers. the students will watch the documentary the last text which shows the people whose lives have been impacted by texting behind the wheel. >>> things look normal in downtown baltimore this morning, but that was not the case on st. patrick's day evening. hundreds of teens and young adults went running from the inner harbor to street. look at this video here. now we aren't sure what led up to the chaos so we do know it started around 9:30 saturday night and lasted unt

mayor stephanie rawlings blake is announcing today the winning proposal to add a third safe viets baltimore site. >>> and around the nation, firefighters are making progress on a large wind fueled grass fire in northeastern colorado. the fire is about 50% contained. the blaze which started sunday south of yuma quickly spread forcing people of a rural town to evacuate. at least two homes destroyed and three firefighters have been hurt battling the flames. >>> time is 6:34. a lesson in poetry is turning into a classroom controversy in virginia. a high school teacher is now under investigation for comments she made to the only african american student in the class. jordan says it was the way his freshman english teacher told him to read a poem by lanes to -- langston. hughes. >> -- >> released a statement saying the school is -- after being deployed in afghanistan a wisconsin soldier returned home for a good stay on friday. cameras captured emotional reunion after two days of traveling lieutenant airplane knellson was to surprise her 7- year-old daughter at school. she headed to another school

. >> mayor stephanie rawlings-blake does not support that moratorium for fear the city's bond rating could be downgraded. if it's unable to collect the money it's owed. meanwhile the city council president says he will still introduce that bill next monday at the council meeting. >>> trayvon martin's family will meet with the justice department to demand answers about the way their son's shooting has been handled by local police in florida. last night thousands marched in several cities around the country to show their outrage. >>> -- a new york city rally the family joined demonstrators. george zimmerman was not charged in the shooting. a vote of no confidence for the police chief has been called and his resignation. >>> the soldier accused of killing 16 afghan civilians is speck to be formally charged with a homicide, according to robert bales' attorney. after a meeting in washington with the secretary of state hillary clinton the afghan foreign minister said his government is looking forward to seeing justice done. earlier this week bales' attorney says his client does not remembe

>>> the baltimore native, singer and actress jada pinkett smith wrote a letter to mayor stephanie rawlings-blake to ensure that when the circus comes to town in two weeks, that no animals will be harmed. you can find the letter at abc2news.com. >>> and apple expected to unveil a new version of its ipad today. the new i-pad 3 is said to be lighter in weight, sharper screen and possibly an option for faster wireless broadband. >> new video, deadly tornadoes from the midwest. amazing cell phone video, from indiana. the national weather service says at least 42 tornadoes hit 10 states friday. the storms so far have killed 40 people including 13 in indiana. >>> one more chance of our forecast with lynette. >> it's quiet in indiana this morning. and also close to home, we're nice and dry. as you step out to the bus stop just bundle up the kids, temperatures in the 30s. those winds out of the south at 5 to 10 miles an hour. but will pick up as we go throughout the day. we'll get that warm surge of air moving in. temperatures will be in the low to mid-60s for today. 63 degrees to be exact. we will have

mayor stephanie rawlings blake and other business leaders will be on and. officials will tour the new production facility starting at 10 this morning. >>> and president obama will have company tonight. britain's prime minister is visiting the state and will join the president at the university of dayton ohoeo arena. >>> first lady michelle obama will promote her let's move campaign. she will hold an olympic event. is a matha cameron is scheduled to attend. >>> preliminary hearings for men accused in the near fating beating of a giants stand in the parking lot on option day last year. >> in health news this morning a. study involving red meat shows increase -- it increases your risk of dying young. >> health reporter linda so is here with what you need to know and you may want to consider if you want to substitute that hamburger. linda. >> reporter: well, according to the study, instead of getting protein from red meat try fish, poultry, or nuts. researchers at found replacing one serving with healthier options could increase thechances of dying by as much a

>>> baltimore native, actress and singer jada pinkett smith wrote a letter to stephanie rawlings-blake ensure no animals are harmed when the circus comes to town in two weeks. for a copy of the letter head to our web site, abc2news.com. >> governor o'malley will be at the visionary art museum on key 6:15. >> the 17-year-old accused in last week's deadly shooting in ohio will be back in court april 3rd. tj lane was told about the charges he faces yesterday. he was also told he could be tried as an adult. three students were killed in the shooting. >> a computer analyst at rutgers university was the first to testify in the trial of a former student. dharun ravi was accused of using a web cam to spy on his roommate's encounter with another man and then broadcast it. ravi faces criminal counts. >>> a new version of the i-pad to be unveiled in san francisco today. it's said to be lighter in weight, sharper screen and faster broadband capability. >>> there's been a lot of attention put on bullying prevention, lady gaga has helped join the fight against it. >> at randall high school in gambri

. >> stephanie rawlings-blake says she wants to lower the property tax in the hope it will bring more people back to baltimore. kim dacey has more details on the plan. >> the city council president introduced the bill last night and it seemed to be getting a positive reception from other members. baltimore has the highest municipal property-tax rates in the state. the mayor wants to reduce it by 20 cents per one of dollars of value. she believes that will help her meet her goal of attracting 10,000 new families to the city. the city cannot afford to offer a more drastic tax cut without slashing services. some question whether scaling back their property tax is enough to reverse years of population decline. >> the city has acquired a reputation and while 20 cents off of property tax is a good start, it may not be enough to overcome the image that the city has gathered over the past decade and a half. >> this bill will not be coming up for a bill until later this spring. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> consumer groups gathered in downtown baltimore calling for more relief for distressed

stephanie rawlings-blake's property tax cut plan has been approved. if the entire city council approves the plan, the owner of a home would see a tax reduction of $40 in 2013. >> a: a family finds himself trapped in the middle of a raging wildfire -- a colorado family. >> as danger burned closer, neighbors had a hard time getting answers. >> i was first smelling smoke and i called to 911. ." >> kim olsen said she knew something was wrong. re.which is flew out of thei >> there were driving through a tunnel of flames. >> what are you stopping for? ir eldest.ce is there all thi he held it together. >> i just try to stay calm. >> ok. we're out, we're out. >> the family was safe in a matter of seconds. >> it was an emotional roller- coaster. >> their neighbors died in the fire. their home was reduced to ashes. >> it would surprise me if the house was already on fire. >> date ship been warned much sooner -- they should have been warned much sooner. >> it was right down hill from us. there is no way this can happen again. >> now traffic pulse 11 and insta-we

stephanie rawlings-blake takes action to ease concerns on undocumented citizens. >> a man gets into a fight at a local high school. >> what exactly killed whitney houston? we'll have the results of the autopsy. >> we have some dense fog this >> live, local, late-breaking, this is wbal-tv 11 news today. >> good morning, everybody. welcome back to 11 news today. i'm stan stovall. >> and i'm mindy basara. thank you for joining us this morning. john collins has looked at the forecast. i cannot wait for this afternoon. >> today will be warmer for temperatures and less fog this morning. a big storm to the west of us is not a factor today but it will play the weekend forecast and where are temperatures go. we will have details in just a few minutes. >> a fight on the grounds of like howard county high school goes viral on the internet. >> the fight has been seen on line is not between two students. jennifer franciotti is live with more details for us. >> it was yesterday that an adult male went to the campus of a columbia high school and can be seen on video starting a fight with a student.

the tragic circumstances touched so many people, including mayor brown and stephanie rawlings-blake who came out to pay their respects. >> it is a tragic day for the family, i know, but for the city as well. >> monae was killed in a shooting last week. two boys ages 12 and 13 have been charged with involuntary manslaughter. >> if there was criminal wrongdoing, we will hold people accountable. you can be sure of that. >> despite the anger and confusion surrounding her death, loved ones are holding on to positive thoughts. >> she was outgoing and outspoken. she ways beautiful person. >> i don't want to think about the bad things that happened. i think god allowed us to have an angel in our presence for a short period of time. >> and that was sheldon dutes reporting. >> a baltimore police detective has been charged with attempted theft. police were called by store security at the food depot in bell air on friday night to investigate a shop lifting case. police discovered the cashier had under-charged the detective by $300. they say that cashier is early's daughter. >> we are committed to h

. >> an executive order signed by stephanie rawlings-blake officially prohibits police officers from asking crime victims or witnesses about a person's citizen ship status. this bars people from asking about their immigration status. officials say they are concerned witnesses and crime victims will be afraid to come forward with information. >> it is a clarification of our current policy which is not to inquire about the citizen shp of individuals, particularly those calling for help. >> it will begin inpleementing the security communities program in balance. under that program, federal authorities check the immigration of status of people arrested and booked in local jails. >> 6:11. 47 degrees on tv hill. news for parents. your child's pajamas could pose a hazard. why manufacturers are recalling 10,000 sets of pajamas. >> and a look outside with lowell. the insta-weather plus forecast after the break. after the break. don't go away. it's bring your happiness to work day. campbell's microwavable soups. in three minutes -- the deliciousness that brings a smile to any monday. campbell'

eye " >> an executive signed by mayor stephanie rawlings-blake specifically forebids asking people about their sip status. as far as people -- unless required by the state or u.s. government. officials say they are concerned witnesses and crime victims will be afraid to come forward with information. >> it is a clarification of our current policy which is not to inquire about the sip of individuals -- citizenship of individuals. >> under this program federal authorities check the imgration and status of people booked in local jails. >> never afraid to say what is on his mind, rush limbaugh gives his two cents on the nation's contraception controversy. >> his name won't ring a bell. a look at the moment in time captured by sam sterns. >> first a live look outside, what you can see of it, that is. it is foggy out there. lowell has your insta-weather plus forecast next. stay with us. "11 news saturday morning" is just getting started. >> taking a look outside right now. fr pretty foggy, but warm. humidity near 100%, and winds are calm right now. taking a look at what happened yesterday, not

myor stephanie rawlings blake knows baltimore nneds a bigger tax base.inatioo of though many are already vacant - there would be no forced furloughs next yeaa... but city workers wouldn't get pay raisss either- however, they pould have to pay more for their oon health coverage.... saving the city about 22- she wanns to consolldate baltimorr's emergency call &pcenters. udget director -- we're moving the 911 call &pcenter... the mayor's oofice of information teccnology."but &pcut - is her plan to close l three fire stations... which ones - has yet to be determined but firefighters are already fired up.rock hoffman: 07:34:19 "yyu take thrre companies out of the mix and it just makes ut job so much hardee. we need every resouuce we have right now." union officials say any more safety... and tte safety of city rrsidenns. resources are already strettced too thin.... the resources beinn cut, it - makes our job harder, i don't care who says what - it akes our job a hell of a lot harder."but the mayor believes should not be affected.mayor - 07:26:10 "we're fully

mayor stephanie rawlings-blake will release her budget. >> good morning, jen. >> good morning.ht say we have highlights and some low light. on the plus side, this new budget does not include new taxes or fees and keeps with her original plan to reduce the property tax by 2 cents. however there are big changes and they will affect the city's fire departments, all city employees when it comes to their paychex, this will affect out of pocket expenses for medical expenses. they propose closing three fire departments. merging the 911 call centers. there would be no furloughs and there would be no pay raise for city employees. employees would have to pay higher out of pocket costs. right now they pay no deductable on their medical bills and officials say few make any co-payments. it would reduce health care costs by up to $25 million a year. it would reduce the budget deficit by about $48 million. the mayor is expected to unveil her plan later today. >> all right, thank you. baltimore county police investigating a stack at a town home in owings mills. according to police, a car pulle