we'll explain where the baltimore city police department stands in the video recording policy, and a moment captured this past weekend that captured ared the confusion -- captured the confusion over it. >>> a pennsylvania judge says former penn state coach gentlemen yes can have -- jerry sandusky can have visits with his grandchildren. we have more on the decision. >> reporter: sandusky and his attorney were just in court at the end of last week, asking the judge for more freedom, and today, they got the ruling they were hoping for. sandusky will still have to stay inside, until he faces the child sex abuse charges against him at trial, but now, he is allowed to have contact with his grandchildren. the judge also weighed in on the make up of the jury he will face. it will be made of people that live near penn state university. he is facing 52 criminal counts for what prosecutors say is sexual abuse of 15 boys. >> the administrator charged with lying to the grand jury investigating sandusky is now asking the judge to throw out his case. tim curley filed motions argue the death of jo p

as a result the fair department is here, -- fire department is here and the baltimore city police. now, a heavy duty record is being brought in. that wrecker will come in. the driver wasn't hurt, know was anyone else. we're trying to investigate and see why this driver overturned the truck anyways. people here at this exit are now being turned around and diverted so they can come off here and get back on 95 at some other point. once again we have a large hazmat spill out here. kevin with the baltimore city fire department tells us that the clean up won't take place for hours. the maryland department of environment handles clean up. that's what's happening out here now. a major mess. avoid this area of south east baltimore, i-95 and 885. >> we'll continue to bring you the latest at wjz.com and on the wjz morning edition. >> also several senior citizens are hurt when a fire breaks out tonight. one person suffers serious burns after accidentally leaving a pot to have food on the stove. others were checked for smoke ventilation. the fire didn't cause much damage. >> the city finds new l

that is in medical alert. >> taking training to new heights here at the baltimore city police academy. that story coming up. >> are so many vehicles really necessary? the question for one baltimore agency that provides employees a valuable perk at your expense. >> more what whether headed in our direction. the seven-day forecast coming right up. hundreds more in your wallet year after year. feed me! saving you money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today. >> the independent review into the shooting death of a baltimore city police officers outside a club back and january 9 last year has sparked major changes in the baltimore police academy training program for both new recruits and veteran officers. them here at the baltimore city police academy, they are taking some of their training to a couple of different measures, in what some people are calling one of the most creative and innovative training programs in the country. >> the training, the way we incorporate tactics and decision making, help us to develop that well-read person who becomes a well-rounded officer. >> for jo

find out what the mayor is the key to revitalizing baltimore city. >> youtube has a new video of baltimore police officers making an arrest. >> a jury decides the fates of an inmate convicted of murdering a maryland corrections officer. >> ava marie live at this chocolate factory. >> 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. what is up with the rain? >> just a couple of sprinkles right now. seeave a 30% chance you'll passing rain shower on this valentine's day. nothing that will affect your plans this morning or this evening. a high temperature of 48. we will come back and check the seven day forecast going into the weekend. >> a baltimore man believes city police officers violated his rights by order him to leave while he was filming an arrest on his phone. >> is came hours after police said it was ok to record police activity in public. kim dacey has more details. >> the incident happened early saturday morning in federal hill. the

the mayor's bill came before members of the baltimore city council and the five cent per bottle tax would increase the cause of a case of soda by a dollar. modern sizing -- modernizing schools would cost $3,000 and grocer says the mayor is targeting them. >> everybody knows the schools need improvement. my goodness what -- i thought there was money allocated for schools. where has that been going? >> both bills will be sent to the council taxation financial and economic committee. >>> today in the house of approaching committee they will discuss the baltimore city school construction block grant and the transfer of pensions that hearing is going to begin today at 1:30. the bill would give existing capital funding to schools in a block grant allowing them to borrow large amount and finance the pay back later. >>> time could be running out for the carousel in baltimore inner harbor. the baltimore velt corporation gave the family that runs the carousel until today to ceaseoperations and ordered to removing the ride by the end of the month. city says the owner violated the lease by not paying

remarkably, she survived and served as a key witness in the case. >> the baltimore grand prix is your to stay for the next five years. city officials signed a contract with a promoter that will keep the event in town. the agreement includes a plan to help the city make money. we've got the details from downtown baltimore. >> the new contract is a partnership of two baltimore- based entrepreneurs and a construction executive from indianapolis with extensive motoring experience. they're hopingo revive the defunct baltimore grand prix. the inaugural baltimore grand prix took over on labor day weekend last year. but the promoters still owes $1.5 million to the city as well as money to vendors. the city severed ties with them but announced a new five-year contract with a new promoter to bring the grand prix back. >> $47 million of economic impact. we get the opportunity to showcase our city in a positive way all the world and it's hard to put a dollar figure on that. it's in the best interest for our local economy and for the city that we move forward but move forward without risk to taxpayers. >> the price of every ticket wil

the baltimore sun reports that the organization found tree cover in the city is dropping nearly 0.5% a year. researchers were not able to determine the exact reason, but they add that it could be the result of strong storms, development, and also events like the baltimore grand prix. cities with even bigger tree loss problems are new orleans, houston, an albuquerque. >> even have noticed a lot of changes going on downtown. construction is a common sight these days along the pavilion with lots of new tenants preparing to live in. bubba gump shrimp is moving in. upstairs, ripley's believe it or not will call the light street home. bringing the occupancy rate of the pavilion of to 95%. >> you have to work with what the public is looking for, what visitors are looking for, so we have adapted to that. i think our customers are not only tourists, but they are local residents that have increased significantly in the last years, and the office workers that work in the core of baltimore city. with the new attraction and new restaurants and new retail, it covers those bases. >> along with all t

what this means in terms of bringing home the bacon to baltimore. >> the baltimore city delegation will have to work harder, smarter, and be more creative when it comes to horsetrading in annapolis. the shrinking population means less political muscle in annapolis. baltimore is currently represented by 17 delegates in the house. that number drops to 15 by 2014. >> 82. when i first came here, there were 27 of us. prior to that, there had been 40 of us. going down to 15 certainly is a concern. >> the new legislative boundaries became law friday. districts are drawn based on population. in the past 10 years, the 44th lost 25,000 residents. the city loses two seats and will have to share a senator with baltimore county. >> which are pitted against each other in the 44th. >> that means delegate mitchell and delegate south will have to compete for one seat. delegate haynes will move to the 40th district. this comes at a time when the city needs all the influence it can muster. mayor stephanie rollins blake said she will play the cards she is dealt with. >> i did not want it to happen. we work

the lock box eliminates concern the city won't get paid. city can inspect down horse racing financial records at any time to check out the group's debt. the city ended the five-year contract with baltimore racing development last year after there was $12 million in debt. the board of estimates meeting starts at 9 this morning and they are expected to vote on that contract. sherrie johnson, abc2 news. >>> the uva george huguely murder trial, today is day 8. he is accused of murdering his on again off again girlfriend yeardley love. the coroner testified saying that love had alcohol and prescription meds in her system at the time of the death. but they were not lethal amounts. man who did that autopsy is she died from cardial being a arrhythmia brought on by trauma. huguely pleaded innocent. a juror dismissed from the case has spoken out. >> only thing that's is important is whether or not she would be alive if he hadn't put his hands on her. >> the prosecution is expected to rest making way for huguely's defense. stay tuned for "good morning maryland" at 6 and we will have a report from charlottesville. >>> for continuing coverage, head to abc2news.com and look under featured stories and

the house to move first before they act. reporting live from lawyers mall in annapolis, david collins, wbal-tv 11 news. >> baltimore mayor stephanie rawlings-plate delivered her third state of the city address today. she wants to grow baltimore by 10,000 families in the next 10 years. carey kavanagh is live it city hall with more on today's address. >> stephanie rawlings'-blake placed a heavy emphasis on the goal of growing the city by 10,000 families over the next decade. she believes that people will move here if they can count on good schools, a feeling of safety and a reasonable commute to work too well paying jobs. to that extent, the mayor wants to extend the free bus service. she says connecting emerging neighborhoods to downtown jobs is key. >> today i am proposing that we extend the purple line of the circulator up to 33rd street, connecting 10 stations with johns hopkins and the charles north community, serving as a catalyst for future growth. >> tonight at 11:00, we will have more on her take on crime, taxes and the embarrassing state of baltimore city schools. >> thank you. today president obama unveiled his budget for fiscal 2013. it calls for nearly $4 trillion in cuts

she believes the city can cover the basics, then people will come back. >> thank you for the opportunity to report to you on the state of our great city. >> the baltimore mayor used for annual state of the city address to lay of her plan to entice 10,000 families to move to baltimore in the next 10 years. she believes the city can broaden its tax base. the cracks improving schools for kids, making our communities safer, rebuilding neighborhoods by tearing down vacant homes, listening to the concerns of our citizens, and targeting our resources to respond, all while reducing property tax burden on homeowners. >> the mayor admitted she is embarrassed by the state of some schools. she believes the answer lies in rebuilding and now or improving schools. she has suggested doubling the tax on carbonated beverages. she does not endorse the project proposed. >> it is false to say we can borrow $1 billion but that we will not have to pay it back one way or another, and it is not honest to say there will not be sacrificed. if we have learned anything from the global crisis that nearly destroyed our financial system, it is that over leveraging has serious risks.

>> the baltimore city fire department is on the scene. a body has been found in the party. it is just that the bottom of the key bridge on the baltimore city-anne arundel county side. they have requested the transit authority to respond to the location to deal with the investigation. as soon as we get more information we will get you more. reporting live in sky team 11, capt. roy taylor. >> one of the most popular exhibits is back for an encore. it is big. it is red. clifford the big red dog is the central focus of the gallery based upon the popular book series. they can board the ferry and journeyed to america's biggest pet. they have received dozens of calls and letters from parents asking for this exhibit to return. it's back for a limited engagement. >> we have had so many people coming in and enjoying the exhibit at all different times. sometimes the older children love to come in because they have great memories. the little ones, you cannot get them out of here. >> everyone loves clifford. the exhibit will leave on may 5th. tickets are $13 per person. >> still ahead, o

the best high- end burgers in baltimore. remember to look for the updated forecast in wjz's first warning weather team. >>> baltimore is in need of new police officers. a growing cityreater scrutiny of law enforcement has made entry into the department selective and demanding. tonight, wjz gets insight into the process. >> reporter: the baltimore city police department is looking for a few good men and women. >> the goal is to prepare these men and women to be the best police officers that we can possibly make them. >> reporter: and they allowed wjz to get a glimpse into their world by sampling the process of becoming a cop. >> i'm officially a rookie now, right? [ laughter ] >> reporter: there are roughly 3,000 officers on the force. the number they recruit each year, varied, depending on things like retirement and need. but it could be anywhere from 30 to 300 candidates. the starting salary is just over $41,000. to get your badge, you first have to pass a background check. >> reporter: in 2010, nearly 3,000 men and women applied to be city cops. but for some reason, many simply didn't make the cut. so the brass tells you, -- us, the problem isn't finding applican

the police department. a representative from the city state attorney and now a direct line to metro crime stoppers. a renewed effort to use the number to help curb a trend in baltimore city that went from 18 senses in 2010 to 45 in 2011. >> i look back on -- the serious cases that we have had over the past year l were a number of cats set on fire, number of dog that will been victims of dog fighting who were left in abandoned buildings and arrests haven't been made in some of the horrible cases because witnesses haven't come forward. we think metro crime stoppers may really help law enforcement crack these cases. >> crime stoppers brings a system that they didn't have above. >> reporter: a president of crime stoppers and said while the tip line can always be used for any kind of felony this renewed relationship could help curb what is often an under reported crime. >> they are getting four, five type of animal cruelty cases in a month and you know, once that advertisement goes into play that you could be eligible for a cash reward of up to two thousand dollars, remain anonymous, you know i just see this the tips come in -- even more. >> reporter: in addition to hand

an inmate at the baltimore city detention center suspected of using his cell phone to post statuses.. "right here, good girl, that's a baby..."ááá)...........the k-9 unit with maryland's department of public afety and correetional services.. on the job.. with dogs trained to sniff out cell phones. ............a search less than facebook allegations.... - (vernarellii "we are taking this allegation very scale investigation...." ..........on this night.. the search is happening at the jessup correcttonal institution.. with the country's first k-9 cell phone unit. officials say the dogs are part of the state's mmlti million dollar efforts to keep cell phhnes ccrrectional facilities, including the city's detention center.(vernarelli) "it isn't just the dogs.. we have tt have all these components.. teccnology, intellegence officerr.. better staffing in certain areas..."(kkith) "it is illeeal for inmates in maryland to possess a cell phonn, it's a misdemeanor, efforts to make it a felony.." .........experts say cell phones caa not only endanger those inside lockupss..... (mckenna) "it's a t

all that stems from. >> in a few hours, the aclu will be in court to bring a lawsuit against the baltimore cityice department. the organization is suing on behalf of christopher sharp. sharp was at the prakness and used the cell phone to record police arresting his friend. police stopped him and demanded he turnover the cell phone. when he refused officers deleted the video and other videos he had on the phone including several of his young son. the commissioner will ask the judge to dismiss the case. a policy allows citizens to videotape officers as long as the citizen is not violating law, which in this case police argue sharp was loitering and his phone was taken away. the hear willing take place at 10:00, in u.s. district court today. >>> southwest airlines added new flights and you can travel to georgia from bwi. the airlines flights left atlanta's jackson international airport sunday. the airline will fly to five cities from atlanta including baltimore. there will be 15 flight as day. southwest plans to add flights soon if air tran planes are rolled in to southwest fleet. world's busiest

it now has a devoted officer from the baltimore city police department, a representative from the city state attorney and a direct line to metro crime stoppers. an effort to use the number to help stop a trend that went from 18 cases of severe abuse in 2010 to 45 in 2011. >> there were a number of cats set on fire, dog that appeared to have been victims of dog fighting, left in abandoned buildings and arrests haven't been made in some of the really horrible cases because witnesses haven't come forward. we think metro crime stoppers -- really help law enforcement crack these cases. >> reporter: crime stoppers brings to the table a system they didn't have before. the president of crime stoppers says while the tip line can always be used for any kind of felony, this renewed relationship could help crush what is often an under reported crime. >> they get maybe four, five, type of animal cruelty cases in a month. you know, once that advertisement goes into play that you could be eligible for a reward up to $2,000, remain anonymous i just see the tips. . >> reporter: in addition to that crim

the rough. we have a real opportunity to polish that diamond up and really make baltimore shine next year. >> reporter: among the protections in the proposed new contract with baltimore, the city can work closely to inspect the group's finances. down force will pay fewer fees to the city, making it more financially viable to them. and part of the cost of each ticket would go directly to an account supervised by baltimore. taxpayers get their cut up front. >> it was very important for us to put safeguards in place to protect the taxpayer. >> reporter: it will likely all come down to a vote by the city's board of estimates next wednesday. >> reporter: the deal could change by then, based on public input. >> we are prepared to withstand the financial bumps in the road that are almost certain to happen in ways that we can't necessarily foresee. >> reporter: the contract would run through 2016. the new investors say they're in for the long haul. >> we haven't succeeded until it's standing on its own two feet. >> reporter: so what happens to all of the old money that the old managers, baltimore racing development, owe the city and owe vendors? well, we talked to the mayor about that

the mayor's bill came before members of the baltimore city council last night along with a companion bill that would tie the bottle tax money to city school renovation projects. the new five cent per bottle tax will increase the cost of the case of soda by nearly a dollar. and it would barely help repair all of the city schools. >> everybody knows the schools need improvement but my goodness what are they doing with the money. thought there was money allocated for schools. where has that been going? >> i am not inflexible if there are ways to strengthen the legislation to help to level the playing field i am willing to look at those things, but at the end of the day, we need revenue on the table. >> the next stop for both bills will be the council taxation financial and economic development committee. >>> news around the nation, a los angeles 5th grader is dead after a fight with a classmate and authorities are calling it a homicide. the 10-year-old joanna ramos died of blunt force trauma to the head. all of this was yesterday. police say she left an after school program and got into

. >> reporter: the baltimore city officer tries to stop sharp who continuing to roll. >> turn it off. >> reporter: it was under that interpretation that the officer seizes sharp's cell phone, detains him and delights this video. sharp feels then as he does now, that it is his and anyone he's first amendment right to record police activity in a public setting, and that the seizure and dee least of his property was a violation of his person rights. >> the humiliation was enormous. also, i feel that it is happening at a place that, what elhappening out there? who else are they doing this to. >> reporter: a federal judge thought the was worth exploring and dismissed the efforts of the police department to dismiss the case. its argument is already updated its policy in november, letting officers now the public can indeed record them in public places. >> out of the majority of the departments in the nation, you know, we're one of the first to promulgate rules, so take that for what it's worth. >> reporter: but what it too little too late? this is video shot just this past friday on cross st

you can see the low fog hanging over the baltimore city. the fog is much thicker in the suburbs right now. this bill it may be down under a quarter of a mile in some neighborhoods. -- visibility may be down. the forecast for today, it will turn out to be a nice day. sunshine this afternoon with a high near at 52. there is some rain and snow this weekend and we will detail the forecast in just a few minutes. >> brain abnormalities associated with autism may be evident as early as six months. >> researchers performed the type of mri imaging on babies who had siblings with autism. were significant differences in the brain imaging. could diagnose autism earlier. concerns patients who take weight training classes could improve their symptoms. >> researchers looked at 48 people with parkinson's disease. those who exercise with weights so a bigger improvement in their motor control and had fewer symptoms of the diseased. >> 41 degrees on tv hill. it is the anniversary of the day president obama signed the stimulus plan. >> this is traffic on 95 at

the way . the city's comptroller did not vote for the contract but the baltimore city mayor did. the new contract does have safeguards in place to protect the city from losing money in the future. >>> new for you this morning a maryland man is talking about a car crash him in the front of a kfc window monday. getting in his suv when a bmw ran into him and then back on him. he is now out of the hospital and says he's otherwise sore but okay. >> the sound of a washing machine when it doesn't balance properly, that's what it sounded like. >> he never saw the bmw coming before it smashed into it. the driver died. the passenger has nonlife-threatening injuries and police say smith was driving way too fast. >>> an update to that rural farm shooting. they're wanted for shooting a customer at the hamilton store. the victim is expected to be okay. the robbers made off with cigarettes as well as cash. if you have any information call crime stoppers. >>> a mom sits in jail while her son recovers from stab wounds. she stabbed her 15-year-old son in the leg. it happened wednesday. smith told p

the baltimore city council ii considering a new crime-repprting websiie. llow citizens to peport crimes like car theft .... get a police report online about the incident .. phone or in person. with so many calls to 911 .. it sommtimes akes police hours to respond to every non-emergency call. this proposal is designed to help in that process. 3 baltimore city councilman brandon scott is theeone who introduced the eesure. he joins us this morning with more.-how would the website work-what is happening now .. that makes thisswebsite &pnecessary-there would be time when the police still do respond-response from police about the site-is there nothing already in place liie this-what's next step for the bill and likilihood it will pass coming up next... the judges falling off stage nats.. - nats &pthe "ameriian idol" moment... that everyone is talking about átodayyáyou're watching fox 45 mornnng. news.. all local.. al- the word is swapportunity. can i have the definition? swapportunity: the opportunity to swap a higher calorie snack for a yoplait light. can you us

the city council president both voted against the deal. the city terminated the contract after the group failed to pay millions of to the city and its vendors. many protested here in baltimore against the secure communities program, which was expanded today in the city and montgomery county. under this program referred to as ice, fingerprints will be reviewed by the department of homeland security and databases. this is already done by the fbi. a protest was also held in rock hill earlier today. -- in rockville. >> in session 2012, texas hold them could soon become a to a parlor near you. it will pave the way for las vegas entertainment games and making their way through the general assembly. one of them is a possible deal killer. david collins is following the money and joins us live with that story. >> momentum is growing for table games, but also now wildcard in the mix, one that could cost baltimore city and and randall county. -- anarundal county. did rick figures showing slots revenues are up 3% over december, there is a growing appetite to put table games into the mix. a huge crowd in support of table games gathered for a committee hearing on several pieces of table

the case. >>> tonight a shock discover ri in baltimore county. a body was found in a creek in middle river. >> a man spotted it in the middle of the creek of wilson park. >>> the baltimore city fire department is honoring fallen soldier robert marchanti. all flags have been ordered at fire departments to be flown at half-staff. he is the father of a city firefighter. he was shot by an afghan soldier inside the secure zone in kabul. he taught in several schools in baltimore county, including kearney elementary school. >>> the military has improved its mortuary after being criticized last year for ms. handling body parts of fallen soldiers, but an independent panel said there needs to be better training of staff and oversight. it's the first stop on u.s. soil for remains of fallen troops coming home from war. >>> partial remains of some september 11th victims were sent to a landfill after they could not be identified. that's according to a new pentagon report. the victims killd were among those when the plane was hijacked and another crash? shanksville, pennsylvania, killing 40. several remains that could not be tested or identified were given to a biomedical waste contractor.

the filing of formal charges. >>> wjz is following a developing story right now. baltimore city police are investigating the death of a young child. police confirm the 5-year-old boy is the victim of a homicide. his body was found here on a house on cal way avenue. we are following the investigation. we'll bring you more details when we get them. >>> the assassination of a high- ranking maryland soldier in afghanistan fuels anger on capitol hill. andrea fujii joins us from the newsroom with the latest on the fallout. >> reporter: the gunman who killed baltimore major robert marchanti, in afghanistan, is still on the loose. marchanti's body has now been released to u.s. soil. as maryland senator barbara mikulski asks secretary of state hillary clinton if his death was worth it. >> my question is, what do i tell his family? what do i tell his family today? was it worth it? because they're angry. people in maryland are angry. >> reporter: clinton responded, saying she cannot justify the death of one person. but she defended the u.s. mission in afghanistan. despite a week of deadly

the proposed law would not have to officiate same-sex unions. >>> you won't have to worry about mailing back your jury questionnaire in baltimore city anymore. ing monday all you need to do is fill out the paperwork on-line. then you get a notice from the the baltimore city circuit court. jurors will also be allowed to go on-line and change their report date if they want to do it. >>> this man may be getting a jury in his near future. expensive taste may have landed this annapolis man in jail. kyle brown is charged with stealing more than $100,000 worth of top-shelf liquor over a three and-a-half year period. police say that brown hit several stores in harford county and other areas as well. brown is now being held in harford county at the detention center. >>> funeral arrangements are underway this morning for a man who died while trying to stop a rolling truck in bethesda. it happened a little more 2:30 yesterday. the victim was working as a contractor at a home and that's where officers say his company's truck began to roll down the street. the victim tried to stop it. >>> a terrifying story of a dog attack caught on camera. an argentine m

if you have any information....you are askkd to ccll the baltimore city homicide unit at 410-396-2100. 3 jerry sandusky will ask a arrest.but as bill caiaccio explains... prosecutors will ask the judge just the restrictions.the former penn state assistant football coach is out on baii, accused of sexually busing children. children. former penn state assistant footballlcoachhjerry sandusky conditions of his bail.he's been onnhouse arrest since december on charges he &psexually assaulted young boys. sandusky's attorney filed a mmtionn sking that sannuuky be allowed to see his grandchildren.prosecutors then &pfiled theirroon motion -- asking a judge to keep him indoors unless he needs medical care.neighbors have complaineddthat sandusky hass p schoollbehind his house. "i've seen jerry sandusky on his back pooch on several occasion while children -- my own children -- ther chiidren of tte lemont elementary school have been outside. yes, severaa occasions." sandusky's attooney says his wrong."he's within the confines of what the bail home detentionnproggam. he's permitted to be ut on his t

johnson is an inmate at the baltimore city detention center suspected of using his cell phone to posttatuses... ann send messages to witnesses. now... there's a sweep for contraband at the jessup correctional institution with the country's first cell phone sniffing dog &punit. officials say th dogs are part of the state's &pmulti million dollar efforts to keep cell phones and other contraband out of the hands of inmates. 3 "it isn't just the dogs.. we have to have all these components.. technology, intelligence officers.. better stafffng in certain areass.." areas..."experts say cell ppones can not experts say cell certain areas..." areas..."officers.. better staffing in certain areas..." areas..."expprts say cell phones can not only endanger those inside lockups but it can also have grave consequences for those on the outside including witnesses in criminal cases. 3 there is a legitimate way for imates to use the internet to correspond with the outside world.a convicted murddrer from baltimmre county is taking advantage of it. nicholas browning... who pled guilty to killing his paren

the police. mayor stephanie rawlings-blake has set a growth goal for the city of baltimore. day in her state of the city address, she said she wants to grow the city by 10,000 more families over the next 10 years. she plans to improve schools, hospitals and neighborhoods. she is also working to reduce property taxes with new initiatives in the city budget. >> a new report on the baltimore area housing market shows a drop in sales and inventory during the month of january, but things may be turning around. >> a month into 2012 and is still a buyer's market in the baltimore area. january numbers just released showed january sales dropped nearly 5% from january of last year. this local realtors says that could be because of the home buyers' credit that was offered by the government. >> it was the end of 2010 into 2011 that the sales picked up. if you are comparing this january 2nd last january, it might be a slight difference. -- this january 2nd last january, it might be a slight difference. >> she says that is one of the factors that could contribute to low inventory. >> the s

the court. he had 11 points, four blocks, and seven rebounds. there's nick, blue chip freshman out of baltimore city high. with the help of don henson. 83-74. moving right along. today, in northeast baltimore city, kevin thompson. one of the neax. look at that. look at that steal by tony gallo. today with dee morgan and el freego. again on february 26. the lead score, touson back to his old ways. after the first one, lost. >> ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> you're used to seeing the hello kitty image on accessories, but what about a man? this man shaved his head to look like hello kitty. he did it to cheer his up his 80 year old grandpa who ,,,,,,,,

the city fixed her water main ine. and the city tonight is promising to pay back her son for the thousands he already hhnned over. "dear mrs. foster, on behall of baltimoretwo ong years...to hear the word apology.ever ssnce april 2009...a broken pipe caused her water billlto spike...the city...wanting to colllct...sent her a 16 thousand dollar bill: anything, no one never came out...to check anything in that ground"they said she was using 5 thousand gallonssa day...enough to fill a swimming pool after only 3 days and it was happening for two years..er oldest son draining his finances to pay some of it -- 5 thousand dollars so his mom wouldn't lose her home.last month fox45 asked the city to investigate...and it turns out...the city broke hee ater line during construction.so tonight...how is the city makkng it up...to evelyn foster? foster?"the department of puulic works spent the entire day digging up evelyn's front yard, to make sure all of her pipes underground are fixed" the city has also promised to pay every dollar bbck to handd..evelyn says it's all sse ever wanted: wanted:"i feel good i really do, beeause i pray, i ppay to god, i didn't think it w

the term of a new five- year deal will be revealed on wednesday. back in december, the city terminated the contract with the race's former organizers, baltimore racingopment after the group failed to pay # $1.5 million they owe today the city. >> two washington boys are laid to rest a week after their father blew up their home. ♪ amazing grace. >> a public memorial was held today for charlie and braden. their father josh powell attacked the boy last with a hatchet before killing himself and his sons. he was also a person of interest in a disappearance -- in desperate need of a break are getting just that. the phone lines have been swamped since news broke that the state of maryland is part of a multibillion dollars foreclosure settlement. >> are you ready to get started. >> overnight the attorney general set up a phone bank. >> the conference room didn't have all of those phone or computers in it as of three days ago. >> in just the first day. >> during that 24 hour period or so, people called. >> we are getting more money now. >> nearly a billion dollars will help those in need helping those with foreclosures through bank of america. citigroup and

reggie's. >>> still ahead on "eyewitness news" saturday morning... >> the baltimore city police departments looking for a few good men and women for the force. do you have with a it takes? i will take you inside policerecruiting. >> yes, sir. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, >>> baltimore is in need of new police officers. a city in grater scrutiny of law enforcement has made entering the department selective and much more demanding. >> kai jackson gets inside access to the recruiting process. >> >> reporter: the baltimore city police department is looking for a few good men and women. >> the goal is to prepare these men and women to be the best police officers that we can make them. >> reporter: and they allowed wjz to get a glimpse into their world by sampling the process of becoming a cop. >> i am officially a rookie now right? >> reporter: there are roughly 3,000 officers on the force. number they recruit varies depending on retirement and needs. but it could be anywhere from 30 to 300 candidates. the starting salary is over 41,000 to a get your badge you first have to pass a background checkin 2010 nea

> mayor expected to finalize agreement with two operator -- new operator and the baltimore grand prix. the mayor said the cityuld announce terms and a deal wednesday. rawlings blake has not said who the city will be negotiating with. the city terminated the contract with baltimore racing development after they failed to pay $1.5 million they owed to the city. >>> temperature was 14 degrees and finally warm enough. >> what brought hundreds of people out and why they were able to pull this off. >>> tomorrow is valentines day, how you can turn up the heat in your relationship for the holiday. tips and things you need to know coming up in the health report on this monday, february 13th, that's a live look at amsterdam, ice in the river. you are watching good morning maryland. back in just a few moments. >>> 200 people braved the winter weather, on sundays for the city's snowball competition. the event had been postponed because of the severe cold gripping europe. when temperatures hit 14 degrees, officials said it's warm enough to participate. >> the u.s. got a taste of winter this weekend as well, a picturesque

joonson is an inmate at the baltimore city detention center suspected of using his cell send messagess. sweep forrcontraband at the jessup correctional institution with the country's first cell phone sniffing dog unit. officials say the dogs are part of the state's multi million dollar efforts to keep cell phones and other contraband out of the hands of inmates. 3 "it isn't just the dogs.. we have to have all these components.. technology, intelligence officers.. better staffing in certain reass.." areas..."experts say cell those inside lockups but it r - can also have grave consequences for those on the &poutside including witnesses i criminal cases. tonight, we've obtainnd shocking video of a city officer kicking and punching someonn. nowwthat officer is suspended. this videoocaptured by a city surveillance camera in 2010 shows officer donyyll briggs approaccing a norrh pulled over. then it appears the officer punches aad kicks ricky thomas. tonight the attorney for officer briggs says he was onny defending himself after thomas had pushed him to the ground - something the camera doe

i feel the state of maryland and the city of baltimore owes my wife and apology. >> they are still waiting for a response. >> i want closure for you. >> i am very simms. they would also like the city of baltimore to apologize to his wife, although he has not yet made a formal request. >> now, your insta-weather forecast with chief meteorologist tom tasselmyer. >> or rather mild valentine's day. the precipitation moving through today, just a few light sprinkle of rain. officially just a trace at the airport and the inner harbor. the los so far have not even gotten down to freezing. on this valentine's day, no threat of any wintry weather. in 1979, it was below zero, and in 1986, there were four inches of valentine's day and snow. northern sections of pennsylvania, pushing in new york state and new england, and just a couple of sprinkles and our region. the skies will gradually clear as we head toward morning. already some breaks in the cloud cover around baltimore and points south. by dawn, we should have partly cloudy skies. right now clouds are acting as a bit of a blanket. we are startin

explosions from the vehicle, but right now the traffic is totally closed northbound i-95, while the baltimore city fire department deals with this fire. >>> it will not make you feel better about this weekend possible, braden stands like the news when their ticket invoice for next season arrives. the ravens have announced they will not raise ticket prices next season. that is the third consecutive season without a price hike for the tickets. the schedule does not come out until april, but we know the team's the ravens will play at home next season. among the group, tom brady and the new england patriots. the nfl commissioner said in his state of the game press conference today he does not expect expansion to show up on the owners agenda this year, but indicated a steady and becomes viable in los angeles, he would favor to teams expansion of relocating current teams. sunday, the giants tried to repeat history, upstaging the super bowl. tom coughlin plans to work right up until kickoff preparing his players for the game. he will rest after the game, not before. in the process, he offered one of my f

the big eve. event. 3 new this morning...one stabbiin and ffve other shootings... make for one violent night in baltimore. that stabbing on erdmaa avenue in northeast baltimore. apparently there was an argument on a citylead to violence. the suspect is still on the loose this mmrning. then... in southeast baltimore, a 26-year old man was shot on mootford avenue... south of east monument street. he was sitting innfront of one of the homes when someone shot him seven times.he is in stable condition this morning. morning.four other shootings are scattered across the city on this map.we just got off the phone with policc and ccnfirmed that final shooting you see there in south baltimore. the sudden end to baltiiore. the sudden end to the ravens season and super bowl dreams leet everyone with a lot of questions.one of the biggest ones is what will happen billy cundiff?missed a kick that would have tied the game against the patriots... &psending it into overtime.the their kicker... and at the annual state f the ravens conference wednessaa... the owner did, too.two other big questions were also answered wednesday.the ravens made clear that running back ray pice and quarterback joe team. a soocer riot in egyp

the coast tonight. a strong cold front is heading for baltimore. the insta- >> coming up at 6:00, a big change in baltimore city, a critical position needs to be filled. another doomsday budget is being discussed in annapolis. what is that smell in hertford county? the incident that caused residents to call emergency fire crews. these stories and >> it is been a day of wild weather extremes. it was balmy in the south. the north was getting a real taste of winter with only three weeks left in the season. >> record warmth finally gave way to real winter weather in chicago on friday. half a foot of snow fell as residents were beginning to doubt they would see more of it. >> we have not had much snow this year. we just happen to have one more snowstorm. >> unhappy were thousands of travelers at o'hare airport facing hundreds of delayed or canceled flights. it was the same story across much of the midwest and great lakes with the leading edge of the winter storm reaching the northeast before daybreak. all but a far cry from the balmy weather that continues elsewhere, even in washington, d.c. >> i am happy with the t

the baltimore city police department would not confirm the urban legend, but believes carr does inspirenge in his community. >> i just think it's great that people are following someone that they believe in and choosing sports as opposed to crime and as opposed to violence. if we can taken a individual that inspires a community and neighborhood to choose a brighter path and not follow a career of violence, then it is a win/win for all, a win/win for the community, a win/win for police and a win for that person. >> feel great that i got a great talent that god gave me, like i'm just going to cherish it every moment i get. everything motivates me. every little thing that somebody says can motivate me. like if anything -- any negativity comes toward my way, i use that motivation. >> reporter: the junior point guard from patterson is one of the top-ranked prospects in the country, and also a youtube sensation. more than 3 million people have watched his jaw-dropping "are you kidding me" hoop mixedtape.com highlight reel. ♪ carr is already committed to seton hall. his dream, make it big in t

the state of the city. baltimoreor mayor rawlings- blake will give us a speech tomorrow. >> mcnamara is expected to talk tomorrow at around 2:30 in the afternoon. she expected to outline her other plans to improve baltimore. when mayor rawlings-blake delivers her third state of the city address, she will outline her plans to improve education and public safety as well as her goals to make a progress strong record >> i think they are equally important because they all fit in as components of what she announced early in her term would be the major focus of her administration which was to attract 10,000 new families to baltimore. >> political analysts say the increase could help the city make up for the approximately 30,000 people left between the previous two census report. >> crime statistics have dropped compared to previous years. but a spokesman says that she was to build on the numbers and will unveil their idea to make city streets safer. she is expected talk about her plans to cut the cities property tax from $2

the mayor's bill came before members of the baltimore city council along with the companion bill that would tie the bottle tax money to city school projects. the new 5 cent per bottle tax would increase the cost of your case of soda by a buck. >> everybody knows the schools need improvement but my goodness what have they been doing with the money they have. i thought there was money allocated for schools. where has that been going. >> i am not inflexible. if there are ways to strengthen the legislation to help level the playing field i am willing to take a look at those things. but at the end of the day, we need revenue on the table. >> next stop for both bills will be the council taxation finance and economic development committee. >>> and today, a senate committee will hear testimony on a bill to been a shark fin sales which are considered a delicacy and fins are cut from sharks at sea and they are thrown back into the water to die. environmentalist say overfishing is threatening a number of shark speeies and states ban shark fin sales and others are considering similar bans. >>> th

baltimore to grow. in 1990, there were more than 508,000 jobs in the city. by 2009, the city jobs plummeted to 384,840. the script has slipped in baltimore county. thangrew theire to more 505,000 in 2009. >> we need to internationalize the economy. >> the economist says the city needs to capitalize on its proximity to the court a -- port and bwi. >> what i would like to see is someone with a global profile and focus, something we have lacked in baltimore city. >> the future of the paint company site is an example of the challenges. it is being cleared to remove an eyesore. there is no plan for a company to take its place. >> the economist says the new chief should bring in a sense of transparency to the agency, something that has been an ongoing source of public criticism. i am jyane miller fofor wbal-tv 11 news. >> those putting the budget together want their colleagues to make a choice of cuts or tax increases. david collins is following that story from the state house. >> they certainly need a bigger table. everything remains on the table. in terms of tax

city hall with more on the story. >> they are trying to help them come to grips with the issue. property values in baltimore city have dropped by about 20% over the past three years. carl stokes listen to concern from residents and heard from some property-tax experts to help them figure out what was going on. he called a hearing last night where representatives from the state department of assessments and taxation explained how they came up with the numbers. >> so the assessor determines these values based on the sales that occurred, especially the residence properties on sales that occur from january to about september 30. >> there is a three-step appeals process that residents have to go throat if they do want to make an appeal. it has to happen within the first 45 days of getting their first property-tax assessments. we'll have more on the appeals process coming up live at 5:30. >> 51 degrees on tv hill. >> as soft-drink company is helping to ocean city stay liquid. >> returned to a large rodent to give us the long-term weather forecasts. it is groundhog day. >> health care for the homeless is holding t

. >> reporter: the baltimore city teacher's unit is being proactive about facebook and holding seminars to educate teachers. the seminars are packed with those who want to freshen up on what is appropriate and what is not. >> i think that posting information on the internet is inappropriate. i think it's a wonderful idea for parents and teachers to get to know each other. i don't think there's anything wrong with them becoming friends and communicating but not through the informal methods of the internet. e-mail is just fine. >> reporter: dr. bernard, the interim state superintendent of schools also recommends e-mails or face to face communication between parents and teachers. >> we are in a different age and folks are very used to friending each other and we understand that. as long as we safeguard the students and safeguard the teachers in that process, i think there might be a meeting where that might be able to work. >> reporter: jenny has triplets in high school and not ready to friend their teachers. >> i struggle with the current teachers because i just feel like i don't want to

force racing has the racial and financial management experience needed to make the event work in baltimore. earlier this ye the city terminated with baltimore racing development, after the group failed to pay $1.5 million owed to the city. this new deal includes protections to ensure the city receives the money it is owed. >> i think it is in the best interests for our local economy, and the city, that we move forward but move forward without any risks to taxpayers. >> that final contract with down force racing will be presented to the board of estimates next week. >> back in the newsroom a study finds the inaugural grd prix last year generated $47 million for the city. >> congress hopes to send president obama legislation to renew the payroll tax cut by the end of this week, details of an agreement to extend the tax cuts cut through the end of the year will go through today. it will extend it for 160 million amerans. >>> maryland same sex marriage bill is also one step closer to passing. last night two house committees passed the bill. that means the legislation moves on to the full house of delegates, where they

your help in tracking down the suspect. >> this kind of has been a problem for baltimore for a while. >> take a good look at the man in the surveillance picture. baltimore city police think he may be responsible for crimes in the canton area. >> in one of the incidents, we know he took credit cards and things of that nature from the vehicle. a short time later, he used them at a local business. >> yes, i am surprised. that is something you do with them baltimore. >> i guess i am concerned because i live around the area and i am in the area all lot. i am thinking about why they occurred and what i can do to make sure that it does not happen to me. >> you have people out here looking to do just does, break into your car and deprive you of your belongings. narc -- not only are your belongings gone, but now you have the problem of getting your vehicle fixed and replacing the things of that nature. >> secure your belongings before getting out of your car. take a step back and make sure that yourself on, gps, and other valuables cannot be seen from outside of your car. it will help keep you from being a target to thieves. drivers in the area, however, are not too