>> to say that this is a dangerous fire is a total understatement. >> a massive wildfire in california doubles in size overnight now threatening more than 12,000 homes. good afternoon, everyone. here is what people are talking about right now, wildfires raging out of control in california, including a big one, just about three miles outside of los angeles. it is the largest of eight fires burning throughout the state and it is responsible for the deathing of two firefighters. >> massive wildfires are devouring california from los angeles to sacramento. the largest is closing in on a vital communications center for the l.a. area threatening more than 20 tv transmitters, an astronomy center and about 12,000 homes. >> we have flames about one mile of the transmission towers on top of mount wilson. >> reporter: two firefighters died when their vehicle went off the side of the road. the flames have now chased thousands from their homes. >> and everyone is waiting. you don't know if it is going to burn your house or not. >> reporter: the topography proved especially challenging for firefighters. in these rugged foot littles, some of the brush hadn't burned in almost 6 -- 60 years. >> the firestorm was like a tornado of flames and beamers. -- embers. >> reporter: he decided to stay an protect his property. he saved his home, but lost just about everything else. >> and i expected this to be bad. i really did. i expected it to be bad, but it was 10 times what i expected. >> reporter: he says wait as life-changing experience, one he survived with the help of firefighters who risked their lives to save his property. but with so many fires still raging, the destruction is far from over. cbs news, california. >> the california governor arnold arm is touring the scorched areas today. a baltimore city police officer is hospitalized after a weekend car accident killed his son and his son's girlfriend up in pennsylvania. we are live in the news room with more on the victims and the crash. alex? >> reporter: 41-year-old michael jones sr. is listed in serious condition at shock trauma. his son was prosecute knownsed dead at hersey medical center. the young man's girlfriend was also declared dead at the scene. the baltimore city police say jones was driving southbound on i-81 between harrisburg when he lost control of his car in the rain. the teens are 2009 graduates of overly high school. michael jr. was in his freshman year at college and his girlfriend was about to join the marines. >> thank you a candlelight vigil will be held at 6:00 outside of the home. we'll have live coverage of that on eyewitness news at 6:00. bells are ringing in schools all across the area. howard county, baltimore county and baltimore city students are back in class. you can see here the halls filled with students trying to find their home rooms and their lockers, and 8 2,000 children in baltimore city alone are also back in class. it comes a at time when budgets are strapped and there is increasing scrutiny of student performance. we have more for you. >> reporter: what a beautiful day to start off this new school year, and we found so many students excited to be back, administrators are touting the addition of 800 full-time preconsistenter gar ten slots across the city and also the expansion of charter schools. >> is this your first day? >> this is my uniform. >> oh, and you look so nice. >> reporter: these are the scenes that played out across baltimore this morning. the break was over. students headed back to class. >> i'm just -- >> reporter: the city ceo has visited every school in the past week and has shared his goals with wjz. >> we want to improve attendance dramatically. especially in high school, the kids need to be in school. we went to improve our math schools, especially in the middle grades. >> reporter: at cross country elementary, it was time to greet old friends and make some new ones. >> and it is a new beginning, and i think it is going to be a better year than the last one. [ music ] >> reporter: jazz filled the air outside the new dunbar academy on orleans street which has undergone $28 million in renovations. >> the history of a great people is never written the one year or two years. we continue to make progress and, therefore, we're going to continue to make investments in our schools. it is critical if we're going to create the sorts of work force that we need to compete in science, technology, engineering and math, we have to invest in modern classrooms. >> reporter: it is a new beginning for the more than 80, 000 student ins the city and the mayor aformer teacher herself, had this message for them. >> whatever doubts you have, use it as a form of strength to help you to succeed, 20 be focused, and to know that you are not only gifts of god, but you have greatness inside of you. >> reporter: the american fedderration of teachers' president is also touring several schools in baltimore today. the city is one of eight places nationwide she'll be visiting. in northwest baltimore, wjz, eyewitness news. >> dunbar looks great and complete coverage continues at 5:00 and 6:00. we'll take you to baltimore and howard counties that started school today. the legal wrangling in the city hall probe continues. the mayor was indicted for improperly -- the indictments were improperly slewed by the prosecutors. a new motion just filed, the prosecutors say the subpoenas did not produce new evidence or testimony so the defense doesn't need to see them. the mayor dixon is accused of stealing gift cards intended for needy families and lying about gifts from her former boyfriend, a former city developer. we continue to remember the impact that senator ted kennedy had on our community. we have reaction from the baltimore resident katherine kennedy tow send. >> today art national cemetery is open to the public. senator kennedy is now buried 100 feet from his slain brothers john and robert. today robert kennedy's daughter, former maryland lieutenant governor is sharing her memories of her late uncle. she says she remembers not only the public life she grew up with, but also plenty of family times. >> and i remember being with my uncle teddy and my father, and it was the three of us and i was was just dead weight on the sail, and i had to be up at the bow of the boat just getting wet for four straight hours. >> and miss townsend says her oping l was an inspiration who kept fighting despite tragedy and his own shortcomings. back to you. >> thank you so much. in other news, one person is killed and two others rescued after two boats collide. 47-year-old rick henson was killed in a crash that occurred around 6:00 last night near thomas point a man and his daughter on the other boat were both thrown into the waterment they were rescued by people nearby. we'll have a live update on this investigation coming up new on eyewitness news at 5:00. even though the schools are open, summer is not officially over yet and ocean city is popular well into the fall and even the winter months. ocean city's mayor came to wjz talking about the fun that is being planned for this labor day weekend at the resort town. >> labor day weekend is a traditionally a very good weekend. there will be -- there are still a lot of say can ?is ocean city. it is a great dime to come because the prices have come down. you might have heard, things have dropped a little bit. it is a good time to come if you haven't visited or if your kids aren't in school yet, this is is a great time to come the ocean city. >> and a little easier to get into the busy restaurants, too. a free concert is scheduled for this saturday night. september may start tomorrow, but it feels like august is already history. outside right now, it is cool, sunny. it kind of feels like fall out there. we have weather and traffic together. we have the updated numbers. >> how are you doing? >> at noon today, in this city, it wasn't even 70 degrees. it is more like the end of september instead of the beginning of september. radar showing a little bit of rain still going on across the extreme southeastern sections of m.d., right along the beaches, ocean city, we have light rain. it is beginning to move out and it will eventually clear the region tonight. just about everybody tomorrow and pretty much the rest of the week should have mostly to partly sunny skies an very comfortable temperatures. take a look at -- we'll take a look at the numbers. >> thank you. let's check on the roads now at wjz traffic control. hello. >> reporter: hello, everyone. we were over the scene of our latest accident. we have that in the hartford county area that was at mountain road and singer road. apparently that involved an sov so, so here is the footage of that will right now. still working on getting all of that cleaned up. as for as other accidents go, we do have some delays to talk about. they are on the north side of the inner loop. if you are traveling on the north side seeing slowing, that is from green spring avenue, about five minutes to get through there. the inner loop is sluggish as you approach security beefed. some slowing as you can see by our speed center and back to 95, no reported problems so far. we did have a slight slowdown at white marsh beefed up to the beltway. in baltimore city acouple of accidents there at edmonton avenue. east lombard at south president and annapolis road. now let's take a live look here 95 south at 895. as you can see, no current delays. if you have suffered a personal injury, call 1-800-the-firm or visit the cochranfirm.com for your free consultation. now back to you. >> thank you. the legacy of britain's princess diana lives on even on this 12th anniversary of her death. we report for wjz that royal insiders say the royal family is grooming a 27-year-old kate middleton to become england's next princess. >> reporter: when princess diana died 12 years ago, it was hard to imagine anybody could compare to the woman known as the people's princess. but now her son's long-time girlfriend kate middleton is reportedly being groomed to follow in the late princess' footstep dos royalty. >> i don't think kate's going to conspiracy the shock that die ana had when she went straight into the royal family. >> reporter: the sources say people here at buckingham palace are teaching kate middleton how to with a princess. she help --she is learning things like how to meet heads of state and greet guests and also how to handle the papparazzi. the critics wonder whether the 27-year-old middleton is too common to care cry off the royal role. >> if they get married, kate middleton, kate middle class, is going to be the queen of england one day. >> reporter: royal rumors are buzzing that prince william may be getting ready to pop the question after the couple spent a romantic holiday at an exclusive ireland resort. >> at the moment, the summer of 2010 and 2011 is clear, so either could be potential dates for a wedding. >> reporter: the country and the world may be ready for a new princess, but the royal family seems determined to make sure that princess will be ready for this world. charlie tag atta, wjz, eyewitness news. >> i can't believe they call her kate middle class. for a limited time, guests can view hundreds of arty facts of princess diana and, of course, her famous dresses. still ahead on wjz's eyewitness news at 4:00, cigarettes and heart disease. a new study has the warning for even the lightest smokers. jo a little boy takes police on a wild ride. wait until you hear why he did it. abdoesn't in the 2002 and found in 2003. now the main suspect in the elizabeth smart case may not stand trial for the crime. and it is a really mild end to august that's putting it lightly. we're going to have your updated first warning forecast coming up! this fiber? i'd had my fill. then i found miralax. announcer: miralax is the only brand clinically proven to relieve constipation with no harsh side effects. you'll see. it's clearly different. restore your body's natural rhythm with miralax. >> big trouble for a 9-year-old boy in indiana. he is arrested after leading police on a wild chase in his parents' car. you're not going to believe why. take a look first. the police recorded this video of the chase. at one point the little boy was driving 80 miles per hour. the chase went on for miles before he was stopped. he stole the car because he was angry at his mom for saying it was time for him to come in for the rest of the night. and the autopsy is still in for what killed the celebrity deejay. a crack pipe and prescription medications were found inside the apartment. gold steen is a recovering addict. he survived a plane crash that killed four people just about a year ago in south carolina. he was 36 years old. in tonight's health watch report, heart disease, you can get it from smoking cigarettes or just from breathing in someone else's smoke. we report for wjz, a new study shows just how deadly even a few cigarette as day can be. >> he is taking a break from work to light up. >> reporter: in. >> in the back of my mind, i know it is a bad thing. >> reporter: and he has a 10-a- day has been it. she smokes five. >> i'm not going to be 20 a day. >> reporter: but a new study has a warning even for light smokers. it shows that less than three cigarettes a day is too many and can increase your risk to die from heart disease and stroke we 60%. >> everyone knows that smoking is bad for you, but these statistics enormous. >> reporter: it decreases the good cholesterol and con stricts the blood vessels. the study looked at the smoking habits of more than a million adults. >> for those of you out there who smoke a pack or a more a day, it is a 100% increased risk. >> reporter: the study also shows that air pollution and second-hand smoke increase your chances for cardiovascular disease by 50%. >> if you quit smoking, you're not only going to help yourself, but those around you. >> it is something that it had really wants to do. >> i want to be around to enjoy my kids when they get older. >> reporter: researchers are hoping this latest evidence will be a wake-up call for smokers like blaine. wjz, eyewitness news. >> and heart disease remains the number one killer of people in the u.s. >> it was a bit of a slow start this week on wall street. [ bell tolls ] investors are concerned about the negative movement in overseas markets. the dow down 47 points today and the s&p ended up down just about eight points and the nasdaq down around 19 points. >> let's go to new york right now. we have tonight's cbs money watch update. >> the walt disney company is buying marvel entertainment. the price tag is $4 billion in cash and stock, which buys disney 5,000 new characters, including super heroes like spiderman, ironman and the fantastic four. the studio hinted at plans to bring some of marvel's less known characters to the big screen. the announcement sent the marvel stock up 25%, but the rest of the market didn't do so well. the stocks dropped sharply on foreign exchains overnight and the selling continued here on wall street even so, it has been the market's best august since 2000. southwest airlines is scrambling to keep its planes in the air. the company got in trouble with regulators for using unapproved parts on more than 80 jets. aviation officials gave southwest until tuesday to replace the parts, but the airline has finished less than half the repairs. regulators are threatening to ground flights if the work isn't done by tomorrow. there is more evidence today of hard times in the magazine business where the consumers still watching their pennies, more are skipping the news stands and getting their information on line. magazine sales dropped 12% in the first half of the year for single copies. the bestseller, still "coughs metropolitan." >> log on to cmoneywatch.com for more information. there is a party of 13 at the international space station today. the crew from the shuttle discovery threw open their hatch today to greet the crew that was already there and mission control gave a shout out on a fantastic job docking the shuttle. the rendezvous was more difficult than normal. it will spend a week at the orbiting complex where the astronaut also perform three space walks. straight ahead on wjz eyewitness news at 4:00, the original member of the rolling stones. and the u.s. military says the situation there is deteriorating, and it is mild and dry for the last day of august. get your updated, first warning forecast! >> a beautiful day out there, bob. i actually had to wear a sweatshirt when i got up. it was coul. >> many suburban areas with 56, 57 degrees. it hasn't been that cold in really some time. it is possible tomorrow night we'll see upper 40s, and it hasn't been that cold since early june, so we have some chilly nights and beautiful days. a lot of sunshine, a few clouds here and there. take a look at the temperatures now, it is called mostly sunny skies. there is the warmest i have seen it today. 74. a normal high today is at 82 degrees, and the last day of august, dew point at 53. north winds very light. 30.12 inches right now. it is holding steady. around the region, just very pleasant. clouds and light rain showers around ocean city. that's moving out by about 8:00 or 9:00 tonight. it should just be rather cloudy and by tomorrow, even down to the beaches, and i do expect to see sunny to partly sunny skies. most of the region will have sunshine. 68 in oakland and 49 this morning. the dew point low at 53. the local region, low 70s. kent island only come flag at 69 degrees. the bay temperatures are still pretty warm, upper 70s. al light north and we're seeing a northeast breeze in the region. some clouds, mostly from d.c. down to ocean city and during the day they tend to move off to the east-southeast. now look at the scattered light clouds, not a big deal and overnight tonight generally clear. beautiful weather over the great lakes, chicago, milwaukee, detroit. here on the east coast, the cooler weather and the showers, offshore now and it is moving away. clearing conditions tonight and tomorrow. most of the region should have a really, really nice day tomorrow. as the high pressure builds in, pleasant weather. now, during the end of the week you had to move offshore. it will start to warm up and also a few more clouds by the end of the week, but the temperatures are not going to be extreme. lucky if we get to 80 to tell you the truth. northeast winds 10 to 15 knots. tonight, very, very pleasant. we're talking 55 to the low 60s. clear to partly cloudy skies. tomorrow, sunny to partly sunny. jaw few clouds around actually. upper 70s is. a very pleasant tuesday. great way to start school. it feels just like school should be starting. >> yeah, it does. >> i'm starting to think about camping. maybe i should start a campfire and roast marshmallows. >> not a bad idea. >> thank you. just a remind tore be sure to tune in to cbs's prime time lineup. at 10:00, the hit drama "c.s.i. miami," and that is immediately followed by eyewitness news at 11:00. still to come on wjz's eyewitness news at 4:00, more details emerging about the hidden life of jaycee dugard. should every newborn boy should be circumcised? and an unprecedented trial a high school sports coach charged with the heat stroke death of one of his players. and the police in georgia find a horrific scene afamily of eight murdered inside their mobile home. can the sole survivor help point the finger at the shooter? eyewitness news contin seem smooth and strong to irreversible damage. no different. irreversible loss of enamel. enamel shield enamel loss by forming against acid attack. toothpastes dentists check most. save your enamel. be gone for good. enamel shield. with the rinse. >> it is 4:29. 74 degrees an mostly sunny. hello and thanks for staying with eyewitness news. >> and here is what people are talking about. >> a mass murder in georgia has police stumped. the detectives are discussing few details about their investigation, even as they release the 911 tapes which came in after the seven bodies were found. >> everybody good. >> when the 911 call, guy hines jr. describe as horrifying scene inside this georgia mobile home. >> my whole family is dead. it looks like they have been beaten. >> the 22-year-old says he came home early saturday morning to find nothing but dead bodies. >> how many people are there, your dad, who else is there? >> my dad -- my uncle, my cousins. >> after taking a closer look, hines realized one of his cousins is alive. >> my cousin, i think michael is breathing. he is breathing. >> when the police arrive, they actually found two people clinging to life. 19-year-old michael toler later died at a savannah hospital, one of eight people killed. the lone survivor remains in critical condition, besides toler, the police aren't releasing the names of any other victims and they're closely guarding the details of the case. hines was arrested for suspicious of tampering with evidence, lying to police, and illegal possession of drugs. the officers aren't calling him a suspect, but they also aren't ruling him out. they still don't know who the killer is, and that has residents here on edge. >> of course they're very upset, very nervous, until the killers are located. >> police are not discussing motive. they hope a $25,000 reward will help them get some answers. joel brown, wjz, eyewitness news. and, again, the sole surviving victim of the attack is listed in critical condition. >> we're learning new details about the trauma a young woman endured during the 18 years she was held captive in california. we have the story from the news room. adam? >> reporter: we now know that jaycee dugard who was living in plain view who was likely brainwashed or terrified. she worked at the printing business that her alleged captor ran from home. the customers say they knew jaycee and alissa and they believed she was his daughter. she would work as an assistant, but the neighbors say they didn't see dugard, but they did see two other young girls on the property, those girls ages 11 and 15, are jaycee's daughter whose are allegedly fathered by that suspect. thank you. the kidnappers grabbed jaycee from a bus stop when she was 11 years 'ol. the 29-year-old has been reunited with her family and that was just last week. the competency hearing is scheduled in the suspect of the man in the elizabeth smart case. doctors have diagnosed mitch well a rare delusional disaired. his estranged wife also faces charges in connection with the abduction. smart was kept in captivity for nine months before she was returned to her family. >> and the football coach charged with the death of one of his players, the trial begins ted. the prosecutors say the coach's actions led to the teen's death from heat stroke. >> reporter: outside jason's home, dozens of his supporters rallied, on the eve of the head coach's unprecedented trial. >> across down at a local sunday football game, the teens competed and the parents debated. should a local coach go to prison for the death of one of his players. >> football is a rough sport and the coaches drive their kids hard. >> and there's not a lot of kids who say i have to stop now and have a drink of water and the coach doesn't allow it. >> reporter: a year ago this month, the so much moore died from complications of heat stroke. he had run wind splints until he dropped on a hot summer do, but the player's father blames the coach for his 15-year-old's death [because it was totally preventable and he was in charge >> reporter: continueson has denied being reckless. >> one thing people came to forget in this whole situation is i lost one of my boys out there that day. >> reporter: but even after he collapsed, the witnesses say other players asked for water and the coach called them cowards. -- cowards. >> this is an adult human being who had training who was responsible for the health and welfare of a child. >> reporter: the coach faces two charges and potentially five years in prison. his lawyers will argue that the death was terrible accident, but nothing more, but this case will also put part of football's culture on trial, whipping a team into shape. cbs news, louisville, kentucky. >> an investigation by the local school district ruled out wrongdoing by the coach. supporters and fellow coaches have helped raise $90,000 for his defense fund. police say a toyota suv or a pick-up truck missing a grill hit the women while they crossed capitol avenue in silver spring around 10:00 on saturday. the investigators believe the vehicle dragged the women close to more than 100 feet and then ran one over. the police need help finding the driver who fled. the doctors say the woman's injuries are serious, but not life threatening. a big question for years, now the circumcision debate is brew flag the federal government. they are considering across-the- board recommendation for infant circumcisions. the cdc is expected to weigh in. and if and when a final report is released, the cdc's final recommendation also be completely voluntary. colleges and universities across the neighs are gearing up for a possible outbreak of the h1n1 flu, also known as the swine flu, colleges such as the university of pled m.d. are doubling their efforts to keep students both healthy and safe. >> some colleges are already seeing an outbreak of the h1n1 flu as the students return to the dorms t r. at the university of kansas, there are 200 suspected cases. 100 cases at the university of tennessee, and more than 50 cases reported at the university of alabama. >> every time i see somewhere, i can wash my hands. i'm pretty careful what i touch. >> reporter: at the university of maryland, students are getting a crash course on hygiene, the moment they arrive on campus. >> we want students not to attend class if they're not -- if they're feeling ill, and we have asked them to prepare food kits for themselvess so they can have nourishment and fluids and fear medications in their own residences. >> reporter: other schools are handing out hand sanitizer and even teaching cough etiquette. >> we're trying to get folks to recognize that they need to be prepared. >> reporter: experts say students, faculty and staff who feel any flu symptoms should isolate themselveses in their dorm rooms or home. this could help prevent the flu from person to person. >> there is a feeling of autumn in the air. even though the calendar says august, bob is here with the updated numbers from first warning weather. bob? >> just like on a perfectly scheduled day, the first day of school feels like the first of september although it is technically august. tomorrow by the way is officially the end of summer. in are a few showers across the extreme southeast portions of the region. they're moving out. really, for the balance of the week, it looks like most of us will have very pleasant temperatures and mostly sunny skies. all in all, a great start. >> hi, everyone. the earlier accident that we had, it has been cleared. traffic getting by just fine. if you are traveling on the 95 corridor. we do have slowing. that's from the beltway on the northeast side, 95 southbound. the accident on the left-hand shoulder. moving over to the inner loop, stop and go from green spring avenue to falls road, a on the west side, inner loop heavy from baltimore national pike past security boulevard. lit take you about 10 minutes to get through. plenty of brake lights as you approach the ramp. in baltimore city, one accident remaining there. take is east lombard street. let's take a live look at green spring avenue just before the delay and the west side at baltimore national. this traffic report is brought to you by subway. play the games millions have won. scrabble at subway. you can win a $100,000 jackpot or a toyota pri yous hybrid. play scrabble at subway where winners eat. >> thank you very much. there is party of 13 at the international space station for only the second time ever. the crew from the shuttle discovery threw open the hatch today to greet the crew already there. mission control gave a special shout-out to the commander on a fantastic job of docking the shuttle. and it the rendezvous was nor difficult than normal because some thrusters were shut down. the astronauts will perform three space walks. boy, they were delayed so many times. they finally get to take off. >> and i hope they have double the appetizers. 13 is a lot of people to serve for dinner in the shuttle! >> four of -- the original guitarist for the rolling stones drowned years ago, why the british police are taking another look at brian jones' death. >> the soldiers, more are fighting in afghanistan than ever before and sources say the situation there is deteriorating. >> get your updated forecast >> get your updated forecast coming up! 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[ female announcer ] swiffer wet cloths clean better than a mop with new cleansers that attract dirt deep into the cloth and lock it away. new swiffer wet cloths clean better, or your money back. ♪ love stinks! >> a city worker in massachusetts was struck and killed while on the job. the 35-year-old victim was repairing a water main break when he was hit. the man was wearing a refleck ty vest on the time and the lites on the water department pick-up truck were flashing. the driver of the car suffered non-fatal injuries in the accident. >> more money is needed to investigate the crash oh of an air france plane that killed 228 people own the atlantic ocean. the search could cost tens of millions of dollars. the investigators still don't know exactly where the airbus jet flying from rio to paris crashed and the cause of the june 1 accident. a libyan official confirms the man convicted of the locker bee bombing is in the hospital. it shows the convicted bomber lay flag a hospital bed in libya. the man was released from a scottish prison on compassionate grounds after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. he was convicted of bombing pan am flight 183 killing more than 270 people, most of them americans. families of victims from the locker bee bombing have criticized the decision to free him. government officials also deny rumors that a lucrative oil deal with libya contributed to scotland's decision. the cbs news correspondent wounded in afghanistan will soon return to the u.s. for treatment. her condition is being evaluated at an army base in germany and will be thrown to walter reed medical center in washington earlier this week. the armored vehicle she was in was struck by an explosive. it has been nearly eight years since the u.s. invaded afghanistan and the number of soldiers there has swelled. as we report, so has the number of soldiers and marines killed in action. >> reporter: august, 2009 is the deadliest month yet for u.s. forces in afghanistan. a record 46 soldiers died this month, including an american soldier who was killed friday by a roadside bomb. more than 50,000 u.s. troops are in afghanistan battling the taliban. the top u.s. military officer admits the situation is deteriorating. >> the taliban insurgency has gotten better, more sophisticated. their tactics, just in my recent visits in talking with our troops certainly indicate that. >> the military will give a better assessment in the coming weeks. it's not clear whether more troop also be requested, but what is clear is the dwindling public support of the nearly eight-year war. a recent "washington post"-abc news poll shows more than half of hearns say the battle is not worth fighting for. president obama had hoped that recent elections would indicate some progress in the country, but it has been more than a week since the voters went to the polls and there is still no clear cut winner. >> one candidate must win 51% of the vote to avoid a run-off election and the president karzai currently leads the race, but his top competitor is claiming fraud. >> i don't trust. >> reporter: so far there are nearly 700 major fraud complaints. the fear now is the longer it takes to investigate each case, the more time it will be until afghanistan see as new, possibly more stable government. in washington, wjz eyewitness news. the u.s. has some 60,000 troops in afghanistan and plans to send some 6,000 more by the end of the year. three texas fishermen who had been miss faring a week have been discovered alive. the trio were stranded on a boat 200 miles from land when a good samaritan vessel spotted them saturday. the boaters had only crackers and fish to eat. they say it was the fresh water stored in their boat that allowed them to strive. >> we had a fresh water tank that had 30 gallons on it. when i turned the nozzle, it was fresh water and curt grabbed the end and cut it off and sucked on it and we had fresh water. so we had 30 gallons. >> the boaters also endured blisserring heat, scares from sharks and ha laos neighs, but they say they never gave up hope. the 79-year-old founder of the christian broadcasting network is resting at his home in virginia. the program airs in 100 languages. the flagship program, the 700 club talk show reaches one million households a day. the british police aflounced need they're reviewing the drowning death of brian jones. the 1969 accident was ruled an accident but sharked decades of speculation that he was murdered. two books claim he was murdered by a london builder who was hired to renovate his home. the builder confessed on his death bed. behind the scenes anew fall lineup. we have more from hollywood. coming up on "entertainment tonight," witches, vampires and the visionons of "melrose place." they are the sexy new prime time stars, but are they too hot for tv? >> reporter: east wick turns up the heat with its three bewitching ladies in the new issue of "tv guide" magazine on stands thursday. the "vampires' diaries," and they get cozy with the vampire brother. >> it is not too bad. they're great guys and talented actors and they're not hard on the eyes either. >> reporter: "melrose place," and also tonight, liza opens up to "e. t." about michael jackson and, plus, as edward kennedy was laid to rest, we have the book that jackie o. never wanted you to see. that and more coming up later on "entertainment tonight." >> that is at 7:30 here on wjz. >> a swiss tight rope walker completes a feat. he walked over 3200 feet on a cable car line to the top the mountain. more tan 1,000 people watched as the 44-year-old man made his climb without a harness using only a balancing pole to make the unusual journey. i understand he did it to raise money for charity. >> that's fantastic. >> i wonder where the came was. >> much more comfortable weather is here. boy, is it. how can will it stick around? >> the forecast is coming up right after this >> it was a quick trip for me taking the trash down to the curb this morning. >> it was shocking. >> it feels just like school should be starting, and, darn it, it is starting. perfect, perfect weather to get the first week of school over with before labor day. right now labor day is shaping up to be -- it will be probably pretty good. things can change. now it looks good. >> the temperatures, a very pleasant afternoon, 74 that is the warmest i have seen it so far. the dew point is still low at 53. very comfortable light north winds. around the state now, and we had rain this afternoon. it is 75 down there. 67 in oakland. tonight oakland will be down around 45 degrees. there morning, it was 49. if you're heading out that way, it is chilly. 74 many places an it is a huge -- there is a huge fly in the studio. hopefully i won't follow it. and that has happened. 71 in bell air. 70 in west plainster. kent island at 70. just great temperatures. so comfortable. a light north and northeast wind around the region. there are some clouds. we saw most of them this morning and they finally moved off to the south and southeast. a lot of sunshine, an then a few scattered clouds to the west of us. very, very clear. even portions of virginia, big breaks. the heaviest cloud cover from ocean city down and east of the beaches and southern delaware that is also going to be moving out. as this low pressure along the stalled front continues to head out, takes the rain and clouds with it. the high pressure builds in, some very nice temperatures all week long. our normal high tomorrow is 82. we're probably going to stay in the mid to upper 70s. so really pleasant conditions as the high pressure that came in from canada. sits over the great lakes. we'll still see a northerly wind until this high begins to move off late wednesday and thursday, just continued. by the end of the week, slightly warmer temperatures, just plain around 80ened a few more clouds possible by the end of the week. northeast winds, 10 to 15 knots. the bay temperature still nice and warm. sunrise 6:35. and tonight afew clouds around from time to time, but look at the temperatures, mid 50s. many places, low 60s downtown tomorrow. all in all abeautiful day. september 1, 82, a high tomorrow around 78. and tomorrow night, it is going to clear out. we're going to get down to maybe upper 40s to low 50s many areas. so wednesday morning is going to be the coolest night we have seen since early june. beautiful fall conditions. >> i should say. >> it is not fall yet. >> well, unofficially, meet logical summer ends tonight at midnight. meet logical fall begins tomorrow. >> okay, bob. thank you. >> still to come on eyewitness news tonight. >> and wjz eyewitness news at shock trauma. a baltimore city police officer is here in serious condition after an automobile accident that kills his son and his that kills his son and his so ts box is what i need to control my diabetes, to stay healthy - and get on with my life. it comes from liberty medical. and now, it's not only where i get my diabetes testing supplies - but it's where i get my prescription drugs as well. see if you're on medicare, the cost of your diabetes testing supplies as well as your prescription drugs may be covered. liberty takes care of all the paperwork with medicare and sends the prescription forms directly to your doctor for approval. then, on your schedule, packs up this box and sends it right to your door with no charge for shipping. and liberty assures you have everything you need to manage your diabetes, including most brand name meters. call now and we'll send you a free meter. plus, a free cookbook when you join. call liberty. they can help you live a better life. call the number on your screen. coming up next, summer's over and students are going back to the classroom. two boats collide leaving a man dead and an entire neighborhood here in glen burnie grieving. that's coming up on eyewitness news. raging flames are burning out of control in california and the tense of thousands of homes the threatened and check in for these stories on eyewitness news at 5:00. school bells are ringing and tens of thousands are heading back to class today. >> how leaders are hoping this is going to raise the bar for everyone across the state. here's what people are talking about tonight. >> improving attendance, test scores and the drop out rate. all are critical for baltimore city schools. mike hellgren has the school watch program. >> reporter: wjz spoke to the leaders about the city schools and the