we zoom in one more time and you can see tdoes include on the western part. this is what we're concerned with. this is the different forecast models. even if it stays out to sea, at best, we can expect wind gusts up to tropical storm force. and beach erosion. and squally weather along these beaches. at worst would be if it were to take more of a western track stronger west relief. there's a cold front coming in. and that is what ultimately will turn us back out to the east. if that front gets in here earlier, it keeps it over the water and kicks it up quicker. it will allow this to get colder to the coast. and that's going to cause more problems for us. we'll keep you updated and have a full forecast coming up shortly. live first warning weather coverage continues with mike hellgren and more on how maryland leaders are getting ready. it all comes down to that track. and you heard bernadette with all of that new information. whatever happens, though, it is essential to have a plan in place and government leaders in maryland say that is exactly what they have. the government -- governor spoke today about the possibility of an evacuation in ocean city. and what's happening beyond that. after roaring through the caribbean. hurricane earl began to menace the eastern sea board, heading closer to maryland. recent rough weather has created dangerous conditions on the beach. with five rescues and one death. the governor met with his emergency management team today but is not willing to call evacuations for the busy labor day weekend. >> nobody wants to scare people away with that reason. but at the same time, in a few hours, i think we'll have the information we need so we can advise people. >> from retailers to tourists, people are closely watching earl's tracks. >> we are monitoring the situation are have close wily. we have a heightened awareness. and should it be necessary, we'll take protective mitigation effort. >> are these necessary? i'll close my gates. >> we have to be on guard. in 2003, the powerful isabel left damage. >> itterrible. >> more than 200 storms. >> what's going to happen is going to happen. hopefully we're prepared for it. >> all along the over east coast, preparations are under way. to put people in supplies under way. >> we encourage folks to be prepared at any time. and of course, with the storm coming, there's no better time than now to check your supplies and do you have an emergency plan. >> a slight change in track could make a huge difference in a powerful storm. could have a damaging impact on maryland. >> we've talked to all of our state agencies, maryland department, transportation state police. and making sure they're ready to go in case they're needed. >> the federal government is also deeply involved in dealing with the preparations for this storm. and that includes a lot of communication with the white house which has reached out to people. >> remember, wjz is always on. for the latest on the storm,forecast updates, and live doppler radar any time, go to wjz.com. just days before the anniversary. the september 11th attacks. an investigation under way into two men rehearsing a terrorist plot. charlie d'agata reports. exchanges in the flight plan spark suspicions. >> a passenger cell phone captured the moment dutch police arrested two terror suspects. the men triggered a security scare on a flight from chicago to amsterdam on monday. investigators are looking into whether the suspects were carrying out a dry run for a terror attack. >> the men are held in custody, on suspicion of a conspiracy to a terrorist criminal act. in a few days, it will be made public. and they will be charged. >> reporter: u.s. officials raise the alarm, after coming across suspicious items on one of the men's checked baggage. seven cell phones, one bound to a bottle of pepto-bismol. they also found several watches strapped together, boxcutirs, and -- boxcutters, and three large knives. >> any time you have cell phones taped to bottles, and digital watches that can be triggering devices, that sounds, per se, like something you'd want to know about. >> the who white house said the men were not on any u.s. terror watch list. muslim leaders warn against jumping to conclusions. >> if it's just a case of cell phone and anti-acid, well, that's kind of not really good enough. >> reporter: but that wasn't all. investigators also wondered why both men made last-minute changes to their flight and ended up in the same row on the plane to amsterdam. u.s. authorities are checking out leads in detroit, alabama, and tennessee. under dutch law, the men can be held without charges for six days. in london, charlie d'agata, wjz eyewitness news. >> a u.s. law enforcement official says the men did not have banned items in their carry-on luggage. there's a new safety concern for air travelers tonight. more planes in our region have been dangerously close to midair collisions. wjz is live at b wi marshall airport. the adam -- adam may explains the reason behind the risk. >> reporter: the federal aviation administration is reviewing this growing problem. some experts fear it's a disaster waiting to help. earlier this summer, near d.c., a united airlines flight came within 15 seconds of colliding with a private plane. one of at least 45 near midair collisions. that set a record, including bwi thurgood marshall. >> something that is going to happen more and more because the air traffic control system is a perfect relic of the 1960s. understaffed, overworked, and undereequipped. >> the air traffic control center was established in 2003. that led to a loss of local air traffic controllers in baltimore. outraging their union, critical of the regional plan. >> the faa, their favorite line used to be safety was never compromised. but i believe one day, when something does happen, the only thing they'll be able to say is at least you saved a buck. >> reporter: last year, a midair collision killed nine people in new york. and a near miss involving a continental airlines and private airline in march is currently under investigation by the ntsb. some claim the newer regional air traffic control centers are being mismanaged. >> as far as i'm concerned, this whole thing is the titanic. and it's my fear they're not going to recognize it until the two big airplanes actually make contact. and i think it's inevitable. >> reporter: now, another possible reason for this could be a new faa policy. it allows air traffic controllers to report problems without fears of retaliation. so more of this could be coming to life. reporting live at bwi thurgood marshall, adam may, wjz eyewitness news. >> the faa denied wjz's request for an interview, but they told the washington post, plane crash deaths areat an all- -- are at an all-time low. >> police have identified a body found over the weekend. it was discovered sunday night in the 7300 block of berk hire road. -- berkshire road. police now say the victim is 16- year-old kendrick long. the investigation into his death is ongoing. and detectives say they do not suspect foul play. >> breaking news now in perry hall, baltimore county. sky eye chopper 13 is over the scene of the accident. let's go to captain mike perry with more. >> reporter: nasty collision in whitemarsh, kai. this occurred about 4:45. baltimore county police and paramedics were called to a personal injury accident, with rescue. we know one adult male is going to be rescued to shock trauma. he has been removed from the vehicle. you see paramedics attending to him at this point. it's not clear whether there is another vehicle involved. but as you can see, honey go boulevard at brok well is closed in both directions. this is north of the mall. you expect delays. you can see the maryland state medivac helicopter on the scene. that's the reason it is closed. baltimore county police are investigating. >> thank you, captain mike perry, reporting live. an elderly woman, sexually assaulted inside her own home. right now, police in ann ark rund -- ann arundil -- anne arundel county are searching for the person responsible. derek? >> reporter: police planning a very heavy presence in that glen burnie community over the next coming days, after an attack that really has left some of the people in that neighborhood outraged and others on edge. glen burnie's country club estates neighborhood. >> everybody is talking about it. >> neighbors sickened by news that a man forced his way into an 83-year-old woman's house and then raped her, just after 1:00 monday morning. >> an 83-year-old woman. what does an 83-year-old woman possibly have for you? you know? it is just scary. makes no sense. >> and it's very scary. because you don't know if there's somebody in the neighborhood or somebody roaming the neighborhood. >> everybody just needs to be aware. there's a lot of little kids in this neighborhood. and if they would do that to an elderly lady, they could do it to an elderly child or anyone. >> reporter: after getting called about the attack, police immediately came out and tried searching for the suspect. they even brought their dog out to try to pick up on their suspect's scent that he was able to get away. >> the suspect in this case is being described as a white male, in his early to mid20s. with some sort of dark-colored scarf over his face. also wearing long pants in a dark-colored sweatshirt. >> that's not much for investigators to go on. meanwhile, neighbors are warning each other to lock their doors and leave their lights on. >> i always thought about this as a very exclusive neighborhood. >> all of them hoping the culprit is caught. >> let's just throw away the key. >> reporter: police have already been handing out flyers in that neighborhood, as they ask for the public's help in solving this case. anyone with information is urged to contact anne arundel county police. derek val court, wjz-- val could you recall, wjz eyewitness news. >> police say it is a good time to remind people to keep your doors, windows, gates and fences locked, as much as possible. they say plenty of exterior lighting can also be a deterrent to all criminals. it's dry, hot and sunny in maryland. clear skies as we move into the evening. bob turk is in the first warning center. >> we ended this month again on a very hot note. temperatures running about 10 degrees. still at 93. still 97 in cumberland. 95, elkton. 94 in washington. today's dew point, a few degrees higher than it was yesterday. just a slight increase in humidity. for the most part, cloud-free. now, the same kind of weather pattern, will be with us again tomorrow. and probably much of the day on thursday as well. it means a lot of sunshine. and not much in the way of wind. because of that, we still have for at least the rest of the afternoon, and again tomorrow, an air quality alert. for poor air quality. particularly during the hot afternoon sun hours, from noon to 5:00, 6:00. particularly along the metropolitan. if you have compromised lungs, asthma, whatnot, take it easy, stay in. >> thank you. still ahead on wjz eyewitness news at 5:00. combat mission over. a major shift in operations in iraq. president obama's message about the next phase of the war. more marylanders expected to hilt the roads this holiday weekend. i'm jessica kartalija, in baltimore city. more on your labor day travel forecast. straight ahead. i'm mike schuh, wjz eyewitness news. on the east side, near hopkins hospital. it is navy week in baltimore. and this crew is helping to construct a pocket. bob is updating your forecast and tracking earl's potential impact here in maryland. ,,,, [ female announcer ] swiffer wetjet absorbs and traps so much dirt you'll never go back to your old mop. 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that's the ba gaddy shelter. the kids need that. the only park we have is patterson park. which means it's too far for some to get there. >> that's not a sight you usually see. >> not at all. when we see a group, it's usually police. but that's awesome. i think it's awesome that they're letting them come in help the community to, you know, -- we need that. >> reporter: in east baltimore, mike mike schuh, wjz eyewitness news. >> other neighbor units this week will visit the mount washington pediatric hospital, or serve in a soup kitchen. >> good thing for our navy. >> mike, take a look at temps. another one here. 93. humidity, 35%. northwest winds at 7. the barometer, holding steady. come back and take a look at come back and take a look at as a career prosecutor i made decisions on facts not politics. in washington, i'm trying to do the same. that's why i voted to crackdown on wall street and protect the bay. and why i voted against the $3 trillion budget, the big bank bailout, and against the health care bill. you see for me it's not about democrats or republicans it's about common sense and doing what's best for our families. maybe that's why i'm ranked one of the most independent members of congress. 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(announcer) new icy hot power gel. relief that's icy to dull pain, hot to relax it away. and no mess. new icy hot power gel. don't mess around with pain. it is just after 5:30. 93 degrees and cloudy. here are some of the stories people are trucking -- talking about. as summer comes to an end, thousands of marylanders are planning to fit in one last vacation. jessica kartalija reports, travel this labor day weekend is expected to be significantly higher than last year. >> travel on maryland roads is expected to be significantly higher this year. and of course, a lot of that is contingent on the weather. >> reporter: travel experts predict a surge in the number of cars on the road this labor day weekend. >> we're expecting an increase in travel. in fact, about a 9.1% increase over last year's projections for labor day weekend. >> regina is with triple a midatlantic. they're projecting more than 637,000 marylanders will travel this holiday weekend. nay% will -- 93% will be driving. that all depends on the track of hurricane earl and the impact it could have on maryland. >> make sure you figure out where you're intending to travel to see how the storm will impact your traveling plans. >> reporter: if you are planning a road trip, there's good news when it comes to prices at the pump. >> they actually have been coming down consistently over the last few weeks. in fact, maryland's average today is $2.60 a gallon. that's about 4 cents less than they were this time last week. and it's the lowet -- lowest they have been this entire summer. >> reporter: and if you're planning to rent a car, rates are up higher. they're up 7%. as for hotel rooms, they're up 6%, compare to last year. jisesic -- jessica kartalija, wjz eyewitness news. >> triple a says flights are also up this year, up 9% from last year. baltimore county police are asking for the public's help to catch this man. this man entered in the 9800 block of york road on saturday. the suspect has a lip piercing and a tattoo on the right side of his neck. anyone with information regarding his whereabouts should contact police at 410- 307-2020. desire more charges are against a man with a stabbing. >> 33-year-old elias abu zalam is the suspect in 14 stabbings in michigan. five of them fatal. right now, he is only charged with one count of attempted murder in michigan. a michigan prosecutor said today that more charges are expected to be filed next month. abu zalam is an israeli national who came to the u.s. in the early 90s. police say he was trying to nigh back to israel when he was arrested earlier this month. >> if convicted in michigan, he could face life in prison. the state does not have the death penalty. president obama thanked american troops back from the battle zone in iraq. the president will talk tonight about the future as the combat phase of the war comes to a close. president obama walked into a mess hall in texas to thank soldiers for their service. and look ahead to his address to the nation. >> it's not going to be a victory lap. it's not going to be self- congratulatory. >> reporter: the president spoke to fort bliss, home to armored 1st division. >> our combat phase is now over. we near transition. and that could not have been accomplished had it not been for the men and women here at fort bliss and across the country. >> reporter: tonight, from the oval office, the commander in chief will talk about what is ahead in iraq, now that combat operations are over. 50,000 u.s. troops remain there in a support role. >> reporter: as he flew to texas, aboard air force one -- aboard air force one, president obama called to talk to former president george w. bush about the war. the white house released no details about the call. >> reporter: the men and women still in the war zone face challenges. >> sectarian divisions remain a fact of life. al qaeda in iraq is beaten but not gone. >> reporter: they also thanked the troops for their service. thousands of them are starting to come home. the army's old guard returned to virginia monday, just one, a wave of homecomings that will sweep the nation. >> reporter: in washington, whit johnson, wjz eyewitness news. >> and when the president speaks tonight, wjz will bring it to you live. our coverage begins tonight at 8:00, here on wjz 13. new insight tonight, into why many americans continue to struggle to find work. firms with 20 employees or less added just 26,000 jobs last month. that's about half of what they added early this year. president obama is now urging the senate to pass legislation. there could soon be a big change in how you research your next car purchase. the obama administration is proposing putting letter grades on new cars, ranging from a to d. they would be based on a car's fuel efficiency. the aim is to have the new car rules take effect in the 2012 model year. the recession might be causing some to cut trips to the movie theater out of their budgets. just over 515 million tickets have been sold so far this summer season. that is the lowest in five years. but hollywood is seeing record revenue, though. thanks largely to jacked-up ticket prices for 3-d features. tonight, there are three more ambulances responding to emergencies in baltimore. but suzanne collins explains, they were purchased with private funds. and the paramedics are from baltimore's jewish community. >> reporter: a group called hassalla, volunteer paramedics, e.m.t.s and dispatchers, have been responding to the jewish community for three years. now they no longer have to drive their own cars. the group has three new ambulances. >> the ambulances themselves total body $350,000 to $400,000, when we're all said and done. >> included supplies and the vehicle. >> correct. >> reporter: baltimore's fire department works in partnership with hassalla. all of the medical volunteers are fully trained to standards. the group's response time is under two minutes because the volunteers live in northwest baltimore. people often call them and 911. >> i went with the fire chief, with members of the baltimore community. and we saw the operation that has been in new york probably for 40 to 50 years. >> reporter: hassala began when he saw a man collapse. the paramedic said, had they only been there sooner. ask that gave them the idea. >> they were amazing. they were at ground zero. i didn't realize the operation was so sophisticated and they had so many resources. >> now, they cannot only stabilize the patient but help them, too. >> i'd like to thank you for safeguarding the health and well being of our citizens of baltimore. >> reporter: suzanne collins, wjz eyewitness news. >> the group has also applied for a grant to have a building to house the operations. in wjz healthwatch report. there is more evidence that listening to head phones too loud or too long could damage your hearing. researchers looked at girls over a 24-year period. they found those with head phones were 80% more likely to have hearing loss than those who did not. two iowa farms. the farms are involved in that massive recall of tainted eggs. cynthia bowers has the latest for wjz. >> reporter: if there were problems in the hen house, newly released documents may indicate just how deep those problems went. >> outside access doors were pushed out by the weight of manure, which was piled, in some cases, 4 to 8 inches high. >> it released the two troubled iowa experts monday afternoon. inspections turned up a series of violations, linked to the salmonella outbreak at wright county egg and hillendale farm. among them, live rodents and mice. and manure pile so deep it was seeping through a building foundation. also, maggots were found and countless flies near the egg belt. >> there were live flies crushed underfood when the employees walked in the aisles at work. >> reporter: at hillendale, salmonella turned up in a stomach-churning place. >> we've confirmed salmonella in a water sample collected in one of the plants from hillendale. that is water that is used to wash the exterior of the eggs. >> reporter: the new charges fueled more calls to shut the farms down, in particular wright county egg, which has a history of violations. >> reporter: it does seem that a company that has violated so many different laws should be closed down. >> reporter: over the next 15 months, the fda says it will inspect the 600 largest egg farms in the country, which account for 80% of the eggs produced in the u.s. cynthia bowers, cbs news, chicago. >> so far, the two farms have recalled more than a half a billion eggs. time now for a quick look at some of the stories you'll find in tomorrow morning's edition of the baltimore sun. why the state highway administration is cutting down trees and are the vegetation, along parts of the roadway. and a review, preview, of the area's fall high school sports teams. for all of these stories and more, read tomorrow's baltimore sun. and remember to look for the updated forecast, from wjz's first warning weather team. still to come tonight on wjz's eyewitness news. in his own home. tazed. [ grunting ] >> why one man's call for an ambulance ends with this. how it all unfolded. famous daughter in trouble. dad is the former mayor of new york. why she was face to face with the judge today. bob turk in the first warning weather center. when will we cool down? i'll have the exclusive first warning five-day forecast. here's today's report from wall street. we'll be right back. along came a burglar who broke into her home, and ransacked the place making off with several valuable tuffets. fortunately, geico had recently helped her with homeowners insurance. she got full replacement on her tuffets. the burglar was later captured when he was spotted with whey on his face. call geico and see how much you could save on homeowners insurance. we ended this summer where we started. way above normal temperatures. or actually, we did have a couple of days of temperatures for a few days. but most of it was pretty hot. tomorrow, just about like today. in other words, 90-plus. bernadette has a look at that wednesday forecast. tomorrow will be very similar. we start out the day in the 60s. and as we head into the afternoon, we go right back into the mid-90s. with mostly sunny skies. now, tomorrow evening, we start to drop. but on thursday, things really start to change. for the rest of the five-day, here's bob. once again, friday saturday big question tomorrow. how close will earl come to our mid-atlantic coast? and we'll keep track for you. 96 day like today. got up to 95. 92. a few more clouds thursday. 88. slight chance of a shower. most of it on the eastern shore, with earl. 88, 68, dropping to the pleasant 81, 80-degree temperatures. saturday, sunday, and again on labor day monday. looks beautiful as the front comes through. things clear out and dry out. mary? ? all right, bob. thank you. three people on board a medical helicopter were killed when the chopper crashed in the central hills of arkansas. the helicopter went down while picking up a patient this morning. the pilot, a flight nurse were all killed. federal investigators are all on the way to determine the cause of the crash. a california man who fell down a flight of steps at his house says the local sheriff's department overreacted when they responded. they were leaving peter macfarland's house. sheriff's deputies arrived, saying they needed to take him to the hospital because he was suicidal. >> mainly was to my knee, and the front of my leg and my shin. >> the deputies tazed macfarland three times before arresting him and charging him with resisting arrest. a judge later dismissed the charge. macfarland filed a suit against the department. caroline giuliani has been sentenced to do a day's worth of community service for shoplifting earlier this month. the 21-year-old harvard university student was seen on security video, pocketing more than $100 worth of makeup at a sephora store. the case against her will be closed if she completes the volunteer work and doesn't have any more brushes with the law for six months. actress zsa zsa gabor was rushed to the hospital today, after she was found unconscious. gabor was reportedly given last rites a week ago by her priest. her publicist says she decided to spend her final days at home, after refusing to have more surgery. check in with eyewitness news at 6:00 for these stories and more coming up. vic is standing by with a preview. camera controversy. speed cameras have popped up in most maryland counties. but not in howard county. new at 6:00, will that be changing this year? a man accused of accosting an off-duty police officer in one eye. what was said at has as his -- said as his trial got under way. >> all right. you may think you know someone who has fast texting fingers. >> but check out this california teen and her lightning fast texts. >> 17-year-old caitlin bradshaw will soon battle for dominance against 29 others. >> kate line --icate lin says she can text two characters approximate per second, text without looking and carry on a full conversation. >> the winner gets $100,000, plus another $50,000 toward the charity of their choice. and i'm sure some of that will go to the texting bill. >> the parents have to pay. mark viviano is at the ballpark. >> orioles are back home after a successful road trip. they're met here by the boston red sox. latest on the o's and the ravens. we'll hear from the quarterback who is likely to play the most in the final preseason game. in the final preseason game. ,,,,,, ahead when eyewitness 3q copd makes it hard for me to breathe. but with advair, i'm breathing better. so now, i can join the fun and games with my grandchildren. great news! for people with copd, including chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both, advair helps significantly improve lung function. while nothing can reverse copd, advair is different from most other copd medications because it contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator, working together to help you breathe better. advair won't replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking advair. i had fun today, grandpa. you and me both. if copd is still making it hard to breathe, ask your doctor if including advair will help improve your lung function for better breathing. get your first full prescription free and save on refills. as in strawberries, ] new blackberries,oothies from mccafé are real fruit, blueberries, and bananas, which makes them really delicious. ♪ that's what we're made of. ♪ we're at the ballpark. where the orioles open a home stand filt r for the first time in 13 years, the orioles will finish august with a wip. held out because of back soreness caused. jones is okay to play tonight hoo will start in center field. hoping to carry the momentum of the o's outstanding pitching. looking to the biewrt o's got a look at danny machado. picked third overall. 18-year-old machado got a hit in his second at-bat. he talked about the transition to pro ball. >> now, i'm just used to the professional life. you know, just going out there every day. giving 100%. next year will be a different goal. this year, it's just to go out there and have fun. get used to it. >> reporter: machado is signing autographs with young fans. he will take part in a post- mini camp. let's talk football now. as the ravens get set to kick off. rookies defensive lineman terrence cody has had knee injury. he is questionable for the regular season opener on september 13th. that final preseason game is coming up thursday in st. louis. among the ravens' three qbs, look for number 10, troy smith, to get most of the playing time. with marc bulger. smith is the ravens' third stringer. he threw a touchdown pass. victory over the giant. and smith has faded. his belief that he could be a starter in the nfl. >> i'm not, you know, in this business, to try to show anybody anything. you know, you --ue know, as a -- you know, as a person, as a man, i think once you get into vendettas, whatever people, things don't happen the way you want them to. as a quarterback and as a man, i know what you need to do. in order to achieve. and i'm fine with that. >> reporter: additionally, the ravens say they will make a decision on saturday, on safety ed reed, who could begin the season on the physically unable to perform list. again, that announcement is coming up on saturday. ravens-rams on thursday. orioles red sox thursday night. first of six in a row here. and for the first time, orioles with buck showalter. then tampa bay, then the new york yankees. we'll see how much improved this team really is, as the road ahead looks to be a pretty tough one. back to you for now. >> i would not want to be tested like that, mark. >> thanks, mark. still to come tonight on wjz's eyewitness news. on alert. from dangerous surf to potential flooding to the possibility of evacuations in ocean city. i'm mike hellgren in baltimore, with how maryland is preparing for hurricane earl. ,,,,,,,,,,,, soifer r. coming up now on wjz eyewitness news at 6:00. all eyes on earl. battles the caribbean and now comes toward the east coast. and maryland. where will the storm go? don't miss the first warning weather coverage. i'm derek valcourt in glen burnie anne arundel county, where the details on this home invasion will leave you outraged. i'll explain coming up. close encounters. dozens of near collisions. what's being done about this scary trend? >> check in for these stories and all the day's breaking news. >> wjz at 6:00 starts now. eye on earl. the massive storm gains strength, moving dangerously close to maryland. >> tonight, the latest on the storm's track and potential impact here. hello, everyone. i'm vic carter. >> and i'm denise quoak. here's what people are talk being tonight. >> monster hurricane earl moves closer to the east coast and maryland. this is new video where earl caused flooding. knocking out power to a few trees. we could see the