one of the most anticipated trials in this area is now under way. opening statements started this morning inhe trl of the man accused of killing chandra levy. news4's tracee wilkins has more now from d.c. superior court. >> reporter: opening statements are under way in the chandra levy case. and what's expected to be an uphill battle for the prosecution. >> susan leavy, her mother, walked in wearing sunglasses and a scarf, covering part of her face. after years of waiting, she is expected to testify her daughter's murder trial. it's the beginning of one of the most controversial murder cases in d.c. history and is expected to be one of the hardest to prosecute. the nine-year-old murder case of chandra levy is brought with errors, according to legal experts and even the prosecutor admitted during the pretrial hearing that mistakesarly in the trial left virtually no physical evidence, also no eye-witnesses, no dna and no weapon. >> ihink the government lacks direct evidence, anything that would link guandique at the scene of the crime, no dna, no fiber clothing, a hair, something at would make it more difficult for the defense to explain why he isn't guilty. >> reporter: for two months, dectives initially focused on one suspect, congressman gary condit of california. the married congressman admitted to having an affair with levy. meanwhile, ingmar guandique, a 29-year-old immigrant from el salvador was imprisoned for attacking two, and was serving time when police charged him with levy's case last year. detect diives say the break cam from cell mates. >> the method he used was a signature. the way he attacked these women was no different the way chandra levy was attacked. >> reporter: both the women guandique is convicted of attacking in rock creek park are listed to be witnesses for the prosecution. also, condit is expected to take the stand as well. in northwest, i'm tracee wilkins, news4. the jury of 12 women and 4 men and 4alitynats was selected last week. the trial is expected to last a month. she was known as the hiccup girl. but now she has got a much less glorious title. murder suspect. jennifer mee was arrested and charged with first degree murder in florida. kimberly suitors has more. >> reporter: part of what makes the arrest feel so surprising, mee was 16 when we first met her, a fairlyypical teenager with a terrible case of uncontrollable hiccups. here's a clip of the hiccup girl from the "today" show a few years back. >> does it hurt? because when i get hiccups sometimes it hurts. >> it hurts a lot. there are times where i'll sit and cry. right now it hurts so bad, you can probably tell that. >> reporter: now, mee claimed to hiccup 50imes a minute in five weeks. the hiccups went away. she ran away last january, but this past weekend, mee who is 19 years old wa booked in florida. she lured a 22-year-old victim into a house. inside two other young men robbed the victim and shot him when he fought back. he died on the scene. all three suspects, including jennifer mee confessed to the crime and were charged with murder. baara, back to you. thank you, kimberly. and check out this amazing video. you're going to see a tornado in a moment ripping throh rice, texas, not far from dallas. people also reported hail the size of baseballs. several homes from damaged as well as a local school. cars and entractor-trailers were flipped over on the highway, as well. luckily, all four people are reporting only minor injuries, and forecasters are calling for clear skies. that's good news. for the next f days out there in rice, texas. out there in the plains areas, tom, we're looking at r area now, which looks nice. but i want to talk to you about that tornado out there. not unusual for that part of texas. >> yeah, but this time of year it is. this i late october. usually severe weather season ends by the end of august. so this is certainly unusual there. here we've got increasing clouds and another mi day under way after a spectacular weekend. w it is into the 60s to near 70 degrees. we've got increasing clouds, 70 at national airport. 60s throughout much of the region. it's in the 50s in the mountains where they are getting some rain right now. 's an upper level disturbance riding along a southwesterly flow that's been spreading rain where you see the moving color, that's rain, now moving into west virginia and just about to come into western maryland in the next perhaps hour or so. elsewhere, for most of virginia, it is dry, maryland, the district of columbia, just some clouds coming in. but the are some showers in southwestern virginia. this system continuing to advance to the east will likely spread some scattered showers in here by mid to late afternoon to the meo area, and earlier than that io the schenn dough avalley and from near charlottesville toward culpepper, another couple hours. highs into theid 70s, and a blustery southwesterly wind. we might even get thunder out of passing showers, but i don't anticipate any strong storms that might produce some gusty winds that could cause any damage. so just some passing showers, maybe a little thunder and lightning this afteoon into the evening. a look at the forecast for the rest of the week, coming up. i know you noticed the colors on the trees. >> we have a couple nice photos to show you. >> can't wait to see them. thank you,tom. let's head out to the roads and jerry edwards. welcome back. >> good to be back, good morning, eryone. as we travel toward the district at m the street, sth cap, accident there on the outbound side, as you leave the district, headed toward the outbnd south capital street bridge om m street. police are on the scene dealing with this accident. fortunately, not a serious accident. let's head over and see how we're doing the american legion bridge we go. the interloop, wide open, as is the outer loop as you come down from river road acrs the bridge to tyson's corner. a lot of road work, particularly in virginia and we'll update you next time around. barbara? >> all right, jerry, thank you. smooth commuting at the bethesda station this midday. escalators there are finally back up and running after six months of repairs. metro says the escalators were shut down for a planned overhaul that takes 12 weeks per escalator. during the ouages, commuters had been using one stationary escalator to get in and out of the station. three college students are expected to appear in court today afr police found a drug lab at georgetow university. it's a discovery that has shocked students and the college community. megan mcgrath joins us live from georgetown unirsity campus now with more on this. megan. >> reporter: barbara, the two georgetown students and a third man are acced of trying to manufacture a contlled substance. police believe they were trying to make dmt, that's a drug that can cause hallucinations and euphoria. and they set up a make-shift dr lab inside a dorm room here on campus. the three men are facing some very serious charges. they're due in this court ler today. back to class for kids at georgetown university. but two students will not be attending an lectures today. they'll appear before a judge on charges that they were trying to make the drug dmt in their dormitory room allegations that students say are hard to believe. >> just shock. and surprise. i had no idea. i mean, i was baking cooki in my dorm last night. to hear that there's chemicals like that in our dorm is pretty surprising. >> i'm surprised. i don't know who would be student enough tout something like that in their dorm room if they were going to do it. but i don't know, i guess people just wanted to make some money. >> reporter: charles smith and john romano, both georgetown univsity students, and john perrone, a guest, were arrested saturday morning after emergency crews responded to a report of a strange odor in harbin hall. inside a room, police found a cooler wrapped in duct tape, filled with mason jars, containing a clear liquid. and there were other chemicals, as well. and items, including a turkey baster that could be used to make drugs. now, according to the dea's website, dmt can be smoked, sniffed or ininjected. now, the dea says the high lasts about 45 to 60 minutes and that because of its short -- how short it lasts, it's often referred to as the businessmen's trip. t officials want to stress that this can be a very dangerous drug. it can even be deadly. so they say it's a very serious thing that has allegedly gone on here on campus. back to you, barbara. >> thanks, megan. well this morning, people are mourning the sudden death of a uva graduate and prominent erican athlete. fran crippen tied this weekend during a swimming competition in dubai. the 26-year-old was competing in the 10 kilometer world cup, but never finished. after a two hour search, divers found his body in the open water. >> some started weeping openly, they were sad, because one of theirs had gone missing. >> other swimmers who participated in the race had complained that the water temperature was too hot. but health officials say overexertion was the cause of death and heat was not a factor. today parents in fairfax county are encouraged to attend one of several meetings to talk about plans to change many school boundaries. the new boundaries wld relieve overcrowded classrooms and affect 23 schools. tonight's meetings will be held from:00 until 9:00 p.m. they a at green breyer west elementary, clifton and virginia run elementary in centerville. ourtime, ten minutes after 11:00. health crisis in haiti. we'll tell you what's being done to stop the spread of cholera. and anyone who has bought gas lately noticed the big jump in the prices. what's causing the increase? and "the daily show" is coming. jon stewart will be taping today. we'll have details. stay with us. hi there, i'm ian wright and i'm investigating what makes aruba so happy. oh my word, that's fantastic. ♪ row your boat gentl i'll tell you what; it's nota. it's happiness. i haven't even got bait on the end of mine. i don't care; it's just nice sitting here. you're getting it. you're getting it. the country of haiti is already dealing with the aftermath of the devastating earthquake nine months ago. now they're dealing with the devastation of a chora epidemic that's already killed more than 250 people and sickened another 3,000. officials say, however, that things see to be stabilizing. the hope is that the disease doesn't spread to the heavily populated capital of port-au-prince. cholera is spread through water and can cause dehydration and death within hours. they're providing purification tablets and educating those in the camps about the importance of washing their hands. the pan american health organization will be holding a press conference i don't know on the outbreak this afternoon right here in washington. and breaking news from indonesia at this hour. the u.s. monitorg agency says 7.5 magnitude quake has hit the western coast of indonesia's sumatra off the coast of sumatra where a massive earthquake and tsunami hit back in 2004, you'll remember. a tsunami watch was issued for indonesia, saying waves were possible within a few hundred miles of the epicenter. however, the pacific tsunami warning center said historical data suggests that if a wave is created, ithould not be destructive. eight days to go until election day. new poll numbers show martin o'malley with a substantial lead over his challenger, former governor bob ehrlich. the "washington post" shows that 46% would vote for o'malley, compared to 40% voting forrer lick. o'malley's lead comes despite the fact that the majority of voters are unhappy with the economy. meanwhile, the two candidates are hitting the cpaign trail, trying to drum up last-minute support. both sides are. at a rally in clarksville,er lickad the support of may your rudy guiliani. he said he was the only one capable of restoring the economy. on the other side, it is said he needs to keep up with work done over the last four years. >> a lot of people watched the debates and families are focused on which two alternatives will move forward into this new economy, clean, greener energy and the things we want for our kids. >> it's a serious time in our state and a time for serious dialogue and serious positions and serious debate between serious people, with serious vision to bring thstate to e next four years. that's why we're going to win th race. >> one thing o'malley and ehrlk both agreed on is preelection polls do n matter. they said the most important thing now is that everyone get out and vote. president obama is certainly rackg up frequent flier miles after spending days out west. the commonder in chief is back on the east coast pushing for last-minute votes before next week's midterm elections. the president will spend today in rhode island visiting a company to tout the package of small business tax breaks and he signed it last month. he'll also speak to democratic voters in providenc he'll campaign for the senate seat he he before winning back in 2008, he'll be caaigning for the democrat, alexi gionilis. the daily show is taking stage this week. the show will be taping at the speaks shakespeare theater company tonight. it's part of the cam comedy central show's indecision tour. all four shows will be called "when grilies attack ". they will hold dueling rallies on the national mall. today would have been a great day to have a party on the mall. beautiful today. >> it looks nice o the weekend. and by then we'll have peak color around here. in fact, the color coming on strong over the weekend with these mild afternoons and cool evenings this is perfect for making some beautiful autumn foliage color. and there it is, a live view, high definition camera now showing the autumn lor coming on strong in american university park there in northwest washington. at the horizon, fairfax county, and we see the clouds beginning to move in. right now at national airport, it's at 70 degrees. and it's rather humid, dew points a 62. we've got a breeze coming in out of t south-southwest at 15, occasionally gusting to 20 miles per hour. we do have peak color now in the mountains of west maryland and we virginia and right now in the schenn dougha valley, peak color showing up there. but it's a little bit muted this year because of the dryness wee had. also peak color in pennsylvania and southern new york and northern new england. but well past peak in northern new england. now here is the photo sent to us by carol flaherty near lexington, virginia. she took this over the weekend. hot air balon. boy, that would be a wonderful way to view the foliage in the silent hot air balloon cruising over the landscape. that is near virginia's military institute near lexington, virginia. she took this otr shot, too. this is the full moon, and you can see house mountain there in near le virginia. and they are certainly having peak color there. now, these shots taken over the weekend. did you have any good foliage out, send them to weather at washington.com. temperatures around the region, 60s to 70 from the shenandoah valley. this mild flow coming from the soutwe hav near 70 in the suburbs and rural areas,nd out in the mountains of western maryland, west virginia generally in the 50s there, where they are getting some rain. and it's in the low to mid 70s in southern virginia and eastern carolina. over the last 12 hours, we see the moving col. this is rain that's now beginning to move into the appellations, and it's just mostly rain, no thunder and lightning. this is continuing to adnce to the north and east. there is a small chance they may get thunder as they move through. this is part of an upper level disturbance spinning its way over eastern kentucky and moving into west virginia. that's going to advance off to the north and east, and bring a likelihood o passing showers here later this afternoon, and again just a small chance of a little bit of thunder and lightning as they do move on through. going forward over the next 48 hours, we have one batch of rain coming through, and another chance on wednesday. between now and then, though, generally settled. just a small chance of a sprinkle tomorrow. but then this front will begin to move into the mountains by late tuesday night d into wednesday morning. it will approach our region and bring another chance of rain midweek. so for this monday, it will be a cloudy afternoon, and passing showers are possible earlier in the shenandoah valley, and50 miles southwest of washington. but in the metro area by late afternoon, passing showers likely moving through, perhaps with a politiclittleit of thundd a southwesterly breeze as we make it in theid 70s. and a passing shower possible until midnight, maybe with thunder, and by dawn tomorrow, cloudy near 60. a cldy day tuesday, small chance of a sprinkle tomorrow. and on wednesday, a passing chance of showers as the front moves through, and the possibility of thunder and lightning wednesday. of and mild, too, still in the 70s. then we'll dry out thursday. still mild. partly cloudy, highs into the mid 70s. and then fly day,aturday and sunday, much coolereather moving in. for the halloween weekend, we'll have morning lows just near 40, afternoon highs near 60. frid, saturday and sunday should be dry weather for trick or treaters on sunday evening. that's the way it looks. >> well, that'sood news. so no raincos over the costumes this weekend, probably. >> no, i don't think so. >> okay, thank you, tom. >> all right. and we're going to check again with jerry. got your costume read jerry? >> i do, indeed. as a matter of fact i'm going trick or treating as barbara harrison. >> as me? >> yes, you, my long wig and fancy outfit. i'm going to be all that. let's head out and take a look at some construction to deal with over on the beltway. bothhe inner loop and outer loop as you travel around the i-9s 5 springfield interchange, look out for construction. the far right lane at the moment, everybody needs to scoot to the left. really not too much to worry about. just be aware it is there. and one more stop. we'll head over and let you know the trip on the top side of the capital beltway as you travel from college park around to bethesda, all in all moving very nicely. no residual delays from the rush hour. good news. barbara, back to you. hope you'll have less problems with the wig. it's the real thing. >> i'm going to try. >> all right, thanks a lot. 22 minutes after 11:00 now, and still ahead on news4 midday. new security measures for travelers. we'll tell you about the changes and tracking your children from the school bus to cell phones to behind the wheel. and what part of the school should your children avoid? we'll tell you where the most germs are found. >> first, here's a look at what is ho on nbc washington.com. >>if you have to fill up this morning, get ready for a litt sticker shock. the national average for a gallon of regular unleaded is now $2.81 a gallon, up 11 cents from a month ago. in the district, drivers are paying $2.93 a gallon. in maryland, the average is $2.80 and in virginia, always the least around here, 2 $.71. industry analysts say the hike is due to a weaker collar and higher cde and ethanol prices. if you plan on traveling over the holidays or any time after this week, get ready for more secity. secure flight, a t program used to better match potential terrorists with watch lists will start on november 1st. it requires airlines to collect a traveler's full name birthday and gender at the of booking. if the information is not provided at least 72 hours before a flight, the airline will not issue a boarding pass. about 300 body skon scanners are also being used at airports around the country with re to come by the end of this year. our time is 11:26 and coming up next, another nail-biter for the rdskins. unfortunately,he defense was able to pick apart the bears' offense. plus, we hear from the family of a stunt killed by a shark. an tom kierein is back with the latest on rain and your day's forecast. we'll be right back. 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 co, including chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both, advair helps significantly improve lung function. while nothing can reverse copd, advair is dierent 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 irease 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 ur lung function for better breathing. get your first full prescription free and save on refills. right now, on news4 midday, opening statements are under way this morning in the trial of ingmar guandique. he's accused of attacking chandra levy, a former federal intern in rock creekark back in 2001. levy's mother is among those in court this morning. guandique is already serving time for two similar attacks that also happened in rock creek park. a florida teenager who couldn't stop hiccuping for five weeks is now behind bars, and charged with murder. 19-year-old jennifer mee, along th two others, were arrested for fatally shooting a man during an armed robbery on saturday night. mee got national attention back in 2007 for her five-week-long bout with hiccups, and even appeared on the "today" show, multiple times, describinging her ordeal. well, it was a sloppy game in chicago between the bears and the redskins. but all that matters is that washington left the windy city with a w. news4's dan hellie has a recap from soldier field. >> nine total turnovers between the bears and the redskins, and there could have been five more as the skins recovered five of their own fumbles. most of the guys in the locker room after the game said this was the craziest game they've ever been a part. >> i've never seen tomorrow turn-arounds and turnovers and just back and forth like that. it's been a while. >> it doesn't matr how we get them, as long as we get them. they're not all going to be pretty, and today wasn't pretty. but you take your hat off to our defense. i mean, those guys played their butts off. >> i'vbeen a part of games like this where we fell short. so to be a part of a game like this where we got a victory out of it, what more can you ask for? >> no question who the game ball goes to, deangelo hall had four interceptions, tying an nfl record. >> that same catch in practice, where he caught it with one hand like that, that same thing in practice, so it definitely translates. he has great hands and vision and to take it to the house like that, he has great speed, definitely a pro. >> we know he called it a hat -- you've heard a hat trick. i think guys are calling it a ham bone. >> i've never had more than two picks in a game, six in a season. so, you know, to be sitting right there, five and a half, 4 and 1game, man, it's kind of mind blowing. i had my mom, aunt, and two cousins in the stand. first ball went to my mom, second to my aunt and next thing you know, everybody had a ball. >> while d. hall was giddy, haynesworth was somber. he played his best game as a red skin and the first since the death of his brother. >> when we were warming up, i was thinking about it, and it was hard. crying a little bit and stuff. and i could hear my younger brother, like you're crying over me, you know? so i had to dry it up and go out there and be a big brother and play ba. >> we know he can play. you know, once -- gets in the system and plays, and once he's out there, you know, he plays -- he's an unbelievable player. >> a full week of practice and was ready to go, and i knew he would play well. >> mikehannahan now iting for his highest paid offensive player. mcnabb had his second straight lackluster game, and nearly had a third. but in the end, they got a win. redskins now 4 and 3, matching their win total from last season. from chicago, dan hellie, news4 sports. >> a win is a win, right? >> you got it. barely a win, but the bears -- yes. >> yeah. you're a bear fan? >> no, follow the skins. >> good. >> hey, look at this view. this is a live view from one of our cameras that is right near the white house. and i wonder, are they ready for trick or treaters at the white house? do they take trick or treaters at the white house? >> i don't think so. maybe at the gate. maybe they gate they have it out there. >> well, there it is, a beautiful view. you can see some of the color showing up in the trees there, and there was a lite sun there, just about ten minutes ago. but now it's gone cloudy, and elsewhere, mostly cloudy and in the 60s to near 70 all around the region, except out in the mountains where they're getting somerain. and it's in the 50s there. and over the last 12 hours at, rain mass moved in, and it continues to go to the north and east but it is breaking up. so we may have a few passing showers in the shenandoah valley, and then east of the blue ridge into northern virginia and around washingto by mid to late afternoon. and perhapsa passing showers in the evening hours and small chance of thunder. tomorrow, cloudy, minught get a sprinkle, highs mid 70s and then a greater chance of rain on wednesday, might have some then thunder wednesday. we'll get temperatures in the mid 70s, thursday afternoon, though, plummeting to the low 40s by friday morning. and then 50s to near 60s. a lot like last friday and bright sun. bright and sunny saturday, might have scattered frost saturday morning. afternoon highs near 60. and halloween, should be dry. >> when are you going t show your pictures? >> i did show them. in my last update. >> oh, i missed them. i was working on something here. but you have more? >> yes, we have. of and anybody w has good fall foliage photos, send them to weather at nbc washington.com. >> those sugar maples are beautiful. >> they're coming on stron yeah. >> i've learned to call them that for you. >> those are at peak color now and others are coming on. >> bright red. just beautiful. they really are. >> thank you, tom. acalifornia beach where a 19-year-old boy was killed by a shark while body boarding in santa barbara opened just a few minutes ago. the sheriff's department says lucas ransom was surfing when a shark attacked him and bit off his leg. he diedefore his friend could get him to the shore. . marine experts say it was probably a great white shark. the shark was 14 to 18 feet long and left a bite mark a foot long on the board. his family was on the "today" show this morninand said lucas was not afraid of getting attacked. they said he always had a smile on his face. >> i know they joked about it, but it's something you really jo about, never really hits home until something like thi happens. >> he really loved living life to the fullest. and -- he just nted to have fun, and he was safe about most things, and -- he loved life. >> three beaches had been closed around santa barbara for the last three days during that time police increased patrols. there were no shark sightings, however. federal agents are now helping local firefighters investigate a devastating fire at a historic alexandra church. the bureau of alcohol, tobacco and firearms is investigating to determine the cause of the blaze. much of the main chapel at the theogical seminary was destroyed when flamesrupted on friday. investigators had to wait several days until the charred remains were stable enough to enter. for ma of the parishioners, the loss is more sentimental than material. >> parents were among the founding members of e church, and i was baptized here. we were married here. >> almost 47 years ago. that's right. as i said elier, this fire still hasn't gone out. >> the presence of federal agents is normal for a fire to place of worship. so far, investigators do not consider the fire suspicious. there will be no haircuts at a local salon today, because a car smashed through the shop's front window. the accident happened at the bradley shopping center in bethesda. take a look at this mess. police say an elderly driver lost control of her car, slammed into another vehicle, and crashed into the house of alexis hair salon. another vehicle was pushed into the dry cleaners there. one woman says she had to dve out of the way to avoid getting hit. >> i looked up, and i saw this white car just coming like really, really ft toward our window. so i dried to dive out of the way, and towards the floor and it just came through the window, andll kinds of glass and everything explodedeverywhere. >> fortunately, no one was seriously hurt. both shops will be inspected and will likely remain closed until e repairs can be made. we're going to check the midday traffic now. that was quite a mess. i bet that caused problems in the area this morning. >> i bet it did. but fortunately around town right now, midday is treating commuters pretty well, even with the construction, not too much to worry about. slowly, slowly but surely, kennelworth avenue, the repaving operation of the eastern avenue is getting closer to cometion. still have the construction in both direions. northbound, southbound, kennelworth avenue at eastern avenue, but you can see, new pavement has been put down. so tre is hope. let's head over and check out one re camera, headed for downtown, 395 cleared out for the morning commute, moving along very nicely. three and eventually four lanes, across the 14th street bridge. barbara? >> thank you, jerry. metro riders for the love of the theater can get a great deal in the district. every monday, riders who present their smart trip card or metro card at the arena box office in southwest d.c. can purchase half price tickets for that week's shows. you have to show up after 12 noon. and you can only purchase two tickets. the arena stage at the mead center for american theater is located one block from the waterfront metro station the green line. the theater just reopened after $125illion in renovations. you do what you can to keep your kids safe from germs at home. but what about when they're at school? schools can be one of the germiest places your kids will ever be in, scientists at the university of arizona swabbed classrooms andommon areas and found the five germiest spots. all spots are community spots that every studentuses. the cafeteria table, the computer mouse, the paper towel handle, the water fountain and sink faucet so how can you help your kid get a cleaner classroom? disinfect these so-called hot spots. provide the classroom with hand sanitizers or disinfecting wipes. tell your child to avoid touching bathroom surfaces. adopt these same cleaning standards for your home, as well. and encourage hand hygiene and respiratoriy etiquette. the study was conducted by researchers at the university of arizona. it's the health care equivalent of fast ood. the growing business of walk-in medical clinics. at these clinics, you can be treated quickly for minor medical issues, maybe you've been intone into your neighborhood, but is this the kind of treatment best medicine for you? nbc's tom costello takes a look. >> mr. we are re? >> yes, sir. >> reporter: it was the persistent coughing and wheezing that finally convinced him he needed to be seen. irchlts . >> i'm just going to take some vital signs and then the doctor. >> reporter: so wednesday evening, without an appointment, he walked into the doctors' express office in new jersey. [ cohing ] >> i'm not feeling good. it seems like i've been coughing for -- off and on for the la almost two months. >> within minute the doctor was listening to his chest -- >> your oxygen saturation is actually good. >> reporter: and ordering a chest x-ray. >> hold it, don't breathe. >> reporter: it's happening nationwide. the growing demands on primary care doctors and overcrowded ergency rooms have more and more americans with minor ailments turning to nurse practitioners at the local pharmacy or doctors at store front urgent care clinics. >> whe you're just not feeling well, you don't want to go to an e.r. and wait around for four or five hours. >> reporter: e.r.s have become the only treatment option for people who can't pay, so costs have exploded. an average visit runs $550, while urgent care centers, which will only treat patients who do pay charge 125 to $140 on average. a recent study found roughly 17% of all patients treated in hospital e.r.s could instead be treated at retail medical clinics or urgent care centers generating savings of $4.4 billion each year. >> the best solution is always to see your doctor. but in america today, less than half the time are americans seeing their o doctor when they have an immediate health concern. >> reporter: one constant problem, patient information often ist readily shared between primary care docs, e.r.s or urgent care clinics. health care advocates say with 35 million more amecans gaining insurance under the health care reform law, quick access to a patient's history will become even more critical. doctors express is now a national franchise like mcdonald's or burg king. >> the patients are mostly looking for convenience. >> with at least one market solution to the alth care dilemma. tom costello, n news, washington. our time right now, 11:43, and still ahead on news4 midday, can the markets recover after a mixed end to last week's trading? we'll have the latest numbers for you. plus, keeping an electronic e on your child. stay with us, people are saying a lot of good things about fios. it's the future, it's the best technology out there... but you know, the cable companies have been trying to scare people about our installations. so we ought we'd take you on so actual fios installations that it's a very smooth process. and you can see for yourself we do have to set up a piece of equipment -- it's about this big -- we can put it on the inside, we can put it on the outside... but i'll treat your home as if it's my own. i like that. [ dave ] from the moment you make your appointment, we're gonna fit it around your schedule. we're gonna come out and give you hands-on instructions on how to use your fios service. you're even gonna get a follow-up call from me, because vezon's not happy unless you're happy. i thought there would be this huge giant box and lots of hole drilling. and laid down the cable, and our lawn is just the way it was. nothing was dug up, so i'm very pleased. the clarity picture on the television? way beyond anything we'd ever seen. [ male announcer ] now see for yourself -- call today and get tv, internet and phone for just $99.99 a month for a year witho term contract required. you'll see the reason the cable companies want you to be scared of fios is really because they're scared of fios. call the verizon cente for customers with disabilies at 800-974-6006 tty/v. i have a great fit with my dentures. i love kiwis. i've always had that issue with the seeds geing under my denture. super poligrip free -- it creates a seal of the dentures in my mouth. even well fiing dentures let in food particles. just a few dabs of superoligrip free is clinically proven seal out more food particles so you're more comfortable and confident while you eat. per poligrip free made even the kiwi an enjoyable experience. [ charlie ] try supepoligrip free. shoppers in prince georges county have a in place to get their groceries, wegman is open for siness. they were so excited, they lined up before sunrise. the store employs about 600 locals. sales of previously occupied homerose last month. let's check in with cnbc's courtney reagan. she joins us with that and the re of the business headlines, as well. hey, courtney. >> good morning, barbara. we saw the september home sales numbers coming in at higher point and that's good news for stocks. that helped us really push stocks into a comfortably higher trading place. the dow was up about 70 pounds right now, the nasdaq and s&p 0 are also trading higher. the stocks are also being helped by a weaker dollar and we got news this weekend that the g-20 finance ministers have omised to avoid a currency war . that is something that makes the markets happy and brings back stability, something we need right now. asian markets rose overnight, and europe is higher, as well. lots of economic data this week still to come, topped by friday's report on third quarr gdp. bank of america has found mistakes in foreclosure documents in a reviewf 23 states. the wall street journal says the bank found errors in 10 to 25 of the first several hundred documents. they include no signature, ssing files or cases where the property and payment history don't match. but bank of america has not found any evidence that the reclosures shouldn't have gone through. and good news if you're looking for a holiday job. many retailers are stepping up holiday hiring. consulting firm day and christmas expects hiring at prerecession levels. toys r us is hiring 25,000 seasonal workers throughout the uthwest. largely because they'll be staffing 600 temporary outlets this fall. macy's is adding 65,000 holiday workers, up slightly from last year, and kohls is hiring 40,000 people. back to you, barbara. >> all right, thank you. hope you have a great day. you too. >> okay, see you tomorro technology has opened all sorts of doors for kids, both good and bad but now parents use the same technology to keep them safe. nbc's kevin tibbles reports. >> reporter: it's a rite of passage for thousands of american kids, riding the school bus. but each year, some 5,000 children do get lost. >> for about 45 minutes, when the parents realized he hadn't gotten off the stop, we were in a panic looking for the child. >> reporter: last year in pailis heights, illinois, a little boy was on the right bus but got off at the wrong time. so the school district decided to start keeping tabs electronically. >> each color tells me a fferent bus. >> reporter: they use the z-pass. every student gets a reader card they swipe each time they climb aboard. >> you go right by the z-pass, and it beeps, and it tells your parents if you're on or off the bus. >> reporter: still, some parents had reservations. >> i didn't want an external -- a different pers, big brother looking in on where my kids were. >> but the system only tracks the location of the buses. a card like this wll tell you when and where your cld gets on and off the school bus. but it won't track their every movement. if you want to track your kids, specifically new drivers, alltrackusa's gps device allows parents to monitor where their child drives. also, it sends alerts if they go too fast or on unapproved roads. for atlanta's ben and loris, it relieves some of the anxiety. >> i was really apprehensive at first. it's my baby. >> we love her and just care about her safety. >> did you have problem? >> no, no problem. >> reporter: but daughter ali feels they had more than just fety on their minds. >> i think it was more to keep tabs on me. because, like, i'm a good kid. like, i hadn't done anything at all before i had my license. >> reporter: car crashes remain the number one killer of teenagers, and new drivers are 20 times more likely to have an accident. still, for ally, it did take getting used to. >> i guess i watch my speed more often, especially on highways. >> reporter: but sometimes a parent wants to know more, for safety sake, like who their child is talking to or texting. >> our kids are communicating with people right inside our home, and talking to strangers. >> he started getting really creepy around the time i was 15. >> reporter: 17-year-old britain mchale fell victim to a predator who tracd her to school. luckily, he was caught by police. but her mother now screens her daughter's cell phone activity, ing software called "my mobile watchdog". >> inly check it when i feel there is a change in behavior or attitude. >> repter: despite her own close call, she resisted. >> my parents sat me down and said we want to put this on your phone, it's not an invasion of pracy. and i was like, yeah, right. >> reporter: parents set up an approved call list. any number not approved reported to their phone. >> she actually communicates more because she knows we can see that. >> reporter: is this keepin children safe or strangling them with an electronic leash? >> we're leveling the playing field so parents have a way to do what they need to do as a pant. >> reporter: parents minding their children like ner before, whether their children like ior not. >> that was kevin tibbles reporting. our time right now, 11:51 andcoming up, tom kierein will be back with another check on the forecast. then this afternoon on the "nate burke has" show. two best friends battle it out for a $2,500 grand prize, today at 2:00 right here on nbc 4. [ male announcer ] are you paying more d moreor cable and enjoying it less and less? stop paying for second best. upgrade to verizon fios and get tv, internet and phone for just $99.99 a month for a year. call now and we'll include this unbeatable bonus: over 110 premium channels including starz, showtime, hbo and more -- free for 3 months. and there's no term contract required. if you don't love fios yl with no early termination fee. fios gives you the best channel lineup, superior picture quality and more hd; plus internet rated #1 in satisfaction, speed and reliability four yea in a row. why keep paying for cable? get fios tv, internet and phone for just $99.99 a nth -- plus over 110 premium movie channels free for 3 months. call 1.888.818.fios. that's 1.888.818.3467. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's 1.888.818.3467. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. it's time to get more for your money. it's time for fios. okay, everyone, power up your flux capacity taters. >> are you telling me you built a time machine? out of a delorean? >> that's right, "back to the future" is, well, bac 25 years ago today, marty mcfly traveled back to 1955. the movie spent 11 weeks at america's number one film in 1985. and its pularity spawned two sequels. now all three movies are coming back in a special blu ray release. >> dude, i was just in the movie. >> it was so original. nothing we had really seen before. >> michael j. fox and his co stars will reunite on the "today" show tomorrow morning. you can catch it right here on nbc 4 starting at 7:00 a.m. let's take a look right now at some of the stories we're going to be following on news4 this afternoon. jim hanley joins us with a preview. >> good rning, barbara. we have a busy afternoon coming up at 4:00 and 5:00 this evening. a woman is found dead inside her bethesda home today. we'll ve the latestn the investigation. also ahead, the fda makes a decision whether to green light an experimental weight loss drug. we'll have the latest on that. then tonight at 5:00, the only thing more frightening than the costumes onnel halloween is the potential for fire. liz crenshaw joins us with the dos and don'ts to keep your little goblins safe out there. these stories, all the day's news and more on our wet evening ahead coming up at ne4 at 5:00. barbara, back to you for now. >> speaking of a wet evening, let's see what the weather hlds for us. tom? >> the un-october weather holds. it's been quite mild the last few days. 70 in washington,0s to near 70 throughout most of the region. cooler in the mountains, in the 50s there, where they have had passing showers over the last couple hours. it's reached the mid 70s in southeastern virginia, and in eastern north carolina. over the last 12 hours, these showers advancing southwest to northeast. it's an upper level disturbance in the atmosphere kicking these off. and there may be thunderstorms in southern virginia and carolinas, but herjust some passing showers likely later this afternoon and into the early evening hours, perhaps with a little thunder. highs into the mid 70s before the rain arrives. and tomorrow, cloudy in e mid 70s. could get showers again on wednesday, with thunder. drying out thursday. much cooler for the weekend as the sunshine returns. we'll see you tomorrow morning. >> all right, tom, thank you. halloween is just a few days away, but some pets in north carolina did their celebrating a little early. the petsmart in charlotte hosd a howl-o-wean costume party. pets came dressed as fairies, cowboys, pirates and even an army veteran. there was also a contest for best-dressed. the winner got a special treat. greenees dental chews. yum. and that's news4 midday for today. we thank you for being with us and invite you to tune in for more news at 4:00, 5:00, 6:00 and then tonight at 11:00. then we hope you'll get up with us tomorrow morning, a i will be here at 11 with tom and jerry. we hope you join us for that. until then, have a terrific day and we'll see you in the morning. hi there, i'm ian wright and i'm investigating what makes aruba so happy. oh my word, that's fantastic. ♪ row your boat gently down the stream... ♪ i'll tell you what; it's not aloe vera the main export. it's happiness. i haven't even got bait on the end of mine. i don't care; it's just nice sitting here. you're getting it. you're getting it.