Well have more on the wusa 9 news app. So glad you are joining us for the news at noon. Im mike hydeck. The flooding in South Carolina is making headlines. Flood victims are returning home to see whats left. For others, that threat is not over. As weijia jiang reports, the rivers are still rising. Reporter emergency crews are scrambling to stabilize the beaver dam this morning in columbia. Workers are placing heavy rocks in the water to hold back the rising river. Probably up to just over two tons right now. Theyll continue to work this dam until theres not an imminent danger. Reporter officials believe this dam is protected for now, but earlier today, they were not as confident. An emergency message went out urging people who lived nearby to evacuate. Sheriffs deputies are going doortodoor in vulnerable areas warning people to be on alert. National guard troops line neighborhood streets ready to help. A number of rivers near South Carolinas coast are still rising, threatening to wipe out the dam. At least 11 have already failed. In some areas, the flood waters have receded, leaving behind misery for homeowners. Angela cole and craig smith lost practically everything they own. Were here, and were alive. Thats all that matters. Reporter the rain and floods caused extensive damage to the infrastructure. Crews are working to fix the breach thats threatening the water supply to 375,000 people. Weijia jiang, cbs news, columbia, South Carolina. Cruise are searching for two people who disappeared when the pickup drove into the flood waters. The driver went around barricades set up to block traffic. Three people managed to get out safely but two others did not. To store row avenue in potomac where noxious fumes made several people sick. It was something in the air conditioning system that caused the problem. Six people were treated for nausea at the scene on store row avenue in potomac, maryland. Chicago fire crews had their hands full trying to save a city landmark. You can see the church went up in flames. The church was built in the 1920s and was recently designated a chicago landmark. So far, no reports of any injuries or the cause of the fire. A suspected sexual predator goes before a judge today for a preliminary hearing. Lee use cruz aguilar was Luis Cruz Aguilar is accused of luring a little girl into a room where he assaulted her and left. It turns out he had an outstanding warrant for a Sexual Assault for a 13year old five years ago. Will the power stay on during Severe Weather . What about the rates . If the merger gets approved, youll see decreases in both, they say. The deal is one giant step closer to happening. Reporter so if you live in d. C. , your electric bill wont go up until march of 2019, and youll get a check. Two promises being made if the deal gets done on a 6. 8 billion merger. Now the d. C. Mayor is supporting the union of the two power giants. She po owessed their initial offer which she opposed their initial offer, which was rejected and now they are offering to invest 78 million in the city. Consider 14 million was the first offer. That would go towards better reliability and helping low income families. With that, its the mayors opinion that deal has gone from one that doesnt benefit the consumer to one that puts rate payers first. We have all had concerns about the longterm health and reliability of pepco. So the district kept the conversations with pepco and epsilon alive because we knew we had to do better for our city. In the short term, they have put a little dress on this deal, okay, and its fancy and looks nice, but in a couple of years, youll see the reality of what this deal means to us, and its not good. It appears theres only one final hurdle for this deal to go through, and that is getting approval from the d. C. Public service commission. For the latest on the pep ko epsilon merger, download our wusa 9 app. Sky 9 is on the way to Culpepper High School where a suspect is in custody for allegedly having a gun near campus. Culpepper high and the alternative school were all put on lockdown after reports of a Student Armed with a gun. So far, no injuries have been reported. Well continue to follow this story and break in with any new developments as soon as we get them. Federal investigators have started their first full day of work as they search for the cause of last weeks sinking of a cargo ship with 33 people on board. The el faro was last heard from after it approached Hurricane Joaquin in the bahamas last week. Overnight, crews searching debris fields found a survival suit and a life jacket from the ship. The ship was equipped with a voyage data recorder or vdr. However it is still a daunting task finding that ship. The ocean is a very big place. You have to have respect for that. There are a lot of different robotics and things that are able to look that deeply. There are different types of sonar able to detect things like pings that might come from a vdr. The el faro launched last tuesday. Many of the crew were from a tightknit maritime community. You may have noticed children walking to school during your morning commute because it was International Walk to school day. The campaign is about every commuter, those on foot and behind the wheel. Reporter in the middle of rush hour traffic, a movement at Seaton Elementary School and shaw. A safety message and free giveaways for walk to school day. The event is fun but the message is very serious. Every day around the country, 44 children are hit by cars. It is a big problem, especially in cities like d. C. And wards 7 and 8. We walk to School Every Day and we have to worry about safety. Especially around here, theres a lot of construction going on. Reporter do you ever see cars driving really fast when you are walking to school . How does that make you feel . Scared. Reporter why . Because sometimes it makes me scared because i dont want to go in the road and get hurt. So the message for drivers is to slow down and be aware of pedestrians. Stop when you see them in the crosswalk. According to safe kids d. C. , traffic accidents are among the number one of five causes of trauma in d. C. Coming up, why some say brushing your teeth with charcoal is a way to get a brighter smile. First, man on the run. See what happens when the suspect tries to lose the cops by drivin here at humana, we value sticking with things. When something works, people stick with it. More people stick with humana medicare advantage. People stick with it. Because we stick with them. Humana medicare advantage. The plan people stick with. Welcome back. A driver in australia went to Great Lengths to escape police. Police followed a man who was trying to get away on a 4 by 4. He ran out of real estate, though. Most vehicles with wheels do not do well in the indian ocean. Thats where police were able to arrest the driver. Brilliant. Largescale raids were taking place all across sidney, australia. More than 200 officers were chasing four people. They are in custody now accused of killing a Police Officer curtis chang on friday. Russian jets and warships are unleashing more air strikes on syria and syrian troops have reportedly started a ground offensive. The strikes are in support of syrian president al assad. They battled in the first major Ground Fighting since moscow began launching air raids last week. Defense secretary ashe carter says they will not cooperate with russia. President obama, Vice President biden, and secretary of state john kerry will meet at the white house today to talk about the next steps the u. S. May be taking. Germany is taking a stand over migrants crossing its borders. Authorities there say migrants fleeing poverty and not war will get kicked out. Germany continues to grapple with an influx of refugee crossing the border. Each day, hundreds still line up outside the Main Registration Center in berlin to apply for asylum. Still ahead, finally, sunshine. Thats right. We did see a very cloudy start to the day. I can feel the temperature warming up. I have more to talk about in the weekend up and craft beer is more popular than ever. There is a big demand for beers that are in short supply. Kenneth craig shows us what fans are willing to do to get their hands on a rare brew. Reporter people lined up early in the morning and waited hours to buy some beer. Its that good. Reporter its called heady topper, and it received a rare perfect score from beer advocate. This vermont Grocery Store gets a shipment just once a week, and it is gone in minutes. Lynn drove 400 miles to be here. Im dying to taste it. Reporter heady topper is the dream creation of brewer john kimic. He and his wife distribute just 2,000 cases a week only to nearby bars and stores. I get to make beer the way i like to drink my beer. Thankfully, a lot of people agree that thats a good way. Reporter the Craft Beer Movement has swept the nation, and now theres a craze within the craze for the hardest to get beers. In california, fans wrapped around two blocks to get this popular one. Mariana trench beer is gone within hours when its resed in florida. The glass jug in North Carolina did record business when they sold a series of rare sour ales. Its not just about the beer. Its about the other people that share the love and being able to experience it pott, talk back it. I hope it was worth it. Kenneth greg, cbs news, water bury, vermont. Is there a drinking problem here . Thats funny. A new policy on bathroom breaks is causing a stink in california. Workers in sacramento Motor Vehicle department are being told they are spending too long on the toilet and not working enough. The union says managers are deducting pay and leave time for workers who take more than seven minutes on a bathroom break. The union has now filed a grievance. That gives you time to walk there and walk back but no time to do anything else. The dmv Spokesman Says they are in the process of preparing a response to the grievance. One gun store is offering up a deal some customers are finding hard to refuse, but only if they are christians. The owner of Frontier Firearms is offering a 5 discount on any new handgun if you say you are a christian. The offer comes in the wake of a mass shooting at Oregon Community college. If christians are going to be targeted, we need to protect ourselves. The best way to protect ourselves is this way. He encouraged christians who are serious about their faith to think about getting a handgun carry permit. Sure, weve heard all of the Home Remedies for whiter teeth. Now some are suggesting using charcoal. Its the key to a brighter smile. Tiffany craig tried to find out if it works. Reporter were in the bathroom with tonya garrison and its about to get ugly. As we tried charcoal podder to remove stains. It says add a small amount to your toothbrush and brush as usual. Reporter it comes out dark and is scary. Activated charcoal supposedly grabs stains. Im afraid to swallow. Its okay. Its kind of gritty and goofy. Reporter its safe to ingest, sold in health foot stores. Tanya heard about it on pinterest and bought it on amazon. We could scare your kids. No hes not scared. Reporter theres no American Dental Association stamp. They are not sure if the grittiness could damage enamel. Study results have proof its not abrasive and a reminder that it is a stain remover, not a whitether. I dont really notice a difference but heres tonyas before and after picture. I wanted to see lightened teeth. Reporter we both agreed it does make your mouth feel really clean. Right out of the dentist or when you just eat a really crisp apple. Its weird. Ic. So how cool is this. This cameraman managed to catch a group of humpback whales playing off the coast of norway. Kathy wales says this is a dream for many photographers, just beautiful. Sort of puts you in a nice frame of mine. Very peaceful and relaxing. So today, we started out kind of overcast and chilly, but things are changing. Absolutely. We have a cold front and all its bringing is some clouds and maybe one little sprinkle. Now that the clouds are tart bit. Thats enough to get us into the 07s and mid70s this afternoon. I do want to take a look outside. You can see the clouds starting to break apart, but i want to quickly update you on the allergy index. I have been sneezing about every, single minute. So it is the mold. If you are allergic to the mold. The rain washed everything away. 68 degrees. We were sitting in the low to mid60s for much of the morning. The clouds were slow to budge, and we expect the clouds to break apart a little bit throughout the rest of the afternoon. Into the 70s where were seeing more sunshine throughout nor. At culpepper, well head to the 70s. I did drop the temperature down just a little bit, still within our threedegree guarantee to stay with the clouds hanging on just a little bit longer through the lunch hour. This weak front doesnt have a lot of moisture. Just make a sprinkle just maybe a sprinkle. We have the weather alert on friday and friday only. Heres a look at the futurecast. You can see how we break apart with that cloud cover never night. A cool cover overnight. A cool one in the district. Into the 50s for the suburbs. Tomorrow afternoon, partly cloudy skies. Not too hot, not too humid. Well be into the mid70s for the afternoon and more sunshine than what we are seeing for today. Friday, the first half of the day is dry and warm. The winds will turn a little more south westerly. That will keep our temperature near 80 degrees. Most people will stay into the upper 70s. It will be a warm one. By midafternoon for areas off to the west, and friday night Football Games showers and thunderstorms could start at the beginning of the Football Game but shouldnt last too long. Before midnight really. Fist thing tomorrow or saturday morning, we start off with cloud cover and not only are we impacting our friday evening plans, saturday will be cool and breezy. So fall river fans, you are in luck. This is one of the days where its perfect to go to the pumpkin patch. We will see sunshine by the afternoon and then am into the next couple of days before we see the cooldown come for saturday. It is a shortlived cooldown. Heres the forecast, 75. I did drop that temperature compared to this morning with the cloud cover hanging around. 76 tomorrow, more sunshine for the afternoon hours. By friday again, the beginning hours will be fine. Afternoon evening, were tracking the storms. Well be right back after this wow. This place is spectacular. Thank you. We worked with a designer from havertys for a complete refresh. You must be happy to get out of that tiny house . Yeah you know when we realized how great the furniture could be, we knew we wanted more space. How much more space . We went from a hundred square feet to. Three thousand whispers three thousand we still have the original structure. She uses it as a yoga studio. Its more like a tool shed. Refresh your space during our harvest sale at havertys. Plus, enjoy thirtysix month, nointerest financing havertys. Discover something you. When i was sidelined with blood clots in my lung,h. It was serious. Fortunately, my doctor had a game plan. Treatment with xarelto®. Hey guys hey, finally, somebody i can look up to. Besides arnie. Xarelto® is proven to treat and help reduce the risk of dvt and pe blood clots. Xarelto® is also proven to reduce the risk of stroke in people with afib, not caused by a heart valve problem. For people with afib currently well managed on warfarin, theres limited information on how xarelto® and warfarin compare in reducing the risk of stroke. You know, i tried warfarin, but the blood testing and dietary restrictions. Dont get me started on that. I didnt have to. We started on xarelto®. Nice pass. Safety first. Like all blood thinners, dont stop taking xarelto® without talking to your doctor, as this may increase your risk of a blood clot or stroke. While taking, you may bruise more easily and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. Xarelto® may increase your risk of bleeding if you take certain medicines. Xarelto® can cause serious, and in rare cases, fatal bleeding. Get help right away for unexpected bleeding, unusual bruising, or tingling. If you have had spinal anesthesia while on xarelto®, watch for back pain or any nerve or muscle related signs or symptoms. Do not take xarelto® if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. Tell your doctor before all planned medical or dental procedures. Before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. You know xarelto® is the 1 prescribed blood thinner in its class. Thats a big win. It is for me. With xarelto® there is no regular blood monitoring and no known dietary restrictions. Treatment with xarelto®. Was the right move for us. Ask your doctor about xarelto®. The Health Care Law gives us powerful tools to fight it. Were cracking down on Medicare Fraud. To investigate it prosecute it and stop criminals our senior medicare patrol volunteers are teaching seniors across the country to stop, spot and report fraud you can help guard your Medicare Card dont give out your card number over the phone call to report any suspected fraud were cracking down on Medicare Fraud lets make medicare stronger for all of us check out this huge computercontrolled arch. Theres a paddle hanging down the middle that senses where the ball is going, adjusts the paddle and the robot was featured at a cutting edge feed. Its the Largest Electronics show in japan. The cheetah exhibit in the richmond zoo has become the hottest thing in town. The crowds come to see the new companion, a puppy. It was in need of a companion after the death of another cub. Kago was the perfect match. The lab mix was adopted when he was just 10 weeks old and now the two are inseparable. You just cant not smile when you see that picture. Lets take a look at your sevenday. Some of us will reach a lot of sunshine and staying dry. By tomorrow, 76. Thunderstorms on friday. Thats our yellow weather alert day. Thats a great way to keep the mobile app with you. It could be rain to start at the Football Games but should be out of there in no time. Moms and dads want to know that the Sheriffs Department is holding a 2 00 News Conference to talk about the gun found near the school. There is a suspect in custody. Download the wusa 9 app and on the sheriffs facebook page, too. Nick its messing with the supply chain now. Victor look at this. All incoming shipments have been stopped. And our plant in cleveland has come to a standstill. Nick how are they gonna get their Raw Materials . Victor the vendors will have to reinstate their orders manually. Can you imagine the cost to the plant of this size when it goes offline . Nick its insane. Every company we do business with is worried this virus may have migrated. Each time we stop a crisis, dad, a new one pops up. At this rate, were gonna lose everything. Victor [ sighs deeply ] [ cellphone chimes ] oh. Ah. I think i may have just found a way out