Transcripts For WJLA ABC 7 News At 500 20150219 : comparemel

Moving around. Most of them are heading this direction right over here. We have the Dupont Circle metro and a lot of people are eager to get home and get to a warm place. Also a lot of businesses around here not too many people shopping. We found a food truck at Franklin Square pa along a stretch where theres usually a smorgasbord of them. Lined up from here all the way to that corner. So probably 20 of them. The one truck here today picked up what little business there was to be had on this cold windy street. As for his competitors theyre not making money. Even some of them that are out and about arent bringing in the bucks. Zero bucks on the street. Thats for sure. At metro center we found a few more vendors but not a lot of customers. The people say in the inside. Its affecting civilians a lot. The cold has people scurrying to get indoors. The coziest spot for a lot of folks, home. We checked out restaurants and bars. Heard the same story. Business is way down lots of empty tables and open spaces at bars. Its so slow. Its just no one comes out. Everybody wants to stay in. And its just dead. We ventured into a gelato shop. We were the only people in there beside the clerk. He admitted ice cream isnt selling like hot cakes. Because its cold. Its too cold. For . Ice cream. Gelato, right . With Colder Weather on tap tomorrow, some of the Business People we spoke with dont expect their cash registers to heat up until this weekend at the earliest. Reporting live Stephen Tschida abc 7 news. Thanks stephen. Frostbite becomes a concern with temperatures this cold so consider this, according to the National Weather service the temperatures in the Single Digits tonight and winds at about 10 miles an hour you could get frostbitten in halfhour if you have exposed skin out there. Wow. Utility crews are trying to make sure increased demand for heat and electricity dont put a strain on their system. So dominion is urging customers wear an extra layer of clothing and try to keep the thermostat at about 68 degrees or lower at home. We heard about problems with water mains and pipes bursting across our area today. In fact, a pipe at the Georgetown Branch of the d. C. Public library burst and caused damage to boxes and old photos there. In Prince Georges County another burst pipe forced the Court Building to close. In Falls Church Water main there caused problems for people at an assisted living facility. Well you can get the forecast at your fingertips any time at wjla. Com. Through the wjla Facebook Page or on our abc 7 news twitter feed. You can download the stormwatch app for your tablet or your smartphone. In other news a local rabbi is facing more than a half century in jail after pleading guilty to 52 counts of voyeurism. Joce sterman is live outside d. C. Superior court with thew development in the case against Barry Freundel. Joce . Leon many of those developments are spelled out in these disturbing Court Documents today that we received. They spell out exactly what police got with a search warrant including five desktop computers, seven laptops six hard drives 20 memory cards, 11 flash drives and even more than that. All tools the rabbi could use that could eventually land him in jail. Rabbi Barry Freundel leaving d. C. Superior court with the prospect of a half century sentence hanging over his head. He decided to plead guilty. Actions prosecutors said included secretly videotaping more than 150 women as they undressed to welcome a sacred ritual bath reporting three different angles and naming the files after his victims. This is something a lot of these women will never be able to put behind them. Todays deal is something many didnt see coming. Im shocked by the plea deal. And my wife had no idea that today was going to be the day. Barry freundel was not in court today. He lost his power. No one respects him anymore. The once distinguished rabbi, now pariah and potential future inmate awaiting sentencing where his victims will finally say their peace. Its not closure but its a step in the healing process. And the victims in that case recorded by 10 secret cameras disguised by everything from table fans to tissue boxes and even computer chargers. Freundel will be back at this courthouse on may 15th for his official sentencing. As weve mentioned, he could get as many as two years in jail. Thats unlikely. His Attorney Says hell likely serve far less time. He expects freundel to tell his side of the story and issue a public apology. Live in northwest, joce sterman, abc 7 news. Thanks. While you were reporting that, we just got this word into the abc 77 newsroom. Prince William County schools will be closed tomorrow. Stay with us here. Well update you on more closings and delays. Montgomery county police say a former karate teacher sexually abused one student and may have assaulted others. Police charged jorge elisia with multiple sex offenses. Police say he allegedly assaulted the victim and he taught at a dojo in the 1980s and he was a teacher in Prince Georges County from 1989 to 1991. Virginias former first lady will learn her fate tomorrow. Maureen mcdonnell was quicked on corruption charges last september. Prosecutors are recommending she serve 18 months in jail for taking gifts from the former c. E. O. Of the Dietary Supplements company while her husband was in office. Bob mcdonnell was sentenceed to two years in jail. But his attorneys are appealing that. The fight continues to move Dzhokhar Tsarnaevs trial out of boston. Today, a federal Appeals Court heard that motion after the judge denied the change of venue three times. Tsarnaevs lawyer said his client could never get a fair trial in boston because the marathon bombings were seen as an attack on a city tradition and on the city itself. Abc 7 news has learned today that the man killed inside a d. C. Hotel will be laid to rest this weekend. Brianne carter is putting together the information in this case today. The d. C. Lawyer found dead in the Upscale Hotel earlier this month will be laid to rest this weekend in Cincinnati Ohio abc 7 news has learned. According to the cincinnati inquirer the lawyer was married, had two brothers and was an uncle to nieces and nephews that adored him. He was a member of the ohio state crew team. On the o. S. U. Crew alumni page a memorial site has been set up in his honor. This comes as were getting new information from this search warrant about the day that his body was found stabbed several times in the back inside a fourth floor room of the 14th street hotel. According to the search warrant, a wallet and credit cards were s strewn about next to his head. They were all gathered as evidence in the room. The warrant said fingerprints were found but doesnt say if they belong to someone other than the victim. Tonight, no new information on a motive in the murder mystery. Police, however, are said to be searching for this person of interest seen in the hotel Surveillance Video hours before his body was found. Brianne carter, abc news. The Fairfax County Police Department and Sheriffs Office are conducting an internal investigation now into the stun gun death of an inmate. Deputies say they used a taser on 37yearold Natasha Mckenna after she physically resisted a transport to another jail earlier this month. A short time later, mckenna experienced a medical emergency, taken to the hospital and placed on life support. She died five days later. Montgomery county police tell abc 7 it could take them six weeks to charge the man accused of hitting and killing a nurse on her way home from a job interview. This happened yesterday shortly before noon along crest haven drive in silver spring. Montgomery county reporter kevin lewis explains why police are waiting. Grandmother Vanessa Dixon run over and killed while standing at this bus stop. Police suspect David Rodriguez, the driver of this maroon s. U. V. Was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. They questioned rodriguez and impounded his car. He was later released, no charges filed as detectives say they need to dig deeper. If we place some charges now, it may prevent us from placing other charges later. As a form of double jeopardy. Records show rodriguez has gotten two speeding tickets since 2013. In october, a state trooper caught him going 80 in a 55 and just last month rodriguez pleaded guilty. A judge fined him 80. And ive never known that he would even drink, like he seemed like an innocent guy. Maribel hernandez lives next door to rodriguezs home where today, no one came to the door. Flowers now live where dixon lost her life. Her family devastated. Vanessa is a loving and caring girl. She would cook. She would feed everybody thats hungry she would give and give and give. And so David Rodriguez is walking free at least for now living here in his parents ranch style home in silver spring. Police tell us their crash investigation will take six weeks to complete. Criminal charges are expected. Im kevin lewis, abc 7 news. Coming up keep babies healthy and you cant keep a baby healthy that has walking free at least for now a new mother rather, fighting back after their newborn is refused care at just 6 days old. And then a little bit later today, just a week after parents protested, find out whether a d. C. Charter school will be allowed to stay open. Happy year of the sheep. Or is it year of the goat . Well have the look at the debate over that coming up. Were live inside the abc 7 studio fighting back against crime. Phone banks are open. If you have questions for police, we have officers and detectives from here across the area. 7 on your side fighting back against crime. Tonight. Were asking you to let us know about issues of crime in your neighborhood. Were hoping that you can help us crack some cold cases out there. Jennifer donelan is in the help center now to explain. Hi, jen. Here at the station, we take a number of phone calls all the time from residents across the area. Concerned that there have been a number of breakins in their homes on a particular block. Theyre concerned about it. They want to talk to police. They want to get their issues out there. The phone number to call 7032369220. Prince William County Arlington County, Prince Georges County from d. C. Police and anne arundel county. These officers and detectives can take any of your questions about crime in general. Also, we are profiling five unsolved murder cases this week in an effort to try and find the killers among us. Now, joining us right now is lieutenant shawn convoy with metropolitan police in d. C. Thank you for being here today. Thank you for having us. How important is information from the public . Any little piece of information could be that beneficial piece were missing to be able to bring closure to some of these cases. Some people may think what they have is you know no real no big deal. Not a big clue. We never know until we have it. Also joining us Corporal Nicole Hubbard from Prince Georges County. Thank you for having us. You have a cold case coming up in 30 minutes. How important is this right now . You know cold cases are very important. Just as any homicide that we have. Doesnt matter to us if it happened five minutes ago, five years ago. We want to provide closure in all these cases. Even just to provide a small amount of comfort to the family. So were asking that anyone with any information to any case that may have just occurred, or may have occurred in the past to please call us and any calls that are anonymous to call our crime solvers hotlin thank you so much. Well let you guys get back to the phone. You can call our number. Any questions that you have about crime in your neighborhoods, please give us a call. Back to you. All right. Great service there, jennifer. Thank you so much. Well Lunar New Year celebrations are starting all over the world. Take a look at this parade in hong kong that helps ring in the first day of the new year. But theres some debate about just what year this is. Some say its the year of the sheep. Others the year of the goat. The confusion comes in the translation because young in chinese could mean ram. It could mean sheep. It could mean goat. Would you believe it . Theres been quite a controversy over this in china with state media and scholars weighing in. So no matter which animal you think the answer well the zodiac sign signals people born this yearhetic. And artistic. Call it the year of the broken thermometer. Thats what it is around here. Well, if theres search for good news good news is the coldest part of the air mass is coming tomorrow morning. And that will be out of here. So thats a little relief. Best news. Ttle bit of relief. Coming tomorrow and today is going to feel like summer by comparison. Winds will ease up a little bit by comparison. Obviously youre familiar with seeing the ice all over the place but the cloud, we have a few snow flurries and maybe a couple of snow showers were dealing with in a couple of spots as the reinforcing push of this arctic air arrives tonight. Thats why were so confident well see some areas get below zero. Skies will clear. So these little clouds and flurries only temporary. In fact the Doppler Radar shows a few areas here and there will indicate a few brief snow showers and flurries were not unexpected that will clear out and under clear skies tonight, it will get mighty cold. Couple of numbers for you now from our weather bug network. Feels like 5 below right now tacoma park and leesburg. 2 below in suitland and feels like 4 above. These values are all going to drop later tonight as the winds continue. Air temperature right now, 10 in gaithersburg. 12 at washington dulles. These values are going to drop in below single numbers and below zero in some cases by tomorrow morning as well. In fact heres our official forecast for the overnight across our viewing area. Generally, 2 below to 8 above. Could there be areas colder than that . Could there be areas warmer than that . I dont think so. We have wind chills and outside is a place that you dont want to spend much time. Steve rudin is out front in the studio. What are you seeing out there, steve . Any flakes yet . Hey, im trying to move around and keep warm out here. Its so so cold and only going to get colder as doug just mentioned as we move through the evening hours into early tomorrow morning. How cold are we taking . Looking back at the record the almanac pages, 10 degrees. Thats the last time that we hit 10 degrees or less during winter months. Last time during the month of february that we hit 10 degrees less, 1996. Were talking 19 years ago here in washington at Reagan National. Will we break any records . Will we tie any records come early tomorrow morning . This is where they stand. 1896, 8 degrees downtown d. C. Good chance that we will break that one. As we look at b. W. I. Marshall, 4 degrees. That is set back in 1979 and also set in 1979 likely to have at least tie if not break some of these records as we move through early tomorrow morning. The best news of all, the super cold air. Were going to get a break from it. Doug has more on that right now. All right, steve. A little bit of break. Its all relative. It will get warmer for one day on sunday especially in the upper 40s. Were dealing with the reinforcing push of arctic air and stream of snow across pennsylvania. Maybe a few flakes here. That will clear out tonight as High Pressure gets closer and High Pressure overhead in the morning will set the stage for a widespread record cold in the hes of the as we get to the weekend, clouds increase saturday morning. Good chance well deal with snow in many parts of the area saturday afternoon as warmer air overruns the cold air at the surface and a little snow could pile up. More about that tomorrow and eventually as the air warms up, well get freezing rain mixed in and as the storm moves to the northeast on sunday, we flood in with warm air into the upper 40s so sunday its going to be a rainy day. Heres the next seven days only in the teens after possibly setting records in the morning and then on saturday, 80 chance well have snow mixing with and changing to ice which is freezing rain and eventually plain Old Fashioned rain especially for sunday. Well hit the upper 40s. Then well drop down. Monday, tuesday, wednesday, those numbers are way below average. But not as intensely cold as what were dealing with right now. We just heard that Loudoun County will be closing tomorrow. Another one. Prince william reported a little bit ago. Going to be cold. Thank you. Thanks. Fire and ice today in columbia. Still ahead, look at what fire crews had to do to stop it. First a Breast Cancer breakthrough, a look at the combination thats giving patients a fighting chance against an aggressive form of the disease. Think about that and take a look at this. Heres whats coming up tonight on abc. I know grande most exciting, but its only for a few hours. Look what ive got. When you get verizon fios, you get beautiful hd picture quality, super fast internet, and americas most reliable network. So you wont miss a second of that movie, that game they love, or those moments with family. Can we sleep over . Please come on make your house the house. You get more from verizon fios the tv Dupont Circle<\/a> metro and a lot of people are eager to get home and get to a warm place. Also a lot of businesses around here not too many people shopping. We found a food truck at Franklin Square<\/a> pa along a stretch where theres usually a smorgasbord of them. Lined up from here all the way to that corner. So probably 20 of them. The one truck here today picked up what little business there was to be had on this cold windy street. As for his competitors theyre not making money. Even some of them that are out and about arent bringing in the bucks. Zero bucks on the street. Thats for sure. At metro center we found a few more vendors but not a lot of customers. The people say in the inside. Its affecting civilians a lot. The cold has people scurrying to get indoors. The coziest spot for a lot of folks, home. We checked out restaurants and bars. Heard the same story. Business is way down lots of empty tables and open spaces at bars. Its so slow. Its just no one comes out. Everybody wants to stay in. And its just dead. We ventured into a gelato shop. We were the only people in there beside the clerk. He admitted ice cream isnt selling like hot cakes. Because its cold. Its too cold. For . Ice cream. Gelato, right . With Colder Weather<\/a> on tap tomorrow, some of the Business People<\/a> we spoke with dont expect their cash registers to heat up until this weekend at the earliest. Reporting live Stephen Tschida<\/a> abc 7 news. Thanks stephen. Frostbite becomes a concern with temperatures this cold so consider this, according to the National Weather<\/a> service the temperatures in the Single Digits<\/a> tonight and winds at about 10 miles an hour you could get frostbitten in halfhour if you have exposed skin out there. Wow. Utility crews are trying to make sure increased demand for heat and electricity dont put a strain on their system. So dominion is urging customers wear an extra layer of clothing and try to keep the thermostat at about 68 degrees or lower at home. We heard about problems with water mains and pipes bursting across our area today. In fact, a pipe at the Georgetown Branch<\/a> of the d. C. Public library burst and caused damage to boxes and old photos there. In Prince Georges County<\/a> another burst pipe forced the Court Building<\/a> to close. In Falls Church Water<\/a> main there caused problems for people at an assisted living facility. Well you can get the forecast at your fingertips any time at wjla. Com. Through the wjla Facebook Page<\/a> or on our abc 7 news twitter feed. You can download the stormwatch app for your tablet or your smartphone. In other news a local rabbi is facing more than a half century in jail after pleading guilty to 52 counts of voyeurism. Joce sterman is live outside d. C. Superior court with thew development in the case against Barry Freundel<\/a>. Joce . Leon many of those developments are spelled out in these disturbing Court Documents<\/a> today that we received. They spell out exactly what police got with a search warrant including five desktop computers, seven laptops six hard drives 20 memory cards, 11 flash drives and even more than that. All tools the rabbi could use that could eventually land him in jail. Rabbi Barry Freundel<\/a> leaving d. C. Superior court with the prospect of a half century sentence hanging over his head. He decided to plead guilty. Actions prosecutors said included secretly videotaping more than 150 women as they undressed to welcome a sacred ritual bath reporting three different angles and naming the files after his victims. This is something a lot of these women will never be able to put behind them. Todays deal is something many didnt see coming. Im shocked by the plea deal. And my wife had no idea that today was going to be the day. Barry freundel was not in court today. He lost his power. No one respects him anymore. The once distinguished rabbi, now pariah and potential future inmate awaiting sentencing where his victims will finally say their peace. Its not closure but its a step in the healing process. And the victims in that case recorded by 10 secret cameras disguised by everything from table fans to tissue boxes and even computer chargers. Freundel will be back at this courthouse on may 15th for his official sentencing. As weve mentioned, he could get as many as two years in jail. Thats unlikely. His Attorney Says<\/a> hell likely serve far less time. He expects freundel to tell his side of the story and issue a public apology. Live in northwest, joce sterman, abc 7 news. Thanks. While you were reporting that, we just got this word into the abc 77 newsroom. Prince William County<\/a> schools will be closed tomorrow. Stay with us here. Well update you on more closings and delays. Montgomery county police say a former karate teacher sexually abused one student and may have assaulted others. Police charged jorge elisia with multiple sex offenses. Police say he allegedly assaulted the victim and he taught at a dojo in the 1980s and he was a teacher in Prince Georges County<\/a> from 1989 to 1991. Virginias former first lady will learn her fate tomorrow. Maureen mcdonnell was quicked on corruption charges last september. Prosecutors are recommending she serve 18 months in jail for taking gifts from the former c. E. O. Of the Dietary Supplements<\/a> company while her husband was in office. Bob mcdonnell was sentenceed to two years in jail. But his attorneys are appealing that. The fight continues to move Dzhokhar Tsarnaevs<\/a> trial out of boston. Today, a federal Appeals Court<\/a> heard that motion after the judge denied the change of venue three times. Tsarnaevs lawyer said his client could never get a fair trial in boston because the marathon bombings were seen as an attack on a city tradition and on the city itself. Abc 7 news has learned today that the man killed inside a d. C. Hotel will be laid to rest this weekend. Brianne carter is putting together the information in this case today. The d. C. Lawyer found dead in the Upscale Hotel<\/a> earlier this month will be laid to rest this weekend in Cincinnati Ohio<\/a> abc 7 news has learned. According to the cincinnati inquirer the lawyer was married, had two brothers and was an uncle to nieces and nephews that adored him. He was a member of the ohio state crew team. On the o. S. U. Crew alumni page a memorial site has been set up in his honor. This comes as were getting new information from this search warrant about the day that his body was found stabbed several times in the back inside a fourth floor room of the 14th street hotel. According to the search warrant, a wallet and credit cards were s strewn about next to his head. They were all gathered as evidence in the room. The warrant said fingerprints were found but doesnt say if they belong to someone other than the victim. Tonight, no new information on a motive in the murder mystery. Police, however, are said to be searching for this person of interest seen in the hotel Surveillance Video<\/a> hours before his body was found. Brianne carter, abc news. The Fairfax County<\/a> Police Department<\/a> and Sheriffs Office<\/a> are conducting an internal investigation now into the stun gun death of an inmate. Deputies say they used a taser on 37yearold Natasha Mckenna<\/a> after she physically resisted a transport to another jail earlier this month. A short time later, mckenna experienced a medical emergency, taken to the hospital and placed on life support. She died five days later. Montgomery county police tell abc 7 it could take them six weeks to charge the man accused of hitting and killing a nurse on her way home from a job interview. This happened yesterday shortly before noon along crest haven drive in silver spring. Montgomery county reporter kevin lewis explains why police are waiting. Grandmother Vanessa Dixon<\/a> run over and killed while standing at this bus stop. Police suspect David Rodriguez<\/a>, the driver of this maroon s. U. V. Was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. They questioned rodriguez and impounded his car. He was later released, no charges filed as detectives say they need to dig deeper. If we place some charges now, it may prevent us from placing other charges later. As a form of double jeopardy. Records show rodriguez has gotten two speeding tickets since 2013. In october, a state trooper caught him going 80 in a 55 and just last month rodriguez pleaded guilty. A judge fined him 80. And ive never known that he would even drink, like he seemed like an innocent guy. Maribel hernandez lives next door to rodriguezs home where today, no one came to the door. Flowers now live where dixon lost her life. Her family devastated. Vanessa is a loving and caring girl. She would cook. She would feed everybody thats hungry she would give and give and give. And so David Rodriguez<\/a> is walking free at least for now living here in his parents ranch style home in silver spring. Police tell us their crash investigation will take six weeks to complete. Criminal charges are expected. Im kevin lewis, abc 7 news. Coming up keep babies healthy and you cant keep a baby healthy that has walking free at least for now a new mother rather, fighting back after their newborn is refused care at just 6 days old. And then a little bit later today, just a week after parents protested, find out whether a d. C. Charter school will be allowed to stay open. Happy year of the sheep. Or is it year of the goat . Well have the look at the debate over that coming up. Were live inside the abc 7 studio fighting back against crime. Phone banks are open. If you have questions for police, we have officers and detectives from here across the area. 7 on your side fighting back against crime. Tonight. Were asking you to let us know about issues of crime in your neighborhood. Were hoping that you can help us crack some cold cases out there. Jennifer donelan is in the help center now to explain. Hi, jen. Here at the station, we take a number of phone calls all the time from residents across the area. Concerned that there have been a number of breakins in their homes on a particular block. Theyre concerned about it. They want to talk to police. They want to get their issues out there. The phone number to call 7032369220. Prince William County<\/a> Arlington County<\/a>, Prince Georges County<\/a> from d. C. Police and anne arundel county. These officers and detectives can take any of your questions about crime in general. Also, we are profiling five unsolved murder cases this week in an effort to try and find the killers among us. Now, joining us right now is lieutenant shawn convoy with metropolitan police in d. C. Thank you for being here today. Thank you for having us. How important is information from the public . Any little piece of information could be that beneficial piece were missing to be able to bring closure to some of these cases. Some people may think what they have is you know no real no big deal. Not a big clue. We never know until we have it. Also joining us Corporal Nicole Hubbard<\/a> from Prince Georges County<\/a>. Thank you for having us. You have a cold case coming up in 30 minutes. How important is this right now . You know cold cases are very important. Just as any homicide that we have. Doesnt matter to us if it happened five minutes ago, five years ago. We want to provide closure in all these cases. Even just to provide a small amount of comfort to the family. So were asking that anyone with any information to any case that may have just occurred, or may have occurred in the past to please call us and any calls that are anonymous to call our crime solvers hotlin thank you so much. Well let you guys get back to the phone. You can call our number. Any questions that you have about crime in your neighborhoods, please give us a call. Back to you. All right. Great service there, jennifer. Thank you so much. Well Lunar New Year<\/a> celebrations are starting all over the world. Take a look at this parade in hong kong that helps ring in the first day of the new year. But theres some debate about just what year this is. Some say its the year of the sheep. Others the year of the goat. The confusion comes in the translation because young in chinese could mean ram. It could mean sheep. It could mean goat. Would you believe it . Theres been quite a controversy over this in china with state media and scholars weighing in. So no matter which animal you think the answer well the zodiac sign signals people born this yearhetic. And artistic. Call it the year of the broken thermometer. Thats what it is around here. Well, if theres search for good news good news is the coldest part of the air mass is coming tomorrow morning. And that will be out of here. So thats a little relief. Best news. Ttle bit of relief. Coming tomorrow and today is going to feel like summer by comparison. Winds will ease up a little bit by comparison. Obviously youre familiar with seeing the ice all over the place but the cloud, we have a few snow flurries and maybe a couple of snow showers were dealing with in a couple of spots as the reinforcing push of this arctic air arrives tonight. Thats why were so confident well see some areas get below zero. Skies will clear. So these little clouds and flurries only temporary. In fact the Doppler Radar<\/a> shows a few areas here and there will indicate a few brief snow showers and flurries were not unexpected that will clear out and under clear skies tonight, it will get mighty cold. Couple of numbers for you now from our weather bug network. Feels like 5 below right now tacoma park and leesburg. 2 below in suitland and feels like 4 above. These values are all going to drop later tonight as the winds continue. Air temperature right now, 10 in gaithersburg. 12 at washington dulles. These values are going to drop in below single numbers and below zero in some cases by tomorrow morning as well. In fact heres our official forecast for the overnight across our viewing area. Generally, 2 below to 8 above. Could there be areas colder than that . Could there be areas warmer than that . I dont think so. We have wind chills and outside is a place that you dont want to spend much time. Steve rudin is out front in the studio. What are you seeing out there, steve . Any flakes yet . Hey, im trying to move around and keep warm out here. Its so so cold and only going to get colder as doug just mentioned as we move through the evening hours into early tomorrow morning. How cold are we taking . Looking back at the record the almanac pages, 10 degrees. Thats the last time that we hit 10 degrees or less during winter months. Last time during the month of february that we hit 10 degrees less, 1996. Were talking 19 years ago here in washington at Reagan National<\/a>. Will we break any records . Will we tie any records come early tomorrow morning . This is where they stand. 1896, 8 degrees downtown d. C. Good chance that we will break that one. As we look at b. W. I. Marshall, 4 degrees. That is set back in 1979 and also set in 1979 likely to have at least tie if not break some of these records as we move through early tomorrow morning. The best news of all, the super cold air. Were going to get a break from it. Doug has more on that right now. All right, steve. A little bit of break. Its all relative. It will get warmer for one day on sunday especially in the upper 40s. Were dealing with the reinforcing push of arctic air and stream of snow across pennsylvania. Maybe a few flakes here. That will clear out tonight as High Pressure<\/a> gets closer and High Pressure<\/a> overhead in the morning will set the stage for a widespread record cold in the hes of the as we get to the weekend, clouds increase saturday morning. Good chance well deal with snow in many parts of the area saturday afternoon as warmer air overruns the cold air at the surface and a little snow could pile up. More about that tomorrow and eventually as the air warms up, well get freezing rain mixed in and as the storm moves to the northeast on sunday, we flood in with warm air into the upper 40s so sunday its going to be a rainy day. Heres the next seven days only in the teens after possibly setting records in the morning and then on saturday, 80 chance well have snow mixing with and changing to ice which is freezing rain and eventually plain Old Fashioned<\/a> rain especially for sunday. Well hit the upper 40s. Then well drop down. Monday, tuesday, wednesday, those numbers are way below average. But not as intensely cold as what were dealing with right now. We just heard that Loudoun County<\/a> will be closing tomorrow. Another one. Prince william reported a little bit ago. Going to be cold. Thank you. Thanks. Fire and ice today in columbia. Still ahead, look at what fire crews had to do to stop it. First a Breast Cancer<\/a> breakthrough, a look at the combination thats giving patients a fighting chance against an aggressive form of the disease. Think about that and take a look at this. Heres whats coming up tonight on abc. I know grande most exciting, but its only for a few hours. Look what ive got. When you get verizon fios, you get beautiful hd picture quality, super fast internet, and americas most reliable network. So you wont miss a second of that movie, that game they love, or those moments with family. Can we sleep over . Please come on make your house the house. You get more from verizon fios the tv Service Rated<\/a> 1 in hd picture quality and signal reliability based on Customer Satisfaction<\/a> studies plus americas fastest most reliable internet. And for peace of mind, get a price quote in writing and professional installation from a highly trained verizon technician. Now thru february 21st get a fios triple play online for just 79. 99 a month a price guaranteed for two full years. Plus get an incredible 400 bonus with a twoyear agreement. But hurry, this amazing deal ends february 21st. Visit verizon. Com worryfree to learn more today. 7 on your side in Health Matters<\/a> now and a onetwo punch thats helping some Breast Cancer<\/a> patients. Diane cho has a closer look at the two drugs and chemotherapy thats helping save lives. When she was first diagnosed with stage two Breast Cancer<\/a> she immediately thought from that point on it was a race against time. Am i going to die . Honestly, thats the first thing you think. Those feelings quickly went away when she started Getting Better<\/a> using a drug combination that now shows it can extend a persons life on average of 16 months. The trial Shows Patients<\/a> living with positive advanced Breast Cancer<\/a> treated with the drug combination including progeta with chemotherapy lived an average of 52. 5 months in comparison to those in the control group who live 40. 8 months. This is something that i havent seen in my career. Ive not seen these kind of prolonged survival results. In Breast Cancer<\/a>. Its just amazing. Dr. Sandra swayne at Medstar Washington Hospital Center<\/a> led the study which is now receiving national attention. We reported the results a couple of years ago. And we knew that it was good. We didnt know how good. She is now in remission and has continued to work throughout her chemo treatments with the exception of one, she never told the rest of her coworkers about her diagnosis until now. This is my coming out. So i mean, life goes on. You still can do everything. And just dont let it get you down. Hoping the results of this study will encourage others to stay positive. I guess thats the biggest thing. It gives you hope. To say ok this isnt going to be diane cho, abc 7 news. This treatment is already being used in patients. Now theres a trial to see if it will work for earlier stages of Breast Cancer<\/a>. Alison . Leon a lesbian couple in michigan says a pediatrician refused to care for their baby. The women say they took their 6dayold daughter to a Doctors Office<\/a> in rockville for a checkup. They were surprised to find out that the doctor who initially agreed to be their pediatrician did not show up for work. Another doctor told them the initial physician changed her mind after praying about the decision to care for the child because of the couples sexual orientation. Its embarrassing. Its humiliating and you know, here we are new parents trying to protect her and we know this happens in the world and were completely prepared for this you know, to happen other places. But, not at our 6dayolds wellness appointment. In a letter the doctor dr. Vensa roy explained why she refused to treat the baby and apologized for the hurt that she caused. Coming up on abc 7 news at 5 00 take two. Monitoring the situation after a media mogul was rushed from court to the hospital for a second time. Im sam ford. Is the citys plan for a high school for black and latino boys illegal . The story is coming up. And 7 on your side fighting back against crime this evening. Our phone bank lines are open until 6 30. You can call with your questions or concerns at 7032369220. Time now for the days top stories. Rabbi Barry Freundel<\/a> pleaded guilty to 52 counts of voyeurism in d. C. Superior court. Freundel admitted to recording women at a ritual bath. He was suspected of videotaping more than 150 women but the statute of limitations on many of those cases has already expired. Freundel faces up to 52 years in prison when hes sentenced in may. Former virginia first Lady Maureen Mcdonnell<\/a> will be sentenced for corruption tomorrow. Federal prosecutors are recommending a sentence of 18 months. Thats less than the two years her husband, former governor Bob Mcdonnell<\/a> received just last month. And people are bundling up around the region as we prepare for the coldest weather in more than 20 years. Doug hill is in the Weather Center<\/a> with the weather alert. Its been 19 years since the morning low temperature dropped into Single Digits<\/a> at Reagan National<\/a> and i think thats a done deal for tomorrow morning. Lets get started with what were looking at right now. 10 degrees in gaithersburg. Top that with winds and its feeling very uncomfortable. These are the air temperatures were forecasting overnight under mainly clear skies. 2 below to 8 above. Probably closer to 3 to 4 degrees for lows in most areas and with that in mind here are the record lows for tomorrow morning. Could we tie or break washingtons record of 8 . Yep, could we tie or break b. W. Marshall at 4 or Dulles Airport<\/a> at 2 below . Absolutely. Thats the story. Well warm up to the upper teens tomorrow. Before they arrive snow freezing rain thats a possibility. Tell you what to expect coming up shortly. Alison . Ok. Doug were already starting to get some closing and delays for tomorrow. Prince georges county fredricksburg city public schools, theyre all on a two hour delay tomorrow because of the cold. But Spotsylvania Loudoun<\/a> and Prince William<\/a> counties will be closed. We did check with a few systems today. We found that Prince Georges County<\/a> schools have used three of their four snow days for the year. Montgomery county used three of its five. The district has used one of its three snow days and Fairfax County<\/a> has already used five days but they have seven left to go. You can see all the closeings and delays that we have at the bottom of your screen. The d. C. Public Charter School<\/a> board revoked the charter for dorothy i. Height community Charter School<\/a>s. The decision affects 1600 students and their families for the next school year. The board revoked the charter after the academys founder was charged with diverting millions of dollars to a private company. A plan to give some struggling students in the district a leg up is getting resistance tonight. Thats because critics are saying that its leaving out part of the population . Sam ford live in southeast to explain. Can you help boys without hurting girls . That seems to be the question. Were outside of the Anacostia Metro<\/a> station. Thats the part of the city that the city officials would like to build an all Boys High School<\/a>. Some people dont like it. An all Boys High School<\/a> east of the anacostia . All boys cant do that. Cant do that. Thats not right. While the students commuting home werent enthusiastic mayor bowser and schools chancellor Kaya Henderson<\/a> are pushing for a 20 million all Boys High School<\/a> in this part of d. C. For blacks and latinos similar to chicagos urban prep. College bound rate. But now, mary shea says that violates title 9 and shes asked the attorney general to say its not legal. We cant leave them behind. It is my duty to focus on our men and boys of color. The mayor said young males are a priority. Some Study Suggests<\/a> they do better in all boys schools and advocates insist they have the greater need. We got to look at ways how do we circumvent the concept . Ive gone to d. C. General where the families are. There are teenage mothers there with children that basically sentences them to a really hard life Going Forward<\/a>. Attorney general karl racine has yet to release an opinion. Mary shea says shes not opposed to an all Boys High School<\/a>. Equal funds should be spent on the girls too. The Chancellors Office<\/a> released a statement saying basically no comment and the mayors Office Released<\/a> a statement saying that theyre waiting for the attorney generals opinion. Reporting live from southeast washington, sam ford, abc 7 news. Ok thank you sam. Time now for a check of the traffic situation at this hour. Bob emler in the wtop Traffic Center<\/a> with details. No snow and dry roads that add up to an easy commute tonight, bob. Certainly a bit lighter than usual. We have had some delays on the beltway on the inner loop through college park and there was a crash on the b. W. Parkway and its volume delays on the b. W. Parkway itself. Generally things will slow down on 270 mostly as you move up into Montgomery Village<\/a> and germantown. Lets take a look at some cameras now. Take a look at what its like on 270. Slowdowns after this camera closer to Montgomery Village<\/a> and moving up to middlebrooks road and briefly to clarksburg and headed south on 395 past seminary road, a lot of brake lights. Were seeing the head lights coming down towards duke street. Behind that, 95 slows briefly in woodbridge. Im bob emler on 103. 5 wtop radio. Still to come at 5 00 fighting through the cold. A look at a three alarm fire in columbia. And then a little later, his blood save a countless number of lives. Meet the virginia man who literally gave himself to create a measles vaccine. Then tonight at 6 00 the warning from the f. B. I. About the two robbers dubbed the black hatband hat bandit. Dont forget 7 on your side fighting back against crime tonight. Call local Police Officers<\/a> with questions about crimes in your community. Tt2wlr [bk eo j x tt2wlr [bk e an qx tt2wlr [bk e4 j ne tt2wlr [bk ex a u tt2wlr [bk et ju 4 l tt2wlr [bk et j u . tt2w [bk ep p jau ;4 tt2wlr [bk ep p j,u iat tt2wlr [bk el a. u hx tt2wlr [bk el a0u [i0 a three alarm fire ripped through a townhouse complex in columbia. Crews say by the time they got there, about 11 00 this morning, the fire was already showing on the two floors. Residents were evacuated, not long after that fire spread to another building and the cause is still under investigation. Well d. C. Taxpayers will pay out millions to repair 40 of the districts ladder trucks after they recently failed inspections. 7 on your side i Team Investigator<\/a> chris pabst explains why this didnt have to happen in a story that youll see only here on 7. Chris . Absolutely this was avoidable but not just about the millions of dollars that taxpayers will lose here. This is about public safety. Well get more into this story later tonight at 11 00 but this past summer for the first time in years, d. C. Fire launched a fleet wide inspection of its ladder trucks, seven of the districts 17 then functioning trucks failed and were pulled from service. Since then d. C. Fire and e. M. S. Has been operating significantly below the estimated number of ladders it needs to keep a city safe. 7 on your side iteam has also learned it will cost taxpayers 250,000 to fix each truck that failed inspection for a total of 2. 3 million. These are significant issues we had because we knew what was going to happen if these tests werent going to be done. Potential for placing not only the firefighters that respond on these vehicles in jeopardy but the citizens that could rely on these vehicles in jeopardy. Coming up at 11 00, 7 on your side iteam will explain exactly why this happened and why it didnt have to happen and now 2. 3 million could have been better spent elsewhere. Chris pabst, abc 7 news. Thanks, chris. The district butted heads with walmart a few years ago about how much that company pays its workers. Remember that . Still ahead, the big box chains plan to give nearly 40 of its work force a raise. Heres the number to call 7032369220. Call right now we have Police Officers<\/a> from across the district maryland and virginia taking your calls and your questions about crime in your neighborhood. We take these calls all the time at abc 7. Now we have the officers and detectives right here live in the newsroom for you. Former rap mogul suge knight back in the hospital for the section time in recent weeks. Knight was scheduled to appear in court today for arraignment on a criminal charge but never made it to the courtroom. Hes facing murder and robbery charges in separate cases as well. A judge refused to allow knights personal physician to evaluate him while in jail. All week, abc 7 has highlighted cold cases asking you to help us find the killers among us. Tonight, another heartbreaking story and we have officers and detectives on hand here to answer your questions about crime in your communities. 7 on your sides Jennifer Donelan<\/a> is fighting back from the abc 7 help center tonight. Hi, jen. Hi, alison and leon. This is a critical 90 minutes of television as we fight back against crime. Here, a heartbreaking story about a beloved son of a d. C. Police officer murdered on a Prince Georges County<\/a> street. His eyes were focused on the road ahead as he drove his friend home. He never saw the bullet coming. The 22yearold was struck multiple times and the wounds he suffered that november morning in 2008 on Central Avenue<\/a> in Capital Heights<\/a> proved fatal. This is all the way. Yeah. More than six years later, dustins mother sleeps in her beloved sons room. He had two jobs by all accounts a solid young man. He was so proud because, you know 20 days later he was killed. He told her he was going to a friends birthday and a gogo band was playing. I dont remember his funeral. I dont remember anything. To me i had no proof that this has happened. The proof is now all around her. The apartment is covered with pictures of him. We could have had grandkids and so forth. But this like i said this low life person just took away from us. His father rene is a retired member of the d. C. Police department. My only son. Good person. Good son. The tketball at every chance they got. We shared a lot of time together. We did nothing wrong on that particular night for no reason whatsoever. He was killed like an animal. Detective Bernard Nelson<\/a> explains when he left the club last night, someoneed into the back of his car. Police believe whoever bumped him is the same person who later opened fire. And is the killer among us. There were plenty of young witnesses. You would think that some of these people are more mature. We need people to tell us what happened and what they observed and what they know. So if you have information in this case, youre asked to call Prince Georges County<\/a> police. If we can help solve one of these cases, it would be beyond description. My heart would leap with joy because these families are going through so much its even difficult to describe. Right now, this is an opportunity for you to get some questions or advice from police. We have police from prince William County<\/a> Prince Georges County<\/a> Arlington County<\/a> d. C. And anne arundel county. 7032369220. Back to you. Thank you. Solving one of those cases could give so many other families that much more hope. Yes. All right. Now, the nations largest private employer says its ready to give 40 of its work force a raise. Walmart says it plans to spend a billion dollars on training and raises in the next six months. That adds up to an average of 13 an hour for 1. 3 million u. S. Employees. This comes on the heels of a new poll by the Associated Press<\/a> that found that 6 in 10 americans support raising the l minimum wage. And the same ratio believes in giving paid time off to all employees when theyre sick. 2 3 of the 1,045 adults asked say they believe employers should offer paid time off after the birth of a child. All right. Lets get back to doug now with another check of this cold cold forecast. Doug . The sun is setting in one minute from now. So temperatures are going to drop quickly tonight. Theyre starting at a low level. Lets get into it and well look first at a time lapse the next couple of hours. This is the way the sky has been blue. Little streamers are actually snow showers and flurries. Some reach the ground. Most got wafted away with the winds and reinforcing push of this arctic air thats dropped the temperature to 10 now in cumberland petersburg West Virginia<\/a> and in gaithersburg. Well drop down air temperature wise as skies clear to 2 below to 8 above by morning. That will be cold enough to threaten local low temperature records for tomorrow morning. And as we continue to examine the reason for this cold air, its shown on the futurecast. Steady stream of air from the arctic. It moves across the area. We have sunshine and cold weather tomorrow. Then the storm system to the west for the weekend may start as snow saturday afternoon. Eventually mixing with freezing rain especially south and east of the city saturday evening and late at night, plain Old Fashioned<\/a> rain and that plain rain will be with us on sunday as temperatures show a dramatic jump. Winter storm watch up from roanoke to lexington south to st. Louis. Winter storm warnings for most of tennessee. Our story will be the mixed precipitation after some snow on saturday. Rain and much milder sunday. Clearing and turning colder for early next week. Thats the latest from the Weather Center<\/a>. Back to you. Doug thank you. Nba trade deadline today. Any big news . Yeah not big news but its good news i think. Nba trade deadline has come and gone. Wizards did make a deal. Not a big deal. They hope it will make them stronger in the playoffs. Washington sends andre miller oldest guy in the league 38 years old to sack sacramento and ramon sessions. He can still fly. Hes got speed. Tempo of the game wont change. John wall is out of the game and the wiz kid can still run and attack. Biggest thing is sessions can stay in front of his man defensively. Thats what andre miller had lost plus his shooting numbers went down much he was a liability on defense miller was. This helps the wizards Going Forward<\/a> when wall needs a break. For hockey fans, caps are back home against the jets and washington has beaten winnipeg seven straight games. Alex ovechkin playing the best hockey of his career because hes playing at a high level offensively and defensively. Sure he leads the league in goals scored but hes banging bodies disrupting attacks and the three time m. V. P. Should very seriously get attention this year for his fourth straight m. V. P. Now, how about this . The shock has worn off that jay gruden named r. G. Iii the starter in 2015 and did it in february. The shock hasnt worn off. Makes no sense. Jay gruden is trying to change the narrative by talking about the nfl combine and keeping an open mind with the young talent. Im excited to get to know these guys in our interview process and watch them run and watch them work. Needs could change. May not be thinking about a position but somebody will stand out in the Interview Room<\/a> or on the field out there and you go back and watch tape on them. So were not going to you know, close our eyes and say that we only need this. Well open our eyes up and evaluate every position equally. Jay gruden. Its incredibly cold here. Politicians are keeping hands in their own pockets. National pitchers and catchers are gathering in florida for the start of spring training. They had to report today, theyll all get their physicals and then their First Official<\/a> workout will be saturday morning. Opening day is april 6th. Looks good. Looking good. Oh really good. Want to see Something Green<\/a> thank you on the ground man. On the ground. I hear you. All right. This is a sentiment that a lot of us share. I wanted to be helpful. Coming up next find out how this man made a huge difference in the lives of thousands if not millions just by rolling up his sleeve. As a Small Business<\/a> owner you wouldnt deliver just half of what you have to offer to your customers. So why are you settling for halffast internet . Only verizon fios comes with speedmatch. Upload speeds as fast as your download speeds. So large files go out in a snap and your video conrences with customers are seseamless. Its verizons 100 fiberoptic network that gives you 100 of the internet. Switch now to get fios internet and phone for your Small Business<\/a> for just 99. 99 a month with a 2year agreement and as a bonus get a 200 visa prepaid card. Call 1. 888. 410. 4404 now so your business doesnt have to settle for halffast internet. Get fios internet and phone for ju 99. 99 a month with 200 back and get a firm price quote of your total monthly charges upfront and in writing so there are no surprises switch today and see why verizon is ranked highest in Customer Satisfaction<\/a> by j. D. Power. Just call 1. 888. 410. 4404 today. 7 on your side in Health Matters<\/a> now. In the wake of the measles outbreak, many are talking about the use of vaccines to fight the virus. But while some debate the safety, few really think about where and who the vaccine comes from. Wouldnt you know it it comes out from someone local here. Suzanne kennedy sat down with to learn more about the genesis of the vaccine. David edmondston will forever be a part of medical history because of something that happened when he was just 11 years old. I got the measles. This 68yearold retired builder and bethesda native was a student at this massachusetts boarding school in 1954 when he contracted the virus. Researchers at a boston hospital have been trying to create a measles vaccine. And thats where he came into play. Dr. Peebles made it clear to me, we may not be successful. We may find the measles vaccine in some other student. Soon, he would get the good news. Dr. Peebles came back to school and got me out fof study hall and said we found the measles virus and made this the strain. The next year he returned to school here in bethesda. It wasnt until he graduated from bethesda chevy chase school that he learned that a decade after he got the measles that the vaccine had been approved and uuld save countless lives. Years later, he faced the important decision about whether to inoculate his own child. When my son was little, my wife and i struggled with that question. And ended up not vaccinating. Have the measles vaccine. He supports the use of vaccine and considers his role in medical history nothing more than a fluke. I did very little personally but makes me feel good to know that i participated in a medical project that helped the world. In bowling green, virginia suzanne kennedy, abc 7 news. Wow interesting story. Isnt it . Just think of that your neighbor here could be somebody super special around here and superhero. Absolutely. Thats it for us here on abc 7 news at 5 00. Abc 7 news at 6 00 starts right now with a Winter Weather<\/a> alert. Cold nights and wind chills plunged far below zero. And shattered decades old records. Chief meteorologist doug hill begins our coverage from the storm watch Weather Center<\/a>. Doug . Right now, 14 degrees outside of the belfort furniture Weather Center<\/a> in arlington and those numbers are going to drop here and everywhere else. Lets get you into it. Gusty winds continue to be a problem so the wind chill advisory is now in effect until noon tomorrow. And for good reason. Look at these temperatures. 12 right now at dulles and andrews. 17 at Reagan National<\/a>. But the winds are making it feel much colder. Feels like 4 below at dulles and 8 below at gaithersburg. By morning, the temperatures will range between 2 below and 8 above with clear skies but the winds will be Strong Enough<\/a> to push the wind chills from 5 to 15 degrees below zero. Records could be tied or broken. 8 in washington. 4 at b. W. I. Thurgood marshall. 2 below at dulles. Well get close. They could be tied. They could be broken. Well tell you what to expect for the weekend. Weekend storm well keep an eye on, too, in a few minutes. Maureen . Thank you so much doug. The cold weather is prompting schools to change schedules. Tomorrow, Prince William<\/a>, loudoun, spotsylvania and stafford schools will be closed. Prince georges county and frederick city schools will open two hours late. We have a complete list of all closings and delays right now at the bottom of your screen. Some schools struggled with the cold and ice this morning. Fairfax County School<\/a> buses in some areas were running as much as an hour behind schedule. Metro riders faced delays after a rail cracked on","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"archive.org","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","width":"800","height":"600","url":"\/\/ia801604.us.archive.org\/21\/items\/WJLA_20150219_220000_ABC_7_News_at_500\/WJLA_20150219_220000_ABC_7_News_at_500.thumbs\/WJLA_20150219_220000_ABC_7_News_at_500_000001.jpg"}},"autauthor":{"@type":"Organization"},"author":{"sameAs":"archive.org","name":"archive.org"}}],"coverageEndTime":"20240621T12:35:10+00:00"}