the weather. not only is tropical storm danny getting closer, but several other storms are. let's take a live look at what is happening in ocean city right now. taking a look at these live pictures, you can see that the waves are beginning to pick up. wjz is your station for complete first warning weather coverage. marty bass and meteorologist tim williams have the late of the information. we're going to take you live to doppler radar. first off, we have flash flood warnings in effect through 5:45. that's because ofault of this activity that is moving right rite across the eastern shore. a lot of these rain waters are building up. rain falling in some instances up to about an inch to inch and a half over the last few hours. taking you out toward hagerstown and frederick, we have thunderstorms moving through there currently. and basically, as you move through the eastern shore. denton, easton, to the lower edge of delmarva. berlin, north of that, and right around salisbury, all seeing heavy thunderstorms. prince frederick and toward cambridge again. right across the beltway, not too much happening. but these storms have triggered watches and warnings. let's take a look. we have most of central maryland under a flash flood watch. you can see loot -- the light green. on down to the middle eastern shore. how will all of this play into this one-two-three punch, we have been talking about moving over the mid-atlantic? for more on that, we send it over to marty. >> let's get to the bottom line. good afternoon, everyone. we're in the exact same scenario as last weekend. however, friday night is taking the part of last saturday, where we've got, you know, a decaying system, being somewhat pressed offshore by a weather blockage over the mid-atlantic and then a cold front coming in with its own problems a little later on in the progression. this is danny. it is loosely organized at best. manufacturers go ahead and take a look at the numbers. winds of 45 miles an hour. those two up 39. danny loses his name completely. still expected to meander along the same northerly event, northeast track over the next 24, 36 hours, coming a beam of ocean city. let's say in the middle of the afternoon. frankly, as a big nor'easter. i'm not trying to diminish the storm which itself is diminishing in its own tropical properties. but even as a low, passing by the area, you gotta keep a watch out for problems like surf, for rip tides, for coastal floodings. and you saw in our watch, warnings and advisories. and you also have to look for rain that gets flown your way, as the low moves on up to the north and the winds come out of the north/northeast. the heavy rainfall threat is going to be well north of ocean city. frankly, it's this low, which right now is over georgia. which tim was showing you, it's outer rainfall. that's going to be the big problem overnight tonight. so it's in this order. one, two, and the third problem is behind me. that big cold front. it's going to be a sloppy friday night, to say the least. meteorologist tim williams is going to have those specific details coming up. our coverage continues now with jessica kartalija, in ocean city. >> reporter: it's amazing, vic. today was an absolutely gorgeous beach day. then about a half hour ago, the rains came through, literally cleared the entire beach behind me, right out. now, who is coming? all of the surfers who are trying to take advantage of the same waves that everyone is being warned about. >> reporter: tropical storm danny may be hundreds of miles off the east coast. but its effects are being felt on the shore in ocean city. >> they're a little strong. they're bigger than what they have been the last four years that i've been out here on vacation from kansas city. so it's a little different. kind of scary at times. but still fun. >> reporter: with waves expected to be 7 to 10 feet higher than normal, beach patrol are warning swimmers to stay alert. >> most important thing is that people remember our lifeguard rule number 1. and you don't go in the water until lifeguards are on duty. you keep your feet in the sand until the lifeguard is in the stand. >> earlier, we had life jackets on them. keeping an eye on them. >> reporter: ocean city's mayor rick meehan says he's in constant contact with emergency officials should danny change course. >> right now, our major concern are the beach-goers and those that are on the beach. as it looks now, danny is going to be far enough offshore, we're going to get some high surf, probably some rips. we have to be very cognizant of that. >> reporter: in the meantime, city officials urge visitors planning to head to the beach to stick with their plan. >> we certainly looked at all of the fact oar -- factors, whether it be beach erosion. and we have to take public safety as our responsibility. but ocean city will be open this weekend. >> reporter: there's a group of surfers to the left of me who are really taking advantage of these giant waves. just a reminder, lifeguards say, if you aren't experienced out in the water, either stay in or make sure that you are clearly in the sight of a lifeguard. they also say people consider themselves to be safe if they walk out, they're only ankle or knee height. times these waves can come in and just really pull you out or knock you right over and then take you out. you've got to be very, very careful. of course, we'll have more, live from ocean city, i'm jessica kartalija, wjz eyewitness news. >> now that blast of weather overnight, did more than just wake up a lot of marylanders. for many, it's left cleanups and repairs. and as alex demetrick reports, it's a growing threat of flooding. >> reporter: yrss -- jurisdictions around maryland. >> streams throughout central maryland are running fast and high and could climb higher, if heavy rains hit again. and if those rains come with the kind of violent thunderstorms they did early this morning, e damage that hit lutherville could touch down anywhere. >> we were already asleep. and all of a sudden, we heard this crack. and we thought lightning had struck the house. >> at 1:00, i heard the pummeling, sounded like bombs going off. and shortly after that, it was heavy, torrential rains for about 40 minutes. >> damage was scattered. as limbs took out fences and this swimming pool. more that suffered roof damage. but the closest call came when lightning split a huge tree in half, bringing down tons of wood, along the edge of this home, while residents slept just inside. >> this is our bedroom here. you know, five more feet to the left, it would have fell right on top of us. we're very lucky. going to have to say some extra prayers this weekend, i guess. >> in the chase area of baltimore county. it suffered major damage after a possible lightning strike, as the storm swept east for the bay. >> it was scary. i mean, really scary. i'll tell you. i've been living in this area for quite a while. and i've never experienced any -- any storm, with the lightning and thunder like that storm. i mean, it was frightening. >> reporter: timing of the storm may have been a blessing. with most people staying safe inside. even if they weren't able to sleep through the storm. back to you on tv hill. >> wjz is always on for an updated forecast. log onto wjz.com. they're paying their respects. today, tens of thousands of people flock to boston, paying tribute to senator edward kennedy. today, whit johnson reports for wjz, that the family has been surprised and touched by the public's response. >> reporter: members of the kennedy family saw a moving tribute in this sea of people. >> i don't think there is anybody that would be more pleased with the public outpouring of affection and love and this extraordinary tribute as daddy. >> reporter: thousands stood in line for hours to pay respects to senator edward kennedy. jane doferman and lynn doral. >> universally, he stood for everything that mattered to me. he fought for all of the social justice issues that are very close to my heart. >> reporter: rick boyd wrote a message in one of the condolence books. he called the crowd a testament to the many lives kennedy touched. >> touched. >> he left the world a better place than what he found it. just the compassion that he had for the people. >> reporter: here at the kennedy library, they cut off the line early this afternoon, so that everybody waiting would be able to see kennedy's casket before the evening service. >> reporter: kennedy's widow, victoria, and his only surviving sister jean, were among the family members greeting mourners. reverend jesse jax talk -- jackson talked about him. >> he used every ounce, every moment. >> many will be sharing their admiration of kennedy, from his niece caroline, to his colleagues in the senate. whit johnson, cbs news, boston. and wjz and cbs news will bring you live coverage of that funeral, beginning tomorrow morning, at 10:00 a.m. and wj -- wjz is always on. for more on his life and death, go to wjz.com. we have new information about his unusual stabbing investigation. mary bubala is live in the newsroom with more. >> reporter: police tell us that the victim, andrew gene coaly has died from his wounds. the 48-year-old was found sitting in an suv. sky eye chopper 13 was over the scene as the police discovered the man slumped over in the vehicle, and suffering from trauma to his chest. he was taken to harbor hospital, where he later died. >> and tonight, anne arundel county police are interviewing witnesses. if you have any information, you're urged to contact detective carne at 410-222- 3458. a very severe case of animal abuse being investigated tonight. eyewitness news is live. kelly mcpherson has the full story for us. kelly? >> reporter: those 21 dogs were found inside a home down the street behind me. they were inside the house and inside a travel trailer on the property. and it was so filthy inside that the firefighters had to use hazmat material to get inside. >> reporter: the first thing you notice about this house is its stench. >> death. and feces. and every -- like the stump, all mixed into one bad smell. >> reporter: krista deer has been calling for months, complaining about this property. finally, friday, it required a man suited up for hazardous material to go in and take pictures. inside, animal control found 21 dogs. the county executive liaison was the first official to see and smell the inhumane conditions. >> there were mattresses that have feces on them. and there were feces piled up inside of the trailer, where the dogs were living. and i didn't see any evidence of any food or water. but certainly in the trailer, would be windows covered up in plastic. >> reporter: the fire department says a man in his 40s lives inside with the dogs. now, animal control has all of them, and they are of all mixed breeds and ages. >> only two of them had hair. because they were all majory and -- mangey and flea-bitten. and the fact that broke my heart the most was that they were all 6-week-old property. >> neighbors say their association has complained about this property for years. they're glad something is getting done. >> i think we ought to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law. we need to talk to the office and find out what sanctions would be. but clearly, it's a hazard to all of his adjacent neighbors. >> the man inside has not been charged with any animal abuse charges yet. we know that the county has declared the home uninhabitable. kelly mcpherson, wjz eyewitness news. >> the county executive's office says any other complaints like this can go directly to them. and still ahead on wjz's eyewitness news at 5:00. controversy here and overseas. after a website claims to be for mayor sheila dixon is proven to be a hoax. it was a two-hour nightmare for two teenagers abducted from a timonium light rail stop, including rape. now, a judge decides the fate of one of the men responsible. that's coming up next. hello. i'm tim williams. marty bass and i are tracking tropical storm danny and its impact on maryland. the answer coming up. mayor sheila dixon and some journalists are mad at a man who used baltimore to take a satirical look at baltimore. the city is now looking at taking legal action. last week, this poltrician prepared with the baltimore scene on the tv show, the wire. >> good? >> yeah, man. >> yesterday, it appears the mayor struck back, via her city web page. the baltimore sun and two leading british newspapers published the quote that wcht like this, that is as pointless as boasting that baltimore is as popular as the uk television show. but overnight, the truth emerged. >> i found out at 4:00 in the morning, when the bbc contacted me. >> reporter: but that website, it didn't come from city hall. in fact, it's a hoax. and it has city officials exasperated. >> i really don't appreciate someone invading, you know, taking materials, passing it over there and trying to degrade the city and make this kind of nuisance when we have more important issues to address. >> reporter: the website has since been taken down. but here's how a copy looks, stored on peterson's phone. >> the legal department is aware of it too. they're looking into this issue. >> reporter: the baltimore sun's peter herman talked with the hoaxster who is spending august in baltimore. he says, i am so sorry about drawing intow this. being bored, i mocked up something to amuse a few friends. >> he's wasted a lot of people's time and money. >> reporter: sensing the opportunity, the mayor looks at the real crime stats. >> first of all, we're making progress. this is the lowest it's been in 20 years. >> reporter: at city hall, mike schuh, wjz eyewitness news. back to you now on tv hill. they also created a fake twitter page for the mayor and posted a video about the issue on you tube. the weather is having a bit of an effect on traffic. let's check on thed radios with kristy breslin. well, if you are heading down towards the beach. eastbound 50, not an easy ride. that's bumper to bumper from 450 to the toll plaza. congestion continues on the north side inner loop. crawling along. north side outer loop. as for the west side outer loop, we have some delays, that's from reisterstown road to security boulevard. in that direction, about 20 minutes to get through. as for 95 southbound, no improvement there. still slow from whitemarsh boulevard. as you approach the harbor tunnel throughway. that's heavy from pokey up to the tunnel. harrisburg expressway, in the northbound direction. still sluggish there. shawon to belfast. an accident, blocking the right- hand lane. and now, let's take a live look here. you can see plenty of congestion here. that's from the beltway, right at 70. this traffic report is brought to you by carpet 1. take advantage of no deposit or interest through 2011. call 1-800 carpet for the showroom that is nearest you. now, back to you. >> okay, kristy. thank you very much. let's check in with tim. by land, by sea. it's all just happening. weather is everywhere now. we're looking at pretty nice temperatures currently. we have rain moving across the region. 76 now, at bwi marshall. 76 -- 72, the dew point. wind east to northeast at 10 miles per hour. barometer falling. we'll have a look at your complete forecast coming up. you know, most days, we say, hey, i'd rather be in ocean city. these are people in the surf. and this is something they're being advised not to do. >> there's different breeds. >> you know, and the boogie boarders and everybody is out there. just when some folks are running away from the shore, others are running in. and that's just the nature of the ocean in the summertime. what we're looking at right now is the nature of maryland in the summertime. we're looking at thunderstorms, rolling across the region. we have a flash flood watch in effect. flash flood watch in effect for theire -- for the entire region until late tonight. here are storms out near thurmont. we go toward the eastern shore. from denton to easton. federalsburg, down towards vienna, and cambridge, seeing pretty dusty thunderstorms now. ocean city, however, not seeing too much. the surf is kicking up. and we'll talk about why in just a moment. again, salisbury, seeing a bit of a break right now. as we move over to lamate plaita-- la plata, prince frederick. and shady side, south of d.c., again, a lot of activity. this is the big picture around the metro area. your drive home, not too much going on. that's a good thing for a lot of folks. and of course, we're talking about two activities down around rashfield. this is off, getting a bit of a break, as we look at the early evening hours. right now, we're looking at 76 degrees is our temperature at bwi marshall. 72 in elkton. 66 in oakland, and 87 down on the shore. 76 in pax river, with the wind coming off the airport to the northeast at 10 miles per hour. winds are going to kick up a little down in ocean city, where they're only down around 6 miles an hour right now. calm readings towards pax river and d.c. we're going to be dealing with high surf and rip currents, down around the shore, because of danny, which is a minimal tropical storm now. 45-mile-per-hour sustained winds, moving in our direction. expecting to pass through, basically from 2:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., it's going to be paralleling offshore. as it does, this storm is going to try to hold its status as a category -- or as a tropical storm. in the tropical storm status. but right now, it is just a very disjointed storm with most of the showers and the storm activity on the eastern side of it. which means as it passes on by, the storms stay away. but we'll still get some of the winds and the rip currents. and some of the high surf still going to be a factor. but we're going to be watching, though, this disturbance is going to be bringing us some rain. this front is going to be moving into the region tomorrow. and it's going to wipe all of this away. but in front of all of this activity, moisture coming in from the gulf. this is adding to our rain. this front is adding to our rain. this is draped right across the state. and danny is going to be kicking some tropical moisture back off the oceans. all of the reasons that we're seeing all of the shower activity in these storms as we move into this saturday. sunsetted it, at 7:43. southeast winds on the bay. 10 knots, gusting up to 25. next high tide is at 2:52. and low tide is important. because danny is going to be important theat low tide for the day. variable clouds and showers for the storms. as we mentioned, 69 degrees tonight. and we will not get a break. as you see from radar, it's going to be hard to plan anything. because you never know where these storms are going to pop up. >> doesn't look too good. >> make sure the crabs are still alive. [ laughter ] >> all right. well, still ahead on wjz's eyewitness news at 5:00 tonight. it was the water main break that caused major problems in our area. now, tonight, we're learning that this scene could be repeated. find out why. and you're looking live at a picture of ocean city, as we track tropical storm danny. eyewitness news at 5:00 contin it's 5:29. good evening, everyone. i'm adam may, and thanks for staying with eyewitness news. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. >> a baltimore county judge is coming down hard on a sentence for two teenagers, from a timonium light rail station. cahim taylor gets a life sentence for rape. >> the judge said those cannot be served simultaneously. they must be served one after the other, plus an additional hostage hundred years to boot. >> reporter: cahim taylor's mother says the two life sentences are painful. >> it's heartbreaking. it is. it's like somebody just took a knife and stabbed it in my heart and just kept jigling it. and they didn't pull it out yet. it's still going through my head. life, life. that's all i hear is life. >> reporter: the judge said the crime was depraved. two teenagers in a car at the timonium light rail lot. they were carjacked, abducted and the young man locked in the trunk for two hours, while his girlfriend was raped in the back seat, made to perform sex acts, photographed. both victims were dumped off in cherry hill. the prosecutor says the tough sentence is appropriate. >> i told the judge he did not deserve to breathe free air again and hopefully he will never breathe free air again. >> reporter: the two victims are off to college again this weekend. they told the prosecutor, they couldn't bear to come to court to see taylor again. so they sent a letter to the judge about how the crime affected them. >> they wrote about the fact that they have driefn by the -- driven by places where some of these things took effect. and how they have to relive it. and they have -- are unable to trust anyone again. >> cahim said that he was sorry, but he was not responsible for what his peer degrees -- peers did. >> while they are putting him away for the rest of his life, the one that did this is getting away. >> this is a black man who they accused of doing something to a white girl and a white boy. and i don't believe that it was fair. murderers never got two life sentences. >> reporter: and on the question of innocence, the judge says evidence in this case is overwhelming. he says, including a taped phone conversation from jail, in which taylor talked about this crime, adam, back to you on tv hill. the codefendant brian scott will be sentenced in september. a massive water main break sends waves of water over cars and straining motorists. it happened last december in montgomery county. and today, it appears critical papers about the pipes were turned away. we have mary who is live in the newsroom. >> that's right. the washington sanitary commission says the loss of the files makes it impossible to tell if other pipes could burst the very same way. the water main break happened last june and trapped several resident and cars, leading to numerous helicopter and boat rescues. you may remember all of that. a three-month search as workers laid the pipe back in 1965, were inadvertently tossed out during an office move. they said the pipe which burst was improperly installed. local officials believe 100 million gallons of water spilled before water could be diverted around the break. and time now for a quick look at some of the stories you'll find in the baltimore sun. a wal-mart sign draws complaints from an increasingly hostile crowd. former musician-turned therapist has become the go-to guy for musicians struggling with the demanding work of playing an instrument hours a day. and read tomorrow's baltimore sun. and remember to look for the updated forecast. and in tonight's eyewitness news healthwatch report, caregivers for the elderly have a new way of understanding what their loved ones experience as their health declines. kellye lynn has a virtual program that sumilates -- simulates what it's like to have dementia. >> reporter: this new program simulates what it's like to have dementia. >> reporter: visitors on the virtual dementia tour take some esc-- extra steps. tape around the fingers to represent arthritis. janet and charles hass kins are part of a new program that lets them experience the frustration of aging. >> if you can understand why someone is having particular behaviors or particular challenges, then our tolerance usually is better. and we can understand. we don't take it so personal. >> fold all the towels. >> reporter: after a brief set of instructions, the virtual dementian tourists are given a few short empties to -- minutes to complete five tasks. it's not as easy as it sounds. >> i felt overwhelmed with it. trying to remember all of the tasks that i was supposed to do. that was the most frustrating. >> reporter: simple barriers, like instructions with missing letters helps sensitize the participants to what older friends and family are going through. >> did it make it more difficult? >> reporter: a dede briefing it afterwards -- debriefing afterwards. >> life isn't so easy, but if we can experience that, we can put ourselves in the place of an older adult and have a different level of understanding and empathy. >> it gives me more sensitivity towards them. >> to me, it's very important to be reassuring to someone who is going through it. to be sensitive. also to have a lot of patience. >> reporter: morningside ministries is using the virtual tools both for healthcare staff and home based caregivers. i'm kellye lynn with healthwatch. and kellye tells us that those tours are free of cost. maryland state fair is under way tonight. eyewitness news is live there now, in timonium, where weijia jiang has a preview of the big event. no cotton candy, weijia? what's up with that? >> for now, i'm stopping. we're here at the petting zoo. it's one of the hottest spots at the fair. of course, maryland state fair is deeply routed in -- rooted in the agricultand you are animals. this is one of the things that draws animals here year after year. >> reporter: what happens when it pours. >> it's raining. >> on opening day at the state fair. >> bring a hat or umbrella. >> reporter: apparently a lot. >> you have blue. >> reporter: from arts and crafts. >> i'm making a rose for my mom. >> jump on in. get ready to race. >> reporter: to games galore. >> we think this is the ultimate turn. >> reporter: in fact, these guys came all the way from ireland to check out the fair scene in america. >> it's going to come. it's kind of folksy. >> reporter: and what's a fair without the rides? and even though my fellow riders say it's too slow, trust me, they're lying. >> reporter: but let's be honest. one of the best things about going to the fair. the food. >> pork, beef, checken -- chicken, lamb, seafood, maryland produce. we do it all. >> reporter: and you can see all of these animals from now through labor day weekend. this year, the fair is featuring free concerts, tonight at 7:30. come here, see boys 2 men absolutely free. we are live, weijia jiang, wjz eyewitness news. >> okay, week a. no keeping -- weijia. no keeping the pets. leave them there. >> no, i'm bringing them to you. >> i could see that little ducky in your office, wandering around there. >> for a little while anyway. the man charges several camera operators inside a courtroom. how the attack is connected to a fake kidnapping that made headlines. >> glad i wasn't there. he's the head of the federal reserve. and also the latest victim of identity theft. i'm tim williams in the first warning weather center. we are tracking danny's process. and we are looking at storms progressing across the state. but first, here's your look at the report from wall street. well, we're taking a look at some storms rolling across the state right now. i want to show you first warning doppler radar. there is a flash flood warning in effect for talbot and caroline counties, through 5:45. they could be extended because these storms are really not moving too quickly. we'll move it in just a little closer and give you an idea that these storms will be with us through the evening. they're very disjointed. but a lot more of them still to come. to our south and to our west, we'll be dealing with this through the weekend. but for the most part, the eastern shore is seeing this now. ocean city, getting a bit of a break. we're talking also about the second pors of -- portion of this storm. and the second portion of this forecast. tropical storm danny. it is going to be moving on past our coastline. saturday morning, into saturday afternoon. moving into the canadian maritime. tropical storm danny, currently with sustained winds of 45 miles per hour. gusts of 52. we're going to expect pretty high surf. and heavy waves. and rip currents that you really should take under consideration before you start heading into the ocean and into that surf for the weekend. now, we're talking about what else is going on for our weekend. for more on that, we send it over to marty bass. thank you, kim. good late afternoon, everybody. let's talk about when we're finally going to get clearing in ocean city. we discussed consternation. let's talk about sunday. we've got a cold front moving through the area. it's a three-headed monster tim was talking about. tomorrow, we'll be dealing with danny. more so to the east than here inland. and by sunday, a front should come sweeping through the area in ocean city. and maybe a 40% chance of passing thundershower. and high of 82 degrees in the area. now, we take a look at how tomorrow is going to square away through baltimore. we start off with slow improving through the day. the later your plans, the better off you are. 77 degrees at lunch, on its way to a higher temperature. right around, let's say, 83 degrees. sunday, that front, it's a wind shift, actually. is pressed on through the region. 84. behind that front. wow. behind that wind chill. look what's happening. beautiful, monday, tuesday, wednesday. even a little breezy. with temperatures in the low 70s, as we move toward labor day. the holiday weekend 2009. wow. back to you. >> okay. thank you very much, marty. and the massachusetts woman accused of kidnapping a baby who was cut from his mother's womb, will stay in new hampshire for now. prosecutors say massachusetts authorities need more time to prepare paperwork before the woman can be taken back to massachusetts. the body of the baby's mother was found in worcester back in july. prosecutors have not charged the woman with killing the expectant mother. a pennsylvania woman who lied about being kidnapped and instead fled to disneyworld learns her fate. >> reporter: a pennsylvania judge sentenced bonnie sweeten to between 9 and 23 months in prison. sweeten pleaded guilt to identity theft and making false police reports. police say she stole a coworker's license and fled to florida in may. allegedly to avoid being found out for stealing money from her husband's grand father. the judge called sweeten, quote, a calculated, manipulative and hard-hearted woman. >> reporter: the woman blamed her actions on the mowntdzing stress of -- mounting stress of her impending arrest. jaycee dugard was found alive and well after being abducted 18 years ago. a man and his wife kidnapped the woman when she was 11 years old. her family says, in spite of the ordeal, they are happy to have been reunited. >> the girls haven't been in school. they've never been to a doctor or dentist. it's like just unreal. >> reporter: the suspect said in an interview, following his arrest that taking the woman and fathering her two children helped turn her life around. his family says the man suffers from mental issues. ben bernanke's personal checking account was accessed after his wife's purse was stolen last year. investigators say it was part of an elaborate scheme involving hundreds of accounts. the suspected ringleader has pleaded guilty in federal court. the man who masterminded the largest identity fraud case is expected to make a plea agreement. the 28-year-old is charged with stealing credit cards and bank account information from more than 170 million accounts. wjz and the baltimore sun want to help everyone during these tough economic times. so each day, we bring you suggestions that can help you save money. here's mary bubala with one way you can ride out the recession. >> talk to a mortgage lender if you're about to fall behind. that's the most important advice for people who fear they could fall behind on a mortgage basement. -- payment. experts say when you do call, make shoe you look through -- sure you look through your original loan documents. the state of maryland has set up a great website, packed with information about what to do next. at md hope.org, you can get information about how to connect with a nonprofit housing counselor. they can help you with options for reducing your mortgage burden. they can help you communicate with your lender. you can also download a consumer information kit filled. get your mortgage paid on time. and even prevent foreclosure. i'm mary bubala, wjz 13, trying to help you ride out the recession. for more recession tips, go to wjz.com, and click on our special section on the home page and check out tomorrow's baltimore sun. and checking in with eyewitness news at 6:00 for all new stories coming up. mary standing by live with a preview. mary? okay. let me tell you about it. an important health warning for your children. we'll tell you about the danger that could be lurking in their lunch boxes. eyewitness news will be back live in ocean city. updating the conditions and preparations there. check in for more on these stories and all the breaking news coming up at 6:00. baltimore city students are just one weekend away from beginning the new school year. city charter schools are now preparing for their first day. and tonight, gigi barnett has more on tonight's school watch report. >> reporter: for a week, teachers at hamstead hill academy in southeast baltimore prepare computers, classrooms and books for this school on monday. >> three, two, one. >> new improved wing in the school took months and nearly $2 million. >> just to have glass windows is extraordinary. we had plastic windows for 20 years. and to have real glass windows and let the sun shine in is sort of a game changer in a classroom. >> reporter: while a renovation can change a classroom, a building can change a school. >> three, two, one. >> reporter: harmony academy at northwest baltimore, also marked the school year with their remodeled building. classes here started a week and a half ago. the new kit building was used as a school back in the 70s. but it was vacant, until the city renovated it and donated it to the academy. parents liked the change. >> i think it's beautiful. i've seen it before. because my son actually went to a head start before. upstairs. i think it's tremendous. >> reporter: baltimore city has a little more than 25 charter schools. and according to the rules, if you're a charter school and you needed space, you have to find your own place. >> here in baltimore, we're fortunate, we have a lot of school buildings that are not fully utilized. >> charter schools are on the map. >> it's wonderful to show off the building. and it's nice to give our boys and girls a place that feels comfortable and is really conducive to learning. it's terrific. >> reporter: in baltimore, i'm gigi barnett, wjz eyewitness news. >> and many maryland school districts begin classes next week. blessed to go back to school. those lucky kids in allegheny county. they start school on september 1st. they have a few more days of fun to go. eyewitness sports is next. yours truly, stan saunders here in the sports palace. the orioles lose a tough one. we have highlights and reaction. plus, a maryland terps football preview. that and more coming your way as eyewitness news continues. it isn't over, stan. >> got a little to go. you heard of mr. october. >> oh, yeah. >> that was reggie jackson. in the world series. but that won't be happening here. they were one strike away from snatching a win from the visiting indians, when suddenly, a birds' victory was literally gone with the wind. o's leading 4-3, with two outs. three strikes. reliever jim johnson surf -- serves up this offering. toand -- to andy demartin. and the indians hang on to win. johnson was 4-4 for saves last night. but those were the breaks. downtown. >> i do know this, i was the last guy to leave last night. and johnson, i think, was the of the laplayer to live. and he came in and talked with me before he left. game 3 here at seven:00. 7:00. coach ralph friedgen told me several day ago that his talented football team is hungry. and that's the way he likes it. >> going to be a lot to wait for this young, inexperienced team to develop. >> i hope not. >> i mean, i know how patient maryland people are. but, you know, this team. i feel good about them. i really do. and, you know, i'm patient with them. because of the effort they put forth. >> did you notice that smirk on his face when he talked about patient maryland fans? that's all we wrote for 5:00. after we talk about tonight's patriots redskins game here. 8:00 right here on wjz 13. be sure to catch it. and coming up at 6:00, we will hear from those baltimore ravens who are a day away from trying to capture their thaird con -- third consecutive victory. gentlemen -- >> hope there are no injuries, too. all right, stan. thanks so much. still to come tonight on wjz eyewitness news. i'm alex demetrick. coming up, a storm does not have to be tropical to cause damage. a look at what hit early this coming up right now on wjz eyewitness news at 6:00. danny's big waves. i'm tim williams. tracking tropical storm danny as a one-two-three punch over maryland. how will it affect us? the answer coming up. here's a live look at ocean city. the first warning weather team has all of the answers you need for your weekend plans. animal hoarding. a houseful of sick dogs. the heartbreaking story is just ahead. and paying respects. how americans are mourning the beloved members of a kennedy family. check in for these stories and all the day's breaking news. eyewitness news starts next. turning off the coast. tropical storm danny still threatens ocean city in the form of dangerous waves. >> what's being done to make sure visitors and residents stay safe? >> hello, everyone. i'm vic carter. >> and i'm mary bubala, in for denise. here's what people are talking about tonight. >> the first warning weather team is following a number of severe systems now. not only is tropical storm danny churning offer the east coast, there are thunderstorms across the region. here's a live look at ocean city now. and you can see, theev wa-- the waves are pretty choppy. the storms remain off the coast. marty bass has a closer look at tropical storm danny. but first, we go to meteorologist tim williams who is tracking radar from the first warning weather center. >> reporter: good evening, vic. good evening, everyone. as you know, it's very muggy out there, very humid. all because of several systems that converged over maryland. and first doppler radar tells you all about it. let's show you