setting up a communications infrastructure. >> the police commissioner wants to start meeting with the heads of campus security four times a year to make sure everyone is up to date with evacuation plans and crisis training. dr. cohen remains in good condition tonight. stay with wjz for the shooting at johns hopkins hospital. log on for the latest updates on the doctor's condition. neck and neck. the latest polls show no clear favorite in the race to win maryland's state house, as both incumbent and challenger ratchet up the attack ads. derek valcourt has more. >> those new polls show that it right now is a dead heat. and tonight, wjz spoke with both candidates as they battled to sway voters in the final weeks of the campaign. >> reporter: the latest research tally shows democratic governor martin o'malley leads former republican governor bob ehrlich by 3 points, slightly less than the margin of error. >> it's very encouraging. an incumbent in the bluest of blue states in a dead heat is in trouble. >> reporter: voters aren't paying attention to attack ads in the o'malley campaign like this one. >> there is a difference between fees and taxes. >> fees and taxes are one and the same. >> if it comes out of my pocket, it's the same. >> the incumbebts governor doesn't seem to understand. >> reporter: they're going to be going after one another tooth and toe toenail. >> reporter: they warn not to put too much stock in the recent rasmussen poll. >> because it doesn't do the type of screening to ensure representativeness. that it will often, if not favor the republicans. if that's the case with this particular poll, it's each better news for o'malley. >> reporter: but ehrlich isn't just playing defense. >> anap onis, if they have their way, we're facing a mountain of debt and a massive tax increase. so we've put together a road map to 2020. >> reporter: he's on the offense, as is o'malley, touting maryland's comeback under his leadership. >> we can't go back. and there are better days in maryland coming if we make the right choices and keep moving forward. >> reporter: and today, governor o'malley finds himself under attack from the republican governors association, a new ad that has been released. we'll have it for you coming up at 6:00. >> derek, thank you. stay with wjz for complete coverage 2010. for the latest poll results and updated information, go to wjz.com. just weeks into his first year of high school, a 14-year- old is killed while crossing a busy road? tonight, friends and family are remembering a fallston high student. >> joey detriment was hit while trying to cross the road. the corner where he was killed has now been transformed into a memorial. tonight, a viewing will be held at the mountain christian church in joppa, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. the driver of the car is not facing any charges. there will be another viewing tomorrow morning from 10:00 to noon. and the funeral will follow. bed bugs bombard maryland. this time triggering the massive cleanup. an entire library system. they were discovered in one state's newest library in urbana. adam may has details on the find and what is being done about it. adam, i only have one thing to say. yuck. >> they're pretty horrifying, aren't they? just a couple of bugs, leading to a big response. trying to keep them from spreading. >> reporter: bed bugs creep their way into the urbana regional library in frederick county. >> this is ridiculous. how can somebody get bed bugs in a book? >> reporter: a librarian, who used to work in a hotel, fortunately spotted the books book -- bugs in the book drop. >> we were incredibly fortunate that she saw it and knew what to do. >> reporter: bed bugs, nearly eradicated in the 1990s. new limit a -- limitations on pesticides have made them grow. >> immediately bagged up any materials that were in immediate proximity of that book. bagged them up and removed them from the building. >> reporter: right now, all of the taminated books -- contaminated books are baking in the sun. once it reaches 120 degrees, the critters should die. >> reporter: but all eight frederick county libraries have now been sprayed with pesticides of that's concerning to some patrons. >> they don't know what causes a.l. upon s. and -- a.l.s., and parkinsons. but some have tie today to that. >> this is a relaxing and quiet environment. >> but you're going to keep using it? >> yes. >> we think it's something that was handled very quickly. we'll be better off for it. >> reporter: as a courtesy to their patrons, the irvanna library is actually waving all of their late fees since friday until that book drop reopens. that could be as early as tomorrow. bed bugs are not just an issue here in maryland. coming up new at 5:30, we'll take a look at the bed bug summit being held here today that will address the nationwide problem. a carroll county school is targeted by thieves. it happened at carol community college in westminster. investigators say the crime happened sometime overnight. and that's when suspects made off with several industrial air conditioning units. no word on any leads at this time. well, the final day of summer feels a lot more like fall. live look outside now. clear skies. sunny and very comfortable temperatures out there. wjz is live with first warning weather coverage. bob turk has a look at your forecast, including details of a big warmup for the first day of fall. >> a lot of folks are happy to see this summer go. because it was so hot and so dry the last couple of weeks. we have a couple of very, very nice weather pictures. at least for tonight and through much the -- much of the day tomorrow. coming 75 now. south winds at 10. that's going to keep us warmer tonight and tomorrow. the south and southwest winds will get us back up, close to 90 degrees. this afternoon, it was in the low to mid-90s across the tennessee valley. and that's got nowhere to go but this direction. it's possible, we might see a 90-degree day tomorrow, thursday and again on friday before we see some changes and some cooler temps for the weekend. kai? >> all right, bob. thank you. a deadly day in afghanistan. at least nine american soldiers killed in a helicopter crash. rita nissan reports for wjz, it is the deadliest such crash in four years. 10 troops were killed when a nato helicopter crashed in this remote southern region of afghanistan. cbs news reports it was an american blackhawk, and that nine of the dead are americans. one, an afghan soldier. it's the worst helicopter crash for coalition forces in four years. officials don't yet know what brought down the chopper. the taliban claims insurgents drop it down. but nato says there were no reports of enemy fire in the area. sources tell cbs news, the helicopter was flying a secret special operations mission in the taliban-dominated region. these covert operations often take place under the cover of night, targeting insurgent leaders and find drugs and weapons. choppers are crucial to getting around this rugged country with new roads. already this year, 525 u.s. and nato service members have been killed in afghanistan, making it the deadliest year for international forces since the war began nine years ago. rita nissan, wjz eyewitness news. an american civilian and another u.s. service member were also killed in that crash. still ahead on wjz's eyewitness news at 5:00. a pop star gets political. we should send home the prejudice. the soldier who hates the gay soldier. >> senators vote on the controversial don't ask, don't tell policy. what they just decided. ♪ [ music ] the baltimore symphony orchestra, sharing the stage tonight with amateurs. i'm andrea fujii. i'll tell you all about the museum program. coming up on eyewitness news. tomorrow marks the first day of fall. but it could feel a lot like august. your updated forecast coming up with bob. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, in the shadows of the extremely popular towson town center, sits the old and abandoned towson common. it was just auctioned off. a move that could set the mood for a major renovation. wjz is live in downtown towson. weijia jiang is following details of this sale. >> reporter: hi, kai. and hi to everyone. the towson commons sold for nearly $30 million. but many are not ready to say who they are. many say they hope whoever it is, they pump much-needed blood into the development. >> the sound of a business deal in motion. >> signals salvation in the heart of towson. >> it looks kind of cold. just doesn't look inviting. it has nothing to offer. >> reporter: so at a foreclosure auction tuesday afternoon, the towson commons was handle handed -- was handed over to a new owner, as is. when the 325,000-square-foot building opened in 1992, it was ushered in as a jewel. it includes three levels of retail space, a 10-story office tower. and nearly 900 parking spaces. but today, it's mostly vacant except for the theater and small restaurant. despite the prime location at york road and chesapeake avenues, only for sale and for lease signs decorate the empty space, as well as the many windows nearby. >> the price per square foot was a little high. i'm not exactly sure what it was before. and i'm sure it's come down when the market has come down a little bit. but it's still too high for an average businessman to put their shops in there. >> when you have to pay to park, people don't want to just have to go through that trouble to do it. >> reporter: a five-minute walk from the commons reveals a stark contrast. treferl new resident -- several new residential complexes. and the mall even boasts a new luxury wing that just opened a tiffany's. it's a consumer mecca, the commons once was and and what many hope will become again. again, the concrete plans for the commons are still unclear. but the executive director of the chamber of commerce believes the new owners are going to tear part of it down and start anew. we're live in towson, weijia jiang, wjz eyewitness news. >> the towtionon chamber of commerce says 85% is located in towson city commons. if you're waiting for someone to get home from work, let's check in on the roads now with sharon gibala. the good news is, we have cleared up all of the minor accidents. bel air white and bel air at mary avenue. and another on quarterfield road, at thelma avenue. watch for a fuel spill in the northbound lanes of 83 between shawon and belfast road. doesn't seem to be causing delays. we have some delays on 95, as well as 295 in the northbound lanes between 198 and route 100, on 95. it's a 10-minute drive, between 198 and 100, with an average speed of 43 miles an hour. there's a look at your average speeds and drive times on the beltway, in the high 20s and 30s. so a pretty typical morning commute. in fact, there is a live look outside at the beltway. there is a look at the top side, delaney valley. similar situation there. and if you're traveling on 50, an earlier accident caused this big backup. the accident was on 50 eastbound, at the severn river bridge. that accident is gone. delay is not. it runs between 97 and the severn river bridge. this traffic report is brought to you by bill's. call 1-877-75-bills am back to you. tonight, professionals and amateurs will make music together at the rusty musician's concert. andrea fujii takes us inside the meyerhoff as the bso prepares to share the stage. ♪ [ music ] >> reporter: tonight, this amateur chellist will be playing with the pros. professor of orthopedic surgery is by no means rusty. he's been playing the cello for decades. but tonight, he'll be playing along the baltimore symphony orchestra. >> i wasn't quite good enough to really play professionally. so i thought that i could make it a good hobby as an amateur. >> reporter: this is the second time for the event, in which any musician, who is over 25 years old and reads music, can play with the symphony for one night. 325 amateurs will be there. >> reporter: and the bso is a fabulous orchestra. i'm going to be probably five feet off the ground, at least. >> reporter: the orchestra will be split in half, with each rusty musician, sharing a stand with a professional. >> i get to share some of my expertise. get to teach them tricks of the trade. looks forward to sharing the stage. >> don't have the thrill and the excitement of somebody who has never done this before who is doing it for the first time with a professional orchestra. so i get to share that. ♪ [ music ] >> reporter: for dr. mccarthy, this is a dream come true. >> the thrill of playing really wonderful music. music is really part of my inner workings. >> reporter: to play beautiful music with the best of the best. andrea fujii, wjz eyewitness news. with so many rusty musicians, the concert will be split spofour events-- into four events. one at 6:00, erv:00 -- 7:00, 8:00, and 9:00. >> beautiful stuff. all right. looks like a great night tonight. take a look at temperatures right now. cooling off just a tad. got up to the mid-70s. 75 now. dew points coming up a little. south/southeast winds. barometer holding steady. come back and take a look at a big wednesday. first day of fall warmup will feel more like summer. olololol. today these factories are full of dot com businesses. olololol. and now my job is helping maryland create new economy jobs. training new math and science teachers investing in our institutions of excellence pioneering new cyber security jobs and giving an old gm plant a jump start building electric motors. i'm barbara mikulski. i approve this message so you'll know i'm fighting for you. [ male announcer ] the kfc double down. today is the day i double down. double meat, double cheese, double bacon. double awesome. get yours today. so good. ♪ so s-o g-double-o-d good bob ehrlich pretends to be for the working guy... but he's not on our side. i thought i knew bob ehrlich, but then i found out... he raised property taxes on every maryland family... and business. he increased college tuition... by 40%. 40%. and i thought i knew bob ehrlich. he was against raising the minimum wage. made $2.5 million... working for a lobbying firm. $2.5 million? he's not really on my side. with this tough economy, we really need a governor on our side. look at that. >> beautiful day. beautiful picture. it's a post card. that is so beautiful. >> we'd like it to stay this way. dry, gorgeous weather. except for the fact that i know, people are complaining. my lawn is dried up. my plants are dying. we need more rain. looks like it's going to get warm in the next couple of days. temps very pleasant in the afternoon. highs alt 76. some northern western suburban areas down to 41, 42, 43 degrees this morning. average is 96 and 37. 80 in washington. and 82 in cumberland. dew point has come down. but probably not going to get much lower than the mid- to upper 40s. last night, we had 40s. downtown, probably about 64, 65. we have off to the west, a frontal boundary showers and thunderstorms. we'll see clouds with a front getting a little closer. chances. showers tonight are slim. but i think out to the west and north, there may be one or two isolated showers. that front is going to stay to the north. we'll stay in very warm air. very nice tonight. tomorrow will be a nice day. but with the winds going back a lot warmer. looks like on thursday, a west wind coming down the mountains. should dry things out a bit. but may actually feel humid by friday. with temperatures again close to 90 degrees. update on tropical storm lisa way out in the atlantic. five or six days. just kind of hanging out there. may become a hurricane briefly. probably just dying out sunday or monday. but look how slow it's moving. two miles an hour kind of hung out. northwest venezuela could become a tropical depression tomorrow. that could develop into something as it heads to the gulf of mexico. in the next five or six days tonight, clear skies. beautiful out there. tomorrow, going to be hot. compared to what we normally expect. sunshine and clouds coming in later. 89. could easily get to 90 in some spots, for sure. and another two or three warm days after that. >> okay. >> all right, bob. thank you. we'll deal with it. still ahead at 5:00. punishment for a hoax. she lied and said someone threw acid in her face. the push by prosecutors that could send her to jail. i'm suzanne collins at the federal courthouse. intentional pollution in the atlantic ocean. federal officials say they would not have known about that crime had it not been for any courageous whistle-blowers. and hawaii five-0 may mean big bucks for an area university. the story coming up here on wjz. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, it is 5:28. 75 degrees and sunny. good evening, everybody. thanks for staying with wjz's eyewitness news. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. a push to protect maryland's environment and punish those who harm it. four maritime workers receive whistle-blower awards after towing illegal dumping on board their ship. suzanne collins reports, the shipping company was fined millions of dollars. >> reporter: this photo shows a black pipe that diverted waste oil from a polluted machine. it was dumped directly into the ocean. but a filipino ship hand who carried out that task, decided to slip this letter about illegal dumping to an official when the ship arrived at baltimore's port. >> the whistle-blower who produced the note would be awarded with $250,000. and the remaining three would share the remaining $250,000. >> reporter: today in court, irica shipping agrees to pay $4 million in fines. $750,000 will be donated to help the chesapeake bay. >> the company today accepted responsibility for certain acts and activities that occurred on the high seas by certain crewmembers without the knowledge of the company. >> reporter: the prosecutor says these discharges only took place at night as the irana sailed from gibraltar to baltimore. >> official ship records were falsified to conceal that any dumping took place. >> reporter: evidence included flampleg -- flamplegs. >> reporter: the three whistle- blowers and those who corroborated the story stayed in a hotel working with federal prosecutors. they just returned to the philippines and to their families in august. the whistle-blower says he took a big risk of never being hired again in the shipping industry. >> he could have been blacklisted. some would have said, we're not going to hire you. >> reporter: the whittle -- whistle-blower was paid about $800 a month. he will now get a reward equal to 26 months' of work. he pleaded guilty and faced five years probation. the incident calls national outrage. a woman scarred when someone threw acid at her. denise is in the newsroom with more on the decision by prosecutors. $28,000. that is how much money prosecutors say bethany storro raised off this hoax. she apparently threw acid on herself. and claimed she was attacked. of the money, spee spent money on dinner and clothes. storro's parents say the money donated to their daughter will now be returned in a, quote, appropriate manner. >> if convicted of those charges, storro could face a maximum of five years in jail. a scary and dangerous mishap at a bogota colombia airport. the baggage was screened and he boarded a flight toward chile. the mistake was not realized until the boy's father reported him missing and he was tracked down in chile. bed bugs have become a national problem. there is a first of its kind convention in chicago. the country's most bed-bug infested city, chicago. >> reporter: bed bugs are biting. and it's big business. >> reporter: in rosemont, illinois, bed bug experts are showing their latest weapons to battle. representatives for the centers of disease control the military, travel industries are all here. scooby, who is trained to sniff out the bugs with his nose, has been working seve