the balloon boy saga proving once again truth is stranger than fiction. good afternoon. i'm wendy rieger sitting in for jim handly today. >> i'm pat lawson muse. this afternoon, investigators still working on the richard heene case. heene's now accused of faking the incident that captured the nation's attention last week. >> he may be awaiting a number of charges now after the story about his son float away in the family's experimental balloon. turned out to be false. leeann gregg has the latest from ft. collins, colorado. >> reporter: richard heene at the center of the balloon boy case appeared briefly outside of his home in ft. collins, colorado, where he and his family are waiting for word on charges. >> the presumption of innocence exists for a reason in this country. >> reporter: david lane, the heene attorney hired after this revelation on sunday. >> we did this for a show. >> this is a hoax that it was a publicity stunt. >> reporter: a stunt to promote a reality show according to the sheriff. the whole thing made up. >> they put on a very good show for us and we bought it. >> reporter: ins the moment captured on home video, a 6-year-old falcon heene was suppose lead swept away in a balloon. but when the helium leakednd the balloon came down there was no boy. now the sheriff says of the story of him hiding in the attic was false. >> for all that we know he may had been two blocks down the road playing on a swing in the city park. >> reporter: robert thomas claims he helped heene plan the hoax as part of a proposal to land the reality show. thomas sold his story to goccer.com which has posted the interview along with the link to what he says were their plans. authorities say it was plausible at first. they thought a child's life was in danger and investigators say evidence shows the balloon wasn't big enough to lift a 37-pound child in the first place. it didn't add up, the sheriff said. charges are pending that could result from jail time and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. the heenes claim they're innocent. now in the limelight with an uncertain future. it's not the first time richard heene has been in trouble with the law. he served four days in jail in los angeles 12 years ago on a vandalism charge and was asked to pay restitution to the victim. in this case authorities are also considering federal charges. leeann gregg, nbc news. >> toke gawker.com that the plan that he knew about did not involve heene's children. jim zorn is still the head coach of the the redskins but no longer calling plays on offense. jim zorn's play-calling duties will now go to sherman lewis. hired just two weeks ago as an offensive consultant. the redskins' offense failed again to score a touchdown as they lost yesterday to the kansas city chiefs, 14-6. executive vice president vinny s cirotto. >> this is a big organization. it's got some strong leaders and i hope i'm one of those strong leaders. and sometimes we do -- we have do things that are uncomfortable and on a scale of one to ten, and so my comfort level's not there but you know sometimes -- i also look at the production. i mean this is not an easy thing. the production hasn't been there. so if this is something that we're all going to try to do to win, i want to do that. >> as for who's going to start as quarterback on monday night it's still unclear. jason campbell was benched at halftime government favor of todd collins who did not do much better. well after losing yet another game to yet another winless team, the skins fans across the region talking -- taking to the online forums. one is more frustrated, writing -- today's announcement that coach zorn will not call the play was not enough for one plan who says, shermlewis has been with the team for two weeks. doesn't know the players, hasn't called plays for, forever and wasn't good when he did. fans are arguing over which quarterback will start, one writing, i say campbell but it honestly won't really matter. i feel bad for sherman lewis coming in trying to fix an unfixable problem. fans that we talked with this morning are feeling just as frustrated. some say we need drastic changes with the team. >> we need get on rid of wroern and campbell. i don't -- i have never been a campbell fan honestly. >> a radical shake-up. i am sorry for them but i wouldn't pay to see them now. >> i think change their focus and maybe move in another direction. i don't know whatever they're doing now it's not working. >> next up the redskins take on the philadelphia eagles next monday at home. stay with news4 for continuing coverage. we'll have a live report from the park with sports and find out exactly what fans are thinking from news4's pat collins. president obama paid a surprise visit today to a local elementary school in montgomery county. it has a diversed student body and has by stressing reading shown remarkable improvement in test scores. chris gordon is here now. you were the at school earlier today and this was indeed a surprise. >> reporter: they got word on friday and they had to keep it top secret. there was a presidential motorcade up connectic avenue and the students were at lunch and all of a sudden in walks the president of the united states shaking hands saying, what have you been reading? and that's the secret of this school's success. the reading. the teachers, the staff has stressed reading, and that's gone over into math and their scores on the maryland school assessment test which they're aiming for 100% proficiency. in the last couple of years from 77% up to 99%. >> that's wonderful. what was the reaction to seeing the president walk into the class? >> everybody had a different reaction. a couple who look at their hand like they can't believe he actually shook may hand or spoke to me or here he is making a few comments in front of the class and they gave them their goal, read, read, read. he says, so you're a group of readers, huh? and he talked to them and then we got to meet with some of the students and there i am there talking to them in office and we found out why these students were chosen and part of the reason is because they have worked so hard. it's a national blue-ribbon school 2005 and a title i school of distinction. >> the reason that he picked this school? >> uh-huh. >> any idea on whether the president plans to pull another surprise like this. >> well, they're not saying. it totally took them by surprise. they kept the lid on it and of course school superintendent jerryweis from montgomery county washere and the officials knew it, the police were at every coroner connecticut avenue above the beltway, directing traffic and restricting it. so that the president can make this visit and the kids loved it and you know what they're going to be inspired for a lifetime. >> oh sure and i bet everyone in the neighborhood was wondering what was going on with the police and the security in the neighborhood. >> well, that's true and the kids say, basically, they're not going to believe he shook my hand. my friends are not even going to believe it that we had this time. >> some of them probably will not wash their hands which is not a good thing these days. >> yeah. one of the students said to me you know i'm running for student council president and i said did he give you any tips? and she said yes when i make a speech don't be boring. >> ah, okay good advice. good story. thank you, chris. wendy? money troubles are hitting fairfax county schools. the district is anticipating $176 million short fall and they're preparing parents for the worst. school officials say they may have to close schools ending summer school and get i received foreign language classes. the board in fairfax county is seeking public input. they'll be hosting several work shops. the first one this saturday at 10:00 in the morning. three locations, the centreville regional library, the reston regional library and the john marshall library finally, sunshine. chuck bell has our fast forecast from up in the storm center. >> wendy, certainly a beautiful day outside. finally the sunshine, yeah the big shiny object in the sky, it's back after five days in a row with cloudy skies and miserably cold, not very octoberlike temperatures. right now temperatures in the area in the 50s and boy cold outside this morning. downtown washington dropped down to 40 this morning. 33 at dulles airport. 32 in manassas and culpeper. 30 in fredrickson. a lot of spots below the freezing mark thermorning. that bright sunshine has warmed up things nicely. most in the mid to upper 50s in the area. but the fact that we have dry air if place, the winds will be dying off and a clear sky tonight means it'll be cold again so t weather service has posted arost advisory pretty much for the entire metropolitan area here for the overnight hours tonight into early tomorrow morning. there you can see on the satellite picture nothing but clear skies around the area. temperatures in the mid to upper 5 verys now. back into the upper 40s by 11:00 this evening. a nice, clear, dry october evening. a moonless sky out there for tonight. the last, really, cold morning of the week comes up tomorrow morning. plenty of october sunshine is going to be sticking around for much of the week but maybe not all week. i'll detail exactly of when i think the clouds and our chances for rain come back to the forecast coming up in a few more minutes. >> all right, thanks, chuck. some changes and procedures follow an infamous local fire. >> your chance to weigh in on a proposed toll road. >> a look at some other stories making headlines in our area today. the fire that destroyed the home of peggy cooper kay fritz has led changes to help firefighters do their job. more than 150 firefighters were called into battle july 29th. firefighters say the hydrants did not provide enough water essure but city's water and sewer authority blame the decisions made by the firefighters, not hydrants. today mayor released a report on that fire announce the changes that include better communication between the two agencies and new mapping technology, firefighters can use to learn more about the hydrants at the fire scenes. >> as we move forward, that intelligence will continue to be very, very important trying to glean the information so that we can make the best decisions, how to lay and connect hose lines. >> the mayor also said the cause of the fire at the home is accidental and undetermined. without them it could had been worse, several maryland emergency workers will be honored today for saving drivers trapped arch a massive water main break. a 66-inch line broke last zom river road in bethesda. nine motorists were trapped. crews on foot in helicopters and on boats pulled them onto safety. first responders members of county river rescue team will be recognized. the event takes place tonight at cabin john firehouse. a public hearing also held tonight so maryland residents can weigh in on the proposed tolls for the interconnector. the average trip would cost about $2 to $6. transportation officials say that's similar to other new toll roads. critics say it's too much. public meeting tonight is at high point high in beltsville. starts 6:00 to 6:00 to 9:00. additional meetings are planned as well. drivers in fairfax county will do road work and shut part of the beltway tonight and tomorrow. the lanes should reopen by 5:00 a.m. transportation officials say this is part of the hot lanes project. when news4 at 4:00 continues a bus driver trying to dodge a car runs smack-dab into a concrete pillar. making the best of the fall food harvest. we'll get expert advice for getting healthy for life. you can buy just about anything from walmart. has teamed up with trackphone. the so-called straight-talk service kicked off over the weekend and now walmart shop kers stroll into the store and choose a phone plan in addition to their clothes and food. two plans starting at $30 a month. like other prepaid phone services, no contract is required. another big retailer, toys "r" us is offering layaway through december 6th so customers can pay for their holiday toys in installments. the offer's good for in-store purchases only. the company says in the future it may offer lay away for online purchases as well. because of the credit crunch a growing list of companies, large and small, is now offering lay away as a payment option. >> got food for fall, they are festive, tasty and they're fun and healthy, of course. and many of the foods of the harvest are packed with a few surprises. in "get healthy for life" harvest foods and your health. dr. jackie's beens tthe farmer's market as you can see here and she's brought us baskets full. >> thank you. >> let's start with yams. yams, sweet potatoes, if you're trying to get pregnant add a few of these to your zplooit a researcher who was a yale medical student originally from nigeria and what he noticed was that there were a lot of twins that come out of nigeria and a more sweet potateopotatoes, mor particular the yams. thinking that there is estrogen, hence, your ovaries kick into action and you might pump out more eggs and as well as foliage in sweet potatoes and makes for healthy embryos. >> good for fertility. we make lots of pies in puddings with this of course p are we getting too much beta carotene during thanksgiving time? >> yams, sweet potatoes, pump kin, the squashes. any of those orange kinds of vegetables are full of beta carotene, beta carotene is a type of an antioxidant. antioxidants run around absorbing free radicals. free radicals have too many elect rons in them. the problem is as your beta carotene is absorbing those things they might get a little imbalanced themselves and go act like free radicals. you don't want to over do it, bottom line? sit down to yams and sweet potatoes and that kind of stuff. it can be too much of a good. >> i think lay off the vitamins for thanksgiving? >> i would like to roast the seeds. >> good for omega-3, fatty acids. your body cannot make it. you have to eat it. the wayhat you get through with what do you with them is help your heart. it can lower your cholesterol. >> my mother's always said eat your broccoli. my husband hates broccoli and cauliflower and isn't crazy about cabbage but they're good for sometime that's right they are good for him and one of of the good things that people don't know is one they do have vitamin a, of course helps with your vision, and help with your skin. if you ask a teenager or a person worried about wrinkles is vitamin a is what we use it rebuild the skin. >> my mother was right. brussel sprouts what some carry baby -- >> that's interesting. a lot of people don't know that. >> i don't know the benefits of vitamin k, and hence the was about of brussel sprouts. >> many of us do not get vitamin k in our zmooit that's right. an easy way to get it. >> apples and pears are bountiful in the fall. but here is my question while trying to prevent cold and flu. do they help because of the vitamin c? >> no the stories are done and add them up at the end of the day taking vitamin c will not decretes chances that you get a cold or flu and not help you shorten the cold or the flu, that's if you have got enough vitamin c in your diet. if you eat a regular amount of vitamin c from a glass of orange juice yooubl perfectly fine and adding extra vitamin c will not help you. >> one point about apples and pear and something called oral allergy syndrome. >> what happens with the apples and the pears is they are the fruit of the tree and you're allergic to the product of the tree. the pollen turns out to be the fruit itself. you bite into it you're biting into something that can cause an itchy mouth because you're biting into the results of the pollen. >> to avoid that? she answer is you have to peel it, or you have to cook it. >> okay, now i know why my mouth itches when i eat pears. >> yeah that can happen. >> jackie, thank you so much. more on the foods of the harvest and your health, logon the website and search, your health. wendy? >> all right. good news out there if you are stillution the postal service. the postal service it says plans on keeping the 44 cent rate same. it did go up two cents earlier in thyear. the post office has been struggling financially as it competes with the bret where people are paying bills online and of course they're e-mailing. so snail mail's hurting. coming up cooling pads for hotter looks. a new nonsurgical way to eliminate the muffin top. we had sunlight. >> i know. >> no rain, oh my goodness! >> i know. your mood has lifted i can tell. >> i know! >> everyone is a lot happier. >> i am not wade down with water. >> i know a lot of folks were getting very seasonally affected. an ugly stretch of weather but that's gone. >> yeah. >> it's all gone. and we've got the pictures to prove it. luckily. temperatures outside have climbed into the mid and upper 50s. we're 57 degrees at international airport with north wind at 10 miles per hour. dew points measure of the atmosphere way down in the 20s and low 30s and that will play a big part in our very cold overnight forecast. televisions around the area on this very beautiful monday afternoon, we're 57, as i mentioned downtown. 55 degrees in prince george's county. 52348 fairfax and loudoun. 61 in frederick, maryland. 58 in french royal and winchester. 57 in culpeper and 57 degrees in beautiful st. mary's county. temperatures tonight are really going to tumble with the dry air if place, the clear sky overhead and what breeze we've had for most of the day, that too, will be dying away once the sun goes down this evening. temperatures generally in the mid to upper 50s to 60s across much of this eastern seaboard. warming trend to our west in st. louis, 73 degrees. that part of the air mass is coming our way. we will be back in the 70s, if not tomorrow, for a few lucky folks, but for most everybody else back into the 70s as we get towards wednesday and thursday frameframe. for tonight this little area of high pressure's going to be settling down very close to us so clear skies and very cold. first thing tomorrow morning the national weather service has issued a frost advisory, area wide, for first thing tomorrow morning. so be ready for another bundle-up morning tomorrow. high pressure down to our south very slowly making its way across southern virginia and northern north carolina here over the next 48 hours or so. we're going to have near 100% sunshine for tomorrow, for wednesday and for most of thursday. i think our next chance of rain around here doesn't roll in until friday but it'll be cold tonight but a much nicer day coming up for tomorrow afternoon. so for this evening, clear, dry and chilly. temperatures, mid 50s now, back into the mid to high 40s by 11:00 this evening. overnight tonight, again the skies remain crystal clear. no moon out there tonight either. so a very dark sky. clear skies. the last, really, cold night though with temperatures back down low to mid 30s in the western suburbs to near 40 right alongside the bay and tomorrow during the day, sparkling blue sky for your tuesday. very pleasant. highs close to 70 tomorrow. i'll detail the "7-day forecast" in a bit, and i promise you, wendy and pat, at least o one 70-degree number on there. >> oh, oh, we like that. >> thank you! get a load of this, the largest pumpkin in the world, it appeared on nbc's "today" show. >> wow. >> wow. >> it is quite a goard. it made the trip from new york from the buckeye state. the giant pumpkin was grown by an ohio couple. christie and nick harp of jackson township. this morning christie talked about houtpumpkin could fit in her hands in the beginning of july. by september she knew she had something special when it started approaching 1,600 pounds and linus started to appear in her pumpkin patch and she knew, y