[captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news at noon. >> good afternoon. i am sarah caldwell. we begin with breaking news. the outer loop of the beltway right past 83, at the j.f.x. is shut down because of a truck carrying hay an it is on fire. capt. roy taylor on the scene. what ms. >> -- what a mess. >> real nasty situation here.

we don't know if it is hay or straw. the beltway between greenspring ave at stevenson road is pretty much a mess here because of the fire. fire crews are trying to get it extinguished, but they shutdown all except the shoulder of the road, and that is just a trickle-through traffic is backed up from the outer loop all the way past towson. inner loop, just because of rubbernecking, is backed up from here almost down to liberty road. >> thank you, captain roy. the state budget takes center stage in annapolis today. the state senate could deliver the vote with more on the latest version on what it contains and what is up for debate, here is jennifer franciotti. >> the senate approved legislation to raise the personal income tax rate for individuals making more than $500,000 a year. they also agreed to hold certain

state agencies accountable for reports that have not been turned in. >> we are serious about the reports and the deadlines, that they should be meeting them. >> holding state agencies accountable in a rare act of bipartisanship, the senate agreed to withdraw some funding from the departments that failed to submit required reports trade agencies include the department of agriculture, health department, the maryland technology development corp., a juvenile services, chesapeake bay restoration, and the department of general services, which is not provided a report detailing relocation plans in the housing department to prince george's county. >> they have nothing on the information requested, so that is why we are withholding of $500,000 from their budgets. >> the democratic majority rejected several republican amendments, one to freeze funding to 2012 levels, eliminating tax credits, an

across-the-board cuts. remandcans' efforts to it teacher pensionships to the county's failed. >> all it is is paring back increases. families are having to deal with their personal budgets. >> once the senate passes the legislation, it will move over to the house for debate. >> meantime, in annapolis, governor o'malley tries to sell his 6% gas tax to lawmakers. the governor says that if the tax is not passed, it could lead to catastrophe for the economy and safety. the rate would increase at 2% a year for three years. >> when the gas gets up like this, the only people who make profits by the big oil companies and credit-card companies, not the distributor and not the gas

station owner. >> with these numbers, which have the greatest roads in the nation without a tax increase. they spend money out of the trust fund. this is just so wrong. >> o'malley insists the revenues raised each year will be enough to make sure the state infrastructure will be sound. card games are on the table in annapolis as lawmakers consider expanding gambling in maryland. several gambling bills are being discussed, including one that would allow the construction of a new casino at national harbor in prince george's county. senate president mike miller also wants slots and table games at the raceway. one casino already in the works, maryland live at of arundel mills, is starting to fill up. it will be one of the largest gaming and entertainment facilities in the country, with nearly 5000 machines in all, as

well as electronic table games. the grand opening is slated for june. >> another nice day out there. temperatures beginning to rise through the 70's. we have sunshine here in town. west of us, there are clouds. i west virginia, there is a thunderstorm activity. there's something going on at around here, and i guess what we call a back door cool front. it is right overhead. this will hold the temperatures down. this front will also hold the rain away, at least for a while. i will discuss all this in just a minute. >> secretary of defense leon panetta is wrapping up his visit to afghanistan today. he is meeting with top afghan officials, including the country's president. as richard engel reports, the

military as it moved out of the country the army staff sergeant accused of going on a killing rampage. >> in what could be a controversial decision, u.s. military flow of the 38- year-old staff sergeant accused of killing 16 civilians in afghanistan to a military base in kuwait. secretary panetta, who today wraps up a two-day visit to this country, was meeting with afghan president hamid karzai, and the afghan government is trying t -- and they are trying to put as much distance between themselves and the shooting spree. the secretary has apologized, the white house has apologized, the military has apologized, and even the afghan defense minister says ids time to move on. -- it is time to move on.

>> the stakes are much higher. i think we are assured that the authority will use up reaction. -- will use appropriate action. >> there were protests today, perhaps 1000 people taking to the streets. they what the staff sergeant put on trial in afghanistan. the afghan government has been able to contain them. >> it is back on the campaign trail for the man looking to be the republican nominee for president. it is essentially at two-man race. rick santorum is stopping at mitt romney -- is attacking mitt romney's claim that he has an impossible number of delegates to take the lead. >> it is said when you are

trying to win it on math rather than on substance. >> romney remains the front- runner with 18 victories so far, compared with the center on's -- santorum's 10. coming up, a thief makes off with more than $150,000 from a retailer. details on his creative disguise. dr. kim hammond is here to answer your pet questions. email petquestions@wbaltv.com. email petquestions@wbaltv.com.

your home and auto policies and save. don't worry, tiny people. flo is a gentle giant. bundle home and auto at progressive.com. >> covering and the nation, it is a heist you have to see to believe. a man posing as a truck driver to steal cash from a clothing store at the mall. >> this is not your run-of-the- mill $200 theft. this is $162,000 worth of cash. >> police believe the man to be john mortimer. his costume was so hot that it included an embroidered identity bench -- was so authentic it included an embroidered identity badge. >> the manager gave him the past

the way he has done every day of his shift. >> police recovered a stolen car that turned out to be mortimer's getaway car with evidence inside. attorneys joke about robbing clients blind, but his attorney is charged with helping his client break into a home. the divorce lawyer help a client in entrance into a home she once shared with her estranged husband once inside, he was caught on tape helping her carry out her belongings and helping herself to legal papers that belong to her soon-to-be accessed and it still to come, we talked live into one of the stars of the hit nbc show "community." >> we have rain in the forecast. believe it or not, it is not is that we're talking about.

here in town, generally sunny skies.

>> maryland the olympics champion michael phelps is looking for a new pad. the condo he bought in 2007 is up for sale. it comes with water use and at two parking places. records show the home is set for $1.5 million two years ago, $190,000 less than he paid for it. >> now the 11 insta-weather-plus forecast with meteorologist john collins. >> lots going on at this

afternoon. not warming up as quickly as it did yesterday. we have this weather to the west, and it looks like these storms will be held off to the west of us. we also have the suspicious clouds in new jersey. there is an east wind coming off of the atlantic. it is running right off of the bay. that will hold a thunderstorm activity off to the west. tomorrow, much higher rain chance than today. let's switch to the temperatures now. keep in mind that cloudy as over new jersey -- atlantic city is only 49 degrees. dover air force base is only 61. you get to the 70's as you get closer to the bay and across the bay. gaithersburg, almost 80 degrees. rainy and cloudy, with temperatures in the 60's. east winds are holding the high temperatures short in atlantic city.

here are these thunderstorm cells off to the west. the trajectory is to push them to the south. there are the east winds. here is the cold front. the warm air has been pushed a little farther west. we are right under that front right now. those of you in northeast maryland and eastern shore may not warm up quite as much as everybody else. the real rainmaker is going to be this cold front in iowa and illinois it, coming out of the great lakes. this is a little complex that warmed up in the warm air. this will be ahead of this cold front to the west of us. a big chunk of the nation is very warm in the noon hour today. or cloudiness and rain chance is to the west of us. some of that is going on right now. it might get a little closer to us. we might want to favor these mid-70's, and for many of you,

it may not even get that warm up today at the farther east you are. temperatures today -- we warm up here but we also see the eastern shore quite a bit cooler. tonight, temperatures drop down into the fifties. tomorrow, we bounce back up again. that fraud will be with us and we will probably be a little bit -- that front will be with us and we will probably be a little bit warmer. futurecast shows only spotty rain chance is around baltimore today. they go way up starting tomorrow and into saturday as well. by saturday, they will be pushing to the south. only around 70 on saturday, 60's on sunday. rain chance is into saturday morning. >> he stars as jeff winger on the nbc comedy "community." joining us is actor joel mchale.

it is still morning in l.a. >> i am in new york, actually. >> good to have you nonetheless. the new season kicks off tonight on nbc a trait he played an attorney who takes a break to go to greendale community college. tell us about your character. >> he is also a unicorn and has wings. no, he is in a community college with this study group that becomes a family. a lot of crazy things have happened to them the last three years. they got turned into zombies, poisoned by military food. it has been crazy what has happened at. now we're back with 12 more episodes, and tonight, malcolm- jamal warner guest stars and he and shirley renewed vows, and me

and britta get drunk. >> and you have to give the wedding speech. >> i give a very drunken winning speech, almost like i have in real life. >> off the cuff, no preparation, really? >> well, my character actually over-prepares. he doesn't know what to say, because he is too afraid, and he lets it go. he and britta scream at each other, an impromptu wedding service, yelling their fears and avows that each other. >> sounds fantastic. i don't think anyone wants to miss tonight's episode. thank you, joel. >> thank you so much. >> "community" viers tonight on at 8:00 p.m. first, a look at wall street.rs

>> dr. kim hammond from falls road animal hospital is here to answer your pet questions with the most adorable little puppy. we like looking at your face, but his face is priceless. [laughter] >> same nose, same tan.

he is about 11 weeks old. the ferocity of this dog. >> i know, i know. hold on to him, please. >> there is late breaking news. a rabid racoon in baltimore county. please make sure your animals are up-to-date on their rabies vaccines. >> glad you mentioned that. >> maybe there is something you can do, but what you have to do is take it a step further. look and see if there is some sort of orthopedic problem there. the treatment is a good depending on at the problem.

it gets cold and stiff. that is a lot of years of running. check to see if the ligaments are ok. i do have a tip. my wife will be happy about this, becausey dogs are poorly house trained. i took a large set of christmas bells, i hung them on the doorknob, and when my dog goes to the door, i hear it in the middle of the night. guess we got to ask him. that is a tough question to answer. some cats -- i don't know -- handle their poo differently.

>> thank you very much. if you have a question -- coming up next, your maryland lottery numbers. >> good afternoon. i am brian johnson with the maryland lottery. pick three, here we go. up next, pick four, but first, when you play monopoly scratch- offs, you could win $50,000 a plate. mdlottery.com for more chances

to win. this is brittany! pick four. the maryland lottery, let yourself play. >> john has one last look at the forecast. we are looking out this week. -- lucking out this week. >> temperatures in the mid-to- upper-70's. higher chance of rain on friday into saturday morning. sunday, cool, clouds, back in the 70's next week. >> i guess we can handle it. thank you for joining us. >> watch tonight at 5:00 with

the donna hamilton and stan stovall. >> follow breaking news and weather any time at wbaltv.com, and stay connected with us on facebook and twitter.