((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. it's 5-oclock. the massive east coast blizzard is over but the clean up is just beginning... ((brian loftus)) scott mclean is live in washington d-c with more on the effort to get things back to normal. it will not be business as usual monday -- as east coast cities like baltimore, philadelphia, new york, and the washington, d.c. area continue digging out from weekend blizzard. on sunday, baltimore mayor, stephanie rawlings-blake said the clean up will take time (mayor stephanie rawlings-blake, baltimore, maryland) i'm asking for residents to continue to be patient. in philadelphia, the airport resumed service sunday and septa officials said most mass transit will slowly get back online throughout the day (jeffrey d. knueppel, septa general manager) we haven't operated these trains in a couple of days now. we're doing what we can to bring people in early to make sure they operate, but it is going to be a slow start. the new york travel ban was lifted and area subway and rail lines will run today but

kirsten joyce i'm kirsten joyce. today... a decision should be made.. over the debate of solar rates in nevada. ((brian loftus)) the public utilities commission should decide whether to put a hold on the increase.. the "alliance for solar choice" and the "nevada consumer protection bureau" asked the group to halt the rates until they can submit petitions for reconsideratio nqdw. this comes after energy regulators decided to change the rate structure for solar rooftop solar company-- solarcity-- is among companies announced they will stop selling and installing panels in nevada.. which is leading to the loss of hundreds of local jobs. solarcity leaders say the nevada public utilities commission effectively shut down the solar industry with the rate increase./// ((kirsten joyce)) > and mark your calendar.. the 8 news now living green super recycling event coming up saturday, january 23rd at the thomas and mack. you can recycle all sorts of electronics.... get rid of your unused and expired medicine, and bring paperwork that needs shredded. goodwill will a

kirsten joyce i'm kirsten joyce. today, we're going to learn what mayor carolyn goodman has planned for our city in 2016. ((brian loftus)) she'll be holding her state of the city speech inside city hall. that's where we find 8 news now reporter michael stevens live. michael, you spoke with the mayor this week... what can we expect to hear from her? ((michael stevens)) brian, kirsten... while the mayor is expected to tonight... she made it clear safety is her top priority in 20-16. the mayor complemented the efforts of the sheriff and metro police department in the last year... specifically citing their years eve. the mayor said safety is the key and without it the city would be nothing: ((mayor carolyn goodman // city of las vegas: we will have no residents, no business, no tourism, no convention, no gaming if this place isn't safe so that has to be number one and that has to be number one in this country now. we know it's anywhere and everywhere. )) ((michael stevens)) the mayor also said she wants the city to becom

((kirsten joyce)) > coming upfour.. remembering amber. the 20 year old unsolved case of a missing 9 year old.. and how it sparked what's known nationwide as the "amber alert".. also the ride sharing business is branching out... to certain patients on the east coast... who need a lift to the doctor. /// ((kirsten joyce)) > private space company space-x says it plans to try and land a rocket on a droneship. it's first succesful landing of a rocket on a platform. now it hopes to land on a remote controlled platform on the ocean. landing a rocket upright drastically reduces the cost of space travel.. since the rocket can be re-used. space-x has 20 planned unmanned launches... and united launch alliance has 12 more planned. most of the trips are delivering government satellites.. or dropping supplies off at the international space station./// > that's all for 8 news now live at noon.. remember that 8 news now is always available at las vegas remember that 8 news now is always available at las vegas now dot com, facebook and twitter. have a gre

((kirsten joyce)) keeping children healthy. the new health care option for school kids in the valley... providing a wide array of services. /// > now nevada's first choice fodramatic warning about the danger posed by one of the escapees in a southern california jail break. an orange county prosecutor is quoted as saying, "they let hannibal lecter out." the three escaped inmates are among 15 prisoners who have gotten out through the roof since the jail opened in 19-68. the sheriff's deparment is pleading with the public for help finding them: (( officer phuong nguien/orange county sheriff dept.) it is extremely important for them to because they are extremely armed and dangerous" )) ((kirsten joyce)) two of the men are thought to have gang ties and face murder or attempted murder charges. the third... hossein nayeri (hoo-sane nigh- air-ee) is accused of kidnapping and torture.. including setting a man on fire. police are still trying to figure out how they got the tools for their escape... cutting through.... to get to tunnels..

((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. today... mayor carolyn goodman will layout her vision for 20-16 in her state of the city address. ((brian loftus)) 8 news now reporter michael stevens caught up with the mayor... and joins us with a preview of year. good morning michael? kirsten... on tuesday, we spoke with the mayor in her office on the 7th floor of city hall. we went into a number of topics... but started with her feelings of 20-15. the mayor said there were a lot of successes... one of those... the growth of small businesses in las vegas. she mentioned its been a slow time coming out of the great recession... and the small businesses helped some of the highlights she mentioned... rick harrison's new pawn plaza on las vegas boulevard and tony hsieh's continued work downtown: of las vegas: steps. we find too that these 42 million plus visitors that are coming to las vegas -- there's a real excitement and energy to come downtown. because it's elbow to elbow. it's restaurant, tavern, place to go, hotel. one after another and th

./// ((kirsten joyce)) > since last fall, we've learned of several arrests of area officers... plus the indictment of a former officer. bryce jones and robert moore were both arrested on charges of soliciting prostitutes... moore is accused of paying the prostitutes with crack. and former officer richard scavone was indicted this week... in a case where police say body camera footage shows him throwing a woman in cuffs to the ground, dragging her, and then slamming her head into the hood of his car. counselor ron lawrence says a high stress job like that plays a role.. but so does the power that comes with the position: ((ron lawrence/communit y counselor: "when our power differential becomes disaligned and all of the sudden we would succumb to things that give us power and that's usually when our boundaries become weak.")) ((kirsten joyce)) in the case of scavone, we have put in several requests for the body camera footage from last january's violent arrest, but metro has denied all of our requests. /// ((kirsten joyce)) > it is still a mystery as to who is walking night's pow

((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. it's 5-oclock. a weather system bringing cooler temperatures and rainy weather is sticking around... ((brian loftus)) and we can expect yet another wet day... let's send it over to sherry swensk to find out when this should end. sherry swensk < clouds are thick and the air is heavy this morning. there is still some very light rain around southern nevada this morning. ................ high humidity and some nice rain totals since yesterday. more than half an inch of rain in some northwest neighborhoods. ...... it looks like we'll take a break for a short while and then another chance of rain and snow later today and tonight. > let's see how the roads are this morning./// < demetria obilor let's see how the roads are this morning./// < demetria obilor > < > spaghetti bowl on the 95 accident in the spaghetti bowl south. it was slowing traffic, but it's picking up now. accident in north las vegas on i-15 and speedway. nhp is reporting it in the southbound direction. accident on pecos-mcleod interconnect

((kirsten joyce)) the mcdonalds of the future... how the restuarant chain says they'll be making your ((brian loftus)) > gas prices could stay low tihs year... ((kirsten joyce)) and many americans want to get serious about how they handle money. jill wagner joins us live from wall street. good morning jill. good morning brian and kirsten! it's the first day of trading for 2016, and investors are hoping for a better year than last. the dow and s and p had their first negative years since the financial crisis, in part because of falling oil prices. year in positive territory. so far though futures are much lower--- after china's stock market plunged 7 percent today on weak manufacturing data.// gas prices are likely to remain relatively low in 2016. triple a is predicting gas will average between 2-25 and 2-45 a gallon. triple a estimates that americans saved more than 115 billion dollars on gas in 2015... compared to 2014, that comes out to roughly 550 dollars per licensed driver.// and it's a new year... and americans... want to imp

kirsten joyce i'm kirsten joyce. the investigation continues... into a former metro officer on a civil rights violation. ((brian loftus)) richard scavone's case reportedly hinges on his body cam footage.. and it's proving difficult to get it released.. the u-s attorney's office says it won't prevent the department from releasing it... however, metro says they will not-- referring to it as evidence. even though.. they are not handling the case and fired scavone in september. the video is public record.. that footage is key.. because it's expected to show scavone roughing up a woman suspected of working as a prostitute. scavone is then accused of lying about the incident in a police report./// ((kirsten joyce)) > since december, we've learned that three officers were arrested... plus the former policeman we just mentioned.... we reached out to community counselor, ron lawrence who says stress on the job can be a contributing factor if a police officer crosses the line into unlawful activities. ((ron lawrence/communi ty counselor: "when you are out i

((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. president obama had an optimistic tone in his voice.. in his final state of the union address. ((brian loftus)) democrats say the speech was inspirational.. while the republicans criticized it to pieces. weija jang has the latest. "i stand here as confident as i have ever been that the state of our union is strong." in his seventh and final state of the union address, president obama aimed to set his legacy and focus on the future: (obama) the future we want -- opportunity and security for our families. work together. happen if we fix our politics. the president spoke less about policy. and more on changing washington.admit ting he failed (obama) it's one of the few regrets of my presidency - that the rancor and suspicion between instead of better. president obama did not mention any gop presidential candidates by name ... but warned against rhetoric over islam. (obama ) when politicians insult muslims. that doesn't make us safer. that's not telling us like it is. it's just wrong. it diminishes us in the eyes of the world. south carolina

kirsten joyce demetria... how are things looking? < demetria obilor at 6:45 am, ndot will set up shop on oakey, industrial and wyoming near i- 15 to do some drilling work in the area. they are testing the soil and neon, which is expected to begin in the spring. no delays on 215 in henderson. > < > back to you. /// ((kirsten joyce)) > elephants are being phased out of the ringling brothers circus sooner than originally planned. they'll stop using them in may...they were orginally planning to stop using elephants in 2018. the asian elephants will retire the company said preparations for the new retirees at its 200-acre "center for elephant conservation" were completed much sooner than anticipated. ringling brothers has been criticized by several animal rights groups for its treatment of the elephants./// ((brian loftus)) > no charges for lamar odom. ((kirsten joyce)) why the former basketball star isn't charged in nevada... after drugs were found in his system. ((brian loftus)) plus, forget the snooze button. the alarm clock that makes

kirsten joyce i'm kirsten joyce. we are now in the second half of the school year.. and clark county is still in need of nearly 700 teachers. ((brian loftus)) right now, 90- percent of the vacancies are inside at risk schools.... since the school year began, the school district has hired a little more than 2- thousand teachers.. but say they're seeing record enrollment.. there are about 2- thousand more students than last year! ccsd expects to hire roughly 3- thousand new teachers before the next school year. the district has a tentative agreement.. increasing the starting salary by 5 grand.. to 40- thousand dollars annually. plus... you can get a 5- thousand dollar bonus for teaching at a title one school./// ((kirsten joyce)) > las vegas mayor carolyn goodman laid out her plans for las vegas in the among last night's highlights... a commitment to 100- percent renewable energy in las vegas... improving walkability downtown... and other development projects. the mayor says her number one goal is to focus on safety: (( mayor carolyn goodman/las vegas: "because we are

((kirsten joyce)) > plus... a fire is never funny.... but one woman is trying to find some humor in it... her description of what happened.... that's going viral. ((brian loftus)) > and... making a deadly stretch safer. state plans to do about boulder highway in "what's driving you the flu virus hits big. with aches, chills, and fever, there's no such thing as a little flu. and it needs a big solution: an antiviral. so when the flu hits, call your doctor right away and up the ante with antiviral tamiflu. prescription tamiflu is an antiviral that attacks the flu virus at its source and helps stop it from spreading in the body. tamiflu is fda approved to treat the flu in people two weeks of age and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu, tell your doctor if you're pregnant, nursing, have serious health conditions, or take other medicines. if you develop an allergic reaction, a severe rash, or signs of unusual behavior, call your doctor immediately. children and adolescents in particular may be at a

((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. later on this morning... the 34th annual dr. martin luther king jr. day parade is taking place downtown. ((brian loftus)) thousands are expected to attend. 8 news now reporter michael stevens is live near 4th and bridger. good morning michael? ((the dr. martin luther king jr. committee will be celebrating its 34th annual birthday parade. the committee was founded in november 1981 celebrating the legacy of dr. martin luther king jr. by keeping the dream alive. we cordially invite the las vegas community to join us in this celebration at the largest parade in the state of nevada. dream: "the movement continues." the parade will be held on monday, january 18, 2016 in downtown las vegas beginning at 10 a.m.)) can't catch the parade live... how can people catch it? ((micicael stevens)) brian, kirsten... cox cable... is taping the broadcast with out very own tedd florendo as hosts as well as sharie johnson. will be re- broadcast on a number of their channels starting this friday and will run through february 12th. demetria, how are th

kirsten joyce i'm kirsten joyce. today.. we could be closer to a decision on the rooftop solar debate. the public utilities comissions is expected to make a decision on holding off on the new net metering rates... until after 2 consumer groups submit petitions. a hearing on the motion was held last week. the new rates are about 40 several solar companies ceased operations in the area... after the decision./// ((kirsten joyce)) > the countdown is on. the powerball drawing is tonight.. and a billion and a half dollars is up for grabs. ((brian loftus)) people here in nevada can't purchase tickets.. so many are driving to the state-line.. in hopes of taking home the jackpot. ((kirsten joyce)) reporter michael stevens is live in primm this morning. hey michael. michael stevens is live in primm... where people are already lining up to get their hands on tickets. nevada doesn't have the lottery.. so many people are driving to state- line. right now the jackpot is an estimated 1 point 5 billion dollars. the jackpot for the twice-wee

((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. it's 5-oclock. we're learning more about a man... accused of a trying to hire a hitman to take out a witness to an alleged crime. ((brian loftus)) erin ware was arrested back in june... police say he robbed a subway and shot the owner. several months later ware, was arrested and charged with attempted murder and more. but in november another investigation began when a confidential informant told police ware wanted a witness murdered. ((kirsten joyce)) according to records, an undercover officer met with ware in jail twice...to discuss taking the woman out. police say ware told the informant he wanted the woman dead because she was the only one to identify him in court. ((kirsten joyce)) ware now faces an additional charge for solicitation to murder a witness./// ((brian loftus)) > trial continues this morning in the case against a pastor...accuse d of sexually assaulting young girls. two victims in the trial against both.. testified they were teenagers when holland touched them inappr

brian, kirsten? ((kirsten joyce)) michael... is the funding different for primary's than it is for a caucus? ((michael stevens)) brain, kirsten... primary's are run by the government... they use a voting machine and conduct it exactly like an election... it's also state funded. caucus are run by the individual parties... process. back to you. ((brian loftus)) > donald trump will be spending some time in las vegas tomorrow. he'll be speaking tomorrow at the "shot show" .. show. trump will tout the shows created by the outdoor channel then.. trump will host a rally at south ((brian loftus)) > speaking of trump... former vice presidential nominee sarah palin officially endorsed pundits say the move presents a setback texas senator ted cruz, who is in a close race with trump in iowa./// ((kirsten joyce)) > and ben carson is stopping campaign events for today -- after one of his volunteers died in a crash in iowa. the republican expressed condolences for 25-year-old braden joplin who was killed yesterday./// ((kirsten joyce)) > and o

((kirsten joyce)) > plus... making your smartphone's battery last longer.. 8 on your side's michelle mortensen shows us the simple life hacks.. so we don't have to constantly plug our phone into the ((sherry swensk)) < and jmonth.. since police say a driver plowed down pedestrians on the strip.. what we could learn.. in her court appearance today. ((michael stevens)) < michael stevens is live previewing the nevada caucus >

kirsten joyce i'm kirsten joyce. after years of delays... the trial against a former las vegas pastor accused of sexually assaulting girls in his congregation.. is set to begin. ((brian loftus)) 59-year-old otis holland went on the lam... and was arrest in mexico back in 2012.. which was even featured on "america's most wanted." he has pleaded not guilty to 17 felony charges... including child sexual assault.. lewdness and bribing a witness. he could face life in prison with or without the possibility of parole if he's convicted of the sexual assault charges. officials say jury selection could take days.. because of the case's high profile./// ((kirsten joyce)) > we now know the names of the metro officers who shot and killed a man holding a cell phone...which they thought was a gun. the department identified them as sergeant robert bohanon and sergeant bohannon has worked with metro for nearly 19 years... and officer walford has been with the department since 2014. 23-year-old keith childress was killed on new years eve. a vigil was held fo

kirsten joyce i'm kirsten joyce. the man convicted in the 20-13 deadly shooting on the las vegas strip was formally sentenced to death. ((brian loftus)) a judge re- affirmed the jury's decision to sentence ammar harris to capital punishment. three people were killed... harris fatally shot kenny cherry, junior... whose car then slammed into the taxi.... killing the driver and passenger. harris was also given additional time in prison on other charges in connection to the strip shooting, including attempted murder and discharging a firearm into a vehicle. he will join 80 other inmates on ((kirsten joyce)) > the father and son ranchers ... who set fire to federal grazing land in oregon have turned themselves in... however, the standoff continues. dwight hammond and steven hammond were convicted and served their original sentence... but an appeals court judge ruled the prison terms did not meet the minimum requirement... and they must now serve about 4 more years. an armed group is now occupying the federal wildlife pres

kirsten joyce i'm kirsten joyce. the high- profile trial of a former las vegas pastor accused of sexually assaulting young girls in his congregation ... resumes this morning. ((brian loftus)) otis holland is due in court at 9:30 to face nearly 2 dozen felony charges. he pleaded not guilty.. and could face life in prison if convicted. holland has testified in his own defense about the alleged abuse during counseling sessions... saying he didn't do anything inappropriate./// ((kirsten joyce)) > republican candidate carly fiorina just wrapped up a campaign trip to nevada. she chatted with supporters at the peppermill yesterday for about an hour during her "coffee with carly" event. our "politics now" team-- patrick walker and steve sebilius-- sat down for an exclusive interview prior. she fielded questions regarding healthcare and veterans... and said she wants to face hillary clinton in a debate. when it comes to foreign policy.. fiorina said the u-s has to take a more active roll. she said she believes a lack of inter

kirsten joyce i'm kirsten joyce. sherry swensk and i'm sherry swensk. this morning.. millions of people on the east coast are battening down the hatches... as a potentially historic storm starts to move in. ((brian loftus)) in fact, it's already started snowing ...causing traffic jams and crashes. ((kirsten joyce)) six states have declared a state of emergency.. ((sherry swensk)) not only is this monster storm expected to dump up to 30 inches of snow.. but ... it's also expected to bring ice, heavy winds and flooding along the coastline./// ((brian loftus)) > that storm has already caused some 4- thousand flight cancellations.. including right here in las vegas. kirsten joyce so if you're flying out of town today, expect major delays. ((sherry swensk)) 8 news now reporter karen castro is live at mccarran international airport with the latest. karen. ((karen castro)) in in the east coast, flight cancelations began last night. so far this morning, at least two dozen incoming and outgoing flights at mccarran have already been canceled. the number of cancelations is const

((kirsten joyce)) > thanks for waking up with us, i'm kirsten joyce. ((brian loftus)) and i'm brian loftus. since decemeber first, we've learned about several officer arrests... one of them being a corrections officer... another where a former officer was indicted. ((kirsten joyce)) patranya bhoolsuwan explains these cases... and what it means for our community. < ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) bryce jones and robert moore arrested on charges of soliciting prostitutes. richard scavone indicted for on excessive force allegations... and james burt behind bars for reportedly assaulting and kidnapping his girlfriend.. the kind of crimes these officers vow to crack down on when they put on their badge. ((ron lawrence/communi ty counselor: "i have worked with law enforcement for a long time.")) ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) as a community counselor, lawrence says he's worked with a fair share of cops. he cites stress on the job as a big factor when police officers cross the line into unlawful activities. ((ron lawrence/communi ty counselor: "when you are out in that maze

((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. this morning, the leaders of the armed group occupying a federal wildlife refuge in oregon... are under arrest. ((brian loftus)) the f-b-i and oregon state police stopped members of the group on a highway... before shots were fired. don champion has the latest. five of the oregon militants were arrested during a traffic stop down this road tuesday afternoon. the fbi says during the stop- a militia member was shot and killed. among the arrested- militia leaders ammon and ryan bundy. their arrests, mark the end of a 3-week occupation of a national wildlife refuge in the town of burns, oregon. "so no chris, huh?" in recent days, ammon bundy had been trying to negotiate with the fbi. wildlife refuge earlier this month as part of a long- running dispute over public lands. early on bundy said he and his followers were in it for the long run. (ammon bundy/militia leader) "when government steps outside its bounds that the people have given it, that it is the duty of the people to put that gov

will have two mintues to speak. /// ((kirsten joyce)) > keeping pets warm! a local hospice is here to tell us about its annual drive that benefits animal shelters... and traveling with autism. the app created by one dad... to help other parents find autistic friendly businesses... (( sherry swensk: a beautiful monday for us in southern nevada... and that sunshine feels good after a cold morning. into the west coast, but not many of them are making it into our area... we'll see if that will change coming up in your full neighborhood weather forecast.///)) < > now nevada's first choice for news, this is 8newsnow at noon. ((kirsten joyce)) > a local hospice is launching it's fifth annual drive in support of local animal shelters. they are collecting dog beds and blankets. the drive runs through the end of february. lisa browder... who is the manager of the complementary therapies program for nathan adelson hospice is here to tell us about it. -- so tell me why you started this drive? -- what are you looking for, and where can -- do you have a goal? a number you

((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. an ambitious plan has been placed on the table... in hopes of avoiding another deadly crash involving pedestrians on the strip. ((brian loftus)) this plan is a multi-billion dollar transit improvement proposal by the r-t-c. patranya bhoolsuwan reports when we'll see changes... and how this will affect tourists and locals. < ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) a horrifying scene on the las vegas strip as a woman drove her car onto the sidewalk killing one and injuring dozens. it's something clark county commissioner steve sisolak says he oesn't want to see again. ((steve sisolak/clark county commissioner: "i want action, i want something to make the strip safer right now.")) ((patranya t-c's general manager tina quigley laid out the 12 billion dollar, 30 year plan with the goal to improve safety and better connect people throughout southern nevada. ((tina quigley/rtc gm: "all these recommendations are a piece of a very large puzzle.")) ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) among the proposals, building 7 new pedestrian bridges on the strip....and widening or e

((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. this morning.. the republican presidential candidates are back on the campaign trail... one day after squaring off in their sixth debate. ((brian loftus)) seven of the leading candidates took the stage during the primetime event.. but as don champion reports ...much of the spotlight stayed on the two frontrunners.. donald trump.. and ted cruz. don champion: one of donald trump's strongest political moments came when defended his hometown. his clash with ted cruz was one of the most talked about moments of last night's debate. ted cruz/ republican presidential candidate) everyone understands that the values in new york city are socially liberal are pro-abortion are pro game marriage donald trump/ republican presidential candidate) when the world trade center came down, i saw could have handled more beautifully than new york ( steve chaggaris/ senior political editor/ cbs news) you had this really heartfelt response from trump, and you don't get a lot of heartfelt responses from trump don champion: cr

((kirsten joyce)) coming up at 6:00... we'll show you how lady gaga managed to scare leonardo di caprio during the awards show. > plus... the owner of several brothels in nevada.. is looking for a new job.. the position he is running for.. on the state senate./// talking about the resignation of loftus)) > plus..

((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. later on this morning... the 34th annual dr. martin luther king jr. day parade is taking place downtown. ((brian loftus)) thousands are expected to attend. 8 news now reporter michael stevens is live near 4th and bridger. good morning michael? ((the dr. martin luther king jr. committee will be celebrating its 34th annual birthday parade. the committee was founded in november 1981 celebrating the legacy of dr. martin luther king jr. by keeping the dream alive. we cordially invite the las vegas community to join us in this celebration at the largest parade in the state of nevada. this year's theme: living the dream: "the movement continues." the parade will be held on downtown las vegas beginning at 10 a.m.)) can't catch the parade live... how can people catch it? kirsten... cox cable... is taping the broadcast with out very own tedd florendo as hosts as well as sharie johnson. it will be re- broadcast on a number of their channels starting this friday and will run through february 12th. brian loftus > let's get a check of your co

kirsten joyce i'm kirsten joyce. after months of negotiations and dozens of rallies, clark county school teachers have a new contract and a pay raise. ((brian loftus)) the school board unanimously approved the bump in a new 2- year contract. the base salary for new teachers will go up from around 35 thousand dollars to 40 thousand dollars a year. current teachers will also see a step up on their pay based on education and experience...wit h a new cap at about 90 grand. and for the first time teachers who seek out professional money down the road. teachers will also see a small bump in their cost of living pay and health care contributions. new recruits willing to teach in at risk schools will still receive a 5-thousand dollar bonus. ccsd will have to make budget cuts in other areas to make good on this contract./// ((kirsten joyce)) > and state leaders awarded nearly 6- million dollars in grants to hire more than 160 social workers and mental health professionals in nevada schools. it's part of an anti- bullying init

kirsten joyce i'm kirsten joyce. we're following breaking news this morning... a fatal crash at spring mountain and rainbow... ((brian loftus)) we've got team coverage... demetria has got your alternates.. and michael stevens just arrived on scene.. let's start with michael. (( sgt. richard strader/metro fatal detail: "i just want to make it pretty good of a restraint to chase this guy because they already knew it was a bad situation." )) demetria obilor < > < > back to you! < > < > back to you! learning new details about the las vegas teacher... accused of sexual misconduct with a student. jillian lafave was arrested earlier this month... she is a special education teacher at valley high school. an arrest report says she exchanged thousands of text messages with her special ed student... many of them sexual. police also say lafave admitted to kissing and having sexual contact with the student. we spoke with an 11th grade student of lafave's. he says the teacher was nice to her students...but he noticed something going on between the victim and their teacher: ((

kirsten joyce and i'm kirsten joyce. it's 5-oclock. the roads might be a little wet as you're waking up... and rain is expected the remainder of the day... ((brian loftus)) sherry... when can we expect to see it when can we expect to see it sherry swensk < skies are cloudy and the ceiling is low this morning... .................. temps are mild with the overnight clouds. right now we have a lot of 40s again. .................. the humidity is high now after we've had a few round of light showers that started early yesterday morning. this first system is now exiting east... and making way for a larger and stronger system hitting california. ............ heavy rain is slamming the central and northern coast and there are plenty of winter storm warnings and flood watches for california today and tomorrow. we will look for rain later in day - near noon - and expecting the snow to pile up in our local mountains as well. ............. > let's get a check of < demetria obilor accident reported in northeast on southbound i-15 past lamb. defini

((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. a stand-off could end today lead by a member of the bundy family.. ((brian loftus)) currently, the f-b-i is monitoring the situation at a national wildlife refuge in oregon. the nevada ranchers.. are known for being anti- government. ((kirsten joyce)) it all stems over two oregon ranchers -- dwight hammond and his son steven . they are expected to surrender to law enforcement today. they were convicted of arson after starting controlled burns on their ranch... and did their time for that from 2001 to 2006. but now a judge has ordered them back in prison for 4 more years. ((brian loftus)) brian webb has the latest. militia members armed with guns and walkie-talkies are guarding the malheur national wildlife refuge in eastern oregon for the second straight night. the group says the land belongs to local residents and managers at the federal refuge have been trying to push nearby ranchers out. ammon bundy is leading the occupation, urging more militia members to join their cause. he post

((kirsten joyce)) > plus..

((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce this morning.. solar customers across southern nevada are upset.. after the public utilities comission voted against suspending the new rates for rooftop solar customers. ((brian loftus)) 8 news now reporter michael stevens is joining us now tensions are pretty high among solar customers in the valley. ((michael stevens)) that's right brian and kirsten. it's easy to say.. people are ticked. they were upset when the p-u-c announced the rate hike at the end of last year... and they were hoping the commission would at least hold off on enforcing them. several groups along with the state's consumer advocate asked the p-u-c to stay the rate hike... so they could file the proper petitions. this happened after solar companies announced they would be laying off hundreds of employees.. and ceasing operations. more than a thousand people gathered at yesterday's commission meeting... including a hollywood actor. mark ruffalo... who is a big supporter of solar power... demonstrated before the meeting.. and addr

kirsten joyce i'm kirsten joyce. the campaign trail is coming to las vegas today.. and a former president will be in town. ((brian loftus)) mister bill clinton will stump for his wife hillary... he's hosting an organizing event at "advanced technologies academy" on vegas drive near rancho. the event starts at 7:15./// ((brian loftus)) > and republican donald trump is also holding a campaign rally in las vegas. it's at the south point hotel and casino on the boulevard and silverado ranch. doors open at 11 a-m. the event begins at 1. trump will also make a guest appearance at the outdoor sportsman awards at the venetian at 7:00./// ((kirsten joyce)) > is las vegas the new hollywood? at least this week it seems that way with the filming of the latest bourne movie on the strip. ((brian loftus)) 8 news now reporter karen castro is live this morning from where all the action's been taking place near the closed down riviera resort and casino. karen, ((karen castro)) brian, kirsten... it's quite out here at the moment because filming isn't supposed to pick up again until la

./// ((kirsten joyce)) > police are looking for a killer... who opened fire on two men last night... killing one of them. this all happened just after 7 last night.. near rancho and washington. police tell us two men showed up to a home to solve some kind of dispute... when someone in the home opened fire on them. a man possibly in his 70's was shot numerous times and died in the driveway. a second man was shot in the head and taken to the hospital in critical condition. we are waiting to hear from police on how he is doing, and what started this dispute./// ((kirsten joyce)) > there has been an outpouring of love and support for rene angelil... the husband and manager of celine dion. angelil lost a long battle with throat cancer at the age of 73. palace.. draws in show business.. said " we will miss you friend". she has canceled shows until february. the pair met when she was just 12-years- old.. and married in 19-94. they have three children ((kirsten joyce)) > republican presidential candidates are hitting the campaign trail today... after

((kirsten joyce)) and.. you waited for this route to open, but it turned out to be a traffic nightmare. demetria found out what the developments in the search for the missing marines.. who were on board 2 helicopters that crashed in hawaii. ((brian loftus)) searchers they found the choppers' four life rafts.. coast guard officials say there's no indication anyone was on board.. or survived thursday's crash. the two helicopters collided off oahu's north shore... with 12 marines on board. so far... officials say they haven't found any evidence... that any of them survived./// ((kirsten joyce)) > in illinois.... firefighters had quite the challenge.. when a house fire.. turned into an ice castle. the extreme cold... made putting out the flames extra challenging. the water froze so quickly, once the fire was out, the house was encased in ice. icicles and thick blankets of frozen water covered the charred remains./// ((demetria obilor)) > twitter is trending this morning.... after a worldwide outage... caused soc

((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. it's 5-oclock. we're following breaking news this morning... there's a bad crash at spring mountain and rainbow... ((brian loftus)) here's a live look at the scene. it happened just after 3 this morning... police haven't released any details yet on what happened or if anyone was hurt. let's turn things over to demetria...and see how the accident is impacting roads this morinng./// < demetria obilor >we're on the scene of a very serious accident that happened on the west side. you're look at the 7-11 on the corner of spring mountain and rainbow, where it appears 2 vehicles are flipped over. metro has shut down rainbow and spring mountain for a quarter mile in both directions. of this area. use jones and buffalo as northbound/sou thbound alternates. you can use flamingo and desert in as east/west alternates. accident on northbound 95 near decatur. expect delays. accident on eastbound charleston at grand central parkway. < > back to you. brian loftus this morning the leaders of the armed group occupyin

((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. this morning... the metro officer accused of beating and kidnapping his girlfriend.. will be in court. ((brian loftus)) we're learning that this isn't the first time office james burt.. has been accused of beating his live-in partner. as vanessa murphy reports... he was also arrested for a similar crime back in 2011. ((hannah brook/safe nest: it's very upsetting that he obviously showed that he had a history of it.)) ((vanessa murphy)) hannah brook works at safe nest - a not for profit focused on domestic violence issues. we showed brook not one but two arrest reports for domestic violence charges for metro police officer james burt.....a ten year veteran at the department. the latest arrest from january 11th....which reveals burt was also in trouble in 2011. ((brook: when an officer is involved, because they're a police officer, they're obviously held to a higher standard.)) ((vanessa murphy)) battery domestic violence and strangulation, and kidnapping for an incident on monday with a woman he's dat

((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. all eyes are on u-n-l-v... following the resignation of the head coach of the men's basketball team -- dave rice. ((brian loftus)) his announcement comes right as the basketball team is in the middle of their season. assistant coach todd simon will take over as interim coach. dave rice and athletic director tina kunzer murphy met sunday... to talk about the future of the program. a statement from u-n-l-v says... they "mutally agreed that it was time for a change". (( dave rice/resigns as unlv basketball coach: "my whole concern is for the players. as i met with the players this afternoon. i love those guys. i obviously was a big part of the recruiting process with all of them and i'll be cheering as hard as i can." )) ((brian loftus)) rice was in his 5th season with the rebels... and only had 3 seasons left on his contract. he will be getting paid his base salary for those 3 remaining years. /// ((kirsten joyce)) > and many of you commented on our 8 news now facebook about rice's resignation. andrew says... "ne

kirsten joyce i'm kirsten joyce. > today.. all three democratic presidential hopefuls are back in las vegas.. trying to drum up your support ((brian loftus)) they're here for the first ever "battle born / battleground" first in the west caucus dinner. michael stevens is live outside the m- g-m grand where tonight's dinner will take place. michael, what's planned? ((michael stevens)) brian, kirsten... later on tonight... hillary clinton, bernie sanders and martin o'malley will all take the stage and speak to thousands of potential voters in our state. the goal of tonight's dinner is to drum up support ahead of next months caucus. nevada will be the first western country to make its voice heard in the presidential primary and all of the candidates are trying to get voters on their side: ((roberta lange // chairwoman, nevada state democratic party: i would say from a nevada perspective the first iowa, new hampshire could split. right now that's looking like it's going to be the picture and nevada could be the decider. )) ((michae

((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. a person is dead and another fighting for life this morning... after their car was hit and flipped on its roof.. it happened at craig and lamb... police say a car turned left on a green light and struck a car... that car hit a light pole and rolled over. both the driver and the passenger had to be extricated from the car... the passenger was pronounced dead...and the driver taken to the hospital with a skull fracture. metro police say even if you have a green light, you still need to be careful when turning: ((sgt. richard strader, lvmpd: 22:11. 56 we need people to pay slow down i fyou're not sure. so we don't have any unfortunate incidents that happen. )) ((kirsten joyce)) police say the driver of the other car wasn't hurt... and is cooperating with police. this is the 8th traffic accident in metro's jurisdiction this year./// ((brian loftus)) > we'll be learning more this morning... about friday's police shooting on the strip. kahleal black is facing charges... after police say he

kirsten joyce i'm kirsten joyce. president obama will deliver his final state of the union address later today. ((kirsten joyce)) 8 news now reporter michael stevens is here with a preview. michael, what's expected? ((michael stevens)) brian, kirsten... last week te phsident released a you- tube video... outlining his final address. in the video... the president said he wants his progress the u.s. has made... but also what he wants to accomplish in his final year. the president is expected to highlight executive actions he plans to take to tackle gun violence without congressional approval... but the white house says he'll also also discuss issues where both parties can work together. a u-n-l-v associate professor we spoke to say on top of all the promises for the upcoming year... the president will also be looking to make a lasting impression during his speech: baa will be concerned about his legacy. and he wants to go out with a bang and not a whimper. so we're going to hear a lot of inititaves -- just as we always

brian loftus > ((kirsten joyce)) > thanks for joining us, i'm kirsten joyce. loftus. ((sherry swensk)) and i'm sherry swensk. the wet weather kept first responders pretty busy throughout the valley.. along with the fog delaying some incoming flights to mcarran. ((kirsten joyce)) some flights at mccarran saw up to 3 hour delays.. this morning... at last check with the airport.. we saw that majority of flights are on time. ((brian loftus)) metro wants to remind you to make sure to be careful when driving in the demetria in a few minutes will have a look at the roads. /// ((sherry swensk)) having is due to an el-nino related storm coming off the coast of california. los angeles is now coping with record-setting rainfall. so far, two big storms have moved through their area. flooding has closed down roads.. causing mud and rockslides. l-a city officials distributed sandbags and set up shelters for the homeless. /// let's get to sherry with a look at today's weather. clouds are thick and the air is heavy this morning. there is still some very light rain around this

kirsten joyce. ((brian loftus)) and i'm brian loftus. there's a growing need in the valley for volunteers willing to respond.. to help victims in an emergency situation. ((kirsten joyce)) these volunteers are part of a crisis response team called "tip"... and they're needed everwhere.. from a traffic accident to a fatal fire. patranaya bhoolsuwan explains the training that will take place later this month. < ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) from the las vegas strip crash that made headlines around the world... ...to a suicide no one may have heard about here in the valley...tip volunteers were there. ((jill bernacki/tip ceo: "it's very difficult but it's very rewarding.")) ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) jill bernacki is the ceo of "tip" or the trauma intervention program. for the last 21 years, the non profit has sent volunteers to aid first responders in all kinds of emergency situations. support to the victims during their darkest hours. ((jill bernacki/tip ceo: "in 2015 we responded out to over 14-hundred scenes

obilor and brian loftus > ((kirsten joyce)) > thanks for joining us, i'm kirsten joyce. ((brian loftus)) and i'm brian loftus. we're learning new details about the accused valley high teacher... who had an inappropriate relationship with a special ed student. ((kirsten joyce)) jillian lafave is currently out on bail... and remains on paid leave while the case is being investigated. the arrest report says the student had been exchanging more than 13- thousand text messages with her. ((brian loftus)) many of them sexual in nature...dating back to october 2015. police say she admitted to kissing and touching the student...but denied having sex. the student reportedly told police he loved his teacher and that she loved him. our patranya a hoolsuwan spoke to an 11- th grader who goes to valley high... and says the principal sent home a letter to parents about the allegations. the letter spoke of wanting to keep families informed of important issues... but it was sent out 11-days after the incident. the student says he did notice ((manuel/valley high school student: "when we w

((kirsten joyce)) > plus... former pastor otis holland is convicted of sexually abusing young girls. why he's facing even more charges this morning./// < welcome to a brighter morning, this is 8 newsnow with kirsten joyce, sherry swensk, demetria obilor and brian loftus > kirsten joyce > good morning and i'm kirsten joyce. brian loftus i'm brian loftus. a potentially historic blizzard hitting the east coast has forced thousands of flight cancelations, including some here in las vegas. kirsten joyce so if you're flying out of town today, expect major delays. 8 news now reporter karen castro is live at mccarran castro is live at mccarran international airport with the latest. karen. ((karen castro)) ((karen castro)) in anticipation of the snow storm in the east coast, flight cancelations began last night. so far this morning, at least two dozen incoming and outgoing flights at mccarran have already been canceled. the number of cancelations is constantly changing. no-go are mostly to cities in the east coast includ

and brian loftus > ((kirsten joyce)) > thanks for joining us, i'm kirsten joyce. ((brian loftus)) and i'm brian loftus. this weekend was one of the busiest travel days of the year here in las vegas... after bringing in the new year. ((kirsten joyce)) over 300- thousand people are leaving our town.. and more are flying in for the consumer electronics show starting this week. we spoke with a few folks coming in for c-e-s.. and they're very excited to see all the new gadgets: ((nicole scott i'm hoping that we're gonna see a lot more useful wearables, like wearables that we'll actually wanna wear a little more female focused so i'm excited that women's wearables are gonna come to the forefront finally )) ((kirsten joyce)) just a if you're flying out of mccarran.. early. /// new year.. comes new resolutions. thing on everyone's list is hitting the gym to lose those holiday pounds. getting in shape has been a popular new year's resolution. local gym tells us.. they tend to see a spike in members in the first week of january. we spoke with one woman who's looking for a b