where hawkeye fans are getting a taste of iowa in pasadena for the rose bowl. welcome to cbs two this morning...i'm kelly d'ambrosio. d'ambrosio. let's get a check of our cbs 2 weather first forecast. here's a look outside...our temps are in the 20ssatellite and radar is showing cloudy skies and some light snow falling in eastern iowa.roads are starting to become snow covered and slick so be cautious!our planner shows temps in the 20s today with light snow showers this morning and cloudy skies for the rest of wednesday

as iowans dig out from this week's winter storm, people across the country continue to face extreme weather.some 18 million americans are facing flooding. flooding.most notably, just to the south of us in missouri. parts of eastern missouri are under water, with the worst yet to come.luckily the rain is over but officials believe many rivers, including the mississippi, will crest sometime tomorrow or friday. that only leaves hours for sandbaggers to prepare for the rising waters. "missouri in the midst of a very historic and dangerous flooding event. the amount of rain we've received in some places in excess of a foot have caused river levels to

go to places they've not been before." before."at least 13 people have died in missouri alone due to the severe weather. along with missouri, missouri,flood waters in arkansas are reaching levels that haven't been seen in more than 20 years.in illinois, around a hundred homes are being threatened by rising waters, forcing evacuations. and in indiana, massive flooding across the state swamped highways and other roads. it's never fun ending up on the side of the road because of slippery roads from a winter storm.especially when a towing ban delays the time it takes to get your car out of the ditch, and back on the highway. highway.tuesday, towing companies had their hands full, digging cars out all day. cbs 2 news rode along with darrah's towing as they responded to calls after the tow ban was lifted yesterday. they say the storm -- for them -- comes *after the snow is done falling. "it's usually the day after the storm hits is when we get really busy, because if they put the tow ban in effect it limits us to just in-town towing." towing."to keep yourself from becoming the next victim, they

the highways at night.it keeps tow truck drivers who are working on the side of the road -- and other drivers -- safe. the winter storm brings headaches for many, but for some it could bring a job! many cities across the state are forced to spread out their resources of snow plows and their drivers..right now the iowa department of transportation is still looking for a few hundred snow plow drivers, and that includes drivers for some cities in the corridor including cedar rapids, marion and coralville. anybody can become a victim of robbery at y time.officials tell cbs 2 news they tend to get more reports around the holiday season. season.cbs 2 reporter stephanie johnson is live in the newsroom with how you can protect yourself stephanie? stephanie?kelly, i spoke to the cedar rapis police department about how you can protect yourself from being a robbery victim, they tell me simply being aware of your surroundings can make a big difference. difference.when you are out shopping, be sure to remember where you parked your car. if

out of a store, be sure to let someone know where you're going.sergeant cristy hamblin says don't hesitate to call authorities if you see anything suspicious. reporting any suspicious activity if someone looks suspicious they're in the mall wspecially at this time of year if they're walking through the mall and they've got their winter coat on but it's all bundled up and...it's kind've suspicious notify somebody at the mall. again, authorities warn to always be aware of your surroundings. reporting in the newsroom ... stephanie johnson, cbs 2 news. it's just two days before the rose bowl and hawkeye fans are making their way to pasadena. pasadena.another charter flight will take off from the eastern iowa airport this morning at 9-thirty.right here on cbs 2 this morning we told you about flights leaving all day long yesterday heading to l-a-x.in fact, 470 hawk fans

the largest plane to leave the airport tuesday. it's good to see. it's heartwarming, honestly because it just shows how many people are out there supporting our team. team.by the end of the day, california was invaded by about 3,000 iowa fans at least from the flights that left yesterday. and while fans are in california, they've got plenty to do!my cbs 2 this morning co- anchor kevin barry explored one place where they can experience a little bit of iowa in los angeles. angeles. just about a few miles from downtown los angeles -- the uss iowa is permanently docked - serving as a museum year round - and bringing a little bit of home out to iowa. vowe spoke with one navy veteran who one navy veteran who grew up in central iowa and said the model of the ship in the state capitol is the reason she wanted to be in the navy. other folks are just proud to have a piece of iowa leading an entire class of battleships - and now teaching

the united states protected the world from the seas. it was all possible because the hawkeye state came forward with funding to refurbish the ship - and through the work of people like dave way. sotdave waycurator - uss iowa 9:55:03 yeah we were real excited when we learned the iowa hawkeyes were coming the rose bowl. and we were pretty confident that we would have people come out to the ship. as things progressed we thought it made sense to have a pep rally thursday the day before the rose bowl is played. llive coming up later today - were talking to iowa president bruce harreld about how prestigious games helps iowa outside the athletic dertment too. in pasadena, kevin barry, cbs 2 this morning stay with cbs 2 news for complete coverage of the rose bowl.we'll have more reports from kevin and zach hanley later inhe show and for the the game on friday. and that includes our special road to the roses pregame show that airs right here on cbs 2 tomorrow night at 6:30.it will air again on new years day, at

station, fox 28. local band "four star fate" has gone viral in the hawkeye world. world.they re-worked their song "born to rise" into a new war cry called "born to hawk!" at last check it has 155 thousand views and well over 3 thousand 100 shares and it was just posted monday!band member tim king told cbs 2 news where the idea for the song came from. "a few weeks ago my grandma said you should do a rose bowl theme song for the hawks. and i was like eh i don't know. she really liked our song born to rise and wrote some lyrics based on the song born to rise and she kept sending to me via email. and i'd get these emails at like 6am and she'd write these lyrics and i was like ok that's enough." enough."the band is in the process of working with the university of iowa to make sure they are in the clear to play and promote this song. king said they do have the university's blessing, but the school doesn't plan to use their song in any capacity. capacity.if you'd like to hear their song visit our website

a link up. it's still to come... come...why football isn't the ly passion for iowa quarterback c-j beathard. beathard.in your cbs 2 weather first forecast we have...

when you have a football team as highly ranked as the iowa hawkeyes are this year, much of the focus is on the quarterback. quarterback.and as cbs 2 sports reporter zach hanley shows us, the hawks have a man under center with multuiple talents. talents. intro - ever since cj beathard was the starting qb the hawkeyes have been hitting the high notes- 12 wins, a trip to

now the rose bowl! but beathard isn't only making music on the fieldtake pkgsome guys just have all the luck and cj beathard is one of those guys. not only does iowa's qb tear it up on the field, he shreds it on the guitarbeathard: "we will go down in the basement and jam sometimes. just play guitar together and jam and it's fun to do."talk about a total heart throbmabin: "when i found that out he still had the long flowing hair so he kind of had the whole guitar feel to him so i definitely could have seen that."blythe: "obviously it's in his jeans in his blood with his dad writing so many good county songs. but yeah that's just another talent of cj beathard." but does playing the guitar help him with the ladies?smith: "um i don't know, i don't know. maybe? maybe it does."mabin: " no! definitely not. i tell him all the time if his name wasn't cj beathard he wouldn't be able to get any girls."beathard: "yeah, mabin would say that,

like the jury is still out and if this football thing doesn't workbeathard: "if all else fails i think... i play guitar and i like writing stuff so i think it runs in my blood." tag- man to be cj beathard! he hasn't performed in front of the team yet... and he said the only way that will happen if iowa wins the rose bowl. after the break... break...why the holiday rush is far from over for retailers...

you got people working incredibly long hours. median family income today -- $4,000 less than it was in 1999. the bottom line of this economy is that it is rigged. what this campaign is about is to demand that we create an economy that works for all of us

if you work 40 hours a week in america, you should not live in poverty.

welcome back -- it's now we're taking a look at your_______ your_______ the holiday shopping season is all but over, but retail stores are getting ready for one last push, from people returning gifts. gifts.mary moloney has some tips for us now on onhow to survive the holiday gift return madness. madness. as you and your family un-deck the halls -- there may be some gifts under the tree that you want to give back.to survive the mall madness -- there are some things you should know.be prepared.gather your gift receipts -- and repack what you've opened.some retailers charge a restocking fee -- especially for those tech toys.

day after christmas.typically it's the second busiest day of the year for foot traffic in stores.but don't wait too long to return.find out the store's return policy.some only have a limited time frame to give back those gifts.and others require receipts.once you are in those stores -- do not sign up for the in house credit cards.it's one more bill to keep up with -- and it can ding your credit score.keep tabs on gift cards..check the balances often.that way -- you use all the money.better yet -- cash in on better yet -- money.better yet -- cash in on unwanted cards.you can sell your gift cards online and in many cases -- get 90 percent of the value or more -- depending on the store.some examples -- card pool dot com or gift card granny dot com.if you've overspent this holiday season -- there is one way to use those cash cards.pay down your bills.for consumer watch -- i'm mary moloney. it's still to come...

soon to donald trump's campaign.

today the hashtag k-c honors is trending.last night the kennedy center honors aired on cbs.

d-c tradition and last night it was a huge production where 5 legends of entertainment were honored. honored.puerto rican entertainer rita moreno was one of the honorees.she was the first latin woman to win an academy award and one of only a handful of entertainers to receive an oscar, emmy, grammy and tony award!also honored, legendary conductor seiji ozawa.he lead the boston synphony orchestra for nearly three decades.director george lucas also honored, and what a great moment for him, as star wars is making such a splash right now.carrie fischer appeared via hologram but steven spielberg and martin scorcese showed up in person to brag on their friend.90 year old award winning actress cicely tyson was also honored along with singer carole king. lots of stars took the stage to speak about how these honorees have inspired them personally, paved the way for many, and shaped our culture. the band the eagles were also due to receive an honor but postponed until next year because of a band member glen fry's health problems. it's

because after the break... break...what happened to one presidential candidate during a stop earlier this week in

on average, it takes three hundred americans working for a solid year, to make as much money as one top ceo. it's called the wage gap. and the republicans will make it worse by lowering taxes for those at the top and letting corporations write their own rules. hillary clinton will work to close the wage gap. equal pay for women to raise incomes for families, a higher minimum wage, lower taxes for the middle class. she gets the job done for us.

right now on cbs 2 this morning...our rose bowl coverage continues with a little history on one of the oldest bowl games in college football. with all eyes out west on the football team, the hawkeye hoops squad makes a huge statement here at home. plus, find out which republican ended his run to be the next commander-in-chief. welcome to cbs two this morning...i'm kelly d'ambrosio.

let's get a check of our cbs 2 weather first forecast. here's a look outside...our temps are in the 20ssatellite and radar is showing cloudy skies and some light snow falling in eastern iowa.roads are starting to become snow covered and slick so be cautious!our planner shows temps in the 20s today with light snow showers this morning and cloudy skies for

hawkeye fans are still making thier way to pasadena.my cbs 2 this morning co-anchor kevin barry is with them and explains some of the rose bowl history. history. since the rose bowl is one of the most famous and oldest bowl games - really every rose bowl is a piece of history. vo but iowa's only been to pasadena five times, and they haven't won since coach forest evashevski coached them in 1959. but all the pomp and circumstance that surrounds one of the oldest traditions in college football all started as a ploy to get more propel to recognize how nice pasadena was in the winter. the football game was created to showcase the parade - and more than 100 years later - it's safe to say it's all been a success. 9:21:30it does get a huge crowd and it does end up in the new york times and the chicago tribune and it really does let everyone know how great pasadena is which

- were talking to iowa president bruce harreld about how prestigious games helps iowa outside the athletic department too. in pasadena, kevin barry, cbs 2 this morning. for complete coverage of the granddaddy of them all, stay with cbs 2. and don't forget our road to roses pregame special airs tomorrow night right here on cbs 2 at 6-thirty.it will also air again on new years day, at 7-thirty a-m on our sister station fox 28. the hawkeye men's hoops team shocked the college basketball world last night, knocking off the best team in the country. country.iowa hosted the michigan state spartans, and jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, cruising to a 13 point win.the hawks gave michigan state their very first loss, and beat a top-ranked team for the first time in 16 years, and for the first time *ever on their home court.the hawks face another tough test on saturday, when they travel to 14-th ranked purdue. one less republican is running for president this morning.

governor george pataki is no longer seeking the republican nomination.pataki made the announcement last night during commercials airing in iowa, new hampshire and south carolina.the 70-year-old's campaign never really gained traction among voters.in last week's c-n-n-o-r-c poll pataki failed to reach one-percent support. for months, donald trump has held onto the lead in most polls.all while not spending a dime on advertising on television.but it appears that will soon change. change."we're gonna spend a lot of money over the next four weeks. we don't want to take any chances. we're too close." close."the change in strategy comes as other republicans have slowly risen in the polls, challenging trumps front-runner status.this week, new hampshire's largest newspaper endorsed new jersey governor chris christie over trump. governor christie is polling well in new hampshire, but barely registering here in iowa.still, he's trying to turn that around before the caucuses now a little over a month away. away.christie made multiple

hamburg inn in iowa city. christie told supporters the u-s should look at a number of emerging energy options, including ethanol. "there are all kinds of problems with all different technology what we need to do is to have a balance. and pursue all these things and not invest all that we have invested in ethanol so far and then walk away i think it has a place in our energy portfolio and we have to do other things as well." well."christie also said he wouldn't rule out sending u-s forces back to the middle east if he felt the threat from isis or anyone else put american lives at risk.the war on terror has become one of the most talked about topics on the campaign trail. among the democrats - bernie sanders is making his way to cedar rapids today. today.he's holding a labor breakfest at the i-b-e-w 405 union hall.the event is free and open to anyone.later, sanders will visit the islamic center. and a really unique thing happened during a campaign stop in tama for martin o'malley. o'malley.the event was monday,

and just one single person showed up!the o'malley campaign almost canceled the event because they knew the weather would make it hard for people to venture out.but the event went on and the former maryland governor sat down one-on-one with that single voter.the attendee said he showed up because he's still unsure of who to support.right now, o'malley is polling in the single digits, well behind hillary clinton and bernie sanders for the democratic nomination. iowans who knew a soldier killed in afghanistan are in new york right now to pay their last respects.sargeant joseph lemm was killed in a suicide attack just before christmas. christmas.he was among six soldiers killed when an attacker rammed an explosive- laden motorcycle into their patrol.lemm spent part of his childhood in the dubuque area and many family members still live there.this is video from his wake which was held yesterday.his funeral will take place at saint patrick's cathedral in new york this morning. it's still to come...

iowa as the state continues to recover from the bird flu outbreak.

doppler radar shows some light snow showers this morning in eastern iowaour temps are in the 20s this morningwe are seeing light winds satellite and radar shows light snow in eastern iowamidwest temps right now...midwest satellite and radar shows clouds and snow showers in the midwest predictor shows some light snow this morning and some scattered flurries this afternoon otherwise cloudy and cold today with temps staying in the 20stonight: cloudy and cold with lows in the teens tomorrow: mixed sunshine with highs in the teensour seven day forecast shows cold weather through the end of the year and some warmer weather next week! here's a look at some of

on this here's a look at some of eastern iowa's top stories -- on this morning... a statewide ban on bird exhibits at fairs is being pulled on friday.the ban was put in place because of the bird flu outbreak in the spring.iowa ag secretary bill northey on tuesday said this is very good news as the state continues to recover from the epidemic.last spring, iowa lost 32-million chickens and turkeys because of the bird flu, leading to higher egg and poultry prices. iowa's ethanol industry produced a record amount of the fuel this year.ethanol is a corn-based fuel additive. refineries here made more than four-billion gallons of it.the iowa renewable fuels association also says the hawkeye state provided 27- percent of the nation's ethanol supply in 20-15. in keystone - a 56-year-old man died in a grain accident yesterday afternoon.his name

time.officials say he was vacuuming grain into a semi, when a wall of corn surrounding him collapsed. several emergency crews and volunteers worked for a half-hour to free him. iowa city is looking into recycling requirements for landlords.a proposed ordinance would mean landlords would have to provide tenants with recycling pick-up.that proposal could reach the city council early next year.right now - landlords are only required to provide trash pick-up for tenants. good morning, it's on this morning, we'll have another look at some of today's top stories, right after this. cbs-2 news connects with the corridor.call us with your story tips at 1-800-222-kganor email us at news at cbs2iowa.comor connect with us

welcome back -- it's now we're taking a look at your_______ your_______ as iowans dig out from this week's winter storm, people across the country continue to face extreme weather.some 18 million americans are facing flooding. flooding.most notably, just to the south of us in missouri. parts of eastern missouri are under water, missouri are

yet to come.luckily the rain is over but officials believe many rivers, including the mississippi, will crest sometime tomorrow or friday. that only leaves hours for sandbaggers to prepare for the rising waters. "missouri in the midst of a very historic and dangerous flooding event. the amount of rain we've received in some places in excess of a foot have caused river levels to rise not only rapidly but to go to places they've not been before." before."at least 13 people have died in missouri alone due to the severe weather. along with missouri, missouri,flood waters in arkansas are reaching levels that haven't been seen in more than 20 years.in illinois, around a hundred homes are being threatened by rising waters, forcing evacuations. and in indiana, massive flooding across the state swamped highways and other roads. it's never fun ending up on the side of the road because of slippery roads from a winter storm.especially when a towing ban delays the time it takes ban delays the time it takes to get your car out of

highway.tuesday, towing companies had their hands full, digging cars out all day. cbs 2 news rode along with darrah's towing as they responded to calls after the tow ban was lifted yesterday. they say the storm -- for them -- comes *after the snow is done falling. "it's usually the day after the storm hits is when we get really busy, because if they put the tow ban in effect it limits us to just in-town towing." towing."town towing." towing."to keep yourself from becoming the next victim, they recommend being vigilant on the highways at night.it keeps tow truck drivers who are working on the side of the road -- and other drivers -- safe. one person is dead after a highway crash near fairfax. fairfax.the iowa state patrol says an s-u-v driven by 49-year-old terri skalsky, of walford, crossed the center line at the viaduct on highway 151 and hit another vehicle. skalsky was later pronounced dead.it all happened on tuesday just before noon.a third vehicle swerved to avoid

believe weather was a factor. a car on fire yesterday afternoon caused another major traffic tie-up in north liberty.crews had to shut down the southbound lanes of i-380, bringing traffic to a standstill.fortunately no one was hurt, and crews cleared the lanes before the evening commute the winter storm brings headaches for many, but for some it could bring a job! many cities across the state are forced to spread out their resources of snow plows and their drivers..right now the iowa department of transportation is still looking for a few hundred snow plow drivers, and that includes drivers for some cities in the corridor including cedar rapids, marion and coralville. "our goal was to get somewhere around 600 seasonal employees to augment our full-time staff this year. we're somewhere in that 400, little over 400 range." range."if you're interested in being a seasonal snow plow driver, we've attached a link to the openings on our website, c-b-s two iowa- dot-com.

rose bowl and hawkeye fans are making their way to pasadena. pasadena.another charter flight will take off from the eastern iowa airport this morning at 9-thirty.right here on cbs 2 this morning we told you about flights leaving all day long yesterday heading to l-a-x.in fact, 470 hawk fans filled a seven forty seven, the largest plane to leave the airport tuesday. it's good to see. it's heartwarming, honestly because it just shows how many people are out there supporting our team. team.by the end of the day, california was invaded by about 3,000 iowa fans at least from the flights that left yesterday. and that includes our special road to the roses pregame show that airs right here on cbs 2 tomorrow night at 6:30.it will air again on new years day, at 7-thirty a-m on our sister station, fox 28. one in 68 children have autism according to the centers for disease control and prevention. prevention.and as that

responders will more often interact with people who have autism.the cedar rapids police department recently rolled out a program where parents can create a profile for the kids. it's called home again-c-r. parents have to submit a photo - known wandering spots - and typical behaviors.this information will then help officers figure out the best method of approaching that person. "maybe their first name is greg - that's all we know about them,. so we can search in that database for anybody named greg. then low and behold, we find a picture of greg and it happens to match that individual we are with at this time." time."the cedar rapids police department will expand the program early next year so more parents can sign up online. it's now on this morning. morning.we'll take a look at what's coming up on fox 28 morning live before we send

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dad: hey, culligan man. culligan man: hey! dad: this is great! culligan man: i know. anncr: leave it to the experts. with a culligan whole-house water softening system, you get better water, and service you can actually here's a look at the top three stories you need to know on this wednesday morning. morning.iowans who knew a soldier killed in afghanistan are in new york right now to pay their last respects. sargeant joseph lemm was killed in a suicide attack just before christmas.lemm spent part of his childhood in the dubuque area and many family members still live there.this is video from his wake which was held yesterday. his funeral will take place in new york this morning. as iowans dig out from this week's winter storm, people across the country continue to face flooding dangers.most notably, just to the south of us in missouri.parts of eastern missouri are under water, with the worst yet to come.the rain is over but officials believe many rivers, including the mississippi, will crest sometime tomorrow or friday.

down the best team in college basketball.iowa beat number one ranked michigan state last night 83-70 in carver hawkeye arena.the hawks gave the spartans their very first loss of the year and knocking off a top-ranked team at home for