instead of on that main debate stage. >> spoken out assemblywoman weighs out on a militia siege. she says she's joined their fight. >> raising questions about what exactly constitutes a dui. i will have all the details, coming up. good evening, everyone. happening right now, about 3,000 people without power in northwest reno. >> according to officials, the power has been out since about 2:00 this afternoon. and the cause is because of a wire came off of a pole.

restored for all of those affected in just about 15 minutes. we're just about an hour away from the last gop debate before the iowa caucuses. although donald trump won't be participating in tonight's debate, he's hosting his own event. steve hamelman has more on the report. >> reporter: on a big debate day in iowa, will donald trump's dropping out help or hurt him. >> donnie whitman is more eager to back trump. >> he's his own person. he hasn't even spent money on his campaign. >> so you're going to caucus for him whether he debates or not? >> you bet. you bet. >> cori miller is not happy that he's jumped out. >> he's not as interested in the people as much as i would like him to be.

unfairly in the first fox debate. he rejected bill o'reill's plea plea. >> you're denying people in a forum they need to see you in. >> no, we're not. we're going to help a lot of veterans. >> the debate a few miles away, ted cruz will be center stage. >> he wants to debate trump. >> it's not that he's afraid of me. he's afraid of you. >> trump has made a crafty move? >> voters get to see him on the stage. he doesn't have to sustain any incoming. >> the wall street journal poll, trump has widened his lead in iowa with four days until the vote. >> i'm steve handlesman, des moines. >> the party faithful is gathering to watch the event. >> we're joining terry henry.

little disappointed. >> reporter: well, joe and michelle, for most of the debates, i've been here. and there are usually trump supporters here. we're expecting some of them tonight. that will change as we get closer to 6:00, time for the debate to begin. this group is typically a pretty diverse crowd. he's not the only republican that a lot of these voters are watching. in the past, they're taking it all in. a lot of them still have not made up their mind. trump has mentioned himself that without his presence, we'll see if it's a factor. >> ted cruz is expected to take the spotlight. they have a following here in northern nevada. in fact, they've won some of the debates, according to this group in the debates earlier held in the beginning of last year after the summer.

started, you know, they drew a couple hundred people. we'll see if we have the crowds tonight. it all starts at 6:00. we'll bring you much more then. hope you will join us right here on news 4. >> all right. thanks, terry. we're gearing up for a busy weekend weatherwise. here is a peek outside. collin, last week we had a pretty good sized storm. it sounds like it will be even stronger. >> more snow. doppler radar is very quiet. also to the east, through battle mountain and even some snow mix on the extreme northeastern side of nevada. so be prepared for that if you're traveling anywhere on our highways and even lower elevations on saturday. it's going to be interesting. i think we'll see some snow on the valley floor saturday morning. it's a possibility. look at this plume of moisture coming in right at us in northern california.

so, from here, all the way through yosemite and king's canyon, it is another winter storm warning in effect. downtown truckee, it's just wet at that elevation. then we've got this picture to show you. just about 7,000 feet, kind of a misty rain-snow mix. not the nicest weather. temperature around 50. we're mild. highs today were in the 50s. tomorrow, we'll get up into the 60s when gusty stuff returns. stay with us. >> thanks, collin. new at 5:00, nevada officials want to sue to cover the costs of putting this program on hold. a brief filed wednesday in a carson city court requests the group post a $239,000 bond. the state would be eligible for the bond money if a court overturns a hold placed on the

it would cover the cost of paying an it company to store the information for a year. the program lets parents claim more than $5,000 for private school tuition. new at 5:00 tonight, the school board trustee barbara mcclure will design. over the last 34 years, she has been a teacher, reading coordinator, principal, and senior director for the school district. the reason for her resignation has not been confirmed, but she told the journal she's leaving because of some health issues. hundreds gathered to talk about the future of business and industry in northern nevada today from small businesses to worldwide employers. more than 700 people attended elections. 2016, i had the honor of mc'ing

change. leaders from the chamber, the unr, tesla and others spoke about the latest accomplishments and also some of the challenges ahead for northern nevada. all of america is under attack by our federal government government. >> nevada's michelle fiori is taking sides. why the lawmaker is so passionate in her beliefs the overreaching. and the x games will kick off in aspen in just a few days. one native overcame quite the challenge to get there. competing on the main stage.

changes are on the way. a carson city judge overturned a nevada dui conviction. it's raiding questions about what actually constitutes a driving under the influence charge. news 4 olivia dejaniero has the story. >> reporter: you can get in the car and start the ignition and not put it in drive. that's what happened after a night of drinking for nevada's richard corio. >> it's not an odd case. it's a case where someone tried to do the right thing. >> he was sitting in the driver's seat, parked on the street. >> it was cold out. he has the engine on. security called police to come

>> the person has a .10 or for. it's point 08. >> he said there are eight things that can lead to a dui charge if you're not driving a vehicle. >> a key in the ignition is a significant factor. the engine running is a significant factor. were you intending to drive when you left. were you attempting to operate the moke. those are all factors. there's no set formula to say how they're weighed. >> and there are things you should keep in mind if you're going wait in your car while intoxicated. >> stay out of the driver's seat seat. >> if they sat in the passenger seat and had the car running for the purpose of having the heater on, that probably would not be a dui. but the assembly man also had a pistol in his pocket when police found him asleep in the car. >> he has a concealed weapons permit.

and had the gun on his person. >> that is a crime. >> and for those questioning whether it was overunder the because he was a lawmaker. >> it had nothing to do with it, absolutely not. >> in fact, dunne says his political status may have made his case harder to win, but in the end, he had no intention of driving under the influence. >> people trying to do the right thing, they just can't get into the driver's seat with the engine rung and expect to not have to face a dui charge. >> now, how you avoid getting a dui charge, that's www.mynews4.com. with their leader behind bars, several of the protestors

>> jay gray has the latest tonight. >> reporter: a handful of armed protesters remain locked down. their numbers dwindling after several surrendered overnight. >> it's time for everyone in this illegal occupation to move on. >> at least three militants were arrested when they turned themselves in at roadblocks surrounding the site. there are now eleven behind bars, including the group's leader amon bundy, who shared this message throughout the holdouts. >> please stand down. go home and hug your families. this fight is ours for now, in the courts. please go home. >> a rancher is being remembered by some as a hero after he was shot and killed killed in a show down. >> he was armed as he jumped from a vehicle that sped away then hit a snow bank after being pulled over by police.

to leave the refuge peacefully, and as the fbi and our partners have clearly demonstrated, actions are not without consequences. >> there have been conflicts reports online, some saying he charged officers with a gun. others saying he had his hands up. >> the investigation continues. for now, so does the standoff here. jay gray, nbc news. >> and tonight angry words from a nevada lawmaker. she's weighing in. the bundy family lives in her district in southern nevada. she says the situation is a result of a decades old fight between western ranchers and the federal government. she says federal policies and brew bureaucratic overreach is making it difficult to make a living. >> these are soft spoken cowboys that are out there in the middle of nowhere working

protect the people and the ranchers in rural america. >> she says she'll pick up the fight for western ranchers in washington, dc. well, you may be feeling it, the gusty winds are already here. there's already snow in parts of tahoe tonight. tonight carolyn jackson joins us with more. >> doppler radar, looking the for rain, we found it. southwest side of the lake there's some showers right there. not a lot. there are pockets of snow that have been falling. at the very high snow level to start. then we'll start to drop things off a. live look at the snow. it's quiet for now, but, boy, that's going to change on friday. a mix of clouds and rain, not the best ski day today, but it will be great on saturday if you want to battle the elements. on sunday, a great powder day, obviously. this is a potentially dangerous storm. friday to sunday, see the top of the graphic from the

should have a plan b or maybe a c, d, and e plan. we could see a lot of snow. how much? one to three about 8,000 feet. 6 to 12 at 8,000 and 4-8 inches below 7,000 and more. get ready for that. do we have a chance of snow in reno? maybe. until then, scattered showers working its way in. this is the big moisture source that stretches all the way to hawaii. this is where the cold air is and that's where the snow levels plummet to valley floor level business the time we get to saturday morning. we have a few watches and warnings. this is the high wind watch for our area. when it's a watch, the weather service doesn't fool around. they will turn it into a warning perhaps later tonight or tomorrow morning. also, from here all the way through yosemite and king's canyon, all the way down way south, it's a winter storm warning. that's in effect through most of saturday. today's high was 57. 47 was the average for this

50 is what we have now. not that windy, but it was gusty this afternoon. the winds will be back overnight tonight and tomorrow as well. so, right now, as of 5:18, it is 50 where we are. carson city is about the same, pretty warm in truckee, sitting at 37 degrees. most numbers, everyone in this viewing area, upper 40s to low 50s. if you thought today was warm, we'll top 60 in most locations. wind speeds, still 50 miles per hour. gusty. it's raining in tahoe overnight. orange means heavy rain, an inch or two. it could cause problems along the highway. 2:00, we'll see the rainfall here as soon as lunchtime. then it turns to snow. saturday overnight from friday night into saturday, one, two, 3:00 in the morning. it stays with us. here saturday at 7:00, 5:00 in the morning, it's going to be interesting in reno. please drive carefully if you have to be out.

the air is going to be cold coming in behind it. the snow continues until about 3:00, 4:00. 35 for an overnight. gusty winds out of the south and 60. rain chance pertains to past noon. here are the overnight lows. get ready for a not as cold as it has been in places like elko and eureka. there will be lows for 20s to 30s and highs in the mid-40s. southwest winds at 30 miles per hour. what do we have for fallon? 42. 65 the high. hawthorne, you may hit 66. that's almost 20 agrees agrees above average. silver spring, a high around 60 as well. the lake overnight, not many places below freezing. most above. highs in the mid-40s. gusty winds and rain unfortunately on top of the great snowfall we have. 44 and 62 will be the high. 60. and in the virginia foothills,

carson city, rainfall chance, late friday, guaranteed a rain- snow mix on saturday and a piece of sunday. it will snow in tahoe late friday, and it will be with you for maybe 1-3 feet of snow above 8,000 feet. mammoth lake village, what a great picture that is. doppler radar quiet for now, but changes are on the way. finally, the 7-day forecast looks interesting to say the least. that's coming up later. guys, back to you. >> thanks, collin. well, the oakland raiders, listen to this, they may have their sights set on las vegas for a possible new home. that's right. the billionaire owner of the las vegas sans wants to build a professional grade stadium. he's meeting with the owner of the oakland raiders. the spokesman said the company envisions a public-private partnership to build a $1 billion dome stadium that could be shared by a professional team as well as unlv. they're scheduled to meet with

although they have not let on the nature of their discussions at this point. we'll introduce you to a local adaptive skier who's getting set to compete in the x games games in aspen. let's send things over to alex mar gel lees. this is has probably been the most inspiring story i've worked on. he was known for his leadership on the battlefields. after losing his right leg and most of his left to an explosion in afghanistan, it would be understandable for an event like that to crush someone's spirit, but for trey, it's done the opposite. a heartwarming story about how skiing played a large part in the recovery process. not only is he looking to prove that his disability won't hold him down. he's out to show he's one of the best on the mountain. >> when people look at me, they're like, that's so sweet. the handicapped boy is skiing again.

a pitch that's just difficult to ski anyway, it kind of blows their minds. i enjoy that. i have friends i ski with. some of the stuff we ski, they're like, i had no idea it was possible. it's kind of nice to surprise people again. tonight on news 4 nightly, our exclusive feature on trey humphrey, including how close he was to not coming home to his loved ones and how confident his now headed into competition. see you then. i look forward to that. two local baristas are competing in the u.s. coffee

what they're well, two local baristas are representing reno in the u.s. coffee championships next week. they will be competing in

it to the nationals in april. they will be competing with about 100 other baristas across the nation. they will be judged on everything that deals with taste and presentation. they have been practicing every night for the past months to prepare. beautiful. >> i love the design. >> we were excited to push ourselves. also, just make a whole world an environment where they choose to make it less of a part-time job. >> now, the coffee that the duo will be will available to buy at old world coffee after the competition. >> i just made coffee in the newsroom. do you think i qualify? >> definitely not. >> pour it in and do all of that. >> it has to look pretty and have the designs. >> take a look at what's going on for our 7-day forecast. something happened before.

>> so we need to know this stuff. rain-snow mix saturday morning in reno. it will just be a windy, blustery weekend.

pass, whatever you want to call

donald trump's big