for you.people are dead in three states, after this week's storms. plus, caught green-handed. police nab a grinch as he was trying to steal christmas. and getting gas can sometimes be boring, but one employee in the holiday spirit found a way to make it a little more fun. i'm ally crutcher. jerry has the day off. a heavy wet snow making for slick road conditions in the area... causing nearly 50 wrecks in black hawk county. you're looking at video of a road, where the driver lost control and ended down in a ditch. one person was taken to the hospital. let's check on your weather now with storm track 7 meteorologist eileen loan. good morning. the snow has tracked out of the area, but some of us are seeing fog this less than a mile in some areas. roads themselves, are

still be some slick spots, so be careful. temps are above average but below freezing, so be aware of slippery sidewalks and parking lots. winds are light from the west and will turn more to the southeast today. we have a pretty nice christmas day in store for us, but another system will track through late tonight. i'll have that forecast for you in a few minutes. our top story this morning... at least 14 people are dead across light from the west and will turn more to the southeast today. we have a pretty nice christmas day in store for us, that forecast for you in a few minutes. our top story this morning... at least 14 people are dead

three states, following this week's storms. andrew spencer tells us many others are counting themselves lucky for having avoided the same fate. have been what saved tony goodwin's life, storm survivor ) "when i saw it, i was like, 'oh, crap. we're in trouble.' the tornado knocked his house off it's foundation, but he and six other people survived by sister-in-law, and i'm yelling at her, 'come on.'" the second she got inside, he says he shut the door and put down the bar. not far from his home... ...ann and antonio celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary died in the storm. they are two among more than a dozen people in tennessee, mississippi, and arkansas killed by this week's storms. it's amazing to see the images of what's left of houses like this one; the family of three inside suffered only minor injuries. ( patrick washington / friend of

miracle. there's no way that families, who are nonetheless thankful that they still have each other. ( kenya williams / storm survivor ) "she's still upset survivor ) "things can be reporting mississippi governor phil bryant declared a state of emergency in seven counties. here in eastern iowa, a storm damaged twisters gynmastics in hiawatha on wednesday. strong winds blew heating units from the roof -- down to the ground -- destroying three of them. the owner says each of the units weighs nearly 12- hundred pounds.. more than 50 people were inside the gym during the storm. they (cg: john mangold/ owner of twisters gymnastics) "i looked up at the ceiling and you could just

thrown across the parking lot -- damaging multiple cars. the gym owner tells us he believes his truck was totaled. the iowa state patrol says a 15 to 20 car pileup was reported on interstate 35 north of ames. crews closed down this section of i-35 for an hour. there are no reports of injuries this morning. some sad news this christmas out of florida. four people were killed in a fiery crash. three family members were on their way to visit their grandmother for christmas when the unthinkable happened. a man driving a toyota veered into oncoming traffic and hit the vehicle carrying the three men. the crash ended with one of the cars bursting into flames. a florida sheriff says it's hard to tell a family member they lost a loved one... "when a law enforcement officer wakes you up, comes to a loved one that should have their worst fears by your presence. the driver of the toyota was later

at least 13 people were injured when a bus crashed into an office building in england. all the people injured had what were described as minor injuries. no one inside the building was hurt. one person was seriously hurt.. three others walked away from a small plane crash in mississippi. investigators say after taking off, the pilot noticed the flap on one of the wings got stuck and tried to return to the airport. instead, the plane came down in someone's yard. one was taken to a hospital with serious injuries. the other three on board went to the hospital to be checked out -- but are ok. new this morning... a lottery winner in iowa may have to return his 100- thousand-dollar prize. lottery officials say he was too young to buy a ticket... but he lied about his age. in late july, a man claimed his prize check, saying a co- worker

but lottery officials say an investigation found that he, in fact, bought the ticket... "there wasn't anything wrong back up what occurred. in this case, in fact, the facts didn't back up the story that we were presented with so penalties would apply." he's facing misdemeanor charges for underaged gambling. apparently, the grinch has been busted... "he's around the corner. around the corner? freeze. drop it, turn around." police in massachusetts posted this holiday-themed parody of the t-v show "cops". the green-faced thief was taken to the police station and had his shot taken. he was found guilty of attempting to steal christmas. thousands of people are taking part in a holiday tradition. reflections in the park in cause. kwwl's brad hanson has the story.

every year for dubuque's reflections in the park. among those going through the stunning light display--the droessler family. nats "look at that snowman, they all cherish. (matt droessler, keiler wisconsin) "it's very special for us and the kids. they because it's christmas." (garrett droessler, keiler wisconsin)"i think of sweetness, like happiness, bursting all over my heart." cool...that's just the best part." light displays run the yes, even the infamous appearance--although there's no box marked fragile to be found. but there's much more to this light show than the fun displays. (brad hanson, the proceeds from reflections in atmosphere out here, volunteers that extends to the volunteers--members of temple

nats "merry christmas!" helping out so their christian bretheran can celebrate christmas. (fern reinstein, volunteer) "we enjoy doing it, and we come back every year to help our friends. it's just paying it foward." refelctions in the park runs through sunday -- january third. you can buy tickets in advance at hillcrest or dubuque bank and trust -- or you can buy them at the park. a mundane task -- getting gas -- has become a little more fun at a gas station in new york. a gas attendant dressed up as olaf the snowman from the movie "frozen." over the holiday season, he's also dressed up as santa and an elf. he has fun with the

brighten people's day... "i started wearing these costumes a few years ago and they absolutely loved them. so i've amped it up every year. and this." and it's not just around the holidays. while you might not get a costume at every visit, he say he's ready to greet every customer all year round with a song, dance, or best of all, a friendly smile. it's coming up on today in iowa -- we may be having a white christmas, but we'll tell you where people are flocking to for a "beach christmas." plus... if you're looking to dine out on christmas day, we'll fill you in on some restaurants that may be open in your area. the snow has tracked away, but now fog is rolling in, especially in the areas with over an inch of snow. we dry out for today but another system tracks in tonight. more

from the kwwl stormtrack 7 weather team. see the screen for your complete weather information. here is additional forecast information from the kwwl stormtrack 7 weather

we will have fog this morning then a light wintry mix tonight into tomorrow before sunday gets breezy and colder. road conditions are pretty good this morning, but we have areas of fog out there... stormtrack7 live weather network cameras will have some foggy and some not so much. temps are mostly in the 20s this morning, but will manage to climb into the 30s and

40s for the next couple of days. we have some clouds tracking through and that will continue throughout the day, but we should be able to see the sun before the next system gets close enough by evening. this will then bring in a light wintry mix late tonight and tomorrow morning before warming enough for mainly rain. snow will spread over the dakotas. we won't see much snow, but we could get a tomorrow morning before becoming light rain for the afternoon as could be up to 20 at times. will bring a chance of snow eve looks around or a little

tourists and locals flocked to a famous beach in australia on christmas day. hundreds of people went to the beach to enjoy the summer sun and the surf. some were european tourists who left winter weather behind "the sun, weather, the cold. can't wear shorts, vest, amazing." "we can go down to the beach here as well. back home, you'd be just wrapping up with the scarf and the hat and snuggling down for the winter." many people wore santa hats instead of sun hats to the beach for of a christmas tree and an inflatable reindeer. it's coming up on today in iowa.... if you're ready to celebrate to holiday season, but don't know what to eat, we have some healthy food options for you. plus... it's a christmas miracle for one woman. reuniting with her dog. that story coming up. you're watching kwwl. we've got you covered in waterloo, iowa

eastern iowa

this christmas day... here's a list of restaurants that are open. "applebee's" will be open, but times and locations will vary, so call ahead before heading out. if you need a caffeine fix, some starbucks locations are also open. most ihop locations will be open, but hours vary by location. a buffet of new movies will be offered up on the big screen today. it's opening day for "joy," "daddy's home," "point break," and "concussion," as folks look for something to do after opening gifts. check your local listings to find out which films are being offered at your local theater. it's the most wonderful ... and stressful ... time of the year! but staying healthy over the holidays can help! experts recommend having a healthy breakfast and lunch... but allow yourself a few sweets a day. and while you may not be able to hit the gym every day ... fit in a brisk walk when you can. but it is ok to relax. so keep a light schedule and don't over commit yourself.

casseroles are delicious ... but there are some healthier choices you can make today. you can spice up veggies, like them with brown sugar and a pinch of salt. try baked apples for dessert. the fruit has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke and lower cholesterol. and roasted or raw nuts are a great alternative to dips or something else to think about this holiday ... is a flu shot! it's been a quiet flu season so far ... but the c-d-c expects activity to pick up in the next few weeks. health officials say the flu season tends to peak in february ... so it's important to get the vaccine as soon as possible. almost everyone older than six months ... is advised to get a flu shot. the iowa hawkeyes are spending their christmas in california for the rose bowl. the football team boarded their flight yesterday from cedar rapids -- surrounded by their families for the christmas eve sendoff. the players obviously excitied as they took pictures of each other and themselves -- to document the big day. the team will take on stanford

the game a week away -- but starting tomorrow our live coverage begins from california. you can join ron steele, mark woodley and the crew to keep you updated on the hawkeyes as they get set for their rose bowl match-up with the sixth ranked stanford cardinal. and if you're heading down to the rose bowl, a reminder -- the battleship iowa will be celebrating the hawkeyes' trip with a free pep rally... the event will be held in front 31 from noon until 5 in california. everyone is and wear black and gold. a north carolina woman says she asked for a christmas miracle and it came true. peggy turner says her dog sadie went missing after her home was broken in to last week. sadie meant a lot to her because the dog had been with her since her husband died. some phone company workers spotted a dog matching sadie's description running loose in another neighborhood and called her... "it gave me my christmas needed a christmas miracle and i got that." peggy searched for 10-hours

she finally found sadie and brought her back home. it's coming up on today in iowa -- we'll introduce you to an unusual bell-ringer helping the salvation army this holiday season.

probably haven't seen a bell-ringer like this. jessica bringe shows us the four- hoofed friend -- helping this holiday season. holly schindler/mocha's owner :02-:05 "i was getting kind of getting goes - christmas is the busiest time of "everybody is racing to catch but one festive miniature horse..is slowing down the hustle and bustle and reminding last minute shoppers of the spirit of christmas. holly schindler/mocha's owner :23-:29

mocha and owner holly are ringing in the holidays with the salvation army at gordy's market locations..giving back in more ways than one. schindler swears if you whisper "i wish you a merry christmas mocha!" matt selvig/gordy's market 1:05-1:09 "you know, you hear a lot about 1:15-1:18 "i think mocha and i might do it again." as for schindler - celebrating her birthday on christmas eve and named holly after the holiday. holly schindler/mocha's owner for myself and i am loving it." there is no better 1:35-1:39 "we wanted to wish everyone

was a pretty good way to do it." (nats) "merry christmas!" today in iowa continues in a

forecast. mild christmas and then a wintry mix for tonight and tomorrow morning with light return to more normal levels for today in iowa. its being called black christmas. a group is protesting to push one city's mayor to resign. plus... there really is no place like home for the holidays. one woman thought she was in

ends up being the one surprised. those stories coming up in our paris: there's a lot to do on a dairy farm. nobody's gonna do it for you. you have to get out there and do it yourself. bernie sanders is a well-known friend of family farms. bernie cannot be bought out by big money. bernie's opinion cannot be purchased. it's time for our next president to get in there, roll up his sleeves, take off the gloves, and take on wall street, take on big business, take on big money, and get the working class back to where they should be. he's a rock.

this is not the christmas morning people in one state wanted. flooding forces evacuations and closes roads. we'll tell you where. plus... people in another state are left wondering if they should attend christmas eve mass after bomb threats were reported earlier