officer shot in the head -- we're following the overnight developments. plus... police are searching for the man seen inside an iowa elementary school after hours. and an experience they'll never forget -- iowa students share what it was like to sing for the travel days of the year -- a live look at i-380 in linn county now. good morning, i'm ally crutcher. and i'm jerry gallagher.

road today. rain and drizzle continue to track through the kwwl viewing area this morning. temperatures have been holding steady in the mid 30s to continue this morning until the temperatures will manage a few more degrees today but it will be fairly gloomy... we stay pretty gray through thanksgiving day, too... and we could see minutes. easterly winds at 5 to 15 mph. rain will continue this morning until the winds turn to the northwest and temperatures will manage a few m our top story this morning -- packing the bags and packing some patience today. such a busy day on the road and at the airport. a live look at 218 in waterloo behind us now. most thanksgiving travelers choose to drive instead of fly... kwwl's amanda gilbert joins us live in waterloo.. you can tell

not too many cars out on the road right now... but i'm sure that will change by tonight... . according to triple-a... there will be about one million more people traveling this thanksgiving season compared to last year. that's the most we've seen since 2007. triple-a says the reason holiday travel is up is because people are making more and spending more.. and the economony improved the triple- a says and most travelers will be driving. -- almost 90 percent of travelers possible traffic. live in waterloo... amanda gilbert... news 7 kwwl. according to triple- a.. this thanksgiving there are expected to be 48.7 million americans traveling continuing coverage --

morningfollowing a deadly crash richard coleman jr., was driving on highway 57 in cedar falls this week -- when his car hit a concrete pillar. police are not sure what caused the crash . coleman's family, including his pregnant fiance, are looking for answers. she -- and coleman's cousin -- each received a text message "i just wish this thanksgiving, people won't take their family for granted, and they tell each other when they sit down that they love each other. and they will cherish those days, because it could be the last." police are waiting for autopsy people won't take their family for granted, and they tell each other when they sit down that they love each other. and they will cherish those days, because it could be the last." police are waiting for autopsy a plea deal following the death of a 15-year- old girl. jeff bulechek admitted driving drunk three years ago --when he ran a stop sign in johnson county and hit a car which had three teens inside. one the teens, a 15-year-old

lawyers battle over clips from national t-v shows -- and whether they should be used in the trial of an cedar rapids substitute teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with a student. mary beth haglin made a number of appearances on national t-v shows talking about her alleged relationship with a washington high student. the state wants to use part of her interview with doctor phil during the trial. her lawyers argue the interview was edited, asking the judge not to allow it during the trial. the judge has yet to rule. a father is accused of drowning his daughter in the baptismal font at church. it happened in california. a family friend says the man was convinced his daughter had the devil inside of her. the girl later died at a hospital. he's now facing murder charges. a police officer is recovering after being shot in the head. the wayne state university officer was investigating thefts. when officers arrived -- they

about the attack. the florida highway patrol is investigating the death of a deputy. deputy eric oliver was helping u-s border patrol agents question four people at a gas station...when one person ran. deputy oliver chased after the man... and was hit by an s-u-v. the 32-year-old navy veteran died. oliver leaves behind a six-year- old daughter. in north carolina -- an officer is hurt and a suspect is dead following an officer-involved shooting. a man allegedly appeared to be grabbing something from his waist -- that's when ofi thousands honor a deputy killed in the line of duty. california deputy dennis wallace was shot twice in the head more than a week ago in what's being called an "execution." he's described as an officer who loved his job and always cared. the sheriff gave wallace's brother, who is also in law enforcement, the badge deputy wallace was wearing when he was killed. a memorial held for a k-9

fugitive. the dog was shot in the chest. officers say he'll forever be remembered as a hero. a kwwl follow-up this morning. the water slide where a 10-year-old boy died -- is now closed permanently. the boy died from a neck injury he got on the ride back in august. two adults in the same boat had minor injuries. the ride at the kansas city park closed after the boy's death -- and once the investigation is complete --it will be removed and a new back home in iowa -- a search for the the hunt for a man caught on camera crawling through an elementary school classroom. surviellance cameras show someone inside briggs elementary in maquoeta. this happened a week ago at "there were a couple of money bags and a money box that they had in their hands at the time, but when they found out the police had arrived at the building they dropped everything and got out the

today of who they beleive is the suspect. they show a man and a woman entering an area business the same day of the break-in. if you recognize the man call police. some good news on the fight against the zka virus. the florida department of health lifted part of the zika zone in miami beach. they didn't detect any new cases in the last month and a half... "we can't take this for granted. the federal level." part of the zika zone remains in place. a new report from the c-d-c confirms fears ..... that even if zika- affected babies look normal at birth.... they could have hidden brain abnormalities. some babies have obvious problems at birth -- like extremely small skulls. now a c-d-c report on 13 babies in brazil shows brain abnormalities can exist even when babies are born

rate of head growth eventually slowed for all of the babies... some as early as 5 months old. performing for the pope. students from wahlert catholic high school are now back in dubuque -- after singing in nats singing these voices have performed for thousands, but now they can add one very special "the pope heard our voices." "i was really afraid i was going to mess up." sixty students, along with 35 staff, teachers and parents, traveling to italy last week to perform in a mass presided over by the pope himself. (lela udri, senior) "i don't know, the thought that he would have heard our choir is just ridiculous. i'm still kinda freaking out about it." (jacob nuti, sophomore) "he was 15-20 feet away from me at one point, in his popemobile, and he was just so smiley and happy and willing to be there for us. and it was quite amazing that when i went to see the rest of the group, i just cried,

of a lifetime." aaron behnke says it was an incredible experience watching the students soak up this experience. (aaron behnke, vocal music director) "to see them so passionately excited to be able to see the pope and to sing in these amazing churches we were able to sing at was really incredible." it's an experience they'll certainly never forget. "i feel lighter. it's weird when i saw him, all of my griefs and sadnessess cause i realized that we are all in this together, and there were so many people there to see one man, and it was amazing." the students are now on break for thanksgivng-- giving them a few days to rest up after the big trip.

sky -- captured on camera. plus -- getting in touch with your faith -- on your phone. and -- helping kids feel strong. "you're watching kwwl, we've got you covered! with jerry gallagher, ally crutcher

no more games, jerry. you saw the deal and hustled to u.s. cellular to get yourself the samsung galaxy s7 and 500 bucks. maybe. "maybe," jer-bear? hmm? and put it under your own tree. that's your writing! you after santa's job? it was a one-day deal. sorry, santa. it's no crime to gift yourself. get a samsung galaxy s7 this friday

meteorologist eileen loan now for your forecast forecast. from the kwwl stormtrack here is additional forecast information from the kwwl stormtrack 7 weather team: rain continues to track through the rainfall amounts over the last 24 hours have been anywhere from stormtrack7 live weather network cameras will remain gloomy and wet today as the system tracks through... drizzle will take over ts really haven't changed much from yesterday... mainly in the 30s to mid the rain will cut off and we will keep some drizzle. this system will continue to track to the northeast toward the great lakes... this keeps it on a track to keep us socked in with clouds... especially with another system tracking in for tomorrow night. it doesn't have a lot of moisture, but we will keep some clouds and maybe some

tomorrow night. we will see more rain today... maybe another quarter of an inch before it starts to dry out. today we will keep rain this morning and drizzle for the afternoon with temperatures climbing a few degrees before the winds turn to the northwest. drizzle and fog continue tonight with lows dropping n light tomorrow and we may keep some drizzle in the area through thanksgiving day, but we will be mild with highs in the upper 30s to mid 40s. areas of light rain and snow track through thursday night with dry weather friday and saturday. another system tracks through sunday through tuesday with more rain in the forecast, along with more

moisture, but we will keep some clouds and maybe some light rain and snow will track through tomorrow night. we will see more rain today... maybe another quarter of an inch before it starts to dry out. today we will keep rain this morning and drizzle for the afternoon with temperatures climbing a few degrees before the winds turn to the northwest. drizzle and fog continue tonight with lows dropping into the 20s. winds will be light tomorrow and we may keep some drizzle in the area through thanksgiving day, but we will be mild with highs in the upper 30s to mid a bright flash in the sky. a florida police officer's dash cam captured this video monday of

fireball... a brighter than usual meteor. a number of people saw it fly through the sky. there have been no reports of damage. this thanksgiving season, church volunteers in north carolina are teaming up to serve victims of hurricane matthew. volunteers are handing out clothes, cleaning supplies and food to flood victims. some flood victms recieiving sixty to seventy dollars worth of stuff. "i feel truly blessed, i think this is ra ael blessing from god that everybody in the community all of these new supplies." a pastor it's their duty as a time now is xx. still to come -- cars being recalled -- and some may even catch fire. diseases and disabilities -- by making them feel

carolina governor nikki haley accepts donld trump's offer to be ambassador to the united nations. the pair started off 2016 in a fight -- but seem to be ending the year as allies. a grieving mother says she repeatedly complained about her children's school bud driver in the months before a deadly crash in tenenssee. the driver allegedly taunted students by slamming on the brakes on purpose making them slam their heads.

and today is the busiest travel day of the year -- a live look o'hare now. plenty busy -- even though most thanksgiving travelers drive, not fly. aa consumer alert this morning -- toyota is recalling 700- thousand minivans -- because the sliding doors could open while the van is moving. the recall affects sienna models made between 20-11 and 20-16. th toyota will repair the doors for free once there's a fix. the car-maker says it will notify owners of the problem in mid- january. kia is recalling nearly 72-thousand older s-u-vs and is warning owners to park them outside.... due to a fire risk. the recall involves kia sportage s-u-vs from 2008 and 2009 in the u-s. kia says road salt can get into a braking control computer which can cause more problems -- even

flip-phones for smart phones. now apple -- is thinking about going back. the tech company has been granted a patent for a flexible i-phone that can fold in half... much like an old school flip- phone. it's unknown if they're definitiely building the phone -- but apple's patents often provide a glimpse into what the company is thinking for the future. find the closet catholic church with just a touch of your fingers. the vatican launching "the catholic app." be able to find a place to confess or attend mass anywhere in the world - all at the touch of a holy mass or place of confession. making kids feel like superheroes. rafer weigel introduces us to a business owner in missouri -- who sews capes for kids battling diseases and disabilities. "what color should we read nex. it seems like nothing can ease the suspense for liam fields. not even coloring or his mom reading his favorite book can comfort the anticipation of a special mail." but before this special

meet robyn rosenberger -- a small business owner making a big difference one cape at a time. "every capes comes in a keepsake box with a welcome package so we really want the kids to know that this cape is tiny super heroes squad." tiny super heroes is robyns baby and it's been no small feat. the mother of two started it as a side venture four years ago working as a software engineer. when she wanted to help kids with diseases and disabiliti something that brings families this tangible source of courage and hope is priceless. it's been by far the most challenging thing i've ever done but also the most rewarding." "and when the capes are done, robyn sends this hug in a box to its new super hero." "it just kind of brightens their day. and gives them something else to think about besides therapy or going to the doctor." robyn found out long ago that a seamstress can't cure

she does know that what comes in this box will bring just a little bit of hope. "someone taking the time out of their day to make something special for a little person is pretty great." the capes cost about 30-dollars. she sells about 50 a week -- and had customers in 16 different countries. time now is xxx. coming up -- stuck for more than a week - crews are finally able to save a cat. plus -- even animals out in the wild need help once in a while

back with another check of your storm track seven forecast. rain this morning, drizzle this afternoon through thanksgiving and saturday and another round of rain and wind sunday through tuesday. highs stranded on top a power pole for nine

the cat sat through days of wind and rain 45- feet high in the sky -- until the power company came to the rescue. people clapped and cheered as the brave cat was lowered to the ground in a crate. power was shut off for a few hours to 250 homes in the area worth the effort. an elephant falls into a ditch filled with water. one held his trunk above the water, while the other called for help. a group of rescuers later pulled the big guy out with a tractor. he was released back into the wild. plus -- an adoption judge who makes sure every kid walks out his court with more than a family and as president obama celebrates his final thanksgiving in the white house -- he'll be thinking of iowa "you're watching kwwl. we've

people across the country hit the road. we're looking at gas prices -- this thanksgiving holiday. plus -- we're learning more about a deadly school bus crash -- including complaints recently filed agaisnt the driver. and -- a home and a new toy. in this iowa courtroom -- adoptions are a big celebration -- right down to the presents from the judge. good morning, i'm ally cruthe and i'm jerry gallagher. storm track seven meteorologist eileen loan is here now with your storm track seven forecast. eileen on camera rain and drizzle continue to track through the kwwl viewing area this morning. temperatures have been holding steady in the mid 30s to the mid 40s with

until the winds turn to the northwest and the rain cuts off.... however, we will still see some drizzle. temperatures will manage a few more degrees today but it will be fairly gloomy... we stay pretty gray through thanksgiving day, too... and we could see minutes. thanksgiving travel -- this is one of the busiest travel days of the year. behind us -- a live look at i-380 in linn coutnty, some people on the roads this morning -- and we expect more later drivers have something to be thankful for this thanksgiving holiday. gas prices are dropping.. kwwl's amanda gilbert joins us live in waterloo... you can tell us more about holiday travel things are pretty quiet right

there's not too many people out on the road yet... but that's expected to change tonight when people travel to loved ones after work. some good news for everyone hoping to hit the road... according to gas buddy... this thanksgiving... gas prices are slightly up from last year... but those prices were the lowest they'd been since 2008. right now the average cost of gas in iowa is 2 dollars and 6 cents... tha's if you do plan on traveling today... be safe and plan ahead. this road will likely get a lot busier by tonight... as most thanksgiving travelers opt for driving over flying.. live in waterloo... amanda gilbert... news 7 kwwl. live in waterloo... amanda gilbert... news 7 kwwl.

given to 20-thousand drivers. this comes after a judge ruled that the d-o-t did not have the authority to issue a 16-year- old driver a speeding ticket earlier this year. an attorney is seeking full reimbursement for those who paid the fine in the last two years. but the d-o-t says if they're not allowed to keep roads safe, 'if we had not interacted with that young man and he had continued at that speed and hit and killed a family or killed himself and it was known we didnt. what questions would you be asking of us now.' the d-o-t will likely try to a crash kills a man and leaves his baby seriously injured. des moines police say the man was speeding on a downtown street when the car hit two others -- then went into a parking lot where it hit another car before stopping. the man died at the hospital. the baby remains in critical condition this morning. a plea deal to lower the charges. orlando moore, jr., of waterloo, pleading guilty to charges of

first degree robbery.. he'd been charged with first degree murder in the death of anthony gardner moore was arrested in 2012 after a shooting at his home in the 300 block of albany street. investigators believe money was gut-wrenching new information about the deadly school bus crash. a woman who had three kids on the bus in tennessee says the driver asked the children if they were ready to die before the crash. five young students were kil when the bus flipped on its side and hit a pole and a tree. another mother says she repleatedly compained about the driver -- even writing a letter to the school weeks ago. she said he taunted students by slamming on the brakes -- on purpose "none of them kids deserved that. none of them. my baby had a whole life ahead of her." the bus driver has now been charged with five counts of vehicular homicide. several kids are still in

we've seen in the last few others in south carolina, nashville, and maryland. whenever something like this happens, it raises questions about things like background checks. we spoke with hudson's superintendent and a bus driver there. they say it takes a lot of work and trust to become a bus driver. there's much more to the hiring process than background checks. detailed training program that our drivers have to go through anually, there's a whole induction process they have to go through in order to get their tests.. he says it's not always easy finding willing candidates because of the schedule. but they still have to go through all the steps and tests to make sure they are the most qualified drivers before they're hired. here's another issue: seat belts on buses. the bus in tennessee did not have seat belts. a school in iowa is testing some. they're trying out the standard three-point belts on some des

mirror instead of looking in the what we're seeing so far in first couple of weeks of our test, is that drivers have a better drive and are less likely to be in an accident last year for the first time -- the federal government recommended seat belts be added to school buses -- but cost is from 75-hundred to almost ten- thousand dollars a bus. family and supporters demand justice two years after a 12-year-old is killed by police. tamir rice was killed in cleveland when police believed the boy was carrying a real gun... it turned out to be a pellet gun. dozens demonstrated outside the police headquarters yesterday. rice's mother angry the officers involved in his death haven't been held accountable.

when i close my eyes to try to get some rest all i could see is my son being shot. could you imagine that being you? she's demanding the officers be fired... and that u-s attorney general loretta lynch meet with her. a former university of cincinnati police officer -- will be tried again. he faces charges in the shooting "i really don't want race to be elephant in the room." jurors deadlocked after deliberating about 25 hours on charges of murder and voluntary manslaughter. continuing coverage -- mroe than a dozen surgeries ahead. a pipeline protestors is

launched a so- called concussion grenade at her in north dakota -- the sheriff blaming someone else in the crowd. a vigil held outside the minneapolis hospital where she's being treated. "she's going to have to undergo surgeries over a very many months to have any hope of saving her arm and her hand and obviously we'll be with her every step of the way with prayer and support." the iu oil and gas pipelines in vermont and new york state. a legendary journalist in iowa is about to put down the mic for good. dean borg -- from iowa public television -- is retiring from the program 'iowa press' early next year. he's been leading the weekly program since its first broadcast in 19-71. his last day as the show's host will be january 13th -- following coverage of the condition of the state earlier that week. our continuing coverage of the

his family edward lawrence tells us the next announcement for a cabinet pick could come as early as today. published reports say south carolina governor nikki haley will be tapped as u-n ambassador. during the campaign. mitt romney is now the front runner for secretary of state and dr. ben carson is now being considered as the secretary of

in many ways and he needs to foundation, which reported in a "these have been incredibly government, and most of them are not even seeking that." around his private mar-a-lago golf club where he's staying. the coast guard even set a zone edward lawrence nbc news the water where boats are banned from entering. edward lawrence nbc news washington. president obama to dozens of inmates -- including several from iowa. the president reduced prison sentences for 79 inmates this week. many of them had been convicted of drug crimes. the president says leaving them behind bars for decades isn't in the best interest of taxpayers. six inmates from iowa -- all behind bars for drug convictions -- will get out of prison earlier than expected. the president has reduced the sentences of more than one-thousand federal inmates -- more than the last 11 presidents combined.

detecting dogs. we're learning more about security plans for tomorrow's macy's thanksgiving day aprade. for the first time ever. . more than 80 salt and sand trucks will be parked at every single intersection of the route to prevent possible car bombs from blasting the parade route. people in the parade are ehavily as good as you can. social morning, i have to show a sheet of paper that has a qr code that they'll scan and then match it with my drivers license." macy's says -- with the exception of the enterainers -- everyone else in the parade is an employee or a today the giant balloons will be inflated in preparation for tomorrow's parade. it takes about 90-people to inflate the balloons. you can watch it tomorrow a judge knows first-hand how adoptions can change lives -- he's the one who finalizes

for a treat. his courtroom is filled with toys. from stuffed animals -- to toy cars judge robert blink makes himself. he started making them as a distraction from the stress of being in the courtroom. after making toys for all his grandkids - the judge started making them for his kids in court. "he would take the time to here today. it's just ... that's amazing." "it pales in comparison to what these parents are doing for these children. as these adoptions became final -- the kdis also received homemade quilts from iowans who wanted them to know they are loved. its coming up -- don't be a thanksgiving statistic -- cooking safety tips ahead. plus -- a national holiday tradition gets an iowa twist

seven meteorologist eileen loan is up next. "you're watching kwwl,

the butterburger is made of just three cuts of fresh midwest beef. nothing more, nothing less. so we got the sirloin, the chuck and the plate. all prized cuts, all well-marbled for richness and flavor. this is where those three wonderful cuts of beef come together. you can just tell that blend is working in there. and we sear them, and that seals in the juices of the burger. it doesn't get any better than that. and that's the culver's butterburger.

meteorologist eileen loan now for your forecast forecast. frhe for your complete weather information. here is additional forecast information from the kwwl stormtrack 7 weather team: rain continues to track through the area this morning with drizzle in between the rain bands. rainfall amounts over the last 24 hours have been anywhere from a trace to half an inch in our largest towns with a band of heavier amounts in a few places. stormtrack7 live weather network cameras will remain gloomy and wet today as the system tracks through... drizzle will take over this afternoon and may linger into thanksgiving

this morning...although they really haven't changed much from yesterday... mainly in the 30s to mid 40s..... winds are easterly at 5 to 15 mph now but will turn to the northwest... at that point, the rain will cut off and we will keep some drizzle. this system will continue to track to the lakes... this keeps it on a track to keep us socked in with clouds... especially with another system tracking in for tomorrow night. it doesn't have a lot of moisture, but we will keep some clouds and maybe some light rain and snow will track through tomorrow night. we will see more rain today... maybe another quarter of an inch before it

out. today we will keep rain this morning and drizzle for the afternoon with temperatures climbing a few degrees before the winds turn to the northwest. drizzle and fog continue tonight with lows dropping into the 20s. winds will be light tomorrow and we may keep some drizzle in the area through thanksgiving day, but we will be mild with highs in to mid 40s. areas of light rain and snow track through thursday night with dry weather friday and saturday. another

giving thanks for iowa -- today the president shares the love for the hawkeye state. and when you see news - or if you have pictures or video to share... you can do that by going to our page on facebook. and weather information.

leading stories this morning -- south carolina governor nikki haley accepts donld trump's offer to be ambassador to the united nations. the pair started off 2016 in a fight -- but seem to be ending the year as allies. a grieving mother her children's school bud driver in the months before a deadly crash in tenenssee. the driver allegedly taunted students by slamming on the brakes on purpose making them slam their heads. one of her children died in the crash -- two others got hurt. and today is the busiest travel day of the year -- a live look at atlanta's hartsfield jackson airport now. plenty busy -- even though most thanksgiving travelers drive, not fly. thanksgiving is tomorrow -- and

thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for fire departments. to make sure they don't need to come to your home and if you're frying a turkey do it ou side and never put a frozen turkey in important to stay calm. "some people want to put baking soda, aw et rag, water on it; those are all bad. . . . make sure you have a cookie sheet somewhere near by and just slide it over it." and don't forget to keep an eye on kids in the kitchen -- make sure just in time for the holidays, amazon is giving customers the power of x-ray vision. its smartphone app for iphone now lets customers scan the barcodes on amazon shipping boxes to see what's inside before opening. amazon's package x-ray only works on your own orders... so thieves can't see inside your box. today, two iowa birds share the spotlight in the nation's capital. each year, the president is given two turkeys before thanksgiving and he pardons one.

from the thanksgiving table. this year, the two candidates are from iowa. they're from early -- which is in western iowa. one is named tator. the other tot. and here's a secret about the event: no matter what the president decides today -- both will get to retire gracefully. they'll go to a place called gobblers rest at virginia tech. this tradition started 69 years ago with president truman. this is the sixth time turkeys from iowa have been a part of it. lot of people in our lives... like educators. we're honoring one this week with the cedar valley tools for schools award. abby hendrickson is the librarian at peet junior high school. she won 500 dollars for her buy a video camera... a green screen.. .a tripod and microphones. "kids came to me as incoming good enough for what they needed, but we were sharing that camera with the entire school and all of the teachers and other students as well. so i

to have their dream of having a peet news site come true." every month kwwl... the university of iowa community credit union.... and sylvan learning center select a classroom. we're dealing with wet road sthis morning -- as you head to work or leave for your thanksgiving plans -- a live look with the forecast from storm track seven meteorologist eileen

home now after performing for a very special audience. sixty students from dubuque's wahlert catholic high school just got back from italy .. where they sang in a mass presided by pope francis. they were joined by 35 staff and parents for the trip. they say

they'll never forget... "he was 15-20 feet away from be there for us. and it was quite amazing that when i went to see experience of a lifetime." hundreds of american singers were chosen for the honor, but wahlert was the only full choir from the states to take part in eileen is back with another check of your storm track seven forecast. rain this morning, drizzle this afternoon through thanksgiving day. a chance of light rain and snow thursday night, dry friday and the 40s with lows mainly in the 30s. thanks for joining us, the today show is next and we'll be back in 25 minutes with more news and weather.

good morning, ambassador haley? donald trump picks his first female cabinet member, ambassador kknii haley. won't be following through on some of the proms he made during the key to the campaign. promises like this one. >> i am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation. disturbing past, authorities are learning more about the 24-yr-eaold driver who crashed his bus in chattanooga, killing five elementary children.