swedish ivy plant that their teacher brought in. the students are fourth graders at a private jewish all girls school in midwood. the students were precaution. an active investigation underway to find the arsonist behind a fire that burned several cars and spread to a home. the fire in ronkonkoma this morning. n.j. burkett joins us with the latest on the investigation. >> police recovered plastic containers left here at the scene. now they'll check surveillance cameras at service stations in a massive effort to the target, the victim in this case, a local home remodeling contractor. >> do you have any enemies you know of >> not that i know of. >> reporter: today he has an enemy he didn't know he had, cars. the contractor's van he

and nearly destroyed his home. where he and his girlfriend were sleeping at 5:30 this morning. >> we were shocked. we looked outside and the car was on fire and both cars were on fire. house went on fire so we rushed as soon as possible to get out of the house. >> both residents escaped without injury. but investigators suspected arson immediately. there were two separate fires. one in the driveway which spread to the house and a second fire started in a car on the street. all three vehicles belong to the homeowner. investigators recovered plastic containers left at the scene. >> arson cases present a clear and present danger to our communities and we're doing everything we can to investigate this matter. >> reporter: the fire left neighbors badly shaken in a close knit community where crime sun common. >> it was very scary. one of

it was very scary but thank god houses can be replaced, cars can be replaced. thank got my neighbors are okay. >> i don't know why somebody would do this. i don't know how people sleep at night. >> the situation is made so much worse because lobenheimer tells me neither his homeowner's insurance or auto policy covers the loss of his vehicles. anyone with information is urged to call the suffolk county police. no motive, no known suspects tonight. live tonight, ronkonkoma, long island, n.j. burkett, channel 7 eyewitness news. the man accused of a slashing of a woman's face on the street in chelsea is being connected to other crimes including a slashing of a woman's face in the bronx. police are talking to kari bazemore. they say he's the man captured in chelsea yesterday on surveillance video and it turns out he's been arrested 32 times since 1997. police say as

cut a woman's face with a razor blade in the bronx. bazemore's other charges include assault, grand larceny, and forcible touching. an arrest tonight in the stabbing death of a mcdonald's manager outside the restaurant's parking lot in the bronx. a homeless man is now charged in the murder. he turned himself in to police yesterday. investigators say he stabbed a 28-year-old man named adam garcia outside the kingsbridge mcdonald's early monday morning after following garcia in to the parking lot. garcia died from multiple stab wounds. there was a brief court appearance today for the father accused of killing his pregnant daughter in the bronx. andrea caruth strangled and bludgeoned to death. police say it was all because of money problems. marcus solis has more. he joins us more from bay chester. >> where that terrible discovery was made is still off limits. still under police guard. in court today prosecutors say the hole where

victim's father himself. >> reporter: this was william caruth in court this morning. clad in a disposable jumpsuit, the same one worn while being led out of the 47th precinct last night. his clothes taken as evidence. the 61-year-old is accused of killing his pregnant daughter, fracturing her skull with a hammer and strangling her. then police say he hid andrea caruth's body in a, to prosecutors. >> we believer -- we believe there was an argument over finances. he was not paying rent and she was we believe that's what started the argument. >> never would believe he'd do shocked. very shocked. can't believe it. >> reporter: caruth's disappearance baffled loved ones for three days. cadaver dogs found the make shift grave feet from william caruth's basement where he lived. andrea lived

police say there were arguments over money. >> we found her body lodged in the closet. she appears to be struck with a hammer. we have crescent shaped wounds on her skull. >> reporter: andrea operate d a daycare center. the 39-year-old was five months pregnant. there's a question if william caruth knew that. >> even if he did know, how could anyone person do that to his child or grandchild to come? just the thought of killing another person is unthinkable period. >> this was the day andrea would have learned the sex of her child. she had a doctor's appointment. william caruth is held without bail. marcus solis, channel 7 eyewitness news. friends and family are saying goodbye to a murdered volunteer firefighter from silver lake as his killer

a wake today and tomorrow for justin justin speights. police have no suspects. reward is offered for the capture of the killer. new details about the man shot dead outside a police station in paris. a note on his body included a pledge of loyalty to the leader of isis and an image of the isis flag. a french security official said fingerprints identify him as a 20-year-old moroccan. this took place almost to the minute, exactly one year and a half. the charlie hebdo attack. today french president francois hollande marked the anniversary by placing a wreath. islamic extremists killed a dozen people including a police officer.

underway right now to figure out what caused an elevator to malfunction trapping 17 miners underground. they were going to work at a salt mine in lansing when the elevator suddenly wouldn't budge and it was more than 70 stories underground. marci gonzalez joins us with more on the amazing and successful rescue operation. >> it was a cold morning and really long wait for those miners who we're told got through this by cracking jokes, keeping their spirits up, knowing this is something they and their rescuers were trained to handle. >> reporter: the sounds of relief after nearly 10 hours of anxiously waiting, 17 miners trapped nearly 900 feet below ground in new york state are all now safe on solid ground. >> the miners displayed excellent self-discipline, control, and not panic. >> reporter: the men were just starting their shift at the deepest salt mine in the country

night when the elevator they were in somehow malfunctioned 80 stories underground. >> i never thought anything could happen here. >> reporter: the miners huddling together for warmth as rescuers rushed for help. >> out in lansing on a rope rescue. >> reporter: using this crane to lower a basket below ground, lifting several workers at a time to the surface. >> we practiced mine evacuations regularly every year so that practice is coming in to play today. >> reporter: despite being shaken, exhausted and freezing, the miners waited there at the scene until the last of their coworkers were finally brought to safety. >> their spirits are tremendous. i don't know. i'm inspired by them to be quite honest with you. >> you mentioned that investigation underway now. governor cuomo says every

be sure this doesn't happen again and anyone potentially at fault is held accountable. north korea is facing repercussions from its claim of having set off a hydrogen bomb. the house of representatives will vote as early as next week on legislation imposing new sanctions on the country. north korea provoked international condemnation after announcing the test. scientists from several nations have raised doubts that north korea actually detonated a hydrogen bomb. the mother of the so-called affluenza teen is back in texas to face charges of hindering his apprehension. tonya couch was escorted with handcuffs to jail two days after a judge in los angeles approved her extradition. her bond has been set at $1 million. u.s. authorities tracked down tonya and her son ethan in mexico last month. ethan remains in mexico.

eyewitness news exclusive. five corrections officers recovering following a brutal assault by teenage inmates. we obtained these exclusive photos of the guards after the mass assault. guards had to use chemical spray in order to regain control of the unit and rescue the beaten officers. the inmates have been rearrested and are facing new charges. an officer killed in the line of duty in new jersey getting a very special honor today. a ribbon cutting ceremony was held to rename the west district police station in jersey city for detective melvin santiago. santiago was shot and killed while responding to a call at a walgreen's. this happened in july 2014. the mayor says santiago had the attitude that all officers should have. >> aspired to be a police officer in the west district like his family members from the time he was very, and he wanted to serve in one of the most challenging areas in the entire city. i think that

love and belief for jersey city. >> a time capsule filled with personal items from detective santiago and notes from jersey city school children will be placed in the station. it will be opened 100 years from now. medical marijuana now available in new york. coming up on eyewitness news, we're at one of the first locations to prescribe it. >> a local high school student accused of being anti-israeli even called in to the principal's office. what happened when she took to twitter with her story. >> plus, dreaming big. the powerball jack pot grows. what can you buy for $700 million? a lot. >> and can think of lots of things. i'm meteorologist lee goldberg. we're well above average again, running about 8 degrees above average in the middle 40s. pretty comfortable. but we're time

i'm neil patrick harris and new york is my home. no place has more world class culture. come winter, i can't wait to visit our must-see collections of art and superb photography and film. new york has beautifully restored theaters, that are now important centers for the performing arts. and museums that preserve the glories of the past. winter in new york state means more great things to do than ever. plan your trip at iloveny.com

medical marijuana is now available in new york state a year and a half after it was approved. not a lot of doctors are registered across the state to prescribe it. stacey sager was at the grand opening for the locations in union square. >> reporter: a simple ribbon cutting, lots of media, even nypd. but no scheduled patients yet here at new york city's first legal medical marijuana dispensary. it opened here on east 14th street this morning. but if you think you can come here for the kind of marijuana you can smoke, the answer is no. there will be an oil administered under the tongue

>> there will be no recreational semblance at all. no edible products. no leaf. >> reporter: in addition to the nonsmokeable rule, only 20 locations have been approved, and so far only 150 doctors have registered in the entire state. also it is not covered by medicaid or private insurance. but the folks dispensing it out of this office say right now it will cost approximately 95 cents per dose. >> the only disadvantage is we don't have insurance for it but it's really good as a medicine. >> reporter: for albert, an hiv patient, it is a step in the right direction. still -- >> it's better for me to smoke one joint and feel good and give me quality of life than me having to take four pharmaceutical pills a day that are very harsh chemicals that are destroying other parts of my body. >> the medical marijuana that is being dispensed here is being billed as a natural alternative to some of the pharmaceutical products already on the market.

for this. but this one is the first one to open. in union square, i'm stacey sager, channel 7 eyewitness news. a smoother ride home tonight on the new jersey turnpike after a big backup police say a tractor-trailer hauling metal toppled over near exit 7a in lawrence township about 9:00 this morning. all northbound lanes were blocked by piles of debris. the truck driver was taken to the hospital with unknown injuries. a pedestrian is recovering after getting hit by an mta bus in queens. this happened at queens boulevard and jamaica avenue before 7 a.m. he was taken to the medical center with nonlife-threatening injuries. more than 20,000 nonunion new york city employees are now eligible for up to six weeks paid parental leave. mayor de blasio signed an executive order today extending the benefit to workers. he says parents will no longer have to make the impossible choice between bonding with their children and

the mayor says the policy will lead to a healthier and more financially stable families as well as more effective work places and a stronger city. >> whether you have a new baby, an adopted child, or a foster child, we treat all these families equally. we want to support all these families. >> new york now has one of the most generous municipal family leave policies in the nation. the mayor says he's open to extending the benefits to union employees but must be done through collective bargaining. mike piazza says he'll go in to the hall wearing a new york mets cap. piazza made it official this afternoon with fellow inductee ken griffey, jr. angeles dodgers. there was a little bit of speculation about but as clear. >> fortunately for me i eventually ended in new york. some way, shape or form and

have a special relationship here with the fans. >> as for griffey, he's going in as a seattle mariner, making him the first mariners player inducted in to the hall of fame. it was 20 years ago this week that the northeastern u.s. was hit by one of the most devastating winter storms ever. the blizzard of '96. it dumped snow from new england. parts were blanketed in up to 2 feet of snow. unusually warm weather and rain followed, triggering major flooding. the storm and flooding were blamed for 180 deaths and $3 billion of damage. you tweeted about this. 20 years ago. >> 20 inches in new york city. 30 inches in parts of new jersey. it was the fifth biggest snowstorm in new york's history. first time canceled since the blizzard of '78. >> you were about 12 years old back then. 20 years ago. but right now it's pretty calm out there.

things are going to get a little rocky. you can see the weather pattern wanting to change. you look downtown, really pretty. you can see some of the cloud deck off to the south. there's actually a big swirling storm. it looks like a classic storm in the ocean but it's far away. 45 degrees, the air is still dry. westerly wind at 3. the high today, 46 degrees. so once again, running above average by 8 degrees. this will be our last stint we're above average. then we're in a below normal pattern for a while. there are your record high and lows. 35 for new jersey. clifton at 40. east ruth erford at 45. long island looking at 41. brentwood, 39. hudson valley, mid 30s from poughkeepsie in to white plains. clouds during the first part of the night. i think when we wake up tomorrow morning it will be partly to mostly sunny. 20s in the suburbs. still a chill in the air. enough of a northeast wind that it feels brisk outside. by midday, 41. best chance of

afternoon. a little bit after that and the clouds should thicken in a hurry. clouds hugging the coast. they've moved off here. patch of clouds near franklin, new jersey. high clouds pivoting offshore. we'll have a few clouds overnight. this is that incredible storm. satellite picture beautiful with that swirling storm offshore. that's headed out to sea. we're on the northwest fringe and some of these clouds over the carolinas could spill over tonight. these clouds right here, there are some showers. the core of this storm kind of splits in two. we slip in between. sprinkles, drizzle tomorrow night. worst case is we have to watch out for a little icing tomorrow north and west with the rain comes in with temperatures in the low and mid 30s. sussex county, orange county and sullivan. california is going to start to get a break tomorrow. big rains over the southwest. sweeps in the gulf of mexico. swoops up gulf moisture and we get soaked sunday morning. here's the futurecast. overnight, 20s, middle 30s. just a few patchy clouds.

the day above freezing. coastline, north and west, low 20s. deurg the day clouds will be converging on us and drizzle can come in late at night. see how there might be a little mix here? not a big deal but a few slippery spots. tomorrow, another comfortable day. just a cloudy finish and tomorrow night clouds, drizzle later at night. be aware of that if you're traveling northwest. should we be thinking about avoiding travel early sunday? we'll get in to that. record warmth possible and snow is on the table next week. all coming up in our 7-day accuweather forecast in the next half hour. an identity theft ring broken up. how police say the thieves used social security numbers to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of shoes and handbags from saks fifth avenue. >> cancer deaths dropping for men. why isn't the same thing happening for women? >> local students showing off

wow. the internet is crazy fast here. i know, right? it's so nice to have everyone over. hi hey. mmm. i just laid an egg. does anybody want it? joey, you want some gasoline? yes, please. mom, guess what? i married a clown and we're having tiny little clown babies. mhm. i just bought a hammer. with internet fast enough for everyone, your guests might get a bit carried away.

politics now. it seems we have another controversy. this time donald trump taking aim as ted cruz. cruz was born in canada but to an american mother

but the constitution says the president has to be a national born citizen. trump says cruz should immediately go before a judge to see if he meets the qualification. cruz says he's a citizen and the legal matter is straightforward and settled. the texas state trooper who arrested a woman later found dead in her jail cell is being fired after a perjury indictment. brian insinia claimed sandra bland was uncooperative. bland's mother says he should have been charged for battery and false arrest. meanwhile prosecutors in atlanta are seeking a criminal indictment against a police officer who fatally shot an unarmed man last year. officer robert olson could face felony murder charges. olson says he fatally shot anthony hill after he lunged at him last march. hill was naked and unarmed at the time. his family says the

struggled with mental health issues. all new at 5:00, the death rate from cancer has fallen by 23% since its peak 25 years ago. cancer has also become the number one killer in 22 states as deaths from heart disease have declined. while the cancer rate in women has remained stable since 1998, it has steadily dropped for men. that could be because of a decline in prostate cancer. a high school student's tweets spark a social media firestorm. coming up on eyewitness news, accused of bullying, sent to the principal's office and threatened with expulsion. so what did this new jersey teen tweet that got so many people fired up and herself in hot water? >> a virtual reality toy becomes a life saver. how a cheap camera made from folded cardboard helped saver a baby's

apparently the engineers who designed the ford f-150 have been burning the candle at all ends. cuz' check out their latest brainstorm: pro trailer backup assist. just turn this little knob on the dash and it helps steer your trailer exactly where you want it to go. it's just one more bit of brilliance you can't get on any other truck. freakish. this is the ford f-150.

we're back. we have new information about the breaking news in newark, new jersey. one person killed in a car crash. >> mostly ago prosecutors gave us an update. toni yates is there. >> i just got off the phone with the essex county police department. they're hoping to release more information tonight. at this point they're not calling it a homicide. they're calling it a deadly car accident. they're saying the driver of the bmw flipped the car on to its side while he or she was driving. emergency crews were able to get that person out. they took them to university hospital where the driver died.

for autopsy information to say what the cause of the death is. i asked about reports that there may have been shots fired shortly before the car flipped. they weren't ready to release any information on that just yet as part of their investigation. only one person was in that bmw and of course this happened about 3:00 this afternoon so certainly this investigation is for now we're live toni yates, channel 7 eyewitness news. all new at 5:00, a new jersey high school student is in trouble at school all because of her tweets. >> the 16-year-old took to twitter to say she was being reprimanded for comments she made on social media about israel and palestinians and she even tweeted that she could be disciplined for bullying. >> new jersey reporter anthony johnson has the story. >> reporter: bethany coville who calls her benny on twitter expressed support for the palestinians in the middle east and was not kind to what she

real war of words began when fellow student unfollowed bethany because she did not support bethany's post. some comments were made exposing that. >> they said she was accused of bullying some girl, not just what was on twitter. >> there comes a point where you're going to say something about a race or religion where it becomes offensive, and that's when it becomes a bullying case. >> reporter: bethany's friends say she's now under a lot of pressure. >> i don't think she was aiming toward anyone. i feel like she was expressing her opinion but she kind of took it too far involving the school. >> reporter: when bethany returned to school she had to meet with the principal and took to twitter to talk about it. she said i'm about to be exposed for being anti-israel. pray for me. bethany apparently recorded that conversation. the district said they were doing their job protecting students. the school

statement the fair lawn school district recognizes rights to free speech. but in this case they received a complaint alleging potential harassment, intimidation or bullying by one student against another. >> despite the fact bethany has thousands of followers on twitter, she did not like the attention she was receiving in school today so she went home early. anthony johnson, channel 7 eyewitness news. new york state police are digging up a cold case in hopes of finding a killer for more than a decade ago. they've rereleased facial reconstruction images of what the victim may have looked like in 2002. that's when the victim's skeletal remains were found in duchess county. the man is believed to be about 5 and a half feet tall and possibly of south american descent. a 26-year-old man accused of aiming a green laser at a tv news helicopter is free tonight

federal prosecutors say lopez bender reportedly pointed a laser at our newscopter7 while it covered a house fire in november. if convicted, lopez bender faces five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. detectives say the man, you can see in this video, walked up by the 24-year-old victim on bergen street on park slope on december 6th. the suspect grabbed her from behind and inappropriately touched her. when the victim screamed, the suspect ran away. not guilty pleas today from several former rutgers university football players, invasions and assault in new jersey. most of the defendants are charged in connection with four armed robberies last year. the group is accused of an unprovoked attack on another rutgers student that left the victim with a broken jaw. meanwhile the ring leader of an identity theft ring has

designer shoes and bags from saks fifth avenue. prosecutors say the thieves used stolen social security numbers and birth dates to steal $430,000 worth of merchandise to resell on the black market. tamara williams pleaded guilty to giving information to accomplices who worked at the store on 5th avenue. people in new jersey with illnesses that changed the way they look may no longer be forced to take a new driver's license photo. state senators approved use pre-treatment photos on licenses. the measure is inspired by joanne jodry, a woman from neptune who was battling breast cancer. she wanted to renew her driver's license using an older photo but state law requires an old er picture every eight years. the measure goes to the governor. 6 inches of rain over three

that's triggering flooding over southern california. mud began sliding down underneath a home yesterday morning. the el nino driven storm has been lashing parts of california with strong rains and saturating the ground. further south in escondido the heavy rains caused a roof to collapse at a goodwill store. it happened. they weren't hurt. water began gushing in from a broken pipe which drenched it's not clear how much the damage will cost. coming up on eyewitness news, the new dietary guidelines what you need to know before your next meal. discovery. hundreds of explosives buried underground in new jersey. also a true labor of love.

it took joel silverman years to become a master dog trainer. but only a few commands to master depositing checks

technology designed for you. so you can easily master the way you bank. apparently the engineers who designed the ford f-150 have been burning the candle at all ends. cuz' check out their latest brainstorm:

just turn this little knob on the dash and it helps steer your trailer exactly where you want it to go. it's just one more bit of brilliance you can't get on any other truck. freakish. this is the ford f-150.

pizza boxes made from 100% recycled material was unveiled today. it has an image of the bridge on them. they were created by a paper mill in travis to help promote the environmental and economic benefits of recycling in the five boroughs. the boxes were given to pizzerias this week. >> i like them. crews in southern new jersey are digging up part of a nature park to look for unexploded shells that were buried there more than half a century ago. so far metal detectors have found more than 700 locations where unexploded shells may be buried underground at the palmyra cove nature park. the frankfort arsenal was located there. the process to find the unexploded shells is slow but necessary. >> they are between 50 millimeters and 104millimeter

the army. she's are high explosives that are literally just subsurface. >> it's expected to take until mid-february to dig up all the ammunitions. the process is being slowed down by cold weather and frozen soil. the federal government is taking aim at added sugars in the new dietary guidelines to help reduce the rate of diabetes and other health problems. the usda wants you to limit the amount you consume to no more than 10% of daily categories. the new guidelines recommend you limit your sodium intake to no more than 2200 milligrams each day. it's recommended you consume a variety of protein, not just steak. you got to add some lean meat, beans, all that good stuff too. a special delivery in texas where a grandmother, because she was a surrogate, gave birth to her own granddaughter. 54-year-old tracy thompson had

her daughter and son-in-law had additional frozen embryos after unsuccessful ivf pregnancy attempts. >> i'm a very positive person and always have been. i put my life in god's hands and he takes care of me. >> a 6-pound, 11-ounce girl named kelsey was born by c-section yesterday afternoon. both grandmother and baby are doing well. good to hear. virtual reality glasses made out of a cheap cardboard contraption helped doctors to save a baby's life. a four-month-old was born with a heart defect. doctors had been unable to operate because standard 2d images didn't provide enough detail of her condition. then surgeons at nicholas children's hospital got creative. they used google cardboard, a virtual reality

to a 3d model. they were able to successfully perform the life saving surgery last month. 2015 wasn't just a dangerous and wild weather year. it was also super costly. the massive tab to clean up mother nature's string of natural disasters. >> and a powerball jackpot that's never been reached before as the record amount climbs, what would you do with all that money? we've got some ideas for you. >> the breaking news, stocks plunging. the worst start to the year ever. what's behind it? the man gunned down, threatening police with a meat cleaver, pledging allegiance to

in new york state, we believe tomorrow starts today. all across the state the economy is growing, with creative new business incentives, and the lowest taxes in decades, attracting the talent and companies of tomorrow. like in the hudson valley, with world class biotech. and on long island, where great universities are creating next generation technologies. let us help grow your company's tomorrow, today

damage from 10 weather disasters exceeded $1 billion last year. the national oceanic association said tornados in the east and wildfires in the west made 2015 the fourth most expensive year for disasters. 2015 was also the second warmest and the third wettest in 121 years. speaking of warming up, climate change may have led to the discovery of ships that no one has seen for 144 years. archeologists found 19th century whaling boats in the arctic off the northern coast of alaska. experts say climate change means less ice in the region which makes spotting these shipwrecks a whole lot easier. >> that's fascinating. it's tons of feet back and people reminiscing about the blizzard of '96. i was working the night shift. i've got a great picture from susan klein. she's in scarsdale and she's

they had. she said my daughter in this picture is now 30. you're right. that was the snowiest winter in new york history with 75 and a half inches of snowfall. outside right now we haven't had a snitch of snow this weekend. that may change in coming weeks. some clear skies to the north. westerly wind at 3. snow so far has been in the cascades, sierras, rockies. for the northeast, a trace in to the cas skills but we've not had any snow here. our temperatures are in the mid 30s, new city and sussex and paramus. 41, islip and it is 42 in belmar. so some patchy clouds during the evening hours, dropping in to the upper 30s by midnight but staying above freezing in new york city tonight. not the same situation for west milford, new jersey. 28 degrees. 35, 8:00 in the morning. mostly sunny skies. sunnier first part

then the clouds should thicken in a hurry. watch out for drizzle later tomorrow night. here's the futurecast. 7:00 in the morning on friday, still a little chill in the air for sure. around freezing on the island down the shore. lower 20s north and west. we're sunny through lunchtime then the clouds thicken quickly. if you're planning on traveling later tomorrow night as drizzle comes in, watch out northwest new jersey and north of i-80. northern orange and sussex, might be a couple slipry spots. clouds. maybe a little bit of hours. then this six-hour windswept soaking rain on sunday. this is a piece of the last storm that soaked southern california. that could bring us wind gusts 30, 40 miles per hour. it's a quick hitting shot then futurecast travel looking like this. some warmth down in the southeast but there's showers too. your 7-day

like this. tomorrow. saturday, a drizzle or shower. on sunday there rain. then 60 degrees during the afternoon would tie a record high only to see temperatures plummet at night in to the middle 30s. then it's really chilly next week. on monday those 30s will feel like 20s. i can see a couple flurries north and west but a better chance of a couple snow showers probably coming in wednesday. that doesn't look like any big accumulations. outside shot of seeing some coatings across the area especially north and east of new york city. we'll watch that closely. at the very least it's certainly cold enough for snow making so the ski areas will be happy. see if we can get some natural snow out there. >> they're ready to hit the slopes. there has never ever been a lottery jackpot like this one anywhere in the u.s. the record breaking powerball reaching $700 million. >> that sounds so sweet. and it's going to be even better. lottery officials say

grow even larger by the weekend. toni yates with some ideas on what you can do with all that dough. >> reporter: time for some lottery ticket buying strategy. dropping cash for tickets anywhere they sell them. >> i go to rutherford. >> reporter: famous for selling big winners in the past, it's busy. >> it's going crazy. it's on fire. $700 million. it just went up. >> reporter: the few minutes we were there, the jackpot shot up. time to get serious. >> you buy one ticket at every store? >> sometimes i buy three. >> reporter: in the few hours that no one won $500 million wednesday night, it jumped to dollars by early afternoon. >> most of the time i can't

if i got $10 i go to 10 different stores. >> what would you do with $700 million? >> anything i want. >> reporter: private islands.com lists this baby in the florida keys at $160 million and you'd still be filthy rich. if only there was a magic formula for picking the winning numbers. one thing is for sure. we're all feeling someone's massive pay day and maybe the ship is coming in on saturday. >> what would i do? quit working. >> take my wife on a great big vacation. >> reporter: good luck and don't blow the rent money. in rutherford, toni yates, eyewitness news. >> a nice, nice vacation for his wife. a reminder, you can watch the record breaking powerball drawing saturday night right here on channel 7 before eyewitness news at 11:00. the female lead from star wars, the force awakens is landing a new piece of real estate. the character of ray will be added to the future edition of the star wars themed monopoly game.

featured in the current edition. the first edition was released in september and only featured some of the film's new characters. hasbro says ray was left out in order to avoid revealing a key plot line. that's how they celebrate the new star wars movie's arrival in china. pop star lou han has made several videos. the song, the inner force, premiered today was viewed more than 8 million times in eight hours. the force awakens hits theaters in china this weekend. still ahead, high school wiz kids show off their smarts. >> we're turning on a hot spot so we can get wi-fi to see an app. i'm amy freeze in queens. coming up, meet high school students who are building their futures by creating apps.

new at 6:00, big changes in the way the nypd investigates muslims in new york after a spate of lawsuits claiming illegal surveillance. >> new developments in the frightening random slashing of a woman in chelsea. police say the suspect they arrested is linked to another slashing of a young woman. >> and an amazing rescue by firefighters after a man is

after a huge accident. apparently the engineers who designed the ford f-150 have been burning the candle at all ends. cuz' check out their latest brainstorm: pro trailer backup assist. just turn this little knob on the dash and it helps steer your trailer exactly where you want it to go. it's just one more bit of brilliance you can't get on any other truck. freakish. this is the ford f-150. and every other truck is history meet the moore's! we're the moore family, and as you can see, we need an internet that can do more. we do more games, and more streaming. so we need more speed. that's why we switched to time warner cable. you can too.

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probably safe to say most of us can't imagine what it takes to create a mobile app but that's what students at grover cleveland high school are doing. >> it combines science with a bit of civic responsibility and all the apps involve queens. amy freeze was in the classroom to check it out. >> reporter: seven different student groups built app. >> it's a great way to get students engaged in what they love to do. >> she's really liked our app. she said she was going to download it in the future and that made us happy. >> reporter: it was the burning

the college ready, career ready focus. >> one of the five top jobs in the future is going to be developing apps. here we have it in a high school in the middle of queens. >> it was difficult but fun at the same time. >> hardest part was finding the gps locations for everything. >> we're turning on a hot spot so we can get wi-fi to see an app. >> reporter: councilwoman elizabeth crowley asked them to be civic minded when choosing their topics. >> i live a few blocks from here. the entire park is in my district. >> reporter: where do you even begin to build an app? >> we used an assistant driver known as app inventor. it helped us make the app easier. it was like sort of a jigsaw puzzle for us. >> we had to learn everything ourselves. >> reporter: surprisingly evelyn says app creation can be self-taught. it was also a process of self-discovery. >> i look feminine and that's not something you see in computer science. guys think they're more intelligent.

the same thing girls can. >> reporter: their apps go public later this month. >> download our apps january 19th in the google apps store. still ahead, a man trapped in a mangled car after a horrific accident. >> the dramatic rescue to try to save his life. eyewitness news at 6:00 starts right now. a disturbing new twist tonight in that random knife attack on a young woman in chelsea. the man arrested for that crime now linked to the slashing last week of a young woman in the bronx. but first, new safeguards governing the nypd tonight after lawsuits accusing the department of illegally surveilling muslims.

. >> it has agreed to have an advisor on the committee that reviews investigations. >> stacey sager with the lead story. she's in astoria, queens. >> today's settlement is big news because it helps to resolve two out of three longstanding cases on this issue. it also reinstates this civilian oversight. this person who will look more closely at how the nypd conducts its counterterrorism surveillance. it's become pretty controversial here at the mosques around the city. >> reporter: in communities like this one, life inside the mosques has changed dramatically since 9/11 and some say the amount of counterterrorism surveillance today is truly encroaching on religious freedom. that innocent emoms

>> it's raising the flag for