>> if you see something, say something. they're not expected to engage in anything. they don't have any powers. i don't see that being a big story. it's nothing new. >> reporter: what is new, bratton is working to keep who he calls calls a group of career professional criminals off the subways. >> we have discussions with the mta and it may require potentially some legislation up in albany that some of these career criminals who use the subways to prey on victims, that we find some way of excluding them from the subway as conditions of their parole. >> reporter: so again, we don't know, bratton says he is not sure if banning the career criminals is legal, but he plans to work with the state legislature and the mta to explore all options. report live in washington heights, darla miles channel 7 eyewitness news. >> thank you. an international emergency. that's how world health officials tonight are

now the zika virus. the virus carried by mosquitoes now so widespread, experts last week estimated there could be up to 4 million cases by next year. the last emergency declaration like this, the ebola outbreak in 2015, that outbreak killed 11,000. they certainly don't want a repeat of that. they are declaring this emergency now so they can get the money and the assistance they'll need to stop this outbreak and we have just learned the new york department of health is going to offer free testing for people with symptoms who have traveled to areas where the zika virus is ongoing. an emergency meeting of independent experts was held in geneva this morning. the goal, to assess the outbreak after noting a suspicious link between zika's arrival in brazil last year, and a surge in the number of babies born with abnormally small heads. they decided what to do next and the consensus was clear.

the causes of micro -- micro >> the possible link between zika and microcephaly and other neurologic disorders is strongly suspected but not scientifically proven. >> the causes alone is sufficient to declare an outbreak because of the heavy burden on parents and mothers and on the community and society. >> reporter: w. h. o. officials say it could be 6 to 9 months before science proves or disproves any connection but with the possibility of up to 4 million cases of virus turning up in the americas within the next year, they're not taking chances. >> can you imagine if we do not do all this work now, and wait until the scientific evidence comes out, then people will say that, why didn't you take action. >> reporter: this comes after being widely criticized for a slow response to the ebola

the emergency does not call for a travel ban. chan says the committee found no health justification for that kind of restriction. pregnant women should avoid travel to affected areas if possible. if not, practice the advice of doctors for personal measures against mosquito bites. in addition to free testing, new york health officials say they plan to test mosquitoes this spring, to help prevent zika virus from showing up here. if you would like more information call this number 1- 888-364-4723. you can find that number on our web site abc7ny.com. bill. a new york cop out of the hospital tonight. the latest victim of a rash of stabbings and slashings in the city. under arrest, an emotionally disturbed person. it happened in the prospect heights section of brooklyn. michelle charlesworth at the scene talking with someone who knows the suspect.

>> reporter: well, lieutenant is 43 years old. now he has five stitches in his arm. social workers were at this apartment building earlier today trying to move this 44- year-old woman, the suspect. when she didn't want to cooperate, they called for police help. it was on the 4th floor at 145 east 18th street that police responded to assist. >> that's awful. >> reporter: people in the neighborhood were shocked by an assault on a police officer. this woman says she knows the suspect. >> i've never seen her being unstable or anything. she always go and do her shopping and everything. i have never seen her bother anybody. >> reporter: the lieutenant was taken to kings county hospital with a cut to his left forearm and within hours was treated and released. police say she stabbed an

somebody in the building came telling me that. i said huh-uh, that can't happen. she could get shot like that. >> reporter: police commissioner bratton says this has become far too routine for police officers across the nation. mental illness is a major problem. >> i don't, you know, socialize with people. i stay to myself, and now i see that's the best way to be. >> reporter: police tell us that this emotionally disturbed person was moved. and they tell us the mayor is in iowa, but he called this lieutenant to offer his support and also commend him on his bravery. the officer said the only thing he was worried about was making sure no one else was hurt. we're live in prospect heights, michelle charlesworth channel 7 eyewitness news. thank you, michelle. it is decision time in iowa. caucus goers are gathering, ready to banter and bicker in a contest that can launch or end a candidate's presidential ambitions. since 1972, iowa has had a 43% success rate picking the

jimmy carter won iowa in 76. barack obama in 2008. but in 1992, bill clinton came in 4th, and yet he went onto win the nomination. eyewitness news reporter dave evans live in des moines where the country is wondering who will be the favorite among all these caucus goers, dave. >> reporter: diana, you remember the last two republican contests here in iowa, the winners of that, rick santorum and mike huckabee. they did not go on to do much at all. it's a mixed bag, the results coming out of iowa, this state being the first, it is mostly about first impressions and also beating expectations. after her big rally last night, hillary clinton laid low this election day, thanking volunteers and telling abc this campaign hasn't been easy running against so many republicans. >> the republicans and their allies are determined to do bring me down. they don't know me very well because i don't quit when i'm fighting for what i believe in. >> reporter: the latest polling

call on the democratic side. bernie sanders has generated huge crowds waiting hours to see and hear the candidate. sanders hopes to pull off the kind of upset obama did eight years ago. >> our agenda is precisely what the american people want. i know some people think it's a radical utopian idea, it's not. raising the minimum wage to a living wage, you know what, that's what the american people want. >> reporter: the sanders campaign and trump campaign alike, both fueled by new voters. many angry about our government. >> i think people are tired of do nothing government. they're tired of people whose sole idea about running the government is to fight the other party. >> this is it. it's crunch time, right. >> reporter: donald trump today full of confidence. he hopes for a big turnout tonight. >> i am angry, but i won't be angry for long. if we win, i will straighten it

we'll do it together. we'll have it straightened out so fast because our people are absolutely incredible people. >> reporter: trump's closest competitor in iowa is ted cruz. he has slipped in the follows and florida's marco rubio looking past iowa now and its vote tonight. >> it will be important. but no one's going to win the nomination tonight, and we feel very positive about the direction of our campaign. >> reporter: and big news tonight out of the secretary of state here in iowa. that news is that republican party registrations, also democratic party registrations in just the last couple of weeks, up significantly, so that the new voters can go ahead and participate in tonight's caucuses. that is certainly good news for donald trump, and also for bernie sanders. we'll see you at 6:00. report live in des moines, dave evans channel 7 eyewitness news. >> it's going to be important. thank you, dave. we're going to check in with dave evans again at 6:00, and abc7ny will stream live events from the caucuses throughout the evening, and get a complete wrap up winners and losers

we have any details about the jail escapees in california. investigators now say that the men abducted a taxi driver and bickered over whether to kill him after breaking out of the jail. they ended up sparing the driver's life, and went to the homes of friends and family, and went shopping at target. buying items to help them change their appearances. stocks managed to recover from big losses earlier in the trading day. investors are working about the volatile price of oil and china's economy, closing at 16449. the nasdaq climbed 6 points and point. still to come on eyewitness news at five, breathalyzers in school, trying to crack down on illegal drinking. one local school district's proposal to test teens for alcohol. the big question, who should get tested. plus, new information on the am track crash that i would can -- amtrak crash that killed

the engineer revealing more about the crash months later. and with valentine's day around the corner, deals you can find that will save you money and make someone else very happy, too. and i'm meteorologist lee goldberg. last year, february started with some snow. this year, how about a record high and islip is 64. 59 in the park. mild enough for rain showers out right now.

we are learning more about a scary ride for amtrak passengers. a window shattered on a high speed train as it went through the philadelphia area. investigators say the damage was caused by a rock. kemberly richardson is in philadelphia, and she spoke to a man who was sitting next to the window that shattered. her exclusive interview is coming up on eyewitness news at six. eight months of investigation.

answer about why an amtrak engineer was going twice as fast as he should have been, causing an derailment. jim hoffer with the latest. >> reporter: what the report tells us is that the engineer is remembering more about the fatal crash. the engineer describing how he felt the train tilting over, saying quote, i felt a sensation that the side of the locomotive lifting up. no smoking gun, it does rule out track, and safety issues. we learned more about the engineer in the 106 miles per hour fatal derailment. brandon bostian had little hands on experience with this model train. when asked by an investigator did you operate the locomotive previously, bostian responded sporadically, very very sporadically. he initially tells investigators he has no

six months later he tells them in detail, he remembers accelerating on the straight away, and i don't remember anything from that point after the train was in the curve. i remember feeling i was going too fast around the curve. in response to the feeling i put the train brake on. he adds, i remember holding onto controlling tightly, and feeling like, okay, this i'm going over. >> his change of testimony in this case is extraordinary. >> reporter: attorneys for some of the victims' families pointed to what they claim is the engineer's sudden recall as proof he's been lying. >> my vacuously now -- mere -- >> reporter: the report draws no conclude as to the cause, the focus is clearly on the emergency. a nationally recognized rail safety expert says human error

train accidents, which is why he says amtrak is really at fault here for failure to install simple speed restriction technology that's been around for decades. >> easily could have been prevented. >> absolutely. and the engineer would not have been able to override or go to any excessive speed on that curve if that technology had been installed. >> reporter: just days after the crash, amtrak installed the speed restriction signals. we should note that the engineer has been suspended without pay. the ntsb is due out with a probable cause of the accident in its final report in may. back to you. >> thank you jim. hundreds of new york city uber drivers are tempting a 24- hour shut down. the drivers protested outside uber's headquarters in queens today. they are upset about the company's recent 15% price cuts. some drivers shut off their cell phones for 24 hours to decreases number of cars

>> the argument was to increase demand, but, you know, drivers are asking themselves, where would it come from. the other companies already cut their rates. those guys, the people that used to take lift, will not leave lift and come to uber. >> uber says the price cuts led to an increase in ridership over the weekend. a tv reporter and photographer nearly crushed by a tree during a live shot in southern california. they are recovering from serious injuries tonight. the tree falling on a vehicle in california this morning just outside san diego. this after the crew had reported on storm damage. that crew from our affiliate, kgtv the photographer suffered a broken leg. the reporter suffered serious injuries. both are undergoing surgery and are expected to survive. can you imagine. >> so frightening to see this. >> horrible weather over the weekend there. >> and this could happen to any crews out there. they are taking chances when they go out in storms. >> if you consider the

also the wind, things are just vulnerable. they can fall. that storm moving into the midwest, oh so close with the iowa caucus, where you have snow moving around midnight, really waiting until tomorrow. they're just getting everything in under the wire. outside tonight, tame here. umbrellas out. some saying the rain is too late to put up the umbrella at this point. 52 degrees. a north wind at 3, was gusting a little bit. a cold front is moving through. we managed to hit 59 degrees. that's 20 degrees above average. snowfall of course today, a little bit of rainfall, and right now, sunrise and sunset time. sunset about 4 minutes ago. the state had snow to start the month of february, which was the third coldest february on record. this one is getting off to a mild start. 51 kingston, poughkeepsie, 41 monticello. 52 yonkers and a pair of fives in norwalk, and it's upper 40s, a little steadier rain in monmouth and ocean county. we'll see the clouds break from

to mostly sunny skies when you wake up a little bit of rainfall, over northern new jersey where the numbers could fall close to freezing. watch for slippery spots. sunshine goes to work with 45 to 50 during the afternoon hours. there's the rain right now. nothing more than a couple sprinkles in the hudson valley. the clouds are thinning out over parts of monticello. steady rain, near hulett, long beach, oceanside, southern nassau county right now going into suffolk, and then you have heavy rains near sandy hook, down to jackson. i say heavier, it's more bark than bite on radar. it looks like light to moderate rain at worst. 195 and that rain extends back down to philly as the cold front works through, and already some breaks in the clouds over pennsylvania. this little area of high pressure is going to dive down into the area, give us an in between day, in between storms, beautiful, partly to mostly sunny day tomorrow, and there's the storm developing over the front range of the rockies. big snow already into the heartland, and see the blizzard warmings over parts of iowa.

the first part of wednesday. for us, we have these showers that go through 8:00, maybe 9:00. latest south and east. they'll push offshore. we'll have the clearing, and watch the blizzard come eastward. however, the storm track is leaving us on the warm side of the storm with the snow going into the lakes. we'll have rain starting lightly on wednesday morning, and getting heavier for the afternoon and early evening. it's an evening shower for us in spots. otherwise clearing comes in late, we're at 38 degrees. tomorrow a high of 48. mostly sunny and cooler. you're almost 10 degrees above normal for february, and then the clouds thicken up tomorrow night, a couple showers work in by wednesday morning. the heavier rain is for afternoon. in fact, at 5:30, we'll look at a future cast. does that mean the worst weather is going to target the wednesday evening commute. how about the mild start to the month, when will that end, and is a coastal storm, the next threat a week away. that's coming up in the 7-day accuweather forecast in our next half hour. back in court, a new twist

in the crash that injured comedian tracy morgan, and killed his friends. also ahead, he jumped into action to save a little boy attacked by a rabid raccoon. tonight, that good you like being picture perfect. you should want your banking to be too. stop into td bank and we'll help set you up with picture perfect banking. new customers, open a checking and savings account

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scientists have given approval to conduct experiments where they will try to modify human embryos. scientists say the goal of their work is to better understand human fertility. they say they will not create so called designer babies. rules call for the modified embryos to be destroyed after seven days. this is the first time a country has been given permissioned to this type of work. looks like the e. coli outbreak linked to chipotle restaurants is over. the most recent illness reported was on december 1st. what caused the outbreak to sicken people is unknown. in order to win customers back, chipotle is planning depp discounts -- deep discounts for the upcoming super bowl weekend. several artists creates one of a kind posters. ashley brian's new york voices selected as the arts and graphic design poster program. brian is 92 years old, featured two groups of singers with

posters and others will be installed in several subway stations and cars, and are available to buy at the transit museum. a hat on everyone's head. that is the goal of the man that you are about to meet. he's a hat designer from harlem. >> not a bad strategy, really. if everyone in the tristate got a hat, that's more than 20 million people, but is a hat for everybody? >> remember we're not talking baseball caps here. lauren glassberg with the man mad about hats. >> the right hat should elicit an emotional response. >> reporter: mark williamson has been selling hats for 25 years, recent at his own shop, the flame keepers hat shot. >> two months in, i started wearing a top hat. i'm the mad hatter after harlem. >> reporter: he hopes his harlem location is the first of many. >> the one thing about harlem was that there were generallies up here wearing hats. >> reporter: his goal is to get a hat on everyone's heads. it may take several tries.

>> reporter: until you find the right hat. >> and top hat. >> reporter: if you're at a total loss, consider this. >> i tell people you don't have to have a hat that matches everything you're wearing. as long as you have one color to tie into the color of the hat, you get to go. >> reporter: the hats are made in the u.s. and abroad. >> a lot of friends are artists, get inspiration from them, as far as colors, textures, what things go well together. >> reporter: some will garner more attention than others. >> overdone takes a longer time for it to walk out the shop. >> reporter: for those walking in, there's usually something to walk out with. >> i feel like he's reinterpreting something. we're old dudes and like our hats. he's bringing it to another generation, giving it a spin. >> reporter: and yes, he bought the hat on his head. >> a hat is definitely a vehicle of self-expression, so i try to make it feel like them when they're walking out. >> reporter: in harlem, lauren glassberg channel 7 eyewitness news.

sour note in the presidential campaign. she's not happy that one of the candidates, donald trump is using her song at campaign events. yeah, a representative of the singer says she has not given donald trump's campaign permission to use her songs at his rallies. some adele fans have expressed anger upon hearing the songs at trump events. adele's rep says she has not given permission for any political campaign to use her music. her music is still so good. >> that's why trump was using it. still ahead at 5, a plan to test teenagers even at school to see if they have been drinking. that proposal causing lots of controversy, we have reaction. plus, more trouble for superrer model stephanie shimmer related to that drunk driving arrest in connecticut. before you shop for your

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. a plan to allow a school district to give a breathalyzer test if they think a student is drunk in the classroom, at a football game or at other school functions. and tomorrow night, the board of education in nyack will debate this proposal. >> tons of controversy about this. this would be the first of its kind. joe torres has reaction from parents and students. joe. >> reporter: bill, no one should sort of read into this policy proposal, and remember that's all it is, a proposal, and think, oh, there's a major drinking problem at nigh nyack high school. nothing could be further from the truth. they are trying to have a proactive approach to deter

happen to be the first administrators in the area to implement such a man, so -- such a plan, so be it. >> reporter: breathalyzers at events like football games and dances. >> i don't want it, to be honest. >> i like to get lit. i'm not going to lie. >> reporter: a frank admission but the tests are not for everyone. they're only for students who exhibit signs or behavior indicating they have been drinking. >> slurred speech, you know, staggering, if they're demonstrating abnormal jovial type of behavior. >> reporter: the proposal originally listed flushed face as one of the telltale signs. students took interest with that, and raised a red flag. >> we talked through the policy, and some of the symptoms, they're common at a football game, we're packed together tightly anyway, they it haded to -- they decided to get rid of that. >> reporter: they admit parents have expressed support and opposition.

teenagers at the high school. >> i know if my kids were coming home and were telling me they got caught drinking at school, i would be very upset. >> the civil libertarian in me thinks that you have to be careful when you step down this path, but i love the district. i have confidence in the district. >> personally i think it's going to restrain people from coming to the event if they are getting drunk, so i think that the attendance at some of the games are going to decline due to this. >> reporter: the breathalyzer plan is on the agenda for tomorrow night's school board meeting. there will be more debate on this issue. count on it. from people on both sides. however, based on the people we talked to today, the anticipation is the plan will pass. live in nyack, i'm joe torres channel 7 eyewitness news. a not guilty plea tonight from the wal-mart truck driver accused of causing that crash that critically hurt comedian

his friends. kevin roper indicted and this afternoon appearing in court in new brunswick. toni yates is there with the latest. >> reporter: kevin roper is free while these proceedings make their way through the courts system. of course his attorney wants this case thrown out and he says he is confident that eventually it will be. former wal-mart driver kevin roper came up from georgia for his court appearance where he was formally arraigned in the june 2014 crash that killed comedian james mcnair and injured tracy morgan. roper was driving without having slept for 28 hours when his truck crashed into the limousine that morgan, mcnair and an entourage were traveling in on the new jersey turnpike. >> aggravated assault to varying degrees on the aggravated assault, most seriously which as you now know is a first-degree aggravated manslaughter. >> reporter: morgan and the family of james mcnair have

mart for millions of dollars. ropers attorney says that this criminal case is unjust, and he will continue his commitment to have it thrown out. >> we entered a plea of not guilty. things have pretty much been stayed, although not formally because we have a motion to dismiss the indictment being worked on now. it's a voluminous motion that addresses some of the things that took place in the grand jury and some of the issues that were presented and some that weren't presented to the grand jury. >> reporter: now, the judge gave roper's attorney until march 1 march 1st to present his motions to dismiss this case. the state has until march 28th march 28th to respond. both parties are due back in court on april 15th. live in new brunswick, toni yates channel 7 eyewitness news. thank you, toni. one of the world's first super models will face additional charges when she makes a court appearance tomorrow.

seemour for drunk driving. officers say the 47-year-old refused to take a breathalyzer test. she's charged with evading responsibility and driving in the wrong lane. some encouraging new details about a rabid raccoon attack on a boy in new jersey. a picture of aryan, reunited with danny walls, the man who rescued him from the raccoon attack last week. this was in elmwood park. he was tested for rabies, and aryan is testing for a series of rabies shots but is otherwise all right. mayor de blasio is saying the city has increased inspections at homeless shelters. state officials are ordering an investigation at the 53rd 53rd street homeless shelter in east harlem coming on the heels of a deadly stabbing. 62-year-old devin black was killed on his third night at the shelter. police in the bronx released photos of two men who posed as exterminators when they stormed a hunts point apartment at gunpoint. the woman living there was tied

other people in her beck street apartment. when the men got there, they found no cash in the apartment, and they took off simply taking an iphone. it was a powerful and emotional mural to remember victims of the sandy hook elementary school gun massacre, so why in the world has it been removed from a school in new town. we have that story next. plus, a patient who's raised a whole lot of money for cancer research now accused of faking her illness. what supporters are hoping for tonight. and light rains really not going to last long. look at already some clearing right now. you can see across the hudson valley has been very little. nothing more than drizzle. to the south, a little bit more different story. it's not as heavy as depicted. you definitely need the

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new town high school covering up a mural dedicated to the victims o. sandy hook gun massacre -- of the sandy hook gun master, and tonight a move to change that. the image of a dream catcher in the hallway. the image was changed. new town superintendent ordered it covered with plaster board. a 13-year-old girl kidnapped and murdered and the suspects are virginia tech students, david eisenhower and natalie keepers facing a judge. nicole lovell was found 80 miles away in north carolina, hours later, eisenhaur and the girl knew each other and lived in the same neighborhood. the motive for the killing is under investigation. a disturbing report out of europe, about 10,000 migrant children are currently unaccounted for and it's not clear how many of them may have become victims of human trafficking.

have entered europe in the past year. many refugees from syria fleeing the threat of isis. many of the migrants were unaccompanied minors who have since vanished. and the city of chicago, already dealing with the nation's highest homicide rate is now reeling from the bloodiest january in 16 years. the chicago police department says there were 51 murders in the city last month: the number of shooting incidents and shooting victims more than doubled. a popular cancer advocate. tonight, accused of lying about having the disease. tracy dart telling friends she went through three bouts of breast cancer. she has raised more than 400 thousand dollars for the susan g. coe men organization, and teamed up with a car dealership for support. team members now say she never had cancer, and her social media pages have been taken down. friends now talking about this shocking development. >> i wouldn't say we're angry. i would she needs help, and we hope she gets it.

the community. we're praying good things can come out of this for the susan g. komen foundation. >> the foundation says it is looking into this tonight. the young boy who became an internet sensation for his makeshift in new jersey has caught the attention of his soccer hero. an image of the five-year-old went viral over the weekend. that jersey that he's wearing is actually a striped plastic bag, and now he is trying to arrange a meeting with this young fan. >> wow. still ahead, you'll meet the amputee running the empire state building stair climb. >> and that is a long climb. plus, still looking for a valentine's gift for your sweetheart? we're going to tell you about this. scan your way to savings this february, with things like half off of winter coats.

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here's something for valentine's day. the name a roach event returns to the bronx zoo for a 5th 5th year. people are invited to name a madagascar hissing cockroach for a 10-dollar donation. the recipient will get a certificate. >> i think it's disgusting.

if someone did that to me, aimed kind of be insults. >> i'm with you. some say love is like a cockroach. it can be elusive, and resilient, and gross. >> i can't imagine any one of our spouses would want a cockroach named after her or him or her. >> they keep doing it. >> the bronx zoo does great work, and they are trying to save humanity, and wildlife. >> could discount the whole package. it's my second choice to jewelry. >> you are a font of information and knowledge and wisdom. the roach motel. >> i have to deal with a ground hog tomorrow. insect and animal world. we have what is some damp streets and a few snow patches in central park. very little evidence of the blizzard. you have to go to a shady i mean, it's under 2 inches of snow pack in central park, and see plenty of the meadow

we are at 52. cloudy skies, a north wind around 3. february preview, we start the month averaging 39. with 20 degrees above that today, the record high in islip of f 64. average snowfall, 9 inchings. and by the end of the month -- average snowfall, 9 inches and by the end of the month, two snowy days with temperatures around freezing, and it was the third coldest february on record. with this time of start over the first week, doesn't look like we'll be anywhere close to that. this particular future cast is showing showers through about 9:00. if there's going to be showers leftover at 9:00, it would be over parts of ocean county. most of us are done in the next couple of hours. tomorrow, lots of sunshine, 39 in new york city, and head to the upper 40s. there will be a few spots north and west where we get close to freezing. a little dampness and melting overnight that will be a couple

during the afternoon hours and evening hours tomorrow, the clouds will start to thicken in advance of our next storm. showers still will be a little light rain in new york city. reaching into northern new jersey. the steadiest so far in monmouth and ocean county. we are getting reports that it's light to moderate rain, and looks worse on the radar. this will slowly pivot offshore. clearing starts to set. in tomorrow, a chill in the air early sunshine. bright, beautiful day, really nice in the upper 40s to 50 degrees. clouds will thicken tomorrow night. i think light rain will be moving in by the morning commute on wednesday. the worst is almost centered as the evening commute is beginning. wind is also picking up out of the south at around 20 to 30 miles an hour. that soaking will continue into the early evening and then leave the scene on wednesday night. after a beauty tomorrow, on wednesday, i could see how we could get an inch of rain, and a couple spots could get more than that. thursday is breezy, still around 50.

cooler back to average on friday. saturday looking like the better day, sunday, a cold front from the west, a clipper, and there may be a snow shower from the north and west, and probably going to feel like freezing on that day. 38 on monday, and in about a week's time, we'll probably be watching a storm develop along the coastline. whether we get snow north and west, rain along the coast, early to tell. keep that on your calendar. for now, nice and mild. >> we like that. thanks lee. it's not your typical workout to be sure. the annual run up the empire state building 86 flights. >> and it is really challenging, even more challenging for a woman who is an amputee, and we have lauren who tweeted out photos today, and here with her story. >> makes you want to run up 86 flights of stairs. >> patty combs has an energy and enthuse yam that's so contagious. when i asked her why someone

of stairs, she said because they're there. it made me want to join her almost. she's quite an inspiration. >> reporter: patty collins has yet to meet a challenge she hasn't liked. >> it's a goal and to pursue the dream, and for other people in the world, for him to see why not do it. >> reporter: she will join over 200 people at the empire state building wednesday night and run up 86 flights of stairs to reach the famed observatory. >> go from the gun as hard as you can, as fast as you can, it's not something i do frequently, so 20, 25 minutes of hard, hard, hard, work, and the view at the top has got to be pretty awesome. >> reporter: collins isn't just any adventure runner, a new jersey native, she's fought in iraq with the united states army only to return home and lose her left leg in a bike accident. >> there have been so many inspirational people around me. >> collins disability didn't tame her active lifestyle. she has completed several

holding the world record for a distance triathlon for female amputees and returned to military duty, leading a battalion and being deployed to afghanistan. >> i have been blessed and i can say my disability is the best thing that happened to me. everybody in life has some disability, seen or unseen, but follow your dreams. never give up. >> reporter: wednesday night will be her first time battling the stairs. just the latest challenge. >> the training is done. so you stay loose, and you stay relaxed and stay hydrated and let the fun come wednesday night. >> the 39th empire run up is set for wednesday night. collins says she remembers seeing the event years ago on tv when she was growing up in new jersey. now she final gets a chance to do it herself. many of us will be cheering her on. it's hard not to. >> i'm going to be cheering her on. she's my kind of woman. good for her. >> keep dreaming. i like her spirit. >> awesome. you're not getting free first class upgrades, but american airlines is giving something back to its passengers. the align announcing today it's

free snacks in coach and more entertainment options on some aircrafts. the airline hasn't offered free snacks since 2003. american merged with u.s. airways that got rid of snacks in 2008. really small bags of pretzels. >> maybe we'll get chex mix if we're lucky. which valentine's day gift will give you the most for your money. what to buy and what to avoid, and how to take advantage of other holiday sales. new at six, we hear from a passenger next to the window that crack when a rock hit a new york bound train from philadelphia. a murder stuns a community in new jersey. sources say the victim was only 16 years old. we'll have the latest on the

coming up at six. 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

it's a big month, shopping for your sweety for valentine's day. you've got to know what to skip and where to splurge. and that's why we have 7 on your side's nina pineda here with your february buying guide. >> and diane here's a good tip, if you have a nice dinner in mind, look for deals on groupon. it may not be romantic to bust out a coupon, he or she may think you're super smart to save money. this month is not shy on sales, big ones. >> this year, honoring our presidents comes a day after you have satisfied your sweety's sweet tooth. >> this month has great holiday shopping. >> president's day, valentine's day,. >> descending prices will begin by this week, says ben glazer of deal news.com. >> look for store wide discounts at kmart, 20 to 70% off. >> reporter: you'll be good as gold to save money on jewelry.

but not so much on other valentine's day gifts. >> you're not going to see a lot of deals on chocolate february 14th. >> reporter: winter outer wear is all priced to get out the door. >> the fall and early winter were mild weather wise. people weren't buying winter apparel, and that left retailers with a ton of unsold coats and scarves and hats. >> bedding and mattresses, if you sleep through these deals, you won't see them again for a while. >> reporter: this is a best time to buy through spring. >> february is becoming a good month for tool purchases. >> reporter: it's not a good month for flat screens though. >> you maybe attempted to splurge on a big screen tv for the super bowl, if you do that, you won't get value like around black friday and the holidays. >> reporter: bullets, blenders, and toasters too. >> i wouldn't recommend it for valentine's day, unless your

specifically asked for a toaster. >> be careful. get the toaster but jewelry or a gift certificate inside it. wait on samsung until the new models for android and windows smart phones debut. there was a time i would have thrown a shoe at someone who gave me a toaster. this year, i'll take a vacuum, a toaster. >> nina, your standards have lowered. >> times have changed. i need a dust buster, i do. honey. still ahead, a crime fighting tool on long island that not everyone's happy about. eyewitness news at six starts right now. this is new york's number one news, channel 7 eyewitness news. with bill ritter and liz cho, rob powers with sports and lee goldberg with the exclusive accuweather forecast. now, eyewitness news at six.

it was like loud enough where it was alarming. >> an exclusive interview tonight with a passenger sitting next to a window that cracked when a rock hit a new york bound cela train. tonight, the unanswered question, did somebody throw that rock. and the presidential candidates are winding up their long campaigns iowa right now. voters are about to caucus and make their choices. and eyewitness news is there. and good evening to you, it's 6:00. i'm liz cho. >> and i'm bill ritter. more of those stories in a moment. we're going to begin with a murder that tonight has stunned a quiet community in new jersey. >> sources tell us a 16-year- old was stabbed to death in edge water. investigators have been on the scene of the crime all day long. >> reporter: bill and liz, investigators have been extremely tight lipped. as you said they have been out here all day. here is what we do know. that 16-year-old was apparently stabbed in the early morning hours here.

hospital but later died.