the snowfall to stick even though it's a light snowfall, it will make for slippery roads. winter weather advisory out for ocean county. see how the advisories are really focused to our south. that's where we could see 1 to 3 inches, maybe 4 inches west of the dc area. it's a large area of rain and snow but it's actually two storm systems and we're concerned with this patch of snow off to the north that looks pretty impressive now but is going to weaken and try to shift toward the coast as we go in to tomorrow morning. first flakes over our southern suburbs by 11:00, maybe takes until 2:00 or 3:00 for snow showers to get in to new york city. going to be patchy to the north. see how tomorrow morning we will have areas of light snow making for slippery roads. consolidates along the coast by midmorning then starts shifting out. we might even see sunshine by late day. here's what you need to know. snow or snow showers will be developing after midnight. focusing especially south of new

that snow will be winding down late morning in to the midday. they're looking at basically a trace to maybe an inch or two, best chance for higher accumulations, totals will be south and east of new york city. monmouth, middlesex, and ocean counties. a light at the end of the tunnel, a big time spring warmth coming up next week. pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears when a man with a gun choked and robbed a 92-year-old woman. when a good samaritan stepped in to help, he robbed that person too. n.j. burkett live from park slope, brooklyn with more on a heartless mugger. >> heartless is the word. and tonight that suspect is believed to be the same man who attacked and robbed the 71-year-old woman here in brooklyn three weeks ago. that robbery, like this latest one, happened in the middle of the afternoon. >> of course i'm afraid.

is 92 years old and she's terrified tonight. detectives say she was walking home from her local library in the middle of the day and had no idea she was being followed by a 250-pound man with a gun. when she got to the front door, he pushed his way in and put his hands around mr. gioino's neck. >> he choked me. shut up. shut up. give me money. i don't have any money. please leave me alone. >> reporter: she says the suspect pulled out a gun and threatened her. >> i said please leave me alone. he's choking me. give me the money. give me the money. i don't have the money. >> reporter: she says her downstairs neighbor arrived and he too was robbed at gunpoint. police posted a series of warnings throughout the neighborhood and say the same suspect is believed to have

prospect place three weeks ago. residents say it's reason enough to be concerned. >> very careful. i look over my shoulder. if i see somebody coming in back of me. you have to do that. when you're a senior you have to be very careful because we're vulnerable. >> reporter: ms. gioino said she pleaded with her attacker who had no mercy. >> i said please, leave me alone. i'm a sickly woman. leave me alone, please. >> reporter: he's described as 40 to 50 years old, weighing 250 pounds, 5'10" to 6 feet tall, wearing a dark wool cap and hooded sweater. >> anyone with information is urged to call the nypd. ms. gioino tells me she was born and raised in naples, italy. she's been living alone here for 45 years and had never been robbed until now. on tonight, park slope, brooklyn, n.j. burkett, channel 7 eyewitness news.

story. we've just learned three nypd officers have been suspended without pay while the department investigates their involvement in a car crash. the accident happened on staten island on friday night and the cops were off duty at the time. a car they were in crashed to the front of the hair do or dye salon. police are investigating whether police left the scene of the accident without reporting it. no criminality found in the case. raynet turner was arrested on a shoplifting charge. days later she was found dead in her jail cell after complaining about feeling ill. a special investigation unit released its findings today confirming turner died of natural causes. >> we reviewed surveillance video spanning the entire duration of her confinement. the mount vernon police department had video cameras in pretty much every relevant location including video cameras

>> the attorney general's report in to turner's death did call for several reforms to the processing supervision and arraignment of arrestees. we'll break down those changes coming up on eyewitness news at 6:00. a war of words tonight with republicans fearful of a donald trump nomination. mitt romney leading a searing attack against the billionaire, calling him a fraud and phony who's playing the american public as suckers. as you can imagine, didn't take long for trump to fire back, calling romney a choke artist. political reporter dave evans is here with the latest. >> this is really unusual, and it shows the crisis now going on within the republican party. voters, they have made trump the frontrunner. but the party establishment, including romney, they're worried trump can't beat hillary clinton. also they say if trump becomes the president, the world would become a much more dangerous place, and no surprise, trump hit back later today with taunts and name calling. >> in an extraordinary speech

party, mitt romney joined the chorus of republicans frantically trying to stop trump. >> donald trump is a phony, a fraud. his promises are as worthless as a degree from trump university. >> reporter: romney was the party's 2000 nominee. >> i'm so honored and pleased to have his endorsement. >> reporter: back then romney gladly accepted trump's support but said trump as president would be unsafe, lead to an economic recession, and asked is children. >> think of trump's personal qualities. the bullying, the greed, the showing off, the misogyny, the absurd 3rd grade theatrics. >> he was begging for my endorsement. i could have said mitt, drop to your knees. he would have dropped to his knees. he was begging. >> reporter: donald trump in maine today responded, ridiculing romney as a failed candidate who should have easily beaten barack obama.

he choked and he choked like i've nev er seen anyone choke other than rubio when chris christie grilling him. >> reporter: david axelrod, who ran obama's first campaign, tweeted i haven't seen anything like this since '64 when the gop establishment walked away from barry goldwater. sarah palin called his attack a hit on patriotic americans. >> he has neither the temperament nor the judgment to be president and his personal qualities would mean that america would cease to be a shining city on a hill. >> romney today did not endorse anyone and he swears he is not interested in running but there is a scenario that trump could be challenged at the convention this summer in cleveland, it could turn to someone like a romney or ryan as a compromise

we haven't seen anything since adly stevenson. no apologies tonight from chris christie over calls for him to resign over not spending enough time working in new jersey and for campaigning for donald trump. >> i have no current plans to go back on the road with him again but i will at some point i'm sure do so. the only plans i have to go away is to finally take a few days off. >> seven newspapers in new jersey have called on christie to resign since his endorsement for trump. a poll shows christie's approval rating has now dropped to 27%. the manager of a brooklyn store is recovering after he was stand in the neck. the victim was attacked at the family dollar store on atlantic avenue in crown heights. he's expected to recover. one person has been taken in to police custody. two men have been charged with attacking a cab driver in brooklyn. police say it happened about 3:30 this morning. the driver was assaulted and cut

white avenue. they face robbery charges among other offenses. police are still looking for a third suspect. contingency plans in place should new jersey transit workers go on strike, 4200 workers that could impact more than 100,000 daily riders. aj ross talked to riders and has more on the backup plan. she's live in newark. >> talk about a chain reaction. there could be a massive headache for not only new jersey transit rail commuters but really all commuters between new jersey and new york. if this strike goes down, even with extra buses, only about 40% of the riders can be sustained, meaning the other 60% are likely going to clog up the roads, light rails, and ferries. >> it would just ruin my life. >> it's going to be a real nightmare. >> reporter: with a potential strike just 10 days away, new jersey transit rail operations could soon be coming to a screeching halt.

customers who rely on their services to travel to the city daily. with negotiations between the rail union and transit officials now at an impass, a thorough contingency plan was laid out thursday. >> make no mauc. our contingency service cannot replicate the railroad. >> reporter: a plan they admit can only sustain a small fraction of roughly 38% of their ridership. part of the plan would involve extra transit buses providing service to key park and ride locations from which commuters can access alternatives to the city. >> it will have a severe effect on travel in the entire region. whether you take a bus, whether you drive, whether you take path. >> reporter: this is a map of those five regional park service ride locations including metlife stadium, pnc bank arts center, the metro park rail station, and ramsey route 17 rail station.

than 60,000 commuters who will likely contribute to extra congestion on the roads and systems. >> going back and forth to this city living in jersey, a lot of people commute. being a big commuter, it would mess up everything i have going on for me. >> it's going to be pretty difficult. the train is the easiest and quickest way to get to the city. >> in a statement a spokesman for the rail union says the last thing they want is a strike and they're only asking for what two neutral panels have recommended. i'll have more on their demands as well as what governor christie has to say about this issue coming up on eyes news at 6:00. live at newark penn, aj ross, channel 7 eyewitness news. still ahead, case closed. five teenagers accused in a rape at a playground in brooklyn now officially cleared. one of their mothers is speak out tonight. >> mayor de blasio now marking in the new york city st. patrick's day parade.

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for the first time in decades, gay and lesbian groups allowed to mark in -- to march in the st. patrick's day parade. mayor de blasio will be marching, ending his two-year boycott. >> they're calling this a special day, a day of unity. others believe when it comes to the st. patrick day's parade,

forward. >> reporter: what a difference a year makes. last year the mayor skipped the parade for the second year, even though only one small lesbian, gay, transgender group was allowed to march. this time 300 people are expected to march. >> it's an honor to welcome you and the members of the new york city council to the 2016 new york city st. patrick's day parade. >> your historic gesture of welcome, like america of hospitality undoes the anguish and pain of exclusion and discrimination. >> reporter: parade organizers, members of the alliance and others began meeting together. many were at the irish consulate posted by consulate general barbara jones. >> what an amazing testimony of good will, graciousness, reconciliation. this parade really matters to ireland.

fought to overturn the ban on lgbt groups found today's announcement also an emotional one. >> there were many times when we wanted to give up and we wondered if we would ever see this day. >> reporter: many times through protests had worked for some 25 years to get the ban lifted. some like councilman jimmy van bramer were arrested. >> it was a profound and deep feeling of exclusion and powerlessness. >> reporter: some believe it was the mayor's boycott that put pressure on the organizers. but others feel -- >> it's time to move forward. what else can we say? >> i plan to march with members of our uniform services and to also spend time marching with lavender green. >> also former city council speaker christine quinn will be ending her boycott and marching

a suffolk county teenager sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to brutally raping a girl in the woods. 17-year-old jose cornejo admitted he attacked the girl and a male companion. he and a fellow gang member admitted they took turns sexually assaulting a girl in the woods around the brentwood country club. >> these were barbaric acts by all three of these defendants. mr. carnejo is an insidious person and deserves to be in prison. >> he says accomplice joel escobar pleaded guilty to raping the girl. he'll be sentence d in may. after a rush hour romp through times square, gunny the horse will be back on the streets. gunny was startled by a noise while on duty.

he eventually turned in to a parking garage where the mounted unit keeps its horses during breaks. gunny just wanted to go home. >> he's a big horse. we've got some snow headed our way but it's not going to be so bad. >> exactly. i think it's just the timing. looking at new information, it's like 3 a.m. to 7:00 or 8:00 a.m. where we put down most coatings. that's why things could get slippery. maybe a fresh coating in central park. that's going to be confined to parts of central and southern new jersey. the high today, 35. it's cold, it's dry. at least the wind has backed off a little bit. the average high is 45. we'll get back to the normal readings over the weekend then way above in to early next week. sunset is 10 minutes before 6:00. last year in the state we had just under 2 inches of snow and a high of 37. mid 30s, central southern new jersey.

this is where we might see an inch or two of snowfall. temperatures are pretty close to freezing and will go below in many spots. snow will stick especially since we've been chilly last 48 hours. clouds are rolling in tonight. after midnight primarily is when the snow moves in. i can see it around 11:00 to midnight in parts of ocean county. majority of the area, wait till after midnight. it is snowing in places in the morning commute. cloudy by noon time and breaks in the clouds in the afternoon. also a gusty cold wind. clouds are rolling in right now. we're watching some snow coming in from the west. a lot of it is drying up because the air is so dry close to home. it's actually driven by the jet stream, not by a storm that's down over the gulf states right here. that's going to be the dominant storm. our window for snowfall only lasts until the storm really hits the coast and gets strong because watch what happens. you have your snow coming in from the west. there's that storm getting along the coast in the wee hours of

there's still snow at 7:00 or 8:00 in the morning but as this storm winds up it will pull off the moisture offshore and that will leave very quickly. here's what it looks like on a close-up. you have your snow starting over portions of ocean county by midnight. by 2:00, 3:00 in the morning, might be snow showers over new jersey, long island. a flurry or two over the northern serbs. snow -- northern suburbs. temperatures near 40 in the afternoon feeling like low to mid 30s. things are quieting down in the evening. northern suburbs, hudson valley, little to no accumulation. parts of western long island, northern new jersey. and south of i-78 where we could get an inch or two of snow especially over ocean county and maybe the east end of long island. so snow develops late tonight. there could be a coating by dawn in spots.

snow ends by midday. it's brisk. tomorrow night mostly clear and cold. coming up at 5:30, could this be a complete miss north of new york city? we'll look at the snow track. more snow showers over the weekend. looking less likely now. record warmth a possible in to next week. 7-day accuweather forecast in our next half hour. >> 70 degrees in the works. new information tonight about a shutdown in indian point. coming up, why a burn is being blamed for a square at the nuclear plant. >> scott kelly now in texas and he's getting a hero's welcome. we'll tell you about the gifts the astronaut received from the president. >> and we look at hot new wedding trends from technology

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the nfl is trying to reinstate new england patriots tom brady's four-game suspension. legal teams just wrapped up arguments before a panel of three federal judges here in new york. they questioned attorneys about why they should second guess the judgment. if the league wins, brady may have to sit out the start of next season. it could take several weeks for

oh, the comforts of home. astronaut scott kelly is back in his home in texas after nearly a year in space. now he's able to sleep in his own bed. >> kelly got a hero's welcome and some gifts. later he went for a dip in a space uniform. >> reporter: astronaut scott kelly this morning back home in houston, by way of kazakhstan and outer space. >> it's just an unbelievable feeling to be back here on planet earth back in our great country. >> reporter: kelly spent 340 days aboard the space station, the first american to spend so much time in the cosmos. now he's enjoying many firsts since returning. first hugs with his children and girlfriend. >> i missed everyone very much. >> reporter: kelly tweeting his first call from the president, his first sunset in norway, a different view from his last one in orbit. his first flowers, a contrast from the ones he raised in space. his first plunge in the pool. >> that feels good. >> reporter: after a year admiring bodies of water only

during that time he completed nearly 5500 orbits, that's almost 144 million miles, equal to the moon and back 300 times. the mission, to test human endurance, key for potential future travel to mars. >> by going to mars one day, it will make things better here on earth. so i'm happy to be apart of that. >> reporter: and now scott will be compared to his identical twin, mark. his next year-long mission, undergoing medical testing and providing data here on earth. but first -- >> i brought you some beer and apple pie. nothing more american than that. >> on twitter president obama told kelly he hopes gravity isn't a drag. even if it is, nasa is saying the spine stretches in space, so kelly likely came back 2 inches taller. >> sounds good. it's a case that sparked outrage all across the community. the alleged gang rape of a young woman in a brooklyn park. coming up, reaction after the

>> also, a chilling incident captured on camera. kindergartner. fate.

now at 5:00, charges officially dropped against five brooklyn teenagers accused of raping an 18-year-old woman at gunpoint. >> the alleged attack at a playground in brownsville outraged community leaders but the woman recanted her story. eyewitness news reporter kemberly richardson is in downtown brooklyn with more.

attorney said this group of five were, quote, anonymous school boys leading anonymous lives. that same lawyer blasted prosecutors in court for not identifying or charging the accuser's father, also for not going after this 18-year-old woman for falsely reporting this incident. >> what are you feeling today? >> relief. relief. >> now that the 14-year-old by her side and four other teenaged boys were hiding their identities have been officially cleared in all charges, in an unsettling case in which an 18-year-old girl claimed the group raped her inside a park she said at gunpoint. today the case was dismissed. over time the accuser's story fell apart. there were inconsistencies. she admitted there was no weapon, no forcible sexual assault. the district attorney revealed this young woman who spoke to me days after the incident -- >> i don't know what to do. i was in a panic mode.

having sex with her father, seen here, in the red and black jacket. >> it's not rocket science. from the very beginning, although vilified, it was clear that it was something wrong with this case and as i said before, the district attorney's office did what the police department should have done. they didn't do what some of these community leaders and people in city hall did, which was come to a rush to judgment and they did a prudent thing and they did the right thing. >> reporter: today prosecutors admitted there was a lack of reliable evidence in this case. critics called, quote, beyond peculiar from the beginning. >> they have to read about themselves, humiliating. >> reporter: one tells me the damage is there. >> the stigma is still there. we're going to find ways for him so he moves on and this don't affect him. >> reporter: as for the accuser, she says she's doing okay and trying to move on. >> no one is here to vilify this

obviously this is a young lady who at every point our system, our society has failed. >> today the judge also sealed the teen's cases. in terms of a suit moving forward against the city or the comment. for now we're live in downtown brooklyn, kemberly richardson, channel 7 eyewitness news. it was an emotional day in court when the man accused faced a judge. all four suspects pleaded not guilty. prosecutors say they killed mike nolan in a drive-by shooting. the motive, they say, revenge. marcus solis is in white plains with more for us. >> it was an overwhelming show of support this morning, so many family members, relatives, friends of mike nolan arrived here at the courthouse. most could not get in to the courtroom for the arraignment. >> reporter: one after another they filed in to court.

but accused of being in a car together during a fatal drive-by shooting. one by one the four bronx residents charged in the death of mike nolan pleaded not guilty. >> made my stomach sick. made my stomach sick to have to actually put a face, faces to who did this to him. >> reporter: the arraignment took place in a courtroom pack with friends and family of the former big league prospect, some wearing oakland as gear. the team that drafted the left-handed pitcher in 2014. nolan was trying to work his way back from an injury but in september the 23-year-old was shot three times while standing in the parking lot of a burger king. police say the shooting was in retaliation over an earlier dispute about a drag race. >> i'm not denying he was there but he had nothing to do with the fight, the race, nothing to do with any of that. unfortunately he had to pay the price. >> reporter: hunter is accused of being the trigger man. gather cole -- garth cole was allegedly behind the wheel.

we have a lot of investigating to do. >> reporter: the suspects were five-month investigation. >> did they shoot at the car? no questions. >> reporter: relatives said little leaving court but friends rallied to their defense. people. they're not from that type of background. they're not that type of people. >> four suspects being held without bail and they'll be back in court next month. marcus solis, channel 7 eyewitness news. connecticut school officials have voted not to renew the license of a former principal who was caught on camera dragging children. videotape captured carmen perez dixon dragging kindergarten children down the hall in a bridgeport school in 2012. she retired after school authorities suspended her but she later applied to renew her teaching certificate. staff accused her of hitting children.

be able to take the s.a.t.s for free. they took the test for no cost. by next year it's going to be available to all students in all high schools. s.a.t. registration fees typically start at $43. there are extra fees to take the essay portion or register by phone. ivy league football coaches winning praise for their move to reduce concussions. eight coaches unanimously agreed last week to end all tackling in practice. going forward tackling is only going to take place during games. dartmouth ended tackling five years ago and players there have had fewer concussions and fewer injuries overall. well known soccer star brandy chastain is pledging to donate her brain to research. she's best known for her penalty kick in 1999 that won the u.s. the world cup title. she hopes the research will provide insight in to cte, a degenerative illness caused by blows to the head.

concussions during her professional career. smash and grab. coming up on eyewitness news, burglars captured on camera break in to a gun store, smashing display cases. as you can see, getting away with an arsenal of weapons. the massive manhunt underway right now. >> also ahead, one very close call. a couple celebrating the registry of their new car, a split second later they came within inches of disaster. >> the clouds are rolling in right now. pretty chilly right now. we're at 35. tracking snow off to our west. we'll let you know timing and totals.

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we're following some breaking news in western new jersey where there's been a bad accident on route 80.

ago near exit 12 in hope township located in warren county. the accident is in the eastbound lane. right now the left and center lanes are closed as police investigate. we are told there are big delays throughout the area so take note. newscopter7 is on the way and we'll keep you posted and bring you a live picture as soon as we can. police in suffolk county are fighting the release of 911 recordings in a mysterious case that led to the discovery of 10 sets of human remains along the coast. county officials say they should not have to release those 911 recordings made the night shannon gilbert was last seen. the search for gilbert would later lead to at least one serial killer's dumping grounds in the beach area. gilbert's mother wants those recordings released for a civil suit against the man who was the last to be seen with her daughter. a brazen gun store robbery in houston is caught on camera. take a look. first the robbers tie a chair from the truck to the door and yank it off. then the suspects charge the

hammers to break several cases. they took more than 50 hand guns and rifles and only took them two minutes to pull it all off. >> it would be troubling to me that you've got that many people involved because then what it potentially means is you've got distributing firearms on the streets of houston. >> reporter: the district attorney's office says it has three of the suspects in custody, seven remain on the loose. one of their very first rides in their new car turns in to a terrifying one. a couple from washington says they were following a wobbly looking truck on the highway. next thing they know a tire comes flying off going right through their windshield. amazingly no one was hurt but their car now needs thousands of dollars in repairs. the dramatic rise in home delivery service in new york city is leading to a huge increase in traffic congestion. companies like fresh direct and amazon are contributing to a

the city is now looking in to ways to decrease commercial traffic and possibly limit the times delivery trucks are allowed to operate. new information about a nuclear reactor shutdown. coming up on eyewitness news, the indian point power plant safety shut down. the reason why, that's for the birds. literally. >> also a modern twist on matrimony. we're going to show you how to capture the magic of marriage from high above. >> plus this. >> i'm lauren glassberg. the transit hub at the world

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hey, have you heard? heard what? before school starts in september, all kids going into 7th and 12th grade have to get the meningococcal vaccine.

that can be serious, even deadly. yeah, that's why they can't start school without it. something to share? (giggling) actually, yes! talk to your health care provider. even kids who've had one shot may still need a booster. we know what caused a shutdown at the indian point nuclear plant last year. it was bird poop. a state commissioned report says

a large bird -- these two next to me are giggling -- fell in to some of the electrical equipment back on december 24th and that poop triggered the reactor's automatic shutdown. it was the 13th unplanned shutdown at the plant since 2012. it's not clear how many of those shutdowns were actually due to birds and poop. [ laughter ] >> you handled that well. >> i like saying bird poop on the air. it's freeing. >> okay. [ laughter ] >> note to self. so it's shaping up to be not so bad. i think we're ready. >> it's just in that small time period leading in to the morning commute there could be slippery roads. a lot of folks on social media ask can we have a school delay in spots? there's a very slight chance of that. especially south of new york city where we have coatings where it's slippery where maybe some schools have a minor delay. to the north i don't think the snow is heavy enough. our temperature, cloudy skies at 35. cloudy and calm wind at this point. over the next 7 hours i think

kind of holding steady in the mid 30s. wind isn't too bad. it's a cold night but not as blustery as it's been. snow coming in primarily through midnight, working through midmorning. there is a gusty wind tomorrow. temperatures on the thermometer may make a run at 40. it will feel like lower and mid 30s, some breaks of sun especially off to the north and west. clouds are rolling in right now. we're watching areas of snow work in to the pittsburgh area and down toward dc, a couple flurries. air is very dry close to home. even if the radar is showing, it's not going to reach the ground for a while. we're starting to see snowflakes over parts of ocean county. i think by 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning we see some. patch y showers over northern new jersey. and it's that window from 2:00 in the morning to 7:00 or 8:00 in the morning where we have the best chance for more widespread snow showers. as the storm offshore starts to strengthen, it's going to start

coast. so the snow will last longer in eastern long island, parts of monmouth and ocean county. that's why we have our higher totals there. when i say higher it's basically an inch or two. by that time, already breaks in the clouds. then the clouds and storm is pulling away offshore. we'll have temperatures in the mid and upper 30s as we go through late day and wind chills will be around freezing. here's my latest snowfall map. i'm thinking an inch or less, parts of the hudson valley. i'd say especially in duchess county, northern fairfield, this could be in putnam too. it might be no more than flurries. then we could get coatings, western long island. and an inch or two is a possibility. south of i-78 in new jersey and also the east end of long island. so your 7-day accuweather forecast. we had a snowy start tomorrow. maybe breaks in the afternoon. 39. on saturday the clouds will be thickening. there might be some flurries that try to come in at night. the trend for this system has been a little farther south and

so the worst case is some slick spots late saturday night in to sunday morning. after that the sun should come out in the afternoon. mid and upper 40s on sunday. then i know you're going to like this. 54 on monday. mix of sun and clouds. mid 60s tuesday. spring preview certainly in full gear. then look at wednesday. record high is 69 set back in the year 2000. we're forecasting a high of 70 which is pretty bold. when you're talking about thursday for the forecast for next wednesday going that high with the forecast you know that air mass will be warmer. the spring preview will go through thursday next week. >> i love it when >> time to pull those flip-flops out. [ laughter ] >> don't step on the you know. >> you can say it. >> no, no, i'm good. [ laughter ] for many brides to be, tradition is just going out the window. now weddings are getting a modern makeover. >> from drones to social media,

thorne shows us the new trends in weddings. >> reporter: why have pictures of your wedding from the ground when you can have them from the air? >> you're able to see your affair from an angle that you've never been able to see before. >> reporter: drones are just one of the new hottest trends happening in weddings. photographer brian of park avenue studios on long island says he's done more than 100 weddings like this one using drones. >> i literally i have the drones play with the guests. i'll land it on a table as they're sitting there. they'll wave and the thing will take off and fly away. there's all new things happening at weddings. >> reporter: then there's people like samantha roberts who you can hire to live tweet, instagram, and even periscope your wedding. it's called made of social. >> brides typically spend 14 months planning their wedding. this is the day they feel the star of the show.

the social media bridal world that day. >> reporter: wedding guests, there's something new for you too. you know how it is when you buy a card, you put a check inside, then before the reception you have to worry about what you did with the card. there's a solution. >> now people can give cash digitally and it's safer, faster. it's a huge convenience for your guests. >> reporter: the website is called tender. brides and grooms create a profile. guests pick a card design, write a personal note, and give money using their credit card. >> our users get a chance to communicate to their guests about their financial goals, their dreams, things they want to do with their money and it enables their guests to feel vested in the couple's future. >> reporter: it does make you wonder what's next? kristin thorne, channel 7 eyewitness news. >> that's so convenient. >> but what happened to just the photographer and videographer? >> that's long gone. what a ride. a transit hub makes its long awaited debut.

over budget and overdue. the multibillion-dollar transit center is finally open. why there's little hoopla. >> i'm liz cho. coming up at 6:00, new jersey governor chris christie fires back. he talks about his endorsement of donald trump that's caused a whole lot of controversy. >> investigation in to the death of a mother of eight. she died in jail two days after she was arrested for shoplifting. new recommendations from the new all across america families are coming back to time warner cable for a whole new experience. that's because we've been working hard to give you better service, and it shows. we came back for internet speeds so fast even the kids are impressed. oh she's impressed.

just as fast as we can watch them. for $89.99 a month you'll get 100 meg ultra-fast internet, popular hd channels and unlimited calling. twc's home wifi is so strong we can use all our devices at the same time. so we can all watch whatever we want. and that's kinda cool. call now. for $89.99 a month you'll get internet, tv and phone. there's no contract, no risk and our money-back guarantee. come back today and we'll give you free installation with our exclusive one-hour arrival window. feels good to be back. come back today. you'll get free installation, tv equipment and epix included. and now get a $300 reward card.

the soaring transportation hub at the world trade center is finally open. >> it's designed to evoke a bird in flight, but not everybody is crazy about it. there was no ribbon cutting ceremony when the oculus opened to the public and that happened a few hours ago. eyewitness news reporter lauren glassberg is in lower manhattan with more. >> i know it's a very personal

i happen to like it. i might not be in the majority. time will tell. the groundbreaking was four years ago. and lots of people are happy it's finally open. commuters, people who live in this area and people working in this area came by this afternoon to go inside the oculus for the first time to check out what the creation designed by santiago calatrava is all about. >> reporter: it wasn't exactly a ribbon cutting but there was certainly excitement at the transit hub. >> come on in. anything worth having is worth waiting for. >> reporter: 10 years in the making. >> it's gorgeous. >> reporter: wendy franklin watched it get built. she's thrilled about the convenience it now offers. >> it's very hectic when you come out with the pass traffic and the people trying to come in to see one this is going to alleviate a lot of it. >> it's going to save you some time in the morning. >> yes, it is, then i won't have to come out and free. >> reporter: others came by just to check it out.

so from a design perspective, it's beautiful. >> reporter: as for the $4 billion price tag, don't all agree. >> i feel like it could have been better spent, sort of improving upon existing rails. the hub is great but if you can't get in because you're stuck halfway through, a hub doesn't really matter, right? >> i think in the end it's going to be something that people around the world are going to want to come and see it. i love the natural light and the architecture is beautiful and it's going to be pretty much a hub of everything in southern manhattan. >> reporter: people can enter through four world trade or at liberty street. a passageway leads to the oculus. or you can access the oculus if you're coming up from the path train. but there's still much that has to open here. restaurants, shops, and additional ways in and out to accommodate all the anticipated foot traffic. >> the total people coming to the site each and every day visiting, working here, enjoying the environments, 250,000 people.

be more but those are estimates based on 10 years ago. >> and steven of the port authority says in several weeks yet another entrance will open. that will be on church street and that will allow commuters to connect to 11 subway lines. that will certainly help ease congestion in this area and yet another entrance will open here along vessy street. lauren glassberg, channel 7 eyewitness news. >> i look forward to seeing it. still ahead, an uncivil civil war in the republican party. eyewitness news at 6:00 starts right now. donald trump and i have been

i believe he's the best person to beat hillary clinton. >> new jersey governor chris christie tonight defending his controversial endorsement of donald trump and rejecting growing calls for his resignation as governor. >> new jersey transit unveiling its plans for commuters if rail workers go on strike in 10 days. good evening at 6:00. i'm liz cho. >> i'm bill ritter. those stories in a moment. first breaking news in western new jersey. a very bad accident, hope township along route 80. >> eyewitness news reporter shannon sohn is over the scene. this looks like a real bad accident. >> oh, it is just terrible. only one car involved in this. it happened at about 4:54 this afternoon. this car was traveling east on route 80, made it to about a mile before exit 12 when it careened off the median and crashed head first in to the car. you can barely recognize anything in the car except for maybe the back end of it. what we understand at this point

that car when it slammed in to the tree. a medi vac has already come. we know there were injuries here. as we pull the shot out you need to know as you travel along route 80 on the westbound side you've got that left lane closed off. still three lanes getting through. it's really not that bad. all this about a mile before exit 12. you've got a good mile delay getting through this. it is going to be a nightmare and will stay this way through the accident investigation. shannon sohn, channel 7 eyewitness news. now to the weather. not so fast getting ready for spring. before that happens, we're in for a little dose of winter. >> just enough snow to make for a messy commute tomorrow morning. new york city going a little bit overboard and already suspending alternate side parking rules for tomorrow. >> meteorologist lee goldberg tracking it all out. he's outside our studios. >> just about six to eight hours away but commuters will have to watch their step on the sidewalks tomorrow morning, get