virus. benson. >> i'm jennifer leigh. thank you for joining us. we begin with 8 on your side vote coverage. >> the iowa caucuses live from iowa iowa. news channel 8's keith cate is in des moines iowa, keith take it away! >> reporter: good english other, as you can see behind me, a lot more activity than when we arrived thursday. all the media coming to see how it turns out. the numbers will trickle in as the evening goes along, but we hit the ground running thursday, chased after candidates, attended rally, talked to the good people of iowa, and we have a much more

process, the first in the nation caucus state. iowa is a beautiful mid western state spanning far and wide, population, 3 million. about a million fewer people than tampa bay. it's big ag country with rolling plains. the birth place of john wayne. >> people are supplied he's -- here. >> reporter: and the people of iowa are strong and proud. >> they embrace the john wayne values. >> reporter: but this state's economy also thrives on finance and insurance. unemployment here is under 4 percent, and every four years this small town charmer takes on a big time caucus. and the locals thrive on it. this is the heart beat of the caucuses, des moines. where the land mark gold-domed capital is located.

>> absolutely. we're the best. >> reporter: businesses cash in on it. >> every four years we bring out the caucus merchandise. this is the time of the year. >> reporter: # percent of the store's nearly -- 3 percent of the store's yearly profits calm from caucus sales. who are you leans for? >> probably rubio. to me, he can win. i think the other people are too extreme and turn me off. >> reporter: from the largest city to the smallest town, iowa is for this one week one of the most unassuming and yet most important statements in the nation. i wanted to linger just a little on that last shot you saw there. there was a sign out front of

location where my very talented photographer and editor's great, great grandfather founded the town. so we have a great team with us here with me, and we'll be covering this all night. the big story of course is turn out. will it be a record turn out in the will there be surprises? one person hoping for a big surprise is florida governor jeb bush. i spent some time following him around, and he's way down in the poll, and had a rocky start at his rally today. that's coming up tonight at 6:00 o'clock. >> and keith, when you're out talking to folk, do you get a -- folks, do you get a sense of how big the turn out could be? does everyone seem to say they'll be going to caucus? >> reporter: couple of throughout, the weather is threatening, but i think it will be okay in the caucus hour, and everyone i spoke to

experts are saying it will be a record turn out, anything about 120 to 130,000 people, so i think it's going to a fairly quick out -- to be a fairly good turn out. people support their candidate, they don't pick the next president, but they tell you who's going to win, place, and show, and who will be a great contending going forward, including florida on march 14th. >> certainly all eyes on iowa, keith cate. thank you sir. keith will bring us the results later tonight. be sure to tune into news channel 8 at 11:00. he'll break down the numbers for us live from des moines. back closer to help, temple terrace police investigating an armed robbery and attempted murder case all happened while a man was unloading groceries. here's more on that.

right, it's something we all do, almost every week. just simply unloading groceries from the back of our car, but for one temple terrace man, a simple trip to the supermarket became a life or death experience. here you can see a bullet hole still in the home where this all went down, and tonight we're getting to hear the 911 call from just moments after this terrifying incident. >> i was putting in groceries, just finishing up when one of them grabbed me by the arm, pointed a gun in my face and said don't say anything and ushered my away from the house. >> reporter: a quiet night preparing for the start of a new week was anything but 38- year-old as -- but for the 38- year-old as two men appeared with a gun demanding he keep quiet. >> i got away, and ran for the house, and drew my firearm and started firing on them. >> reporter: then shots range

first tried to grab the robber's gun, and then his own. this woman lives in the neighborhood with her young son and heard the commotion. >> i was sleeping, and i heard the helicopter, and my friend called me she said she heard four or five shots. >> reporter: the two robbers ended up fleeing on foot, and the man left with a minor injury to his thumb. the authorities believe he was lucky to get away with his life. >> it's aiding reduce situation, we -- a dangerous situation, and we don't encourage victims to grab the gun away or fight with them. seriously injured. >> reporter: now police released suspect descriptions in this case, two black men dressed in dark clothing, each about 150 pounds, and one of them is carrying a silver hand gun. josh?

public is in any danger at this point? >> reporter: no thankfully they don't believe the public is in danger, and are classifying this as a random act of violence. >> all right, mary mcguire, thank you. police are trying to track down a group of car jackers in the area. it started in tampa friday night when a woman was car jacked by three men. saturday an officer spotted the car and followed it, but lost control of the car during the chase and the criminals are still on the run. search crews desperately searching the waters of clear water for a missing boater. his wife called the police, and they found his boat near the coast guard station. there's no sign of that boater. a 3,000-dollar reward being

escaped teen inmate, the 18- year-old and 17-year-old broke out in hillsborough county yesterday by cutting a hole in the fence to escape. they're supposed to be supervisorred 24 hours a way. the florida department of juvenile justice is investigating to make sure all policies and procedures were followed. beware of phone calls from the irs. gulf port police busted a st. petersburg man after he withdrew almost $6,800 from a wells fargo account. lee, this man is here collecting the proceeds from a phone call where someone pretended to be an agent of the irs. the caller threatened unless the elderly denver cupped paid them, they'd be -- couple paid them, they'd be deported to greece, and worried they sent the money. >> after they kept calling and

like no, i know i've been scammed. >> lee has been suspended from his job, and he'll likely be fired. the zika virus has been declared an international health emergency, the world health organization made the announcement this afternoon. evidence is growing the mosquito born virus is responsible in the spike of a number of babies born with several issue, and it could be causing another disease that temporarily paralyzes some people. >> the very important question is the one of vaccines. we don't have vaccines for zika as of yet. it wasn't on the radar of the international community, but we'll look into stronger efforts to create one. >> the world health organization estimates we could see over a million cases in the next year alone.

responsibility for a suicide bomb in west kabul, it targeted the civil police, a militarized force that fights with the taliban. the bomber detonated explosives after being spotted near the gate. well, a suspected swindler exposed by our investigation is in more trouble tonight. >> when new charges they're flashing at the contractor that liked to flash cash in front of his victims. also ahead, the e coli outbreak at chipotle could be over. what police are saying. and just a couple of days brings a lot of changes to the state of florida. up near 80 in a lot of spots, milder feel. cooler temperatures and thunderstorms back in the forecast. we'll talk about the timing of all that coming up. something to think about

i'm gayle guyardo, and i'll show you the safest products to

the e coli outbreak at chipotle appears to be over. the centers for disease control announced today it's closing the months long investigation into the matter. the agency was unable to identify the cause of the outbreak. at least 60 people were infected by the illness in 14 states, florida was not one of them. to win back customers though, chipotle is planning deep discount for super bowl weekend. four armed occupiers are not giving up. three men and one woman won't budge in oregon despite days of urging from their lead.

four escape arrest and prosecution. new information tonight on a suspected swindler, 8 on your side has been investigating him for nearly a year. >> robert fletcher is sinking deeper into trouble even though he's not left the county jail since last may. >> yes, the list just keeps growing, even though he's still behind bars. now fletcher is of course innocent until proven guilty. the trouble is pinellas prosecutors plan to prove him guilty 31 times over with more charges coming. >> reporter: robert fletcher is no longer running away from responsibility like he did the first time we met him last april. >> we'd like to talk to you. >> reporter: he can't run from anything now because he's in jail. from his jail cell he's written the judge in his case 14 pages of apology letters since january.

for what he's done. he now has 31 charges against him with charges from fraud, to grand theft, back checks to unlicensed contracting. this is one of his alleged victims. >> >. he also has absolutely no remorse. >> reporter: he claims he lost thousands in one of fletcher's numerous investment schemes. >> i don't see how he'll pay anybody from jail. >> reporter: we first met him in front of fletcher's home where he was trying to personally collect his debt. other people tried to recover their money too. fletcher loved to flash cash, and brag about huge pay offs his fictional schemes bring. >> i'm all set for the deal, no exceptions or problems. >> reporter: but in the end the only one that seemed to profit from the get rich quick deals was rob fletcher. but that ended when he landed in the pinellas county jail,

other inmates and their screams. >> i just -- schemes. >> i just hope he doesn't get out and get the opportunity to do it anywhere else. >> fletcher agrees to spend 7 years in a prison work camp, life probation, and paying back victims the many thousands of dollars he owes in the letters to the judge fletcher, and he insists it will save the justice system money. he's still playing let's make a deal, but this time it's with the judge. >> >. so the judge obviously a man or woman in the law is going to say what, even going to take up the offer? >> no, absolutely not. if you're going to be a deal -- make a deal you have to do it with prosecutors. >> it's a bolled move. >> and there are more charges coming, i found that out today.

my goodness. thank you, mark. well, warmer temperatures, no doubt the folks on the beach enjoying this here at frenchies. 78. topping out at 80 in some spots. very plant. the view from the lake club, 77 degrees, not too breezy with the palm tree. 69 percent relative humidity. very dry throughout the period. and winds south, 69 degrees, pinellas county south winds at 7 miles per hour. clear sky, and light winds. good opportunity with the clear skies tonight to go out and check out a pass of the international space station around 6:20 p.m., 86 above the horizon, so 6:20 p.m. look to the southwest passing to the northeast. southwest sky, again that time at 6:20 p.m.

february, average high about 73. we're about average, rather cooler in terms of temperatures. 2.9 inches is the normal rain fall, so more than that. certainly that's been the case at tampa international airport. over six inches other of rain for january. 69 at 7:00 p.m., 6 at 8:00 p.m -- 68 at 8:00 p.m. in the 60s this evening, it's amazing we've changed that wind direct around, and brought back a little most which you are is the -- moisture into the atmosphere. sunshine mixed with clouds, another warm day for us tomorrow. 73 now tampa international airport. dewpoint 66, and the westerly breeze keeping the temperatures cooler. clear water beach, palm harbor, 80 in brandon. sun city center 82.

risk across the central part of country, big risk actually, northern mississippi, portions of western tennessee. cold front in the region, area of low pressure out of the west, but for us high pressure extending across the peninsula, and the warm side of the high has a southeast flow, and a few showers across the southeast portions of the state, few more clouds in south florida, with that moisture comes fog possibilities, this is the fog forecast 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. sea fog along coastal area, so keep that in mind, you can see that form any time after midnight. thick sea fog possible. there it is at 7:30, dense. clears out. 10 percent rain chance, and a few more clouds than today. into wednesday sea fog still around but here's the approaching cold front. rain chance later wednesday, but especially into thursday possible thunderstorms as the fronted slides into the d front slide -- front slides into the

not looking as intense, nowhere near what will they expect fact to the north. clear water 58 tonight, milder tonight, and the air feels warm. 80 tuesday, 79 wednesday, 72 thursday. rain chance up to 60 percent on that day. carry that into friday as well. the early part of day anyway, and we have to work some cooler air into the area for the weekend saturday and sunday. highs upper 60s. rain chance up to 40 percent for sunday, socoming and going rain chances and cooler temperature, but we're warming up. all right, thank you. putting plans to put a self- driving car into higher gear.

toyota is halting production at all car assembly plants in japan for a week because of a parts shortage. the shortfall was caused by an explosion last month at awe facile the i of a supplier. the blast is believed to have been caused by a gas leak. they say the shut down will run from february 8th to the 13th, and the shut down is expected to impact car sales. >> gm is kicking the effort to build self-driving cars into high gear. they created a team that started working today for autonomous vehicle, and let by a general motors have -- led by a general motors vice president. the goal to make them a leader in self-driving technology. they show it's not just a concept for general motors anymore. facebook and instagram are telling private gun sellers to

in an e-mail statement, a facebook executive says licensed retailers can still post about their goods and service, but sells from one person to another is not allowed. and here's something almond lovers can go nuts about. the price of california al mondays are coming down. they're america's favorite nut surpassing peanut, and caused the wholesale price to soar last august, but the market bettering saturate -- became saturating driving the price down. california almonds has been consistently climbing in price for the last seven years. and speaking of snack, they're free again on the biggest us airlines. most dropped complimentary snacks, but starting today united and american will be adding free snacks. well, a high ranking school district employee clears her name. >> coming up how a video helped

a driver reverses roles with an officer and pulls him over. why she decided to make this