should and we're going to talk to the author on monday. the news is next. thanks again for joining us. bye-bye now. have a nice weekend. an apartment fire leads to a bazaar stand off, a man inside threatening firefighters this in out. >> new video this morning, a drone captures the devastation in gatlinburg tennessee, the wildfire death toll is climbing this morning. coming up how a tampa couple escaped with their lives. >> and governor rick scott giving us an update on the zika virus in florida. thank you for joining us. we're going to head straight over for a look at our weather. >> it is shaping up to be just a

started off a little bit cool and breezy and the breezes are still going but right now christ statistical clear skies. 66 degrees now and max defender 8 is running free and clear. 67 in tampa, 64 in zephyrhills, still hanging onto 50s for brooksville. dry that's word for the day. we'll usher in some lighter breezes this afternoon but bone dry air, we may get a few png course of the afternoon. sunny and 75 kind of hard to beat that and the breezes do come down for the rest of the day. we'll show your complete weekend forecast in just a bit. developing this morning, south tampa firefighters threatened as they try to put out a burning apartment building. when fire crews arrived a man on the second floor of that building was threatening them with a hammer. police used shields to help fire crews enter that building safely and put out the flames. the man

locking the door. eventually police did get ahold of that man. he was taken away from the scene on a stretcher. he was taken to the hospital under the baker act. neighbors we spoke to as you can imagine were shaken up. >> very scary. my daughter is shaken up, my sos okay, but my daughter, you know, we probably lost 2 family members to us tonight unfortunately. >> your pets? >> yeah, but you know, we're out, we're safe, main thing. >> the man who threatened firefighters will most likely be charged with felony arson. now, to the ashes of gatlinburg, a tampa couple narrowly escaped those deadly wildfires and now for the first time we're hearing their story. >> gregg and karen had moved to tennessee to start over but the raging wildfires burned their dream to the ground. . >> yeah, it's a scary story and you have to think about what

they moved to gatlinburg a year ago leaving behind friends and family here in the bay area to start a new chapter in their lives, but on monday night wildfires drove them from their home with just minutes to react. with flames shooting 30 feet into the air and the sound of snapping trees all around them, the couple grabbed this treasures they couldn't leave behind. they stuffed their dogs down their jackets and ran for their lives they made it to downtown gatlinburg. >> for a while we didn't think we were going to make it. we were starting to choke real bad and god sent an angel named heather and she picked us up and gave us a ride here. thank you very much if you see this. >> they ran without important medications. karen is a diabetic. and gregg's job at a resort is now gone with that

lives in the tampa area has established a gofundme account. this morning we've posted that link to that account on our website wfla.com and i just checked they've raised about $565. >> hopefully more to come. they're very lucky to be alive. some good news in florida's ongoing fight against the zika virus. governor rick scott announcing the florida department of health has cleared miami's little river area of local transmin. department of health has not detected any cases of local transmission in 45 days. now, the only remaining area of active zika transition is the one and a half square mile near miami beach. >> we have to continue to work on this. we've had good active efforts whether it's code enforcement or control we all have to take this seriously. it's not gone, we have to continue to be

>> the governor went onto say as of now the federal government has only $7 million to help reimburse florida's cost of fighting zika but more money is definitely needed. and a dangerous car jacker expected in court today. the 53-year old is accused of beating a man back in october. investigators say he then tried to carjack 2 people before taking off. he's been behind bars since it happened. he's today. president elect donald trump's latest cabinet pick has some ties to tampa. retired marine corps general james mad dog mattis is his pick for secretary of defense. . >> reporter: retired general james mad dog mattis was head of central command here from 2010 to 2013, now, he's in line to be the next united states secretary

donald trump made the announcement during a so-called thank you tour that started in ohio thursday night. >> we are going to appoint mad dog mattis as our secretary of defense. but we're not announcing it until monday so don't tell anybody. mad dog. he's great. >> reporter: trump played and joked with the crowd asking them not to let out the secret until the official announcement. >> we'll be announcing him on monday of next week. keep it inside the room but that's what we have and he's our best. they say he's the closest thing to general george patton that we have and it's about time. it's about time. >> reporter: mattis lived in

the retired general has more than 40 years of military service including holding key commands in both afghanistan appeared iraq. when he left his post then secretary of defense had huge praise for him. >> jim mattis has been front and center in every major combat operation this nation as conducted for more than 2 decades. >> reporter: he may have diul u.s. senator gillibrand says she plans to vote against him. they would need to make an exception because he served in the military in the last 7 years and it would violate a law that requires a civilian to lead the pentagon not someone recently in uniform. . >> well overall james mattis has strong support in congress especially from john mccain. confirmation proceedings begin after donald trump is sworn in. and the president elect is

election win. his first stop was in indiana where he touted a deal to keep a thousand jobs from moving to mexico. trump says this tour is about thanking voters but also outlining his plan of action when he takes office. president obama will be in tampa next week to talk about counter terrorism. he's going to make a stop on tuesday. he will deliver a speech andco with members of the military to thank them for their service. well, happening today getting into the holiday spirit, the city of tampa will hold its annual tree lighting ceremony complete with music, food and a whole lot of fun for the whole family. it's happening at the waterfront park and the fun get started around 6:00 tonight with the mayor flipping the switch to light the tree.

speed you might want to check out the annual tampa bay international auto show that gets underway today at noon. we got a sneak peek where there's a wide range everything from suvs to electric cars on display and quite a price range from $20,000 all the way up to $2 million. that show runs until 10 p.m., it's open saturday and sunday as well. guests may even have the chance to drive some of these new vehicles. ande about a great event one week from today. it's kindness day. you can help us support a number of worthy causes please bring your bears for the bear round up, donations for toys for tots and you can donate blood. it's on december 9th at our studios. >> we're getting into holiday

>> coming up shannon behnken gets to the bottom of the change >> and who does the christmas shopping in your family, the men, women? well, depends on who you ask. how the numbers break down we'll show you coming up. beautiful start this morning, more sunrises like this expected as we head into the weekend. your full forecast is coming up. i've been thinking... this might be the one thing in the world you pull apart to come together. s cinnamon pull-aparts covered with cinnamon crumble and sweet cream cheese icing. try our new cinnamon pull-aparts for just 6 bucks.

. we are back, you know hamilton the hit it took the world by storm this year z. it won 11 tony's a grammy. >> today we get one more piece of hamilton art. the 23 track mix tape is officially on sale today. it was unveiled yesterday during a 4 song performance in the hamilton

musical's hit songs by some of today's biggest artists. >> these are some of the names that you'll see usher, ben folds, the roots and on and on and on. >> i got to get that. >> everybody's getting in on this one because it was such a big hit. >> yeah. >> why wouldn't you want to align yourself with the name hamilton. >> they're opening in san francisco tickets 100 to $200. what they were going for in new york. >> you might be able to get the airfare and the ticket for less than what you'd pay in new york. what else has been incredible, our weather this morning picture perfect out there and right now just a tad chilly out there. actually now feeling like december. who knew 64 degrees right now at palm harbor with sunny skies over the resort. we're looking at some very cold air developing to the north. we're going to talk

that looks to come our way as going towards potentially the end of next week here. temperature wise again very comfortable, 68 for plant city, 66 in bartow, and here's a look at what we're expecting this continued dry flow all across our area. winds are out of the north now of course we had that cold front slide through yesterday. and it's that breeze that will continue to usher in that extremely dry air. if you have outdoor holiday shopping weather is going to cooperate for you. so really no problems coming our way. there's that high again of 75 degrees, just a few fair weather passing clouds. and we are expecting as we start going through time those temperatures will start warming up. so enjoy the seasonal air while we've got it because you'll notice as we start going towards the end of this forecast we'll be looking at much cooler -- or warmer air and that's going to happen by

the weekend. the humidity starts to rise and you'll notice that by sunday 82 for your afternoon high, appeared your morning lows will start coming back up as well. there's the forecast over the next couple of days and next week, low 80s coming our way and will be looking at rain chances starting to increase as well, 30% by tuesday and thursday and there's that next cool down by the end of next week. if you've been cheated when you need help she's on your side better call behnken. . >> a family saw their water and sewer bill jump from the normal $50 a month to more than 1,300. a private mobile home management company is the one that controls the bills and collects the cash. when their landlord offered no help they called shannon behnken. >> the bill should not have been that much. >> they have a whooping $1,300 water bill and owe the mobile

money to pay this bill. >> their typical bill is around 50 bucks. the park has not offered any help in managing this big bill. >> we've been calling and calling every day. they're like we'll get back with you. there's still no answer no call backs, no nothing. >> she called me to help get answers. i found water bills here are handled a bit differently than most communities. each home has a meter but employees. the employees then pays temple terrace ultimates one big bill for the entire community and sends residents a bill for their share. so i checked out how much they're paying for water and found something interesting >> this hasn't been any giant increase in usage. as a matter of fact i think it's gone down a little bit in the last month. >> the family admits they had a leak last month but fixed it within hours of finding it.

that kind of water. >> not 129,000 gallons. >> more than half of the big bill is sewage costs those are based on water usage and guess what? they handle their own sewage treatment too. i went to the onsite manager. >> they have a $1,300 water bill. >> and then i spoke with corporate. >> they came to us because they felt like that nobody on your end was taking them seriously or looking into this. this will be no easy fix but management did agree this big bill and explore the same kind of payment reduction option that is a public utility could offer. the company tells me they believe the meter was correct but they did agree to take another look and we will stay on this and find out how this management company can explain this. . >> and if you have a problem that needs solving you better call behnken. the number is on your screen.

this morning thousands of baby bath seats and chairs are being recalled. this involves lexi book chairs and baths for kids 6 months and up. they were on sale from january 2013 through last august. you want to call the retailer you purchased it from to receive a full refund. the ceo of starbuckss company. in april he will become the executive chairman. starbucks says he'll focus more on the next wave of retail innovation. the current starbucks president johnson will take over the ceo role. today there are more than 24,000 retail starbucks stores in 70 countries. after a whole lot of virtual reality buzz what some thought would be the hottest items for

research firm super data says virtual reality is the biggest loser this holiday season. it's hardly flying off store shelves for personal home use. gamers are really the only ones buying the devices. the play station is the own one offering the technology. so you may not be buying the devices but right now is prime time for shopping. and what much as who is buying it, so ladies is it you? i say, yes. a recent study finds there's a e behind how men and women think they spend money. this is interesting. according to the study 68% of wy they or another female is responsible for their household he is shopping. >> however 30% of men said that women are in charge.

bought a gift for the wife so they did the shopping. so the study found the trend also plays out similarly for grocery, clothes, shoes you see a pattern? >> i sure do. >> i'm sure the guys buy a lot of electronics. >> maybe fair. not the kids clothes but their o >> usually the ladies buy that too. >> pair of socks and underwear for christmas. well, the cross bay ferry exists as an alternative way to commute. >> but are people actually using the service, the new numbers say yeah but we dug a little deeper and it's not quite that simple.

after setting sail a month ago we're getting our first look at how many have used the cross bay ferry. >> have you? >> no, i want to. >> especially since they have the bar service. >> that sounds like a fun trip. >> we show you just how popular the new service is. >> reporter: over the past month thousands of people took the cross bay ferry but not everyone paid for their ride. trade in your car for a cruise that's the $1.5 million bet st. pete and 6-month trial run for the ferry. >> both sides are doing really really well, and you know those bridges shouldn't be barriers. this is one way to further connect our 2 cities because i can tell you this, we're going to succeed together. >> reporter: numbers released for the first month show more than 2,700 people took the trip across the bay for free. another 4,700 bought full price

3 rode for nothing. they aren't sure the 6-month trial is long enough for folks to kick their car habit. >> i'm not sure that's enough trial time to make that change. that's a pretty big change for people used to driving their car to work every day. >> reporter: a one-way ticket costs $10 but there's a pass that cuts that price in half. >> she hasn't tried the work for commuters in other states. >> i have friends in seattle who do that very thing and they enjoy the time down. >> reporter: there are still 5 months left in the trial run for the ferry and earlier this month they did add beer and wine service so that might drum up customers who want to combine happy hour with rush hour. .

if you want to test it out for free you still have a chance because frontier is going to continue sponsor ride free day every third sunday of the month. coming up our continuing coverage now out of cuba on the death of former cuban dictator fidel castro. >> news channel 8 is the only local outlet in cuba right now. >> and to havana as the processing

. the ashes of fidel castro arrived in the central cuban of [indiscernible] last night. we're the only local station in cuba right now and have a report from jeff patterson coming up. >> plus a school bus crashes

malfunction caused a space e rocket to explode on the launch pad the company is ready to get back to business. and good morning. . >> thanks for joining us on this friday morning. we have breaking news right now. officials in tennessee have upped the number of dead from those wildfires from 11 earlier this morning to now 13. 5 identities have been released as well. 3 women and 2 men. one of those we've confirmed dia running from the flames. 85 people have been treated and many have been released from the hospital already but a number of people are still missing. so it's very possible that the number of injured and those dead will continue to rise in the coming days, a tragic situation out there. right now we'll end it over to ed bloodsworth for a check on the weather. >> perhaps a lot of folks taking lunch hour outside.

o' lakes and mid-60s for your current temperatures. 63 brooksville and some 70s there. now, you look at what's happening compared to yesterday these numbers averaging about 10 to 15 degrees cooler than this time yesterday. that is all in response to yesterday's cold front which is now draped over southern florida. clouds developing out in the eastern -- western gulf our next weather maker for early next week. the numbers start climbing as we go through your weekend. we'll talk about the warm up and our next chance of rain coming up. and now special coverage cuba mourns castro. cuban exiles tonsils brighting the end of an era with the death of a former dictator. many lined up as the ashes trekked all across the island. jeff patterson is

cuba right now. he caught up with a tampa man who believes some are saddened by his death. >> the procession continues to wind its way across the country on its long journey to its final resting place. the remains are being pulled by a military jeep. thousands and thousands of cubans lined the streets to say farewell this woman tells us she's very sad because he was the leader of the revolution, a figure for all of us. as the procession passes some people cry openly in the streets. earlier lance of tampa came out to see the procession begin its journey. >> so i just started taking pictures and video and was very surprised at the response as he came by.

people were clearly upset. >> he's here as part of a tour group. . >> and jeff will continue his reports from cuba today and tomorrow. you can catch they will all right here on news channel 8. across america this morning a somber anniversary in california. it was one year ago today a married couple opened fire add a holiday party in california kill 14 people and wounding 21 others. they were later killed in a shoot out with police. today's anniversary will be marked with a number of events starting with a memorial bike ride this morning and ending with a community gathering tonight. well former pro-football running back joe mcknight have been killed. he was in a vehicle when the altercation took place and the other driver

him but were not able to revive him. and 5 middle school students and 2 adults hurt when a private school bus crashed through a wall in the front -- or in the front yard rather in the miami area. you'll see the bus here then that blue vehicle on the left, they nearly collide just out of the view of cameras here. the driver swerves to avoid the driver of the blue vehicle police say blew the stop sign. >> this is second time in 5 months. >> somebody have to pay. you know what i mean. i don't want to pay anything. >> just fixed because someone had just crashed into it. all the time every time you hear someone crash it's always that house. >> well the driver of that vehicle will get a ticket and may also be on the hook for the smashed call. recent appeal federal court

would have made around 4 million higher workers eligible for overtime pay. 21 states sue today block the rule arguing that it will burden the public and private sectors. last week a federal judge in texas issued an injunction suspending it. and the senate is cracking down on computer software used to buy ticket brokers to snap up tickets to concerts and purchase as many ticket as possible for resale as significant markups. the senators passed legislation that would make using that software an unfair and deceptive practice under the federal trade commission act. well, 2 and a half tons of supplies intended for the international space station exploded as you see here shortly after take off.

food meant to arrive tomorrow morning, but the rocket exploded about 7 minutes into its flight. right now russia is using drones to search for fragments but it is believed most burned up in the atmosphere. and spacex is shooting for a mid-december launch. it will launch 10 satellites. this is scheduled to take off december 16th. that would end a three and a half month launch hiatus. spacex says the investigation is nearly complete. buzz aldrin the second man to walk on the moon is recovering at a hospital after being evacuated from the south polement he was visiting as a tourist when he became ill. he was 86 years old arrived in new zealand early today. the tour

lungs but is responding well to treatment. australia will spend nearly a billion dollars over the next 5 years to improve the well-being of the great barrier reef. it's a last ditch attempt to stop unesco from classifying the site as in danger which it nearly did in may. much of the spending will address water quality. . >> we are concerned about climate change it's the number one threat to the reef and the various funds that we have to support clean, renewable energy, to support techniques to upgrade plants. >> now, earlier this week scientists said 2-3rds of a stream has been killed in the last 9 months. that is the worst die off ever recorded on the world heritage site. well, a big weekend ahead for college football.

determine the 4 teams that will compete for a chance to play in the national championship here in tampa january 9th. >> plus teens and depression. 8 is on your side with where parents can get help. >> if you didn't put up your holiday decorations last week this will be the perfect time. we'll have tips on how to stay safe while hangs the lights coming up. >> cool temperatures right now and much of the u.s. seeing a to drop. i'll tell you about that and we'll take a look at

welcome back. these days niagara falls is looking a lot brighter. >> yeah it just added $3 million worth of led lights. it looks super cool. would you this lighting system projects from ontario all the way across

lights on the water fall. you really appreciate this best kind of when you step back and see how make i can cal it is. >> similar but not quite the same as the tampa river walk. >> the lights are environmentally friendly. they use only about half the power. >> yeah, i don't recommend you rent the little electronic boats that they have over near the falls please stay away. >> i went there when i was a kid i was 5. i barely remember. >> i haven't been. i want see it. >> the lady of the midst you ride over there. >> get completely soaked. >> even as you walk by on the street. >> it's a bucket list item. beautiful conditions out there right now. veterans ford in tampa 65 degrees and winds have been out of the north and northeast throughout the day. max defender 8 a clean sweep all over the region and we're going to keep it mostly sunny for the rest of the day. at 1:00 at 72 degrees, 75 at 3, and this

falling into the 60s after sunset. not a cloud in the sky. you have to go all the way down to south florida before you find any cloud cover. that's high pressure building in from the north. but clouds are increasing over the western gulf that's actually in advance of our next weather system. right now 67 in tampa, 63 inverness and brooksville, 70 in plant city. high pressure stays in charge across our area through the rest of today. if you're doing will cooperate rate for you. just some showers across south florida. heading into your weekend saturday morning mid-50s out there right about where we should be for this time of year. and afternoon temperatures will likely be a little bit warmer as the winds start to transition to more of an easterly and southeasterly direction. so we're going to bump up the highs for a few degrees for saturday and then the next weather system takes shape. this area of low pressure starts to form out over texas. as we start going into

pattern. first cold front will arrive on tuesday bringing us a chance of rain followed by a second cold front that looks to arrive either late thursday or early friday. that will also be bringing us a chain of rain. the weekend fantastic 78 for saturday and for sunday 82. it is going to become more humid as we start going towards the end of the weekend. look at the temperatures we start climbing into early next week. 83 by monday, front, also 30% for thursday with a second front and there's the big cool down high of only 66 next friday. now, an 8 on your side alert concerning your child's mental health. parents know this problem how can you tell if your child is just being a teenager or really in crisis? teenage depression and anxiety is on the rise and many times kids don't know who to turn to. there are new programs to help kids in

. >> thank you for a calling the crisis center how can i help you. >> 211 tampa bay cares is now up and running a resource for a group falling through the cracks of the mental health system. teens and young adults where depression rates are spiking especially among girls. >> it was very difficult for me at the time because it was just like i was younger, so it's just like everyone would blow it up type thing but as i got older people started to notice. it's like >> after years of struggling with depression and anxiety alexis told me one day she hit a breaking point. luckily she found 211. >> there's no judgment. >> the success for kids and families healthy transition program provides a support system. >> our program was designed to fill that void to fill that crack and help those youth and young adults. . >> and if you're child starts having mood changes that could

>> we typically say if the moodiness is going on for 2 weeks or longer heads up. if the person is crying and really really sad or incredibly irritable you want to find out what's going on. >> keep an eye out for changes in school performance, an tight, sleep patterns, all signs that something is wrong. . >> and normal teenage growing pains. if you think your child is depressed try to find some help. it's not something that typically just goes away. let me guess some of you may spend this weekend transforming your home into a winter wonder land. yeah, i know you will but it can be easy to overlook safety when you're trying to get everything done. the cleveland clinic wants you to keep this in mind if something tells you

also if you're stretching yourself too thin with cooking, baking, it's easy for accidents to happen. injuries can happen when you least expect it. . >> stay safe during the holidays. don't climb up on ladders, don't put too many plugs into outlets putting up the lights and whatever you do don't put a frozen turkey into a deep prior. big explosion. >> always read the instructions on any decio are out of reach of your kids and pets. and here's something else consider using electronic candles instead of real ones you don't want an open flame to turn into a big disaster. >> we have a big weekend in sports ahead of us. 3 of the top 4 ranked college football teams playing in college championships. alabama taking on the gators. they were a preseason number one and they have stayed there all season

bit of a rocky road they're 8-3. the tide therefore is a 24 point favorite in this game and even with a loss they will likely still be in the playoff. as for the rest of the field ohio state is number 2, it's the only top 4 team not playing in a championship this weekend. clemson will face virginia tech for the acc title, washington will play colorado for the pac 12 title and should either of could get back into the playoff picture, or it could be whoever wins the big 10 that's between wisconsin and penn state. the selection committee will give the final rankings on sunday. and as for us here in the bay area south florida football coach willie taggert ducking out. they have since reached

reports he's being pushed to oregon. he's on the short list of names still linked to that job. espn is reporting the chargers will in fact moved to los angeles next year. when the nfl owners approved the relocation of the rams they granted the chargers the option to relocate to la with a deadline of january 1 a measure raising hotel taxes to pay for nearly a $2 billion stadium but the measure fell short. and nascar next season johnson won't be facing his championship because there's a new sponsor. sprint's run is coming to an end. nascar didn't disclose much monster paid but

monster cup i like that one. >> i like it too. >> the sprint one had a ring to it. >> good point. very good. dogs are called man's best friend for a reason. >> they're playful and love you no matter what. >> but what times is forgotten is that we are their best friend too and that is really felt in this amazing rescue all of it

this fisherman has proof. >> look at this 112-pound cat fish. >> there it is. boy, that is not a good looking fish is it? a guy in north carolina caught it somehow the line held as the fisherman tried for 30 minutes to reel it in. it is only 5 pounds away from the state record but it's still his

i wish it was a little bit bigger so i could have beat it of course but i'm happy with the catch. >> after posing for this photo what did he do with it threw it back in the water. >> after all that hard work. >> somebody else will catch it. >> did you see his face when he was holding onto it? it's a heavy fish. this story is getting a locality of attention on social media this morning. it's already cracked the top 100 on youtube. >> hope for pause in la went all named hudini. he constantly escapes rescue efforts. he's outsmarted for 2 years. earlier this week with the help of a small volunteer army he was captured and after not feeling the touch of a human for 2 years he was scared. but look at this after some tlc and a bath he's really responding to all the love he's getting and

>> yeah but those who adopt him watch out because he can get away from you. >> yeah, create a fort for him. >> keep a leash handy. >> you've got to watch those videos. beautiful weather for the afternoon guys. we'll call for 75 picture perfect. that's what we're calling it for today and another cool refreshing start tomorrow for your weekend. 56 when you wake up tomorrow. warming through your weekend we'll get to 82 and some rain chances on >> lunch forecast outside. >> take it outside why not? >> why not. >> beautiful. >> thanks for joining us on this friday. >> i'll see you back here on first at 4 and at 6. have a

>> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb live f studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. [ laughter ] hey, everybody! it's a great try day friday here in new york. december 2nd. our wonderful hoda is off. she so deserves it. and from "the blacklist." that is "emotions" from mariah carey. >> quick look. >> incredible interview we did with mariah yesterday, that's