in hillsborough county a car crashes into a day care, happened at kitty country day care at the memorial highway and independence parkway. corey dierdorff is live at the scene, what can you tell us? >> reporter: exactly what happened -- this is the crosswalk crossing over independence parkway in front of the kitty country day care. that suv split the crosswalk,

sign to the left arrow - [no audio] -- >> we -- we're having technical problems. what we can tell you from the pictures is that suv you're seeing there driven by an elderly man apparently crossed the sidewalk, went into the day care. the good news, no children were at the day care. two workers were inside, not injured. we're awaiting to hear the condition of the driver at this point. we'll check in with corey later this hour. the buccaneers are right now looking for a new head coach after firing lovie smith last night. this decision was made after the team won only eight games in two seasons with smith at the helm. reporter adam winer live at bucs headquarter expecting to hear more from bucs management later today. >> reporter: that's right. a lot of surprise in the sports world now about the firing. knowing the team didn't do that

only two years into lovie smith's contract and we're also hearing from an espn report a few minutes ago that lovie smith was actually fired over the phone last night. they didn't even bring him to headquarters to talk to him about the firing and their decision. that makes it now three fired head coaches by this time in just five years. a disappointing year, yes, especially since it looked like the bucs team might compete for a playoff spot towards the end of the year until they lost their final four games of the year. bucs players talking on-line overnight about their surprise about lovie smith, linebacker quan alexander, for instance, expressing shock and hits support for lovie smith. and defensive tackle gerald mccoy saying he was shocked too.

told us by phone the team was surprised. >> most of the nfl teams the locker room is upset when the coach is fired. they have to get used to another coach, potentially another defense. it's difficult but they've got to move past this. they know it's a business. >> reporter: speaking of moving forward there's already early speculation about who the next head coach might be, including someone who works in this building. speaking of this building there's a news conference with the general manager set for 2:00 in tampa. we'll actually be airing that live on our broadcast on abc action news. live in tampa, adam winer, back to you. a developing story -- 24 hours after a gruesome triple murder in lakeland deputies are still trying to track down the shooter. they found the bodies of three people early yesterday in a house off east magnolia drive. a fourth person was shot but survived. abc action news anchor lindsay logue is live at the polk

will there be any updates this morning? >> reporter: dan, just moments ago i spoke with the public information officer here at the polk county sheriff's office. she says there's no new significant information from overnight. at this time the sheriff's office is not planning for a media update this morning. of course that can change any moment. i know deputies have been working overnight, overtime on this manhunt trying to track down the shooter or shooters in this case. but at this point no arrests have been made. at the house where the crime happened on east magnolia drive sheriff grady judd called it a one-stop shop for anything from marijuana to heroin. the shooters ransacked the house before taking off. the victims are david washington, stacey branch, angelica castro. the three found dead early wednesday morning in what the sheriff called a blood- splattered house. a fourth person, felix campos is in critical condition.

the case. the lone survivor, at the least maybe could give deputies a detailed description. but deputies haven't said if he's well enough to talk. that victim was shot in the face. the last triple murder case in polk county was a couple of years ago and deputies tracked down that suspect in 24 hours, in tennessee. any new information we get, count on to us pass it along. there's also a $3,000 reward for anyone with any information, you can remain anonymous. that number is on the screen, 1- 800-226-tips. live at the polk county sheriff's office, lindsay logue, abc action news. largo police need your help trying to track down a pair of armed robbers. suffers cameras captured this video of one man holding a clerk at gunpoint. while the other suspect goes behind the counter to empty the cash register. this happened at the citgo on december 28th. if you have information call crime stoppers.

a little cooler? >> yeah. you saw lindsay logue with the jacket and scarf. if you're hanging outside for any length of time and you're a floridian like me you're probably going to want a jacket. temperatures now are warmest around lake placid and into sebring where temperatures are close to 60 degrees but in hillsborough county the temperatures are still struggling to get above the mid- 50s. as we move through the day and we get rid of those low clouds we'll start to get a bit warmer and we'll be warming up to highs closer to 70s degrees. mostly dry today, it's pretty damp this morning with the low clouds but the rain chances remain very minimal throughout the day. so hopefully that will make for decent weather as you drive around. i've been checking visibilities and it's still good at ground level. just those low clouds making it so yucky. the cameras from high above show fog but once you get down below we're really not seeing it.

275 and westshore. once again on ground level you see no visibility issues, traffic up to speed in both directions. just six minutes to get from the downtown tampa area to the howard frankland bridge. maybe over to the airport. a live look at i-275 just south of roosevelt in pinellas county once again driving conditions clear, up to speed in both directions. traffic very light now, looks like the morning commute is just about winding down. let's check our drive times on the toll roads, we're looking back to normal on the veterans, 22 minutes from 54 to 275. in the green on the selmon expressway, 75 to downtown, just six minutes. 9:07. a breaking news update. out of upstate new york. it's good news, 17 miners trapped underground overnight are safe and sound after being rescued from a salt mine. rescuers just finished pulling the men free, they were stuck

ground at a cargill owned salt mine in lansing, new york. the ithaca fire department says all 17 are in good health, none injured. crews are able to get heat packs and blankets to the trapped workers while they awaited rescue. the united states is teeming up with south korea and japan to. overnight south korea says it will retaliate against north korea by resuming cross-border propaganda tests that pyongyang considers an act of war. experts say early analysis shows the communist country's claim it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb is not true. that is because a 5.1 earthquake near the test site was reported and that's not strong enough for a hydrogen bomb. a year after the paris

death toll brought to 17 people killed. an anniversary cover shows a bearded blood stained god figure carrying a rifle with the headline "one year on, killer still at large." tonight a serial killer will be executed. oscar ray bolin insists he's innocent. he says the evidence used to convict him in all three cases was tampered with and unless he gets a last-minute reprieve from an appeals court or the u.s. supreme court he's going to die by lethal injection tonight at 6:00. abc action news reporter carson chambers was selected as a witness and is traveling to florida state prison today to cover the execution. we're expecting the department of corrections and family members to speak out about it. we will livestream what they have to say on our abc action news mobile app and also on our web site. 9:09. coming up, five new york corrections officers bruised and battered after a brutal beatdown by teenaged inmates. why officers say the attack is

>> thousands sick and forced to leave their homes in california. what is prompting the mass evacuation and state of

breaking news just in, we just obtained alarming details about a child abuse case landing this couple in jail. polk county deputies arrested alandia ashley and steven sanchez for duct taping a 10- year-old girl's hands and mouth. they say the couple confessed to doing it, to teach her, they say a lesson to keep her hands and feet to herself. even worse deputies say sanchez 4 also tased the young girl with a stun gun. they now face multiple abuse charges. >> this man is one of five department of corrections officers in the hospital after allegedly beaten by teenaged inmates in a new york facility. the officers are nursing bruises and injuries that

island in a new unit what is called "uncontrollable inmates." officials say the attack started with two teenaged inmates who were quickly joined by others in the unit. this attack happened just two months after the head of the corrections officers' union warned a new policy put in place by the mayor would be a recipe for disaster. union officials say this new policy puts officers in harm's way, they also say yesterday's attack proved that. >> until the mayor walks in the shoes of a new york city corrections officer that has his or her eye socket busted out he will have a difference of opinion. >> that man says he would like to see the inmates get a minimum of five to seven years attached to whatever sentence they are currently serving. in the last few years the city had to pay millions to rikers inmates who were brutally beaten by officers which is what led to the reform. a state of emergency has been declared over a massive natural gas leak near los angeles. that leak has been spewing toxic fumes into neighborhoods

governor jerry brown made the announcement yesterday. that leak is gushing huge amounts of methane daily leaving thousands of families to request relocation at two nearby schools to send away their students. people in the area are demanding something be done and fast to protect them. >> and make a difference so that this and one of the almost 400 similar facilities in the united states is protected and that we are protected. >> the gas leak started after a well owned by southern california gas company blew out in october. class action lawsuit has been filed against the company. a georgia mother suffering through an unthinkable loss this morning. her 2-year-old son shot dead by his own father. happened yesterday near atlanta. police say 43-year-old ty ho engaged police in a 19-hour standoff before shooting his

the little boy's mother is heartbroken and says police wouldn't let her try to talk to him to negotiate. >> they wouldn't let me go back. i tried to tell them let me negotiate, cool him down. try to get phillip out. >> right now officials say they have no motive. they did reveal the standoff started over a domestic issue. 9:16. a huge snow drift comes crashing down on people walking in turkey. no doubt mixed with a little ice there. happened yesterday, people are becoming entirely buried under snow. those nearby rushed in to dig out those trapped. several people were hurt. two severely. shay ryan joins with us florida florida's most accurate 7-day forecast. great to be here. >> even with the overcast damp start to the day, looking at the main sail beach inn, doesn't look like the best beach day but overall still

so look at titan doppler radar and you can see we're all nice and dry, no rain in sight but again it's pretty damp and kind of misty out there this morning. across the roadways though the visibility is still good at ground level. so we'll start to see the clouds thinning out some as we move through the remainder of the day. as that happens we'll start to warm up a bit more, so far temperatures haven't been moving much today. you can see the rain that is building off-shore. that is associated with an area of low pressure that is going to continue to give us some chances for rain off and on through the day tomorrow. that is on friday. at least for today the rain chances remain very minimal. tomorrow though up to about 40% coverage at the peak, i think the majority will be in the afternoon. then we start off the day on saturday on the drier side with the rain chances going up, as we move through the day. if you want to get that jog or bike ride in or take the kids to the park or a round of golf,

not to say you are absolutely garnltsed to be rain-free in the morning but you'll at least have a better shot at it. once we get through the afternoon and especially after sunset that is when we'll see some heavier rounds of rain moving through, it will be a bit more widespread, it will be harder to find that break in the rain to give you time to do what you would like to do outside. again, that is going to be our wettest period, there may even be a rumble of thunder. sunday the rain ends early. as long as the timing of the front holds it will be gone before daybreak and the cooler air will move in. temperatures will top out around noon and then remain steady after that. cooler air readily settling in overnight on sunday night and into monday you'll notice the chill. that's florida's most accurate 7-day forecast, find me on facebook and twitter. back to you. we have a caution for homeowners right now. you probably assume your home is covered by your insurance policy. what you may not realize is that if you go away for more

not be covered anymore. consumer reporter john matarese has this surprising warning so you don't waste your money. >> reporter: if your home catches fire, burglarized or has a water leak homeowners insurance is there to pay for the damage, or is it? one woman just had a major claim denied and her story is a warning to all homeowners. >> this is the culprit. >> reporter: tammy shows me the refrigerator that caused her so much trouble. >> it ruined this whole floor here, the ceiling downstairs. >> reporter: the floor, basement, ceiling and paneling all damaged by a burst hose. >> it came down here. >> reporter: repair costs, almost $10,000. it's just to dry it out was about $7,000. then we spent an additional $2,000 to $3,000 putting it back together ourselves. >> typically if a hose or pipe bursts in your home you're covered for damage. except in this case.

she got some terrible, horrible, no good, very bad news. >> they denied the claim because they claimed it was covet mayorly un -- custom airily unoccupied. >> reporter: the problem, they moved out weeks earlier to a new home. this home was vacant, in layman's terms. >> we were gone for about 10 days. >> reporter: committee contacted her insurer and confirmed a vacant homes means coverage can be denied. we checked with the insurance board and found something many homeowners don't know. if your home will be vacant with no furniture you typically need a separate more expensive policy. tammy's insurers says it will reexamine her case but has every right to deny the claim. a vacant house with the water pipes is no longer something insurance companies want to cover.

the airline just debuting its big winter sale. how you can get flights for as low as $35. >> plus, is this how we'll get around in the near future? a prototype for the human carrying drone. >> i'm alisa campos with positively tampa bay. coming up, meet a high school student who is experiencing the magic of the youth america

jetblue giving $35 flights. best deals, san francisco to las vegas, $99 will get you a flight from boston to florida and for $104 fly from new york city to the bahamas. travel dates vary but flights are general available from january 13th through april 13th with blackout dates during presidents' day weekend. is this the wave of the future? or a high-tech pie in the sky prototype? at the consumer electronics show this week in las vegas a chinese firm debuted this drone that can carry people, called the e-hang 184. the company says the

passenger to a predetermined destination. they also claim it can reach heights of 11,000 feet. speeds up to 62 miles per hour. the company has not gotten faa approval yet nor has gone into mass production. >> wait until it's tested for a while first. >> a lot of tests. everyone talking about vin diesel this morning and how he stole the show at last night's peoples choice awards. >> very emotional. holding back tears as he accepted awards for "furious 7". in tribute to his late co-star paul walker. >> it's been a long day without you my friend [ cheering and applause ] i'll tell you all about it when i see you again >> he's singing a little from the theme song from "furious 7" which was in production when walker died in a car accident in 2013.

my facebook page. search ashleyglasswfts. lovie smith is out, now who is in? a look at who may be next in line as the buccaneers search for a new head coach. >> roads now rivers, impossible conditions in parts of californiaia.

tampa bay bucs looking for a new head coach. what the owner is saying about the recent firing of lovie smith

the winning powerball ticket belongs to -- no one. more on the drawing and it's huge. >> surprise firing of tampa bay bucs head coach lovie smith. abc action news reporter adam winer is live at bucs headquarters. has the team said anything yet about what happened? >> reporter: so far there's only a written statement from the co-chair of the team joel glazer says he was "thankful to lovie smith for all he's done for the team," also "disappointed he didn't find more success here. " the big question who is is next? early speculation from around the league including from a former general manager of the bucs mark dominick is the buck's own offensive coordinator dirk cutter is the leading candidate. that would make it easier because if they decide to hire from outside the organization

six other nfl -- competition, six other nfl teams looking for a head coach too. if not cutter i threw names up on the screen that may be possible alternatives. >> getting to work with rookie jameis winston would certainly be a good opportunity for him if he were to decide. the team would probably take

who they go with, still very much up in the air. we expect to hear from the general manager later this afternoon. he's actually holding a news conference at 2:00 p.m. and we'll be airing that right here on abc action news. for now live in tampa, adam winer, back to you. pretty gray start to the day. we have a lot of cloud cover but visibility at least has been good at ground level. so no weather-related problems to speak of. it's still on the cool side this morning with temperatures in the mid-50s. our winds are at about 5 to 10 miles per hour. so nothing too extreme out there. but we are going to see a little more sunshine breaking through, crossing our fingers by noon. as that happens we'll start to see the temperatures coming up to 70 degrees, maybe a little warmer if the sunshine peeks through and lasts a little longer through the afternoon. so again, it's all dependent on the sunshine and when it decides to get through the clouds. how warm we will get this afternoon. we will have slight chance of

anything too extreme. our higher rain chances are still ahead. 9:32. covering pasco county where parents are using social media to warn their community about a elementary school. despite a tough new ordinance he's not breaking laws. that ordinance says sex offenders can't live within 2,500 feet of where children congregate but because michael johnson was convicted before 2010 and in a different state the restrictions don't apply to his home that he's renting in trinity. his neighbors have been spreading the word on social media that he's there. >> makes me uncomfortable. i've already showed my 13-year- old the picture of this man and he walks to and from school occasionally and i've asked him to stay clear just to be safe. >> the sheriff's office says they do random checks four times a year on all registered sex offenders in the county. heads up now, over the next

the irs just might ends up in your mailbox. >> it's causing a lot of confusion but officials want everyone to know this is not a scam. you shoo not throw this letter away. nearly three million people are expected to receive identity protection pin letters with the wrong year listed. it says 2014, but it should have been 2015. regardless of the typo the irs says it's crucial you hold on to the letter. >> definitely don't want to throw this letter away thinking it's a scam. because if you do and you forget to put or don't put that number on your tax return your return is going to be rejected. >> irs says the botched letters will be sent out through the rest of the month. this morning people living near the armed protest at the oregon wildlife refuge were glad to hear a sheriff say it's title for the activists to pick up and go home. cheers, and applaud last night at the community meeting that was full of hundreds of concerned people. authorities haven't yet taken

group of roughly two dozen people but those activists did make it clear that they don't plan on leaving just yet. >> there is a time to go home, we recognize that. we don't feel it's quite time yet. we feel we need to make sure the hammonds are out of prison or well on their way. we need to make sure there's teeth in the land transfers. and also that those who have committed crimes can be -- those are exposed as well. >> also splaibdz to rainstormers they will leave own when there's a plan in place to turn over federal land to locals. new judgments in sandra bland death investigation. the texas department of public safety says it's firing a trooper involved in the case. the department said yesterday

proceedings against brian encinia, he was accused of lying in the traffic stop in which he arrested bland. the stop quickly became confrontational with the police officer holding a stun gun and yelling i will light you up after she refused to get out of her car. she died in jail. change your e-mail passwords -- thieves may have stolen information from more than 300,000 people, time warner cable says impacts anyone with a road runner e- mail ending at rr.com. the cable giant is working with the fbi to track down the thieves. the time warner spokesperson says this is not really a breach, rather a phishing attack that may have targeted companies that stores customer information. if you played powerball you didn't win but maybe it's not bad. >> you have another chance. saturday's jackpot is now $675 million. it's the largest in u.s. history.

overnight no jackpot winner nor the powerball prize, that was worth $500 million. winning numbers though in case you won a smaller pot -- >> last night's prize sixth largest offered in north america and the next one already topping u.s. records. >> the top jackpot happens this saturday. remember the cutoff to buy the ticket is saturday night by 10:00. >> you can check our app for the winning numbers on sunday. still to come -- police rush to an oregon gas station where a mother is frantically screaming her baby and dog are missing, only to find out she made the whole thing up. >> not your grandma's ice box. next, the high-tech add on your

9. 40. china put the brakes on stock trading because of a nosedive. financial analysts warned chinese markets are likely to

few more months. jitters rippling around the world. the dow opened a few minutes ago below 17,000 and heading even lower. 239 points. an oregon mother is facing charges now after faking her own daughter's kidnapping. police say 31-year-old tara brandenburg crashed into a bridge earlier this week and panicked. they say she walked to a gas station, bought a box of wine and left. several minutes later she returned screaming that someone stole her baby and dog from inside her car. >> she was very, very frantic and she got on the phone with whoever she was talking to and they gave her our address here so she could call the cops. >> when officers got there they found no evidence of a baby or a dog being in the car with her. it was determined that she had made the whole thing up to avoid getting in trouble for the crash. officers say she's now facing a slew of charges, the father of her 4 week old baby has custody

a man who looks a bit like tv personality mike rowe robbed a bank in oregon earlier this week. it didn't take long before rheumors started swirling. police in medford posted an image of him on-line. rowe himself heard he had a lawbreaking look alike in the northwest and commented on social media. he pointed out he's taller than the suspect and could also prove he was not in the state if next necessary - in california, many cars couldn't handle the height hi waters there and got stuck and trapped, in contrast to the dangerous drought conditions california saw and the storms could continue through the weekend. not welcome news out west. no. a couple of storm systems are rolling across the u.s. now, one will eventually bring us

this morning though just a lot of low clouds, it's one of those damp dreary starts to the day. this is south tampa on the apollo beach camera but you can't even see much of anything. it's just socked in with the low clouds. it's a murky start, temperatures haven't moved a lot. they moved the most in the southern counties where temperatures are now in the low 60s but here in tampa, we're holding at 56 degrees. temperatures trying to come up with to the 70-degree mark later on today but if we don't get the clouds starting to break and sun coming through that may not happen. check out titan doppler, we're at least dry, all the cloud cover is not giving us any rainfall but it is keeping us just rather damp across the area. our next chance of rain comes with this area of low pressure that is going to move here across the gulf of mexico. our second chance for rain which arrives as fast as saturday is associated with this frontal boundary, so again it's pretty big system that is rolling across the nation

rain over the next two days. timed as we're heading into the weekend. the good news, the weekend will not be a washout. so today a mix of sun and clouds, hopefully we'll get that sun in the mix at some point the next couple of hours. we may see a shower or two and won't be quite as cool as what we've seen the last few days, as long as that sun breaks through. so that is what we're waiting on. then for tomorrow, about a 40% chance you'll see rain in your neighborhood, as a result of that area of low pressure. the chance of rain exists from morning through the afternoon. on saturday a different story. we start pretty dry on saturday. and then we start to see the dramatically through the afternoon but the rain ends early on sunday morning and we start cooling down after that. that is florida's most accurate 7-day forecast. dan? 9:44. buying a new fridge used to be simple. there were not many choices. not anymore. with high-tech manufacturers

fridge is packed with cool features, more doors and display; even internet connectability. here's our angie's list report. first things first, figure out how much room you have to work with. >> the first thing you have to do is get out the tape measure. make sure the fridge you buy fits in the space you have as well as fit in the doors on the way into the house. >> next, how you use it. do you buy more frozen than fresh? you'll need more freezer space. likewise fresh food means you want easy access and plenty of room in the fridge. of course kids add a whole new set of needs. >> you can press this but the on -- button on the handle and allows you access to the refrigerator door. a lot of kids like to put their stuff there and they can grab it quickly. >> reporter: check out the new stainless steel that resifts fingerprints and smudges. also adjustable shelves,

solving software. >> there's a sense orb in case the fridge had a failure you would hold up your phone to it while talking to lg, it will tell the repairman on the other end of the line that is what is wrong with the unit so he can have the right parts with him. >> reporter: a new fridge could last $500 or more and should last many years but consider the type and style carefully. >> the top freezer is most popular but other r styles like four-door refrigerators are gaining traction. >> reporter: remember the more features you add the more you're likely to pay. more advice on abcactionnews.com. an area known for its pirate fest, beautiful beaches in january but there's more. >> a lot more. tampa is hosting aspiring danceers from around the country. they are here to compete in the youth america grand prix.

good morning. the youth america grand prix has become the world's largest dance scholarship competition where aspiring dancers from age 9 to 19 compete for the chance to win scholarships to top dance companies around the world. tampa and seattle are the first two stops of the contest to pick the regional winners in the united states. who will advance to the final round to compete against the champions six other countries? -- from six other countries? it's a huge honor for the competitors from around the country. these are great pictures of miss ellie borick who is 15 years old and now a veteran of the competition. we're excited to have her in the studio with us. welcome. we also want to welcome mr. phillip neal, new artistic

hosting this event. police elie, third year? >> yes. >> highway does it feel to compete with other dancers from around the country? >> it's inspiring to see everyone else from the competition, to come everywhere just to dance. i hear my name, it's nervewracking but as soon as i get on stage it's fun and i enjoy performing >> phillip, for you, it must be a dream come true to mentor all these wonderful students and to see them perform. >> i'm living vicariously through them. i competed when i was her age. it's really nice to sorts of get a barometer what else is out there in the nation at your age and skill level. we prepare stringently so they can just enjoy the experience. they are fully prepared. >> the community can enjoy whether or not they have a child in ballet. talk to us about the grand prix event. >> you're seeing -- what is great about youth america grand prix, it reunites the whole international dance level.

rather descroard. we keep raising the bar every year. between athleticism and artistry. the community can see the best and brightest. i can't wait to see her first sleeping beauty. she's working on that at 15. this will groom her for a career in dance. >> it's a life-changing event for all of you. congratulations, this is year three. we look forward to seeing you and showing your pictures to our viewers. thank you for coming in. welcome. >> thank you so much. >> to attend the youth america grand prix gala join me, i have the honor of serving as your mistress of ceremonies that night. on january 9th, grand prix gala starts 8:00 p.m., for ticket information visit the center

i'm laura harris on "the now tampa bay." chick-fil-a claiming they are making life a little easier for parents. the unique way they are making dinnertime convenient when you have a car full of kids. and helping you keep that new year's resolution. this one giving you that extra umph to put together a healthy daily routine. at 4:00. >> is somebody going to cook for me? this is the kind of day you want to make chili or just soup, something like that. it's still cool out there and kind of murky. a lot of overcast conditions across the area but hopefully the sun will start to break through and we'll get some of that in the mix through the rest of the afternoon. >> everybody needs a little we do. all kinds of crazy alarm clocks beefs.

>> no! >> >> a new start-up is taking it a step further, waking you up >> oh, no. >> how does this work? >> an aerospace company says they use intense smells, you can choose from capsules of espresso, peppermint. intense smells. >> the company says it takes two minutes for the scent to gently wake you up. if it fails an alarm goes with it. one is bacon. cheap. it sets you back $109 when it hits the market later this year. >> i had a dream i was eating whatever it was and i sleep a little longer. coverage now on