>> less than a week we put a serial kill tore death, a -- what this means for the 400 inmates still on death row. plus, we go through the process of a ground-breaking study mere in tampa that could help find a cure for alzheimer's in ten years. the one thing they need people

with this research. >> the president takes the stage in front of congress for the last time tonight. what he needs to say to get you to check this box. >> right now we want to go to ivan cabrera because we are in for another cold night. at least by florida standards. >> frigid night. we almost were at freezing last night. let's take you outside and show you the numbers and how things went this morning with the coldest temperatures in parts of the county so far this season. we are approaching the meteorological peak of cold weather and then we're on the other way as far as temperatures. look at the low 30s. cold enough for frost. take a look at the temperatures in tampa. 45. not much of a windchill. the winds were under control. that's why we were able to cool off so significantly, lose the heated space quickly. with the afternoon wheating, though, look at temperatures. in where from the low to mid 60s. the problem is we're doing it

not seeing freeze warnings like this time yesterday but we have frost advisors in effect through tonight. a few hours of potential frost here as temperatures fall back into the low to middle 30s. for tonight, not as cool as last night. temperatures into the 50s. the cloud cover will help us out. we will talk more about that and what we have in store for the end of the week. potential severe weather. we will have the details coming up. >> thank you, i've an. back to the major breaking decision out of the supreme court today. the supreme court says florida system for sentencing people to death is unconstitutional because it gives too much power to judges and not enough to juries to decide capital sentences. we have more on how this change could change the way that sentences are doled out. >> reporter: yes. so this is where a lot of those death penalty cases heard locally are heard and decided

now, florida is the only state that doesn't require a jury considering a death sentence to be unanimous. only four states including florida lead that final decision to a judge. >> we want a jury of 12 people to make this decision, not an elected or appointed judge. and that's what this case really all about. >> reporter: today's ruling came in the case of timothy lee hurst, accused of stabbing a coworker to death at a popeye's. it was the judge who decided that he should be put to death. this ruling says that the jury should have more than just an advisory role in determining a death sentence. >> now we have a situation where the supreme court is saying the judge should not have the ability to have the ultimate say. that it denies the defendant

should be making these decisions. >> reporter: and we have hundreds of inmates on death row here in florida. we're second only to california. so this afternoon we reached out to the state attorney general's office to figure out how they may be handling all of these future cases. they have only said so far that they are reviewing the ruling. >> laura, talking about the inmates on death row, what is next for these people? >> reporter: yeah. so the ruling could be made retroactive to affect all of those cases involving all of the inmates already on death row. attorneys tell us that the state will have to go in and review each case. some of those sentences could be commuted to life in prison. coming up at 5:00, the potential mess of having that all in the courts. we will talk about what impact that could make on your wallet. sarah. >> thank you, laura.

county pe teacher facing dui charges for driving down the wrong way this morning. he was seen driving down the road. he had slurred speech, glassy eyes and the smell of alcohol on his breath. but he says he is on several prescription drugs and he blew under the legal limit. it looks like valentine's day. look at all of the flowers there. that is the first day of the legislative session. flowers are everywhere. real business was discussed today as governor rick scott gave his state of the state, pushing for florida to be first in jobs across the nation. >> that's why i'm asking for your support this legislative session, first for jobs. one billion dollar tax cut

manufacturers, innovators in our state to create good-paying jobs [applause] well, coming up, we talk a lot about teenagers and young people when it comes to drinking and alcohol. but a startling amount of adults are developing addictions. what is behind this increase. how it affects the body different and what is a safe amount of alcohol for the retired or soon to be retirees. remedies like shoe insoles may not be the right treatment for foot pain. you may have seen this on the social media for the day today. the ice car. it has been making the rounds. but we're going to hear from its owner. it was a mitsubishi lancer. currently, i don't know what kind of state it is. ice man took it over. i don't know. the different plans he and

>> right now a scary scene for tourists. the turkish prime minister blaming isis for a deadly suicide bombing that targeted a popular area for tourists in istanbul. the prime minister saying the men behind the blast came from syria but says he was not among the thousands of refugees that turkish authorities are tracking who recently came into the country from syria. in the next five years, more than five and a half million americans older than the age of 50 will be struggling with substance abuse. that is the prediction by a study of the journal of addiction. and that's twice the number than it was just 10 years ago. more on this growing concern. >> they might get convinced by a fall. >> reporter: michael walsh

turn much. social drinking turned into an addiction. >> it became a learned behavior that that's how you have fun. >> reporter: he has been -- he has been sober for 17 years. >> so whether you're a heavy user or just a casual user, there is a point in everyone's life where that substance is not your friend anymore. >> what i'm seeing now is there are a lot of retirees coming down in their 40s and 50s drinking a lot more than they use today. >> reporter: may be using alcohol as a coping mechanism, especially after retirement. >> they don't know what to do with their time fully. so they get bored and they will drink to relax. >> reporter: the doctor says drinking too much can actually

of a stroke, memory loss or even cause liver damage. although the doctor tries to encourage his patients to limit their drinks, walsh says it's never too late to stop drinking altogether. >> it's difficult sometimes to change when you're older, really change your life and see that alcohol is a problem. they have really good recovery outcomes. they do to do really well if they make the decision to change their life. >> reporter: for the now, i'm tanya rogers. >> well, part of the issue is that our bodies take longer to process alcohol and drugs as we age. the national institution on alcohol abuse recommend that people over 65 not have more than seven drinks a week and no more than three in a given day. if you have lower back pain, you may have tried everything from the shoe inserts to the back belts. but the result may be opposite what you think. researchers in a new study say

of repeated low back pain in the year following an episode from 25 to 40%. now, it doesn't matter what kind of exercise that you do, judge university that you're doing it. they recommend everything from back and ab strengthening to range of motion exercises. good advice there. here is the problem. researchers say health care providers don't prescribe exercise enough. fewer than half participate in an exercise problem if they have back pain. this points to the bigger issue with the health industry, which is focused on selling products. a past study in the same journal estimates we spend around $80 billion a year alone on spine problems. well, tonight will be the last time that president obama will give a state of the union address. it's his lastaer in office. so it's highly likely that he won't propose any new ideas. the now's todd walker takes a

>> reporter: as president obama prepares to take the podium for the final time tonight, it's time to go over the checklist of every accomplished over the last seven years. >> he has to make the case that what he has done has worked. >> reporter: the economy, check. >> job that's have been created. >> reporter: health care reform, check. >> despite predictions that obamacare was going to be a job killer, look where we are now. >> reporter: foreign policy. >> we have this problem known as isis now. let's leave that one blank. >> reporter: climate change? there was that deal in paris that was reached. >> that many people see as historic. >> reporter: the president is going to call that a win. but 2015 was the hottest year on record. let's put a question mark there. he's not likely to mention the candidates by name. the republicans are trying to

>> i think he's going to have to discredit the republicans, not one in particular but by talking about some of their more radical proposals. >> reporter: did the president get everything that he wants? no. >> i'm sure he will touch on immigration reform, what is left undone. he will touch on gun control. >> reporter: it has been a heck of the last seven years. for the now, i'm todd walker. imagine waking up and your car looks like this, covered in ice. >> unbelievable. you think it's cold here in tampa, well, the week started frigid in buffalo, new york. take a look at the pictures here. an arctic blast hitting the area sunday. wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour. causing huge waves on lake erie.

it froze over with the waves crashing over the car. the driver says he left it there overnight because he was drinking with a friend at a nearby restaurant. the dad saw the pictures on the news and had to come down and see how they were going to get this thing out. >> it has to somehow get towed into a warm garage and let it melt off. >> have you tried to contact any towing companying at this point. >> i was going to let him do it. >> i'm waiting for summer. >> and that's what they should do, right? the sun should be responsible for getting the thing out -- the son should be responsible for getting the thing out. he got it in there. you should know not to park it there when the waves are crashing. hopefully they can get it out of there. we on the other hand are dealing with our own frigid temperatures. let's show you the recovery as it looks from our river gate tower cam. nice out there. just high clouds. no rainfall for now.

stream. we will talk about the next through. by the way, take look at the temperatures in the panhandles. cold enough. certainly we don't like it below i think at that point 45 is about the threshold. it really gets uncomfortable. we uncover nicely in the afternoon. low to mid 60s right now. titan doppler radar is quiet. as we widen out the shot, you get a look at what is coming. we have this southern track of the jetstream here. this is classic el nino stuff. and we have systems that move rather quickly. we have a gulf low developing on the western side of the gulf. by the time we get not so much thursday but into friday, watch what happens. there goes the low. we will put this into motion there. that is it. on friday, we have the potential for the storms to

some could go severe on us. frequent lightning and rain. damaging wind can't be ruled out. we will be watching that closely. friday would be the day for the severe weather event. then we will clear out. we will talk about that in a few minutes. temperatures tonight, another cold one. bundle yourself or anyone up if you're going to be outside early enough. it's going to be frigid. and plants and animals, if you haven't done that already, bring them inside tonight. low to mid 60s tomorrow. then we have the potential for strong storms. we will talk about the weekend in a few minutes. >> thank you, ivan. now to breaking news. action air 1 is on the way to the scene of an accident. a contractor has hit a gas main. no evacuations at this point. but traffic will be impacted.

it will stay that way until the gas leak is capped. we will show you what the scene looks like as soon as our chopper arrives. ahead, some dates to avoid if you're planning on flying this year. which days will cost you the most and when you should fly instead. a foster family taking care of a dog while her owner finds a new home. little did they know that the dog lexie would repay the kindness. >> she has a home as long as it takes for denise to find a place. she is my hero. how she saved her foster mom from a quick-moving fire.

a party city where shelves came crashing down inside the store. this happening in the bocca area. we know that all of the employees have been accounted for. three people had minor injuries. crews this to dig through the mess and they were able to find no other victims. party saying safety is their number one priority and they're looking into how this happened. well, right now saving you money. if you happen to be flying this year, there are certain days that you will be paying more for a plane ticket. the first one is march 17th. this is when the spring prices shoot up as the cheat winter season is over. then prices go up again on may 17th. that's when preseason -- presummer season gets underway. then the last time when prices are expected to july not again is june 10th.

the summer. the best advice is to schedule your flight at least one day before those dates. like june 9th to get a better price. if you would like to see those days, just go to our website. just a month after making history, space x is going for a repeat. the company is planning to launch this rocket this weekend. we will show you that. it landed on a drone ship. space x has tried it before but it didn't work before. the rocket has crashed or tipped over. take a look at this video here. the company's first vertical landing of the rocket. well, this happened last month. you remember that. space x missions have been unmanned so far. but nasa gave them the go-ahead

2017. >> three, two, one. and liftoff. >> we can see as many as 30 launches like this one from our space coast this year. that's according to florida today. as air force just wrapped up their meeting. discussing 2016 launches. they're also expecting more landing rocket boosters this year. also planning to do that. sometimes they fall short. sometimes we get unlucky with weather and technical issues of the last year we saw 17 launch attempts. today, we have an impressive new look of saturn. we keep getting these pictures. nasa just releasing this picture taken by a space craft last year. incredible scenes there. check out how big the planet is. even though nasa says the picture was taken from one and

planet is around ten times -- it's around ten times the diameter of earth, saturn is. that's saturn moon. it looks tiny in comparison. >> cool, ivan. a woman's home nearly burns to the ground with her instead. luckily her foster dog came to the rescue. this is lexie. little did they know that lexi would repay their kindness. it started when a bottle rocket hit the shed. the homeowner didn't know anything was wrong until lexie started barking. >> this is the bark of there's something going on and you need to come out. the warning bark.

>> very insistent. fostering an animal, you're saving a life and you might be saving your own as well. >> the firefighter said if they came any later, her home would have been a total loss. her foster mom says that lexie will always have a safe place to stay. if you're interested in fostering a dog, there's programs around the tampa bay like the humane society that offer it. it reduces stress on the animals and helps with expenses at the shelter there. tampa will soon be home to a new major sporting event. the renovations already underway. and you can be a part whether you're a sports fan or not. brands of cold and cough medicine is being pulled off the shelves. the fears overdosing and the brands that you need to check

>> they say he was using ebt cards which he paid up to crepts crept -- 050 $0.50 on the dollar for. he would cash out the cards. he got over $70,000 of trucks full of products. they were confiscated.

$1.62 million over the course of 12 years. now here is meteorologist ivan cabrera. it's been cold. >> that's what everyone is talking about. >> how long is that going to last. >> it will last longer than the last few times here. we're on day two of chilly temperatures. in fact we're talking about the potential for more frost tonight. kind of what we had yesterday through our northern counties where temperatures were falling into the low to mid 30s. we had a freeze warning but it has been replaced now. now you're under a frost advisory tonight. that means that temperatures will be a few degrees above 32 or we can get frost developing on cars, on colder surfaces here. but not a freeze. and certainly not a hard freeze. temperatures right now in the lower 60s. recovering nicely. we are looking at clouds beginning to roll in from the gulf. this could play a role tonight with the temperatures. these clouds as they're screaming from west to east get to us in time tonight.

so you don't lose as efficiently the heat that you gain during the day. that means that temperatures may be warmer than what we're seeing right now. we will watch for that. as far as any rain coming out of it, it looks minimal right now. it can't be ruled out as it heads off to the northeast. the main system affecting us will roll in friday. we will talk about that and the potential for severe weather for the weekend. >> thank you, ivan. if you watched the national championship last night, you know it was a good game. clemson giving it all they've got. but alabama won the championship. abc action news reporter rodney joins us right now outside of the stadium. work has already begun for the next championship game. >> reporter: that's right. you can't imagine the amount of early prep work that goes into

a delegation of 30 people from tampa were in arizona over the weekend meeting with city leaders trying to gather more information to make sure that everything is perfect for the thousands of fans that will pack the stadium and the year next year. the city has hosted two super bowls and the republican convention a few years ago. the national title game on january 9th of 2017 will be on par with all of those events. administrators with the city tell me that hillsborough county, the department of transportation, the airport and the highway patrol all play a part in the planning. something that folks in tampa will notice right away, raymond james stadium will undergo a multi million dollars renovation with the major upgrades planned before the game. the emphasis will be on the urban parks that will highlight the city for visitors. and many of the parks will also be used as event spaces for

>> we plan well in advance. the republican national convention which was probably the largest event hosted in tampa, we work odd not that for a year and a half prior to the -- we worked on that for a year and a half prior to the event. >> reporter: don't forget the economic impact that the game will bring to the city. just one national title game will bring in $350 million, which is on par with the super bowl and possibly hundreds of jobs as those restaurants and hotels get ready for an influx of visitors. sarah, back to you. >> thank you, rodney. breaking news out of largo. action air is just now getting to the scene of a gas leak at 66th street north and 126th avenue north. you can see the area is blocked off there. several officials standing in the middle of the road there. it seems like no traffic in the area right now. a contractor hit a gas main. we know that no evacuations are

you can see the road is closed. 66th street is closed from 118th avenue north. we're told it will stay that way until that gas leak is capped. again, these are live pictures from action air 1 just getting to the scene of a gas leak in largo. we will continue to follow this throughout the newscast and have the latest at 5:00 on abc action news. a cough syrup recall in cold and flu season but it doesn't have anything to do with the medication. plus, some of the misconceptions, the common ones, about powerball, including your odds and why it seems like people from the same states keep winning.

>> right now, if you're fighting off a cold or maybe your child is, there is a particular medicine that you may want to avoid. nine retailers are recalling several brands of children's cough and cold medicine because of overdosing concerns. it comes after the discovery that the dosage cups have incorrect markings. so far no reports of overdoses but the cough medicine was sold at several stores on your screen. look at them. for a full list of the stores and the brands included in this recall, go to our facebook page. just search for the now tampa bay. and we are getting a close look at how close president obama and vice president biden are. biden is revealing the surprising offer that the president made when his son was sick. >> he said don't sell that house. promise me you won't sell the house. he's going to be mad at me saying this.

whatever you need, i'll give you the money. don't, joe. promise me. promise me. >> biden's son died of brain cancer in 2015. the white house says this is a sign of how the two have become close friends over the years. right now the powerball jackpot is at an estimated $1.5 billion. >> how much. >> $1.5 billion. >> a lot more than we make. >> sure. a lot more. no question about it. hopefully the entire office doesn't win. then no one would show up for work. people are complaining. in fact there are myths here that we're going to try to bust for you. the one big complaint that lottery officials get is, hey, why is everyone winning it from the same state? >> that's right. >> that's one of the

it evens out over time there. are some anomalies where you get a few states going in a row together here. it's like flipping a coin. you get five heads. that can happen. but eventually you get a tails. it evens out is the point. >> there are claims that the odds of winning are worst than in the past. that is true. there are more numbers to choose from. the new system changed the odds from 1 in 175 million to 1 in 292 million. the lottery says it has helped jackpots get bigger. >> yeah. and you may think, the smaller the jackpot, the better your chances. no. that's wrong. your odds are the same. 1 in 292 million. regardless of how many people are playing. but the more tickets that are purchased, that will increase your chances of winning and also the chances of us having

>> dennis is in charge of the tickets. >> yes. >> he is on it. >> thank you, ivan. 2025 is the goal to find a cure for am timers. a drug being tested in tampa. the one thing they need from people 65 and older to move forward with this research. there's yet another set of recommendations for mammograms this time from a federal panel. i ask an oncologist which

>> welcome back. just about this time on the now tampa bay, you watched live as the mom of the so-called affluenza teen was in court. now tanya couch is out of jail today and authorities are keeping a close eye on her now. she is required to wear an ankle monitor. couch is charged with helping her son, ethan, get to mexico. police say they took off after he violated his probation for killing four people in this drug driving crash.

instead -- he is serving probation instead of jail time because of his affluenza defense. last fall the school said it doesn't resend honorary degrees but the school changed its mind. cosby got the degree in 1997. and since then dozens of women have accused him of drugging and sexually assaulting him and he is facing criminal charges in one case. well, a little earlier, ivan, we talked about frozen cars. now we're talking about this frozen buildings. >> yes. this is how cold temperatures are. incredible. in nebraska, an entire building encased in ice. what happened here the building caught fire over the weekend and crews had to, well, fight

in single-digit temperatures. what happens then is the water flash freezes. now the building is encased with 10 to 12 inches of ice. that will take a long time to melt with temperature that's cold. back home here, we are feeling the cold. in fact the same air mass that allowed for that to happen in nebraska is what made it all the way down here across the south. moderating as it does so. so by the time it gets here, we will be in the 30sand -- 30s and 40s. we are talking about our own cold weather for tonight again. the national weather service has issued what we call a frost advisory. that's when temperatures are expected to be in the low to middle 30s. but generally staying above freezing. you have frost that develops. you may have to take an ice pick for your car on the windshield in the morning.

temperatures into the 40s as we wake up. but tomorrow it will be frigid. although the clouds beginning to stream in. we will watch for that as it may keep the temperatures milder tonight. we are still going for 43 if all holds with mostly clear skies. if we get cloud cover, it will be higher than that. as far as the extended forecast, we take you into friday. that's the potential for the severe weather. we're in the el nino pattern. so we get the storms rolling through. you get the forcing in the atmosphere. that allows for the storms to be nastier than we're used to, certainly this time of year. that is for friday. temperatures holding in the 70s. but it's tuesday. it's not too early to check in on the weekend. on saturday, dry and mild. so the air behind the front, it's actually moving from west to east. it won't be that cold yet. 72 on saturday. but by sunday, with a couple showers coming back, then temperatures go back down.

to remain nice and cool. as far as how cool we will get next week, more details on the timing of the friday storm system rolling through, dennis will have that in the next half hour. >> thank you, ivan. these are the faces of cancer research, bill gates and the head of amazon are leading a $100 million investment to develop a company to come up with dna sequences to detect cancer early. creating this type of test has been compared to finding the holy grail of oncology. they hope to have the test ready in three years. at least two other companies are trying to develop the same thing. 35 years from now it is expected that the amount of people diagnosed with alzheimer's will triple. yet there is still no cure. but ground breaking research is underway.

post found out that the most important part of the study is that volunteers are needed and more are needed as well. >> reporter: we see the signs. hear the advertisements. but what is it like to say. >> sign me up. how do i get involved in this study? >> reporter: watching her parents die from alzheimer's motivated connie lasco to test a new drug that slows down memory loss. >> for me, i'm more afraid of the disease slipping up on me than i am finding out. >> reporter: she is an ideal candidate for the a-4 study at usf. 65 and older with a family history of alzheimer's. next is qualified. a five-day screening process starting with the memory test. >> what is 100 take away 7. >> 93. >> reporter: then a brain scan. >> lay there and let me take the pictures.

looking for a protein that forms plaques on the brain. >> this is a positive screen. >> reporter: if she passes, she will take the new drug every month for three and a half years. like any medication, it comes with possible side effects though. like brain swelling and heart problems. >> i spent seven years dealing with alzheimer's with my parents. so three and a half years is a snapshot. >> reporter: the goal is to find a goal for alzheimer's by 2025. but doctors can't get there without the help of volunteers. they need at least 50 to move forward. if you qualify for the study, you will receive compensation, not to mention the free medical care. for more information on how to sign up, just head over to thenowtampabay.com. for the now, i'm christie post. >> right now we want to give you a quick look from action air 1 over the scene of howard franklin bridge there.

it's looking more like a parking lot there you see on the right-hand side of your screen. cars are not moving at this time. we're not hearing of any accidents right now. regardless, this is a live look at your rush hour. if you're headed out, be aware of this. this might help you put down this soda. there is new evidence that sweetened drinks can cause unhealthy fa the to build up in your body over time. this is according to new findings in the journal circulation. the fat is not like the fat that builds up under your skin. it actually stays on your organs instead and this can affect your metabolism over time. drinking one sweetened drink a day is linked to 25% of an increase in the visceral fat volume. that's compared to those that don't drink soda. one of most concerning health headlines lately.

mammograms and how often. mammogram recommendation comes from a federal panel called the preventative services task force. women ages 50 to 74 should get mammograms every two years. compare that to the american cancer society who has recently as october said that women should start yearly checks at 45 and only 55 and up should test every two years. but wait, there's more. the acoj recommends that women start at age 40. so which recommendation is right? we asked oncologist dr. paul. >> that's a very good question. it's hard to know what the right answer is. everybody realizes that the studies are not 100%. and that there's problems with all of the studies done. >> reporter: one of the big arguments for screening every two years is the stress surrounding false positives. >> we kind of wasted that woman's time doing all of this stuff.

anxiety associated with that could be cancer. you do all of this work-up and it's negative. >> reporter: as for patients who come to see him, dr. paul recommends starting yearly screenings at age 40 despite conflicting guidelines. >> they have guidelines for us to follow. they're guidelines. it doesn't mean you have to do this or not. and sitting down with a physician, the patient together can decide what might be best. >> reporter: as of now, most insurance companies are paying for yearly exams, a good option for patients who would rather be safe than sorry. for the now, i'm ann mcthat mcnamara. well, chances are you're seeing fewer teenagers hanging out behind schools smoking these days. that's the good news. the bad news is while fewer teens are lighting up,

only 9% of high school students now smoke. that's down from nearly 16% just in 2011. but a government study published in the journal of pete tricks says nearly half, 48% of non-smoking students are still exposed to secondhand smoke at least once a week. the cdc says it's concerning because there is no safe level of safe exposure. and it's linked to beating problems, ear infections and pneumonia. the study says more effort is needed to expand smoke-free zones. 23 states have smoke free inside restaurants and workplaces. while several video games are loud and violent, a denver couple has created a video game of their own. but this one is quiet and thoughtful. and it's not about winning.

and today would have been joel green's 7th birthday. he lost his battle with cancer two years ago but his parents decided interactive video game to keep his memory alive and others to navigate their thoughts and feelings while fighting the disease. >> it's a retelling of our life and our third son joel's life and his battle with cancer. >> it blends home videos and audio recordings of the family's time together while highlighting things that he loved. his father is a video game programmer and he and his wife have worked tirelessly to release the game today in honor of his birth da i. >> we spent a lot of time imagining what the release would be. i never imagined howie motional it might be. >> the game is available for mac and pc users. good news to report.

introduced you to yesterday from tulsa, oklahoma was getting bullied because of her name and now she is getting support. she posted a video on facebook telling others with the same name to stay strong. and now she is receiving hundreds of positive comments and words of encouragement from strangers, friends and classmates. a real boost after three years of bullying. >> don't let the bullies get to you. you are beautiful. you are not a terrorist. take pride in your name and keep your head held up high. >> i've had a lot of people come up to me and say they're sorry for making fun of me. >> well, her mother says it is a welcome change. her daughter even saying she had an awesome day thanks to the support. call it a small business stuck to a big idea. they're hoping to set a guiness world record but it took years

>> reporter: if you want an idea to stick. >> what started as one sticker. >> reporter: john fisher is your guy. his company sticker giant started this crazy ball of amusement. >> there's a giant sticker ball. let's be part it was. >> it caught us off guard. >> reporter: now it's ready to set a guiness world record. yes, there's a category for largest sticker ball. it started with a fistful of stickers. >> reporter: we know that one sticker weighs less than a gram. the number to beat is 220 pounds. this ball weighed in this morning at 230 pounds. >> #largeststickerball. >> reporter: yes, the ball is impressive. but the business behind the ball is what really keeps things going. >> i started the company in my basement selling political stick enters. >> reporter: that was 15 years

now it's a $10 million company with 30 employees. >> we have printed over 10,000 miles of stickers. >> reporter: it's a testament to sticking with the game plan. and this makes it all very clear that john is having a ball in the process. >> it's like the stanley cup except heavier. >> reporter: for the now, i'm andy choi. >> guiness will officially measure the sticker ball tomorrow which just so happens to be national sticker day. i'm sarah rosario. that's it for the now tampa bay. the news at 5:00 starts right now. >> abc action news starts right now with breaking news. >> the breaking news right here. action air one over the scene of a gas leak in pinellas park.

down near pinellas high school