>> breaking news in the last 30 minutes, a health emergency just declared in four florida counties because of the zika virus. two confirmed cases in hillsborough county right now and other cases in four counties across our state. nine total cases have been reported in florida. today, hillsborough county ordering more mosquito traps. the new tampa bay's christie post is fact checking to see how the virus spreads and if you are at risk. >> reporter: aside from being itchy and annoying, buzz off

worry about the blood-sucking bugs spreading viruses. >> if you went back there and spent the night, you wouldn't enjoy it. >> reporter: he typically says mosquitoes that transmit other diseases. that is the same mosquito that spreads the zika virus. >> we know there are nine cases in florida, two in hillsborough county. >> reporter: while no one has gotten the virus from a mosquito in the u.s., it could still happen. 12 states are reporting people who caught it while traveling. just recently, the cdc confirming text tech could have the first case in -- texas could have the first case of the zika being transmitted sexually. it is not transmitted through saliva. the biggest threat is to

only one in five people infected will show symptoms that are mild, like fever, rash and joint pain. but with no vaccine or medicine to treat zika, the key is prevention. >> you need long sleeved shirts on. >> reporter: also drain and cover any standing water. >> this is an example of stagnant water. >> reporter: with more cases likely to come up, the usf is studyingng zika and one company is working on a vehicle seen-- vaccine. i'm christie post for the now. >> facebook ceo says that facebook is partnering with a nonprofit in brazil to raise awareness about the virus being declared a public health emergency right now. also breaking news from the presidential campaign trail. the gop side losing two more candidates today.

out just a few hours ago after a poor performance in iowa, getting only 1% of the vote. also rand paul says he will fight for liberty and smaller governments but not doing it as president. the video you're about to see from a campaign event on monday after the iowa caucuses where the kentucky senator finished fifth. despite dropping out of the race, it appears that his message is remaining the same. >> we will continue to fight tonight is the beginning, liberty will live on. we fight on. >> early in the race, paul was considered a contender, especially with the younger voters. paul says he will now focus on getting reelected to the senate. no word if he's planning on endorsing another candidate still in the running. well, why don't we take a live look outside because it is so beautiful right now. clear and warm out there. as ivan has been warning us all week, that is about to change. >> it certainly is.

but, yeah, look at that shot. it looks fantastic out there. 79 in tampa. we hit 84 degrees earlier this afternoon. that was enough for a record high for today. it's never been that warm. actually tied. so it has been. but when the new numbers come out, we may have hit 85. we will watch that. hot and the humidity. did you feel that out there? at one point the heat indexes even in tampa were in the upper 80s. look at brooksville. it feels like 87 degrees. that is something for early february. as we head through the remainder of the evening, as you can imagine, temperatures hold willing -- holding in the 70s. balmy and humid. we have issues to contend with now. as we widen the shot, as laura was talking about, things will be changing in a hurry tomorrow. we are tracking this line of showers and thunderstorms. i will be back in a few mens to tell what you to expect, how much rain we will get and what happens behind it. laura.

right now we're watching the two key gun bills in florida. the house expected to make final votes on the bills. the house is expected to pass the campus bill but the senate probably won't. they're also expected to pass the concealed carry. it's not as clear what will happen to that one. just yesterday they tacked on amendment allowing someone to carry during legislative meetings and on the house floor. also right now, updating you on the florida supreme court trying to tackle how to handle the u.s. supreme court's saying that our death penalty in the state is unconstitutional. guess who is appealing? convicted cop killer dante morris that you see right there. the supreme court hearing that today. morris has three death sentences for the two police officers and a third man he killed. it's important to note here the jury recommended death unanimously in the trial of officers jeffrey and david curtis.

a st. pete man is accused of molesting a 3-year-old little girl and biting her teenage brother who tried to stop it all. the now's kera mashek is live right now. the man has been accused of this before. that's the crazy part. >> reporter: absolutely. bernard jones is a registered sex offender from a crime, a conviction actually of an underaged girl, the age of 12, the exact same thing that he is accused of right now. jones is dating the mother of the victim in this case. he allegedly went into the child's bedroom late last night and started performing oral sex on the toddler. the 3-year-old's mother caught him in the act and screamed for help. her teenage son rushed in and tackled jones who allegedly bit the teen. but jones was able to get away, running down the street and hiding at a friend's house until officers arrived to arrest him. neighbors are disturbed that

a registered sex offender living there on their street. >> he should be locked up where he belongs. especially if he did it before. >> reporter: now, this time jones is charged with battery for a child under 12 and aggravated battery. in court jones told the judge, quote, these are just allegations. reporting live in pinellas county, kera mashek for the new tampa bay. making rape legals. the men's activist group believes in the proposal so much that they are holding rallies all over the country. one in downtown tampa this saturday. just ten minutes ago, mayor buckhorn says and i'm paraphrasing, as a ther of two girls and a mayor of a city that has no room for this vial rhetoric. this is the website of the group.

it's not safe, the words that they use on the website. they make their thoughts known of making rape legal if it's done on private property. they are saying they will make sure they are keeping a close eye on the rally on saturday to make sure that it stays safe. two others planned in florida, orlando and west palm beach. 162 of those happening around the u.s. when it comes to health, americans simply aren't buying diet meals like this anymore. coming up, how major weight loss companies are responding. it's a drill. it's just a drill. but one of the most surprising things we learned today about this active shooter training in tampa. before we go, breaking this afternoon, honda now recalling and telling dealers to stop selling certain cars. we're talking 1.7 million of

this goes back to the takata exploding g air bag problem.

>> right now, come close to your screen. these are crews and the crew members up here as well trying to save a woman they think is stuck in the car. you see something like this and say how on earth could someone have survived, especially in the rushing waters. the woman actually bailed out of the car and hopped the guardrail, thankfully getting out before the car reached that point. she ended up in the rushing waters. not far from the car. witnesses say she was awake but shaken up when she was rescued. quick warning here, what you are about to see is not real. it's just a drill. but important to show you. [gunshots]

at the port of tampa today. although very realistic. this is a reenactment of an active shooter situation. it's all part of a tampa downtown partnership security series taking a look at terrorism. the threat of mass shootings and other security trends. tampa police stressing that awareness of what could happen is key to keeping yourself and your family safe. >> people do fire evacuations all the time. that has saved thousands of lives over the years. why not train with the same philosophy. know what to do in a situation like that so you can take action for your own personal safety. absolutely this will save lives in the end. >> if you don't think this is an important message and timely, listen to this. there was also a forum discussion that was completely sold out. other take-aways on this one, especially if someone finds themselves in a mass shooting, remember these three words, hide, run, fight.

building are and places you can hide. most people don't like the word diet. and now sales of diet pills and meals are down as much as 20% this year. the now's anne mcnamara found out that major weight loss brands are actually listening. >> have a plan or think about having a plan for the next time that you go out. >> reporter: from the meetings to the signage, weight watchers is changing their approach. >> sugars and fats can lead to disease. we wanted to tie into the scientific research. we had feedback from members saying we want to lose weight but in a more holistic sense. >> reporter: members know that losing weight and keeping it off isn't a quick fix. >> this is one of those really popular fad diet things because it insinuates that you can lose weight. >> you're not getting any

that you pick up in your freezer section and throw in the microwave. >> they take the fiber and healthy fats out in order to increase shelf life. >> reporter: the days of low fat, local rebest sellers are behind us. >> prepackaged like this, how long did that take. >> reporter: 30 seconds. >> reporter: the market is shifting with an emphasis on whole foods. >> under a minute, ready to go. >> the weight watcher things, the jenny craig, these fad diets, people are waking up and people know this is not the way to do it. >> let's make this work for us. there are people whose lifestyles only allow them to do frozen meals. we need to have a way that they can do frozen meals and eat out real life is. >> reporter: no matter which way you get there, the goal is the same, to get americans healthy again in this new era die. >> it works better for because it's well rounded.

>> you heard anne talking about the food. what role does exercise play in this. you can't outwork a bad diet but it helps speed up the weight loss. well, when you think of the nobel peace prize, you expect people like the pope to be on the list. how about donald trump? he is among the candidates for the honor this year. the economicals out his strength ideology as a weapon. the committee typically gets hundreds of them and it's unclear right now who actually nominated him. well, covering hillsborough county right now, paddle boarding is much more than exercise these days. it's a way to clean up water ways in tampa bay after gasparilla. if you want to help, meet at the marina at 11:00 at 7:00. that money goes towards future clean-up events around town. if you don't have a board, call urban kai to reserve one. the crew will meet up for a

brewing afterwards. they may or may not have a nice day to do that on saturday. >> well, i don't know. >> yeah. we will talk about saturday in a second. we have rain to get through as we head through tomorrow. my goodness, have you enjoyed these temperatures? if you like the humidity, it's been your day. temperatures in the mid-80s. you factor in the humidity, we have a day of upper 80s in february. that is something if you are here for the winter or if you're visiting. this has been fantastic the last couple of days. temperatures holding at this hour in the upper 70s to lower 80s. titan doppler radar is quiet. we have rain on the way. this is the frontal boundary that spawned the tornado watches yesterday. but the storm system as we talked about continues to weaken. the low heads up to the north. we will get the trailing end of the front here. that will be moving through. it will rain tomorrow but not expecting severe weather. showers and thunderstorms.

plan out the day for you. there we are through the morning hours. rain moves in around 9:00, 10:00 a.m. the system is slow moving. it will take a while before we clear out. let's zoom in and get tight here. there it is, thursday, 9:00 a.m. still looking at the showers off shore. there may be a few making their way inland. watch what happens here. as we head throughout the day, showers and storms roll through. again, nothing severe. there will be pockets of heavier showers here. then watch the arrows here. that's a northwesterly wind that eventually takes over tomorrow night and brings us dry and cool conditions. that will set us up for a nice weekend. the problem is this is saturday. the frontal boundary that moves through, stalling out across south florida. you know what that means. clouds and a couple of showers. area of low pressure develops along it. saturday and sunday, certainly by no means look like a wash- out. at this point not even severe weather. but we will have to watch for

i'll be back with the timing in a few minutes. temperatures when you wake unonce again in the morning, upper 60s to lower 70s. watch what happens in the afternoon. this is because of the frontal passage here. we will be cooler tomorrow just because we will have so much cloud around and also showers and the thunderstorms. we really cool off by the time we get into tomorrow night and into the early part of friday. i'll be back with that expend tended outlook. in a few minutes we will take a look at early warning systems for earthquakes here in the united states. >> thanks, ivan. a record number of prison inmates being exonerated right now, including in the bay area. how pop culture is helping prove their innocence. before we go, more money in your pocket. gas prices at their lowest since january 2009. the red on that map right there shows the highest prices. the green, the lowest. the national average is $1.78 a gallon. a few cents cheaper in tampa, $1.74.

>> welcome back to the new tampa bay. imagine spending years in prison for a crime you did not commit. it's probably happening as we speak since we now a record number of people were exonerated last year, 149 to be exact. that includes three people right here in florida. one case out of manatee county involving this man, andre bryant who was sentence today 30 years in prison for robbery back in 2007 when he was just 20 years old. he was exonerated last year but not before he spent eight years in prison for something that he didn't do. on average, each person did about 14 years in prison before getting cleared. the report from the university of michigan law school showing the u.s. averages three exonerations a week. and the number of people

than doubled since 2011. the convictions overturned last year range from drug crimes to murders. the people wrongly convicted for murder, more than two- thirds are minorities. five of them were on death row at the time. so why are so many people being exonerated right now? researchers are saying it's about awareness. more prosecutors are recognizing the seriousness of the problem. more recently here, they're finding the recent netflix documentary making a murderer is bringing more understanding. how about that. here is ivan with something really cool i've been thinking about all day. something in the works for earthquakes. >> yes. in fact, even though, laura, florida joins north dakota in having the fewest earthquakes in the united states, absolutely earthquakes do hit. and even just having a few seconds of notice can make all the difference. take a look here. what is happening here is the president is now pledging his support to finish basically building an early warning

up along the west coast. it's called shake alert. it's an animation here of basically what is underway. they're essentially put scientific sensors underground to measure the energy waves caused by an earthquake. that can be relayed essentially from any seconds to a few minutes that an earthquake has started. it costs about $38 million is what it will cost to build it. 79million americans though could benefit. they live in significant risk areas, especially out in the west coast. >> thanks, ivan. something we should all consider, put your adventure cap on and explore the great outdoors in a cool way. pinellas county announcing they are opening a zip line. take a look at the renderings we found. it's at the bayou wilderness preserve. the city just approved it. it will take eight to 12 weeks to build it.

there was a zip line in tampa bay. well, the cheating website ashley madison wants the world to know if you get on our website, you're info is now secure. the notorious site launched a few security features today allowing users to mask their profile pictures using actual mask. black bar to cover the eyes. there you go. ashley madison says it's for discretion purposes. all of this on the heels of tens of millions of profiles being made public last fall. some caught on the site were reality stars and celebrities. that hack sparked a federal investigation. still ahead on the new tampa bay, a new idea in the bay area to give everyone across the area access to a list of people that harm animals and what could stand in the way of that happening. and speaking of dogs, where you can find the next dog park that won't cost taxpayers a dime.

>> right now, the presidential candidates are hitting the hampshire. on the left you see a live shot from senator ted cruz. marco rubio's town hall from earlier today. as you know, cruz won the iowa caucuses but donald trump announcing on twitter today he wants a do-over. for the even tighter competition, clinton narrowly beat bernie sanders. the sanders campaign doesn't

as for marco rubio, he is going to try persuading rand paul's supporters to back him. as we told you a couple minutes ago, paul just dropped out of the race. well, go to any county in tampa bay and there's a sex offender registry to better protect your children. why not have one for people that abuse animals. hillsborough county is considering that. carson chambers is here to explain exactly what she heard today. carson, a lot of us were saying how is there not one of these already. >> right. we don't have one here but they have them in other states like tennessee. it's not a new idea. this would help shelters subpoena law enforcement and regular people like you and me. >> she is so hot to the touch. when you touch her whole body, it's all from infection. >> reporter: she is still running a high temperature. >> their little immune systems are so compromised into when you hold this 8 week puppy she feels like a hot water bottle

in a box with her litter of eight with severe skin problems, hungry. pam sees a lot. >> it will be a good resource for us, a good tool, just to help us know that we're not sending an animal into a known abusive home. >> reporter: backer and the humane society of tampa bay support the push for a hillsborough county registry to track animal abusers. it was introduced with disturbing pictures of severe cases. >> you may find equally shocking that 70% of animal abusers have criminal records. >> reporter: the animal abuse registry would make it easier for shelters to screen adopters and give you a way to check out your neighbors. >> animal abuse can be a predictor and indicator of other forms of violence, such as sexual apews, elder, spousal and/or child abuse. >> reporter: a forensic vet says animal abuse is a stepping stone for other criminal violence.

tracking animal abuse cases at the beginning of the year nationwide. information that the human society of tampa bay believes woululd be invaluable. >> it would be similar to that of the sex offender registry. >> all right, carson. it sounds like they're trying to do something. where do we go from here. >> beckner put it on the table today. we know that they did move it forward 5-1. it is going somewhere. they will send it to the county attorney and we will follow it and see what happens. >> thank you, carson. to pinellas county and a dogs where are welcome. for years people were taking dogs to an empty lot because it was the only open space for their pets to play. well, local bank, achieva credit union has stepped up providing the money to build a dog park for the area. the best part of all of this, it won't cost taxpayers a dime. the bank beat the city to it.

complete with a celebration. >> we will have a food truck, mobile vaccinations, pet grooming, adoptions from sun coast animal league, micro chipping. other dog related vendors and a lot of fun activities for the whole family. >> 1659 virginia street is where you can find that new dog park. right next to the achieva credit union. >> we need more of those, laura. >> we do. look at that shot. >> there's of course the dog beach. i have taken cody to that. loves that. what a beach day, in fact. temperatures in the mid 80s. the problem is the water temperature takes a while to match the air temperature. we had several days of mid and upper 80s then we're in business. but the water temperature is still in the 60s which is just too cold for us. >> the fair is coming. >> but the fair is coming. you sound upset about it because you have seen the weather. >> i know what the weather is like. >> it's not going to be a complete rain-out here. it is the first day of the florida state fair. let's take a look at the

we will see the front as we've been talking about. the rainiest day of the week. we will have showers continuing. i know you're going to go anyway. if you do, keep in mind we will have pockets of rainfall moving through. not a complete washout, i suppose. you will get breaks in there as far as it not raining. don't expect too much sunshine. theet -- the better day is friday where things will be nicer and drier and cooler as well, if you want that. we have a nice extended forecast that i think you will like. that. breaking news to tell you about right now on the new tampa bay. action air 1 is live over a car accident right now. hopefully we can get a closer shot for you. hillsborough avenue eastbound at north 22nd street is shut down right now. accident. we're being told that the woman seizure. all of that is coming from the tampa police department right now. again, this is hillsborough

the hillsborough area in tampa. stay away from there as much as you can. we are seeing that they actually opened up the road. now they just opened up the road. again, that's at hillsborough and north 22nd street. so thankfully you won't have to worry about that. we will try to get the woman's condition coming up here. i want you to see something. here is ivan. i want you to see him. also -- >> i didn't know you were coming here. >> i wanted to see your web cam. >> yes. >> ivan has a web cam over here. he has two of them. coming up, i'm going to explain even if you follow the instructions how to set these up, strangers could be looking in at your home, at your kids. you never know. we will tell you how to keep them secure.

>> you know what cameras are really popular these days? a lot of people use them to skype with their families. we use them in the weather center. but what happens when there are people looking in on your web cameras? peeking in your kid's bedroom, into your house, in your private settings. there's a feature called show dan. it pulls in web cameras all across the world, like traffic and weather. even unsecured cameras like the ones in your own house. >> it doesn't matter what device it is. if you have an internet connected device such as a tablet or smart phone or a convertible laptop, you can definitely get on and take a look at anyone's unsecure web cam. >> what is more concerning, it can find your location, giving gps coordinates right to your house. snooping on unsecured web cams isn't illegal. but if a person hacks into a web camera, then it is. now, your smart phone and your

are a little different. they can still be hacked but it's harder because they actually have safety features to try to secure that. but what do you do about the web cam? it's as simple as a password. web cameras come with a default password for you to use when you set it up. make sure that you change that and the router password. otherwise people can do a quick google search, find the default password and gain access. well, listen to this next story. more women are serving in the military now in positions they have never had before. we knew that part. but should they be able or required to register in the event there is a draft for military help? abc action news anchor wendy ryan is here with what two top military leaders are calling informer. >> leaders are saying every american, man or woman, who is physically fit should register for the draft. they are encouraging congress to look into this right now. only men between the ages of 18

congress would have to change this law to include women. but having a draft again may not be very likely. there hasn't been one in more than 40 years. really since vietnam. congress has to authorize it and then the president has to sign off on it. right now there appears to be enough volunteers too. who is to blame for the flint water crisis? lawmakers hold an explosive hearing. find out who wasn't there. house hunting can be stressful for anyone. but now there is an app for that. the app helping you find a place based on your own lifestyle.

>> here are the talks going on right now in the presidential campaign. he is pleading for tolerance for the millions of american muslims living here as they contribute to our country as well as police officers, firefighters and so on. >> you couldn't help but be inspired hearing about the extraordinary work that they're doing.

be heart broken to hear their worries and their anxieties. some of them are parents and they talked about how their children were asking, are we going to be forced out of the country. are we going to be rounded up? why do people treat us like that? conversations that you shouldn't have to have with children. not in this country. >> president obama has visited mosques in the past but never inside of the u.s. he is a christian but for years been dogging conspiracy theories suggesting he was a muslim. lawmakers on capitol hill are trying to find out who is responsible for the poisoning of flint, michigan water supply. hearings playing out today. todd walker traveled to flint earlier this year and is now with the fireworks from today's hearing. >> the emergency manager in charge of the city of flint

was subpoenaed to appear before congress today. he wouldn't there because he wouldn't make it in time. they want to hear from governor snyder who wasn't invited to testify. >> you're in charge of water quality. he is telling you that they aided and abated making sure that that information didn't get out. why? >> my understanding is that they were working to try to get action on the evidence. >> that's not what the evidence shows. >> nearly two years after flint's water supply started showing signs of contamination, a year after the first evidence of lead poisoning, fingers pointed, tempers flared over who was responsible for the public health disaster in flint, michigan. >> are people paying for water that they cannot use or drink? >> the epa blames the state, the state blamed the epa and

cover up the evidence of lead poisoning. >> you're from the epa. you're in charge of water quality. i want to know what the answer is. >> it's important to go back and understand all of the facts. >> no, it's not. it's important for the epa to tell the public that they're poisoning their kids if they drink the water. >> i absolutely agree. >> why didn't they do it? they sat on that for almost a year. >> lawmakers want to know the ban who was put in to turn the finances around was not there to testify. >> why is he not here today. why is the governor of michigan not here today? because he's hiding. that's what is happening. >> it's not clear what will come out of today's hearing but the epa committed to providing more documents it has been dragging its feet on. many lawmakers call on more hearings to hear from the governor and the emergency management. for the now, i'm todd waggler it was revealed today that the

first visit to flint yesterday. right now let's take a live look outside. beautiful skies out there. just shining at us. and you better enjoy it now >> yes. we're in that season. temperatures. yesterday, it felt like a florida day. we had temperatures in the 80s. today we hit a record high. we tied the record set back in 1990 which was 84 at the with the humidity, the feels like temperature, that's been high and in the upper 80s. still at this hour, places like brooksville very steamy out there indeed. if you were planning an evening out, that's what you have going. we're dry still. temperatures holding into the 70s. no jacket needed. don't put them away because there are changes on the way and that transition will begin tonight. mostly cloudy. a couple of showers through the overnight late. nothing organized. it's tomorrow that we begin to rain as we showed you the futurecast there.

the showers move in. a few embedded thunderstorms. not expecting severe weather. mostly a cloudy day with rain temperatures about 75. and then once the front clears, happen through tomorrow night. by the time that you wake up on friday, again, back to jacket weather. 47 degrees in the morning. and highs in the afternoon only into the low 60s. that front stalls out to the south as we talked about. that means that our shower chances continue on saturday and sunday. but look at the temperatures. they're holding in the 60s with overnight lows in the 40s. so by the time we get into friday, our, well, taste of spring at this point is over. laura. >> thanks, ivan. more good news about former president jimmy carter's recovery from cancer. he says a new scan of his chest and abdomen show no signs of the melanoma. on top of a brain scan last december showing the cancer is

he took an anti- melanoma drug since being diagnosed last summer. scans don't always detect the tiniest of cancer cells so he is undergoing a treatment tuesday just to be safe. carter is 91 years old and still going strong it in his humanitarian efforts. he is in london updating his effort to eradicate worm disease. the carter center began that fight in 1986. there were three and a half million cases worldwide when it started. last year, there were only 22. and carter says he hopes to outlive the last guinea worm on earth. another high profile f. player diagnosed with a brain disease associated with the game. boston university researchers are saying former quarterback ben stabler had chronic

researchers are now saying that he had severe damage to the parts of his brain connected to learning, memory and emotions. cte has been found in the brains of dozens of former football players. it can only be diagnosed after someone dies. buying your dream home may have become easier, especially for the young buyers out there. the now introduces you to a new app that could help do just that. >> there is no shadow to be cast. an early spring is my forecast. >> reporter: great news for us and for realtor who's say that means spring home buying starts now. if you're in the market, you've likely browsed for homes online. but are current websites giving you everything that you need? you can check price and square footage but a new app hopes to take your search to a new level and it's targeting new buyers.

friends and family and being near a certain distance of work and different commute types like biking, walking, driving. >> reporter: it also factors in interests like restaurants, night live and architecture then an algorithm sends you matches and even goes a step further. >> when you find the perfect home, obviously you're going to want to walk through it. we connect you up with expert real estate agents in the area to walk through the homes with you and help you through the buying process. >> reporter: and that's how the founders of the new start-up company earn a living. realtors pay them to get connected to you. >> when you see stories about start-ups in the news, they make it look easy but it's been a challenge. but a good one. >> reporter: right now the website is up and running in cincinatti, chicago and dayton and will launch in a dozen other markets in spring, including phoenix and san diego.

right now gop presidential runner ben carson live at the national press club in iowa. let's listen in. >> who is to say what the outcome. i don't think we can say what the outcome is. but we can say whether or not we take something like this and just sweep it under the rug and say, it's just the way it is. or are there consequences? >> what do you think of donald trump weighing into the fight. he's been attacking ted cruz for it. >> well, i have a tendency as you have probably noticed over the last several months not to talk about other people and what their intentions are and what they do. i will continue that now. >> dr. carson, how do you evaluate the state of your campaign at this point? you say you're going on to new hampshire and north carolina. what kind of showing do you need to show there?

i base what i do on the support that i see. >> it's important to note here, ben carson says he is still staying in the campaign, despite not performing well in the iowa caucuses. rick santorum and rand paul dropped out of the race today. a good centarium. he gained recognition for cleaning veterans graves on his own time. he got 18 million views online. now andrew is back in the news receiving the award of a lifetime. >> we all have a mission, a purpose in our lives. and the biggest gift that any us can have is to find it. i think i found it. >> and andrew says the last three years he has cleaned about 400 headstones of veterans and their family members. he's had requests from as far away as australia and the united kingdom of people wanting to know how he does it so they can do it in their

back to the award that i was talking about. we had a big surprise for andrew. >> what do you think? i know you're absorbing this news. >> i can't speak. >> congratulations. congratulations. [applause] >> can i give you a hug. >> coming up tonight on 5:30, we will tell you exactly what award he received and what had him so speechless. look for that on abc action news at 5:30. right now your chance to win tickets to the daytona 500 and a prize pack for you. go to our facebook page right now, daytona 500 ticket give- away. click on the tab. you have to click on the tab and fill it out. since you're watching today, i will give you the right answer to the multiple choice question. here it is. who was the oldest driver to win during a daytona 500? the correct answer here, bobby allison. he was 50 years old when he won. go to our facebook page right now to enter that correct answer for your chance to win.

this afternoon we're learning the bucs are raising their season ticket prices for the first time in almost a decade. it's about 20% higher. it cups out to be about $100 more for the cheapest seats. after a losing season. new head coach. not sure how many people are going to buy into that one. well, if you've ever played host to a party, you know the guests usually have more fun than you can. and football's biggest party is no exception. the now's andy choi shows us how the people of san francisco really feel about hosting the super bowl. >> reporter: in this sea of super bowl madness, some of us have to work. here in downtown san francisco, it's taking a little more time to get to work. they may be signaling touchdown, but the referees of traffic enforcement are not getting cheers from local commuters. >> they say i don't want to hear it.

and why are we doing that. >> what is complicated is they close a lot of the streets. >> it was exciting the first week. this week i'm fighting through the crowds. >> a lot of people don't understand -- i mean they do understand but they don't want to hear it when they're late for work. >> reporter: making super bowl out of towners like us tough to warm up to. >> are you excited about the super bowl. >> not really. >> super bowl 50. one guy. >> i've heard people working in the building. some of them are not happy that they have to go through the metal detectors. >> they forgot about the people who live here, that work here. >> just when i get off work at 5:00, seeing the check point lines is like way back there and i'm like oh my gosh i have to cash my 5:30 ferry. >> some people feel it's too big of a headache. >> it is. >> just super bowl 50. >> reporter: is it worth hosting a super bowl, all of this pain? >> it is to me. it is. [music]

of san francisco, thank you for your hospitality. here is to life getting back to normal soon after sunday's final whistle. and for those counting down the days, that's four until the big game, five after that to take all of this down. patience is key here in the bay area. i'm andy choi for the now. >> and i'm laura harrisment thank you for joining us. abc action news at 5:00 starts right now. >> live from the station taking action for you. this is abc action news. >> tonight the major bust spanning several counties netting all of this stolen property. a warning for parents, beware who you let near your child. the disturbing case of abuse uncovered by a mother in pinellas county. preventing the spread of zika virus right here in florida. rick scott declaring a public health emergency in the four