>> anchor: now at 7:00 breaking news rob gronkowski set for back surgery. >> anchor: gronk's teammates talk about playing without him. >> reporter: fans hoping for the best. >> reporter: sunshine through continues through the weekend. >> we can't allow this anymore with our country. >> anchor: closing the deal and ending a campaign controversy. >> anchor: and decking city hall for the holidays. it's beginning to look a lot like winter. >> anchor: how crews are transforming the plaza. >> 7 news at 7:00 starts now. tonight on 7 the pats dealt a big blow. >> gronkowski just back and now taking a walk to the locker

team. >> gronk is down and out. >> anchor: breaking news out of foxborough. patriots tight end rob gronkowski is readying for back surgery. >> anchor: this could put gronk out at least 8 weeks. we have team 7 coverage of gronk's surgery. trey daerr live at gillette stadium for us. >> reporter: over the course of the last 14 months. top play makers edelman. there is no player who effects this offense like it does whenever gronkowski is not on the field. he could miss the next 2 months. >> there were a lot of injuries this year. is that something you have worked on. is that luck of the draw sometimes. >> i don't want to talk about it. >> reporter: it was nearly a month ago when rob gronkowski

patriots. something that hardly seems funny. >> gronkowski is taken into the locker room here. >> reporter: gronk suffering a herniated disk against the jets. an injury that will require a third back surgery and could keep him out of action for 8 weeks. >> can't make the grab. he was hit and he's injured. >> reporter: familiar territory for arguably the greatest tight end in file is equal to his talent. >> they took his knee out. >> reporter: knee, forearm, ankle and back during his career. played a full 16 games twice in his nfl seasons. looking at a time table for return. 5 games in regular season. 5 rounds of the play off. and then that 8 week period

championship game. >> anchor: without gronk in the line up the pats have big shoes to fill on the offense. >> anchor: and the team is talking about playing without one of their biggest stars on the field. tim caputo with more on that impact. >> reporter: he left in the first quarter of sunday's game. that was rob gronkowski's final play of the season. the incomplete pass must have been worse than it looked. set for back surgery tomorrow. and miss the rest of the regular season and most of the playoffs. he's focussed on his job. >> i got to make sure i'm ready to play. control who is going over my body. cut my grass before i cut someone else's. >> reporter: before news of gronk's injury hit the locker room. and that was without tom brady as well. now they're deep into the season and well on the way to another play off run. players believe even without gronk the offense will be as

next man up mentality. a lot of weapons on this team. we play well together. whoever is out there we're going to play with whoever it is. >> reporter: and they don't expect that to change now. >> i've been doing the same thing all year. my job is my job. >> reporter: for years the 2 phrases you hear from the patriots are next man up and do your job. those 2 things needed now more than ever. tim >> anchor: this will be gronk's third back surgery. byron barnett talked to an orthopedic surgeon at brig amand womens. >> this is what a herniated disk looks like. >> reporter: for the average person a herniated disk is not the end of the world. >> it's a routine and common type of injury. and i would say for most patients for most people who

an injury. >> reporter: since this will be gronkowski's third back surgery for the injury. there could be cause for additional concern. >> if this was a brand new disk herniation at a level he's never had a herniation surgery before this is a bread and butter straight forward index surgery. no different than any other. if it's the same disk that's been injured and operated now for the third time it may something worse over time. >> reporter: and has performed hundreds of herniated disk surgeries. i asked him how difficult it is for a profootball player to come back from an injury like this. >> after this injury or condition herniated disk with or without surgery a high percentage of nfl football players will get back to full play. it's not unheard of for him to come back. it would be considered more

to full play. >> reporter: if the surgery goes well with no hiccoughs and the rehab goes well also gronk could be ready to play football again in time for the super bowl if the patriots get there. >> anchor: this news of gronk's injury is hitting patriots nation hard. many fans know this could be a game changer. kimberly bookman with more from gillette. >> reporter: word spreads that patr gronkowski needs back surgery and won't be playing for sometime. >> it's a sad day. you don't want anybody getting hurt. >> reporter: pats fans are concerned for 2 reasons first that the 27-year-old football player will be okay and recover. and second that gronk's absence doesn't impact the rest of the team's season. >> he's the back bone for the team. it's not a good thing. we're going to be in trouble. >> reporter: some stocking up on

team. not good for my fantasy football. and maybe they'll give me a discount on the shirt. >> reporter: while no one seemed to expect this turn of events. gronkowski is prone to injuries. >> they need to wrap him up in bubble wrap. >> reporter: many hope he will be back and better than ever. >> i'm still supporting gronk. you got to support him. he's great. >> reporter: the coach always they're putting their trust and faith in that. >> anchor: for breaking news updates on the patriots stay with the news station. go to whdh.com or download the 7 news mobile or tablet app. >> anchor: more breaking news at 7. this is troubling frankly up in lawrence. police are investigating after a decapitated body was discovered near the merrimac river. john cocoa to give us any

police are here on scene and as you mentioned 7 news sources have confirmed that this body was decapitated. if you look behind me you see that van. that's the medical examiner's office. that body was discovered down the street here mccabe court. police were called to the river bank of this street. when they arrived they found a body on the bank of the merrimac. lawrence police and state police ar 7 news sources have confirmed that this body was decapitated. police believe that this is an isolated incident. that there is no danger to the community. this is an active investigation. an active scene. of course when we get more information we'll bring it to you. live in lawrence john cocoa 7 news. >> anchor: new at 7 robbers armed with weapons storm a

down tonight. live in lowell with what we know at this hour. >> reporter: it was a brazen armed robbery that took place at this liquor store in lowell. it starts with 2 men entering the package store. one of them wearing the black and white mask. it happened last night around 9:30 on concord street. the other robber in a black mask has a sawed off shot gun. you see the employees. poking him back with the barrel. neither employee was hurt. police say another clerk saw the men dressed in black wearing those scream masks by a dumpster. he ran inside and called police. investigators believe this is the same suspects. back out live the liquor store is open tonight. police are trying to track those 2 down. if you know anything you're

brockton when a murder suspect gets uncooperative with officers. after the scuffle with officers 18-year-old france pollinis hid behind the wall in court. he pleaded not guilty to murdering his mother yesterday. police say he stabbed 44-year-old to death. she was stabbed as many as 15 times officers say with a kitchen knife. the suspect's grandmother was wasn't injured. the da says it's not clear why he attacked his mom. and he is held without bail. >> anchor: a man in brockton fearful after an alarming home invasion. a 71-year-old navy veteran came home to find 3 men with masks and waiting to rob him. tied the man terrorized him with a taser while demanding gold. and they left that man tied

able to wriggle free and call 911. neighbors can't understand why someone would target this guy. >> i'm stunned i don't know. look at the neighborhood. it isn't some place you'd come to rob as far as i can see. >> he doesn't have anything over there. that's what i don't understand. unless somebody heard him talking they got the impression that he had stuff over there. he's a really nice guy. >> anchor: friends of the ve the type to bounce back. they do believe he'll be okay. police in sharon investigating after shots were fired outside the econo lodge motel. someone staying in the motel called police said they heard gun shots. when police arrived they did find bullet casings and a weapon. police say this investigation is still very active. >> anchor: major developments in president elect donald trump's

going to do great things for businesses. no reason for them to leave anymore. >> anchor: the president elect getting down to business. carrier air conditioning in indiana. and right now in ohio a live look at what the president elect is calling a thank you rally. this is in cincinnati. similar to those similar campaigns he's held across the country which he says helped win him the election. he's about to be introduced there at that what the president elect is calling the first of many victories. >> reporter: president elect trump has spent most of the 3 weeks out of the public eye. he visited a manufacturing plant in indiana where he's claiming success for keeping jobs in the u.s. donald trump took off from new york thursday morning en route to ohio for his first major public appearance since election night. a stop to indiana carrying

carrier to draw plants to mexico and keep jobs in u.s. >> we can't allow this to happen anymore with our country. so many jobs are leaving and going tom other countries. not just mexico. many many countries. the numbers of manufacturing jobs lost in the rust belt. and the rust belt is so incredible. we're losing companies it's unbelievable. one after another. >> reporter: in his role as mike pence was poised to offer the company tax incentives for staying in the state. >> i want to let all of the other companies know that we're going to do great things for businesses. no reason for them to leave anymore. taxes are going to be at the low end. and your unnecessary are going to be gone. we need regulations for safety and environment and things. most of the regulations are nonsense.

of a thanksgiving break in florida the president elect has been hunkered down in trump tower in new york. he's made visits to the white house and capitol hill. cameras caught his dinner with mitt romney. >> we're going to see what happens. >> reporter: trump will hold a rally in cincinnati ohio. marking his first appearance in front of a large crowd. described by the transition team as part >> we'd look for the president elect and the vice-president elect to talk a bit more about what's in the heads and the dates in front of us and the positive change we're going to be bringing to the country. >> reporter: and sources say president elect trump will select retired general james madis as transition secretary. a formal announcement will be made next week.

station it's a holiday make over. city hall plaza getting ready for winter. show you boston's newest

>> anchor: city hall plaza transforming into a winter wonder land. all kinds of neat things there that looks like a christmas tree

announced tonight that that new skating rink you mentioned will not be open tomorrow. it's warm out there. good and bad i guess. >> anchor: it's coming. >> anchor: look at what's out there from john cocoa. >> reporter: in boston we know winter. >> it seems like an exciting thing for the city. >> reporter: the most wonderful time of the year taking over city hall plaza for the first ever boston winter like this. it will be a lot of activity for people in the downtown area. >> reporter: vendors hard at work setting up the holiday shopping market. >> there's already a buzz about it. people are coming in looking to see what's going on. i'm excited. >> great to see something happening central in the holiday season. >> reporter: there will be a custom 11,000 square foot outdoor skating path.

wine and chocolate exhibits. >> it will help put people in the spirit for the holidays. >> reporter: john cocoa 7 news. >> anchor: let's talk about that warm weather going to prevent the ice skating tomorrow. >> anchor: it's getting colder is it? >> reporter: today we reached 57. normally boston should have a high temp of 46 on the first of december. average low 33. by the end of the month that's what you're hoping for for those skating sun set on the last day of the month the last day of the year 422. 76 the coldest 17 below 1933. and yes it actually does snow in december in boston. looking back over the last several years you wouldn't know it. each of those decembers less than an inch. 2013 we had 12 inches of snow tompt continue this streak of

we're pushing our luck. i think this year we're going to see more than the last 2. i would plan on more cold and snow than we saw last december. we don't have elninio. that's big brother on the block to fend off the cold and the snow. that's not around this winter. what is around is a breezy evening behind the storm that brought us beneficial rain. these are the rain fall tallies from the storm. many inches of rain. the ground is not frozen so the water can get into the ground. and because the sun is so weak it can barely do any evaporating. in may or june most of the time out of the ground the next day with the evaporation. temps upper 40s. city at 48. bedford 46. wind fades away. lot of clouds. cool. for tomorrow not quite as warm

that graphic 46. boston south shore south coast lower 50s. north of town upper 40s to around 50 degrees. worcester proper in the upper 40s. on the cape low to mid 50s with everyone experiencing a breeze. here comes a cold front into new england tomorrow night. sneaks through here. won't produce showers or snow showers. it will turn things ld not only saturday but sunday. both weekend days below normal. monday still chilly. a lot of clouds and perhaps isolated snow flurries on monday morning. >> anchor: ooh. all right. >> anchor: still ahead a new dad. julian edelman is talking about tackling fatherhood.

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>> anchor: patriots receiver julian edelman a new dad. >> anchor: she gave birth to baby girl lily. teammates wishing him well. >> we are happy for him. he's going to do great. >> you know any good children's books to gift wrap for julian. >> i gave him hey aj saturday. there's awesome children books out there.

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welcome to downtown minneapolis. dallas and minnesota, set to meet in a crucial nfc showdown tonight. rookie phenom, dak prescott and the cowboys, bring the nfl's best record. and will be looking for an 11th-straight victory, as they visit sam bradford and the 6-5 vikings, on "football night in minnesota." >> if you want it, go get it.