>> the mona lisa, only this tom: now at 11:00, witnesses say this car crash could' ve been much worse. the charges the driver faces after plowing into a deli. shelley: the annual count of the homelessness population in new hampshire is out. mike: lots of changes over the past 24 hours with more to come over the weekend. in force to see "the force awakens." shelley: in the past 15 years, enrollment at new hampshire community colleges has doubled. the option traditionally associated with four-year schools now showing up at community colleges. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> no one covers new hampshire like we do. now wmur news 9 tonight. tom: they are counting their blessings in the town of clermont tonight after a car

good evening. i am tom griffith. shelley: i am shelley walcott. a driver lost control of his vehicle in the middle of the lunch hour rush. somehow, no one was hurt. >> this could' ve been really bad. shelley: the owner of the deli says he is stunned by what happened. >> i was making some sandwiches, and all of a sudden, there was a loud explosion. it seemed like a car came over the median and crashed into the building. shelley: it happened around 12:20 this afternoon during the lunch hour. claremont police say a jeep sped through opera house square, the middle of downtown, struck another vehicle, and into a concrete post, sending it into the building. >> there was just a thick cloud of smoke. shelley: despite the flying concrete and glass, no one on this crowded street was hurt. >> we just had a lunch rush, and

and it just happened at the right time. shelley: police say the driver of the jeep was 55-year-old patrick taylor of new york. they arrested him for dwi and for resisting arrest. business owners like michael hammond are livid but grateful knowing this crash could' ve been so much worse. >> 12:00, 12:15 on a thursday, this is the central part of town. this is where the local people and local businesses are. i' m glad no one got hurt. shelley: the deli will remain closed through the weekend. police custody. tom: the fire damage the headquarters of the masonic lodge this afternoon. no one was inside at the time. the first floor was vacant, and by the masons. a parked car on the left side of the building caught fire and set

fire. a firefighter was taken to the hospital with smoke in relation. -- inhalation. >> arriving companies saw a fully engulfed the vehicle. tom: fire officials are not releasing the name of the vehicle' s owner but say the car was parked there for about two weeks. the state fire marshal' s office is investigating for the exact cause. shelley: salem police say a man claimed he had a gun when he robbed a bank this evening. these are surveillance photos from the citizens bank. an employee said the man threatened him and demanded cash .tom: fire officials are not . the homeless headcount in new hampshire has been released, and the annual report has surprising numbers, including a change in some of the progress being made

jean: the 2015 report on the state of homelessness in new hampshire says the decline under way since 2011 has stalled. the annual count of new hampshire' s homeless population reveals numbers haven' t changed much through 2014 and 2015. the new hampshire coalition to end homelessness says it is disappointing to see the decline. >> we saw a small decrease. jean: the coalition said some factors point to improving conditions for the states homeless, like a 33% decrease in the number of people living on sheltered, outside come in cars, and abandoned buildings.fewer veterans are homeless , and the coalition says there' s an increase in the average income of the working poor. affordable housing remains a major challenge, and the

>> that of course is very concerning because those are children and parents that are the streets. these are children, and these struggling. s about raising awareness, becoming informed, and talking to your legislators about how we can support the population. jean: several new initiatives were launched over the past year, so the coalition is hoping they will help to turn the numbers around and decrease homelessness. news 9. tom: the state court of nursing on prescribing opioids. the rules include measuring a patient' s risk for abusing opioids and giving the patient informed consent forms.

last month. the state medical examiner said yesterday that 290 two people have died this year from opioid overdoses. first responders in maine spent three hours rescuing a driver whose fan went off a cliff and fell 60 feet yesterday and landed on a ledge with another 30-foot drop. it took 50 people to get that driver to safety. fire crews just trained on what to do if a vehicle went over a ledge. shelley: it is the day that "star wars" fans have been waiting for. the latest entry into the franchise "the force awakens" premiered tonight. the first showing started at 7:00, including at chunky' s in nashua. that is where we find stephanie woods. it sounds like it was a lot of fun. stephanie: it was, and after years of waiting, fans got here faster than the millennium

"star wars: the force awakens," but the question is, did this galaxy-sized movie live up to its hype? >> i am super excited. stephani: ewoks, robots, and s thursday night for the premiere of "star wars." tickets sold out in every for the best seats. [laughter] >> we have darth vader coming in tonight. we are going to have him lurking around. we welcome everyone to dress up snf and come in and have a good time. don' t let restrictions hurt you too much. enjoy life. stephanie: everyone has his or her favorite character. >> i like anakin the most because he turned into darth

he tells luke that he' s his father, and that just surprised me in amazement. stephanie: even if they are not allowed to dress up as him. >> i didn' t want to be a bad guy. stephanie: jason and adam floyd donned jedi and kyloe ren costumes. >> my son is going to the military, and this is his thing. i said, let' s do this. stephanie: adam thinks episode vii will be even better than the movies his dad saw in theaters a long time ago. >> i' m really excited for the movie. i know back in his age -- his age -- [laughter] stephanie: the second showing just let out at 10:15, and i will tell you that everyone coming out of those doors said this movie is incredible, but what i won' t tell you are any spoilers.

tom: the unseasonable weather is forcing gunstock at guilford to shut down skiing the next -- for the next week. mild temperatures have stopped snowmaking operations, and this weeks rain has brought skiing to a standstill. gunstock says they will reopen on december 26 four day and nighttime skiing. tourism leaders are expecting a strong winter season. more than 7.5 million people -- [no audio] 7% higher than last, reaching more than $1 billion in just three months. shelley: the first boston lawsuit has been filed against chipotle. more than 140 people became sick with nora virus after eating in brighton earlier this month. the suit was filed on behalf of

s children' s hospital. health officials say an employee have caused that outbreak. 21 is not the minimum age for buying tobacco in. boston the city' s board of health voted unanimously to raise the age from 18 to 21. needham, a boston suburb, was the first american town to raise the age limit to 21 in 2005. massachusetts lawmakers are considering a bill that would make 21 the legal age for buying tobacco statewide. tom: on to commitment 2016, and it' s finally official new hampshire' s presidential primary. will take place on february 9, 2016. secretary of state bill gardner made the announcement at his office in concord. he also unveiled a special poster to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the primary. the iowa caucuses will take place eight days earlier on

the democratic candidates for martin o' malley, and bernie sanders will be debating in new hampshire this saturday. coverage starts at 8:00 here on wmur. shelley: the cost of a college education seems to keep rising. >> i would be paying 10 times more if i went to all the other schools. it' s like the same education if not better. shelley: a growing number of students are starting their education at one of new hampshire' s community colleges. coming up on news nine tonight, the new program schools are adding to attract more students and prepare them for careers. mike: the last weekend before winter officially arrives will

conspiring with shooters in the san bernardino attack has made his first court appearance. enrique marques faces several charges, including conspiring to support terrorists and a legally purchasing to assault rifles. syed farook and tashfeen malik killed 14 people. marquez will be back in court monday for a bail hearing.

be arraigned next week before military judge. he walked off his pose in afghanistan in 2009 and was held captive to the taliban for five years. bergdahl was released last year as part of an exchange. the army announced this week he will face a general court-martial on charges of desertion and misbehaving before the enemy. tom: no secret that the cost of higher education keeps going higher, and more and more students in new hampshire are finding a cheaper alternative to four-year schools. kristen carosa tells us cost is not the only factor. kristen: michael whitney is a heating and cooling service technician. he has been in the industry for a few years, and he says he owes it to manchester community college. >> this is one of the only schools around in the area that offers a degree in hvac.

kristen: whitney completed the program and works for dowling corporation in pits mirth. >> pretty much everybody has gone to the school and gone to the program. kristen: mcc is part of the new hampshire community college system, which consists of seven colleges and three academic centers. the schools offer a wide range of associate degrees and certificate programs and serves approximately 27,000 students annually. 40% of them are over the age of 24. >> i went in with my eyes open. i' m not going to tell you i wasn' t scared. kristen: after 25 years, vicki carter needed a change. that is what led her back to school. >> i came to manchester s affordable. they provide quality education. most importantly, they have a dual admission program with new

kristen: students can transfer their credits to a four-year college or university to complete their schooling and receive a bachelor' s degree from that school, one of the benefits of going to a community college in new hampshire. staff say affordability, growing online options, strong connections, and a robust campus life that includes clubs and sports is drawing in students of all ages. enrollment within the community college system has doubled since the year 2000. >> we don' t offer housing, but everything else, we offer athletic' s, excellent quality programs. the kid -- the system saw consistent growth from 2001-2011. since that time, the upward trend has leveled off, but the amount of students enrolled is historically high. >> over time, we have seen a significant increase in younger students coming out of high school wanting to start with us because they want to end up at unh or granite state. kristen: david harding is one of

>> i could' ve went to other universities and played basketball. kristen: he' s attending great bay community college and playing on the school' s basketball team. >> i would be paying 10 times more if i went to the other schools. it' s the same education if not better. kristen: harding said small class size was also a draw, something that attracts young people, including these biotechnology students. >> they would let me go at my own pace. i could do night classes. i could do day classes. >> the program is comprehensive, giving me the attitude inside i require to get into the biotech industry. it was very affordable for me. kristen: the cost to go to a community college in new hampshire is approximately $6,000 a year. the state has frozen tuition for the last three years, and the system is growing. and academic center will be opening up in lebanon in 2016.

>> now chief meteorologist mike haddad with your storm watch 9 forecast. mike: damp and cool, but temperatures are running above the average. after a wintry mix, everything went to plain rain, as you can tell in newfound lake. looking ahead, quite a few changes coming in. light rain and drizzle will continue. drier air will take over as we advance through the early part of tomorrow morning. a dry and pleasantly cool friday before it turns colder by the upcoming weekend, and speaking of colder, jumping ahead to saturday, look at where those temperatures will land for afternoon highs, only around 30 in the north country and mid to upper 30' s from the lakes region to point south, bringing temperatures finally back to average for this time of year. speaking of the cold air, it will support snowmaking, no question about that, tomorrow night and into early monday.

will building from the north and west. well in advance of that, we have to get rid of the mild air, and temperatures are still supporting rain from the great north woods points south. a bit of a break in the steady rain, and that means drier air is nosing in from the west and will be here during the early part of tomorrow morning. write down on the ground, still a lot of low-level moisture, so that may lower the visibility through the early part of tomorrow morning. temperature-wise, low-to-mid 40' s in lower and central portions of the state. take a look at portsmouth in the 50' s. overnight tonight, we dip into the upper 30' s to lower 40' s. colder air, here it is, sitting back to the west. eventually, it will move in. right now, it'

temperatures at orwell above the average -- or well above the average. notice it' s fairly narrow, fairly compact, and this milder air, not far away. sunday night, it begins to lift out. monday, tuesday, wednesday, temperatures will jump at or above the average across the northeast, including all over new hampshire. signs point to more rain rather than snow with this type of pattern after the weekend. tonight, light rain, drizzle. tomorrow, breaks of sun, not a lot of clouds building and across southeastern new hampshire. elsewhere, dry, pleasantly cool. we will feel part of winter over the week and with temperatures in the upper 30' s south, snow showers north.i can' t rule out a light snow shower darting across parts of southern new hampshire, and then bright skies sunday.

shelley: here is how we know winter is coming. jason is in with sports, and lots of hockey. jason: high school hockey season

praised as one of america's best mayors who governed as a pragmatist. bernie sanders passed more amendments in a republican congress than any other member.

with john mccain to strengthen veterans' healthcare. bernie sanders. a consistent, principled, and effective leader. building a future to believe in. sanders: i'm bernie sanders and i approve this message. >> now jason king and news 9 sports. jason: the bruins and celtics were off tonight. the bees play a pittsburgh friday, while the celtics return home to play the hawks friday. some high school hockey. power play, and the senior captain goes through traffic and scores 1-0.

going to even it. a score on a penalty shot with 11.5 seconds left in regulation. memorial wins it to-one. the monarchs played an early afternoon game in kalamazoo. stephan legion won it with his sixth of the year. manchester will play a fort wayne tomorrow night. women' s college basketball, dartmouth home with american university. roland can shoot from the perimeter. points. on the near court, the eagles work it to their big man, lauren crisler. she' s going to during the three.

the second half. american pulls up their first win of the year 45-41. david ortiz stopped by a massachusetts stop n' promoting his of tortilla chips and salsa. papi talked about the reaction to his retirement announcement, enemy david price as a team it. -- teammate. >> in sports, it doesn' t work that way. i think i had a wonderful career. the support from the fans has been unbelievable. ve got to try our best, win s the goal. jason: there is life after baseball in tortilla chips. this weeks hometown hero isn' t only a three-sport athlete.

rachel malinger plays basketball, softball, and volleyball and has helped the lakers win state titles. she' s not only a great teammate but also a great student. as well as a member of the student leadership council and serves as a tutor for the middle school homework help program. rachel will attend westfield state university next year where she plans to continue studying business. >> i like to think that i lead by action. hopefully, being upbeat and everything gets everyone else upbeat. it' s good to see those attitude stay up. i like how i can always bring something to a team, whether it' s my skills. i know my attitude and effort can always help lead people. jason: the patriots claimed a couple people off waivers.

aside from the injuries and s business as usual in foxboro. they can clinch a first-round bye with a win over the tennessee titans. s the same feel every week. ve got into the opponent. it' s the titans this week. we' ve just got to concentrate on them and put all the work into the titans. sunday. tom: loving that gronk. still to come on news 9 tonight, the force is strong with this one. shelley: the "star wars" -inspired name this massachusetts couple gave their

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new day for america is this advertising. shopping? just waiting for inspiration to strike. and there it is! genius. of dunkin' coffee. get 3 pounds for $19.99, only at dunkin' restaurants. america runs on dunkin'. tom: a family of "star wars" denise a gave birth at winchester, and she and her husband named the little boy riker jedi gracie. the group of light saber-wielding "star wars" heroes like luke skywalker and yoda. shelley: the couple said the

release of episode vii today. doctors say this is the first baby jedi they' ve ever met. thanks for joining us tonight.

best mayors who governed as a pragmatist. bernie sanders passed more amendments in a republican congress than any other member. cracked the gridlock with john mccain to strengthen veterans' healthcare. a consistent, principled,