animal cruelty investigation. well folks, we are flirting with record temperatures on this christmas eve. even the north country, in the upper 60's right now. thank you for joining us, i'm josh mcelveen. >> i'm stephanie woods. temperatures a wide range right now, but all higher than normal. kevin? >> a scary day when you have lower 50's and you're disappointed on december 24, but some areas wound up in the fog for most of the day. a couple of those locations turned near records, concord and portsmouth didn't quite get there. nashua up to 68 earlier and so was lebanon. even in the north country they were well into the 60's. but now the low clouds and fog will try to settle in yet again and i think that's the only travel problem for the evening and overnight is pretty thick fog in spots. visibility will be down to less than a half mile in some spots. if you're headed out for midnight services or early tomorrow morning.

remain. we get our way through the next couple days, we're looking at the milder air holding in place into the weekend. we'll have details on that and how long this pattern is expected to last, in a few minutes. josh: obviously it's not going to be anything close to a white christmas for the vast majority of granite staters, but people are making the most of these unseasonably warm temperatures. adam sexton joins us from manchester when a look at how the weather is making spirits bright. reporter: josh, it's getting to be something of a christmas warm temperatures. last year it was christmas day, this year christmas eve. but this one was unique as we flirted with the record books. people wanted to get outside and enjoy this unseasonable warmth. take a look at the ghost of christmas eve past, december 24th, 1970. 45 years ago, news 9 film cameras were rolling as new hampshire was being blanketed in white. the cars and the fashion woefully inadequate to handle

england winter. fast forward to the present, and people are making the most of a day that could break records for warm temperatures. >> i think it's fantastic, to, for december in new england. >> i love it. christmas eve, hitting nine holes, having a good time. reporter: dreams of white christmas at mcintyre ski area have given way to reality as patches of white melt away. but no one is complaining on the playground where comparisons are being drawn to summer vacation. >> i'm happy that it's warm because it gives me more time to play outside. reporter: would you prefer if of the was a white christmas? you'll take the warm weather? >> uh-huh. reporter: lingering fog may have kept things cooler longer at ground level. but it was still balmy enough for a cone at the puritan. >> definitely brings in a lot of people for ice cream. but i do miss the snow. reporter: some things don't change no matter what the

december 24th is the puritans' version of black friday, as the queen city stocks up for its christmas parties. >> it's the busiest day of the year, there's about 691 orders today. reporter: it's 58 degrees here in manchester. santa claus is coming to your house tonight, maybe you want to leave out some ice water instead of milk and cookies. adam sexton, wmur news 9. stephanie: thank you. a different picture in the south tonight, at least eleven people are confirmed dead after tornadoes ripped through seven states. as elizabeth hur reports, mississippi and tennessee have declared states of emergency. reporter: oh the tornadoes so powerful homes were demolished, tractor trailers flipped and debris tossed for miles. >> just rumbling thunder and then with lightning striking and then you see it, that's when it was really, really intense.

mississippi -- >> we heard this great big, like a train, and then it was gone. reporter: at least two dozen reported tornadoes touched down, cutting a path of destruction and leaving many homeless. >> it's devastating, it crushes you here at christmas. >> it's very heartbreaking. i don't even have the words to explain it. reporter: the damages are so widespread, a state of emergency has been declared in tennessee and mississippi. state officials vowing to help everyone now beginning the process of recovering and rebuilding. >> this was a well organized effort and we will recover. reporter: mother nature is still on the move it the same storm system that wreaked hard jobbing this the south yesterday is now triggering dangerous flash flooding in parts of georgia and alabama. elizabeth hur, abc news, new york.

died unexpectedly in october as he walked to a neighbor's house charges. the new hampshire spca took more than three dozen animals from sharon melanson's property on tuesday, but she feels she hasn't done anything wrong. reporter: melanson says she knew that the sandown an pal control officer did have some concerns, but she says each time there was an issue she resolved it immediately. melanson faces five misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. some of the complaints dating back to early october. in response to the charges, new hampshire spca seized 38 animals including horses, al pack as and goats, but melanson says only two of the animals taken were listed in the complaints and the rest she voluntarily gave up. but she says some of the animals that she's accused of neglecting already have new homes and another had to be put down. she says she and her son had started taking in animals that needed more care and she would never do anything to hurt them. >> i feel as though it's a

we worked so hard every day to make sure that they had everything they needed. he would be turning in his grave if he knew this was going on. because cruelty is such an untrue and unfair and incorrect word. reporter: we did stop by the animal control's officers home who lives very close bay to melanson, but nobody answered the door and the san downpolice department is not commenting right now. heather hamel, wmur news 9. >> thank you. the fire that broke out in a northwood home today may be suspicious. state officials are investigating the cause of the fire which burned an empty log cabin on mill pond road. the home is owned by a bank, no one lives there. if you're hitting the road tonight you'll have a lot of company. shopsers are running to stores for the final gifts. kristen carosa is live at the mall of new hampshire which has been crowded all day. reporter: stephanie, we are live

manchester where many people are spending their christmas eve at the mall looking for last minute gifts. people tell us they make this a tradition and employees welcome the crowd on christmas eve. we spoke to the mall manager this afternoon, he says there have been a steady stream of customers all day. he says people who shop last minute are on a mission, and they come here knowing what they want to get. for many it's picking up several simon gift cards and for those looking for items there are plenty of sales going on from electronics to clothing to outdoor gear. shoppers say shopping this year was fun and painless. >> last minute everything, of course. >> picked up some last minute stuff at bath and body works, yesterday did some last minute shopping and we're probably going to go somewhere tomorrows do more. >> it was not bad, we thought would it be worse than it was. found a parking spot no problem,

now we're done. reporter: if you have last minute shopping to do yourself, you want to head to the mall right now, doors close here in manchester at 6:00. kristen carosa, wmur news 9. stephanie: thanks. let's see how the highways look on this christmas eve. a live look now at 93 through hooksett. several cars on the road, but everything is moving smoothly, actually a lot -- spots. for the most part you head up north on the main highways and things are looking pretty good as people get to their holiday destinations. the airlines though meanwhile are still working to catch up from yesterday's cancellations and delays. a lot of airlines have added red eye flights hoping to get people home in time for at least part of the holiday. reporter: on the roads and in the air, more than 100 million

holidays and as usual -- >> delayed. reporter: the airlines trying to keep up with an expected 3% increase in travelers this holiday season. even worse in chicago, an 8% jump in traffic at o'hare. >> i think i've never seen a line like this in all my years coming to o'hare airport. reporter: the longest delays today at hartsfield jackson in atlanta, more than two hours for incoming flights. in denver, some holiday music is helping to soothe. and in some airports this season there's a furry perk for frazzled travelers. >> i was very angry and upset and i started to cry, because i just want to see my grandparents and it's the holidays. reporter: after her flight was canceled, julia was comforted by these volunteer greeters. >> the stress was just going away. reporter: there's more good news if you're flying on this christmas eve, a big improvement over wed when rain and fog doubled the daily average of delays and cancellations in the

this is also a better day for the 90 million americans traveling by car this holiday season. while soggy weather in much of the country and some fresh snow in the midwest are the biggest obstacles for drivers. the traffic is far more manageable. according to the traffic app ways, the best time to return from christmas vacation is december 28. and as usual, moth of us will have to pack some patience for the holiday journey. from washington reagan national airport. >> i like those dogs, they should get some of those in manchester. coming up, a new warning from westernle pa sits in china, why beijing stepped up security today. josh: and nfl players can see sony's newest movie for free, why the film hits close to home for some of those athletes. >> the cooling process comes

cooler air in place. >> at 5:30, police say this woman admitted to flipping her car into someone's back yard.

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josh: we have a developing story out of north carolina at this hour. police say that some people are still hiding inside of stores in a charlotte mall after a deadly smoothing there. one person was shot and killed after an argument at the north lake mall. some investigators have said it was an officer involved shooting. police say the scene is secure at this point, but they're still going three each store looking for shoppers who rushed for safety when the gunfire broke out. we'll keep you posted. and security is ramping up in beijing -- stephanie: after threats were made against any westerners who visited a popular shopping district. several western embassies including the u.s., british and french facilities say they possible threats. this is the same shopping area where a woman was stabbed to death with a sword last summer. beijing added extra police

near the embassies. josh: a somber tone to christmas celebrations in bethlehem after months of violence the that usual. but there were still plenty of people in manger square today. molly hunter is in bethlehem. reporter: mixed feelings. reporter: that sad feeling shared widely this year. after months of violence in the occupied palestinian territories and israel, left 19 israelis and more than 130 palestinians dead, more than half those were attackers. in manger square today, the crowd is smaller, tourism suffering. people say they've never seen it like this. here in bethlehem, the birth place of jesus, christmas is hitting at a more some bore time this year --

many fleeing persecution from iraq and syria. >> at the same time there is a certain feeling of resilience. people insist to celebrate christmas to send a message of hope that we the christians and muslims and palestinians are here, we were here and we're going to stay here forever. report resilience and happiness. are you going to accept bright more this year because of the tension, the violence? >> it's the only way i fight war, by happiness, by music. reporter: molly hunter, abc news, bethlehem. josh: christmas eve services now under way at the vatican. this is a live look inside the basilica. tonight will be the only public christmas mass from pope francis. he will give a speech though in st. peters square tomorrow. stephanie: cress tidings are reaching across the globe tonight including australia which always enjoys a warm holiday.

the southern hemisphere, so they boards. i think we might be able to do that here, it's warm enough. australia was one of the first places that santa visited today, right now he's making his way across the globe as christmas arrives. josh: we're keeping track of him thanks to norad's santa tracker norway. the norad has been keeping tabs on santa since 1955, that's when a catalog, i didn't know this, misprinted the number for kids to call santa, the typeo in that number sent the calmers to norad in colorado, but apparently they were happy to help out and answer those christmas questions. >> i can let you know that he'll be at your house probably between 9:00 and midnight tonight, but he'll only leave presents if you're asleep. if you're awake, he will come back, but he'll only leave presents if you're sleeping. josh: if you have any questions

you can call 877-hi norad. 877-446-6723. hundreds of volunteers taking calls tonight and that includes, by the way, first lady michelle obama, she's in hawaii, but she's the calls forwarded to her vacation home. so give it a shot. >> hawaii is one of those last places that santa visit before getting back up to the north pole. right now in norway over 3 billion gifts delivered that's point,. he's expected to arrive here if you take last year and the year before, some after 11:00 tonight. he is going to confuse this for some -- i would not be able to say that. we start with the fog out there and that fog is going to be locally dense. that might be the only snag tonight if you're headed out for midnight services. mainly fair skies across the region.

that we'll have tonight could put a little delay in where you'll be traveling around, just factor in a few extra minutes. beyond that again we're looking at dry skies, otherwise maybe a little drizzle coming out of any dense fog that develops overnight. you can see the trend as a lot of these mid level clouds will be moving to our east and that will eventually set up a good deal of sunshine for your christmas day. temperatures aren't going to be quite at the levels they were today in a lot of areas, out west and up north. we were in the 60's today. but there were a lot of hold yults from that in the lower valleys in central parts of the state, like bristol, franklin, plymouth, concord and portsmouth where we keep the records, just didn't quite get to the record highs today. you'll notice a huge difference in temperature from the upper 40's closer to the shoreline, to the mid 60's, still at this hour from manchester through nashua, so you only go with 50 miles and

difference. central valleys in the 40's. up north in the mid 30's. the temperature difference from this time yesterday, a lot of areas, 15 to 20 degrees warmer, notice the winds continuing to come in out of the west and southwest. that warm front trying to move through, but not very successful. you can see the periphery of that where we saw the warmer temperatures this afternoon. visibilities are good now, but we'll see this area of fog continue to expand overnight, develop and thick expen that will be around early tomorrow morning. so the cooling trend settles in over the weekend. but 40's this time of year is still way above the average. tomorrow we're talking 45 to 58 from forth to south tomorrow, that will be with a fairly light wind. next system after partial sunshine saturday looks to be on sunday with a lot more clouds around and some scattered shower activity. should be in liquid form when it arrives and when it comes through, and then it's the system after that that has been the focus of a lot of folks

e-mailing us, looks like tuesday centered around that could be rain and or snow. so that's something we'll keep tabs on. tonight again some fog to get through early tomorrow, otherwise still mild tomorrow and in the 50's. those will also be near record highs before we fall back into the 40's, and notice the high with sunshine monday, a high of 35. that is the colder air in place for the next system running in until rain and or snow a possibility, could be the first accumulating snow in places on tuesday. josh: keep us posted. stephanie: surprised to see that with the warm weather we've had. josh: it has been upside down weather, but it's also a stephanie: this is the first time in 10 years the people in maricopa county have been able christmas time. this time of year is usually much dryer, which raises air quality concerns, but the cooler temperatures and rain moving through mean the air is clear and people are allowed to light wood burning fires. josh: so a house fire in

be ripped straight from a hollywood script. but christmas tree fires really tree at the center of this destruction was a fake tree. won't burn, especially, and here's your clue, when there are cats chewing on the light cords. >> the whole tree was engulfed and the couch was engulfed and the living room was engulfed, like that. josh: just like national lampoon's christmas vacation. safely. the cat did need special treatment, unlike the movie. but emergency crews did manage to revive them all. so all's well that ends well, except for the fake christmas tree. stephanie: i hear the cat is okay, so thank goodness. josh: a holiday pardon for one of hollywood's hottest celebrities. >> what the announcement means for robert downey jr. josh: and a growing number of analysts say it's new hampshire's primary that's

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and i approve this message. stephanie: welcome back. robert downey jr. has been pardoned for the 1996 drug conviction that sent tom prison. the actor spent nearly a year behind bars after violating his parole for possessing heroin and cocaine. today california's governor announced that downey is one of 91 people receiving pardons. that won't erase his criminal record, but it does restore

josh: sony is offering free screenings of the movie "concussion" for all nfl players. the film is about the doctor who diagnosed the brain disease c.t.e. which has been linked to brain trauma as a result of football. sony says anyone with a card from the nfl players association can get a free pass for themselves and a guest. this offer is good for as long as the film stays in theaters. stephanie: the soggy conditions last night are only partly to blame for an accident that sent one man to the hospital. straight ahead at 5:30, what police say he did that was so risky. josh: and those famous chestnuts for roasting on an open fire? hard to find in new hampshire these days, but one group of students are hoping to change that. stephanie: now to our u local hot shot, this dog in wakefield taking a much needed nap after a long day of pretending to be a reindeer. josh: the grinch dog.

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on a new jetta p

>> now at 5:30, the big story has been the milder temperatures moving in. we'll tell you how close we are to record highs ahead.

body scanners may no longer be an option, the new rule announced in time for holiday travelers. stephanie: a driver accused of being at twice the legal alcohol limit land her car in a yard. josh: and more problems tied to the chit -- chipotle outbreak. josh: sights and scenes on display around the granite state tonight on what may end up being the warmest christmas eve ever recorded in the state of new hampshire. welcome back, i'm josh mcelveen. stephanie: i'm stephanie woods. take a look at the temperatures, it feels like anything but christmas out there. let's go to kevin for more on the weather. >> even when places were in the upper 40's and lower 50's, that is still 15 degrees above normal for this time of year, and in

and fog broke to at least some sunshine, temperatures climbed all the way into the mid to upper 60's this afternoon. so it was a huge spread in temperature of a solid 20 degrees, just over 30 or 40 miles. for now it's the areas that didn't warm up today that continue to see the fog lingering around, and that will only get thicker as the evening moves along, and eventually with it partly cloudy skies. that eventually sets up what should be a warming trend again for tomorrow, with a cooling trend over the weekend. we'll have all the details and rain chances with that, in your weekend forecast. josh: the rain may have played a part in an accident that sent a pedestrian to the hospital, a man was hit by a van in hudson, he was wearing dark clothes and walking close to the white line, and the driver probably never saw him. stephanie: a laconia woman is accused of being drunk when she

back yard, jillian valle went off the road in laconia, she admitted to being behind the wheel, she had twice the legal amount of alcohol in her system. the upcoming trial for former patriots player aaron hernandez has been postponed. hernz is already serving a life sentence for killing odin boyd in 2014 but also faces charges in a double murder in the south end. prosecutors say he shot and club. he was schedule forward trial next month. attorneys will regroup in january to set a new trial date. josh: commitment 2016 coverage now, we are 47 days away from the first in the nation primary. and in an interview for an upcoming episode of matter of fact, the d.c. bureau chief carl cannon says that voters here in new hampshire could play a larger role than normal because of the crowded republican field. >> it's very important this

most years. have you this big republican field and it's going to winnow after new hampshire. new hampshire, jeb bush and marco rubio may not both be there after new hampshire. these floridians, there's not room for both of them. we'll know if chris christie is serious. if he doesn't do well in new hampshire, he's gone. so it's going to be very important this year. josh: the show airs sunday morning immediately after "closeup" former astronaut mark kelly spent some time discussing his thoughts on the future of space travel. >> there is a little concern about these new rules that were put in place just in time for the holiday by the t.s.a. basically what they mean is that you cannot opt out -- josh: obviously that's not mark kelly who we're hearing from there. but he says the first person to step foot on mawrs is --

he and his wife gabby giffords were here to push for new gun safety laws but talked about the most dangerous moments of his space mission, you can see it all when we air the last closeup of the year on december 27. you can always get the inside scoop for granite state politics with wmur's primary source, this week john distaso lays out the key questions facing campaign ass we head into the new year. you'll fine his latest column in the politics section of wmur.com. stephanie: the recent string of terror attacks has prompted scanners. reporter sarah sidner is in new york to explain the new rules scanners. reporter: is there a little concern about these new rules that were put in place just in time for the holiday by the basically what they mean is that you cannot opt out of going through the body scanner. a lot of people did that because they were concerned about radiation, although studies have shown that it doesn't negatively affect the human body, going through these scanners, it's a

but the t.s.a. has decided because of the climate they were in today with heightened awareness about terrorism and worry that there could be more attacks on the u.s. soil, they have decided that some people will not be able to opt out of going through those scanners, and asking for somebody to pat them down. what they're saying is this might not apply to everybody, but there will be some people that they pick out that say sorry you will have to go through the scanner, you will not be able to ask for someone to do the patdown. that's the change there. but we should talk a little about just the number of people who are traveling this holiday season. triple a estimates 100 million people are going to be going more than 50 miles from their home this christmas and new year's. the majority of folks will be on the road, so don't get road rage, it's going to be crazy out there. but 5.8 million people are expected to be coming through the airports, that's a big

everybody, take that extra time because while there is no snow here, no delays in new york, there are delays elsewhere because of the weather, and there's just a heck of a lot of traveling. stephanie: the t.s.a. says body scanners do not store any personally identifiable information. and it uses a general eric image of the human body, not the actual image of the person being screened. josh: the same safety concerns behind the t.s.a. change have also pushed up gun sales this season. up next we'll tell you about one store that's offering free firearms if you buy the right jewelry. stephanie: words of warning before you sign into any tech toys you might get tomorrow. how to make sure you're not information. josh: one of the country's largest hotel chains says that hackers may have gotten into its payment systems. what you need to know if you reasonly stayed at a hyatt hotel. >> there are some spots today over 30 degrees above normal, but back to our west where our

josh: it was a quiet day, but was down for the dow, dropping 50 points.

but nasdaq remains good, up two and a half. hyatt says it found mal wear in the computer system that processes customers' payments. stephanie: there's no confirmation yet that hackers have obtained credit card numbers or other details, but the hotel chain says people should review their card statements. a spokeswoman says the malicious software was found at the end of november. hyatt has not said why it waited so long to warn customers. hilton, mandarin oriental and starwood also found mal wear on their systems this year. if you're one of the many people who will find new technology under the tree tomorrow, there are a few things to keep in mind before firing up your new toy. mary maloney explains. santa placed tech presents under the tree, there are some things to consider. before using the internet on a new smart phone, tablet or laptop, go to the settings tab

if kids will use the gifts there may be additional oceans. >> you might want to look through the parental controls, in the settings and you can enable any restrictions that will make you feel comfortable giving that to your son or daughter. reporter: also economic for the latest software update and antivirus protection. but if that gift isn't a perfect fit, don't worry. >> make sure you have the receipt. if you don't have the receipt, at least figure out what store you got it from. and don't go taking it out of the box if you're not going to use it because that's generally a no-no for when it comes to the returns the next day. reporter: retailers often charge restocking fees for those returned electronics that have been opened. josh: how about this, if you shop at one jewelry store in florida this year you'll find a pretty unusual promotion. customers who buy from a selection of jewelry over $450, will also get a free shotgun. you do have to pass a federal background check, but the store says it runs the promotion every

but this year it's been so popular that it had to order more shotguns. up next, why chipotle couldn't open this morning. stephanie: another bowl game is in the books. josh: then, a generous elf stopped by a salvation army

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stephanie: the boston chipotle closed by a norovirus outbreak did not open as expected toes because of a water leak. health inspectors say the restaurant has been disinfected. tests of the building and employees have all come back negative for the virus. the earliest it could open is now saturday. that outbreak was one of several problems for chipotle in recent weeks, including an outbreak of e-coli. josh: now the chain has new procedures to protect customers' health. reporter: changes are coming to fast food chain chipotle, just days after the c. d. c. began investigating a second outbreak of e-coli affecting customers in three states. the burrito giant with more than 1900 locations announcing overnight over the next few weeks it will start adjusting the way it cooks and prepares ingredients, including submerging onions in boiling water before they are chopped, and covering them with lemmon or lime juice to kill germs. chopping tomatoes and cilantro

than in stores, so they can be tested. testing samples of meat before shipping it to stores, and marinating raw chick then plastic bags rather than open bowls. chipotle telling abc news with all these components in place we will be able to reduce the risk of contamination within our system to a level near zero. >> i think some consumers are questioning if this is the best way to do it, if you're going to be the safe nest the industry now, why was this not in place before hand. reporter: these changes coming as the company is struggling to regain customer trust after two outbreaks of e-coli sickened several people in several states and 140 college students got sick with norovirus after eating at their restaurant in boston. >> the problem is there's no closure until the customer feels like they know what happened, they've figured it out and made the necessary changes, i think this could remain a risk for this company.

temperatures for us today, some areas mid and upper 60's. other areas barely hard pressed to get off the upper 40's. all eyes on the weather later this evening as the fog continues to form on old st. nick and his travels tonight. let's show you what it looks like out there. currently over france, has moved through denmark and norway in the last half-hour. 3.5 billion gifts delivered so far, e.t.a. for teern united states is between 11:00 and midnight. a live look at the web cam in portsmouth showing a little patchy fog, thickest as you start to head farther inland. there are visibilities already down to less than a half mile and we have a long night to go, of course it's that time of year where the longer evenings are out there time wise. so as temperatures continue to pull off, and we put those in air quotes, with temperatures way above average, we are going to continue to see more fog develop later on tonight and

dense overnight tonight, maybe for midnight services and early tomorrow morning, if you'll be traveling around. you can see the mid level cloud we have now, the trend is for these to continue to move eastward. so by the time we get to tomorrow morning, i think after the fog burns off, we get a slice of partial sunshine out there and what should make for a very nice day. a little different than what we had today with the low clouds and fog. i think enough of a dryer breeze by afternoon that we will at least have temperatures continuing to make their way back into the 50's and that should be in most areas with partial sunshine. can you see the ocean effect here as a breeze coming on shore, upper 50's to lower 60's, but notice this pocket here of upper 40's from rochester through durham. inland sections some areas spiking into the mid and upper 60's today. and then it the central valleys from concord through franklin and bristol, these are the areas as the warm air tries to make its way in several times during the season that you just don't get the warmth that the north country gets.

north country today in the mid 60's as well depending on the elevation. so the fog will continue to be an issue and expand through the evening and overnight hours, while that breeze continues to lower a built, allowing the fog to develop. beyond that it is the temperatures tomorrow which will be back into the 50's. but ten we check it back further, looks like we'll be in the 40's in time for the weekend. both tomorrow and saturday look to be partly sunny. but sunday the next system approaches and that is kind of a game changer for us, because as that moves by notice the colder air making its way in for monday. highs monday barely getting above freezing and as the next system runs in, that sets up the chance of some rain and or snow depending on where you are across the state and that could be a good bout of snow if we get to that point and depending on the track of that system. could it be our first true chance of a widespread accumulation across the state, so that's something we'll keep tabs on. josh: late christmas gift for some folks.

birthday is on christmas. stephanie: you get that one big gift. josh: my cousin heather turns 21 tomorrow, so you know what that means, in four years she can rent a car by herself. jennifer: just what she's been looking forward to. this man is creating snow flakes, he says he can ma nip tult shape of snow flakes by adjusting temperature and humidity in the lab. this doesn't mean you'll get matching pairs. even with man made snow flakes, no two are alike. josh: the university of new hampshire hopes to restore chestnut teresa cross the eastern seaboard, a disease accidentally brought to north america 100 years ago killed the trees from georgia to maine. this winter though u.n.h. students will start clearing land to plant hundreds of the trees that have been cross bred with blight resist tab strains. the chestnuts were common in the

the lakes region. >> welcome to one of of the slowest sports days of the year, no nba, no nhl. there are a couple of college football bowl games, and this is one of them, a high scoring college game today. check that out, wow, the bahamas bowl, western michigan and tennessee. what a game this guy had had. he also had a 46-yard score that you'll see. four rushing touchdowns for him. it's the first bowl win of for western michigan. college football on saturday on channel 9, the pin stripe bowl from yankee stadium, it's any of the against duke, that's saturday. and that's at 3:30. many of our home town hero this is week are not from new hampshire, although some of them are and they are all making a difference in the granite state this holiday. the players on the new hampshire

socks at recent home games as part of they've cold ice warm feet project, they have donated over 2,500 pairs of socks to the needy this holiday. we'll hear from the guys coming up at 6:00. and stephanie and josh, don't worry, you will only see this jacket one day a year, i promise. josh: on the air, otherwise you'll just wear it -- stephanie: that's a great jacket. the newest member of one police force is really getting into the christmas spirit, we'll show you. josh: and the count beyond is on, stores are starting to close up for the christmas holiday. we'll tell you what last minute shoppers are looking for tonight. exeter police will soon need a new police chief, when richard cane will be retiring from the

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stephanie: one little girl who found herself until a christmas jam did exactly what you'd expect to do when you're in trouble. she called 911. >> always bell apologized, she touched the elf on the shelf, she won't call 911 again. josh: she panicked after accidentally knocking over her elf on the shelf.

elf the christmas magic goes away, so what else are you going to do, call 911. officers responded and brought the big man with them to ensure that is abella's accident was forgiven. stephanie: if you call for help at one pennsylvania police station the elf might answer the phone. it's at the west mannheim department township. >> it's been an overwhelming response, it's kind of made it enjoyable. i've actually gotten a lot of good comments on our social media. stephanie: the sergeant will head back to the north pole after christmas, but is scheduled to be back next year.

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>> now at 6:00 the milder air continues to work it a which in with more records possible tomorrow. a look at the weekend ahead. >> i'm happy that it's warm because it gives us more time to play outside.

but it feels more like spring. what people are doing to enjoy this warm snap on the night before christmas. plus a sandown woman whose son died unexpectedly earlier this year is now facing animal cruelty charges. why she says she's innocent after more than three dozen animals were taken from her property. and stores are starting to close their doors at this hour, we'll catch up with some last minute shoppers who are taking it down to the wire. >> no one covers new hampshire like we do. now wmur news 9 at 6:00. josh: we haven't quite broken any records yet, but parts of the granite state both north and south saw temperatures reach into the upper 60's, of course on this christmas eve. good evening and thank you for joining us. i'm josh mcelveen. the above average temperatures will stick around for christmas day as well. let's check in with meteorologist kevin and skarupa. kevin: there were a lot areas in the 60's out west and up north. while you get into central parts of the state and down through the coast, the fog just didn't

concord or portsmouth that have