shelley: a heart-warming homecoming for these new hampshire national guard soldiers and their families. how the servicemembers are feeling about being home after being deployed to the middle east. plus, attention all hunters and fishermen. what you need to know about the new fee increases for hunting and fishing licenses. and, a manchester woman giving her boyfriend the gift of life. why doctors say she is the perfect match for a much-needed kidney transplant. announcer: no one covers new hampshire like we do, now wmur news 9 tonight. shelley: we begin tonight with breaking news out of alexandria. authorities are investigating a fire at a home on fowler river road. the fire started around 8:30 this evening. as you can see, the home was heavily damaged by the fire. authorities say there was no one inside the home when the fire started. the state fire marshal'

and state police will be on scene tomorrow to investigate. authorities say this is the same home where a toddler was killed back in november. stick with wmur and wmur.com for the latest as it becomes available. other news the sun was shining , for first day of the new year for parts of the state and others saw some snow flurries. it is 30 degrees. happy new year to you. i' m shelley walcott. will the nice weather stick around for the rest of the weekend and when could we see the coldest air yet this season? chief meteorologist mike haddad is here to explain. mike: it was a fairly pleasant start to the new year today. temperatures a little above the average. we did have snow for some. classic early winter day. great for ski areas to add the fresh powder. notice some of the snow showers have come in in the form of snow squalls. they are lingering in the great

having said that, the lakes region north could be snow covered on the roadways or maybe have some black ice. keep that in mind. concord and points north, all freezing or below. just a bit above that for manchester points south and southeast. there is cold air to the north and west. after a seasonably cool weekend, temperatures do tumble for early next week. how much colder doesn' t get? when do we see more snow? ahead. shelley: and you can stay up to date with the latest forecast and radar by using our wmur storm watch weather app available for both apple and android devices. outdoor enthusiasts are being warned about thin ice conditions on new hampshire' s lakes. because of the record warm temperatures in the last month, the larger bodies of water like lake winnipesaukee are still open. organizers of the winni derby say they are remaining hopeful that the lake will freeze in

m hoping. hopefully in the next, i want to say three weeks, it would be nice. we have the pond hockey classic coming up in the beginning of february. it' s the biggest one in the country, i guess. and then, the ice fishing derby is right after it so we kind of need it. shelley: fish and game say to safely go out onto the ice, there needs to be anywhere from four to six inches of solid ice on the lakes. now to the state of emergency -- the flooding warnings tonight stretching from texas to illinois. the overflowing mississippi river now threatening homes and businesses south of st. louis. small signs of relief as some floodwaters begin to recede, making once washed-out roads marginally drivable. but for many, the worst is yet abc' flood zone tonight. indra: tonight near st. louis, powerful floodwaters ripping this house from its foundations to send it floating down the mississippi river.

it' s devastating. indra: in illinois tonight, another body recovered from the floodwaters. now at least 23 deaths from the flooding in illinois and missouri. two teenagers are still missing. swift currents hindering the search. the illinois governor declaring a state of emergency. gov. rauner: this is particularly dangerous to have this kind of rain and this kind of cold. indra: back in missouri, the rivers finally beginning to recede, but the damage is done. >> this will take a chunk out of our funds, so what we' ve had to spend on this, we will not be able to spend on our road and bridge program in the future. indra: with water treatment plants overrun by the rivers, safe drinking water is a problem, too. while floodwaters are starting to recede today, so is the amount of drinking water left in these tanks, and soon, customers here will be left without. the slow-motion disaster now moving south -- communities all the way to louisiana bracing for more major floods. >> in about three weeks, we' re going to crest in the spot we' re standing now and we' ll have about 12 feet of additional water on top of what you see

shelley: that was indra peterson reporting. a woman is in serious condition tonight after she lost control of her car and hit a tree in moultonborough. it happened around noon today on whittier highway. investigators say the driver failed to make a curve and went off the road, crashing into a tree. the woman was taken to a nearby hospital. a car crash took out power in parts of dover this afternoon. the crash took down an eversource utility pole on back road. power was out for several hours in the southeastern parts of the the driver, 41-year-old jeffrey polizzo, was arrested for driving while intoxicated. he was released on bail and is scheduled to appear in court january 25. about 120 members of the new hampshire army national guard are celebrating the new year by returning home. the group arrived this afternoon at the manchester armory. >> this is tristan.

his birth last year and today marked another new beginning for little tristan' s father was one safely this new year' s going to be fun for richard to see his son now because he is two months old and babies do a lot of growing in he' s going to be surprised. shelley: elizabeth and tristan were two of many who waited soldiers to arrive. members of the new hampshire army national guard deployed in february for a u.s. army training mission in the middle east. [applause] and when they walked in, the room was overcome. >> i love you so much. i missed you, too. >> it was my second deployment so i kind of knew what it would be like. but still being the second one, still just as exciting. shelley: some say the anticipation leading up to this moment was overwhelming. >> a couple people got videos -- the whole bus was going crazy.

when i get excited and that exactly what it was like for me. shelley: families finally reunited after months of waiting patiently. >> everything. the smells on the pillows, the toothbrush in the toothbrush holder, the bacon in the morning. you don' t want to because you know it' s that much farther away, but you anticipate it. shelley: the most priceless gift of the holiday season finally arriving this new year' s day. >> i don' t want him to go away again, but it was worth it to have him come home. shelley: several of the members of the regiment returned home to new hampshire in december. welcome home to them all. hunting and fishing licenses will cost more this year. fish and game increased the 2016 fees to help fill a $1.2 million budget hole. all licenses will go up by $10. for a full breakdown on how the increases work, you can head over to our website, wmur.com. the new year holds a lot of promise for one manchester man about to undergo a kidney

doctors say it' s extremely difficult to find a match for him, but as jean mackin shows us, he found his perfect match in more ways than one. >> when i met jack, i just felt like there was something very special between us. jean: soon, there' s going to be something very special shared by this couple. they' ve been inseparable since they started dating this past summer. >> michelle' s going to give me a kidney. i need a transplant and she' s turned out to be a perfect match. jean: michelle and jack' s love country club in goffstown where they both love to play golf, but their paths never crossed until this summer, a few months after jack started looking for his >> jack' s sister donated a kidney when he was 26 years old. it gave him 19 years. >> since then, i' ve been doing dialysis three times a week. and back in march, i decided i wanted to have another transplant and we started jean: jack'

but no match. then, michelle came into jack' s life and changed it. she called to be tested without jack even knowing. doctors call it a near miracle and scheduled the kidney transplant right before valentine' s day. >> i want to have that time with him and i believe he' s my future and i want to help him have a healthy life. >> oh, she' s incredible. what she' s doing is unbelievable. i love her. i' m very thankful. jean: in manchester, jean mackin, wmur news 9. shelley: coming up on news 9 tonight -- award-winning singer natalie cole has passed away. we take a look back at her long musical career. and, people in texas can now

mike: sunshine for many to kick off the first weekend of 2016 tomorrow. we will look at the changes for sunday and early next week. shelley: now to our u-local hot shot. check out these people enjoying first day celebrations in franklin. you can submit your pictures and video, and join the thousands of u-local members, by logging onto

shelley: grammy award-winning singer natalie cole has died. cole' s career spanned several decades and included a smash hit recorded alongside her famous father' s voice. abc' s brandi hitt looks back at her career.

natalie cole. daughter of jazz legend nat king cole, the grammy winner is known for this classic hit with her father after his death -- a seamless, technically-woven duet. >> it' s like it' s meant to be. brandi: but cole had also carved out her own success over the years. with hit songs like "this will be" and "pink cadillac." >> it was a pink cadillac brandi: cole' s family says she died thursday at a los angeles hospital due to complications from ongoing health issues. in the past, she battled drug addiction and hepatitis, and was forced to undergo a kidney transplant in 2009. >> and forever more brandi: in a statement, cole' s family says she will remain unforgettable in their hearts. natalie cole was 65. brandi hitt, abc news, los angeles. shelley: wayne rogers, the actor

on "mash," passed away yesterday in los angeles due to complications from pneumonia. rogers was 82 years old. starting today, many texans are allowed to carry their handguns openly in public. an open-carry gun law that governor greg abbott signed in june went into effect. it allows those with a concealed weapons permit to carry their holstered weapons in plain view. private businesses can still ban the public display of guns, but they must post a sign. >> i run a hamburger joint and it should be just left to me talking about cheeseburgers and french fries. >> i support the second amendment and i want my customers to be able to come to a place where they feel safe. shelley: one business owner offered customers who chose to open carry a free meal today. some other venues, like courtrooms, schools, and bars are off-limits as well. an historic church in new jersey has been badly damaged in a new year' s day fire. the roof of the landmark building collapsed during the

the church was built in 1827 and is considered one of new jersey' s most endangered historic sites. it' s not known yet whether the congregation will be able to rebuild. the new year is here, and with it for some, the worst hangover of your life. so, what can you do to take the edge off? abc' s marci gonzalez has some tips. marci: it' s what happens when the party is over. your head is pounding, you' re seriously dehydrated and just generally can' t imagine leaving your bed. if you' re paying the price for a rollicking new year' s eve, take heart. there may be some ways to curb your hangover and maybe avoid one next time. one tip, before you go out drinking, make sure you' ve coated your stomach with protein and some carbs, or else you' ll be feeling sick in the morning. another important, but simple step -- between those alcoholic drinks, have some water. you' ll feel 1000% better the next day. even if you forget to hydrate earlier in the night, compensate with water before bed. you' ll get a deeper sleep and

and what not to do? don' t mix tylenol or any other form of acetaminophen with alcohol. doing so is risky for your liver and could leave you with much more than just a headache to contend with. of course, the best way to beat a hangover is to avoid one in the first place. this means moderation when it comes to alcohol. you' ll find you' ll probably have just as much fun and a much healthier start to 2016. with this medical minute, i' m marci gonzalez. shelley: some people in upstate new york woke up this new year to a blanket of snow. forecasters say parts of buffalo got up to four inches early this morning. by mid-morning, two accidents had closed some lanes in both directions of the new york thruway. meteorologists expect lake the morning. first day back from christmas vacation, i feel like i left in the fall and came back in the

mike: it happens like that. 62 on christmas day and now temperatures are still a little above average but we are tracking the first arctic chill of the season. it will not move in tomorrow so we have another day or two with temperatures above the norm. out at the coast today at market square, fairly busy this new year' s day. take a look at the numbers. in concord for the first day of 2016, we topped off above the average at 40 degrees. above the norm of 32 but nowhere close of the record. the warmest ever in terms of the records on the first back in 1875 -- 72 degrees. the coldest was 19 below zero setback in the 1800s as well. those records go all the way s. snow showers have been quite common a good part of this night in the great north woods and

earlier this evening, heavy snow showers moved through the heart of the lakes region. the roadways could be snow-covered or damp and have black ice. points north and east all the way down into northern parts of stratford county and new durham, valley. that is where the roadways are likely slick, snow-covered or icy due to black ice. more snow over the next few hours. an additional into or two in the points north and west. and lots of winter on the map in lingering snow. s across the board. late hour. overnight tonight will not be that cold. 20 to 25 on average. short term forecast -- with the

seasonably cool for now at least tomorrow and sunday which puts temperatures in the upper 20' s, near 30 up north and never 30' s and 40 -- and upper 30' s and 40 in the southern part of the state. the cold air is to the north and west. it is a quick hit because notice be on wednesday morning, the cold air is gone. seasonably cool stuff for wednesday, thursday, friday and next weekend. next week and offers the next shot of -- next weekend offers the next shot of snow. that is over one week. we will worry about the snow showers right now. it will wind down in the next few hours. north, it will continue on and off. another boundary singles the change of temperature. that moves in on sunday with more. most of the flakes tomorrow will be in the north country. sunshine everywhere else, a little bit breezy and pleasantly

sunday, more clouds up north. maybe a couple of inches of snow. there is the arctic front approaching and we could see a snow shower or two late day and into the evening. temperatures both weekend days near 30 north and mid to upper 30' s south. the first taste of arctic cold this season moves in for monday and tuesday which is great news for ski areas. they will be blasting 24/7 starting sunday afternoon and early wednesday. if you like it milder like it has been, wednesday, thursday and friday, we get back to or above the norm for overnight lows and daytime highs. we have to look beyond friday for maybe the next chance of snow. shelley: here we are. mike: we are locked in, but not nearly as bad as last winter.

shelley: jim foley is in with a preview of sports. jim: your montreal canadiens gave the boston bruins a

announcer: now, news 9 sports. jim: a classic matchup for the winter classic. today, gillette stadium hosted the rival boston bruins and montreal canadiens. close to 70,000 enjoying the mild winter afternoon. but for the mostly bruins fans, that turned cold real quick. first period, montreal scores one minute, 14 seconds after the puck drop. david desharnais swings it in from mid-air -- 1-0, canadiens. second period, two minutes in, paul byron puts the canadiens up 2-0. he cuts in front and scores. by the time it was 3-0, boston finally started applying some offensive pressure. ryan spooner almost gets the b' s on the board, but mike condon makes the save of the game. third period, boston scores its only goal of the game.

right wing circle. matt beleskey tips it home. the bruins go on to lose, 5-1. clearly, not happy with their performance on the big stage in foxborough. >> it is embarrassing. more than disappointing. yeah, an embarrassing loss. >> i think everyone is really disappointed, really frustrated with the way we showed up tonight, or today. you know, i cannot pinpoint a reason why. jim: unh hockey fans have to be excited for the second half of the season as the calendar turns. the wildcats are undefeated in their last six games, including a 7-0 win over maine wednesday . the team had a prolific offense, great goaltending and even the struggling defense is starting to come together. they will play at vermont tomorrow night. >> we got some players back.

month. getting them back will help us back on defense. jim: tomorrow, the manchester monarchs will host trophies night, bringing in the calder cup, stanley cup and more. the monarchs are coming off a big overtime win on new year' s eve. they beat the greenville swamp rabbits, 3-2. gasper kopitar scored the game-winning goal in ot -- a proper transition to the new year' s fireworks. several of the top college football bowl games happen on new year' s day. we saw the citrus bowl today here on wmur. michigan wolverines and florida gators. third quarter, michigan up 17-7. jake rudock to grant perry -- three-yard touchdown pass makes it 24-7. then later in the quarter, sione houma punches it in as michigan wins, 41-7. the 102nd rose bowl game -- stanford cardinal and iowa hawkeyes. first play from scrimmage, kevin hogan throws across the middle to christian mccaffrey who bolts free for a 75-yard touchdown. and of the 102 rose bowls, no player had a better game in

he breaks the rose bowl record for total yards with 368 as stanford takes down iowa, 45-16. let' s party. the ohio state buckeyes and notre dame fighting irish at the fiesta bowl. second quarter, ohio state leading 21-7. adding to it, ezekiel elliott with one of his four rushing touchdowns of the game, 28-7. later, the irish made it a little more competitive, especially compared to the other games today. here, deshore kizer fades it to chris brown for the touchdown, but ohio state goes on to win, 44-28. to the fourth big ten school in a bowl game today, northwestern wildcats facing the tennessee volunteers. second quarter, tennessee up 10-6. alvin kamara breaks to the right side where he has open space for the 11-yard touchdown run, 17-6. third quarter, same score. this time, it' s jalen hurd with the touchdown run. tennessee goes on to win big, 45-6. one other bowl game in progress right now.

shelley: thank you. still to come on news 9 tonight, meet phoenix and eloise -- two of new hampshire' s newest residents. coming up, the hospitals that welcomed these bundles of joy bright and early this new year' s

shelley: a hospital in manchester welcomed one of the first babies of the year just two minutes after midnight. phoenix angel vega bolduc was born at 12:02 a.m. at elliot hospital. and catholic medical center welcomed its first baby of 2016 about an hour and a half later. the proud mother says she remembers watching the ball drop and then going into labor. >> i can' t wait to take her home and have her sleep in her crib for the first time and everything. there is nothing that i am not looking forward to. >> we always thought that she would be ready for the camera, and little did we know that right when she came out, she' s ready for the camera. shelley: congratulations. eloise came 10 days early and it just happened to land on new year' s day. happy new year to everybody watching tonight. thank you for joining us.

[ camera shutters clicking ] >> announcer: the following is a paid presentation for keith urban's player guitar package. [ keith urban's "good thing" playing ] >>

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