and i'm sabrina ahmed. it's x:00 a-m on thursday december tenth elias: good to have everyone with us! and it's great to have central iowa's most accurate forecast with meterologist sam schreier! hey sam! sam: (sam adlibs) sam (sam adlibs) sam: weather adlib: sam: weather adlib: today is going to be an amazing day for iowa with temperatures climbing into the 60s across central iowa! we should start with partly cloudy skies but i think we'll have full sunshine by the end of the day. all that sun and a westerly wind during the day is going to push high temps right near 60 degrees here in the metro. overnight temps are going to stay fairly mild with a low down near 40 degrees. friday is still

and warm with highs in the upper 50s. the weekend is looking cooler with highs in the 40s and plenty of showers, especially on sunday. next week is going to start off mild with highs in the 40s, but by the end of the week a more winter- like feel should return as lows fall into the 30s. snow looks pretty limited through the forecast but if we are going to see any next tuesday is going to be our best chance. elias: let's get into the top five this let's get into the top five this morning.... elias: four metro fire departments are considering a move to improve response times across the area. waukee, west des moines, clive, and urbandale have been on the same dispatch network since the summer, now a merger could be the next step. for now they are working on making it possible for their trucks to go to any fire, based on which unit is closest. sabrina:

two spot this morning... sabrina: frustration in the streets of chicago, as protestors call for the city's mayor to step down. mayor rahm emmanuel has apologized for the ongoing controversy with the chicago police department. however, some say he kept the videos of the shooting death of a black teen by a white cop last year hidden until after his re-election. elias: the third thing you need to know before you walk out the door... elias: just over a year later, the man accused of going on a shooting spree in pleasant hill has learned his fate. pete polson, who was found guilty on several charges connected to the shooting spree, has been sentenced to 55 years in prison. he'll have to serve at least 27 and a half years. an appeal is expected in the coming days. expected in the coming days. sabrina: number four... sabrina: time unveils its person of the year for 20-15, and the honor goes to german chancellor angela merkel. the magazine says she was chosen for her efforts in preserving and promoting europe despite economic turmoil, and a growing refugee crisis.

selected in almost 30 years. elias: and finally in the top five... elias: iowa's biggest rivalry heads to ames tonight, as iowa state hosts iowa on the basketball court. the hawkeyes are looking for payback after last year's loss at carver- hawkeye arena. but the cyclones will enter the showdown ranked fourth in the a-p polls. look for live coverage tonight on local five news at five, six, and ten. sabrina: we are learning more about the events leading up to the arrest of a roosevelt coach and teacher. sabrina: gerald johnson faces accusations of having an inappropriate relationship with a 16 year old. this morning johnson is out on bond after turning himself in to authorities on tuesday. johnson faces one count of sexual exploitation by a school employee. he's also been ordered to not contact the victim...

criminal complaint it is a student of his from this school year... he's accused of using his position to get her phone number, and contacting her. she told him his behavior made her uncomfortable, and then he called her into his classroom and touched her inappropriately. the school district put him on administrative leave. elias: new this morning, polk county authorities look for assistance in solving a november burglary. elias: last month, trails end auto salvage in des moines was broken into, and a vehicle stolen. deputies say an unknown male, pictured here, entered the business by force and took the key used to steal the vehicle. anyone who may recognize this man, or has information that would help in the investigation is asked to call the polk county sheriff's office or the polk county crime stoppers. sabrina: we're back with meterologist sam schreier... sam:

sam: weather adlib: today is going to be an amazing day for iowa with temperatures climbing into the 60s across central iowa! we should start with partly cloudy skies but i think we'll have full sunshine by the end of the day. all that sun and a westerly wind during the day is going to push high temps right near 60 degrees here in the metro. overnight temps are going to stay fairly mild with a low down near 40 degrees. friday is still going to be very nice and warm with highs in the upper 50s. the weekend is looking cooler with highs in

showers, especially on sunday. next week is going to start off mild with highs in the 40s, but by the end of the week a more winter- like feel should return as lows fall into the 30s. snow looks pretty limited through the forecast but if we are going to see any next tuesday is going to be our best chance. sabrina: the holiday sabrina: the holiday decorations have been going up across the hawkeye state...but the city of ames has had to hold off on the lighting. they say the lights that lit up main street for 25 years are in no shape to be turned on. some are missing bulbs, other strands are hanging loose. downtown businesses are worried the new darker image could have an impact on how many people choose to celebrate in the area... they say people are noticing the area doesn't look the same... " they said are you going to turn the rest of the lights on? we'll we wish we could... but we can't. they're in bad

it would take 80- thousand dollars for new l-e-d lights that could be used year round...and a fundraiser has been started. more information on how to help is on our website, we are iowa dot com. elias: the holiday shopping has been underway for a couple of weeks now, but luckily there is one thing helping families save some money this year....lower gas prices. the national average for gas prices is poised to drop below two dollar a gallon for the first time in more than six years. you can see gas was as low as a dollar - 92 for the ethanol blend around west des moines wednesday. according to triple a, americans have saved about 100 billion dollars on fuel this year, which comes to more than 350 dolllars a person, sabrina

short break, but still have lots more good morning iowa ahead... elias: coming up, a look behind the scenes at one of santa's biggest helpers this time of year... sabrina: but first...for those traveling into polk county...be safe this morning... the sheriff's office has automated traffic enforcement vehicles at two locations.... one at the ...eleven- thousand two- hundred block of northwest 16th street and a second at the ...73-hundred block of northwest fourth street. so take care on the roads today... elias: let's also get a quick look at traffic... this is i-235 at valley west... [current conditions] good morning iowa continues after this!

"your wathcing good

elias johnson, sabrina ahmed and we are iowas most accurate forecast with meteorologist sam schreier. this is good morning iowa." sabrina: the national weather service says el nino is on track to be one of the strongest events on record. officials with the national weather service laid out the current el nino forecast for groups of disaster response agencies in california yesterday. the state is preparing for the likelihood of a wetter than normal winter. but experts say the upcoming el nino rainy season still won't be enough to stop the drought in california. sabrina: elias: (anchor toss to wx) sam: adlib toss. sam: weather adlib: today is going to be an amazing day for iowa with temperatures climbing into the 60s across central iowa! we should start with partly cloudy skies but i think we'll have full sunshine by the end of the day. all that

wind during the day is going to push high temps right near 60 degrees here in the metro. overnight temps are going to stay fairly mild with a low down near 40 degrees. friday is still going to be very nice and warm with highs in the upper 50s. the weekend is looking cooler with highs in the 40s and plenty of showers, especially on sunday. next week is going to start off mild with highs in the 40s, but by the end of the week a more winter- like feel should return as lows fall into the 30s. snow looks pretty limited through the forecast but if we are going to see any next tuesday is going to be our best chance.

this time of year is one of the busiest for the u-s postal service.. sabrina: and right here in des moines is a whole center devoted to the overflow of holiday mail. local 5 photographer ryan davidson takes us inside. nats postal service this is our main processing plant in des moines and we service a 116 mile radius the inbound collection mail comes in on our dock it gets divided between letters flats and parcells the letters go through a canceling process and make sure they're canceled they get lined up in order so

every year it seems like people are using us to ship their packages compaired to the same period last year our parcell volume is up 75 percent online shopping people going to the store to have it shipped mom and pop ebay all that stuff everybodies doing online and they're doing it through the mail we need to make sure we have the people on hand the machines to prep for it and we prepaire for it at least a couple months ahead of time there's nothing more satisfying than serving the customers getting the mail in timely out timely we know people all over the place are tracking the mail trying to see when their presents are going to get to the house its good to know you're helping to make sombody's christmas come true sabrina: here's a quick look at some deadlines to keep in mind... you'll want to get any mail to those in the military out today.... while the 15th is the last day to send packages across the u-s

after the 19th will have to go priority mail. elias: time for another short break, but when we come back, some bad drivers get a holiday surprise instead of the expected citation.

most accurate forecast with meteorologist sam schreier. certified by weatherrate the independent weather experts" sam weather adlib: put script here in green today is going to be an amazing day for iowa with temperatures climbing into the 60s across central iowa! we should start with partly cloudy skies but i think we'll have full sunshine by the end of the day. all that sun and a westerly wind during the day is going to push high temps right near 60 degrees here in the metro. overnight temps are going to stay fairly mild with a low down near 40 degrees. friday is still going to be very nice and warm with highs in the upper 50s. the weekend is looking cooler with highs in the 40s and plenty of showers, especially on sunday. next week is going to start off mild with highs in the 40s, but by the end of the week a more winter- like feel should

into the 30s. snow looks pretty limited through the forecast but if we are going to see any next tuesday is going to be our best chance.

elias: in take a look at this today... elias: drivers stopped by police in one michigan county got quite the surprise. rather than handing out tickets for routine traffic violations, police and deputies handed out turkeys and gift cards. it's part of a holiday program called "operation present patrol". now the stops were for legitimate reasons, but so long as the drivers had a valid license and

got off with a holiday special. all: (reax) sabrina well time now sabrina well time now for another short break... but when we come back... the hawkeyes will be looking for some payback when they head to ames tonight... ...but first here's what happened last night on jimmy kimmel live.

"you're watching good morning iowa in hd. we are iowa." sabrina: a big in-state rivalry takes the basketball court in ames tonight...as the cyclones welcome the hawkeyes. elias: both teams looking for big

and iowa state wanting to stay undefeated. alex giaimo has a look at the game. alex giaimo has a look at the game. " (alex giaimo) the hawkeyes head into ames for the annual cy-hawk battle as winners of their last four games. they are playing sound basketball right now but they know the task this thursday against the unbeaten and fourth ranked cyclones will be much harder. (fran mccaffery) yea you know we are playing the fourth ranked team in the country with a lot of experience, yea a lot tougher. (giaimo) iowa is looking to rebound from last year's blowout loss on their home court. (mike gessell) you know we had a really bad taste in our mouth after that game we felt we didn't play very well. you know,

like that to an in-state rival it's not fun. (giaimo) the hawkeyes are hoping third time's a charm. in 2013 they went into hilton colliseum..eventually losing the lead during the last seconds of the game. (adam woodburry) obviously they got a very good team. they got us the last couple of years. last time we played there it was a tough loss. i think that anytime we step on the court we want to win. (jarrod uthoff) it was a good game it was a tough loss. we were up five with a minute to go and we are looking to get a little redemption.. (mike gessell) it's going to be uh a tough game. great atmosphere. i love playing there, you know, guys that we've played against before. it's going to be a great matchup another great opportunity for us to play one of the best teams in the country. elias: iowa and iowa state tip off at 6:30 from hilton coliseum. iowa state is currently ranked fourth in the a-p polls. look for live coverage right here on local five news at five six and ten.... elias: so, what are our predictions? all: (reax) sabrina

we'll take a short break but first... time for a quick look at traffic... this is i-235 at euclid... [current conditions] good morning iowa returns after this.

team. good morning iowa starts now " sabrina thanks for joining us on your [day of week] morning, i'm sabrina ahmed. elias: and i'm elias johnson... elias: weather is always first on good morning iowa... in with central iowa's most accurate forecast... meteorologist sam schreier. sam: (adlib toss) sam

today is going to be an amazing day for iowa with temperatures climbing into the 60s across central iowa! we should start with partly cloudy skies but i think we'll have full sunshine by the end of the day. all that sun and a westerly wind during the day is going to push high temps right near 60 degrees here in the metro. overnight temps are going to stay fairly mild with a low down near 40 degrees. friday is still going to be very nice and warm with highs in the upper 50s. the weekend is looking cooler with highs in the 40s and plenty of showers, especially on sunday. next week is going to start off mild with highs in the 40s, but by the end of the week a more winter- like feel should return as lows fall into the 30s. snow looks pretty limited through the forecast but if we are going to see any next tuesday is going to be our best chance. sabrina:

this morning...four metro fire departments are considering a merger plan... sabrina: looking at the map, you can see the boundaries shared by waukee, clive, urbandale, and west des moines. and now the departments are looking at ways to step ip response times. it's an idea that's been floated around for a couple of years now, but has gained traction after this summer when all four started using westcom dispatch. any department can go to a working fire, but department leaders are looking to make that possible for any fire. the plan could be a short-term fix, because more stations are also part of the equation. " clive's facing the same issue in the same area. and at the end of the day, it just doesn't make sense for clive to build a fire station and urbandale to build one two miles apart." sabrina: there's currently no time line for when the changes would

west des moines currently has the largest waukee is the four looking at the proposal. elias: spree in pleasant hill, the man accused of pulling the trigger has now been sentenced. pete polson- was found guilty on several charges-- including attempted murder -- stemming from the shooting on november 17th of last year. yesterday, he was sentenced to 55 years, and will have to serve at least 27 and a half years. two people were severely injured, and a third was narrowly missed. polson claimed he didn't remember what happened due to being heavily intoxicated. the victims had a chance to speak wednesday. " " my kids were i that house, my kdis were in taht house. bullets went through the house you could ve killed my kids. you dont give a crap, you dont care,. you should get everything you deserve. theres a specail place in hell for guyws like you, hope you go to prison, you die in there and you go to hell. "

polsons attorney said he plans to file an appeal within the next few days. sabrina: and now to the latest developments in the san bernardino terror the san bernardino terror shooting... sabrina: the fbi says the couple who launched the terror attack was radicalized long before they met online. elias: they even had some confirmed connection to isis raising questions about potential abuse of the government's visa program. abc's lana zak has the latest. "script: 1025am comey: our investigation to date ... "script: 1025am comey: our investigation to date ... indicates they were actually radicalized before they started courting or dating each other online. fbi director james comey told congress sayed farook and tashfeen malik were

they were married... raising new fears about whether "terrorist matchmakers" have figured out a way to gain access to the u-s. and the investigation is also looking at this san bernardino area high school, photos of the school were found on farook's cell phone. authorities are still trying to unravel the information left behind by the killers...but encryption is keeping so much hidden ... tag: just how difficult it is to unravel the clues buried through encryption: in a different, foiled plot--one would-be terrorist attacker exchanged more than 100 messages with an overseas terrorist. but six months later---the fbi still does not know what was said." elias: we're back with meterologist sam schreier... sam: (sam adlibs)

sam: weather adlib: today is going to be an amazing day for iowa with temperatures climbing into the 60s we should start with partly cloudy skies but i think we'll have end of the day. all that wind during the day is temps right near 60 degrees here in the metro. overnight temps are going to

low down near 40 degrees. friday is still going to be very nice and warm with highs in the upper 50s. the weekend is looking cooler with highs in the 40s and plenty of showers, especially on sunday. next week is going to start off mild with highs in the 40s, but by the end of the week a more winter- like feel should return as lows fall into the 30s. snow looks pretty limited through the forecast but if we are going to see any next tuesday is going to be our best chance. elias: new this morning, a local police department unveils a new look... elias: the waukee police department has launched a new brand, giving the force a new patch and vehicles a new design. the new patch design features the scales of justice at the center, with the words integrity, honor, and pride around the image. the police chief says the new look is part of an outward

reflect the department's internal improvements. three police vehicles have already been striped black and silver....with new vehicles added to the force also being painted the same. the department worked with the waukee high school art department to come up with the final designs. elias: at ((time check)) we'll take a short break here on good we'll take a short break here on good morning iowa... sabrina: coming up, how your morning commute can also help metro families in need... elias: but before we go...as you get ready to start your day...be safe out on the roads.... des moines police will have mobile radar set up at two one at the ....seven-hundred block of m-l-k parkway - southbound and a second at the....23-hundred block of hull - east bound

sabrina while we're at it... a quick look at traffic... this is i-235 at mlk... [current conditions] good morning iowa continues after this!

morning iowa in hd with elias johnson, sabrina ahmed and we are iowas most accurate forecast with meteorologist sam schreier. this is good morning iowa." elias: the skies may look clear over the southern california town of porter ranch, but there's a cloud overhead

a gas leak discovered six weeks ago hasn't been stopped, and now a giant cloud of methane hovers above. the town's residents have complained of headaches, nose bleeds, and vomiting...with 700 families being relocated by the company already. elias: (anchor toss to wx) sam: adlib toss. sam: weather adlib: sam: weather adlib: today is going to be an amazing day for iowa with temperatures climbing into the 60s across central iowa! we should start with partly cloudy skies but i think we'll have full sunshine by the end of the day. all that sun and a westerly wind during the day is going to push high temps right near 60 degrees here in the metro. overnight

low down near 40 degrees. friday is still going to be very nice and warm with highs in the upper 50s. the weekend is looking cooler with highs in the 40s and plenty of showers, especially on sunday. next week is going to start off mild with highs in the 40s, but by the end of the week a more winter- like feel should return as lows fall into the 30s. snow looks pretty limited through the forecast but if we are going to see any next tuesday is going to be our best chance.

well those catching a ride to work today on dart, will also be helping fight hunger in polk county. today will be the service's fares for food day...where food donations will be taken up. all cash fares and donations will go to the des moines area religious council food pantry network. more than 50- thousand people in polk county struggle each day to get enough to eat. elias: if you're looking for a way to lend a helping hand this holiday season -- local 5 news has a way for you to help right here in the metro. we hope you'll help us "can hunger." this friday, come to the fareway store on 86th and meredith from 8 am until 9 pm. we'll be collecting all food donations to help our neediest right here in central iowa for christmas and well into 2016. we are iowa and

the community. all: (reax) sabrina we have lots more good morning iowa we have lots more good morning iowa ahead...but first here's abc's richard bacon and reena ninan with america's money. america's money: good morning. topping "america's money"... the middle class, losing ground. a new study finds that less than good morning. topping "america's money" -- the middle class losing ground. >> a new study find that less than 50% of all adults are now in the middle class house holds. when pew started these surveys in the '70s, the middle class

a new study shows that all-day breakfast is bringing customers into mcdonald's. >> a third of the customers getting breakfast later in the day hadn't been to mcdonald's in awhile. and the skies will get friendlier for united airlines passengers this february. free snacks coming back for economy class passengers. >> the airline says they realize flying has not been fun lately. they did away with free snacks ten years ago. >> i can't believe you thought they were getting croissants. >> i did.

have a great day."now, we are iowa's most accurate forecast with meteorologist sam schreier. certified by weatherrate the independent weather experts" sam weather adlib: put script here in green today is going to be an amazing day for iowa with temperatures climbing into the 60s across central iowa! we should start with partly cloudy skies but i think we'll have full sunshine by the end of the day. all that sun and a westerly wind during the day is going to push high temps right near 60 degrees here in the metro. overnight temps are going to stay fairly mild with a low down near 40 degrees. friday is still going to be very nice and warm with highs in the upper 50s. the weekend is looking cooler with highs in the 40s and plenty of showers, especially on sunday. next week is going to start off mild with highs in the 40s, but by the end of the week a more winter- like feel should return as lows fall into the 30s. snow looks pretty limited through the forecast but if we are going to see any next tuesday is going to be our best chance.

sabrina: trending now...a florida man shows us his unique way to getting out of trouble... pkg " --reporter pkg-as follows-- (t.j. bristol/ no traffic ticket for him) the craziest thing just happened to me, i'm being pulled over by the police officers. i'm going to pray my way out of this. i was like oh my god i'm in trouble, i'm in trouble because i thought i did something wrong. hello officers. (hello) how y'all doing? (good how are you?) great, may i get out of the car? (yes you may.)

do when i gave her my license because i was dressed up, and i told her i'm a singer, i'm a gospel artist, and she was like well sing me a song. snap it in right there... my self stick, and there was action. you are so beautiful to me. and if it was 3 men, i would have said, it's raining men! hallelujah! you're everything i hope for. i loved it because it brought us together, and like i say, both of us left smiling and they made my day out there and i'm quite sure through that beautiful song that it made their day, so it worked out very well. to me. (applause) y'all like that. to all the drivers out there, click it or ticket, or you better have a good song to sing. -----end-----cnn.script----- all: (reax)

time for another here on good morning iowa .... a quick look outside as you get ready to start your day....when we return, a look at the top stories in our morning refresh.

: do you have a story for us...or a comment you want to share? well be sure to contact us. you can email us or call our newsroom... we're also on facebook.... "we are iowa local 5 news" and twitter "we are iowa 5 news" if you see news break... let us know. we are iowa and we want to cover the stories that are

"you're watching good morning iowa in hd. we are iowa." elias:: welcome back everyone....as we wrap up our first hour, let's take a quick look at the top stories... sabrina: we recap your headlines...in the morning refresh... sabrina: four metro fire departments take a look at a new plan that could benefit those in need of emergency help. elias: the man accused of going on a shooting spree through pleasant hill last year learns his fate in the courtroom elias:

unveils its person of the year, honoring its first female in almost three decades. sabrina: and its rivalry night in ames, as the cyclones get ready to take on the hawkeyes....a matchup with big crowdds for both sides. elias: time now for another short break... but when we come back... why the city of ames may look a little bit darker this holiday season, despite the festive mood. sabrina: plus sam's in with a look at your morning forecast! another full hour of good morning iowa... is right after this.

"you're watching good moring iowa in hd. we are iowa's most accurate weather team. good morning iowa starts now " elias:

i'm elias