"gma" to come. accurate weather team. good morning iowa starts now " sabrina: good morning iowa! i'm ???. it's x:00 a-m on tuesday december 15th thanks for joining us! elias: weather is always first on good morning iowa... in with central iowa's most accurate forecast... meteorologist sam schreier. sam: (adlib toss) sam (sam adlibs) sam: weather adlib: we are finally done with rain here in the metro, at least for this afternoon! the metro was soaked with 3.78" falling from saturday night through monday making this the wettest december of all time not only for the metro but most of iowa. we should stay dry during the day today, but we are going to start the morning with patchy fog. skies will be cloudy through the day with a high in the low 40s and a breezy

with lows in the mid 30s strong southerly winds. rain and a wintry mix will be falling across central and northwest iowa, but that will turn into snow in northwest iowa by wednesday morning. northwest iowa will likely see accumulations ranging between 1 to 2 inches with totals increasing as you move towards south dakota. we are going to be dry but cold through the rest of the week as temperatures fall into the lower 30s and upper 20s. next week there will be a few rain chances early in the week and we will likely warm back into the 40s, so as of now still no white christmas in the forecast. sabrina: let's get into the top five this morning.... sabrina: the rains over the past few days have lead to flooding in the metro... days have lead to flooding in the metro... rising waters metro... rising waters forced parts of george flagg parkway, feir drive, and southeast hartford to be closed to traffic. flooding at water works park even forced jolly holiday lights to

first in its 20- year history. sabrina: in the number two spot this morning... sabrina: a hit an run investigation on the iowa state campus. just after seven monday morning, isu police found emmalee jacobs at the intersection of ash avenues and lincoln way. she was taken to the hospital where she later died. ames police are now assisting in the investigation. anyone who may have information is asked to contact authorities. contact authorities. sabrina: the third thing you need to know before you walk out the door... sabrina: today marks an important deadline for health insurance through the affordable care act. december 15th is the last day to sign up and have coverage that begins january first. officials expect a surge in enrollment to ensure coverage that starts with the new year. the open enrollment period does continue through the end of january. sabrina: number four... sabrina: iowa fans learned monday if they would get a ticket to the rose bowl. almost 55- thousand ticket requests were put in for the

alotted 22- thousand tickets. for hawkeye fans hoping to go, but not able to get a ticket through the university, they will now have to turn to the secondary market...where the cheapest ticketcome in at four-hundred dollars. sabrina: and finally in the top five... sabrina: tonight marks the final debate in 20-15 for the republican presidential contenders. a surge in the polls has helped ted cruz move closer to the middle, but donald trump will still be center stage. one of top issues likely to be addressed, terrorism and how to ensure national security. sabrina: the search continues for a missing teen from des moines this morning. sabrina: the family of the 17-year old last had contact with him saturday night. polk county sheriff's deputies are kemp... his mother tells police she hasn't since he left for a party in granger saturday night. sam was last black nike dark blue jeans. anyone with should contact sheriff's office.

through a home monday, while the homeowner it happened at laurel. a few surrounding fire called in to help called for emergency crews says the homeowner was fire started. no one was hurt, started. say the home is probably a total loss. sabrina: sam schreier... sam: weather adlib: we are finally done with rain here in the

metro was soaked with 3.78" falling from saturday night through monday making this the wettest december of all time not only for the metro but most of iowa. we should stay dry during the day today, but we are going to start the morning with patchy fog. skies will be cloudy through the day with a high in the low 40s and a breezy east wind. tonight it will be cloudy again with lows in the mid 30s strong southerly winds. rain and a wintry mix will be falling across central and northwest iowa, but that will turn into snow in northwest iowa by wednesday morning. northwest iowa will likely see accumulations ranging between 1 to 2 inches with totals increasing as you move towards south dakota. we are going to be dry but cold through the rest of the week as temperatures fall into the lower 30s and upper 20s. next week there will be a few rain chances early in the week and we will likely warm back into

still no white christmas in the forecast. sabrina: there's was definitely an air of celebration and admiration at the iowa state fairgrounds last night. the longest serving governor in the nation's history made his rounds greeting supporters throughout the night, branstad first took office in 1983. he's never lost an election, giving him a 19 and oh record no mattter what office he sought. to give you an idea of the place governor branstad carved out in history... the previous longest serving governor was george clinton from new york, who served seven three-year terms starting in 1777. at the event honoring the governor some high profile republicans and governor some high profile republicans and democrats congratulated mr. branstad on making history. grassley - you've earned your place in history by willingness to serve and to lead. boswell - i don't care if you're independent, republican, democrat, or something else. this is a great occasion thta we all ought to be proud this has happened. sabrina:

every place setting in the room. every place setting in the room. proceeds will go to help efforts in the state that are preserving and promoting iowa's history. sabrina at ((time check)) we'll take a short break, but still have lots more good morning iowa ahead... coming up, a look at how star wars has inspired a new type of workout! 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 ...72- hundred block of northwest 26th street and a second at the ...49-hundred block of northwest beaver drive so take care on the roads today... sabrina let's also get a quick look at traffic... this is i-235 at valley west... [current conditions] good morning iowa continues after this!

us) aouerwh y bino peen hri ls,t n beifcu tco wh d refuonoundoulod on. >>r.obn:'mr.ana bs a ie eneang paedin a 2soi' alysryg t w arg dsndewecoly lpg u ar aouerheinu aras e we a mt noti vis r e arg imir. . nd hsowi uce u unghe tos.ndhel treo lpoun uroueyo arg tt.

co itoelng hr d lko . nd taymorning iowa in hd with elias johnson, sabrina ahmed and we are iowas most accurate forecast with meteorologist sam schreier. this is good morning iowa." sabrina: the state of utah had to break out the snow plows and emergency vehicles monday, after a bought of severe weather dumped heavy snow around salt lake city. drivers struggled to keep their cars going, but found themselves having to dig out of the frozen mess. snow totals have ranged from nine inches to 18 inches....with parts of the state under winter storm advisories through tonight. sabrina: (anchor toss to wx) sam: adlib toss. sam:

we are finally done with rain here in the metro, at least for this afternoon! the metro was soaked with 3.78" falling from saturday night through monday making this the wettest december of all time not only for the metro but most of iowa. we should stay dry during the day today, but we are going to start the morning with patchy fog. skies will be cloudy through the day with a high in the low 40s and a breezy east wind. tonight it will be cloudy again with lows in the mid 30s strong southerly winds. rain and a wintry mix will be falling across central and northwest iowa, but that will turn into snow in northwest iowa by wednesday morning. northwest iowa will likely see accumulations ranging between 1 to 2 inches with totals increasing as you move towards south dakota. we are

cold through the rest of the week as temperatures fall into the lower 30s and upper 20s. next week there will be a few rain chances early in the week and we will likely warm back into the 40s, so as of now still no white christmas in the forecast. sam toss back. sabrina: star wars excitement is everywhere...inc luding iowa

the iowa d-o-t had a star wars theme for their message mondays... theme for their message mondays... they asked for suggestions for messages related to the movie premier, and said they couldn't just pick one. sabrina with days to go until the "force awakens" hits theaters nationwide, some fans in new york may put in a few extra hours at the gym. clare sebastian shows us how the movies have inspired a unique workout for the aspiring to be jedi knights. " --reporter pkg-as follows-- the first rule of jedi school...know how to handle your weapon -- (daniel reiser, instructor, new york jedi) "why do you think i have my strike at an angle like this - slide it down - " every thursday at this lightsaber fitness class in manhattan...star wars fans get to sweat it out...in character. practicing moves just like the lightsaber

though perhaps not quite to that level yet... today's instructor daniel reiser...a special education teacher -- has been doing this for 8 years. (daniel reiser, instructor, new york jedi) "where's the fun of just simply watching something, i mean you look at say a football fan - a lot of them are never gonna be an nfl player but they're gonna go in the back yard and throw that football around - it's the same thing but instead of footballs we have lightsabers. it's a way of becoming part of something that we truly love" by day these jedi's in training are... a legal assistant -- to a kitchen designer... by night - they are united -- by one thing. (russ briggeman) "its a visceral gut feeling, it just feels satisfying to pick up one of these and all of a sudden you are a jedi knight, you are a sith lord" star wars has inspired a type of fandom that goes way beyond a love of watching the movies. fans like these have to

why...so do i. luckily i've been practicing my in-jokes (clare sebastian, reporter) "you don't have a really bad feeling about this" (luke skywalker) "i've got a bad feeling about this" (daniel reiser, instructor, new york jedi) "i always have a really bad feeling about this - that still doesn't stop me." (clare sebastian, reporter) "one, two, three, four five" whatever your skill level...this group has one core philosophy (daniel reiser, instructor, new york jedi) "once a jedi, always a jedi (clare sebastian, reporter) "so i think i've finally seen the light as to what it takes to be a true star wars fan. so really...there's only one thing left to say" (whole room) "jedi! may the force be with you!" " all: (reax)

time for another short break, but when we come back...sam got a surprise delivery monday morning... we'll see if it has helped him complete a life long goal

"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 we are finally done with rain here in the metro, at least for this afternoon! the metro was soaked with

through monday making this the wettest december of all time not only for the metro but most of iowa. we should stay dry during the day today, but we are going to start the morning with patchy fog. skies will be cloudy through the day with a high in the low 40s and a breezy east wind. tonight it will be cloudy again with lows in the mid 30s strong southerly winds. rain and a wintry mix will be falling across central and northwest iowa, but that will turn into snow in northwest iowa by wednesday morning. northwest iowa will likely see accumulations ranging between 1 to 2 inches with totals increasing as you move towards south dakota. we are going to be dry but cold through the rest of the week as temperatures fall into the lower 30s and upper 20s. next week there will be a few rain chances early in the week and we will likely warm back into the 40s, so as of now still no white christmas in the

sam toss back. sabrina:

sabrina: in take a look at this today...some viewers try to give our favorite meteorologist a helping hand... sabrina: you may remember the story we talked about monday....a record-breaking gathering of people kissing under the mistletoe. and the revelation that sam has not had such an encounter... well, thanks to some viewers and the floral department at the valley west hyvee he is now a step closer... the directions stated remove from box, place strategically, stand underneath and wait patiently all: (reax)

well time now for another short break... but when we come back... a hot holiday item, gets a little overheated, causing lots of concerns. ...but first here's what happened last night on jimmy kimmel live. " "

morning iowa in hd. we are iowa." sabrina on your money now sabrina the hot new gadget for this but now, the u-s consumer product safety commission is investigating at least 11 reports of "hoverboard" fires in 10 states. news of the

comes as both amazon and overstock dot com halted the sale of almost every model and brand of hoverboard. there have been reports that certain models can burst into flames, as a result of malfunctioning batteries and plugs. but don't worry, there are a few models still being sold at certain models still being sold at certain retailers. sabrina: auto-maker ford is looking to give customers a ride...its piloting a ride-hailing service that could eventually be a competitor for uber. right now the service, called allows its travel throughout the ford campus in michigan. could be scaled into a larger service. the program is one way the itself in an ever-evolving automotive world. sabrina: and finally, don't have the for healthy options... but pepsi is working to change that. the company has unveiled the new hello goodness vending machine that offers "good-and- better-for-you product choices." those products

juice drinks, lay's oven baked and gatorade... as well as gluten-free and fat-free options. sabrina your money this coming up after the break... sam's in with central iowa's most accurate forecast... but first... time for a quick look at traffic... this is i-235 at [current conditions] good morning

sabrina: topping your headlines this morning... the enrollment window for health insurance may still have another month to go, but today still marks a big deadline. sabrina: and it's another showdown in the nevada desert, as the republican presidential candidates take the stage for their final debate in 20-15 sabrina: back in the metro, drivers will deal with some remaining

the days of rain we have seen over the past week. "you're watching good moring iowa in hd. we are iowa's most accurate weather team. good morning iowa starts now " sabrina: thanks for joining us on your [day of week] morning, i'm sabrina ahmed. elias: weather is always first on good morning iowa... in with central iowa's most accurate forecast... meteorologist sam schreier. sam: (adlib toss) sam weather adlib: we are finally done with rain here in the metro, at least for this afternoon! the metro was soaked with 3.78" falling from saturday night through monday making this the wettest december of all time not only for the metro but most of iowa. we should stay dry during the day today, but we are going to start the morning with patchy fog. skies will be cloudy through the day with a high in the low 40s and a breezy east wind. tonight it will be cloudy again

winds. rain and a wintry mix will be falling across central and northwest iowa, but that will turn into snow in northwest iowa by wednesday morning. northwest iowa will likely see accumulations ranging between 1 to 2 inches with totals increasing as you move towards south dakota. we are going to be dry but cold through the rest of the week as temperatures fall into the lower 30s and upper 20s. next week there will be a few rain chances early in the week and we will likely warm back into the 40s, so as of now still no white christmas in the forecast. sabrina: this morning ames police hope to find the person responsible for monday's hit and run... sabrina: the week began with tragedy on the i-s-u campus, where authorities found a student in the roadway...the victim of a hit and run. urbana resident and i-s-u freshman emmalee jacobs was found lying in the road at the intersection of ash avenue and lincoln way. emergency services carried her to a hospital, where she later died. ames police are asking that anyone with information call

stoppers. the information is there on your the information is there on your screen. sabrina: new this morning, a deadline for those wanting their health insurance coverage to start january first. sabrina: today marks the last day to enroll, to ensure that coverage begins the first of 20-16. for those already enrolled, today is the last day to change your insurance plans so that it will take effect on the first of next month. officials expect a surge in enrollment with today's deadline. however, the open enrollment window will remain opening until the end of january. after today, the coverage will take effect on march first. sabrina: due to the rain and flooding, jolly holiday lights has been cancelled for the searon, a first in its 20 year history. the beloved christmas tradition put on by make a wish iowa takes around 14- hundred volunteers and three weeks to set up. make a wish says the cancellation may cost it more than 200 thousand dollars in donations.. that money can make up to 40 wishes come true. "" all the challenges

what our wish kids go thorugh on a daily basis. we love what we do and we'll keep doing it. and we'll keep raising money on behalf of make a wish iowa and kids across the state " " sabrina: joy holiday lights will be back next year. and donations are still being accepted by call, mail or online at iowa wish dot org. sabrina:: on top of cancelling jolly holiday lights, the flooding is closing roads like george flagg parkway and many others. the rising waters also took over the clive greenbelt trail, targeting stores along swanson boulevard. making it difficult for drivers to get around. ""little cars start to surf board, and some people go really fast, then slow down to hit the water and it floods their engine-- we're insdie saying move, move, move " " sabrina: fleur drive is closed off to drivers, as well as southeast hartford avenue at southeast

go to we are iowa dot com for more updates on road closures. sabrina: and if you have any weather pictures or video from be sure to share them with us you can post them at we are iowa dot com....just click on the share it tab! we may even use them on air. sabrina: we're back with meterologist sam schreier... sam: (sam adlibs) sam: weather adlib: sam: weather adlib: we are finally done with rain here in the

metro was soaked with 3.78" falling from saturday night through monday making this the wettest december of all time not only for the metro but most of iowa. we should stay dry during the day today, but we are going to start the morning with patchy fog. skies will be cloudy through the day with a high in the low 40s and a breezy east wind. tonight it will be cloudy again with lows in the mid 30s strong southerly winds. rain and a wintry mix will be falling across central and northwest iowa, but that will turn into snow in northwest iowa by wednesday morning. northwest iowa will likely see accumulations ranging between 1 to 2 inches with totals increasing as you move towards south dakota. we are going to be dry but cold through the rest of the week as temperatures fall into the lower 30s and upper 20s. next week there will be a few rain chances early in the week and we will likely warm back into the 40s, so as of now still no white

forecast. sabrina: nine candidates are gearing up for the big showdown.. the gop presidential debate ... in las vegas with donald trump set to stand front and center. abc's stephanie ramos has more on tonight's debate. " script: the stage is set for the last gop debate of 2015. 9 candidates will stand on stage for the most critical event heading into the iowa caucuses.... trump sot: "i think we're doing great in iowa, and i expect to win in iowa" at a rally in las vegas last night.....trump took aim at some of his main sticking points?.like?mexico and the wall he intends to build. this talk?. has trump supporters hanging on.... brand new numbers out showing trump hitting 41 percent with republicans -- the highest support he's had yet in a national

now be a 2 man race......between trump and senator ted cruz. in iowa, the two are in a virtual tie. on the debate stage....trump ..... will be flanked by cruz and ben carson?. the six remaining candidates will be florida senator marco rubio, former florida gov. jeb bush, businesswoman carly fiorina, ohio gov. john kasich, kentucky sen. rand paul and new jersey gov. chris christie. while trump predicts he'll be the punching bag at this debate...he also says... trump sot: "it's going be good." tag: the democrats debate for the 3rd time this saturday on abc?. stephanie ramos abc news washington" sabrina: don't forget to share your thoughts about the debate and the presidential race? what issues do you want to see discussed tonight? and who do you think will be the next to drop out? let us know -- we

you can post you thoughts on twitter and facebook. or send us an email or give us a call . we'd love to hear what you think! the contact information is on your screen. sabrina at ((time check)) we'll take a short break here on good morning iowa.. still ahead, what hawkeye fans can expect to pay to watch their team possibly bring home the rose bowl trophy. sabrina: 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 locations... one at the ....37- hundred block of park avenue - east bound and a second at the....49-hundred block of hickman - east bound so use caution while driving.. sabrina while we're at it... a quick look at traffic... this is i-235 at mlk... [current conditions] good morning iowa continues

"your wathcing good 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." sabrina: talk about a weird winter...the past few weeks have certainly felt more like spring than the holiday season for some parts of the country. in connecticut, the mornings have been mild with a foggy start. the warm temperatures have even caused the cherry trees to bloom early. according to the national park service, peak bloom dates for cherry trees have shifted earlier by about 5 days since 1921. sabrina: anchor toss to wx sam: adlib toss. sam: weather adlib: we are finally done with rain here in the metro, at least for this afternoon! the

saturday night through monday making this the wettest december of all time not only for the metro but most of iowa. we should stay dry during the day today, but we are going to start the morning with patchy fog. skies will be cloudy through the day with a high in the low 40s and a breezy east wind. tonight it will be cloudy again with lows in the mid 30s strong southerly winds. rain and a wintry mix will be falling across central and northwest iowa, but that will turn into snow in northwest iowa by wednesday morning. northwest iowa will likely see accumulations ranging between 1 to 2 inches with totals increasing as you move towards south dakota. we are going to be dry but cold through the rest of the week as temperatures fall into the lower 30s and upper 20s. next week there will be a few rain chances early in the week and we will likely warm back into the 40s, so as of now

forecast. sabrina: monday, iowa fans learned whether or not monday, iowa fans learned whether or not they would get a ticket to the rose bowl... the university received 22- thousand tickets to the game....but almost 55- thousand requests were put in. this is the first trip to the rose bowl since 1991, and its no secret that hawkeye fans travel. with so many people requesting ticketsthere are sure to be some broken hearts. local five spoke with a fan in iowa city who got the good news that he'd be inside the

day game. but wonders how they determine who got the best tickets. "(ethan diehl) my parents had season tickets for like 35 years and i read on k- hawk that point cut off for tickets is 31 and you get three points for each season so my parents had 105 points so they easily made the cut off for getting tickets to the game but they didn't get the best tickets to the game. so for me i kind of wonder like what does it take to get the best tickets. i mean they turned away 32,000 ticket applications. " sabrina: here's a quick look at what you'll be spending if you didn't get tickets through the lottery. the cheapest ticket on stubhub was 400 dollars...with some going for more than five grand. don't forget to add in your flight. flights from des moines to l-a-x start at just under a thousand dollars. local five will be in pasadena for the big game, so

year's day. sabrina we have lots more good morning iowa ahead...but first here'sabc's richard bacon and reena ninan with america's money. america's money: good morning. topping "america's money".. a christmas deadline at hey there, good morning, topping "america's money," a christmas deadline at the post office. >> today is the last day to mail packages so they'll be there by christmas eve with no what charge. december 19th is the deadline for first class mail. the 21st is the last day for priority. >> 15.5 pieces of mail will be sent this year. coming to store shelves next year, organic gatorade, pepsi, the maker, isn't saying exactly when it will be available. what were americans reading in 2015. >> this t featuring miranda

than 1 million copies sold. >> pope francis selling more than 450,000 news copies. >> bigger than jesus and blake. when it's your time to shine you want to feel good from head to toe... including your nails. introducing the latest innovation from amop\. the amop\ electronic nail care system. the fast way to file, buff, and shine for effortless, shiny wow nails! so you can step out with that amop\ confidence and shine on! the new electronic nail care system from amop\. save now at coupons.com hey mcmellin' you gellin'? i'm gellin' and zinfandellin'. and so is my new bride, helen mcmellin' i'm so happy my eyes are wellin' dr. scholl's massaging gel insoles are so soft they make your feet feel outrageously comfortable.

you're so not gellin'

"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 we are finally done with rain here in the metro, at least for this afternoon! the metro was soaked with 3.78" falling from saturday night through monday

wettest december of all time not only for the metro but most of iowa. we should stay dry during the day today, but we are going to start the morning with patchy fog. skies will be cloudy through the day with a high in the low 40s and a breezy east wind. tonight it will be cloudy again with lows in the mid 30s strong southerly winds. rain and a wintry mix will be falling across central and northwest iowa, but that will turn into snow in northwest iowa by wednesday morning. northwest iowa will likely see accumulations ranging between 1 to 2 inches with totals increasing as you move towards south dakota. we are going to be dry but cold through the rest of the week as temperatures fall into the lower 30s and upper 20s. next week there will be a few rain chances early in the week and we will likely warm back into the 40s, so as of now still no white christmas in the forecast.

toss back. sabrina: trending now...have you ever heard a

trending now...have you ever heard a baby polar bear snore? "nats of snoring" sabrina: this may be the most adorable thing you see today... a 5-week-old polar bear getting some zzz's. columbus zoo and aquarium released this video of the sleeping beauty. she weighs about 4 pounds and measures 16 inches. her eyes are not fully open yet -- she was born just last month.

sabrina time for another short break 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. sabrina: : 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

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

"you're watching good morning iowa in hd. we are iowa." sabrina: welcome back everyone....as we wrap up our first hour, let's recap your headlines...in the morning refresh... sabrina: no surprise that after multiple days of rain the metro has to close a few road sections, and a holiday light attraction shuts down for the season. sabrina: today marks an important date for the affordable care act, get enrolled now if you want coverage to start january first. sabrina: and for hawkeye fans who didn't hit the ticket lottery, they'll face the difficult task of finding a rose bowl ticket on the secondary market. sabrina:

republican plus, the republican presidential candidates get ready for one more debate in 20-15, taking the stage in las vegas tonight. sabrina time now for another short time now for another short break... but when we come back... governor terry branstad was the man of the hour last night, as he made his way into the history books. 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

accurate weather team. good morning iowa starts now " sabrina: good morning iowa! i'm ???. it's x:00 a-m on tuesday december 15th thanks for joining us! elias: weather is always first on good morning iowa... in with central iowa's most accurate forecast... meteorologist sam schreier. sam: (adlib toss) sam (sam adlibs) sam: weather adlib: we are finally done with rain here in the metro, at least for this afternoon! the metro was soaked with 3.78" falling from saturday night through monday making this the wettest december of all time not only for the metro but most of iowa. we should stay dry during the day today, but we are going to start the morning with patchy fog. skies will be cloudy through the day with a high in the low 40s and a breezy east wind. tonightt will be cloudy again with lows in the mid 30s strong southerly