going to be cloudy and breezy so highs today will only be able to climb into the upper 30s. tonight we'll see dry conditions with a chilly overnight low near 30 degrees. tuesday should be warm and windy again like sunday with highs climbing into the mid to upper 40s. rain returns tuesday night through wednesday, and we may even see some snow in northwest iowa. thursday there is a chance for a few light snow showers with low accumulation, so we will watch that day carefully. the rest of the week through the weekend looks to be in the 40s with rain chances lasting will into next week. sabrina: let's get into the top five this morning.... sabrina: big budget cuts need to happen at west des moines schools. with enrollment dropping by

hundred students, the district now has less money for programs. school leaders will need to cut eight hundred thousand dollars by next year. the board is expect to make a final decision tonight. sabrina: in the number two spot this morning... sabrina: one person has died and more than thirty have been injured after a car plows into pedestrians on the las vegas strip last night. police say the female driver intentionally drove up onto the sidewalk. she has been taken into custody. a toddler who had been in the car during the ride was not hurt. six of those hit critical condition. sabrina: you need to know before you door... an iowa high schooler during a championship and later died in the spencer community in following the sudden death of austin roberts. grief counselors were on hand sunday at the school, as family remembered the teen. word on what caused roberts to collapse.

number four... sabrina: a popular gift this christmas will be drones, and those planning to fly them will need to register with the u-s government. starting today new f-a-a guidelines go into effect regarding the use and piloting of drones. the flying machines have become a headache for law enforcement. all drones will be given a tracking number that will help the f-a-a keep tabs in a database. sabrina: and finally in the top five... sabrina: from questions about a recent data breach.... to the hot topic of national security... for the democratic presidential off in their third debate of the 20-16 race saturday night. the debate comes as the focus of the 2016 race increasingly national terrorism they have one more debate befor ethe iowa caucus. sabrina: this morning west des moines police ask for help in the missing person. authorities say 20-year-old erica johnson went missing from the 46-hundred block of coachlight drive early this

she is approximately four foot ten. police say she has diminished mental capacity. if you see someone who resembles johnson, contact the west des moines police department. sabrina: we're back with meterologist sam schreier... sam: (sam adlibs) sam: weather adlib: the forecast is about to become very active this week meaning we're in for a lot of rain chances and even a few snow chances. we are starting out

drizzle lasting throughout the morning hours in central iowa and more into the early afternoon for eastern iowa. it is going to be cloudy and breezy so highs today will only be able to climb into the upper chilly overnight low near 30 degrees. tuesday should be warm and windy again like sunday with highs upper 40s. rain through wednesday, and we may even see northwest iowa. chance for a few light snow showers with low accumulation, so we will watch that day carefully. the rest of the week through the weekend looks to be in chances lasting will into next week. they may be a decoration, but the national fire protection association says christmas trees

of about 200 structure fires each year....causing millions of dollars in deaths. students in studying how to fires. ""we have a tree that's perfectly arranged, area to volume ratio, so we have all these nice little bristles that could ignite " sabrina: the students put together some your family this christmas. if you have a real hydrated. artificial ones mays be harder to ignite, they toxic gases. from drapes or furniture, and be sure they don't block exits. "flames, smoke and hot air and all that rises, so if you have it in the basement, all the floors above it are going to be affected if you have it ignite," sabrina: once a tree fire starts, the students say nothing can be done to stop it. they demonstrated in one experiment that even sprinklers won't put out a tree fire, although they can help slow the spread of flames. sabrina at ((time check)) we'll take a

have lots more good morning iowa ahead. coming up, we meet a woman whose work has given her an interesting nickname.... 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 ...nine-thousand block of southeast 32nd avenue, that's in runnells and a second at the ...23-hundred block of northeast 46th avenue. 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! "your wathcing good

"your wathcing good

elias johnson, sabrina ahmed and we are iowas most accurate forecast with meteorologist sam schreier. this is good morning iowa." sam: weather adlib: the forecast is about to become very active this week meaning we're in for a lot of rain chances and even a few snow chances. we are starting out monday with rain and drizzle lasting throughout the morning hours in central iowa and more into the early afternoon for eastern iowa. it is going to be cloudy and breezy so highs today will only be able to climb into the upper 30s. tonight we'll see dry conditions with a chilly overnight low near 30 degrees. tuesday should be warm and windy again like sunday with highs climbing into the mid to upper 40s. rain returns tuesday night through wednesday, and we may even see some snow in northwest iowa. thursday there is a chance for a few light snow showers with low accumulation, so we will watch that day carefully. the rest of the week through the weekend looks to be in the 40s with rain chances lasting will

sabrina: what's in a name? for one central iowa woman, her entire business is summed up in her name. so what does she make? local 5's claire powell shows us in this weeks farm to family. before the sun is up "never in my wildest dreams did i think we'd be doing this. i kind of hated to cook when i was kid" terri sinclair is in the kitchen... tying her robe, getting ready for the day ahead at market. "we moved out to the country, planted all kidns of trees but no fruit trees. there was nothing intentional

dedicated grandma, also goes by another name. ... (apron) the jelly lady. "i dont know here comes the jelly lady, my kids started calling me the jelly lady, it kind of turned into that" 10 years ago, with an abundance of cucumbers, she made her first preserves. then she got more adventourous "put these three fruits together, turned out to be a best seller. mojam. strawberry cantelope and banana, who would've you know." when she entred her jellys in contests... she won... big time. "sweet pickle relish, and apple butter, guess it was the same here" pears, apples, peppers, aronias... "those are pretty heavy" and every weekend during the summer and twice in the winter, they pack up headed to the farmers market with their family. "thats why we stuck with it so long. atent you going to retired? well we are retired

spend time together as a family and will do it for a ong time if we're able to" and what better way to spread the christmas joy.. "habenero in peach inferno, yep" than jelly. "all berries of iowa grown here, wild in the country and cultivated" "bye, thanks for stopping" for farm to family, "thank you and merry christmas" claire powell local 5 news we are iowa. sabrina time for another short break, just ahead, the holiday decorations have gone up across the country, but one family is putting control of the christmas lights in the hands of

"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 the forecast is about to become very active this week meaning we're in for a lot of rain chances and even a few snow chances. we are starting out monday with rain and drizzle lasting throughout the morning hours in central iowa and more into the early afternoon for eastern iowa. it is going to be cloudy and breezy so highs today will only be able to climb into the upper 30s. tonight we'll see dry conditions with a chilly overnight low near 30 degrees. tuesday should be warm and windy again like sunday with highs climbing into the mid to upper 40s. rain returns tuesday night through wednesday, and we may even see

thursday there is a chance for a few light snow showers with low accumulation, so we will watch that day carefully. the rest of the week through the weekend looks to be in the 40s with rain chances lasting will into next week. sam toss back. sabrina: in take a look at this today...a

from a family in alaska. they have handed over control of their christmas light decorations...to the internet. so now anywhere in the world, with the click of a button, you're are able to turn areas on and off at all hours of the day and night. this is the sixth year ken woods and his family in fairbanks have done this. he nails a camera to a tree outside his home which we're looking at right now. then he rigged a dozen different controls. all:

sabrina well time now for another short break... but when we come back... the long awaited release of the latest "star wars" movie has broken a weekend record, and could be just the first

"you're watching good morning iowa in hd. we are iowa." sabrina: the force awakened in theaters across the country this weekend with the release of the new 'star wars' movie....with fans packing theaters to see familiar characters brought back after thirty years. estimated ticket sales come in at 238-milliond dollars...making it the biggest opening weejend ever, and beating previous record holder jurassic world which came out over the summer. sabrina: now sam, you went to see it

correct? sam: ((short reax)) sabrina: the new movie has been everywhere, with fans incorporating everything "star wars" into their life... local five's jordan furbee life... local five's jordan furbee even channeled the force for this week's top five plays. : "thursday was a glorious day for all as the first star wars movie in 10 years came out! in the spirit of celebrating, this week's top five plays are from a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... let's check out them out, as usual all made by local athletes. play number five...comes from dowling versus

yoda proud. do or do not, there is no try. kern using some jedi mind trick here getting it to drop and get the foul called! the odds of him scoring on this play didn't look good, c-3po calculated them at 3,720 to 1. but joey epitimizing han solo...never tell me the odds... play number four...is from the big 4 classic. folks the force is strong with jameel mckay. he's quickly turned from a young padawan to a jedi knight... not only does he make the swat off the backboard, he hustles back down the floor staying on target. and when georges niang can't convert, #1 says "i'm here to rescue you!" not many big many can do what mckay just did, but mckay is showing off the power of a fully operational big man, you thought i was going to say battle station... some still underestimate the power of mckay, let this be a warning to all future opponents...

big 4... mike gesell, going up against kale abrahamson, who's got 7 inches on him...showing that size matters not! some might think he's a little short for a point guard, but mike gesell says i find your lack of faith disturbing, as he slams it home! gesell channeling his inner luke skywalker showing abrhamson he's full of surprises. as master yoda would say, jump white man can! play number two...is our final play from the big four. uni's wyatt lohaus decides to take things into his own hands, but look out. it's a trap! georges niang comes up with the steal and then finds abdel nader for the alley oop slam! check it again, niang who looks like he can make the kessel run in less than 12 parsecs dishes it off to nader and darth nader showing off the power of the dark side! impressive, most impressive! but it's not our top play yet... that honor goes to

the j-hawks make the free throw with 2 seconds left to go up 53-52. one last chance for dowling. i've got a bad feeling about this... brendan dougherty switches off his targeting computer and finds luke eastman! and luke uses the force to win it in double overtime!! just like skywalker did on the death star, dougherty fires his proton torpedo finding eastman who saves the rebellion. ok, maybe not that cool, but way to go kids that was one in a million. brendan dougherty and luke eastman. numbers 11 and 25 in your programs, number one in our hearts! in our local 5 top five plays of the week! " all:

sabrina time for another break, coming up ... sam's has central iowa's most accurate forecast... but first... time for a quick look at traffic... this is i-235 at euclid... [current conditions] good morning iowa returns after this. "you're watching good

"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. sabrina: weather is always first on good morning iowa... in with central iowa's most accurate forecast... meteorologist sam schreier. sam: (adlib toss) sam

to become very active this week meaning we're in for a lot of rain chances and even a few snow chances. we are starting out monday with rain and drizzle lasting throughout the morning hours in central iowa and more into the early afternoon for eastern iowa. it is going to be cloudy and breezy so highs today will only be able to climb into the upper 30s. tonight we'll see dry conditions with a chilly overnight low near 30 degrees. tuesday should be warm and windy again like sunday with highs climbing into the mid to upper 40s. rain returns tuesday night through wednesday, and we may even see some snow in northwest iowa. thursday there is a chance for a few light snow showers with low accumulation, so we will watch that day carefully. the rest of the week through the weekend looks to be in the 40s with rain chances lasting will into next week.

our top story this morning, west des moines school officials prepare to make some big budget cuts. sabrina: an enrollment drop of more than a hundred students means the district will have less money for its programs. they need to cut out eight hundred thousand dollars total by next year. an advisory committee submitted 16 cost-cutting measures, which included dropping some language and music classes. one of those up for cuts...japanese... lilah fidler, sophomore: "people should have other options, in case they want translation jobs, or anything that would involve economic growth or globalization." dan carolin, japanese teacher: "there's a misperception of japan not being an important business player any more, but japan is an

sabrina: the school board is expected to make its final decision at its meeting tonight. that's at 7 in the learning resource center. sabrina: a developing story this morning out of northwestern iowa... sabrina: during a championship wrestling match saturday, a spencer high school student collapsed...and then died at the hospital... austin roberts had been fighting for a championship title during the spencer invitational wrestling tournament... the teen died saturday night, but there's still now word on what caused him to collapse. the death has been tough on his family and fellow classmates. " (terry hemann/superintenden t - spencer community schools): "there were a lot of tears, a lot of hugs and those types of things, but there were also some laughs, talking about stories about austin. austin was a student that was bigger than life in many ways, a large young man, 220- pounder student, with a laugh as big as any room you can put him in. good kid!""

in. good kid!"" sabrina: a crisis team has been providing grief counseling at spencer high school. a go-fund me account has been set up to help the roberts family. sabrina: it's a holiday week but the candidates in the race for president are still on the campaign trail. the democrats are coming off their third debate and the republicans are ramping up the attacks against democratic frontrunner hillary clinton. abc's kenneth moton has the latest. " a christmas week of politics...the gift that keeps on giving. today, the presidential candidates are stumping hard in the early contest states before the holiday. sot chris christie "you listen to hillary clinton, and you would think that everything's the republicans after the democratic debate hosted by abc news in new hampshire over the weekend. sot ted cruz watched last night the opening star wars, which frankly was a reality far more realistic than whatever was said at the democratic debate," on that debate stage, an apology from bernie sanders after

data. sot bernie sanders "yes. i apologize" clinton took on gop frontrunner donald trump with a comment that is still making waves this morning. sot clinton - "he is becoming isis's best recruiter trump fired back on this week. sot/donald "...she just made it up. i mean she made it up. it was a sound bite." the candidates on the top continue to duke it out while the ones struggling on the bottom are ratcheting up the assaults, praying for a christmas miracle. jeb bush "just one more thing, i gotta get off my chest. donald trump is a jerk." (kenneth standup close) there's word this morning starting in january, hillary clinton will unleash her not so secret weapon. former president bill clinton will hit the trail for his wife. kenneth moton, abc news washington. " sabrina: we're back with meterologist sam schreier... sam: (sam adlibs)

the forecast is about to become very active this week meaning we're in for a lot of rain chances and even a few snow chances. we are starting out monday with rain and drizzle lasting throughout the morning hours in central iowa and more into the early afternoon for eastern iowa. it is going to be cloudy and breezy so highs today will only be able to climb into the upper 30s. tonight we'll see dry conditions with a chilly overnight low near 30 degrees. tuesday should be warm and windy again like sunday with highs

upper 40s. rain returns tuesday night through wednesday, and we may even see some snow in northwest iowa. thursday there is a chance for a few light snow showers with low accumulation, so we will watch that day carefully. the rest of the week through the weekend looks to be in the 40s with rain chances lasting will into next week. sabrina: this morning west des moines police ask for help in the search for a missing person. authorities say 20-year-old erica johnson went missing from the 46-hundred block of coachlight drive early this morning. she is approximately four foot ten. police say she has diminished mental capacity. if you see someone who resembles johnson, contact the west des moines police department. sabrina: turning to national headlines this morning, and the

las vegas. sabrina: authorities say a female driver intentionally drove up onto a sidewalk and into more than 30 people along the vegas strip. so far one person has died, but six others are in critical condition. the driver has been taken into custody. police say a toddler riding in the car with her was not hurt. at this point, police don't know why the woman drove down the sidewalk. overnight, they were checking to see if she had any alcohol or drugs in her system. sabrina: starting today, anyone who owns a drone, or is expecting to get one this christmas will have to register with the f-a-a. new guidlines go into effect as the agency tries to monitor the growing number of drones in the u-s. the flying machines have become a headache for law enforcement. all drones will be given a tracking number that will help the f-a-a keep tabs in a database. sabrina at ((time check)) we'll take a short break, but have more good morning iowa still ahead... coming up, we meet one family who will have a rough christmas this year, and the organization who's trying to

brighter. 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 ....14- hundred block of 55th - north bound a second at the....17-hundred block of park avenue - west bound and due to it being a holiday week...des moines p-d will have a third unit out.. it will be at ...four-thousand block of woodland - east bound. so use caution woodland - 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

"your wathcing good

elias johnson, sabrina ahmed and we are iowas most accurate forecast with meteorologist sam schreier. this is good morning iowa." sabrina: we may not have a white christmas.....but its definitely a bright christmas... this is a look at some of the many holiday light displays that have been put up around the metro., dozens of inflatables, nativity scenes, santa and his reindeer are just a few of the items you'll find. the owners of these displays in des moines and grimes say it's important to start small. sabrina: (anchor toss to wx) sam: adlib toss. sam: weather adlib: the forecast is about to become very active this week meaning we're in for a lot of rain chances and even a few snow chances. we are starting out monday with rain and drizzle lasting throughout the morning hours in central iowa and more

eastern iowa. it is going to be cloudy and breezy so highs today will only be able to climb into the upper 30s. tonight we'll see dry conditions with a chilly overnight low near 30 degrees. tuesday should be warm and windy again like sunday with highs climbing into the mid to upper 40s. rain returns tuesday night through wednesday, and we may even see some snow in northwest iowa. thursday there is a chance for a few light snow showers with low accumulation, so we will watch that day carefully. the rest of the week through the weekend looks to be in the 40s with rain chances lasting will into next week.

the holiday season can be a difficult time for families dealing with the loss of a loved one... here in iowa, theres one group that aims to make things a little easier for those going through a tough time... local five's nikki davidson shows us how they have helped one family...in iowans to know. (laughter) a big family around a christmas tree... enjoying each others company... its what most hope for this season... but for the marquez family there's more here than meets the eye. (everybody has a story, you won't know my story walking down the street) the season is far from easy for them... their family has been broken -- they're dealing with heartbreaking loss. and left with just pictures and memories of what the holidays used to be. 16:30:48 it's hard figuring it out, its just different. everything is different, never the same. 14 year old nailea was everything a teen could be... very

school...well loved by her classmates, and someone people just liked being around. 16:37:36 we would get each other laughing for hours, she was funny, caring. her unexpected death 13 months ago shocked everyone... 16:28:10 many assume a 14 year old who completed sucidie that it was bullying, and that was not the case. she had so many friends, she was loved but suffered from anxiety and depression, in therapy since she was 5. since then, her family has made it their goal to keep her memory alive, and share her story in hopes it will help someone else before it's too late. 16:29:47 a week before she died was one of the best weeks she had in months. she was happy, joking. we thought wow it's going good but she hit a down cycle. 16:30:17 i don't think any of us think a child will be able to do that, but being more aware of it helps. but while working to help others staying true to what they are....a family hasn't always been easy. 16:32:20 when she died it felt like we weren't a family anymore, and

and for the holiday comes in bright wrapping paper... (this book is awesome) a cheer box ... filled (this is almost like a message from her) and activities to bring the remaining family members closer together... 16:38:57 we havent' can do... its all part of an amanda the panda program thats thanks to donations and volunteers... 17:00:00 its a community hug, a way to tell all of the families they're not forgetten this time of year. so while this all jolly and bright for the marquez... they know one thing, 16:40:25 people are going out of their way to make you feel going through a rough time. it's amazing. sabrina:: amanda the panda is non profit which helps familes dealing with grief... but need funding to keep providing their

information about how you can get involved or help with amanda the panda... visit our website we are iowa dot com. sabrina we have lots more good morning iowa ahead...but first here's abc's kendis gibson and reena ninan with america's money. america's money: that's the national average this morning -- 41 cents less than a year ago. good morning. topping "america's money" -- gas prices below $2. >> that's the national average this morning. 40 cents less that a year ago. >> it's the lowest price since early 2009 as a record of number of americans travel. most of the holiday packages mailed last week arriving today. today's the busiest day for delivers of the years. >> it expects to delivers more than 30 million parcels and set a record for the entire christmas season. as expected the star wars the force awakens smashed box office records.

million in north america and even more so overseas. talk about the force being with them. that's "america's money." >> have a great day, everyone. human maintenance guy would actually be exactly what i am. i got to hang a picture. it may not seem like much, but to that resident it was the best thing in the world. it's amazing to me because it takes me seconds. but yet, when i go into the apartment, i'm there for half an hour. it is not just hanging a picture, it is conversing, it is being a friend. there aren't old people there. there are actually young people with old clothing on. here's a little healthy advice. take care of what makes you, you. right down to your skin.

for healthier looking skin in just one day. aveeno .

forecast with meteorologist sam schreier. certified by weatherrate the independent weather experts" sam weather adlib: put script here in green the forecast is about to become very active this week meaning we're in for a lot of rain chances and even a few snow chances. we are starting out

drizzle lasting throughout the morning hours in central iowa and more into the early afternoon for eastern iowa. it is going to be cloudy and breezy so highs today will only be able to climb into the upper 30s. tonight we'll see dry conditions with a chilly overnight low near 30 degrees. tuesday should be warm and windy again like sunday with highs climbing into the mid to upper 40s. rain returns tuesday night through wednesday, and we may even see northwest iowa. thursday there is a chance for a few light low accumulation, so we will watch that day carefully. the rest of weekend looks to be in the 40s with rain chances lasting will into next week. sam toss back.

toss back. sabrina: trending now...some fans felt a disturbance in the force over the weekend.... "no no no no no " sabrina: a theater full of fans pitched a fit when the projector failed right in the middle of "star wars: the force awakens" on opening night. one movie goer posted this video of the moment to face book... the movie did resume....but had jumped ahead 15 or 20 minutes...confusi ng the crowd. luckily, they were given a full refund and voucher to come back. all: (reax) sabrina time for another sabrina

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.

newsroom... we're also on facebook.... "we are iowa local 5 news" and twitter "we are iowa 5 news" if you see news

kn"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: a metro school district has to make some tough cuts after a big drop in enrollment. sabrina: dozens of people are injured after a woman drives through crowds walking on the sidewalk in las vegas. sabrina: a community in northwest iowa is in mourning after a teen collapses during a wrestling tournament...a later dies at the hospital sabrina: and for those hoping to get a drone this christmas, be aware that new regulations go into effect today/

and finally...the democratic presidential candidates took the stage for their third debate over the weekend, tackling the issues and their republican counterparts. sabrina time now for another short break... but when we come back... the holidays means lots of decorations, but one in particular can increase the potential for a fire. plus sam's in with a look at your morning forecast! another full hour of good morning iowa... is right after this. " nexstar copyright" "you're watching good

are iowa's most accurate weather team. good morning iowa starts now " sabrina: good morning

it's x:00 a-m on monday december 21st joining us! sabrina: weather is always first on good morning in with central forecast... meteorologist sam schreier. sam: (adlib toss) sam (sam adlibs) sam: weather adlib: the forecast is about to become very active this week meaning we're in for a lot of a few snow chances. monday with rain and throughout the morning hours in central iowa and more into the early afternoon for eastern iowa. it is going to be cloudy and breezy so highs today will only be able to climb into the upper 30s. tonight we'll see dry conditions with a chilly overnight low near 30 degrees. tuesday should be warm and windy again like sunday with highs climbing into the mid to upper 40s. rain returns tuesday night through wednesday, and we may even see some snow in northwest iowa. thursday there is a chance for a few light snow showers with low accumulation, so we will watch that day