bye-bye. good morning columbia. thanks for joining us i'm rochelle dean. and i'm meteorologist jonathan kennedy. we're live from main and gervais. the time's now 5:00. it's a cold start to the day... but the good news is, that rain has stopped and it looks like those dry

stay... 33 we want to give you a quick traffic update as you head out and about this morning. and good news... there are no trouble spots to report out on the roads in or around the capital city. but we'll be sure to keep our eyes on the roads and keep you updated for your morning commute. a-b-c columbia wants to help you jump start your day. we have a quick rundown of your top morning headlines. we're starting with vote 20-16. 33 33 senator ted cruz... addressing what fox news

kelly calls... the "elephant not in the room." after getting in some initial digs on donald trump deciding to boycott last night's final debate before the iowa caucuses... the g-o-p presidential hopefuls turned on each other. senator cruz was quickly put on the defensive... as the second- place candidate. florida senator marco rubio charged that cruz is even trying to "out trump-trump," when it comes to his immigration policies. donald trump busy headlining a show of his own during the debate. trump held a rally just three miles away... raising six-million dollars for veterans' causes. trump says, he doesn't think his decision will hurt

33 g-o-p presidential hopefuls... rick santorum and mike huckabee... also attended last night's rally... after taking part in the undercard debate. on the other side of the political spectrum... democratic presidential candidate bernie sanders wants voters to know... he's in good health. his campaign released his medical records yesterday. the move is mostly custom... but voters may find it comforting. should sanders win the presidency... he would become the oldest person ever elected.... at 75-years-old on inauguration day. developing overnight... the richland county coroner's office is investigating the death of a u-s-c student. authorities say the 19-year-old was found at 'the hub,' student housing located on main street. watts says the death is suspicious. an autopsy is planned for later this morning. of course, count on a-b-c columbia to bring you any updates on this developing story. richland county investigators are looking for a suspect in a shooting that took place the day after

man seen in this surveillance is yakiem breeland. they say on december 26th breeland shot a man in the upper body and is wanted for attempted murder. if you know where breeland is call the richland county sheriff's department. state police say they are investigating the death of a man shot during a confrontation will a dillon county sheriff's deputy. according to officials... 27-year-old john wesley smith was shot by officers... after his family called 9-1-1. officers arrived on the scene to speak with smith... who locked himself in a bedroom. family members say, a short time later... they heard gunfire. it is not clear at this time... whether smith had a weapon or what led up to the shooting. out of the state house... state senators have made christy hall the permanent director of the department of transportation. the governor's selection was unanimously approved yesterday. hall steered the department through the flood as its interim director. and lawmakers are hoping the state house will soon be a

nearly 200 people have committed to participate in a state house program that includes healthier eating options, more physical activity, and health screenings. area hospitals, d-hec, and the tourism department are also getting in on the act. and when it comes to your health... time is running out if you still need health coverage for 20-16. only a few days remain before the final january 31st deadline to enroll at health-care-dot-gov. if you miss sunday's deadline... you may have to wait another year to sign up... and there's a risk of paying a penalty of almost seven-hundred dollars when you file your federal income taxes. coverage purchased by sunday... will take effect march first. if you still need to register... don't worry. there are plenty of places across the midlands offering help. lourie consulting... will be offering free enrollment events at: -drew wellness center tomorrow, from ten until noon. -and brookland baptist church, from noon until midnight sunday. you can also search for additional events online... at

your screen: local-help- dot-health-care-dot-gov. still to come... trump may not have been at the debate... but he's still casting a shadow on the stage. we have all the highlight's from last night's republican debate. a foggy start to your friday with temps in the mid 30's. expect lots of sunshine and highs near 60 this afternoon.

and gervais. here's a 33 quick look at stories that are making headlines across the country. it's the g-o-p debate versus donald trump.

latest on vote 20-16. 33 20 up and 20 down. usc women's basketball keeps cruising through its schedule...a perfect 20 and 0 for the second year in a row. tim hill has more in this

it. 33 still to come.... we're making dinner plans. how you can top off your work week with some free pizza.a foggy start to your friday with temps in the mid 30's.expect lots of sunshine and highs near 60 this afternoon.details

gervais. welcome city roots farm is inviting you to feast on their local bulls bay oysters. and if that doesn't suit your fancy... low-co bar-b-cue will also be cooking pigs. live music by asheville's bluegrass band "mountain feist" and a local favorite, "mustache brothers" will be playing as

set you back 45 dollars... it starts at noon and ends at five-thirty at city roots farm. and the feasting doesn't stop there... a local pizza joint is welcoming a new location and they want you to celebrate with them. that's right... village idiot is opening their third location in the olympia neighborhood tomorrow. and you'll want to get their fast because the first 200 people through the door get access to the new "club idiot" and a village idiot bottle opener key chain. now get this... the key chain grants you 20-percent off the olympia at the mills location for life. they've also got plenty of fun for the whole family all afternoon with pizza and drink deals... and even some games and crafts for the little ones to enjoy. doors open at noon and close at midnight. and it looks like village may have some competition because there's another new pizza joint in town. it's "blaze pizza"... and they say their mission is to take pizza back to its roots. blaze pizza has 80 stores across the

their first location in the palmetto state... it's on park terrace drive near the columbiana mall. 33 to celebrate the grand opening.... the restaurant will offer free build-your-own pizzas from 11 in the morning until 11 tonight... to anyone who follows blaze pizza on

33 still to come... if you're looking for a new furry- friend to join the family.. we're got just the gal... who's the "cat's meow."

from main and gervais. the time's now 5:30. it's a cold start to the day... but the good news is, that rain has stopped and it looks like

here to stay... 33 we want to 33 give you a quick traffic update as you head out and about this morning. and good news... there are no trouble spots to report out on the roads in or around the

and keep you updated for your morning commute. a-b-c columbia wants to help you jump start your day. we have a quick rundown of your top morning headlines. we're starting with vote 20-16. that was 33 about the nicest reference made about donald trump... by his rivals at last night's g-o-p debate. after getting in some initial digs on trump's decision to boycott the final debate before the iowa caucuses... the g-o-p presidential hopefuls turned on each other. senator cruz was quickly put on the defensive... as the second- place candidate. and jeb bush attacked senator marco rubio... on his changing views on a "pathway to citizenship." dond trump busy headlining a show of his own during the debate. trump held a rally just three miles away... raising six-million dollars for veterans' causes. trump says, he doesn't

him with the state's voters. 33 g-o-p presidential hopefuls... rick santorum and mike huckabee... also attended last night's rally... after taking part in the undercard debate. 33 president barack obama... showing some confidence when it comes to vote 20-16. speaking at a retreat in baltimore... president obama says a democrat will win because the economy is a lot better than when he took

trump... saying the u-s won't strengthen itself "by allowing politicians to insult muslims or pit groups of americans against each other." developing overnight... the richland county coroner's office is investigating the death of a u-s-c student. authorities say the 19- year-old was found at 'the hub,' student housing located on main street. watts says the death is suspicious. an autopsy is planned for this morning. of course, count on a-b-c columbia to bring you any updates on this developing story. richland county deputies are also looking for three men wanted for shoplifting. investigators say the trio in this surveillance video took more than one thousand dollars inmerchandise at belk at the village at sandhill. if you recognize these people call crimestoppers... that number... one-triple-eight- crime-s-c. jury selection is set for the friend of the accused emanuel a-m-e church shooter... dylann roof. jury selection for joey meek's trial is set for march first. officials say questionnaires

potential jurors. meek's trial will take place charleston. staying in the lowcountry... a small group of people are challenging charleston tour guide requirement.... with a lawsuit. the group says their right to free speech is being violated by an ordinance requiring guides to pass written and oral exams.... because it prohibits them from telling stories. but city officials say the law is in place to help ensure guides are giving historically accurate information. charleston has 21-days to respond to the suit. we're getting a more detailed look at the numbers behind the problem of human trafficking in south carolina. polaris, a nonprofit organization that works to combat and prevent modern-day slavery, released the statistics. according to the organization, in 2015 there were 61 cases of human trafficking from south carolina reported to the national human trafficking resource center. of those cases, the majority were related to cases of sex

are taking to the street to get a better understanding of the homeless population. they're counting and surveying the number of homeless people in shelters and on the streets. officials say by doing this... they are able to take better care of their needs. 33 the "point in time count" happens annually nationally... and will continue into the weekend. last year's count reported more than 53-hundred homeless in south carolina. that's a six-percent increase from the previous year. columbia police are looking to keep you safe as you start your weekend. they'll be conducting public safety checkpoints... starting tonight. every vehicle that enters the c cckpoint will be stopped. officers will be looking for valid's driver's license... making sure

any possible driving impairments or law violations. we have a boil water advisory to pass along this morning. it's for west columbia residents living in the 1300 block of alpine drive. due to a water line break you are asked to boil your water for at least one minute before cooking or drinking. and tax season is upon us. that means scammers are out in full force... as you get ready to send out all that info to uncle sam. the south carolina department of consumer affairs received 700 reports of irs tax scams in 2015 alone. nationally, the i-r-s says these scams have cost consumers 23 million dollars in losses since 2013. tonight, during the new at six... you'll hear from the experts on how to protect your money and prevent becoming a victim. still to come... we're hanging ten. we're taking a look at some surfers

for the perfect wave. hey, good morning. topping "america's money" -- circuit city lives. >> the one-time technology retail giant is coming back from

they plan to open as many as 100 stores by next year. mcdonald's is testing a new addition to the all-day menu. the mcgriddle on a pancake bun. it's not on the wildly popular all-day menu >> so mcdonald's is testing it out in oklahoma starting monday. if hay can make it work there, they could possibly make it wok nationwide. america is changing. and now, so is barbie. >> the iconic doll comes in three new body types with a ryky of skin tones and body types. the barbies are available online in march. next up, redefining ken's abs so they're not so perfect. >> that'll never happen. that's "america's money." >> have a great day. hey, you forgot the milk! that's lactaid. right. 100% real milk, just without the lactose.

...with no discomfort? exactly. here, try some... mmm, it is real milk. see? delicious. hoof bump! oh. right here girl, boom lactaid . 100% real milk. no discomfort and for a creamy and delicious treat, try lactaid ice cream my dad gave me those shares, you know. he ran that company. i get it. but you know i think you own too much. gotta manage your risk. an honest opinion

33 surfers are riding some gnarly waves in hawaii. that is... if they're willing to take the risk. yeah... the waves were so big at waimea bay, in fact, most of them weren't even being ridden. winds made conditions favorable for early morning hours... but by noon the waves were so big, surfers started getting into some trouble. rescuers had to do about 25 assists for those surfers who couldn't paddle back in against the strong current. officials are now urging surfers to stay safe.

your average barbie dolls... but it's a change your little ones are sure to love...

from main and gervais. also connect with someone you can travel with on public transit, like the subway. the patent has not been approved as of yet. sneaker fans are lining up for days to get their hands on the new air jordans release. check out this site at the michael jordan store in chicago. people have been camping out in the freezing cold just to get the new "just don" sneakers. they started lining up on wednesday.y. but the sneakers don't aually go on sale until tomorrow. and your little ones have something to look forward to... the famed barbie doll made by mattel is now coming in all shapes and sizes. the company announced the new line of

they'll have four different body types, seven skin tones... with 22 eye colors and 24 hairstyles. the revamped barbie line comes after years of criticism over barbie's unreistic proportions and standard of beauty for girls to try to meet. there may be something you're forgetting to talk to your doctor about. and ironically enough... it could have a lot to do with

timothy johnson. 33 caitlyn jenner is settling a civil lawsuit connected to a fatal multi- vehicle crash that happened last year. jenner's attorney says a wrongful death suit filed by william howard and dana redmond... has been dismissed. the attorney says it's safe to infer there was a settlement... but declined to elaborate. howard and redmond's stepmother, kim howe, was traveling on california's pacific coast highway last february when it was rear-ended by a vehicle

howe's car was pushed into oncoming traffic, where it was slammed by a third vehicle, killing her. jenner was not criminally charged in the case... she still faces a lawsuit from another driver involved in the crash. a common interest to save the environment is uniting leonoardo dicaprio with pope francis... according to vatican radio, dicaprio visited with the pope at the vatican yesterday to discuss the matter. they say dicaprio gave the pontiff a book of art from a dutch renaissance painter and at the end of the meeting, dicaprio kissed the pope's ring to thank him for meeting with him. . and it's baby news for tyra banks... the former supermodel, businesswoma n and "america's top model" host... revealed her new baby boy on social media. the child's father is banks' long time boyfriend, photographer erik asla. the baby's name is "york banks asla"... and was carried by a surrogate mother. this is the couples' first child. still to come... time to get your creative juices flowing...

box... next in your day in history. stst with us.

gervais. 33 let's check out the day in history. -william mckinley, first u.s. president to ride in a car, is born in 1843-u.s. baseball hall of fame inducts first members in 1936-peter, paul and mary sign their first recording contract in 1962

puzzle day... and national freethinkers day.33 that's all the time that we have for the first hour of good morning columbia. but we're coming right back.

columbia. today is friday, january 29. we're talking about the "elephant not in the room." a closer look at last night's gop debate and the shadow cast on the stage by dodold trump's absence. plus still need health care coverage? we've got you covered. where you can get help enrolling before sunday's deadline passes by. and tracking homelessness in the midlands. how volunteers hope they can better care for the needs of the community's homeless population. "good morning, columbia" starts right now. captioning provided by caption associates, llc www.captionassociates.com. rochelle: good morning, columbia. thanks for waking up with us on this friday morning. i'm rochelle dean. >> jonathan: and i'm meteorologist jonathan kennedy. we're live from main a gervais. the time's now 6:00. >> rochelle: 6:00, a cold start to the date but not hovering over the freezing temperatures that we saw last week and beginning of the week. actually a little fog out there

>> jonathan: foggy, clear skies allowing us to cool down. other than the fog and coolness, it's a nice start to the day. we are not super close to freezing but getting close in a few spots. winnsboro 34, orangeburg still lingering around 40. it is still relatively warm, we're a little above average for most locations, our normal low at 34. everybody at or slightly above normal. we're looking at a solid day coming our way as soon as we get through the early morning hours. fog has been a few problems. camden at 4 hours, it has been zero. keep it in mind if you are coming to columbia from west columbia or lexington, along the river is dense fog.

issue for areas north and east of downtown. we are looking at clear skies throughout the day today, no chance of cloud cover, such dry air will be in place for us, the relative humidity will be extremely low especially this afternoon. wind out of the west 5 to 10 miles a hour, keep it going through out the day. high pressure situated to the west, will bring wind in from the west and the cold front is somewhat close to home, we won't feel the effects, that will be for north carolina and virginia, you will see that for those areas you can see the snow falling for those areas behind our banner. looking at clear skies in south carolina, anywhere in the deep south will be looking at dry air over the next couple days, we will see all the cloud getting washed out in a dry set up through the weekend. we have high pressure building in and a nice warm up, look for temperatures to be near 60, we were cool obviously with the wind out of the and rainy

60, sunshine, wind out of thehe west 10 miles a hour or so and we will stick with a warmer forecast over the weekend. low 60s, we are in the mid to low 60s and in the 70s by sunday. >> rochelle: that's unheard of for thehe end of january. >> jonathan: it's awesome, end of january, start of february, great weather coming our way this weekend, should be perfect to do anything. >> rochelle: your golf bag is probably packed. >> jonathan: it is, and i made a tee time. rochelle: we want to give you a quick traffic update as you head out and about this morning. >> jonathan: good news, no trouble spots to report in and around the capital city but we'll keep our eyes on the road and let you know if anything pops up. and abc columbia wants to jump start your day. >> rochelle: we have a quick rundown of your top morning headlines. we're starting with vote 2016. >> cruise: let me say, i'm a

stage is stupid, fat and ugly, and, ben, you are a horrible surgeon.n. now that we've got the donald trump part out of the way ... >> rochelle: senator ted cruz addressing what fox news channel debate moderator megyn kelly calls the "elepht not in the room." after getting in some initial digs on donald trump deciding to boycott last night' final debate before the iowa caucuses the gop presidential hopefuls turned on each other. senator cruz was quickly put on the defensive as the second-place candidate. florida senator marco rubio charged that cruz is even trying to "out-trump trump," when it comes to his immigration policies. donald trump busy headlining a show of his own during the debate. trump held a rally just three miles away raising $6 million for veterans' causes. trump says he doesn't think it will hurt his chances with the state's voters. >> we thought we'd let them

that by now they're all tuned -- and look at all the cameras. this is like the academy awards. [ cheers and applause ] this is like the academy awards. we're actually told we have more cameras than they do by quite a bit. so that's interesting. >> rochelle: gop presidential hopefuls rick santorum and mike huckabee also attended last night's rally after taking part in the uercard debate. on the other side of the political spectrum, democratic presidential candidate bernie sanders wants voters to know he's in good health. his campaign released his medical records yesterday. the move is mostly custom but voters may find it comforting. should sanders win the presidency, he would become the oldest person ever elected at 75 rochelle: switching gears, developing overnight, the is investigating the death of a usc student. was found at the hub, student

watts says the death i i suspicious. an autopsy is scheduled for this morning. of course, count on abc columbia to bring you any updates on this developing story. rochelle: richland county investigators are looking for a suspect in a shooting that took place the day after christmas. deputies say the man seen in this surveillance is yakiem breeland. they say on december 26th breeland shot a man in the upper body and is wanted for attempted murder. if you know where breeland is call the richland county sheriff's department. rochelle: state police say they are investigating the death of a man shot during a confrontation with a dillon county sheriff's deputy. according to officials 27-year-old john wesley smith was shot by officers after his family called 911. officers arrived on the scene to speak with smith who locked himself in a bedroom. family members say a short time later they heard gunfire. it is not clear at this time whether smith had a weapon or what led up to the shooting.

house, state senators have made christy hall the permanent director of the department of transportation. the governor's selection was unanimously approved yesterday. hall steered the department through the flood as its interim director. rochelle: and lawmakers are hoping the state house will soon be a healthier place to work. nearly 200 people have committed to participate in a state house program that includes healthier eating options, more physical activity, and health screenings. area hospitals, d-hec, and the tourism department are also getting in on the act. rochelle: and when it comes to your health, time is running out if you still need health coverage for 2016. only a few days remain before the final january 31st deadline to enroll at healthcare.gov. if you miss sunday's deadline you may have to wait another year to sign up and there's a risk of paying a penalty of almost $700 when you file your federal income taxes. coverage purchased by sunday will take effect march 1st. if you still need to register,

there are plenty of places across the midlands offering help. lourie consulting will be offering free enrollment events at drew wellness center tomorrow from 10:00 until noon and brookland baptist church, from noon until midnight sunday. you can also search for additional events online at the website you see there on your screen localhelp.healthcare.gov. rochelle: still to come -- and then there were four. the latest on the oregon refuge standoff. >> jonathan: this morning we're in the low to mid-30s waking upon this friday but we'll see a lot more sunshine and warmth this afternoon. i'll have details next.

main and gervais. i know that what jesus christ heard my momma's prayers, god answers our fervent heart-felt

i realized the stuff been through, the seven years i was on the streets god was going to use it for his glory.

li >> jonathan: good friday morning, your time is 6:12. waking up temperatures are cooling off for us, kind of in the mid-30s in the downtown and surrounding areas. we'll see clear skies this morning, they allow us to cool down more than yesterday but we will see a nice warm up under the clear skies with lots of sunshine, look for highs near 60. it will be clear and cold tonight, look for lows near freezing. if you are heading out for friday evening plans, have a light jacket with you as temperatures cool down. rochelle: here's a quick look at stories that are making headlines across the country. there's more warnings about the zika virus. health officials say the illness is spreading explosively and that the americas could see up

and now federal health regulators are working to deter blood donations from travelers who have visited regions where the zika virus is prevalent. the virus, spread by mosquitoes, has been linked to birth defects. rochelle: the fbi has released a video it says counters claims that the fatal shooting of an armed activist in oregon was unprovoked. the fbi says the arizona rancher was armed and reached into his jacket pocket before he was shot. now the last four armed occupiers of the wildlife refuge say they'll leave the wildlife refuge if federal law officers assure them they won't be arrested. rochelle: and the "affluenza teen" is back in the u.s. ethan couch was booked into a texas juvenile detention center after being deported from mexico. couch was wanted for skipping out on his probation officers and going to mexico with his mom. he gained nationwide notoriety when he was giving ten years probation in a dwi crash that killed four people. rochelle: and a woman who taught english classes at a

been arrested on suspicion of helping three inmates escape the lookup. 44-year-old nooshafarin ravaghi is suspected of providing the map to the three inmates. offifials say she had some type of relationship with the alleged mastermind of the break-out. rochelle: 20 up and 20 down. usc women's basketball keeps cruising through its schedule a perfect 20 and 0 for the second year in a row. tim hill has more in this morning's sports minute to win it. >> tiffany mitchell! >> tiffany mitchell and usc basketball back at home. dawn staley looking for 44 wins. doing it early on underneath. then they turn up the defense. dosier with the steal and mitchell on the other end has

usc goes onto win 81-62 the final score, that's 44 wins in a row at home. usc improves to 20-on the season. baseball news steve pearce has a new home in major league baseball. the tampa bay rays announced they signed him to an one year deal. i'm tim hill, that's your abc columbia sports minute to win it. hope it gets irrelevant weekend off to a good start. >> rochelle: thanks, tim. rochelle: still to come, you don't have to wait until the super bowl to show your team spirit. where you can head to show your panther pride. >> jonathan: and looking at clear skies, temperatures in the mid-30s. we will see a lot warmer forecast coming our way this afternoon.

main and gervais. rochelle: welcome back to good morning, columbia on this friday morning. your time is 6:18. >> jonathan: let's take a bite out of your morning menu, sponsored by bojangles'. two states pulling for one team. the carolina panthers will take on the denver broncos in super bowl 50. and while we can't all head out west to catch the game, there's still plenty of chance to show your team spirit a little closer to home. if i can read this friday. take a look at this a peak back at the panthers' first super bowl run and a good idea of what

charlotte. if you're in the mood for a road trip there will be a "panther pride rally" today in the queen city. panther fans are invited to cheer on the team at romare bearden park in uptown charlotte. all the fun starts at noon. and the winning super bowl team is known for "going to disney world" following the big win. but you can catch a twist on a disney classic right here in the capital city this weekend. >> rochelle: that's right. the columbia city ballet is taking audience members over, sideways and under with its performance of "aladdin" this weekend. performances start tonight at 7:30 at the koger center. they will run through saturday. for more information on the performance check out our website abccolumbia.com. so you have a lot of things going on this weekend and the weather, looking warmer for this weekend. but things are getting chilly down at edventure children's museum.

gala. it's a magical night of dancing, chilling cocktails and live music and all for a good cause. proceeds of the event benefit "yes, every child," a program dedicated to providing accessibility to education for under-served children. when we were talking yesterday kristy was talking about one of the things being auctioned off is a football from the panthers signed by the whole team. that is a nice tie-in, interesting to see how much it will go for. >> jonathan: and if it is worth more if they win the super bowl. >> rochelle: another thing that is worth more is the temperatures. >> jonathan: we are starting cool in the morning and nice high in the upper 60s saturday, lie of 70 sunday, monday and tuesday next week, close to 70 next wednesday. after getting rid of the rain last night into this morning we are looking at a lot of sunshine and warm air for the next seven

>> rochelle: never hard to adjust to warmer temperatures, it's when we go back to colder temperatures. >> jonathan: luckily it will be warm. rochelle: still to come, if you're looking for a new furry-friend to join the family, we're got just the gal who's the "cat's meow." stay with us. we're live from main and gervais. hello. in today's "techbytes" facebook's live stream now available for everyone. >> the periscope-like feature allows users to broadcast on their phone. >> previously, it was only available to verified accounts for journalists and celebrities. the popular dating app has just added g firks.

amazon and other same-day delivery services. launching what it calls uber rush. >> customers wanting instant shopping gratty occasion can use the app the same they they use uber to call for a car. of course, they'll have to pay an extra fee for that service. >>ky see my credit card bills adding up. >> yes. your houbd will like that. those are your "techbytes." have a great day. when heartburn hits fight back fast tums smoothies starts dissolving the instant it touches your tongue and neutralizes stomach acid at the source tum, tum, tum, tum

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>> welcome back to the corner of main and gervais. we are talking about animals. a lot of times we hear spay and neuter we think of dogs but it's also cats. cute little kitten. >> this is cleopatra, she is 4 months old and up for adoption at pawmetto life line. if you want to meet her, she is very spunkingy and playful. if you want more information about her or any other cats or kittens, check her out on our website or give us a call. >> she is definitely a player. is this a time you need a lot of adoptions when it comes to kittens or you have an overflow of cats? >> right now we are doing the

the month of february they will be only $20. the reason we do it now is to kind of prevent all the unwanted litters that will happen during kitten season. it's right around the corner, and, unfortunately, we get overloaded and so do the shelters and other rescues. when kitten season and puppy season comes around, we try to promote the low cost spay and neuter programs that we have during this time right now. and just -- and the education about why it's so important to get your pets spade or neutered, just so cleopatra won't be a young mother. >> typically how much does it cost to get them spayed? >> we do them for low cost per animal. you can also go to the count and get a voucher to help out with

when petsmart charities partners with us, we are able to offer them for even cheaper than we normally do, so right now they are only $20. >> perfect time to adopt cleopatra. she loves when you rub the side of her face. she's chilling. she's a perfect color, she kind of remind us of something. >> she looks like a panther. >> perfect as we head to the super bowl. thank you, elizabeth, for joining us, and it's a good time to say and neuter your pets.

and gervais. rochelle: good morning, columbia. thank you for waking up with us on this friday morning. i'm rochelle dean. >> jonathan: and i'm meteorologist jonathan kennedy. we're live from main and gervais. your time is 6:31. >> rochelle: a cold start to theday friday but not freezing. you need a jacket, maybe a light one because temperatures are looking like they will be getting better as the day goes on. >> jonathan: much better as the day goes on. we are cool this morning, temperatures are cooling off because of the clear skies. we are looking forward to the

comes up but we are still dark so it will be chilly for us, temperatures in the mid to upper 30s. we are looking at relatively cool conditions and cooler than the upper 40s we saw with the light rain yesterday. good news it's dry but foggy. bishopville less than a mile. lexington diminished visibility as well. a couple spotsooking good with 10 miles which is perfect visibility. a few patchy fog could slow down morning commutes for people in certain locations. satellite quiet, nothing to worry about for rain fall. wind out of the west bring a lot more dry air, move all the cloud cover off the coast, likely stick with the pure sunshine today into start of your weekend. seeing snow up towards the mountains, as you get into north carolina, towards bristol, mainly towards roanoke and into

are seeing the . for us nothing to worry about, no rain, no snow, no clouds, nothing to worry about, just pure sunshine and warmer for us as well. obviously as we are able to get the full sun under clear skies, we'll be able to warm it up under 60, we will see wind out of the west around 5 to 10 miles a hour, upward of 15, should be a beautiful day today to ramp up the work week. more nice weather for the weekend, i think we will approach 70 by the time we hit sunday. >> jonathan: doesn't get better than that. rochelle: we want to give you a quick traffic update as you head out and about this morning. >> jonathan: good news, no problems on the roadways but we will keep our eyes on the road and keep you updated. >> jonathan: abc columbia wants to help you jump start your day. >> rochelle: we have a quick rundown of your top morning headlines. let's get started.

he was a little teddy bear to me, we the such a loving relationship in the debates and in between, i wish he was there. >> rochelle: that was about the nicest reference made about donald trump by his rivals at last night's gop debate. after getting in some initial digs on trump's decision to boycott the final debate before the iowa caucuses, the gop presidential hopefuls turned on each other. senator cruz was quickly put on the defensive as the second-place candidate. and jeb bush attacked senator marco rubio on his changing views on a "pathway to citizenship." donald trump busy headlining a show of his own during the debate. trump held a rally just three miles away raising $6 million dollars for veterans' causes. trump says, he doesn't think his decision will hurt him with the state's voters. >> trump: we thought we'd let them start, and we wanted to be about 15 minutes into that hour so that by now they're all tuned -- and look at all the cameras.

[ cheers and applause ] this is the academy awards. we're actually told we have more cameras than they do by quite a bit. so that's interesting. >> rochelle: gop presidential hopefuls r rk santorum and mike huckabee also attended last night's rally after taking part in the undercard debate. pres. obama: i have an announcement to make about the presidential race. democrats will win in november and we will have a democratic president succeeding me. >> rochelle: president barack obama showing some confidence when it comes to vote 2016. speaking at a retreat in baltimore, president obama says a democrat will win because the economy is a lot better than when he took office. he also took an apparent dig at donald trump saying the u.s. won't strengthen itself "by allowing politicians to insult muslims or pit groups of americans against each other. rochelle: developing overnight, the richland county coroner's office is investigating the death of a usc

authorities say the 19-year-old was found at the hub, student housing located on main street. watts says the death is considered suspicious. an autopsy is planned for this morning. of course, count on abc columbia to bring you any updates on this developing story. rochelle: jury selection is set for the friend of the man accused emanuel ame church shooter dylann roof. jury selection for joey meek's trial is set for march first. officials say questionnaires have been sent out to potential jurors. meeks' trial will take place in charleston. rochelle: staying in the lowcountry a small group of people are challenging charleston tour guide requirement with a lawsuit. the group says their right to free speech is being violated by an ordinance requiring guides to pass written and oral exams because it prohibits them from telling stories. but city officials say the law is in place to help ensure guides are giving historically accurate information. charleston has 21 days to

rochelle: we're getting a more detailed look at the numbers behind the problem of human trafficking in south carolina. polaris, a nonprofit organization that works to combat and prevent modern-day slavery, released the statistics. according to the organization, in 2015 there were 61 cases of human trafficking from south carolina reported to the national human trafficking resource center. of those cases, the majority were r rated to cases of sex trafficking. rochelle: volunteers across the state are taking to the street to get a better understanding of the homeless right here in the capital city. they're counting and surveying the number of homeless people in shelters and on the streets. officials say by doing this they are able to take better care of their needs. >> this helps us understand the population and what their need are so we can offer better services, but it's also required for us as far as our hud application for annual funding to help with homeless programs.. >> rochelle: the "point in time

into the weekend. last year's count reported more than 5300 homeless in south carolina. that's a 6% increase from the previous year. rochelle: we have a boil water advisory to pass along this morning. it's for west columbia residents living in the 1300 block of alpine drive. due to a water line break you are asked to boil your water for at least one full minute before cooking or drinking. rochelle: and tax season is upon us. that means scammers are out in full force as you get ready to send out all that info to uncle sam. the south carolina department of consumer affairs received 700 reports of irs tax scams in 2015 alone. nationally, the irs says these scams have cost consumers $23 million in losses since 2013. tonight, during the news at six, you'll hear from the experts on how to protect your money and prevent becoming a victim. rochelle: still to come, weather warnings out west. we're taking a closer look at

storm in washington. >> jonathan: and some fog here and there and we have temperatures in the 30s, expect lots of sunshine and highs near 60 by this afternoon. details next.

main and gervais. >> jonathan: 6:42 on your friday morning, waking up to a cooler start, temperatures in the 30s. we are kind of back to the normal for us here in january. we will be a little above normal this afternoon, look for sunshine throughout the day today, warming up to the low to mid-50s by lunchtime, high near 60 later this afternoon.

want the jacket but i don't think you will need a jacket, 60s isn't overly warm but compared to what we have seen -- >> rochelle: it will be getting better. >> jonathan: yes. rochelle: even though it looks like a beautiful weekend for us here in the midlands, they aren't having such luck across parts of western washington. >> jonathan: yeah, a potent pacific storm is wreaking havoc in washington. there are multiple weather warning and watches in affect. bellingham is experiencing high winds that even brought down trees onto at least two homes overnight. and those winds continue to cause damage knocking out power for more than 2,000 customers and covering the highways with mud and rocks. something to look forward to, that will come across and bring us rain into next week but certainly having affect in those areas. >> rochelle: big affect, thewind is powerful, you see them up rooting trees. >> jonathan: wild, wild stuff. >> rochelle: mother nature not playing.

carolina. >> jonathan: that's right. rochelle: still to come, home sweet home. we have some good news for those of you looking for your humble abode. that story is next.

main and gervais. >> jonathan: good friday morning, hope your day is off to a great start. it is cool for us today, especially in the early morning hours but we will see a nice warm up this afternoon.

low 60s, even the 70s toward the end of your weekend. we will see a lot of sunshine, nothing but sunshine. this forecast goes until tomorrow afternoon, no clouds in the sky much less any chance of rain for us over the next 72 to even further out than that in the future. we are looking for a beautiful forecast for your friday and gets better for saturdada and sunday. >> rochelle: thanks,s,onathan. rochelle: wages are down according to a new study from the brookings institution. it shows wages fell in 80 of the 100 biggest metropolitan areas. the study also shows wage declines are affecting minorities more than whites. only eight cities out of the largest 100 metro areas saw median wages and employment rates rise, while its poverty rate fell. rochelle: but on the bright side, mortgage rates are also dropping, whch makes it the perfect time for those of you looking to buy a home. according to the federal home loan mortgage coorporation mortgage rates have fallen to

also the rate on a 15-year fixed mortgage now stands at 3.7%. this is the fourth straight week of declines. rochelle: and ford is posting record profits for 2015. the american automaker earned a net income of $7.4 billion for the year. the company's bet on an aluminum f-150 pickup paid off as the f-series was again the best selling vehicle in the u.s. market. ford says it expects the good news to continue and this year's sales, profit margins and earnings to all be equal to or better than results in 2015. rochelle: authorities say at least 145 students and staff members at a southeast texas middle school received hospital treatment after an apparent carbon monoxide leak. officials say paramedics were called to the school after one student lost consciousness. numerous students and faculty reported symptoms including nausea and headaches. it's not clear what caused the carbon monoxide leak, but the

started in the boiler room. rochelle: president obama is working to tackle finding a cure for cancer. he signed a presidential memorandum to create a white house task force for the cause. vice president joe biden, who lost his son beau to cancer, will lead the panel. the panel is expected to meet for the first time on monday. rochelle: a new study shows eating foods rich in flavonoid may help combat weight gain. flavonoid are natural compounds that appear in many types of produce including strawberries, grapes, and onions. the study followed more than 124,000 people and found those with diets rich in flavonoid maintained their weight better. some even lost a little weight. though the study focused on produce, flavonoid also appear in red wine and chocolate. good news for you chocolate lovers out there. rochelle: the oscars are getting diverse for the big day

of firsts. with more, here's abc jason nathanson with the showbiz wrap. >> reporter: there may not be any acting nominees of color at the oscars, but producers are making sure the people presenting the awards will be diverse. the academy is out with its first list of presenters, which includes whoopi goldberg, kevin hart, and benicio del toro. joining them will be tina fey, lady gaga, sam smith, ryan gosling, charlize theron, and jacob tremblay, the adorable kid from "room." the oscars air february 28th live on abc. reporter: leonardo dicaprio is the frontrunner for best actor at this year's oscars but that might pale in comparison to the honor he got thursday, an audience with the pope! [speaking in italian] that's him at the vatican, in italian, thanking the pope for granting the private audience. the two talked about climate change, and dicaprio gave him a book and a charitable donation. the actor's plus one, not a supermodel, he brought his dad. dicaprio is also a frontrunner for a screen actors guild award this weekend. the show, which is actors giving

movies, airs live saturday evening on tbs and tnt. reporter: o.j. simpson is back in the news a lot these days, not for something he did, but for a tv show about his murder trial. at the premiere for the people v o.j. simpson, cuba gooding, jr., who plays simpson, talked about his thoughts when that not guilty verdict came down in 1995. >> i was, like, elated that a black man wasn't accused of something he didn't commit. i didn't care if he did or not. i just was they didn't get another black man. >> reporter: but he says doing this project made him go back and forth on the question of simpson's guilt. he won't say which side he comes down on now. the series starts next week on fx. and that's what's happening in hollywood. i'm jason nathanson, abc news, los angeles. rochelle: still to come there's a new face for the gerber baby. an adorable little smile that's sure to brighten your day.stay with us, that story is next.

gervais. >> jonathan: good friday morning, columbia. it will be a chilly start but temperatures will warm up nicely this afternoon under the bright sunshine we will see throughout the day. we are waiting on the sun to come up and as soon as it comes up we will see a big improvement. look for a high of 60, if you

a light jacket handy, it will be chilly. look for highs around 32 under clear skies tonight. >> rochelle: sound good. rochelle: every parent thinks there baby is the cutest. right? but try picking just one adorable tike out of 170,000. that was gerber baby's task at hand. you're looking at the winner of this year's gerber bababphoto contest. look at her! meet 7-month-old isla. gerber says when picking a new face for the company they looked for features like happiness and expressiveness. gerber will share her photos on instagram and facebook throughout the year. isla even has the option of appearing in ads. but she won't replace the official gerber baby on products. the one with the big cheeks. the company's logo is an iconic sketch of the first-ever gerber baby ann turner cook. that image has been on the company's products for more than 80 years. oh, my goodness, that babies is

sure way to put a smile on your face this friday morning. rochelle: still to come time to get your creative juices flowing. we're thinking outside the box next in your day in history. >> jonathan: a little bit of patchy fog to kickoff your friday. temperatures are in the 30s, have the jacket as well this morning. no need for it this afternoon. highs near 60 and bright sunshine. i will let you know what to expect for this weekend. stay with us, we are live from main and gervais.

heard my momma's prayers, god answers our fervent heart-felt prayers and delivers us. i realized the stuff been through, the seven years i was on the streets god was going to use it for his glory.

>> jonathan: good friday morning, thanks for joining us here on good morning, columbia. lots of sunshine, high near 60. walker up a lot more into the weekend, 67 tomorrow, 70 for sunday, monday and tuesday. nice end of january and start to february. >> rochelle: nice end of the work week, everybody is making plans for whatever they have to do this weekend, hopefully to include something outside. let's check out the day in history. william mckinley, first u.s. president to ride in a car, is born in 1843. u.s. baseball hall of fame inducts first members in 1936. and peter, paul and mary sign their first recording contract in 1962. >> jonathan: today is national corn chip day, puzzle day, and national freethinkers day. >> rochelle: puzzles and freethingers go hand in hand. get the brain juices working. see you at 12:30.

good morning, america.