brian loftus and i'm brian loftus. it's 5:30 am. sherry swensk and i'm sherry swensk. ((kirsten, sherry and brian talk about ......)) brian loftus > if you're headed sure you schedule plenty of time. kirsten joyce today... is expected to be the busiest mailing day of the year. ((sherry swensk)) 8 news now reporter michael stevens is live near las vegas boulevard and fremont this morning. michael, is there anyway to beat the crowds? ((michael stevens)) brian, kirsten... it might be hard. u-s-p-s says they expect a record parcel season this year. listen to these numbers.... nationwide the post office expects to deliver over 600-million packages this holiday season. they'll process over 15.5 billion cards, letters and packages. and in cities like ours they've already started delivering 7 days a week. u-s-p-s says they've hired over 30- thousand workers across the postal employees say the best way to speed up the process for everyone is to be prepared: ((michelle banks // united states postal service: definitely come 100 percent ready meaning packaged including the tape, ad

((brian loftus)) and i'm brian loftus. it's 5-30. police are searching for a killer after a man was found stabbed to death in an apartment. ((kirsten joyce)) this happened yesterday afternoon... near harmon and boulder highway. police say a man was found dead inside one of the units... stabbed in the chest. a man and a woman were seen leaving the area. police want to talk with them to find out if they witnessed anything... or may have been involved. if you have any information, you're asked to call police or crimestoppers./// ((brian loftus)) > we now know the names of the officers... who opened fire, killing a woman on monday. the officers are identified as charles moser and john collingwood. both are assigned to metro's emergency operations bureau and swat police say brenda kimberling was shot after an hours long standoff on monday... police say they opened fire...when she turned her weapon on them. both officers are on paid administrative leave./// ((brian loftus)) > nevada will be cracking down on sexual predators...onc e thousan

((brian loftus)) > good morning i'm brian loftus. ((sharie johnson)) and i'm it's 5-oclock. nine republican presidential hopefuls took the stage last night... in their last debate of 2015. ((brian loftus)) dianne gallagher is live here in las vegas... with a recap. front and center in the 5th republican debate as expected: national security. during that there were a lot of interesting sub-plots between the candidates. many of those that have been struggling on the campaign trail seem to find their stride. last night's debate centered around one key topic: national security with particular emphasis on isis, islamic extremism and immigrants. front-runner donald trump has driven the campaign conversation so far... with his plan to build a wall on the border with mexico, and his desire to temporarily ban muslims from entering the country. candidate) "we're not talking about isolation, we're talking about security. we're not talking about religion, we're talking about security. our country is out of control." trump wasn' the only candidate laying out strong security measures. (te

brian loftus and i'm brian loftus. it's 5-30. today... presidential hopeful bernie sanders will make a stop here in the valley... ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) 8 news now reporter michael stevens is live outside the pearson community center in north las vegas. michael... what's expected? brian, patranya... to talk with democratic candidate bernie sanders. it all comes after they marched to stop the violence they've been seeing in their communities recently here in the valley. organizers say they're goal is to get the attention of all the candidates to start addressing important topics like youth violence. before making his way to nevada bernie sanders also made an appearance yesterday on c-b-s' face the nation. in his interview he faulted republican presidential candidate donald trump for converting voters' legitimate concerns into hatred and said he can win over some of those voters with his message about improving the economy. ((bernie sanders:people are very worried about how they're going to retire with dignity. and that's why i believe we

brian loftus and i'm brian loftus. a metro police officer remains in the hospital... after he was shot while responding to a domestic violence call just south of the las vegas strip. 8 news now reporter michael stevens is live from u-m-c this morning where he's recovering at this hour. good morning michael? ((michael stevens)) brain, kirsten... police have not given us the name of the police officer shot while on duty... but he is expected to make a full recovery. sheriff joe lombardo says police believe they arrested the man patrol officer during what the sheriff called a chance encounter in an apartment complex. the veteran officer returned fire but may not have hit the shooter, who ran off and became the focus of an hourslong manhunt south of the las vegas strip. he was found more than four hours later, several miles away: ((sheriff joe lombardo // metro police: "we did have a pretty tight perimeter associated with the event and hopefully we'll be able to discern that from the interview with the suspect but he was able to get out of the perimeter.")) ((michael stev

brian loftus ashley... how's the weather looking today? < sherry swensk here's a live look from our here's a live look from our kirsten, brian... back to you./// > ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) > democratic presidential hopeful bernie sanders was in the valley yesterday... total... last night... he spoke at canyon springs high school in north las vegas about not taking super- pac money for his campaign... and reforming the criminal justice system... he also discussed assisting in the fight against isis: ((bernie sanders: we have to not only be tough, but we have to be smart, and we have to think hard about the consequences of military action. our job, it seems to me, is to be very smart in terms of how we destroy isis, and i believe we do it by understanding and learning the lessons of iraq. and that is, we do not do it, and should not do it alone . )) ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) he also held a private gathering at the pearson community center in north las vegas to talk about issues he says dis- proportionally affect communities of color... also yest

brian loftus > and i'm brian loftus. it's 5-30. the republican presidential candidates are descending on las vegas for their final showdown of 20-15. ((sharie johnson)) it's all venetian. 8 news now reporter michael stevens is live this morning from media row. michael, what's it like out there? brian, sharie... c-n-n is hosting the debate... and they're pulling out all the stops. here's time- lapse video from inside the debate hall. two debates will take place tonight, with early state polling a factor in determining which candidates qualified for the "main event" debate. c-n-n announced sunday the nine candidates... donald trump, ben carson, senators ted cruz, marco rubio, and rand paul, governors chris christie and john kasich, former governor jeb bush and carly fiorina. four other candidates will debate earlier in the evening. wolf blizter is the moderator... a u-n-l-v political science professor we spoke with says blizter's role is a tricky one to have: ((michael green // unlv, political science professor: cnn is in an odd posi

((brian loftus)) 8 news now's michael stevens is live from downtown summerlin with what shoppers should expect in on some of those after christmas deals. good morning michael? ((michael stevens)) brian, patranya... i'm told it's been nothing but busy since the day after christmas. people have been coming to malls like this one to cash those gift certificates and get they're hands on some post-christmas deals: ((monique clements marketing, downtown summerlin: we're seeing a lot of people redeem their gift cards that they got in stores. mostly because that gift card will go further than it will any other time of year with these great sales. )) ((michael stevens)) if you're one of those people who didn't get a gift card they want... there's some options for you as well. listen to this... according to the research firm c-e-b tower group last year... an estimated 7- hundred and 50-million dollars went unclaimed. if you're one of those people who don't want the gift card there's sites like card cash dot com that will give you money back. the company claims they'll pay you up to 92-percent of

> ((brian loftus)) > thank you for joining us at 4:00 this morning, i'm brian loftus. ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) and i'm patranya bhoolsuwan in for kirsten this morning... you're taking a live look at the interstate heading back into california at primm. finally thinned out after the long holiday weekend. travelers on 15 had to wait a little bit longer to get home... with road warnings all the way back to las vegas about the delays. demetria is just ahead with your full traffic report. music ((brian loftus)) > getting right down to business... democratic presidential candidate bernie sanders has a big campaign appearance planned in southern nevada today. ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) sanders will be at canyon springs high school in north las vegas at 6:30 this evening. doors open at 5:00 and people will be let in on a first come... first serve basis. the event is free and open to the public, but an rsvp is strongly recommended./// ((brian loftus)) > before sanders' rally... he'll meet with a group of local activists about plans to end youth violence. the group, "hold my hand",

brian loftus > michael... is there anyway to bypass the lines completely? ((michael stevens)) brian... the post office says they're trying to make this as easy as possible on the customer. they say... many of their locations here in the valley have self- service kiosks in the lobby. there you can do everything yourself and completely skip the ((brian loftus)) > las vegas is turning into.. election central. ((kirsten joyce)) the final preps underway.. before the top g-o-p candidates face-off at the venetian. ((brian loftus)) plus... hundreds of babies.. exposed to t-b. how a nurse.. put newborns and their moms at risk. ((kirsten joyce)) and a big change coming to a small, busy stretch. demetria knows it's going to drive you crazy, so she's giving you a heads-up on what's happening with rainbow boulevard. presidential debate.. here in las vegas. and check this out.. 8 news now got a sneak peek at the stage set up at the venetian. there are 9 podiums.. donald trump is front and center, flanked by his newest, ben carson. also on main stage, marco rubio and jeb b

i'm brian loftus. kirsten joyce i'm kirsten joyce. sherry swensk and i'm sherry swensk. < brian, kirsten and sherry are talking about sherry swensk morning... some neighborhoods getting bursts of wind up to 40 and 50 mph overnight. .................. those stronger winds will calm down, but we'll stay breezy as the cold core of the storm rolls in today. .......... that will increase the chance of showers and possibly even some thunder with the colder air aloft. temps just in the upper 50s near 60 for the high and cooler through the day. ........... back to you! county school district says its making changes after a school bus driver was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting an autistic girl. ((brian loftus)) substitute bus driver ramiro garcia is behind bars... police say he assaulted the 10-year-old girl on her way home from school. a ccsd board meeting was held last night... the district says there was no surveillance camera on the school bus that garcia was driving.. but leaders say every new school bus that comes into the flee

brian loftus > and i'm brian loftus. it's windy this morning! adlib toss to wx sherry swensk < gusty winds continue this morning... some neighborhoods getting bursts of wind up to 40 and 50 mph overnight. .................. those stronger winds will calm down, but we'll stay breezy as the cold core of the storm rolls in today. .......... that will increase the chance of showers and possibly even some thunder with the colder air aloft. demetria. < demetria obilor nhp reported a crash on southbound i-15 down by russell. not seeing any delays down that way, but watch out for it on your shoulders. crash reporetd on the eastern on-ramp to northbound 95. no major tie-ups there either. east side crash on lamb, north of sahara. watch out for that. it's in a construction zone. > < > back to you. /// ((brian loftus)) > lee caynon is expected to receive inches of snow today... ((kirsten joyce)) if you're planning to head up there , this weekend.. the forest service announced their mount charleston winter alliance -- a collection of agencies dedicated to ke

((brian loftus)) the original deadline was late tuesday... but it was extended after heavy traffic on the exchange website. 8 news now reporter michael stevens explains. good morning michael? ((michael stevens)) > brian, kirsten... people without health insurance... trying to enroll here in our state typically use sites like nevada health link. that's our state based marketplace that's connected to the federal one known as health care dot gov. the u.s. department of health and human services runs health care dot gov. and they're the ones who extended the deadline 48 hours due to high demand. the people at nevada health link tell me in recent weeks the federal site has seen nearly 1-hundred and 80-thousand users trying to sign up for health care at one time. and they say it's stressing the system: ((bruce gilbert // silver state health insurance exchange: they understood people are working and trying to get on the system and make their elections and obtain coverage for 1st but there has been some difficulty doing that. )) ((michael stevens)) as

((brian loftus)) > thanks, michael. people in the northeast are seeing snow for the first time this winter. ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) it's part of the deadly storm system that already brought severe weather to the south and midwest. snow, rain, ice and slush.. power and heat were knocked out to thousands in oklahoma.. where nearly an inch of ice was left behind on some roadways. people flocked to hardware stores in massachusetts for shovels and supplies: (((steve labrie/ store owner) i had people here at 8 o clock in the morning as the doors open. it was kind of like black friday ish )) ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) in some places like missouri, authorities are now monitoring river levels...followi ng torrential rainfall. and in north carolina, crews are assessing damage from a possible tornado. so far, at least 43 people were killed in the storm over the past few days./// sherry how's the weather today? sherry swensk what's happening nationally -- our nationwide temperature map -- we keep talking about how cold it is on the we

brian loftus and i'm brian loftus. a metro police officer remains in the hospital... after he was shot while responding to domestic violence call just south of the las vegas strip. ((kirsten joyce)) 8 news now reporter michael stevens is live from u-m-c this morning where he's recovering at this hour. good morning michael? ((michael stevens)) brian, kirsten... police have not given us the name of the police officer shot while on duty... but he is expected to make a full recovery. sheriff joe lombardo says police believe they arrested the man who opened fire and wounded a patrol officer during what the sheriff called a chance encounter in an apartment complex. the veteran officer returned fire but may not have hit the shooter, who ran off and became the focus of an hourslong manhunt south of the las vegas strip. he was found more than four hours later, several miles away: ((sheriff joe lombardo // metro tight perimeter associated with the event and hopefully we'll be able to discern that from the interview with the suspect but he was able to get out of the perimeter.")

brian loftus > christmas is brian loftus > christmas is over, but don't put your wallet away. after- christmas sales are all rid inventory they didn't sell. ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) 8 news now reporter michael stevens is live from downtown summerlin this morning. michael, what kind of deals are out there? ((michael stevens)) brain, patranya... consumer experts say don't expect the same quantity of sales as black friday. but in terms of quality... some post-christmas sales might beat black friday. right now... many retailers are trying to clear our their inventories for the new year... because there's no major shopping holiday's to look forward to until the spring. experts say some items are more discounted than others so it's your efforts: ((monique clements marketing, downtown summerlin: now is a great time to fill in any gaps... what you wanted or maybe you need to return something and now you're coming to find out a sweater you got for christmas you can return and actually get two sweaters for the price of stuff than you did the first time. )) ((michael stevens)) you can sco

brian loftus michael... before you go... i know you were along media row previewing the debate for us... what's it like out there now? ((michael stevens)) brian, it's a similar set-up... crews are all here like yesterday doing live reports. c-n-n still has their main set in tact. most of it should be broken down and back to normal... in the next few days. ((brian loftus)) > prior to the main event.. four candidates participated in the undercard debate. ((sharie johnson)) that included south carolina senator lindsey graham, former pennsylvania senator rick santorum, former arkansas governor mike huckabee and former new york governor george pataki. they did not have the poll numbers to make the cut for the main debate.... national security remained a hot topic: (((lindsey graham/(r) presidential candidate) "if a terrorist is calling into america and we can match up phone numbers, we get a court order to find out what the content is. we are at war, folks. they're not trying to steal your car. they're trying to kill us all." )) (

((brian loftus)) it's all happening tonight inside the venetian. 8 news now reporter miccael stevens is live this morning from media row. there? brian, sharie... c-n-n is hosting the debate... and they're pulling out all the here's timelapse video from inside the debate hall. two debates will take place tonight, with early state polling a factor in determining which candidates qualified for the "main event" debate. c-n-n announced sunday the prime-time stage will feature nine candidates... donald trump, ben carson, senators ted cruz, marco rubio, and rand paul, governors chris christie and john kasich, former governor jeb bush and carly fiorina. four other candidates will participateein a preliminary debate earlier in the evening. wolf blizter is the moderator... a u-n-l-v political science professor we spoke with says blizters role is a tricky one to have: ((michael green // unlv, political science professor: cnn is in an odd position because people tend to think fox news is the republican channel. msnbc is perceived as the cnn can aim for that supposed middle... it can aim for suppo

((brian loftus)charged.. in the shooting death of 12- year-old tamir rice. demarco morgain has the latest in this case. ( timothy j. mcginty ) simply put, given this perfect storm of human error, by all involved that day the evidence did not indicate criminal conduct by police. cuyahoga (kye-ya- ho-ga) county prosecutor tim mcginty said this enhanced video shows 12 year old tamir rice was pulling a pellet gun out of his wasteband just before he was shot. either intended to hand it over, or show them that it wasn't a real gun. but there was no way for the officers to know them - they saw the events unfold in front of them from a very different perspective. prosecutors say the police radio dispactcher was also to blame for not telling the officers that the gun may have been fake and that the suspect may have been underage. that information came in on a 911 call. "he's probably a juvenile you know. he's pulling it in and out of his pants and i don't know if its real or not its probably fake, but you know what its scaring the shit out of me (bleep out the "shit"

with us, i'm brian loftus. ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) and i'm patranya bhoolsuwan in for kirsten. new from overnight.. metro police are investigating an early morning homicide. ((brian loftus)) police say they found a body in the 24 hour fitness parking lot.. off rainbow and alta. they've been on the scene since 1-30. michael stevens is there... gathering new details. he'll give us a live update in about a half hour./// ((brian loftus)) this morning, people up in the northeast are finally seeing their first snowstorm this season. ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) this specific storm system brought severe weather to the south and midwest last week...where so far, 43 people were killed. don champion has the latest. through parts of the northeast overnight...as a major winter storm system marches across the country. ahead of the storm - crews in pennsylvania rushed to treat roadways with salt.... ...while people in parts of massachusetts flocked to hardware stores for shovels and supplies. last winter parts of the state saw mo

((brian loftus)) > and this toddler is going viral this morning.. what comfort food he tried for the first time that brought on this priceless reaction. /// ((brian loftus)) > thanks for waking up with us, i'm brian loftus, ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) and i'm patranya bhoolsuwan in for kirsten. right now, police arecurrently investigating a stabbing at the shelter island apartments. that's on swenson near twain. ((brian loftus)) 8 news now was the only crew out there waiting for more information. police say it was an argument between a woman, her new boyfriend and ex-boyfriend. they say the ex stabbed the new boyfriend.. and was taken to sunrise where he later died. ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) a security guard was able to take the suspect into custody... and that's when he called police. that man was taken to sunrise where he was treated for some injuries.. but was later returned to police custody. /// ((brian loftus)) a motorcycle rider is dead.. following a crash in the northwest part of the valley. this happened last night near jones and smoke ranch. fro

((brian loftus)) and i'm brian loftus. in just a week.. the consumer electronics show is kicking off convention season! ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) > c-e-s is expected to welcome 165- thousand people from around the world.. and as karen castro reports.. it's going to cause traffic jams around the convention center. ((karen castro)) frezewd asfaw owns a dry cleaning business on convention center drive. tourists staying on the strip conventions. but with the consumer electronics show just over a week away and a road project in full swing... she has one concern. ((frezewd asfaw - owner, hudson cleaners: we don't get that much business from the convention when there is construction.)) ((karen castro)) road construction along convention center drive is expected to be finished next summer. but clark county has a plan to make sure street closures do not cause more congestion in the area... as 165-thousand people crowd the las vegas convention center. ((erik pappa - spokesperson, clark county: during ces that will go away all together so you'll have f

((brian loftus)) and i'm brian loftus. were following some breaking news from our roads this morning. one person is dead.. after a crash on the 215 and las vegas boulevard. demetria.. what can you tell us? demetria obilor one woman is dead after she lost control of her vehicle and rolled down the rock enbankment from northbound i- 15/westbound 215 and landed at the eastbound 215 ramp to las vegas boulevard. she was unrestrained and she was ejected from her vehicle. < > back to you! now just days away from 2016. hundreds of thousands of people come to las vegas every year.. to ring in the new year.. ((brian loftus)) and metro police.. want to make sure everyone stays safe. today.. leaders in a press conference.. to address their new year's safety plans. the meeting starts at 10... count on 8 news now to be there.. and update you onair and online./// ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) > at the same time.. safe driving experts are uringing you think before you celebrate. stop dui advocates say deadly crashes can be prevented.. by being

> ((brian loftus)) > thank you for joining us at 4:30 this morning, i'm brian loftus. ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) and i'm patranya bhoolsuwan in for kirsten... let's get you caught up on a developing story this morning. a man was found dead inside a car near i-15 and sloan. the call came in around 4 p-m yesterday. metro police tell us the victim was shot... the car was parked by the side of the road and a weapon was recovered. we don't know if the man shot himself or was shot by someone else. no word on the supect at this hour and the victim has not yet been identified. if you have any information, please call crime stoppers./// ((brian loftus)) > a massive storm system stretching from new mexico to killed two dozen people over the weekend. in the aftermath, andrew spencer reports people are trying to clean up and hold themselves together. only when lightning flashed in the darkness could people see could people see the tornado in the distance. you can see the damage easily now, after one of the tornadoes hit copeville, texas -- ripping this home into the air. ( glenn king

it's unclear the charges the other driver faces./// ((brian loftus)) > investigators working to find a motive in a shooting that killed two people last month. metro police arrested the man accused in the deadly shooting on wednesday. marcial ca- sarez facing two in november, police say casarez shot a woman inside a car near eastern and charleston. they also say he killed a man inside a nearby apartment. police say the two were in a relationship. it's not clear what lead to the shooting/// ((brian loftus)) > some changes on the way in c-c-s-d after a school bus driver was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting an autistic girl. those changes were discussed at a board meeting last night. topics included communication and surveillance. the district says there was no camera on the school bus where the alleged assault happened. leaders say now every new school bus that comes into the fleet will be equipped with security cameras. a spokesperson also told us they are working on increasing training and communication among staff to watch for potential criminal behaviors among each other a

evening news" with scott((brian loftus)) > c-c-s-d is warning parents this morning... about a janitor accused of committing sex acts in a classroom... we want to warn you... some of the details may be considered disturbing. michael skelton is a nightime janitor for the school district. he's behind bars this morning after police say he was caught on camera...releasi ng bodily fluids onto a teacher's desk. police set up a camera...after a teacher at dondero elementary called about a substance found on her desk. when confronted by police...skelton reportedly admitted to performing the sex act about 36 times since the start of the school year. c-c-s-d officials say skelton started his shift after students went home for the day so they don't believe kids were involved. (( annette green/teacher "we do do our best in keeping our kids safe it's just sad that something like this can happen in a school but i do believe we do our best to keep our kids safe with any situation.' )) ((brian loftus)) skelton is facing numerous charges including open and gross lewdness. he has been a

./// ((brian loftus)) > and the second homicide investigation was at i-15 and lamb. north las vegas police say a woman was shot several times. she was also taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. there are no suspects in custody. police say the two shootings are not related. if you have information about either case, call crimestoppers./// ((brian loftus)) > former clark county commissioner tom collins is expected to face a drunk driving charge. the 65-year-old was arrested friday night.. under his full name clarence the self-styled "cowboy" commissioner and rancher had been attending n-f-r before his arrest... according to pictures he posted on twitter. the i-team left a voicemail for collins.. be he has not yet responded. he abruptly resigned his post on the commission back in august... citing family matters... but shortly after... he announced that he plans to run for mayor of north las vegas in 2017./// quick check on your commute delays in the spaghetti bowl on southbound i-15 at us 95. here's what us 95 looks like near decatur with our molasky gro

philips sonicare ((brian loftus)) > happening right now.. all schools in the los angeles unified school district have been closed due to an electronic threat. this is a live picture of the schools in the l-a area.. district leaders say are still investigating... but say the threat was made against students, not just a single campus. they say the schools commonly get threats but called this one "rare." the l-a unified school district is the second largest in the country.... with 640- thousand students in more than 900 schools. we will continue to keep you updated on this developing story both on air and online./// ((brian loftus)) > the republican presidential candidates will face off in the last debate of the year tonight at the venetian. terrorism and national security expected to be hot topics of discussion. texas senator ted cruz is gaining ground.. topping donald trump in iowa. but in a recent monmouth university poll... trump is still leading the national race. the undercard debate begins at 3pm, and the main debate follows at 5:30 .///

((brian loftus)) > a man is dead after he was hit by a dump truck. n-h-p says it happened yesterday at 215 and ann road... they say the man drove his dodge into the opposite lane of traffic on 215...and into the path of the truck. the driver of the dodge was pronounced dead on scene. his name has not yet been released./// ((brian loftus)) > tonight...the linq promenade invites guests to 'pucker up for a pooch' and raise money for local animal rescues. homeless dogs from las vegas hot diggity dachshund club & their forever family. if you adopt -- you'll receive a free high roller annual pass. animal lovers who donate $10 will receive a free standard ticket. it's tonight from five to nine. /// ((brian loftus)) > the holy war is coming to las vegas this weekend. byu takes on utah this saturday in the royal purple las vegas bowl at sam boyd stadium. tickets have sold out.. the players from both teams spent some time volunteering yesterday around town. the teams will be hosting a - off press conference this afternoon... the final event before tomorrow's k

skelton has worked with the school district for 18- years./// ((brian loftus)) > the aria resort and casino is expanding its convention center by 200 thousand feet. the 154-million dollar project is scheduled to begin in may, and finish in 2018. the expansion will take over part of the zarkana theater. so the cirque show is closing april 30th./// ((brian loftus)) > the countdown is on for new year's eve! today the planners behind "america's party 2016" will reveal new details about what to expect. city and tourism leaders are joining the folks from "fireworks by grucci" at fashion show mall this morning for the big reveal../// freeways... we are looking like at i-15 and airport connected. if you are heading to mccaran this morning maybe pick up some friends and family coming in town for the holidays you should be in good shape construction tonight starting at 9 bridge vegas boulevard. < > ((sherry swensk)) good morning... it is cold again with temps around freezing and below in many areas. .............. the cold air still in place and will last another day or so...with clear skies o

./// brian loftus > many of the presidential candidates... made promises to make our country safer... during the debate ((sharie johnson)) but we wanted to know... how their words matched-up with the facts. 8 news now reporter michael stevens pulled up some of last night's comments and is fact checking the candidates. good morning michael? ((michael stevens)) brian, sharie... much of last night's debate centered around national security. but some of the problems we face and the candidates reply's may have come out a little too simple on stage. for instance... last night... donald trump said quote -- "our country is out of control. people are pouring through the

((brian loftus)) "the force awakens" debuted in theaters last night..

brian loftus how are the roads looking this morning. < demetria obilor >

> ((patrick walker)) > thanks for waking up with us, i'm patrick walker in for brian loftus. ((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. metro police are investigating three separate homicide cases.. where three people were found dead. ((patrick walker)) the most recent happened near charleston and pecos.. where police say a man was shot outside of of an apartment complex. he was taken to u-m-c where he later died. police say the victim was lured out of his home: (( lt. dan mcgrath / metro homicide: "we were told that the suspect knocked on the door and asked to speak to the victim outside. and as they walked down to the stairwell, there were several shots fired. two to three shots and he was hit at least once." )) ((patrick walker)) police are looking for a tall, they say the men knew each other... but they do not know a motive just yet. if you have information.. stoppers. this is the 131- st homicide in metro's jurisdiction this year. /// ((kirsten joyce)) > police were called to another death investigation.. at a gated community near fort apache and sahara. police say a man w

to a brighter morning, this is 8 newsnow with kirsten joyce, sherry swensk, demetria obilor and brian loftus > ((kirsten joyce)) > good morning and thanks for joining us. i'm kirsten joyce. ((patrick walker)) and i'm patrick walker in for brian. three people are dead... shot to death yesterday in three separate incidents. ((kirsten joyce)) the latest happened yesterday evening near charleston and pecos. police say a man was shot at an apartment complex... they say witnesses said the suspect knocked on his door... and asked to speak to the victim outside. they say shots were fired as the two walked down the stairs. (( lt. dan mcgrath / metro homicide: " this is the loss of a life. it's senseless over, you know, minor disputes, especially small amounts of narcotics." )) ((kirsten joyce)) the shooter is still on the loose... if you have information you can remain anonymous when you call crime stoppers. this is the 131- st homicide in ((kirsten joyce)) > and police say the other two people killed earlier in the day... were both shot during home invasions. late yesterday morning...near jones at v

to a brighter morning, this is 8 newsnow with kirsten joyce, sherry swensk, demetria obilor and brian loftus > ((denise valdez)) > thanks for joining us this morning. i'm denise valdez. ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) and i'm patranya bhoolsuwan. brian and kirsten are off today. it's hard to believe... but tomorrow, it will be a whole new year! ((denise valdez)) hundreds of thousands of people will be ringing in the new year at midnight tonight... preparations have been extensive, not just for fireworks and shows, but for safety and security. more than 330- thousand people are expected to come to the valley to celebrate. law enforcement and first responders aren't taking any chances.. strong plan in place. clark county is working with multiple agencies to protect against a potential attack: (((john steinbeck, deputy fire chief & clark county emergency manager: "we have the people here from different agencies from the red cross to state agencies to metro, clark county fire, the health district all in one room that can go ahead and provide that support." whether it's a health crisis, if it's a natural

out for tonight./// < welcome to a brighter morning, joyce, sherry swensk, demetria obilor and brian loftus > ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) > good morning and thanks for joining us. i'm patranya bhoolsuwan. ((denise valdez)) and i'm denise valdez. kirsten and brian are off today. because they are gearing up to bring us our new years eve coverahe tonight. that's when thousands will head to the las vegas strip to ring in the new year. ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) this morning... 8 news now reporter michael stevens is already on the strip live from the hard rock cafe... the main stage for our countdown 20-16 right here on 8 news now... michael... how is it out there? ((party like a rock star on new year's eve at hard rock live las vegas located inside hard rock cafe las vegas strip. the celebration will feature a premium open bar, food stations, party favors and a special champagne toast at midnight. perform and keep the dance floor packed into the new year! additionally, revelers get a front row view of the fireworks at midnight from hard rock live las vegas' patio overlooking the ((denise valdez)) mich

to a brighter morning, this is 8 newsnow with kirsten joyce, sherry swensk, demetria obilor and brian loftus > ((kirsten joyce)) > good morning and thanks for joining us. i'm kirsten joyce. ((patrick walker)) > and i'm patrick walker, in for brian. the woman accused of killing one and injuring dozens of others on the las vegas strip will appear before a judge this morning. kirsten joyce 24 year-old lakeisha holloway is in custody facing numerous charges including murder with a deadly weapon. 8 news now reporter michael stevens is live outside the regional justice center with a closer look at timeline leading up to her first court appearance. good morning michael? patrick, kirsten... lakeisha holloway is scheduled leading up to her first court appearance we've been looking into the 24-year old's past. back in 2012, holloway who was previously homeless turned her life around. she graduated high school and got a job with the forest service in portland oregon.... thanks to portland opportunity industrializatio n center. the president of that agency says he was shocked to hear the news of what ha

to a brighter morning, this is 8 newsnow with kirsten joyce, sherry swensk, demetria obilor and brian loftus > kirsten joyce > investigators have been out all night ... collecting evidence at the scene of a deadly crash on the strip. they say a woman drove onto the sidewalk... killing one pedestrian and injuring dozens more. brian is off this morning. it happened last night in between the paris and planet hollywood hotels.. ...demetria will have an update for you in just a moment of the road closures... but first... team coverage of the very latest. patrick walker is live on the strip where it happened. and michael stevens is live at u-m-c where those people are being treated. but first.. we'll start with patrick walker with the nuts and bolts of what happened. ((patrick walker)) kirsten... part of our famed las vegas strip is blocked this morning.. as authorities continue piecing together what led a female driver in her 20's. to mow down dozens of pedestrians on a sidewalk near the paris casino sunday night (deputy chief brett zimmerman/ las vegas pd) we have determined that this is an inte

to a brighter morning, this is 8 newsnow with kirsten joyce, sherry swensk, demetria obilor and brian loftus > (( "i didn't understand what was going on at first because all of a sudden you just hear this noise and all this chaos and then it took me a little bit to realize there was a car on the sidewalk and then all of a sudden you see people flinging ((kirsten joyce)) spotlight this morning.. after metro police say a driver strip.. one person was killed.. more than 2 dozen others seriously injured-- including a child./// kirsten joyce > good morning, . brian is off... this happened last night on the paris.. we have team coverage this morning michael stevens is live at u-m-c where some of those people are being treated... and patrick walker is live on crash.. let's begin with patrick... began. patrick? ((patrick walker)) kirsten... part of our famed las vegas strip is blocked this morning.. as authorities continue piecing together what led a female driver in her 20's. to mow down dozens of pedestrians on a sidewalk near the paris casino (deputy chief brett zimmerman/ las vegas pd) we have d

to a brighter morning, this is 8 newsnow with kirsten joyce, sherry swensk, demetria obilor and brian loftus > ((kirsten joyce)) > good morning and thanks for waking up with us. i'm kirsten joyce. ((patrick walker)) and i'm patrick walker in for brian. this morning. . the woman accused of intentionally driving into groups of pedestrians on the strip. is headed to court. ((kirsten joyce)) police say 24-year-old lakesha holloway rammed her car into people walking on the sidewalk. in between the paris and planet hollywood hotels. all while her 3-year-old daughter was in the car. 8 news now reporter michael stevens joins us now live.. michael... you've heard from holloway's friends and employers from back in oregon... how are they reacting this patrick, kirsten... lakeisha holloway is scheduled to appear before a judge at 8-am. leading up to her first court appearance we've been looking into the 24-year old's past. back in 2012, holloway who was previously homeless turned her life around. she graduated high school and got a job with the forest service in portland oregon.... thanks to portland op

to a brighter morning, this is 8 newsnow with kirsten joyce, sherry swensk, demetria obilor and brian loftus > ((kirsten joyce)) > good morning and merry christmas eve. ((patrick walker)) and i'm patrick walker in for brian. for gifts.. season.. for gifts.. and feasts. but that's not the case for many families living in southern nevada. ((kirsten joyce)) that's why local organizations are hard at work. to make sure the less fortunate have a warm meal and a place to sleep. 8 news now reporter michael stevens joins us now with more. michael? kirsten... as many of you get ready to your family... the salvation army is helping the homeless with not one but two holiday dinners the first is taking place tonight... 3 to 500 people are expected to attend... at their main location at 35- west owens avenue. the people at salvation army tell me... the owners of a local restaurant will be serving a holiday feast for anyone looking for a warm meal. it's an annual tradition... this is the 14th year of the christmas eve meal. then... tomorrow... they'll be hosting a christmas dinner open for anyone who want

to a brighter morning, this is 8 newsnow with kirsten joyce, sherry swensk, demetria obilor and brian loftus > ((patrick walker)) > thanks for waking up with us, i'm patrick walker in for brian. ((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. today, the woman charged with running over dozens of people on the strip.. is set to be in court this morning. ((patrick walker)) 24-year-old lakeisha holloway is in custody.. facing numerous charges including murder with a deadly weapon. we've learned that holloway's family is making their way from oregon to las vegas.. to try to defend her. bhoolsuwan reports.. the agency that helped her get a job and back on her feet.. is very surprised by the news. < ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) we are hearing for the first time from a person who knew lakeisha holloway when she was living back in portland. we showed you video of her monday...talkin g about how ... as at risk youth, she was able to graduate high school and got a job with the forest service thanks to the portland opportunity industrializatio n center. the president of that agency says he was shocked to hear the n

this is 8 newsnow with kirsten joyce, sherry swensk, demetria obilor and brian loftus > ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) > thanks for joining us this morning, i'm patranya bhoolsuwan in for brian. ((denise valdez)) and i'm denise valdez in for kirsten. and the excitement is building here in las vegas! ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) hundreds of thousands will ring in 2016 on the strip and downtown. and first responders are getting ready to keep you safe. ((denise valdez)) mauricio marin takes us behind the scenes... as police amp up security.. < ((mauricio marin)) the countdown is on for 2016. officials expect over three-hundred thousand people to celebrate new years eve on the las vegas strip and downtown. for some here to have fun...there is concern about potential threats. ((jarrett theragooo/visitor: "slightly but that's just the world we live in today." 16:59 you just have to be aware of your surroundings and pray that nothing happens." )) ((mauricio management leaders say they're ready for anything. ((john steinbeck, deputy fire chief & clark county emergency manager: whether it's a health crisis, if it

to a brighter morning, this is 8 newsnow with kirsten joyce, sherry swensk, demetria obilor and brian loftus > ((denise valdez)) > thanks for waking up with us, i'm denise valdez in for kirsten. ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) and i'm patranya bhoolsuwan in for brian. as las vegas gets ready to ring in the new year.. metro police have two big concerns away from the strip -- drunk driving and celebratory gunfire. ((denise valdez)) north las vegas police say officers will be doubled up in patrol cars as an extra precaution. they're also working with metro to patrol the borders between the cities. officers also say there are no major changes on how new year's eve will be handled this year. but do expect to see heavier police presence throughout the city: ((officer ann cavaricci/north las vegas police: new year's eve good time. we get a lot of noise celebratory gunfire. we will get several different calls of duis. hopefully, we won't get crashes, but they do tend to happen. we have an influx of drinking and driving.)) ((denise valdez)) is illegal. anyone caught doing it can face criminal charges. /// ((

to a brighter morning, this is 8 newsnow with kirsten joyce, sherry swensk, demetria obilor and brian loftus > ((kirsten joyce)) > thanks for joining us, i'm kirsten joyce. ((patrick walker)) and i'm patrick walker in for brian. today, 24-year- old lakeisha holloway will make her first court appearance.. following sunday night's deadly strip crash. ((kirsten joyce)) and the question is being raised about pedestrian safety on the strip.. after dozens were run over. as karen castro report.. county leaders are considering more improvements along las vegas boulevard. ((karen castro)) sidewalks along las vegas boulevard are as busy as any other day.... even after police say 24- year-old lakeisha holloway and plowed through a crowd of pedestrians. 32-year-old jessica valenzuela died and dozens of others were injured. ((ken salter - canada: it makes one a little more weary of their surroundings and watchful. shane brayton - california: everyone was kinda freaking out about it no matter where you went.)) ((karen castro)) in the aftermath of the crash, sheriff joe lombardo is addressing safety concer

to a brighter morning, this is 8 newsnow with kirsten joyce, sherry swensk, demetria obilor and brian loftus > ((kirsten joyce)) > thanks for joining us, i'm kirsten joyce. ((patrick walker)) and i'm patrick walker in for brian. this year's holiday travel season is shaping up to be record breaking. ((kirsten joyce)) > karen castro takes a closer took at the predictions.. as tens of thousands of families leave town for the holidays. ((karen castro)) going out of town for the holidays? you're not alone. a record number of travelers are expected to leave home by air... ((mark page - traveling to seattle: i got two small bags, here, a little carry on bag.)) are hitting the road. ((kevin younger - driving to arizona: gas prices are really low.)) ((karen castro)) triple a says nationwide, more than 100- million people will travel at least 50 miles for the holidays. that's the most on record. on this side of the country, 7- point-4 million travelers are leaving home... with about 90- percent driving out. arizona: the kids wanted to go to polar express we always watch the movie, every christmas and

the 6-point-1 million dollar road project should be finished next summer./// ((brian loftus)) > hard to believe... but new year's eve is tomorrow night! our countdown to 2016 begins at 10- pm and we'll be on air until after the fireworks grand finale. we'll have crews stationed everywhere.. from red rock resort to downtown las vegas.. and of course, along the strip. show us how you're celebrating... by tweeting your photos at 8 want to check on your commute here's what 215 looks like near the mccarran exit. no delays along the south beltway right now. the spaghetti bowl is slowing down at this time. southbound lanes moving toward your screen. we'll talk new years eve road closures in thirty minutes, but right now we have to check in with weather. < > < > >>> good morning to our viewers in the west. it's december 30, 2015. more real news ahead including breaking news on big cosby. for the first time he faces criminal charges for an alleged sexual assault. we'll look at the case revealed minutes ago. but here's today's eye openers at 8:00. >>> cosby is charged with indecent assault and

./// ((brian loftus)) > the man accused of beating another man to death outside the paris hotel..will soon go before a judge. deangelo mathews expected in court this morning. in may, police say he punched a man to death in the valet area. his arraignment is scheduled for 8 oclock./// ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) > n-h-p is investigating... after a deadly crash on the 215. it happened earlier this morning...near las vegas boulevard. n-h-p says a woman was headed north on the 15 to the west bound 215 ramp when she lost control of her car and went down a rock embankment. ramp from east bound 215 to las vegas blvd. n-h-p says the woman wasn't wearing an seatbelt and was ejected from the car. /// want to check on your commute the southbound i-15 off-ramp to las vegas boulevard and the eastbound 215 ramp to las vegas boulevard is back open following a deadly, rollvoer accident. accident in the charleston curve on the southbound side. expect delays. < > < > < > our weather headlines for the week -- colder temps for the week -- make sure to bundle up -- low's only in the 30's -- chance of snow at