((brian loftus)) > coming up... how much he wanted fox news to ((brian loftus)) > many of the g-o-p presidential hopefuls met last debate before the iowa caucuses. seven candidates made their case to iowa voters during their seventh debate...in des moines. with donald trump not there... ted cruz, took center stage...becomin g the target of the night. some of the biggest fireworks came as the candidates debated over illegal immigration: ((jeb bush) we should have a path to legal status for the 12 million people that are here illegally marco rubio) "you said on the issue of people who are here illegally we can reach a compromise.//now you want to trump trump on immigration." ( ted cruz) "marco made the choice to go the direction of the major donors to support amnesty because he thought it was politically advantageous." )) ((brian loftus)) donald trump boycotted the debate because of a feud with the fox news moderator ...and instead held a rally. fox news says trump offerred to appear at the debate if they would contri

brian loftus and i'm brian loftus. some bad news for nevada.. a new report finds our public schools rank dead last in the country. ((kirsten joyce)) education week's "quality counts" report looks at three different categories: the role of education in a person's life from birth to career... k- through- 12 achievement...an d school finances. nevada scared a "d" grade for all three.. and an overall "d" grade. massachusetts ranked number one and had a b plus score. the country as a whole received a c./// ((brian loftus)) > and today, education leaders will discuss a plan to possibly break up the clark county school district. it would be split into several different precincts. in june, governor brian sandoval signed a bill requiring a committee to study it... they will have the plan complete before the 2018-19 school year./// brian loftus today is day three of c-e-s... happening inside the las vegas convention center... and that's where we find 8 news now reporter michael stevens live this morning... showing off some new tech. good morning michael?

joyce, sherry swensk, demetria obilor and brian loftus > ((brian loftus)) > good morning and thanks for joining us. i'm brian loftus. ((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. it's 5-oclock. we're learning more about a man... accused of a trying to hire a hitman to take out a witness to an alleged crime. ((brian loftus)) erin ware was arrested back in june... police say he robbed a subway and shot the owner. several months later ware, was arrested and charged with attempted murder and more. but in november another investigation began when a confidential informant told police ware wanted a witness murdered. ((kirsten joyce)) according to records, an undercover officer met with ware in jail twice...to discuss taking the woman out. police say ware told the informant he wanted the woman dead because she was the only one to identify him in court. ((kirsten joyce)) ware now faces an additional charge for solicitation to murder a witness./// ((brian loftus)) > trial continues this morning in the case against a pastor...accuse d of sexually assaulting young girls. two victims in the trial agains

((brian loftus)) > michael... do people need anything in order to enroll? ((michael stevens)) brian, patranya... the people at nevada health link says applicants must provide various documents... including proof of income... a valid i-d and proof of u-s citizenship. back to you./// ((brian loftus)) > from oakland raiders... to las vegas raiders? owner of the raiders this morning.. to check out a possible stadium location. unlv recently spent 50 million dollars acquiring 42 acres of land where the sands would build a 1- billion dollar special events structure near the strip. unlv president len jessup says unlv would be interested in a private-public partnership./// sherry how's the weather today? sherry swensk some high clouds out there right now and beautiful light with color in the sky thanks to some milder temps this friday morning. it was a nice thursday afternoon with highs in the mid to low 60s. .................. a ridge of high pressure is helping to build temps more as we finish the week. ......... but it won't last long as a chilly storm is pushing

. /// ((brian loftus)) > thanks for joining us, i'm brian loftus. ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) and i'm patranya bhoolsuwan in for kirsten. right now, the intersection of pecos and owens is shut down... as police investigate a fatal crash. ((brian loftus)) the victim was the victim was transported to u-m-c where he later died. we have a crew on the way to the scene. once we have more information, we'll update you on air. /// ((brian loftus)) ((demetria obilor)) demetria obilor the owens/pecos intersection is closed after a deadly accident. metro says a driver lost control of their vehicle and struck a light pole. accident on dean martin and tropicana. everything is back open on the strip. the new jason bourne movie. < > > that's a look at the roads... back to you./// the f-b-i and oregon state the f-b-i and oregon state lice released helicopter video... of the operation that left dead. it also ended with the bundy brothers and other militia members in custody. ((brian loftus)) the f-b-i says they released t

brian loftus and i'm brian loftus. in just a few hours.. we will learn more about the deadly shooting involved metro police.. in front of the bellagio. ((kirsten joyce)) metro will be releasing more details about the incident at 9:30. after asking the public for help.. police were able to identify the suspect in custody as kahleal black. officers say he pointed a gun at people on the strip last friday and repeatedly ignored requests a metro officer shot but missed and hit a child, whom is expected to be okay. the metro officer who fired the shots is now on routine paid administrative leave, pending the investigation. black now faces a number of charges including assault with a deadly weapon and possession of stolen property./// ((brian loftus)) > nv energy says it wants to allow customers who already have solar panels to keep more favorable rates for up to 20 years. this comes after public utilities commissioners voted to further discuss a proposal to customers. this comes after backlash... when commissioners approved a rate hike for all cu

joyce, sherry swensk, demetria obilor and brian loftus > brian loftus > good morning and thanks for joining us. i'm brian loftus. ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) and i'm patranya bhoolsuwan. it's 5-oclock. a man is dead...and another fighting for his life... after they were shot overnight. ((brian loftus)) michael stevens is live on the scene at eastern and tropicana with the latest. michael? brian, patranya... police have broken down the scene just a little bit... and the streets are open again along eastern after this early morning homicide. police say it happened around one this morning... that's when two hispanic men walked up to two other adults waiting at a nearby bus stop. police say they believe some sort of argument happened and that's when shots were fired towards the two waiting for the bus: (( this seems to be between these something occurred between them -- they were arguing then some gang names were thrown out. this is what the victim told us then after the shooting the younger males went off on foot in the southwest direction from here. )) right now... police don't have a good descri

((brian loftus)) > and i'm brian loftus. it's 5-oclock. armed militia members are protesting in oregon this morning... led by the son of nevada rancher cliven bundy. ((kirsten joyce)) and the father and son ranchers at the center of the protest... are expected to turn themselves into authorities. ((brian loftus)) brian webb explains how their prison point for anti- government sentiment. militia members armed with guns and walkie-talkies are guarding the malheur national wildlife refuge in eastern oregon for the second straight night. the group says the land belongs to local residents and managers at the federal refuge have been trying to push nearby ranchers out. ammon bundy is leading the occupation, urging more militia members to join their cause. he posted this video on facebook: (ammon bundy / protestor ) "we have good numbers but there is a lot to do, and we will eventually get tired if we do not get help." the group grabbed control of the compound on saturday --after a peaceful protest in the nearby town of burns -- to protest the pr

((brian loftus)) i'm brian l. ((kirsten joyce)) today the largest jackpot up for grabs in the latest powerball drawing ((michael stevens)) what would you do if you won? man: i'd buy 18 cars so i'd be set for life, nice house, then i'd take care of my family next, then i'd spread the rest through charities woman: i'd give everyone i know a million dollars. if i know 100 people, that's only 100 million ((brian loftus)) get ready for a flurry of text messages going "uh hey dude can you buy me a ticket ((sherry swensk)) michael's buying our tickets right? hey dude, can you buy our tickets? ((kirsten joyce)) did you take down all your holiday decorations this weekend? ((sherry swensk)) we took down a few. ((brian loftus)) i did that the week before last ((kirsten ((sherry swensk)) already? you've got a little ways to go ((brian loftus)) i like how kirsten looks at the weather like a light switch and i'm turning winter off. ((brian loftus)) and spring on ((sherry swensk)) spring on yes! ((brian loftus)) there are three

((brian loftus)) michael... how did the players react to the news? did any of them blame themselves for the decision? ((michael stevens)) brian.. we asked that question to both simon and tina kunzer- murphy... they said some of the team leaders felt responible.. not feeling additional pressure. they also said at the end of the day, it's the head coach's responibility.. not theirs./// brian loftus > now let's get a look at your forecast. kirsten joyce sherry... how's the weather looking today? it's clear and chilly with temps dropping back to normal upper 30s... and that will be the norm for most of this week. ........... we had a nice weekend, with temps in the mid 50s. look for a lot of sunshine like we've had saturday and sunday. we went into the weekend exptecting some rain to show up yesterday but it didn't happen and that was okay after such a soggy week. ........... we should have more clouds through the week and into the weekend. > back to you. /// > former clark county commissioner tom collins is set u-i charge. collins was arrested last month

((brian loftus)) sherry... when can we expect to see it when can we expect to see it sherry swensk < skies are cloudy and the ceiling is low this morning... .................. temps are mild with the overnight clouds. right now we have a lot of 40s again. .................. the humidity is high now after we've had a few round of light showers that started early yesterday morning. this first system is now exiting east... and making way for a larger and stronger system hitting california. ............ heavy rain is slamming the central and northern coast and there are plenty of winter storm warnings and flood watches for california today and tomorrow. we will look for rain later in day - near noon - and expecting the snow to pile up in our local mountains as well. ............. > let's get a check of < demetria obilor accident reported in northeast on southbound i-15 past lamb. definitely looking damp in be careful roads could be a bit slick. accident in north las vegas at craig and pecos. accident on rancho, nor

((brian loftus)) and i'm brian loftus. it's 5-30. today... president obama will deliver his final state of the union address... ((kirsten joyce)) 8 news now reporter michael stevens is here with a preview. michael, what's expected? ((michael stevens)) brian, kirsten... last week the president released a you- tube video... outlining his final address. in the video... the president said he wants his speech to highlight not only the progress the u.s. has made... but also what he wants to accomplish in his final year. the president is expected to highlight executive actions he plans to take to tackle gun violence without congressional approval... but the white house says he'll also also discuss issues where both parties can work together. a u-n-l-v associate professor we spoke to say on top of all the promises for the upcoming year... looking to make a lasting impression during his speech: ((michael green // unlv, associate professor of history: barack obama will be concerned about his legacy. and he wants to go out with a bang and not a whimper.

((brian loftus)) michael... you mentioned... pedestrian deaths. does the mayor have any specific plans to tackle that issue in her jurisdiction? ((michael stevens)) brian, she did acknowledge it was a major problem last year... and says they're working to make the downtown area a safe place for both people walking and biking. but also reminds it's important for pedestrians to make themselves more visible so drivers can see them. brian, kirsten? ((brian loftus)) > speaking of pedestrianrashes....a woman is dead after she was hit by a car. police say the 55-year-old woman was crossing the street last night at cheyenne and las vegas boulevard. over the top of the car. she was taken to the hospital where she died. police say she was near a crosswalk when she was hit...and did not have the right of way. police say it's important for pedestrians to obey traffic laws: ((sgt. richard strader, metro police: to reiterate, it's not a forcefield, it's not a safe zone completely, you're still dealing with cars speeding down the roadway, so you want to make sure

((brian loftus)) > we know now faraday future cost. the nevada appeal expects the bill for the four day legislative meeting to total 250 thousand dollars. that's nearly double what the 2- day session for tesla cost in 2014. last month... lawmakers met to approve 215 million dollars in tax breaks for the electric automaker it. it also authorized 120 million dollars in infrastructure improvements at the apex industrial park, in north las vegas./// ((brian loftus)) > republican presidential candidate carly fiorina stopped by the peppermill this morning on the las vegas strip. ((8:12:48 you know i love vegas, it's only in vegas that you can have coffee around a fire pit and pink and red lights, i think it is great. )) the former hewlett- packard c-e-o held a "coffee with carly" event.. answer questions and addressing the group. she sat down with our own politics now team, and we will hear more from her today at 5./// ((brian loftus)) > on the democratic side.. last night. . in their south carolina primary debate. hillary clinton, bernie sa

brian loftus and i'm brian loftus. for the first time in more than 15 years... clark county commissions will vote on adding a new ambulance service in the valley. ((kirsten joyce)) the vote is scheduled for 10- am today. we spoke with brian rogers.. the coo and founder of the henderson based, "community ambulance." he says pending approval... the company will take over about 25 percent of clark county as the primary, private 911 e-m-s provider. they expect the amount of calls they run to increase from 25 to more than 60 per day. rogers says with more resources on the ground, it will better serve a fast growing population in southern nevada and also give a boost to the local economy: ambulance founder: "we bring added resources, added personnel which means new jobs..we are going to add 60 people full time, it will take about 20 ambulances to do it.")) ((kirsten joyce)) "community ambulance" would use rides with new technology to increase safety... like these automated gurneys. "community ambulance" also tried to get a contract with the city back in 2014, but it w

((brian loftus)) > good morning and thanks for joiing us. i'm brian loftus. ((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. it's 5-oclock. the massive east coast blizzard is over but the clean up is just beginning... ((brian loftus)) scott mclean is live in washington d-c with more on the effort to get things back to normal. it will not be business as usual monday -- as east coast cities like baltimore, philadelphia, new york, and the washington, d.c. area continue digging out from weekend blizzard. on sunday, baltimore mayor, stephanie rawlings-blake said the clean up will take time (mayor stephanie rawlings-blake, baltimore, maryland) i'm asking for residents to continue to be patient. in philadelphia, the airport resumed service sunday and septa officials said most mass transit will slowly get back online throughout the day (jeffrey d. knueppel, septa general manager) we haven't operated these trains in a couple of days now. we're doing what we can to bring people in early to make sure they operate, but it is going to be a slow start. the new york travel ban was

((brian loftus)) michael, we often hear the candidates touting a national message when they're in town. can we expect them to tackle any nevada issues? ((michael stevens)) brian, the nevada state democratic party says they expect the candidates to tackle some major topics like our recession... the current economy and other key issues facing our state tonight./// ((kirsten joyce)) > all three democratic presidential candidates are planning campaign stops in southern nevada this week. besides the dinner...hillary clinton will be holding a grassroots event at the sun city anthem center in henderson. clinton will also tour the culinary academy. ((kirsten joyce)) > and former maryland governor martin o'malley will also attend the battle born dinner... and tomorrow.. he'll speak to the economic club of las vegas at caesars./// ((kirsten joyce)) an event before the dinner at the tropicana at 4 pm.. featuring chad smith from the red hot chili peppers and the co-creator of the daily show. that event is free and open to the public./// ((brian loftus)) > an emotional appeal from our president...

brian loftus i'm brian loftus. a potentially historic blizzard hitting the east coast has forced thousands of flight cancelations, including some here in las vegas. kirsten joyce so if you're flying out of town today, expect major delays. 8 news now reporter karen castro is live at mccarran castro is live at mccarran international airport with the latest. karen. ((karen castro)) ((karen castro)) in anticipation of the snow storm in the east coast, flight cancelations began last night. so far this morning, at least two dozen incoming and outgoing flights at mccarran have already been canceled. the number of cancelations is constantly changing. no-go are mostly to cities in the east coast including: baltimore, washington d-c, and charlotte. airlines are asking passengers to check the status of their flight before heading out the door. the easiest way to get the latest information is by logging directly to the airline's website or calling. also, mccarran has a full list of all arriving and departing flights on their w

((brian loftus)) > and i'm brian loftus. today.. we remember the civil right's leader.. who died.. while fighting for equality. ((kirsten joyce)) 8 news now reporter michael stevens is live downtown. where in just a matter of hours.. the streets will be filled for our annual martin luther king junior day parade. good morning michael. ((the dr. martin luther king jr. its 34th annual birthday parade. the committee was founded in november 1981 celebrating the legacy of dr. martin luther king jr. by keeping the dream alive. we cordially invite the las vegas community to join us in this celebration at the largest parade in the state of nevada. this year's theme: living the dream: "the movement continues." the parade will be held on monday, january 18, 2016 in downtown las vegas beginning at 10 a.m.)) we know there's going to be a lot of road closures in the area... is there any place where people are recommended to park? ((michael stevens)) brian, the city recommends using the "park me" app to find a space. .... street parking is free. transportation center behind the well. it's 1-dolla

brian loftus and i'm brian loftus. right now.. metro police are on the scene of a deadly crash... ((kirsten joyce)) it happened shortly after 3 am near spring mountain and rainbow... one woman is dead, after police say she was t-boned by an impaired driver... a driver described by sgt. richard strader as " a menace to society. " ((brian loftus)) let's turn demetria, how are the roads this morning? demetria obilor rainbow and spring mountain will closed down for hours. for those who just tuned in... a driver was speeding down spring mountain t-boned another car, killing that driver on impact. both cars ended up at the 7-11 on the corner of spring mountain and rainbow. crash back to you! ((brian loftus)) > this morning group occupying a federal wildlife refuge in oregon are under arrest. ((kirsten joyce)) the f-b-i and oregon state police stopped members of the group on a highway near burns oregon, and shots were fired. don champion has the latest on the standoff.) five of the oregon militants were arrested during a traffic stop down this road tuesday afternoon. the fbi says during

((brian loftus)) karen... are film tax credits being used to entice film makers to come to bring their productions to the valley? ((karen castro)) brian, kirsten... it's unclear if the latest bourne film was given any sort of tax credit? film tax credits were cut... to help bring tesla to the state so we don't really know how much if any this film was given of what's left? ((brian loftus)) > the taxicab authority board is meeting next week... just days after a state audit was released...reco mmending the authority be dissolved.. the audit was released on tuesday saying cabs are overcharging customers about 47 million dollars a year. it says the taxi cab industry is charging too much for credit card fees... it also points out the taxicab authority in some administrative functions. the audit recommendatio n to eliminate the taxi cab authority as a separate regulatory agency would require state legislative action. that likely be brought up until the start of the regular session in 20- 17./// kirsten joyce > now le

> ((brian loftus)) > good morning i'm brian loftus. ((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. it's 5-30. a clark county school district teacher is facing charges... accused of having an improper student. jillian lafave was arrested on january 15th at valley high school. school police received information from another agency that lafave may have been having an inappropriate relationship with a student. she is still listed on the valley high school website as a special education teacher... lafave is at home with pay pending the investigation./// ((kirsten joyce)) > a man is behind bars... after police say he stabbed his girlfriend to death with a sharpening tool. it happened yesterday morning on ferguson avenue...that's near carey and civic center drive. police arrested marland jackson for the crime. they say jackson called police and explained what happened. there were children in the home at the time. been released./// ((brian loftus)) > tonight... dozens of volunteers will be hitting the streets... to find out how many homeless people

((brian loftus)) and that's what's cool at school brian loftus you know something that's cool at school just head to las vegas now dot com.. click on "sections" in the upper left corner .. and cool at school will be under the "community" tab. or send us an email... cool at school at las vegas now dot com. the winner will receive 250 bucks for their program./// ((demetria obilor)) > the holderness family is going viral again for their newest video. this time, they're channeling justin bieber.. parodying his new single, "sorry." (( yea it's too late now cuz we're 40. ubering home at 9:20. why's our sitter dressed all skimpy? cuz her friends haven't even left their house. she's going out and we're shutting it down. )) ((demetria obilor)) they went on to sing about how they can't do any of the dance moves the girls did in justin's video. the holderness family shot to fame in december of 2013... when they went viral for their laugh with their video's like "baby got class" .. "snow day" .. .and "all about that baste."/// sherry how's the weather today? sherry swensk harmless weekend in the de

((brian loftus)) > and i'm brian loftus. today... thousands are expected to pack the streets of downtown... for the 34th annual dr. kirsten joyce 8 news now reporter michael stevens is live this morning... near 4th and bridger where set-up is expected to start getting underway. michael, what's it like at this hour? ((the dr. martin luther king jr. committee will be celebrating its 34th annual birthday parade. the committee was founded in november 1981 celebrating the legacy of dr. martin luther king jr. by keeping the dream alive. we cordially invite the las vegas community to join us in this celebration at the largest parade in the state of nevada. this year's theme: living the dream: "the movement continues." the parade will be held on monday, january 18, 2016 in downtown las vegas beginning at ((brian loftus)) > michael... we know there's going to be a is there any place where people are recommended to park? ((michael stevens)) brian, the city recommends using the "park me" app to find a space. .... street parking is free. they al

((brian loftus)) michael... did the owner say how long it took for the coyote to get away? ((michael stevens)) brian, kirsten... i'm told it was seconds... she said her dog was in the backyard... she heard a loud noise... saw the coyote snatch the dog and it instantly... took-off from there. back to you./// demetria, how are the roads this morning? < demetria obilor >accident on the east side on boulder highway, south of twain. no major tie-ups, however. with our rio camera, we're looking at i-15 around flamingo. no problems here, but we have a about. we'll start in the northwest up next... < > back to you. /// ((kirsten joyce)) > elementary students going high- tech! ((brian loftus)) the big leap into the future these local kids are taking.. in today's what's cool at school. ((kirsten joyce)) > plus... dr phil talks to the sheriff ... at the center of the controversial netflix documentary, "making a country can't stop talking about and binge- watching netflix's "making a murderer" documentary. and today, doctor phil is trying to figure out.. if steven avery is guilty or inn

((brian loftus)) that was stephanie sharp reporting. teague still has two weeks left in his challenge./// ((brian loftus)) > one team is ready to get fans to their games... just days after announcing their big move... the rams are getting people to buy in... the first person to put their financial support behind their ((brian loftus)) > comifour...a new weapon to fight the war on drugs the promising new treatment that's giving drug addicts an advantage in kicking the habit and how soon it could be available across the u-s. a rare site is taking over our skies. when you can catch a glimpse of five planets from here on earth and how lon you have to see it./// ((brian loftus)) > l.a. football fans are already thinking about next season. the rams are now taking season ticket deposits. the refundable deposits start at 100 dollars. the first person to buy one.. was lakers great and dodgers co- owner magic johnson. the rams are leaving saint louis.. and will play next season downtown at the coliseum. season ticket holders will have priority in

((brian loftus)) michael... where will people be able to take part in the caucus here in clark county? ((michael stevens)) brian, kirsten... i'm told their are a number of locations to do this across the valley. you do have to check which precinct -- you're in... and you can do this by going to either parties website. back to you. kirsten joyce > now let's turn it over to demetia. brian loftus how are the roads looking this morning. < demetria obilor >hit and run crash on charleston and nellis. nhp is reporting a crash on not seeing any delays, however. if you're traveling on the srip, be prepared for lane restrictions and temporary closures as crews continue to film the new jason bourne movie. metro is expecting the closures through seven am today. < > back to you. /// ((kirsten joyce)) > the valley's first ikea is opening up in just a few months... and they're looking to fill it with talented employees! they're hiring for 300 positions...ever ything from sales, design, security, and food service. the las vegas

((brian loftus)) the salt mine is the deepest in the western hemisphere./// ((brian loftus)) > a piece of cardboard. may have saved a baby's life. the reason doctors say.. this google device.. helped them operate on the child... in a way they never have before. news now at four... we sit down one on one with presidential candidate bernie sanders. how he's reacting to the news of a nuclear north korea... and his plans to keep the country in check. /// ((sherry swensk)) > start cleaning out the house and garage now.. our 8 news now living green super recycling event is coming up later this month. it's saturday, january 23rd in the thomas and mack parking lot. it runs from 8 am until 3 pm. here you can recycle all sorts of electronics.... expired medicine, and bring paperwork that needs to be shredded. goodwill will also be collecting household items. for the full list... head over to las vegas now dot com./// ((brian loftus)) > a toy-like cardboard contraption.. that sells for less than 20 bucks.. helped save a baby's life. doctors at nicklaus children's hospital in miami used google car

brian loftus > ((brian loftus)) > thanks for waking up with us, i'm brian loftus. ((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. the massive east coast blizzard is over... but the clean up is slowly beginning. ((brian loftus)) officials are telling people to be patient with this process. scott mclean joins us with the latest. it will not be business as usual monday -- as east coast cities like baltimore, philadelphia, new york, and the washington, d.c. area continue digging out from the region's major weekend blizzard. on sunday, baltimore mayor, the clean up will take time (mayor stephanie rawlings-blake, baltimore, maryland) i'm asking for residents to continue to be patient. in philadelphia, the airport resumed service sunday and septa officials said most mass transit will slowly get back online throughout the day (jeffrey d. knueppel, septa general manager) we haven't operated these trains in a couple of days now. we're doing what we can to bring people in early to make sure they operate, but it is going to be a slow start. the new york travel ban was lifted and area

brian loftus and i'm brian loftus. tonight... the three democratic candidates in the race for the white house will be in the valley. part in a dinner hosted by senator harry reid. our own michael stevens caught up with the senator earlier this week and joins us live from the mgm grand where the dinner will take place. good morning michael? ((michael stevens)) brian, kirsten... in a matter of hours all three candidates... hillary clinton, bernie sanders and martin o'malley will take the stage and speak to thousands of their supporters. tonight's event is called, "battle born / battleground" first in the west caucus dinner. senator harry reid is the one responsible for corralling the candidates to nevada. the u.s. senator says the task wasn't too tough cause they're all looking for support ahead of february 20th: ((sen. harry reid // (d) nevada: it's part of the success of the caucuses coming to nevada. think about that. we've had a number of debates here -- republican and democrat debates and its been so good for the economy of so

with kirsten joyce, sherry swensk, demetria obilor and brian loftus > ((brian loftus)) > good morning and thanks for joining us. i'm brian loftus. ((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. americans all along the east coast are preparing for a massive storm... expected to bring over a foot of snow, ice and flooding. ((brian loftus)) washington, dc is expected to be hit the hardest. we are live with scott mclean with more. the east coast is bracing for impact with a fierce winter

((brian loftus)) brain surgery is incredibly tricky.. and even the best brain surgeons can make mistakes when removing a tumor. patients may have complications like nerve damage and hearing loss.. or worse. today, paula francis shows us how new cutting edge technology is guiding neurosurgeons in the operating room. (( )) < (drums) ( ((paula francis)) steve mores (rhymes with smores) loves beating away at the drums. (drumming) ((paula francis)) he's been playing with the band "prairie surfers" for nearly 20 years. ((paula francis)) but steve's gig was nearly up two years ago. it started with a toothache and numbness, then. steve mores ".headaches, very bad nausea. so, pretty much sick every day." ((paula francis)) he lost 30 pounds. and was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. radiation was supposed to shrink it, but the tumor grew. hearing was getting bad because i was a drummer. it was getting bad because the tumor was pushing against those nerves in my ear." ((paula francis)) that's when steve turned to neurosurgeon orin bloch (block)

> ((brian loftus)) > thanks for waking up with us, i'm brian loftus. ((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. all eyes are on u-n-l-v... following the resignation of the head coach of the men's basketball team -- dave rice. ((brian loftus)) his announcement comes right as the basketball team is in the middle of their season. assistant coach todd simon will take over as interim coach. dave rice and athletic director tina kunzer murphy met sunday... to talk about the future of the program. a statement from u-n-l-v says... they "mutally agreed that it was time for a change". (( dave rice/resigns as unlv basketball coach: "my whole concern is for the players. as i met with the players this afternoon. i love those guys. i obviously was a big part of the recruiting process with all of them and i'll be cheering as hard as i can." )) ((brian loftus)) rice was in his 5th season with the rebels... and only had 3 seasons left on his contract. he will be getting paid his base salary for those 3 remaining years. /// ((kirsten joyce)) > and many of you commented on

a lawsuit against metro./// ((brian loftus)) > today.. rooftop solar company solarcity plans to announce how many nevadans' jobs the company will cut.. solarcity installers will also begin dismantling their las vegas training center that opened last month. solarcity says the p-u-c effectively shut them down with the plan to raise rates over a five-year period. governor sandoval has previously slammed solarcity... calling the actions a bullying tactic in an attempt to influence the decision./// ((brian loftus)) > meanwhile, electric rates for nv energy customers decreased... at the start of the year. the overall decrease is just over 5-percent because of lower costs associated with fuel production and the company's generating stations../// ((brian loftus)) > a standoff in oregon is not showing any signs of budging as the occupation of a wildlife refuge continues to support a father and son facing an extended prison sentence. how the local community is speaking out against the occupation./// monitoring the armed occupation of an oregon wild

brian loftus and i'm brian loftus. a metro police officer and former officer are accused of very serious allegations.. in two separate incidents. ((kirsten joyce)) officer james burt is accused of domestic battery by strangulation and first degree kidnapping. there are not too many details about this case released just yet... but 8 news now is working to obtain the arrest report . burt has been with the department since 2005.. and has been relieved of duty without pay.. pending the investigation./// ((brian loftus)) > and former metro officer.. richard scavone was just indicted on a federal civil rights violation. a u-s justice department said a federal grand jury in nevada indicted scavone on charges.... that he violated a woman's rights by using excessive force... as well as obstruction of justice.. for falsifying the police report.. stating she was resisting arrest. if convicted, he could face up to 30 years in prison and half- this incident occurred in january of 2015... near tropicana and industrial. scavone was f

((brian loftus)) when talks are expected to pick up again on the ((brian loftus)) > elementary school students designing and developing robots, for competition, in today's "what's cool at school!" ((brian loftus)) fourth-and- fifth graders at twitchell elementary are beyond busy - in full preparation mode for a robotics competition. they need to make sure their robots, or bots, are ready to perform on the big day stacy carpenter co-chair of robotics club "they started with miniscule pieces and parts, and now they have this robot, and it does things, and they've coded it - and it works....so i think they've really felt like they accomplished a lot together already." ((brian loftus)) the competition is weeks away, and the goal for the bot is to be able to complete various tasks - like rolling up and down ramps, and using it's claw to pick up a collin moxley 5th grade "you have to have the right sensitivity, so you can still make precise adjustments so you're not way off on on one side of the ball or the other." ((brian loftus)) these are student ideas and designs! strategy is utilized a

brian loftus and i'm brian loftus. mayor carolyn goodman will layout her vision for 20-16 in her state of the city address today. ((kirsten joyce)) 8 news now reporter michael mayor... and joins us with a preview of what she has planned for the new year. good morning michael? ((michael stevens)) brian, kirsten... on tuesday, we spoke with the mayor in her office on the 7th floor of city hall. we went into a number of topics... but started with her feelings of 20-15. the mayor said there were a lot of successes... one of those... she mentioned its been a slow time coming out of the great recession... and the small businesses helped us pull through... some of the highlights she mentioned... rick harrison's new pawn plaza on las vegas boulevard and tony hsieh's continued work downtown: ((mayor carolyn goodman // city of las vegas: we've seen some real forward steps. we find too that these 42 million plus visitors that are coming to las vegas -- there's a real excitement and energy to come downtown. because it's elbow to e

((brian loftus)) and that's what's cool at school brian loftus > to vote for this program or if you know something that's cool at school... go to las vegas now dot com. click on "sections" in the upper left corner... and cool at school will be under the "community" tab. or send us an email... cool at school at las vegas now dot com. /// ((sherry swensk)) > and spread the word nevada is one of our proud partners... for tomorrow's living green super recycling event. please bring any new or gently the thomas and mack. they'll be handed to at- risk students... at 40 different valley schools. for a list of what we're also accepting at the event... go to las vegas now dot com. we'll be out there all day saturday... from 8-am till 3-pm. /// let's get to sherry with a look sherry swensk now there is a slight chance of rain come saturday... but it looks like it will hold off until late saturday - maybe even saturday night now. that is good news! ................ the skies will likely be cloudy tomorrow... be we can handle clouds. this morning we have that almost full moon hanging in the western s

brian loftus and i'm brian loftus. it's a big day... for three families whose lives forever changed during the strip ((kirsten joyce)) ammar harris is slated to be officially sentenced for the people. he's scheduled to appear before november.. his defense will have 30- days to appeal the death sentence... which they say they plan to do../// ((brian loftus)) > the f-b-i is now monitoring a standoff at a oregon... involving nevada's infamous bundy family. the armed militia is protesting a decision by a federal judge to re-sentence 73 year old dwight hammond and his 46- year-old son steven. they're expected to turn themselves in sometime today. the men claimed they set the fires to protect their property from wildfires. the ranchers were convicted of arson 3 years ago and served time, but a judge ruled their sentences weren't long enough... and the hammond's are frustrated about it: ((dwight hammond: its not about me. its about america. and, somehow weve got to get the wheels back on this wagon because they are flying off. )) ammon bundy..

brian loftus and i'm brian loftus. regulators here in the state are denying...thous ands of requests to suspend controversial rate hikes. kirsten joyce the increase effects rooftop solar customers... 8 news now reporter michael stevens is looking into the numbers and the fall-out from the decision. good morning michael? ((michael stevens)) brian, kirsten... the group alliance for solar choice... says customers will start seeing thier service charges climb to 17- dollars and 90- cents a month. and people are upset because it was much lower just a few days ago. the new rate hike took effect on jaunary first. before the new year... solar energy customers were only paying 12- dollars and 75- cents a month. yesterday... thousands of people made their voices heard... in a special meeting... asking the public utilities commission to reverse its decison to increase costs for residential solar panel users. a move that has now angered thousands of customers who'd layoffs in what was a growing industry. and the accusations are mo

((brian loftus)) and i'm brian loftus. starting today... the i-r-s is processing individual tax returns. kirsten joyce 8 news now reporter michael stevens is here to tell you about what the i-r-s is doing to keep our money from getting into the wrong hands... good morning michael? ((michael stevens)) brian, kirsten... the i-r-s says they've implemented stronger protections for taxpayers... and the nation's tax system. the i-r-s says the new measures attack tax- related identity theft from multiple angles. they say... many of the changes will be invisible to taxpayers but will help the i-r-s and other agencies provide new protections. the i-r-s says there's something you might notice. requirements when preparing your taxes online... especially when you sign-in to your tax software account. despite the changes.... the i-r-s says they still plan to process 9 out of 10 federal refunds within 21 days. the i-r-s says over 90 percent of all tax returns are prepared using some sort of tax return preparation software. this software generally include

brian loftus and i'm brian loftus. sherry swensk and i'm sherry swensk. 2016 is starting out to be a wet one.. with rain and gloomy days in the valley. talking about the weather > sherry swensk skies are cloudy and the ceiling is low this morning...you cant see the strip from our stratosphere camera right now. .................. temps are mild with the overnight clouds. right now we have a lot of 40s again. .................. the humidity is high now after we've had a few round of light showers that started early yesterday morning. this first system is now exiting east... and making way for a larger and stronger system hitting heavy rain is slamming the central and northern coast and there are plenty of winter storm warnings and flood watches for california today and tomorrow. ............ we will look for rain later in day - near noon - and expecting the snow to pile up in our local mountains as well. ............. demetria, how are the roads this morning? demetria obilor building fire on las vegas boulevard and agate

brian loftus > good morning and thanks for waking up with us. i'm brian loftus. ((patranya bhoolsuwan)) and i'm patranya bhoolsuwan, filling in for kirsten. a man is dead...and another fighting for his life... after a shooting overnight. ((brian loftus)) michael stevens is live on the scene at eastern and tropicana with the latest. michael? ((michael stevens)) > brian, patranya... police have broken down the scene just a little bit... and the streets are open again along eastern after this early morning homicide. police say it happened around one this morning... that's when two hispanic men walked up to two other adults waiting at a nearby bus stop. police say they believe some sort of argument happened and that's when shots were fired towards the two waiting for the bus: (( this seems to be between these two groups of people. something occurred between them -- they were arguing then some this is what the victim told us then after the shooting the younger males went off on foot in the southwest direction from here. )) ((michael stevens)) right now... police don't

> ((brian loftus)) > thanks for waking up with us, i'm brian loftus. ((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. president obama will address the nation tonight in his final and 7th state of the union speech. ((brian loftus)) as weija jang reports.. the year's address will be unlike any the president has delivered before. in his seventh and final state of the union address tonight -- president obama will talk to the american people about the nation's challenges and opportunities ahead: josh earnest/ wh press secretary) what's critical are the kinds of decisions we make now will have a significant impact on not just but future generations of americans (obama) i don't think i've ever been more optimistic about a year ahead than i am right now the president is expected to highlight executive actions he plans to take to tackle gun violence without congressional approval... but the white house says he'll also also discuss issues where both parties can work together: (josh earnest/ wh press secretary) we see that there is strong bipartisan support for criminal

((brian loftus)) > plus... a person was killed... after authorities moved in on the protestors in oregon. about the incident...that's placed his sons behind bars. ((kirsten joyce)) > new details about a special ed teacher... accused of a sexual contact with a student. what she told police...about their alleged relationship./// < welcome to a brighter morning, this is 8 newsnow with kirsten joyce, sherry swensk, demetria ((brian loftus)) > good morning and thanks for joining us. i'm brian loftus. ((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. it's 5-oclock. we're following breaking news this morning... metro police are investigating a bad crash at spring mountain and rainbow... ((brian loftus)) here's a live look at the scene. it happened just after 3 this morning... police haven't released any details yet on what happened...or if anyone was hurt. but we're told we should hear from them soon. let's turn things over to demetria...and see how the accident is impacting roads./// < demetria obilor >we're on the scene of a very serious crash at

is judah zakalik from the law ((brian loftus)) judah zakalik thanks so much./// ((brian loftus)) > we now know when project neon will break ground. road crews will begin the big road project on april 7. it will improve the area around the spaghetti bowl.. adding carpool lanes and reconstructing interchanges. it will take years to complete... but when its done.. drivers will notices improved mobility and safety./// ((brian loftus)) > a valet.. isn't getting a good tip.. after he set a lamborghini.. on fire! what he was doing.. that led this embarassing.. and smoky mess./// ((brian loftus)) > coming up > coming up today on eight news now at four... keeping addicts out of jail. the alternative approach one community is using to deal with heroin users... that's catching on across the country. /// > and a new study finds... 10-percent of college grads believe judge judy is supreme court justice. the reason some are criticizing the poll... for being misleading. /// ((brian loftus)) > super bowl sunday is just around the corner and 8 news now wants you to win big... even if your team doesn't

> ((brian loftus)) > thanks for waking up with us, i'm brian loftus. ((kirsten joyce)) i'm kirsten joyce. ((sherry swensk)) and i'm sherry swensk. we're going to see more rain in the valley.. and possibly more snow up in the mountains all this week. ((brian loftus)) but that rain caused lots of accidents on the roads... and big headaches for those traveling out of mccarran. ((kirsten joyce)) many flights were delayed for hours... with tens of thousands of people traveling here for c-e-s.. which starts today. to call ahead if you're flying out of las vegas. ((brian loftus)) at last check with mccarran... it seems as though flights are heading out on time.. /// ((sherry swensk)) the national weather service is also tracking how el nino is affecting our valley: ((jim harrison/national weather service: "this year is very strong, up to the strongest one ever measured potential for increase storm activities here in the southern us is high.")) ((sherry swensk)) meteorologist jim harrison told us the foggy conditions we saw yesterday are rare for the valley. h

((brian loftus)) michael... where will people be able to take part in the caucus here in stevens)) brian, kirsten... i'm told their are a number of locations to do this across the valley. you do have to check which precinct -- you're in... and you can do this by going to either parties website. back to you. ((brian loftus)) > jennifer lopez is giving las vegas all she has... in her residency debut tonight. ((kirsten joyce)) the superstar is headlining a show at planet hollywood in the same theater that britney spears performs in. jlo will be hitting the high notes of all her hits.. from the old school "love don't cost a thing" .. to her newer songs like "booty." after tonight's star-studded premiere.. jlo will host her official celebration party at mr chow inside caesars palace.. it is also the grand opening of the popular restaurant./// ((brian loftus)) > and i have already cleared my calendar... because it is official.. the original guns n roses will be rocking out at the new tickets go on sale saturday and pri

> ((brian loftus)) > thanks for waking up with us, i'm brian loftus. ((kirsten joyce)) and i'm kirsten joyce. a stand-off could end today lead by a member of the bundy family.. ((brian loftus)) currently, the f-b-i is monitoring the situation at a national wildlife refuge in oregon. the nevada ranchers.. are known for being anti- government. ((kirsten joyce)) it all stems over two oregon ranchers -- dwight hammond and his son steven . they are expected to surrender to law enforcement today. they were convicted of arson after starting controlled burns on their ranch... and did their time for that from 2001 to 2006. but now a judge has ordered them back in prison for 4 more years. ((brian loftus)) brian webb has the latest. militia members armed with guns and walkie-talkies are guarding the malheur national wildlife refuge in eastern oregon for the second straight night. the group says the land belongs to local residents and managers at the federal refuge have been trying to push nearby ranchers out. ammon bundy is leading the occupation, urging more mil

((brian loftus)) and i'm brian loftus. one walmart store is now closed on north nellis boulevard following the company's announcement... that its closing down hundreds of other stores. ((kirsten joyce)) walmart is closing 269 stores globally... including 154 here in the u-s. karen castro looked at how the closure on north nellis boulevard will impact that area. ((karen castro)) walmart customers crowded the parking lot on the last day of business. the company announced it will be closing the craig and las vegas boulevard location on friday. ((scott welshhons - walmart customer: it's a madhouse in of the cold stuff is being put on sale so everybody trying to grab what they can. robert evans - walmart customer: i stocked up on everything. i got enough to last me for quite a while. ((karen castro)) the closure comes as a shocker to many customers who rely on the discount superstore for household goods and food. ((scott welshhons - walmart customer: it's gonna hurt us real bad. me and my mom are both physically disabled and ev