growburg left with a damaged leg. the brave i have earned him a silver star and thursday will deliver a medal of honor at the white house. growburg is only the tenth living person to receive it that served in afghanistan. but the resident says the award isn't about him. >> this gives me an opportunity to represent the true heroes that didn't make back that day. >> they are the true heroes. they ar that made the ultimate sacrifice. >> in arlington, kellye lynn, abc7 news. alison: so deserving of that honor. meanwhile a k-9 with d.c. fire and e.m.s. we have learned will be off the job for several weeks. the dog is named rue and a fire spokesman tells us the handler noticed that the dog was sluggish this week and he took him to the vet. raph a scan, surgery required to remove blockage from the intesteins. he will -- intestines. he will be away from work for a few weeks. they'll miss him a lot. leon: touchy situation. find out why target is defending a holiday sweater tonight. alison: but first, how much for the tires? yo

it was three years ago captain growburg and his team were part of a security detail escorting a brigadier general. that's when the danger truck in the form of two suicide bombers. he and his comrades pushed the first bomber to the ground. >> hit him. you know, my rifle. grabbed him by the suicide vest. throw him down to the ground. detonated. eight seconds. you don't have time to think. you react. >> on thursday at the white house groberg will receive the military's highest i ward. he says the real heros are those in the group that died that day and says he will be thinking of them. we have more of kellye lynn's interview with captain groberg online at wjla.com. of course, watch for live coverage of the medal of honor ceremony. we will have it tomorrow morning on the cyst erstation newschannel8. maureen: coming up on "abc7 news at 6:00". the mystery has been solved. abc7 is there as a woman is reunited with cherished family members that had become lost in time. leon: what is on this tree? this is not a typical christmas tree. we will show you where it is turning heads next. doug: a cold f

conquering that fear and confronting the danger, and he said that's why the nation is honoring captain growburg>> jamie thank you. >>> iraqi kurdish fighters are already claiming some success in their operation to retake a key city in iraq. they have captured the highway, one of the most important supply lines for isil. kurdic forces will being backed by u.s.-air strikes. >>> isil have been expecting this attack since they took over the town in august of last year. now what they have been doing is they have been embedding themselves within the town itself and also on the outskirts in various little villages. they have abandoned those villages but they have left behind booby traps and explosive devices. one truck bomb went off a few hours ago. it was so large that many thought it was an air strike. this is slowing down the kurdish offensive somewhat. and that's a tactic we have seen isil use time and time again. what it means that once they do get into the town, they will then use urban warfare to try to defeat the kurdish forces. but they have a large number of troops on the ground ready to go

captain growburg received the military highest hon other and prevented depths of brigade and deterred suicide bomber. but four of his fellow soldiers were killed. he said today if i could give the medal back and have the guys back it would have been yesterday. >>> it is called thanks for giving and that's what two couples had a chance to do in the lehigh valley thanking each other other for a life saving exchange. mark norman and stanley slavinski are alive because of that exchange. and "action news" reporter christie aleto tells the story from lehigh valley hospital cedar dmreingt allentown. >> normans and slavinski's were strangers until tonight and the couples are linked through a kidney swap done last december. >> you donated. >> to mark. >> right. >> and monica donate todd me. >> both mark norman and stanley slavinski had kidneys damaged from high blood pressure and needed a trance plant. she was a match to her husband and donated her kidney to mark ultimately helping four people. >> she didn't vice president to accept this four way versus just donating to her husband. but they d

captain florin growburg was recognized for his actions in afghanistan when he confronted a suicide bomber. the white house says the captain is the tenth living person to be awarded the medal of honor for combat in afghanistan. >>> also happening today, the university of missouri set to name a new interim president within the hour. the announcement comes three days after their former president tim wolfe stepped down. he was accused of mishandling racial tensions on campus. 20 schools nationwide are planning marches today to address racism on campus. >>> a local community college plans to hold a march and rally today protesting what they call unfair labor practices. faculty and students at city college of san francisco say the school has been downsizing and intents to dramatically reduce the number of classes available. this also say the school hasn't been bargaining in good faith in teachers contract negotiation. >>> college campus across the country are planning a million student march today. organizers say it's a national day of action for affordable education and against the student deb

growburg recalls it as the worst day of his loif. >> i lost four of my brothers. i mean, you know, four amazing men. they didn't come home and i did. so it's the worst day -- worst thing that can ever happen to you. >> it was cap pain groveburg's second tour of duty in afghanistan. he was in charge of a security detail protecting half a dozen senior american officers and an afghan commander. as his soldiers escorted the officers on foot to the local governor's compound they encountered a man wearing a suicide vest. groberg had seconds to do something. >> you react. you know he's a threat and your job is to run security. you have to get rid of the threat, and so when i hit him with my rifle, that's when you -- he had a suicide vest under it. get him away as far as possible and as quickly as possible to protect everybody else. >> groberg survived but spent months in walter reed having his leg rebuilt. his troops say far more people would have died but for his quick, unselfish action. groberg is accepting the medal of honor, the highest award for military valor, on b

captain growburg retired from the knive this year to serve as a civilian in the defense -- navy this year to serve as a civilian in the defense department. >> kevin: showers arrived on schedule this afternoon, they're bothering your evening drive and there are some spots coming down heavier than others. we'll pinpoint those on live storm tracker. the radar showing all the spots seeing some rain. when you look more closely, you'll finds spots where there's yellow and orange showing up. brookline heavier rain. southward toward newton and needham, seeing some of the heavier rainshower activity right now and we can zoom down into brookline and find some of the roads being affected. look at the spot of red showing up right in here, that's a heavier downpour for sure, that's showing up. dexter avenue and over to arsenal street, heading in to activity. off to the north, you're seeing on the north shore, he haddier spots of rain, raleigh to ipswich, just off of cape ann and came through rockport and gloucester and new hampshire and border with massachusetts and methuen. this shower weakened

. >>> happening today, president obama will present the medal of honor for captain growburg who will be honored for his courageous actions in afghanistan. on august 8, 2012, the captain saved his fellow soldiers. in 2008, he joined the military after becoming a naturalized citizen. he is the 10th living person to be awarded this award. >>> and $500 million is given to 15 counties to rehabilitate county prisoners. here in the bay area, alameda, santa clara and sonoma counties will all get a part of the funding. the board of corrections is meeting today to consider the projects being recommended. some critics say the state should not be spending money on jails but others say it will help reduce the cycle of crime and reduce mass incarceration. >>> the jetblue plane was diverted to reno twice in less than 24 hours. it was a flight that had to land in reno on tuesday night because of mechanical problems. another plane was brought in thor those passengers early yesterday morning. pilots try to take that original plane back to the airport wednesday and had to land again at reno pause of me