. >>> well, rams fans, saint louis native lindsey mastis have been monitoring reaction to the move. >> reporter: saint louis fought long and hard to keep the rams. as a native of the area i know how important sports teams are to the city, but i have also lived in los angeles and they have never stopped calling the rams their own. the los angeles mayor's office

lindsey mastis is live. what is the company doing to make sure this is safe to eat. >> reporter: good morning. blue bell are focusing on food safety and center a lot on the line. three deaths are linked to blue bell according to nbc news. they had to layoff a third of their employees as they shutdown plants. and there is a test and hold procedure. they will make a batch of ice until it is tested and then spend to stores. when the company pulled ice cream off of the shelves last year, people on social media were upset. this is a day blue bell fans were waiting for. we want to know if you're going to buy blue bell ice cream again. reach out to us on facebook. >> thank you. >>> call to change the bathroom policy effecting transgender students. quinn is a student after pine view and started the transition process a year ago, not until recent that the school's principal finally allowed him to use the boy's bathroom. >>> job seekers, press your sue and print out resumes. tampa international airport is adding new r

news channel 8s lindsey mastis is joining us live for this story. she has been following this all night and into the morning. how likely is it that trump >> reporter: trump seems to be sticking with his promise to aa two-day tend a benefit for military candidates instead. other candidates see this as an opportunity. listen to ted cruz. >> apparently mr. trump considers megyn kelly very, very scary. [ laughter ] >> reporter: now a lot of this is playing out on social media right now. cruz is using the #duckingdon al. and he's urging trump to debate him one on one. and now it's interesting that some super pacs that are supporting cruz are promising to donate $1.5 million to vets if he agrees to a one on one before the iowa caucus. and here's trump's response, he writes on twitter, can we do it in canada? so it did you want seem likely at this point. and by -- so it doesn't seem likely at this point. and here's marco rubio's response. and then take a look at what jeb bush put out on twitter. it's a poll and he says, if donald trump can't handle the fox

. >>> well, rams fans, saint louis native lindsey mastis have been monitoring reaction to the move. >> reporter: saint louis fought long and hard to keep the rams. as a native of the area i know how important sports teams are to the city, but i have also lived in los angeles and they have never stopped calling the rams their own. the los angeles mayor's office tweeted this new logo. it will be hard getting used to and the la times tweeted welcome home rams. but let's not forget the rams originated in cleveland. just saying. as for saint louis, well, some fans decided to hold a vigil outside the stadium. and, others in true saint louis fashion showed exactly what think think of rams owner sam. saying he sucks written in black olives on a saint louis style thin crust pizza. i'm sure this pizza tasted pretty bitter. back to you. >> thank you lindsey mastis. >>> speaking of meals, getting the family around the table without having to cook. >> we will show you the growing trend in the bay area. >> plus, lifting a player's spirits. details ahead. >> kind of a cool day. if you are going out,

news channel 8's lindsey mastis is following the story live. how likely is it that trump will change his mind and show up? >> reporter: you know, trump seems to be sticking with the promise to attend a benefit for military veterans instead. and other candidates see this as an opportunity, especially senator ted cruz, just listen to how he is ripping mr. trump on this one. >> apparently mr. trump considers megyn kelly very, and you know, donald is a fragile soul. and she might ask a mean question and who knows what could happen? i mean, his hair could stand on end. >> reporter: he is having fun with that one. and a lot of this is playing out on social media right now. cruz is using this #, it says ducking donald. and he's urging trump to debate him one on one. and here is trump's response, he says can we do it in canada? and about the trump cruz back and forth, here's what marco rubio has to say, he calls them an entertaining side show. and take a look at what jeb bush put out on twit ther. the it's a poll and it says, if donald trump can't hand

lindsey mastis is live with your morning alerts. >> reporter: the hashtag guns in america is trending in tampa and throughout the united states this morning. president obama answered questions from the audience, opened up about crying and spoke in depth. >> it's causing more people to buy guns. >> i've been president for over 7 years and gun sales don't seem to have suffered during that time. >> if anything they have -- >> they have gone up. i have been good for gun manufacturers. >> a >> reporter: a new poll found americans support obama's plan. the nra refused to participate in the town hall but doesn't mean they're remaining silent. they said the president doesn't want an honest policy discussion, he wanted the nra to be an audience member at his pr stunt. they said the president can talk about background checks all he wants but that's just a distraction from the fact that we can't keep it safe. it also shows you how president obama plans to focus on this issue even when he's out of office. he said i will not campaign, vote or support for any candidate who does not support common s

and now let's switch live to lindsey mastis. and that website is actually having some issues this morning. >> reporter: yeah, you know, so many people are checking their numbers online that it crashed florida lottery's website as well as the one in california. but they posted the numbers on social media so no biggie. and powerball is trending on twitter right now as well. a lot of people are so excited. you know, that celebration in chino hill, california, they are posting these to social media. neat to see from inside what it you know, but these people are in the minority. most people are really upset that they did not win. this guy is going to use his powerball tickets as target practice today. and another, well, one is ready to burn them. others are trying to get to know the unknown winners. a lot of messages like these. if you're the powerball winner, hit me up by direct message so i can help you flip your winnings into double the cash in two weeks. who couldn't resist that? well, people then are also trying to imply that so

and lindsey mastis is live now. and i know it's been frustrating trying et to get on the website. >> reporter: yeah, ryan, so many people are checking their numbers online that it crashed florida lottery's website. but they showed the exact amount of the jackpot, $1,586,000,400. and now, i'm sorry, $400,000. i left like three zeros off of there. and a lot of people celebrating in chino hills, california are also posting to social media. but they are in the minority. most people are really upset that they did not win. this guy wants to take his losing tickets to the shooting range. another is ready, yeah, to burn them. right? now also some people are kind of telling the winner, look if you're the powerball winner, hit me up by direct message, i can help you flip your winnings into double the cash in two weeks and other people implying that as soon as they figure out where the winner is, they're going to take matters into their own hands. so people are really reacting in different ways but it seems a lot of people wil

i'm lindsey mastis and i'll hey buddy, let's get these dayquil liquid gels and go. but these liquid gels are new. mucinex fast max. it's the same difference. these are multi-symptom. well so are these. this one is max strength and fights mucus. you dropped something. oh...i'll put it back on the shelf... new from mucinex fast max. the only cold and flu liquid gel that's max-strength and fights mucus. start the relief. ditch the misery. >>> dramatic video shows the shootout targeting one of the most wanted men in the world. >> we are learning new details this morning about what it took to recapture drug king joaquin guzman. lindsey mastis is joining us this morning. movie or video game. >> reporter: and hollywood can take credit forker this. the attorney general believes the communication between guzman and hollywood film makers was key because of that, investigators were able to monitor electronic data that load a violent shootout. take a look. -- that led to a violent shootout. take a look. now looks like a first person shooting game but this is real life. mexico c

. >> our own lindsey mastis is inside the big tent this morning. much more on what you can expect to see in tonight's show in a live report coming up next. it's 4:48. we live in a pick and choose world. choose, choose, choose. but at bedtime? ...why settle for this? enter sleep number, and the lowest prices of the season. sleepiq technology tells you how well you slept and what adjustments you can make. you like the bed soft. he's more hardcore. so your sleep goes from good to great to wow! only at a sleep number store... of the season, going on now. save $600 on the #1 rated i8 bed. know better sleep >>> it's 4:51. happening today, the circus is in town the. we are getting a sneak peek behind the scenes this morning. >> the ringling brothers barnum its legends show. lindsey mastis is live at amalie arena this morning. in the morning? >> reporter: well, there's a lot of energy, even this early in the morning. take a look. we have a dance troop here from brazil and they are just getting everybody up this and now i'm over here talking to samantha. an

news channel 8's lindsey mastis is following this live. how likely is it that trump will change his mind and show up in. >> reporter: good morning. >> reporter: good morning. trump seems to be sticking to attend. and now senator ted cruz is ripping on trump. >> apparently mr. trump considers megyn kelly very, very scary. and you know, donald is a fragile soul. and she might ask a mean question and who knows what could happen? i mean, his hair could stand on end. >> reporter: well a lot of this is playing out on social media right now. cruz is using the #duckingdonald. and he is urging trump to debate him one on one. well here is trump's response. he says, can we do it in canada the? and now about the trump/cruz back and forth, marco rubio put out a long response saying in part that they're just an entertaining side show. and take a look at what jeb bush posted on twitter. it's a poll. handle the fox news debate, what else will he not be able to handle? hillary rodham clinton? isis? putin? or all of the above. this morning, 79% all of the a

and lindsey mastis is live at amalie arena. i can't wait to see what you're up to now. >> reporter: well, we've been doing a lot of clowning around but we are all about the hats this morning. this group is going to be performing for us. they are a chinese acrobatic group. and i am here with one of the about all the acts in the show. >> all right. well right now, the china acrobatic china troop, we have the globe of steel, and the class act riders, we've got everything. my goodness, we've got literally animals from all over the world. >> reporter: there's almost too much to name. and you are on one of the motorcycles here. >> absolutely. too. and these go upside down. motorcycles that go over 60 miles per hour in our 16-foot globe of teal with the family. >> reporter: amazing. and there are acts from all around the world. can is really -- world which is incredible. and starting an hour before the show, you can come down with your family and meet some of the performers and get autographs and maybe try on some outfits. i'm going t

lindsey mastis is live in the morning alert center. take credit for this? >> reporter: it can. mexico's attorney general believes the communication between guzman's confidants and hollywood film makers was key and because of it, investigators were able to track cellphones and monitor electronic data that led to a violent shootout. take a look. [ gunfire ] >> reporter: looks like a first person shooting game but this is real life. mexico claims five people associated with guzman died in the shootout, even though they believe he was hiding in the house, he managed to escape. he was found and captured on a highway. and now here's another look at the safe house and in the basement, looks like he has a vault door. and we are seeing surveillance video and photos of actor sean penn. his movements were being monitored as well. guzman is expected to fight extradition to the united states and because of that, believes getting him here to face charges could take more than a year. >> thank you for sharing that. you can follow our morning alerts every day on facebook and twitter. search the

. >>> and number two -- >> reporter: i'm lindsey mastis in melbourne beach. and this is it, this is where the winning ticket was sold at the publix. longtime shoppers reacting. >>> three, real life superhero, a bay area neighborhood is bang together to fight crime. >>> and number four, wedding planning. meet this homeless couple whose dream wedding is being paid for by strangers. >>> i'm josh benson. >> and i am stacie schaible. this is first at 4:00. we have breaking newsing for. an arrest in a triple murder in polk county. we are told sheriff judd will be giving details at 5:00, one hour from now. and we have a crew there for that. we want to refresh your memory on what happened in lakeland. this was a suspected drug deal gone where three people died and one survived. the sheriff believed that they were killed by hitmen from south florida. we will have thereto latest on the case come -- have the latest on this case coming up tonight at 5:00. >>> and this time, more breaking news, storms will be moving through overnight. let's go to meteorologist julie phill

and lindsey mastis is joining us live. and the florida lottery website has been down for quite some time because of all the people going to look at the winning numbers. >> reporter: yeah, so many people are checking their numbers online that it crashed their website. they were able to put one page up to show you what the numbers were. and luckily they tweeted it as well, posting the numbers on social media. of course, powerball is trending on twitter right now. and here's the official number, $1,586,400,000, my gosh, it's hard to say. a lot of people have been celebrating. you saw the celebration in california. people are very happy for whoever the winner is but these people seem to be in the minority. they did not win. this person wants to use his tickets at the shooting range. can you blame him? >> let's get a party going at the publix in melbourne beach. if you did not go to that public, don't throw out the tickets. check the number, you might have won a smaller prize and by smaller i mean a million dollars. 4, 18, 19,

. >>> and then -- >> reporter: i'm lindsey mastis live in tampa. we are ready for gasparilla. and of course, i woke up some people this morning early. we're going to hear from them in just a moment. >> all right. can't wait the hear from the pirates. >>> first, let's hear from bryan bennett because it's going to be nice for gasparilla. >> yeah, the rain has moved out of here. so tomorrow a high of 68 and sunshine. so a good one this year. outside right now, in the lower 50s so you might need a light jacket as you head to work or school early this morning. and we have a breeze as well. satellite and radar picture showing that the rain has moved out of here, a dry day today those will gradually move out as well. today, sunshine, breezy weather and a high temperature of 64 degrees. so a tad below average. and coming up at 6:08 in weather and traffic on the 8s, i will have the hour-by-hour forecast. nice weather today, although a little below average. >> looking forward to and it the weekend decent weather for gasparilla. >> thank goodness. i'm glad the rain is gone in time. >> we

. >> news channel 8's lindsey mastis has your morning alert. response online. >> reporter: it is. hundreds of people are sharing and commenting on the story on our wfla facebook page. and because of the state statute, the health department is not naming the elementary school but we know it is in pinellas county and officials sent out letters to parents. the number of chickenpox cases started rising last year. according to the health department, in 2012, there were 16 cases. by the end of last year, there were 38. and now the health department wants all children vaccinated. they're even encouraging families that use medical or religious exemptions to opt out to reconsider. they say symptoms can be serious and lead to complications like pneumonia or even death. and a lot of people are sharing opinions on social media this morning. we have laura johnson who writes about her daughter going the through years of chemo. she said she couldn't get vaccinated, it would have been dangerous to walk around unvaccinated. and one writes about her three sons saying exactly one year after the shot

. >> yeah, news channel 8's lindsey mastis is joining us live in the morning alert center this morning. so a couple gas stations are getting a lot of attention for their prices. >> reporter: it's all over social media. three gas stations in michigan got into a price war. we are getting hundreds of comments and shares on this story and on our wfla facebook page. take a look at this. that's right, gas got as low as hundreds of cars lined up. police had to direct traffic. we haven't seen these kinds of prices in decades and of course, it didn't last long. prices are back to normal now. but people are still talking about the prices. it's one of our trending stories on our website this morning. and here's what we are actually seeing across the country right now. the national average according to aaa is $1.89. here in tampa bay, an average of $1. $1 -- $1.85. but the lowest in our area is in plant city, $1.68 a gallon there. that's good. one of the reasons we are seeing lower prices right now is because of the iranian nuclear deal that went into effect over the weekend, ending an embargo. if

news channel 8's lindsey mastis has the morning alert. apps. >> reporter: good morning. in this case, the victim thought he was doing everything he could to stay safe, even mutual location. a set-up. >> then he made me get on the and gun on the back of my head. >> my son could be dead for something as petty as a car. i can't replace him. >> reporter: he and his family are speaking out because they believe the robbers will continue to target people until they are stopped. the robbers took his car, cellphone and wallet. this is just one of four cases that happened in the past month in bartow. right now, investigators are looking for leads. they're warning people to take extra precautions. in addition to meeting in public, they recommend bring ago long a friend and letting a loved one know exactly where you plan to be. >> and when you're in this situation, you probably have your guard down because you're just out to have a good time, meet the person. >> but suggest, let's double date it, let's go to a place with a lot of people. if you can find a restaurant across the stree

and news channel 8's lindsey mastis is live. what is the company doing to make sure this ice cream is safe to eat. this effected a lot of people across the country. >> reporter: good morning. blue bell claims they changed the way they operate. safety. three deaths are linked to blue bell, according to nbc news. the company had to layoff a they shutdown and decontaminated plants and they created new procedures including test and hold. they will hold into the ice deemed safe. when the company pulled ice cream off of the shelves earlier, a month ago, people on social media were really upset. fans. we want to know whether you plan to buy blue bell ice cream once again. you can reach out to us on facebook. gene. >> all right. lindsey, thank you. >>> well, also happens today a call to change the bathroom policy effecting transgender students in sarasota county. supporters of nathan quinn are asking for a policy change. he is a student at pine view and started the transition process a year ago. but recently the school's principal final

lindsey mastis is live in studio with the buzzing on social media overnight and into this morning. everybody is excited about this. because you can side with your team. >> reporter: absolutely, the super bowl, the players are trending on social media. take a look at this, the panthers beat the cardinals in a route, 49-15. and the broncos and patriots was tighter. coming down to the last play, 20-18. this is super bowl number four for manning. and look here, a panthers fan tried to high-five one of the players and falls out of the stands. oh, my gosh. there was not sure if he is hurt. and look at social media. a lot of players on social media now, too. we would love to know who you are rooting for. reach out to us on social media. gene. >> all right. lindsey, thank you. >>> 5:18 and a weather and traffic on the 8s. >> some of you with low frost advisory for just about everybody else. it does not include pinellas county, but all of polk county, eastern hillsborough, polk county, you will have to scrape ice off your windshield this morning. so wear layers when you do that by the way.

news channel 8's lindsey mastis joins us now live. and this storm will be very big and these crews will be very busy. >> reporter: absolutely. good morning. this storm is expected to drop everything from freezing rain to snow, even ice. and of course, crews here in florida are getting ready to head out in just a few minutes. debriefing and they'll get in the vehicles and make the trek to char let, north carolina. -- to charlotte, north carolina. they are packed up with snacks. they are not planning on stopping unless they absolutely have to because they have to be in place before that storm starts. and now i want to take a look at what's going on in north carolina right now. road crews are already preparing. they are spraying brine on bridges and roads. crews are going to continue pre- treating up until the storm. and they're also stocked up on sand and salt. some areas are already seeing ice and snow but the big storm is expected tonight and it's going to hit eastern seaboard. airlines are already warning travelers that their flights

and lindsey mastis is live from amalie arena this morning. and i know there's been a lot of clowning around. >> reporter: a lot of clowning around. and we're not done with that either. and now the only thing that's really different right now is there's nobody in the stands watching us. so i think we're being more goofy than usual. and i'm over here with asa and he is dressing me up. and this is some the things that people can do for the pre- show. there's a lot going on. if you want to come with your family an hour before the show begin, you can try on costumes. what are some of the other things that you can do with your family before the show begins? >> well, you are invited to the circus floor. like you said, you can try on costumes. you can meet the performers up close and personal. and we have a vip red carpet with some of the biggest stars. or a temporary tattoo that says the greatest show on earth. but my favorite, enter your own chance to win a elephant painting that she paints using only her trunk. >> reporter: can you learn how to ju

news channel 8's lindsey mastis has the morning alert. you're from st. louis, i bet they're not taking the news too lightly there. >> reporter: yeah, they're not. i've also livered in los angeles and i can't complain. i have the best of both worlds. this is 10ing on twitter. and everyone knows st. louis is a robust sports town, they love their teams. but while st. louis is upset, los angeles is celebrating because their team is returning. >> they never should have left. they belong to los angeles. and that's why i get so upset when i think about any other team coming here. >> i am pumped about it. and it will be interesting now to see if the los angeles rams fans from before will jump back on the bandwagon and everything. it will be interesting. >> reporter: even though the angeles could actually end up with two teams, the san diego chargers have an entire year to decide if they want to move to los angeles and if they decline, then the oakland raiders have the option to relocate too la. well the ram's permanent home will be in the city of englewood but n

you can tweet me the pictures @lindsey mastis or tweet @wfla. we'll go to break. (woman) you want to eat... ...you want to eat, who wants to eat... (dog) do i want to eat? yes, i want to eat. (woman) do you want to eat? (dog) do i want to eat, yes. that's like nine times you've asked...yes. i mean it's beneful. i can and carrots right there...look at it. it's beautiful. mmmmmmm, thank you so much... but you know tomorrow night... ...how 'bout we just assume i do want to eat... ...you know speed things up a little. (vo) beneful chopped blends, a healthy blend... ...your dog will love. made with real beef. plus carrots and barley that you can see. beneful. healthy with a side of . >>> good sunday morning. we have breaking news this morning. you're looking at damage caused by one tornado in sarasota county. these are pictures from the crew at bay winds lane in siesta key. you can see firefighters working on a house that completely collapsed. >> that's right and we want to look at the radar right now. you can see the line of storms continues to move east across the st

news channel 8's lindsey mastis has the morning alert. a lot of people are raising questions about the timing of her endorsement. >> reporter: that's right. less than 24 hours before she took the stage with donald trump, her son track was arrested on domestic violence charges. and it has some on social media asking whether she planned the endorse thement -- sorry, if it was to divert attention away from her son. >> well, i am here because like you i know that it is now or never. i am in it to win it because we believe in america. >> reporter: sarah palin is trump believes she can give him a big boost among conservatives. and a lot of people are reacting to the news but now it's overshadowed by the arrest of her oldest son. the 26-year-old allegedly punched his girlfriend and kicked her before getting his rifle. according to the rifle, his girlfriend worried that he would shoot himself. he faces several charges. not everything on social media is negative. trump is getting praise for the endorsement but when it comes to the incident involvi

lindsey mastis is joining us now live from the tampa news center. >> reporter: the this morning, this new development is trending on our website, web florida the mandating his mother helped lead investigators to the remains and he is the same man that six months ago. investigators call him the main suspect in the death and disappearance. he initially claim his car was stolen with the toddler inside but investigators didn't buy it. he has been in jail for child negligent, lying to police and tampering with evidence. and just before investigators found the remain, he appeared in court to waive his right to a speedy trial. investigators are appalled at what happened to the little boy. >> that little boy didn't need to be discarded like a piece of trash. we are able to take what we believe to be him from being disposed like that in the hopes that he can spend his eternity in somewhere that's peaceful and not somewhere that is basically a garbage heap. >> reporter: his mother also faces charges for child negligent and lying to police. she is taking a please, sir deal. whether he will be al

. >> and that means lower gas prices for the rest of us, news channel 8's lindsey mastis is joining us live in the morning alert center. so a a couple of gas stations are getting a lot of attention. >> reporter: that's right. three gas stations in michigan got into a gas war. we are getting hundreds of comments on our wfla facebook page. that's right, gas got as low as 47 cents a gallon. hundreds of cars lined up. look at. and now we haven't seen these prices in decades and of course, it didn't last long. prices are back to normal now but people are still talking about those incredible prices. here's what we are actually seeing across the country right now. the national average according regular unleaded. of $1.85. morning is at the mystic along james parkway in plant city. it's just $1.68 a gallon there. not bad. and one of the reasons we are seeing lower prices right now is because of the iranian nuclear deal. that's right. it went into effect over the weekend, ending an embargo. and to find the cheapest gas in your area. you can head to our website, wfla.com and click on gas prices

news channel 8's lindsey mastis has the morn ago all right. this is a man that helped create an iconic band. >> reporter: yeah, seems everyone has a story about how the eagles influenced their own lives so it's no surprise that thousands of viewers are sharing the story on facebook and we are getting hundreds of comments as well. rolling down the road trying to loosen my load >> reporter: glenn frey formed the formed the eagles back in 197 1 . he also co-wrote some of their biggest hits. and on social media, condolences are pouring in from those who knew him the best. on facebook, one write, he was lick a brother to me. we were family. and on twitter, brian adams writes, thanks for all the years of music. from gene simmons, our family, rest in peace. actor rob lowe writes, he was one of the nicest men i have ever met. devastated. and justin timberlake tweet, we lost one of the greatest song writers ever. you can leigh your coloradoenss as well. -- leave your condolences as well. >> thank you. you can follow the morning alerts each day on faceb

news channel 8's lindsey mastis joins us live with the morning alert. a lot of people are on social media voicing their opinions about this case. >> reporter: that's right. this morning gene, you know this is a story getting a lot of attention on facebook and some people are calling for boycotts of disney products. disney along with two global consulting firms are being sued in the suit. two employees insist they were forced to train their foreign replacements and if they didn't, they would be denied bonuses and severance pay. disney claims it hired back but the company is also insisting it offered the two men suing different positions with similar pay. an attorney for the former employees is adamant that disney and the firms illegally used visas to replace american workers with cheaper foreign labor. we will follow the story and let you know what happens next. gene -- >> thank you. you can follow the morning alerts each and every day on facebook and twitter. all you have to do is search hash ago ago 8 alert. >>> -- #8alert. >>> good morning. you are go

news channel 8's lindsey mastis is live from melbourne beach, florida. so we hear there's word out that one of the three big jackpot winners? >> reporter: that's right. you know, a couple in tennessee have come forward. they're claiming to have one of the winning powerball tickets. and they'll go live on the "today" show for an exclusive interview so we are hoping to get the details shortly. and here in melbourne, there's still a mystery. big winner? and as soon as the store opens in about 20 minutes at this public here, people will continue to ask the questions. the store owner, it's like they in tennessee, now this is a town of about 6,000 people. they're going to get a bonus of $25,000. and the owners say they are planning to share that with their employees. and over in chino hill, the owner of the 7-eleven had a huge party. he gets $1 million. he's an immigrant from india who came to the u.s. in 1980s and is now truly living the american dream. the florida lottery told me it could take a few weeks before publix gets their $100,000 bonus but shoppers

news channel 8's lindsey mastis has the morning alert. how can people protect themselves? >> yeah, in this case, the victim thought he was doing everything he could, even meeting up at a mutual location but he learned it was all a set- up. >> then he yelled get on the ground, face down and gun in the back of my head. >> my son could be dead for something as petty as a car. i can't replace him. speaking out because they believe the robbers will continue to target people until they are stopped. well the robbers took his car, cellphone and wallet. that happened in the past month in bartow. right now, investigators are looking for leads. they're warning people to take extra precautions. and in addition to meeting in public, they recommend bringing along a friend and letting a loved one know exactly where you plan to be. >> so maybe the first date should be an online double date just to be the safe. >> absolutely. double date. and make sure you pick a public place and there's a lot of people around. >> so sad. thank you so much. >>> well right now the time is 4:38. let's turn t

news channel 8's lindsey mastis joins us now live. and the storm will be big and the crews will be busy out there lending a hand. >> reporter: absolutely, you are right, gene. good morning. you know, crews are expecting a this storm could drop rain, snow, freezing rain as well as ice. and crews will be leaving in two hours. take a look, their trucks are lined up. because the storm is expected to be so bad, crews are preparing to stay for up to two weeks. altogether, they are sending 250 people there. and crews in north carolina are already preparing. they are spraying brine on bridges and roads. crews are going continue pre- teating up until the storm and they are stocked up on -- pre- treating up until the storm and they are stocked up on sand and salt. airlines are already warning travelers their flights could be affected. they are part of a group of electric companies that help each other out in emergencies. now it is about a 12 hour drive from here to charlotte, north carolina. 6:30 this morning. they are taking a lot of equipment

i'm lindsey mastis and i will show you what makes this year's >> most of us have probably photo bombed someone before but i guess you didn't do et as well as this. this guy wasn't horsing around when he pulled off this bomb on a little girl. and she has no clue. but she has a picture she will remember forever. how funny is that? that is a full tooth smile. like what? >> i like it. >> he will post it on his facebook page no doubt. >> i bet our weather cat follows that guy. >> we will be back at 11:00. join us then and have a great night. donald trump takes on the elephant in the room. >> melania out to prove she's smart much to be the next first lady. flow on "extra." extra, extra >>> melania trump posing in her pent house opening up about her marriage, why she's miss understood and whose idea it was for donald to run for president. >> and the one question she refused to answer. >>> plus, trump versus samuel l. jackson. >> i'm sure he'll lie about that also. single amy schumer off the market. who's her new man and why are they instagraming about a pregnancy? >>> janet jackson's health s

news channel 8's lindsey mastis is live with a morning alert. what exactly is the duct tape challenge? >> reporter: i remember a similar game when i was a kid, teens will tape up their friends and then time them to see how quickly they can get free. and it's all over youtube right now. teens are treating it like it's no big deal. looks fun to some of them. and what happened to skylar fisher might change their minds. he fell, hit his head and lost an eye socket and caused a brain aneurysm. warns of more dangers. >> what happens if they fall or have an emergency and you can't get that duct the tape off quickly enough? >> reporter: well this teen has a long recovery ahead of him but he is happy to be alive. >> when i think about it, like i become sad, and then like really happy because i survived it. like, i almost died. >> reporter: this is one of our top stories on wfla.com right now. and we also posted it to our wfla facebook page. you can share it with your friends and your kids. they need to know how dangerous this can become in a matter of a

thousands of people will crowd bay shore and that's where lindsey mastis is live this morning. are you expecting company this morning? >> reporter: we are. we have a little bit of company this morning. you know, we are right here along bay shore. this is where the pirate ship is usually docked all year long. and you will notice we have bleachers over here. way over here to the tampa convention center and that's when the invasion happens. and i want you to look at the screen because you don't want to miss this. the pre-invasion celebration starts tonight at 6:00 at water front park. and there's going to be food and music. and you will need tickets to get in to the that. and on saturday, the street festival starts at 10:00 a.m. there's a lot of food including my favorite hand-dipped corn dogs. and now the big invasion begins at 11:30 saturday morning. the parade starts at 2:00. and you know what, this parade goes on for quite some time, a few hours actually. and when that wraps up around 5:30, you can head over to the water front park and enjoy live music until 10:00. and now i'm

news channel 8's lindsey mastis has the morning alert. he helped create an iconic band. >> reporter: absolutely. it seems everyone has a story about how the eagles influenced their own lives so it's no surprise that thousands of viewers are sharing this story on facebook. and it's one of the most clicked on stories on our website. and we are getting hundreds of comments. rolling down the road trying to loosen my load i've got seven women on my mind >> reporter: glenn frey formed the eagles with don henley back in 1971 and not only played guitar but he co-wrote some of their biggest hits. well on social media, condolences are pouring in from those that knew him best. he was like a brother to me. we were family. and on twitter, brian adams write, thanks for all the years of the music. and from gene simmons, our condolences to friends and family. rest in peace. rob lowe writes, glenn frey created the sound track of my life and was one of the nicest men i ever met. and justin timberlake tweet, we'll lost one of the greatest song writers ever.

news channel 8's lindsey mastis joins us live with the morning alert. what is the duct tape challenge? >> reporter: you know, i remember a similar game when i was a kid, teens basically duct tape their friends and then time them to see how quickly they can get free. it's all over youtube right now. teens treat it like it's no big deal but what happened to skylar might change their minds. he fell and hit his head, shattering his eye socket, causing a brain aneurysm and now he's lost vision in one eye. and he is not sure if he will ever be able to see out of the eye again. a registered nurse in our area warns of even more dangers. >> what happens if they fall or have an asthma attack of an emergency and you can't get the duct tape off quickly enough? >> reporter: this teen has a long recovery ahead of him but he is happy to be alive. >> when i think about it, like i become sad. because i -- i'm happy because i survived it. like i almost died. >> reporter: this is one of our top stories on wfla.com. and we posted it to our wfla facebook page. you can share

news channel 8's lindsey mastis joins us now live. the storm will be big, very, very big and the crews will be very, very busy. >> reporter: gene, you are right. good morning. you know, this storm could drop everything from ice, snow, even freezing rain and that's why their people getting to the trucks today and taking off to north carolina. up. they'll be leaving in one hour. they are going to be sending about 250 people to north carolina. well road crews in north carolina are already preparing. they are spraying brine on bridges and roads, crews are going to continue pretreating up until the storm. and now they're also stocked up on sand and salt. some areas are already seeing ice and snow but the big storm is expected tonight. it's going to hit the eastern seaboard and airlines are already warning travelers that their flights could be affected. well teco is part of a group of electric companies that help each other out in emergencies. the utility company in north carolina will paying for teco's help. we will be here as they take of

news channel 8's lindsey mastis is joining us now. it can cause birth defects. >> reporter: gene, that's right. this story is getting a lot of attention on social media right now. even the centers for disease control got on facebook to let people know about a new travel notice especially for pregnant women. the cdc is urging pregnant women to postpone their travel to 14 country askser to -- the countries in central america, south america. the zika virus is spread through mosquito bites and can cause birth defects in. hillsborough county, mosquito control sprayed around the neighbor's home. neighbors are asked to dump standing water and wear victims can be given medication its course. it can cause babies to be born with smaller heads because their brains don't develop properly. and we have much more our website, wfla.com. gene -- >> thank you. you can follow our morning alerts every day on facebook and twitter. the #8alert. >>> parents listen up, we have recall. disney is recalling about 10,000 infant body suits better known as onesies

news channel 8's lindsey mastis joins us live from bay shore this morning. how are you able to get the >> reporter: i'm not exactly sure how i was able to get them up early. they all have to work today but there's also some private parties going on that they'll be attending as well. and now we are here not only with the rough riders crew. tell me, lisa turner, you're up early, there are things that you guys do all year round for the community. >> well, our charity is kicking it for kids. we take shoes for children in need and we sponsor also the humane society for our cutest dog pirate. and we have events throughout the year. we do our latin nights and different pub crawls in ybor. >> reporter: so you guys are super busy throughout the year and this is like the big culmination of like now we get to have fun, right? tonight. the pre-invasion celebration gets underway tonight at 6:00 at curtis water front park. there will be music and food. you will need tickets for that. and on saturday, the street and there's also a lot of food including my favorite, the han

news channel 8's lindsey mastis has the morning alert. a lot of people are using the & now. what do we do to -- using the dating apps now so what do we do to protect ourselves? >> reporter: the victim thought he was doing everything to stay safe but he learned it was all a set up. >> then he made me get on the ground by the bush, face down and a gun to the back of my head. something as petty as a car. i can't replace him. >> reporter: he and his family are speaking out. they believe the robbers will continue to target people until they're stopped. the robbers took his car, cellphone and wallet. this is just one of four cases that happened in the past month in bartow. right now, investigators are looking for leads and warning people to take extra precautions. in addition to meeting in public, they wreck mend bringing along a friend and letting a loved one know exactly where you plan to be. >> wow, scary because you're so naturally trusting and you think you're going to have a nice time on a date. >> and so many people use the apps so you have to be careful. thanks. >>> let's

. >> news channel 8's lindsey mastis has been following the story and she joins us live from the tampa news center. >> reporter: right now, signs point to isis but officially no yet. police insist the attack is over but they don't know whether all the attackers are accounted for. as a precaution, starbucks is closing all of its stores until further notice. take a look at this, one of the explosions is caught on camera and then people run. a gun battle raged on for two hours and the gunman even used grenades. two victims are dead and one may be a police officer. five attackers are dead. attackers escaped. indonesia has been on alert because police were warning planning an attack. police are searching nearby buildings and similarly to the paris attacks, these gunmen the same time. so i will let you know as soon and online. gene -- >> and we will check back for more on this breaking story. thank you. >>> right now, there are questions about a school bus two elementary school students were hurt. investigators blame the bus driver. they cite her for failing to yield. we see cellphone video

and lindsey mastis joins us live from amalie arena. what is it like so early this morning? >> reporter: you know, there's a lot of energy in the room this morning but it is quite incredible to be in this huge space with not all the people in the stands but we to do have some performers. samantha has stayed up all night so she can do this. she is up there on the ring. ringling brothers and barnum & its 145th year and this show, legends, features extreme performances from around the world. and they do everything that includes juggling hats. that's got to be hard this morning. and she is doing an amazing job up there. she let me go on a little bit but i did not go as high. she is about 25 feet in the air. and this show is going on every night through sunday. and there's plenty to do before the show begins. one hour before the show begin, you can come with your family and meet performers and get autographs. and of course, there are still tickets available. we have a lot of information on our website, wfla.com. and coming up in 30 minutes, i'm going to introduce you to even more

. >> lindsey mastis has been all over it. she is now live from the tampa news center. do we know who is responsible for this yet? >> reporter: right now, all signs point to isis. officially no one is taking responsibility yesterday. indonesian police insist the attack is over but they do not know whether all the attackers are accounted for. starbucks is closing all of the stores in jakarta until further notice. one of the explosions is caught on camera. and then people run. a gun battle raged on for two hours. bombers blow themselves up. right now, we're told two victims are dead, one may be a police officer. five attackers are dead. and it's unclear right now whether other attackers escaped. indonesia has been on alert because police were warning them that islamic militants were planning an attack. and police are now searching nearby buildings and similar to the paris attacks, these gunmen attacked multiple locations at the same time. and on social media this morning, prayforjakarta is 10ing and so is safetycheckjkt. i will stay on top of the story and let you know as

more than $500 million each before taxes but there are smaller winners including right here in lindsey mastis is live from melbourne beach. , what an exciting place to be rosited. good morning. there a buzz around town. everyone is asking me if i know who won. i don't yet. but you can bet that's exactly what people are going to be asking as soon as the publix opens at 7:00 a.m. this morning. and you know what, the store owners get bonuses for selling the winning tickets. so it's like they won too. take a look, over in munford, tennessee. this say town of just 6,000 people. the owners of the food mart, they are going to share their $25,000 bonus with employees. and over in chino hills, california, the owner of the 7- eleven had a party. he gets $1 million. and now he is an immigrant from india who came to the u.s. in the 1980s and now he is truly living the american dream. could take a few weeks before publix gets their $100,000 bonus but shoppers just want to know who won the big jackpot. >> could be someone i know. there's an island and it's a long drive. so you only -- there's not much down

lindsey mastis has your morning alert. you're from st. louis, so how the st. louis taking the news? >> reporter: yeah, st. louis is not happy this morning. i'm from st. louis. i've also lived in los angeles. so i can't complain personally. and now the rams started trending on twitter as soon as it was official. everyone knows st. louis is a robust sports town. they love their teams. but los angeles is celebrating the ram's return. >> they never should have left. they belong to los angeles. and that's why i get so upset when i think about any other team coming here. >> i am pumped about it. and it will be interesting now to see if the los angeles rams fans from before will jump back on the bandwagon and everything. so interesting. >> reporter: even though the rams are on their way, los angeles could end up with two teams. that's right, the san diego chargers have an entire year to los angeles and if they decline, then the oakland raiders have the option to relocate there instead. now the ram's permanent home will be in englewood but next season, they'll play in a temporary stadium. t

actually it starts right now with lindsey mastis joining us live from bay shore this morning. so you were able to get some festive people up with you this morning. >> reporter: absolutely. we couldn't wait for gasparilla to begin. in fact, they're going to be going not only in private parties today but they have to work as well this morning. and you know what, we can't wait. we're so excited about it. and you guys have been doing lisa turner is part of the crew. and there's a lot that you guys do for charity throughout the year. so it's not just gasparilla. >> yes, our charity is kicking for kids. it's our crew. and we also sponsor the humane society with our cutest dog pirate contest. and we have latin nights. we do several charity events throughout the year. >> reporter: amazing. and there's a lot going on. it all starts tonight. and i want you to look at the screen because the first event, the pre-invasion celebration, that starts at 6:00 at curtis hixon water front park. there's going to be music and food and you will need tickets to get into that. and on saturday, the str

news channel 8's lindsey mastis is joining us live in the morning alert center. a couple gas stations are getting a lot of attention for their prices. >> reporter: that's right. you know, it's all over social media and it's one of the trending stories on our michigan got into a price war. getting hundreds of comments on this one but you got to see it to believe it. take a look at the screen. wow. look at that, 47 cents is the lowest price that it got down to. and of course there was a long line of cars that were lined up just to get this gas. and of course, it didn't last long. the prices are back to normal now. good things must come to an end, right? the u.s. average according to aaa is 89. here in tampa, a bit more, $1.85. in sarasota, $1.88. and the lowest i found is at the mystic in plant city, it's at $1.68. not bad. and one reason we are seeing lower prices right now is because of the iranian nuclear deal. it went into effect over the and if you want to find the cheapest gas in your area, head to wfla.com and click on gas prices in the news section. gayle -

news channel 8's lindsey mastis joins us at amalie arena. what's it like? >> reporter: you know what, like you said, there's a lot of and yes, i am fitting in really well here right now. and they somehow managed to talk me into a mini bike race. good. they have been falling down all morning some i'm handing my microphone over. >> here we go, around the ring one. and they're going around ring one. she is cheating. all right! lindsay! , okay, here's your mic back. >> so i might have cheated just a little bit but they couldn't stay on their bikes. so there's a lot of goofing off at the circus ask a lot of serious acts as well. >> real serious act? woo, woo! >> reporter: tell me about the acts that people don't get a chance to see anywhere else. >> we have awesome acts this year that are brand new. we have the china acrobatic troop and they ride amazing and off of and stack up to a 20 high pyramid on two bikes. >> reporter: much better than we were doing. >> a lot more talented. >> reporter: ask the kids can come early as well and get a chance to meet you guys,