a big benefit for us locally, usps officials say the weather hasn't been an issue. " i would say, if it's out for delivery, if we've received it and it's out for delivery, they can expect delivery. if we receive it, we'll deliver it. " mail carriers have been delivering all packages seven days a week since late november. they've been delivering just amazon packages seven days a week since january 1st. officials at the northeast side post office say ey even had one pososl employoy agree to carry mail on christmas. he'll try to get families those packages that santa back to you guys in the studio. live in cedar rapids this morning. thanks a lot, forrest. many are celebrating a holiday light display at summit pointe senior living in marion. it's all for one man -- russell schmidt. after he came up with the idea last year, staff members at the facility say russell wasn't sure if he'd still be around to see the big reveal this year. but kcrg-tv9's jill kaarie shows u uthat he is, and he couldn't be more thrilled to see the project come to life. "3:02:41 hey dad, hello there. hello hello!"

usps says today is going to the of the year. the agency expects to handle 30 million items today alone, and 15 billion pieces of mail for the entire season. and if you haven't shipped those presents yet... don't worry, you still have time to get your presents to your loved ones by christmas... but only if you use priority mail today wednsday. still ahead on your news at noon... it's the gift that keeps on giving... the mayor of johnston is issuing a new challenge to the city's residents. what she's asking for this holiday season. and today marks the first day of winter... even though it doesn't feel like it for most of us, why many businesses are feeling the cold, harsh impact on but don't let that fool you. with just four days before christmas...many businesses are saying they are scrambling to make up for slower sales this holiday season, due in large part to unusually warm fall weather. ron mott has more. winter is just a day away and .. largely .. nowhere in sight. last year this time we were all digging out of a lot of snow

it's especially bad now, because usps expects to handle 15% more packages this holiday season than it last year. >> it's 8:00 sometimes at night that they're delivering the mail, so what's challenging, if we don't get it right away, we have people going around to the mailbox and stealing mail. >> reporter: customers notice carriers are working longer hours, careless with packages. >> because they're so busy, our mail person we caught them throwing our packages on to our door steps that said fragile. >> reporter: the problem got so bad local congressman de sone wrote a letter to the general, it reads in part due to the volume and concentration of these problems, i respectfully request your assistance in ensuring the service area of the usps improve reliable mail delivery in my district. the postal service says it's working to hire more carriers. in the meantime, not all the kids got their gifts in time. >> the kids' ornaments didn't come in the mail, so, um, the adults got to hang their ornaments but the children are going to have to wait until they come. >> reporter: in walnut creek,

now, overall, the usps is expecting to pass out some 15.5 billion packages, cards, letters, and other parcels this holiday, a loft them coming from amazon, as we are seeing out here, rule lala, best buy, open now some 600 million packages set for delivery between thanksgiving and new years eve this year. that's more than 10% higher than this time last year, and to help get all of this out the door and to you the usps has hired some 30,000 seasonal workers. looking at the activity, i want to bring in ray from the post office and ask you, ray, this is what you are seeing right now, bit of controlled chaos, is that right. >> yes, this is organized chaos. you will see this going on in post offices all over the country today. today we expect this to be our busiest delivery day. we're probably going to deliver about 30 million packages like that all across the country today. >> as we're just in here right now looking based on what we're seeing on the floor here, lot of boxes from amazon. >> lot of boxes from amazon, as well as some other mailers, and we've been taking out parcels and packag

local 5's ryan davidson takes us inside usps operations. sabrina: next.... new details on the role of the federal government and the san " you're watching and thanks for local 5 news sabrina ahmed. sabrina: in your national headlines this morning-- sabrina: national security has been a top issue for weeks now. this morning, president obama headed to the pentagon for a meeting on the campaign against isis as we learn government lapses opened the door for one of those san bernardino killers to enter the country. is here with that. " in london this officials tell abc news they have credible intelligence reports that isis leaders want a paris-like attack here timed to christmas. in geneva over the weekend, police arrested two syrian men on suspicion of the "manufacture or transport of explosives or toxic gases," as an urgent four other suspected terrorists. and in california, this morning, the fbi is not saying what if anything it found in its now completed search of this san bernardino investigating if more attacks could be coming in the us. immigration year fr

the usps would not comment on larnie's workers' comp denial.years the postal service received more workers' comp cases and paid more claims than any other federal agency, nearly $11 billion in the past decade. that's $8.6 billion more than the next closest agency. it shows in the same time period, the office of workers' comp denied just 13% of all federal employee compensation claims. larnie's attorneys are baffled that sam's death is not among the majority of cases approved. >> it seems to me in some ways that the judge is looking for a means to deny the case rather than considering the common-sense facts of what happened. >> reporter: she won the fight to change the 911 policy after her husband died. not expecting this new battle over benefits. >> the fight isn't over until we find justice for his death. >> we have some good news to report this morning. a new development following our investigation that airs monday night. the department of labor appears to be changing its stance in larnie's case. we plan to have a follow-up story for you this

onday, the usps says they had their busiest day of the year. mail carriers were expected to deliver 30 million packages to people in the unid states. the usps estimated they deliver 15 billili packages by thth end of the year. officials estimated more online shopping prompted a 15 percent boost in package deliveri compared to last year. a big benefit for us locally, the weather hasn't been an issue. " i would say, if it's out for delivery, if we've received it and it's out for delivery, they can expect delivery. if we receive it, we'll deliver it. " mail carriers have been delivering all packages seven days a week since late november. they've been delivering just amazon packages seven days a week since january 1st. officials at the northeast side post office say they even had one postal employee agree to carry mail on christmas. he'll try to get families those packages that santa couldn't get to. back to you guys in the studio. live in cedar rapids this morning. thanks a lot, forrest. many are celebrating a holiday light display at summit point

other services do that, too, but wile just talk about usps today. >> of course we don't have this problem with rudolph and the reinde reindeer. everything that the post office doesn't deliver they'll get there on time, of course, when you wake up christmas morning. >> absolutely. >> thank you. jenna? >>> you know you have to register your car, but how about your drone? the faa unveiling some new rules for unmanned aircraft just in time for christmas. "the fine al 30" next. >>> time for the final 30 now. a new faa rule requires drone owners to register their unmanned aircraft before a deadline of february next year. it applies to all drones weighing half a pound to 55 pounds. if you bought a christmas gift in that range, you have to tell whoever you're giving it to they need to register with the government. merry christmas. >> or maybe just have the drone deliver the present. >> there you go. >> well, thank you for having me and thank you for joining us. >> thank you. nice to have you, eric. have a great day. "the real story" starts right now. >>> big fox news alert breaking right now, the

this year, the usps expects to deliver more than 15 billion pieces of mail, a 10.5 percent increase over last year. jack: with christmas coming up next week, communities are getting into the giving spirit. jack: "we will serve over 400 kids through our christmas distrubution very very generous and to be hand made on top of it you just can't get things like that this is part of a donation drive in waukee that's run by waukee christian services the program allows families to sign up for one food box and one gift box. and these hand crafted toys are donated by the waukee wood workers association. stephanie/wxcdl: jack/wxcdl local 5 meteorologist james peterson is here now... james:wxcdl ( local 5 weather is coming up next. workers association. stephanie/wxcdl: jack/wxcdl local 5 meteorologist james peterson is here now... james:wxcdl ( local 5 weather is coming up next. james:wxcdl ( local 5 weather is james: let's take a look at we are iowa's most accurate forecast. james/wxwall: weather adlib: since saturday, many places have seen at least 2 to 3 inches of rain, but a few reports have com

"amanda intro: 22:02 it doesn't matter if packages are being delivered by ups, fed ex, usps, each package is an opportunity for a thief. follow a delivery truck around during the holidays... and you'll see the delivery workers do a mad dash at every stop... one drop off after another. sgt. bryan 11:16 the theives know people will be ordering a lot, delivered to their hous on their front doorstop. police say all these packages out in the targets for people who are willing to break the law. sgt. bryan 11:39 they find a truck and start following it around. jim o'hare 16:44 we know from the past, they find trucks. follow them around and steal parcels off of porches. jim ohare is the postal inspector for des moines. he says package theives don't strike often but they have noticed an increase in the last 2-3 years. jim 15:35 if you're home and you have the ability to get the package off th edoorstep as soon as possible that's always adviseable. otherwise you should consider having a neighbor pick it up for you. or have it delivered to a friend or relative's house. if you do have a package that

the usps deadline to get your gift to the doorstep tomorrow has passed. for fedex it's 7:30 p.m. tonight. for the ups it's at 7:00 p.m. a ups store in arlington said if you get there before they close down in 8:00 they will try to get a truck for your package. the cost is in the neighborhood of $30 or more depending on the size of the package. in recent weeks we have shown you incident of people swiping packages off front porches. yesterday we told you about a person who is accused of stealing a package from inside a police station of all places. tonight "7 on your side"'s jennifer donelan found a victim who took matters in hir own hands and is fighting back. >> another package thief. however the victim in this story essentially solved the case herself. >> i feel like i was a police officer. i did the detective work. i should get their paycheck for that day. jennifer: three packages filled of toys for her 2-year-old son were stolen off the porch in d.c. the porch light didn't scare him away. >> he stood on my porch for a while. jen the police came, saw the video and left. she is

brings us more. " amanda intro: it doesn't matter if packages are being delivered by ups, fed ex, usps, each package is an opportunity for a thief. follow a delivery truck around during the holidays... and you'll see the delivery workers do mad dash at every stop... one drop off after another. sgt. bryan the theives know people will be ordering a lot, delivered to a mad dash at every stop... one drop off after another. sgt. bryan the theives know people will be ordering a lot, delivered to their hous on their front doorstop. police say all these packages out in the open are attractive targets for peoplele who are willing to break the law. sgt. bryan they find a truck and start followininit around. jim o'hare we kn from the past, they find trucks. follow them around and steal parcels off of porches. jim ohare is the postal inspector for des moines. he says package theives don't strike often noticed an increase in the last 2-3 years. jim if you're home and you have the ability to get the package off th edoorstep as soon as possible that's always adviseable. otherwise you should consider

the deadline for usps priority mail service is today. their priority mail express service, wednesday. if you prefer ups or fedex, you have until tomorrow to make their second-day air deadline or wednesday for next day delivery service. next, can you shop online and get gifts delivered before christmas? it depends. standard shipping alone won't do it. keep a eye on e-mails from stores offering delivery by christmas deals. it also pays to go prime. amazon prime members get free two-day shipping nationwide and free same-day delivery in certain metro areas. and finally, is it worth swinging by a retail store? the anticipate, yes. this week, brick and mortar stores are posting big sales. in some cases, on their entire inventory. retailers are also keeping their stores open longer. kohl's and walmart stores will be open 24 hours through wednesday and late on christmas eve. and toys "r" us is extending holiday hours until 2 a.m. for the next three days. so why so many deals in the holiday home stretch? >> anywhere from 30 to 40% of what retaile

it's especially bad now because usps expects to handle 15% more packages this holiday season than it did last year. >> looks like 8:00 sometimes at night that they are delivering the mail and so what's challenging is if you don't get your mail right away we have people going around to the mailbox and they are stealing mail. >> reporter: customers noticed carriers are working longer hours causing them to be careless with packages. >> because they are so busy, they are throwing them on the doorsteps. >> reporter: a congressman wrote a letter to the postmaster general. mark desaulnier said due to the volume and concentration of these problems, i respectfully request your assistance in ensuring that the service area the usps improves reliable mail delivery in my district. the post office is working to hire more carriers. not all the kids got their gifts in time. >> it didn't come in the mail so the adults got to hang their ornaments but not the children. >> reporter: in walnut creek, i'm da lin, kpix 5. >>> highway 1 in pacifica open after a head-on crash and fire. around 2:30 this morni

the usps estimates that over 15 billion pieces of mail will be sent this holiday season. >>> well, amazons removing hover boards from its stores pending safety review. several customers have reported their hover boards bursting into flames. they sent a notice to the product's manufacturers that the hover boards meet safety standards. they told nbc news last week that it received at least ten reports of hover board fires. >>> today d.c. mayor muriel bower will announce a new head. she plans to appoint a local business leader as the chair person of the work-force investment council. >>> virginia congressman robert whitman is preparing to run for governor of virginia in 2017. the dwronch said he'll also seek another term next year. ed gillespie is already raising money for the 2017 campaign. attorney general cuccinelli is considering running for governor. >>> we'll see the five signs that could become the world war i memorial on the national mall. the five finalists are in contention right now. you can see them all on display at the wilson building between 9:00 and 5:30 today. >> all right.

postal service says it for its online services. 7 million customers are expected to visit the usps site. stacey: don't forget, toys for tots tuesday is tomorrow. bring a new, unwrapped toy to our studios in downtown des moines from 5am to 7pm. our address is 888 9th street. help make christmas special for a central iowa child in need this year. paris: there's a lot to do on a dairy farm. nobody's gonna do it for you. you have to get out there and do it yourself. bernie sanders is a well-known friend of family farms. bernie cannot be bought out by big money. bernie's opinion cannot be purchased. it's time for our next president to get in there, roll up his sleeves, take off the gloves, and take on wall street, take on big business, take on big money, he's a rock. stacey: breaking news, a former legislative clerk pleads guilty in a white powder scare. mccray admitted to writing a threatening letter and including white powder in the envelope. steve: that letter was opened in 2012 during an active session.

the action cam was at the usps processing plant in belmawr, camden county where extra staff is on handthey have three giant sorting machines that handle 9.6 million pieces of mail over the holiday season. that's 150,000 pieces of mail per sorting machine per day. >>> eagles coach chip kelly is expected to speak to the media in less than an hour after the win yesterday. lesean mccoy was held to 74 yards rushing no touchdowns. eagles beat the bills 23-20. it was clear mccoy was not happy with the loss, he threw his helmet as he approached the locker room after the game. he had nothing to say to the media. eagles are 6-7 and tied for first in washington. eagles wives are hosting a charity fundraising event in center city. all sorts of clothing and accessories are up for sale at milk boy on the 1100 block of chestnut street. the money raised for today's event will benefit vet tri community partnership, and schools. >>> what police in florida say started this fight ended with the trooper and disgruntled driver brawling on the floor. >>> the republican contender that's poised to earn frontru

the burden of proof is on the usps to prove sam wasn't injured at work. the legal back and forth surprised us. and led us to ask just how often workers' comp claims are denied and what do the families of federal workers to prove if a loved one is injured or killed on the job. federal data shows the office of workers' comp only denied 13% of claims in the first decade. it baffled that her claim isn't among those approved. she is appealing, again. to see our full report and the amount of money the government has paid in workers' comp over the past ten years, go to nbcbayarea.com and click on the investigation's tab. guys? >> thanks, vicki. if you have a tip for our investigative unit, give us a call. 1-888-996-tips. >>> embattled former comedian bill cosby now going on the offense when it comes to the drugging and sexual assault allegations against him. the actor and comedian filing a lawsuit against seven women. there are some of the more than 50 who have accused cosby of sexual misconduct dating all the way back to the 1960s. now, cosby is suing claiming

today is the busiest holiday mailing day of the year for the usps. that means, obviously, more people will be dropping off cards, letters, and packages today than any other day of the year. agency recommends sending packages by december 21st for a christmas arrival. more than 15 and a half billion pieces of mail will be sent this holiday season. that's a lot. >> busy day. >>> in today's money report, there are new apps to help you a avoid the popcorn line at the movies. >> sounds good to me. let's check in with bill griffith, hello. >> hi there, hey guys. busy, busy week. weeks of the year for the stock market. right now we're lower, oil prices are a seven-year low below $35 a barrel right now. about the big news will be this week when the fed meets, and they're widely expected to raise interest rates for the first time in nine years, right now you see the dow is down just seven points. sharply lower, now it's coming back. and what would a monday be without a big merger to tell you about? this time in the consumer area, consumer conglomerates rubberm

delivered, by days end, and making this the busiest delivery day for the us post office, now, overall, the usps is prepping to pass out some 15.5 billion with a b billion packages, cards, letters, other parcels this holiday. that tall task did lead them to higher an additional 30,000 seasonal workers, as you mentioned, we do have deadlines for to you remember as you get ready to ship your parcels out on this big day, that big day being december 25th, december 21 is your last day for priority mail, december 23rd is your last day for priority mail express, you still can't cut it controls, but not too close. if you do, you will miss that christmas window. coming up at 5:00 we'll take you inside the post office and show you what this busy day looks like here in depford. erika, back over to you. >> justin, thank you. >>> new this morning, police have a suspect in custody for a deadly shooting in east mt. airy. investigators tell us four men were watching the football game, one pulled out gun and started shooting. one man died at the scene, two others were returned to the hospital. it happened in the

. >>> i got an e-mail saying usps delivered my package at 5: 23. well, it was about 6:00 when i got home and there was no package. it's got mirrors around it . >>> she ordered an antique wine stopper for her dad as a christmas gift. it was stolen in sacramento and . >>> i felt violated. i felt really scared actually because that means somebody took something. if they are willing to do that, what else are they willing to do >> reporter: the police hope the program will not only catch thieves but deter them too. unable to tell which packages . >>> the more that people know likely they are to do it . >> reporter: helping to make sure the gets are there too. sacramento police have not yet released the number of arrests they have made since using those decoy packages . >> anchor: so many the next two weeks. in my lobby packages everywhere. so they are bait for people who want to steal them for sure . >> anchor: makes you unicy, doesn't it? a selfless act. a police department in colorado praise a young boy after what he did when he found something valuab

had the best performances with package volumes up 15% so far this holiday season, better than the usps's 10.5% forecast last month. but all of this is not without hiccups. start-up jet.com, which competes with amazon and costco, has been warning that it can "no longer confidently guarantee delivery" of certain items by christmas. and eddie bauer's customer service line is playing a message that says the retailer has "been informed by fedex" that there are some issues. >> they are behind in processing packages into their system throughout the country. please allow a few more days for your order tracking information to be updated. your order will be delivered as quickly as possible. >> reporter: eddie bauer isn't commenting, but fedex says its network is performing "as designed for forecasted volumes for major customers" and that operations are running around the clock to handle any additional unforeseen demand. chris weatherbee, a transportation analyst, says overall, fedex and u.p.s. seem to be more assertively dictating the terms of service this time around. but as the hours count down

. >>> and in related news, today is the busiest holiday mailing day of the year for the usps, the postal service. that manes more people will be dropping off more cards, letters and packages than any other day of the year. they recommend sending packages by december 21st for christmas arrival, and they estimate more than 15.5 million pieces of mail will be sent this holiday season. >>> all right. 4:43 for you. here's a look at your weather headlines to get you going this morning. soggy start to the week. much-needed rain comes our way but it is not going to be a pleasant day to be out and about especially during the afternoon and evening hours. mostly dry until then. keep the umbrellas handy because we have another round of rain this week. believe it or not, we could see near normal temperatures before the end of the week. but mild air still in place for we have a dense fog advisory in effect. watch visibility in places like farmingdale and islip, trenton and belmar. dense fog advisory in effect through 10:00 a.m. through sections of new jersey. ranging from sussex to morris, somerset, m

they were the first to have a vitamin verified by usp. an independent organization that sets strict quality and purity standards. nature made. the number one pharmacist recommended letter vitamin brand. i'm billy, and i quit smoking with chantix. i don't know that i can put into words how happy i was when i quit. it's like losing some baggage, i don't have to cay it around with menymore. chantix made it possible for me to quit smoking. is proven to help people quit smoking. chantix definitely helped reduce my urge to smoke. some people dad changes in behavior, thinking or momo, hostility, agitataon, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. some had seizures while taking chantix. if you have any of these, stop chantix and call yourrdoctor right away. ll your doctor about any history of mental health problems, which could get worse or of seizures. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you have these, stop chantix and call your ctor right away as some can

there are steps you can take to make the process go faster: (( marilyn wassell / usps "have your packages taped properly, make sure the addresses and zip codes are correct on your mail pieces, if you're going to need any additional services, there are forms in the post office that you can pick up to get those filled out before you get to the front of the line." )) ((denise valdez)) you can also print postage at u-s-p-s dot com... and use click and ship to schedule a free package pickup. there are some upcoming deadlines to make sure your packages arrive by christmas. for priority mail two to three day service, that's december 21-st. and for those last-second mailings... you have until december 23-rd to ship express./// ((dave courvoisier)) > we aren't the only ones who got snow overnight... bountiful, utah received... well, bountiful amounts of the white stuff. residents of the salt lake city suburb woke up to over a foot of snow... forcing many to break out the shovels and snowblowers so they could get to work. some areas received nearly two feet of snow... creating slushy, slippery road

it is the busiest day of the usps says more than 620 million pieces of mail will go through the system today. >>> and with online shopping becoming more and more popular every year, the number of packages is up 50% this year. if you are looking still to send out presents in time for christmas, today is your last chance for priority mail. >>> "the force awakens." the latest chopper in the "star wars" saga set an opening box office record with $238 million in ticket sales in north america alone. sha shatters the previous record set by jurassic world. >>> you are never more than 7 minutes away from weather and traffic. meteorologist bill evans? >> reporter: this morning mild temperatures for this time of the year. especially the last day of fall. the choppers are up, the planes are coming in and the skies are cloudy. that pumps up the moisture. from today on through the rest of the week, temperatures are going to reach record high numbers. so the next seven hours, 42 by 7:00. noon time 51. and we are in the mid-50s today. and today is the coolest day, actually, of the week. low and mid-50

-the deadline for usps priority mail service is today. their priority mail express service...wednesday. -if you prefer ups or fed ex, you have until tomorrow to make their second day air deadline...or wednesday for next-day delivery service. next...can you shop online and get gifts delivered before christmas? it depends. standard shipping alone won't do it. keep an eye on emails from stores offering delivery-by-christmas deals. it also pays to go prime. amazon prime members get free two-day shipping nationwide...and free same-day delivery in certain metro areas. and finally...is it worth swinging by a retail store? the answer: yes. this week, brick-and-mortar stores are posting big sales. on their entire inventory. retailers are also keeping their doors open longer. kohl's and wal-mart stores will be open 24 hours through wednesday, nd late on christmas eve. and toys r us is extending holiday hours until 2am for the next three days. why so many deals in the holiday homestretch? federation 16;57;35;10anywhere from 30-40 percent of what ret

they were the first to have a product verified by usp. an independent organization that sets strict quality and purity standards. nature made. the number one pharmacist recommended fish oil brand. only kraft natural cheese has a touch of philadelphia cream cheese, so whatever you make, is creamier than ever. the flu virus hits big. with aches, chills, and fever, there's no such thing as a little flu. and it needs a big solution: an antiviral. call your doctor right away and up the ante with antiviral tamiflu. prescription tamiflu is an antiviral that attacks the flu virus at its source and helps stop it from spreading in the body. tamiflu is fda approved to treat the flu in people two weeks of age and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu, tell your doctor if you're pregnant, nursing, have serious health conditions, or take other medicines. if you develop an allergic reaction, a severe rash, or signs of unusual behavior, stop taking tamiflu and call your doctor immediately. children and adolescen

you can request a package pickup using the usps website. that's a good trick. excellent. much more ahead in our next half hour. a man accused of having sexual contact with more than a dozen teenagers. details ahead in a live report. new details about a deadly hit and run crash involving a >>> this is breaking news from channel 7 eyewitness news. >>> we continue to follow breaking news. all los angeles public schools are closed today following an e- mailed threat. we just learned that an ip address linked to the e-mail threat came from frankfort germany, and it was sent to an l. a. school board member. the schools were closed out of an abundance of caution. >> some of the details talked about backpacks, talked about other packages. i made a decision to close all of the schools. >> authorities plan to search all school buildings by the end of the day. i'm michelle charlesworth in for shirleen allicot. >> i'm david novarro. hello again. as we told you earlier new york city officials received the investigators considered it a hoax and all schools here in the five boroughs rem

today is the deadline for priority mail through usps. and for a last ditch effort. -- last ditch effort you can , still send priority mail express for things like cards and letters on wednesday and get it delivered on christmas eve. fed-ex will continue to take christmas packages even on christmas day and christmas eve , but you can expect to pay significantly more to get it delivered on time. as for ups wednesday is the last day to send off christmas day deliveries. elizabeth: going to be some long lines. we will head over to metinka. if you're headed out early, maybe and number love. metinka: that is a good idea -- maybe an umbrella. here in des moines, we are on the back edge of it. getting a little bit of drizzle and light rain, so the sash -- so the roads are still wet. we have cooler air moving in today. highs near close to 40 degrees. a little bit chillier than yesterday's 54. the rain today is tracking up to the northeast. there may be a stray flurry or two. this is not a major system. this is just a cold front moving through the

brings us more. " amanda intro: it doesn't matter if packages are being delivered by ups, fed ex, usps, each package is an opportunity for a thief. follow a delivery truck around during the holidays... and you'll see the delivery workers do a mad dash at every stop... one drop off after another. sgt. bryan the theives know people will be ordering a lot, delivered to their hous on their front doororop. police sayayll these packages oututn the open are attractive targets for peopop who are willing to break the law. sgt. bryan they find a truck and start following it around. jim o'hare we know from the past, they find trucks. follow them around and steal parcels off of porches. jim ohare is the postal inspector for des moines. he says package theives don't strike often but they have noticed an increase in the last 2-3 years. jim if you're home and you have the ability to get the package off th as possible that's always adviseable. otherwise you should consider having a neighbor pick it up for you. or have it delivered to a friend or relative's house. if you do have a package that goes mis

. >>> working overtime to ensure people got their packages on time, the usps employees delivered delayedetters and packages yesterday morning. about 20 postal employees volunteered to be away from their families to come in to work and play santa. despite the holidays, the employees we spoke with didn't mind being at work. >> you volunteered to work today? >> i did. >> why? >> because i'm the real santa claus. well, i just figured that i'd put in the extra service and i guess because everyone else probably has family and stuff, too, to be with. so i figured i'd lay in the hand. >> my christmas celebration went into the evening so for that i volunteered after my family celebration. that way, people who have kids and family can celebrate all day with them. >> i'm a newbie on the list. maybe they can help me out in the future. >> by the way, the post office delivers express mail packages every single day of the year, including christmas. >>> now to a san mateo couple using their home to raise thousands of dollars for children with cancer. charles and connie wright turned their front yard int

usps officials say today is the busiest mailing day of the year officials recommend sending pack packages by december 21st for christmas arrival and estimate over 15.5 billion pieces of mail will be sent this holiday season. >>> a warning today about the dangers of putting young children in car seat while they are wearing their winter jackets. crash tests at 30 miles per hour show us just how dangerous it can be. in one test you see the child dummy goes flying out of the seat with the jacket sliding right off. an expert says the harness should fit nice and tight to the child's body and should be at armpit level and if you're worried about the child being cold lay the coat over them after the harness is already buckled. >>> you've hearded about the dangers of not getting enough getting too much sleep could also be bad for you. new research from australia shows that sleeping more than nine hours could put you at risk for premature death. the study says people who spend most their days sleeping and likely to die young. experts recommend between seven and nine hours of sleep a day. >>> and st