steve ohnesorge has done thorough coverage whether they were going to tear down the building. they are in the newer part of the section slate forward demolition was the oldest part of the build, built in 1917. we'll bring you updates whether we get crews to the scene. >> john: more breaking news covering for you out of huntersville. firefighters remaining on the scene of a major house fire. this was the scene on devonshire drive at 2:30 this morning. no one was in the home at the time of the fire. one person ran to the scene to see if they could help, was treated for smoke inhalation, the home being reason oh renovated. charlotte-mecklenb charlotte-mecklenb urg school board members will vote on student assignment goals tomorrow but first hearing from parents about the issue. ashton pellom is live in charlotte with more or this so ashton, what are parents saying about student assignment? >> reporter: good morning, christine. many parents agree that they want diversity in schools but it that is where some parents disagree. cms hilled two forums yesterday, one at johnson c. smith

wbtv's steve ohnesorge went up to the high country and they prepare for some of the coldest temperatures they have seen this year. >> looking at scenes like this can make one shiver. try having to get around on foot in it. >> it's miserable. >> wind-chills barely got to 0. >> not fun. >> in boone students struggled to get to class trying to think warm thoughts. >> summer. >> while there was snow falling it was light just wind blown. drivers who stuck to the main some side roads were covered but most were passable. it has made for some spectacular scenery from the water wheel in boone to the mill pond falls in banner elk. pillars and icicles. >> there is beautiful sites here. >> but dangerous, too when it's this cold. many told me they have had enough. >> actually ready to go back to alabama and go fishing. >> because around here there's no fishing without breaking through the ice first. as cold and snowy as it's been, it's going to get worse. this weekend. what was that ground-hog thinking? early spring? in boone, steve ohnesorge wbtv on your side. >> accepted us your picture send us you

steve ohnesorge's report there with major, major problems. and it was that combination of sleet and freezing rain. but back to what is happening. if you are thinking about he had hadding out and you live around charlotte-mecklenburg area rethink that. we have the light freezing rain all the way down into indian trail, waxhaw and monroe and rolling over some of the same areas in concorde and rowan county. will see that we have the patchy freezing rain not as concentrated as i-85. and into the mountains. look at this. this is crazy. almost 40 right now on top of beech mountain. meanwhile we have areas as cold as 29 in fleetwood. and i've seen areas 21 and warm as 48 in watauga county. wow! what a rollercoaster right now. in boone, 34. but look at this. it's going to be tough eroding this subfreezing air. i cannot find a temperature yet in the piedmont of north carolina or south carolina that has got enabove freezing. it is a waiting game. waiting for the warm air in south carolina to get here. and change us over to plain rain. you will see the

wbtv's steve ohnesorge is there with the story. >> it began with a loud crash... just after 4 the walls of the old high school started coming down. >> cannot believe it's and haing. >> mark robinson went to school here. but all the legal battles and efforts to save the old hildebrand high school building went up in the fire. damage so severe it cannot be saved. >> it's part of me. >> to the people who live loved the place a toughening to a good memory. and now the question is how did the fire start. and that was a topic for local folks. >> you really want to find out >> fire crews put out the hotspots preparing the way for investigators to find answers h fire marshal will be with them. >> we are going to do everything possible. >> just feet from the fire scene at town hall officials loading files and computers into cars and their offices have smoke damage and hour is out. and we got word that for as long as the town of hildebrand cannot use the town hall it will setup temporary quarters at the western piedmont council of government's office in longview. investigat

in hickory steve ohnesorge wbtv on your side. >> that is the greatest story. do you walk with a helmet until june? another place but there is not much anyone can do but be careful and protect themselves. >> state university spent $500,000 promoting the bond and experts say that may be illegal. at 6:00 we are asking tough questions of state leaders. on wbtv news is sponsored by... >> announcer: wbtv on your side. wbtv news starts right now. >> now, at 6:00 a 14-year-old is we ask how children are getting her their hands on weapons? >> first an investigation is shining a spotlight on state money used to promote the bond. >> i'm wondering if you can tell me why it was appropriate for you to use public money advocating for the bond. >> we are asking whether state community colleges violated state law. i'm maureen o'boyle. >> i'm jamie boll in for paul cameron. we started asking questions after learning state colleges contributes more than half a million dollars to the political committee supporting the bond. investigative reporter nick ochsner found state leaders

in avery county, steve ohnesorge >> pretty scenes but dangerous. and eric will have the complete forecast and the chances for winter weather in charlotte next week. >> now, at 6:00 the charlotte-mecklenburg school board seems divided after a contentious vote in a 6-3 decision they voted to keep superintendent ann clark on the job until next summer and start a superintendent search immediately. the first vote taken concerning clark was along racial lines. our dedrick russell is live. what is the aftermath? can the board members work together going forward? >> that is the hope but the school board chairperson said that is going to be toughment the day after the vote concerning clark many told board members great job in extending clark's contract and others told board members they were upset by it. so while some in the community cope with another year of clark all over again how to work together. >> school board chairperson mary mcrae says the vote was not intended to be divisive but 6-3 in favor of extending ann clark's contract for three months only

in avery county, steve ohnesorge wbtv on your side. >> thank you. you can track the cold temperatures and snow with the first-alert weather team download the wbtv weather app it is free and has an hour-by-hour forecast and interactive radar. >> it was a disappointing end to a winning season. and carolina panthers quarterback cam newton did not hide his disappointment over super bowl 50 he walked away from the cameras and reporters but today there was no walking away. brody o'connell joining us live now at bank of america stadium. that is where he talked to did cam apologize for how he acted? >> the short answer to that is no. in fact we heard from an apologetic cam newton he went so far as to tell reporters he is a sore loser. you show me a good loser and i will show you a loser. he has been criticized for his behavior after the super bowl. walking out during his press conference. and cam said today during the interview with reporters the nfl is not a popularity contest he is on the field to win games. >> i'm here to win football games. and for this

and wbtv's steve ohnesorge has this story and all the twists and turnpikes. >> when james thacker went charge he looked stunned staring down and shaking his head. >> he was devastated. >> the attorney told me why a few minutes later, thacker had just learned the victim died. >> he just found out literally minutes before he walked into the courtroom. >> we wondered how that could be if he had been served with a murder warrant he should have known tammy was dead. >> nobody told him before? >> no. >> authorities told us he had been charged with murder since he was behind bars paperwork would have been served there but did that happen? we asked the jail and we were told they did not see any paperwork in their files and asked the clerk's office and they had no paperwork, either so we asked the district attorney's office and they discovered that no murder warrant had ever been issued. thacker went before a judge on a murdr charge before he had been charged with murder. the wrong paperwork a summons had been issued. murder case. error this warrant was drawn up and served and thacker went back

pits says he feels safer tonight and talked with steve ohnesorge about what happened. >> 71-year-old tony pits says this to anyone who wants to break into his home. >> don't try this house. >> last night in the middle of the ice storm someone did break in. smashing right through the sliding glass door. i got up with the gun and he was standing in the kitchen. and i started shooting. >> did you say anything before you fired? >> no. he fired three shots and hit the intruder twice and the man limped outside and took off. he turned up at this club down the road asking for help. tony's friends applaud his actions. the man who was shot is hospitalized no charges yet but if he recovers there could be. authorities are still looking into everything. >> police tell me the results of their investigation will be turned over to the district attorney's office. officials there will decide whether the homeowner is in trouble. tony says he has been broken into before and says he used his gun this time because he was afraid. >> if i had not had one he would probably kill me. >> if there is another bre

wbtv's steve ohnesorge is on know. >> not much snowfalling today. a few flurries here and there sunshine. but that did not make things warmer. it was bitterly cold. and it's going to get worse this weekend. with a big holiday weekend on the way. people on the slopes today said the powder was everything they wanted. >> doesn't get any better. >> and it comes just as what could be the biggest tourist weekend of the year is upon us. up here. >> we should, yeah. >> but they will be here when the temperatures are in a well below zero. skiers will be warned about it. the guys who know say hats, goggles and gloves and something to cover your face will be >> do not leave anything exed to the wind. >> if you take the precautions it should not be a problem and with conditions the best all season on the slopes right now, a lot of people will be coming up here. in watauga county, steve ohnesorge wbtv on your side. >> all right thank you. right now live to the alert center. alex giles following a developing story an accident involving a school bus. >> yes, an ac

in -- rubble. >> steve ohnesorge wbtv on your side. >> and we have created a slide show of images from that fire. can you view them now on wbtv.com. >> right now at least one person is dead after this logging truck crash in gaston county. highway 321 around 1:00 p.m. this is ferguson ridge drive. no word yet on what may have led to the crash. the highway patrol is investigating. >> and police say a man armed with a knife robbed two convenience stores and now asking for your help to track him down. you can see the man's face. police say the two robberies happened on garrison boulevard. this man robbed the express mart saturday and the family dollar on sunday. if you recognize him call gastonia police. >> right now a man is on the run after police say he kidnapped a high school student in east charlotte. police say a 16-year-old east mecklenberg county high student was walked to school when a man pulled up with a gun and told him to get in. >> here son has two choices. >> the first instinct was he [inaudible] >> wbtv's christian flores is live with reaction from neighbors and must have b

steve ohnesorge has that story from hickory. >> you got to feel for four-year-old bryson. >> nasty cough and run any ross noses are horrible. >> in hickory with trees in full bloom and all that other stuff coming out, well... >> sometimes i'm miserable. >> allergy specialist is seeing a lot of patients and weeks before the normal rush period. >> we have pollen counts as early as a month ago. >> the big three is hitting hard, the pollen and the grasses and the mold, the trifecta of trouble and because it's so early here is the bad news about >> we will have a longer season than normal. >> the doctor says try over-the-counter stuff first. pharmacist says there is all kinds but read the warnings. some will make you sleepy and give you dry eyes and more. >> it can affect people different ways. >> absolutely. >> and because you never suffered before does not mean you will escape this year. >> the doctor says our bodies are always changing and the longer we live the more we are exposed to all the allergens. do not we surprised if one year you're allergy-free and the next year you have trouble

wbtv's steve ohnesorge has more now at 5:00 p.m. >> at sugar mountain there is a crowd of skiers already many just arriving for a long holiday on the slopes. >> oh, yeah. that is what we are here for. >> there's almost 9 feet of snow. >> we got a big weekend ahead. >> and not just for the resorts. in blowing rock local shops are gearing up for it, too. >> friday, saturday and sunday should be good. >> after last december they have catching up to do. and willard thinks this is the weekend they will do it. >> like christmas is coming in february. >> they've got the cold weather and the snow and most important roads are clear that means people can get here for now. >> but if there is a major on monday that could cut into the number of people driving up from charlotte, hickory, morganton. but officials say they have a crowd here and the diehard skiers, they will still find a way to get here. that found that out last month when a foot of snow fell. >> people were careful and got here. >> road crews are ready they are not worried. as for skiers, the biggest challenge might be the cold. but the

steve ohnesorge has more now from avery county. >> in avery county when a winter day gets like this, you got to keep the feet moving. those outside who had to be like winter might bring. >> not so fast. this weather is ok, he thinks. >> it's not bad. >> it's bringing tourists up and they can get around. main highways are good. side roads depends. >> there are places that are slicker than others. >> trucks are spreading a lot of salt they know the drill. highway crews will have to keep working through the night because there's so much wind when they get a section cleared the snow blows right back over it. and with the temperatures below freezing, they are concerned that things will ice up to tonight. take it slow. and should get where you are meanwhile, folks are out clearing parking lots and other areas and sunshine is expected this weekend. >> it can be either way. >> the weather can change quickly up here. >> price of the mountain, yep. >> the real weather wildcard, march, just a few days away. in avery county, steve ohnesorge wbtv on your side. >> well, right now people in the hig

in catawba county, steve ohnesorge wbtv on your side. >> thank you. north of charlotte rowan county had two rounds of severe weather today and left a lot of damage and power outages. david whisenant has been traveling the county today. and he got to a new location seeing some damage up close and personal. where are you? >> jamie, i am in white oak acres off 85 and web road in rowan county. happened. this tree came tumbling down and inside they were in a room that is right under where the tree came down. they were not hurt. it did knock pictures off the wall and put cracks in the ceiling. and the owner of the home is an avid hunter and has deer heads on the wall couple fell down. and this is the most recent example of damage and more when a storm came through at 1:00 p.m. this huge tree came tumble belling down on long ferry road pulling downpour poles and a mess of lines. it knocked out power to a large part of spencer including the restaurant. >> we were in the middle of lunch and the power went out and customers in here. but everything is ok. and we

in catawba county, steve ohnesorge wbtv on your side. died deed ra traveled to flea markets. if anyone has information about that or anything else to call the catawba county sheriff's office they are asking for your help. >> right now this couple is now charged with murder in albemarle. we were there when one of the suspects admitted to killing a man. the duo tony hearne and lindsey lentz were arrested after they were trying to dump a body in alexander county an hour-and-a-half drive away. hearne said that he killed his uncle robert hearne, jr. in self-defense. they are both in jail. >> right now let's get over to alex giles live in the alert center with an alert from the f.b.i. about a bank robber wanted. >> an interesting case. look at the images we have gotten of the man police are sending out asking us to watch out for him. he robbed banks in raleigh, greensboro and knoxville and traveled throughout the carolinas. he is 6'2" or 6'3" and has a mole on a cheek. he has used vehicles some of one of them a black chevy trail blazer. keep an eye out if you see him let officers k

steve ohnesorge was in court and spoke with the sister of one of hewitt's alleged victims that story is new at 5:00. accused of three counts of first degree murder. five years ago when he was arrested he told me he was innocent. >> did you kill those people? >> no, i did not, sir. >> the murders happened four people shot and three died u i want justice for all three. >> beverly's sister was among the victims and beverly was in court today as the defense argued that the state failed to turnover all evidence in a timely fashion and the judge agreed and says it was not enough to throw out the case and we learned a plea deal was offered to hewitt second degree murder. >> i wish he would take the plea deal so we do not have to relive this nightmare. >> he said no. still maintaining his innocence. just as he has since that day he was charged. >> you did not do any of this? >> no, sir. >> his rejection of the deal means the death penalty is on the table if he is convicted. no matter what happens here, justice will be served. judgment some day. and it's god. >> his judgment in here gets unde

they may have never known about steve ohnesorge spoke with the man who called investigators he is on your side with new information on the case. >> toney hern was not talking as he went to court. lyndsay was silent, too. the sheriff thinks it was luck they were caught or maybe the lord stepping in. >> like he was leading the officers. >> a passerby, a former deputy, spotted this car in the woods yesterday. >> i did not seem right. >> he call to do in. >> the old cop in me. >> when deputies found them and the body of robert hern covered in leaves, brds and tires. tony told me he was trying to hide the body that he killed the man his uncle in self-defense. >> i never wanted to fight my uncle but he came in and came at me with his knife. >> hern says there was a struggle he had no choice. >> he was choking me and i was choking him. >> he survived and his uncle didn't but something is not you think if there was a fight to the death there would be evidence besides the statements from the subject, scratching and bruising something? these photos i took yesterday and today show none of that

in catawba county, steve ohnesorge wbtv on your side. >> thank you. as deputies try to pinpoint what happened one lesson is clear they say never have your wallet or purse in a spot where a stranger can grab it or take what is inside. >> new information in a deadly crash in west charlotte one of the drivers involved is now charged. the crash happened this month at billy graham and boyar street. jessica costa ran a red light and hit a pickup truck killing the driver. costa is charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle and turned herself into the mecklenberg county sheriffs office over the weekend. >>> let's see if we have trouble spots on the roadways. and i can see there is a backup. tonya rivens has the details. >> independence boulevard that is where we continue to see congestion and problems. your first alert traffic is this is kind of different by the wal-mart there on independence boulevard and a lot of volume building. we had the problem at actually by pierson and eastway and independence. albemarle road where this exit is off of independence but

wbtv steve ohnesorge talked to one of the heros and the story is new at 5:00. been around the world taking care of business. >> wherever they are needed that is where they will be. >> sunday afternoon they did not have to go far. >> i know everyone has everybody's back. >> this time a young girl in trouble walking up gold avenue in kings mountain when a man grabbed her and groped her across the street the local guard unit was in weekend drill and they heard the girl shouting. >> and help me, help me. >> a passerby called police and soldiers yelled at the suspect and spotted two guardsmen going to help. >> they was coming across the road. >> the suspect let go. girl and they grabbed him and the man apologized. >> he admitted he was guilty of what happened. >> 19-year-old kyle moore was charged with sexual assault and battery. mary says it is a good thing the soldiers were there. >> think if they had not seen him? >> they were being good citizens. what happened until i told them. officials in raleigh are not sure if this is a recruiting tool but they want everyon

wbtv's steve ohnesorge has the story now from catawba county. >> sam noticed what is happen togas prices. >> yes, i have. >> john says it's jolted a dime. >> they have gone up a lot the last week. >> along the stretch of 321 in catawba county, the prices in the upper 50s are in the 160s' and higher elsewhere. >> disappointed. it was fun. to have cheap gas for a while. >> many are wondering why it's happening with the crude oil prices so low and a glut of it on the market. but there is not a glut of gasoline. refinery space is limited. and this time of year they the systems and switch to summer blends and during that period at the beginning of spring gas prices will go up. 10 to 15 cents agallon in this area is possible. >> not good news for roy wallace. >> i drive 200-300 miles a day. >> everyone who puts miles in will feel the effects. a few cents can make a difference. >> oh, yeah. >> it's still $2 cheaper than three years ago. and danny browning has other plans for the money. >> stay at home. got a daughter getting married. >> always the chance prices will come back down. but no guara

wbtv's steve ohnesorge is on your side with what you need to know to protect your family against the mumps virus. >> april is taking no chances with her son interest we know what to look for and we saw the doctor. >> ashton has been vaccinated and should be ok. most every who takes precautions should be, too. >> people should not panic. >> this morning lincoln county health officials thought it was a case of mumps but test results said no. officials in lincoln county were not waiting for the test results to take action that patient had been isolated and those around that person had been contacted. it is good that the tests came back negative. but this is the type of protocol they will follow whenever there they have alerted doctors that nearby counties have had cases and urge folks with a fever and swollen glands to seek out. do not go to schools, stores anywhere there is a crowd. and community health manager says there is other things you can do. >> wash your hands. cover your cough. stay in, if you are sick. >> the best is vaccination and not everyone needs to face the needle not i

one of the suspects confessed to steve ohnesorge and explained what he says led to it all. steve joins us live now with more. so, steve, is this murder have they been charged? >> well, i'm hearing from the sheriff now that there have been charges of murder that have been filed. and also charges of burying a body. but at this point, the investigation is far from over. there is a lot that they are trying to learn. now, tony hern, the one of the suspects in the case told me that this was all a case of self-defense. that his uncle came into where he was living last night and said his uncle was drugged up or drunk and then came at him with a knife and that is when everything happened. and he had no choice but to defend himself. they choked each other until they were both unconscious and when his uncle was expired and he came up here to alexander county to hide the body. picking the wrong place and wrong time. a passerby spotted the vehicle and called deputies and they came out and found tony and a woman here and they found the body. now, the two are charged and this is what tony

in hildebrand, steve ohnesorge wbtv on your side. >> thank you. let's check in with our tonya rivens for the first time this afternoon she is watching the roads. >> good afternoon. your first alert traffic is sponsored by people's bank. have an injury accident by old statesville in the median at exit 23. traffic is moving along nicely in that area. no delays. but statesville road is a great alternate route. as we look around the area, a little bit of traffic i-77 northbound. some building on statesville northbound as well and one additional accident. this is on sam furr road close to statesville road. statesville road is a great alternate route. >> thank you. you know sometime it is can take a lot of motivation to get yourself to workout. >> and that is the idea behind the wine workout. we are going to explain the next. >> not a fan of exercising? well, here is a workout that just about anyone could get onboard with. >> called the wine workout. april story posted this exercise video to her facebook page the california mom has seen a lot of respons

in hickory, steve ohnesorge wbtv on your side. >> thank you. investigators in raleigh called on the help of an artist to identify a body. nine months ago a man was found dead in the woods. police had an artist create this bust of what the man looked like they are hoping someone will recognize him and come forward. >>> back to our alert center where alex giles is live working >> you said that correct rock slide. take a look this is from twitter. look at that picture that is highway 19 east at the tennessee-north carolina state line. the rocks completely across the road and someone pulled off to stop because they could not drive over and take a picture. the cbs affiliate is report to go happened this afternoon and was about 20 feet high both lanes are closed. the dot says the slide was caused by freezing water that thawed and caused the rocks to move. amazing stuff back to you. >> thank you. >> mix of snow and ice causing problems for drivers in much of the northeast. look at those spinningires this is video of cars stuck in rochester new york. i

in catawba county, steve ohnesorge wbtv on your side. >> and leaders in mecklenberg county have been focused on making sure the roads from ready for freezing rain. pamela escobar joins us live. give us an update on the conditions you are seeing. >> i put my hood up it's been i'm on 277. and so are ncdot crews monitoring and seeing how traffic is responding to the roads because with freezing rains it can get tricky. >> in charlotte we have not seen a ton of freezing rain but with the prolonged cold we have had over the last few days, that is what is the ground is cold and that is what is concerning. they prepped for the storm by laying 68,000 gallons of salt brine. and parked in kilo indications near exit ramps and offense passes to see if icey patches development most of this day has been spent watching. crews started their days around this morning around 3:00 a.m. i'm told as the temperature increases some of them will be sent home because the potential for ice decreases. that is what they have been coming up at 5:00 p.m. city see what the city has been doing all day. >> that temper

wbtv's steve ohnesorge talked to sullivan's father. >> ever since justin sullivan was arrested on the federal charges involving isis local authorities suspected that he was involved in the murder of his neighbor whose body was that murder scene in december 2014 is three doors down. the victim john clark was shot and buried in his own front yard. ballistics showed that a weapon at sullivan's home matched the murder weapon. a grand jury indicted him for murder last month. >> he messed up. >> justin's dad is the one who turned him in on the federal terrorism charges. the murder charges were a surprise. and it was tough to watch his son go before a judge on that today. >> see that our son and flashbacks of how he was and what could have within.- >> at today's hearing the state announced it would seek the death penalty. attorneys were appointed to represent him. rich says his son as told him he wishes he could live his life over. it is a tough time for this family. >> he is still scared. still scared. the unknown and for us, too. >> sullivan will remain without bond. the federal charges ar

in avery county steve ohnesorge wbtv on your side. >> in theschools in the mountains were closed and a couple schools in charlotte were closed as well because of power outages. and we send out alerts on the wbtv news app so you have the information. download the app to your phone. >> an arrest has been made after area fire stations. charlotte-mecklenburg police arrested this man johnny bing in the north lake mall they found stolen items. the fire department says the break-ins started two weeks ago and targeted while crews responded to emergencies. >> a lawsuit filed against the charlotte apartment complex in the university area where a student was shot. according to attorneys the lawsuit was filed on behalf of tyron miller he was shot two days after thanksgiving. the lawsuit claims the complex did not provide adequate security. >> right now it is time for the first check of traffic this afternoon right to tonya rivens. >> thank you, brigida. and good afternoon your first alert traffic is sponsored by people's bank. as we check in here independence boulevard it is a mess already to st

here is wbtv's steve ohnesorge with more on conditions in avery county. >> it's been a postcard day that folks love. unless you are from myrtle beach. >> it is cold, yeah. >> maybe more than a little. but snow falling and wind whipping and the lunchtime temperature was 11 . >> i want summertime back. >> the cold temperatures made the snow stick to the roads in spots. there were wrecks and a warning for drivers from authorities. >> take your time. >> the woman here wasn't going fast. her truck slid out of control. her advice to those thinking of venturing out... >> stay home. >> but it is a holiday weekend a lot of people are and will be on the roads. these guys will do their best to keep roads drivable. one of the big issues for the highway crews is salt does not work well when it gets below 20 well, they will not see 20 for a few days. sand is being mixed in with what they spread. >> the sand will give you a little traction. >> four wheel drive or chains might be needed make sure you have emergency supplies with you. tow truck guys tell me if you call for help you might have to wait in

steve ohnesorge on camera. we showed you part of that at 5:00 and here is the full story new at 6:00. >> tony herns says the man he killed, yes he admitted that to stranger. >> that the is my uncle. >> how particular co-came to be killed and why tony and this woman wound up here with the body that is the question that it began when a passerby noticed a strange car turning into this property. >> and called one of my officers. >> a deputy found this car stuck. a man and woman around it and spotted something else says the sheriff. >> found what appeared to be a drag in the leaves that led to a body. >> the two were cuffed and investigators moved in. lyndsay said nothing to me button any? yes he was here to bury his uncle. >> i brought him here to hide him because he attacked me and i >> he claims his uncle was drunk or drugged up. >> and unconscious and when i seen him expired i brought him to put him away. >> the woman had nothing to do with it all but was it bad luck that he got caught because his car was stuck?

in avery county steve ohnesorge heavy snowfall is expected in several states. still ahead on the news at five...we'll see how areas such as indiana and kentucky are winter blast. governor nikki haley will give her s sond big speech this year in just about two hours. just one week after delivering the republican response to the president's state of the union, tonight she's getting ready to give her annual state of the state address. our chad mills is at the state house with a last year, the big topic was roads, and it's safe to assume roads will be a big topic again this year since very little got done in the first half of this two-year session last year. it's also likely she'll talk about the historic, deadly october flood as well and its impact on the people of this state and the state's roads and infrastructure too. the state is still waiting to find out how much federal funds will be granted to south funding some of that flood relief too. in particular, they'll also be looking at the flood's farmers. democratic state representative james smith says haley has

you can see snow covering the campus, steve ohnesorge tweeted out a picture talking about it's beautiful but man it's cold. >> hard to enjoy it with the wind-chills. >> and you can especially in the mountains you cannot spend much time-out side if you are not completely covered with the wind-chill it is can be dangerous especially tonight and into tomorrow morning that ioffwe maybel get into the low 40s and the nt two day along tetream treas enbeatchf ono wking rougth parts of the midwest. locally, as far as accumulating snow is concerned it started to wind-down a little bit. but as far as accumulating snow for the time being it's taking a break right now. and outside of the mountains we've got cloudy areas but that is it. although the snow showers will continue in the mountains over the next two days we are not looking for huge accumulations. here we are fast forwarding the clock tomorrow 1:00 p.m. sunshine and it is a's not going to do much for the temperatures. and friday more snow into the mountains as well. additional accumulation this is going out 48 hours between thursday and frid

and wbtv's steve ohnesorge has this story and all the twists and turnpikes. >> when james thacker went

steve ohnesorge tracking the snow from the mountains. >> a survey sent to charlotte-mecklenburg schools parents sparked concerns about the plans for student assignment. parents packed the school board meeting to express their concerns about busing to create more diverse schools. dedrick russell joins us live now. what are the misconceptions about the student assignment discussion? >> well, brigida, parents seem to think that cms is going to break up neighborhood schools and transport students all over the county so that there can be a decrease in schools where high poverty and high need students. but board members say that is not the case. in fact, that is the opposite. in fact, they say busing kids all over the county could be very expensive and they believe there are other ways to decrate diverse schools. but that did not stop parents dressing the school board last night. some parents warned if cms disrupts their neighborhood schools that they would move to another area. now, the survey you mentioned did talk about filling out and asking parents how long is too long of a bus ride to c

. >> we got video of that accident from our reporter steve ohnesorge up in the area.a. this happened south of hickory. we can show you the video and the skid marks behind that truck it slammed into the school bus from gainwell middle school south of lenoir and that truck is smashed into the back of that bus. 25 kids were on the bus when the accident happened. no one involved had to be taken to the hospital. but troopers will be charging the driver of that truck for that accident. and the kids along with the we will update you when we get more information. >> thank you. glad the kids are ok. >>> police say say south carolina officer was shot and killed while serving a warrant on a self-admitted gang member. the suspect ran and opened fire on the officer hitting him several times. the officer died at the hospital. officers on the scene were visibly distraught and crying. the suspect shot and killed himself. >>> the sun shining on this friday afternoon and the skies are clear but we are headed for a cooldown. >> we could have temperatures in the 30s and rain in charlotte a

and steve ohnesorge has confirmed that and we learned it 10 minutes ago. 22-year-old eric yount from granite falls is charged for the crimes. i imagine that the charges will change for him now that the second victim in the shooting has died. investigators say they thought it was a domestic dispute that spurred that shooting in hickory. back to you. >> thank you. protestors gathering right now in uptown to demand answers about how police use fore: the rally is partly in response to the arrest of a man in east charlotte. a neighbor recorded video of 'officer appearing to strike glen while he was on the ground. they say glen was resisting arrest. tonight at marshall park. >> north carolina is shaping its response to the zika virus. we have learned the state is hiring two medical experts to monitor mosquitoes that can carry the disease and consult how to control the mosquitoes. and the state is asking you to pay attention to travel advisories and cdc is warning pregnant women to avoid the countries where zika virus is a problem. it's believed to be cause birth defects in kids. >> that is

steve ohnesorge is on the scene right now. tonight at 5:00 he will tell us what one of the suspects told him. >> we are following breaking news in our alert center. alex giles with more on an accident in rock hill. >> this appears to be a serious accident sky3 chopper live over the scene. let's look down there. it's in front of a shopping center in rock hill and it is one of the three-wheeled motorcycles involved in an accident with a pickup truck. there is heavy traffic backup in the area near the bellview square shopping center. traffic is diverted at east main street and pinewood. and you see the wreckage in the middle of the road. police officers on scene as well. officers are investigating. we've reached out to the police and the fire department in rock hill to get more information about how this accident happened as soon as we get details about to you in the alert center. >> alex, thank you. >>> first at 4:00 charlotte-mecklenburg police still looking for suspects in four separate shooting in the city yesterday. six peop

pits says he feels safer tonight and talked with steve ohnesorge about what happened. >> 71-year-old tony pits says this to anyone who wants to break into his home. >> don't try this house. >> last night in the middle of the ice storm someone did break in. smashing right through the sliding glass door. i got up with the gun and he was standing in the kitchen. and i started shooting.

steve ohnesorge joins us live from the scene. take us through what the scene looking like today. >> it's been a difficult situation for everybody involved. stagecoach trail has a curve and what happened about 10:30 a truck came through without making the curve. no skid marks no sign of him trying to stop. went barreling through the fence here into the house and hitting started leaking and the truck caught fire and there was a small explosion and other people came to try to help. then there was a huge explosion that happened and at that point authorities believe that is what caused the situation that killed the elderly couple. people did try to save them but it wasn't to be. this devastation here an entire community is feeling this and feel the pain of this. investigators are still working on this case and it will take them time to get everything done. >> is the driver facing charges here? >> well, the investigation is continuing. and troopers tell me they will put everything together they were doing measurements and talking to mo

here is wbtv's steve ohnesorge

ohnesorge wbtv on your side. >> thank you. >> you will remember yesterday we were on the air telling you about this system just getting its act together on the gulf coast. the damage in louisiana devastating. two people killed in an rv park. 30 others hurt. you can see just how bad the damage is here. many homes there destroyed. be prepared for the next storm. it's easy when you have the wbtv weather app it's free and includes a radar and sends alerts when lightning strikes near you. >> time to look at the roads this afternoon. tonya rivens is in the first alert traffic center. >> hey, kristen. and good afternoon, your first people's bank. as we check in on 277 now right around the south boulevard exit traffic is flowing nicely but problems on the roads with the weather and trees and power lines down. road closures on 277 outer at i-77. and 277 outer at carson boulevard another closure. due to fallen trees. and notice on i-77 southbound we have volume starting to build from center city or the 277 exit towards remount road. a couple accidents around the area one on the mapping system

steve ohnesorge was one of the first there this morning and has the latest for you first at 4:00. >> the fire started just after 5:00 a.m. at this point and they don't know how it started only they had flames on a couple of floors by the time they got here. it did not look so bad at first but the smoke thickened and fire could be seen through the windows and flames broke through except for one small section of the building firefighters stayed out, too dangerous inside. by day break the building was beyond saving. instead the focus was keeping the flames from spreading elsewhere. town hall was feet away. crews protected that and got town records out, too. says the mayor. >> we have our computers out of there. in that respect we are in good shape. >> no one was hurt. the job now is find out the cause. >> it is an old building hard to say what happened. >> the the was the center of controversy when the council voted to tear it down and residents sued claiming the meeting was improper. the town won but put the demolition on hold. the court case is on appeal but those trying to save the b

. >> we got this law enforcement video from steve ohnesorge. take a look. this happened in lenoir a motorcycle is chased bylaw enforcement here. he does not get far before he wipes out. and he is not done yet he tries to make a run for it. police officer is not getting away and tries to chase after him. as chuck summerment and that crash and wreck. officers found drugs in the backpack. he is now in jail facing several felony charges and under a $300,000 bond. scary situation. he got up and kept going and is in custody now. >> that motorcycle on that gravel road was not going to work well. appreciate the update. >> we have the top consumer headlines. check your fridge. whole foods recalling maytag raw milk blue cheese because of a possible listeria contamination. no illnesses have been reported if you have the cheese throw it away or get a refund. >> and self driving cars can cause fender-benders. google says one of its vehicles was partially responsible for an accident with a city bus. it's the company's first played a part in causing a crash. the bus hit t

. >> steve ohnesorge put on an army helmet working on this story. last year he was attacked and has the scratch to prove it. have been nesting there. neighbors put up spikes and trees but they find other spots. the hawks are protected species you can't shoot them. neighbors have to wait until the hawks leave which last year wasn't until june. >>> the city of charlotte is going green this weekend, charlotte st. patrick's day parade is tomorrow, will be the 20th anniversary of the parade. the charlotte goes green festival is the same day in uptown, free, open to everyone. the parade kicks off at 11:00 tomorrow morning, starts at 9th street, marchs south on tryon street. the spot where it ends is where the festival is held, music, dancing, food, drinking all sort of things going on, a great time, get out and try it. >>> coming up at the top of the hour, the fight continues over charlotte's controversial non-discrimination ordinance, the push one lgbt group is making in raleigh, chris? >> chris: we could be looking at rain showers for the st. cloud cove

steve ohnesorge is live where it happened. trouble spot before? >> well, it absolutely has been on stagecoach trail. there have been several accidents reported. the speed limit is 35. but still people tend to go fast at times. they hit this fence a couple of times. twice in the past year and another accident that slammed into the couple's car but no one dreamed that a truck would come off the road and cause an explosion that would take two lives. the son sifted through the debris of his old home and others, too, for any family keepsakes. but it does mean something to them. this is more than a home destroyed it is a family devastated. 7 4-year-old jd newton and his 7 six-year-old wife were killed. they were in bed when it happened at 10:30 last night. >> a big boom. >> a pickup truck failed to make newton home and into a propane tank. >> something off a movie. >> the truck and house were on fire and neighbors spotted the couple at the doorway. jim's son went to help. >> my son was waving his arms trying to get the attention to the lady get out. >>

. >> john: steve ohnesorge put on his army helmet working on the story. this is the sixth year the hawks have been nesting here. neighbors have put up spikes in trees but they find other spots. the hawks are a protected species you can't shoot them. >> christine: you're never more than seven minutes away from weather and traffic on wbtv news this morning. here is meterologist chris larson. >> chris: quiet end to the work week across the charlotte area, right now 53 hickory, 45 in boone, 55 charlotte, 57 degrees in monroe, let's switch over to max 2 and take a look at what to expect for this afternoon. there you go, power doppler is quiet in the charlotte area, up to statesville back toward morganton, we did see a band of thicker cloud cover out to our east earlier this morning, it rides up along the carolina coastline, all the rain showers down toward charleston. in the weekend, though, we'll see a southerly system develop at the surface, work across the carolinas and then upper level low, trough of low pressure swinging in, really dropping our temperatur

our steve ohnesorge is on scene and says the older part of the building that houses the town destroyed. and the flames still shooting from inside. we're going to watch this for you and be on that scene and let you know of updates as they happen. now to chris larson. >> chris: first alert traffic sponsored by toyota of north charlotte. head's up if you're heading inbound south on i-85 out of concord and kannapolis. updated the location of this accident now saying exit 58, that is cannon boulevard, highway 29, stop and go up to that and then slow past the accident scene. live look at 77, arrowood inbound delays, stop and go from 485 up to arrowood and seeing slow downs on the inner loop of 485 between matthews and providence road. here is meteorologist al conklin. >> al: cloudy skies, damp and mild conditions, chris, we have the five sweeps of power doppler radar tracking spotty and very very light rain, most of us are dry this morning. temperatures are in the 50s, 57 charlotte, rock hill, gastonia, then closer to 50 statesville, salisbury, 53 albermarle, wadesboro and 59 in lancaster, a

wbtv's steve ohnesorge says highway patrol is asking folks to avoid this area, they are working several accidents again along highway 321 on that line between lincoln and gaston county because of icy conditions still this morning. looking live at independence expressway here at briar creek, volume of traffic here has really begun to lighten up and take a final check of drive times if you're coming in from matthews, 14 minutes, 22 from area, concord to center city, 19 minute commute right now. still seeing a few delays on north 77 coming across 485. conklin. >> al: thanks, chris, out there this morning, looking at clearing skies, the rain has pushed out and we're done now with the rain for a little while, another batch comes in tonight but most of us west of 321 are eni enjoying sunshine, ice from yesterday and last evening is now starting to melt. no sunshine yet here in charlotte, still a matter of time before we get rid of it. the clouds, low clouds and fog but eventually we will and get breaks of sun. 38 in charlotte, 43 albermarle, morganton up to 34, 33 in boone. plenty of sun as w