(grant) the polar vortex hitting the midwest and east coast is now causing thousands

of cancelations at airports across the country.(vicki) kron 4's sara stinson has been following how this has been impacting flights at s-f-o. there have been several delays and cancelations here at s-f-o directly related to the polar vortex and nasty storm hitting the midwest all of day. most of the canceled flights are from o'hare international and midway in chicago where tempertures are negative 23 degrees.meteorologists are saying this is the coldest morning in 34 years. you can see in the video its a white out with frozen roads and people bundled up as can be. metrologists are saying in some parts it's not safe to be outside and breathe in these negative degree temps. other states dealing with canceled flights are ones in minnisota, milwaukee and michigan so it's been a ripple effect of flights being canceled.there has been 25-hundred cancelations across the country and 65-hundred delays. now even if you are flying to los angeles, san diego, phoenix - you name it - your flight could be impacted as major hub and your plane could have been heading from chicago and is now canceled so it's important to check your flight status often before even arriving at the airport. at sfo, sara stinson, kron four news.##

(vicki) we mentioned most of the cacelled flights at s-f-o were due to flights being grounded in chicago. (grant) and that's where we go now. joined live on face time now by anna donato... a bay area native... grew up in concord... and ájust moved to chicago. anna, can you believe this and are you okay?

(vicki) tonight at 5:30... kron4 is always tracking local stories. here's a look at what's going on in your neighborhood right now. (grant) in the east bay. a candlelight vigil will be held tonight in remembrance of the disappearance of ilene misheloff. 30 years ago today the 13 year old vanished while walking home from wells middle school in dublin. of vigil. family and friends will meet at the school tonight at 7 and walk to saint rachurch where a prayer service will be held. dublin police and the fbi are still investigating this as a kidnapping. ... (grant) el cerrito police

arrested this man for attempting to sexually assault two girls. last thursday... 42-year-old, freddy penate-melara... of richmond approached two girls and grabbed one by the arm. the first girl broke free but then melara grabbed the second girl and began to choke her. the girls father then came and melara ran away. police arrested melara a short time later. he is in the martinez detention facility on a 2.5 million dollar bond. (vicki) in the south bay... a middle school is san jose unveiled it's new stem lab today. the lab will give kids early exposure to some high tech tools. kron 4's charles clifford has details. well here at sylvandale middle school is san jose the school unveiled it's new stem lab on wed. this is an opportunity for kids to get some up close hands on experience with some high tech tools.the school has dozens of computers and workstation for students to try their hand at robotics, computer science and alternative energy.this lab

was paid for with a grant.sot the goal is really for kids to find their passion.many kids don't have any experience with this sort of equipment until they are in high school or college. the hope is that by exposing it to them in middle school it will trigger an interest in education.sotwe find that a lot of kids drop out between middle school and high school is california. if we can engage them now they will have a better chance of going into high school.now, the program runs for an entire school year. two semesters. the principal hopes that more kids will sign up for the program in the years to come. in san jose, charles clifford kron 4 news. (grant) (grant) (grant) coming up... a warning for parents-- and it's something

that is out of our control. how climate change could affect the mental health of your baby. (vicki) plus... a popular brand is recalling frozen chicken nuggets shipped to california... after more than meat was found in the chicken.

(vicki) tyson foods is recalling one type of chicken nuggets - because they may have been contaminated with plastic. the recall affects tyson's fully cooked

panko nuggets-- and they were shipped to california. they have been sold in five pound bags since november 26th. the company says some customers found tiny pieces of soft blue plastic in their chicken. so far, the problem does not appear to be widespread. but out of an abundance of caution, the company is recalling more than 36-thousand pounds of the product. (grant) still ahead... the bay area rapper credited with starting the hyphy movement is heading to prison. hear from "keak da sneak" and the challenges he faces as he is now suffering several health issues after being shot several times in richmond. (lawrence) i'm chief meteorologist lawrence karnow, i'll have your full bay area forecast after the break.

(grant) bay area rap icon charles kente williams... better known as "keak da sneak"... survived two separate shootings in 20- 17. (vicki) in august of that year-- he was shot 8 times while parked in his car in richmond-- and is now in a wheelchair. and despite his health issues, keak is headed to prison for a gun possession charge in amador county. (grant) he has six days to turn himself in after a judge denied his request for house arrest. kron 4's ella sogomonian spoke to keak earlier today about the challenges he will face in prison. (keak da sneak)no compassion, they said i wasn't eligibile for an ankle monitor. it's not like i'm in a position to run. i go through a lot every day just to get up and get out of bed. it's a process for me to do everything. imagine being able to walk your whole life, getting in an accident, and then not being able to walk. it's just a process for me.

i'm not healthy i'm not in no way form or shape healthy enough to go to prison. (ella) what other complications are you facing, health issues you're now having to treat while you're at home and what kind of help are you getting now that you're worried you're not going to get once you're in there? (keak da sneak) i've been to the county jail a few times and i know in there you have to be on your death bed for them to come get you some assistance. and if you push the button too much... they will come rough you up for pressing the button. i'm curious how they are going to treat me and what's going to happen once i get in there. i want to know. are they going to treat me like the nurses do now? i have a nurse come three times a week to pack my bedsore and change the banages on my iv line, and to insert the antibiotics in me an change the machine and the bandages to keep from getting infected. this happens monday wednesday and friday. so i want to see if the nurses will help me like that in prison. (ella)you have a lot of love not only here in the bay area, but all over. what has it been like to see their support once they found out about this situation of yours? (keak da sneak) it's been great. i have some loyal fans and people in my corner. i want to tell them i appreciate them from the bottom of my heart and thank them for praying for me, keeping me in their thoughs and in their prayers. the love i got is just unexplainable.

(grant) again- keak has six days to turn himself in. he will spend the next 16 months in prison. keak da sneak is credited with starting the bay area "hyphy" movement. (anchor) taking a look at stormtracker 4 radar as rain stormtracker 4 radar as rain is moving into the bay area... (anchor) time now to check on our weather... with chief meteorologist lawrence karnow. lawrence karnow: it was mostly sunny before clouds moved in late and now the rain. doppler radar is showing the rain moving in. it will be heavy at

times tonight. showers could linger into tomorrow morning too. on the satellite you can see the low spining toward california. this storm will open a door to a series of storms through early next week. highs tomorrow will be in the 50s and the 60s. a stronger storm moves in on friday afternoon with rain on and off this weekend. (vicki) (vicki) the american lung

association says the federal government is not getting the job done when it comes to protecting kids from e- cigarettes. they are giving the u-s food and drug administration an "f" grade. the association is accusing the f-d-a of doing very little to combat e-cigarette use among high school students. nearly 21 percent of all high school students currently use

e-cigarettes according to the association. the f-d-a says it's taken, quote, "an escalating series of unprecedented actions" to stop young people from using tobacco... particularly e- cigarettes. (grant) fewer people are signing up for california's health insurance. covered california reported today new sign-ups have dropped by twenty-five percent. state health officals speculate the drop in new requests for coverage could be the result of congress getting rid of the requirement to have health care coverage or face a fine. governor gavin newsom wants to restore that mandate in california. (grant) next on kron4 news at next on kron4 news at 5... global warming could impact the health of your children. we'll have details on the startling new report. (vicki) any woman who's

ever been pregnant can tell you -- heat and pregnancy don't mix.(grant) but the issue might go beyond discomfort -- warmer weather might actually harm your baby. jeremy roth has details in tonight's health minute. climate change has visible effects on the environment -- melting glaciers ... rising sea levels ... dramatic weather events.but a study published in the journal of the american heart association indicates the less noticeable effects of climate change are cause for concern, as well.

researchers say women who are exposed to excessive heat during early pregnancy are more likely to have babies with congenital heart defects, or c-h-d.according to the study - as many as 7-thousand additional cases of c-h-d are expected between the years 2025 and 2035 -- due to higher temperatures triggered by climate change.the study compared data from an earlier birth defects prevention study and the u-s government's climate projections.based on those projections -- new york ... midwestern states, like iowa ... and southeastern states, like georgia and north carolina will see the greatest temperature increases.the specific link between high temperatures and c-h-d is still unclear --but studies on animals have shown that heat can cause fetal cell death and negatively impact crucial developmental proteins.high temperatures are also known to cause problems beyond c-h-d -- women are at higher risk of giving birth he ...and babies are more likely to be underweight.for today's health minute, i'm jeremy roth. (vicki) that wraps up kron 4 news at 5.(grant) ken wayne and

pam moore are here with kron 4 news at six. (ken) thanks grant and vicki.here's what we're working on at 6. (ken) extreme cold gripping the nation... as a polar vortex is causing dangerous conditions for more than 75 percent of the population tonight. and the freezing temperatures are being blamed for yet another death.we have a live report next. (pam) and a violent street robbery on the peninsula caught on camera.how police were able to track down the man they say is responsible. (pam)plus, the bay area is bracing for more rain tonight.we'll talk about how long it is going to stick around this time.kron4 news at 6 is coming up.

during the winter but never this cold."> (pam) tonight at 6. 212- million americans in a deep freeze. even for those accustomed to bone -chilling cold-- the record-breaking temperatures of 20- to 40- degrees below zero are poised to shatter dozens of records. schools are closed -- and the postal service has been suspended in some areas. sections of chicago -- are colder than some parts of antarctica. (pam)

here in the bay area... temperatures can feel more than 100 - degrees warmer.. than in some of the coldest spots ... like minnesota- where temperatures could drop to a wind chill factor of 70- below. here at home.. we are in for a wet night .. as rain makes its way on shore ... we will have more on that in a minute. (pam)thank you for joining us, i'm pam moore. joining us, i'm pam moore. (ken) and i'm ken wayne. it's hard to (pam) a live look outside right lawrence karnow: it was mostly sunny before clouds moved in late and now the rain. doppler radar is showing the rain moving in. it will be heavy at times tonight. showers could linger into tomorrow morning too. on the satellite you can see the low spining toward california. this storm will open a door to a series of storms through early next week. highs to