tv-9's brea love live in cedar rapids. thanks a lot brea. some cedar rapids high schools want lawmakers to approve more school funding. so they formed a group. members of iowa studentnion at kennedy high school say they want a four percent boost in education funding for next school year. students plan to start chapters at jefferson and washington high school. hundreds o cedar rapids students and their families will be attending the third annual stem festival today. cedar rapids activities there fused on science, technology, engineering, a reality demonstration. the event is free and starts at 4 this afternoon and goes until 8. careers, college choices and our passio 1717ear old ellen schlhlmann is a product of all three. the monticello senior loves to help others - and puts her heart into the classroom and beyond. here is our kcrg-tv9 student of the month, presented by hills bank and trust. silence it's the quiet season at camp courageous. distant scraaaaape only the sound of a shovel.. close scraaaaape e rapes ttough the snow... tweet with

kcrg-tv 9's brea love joins us this morning. brea, hospital officials say it's in need of more nurses? they do. currently, st. luke's needs to fill 57 positions. but with that demand increasing everyday, keeping up with the job pace is hard. that's why st. luke's is encouraging nurses to help fill those positions, keeping the hospital out of a aritical situation.

tv-9's brea love live in hiawatha. thanks a lot brea. you only have a few months left to play one of iowa's lottery games. yet another scratch off game will, eventually, replace it... the university of iowa is now using a special type of grass as fuel. it's an effort to use a high as you wake up temperatures will start o o in the upper 20s and low 30s for most. skies will be partly cloudy which will allow for a great start to your fray. a little sunshine will go a long way throughout your late morning and afternoon. wind temperatures will warm into the low 40s for highs. into the evening temperatures will stay mild, with lows dropping into the low 30s. skies will become mainly clear and the start of you weekend looks great. once again the weather remains fairly quiet, but i think most of you will be ok with that. especially since our weather gets even better into saturday and will continue into sunday. temperatures are pushing 60 degrees both days. spring isn't too far away. thanks britley. as you wake up temperaturere will start off in

(brea nelson/benefit there are times where she'll call me ok." she's also a two time so she -- rallied the here.. to help with hospital bills.. so barb's focus..is (brea nelson/benefit done so much to keep everybody, not just the troopers but the public safe as well." and barb says..she's not done serving. she's not done fighting.. s her, to keep (brea nelson/benefit i can't say thank you enough." jenna: basketball teams as the state tournament kicked off this morning. tim: abc9 sports director chris palmquist is in des moines and joins us now with more chris palmquist--"hehe jenna and tim, what a great way to kick off the 2016 state tournament down here at the wells fargo arena in des moines. we have five teams in action today, including two this afternoon in class 1a with very different histories. kingsley-pierson is here at state for the first time since 1967 while newell-fonda has made 3 straight t appearances onchampionship friday. coming up at six w wll have action from boththf those games and at ten, three morereames for you. we hope to se

tv-9's brea love live in hiawatha. thanks a lot brea. this morning, law enforcement in a kansas town is investigating a deadly shooting. 4 people are dead including the shooter, who was an employee at the business where the shooting happened. an iowa senator is helping legislation that would stop president obama from making costly decisions past november. but right now, here's a look at today's opening farm markets. good morning! as you wake up temperatures will tart off in the upper 20s and low 30s for most. skies will be partly cloudy which will allow for a great start to your friday. a little sunshine will go a long way throughout your late morning and afternoon. with the sunshine and a westerly wind temperatures will warm into the low 40s for highs. into the evening temperatures will stay mild, with lows dropping into the low 30s. skies will become mainly clear and the start of you weekend looks great. once again the weather remains fairly quiet, but i think most of especially since our saturday and will continue into sunday. tempera

thanks a lot brea. a former iowa governor is speaking to people in eastern iowa today about the medicaid transition to about hohothis change will put thousands of iowans who rely on medicaid at risk. he will hold a town hall at the coralville public library this morning at 10. then culver will speak at another town hall meeting in cedar rapids at 2 this afternoon. thth will be at the cedar rapids public library. meanwhile, a bill that would undo governor branstad's plan to privatize medicaid is moving forward in the state legislature. for now, the state is set to transition to privatized care in less than a month, on march 1st. the transition was supposed to happen january 1st, but federal regulators said the state needed more time to sign-up the more than half a million iowananon medicaid. iowa governor terry branstad says privatization will help cut the rising price tag for medicaid. the administration said costs are expected to grow 21% over the nee 3 years. the state currently spends more than $4.2

live in cedar rapids, brea love, kcrg-tv9 news. many iowans are trying to solve an on-going issue the number of minority children in the foster care system is disproportion ate to the number living in the state. in linn county, 51-percent of the 196 kids in foster care last summer identified as something other than caucasian. in johnson county, it's 73-percent of the 48 kids in foster care. about 92-percent of iowans are white. this panel discussionons part of the effort to create change. iowa kids net hosted the event. it is an organization state. leaders say there are a number of theories behind racial disparity. "some families i think who aren't starting form an equitable place, in terms of education, opportunity, etc., i think the additional stress that those kinds of conditions place on a family." the group says it also faces challenges placing the childldn with families, because they try to keep the kids connected with their culture. kids net says in iowa, there are far more caucasian foster families than african american and

tv-9's brea love live in cedar rapids. thanks a lot brea. the billionaire businessman is a favorite to win today's nevada caucuses, it doesn't hurt that trump's name hovers above the las vegas strip on his tel. still no word on the motive for the shooter who killed 6 people in kalamazoo, michigan. he appeared in court yesterday. but right now, here's a look at today's opening farm markets. gogo rning! plan on a decent day overall with highs well up into the 40s in all areas. the wind once again will be non-existent, and breaks in the clouds will be happening at still look windy around here with gusts to 30mph possible both days. the temperatures cool, but only slightly. plan on a great start to the weekend with 50s likely on saturday. our next cold front sometime on sunday or sunday night, and time will tell whether this will actually produce any precipitation. if it does, it appears it'll be minor. have a good day!today: partly cloudy high: 43-49 winds: light e alo: 45 dbq: 44 iow: 48tonight: mostly cloudy low: 28-34 winds: n 5-15 alo: 30 d

thanks a lot brea. an effort to override president obama's veto of a bill that would have repealed key provisions of the affordable care act has failed the bill also would have strrped federal funding from planned parenththd. the vote fell short of the 2/3 needed to override the veto. that means the affordable care act will stay in place. republican house leaders say they knew that they would lose. but they are hoping to use the issue to convince voters to elect a republican president. the start of february marks the start of black history month. while there are national celebratio, places around eastern iowa are holding local events this month. the e iversity of northern iowa is hosting several events. today, a storyteller and oral historian will share stories and poems from african traditions. they will also include african american history and folklore. that will be at the center for multicultural education at 7 o'clock tonight. it's the anniversary of the d the music died. people will remember buddy

thanks a lot brea. staff members at finley hospital in dubuque are learning from a new birthing simulator. the noelle birthing simulator shows the birthing processcomplete with fetal heart souds, and a it also prepares nurses for any complications that might come up during a delivery. the families of long-time finley nurses, beth hoefer and mary riegler, donated the birthing simulator. we can simulate decrcrsed heart rate which happens all the time. and the nurses have to go through the right steps to correct it. " "education was very important to her. she was very involved in starting up the neonatal icu. that was her baby, literally. " hoefer and riegler worked for decades in the birthing unit at finley hospital. in a tv-9 follow-up this morning.. it's back to class this morning for a group of cedar rapids students who lobbied lawmakers for more education funding. cedar rapids schools superintendent brad buck says the districneeds at least a 3 point 72 percent increase to maintain current staffing and

tv-9's brea love live in cedar rapids. thanks a lot brea. many of us rely on our daily cup of coffee to get a jumpstart to our mornings. now a popular coffee chain is offering a new rewards program for plan on a decent day overall into the 40s in all areas. the wind once again will be non-existent, and breaks in the clouds will be happening at times. tomorrow and thursday still look windy around here with gusts to 30mph possible both days. the temperatures cool, but only slightly. plan on a great start to the weekend with 50s likely on saturday. our next cold front wiwil approach sunday night, and time will tell whether this will actually produce any precipitation. if it does, it appears it'll be minor. have a good day! today: partly cloudy high: 43-49 winds: light e alo: 45 dbq: 44 iow: 48tonight: mostly cloudy low: 28-34 winds: n 5-15 alo: 30 dbq: 30 iow: 33tomorrow: partly cloudy, windy high: 37-43 winds: n 15-30 alo: 39 dbq: 40 iow: 41tomorrow night: partly cloudy, windy low: 22-28 winds: nw 15-25 alo: 25 dbq: big bird and elmo have been

tv-9's brea love joins us now. brea, you talked with one man who is lobbying for the oils to come to iowa? that's right. right now, it is legal to use cannabis oil in the state, but you can't get it here. the house is debating a bill that would allow it to be produced and sold right here in iowa. and many iowans say they desperately need it. cannabis oil changed patrick loeffler's life. he has intractable epilepsy. one year ago, he wasn't feeling well and decided to drive home. what happened next could have killed him. 37:07 "took a turn down first street w, i actually craaed intotohe cedar rapids police depaament building. i'm lucky to be here telling my story." he had a seizure which stemmed from a pharmacy error. loeffler was given 250 ml pills in a 500 ml bottle, and wasn't getting the dosage he needed. he currently takes seven pills a day, and faces 37:46 "i stand here right now shaking inside. i have six to seven different side effects, actually i have more than that. i'i'looking for quality y life back." and

thanks a lot brea. this warmer weather is creating all kinds of potholes on eastern iowatreets and roads. aaa says s e cost of vehicle repairs from potholes totals $3 billion dollars a year nationwide. that's an average of $300 damage per vehicle. one eastern iowa auto shop owner told tv-9 he doesn't doubt those numbers. "we see a lot of damage to wheels, tires, struts, shocks... a lot more this time of year." so far, this pothole season hasn't been too bad because of the mild conditions in december and constant cold in january and february. but warmer weather this week is triggering the freeze- thaw cycle that creates those problem potholes. apple is fighting the f-b-i to unlock iphones for investigations. and new bendable technology is changing the smartphones. that's ahead in today's techbytes. good morning! it's ---. warmer days are coming, and today is just the start. 40s area-wide with the warmest readings over our far southwest counties. clouds may initially be an issue, but given that these are

(brea nelson/benefit organizer): "it's amazing. it's amazing. i can't say thank you enough." >> that was kristyna engdahl reporting from omaha. barb's benefef will be held this saturday at the german american society in omaha. there's about to be a "tree count" in sioux city. those details are still to come on <

tv-9's brea love joins us from the newsroom. brea, taylor is having an open house later today? inviting they are and what they do for students and the clinic closely resembles a doctors office. it's equip with all of the tools to provide on site care for any student who needs it. the clinic can write preform tests, write prescriptions, and administer vaccinations. it is not meant to take the place of a child's regular physician, but the district understands healthcare can be a problem for some. 52:48 "there are barriers that many students face in getting to the physician or their health care provider, so we're here to be that bridge, so they can get the healthcare they need. " rimmer says the goal is to get children back in the classroom and learning as soon as possible. the clinic sees between 12 and 13 hundred 2 thousand visits. the open house starts at 4 pm and runs until 6. nurses will give tours every fifteen minutes. the goal is to celebrate success and make this month of awareness known to everyone. live in the newsroom, brea love, kcrg-tv nine news. familieieand doctors

thanks a lot brea. speaking to people e eastern iowa today about the medicaid transition to private ownership. chet culver will be talking about how this change will put thousands of iowans who rely on mecaid at risk. he will hold a town hall at the coralvilil public library this morning at 10. then culver will speak at another town hall meeting in cedar rapids at 2 this aftenoon. that will be at the cedar rapids public library. meanwhile, a bill that would undo governor branstad's plan to privatize medicaid is moving forward in the state legislature. for now, the state is set to transition to privatized care in less than a month, on march 1st. the transition was supposed to happen january 1st, but federal regulators said the state needed more time to sign-up the more than half a million iowans on medicaid. iowa governor terry branstad says privatization will help cut the rising price tag for medicaid. the administration said costs are expected to grow 21% over the next 3 years. the state currently spen

kcrg-tv nine's brea love is live at westdale. brea, how is the renovation going? chris, nicole you mention the new businesses. they're popping up everyday. open this morning, joining the long list of new and renovated spaces in this space. almost five thousand dump trucks full of dirt, making space for a 40 thousand square foot retailer. crews have added new lighting, utilities and roads to the area. all of that expansion should help bring the community back to this area, although weststle says left. 44:32 "the community has been great they're very loyal to this side of town. they've been great to go ahead and shop at jcpenny's and yonkers during this entire renovation and that's only going to get strong with each new business that opens here." many more shops will open soon. westdale added 20,000 square feet of new construction, and 140 thousand square feet of renovations. rowe says to expect a lot of changes during the new two years. the development says not that most of the infrastructure is done, it's time to start going vertical. live in cedar rapids, brea@lo

thanks a lot brea. the waterloo fire department says someone not throwing away smoking materials properly caused a house fire. fire crews responded to 1118 western avenue around 11 last night. fire officials say the fire started when someone threw away smoking materials on some leaves by the house. there was some slight damage to the house and fence. no one was hurt. in a tv-9 follow-up this a hearing this spring will determine whether a dubuque man accused of murder is competent to stand trial. 20 year-old helmon betwell faces first-degree murder and first-degree sexual abuse charges in the death of nancy krapfl . betwell's attorney said he doesn't understand the charges against him, because he has a mental disorder. his attorney filed for a competency hearing last week. a judge scheduled the hearing for april 4th. police say betwell attacked apfl as she was walking near her home back in september. they say betwell admitted to raping and killing her, because he had nothing better to do. he faces life i

yeah thanks a lot brea. a team of researchers at the university of iowa is using 3-d imaging technology and a collection of cancer- fighting drugs to stop tumors from grgrwing. doctor david soll started writing software for the imaging system back in the 1980's. about 20 years ago, he started collecting antibodies that fight cancer cells. he decided to merge ththtwo projects to find antibodies that will stop tumor growth. his team can watch a tumor's growth in 3-d. that shows how speciacells in the tumoreach out and grab other cells, causing it to grow. he says the next step is to test which antibodies can prevent certain steps in tumor growth. "43:57-:09 "we now can actually rebuild the tumor, over a 2- month period as it actually builds and forms in this gel, and reconstruct everything about it, and i even soll says this imaging technology is unique, and this is the first time researchers have been able to watch a cancerous tumor grow in 3-d. a popular fast food icon could be waving goodbye this weekend. i

thanks a lot brea. starting next school year, students and teachers in dubuque will once again have spring break. the school board decided monday night to set the break for the entire week of march 13th, 2017. dubuque schools used to have between 2012 and 2014. but parents complained the break was leading to child care issues, so the district removed spring break from the calendar. now, after surveying parents, administrator s say the majority want a spring break. the eastern iowa heroin initiative is hosting a town hall today in cedar rapids. the town hall is at 7 o'clock tonight at the cedar rapids public library. the group will talk about the national and local trends of heroin. the u-s attorney kevin techau will join local law enforcement in leading the talk. some republican lawmakers in iowa are supporting an expansion of the state's cannabis oil law. house commerce committee chairman peter crownie says he wants a law that creates a whole system for medical marijuana in iowa. right now, iowa law al

yeah thanks a lot brea. a team of researcrcrs at the university of iowa is making some progress in the fight against cancer. they are using 3-d imaging technology and a collection of cancer-fighting drugs to stop tumors from growinin dr. david soll started writing software for the imaging system back in the 1980's. about 20 years ago, he started collecting antibodies that fight cancer cells. soll decided to merge theses2 projects, with the goal of finding antibodies that would stop tumor growth. his team can watch a tumor's groh in 3-d -- that shows how special cells in the tumor reach out and grab other cells, causing it t tget bigger. soll says the next step is to test which antibodies can prevent certain steps in tumor growth. "43:57-:09 "we now can actually rebuild the tumor, over a 2- month period as it actually builds and forms in this s l, andnd reconstruct everything about it, and i even soll s ss this imaging technology is unique, and this is the first time researchers have been able to watch a canc

thanks a lot brea. starting next school year, students and teachers in dubuque will once again have spring break. the school board decided monday night to set the break for the entire week of march 13th, 2017. dubuque schools used to have spring break between 2012 and 2014. but parents complained the break was leading to child care issues, so the district removed spring break from the calendar. now, after surveying parents, administrator s say the majority want a spring break. initiative is hosting a town hall today in cedar rapids. the town hall is at 7 o'clock tonight at the cedar rapids public library. the group will talk about the national and local trends of heroin. the u-s attorney kevin techau will join local law enforcement in leading the talk. some republican lawmakers in iowa are supporting an expansion of the state's cannabis oil law. house commerce committee chairman peter crownie says he wants a law that creates a whole system for medical marijuana in iowa. right now, iowa law allows patien

thanks a lot brea. if you haven't found your caucus location yet, you can go to a website depending on your party affiliation. the caucuses start tonight at 7. if you're a democrat, you can find your caucus location by typing your address into a website. that's at iowa democrats.or g. if you're a registered republican you first have to find your precinct location. then by using that, you can find the place to caucus at. g-o-p.org. democratic presidential candidate hillary clinton is spending her caucus night in des moiois. kcrg-tv9's sarah mccarthy followed the former secretary of state volunteers and staffers in their final push before the caucus. there's a constant chatter inside this marion home, 06:30:52 "arereou going to make it to the caucus on monday? as these hillary clinton campaign volunteers.. 06:31:41 "the doors open at six and the cut off is at seven." work their way through long lists of names and numbers.. 06:26:02 "just wanted to remind you about caucusing monday february first." one dia

kcrg-tv nine's brea love joins us from our cedar rapids newsroom. brea, st. luke's is looking to hire more than 50 nurses? yes, 57 to be exact. the demand for nurses is increasing everyday. st. luke's is encouraging nurses to help fill those positions. which will in turn keep the hospital out a critical situation. the nursing force is agi, along with the patients ey serve. that creaeas a need for healthcare, with a diminishing number nurses to care for them. officials at st. luke's say changes in legislation is diversifying the profession. nurses are their education and taking jobs within and homes to meet the demands of expansion. different the positions that are required to provide it are changing, and that's providing competition even within our own organization for those resources." houlihan says they have had ups and downs in past, and will continue wowoing to adapt. she says they're looking for motivated, caring, individuals. live in the newsroom, brea love, kcrg-tv nine news. iowa city police are hopeful a new program will help locate people with alzhe

kcrg-tv nine's brea love joins us now. brea, doctorsrsre saying this study is important? that's right. the c-d-c performed a survey between women ages 15 to 44. they were asked if they drink, if they use birth control, or if they or their partners have had any procedures preventing them from pregnancy. the study found that women who are not using a form of protection are putting their babies at risk. alcohololsage within even the first four to six weeks can cause lastiti effects on a developing baby. doctors ask if a woman is trying to have a baby she should refrain from alcohol, long before finding out. 43:35 "what the study is really saying is up to 50 percent of pregnancies in the us are unintended, with unintended pregnancies being so common, if prevent a pregnancy." kapfhamer says sometimes having a good time can lead to more than people anticipate. she says it's safe to just be as prepared as you can be. the cdc says women who aren't actively trying to get pregnant don't usually find out until a month or two in. the organization says, why risk it? & chris, nicole? t

thanks a lot brea. an effort failed to override president obama's veto of a bill to repeal the affordable care act. the bill also would have stripped federal funding from planned parenthood. the vote fell short of the two-thirds needed to override the veto. g-o-p house leaders say they knew they wouldn't get the votes. but they hope it convinces voters to elect a republican president. the iowa hawkeye's men's basketball team is earning national recognition. hawkeye forward jarrod uthoff is on the regional cover of sports illustrated this week. and the magazine calls uthoff a candidate for national player of the year. it also described the hawkeye basketball team as america's biggest surprise. the hawkeyes are currently fifth in the a-p poll and seventh in the u-s-a today coaches poll. today is national signing day for college football recruits. it could tip the balance for several programs this year... some of the biggest announcements start as early as 7 iowa time. today is also a big day for two major

thanks a lot brea. if you haven't found your caucus location yet, you can go to a website depending on your party affiliation. the caucuses start tonight at 7. if you're a democrat, you can find your caucus location by typing your address into a website. that's at iowa democrats.or g. if you're a registered republican you first have to find your precinct location. then by using that, you can find the place for you to caucus at. you can find both at iowa g-o-p.org. democratic presidential candidate hillary clinton is spending her caucus night in des moines. kcrg-tv9's sarah mccarthy followed the former secretary of state volunteers and staffers in their final push before the caucus. there's a constant chatter inside this marion home, 06:30:52 "are you going to make it to the caucus on monday? as these clinton campaign volunteers.. 06:31:41 "the doors open at six and the cut off is at seven." work their way through long lists of names and numbers.. 06:26:02 "just wanted to remind you about caucusing monda

tv-9's brea love live in hiawatha. thanks a lot brea. for once, people are replacing robots -- not the other way around. and reaction this morning from the return of the tanner's. the premiere of "fuller house" is ahead in techbytes. good morning! it's ---. in the upper 20s and low 30s for most. skies will be partly cloudy which will low for a great start to your friday. a little sunshinin will go a long way throughout your late morning and with the sunshine and a westerly wind teeratures will warm into the low 40s for highs. into the evening temperatures will stay mild, with lows dropping into the low 30s. skies will become mainly clear and the start of you weekend looks great. once again the weather remains fairly quiet, but i think most of you will be ok with that. especially since our weather gets even better into saturday and will continue into sunday. temperatures are pushing 60 degrees both days. spring isn't too far away. thanks. as you wake up temperatures will start off in the upper 20s and low 30s for most. skies will be partl

thanks a lot brea. some say the next president should pick the successor for supreme court justice antonin scalia. while others say president obama should pick now after the justice died over the weekend. many top republicans say the seat should be lele empty until a new presididt take office. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell says voters should have a say in the matter. but democrats say 11 months is plenty of time for the president to nominate someone and the senate to hold a confirmation vote. president obama confirmed saturday night that he will nominate a the repububcan debate on saturday night focused on this issue heavily. donald trump called on senate leaders to delay a confirmation vote. president obama would - quote - ram down our throat a liberal justice, if given the opportunity. re- emphasized their stance. " sot - sen. ted cruz / presidential candidatestepha nopouus: does that mean n hat you're going to filibuster anyone -- anyone that president obama nominates? cruz: absolutely. this

thanks a lot brea. cedar rapids area law enforcement and prosecutors say they are committed to fighting the heroin epidemic. more than 150 people packed the cedar rapids public library last night for a town hall meeting on the topic. speakers focused on how they're working to stop it prevention, treatment dnd law enforcement. cedar rapids police, the u-s attorneys office and the area substance abuse council were all in on the discussion. police say last year the city had about 250 cases involving heroin -- and that much of the heroin is coming from illinois. "13:08:15 you see an increase primarily in eastern iowa on the heroin, beginning to get more reports of it showing up in the central part of the state, more of the des moines/ames corridor. to the lesser extent to western iowa. it seems to be migrating geogrhically fromo east to west. " town hall organizers also hoped to let more people know about what can lead to heroin use. police say prescription pain killer abuse is the gateway to heroin addicti

thanks a lot brea. an effort to override president obama's veto of a bill that would have repealed key provisions of the affordable care act has failed the bill also would have stripped federal funding from planned parenthood. the vote -- 241 to 186 -- fell short of the 2/3 needed to override the veto. that means the affordable care act will stay in place. republican house leaders say they knew that they would lose the a-c-a vote. but they are hoping to use the issue to convince voters to elect a republican midwest businesses are showing more faith in the economy for the first time in months. that's according to a new survey of supply managers. a new report from creighton university shows the mid-american business conditions index in january jumped to 48 point 3 from 39 point 5 in december. it's the first increase in 6 months. survey organizers say any score above 50 indicates growth, while a score below that indicates decline. while january's score is still below 50, it does signal an improvement over

thanks a lot brea. governor terry branstad says an upcoming conference will look at how to align high school class work with iowa's workforce needs. he discussed the idea while touring waterloo west high school yesterday. as part of his stop, branstad learned about the school's culinary class. waterloo officials say adding more career and technical options is tough without additional money. one week ago, voters in waterloo rejected a $47 million bond that would have earmarked most of the money for exactly that. branstad says working with existing resources is a reality with the state's budget. 12:26:54 "even with existing facilities, there's a lot you can do. and also partnering with the community colleges, like hawkeye, as with the private sector business, we just need to be smart about the way we work together and find ways to collaborate and utilize the resources we have." address those collaboration issues is set to happen april 19 in des moines. it's called the future ready iowa summit. some parent

kcrg-tv nine's brea love joins us now. brea, doctors are saying this study is important? that's right. the c-d-c performed a survey between women ages 15 to 44. they were asked if they drink, if they use birth control, or if they or their partners have had any the study found that women who are not using a form of protection are putting their babies at risk. alcohol usage within even the first four to six weeks can cause lasting effects on a developing baby. doctors ask if a woman is trying to have a baby she should refrain from alcohol, long before finding out. 43:35 "what the study is really saying is up to 50 percent of pregnancies in the us are unintended, with unintended pregnancies being so common, if you are having intercourse, you should be using birth control to prevent a pregnancy." kapfhamer says sometimes having a good time can lead to more than people anticipate. she says it's safe to just be as prepared as you can be. the cdc says women who aren't actively trying to get pregnant don't usually find out until a month or two in. the organization says, w w risk

live in cedar rapids, brea love, kcrg-tv9 news. today, the waverly city council is expected to discuss options for fixing or replacing a historic bridge. many gave their opinions on what the city should do last week at city council meeting. options range from doing bridge to tearing it down and replacing it. the city came up with 14 choices after it closed for structural problems last year. republican presidential candidates now have their eyes set on nevada for their caucuses tomorrow. and the democratic candidates are putting more effort into south carolina. out to caucus tomorrow to choose their favorite presidential candidate. and then democrats in south carolina get the chance to go to the polls on saturday. after that, candidates will face 14 republican and 11 democratic primaries or caucuses on march first, super tuesday. donald trump and hillary clinton have emerged as the winners from this weekend's primary and caucuses. donald trump easily won the south carolina primary on saturday. that's wins for 2 states, and second pl

brea, how are things going? if you are unfamiliar with dance marathon, we are a student organization atatthe university of iowa that provides year-round emotional and financial support to pediatric cancer patients and their families treated at the university of iowa children's hospital. we host various events throughout the year including family events, fundraising and dancer events, and our big event, which will take place february 5-6th 2016. this past year dance marathon raised over $2 million, and over our 21 year history, we have raised a grand total of $16,541,049.65 all for the kids !the big event is a 24-hour dance marathon where students come together to celebrate the children survivors, remember the children who have passed away, and to fight to defeat pediatric cancer. at the big event, our dancers, leadership members, and, most our dm families assemble in the iowa memorial union for 24 straight hours where there is live entertainment , djs, numerous activities, and speeches given by oururm families a

kcrg-tv nine's brea love joins us. brea, organizations in eastern iowa are taking steps to fight prediabetes? chris, nicole... the cedar rapids 1,000 y's in the nation given a unique opportunity. the y provides a special course to stop the progression of pre-diabetes. an individual is diagnosed with prediabetes when their blood glucose level is elevated, but not high enough to be considered type 2. that course reinforces a lifestyle change. lifestyle coaches act as a guide teaching participants how to read nutrition labels, and track their eating and physical activities. participants have three goals, reduce body fat by 7 weekly, and stop diabetes before it reaches a type 2 status. to qualify you must possess the risk factors of prediabetes or take a risk assessment test. coaches say the c-d-c structured course doesn't force participants on a diet or hold them accountable, but encourages. "they lean on each other, and support each other, we've had classes that meet before class and they walk together before class. they

thanks a lot brea. iowa's medicaid director says iowa is ready to switch to a privatized system on march 1st. that's after the federal government ordered a two month delay because the state wasn't ready. iowa medicaid director mikki stier has addressed the 16 issues the federal centers for medicaid serces they inclulud expanding the network of doctors and hospitals that will accept medicaid patients. stier also says the state has stepped up communication efforts to answer questions from patients. the state expects the centers for medicaid services to decide soon on whether to iowa can move forward with medicaid privatization on march first. this friday is the first funnel for the iowa legislature -- meaning all bills must make it out of committee to survive. hundreds of people were out at the statehouse yesterday, lobbying for a bill that would not allow minor to use tanning beds. the house bill would ban tanning until the age of 17 - and then require parental consult until age of 18. lawmakers in suppo

thanks a lot brea. a couple of city council members in dubuque are calling into question a wage increase for about 500 city employees. luis del toro and david resnick say they want the council to reconsider a proposed 2-point-5 percent salary increase. they say eliminating the increase, or even reducing it, would help balance the budget for next year. "if we were do nothing else and not be come to an agreement to make any further cutut this would be one mean that would allow us to reduce our the two council memeers say eliminating or reducing the planned salary increase would put less of a burden on taxpayers. right now, city leaders have recommended a 1-point-7 percent property tax increase for next year. a minnesota company that produces coatings for various materials is opening a new facility in dubuque. r-i-e coatings will set up shop in t dubuque industrial district. the 25-thousand square foot space will serve customers in iowa, illinois and indiana. the dubuque development corporation says compan

kcrg-tv nine's brea love joins us at the desk this morning. brea, why are the parties concerned? well, chris and nicole there are so many locations for the parties to manage and a lot of people. there are more thaha50 caucus llations in johnson county alone. large crowd sizes from 2008, forced the parties to think of bigger locations for this year, but it still might not be enough. due to o maller towns lackkg a central community building, there are about a half dozen locations both democrats and republicans will have to share. with multiple pple using one spot won't be eaea. party chaiai john deeth and bill keettel coordinated together on this issue. they are asking everyone to think about their transportatio n before they leave home. "we're giving cab companies and other places a heads up, that you could have a very veryryusy night so you might want to have some extra people on hand, people should plan ahead for their caucus night transportation, and you should really set aside most of you evening because the caucus can take a little bit of time." the parties also urge everyone

thanks a lot brea. iowans may find out this week if a company will build a pipiline across the state. this week, the iowa utilities board is meeting to discuss whether to approve a permit for the project. the company, dakota access, wants to build the pipeline from m rth dakota to illinois, and it would cut through 19 counties in iowa. the utilities board is reviewing a range of concerns, from environmental to economic. " "dakota access says that pipelines have a b bter safety record than other methods of crude oil "sierra club points out that in 20-13, more than 800,000 gallons were spilled from railroad cars. but over 5 million hazardous liquids were spilled from pipelines" " iowa is the only state that has not yet approveve a permit t r the pipeline. thousands of dollars every year are going toward storing old, mostly unused, court files in linn county. it's because there's not enough room at the generates about 40-thousand court files each year. the county rents a half floor of the old hubbard ice b

kcrg-tv 9's brea love joins us from thth newsroom. brea, you spoke with wellman's family? i did. when his mother dropped him off that morning, she didn't think she wouldn't see him again. she says it's unusual for him to go even a day without speaking to h h or his sister. after they hadn't heard from him, they reported him missing to cedar rapids police. investigators started the search, but found nothing. they subponeaed financial and call records, and terview individuals, with no luck. wellman is now entered into the national crime database, which will flag him if he has any contact with police anywhere in the country. but, the family is continuing to try. "we are trying, we keep getting lured from one end of the state to the other end of the state, which is a pack of lies, but located." police say finding missing general. with adults it can be medical, foul play, or they do have the option to leave if they want. but police do not believe any of those are the case with wellman. they are continuing to use all the tools available to them. if you have any idea about his whereabou

thks a lot brea. this warmer weather is creating all kinds of potholes on eastern iowa streets and roads. serious. aaa says the cost of vehicle repairs from potholes totals $3 billion dollars a year nationwide. that's an average of $300 damage per vehicle. one eastern iowa auto shop owner told tv-9 he doesn't doubt those numbers. "we see a lot of damage to whwhls, tires, struts, shocks... a lot more this time of year." so far, this pothole season hasn't been too bad becausesef the mild conditions in december and constant cold in january and february. but warmer weather this week is triggering the freeze- thawycle that creates those problem potholes. room and board costs could be going up at iowa's 3 public universities. the gazette reports that iowa, iowa state, and u-n-i will be asking the rents to approve price hikes at their next meeting. i-s-u-u most popular room a a board package would go up 3-point-5 percent. similar packages@at u-n-i and iowa would go up 2-point-9 percent. that translates to in

tv-9's brea love joins us from the newsroom. brea, taylor is having an open house later today? that's right. taylor is inviting parents to see what exactly who they are and what they do for students and their families. the clinic closely resembles a doctors office. it's equip with all of tools to provide on site care for any student who needs it. the clinic can write preform tests, write prescriptions, and administer ccinations. it is not meant to take the place of a child's regular physician, but the district understands healthcare can be a problem for some. 52:48 "there are barriers that many students face in getting to the physician or their health care provider, so we're here to be that bridge, so they can get the healthcare they need. " rimmer says the goal is to get children back in the classroom and learning as soon as possible. the clinic sees between 12 and 13 hundred students a year, with more than 2 thousand visits. the open house starts at 4 pm and runs until 6. nurses will give tours every fifteen minutes. the goal is to celebrate success and make this month of awa

thanks a lot brea. this summer, the u-s army corps of engineers says there should be fewer traffic problems on coralville lake. in recent years, lake- goers have raised concerns about the amount of boat traffic during the summer. so the u-s army corps of engineers is releasing an updated shoreline management plan. it says the plan won't change cuent docks, it will only prevent new docks from going into some areas. the army corps will hold a public meetingngbout this tomorrow at the lake's visitor center starting at 4. iowa's medicaid director says iowa is ready to switch to a privatized system on march 1st. the federal government ordered a two month delay because the state wasn't ready at the beginning of the year. iowa medicaid director mikki stier has addressed the 16 issues the federal centers for medicaid services dentified. they included expanding the hospitals that will accept medicaid patients. stier also says the state has stepped up communication efforts to answer questions from patients. despi

kcrg-tv nine's brea love joins us. brea, organizations in eastern iowa are taking steps to fight prediabetes? chris, nicole... the cedar rapids metropolitan ymca is one of the 1,000 y's in the nation given a unique opportunity. the y provides a special course to stop the progression of pre-diabetes. an individual is diagnosed with prediabetes when their blood glucose level is elevated, but not high enough to be considered type 2. that course reinforces a lifestyle change. lifestyle coaches act as a guide teaching participants how to read nutrition labels, and track their eating and physical activities. participants have three goals, reduce body fat by 7 percent, reach 150 minutes worth of activity weekly, and stop diabetes before type 2 status. to qualify you must possess the risk factors of prediabetes or take a risk assessment test. course doesn't force participants on a diet or hold them accountable, but encourages. "they lean on each other, and support each other, we've had classes that meet before class and they w

yeah thanks a lot brea. a team of researchers at the university of iowa is making some progress in the fight against cancer. they are using 3-d imaging technology and a collection of cancer-fighting drugs to stop tumors from growing. dr. david soll started writing software for the imaging system back in the 1980's. about 20 years ago, he started collecting antibodies that fight cancer cells. soll decided to merge these 2 projects, with the goal of finding antibodies that would stop tumor growth. his team can watch a tumor's growth in 3-d -- that shows how special cells in the tumor reach out and grab other cells, causing it to get larger. soll says the next step is to test which antibodies can prevent certain steps in tumor growth. "43:57-:09 "we now can actually rebuild the tumor, over a 2- month period as it actually builds and forms in this gel, and reconstruct everything about it, and i even soll says this imaging technology is unique, and this is the first time researchers have been able to watch a canc

tv-9's brea love joins us now. brea, you talked with one man who is lobbying for the oils to come to iowa? that's right. right now, it is legal to use cannabis oil in the state, but you can't get it here. the house is debating a bill that would allow it to be produced and sold right here in iowa. and many iowans say they desperately need it. cannabis oil changed patrick loeffler's life. he has intractable epilepsy. one year ago, he wasn't feeling well and decided to drive home. what happened next could have killed him. 37:07 "took a turn down first street w, i actually crashed into the cedar rapids police department building. i'm lucky to be here telling my story." he had a seizure which stemmed from a pharmacy error. loeffler was given 250 ml pills in a 500 ml bottle, and wasn't getting the dosage he needed. he currently takes seven pills a day, and faces 37:46 "i stand here right now shaking inside. i have six to seven different side effects, actually i have more than that. i'm looking for quality of life back."

brea, how are things going there? chris, nicole--things are just getting set up here. so far the marathon has raised more than 16 million dollars. and the plan as usual, is to keep it up. this is ava swift. she's a healthy 6 year old, who has been through a real battle. when ava was 6 months old, her parents noticed 4:01 "when we fed her she would like sweat, like her head would sweat on our arm, she would sweat when she woke up, but being our first child we didn't know if that's normal." as time went on they noticed her stomach was swelling. they went to multiple specialists who said ava was fine. until one recommended the family make the trip from their home in northwest iowa, to the children's hospital. 5:13 "they started test right away, and that's when they told us she was diagnosed with stage 4, neuroblastoma." that would send the family on a year long journey featuring 14 chemo treatments, and surgery. which can be devastating to watch a child go through. 5:59 "to a mother, like i was in the bathroom, crying, vomiting because i'm like quit hurting my child." swi

kcrg-tv nine's brea love joins us this morning. brea, the department says the goal is to teach people something? that's right they say they want people to learn more about urban agriculture. and to get the community excited about the place old macdonald farm use to be bever zoo, and attracted tons on people. but, due to regulations most of the had to go, and now people aren't as excited. at a meeting yesterday the department discussed their new thought process. the goal is to bring the people back through new animals, renovations, and programs. parks and rec will introduce dozens of new baby farm animals. children and their families will be able to touch, feed, and play with them right inside of the park. and programs will be centered arnd them, teaching the community those urban agriculture skills. 4:08 "kids can come out and they can learn how to be a farmer for a day, or play with baby farm animals and paint, and make crafts ,and stuff like that. those ideas hopefully to bring the people out to the farm again." corrigan says the

thanks a lot brea. democratic presidential candidates hillary clinton and bernie sanders are hoping their with voters in nevada. the nevada democratic caucuses are tomorrow, and the republicans in south carolina go to the polls tomorrow for the primary. the decorah bald eagle has laid an egg. we take a look at the eagle's nest coming up. but right now, here's a look at today's opening farm markets. good it's ---. our much anticipated warmup is windy conditions today with highs well into the 50s. the south half of the area will likely touch the lower 60s as well. today will also come along with lots of wind with gusts to 45mph possible. tomorrow is very much the better half of this warmup with highs well into the 50s, but with wind under 15mph. by sunday, a cold front comes along, but with a significant dent in the snowpack, if not complete elimination, we really won't get that cold with upper 40s appears pretty quiet with only periodic bouts of clouds the most likely result. highs will average in the up