Politics first thats the rubio way. Right to rise usa is responsible for the content of this message. Coming up. Find out why this trip has a spiritual element for the group. Group. Emergency evacuation. Fire fighters put out the flames on a dart bus this evening. Where it happened and why dart says this feels like dejavu. Christmas grinch. The Des Moines Police are looking for a suspect who stole gifts from a family. What led the suspect to the home. And how the family caught a glimpse of him on camera. From who hd iowas High Definition leader. This is the channel 13 news at nine on fox 17 Downtown Court avenue is the place many will go to ring in the new year. But some revelers are a bit anxious. Following a Fatal Shooting there just weeks ago. Good evening. Im dave this time tomorrow night crowds will gather to drink and celebrate. One of the places they will be doing that is along court avenue. Our mike dasilva went out to find out how Law Enforcement is handling the party scene. He joins us now with more. Mike . Some places downtown will have some additional staffing and even additional private security, but other places will not and in terms of additional off Duty Police Officers. The answer is no. You wont see as many uniformed off Duty Police Officers on court avenue this new years eve. That thats an area where we need to pay extra attention to and we usually do. It happens that way. Its just officers, were kind of in a position where we have to do it as the calls for service would allow. sgt. Paul parizek says the money to simply isnt there. 16 40 1622 that money was exhausted earlier this year. money to pay for off duty cops aside by operation downtown, a non profit dedicated to keeping downtown clean and safe. Parizek says extra officers are always called in to work on holidays like st. Patricks day and halloween. But this year, impacted staffing. 16 41 15 the warm weather this year. It extended their warm weather period a little bit longer than they thought in the past. So what happens there is that money went away. Last month. One person was killed an another injured in a shooting along court avenue. But despite that violence. The general manager of tonic says he expects a safe night. 15 08 51 weve had no problems here ever, not even, not even issues. I mean, its that simple, my security guards think its boring. Just to be honest. Tonic patron eric tyer and his girlfirend Michelle Rice expect a loud, festive and enjoyable new years eve. But not dangerous. 15 48 1127 no, not really any safety concerns. I mean its pretty safe, feel pretty safe down here. Ive lived in des moines all my life and never really had any safety concerns about we reached out to operation downtown. They said they do not decide when and how to utilize those dollars that are set aside of off duty cops downtown. They say instead they rely on the Police Department to make those decisions. Because they are the experts. By the way, police say they will ask on Duty Officers to pay a little extra attention to downtown during their patrols, but thats only as they are able to. A bus that caught fire tonight seemed all too familiar to dart officials. State representative chris driving nearby in the north part of des moines. He tweeted out this as flames consumed the dart bus around 530. The bus caught fire on merle hay road near ovid avenue. It appears the fire started near the engine. Dart says its the same make and series as another dart bus that caught fire earlier this year. Tonight. The driver and one passenger were the only ones on the bus they werent hurt. Des Moines Police need your helping in finding a grinch who stole a familys christmas. The familys home Surveillance System caught the thief in action. They show the man and the black Vehicle Police are trying to find. Police believe the suspect followed a mail truck to the home in the 24 hundred block of east 33rd street. The man then stole the items off the front steps after the mail carrier left. Inside the boxes were presents for the kids who live in the home. If you have any information on the case contact des moines this year des moines drivers can expect to see more parking tickets during snow events. Thats because. Beginning this week. Public works officials also started issuing parking citations. Before. Only parking attendants with the Des Moines Police department could write you up. Authorities say this week alone. Nearly onethousand tickets have been issued. We wont see any tickets once the people get educated because they will know where to park their cars. That is the purpose of us writing more tickets. So the public can be more educated. Our goal is to write zero tickets, so everyone will know where to go before it snows. There are several evenodd Parking Zones in des moines. While snow parking bans are in effect. Vehicles must park on the side of the evennumber addressed during evennumbered calendar days. Then it switches for the odd days. Many plows were out clearing the roads again this morning from the like we have a few clear days ahead. Brett mcintyre joins us now with the recent snow has hampered travel plans for hawkeyes fans heading to california. The trip is no doubt a special experience for all of them. But for one iowa family its also spiritual. Reid chandler has the story. They say a lot can change in just one year. Andrew lauver of lake city knows that to be true more than most. I wish she wouldnt have left so soon, it doesnt make sense, and i ask myself why a lot. Andrew lauver, love letters, february 2015. We first told you lauvers story last february. After losing the love of his life, chelsey henkenius, in a car accident love letters to chelsey every day. Chelsey henkenius, you are the love of my life. I first saw you at an Elementary School concert and you took my breath away. Andrew lauver, love letters, february 2015. Now, a year later, lauver and chelseys family are on their way to the rose bowl, fulfilling one of her dreams. In 2013 it would have been, we were watching some of the bowl games chelsey and i and she had said that someday, when she was out of school and things, that she wanted to take her dad to the rose bowl. Andrew lauver lake city, ia now hes taking her dad, plus her mom and brothers, to the rose bowl in her memory. Buying the tickets in october, before even knowing if her Favorite Team the iowa hawkeyes would be playing. As time went along, the hawkeyes kept winning, and they kept winning, and now of course, theyre in it. So, its just a dream come true from that standpoint. Andrew lauver lake city, ia lauver says along with his bags, hes packed chelsey with him for this trip. Their flight out of des moines canceled tuesday, the family denver. Id say theres a lot of divine intervention thats taken part in this trip, and maybe theres a reason we didnt get on that plane yesterday morning. Maybe shes the one thats behind that as well. Jim henkenius chelseys father awaiting their flight thursday morning, lauver and chelseys family decided to take in the Natural Beauty denver has to offer wednesday. Repping chelsey, and her hawkeyes, along the way. I told her that i would not wear a hawkeye shirt. She once asked if i wanted one for christmas or something, and i said, well im not going to wear that. because im a huge iowa state fan, i graduated from iowa state. So i specifically told her that i would not wear one, and now i have four of them in my bag on this trip that im now wearing. So she definitely has gotten me good from that standpoint. Andrew lauver lake city, ia chasing after one girls dream, even after shes gone. As chelseys loved ones will tell you. Shes never truly left them. It makes us feel closer to her that way, and were living out the dreams that she has, you know, even though she may not physically be with us, but she is spiritually with us. Chelsey a stanford s bo event. Plus. Well pl. See ht a oascobufit. A president ial candidates bus th a day a natnl pr as h n sa was spying on its own lawmakers. Cogrs n teoa administration had already worked to scale back surveillance the n sa haso naein citizens. The surveillance w sppe o wy o track potential terrorist activity. But the wall street ualeprted today, the nsa was also eavesdropping on Electronic Communications of some members of congress. I rode along on rubios campaign bus today where he sat beside his wife. Rubio. 12 28 im on the intelligence committee. 1405. Do anything the Us House Oversight Committee has requested the nsa release whatever guidance it gave to employees for monitoring members j on average, it takes three hundred americans working for a solid year, to make as much money as one top ceo. Its called the wage gap. And the republicans will make it worse by lowering taxes for those at the top and letting corporations write their own rules. Hillary clinton will work to close the wage gap. Equal pay for women to raise incomes for families, a higher minimum wage, lower taxes for the middle class. She gets the job done for us. Coming up. An iowa school says its time to spread the news next the unique way its rewarding students for perfect attendance. Two weeks later, terrorists struck again in san bernardino. And where was marco . Fundraising again in new orleans. Over the last 3 years, rubio has missed Important National security hearings and missed more total votes than any other senator. Politics first thats the rubio way. Right to rise usa Bernie Sanders understands how pharmaceutical companies and Major Medical companies are ripping us off. Bernie tells the truth, and hes been consistent. He understands that the system is rigged, and hes the only one who can bring real change. Students get all sorts of rewards for doing well in school. But one Council Bluffs school is taking a different approach when it comes to improving attendance. Brian mastre has the story. We often hear that the habits we develop in school will often follow us in life. this is the first time weve done this. Council BluffsSchool Administrators changed things this year. congrats on your perfect attendance bud. Look at what you get in your yard. instead of having an assembly or giving the certificate in school they took the signs to their homes for all to see. This one belongs to first grader Jayden Campbell. Rachel horton, School Counselor im glad you were home jayden. Are you going to try to get another one next semester, too . Awesome. Was it easy or hard to get it this year . Jayden Campbell easy. School CounselorRachel Horton and other Staff Members at roosevelt elementary drove to 38 personally deliver the good news. Super Rachel Horton, cb roosevelt elementary Rachel Horton theyre there from the first bell to the last. Theyre not missing any time at school. Thats pretty impressive. rachel hi kourtney, surprise you get your perfect attendance sign. Were so proud of you being in school everyday and ontime. You get to put this in your yard. super kim anderson, kourtneys mother mom kim anderson shes a good student and hard worker. Shes an amazing student. Im very proud of kourtney. super brian mastre not only has 5th grader Kourtney Anderson not missed a day of school here at roosevelt elementary, shes punctual and here before most of the other students. Shes on safety patrol. Kourtney i dont usually get sick that easy. being punctual and there everyday are two things avoiding getting sick is often out of our control. Rachel this is a bad year to ask me. Ive missed my fair share all these kids have School Districts are always looking for new ways to get lessons to stick. Counselor we want them to understand that its not just about perfect attendance at school but also preparing them for life after school. And their future job. roosevelt elementary in Council Bluffs has around 500 students this year. There are 38 kids who had perfect attendance for the first trimester. One of this countys most wellknown actor and comedians now has a reputation thats far from perfect. Just ahead bill cosby is charged with Sexual Assault. The allegations against him. And when hes expected back in court. Do you know the secret to a happy home in these modern times . Its a housewife whos in control of the finances. Actually, any wife, husband, or human person can use progressives name your price tool to take control of their budget. And while the men do the hard work of making money, she can get all the Car Insurance options her little heart desires. Or the women might do the hard work of making money. [ chuckling ] women dont have jobs. Is this guy for real . Modernizing Car Insurance with thats enough out of you the name your price tool, only from progressive. Cosby charged. After years of Sexual Assault actor is now facing charges. The evidence that surfaced giving prosecutors enough to move forward. Fighting terrorism. A top us general is going against the president. Why the genral is saying its time to add more forces in afghanistan. Instea d of less. Flood fight. Major roads are closed and mandatory evacuations are underway across missouri. Coming up. Why the governor says hes optimistic. From who hd iowas High Definition leader. This is the channel 13 news at nine on fox 17 after years of accusations. Actor and commedian bill cosby has now been charged with sex assault. Cosby made his First Court Appearance earlier today. Steve nannes has the details about what happens next. We are here to announce today charges that have just been filed after years of allegations and accusations from dozens of women. Bill cosby has officially been charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault, a Second Degree felony. Cosby appeared in a pennsylvania courtroom on wednesday. He did not enter a plea. His bail was set at one million dollars, and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for january 14th. Pennsylvania District Attorney kevin steele says cosby established a relationship with andrea constand, a staffer for the Temple UniversityWomens Basketball team. Constand says she came to see cosby as a mentor and a friend. Until the night in question. mr. Cosby urged her to take pills that he provided to her and to drink wine. The effect of which rendered her unable to move, respond to his advances, and he committed aggravated indecent assault upon her. Todays charge stems from information obtained in depositions from a 2005 civil suit filed by constand. That suit was settled unsealed in july. That gave prosecutors enough evidence to go forward. They read cosbys deposition, they read where cosby said he penetrated her. In that deposition, cosby admitted acquiring prescription quaaludes to give women he wanted to have sex with. Cosby said any sex and drug taking were always consensual. Im steve nannes reporting. More than 40 women have accused cosby of Sexual Assault over a span of four decades. If convicted of these current charges in the one case, cosby could face up to ten years in prison. Protesters in cleveland are demanding justice for tamir rice. Pause for nats protestors gathered outside a Justice Center today. It comes after a grand jury decision earlier this week not to indict two Police Officers who shot the body last killed while playing with a pellet gun outside a recreation center. Officers responded to a 911 call about a person with a gun. And said they thought tamir had a real weapon. Prosecutors said there was a string of missteps, but no criminal conduct by police. Funeral services were held today for an iowa native killed in afghanistan. 45yearold joseph lemm died last week in a suicide bombing outside of Bagram Air Base in afghanitan. Today mourners gathered for a service at new yorks st. Patricks cathedral. Lemm grew up in bernard, iowa. Then moved to nebraska. And lived his adult life in new york. He was a 15year veteran of the ny pd and a member of the air National Guard. Lemm leaves behind a wife and two children. His fouryearold son. Ryan. Was spotted today on a Police Officers shoulders saluting his fathers casket. A top us general is raising a in afghanistan. It comes as hes seeing a resurgent alqaeda, a growing threat from isis. While president obama has ordered a drawdown of us troops. Garrett tenney has the story. A top us general says he may need more troops on the ground in afghanistan not fewer, as the president has called for. In an interview with usatoday, army general John Campbell said hed like to keep as many of the 9,800 troops currently in afghanistan that he can, for as long as he can and that he may request additional forces, saying in part if i dont believe that we can accomplish the train, advise and assist and the missions, then i owe it to the Senior Leadership to come back and say, heres what i need. if thats more people, its more people. In october, president obama announced he was reversing his decision to withdraw all but Embassy Personnel by the end of 2016 instead, 9,800 troops will remain there through 2016, before dropping to obama says weve always known weve had to maintain counterterrorism operation in that region to tamp down reemergence of active Al Qaeda Networks or other networks that might do us harm there are new reports though that alqaeda is resurging in the region with a number of Training Camps like those built by Osama Bin Laden before the attacks on september 11. Senator marco rubio says those gains are because of the president s back and forth on the withdrawal. Rubio says his retreat from afghanistan prematurely is whats created this opening. By the way, its not just al qaeda, isis is growing in afghanistan, its been underreported, but isis presence is growing in afghanistan as well. In a report to congress, the pentagon stated the overall security situation in the country had deteriorated, with a greater number of sophisticated insurgent attacks, and higher casualties among afghan forces. Military analysts say that even after 14 years of us troops in combat there, the fight for afghanistan is one that the us cannot ignore. Keane says . If were not able the afghan National Security forces, properly assisted by us, then that government could fall. And then afghanistan becomes a hotbed of terrorist activities. General campbell told usa today hell be heading to washington soon to brief leaders on the security situation in afghanistan and offer his recommendations. President obama will make another trip to germany in april. But it wont focus on fighting terrorism. The white house says he will meet with german chancellor Angela Merkel in an effort to boost trade and investment. The proposed Useuropean UnionFree Trade Agreement is the biggest free trade pact in history. However. It has been met with vocal opposition on both sides of the atlantic. This will be the president s fifth trip to germany, only france has received more visit by the missouri governor has activated the National Guard due to what could be historic flooding. It comes as the governor takes a tour of flooded areas near st. Louis. Matt finn has more. Historic flooding in the midwest is prompting widespread evacuations. Swollen rivers and streams have been pushed to heights not seen since the massive floods of 1993. At least 20 people are dead in missouri and illinois. President obama pledging the federal governments continued help dealing with Severe Weather in a phone call with missouri governor jay nixon. Governor nixon says hes optimistic the eastern and southern portions of the state will soon recover from the devastation. But cautions its not over. Nixon says if we could say anything over and over it would be dont drive in the water. Of the fatalities weve had, everyone has been someoen in the water, most of them ended up being at night. Nixon toured flooded areas near the st. Louisarea community of pacific on wednesday afternoon. That came just hours before the meramec rivers scheduled crest at more than 18 feet above flood stage. And with the levee just a few hundred feet from their homesa mandatory evacuation is underway here in valley park, missouri. The people who live closest to that levee are packing up and moving out. Northcutt says waiting wishing hoping praying that the levee holds up and everything stays dry for us. Harris says it wears you out. This is the last time i want to have to do this. If it does flood i probably wont move back here. And in this area tonight dozens of hotels and businesses forced to close. Weve seen police closely monitoring the area for looting but Governor Nixon says so far there have been no reports. In valley park, missouri, matt finn, fox news. The flood is expected to turn into the secondworst on record behind missouris devastating 1993 flood in which 100thousand homes hey this holiday, u. S. Cellulars giving you 15 gigs of data for just 70 but i wanted a pony. [ gasps ] youre getting data. Ponysized data . U. S. Cellular sized data. 15 gigs of good, strong data you can actually use because it works in the middle of anywhere. Id like 100 youre getting 400 in promo cards yes switch to u. S. Cellular and get 15 gigs of data for just 70. We are less than 48hours afrom the rose bowl in pasadena. Coming up. Hear what the hawkeye players are saying about the iowa fans. Plus, the special honor thanks keith. Next. Well like right on the rose bowl grounds. There is an rv parking lot there. And right now. Its filled with iowa fans. But these folks arent roughing it. One of the rvs there has five tvs and two bathrooms. Thanks for joining us. Have