Good afternoon, im stacie schaible. Well begin with the change in the weather. Here is meteorologist julie phillips. We have had another warm day here. The last couple days we have made it into the 80s and thats the case right now, the plantation at Crystal River out here. So far today at tampa international, we have made it up to 84 degrees. The prior record was 84 set back in 1990, so we have at least tied that so far. You can see the temperatures inland heated up quickly today, 84 in brandon, along the coast a little cooler. Still 84 in Wesley Chapel and bartow currently. Warm temperatures around, namely just dealing with patchy clouds. Of rain and rain chances for this evening are pretty low for tonight. We dont have to go much farther off to the north to see a lot of showers and storms. You can see a line of them moving through georgia and the panhandle. This is ahead of the cold front were tracking. This is heading in our direction but its a slow mover, facing that high pressure. It will wait to move in till tomorrow. For this evening, 10 chance of a stray shower inland. Into the overnight hours, low clouds around, patchy fog may develop, shouldnt be too bad tomorrow morning. Heading throughout the day tomorrow, rain chances go up significantly. Well talk about when the rain ends and the cooler weather behind this system, coming up in the full forecast. Right now we have a developing story act School Employee background checks. A state report finds dozens of School District workers in Sarasota County never underwent ryan hughes went to the district to find out why. Reporter the new report shows the sarasota School District failed to properly recheck the backgrounds of some employees. The news didnt sit well with parents. The report published by the florida Auditor General found dozens of workers employed by the sarasota School District never had background screenings, which is required by law. School workers must get their fingerprints taken every five years. In a random sample of 80 workers, 45 of them, some of whom work with kids every day, never underwent the screenings. They should find the time. Its our children. So we need it done. Reporter the report shows district Officials Say they didnt have the personnel to submit fingerprints to the fbi or Law Enforcement to recheck the backgrounds of the employees. Some were last checked in 2002, prompting the state to suggest action to identify Staff Members who have not obtained the required screenings. I believe everybody should be checked to make sure they are able to do their jobs appropriately. Reporter a district spokesman tells us the district is addressing the issue right now. He indicated fingerprints are kept on file at fdle and if a district employee was arrested, they would be notified immediately. Count on 8 on your side to monitor the situation and bring you the latest developments. In Sarasota County, ryan hughes, newschannel 8. Today Downtown Office workers got a look at what its like to be in the middle of a pass shooting. The Downtown Partnership with the Tampa Police Department organized officers playing the part of a shooter to enter a workplace and open fire. Takes things out of that two dimensional flat tv or video type environment, and givers them some of the actual sights and smells and everything el of a real incident. Tampa Police Officers who organized the event believe seeing something this realistic gives people a chance to plan what they can do to protect themselves if this kind of situation arises. The Florida House is expected to pass two gun bills tonight. One would allow people with concealed carry licenses to campuses. The other lets lawmakers with concealed carry licenses pack heat during legislative floor. Matt gates is sponsoring the open carry bill, calling the concept. Why are we one of only five carry . Would be just as encouraged to provide the most liberty we can. The Senate Version of open carry could be heard by the Judiciary Committee next week. Florida banned open carry since established concealed weapon rules in 1987. A major flood caused by a busted pipe closed a surf style store and parking garage above it, meaning 400 spaces are off limits now. Clearwater beach is playing host to the uncorked food and wine event, and store management is working to reopen that garage for the event. There are several alternatives including san key park, downtown clearwater lots, and using the ferry from the Memorial Causeway bridge. While most eyes will be on this years super bowl, theres another contest going on. The bay area is going to be well represented. Be taking the field in puppy bowl 12. The Animal Planet network will televise the event. The goal is to draw attention to pets that come from shelters. This year special needs dogs will be featured in the other big game. Whats new at the state fair this year . We have a preview coming up. And its National Signing day, and one of the top wide receiver recruits is here in the bay area. Find out where he committed coming up. When you order now you get a free pizza after super bowl 50 free pizza . We get it after the super bowl. Order now through super at papajohns. Com and get a free pizza starting monday. Use promo code superbowl50. The water emergency in flint, michigan has people the university of tampa is organizing a drive called tampa to flint. They hope to collect and drive as much water and supplies as possible to flint, michigan. They will need rent a truck, pack it up ourselves and drive it up and hand it out in the communities that need it to most. Saturday 9 00 to 5 00 outside sikes Business School at the university of tampa. This weekend get ready for corn dogs and carnival rides. The state fair kicks off tomorrow with a lot of attractions and we have a sneak peek inside the 2016 state fair. Reporter the Florida State fair doesnt start until tomorrow, but today i got a sneak peek at the new fun you expect this year. From cotton candy to carnival games, this years fair has all with new attractions youd want to see to believe. How about the white house experience exhibit, featuring authentic president ial memorabilia and some reproductions, meant to inspire generations to learn about and love our countrys political process. Years ago, 100 of the people were patriotic. So what im trying to do is instill in people the beauty and love for america we have. Reporter the state fair runs through february 15th. And there is a little Football Game this weekend. Coming up, some of the preps happening today for super bowl 50 and the overwhelming theme of the commercials youll see during the game. Then in sports, some bay area standouts from College Football because its signing day. Stay with us to find out where theyre headed next. This is newschannel 8 and well i dont know what im doing. I cant find anything just when i think its just not going to work. This woman that works there comes over and asks can i help you . And he was so happy, to do it amazing right . I never would have expected would have thought that anyone would find that do that. Make that go out of their way for me. Right then, right there i couldnt believe it he was so helpful i know its such a small thing little thing. Simple thing but it made me smile made me happy made my day share your story. Publix. Where shopping americas got talent will be holding auditionings in orlando this month. What do you need to do to sign up . We have the answers today. Adam, were glad youre here, i heard you had dinner with your mom. Yes, its always fun to visit family while youre traveling. What do you do as a producer . This is my Fourth Season on americas got talent. Im in charge of the digital and social media aspects of the show. So everything you see going on twitter and facebook and youtube, we have some fun. Theres a lot of people on my team that do a great job of getting it out there. Morning. Ill have to follow you. Please do that. It is amazing that there is still so much undiscovered talent out there, which is why were in the auditions process right now throughout the nation. We see a lot of crazy stuff, like a guy from season 10 who swallowed things and spit them back up, the professional regurgitate torr. Razor blades, everything. You never know what america is going to like. We are a show thats not autoabout singers like the other shows. We are accepting of any talent, any age, and no matter if you think its goofy or serious, passionate, we want to see it. And magicians and comedians. He has a residency at the flamingo hotel. And you have simon cowell this year. Are you excited . Yeah, because hes going to be rude, you know. Is that what you want from him . You need somebody to do that. I think he brings a level of brilliance to the show. For him to put together one direction and fifth harmony, hes brilliant minded. He helped discover jennifer hudson. Everything he touches. Turns to gold. And where can people audition in orlando . February 19th on a friday, you reregister at agtauditions. Com. Then you can go in and select your arrival time. And you get a lot of paperwork out of the way. Well be at Orange CountyConvention Center february 19th and looking for anything. Do you want to audition right no, i got nothing. Sing. I dare you. Thank you, adam. We have all the americas got talent audition forms and information at wfla. Com so you can find it in the dont miss it section. And we know what julies talent is, she sees the future and predicts the weather. And i see changes in our future. We have seen temperatures in the 80s but that will change if the cold front set to move through tomorrow. So currently 77 degrees at st. Pete beach, southwest winds coming in 15 to 20 miles an hour. For the rest of the evening, this is what to expect. Well stay warm, partly cloudy and stray showers possible in the northern spots this evening. Overall rain chances not too high for today. As we head to tomorrow morning as the front approaches, well see the rain chances going up. Low clouds, patchy fog during the Morning Hours and then well see showers and storms starting up around 9 00, 10 00 then the showers and storms will spread south throughout the day. By tomorrow afternoon, showers and storms lingering. This is going to be a slow mover, so showers and storms may continue for a while. At the moment, just a few clouds on the satellite and radar. As we take a step back, you can see what were tracking. There is a cold front here and its brought the Severe Weather to the southeast yesterday. Those videos of the torrents you saw in places like alabama, this is that same system. The good news is the Severe Weather looks to remain north of us. Well see general showers in our area. Continuing throw the overnight hours, tomorrow morning could have some patchy fog. Then the rain start in the Northern Counties and spreads south throughout the day. Good rain chances, then behind this system well start to see clearing friday morning. Skies will clear but the north be chilly. Breezy north wind, highs in the low 60s on friday. As we head into saturday, the front moves farther south. We could see an area of low pressure, so well keep that chance of showers in the forecast mainly saturday afternoon and saturday evening. Still partly cloudy skies and Cool Temperatures on saturday. Upper 70s and mid80s across the board for us, then as we head into the weekend, rain chances back saturday night into sunday morning with Cool Temperatures continuing through next week. Super bowl 50 will air this sunday and santa clara, california is being spruced up for the big event, as you can imagine. The Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers are already there getting ready to play for the super bowl title. And we are getting a peek at these 30 second commercials are costing upwards of 5 million each. Last year there was emphasis on ads that pulled on your Heart Springs and this year theres astrand for humor. There is some risk in general, but funny is a crowd pleaser for sure. Selects are also a part of the commercials, 33 celebrities appearing this year as opposed to 28 last year. And we have dos and donts that will keep you on the right side of your Super Bowl Party host. We have answers thanks to etiquette expert patricia rossi. They made us take off our cam newton pants in the green room. So im over that. Cant wait for that myself. You say do bring something . Yes, even if the host says not to, please bring something because theyre going to talk bad about you if you dont. Bring anything. How about dont talk diets . Its super bowl sunday, people. Its the day of the biggest american buffet. Were all excited. If you do that, youre going to kill the fun of the game. Dont talk diet or jenny craig or anything like that. Buzz kill. Worst etiquette, it is. What about seating . Sometimes not enough seating . The host has been slicing, dicing, cleaning. You have to thank captain kirk the year you dont give the guest your best seat. And no crazy conduct, losing or winning . If youre trailing, dont act crazy. If youre winning, theyre not paying your 401k. Dont act crazy. Just be a good sport. When its over and you help clean up, go home. But thank the host before you go home. Its not new years. And its a workday the next day. Thank you very much. Now lets check on first at 4 sports with dan lucas. Dont fall asleep on the floor, either. Today for National Signing day, one of my favorite days, the bay area loaded with elite High School Football talent. On National Signing day, there was one player drawing country. Tampa catholics Nate Craig Myers was one a verbal commit of auburn tigers, but once other schools started calling, he backed out. Did he have a change of part back toward the tigers . I would like to further my education at auburn university. Thank god its over. Reporter as the porcelain tiger hit the table, nikki craig could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Her son was once again an auburn tiger. 23 hes happy, im happy. Weve been through the tough times, ups an downs. Reporter the top 50 recruit made 6 interceptions his senior year at Tampa Catholic and made the decision to recommit to auburn a month ago but couldnt shell let the whole world know. It was definitely a hard decision, having a lot of schools and you have to narrow the list at some point. When i went up on official visit and sat down with the coaches, talked with some of the prospects there, i just knew it was the right decision. Hes set the benchmark with his play here and im excited to see what he can do the next level. He may be a guy you see in three or four years at the nfl draft. Congratulations, joining that program with one of last years top recruits in the country, byron howard, so the bay area well represented there. Such and exciting day for parents, for players, the suspense. College football fanatics love this day. National networks were on at 8 00 a. M. All through the afternoon. We call it election day in the sports world. Florida state fans should be very happy because the seminoles had a little work to do today. They landed a couple big names and they are number 2 in the country according to whose ranking you follow, with this recruiting class. Usf 71st i believe in the country, ucf in the top 50. Florida did well. You can walk down the street anywhere in florida and find a talented football player. Were keeping them home, thats the good thing. Thanks. Well be right back. Sents how to put your foot our mouth. Man, wish my yard looked like yours. Hey, the grass is always greener on the other side of the. Sorry. Now get 20 off stagreen fertilizer, vo know you have a dedicated advisor and team who understand where you come from. We didnt really have anything, you know. But, we made do. Vo know you can craft an Investment Plan as strong as your values. Al, how you doing. Hey, mr. Hamilton. Vo know that together you can establish a meaningful legacy. With the guidance and support of your dedicated now four headlines at 4 30. Number one, donald trump is accusing ted cruz of stealing the iowa caucuses, demanding a doover. Trump said based on the fraud committed by ted cruz during the iowa caucus, either a new election should tame or cruzs no response yet from the cruz campaign. Number two, rand paul is no longer running for president. The kentucky senator is suspending his campaign for the republican no, maam neigh. The 52yearold is expected to turn to his Senate Reelection campaign, which he is favored to win. Number three, day two in bill cosbys attempt to get a criminal Sexual Assault charge thrown out. Cosby is charged with drugging an violating a former Temple University employee in 2004. A pennsylvania District Attorney claims at that time he made a verbal deal with cosby that if he gave a deposition in the civil case, he would not be charged. Cosby followed through. The new d. A. Claims his predecessor had no right to make that deal. Number four, people in minnesota are taking advantage of the freezing temperatures by where temperatures topped out at 22 degrees today. Governor scott is pushing for a billion dollar tax package and getting pushback over who should reap the benefits. Refrigerator the governors tax package faces three hurdles size, at 1 billion. Its a tax cut every year. And little of it goes to average citizens. Governor scott took to tossing bean bags and joined by two big lobbyist groups. Its unfair that our businesses are the only ones that pay a tax on commercial lease. Reporter scott says in the end, creating jobs will benefit everyone. Have grown, home prices gone up, people have jobs. Reporter as the legislature nears the halfway mark, its clear hell get a tax cut. The big question is the size. Many others want the governor to include a reduction as part of the package. Lets check the weather with meteorologist julie phillips. It was a warm afternoon again this afternoon. We tied our record High Temperature in tampa, 84 degrees. Thats what were sitting at in sun city center, 84 with light winds out of the east. Notice some sunshine around today. Thats going to change as we head to tomorrow. So we are waiting for the cold front to arrive with the changes. For this evening, we are still evening, winds out of the south around 10 to 15 miles an hour. Really the rain chances go up as we head to tomorrow. So temperatures as you head inland, definitely warm, low to mid80s, 77 currently in largo and 84 in bartow, 75 currently in venice. There is the front off to our north and west. Ewe can see showers and storms rolling through and we have a good chance of rain throughout the day. Then we have another system moving through this weekend bringing us a slight chance of rain. Details on the cooler weather, coming up in the full forecast. We have what you need to know to plan the morning commute with a look at hello. We have belcher road to u. S. 19 closed till february 12th here on nursery. Avoid that. Take bel air instead. You can also connect with me on facebook and if you have story ideas you can also follow me for the morning commute on twitter. And every weekend morning we have weather and traffic on the eights starting at 4 00 a. M. Service animals come in all shapes and sizes but some are giving other pet owners a bad rap. Reporter after our information exposed dangerous sinkhole activity at the tampa complex, multiple agencies and determine whether these residents are safe. Reporter and this champ is losing her mercedes to pay overdue child support. Reporter a state audit found Sarasota County schools is failing to provide proper background checks, so are your kids safe . We get it after the super bowl. Order now through super bowl sunday at papajohns. Com and get a free pizza starting monday. Use promo code superbowl50. What if you get on your plane and find yourself next to a miniature horse or a kangaroo . You can bring almost any animal on to the plane as long as theyre classified as an emotional support animal. And getting a certificate is reporter pets on planes. From dogs to really big dogs, even turkeys sitting in coach. They dont need a ticket. They have Something Better an emotional support letter and certification from a Mental Health professional. You get on aircraft these days and the cabin looks like a barnyard. Reporter there are legitimate cases but experts say far too often, passenger are abusing the system and its out of control. Often its about the money. One way to travel without a pet on the airline, 600. If hes an emotional support animal, he gets to come with you for free. Reporter plenty of websites offer the certifications if you just fill out a questionnaire. I go online and do it. Just a few clicks later, there it is. Reporter for 150 i get it, then they email me this official letter from a real Mental Health professional. I never met her or spoke to her. And before you know it, im flying with rory. Our boarding flight, they didnt even ask to see the letter. So no problems, no questions asked. Reporter and because hes an emotional support animal, no crate required. In fact, we take two flights. And the airline never asks a thing. So i just flew with a dog. Now were going to ramp it up. Lindsey, youre certifying a different kind of animal . I filled out all the same emotional support pig. Did you have to meet anybody, did anybody call you . It was all online. Okay. Youre going to fly with the pig . Sure am. Reporter yes, she did it. Thats spencer, a 3monthold pot belly pig. We borrowed him from a pig farm. Remember, hes now an emotional support animal. At security, the agent asks for proof. No problem. Remember, we have that secret weapon the letter. On board, spencer gets to sit on her lap, too. Pig on a plane. Reporter this pig flies round trip. On that second leg, agents ask her for the letter at the gate and spencer gets right on again. People are definitely abusing the system. We see it every day. Reporter disability experts say the experiment shows how people are saying, who am i really hurting . Youre passing yourself off as a person with a disability. Reporter until theres a crackdown, this could be next to you on your next flight. Delta said their poms are directly in line with federal regulations and they review their policies, reserving the right to evaluate each case. But experts believe the way to get it under control is develop a standardized certification system where owners have to meet with doctors to prove they need an emotional support animal. And since emotional support animals arent required to have formal training, they could become disruptive on the plane. One tampa mom with a bad bout of nausea invented something to help others with the same thing. Now her invention is taking off. Reporter at one of the best times in jackies life, she never felt sicker. I was so tired. I would wake up just in time to get sick again. Reporter the pain medication she was given during her csection made her nauseous and it wouldnt stop. It was horrible trying to breastfeed. Reporter she knew about 5 00 ewe pressure to help with nausea and found the smell of peppermint helped too. I looked at patents from all over the world and no one had ever taken essential oils and acupressure and put them together. Reporter the bands are peppermint infused acupressure bands that offer immediate nausea relief. A specific spot on the inside of your wrist. This is applying pressure to the nerve that runs underneath. Then you produce anaphor fins and antinausea, so you dont get sick before you go on the cruise ship, before you go into the chemo, before you go to surgery. Reporter and theyre selling like hot cakes. The bands are distributed in nine Different Countries and nominated for surgical product of the year in 2015. I just took two concepts that already worked, put them together in an easy to use even know. These days. And two years in, shes selling hundreds of thousands of the bands and her company is not stopping. They already have one for dogs headaches. There is no cure now for lot of ways to lower your risk of getting it. One of those is by eating healthier. We have some answers today about that with registered dietitian and nutritionist abigail dougherty. Thank you for being here. Thank you. February is heart month so its a good time to think, what can we do besides exercise . Yes. So there are so many foods. I thought instead of giving you a list of foods that are good, put those into meals and what the day might look like. Now you have ideas of heart healthy meals that pack a nutrition punch for your heart, starting with breakfast. Why not some whole grain oatmeal topped with berries and nuts or your favorite nut butter . Nuts are high and heart healthy, and the oatmeal is high in soluble fiber, and the berries are like little vitamins. That breakfast is going to give you the right calorie content. And lunch . Lunch, why not some greens, topped with omega3 fatty acid like salmon, and your favorite oil and vinegar dressing. Perfect. And finally dinner. So why not chili . Turkey and black bean chili. Youre getting the beans, high in fiber. Thats great for the heart. And tomatoes, always tomato sauce in there somewhere. Its great for the heart, high . Lycopene, and you could even with corn bread if you wanted. And dark clock to chocolate to top it off . Give it the higher and dont go overboard. The dove dark chocolate ones, very good. Youre welcome. Thank you. Lets check with julie for another look at weather. Good afternoon. We are tracking a cold front unfortunately it happens to coincide with the first day of the state fair. So were starting off on a rainy note. 11 00 a. M. , temperatures are in the mid70s. If youre heading out, were seeing rain nearing the fairgrounds. As we head into the afternoon and evening hours, we could still see lingering showers still with us. Then as this clears out, well see temperatures dropping back. By 8 00 p. M. , we have dropped back in the low 60s. The cold front moves through tomorrow, bringing us showers and embedded thunderstorms as well. Then the cooler air arrives, breezy north winds kick in on friday and its cooler in the another potential area of low pressure that may move through saturday night, bringing us showers. Models have been all over the place and right now this looks like saturday night we could see isolated showers. Currently a cold front off to our north, bringing us showers and storms across the southeast. Still a few severe storms in places like south carolina. Remember, this is the system that brought the tornadoes to places like alabama yesterday. We are at the southern end of this system and its not as strong as it gets to us. Tomorrow morning as youre heading to work, a lot of areas still dry. By 10 00 a. M. The rain moves in. This will continue into the afternoon hours and could see late day lingering light showers. By friday the rain is gone, chilly air moved in and its breezy as well. The drier air means beautiful blue skies and its a chilly day. Increase and was we bring back in slight rain chances, looks like saturday everything and sunday morning, the possibility for rain and then chilly through next week, well be in the 60s. As we get ready for sundays big game, strawberry season is in full swing. In todays guide to pinterest, berries could earn you some extra points at your Super Bowl Party. If you want to wow your friends at this weekends Super Bowl Party, bring them Something Sweet florida strawberries. Its their season to shine and florida strawberries are the stars everywhere. We are making midnight strawberry short cakes. All you have to do is make cupcakes the night before, mix up the berries and put them in a container and bring some whip cream. Reporter strawberry sue whip up this recipe. Im going to slice a regular short cake. You cut the center out an pull the center out and fill yours with strawberries. Once i figured out what to do with the center of the cupcake, it was time to pile up the strawberries. Yours is going to have a surprise in the center. Get more strawberries on that, some juice. Reporter next, add whipped cream, garnish with a little mint, and maybe a berry to place on top. You got it. Perfect. Reporter until next week, happy pinning. Yum. Coming up, taking down time to help a lost toddler feel a little more comfortable. vo if you have type 2 diabetes, you may know what its like to deal with high. And low blood sugar. Januvia sitagliptin is a oncedaily pill that, along with diet and exercise, helps lower blood sugar. Januvia works when your blood sugar is high and works less when your blood sugar is low, because it works by enhancing your bodys own ability to lower blood sugar. Plus januvia, by itself, is not likely to cause weight gain or low blood sugar hypoglycemia . Januvia should not be used in patients with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. Tell your doctor if you have a history of pancreatitis. Serious side effects can happen, including pancreatitis which may be severe and lead to death. Stop taking januvia and call your stomach area which may be pancreatitis. Tell your doctor right away and stop taking januvia if you have an allergic reaction that causes swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, or affects your breathing or causes rash or hives. Kidney problems sometimes requiring dialysis have been reported. Some people may develop severe joint pain. Call your doctor if this happens. R using januvia with a sulfonylurea or insulin p may cause low blood sugar. To reduce the risk, your doctor may p prescribe a lower dose of the sulfonylurea or insulin. Your doctor may do blood tests before and during treatment to check your kidneys. If you have kidney problems a lower dose may be prescribed. Side effects may include upper respiratory tract infection, stuffy or runny nose, sore throat, and headache. For help lowering your blood sugar talk to your doctor about januvia. Lowes presents how to put your foot in your mouth. Man, wish my yard looked like yours. Hey, the grass is always greener on the other side of the. Sorry. Stagreen fertilizer, at lowes. Ba da ba ba ba now lets take a look at whats trending online today beginning with a seal out of water. Shoppers were surprised to say the least when a sea lion showed up in a la Jolla California store. Video just popped up on facebook shows customers running into the still sea lion and doing what most people do this days. They pulled out cell phones. The owners at the store said the animal likes to climb the from the shore to the store. With some coaxing and canned salmon he was back to the ocean in no time. South loop won at georgia tech but im not sure they remember anything after halftime. Pro golfer and tech, sank a 94 foot putt across the hardwood as part of the halftime show. The amazing shot on 25,000 for a lucky georgia tech student. Later there was a tweet saying im using this fall forever. Check out this picture all over social media today showing us in seattle Cincinnati Police officer playing with the 2yearold. Its after the toddler was picked up wondering around 2 30 in the morning around an apartment complex. The officers bought in clothes and toys and waited for his parents to claim him. Now time for news channel 8