that spawned tornadoes for the gulf coast and southeast continues to rise... reid binion reports on how the system's breadth and reach extended all the way to pennsylvania. virginia, florida, and north carolina.... ...with severe damage as far north as pennsylvania. the same weather system was responsible for the deaths of three people on tuesday. as tornado watches expired late wednesday... ...new warnings and advisories took their place: a low pressure system tracking from the gulf of mexico... and bearing down on the east coast thursday. ...triggering winter storm warnings and advisories stretching more than 14- hundred miles... from texas to delaware... ...with roughly 50 million people in the storm's path. i'm reid binion, reporting >> the director of the world health organization said yesterday that the zika outbreak could get worse before it gets better. w-h-o director general margaret chan was speaking in brazil, where she met with government officials and visited mothers whose children suffer from a birth defect that is thought to be linked to the zika virus. brazil is dealing with a public health emergency stemming from the zika outbreak. chan talked about the children with microcephaly, a brain defect where babies are born with abnormally small heads. brazil considers most of the cases to be related to zika, though the link between the virus and the birth defects has not been scientifically established. a 15-year-old stanton county, nebraska boy has been sentenced to one year probation after he admitted to mistreating an animal. three teens were arrested in october after a video surfaced of them torturing and the teen had originally faced felony animal abuse charges but admitted responsibility to misdemeanor animal mistreatment charge. he was also ordered to complete 50 hours of community service. three people linked to robberies in sioux city have pleaded not guilty. 16-year-old jamaal ferguson, 20-year-old robert seaberry and 16-year-old austin bulizak have all pleaded not guilty. they have been charged with first-degree robbery related to the shooting of a sioux city police officer at the beginning of the month. four other people were arrested in the incident. the sioux city police department continues to investigate a number of counterfeit currency cases. this is video sioux city police posted to their facebook page. they say this man passed several counterfeit bills on february 20th at a local business. police are asking for the public's help to identify him. they say the man appears to have a tattoo behind his right ear and tattoos on both arms. if you have any information you are asked to contact crime stoppers at 712-258-tips or detective bill nice at 712- with spring right around the corner, many of us are thinking about getting outside to cure our case of "cabin fever." and if you work in downtown sioux city you may notice the lack of green space, and bright colors as you walk around. ktiv's michelle schoening shows us how leaders of the sioux city community are working to add some color downtown. "the downtown greenspaces could vary by simply adding planters to the sidewalks to give that pop of color to areas with benches and swings," said michelle schoening, siouxland's news channel. "maybe rooftop gardens, green walls, planting vines and other plantings on walls in sioux city. utilizing other buildings or spaces that aren't maybe being utilized and make them green," said chris cowell, planner. and the skies the limit on the possible areas for the greenspaces to occupy. "everythiing public, everything private. what downtown when you come in as a visitor or as you're walking to lunch would make a difference in your daily life," said ragen cote, executive director of downtown partners sioux city the final design plan from the university of in may. but the key to the success in a of public input. "for the city it's a chance to say, these are the things were would like to see," said ragen downtown partners sioux city >> the project leaders will hold a community open house at the sioux city public museum on march 5 from noon until 3 p.m. to get public input on the project. a downtown sioux city hotel is facelift. renovations at the howard johnson on fourth street began in may 2015. it's a three-million dollar project that's more than halfway done. owners say it is an exciting process for them and the franchise. "they are rebranding their brand so they expect a lot of things, good stuff for this hotel from the brand," "so we are doing a lot of stuff according to the franchise requirements." there's a new heating and cooling system, and a renovated lobby and ballroom on the top floor. the bathrooms in all 152 rooms have been redone and the rooms have been repainted. there is also a restaurant and bar that opened last week inside the hotel. "hotel is going to the right direction and the right path of better, i think that it should work out best for the city people also, help as in conventions. we have tied up with the convention center. it brings a lot of business." renovations are expected to be completed by march of next year. getting students to focus in coming up next, how 2 teachers have come up with a way to keep their elementary kids on task in the classroom. ben: and i'll have your forecast next! > slick this morning. besides a few lingering flurries early today, the rest of the day will be on the cloudy side with a few peeks of sun thrown in with a bit more sunshine later this afternoon. regardless, temperatures will struggle to make it out of the 30s with a brisk northwest wind. we'll calm that down tonight and tomorrow which will bring more sunshine and warmth with highs returning to the 40s. expect an even bigger boost in temperatures on saturday with to the 40s and 50s sunday and monday. with that cooling comes a slight chance of shower or two sunday along with a strong northwest wind. after a mild monday, another push of cold air is expected to move through on tuesday that will bring us a chance of seeing a rain/snow mix with highs returning to the 30s. see graphics. after more than 20 years of teaching, an oklahoma educator is still trying to figure out how to keep a class of third graders focused. she claims, right now, the key is to keep her students moving. will dupree has the story. :41-48) "and she jokes that she can see it, but she doesn't know how to make it. but i can see what's in her brain. i make it." the two initially thought about getting a desk with a treadmill attached but the cost would be way too pricey. a better idea came along though, when someone sent the two friends this video on facebook. (sot marsha kendrick / teacher 1:01-1:08 on camera at 1:06) "and it's just rows and rows of children just gently, quietly swinging their feet. and it just (snap) i saw it in my brain. i saw how to build it." (standup will dupree / reporting 1:09-1:16) the product they built can nothey'the teachbars.' nytwo swould (sot1:21-1:1i'm sittinwork, an(s1:27-1:31)roon a swnone cinstalled ab coming up on news 4 today... how faceboo a popular social media site rolled out a new way to express yourself yesterday. ktiv's sam curtiss shows us how facebook's "like" button is letting us show more of our feelings. move over "like" button....literally. facebook expanded it with five "reactions." they range from loving a status to showing you're angry. "this offers a litte more pinpointed opinion rather than just liking something," said kristen perez, an assistant digital media professor at briar cliff university. transforming your newsfeed into an assortment of emotions from good to bad. an assistant digital media professor at briar cliff university says the new reactions might bring clarity to some posts. "that you don't necessarily want to like, [for example] when something negative happens like a death, somebody's mourning the loss of something or something bad happens and it's always that kind of 'am i going to like this or not'," said perez. if you use facebook, it's not hard to access the reactions and they're available to everyone. all you have to do is hover or hold the "like" button and the five reactions pop right up. you can "love" a picture. or sw you're sad, something storm team 4 might notice on their posts more often. students reactions to "reactions" were mixed. "i've already used it several times and it's o oy been up for a few hours," said jessica mcdonald. "not yet," said dillon beckmann. "i haven't seen anything worthy of it yet." "i kind of want to check it out now," said morgan bathke."it's really different." for others, this is where you insert a head scratching icon. emoji," said bathke. kristen perez speculates that's because it would drive some users away. "it really comes down to ad revenues," said perez. "it's usally all about the money." in sioux city, sam curtiss, ktiv news four. >> facebook worked for over a year to come up with not a lot of sun today. but things are looking good for the weekend. ben's in next with the details. and one new jersey girl hopes to inspire others we'll share her story with you, after the > one young girl from new jersey has taken the boxing ring by storm. hazel sanchez shows us how she hopes to inspire other girls. this 74 pound phenom works out for nearly two hours, 4 days a week. but with very few female boxers her age she usually sparrs with older boys like the 10 year old in this video. she's only had one sanctioned fight... her championship belt hangs in the bergen police athletic league boxing gym where she trains. "when i won my first match felt so gooddwhen they puu up my handd because it was like my first match and i one and i'm undefeated but it's only one fight. i can't wait for my next flight." jesselyn is now training for the golden gloves in march. her coach, don somerville a former pro boxer with nearly 30years experienceseen a talend"i dntwice. she's done she's right do she has that desire to be different and that's the uniqueness of nine years old to want tthat work ethic." "you're a rolelittle girls." "yeah i know i have a lot of litfollowed me on instagram and itit feelssgoolot of girll." after more than 20 years of teaching, an oklahoma educator is still trying to figure out how to keep a class of third graders focused. she claims, right now, the key moving. will dupree has the story. smith asked the school's art teacher nats to help her come up with a way to keep students alert and active even when they have to stay seated. nats "okay, who's dropping the bucket? it's down here." (sot marsha kendrick / teacher :41-48) "and she jokes that she can see it, but she doesn't know how to make it. but i can see what's in her brain. i make it." the two initially thought about getting a desk with a treadmill attached but the cost would be way too pricey. a better idea came along though, when someone sent the two friends this video on facebook. (sot marsha kendrick / teacher 1:01-1:08 on c cera at 1:06) "and it's just rows and rows of children just gently, quietly swinging their feet. and it just (snap) i saw it in my brain. i saw how to build it." (standup will dupree / reporting 1:09-1:16) the product they built can now be found on about about 50 desks. they're swinging footrests that the teachers are calling 'busy bars.' nats "did you finish yours?" two students say they wish they would have had a busy bar sooner. (sot kaiden sohl / student 1:21-1:26 on camera at 1:22) "because they help me move when i'm sitting down and doing my work, and i'm not up bothering people." (sot addyson kelley / student "it's just really f f for me because e feel like i'm on a swing just outside." one class got five busy bars installed about a month ago and the teacher says she can already see a difference. (sot glenda bacon / teacher 1:38-1:43) "i mean seriously, it's amazing how just a little bar that sways can be soothing." each busy bar only costs about five dollars to make and other schools within the district are placing orders. sot marsha kendrick / teacher 1:50-1:55) "we hahaone teacherr who asked for two and t ten she asked for ffve, and now she wants another five." another school district is even interested in buying a few now. nats "bryton?" but smith says she's uvsure if the 'busy bars' will become a business venture. sot deanna smith / teacher) "maybe down the road." for now, she wants the busy bars to solely benefit their students. but the invention may soon create an upswing in more than just academic performance. >> that was will dupree reporting. that was will dupree reporting. the teachers' busy bar project has gotten lots of online attention... more than 2 million views on facebook... and comments from across the country. there's been so much interest, the teachers are putting together a video tutorial on how to it's . more news and weather for you on news-4 today after the break. first though.. here's a look at ktiv-dot-com community calendar. good morning and welcome back some of the stories you'll see in this half hour... the battle nomination heats up. president obama is pressing ahead today with plans to justice, even though senate republicans vow there won't be a vote. the latest from washington. also, laws about the invasion of privacy, or peeping tom laws have been around in iowa for years. but state lawmakers could change them to make it easier for victims to get justice. and ovarian cancer can be deadly. but researchers have found that a formula combining blood tetes with ultrasound scans could reduce ovarian cancer deaths by 20 percent. details in today's healthbeat 4 report. but first ben.... shower or two sunday along with a strong northwest wind. after a mild monday, another push of cold air is expected to move through on tuesday that will bring us a chance of seeing a rain/snow mix with highs returning to the 30s. see graphics. >> later r day the senate is expected to vote on a resolution - basically a statatent - about the death of supreme court justice antonin scalia. but republicans vow the vote president obama wants - to replace scalia - will never happen. nbc's tracie potts reports even though both sides seem dug in, there are some signs of thawing morning. one-point-three million people who say the senate should not block the president's nominee. (sot: senator harry reid (d- nv)/ sen. minority leader :55-1:01) "it is wrong, and i don't believe the american people will stand for this. the senate needs to do it's job." republican leaders insist they won't even consider an obama appointee during an election year. there is still no word on how long it could be before president obama names someone. i'm racie potts iiwashington, now back to o u. >> senator charles grassley is defending his party's refusal to consider a u-s supreme court nominee. grassley says the nominating process should be something the people have a voice in. he says that can happen if presidential candidates talk about their criteria for the nation's highest court. voters can then express their opinion at the voting booth on election day. "these are things that we ought to decide in a national election, "said sen. charles grassley, (r) iowa. "and those are issues that can be discussed in the next election. and, so it's not about a person. it's about the process.s. senator grassley chairs the committee that will hold hearings on the next supreme court nominee. are set to face- off in houston, texas tonight for the 10th time. coming off his win in nevada'ss ucuses tuesday night, frontrunner donald trump hopes to build on his momentum, as super tuesday approaches. meanwhile senators marco rubio and ted cruz are locked in a fierce battle for second place. joining them at the c-n-n moderated debate will be john kasich h d dr. ben carson. tonight's debate is scheduled to kick off at the university of houston at 8:30 p-m. a public high school in des moines has opened two gender-neutral bathrooms for students and staffers. the principal at roosevelt high school said that two staff-only, single-toilet bathrooms no longer have symbols for males or females. a sign on each bathroom now says "all-gender restroom," and each is available for students and staff members. nebraska voters can expect to hear a lot about capital punishment between now and the november election. those who are opposed to the death penalty launched the n nt phase of their campaign. this is the first commercial "retain a just lawmakers abolished the death penalty in may, but a petition drive is bringing the issue to voters in november. a state law on the books for years in iowa received an upgrade yesterday. it's about the invasion of privacy... or as it's better known... peeping tom laws. currently, cases must meet a strict criteria in order for the "peeper" to be charged.... but the new bill could change that. stephanie moore reports. s/ ruth lapointe/ victim "it was horrifying. it was a trusting relationship we all knew our landlord personally and respected him so it was extra shocking hearing that he had done this to us." however, prosecuting miller would prove difficult even thoh he admitted to police what he had done.... in iowa, the state must prove the victim was nude and/or the peeper was aroused by spying on the victim... s/ ruth lapointe/ victim "we still found out it was relevant to his guilt whether or not he had been aroused during the act of viewing us. so we were asked question like wawahe blushing around you or was there any signs of arousal when we thought guilt had been fully admitted and this was an irrelevant point." (nats of debate) this criteria makes it difficult for prosecutors to make their case... it's an issue senator kevin kinney wanted to fix.... s/ sen. kevin kinney/ (d) johnson county that language for sosoone enteteng in upon a properer and filming somebody that doesn't to be on that property or filming those persons." today, the senate unanimously voted to eliminate that specific criteria. s/ sen. kevin kinney/ (d) johnson county "it's adding it to the toolbox that law and lapointe says it's a step in the right direction.... s/ ruth lapointe/ victim "i defiantly think this bill is going to help >> the iowa senatt has passed a require motorists to change lanenewhen passing bicycles. supporters of the bill say half of all deadly crashes have been caused by cars trying to pass bicycles without changing lanes. the bill now heads to the iowa house for consideration. work is underway to connect a transmission line to provide power to northeast nebraska. to see this "high wire act", you had to look up. nebraska public power district uses a helicopter to string the 39-miles of line. n-p-p-d officials compare the work to threading a needle. when complete, the transmission line will carry 345-thousand volts of electricity between hoskins and neligh. this summer, the b bs club of sioux city will become the boys and girls club. with more than 4- thousand clubs across the country, sioux city's is one still is just a boys club. the transition is underway and on june 6th, it will begin welcoming girls for its summer program.m. the club will offer some "female specific" programs to make the transitn easier. organizers say it'lle a great step for the club. "hopefully this gives them the oppurtunity to have a safe fun place that they can go after school to learn and grow throughout the school year and the summer," said eldon bensen, chief personal officer for the boys club of sioux city. the club is coming up with new activities t tt will get girls involved when the transition is finalized this summer. "national has girl specific programs for them as well so we will start those programs when when they come, smart girls, and we have some girl specific athletic leagues that we'd like to get involved in," said eldon bensen, chief professional officer of the boys club of sioux city. the club says it's excited to take this big step to become the boys & girls club of sioux city. ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest forms. coming up in healthbeat 4, what you can do to lower your risk of getting it. ben: and i'll have your complete > because it's often diagnosed in late stages.. after it has already spread. danielle barber explains what doctors recommend to help reduce your risk in healthbeat 4. ultrasound scans could reduce ovarian cancer deaths by 20-perernt. but, doctor krebsbach says elevated blood levels aren't always an indication of cancer. (sot lacey krebsbach / sanford health ob/gyn :41-54) "just getting that as a screening test is not recommended, because it could be elevated during certain times of the menstrual cycle, endometrtrsis and smokers, people with liver disease. and, so it's not as specific as it needs to be." while the biggest risk factors of ovarian cancer are age and family history ... with cervical cancer, h-p-v is the big culprit. and, though most diseases can be cleared ... there are some aggressive ones that stick around. (sot lacey krebsbach / sanford health ob/gyn 1:08-1:20) "our way to manage that is that we are recommending young women and young men as young as 10 and 11 years old to start getting the hpv vaccine. there are a few vaccines out there, but gardasil is probably the e most well-known." the idea behind the vaccine is to get it early before you initiate sexual activity. (sot lacey krebsbach / sanford health ob/gyn 1:28-1:39) "if you come in contact with vaccine at that point, is not going to be helpful for that specific strain. but, since there are so many out there, it still can protect you from some of the aggressive ones." the h-p-v vaccine is only recommended up until the age of 26. after that, women can still get the vaccine though it may not be as effective. >> that was danieiele barber reporting. federal researchers indicate that the h-p-v vaccine has reduced the prevalence of the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer by almost two- thirds in teenage girls. still ahead on news 4 today... u-p-s is trying to make your deliveries even faster. and amazon is experimenting with the stock market recovered yesterday from an early loss and managed to finish the day with a modest gain, thanks in rt to a pickup in the price of crude oil. the dow edged up 53 points to close at 16,484. the nasdaq climbed 39 points, gained 9 points. bank stocks were among the biggest decliners. they remain under pressure due to economic unease and worries about the amount of energy loans on banks' balance sheets. u-p-s is looking to get packages to you faster. with more on that story and other business news, here's ktiv's kaitlyn kinney.... thanks guys. u-p-s is investing in same-day delivery company, deliv, which works with macy's, kohl's and other retailers to deliver online orders within the same day. deliv has not specified how much u-p-s has invested, but u-p-s says the investment will help it observe the same-day delivery market. shoppers are increasingly expecting speedy deliveries... and deliv's founder says same-day delivery is becoming the new standard. here's another reason to be careful on the roadways. according to a third annual study by insurance- quotes-dot-com, drivers now pay percent more for car insurance after making a single claim of two- thousand dollars or more. that's up three percentage points compared to last year. the study found california has the highest post-claim increase, where just one claim can lead to an average premium increase of 89 percent. amazon hasasad clothing on its website for a while now. but the retail giant isn't just selling clothes - it's making them. amazon has reportedly introduced several private label clothing brands and started selling them on their website. the different brands are making everything from men's dress shoes and suits to women's dresses and handbags. prices seem to be in the middle of the road - men's suits priced around 300 dollars and dresses for around 60 dollars. amazon has yet to confirm its entrance into private label fashions. and speaking of amazon.... have you ever wondered how much it would cost to buy one of everything offered on the website? well a computer scientist in zurich has pondered that question. 12-point-86 billion dollars. there are 479 million different items available on amazon's website. there's been no public response from amazon so far on whether he's on the money or not. coming up after the break, we'll run down the top stories from across siouxland. plus, ben's back with his forecast. and which artists got a bump in record sales after winning a grammy? that's nex in the hollywood minute. >> here's a quick run-down of our top news headlines from siouxland this thursday morning. iowa senator chuck grassley is defending the republcian party's refusal to consider a u-s supreme court justice nominee from president barack obama. grassley says voters should have a voice in the nominating process. he says that can happen if about their criteria for a supreme court justice. he says it's not about a person, it's about the process. grassley is chairman of the senate judiciary committee which holds hearings on supreme court nominees. the boys club of sioux city will become the boys and girls club this summer. the transition is underway and on june 6th, it will begin welcoming girls for its summer program. with more than 4- thousand clubs across the country, sioux city's is one of only four that still is just a boys club. the club will offer some "female specific" programs to make the transition easier. local leaders are launching an effort to bring more green to downtown sioux city. downtown susatinable communities are putting together ideas for greenspaces, like more planters on the sidewalk or rooftop gardens. and they want your ideas. they'll hold a community open house saturday, march 5th at the public museum from noon to three. a three-million dollar makeover at the downtown howard johnson hotel is halfway done. renovation work began on the hotel last may. there's a new heating and cooling system. the lobby and ballroom on the top floor have been renovated. the bathrooms in all 152 rooms have been redone and the rooms have all gotten a fresh coat of paint. and the restaurant and bar have been remodeled and are open for business. plenty of movie and music news to share. david daniel has it all in the hollywood minute. about a lead role in a proposed sequel to "mary poppins." he'd play jack, a character resembling dick van dyke's bert from the 1964 original. emily blunt is seen as disney's top choice for the title role. (singing) "i can't feel my face when i'm with you." the weeknd got a lot out of the grammys: after his two wins, sales of his album "beauty behind the madness" rose 38- percent, and the songs he sang, "can't feel my face" and "in the night" saw sales rise 131-percent and 61-percent, respectively. others to get a grammy bounce: sales of taylor swift's "1989," which won two grammys, soared 91-percent... and kendrick lamar's five grammy wins prompted a 229-percent sales spike for his album, "to pimp a butterfly." (nat) and if you can't get to seattle for macklemore and ryan lewis's "surprise" album release event, you can join in online! amazon music is set to live- stream friday's concert promoting "this unruly mess" -- fans can tune in for free and without a subscription. in hollywood, i'm david daniel. still to come in our third half hour.... a new jersey girl hopes to inspire others as she reaches her own goals in the boxing ring. and the gpac tournament gets underway for ranked teams from briar cliff and morningside. good morning. thanks for joining us on this thursday, february 25th. coming up in this half hour of news 4 today... tornadoes slam the east coast for a second day. more than a dozen tornadoes hit the region yesterday... raising the death toll, caused damage, and knocked out power along the east coast. the latest is on the way. also... this time of year, things tend to be a little drab and colorless. but leaders in downtown sioux city are looking to spruce up some areas by adding among the bricks and concrete. and facebook now as the option to do more than just "like" photos and posts. it's a way you can express yourself a little bit more. that story is on the way. but first, here's ben. see graphics. >> the death toll from a powerful storm system that spawned tornadoes for the gulf coast and southeast continues to rise... reid binion reports on how the system's breadth and reach extended all the way to pennsylvania. on tuesday. as tornado watches expired late wednesday... ...new warnings and advisories took their place: a low pressure system tracking from the gulf of mexico... and bearing down on the east coast thursday. ...triggering winter storm warnings and advisories stretching more than 14- hundred miles... from texas to delaware... ...with roughly 50 million people in the storm's path. i'm reid binion, reporting >> a sheriff's deputy in colorado was shot and killed while serving an eviction notice on wednesday. the shooting happened at a home about 45 miles southwest of denver. two other deputies were wounded, one critically, the other suffered a minor injury, according to police. police said the property owner had been trying to evict the suspected gunman, martin wirth, for several months. wirth was also killed by gunfire. the director of the world health organization says the zika outbreak could get worse before it gets better. general margaret chan spoke in brazil, where she met with government officials and visited mothers whose children suffer from a birth defect that is thought to be linked to the zika virus. brazil is dealing with a public health emergency stemming from the zika outbreak. chan talked about the children with microcephaly, born with abnormally small heads. yesterday, the organizers of the rio 2016 olympic games presented the first torch relay bearers and unveiled the route the olympic flame will take. the relay is to start in brasilia on may third and will travel through more than 300-cities over 100-days in what organizers hope will be a carnival-like atmosphere. the rio 2016 communicatio ns director said the organizing committee has no concerns over the zika virus outbreak, stating that all torch bearers will be protected in the same way as all brazilians - by using repellent and wearing long sleeves to minimize the risk of contracting the mosquito- borne disease. a 15-year-old stanton county, nebraska boy has been sentenced to one year probation after he admitted to mistreating an animal. three teens were arrested in october after a video surfaced of them torturing and killing a cat. the teen had originally faced felony animal abuse charges but admitted responsibility to charge. he was also ordered to complete 50 hours of community service. three people linked to robberies in sioux city have pleaded not guilty. 16-year-old jamaal ferguson, 20-year-old robert seaberry and 16-year-old austin bulizak have all pleaded not guilty. they've been charged with first-degree robbery related to the shooting of a sioux city police officer at the beginning of the month. four other people were arrested in the incident. the sioux city police department continues to investigate a number of counterfeit currency cases. this is video sioux city police posted to their facebook page. they say this man passed several counterfeit bills on february 20th at a local business. police are asking for the public's help to identify him. they say the man appears to have a tattoo behind his right ear and tattoos on both arms. if you have any information you are asked to contact crime stoppers at 712-258-tips or detective bill nice at 712- 279-6384. with spring right around the corner, many of us are thinking about getting outside to cure of "cabin fever." and if you work or live in downtown sioux city you may notice the lack of green space, and bright colors as you walk around. ktiv's michelle schoening shows us how leaders of the sioux city community are working to add some color downtown. "maybe rooftop gardens, green walls, planting vines and other plantings on walls in sioux city. utilizing other buildings or spaces that aren't maybe being utilized and make them green," said chris cowell, planner. and the skies the limit on the possible areas for the greenspaces to occupy. "everythiing public, everything private. what downtown when you come in as a visitor or as you're walking to lunch would make a difference in your daily life," said ragen cote, executive director of downtown partners sioux city the final design plan from the university of iowa students will be presented in may. but the key to the success in a project like this...is the power of public input. "for the city it's a chance to say, these are the things were would like to see," said ragen cote, executive director of downtown partners sioux city >> the project leaders will hold a community open house at the sioux city public museum on march 5 from noon until 3 p.m. to get public input on the project. a downtown sioux city hotel is getting a multimillion dollar facelift. renovations at the howard johnson on fourth street began in may of last year. it's a three-million dollar owners say it is an exciting franchise. "they are rebranding their brand so they expect a lot of things, good stuff for this hotel from the brand," "so we are doing a lot of stuff according to the franchise requirements." there's a new heating and cooling system, and a renovated lobby and ballroom on the top floor. the bathrooms in all 152 rooms have been redone and the rooms have been repainted. there is also a restaurant and bar that opened last week inside the hotel. "hotel is going to the right direction and the right path of better, i think that it should work out best for the city people also, help as in conventions. we have tied up with the convention center. it brings a lot of business." renovations are expected to be finished by march of next year. the sioux city farmers market held it's first organizational meeting of the year last night. the meeting was open to vendors interested in joining the market this year. organizers are looking for vendors of all kinds, including fruit, art, and dairy "it's a really great place for people to launch their products, so i think that's enticing for vendors. it's also a place that they can get their name out there." said stacy orndorff, market manager for the sioux city farmer's market. the farmers market will open on may 4th and will run each wednesday and saturday through october. coming up next, a new jersey girl hopes to inspire others by using her special talent in the boxing ring. and i'll have your complete > returning to the 40s. expect an even bigger boost in temperatures on saturday with highs near 60 before returning to the 40s and 50s sunday and monday. with that cooling comes a slight chance of shower or two sunday along with a strong northwest wind. after a mild monday, another push of cold air is expected to move through on tuesday that will bring us a chance of seeing a rain/snow mix with highs returning to the 30s. see graphics. >> one young girl from new jersey has taken the boxing ring by storm. hazel sanchez shows us how she hopes to inspire other girls. heart and ambition than boxers twice and even three times her age. "i just like the sport. when my dad asks do you want to go to the gym l always say yes." jesselyn has been boxing since dad took up the sport to lose weight. she begged to put on a pair of gloves... and once she did, her gift was undeniable. "i noticed when she started picking things up quicker than me. so i was surprised." "how does that feel when people tell you that you're phenomenal and you're special and you're so talented?" "it makes me feel like happy. and that i'm not just doing this for nothing i'm doing this for everybody. and for myself too so i can when i get older." this 74 pound phenom works out for nearly two hours, 4 days a week. her age she usually sparrs with older boys like the 10 year old in this video. she's only had one sanctioned fight... her championship belt hangs in the bergen police athletic league "when i won my first match felt so good when they put up my hand because it was like my first match and i one and i'm undefeated but it's only one fight. i can't wait for my next flight." jesselyn is now training for the golden gloves in march. her coach, don somerville a former pro boxer with nearly 30 years experience says he's never seen a talent with jesselyn's discipline at this age. "i don't ask her to do anything twice. she's done she's right on me 'coach what do i do next?' so she has that desire to be different and that's the uniqueness of nine years old to want to be different now she has that work ethic." "you're a role model to a lot of little girls." "yeah i know i have a lot of little girls followed me on instagram and it feels good that i'm inspiring a lot of girls." >> the gpac tournament got underway last night for ranked teams from briar cliff and morningside. highlights from both teams, and iowa hasn't beaten wisconsin for three years, and the badgers are hot again. highlights from iowa city.. coming up in the sports fource morning wrap. with 20 wins and a top ten ranking, it's already been a season to remeber for the hawkeyes. ktiv's brad pautsch has more in the sports fource morning wrap. beaten the hawks five straight times -- including both times last year. but the hawks are 13-0 at home this season. this is the only scheduled meeting between these two teams this season. 1st half, game tied at 25 -- peter jok spots up and drains the three. jok had 17 in the first half. late in the first half -- wisconsin steals the lazy pass and jordan hiill throws it down -- badgers up 1 at the half. second half tied at 51 -- dunk -- wisconsin takes a 2 point lead. six minutes to go -- jok with the jumper -- we're tied again at 56. jok finished with a game-high 21. bubudown the stretch -- the badgers hit the big shots -- nigel hayes with the dagger 3 -- iowa falls 67-59. the hawkeyes go to ohio state on sunday. briar cliff beat the red raiders the regular season. good start for northwestern -- taylor francis knocks down the open 3 -- red raiders up 7-nothing. it stays close -- big jordan baker had 20 to lead northwestern -- 2 coming off the nice feed from jaxson heinz. briar cliff starts to heat up -- shane graves hits the 3 -- he scored the chargers first 8 points and had 20 in the first half -- finished with a game-high 30. then, bryan forbes gets the steal -- gets karate chopped but the 12th-ranked briar cliff women hosting #17 concordia. chargers up one after three quarters -- in the fourth -- morgan hansen gets the hoop and the hack. she had 10 and bc leads 62-61. it stays close. jessi corrick knocks down 2 of her 15 points -- again, bc leads by only one. briar cliff advances, 76-69. the morningside women -- back to number-1 in the naia rankings, hosting saint mary of omaha. morningside starts slowly -- but lexi ackerman drives and hits the pulls up "j", mustangs trail by three. later on, the mustangs on the attack, jessica tietz gets the second chance basket, mustangs advance 82 to 72 -- they'll host briar cliff saturday at 3. for more go to ktiv.com. i'm brad pautsch with the sports fource morning wrap. >> not much sun today, but warmer weather is on the way for the weekend. ben's got the details after the break. and you don't have to just "like" it any more. siouxlanders weigh in on the new options on facebook that set the social media world abuzz yesterday. welcome to subway, what can i make for you? how 'bout crunching into flavor with a fritos chicken enchilada melt? pulled chicken in enchilada sauce, melty monterey cheddar, fresh veggies and fritos corn chips! hurry in today! northwest wind. after a mild monday, another push of cold air is expected to move through on tuesday that will bring us a chance of seeing a rain/snow mix with highs returning to the 30s. see graphics. >> a popular social media site to express yourself yesterday. ktiv's sam curtiss shows us how facebook is letting us share our true feelings. storm team 4 might notice on their posts more often. students reactions to "reactions" were mixed. "i've already used it several times and it's only been up for a few hours," said jessica mcdonald. "not yet," said dillon beckmann. "i haven't seen anything worthy of it yet." "i kind of want to check it out now," said morgan bathke."it's really different." for others, this is where you insert a head scratching icon. "it's weird they don't have a dislike emoji," said bathke. kristen perez speculates that's because it would drive some users away. "it really comes down to ad revenues," said perez. "it's usally all about the money." in sioux city, sam curtiss, ktiv news four. >> facebook worked for over a year to come up with the idea, and it's . time for a break. we're back with more on supreme court nomination as lawmakers weigh in on the debate. first though.. here's a look at kgood morning and welcome back to news 4 today. some of the stories you'll see in this half hour... the battle over a supreme court nomination heats up. president obama is pressing ahead today with plans to nominate a new supreme court justice, even though senate republicans vow there won't be a vote. the latest from washington. also, laws about the invasion of privacy, or peeping tom laws have been around in iowa for years. but state's lawmakers could change them to make it easier for the victim to get justice. and it's not just for boys anymore. the boys club of sioux city will be welcoming girls into the program this summer... adding another option for parents. those details just ahead. but first ben.... night, some roads might be a bit slick this morning. besides a few lingering flurries early today, the rest of the day will be on the cloudy side with a few peeks of sun thrown in with a bit more sunshine later this afternoon. regardless, temperatures will struggle to make it out of the 30s with a brisk northwest wind. we'll calm that down tonight and tomorrow which will bring more sunshine and warmth with highs returning to the 40s. expect an even bigger boost in temperatures on saturday with highs near 60 before returning to the 40s and 50s sunday and monday. with that cooling comes a slight chance of shower or two sunday along with a strong northwest wind. after a mild monday, another push of cold air is expected to move through on tuesday that will bring us a chance of seeing a rain/snow mix with highs returning to the 30s. see graphics. >> later today the senate is expected to vote on a resolution - basically a statement - about the death of supreme court justice antonin scalia. president obama wants to replace scalia - will never happen. nbc's tracie potts reports even though both sides seem dug in, there are some signs of thawing morning. who say the senate should not (sot: senator harry reid (d- nv)/ sen. minority leader "it is wrong, and i don't believe the american people will stand for this. the senate needs to do it's job." republican leaders insist they won't even consider an obama appointee during an election year. there is still no word on how long it could be before president obama names someone. i'm tracie potts in washington, now back to you. >> iowa senator charles grassley is defending his party's refusal to consider a u-s supreme court nominee. grassley says the nominating process should be something the people have a voice in. he says that can happen if presidential candidates talk about their criteria for the nation's highest court. voters can then express their opinion at the voting booth on election day. "these are things that we ought to decide in a national election, "said sen. charles grassley, (r) iowa. "and those are issues that can be discussed in the next election. and, so it's not about a senator grassley chairs the committee that will hold hearings on the next supreme court nominee. republican presidential hopefuls are set to face- off in houston, texas tonight for the 10th time. coming off his win in nevada's caucuses tuesday night, frontrunner donald trump hopes to build on his momentum, as super tuesday approaches. meanwhile senators marco rubio and ted cruz are locked in a fierce battle for second place. joining them at the c-n-n moderated debate will be john kasich and dr. ben carson. tonight's debate is scheduled to kick off at the university of houston at 8:30 p-m. a public high school in des moines has opened two gender-neutral bathrooms for students and staffers. the principal at roosevelt high staff-only, single-toilet bathrooms no longer have symbols for males or females. a sign on each bathroom now says "all-gender restroom," and each is available for students and staff members. nebraska voters can expect to hear a lot about capital punishment between now and the november election. death penalty launched the next phase of their campaign. this is the first commercial the group called "retain a just nebraska" has released. lawmakers abolished the death penalty in may, but a petition drive is bringing the issue to voters in november. a state law on the books for years in iowa received an upgrade yesterday. it's about the invasion of privacy... or as it's better known... peeping tom laws. currently, cases must meet a strict criteria in order for the "peeper" to be charged.... but the new bill could change that. stephanie moore reports. lapointe/ victim "it was horrifying. it was a trusting relationship we all knew our landlord personally and respected him so it was extra shocking hearing that he had done this to us." however, prosecuting miller would prove difficult even though he admitted to police what he had done.... in iowa, the state must prove the victim was nude and/or the peeper was aroused by spying on the victim... s/ ruth lapointe/ victim "we still found out it was relevant to his guilt whether or not he had been aroused during the act of viewing us. so we were asked question like was he blushing around you or was there any signs of arousal when we thought guilt had been fully admitted and this was an irrelevant point." (nats of debate) this criteria makes it difficult for prosecutors to make their case... it's an issue senator kevin kinney wanted to fix.... s/ sen. kevin kinney/ (d) johnson county "this adds a code section within that language for someone entering in upon a property and filming somebody that doesn't have a right filming those persons." today, the senate unanimously voted to eliminate that specific criteria. s/ sen. kevin kinney/ (d) johnson county "it's adding it to the toolbox that law enforcement can use." and lapointe says it's a step in the right direction.... s/ ruth lapointe/ victim "i defiantly think this bill is going to help future victims by clarifying it." >> the iowa senate has passed a bill that would require motorists to change lanes when passing bicycles. supporters of the bill say half of all deadly crashes have been caused by cars trying to pass bicycles without changing lanes. the bill now heads to the iowa house for consideration. this summer, the boys club of sioux city will become the boys and girls club. with more than 4- thousand clubs across the country, sioux city's is one of only four that still is just a boys club. the transition is underway and on june 6th, it will begin welcoming girls for its summer program. the club will offer some "female specific" programs to make the transition easier. organizers say it'll be "hopefully this gives them the oppurtunity to have a safe fun place that they can go after school to learn and grow throughout the school year and the summer," said eldon bensen, chief personal officer for the boys club of sioux city. the club is coming up with new activities that will get girls involved when the transition is finalized this summer. "national has girl specific programs for them as well so we will start those programs when when they come, smart girls, and we have some girl specific athletic leagues that we'd like to get involved in," said eldon bensen, chief professional officer of the boys club of sioux city. the club says it's excited to take this big step to become the boys & girls club of sioux city. polo is a popular sport in many countries. now sri lanka has invented its own kind of polo. we'll show you their form of the poular field sport in what's trending. > first there was horse polo, then bike polo, and in more recent times elephant and segway polo. but now a new form of the popular field sport has emerged - tuk-tuk polo. this past weekend, sri lanka saw the second ever tuk-tuk polo championships . the tuk-tuk is a three-wheel motorcycle that has been the symbol of asia for more then 50 years. the rules of the game are similar to horse polo. the winners celebrated by donating their prize money to all the tuk-tuk drivers and a straight ahead this morning.... los angeles is getting ready for the oscars on sunday night. plus... soccer superstar christiano ronaldo hits a major milestone..... but this t te he's breaking a > jimmy fallon had taraji henson on the tonight show on the show tonight gerard butler, jenny slate, and musical guest the 1975. you can catch the tonight show with jimmy fallon right here on ktiv at 10:35 after news 4. the countdown has begun and preparations are underway for hollywood's biggest night. the 88th annual academy awards happen sunday night at hollywood's dolby theater. the 500 foot long red carpet was rolled out wednesday for the star studded event. it will be surrounded by reporters and photographers, along wititmore than 700 fans i i bleacherereats, hoping to get t glimpse of some of the world's soccer superstar christiano ronaldo has reached another milestone in his amazing career... and it didn't happen on the field. ronaldo is the first athlete to surpass 200- million followers on social media. the real l drid striker averages 135-thousand new followers per day... and currently has more than 109-million followers on facebook... 49-point-6- million on instagram... and 40-point-7-million on twitter. ronaldo's 200-million mark even outpaces the number of followers for lebron james, michael jordan, kobe bryant, kevin durant and steph curry combined! britain's duchess kate showed off her athletic skills at a tennis clinic in scotland yesterday. the workshop was hosted by coach judy murray, mother of tennis star andy murray. the duchess of cambridge joined dozens of students in a variety of exercises demonstrating their racket known as an enthusiastic tennis player. thursday, february 25 sarah- actress rashida jones is 40 al- comedian-actress chelsea handler is 41 sarah- actor sean astin is 45 al- comedian carrot top is 49 sarah- actress tea leoni is 50 al- actress karen grassle is 74 sarah- cbs newsman bob schieffer > the number 1 dog breed this year. we'll tell you why these pups have taken top honors for the last 25 years. from siouxland this thursday morning. iowawaenator chuck grassleis fending the republcian party's refusal to consider a u-s supreme court justice nominee from president barack obama. grassley says voters should have a voice in the nominating process. he says that can happen if presidential candidates talk about their criteria for a supreme court justicic he saysyst's not about a persrs, it's about the process. grassley is chairman of the senate judiciary committee which holds hearings on supreme court nominees. the boys club of sioux city will become the boys and girls club this summer. the transition is underway and on june 6th, it will begin with more than 4- thousand clubs across the country, sioux city's is one of only four that still is just a boys club. the club will offer some "female specific" programs to make the transition easier. local leaders are launching an effort to bring more green to downtown sioux city. downtown partners and iowa initiative for susatinable communities are putting together ideas for greenspaces, like more planters on the sidewalk or rooftop gardens. and they want your ideas. they'll hold a community open house saturday, march 5th at the public museum from noon to three. they say every dog has its day... just ask the next labrador retriever you meet. labsave a lot to wag their tails about these days. according to the american kennel club, the breed is now in its 25th year as the top u.s. dog breed. but some other breeds also have a lot to bark about. beagles, bulldogs, golden retrievers and german shepherds are also part of the five top breeds. > good morning. breaking overnight, fierce storms move up the easas coast afterr slamming the south. >> took my t up in the air and glass is coming in. >> a new round of tornadoes killing at least four people in virginia. heavy rain and high winds knock outer across the northeast and in the mimiest a crippling blizzard. mitt roey jumps into the presidential fray taking on donald trump. >> i think we have good reason to believe that there is a bombshell in donald trump's taxes. >> trump insist tlg is nothing there. when will he release his return? hurt and humiliated. erin andrews in tears after her father testified. >> she is terrified, depressed.

Related Keywords

Nevada , United States , Brasilia , Distrito Federal , Brazil , Briar Cliff University , Iowa , California , Washington , District Of Columbia , Sri Lanka , Des Moines , Mexico , Johnson County , Iowa Falls , Iowa City , Essex County , Virginia , Hollywood , Cambridge , Cambridgeshire , United Kingdom , North Carolina , Germany , Texas , Sioux City , Florida , Zurich , Züsz , Switzerland , Wisconsin , Stanton County , Nebraska , Monterey , Ohio , Jordan , London , City Of , Denver , Colorado , Oklahoma , New Jersey , Morningside , Pennsylvania , Houston , Briar Cliff , Brazilians , Scotland , German , American , Don Somerville , Marco Rubio , Ben Carson , John Kasich , Kendrick Lamar , Taylor Francis , Neil Harvey , Margaret Chan , Chris Cowell , Nigel Hayes , Jimmy Fallon , Mitch Mcconnell R Ky Sen , Stephanie Moore , Hazel Sanchez , Gerard Butler , Chuck Grassley , Ktiv Sam Curtiss , Peter Jok , Deanna Smith , Kevin Kinney , Tracie Potts , Charles Grassley , Ruth Lapointe , Kathie Lee , David Daniel , Kristen Perez , Ktiv Michelle , Jessica Mcdonald , Ktiv Brad , Los Angeles , Lebron James , Marsha Kendrick , Erin Andrews , Sam Curtiss , Bryan Forbes , Dillon Beckmann , Bob Schieffer , Rashida Jones , Ktiv Kaitlyn Kinney , Barack Obama , Lexi Ackerman , Mitch Mcconnell , Morgan Hansen , Jamaal Ferguson , Sean Astin , Brian Sandoval , Martin Wirth , Andy Murray , Ted Cruz , Judy Murray ,