sales are picking up in northern nevada. john "definitely, the horse power is back en vogue, and it's a trend that tends to follow the gas prices." carter and jenn fox are thinking about getting a truck -- depending on what they think is practical. carter "we're just coming down to check out all the new models, everything in town. we've got one newer vehicle but one we might be looking to replace and just seeing what was around." a lot of people are in the same boat. record sales are expected to continue this year -- partly because people have waited longer to buy new cars. jimmy "in the past, where people would keep their cars 6-7 years, because of the economy, they were keeping them 8 to 10 years. well, now they're ready to buy." some customers just like looking at the different makes and models at their own pace. tom "what's nice is you don't have pushy salesmen bothering you and you can look all you want, and touch, and open and get in, and not worry about them asking you to sit down for three hours." some people will buy this weekend -- while others might wait a few months. but dealers say all things buy. jay "i think now is the best time. fuel prices are low, rates are low, lower than 1.9. it's great financing." paul "now, this is just the first of a three-day event. it wraps up at 8:00, tonight and then picks up again tomorrow from 10-8. and on sunday, it goes from 12-5. admission is free and parking costs $8. covering money watch, paul nelson, channel 2 news." if you're just joining us let's catch you up on the big story we covered at 5.... the public utilities commission decided today... to uphold nearly all of its december decision that changes the way solar customers are billed. the decision reduces the credits solar customers get for their excess power... and increases their usage fees. today-- the commission decided to phase in the changes over 13 years... instead of four. commissioners say-- the new rates are more fair to traditional energy users... who they claim have had to subsidize solar users. but solar companies say-- these changes will effectively kill and for much more on this story... tune in for channel 2 news at 6:30. in school watch... today the "school overcrowding and repairs needs committee" voted unanimously to put a sales tax increase on the november ballot to pay for school capital improvement projects. if ballot question "wc-1" passes, the sales tax in washoe county would increase to 8 point 2-6-5 percent... up from the current 7 point 725 percent... meaning something that costs 100 dollars would cost 54 cents more in taxes. if you remember the committee was considering whether to go with a sales tax or a property tax increase in order to raise the nearly 800 million dollars for capital improvements for schools. the chairman says that money is critical for the future success of washoe county schools. shaun carey/chairman, school overcrowding and repairs needs committee: "you get better results when children are in a classroom, that's not overcrowded, that is not leaking, not full of asbestos choice or we can choose not to." carey says without the proposed increase, there will be double nevada gaming control board commissioner michonne ascuaga resigned from her position today after details surfaced of a federal investigation involving the nugget in sparks when it was under her family's ownership. ascuaga- who was ceo of the nugget for 16 years- said she was resigning to avoid having her family's business litigation distract from the gaming control board's work. the federal investigation by the financial crimes enforcement network came to light as part of an ongoing legal dispute between the ascuagas and wolfhound holdings l-l-c, which purchased the nugget in 2013. the holding company says the nugget was investigated for failing to meet federal record- keeping and reporting requirements. look at the pinpoint 2 forecast" the weather will remain dry and mild, if not cloudless, through the president's day weekend before a storm system finally returns in the middle of next week. for saturday, morning clouds will likely clear out by the afternoon and temperatures will top out in the low 60s, staying there through tuesday. wednesday, i am becoming more confident that a moderate winter cause any accumulations in the valleys. looking around the world... pope francis is once again in the western hemisphere. the pontiff landed in mexico just minutes ago. here's a live look from the mexico city airport where the pontiff just stepped off the plane and is greeting the crowds now. adrianna diaz is live in mexico city with a closer look at the papal visit... adrianna? just landed here and has a busy schedule over the next few days... but before coming to mexico he made another stop in a caribbean capital. pope francis made a quick stop in cuba on his way to mexico. at the airport in havana, he sat down with the head of the russian orthodox church - the first such meeting in nearly a thousand years. the historic discussion comes as both churches respond to extremist attacks on christans. while in mexico the pope will try to tackle challenges here, including drugs, violence and poverty. his popemobiles are waiting for him in mexico city where they were blessed by a priest. francis will be the first pope to visit the border. adriana diaz: "his last top will be here the city of juarez, which borders el paso, texas. more than 200 thousand people will come her to see the pope celebrate mass on workers put the finishing touches on the alter which can be seen from texas. bishop oscar cantu: "it was on his insistence to come right close to the border. another place was offered to him that would have accommodated more people." american bishop oscar cantu will travel with the pope. his new mexico diocese received tickets for the juarez mass. bishop oscar cantu: adrianna: "has your phone been ringing off the hook w people looking for tickets." "oh my goodness yes it has for the past 3 months." juarez resident rocyo ortiz hopes to see the pope in person arianna: "what does the pope's visit bring to this city? que puede traer esta visita papal a juarez?" in spanish: "unidad....se ve que la gente esta muy enthusiasmada." she says everyone is so excited to see him. and the pope will have some protection from the sun. a mexican journalist gave him a sombrero on the flight from tomorrow, he'll tour mexico city during busy first full day in the country. according to the pew research center roughly 85 percent of mexicans identify themselves as catholics. kristen and landon, now back to you. 1. adrianna, what did pope francis and his russian orthodox counterpart discuss during their meeting in cuba? pope francis and patriarch kirill signed a joint declaration on religious unity after their historic meeting in havana. the declaration calls for peace in syria, iraq and ukraine and urges europe to quote "maintain its faithfulness to its christian roots." and mike alger will have a look the zika virus continues to spread. and now... how long a person can infect another is raising more concerns... coming up in health watch. but first... an elementary school in virginia has become the first to send a satellite into space... how they got the small device there and what it will send them back, after the break. "you're watching channel 2 news... with kristen remington, landon miller, sports with garrett dearborn, and mike alger's children at a virginia elementary school got quite the homework assignment: build a satellite and get it into space. nasa says they've become the first elementary school to successfully build and launch a satellite. as andi guevara reports, the final part of the mission is just weeks away - to see if the tiny spacecraft actually works. tucked in the back of the library at st. thomas more cathedral school library is mission control. felix pellegrino/fifth-grade student: "this is the app 'satellite safari' so we can track our satellite." the students in arlington, virginia, now have a satellite in space... and they made it themselves. "liftoff!" it launched into outer space on a rocket in december... and is now aboard the international space station. the tiny object - known as a "cube sat" for its size and shape - is just if it works, it will beam back images of earth every 30 seconds for up to a year. felix pellegrino/fifth-grade student: "it's going to be amazing." felix pellegrino's dad works at nasa and came up with the idea, and got the space agency on board. "they put the cube sat in this side of the airlock" joe pellegrino thinks the project will inspire students to explore the final frontier. joe pellegrino/nasa engineer: "we need american engineers and scientists." building a satellite - even a small one - doesn't come cheap. it cost about 50-thousand dollars and the school and students had to raise every rebecca el choueiry/eight-grade student: "we did it." the students are now waiting for the satellite to be deployed from the space station next month to find out if the camera works. eleanor mccormack/principal, st. thomas more: "taking children to see things built really stays with them longer than if they just if they were to read about it out of a book." it's a lesson that stretches these students' imagination into covering the story, andi guevara, channel 2 news and mike alger will have a look at your forecast, coming up. coming up next in tonight's health watch... health experts met once again to discuss the zika virus... and the growing evidence that it's linked to serious disorders. america's heroes have a message. if you've fought... you know picking a commander in chief is no small thing. you're looking for smarts... and guts. we looked at each candidate... we studied their record... we know... looked them over... we checked them out... and we chose one. there's only one. jeb bush. he's got a plan. he'll keep us safe. he's a president - a commander in chief. jeb bush. best prepared to be commander in chief. right to rise usa is responsible for the content of this message. new warnings today about the rapidly-spreading zika virus. health experts say there's growing evidence of a link between the virus and comes as more cases of zika are confirmed in the u-s. how soon we could see a vaccine in tonight's health watch. health experts from around the world gathered in washington dc friday to answer concerns about the zika virus. they say the link between zika and a serious birth defect called microcephaly is more and more probable. "we've gotten to the point now that we have to say zika is guilty until proven innocent." in the u-s, there are now nearly 80 cases in 21 states. nearly every case involves people who travelled to affected countries. at least one case was sexually transmitted. health authorities addressed reports that the zika virus was found in the semen of a british man two months after he was infected. do we know precisely how long someone remains infected? "the answer is no. and some of the research we're funding will be to determine that. two no vaccine currently exists for zika, although doctor anthony fauci says testing for a potential vaccine could begin as early as this summer. "when that vaccine will be proven safe and effective is something we can't predict." the mosquito borne virus originated in brazil and is spreading rapidly through latin america and the caribbean.it's expected to eventually infect up to three-million people. eighty percent of people who contract the zika virus show no symptoms. so far, more than 100-thousand zika cases have been confirmed in 33 countries. that's health watch for tonight, for a closer look go to k-t-v-n dot com and click the health watch icon. let's check in on the roads with our traffic reporter chaison dean in the alice 96 point 5 traffic center. please be aware of the normal slow-downs and congestion in and around the spaghetti bowl, also at pyramid way and mccarran boulevard. make sure to use a hands-free driving! "channel 2 news continues with chief meteorologist mike alger's pinpoint 2 forecast, broadcast certified by the american meteorological society!" the weather will remain dry and mild, if not cloudless, through the president's day weekend before a storm system finally returns in the middle of next week. for saturday, morning clouds will likely clear out by the afternoon and temperatures will top out in the low 60s, staying there through tuesday. confident that a moderate winter storm will push through the region bringing rain and snow to the mountains, which should turn to all snow in the mountains by thursday, although it's unlikely snow levels will drop enough to cause any the weather will remain dry and mild, if not cloudless, through the president's day weekend before a storm system finally returns in the middle of next week. for saturday, morning clouds will likely clear out by the afternoon and temperatures will top out in the low 60s, staying there through tuesday. wednesday, i am becoming more moderate winter storm will push through the region bringing rain and snow to the mountains, which should turn to all snow in the mountains by thursday, although it's unlikely snow levels will drop enough to cause any accumulations in the valleys. kristen and landon thank mike. the high school basketball got another full night of 2 the there are those who say we cannot defeat a corrupt political system and fix a rigged economy. but i believe we need to lift our vision above the obstacles in place and look to the american horizon. to a nation where every child can not only dream of going to college, but attend one. where quality healthcare will be a birthright of every citizen. where a good job is not a wish, but a reality. where women receive equal pay and a living wage is paid to all. an america where after a lifetime of labor, there is time for rest and grandchildren. a nation that defends our people and our values, but no longer carries so much of that burden alone. i know we can create that america if we listen to our conscience and our hearts i'm bernie sanders. i approve this message, "now, here's sports director garrett dearborn, with channel 2 sports" another big night of high school hoops, in fact its the final friday of the regular season and dallas colodny is out at reed high school to talk some yea garrett the regular season wraps up tonight... all the playoff spots have been clinched... but there are a few playoff seedings that are up for grabs... going on behind me right now is reed and spanish springs girls action... raiders are in... cougars are out... but lets look at some highlights. so you will be able to catch these highlights and many more so you will be able to catch these highlights and many more tonight on 2 the hoop that tips off at 11:15pm as always... and get involved with us... send us a picture... tell us about hoop and keep it clean and we will put it on the show. dallas colodny channel 2 sports... garrett back to you. but it's also going to be a big night of high school wrestling, as the division one north tournament gets underway up at spanish springs. -this is a 126 pound match between jake rehmann of north valleys... and reed's alex holland... holland with the advantage... and he will eventually win the struggle and get the pin on rehmann to win the match. -then we have a couple of female wrestlers in the 120 pound weight class... morgan norris of reed and raeann wagstaff of damonte ranch... wagstaff is leading on the scoreboard... but it is norris who scores the pin and the win for reed.. . we'll have day one team results tonight on 2 the hoop...by the way the tournament will conclude and the wolf pack men's basketball team will be looking for a little revenge on fresno state tomorrow evening. the last time these 2-teams met the pack lost in fresno 85- 63.....after a win over air force the guys say their riding some momentum, particularly on defense. we just have to take that into saturday night. because re remember what happened at their place and we're not gonna let that happen again. we realize that fresno state is really talented and we're looking up at them in the standings...not looking down at them. as marqueze said, next up the pack will look to take down flores: i was raised by my father. my mother left my family when i was 9 years old. this isn't just about numbers, this is about real lives. this is a system that isn't working for the everyday person. it's one of the reasons why i decided to endorse bernie sanders. nevadans are looking for people who are willing to think big, to be bold, and to fight for everyday people. and that's exactly what bernie sanders is doing. sanders: i'm bernie sanders and i approve this message. mike's final weather the weather will remain dry and mild, if not cloudless, through the president's day weekend will top out in the low 60s, staying there through tuesday. wednesday, i am becoming more confident that a moderate winter storm will push through the cause any accumulations in the valleys. that's the news for 5:30. i'm kristen re >> pelley: republicans fight foria the christian right and prepare for our cbs debate. tempers flare between themp democrats. >> madame secretary, that is a >> pelley: also tonight, a lowtoni blow of cold in much of america. the pope's pilgrimage to mexico. greyhound racing may be neither the end of its run. and steve hartman at a museum ofat love. b >> i built it for other people to see, but it's for me, too. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: this is our western edition. now, there are six. the winnowing of republican candidates continued today when dark horse jim gilmore headed for the barn. so a great deal is riding on tomorrow's debate. can anyone catch trump? can an establishment republican break out? the stage is set for the contest hosted by cbs news in greenville, south carolina. today, the candidates put their faith in christian conservatives eight days before the primary in