in boon began receiving an order of 800 tons of salt for watauga county. there has been little rest. and more snow could fall both tomorrow and monday. >> we will be here with the storm and trying to keep track of moving as much as we can. >> reporter: the pofocus will be on the main roads, leading to the main resorts at appalach ski mountain. the recent cold weather has allowed hem to build up a 6- foot base of man-made snow. it is a drastic difference from this picture i took on december 31st. but skiers told me the conditions couldn't be much better. >> i wasn't they were even going to be able to open this year. but the weather turned great. and they got snow. >> looks pretty fabulous, right? very cold. slushy. >> with it being both valentine's and president's day weekend, hotels across the area, are expected to fill up with skiers this weekend. booked solid for saturday night. and the calls kept coming today. >> it's interesting. because people are coming up to ski. but they don't want the road conditions to be an issue. we usually try to allay their fears. >> reporter: if you look behind me, you can see folks getting on the ski lift now. nearly all the motels down in the boon area, along the major roads. those major roads that the d.o.t. plans on focusing their efforts on during the next three days. reporting live from blowing rock, i'm dave faherty. now to a breaking story, impacting thousands of drivers in charlotte that we have been following all day. these are live pictures from independence boulevard in east charlotte. crews have been working on a broken water line at the ramp onto 277. it's caused water to leak onto the highway, creating dangerous conditions with the freezing temperatures. the north carolina d.o.t. says everything will not reopen eyewitness news reporter jenna deery has been on this story all day. next at 6:00, she has a look at the problems that crews have faced today, to get all of those lanes open. the former chairman of the uc -- unc is apologizing after he tried to bring a gun through charlotte douglas. >> he talked to reporter blake hanson about his big mistake. >> reporter: this morning, john fetteras was at the charlotte airport, getting ready to go on vacation. this afternoon, we saw him on the other side of the jail building. and we ran to catch up with him. >> excuse me. >> former unc chair walked out of jail around 2:00 this afternoon. >> do you regret what happened? >> of course. it was a stupid mistake on my part. >> police say he went through the airport security with a gun in a bag. he told me it was in a briefcase, that he usually doesn't use to carry a gun. and he forgot. >> no. i never have a gun in. was taking my children to the firing range. >> got you. >> my adult children. >> he stepped down as board chairman in october. he was elected chair in 2014, after first serving on the board in 1995. the charlotte attorney said at the time he stepped down to make way for new leadership. >> reporter: what happened to him today isn't an uncommon situation for the tsa. just last week, the agency announced it seized 62 guns in a one-week span. 51 of those were loaded. 18 had rounds in the chamber. >> i'm very embarrassed about it. and it was a complete accident. >> so rather than acknowledging that i'm stupid, can we do away with this now? >> fetteras is charged with having possession of a city weapon on a property. that's officially a misdemeanor. the tsa says people can be fined or penalized up to $11,000 for it. reporting live from charlotte douglas international airport, a familiar face will be on the campaign trail for hillary clinton. former charlotte mayor fox campaigned for hint clinton -- for clinton. he said he believes she is the best for the economy. tonight, we're live at winthrop university, where the school is hosting a gop forum. candidates ted cruz and ben carson will take part in the event at barnes auditorium. it starts at 6:00, and goes until 9:00 tonight. we'll have full coverage of this contentious presidential race, including where each is stumping now. county commissioners may be moving toward reviewing their ethics policy. we're told some commissioners are asking for it. because they feel it may be too no official news has been made yet. a waste company announced it is opening a customer service center. and it will create hundreds of jobs. republic services says it will create more than 350 positions and invest nearly $7 million over the next three years. it's already leased a building on david taylor drive in northeast charlotte. it will include sales professionals and customer care consultants. the federal trial for the man accused of shooting and killing nine people at a church in charleston has been delayed again. dylann roof faces dozens of charges, including hate crimes. the judge delayed it. the justice department could decide in march or april. they say roof is prepared to plead guilty if the government does not seek the death penalty. he also faces nine murder charges in state court. penalty. some senators learned about the threat of the mosquito-born a vaccine. directors testified in front of a senate committee this morning. they hope to have clinical trials of the vaccine by late summer. senators also discussed president president obama's $1.8 billion request to fast track a vaccine. so far, no cases have been contracted in the united states. meanwhile, the cdc reported, two women in the u.s. who contracted the zika virus, while out of the country, miscarried after returning home. federal health officials say the women are the first in the united states. now a heartbreaking story out of landis tonight, where a mom is accused of child abuse. police say her 1-year-old child overdosed on drugs. thankfully, she is expected to recover. kim lemon spoke to neighbors and the mother's friend about what happened. >> reporter: this is video of cecille azito. >> you want to get up and dance for mommy? endangering the 20-month-old's life. >> i can't get over it. i still hurt. >> the neighbor remembers seeing medics take the toddler out of the home tuesday morning. >> he was carrying her like this. >> reporter: police say the child grabbed prescription pills while in the house, while her mother, shannon clement slept. she didn't answer the phone when a concerned friend called to check on her. the friend came and found the mother asleep and the baby struggling to survive. >> it breaks my heart. >> police say they found an assortment of drugs and drug partner. >> shannon clement's best friend says she believes the infant found pills that were left here a long time ago. she also believes clement is in prison in a deep depression. >> she would never want this to happen. >> she said clement had harsh words for herself as police came to her home. and how could she let this happen? >> she said clement loves her three children. only zito and a younger son live with the mother. zito is expected to make a full recovery. social workers were called to make sure the children are in a safe environment. i'm ken lemon, channel 9 eyewitness news. we're covering the carolinas, county by county. stanly county, they were in walgreens stores. these three suspects faced organized retail theft and other charges. albemarle police found six trash bags, full of stolen items, including boxes of stolen medicine inside their alleged getaway car. and in rowan county, catawba county has been named one of the best small colleges. they ranked it 27th on the list. highlights tatawba's 70 fields of study, including unique programs like therapeutic recreation. and the ability to they also called catawba environmentally response. -- responsibility. a scratchoff at a food lion. he bought a queen of hearts ticket this week. he told the south carolina lottery, he had to put his glasses on and call a friend to double check and mach sure he won. -- make sure he won. and he did. now he's not sure how he's going to spend the money. improving charlotte's homeless? the neighborhood where the shelter could move and the price tag to move it. >> warming to the mid-40s this afternoon, with this next batch of cold air coming in. i'll show you how long you'll agai we're keeping a close eye on the temperatures in the mountains. already below freezing in the 20s. it's warmer in charlotte. still in the 40s. but that will change overnight. steve will be back in minutes to break down when we could see snow. the temperatures are causing major issues for independence boulevard, where crews are still repairing after water seeped through the pavement and froze. charlotte city water crews deal with these types of emergencies at all hours of the day. >> and that can often mean major overtime pay. i investigated how much overtime those employees are pulling in, including one worker who nearly doubled his annual pay. >> reporter: there's no denying charlotte water workers have some of the toughest jobs in the city, dealing with emergencies at all hours. you'd expect them to get overtime, but some are making a lot of overtime. i dug through three years worth of payroll numbers. in fiscal year 2015, out of the roughly 500 charlotte water employees who can earn overtime, 116 increased their pay by 25% or more in overtime hours. in 2014, 92. in 2013, also 92. and i noticed it was several of the same employees earning the most o.t. in 2015, a labor crew chief made $44,375 in regular pay. but about $42,338 in overtime. it boosted his pay by 95% for the year. bringing his total pay to $86,713. in 2014, he boosted his pay by 67% with o.t. 2013, 63%. >> one equipment operator made $38,781 in regular pay in 2015. $31,766 in overtime. boosting his pay that year by 82%. in 2014, his pay surged by 67% with overtime. in 2013, 77%. >> i think there probably is more abuse in jobs like this, where the working crew is away from headquarters. it is out of the direct line of sight of their supervisor. >> reporter: i showed the list employers association. >> that's really odd. again ttells me that somebody is either not managing the store, or these people have skills. that are highly valuable. >> when we have a water main break or sewer backup, and we have a crew out there working and their eight hours are up, and they have a couple of hours where f they need to finish that up, they don't pack up and leave you without water. they finish what they're doing. >> reporter: charlotte water director barry gullet says managers approve overtime. some workers have special skills or are just more available. and he points to recent memorable events. like the water breakout before the championship. and the latest into the pcb dumping two years ago, as events that led to lots of overtime. the audit said 99% was in the acceptable range. but what about the crew? that worker had to average 25 hours of o.t. every week for the entire year >> how confident are you that your employees are not gaining the system? that someone is not milking overtime and maybe trying to pad their paycheck? >> the audit report specifically stated that they found no evidence of that anywhere in this city. and i don't have any reason to believe that that's a problem in charlotte water. >> he admitsd there could be -- admits there could be workers who take advantage. but when they find it, they deal with it by supervisor and better training. they came in a little under their budget. you can see the documents regarding overtime at -- wsoctv.com. not too shabby. sunset under way. sun down in about 10 minutes. it is absolutely gorgeous, all things considered. still in charlotte, starting to cool down, east at 42. we've got readings in the lower 40s. in the 20s as you hit the high country. jefferson, boon. still 16 degrees. forecast this evening, if you are heading out. we'll cool it off again but not as quickly or as far. not bad, considering where we have been. about 40 or so. but temperatures will continue to fall. it will be below freezing by about midnight. and generally in the upper 20s most neighborhoods east of the high country. rockingham, chesterfield, around 30. and in the mountains will be in the upper teens. wake-up forecast. cloudy skies, still cold. but nothing falling from the sky just yet. we'll be in the mid-20s at 6:00 a.m. for the early risers by the end of the morning drive. right around freezing. here's a look at our future cast for tomorrow. the snow showers for the next batch of cold air, likely arriving by mid- to late morning in the mountains. all of our latest guidance suggest this is not going to be a big deal for the charlotte area as we head through friday afternoon. it's a quick hit of maybe a few wet snowflakes. more than likely rain drops because it's coming through during the early afternoon. and temperatures, by then, will still be in at least the upper 30s. but that northwest wind will be blowing. ushering in the next batch of cold air. average high this time of year. 54 degrees will be in the upper 30s tomorrow afternoon. you can see our hour-by-hour forecast. which, by the way, if you're not in front of a tv set, this is always changing as new guidance comes in. you can check out our free app. neighborhood forecast for king's mountain, couple of flurries especially. late morning, around lunchtime. temperatures in the upper 30s at that point. as far as indian trail goes, more than likely, a couple of rain drops more than anything else. but very slim chances. centered right around lunchtime. we'll be in the upper 30s. on the weekend, i'm afraid it's nothing but chill. upper 30 saturday. sun shining on valentine's day. hold hands, warm heart. and freezing about 6:00,sen:00 -- 7:00. with readings heading to the 20s. five-day forecast keeps us in the 30 the for the next couple of days. in fact, the next three days, very cold weather. we'll slowly warm up next week as that next storm arrives. christine dropping me to talk about that next storm. all of this cold air, what perfect timing for this. exciting news for you. we just received our grand total account for this year's coats collection. we never had to count so many. because of your generosity, an all-time record. ready for this? 20,385 coats. the most we've ever collected from one drive. from the bottom of my heart and more importantly, the kids you've helped keep warm. thank you. >> that's incredible. almost 21,000. really close. >> and they're probably wearing and this is when it counts. first responders in the crosshairs. sometime overnight, someone broke into the fire department. >> i can't believe somebody has that kind of nerves. >> the steps the city is taking to prevent this from happening again. and can the corridor being transformed? new at 6:00, the early proposal to locate some of the ci to locate some (donkey sound) (elephant sound) there's a big difference between making noise, and making sense. (elephant sound) (donkey sound) when it comes to social security, we need more than lip service. our next president needs a real plan to keep social security strong. (elephant noise) hey candidates. enough talk. give u department of insurance says it is now looking into the state's biggest health insurer, blue across, blue shield. >> they have received more than 1,000 complaints since just last month. jason stoogenke has been following this story. >> reporter: the insurance department is not calling this it is calling it an examination to monitor blue cross, blue shield's compliance with the law. now, you may remember the company admitted it enrolled thousands of customers in the wrong health insurance, that it even signed up some for multiple policies, and that it overcharged more than 3,000 members. the company has said all along the problems came from two things. changing open enlment deadlines and switching to a new computer system. commissioner wayne goodman said he met with the top insurers this week to talk about this program. and is talking about this examination. if you want to report problems to the department of insurance, go ahead and call this number on the screen. i also put this number inside my story. you can find it at wsoctv.com. we're live in north charlotte. jason stoogenke channel 9 eyewitness news. there are reports that some are considering leaving the we'll look at the impact that will have on employees. reducing teen drinking. the governor said two people die from it every week last year. while parents understand the immediate effects of binge drinking, they don't know the long-term effects like depression and memory problems. next at 6:00, temperatures could mean snow when you wake up. not just in the mountains. and headaches already being caused. our team coverage continues 6:00. ss news across charlotte tonight, road crews are already treating chance of flurries in the morning. and a bigger winter storm system that is on the way. >> we experienced a slight warmup today. but don't get used to it. there's another blast of arctic air that will slam into our region this weekend. good evening, everyone. i'm erica bryant. >> and i'm scott wickersham. it has been a busy week for meteorologists keeping updated on the changing weather in your neighborhood. let's get over to meteorologist steve udillson -- udelson. >> a nice chance to thaw out. already, mother nature has other things in mind. sun is on its way down. so cooling temperatures tonight. and this is going to cover a lot of real estate in a short period of time. snow by tomorrow morning. perhaps a little rain or snow in the charlotte area, around lunchtime. minimal impact in the charlotte area. there's the snow, by about 8:00, 9:00 tomorrow morning in the mountains. if we do see anything fall from the sky, it will be around lunchtime. it actually suggests little, if anything, falling from the sky in the charlotte area. that's fine by most of us. up in the high country, latest future cast projections are about an inch to maybe 2 of snow in the mountains. between, say, tomorrow morning and tomorrow night. and that could impact travel on the high country. and once again, cold and low wind chill values. not just in the high country. but in the charlotte area. i'll show you what to expect for valentine's weekend and that storm next week. >> thank you, steve. we go to breaking news now, as drivers using independence boulevard, a major commuter road, in and out of charlotte, have had to dodge those orange cones out there. and the road crews all day long. this is a story we first brought you as breaking news this morning. on daybreak. it has now been more than 12 hours since water started seeping onto that road and freezing. and the repairs are still under way right now. >> in the last hour, we learned drivers will face delays out there for the commute tomorrow morning. when everybody is heading in that direction. eyewitness news reporter, gina

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