DIRECTOR PAGE

SHOW OPEN-CLIP

HOLMES IN COURT-VOTOPS, SS, 2SHOT

HE'S ACCUSED OF PLOTTING FOR MONTHS, THEN CARRYING OUT A HORRIFIC ATTACK ON INNOCENT MOVIE-GOERS --

AND TONIGHT, JAMES HOLMES IS FORMALLY CHARGED IN THE MASSACRE.

24-COUNTS OF MURDER --

TWO COUNTS FOR EACH VICTIM.

AND MORE THAN 115 COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED MURDER.

HE'S ALSO CHARGED WITH POSSESSING EXPLOSIVES-- FOR BOOBY TRAPPING HIS APARTMENT.

IN COURT TODAY, HOLMES' DEMEANOR WAS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN HIS FIRST COURT APPEARANCE LAST WEEK.

HOLMES IN COURT-PKG

THE RED DYE IN HIS HAIR LOOKS TO BE GROWING OUT.

JAMES HOLMES WAS CLEARLY MORE ALERT. AND MORE RESPONSIVE AS HE LISTENED TO THE OFFICIAL CHARGES READ ALOUD IN A COLORADO COURTROOM.

TWENTY-FOUR COUNTS OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER.

116 ATTEMPTED FIRST DEGREE MURDER CHARGES.

TWO COUNTS FOR EACH VICTIM: SHOOTING AFTER DELIBERATION. AND AN ATTITUDE OF UNIVERSAL MALICE, MANIFESTING EXTREME INDIFFERENCE TO THE VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE.

LIVES LIKE VERONICA MOSER'S. THE 6-YR-OLD WAS KILLED DURING THE MASSACRE.

HER MOM ASHLEY PARALYZED FROM GUNSHOT WOUNDS TO THE NECK AND ABDOMEN. SHE ALSO SUFFERED A MISCARRIAGE AFTER THE ATTACK.

"It was very important to come today to see him as who he was. there was a lot of anger."

DOZENS OF FAMILY MEMBERS. AND SEVERAL SURVIVORS OF THE SHOOTING SPREE. WERE DRAWN TO THE COURTROOM TODAY.

"When we've seen him before he looked kind of spaced out or out of touch. he looked very, very alert today and very lucid as to what was going on."

MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THIS BIZARRE SCENE DURING HIS FIRST APPEARANCE WHEN HE SEEMED DAZED AND DISENGAGED.

TODAY, HOLMES ACKNOWLEDGED THE JUDGE. TALKED WITH HIS ATTORNEYS. AND SPOKE FOR THE FIRST TIME PUBLICLY DURING THE BRIEF PROCEEDING. ANSWERING "YES" WHEN ASKED IF HE WANTED TO WAIVE HIS RIGHT TO A PRELIMINARY HEARING WITHIN 35 DAYS.

TIME HIS PUBLIC DEFENDERS WILL LIKELY USE TO PREPARE WHAT MOST LEGAL ANALYSTS AGREE IS THEIR ONLY OPTION IN THE CASE. AN INSANITY PLEA.

"He had a persona of evilness about him but he looked sane to me."

HIS FATE COULD ULTIMATELY HINGE ON HOW HOLMES "LOOKS" TO COURT APPOINTED DOCTORS IN THIS EMOTIONAL, HIGH-PROFILE CASE.

ALONG WITH THE 140 MURDER AND ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES, PROSECUTORS ALSO INCLUDED CHARGES OF CRIMINAL VIOLENCE. AND POSSESSION OF EXPLOSIVES - CITING THE CACHE OF BOMBS PULLED FROM HOLMES APARTMENT.

TOSS TO STEVE-VO

THE CAPE COUNCIL TAKES UP A CONTROVERSIAL ZONING ISSUE THIS EVENING.

FOR YEARS, CITY LEADERS HAVE GONE BACK AND FORTH OVER WHAT TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT SHOULD GO NEAR TRAFALGAR PARKWAY AND CHIQUITA BOULEVARD -- LEAVING PEOPLE ALONG SW 15TH PLACE FIGHTING FOR A COMPROMISE.

NBC2S STEVE CAMPION IS WORKING THIS STORY FROM OUR CAPE CORAL MOBILE NEWSROOM.

CHIQUITA ZONING-LIVE

From our mast cam, you can see how residential this area is.

Under the recommended plan, houses along the canal would be rezoned to only residential use.

To the left of the road, those properties would be geared towards commerical uses.

CHIQUITA ZONING-PKG

Don parsons, lives on SW 15th place

4122 "I can barely hear anything going by on Chiquita. We spend most of our time out on the lanai. It's almost like living out in the country."

Finding a delicate balance

between peace

And progress isn't easy.

4335 parsons, "it's been aggravating. It's been aggravating."

Don parsons lives on SW 15th Place.

Under current cape coral zoning -- his property and others are in a bit of bureaucratic mess.

4146 parsons "if I didn't already had a pool and wanted one I couldn't get a permit for that. Couldn't get for a sea wall."

Parson supports a so-called zoning compromise recommended by the planning and zoning committee -- which would make his piece of land residential and across the street mixed use.

Julie and Phil Tinkham, live on SW 15th place

5501 "it's inevitable that business will want to come into the area."

From their backyard, the tinkhams hear progress zip up and down Chiquita blvd.

Take nats

They dont want their "home some home" zoned solely for residential use.

Tinkhams 5439 "if the time should ever come and opportunity knocks, we can open it and welcome the man and say yes use it for commerical."

They believe the streets of southwest cape coral are destined for change.

Tinkhams, 5855 "it will not exist like it looks now. Take nats 5641 "let's move ahead. Let's not standstill."

And while everyone waits patiently for city leaders to make a clear choice -- some whose personal domains are up for discussion are left to hold their breath.

CHIQUITA ZONING-LIVE

This all comes down to what kind of properties will line the streets around Chiquita blvd in the coming years.

You can see right now this is a 4 lane road.

It is on track to expand to 6 lanes making it a busy thoroughfare. With all the traffic some argue progress is inevitable but tonight it's future hangs in limbo as council decides how to move forward.

CHARTER SCHOOL VOTE-VO

THE LEE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD WILL DECIDE THE FATE OF TWO CHARTER SCHOOLS TOMORROW.

ADMINISTRATORS AT RICHARD MILBURN ACADEMY IN FORT MYERS AND LEE ALTERNATIVE CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL IN LEHIGH ACRES ARE ACCUSED OF MISREPORTING ATTENDANCE AND STUDENTS GRADES.

AN INVESTIGATION FOUND STUDENTS WERE AWARDED A DIPLOMA--

FL TURNPIKE MAKEOVER-ON CAM

FLORIDA'S TURNPIKE IS GETTING A MAKEOVER.

THE STATE'S GOING TO SPEND 162-MILLION DOLLARS TO IMPROVE ALL THE GAS STATIONS AND RESTAURANTS--

PLUS ADD WI-FI AND AREAS FOR PETS.

TOSS TO JENNIFER-ON CAM

THERE ARE CONCERNS TONIGHT OVER FRESH WATER RELEASES FROM LAKE OKECHOBEE TO THE CALOOSAHATCHEE --

SOME ENVIRONMENTALISTS WORRY THE FEDS PLAN WILL BRING ALGAE BLOOMS, RED TIDE AND FISH KILLS TO OUR COAST LINE!

POLLUTED WATER IN LAKE O-PKG

HERE'S ONE IDEA FOR GETTING FRESH WATER TO LEE COUNTY WATERWAYS --

DRAIN FLOODED AGRICULTURAL FIELDS -- LIKE THESE SUGAR CANE FARMS --

AND SEND THE WATER TO LAKE OKECHOBEE --

*THEN RELEASE IT TO THE CALOOSAHATCHEE RIVER.

IT'S CALLED "BACK PUMPING" -- BUT RAE ANN WESSEL CAN'T GET ON BOARD.

RAE ANN 10:45:55 this is sort of the poisoned candy approach where it's coming with an awful lot of impacts 01

LEE COUNTY LEADERS HAVE ASKED FOR FRESH WATER RELEASES DURING THE DRY SEASON --

BUT ONE COMMISSIONER SAYS THIS IS THE *WRONG SOLUTION.

RAY JUDAH 13:38 well it's terrible.

.BECAUSE OF WHAT COMES *WITH THE WATER.

JUDAH 18:22 it is going to take decades to remove the excess amount of phosphorous and nitrogen that's creating such damaging impacts to our marine ecosystem, the grass beds, the habitat 33

ACCORDING TO WESSEL -- 359 METRIC TONS OF NITROGEN.

COVER! RAE ANN 10:43:36 that's a lot of nitrogen

.WILL BE IN THE WATER THAT'S BACK PUMPED INTO THE LAKE.

RAE ANN 10:43:47 it takes just a little bit of nitrogen to cause algal blooms and real deterioration of the water quality 55

THEN, IT BECOMES A MONEY PROBLEM --

RAE ANN 10:46:52 you're talking about hundreds of millions of dollars of additional cost to clean up nitrogen that you don't have to put there in the first place 59

SO WESSEL IS PUSHING FOR A *DIFFERENT SOLUTION THAT WOULD STILL BRING FRESH WATER FROM LAKE OKECHOBEE.BUT IT WOULDN'T COME FROM SUGAR FIELDS.AND WOULDN'T ADD NITROGEN TO THE CALOOSAHATCHEE.

POLLUTED WATER IN LAKE O-PLASMA MON

TOMROROW, COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WILL CONSIDER SIGNING THIS LETTER TO THE WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.

IT EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR FINDING A SOLUTION TO KEEP WATER FLOWING TO THE CALOOSAHATCHEE.BUT IT ALSO SPECIFICALLY TALKS ABOUT BACK PUMPING.

POST OFFICE PROBLEMS-ON CAM

THE U-S POSTAL SERVICE WILL OFFICIALLY *DEFAULT* ON A LOAN TOMORROW.

WITH CASH RUNNING LOW--

THE POSTAL SERVICE SAYS IT WILL NOT MAKE TWO LEGALLY REQUIRED PAYMENTS FOR FUTURE RETIREE HEALTH BENEFITS.

FIVE AND A HALF BILLION IS DUE TOMORROW--

ANOTHER PAYMENT IS DUE IN SEPTEMBER.

THE DEFAULTS WON'T STIR ANY KIND OF SHORT TERM CATASTROPHE--

POST OFFICES WILL STAY OPEN--

MAIL TRUCKS WILL RUN AND EMPLOYEES WILL GET PAID.

INDIA POWER OUTAGE-VO

ELECTRIC CREWS HAVE RESTORED *SIXTY* PERCENT OF THE POWER TO INDIA.

A MASSIVE GRID FAILURE LAST NIGHT--

CUT ELECTRICITY TO ALMOST 300-MILLION PEOPLE!

IT TOOK 4-HOURS JUST TO RESTORE POWER TO ALL ESSENTIAL SERVICES.

COLOSSEUM LEANING-VO

ROME'S FAMOUS COLOSSEUM.MAY BE TIPPING.

DATA SUGGESTS THE FAMOUS COLOSSEUM--

IS SLANTING TO ONE SIDE BY AS MUCH AS 15-AND-A-HALF INCHES.

WORK IS NOW UNDERWAY TO DETERMINE IF AN INTERVENTION IS NEEDED--

TO KEEP THE MASSIVE STRUCTURE STABLE.

MARS MISSION SKETCH-VO

NASA'S MOST AMBITIOUS AND EXPENSIVE MARS MISSION BEGINS THIS WEEKEND--

WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE SMARTEST ROVER EVER BUILT.

THIS IS A PICTURE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.

THE LANDING. SLATED FOR SUNDAY NIGHT WILL TAKE ABOUT 13-MINUTES--

THE ROVER WILL COME TO A BLAZING STOP WITH THE HELP OF A PARACHUTE, HEAT SHIELD AND ROCKETS.

TEASE ONE-2SHOT

A LITTLE MORE THAN TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE AUGUST PRIMARY -- AND THERE ARE CONCERNS SOME VOTERS WILL BE CONFUSED BY THE BALLOT:

do you support the amendments. I have no idea

BUTT WITH

you don't know what this means? No

ONE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA MAN SAYS HE'LL SUE IF ONE PARTICULAR QUESTION DOESN'T DISAPPEAR.

PLUS -- EMOTIONS EVERY SINGLE PARENT WATCHING CAN FEEL --

TZ1 A) IMMOKALEE PLAN-SOTVO WIPE

TZ1 B) GYMNAST PARENTS-VO TOPS

TZ1 C) WEATHER TEASE-STC

IMMOKALEE MASTER PLAN-ON CAM

EARLY VOTING IS WELL UNDERWAY--

BUT A COLLIER COUNTY MAN IS DEMANDING THAT ONE QUESTION BE REMOVED FROM THE BALLOT.

HE SAYS THE IMMOKALEE MASTER PLAN'S NON-BINDING REFERENDUM IS UNFAIR--

AND IS THREATENING TO SUE TO STOP THE VOTE.

IMMOKALEE MASTER PLAN-PKG

35:28 do you support the amendments. 42 I have no idea

WORDING SOME CALL VAGUE AND CONFUSING.

24:30 you don't know what this means? No

STARTING TODAY IMMOKALEE VOTERS WILL SEE THIS QUESTION ON THE PRIMARY BALLOT--

"DO YOU SUPPORT THE AMENDMENTS OF THE IMMOKALEE AREA MASTER PLAN AND THE IMMOKALEE AREA MASTER PLAN FUTURE LAND USE MAP AS VOTED AT ON THE COLLIER COUNTY BOARD OF COMISSIONERS' DECEMBER 13, 2011 MEETING?'

36:15 do you know what that means? yes if I support the plan but I haven't had the chance to see the plan 20

"basically it's asking if we are in support of it and yes we are. 16

AN OUTSPOKEN CRITIC OF THE IMMOKALEE MASTER PLAN-- RANDY JOHNS-- SAYS THE BALLOT WORDING IS SO CONFUSING, HE WANTS IT REMOVED, AND IS THREATENING TO SUE.

IN A LETTER TO THE COLLIER COUNTY SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS, JOHNS WRITES: 'IT IS WOEFULLY INADEQUATE IN INFORMING THE VOTING PUBLIC AS TO THE SUBJECT MATTER ON WHICH THEY ARE VOTING.'

COMISSIONER JIM COLETTA SAYS JOHNS, WHO doesn't LIVE IN IMMOKALLEE, IS GIVING IMMOKALEE RESIDENTS TOO LITTLE CREDIT.

30:35 pure disgust I mean meddling in the affairs of the people of immokalee, what he's basically saying is the people of immokalee are incapable of understanding what the master plan is all about 45

COLETTA SAYS DURING ANY ELECTION VOTERS NEED TO DO THEIR RESEARCH BEFORE CASTING THEIR BALLOT--

AND SAYS IMMOKALEE RESIDENTS ARE WELL INFORMED ABOUT THE PLAN THAT'S BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR EIGHT YEARS.

IMMOKALEE MASTER PLAN-TAG

SINCE PRMARY VOTING IS ALREADY UNDERWAY--

THE QUESTION CAN NOT BE TAKEN OFF THE BALLOT.

THE ONLY WAY TO PREVENT THE QUESTION FROM BEING COUNTED--

IS THROUGH A COURT ORDER.

TEASE TWO-ON CAM

EARLY VOTING IS *UNDERWAY*!

SO MANY OF YOU ARE TAKING TIME TO FIGURE OUT *WHO* TO VOTE FOR.

TONIGHT NBC2 IS ASKING--

DO ANY OF THOSE HIGH POWERED "ENDORSEMENTS' REALLY MATTER?

COULD THEY CHANGE YOUR MIND?

AND IT'S ONE OF THE WORST CASES OF ANIMAL ABUSE IN LEE COUNTY.

TONIGHT--

NBC2 IS GOING INSIDE THE CASE--

TZ2 A) ENDORSEMENTS-VO WIPE

TZ2 B) STARVING DOG-VO TOPS

ROBERT WX OPEN-CLIP

FIRST ALERT FORECAST-WXWALL

THIS WEATHERCAST HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE NBC2 WEATHER STAFF.

IT IS NOT A VERBATIM OF WHAT IS BEING SAID, BUT IS THE FORECAST FOR OUR AREA.

SCATTERED STORMS EXPECTED THIS WEEK

We have been blessed with beautiful afternoon weather for consecutive days now. Of course all great things must come to an end, and so will our streak of nice weather.

With each passing day we'll see a more clouds, and an uptick in our rain chances.

The controlling factor in our weather is a stubborn high pressure that doesn't want to move. You can thank it for all the nice afternoon weather we've had. It's keeping our winds from the west to southwest which forces the sea breeze to go far inland. Thus, the thunderstorms over our inland communities, too.

Tuesday and Wednesday will play out very closely to that very scenario. However, the previously mentioned high will start loosening its grips on us. That will allow a tad more moisture to creep into the area and give a better chance for storms to pop up west of I-75 as the sea breeze pushes over land. They will be isolated in nature. So, only a select few will get wet.

By Thursday going into the weekend our annoying high pressure leaves, and that lets our winds shift to the southeast. What does that mean? Scattered to numerous storms each day!

All storms this week have the possibility of producing lots of rain in short order, dangerous lightning, and gusty winds. Be ready!

Temperatures will not be effected much by the cloud cover and rain. They'll hold around 93 degrees but feel around 100 when you factor in the humidity.

Your boating forecast calls for winds from the southwest at 5 knots, seas 2 feet, with smooth inland waterways.

TOSS TO CHAD-2SHOT

A SOUTHWEST FLORIDA CONGRESSIONAL RACE HAS THE ATTENTION OF SOME POLITICAL HEAVY-WEIGHTS.

TONIGHT CONGRESSMAN PAUL RYAN FROM WISCONSIN IS CAMPAIGNING FOR CHAUNCEY GOSS.

HIS VISIT COMES WHILE EARLY VOTING KICKS OFF IN COLLIER COUNTY.

TODAY NBC-2 CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT CHAD OLIVER--

LOOKED AT WHETHER ENDORSEMENTS REALLY MATTER.

DECISION 2012-CLIP

POWER OF ENDORSEMENTS-TFX CTR MON

THIS RACE IS HIGHLY-COMPETITVE. SIX CANDIDATES ARE RUNNING.

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 19 COVERS FORT MYERS. CAPE CORAL. HALF OF LEHIGH. DOWN THROUGH ESTERO. BONITA AND NAPLES.

THERE'S A BIG DEBATE IN WASHINGTON ABOUT EXTENDING TAX CUTS.

POWER OF ENDORSEMENTS-PKG

:01:12:32 "The question is will you vote with us to create a process."

CHAUNCEY GOSS HOPES TO BECOME A RISING REPUBLICAN STAR IN CONGRESS. TODAY HE GOT THE ENDORSEMENT OF SOMEONE ALREADY THERE.

"A lot of people are good conservatives but do we have a conservative that can be effective and that's what I see with Chauncey."

HOUSE BUDGET CHAIRMAN PAUL RYAN WORKED SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH CHAUNCEY GOSS IN WASHINGTON.

"He knows me well, he knows what I'm capable of and we've worked on solutions together and that's why I want to go and join him not as a staff member but as a colleague."

"Listen it's a tight tight race."

TEA PARY FAVORITE BYRON DONALDS HAS THE ENDORSEMENT OF HIS HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER - THE NAPLES DAILY NEWS.

"First of all, the readers read that, they see it and they think 'Wow this guy is a quote unquote credible candidate. The second thing is, It gives you a lot of momentum."

"Rep. Matt Caldwell, Rep. Matt Hudson, Rep. Kathleen Pasidomo."

STATE REPRESENTATIVE GARY AUBUCHON RATTLES OFF SOME OF HIS ENDORSEMENTS.

"What they do is they let the voters know that people I have worked with respect me and back me."

"Our campaign."

TREY RADEL RECEIVED ONE OF THE MORE HIGH PROFILE ENDORSEMENTS IN THIS RACE.

AMERICA'S MAYOR RUDY GIULIANI.

"we make Nov. 2nd freedom day."

YET OUTSIDE SUPPORT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL OFTEN ISN'T ENOUGH TO SWING AN ELECTION.

A SARAH PALIN ENDORSEMENT MAKES 11-PERCENT OF ALL VOTERS MORE LIKELY TO VOTE FOR A CANDIDATE. MORE THAN A QUARTER WOULD GO THE OTHER WAY. 60-PERCENT SAY IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE.

PEW RESEARCH FOUND AN ENDORSEMENT FROM A LOCAL NEWSPAPER OR GOVERNOR MAKES EVEN LESS OF A SLASH.

POWER OF ENDORSEMENTS-TFX CTR MON

PAIGE KREEGEL AND JOE DAVIDOW ARE THE OTHER REPUBLICANS IN THIS RACE.

IT IS A GOING TO BE TIGHT.

THE PRIMARY IS AUGUST 14TH. BUT MANY VOTES ARE ALREADY COMING IN WITH MAIL IN BALLOTS AND EARLY VOTING.

TOSS TO LINDSAY-2SHOT

WHAT A DAY OF OLYMPIC COMPETITION!

THERE'S A LOT MORE TO COME TONIGHT--

LOTS OF GREAT STUFF HAPPENING BEHIND THE SCENES AS WELL. THINGS YOU DON'T GET TO SEE IN PRIME TIME.

NBC2's LINDSAY LOGUE JOINS US IN THE STUDIO WITH THE STORIES BEHIND THE STORIES.

OLYMPIC EMPTY SEATS-PLASMA MON, SOT, ON CAM

HAVE YOU NOTICED ON T-V ALL OF THESE "EMPTY SEATS" AT SOME OF THE EVENTS?

HUNDREDS IN SOME VENUES.

THE OLYMPIC COMMITTEE IS BLAMING THEM ON CORPORATE TICKET HOLDERS NOT SHOWING UP!

you have these bureaucrats who don't turn up to the seats that they're allocated and they don't fill the zones where they could conceivably be. And we have a very good strategy to, LOCOG has a very good strategy to reduce that and to reduce the size of those spaces.

BY THE WAY--

ALL OF THOSE CORPORATE TICKETS ARE *FREEBIES*!

OLYMPIC TRANSPORTATION-VO TOPS

TODAY WAS THE FIRST BIG TEST OF LONDON'S PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

THERE WERE FEARS THAT THE SYSTEM WOULD BECOME "OVERLOADED" THIS MORNING--

WITH WORKERS RETURNING TO THEIR JOBS AND OLYMPIC TOURISTS HEADING TO VENUES.

BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE--

CAULDRON MOVED-VO TOPS

THE CAULDRON IS NOW AT ITS NEW HOME INSIDE LONDON'S OLYMPIC STADIUM.

IT NOW SITS WHERE THE BELL WAS DURING FRIDAY'S OPENING CEREMONY.

THE CAULDRON PREVIOUSLY STOOD IN THE HEART OF THE OLYMPIC STADIUM--

GYMNAST PARENTS-VO TOPS

CHECK OUT ONE OF THE GREATEST MOMENTS WE'VE SEEN SO FAR.

THOSE ARE THE PARENTS OF OLYMPIC GYMNAST ALY RAISMAN.

LOOK AT HOW THEY REACT TO EVERY MOVE SHE MADE LAST NIGHT ON THE UNEVEN BARS!

OLYMPICS TONIGHT-CG TOPS

HERE'S YOUR OLYMPIC SCHEDULE FOR TONIGHT.

MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SWIMMING FINALS CONTINUE.

IT COULD BE ONE OF THE BEST RACES OF THE GAMES--

RYAN LOCHTE TAKES ON A STACKED INTERNATIONAL FIELD IN THE 200 METER FREESTYLE.

IN MEN'S GYMNASTICS--

THE U.S. MEN CONTEND FOR THEIR THIRD CONSECUTIVE MEDAL IN THE TEAM COMPETITION.

PLUS THERE'S MEN'S DIVING AND BEACH VOLLEYBALL.

IT ALL GETS UNDERWAY AT EIGHT--

TEASE THREE-2SHOT

COMING UP NEXT ON NBC 2.A STORY THAT WILL MAKE ANIMAL LOVERS BOTH SAD.AND FURIOUS.

A DOG FOUND STARVING -- NOTHING MORE THAN 27-POUNDS OF FLESH AND BONES.

BUT NBC2 FOUND OUT THIS CASE UNDERSCORES AN EVEN MORE TROUBLING PROBLEM!

WE'RE LOOKING FOR ANSWERS.

TZ3 A) STARVING DOG-VO WIPE

AHEAD AT 6-BANNER

A) karla standup tease-SOTTOPS

TRAPPED WHALE-VO

A TWO TON WHALE IS FREE TONIGHT--

THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF SOME CREATIVE FISHERMEN.

FOR NEARLY 4-DAYS.

THE 39 FOOT WHALE WAS SEEN ABOUT 500 YARDS OFF SHORE OF INDONESIA.

FISHERMEN IN THE AREA WORKED TOGETHER--

AND EVENTUALLY LED THE WHALE BACK TO SEA.

STARVING DOG-ON CAM

IT'S ONE OF THE WORST CASES OF ANIMAL STARVATION THAT A LOCAL ANIMAL SHETLER HAS SEEN IN YEARS.

A DOG FOUND - JUST SKIN AND BONES.

NOW ANIMAL REFUGE CENTER, OR ARC, IS TRYING TO SAVE THE ITS LIFE.

STARVING DOG-PKG

THEY CALL HIM PHOENIX.

OVER THE WEEKEND, THIS YOUNG, THREE YEAR OLD BOXER HOUND MIX CAME TO THE ANIMAL REFUGE CENTER STARVING-

ONLY 27 POUNDS-

SO WEAK, HE COULD BARELY WALK.

I wasn't able to find any muscle tissue at all in him. So he was in days of dying.

VETERINARIAN MARK SCHMIDT AND HIS TEAM PUT PHOENIX ON ANTIBIOTICS, VACCINES, AND GAVE HIM FOOD AND WATER.

IN ORDER TO TREAT HIM, THEY HAVE TO CARRY HIM AROUND THE FACILITY.

Phoenix is probably the second worst case we've ever had.

ARC DIRECTOR LISA JENKINS SAYS PHOENIX WAS FOUND WANDERING THE SUGAR CANE FIELDS NEAR CLEWISTON.

DOCTORS COULD TELL THAT HE WAS LIVING OFF THE SUGAR CANE BY THE CONDITION OF HIS TEETH.

THEY AREN'T SURE ABOUT HIS BACK STORY. BUT THEY THINK HE IS SOMEONE'S LOST OR ABANDONED PET.

I think he ended up being dumped out into the sugar came fields because someone either could not take care of him or did not want him any longer and he had no place to take him.

PHOENIX ALSO HAS A SKIN INFECTION; BUT MOST OF HIS ISSUES ARE DUE TO STARVATION.

IN JUST THE LAST FEW DAYS THOUGH HE'S GAINED 7 POUNDS. AND DOCTORS SAY HE SHOULD RECOVER IN A FEW WEEKS.

I'm looking forward to when he can stand up straighter he's got all of his muscles working, then I'll feel much better about him.

STARVING DOG-TAG

IT IS ILLEGAL TO DUMP A PET.

SELL THE 6PM-2SHOT

NEXT AT SIX -- A WHITE COLLAR MANHUNT LANDS SQUARELY IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA -- THE NBC2 INVESTIGATORS UNCOVER THE VIDEO THAT'S PEAKED THE INTEREST OF THE FBI.

PLUS -- YOU HEARD ABOUT THE ARREST OF THE AIRBOAT CAPTAIN. THE GUY WHO HAD HIS HAND BITTEN OFF BY AN ALLIGATOR --