DIRECTORS PAGE

5AM HOUR-CLIPTOPS

6AM HOUR-CLIPTOPS

5 & 6 AM HEADLINE 1BIG SNOW-SOTVO-WIPE

"I started at midway airport and that flight was canceled, so i re-booked out of o'hare to kansas city and now i'm here waiting hopefully for this flight to take off."

SNOW, SNOW, AND MORE SNOW.

THE LATEST WINTER STORM TO HIT THE U-S.

CAUSES MORE THEN A THOUSAND FLIGHTS TO BE CANCELLED.

AND HUNDREDS MORE, EXPECTED.

5 & 6 AM HEADLINE 2 PROCTOR ARREST-VO-WIPE

PLUS, AN UPDATE ON A CASE ABC7 HAS FOLLOWED CLOSELY.

A MARINER MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER WAS KILLED TWO YEARS AGO.

5 & 6 AM HEADLINE 3 STATE OF THE STATE-SOTVO-WIPE

"We need to level the playing field to compete for manufacturing jobs."

PLUS, GOVERNOR SCOTT --- LAYS OUT HIS PLANS FOR 20-13.

GROWING THE ECONOMY IS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.

530AM~STORMWARN FORECAST OPEN-CLIP

530AM~STORMWARN FORECAST-WXWALL

Some brief, light showers will move in this morning as a cool front slides through Southwest Florida, and then by the afternoon, skies will clear from north to south as temperatures become noticeably cooler.

While rain chances won't be very high this morning, here's the best thinking on the timing of when the showers move in: expect some quickly moving, spotty showers to start pushing through Charlotte County first around 7 a.m. Lee County should start to see some isolated shower activity from 7-9 a.m., and finally, if the showers manage to survive the journey south, Collier County will see the best chance for a passing shower from 9-10 a.m. Models are keeping rain totals incredibly low, so the places that manage to get a little shower will likely pick up less than a tenth of an inch.

After hitting our daytime high of 71° early this afternoon, temperatures will start to drop this afternoon as the cool air filters in with a strong northwesterly breeze. By mid to late afternoon, temperatures for most of Southwest Florida will be in the mid 60s even with clear, sunny skies.

Winds will become quite breezy through the day with gusts reaching 25-30 mph.

Look for breezy, chilly weather tonight with temperatures dropping into the mid 40s between the coast and I-75. East of I-75, temperatures may get as cold as the mid to upper 30s in the inland cold spots.

Thursday will be another cool day with highs aimed for the low 70s under full sunshine, and by Thursday night into Friday morning, we'll have another round of temperatures in the mid to upper 40s.

DEVELOPING NEWS-CLIP

BIG SNOW-2SHOT SOTVO WIPE

GOOD MORNING.

I'M LINH BUI.

THANKS FOR WATCHING A-B-C 7.

AND I'M CHANCE SEALES.

WE'RE FEELING COOLER TEMPERATURES -- HERE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.

BUT IT'S NOTHING.

LIKE WHAT THE FOLKS UP NORTH -- ARE GETTING READY FOR.

"this is going to be a different kind of storm.off the pavement."

THE RAIN, COLD TEMPERATURES, AND PENDING SNOW.

ARE GOING TO MAKE A MESS --- OF THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES.

OFFICIALS SAY THIS STORM COULD DUMP SOME OF THE HEAVIEST SNOW OF THE SEASON.

BIG SNOW-SOTVO

THAT SAME STORM HAS ALREADY CAUSED QUITE A MESS FOR THE MIDWEST.

THE HEAVY, WET SNOW IS CAUSING TRAVEL HEADACHES --

ON THE ROAD AND IN THE AIR.

AT CHICAGO'S O'HARE AIRPORT --

MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND FLIGHTS WERE CANCELLED.

AND HUNDREDS MORE DELAYED.

WE CHECKED LOCALLY THIS MORNING.

SEVERAL FLIGHTS HEADED TO D-C HAVE BEEN CANCELLED.

HUGO CHAVEZ DIES-VO

AFTER MORE THAN 14 YEARS IN POWER.

VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ --- HAS DIED FROM A LONG BATTLE WITH CANCER.

CHAVEZ BECAME KNOWN BACK IN 1992.

DURING A FAILED COUP --- AGAINST THEN-PRESIDENT CARLOS PEREZ.

AFTER A BRIEF STINT IN PRISON --- HE WON THE PRESIDENCY IN 1998.

CHAVEZ WAS A VOCAL CRITIC OF THE U-S.

AND A CLOSE FRIEND OF FIDEL CASTRO.

HE SUFFERED MULTIPLE COMPLICATIONS FROM CANCER SURGERY IN CUBA IN DECEMBER.

PROCTOR ARREST-VOWIPE

THE MAN SUSPECTED OF KILLING A SOUTHWEST FLORIDA TEACHER --

HAS NOW BEEN CHARGED WITH HER MURDER.

DANIEL PROCTOR FACES SECOND DEGREE MURDER CHARGES --

FOR THE DEATH OF HIS EX-WIFE AMY PATTERSON.

THE MARINER MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER VANISHED IN 2011.

HER BODY TURNED UP LAST YEAR ON PINE ISLAND.

DEPUTIES SAY PROCTOR LED THEM TO HER BODY.

HE'S ALREADY BEHIND BARS IN ALABAMA, SERVING TIME FOR A DIFFERENT CRIME.

PROCTOR ARREST-SOTVO

6:02-6:09 "we're imprisoned. We're imprisoned for the rest of our lives. So I think he should be in prison for the rest of his life"

PROCTOR WILL NOW BE EXTRADITED BACK TO LEE COUNTY--

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING-OTS VOWIPE

STILL NO COMMENT FROM THE LEE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT.

DOCTOR JOSEPH BURKE WAS A NO-SHOW.

AT A SPECIAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING ON TUESDAY.

THAT FOCUSED ON HIM.

BOARD MEMBERS GOT TOGETHER.

AFTER THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ---- SENT THEM A LETTER ABOUT ALLEGATIONS OF MISCONDUCT AGAINST BURKE.

TWO BOARD MEMBERS CALLED FOR AN OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION.

BUT THAT DIDN'T PASS.

INSTEAD, THE DISTRICT WILL SEND THE STATE A LETTER.

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING-SOTVO

Hiring another investigator, it seems to me redundant. You probably heard me say that four or five times today. We've been there done that got the answers, it's time to move on.

ONCE THE LETTER IS SENT TO THE STATE.

THE BOARD WILL WAIT TO SEE IF IT NEEDS ANY MORE INFORMATION.

GUN MOTHER EXCLUSIVE-SOTVO

NOW TO AN A-B-C 7 EXCLUSIVE.

WE ARE HEARING MORE THIS MORNING --

FROM THE MOTHER OF A CYPRESS LAKE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT.

DEPUTIES ARRESTED HIM FOR BRINGING A GUN ON THE SCHOOL BUS.

SHE SAYS THE STUDENTS WHO WRESTLED THE GUN FROM HIS HANDS.

ARE "HEROES."

54:00 its good he was caught in that situation because it got a gun off the street and parents are aware of what's going on 54:10

THE TWO TEENS SHE CALLED HEROES.

WERE ACTUALLY SUSPENDED AFTER THE INCIDENT.

AND SHE'S NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT.

BUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS --

THOSE STUDENTS DID NOT COOPERATE WITH AUTHORITIES.

MEANTIME, THE TEEN ACCUSED OF HAVING THE GUN.

UNBANNED ITEMS-OTS VOWIPE

FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 9-11.

SOME NEW T-S-A RULES.

YOU'LL BE ABLE TO CARRY *SOME KNIVES. AND OTHER BANNED ITEMS. ON FLIGHTS.

IN THE DECADE SINCE THE ATTACK.

THE T-S-A HAS CONFISCATED TENS OF *MILLIONS OF POCKET KNIVES.

NOW, THEY SAY --- IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE.

IN A MONTH-AND-A-HALF -- YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO CARRY A FOLDING KNIFE.

IF THE BLADE IS LESS THAN 2.36 INCHES LONG. AND A HALF-INCH WIDE.

A-B-C 7 TALKED TO SOME PASSENGERS AT R-S-W.

UNBANNED ITEMS-SOTVO

Susie Debrun, Naples

"I just think its a really bad idea, even a pair of tweezers can do damage to someone."

Sherry Heideman, Minnesota

"I travel all the time for work so I guess for me it seems pretty safe, I'm not too concerned about it."

GOOD NEWS FOR GOLFERS.

YOU CAN NOW CARRY *TWO CLUBS WITH YOU.

5AM COVERAGE PROMISE TO BREAK-2SH-NATSVO

TOP INTERNATIONAL STORY --

HUGH CHAVEZ HAS DIED.

OVERNIGHT, THOUSANDS OF MOURNERS GATHERED OUTSIDE HIS HOSPITAL.

NATS OF CROWD CHANTING

SHOUTED THEIR SUPPORT FOR CHAVEZ.

CARRIED SIGNS.

EXPRESSED SHOCK AND GRIEF.

WIPED AWAY TEARS.

THE FOREIGN MINISTER HAS DECLARED SEVEN DAYS OF MOURNING.

AND THE PUBLIC FUNERAL WILL BE FRIDAY.

6AM COVERAGE PROMISE TO BREAK-2SH-NATSVO

MAJOR ECONOMIC NEWS.

A RECORD DAY ON WALL STREET.

TUESDAY, THE DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE REACHED IT'S HIGHEST POINT. EVER.

NATSOUND/OPENING BELL

OPENED WITH A GIANT LEAP.

AND CLOSED AT 14,253.

A REMARKABLE COMEBACK.

MORE THAN DOUBLE WHERE IT WAS FOUR YEARS AGO.

ECONOMY IS GETTING BETTER.

HOUSING IS RECOVERING.

MORE COMPANIES ARE HIRING.

STORMWARN GENFORECAST OPEN-CLIPTOPS

STORMWARN FORECAST-WX CTR TO WALL

THIS WEATHERCAST HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE ABC7 WEATHER STAFF.

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

Some brief, light showers will move in this morning as a cool front slides through Southwest Florida, and then by the afternoon, skies will clear from north to south as temperatures become noticeably cooler.

While rain chances won't be very high this morning, here's the best thinking on the timing of when the showers move in: expect some quickly moving, spotty showers to start pushing through Charlotte County first around 7 a.m. Lee County should start to see some isolated shower activity from 7-9 a.m., and finally, if the showers manage to survive the journey south, Collier County will see the best chance for a passing shower from 9-10 a.m. Models are keeping rain totals incredibly low, so the places that manage to get a little shower will likely pick up less than a tenth of an inch.

After hitting our daytime high of 71° early this afternoon, temperatures will start to drop this afternoon as the cool air filters in with a strong northwesterly breeze. By mid to late afternoon, temperatures for most of Southwest Florida will be in the mid 60s even with clear, sunny skies.

Winds will become quite breezy through the day with gusts reaching 25-30 mph.

Look for breezy, chilly weather tonight with temperatures dropping into the mid 40s between the coast and I-75. East of I-75, temperatures may get as cold as the mid to upper 30s in the inland cold spots.

Thursday will be another cool day with highs aimed for the low 70s under full sunshine, and by Thursday night into Friday morning, we'll have another round of temperatures in the mid to upper 40s.

TRAFFIC SPONSORSHIP BILLBOARD-CLIPTOPS

PRECISION TRAFFIC-TC MON

FL BRUSH FIRE-VO

A FAST MOVING BRUSH FIRE --- THAT THREATENED HOMES IN A CENTRAL FLORIDA SUBDIVISION.

IS NOW UNDER CONTROL.

THE FOUR ALARM BLAZE.

BROKE OUT TUESDAY IN A WOODED AREA --- BY A VOLUSIA COUNTY NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE FIRE SPREAD THROUGH TREE TOPS --- MAKING IT ESPECIALLY HARD TO CONTROL.

IN SOME PLACES.

IT BURNED WITHIN JUST A FEW *FEET OF HOMES.

SOME RESIDENTS SPRAYED WATER ON THEIR ROOFS.

HOPING TO KEEP THEM FROM IGNITING.

TOP STORIES OPEN-CLIP

TS1) BIG SNOW-VO-WIPE

IT'S ________

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT TODAY'S TOP STORIES.

ANOTHER MAJOR WINTER STORM. MAKES ITS WAY EAST,

TOWARD THE MID-ATLANTIC.

14 STATES ARE UNDER AN ADVISORY OR WARNING AT THIS TIME.

AND IT COULD BE SOME OF THE HEAVIEST SNOW OF THE SEASON.

TS2) CHAVEZ DIES-VO-WIPE

VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ.

AFTER A TWO YEAR BATTLE WITH CANCER.

THE 58-YEAR OLD WAS LEADER OF THE SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRY FOR 14 YEARS.

AND WAS AN OUTSPOKEN CRITIC OF THE U-S.

AS WELL AS A GOOD FRIEND OF FIDEL CASTRO.

TS3) PROCTOR CHARGED-VO-WIPE

DANIEL PROCTOR HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH THE SECOND DEGREE MURDER --

OF HIS EX-WIFE AMY PATTERSON.

THE MARINER MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER DISAPPEARED IN 2011.

HER BODY WAS FOUND LAST YEAR ON PINE ISLAND.

PROCTOR IS SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE IN ALABAMA,

TS4) UNBANNED ITEMS-VO-WIPE

AND STARTING NEXT MONTH.

POCKET KNIVES -- AND SOME OTHER BANNED ITEMS -- WILL BE ALLOWED ON PLANES.

STORMWARN ALLYSON OPEN-CLIPTOPS

STORMWARN FORECAST-WX WALL

THIS WEATHERCAST HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE ABC7 WEATHER STAFF.

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

Some brief, light showers will move in this morning as a cool front slides through Southwest Florida, and then by the afternoon, skies will clear from north to south as temperatures become noticeably cooler.

While rain chances won't be very high this morning, here's the best thinking on the timing of when the showers move in: expect some quickly moving, spotty showers to start pushing through Charlotte County first around 7 a.m. Lee County should start to see some isolated shower activity from 7-9 a.m., and finally, if the showers manage to survive the journey south, Collier County will see the best chance for a passing shower from 9-10 a.m. Models are keeping rain totals incredibly low, so the places that manage to get a little shower will likely pick up less than a tenth of an inch.

After hitting our daytime high of 71° early this afternoon, temperatures will start to drop this afternoon as the cool air filters in with a strong northwesterly breeze. By mid to late afternoon, temperatures for most of Southwest Florida will be in the mid 60s even with clear, sunny skies.

Winds will become quite breezy through the day with gusts reaching 25-30 mph.

Look for breezy, chilly weather tonight with temperatures dropping into the mid 40s between the coast and I-75. East of I-75, temperatures may get as cold as the mid to upper 30s in the inland cold spots.

Thursday will be another cool day with highs aimed for the low 70s under full sunshine, and by Thursday night into Friday morning, we'll have another round of temperatures in the mid to upper 40s.

STATE OF THE STATE-VO

GOVERNOR SCOTT OUTLINED HIS PLAN.

TO GROW FLORIDA'S ECONOMY.

DURING HIS THIRD STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS.

AT THE TOP OF THAT PLAN, BOOSTING MANUFACTURING.

BY ELIMINATING SALES TAXES -- THAT COMPANIES PAY FOR NEW EQUIPMENT.

STATE OF THE STATE-SOTVO

"We don't want a war on teachers; we want a war on failure."

GOVERNOR SCOTT HAS WORKED TO MEND HIS RELATIONSHIP -- WITH EDUCATORS STATEWIDE.

TWO YEARS AGO.

AWAKE THE STATE-VOWIPE

AND AS GOVERNOR SCOTT SPOKE ABOUT THE ISSUES --

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA RESIDENTS GATHERED IN CENTENNIAL PARK.

FOR AN "AWAKE THE STATE" RALLY.

THEIR MESSAGE TO LAWMAKERS --

SUPPORT EDUCATION AND VOTING ISSUES.

THE RALLY TOOK PLACE,

AS THE 60 DAY FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE BEGINS.

TEACHERS WANT A REVISION TO HIGH STAKES TESTING.

AND MANY SAY VOTING REFORM IS NEEDED,

AWAKE THE STATE-SOTVO

"people were still standing in line voting when President Obama was doing his acceptance speech and that's just unforgiveable"

LAWMAKERS HAVE THEIR WORK CUT OUT FOR THEM.

900 BILLS HAVE ALREADY BEEN FILED FOR THE 2013 SESSION.

FLORIDA IS EXPECTED TO MAKE A DECISION ON TEXTING WHILE DRIVING,

COSTELLO BACK IN COURT-VO

TODAY, THE JURY IN RYAN COSTELLO'S MURDER TRIAL.

WILL BE BACK IN COURT, DELIBERATING.

COSTELLO IS ACCUSED OF KILLING HIS INFANT SON.

ATTORNEYS MADE THEIR CLOSING ARGUMENTS ON TUESDAY.

PROSECUTORS SAY HE BEAT THE 11-WEEK OLD TO DEATH IN 2010.

BUT COSTELLO TESTIFIED HIS FIANCÉ THREW SOMETHING AT HIM.

KNOCKING HIM DOWN --- WHILE HE HELD THEIR CHILD.

LEHIGH ACRES FIRE-OTS VOWIPE

A LEHIGH ACRES COUPLE IS IN SHOCK THIS MORNING.

AFTER FINDING THEIR HOUSE NEARLY IN RUINS.

A FIRE TORE THROUGH THEIR HOME,

ON 15TH STREET SOUTHWEST.

THIS HAPPENED TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

EYEWITNESSES SAY --

WITHIN MINUTE,S FLAMES RIPPED TROUGH THE HOME.

BUT THANKFULLYS NO ONE WAS HOME AT THE TIME.

BOTH HOMEOWNERS RUSHED TO THE HOUSE.

LEHIGH ACRES FIRE-SOTVO

25:05 "You know what; it happened we can't stop it but it did not happen when we were sleeping at night." Gail Premdas

20:18 "Our lives are more important than the material things." Tony Premdas

MAN DRIVES INTO HOUSE-TRX VOTOPS SS

THIS MORNING, A CAPE CORAL MAN WILL BE IN COURT FOR TRYING TO KILL HIS WIFE.

OFFICERS SAY JOSE ACEVEDO -- DROVE HIS VAN INTO HIS OWN HOUSE!

THEY TELL US.

HE WAS TRYING TO KILL HIS WIFE.

AND WHEN HE GOT OUT OF THE VAN.

HE HIT HER MULTIPLE TIMES --- WITH A BASEBALL BAT.

SHE WAS SERIOUSLY HURT.

THE WHOLE TIME, THEIR SEVEN-YEAR-OLD SON WAS WATCHING.

ACEVEDO WAS ARRESTED.

HE'S IN THE LEE COUNTY JAIL.

HIS SON IS FINE.

COLLIER ANIMAL CONTROL-VOWIPE

COLLIER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HELD A WORKSHOP -

TO DISCUSS PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE COUNTY'S ANIMAL CONTROL ORDINANCE.

THE ORDINANCE LOOKS TO TOUGHEN THE RULES --

FOR ANYONE WORKING WITH ANIMALS.

THESE TALKS ALL STEM FROM A CASE OF BREEDER NEGLECT BACK IN 2011.

WHEN A GOLDEN GATE ESTATES RESIDENT SURRENDERED 45 DOGS TO DOMESTIC ANIMAL SERVICES.

TOPICS AT TUESDAY'S WORKSHOP RANGED FROM THE PERMITTING OF KENNELS AND PET SHOPS,

COLLIER ANIMAL CONTROL-SOTVO

Amanda Townsend/Domestic Animal Services, Collier County "Making sure we have definitions of commercial and non commercial breeders and that we can add those to our permitting process and routine inspections."

5AM COVERAGE PROMISE TO BREAK-2SH-VO

TAYLOR SWIFT -- IS FEUDING WITH TINA FEY, AND AMY POEHLER.

THE FUNNY LADIES POKED FUN AT SWIFT'S LOVE LIFE.

DURING THE GOLDEN GLOBES.

SEVERAL MONTHS AGO.

TAYLOR TOLD VANITY FAIR, SHE'S UPSET.

WITH A QUOTE.

"There's a special place in hell for women who don't help other women."

OUCH.

NOW AMY AND TINA ARE RESPONDING.

POEHLER SAID, "I do agree I am going to hell. But for other reasons. Mostly boring tax stuff"

AND TINA FEY WAS SURPRISED -- "I did not see that one coming. It was a joke. It was a lighthearted joke."

6AM COVERAGE PROMISE TO BREAK-2SH-VO

THE DOW IS SOARING.

WE KEEP HEARING ABOUT IT GOING UP. AND UP. AND UP.

BOW CAN IT LAST?

WITH UNEMPLOYMENT HIGH.

GAS PRICES STUBBONRLY ELEVATED.

AND THE SEQUESTER CUTTING *BILLIONS IN SPENDING.

WILL THE STOCK MARKET TAKE A BIG TUMBLE?

OR CAN THIS LAST?

SPORTS WRAP AT 5AM-PKG

MONEYSCOPE AT 6AM-PKG

STORMWARN GENERIC FORECAST OPEN-CLIPTOPS

STORMWARN FORECAST-WX WALL

THIS WEATHERCAST HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE ABC7 WEATHER STAFF.

IT IS NOT A VERBATIM OF WHAT IS BEING SAID, BUT IS TH

E FORECAST FOR OUR AREA.

Some brief, light showers will move in this morning as a cool front slides through Southwest Florida, and then by the afternoon, skies will clear from north to south as temperatures become noticeably cooler.

While rain chances won't be very high this morning, here's the best thinking on the timing of when the showers move in: expect some quickly moving, spotty showers to start pushing through Charlotte County first around 7 a.m. Lee County should start to see some isolated shower activity from 7-9 a.m., and finally, if the showers manage to survive the journey south, Collier County will see the best chance for a passing shower from 9-10 a.m. Models are keeping rain totals incredibly low, so the places that manage to get a little shower will likely pick up less than a tenth of an inch.

After hitting our daytime high of 71° early this afternoon, temperatures will start to drop this afternoon as the cool air filters in with a strong northwesterly breeze. By mid to late afternoon, temperatures for most of Southwest Florida will be in the mid 60s even with clear, sunny skies.

Winds will become quite breezy through the day with gusts reaching 25-30 mph.

Look for breezy, chilly weather tonight with temperatures dropping into the mid 40s between the coast and I-75. East of I-75, temperatures may get as cold as the mid to upper 30s in the inland cold spots.

Thursday will be another cool day with highs aimed for the low 70s under full sunshine, and by Thursday night into Friday morning, we'll have another round of temperatures in the mid to upper 40s.

STORMWARN AND TRAFFIC TRANSITION-CLIPTOPS

TRAFFIC-AWS OR SS

TRAFFIC SPONSOR BILLBOARD-CLIPTOPS

CELL PHONE UNBLOCK-VO WIPE

AN ONLINE PETITION IS CIRCULATING NOW--

THAT PROTESTS A BAN ON CELL PHONE UNLOCKING.

AND IT HAS THE ATTENTION OF THE WHITE HOUSE.

THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION SAYS --

CONSUMERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE THEIR PHONES AND TABLETS.

FROM ONE CARRIER TO ANOTHER,

AFTER FULFILLING THEIR CONTRACTS.

THE FIGHT CENTERS AROUND A PIECE OF COPYRIGHT LAW.

THE WIRELESS INDUSTRY SAYS THE UNLOCKING BAN PROTECTS THEIR SOFTWARE.

CELL PHONE UNBLOCK-SOTVO

"if you OWN the phone you shouldn't have to ask anyone for permission to do what you want with your own device."

VERIZON, AT&T AND SPRINT --

ALL LET CONSUMERS UNLOCK THEIR PHONES EVENTUALLY.

BUT *NOT* WHEN THE CONTRACT IS UP.

T MOBILE CONTRACTS-OC

SPEAKING OF CELL PHONE CONTRACTS.

T-MOBILE COULD BE LOOKING TO DITCH THEIRS.

THAT'S ACCORDING TO T-M-O NEWS.

THE REPORT CLAIMS T-MOBILE.

WILL END THE CONTRACT MODEL --- LATER THIS MONTH.

*AND DITCH EARLY TERMINATION FEES.

ANALYSTS SAY IF THE COMPANY MOVES FORWARD WITH THE PLAN.

BUMP TO BREAK-3SHOT, CAM 10 BMP

5AM HOUR-CLIPTOPS

6AM HOUR-CLIPTOPS

530 & 630AM HEADLINE 1 BIG SNOW-SOTVO-WIPE

"cause we've got fertilizer.and they're all stacked up."

NOT QUITE, YET.

THAT STUFF WILL HAVE TO WAIT.

AS THE NORTHEAST GETS READY FOR YET ANOTHER SNOWSTORM.

530 & 630AM HEADLINE 2 SCHOOL BOARD-SOTVO-WIPE

"If you look through all of these documents, you'll see, suppress, suppress suppress."

PLUS, THE LEE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD.

IS ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT SUPERINTENDENT JOSEPH BURKE.

MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

AND HIS TOP EMPLOYEES.

THEY SAY THE CASE IS CLOSED.

530 & 630 AM HEADLINE 3 BAY BRIDGE-VO-WIPE

AND, AN AMAZING PIECE OF ART WORK.

NEARLY TWO MILES LONG!

530AM~STORMWARN FORECAST OPEN-CLIP

530AM~STORMWARN FORECAST-WXWALL

Some brief, light showers will move in this morning as a cool front slides through Southwest Florida, and then by the afternoon, skies will clear from north to south as temperatures become noticeably cooler.

While rain chances won't be very high this morning, here's the best thinking on the timing of when the showers move in: expect some quickly moving, spotty showers to start pushing through Charlotte County first around 7 a.m. Lee County should start to see some isolated shower activity from 7-9 a.m., and finally, if the showers manage to survive the journey south, Collier County will see the best chance for a passing shower from 9-10 a.m. Models are keeping rain totals incredibly low, so the places that manage to get a little shower will likely pick up less than a tenth of an inch.

After hitting our daytime high of 71° early this afternoon, temperatures will start to drop this afternoon as the cool air filters in with a strong northwesterly breeze. By mid to late afternoon, temperatures for most of Southwest Florida will be in the mid 60s even with clear, sunny skies.

Winds will become quite breezy through the day with gusts reaching 25-30 mph.

Look for breezy, chilly weather tonight with temperatures dropping into the mid 40s between the coast and I-75. East of I-75, temperatures may get as cold as the mid to upper 30s in the inland cold spots.

Thursday will be another cool day with highs aimed for the low 70s under full sunshine, and by Thursday night into Friday morning, we'll have another round of temperatures in the mid to upper 40s.

DEVELOPING NEWS-CLIP

BIG SNOW-NATVO TOPS 2SHOT

NATS OF WIND BLOWING

BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES.

THE WINTER STORM THAT JUST BATTERED THE MIDWEST.

IS NOW HEADED TO THE EAST COAST.

BRINGING RAIN, SNOW, AND COLD TEMPERATURES.

GOOD MORNING.

I'M CHANCE SEALES.

THANKS FOR WATCHING A-B-C 7.

AND I'M LINH BUI.

OFFICIALS SAY THIS STORM --

BIG SNOW-VOWIPE

14 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA --

HAVE ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS IN PLACE.

NEARLY 500 HAVE FLIGHTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN CANCELLED FOR TODAY.

MOST OF THEM IN THE WASHINGTON, D-C AREA.

AND OFFICIALS ALONG THE NEW JERSEY COAST ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO EVACUATE.

FEARING MORE BEACH EROSION,

BIG SNOW-SOTVO

Chief Michael Mastronardy / Tom's River Police:54 -:58

"They've already started to rebuild. We just don't want their property damaged anymore."

MEANWHILE, THAT STORM --- TOOK ITS TOLL ON THE MIDWEST.

THE THIRD SNOW STORM IN TWO WEEKS.

CAUSED TRAVEL HEADACHES --- ON THE ROAD AND IN THE AIR.

AT CHICAGO'S O'HARE.

OVER A THOUSAND FLIGHTS WERE CANCELLED TUESDAY.

PROCTOR ARREST-VOWIPE

THE MAN SUSPECTED OF KILLING A SOUTHWEST FLORIDA TEACHER --

HAS NOW BEEN CHARGED WITH HER MURDER.

DANIEL PROCTOR FACES SECOND DEGREE MURDER CHARGES --

FOR THE DEATH OF HIS EX-WIFE AMY PATTERSON.

THE MARINER MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER VANISHED IN 2011.

HER BODY TURNED UP LAST YEAR ON PINE ISLAND.

DEPUTIES SAY PROCTOR LED THEM TO HER BODY.

HE'S ALREADY BEHIND BARS IN ALABAMA, SERVING TIME FOR A DIFFERENT CRIME.

PROCTOR ARREST-SOTVO

6:02-6:09 "we're imprisoned. We're imprisoned for the rest of our lives. So I think he should be in prison for the rest of his life"

PROCTOR WILL NOW BE EXTRADITED BACK TO LEE COUNTY--

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING-VOWIPE

STILL NO COMMENT FROM THE LEE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT.

DOCTOR JOSEPH BURKE WAS A NO-SHOW.

AT A SPECIAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING ON TUESDAY.

THAT FOCUSED ON HIM.

BOARD MEMBERS GOT TOGETHER.

AFTER THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ---- SENT THEM A LETTER ABOUT ALLEGATIONS OF MISCONDUCT AGAINST BURKE.

TWO BOARD MEMBERS CALLED FOR AN OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION.

BUT THAT DIDN'T PASS.

INSTEAD, THE DISTRICT WILL SEND THE STATE A LETTER.

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING-SOTVO

Hiring another investigator, it seems to me redundant. You probably heard me say that four or five times today. We've been there done that got the answers, it's time to move on.

ONCE THE LETTER IS SENT TO THE STATE.

THE BOARD WILL SEE IF IT WANTS ANY MORE INFORMATION-

DOW RECORD-NATVOTOPS

closing bell

THE SOUND OF THE CLOSING BELL --

MARKED THE END OF A *HISTORIC DAY ON WALL STREET.

THE DOW CLOSED AT A NEW ALL-TIME HIGH,

14-THOUSAND 253.

IT TOPPED THE PREVIOUS RECORD SET IN 2007.

AND WORTH NOTING --

IT HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED SINCE HITTING A 12-YEAR LOW.

RENT ROBBERY-VOWIPE

ROBBED OF HIS RENT MONEY.

NOW ONE CAPE CORAL MAN IS LEFT WONDERING.

WHERE HE'S GOING TO LIVE.

WILLIAM ADAMS SAYS SUNDAY NIGHT.

HE AND A FRIEND WERE WALKING AWAY FROM A WELLS FARGO A-T-M.

NEAR CAPE CORAL PARKWAY AND DEL PRADO.

THAT'S WHEN TWO MEN JUMPED OUT AND ROBBED HIM.

RENT ROBBERY-SOTVO

WILLIAM ADAMS, ROBBED: "they commanded us to get against the wall like this and they pulled our hats like this so we couldn't see nothing and they went through our pockets and they made me pull out my wallet and give them the money"

ADAMS SAYS HE CAN'T WORK TO GET THE MONEY BACK.

BECAUSE HE HAS CANCER AND SUFFERS FROM SEIZURES.

CAPE FIRE CHIEF SALARY-OC

CAPE CORAL'S CITY MANAGER --

WILL OFFER THE MAXIMUM SALARY TO THE NEW FIRE CHIEF.

COUNCIL APPROVED TO PAY AROUND 130 THOUSAND DOLLARS PER YEAR.

THAT'S ABOUT SEVEN THOUSAND MORE THAN THE LAST CHIEF MADE.

THE CITY MANAGER HAS NARROWED DOWN THE LIST OF CANDIDATES.

FROM FIVE TO TWO.

FL SINKHOLES-TRIPLE BOX-SS

THREE SINKHOLES HAVE NOW OPENED UP --- IN LESS THAN A WEEK HERE IN FLORIDA.

THE LATEST ONE LEFT A PINELLAS COUNTY WOMAN --- STUCK IN HER LIVING ROOM.

SHE'S FINE.

BUT THE HOLE DAMAGED HER HOUSE.

AND AUTHORITES EVACUATED SEVERAL OTHERS -- TO BE SAFE.

ANOTHER SINKHOLE OPENED UP MONDAY IN SEFFNER NEAR TAMPA.

AND A THIRD, ALSO IN SEFFNER, SWALLOWED A MAN LAST WEEK.

SINKHOLES ARE VERY COMMON IN FLORIDA--

HERE'S A MAP SHOWING THEM.

new sinkhole

old sinkhole a

old sinkhole b

FM TOOTHLESS ROBBERY ARREST-SSTOPS

IN FORT MYERS --

POLICE SAY THEY CAUGHT THE SO-CALLED "TOOTHLESS BANDIT."

KELLIE HARRIGAN IS ACCUSED OF ROBBING THE PUBLIX ON SUMMERLIN ROAD LAST WEEK.

DURING THE HOLD-UP.

NAPLES RITZ CARLTON-VO

ONE OF NAPLES ICONIC RESORTS.

IS CLOSING IT'S DOORS THIS SUMMER.

BUT ONLY TEMPORARILY.

THE RITZ-CARLTON BEACH RESORT.

WILL SHUT DOWN FOR SIXTY-SIX DAYS --- FOR RENOVATIONS STARTING IN JULY.

GUEST ROOMS ARE GETTING UPGRADES.

THE LAST TIME THE RESORT CLOSED -- WAS BACK IN 2005 BECAUSE OF HURRICANE WILMA.

WORK STARTS JULY 25th.

530AM COVERAGE PROMISE TO BREAK-2SH-VO

GET READY FOR ANOTHER *QUEEN OF ENGLAND.

THERE ARE RUMORS --

THAT KATE AND WILLIAM. ARE HAVING A GIRL.

THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE VISITED GRIMSBY, ENGLAND TUESDAY.

AND ACCORDING TO REPROTS --

A RESIDENT GAVE HER A WHITE TEDDY BEAR.

KATE SAID "THANK YOU, I'LL TAKE THAT FOR MY D---."

BEFORE STOPPING MID-SENTENCE.

THE WELL WISHER ASKED "DAUGHTER?"

AND KATE RESPONDED "WE'RE NOT TELLING."

ONE THING WE DO KNOW FOR SURE --

630AM COVERAGE PROMISE TO BREAK-2SH-SOTVO

GOOD MORNING AMERICA TRACKS THAT WINTER WALLOP.

AS THE NORTHEAST GETS READY.

"BREAD - CHECK. TOILET PAPER - CHECK. WHAT ELSE? WATER. JUNK FOOD - ALSO

IMPORTANT."

THE NATION'S CAPITOL IS IN THE CROSS HAIRS.

OVERNIGHT, THE HUGE STORM DUMPED HEAVY SNOW AROUND D-C.

FORECASTERS EXPECT UP TO A FOOT.

CREWS ARE PREPARING FOR THE WORST.

ALREADY MADE A MESS IN THE MIDWEST.

G-M-A'S EXTREME WEATHER TRACKS IT ALL.

STORMWARN GENFORECAST OPEN-CLIPTOPS

STORMWARN FORECAST-WX CTR TO WX WALL

THIS WEATHERCAST HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE ABC7 WEATHER STAFF.

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

Some brief, light showers will move in this morning as a cool front slides through Southwest Florida, and then by the afternoon, skies will clear from north to south as temperatures become noticeably cooler.

While rain chances won't be very high this morning, here's the best thinking on the timing of when the showers move in: expect some quickly moving, spotty showers to start pushing through Charlotte County first around 7 a.m. Lee County should start to see some isolated shower activity from 7-9 a.m., and finally, if the showers manage to survive the journey south, Collier County will see the best chance for a passing shower from 9-10 a.m. Models are keeping rain totals incredibly low, so the places that manage to get a little shower will likely pick up less than a tenth of an inch.

After hitting our daytime high of 71° early this afternoon, temperatures will start to drop this afternoon as the cool air filters in with a strong northwesterly breeze. By mid to late afternoon, temperatures for most of Southwest Florida will be in the mid 60s even with clear, sunny skies.

Winds will become quite breezy through the day with gusts reaching 25-30 mph.

Look for breezy, chilly weather tonight with temperatures dropping into the mid 40s between the coast and I-75. East of I-75, temperatures may get as cold as the mid to upper 30s in the inland cold spots.

Thursday will be another cool day with highs aimed for the low 70s under full sunshine, and by Thursday night into Friday morning, we'll have another round of temperatures in the mid to upper 40s.

TRAFFIC SPONSORSHIP BILLBOARD-CLIPTOPS

PRECISION TRAFFIC-TC MON

BONITA SLOTS-VO

BONITA SPRINGS LEADERS --- ARE TAKING THEIR FIGHT FOR SLOT MACHINES TO TALLAHASSEE.

THEY'RE PUSHING LEGISLATORS TO APPROVE A 2 YEAR TRIAL PERIOD.

FOR SLOT MACHINES AT THE NAPLES FORT MYERS GREYHOUND TRACK.

THE SEMINOLE TRIBE OF FLORIDA. IS PROTESTING.

SAYING AN EXEMPTION, VIOLATES THEIR *EXCLUSIVE GAMBLING AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE.

BONITA SLOTS-(2) SOTVO

6:12-6:24 the legislator is budgeting the money from the tribes now, so they going to have to take that out of their budget so lee county has a very big hurdle to overcome."

14:13:49-14:14:00 this particular establishment has been here for years and years and years and its not like slot machines don't exist, they do there's slot machines everywhere."

63 PERCENT OF LEE COUNTY RESIDENTS.

VOTED IN FAVOR OF ADDING SLOT MACHINES TO THE TRACK IN NOVEMBER.

TOP STORIES OPEN-CLIP

QUARTER TOP STORY REVEAL @ 45-HLF REVEAL

IT'S _________

HERE ARE TODAY'S TOP STORIES.

A POWERFUL WINTER STORM IS HITTING THE MIDATLANTIC STATES RIGHT NOW.

BRINGING RAIN, SNOW, AND COLD TEMPS.

NEARLY 500 FLIGHTS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED,

MOSTLY IN THE WASHINGOTN D-C AREA.

VENEZUELA'S PRESIDENT HIGO CHAVES HAS DIED,

AFTER A TWO YEAR BATTLE WITH CANCER.

THE OUTSPOKEN CRITIC OF THE U-S.

WAS 58 YEARS OLD.

AND, THE INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED --

INTO MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST LEE COUNTY SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT JOSEPH BURKE.

THAT'S ACCORDING TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.

A LETTER WILL BE SENT TO THE STATE.

AND IF THEY WANT MORE INFORMATION

STORMWARN ALLYSON OPEN-CLIPTOPS

STORMWARN FORECAST-WXCTR TO WALL

THIS WEATHERCAST HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE ABC7 WEATHER STAFF.

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

Some brief, light showers will move in this morning as a cool front slides through Southwest Florida, and then by the afternoon, skies will clear from north to south as temperatures become noticeably cooler.

While rain chances won't be very high this morning, here's the best thinking on the timing of when the showers move in: expect some quickly moving, spotty showers to start pushing through Charlotte County first around 7 a.m. Lee County should start to see some isolated shower activity from 7-9 a.m., and finally, if the showers manage to survive the journey south, Collier County will see the best chance for a passing shower from 9-10 a.m. Models are keeping rain totals incredibly low, so the places that manage to get a little shower will likely pick up less than a tenth of an inch.

After hitting our daytime high of 71° early this afternoon, temperatures will start to drop this afternoon as the cool air filters in with a strong northwesterly breeze. By mid to late afternoon, temperatures for most of Southwest Florida will be in the mid 60s even with clear, sunny skies.

Winds will become quite breezy through the day with gusts reaching 25-30 mph.

Look for breezy, chilly weather tonight with temperatures dropping into the mid 40s between the coast and I-75. East of I-75, temperatures may get as cold as the mid to upper 30s in the inland cold spots.

Thursday will be another cool day with highs aimed for the low 70s under full sunshine, and by Thursday night into Friday morning, we'll have another round of temperatures in the mid to upper 40s.

MINDY MCCREADY TRIBUTE-VO

THE MUSIC INDUSTRY REMEMBERS COUNTRY SINGER MINDY MCCREADY.

HER FRIENDS AND PEERS WILL HOLD A MEMORIAL SERVICE TODAY IN NASHVILLE.

TWO WEEKS AFTER HER SUICIDE.

THERE WILL ALSO BE PERFORMANCES --

BY BEKKA BRAMLETT, LORRIE MORGAN AND BRYAN WHITE.

RIGHT NOW, AN OFFICIAL FUND IS BEING ESTABLISHED.

FOR MCCREADY'S TWO YOUNG SONS -- ZANDER AND ZAYNE.

THE 37-YEAR-OLD WAS LAID TO REST IN HER HOMETOWN OF FORT MYERS,

ZIMMERMAN TRIAL-VOTOPS

GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S ATTORNEY SAYS.

HE DOESN'T NEED THE TWO WEEKS SET ASIDE --- FOR A STAND YOUR GROUND HEARING.

INSTEAD, HE WANTS TO PUSH THAT HEARING.

INTO ZIMMERMAN'S SECOND-DEGREE MURDER TRIAL THIS JUNE.

ZIMMERMAN ADMITTED TO KILLING UNARMED TEENAGER TRAYVON MARTIN. JUST MORE THAN A YEAR AGO.

DEATH PENALTY CHANGES-OTS

FLORIDA LAWMAKERS MOVE FORWARD WITH A PLAN --

TO REDUCE DELAYS IN CARRYING OUT THE DEATH PENALTY.

RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE MORE THAN 400 PEOPLE ON FLORIDA'S DEATH ROW.

AND LAWMAKERS WANT TO LIMIT POST-CONVICTION APPEALS.

IN DEATH-PENALTY CASES.

INMATES CURRENTLY SPEND AN AVERAGE OF 13 YEARS ON DEATH ROW.

10 INMATES HAVE BEEN THERE FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS.

NORTH KOREA SANCTIONS-VO

NEW THREATS THIS MORNING AS TENSIONS CONTINUE TO RISE WITH NORTH KOREA.

NORTH KOREAN LEADERS ARE THREATENING TO END.

THE 1953 CEASE FIRE THAT STOPPED THE KOREAN WAR.

THE WARNING CAME YESTERDAY.

AS THE U-N SECURITY COUNCIL --- MET BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.

WHITE HOUSE TOURS-VO

IF YOU'RE PLANNING A TRIP TO WASHINGTON D-C FOR SPRING BREAK,

*DON'T EXPECT A TOUR OF THE WHITE HOUSE.

DUE TO STAFFING CUTS --

ALL WHITE HOUSE TOURS ARE CANCELED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

SOME REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS -- INCLUDING FLROIDA CONGRESSMAN TREY RADEL -- SAY THE DECISION TO CUT BACK ON STAFF.

IS JUST A WHITE HOUSE PLOY TO MAKE THE SEQUESTER SEEM WORSE THAN IT IS.

RADEL ALSO SAYS --

DESPITE THE CUTS, HE WILL OFFER STAFF-GUIDED TOURS OF HIS OFFICE AND THE CAPITOL.

911 WOMAN WANTED NO INTERVENTION-OC-SOTVO

AN INTERESTING TWIST THIS MORNING.

IN THE STORY OF A CALIFORNIA WOMAN WHO DIED.

AFTER A NURSE AT HER INDEPENDENT LIVING HOME --- REFUSED TO PERFORM CPR.

THIS, *DESPITE A 9-1-1 DISPATCHER -- BEGGING HER TO HELP.

We're gonna let this lady die?"

"That's why we're calling 911."

"We can't wait. She can't wait right now. She is stopping breathing."

IT TURNS OUT 87-YEAR-OLD LORRAINE BAYLESS.

CHOSE THE FACILITY -- BECAUSE IT DID *NOT HAVE A MEDICAL STAFF.

HER FAMILY SAYS SHE WANTED TO PASS AWAY.

WITHOUT LIFE-PROLONGING INTERVENTION.

IN A STATEMENT LAST NIGHT.

BARGE CONTAINERS FALL-VO

A BARGE WAS ESCORTED INTO PORT EVERGLADES UNDER EMERGENCY CONDITIONS,

AFTER IT BEGAN TO LIST.

STACKS OF CONTAINERS TOPPLED OVER LIKE DOMINOES.

THE "ATLANTIC TRADER" WAS ON ITS WAY TO GUANTANAMO BAY --

TO DELIVER GROCERIES AND OTHER HOUSEHOLD SUPPLIES.

BUT THE INCIDENT HAPPENED NEAR KEY BISCAYNE.

OFFICIALS SAY AT LEAST 12 CONTAINERS FELL INTO THE WATER.

AND SEVERAL OTHERS TIPPED OVER.

530AM COVERAGE PROMISE TO BREAK-2SH-VO

YOUTUBE HAS EVERYTHING.

WHAT'S THE LAST THING YOU LOOKED UP?

LINH:

CHANCE: CARLENE. COUNTRY SONG.

WOULD YOU *PAY FOR YOUTUBE?

THE SERVICE IS SET TO GET A MAKEOVER.

INSTEAD OF ADS. YOU COULD PAY.

AND GET ALL YOUR FAOVORITE MUSIC AND VIDEOS FASTER.

NEXT IN *TECH BYTES.

HOW IT WORKS.

630AM COVERAGE PROMISE TO BREAK-2SH-VO

*GMA*

THE BIG HEADLINE WORLDWIDE ---- HUGO CHAVEZ IS DEAD.

HE WAS A LIGHTNING ROD.

SPLITTING THE WORLD IN TWO.

BOLIVIA'S PRESIDENT GOT EMOTIONAL.

PRAISING CHAVEZ FOR GIVING HIS LIFE, FOR THE VENEZUALAN PEOPLE.

MEANWHILE.

U.S. CONGRESSMAN ED ROYCE -- WHO CHAIRS THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.

SAID HUGO CHAVEZ WAS A TYRANT.WHO FORCED VENEZUALANS TO LIVE IN FEAR.

SO WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUNTRY?

*GMA* LOOKS AT THE ODDS -- OF A REGIME CHANGE.

TECH BYTES AT 530AM-PKG

STORMWARN GENERIC FORECAST OPEN-CLIPTOPS

STORMWARN FORECAST-WX WALL

THIS WEATHERCAST HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE ABC7 WEATHER STAFF.

IT IS NOT A VERBATIM OF WHAT IS BEING SAID, BUT IS TH

E FORECAST FOR OUR AREA.Some brief, light showers will move in this morning as a cool front slides through Southwest Florida, and then by the afternoon, skies will clear from north to south as temperatures become noticeably cooler.

While rain chances won't be very high this morning, here's the best thinking on the timing of when the showers move in: expect some quickly moving, spotty showers to start pushing through Charlotte County first around 7 a.m. Lee County should start to see some isolated shower activity from 7-9 a.m., and finally, if the showers manage to survive the journey south, Collier County will see the best chance for a passing shower from 9-10 a.m. Models are keeping rain totals incredibly low, so the places that manage to get a little shower will likely pick up less than a tenth of an inch.

After hitting our daytime high of 71° early this afternoon, temperatures will start to drop this afternoon as the cool air filters in with a strong northwesterly breeze. By mid to late afternoon, temperatures for most of Southwest Florida will be in the mid 60s even with clear, sunny skies.

Winds will become quite breezy through the day with gusts reaching 25-30 mph.

Look for breezy, chilly weather tonight with temperatures dropping into the mid 40s between the coast and I-75. East of I-75, temperatures may get as cold as the mid to upper 30s in the inland cold spots.

Thursday will be another cool day with highs aimed for the low 70s under full sunshine, and by Thursday night into Friday morning, we'll have another round of temperatures in the mid to upper 40s.

STORMWARN AND TRAFFIC TRANSITION-CLIPTOPS

TRAFFIC-AWS OR SS

TRAFFIC SPONSOR BILLBOARD-CLIPTOPS

CARLY RAE BSA-VO

THE BOY SCOUTS HAVE LOST ANOTHER TOP PERFORMER.

POP SINGER CARLY RAE JEPSEN --

HAS CALLED OFF HER PERFORMANCE AT THE NATIONAL BOY SCOUT'S JAMBOREE LATER THIS YEAR.

ITS BECAUSE SHE OPPOSES THE ORGANIZATION'S CURRENT POLICY,

EXCLUDING GAY SCOUTS AND GAY SCOUT LEADERS.

BAY BRIDGE LIGHTS-VO

A SPECTACULAR WORK OF ART.

IS NOW LIGHTING UP SAN FRANCISCO'S BAY BRIDGE.

25-THOUSAND WHITE L-E-D LIGHTS.

COVER 1-POINT-8 MILES --- OF THE WESTERN PART OF THE BRIDGE.

"THE BAY LIGHTS" DISPLAY --- IS BILLED AS THE WORLD'S LARGEST L-E-D LIGHT SCULPTURE.

THE ARTIST CONTROLS THE LIGHTS -- FROM HIS PERSONAL COMPUTER.

THEY MOVE INTO A SCULPTURE -- FROM DUSK TO 2 A-M FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS.

BUMP TO BREAK-3SHOT, CAM 10 BMP

TOP STORIES OPEN-CLIP

TS 1) BIG SNOW-VO-WIPE

IT'S ________

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT TODAY'S TOP STORIES.

A MAJOR SNOW STORM IS HITTING THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES THIS MORNING.

MORE THAN A DOZEN STATES UNDER AN ADVISORY OR WARNING.

TS 2) PROCTOR-VOTOPS

DANIEL PROCTOR HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH THE SECOND DEGREE MURDER --

OF HIS EX-WIFE AMY PATTERSON.

SHE DISAPPEARED IN 2011.

HER BODY WAS FOUND LAST YEAR ON PINE ISLAND.

PROCTOR IS SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE IN ALABAMA,

TS 3) SCHOOL BOARD-VOTOS

THE INVESTIGATION INTO MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST LEE COUNTY SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT JOSEPH BURKE IS CLOSED.

THAT'S ACCORDING TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.

A LETTER WILL BE SENT TO THE STATE AND IF THEY WANT MORE INFORMATION

TS 4) CHAVEZ-VOTOPS

AFTER A TWO YEAR BATTLE WITH CANCER.

VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ HAS DIED.

HE WAS 58.

TS 5) DOW-VOTOPS

IT WAS A HISTORIC DAY ON WALL STREET.

THE DOW CLOSED AT A NEW ALL-TIME HIGH YESTERDAY,

14-THOUSAND 253.

IT HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED SINCE HITTING A 12-YEAR LOW.

TS 6) RITZ CARLTON-VOTOPS

AND THE FAMOUS RITZ CARLTON BEACH RESORT IN NAPLES --- IS CLOSING, TEMPORARILY.

IT WILL UNDERGO RENOVATIONS.

FINAL WEATHER

Some brief, light showers will move in this morning as a cool front slides through Southwest Florida, and then by the afternoon, skies will clear from north to south as temperatures become noticeably cooler.

While rain chances won't be very high this morning, here's the best thinking on the timing of when the showers move in: expect some quickly moving, spotty showers to start pushing through Charlotte County first around 7 a.m. Lee County should start to see some isolated shower activity from 7-9 a.m., and finally, if the showers manage to survive the journey south, Collier County will see the best chance for a passing shower from 9-10 a.m. Models are keeping rain totals incredibly low, so the places that manage to get a little shower will likely pick up less than a tenth of an inch.

After hitting our daytime high of 71° early this afternoon, temperatures will start to drop this afternoon as the cool air filters in with a strong northwesterly breeze. By mid to late afternoon, temperatures for most of Southwest Florida will be in the mid 60s even with clear, sunny skies.

Winds will become quite breezy through the day with gusts reaching 25-30 mph.

Look for breezy, chilly weather tonight with temperatures dropping into the mid 40s between the coast and I-75. East of I-75, temperatures may get as cold as the mid to upper 30s in the inland cold spots.

Thursday will be another cool day with highs aimed for the low 70s under full sunshine, and by Thursday night into Friday morning, we'll have another round of temperatures in the mid to upper 40s.

GOODBYE WEBSITE TEASE-3SH-WEB ANI

COVERAGE PROMISE OF THE BIGGEST STORY OF THE DAY ON WEB

" WHEN EVER YOU NEED A NEWS OR WEATHER UPDATE - WE ARE LOGGED ON AND UPDATING ABC-7.COM "

-WHAT IS COMING UP ON GMA - BIG STORY COVERAGE OF THE MORNING.

END TIME