COOLING, AND PLUMBING.
((KEVIN)) TONIGHT SCATTERED
FLURRIES AFTER MIDNIGHT.
MOSTLY CLOUDY, WITH A LOW
AROUND 9. WIND CHILL VALUES
BETWEEN -6 AND 4. NORTHWEST
WIND 11 TO 14 MPH, WITH GUSTS
AS HIGH AS 23 MPH. CHRISTMAS
DAY SCATTERED FLURRIES BEFORE
9AM. MOSTLY CLOUDY, THEN
GRADUALLY BECOMING SUNNY, WITH
A HIGH NEAR 21. WIND CHILL
VALUES BETWEEN -7 AND 3. WEST
NORTHWEST WIND 11 TO 14 MPH,
WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 21 MPH.
NOW ON WCIA 3 NEWS....
TODAY IS USUALLY A MAJOR
TRAVEL DAY -- NOT THIS YEAR.
BUT THAT HASN'T STOPPED PEOPLE
FROM HITTING THE SKIES AND
ROAD.
IT'S NOT NEWS THE STATE WANTED
TO HEAR. WHAT EARLY ESTIMATES
ARE SHOWING FROM THE U-S
MEANS FOR ILLINOIS.
AND IF YOU VISIT A PLACE OFTEN
ENOUGH ... SOME CUSTOMERS
BECOME FRIENDS. HOW ONE DELI
WORKER MADE A TEENAGER'S WISH
COME TRUE.
YOU'RE WATCHING YOUR LOCAL
NEWS LEADER... THIS IS WCIA
THREE NEWS AT SIX.
"WE'RE GOING TO DO IT VERY
SAFE, ALL WEARING MASKS AND
SOCIALLY DISTANCED, AND JUST
TRY TO HAVE A NICE CHRISTMAS
EVE" THE PANDEMIC HAS AFFECTED
A LOT THIS YEAR. FOR SOME
PEOPLE -- THAT MEANT THEIR
CHRISTMAS PLANS, TOO. TRAVEL
EXPERTS SAY ... 34 MILLION
FEWER AMERICANS ARE GOING TO
VISIT THEIR FAMILIES. THIS IS
A 29 PERCENT DECLINE FROM LAST
YEAR. W-C-I-A 3'S JARED FARMER
IS LIVE AT WILLARD AIRPORT.
JARED -- WHAT IS WILLARD
SAYING ABOUT TRAVEL
DIFFERENCES THIS YEAR.
((JARED)) THEY SAY THEY, LIKE
MANY OTHER AIRLINES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY, ARE DEALING WITH A
DECREASE IN TRAVELERS DURING
THE PANDEMIC. THIS DOESN'T
MEAN SOME PEOPLE AREN'T
TRAVELING THOUGH. SOME PEOPLE
ARE STILL PLANNING ON HAVING
SMALLER GATHERINGS WITH THEIR
FAMILIES. I SPOKE WITH ANDREW
WIND, WHO SAYS HE'S VISITING
HE SAYS VISITING FAMILY AFTER
ALL THIS TIME IS SOMETHING
HE'S EXCITED ABOUT.
"I MEAN, THE WHOLE PANDEMIC
YOU'VE HAD TO DISTANCE
YOURSELF FROM THE FAMILY. SO
AS LONG AS YOU TAKE THE
PRECAUTIONS AND DO IT SAFELY
THAT'S WONDERFUL, AND YES IT
MEANS A LOT." WIND ALSO SAYS
HE HOPES OTHERS ARE ABLE TO
WORK AROUND THE PANDEMIC TO
HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAYS.
((JARED)) THE C-D-C ENCOURAGED
PEOPLE TO STAY HOME
ALTOGETHER, BUT IF YOU'VE
ALREADY TRAVELED FOR THE
HOLIDAYS. THEY RECOMMEND
FOLLOWING ALL CURRENT HEALTH
GUIDELINES TO THE BEST OF YOUR
ABILITY. JARED, THANK YOU.
((PAUL)) SOME OF THOSE C- D-C
GUIDELINES INCLUDE: - LEARN
ABOUT GUIDELINES IN THE AREA
YOU'RE VISITING - GET TESTED
BEFORE AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER
SEEING FAMILY - WEAR FACE
MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCE
FROM GREENUP DIED IN A CRASH
YESTERDAY IN COLES COUNTY. IT
HAPPENED ON ILLINOIS ROUTE 130
-- NORTH OF COUNTY ROAD 480
NORTH. STATE POLICE SAY ... A
SEMI WENT OFF THE ROAD ...
FLIPPED AND CRASHED INTO A
BUILDING. THE COLES COUNTY
CORONER IDENTIFIED THE DRIVER
AS DAMON ZUCCO. AN AUTOPSY IS
SET FOR SATURDAY.
((PAUL)) A WOMAN IS OKAY AFTER
SHE DROVE HER CAR INTO THE
SIDE OF AN ASSISTED LIVING
FACILITY. AUTHORITIES SAY ...
THE WOMAN WAS DROPPING OFF
PRESENTS AT SPRINGFIELD
SUPPORTIVE LIVING WHEN SHE
PASSED OUT BEHIND THE WHEEL.
SHE HIT A WINDOW OF A
RESIDENT'S HOME. WHILE THE
BUILDING WAS DAMAGED -- NO ONE
WAS HURT.
((PAUL)) WE HAVE NEW DETAILS IN
A MURDER INVESTIGATION.
33-YEAR-OLD TIM CLEMMONS DIED
AFTER BEING STRANGLED AND
BEATEN. POLICE SAY ... HIS
DEATH ISN'T RELATED TO A RASH
OF RECENT SHOOTINGS. CLEMMONS
WAS THE OWNER OF HAIR ON HAND
-- A LOCAL BEAUTY SUPPLY
STORE. POLICE SAY ... HE WAS
KIDNAPPED BEHIND HIS STORE --
WHICH IS ALONG WATER STREET --
BEFORE THE MURDER. AN INQUEST
IS PENDING.
((PAUL)) STATE POLICE SAID A
MAN FROM FLORIDA WHO USED TO
LIVE IN LINCOLN WAS ARRESTED
FOR PREDATORY CRIMINAL SEXUAL
ASSAULT. 24 YEAR OLD ELIJAH
SOWERS ALSO USED TO LIVE IN
PEORIA. STATE POLICE STARTED
INVESTIGATING AFTER SEVERAL
VICTIMS CLAIMED SOWERS ABUSED
THEM LATE LAST MONTH AND EARLY
THIS MONTH. HE'S FACING SEXUAL
ABUSE AND ASSAULT CHARGES IN
LOGAN COUNTY AND SEXUAL
ASSAULT CHARGES IN PEORIA
COUNTY.
((PAUL)) AN UN-LICENSED ANIMAL
BREEDER COULD SOON FACE
CHARGES. THEY WERE OPERATING
OUT OF OAKWOOD. 78 OF THEIR
DOGS WERE SURRENDERED TO
VERMILION COUNTY ANIMAL
CONTROL. OFFICERS THERE SAY
... PEOPLE WERE COMPLAINING OF
DOGS THAT SMELLED STRANGE OR
THAT HAD SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUES
AND DIED WITHIN A WEEK OF
ADOPTION. AS THE INVESTIGATION
CONTINUED ... THEY REALIZED
THE SEVERITY OF THE ISSUE.
"THIS IS WHY WE DISCOURAGE
BREEDING SO MUCH. I KNOW A LOT
OF PEOPLE WANT A SPECIFIC
BREED, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT
THERE ARE BREED-SPECIFIC
RESCUES, AND IF YOU ARE GOING
TO BUY FROM A BREEDER,S PLEASE
PLEASE PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH
WHO YOU'RE BUYING FROM." ALL
OF THOSE RESCUED DOGS WERE
SENT TO NO- KILL SHELTERS.
ANIMAL CONTROL IS ASKING
ANYONE WHO THINKS THEY BOUGHT
A DOG FROM THAT BREEDER IN
OAKWOOD TO CONTACT THEM. THEY
SOLD A VARIETY OF SMALL DOG
BREEDS.
((PAUL)) PEOPLE LIVING INSIDE
THE WINFIELD APARTMENTS IN
SAVOY ARE OKAY AFTER A FIRE
THIS MORNING. FIREFIGHTERS
WERE MET BY THICK SMOKE AND
FLAMES WHEN THEY ARRIVED. THEY
WERE ABLE TO KEEP THE FIRE
FROM SPREADING TO OTHER UNITS.
"GOT INSIDE VERY QUICKLY. IT
WAS A KITCHEN FIRE. THE MAIN
FIRE WAS IN THE KITCHEN. IT
STARTED IN THE KITCHEN" IT
DID EXTEND TO THE SECOND FLOOR
OF THE STRUCTURE. EVERYBODY
WAS EVACUATED" AN M-T-D BUS
WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE TO
KEEP EVACUATED PEOPLE WARM
WHILE THEY WAITED.
((PAUL)) FIREFIGHTERS SAY ...
NO ONE WAS HURT AFTER A HOUSE
FIRE THIS MORNING IN DECATUR.
IT HAPPENED AT 5:30 ON REDLICH
AVENUE NEAR 34TH STREET. THE
FIRE CAPTAIN SAYS ... THE HOME
HAD EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. THE
HOUSE WAS OCCUPIED -- BUT NO
ONE WAS HURT. INVESTIGATORS
THINK IT STARTED IN THE
BASEMENT AND THE FLAMES
CLIMBED INTO THE ATTIC. THE
CAUSE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
((PAUL)) SOME SOLDIERS DON'T
HAVE THE LUXURY OF BEING HOME
FOR THE HOLIDAYS. BUT THAT'S
NOT STOPPING THEM FROM WISHING
THEIR LOVED ONES A MERRY
CHRISTMAS. ALSO TONIGHT -- A
TEENAGE BOY WITH AUTISM HAS
WANTED ONE GIFT HIS ENTIRE
LIFE. HOW ONE WORKER AT MEIJER
MADE SURE HE GOT IT. ((KEVIN))
TONIGHT SCATTERED FLURRIES
AFTER MIDNIGHT. MOSTLY CLOUDY,
WITH A LOW AROUND 9. WIND
CHILL VALUES BETWEEN -6 AND 4.
NORTHWEST WIND 11 TO 14 MPH,
WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 23 MPH.
CHRISTMAS DAY SCATTERED
FLURRIES BEFORE 9AM. MOSTLY
CLOUDY, THEN GRADUALLY
BECOMING SUNNY, WITH A HIGH
NEAR 21. WIND CHILL VALUES
BETWEEN -7 AND 3. WEST
NORTHWEST WIND 11 TO 14 MPH,
WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 21 MPH.