-- a little bit brisk overnight. here is your planner for today, you might see a stray snowflake otherwise, ace -- otherwise sunshine. highs today will be a little bit cool, near 41. >> those are racial slurs. racism is alive and well . elizabeth: first on kcci. racist chants? kcci's ryan smith reports students at perry high school feel threatened after a basketball game this week. ryan s.: nearly half of the student population here is minority, much of that is hispanic. that diversity is a point of pride for students faculty and staff within these hallways. but recently became the target of a derogatory basketball chant. the sixth man can swing a team's momentum toward victory. last night perry versus dallas

>> unfortunately at times things escalate and it goes from simple cheers and chants to more personal. ryan s.: in the second half dcg students reportedly tapped into a presidential candidate's controversial stance on immigration. >> they are bringing crime. ryan s.: to intimidate a team players. >> they repeated trump, trump, trump. >> i heard trump, trump, trump. ryan s.: principal dan marburger says dcg school officials cut but it took a harsh toll on his students. >> many of these kids were born here in dallas county and they just happen to be minority kids but they were born here and have every right as anyone else does to be here. ryan s.: after the game we found one dcg student tweeting perry fans are the reason i want trump to be our president. >> we're proud of where we came from. ryan s.: junior kevin lopez is perry's unofficial yell leader. he says opposing teams often use race in both game and post-game chants. >> it hurts at first instinct.

you want to retaliate with everything you got. you want to tell them why they are so wrong and you want , to tell them why you're so valuable. ryan s.: the perry blue jays hoping awareness about last night's chant prevents it from happening again during the boy's district finals game against boone on thursday. reporting from perry, ryan smith, kcci 8 news iowa's news leader. eric: more drama in the quest to find a supreme court replacement for late justice antonin scalia. senator chuck grassley says his judiciary committee will deny giving a hearing to president obama's nominee. kcci's laura terrell talked to political experts who say it's disappointing and unconstitutional. >> this vacancy should not be filled by this lame duck president. laura: senate majority leader mitch mcconnell announcing the allow president obama's future nominee a hearing. >> i think to just close off the

open mind at all i think that's , really a poor approach and very, very bad for our system. laura: drake constitutional law professor mark kende says today's decision by the senate republicans shows the break down of democracy. >> this is the most serious thing i have seen in a long time. senator grassley and the other laura:senator grassley and the other -- laura: senator grassley and the other republicans on the judiciary committee released a letter tuesday saying they won't hold hearings on any supreme court nominee until after our next president is sworn in on january 20, 2017, in the interest of the american people. >> to say that this is respecting the will of the american people is simple nonsense. this is deeply down highly charged partisan interests. laura: grassley says vice president joe biden's statements back in 1992 as the chairman of the judiciary committee show why the senate should not take up a nominee. >> action on a supreme court nomination must be put off until after the election campaign is

>> in his heart of hearts he understands why the senate must do what he said it must do in 1992. laura: political experts say both republicans and democrats have used this argument before but denying a hearing is going too far. >> i think the framers would be rolling in their graves at the lack of cooperation. eric: kcci made several attempts to do a satellite interview with senator grassley from washington but did not hear back. meanwhile professor kende says this decision will have a huge impact because the supreme court will have only 8 justices for a year or more. he says that could cause the court to have trouble functioning. iowa is now ready to proceed medicaid. care of the $4.2 billion medicaid program will save money and improve efficiency. but critics say the april 1 change is the worst april fools joke on iowans. >> this is what iowans rely on

governor branstad and lt. governor reynolds have just outsourced that to private corporations who are only interested in making a profit. elizabeth: the federal centers for medicare and medicaid services postponed the state's original plan to begin managed care on january 1 saying there were too many issues. one in 4 high school teenagers is involved in dating violence and now state leaders want to help prevent it. todd magel has more on the new legislation just passed. >> i think at age 14 we should start teaching our kids the right and the wrong of this because they have to respect each other. todd: cedar rapids senator liz mathis is on a mission. she wants to protect teenagers. and the numbers are on her side. >> we have over 11,000 high school students every year who are being violated by teen dating violence that's how prevalent it is.

mathis are teaming up on the new legislation. it would require iowa high schools to give students age appropriate information about dating violence. education now they say prevents harm later in high school and college. >> kids need to know how to control their anger, their sexual impulses. they need to know how to say no. todd: 22 other states have enacted similar legislation. east high school freshman jacie stephenson says it's a no brainer. >> i think it's extremely important because if you're in a relationship like that it's probably not the best thing. >> it's really lifelong learning here. and if we don't get people educated at a young age we may never get the chance to get them educated. it's not acceptable. elizabeth: the iowa senate passed the dating violence bill 50 to 0. next stop is the iowa house. your weather is never more than five minutes away. we will check in with metinka. a cooler day. metinka: you'll need the warmer coats today. temps have fallen back into the teens.

a couple of flurries near knoxville, spreading over toward the sheraton area. with all of the clouds and that brisk wind, highs will be a little bit cooler. 30's across northern iowa. eric: thanks, metinka. ice jams continue to create problems in northern iowa. at hydro electric park in fort dodge an ice jam that's been making its way down the des moines river got stuck at a dam after flooding near homes up north. >> chunks of ice pepper yards on riverdale drive after an ice jam crashed through here. water was up beyond toby harp's riverside summer house monday. moines river got stuck at a dam after flooding near homes up north. right up against it a huge ice jam was stuck out on the des moines river. an ice jam is like a dam made out of ice. it happens when ice builds up on the river keeping water and ice back. monday night it broke free crashing tons of ice and water downstream causing some flooding. >> my brother lives up at riverdale.

yesterday. it broke up last night about 6:00. he gave me a call and said it was just like they pulled the plug on the bathroom drain it went right on out. >> it is a mess out here. got to wait a month or two when we get the dry weather go out and clean it up. says the ice chunks are up to 20 -- eric: webster county management says the ice chunks are up to 20 inches thick. how old is old enough to handle a gun? current law prohibits children under the age of 14 to possess a handgun. elizabeth: tuesday the iowa house approved a bill that would eliminate any age requirements. kcci's cynthia fodor reports. cynthia: for natalie and meredith gibson this is their sport. they have been shooting guns with their father since they were five years old. >> i really like shooting pistol because it is more easier for me and i get to spend time with my dad. >> it's only dangerous if you handle it wrong follow rules never point a gun at somebody. cynthia: the girls and their dad have been lobbying the legislature to change the gun

>> it's about handgun safety my -- handgun safety. my daughter started learning at a young age how dangerous it can be. they got exposed to them. cynthia: legislators who opposed the bill say allowing children of any age to handle a lethal weapon is absurd because their brains aren't developed to handle the responsibility. >> that's why we have 49 kids getting shot every single day in this country. that is why seven-day test us why -- that his wife seven will die every day in this country. >> we do not need a militia of toddlers. we do not have handguns that fit the hands of two-year-olds. cynthia: jake highfill proposed the bill which now moves onto the senate. >> we want to make sure we turn power back to parents allow them to make the decision if they're children are ready or not if -- or not. if they don't want to shoot or

also their choice. elizabeth: in all the republican controlled house approved five gun bills including legalizing suppressors and allowing firearms on atvs and snowmobiles. it's not clear if they will get enough support to advance in the democratic controlled senate. just ahead on kcci, silver state showdown. the republican candidates just finished up a battle in nevada.

top. >> this is iowa's news leader. this is kcci 8 news this morning with eric hanson, elizabeth klinge, meteorologist kurtis gertz and right now coverage with shaina humphries. metinka: good morning. it is a cool and breezy morning. we have been dealing with a few passing flurries. we are not expecting any accumulation. the breeze is a little gusty coming in from the north. it is making it cooler. almost 10 degrees cooler than the actual temps. it is going to stay breezy through noon before the wind finally backs down. high temperatures will be slightly cooler. headed for upper 30's and low 40's, right where they should be . as we head toward the weekend,

50 and near 60 degrees on saturday. next week, temperatures head back downhill. elizabeth: tanks, metinka. -- thanks, metinka. commitment 2016 news another victory for the republican presidential frontrunner. eric: donald trump is the winner of the nevada caucuses. second place is still too close to call. danielle nottingham has more from las vegas. danielle: cbs news is projecting donald trump won the nevada republican caucuses collecting his third victory this primary season. >> you're going to be proud of your president and even prouder of your country ok? danielle: entrance polls show that trump did well among those who prefer a political outsider. he also picked up support from republicans who selected immigration and the economy as the top issues. >> there's a lot of politicians that say a lot of things but they haven't had the ability to go out in the real world and make things happen. he has done that. danielle: trump expected to win big here in nevada. but his closest rivals are battling for second place and much-needed momentum heading

>> absolutely danielle ted cruz spent the : evening greeting caucus-goers. cruz did well with values voters. marco rubio was the choice of late-deciders and those who said electability was most important. >> hopefully there's enough rubio turnout here tonight to sway some of these trump voters -- trump voters here it danielle: 30 delegates are at stake tonight. danielle nottingham, cbs news, las vegas. eric: nevada awards republican delegates in proportion to how the candidates fare in the caucuses. elizabeth: -- clinton standing by obama's plan to close the prison at guantanamo bay. >> all i can hope is congress will work with him. back in the 08 election, president obama, senator mccain and i all has the same position. i hope some of the republicans

we have to -- we have to defeated. we don't need guantanamo hanging over our heads. >> we have been dealing in the last 7 years with an unprecedented level of obstructionism against president obama. literally, literally, it turns out on the day that obama was inaugurated republicans came together and said 'what're we going to do?' and what they concluded is we're going to obstruct, obstruct, obstruct. make it as difficult as he could to do anything. elizabeth: right now clinton has 52 delegates awarded in primaries and caucuses to sanders' 51. the democratic south carolina primary is this saturday. eric: 4:46. as we head into our day, it is 35 degrees outside. a live picture from our dot traffic camera. folks are getting where they

>> weather is never more than 5 minutes away, only on kcci 8 news this morning. metinka: good morning. your waking up to a quiet weather day . we have the cloud cover across central iowa. just a few flurries east of i-35. the clearing line is across the iowa-nebraska order. hopefully we will see a break in the clouds. if you know anybody across the

night of sleeping. even tornado warnings as early as a couple of hours ago in georgia. then it becomes a heavy snow close to us as st. louis. we've got a little bit of wind ourselves coming in at 15 to 25 miles per hour. grab the warmer coat. the wind chills early this morning already about 10 degrees cooler than the actual temps. highs today will be near the seasonal averages. even tomorrow is looking like the cool day as well as we head toward friday. the warmth returns to the region. all of the warmer temperatures will be spreading in here very quickly just in time to the weekend. that brisk wind coming in from the north. this afternoon, 41, a little bit on the breezy side. with that wind, that makes a difference. overnight, we will have lows

that northwest wind continues to be a problem overnight and into your thursday. highs tomorrow, 37 degrees as that cold air moves in. a warming trend begins on friday, back into the 40's. the weekend is going to be gorgeous. high temperatures on saturday, in the 50's. sundays, we had to raise those highs acting to the 50's with a chance for a late day sprinkle. let's focus of the weekend. elizabeth: thanks metinka. eric: a remarkable rescue of an iowa man found lifeless in a semi truck teetering off a busy highway overpass. elizabeth: kcci's kim st. onge explains what happened. kim: this 18-wheeler was inches from sliding down the highway 5 overpass into to oncoming traffic. >> it could have t-boned a lot of cars if they would have been right there at the wrong time. kim: 57-year-old jeff ronek was inside the semi. not breathing and without a pulse.

jason kling took a different way home heading back from a des moines hospital when they stumbled on the wreck. they pulled him out of his semi onto the side of the highway and , started cpr. >> we thought we regained a pulse at one point, went right back out. kept shocking him. kim: on the 6th shock they got a pulse and rushed him to mercy medical center. >> he asked if he had hurt anybody. i said no your semi was in park. you put it appropriately where it needed to be. kim: ronek wasn't up for an on-camera interview but released written thank you to the people who saved his life. "i knew i was gone and these guys brought me back. they didn't have to stop but they did. if they hadn't i wouldn't be here." >> humbling is the best word for it i think. kim: these life or death instances often make us question whether everything happens for a reason. >> definitely. kim: you might too if a wrong turn put you in the right place at the right time.

whatever is happening at that time is bad, but down the road at some point you're put in certain situations or certain positions because that's just the way it's supposed to be. elizabeth: remarkably ronek is in good condition at mercy medical center. doctors believe his irregular heart beat caused his episode. ronek has never had a heart problem before this incident. marcus: high school students are

metinka: good morning. dress warmly is you are heading out. we are waking up to a couple of spot flurries across central iowa. the wind chill at 27. where heading for highs of 41 with a chilly wind did >> it's pretty realistic. elizabeth: and students in des moines public schools aviation program are in control of the new educational tool. it is a $60,000 flight simulator that has been in use since the beginning of this school year. eric: kcci's marcus mcintosh got behind the controls and shows us just how realistic the flight simulator is. marcus: i have never had any flight training unit -- training. >> oh that's alright we will teach you. marcus: before getting their hands on the controls of the flight simulator students in the des moines public schools

classroom training aka ground school. at the new aviation building on the southside near mccombs middle school. >> it is pretty realistic. i mean you have all your controls, up and down, left and right. marcus: tim harmer teaches the students everything from takeoffs to landings. >> now start pulling back on the yolk and slowly start easing back. there you go. i am getting dizzy. >> they can learn to fly an aircraft in the environments that aircraft fly through. marcus: that means from snow to clouds just about every scenario. they could possibly face in the cockpit. >> skills that prove valuable before they ever officially take flight. the faa has recognized that and because it is such an advanced flight simulator they actually allow us to log up to 72 hours of free flight time. marcus: but it is not for

>> this is nerve wracking i feel like i am going to squeeze right through the controls. marcus: and the hope is this program will have them on solid ground toward a career as a pilot. eric: the hydraulics will come next year when installed the simulator will move making the flying experience even more realistic. still ahead on kcci. big win in the sliver state. the gop candidate that continues to dominate in the presidential race. plus severe weather hits the south. how many are confirmed dead and those still missing after nearly two dozen tornadoes touchdown. and deadly crash in nepal. how long the plane was in the air before it was downed. next at 5:00 a.m. my school reunion's coming fast. could be bad. could be a blast. can't find a single thing to wear. will they be looking at my hair? won't be the same without you bro. when it's go, go to choicehotels.com. the site with the right room, rewards and savings up to 20% when you book direct.

>> of course, if you listen to the pundits, we weren't expected to win too much and now we're winning, winning, winning the country. elabeth: trump tunces his rivals. what his win in nevada may mean for the other upcoming contests . do cruz and rubio have a shot at the nomination? eric: plus cruel chant? why trump's name during a

students in perry to feel threatened. elizabeth: and supreme fight. senator grassley takes a strong stand in the debate over nominating a new supreme court nominee. do iowans agree? >> you are watching kcci 8 news. eric: also this morning severe storms. new video from down south. tornadoes tore through the gulf coast. we'll show you the hardest hit areas. good morning everyone, it's wednesday february 24. i'm eric hanson. elizabeth: i'm elizabeth klinge. here are nice and quiet weather continues. metinka: we got the better end of the deal. cloud cover over central iowa and chilly winds. 35 degrees starting out. it is a pretty nice day. temperatures will be cooler than yesterday. we have 46 yesterday. today we are headed for 41. the winds are going to become a little bit gusty. tomorrow is going to be breezy