Fighting for free time. Winter break wont mean a break from the books for students in ames this year. Hear from parents who say its unfair and could hurt their grades. Speed check. You may want to pump your breaks a little more as you head to work today. Well tell you where watchful eyes will be focused along your commute. Its thursday, february 25th. Today first on 13. A des moines double homicide case continues this morning. An arrest coming over three months after it happened. It all started back in november when officers were called to the 42 hundred block of hull avenue. Thats where we find channel 13s josh nguyen this morning. Its been a while since this case was in the headlines. Refresh our memories on the details . This was three months ago. The week of thanksgiving. This was a messy crime scene. Officers were called to this duplex in the 42hundred block of hull avenue shortly after seven pm. Police say 47 year old Barney Fraaken shot his wife, amy, and their 16year old daughter, amber. Before turning the gun on himself. His failed. They believe the double murder was part of some sort of domestic hospital recovering ever since then, but yesterday, he was released from the charged. He now faces two counts of 1st degree murder. Hes being held in polk county iowa lawmakers want harsher punishment for so called peeping toms the current law requires the state to prove the victim was nude and or the peeper was aroused by spying on the victim. Yesterday the senate voted unanimously to remove that criteria and increase the penalty to a serious misdemeanor. The bill now heads to the house. Ames educators are speaking out against a new mandatory School Start Date this morning. For years ames schools were forced to hold 1st semester finals after winter break to align schedules with iowa state university. But just when they found a way to avoid the problem, and give students a true holiday break without studying, requiring classes begin no earlier than august 23rd. The move was to allow rural students to participate in the iowa state fair. But it left ames schools with no choice but to go back to testing after winter break. Teachers and parents say it isnt fair to their students. Take sot < i wish that the governor had left control with the local school districts. The rural districts they do have participation in the state fair but those are concerns we just dont have. listen and think about the things local districts are contending with and the job they are trying to do in their community and their family and students southeast polk and Des Moines School districts are also forced to hold finals after students return a Des Moines School is breaking barriers in an unlikely way this morning. Roosevelt high school is the first in the district to offer gender neutral bathrooms. Students came up with the idea back in november. And started a petition for the change. They say they got about 160 signatures in less than an hour. Des moines water works customers can expect an uptick in water rates. Yesterday the water works board approved a 5year, 241million dollar improvement plan. The bulk of that will go toward Infrastructure Projects to meet increased demand. A large portion will also be used to remove nitrates and contaminates during the Water Treatment process. The change will cause rates to jump 10percent in april. And that could be just the start. Of the total costs. 184million will come from customers in the form of higher rates. Iowa boaters and fisherman will soon have a harder time getting sailorville lake. This spring, the department of transportation is shutting down this nine mile stretch to allow for resurfacing. It reaches from ankeny to the mile long bridge. The project is expected to cost over 500thousand dollars. Metro drivers will want to watch their speed,today. Police will be watching interstate 235 extra closely for speeding. The effort brings together officers from several agencies. Officials say its meant to save lives by raising awareness of safe reporter so when you hear, say, one side, saying that theyd like to wait til the next president is in office to appoint a justice, what do you think about that . Justice oconnor i dont agree. I think we need somebody there, now, some light snow is falling along the western border of the state this morning. The winds will remain out of the northwest between 15 and 25 mph today, this will help keep temperatures on the cool side, making it the coolest day of the week. If you have been longing for the warmth to return, youll just have to wait until friday. This will be the start of a major warm up over the few following days. Fridays high should be above average, but saturday afternoon looks to be the warmest day over the next week with highs i80 35 west mix i235 mlk i80 hwy 65 bypass coming up next, david geiger joins us with this mornings agribusiness report. Then. Deadly twisters. Widespread storms spin up tornadoes across the gulf and as far north as pennsylvania. We bring you the latest this morning wake up in your first home. Wake up in a home youve made a bit bigger. Wake up in a home with a new address. Wake up in a home that doesnt even have an address. As your life evolves, your dream home evolves too, and protecting it takes committed support. At American Family insurance we support your dreams. See how you can save with this week the senate is going to try and deal with the gmo labeling debate by passing a voluntary labeling bill headed by senator pat roberts. Its an attempt to head off what some senators believe will be a patchwork of state labeling laws that start with a mandatory labeling vermont law in july. Iowa senator Chuck Grassley says laws like vermonts are intended to hurt biotech products. There are some democrats, like senator Debbie Stabenow on the agriculture committee, that think a state patchwork of laws will not work. But its not clear if democrats as a whole will back a roberts bill. Grassley says, they arent sure where democrats stand on it, yet. But in our meeting tomorrow or thursday will tell us exactly where they stand. But its going to be difficult to get this bill through the United States senate if it isnt bipartisan. Vermont senator Bernie Sanders favors gmo labeling, saying people have a right to know whats in their with 40 megs of Internet Speed from centurylink, a family of four can all be online at the same time, streaming, gaming, or downloading movies. Yeah, the internets great, but i think hair and makeup went a little too far. Yeah, thats not working. I much prefer the twoday beard, hornrimmed glasses, justsleptinhiscar kinda thing. Yeah, i miss the rumpled crazy uncle look. Okay. Be paul giamatti. Thats the essence of this role. Feel like a hollywood insider our top story. A man suspected homicide is finally behind bars this morning. Police say 47 year old Barney Fraaken shot his wife, amy, and their 16year old daughter, amber. Before turning the gun on himself. Fraaken has been recovering in the hospital ever since. He was released yesterday and immediately charged with two counts of 1st degree murder. Hes now being held in polk county jail. A racially charged chant is getting attention from the states athletic heads this morning. It started monday during a Dallas Centergrimes basketball game in perry. Students on the Dallas Center grimes side were heard chanting Donald Trumps name as a taunt toward latino players. Iowas Athletic Association says its up to administrators to take action against these chants. Dallas Center GrimesAthletic Director says it was just a and they shouldnt reflect on the school as a whole the death toll continues to rise this morning from a powerful storm thats spawned tornadoes across the gulf coast. Py02th 19 24 we was sitting in the middle of the house when it came through and it just demolished everything yesterday the massive storm unleashed more than a dozen tornadoes across virginia, florida and north carolina. With Severe Damage as far north as pennsylvania. Among the dead, a two year old boy, who was killed when a suspected tornado hit a virginia mobile home. Today the low pressure system is expected to bear down on the east coast. With roughly 50 Million People in its path. Republican president ial hopefuls are preparing for another face off this morning. Cnn will host a the gops 10th debate tonight in houston, texas. Coming off his win in nevadas caucuses tuesday night, frontrunner donald trump hopes to build on meanwhile senators marco rubio and ted cruz are locked in a fierce battle for second place. The debate will be moderated by cnns wolf blitzer. It begins at 8 30. President obama may be looking at a republican to replace Supreme Court justice antonin calia. Cnn reports Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval is being vetted by the white house for a possible nomination. Sandoval is a former federal judge. And is considered a moderate republican in his home state. It appears neither the governor nor his staff have talked with the white house about the possible nomination though. Republicans in the senate have said they will not hold confirmation hearings on whoever president obama chooses as a nominee. His decision is expected to come soon. The Us Department of labor is set to release their weekly jobless last weeks report saw the number of Weekly Applications for unemployment assistance fall seventhousand. It marked the lowest number of people seeking jobless benefits since november. The change indicates a healthy job market and a growing economy. Still ahead this morning. Black History Month is leaving its mark on the metro. Well tell you how College Students at dmacc are setting the week aside to take a look at des moines diversity. And how one house is giving them a chance to see into years past. Behind bars. A husband and father accused in a double homicide of his own family is finally behind bars this morning. Well tell you what led to his arrest. And why it took nearly three months. Immigrant insult. A racially charged courtside chant continues to make waves across the state. Hear who Officials Say should have brought it to a stop. And whether they really did. Speed check. You may want to pump your breaks a little more as you head to work today. Well tell you where watchful eyes will be focused along your commute. Its thursday, february 25th. Today