Tonight, now your local news. The Monorail ridership is down and the downtown leg is on hold on Channel 8 Eyewitness News. Who's going to pay for it if it can't recover and pay for itself? And after 14 days in federal custody, two Las Vegas teenagers are coming home. Tonight, friends and family celebrate the news that the Sarkeesian sisters will not be deported. Channel 8 Eyewitness News has been covering this saga from the beginning. We've witnessed the family's struggle as they feared their two daughters would be deported. Tonight's surprising news, 18-year-old Emma Sarkeesian and her 17-year-old sister, Mariam, are coming back home. Channel 8 Eyewitness News reporter Atlee Erlingson has this happy development. It is certainly happy. We learned about this just a couple of hours ago. In fact, Eyewitness News was the first to tell some of the family members. These two sisters have been detained in Los Angeles facing possible deportation to Armenia. Tonight, however, it looks like the girls are coming home. At the Sarkeesian family's Tropicana Pizza restaurant on Wigwam and Pecos, the emotions are hard to control. They're on their cell phones calling everyone and anyone. Smiles are everywhere. Ruben, the father, giving thanks wherever thanks are due. This is the type of news they simply can't believe. It's like, are you serious? I was so happy. 24 hours after Senator Harry Reid called Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge asking for help, it happened. The girls are coming home. Senator Reid did a good job with contacting Mr. Ridge on behalf of the girls and we believe that this is precisely what happened. The Sarkeesian's family attorney, Troy Baker, says the government's immigration lawyers are taking what's called deferred action on the girls, essentially overriding the deportation and allowing them to come home. Baker believes this comes directly from Secretary Ridge, who oversees United States immigration. While we can't confirm that, it's fairly obvious that this kind of an order came from the very top. In an exclusive phone interview from a holding cell in Los Angeles, 17-year-old Mariam Sarkeesian tells Channel 8 Eyewitness News she and her sister, 18-year-old Emma, are being released. They said that tomorrow we might, we're going to have a fight going home. Emma says the past two weeks living as an inmate away from those she loves has been unbearable. It's so hard. It's very hard. Like, I never thought that you take it for granted because you see a family every day, but when you're away from them for so long, it tears you apart. But soon they'll be coming back together. Two girls once questioning the sincerity and compassion of the American government now offer heartfelt thanks to those who call this country home. I just want to say thank you to everybody that helped us out with our case, friends, family, even the community, the senatories. It really makes us feel better that we know so many people actually care. Many people do. The Sarkeesian's attorneys expect the girls to arrive in Las Vegas sometime tomorrow. It does take some time because they must be processed first, as any prisoner is, before being released. So the question now, what happens next? Well, Emma and Miriam's father is just months, if not weeks, away from getting full citizenship. Once that happens, the girls will then get their green cards. We will certainly be there at the reunion tomorrow, and it will certainly be a heartfelt welcoming for the girls coming back home. Good news. Thanks, Ashley. Absolutely. You're welcome. With the federal government's recent decision to deny funding for a downtown expansion project to the monorail, there is an increasing concern about what would happen if the monorail project just failed. Eyewitness News is live. Reporter Adrian Arambillo joins us from near the monorail with more. Adrian? Dave, monorail officials say they're averaging about 25,000 riders a day, but that's half of what the expectations were from this past summer. The question now is, who is responsible if things don't work out? That's always a fear. Democrat State Senator Jeana Titus is fearful that grand plans for a monorail system running through the heart of the Strip might not work out, which might just affect you. The taxpayers don't want to pick up that burden just for shuffling tourists back and forth for the benefit just of gaming. The federal government denied funding for an expansion project downtown, with the mayor saying ridership numbers hadn't met projections. So the question is, will valley residents have to foot the bill if the monorail fails? Senator Titus says not necessarily, but if it did fail, that monorail executives might come calling to the government instead of tearing it down. It's complex because everybody thought they could get a free lunch. But Tom Carroll is an economics expert and a professor at UNLV. He says it is a possibility that taxpayers might eventually get stuck paying for the monorail, but he also adds monorail executives could still bolster ridership numbers by adjusting prices, using different marketing techniques, and offering different packages for tourists. So sure, they got themselves into a really complicated situation because I'm sure a bunch of people made promises. What makes the monorail so unique is that the $650 million project is funded through private bonds, but the state government lent its name to secure lower bond ratings. Monorail executives would not comment on camera, but showed us their documentation regarding the bonds, stating the bonds will not constitute any debt on the state, that the state has not pledged to the payment of the bonds, and that the bonds shall not obligate the state to levy any form of taxation. Monorail officials say the burden is on those who took the risk to buy the bonds and not taxpayers. And also want to remind people that it's still very early on in the game. Well, at a certain point you begin to have a credibility gap. They've been assuring us all along that things would work out. And you know, it's like the boy who cried wolf. At a certain point you think, is this really going to work? Monorail officials say they still have enough funding to run this system for several years, even if they don't sell one single ticket to ride. Reporting live, I'm Adrian Arambulo, Channel 8 Eyewitness News. Caesar's Palace garage is back open tonight after being closed for about three hours due to a suspicious briefcase. Security guards found the case unattended and Metro closed the garage as a precaution. Bomb squad was called in. They detonated the case just before 10 tonight, and then the garage was opened up again. A teenager will serve prison time for attacking a group of girls with a baseball bat. 18-year-old Elvin Avila must serve two to six years for this incident at a local park. The girls were celebrating a birthday and videotaping themselves when Avila approached with a bat. Avila's attorney said Avila believed the girls were videotaping him and he didn't like it. He admitted he was drunk and couldn't control his actions. The girls testified at the sentencing. I can't remember certain things because of how hard you hit me in my head and how many times you hit me in my head. That's going to stay with me for the rest of my life. I'm going to be bad to you. I'm going to be sentencing to the maximum. Avila apologized to the victims, which the judge took into consideration along with the fact that this was Avila's first offense. The mother, who was accused of killing her diabetic daughter through neglect, had hoped to get the charges dropped. Today in court, though, a judge denied the motion. Prosecutors say Cheryl Bozit murdered her daughter by failing to give her proper medical care. Bozit is also charged with child abuse and neglect for a separate incident. She'll be back in court in April. Police have released the 911 tape from the deadly California train wreck yesterday. Eleven people died in that crash. The man accused of causing it all has been charged with multiple counts of murder. Juan Manuel Gallegos is at the crash site in Glendale and has more. A delayed court appearance for the man investigators say caused the deaths of 11 train passengers. Juan Manuel Alvarez will now be arraigned on Friday. Authorities are charging him with multiple counts of murder and could seek the death penalty. The mere fact you create a train wreck and people die can support murder charges under California law. Late Thursday, heavy equipment was brought in to help with the cleanup. Authorities also released the 911 tapes when the trains collided. What's the address of the emergency? 2901 Low Steelers Boulevard. OK. The train tracks on the side. We need a lock. Ma'am, how many people are hurt there? A hundred. More than 200 passengers were injured here, many of them critically, and survival was really a matter of chance. Henry Kalinsky of Orange County never made it. I called Henry on the southbound and he didn't answer. I called him at work and he didn't answer. The southbound train that struck the SUV was actually being pushed by a locomotive. So it was the passenger car in front that took the brunt of the impact. Employees from the Costco next door could hear people crying and tried to save the wounded passengers. We help people sit inside carts on the inside part of it and reeled them out to our loading dock area. Alvarez's wife had a restraining order against him and court documents stated that he was dangerous and on drugs. Investigators say he had tried to kill himself before the train wreck and now that desperate act has brought misery to an entire community. Manuel Gallegos, CBS News, Glendale. And by the way, the last person who'd been reported missing at the scene has now been accounted for. Sunday's elections in Iraq are drawing closer, but the insurgents continue their disruptive violence. An Islamic website shows the killing of a man described as the secretary of interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. Today at least one U.S. Marine and 15 Iraqis were killed in attacks across the country. The continued violence has made it hard for candidates to campaign. I'm sure that the Iraqi people are convinced to go and participate in this process. To help with the fear of retaliation, the Iraqi government will deploy another 2,500 troops to polling sites. Iraqis living in 14 other countries are allowed to vote in the election, including thousands in the U.S. Los Angeles is one of the cities where Iraqis can vote, and many Southern Nevadans are going there to cast historic ballots. Jamal Al-Masawi has lived in the U.S. for more than 20 years. Three of his brothers were executed back home by Saddam Hussein. Jamal hopes this election will bring peace. The ideal situation is we will get our freedom back. We'll get our constitution voted by our people. The people can have their dreams come true, just like the American people have their dreams come true here. Al-Masawi is encouraging everyone here and back home to go to the polls. The mayor of Boulder City talked tonight about what's ahead for the small community in his annual State of the City address. One of the major issues plaguing the city is a 36-hole golf course, which is run by the city and is now about $20 million in the red. Tonight, Mayor Bob Ferraro said while the golf course is still losing money, he is cautiously optimistic it'll pull through for the city. Ultimately, the spring season will determine the success of the course for the entire year. And from what I've seen out there in these last few weekends, you can't hardly find a parking place in the parking lot. It's that great. The mayor also talked about advancements police officers made this past year in keeping the community safe. They are now working with Sprint to get some better communications. The future of Las Vegas was the topic of discussion for local business leaders today. Preview Las Vegas 2005 is an annual look at what local and national experts say we can expect and, like so many times before, they say we can expect prosperity. Real estate experts say the explosion of high-rise condos and timeshares sees no end in sight. And the Convention and Visitors Authority is planning more international advertising and enhancing the convention center to attract more tourists. In the fact that we're going to add another 19,000 rooms in the next four and a half, five years, we need another 6 million visitors to come here. Economic experts predict our population and employment will climb, but they also say there are some challenges like affordable housing and health care. For donors, don't press that cruise control button. And hundreds of thousands of trucks and SUVs are being recalled. Find out what could happen. And a school employee's attack on a teenager is caught on tape. Wait till you hear what started their argument. I'm Kevin Janison and the Channel 8 Weather Office of what may begin sunny side up could wind up scrambled. We'll have your Friday forecast in just a minute, but on our way to break some real-time neighborhood weather near Jones and Smoke Ranch, we'll be right back. You're watching Southern Nevada's number one 11 p.m. newscast with Paula Brancis, Dave Cavassier, Neighborhood Weather with Kevin Janison, and Sports with Dave McCann. It's not just news. It's Channel 8 Eyewitness News at 11. This portion of Channel 8 Eyewitness News is brought to you by Jim Marsh Chrysler Jeep. It's the smart and final three-day stock-up sale. Save on Stouffer's lasagna serves 12 only $7.99. Ready-packed garden salad, 3 pounds, just $1.79. This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Smart and Final, the smaller, faster warehouse store. Discover an incredible spectacle of breathtaking acrobatics and artistry. Experience the critically-acclaimed Mistère by Cirque du Soleil with the locals' appreciation package. Purchase two tickets to Mistère and you'll see premium show seating, dinner for two at the dishes, the new buffet at T.I., and VIP viewing of the sirens of T.I. show. The Mistère locals' appreciation package at T.I. Call 894-7112 today. Some restrictions apply available through March 12. My shift has been made, and the full-size truck party finally got interesting. My shift has been made, and the mid-size truck feels a whole lot bigger. My shift has been made, and when you think tough, powerful, innovative trucks, think that the one truck you're really looking for is the one nä, is the Felipe C. Gunter. and limited-time savings on select home furnishings. Get there soon. Factory-authorized clearance going on now. It's the Smart & Final 3-day stock-up sale. Huge savings throughout the store this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, like chicken party wings 4 pounds, just $4.99. Save time, save money at Smart & Final, the smaller, faster warehouse store. Neighborhood weather on Eyewitness News is brought to you by Finley Cadillac Sob, located in the Valley Auto Mall. You're watching Channel 8 Eyewitness News at 11. It's not just news. It's Eyewitness News. Holocaust survivors and many world leaders gathered in Poland today to mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz. One and a half million people there were gassed, burned, or starved to death. Dignitaries from around the world remembered those who lost their lives at the camp, as their stories were retold today. We had as much snow as that day to learn to get along, to remove hatred and prejudice from the world. I have forgiven everybody. When the camp was liberated 60 years ago, only 7,000 people had survived. An assault on a student was caught on tape in Kentucky. Police say teaching assistant Charles Parrott confronted a 13-year-old boy over the theft of a pencil. In the video, Parrott is seen lifting the student off his feet and slamming him into the wall of the school hallway. I've seen the tape probably 40 or 50 times. And I looked specifically for, did the boy make any aggressive moves towards Mr. Parrott? And I don't see any. Later on the tape, Parrott is seen lunging at the teen. Prosecutors say the boy has a bump on his head and may have suffered a concussion. The extent of his injuries will determine whether Parrott will face felony or misdemeanor charges. A Wisconsin teenager is behind bars tonight for trying to poison his family. Prosecutors say 15-year-old Jamie Auk put rat poison in his family's food for weeks because he was mad at them. His mother, stepfather, and their three-year-old daughter suffered mysterious stomach pains, heartburn, and vomiting for more than a month. Finally, the boy's stepfather found the poison in a coffee jar and called police. Parrott came to light yesterday in the morning because his stepfather actually became more ill and was drinking coffee. And as he drank more coffee, he became even more ill. Auk is being charged as an adult and faces three counts of attempted first degree murder. If you own a Ford, it could be one of nearly 800,000 being recalled. Ford is recalling F-150 pickups, expeditions, and Lincoln Navigators from the 2000 model year, also the 2001 F-series SuperCrew trucks. Ford says the cruise control switch could short circuit and cause a fire under the hood. Owners will be notified by the company next month. For more on which cars are affected, log on to our website, klastv.com. A long-term plan to prevent flooding along the Virgin River is now in the works. Earlier this month, you'll remember the river overflowed its banks after a series of storms hit the area. The result was a flooded town of Mesquite. Federal government and city officials in Mesquite are working on a plan to make sure it doesn't happen again. They're also working on a way to preserve the endangered habitat in that area. For the second day in a row, local commuters had a slippery ride to work. Today's rain was the latest in a series of wet winter storms that have produced record rainfall in the last three months. The last time we had this much rain was in 1998, and the extra moisture resulted in a virtual plague of grasshoppers. Along with the abundance of insects will be early blooms, which means more serious allergy problems. When we see very rainy wet seasons, especially in the desert, a lot of the desert weeds will start blooming, and we may get a lot more pollen coming from some of the desert ragweed, the desert sage, the tumbleweeds. And exterminators say the moist soil has created a perfect breeding ground for insects. So in the next few months, we'll see more bugs and even mice around our homes. But wait, there's more. Creepy, crawly stuff. Yuck. It also means a higher wildfire danger, too. That's the concern, too, is of course, and we should have a great wildflower season in the spring, but you have all these weeds and everything else that grows. If we don't have some moisture during the summer, that's going to dry out and become some significant fuel for fires. So that's what we'll be monitoring as the year moves on. Right now, we're going to move on to real time neighborhood weather up near Buffalo and Gowan. They're at 46 degrees. The neighborhood near Sahara and Nellis also comes in at 46 on the east side of town. Boulder City joins the party. They're at 46 and 215 in Green Valley Parkway. They've got a little breeze blowing, so the friction has kept the temperature up a little bit. They're coming in at 51 degrees. You see those clouds today. We started with them early. Then the sky was blue. More clouds this afternoon hugging the Red Rock area. Even a few light rain showers out there. What a beautiful sight. And Zion National Park, our rain is pushed off to the east in southwestern Utah. Look at the clouds at the base of the rocks out there and a little bit of snow on top of those bluffs. Here are the rainfall totals from today's rain. This is just since midnight. We had that one splash that was about 6 o'clock in the morning or so. Went right through the west side of town and made about 1 to 2 tenths of an inch of rain. At McCarran, the rainfall total was only 100, but that puts our 2005 and January total over an inch and 3 quarters. Temperature wise, we made it to 61 at the airport. That's 2 degrees above normal, but we'll be closer to or below normal over the next few days. One system slides on out. The next one slides on in. And here we go already. Some rain right along the California coast. The front itself right there, the area of low pressure, all tracking eastward. We'll start tomorrow with some sunshine. The clouds roll in, leading to a chance for rain late in the day. Temperature wise, we'll be in the upper 40s to about 50 as you head out the door tomorrow. Then by lunchtime, temperatures should soar pretty comfortably into the 50s, with most neighborhoods making it to the upper 50s. But you'll start to notice a few clouds showing up. And there will be a chance for rain in the afternoon, but the best chance will be tomorrow night. This won't last long, and it won't be nearly as wet as what we saw over the last couple of days. Partly cloudy tonight. Just a couple of lingering clouds, but it will be cooler. Your overnight low going down to 42. Then tomorrow, look for a high temperature of 58 degrees. But watch those clouds build yet again with another chance for rain in the afternoon. Rain is a better bet tomorrow night, but again, this is not a very wet system. So even though the snow level will be lower up on the mountain, the snowfall won't be as heavy. Seven day forecast, rain ends quickly. Early Saturday morning, few lingering clouds. Sunday should live up to its billing of Sunday. A lot of highs right around normal, with morning lows dipping down into the 30s. So, you know, those cold nights are coming back. It is still January, and early February, as you look at the seven day forecast. And by golly, it ought to feel that way. It's been a strange month overall. You know, too much rain and fog. The fog has been peculiar, absolutely. It's been a strange last three months, actually. Yep, yep. All right, Kevin. Dave McCann is here. Everybody likes it when Kurt Busch comes home. Yeah, and as soon as the racing season starts, everything will calm down. All right, OK. Just hang on. You bet. Kurt Busch coming back to Las Vegas. As he gets ready to fire up another racing season, before he does, he's got a lot of work to get done out at the Motor Speedway. And the running Rebels are hitting the road, playing their best ball of the season. Sports is next here on Channel 8. We didn't just design the 2005 F-150 with the desert in mind. We tested it here, in your backyard, where fully boxed frames handle rough terrain, fail safe cooling keeps searing heat at bay, and 300 horsepower motors conquer desert extremes. We've been testing the F-150 in the desert for over 20 years, and the results speak for themselves. And now you can save big time with up to $3,500 cash back on a design for the desert Ford F-150. F-150, built Ford tough. I got it. Las Vegas and Kurt Busch begins his next L Cup title defense next month at the Daytona 500. Before that, though, he has lots of work to do to get his car ready, work that'll bring him to Las Vegas on Monday. Busch spent his Thursday in North Carolina pitching the upcoming season. We're going to have fun with it. Daytona was a great test just to get back in the swing of things. And then now we go to California and Vegas and do a full four-day test of just full-on tests with the shocks, with the springs. We now have to balance the new impounding for qualifying. So it's just going to be fun to challenge ourselves to learn that as quick as we can. The runner Rebels skip town tomorrow for New Mexico and the first leg of their two-game road trip. They meet the Lobos on Saturday. UNLB point guard Jarrell Blassingame tested his sprained left ankle at practice today, and it held up just fine. He's good to go as the Rebels seek a third straight win. I think the last two ball games, we've played good basketball. Good basketball, maybe for the first time this year, over 40 minutes. And we've got to continue to do that. We've got to continue to make progress in doing a five-on-five defensively. We've got to continue sharing the ball better, moving better without the ball. And I think they're starting to get a hold of that. And yet, obviously, it's not a habit after two games. We've got to continue to reinforce and continue to get better. The last time Lon Krueger coached at the pit in Albuquerque was with Texas Pan American in 1984. UNLB's beat New Mexico seven straight games. They'll try to get number eight live on Channel 8 Saturday night at 6 o'clock. Lady Rebels and Lobos got together this evening at the Thomas and Max Center. UNLB 0-3 in conference play. New Mexico 3-0. How about this play? Nikki Kitchens to Sequoia Holmes. Kitchens scored 16, Holmes 15. Randy Henry added another 17. That three from way outside belongs to Sheena Moore. The Lady Rebels pick up a very big win, 63 to 60. Two of the best teams in the NBA headline a very light Thursday schedule. San Antonio at home against Sacramento. Spurs by three, just over five minutes to play. Chris Webber to Brad Miller against the Kings within one. San Antonio answers with Tim Duncan. Duncan sizing up Miller in the defense and takes him strong to the basket. The Spurs in the game on a 12-3 run and beat Sacramento 90 to 80. Chicago beat Charlotte. Detroit and Indiana reunited. No fights in this one. The Pistons win 88-76. Phil Mickelson is in the chase at the Bob Hope Classic in La Quinta, California. And how about this shot from the bunker? Mickelson's at 14 under par. Three shots back of second round leader Joe Ogilvie. Golf returns to CBS on next weekend. Eagle star Terrell Owens did more running today. And Vows at barring a major setback. He'll be in the lineup on Super Bowl Sunday. The betting line in Las Vegas remains New England minus seven. Among the things we won't see at the Super Bowl is the annual Disney promotion, where the star of the game declares he's going to Disney World. After 19 years, Disney's canceling the promotion. Didn't really get a good explanation why. Let's hope Janet Jackson had nothing to do. Please. Thanks, Tim. Las Vegas will provide the backdrop for next year's Playboy Swimsuit Calendar. And our mayor will have a role, too, what Oscar Goodman thought about his shoot with the bunnies next. Let's get inside. It's a show everybody's talking about. Let's get inside. I couldn't wait to be on the inside. Hi, insider. Come on in. I'm Pat O'Brien. Join me for the insider. Let's get inside. Get inside. Weeknight at 6.30 only on Channel 8. Tomorrow on the new drama Numbers. Bank robbers are creatures of habit. This math genius predicted where and when thieves will strike. I've pinpointed the next robbery. The only thing he didn't calculate was how. They're covering their exit. They kill efficiently and they can execute a coordinated escape. It isn't about robbing banks. You see that? What's inside a bank that's more valuable than money? I got it. Chapman. For the first time ever, Chapman Dodge is able to extend employee discounts to the general public. That means new Ram 1500 quad cabs for just $16,988. It means 05 Durangos, also discounted to a low $16,988. And 05 Caravans, now on a rock bottom $12,888. Buy like an employee. All this week at Chapman Dodge on Boulder Highway just south of Sahara. One day you'll see I got it at Chapman. You're gonna win a trip to Global Bazaar at Target. It's a world of treasures for your home. before it's gone. If you're looking for a crew that gets the job done, then look no further than the GMC Crew Series. The Sierra 1500 Crew, Sierra Heavy Duty Crew, and Canyon Crew, with an available 220 horsepower Vortec I-5 engine. Current GM owners are less ease. Lease a specially equipped Sierra 1500 Crew Cab 2-Wheel Drive SLE for around $299 a month. Residency restrictions apply. Call for details. See your Southern Nevada GMC truck dealers. AttorneyGuide.com, the place you can trust to find an attorney a service of your Clark County Bar Association. Music Mayor Oscar Goodman is making his debut in a Playboy calendar. Playboy and its relationship with the City of Las Vegas is a good thing. Especially with the kind of publicity that we're getting here today, which will be worth millions and millions and millions of dollars to our community, not only the City of Las Vegas, but also through the Convention Authority. Surrounded by models, Goodman talked about the photo shoot with the bunnies. The entire 2006 Playboy calendar was shot here in Las Vegas. The mayor will be featured on one of the months with Fremont Street as a backdrop. Today he welcomed the bunnies to City Hall. And I'll bet that was a hard day for him. Difficult. I'm sure he hates that kind of duty. That is it for Eyewitness News tonight, live at 11. Dave Letterman is next, and we'll see you back here tomorrow night. Music Close captioning of eyewitness news brought to you by the Women's Services Center at Valley Hospital, where miracles are born every day. Music