>> there was a deadly explosion as a menlo park research lab. and police are searching for a hit and run suspect that injured a pedestrian last night in san francisco's south market. >> the sun is coming up in 40 minutes but the fog is making its way in. a cooler day. >> good morning, i'm tray mcsweeney. california osha today will look into the cause of yesterday's fatal explosion as a menlo park research lab. a 58-year-old scientist adrian martin died at the scene. a woman colleague was also

injured in the explosion at the company. abc7s don sanchez reports once the leaking methane lab was vented, the lab was sealed off until state inspectors could get there. >> it was a loud explosion. that's when i heard. >> bob works for a company with offices above the lab where the explosion happened. >> i heard it and felt it shake. >> jim was in his office when the explosion occur in the lab down the hall. >> a big boom. >> he joined two dozen other employees getting out of the building. a scientist had been mixes helium, methane and nitrogen into one cylinder like this when something went deadly wrong. some of the people went to the aid of their comrades. >> the five went into the laboratory. risky to do that. and did have some positive effect because they turned off other cylinders. >> they called the man from the lab. he was still alive, but he died in front of the building. there was also a woman scientist in the lab who was blown out the

door by force of the blast. >> she was transported, as i understand it, and outside of the hearing and eardrum related issues more than likely from the overpressure from the explosion in a confined area, she did have some medical issues burks according to her fellow co-workers at the time, the complaint was minimal. >> the explosion has damaged the lab. they have to determine if it is safe. and there's water damage. the company does research for filtration process for petro chemicals and natural gas. but they say there was never a hazard from the explosion. >> what they use here and the size, there isn't a risk to the local community and anyone outside of the structure itself. >> but what caused it and what role does the leaking cylinder play? that's what investigators will determine. >> i know the ins and outs, but i can't think what would have gone wrong at this point. >> osha is going to take the lead on the investigation. because of the damage inside, they are red tagging the

building, and that means nobody can get back inside until monday at the earliest. in menlo park, don sanchez, abc7 news. san francisco police are looking for a hit-and-run driver who injured a pedestrian last night in the south of market area. police say the pedestrian was struck by car at harrison and hawthorne streets about 10:30. driver sped away and the car likely has front end damage from the impact. the victim was rushed to a local hospital with serious injuries. >> two families whose lives are changed forever by street violence came together in oakland last night for support. the navas lost their son and a few weeks later jose was shot at a robbery at a grocery store right in front of his six-year-old son. >> reporter: tears, screams and prayers for jose and three-year-old boy.

six-year-old placed the candle at the memorial. he watched as his father was gunned down last sunday. his mother said he's in shock. he acts like he doesn't understand what happened. he's in denial but everything is recorded inside him. >> carlos father arrived at the memorial. he declined an interview. a crowd of about 100 family, neighbors and friends came to the market at the corner 103rd avenue and international boulevard. this is where 39-year-old was shot to death during an attempted robbery just after he cashed his check in the market. this man said he's been saying funerals lately for children he once baptized. >> i have a mass of the little boy, nava, three years old, two weeks ago. last week i had the funeral of this young man, 21. >> now the memorial for him. this woman is god mother to his oldest son. she said the entire extended family is reeling.

it's very sad, especially watching my godson. he's seeing a psychologist, but the youngest, he still doesn't know what he's lost. oakland police have arrested two suspects in the nava drive-by shooting which they say is gang related. it happened on 95th avenue just down the street. so far the gunmen who killed esparsa are still at large. we plan to have a vigil on the anniversary of his death so he doesn't forget. abc7 news. a san jose police officer charged with molesting two teenage boys has made his first court appearance. yesterday the 44-year-old pleaded not guilty to the charges that could land him in jail for two years. he answered an ad on the craig's list from a teenager, who then introduced him to his other friends. police say there's more than two victims. >> this is an ongoing investigation and it will take time to go through all the computers, the flash drives, the cell phones recovered.

>> police say parties involving alcohol and sexual encounters occurred at his home in gilroy. his attorney said his client can't wait for his day in court. that could come as soon as next month. he's on paid administrative leave from the san jose police department. >> accused serial killer joseph nassau has given up his right to represent himself. the 77-year-old man will get a public defender's help. he faces charges in the murders of four northern california women from 1977 to 1994. he represented himself until yesterday when the judge ruled the defense attorney is required by law because he faces a possible death sentence if convicted. the judge also pushed back next tuesday's evidence hearing until october to give the public defender time to get ready. if the defendant can afford it, he will have to also pay the cost of his defense. an injured duck is recovering in the south bay this morning. it is any ordinary injury. it had been shot with a blow dart. over the past week someone shot

several ducks with the blow gun. this young mallard was hit just under the eye. the dart was removed yesterday at the wildlife center at silicon valley. the traumatized animal is doing well and will eventually be released back into the wild. green day front man billy joe armstrong said he was kicked off a southwest airline flight for wearing saggy pants. armstrong sent this tweet says, quote, just got kicked off a southwest airline flight because my pants hanged too low. no joke." he was trying to fly down to burbank. >> this woman was on the flight and witnessed the incident. >> a flight attendant approaches him and says, pull your pants up. so he said, don't you have better things to do than worry about that? and then the flight attendant said again, pull your pants up or you are coming off the plane. >> southwest responded to armstrong's tweet says, quote, very sorry for your experience tonight. someone from our customer relations team will reach out to you to get more details."

>> a new twist in the ongoing saga over a i-phone 5 prototype that was lost. it went missing at this bar. the signal was traced to a san francisco home. after initially denying officers were involved, the police said four plain-clothed officers accompanied a person to the home. two office efforts went inside the house but couldn't find the phone. adding to the intrigue, the man who lives in the home claims the apple employees did not identify themselves. apple had no comment. coming up next, the bay area district that's been a leader in the small schools movement is now consolidating campuses. what happened there? also tropical storm lee slowly turning toward the very same area devastated by hurricane katrina.

>> closed captioning brought to you by mancini sleepworld. >> major changes could be coming to schools in oakland. the superintendent said there are too many schools and it's time to close many of them. we have the story. >> oakland has 101 schools serving more than 38,000 students. compare that with other bay area districts. mount diablo unified, 55 schools for 34,000 students. san jose unified, 52 schools for 32,000 students. oakland's superintendent said quality is lost when you have that many schools. >> when your resources are spread so thin it doesn't allow you to have the proper investment in human capital, in infrastructure to make sure it's a quality program in every neighborhood. >> by law districts must allocate 55% of their funds to

teachers' salaries and instructional aids. but oakland never hits that target because the district spends part of that money on keeping all those schools open. so the school board will now decide how many schools it must close. it's always been a controversial issue among parents and communities. >> the president, the government have money for the war, for other things but they don't have money for their students. >> for years oakland has led the small school movement. but with declining enrollment, that now means 19 schools have fewer than 200 students. the oakland teachers union grease some schools will have to close. >> we would like to see, number one, that there is equity. that you don't end up again with a situation we had 15 years ago, hill schools have all the resources and flatland schools don't. >> no schools have been officially targeted but the district said it will probably come up with a list of 15 for

next year and 30 over the next three years. >> you have to have some idea where the students are going, you have to get them in other programs that will be suitable, ideally better than the ones we are leaving. you are going to have to provide more support to those schools. >> i'm definitely going to stand up and fight, do whatever it takes to get them a better education. >> according to the district, closing the school means it could save between $200,000 and $400,000. no decision is expected until october. in the newsroom, abc7 news. a fast-moving fire in southern california has forced the evacuation of several hundred homes. the fire is threatening million dollar ranch houses. two mobile homes have been destroyed and more than 700 homes are under evacuation orders. the fire is 20% contained. it started in interstate 15 in a

freeway for a time, causing major backups on the route from l. a. to las vegas. i-15 is back open this morning in both directions. heavy rain is expected to dump on folks living from louisiana all the way over to the florida panhandle this weekend. tropical storm lee bearing down on the gulf coast. look at that storm. the governors of louisiana and mississippi have declared emergencies. the biggest concern is flash flooding. the city of new orleans is a city 8 feet below sea level. they got ravaged by hurricane katrina. i heard people talk about it and they are talking about 20 inches of rain coming in. >> the tropical storm has strengthened. it's not going to be good there. and tropical storm warnings toward florida and alabama. much of the gulf coasten undated with the rain. we are looking at a bit of a cool down. not much. here's emeryville. you notice notice the fog. and beaches, some of closed in

southern california due to the strong rip currents. we will talk about that coming up. >> also if you get away for labor day weekend, the freeway is moving pretty good. also coming up, now or never for the giants. last night's shades of cody ross on offense and on nice catch. they cool off arizona. larry beil and the highlights coming up. hey!

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your home and auto policies and save. don't worry, tiny people. flo is a gentle giant. bundle home and auto at progressive.com. >> lisa joins us to talk about misting, sunshine and heavy surf. >> that's right. we are definitely looking at dangerous rip currents along the stinson beaches, santa cruz, and big sur. and two beaches closed in san diego. it's been pretty bad. as we head outside, it looks like it's pretty quiet. the same old, same old with the low fog and clouds. the deck of marine layer is at about 1500 feet. we will look for that to burn off and bring a pretty nice day. a little cooler today. you know, we have talked about

strengthening tropical storm lee, which is inundating the gulf coast, and also hurricane katia, which right now is not influencing any land. but lee causing big, big problems around new orleans and the florida coast. here's a closer look. moving to the north, northwest at 7 miles an hour, as it begins to push along the new orleans coast. we are talking about flooding rains here, anywhere from 10 to 15 inches of rain. now they certainly don't need that. of course, with the city sitting below sea level, we are talking about disastrous flooding potentially right here. not only the rain here into louisiana, but throughout alabama and the florida coast looking at some dangerous surf and some pretty dangerous weather with some thunderstorms. upper 40s, the range from navado to low 60s in antioch. the fog is just along the coast, spreading locally inland and not

make it into our inland valleys. that's where we will see the warmth once again today. the dense fog on the coast, as higher pressure presses down on the atmosphere, creating that dense fog. a little bit cooler throughout the weekend. that includes the holiday. we talked about that dangerous surf. it's all because of a big storm system here in the southern hemisphere. that's been working to create some dangerous conditions all the way up through san diego, los angeles. , the central coast and up through miran county. it will be a pretty good beach weekend because in in the mornig we have the fog just for the time being touching our valleys, but by about 10:00 it burns back quickly, and by 11:00 we still have the fog along santa cruz burks we will be looking at some full sunshine there by 1:00 in the afternoon. but then by labor day that should be the coolest day out of the next three for the weekend. here we go with high pressure

building into the east and west of us. that is allowing for some warmer weather into southern california. so keep that in mind in the days ahead if you are traveling south. back home in the south bay. a coastty one in campbell at 81. 930 saratoga da. 83 menlo park. we have the fog banked up along the shoreline. daly city 61. downtown 66. 92 cloverdale and 83 vallejo. east bay temperatures ranging from 72 richmond, 83 in fremont. about ten degrees warmer here, and 93 pittsburgh, concord and down by the monterey bay. we have the fog now but that will give way to a beautiful afternoon with upper 60s in monterey. today the warmest day out of the holiday weekend. we progressively cool off and warm back up tuesday and wednesday. so what we would expect for september. >> it was kind of funny a moment ago i said what are temperatures going to be like at 4:00 today when cal takes on fresno state, college football, and she didn't have to think about it.

>> no, it's an easy one, cool, foggy, breezy there. >> thanks a lot. we are joined from new york to tell us what is coming up at 7:00 on "good morning america." good morning to you, dan. >> hey, terry, good morning to you. i was listening to the forecast and it sounds beautiful out there. too bad that's not the case in new orleans. downpour has begun there. they are sitting in a crosshairs of a tropical storm dumping torents of water across the gulf. people are breaking for more misery with at much as 20 more inches of rain expected to fall in the next two days. will the levies hold? we are live in new orleans to morning. also coming up, sarah palin back in the spotlight again. the former alaskan governor is going to make a big speech in iowa today. this is the big question, is it a kickoff to a presidential run or is it a big tees. we will take a look at her plans this weekend. and four people are arrested after an incident in florida turned violent.

it was all caught on tape. the ref attacked, we will hear from him. and swimming with sharks, wrestling alligators, it's just another day at the office for jeff corwin. we have a sneak-peek at his underwater adventure show. he's got some great stories from the field, or i should say from the water. >> and that's his idea of a good time? >> apparently so. he likes -- he is not afraid of alligators. i am very afraid of alligators. >> i'm with you on that one. thanks very much, dan. >> see you later. >> all right. >> in sports, college football gets into full swing today. san jose state will try to upset seventh ranked stanford on the farm. and last night the raiders wrapped up their preseason in seattle, hoping to get their first win, and the giants looking pretty good. larry beil has the highlights in this morning's sports. >> good morning. the raiders wrapped up the preseason last night in seattle.

the raiders wrapped up the preseason last night in chicago. head coach hu jackson kind of surly earlier this week. the highlights will not make him happier. here's one of his more enjoyable moments, there weren't money. the campbell 8 of 11, 76 yards but the raiders never found the end zone. the seahawks with their own problems. he says i will take that. interception. nice return by branch, but the raiders could not do anything on offense. the seahawks, this is making something out of nothing. joe porter tips it up. leon washington off the shoe top. you are talking about the immaculate reception in the preseason. washington inside the 20 and they bang it in from there. seahawks defeat the raiders 20-3. silver and back 0-4 in the preseason. hoping for better in denver. >> college football. stanford 30 point favorite as they host san jose state. if you are san jose state, coach

michael, the question is how do you stop mr. lock? >> maybe he will twist his ankle getting off the bus. that's about the only way you stop him. you don't let their running game get cranked up, which it did last year. >> join us for the kickoff after the game. bigger and better than ever. the post-game is on tonight around 8:30 p.m. after the prime time game oregon and lsu. better late than ever >> the giants opened a sear u.s. -- a series with first place team. giants down 1-0 in the third. and jeff keppinger just misses the home run here. cody ross on the bases. should have been out by a mile. but the throw is way off-line and it's a 1-1 game. if carlos beltran can heat up, the giants can make the stretch run kind of interesting. high, deep, and 2-run bomb. 3-1, giants in the fifth. the beltran show continuing. loops the single. in comes matt cain, who will single himself. beltran 4 for 4, 3 rbis. cody ross in the seventh, his 11th of the year. shades of the way he exploded last september. doing it with a bat and this

spectacular catch. glove save and a beauty! that would be full extension. giants win, 6-2, and close to within five games back of arizona. a's and m's in oakland where you don't leave home without your fosse bobblehead. hideki matsui continues to crush the ball, just like that. scott sizemore slicing and dicing to right to score matsui and makes it 5-2. cliff pennington had one hit in the game. that is making it count. a three-run jack as the a's bust it open and roll to the 9-2 victory. a program reminder, we have the early newscast at 4:00 p.m. and then oregon versus lsu, college football in prime time, followed by the season premiere of lexus after the game. hope to see you then. have a great weekend, everybody. i'm larry beil. >> nicks at 6:30. bay area workers now being trained in new careers and where

employment opportunities are few and far between. oakland's acceptance of medical marijuana and the unprecedented event taking place there this weekendddddddddddddddddddddddddd [ cherie ] i always had a job, ever since i was fourteen. i could not make working and going to school work.

it was not until the university of phoenix that i was able to work full-time, be a mom, and go to school. the opportunities that i had at the university of phoenix, dealing with professionals teaching things that they were doing every day, got me to where i am today. i'm mayor cherie wood, i'm responsible for the largest urban renewal project in utah, and i am a phoenix. [ male announcer ] find your program at phoenix.edu.

>> president obama is using his labor day address to extend the funding that expires the end of the month.

>> if congress doesn't act, funding for our roads and bridges will expire. this will put a stop to highway construction, bridge repair, mass transit systems, and other important projects that keep our country moving quickly and safely. >> the president said some 4,000 federal workers would be immediately furloughed and thousands of construction jobs around the nation would likely dry up. republicans support renewing the bill, but object to spending initiatives that said did not work. >> president obama will address a joint session of congress on thursday about his new jobs plan. we will air the speech on abc7, and you can see it live starting at 4:00. school is back in session, including at a special training program in the east bay designed to turn out the bay area's next generation of cutting-edge electricians. it's a job that's gone almost completely green. abc7's laura anthony has our story. >> a former credit union manager, kevin aflac, is embarking on a five year apprenticeship as an electrician.

>> i got tired of the old desk job and wanted a good career with good benefits and something i enjoy doing every day. >> aflac works at this school construction site during the day and takes classes at night at the alameda electrical training center in san leandro. >> it's very technical. they have to have good math skills, good reading skills. they learn electrical theory. then, of course, they learn all the new electrical systems, whether it's traditional or the new technologies that are out there now. >> being an electrician today extends far beyond pulling wires through walls. it means mastering an array of technical and computer skills with the goal of achieving the utmost in energy savings. >> is being an electrician a green job? >> yeah. >> one year out of the program, matt smith is the foreman of this job. the construction of the new fairview elementary in hayward, a project that incorporates the latest in electrical systems. >> there's a lot of different

components that talk to each other, that control each other. based on certain factors as in sunlight in a room. the lighting may change. >> three of the workers here are apprentices. they know if they keep their skills cutting edge, there will be plenty of work for them in the future. >> being an electrician nowadays, you need to know solar, you need to know how to install wind. >> that's what i like about the job. there's all the different facets you can go into. >> the alameda county program will accept new applications in february. starting apprentice pay is $18 per hour. laura anthony, abc7 news. if you or somebody you know is looking for work, here's a resource for you. organizers of the next job journal hire event sponsored by abc7 is hosting an event on the 20th. it's free and we have all the information you need about that at abc7news.com.

it wasn't long ago you couldn't smoke pot anywhere legally. but this weekend thousands will smoke it in front of oakland city hall. abc7s johnathan bloom explains the city is fine with that. >> stages and tents are rising up in the votes around city hall, preparation for the smell of marijuana rising from these streets saturday and sunday. >> oakland is the birthplace of the medical cannabis industry itself. we are proud to be here. >> parts of two downtown streets are being blocked off for the three-day international hemp and cannabis expo where those with the proper id can go to learn about and, yes, smoke medical cannabis. >> it marks the first time we've had cannabis activists and city officials working hand-in-hand to create an amazing event. i think it's a great step forward. >> steve, who likes to brag that his harborside health center creates job and pays millions in

taxes says it's high time there's a street fair about marijuana. >> it's about 20 or 30 years overdo. >> what does the city think about it. >> it's a state right to medicaid. we won't prevent them but we make sure the medication happens in a save, lawful and sane manner the city. >> not everyone is looking forward to a city sanctioned pot party. >> it's like saying, come on, let's do it. everybody, let's get high and forget about the ramifications, forget about the devastating effects. >> youth advocate charles o'neil worries the expo is one more way for kids to get their way on medical pot. >> kids are walking around, middle school kids even, with cards that permit them to purchase marijuana themselves. >> organizers point out fair goers can only smoke pot in one restricted area. most of the expo is smoke free and there will be plenty of other attractions. >> we are really lucky to have a surge of new gourmet food trucks that we are going to be having

come and park at our event. >> there might be some people with the munchies, do you think. >> quite possible. >> if you want to see thepo," it's saturday and sunday. they will card you and you will not be able to buy marijuana inside the street fair. in oakland, johnathan bloom, abc7 news. facing a tuesday deadline, residents outside of menlo park have submitted a proposal to create a tiny park in an effort to save the granny tree. some say the 65-foot heritage oak stands in the way of progress. the utility district is laying new pipeline for the water district. last may the neighbors objected to plans to chop granny down. instead they want construction crews to come up beneath granny so she can live. that adds $200,000 to the project which can only be justified if a public benefit

were created. we will keep you up-to-date what happens to granny. keeping us up-to-date on the weather is lisa. what happened to the bay bridge? it was there moments ago. >> we definitely have a stronger onshore push today and tomorrow, but then we are going in the opposite direction, just after the holiday monday. we have not only the next seven days in the forecast, we have more heat to talk about, as well and dangerous rip currents. it's all coming up. >> also next, it's being called the biggest threat to california's coastline. the two factors at work that could make pacific coach beaches disapppppppppppppppppppppppppppp ♪ okay, so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. that's yours. lower cholesterol. lower cholesterol. i'm yummy. lower cholesterol.

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>> take a look at this picture. a live picture of lake tahoe taken atop the heavenly mountain resort. lisa is going to tell because kind of day will be there today. she's also going to tell us what it is like around here all labor day weekend long. she's coming up shortly. late summer and fall are usually the best times to go to the beach around here. some are warning the sand may not be there forever. abc7s wayne freedman explains why in this morning's assignment 7 report. >> for all the seemingly unchanging beauty of pacific coach beaches, be advised of a process already in motion. the large expanses of sand we enjoy today may be gone in 50 years. >> imagine sea level rise taking up the lower half, making the water higher up the beach and the plants coming down the hill. you now only have a slender strip of beach to enjoy.

>> leave it to a u.c. berkeley doctoral candidate to be the bearer of the bad news. emily is on her way to becoming one of the world's leading experts on natural grasses and in this case ones that are taking over. >> the rest might be dying out. a huge loss of biodiversity. it's a tragedy. >> along the coast this is the biggest threat right now. the slow creep of european beach grass. >> if this stuff keeps moving you might not have the next beach behind me. you might have just grass and spongy plants. >> this is a problem of our own making in two ways. humans brought european grass to these shores to broke the sand dunes of the last century. but no one anticipated the future effects of climate change. >> it's reacting on what we put here. it's a natural process. but we are changing the way the natural processes work.

>> and they have been working for a while actually. for instance, 200 years ago california's brush lands weren't nearly so golden. we used to have a variety. >> this whole field is full of one species of nonnatives. >> pretty? sure. but not so much to a biologist who sees chain reactions in coming years. >> what about the bay checker spot butterfly that doesn't have a host plant to land on and lay its eggs? >> and what about larger, taller grasses burning hotter, higher and faster during brush fire season. they will lead to more mudslides due to erosion. you are saying although it looks good, it messes up the balance. >> it messes up the entire ecosystem, yes. >> and she'll keep an eye on the developments. ph.d.s have a long career.

>> and we have some serious surf. >> the south facing beaches and even in san diego some peaches are closed. i'm not sure what they are going to reopen because of this very strong and dangerous rip current that is affecting much. southern california and northern california. santa cruz right now, cloudy. later on today lots of sunshine, in the 70s. back home, closer to home, you will see in the city here, we have got a lot of fog out there. we will talk about that in a minute. but first the tropical atlantic is busy with the hurricane katia. not affecting any land. but here's the big one. it's tropical storm lee. it has strengthened in the last couple hours. it was 55 miles an hour, now it's 60 miles an hour, moving to the northwest at 7 miles an hour. look at it bearing down on new orleans. in fact, just about moving into morgan city, louisiana. so we have tropical storm-force winds from louisiana, alabama, right on through florida. so with this we could see strong

thunderstorms, a storm surge, and look at the potential for anywhere from 10 to 15 inches of rain. so this is a biggy down here. of course, we are looking at the radar right now that shows all the moisture pushing on up through new orleans. we will be looking at this right on through the weekend. so certainly not a good scenario there. back home we are looking at quiet conditions. 48 here, 61 antioch. the fog and high pressure bearing down on the atmosphere so some dense fog along the shoreline. the marin coast is moving locally into oakland, and that will provide the sea breeze today that will bring the gradual cooler weekend but don't get too used to it. we will warm up again after the holiday, monday. and the dangerous surf condition because of a big storm in the southern hemisphere. that swell creating the rip current ruing from santa cruz county, 2010 lakes state beach up through miran county and stinson beach and the big sur

coast. be careful out there. with the fog this morning it's a gray start. and oakland, hayward, fremont and even a little bit further south. but it's not going to last long. but through about 9:00 we have the dense fog along with the central coast, santa cruz, but look for the sunshine after that, about 11:00. then everyone will warm up. we will have the typical 30-degree spread. double-barrel high pressure. that's providing the warm weather in much of the valleys in southern california. but overall it's the typical quiet summertime pattern with the mid-and upper 80s here. 87 san jose. peninsula look for the gray to start and then 75. milbrae. and san francisco 66 for you. 68 in south city. in the north bay look for the numbers from 59 bodega bay, and 97 up in ukia. nice day in oakland. and lots of sun with low 90s returning for walnut creek and concord.

94 in livermore. today will the warmer day over the weekend. the coolest day will be labor day monday. then we warm up again. and cooler thursday and friday. up a few and down a few. >> i've been in stinson beach a lot and there's a sign there if you are caught in a riptide don't try to fight the tied. no human being can do it. swim parallel to shore until you are out of the riptide and then back to the beach. >> beautiful, but so dangerous. >> lisa, thanks a lot. a national program is helping people live a more fulfilling life. the program canine companions for independence has helped thousands of people and is based in the bay area. here's the story. >> good girl.

step. thank you, girl. good girl. yes. >> chris shirley is so proud of his new friend. melano. he relies of a wheelchair to get around because of his multiple sclerosis but he has a much better quality of life thanks to his service dog >> he was connected with him with a program called canines companions for independence. >> she's been providing assistance for me so each day i experience increased end depends -- independence on my own and feeling good about that. the trained assistance dogs are part of a national program that begins with their breeding. >> i assist the mom and her whelping. i'm a canine midwife. and when the puppies are in my house i monitor their weight gains and health. we do exercises to expos them to specific stimuli. >> then they are shipped to volunteers around the country, who raise them for a year and a half and give them up. they are sent back here in santa rosa to be trained to help adults or children with physical or developmental disabilities or wounded veterans, or to be used in therapy or educational

training. or for the hard of hearing or deaf. the clients undergo a two-week training session with their dogs to make sure they are a good match. finally they attend an emotional graduation ceremony to formally receive their dogs. 13-year-old chandler has cerebral palsy. he spoke for the group. >> my parents told me for a long time i have the power within me to change the world. i can't do it alone, and now i have bernice as a partner to not just open doors and pick up stuff for me, but to help me open opportunities for both of us that hopefully can help other people. >> the service dogs are provided for free, which means canine companions for independents relies on donations. it's a life-long and life-changing commitment. >> let's go, girl. >> cheryl jennings, abc7 news. >> don't go away. 7 on your side is next. >> your car is in a wreck. now who decides where your car

is repaired? you or your insurance company? i'm michael finney. coming up on 7 on your side, your insurance rights.

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when your car is in a wreck, you just want it fixed. but what exactly are your rights? here's 7 on your side's michael finney with some crucial information. even if no one is hurt, a wreck is expensive and a hassle. putting your car back together takes your insurance company, cash and a good bodyshop. who decides which bodyshop is good? >> the insurance industry wants to make sure the car is rebuilt correctly, so they want to make sure they take care of their customers. they check on the auto repair shops to make sure they are doing quality work. >> that's tony. he's with the insurance information network of california, an educational group funded by insurers.

an insurance company can enter -- endorse shops and make suggestions, but it cannot steer you. the california insurance code says insurance companies can't require a specific repair shop. insurance can't direct, suggest or even recommend a bodyshop unless a referral is requested by the insured or the insured had been informed in writing of their right to select the repair facility. >> hmo's for car repairs are where the insurance company wants you to go to a place where they control the repairs, and they don't necessarily have your interests at heart. >> that's auto consumer advocate rosemary shahan. she said there can be a close relationship between insurer and bodyshop that works against the consumer. but the law, she says, is clear, you are in charge. >> that's right. you are the one who gets to call the shots. and the insurance company may try to pressure, lure, conjole

you into going where they want you to go, and that's where you need to say i'm taking it to my guy. >> insurance companies are allowed to offer guarantees or other financial considerations for going to one of their shops. >> it's an incentive. so is the idea of saying we will guarantee the work that is being done and that sort of thing and that's something that is important. personally if i was having my car worked on, i would want somebody behind me. >> they agree on one thing, make sure your car gets to a good shop. >> no matter who it is you decide to use, whether it's the recommended insurer or another one that you have in mind, you want to check them out first, make sure they are going to do good work for you. >> find out who the good guys are and then if you have a problem, you know where to go. >> so don't wait until the wreck? >> that's right. don't wait until the wreck. >> i made special arrangements with my friends over consumers checkbook. everyone watching this program will get free access to

checkbook's ratings of 160 body shops in the bay area. to get in on this, go to abc7news.com and click on 7 on your side. now normally you would have to buy a subscription, but not now. also, two other places to check, the better business bureau and you might want to get a recommendation from your car dealership. i'm michael finney, 7 on your side. >> i just checked, and he's right. it's right there for you if you want it. coming up next, a full house forces san francisco's animal os

>> she are the winning numbers from last night's megamillion dollars drawing. nobody picked all six numbers. tuesday night's jackpot estimated at $37 million. this is a great time to adopt a pet and that's good news and bad. it's a reflection of how many animals now need homes because of the economy. we report from san francisco on the incentives being offered to give a dog or a cat a nice, new home. >> mindy is just one of the dogs available for adoption at the san francisco care and control center. deputy director kathleen brown says they have been taking in about 25 more dogs per month this year compared to last year. she said it's likely because of a tough economy. >> it has to do with the saturation of our rescue partners, and we think that it

costs money to adopt a dog and to care for it appropriately. >> along with holding off on surrendering a dog, if at all possible, brown is hoping anyone who may find a stray can care for that dog for the time being. they should contact animal care and control to help connect the stray with its proper owner and with an effort to clear out space in the dog kennels, pet adoption prices have been cut in half. >> our sale lasts until september 12th. through september 12th. that is, as i say, just for dogs, 50% off on our adoption fees. hopefully by then, hopefully with this kind of impact, the media coverage, we hope that we can see some relief over the weekend. if you are looking to pick up one of the dogs, adoptions here start at noon at the san francisco animal care and control center and run until six, six days a week. at the san francisco animal care

and control center, abc7 news. >> labor day week send here is so is lisa with the forecast. >> the warmest day will be today. a little cooling locally around the bay. you see the fog behind us. today 66 with more clouds than yesterday in san francisco. 75 across the bay in oakland. >> 90s return for the inland valleys. antioch, livermore, concord and the delta, clear lake warm as well. 87 san jose, but as we look at the days ahead you will notice the cooling trend continues into the holiday. strong rip currents for the south-facing beaches today. then we warm up tuesday, wednesday and even thursday looking pretty warm. looks nice out there. >> lisa, thanks a lot. and thanks for joining us on the abc7 saturday morning news. the next newscast starts at 1:00 a.m. stay connected 24/7 at abc7news.com and have a fantastic weekend! [ carrie ] i remember my very first year as a teacher,

setting that goal to become a principal. but, i have to support my family, so how do i go back to school? university of phoenix made it doable. a lot of my instructors were principals in my district. i wouldn't be where i am without that degree. my name is dr. carrie buck. i helped turn an at-risk school into an award winning school, and i am a phoenix. [ male announcer ] find your program at phoenix.edu.