live, from the kgo tv broadcast center, this is "abc7 news." good afternoon and thank you for joining us on this thursday. i'm a.ma daetz. and i'm larry beil. a storm overnight brought winds, heavy rain and lightning to the bay area. >> it was really incredible. in hayward, hail fell around 5:00 a.m. as the storm moved through the east bay. here's a look from earlier. >> and in san francisco, heavy rain briefly fell this morning and more could be on the way this weekend. sandhya patel is outside with the forecast. sandhya? >> right now i don't need the umbrella. i'm seeing sun and clouds but we have another storm coming. let's talk about what is left as

of right now, we have a few showers, mainly in the north bay. as i take you in closer here, light rain right now. very scattered in nature, from santa rosa eastward. over and inch and a half fell. oakland a third of an inch, just under that in san jose. livermore, almost an inch. clouds are lingering from our golden gate bridge camera. morning, areas of light rain towards tomorrow afternoon. on the storm impact scale, we rate the storms. next one for tomorrow is a one, it's light. five is a severe. most of the storms have been a one or a two. it's going to be very light in the south bay. i'll be back with a detailed look with your forecast and the

weekend coming up. >> thank you, sandhya. there was a big mess in the santa cruz mountains today. this is highway 17 near the summit where a tree fell blocking the lanes. all lanes are now open. trees cause a lot of problems across the bay area tonight. laura anthony has that part of the story. >> reporter: well, it's relatively calm out here right now, but the first storm in a couple of weeks left its mark here in the east bay. it was a storm that pushed through overnight that left downed trees. down the road in dan vville, a birch tree fell near this home. and in oakland hills, there was a pine that toppled over, snapping off power lines and

damaging christian's white work van. >> yes, we're pretty lucky. the first thing in my mind is the tree is coming over our head. >> reporter: in walnut creek, it was about prevention at this house, where crews removed this oak tree's overweight limbs, extended over the house below. >> i guess insurance is making the homeowners trim the trees so they don't break on their house. >> reporter: that is to make sure nothing falls on the house in the next storm. in the east bay, laura anthony, "abc7 news." one of three pacifica apartment buildings sitting above a crumbling cliff is being demolished today. crews used an excavator to chew apart the building. it was red tagged in 2010. winter storms have steadily eroded the bluff on which this

building and two others neighboring it sit. the owner of the property is paying for the demolition. coming up at 5:00, chris wen has reaction from neighbors about that demolition project. this is the scene along 80 at donner lake. traffic is just creeping along. chains are required in this area. a little further east in truckee, the chp sent us this photo. this one shows a closeup of just how snow packed the roads are out there right now. now the "abc7 news" app is the perfect way to keep tabs on the storm. download the app for free. make sure to enable push alerts to get the latest information immediately. we're following a breaking story from the university of massachusetts. officials there say there's a report of one, possibly two

hostile armed people in a dorm on campus. police are responding to the dorm where the armed person or people could be. there are no immediate reports of gunfire or injuries. now we move to a tragic house fire in vallejo where an infant died today. >> eric thomas has the latest on the search for a cause. [ screaming ] >> reporter: these are the sounds oh of a mother's anguish as crews bring out the body of their baby. >> i couldn't imagine the pain she felt, standing outside and knowing that she -- a child in this apartment. >> reporter: the fire was reported at about 11:30 last night. the mother, father, and 4-year-old child managed to make it out. the infant, who neighbors say was about 7 months old, was trapped.

>> when the units arrived, they made an effort to rescue but the apartment was not tenable. >> reporter: the fire scene is now jointly being investigated by police and fire departments since a fatality is involved. >> i was scared. really scared. but what can we do? >> reporter: martha diaz was awakened by police and fire crews evacuating people last night. she's got two kids already, and she's eight months pregnant. she will never forget the sights and sounds. >> the fire department, police officers knocking on the door, asking everybody to get out. >> the screaming and glass being broken and having to get everyone out the door. >> reporter: more than a dozen people have been displaced. damage is estimated at more than $140,000. eric thomas, "abc7 news."

a public viewing will be held tonight for richmond police officer gus vegas who was shot and killed last week. tonight's public viewing will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 on locust drive. a public memorial will be held tomorrow morning at the richmond memorial auditorium at 10:00 a.m. followed by a private burial. a memorial fund set up by the police department has reached its goal of raising $20,000 for the family. he has ten children. we have more information on the fund at abc7news.com. an odd turn in the race for president today mixing religion and politics. >> donald trump publicly trashed pope francis after the pontiff suggested the billionaire wasn't a christian. >> kristen sze is here with the story. >> reporter: the battle between pope francis and donald trump is really catching fire on social media. on twitter, trump supporters are telling the pope to tear down the vatican walls first and

supporters are mocking trump. this unlikely war in presidential politics began this morning when a reporter asked pope francis about trump's views on immigration. he was flying back to rome after wrapping up his trip to mexico. >> translator: a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be located, and not building bridges, is not a christian. >> if and when the vatican is attacked by isis, which is everyone knows is isis' ultimate trophy, i can promise you the pope would have only wished and prayed that donald trump would have been president. >> trump has called for building a wall along the entire u.s.-mexico border and expelling the 11 illegal immigrants. he also brought up san francisco resident kate steinle killed last year, allegedly by an undocumented immigrant. this battle treads on sacred

grounds. ted cruz says he's not touching it. but marco rubio is siding with trump for once, saying the vatican controls its boarders and so should the u.s. dan? >> kristen, thanks so much. santa clara has a new mayor. lisa gilmore was selected unanimously last night. the major jamie matthews quit unexpectedly one day after the super bowl. she says transparency will be a big part of her administration. the woman with a history of sneaking onto planes was back in court today. marilyn hartman is being held on a $100,000 bond. chicago police arrested her at the airport for violating her parole. he's also been caught in san jose and san francisco's airports. chicago police say her monitoring device went off yesterday notifying them she was at o'hare.

volunteers decorated floats for this weekend's new year parade. this is a big deal obviously. festivities get under way saturday night. expect road closures in union square and throughout chinatown. still ahead on "abc7 news" at 4:00, apple said it won't hack into a terrorist iphone. now police say apple phones are at the core of a major problem. coming up, thousands of bridges across the u.s. deemed dangerous. but are any bay area bridges on the list? new at 4:30, a safety meeting was held in the east bay. the impact on an industry stretching from southern california to the bay area. >> and in san jose, you look at highway 101. as you can see, kind of sticky in that direction. not too bad heading the other way. stay with us. "abc7 ne

this afternoon, fbi agents searched the home of san bernardino shooter syed farook's brother. they were there for about four hours, removing computers and folders and searched the cars outside. this comes as the battle between the fbi and apple over access to farook's iphone continues to grow. >> reporter: the white house wants an toll do what a california judge ordered -- hack

into the iphone used by the terror suspect in the san bernardino massacre and help investigators get some answers. >> they are not asking apple to redesign its product or to create a new back door to one of their products. they're simply asking for something that would have an impact on this one device. >> ultimately, being a good corporate citizen is important. >> reporter: while some of the republican hopefuls are siding with the obama administration, these apple customers disagree. >> if you're an average person or a defense contractor or military personnel or any other thing that can be on people's phones, all of it stays safe. so that encryption isn't something we can jeopardize. >> reporter: and apple is standing firm. the ceo tim cook saying the implications of the government's demands are chilling, adding the software is "something we do not have and something we consider too dangerous to create."

arguing if they find a way to break into that phone, they can then break into any phone. but law enforcement officials say apple iphone encryption for investigation is crippling, and unlocking devices is critical. >> so much of the attention has been focused appropriately out of necessity on the terrorism aspects of this. the impact on the day-to-day lives of americans on their safety and our ability to solve and prevent crime is of even nor significance. >> reporter: legal experts say this is a land mark case, and now microsoft and google are weighing in, saying they're with apple on this one and there should be no government back doors into your devices. facebook and twitter have not publicly commented on apple's fight, but issued a state. the information technology industry council says, we worry about the broader implications of requiring technology companies to cooperate, with

government to disable security features or introduce vulnerabilities into technologies. apple pay officially launched today in china. the cupertino company's payment system started in the u.s. in 2014 and spread to britain, canada and australia. apple pay is getting a late start in china. users can do more than just shop online. they can send money to friends, invest and pay bills. a new report shows the top 28 most traveled bridges deemed structurally deficient in the united states are all in california. the highest on the lit is the interstate 680 bridge, that's at number 19. overall, california ranks tenth in the nation in the number of deficient bridges.

it doesn't mean the bridge is about to collapse, however. you can see the breakdown on this report on abc7news.com. bidding to construct a suicide prevention net on the golden gate bridge will be delayed for two months to make sure american made steel is used on the project. the bridge district has chosen a marine grade stainless steel that will need to be manufactured for this process. this is a photo of a mockup of the net. the bidding period for the project will open in may instead of march to make sure the steel can be sourced domestically. the new express lanes in alameda county are scheduled to open tomorrow. the west bound lane will open monday at 5:00 a.m. the lanes do require the use of a new fast track toll tag. they are free for car pools, van pools and clean air vehicles. new technology could help you navigate potholes on the

roads. a ford motor company is pounding the pothole protection technology on the 2017 fusion v-6 sports sedan. the company says the shock system automatically stiffens when sensors detect a pothole. this is the first mid-size car in its price range that offers this feature. the owner of valentine, the baby horse that was rescueds a come forward and signed the baby over to the city. he was found at the bottom of a ravine over the weekend with a broken pelvis. the city is now trying to find valentine a new home. money raised from a go fund me page will go towards his medical care. >> let's talk about the weather. pretty good storm we had go

through here last night. >> sandhya patel is in with the latest. >> dry out here right now, we're tracking some showers. i'll show you where we're seeing some light rain in the north bay, upper lake region and i show you another spot here. we do have a high surf advisory until 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. swells are building 14 to 17 feet, so watch out for the large breakers. a beautiful view from our emeryville camera. temperatures in the upper 50s to low 60s from san francisco to oakland. san jose, and a fresh coating of snow, up in the sierra. you can't beat this. most resorts are reporting between one to two feet. mid to upper 50s from santa rosa

to napa. 58 in livermore. light rain for most areas and sunny and wilder for the weekend. the storm for tomorrow is a one on the impact scale. it will be a light one. yesterday's system was a two. it will be breezy in spots. the morning commute does not include rain, but towards the latter part of the morning, by 9:00 a.m., rain stays there in the east bay. by afternoon, it's across the central bay, and we head into the late afternoon hours and it's still not moving a whole lot. the system will dissipate towards the evening rush hour. so the showers barely making it to san jose by 7:00 p.m. that's it. rainfall totals, you'll notice anywhere from hardly anything in

san jose, which you're used to sometimes, to about a quarter of an inch in the north bay. as far as tomorrow morning is concerned, watch out for fog that may form in patches. mostly cloudy, mid 40s to low 50s. for the afternoon, i would just have your umbrella with you and jacket or coat would come in handy. mid 50s to low 60s. some of you will see some sun breaks. seven-day forecast. one on our storm impact scale. just light rain. weekend will bring sunshine, milder weather. we start to see lots of sun next week. low to mid 70s for the warmest spots. even really into the middle of the week, it's a dry pattern. there was a slight chance of a shower tuesday night into wednesday. we'll let you know if anything changes. >> thanks, sandhya, very much. up next, one way for kanye to pay off that $53 million debt

he tweeted about. >> and we are using our instagram feed to celebrate the organizations making a difference where you live. the museum of the african diaspera in san francisco showcases the history, art, and cultural richness that resulted in the migration of africans throughout the world. please take a look at that when four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth-- [train horn blares] to the continent -- ... a new nation. announcer: presidents day may be over, but the savings go on at sleep train. through sunday at sleep train's presidents day sale save up to $300 on beautyrest and posturepedic, get three years interest-free financing on tempur-pedic, plus same-day delivery, and sleep train's love your mattress guarantee. hurry! sleep train's presidents day sale ends sunday. ♪ your ticket to a better night's sleep ♪

"abc7 news" was at the warriors practice facility today as they held their final practice before a nine-day road trip. they are chasing history for most wins in a season which is 72. they play in portland tomorrow night and los angeles saturday. you can watch the warriors/clippers game right here starting with the pregame at 5:00 p.m. on saturday. after that, please join larry

beil for after the game with guest donald foyle and nate they areman. mike shumann will be live in los angeles. and we'll have reaction from coach steve kerr and players as they chase history. the philadelphia police department says it has a solution to kanye west's $53 million debt problem, put on a badge. they set out this tweet, we are hiring, kanye west. it would take more than a thousand years to pay off the debt with the department's starting salary. the biggest and best moments now from "good morning america." >> here's your 60-second hot list. hit it. >> say hello to the hot express. open your eyes for your new

room. >> holy crap. >> what do you like best about it? >> i fell asleep standing at that mirror. >> fist bump. >> that was amazing. >> thank you. >> the selfie sisters, snapping pictures are almost every presidential candidate. how did this start? >> we went to a chris christie event and i decided to get a selfie. and i thought why not with everyone? >> was it tough to convince anyone? >> they were all like, we'll take a selfie. >> we'll see you in the morning on "gma." >> you can catch "good morning america" right here on abc 7 weekdays. as we continue, the teen accused of posing as a doctor in florida. today we hear from him for the first time. plus, making history in cuba. the plans for the first presidential visit to cuba in decades. an attempt to

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live from the kgo tv broadcast center, this is "abc7 news." here's what's making headlines at 4:30. the cleanup is under way after an overnight storm brought heavy rain, wind, and lightning as you probably saw to the bay area. crews are working to remove downed trees across our area. an apartment building on the

edge of a pacifica cliff was torn down today. chris wen will join us live to explain who is footing the bill for all this and what happens to the other crumbling apartments nearby. a man accused of killing two people at twin peaks is being arraigned today. also at 5:00, vic lee shares new details on the double murder that happened on sunday morning. after a recent assault, and a rash of mailbox thefts, a south bay neighborhood wants to be able to install a gate. residents say they just don't feel safe. but the city doesn't appear willing to help. david louie is live in the neighborhood with a story you'll only see on "abc7 news." >> reporter: an electric gate can be expensive, an estimated $45,000 to $50,000. but residents here say they're willing to pay for one out of their own pocket, except the city won't approve it. mansion park is a private community of 100 homes with a

growing problem. >> people driving in and out, dumping illegal stuff. we have stolen cars. >> reporter: mailboxes have also been broken into and mail stolen. but the worst of that happened on super bowl weekend. >> people attacked me, put me to the ground and hit me in the head. >> reporter: in is a photo he provided of the injuries to his face. it happened in chenoweth park, which is public. that's why the homeowners association is stepping up efforts to install an electric gate for protection. >> it reduces crimes of opportunity, lowers the amount of work that police have to do, burglaries, robberies, thefts, things that police would have to investigate. >> reporter: however, the planning department says gates are no longer allowed under a change in the general plan. the idea is to create open, connected neighborhoods. >> we don't look at the city as

a city of gated communities, but open where residents can walk in the entire city. >> reporter: eric pace sent a letter to the mayor to address this issue. planning officials said they would reconsider ideas when crime is the focus. in san jose, david louie, "abc7 news." the white house made a major announcement today. president obama is making a historic trip to cuba next month. this marks the first time in more than 80 years a u.s. president will visit the island nation while in office. >> reporter: president obama is going to cuba. >> this is the first president to visit cuba since coolidge. >> reporter: it's the first for a sitting president since 1928 and the first trip to cuba for president obama since he made history, shaking hands with raul castro and restoring diplomatic

ties with the cuban government back in december of 2014. >> given the choice between going in december when it would be a vacation down to cuba or going now and trying to get some business done, we believe the time is right to go. >> reporter: this trip, the main event among several huge u.s.-cuba events in the world, including a major league baseball preseason game and big entertainers like beyonce, elton john, and the rolling stones negotiating concerts. president obama tweeting in part he's traveling to cuba to advance our progress and efforts that can improve the lives of the cuban people. his decision, disappointing for gop presidential contenders with cuban roots. senators ted cruz and marco rubio last night. >> there's no elections in cuba, no choice in cuba. i want the relationship between the u.s. and cuba to change but it has to be reciprocal. >> the government relations

between cuba and the united states. >> reporter: as it stands now, congress holds the power to forge the ties between the two nations and the trade embargo remains in place. today, president obama signed legislation imposing new sanctions against north korea for refusing to stop its nuclear weapons program. donald trump is dismissing a new national poll out tonight that finds him trailing ted cruz. the poll is out just two days before the pivotal south carolina primary. the first one to be held in the south. th trump trails slightly behind. >> donald trump is in second place with 26%. i expect a storm of tweets any minute now. >> the republican candidates will attend one last televised

town hall in south carolina tonight before the saturday primary vote. another poll shows democrats, bernie sanders and hillary clinton in a dead heat going into saturday's democratic caucus in nevada. the florida teenager charged with posing as a doctor and examining patients is out on bail. malachi robinson opened his own clinic, saw patients and gave medical license. he was arrested after examining an undercover officer. the 18-year-old had an interview with abc news. >> i've been studying this particular field for a while. it has been long enough to i would say justify what i do. >> he says he was in the middle of changing the "m.d." title so as not to confuse patients. he also faces grand theft charges for stealing checks from

an elderly patient. bill cosby is demanding money from the woman whose accusations led to criminal charges. he said a 2006 lawsuit barred her from voluntarily discussing the case with law enforcement. she met with police in philadelphia last year as they reopened the case. cosby wants her to pay back what he gave her in that settlement. still to come on "abc7 news" at 4:00, weeds can be a huge problem, but what if your weeds look like these. what's happening, when we return. i'm sandhya patel. a beautiful view from our kgo roof camera. we're getting a break in most areas from the rain, but there is another round coming. details straight ahead. that break in the rain is nice for drivers as we take a look at 101 through san rafell.

breaking news from portland, oregon. crews are searching the columbia river for a car that apparently went into the river. these are live pictures from the scene. authorities are searching a part of the river just east of portland international airport. witnesses called 911 to report someone had driven off a roadway that runs parallel to the river. tumble weeds are not just a

nuisance in the american west. they are piling up roof high southwest of sydney, australia. locals say they've been around for a couple of years but this summer is the worst by far due to dry conditions. they suspect they're coming from a nearby pasture. local leaders are not helping because it's not considered a fire risk, so it's up to homeowners to clean up. take a look at this stunning view from yosemite. this is the modern version of a fire fall in yosemite. it only happens for about two weeks in february when the sun lines up with the falls to create this lighting effect. this is another photo from an abc 7 viewer. if you have any other pictures that you would like to share, post them on social media. >> it does look like the fire fall they used to do with real fire years ago. anymore rain on the horizon?

>> we have sandhya patel in for spence we are the latest. >> we do have more rain coming, even though it's bright in many areas. just a few light showers currently. some have been moderate in intensity. i do take you in street level radar, we are seeing some light showers around roanoke park. in the sierra, the snow showers continue. they've seen a couple of feet in the mountains, but that is tapering. another system comes in. winter weather advisory 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., four to ten inches above 5,000. 53 eureka. highs look more like winter. rain will be around tomorrow afternoon across the central

bay. temperatures in the mid 50s to the mid 60s. coming up at 5:00 p.m., i will have the rest of your seven-day forecast coming up. still ahead on new n"abc7 news" at 4:00 -- >> i make a great deal of television. >> there was a time she said she was so burned out she almost quit. i'm michael finney. taxpayer beware. a huge spike in scams just in time for tax season.

a powerful message to working parts from shandra ryans tonight. >> she opens up tonight. >> rebecca jarvis has the story. >> reporter: she's the mastermind behind some of tv's biggest shows. now the woman who has made a career of making up drama is

revealing a real-life struggle in the new ted talk. >> i have what most people call a dream job. i make a great deal of television. i work a lot. very hard. and i love it. >> reporter: she calls that passion for her job the hum. >> the hum is music. the hum is lights and air. when you have a hum like that, you can't help but strive for greatness. >> reporter: but that hum, that spark, just plain stopped. something so many women face in their lives. >> the hum of the engine dies. i stopped loving work. i couldn't restart the engine. if you love what you do, if you know what the hum feels like, when the hum stops, who are you? >> reporter: how did she recharge her batteries? her toddler helped her find the answer. >> he refers to everyone as honey as though she's a southern waitress. honey, i'm going to need some milk for my sippy cup.

and then she asks me a question, she says, momma, want to play? and i'm just about to say no, when i realize my southern waitress didn't call me honey. when did that happen? here she is changing right before my eyes. she says, momma, want to play? and i say, yes. >> reporter: she says learning to say yes at that moment likely saved her life and career. and by spending more time playing than working, she found her hum again. >> my 2 and 4-year-olds only ever want to play with me for about 15 minutes before they think they want to do something else. i can totally pull off 15 minutes of uninterrupted time on my worst time. find what makes you feel good. i said yes to less work and more play. >> that gets under way tonight at 8:00, followed by "scandal"

at 9:00. a a bay area woman blames the sheriff's office for the death of her father. we show you how his family and friends went to great lengths to keep him safe. who they claim dropped the ball, that's tonight on "abc7 news" at 11:00. some consumer news. another toyota recall tonight affecting millions of suvs. >> it's all because of seat belts that might fail in an accident. michael finney has the story. >> right when you need them to work, unbelievable. toyota is recalling nearly 3 million suvs because seat belts might come apart. but it's not because of the belts themselves. toyota says seat belts can be cut by a piece of metal during a crash. it happened in two accidents. one of them fatal. it's not clear in the broken seat belt caused that death. the recall effects vehicles from 2006 to 2012.

owners will be notified about a fix. the irs announced today it's seen a 400% increase in the number of fishing scams. people are trying to get people to click on bad links reporting to be from the irs or other tax professionals. the links can fool you into giving up personal financial information. if you receive such an e-mail or text message, send it to fishing @ irs.gon. we've been reporting walmart will raise the pay for all hourly workers starting saturday. the minimum wage will increase from $9 to $10. that means bigger paychecks for more than 1 million workers, including some managers. it's one of the largest pay raises ever done by a private company. >> thank you, michael.

now to health news. abuse of an adhd drug is skyrocketing. >> here's jane king. >> prescriptions for aderol to treat children and adults have stayed flat. but researchers find the number of people abusing the drug has soared. it's increasingly being used as a study aid and more, because people don't think it poses a health risk. it can help with focus, which is why students and young adults are taking it. testosterone gel has been found to give men back their pep. men who were part of the story reported more energy and better libido. however, the fda warned against overpromotion and overuse of the gel, saying they could raise the risk of heart disease. fear of losing money is a surprising weight loss incentive. employers who want employees to

lose weight -- >> "abc7 news" at 4:00 continues. there are more problems for the v.a. and kristen is here with a look at what's coming up at 5:00. coming up, video of a helicopter crash in hawaii. the good samaritans who jumped in to help. also, the welcome mat is out for veterans in mineral park. the new home that could shape a new future. a skunk caught in a sticky situation. these stories and more at 5:00.

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is a report says a suicide hotline operated by the v.a. is overwhelmed to the point where some calls went to voice mail. the report says 1 in 6 calls to the hotline is redirected to backup centers with some of those going to voice mail. get this, staffers at one center were unaware there was even a voice mail system. v.a. officials say they agree with the report's recommendations and are working to upgrade the hotline. a new study reveals the military is struggling to provided a get care for thousands of active duty troops suffering from depression. the rand corporation reviewed 40,000 cases and found many service personnel with depression and ptsd respect getting the minimum number of therapy sessions. that's going to do it for

this edition of new n"abc7 news 4:00. "abc7 news" at 5:00 begins with kristen and dan. it's sad and unnecessary. >> i really think it will be a shot in the arm. >> trains taken down in santa rosa. plus -- >> on the edge, and an eye soar for years. why a building is finally coming down. and -- >> cleanup is under way all of the bay area after a very stormy night. >> that storm is done, another one is coming. i'm meteorologist sandhya patel. i'll let you know if it will impact your weekend coming up. live from the kgo tv broadcast center, this is "abc7 news." the chain saws come out in the north bay. a plan to reunify downtown santa rosa is leaving a community

divided. >> leave them alone. they're part of our community. value them. >> good evening. i'm kristen sze. >> and i'm dan ashley. after years of debate, santa rosa has begun removing 91 throws, including six redwoods. that's why wayne freedman is live tonight. wayne? >> reporter: good evening. if you look behind me and up you'll see they look a little like rugby goals over there. those are two of the six trees we're talking about. the remains of redwood trees. they were planted here in the '60s, but that doesn't make them any less precious to residents who didn't want to see them go. it has been a small enclave in the city of santa rosa. now it's coming down piece by piece. jason runs the department of transportation and public works and this is his baby. after years of discussion, the city began clearing trees today

to build the larger, more unified old courthouse square in the same place where, until 1966, that courthouse used to be. but the teardown includes six redwood trees, and that has been controversial. >> this is just something that it hurts very bad. >> reporter: resident brandon rhodes came by today to literally hug the trees good bi but couldn't get past the fence. >> it's sad and unnecessary. >> the proper message here would have been, it's so simple, which is to offer a plan to the architect that bid this thing and make a plan that says leave the big trees alone. >> reporter: the plan will cost $10 million. with the smart train coming to a smart station just around the corner, santa rosa describes this as progress. many agree. >> i think it will be a real shot in the arm for the square and i'm happy it's moving forward. >> reporter: even now with six

trees going down, change never comes easily, especially in the redwood empire. wayne freedman, "abc7 news." you can now travel freely once again on all lanes of highway 17 through the santa cruz mountains. a large tree fell across the highway around 10:15 this morning shutting down all four lanes for about an hour. this is video of crews working to move that tree. crews were able to reopen the north bound lanes around noon and all lanes about two hours later. no one was hurt and no cars were damaged. the storm was just too much for a tree in san francisco's sea clef neighborhood. that tree fell right on a car, blocking lake street. police were there to direct traffic around the mess during the morning commute. crews in the open hills. they spent the day removing a

massive tree that fell narrowly missing a home on chelsea drive where a family of four lives. >> i heard a big boom. the first thing in my mind is the tree was coming over our head. we were pretty lucky. >> he said they've always worried about that tree. it did damage the family's work van as well as power pole. crews had to be called in to restore pow tore the area. today, something a long time in the making on the coast. an apartment building was demolished in pacifica six years after it was red tagged. but now neighbors are wondering what's next for two other properties down the block. chris wen is live with the latest. >> reporter: kristen, we just learned that crews hope to be out of here by tomorrow afternoon. so far it's been a pretty smooth process. you take a look behind me, you can see th