now news to build a better bay area from abc7. >> some wild weather across the state. skies are blue, but rain is on the way. this as dust storms move across central california, causing problems on the roads. and in the sierra, new wildfires are burning pushed by high winds. good afternoon. thank you for joining us. i'm ama daetz. >> and i'm dan ashley. we have team coverage of the storm moving into the bay area. wayne freedman is looking at proper preparations, especially for drivers after months of no rain. >> it's been some time. spencer? >> we have quite an impressive storm coming our way, dan and ama. here is a look at the storm dropping down out of the gulf of alaska, moving along the pacific northwest right now. this time tomorrow we'll be looking at periods of heavy rain, strong, gusty wind and heavy snow likely for the sierra and other mountain ranges. this storm ranks 2 on the impact

scale, a storm of moderate intensity. it's expected to arrive around midday tomorrow. we'll see wind gusts up to or perhaps even above 50 miles per hour. rainfall potential half an inch to an inch. some location mace receive more than an inch of rain. a wind advisory will be in effect for 4:00 p.m. tomorrow to 4:00 a.m. wednesday. and during that time gusts may range from 45 to 50 miles per hour or higher. there is a possibility of downed trees and power lines, and maybe even power outages. so during our morning rush hours, look for dry conditions. it will be partly sunny. but clouds and the stormy weather will arrive quickly in the afternoon hours. so for the evening rush hour, look for rain heavy at times, strong gusty wind and travel delays. i'll have a complete look at the seven-day forecast in a few minutes. >> spencer, thank you so much. >> the storm could cause problems for drivers because we haven't seen rain in months. >> yeah. abc7 news reporter wayne freedman is live with that part of our coverage tonight. wayne? >> well, dan, we do the story

because frankly, we have to, every year. rain comes, the first rain cars slide all over the place. guaranteed tomorrow night i'll be standing somewhere talking about small accidents on the highway. well, today right now we're going to show you how to prevent trouble if you get into it. when the rain begins falling, there will not be a big difference between how we drive on the highway or here at sonoma raceway and the people who make a study of driving tell us that is going about the a problem. >> inevitably, when we have our first real rains, people drive like they have been all summer. >> how can that be? >> clueless? >> reporter: nico ronde at the sonoma raceway driving school is not clueless. he is about to demonstrate what to do when your car enters a slide or even a deep puddle at speed. don't do anything that might upset your momentum or center of gravity. >> do nothing. >> do nothing? >> yes. if you see a big puddle when you're doing 65 miles per hour, hold the steering wheel tight,

straight, get off the gas, stay off the brakes. >> we spoke to experts about how to deal with slick conditions. the first big rain of the year means slippery pavement, or so they say. >> i've heard that the waters bring out the oils and things like that. what i will tell you, what we do see more than anything is during the first rains, it's everything that gets washed down. >> to ensure good grip, check your tires. nick at california tire and wheel in san anselmo tells you your tread will tire you. if the little rubber bar is as high as the tread, you need new tires. meantime, remember to hit your brakes before and after a slide, not during one, and you'll probably be all right. >> hit before it and after if necessary. >> as we come back live, this is highway 101 heading north to the richmond bridge, the usual backup which will be worse at this time tomorrow. one other bit of advice from the

chp, and that is worth mentioning. if you're driving in the rain and using your wipers, and we hope of course you will have changed your wiper, make sure you also turn on your lights. it makes you more visible to the car behind who might not have changed his wipers. live in marin county, wayne freedman, abc7 news. >> good tips. pg&e says crews will be prepared for any power outages during the upcoming storm. the utility plans to activate its emergency operations center. once the storm hits, allowing it to direct crews to affected areas to restore power as soon as they can. as always, the utility is reminding customers to be prepared. have flashlights and radios with fresh batteries ready and know where to find the outage information in your area. storms in the central valley. this is the fresno area where blowing dust caused extremely poor visibility on highway 41, triggering a multi-car accident. there is no word of any

injuries. the dust storm has prompted air pollution officials to issue a health alert for people living in eight central valley counties. gusty winds are pushing this grass fire that is prompting evacuations in rockland northeast of sacramento. the fire breck out about 12:30 near thunder valley casino. it's burned 355 acres so far and is 30% contained. no word yet if any buildings have caught fire. in the east bay, two robbers are on the loose after getting into the shootout this morning with the owner after coin store. one of the bullets hit someone inside a house. it happened before 10:00 a.m. at the northern california coin exchange on grand avenue. sky 7 captured the aftermath. the robbers came in and the owner says they ordered him to get on the floor. the men then started emptying out the cases and the safes that had been left open. the store owner tells abc7 news he hit a button to open the door so the two robbers could leave, then he decided to take matters into his own hands. >> when i let them out, i got

up, said a few curse words. i grabbed my gun. i went outside and i saw them walking up the hill, and so i followed after them. i said hey, stop. and i pointed the gun at them, and he turned and pointed at me and shot at me. so i shot twice at him. and he dropped the bag. i don't know that i hit him or what. >> abc7 news was at the scene where a bullet went into a home. police say it hit the homeowner. the person is recovering at the hospital. a car also appeared to be hit by the gunfire. in l.a., police killed a man armed with a 1 1/2 foot long mache machete. >> the suspect had robbed an auto parts store and carjacked a vehicle in a drive-through. the man ran from the car after crashing. he ran to an officer who tripped and fell in the middle of the street, just as the suspect raised the machete, another officer shot him. no officer suffered serious injuries. man arrested in the course of the orinda halloween shooting

investigation was in court today on gun charges. 29-year-old domico dones entered not guilty pleas to charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. a gun was recovered when duoned was arrested along with another man on thursday. officials will not reveal how the arrest relate to the orinda investigation. >> there were search warrants and arrest warrants that were issued that led to the arrest and seizure of the firearm and ammunition in this case. however, any connection or nonconnection to the orinda event, we have no comment on. >> the atf says the gun seized is linked to multiple shootings, but the d.a. says it is not linked to the oh rind rinda sho. a former pg&e lineman says his whistle-blower complaints about faulty wires went ignored. >> lyanne melendez spoke with

him today. she is in the newsroom. >> the former employee is todd hearn, a 20-year pg&e employee who was a safety lead in napa. now he contends that between 2016 and 2017 the utility company began installing a new piece of equipment on the lines in these remote areas where there is a dry vegetation. now we want to show you a picture of what they look like. they're called trip savers. and what they do is reenergize a line after power has been cut off due to anything that hits the line, such as a branch. now the trip saver automatically sends three bursts of current, one, two, three, to reenergize the line. this way pg&e doesn't have to send workers out there to inspect the line and restart the process. but if the line is broken and comes in contact with dry vegetation while reenergizing the line, it can cause a fire.

>> 2016 and 2017 in napa, we started seeing a version of the reclosure. it was called a trip saver. now this is where -- this is where the company started -- wasn't acting responsibly, i feel. they started putting these trip savers up in high fire areas. >> trip saver is another version of a recloser, which has been used by utility companies for a long time. when there is a power outage, reclosers are helpful because power is restored rather quickly so that people get their power become on. but trip savers are cheaper and used in remote areas. now we asked pg&e to comment on hearn's claims. they sent us a statement telling us that as part of their 2018 wildfire safety plan, they have started disabling trip savers and other reclosers in high fire

areas during wildfire season, or when there is an elevated risk of wildfires. now hearn says he was fired after he complained and warned the company. by the way, four other employees have also been fired, all from napa. in the newsroom, lyanne melendez, abc7 news. >> all right, lyanne, thank you. a bad start to the workweek for the driver of a tree trimming truck. sky 7 spotted the vehicle belonging to the davie tree company on its side in the middle of highway 13 in oakland. it happened at 11:30 near the thornhill exit in the montclair district. the driver fortunately wasn't hurt. at this point we don't know what caused that truck to roll over. safety concerns. car break-ins on the rise in the south bay. the break-in caught on camera, and what the city is doing to keep you safe. back in business. the small business owners forced to close in san francisco. what they say is the problem. and 'tis the season. the giving spirit in action today. how you

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you've seen those tesla cameras catch security video of break-ins, accidents and vandalism. while the tesla cameras can catch people in the act, it doesn't seem to be a the ternt to the problem, which the holidays just around the corner, police in santa clara are boosting controls across the city to help prevent vehicle break-ins, last month more than 400 were broken into. >> chris nguyen has that story. >> caught on camera in santa clara. this tesla model 3 captured a criminal in the act on thursday.

watch as the suspect hops out of the suv and breaks into the vehicle, causing hundreds of dollars in damage. >> kind of frightening to see what exactly happened. >> this specific break-in happened in front of the lawrence square shopping center off el camino real. police telling us thieves are hitting up large parking lots like these near freeways and expressways because it's easy to escape. >> people leaving backpacks, laptop cases, cell phone items near where it's visible from the outside. >> this fall santa clara police were one of five departments to each receive $750,000 from the state to help prevent smash and grabs. with the holidays fast approaching, police are preparing to work overtime. >> additional patrol officers in marked areas that are saturating the high volume areas where these types of suspects like to strike. >> criminals are using new technology to pick up bluetooth enabled devices even if they're not in plain sight. but vehicles are also getting smarter, providing valuable

video evidence. >> you shouldn't break into cars in the first place. should also not break into teslas because they can catch everything that you're doing. >> a camera recorded a 49ers fan kicking in the trunk of a tesla model x during a game. police are reviewing that case and say every bit of information help. >> every one of these reports and cases is a victim who lost something that's very valuable to them. and we understand that. >> that's chris nguyen reporting. it looks like tesla may be getting the last laugh when it comes to its new electric pickup truck. ceo elon musk says 200,000 preorders have been placed for the vehicle called the cyber truck since thursday's embarrassing debut. you may have seen this. one of the vehicle's supposedly unbreakable glass windows broke when it was hit by a metal ball, twice. the incident did not seem to dissuade those intrigued by the truck who plunked down a $100 deposit.

they're going to have to wait. production does not start until 2021. elon musk tweeted out the video of the practice run. you can see the glass did not break. musk tweeted an plans for the break writing the sledge hammer impact on the door crashed base of glass which is why steel ball didn't bounce off. he said we should have done it the other way around and started with the steel ball. >> those who want to break in do it -- >> in the proper or the. >> exactly. just making sure we're clear. a four-legged hero received a pretty high honor today at the white house. president trump welcomed conan, the military dog that helped in the raid that killed the leader of isis. he received a medal as well as a plaque for his work in the raid. conan was injured chasing the isis leader down a tunnel but has recovered. the president found out for himself this is one tough k-9. >> what chance would a strong man have, really strong, tough, fighter. what chance would this person

have against conan without the guns? what chance? and i guess the answer pretty much was none. >> sweet looking face. just don't mess with conan. conan is not retiring. he has taken part in other operation. military dogs can typically serve for about six years, but then their reflexes start to slow down. >> looks so sweet. but can turn fierce fast. a baby seal discovered in a parking garage in redwood city is now resting at the marine mammal center in sausalito. this is santos, a 5-month-old northern fur seal. firefighters rescued him sunday morning, and the marin mammal center crew picked him up. they say their expert veterinarians are taking very good care of him. the goal is to release santos back into the ocean when he is ready. cute little guy. >> definitely. all right. speaking of oceans, water, rain. >> finally some rain. spencer here. >> and a significant storm too. >> really. >> strong, gusty winds, snow in

the sierra, a real storm at the moment calm conditions as you probably know. skies mainly sunny. here is a view from sutro tower looking over san francisco where it is 58 degrees, 59 degrees in redwood city. oakland and san jose at 61. 54 at half moon bay. this is the view from mount tam looking down on to calm and quiet conditions on the bay. 61 degrees right now at santa rosa. petaluma. napa 60. and the view of the setting sun or soon to be setting sun looking westward from emeryville. these are our forecast features. we'll have wind and rain arriving tomorrow afternoon. a cold wet pattern will stay with us through thanksgiving. and then we'll have another round of rain developing over the weekend. for tonight look for mainly clear skies. a few high clouds are likely. it will be breezy, especially at the coast. overnight lows will drop into the low to mid-30s in parts of the north bay. mid to upper 30s in the inland east bay and south bay, around the bay shoreline and the coast, we'll see low 40s. so let's take a look at the storm impact scale. the approaching storm is a storm

of moderate intensity, ranking 2 on the impact scale. it will arrive tomorrow afternoon, bringing rain that will be heavy at times. wind gusts up to or proposition even above 50 miles per hour. and the rainfall potential is generally between half an inch and an inch. this is a forecast animation. notice tomorrow morning we'll have cloudy conditions in the north bay, but by midday, the storm will have surged into most of the bay area with the exception of the southernmost part of our viewing area. but by 4:30 in the afternoon, as we go into the evening rush, we'll have rain falling across the entire region. there will be pockets of heavy rain, slippery roadways no doubt. strong gusty wind may make it difficult to control your motor vehicle you're driving. bear in mind. late tomorrow night we'll see a little bit of a break in the intensity of the storm, but they'll be trailing showers through tomorrow night into wednesday, perhaps even into early thursday, which of course is thanksgiving day. the wind gusts will begin to peak in the early evening hours. so by 6:00 tomorrow evening, lo fustsenerallyer hour.

stronger gusts in the higher elevations. and our rainfall potential will be generally between half an inch and an inch of rain across the entire region. so it's not likely that only one part of the bay area will get us soaking. we'll all get a pretty good soaking from this storm. high temperatures tomorrow generally in the mid-50s. it's going to be a pretty cool day by recent standards. and looking ahead we also have a high surf advisory going into effect tomorrow evening, from 7:00 p.m. tomorrow to 3:00 p.m. wednesday. wave heights will be elevated, and they could reach levels of oh, 17 to 20 feet high. there is the possibility of dangerous rip currents and beach erosion. over in the sierra, we talked about snow. there is going to be a lot of it. we're expecting generally 8 to 18 inches of snow above 2,000 feet. above 3,000 feet 2 to 3 feet may fall. and in the higher passes look for up to 4 feet of snow from this storm. here the accuweather seven-day forecast. and notice how active a weather pattern we have for virtually the entire seven days. storm rolls in tomorrow, ranking

2 on the storm impact scale, with showers likely wednesday and possibly even early in the day on thursday, thanksgiving day. at that point, the storm will be -- will have a rank of only about 1 on the impact scale, but it will still be wet. and these are cold showers coming in wednesday and thursday. friday we may get a break. expecting partly sunny skies on friday, but there is a chance of lingering shower in the early morning hours or a developing shower in the nighttime hours. going into the weekend, our next round of rain comes in. looks like it's going to be wet saturday, sunday, and monday. we've been waiting for this. >> finally. >> it is here. >> when it rains, it pours. >> it does indeed. literally. and it's down to the final four on "dancing with the stars." we'll have a preview of tonight's finale, coming up next. and later, what you did know about picking out the perfect christmas tree. >> first, though, a check on the traffic. this is the san maeo bridge. look at the sun out there. you don't k hardly see the peninsula. but the traffic going towards the peninsula is looking good.

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we are waiting to see if the other shoe drops for washington redskins quarterback dwayne haskins. washington sealed its first home win of the season yesterday. they had a tough time, with this interception in the final seconds. but instead of running on the field the take the last snap, haskins walked to the stands and took a selfie with a fan. former washington quarterback joe theismann calls the move unprofessional and wrong. coach bill callahan wasn't laughing either, saying the issue will be addressed. no word yet what that's going to be. maybe a fine or who knows, just a good talking to. you don't like it when the coach is mad. >> that's bad. four couples remain in one has been one of the most competitive seasons of "dancing with the stars." >> it's really been a good one.

tonight only one will take home that coveted mirror ball trophy. here is reporter aminah puga with the story. >> the intensity has been nonstop this season. it started with 12 celebrities all trying to prove they had what it takes to be the new "dancing with the stars" champion. and after a heartbreaking semifinals episode last week where james vanderbeek revealed his wife suffered a miscarriage over the weekend. >> the little soul we had expected to welcome into our family took a shortcut to whatever lies beyond. >> the actor was eliminated. >> it's an emotional night tonight. >> saving singer ally brooke who begged judges to let him take her place. >> can i give it to james, please, please? >> no, no. that's lovely of you to say. >> now it's down to the final four. brooke, who got the highest

score last week after kell mitchell, who wowed the judges, getting the season's first standing ovation. the bachelorette's hannah brown praised by judge carianne. >> you improved by a heck of a lot. >> and singer lauren alaina. >> the fact that i've only fallen once is a miracle from god in itself. >> but only one couple can walk away winners of the mirror ball trophy. it's the last shot for the final four to leave it all on the dance floor and get ready for a reunion, because all 12 contestants will be back to perform tonight. in hollywood, romina puga, abc news. >> you can watching the finale at 8:00 right here on abc7. >> it's been a good season. times are tough for small businesses in san francisco. >> it's not easy being a small business owner in san francisco. i'm dion lim. speaking with business owners on why they're now closing their . francisco-based company is set

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now news to build a better bay area from abc7. >> building a better bay area includes a strong economy and businesses. >> but many small businesses in san francisco seem to be struggling these days. you may have noticed there are a lot of for lease signs all

across the city. >> and these ones that we caught in the monitor that we're going to be showing you we caught in one neighborhood today in north beach. commercial vacancies were around 20% last year. this year's numbers aren't official but appear to be up. >> it's not encouraging. and it's not just there. dion lim caught up with local business owners facing high rent and tough times in san francisco. >> tucked along busy union street in san francisco, this shop perhaps is the perfect example of living the american dream. >> i opened this store actually in 1977 when i had just graduated from college. >> for 42 years, closing store firuzi has been a neighborhood staple, her designs even worn by celebrities, but one glance today and these pictures speak a thousand words about an impending nightmare. >> the rent jumped 85% last year. it doesn't make sense with the high rent that they are asking. >> a flood, which resulted in

lost inventory didn't help either. >> it totally drained us. >> it's not just clothing retailers that are feeling the squeeze. owners of barbershops and gyms are also having a hard time making ends meet. >> i am being forced to close my doors due to increase of rent. >> marcy brisket has owned my gym children's fitness center in the dog patch neighborhood for 15 years. her rent when she first opened -- >> i was paying $5,000 for a 5,000-square-foot space. >> the space is now advertised online for over over four times that amount now. marcy also blames the city's zoning red tape for not being able to find a new space. >> and there are certain spaces that you have to get a conditional use permit, which i learned could take six to nine months and i'd have to sign a lease while i'm waiting for this permit and you pay money for it. itself it just doesn't make sense. it just doesn't make sense. >> for now the only thing that does make sense is for businesses like marcy's gym and firuze's shop to close by the

end of the year. thankfully for one there is a plan b and a second store in sausalito. dion lim, abc7 news. >> let's talk a little bit more about this. joining me now is san francisco small business owner sharky la guana. he is in the music business and helps bands go on tour. thanks for coming in. great name. you get that a lot. >> i do. >> pretty cool. what are some of the major struggles of owning a small business in san francisco. it's really tough, isn't it? >> right. from my perspective, it seems that tech has created a lot of inequities with all of its success. and so government is trying to address those inequities, and small business is becoming collateral damage in the process. what i am observing and what a lot of my fellow small business owners are observing is just there is very high fees. there is very long waits to get approvals. discretionary review is making it very difficult to get over

some of the business hurdles. and then we're dealing with the same sort of problems everyone else in the city is dealing, high property, crime rates and. >> homeless issues. >> and the ongoing cost of living. it seems like every small business i know, every small business owner i know is hanging on by a thread. we are too. i just got a notice that our rent is going to go up about 50% in the next year. >> 50? >> 50. >> can you handle that, sharky? >> i don't know. >> that's a huge hit. >> it is a huge hit. and it's happening everywhere, and it's happening to everyone. so, you know -- >> it's the downside of a booming economy? >> it's the downside. of course we're all happy to be in san francisco. i'm in love with the city. i want to stay here. i have no plans to move, and i'll fight it out until the bitter end. but what i observe, i also serve on the small business commission. and it seems like that a lot of

what government, when they come to us, it's always about how small business can contribute more in the form of fees or more regulation. and it's very rare that they come to us with here's how we can help small business. >> and clearly, particularly for small businesses, there is only so much you can take. >> that's right. >> there is a limit to how much you can absorb. i'm sort of stunned at a 50% rent increase. >> yeah. >> that's a deal breaker for probably the majority of small businesses. >> it is going to be an enormous challenge. now, granted, we've had pretty low rent for the past 15 years. it was our -- our master tenant was on a 20-year lease. >> so you've had a bit of a break. >> i've had a bit of a break. but it's still -- it's going to be corrected to market rate and it's going to be a challenge. >> sharky, does it make sense -- you know as a business owner you're in touch with small business owners around the bay area and other areas of the

country as well. does it make sense that it is so difficult for small businesses to do business in san francisco? it isn't like this in other parents of the country. >> i think we could do a lot better. i think we're all in this together. we need to sort of recognize how we can make things better for all of us collectively. i know the small business community that i'm familiar with is committed to partnering with the city and trying to make these issues that we're struggling with better for all of us. >> and before we run out of time, tick off quickly the handful of things, top two or three things you think need to be done to make it easier to do business for people like you. >> sure. we're getting fees all over the place. going through the permitting and regulation process is unduly burdensome in dealing with the effects of property crime and increasing rents is one of the biggest challenges that we're all facing. >> thank you so much for coming

on. >> thanks for having me. >> good luck. i want to hear how it goes after a 50% rent increase. that's going to be tough. we appreciate it. we want to hear your ideas about building a better bay area. share them by joining our building a better bay area group on facebook. all right. it's time check on our weather because that rain is finally coming. spencer christian has more for us. >> rain and wind and snow in the sierra. let's move along. skies will be mostly clear, but some high clouds will be gthering overnight. it will be breezy in most locations with overnight lows. rather cold in the inland valleys, in the 30s, and low 40s around the bay and near the coast. the approaching storm ranks 2 on the storm impact scale, a storm of moderate intensity. it will arrive tomorrow afternoon. it will continue into the evening and overnight hours, producing rainfall that will be heavy at times with gusty wind up to 50 miles per hour or even higher. and up to an inch of rain is likely generally across the region. so by midday tomorrow or certainly into the afternoon, it will be rainy and windy over most locations with high temperatures only in the low to

mid-50s. here is the accuweather seven-day forecast. showers will continue on wednesday, cold showers, which mei-linger into thanksgiving day. we might get a break on friday, but more rain will arrive over the weekend. it's going to be an active seven days ahead. ama? >> all right, thank you, spencer. we have breaking news to tell you about now at san francisco state university. sky 7 is over the campus. there is a suspicious package in the library. this is according to campus police. now they're urging people to avoid this area. there was an earlier shelter. er in place for the rest of the campus. that has now been lifted. the library is on holloway avenue near 19th after. no classes are being held this week, but the campus is open today. so avoid that area. >> we'll stay on top of that. let's move on. we've got much more to bring you, including the big buildup to the holidays. >> ahead, the fine art of picking the perfect christmas tree. what you need to know. plus, meet the turkeys set to be pardoned by president trump.

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a holiday tradition renewed at the white house. first lady melania trump greeted the official white house christmas tree this morning. the 16-foot douglas fir was grown in pennsylvania and was selected in national competition. the tree will be put in the blue hall of the presidential residence. our state capitol christmas tree will be lit up on thursday, december 5th.

this 60-plus white fir was chopped down in a shasta county forest. it's a replacement tree. the first one cracked and wasn't safe to ship. >> do you know the right way to pick your christmas tree? joining me is the tree lady. stephanie mueller from the de'lancesy street foundation. thank you for coming in today. >> thank you for having me. so we're looking at trees here, and we want to know. first, we've heard that there is a possible shortage of trees. have you seen that? >> yes. there has been a tree shortage. through the years, they've stopped planting as many trees. but de'lancesy treat, because we've been selling trees for 50 years in san francisco and around the bay area, every time we cut a tree, we make sure they plant a tree. so we've done more reforestation with our growers. so we have the ability to have a complete full christmas tree lot

all the way through the season. >> oh, wow. >> it's been tough, but we've been able to pull it off. >> what about the drought over the past years. did that make an impact? >> it did make an impact. id did. but we go to oregon and washington every year and do actual like on the ground hunting for the best possible christmas trees. so we're happy about the rain coming. it will keep them fresh. but we're happy to find enough to get us through this year. >> so what is the right way to choose a tree. do you have some tips for us? >> well, you have to choose the tree. everybody has a different taste. >> true. >> some people, we have every kind of tree, the fat tree, the skinny tree, the tall tree. the really skinny pencil tree. but temporaprimarily it has to h by the sense and the touch. when you feel the pine needles that they don't fall. but it's really important the get a fresh cut and to keep it in water the whole season. so get a water stand, whatever you do. >> and is that the most important thing, to check and

make sure it's not dry and. >> yeah, it really is. they hold up pretty well because they're sturdy, especially noble fir, we have right now. noble fir are heavy and have a lot of water content so those are the best way to go. >> so when are you guys open? are you already open? can people after thanksgiving? >> the day after thanksgiving. so the 29th, the second they wake up, our tree lot is open. we have four in san francisco and three in the east bay we will be open all the way through the season. and then on christmas eve, we have a couple of lots where we give the trees that are left over away for free as a donation to people who can't afford it. >> oh, that's nice. stephanie, thank you for coming in. >> you are very welcome. >> the expert tips on getting the christmas tree. i have allergies, so i'm using the fake tree. but for those who can, good out and get your tree. >> ama, you're allergic to a

christmas tree? that's terrible. >> oh no. like something out of the movies, a royal heist in germany. the precious jewels stolen, and what police are saying today. that's coming up. i'm 7 on your side's michael finney. having a car can be expensive, say yes for less to gifts storewide... ...at 20 to 60% off department store prices. most stores are open thanksgiving, 6pm to midnight. reopening friday at 7am. ...with extended hours saturday and sunday. yes for less. ...with extended hours saturday and sunday. wean air force veteran made of doing what's right,. not what's easy. so when a hailstorm hit, usaa reached out before he could even inspect the damage. that's how you do it right. usaa insurance is made just the way martin's family needs it - with hassle-free claims, he got paid before his neighbor even got started. because doing right by our members, that's what's right. usaa. what you're made of, we're made for.

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at ross. yes for less. >> the hunt is on for someone who broke into a castle vault and stole about 100 pieces of priceless treasures dating back to the 18th century. surveillance camera footag shows two suspects in the green vault in dresden. it's one of the world's oldest museums. police say these are some of the items that were taken. the green diamond one of the most valuable pieces in the vault was spared because it's being exhibited at the metropolitan museum of art in new york city. so that's a bit of a break. san francisco-based charles schwab is buying its rifle tdtd ameritrade. the two have agreed to a $26 billion deal. this could face pushback from antitrust regulators since combined the companies have more than $5 trillion in client assets. financial expert here is in the bay area say margins in the

discount brokerage business are already tight, and fees could potentially rise if a dominant player emerges. >> so i always watch for are things getting better for individual investors. and we start with no commissions. that sounds like a great thing. so we pay less for every trade we do. that's great. but now we have to watch out, is the cost going to come somewhere else or is it truly gone? that's what i would watch for. >> schwab has about 2,000 employees at its san francisco headquarters. the company hasn't released a timetable on the move. lvmh and tiffany are joining force. today the companies noun lvmh is set to buy the legendary manhattan jeweller. lvmh owns christian doe your and louis vuitton. making tiffany, valued at just over $16 billion. >> that's a lot of blue boxes. >> yeah it is. for most of us, having a car is a necessity, but it can also

be expensive. >> 7 on your side's michael finney is here now with tips to help save you money. michael? >> have you ever taken how much you spend on your car? >> no. because i don't want to know. >> depressing, depressing. owning a car can really eat up your budget. but it doesn't have to. here are five simple ways you -- things you can do right now that will save you on car costs. insurance, gas, oil changes and repairs, some of the many car costs that can drain your wallet. but there are ways to keep your car's demands at a minimum. one tip, take a defensive driving course. safe and careful drivers are cheaper to insure. according to the american association of retired persons, taking a driver's ed class can save you up to $200 a year on your insurance policy. another idea from aarp, use cruise control. it can reduce highway fuel usage by 7%. now depending on how you drive and how far, you could save as

much as $70 a year. tip three, be smart about gas. gassing up likely eats up much of your car budget. find the cheapest gas by downloading apps like gas buddy or waze. and several grocery stores or credit cards offer loyalty points, and that can be used at gas stations. tip four, keep your tires properly inflated. the environmental protection agency says driving with properly inflated tires can improve your gas mileage up to 3%. and the final tip, take good care of your car that means keeping up with regular oil changes, air filter replacements, and even something as simple as new wiper blades can keep those engines revving longer. and by the way, since we're tracking this big storm coming in, get the wiper blades now. you're going to end up tearing up your windshield. you can get pulled over for that too. >> definitely. >> and check your tires too. >> thanks, michael.

a big change may be coming to facebook. the social network has confirmed to tech crunch that it is working on a new feature for messenger that would allow users to share content to a limited circle of close friends. according to a report, the feature is being developed under the name favorites, and is similar to graham's close friends feature which the facebook-owned network rolled out last year. airbnb wants you to be able to have food experiences all around the world. it's introduced cooking to its list of experiences you can book through the website. they're hosted by families, farmer, chefs, and other locals who will share their recipes and cultural traditions with you. 3,000 cooking experiences are available in 75 countries. experiences here in the bay area include things like sour dough bread, baking, and ramen making. the first cargo carrying robot marketed directly to consumers is now on sale. piggio fast forward is now taking orders for gita, the

two-wheeled robot designed to carry groceries or other items. it's not cheap. the sale price is $3200. while it may look interesting, not everyone is impressed. some say it is doomed to fail unless it finds a more practical application such as lugging tools around warehouses, hospitals or maybe even factory floors. you might remember seeing this dog-like robot from boston dynamics. it turns out massachusetts state police became the first law enforcement agency to use it. the bomb squad tested spot for three months to scout dangerous situations. while it was primarily used for testing, it was also used in two other incidents. they say spot was not used to physically harm or threaten anyone. 'tis the season of giving, of course, but apparently that's not enough this year. >> no. the major need for donations ahead of this thanksgiving holiday, and how you can help. >> that's coming up. and kristen is here with what's ahead on abc7 news at 5:00. kristen? >> thanks. new at 5:00, on edge in

pacifica. a mountain lion is clearly spotted by a home security camera. what to do if you see one. plus -- >> we need to be out here. let them know they're being watched. >> anger and sorrow after two boys are gunned down while in a van in union city. abc7 news talks with the father of one of those boys. those stories and more when i join dan for abc7 news at 5:00.

it looks like this. for heart failure look like? ♪ the beat goes on ♪ entresto is a heart failure pill that helps improve your hearts ability to pump blood to the body. don't take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. ♪la-di-la-di-dah don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if you've had angioedema with an ace or arb. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium. ask your doctor about entresto. ♪the beat goes on yeah!

we have a big night coming up here tonight on abc7. at 8:00, it is "dancing with the stars." it's a big night. at 10:00, it's "the good doctor." then stay with us for abc7 news at 11:00. in the south bay, the first day of a thanksgiving meal donation drive is now under way. ech year sacred heart in san jose distributes thousands of holiday meal boxes, and this year it's in need of more help. here is abc7 news reporter lauren martinez. >> volunteers at sacred heart

community service are busy sorting, packing, and helping distribute thousands of holiday meal boxes. >> food. and this is a great help for me because as you can see, i have a big family. >> grace maldonado has a family of 12. and like so many others lined up to get a holiday meal box. >> it's helping us a great deal. it really is. and i'm so blessed to have this place here. >> each year sacred heart assembles a holiday box that has $100 of groceries. each box contains fresh produce, canned goods, fresh and your choice of which poultry you would like. executive director says now is the time to help. >> a lot of families have been displaced. just being able to get some groceries this time of year, being able to have a little bit of that breathing room is something that's real cause for celebration, and for families like mine, knowing that we can contribute. >> and for maldonado, she says this food will help lighten the load for expenses. >> it's very helpful for a lot

of us that are out there struggling. >> thank you. you too. >> as of this morning, sacred heart had just under 2,000 turkeys. they need 6,000 more. they'll be holding a drive today, tomorrow and wednesday. they will be closed on thursday. reporting in san jose, lauren martinez, abc7 news. >> 6,000 more. but there is still time. for more information on how you can help, all you have to do is go to our website, abc7news.com. all right. these two turkeys will live out their lives in virginia thanks to the annual turkey pardon. meet bread and butter. you can vote to see who is this year's official thanksgiving turkey. president george h.w. bush was the first to formally grant the presidential pardon in 1989. bread and butter are looking forward to their pardons tomorrow. you can get the news with the news app that has enhanced live features and personalized push

alerts to get more of the news you want delivered to your phone in realtime. that is going to do it for this edition of abc7 news at 4:00. thank you so much for joining us.

and i pointed the gun at him and he turned and pointed at me. so i shot twice at him. >> a store owner gets into a gunfight with two armed robbers near oakland's lake merritt. one bullet hits a man inside a nearby home. in union city, a memorial grows and so does the anger after two boys were killed while sitting in a van. abc7 news talks with the father of one of the boys. fire in the north bay this morning. now one of the area's oldest churches may have to shut down. a mountain lion is clearly spotted in pacifica. what to do if you see one. an incoming storm may force you to adjust travel plans if you're headed to tahoe for thanksgiving. >> that same storm is bringing rain to the bay area. we talk to an expert about how

to avoid hydroplaning. >> now news to build a better bay area from abc7 news.