good saturday morning. it is 7:00. here's a live look outside. gorgeous look at the bay bridge as we look from the embarcadero in san francisco. clouds with the sunrise peeking through. looks heavensly, doesn't it? thank you very much for joining us, i'm kira klapper. vianey arany has our microclimate forecast. it's prettier now than it was 30 minutes ago. we saw drizzle. >> yeah. we have clouds left over from a system that's bringing showers. now thankfully, it's far to the north. that's going to change our

weather pattern for today. right now the temperatures, as you wake up on this saturday morning, not bad, 40s and 50s. 55 in hayward. san jose at 51 degrees. take a look at the doppler radar. you see the showers to the north. santa rosa did see spotty showers. drizzle along the coast. the system is weakening, and despite that we will keep the chance of seeing some light showers, spotty at times for areas along ukaia and in santa rosa, as well. aside from that, once that clears out quite nicely, we will be left with some cooler temperatures. this hour, we're running about seven degrees cooler than we were yesterday. we can expect to top out with some seasonally cooler temperatures across the bay area. i'll talk about your daytime highs and how long the cooler temperatures will be sticking around coming up in about 15 minutes. >> it always happens that way, doesn't it? we had a beautiful week, and it had to end. >> clouds, hey, at least it's going to leave early on. >> good. we'll stay tuned for the rest of

that. thanks. we begin this morning with a brawl that shut down a middle school carnival. this morning eight teenagers are under arrest. this is cell phone video take own campus of britton middle school at the carnival. staff called morgan hill police and reported a teen was seen with a weapon. turns out the student had a knife. officers arrested him and his friend who reportedly gave it to him. police say that's when chaos erupted with multiple teens becoming aggressive. nearly 60 officers from morgan hill, san jose, santa clara county, and the california highway patrol were called in for backup. >> there was also groups blocking roads of responding officers staying in the crosswalks, not letting them pass with lights and sirens on. had we had additional resources and officers not needing assistance at the scene, yeah, there would have been dozens more arrested. >> the teens arrested range in age from 13 to 17 years old.

they all were booked into juvenile hall. a desperate plea from the relatives of three young children killed by their mother. they're asking governor jerry brown to step in. megan hogg was convicted of murdering her three daughters 20 years ago and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. hogg pleaded no contest to suffocating the three daughters, a 7-year-old, 3-year-old, and 2-year-old. this happened in their daley city home in 1998. this week the state prison review board recommended hogg for parole. the little girls' aunts, grandparents, and extended family are asking brown to reverse the decision. >> i'm fearful for her to come in and see if she started another family. i don't think she learned from it. >> the san mateo county d.a. and city police also oppose the decision to grant megan hogg parole.

the board of parole hearings the review the cause before the decision was is ultimately handed over to governor brown. the man investigators say is the golden state killer made his first court appearance yesterday and came face to face with some of the people he's accuse of terrorizing. 72-year-old joseph deangelo appeared in court handcuffed to a wheelchair. he looked weak, his eyes barely open. deangelo was formally charged with two counts of murder with special circumstances. investigators say he is the man known as the east area rapist and golden state killer responsible for more than 45 relationships and a dozen murders across the state in the '70s and '80s. several of his accusers were in court to see him for themselves. >> we've always said we can't rest in peace ever until he was caught. to know that it's finally happened is -- is jay us on. >> deangelo did not enter a plea. he'll be back in court may 14th. we're getting clarification on just how detectives accessed

dna information to find deangelo. they went on line to ged match. the website doesn't provide dna testing, but it's like a public billboard. you can upload your dna tests and compare it to others that have been voluntarily shared. it's especially useful for people who have been adopted and those who study genealogy. people looking for blood relatives. in a statement, ged match says, "although we were not approached by law enforcement nor anyone else about this case, it has always been ged match's policy to inform users that the data base could be used by others as set forth in the site responsible." those dna matchups don't always match up correctly. a prior search for the golden state killer at one point led to the wrong man. last year investigators used information from genetic websites and misidentified an elderly oregon man as the possible suspect.

court records showed they were able to have the judge order a man to provide a dna sample. his daughter worked with authorities to eliminate her father as the possible suspect. we were tweeting updates from the courthouse all day yesterday. you can follow along by following on twitter. our handle is @nbcbayarea. grief stricken and heartbroken, a san jose family is sharing a photo of a man who died in a mobile home fire while trying to save his niece. this is the story we brought you thursday night as breaking news. the man is 22-year-old min ho, his sister said ho thought his niece was in the home during the fire. we're told she wasn't there. she was safe with another family member. the fire left neighbors horrified. >> smoke is coming so hard that i had to walk away. >> the cause is still being investigated. after nearly four days, the people evacuated from their apartments after a construction site fire in concord are finally

back home. they've been out of their homes since tuesday. that's when a massive fire destroyed the apartment building under construction. firefighters kept everyone out of the neighboring apartments because they feared the burned out structure could collapse. >> i've got chills, i'm anxious because i don't know what's going to happen. >> atf investigators are pouring through the debris trying to determine what caused that fire. get ready now for a major strike. more than 50,000 university of california hospital workers are ready to walk the picket line. they want more pay and job security. yesterday the california nurses association joined other health care professionals in their demand for a strong contract. three major unions say their members including those at u.c. san francisco are ready to strike for three days at all u.c. locations beginning may 7th. the u.c. workers are seeking a

6% pay raise, a freeze on health care premiums, and job security that eliminates independent contractors. it is just about 7:08. we have much more ahead on "today in the bay." coming up, trading in the white board for a badge. the newest officer who's part of a historic swearing-in ceremony for the san jose police department. plus, a change to the most iconic bridge in the bay area. how your drive on the golden gate bridge will look very different in just a few years from now.

welcome back. 7:10 on your saturday morning. the sun is shining as we look over i- 0 at emery -- i-80 at emeryville. vianey arany says we will have cooler temperatures this weekend, and the possibility of a warmup. there is light at the end of the tunnel. it was history in the making yesterday for the san jose police department.

the chief swore in a class of new officers including a record number of female officers. nine women in total. with more on the way. as "today in the bay' damian trujillo reports, it's a win for the department and the city. ♪ >> reporter: they responded to their first call, a call to swear to protect and serve the citizens of san jose. >> this process is not easy, and it will never be easy. >> reporter: 47 officers took the oath. among them, nine women including denise alvarez. alvarez was a schoolteacher for three years before she decided that wearing the badge was her next calling. >> it's just an honorable position to uphold in this community. >> reporter: the department has never graduated this many female officers in any academy. >> i'm very proud. we're making history m. there's nine of us. we're very together. we got each other through.

definitely a sisterhood that we have built. >> reporter: her cadet mates said gender never mattered in this academy. >> to me, they're a bunch of recruits in the class. all of them can carry their own. >> reporter: the women will follow in the footsteps of those before them like acting captain heather randall, the highest ranking woman on the force. >> i think it's also about confidence and knowing that you have what it takes to be successful here. >> we're trying to grow the right way. it isn't just getting 60, 50 bodies in the academies. it's getting the right people. wee more work to do in that arena. >> reporter: after three years of inspiring her schoolchildren, alvarez says they were the ones who encouraged her to figure her own dreams. >> right, face -- >> reporter: and wear the badge of san jose's finest. nbc bay area news. at 7:12, we have much more ahead. coming up, the changing face of the golden gate bridge. could its famous international orange paint be a thing of the past? we'll tell you about the revamping of the bay area's most

fame use landmark and -- famous landmark and decision that's have already been made. the weather is cool. we're definitely seeing dark cloud cover out there. does that mean rain will stick around in the bay area, and who's going to expect to see more spotty showers? i'll have all the details coming up.

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welcome back. it is 7:15 on your saturday morning. a very different look as we head south to the san mateo bridge. a little bit drizzly and cloudy there. vianey arany says those showers will move out. it will be cooler this weekend, but it will be clear. a section of eastbound capital expressway in san jose is still closed this morning after an early morning crash that left a woman trapped inside her car. take a look at that. it happened just before 2:00 this morning. the driver was going eastbound on capital expressway near the tours exit when she crashed and rolled her car into a field.

when first responders arrived, she was unconscious and unresponsive. they were able to free her from the wreckage and took her to the hospital where she is underically undergoing surgery. the crash remains under investigation. check your medicine cabinets and cupboards. today is prescription drug take-back day. the dea holds this annual event for the safe disposal of any expired, unused, or unwanted prescriptions, pills, or patches. locations across the bay area will be open today from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. the service is free, and no questions will be asked. to a live look as the sun shines over the golden gate bridge and traffic flowing quite smoothly on this quiet saturday mornin morning. pretty soon a new look will be coming to the toll plaza area. the district came up with a gantry that will automatically collect tolls. the district will look to

modernize it in the future. they say a lot of teamwork make sure the look was suitable. >> we heard very clearly that both the architects and others wanted it to be international orange, not a steel gray. to not detract from the bridge or have a heavy feel. >> they say the art deco clock will always have a place of honor and will not be moved. construction is expected to begin next year with theig gant operating in 2020. you have until 6:00 tonight until an east bay favorite permanently closes its doors. virginia baker has been on shattuck avenue in berkeley for more than 80 years. known for its delicious cookies, pastries, and birthday cakes. virginia bakery has been run by the erdman family for 65 years. john and ann, the husband and wife duo who run the shop, retiring. >> the owners are great people. they've done a good community service by having this bakery,

and they deserve their retirement. >> john and ann say they're looking forward to spending their free time with their grandkids. it is 7:18. a perfect time to check in with vianey arany and a look at the weekend forecast. >> not too bad out there. it's a good day to start. w we are seeing cloud cover. you may have spotty showers. 51 in the south bay. 53 for the peninsula. tri-valley, cloudy at 50 degrees. the north bay, 47 degrees. nice shot of the golden gate bridge in san francisco where you see a couple of broken clouds out there. east bay at 56 degrees. fairly mild. we still have activity on the radar. you'll definitely notice it's going to be a seasonal cool afternoon. our 24-hour temperature change and fog now, seeing some foggy conditions up in santa rosa. patchy fog along the coast.

hayward, three degrees cooler than yesterday at this hour. seven degrees cooler in napa than yesterday. you can still see the showers, but you can just tell how far off north they are. ukaia still seeing spotty rain, the majority of the activity will start to diminish shortly after noon. santa rosa and anything north of the golden gate bridge judging by the moisture off the coast still has a chance of seeing spotty showers. more than likely this will stay pretty off to the north. the rest of the area, don't expect a washout day in the area. the temperature trend, 54 in san francisco now. keeping that cloud cover, partly clear throughout the afternoon. we will start topping out into the upper 50s for san francisco with a high of about 58 degrees into the afternoon. we'll kind of stay in this rank along the coastline. but if you're going to be doing a nice jog this morning because it is saturday, i know everybody's ambitious on a saturday and likes to get up

nice and early for a jog -- i don't. i prefer an afternoon jog. if you notice by 12:00, we start to notice a little bit of a nice cloud cover starting to diminish, bringing out sunshine. as you head out, bring the allergy medication. i've been hearing a lot more people sneezing. it is that time of year. trees and grass moderate, mold and weeds remain low. overall, the pollen report, oak and pine are the ones to look out for. i suffer from watery eyes. let me know how you deal with your allergies. we'll be comfortable, cool, san jose at 67. millipede, 66. cuperti cupertino, 65. east bay sticking to the 60s. danville at about 67. along the coast, expect similar conditions with upper 50s. in the north bay, also checking into the 60s. over the next secretary of days, a look -- next seven days, a

look at what to expect. spotty showers to the north. by sunday, a-okay. still in the 50s. we'll pick up breezy to windy conditions heading toward sunday. that will linger toward tuesday. as you look at inland temperatures, we go from 60s, the seasonally cooler temperatures, back up to the upper 70s and yes, an 80 friday. >> that looks good. thanks. 7:21. ahead on "today in the bay," teaching life lessons through a game he loves. why a local man left his job in the medical field to become a chess teacher. a story that will make you bay area proud. you could save energy by living off the grid. completely. you could generate your own energy, at home. maybe you could save energy by weaving your own shoes... out of flax. or... just set the washing machine to cold.

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move...they think many moves ahead. but this story is about a very good chess player ... who welcome back. a good chess player doesn't just think about the next move, they think many moves ahead. this story is about a very good chess player who couldn't have predicted his life's course. "today in the bay's" garvin thomas has his story in "bay area proud."

able tolomez said looking back, his love of chess stemmed from being in sole control of the outcome. at a time of his life when he didn't feel completely in control, chess was the answer. >> you have this knight pinned, this knit pinned -- >> reporter: freeing yourself from a trap. it's one of the skills able teaches his students how to do on a chess board. it is also something he's shown a knack for in life, as well. you see, before running bay area chess, an enrichment program teaching more than 2,000 students at more than 100 bay-area skills, able worked for close to 20 years in a job in the medical field that paid the bills but didn't feed his soul. >> i didn't feel like what i did made a difference. >> reporter: when that got to be too much and it came time to make a change going forward, able went back to his childhood

and a gift he once received. >> one of my aunts got my a chess set for christmas. >> reporter: abe took to the game so well, that while a student at san jose's lincoln high school, he was one of the best chess players anywhere. >> i was ranked 16th in the country in my age group. >> reporter: but remaining at that level requires almost complete dedication to the game. soon, work, school, and eventually a family mean able couldn't. he didn't just play less chess, he stopped. >> nothing. nothing. did i ever play with friends on the side or anything like that? nothing. it was -- it was completely dormant. >> reporter: able only returned to the game when he knew his life had to change. >> one of the things i found was there were always things that remained constant. >> reporter: able couldn't be

happier with his decision. and the students he works with seem pretty thrilled, too. able knows that his day of playing elite chess are long behind him. chances that any of his current students will one day become grand masters, but neither of those are the point of all this. teaching is students to avoid traps on the board and in life is. >> if these kids learn these things at this early age and go off and have this effect on others in their community and set this good example, it's good for the community and good for the world. >> reporter: able says the ability to lose and still be a good sport about it is one of the great skills that these kids take away from bay area chess. garvin thomas, nbc bay area news. it is 7:26. much more ahead on "today in the bay." coming up, it could be a grand slam. the new deal for the oakland as and a new stadium site. plus, disturbing to watch. a viral video shows people

shooting up inside a b.a.r.t. station. what bart says it's doing about it next.

good morning. it is 7:29 on your saturday. as the sun shines over the cupid span, this is on the embarcadero darrow, of course, in san francisco. a gorgeous start to the weekend. you can see the ferry building in the background. thank you very much for joining us. i'm kira klapper. vianey arana has a look at our microclimate forecast. it really is a microclimate this morning because it's not that pretty south of the city. >> a couple of spots are still seeing cloud cover. have no fear, that should clear out nicely, especially into the afternoon. you'll get a chance to go outside. doppler radar right now, you see we've got some of the showers far off to the north now. leading toward the medford areas, oregon seeing showers, ukaia seeing spotty showers. the rain chances will diminish into the afternoon. you can see we have cloud cover along woodside.

54 degrees. the temperatures in the upper 40s and 50s as you head out the door. keep in mind that we are tracking seasonally cool temperatures. the temperatures will be topping out in the 50s along the coast and 60s inland. in san jose, the temperature trend climbs nicely into the upper 60s. how long will these cooler temperatures last, and when can we expect to see a warmup? i'll have the answer coming up in about 15 minutes. >> i got a sneak preview of that. it looks good. all right. thanks. we begin this morning with a brawl that shut down a middle school carnival. this morning eight teenagers are under arrest. this is cell phone video taken on campus of britton middle school at yesterday's carnival. school staff called morgan hill police and reported a teen was seen with a weapon. turns out he had a knife. officers arrested him and his friend who reportedly gave it to him. police say that's when chaos erupted with other teens

becoming aggressive. nearly 60 officers from morgan hill, san jose, santa clara county, and the which were called in for backup. >> there was also groups blocking roadways of responding officers staying in the crosswalks, not letting them pass with lights and sirens on. had we had additional resources and officers not needing assistance at the scene, yeah, there would have been dozens more arrested. >> the teens arrested range in age from just 13 to 17 years old. they all were booked into juvenile hall. a desperate plea from the relatives of three young children killed by their mother. they're now asking governor jerry brown to step in. megan hogg was convicted of murdering her three daughters 20 years ago. she was sentenced to 24 years to life in prison. hogg had pleaded no contest to suffocating her three daughters, 7, 3, and 2 years toeold at the time, in their daley city home

in 1998. this week the state prison review board recommended hogg for parole. the little girls' aunts, grandparents, and extended family are asking governor brown to reverse the decision. >> i'm fearful for her to come in and see if she started another family m. i don't think she learned from it. >> the d.a. and city police have opposed the decision to grant hogg parole. new the board of parole hearings will review the case before the decision ultimately is handed over to governor brown. a chilling sight yet as the accused -- sight yesterday as the accused golden state killer was wheeled into the courtroom. james deangelo spoke softly. a vastly different man from those victims remember, accused of being a brutal killer and serial rapist in the '70s and '80s. the 72-year-old deangelo was

formally charged with murder yesterday. cheryl hurd shows how more than 30 years of crimes are being addressed after this cold case was cracked this week. >> reporter: joseph deangelo appearing frail and dazed with his eyes barely open in a sacramento courtroom. the judge reading the charges against him. deangelo only saying a few words. >> i have a lawyer. >> reporter: while deangelo's brother-in-law says the family is in shock -- >> we didn't know -- we were totally blind sided. there's nothing there to case this happen someday. it seems unbelievable to me and my daughters. >> reporter: prosecutors confirming they used genealogy to track down deangelo. investigators say authorities compared dna from the crime scene years ago with genetic profiles available through the genealogy website ged match. the goal -- find distant relatives of the killer. that helped law enforcement

track down deangelo. >> you see that they share more dna. you stepped closer to who the offender is. >> reporter: that narrowed down the suspect pool. eventually leading to deangelo. a sigh of relief for many women who were in the courtroom. >> i'm grateful that in my lifetime i got to see this case was solved. >> he's the boogieman. he's the original boogieman for every teenager girl in rancho cordova. now to an especially nightmarish friday night commute as drivers tried to get out of san francisco. several eastbound lanes of the bay bridge were closed for nearly two hours. this after a which officer was dragged by a car after a traffic stop on the approach to the bay bridge. that officer has been released from the hospital. our sky ranger was overhead showing this scene during our 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. newscasts last night. the female driver was arrested and faces several charges including assault with a deadly weapon.

some of san francisco's dirty secrets are now being exposed. a new video has gone viral, and it shows problems that bart commuters have to deal with daily. shannon gavard documented his walk through the civic center b.a.r.t. station in san francisco. he says this was during the morning commute. it appears to show people using needles. other people are unconscious on the ground, surrounded by vomit. bart officials are promising to take action. >> we're building partnerships with the communities that we serve because we know this is the priority. we know we need to get better at this, and we're committed to doing that. >> bart says it's working with homeless outreach teams and in recent months, 20 new people have been hired to help clean up stations. they're kicked, choked, and battered, all while trying to operate a bus full of people. a.c. transit drivers tell us they fear for their lives because they can't get help when they need it the most.

senior investigator reporter vicky nbc10 wiguyen with more. >> reporter: we found a spike in the number of reported assaults on a.c. transit. passengers saying they need a direct line to police so they don't have to wait in an emergency. now drivers have to relay concerns to transit dispatchers who relay it to deputies. in this incident, ten minutes pass between when the driver calls for help and law enforcement arrives. a.c. transit doesn't know if that's unusual because they don't keep track of response times. they say they have a system that automatically tracks drivers' locations to send help quickly. you can see these incidents unfolding and hear why drivers think it's a matter of life and death. go to nbcbayarea.com/weinvestigate. >> vicky nguyen for us. to the as and port of oakland apparently ready to play ball. port commissioners have approved an agreement that gives the as one year to decide if the terminal is a suitable stadium

site. the terminal says the as will put up a $100,000 deposit. it is refundable if the sides are not able to come up with a deal within a year. the waterfront location is one two of sites the area is playing, it's at a site that would be demolished and have a new ballpark. the as and dodgers -- giants and dodgers renew their rivalry. you can see the highlights next.

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tonight --oracle will surely welcome back. 7:39. a live look at oracle arena. tonight oracle will surely turn into roar kelly as it hosts game one of the warriors second-round playoff series versus the new orleans pelicans. possible good news steph curry could be ready to go for tonight's game. tip-off is set for 7:30. it's only april, but the

giants and dodgers met for the seventh time this season. let's head to at&t park where the game was tied at four in the seventh inning. the giants had runners on second and third when dodgers' pitcher pedro baez gets his cleat stuff in the dirt and falls off the mound. hernandez comes in to score. the giants would add one more run and beat the dodgers 6-4. the as have quietly won nine of their last 11 games. this is a story of the season so far. so is this guy, as pitcher. last week he threw a no hitter. last night he shut down the defending world series champions. the as beat the astros 8-1. ouch. much more ahead on "today in the bay." coming up, why marijuana farmers are risking jail time to sell on the black market even though it's legal in california. and right now in san francisco, 57 degrees. how is that for a saturday

morning? slight changes on the way. we'll talk about that for your saturday and of course sunday coming up.

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that's our thing. visit att.com/internet. good morning. 7:43. doppler radar showing slight activity thanks to kind of a weaker system that brought some light showers, especially toward santa rosa, even along the peninsula, drizzle this morning. now you see we've still got moisture, but areas pretty far off to the north still have a chance of seeing spotty showers, including ukaia and anything north of eureka, as well. right now, the current temperatures not too bad. we remain in the 50s, although it is fairly cloudy in some spots. you see the south bay, 51, peninsula, 53. the tri-valley, we've got cloutsds, 50 degrees. check out san francisco, nice shot of the golden gate bridge. and this is kind of what's to come. we'll see the skies clear out quite nicely, beautifully into the afternoon. north bay, 49 degrees. and it is fairly mild.

let's look at the 24-hour temperature change. we are running a couple of degrees cooler. specifically in napa. seven degrees cooler this hour. temperatures remain seasonally cool. highs for today top out in the 50s along the coast. it's going to be a perfect morning to go out on a nice jog. if you're heading to walnut creek, here's the temperature trend. we will be climbing nicely into the 60s by the mid-afternoon. if you are heading outside or doing outdoor activity, look at the pollen report, trees and grass moderate, weeds, low. dealing with oak and pine. keep that in mind woo you're going to be outside at any point. i've been feeling the bite of those allergies. your microclimate highs for today, we will remain comfortable, in the 60s for san jose. topping out at about 67 degrees. millipede, 6. morgan hill, upper 60s. 68. for oakland, 64. not bad in the east bay, trending in the 60s. along the coast and the

peninsula, some upper 50s for half moon bay, redwood city, 64. not too bad in the city, although it is going to get breezy to windy heading to tomorrow and into the start of the workweek. that one thing you will notice as we continue to kind of carry out throughout tonight and into tomorrow, the winds will start to pick up. north bay, 63 for santa rosa, novato, 65. the next seven days, tomorrow, breezy to windy conditions. that will stick around monday and tuesday. temperatures will remain in the 50s. and then as we head in toward the later portion of the upcoming workweek, look at temperatures, starting to climb nicely into the 70s on tuesday. dealing with upper 70s heading toward next weekend. i know that we haven't quite ended this weekend, but already if you had plans next weekend, a lot of people on facebook live ask about the upcoming plans. so far, so good. nothing as we head into the

workweek ahead. back to you. >> the future workweek looks good. thanks. it is 7:45. ahead on "today in the bay," legal marijuana is a build-dollar industry in california. it's legal. we investigate the reason pot growers are risking fines and possible jail time instead of going legit. many marijuana farmers -- are

still operating in the shadows. it )s being called an emerging welcome back. the law is on their side, but many marijuana farmers are still operating in the shadows.

it's being called an emerging crisis, farmers worry they can't get into california's new cannabis marketplace, so instead they're choosing to sell on the black market. liz warner is here to expose why. >> reporter: it's been nearly four months since recreational pot became legal here in california, and fwe found a fraction of growers are trying to go legit. we go to heart of cannabis country to find out why. humboldt county is the epicenter of cannabis cultivation. for decades, growers flock to the hills to hide. new state laws are letting farmers step out of the shadows, or so we thought. you're growing on the black market still. >> illicit, yes, ma'am. >> reporter: this grower asked us to blur his face and call him by a nickname, j.d., because he's breaking the law. he doesn't have permits to grow pot. did you want to do things the right way? did you want to go through the

permitting process? >> i did in the beginning. i did. i looked forward to doing that. and -- it ended up being a lot more restaurant than you would think. >> reporter: it can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to come up to code. with california's weed prices plummeting, j.d. doesn't see how the investment pays off. he says black market growers can do much better, selling to out-of-state buyers willing to pay a lot more. >> many of the illicit market growers are addicted to that cash. and that's something that's super hard to give up. >> and any outdoor volunteervation -- >> reporter: the planning department is on the hunt for illicit growers who can face steep fines. we obtained nearly 100 violation orders sent to people growing without permits. staffers show us the aerial satellite images they look to spot their farms. >> there are, believe it or not, a lot of parcels in humidiboldt county that that aren't legal. >> reporter: the county has received 1,800 permit applications so far with another window opening in june.

he says that's a lot. we found it's less than 30% of all pot farmers, and it's possible even more are still operating illegally. what does that say to you? >> it says to me that some people did count the cost and recognized that they will continue to make more on the black market. >> reporter: compared to other places, humboldt is a success. we crunched the numbers in nearby mendocino county, 18% of the estimated growers tried to get permits. in sonoma county, it's 4%. why does it all matter? consumers don't know what they're getting on the black market. legal weed is tested for pesticides to make sure it's safe. regulators say illegal grows will continue to damage the environment. >> for a lot of people who have spent the money to become permitted and done the work, it's really difficult to see neighbors expanding that are unpermitted. >> reporter: scott davis is a longtime grower who was doing things the right way. on a rainy afternoon, he shows

us the farm in one of most remote places in humboldt county. >> it's important that cultivation be moved on this kind of a property. >> reporter: he spent years searching for the perfect spot to grow legally. it's flat and close to water. now half a million dollars later, he has a permit. you saw these new regulations coming? >> absolutely. >> reporter: like a freight train? >> absolutely. >> i'm going to say the industry so far is doing a good job of complying with the regulations. >> reporter: according to state records, just 8% of the estimated growers in california have applied for state licenses. she says she expects that number to go up. >> of course, the black market, the illicit market, will by all accounts continue to thrive. does that worry you? >> absolutely. i think it's our job along with the local jurisdictions to not create a situation where the

black market is thriving. that's why we're working on our final regulations to address these issues that aren't working. >> reporter: j.d. says the growers here, growers like him, put marijuana on the map. he says rulemakers at rural and state levels are failing to bring many of them into the fold. >> 90% of the people that voted for the bill that were growers are now 90% shut out of the market. and all of them are still growing here in humboldt county m. they're all illicit. >> reporter: the state is fine-tuning rules to make it easier for growers to get in on the legal action. meanwhile, humboldt county continues to offer incentives to growers to move on to floorpts can be permitted. several counties have banned cannabis growing altogether so anyone doing it is on the black market. liz wagner, back to you. >> liz wagner for us, thanks.

if you have a story idea or tip for our investigative unit, call 888-996-tips, or go to our website, nbcbayarea.com/weinvestigate. we rely on those tips. it is 7:54. still much more ahead on "today in the bay." coming up, the "clear the shelters" segment featuring our friends from pets in need. meet noodles and bob next. segme"

this morning -- some special guests from pets in need. executive director al welcome back. time for our "clear the shelters" segment. guests from "pets in need," al malika is here, and eileen contreras, executive assistant. you are here with noodles and bobby. noodles is the white cat, and bobby is the brown dog. they are so cute. they are so teeny. tell me about them. >> so they are both about three-month-old. very active.

any family would do for them. >> you look like you're -- you're restraining noodles, and that's actually partially the truth. she's very active. >> she's a little friskier than bobby is this morning. right. >> they're so sweet. they're both teeny tiny. will they grow much? what kind of home would be good for them? >> any home. any active home would be great. they will grow about triple their size. >> he may end up being not too much bigger than he is. he seems like a miniature chihuahua. he's not going to get much bigger. >> he's calm. >> very calm for a baby. three months old. >> three months old. they're both so sweet. you can always adopt one at a time. what's the thing -- subtraction by addition? sometimes if you adopt more, they play with one another, and you don't have so much work. >> especially with kittens. >> give that a thought. you're also here because you want to talk about a special

adoption event coming up on may 5th which is slrtd next weekend. it will already be may. and they if they're not adopted by then would be a part of it. >> right. this is the bissell foundation, the vacuum cleaner folks. very generously go around the country and work with shelters to do this, and the shelters event where they pay for the adoptions of all the animals adopted on that particular day. >> wow. >> next saturday we'll be open from 10:00 to 5:00, all of our adoption fees will be waived, and the bissell foundation will cover the costs. >> incredibly generous. >> agreed. >> you include spaying, neutering, microchips, all of that. a great deal. although i can't promise they will be available a week from today. they might be snatched up this weekend. al and irene, thank you very much for joining us with noodles and bobby. find out more on their website, petsinneed.org. thank you very much for making us a part of your morning. we'll have more local news for

you at 4:30 and a special newscast at 8:00. you could save energy by living off the grid. completely. or... just set the washing machine to cold. do your thing.

with energy upgrade california. watching television that's s educational and informational. the more you know on nbc. josh: today on the voyager... i monkey around with some of panama's most adorable creatures. they are absolutely magnificent. explore the historic quarter of panama city. so this city seems to be going through a massive growth spurt, right? mauricio: that's right. josh: and, go off the grid visiting an indigenous tribe that lives deep in the rainforest. oh, this is amazing. anne gordon: is this incredible? josh: i got to say, i've always wanted to do like a true tribal experience. anne gordon: yeah? here it is. josh: i'm so welcome right now! my name is josh garcia. ever since i was a kid i've dreamt about travelling the world by ship,