a deadly explosion inside this menlo park laboratory. what investigators believe went wrong here. >> and the pg&e is taking this weekend to ease fears following that gas explosion.

and we're tracking tropical storm lee, the impact on new orleans and gas prices nationwide. good morning. welcome to mornings on 2. it's saturday, september 3rd. a lot of action across the bay area today, including college football. let's get to rosemary with a peek at your forecast. good morning, rosemary. >> good morning to you. we have a cooling trend labor day weekend and if you're headed to the beach we have high surf to talk about. the waves could hit from a 6 to 9 feet high. some of the highest waves may actually get to about 14 feet. but we want to talk about the long period swells because that could mean rip currents, large shores breaks, and the sneaker waves some for the beach-goers, keep an eye on your children this afternoon. high tide will be about 3:00 for the santa cruz area. these are south and southwest facing beaches. more on this plus what you can

expect for your weekend, numbers coming up in just a few moments. a scientist killed and another employee seriously injured at a chemical explosion in a silicon valley laboratory. it happened yesterday afternoon at the member research building in menlo park, where al action savage is. any word on what went wrong? >> reporter: scientists were transferring gases from one cylinder to another, and investigators are looking this morning at the possibility that one of those containers may have failed. you can see behind us membrane technology is shut down this morning, the sign here says it's unsafe to go inside. this blast happened just after 4 yesterday afternoon inside a lab at this building. one scientist was killed. he was the person transferring that mixture of gases, including methane. the fire department says his coworkers had to pull the man out of the building. he died later from his injuries. another woman was badly hurt as well. she was standing near the

doorway of the lab. >> when the explosion occurred, the male victim was obviously most significantly impacted by that explosion. the female was essentially blown through -- an open doorway in the laboratory. >> the entire building had to be evacuated after the explosion yesterday afternoon as firefighters vend that leaking methane cylinder. according to their website, membrane technology does work for a number of oil and chemical companies around the world. the company has not yet issued a statement at this point. the fire department says there is no threat this morning to anyone living in the surrounding area here in menlo park. and there's no word -- or osha doing a full investigation and we are not getting any word on when membrane technology will be opening back up. reporting live, alex savage, ktvu channel 2 news. tomorrow pg&e crews will return to a cupertino neighborhood the scene of a natural gas explosion earlier

this week. on wednesday afternoon the owner of this condo smelled natural gas, but did not report it. soon thereafter a powerful explosion occurred, doors were ripped from her home and a fire started. pg&e says as crews investigated the blast, they found six more gas leaks in other parts of that complex. >> the number of leaks that we have in this community is concerning us. it's a very big concern that we take very seriously. >> we spoke to pg&e this morning and they say all the leaks have been fixed. tomorrow crews will be going door to door, in the neighborhood, answering questions and checking appliances. pg&e officials will also continue to assess the vulnerability of its 1200 mile network of plastic gas distribution. san francisco mayor ed lee is drawing criticism for comments he made praising pg&e. on thursday the mayor spoke at a child lieutenant are i event and called pg&e a great company

for their $250,000 donation to the program. his fellow mayoral candidates were quick to respond. some said his support of pg&e is insensitive to the victims and residents of san bruno. mayor lee says he holds pg&e accountable for the deadly explosion but that does not mean they cannot be recognized for doing something good. the pilot of a small plane is recovering from multiple broken bones after crashing into a vineyard. the plenty went down yesterday afternoon near george and matthews roads in lakeport. police say the crash happened after takeoff from a nearby runway. the name of the pilot has not been released but police say he is from san rafael. the national transportation safety board is investigating and still trying to determine why that plane went down. san francisco police are investigating an overnight shooting in the city's south of market neighborhood. it happened near sixth and harrison streets, just before 2:30 this morning. one person was injured and rushed to the hospital. there is no information on the suspect or motive behind that shooting. both political parties say

getting the the nation back to work remains a top priority. and president obama called on congress to pass a transportation bill, which he says insures funding for roads and construction jobs. >> allowing this bill tokes pyre would be a disaster for our infrastructure and economy. right away over 4,000 workers would be furloughed without pay. >> funding would be held up. and the g.o.p. weekly address, virginia congressman bob complained that white house has spent too much money on stimulus initiatives with failed results. >> the president's stimulus spend has proven counter- productive. government has gotten in the the way when it can be part of the solution. >> he urge the president use next thursday's speech on jobs

to support passage of an amendment. he says job creation is a high priority issue. the unemployment rate stands at 9.1%. right now southern california firefighters are working to contain a wildfire that has forced 1500 people from their homes. that fire is burning near interstate 15 in the oak hills area. the fire has spread to nearly two square miles and has destroyed two mobile homes. two firefighters suffered minor injuries and yesterday the fire closed interstate 15 in both directions, causing huge traffic problems. all lanes have since been reopened. governor jerry brown is working on fire protection fees for rural homeowners, proposing legislation to raise them from 150 to $175. the fees were part of the budget deal earlier this year. brown wants to change the wording of the bill and increase the fee to insure there's enough money in the firefighting budget. the first rain from tropical storm lee is falling on the gulf coast. lee could dump 20 inches of

rain this weekend. while the center of the storm won't arrive until this afternoon, the outer bands are already pelting the region. tropical storm warnings have been issued from mississippi to texas, and flash-flood warnings have extended along the alabama coast into the florida panhandle. >> there's going to be strong winds, a lot of rains and water. there will be higher tides than normal. >> residents of new orleans fear a repeat of hurricane katrina, and tropical storm lee could provide a major test for the city's rebuilt levees. the storm has already disrupted oil production from the gulf of mexico. platforms and drilling rigs have been evacuated. daily oil production from the gulf has been cut by half p while hurricane irene had minimal impact on oil futures, federal regulators believe lee will drive up prices at the pump. you will also see price spikes due to the high demand for gas this labor day weekend. and here is a look at some bay area gas prices this morning.

compared to last year, you're background about 80 cents more a gallon today. >> good morning to you. given us a live look at the fog outside our door. it's thicker this morning than it was yesterday. and we do have a cooling trend in time for your weekend. starting a look at tropical storm lee here. you can see right off the coastline, moving ashore louisiana, mississippi and the florida panhandle feeling it this morning. and it's not going to move any time soon. it's moving about northwest -- 7 miles per hour. so it's expected to hang along the coastline through tomorrow. winds 60 miles per hour in some cases. and again, we're expecting a lot of flooding out of this and coastal flooding as well. here at home, a cool for the coastline. hot inland as we move through your saturday. we are expecting temperatures to continue to fall.

this morning the clouds, fog and drizzle on the coastline is what we're seeing, and the stronger onshore breeze is what we expect to end the afternoon. temperatures will begin to dip today, a bigger drop expected for inland areas by tomorrow. your fog forecast here, notice it's pretty widespread this morning. concord, livermore mostly clear skies as well as fairfield. by 10:00 or so, peeling back to about the east bay. and then inside the golden gate there for most of the day, but coastline could actually have partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies at times for the afternoon. 55 degrees right now, fairfield. 56 in concord. low 50s in oakland. 54 outside your door at san francisco. low 50s, santa rosa, few degrees of yesterday morning. and your forecast highs expected for today, 84 expected for novato. mid-80s in santa rosa. 80 degrees san rafael. 74 berkeley. mid-70s for oakland and widespread 90s for the inland east bay. 94 expected in pleasanton today

as well as livermore. air quality has improved. good to moderate around the region. 84 expected in the south bay. san jose 91, morgan hill 79 expected san mateo 82 degrees, redwood city 60s along the coastline and low 70s expected santa cruz. if you're just joining us we do have high surf anticipated for the weekend. our south and southwest facing beaches. your extended forecast there for the weekend, temperatures continuing to fall on the coastline. it will be cloudy and cool by tomorrow and into monday. our inland areas becoming more comfortable, slipping back into the upper 80s. tuesday, wednesday we do rebound. temperatures sitting back low 70s for the coastline and widespread low 90s expected for our inland areas. we have your lunchtime numbers coming up in just a little bit. another person kicked off a plane for wearing his pants too low but this time it's a well- known musician. and if you plan on flying in the coming weeks, a new warning from the state department. what it's saying about al- qaeda.

plus, you're taking a live look outside on a very foggy saturday morning. that is the golden gate bridge. we'll have more coming up on mornings on 2. [ screaming ]

[ zapping ] there goes dwayne's car. oh, man. there goes dwayne's house. whoa! whoa!

and there goes dwayne. man, that thing does not like dwayne. [ male announcer ] state farm's got you covered. nice landing. it was. [ male announcer ] get to a better state. good morning to you! giving you a live look there at the sunshine trying to burn through the clouds. mostly sunny skies expected for the afternoon. one person is presumed dead after a midair collision between two single-engine planes. the planes collided near the village of night over western alaska. one of planes was able to land and the pilot walked away from that incident. butt second plane crashed and burst into flames. police say they have not recovered the pilot's body. another person has been removed from a bay area flight for saggy pants, but this time the passenger in question is a well-known bay area musician.

billy jo armstrong is the lead singer and thursday he was boarding a southwest flight and on his twitter page he said he was kicked off the flight because his pants were too low. people we spoke to had mixed feelings about the incident. >> it's no excuse for bad manners, but he should have had his pants up. >> full disclosure needs to be clear, up front, needs to be accessible, the information. >> and on its twitter page, southwest confirmed armstrong got into an at occasion with a male flight attendant. last night they issued a statement saying they had a pommize towed armstrong and the situation was resolved to his liking. the company is investigating whether or not their employee correctly handled that incident. a new alert issued for those expected to fly in the coming weeks. the state department issued a global travel warning for u.s. citizens flying around the world. this latest advisory comes a week before the 10th

anniversary of 9/11. government officials say they are warning americans to be vigilant about al-qaeda and its affiliates despite no current threat. some passengers at sfo said the warning is a bit too much. >> i think it's an overreaction. all the extra stuff they have to. >> i love it. i love it because i want to be safe. >> an estimated 2.5 million americans are expected to fly this labor day weekend. and on the among of september 11th, we will have live coverage of the various ceremonies taking place, commemorating the 9/11 attacks. ktvu will also air a special called 9/11, a decade of change. that live broadcast is at 6 p.m. on september 11th. environmentalists are blasting president obama for abandoning a clean air proposal that would have significantly reduced smog. the president says the new regulations would impose too severe of a burden on industries and local

governments at a time of economic distress. but environmentalists accuse him of caving in to business groups and republicans. the g.o.p. and major industries claim the new standards would throw jobs and costs up to $90 billion a year. right now california's electron, recycling program is funded by consumers. but critics say that needs to change and what manufacturers to foot the bill. here in california residents pay a fee of 6 to $10 when they buy laptops and tvs. that money is then used to reimburse u.s. waste recyclers in. other states the manufacturer pays for recycling programs. >> if you boy a product from a brand name manufacturer, they'll take it back and make sure it's recycled or they pay part of the cost for recycling. that doesn't happen in california. >> critics say california's law needs to change to encourage manufacturers to take back more of their products, help pay for recycling programs and design devices easier to rea cycle. an attempt to build a

casino in richmond has been rejected. the band of indians wanted to build a complex but the department of interior denied the application. the key reason cited was the fact that the tribe's existing tribal lands in mendocino county are more than 100 miles away from richmond. earlier this year, the richmond city council also rejected that project. monterey county health officials are urging residents to be cautious of wildlife and vaccinate their dogs and cats against rabies. they say two bats tested positive for the virus in the carmel and carmel valley areas last month. rabies is past humans and animals through a bite from a rabid animal. thousands of people are expected in downtown oakland this weekend for the international cannabis and hemp expo. it's thought to be the first of its kind in the nation. exhibiteddors started the set- up yesterday. more than 300 vendors are

expected. organizers have designated a special smoking area in front of city hall for medical marijuana users. anyone who attends the ebbs po today and tomorrow must be at least 18 years old. in southern california, look at this 10-foot wave crashing along the coast. the damage the high surf is causing and how long this is expected to last. >> just high surf will continue through the weekend. we'll look at that and show you the numbers expected outside your doors this afternoon, coming up. ♪

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that's a step forward. chase customers can avoid atm fees with over 16,000 nationwide. take a step forward and chase what matters. the passenger of a small plane is recovering after being pulled from the ocean. the plane was flying over sydney when the po poehler died. witnesses on the beach saw the plane crash into the water and swim out to help. the pilot died in the crash and the man rescued suffered spinal injuries but is expected to recover. a typhoon has made landfall in southern japan. the typhoon already flood more

than 300 homes and triggered several landslides. at least one person is dead and three others remain missing. one of the victims is a 75-year- old woman. today more large waves are expected to continue pounding the california coast. this is video from newport beach, where 10-foot sets crashed ashore yesterday. residents say the big waves damaged a wooden boardwalk and steps at one beach, while water and debris are also reaching parking lots and other areas. the high surf is a result of the a powerful storm off the coast of new zealand. the big waves are expected to continue to roll in through tomorrow night. and the waves are also causing some problems, closer to home. and people are being warned, be extra-careful when hitting the beaches this holiday weekend. this was the scene yesterday in santa cruz as the large sets came barreling in. lifeguards had to make a couple rescues asafa agreed to swimmers as the harbor patrol prepares for the weekend's crowd they're warning people

not to underestimate mother nature. >> you could be looking out at the ocean and it could appear flat and calm, and then 10 minutes later a big set comes in out of nowhere. >> a santa cruz harbor patrol is also working to protect the docks, which are still damaged from japan's tsunami. some boat owners are now moving their vessels to avoid any damage. certainly warning for people heading to the beach on this holiday weekend. and rosemary, i this we're getting decent weather for outdoor activity. >> we're expecting beach-goers to head that way. the surfers loving the area but it's the winds that will be caught off guard by that big sur in through the afternoon. a live look at the sunshine coming up, we do have a thicker marine layer but it's expected to burn off and clear to near the coast. i want to zoom in. so again, it's our south and southwest facing beaches. high tide near santa cruz right about 3:00. right now the wave heights

between 5 and 7 feet. but they're expected to reach 6 to 9 feet and some of the top spots will be even higher than that, almost double that. so again, please be careful out there. it could be very dangerous for beach-goers. rip current, large shore breaks could catch you off. sneaker waves sneak up on. our temperatures will begin to slip today. more so for tomorrow. sitting in the 50s to low 60s at this hour. we have a little dense fog over the north bay, patchy drizzle on the coastline, and low clouds around the bay. mostly sunny skies expected by noontime. low 60s for the coast. widespread low 80s for some warmer inland spots. and then for the afternoon, another hot day for the valley locations. and again, slightly cooler for the coastline. mid-80s santa rosa, 84 in napa. mid-70s on the east bay oakland 80. hayward inland and it's warmer, 91 concord, 94 livermore, into the santa clara valley. 84 expected san jose.

91 morgan hill. on the peninsula 70s 380s. 67 expected in san francisco. for the second half of the day. extended forecast here into your weekend, temperatures the cooling trend continuing through labor day monday. and then as we get back to work on tuesday, we'll rebound. low 70s become in the forecast for the coastline. low 90s for the inland areas. but again, for your weekend expect temperatures upper 80s, low 90s for the valley locations. 60s for the coastline. the nfl season kicks off thursday night. the 49ers open on the 11th while the raiders play on monday night, the 12th players and teams are concentrating on the football. the players association agreed to testing pass part of their collective bargain agreement. at least the first week players will be tested for drugs but not for human growth hormone. bay area college football kicks off today. cal is hosting their home

opener in san francisco. the game is being played at candlestick park at 4:00 this afternoon. berkeley's memorial stadium is being renovated now. and after today the season home games will be played at at&t park. stanford kicks off their season with a home game against san jose state. kickoff is at 2:00. stanford a ranked 7th and 6th in the u.s.a. today coaches poll. that is her highest preseason ranking since 1950. a new type of bicycle helmet could soon be on the market but it doesn't even go on your head. this helmet is worn as a collar around your neck. inside the collar is an air bag that inflates to surround your head if you fall. centers pellet when to ability visit by your movements. you switch is on by zipping it around your neck. remains in the dark this morning, why are the lights up

and running at the town fair? >> and a deadly explosion inside this menlo park laboratory. how investigators think it happened and what scientists were doing right before the blast.

one man is dead, a woman injured and now investigators are trying to figure out what

went tragically wrong during a routine experiment. good morning. welcome back to mornings on 2. the fatal explosion took place at a silicon valley laboratory yesterday afternoon. alex savage is live where it all happened. and can you still see some of the damage from that blast? >> reporter: it's hard to see it from the outside of the building here. the laboratory inside is where this took place. the one scientist was killed, one of his coworkers, a woman, was badly injured in the explosion that happened yesterday, and now you can see from the signs on the front door this building is unsafe to go inside. scientists were transferring gases from one cylinder to another when the explosion happened, and investigators have trying it figure out if possibly one of those containers failed in some way. this morning membrane technology is closed, the blast happened yesterday just after 4:00 inside a lab here. the scientists killed was mixing gases or transferring a mixture of gases, including

methane. the fire department says some of his coworkers pulled the man out of the building after the explosion but he died later from his injuries. >> committee don't know what went wrong. we know the one scientist in the laboratory based upon something that happened, and that laboratory as he was transferring the methane, dealing with mixtures, something in the process did go very, very wrong. >> and the scientist who was injured had eardrum injuries. at the hospital right now, and we have not gotten an update on her condition this morning. the building evacuated after the explosion, as firefighters had to vent that leaking methane cylinder. according to the website, membrane technology does work for oil and chemical companies. no comment yet from the company itself. the fire department telling us this morning that there's no threat to any of the surrounding neighborhoods here in menlo park. osha planning on doing a full investigation and we have not heard from the company when they plan to open this building

back up. alex savage, ktvu channel 2 news. an investigation underway this morning into the shooting of a student right out front of asan pablo high school near the front of north campus continuation high school just after classes ended yesterday. school superintendent bruce harder says four shots were fired. a short time later a student turned up in a hospital with a gunshot wound. superintendent says the injury is not life-threatening. there is no information on what led up to the violence. two teenagers were arrested after a five-mile police chase in castro valley when officers tried to pull over a car. the car finally stopped after hitting the center divide at redwood road and castro valley boulevard. police say two handguns were thrown from the car and that car had been stolen in oakland. a san jose police officer accused of molesting two teenage boys remains free on $100,000 bail this morning. 44-year-old patrick d'arrigo

pleaded not guilty in the courtroom yesterday. prosecutors say the boys are high school students, 15, and 17 years of age. they say the officer met one of alleged victims through a craigslist date ago ad. >> a teenage boy drossed the defendant to several every his teenage friends and over the months every december and january, 2008 through 2009, the defendant had the boys at his residence in gilroy, provided them alcohol and the alleged acts took place. >> the district attorney's office says it has found extensive evidence on flash drivers, computers and cell phones. authorities think there may be other victims. his lawyer promises a vague russ defense. the officer faces a maximum sentence of nearly four years in prison. accused serial killer joseph niceo will no longer represent himself in court. a judge yesterday appointed a public defender for him. he also niceo will have to pair to the the attorney since he has enough money.

he was accused of murdering four women in northern california between 1977 and 1994. if convicted he could face the death penalty. his preliminary hearing was rescheduled for october 11th. there is a new twist in the case of the missing iphone 5 prototype. this is video of the san francisco where where the phone reportedly went missing from. yesterday san francisco police issued a press release saying they had been contacted by apple security for help tracking don a lost item. officers escorted apple employees to a house in the ingleside district and as the employees searched the house, sfpd stayed outside. but according to the weekly, the homeowners says it was san francisco police officers who searched the home. so far, there is still no trace of the phone. a $12,000 reward is offered in the case of a well-known attorney killed in a hit-and- run. a white pickup truck hit 63- year-old donald casper while he

was jog near forestville on august 14th. his family and the chp held a news conference yesterday. casper's cousin had a message for the person behind the wheel. >> at the time of the accident you may not have realized what happened. now that you have had time to think about the situation, we hope that you will see that the best thing to do would be to turn yourself in. >> casper served for 11 years on san francisco's civil service commission. a friend called him part of the city's fabric. northern california law enforcement will be targeting drunk drivers this holiday weekend. let's take you for a live look outside this morning. that is interstate 880 here in oakland. this holiday weekend is a maximum enforcement period for the chp. and that means officers are going to be out in force. they're looking for anyone who is driving recklessly and in particular those who are driving under the influence. the highway patrol conducted a checkpoint last night and within the first hour officers had already made their first

arrest. >> oh, my god. i wish i had never gotten into this mess. >> 80% of all chp officers will be on patrol this weekend. they screen more than 1500 motorists last night and made 13 arrests. a very old tree nicknamed granny located in menlo park is one step closer to being saved. this 300-year-old oak tree is in danger of being cut down because it is in the path of a water pipeline project. yesterday residents of the neighborhood said they will create a park around the tree, but the area will only be accessible to children on school trips. utility officials say the park needs to be created to justify the extra expense of tunneling under the tree, instead of cutting it down. good morning to you! partly for mostly cloudy skies as we start your saturday morning. marine layer thicker and we will watch the burnoff once

again with a cooldown on the way for your labor day weekend. if you're headed to the beach this weekend we do have high surf to worry about and long period swells. south and southwest facing beaches, talking areas around santa cruz, perhaps big sur, stinson beach, and long periods swells will create the rip currents, large shore breaks, and the sneaker waves so beach- goers again need to use caution if you're going to be heading that way for the weekend. meanwhile, again temperatures beginning to slump as we move through the afternoon. inland areas will remain hot. we'll notice the difference more so for tomorrow. waking up with a little dense fog over the north bay, santa rosa and napa reporting visibility down a quarter mile. we have drizzle on the coastline. temperatures flipping for the afternoon and the cooling trend expected to les through monday before we begin a rebound back to tuesday. so your fog forecast here, notice it's inland all the way to about concord looks like partly cloudy skies. fairfield a finger just south of the area there. livermore mostly clear skies.

by 10, 11:00 is burning back. it's just inside the bay and then for the afternoon, right off the coastline will be pressed up against the coast of the so partly cloudy skies for the coast. temperatures this morning very similar to yesterday within a few degrees in most cases. 52 in santa rosa. 54 san francisco. mid-50s concord. san jose 58 at the moment. and your highs for the afternoon, a nice day, a warm day around the north bay. we're looking at 83 for petaluma. 84 in napa. 93 st. helena. clear lake mid-90s. and 70 degrees expected sausalito for the afternoon here. east bay locations a mild one, just a beautiful day. 75 in oakland. 76 san leandro. warmer, walnut creek 90 degrees. 90 in danville. and 94 expected in antioch. santa clara valley it will be a nice one, 84 in san jose. low 80s santa clara. 83 milpitas. and on the peninsula 82 expected redwood city.

79 for san mateo. 67 san francisco. 60s for the coast and nearing 70 degrees around santa cruz. extended forecast, temperatures continuing to fall sunday, monday. partly cloudy skies million expected to thicken up just a bit and the onshore breeze will continue to strengthen. widespread upper 80s by tomorrow. and then again warming back up tuesday into wednesday. we have your day planner coming up in just a little bit. two states ravaged by hurricane and tropical storm irene will need years to recover. preliminary losses have topped $400 million in north carolina. the bulk of the losses come from the agricultural sector. the state is asking the federal government to declare 43 counties major disaster areas. damage crops include corn, cotton, peanuts and tobacco. irene first made landfall on the outer banks of north carolina. vermont's governor says it will take years before all the state roads return to pre-irene

conditions. the tropical storm dumped nearly a foot of rain and caused widespread flooding. some homes were blown off their foundations. national guards remain in wept are head there's to improve road access. vermont is expecting heavy thunderstorms tomorrow and monday. first there was a power outage, now there's power outrage. tropical storm irene knocked out electricity nearly every home and business in the town every woodstock, connecticut. and while more than half are still without power, the woodstock fair is running full tilt. the rides operate on an in the generation system that have power from the local grid. angry residents believe the fair is receiving special treatment. >> well, that's a good thing for woodstock because i know woodstock depends on that fair. you can see the resentment. but you know, i'm not going to get upset about it. >> the fair generates $4 million a year p people on facebook say the fair is apparently more important than the lives of residents.

california's state parks may not be doomed yet. the new effort underway to save them from closure. and controversy surrounding the new memorial for martin luther king, jr. the inscription on the statue that is angering some, including the famous poet. now another live lock outside. that's highway 24 in lafayette. traffic moving northly in both directions. but that westbound traffic could change as the day goes along, as folks maybe their way to candlestick or stanford where the game later this afternoon. you're watching mornings on 2.

good morning to you! waking up with gray skies over oakland. mostly sunny for the afternoon.

temperatures slightly cooler, around the region. the u.s. is now offering a helping hand to north korea. the u.s. sent a cargo plane of emergency supplies to help the flood relief effort. the u.s. will provide nearly a million dollars in aid. heavy rainfall pounded the korean peninsula in july, leaving thousands of people homeless. some nations have hesitated in helping for fear of supplies could be misused by the government or military. officials in chile continue to search this morning for the victims of a military plane crash. all 21 people ron board the plane are believed to be dead. the navy found the body of a woman this morning, but have not located any other victims. officials say the plane tried to land yesterday in difficult weather, and crashed into the pacific ocean near the juan fernandez islands. venezuelan president chavez is out of the hospital this

morning after wrapping up his third round of chemotherapy for cancer. he told the group of reporters he feels better and playfulfully boxed and jogged in front of television cameras. he unwent surgery in june to remove a tumor from his pelvic region. he says the latest follow-up tests have not detected any sign of malignant cells in his body. she still hasn't said if she'll enter the presidential race but sarah palin is still making the political rounds. lasts night palin made a surprise appearance in iowa. today she is expected to give a speech about the economy at a tea party rally. she hopes to make a decision about running for president by the end of the month. civil rights activist maya angelou says a man month honoring martin luther king, jr. has failed to live up to its reputation. the memorial in washington, d.c. includes an abbreviated inscription which reads, i was a drum major for justice, peace

and righteousness. critics say the quote was shortened and taken out of context, make king look arrogant rather than the real message of humility and service to others. >> we've taken out of context, loses the intrinsic nature of the man. the man's speech is a mirror of his soul. >> other critics have wondered why the memorial was not made in the united states but rather by a chinese sculptor with granite from china. monument planers say king was an international hero. they also cut down the quote because they say they wanted an inning scripps for each side of the memorial. the clock is clicking for dozens of state parks. by this time next year many could be closed to due to the state budget. but as claudia cowen tells us, a little help may be on the way. >> reporter: before time runs out park lovers in california are flock to go state run beaches, historical sites, forests and campgrounds now we've reached the point where

we've had the last straw to break the camel's back, and there's no other choice but to close. >> in all, 70 sites are on the chopping block to save cash- strapped california $22 million. the state is not selling any parks, so effort are growing to keep as many open to the public as possible. among the ideas being considered, donations from wealthy residents and corporate sponsorships. but unlike sports stadiums, no naming rights here. >> we absolutely look for private partners to help. but keep in mind the public should know we're not going to name a park after a company. we're not going to put up advertising in our parks because that is prohibited by our own guidelines and law. >> in marin county, a local businessman wants to bankroll an effort to allow volunteers and hired teens to operate the popular samuel taylor campground, and in sacramento pending legislation calls for state parks to team up with non- profits or other government agencies. >> you may have a state park right next to a federal park

for the national park service runs. there may be some co-management agreement we can enter to keep that park open. >> while museums and sites can be shuttered, people will still have access to forests, deserts and beaches, prom, worries about public safety, fire danger and more. >> there are big concerns about the resources the state parks once they're closed. not only cultural and historic resources, historic buildings, cultural sites, big concern about vandalism, theft. and wilderness areas. >> meantime, state officials hope visitors, police themselves and maintain the parks for free and check out some of the 208 state parks in california that are staying open at least for now. claudia cowen be fox news. friends and strangers are rallying around an alamo man who was the victim of a mortgage scam and is now facing terminal cancer. a 52-year-old musician mitch

house lives with his 7-year-old son 3 last month mitch was diagnosed with terminal throat cancer. but he doesn't have any money for treatment because a few years ago he tapped his equity line to lend money to his financial planner. that financial planner disappeared with over $260,000 of his money. >> everything i earned and worked for, always pay my bills. that's embarrassing, that -- someone takes your entire life savings. not sure how long i'll be here to fight. >> now mitch has no health insurance, his credit is shot, and his home of 30 years has been foreclosed on. people are stepping in to help with things such as housework and groceries. mitch says he has started selling personal items to make money. next to go, his beloved piano. you can find more information on how to help mitch and his son brandon by going to our website, ktvu.com. just scroll down the homepage and click on web links.

a woman turns 121 years old. but why she's still not the oldest person in the world. and a rescue, police risk their lives to save passengers from the burning car and it's all caught on tape. >> in time for the 3-day weekend, afternoon highs are dropping. we'll look at what you can expect for your saturday and through the weekend, coming up. fine, i just got a little fender bender. oh, jerry, i'm so sorry. i would love to help but remember, you dropped us last month. yeah, you know it's funny.

it only took 15 minutes to sign up for that new auto insurance company but it's taken a lot longer to hear back. is your car up a pole again? [ crying ] i miss you, jessica! jerry, are you crying? no, i just, i bit my tongue. [ male announcer ] get to a better state. state farm.

you're looking at video from a police car dash cam of a rescue from a vehicle engulfed in flames. last saturday morning the suv crashed on the street in des moines, iowa. the burning vehicle slipped on its side and rescue crews raced in without concern for their own safety. they had to climb on top of the car to pull the people inside to safety. there were four turns side the car. the 17-year-old driver did die on impact of that crash. the speeding car blew true lay traffic stop and crashed.

florida prosecutors are asking casey anthony to pay for her murder trial. the bill is over a half million dollars. she was acquitted of killing her daughter but convicted of lying to authorities he she told them the toddler was kidnapped. prosecutors say anthony is liable for the costs incurred because of her lies. anthony's attorney says that's sour grapes. we have an update this morning on the wounded dachshund shot with blow darts. this shows one of ducks that was rescued yesterday and this is video of the same duck from just a few days ago. in total, seven ducks have been shot with darts in the apartments. one was shot multiple times and ended up dying from its injuries. marin county believes it has come up with a solution to the pesky problem of rampant rants. they have been found everywhere from marin civic center to government buildings.

the rats have been widdling away on the inside of government cars, cause, extensive repairs. the county is now turning to one of the rats' natural enemies for help, the owl. >> a nesting family of barn owls will consume billion 4,000 road intents a single year. by erecting barn owl boxes and creating a nesting environment, you are providing habitat for one of nature's most beneficial predators. >> this video shows an owl family living in a box. county has installed a similar box to attract the birds. officials plan to add more owl boxes in the area in hopes nature will eventually take its course. crowds are expected to flock to sauls luteo this morning for the art festival. this is video from last year. more than 20,000 original works of art on display as well as music, food, wine and kids' activities. the festival ends on monday. it's $40 for a weekend pass.

the unofficial end of sum they're weekend in millbrae with their wine festival. several thousand people are expected to converge on broad boy between victoria and meadow glen. there's also live music and a classic car show. you are urged to take public transportation to this free festival. there's a free shuttle service. and the 46th annual mba telethon it tomorrow night. for the first time, jerry lewis will not host the show. also for the first time, the telethon will be just six hours, beginning at 6:00 tomorrow night and ending at midnight. last year's telethon raised nearly $59 for the muscular dystrophy association. and you can watch that telethon tomorrow night on our sister stakes. a woman is celebrating her 126th birthday today but she's not the oldest woman in the world. she has a birth certificate that shows she was born in

1890. but the world record says she's not registered with them so 115- year-old bess cooper still holds the record. the woman lives in a tribe in peru. she puts her longevity down to a healthy life style without salt, sugar, or processed foods. >> happy birthday to her! she needs to register soon! if you're head out this weekend, there's great weather for you but also warnings. rosemary is watching that for you. hi. >> good morning to you. quiet start, little fog and cloud cover to start our morning. even some drizzle out there along the coastline. and we do have advisories along with our south and southwest facing beaches. live look there at the gray, the start our morning. we'll have sunshine in the afternoon. also watching a tropical storm lee. came ashore and moving through new orleans, through today. and it's expected to continue its northeasterly trek but it's a slow one that will continue

for sunday, moving through louisiana. wind right now 60 miles per hour. want to come back home bus where we are looking at the possibility of some high surf along our south and southwest facing beaches. right now the waves from 5 to 7 feet. high tide around santa cruz will be about 3:00 this afternoon. we're expecting wave heights from 6 to 9 feet. and some of the top spots could be a lot higher than that. in addition to that for our beach-goers, rip currents and longshore breaks a possibility. so that -- please be careful. your forecast for today, temperatures very similar to where we started yesterday. but by the afternoon, slightly cooler in most areas. your noontime numbers, low 60s for the coast, 70s around the bay area. and low 80s for areas inland. meanwhile, for the afternoon, a warm one, 80s and 90s for the valley locations. widespread 70s, some low 80s out there along the bay area and for the coastline, 60s, nearing 70 degrees in some cases right around santa cruz. cooling trend will continue sunday. monday we rebound tuesday

wednesday but temperatures singing back into the upper 80s four or valley locations for your sunday and labor day monday. back to you. it's a beach weekend for the world champs as they try to catch the diamondbacks. this weekend's set got off to on a good start. tied at one when carlos beltran steps into the box, deep to left field. the orange crowd goes crazy. beltran 4 for 4 last night including a triple and three rbis. and giants up 4-2. matt payne scores. cody showing off his glove in the 8th inning, got it. giants win the game. the a's also at home this weekend taking on the mariners. it was a big game. then in the 5th, scott sizemore sends the

lead to put the a's up by 3. later cliff pennington made it a blowout with a three-run blast. a's win their second in a row, 9-2. coming up a small plane crash involving a bay area pilot. the injuries a man suffered when his plane went down in a vineyard. plus hundreds of people in southern california are forced from their homes as a wildfire continues to spread. f

this laboratory closed down this morning after a deadly explosion. what people who work in this building felt and heard. >> monitoring the scene of a natural gas explosion. what pg&e crews will do this weekend to fall fears in cupertino. >> and tropical storm lee strengthening this morning as it continues to head for the gulf coast. good morning. welcome to mornings on 2. it's saturday, september 3rd. lett get right over to meteorologist rosemary roscoe for your labor day weekend forecast. good morning, rosemary. >> good morning to you! our temperatures will be dropping off in time for your three-day holiday weekend. mostly sunny skies for the afternoon, slightly cooler although remaining quite warm for our inland areas. a&m clouds back with us this

morning. we've got patchy dense fog in some cases over the north bay, visibility down to a quarter mile, even drizzle on the coastline and our highs today cool along the coast and hot inland. we will detail this plus we have to talk about the high surf in some of our local beaches, coming up. back to you. a sudden explosion at amen low park laboratory has left one man dead and a woman seriously injured. alex savage is live in menlo park with how this happened. alex. >> reporter: i can tell you people who work in this building say the entire place just shook when this blast happened yesterday. the scientists working in one of the first floor labs here, where they were transferring gases when the explosion happened. and fire investigators right now are trying to figure out if possibly one of those containers failed in some way. there are signs, red signs on the door, the building closed down. signs say it's unsafe to go inside. osha will be coming to do a

full investigation. the blast happened after 4 yesterday afternoon. one scientist was killed. he was the one transferring that mixture of gases, including methane. investigators say some of his coworkers had to pull him outside after the blast. another scientist was hurt. she suffered injuries to her eardrum. during that explosion and the force of the blast sent her flying. >> when the explosion occurred, the male victim was obviously most significantly impacted by that explosion. the female was essentially blown through at this time told to be an open doorway in the laboratory. >> and the entire building had to be evacuated after the explosion. but this morning, the fire department says there's no threat to anyone in the surrounding area. according to their website, membrane technology does work for oil and chemical companies. we tried reaching someone from the company this morning, so far no except from anyone. investigators tell us this transfer of gases that was taking place yesterday is something scientists do all the

time. but for whatever reason, something went wrong yesterday. alex savage, ktvu channel 2 news. tomorrow pg&e crews will return to a cupertino neighborhood where a natural gas leak caused an explosion earlier this week. on wednesday afternoon the owner of this condo says she smelled natural gas, but did not report it. soon thereafter, a powerful explosion occurred. doors were ripped from her home and a fire then started. pg&e says as crews investigated the blast, they found six more gas leaks in other parts of that complex. the number of leaks that we have in this community is concerning us. it's a very big concern that we take very seriously. >> we spoke to pg&e this morning, and they say all the leaks have been fixed. tomorrow crews will be going door to door, in that neighborhood, answering questions and checking on appliances. pg&e officials will also continue to assess the vulnerability of its 1200 mile

network of plastic gas distribution pipes. san francisco mayor ed lee is drawing criticism for comments he made praising pg&e on thursday. he spoke at a child literacy event where he called pg&e a great company future their $250,000 donation to the program. his fellow mayoral candidates were quick to respond. some said his support of pg&e is insensitive to the victims in residents of san bruno. mayor lee says he holds pg&e accountable for the deadly explosion, but that does not mean they cannot be recognized for doing something good. new this morning, the pilot of a small plane is recovering from multiple broken bones after crashing into a vineyard. that plane went down yesterday afternoon near george and matthews roads in lakeport. police say the crash happened after takeoff from a nearby runway. the name of the pilot has not been released but police say he is from san rafael. the national transportation safety board is investigating and is still trying to determine why the plane went down. san francisco police are

investigating an overnight shooting in the city's south of market neighborhoods. it happened near 6th and harrison before 2:30 this morning. one person was hurt, and there is no word on their condition this morning. no arrests have been made. right now southern california firefighters are working to contain a wildfire that has forced 1500 people from their homes. the fire is burning near interstate 15 in the oak hills area. the fire has spread to nearly two square miles and has destroyed two mobile homes. two firefighters have suffered minor injuries, and yesterday the fire closed down interstate 15 in both directions, causing huge traffic problems. all lanes have since reopened. governor brown is now working on raising fire protection fees for rural homeowners. he proposed legislation yesterday that would raise them from $150 to $175. the fees were part of the budget deal earlier this year. brown wants to change the wording of the bill and increase the fee to in sheer there's enough money in the

firefighting budget. the first rain from tropical storm lee has fallen on the gulf coast. lee could dump 20 inches of rain this weekend while the center of the storm won't arrive until this afternoon, the outer bands are pelting the region at this hour. tropical storm warnings have been issued from mississippi to texas, and flash-flood warnings have extended along the alabama coast into the florida panhandle. >> there's going to be strong winds, lot of rains, lot of water. higher tides than normal. >> residents fear a repeat of hurricane katrina. and tropical storm lee could provide a major test for the city's rebuilt levees. good morning to you! happy saturday. this morning we've got fog, even dense in some cases. little drizzle along the coastline. and the clouds around the bay burning off later this morning. want to touch on lee, a tropical storm lee, as and moves ashore in louisiana. right now the winds from 50 to 60 miles per hour moving northwesterly at 7. you can see

again how it is impacting the mississippi, alabama, florida panhandle. it's moving northwesterly but is expected to shift northeasterly in the coming days. as early as tomorrow it's only going to be moving over louisiana at a slow rate. given you a look at what we are expecting at home. our south to southwest facing beaches, high surf once again, long periods swells mean rip currents. large shore breaks and sneaker waves a possibility for some of our beaches. santa cruz, stinson beach, big sur, in that direction. but be aware we're expecting it it through tomorrow. high tide around santa cruz 3:00 in afternoon, 6 to 9 feet or well above that in some spots. cooling at the coast. hot inland once again but we'll continue the cooling trend in through our labor day weekend. a trough will begin to strengthen off the coastline that. is increasing the marine layer this morning. we're seeing it. and the clouds will be with us, fog and drizzle through the weekend and a stronger onshore breeze meaning that sea breeze in the afternoon cooling us back a little more.

your forecast here by 10, 11:00 it looks like we've got some fog just inside the bay. but most of us dealing with mostly sunny skies and for the afternoon, clearing back away from the coast as well. in some cases it looks like the north bay point reyes stinton beach could be partly cloudy for the afternoon and our temperatures again slightly cooler. right now 55 degrees in oakland. 58 in concord. 58 for fairfield. low 60s livermore, san jose 58. 54 for san francisco. 56 in redwood city. and your afternoon highs, a nice warm one. but again slightly cooler for a fairfield 93. 94 in antioch. 91 in concord. north bay inland, 80s for you today. it will be a nice day. 84 napa. mid-80s santa rosa. 67 for san francisco this afternoon. 84 san jose. 75 degrees in oakland. the extend forecast here, we want to know what is happening for the weekend. numbers continuing to fall off. low 60s for the coast. partly cloudy skies in the

afternoon. upper 80s expected sunday, monday for the valley locations. and then we do rebound into your back-to-work tuesday. president obama called on congress to pass a transportation bill which he says insures funding for roads and construction jobs. >> allowing this bill to ex poier would be a disaster for four infrastructure and economy. right away over 4,000 workers would be furloughed without pay. >> without congressional action, federal highway programs 3 taxes will expire at the end of the month. funding for construction projects across the country would also be held up. in the g.o.p. response, virginia congressman bob complained the white house has spent too much money on stimulus initiatives with failed results. >> the president's stimulus spending has proven counter- productive. government has gotten in the way when it can be part of the solution. >> thanks to the -- >> the congressman urged the

president to use next thursday's nationwide speech on jobs to support passage of a balanced budget amend and to the constitution and said job creation is a critical issue, in light of yesterday's unemployment report that found the economy at a added no jobs in august and the unemployment rate stands at 9.1%. the 10th anniversary of the september 11th terror attacks is just over a week a. and there is now a new travel warning for u.s. citizens flying around the world. and saggy pants get another bay area airline passenger kicked off planes, but this time it is a well-known musician. and if you're hitting the road this holiday weekend, you're taking a live look at the 880 in oakland towards the macarthur maze. things are moving smoothly but there's a chp crackdown so keep your eye on the speed limit.

sure, you did. you saved us a lot of money on auto insurance. i used that money to buy a falcon. ergo, you bought me a falcon. i should've got a falcon. most people who switch to state farm save on average about $480. what they do with it, well, that's their business. oh, that explains a lot, actually. [ chuckles ] [ male announcer ] another reason people switch to state farm. aw, i could've gotten a falcon. [ male announcer ] get to a better state. [ falcon screeches ]

good morning to you san jose! partly cloudy skies, mostly sunny, 57 degrees and calm conditions outside your door. there's a new air travel alert. the week before the 10th anniversary of the september 11th attacks, state department issued a global travel warning for u.s. citizens flying around the world. government officials say they are warning americans to be vigilant about al-qaeda and its affiliates, despite no current credible threat. passengers at sfo's terminal had mixed opinions on the new alert. >> i think everything is an overreaction. all that extra stuff they have

to do. >> i love it because i want to be safe. >> an estimated 2.5 million americans are expected to fly this labor day weekend. crews in new york are busy preparing for one of the tributes to the victims of 9/11 terror attacks. electricians and state hands are preparing 88 lights on a rooftop near ground zero, forming two massive beams in the skyline, symbolizing the twin towers. preparation for the tribute in light will take another week. on september 11th, next sunday, ktvu news will air its special called 9/11, a decade of change. we are going to have live reports from new york, washington, d.c. and shanksville, pennsylvania. and we'll examine the many changes we've seen since of attacks. our live broadcast is at 6 p.m. on september 11th. one person is presumed dead after a midair collision between two single-engine planes. the two collided near the village over western alaska. one of the planes was to land but the second plane burst into

flames. police have not recovered the pilot's body. a police car dash cam captures an amazing rescue. >> back off! >> as you can see this video shows police officers running to the vehicle which is engulfed in flames. last saturday morning an surf crashed on a street in iowa and the vehicle slipped on its side and you can see the flames. the crews raced in without any ken future their own safety, climbed on the car and pulled the people inside to safety. >> when we got out of the car, people start saying, somebody is in the car. and you can hear somebody in the car saying, help me! >> there were four teenagers in the car. the 17-year-old driver died from the impact of the crash. a speeding car blew a traffic stop and crashed into the teens. the passenger of a small plane is recovering from a ocean rescue. the plane would you flying over sydney when the propeller died. witnesses saw the plane crash

into the water and swam out to help. the pilot did die in the crash. the man who was rescued suffered spinal injuries but is expected to recover. another person has been removed from a bay area flight for saggy pants. but this time the passenger in question is a well-known bay area musician. billy jo armstrong is the lead singer of green game, and on thursday he was at the oakland airport boarding a southwest flight for burbank. on his twitter page he said he was kicked off the flight because of his pants were too low. people had mixed feelings about the incident. >> there's no excuse for bad manners but he should have had his pants up. >> needs to be clear, up front, needs to be accessible, the information. >> on its twitter page southwest confirmed armstrong got into an altercation with a male flight attendant, and last night the airline issued say statement saying they apologized to armstrong and the situation had been resolved to his liking. the company is investigating

whether or not this employee correctly handled the incident. plans to build a casino in richmond have been shut down. the band of indians wanted to build a casino here, but the department has denied their application. the key reason cited was the fact their existing lands in mendocino county are more than 100 miles from richmond. last year residents voted against that project. the nfl season kicks off thursday night and for now players won't need to worry about a new test for human growth hormones. the owners and players union had agreed to hgh testing, that's part of their collective barking agreement. but the union is still concerned about the reliability of these tests. so for at least the first week, players will be tested for drugs but not for human growth hormones. the oakland raiders closed on the their preseason with a loss to the seattle seahawks. the play of the game when the quarterback was knocked away by

the raiders, but leon washington still comes up with it. washington ran the ball down to the 15-yard line. the touchdown followed and seahawks win, 20-3, leaving the raiders winless this preseason. silver and black opened the season next monday night against the denver broncos. the seahawks and 49ers play each other on sunday. bay area college football kicks off today. cal is hosting their home opener in san francisco. the game against fresno state is being played at candlestick park at 4:00 this afternoon. the stadium is being renovated now, and after today this season's future cal home games are all played at at&t park. sanford kicks off their season with a home game against san jose state. the kickoff is at 2:00 in afternoon. stanford is ranked 7th in the associate press poll. and that is the highest preseason ranking since 1950. a very old tree nicknamed

granny located near the menlo park border is one step closer to being saved. this 300-year-old oak tree was in danger of being cut down because it is in the path of a water pipeline project. yesterday residents said they'll create a park around the tree. but the area will only be accessible to children on school trips. utility officials say the park needs to be created to justify the extra expense of tunneling under the tree instead of cutting it down. thousands of people have gathered in st. louis with the dream of becoming the next "american idol"! >> the host and judges were there to hear the hopefuls sing. one contestant tried to stand out from the crowd in costume. >> i've tried out before and i tried the regular look beautiful and single they said my voice is get but i didn't

stand out enough. so i came back and decided well, if i'm going to go for it, i'm going all out. and thus i'm dressed as "avatar." >> the 11th season of "american idol" starts in january. the large waves pounding the california coast and how they are affecting beach-goers. >> marine layer back with us this morning and it's thicker than it's been. what that means to your afternoon forecast coming up.

america, we've been fueling economic growth here for over a century. today we're investing in innovations that will define our future. every day, we're working to help set opportunity in motion. from financing a solar project for the milpitas school district to funding the institute at golden gate. because when you're giving, lending, and investing in more communities across the country, more opportunities happen.

right now a high surf warning is in effect for the holiday weekend. this was the scene yesterday in santa cruz. look at those waves crashing on the rock. lifeguards had to make a couple rescues asafa agreed to swimmers struggled to fight the surf. as the harbor patrol prepares for crowds, they're warning people not to underestimate mother nature. >> you could looking at the ocean and it could appear flat and calm, and then 10 minutes later a big set comes in out of nowhere. >> the santa cruz harbor patrol is also working to protect the docks, which are still damaged from japan's tsunami that surged through earlier there year. some boat owners are moving their stress tolls try avoid any damage. the big waves are also causing problems for southern california beaches. this is video from newport beach. those are 10-foot sets from yesterday. residents say the big waves

damaged a wooden boardwalk and while water and debris are also reaching parking lots in other areas. that high sur ever a result of a powerful storm off the coast of new zealand. big waves are expected to roll through tomorrow night. we'll see what happens there. let's check in with rosemary. i know we've got a lot of activities going on in the bay area. college football, sauls leado art festival. >> absolutely. it's going to be a gorgeous day. we are waking up with low clouds this morning, even a little bit of drizzle on the coastline. visibility down to about a quarter mile. but by the afternoon we should be mostly sunny skies and again with sur to tropical storm lee makes its way through the area and will continue to for the course of

the weekend and bring them heavy rain from 10 to 15 inches. meanwhile, here at home, well, we're going to see nice mild, even hot weather once again. inland areas widespread 80s to low 90s in the forecast. 60s on the coastline. and high surf again will last through the weekend as well. swells could equal the rip currents. extended forecast, low 60s on the coastline. dipping slightly in through your labor day monday. our inland areas going more comfortable through the weekend and warming back up tuesday and wednesday. back to you. president obama dropped clean air regulations aimed at reducing smog. the president angered environmentalists who accused him of caving in to corporate plighters and republicans. the g.o.p. and major industries claim the you? strict standards would kill jobs and cost an estimated $90 billion a year. president obama says he wanted to redo regular story burdens at a time when the economy is struggling. right now californians

recycling program is funded by consumers but critics want manufacturers to start footing the bill. residents pay recycling fee of 6 to $10 when they buy items as laptops and tvs. that money is then used to reimburse e-waste recyclers. but in other states the manufacturer pays for recycling programs. >> if you boy a product from a brand name manufacturer or retail outlet, they'll take and back and make sure it's recycled or pay for the cost. this doesn't happen in california. >> critics say california's law needs to change to encourage manufacturers to take back more of their products, help pay for recycling programs. it's got to be the first of its kind in the nation. the bay area gathering bringing together medical marijuana users. >> and a scientist killed, another badly hurt inside this menlo park laboratory after an

explosion here. what kind of work was going on right before that blast? f

tropical storm lee is bearing down on the gulf coast this morning, bringing heavy rain and disrupting oil production. welcome back to morning on 2. we'll have more on the storm and the effect it could have on you at the gas pump coming up. but first, the investigation continues into a sudden and deadly explosion at a silicon valley laboratory. one man was killed at the membrane technology and research building yesterday afternoon. that's where ktvu's alex savage is live this morning with information on the investigation underway. alex. >> reporter: that scientist who

was killed was transferring a mixture of gases when something went wrong. investigators say some of his coworkers had to pulled him outside of the building to get him help. here's the window at this building, the sign clearly says it's unsafe. the building has been closed down. we talked to one man earlier this morning who works inside the building. he says this place shook from the blast it. happened just after 4 yesterday afternoon inside a lab at membrane technology. scientists were transferring gases from one cylinder to another, when the explosion happened. fire investigators now trying to figure out if one of those containers may have failed in some way. but one scientist was killed, another scientist was also hurt. she suffered injuries to her eardrums during the explosion. and the force of the blast sent her flying. firefighters described for us what the scientists were doing just before the accident. >> we don't know what went wrong. we do know that the one scientist in the laboratory based upon something that happened and that laboratory,

as he was transferring that methane, dealing with nitrogen mixture in a third or fourth cylinder, and something in that process did go very, very wrong. >> this entire building had to be evacuated after the explosion yesterday. but this morning there's no threat to anyone in the surrounding area. according to their website, them brain technology does work for a number of oil and chemical companies. we tried reaching someone from the company so far no comment from anyone. osha will be coming in here and doing a full investigation inside this building to figure out when went wong. reporting live, alex savage, ktvu channel 2 news. a high school student is recovering from a gunshot wound after being shot just africa. us and in san pablo. classes had just ended for the day at north campus continuation high school on dolan way. the school superintendent said in a statement that four shots were fired and a short time later a student turned in a nearby hospital with a gunshot wound. the injury is not life-

threatening. campus security and the contra costa sheriff's department is investigating. two teenagers were arrested after a police chase in castro valley. the officers tried to pull over a car. that car stopped after hitting a center divide at redwood road. police say two handguns were thrown from the car. and the car had been stole continue in oakland. a san jose police officer accused of molesting two teenage boys remains free on $100,000 bail. 44-year-old patrick d'arrigo pleaded not guilty in a santa clara county courtroom yesterday. the boys are high school students, 15 and 17 years old. they also say he met one of the alleged victims through a craigslist dating ad. >> the teenage boy introduced the defendant to several of his teenage friends, and over the months of december and january 2008, 2009, the defendant had the boys at his residence in gilroy, provided them alcohol and the alleged acts took

place. >> the district attorney's office says it has found extensive evidence on flash drives, computers and cell phones. authorities think there may be other victims. his lawyer promises a vague russ defense. the officer faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison. we have received word at this hour that tropical storm lee has knocked out power to more than 35,000 customers in the new orleans area and parts of mississippi. storm warnings have been posted from florida to texas. the center of lee is over the southern louisiana coast. that state has already declared a state of emergency. forecasters now predict 10 to 15 inches of rain will fall on southern louisiana. the storm has already disrupted oil production from the gulf of mexico. platforms and drilling rigs evacuated. daily oil production from the gulf has been cut by half. and while hurricane irene had minimal impact on oil futures, federal regulators believe lee will drive up prices at the

pump. you'll also see price spikes due to the high demand this labor day weekend. here's a look at some of your bay area gas prices this morning. if you're buying in san francisco, a gallon of regular costs an average of $3.97. a $1200 reward it now being offered in the case of a well- known attorney killed in a hit- and-run. a white pickup truck hit 63- year-old donald casper while he was jogging near forestville back on august 14th. his family and highway patrol held a news conference yesterday in front of san francisco city hall. his cousin had a message for the person behind the wheel. >> at the time of the accident, you may not have realized what happened. now that you have had time to think about the situation, we hope that you will see that the best thing to do would be to turn yourself in. >> casper served 11 years on san francisco's civil service commission. a friend called him a part of

the city's fabric. northern california law enforcement will be targeting drunk drivers this holiday weekend. this is the maximum enforcement period for the chp, which means officers will be out in force looking for anyone who is driving recklessly and particularly those who are driving under the influence. the highway patrol conducted a checkpoint in san mateo county last night and within an hour officers had already made their first arrest. >> oh, my god. i wish i never had gotten into this mess. >> 80% of all chp officers are going to be on patrol this weekend. the task force screened more than 1500 motorists last night and did make 13 arrests. last year the chp reported 1500 dui arrests over the weekend. officers say they hope their efforts this weekend will make a dent in the numbers. a public defender has been appointed for suspected serial killer joseph niceo.

the judge appointed the defender after niceo changed his mind about representing himself. he will have to pay for the attorney, accused of murdering four women in northern california. if convicted he could face the death penalty. niceo's preliminary hearing is scheduled for next month. we do have an update this morning on the wounded ducks in santa clara shot with blow darts. this shows one of ducks rescued yesterday. this is video of that same duck and you can see it that right through its head. seven ducks have been shot with darts at the into rana apartments. one was shot multiple times and did end up dying from the injuries. there's a new twist in the case of the missing iphone 5 prototype. this is video of the san francisco bar where the phone reportedly went missing. yesterday san francisco police issued a press release saying they had been contacted by apple security for help tracking don the lost item.

officers escorted apple employees to a house and as the employee searched the house, the police department stayed outside. but according to the weekly, the homeowner says it was san francisco police officers who searched the home. so far there's still no trace of the phone. thousands of people are expected in downtown oakland this weekend for the international cannabis and hemp expo. thought to be the first of its kind in the nation. exhibitors started to set up yesterday in the area. more than 300 vendors are expected. organizers have designated a special smoking area in front of city hall for medical marijuana users. anyone who attends the expo today and tomorrow must be 18 or older. also this weekend, oakland celebrates gay pride. they hope to double the attendance from lasts year. organizers are confident a hundred thousand people will show up tomorrow in downtown oakland. a recent study showed oakland has the third highest rate of

same-sex couples after san francisco and seattle. good morning to you! a live look here at abundant sunshine over bay point. inland areas waking up mostly sunny in the east bay inland at least. north bay inland dealing with a little fog out there this morning. and the high surf continues along the coastline for our south and southwest facing beaches. this will be through the weekend in addition to high surf during -- high tide about 3:00 for santa cruz. we'll deal with long periods swells and that will mean rip currents and large shore breaks. so if you're headed to the beach for the weekend, please be aware of this and keep an eye on the children. never turn your back to the beach along the coastline or the water. giving you a look at the forecast here, waking up with low clouds around the bay area, mostly sunny for inland east bay. santa rosa napa reporting a little dense fog this morning but improving there as well. south bay partly cloudy skies, mostly sunny over san jose. by 10 or 11:00, looks like it's

burning back. just inside the bay here, and along the peninsula and coastline. for the afternoon, partly cloudy skies expected, maybe even mostly sunny in some areas along the beach. north bay partly cloudy, right around stinson beach. 52 right now in santa rosa. 54 san francisco. holding steady in the 50s all morning long. 55 for oakland as well as concord. upper 50s san jose, 55 degrees expected for fremont. afternoon highs will be a warm one once again for our inland areas, although we're shaving off a few degrees, and cooling sunday and monday. 95 degrees expected in clear lake. 84 in novato. 83 for petaluma. 80 degrees san rafael. and 70s sausalito. beautiful day around the north bay and inland. 74 at ripped man for the afternoon head to the east bay. temperatures in the 70s. low 90s for walnut creek into livermore. santa clara valley warm day in

store there. 84 san jose. 91 expected morgan hill. 88 saratoga. and along the peninsula a widespread 70s and 80s. 82 redwood city, mid-70s for san bruno. 67 san francisco. and along the coast widespread 60s, 70 degrees this afternoon. santa cruz. temperatures continuing to drop off. low 60s, partly to mostly cloudy skies into monday for the coastline. and our inland areas not bad. upper 80s expected for your labor day monday. and then warming back up tuesday and wednesday. we'll look at your lunchtime numbers coming up. it's a big weekend for the world champs as they try to catch the division leading diamondbacks. and this weekend's three-came set got off to a good start. tied in the third, carlos beltran steps into the box and slaps a two-run shot deep to left field. the crowd then starts to get a little crazy. beltran 4 for 4 last night, including a trip approximately 3 ribbies. and bottom of the 7th, giants

up 4-2, when cody ross adds his two two-run blast. he also makes a nice catch there in the 8th inning. giants win game one, 6-2. the a's are also at home this weekend taking on the seattle mariners. and it was a big game for hidalgo matsui who cleared the bases with this live describe. the ball rolled to the wall and gave the a's a 3-2 lead. and then we go to the 5th. scott sizemore extends that lead. he singles in matsui and that puts the a's up by 3 runs. and later in the game, cliff pennington wants to get into the mix. a's go on to win, 9-2. that's their second in a row. a football brawl caught on tape. the punishment three coaches and a 14-year-old player are now facing after attack the referee. and rats are running rampant in

marin county the natural solution used to solve the pesky problem. but first, here's a live look outside. traffic on the bay bridge toll plaza moving smoothly this holiday saturday. [ screaming ]

[ zapping ] there goes dwayne's car. oh, man. there goes dwayne's house. whoa! whoa! and there goes dwayne. man, that thing does not like dwayne. [ male announcer ] state farm's got you covered. nice landing. it was. [ male announcer ] get to a better state.

good morning to you! waking up with a blanket of low clouds and fog over the bay. mostly sunny skies expected for the afternoon with a cooling trend underway. a typhoon blew through southern japan overnight. the storm packed gusts up to 68 miles per hour and has already flooded more than 300 homes and triggered several landslides. at least one person is dead and three others remain missing. officials say one of the victims is a 75-year-old woman who was swept away by a swollen river. two states ravaged by tomorrow irene will need years to recover. losses trigger $400 million losses in north carolina from the agricultural sector. the state is asking the government to declare 43 areas major disaster areas. irene first made landfall in the outer banks of north

carolina. the vermont governor says it will take years before the roads return to pre-irene conditions. the tropical storm dumped a foot of rain and caused widespread flooding. some homes were blown off their foundations. national guards from maine and west virginia are headed there to improve road access across the state. vermont is expecting heavy thunderstorms tomorrow and monday. news of world this morning, nato forces say they have killed a key affiliate of al- qaeda. he was killed in an overnight raid in eastern afghanistan. nato says the organized attacks and helped fund insurgent operations he was once held at guantanamo bay. it's believed all 21 people onboard a chilean military plane went down in the pacific ocean are dead. the navy has recovered the body of a woman but none of the other victims. government officials say the plane tried to land twice yesterday before crashing. a popular television personality was among those onboard. the u.s. is now sending

emergency aid to north korea. the united states isn't a cargo plane of supplies to help flood relief efforts. the u.s. will provide nearly a million dollars in aid. heavy rainfall pounded the korean peninsula in july, leaving thousands of people homeless. some nations have he's made helping for fireships supplies could be misused by the government or military. venezuelan president chavez is out of hospital after wrapping up his third round every chemotherapy for cancer. he told the group of reporters he feels better and playfulfully boxed and jogged in front every television cameras. he underwent surgery in june to remove a tumor from his pelvic region. he says the latest follow of tests have not detected any signs every malignant cells in his body. prosecutors want casey anthony to reimburse them for the cost of her murder trial and the investigation into her daughter's death. that bill is over half a million dollars. she was acquitted of killing her daughter but convicted of lying to authorities when she told them the toddler was kidnapped. prosecutors say anthony is

liable for the costs incurred because of her lies. but her attorney says that is sour grapes. the judge hopes to rule in three weeks. investigators now say the deaths of a six-year-old boy and a woman inside a southern california mansion are not suspicious. both deaths occurred in the san diego county mansion within days of each other. yesterday investigators said the investigation shows that six-year-old max was running around upstairs when he accidentally fell over the balcony. >> he then tripped and fell over that railing, grabbing the chandelier, twisting them around to where his back impacted the railing on the other side, and then to his head. >> rebecca the girlfriend of his father found his body and called for help. max died two days later from his injuries. shortly after receiving that information, police said rebecca hanged herself from a balcony in one of the bedrooms. all three coaches and a 14- year-old football player are facing charges after a fight at

a youth football game caught on tape. >> oh, my god! >> coaches and players disagreed with the call and a decision to end the game last weekend. four of those involved face a minimum of five years behind bars on charges of battery on a sports open. referee is now speaking out. >> unfortunately, i believe the situation involved people that let their emotions overcome them. it's my hope the employers and their families that were not involved in this behavior continue to enjoy the sport of football. >> he says he will continue to referee football games. friends and strangers are rallying around a man the victim of a mortgage scam and is now facing terminal cancer. 52-year-old musician mitch house lives with his 7-year-old son brandon. last month he was diagnosed with terminal throat cancer.

but he not not have any money for treatment because a few years ago he tapped histh line to lend money to his financial planner. that financial planner disappeared with over $260,000 of mitch's money. >> everything i earned and worked for, i always paid my bills. it's embarrassing, you know, that someone takes your entire life savings. not sure how long i'll be here to fight. >> now he says he has no health insurance, his credit is shot, and his home of 30 years has been foreclosed on. people are stepping in to help with things such as housework and groceries. but mitch has started selling personal items to make some extra money and next to go is his beloved piano. you can find more information on how to help mitch and his son on our website the ktvu.com, just scroll down the homepage and click on web links. marin clown believes it has a solution to the problem of rats. they have been found everywhere, from the civic center to government buildings. the rats have neighborhood away on the insides every government

cars, causing expensive repairs. the county is turning to within of the natural end please of owls. >> a family of owls will consume 4,000 road intense a single year by creating a nesting environment you are providing habitat for one of nature's most beneficial predators. >> this is youtube video showing an owl family flying one of those boxes. the county installed a similar box to attract the birds and officials plan to add more owl boxes in the area in the hopes that nature will take its course. a south american woman is celebrating a very big birthday today. the lifestyle she says helped her make it to live 121 year- old. and how this simple collar can protect you in a bicycle accident. >> a cooling trend in time for the weekend. giving you a live look, we're dealing with gray skies around the bay area this morning.

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a new type of bike helmet is winning design awards and it doesn't even go on your head. this helmet is worn ago a collar around your neck. but inside the collar inflates in case you fall. sensors tell it when it activate and it's charred by

u.s. port. a south american woman is celebrating her 121st birthday today. but she is not officially the oldest woman in the world. the guinness books of records says she's not registered with them. she lives with a remote indian tribe in peru and says she has a birth certificate from 1890. she attributes her longevity to a healthy lifestyle, witness to salt, sugar or processed foods. the official record holder of the oldest woman in the world is bessie cooper of tennessee, who is 115 years old. in just about an hour crowds are expected to flock to sausalito. this is individual wrote from lasts year. there are more than 20,000 original works of art on display as well as a great lineup of bands, food, wine and tongs of activities for children. the festival ends on monday. millbrae also getthin mix this weekend as it celebrates the unofficial end of summer

with its 41st annual art and wine festival. several how people are expected to converge on broadway avenue between victoria and meadow glen. in addition to art and wine, there's also live music and a classic car show. you're urged to take public transportation to the free festival. there's a shuttle service from the millbrae station. the 26th annual telethon is tomorrow night and for the first time jerry lewis is not going to host that show. also for the first time the telethon will be just six hours, beginning at 6 tomorrow night and ending at midnight. last year's telethon raised nearly $59 million for the muscular dystrophy association. and you can watch that telethon tomorrow night on our sister station 36. it's the first weekend of september, and let's check in with rosemary real quick to see the last check of your forecast. rosemary. >> good morning to you. a cooling trend for your weekend. meanwhile, lasts update here on tropical storm lee. you can see moving ashore of

louisiana this morning. and impacting areas in misand alabama. the florida panhandle here. it's not moving too fast it. will hover in this area over the next 24 hours or so, only a northwesterly track at 7 miles per hour. expected to shift northeasterly in the coming days but winds now 60 miles per hour. tone 15 inches of rain expected in some areas for louisiana and the possibility of tornadoes for southeastern areas of louisiana as well. slightly cooler again for today. and we're also off to eye quiet start. gray skies, depends in the 50s to low 60s. for the afternoon widespread 60s, 70s and 80s around the bay. 80s to 90s for the inland areas. it will be hot inland, and it's an improvement over yesterday. air quality is improving as well. cooling trend sunday into monday, temperatures back into the upper 80s for our valley locations and then back to work tuesday heating up again, low 90s. if you're headed to the beach, be very careful with the high tide. have a good weekend!