new information from the chp about a sideshow on a busy east bay freeway. residents say they like them. but pg&e wants them gone. the neighborhood controversy over gnomes. and the 49ers are in the big easy. a live report -- at noon.

the videos stand for themselves. you can see license plate numbers. >> the investigation into a sideshow that took place right in the middle of a busy east bay freeway. good afternoon. i'm tori campbell. we're just learning new information about that dramatic sideshow in the middle of 880. it happened in oakland over the weekend. brian flores joins us live now from oakland to let us know what you've just learned. >> reporter: good afternoon. this particular sideshow happened on 880 at 4:00 p.m. on saturday near the coliseum. while some of the drivers may have been having fun, the chp and other drivers there just are not laughing. >> there's also incidents where there's hospital in the i have sinty that people are trying to reach family members or care for themselves. so absolutely in no way is this safe driving. >> reporter: the drivers in these cars doing doughnuts near

the coliseum are in big trouble with the law. >> i've never seen anything like this. it's just -- it's unreasonable. it looks like something you would see on a video game. these are real life incidents. >> reporter: on saturday afternoon, the unknown driver stopped northbound traffic for this sideshow. while sideshows are nothing new to the area, this was one of the first time this happened on the freeway, according to investigators. >> you saw people outside their cars. it was terribly unsafe. >> reporter: traffic from onlookers on the southbound direction was also slowed to a crawl. according to the chp it had the potential to cause prog bless. investigators say some drivers didn't know what to do. many stayed in their cars, others got out and saw what was the holdup. regardless, the chp received calls about it and said overall this had the potential to be a disaster. at this point, nobody has been arrested. >> nobody is in custody. the chp is actively investigating it. that's where we stand. >> reporter: and that's pretty

much where we stand right now. the chp says they are continuing to investigate. they remain really silent on the where their investigation leads. the most important thing they want the public to know situations like this are not acceptable. brian flores, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you, brian. well, gnomes are 0 popping up around -- are popping up around oakland. pg&e says they have to go. they started to show up about a year ago around the lake merritt neighborhood. they hand interaed on six-inch blocks. many are screwed on power poles. a pg&e spokesperson said the gnomes need to be removed so they didn't inspire others to place things on the utility utility's property that could compromise the integrity of the equipment. however, some people we talked to said the gnomes bring a smile to their face. >> i like the gnomes. i think they are super-cute. i don't see anything wrong with

them being there. i like that somebody hand painted them and took the time. >> it's not yet known who is responsible for -- the for the gnomes. we have information about how long the dreamliners might be grounded. dreamliner flights have been canceled through at least february 19th. investigators have shifted the probe from the plane's batteries to a system that monitors charging and the temperature on those patries. since the planes are grounded, 643 domestic flights and 19 a international flights have been canceled. at san jose airport, airline officials are shifting dreamliner travelers to sfo and offering a shuttle system to get them there. new at noon, san francisco mayor ed lee has just given his first ever state of the city address. his first year, he was replacing lieutenant-governor gavin newsom. last year, he used his

inaugural address for his state of the city talk. ktvu's alex savidge is live from san francisco to let us know more. >> reporter: good afternoon. mayor ed lee says san francisco has come a long way in the past year. he says bouncing back from high unemployment and a large deficit. he gave that state of the city speech in this venue here across the street. it's a nonprofit education group here in the bayview district of san francisco. the mayor this morning was optimistic about san francisco's future. >> my fellow san franciscans, i would submit to you on these facts alone, the state of our great city and county of san francisco is vital. it's resurgent and it's strong. [ applause ] >> reporter: mayor lee pointed to a balanced budget and the creation of thousands of new jobs in san francisco during his state of the city speech thisern mooing -- city speech this morning. he also talked a lot about the biotech industry. he says he knows the economic

recovery has not become a reality for many in san francisco, especially low- income residents and called for more affordable housing so people are not priced out of the city. he also criticized san francisco's public housing system announcing today a partnership with h.u.d. to make changes. >> no more poverty housing that traps generation after generation in socially, racially and economically isolated complexes. i'm open to every one of their recommendations to reininvent the governance of housing, up to and including replacing the housing authority as we know it with a new model. this morning, the mayor touched on transportation troubles in san francisco, crowded trains and muni buses that leave many riders frustrated. he called for a more modernized system. he even announced today a special transportation traffic force that he says will aim to

improve transit in this city over the next two decades. we're live this afternoon in san francisco, alex savidge, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you. san francisco police are investigating the death of a 34- year-old man. it happened yesterday just before 7:30 p.m. in the south of market district near mission and 11th streets. police say scott now suffered head trauma when he was attacked. he was taken to san francisco general hospital where he was pronounced dead. in just a few hours, a judge will hold a hearing for the man accused of killing seven people at oakland's oikos university last year. one goh was found mentally competent to stand trial. today a judge will decide which hospital to send him to. he's being held without bail at the alameda county jail on seven counts of murder. his anger was fueled over a tuition refund. president obama and joe biden are sitting down with

communities across the country impacted by mass shootings last year. this is the a of the administration's -- this is part of the administration's push to curb gun violence. this includes aurora, colorado, oak creek, wisconsin and newtown, connecticut. the president says he wants to hear from them as he tries to convince congress to pass gun legislation. >> i'm looking forward to a robust conversation. i know that this is not a shy group, mannly because they are dealing with the life-and-death situations every day. >> the senate is set to hold its first meeting on wednesday on gun control measures. the nra is -- the nra is vowing to defeat the man. scientists at lawrence livermore lab are designing a high-tech suit that protects the wearer against chemical or biological attacks. the scientists are calling it the second skin. it's a fabric featuring microscopic tubes that can

transform from a breathable state to a shield that blocks tiny molecules. could be another couple of hours before power is restored to some 20 customers in palo alto after an underground vault fire. it happened around 4:30 this morning on dana avenue. neighbors say they heard a big boom and saw flames shooting out of a manhole. no one was hurt but power was knocked out to 600 customers at the height of the outage. the cause of the fire is under investigation. the highway patrol is investigating the cause of a solo car crash in foster city that called three people including two young brothers from redwood city. the chp says five people were riding in the car when it lost control on eastbound highway 92 last night around 9:45. the car slammed into a guardrail, then a utility pole.

three brothers, ages 12, 16 and 18 were riding in the car. the younger two died and the 18- year-old is in critical condition. the 21-year-old driver, a san mateo man, was also killed. >> we do urge the public to call and -- if anybody saw what happened, it will definitely assist us in the investigation. >> the driver's cousin suffered minor injuries. highway patrol officers say they are investigating whether or not alcohol was a factor. singer chris brown is being investigated for a reported dispute over a parking space that turned violent. according to tmz, a brawl broke out in the parking lot of westlake recording studios. brown is accused of punching singer frank ocean during the fight. deputies plan to speak to brown who was placed on probation for the 2009 assault of his girlfriend, singer, rihanna. journalist barbara walters has the chickenpox. the 83-year-old has been hospitalized for more than a week after taking a fall and

hitting her head during an inauguration party in washington, d.c. doctors would not release her because she was running a temperature. and now they realize it was caused -- realize it was caused by the chickenpox. she's been transferred to a new york hospital. the boy scouts of america is considering changing its policies as excluding gays as leaders and youth leaders. under the proposal it said it would not dictate a position on homosexuality. instead, leading the decision -- leaving the decision to the individual religious and civil groups that sponsor these units. one national campaign centered around a bay area teen. the family of that teen said he was denied an eagle scout award because he's gay. nightclub tragedy. who's been arrested after the fire in brazil as the death toll continues to rise. warmer weather is in our

forecast. ktvu's meteorologist rosemary orozco will be here to let us know if rain is heading our way. >> reporter: super bowl fever is its heating up in the -- is heating up in the big easy. i'm ken wayne. we'll have a live report -- coming up.

brazilian authorities have arrested three people in connection with this weekend's deadly nightclub fire and are looking for a fourth. under brazilian law, they can hold them for five days for questioning. 233 people died. investigators believe the band playing used pyrotechnics and that touched off the fire. bouncers made things worse by trying to stop people they thought were trying to stip out on their bar bills. >> the people inside the facility, informed us when they came out that security guards blocked the exit to prevent people there from leaving and that's when the crowd started to panic. the tragedy grew worse. >> the first of the funerals for the victims were held today. a drive-by shooting that inr jed a mother and her toddler in menlo park was not random acourting to investigators. the saturday night shooting happened on willow road near facebook's, hads. there was an anter -- an

altercation between two people in cars before the gunfire erupted. the shooting may be gang- related. the 24-year-old mother and her 2-year-old son are expected to survive. meanwhile, east palo alto police are looking for witnesses in the death of lamont coleman. he was gunned down saturday night about 9 the:00 as he walked dawn capital avenue. police -- about 9:00 as he walked down capital avenue. police are canvassing. >> kind of surprising -- surprising. >> i thought our city was make -- surprising. i thought our city was making a lot of progress. caltrain is conducting a survey about how how to improve their ticket machines. caltrain said it will be the first step in replacing the kurt ticket machines. once caltrain decides what features to approve, it will pay for the machines.

they are looking into letting riders buy their tickets from their phone devices. ken wayne is live in new orleans where he's already found some 49ers faithful. good afternoon, ken. >> reporter: well, we're trying to get in the spirit of things here, tori. i got my official super bowl xlvii notepad. i'm ed interesting to blend, be undercover to -- i'm trying to blend, be under cover. this is jack fin square and st. louis cathedral a, that's turned into a virtual media encampment. but out there, it's still easy to find a lot of 49er fans. >> what's it like being a transplant with all of the saints here. >> i love the saints. i got a lot of respect for them. >> reporter: go niners. >> go niners.

>> reporter: you want me on this side? it's a long way from fisherman's wharf to jackson square but there are a lot of similarities between the two cities. street performers and tree artists abound. tourists are everywhere. that person you see wearing a 49er jersey may or may not be from the bay area. what's it like having your fave rim team come to your hometown and play in the super bowl? >> it's amazing. the first time they came and played the broncos, i got a chance to go to the game. so i'm just eni joying the festivities until i go offshore. i will be watching the game from the middle of the gulf of mexico. >> reporter: on an oil platform? >> a shell oil platform. >> reporter: wow. we stopped in a voodoo shop in the french quarter to find out if there's a curse or a hex that one team can put on another to try to win this year's super bowl. >> there's a certain itch are ual that can be performed.

there's trinkets, things that can be done for the competition to kill results in one favor's or not. >> reporter: does it involve human sacrifice? [laughter] >> no. no human sacrifice. >> reporter: back again live here, you are looking at a paddle wheeler on the banks of the mississippi river, where -- it's the levee and the french quarter, right in the heart of new orleans. we're just getting started. we have a week of activities to find stories to bring back home to you. it's a tough job but somebody has to do it. when cane, ktvu channel 2 news. >> i'm loving those beads -- ken wayne, ktvu channel 2 news. >> i'm loves though beads -- those beads, ken. and we have our reporters that will be in new orleans and you

will see a live postgame show right here immediately following the super bowl. alex smith is making news. there's word he may seek an early release from the team. not too surprising. according to profootball.com smith will ask to be released before the free agents' signing period that beginses on march 12th. that's so he can select a team rather than being traded to a team he way not -- he may not want to go. he was replaced by colin cap kaepernick. san francisco's port commission is expected to give the final approval to the long- awaited mission rock development project next month. the giants hope to gain ground on the $1.6 billion project near at&t park sometime in 20 5. the plans -- 2015. the plans call for apartments, office buildings, restaurants and shops. this is designed to serve baseball fans and neighborhood

residents. ,. a sunny, cool day underway around the day. for some, it will be a little brisk. outside our doors, you can see a beautiful view and no trouble getting across the bay bridge this morning with -- or this afternoon with mostly clear skies clear skies. we're into the afternoon. we will see temperatures rise in the mid-50s to near 60 for today. similar to today. slightly warmer in some cases but in areas like oakland, where the winds are blowing to 13 miles an hour, it's a little breezy. mountain view, as well. it started mostly cloudy along the south bay watch, the final stretch of weather pull out. right now 57 in oakland. 52 in novato. 58 in napa. 511 in areas right around san jose at the university. 52 saratoga. a 4 in sunnyvale. so under -- 54 in sunnyvale. a little cool. again, the last in a wave moving down the coastline. a little bit of rain you can

see beingiced up over southern california. even a few sprinkles reported over the santa cruz mountains here. earlier this morning, and mountain view also reported a little bit of rain. so finally getting rid of this unsettled weather. idge are of high pressure -- ridge of high pressure will be rewinding in behind -- building -- building in behind it. for today, numbers similar to yesterday. as we get into wednesday, it will be pretty nice. a dry week ahead. cool mornings, our air quality will remain good to moderate around the region. here's a look at the highs. 55 san rafael. 57 in oakland. mid as for hayward -- 50s for hayward. upper 50s for parts of the north bay and the south bay. san jose, 56, a 7 in morgan hill. 55 los gatos. 57 in santa cruz. the extended forecast there showing you another chilly start tomorrow morning, under

mostly clear skies. temperatures will warm in the 60s. as we get into wednesday and thursday, mid-60s in the forecast. with your weekend in view, mostly sunny skies, dry, mild weather all the way into saturday as well as the super bowl sunday. you know, we're going to end january on a very dry note. january overall, has been sort of dry. it's really a good things that we have some wet weather through december as well as november. >> absolutely. >> thank you. >> you got it. a bay area home sold for more than $11 7 million. we'll tell you where. and the crisis impacting print media and why it's now affecting a local animal shelter.

stocks mixed right now due to some mixed economic signals. there's some encouraging news about manufacturing and that provided an early boost this morning. but stocks fell later after a report on the pace of home sales, fell short of expectations. taking a live look at the big board, the dow is down 6. the nasdaq is up 4, s&p down 2. still above 1500. well there's more bad news for barnes & noble. the company's ceo tells the wall street journal that the retailer has plans to shut down more of its bookstores. online retailers such as amazon have taken a huge bite out of barnes & noble's business in recent years. mitchell clipper is projecting the company will have a total

of 500 stores ten years from now. that's down almost 200 stores from the current number. there are reports that a state in part of the silicon valley sold for -- that an estate inside the silicon valley for $1 17. the tee tails are being -- for $1 17. the details are being kept quiet. fewer people are reading the paper. newspapers are still needed in san francisco, at least by one the part -- one part of the population. animal care need the papers to line the pages for those who have not been properly puppy trained. thank you for trusting ktvu news. we will see you the next time news breaks. be sure to join us again at 5:00.