laura anthony abc sevennews. >> california's wealthiest taxpayers would see it go. nancy skinner introduced a bill to raise taxes by one percent for those who make more than $500,000 a year. that is about one percent of californians. skinner said the tax hike would raise 2.3 billion dollars. >> it is one percent of the one percent and that would only cost these individuals a thousand or two thousand dollars when they received the 90,000 tax benefit from the feds. >> republicans and ronald reagan and pete wilson raised taxes on the top earners. they vowed not to raise taxs and going to be wealthy californians that support it. >> senior citizens are worried tonight that that work might be cut. there is lay out specifics on the senior nutrition funding. according to city officials, it is the only good meal that seniors will get all day long and without it, the health could deteriorate. >> the program may cost a lot more if they don't have a healthy meal every day and if they don't have socialization. >> senator chuck reed supports continued funding for the program. but

abc7's laura anthony is live in walnut creek with the latest. >> reporter: this is a short hearing. in it, the judge said that norman welsh could have greater freedom to travel outside the county to attend to health issues. they ordered welsh and the three other defendants in the case back last month to answer charges that attracted attention of the f.b.i. two of four defendants in a growing cnet scandal made court appearance in walnut creek. lombardi and former contra costa narcotics task force commander norman welsh. >> just happened here today is the matter was put over to june 23. so that all four named people in the second amended complaint can appear at that date. >> welsh, lombardi and accused coconspirator chris are in a complaint to possess illegal weapons and embezzle money. two are charged with setting men up for dirty dui arrest. in a 40-page statement that butler gave investigators he claims he conspired to run a brothel out of a pleasant hill massage parlor. they have not charged the defendants with any crime related to the brothel allegation. >> there is not a charge

laura anthony is in oakland with more. laura? >> reporter: hi. police are releasing very little information about this case and they have not made any on camera statements. meantime, the family of one of those men killed last night told us they need many more answers. >> just don't make no sense. they didn't have to kill my baby like that. >> reporter: mary cobb jackson clutches a picture of her son as a young boy, trying to come to grips with the fact that he was shot and killed by oakland police less than 24 hours ago. >> i just want some justice and want to know what really happened. he didn't have no gun or nothing on him and it don't make no sense. they said they found the guns on the roof. how did you find a gun on the roof. how could he be shooting and the gun is on the roof? >> reporter: police released a statement saying fletcher antoine jackson and a companion emerged from a car with weapons and confronted police. that is when police said they had to use deadly force. >> i heard boom, boom, boom, boom. >> reporter: police say they recov

laura anthony, "abc 7 news." >> coming up that could lead to sharp drop in hir infections. >> how a senior about to make some medical history at his graduation. >> and small army of volunteers will be on call to protect the bay area against oil spills. >> the u.s. meet with three of osama bin laden's wives. what happened and what did not >>> good morning, no delays locally here but a lot of wet weather spreading through the midwest and south. strong thunderstorms perhaps. it begins a day of wet, cool weather and several days in the east coast and not only there but back home, we're looking at unsettled weather to enjoy today. a look at full weather forecast. if you need weather across the country check out flight tracker at abc7news.com. >> eric: with law enforcement on alert for any post bin laden attacks the fight against terrorism focuses on two other continents this morning. they are questioning osama bin laden's wives in company and possible revenge plots against one of president obama's relatives in kenya. >> when he announced bin laden's death he warned that al-qaeda would seek retr

abc7's laura anthony is live at mount deablo high school with more. laura? >> we are here at mount diablo high school, and it started at 9:00 this morning. the students are actually the ones who came up with this idea after the district and the teachers actually negotiated three furlough days as a way to save money and to avoid layoffs. the students decided rather than take the day off, they would organize this event through a series of boosts and many classes all designed to make themselves heard during this era of deep cuts to education. >> why didn't you stay home today or do something else? >> because as a student i believe if i would have stayed home nobody would do anything for me. nobody is going to talk and speak out for what we believe in for our education. >> monica happens to be a senior here at mount diablo high school. the students are the ones who are actually do the teaching. among the booths here, one of the students learned to write a letter to a law i can maker. they are encouraging students who are 18 years of age to get out and vote. behi

abc7's laura anthony is live at mount deablo high school with more. laura? >> we are here at mount diablo high school, and it started at 9:00 this morning. the students are actually the ones who came up with this idea after the district and the teachers actually negotiated three furlough days as a way to save money and to avoid layoffs. the students decided rather than take the day off, they would organize this event through a series of boosts and many classes all designed to make themselves heard during this era of deep cuts to education. >> why didn't you stay home today or do something else? >> because as a student i believe if i would have stayed home nobody would do anything for me. nobody is going to talk and speak out for what we believe in for our education. >> monica happens to be a senior here at mount diablo high school. the students are the ones who are actually do the teaching. among the booths here, one of the students learned to write a letter to a law i can maker. they are encouraging students who are 18 years of age to get out and vote. behi

laura anthony. >>> an american held by north korea for oflf a year is returning. they are boarding a flight and he is with an envoy. he was arrested in november and accused of a serious crime. the koreans never said what that was, but they say he was accused of spreading christianity. nothing was promised in exchange for the man's released, but he is heading home. >>> a wind-driven wildfire threatens 100 homes in southern california this evening. the fire started early this afternoon near lake isabella in kern county. that's 110 miles north of los angeles. the u.s. forest service reports it has burned 200 acres so far and voluntary evacuations are in place. they are keeping the firefighting helicopters on the ground, but crews have been able to fly to air rail tanker plane -- to aerial tanker planes. that is a reminder of the fire season to come, but elsewhere in the state, it still looks like winter in some respects. squaw valley and several other resorts operate on the weekend and they are running more lifts than usual. squall value had three feet of fresh snow

laura anthony. abc sevennews. >> breaking new in southern california.is a live picture in ventura county near the naval air station a military planed. >> the fusele age is burning. we don't know if anyone was hurt. it is spotty here. >> we'll continue to get more information and update you as soon as we learn more. so stay with us. >> bay area hosted stage four of the emgen tour in california with ideal weather conditions for the cyclist and the merchants who hoped to cash n cyclist headed over mount hamilton and crossed the finish line in east san jose. daste lieuy reports. >> thousands of fans turned a quiet downtown livermore in a commercial center. there was a 81.8 mile race from here to san jose. merchants saw an opportunity for people to spend money. >> most people are focused. >> you think they will stay for lunch? >> i am not. i am heading to san jose to see the end. >> karlos has spent $20 on coffee and breakfast. >> why would they want the race in their town? >> downtown business owners spent $50 to roll out the welcome mat. spectators filled

abc7's laura anthony is live in walnut creek with the latest. >> reporter: this is a short hearing. in it, the judge said that norman welsh could have greater freedom to travel outside the county to attend to health issues. they ordered welsh and the three other defendants in the case back last month to answer charges that attracted attention of the f.b.i. two of four defendants in a growing cnet scandal made court appearance in walnut creek. lombardi and former contra costa narcotics task force commander norman welsh. >> just happened here today is the matter was put over to june 23. so that all four named people in the second amended complaint can appear at that date. >> welsh, lombardi and accused coconspirator chris are in a complaint to possess illegal weapons and embezzle money. two are charged with setting men up for dirty dui arrest. in a 40-page statement that butler gave investigators he claims he conspired to run a brothel out of a pleasant hill massage parlor. they have not charged the defendants with any crime related to the brothel allegation. >> there is not a charge

laura anthony, abc 7 news. >> we'll go back and update the rainy and windy accu-weather forecast. >>e rain midday. showing light rainfall. we don't have heavy rain at the moment. it is southeast ward in vallejo and east to concord and san ramon. matches - patches of light rainfall. moving to the hill country. holister is getting rainfall at this moment. how much cooler today was it than the average for may 17th. upper 50s to low 60s for the most part. 16 degrees in santa rosa and 17 in redwood city and livermore. chilly day for may 17th. tomorrow, milder and below the average. inland locations highs in the mid-to upper 60s on the bay. low 60s tomorrow . monterey bay will see mid-to upper 60s for the most part. morning showers tomorrow and afternoon clearing and mainly sunny and milder on thursday and friday. inland highs in the low to midcents. it is cloudy and breezy and cold over the weekend and chance of rain on sunday. >> thank you, spencer >> the future appears secure for a san francisco cherished piece of area. it is a memorandum of sending. it was created in 1940 and placed in

laura anthony is live in pleasant hill with the story. laura? >> hi, dan, the business behind me is the store front that christopher butler ran as a brothel. the information came in the form of a written statement and details dates and names of cops who are upon co-spiritors. >> we thought it was prostitution . >> she worked in the chiropractic office from the business that chris butler claims was a place of prostitution. >> the girls looked trashy i thought . dressed provocatively and they would come and just barely open the door to let themselves in. >> abc7 revealed a statement that butler gave investigators. in it, he and former narcotics commander norm an wielsch hired four prostitutes to work in the retail place rented by butler. he spent 2200 at a ikea and the madam was a 36 year old woman. >> it was an operation for six or nine months. proceeds went to mr. wielsch. he was charged with enforcement of laws relating to prostitution? a. butler signed the lease to the brothels and bought the furniture and hired the girs and he collected the m

laura anthony abc sevennews. >> open in time for memorial day weekend as well >> you will find links to the number of sites to help you navigate two and from south lake tahoe. >> the controversial rail project from the bay to the southern california is raising concern. is the state on the verge of making a multiblunder? clearly that presents a major gamble. >> the nonpartisan office questions the wisdom of starting the high speed rail project in the central valley which was stolen because the federal government required that location for stimulus money. if the entire system that wouldn't be built it would be low ridership. >> we think the prospects is small. >> assembly henry pereyes said it is vital for jobs. >> i represent a district that half of the towns are unemployed. it would proist economic opportunity. >> instead of starting to bakersville that the state break ground on los angeles to an him and san francisco to san jose. despite nine billion in voters approved bonds, the report was critical of the project's finance management. costs were outdate underestimated. there was ri

laura anthony as the story. >> hi, larry. antonio torreswas a long-time gardener. last friday he was gunned down, and investigators believe that seconds right after the crime were caught on tape. just north of where the homicide occurred. >> this surveillance video gathered from the homes on 34th avenue shows four young men running away from the yard where the gardener was shot and killed last friday. >> the victim was in front of someone's home and contacting gardening work and he was approached by four blacks . he was robbed. >> the four young men are persons of interest and they are showing running and walking north on 34th avenue to foothill boulevard. some people thought he was shot in the back. >> he was working in the yard and she had begin him $10 to buy lunch. >> those little punks i want to call them, that did this need a day in court, because you know, this was senseless. >> five murders, four murders in the last five-days in oakland. there are 40 homicides so far in the city, that is six more than this time last year. live in oakland. laura anthony, abc

here is laura anthony. >> whether by train or car, getting between the east bay in san francisco will a bit more challenging. >> we'll shut down half of the transit. >> work will begin after the last train friday, saturday and sunday night. riders can expect delays of 40 minutes. bart will close one track to repair the cable that was damaged in a fire back in december. >> pittsburg bay point to san francisco trains will have to share the remaining track through the transbay two. >> those who choose to use the bay bridge instead will experience detours this weekend. from eight p.m. to p.m. it will be close. to crews put the finishing touches on the lane reconfiguration . >> this weekend, traffic is going to be detoured and moving things to the south . it is a easier curve and it is a change. >> drivers should not expect significant delays here on the bay bridge this weekend. they need to be aware. they are using the dublin and fremont lines and they need to transfer in the 12 3 bart station. in oakland in order to get two and from in frann fran. laurra anthony, abc sevennews. >> one qu

laura anthony abc sevennews. >> thank you. thousands of california teachers kicked off an unprecedented week-long protest in the state capitol. angry educators are urging governor brown to twist the republicans arms until they extend sales and vehicle taxes to save education cuts without a special election. >> we have a budget that is slashing off services and slashing services to our students and raising class sizes. that is extreme. >> it is not going to change minds. people correctly see that they are taxed enough. >> highway patrol officers stopped the illegal sit in, in the capitol. bay area teachers rallied before to. >> people coming out of their classroom and spending all of their time and making the focus in the entire week. we'll make it longer if we have to. it is the disruption of public education that hang balance. >> they would like to see make cuts and combining school districts rather than raise the taxes. >> in nevada they are working to identify the 4000 photographs linked to the accused serial killer. accord

laura anthony reports. >> dressed in a yellow jail jumpsuit, san ramon police officer lewis lombardi made his first appearance. he didn't enter a plea that he conspired with norman wielsch and christopher butler to obtain seized drug evidence. he is also accused of embezzlement. >> it's a difficult situation to say the least from going in the position on the other side of the bars to where he is now. >> prosecutors say he met with no while while in pleasant hill in how to make money in the marijuana business. lombardi is accused of selling 1200 ecstasy pills. according to prosecutors they were initially given to butler by norman wielsch. then he sold drugs to an informant in arizona. police chief scott holder is the can chair cnet. >> this is a bad thing. the bottom line is there is far too many men and women out there that are doing the right thing. >> lombardi is the third police officer arrested in the cnet scandal. >> you say there might be more police officers caught up in this? >> there is further investigation going on. i can't say there are others. there is no other indicatio

laura anthony, abc 7 news. >> san jose state tonight police are investigating a double murder-suicide. first fatal shooting in the campus' 150 year history. a man and woman were found shot to death in a car. another man, believed to be the gunman died at the hospital. the police determined that only three people were involved and no one else was at risk. >> within 30 minutes of the incident, they did send a message via the internal pa system that listeninged to all of our offices and classrooms, to reiterate that our people were safe. >> now some students complained that they should have received more information sooner. campus police have yet to release the motive of the shooting or names or if they were students or faculty members. >> in san diego, the district attorney is challenging the sentence of a man. foiling the suit against the commutation of nuniz. he -- his sentence was cut in half when governor schwarzenegger commuted his sentence before leaving office. the da said the governor acted within his authority but should have taken other factors consideration. the constitution

abc 7's laura anthony has more. >> this don't make no sense. they didn't have to kill my baby like that. >> reporter: mary cobb jackson clutches a picture of her son as a young boy, trying to come to grips with the fact that her son was kill by oakland poce jt 24hoursgo. >> he didn't have no gun or nothing on him and it didn't make no sense. how did he find a -- how could he be shooting and the gun is on the roof? >> reporter: police released a statement saying fletcher antoine jackson and his unidentified companion emerged from a car with weapons and confronted police and that is when police said they had to use deadly force. >> reporter: police say they recovered two weapons from the scene. witnesses claim the weapons were found on a roof top wrapped in a clothe. >> no guns on neither one of the guys. only people that had guns were the police and they had guns to kill rifles. >> reporter: the police explained they received a tip that a violent crime was going to take place along the 3000 block of curran avenue. jackson was shot in the side, p

in union city, laura anthony, abc 7 news. >>> and sunday is the deadline for school district layoff noticesand tonight pink slips are in the mail to hundreds of bay area teachers. the mount diablo school district voted to fire 112 teachers and 13 administrators and in san francisco the school decided 14 140 teachers will le their jobs along with 160 other employees. one more note about education. you never really know what your kids eat when you are not watching but one school in san antonio has what administrators hope will be a fool proof way to find out. the school installed cameras to record what students pile on their plate and what is left over when they finish lunch. the images will be examined to determine how much calories the students consume on average on a daily basis. the project is funded whic by a grant from the u.s. department of agriculture. researchers hope parents will change their eating habits at home once they see what kids do at school. >> i'm glad stl is no camera watching what i eat on a daily basis. >> you eat well. >> i try. >> it cooled down a lot today from yest

in martinez, laura anthony, abc 7 news. >>> and in the state assembly republicans today introduced their plan for balancing california's $15 billion budget deficit. it involves no tax hikes. they want deeper cuts in social services than governor brown proposes and a 10% cut in state employee costs but it would not cut any more funding from education. republicans call it a pathway to a compromise with democrats. >> this is a pathway, okay. this pathway is not exclusive. there is certain things on it. there is certain new things that could come on it again. to that pathway is still wide open. it is a point for negotiation. >> the governor is scheduled to release an update the version of his budget monday. he wants to balance the budget and avoid education and social services cuts by extending current sales and income taxes and vehicle fees. and on the subject of budget woes, the state of washington has canceled its presidential primary for 2012 in order to save taxpayers $10 million. instead it will rely on caucuses just like they do in iowa. washington state has a $5 billion budget short

laura anthony has that story. >> we believe that officer frederickson was acting alone in the case. >> reporter: the san leandro police chief announced criminal charges filed against a veteran officer jason frederickson. >> on march 18, 2011 i was personally notified that jason frederickson could be involved in criminal activity involving the distribution of marijuana. >> reporter: frederickson turned himself in just afternoon today. the vice and narcotic officer is charged with one felony count for providing one pound of marijuana to a police informant. >> officer frederickson had a personal relationship with the confidential informant in the case. and that confidential informant was an active informant with the san leandro police department. >> this is what i would call a dangerous liaison. really romantic indiscretion gone good and botten complicated with marijuana. >> officer frederickson was the first officer on the scene when officer niemi was gunned down. >> this is a complicated family situation. it is more than unfortunate, of course. i don't represent her, she has separate c

laura anthony has this morning's assignment 7 report. >> this past winter will be remembered for nearord snowfall in the high sierra. well huge snowpack is a bounty for california's water situation, it could create problems for those downstream. >> the main area of the concern is in the san joaquin river valley. dave is chief of california's snow surveys. with that much snow sitting in the central and southern sierra, and those reservoirs are already full. they will have a major juggling act to pass that flow through the reservoirs and down into the river and into the valley without inundating the system. >> major rivers are running high, especially in the san joaquin valley where the waterways are smaller than those in the north and the sacramento valley. so far state managers have released water gradually from some reservoirs. but if the weather gets too warm too soon, things could change in a hurry. >> if it gets really hot, undoubtedly the flows will come down in a way that will create flood issues. >> joe is the former chief of flood operations for the army corps of engineers. >>

laura anthony has this morning's assignment 7 report. >> this past winter will be remembered for nearecord snowfall in the high sierra. it could create problems for those downstream. >> the main area of the concern is in the san joaquin river valley. with that much snow sitting in the central and southern sierra, and those reservoir are already full. they will have a major juggling act to pass that flow through the reservoirs and down into the river and into the valley without inundating the system. >> major rivers are running high, especially in the san joaquin valley where the water ways are smaller than those in the north and the sacramento valley. they have released water gradually from some reservoirs. but if the weather gets too warm too soon, things could change in a hurry. >> if it gets really hot, undoubtedly the flows will come down in a way that will create flood issues. >> joe is the former chief of flood operations for the army corps of engineers. >> we have a snowpack that will provide more water than we can deal with. it's going to fill out the reservoirs. we aren't goi

laura anthony, abc 7 news. >> governor brown said the fate of the calstate university system may depend on the republicans extending tax increases. facing budget cuts, would lose $500 million unless the vote to continue the sales tax and vehicle licensing fees. they are considering drastic contingency plans including increasing tuition and trimming state and cutting enrollment. >> there is a debate over the san jose budget crisis. they addressed the union supporters outside of city hall today they are trying to get concessions to help balance the $115 million deficit. inside. city council debated dramatic change tots pension reforms. >> we're in a emergency andis . so that will not change. we don't have to make the declaration. more staff work needs to be done. >> the council moved forward to see more options. one option would be to raise the worker retirement age. >> ed lee announced his pension reform man today . investor warren helman. it would cap pension benefits and raise retirement ages . this is expected to go to the votes in november. and he faces a battle from the public defen

laura anthony, abc 7 news. >> today is the state deadline for school districts to give final notice toachers who will be laid off next school year. in march, districts throughout the state sent out preliminary notices identifying some 20,000 teachers who could potentially lose their jobs. and last week, teachers statewide rallied for more funding. but even as districts face today's deadline, they still don't know what california lawmakers will do about the huge state budget deficit. some lawmakers estimate that k through 12 education could lose up to $5 billion in state funding. if the state cuts turn out to be less drastic, school districts could retain teachers that get layoff notices today. record high in april and are expected to climb even higher. it seems car production cutbacks in this recession are making used vehicles a hot commodity. here's abc 7's alan wong with the story. >> today, i'm noticing the prices are indeed a little bit more than i expected. >> since january, the kelly blue book says the average trade-in value for a mid sized car rose nearly $2,000. >> expecting to

laura anthony explains why. >> so making me guardedly optimistic. >>reporter: mike is the president of the mountain diablo education association. governor brown revised bump wot pump 3 billion dollars back no education. about 3 million of that will good to mount diablo. >> if the district uses about wisdom and any revenue that do come in i think that if they are efficient we cap see l full school year l, fully staffed and a lot of the people may be getting their jobs back. >>reporter: faced with a 12 million dollar budget gap the mount diablo school board sent pink slip to 111 teachers and employees. >> we will 7 less money than we received self years ago. >>reporter: board president says appearances aside, the governor rae advised budget does little to solve his district's problems. proposed shift of mental health services to local districts would cost mount diablo 5 million dollars per year. >> just kicking the can. down the path a little bit farther. depending on tax revenue that has not been established. >>reporter: if local educators can't agre

laura anthony with today's development. p. >>reporter: dressed in a yellow jail jump suit he made the first court appearance. lombardi did not enter a plea to allegations he conspired with contra costa county narcotics task force commander welsh and private investigators christopher butler to obtain and sell l seized drug evidenc evidence. lombardi a former c.net member accused of embezzlement and possession of illegal assault rifle. >> it's a difficult situation to say the least. to come from a position of being on the other side of the bars to being where officer lombardi is now. >>reporter: prosecutors say lombardi met with welsh and butler in may of 2009 in pleasant hill to discuss how to make money in the marijuana business. in early 2010 lombardi accused of selling 1 1200 ecstacy pills. according to prosecutors they were pills welsh initially gave to butler to sell. later 2010 lombardi charged with selling half pound of marijuana to an informant in arizona. drug that is had been seized in a c net raid. san ramone police

laura anthony, abc 7 news. >> today is the state deadline for school districts to give final notice tochers who will be laid off next school year. last month, districts throughout the state sent out preliminary notices identifying some 20,000 teachers who could potentially lose their jobs. and last week, teachers statewide rallied for more funding. but even as districts face today's deadline, they still don't know what california lawmakers will do about the huge state budget deficit. some lawmakers estimate that k through 12 education could lose up to $5 billion in state funding. if the state cuts turn out to be less drastic, school districts could retain teachers that get layoff notices today. the new medical center in burlingame opens this morning. 11 years and $618 million after the project began. the 450,000 square foot hospital officially opens its doors at 7:00 this morning. patients from the old mills hospital will slowly be transferred over to the new more seismically safe building. the new facility includes upgrades like wireless patient monitoring and privacy rooms with fold-

laura anthony has a report. >> reporter: a researcher is using gps device to get information into how he is driving. >> that information could change behave. >> it tells how much gas he is using and whether his car is emitting too many pollutants. >> you don't want to accelerate too fast and coast to a stop. >> it's called eco driving. it's called a eco navigator made in china by a company that has an office in redwood city. >> there are displays that shows how much gas they are using and also a score card that gives you a score as to how your driving compares to either other drivers of the same car or perhaps a fleet wide rating. >> reporter: when it comes to fuel economy it's not about how hard you push on the gas pedal, something as simple as opening a window make a difference. >> but will a driver make better decisions? that is what researchers are trying to figure out. they installed the eco navigate they are a fleet of cars in the bay area and study the results. >> kristen: if you want to know but you kind of don't want to know. >> eric: and some of our driving habits around her

here's abc 7's laura anthony. >> with california grasses starting to dry out, cal fire wants the publicady for what could be an intense wildfire season given higher than average rainfall this past winter. >> obviously this year we received above average amounts of precipitation across the state and all that rain has led to an abundant amount of grass and brush that's very overgrown this year. >> when the season begins, cal fire and many local districts will have to fight fires with fewer people. thanks to $30 million in state cuts, cal fire will have 700 fewer seasonal firefighters on the front lines this summer. that means each engine will have just three people rather than four. >> these are tough budget times, and we understand that. this isn't the best situation. we know our men and women will stand up to the challenge and be able to respond with three people on an engine. >> and cal fire will depend more on its 4,000 inmate crews and on local districts when a wildfire breaks out. fire officials also want property owners to do their part. >> this is the perfect time where home owner

laura anthony has the story from dublin. >> the faces on the built board are not actors or models they are real people. >> these are real people looking for emp is photogra >> she is photographer and communications specialist who came up with the idea. >> we should physically put ourselves out there looking for jobs. >> at first i was mortified burr this the example with y we would be such good candidates, we decide how to break the box down and look outside the box. >> reporter: the signs are at four bart stations. we are in need jobs.com that profile the candidates. >> i think you need to be patient and put yourself out there. >> it's part of a group, a career transition supported group sponsored by danville's catholic church. >> we find people's skills, coming into the group and all of a sudden they are with people that are going through the same burden, carrying the same burden and they find tremendous support. >> so far one of the job seekers has found a job and several others have landed interviews after potential employers spotted them here. they hope it puts a problem on unempl

laura anthony brings thus report. >> reporter: with waves up to 35 the tsunami caused 90% of the deaths and most of the serious damage during the march suth earthquake. >> the tsunami is the real story being the real story. >> they found damage to buildings was minor and there was surprisingly little structural damage. >> some of the high-tech industries, the building might have been done very well, the contents was knocked on out the service. >> much of the damage was the result of liquefaction. it could play a role in the bay area. >> there is a lot of soil near the water and lots of damage on the same site of japan so we're going to learn a lot from that information. >> most levees stood up well, damage to other types of infrastructure was widespread. 3500 highways and dozens of bridges were destroyed. 16 conventional power plants and 12 nuclear power plants were damaged including fukushima daiichi. >> important rail lines and 45% of the fishing ports were devastated and there was discovery damage to water systems. much of that was repaired within a month of the quake. >> researchers

in hayward, laura anthony, abc 7 news. >>> an east bay family is accusing police of stone walling for refusing to release details. oakland police officers confronted matthew sikelski after getting a report that an armed man was harassing someone inside a home. he stepped out of the home wearing camouflage and holding what appeared to be an assault rifle. he refused an order to drop the gun before he was shot to death. the rifle turned out to be a toy and the family claims he was shot in the black. back. >> imagine what the family must be going through after losing their loved one only to be met with complete stone cold silence when they asked for records surrounding the death of their loved one. it is absolutely unacceptable. >> the oakland o police have not responded to our request for a comment on the accusations being made by the family. >>> two inmates ended up in the hospital after being stabbed during a riot at folsom state prison. it started in an exercise yard. 150 inmates eventually got involved. prison guards fired a warning shot and used pepper spray and rubber bullets to b

. >> laura anthony has more on the arrest, laura? >> hi, care linn- carolyn. this the man was a suspect in the assault this morn a suspect in two robberies at two pharmacies this afternoon in oak loaned. this is the suspect's vehicle that crashed i

laura anthony has the story. >> no one dismisses the value that dr.am walker brought to the county for four

. >> laura anthony is live in martinez with the developmentings. laura?dan, 38 year old luis lombardi remains in jail on $500,000 bail. there are five felony counts and he's accused of receiving stolen drugs and reselling them. he has weapons charges against him. it is part of the growing scandal. >> dressed in

laura anthony is live with reaction from a blue star mom and those who served on the war on terror. for the veteran those with loved ones serving overseas relief over bin laden's death is tempered by their concern over what happens next. it is scary. >> her son is an army medic serving in afghanistan near the border with pakistan. for her, the death of osama bin laden is an important milestone but does not bring much comfort. i rejoice with this finding and new development. but those who have loved ones over there they are in a dangerous area. short her son was killed shortly after he was killed. zachary markenson was not surprised why he -- where he was found. >> do you think that the war on terror is over yet? >> probably not. there will always be machine else to take up osama bin laden's position or a terrorist organization. >> i was surprise. i didn't think that we were going to find out where he was. >> retired major general was head of the national guard when it happened. it doesn't mark the end of the larger battle. it was right after 9/11 and we felt we needed to get even wi

laura anthony abc sevennews. >> if you suffer from allergies and they seem worse this year pin the blame on climmate change. as temperatures get warmer and more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere pollens boost. there is a 20 percent increase in rag weed in california. there is a well established link between the weatherr and your allergies. we have had dry weather and rain . then patients who we haven't seen in many years. >> quest study found that men are more sensitive to allergins and more vulnerable than adults. >> it is slated to be a home of a hospital. but now it is with graffiti. why the hospital that could revitalize it is also part of the problem. >> peeling paint and graffiti cover the front of the movie theater and circuit city is advertising gift cards . the once proud it is an out look for disco . tenderloin residents knows that changes are coming to vaness and gary. the hotel is slated to be the new campus of california pacific medical center. >> hopefully the hospital and medical office building that we are building will regenerate the neighborhood. the hospital spokesman s

it is where laura anthony is respecting live tonight. >> hi, dan, many of the homes along 34th avenueveillance cam ras. they are hoping today by releasing the videos publicly they can fine out who killed antonio torres . >> just north of where the homicide occurred . >> this surveillance video gathered on oakland's 34th avenue shows f

. >> laura anthony is life tonight with the story. >> hi, dan. state and local fire officials say they will make do with what they have. the staffing cuts couldn't come at a worse. california lush grasses starting to dry out. cal-fire wants the public to get ready for a high fire season. >> all of that rain led to an abundant amount of grass and brush. many will have to fight fires with fewer people. thank to 30 million in state cuts. they will have 700 fewer firefighters on line this summer. >> that means they will have three rather than four. >> this is tough times. this is the best situation and we know that our men and women will stand up to the challenge and respond with three people on an engine. >> they will depend on the inmate crews when a wildfires breaks out. >>> and fire officials want property owners to do their part. >> this is a perfect time homeowners should get rid of the weed and anything that is overgrown. we require the clearance and that can increase a home of surviving. >>> and cal fire expect to rely on the partnership with

in martinez, laura anthony, abc7 news. >> san francisco sheriff will no longer cooperate with federal officials when it comes to turning over illegal immigrants with petty crimes. it is a decision to bring him in compliiance with thuary laws. rick has more. >>reporter: car lin just to make it here. the sheriff is not referring to illegal immigrants in the jail who commit felonies. they are turned over it immigration. the issue is those who commit misdemeanors. >> i don't know what they would do. they can't vote for me anyway. >> the sheriff is not worried about repercussions from the u.s. customs and immigration agency. he is sticking by the refusal to comply with the request to detain illegal immigrants charged with misdemeanors. henessy will treat them like anyone else. >> a person is booked in a county jailitate law said a person will be given a citation on the written promise to reappear. >> ice released secure communities that links the state computers to the database. it monitors the fingerprints from the sheriff's office. ice is able to identify illegal immigrants who commit pe

laura anthony explains the work and impact. >> whether by train or car, getting between the east bay this weekend will be a bit more challenging. >> we'll be shutting down the transbay tube. >> work will begin friday, saturday and sunday night and extend into the following afternoon. riders can expect delays up to 40 minutes. bart will repair a tube that to a cable that was damaged back in december. >> what that means, they had have to share the remaining tracks in the tube. >> bart riders will have to transfer at the 12th street station in oakland to get to and from san francisco. >> those that choose to use the bay bridge will experience detours eastbound this weekend, from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. caltrans will slow some eastbound lanes on the approach to oakland as crews finish the finishing touches. >> traffic is going to be detoured where we're going to be moving things to the south. it's an easier curve. it should be easier to navigate. >> this is an illustration what the alignment is today. >> the bay bridge explorer for ipad and iphone shows the before and after animation. dri

laura anthony has our story from richmond. >> u.c. berkeley researcher elliot martin is using a gps tracking device to get realtime information in how he is driving. >> that information is what could personally change your behavior. >> it tells martin how much gas he is using and whether his car is emitting too many pollutants. >> you don't want to accelerate on too hard and coast to your stops. >> it's called eco driving he is using eco navigator the company has an office in the redwood city city. >> there are displays how much gas they are consuming at any given time and also a score card that gives you a score as to how you are driving compares to either other drivers of the same car or perhaps a fleet-wide rating. >> when it comes to fuel economy it's not just about how hard you push on the gas pedal something as simple as opening a window will make a difference. >> but with a driver armed with realtime information necessarily make better decisions. that is what martin and his team are trying to figure out. they have installed the

abc 7's laura anthony explains the work and the impact. >> whether by train. or car. in between the east bay and san francisco this weekend will be a bit more challenging. >> we're going to be shutting down half the tube. >> work will begin after the last train friday, saturday and sunday night to extend into the following afternoon. riders can expect delays of up to 40 minutes. bart will close one track in the transbay tube to repair a cable that was damaged in a fire back in december. >> what that means is that the bay point to san francisco airport trains in both directions will have to share the remaining track through the transbay tube. >> bart riders using the dublin and fremont lines will have to transfer at the 12th street station in oakland to get to and from san francisco. those who choose to use the bay bridge instead will experience detours eastbound this weekend. from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. saturday and sunday, caltran will close the eastbound lanes on the approach to oakland as crews put the finishing touches on a lane reconfiguration. >> after this week

abc 7's laura anthony explains the work and the impact. >> whether by train. or car.n between the east bay and san francisco this weekend will be a bit more challenging. >> we're going to be shutting down half the tube. >> after the last train friday, saturday and sunday night to extend into the following afternoon. riders can expect delays of up to 40 minutes. bart will close one track in the transbay tube to repair a cable that was damaged in a fire back in december. >> what that means is that the bay point to san francisco airport trains in both directions will have to share the remaining track through the transbay tube. >> bart riders using the dublin and fremont lines will have to transfer at the 12th street in oakland to get to and from san francisco. those who choose to use the bay bridge instead will experience detours eastbound this weekend. from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. saturday and sunday, caltran will close the eastbound lanes on the approach to oakland as crews put the finishing touches on a lane reconfiguration. >> after this weekend, traffic will be detou

hears laura anthony. >> we thought it was prostitution for sure. >>reporter: christina works at the chiropractic office across from a business private investigators christopher butler claims was a front for pros stichlingts the girls looked really pl very kind of trashy i thought to be honest. dressed really provocatively and they would come and just barely open the door to let themselves in. >>reporter: abc 7 has reviewed 34 page statement butler gave investigators. in it butler says he and former contra costa county narcotics task force commander welsh hired 4 prostitutes to work in a pleasant hill retail space rented by butler. butler details spending 2200 dollars on furniture and the madam was 36-year-old oakland woman he recruit from prior prostitution arrest. >> it was an operation for 6 to nine months. and proceeds went to mr. welsh. it was his idea. his request. an area of expertise of welsh because he was charged with enforcement of law relating to prostitution. >>reporter: butler signed the lease to the brothels. butler bought the furnitu

here's laura anthony. >>reporter: with california lush grass starting to dry out, cal fire wants the public to get ready for what could be an intense wildfire season. given higher than average rainfall this past winter. >> obviously this year we received above average amounts of precipitation across the state and all that rain has led to an aabundant amount of grass and brush very over over grown this year. >>reporter: when the season begins cal fire many local districts will have to fight fires with fewer people. thanks to 30 million dollars in state cuts, cal fire will have 700 fewer seasonal firefighters on the front-line this summer. that means each engine will have just 3 people rather than 4. >> these are tough budget times and we understand that. this isn't the best situation but we know that our men and women are going to stand up to the challenge and be able to respond with 3 people on an engine. >>reporter: cal fire will depend more on the 4000 inmate crew than on local districts when a wildfire

laura. an east bay city mourning the loss of two residents today. a candle light vigil will be held for anthony ramirez. the two men died earlier this week in several incidents. i's the first two homicides this year. they were both shot and killed. tonight's vigil starts at 7:00 at the corner of eighth and g street. >>> san francisco police made an arrest in a four month old nightclub murder. police released video of an attack at temple nightclub. joseph hernandez was killed that night. they attacked a woman trying to stop the attack. they hope that arrest and the surveillance video will lead them to the person who murdered hernandez. >>> a man accused of killing a puppy could get life in prison. if convicted, he faces 25 years to life because of four previous assault with a deadly weapon convicts. his wife says during an argument, he put their chihuahua in a bag and threw it across the room hitting a wall. her husband never meant to hurt the dog. >> his past continues to follow im. it's unfair.ojdeserve, you know, a second chance. >> ruiz ran from his home but later turned himself into police