john cowell faces charges in the stabbing death of nia wilson at b.a.r.t.' station last year. >>> former vice president joe biden expected to deliver a speech to a labor union, his first public appearance since several women came forward with allegations of unwanted touching. >>> number six, following your friday morning commute, metering lights on at the bay bridge. it's not that bad once you get on the span. first reports of an accident 80 westbound blocking a lane of traffic, slowing back to highway 4. >>> number seven, amazon working on a cheaper alternative to apple's air pods. they are expected to be similar but instead of saying hey, siri -- and i'm covering my phone when i say that -- users will call on amazon's virtual assistant alexa for hands-free help. >>> and another look at oracle park right behind us if you're heading out to the opener. take a rain jacket. >> a little wet to start and then a dryer finish. >> the way this works they play a different team? >> that's how it works. >> they're playing who? >> with a baseball bat and a baseball. tam

john cowell faces charges for the murder of 18-year-old nia wilson at b.a.r.t.'arthur station in oakland last july. a judge ruled in december that cowell was not competent to stand trial. since then he's jound gone psychiatric treatment. if the judge believes he can stand trial, a date may be set. >> in the east bay, alameda county officials are trying to identify a body found in a fire. police are calling the death suspicious, a draw bridge operator saw smoke at veterans memorial park in alameda around 2:00 yesterday. police then discovered the body. officers searched the park for clues and looked for any witnesses. including a man who often fishes nearby. >> it's rare to see that happen around here. >> we did think about possible transient, possible suicide, possible body dump. we're looking into everything. >> the coroner's bureau is work to go determine who the person was and how they died. >>> a fire gutted one business. people saw the smoke rising from as far away as martinez. it broke out along main street. cal fire crews battled flames at one of their own

that is the criticism from nia wilson's parents in a new lawsuit.t july she was stabbed to death at mcarthur station. over the past nine months b.a.r.t. has boosted security and put more officers on patrol. but wilson's parents say in the lawsuit, all of those steps should have been taken before their daughter got on that train. >>> that lawsuit comes as b.a.r.t. is looking for more ways to beef up security. among the plans being considered, adding more police officers or more unarmed ambassadors to stations. repeated surveys say b.a.r.t. riders' biggest concern is safety. >> i think with all of the reports in the news and things like that and what happened to nia wilson, i'm alert. far more alert than i was ever been. >> the board is set to vote in june. >>> and east bay regional parks officer is recovering after being caught in a crash on 880. it triggered a big pile-up yesterday afternoon in union city. our sky ranger was overhead at northb lanes reopened. the officer's injuries listed at moderate. >>> two teenagers are in jail and a third is on

and the sooner the better for both families. >> cowell was accused of stabbing nia wilson to death last july. his attorney says he's mentally unstable and not able to stand trial. the prosecution disagrees. >>> today, b.a.r.t. announced safety improvement at the coliseum station. take a look. this is one of three emergency call boxes installed on the platform. push a button and you'll be connected to b.a.r.t. police dispatch. you'll activate the camera located above the call box. you see it there. this is part of the safety and security action plan which was proposed last august. abc 7 news spent a week focused on b.a.r.t. issues from crowding to safety and more. we spent a whole day riding b.a.r.t. routes from end to end visiting every station. you can see what we saw by going to our website, abc7news.com. building a better b.a.r.t. is part of building a better bay area. >>> we've spent a week looking at the teacher crisis in the bay area and how hard it is to remain educators because of the high cost of living here. today, san francisco mayor london breed proposed a solution. she intr

. >>> the murder of nia wilson has led to a lawsuit against bart. t july she and her sisters got off the train in oakland and moments later a man attacked them at random. nia's throat was cut. over the last nine months bart has boosted secure with more officers on patrol but nia's parents say in this lawsuit, all of the changes should have taken effect long befe theirking at a beef up security. among the plans being considered, adding more police officers or more unarmed ambassadors to the stations. repeated surveys say safety remains the biggest concern for bart riders. >> i think with all of the reports in the news and things like that, and what happened to nia wilson, i'm alert. far more alert than i would have ever been. >> that is a common thought. the board is set to vote on this proposal or these proposals, plural, in june. >>> san francisco supervisors are taking a new approach in the fight against homelessness. district six supervisor matt hany is now proposing a requirement that every city district have its own homeless navigation center an

he is charged with stabbing nia wilson last july and her sister, who was seriously injured. police say it was a rando niattack. >> investigators in southern california are trying to determine what caused a fiery small plane crash that killed the pilot. no onee was on board. the plane went down at fullerton airport. investigators say the twin engine caught fire during takeoff. the pilot has not been identified. >>> new trouble for people in paradise, many of whom yet are still yet to rebuild after last years's deadly firestorm. experts have finding toxic contamination in tap water. the carcinogen benzene, which likely helped because of plastic water pipes and the vacuum of gasesed b the massive draw on water. santa rosa had a similar problem after their wildfire storm. in paradise, the fix could take two years. the cause of the fire is still under investigation. but the fbi will be testing pg and e equipment near the point of origin. >> 4:49. pg&e protesters will gather in san francisco demanding the state take over the new bankrupt utility. organizers are concerned the recen

nia wilson and her sister were both stabbed last summer. and her family is emotional and angry at b.a.r.t.'s chief. >> if things were being done right there wouldn't be so many tragedies happening on b.a.r.t. now we get somebody else to do the job and do the job right. >> reporter: a suspect has been arrested in his death, but in the last few weeks a man was stabbed and a woman was shot and killed in a b.a.r.t.'s parking lot. and his last day on the job will be may 6th. >> all right, leaisa, thank you. and abc 7 news spent an entire week looking at some of the issues b.a.r.t. faces. it's part of our commitment to building a better bay area. >>> this week our building a better bay area series is focused on the ride shari business. rs there are every day risks on the job, but the family of a concord uber driver is dris sharing the risk. >> i know a lot of people are praying for us. >> reporter: he's missing his best friend, the 40-year-old father of seven children immigrated to california four years ago from afghanistan where he worked as a t

john lee cowell is charged with killing nia wilson and wounding her sister moments after they got a bart train last year. >>> bart is testing a new safety feature at the coliseum in oakland. now there are three blue emergency call boxes on the station platform. if you press the red button you will be connected to a bart police dispatcher. that call activates a surveillance camera so the dispatcher can see the collar and the surrounding area. >> sometimes people don't have a phone. maybe they don't have cell phone service. this is another tool in the toolbox. i think it is very valuable to have. >>> state lawmakers have advanced a bill that would allow more housing development near transit. the legislation would allow residential buildings of five stories within one half mile of rail stations. state senator agreed to limit the rules to counties with populations of more than 600,000 people. in the day that includes san francisco, alameda, san mateo and santa clara counties. a committee approved a bill but it is likely to face opposition as it moves through the approval process. some cities

john cowell faces charges on the murder of nia wilson in oakland in july. a judge ruled in december that cowell was not competent to stand trial at that time. since then has undergone psychiatric treatment. >>> in the east bay alameda county officials are trying to identify a body found in a fire. police are calling the deaths suspicious. a draw bridge operator saw smoke at veterans memorial park on bayfarm island in alameda around 2:00 yesterday. police then discovered the body. officers searched the park fors witnesses. the crime surprised many people including a man who often fishes nearby. >> a quiet community. it's kind of rare to see something like that happen around here. >> some of the things we did think about were possible transient, possible suicide, possible body dump. but we're looking into everything.et who the person wasow the o f s catholi in june. parents blame church leadership for the demise of the 110-year-old institution. generations of richmond district residents attended star of the sea school. now the archdiocese of san francisco wan

today nia wilson's parents filed a lawsuit claiming b.a.r.t. knew the danger riders faced but didn't do anything about it until after their daughter's death. last july wilson and her sisterv got off a train. that's when a man attacked them at random. she was slashed across the neck died. over the last nine months, b.a.r.t.ay has boosted security and put more officers on patrol but nia's parents say in this lawsuit all those changes should taken effect before she got on that train. >>> b.a.r.t. iss looking for was to beef up security. officials are considering several plans and they include adding more police officers and unarmed ambassadors to stations. some riders we talked to say safety is the most important thing here. >> i think with all the reports in the news and things like that and what happened to knee wmia , i'm alert. >> the board is set to vote on those proposals in june. >>> let's put a smile on your face. are-- you ready for a whieild f night? here is's look at the shark tank. this is the sweetin fest outsid of the arena. about 17

improvements at bart stations, but also lows like rampant drug use in stations and the stabbing death of nia wilson allen, who represents cal nut creek, calls her a strong leader. >> in the two years plus that i worked with her, is probably the strongest woman leader that i have ever

those difficult times include the death of oscar grant, shot and killed by police and the death of nia wilson stabbed on a station platform. >> she has persevered. >> reporter: b.a.r.t. says it will now have to file five positions. b.a.r.t.'s directors say filling these key vacancies will not slow down the agency's plans to boost safety and ridership. >> i just want to assure our riders that this is something we take seriously, and we're going to continue with our momentum. >> reporter: so what's next, the board will likely appoint an interim general manager and launch a search to find the new leader. melissa colorado, nbc bay area news. >>> that battle is brewing on the peninsula. the owner of this, the flint sowns hou stevea why she thinks the town of hillsboro is targeting her, plus. >> it's a little bit surprising. i think i'm going to have to unplug it when i get home. i don't want it listening to my business. >> amazon reveals just how much it tracks what you're telling your alexa. >>> another round of gusty wind tonight, with a wind advisory up for san francisco, with those gusts up to

nia wilson was stabbed july 22nd. the firm says the suit is meant to hold b.a.r.t. accountable. a b.a.r.t. spokesperson says they are unable to make comment but offer deep kol doleances to the family. >>> should they get more unarmed police or ambassadors. one issue was a lack of employees available at b.a.r.t.izations whb.a.r.t. stations when something goes wrong. one possibility is ex-cons who need a new start. the program has been a huge success in the past. >> at the end of the day, everyone agrees the goal is to make sure b.a.r.t. is safer and feels safer. >> the board and b.a.r.t. staff say they'd like to hear what you think. as part of our commitment to building a better bay area, we devoted a week to looking at the challenges. since then you've responded with lots of comments and suggestions. you can join our discussion at our facebook group. >>> san francisco authorities are beefing up enforcement after an increase in pedestrian fatalities. the program was announced outside a senior citizen. there have already been two fatalities in the neighborhood this year. >> i have

he is charged with killing nia wilson and wounding her sister moments after they got off a bart train, a new safety feature will be tested at the bart station in oakland. there are three brightly colored boxes. if you press the red button on the boxes it activates bart's emergency system and activates 9-1-1 so the dispatcher can see the caller and surrounding area. >> maybe they don't have a cell phone, dropped their cell phone or don't have cell phone service. this is another tool in our tool box. >> i think it is valuable to have. most of the time your cell phone isn't handy in an emergency to get it out. >> bart says if the public supports these emergency posts at the coliseum station they could be installed across the entire system. that would cost about $10 million. >>> the time is 5:46. the number of measles cases in the country has hit the highest level in 20 years there. are at least 695 measles cases in 22 states so far this year according to the cdc. the largest outbreak is in new york city. 359 confirmed measles cases. new york now has a mandatory measles vaccination order

nia wilson died in the attack and her sister was seriously injured. medical health experts have been assessing whether cowell is fit for trial. >> and target is raising wages for new and current employees to hit $15 by the end of 2020. federal minimum wage is $7.25. >> let's go, skwraogiants, clap, clap, clap. giants home games, fans will get a chance to commemorate an unforgettable moment in bay area history. >> pete suratos joining you also a lot oracle park in how you can take part in looking back. pete? >> reporter: good morning to you, marcus and laura. yeah, we're standing in the vault. this is oracle park. every year -- or every season, that is, they do a different theme. this year's theme is remembering the 1989 world series game, game three when the earthquake took place. boy, that was a scary moment. you will see archives of remembering when the earthquake took place. those are two seats from cand candlestick park. very scary moment for folks at the park or even leaving work that day. matt williams used that bat to hit a home run the game af

improvements at bart stations, but also lows like rampant drug use in stations and the stabbing death of nia wilson last year. deborah allen, who represents cal nut creek, calls her a strong leader. >> in the two years plus that i worked with her, is probably the strongest woman leader that i have ever worked around. >> reporter: allen said she had no idea the retirement was copping, but said crunican had clashed with a trio of board members who didn't like her idea of beefing up law enforcement in the stations. steve glaser, a long-time bart critic says the resignation of chief rose roe hjas could have clue. >> it's not a surprise to see literally every top manager at bart saying goodbye. >> whether this was one big disagreement that led to her resignation, or a buildup of straws that finally broke the camel's back, we don't know yet and may not know for a while. what we do know for certain is chief rojas of the bart police will retire in may, and crunican will retire in july. eric thomas, abc7 news. >> thank you. and abc7 news devoted a week to covering bart earlier this year as part of our commi

he was accused of stabbing and killing 18-year-old nia wilson last year. >>> time now is 8:06. in the east bay, heart-broken friends and family came together, to remember a star heyward football player. he fell off a boogie board and disappeared in half moon bay on thursday. due to strong currents and high waves, his friends weren't able to rescue him. his body still hasn't been found. friends who went to the vigil wrote down memories they have of him, and signed a team jersey which will be given to his family. >> he was a great football player. a great teammate. a great friend. a great captain. and it's a testament to his parents. and the job they did raising him. and the values they instilled in him. >> now, he broke several school records and recently earned a full scholarship to play at the university of wyoming in the fall. his body still hopes his body will be recovered. >>> the san francisco fire department is preparing to save people from strong rip currents. abc 7 news was at ocean beach yesterday during the ocean rescue team's training session. firefighters say the cu

a judge in oakland granting john lee cowell, the man accused of fatally stabbing nia are wilson at a bart station will be examined but the judge said the information found can only be used in up coming court hearings to determine if cowell is competent to stand trial. >>> and bart is installing a new emergency red button. >> sometimes people drop their cell phone, they don't have a cell phone or don't get cell phone service so this is another tool in our tool box. >> i think it is handy. sometimes your cell phone isn't handy in an emergency. >> bart may be installing the emergency buttons throughout the entire system if they prove to be valuable. it could cost up to $10 million. >>> well, the san francisco bay transit center walkway that runs through the rooftop park has to be replaced. the walkway began cracking even before the transit center opened in august. it is expected to cost as much as a million dollars to replace, but a spokesperson says it should be under warranty with the construction company. the transit center has been closed since september after workers found cracks i

and last year wilson and her sister were stabbed. nia died while her sister survived. >> if things were being done right, there wouldn't be so many tragedies that's happening on b.a.r.t. >> he's really been pushing recruitment, having incentives, changing some of the hiring process. i think he's been successful at that. >> of course many challenges for chief rojas, but he found some success during his tenure as well. b.a.r.t. police officer vacancies were cut in half from 40 to 20. some riders tell abc 7 news officers are more visible at civic center station. >>> all right. let's take a look at what's going on in the east bay. we have temperatures ranging from about 52 to 55 degrees. very mild this morning. and that's the temperature range for just about everywhere else, novato and pacifica at 52. t sfo and it's dry. the clouds may cause some delays. we'll keep an eye. i'll let you know on twitter if anything does happen. out and about today much drier than the last couple days.eratu. out on the bay, damp this morning. not too breezy. th