Coming up next on NBC 3 News at 6, the first crash was tragic enough, then a second car passing by took another life.
Mudslides are covering some North Bay roads as the flood watch intensifies with more rain.
And burning off of that doesn't seem quite as important as before. A new year brings a new breed of resolutions.
We'll show you why people seem to have changed on the inside.
Live from San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and around the Bay, NBC 3 News at 6 starts now.
Good evening. I'm Terri Lyon Joe. And I'm Alan Denton.
Tonight, the highway patrol blames heavy fog for a deadly New Year's Day accident.
Two people are dead and three others are in the hospital after a pileup involving a big rig in North Confer Costa County.
It happened at the intersection of Crockett Boulevard and Cummings Skyway near Crockett.
Daniel Garza is there where the weather is changing by the minute. Daniel?
Alan, we were here about an hour ago live. And as you remember, this roadway was completely shrouded in fog.
Now it's completely cleared. Fog was one of the factors in the accident today, despite the best efforts of a good Samaritan to save some lives.
Lisa Herndon came upon the accident scene just minutes after it happened.
I got out and told them I was a medical assistant and asked if they needed assistance.
The Toyota RAV4 had slammed into a big rig as it turned onto Cummings Skyway.
Three adults and two children were inside the Toyota. The passenger in the front seat was killed. The driver was in critical condition.
I helped one of the passengers in the back seat out of the car.
And I was going to walk her over to my car to give her some warmth.
At that time she was injured too badly.
That's when this Lexus came out of the fog and swerved to avoid the truck.
The Lexus hit Herndon's green Oldsmobile, which spun around and knocked the older woman to the ground.
She was killed. Herndon was also knocked to the ground, but she got back up to help the children.
There was a little boy who was in pretty serious condition. I just kind of stayed there and talked to him until the ambulance came.
One child is in critical condition tonight. The other is in good condition.
Now the driver of that Toyota is in very critical condition tonight.
As for the good Samaritan, Lisa Herndon, she suffered only some minor scrapes and bruises.
Ellen, back to you.
All right, Daniel, thank you.
NBC3's Chief Meteorologist John Farley has more now on the fog that caused that accident,
as well as a look at the latest on potential flooding in the Bay Area tonight.
John. Thanks, Carolyn. Well, the deal with the fog is that it's very hit or miss. It's very sparse.
I've been checking observations all over the Bay Area, a couple of places in the East Bay,
as Daniel was just showing you, intermittent pockets of heavy fog, but the rest of us aren't seeing much.
That's good news in terms of travel, but we have another story here we've got to talk about.
That is the flash flood watch still remains in effect for Napa, Sonoma, and Marin counties.
Now what's going on? Well, the ground is saturated, as you know.
We've seen pushing 20 inches of rain in the past four weeks for you folks in the North Bay.
More rain is on the way. Doppler radar shows you what's going on in this four-hour loop.
That green pushing in off of the west, that is the first wave that we will get tonight,
but there are more out in the Pacific.
And I know that some of you folks have been saying, hey, this storm has taken a long time to get here.
You're right, especially in the South Bay. We're next to no rain fell today, but take a look.
Look to the west of the Bay Area, and you can see there's a front out there.
That will continue to come in, and we will see some intense rain by morning.
I'll tell you more about that in about half an hour, Tara Lynn.
Alright, John, thank you.
Well, as John just mentioned, Marin County remains under a flood watch tonight as another storm closes in.
Now Marin has been hit with more than a share of rain this winter.
Last month was one of its wettest on record, and if January keeps going like this, it could be another record.
Jennifer Arterburn joins us live now from Coyote Creek in Marin City,
where the rain has been falling off and on all day.
Jennifer, how's it looking now?
Tara Lynn, actually, it just started up again after a little bit of a break.
It has definitely been a wet new year.
Coyote Creek here and other waterways in Marin County have been flowing heavy most of the day today.
Marin County Flood Control District officials had been concerned that if a high tide hit about the same time as a rain storm,
there could be flooding. But instead, it was just another rainy day in Marin County.
Lately, Marin County's weather has been the kind only fit for fowl and other water lovers.
Well, sometimes we go out along the street by ourselves and we get to do up in the puddles a lot.
Even though their house is on Corte Madera Creek in Ross, the Woolies weren't concerned about flooding.
Instead, they were taking off for a hike in the rain.
Well, the last time we got about five inches in the weekend and it was a really high tide,
and the water was all swirling and it was like living on a lake instead of a creek.
Not everyone was willing to turn their back on the creek with a high tide and rain in the forecast.
John Barr came out to watch the water, but says despite Corte Madera Creek's history of flooding, he's not worried.
This baby can handle it. But if it doesn't, well, just mop it up afterwards.
The top edge was dry, see, but the water was up to here.
Herman Wheel has had the pleasure of mopping up after Corte Madera Creek,
but this time he's prepared with a concrete wall to protect his property from rising water.
Sandbags, we have such a long creek frontage. I mean, I would have to have so many sandbags.
That's stupid. So I'd rather build a little wall, see, and it's more permanent.
Wheel says his wall has already saved his yard from the creek several times.
He did not need the wall today. As it turned out, high tide came and went while the rain was held to a quiet drizzle.
More rain is still in the forecast, so there is a chance of flooding.
If you don't want to build a concrete wall like Herman Wheel there in our story,
Marin County flood control has plenty of free bags and sand available at Tennessee Valley Road and Marin Drive.
In Marin County, Jennifer Arterburn, NBC3 News.
All right, Jennifer, thanks.
A flash flood watch is something Sonoma County residents are used to.
This elusive storm means a lot of people went storm watching today.
The National Weather Service says a new storm set to arrive later today will further soak the Sonoma County region.
The area is under a flash flood watch. More than an inch of rain fell in the North Bay over the weekend.
This afternoon in Sonoma County, heavy rain clouds hovered along the coast.
Well, it's supposed to come in this afternoon. Yeah, so we're going to hang out and see the storm and then head back and walk on the beach in the rain.
Arterburn's officials expect more mudslides and road slides as the wet weather continues to blanket the area.
Residents of a San Francisco condominium complex that's threatened by rock slides should know a little more about their fate tomorrow.
City officials evacuated a dozen units at the Stone Ridge Complex this weekend after the hillside began raining down rocks and boulders.
They've told residents it could be a month before they're allowed back in, but some refuse to leave.
Last night there was one person, I saw the light still in the building, she's supposed to leave and she didn't want to leave.
So she's still there. She's an old lady. She just didn't want to leave for home, I guess.
The head of the Homeowners Association says the city is planning to update residents on their status tomorrow.
A New Year's Eve party quickly turned tragic when a teen falls from a hotel balcony.
Tonight, the 17-year-old is recovering from surgery at a San Francisco hospital.
Ben Moore talked with hotel guests who witnessed the disturbing scene unfold.
This is where the 17-year-old from Willets is spending the new year, in the hospital.
Six stories from this balcony at the Embassy Suites in South San Francisco.
Monique Seymour was ringing in 2002 at the hotel with her family when her party got cut short by the tragic fall.
I ran outside and the man just hit the ground, his head was busted, and all the people was around him saying, back away from him, don't touch him, move.
Witnesses say the 17-year-old climbed over the railing of this eighth floor balcony when he slipped and fell onto the roof of the second floor.
The paramedics rushed the 17-year-old here to San Francisco General Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery for massive head trauma.
He is now listed in critical condition.
We were on the third floor and I saw police going up and down in the elevators.
Many hotel guests like Mavis Musatelli noticed police on the scene, but she thought they were there to break up some of the New Year's Eve parties.
Mavis didn't realize what happened until this morning.
I mean, it's just a tragedy. I can't, it's a terrible way. I'm sorry for the family and all those affected.
While the victim struggles to survive, those who witnessed the fall say they will never look at New Year's Eve the same way again.
Whether somebody was playing or not, I don't think that deserved to happen to anybody and I'm just chickening up.
I don't ever want to come back here again. That would ruin my New Year.
Already 2002 has become a bad year for the victim and his family and a year some hotel guests at the embassy suites say they will never forget.
In South San Francisco, Ben Moore, NBC3 News.
At this point, police believe the victim slipped off the railing and was not pushed.
Investigators are looking into the possibility that alcohol may have been involved in this accident.
A well-known restaurant in downtown San Jose erupted in flames last night.
It was a rude welcome to the New Year for diners at Il Fornayo and the Hyatt St. Clair Hotel.
Grease from a barbecue grill caught fire sending smoke six stories high.
The entire building had to be evacuated for two hours.
Fortunately, nobody was hurt, but the restaurant does remain closed.
Police in San Francisco are investigating a deadly car fire tonight.
It happened in the Bayview District at the corner of Griffith Street and Navy Road around 7 o'clock this morning.
Investigators say they found the car on fire with the driver inside.
And at this point, they don't have much else to go on.
Quite frankly, it appears that this was some sort of an accident, whether he fell asleep, may have had his foot on the gas, the car impacted, who knows.
Police say the car crashed into a curb and the impact could have sparked an electrical fire in the engine.
The car is being examined tonight. An autopsy is also being done on the victim.
Well, drivers on the Golden Gate Bridge may want to keep a closer eye on their speedometer.
Starting today, the CHP is increasing patrols on the bridge to catch people breaking the 45 mile an hour speed limit.
It's all part of a new state program aimed at reducing collisions on the bridge by 10 percent.
Usually there's a pep rally and a formal reception, but this isn't business as usual for Notre Dame University.
Not at all. The Midwestern Catholic School introduced its first ever African American head coach,
former Stanford head coach Tyrone Willingham. And Raj Mathai joins us now with the story, Raj.
Very low key, just like Tyrone's personality. He would have been happy if this thing happened in the school cafeteria.
That's how Tyrone is. The hard part isn't getting the job at Notre Dame. The hard part is keeping the job there.
Tyrone used to tell us, if you believe in yourself, there's no such thing as pressure. You'll need to keep that in mind.
That golden dome in the middle of campus is a pressure cooker.
Notre Dame has won 11 national titles, which is tops in the history of college football.
Willingham takes over for George O'Leary. He signs a six year contract worth a guaranteed base salary of 1.5 million bucks a season.
There is without question that this is the most high profile university in this country.
And with that, as they have told me, it brings bright lights. But I've always said in my life that if you're doing the right things,
it does not matter how bright the lights or how many lights. But if you're doing the wrong thing, it only takes a flashlight.
Okay, the first ever black head coach in Notre Dame history, and this is just as much a political story as it is a sports story.
The Reverend Jesse Jackson, who had been pressuring Notre Dame for the last couple of weeks, he issued this statement.
It's a victory for fairness and equal opportunity to succeed or fail to even the field for athletes.
You have to be willing to even the field for coaches. Tyrone Willingham, less than six head coaches that are black in NCAA college right now,
in Division I, more than 100 universities. So there needs to be some work to be done still.
Later in sports, we'll hear more from Tyrone. Also, we'll be joined by Steve Mariucci, the head coach of the four.
Oh, that'll be fun. Yeah, sounds great. Thanks, Raj. Thanks, Raj.
Well, if you have kids, an important new law that you need to know about involving car seats and parents who ignore the law could face a costly penalty.
And here's what else is still ahead on NBC three news. Yes, the economy looks gloomy,
but I've got three reasons why 2002 could bring optimism and more money in your portfolio. That's coming up.
And this may be the first time some of you are watching NBC three news, but some other people may be having a little trouble tuning us in.
Just to add, what to do if you know someone who can't see NBC programming.
I'm Sharon Katsuda. A party got out of hand where police in Oakland had to use pepper spray and fire rounds into the crowd. I'll have the latest.
You're watching NBC three news at six with Alan Denton, Terrilyn Joe, weather with chief meteorologist John Farley and sports with Roger Mathai.
NBC three news at six continues. Topping our coverage around the region, a huge fire in Hollywood created some tense moments for firefighters today.
About 16 fire companies were called to the scene around nine o'clock this morning. It was an abandoned building on fire.
Firefighters say their main concern was keeping it from spreading to nearby buildings. The cause is under investigation.
This year's Rose Bowl parade in Pasadena went off without a hitch today. It was a little different this year with most floats taking on patriotic themes
and extra security on hand at every corner in case of a terrorist attack. But again, nothing happened.
And the theme for this year's Rose Bowl parade was good times in all 53 floats made their way down Colorado Boulevard.
But it was a tropical rainforest float that got top honors named most beautiful float this year.
And of course, it's easy to see why. Along with thousands of flowers, the float had six waterfalls on it.
The parade began back in 1890 with horse drawn rose covered carriages.
Well, as you're probably aware by now, we are your new NBC station for the Bay Area.
But unfortunately, the switch leaves many people unable to get a clear picture of the Peacock Network.
Damien Trujillo joins us now to explain why and show you what's being done about it. Damien.
Well, Terrilyn and Alan, our transmitter is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
So some people who don't have cable in the northern part of the Bay are having a hard time getting a clear picture from us.
And those people are making it clear they're not happy about it.
The former NBC. Gene Weininger has been trying all day to tune in NBC 3 on her antenna.
But this is as good as it gets for her.
Yesterday I could get NBC and today it's very fuzzy, you know, sometimes nonexistent.
That's because Weininger lives in the Berkeley foothills.
She used to get NBC clearly on Channel 4 because the station's transmitter is on Mount Sutro in San Francisco.
NBC 3's transmitter is further south in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
All I would like is for more power or whatever is required so that the people in this part of the Bay Area can watch NBC.
So like many other Bay Area viewers, Weininger called NBC 3 to complain.
Hello, thanks for calling NBC 3.
There are thousands of other people in the Bay Area who will tell you on an overcast day like today,
the view we're getting of the San Francisco skyline is probably clearer than the NBC 3 reception they're getting at home.
But NBC is working to change that.
There are plans underway to move the NBC 3 transmitter further north, perhaps to Mount Allison in Fremont.
That should give more viewers a clearer picture.
We're doing everything we can to improve the signal to everybody in the San Francisco market.
San Francisco's market's 110 miles.
Which means other network affiliates in the Bay Area have about the same number of dead spots in their signal as NBC 3.
It's just people have learned to adjust over the years.
But Weininger doesn't want to adjust.
She just wants to watch her favorite NBC shows.
NBC 3's chief engineer tells me if the Bay Area was flat, then we wouldn't be having all these problems.
But because there are hills and mountains everywhere, every station is going to hit some dead spots.
So you may have to adjust your antennas accordingly.
I'm Damien Trujillo for NBC 3 News.
Alright Damien, thanks.
And you're looking live now at the NBC 3 newsroom where we are having callers standing by to answer,
having people standing by to answer any questions you may have about our switch.
You can call 1-800-508-NBC3 or 6223.
You can also log on to our website at NBC3.com.
Coming up in our next half hour, we'll have answers to the most frequently asked questions.
And we have much more ahead on NBC 3 News.
Parents take note, a new child safety law is now in place, but many parents don't think it's right.
That story's coming up.
And the stock market took a tumble in 2001, so what's the outlook for 2002?
NBC 3's tech reporter Scott Budman has the answer when we come back.
And there's more rain on the way, especially for you folks in the North Bay.
I'll tell you when we're finally going to dry out,
what the futurecast looks like for the next five days coming up in about 20 minutes.
This is your living room.
It's set to a comfortable 72 degrees.
That's the exact temperature you'd want.
If you were curling up with a book or watching TV, or if you were even home.
But you're not.
So when you're away or asleep, how about 55?
And when you're home, how about 68 and wearing something warm?
It can save you money.
Let's keep flexing our power. It's working.
An emotional Dateline Tuesday.
Little Ben, the victim of a tragic medical error.
I cried so hard it hurt.
His parents, desperate for answers.
Somebody messed up.
Can a doctor's surprising admission heal a family's pain?
We made a bad mistake.
A touching Dateline Tuesday, tonight at 10, 9 Central on NBC.
All of your favorite NBC must-see TV comedies and quality dramas.
Plus the Today Show, the nightly news with Tom Brokaw, and the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake.
All of NBC now has a new home on NBC 3.
Be there for all your favorite NBC shows on the new home for NBC, NBC 3.
NBC 3 News at 6 continues.
If you were just about to put away your child's safety seat, the state is now saying, not so fast.
Starting today, California has the toughest child safety seat law in the country.
Children under 6 years old or weighing less than 60 pounds will have to be strapped into a child safety seat when traveling in a car.
The old law used to be 4 years old and 40 pounds.
One parent we talked to says she's deciding if she wants to put her 5-year-old daughter back into the seat.
A million children will now fall under the new law, which means parents who gave away their seats will now have to buy another one.
The seat can cost between $35 and $125.
Well, it is a new year for your money and after a very rough 2001.
Believe it or not, there are actually reasons to be optimistic about a better 2002.
Our high-tech business reporter Scott Budman is here with some of those reasons. Scott?
Alan, barring any unforeseen tragedies like what we went through on September 11th,
stock market watchers say your money could get a boost this year and that's something to cheer for.
It's a day for watching football, but for some Bay Area residents like Dee Dee Clark,
there's more to think about than how their Michigan Wolverines did in the Citrus Bowl.
Ringing in the new year at Double D's Sports Bar in Los Gatos, Dee Dee admits that after a rough 2001, her mind is also on her money.
Yeah, I think it's time to take a look at where you're putting your money and where you're spending your money,
and I'm a little bit more conservative than I used to be.
And why not? 2001 was, financially speaking, tough for a lot of us.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 7 percent. The Nasdaq, full of Bay Area companies, dropped more than 20 percent.
Even the most popular mutual funds, long considered safe, fell by about 10 percent.
Tried and true stocks like Hewlett Packard lost a third of their value. Even Disney shares fell by 27 percent.
So much for the happiest place on earth.
Now I know it looks gloomy out there right now, but I've got three reasons for optimism as we start the new year and wipe this lake clean.
One, all those interest rate cuts that will start taking effect.
Two, 40 billion dollars in tax cuts to put in our pocket.
And three, lower energy costs, so we'll spend less money at the pump.
I think it's going to be a better year.
Broker Jody Johnson of A.G. Edwards & Sons in San Jose says 2002 will be better, partly because we're wiser.
We're never going to be as confident or as crazily confident as we were two years ago when we were willing to pay $248 a share for a stock that really didn't make much money.
And it's a good thing that that's gone.
Nobody knows exactly what the stock market will bring us this year, but if things are a little stabler for a while, these people will have something to cheer about.
Another reason for optimism is that the markets have come back so far from their late September lows.
Carol and that, market watchers say, is because people were already starting to feel better about the coming year.
OK Scott, make us feel really better.
Give us the inside scoop. Which stocks do the stock watchers say could be really hot in early 2002?
You know, at least for early 2002, Carol, they're saying, think small, the small cap stocks.
Instead of trying to find the next Cisco or Intel, they're saying try to find the next NVIDIA or Activision.
Smaller stocks like biotech companies that have a long way to go and that are just getting started.
They say those are where you can grow your money, at least early on in 2002.
So we shouldn't be banking on those 300% increases in one day anymore?
Not for quite some time, no.
OK, I was afraid you'd say that.
Yes.
All right, Scott, thank you.
You bet.
If you can't get into Harvard, it may not be your fault.
The school sent out thousands of emails to students applying for early admission, telling many of them that they had been accepted.
But students who use America Online didn't get the good news.
AOL computers thought the Harvard letters were spam, which is unwanted email.
And you're not going to believe this, they deleted the messages.
Harvard is sending regular letters via snail mail to its new students, so be sure to watch out for yours.
Well, New Year's Eve gets out of hand in Oakland.
Why, police had to bring out the riot gear next on NBC3 News at 6.
Are airports still not safe, according to the government?
Find out why they say that and how it can be fixed.
We are still making New Year's resolutions for 2002, but for many of us, it seems they are of a very different sort.
I'm Jonas Tichenor in San Jose. I'll explain coming up.
The Grand Affair Limousines, the Bay Area's number one ground transportation provider.
This week on Passions, a Christmas wish comes true.
I don't believe it. It's a miracle for a real boy.
A long-lost son returns.
It was a mistake for me to come back to Harvard.
As he brought Sheridan back to Louise.
I can't bring myself to give up on Sheridan.
And the stranger arrives. How many lives will he change?
Come on, come on, come on. Just drop your little bond.
Just you watch, Passions.
Today at 2 on NBC3.
Imagine being the only one.
NBC3 News at 6 continues.
And thanks for watching NBC3 News at 6 on this Tuesday evening.
Here's a look at some of the day's top stories.
Two people are dead. A third is critically injured after an accident near Crockett today.
A car crashed into a big rig on Cummings Skyway.
ZHP shut down both Highway 4 and I-80.
Thick fog blanketed the area at the time of the accident.
And three Bay Area counties are under a flash flood watch tonight.
People in Marin, Napa, and Sonoma counties are on alert.
As some creeks are expected to overflow, possibly overnight.
A 17-year-old is in very critical condition after falling six stories off a hotel balcony in South San Francisco.
The boy was celebrating the New Year at the Embassy Suites with his family.
Police say he apparently slipped and fell.
And to find out more about our top stories, go to NBC3.com.
A New Year celebration in the East Bay turned into a riot.
Police faced a crowd of 500 people and fired several rounds of wooden dowels at them.
Sharon Katsuda shows you what led up to the clash with police.
Wearing protective gear, police moved in on the New Year's crowd.
It was already 1.40 in the morning.
But Oakland officers couldn't convince about 500 people.
The party in Jack London Square was over.
It grew larger and larger until we probably had about 20 to 30 fighting at one point.
Police used pepper spray and wooden dowels to get control of the crowd.
So far no injuries were reported, but one person was arrested.
From the looks of Jack London Square, just hours later, you wouldn't know a riot took place here.
Only remnants of a fun-filled evening left behind.
Some people in Oakland questioned whether police should have responded with so much force after what had been a peaceful party.
They're breaking windows or something.
I don't see any broken windows around here. We just had breakfast.
A lot of restaurants, yeah.
But valet worker Edwin Tinope says police shouldn't have to wait until a crowd turns violent.
He deals with unruly crowds every weekend and is glad to see officers step in.
Especially after what the country's been through this year, Edwin says people should know better.
Just shake hands, like, you know, a smile on their face. I would love that to happen.
Yeah, yeah, everybody friendly, say hi to everybody, you know, that would be nice.
It took police until 3 a.m. to send all the folks home.
Perhaps this year people will resolve to behave better.
Sharon Katsuda, NBC3 News.
Police say the wooden dowels are usually shot at people's legs.
They have enough force to cause a bruise but normally won't break the skin.
Well, we have new information on a deadly shooting this morning in the town of Geyserville, north of Santa Rosa.
Police say two men got into an argument at a New Year's Eve party and shortly after that, gunfire broke out.
Three people were shot. One of them is dead.
The others are recovering from their injuries tonight.
So far, police have made no arrests.
Meantime, a Coast Guard officer died early this morning after falling off the roof of an old warehouse.
Petty Officer Brian Deck fell 15 feet from the top of this building located on Coast Guard Island.
Alameda police say he had been drinking heavily at a party.
He went for a walk, climbed onto the roof and fell off.
Police say there is no evidence of suicide or foul play.
2001 turned out to be a more deadly year than 2000.
Take a look at the murder rates.
In San Jose, police recorded 24 murders up from 17 in 2000.
In San Francisco, the murder rates stayed even.
But in Oakland, murders jumped up by nearly 10.
Police in each city tell us they believe their cities are still safer than a year ago.
And here is the latest now on America's war on terrorism.
Pentagon officials confirmed tonight that U.S. Marines have launched a mission to capture Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar.
The Marines left their compound in Kandahar Monday in two loaded choppers, each capable of carrying about 25 Marines.
The U.S. thinks Omar is hiding near Bagran in the mountains northwest of Kandahar.
And late word tonight, another group of Marines are searching a former al-Qaeda compound southwest of Kandahar looking for information about Omar.
Afghan's Prime Minister Hamid Karzai confirms his troops are involved.
Meanwhile, the first man charged in the September 11 terrorist attacks will be arraigned tomorrow in federal court.
Zacharias Musawi faces six charges of conspiring with Osama bin Laden and others to murder thousands of people.
Four of the charges are punishable by death.
Musawi says he's innocent.
The feds arrested Musawi in Minnesota last August on immigration violations after trying to buy time on a jumbo jet flight simulator.
Musawi, that is.
The chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee says the war on terror is being fought with 30-year-old weapons.
Congressman John Micah says airport metal detectors and X-ray machines date from the 1970s and are unable to detect plastic explosives.
Airports will be required to install equipment that can detect plastic explosives by the end of 2002.
And another step in the restoration of full service at Washington's Reagan International Airport.
Service will resume to 14 cities tomorrow, including JFK Airport in New York.
Across the country and here in the Bay Area, airports are winding down after the holiday travel season.
Even though more people are flying since September 11th, they are still having financial problems.
One Bay Area airport is now facing layoffs and is even resorting to rationing toilet paper.
And tonight on NBC3 News at 11, we'll take a closer look at the economic hardships facing Bay Area airports.
A South Bay school superintendent has resigned under fire.
Terry L. Jones ran the tiny Orchard School District in San Jose.
He has faced heavy criticism for traveling to England and Cuba and for driving an $80,000 BMW at taxpayers' expense.
There are only 800 students in the Orchard District, and yet Jones is entitled to as much as $200,000 in severance pay.
2002 means a new mayor for New Yorkers.
Just ahead on NBC3 News, we will take you to Big Apple as Michael Bloomberg is introduced as New York's 118th mayor.
Resolutions to me will never be the same.
And our New Year's resolutions post-September 11th seem less focused on losing that extra 10 pounds, but the changes will last a lifetime.
The power drive is only $229 after rebate.
The fastest digital camera on the market now only $499.
Remember, your best buys are always at fries.
Guaranteed.
The National Broadcasting Company and its affiliates welcome KNTV NBC3.
Serving San Jose, Oakland, San Francisco and the entire Bay Area.
This is television's most honored network.
This is NBC3.
When news breaks, weather strikes and traffic backs up, Chopper 3 is there on top of the news.
NBC3, the Bay Area's NBC.
And good evening, I'm John Farley.
The rain, although it's taken some time to get here, it's still on the way.
Look out here, that front heading toward the Bay Area.
Heavy rain by late tonight.
Details in just a couple minutes.
This February, the Olympics have a new home.
And you can only catch them on NBC3.
MUSIC
All your favorite NBC shows, including the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake, are on the new home for NBC, NBC3.
Change the way you start your day with today about the Bay.
Followed by the Today Show on the new NBC, NBC3.
First at 5, it's Today About the Bay with me, Brent Cannon and Laura Garcia Cannon.
We'll give you a jump start on local news, weather, business and traffic.
Then at 7, join Katie, Matt and Amy for the Today Show.
We'll have the latest world and national news, entertainment and more.
Spend your mornings with the Bay Area's new NBC, NBC3.
We're changing the way you start your day.
MUSIC
NBC3 News at 6 continues.
I pledge that my administration will strive in everything we do to honor the memory of those we have lost and honor those now fighting for our freedoms.
We will rebuild, renew and remain the capital of the free world.
A new year and a new era in New York City.
Michael Bloomberg officially sworn in today as the Big Apple's 108th mayor.
Bloomberg replaces Rudy Giuliani, now likely to be remembered with Fiorello LaGuardia as New York's greatest mayor.
Well, every year we make them and every year we break them.
We, of course, are talking about our New Year's resolutions.
But as Jonas Tischner found out, this year people are looking deeper into what they want to change, not just about themselves, but the world around them.
It's gotta be the New Year's resolution that keeps our health clubs in business.
For it's always priority one, get in shape.
Eat less, look better. The pressure to be the best you you can be on the outside.
It's not that those type of resolutions aren't important. They are.
But it seems that what's happening on the inside is becoming more of a focus in light of what happened September 11th.
Resolutions to me will never be the same.
It seems many people are looking at a new found meaning in the resolution.
Pray for peace is to seek God's forgiveness.
For some it's deeper, more spiritual and not one that can be dismissed after a few months.
I think people are taking a more serious approach to resolutions and taking something that is a little more meaty.
We work for justice and peace in the hopes that that will bring about a sustainable world peace. That's my resolution.
It may be that for the first time in a long time world peace doesn't sound so cliché.
2001 brought us the most difficult of circumstances. Seeing the worst and the best certainly puts things in perspective.
This is so terrible.
Resolutions as far as not chocolates and losing weight, I think that's immaterial now. It just doesn't cut it anymore.
In myself I think walking the talk, getting involved in the community more.
Relationships, I think they're looking at healing for their own selves, like some issues of grudges, perhaps really working on a grudge or working on a family issue.
Probably much more difficult than losing that 10 pounds, but are the kind of resolutions we don't forget and the benefits last a lifetime.
In San Jose, Jonas Tischner, NBC3 News.
And the father says his advice for deep personal resolutions is to pick the one thing you really need to change and just work on that.
Everything else will fall into place around it.
Alright, Chief Meteorologist John Farley is here now with the weather and already some flooding reported, right?
Yeah, that's right. What we're getting right now is Russian River at Hoplind. They're expecting this to go a little bit higher, but right around Highway 175 they expect there'll be some more flooding.
There's a little being reported right now, but some more flooding as we go through the night.
And I want to remind you, Napa, Sonoma and Marin counties are under a flash flood watch. That is, flooding is likely tonight.
Let me show you what's going on with the Doppler radar. And you can see this four hour loop, this first wave is moving back into the picture.
And there we have more filling in out behind this. And this is courtesy of a front that, yes, has taken its time to get here, but it does still pose a threat to us, especially in the North Bay.
Again, back into the front is way out in here. So we still have a long way to go before that goes through.
So this will continue to push on over the top of us as we go through the next 12 hours.
For you folks in the North Bay, I expect the rain to get going again pretty solidly in the next couple of hours and remain that way for about five or six hours.
So there is still a threat of flooding for you folks, especially in those counties that I mentioned south of there.
Places like San Francisco, there's probably a slight threat. And then south of that, I don't expect any threat of flooding at all.
If you have folks that are traveling through the Sierra, they're doing fine for now. The snow level is very high.
It's above 7,000, or rather 7,500 feet right now. But it will lower and it'll lower during the day tomorrow coming down to around 5,500 feet.
So tonight through tomorrow morning, fine travel. But again, through the day tomorrow is when you will need your change through the Sierra.
And if you're getting out and about tonight, here's the forecast. Rainy, especially focused in the North Bay.
As that front comes through, we will see the winds pick up to around 30 miles an hour. The lows tonight, not that cold.
50s tomorrow, we start in the South Bay. So morning rain, then it gives way to afternoon pokes of clear afternoon highs in the South Bay will be either side of 60 degrees on the peninsula.
Not a washout. Early showers. Belmont will check in at 59 Pacifica at 57 Redwood City 62. Again, early rain in the North Bay.
You guys I expected to clear out by around 10 in the morning. Thereafter, we'll start to see some sun and the sun will linger for five days.
That's good news for you folks. You need to dry out. Well, I don't know what's going on beyond that, but at least for five days, that's as far out as we go.
60 in Vallejo, 57 in Berkeley. We fly into the East Bay. Livermore looks comfortable at 60 degrees.
Again, the morning rain will give way to some sunshine by late in the day. Here is the five day forecast. You see where it goes.
Dry, dry, dry, dry, dry. That's what you want to hear Thursday through Sunday. But we still have a night to get through.
We have crews in the North Bay positioned in case anything does break. We'll continue to update you.
And all you have to do is keep it tuned right here. I'll be following this all night. In fact, I'll be following it until three o'clock in the morning when Shannon O'Donnell finally gets here.
And she'll be following it then. So we will be on top of this. All right. Better weather ahead then. Thanks, John.
Well, this is our first full day as your NBC station in the Bay Area. And no doubt you or somebody you know still has questions about our big switch to NBC3.
Coming up, we will have some answers. And it's official. We can now call Stanford coach Tyrone Willingham, a former Stanford coach.
We'll tell you all about his new job with Notre Dame next on NBC3 News.
They experience the advantage of the new NBC3. Each night at 530, watch America's number one national newscast, NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw.
And NBC3 News with Carolyn Joe and Alan Denton brings you an in-depth look at the events in the Bay Area.
Up to the minute around the Bay and around the world. Benefit from the resources of NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw and NBC3.
The new team to watch in the Bay Area.
Well, as you know by now, our television station is now NBC3.
We worked hard to inform you about the change, but some questions may linger.
Our business reporter Scott McGrew is in the newsroom to help answer some of those questions. Scott?
All right. Well, apparently we're having some technical difficulties. That does happen.
This is our first big day and that was our first shot of the newsroom there.
We'll try to get back to Scott McGrew who's going to be able to answer some of the questions you as viewers have for us about our big NBC3 switch.
Now onto this story. The Olympic Torch Relay made its way down the frigid shoreline of Lake Erie today.
The flame left Buffalo early this morning, leaving behind seven feet of snow and a lot of patriotic good cheer.
The Torchbearers then crossed into Erie, Pennsylvania for a lunchtime celebration.
From there, the Relay headed west towards Cleveland where evening celebrations are planned.
The Olympic Torch Relay will cover over 13,000 miles en route to Salt Lake City.
And remember, the only place in the Bay Area to watch the Winter Games is right here on NBC3 in February.
All right. From Stanford to Notre Dame, everybody's been watching with a keen eye. We will have more with Tyrone Willingham.
Also, the always animated Steve Mariucci, the 49ers head coach, joins Raj for a live interview coming up next in sports.
We'll be right back.
Tune into the Bay Area's WB and the new NBC3.
Date Live, tonight at 10 on NBC3.
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NBC3 News at 6 continues.
Everybody is talking about Tyrone Willingham. This is such a great story.
That's exactly right.
That he is going to NB...NBC3...NBC3 on the brain. That's all I've been able to think about for the last couple of days.
Roger, let's hear what sports tonight will be.
He will be coming to NBC3 because Notre Dame is actually the only school, the only university in the country to have a national TV contract.
National TV? Which network?
NBC.
Peacock. Right. We love it.
Let's start this. No other school has won more national championships than Notre Dame.
And no other school has been written into Hollywood scripts more than Notre Dame.
From Reagan to Rudy, this is a football program that initially captured the hearts of nearly every Catholic American.
In terms of college football lore, my gosh, Notre Dame is almost mythical.
Newt Rockne, the famed head coach in the 1920s, the four horsemen, players that helped the Fighting Irish to the 1925 Rose Bowl game, a game in which they defeated Stanford.
This is just the tip of the iceberg.
And this is now Ty Willingham's iceberg.
On campus today, in a very low-key ceremony, Willingham was introduced in the shadows of that Golden Dome.
Just two days after his 48th birthday, he celebrates with the top job in college football.
This university is one of the great universities in this country.
But as a football coach, it is one of the great opportunities in this country.
So to say it is a dream come true is true.
So again, I say to all of you and to the Notre Dame family, I am excited.
I am eager to begin the work, not just of the football program, but of this university.
Sometimes Ty doesn't sound that excited, but he is excited.
So it's official, we suppose.
John Gruden and Steve Mariucci are no longer candidates for the Notre Dame job.
We go to 49ers headquarters in Santa Clara.
Steve Mariucci joins us.
Steve, I'm going to throw out the first rumor.
I heard you're going to coach Santa Clara City College next year.
I don't think they'd have me.
How are you doing, Ron? How's NBC3 going?
Thank you, Steve. You're big time.
How did you get? You're our first guest on the sportscast for NBC3.
Hey, I'm honored and thrilled to be on with you tonight.
How are you doing out there? No one is at 49ers headquarters right now, except for you and a few coaches.
Your workload is a bear, isn't it?
Well, you know, we've had Thanksgiving and Christmas and now New Year's,
and we just keep on working right through it, and we'll have a holiday.
Maybe the 4th of July we'll be able to enjoy.
Hey, Steve, real quick, let's touch on Ty Willingham.
Obviously, Notre Dame was interested in you, but that's behind us now.
Ty Willingham is their coach.
You thought you had it tough as the 49ers head coach,
but there's going to be a lot of scrutiny in South Bend for Ty.
You know, I had a chance to watch his press conference this morning.
In fact, a lot of the coaches that were working had the television on,
and I thought he was fantastic in his press conference.
And, you know, I've known Ty for a long time now,
coached against each other at Cal, Stanford, Vikings, Packers, you know, all the way through.
And he's going to do a fantastic job over there.
Boy, he's going to have their attention right away,
and he's going to get that thing back on track quickly.
Steve, I guess you can relate to Ty, what he's about to go through.
I suppose a couple of years ago when you took over the 49ers,
what was the story you like to tell Carmen policy, saying,
Mooch, get ready for the ride of your lifetime?
Yeah, he said that, and that was true.
And Ty's going to be going on the ride of his life, too,
and it's going to be an exciting thing for he and his family,
and it's going to be an exciting thing for the Notre Dame family, I believe.
All right, now for the 49er family.
You guys preparing to go to New Orleans this week?
Right now, as it stands, you would travel to Green Bay or Chicago
for the first round of the playoffs.
Mooch, it's 20 degrees in Green Bay right now.
That's like a picnic back there. That's not bad.
It's been worse than that for games.
We've been preparing for the Saints, as you know, it's our last game,
but because we may play on Saturday of next week,
which is a short week, we've got to get ready for the playoff team
that we might play, which is the Packers or the Bears.
So we're sort of in here preparing for three different teams right now this week,
so happy New Year's, everybody, but it's a busy day around here at 49er land.
Steve, on a serious note, Terrell Owens,
pretty vocal as he's been throughout the season with you.
It's a touchy relationship, I know. He's told us with you and he.
How do you describe it? Is it something where you just scratch your head?
I just scratch my head and keep moving on. I don't worry much about it at all.
Steve?
Yeah.
Good luck this week, okay?
Thanks.
Okay, well, thanks for joining us. We'll see you soon.
Okay, Rog.
All right, Steve Variucci, live from 49er's headquarters.
A quick recap now, today's bowl games, the Fiesta Bowl from the Arizona desert,
second ranked Oregon, third ranked Colorado,
Buffalo's and Ducks running wild in the desert. Watch this play.
You got to tackle the guy.
Oregon's Maurice Morris, he ain't down until the knee touches the ground.
You think he's down?
Now think again. He keeps going and breaks free for the touchdown.
Oregon could be co-national champ. The Ducks beat the Buffalo's 38 to 16.
A lot of other college games today. We'll start with the Cotton Bowl.
Oklahoma beats Arkansas. The Outback Bowl, a wild finish,
but South Carolina holds on to beat Ohio State.
The Gator Bowl goes to Florida State, and you can't spell citrus without U-T.
The University of Tennessee beats Michigan 45 to 17.
That is so great to hear from Mariucci.
Yeah, it is.
Always entertaining. Thanks, Rog.
Thanks.
Well, tonight on NBC3 News at 11, a story you'll see only here.
Local airports could be on the verge of a financial crisis,
and you may notice the next time you travel.
Tonight we open up the books to show you how Bay Area airports are hundreds of millions of dollars in debt
to the point where one is actually rationing toilet paper.
And a way to save big money on your daily commute.
We will show you how you can qualify.
Plus, of course, we are tracking the latest storm, and we will have complete live coverage tonight.
NBC3 News at 11 right after Dateline NBC.
Well, if you had the day off, there is a pretty good chance that you spent it watching football.
But for some, it was a day to hit the road.
About 100 classic car owners spent the New Year's Day cruising around Marin.
Organizers call the annual event the Anti-Football Motor Tour.
They say it's an alternative to the old armchair tradition.
They say they're not necessarily anti-football. They're just pro-driving.
What cars? You know, those beautiful classics.
And you're the car expert there.
Well, I don't know. Some of these cars predate me, obviously.
I mean, that's like an old Edsel.
We're talking old when you talk Edsel now. That's old, okay?
Usually you are always the expert on this.
Okay, John, quickly, update on the forecast.
Okay, let's go to the Doppler radar. The rain is moving into the North Bay.
Well, there, by the way, we have the flash flood watch still in effect,
but that's because there is rain moving into the North Bay.
There's more out to the west.
Where you need to keep your heads up is in the North Bay.
The rest of us should do fine with this. We'll be following this one closely all night long.
All right.
Very good deal. Well, thanks for watching NBC3 News.
Join us again tonight at the 11. Till then, have a good night.
Good night.
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