The Reporters' Notebook is your place for updates from the field all day long. Watch stories develop throughout the news day as reporters send in behind-the-scenes angles and extra essentials to give you the full story.
Santa Clara County's Public Health Department issued a Health Advisory just after 12:30PM today. Dr. Sara Cody, the county's deputy public health officer, warned folks to stay indoors if they can today, because of all the smoke.. And the poor air quality it's causing. The advisory comes on the heels of a similar warning by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Both agencies say people with asthma or other respiratory problems should be especially concerned. Dr. Cody told me folks should not try to "run a race or test physical fitness" today.But that didn't stop Lindsey Herbert from jogging around River Glen Park in Willow Glen. I asked her if the air quality was okay, and she said "no, it's gross... but I still feel like I need to exercise".This is the first time in five years Santa Clara County issues such a warning.Here's the picture I sent in from my cell phone.
Damian Trujillo took this picture of a particularly smoggy say in San Jose in 2007.
YoYo's And Snow
Posted by Bob Redell at 11:45 a.m.
This morning we hooked up with Jonny Moseley (Olympic Gold Medal Skier) to talk about IcerAir 2007. The extreme skiing event will be returning for its 2nd year at AT&T park - third year in San Francisco.IcerAir debuted with tons of snow down the extremely steep Fillmore Street In Pac Heights. Residents there complained about the inconvenience of having a winter wonderland dumped in front of their homes, so last year, organizers moved it to the ballpark. This year will be a two day event and will include more activites outside the park.BTW: Jonny had no problem getting up for our live shot at 5:45 a.m. He was up anyways at the hospital where his wife just gave birth to their first child.Here's a way to unwind this weekend: the California State Yo-Yo Championships. It's not too late to sign up. The competition is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday at The Exploratorium. Exploratorium Link
Can Gray Skies Be Licked?
Posted by Christie Smith at 11:10 A.M.
We drove to Gilroy this morning and saw nothing but gray skies because of the Lick Fire. When I left my home about 100 miles away in the east bay it was nearly the same story. Different fire. This is going to sound cheesy but what the heck: the Bay Area feels more like the Gray Area and we're not talking smog.At base camp this morning in Gilroy there was an eerie orange gray glow as the sun came up. Today's plan on the front lines: cut more line and be on guard for spot fires. When you hear stuff like that it sounds somewhat technical...like things firefighters would be concerned about. But with all this gray, it's really becoming everyone's issue.I hear the smoke is expected to clear soon...not soon enough. The Lick fire is 25% contained and nearly 19-thousand acres burned. So far in covering this story I have not been to the front lines because its so far away and our deadlines are tight. But, looking up it certainly feels like I've been there all along. Heading back to San Jose now; then on to the last leg of my journey.
Palace Of Fine Arts Restoration
Posted by Lisa Bernard at 10:30 a.m.
Groundbreaking today for the second phase of the restoration of the Palace of Fine Arts. The Rotunda and Colonnades are being strengthened and upgraded.The San Francisco landmark was first built for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915. It's the only remnant of a massive complex of palaces and buildings that were here for what was essentially the World's Fair in 1915.San Francisco's Mayor and those who are leading the charge for renovations are piercing ceremonial soil this morning. The shovel used by President William Taft in the original groundbreaking is being displayed at the ceremony.
C.C. Myers
Posted by Mike Luery at 9:52 a.m.
C.C. Myers stands about 6 ft. 4 and is a towering presence wherever he goes. He's the contractor/builder who just completed the Bay Bridge retrofit - and did it 11 hours early. Back in May, his construction firm came in a month ahead of schedule for the MacArthur Maze interchange. The key to that deal was getting the steel shipped pronto from Pennsylvania and Texas."And this guy told me there's no way this can be done," C.C. Myers told me in an interview at the Winchester Country Club in Placer County, where he's developing 1100 acres for 400 homes. "I said we'll see," Myers continued. "That afternoon, the guy called me and said well I've just seen something I never thought was a possibility."C.C. Myers has been surpassing expectations for three decades as one of California's premier bridge and highway rebuilders. Now he's building his 9000 square foot dream home overlooking the scenic Sierra Nevada foothills. In his work he's always focused on high quality, safety and getting things done fast. As for his dream home, he told me, "The only mistake I made Mike, I said honey, you can have whatever you want up there you know, whatever you want you can have. That's a mistake."Call it a labor of love, but the home C.C. is building for his wife will have a gym and exercise room, wine cellar and outdoor swimming pool. You can see it for yourself tonight on our special newscast at 4:30 pm, right before NFL football.Raw Video: C.C. Myers Talks To NBC11
Firefighter Surge Making A Difference In Lick Fire
Written by George Kiriyama at 2:29 a.m.
A day after photojournalist Walter Colby and I almost got smashed by a basketball size rock during a rockslide in the hills east of Gilroy and Morgan Hill, we were back for Day 3 of the Lick Fire. This time...we drove up Pacheco Pass and turned left on Kaiser Etna Road. We watched as firefighters from Marin County set dry brush on fire to burn out the fuels before the main fire could get to it. This process is called "firing out"...not to be confused with "backfire"."When you're backfiring you're trying to influence the main fire," Tim Walsh, a Marin County firefighter, said. "Where we're just trying to remove the fuel between the road and the fire's edge." Walsh was one of many Bay Area firefighters who came to battle the Lick Fire.As of 2:30 a.m., 14,000 acres have burned. The fire is now 25 percent contained. You can thank a surge of 400 more firefighters for this. Fire investigators say the fire began on Monday afternoon when flames or sparks escaped from a barrel full of burning trash. The barrel is believed to have been around Booze Lake near Henry W. Coe State Park.
That New iPod Is Already Old
Posted by Noelle Walker at 1:40 a.m.
I bought my first iPod before it was a household name. My friends kept asking what it was. Ask that question now and people would wonder what rock you crawled out from under! The first generation iPods were not great. I think mine lasted a few months before I got the sad Mac frown face on the screen. Now Apple has a new iPod Touch. It's essentially an iPhone without the phone feature.There's also a new iPod Nano with video. It makes the Nano I take on my runs obsolete! Though it would be a challenge to watch video on a 2-inch screen while running through the streets of San Francisco! Is new and improved better? There will always be those people who just have to get the newest gadget first.Those are the ones who paid $600 for their i-Phones, which are now reduced to $399! Good things come to those who wait. My Nano has far outlasted the life of that first iPod.More: Read Complete Report
Mother Uses Trash Can To Save Baby During Pit Bull Attack
Written by Ethan Harp at 10:45 p.m.
Fremont Police and Animal Control officers continue their search for a pit bull named "Swisher" after the animal attacked a mother and the baby boy she was holding.Angela Silva tells NBC11 News she was walking out of her garage in the Warm Springs District Tuesday morning, when the dog approached her. "He wanted to hurt me, it was there to hurt me" Silva said. "Started to push me around and my son started to cry and he (the dog) didn't like the fact my son was crying, so he wanted to get my son, so he started attacking my arm and I was thinking 'what can I do to save my baby from being attacked?' because he was about 130 lbs. of pure muscle." Silva quickly moved to put her infant inside a garbage can, which provided temporary shelter until contractors working down the street rushed to help.The dog's owners have told the city that Swisher has run away, but an Animal Control officer says the city has already caught them in one lie, after they told officers shortly after the Tuesday attack, that the pit bull could be found at an address in Livermore. The dog was not there and Animal Control says they later admitted misleading police, which could ultimately lead to criminal charges. The city says Swisher also bit another neighbor in May. The owners had since been told to post signs and keep the pit bull tethered.View Images: Mom Throws Baby In Trash To Save Him From Pitbull
Here Comes Jerry
Written by Raj Mathai at 10:30 p.m.
Not a minute late.He never is.Jerry Rice was in studio on Wednesday.It’s always great to see him.He might be the nicest superstar athlete in America.
Rice will be my co-host -- for the second straight year -- on 'Toyota’s Sports Sunday'.Check out the pictures from our promo shoot.
You can watch the show Sundays immediately following Sunday Night Football – both on television and on-line at NBC11.com.What’s he like off camera?Two words: humble and funny.We were in the sports office – when he noticed one of the many monitors – tuned to ESPN.ESPN was airing some Rice highlights from his "glory days".Jerry whipped his head around and shouted, "Hey, that’s me!"Has he never seen himself on TV? He’s got a playful spirit.Among his few requests: "Raj, where’s my NBC11 key card?" (to allow him in the building).When the black Porsche Cayenne is parked outside – it’s showtime.
Haze Blankets Bay Area
Written by Jean Elle at 10 p.m.
It's not going to rain- that is smoke outside not clouds. A fire burning about 220 miles to the East- near Taylorsville is sending smoke our way. Lots of it. Some people with respiratory problems need to be careful because there is lots of particulate matter in the air. But the Bay Area Air Quality Management District says it has not reached unhealthy levels.
Curious about what homes near you are in foreclosure? Want to be notified when a home goes tax forfeit so you can consider an investment? Go here. More
Raw Video: C.C. Myers Talks To NBC11
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