kpix5's len ramirez with more on what happened. >> reporter: friends and co- workers came to the screen but couldn't bear the sight, a landscape worker's lifeless body still roped into the tree he was trimming around high power lines, his chainsaw left dangling from a strap below him. >> he may have cut a branch and when the branch fell, it came in contact with the power lines and knocked it free and either contacted him or contacted the piece of equipment and it did rain today. the wood is wet. so that's going to have an effect, also. >> reporter: pg&e cut power to the neighborhood to allow the fire department to safely bring the body down, but even with a large ladder truck fire crews still had trouble because the accident scene is about 20 feet up the tree and behind a row of two-story homes which left the man's body visible for hours. neighbors say the house was recently put up for sale. >> yesterday him and a couple other works are were working on the house because it's going to be sold and he was here yesterday. super sad. >> reporter: police kept children just out from a nearby s

len ramirez, kpix 5. >>> for a second night big names in gospel gathered in fremont to remember edwin hawkins, an oakland native. ♪[ music ] >> hawkins is best known for writing the song "o happy day" in the '60s. it set records on the billboard gospel charts. the song also got him his first of four grammys. he died last month at his home in pleasanton. >> gospel music started with a man named dr. thomas dorsey but it continues with the legacy of edwin hawkins. ♪[ music ] >> last night, an 80-member choir covered his catalog of songs highlighting more than half a century of music. ♪[ music ] >>> it turns out driving while you're drowsy or tired is a bigger problem in the u.s. than we thought. this morning we have new numbers to prove it. morning. let's start with a live look outside... the morning rush is about to start... oads heading >>> good morning. it's thursday, february 8th. i'm kenny choi. michelle griego is off this morning. it's 5:00. beautiful views of the city this morning. >> smooth sailing, people doing all right. >>> visibility is low in some spots but not too bad

in san jose, len ramirez, kpix 5. >>> the family of a san francisco man killed with a stolen police gun wants the department to take responsibility. 23-year-old abel esquivel was shot and killed last august in the mission district. police say the gun was stolen from an off-duty officer's vehicle. now esquivel's family filed a legal claim against the department because the officer is still on the force. >> that says to me that there are no consequences, that an officer knows that his gun can just be treated like a tool and he does not have to take extra precautions with it and if it ends up getting stolen and killing someone, it's not his problem. >> the city's police union says the officer didn't realize the gun was gone until after the shooting. last year, governor jerry brown signed a law requiring law enforcement officers to properly secure firearms in unattended vehicles. >>> time now, 4:57. the teen accused of killing 17 people at a florida high school makes his first court appearance as we learn more about the suspect's troubled past. >> reporter: lawmakers in sacramento are tryin

in san jose, len ramirez, kpix 5. >>> also tonight the state has determined emergency managers in sonoma county were not prepared for last year's devastating wine country wildfires. veronica de la cruz has the findings of a critical 34-page report. veronica? >> reporter: that's right, ken and liz. the report found the county has an emergency procedure in place, but still had problems warning the people about the disaster. the fires killed 25 people and destroyed more than 5,000 structures in october last year. in november, the sonoma county administrator requested the state office of emergency services perform an independent assessment of the emergency alert system. that team found specific procedures for using those alerts and morning capabilities were uncoordinated, including gaps, overlaps, and retun dancies in regards -- redundancies. they also found the county reliable, timely, and coordinated the situation awareness as to the scale, size, and scope of the fire's grove, character, and movement. we reached out to fire emergency management tonight and have yet to heard back. the board

len ramirez shows us we may have just hit a tipping point in the affordability crisis. >> reporter: carol spent 40 years living in san jose but today the retired engineer's packing up and calling it quits, about to move to the volunteer state of tennessee. >> i really loved it here. but it's just not the same. >> reporter: she is part of a massive exodus from the bay area that's showing no signs of slowing down. of course, people come and go in the bay area. that happens all the time. but for the first time in a long time, more people are going than coming. and the number one spot in the nation for outward migration is now right here. >> silicon valley has been a place that's growing. that's changing. >> reporter: joint venture silicon valley's own study of the out-migration says workers are moving to sacramento, austin and portland and blame high housing costs at the top of the list. >> you can't even contemplate getting into the housing market. not just low skilled workers but the tech elite having a hard time affording reasonable housing in silicon valley. >> reporter: in san jose, len

reporting live in san jose, len ramirez, kpix5. >>> state senator tony mendoza was supposed to be at the capitol today but never showed up. he sent a letter. here's what he had to say. >> reporter: the findings of senator mendoza's harassment investigation may be all the talk here at the capitol tonight, but lawmakers here are staying very quiet about how they plan to move forward. >> these are very things to look into. >> reporter: the joint rules committee which assemblyman ken cooley chairs making no mention of embattled senator tony mendoza, but lawmakers say disciplinary action is the next step forward. >> it's sad to have the failings of people brought out in such a public way. >> reporter: senator mendoza has also made public his own concerns over his right to due process. in this letter to his senate colleagues, mendoza says he's not seen the final report uncovering details into his alleged misconduct. he also says he is not allowed to attend the senate hearings that determine whether he should be censured, suspended or expelled. lawmakers say the facts are out. according to

. >> kpix5 len ramirez tells us the popular san jose-based grocery chain has been sold. >> reporter: the merger from mi pueblo to cardenas markets is a big money deal that seemed to catch many consumers by surprise. >> i think it's a little weird because it's not mi pueblo anymore. >> reporter: ontario-based cardenas markets took over 15 bay area mi pueblo including this store on king. >> i thought i was in the wrong location, but then i saw the other businesses. i realized it was a name change. >> reporter: the merger is a new opportunity for workers who crossed over to the new company, but it closes a chapter in a silicon valley success story. the original mi pueblo marks were started here in san jose -- markets were started here in san jose in the mid-1980s by a teenager from mexico who spoke no english. cardenas had similar humble beginnings and will now become one of the largest grocery chains in the u.s. >> they built their companies up into multi million dollar businesses and are now employing over 6,000 employees. >> reporter: this customer said not much has changed inside th

in san jose, len ramirez, kpix5. ere shot to de >>> other bay area headlines, the search is on for suspects in a double homicide. two people were shot to death and a third injured last night in front of the hillside market in unincorporated san mateo county. all the victims are in their early 20s. police believe they knew each other. >>> a box truck blamed for this crash on southbound 680 this afternoon. the truck hit three cars as well as a center divide and injured several people and tied up traffic more than an hour. >>> the marin county civic center moving closer to getting a new roof. next week scaffolding will go up and work will begin on the first phase. the library and administration wing should be complete in the fall. then attention will turn to the building's signature skylights. the landmark building became famous for its leaky roof. the renovation will cost nearly $18 million. >>> a wild day of weather here in the bay area, rain, wind, even hail. our crew in corte madera captured some small pellets. you

. >> reporter: in san jose, len ramirez,s about be with. >>> breaking news, chopper -- len ramirez, kpix5. >>> breaking news, chopper 5 just wrapped up from a rescue at mile rock beach at land's end. earlier we watched crews as they set up their rescue plan, the man sitting frozen partway down the cliff waiting for help. one rescuer pharrelled down, put -- rappeled down, put a harness on the man and took him back up to safety. >>> earlier today a man out walking with his dog fell off a steep cliff at daly city's thornton state beach. kpix5's juliette goodrich explains the man was trying to reach his dog right before slipping to his death. edient fo >> reporter: the heartbreaking recovery unfolds after a 67- year-old man falls down a 500- foot cliff at thornton state beach. he was trying to rescue his dog. the golden gate national park ranger said the man's dog got away from him and when he tried to go after it, he fell to his death. you can see the dog pacing and barking on a perch as if to sense something was wrong. this is a popular area for dog walkers. >> yeah, no. that dog definitely

in san jose, len ramirez, kpix5. >> the city council is still meeting at this hour. they haven't voted yet, but the compensation agreement is expected to pass. >>> the family of a man shot to death by a b.a.r.t. police officer is calling for justice. >> no justice! no justice! joseph mateu (ma-tew) fa >> more than 100 people gathered at the west oakland b.a.r.t. station today to demand b.a.r.t. police officer joseph matu face charges for the shooting death of shelene tindall. tindall was fighting with another man at the time. b.a.r.t. police say tindall refused to drop his began, but the family says the body -- gun, but the family says the body cam video tells a different story. >> all i know is the officers did not see' gun. they were fighting. they had their arms around each other, so it's hard to see if anyone had a gun. >> last month oakland police released a photo of a handgun officers said they recovered from the scene. today b.a.r.t. released a statement saying it is committed to a full and independent investigation into what occurred and that b.a.r.t. police

in san jose, len ramirez, kpix5. >> nationwide the cities with the highest inflows according to redfin are phoenix, los angeles, atlanta and nashville. >>> in berkeley police and city workers moved in before dawn to dismantle a homeless encampment in front of old city hall. people were given notice yesterday they'd have to go after a small fire damaged the exterior of the city building tuesday. about two dozen people were displaced when the clean-up began at 5 a.m. others had already left. >>> uber was down for many riders and drivers across the country today. take a look. this map shows the widespread outage from vegas to new york and washington d.c. uber users took to social media to complain. libber says that they have -- uber says that they have fixed the problem. >>> the city of san francisco is taking legal action on a new law that allows uber and lyft drivers to work anywhere in the state with just one permit. kpix5's wilson walker has more on the lawsuit. >> this is about having every business play by the same set of rules including uber and lyft. >> reporter: while it may have

one ad features a well known bay area fire expert who tells kpix5 reporter len ramirez that he supports pg&e, but he does have one regret. >> it's inherent to this job there's going to be risk. >> reporter: the tv commercial shows scenes of menlo park firefighters responding to an emergency. then it morphs into a. for pg&e. >> smart responders who know what they're doing can save lives. pg&e is a big part of that. >> reporter: the ad stars the well known and respected chief with a storied career that includes rescue responses at the wod ade center and oklahoma city. >> we need them. they need us. there's nothing more true than that. >> reporter: the chief cited what he called a long and positive relationship with pg&e field crews, but he does regret how prominent the ads have become. >> i didn't put any parameters around it. realizing how big it's gotten and the way in which it's been used, that would be something i would change going forward. >> reporter: debra sanderson of menlo park said the ad made her cringe and the timing was bad. >> my initial reaction is ew, you know, you're giv

kpix 5's len ramirez explains: on socia >>> a driver who was supposed to walk free today could end up going back to jail instead. we explain it's because of what she posted on social media. >> reporter: she was supposed to be serving home detention after pleading guilty to felony vic lash manslaughter and causing the deaths of three people while under the influence of drugs. but the defendant is seen living it up with steak dinners, salon treatments, and christmas in the park on facebook postings. it may be why a judge throw out an earlier plea deal and ordered the defendant to stand trial. >> these victims have gone through a horrible tragedy and to show the message on facebook that you are out having a good time in the community when you're supposed to be doing an alternative to jail i think is a very poor message to send. >> she plowed into a parked car in san jose. three people were all killed. family and friends of the victims showed up in court today expecting the judge to release her with four years credit for time served on electronic monitoring. >> the judge changed her mind.

len ramirez asked the mayor about it. >> reporter: i did speak with the mayor this afternoon. he did sign a nondisclosure agreement with google and says he has done similar ndas with companies like apple when they talked about land deals. they had no impact on the public land deal that went before the city this week. the $67 million deal for parcels in downtown san jose. but, there may be a problem with the optics of this whole thing. >> our kids not just tech controlled but tech enabled. >> reporter: we followed the mayor with a city wide program to teach them how to write computer code in preparation for google. talks in san jose began a year- and-a-half ago. he said it was a routine step to prevent artificially inflated land prices. >> during the time, the question is, is someone going to leak to specklor

our len ramirez san jose native looks at the branding debate. >> well, san jose is one of the oldest cities in california. it's not going anywhere. >> reporter: downtown san jose booster scott neise said the city is staying put, but is the name san jose being driven out of town? >> all of a sudden we have a few organizes around here dropping san jose out -- organizations around here dropping san jose from its name. >> reporter: the city's largest newspaper has dropped san jose from its masthead and except for where the name is literally written in stone, you can see a slow renaming process taking shape from san jose to silicon valley. the city of san jose itself got into the silicon valley name game in the late 1980s when it adopted the tagline the capital of silicon valley, a name it continues to use to this day on its website and many official city properties. many cities adopted silicon valley and so -- many businesses adopted silicon valley and so did a church and even the chamber of commerce recently changed to the silicon valley organization. >> i don't understand why anyone ca

len ramirez with kpix five. >>> this is martin speech and land around it. a federal appeals court was wrong when they said the public should be able to access the beach. they are violating his property rights. the courts will decide over the next two months if they take the case. >>> more than 20 earthquakes in 24 hours. neighborhoods have been rocking and rolling. these storms are around the danville area and all the dots are the epicenter. the biggest one was a 3.5 at 12:30. devon feely is live. >> reporter: call it what you want, a quake storm, a cluster, it does not matter what the name is. people at danville are talking about it and people have been left shaken by it. the hills above danville are running. scientists describe it as an earthquake swarm, a series of small quakes that did not cause real damage yet but have rattled neighbors. >> i fell asleep after midnight and it's like somebody whacked to the house. it was like a sudden jolt, not very long.>> reporter: there are 20 small cake -- quakes just today. they are inspecting the trains and trucks

kpix5 reporter len ramirez is live in los gatos with details for us. len? >> reporter: well, hard to believe, but almost 30 years ago now here in los gatos a loma prieta earthquake about a lot of damage. in fact, the buildings behind me were almost in complete ruins, a lot of bricks down and uninhabitable. this new report out said that could not only happen again but could be much, much worse. the alta loma neighborhood is one of the prettiest in los gatos, but it was anything but that after the loma prieta quake in 1989 when dozens of homes were lost and neighbors forced to evacuate. >> well, there were several houses that were knocked off foundations. some of them didn't have foundations. >> reporter: bob ray and his house survived the quake, but many of his neighbors weren't so lucky. >> then the county came by and tagged the houses that weren't safe to live in. so there were several of those. >> reporter: now a new report says what happened during loma prieta it would be a tiny fraction of the devastation to occur if a worse case 7.8 quake hit on the sa

len ramirez, kpix5. >>> new at 6:00, we learned contractors are struggling to find enough qualified workers to get the big transbay terminal in san francisco open in time. kpix5's wilson walker givessic a look around and say ifs you are an electrician, they would love to hear from you. >> it will be a beautiful facility. no question it costs a lot. there is no question it took a long time. but it will be a real stunner when it opens. >> reporter: a couple of first impressions here, the building truly is enormous when you are walking around, it seems to go on forever. and with palms, redwoods, and sycamores, it is lush. for a building supposed to be done in june, it feels like a structure that has a lot of work to be done. >> the main impediment is getting the electric work done. there is a lot of electricians needed and we are in the middle of one of the hottest economies for years. it is hard to find an electrician these days. >> reporter: transit planners wrestled with what it would mean for the bottom line. this building is able to operate at a loss. >> the idea is to have it with privat