Honor of being in this hall and being on your team with athletic ability and charisma. O. J. Became a celebrity. He starred in commercials, Television Shows and in movies. People magazine called him the first black athlete to become a media superstar. All that changed in june 1994, when simpsons exwife, nicole brown simpson, was found brutally murdered. Shed been stabbed repeatedly and her throat slit. Her friend Ronald Goldman also repeatedly stabbed to death. Simpson was the main suspect before his arrest. He led police on a now infamous slow speed chase aboard a white bronco. It was carried live for hours on tv stations across the country, some people cheering him on. Millions watched his nine month trial for murder. We, the jury in the above entitled action, find the defendant, Orenthal James simpson, not guilty of the crime of murder. Two years after his acquittal , simpson was found liable for both deaths in a civil trial. He was ordered to pay 33. 5 million in restitution to both victims families. He never paid a dollar. In 2007, simpson was arrested for entering a Las Vegas Hotel room to retrieve Sports Memorabilia he claimed had been stolen from him. Guilty simpson served nine years in prison. He lived his last years under two spotlights an allamerican hero and an american pariah. The man delcastillo abc seven news. Here in the bay area, there are a lot of mixed emotions about o. J. Simpson. There really are. Hes a complicated person. Abc seven News Reporter ryan curry spoke with a sports columnist who remembered his football career and the trials. Ryan is here with us with more on that. Yeah, guys. Good afternoon. A very complicated obviously story coming from this for years simpson was an honored athlete, incredible athlete, coming from a poor neighborhood in San Francisco and turned into a superstar. We know his legacy changed during the murder trial in the mid 90s. Outside the betrayal, Hill Recreation Center is an old, faded mural. One of the athletes on the mural is o. J. Simpson. This park and this gym is where he spent a lot of time playing sports as a kid. There is simpson on a Baseball Team in the late 50s. There he is again years later, posting with kids outside the ballpark. Everybody in San Francisco was so, so proud that he was a san franciscan. He attended Galileo High School before playing at city college. He finished his collegiate career at usc and spent 11 seasons in the nfl, finishing with the 40 niners, a career many say they hadnt seen from a running back. I just wonder if the three of us at this moment fully realized what it has been. Our great privilege to watch oj simpson run for 2000 yards one season. His athletic achievements were remarkable. I mean, he 2000 yards rushing was considered absolutely unattainable. And he did that and he did it in buffalo where it was snowing and it was raining. It was a terrible conditions. He became a pop culture icon, starring in several movies in the 80s. And then everything changed in 1994, live from Police Headquarters in los angeles, where there is a manhunt underway for oj simpson. Ill have that story. It was just such a big figure, larger than life figure, to see him in the back of a bronco, riding down the freeway. It just was. It was surreal. The trial about the death of simpsons wife grabbed the whole worlds attention, impacting simpsons family here in San Francisco. I should like to think that i brought them through their challenges. Reverend amos brown knows the Simpson Family well and says his life and legacy is bigger than one moment. Mr. Simpsons life mirrored a. The human predicament triumphs and tragedies. Reverend brown mentioned he has been a close friend of the Simpson Family for years. He says no matter what someone has been through, there is always a chance to treat them with kindness. Now, dan, you were there for the last two weeks of the trial. That must have been very fascinating. It was fascinating. Outside the courthouse, hundreds of people on the day the verdict was read, maybe thousands gathered outside the courthouse. We were also there when there was a bomb threat. They had to evacuate the media. We did not evacuate my photographer. I hid and stayed in the media compound and reported what was going on. But the moment the verdict was read, there was a lot of speculation. There was going to be a hung jury, that we would go around again and when they said not guilty, the reporters all paused for a moment to make sure that we had heard correctly, and the crowd just went crazy with excitement. Outside the courthouse. It was a surreal period of time. It was a circus. The eyes of the world were on that la courthouse. Remarkable experience. Yeah, it certainly is. I mean, you think about it, the tvs were all that was all that was on tv and there wasnt social media, there wasnt the internet. It was all oj. Thats true. And it dominated what was on the air. All right, ryan, thanks very much. Well, telling us more about ojs legacy, we had Timothy Allen simon on our 3 p. M. Program called getting answers. Hes a San Francisco attorney and friend of the Simpson Family. Oj is not a tragic story that oj. Yes he may have had trouble. I dont know anybody that didnt. I know very few African American young men who do not have contact with Law Enforcement. Thats the reality of our history, that someone as great as willie mays, San Franciscos greatest athlete, greater than steph, greater than barry, took this young man under his wing and said, let me show you how to be a great athlete and a great man like me. Thats a great story. This great childhood that this man had in this neighborhood that we call potrero hill. Okay. And simon says that whether someone believes oj killed anyone is irrelevant to his legacy, saying that we operate in a society of law, not public opinion. For more on oj simpsons life and death, check out all of our coverage on abc seven news. Com. For more San Francisco businesses have filed a legal claim against the city over the Controversial Center running valencia street bike lane. Those businesses claim the lane has decimated their bottom lines and dissuaded customers from visiting. Attorneys say the city failed to adequately study the Economic Impact of the protected bike lane before it was installed. Three businesses had previously filed suit. In addition to todays four new plaintiffs, lawyers say three more valencia street Business Owners are in the process of filing, too, and this neighborhood was a destination neighborhood. It was a vibrant part of the city, you know, the city, and it had restaurants and other businesses and now it is not it isnt what it used to be because of the problems that this installation of this bike lane did. The sfmta has said they are open to modifications that improve business and protect cyclists. We have reached out to the San FranciscoCity Attorneys Office for a response about the legal claim, but have not yet heard back. An aggressive mosquito known to transmit a deadly virus has been detected once again in Santa Clara County. The invasive mosquito was found along machado lane in theastan jose foothills. Residents in the area war on their property, so thatng the mosquito cannot breed as easily. Abc seven News Reporter zach fuentes shows you the other efforts underway now to eradicate them. This is one of the adult aedes aegypti mosquitoes caught by Santa Clara CountyVector Control traps. They have these dark legs with these bright white stripes and spots. Those can be visible even by eye. So if you had one, you know, in your hand and you hit it, you may be able to see this kind of black and white pattern, those distinct black and white markings on their back and legs arent the only things that differentiate them from other mosquitoes. The mosquito prefers humans. Its aggressive in nature compared to others, and its a day biting mosquito. Were usually mosquitoes by, you know, at sunset, you know, at dawn a bite from this mosquito could bring on diseases like yellow fever and more deadly diseases to humans like zika, chikungunya, dengue. This is the East San Jose neighborhood where the county says its so far found all of the 80s aegypti mosquitoes are concerned with. So theyre now coming in here with specialized traps. They prefer humans over other animals, so we can use human lures, which smell like sweaty socks. And that is more likely to attract the aedes aegypti to our trap, the county said. Mosquitoes look for specific places to create a habitat. Were talking dog bowls, old tires, tarps, any containers that can hold any amount of water are are containers that can possibly help 880 aegypti reproduce and get established. Thats why they say its important to eliminate any of those potential habitats on your property. The county said staff is carrying out an eradication plan in the surrounding area that includes inspecting the outside of properties, but theyre also urging everyone to do their part. So far, many residents in the area say that theyre now on top of it. I always collect rainwater over the winter, so yeah, so now ive got all my buckets capped, the ones that are still have any water in them at all. If you encounter any 880 mosquitoes where you live, youre asked to contact Vector Control in Santa Clara County. Zach fuentes, abc seven news. A nice day around the bay, but things are about to change. This is a live picture from our camera on mount sutro. Wow. Beautiful is that a stunning chair . But the question why . Why does it have to . You dont want it to change. Abc seven news meteorologist sandyha patel is here with her forecast. Sandy. Yeah, like it or not, we have big time changes coming. Dan and jr, lets take a look at a live picture right now. Just savor this from our sutro tower camera. Looking at a beautiful view of the golden gate bridge. It is warm outside, especially away from the coast. Youre in the 80s, right now, 83 in concord and brentwood, 82 in livermore. Gilroy area as well. Upper 70s in places like santa rosa, 62 in the city, 67 in oakland. The winds are beginning to pick up onshore, gusting to 33 miles an hour, setting the stage for the changes ahead. Heres a look at live doppler seven and the storm is on its way as we time this out for you tomorrow night, a few showers developing late and then saturday morning is when we start to notice some mixed precipitation snow over our higher peaks. Rain at the lower elevations. This continues into saturday afternoon and beyond. Ill be back with a full look at the forecast to let you know what you can expect for the rest of your weekend in just a few minutes. Jr. Sandhya, thank you so much. Devastation thats the reaction from bay area anglers after the states salmon fishing season was closed for the second straight year. As abc seven News Reporter lena howland explains, the impact will be felt in all corners in california for the second year in a row, california wont be having a commercial or recreational salmon season. Salmon is about 90 of my income on an annual basis. Its a massive hit for seafood distribution. The charter boat industry and coastal communities, but especially for commercial fishers like salmon captain sarah bates. She says its already putting people on her fleet out of work. Many of us are unfortunately not finding work on land, Bank Accounts are unhealthy. Mental health is even more unhealthy right now, and i do fear that we are going to start losing members of our fleet. Were going to start losing some of our capacity as a port to deliver seafood to california. Still, many fishermen tell me this is a double gut punch. After dungeness crab season has already been cut short, salmon and crab is kind of our iconic San Francisco fishery, theyve closed it down again, mainly because of water policy issues. Most water is going down south into the desert to grow almonds, theyre taking that out of the river system. The California Department of fish and wildlife says low fish populations are just one of the reasons for the closure. Ultimately, its not enough water for all interests, especially in years of drought. We chose to be extra conservative, close those fisheries so that they have the best chance of returning and spawning and sort of building our stock status back up to healthy levels as quickly as possible. Governor gavin newsom has requested for a federal fishery disaster declaration. In a statement, he said well continue working with the Biden Administration and congress to ensure californias fisheries and impacted communities are supported during this critical time. As for the 20. 6 million that was allocated for last years closure, that spend plan hasnt been approved by congress yet. Were still waiting. But what were asking for is actually something much, much greater than 20. 6 million. What we need is a comprehensive and funded plan to bring back our salmon population so that we can go back to work in San Francisco. Lena howland abc seven news next at four caltrans opposition to a settlement between tesla and a local family over a deadly fire. Also, the feature a local city is activating to get abandoned and possibly stolen cars off the street. And later, the new National Security warning today from the head of the f norman, bad news. I never graduated from med school. What . But the good news is. Xfinity mobile just got even better now, you can automatically connect to wifi speeds up to a gig on the go. Plus, buy one unlimited line and get one free for a year. I gotta get this deal. Thats like 20 a month per unlimited line. I dont want to miss that. Thats amazing doc. Mobile savings are calling. Visit xfinitymobile. Com to learn more. Doc . Youre the one that i want nexgard® plus helps you protect your dog from fleas, ticks, heartworm disease and more. All in one delicious, monthly soft chew. Use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurologic disorders. Nexgard® plus. The one you want for oneanddone protection. East of tracy this morning, a massive fire at a wood pallet storage area in the banta area. At least six homes had to be evacuated overnight, and classes canceled today. And Elementary School across the street. The fire is under control, but crews expect to stay there 24 hours to make sure its completely out. Its not known how the fire started. No injuries have been reported, thank goodness. Very frightening. This just in Santa Clara County judge has just approved teslas settlement with the family of an apple engineer killed in a fiery 2018 Mountain View crash. Abc7 news iteam reporter dan noyes was in court and is reporting this development. Tesla settlement is with the family of walter pong, which sued the electric automaker in a wrongful death suit. Terms have not been made public. Huang left behind a wife and two young children. In the meantime, the familys lawsuit against caltrans moves forward next week, with jury selection. The familys lawsuit claims that huang may have survived if caltrans had fixed a damaged traffic barrier in a timely fashion. The family attorneys also emphasized that despite teslas claims, walter huang was not playing a cell video game at the time of the crash, san jose, streamlining its 311 Service Request line, the city has activated a new vehicle concerns feature for cars that may be abandoned, possibly stolen or causing blight in a neighborhood san jose has received more than 6000 such reports, so far this year, but many times they may not get routed to the right department. With the new service, residents can report vehicles anonymously and track what the city is doing about it. In a neighborhood where somebodys been looking at the same car, in the same spot for months on end, and wonders, does anybody actually own this car . Why is it in the same spot . And why is it getting harder to park in my neighborhood . If a vehicle is stolen, the case will now go directly to the police department. San jose residents can call to report potholes, graffiti and report burned out street lights to the 311 service line. Right. Lets turn now to the weather forecast. As we inch a little closer to the weekend. We love it the way it is, but it may not stay that way. Joe meteorologist sandhya patel is here with hopefully, maybe a little good news there. Okay, so heres the good news. J. R. And diane, we need the rain. Its beneficial from a fire weather perspective, and it helps to keep us out of drought. Hows that . Good okay, good. Now lets talk about the weather changes that are ahead as we look from our walnut creek camera. Absolutely beautiful, full with just lots of sunshine out there. And it is a warm one from fairfield to concord to livermore in the low 80s. Santa rosa, youre at 78 degrees 74, in napa. As we take a look at a live picture from santa cruz, you can certainly see people are just soaking up the sun right now. 62 in the city, it is 67. In oakland, 70 from hayward to san jose, a cool 57 right now in half moon bay. So as we look at live doppler seven, this is all quiet. But thats all going to change. High pressure in command of our weather for one more day to day, which is why we got the warm weather. But look whats developing out here. We do have a storm thats on the way, and it is going to bring us Colder Weather and you will notice it. So live