i brought in ensure max protein with 30 grams of protein! those who tried me felt more energy in just two weeks. -ugh. -here, i'll take that. woo hoo! ensure max protein, 30 grams protein, 1 gram sugar, 25 vitamins and minerals. and a new fiber blend with a prebiotic. (♪♪) i'm raj mathai. next on "nbc bay area news tonight," another problem for united airlines. this time, take a look. a piece of the aircraft fell off, apparently in midair. our aviation analyst has some answers. also, are home prices about to drop in the bay area? a major shake-up in how realtors

get paid. plus -- >> it's frustrating, and it's scary, and it's sad. >> a san francisco woman on edge. the man she says has a bizarre obsession with her is about to be set free. we investigate. and two women on the peninsula making it their mission to fight loneliness. the app they created to bring people together. also -- >> i'm jenny cavnar. you know dallas braden. let's get this party started. >> history in baseball. a's announcer jenny cavnar officially on the job as the first female play by play announcer in the big leagues. good evening. this is "nbc bay area news tonight." i'm raj mathai. we have made it to friday. we're going to get to today's united airlines mishap in just a minute. but we want to start with the closure of 680. it's going to happen two hours from now. caltrans is closing down a section of southbound 680 through the weekend. here it is right there where the red line is. this section will be closed

beginning at 9:00 p.m. all southbound lanes closed between the 586/80 connector down to highway 84. this is the most common route from dublin to sunol. caltrans says the closure is happening because a portion of the road has deteriorated. the freeway will reopen early monday morning or sooner if crews finish ahead of time. now, our weather for the st. patrick a day weekend is going to be golden. this is a look in walnut creek now. the winds have died down in the past 24 hours, but there are some stronger winds in the north bay. look at this. a giant redwood fell onto this cabin in forestville this afternoon. this is up in sonoma county. most of the front of that cabin was smashed. thankfully, nobody was home at the time. the owner says it's just the nature of the environment there. >> what are you going to do now? >> call the insurance company

and hope everything's covered. i've lived here for 18 years. it's just a way of life out here. you got to put up with it. >> so what's in store for the weekend? a lot of events happening across the bay area. you see jeff ranieri in the weather department. he's going to join us with his updated forecast in about 10 minutes. also tonight, another issue for united airlines. this is the seventh problem for united in the past two weeks. five of them involving sfo flights. this time, a piece of an aircraft apparently fell off in the middle of the flight. take a look here. this photo showing the plane after it landed missing that side portion there. it happened on a flight from sfo to medford, oregon. right before noon, it landed. united didn't declare an emergency in the air because the problem wasn't discovered until after the plane landed safely in medford, oregon. this is a 737-800.

no debris were located. >> we didn't find any debris or any panels or anything. so it was reopened, and everybody landed, and operations continue normally. >> that's the airport manager up there in medford, oregon. joining us now is doug rice, a retired pilot and aviation expert. nice to have you back on the program. we've seen you and heard a lot from you in the last two weeks, which is not a good sign, but we appreciate your analysis. what was today's problem with united? what is this piece that we showed there? what does it do? >> it is a faring on the side of the aircraft designed to smooth air flow and enhance fuel economy. as you can see from the picture, it actually ripped off part of the faring. you can see there's still a piece of the metal and the honeycomb backing still attached to the aircraft. >> doug, as a former pilot, do you know this piece is detached, or do you just find out when you

arrive? >> there would be no indication in the cockpit. there could be a little bit of vibration in the back of the area. other than it being reported, you wouldn't know until you did your walk ja round after the flight. >> how unusual does this? does this happen occasionally or not at all? >> this location very, very, very seldom. this is a piece that's secured by a number of fasteners, and there's very little airload on it. so one of those pieces coming off the aircraft does not occur often at all. >> doug, this plane is a boeing. boeing is already under scrutiny. is this a boeing issue, or is this a united airlines maintenance issue? >> this would be a maintenance issue with united airlines. the aircraft go through regular cycles of maintenance checks. this aircraft in particular flew last night to nashville,

tennessee, turned around, came back to san francisco, and then had the incident on its way to medford. so it had been flying nine hours unventfully, and all of a sudden this happened. >> final question for you. you've told us earlier in the week that the pilots union is obviously getting involved with all the united issues. at what point does sfo get involved or do they as an airport? >> this is an airline and faa issue. the pilots union is working with both to ensure that procedures are being followed and things are being checked religiously out there. >> two weeks of this. are you scratching your head looking at all this? >> it keeps coing back to san francisco, and that's my concern. this is a major maintenance base and a major hub for united, and the issues continue to be san francisco-centric. >> it's alarming for so many of us that use sfo. doug rice, appreciate your time tonight. >> thank you. another big story, a proposed legal settlement could mean you'll be paying less to

buy a home. that's good news. the national association of realtors announcing it will pay $418 million to settle class action and antitrust lawsuits over those broker commissions. part of that deal calls for agents to end the longstanding commission structure. you know how that works. it often includes brokers' fees of about 6% of the purchase price. if the settlement is approved, buyers and sellers would be able to negotiate lower fees with their agents. housing advocates are cheering the decision, but many realtors worry the change would be confusing and, of course, would hit their bottom line. >> i'm hoping that agents are able to speak to their sellers and explain the value of providing that commission so that the buyers can then wrap that cost into their mortgage when they purchase. >> housing experts we spoke with said especially in the bay area, these fee changes could mean thousands of dollars in savings on the price of a home.

a federal judge still has to sign off on this agreement. another story we're watching tonight, the man at the center of our streaming series called "saving san francisco" will be allowed to walk out of jail tomorrow. that has one woman terrified. james durgin was once a beloved private schoolteacher and fitness coach. then he became addicted to drugs and has struggled with homelessness and mental health issues for years. he told our investigative unit he's been arrested more than 100 times in san francisco. court records show he's been convicted for a range of crimes involving drugs and violence. he's in jail for probation violation, but tomorrow he'll be out. ann ray has a restraining order against him. she's accused behind of repeatedly showing up at her doorstep at her home in the presidio. durgin has admitted to violating her restraining order in the past. >> do you think he'll be back at your front door?

>> oh, 100%. of course. we all know he will. >> are you worried he may try to hurt you? >> yeah, of course i am. and so are people who care about me. >> joining us now is our senior investigator, bigad shaban, who has been following this story for years. we talk with you it seems every six months about this guy. why is he being released this time? >> he's actually being incarcerated right now in san francisco county jail. he's been in jail since december, and it all stems from a probation violation that was set for an unrelated crime. frankly prosecutors at the d.a.'s office say their hands are tied. durgin has served the maximum amount of time allowed for that kind of offense, and so he's being set free. >> so the law states that he's done his time. he's being set free. did i get that right? he says more than 100 arrests in san francisco. are you able to back that up? >> yeah. you know, durgin is saying more than 100. it's actually because of the

sort of data archaic system that we have as part of our criminal justice system, it's actually pretty difficult to keep tabs on just how many times a person is arrested, which is a whole different story. but law enforcement sources tell us that it's certainly been at least 60 times. durgin himself says at least 100. regardless of the number, obviously this does not sit well with ann ray. she says she's frankly terrified. in the periods where durgin is out of jail over the past couple of years, she's told us she goes to bed with a knife and a taser and her side, something she says she'll resume beginning tomorrow. and frankly the u.s. park police, which is in charge of regularly patrolling the presidio, they're actually scheduling increased security checks. they've distributed durgin's photo to officers in the area, all in the event that durgin tries to come back to ann's house, which would violate the restraining order she has for her home there in the presidio. >> has he also violated or broken the law in terms of stalking? is that an issue here, stalking

charges against ann ray or anyone else? >> so interestingly, for years, raj, ann has been asking prosecutors at the district attorney's office to file stalking charges on her behalf against james durgin. again, this is a man who has shown up at all hours of the night, tried breaking into her home. he's also come to her home completely naked. the d.a.'s office, though, tells us that because the presidio is on federal land, it's actually outside their jurisdiction. so it would be up to the department of justice, the u.s. attorney's office essentially, to be able to be the ones who would have the responsibility or the wherewithal to be able to file those stalking charges. we reached out to the doj. as is typical, they say they do not comment on whether they have considered it or will consider it in the future. an interesting sort of tentacle to this case, raj, is durgin is going to be released tomorrow. but he'll have less than a week actually as a free man before he'll have to appear before a judge again. this time a federal judge. that's because he's actually

facing a federal vandalism charge, again, because the presidio is on federal land. the u.s. government, essentially the u.s. attorney's office has filed this vandalism. durgin was actually caught on surveillance video writing in pretty cryptic, what some have described as love notes. "she's mine," on the front doors of ann's neighbors. ann, as well as her neighbors, believe those messages are targeted to her. durgin will have to appear before a judge on thursday. the question is because durgin has violated his probation before, failed to make court appearances before, the question is will durgin show up? if he fails to do so, a warrant will likely be issued for his arrest yet again. >> and ann ray, like we said, is terrified as all of this unfolds. it seems like a real mental health issue as well. i'm sure you'll be keeping us posted on what happens next with james durgin in san francisco. you can watch all of the six episodes of our series called "saving san francisco." it's on our website,

nbcbayarea.com, or you can stream it on peacock, roku, samsung tv+ and other platforms. up next, loneliness is declared a public health emergency in san mateo county. two women that are now helping people in the county. the app they've created to bring people together. also, history at today's a's game. it's spring training down in arizona. arizona. the debut of the wendy's breakfast 2 for $3 is so good, the crew is giving every combination codenames. bis-squared.

egg and cheese biscuit and sausage biscuit. 2 biscuits! i'm impressed tyler knew what squaring was... mathletes! no matter what you call it, choose wisely. choose wendy's breakfast 2 for $3.

welcome back to "nbc bay area news tonight." there's a pretty good chance that you or someone you know is lonely. last month, san mateo county became the first place in the country to declare loneliness as a public health crisis. a recent survey found that 45% of people living in san mateo county were struggling with loneliness and isolation. today county leaders took action. they launched the "are you alone" campaign to combat loneliness. the new initiative includes a partnership with the peninsula family service, ucsf, and an app called wyzr friends. the wyzr friends app connects people with each other. >> for centuries, there's been a stigma on loneliness. people, they don't want to say they're lonely, right? something it's personal. but the data, when you ask them, shows a completely different picture. >> joining us now is carolyn kelly and taylor jay, the

co-founders of the wyzr friends app. nice to have both of you on the program. are you tech entrepreneurs? are you social workers? how did you get into this? >> we just thought of a great idea, and we brought it to life, raj. >> how does it work? walk us through it in layman's terms here. >> absolutely. so the app is available on the apple app store and google play. it's free to join, and you can create an account by uploading two photos, selecting six interests, and getting on right away. very easy. >> it's an activity-based friendship app for people over 40, for singles and couples, all genders. it's not a dating app, so we are rare. so there's no pressure. it's fun, and we like to think of it as something that helps kick-start friendships. >> what's happening there? i'm dealing one-on-one with the app, or you're literally connecting me with someone else just to have a conversation? >> no. you connect one-on-one. if you're a couple, you can meet other couples. you don't even have to be lonely. if you have a ticket to a game and your best friend can't go,

you could find someone on the app and go with them. it's for all reasons. >> how did you end up working with san mateo county? is that something you guys had the app and they called you, or you reached out to the county? >> i mean it just came together. it was a perfect storm. there's an epidemic of loneliness. it's a u.s. federal priority as well as a priority of supervisor canepa. we were here at the right time, and we're working together, and we're so excited. we're working with community leaders like the board of supervisors of san mateo county and other strategic partners. >> what are the challenges for both of you to get people to use this app? obviously, exposure, things like this. but once people are on there, what are the challenges? >> a couple of the challenges, understanding it's not for dating. i mean it's an app for everyone. you could be on if you're looking for a conversation friend, for an activity partner. carolyn loves playing pickleball, so if you want to go out and play pickleball with someone. so many different reasons. but we want people to be engaged socially, and that's the primary goal. >> look, it's hard to make

friends as you get a little bit older. many people are retired or empty nesters or new to town. there's no built-in network like when we were a little bit younger. people are craving connection, and we've recognized that, and it was the impetus of starting the app. >> very interesting. final question. what's the pay structure here? do i have to pay to get on it, or is it advertiser supported? >> 100% free. we're looking for sponsors and strategic partners. check us out, wyzr friends.com. but it's free for the user. >> thanks for your time. good luck with the venture. >> thank you so much, raj. >> you're welcome. let's move on now. history was made today at the a's spring training game. jenny cavnar, the first primary female play by play announcer in the majors made her debut. >> i'm jenny cavnar. you know dallas braden. let's get this party started. >> let's get it started indeed. we've got cactus league action. we've got a's baseball. and, jenny, we've got you, my friend. welcome to the family.

i cannot wait. we have waited for this day. that day is finally here. >> it is here. >> great welcome by our friend dallas braden there. cavnar is the team's new primary play by play announcer. as for the game, a's and the giants from mesa, arizona, it didn't quite happen. hard rain. nbc's terry mcsweeney was out there and shot this video for us. this is arizona here. the game was canceled in the third inning. cavnar said there was lightning. the game was canceled. by the way, a's and giants, the real season begins march 28th. let's take a look outside now at the golden gate bridge. no rain here. it's spectacular. jeff is going to join us with you can make money the hard way as a bullfighter or a human cannonball...

or save money the easy way, with xfinity mobile. existing customers can get a free line of our most popular unlimited plan for a year! not only will you save hundreds but you'll also be joining millions who have connected to america's most reliable 5g network. sure is a lot safer than becoming a stuntman for money. get a free line of unlimited intro for a year when you buy one unlimited line. visit xfinitymobile.com today to learn more.

all right. happy friday. jeff ranieri is here. we've got all sorts of events. we've got the st. paddy's day parade, the oakland marathon, and a bunch of little league games. >> so much happening. really the weather is going to be cooperating with you whatever you have planned on saturday and also on sunday. look at this. live view back here behind me of the sunset. it's lining up perfectly for your weekend. let's get you more details in that microclimate forecast. we're going to start it right off with your saturday morning. look, it will be chilly to begin, but that sunshine is going to stay in the forecast. and after all of that wind the past day and a half, we're going to come in here with some calm winds out of the south at 3 miles per hour. and just look at these daytime highs. we are back up into the 70s here

for most of the bay area. 73 in santa rosa. 71, martinez. 74 in concord. low to mid-70s morgan hill to san jose. palo alto, 73. we got some 60s hanging out across half moon bay. when it comes to those events out here towards dublin with that st. patrick a day celebration happening on saturday and sunday, you got sunshine all around. the pot of gold, so to speak, luck of the irish with you. low 70s here through 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00. or maybe it's the st. patrick a day parade in san francisco tomorrow. that starts at 11:30. festivities through 6:00 p.m. parade begins at second and market and goes right toward civic center plaza and fog-free. or it's the oakland marathon on sunday. we will have fog to start and 50s. but sunshine here through the early afternoon. and look at that seven-day forecast. stay with the 70s through next wednesday. eventually some rain next friday, but let's not think about that right now. this is calling us, this weekend. >> the luck of the irish, jeff.

>> yeah, it's with us. that's how we got that sun. >> happy friday to you. coming up tonight in prime time on nbc bay area, deal or no deal island at 8:00. that's followed by an all-new episode of "dateline" at 9:00. then our 11:00 news, live and local. and at 11:00, stop the conflict. that's the message from a bay area doctor back home tonight after a medical mission in gaza. we'll hear from the doctor as he reunites with his family. what he wants you to know about what he witnessed firsthand. his story on our 11:00 news. that's going to do it for us here at 7:00. for everyone here at nbc bay area, thanks for being with us. we hope you enjoy your evening and your weekend.

♪ tonight on "access hollywood." >> losing the weight, gaining it back. losing the weight, gaining it back. >> why did you quit weight watchers. >> oprah reveals the whole truth between weight loss success and