being in the dark for hours. >> the lights went out in the haight-ashbury neighborhood, hayes valley and the civic center. the war memorial opera house went dark during a performance of the san francisco ballet. now, the performance was canceled. san francisco fire says a power surge in an underground vault caused the power to go out around 8:00 this evening. pg&e slowly restoring electricity over the course of the last three hours. also tonight a lot of questions about a gruesome crash in san francisco's mission district. our nbc bay area sky ranger was overhead when a driver hit three people in a heavily congested area of town. two of those people have life-threatening injuries. the driver initially drove away from the scene of the crash but then returned. nbc bay area's jean elle joins us at sf general, where the victims are being treated. jean? >> reporter: raj, police tell us that driver hit two men and one woman. that woman managed to walk away with minor injuries. but police say the two men are being treated here at san francisco general with life-threatening injuries. police work into the night documenting a bloody hit-and-run crime scene at mission and 23rd. >> people were screaming and running to him but he was driving so fast. >> reporter: witnesses say people were running after the driver of this prius after he hit and pinned a man against a muni bus, then drove down the sidewalk, hitting another man as he got off that bus, and grazing another passenger as she exited the same bus. that driver took off. emotional witnesses say both men looked gravely injured. >> i see when that happened, so i'm really, really feel really bad because i don't know if that guy is dead or no. that looks really bad. >> reporter: police say the driver of the prius returned to the scene minutes later. investigators initially said he was under the influence but later said it appears a medical condition led to the collisions. >> i'm feeling so bad because it's, you know, too hard for me. >> reporter: fernando hernandez says his stepfather was the man pinned against the bus. >> he saw his legs all broke. >> reporter: family friend javier ramirez says surgeons are amputating the man's legs, trying to save his life. >> he has had a good job. he was so happy. >> reporter: friends say he was happy and he was working in a restaurant in the mission. now, police say the woman who was hit was only grazed because the muni driver grabbed her and pulled her out of the way to safety. police also tonight say the driver of the prius is cooperating with investigators and the investigation continues. reporting live in san francisco, jean elle, nbc bay area news. >> jean, thank you. a lot of people south of san jose feeling tonight's earthquake, a magnitude 4.0 quake hit tres pinos around 7:30 this evening. that's near hollister in san bonito county. you can see the map here. this is along the san andreas fault. no reported injuries or damage. just in to our newsroom, plans for a new hotel in saratoga have been nixed for now. the mountain winely wants the option to add a hotel to complement the winery and its popular concert series. but tonight the saratoga planning commission said no. nbc bay area's sergio quintana is live in saratoga. is now what happens, sergio? >> reporter: this is in just the last hour or so. in addition to the chairman who voiced his opposition there were also about 40 residents who signed up to voice their concerns. by unanimous vote this decision by the planning commission not to move forward with this proposal. [ applause ] >> yeah! all right! >> reporter: that applause is for commission chairman suchlt nil alhuja when he voiced his opposition. but this does not end the process. it now goes to the city council, which can vote however it wants. as a condition of the annexation the winery is asking for permission to change the zoning so that at some point in the future it might build a 300-room hotel. residents lined one a laundry list of reasons why they did not approve of this plan. >> there is a lot of traffic already when you have concerts coming down after that. >> the additional traffic caused by the hotel will increase rixz for cyclists on pierce road. i'm a frequent cyclist on pierce road. >> that's been a dangerous road, and they made it more dangerous by making it straighter so people go up the road 50 instead of the 35 they're supposed to. >> reporter: in a written statement from saratoga mayor howard miller he said approving the plan and having more control over what happens at the winery and hillside would be a win but he's also looking forward to reviewing the planning commission's recommendation. again, that unanimous decision by the planning commission, that's going to be heard by the city council coming up on march 18th. now, tonight there were no representatives from the saratoga mountain winery who either identified themselves or offered any comments tonight pl reporting live in saratoga i'm sergio quintana, nbc bay area news. >> sergio, thank you. a high-speed chase in vallejo turned deadly. it all start when'd vallejo police got a call about a robbery late this afternoon. officers tried to pull over the driver of that honda accord right there in connection with the theft but at some point the driver took off. police say they lost sight of the car and later found it in a ravine right off 780. you can see the damage. the car is registered to a woman but the driver was a man who died in this crash. financial trouble could mean major layoffs in an east bay school district. this is a story we've been covering for weeks, and tonight we're expecting some answers. at this late hour officials for the west contra costa county unified school district are determining the fate of 250 teachers. on the agenda, a possible vote near the midnight hour to cut $8 million from the budget. and that's just the first round of cuts. to balance a $47 million deficit in two years. >> the cuts will change the way we provide services to students and our families. but we're pretty confident that we'll be able to make those reductions without significantly degrading the classroom experience of our students. >> and no official word yet of when or if they will vote, but it could come near the midnight hour. the district, which is made up of 32,000 students, is also considering cutting campus police officers at its middle school. well, first it was just the concerts. now the city of santa clara wants an outside party to run all of levi's stadium. it's the latest move in a long-standing battle between the city and the 49ers. that would mean the niners would no longer handle any operations in management of the stadium. the city claims the team has mismanaged money for non-nfl events, so the football games don't count. the team calls it payback for publicly fighting a measure that the mayor endorses. the 49ers will continue running operations for now. the two sides are tied up in a lawsuit. well, a big development in the public bribery investigation in san francisco. the city attorney sent out subpoenas to eight companies and non-profits. former public works director mohammed nuru is facing corruption charges that revolve around an alleged attempted bribe and lying to the fbi. the city attorney wouldn't answer any questions about the subpoenas today but did issue a statementing a he believes the scheme involved funneling donations through non-profits to fund city programs and events and even lavish holiday parties. >> if they were soliciting donations from individuals who had pending contracts or kicking back money, i think this is exactly what the city attorney is working to uncover. that would be corruption. >> preparations including pg&e, ricology and three construction companies. tonight a sigh of relief for employees at a south bay hospital under a coronavirus quarantine. five workers at good sam in san jose have now been cleared to work. they were placed in isolation after coming in contact with a person who tested positive for the virus. across the world the number of cases jumped dramatically in the last 24 hours. there are now more than 60,000 people infected with the coronavirus and more than 1,300 deaths. doubling down. imagine doubling your down payment on a house. that could really open some doors, huh? i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. we'll show you how some home buyers are getting creative to make their american dream a reality. that's next. plus, should california voters be required to vote? a new bill that could make casting a ballot mandatory. i'm other chief meteorologist jeff ranieri. the fog is starting to return, and temperatures are dropping. i'll show you where the fog may be tomorrow morning and what i'm seeing for the rain outlook in the next weeks. that's coming up in ten minutes. fighting climate change isn't just about polar bears. we're fighting for our lives, we're fighting for clean air and clean water. that's why i wrote the law to send billions from polluters to communities suffering the most. and only one candidate for president was with us back then, tom steyer. and he's still fighting for us, pledging to make clean air and clean water a right for everyone, regardless of your zip code. that's the truth. that's tom steyer. i'm tom steyer and i approve this message. when it comes to your business internet, which is more important? ♪ ♪ okay, i wish i didn't have to choose. like the more i think about it, the more i want to jump to each room. what if i said you can have it all? ♪ ♪ comcast business gives you connectivity that goes beyond. that's what we want! that's speed, reliability, and security, all from one provider. touchdown! get started with internet and voice for an amazing price. call today. comcast business. beyond fast. vote or face the consequences. a north bay lawmaker has a novel idea on how to increase voter turnout. he's proposing a law that requires you to vote. nbc bay area's terry mcsweeney has the plan and the penalty. >> empowering voters, making sure they know there's an expectation to vote. >> reporter: democratic assemblyman mark levine is sick and tired of low voter turnout. >> you have to vote. and you are expected just like jury duty that you should be participating in elections. unlike jury duty, which says there could be fine or jail time, my bill doesn't say anything about that. >> a bill that requires you to vote. and if you don't vote there's no penalty. >> right. >> so it doesn't make any sense. >> reporter: people not registered to vote would not be impacted. there's no mention of enforcement in a.b. 2070. the secretary of state's office would determine penalties if any. >> yeah, i guess punishment would be -- i don't know. definitely not money. maybe -- i don't know. you'd have to sit in like a class or community service. >> reporter: levine, who represents moreno and sonoma counties, specifically calls on voters to cast a ballot. filling it out is optional 37. >> they don't actually have to vote. we just ask them to cast their ballot. they can cast the ballot blank. if they don't like anybody, they can just send the ballot back. >> as a black woman it's my duty, my responsibility to vote, and maybe things won't be the way that they are now. but i also feel that people have an option. >> reporter: levine admits his bill will do more than make voters realize how important their vote is. >> if more people vote you believe they're going to be voting more liberal. >> i believe that's the case. >>. >> you want that. >> yeah. >> reporter: right now the the bill is in committee but levine says it's got his democratic colleagues buzzing. in san jose terry mcsweeney, nbc bay area news. michelle obama elementary. that's the new name of a school in western contra costa county. used to be woodrow wilson elementary. but tonight the board voted unanimously to make the change. staff and students say they wanted the school's name to reflect their core values. that's why they chose the former first lady. right now the school is under construction. it will reopen in august. okay. making it in the bay, all week we're taking an in-depth look at our housing price. of course one of our biggest obstacles to buying a home in the bay area is that daunting down payment that you have to come up with. >> some groups are getting creative in terms of overcoming -- helping you overcome that financial hurdle. but as always, there is a catch. let's bring in our consumer investigator chris chmura joins us with this non-traditional way to get around that big payment. >> yeah. and that is a huge deal, right? you look at the median house price around here and we're looking at about a million dollars give or take with a 20% down payment. we're looking at how much money there? very difficult math but boy, it is difficult to overcome. $200,000 down payment. that figure way out of reach for most families to swing on their own. so now some groups are offering a home buying partnership. >> i love the hills in the background. it's quiet. >> reporter: lisa massoud is about to celebrate one year in a home of her own. >> it's perfect for us. >> reporter: after years of moving -- >> milpitas, then to san mops. >> reporter: -- and moving -- >> back to milpitas, then to fremont. >> reporter: and moving. >> and then to san jose. trying to dodge the rent increases. >> touchscreen. >> reporter: finally landing this fully remodeled three-bedroom, lisa achieved the impossible. >> i teach second grade. >> reporter: she bought a house on a public school teacher's salary. >> i feel like i tricked the bay area housing. absolutely. >> reporter: lisa bought with the help of landon, a san francisco company that offers to cover up to 1/2 of a teacher's down payment. >> we're looking to be that bank of mom and dad a lot of people don't have. >> reporter: alex lofton is co-founder of landed. he doesn't exactly dole out five and six-figure down payments as a gift, though. >> it's a long-term investment. >> reporter: they call it shared equity and here's how it works. teachers get money for a down payment now. then when they sell their home landed gets a cut. >> any profit that is generated from the sale goes back into a similar fund to help more educators in the future. >> could you see shared equity expanding to the general public someday? >> i think shared equity is a tool many people can use. myself included. part of the reason i got started was i was thinking hey, as a millennial in san francisco without a rich mom or dad how do i get started? >> reporter: another san francisco company unison is already offering something similar and to the public. >> you just have to change your mindset from going alone to going in unison. >> reporter: unison is a lot like landed. we tried to meet with them but weren't able to for this story. if you agree to give unison a slice of your home's appreciation tomorrow they'll front you a part of your down payment today. >> it's like all of a sudden you have a rich uncle but only better because we're business partners and you don't have to see us at thanksgiving. >> reporter: what happens if your home loses value? both companies say they share in the loss. but their long-term bet is that home prices will continue to rise. which despite some bumps over the years they have. just about as long as government economists have been tracking home prices. >> the real questions to me revolve around the benefits to the consumer. >> reporter: research at housing for the urban institute in washington, d.c. he cautions that shared equity isn't necessarily for everyone. he points out that some mortgages require less than 20% down. you might have to pay more each month and possibly buy mortgage insurance, but theodore says when you sell you keep every penny. >> if they're able to carry the monthly cost, not trading away the up side, that might really be the better option. >> reporter: theodos and his colleagues have compiled 11 questions you should ask for before signing up for shared equity. questions like what's the total all in cost, how does the math change if you make big home improvements. and what happens if you want to move? back in san jose lisa says she understands exactly what she signed up for. >> if my house depreciates they also take a loss. so we're in this housing buying together. and if my house goes up they also get what they deserve because they essentially invested in our house. >> reporter: she's sold on shared equity and hopes other middle-class families can join her. >> i definitely think that they would deserve and should have this opportunity. >> reporter: where's all this money coming from? landed told me they receive funding from various foundations at first but now big-time investors are the key. long-term investors including pension funds that are willing to wait patiently for years to see their gains and in the near term help people like you buy homes. >> and the biggest risk? >> i think it's probably not understanding what you're getting into down the road. so i think that's why it's very important on the front end to read through the contract. if you don't understand it, ask questions, bring somebody else in to break it down for you if you're not getting t inting ans you want. >> we talked about reverse mortgages for older people and now we're talking about incoming people. >> there have been limited programs. there's one in san francisco. i believe stanford has one. but it looks like they're going to take this to the mainstream now. there's enough interest on the investing side and the homeowner side to try this out in a much, much bigger scale, perhaps nationally. >> good information. thanks, chris. chris and our consumer team very helpful when it comes to housing issues. tough a problem or comment let us know about it, nbcbayarea.com. click the menu then tap respond or call us the old-fashioned way. 888-996-tips. let's bring in jeff ranieri, talk about the changes that jeff says are in the offing. >> that fog is starting to roll back in right now. and that's going to help to continue to drop temperatures tomorrow. let's go ahead and bring you into that microclimate forecast and get you ready for that thursday and the change we're seeing is this system developing off to the north. helping to bring some cooler air close to the bay area dropping temperatures tomorrow. also pushing back in some fog. much, much different they'reio tomorrow than those record 70s and 80s we had this week. you can see some fog in the high definition camera. currently 50 degrees. we'll see more clouds and fog move in tomorrow morning and down to 48 here at 6:00 in the morning. let's give you a better look at this fog as you head out on that morning commute. i do think it's going to be very isolated to a few spots. the north bay getting in on some of that low cloud and fog. also san francisco down the coast. and look at this, gilroy could see a bit of that come your way as well. by the afternoon most of us getting in on some sunshine but do notice here in the north bay we'll have some clouds lingering around santa rosa, also novatoo, san francisco and our beaches as well. this means as we start tomorrow morning a lot of us get that sun to start. cool 40s for the peninsula. 41 for the east bay. and the best chance of that fog right here in san francisco and the north bay. with that cooler breeze in place there's no way 70s or 80s are going to be coming back. we're getting close to february reality for us on those temperatures. back down to 66 in san jose. 64 in cupertino. for the east bay also looking pretty similar here. 65 in walnut creek, 66 in cannot cord, 62 oakland. peninsula gets some sunshine for the afternoon. and 59 in san mateo. but notice as you head up toward daly city temperatures drop off even more, and that again is from that colder we