power outages throughout the bay area. in sonoma, crews worked to clear power lines downed by faen tree branches. one fallen line started a fire, no one was hurt. and in sunnyvale, downed trees blocked two lanes of northbound 101 south of highway 237. and down south, heavy winds knocked out power at los angeles international airport, causing flight delays and the lights went out in the terminals at nearby intersections as well. emergency lighting kicked on but the power is back on now. there are flight delays because debris including empty luggage carts got out on to the runways. meteorologist sandhya patel is keeping an eye on this for us. sounds like the wind is getting stronger. >> that's right and they are only going to get stronger as we head into the overnight hours. north bay mountains wind gusts 41 miles an hour out of the north, northeast. east bay hills, north northeast gusting to 33 and the diablo range northerly 48 miles an hour. a live picture where it is wind from from the high definition camera down towards richardson bay. cameras shaky there and atop the higher elevations we continue to see the winds howling. let me show you the current wind speeds at the lower elevations. it is windy out there. 41 miles an hour in santa rosa. 32 oakland. 36 out of the north in fairfield. hayward, 45-mile an hour wind gusts and san jose gusts to 30 miles an hour. high wind warning remains in effect for the hills until 6:00 tomorrow night. gusts to 70 over the pudges and peaks still possible. do you understand trees, power lines. watch out for the wind advisories for the lower elevations with gusts to 50 miles an hour. i'll be back with the full forecast to let you know when the winds will die down. >> a vigil held in oakland for a gravely injured toddler who was in his father's arms when was shot in the head monday night. in all, seven people were injured in the mass shooting in a west oakland parking lot. the youngster is being cared for at children's hospital and that is where alan wang is live for us tonight with the latest on his condition. and alan, of course, the police investigation. >> reporter: hiram lawrence, jr. who will turn two in december was shot in the head when and his father walk inside a hail of bullets. his father hiram lawrence senior was shot in the hand while hold his son. his grandmother rushed both of them to children's hospital where for almost three days the family has been holding vigil. the toddler and his father were two of seven people wounded at a parking lot in a store in west oakland. a large group just finished shooting music individualed yes when three suspects came around the building and began firing on the crowd. suprempeople scattered and some returned fire. tonight, hiram's parents stepped out of the hospital to denounce the violence that has their son in critical condition but they did however have good news. the toddler's father says he gave a positive response to a brain stimulation test today and the swelling around his brain is going down. >> god bless everybody praying for him. we appreciate all the support. when i whisper in his ear and talk to him he moves ice feet and arms to voices he recognizes. keep him going and stay strong for him. >> he tries to -- he was on his way down the slide with his big wheel. he is something else. he is strong. he was going to go down that slide with that bike, he will make it out of the hospital. >> oakland police are now looking for at least three specific people in connection with the shooting. they are giving few details. however, the fact that they are not putting out a description tells us they likely know exactly who they are looking for. positive news tonight, hiram lawrence the toddler who was shot in the head has responded positively to brain stimulation tests and the swelling around his brain has gone down. they do point out this is a traumatic brain injury and their son is far from out of the woods. reporting live from children's hospital in oakland, i'm alan wang, abc 7ing news. a long way to go but let's hope for the best for that little kid. thanks very much. the california department of social services is facing a lawsuit for the way it is recovering some welfare debt. the state has been targeting children and forcing them to pay back money their parents owe. abc 7's capital correspondent nannette miranda reports now from sacramento. >> they need to stop. >> reporter: 75-year-old clarence has never faced a debt collector like this. he received a letter from the welfare offense earlier this year saying h his 14-year-old great grand daughter irene l. owes $3,000 for benefits her mother should not have gotten while pregnant with irene. now, irene's current $334 a month government aid is being cut until the debt is paid. >> i he never knew that. i knew they would go after people that don't pay child support or something like that but not children. >> jaime h. is now a college student and she, too, got a demand letter to pay back benefits her family received when she was 16 years old. her wages and tax refund are being garnished, money she needs for school. >> obviously the state has gone out-of-bounds on this. >> the western center on law and poverty filed a lawsuit and behalhalf the two girls and was stattity to stop the practice. >> you are allowed to recover from the parents and grandparents but there is nothing to say you can take money back from a child. >> the california department of social services says it is sincetive to the overpayment issue that state law mandates that counties first go after the adults associated with the case when seeking a refund of benefits. "when those efforts are fully exhausted the county is required to seek recoupment of overpayments from any individual that was an aided member of a family case." >> they are supposed to protect that child so why would the state do that and they are not protecting the child, they are actually victimizing that child. >> reporter: the lawsuit also wants the state to refund all the money collected from children over the years for welfare debt often times of the overpayments were due to a clerical error. in sacramento, nannette miranda, abc 7 news. the man wanted in the thanksgiving hit-and-run crash that left a san francisco firefighter fighting for his life is now under arrest. he was take noon custody at his south san francisco home shortly before midnight. sfpd released surveillance video over the weekend. investigators say the 22-year-old deliberately ran down firefighter albert bartol with his suv at a gas station after the two got into a fight at a fast food restaurant. >> the officer assigned to patrol for the san francisco police department spotted the surveillance video that was made public and aired in the news media and recognized the suspect from the surveillance video. >> the 29-year-old seasonal firefighter with cal fire seen her with his daughter remains in critical condition at san francisco general hospital. thousands paid their respects to a fallen vallejo police officer today. he was killed in the line of duty chasing a bank robbery suspect november 17. his memorial was at the high school where he coached basketball and was beloved. more tonight from abc 7's wayne freedman. >> reporter: this is the sound and this is the sight that police officers dread. both herald the passing of a brother or sister killed in the line of duty. in vallejo the fact that it was jim made the day all the more difficult. >> he was the kind of guy you could not walk past without acknowledging him or he acknowledging you. >> in vallejo today, acknowledgements broke hearts and prompted tears for a man who was so much more than a officer. >> he coached high school girl's basketball yes. >> was an amazing mack and i thank god for bringing him into my life. >> today's memorial last today and a half hours and filled the high school football stadium and at one point the sky above which filled with a tribute from police helicopters. there were so many mentions of how he was a marine before becoming a highway patrolman and eventually a police officer in vallejo. he grew up in arkansas but those who loved him say the marines shaped him. >> he was a yes, sir,, no, sir,, no excuse, sir,, kind of guy. >> he inspired you to be a better person, a better parent, a better spouse. to work hard and to play hard. >> jim died on november 17, shot and killed while chasing a bank robbery suspect who has since plead not guilty. he leaves behind a wife and three children. these final words from his middle daughter jamie. >> i'm hopeful he can live a life he could be -- i can live a life he would be proud of and i will. how much he meant to me and taught me but i will carry the rest with me in my heart where he will stay forever. >> he was 45 years old. there is a memorial fund in his honor. he is the fourth vallejo police officer to be killed in the line of duty he in 150 years. wayne freedman, abc 7 news. a lot more to bring you here tonight. a six month investigation and an abc news exclusive. foster kids given an avalanche of drugs. even the youngest of children. >> the city sneezes and the county shivers. >> a fisherman's wharf up north is about to come alive again after asking for a big favor from san francisco. and not for the faint hearted. here is one way to take in the sights at yosemite. we'll have that story. and the light in the middle of the tunnel. the big breakthrough for the big breakthrough for construction crews at the [ male announcer ] citibank's new app for ipad makes it easy for anne to view her finances from anywhere. like gate d12 for the next three hours. citibank for ipad. easier banking. standard at citibank. really? 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[ male announcer ] so does that guy. the citibank debit card with no monthly fee. easier banking. standard at citibank. tonight two governors are asking the obama administration to agree that marijuana has medicinal value. the two governors want to put the weed on the accepted medical use list. right now the drug enforcement agency has put marijuana in the same category as heroin and lsd. if pot has no medicinal use that means medical marijuana dispensaries are illegal in the government's eyes. 16 states including, california, allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes which is in direct conflict with federal law. the town of crescent city is the biggest exporter dungeness grab. with the north coast crab season opening tomorrow, we went jonathan blume to crescent city for the report. >> we have more tsunamis here that do more damage than any other harbor on the west. >> the waves rippling out from the massive earthquake in japan crashed into the crescent city harbor and ripped it apart. a bystander shot this video as boats broke free and collided dragging pieces of docks already weakened in another tsunami in 2006. >> took all the docks and swirled around and shattered them all over the place. we haddocks and boats piled up in the far corner. there were 12 or 14 boats sunk, maybe more. >> reporter: the harbor commissioner showed us what is left of those boats after three months at the bottom of hush. into the dumpster they will go. >> reporter: now, on a barge in the middle of the harbor a giant excavator is working to dredge up. the work is slow and the deadline is tight. >> tuesday wally at this time every year the entire parking lot starts to fill up with crabbing baskets. >> to the mayor, the crab pots mean jobs. the season is about to start and the fishing industry makes up more than a third of crescent city's economy. >> if we miss this season would t. would be critical. if the hardware coughs the city sneezes and the county shivers. this is a fishing harbor and it is critical that we keep it a fishing harbor. >> the harbor master picked up the phone and asked for a big favor. this is what he got. old creeky wood that came all the way from san francisco. call it serendepity that san francisco was remodeling and gave it to them for me. >> even with new temporary docks replacing the old broken ones this harbor designed for over 200 boats will only take care of 80. for the traveling fleet, the harbor has been racing to it implement plan 2. >> 2,000-pounds that day. >> giant cork screws driven into the bottom of the harbor. visiting boats can tie up to them when the docks are full if the anchors pass the stress test. >> 6,000-pounds right there. a little bit. that is the end of that gage. >> yeah. >> the anchor held so firmly it broke the rope they were using to test it. >> i would call this a successful test. >> i think so. >> reporter: crescent city will be ready for crab season but the harbor master knows this is just the beginning. >> this is mendocino. this is where the san andreas fault runs offyou shore. >> the oh he objection shore is shaped like a funnel, amplifying the force of tsunami wave nos matter where they come from. in 1964, a tsunami wave wiped out most of downtown and it is only a matter of time before it happens again. that is what these boulders are for and this concrete wall. over the next year, crescent city will rebuild its husher to withstand exactly the kind of wave that detroyed it it last march. >> takes time and money to get there. >> where is all the money coming from? >> that is a good question. >> reporter: federal emergency grants will pay for most of it but the harbor district is still $4 million short. they are determined to find the money quickly because tsunamis wait for no one. >> we know it will be coming but we don't know whether it will be this year or 30 years from now. >> in crescent city, abc 7 news. meanwhile, repairs continue at the harbor in santa cruz, also damaged by the march 11 tsunami. a spokeswoman says construction will remain in full swing all winter long and repairs might not be complete until mid 2013 but they are working furiously to get the job done. go back and talk to meteorologist sandhya patel. spencer is off tonight and she is monitoring the windstorm which is remarkable around here. >> not just confined to the bay area. a statewide event. >> l.a. >> l.a., exactly. show you a live picture. the wind from our east bay hills camera. >> yeah. >> the camera is very shaky. wind gusts of 40 to 50 miles a.b. hour being reported right now injuries we have a lot of reports coming in to the weather offense here, on my facebook. jo ann posted from castor valley the winds are strong. my furniture covers blue off my deck. todd was talking a walk in cupertino and says it is so windy it feels like candlestick park. and kristina reporting a few minutes ago getting even worse now. that is, indeed, the case in many parts of the bay area. show you a ureport photo that was submitted by scott. you can see the tree snapped due to the powerful winds. here are the peak wind gusts. mount diablo 71 miles an hour earlier today. danville, hayward, 51. livermore 40 and san jose 36-mile an hour winds. your current wind speeds near 40 miles an hour in fairfield. livermore you can see here gusting to 44 miles an hour at this hour and 33 at sfo. oakland, northerly gusting to 38. 36 in hayward. santa rosa reporting wind gusts of 37 miles an hour so it is, indeed, windy out there. please be careful. temperatures right now, in the 50s and 60s. running a good 10 to 20 degrees higher than where they were 24 hours ago. the strongest winds expected overnight. the winds ease up tomorrow afternoon and looking at a dry pattern into next week. show you the satellite and radar. here is the setup that is bringing the winds. a cutoff low he down in southern, california heading into arizona. higher pressure building in. the pressure difference between the two is pretty large. as the is obars tighten up, indicates that windy conditions are developing here. the strongest winds come in overnight as the high pressure ridge shifts inland and then moves southward a little bit. do expect the winds to continue to howl into early tomorrow afternoon and then the winds finally start to drop off. high wind warnings remain in effect for the hills until 6:00 p.m. thursday. gusts to 70 miles an hour. ridges and peaks possible still. downed trees and power lines as we he have already seen and wind advisory for the lower elevations with gusts to 50 miles an hour. the wind holding the temperatures up so not going to be really a cold night. mainly 40s across the entire bay area. near 50 degrees in san francisco and tomorrow afternoon the winds slowly start to come down. temperatures will be in the low to mid 60s across the entire area with sunshine. today those winds really scoured out the fog. are not ex-pegging any fog any time soon. mild 70-degree day in santa cruz. accuweather seven-day forecast. a wind. >> start to thursday. winds drop off by tomorrow afternoon. we start to see cooler readings each and every day as we head to the weekend. by middle of next week, dan, more clouds on wednesday. >> thanks very much. still ahead here tonight. the frisbee catch you just have to see. stay tuned for that. and a new appeal to stop the state parks from closing. what a la this is droid razr by motorola. the droid that proves thin is no longer frail. diamond-cut spun aluminum, a face reinforced with gorilla glass, and a backplate made kevlar-strong. inside, it's covered with water-repellent nano-coating. it's the thinnest 4g lte smartphone. powered by verizon, an agreement between state and federal officials refer to the closure of three state parks. they will take over three parks as well as del norte near crescent city. today, environmentalists your the governor to avoid further cuts. they say state sales parks generate $300 million from revenue you for the state. >> we are talking about bed and breakfast owners. businesses that can't afford the state to shut down the resources that bring people in to their establishments. >> without any further funding, 6 p state parks will close on july 1 of next year. well, this has literally been a big breakthrough for construction crews at the tunnel in the east bay. after 15 months of drilling crews tunneling from both sides of the new fourth bore have met in the middle. it happened just before 3:00 yesterday afternoon. the pro sect is designed to ease traffic between oakland and miranda. >> the holiday season official bely opened for business in new york city tonight. ♪ >> the rockets performed and so did neill diamond for the lighting of the christmas tree in rockefeller center. >> ready to light the tree? >> ready, guys? >> here we go. >> five, four, two, one. >> 30,000 lights illuminate the 74-foot tall norway spruce. it is spectacular. that is five miles of lights. when the tree comes down on january 7 it will be turned into lumber for the housing charity habitat for humanity. beautiful in new york city. when abc 7 news at 9:00 continues here tonight. children at risk. an abc news exclusive. america's foster children given powerful mind altering drugs and the government is failing to oversee their treatment. also tonight, the deal struck in europe today that sent the stock market soaring and what stocks in asia are doing right now. gas prices may be leveling off in the bay area. tonight, why one community could have to pay $9 a gallon. stay with us. another half hour of news another half hour of news at bank of america, we're lending and investing in the people and communities who call the bay area home. from funding that helped a local entrepreneur start a business... to providing grants to a nonprofit which offers job training and placement... and supporting an organization working to help the environment. because the more we do in the bay area, the more we help make opportunity possible. good evening. we'll start this