San Francisco, CA
SFO chaos: Storms and shutdown caused hundreds of flight delays Monday. Here’s where things stand
Heavy rain and a shortage of air traffic controllers brought travel chaos to San Francisco International Airport on Monday, delaying nearly half of all flights and frustrating thousands of travelers just as Salesforce’s massive Dreamforce conference got underway.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued an advisory for SFO, citing low cloud ceilings and other factors, that forced delays of more than an hour — and in some cases, up to 4 hours.
The bottleneck was apparently worsened by reduced staffing linked to the ongoing federal government shutdown, which has strained operations across several major U.S. airports.
By day’s end, 434 flights were delayed and seven were canceled, according to FlightAware.
Conditions improved Tuesday morning, with FlightAware reporting 30 delays and two cancellations.
United Airlines, SFO’s largest carrier, recorded 142 delays, while Southwest Airlines reported schedule disruptions on two-thirds of its flights. Alaska Airlines delayed 31 flights and diverted several to San Jose Mineta International Airport.
“Unfortunately, Air Traffic Control Restrictions at San Francisco International Airport is causing delays and subsequent flight reroutes,” Alaska Airlines said in a letter to passengers.
One Chronicle editor flying home from Palm Springs described being diverted mid-flight.
The airline offered ground transportation vouchers from San Jose to San Francisco, but noted it would not cover additional travel expenses.
“We apologize for any inconvenience and are doing all we can to keep your travel on track,” the statement read.
The airport issues struck while San Francisco began welcoming Dreamforce attendees to the city, one of the largest tech conferences in the world expected to draw nearly 50,000 people from more than 150 countries.
Meanwhile, torrential rain drenched much of the Bay Area, prompting flood advisories and warnings across the region. Public works crews hustled to clear drains blocked by leaves as localized flooding slowed commutes and inundated intersections.
The National Weather Service warned that low clouds and continued precipitation would likely extend delays into Tuesday. Early morning flight boards showed at least 15 departures already running late, with one cancellation before sunrise.
Despite the rough start, officials said they expect conditions to gradually improve later in the week as the storm system moves east. It was not clear Tuesday morning when the federal government would resume normal operations again.
San Francisco, CA
New SF supervisor supports reopening Great Highway on weekdays
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Alan Wong, the new supervisor for District four in San Francisco, has publicly expressed his support for reopening the Great Highway to vehicles on weekdays. This statement comes amid ongoing debates surrounding the highway’s conversion into a park last spring, which was met with mixed reactions from the community.
The Great Highway was transformed into a public park earlier this year, a change that many residents have embraced, while some local neighbors have pushed back. Joel Engardio, the former supervisor who supported this conversion through Measure K, was recalled this year, highlighting the division among constituents in District four.
Wong, who was appointed as supervisor following Engardio’s recall, filed paperwork to run for the elected position on the board. His term is set to last until January 2027, during which he aims to solidify his platform around reopening the Great Highway.
In his statement, Wong emphasized, “I believe my values align with a majority of Sunset residents who support reopening the Great Highway to cars on weekdays. As a result, I am prepared to be one of four supervisors needed to sponsor a ballot initiative to restore that compromise.” This suggests Wong’s intent to address community concerns head-on while building a wider consensus.
Prior to its conversion, the Great Highway allowed vehicles during the week and served as a park on weekends, a compromise Wong supports restoring. He aims to return to this model in response to feedback from local constituents.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published.
San Francisco, CA
Women’s volleyball professional team headed to San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO – Pro volleyball will soon be coming to San Francisco and this latest team is part of a surge of women’s sports.
League One Volleyball officially launched this year with six teams. Now the league has announced it’s expanding to nine teams, and that one of those expansion teams will be based in the city by the bay.
Three-time Olympic volleyball medalist Kelsy Robinson Cook is on the ownership team for LOVB San Francisco, bringing professional volleyball to the city. “Can tell you it’s going to be amazing,” said Robinson Cook. “Then, when you bring in the fandom of the Bay Area and SF I think personally it’s going to make for an incredible atmosphere.”
Team ownership said starting a team in the Bay Area is a natural with colleges and universities in the region turning out top talent. “It’s the number one sport for women and girls and I think that just speaks volumes as to where we’re headed, not only in club and college, but professionally,” said Robinson Cook.
Pro women’s volleyball is part of a growing list of professional women’s sports teams calling San Francisco and the Bay Area home.
The women’s professional baseball league announced plans for a team in San Francisco. Bay FC and the Golden State Valkyries are already proving there is a market for professional women’s sports.
When pro-volleyball was looking to expand, San Francisco was a natural choice. “You’re seeing Bay FC, the Valkyries, the success that they have, and this market loves sports, and they’ve also proven they love women’s sports,” said Robinson Cook.
San Francisco leaders said the city has already proven that it supports pro-women’s teams, and will welcome professional volleyball. Mayor Daniel Lurie pointed to the city’s rich sports history and enthusiasm to support the home teams. “Now, as we saw with the Valkyries selling out every single home game last year, there is an appetite, there is a fan base, and this new league understands that,” said Mayor Lurie.
At this time, there are still a lot of questions up in the air, including exactly where LOVB San Francisco will play. Organizers say they have a lot of plans in the works to get the team ready to bump, set and spike starting in January 2027.
San Francisco, CA
Body cam footage released in South San Francisco police shooting
(KRON) — The South San Francisco Police Department released video Thursday showing what led up to two officers shooting a man who authorities said was armed with a knife.
On December 8 at around 5:10 a.m., police arrived at the 900 block of Sandra Court on the report of a man under the influence of drugs and making threats to kill himself. When officers made contact with the man, identified as 28-year-old Luis Francisco-Manzo, he initially complied with orders, authorities said.
Officer-worn body camera video shows Francisco-Manzo walking toward officers in the entrance hallway of an apartment complex with his arms raised. A small dog barks as officers give repeated commands. Suddenly, Francisco-Manzo appears in the entranceway next to officers as one calls out, “He’s got a knife.”
Officer Brendan Hart, who has been with SSFPD for eight years, fired a Taser at Francisco-Manzo, but it did not have the intended effect, police said.
Four gunshots are heard in the body camera video. Police said Officer Hart and Officer Martin Corona were the officers who discharged their weapons. Officer Corona has seven years of law enforcement experience with over four years at SSFPD.
Francisco-Manzo was transported to the hospital in critical condition. On Thursday, authorities said he continues to recover in the hospital. No officers were injured in the incident.
The police shooting remains under investigation by the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.
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