A UC San Diego neurosurgeon has been accused of using marijuana while on the job.

The Medical Board of California has filed a complaint against Dr. Gunjan Goel, alleging she practiced medicine while under the influence of marijuana and that “she uses it daily, while at work, and on call,” according to court documents.

The complaint filed Aug. 26 says the medical board first received a complaint about Goel in May 2014.

In January 2015, a state investigator approached Goel in the parking lot of her apartment complex. When the investigator asked her for a hair sample, Goel admitted that she sometimes consumes marijuana on her days off.

In a subsequent interview with an investigator, Goel admitted to using marijuana on three to four occasions between July and December of 2014.

She said she didn’t have a medical marijuana card.

The medical board accused her of “repeatedly” possessing a controlled substance and engaging in unprofessional conduct.

Attempts by NBC 7 to reach Goel on Thursday evening were unsuccessful. A representative for UC San Diego declined comment, saying it’s still just an accusation.

Many items go on sale depending on the time of year. Christmas decoration prices fall after Christmas, winter coat and sweater deals abound in the spring.

So where can you find the best deals in September?

September is the unofficial end of Summer. That means everything that shows up on the beach,
from board shorts to umbrellas, is on sale somewhere.

Summer clothes are on sale: bikinis, shorts, and polos should go for much less than pre-summer prices.

Barbecues are heavily discounted this month along with backyard furniture, lawn mowers and other garden items.

This weekend is also a good time to step onto the car lot.

The 2016 car models are showing up which means the dealers are ready to deal on their 2015 cars.

Finally, this is the time to start looking at major appliances like dishwashers and refrigerators.

But don't feel rushed. Prices should continue to drop through November.

If you missed the back-to-school sales on computers, tablets and phones then you may want to wait until November for Black Friday.

So what are your September deals? Where are you finding bargains this month?
I want to hear from you. Go to my Facebook page at Consumer Bob.
 

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park performed a biopsy on a northern white rhino Thursday. Nola, 41, is one of only four northern white rhinoceroses left in the world.

A Safari Park veterinary team performed the procedure to determine what is causing swelling in Nola’s hip.

Vets treated her back in May for an abscess in the same hip. With antibiotics, the wound seemed to heal, but a week before the procedure it appeared to reemerge along with swelling on her hip.

Nola stood in a barn inside her zoo habitat under mild sedation for the procedure. She received alfalfa and apple treats and head rubs during the procedure.

“Today we performed a biopsy on Nola’s hip, in an attempt to see what might be causing the abscess and the swelling,” stated Dr. Jeff Zuba, senior veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. “At this point, it appears the original abscess sealed itself off without completely healing, but we need to investigate further. We obtained tissue and fluid samples from the hip swelling to assist with the diagnosis. A blood sample also was collected to assess overall health. Until we receive these test results, we will start her on antibiotics based on culture results obtained last week and provide daily wound care, while monitoring her closely.”

She will be kept in the barn overnight and released back into her habitat in the morning. After the procedure she seemed to be feeling well and walking and eating normally. Zoo officials say test results will be back in seven to ten days.

“Nola was an exceptional patient, as usual,” said Zuba.

Northern white rhinos have been hunted to near extinction for their horns, which are believed in some cultures to possess healing power.

The Safari Park is also using science to fight the rhino’s extinction. The Frozen Zoo, in collaboration with the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, is a genetic project to help save endangered species.

The zoo has viable stem cells taken from twelve white rhinos to restore genetic variation. The rhino stem cells, first saved in 1979, can be used to reproduce any tissue in the rhino’s body, the zoo says.

South Bay residents on Thursday evening gave city leaders an escorted tour of the eyesores around their neighborhood.

Homeowners are fed up with the overgrown trees and brush in the easement, decaying sidewalks and out-of-control traffic in their neighborhood.

Southwest Chula Vista neighbors have a long list of needed repairs and an even longer list of traffic complaints

The city appeared responsive to their concerns.

“Just knowing where the issues are helps us react to them,” Public Works Director Rick Hopkins said.

The public works director and members of the Mayor's task force walked a guided tour Thursday night of the problem areas around Madison and Naples streets.

Most obvious: the trash built up in alley ways, decaying asphalt, sidewalks and overgrown easements

“It brings down our property value we did major home improvements on our homes to live in a nice place,” homeowner Margie Cordero.

At Jefferson and Naples streets is a busy intersection fed by Costco and Walmart customers, some traffic signs are invisible to oncoming cars. They are hidden by overgrown trees.

“My concerns are the little kids. We have grandchildren and nephews little nephews people with disabilities in wheel chairs,” homeowner Yvette Munoz said.

City representatives say money for infrastructure has been slow coming, but promise changes starting with health and safety issues.

“We see sidewalks that are buckled that become a tripping hazard. That's one of the first areas we are going to go. We see tree limbs that are blocking sight distance,” Hopkins said.

Organizers are encouraged but will remain vigilant. Other neighborhoods face similar problems and the loudest just may win.

The public works director says there is enough money for cleanup and tree trimming. Other issues may take longer because they require traffic studies and more money than is available.

The owner of the iconic Anthony’s Fish Grotto restaurant along San Diego’s Embarcadero shares his family’s story as the Port of San Diego considers bringing in a different business.

“You don’t just replace history like that,” said Craig Ghoi, who is the owner of the restaurant.

Anthony’s Fish Grotto is about to celebrate its 70th anniversary, 51st at the Embarcadero location.

“In 1946, right after the war, my grandmother was an Italian immigrant and a widow raising three children. At age 50 she wanted to start her own business. She wanted to open a restaurant and in 1946, by the old ferry landing, she opened an 18-seat diner,” Ghoi said.

Anthony’s 52-year lease expires January 21, 2017. The Port of San Diego says the situation presents them an opportunity to “explore, test the market and ultimately select the best possible team to redevelop this tremendously desirable waterfront location and support an active and vibrant waterfront.”

In May 2015, the Board of Port Commissioners initiated a competitive selection process for redeveloping the prime restaurant site. Six responses were received, and they narrowed the selection to the following three:

• Fish Market Restaurants, Inc. (joint venture with Anthony’s Fish Grotto)
• Sunroad Enterprises
• The Brigantine, Inc.

“When you think about leaving the waterfront or potentially leaving the waterfront when you're still doing a tremendous business, I guess it's disheartening a little bit,” Ghoi told NBC 7 Thursday. “We have created a plan/proposal to spend over $12 million to renovate this facility to refresh it and maintain the status as icon on San Diego Bay.”

The Port of San Diego says ongoing negotiations are confidential, but they expect to have a final decision before the end of the year.

“We are optimistic they will make that judgment where they balance revenue, history, the public and create a new vibrant part of the waterfront as a partner with us,” said Ghoi.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department will be getting a new chief.

Assistant Fire Chief Brian Fennessy will replace retiring Fire Chief Javier Mainar.

"His leadership through the years proves he's the best choice with a strong El Niño predicted and what is now a year-round fire season," San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said in a city news release.

Fennessy, 56, began his firefighting career with the U.S. Forest Service before joining SDFD in 1990.

The San Diego City Council must approve the change before it becomes official.

Chief Mainar is retiring on November 12 after 35 years with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

Officials on Friday are expected to review home surveillance video a resident claims may aid in a search for three suspects believed to have killed a veteran Fox Lake police officer this week. 

News of the video first surfaced during a Thursday press conference when officials said during a press conference that the "significant" footage had been turned over to the Department of Homeland Security for verification.

Details surrounding what was on the footage weren't immediately clear, but Lake County Major Crimes Task Force Commander George Filenko said the resident who turned it in claimed it is consistent with the story about three suspects. 

"We are making some progress, some significant progress today," he said.

Footage from the video could be released later Friday. 

Filenko said the three suspects accused of killing Lieutenant Charles "Joe" Gliniewicz are believed to still be in the area, about 60 miles north of Chicago, and authorities say they've made "significant progress" in their search.

"Obviously we have a lot of transportation means in this area — trains, cars, buses — we’re still working off the fact that we’re presuming there’s a good probability that they are still somewhere in the area," Filenko said. "Now whether they're in Fox Lake or any of the surrounding border communities that remains to be seen."

Filenko confirmed the officer’s gun was recovered, but he didn't say if it was retrieved at the scene, or used in the shooting.

The gunmen are described as two white men and one black man, but further details on their descriptions have not been made available.

Officials expect lab results on evidence gathered at the crime scene to be released as early as Friday morning.

More than 100 officers were canvassing the Fox Lake area Thursday, revisiting areas and searching new territories.

The updates came after a "disappointing" night for authorities, when more than 100 officers spent about five hours searching an area following a tip that was determined to be fake.

"[Wednesday] night was an unfortunate incident," Filenko said. "It tied up a number of resources, including my detectives."

Detective Christopher Covelli with the Lake County Sheriff's office said the response shows the Fox Lake community that officers are working to keep them safe. 

"It really shows that we are here and we are active in this community," he said. "We are active to keep the residents in this community safe... Things will never be quite normal here in Fox Lake with the death of Lt. Gliniewicz."

Residents, family members and officers from Fox Lake and surrounding communities gathered Wednesday night for an emotional vigil to honor Gliniewicz, a 30-year veteran of the police force affectionately called "G.I. Joe." A funeral has been scheduled for Monday in Antioch, Illinois. 

It's that time of the year again: that time when master sculptors from across the globe descend on San Diego for the ultimate sand carving challenge, meticulously etching masterpieces for all to enjoy.

The 2015 U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge & 3D Art Expo will be held Friday through Labor Day on the B Street cruise ship terminal pier at 1140 North Harbor Dr., right along the Big Bay in downtown San Diego. Each day, visitors can check out the sand sculptures from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with special extended “twilight hours” from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday.

Organizers have dropped 300 tons of sand into the area for sculptors to turn into incredibly detailed, elaborate works of art many of which, when finished, will weigh about 10 tons.

This year, the legendary Labor Day weekend event will feature 11 master sculptors carving their creations in front of crowds, all vying for a grand prize and bragging rights. The masters, who hail from all over the world, including Russia, Italy and the Netherlands to Canada, Florida, Washington and California, will begin carving Friday and finish their works around 2 p.m. Saturday.

Also getting their hands dirty will be nine teams of three pro sculptors carving Saturday afternoon through 2 p.m. Sunday.

By Monday, organizers say all of the sculptures will be finished and on display for visitors to admire.

The family-friendly event will also include more than 1,000 works of handmade art that can be purchased by attendees, plus live music, buskers, gourmet food trucks, a beer and wine garden and a sand box and rides for kids.

Tickets cost between $6 and $11 per person, depending on the day. There's also a pass available for all four days for $19. Toddlers in strollers get in free, while first responders, active duty military, seniors and kids 12 and under get discounted rates.

A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will support arts education programs for children, including the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts and the Maritime Museum of San Diego Education Programs.

For complete details on the U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge, visit the event website.

Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday night he "will not hesitate" to run for president next year — but only if his family is up to it.

"I'll be straightforward with you: The most relevant factor in my decision is whether my family and I have the emotional energy to run," Biden said during an appearance at a synagogue in Atlanta.

Biden's son Beau, the former attorney general of Delaware, died of brain cancer in May at age 46.

Biden said that while other issues were a concern — particularly whether he could build a strong campaign and raise money — the only question that matters is, "Can my family undertake an arduous commitment they would be proud to undertake under ordinary circumstances?" 

An 11-year-old St. Louis-area boy fatally shot a 16-year-old who entered his home during an alleged home invasion Thursday, police said.

Two people had approached the home twice before Thursday, and on the third attempt entered the house through the front door, police said. The 11-year-old, who lives in the home, shot the 16-year-old intruder in the head, St. Louis County police said in a statement.

Police found the shot teenager dead in the foyer, and a second person who fled was caught nearby.

Police were working to verify the second person's identity Thursday afternoon. The names of those involved, and a possible motive in the suspected home invasion, were not released.

San Diego Police are trying to determine what killed a man whose body was found along an Encanto street early Thursday.

The man, described as in his 30s, was found on Evelyn Street just after 3 a.m. He had at least one stab wound to his chest.

EMTs attempted life-saving measures but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Homicide investigators interviewed residents to try and determine what may have happened.

Josh Roberts lives in the community and said it felt strange to have something like this happen so close to home.

"It's a little scary. It's a little intimidating," Roberts said. "It makes me wish I could've done something about it."

Several neighbors told NBC 7 they did not hear any strange sounds overnight.  Neighbors say this is a very quiet neighborhood and the street is very narrow and dark.

"It's really disturbing," said neighbor Caroline Climax. "It's not something where you would like to wake every morning to get a knock at your door stating that someone has lost their life."

Officers have not yet identified the body.

When San Diego City crews needed a crane to hoist out some tree trimming debris from inside a Mission Hills storm drain recently, it showed the kind of obstacles waiting to clog up the bowels of a storm water system stretching from Tijuana to the San Pasquale Valley.

The job is big every year, but in the months leading up to what some believe could be Southern California’s wettest winter in nearly two decades, the clock is ticking to clear the way for an expected El Niño.

Among the things crew have found: "Bicycle parts, construction debris, 2-by-4s cut off," said Gene Matter of the Stormwater Division of Operations. "We've even seen a mannequin one time."

The City of San Diego has more than 75,000 storm drain structures and nearly 900 miles of drainage pipe to maintain.

The system of storm drains is designed to handle normal water flow, but occasionally during heavy rain, flooding will occur, city officials said.

This was certainly the case during the winter of 1997 and 1998, the last time San Diego saw significant El Niño conditions.

NBC 7 asked the City’s Storm Water Department to give us an overview of their preparations:

Crews are upgrading motors in storm water pump stations and changing draining paths on trouble spots like the Torrance Street cul-de-sac.

There is also a scheduled maintenance for the storm water channels in the Tijuana River Valley and  Alvarado Creek.

When the storm strikes, the city plans earlier staging of “storm patrol” teams and equipment including temporary pumps. They're also training more staffers to add to the personnel available for tree clearing in a big storm.

"The City has a large pothole patching crew, so we're going to use some of those resources during a storm to patrol some areas to try to prevent flooding," Matter said.

The City Water Department also plans to be in closer communication with the National Weather Service in the event of a storm to help dispatch services quickly.

A San Diego man accused of sending explicit material to a young star of the Lifetime show “Dance Moms” will be held on $250,000 bail.

Bail for Phoenix Sundown was raised from the initial $25,000 to $250,000. Deputy District Attorney Carlos Campbell said after court on Thursday the case involves four underage victims – one of which is the reality TV star -- who received explicit material from Sundown.

Sundown faces four counts of distributing harmful material to a minor. The 36-year-old also was charged with cruelty to an animal.

Campbell declined to release specifics on the case, citing the active investigation and the fact that it involves minors.

Sundown was arrested Tuesday after Pennsylvania Postal inspectors found suspicious packages sent to 11-year-old Jojo Siwa, a cast member of the Lifetime show featuring the Pittsburgh-based dance school.

Her nickname is "JoJo with a Bow Bow" for her fondness of hair bows and shiny accessories.

Sundown was apparently so infatuated with the youngster he tattooed her portrait on his neck, investigators allege.

Police and Allegheny County's bomb squad were at the Murrysville, Pennsylvania post office Tuesday evening investigating the report of five suspicious packages reportedly implicating Sundown in the crimes.

A judge on Thursday imposed a protective order barring Sundown from having any contact with the minors, including Siwa.

If convicted of all charges, Sundown faces 5 years and 8 months in prison.

A plane crashed in the driveway of a Santee home, killing the instructor and student who were flying the aircraft owned by an El Cajon-based flight school, officials confirmed.

A Piper Cherokee crashed in the driveway of a home on Paseo De Los Castillos just after 9 a.m., San Diego County Sheriff's Deputies said.

“I heard a plane sputtering real bad,” said witness Craig Lilley.

Lilley lives near the cul-de-sac where the plane crashed, south of Prospect Avenue and west of Cuyamaca Street.

Lilley looked out his bedroom window and saw a plane trying to turn around toward Gillespie Field.

“He was in a heavy bank and he was dropping fast. I could tell there was no way he was going to make it. The only question was if he was going to hit the houses back here or the field behind them,” Lilley said. 

The next thing he heard, was the crash.

“You could almost time it as he was coming down. Bang,” he said.

The aircraft struck the roof of one home and then landed on two cars. The plane finally rested upside down underneath a palm tree.

One man died at the scene and one man was transported to Sharp Hospital in critical condition, deputies said. The Santee Fire Chief confirmed late Thursday that both men had died.

No one on the ground was injured.

The plane is registered to Volar Corp. which runs the Golden State Flying Club.

Co-Owner Richard Essery wouldn’t confirm who was on the aircraft until officials release the names out of respect for the families.

"We are feeling bad about what happened," said Essery. "Never anything like this before. We have a really safe operation."

He said the club has not had an accident since it opened in 1968.

NBC 7 has learned the aircraft involved in Thursday's cash made an emergency landing on State Route 52 in 2013. In that incident, the plane's engine cut out and the two men aboard managed to glide the plane to a safe landing.

The FAA did not classify that as an incident or accident because it was only considered an emergency landing.

FAA spokesperson Ian Gregor said the agency and the NTSB will investigate the cause of Thursday's crash.

NTSB officials said they believe the plane had no power when it landed and that those on board had not made a distress call.

NBC 7's Meteorologist Jodi Kodesh said there were no unusual wind conditions in the area at the time of the crash.

The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 5.1 percent in August for a seven-year low, though hiring was the lowest it's been in five months with 173,000 jobs created for the month, The Associated Press reported.

Still, the economy has generated a strong 221,000 jobs a month from June through August, according to government revisions.

Steady hiring could encourage the Fed to raise interest rates for the first time in a decade at a meeting later this month.

But that's not a sure thing with a low inflation rate and sluggish growth in China complicating the decision, according to the AP.

A crash involving multiple cars on southbound Interstate 15 in Escondido snarled traffic Friday morning.

California Highway Patrol officials said several cars collided on southbound I-15 at Auto Parkway just before 7 a.m. Officials issued a SigAlert in the area, blocking off traffic in the carpool and left lane due to the accident.

CHP officials said several people were injured in the crash, though further details were not immediately available.

As of 7:05 a.m., traffic was slow along the freeway from North Centre City Parkway. The traffic alert remained in place for a couple of hours.

Get traffic updates here.
 

San Diego-headquartered craft beer maker Green Flash Brewing Co. has named Chris Ross as its chief operating officer, as it continues to boost production and distribution. The appointment took effect on Sept. 1.

A company statement said Ross has held previous executive positions with companies including Intrinsyc Technologies Corp., Novatel Wireless Inc., Ericsson Wireless Communications and Qualcomm Inc. He is new to craft beer, after more than 25 years leading global operations in telecommunications, information technology and consumer electronics.

“Chris will be joining us as COO at a crucial time for Green Flash,” said CEO Mike Hinkley, noting that the company is now running operations for two brands in five local locations, as it works to complete construction on its previously announced new brewery in Virginia Beach, Va.

Hinkley said he will remain “completely hands-on” in the brewer’s daily business, focusing on big-picture strategy. Ross will lead the company’s expansion process, with the East Coast brewery as his first focus. Virginia Beach operations could open as early as May 2016, starting with a tasting room.

Green Flash has recently been expanding its packaged beer offerings, introducing several products in six-packs, and will be increasing its production and distribution of products made by Alpine Beer Co., which it acquired last year.

Officials are projecting that Green Flash will reach a production capacity of 100,000 barrels in the fourth quarter of this year.

Started in 2002 and based in Mira Mesa, Green Flash is led by co-founders Mike and Lisa Hinkley, with Chuck Silva heading brewing operations. It is the local region’s fourth-largest craft beer maker and ranked at No. 48 on a list of the nation’s 50 largest brewers based on 2014 sales volume, published by the Colorado-based Brewers Association.

Hillary Clinton told NBC's Andrea Mitchell she was "sorry" there had been so much confusion over her private email server. But Clinton declined to apologize for having used it.

"At the end of the day, I am sorry that this has been confusing to people and has raised a lot of questions, but there are answers to all these questions," the Democratic presidential hopeful said. "And I take responsibility and it wasn't the best choice."

Asked about rising poll numbers of those who consider her untrustworthy, Clinton said, "certainly, it doesn't make me feel good."

A day after exposing gaps in his knowledge of foreign affairs during a radio show interview with Hugh Hewitt, Donald Trump labeled the conservative host a "third rate radio announcer,” NBC News reported.

During the Thursday interview, Hewitt asked Trump about Quds Force commander Ghasem Soleimani. Trump responded by saying how Kurds have been “mistreated.”

After he was told the Quds force was Iranian, and not Kurdish, Trump said: ”Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you said Kurds.”

When Hewitt suggested that a future commander-in-chief should be knowledgeable about world affairs and leaders, Trump accused Hewitt of asking “gotcha questions.”

"Every question was do I know this one and that one? It was like he worked hard on that," Trump further explained Friday on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

An outage left hundreds of residents without power in parts of Escondido Friday, officials confirmed.

The Escondido Police Department said parts of east Escondido had been hit with the power outage, including traffic signals and lights at El Norte Parkway to the north, Mission Avenue to the south, Rose Street to the west and Midway Drive to the east.

Police encouraged drivers to avoid those streets if possible and take alternate routes.

Crews from San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) were called to the area and were working to restore power as of 12:30 p.m. The cause of the outage has not yet been determined.

SDG&E also reported a second power outage in northeast Escondido around 11:10 a.m. impacting the Dixon Lake and Daley Ranch areas. Power there was expected to be restored by 2 p.m.