San Diego was under a heat advisory Wednesday due to record-breaking heat, high humidity and thunderstorms.

The National Weather Service issued the advisory -- set to expire Thursday at 6 p.m. -- for residents living along the coast and in the inland valleys.

Wednesday marked the hottest day of the summer for San Diego, with temperatures at Lindbergh Field reaching 92 degrees. Granite Hills High School in El Cajon canceled all after-school practices and activities due to the extreme heat.

Temperatures at the beaches climbed into the upper 80s and felt closer to the low 90s, as moisture associated with Hurricane Linda surges into Southern California.

Inland valleys will see temperatures climb into the upper 90s, which will feel like the low triple digits.

Residents should seek cool zones, wear light or loosefitting clothes and drink plenty of water to avoid heat related illnesses. Seek medical attention if you start to feel nauseated or dizzy. Heat stroke can come on unexpectedly and can be fatal.

Click here to find a cool zone near you.

A senior center in Chula Vista, which is a designated cool zone, became a popular place Wednesday for many trying to beat the heat. Those who spoke with NBC 7 complained of the humidity, likening it to weather you'd find on the East Coast, not Southern California.

"I don't have central air," said Edna Monk, who was spending her day at the cool zone. "I have window air conditioners that, with this kind of weather, really doesn't cut it."

Others had no choice but to be in the heat. Construction workers sweated in the sun as they laid down pipes. Worker Gilbert Hernandez said he loves his work no matter the weather.

"I'm used to this. This is what I like to do," he said. "I'd like to be inside right now, off of work, but this is what I do."

A flash flood watch was issued for San Diego mountains, as slow-moving thunderstorms could produce heavy rainfall, hail, strong winds and flooding.

Never attempt to drive through moving water. In the presence of thunder and lightning, head indoors.

Thursday will be even hotter, with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms, even at the coast and in the valleys. Friday begins a slight cool down which will be more significant relief next week.
 

Felicia Sanders, one of three people who survived the shooting at a prominent Charleston church in South Carolina, said the bible study group was about to say an ending prayer when the gunman opened fire.

"He caught us with our eyes closed. I never told nobody this," Sanders told NBC News' Lester Holt in an exclusive interview.

Sanders attended the Bible study with her son Tywanza, 26, her 11-year-old granddaughter, another relative, Susie. 

During the shooting, Sanders told her granddaughter to play dead while, Tywanza had been shot but still crawled across the room to try to protect Susie in her final moments.

"What I think of Tywanza, those last moments— my hero. My hero." Sanders told Lester Holt. "He took a lot of bullets."

A third man has been charged in the cold case killing of a woman shot to death on the streets of southeastern San Diego 20 years ago, the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) announced Wednesday.

Investigators said San Diego resident Aswad Amirah Walker will be arraigned and charged with first-degree murder in the killing of 18-year-old Crystal Odom Thursday. Walker was serving a sentence at Centinela State Prison for an unrelated felony conviction. 

On July 17, detectives announced a break in the 20-year-old case when they revealed officials had booked and charged San Diego residents Jamar Phillips, 37, and Samuel Sayles, 39, with first-degree murder in the killing of Odom. The men were taken into custody by SDPD detectives and gang suppression officers and have since been arraigned.

Police said the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are anticipated.

On April 29, 1995, Odom was shot and killed in the 6500 block of Akins Avenue in the Encanto community. Odom was driving a car with her boyfriend while their 10-month-old daughter was in her car seat in the back.

Suddenly, a car carrying five suspects began to following Odom’s vehicle and pulled up to the driver’s side door. Police said several gunshots were fired into the victim’s car, critically wounding Odom.

Odom died at the scene. Her boyfriend and baby girl survived the shooting.

The murder went cold and remained unsolved for two decades.

This past April, on the 20th anniversary of the killing, Odom’s family held a news conference alongside police, pleading for information on the cold case.

“It’s been 20 years, and we’re still here,” said father James Odom. “It gets harder every day. Every day is like the first day.”

Odom’s daughter, now grown, attended the news conference holding up a large poster with a photograph of her murdered mother. The young woman was brought to tears when talking about her mother and begged the public to “stop the violence.”

Odom’s mother, Gloria Jimenez, vowed to never stop seeking justice for her daughter.
“The people that did this to my daughter – they need to pay for this,” added Jimenez. “It is very painful, every day. I just want peace; I just want justice. We all want to move on with our lives.”

“Please, help us solve this case,” Jimenez pleaded.

Over the last few months, the SDPD’s Homicide Cold Case Unit received additional information and tips that helped detectives identify the murder suspects, officials said.

“Based on this new information, detectives, in conjunction with the District Attorney’s Office, conducted extensive investigative follow-ups to bring forward a prosecutable case,” the SDPD said in a press release Wednesday.

Anyone with information on this case should contact the SDPD’s Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Walker will be arraigned at 11 a.m. in San Diego Superior Court in Department 47. 
 

In a note to supporters that quickly went viral, the owner of Kai -- the service dog stolen more than eight months ago -- said Wednesday morning she’s overjoyed to bring her companion home to Vista.

After the dog was found in Aubrey, Texas, a judge there ruled that Kai belonged to Alexandra Melnick, a local Marine veteran who lost him last November.

Kai is Melnick’s companion and helps her with her post-traumatic stress disorder.

Investigators believe Kai was stolen from Melnick’s yard; Melnick said on Facebook that the dog was living with a family who had no idea about his history.

“The people who had him didn’t initially know he was missing, stolen or that I was looking,” she wrote, later noting: “There is still an investigation to be done over how he left my home and ended up in Texas.”

Melnick said she has been searching for him tirelessly – driving “thousands of miles” looking for him and scouring social media posts.

She said she learned his whereabouts through poring over posts on Kai’s GoFundMe account.

Now, she said she is focusing on his health, as he has some open sores and is flea infested.

Kai also has some trust issues now, she wrote, and cowers if you move too quickly.

“Without all your donations, I wouldn’t have been able to spread the word so far and get help from professionals,” Melnick wrote. “The remaining money will be divided up between various organizations, ones that helped me find Kai and ones that help others find their missing animals.”

Kai is expected to return home to San Diego County on Wednesday night.

Former tennis star James Blake said Thursday he wants an apology from the NYPDafter he claimed he was thrown to the ground and handcuffed by several officers while leaving his Manhattan hotel.

Speaking on ABC's "Good Morning America," Blake said he was frightened during the arrest outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel on East 42nd Street Wednesday night in what the NYPD later said was a case of mistaken identity. Thursday, he said he wasn't hurt but is still "a little shaken up."

"I'd like an apology," Blake said on the show. "We all need to be held accountable for our actions, police as well."

He added, "Most cops are doing a great job at keeping us safe, but when you police with reckless abandon, you need to be held accountable ... these that are doing police work the wrong way need to pay for their actions. They need to either be shown the door or be punished."

Blake said he has yet to be contacted by anyone with the NYPD since the exchange, which he called an instance of excessive force.

"I'm happy that my reaction was that I was smiling at the person because I see if I put up my arms up or anything it could be seen as resistance and instead of a bruise I could have some broken bones or serious injuries," he said.

He added, "I'm lucky enough to be able to tell this story."

Blake, who is biracial, told ABC Thursday he didn't think the case was an instance of racial profiling. A day earlier, though, he told reporters he thought race played a role in the arrest.

Undercover cops investigating a theft ring using fraudulent credit cards to make cellphone purchases were working with a delivery man to identify suspects, the NYPD says.

The Daily News reported that after one of the officer's brought Blake down, he allegedly yelled, "Don't say a word" and commanded him to roll over.

Several other cops swarmed and proceeded with the arrest until a retired NYPD officer who was working as a security guard told the cops, "That's James Blake, the tennis player." Blake, who was in town for the U.S. Open, told officers to look at his license and tournament credentials in their pocket.

They still ran his license, Blake said Thursday. He said he told them "the worst you're going to find is a speeding ticket."

That's when the officers realized their mistake and apologized, according to the News, but the paper said the first officer who tackled him never said a word.

In a statement to NBC 4 New York, NYPD spokesman Peter Donald said a cooperating witness had misidentified Blake and that internal affairs would investigate.

"Once Blake was properly identified and found to have no connection to the investigation, he was released from police custody immediately. In regards to the alleged improper use of force, the Police Commissioner directed the internal affairs bureau to investigate," the statement said.

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said internal affairs detectives were sent to the hotel and have already identified "a number of witnesses." He says investigators are also looking to obtain surveillance video from the hotel that may have captured the arrest.

One officer was placed on modified assignment following the confrontation.

At the peak of his tennis career, Blake was ranked No. 4 in the world. Knee problems and other injuries affected his playing and he retired from tennis after a three-set loss at the 2013 US Open. The Harvard-educated player is originally from Yonkers and was known for his charity work throughout his career.

Newly-released images show more than 20 bombs in the booby-trapped apartment of Aurora theater shooter James Holmes, who was sentenced last month to life behind bars.

The 27-year-old used soda bottles and wires to rig his apartment with home-made explosives and incendiaries that had to be made safe by experts with the help of a robot.

Buildings surrounding his suburban Denver apartment had to be evacuated in the hours after the July 21, 2012, shootings in which he opened fire during a midnight screening of Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises," killing 12 people.

Holmes was formally sentenced on Aug. 27 to one life term in jail for each victim, plus 3,318 years for the attempted murder of dozens of others. He was convicted after the trial judge rejected his insanity plea.

Thousands are without power in Chula Vista after a transformer fire knocked down a power line Wednesday night, Chula Vista Fire officials say.

The fire started at about 8:30 p.m. in a transformer in the 200 block of 1st Avenue.

The flames caused a power line to fall down, which in turn started a small spot fire.

Firefighters put the flames out in minutes, but electricity is still out for more than 4,600 customers trying to stay cool amid record-breaking heat.

According to SDG&E's outage map, power will not be restored until about 11:30 p.m.

Outages plagues other parts of the county Wednesday night. Power was lost to about 810 customers in Encinitas, more than 1,900 in the North Park area and nearly 100 in Coronado.

On Thursday night the Patriots and Steelers kick off the 2015 NFL season (kickoff is set for 5:30 Pacific time on NBC 7) at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA. Not coincidentally, that facility was built in part using public funding.

Also not coincidentally is this little tidbit of information: A recent report by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) titled “Sacking Taxpayers: How NFL Stadium Subsidies Waste Money and Fall Short on Their Promises of Economic Development” suggests using public money to finance an NFL facility is a great way to ruin your economy.

The TPA says it’s a “… non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating the public through research, analysis and dissemination of information on the government’s effects on the economy.” It seems to have a bone to pick with the NFL (or at least communities that take money from the public and pour it in to football stadiums).

According to the TPA, since 1995 29 of the 31 current NFL stadiums received public money for either construction, renovation or both (the two exceptions being Miami, where Stephen Ross is spending $400 million of his own money to update Sun Life Stadium, and New Jersey, where MetLife Stadium’s entire $1.6 billion construction was privately financed). The TPA says the total price tag for the taxpayers on those 29 stadiums runs $7 billion.

The TPA looked at two main things when determining whether or not public stadium dollars have a positive or negative impact on taxpayers: median household income and poverty rates. Specifically, how are those elements different now than they were in 1995? Here’s what they found.

In 14 communities both the median household income dropped and poverty rates increased: Arizona (new stadium), Chicago (renovation), Cincinnati (new stadium), Cleveland (new stadium), Dallas (new stadium), Detroit (new stadium), Green Bay (renovation), Indianapolis (new stadium), Jacksonville (renovation although another round of upgrades is scheduled to be finished for this season), Kansas City (renovation), Philadelphia (new stadium), Pittsburgh (new stadium), Tampa Bay (new stadium) and Tennessee (new stadium).

In seven communities one factor improved while the other got worse: Denver (new stadium), Houston (new stadium), New England (new stadium), Oakland (renovation), Seattle (new stadium), St. Louis (new stadium) and Washington (new stadium).

In four communities both factors improved: Atlanta (renovation of the Georgia Dome, NOT construction of their new stadium), Baltimore (new stadium), New Orleans (renovation) and San Diego (since renovations to Qualcomm Stadium the poverty rate dropped 0.2% and median income rose $4389).

Data is not yet in for Buffalo (renovation), Carolina (renovation), Minnesota (new stadium) or San Francisco (new stadium that’s actually in Santa Clara).

The report, which you can read in its entirety here, also ranked the communities that seem to be hit hardest after pouring millions in to a stadium. According to the study, in the 12 areas in which taxpayers funded more than half the cost of a new stadium between 1995 and 2013 the percentage of the total population living in poverty rose from 16 percent to 18.7 percent. That’s a 26.3 percent greater increase in poverty over other areas that are home to NFL stadiums, and an increase of more than 231 percent the national average, which rose from 13.8 to 14.5 percent during that time.

But it’s not just new stadiums that the TPA says are having a negative impact on fans. Tops on the list of both the highest change in poverty rate and biggest drop in household income is Green Bay, WI. The Packers poured nearly $300 million in to renovating Lambeau Field with more than half coming from public funds in the form on a half-percent sales tax. The TPA claims that 0.5% sales tax contributed to the financial burden of Green Bay’s taxpayers.

While the timing is certainly interesting there are likely other factors at work that the TPA does not take in to consideration. But their research is certainly worth considering when looking at whether or not to use public money to fund a new sports facility. It's something Mayor Kevin Faulconer might take in to consideration when dealing with the Chargers (or Jaguars or Raiders or Rams or MLS or insert name of potential tenant in a new facility here).

School activists are calling for the resignation of the San Diego Unified School Board president after she held a private fundraiser to send two of her kids back to college.

On Tuesday, Marne Foster apologized for a "mistake of the heart" made July 25 when she hosted a “Brothers 2 College Benefit” event at the Neighborhood House Association Headquarters - a nonprofit with a district contract that Foster voted on for the past two years.

An attendee said guests included contractors with financial dealings with the district and employees who may seek favors in return, as first reported by our media partner the Voice of San Diego.

Sally Smith, an active watchdog within the community, said she first found out about the fundraiser on the district's website. A Facebook post advertised the event and told people donations would be tax deductible, even though that is not the case.

"Trustee Marne Foster should resign as president of the San Diego Unified School District. She has shown poor judgement,” said Smith.

Foster and her son's sold raffle tickets for donated prizes, with proceeds running through a friend's nonprofit.

According to the California Attorney General's office, the nonprofit failed to register with them prior to holding the raffle as required by law.

Critics said by using her position and political clout to bring in money for her own children, Foster violated the public's trust.

"I have lost all faith in her,” said Gloria Tran, an activist and the parent of an SDUSD student. “You cannot mistake being a mama bear, or a mistake of the heart, with your job as an elected official."

Foster has apologized, saying " Although it may sound naïve, it never occurred to me that 'Marne the Mom', by supporting an effort to help my sons go to college, was stepping into territory occupied by 'Marne the Elected Official.’” She said she takes full responsibility for her mistakes.

Foster pledged to return all donations contributed by anyone who works for or does business with the district. She has made a list of all contributions and their donors public in the interests of transparency.

The SDUSD president added that she broke no laws by holding the fundraiser, but she will return the money out of openness and transparency.
 

Parents nationwide are being encouraged to check their car seats to ensure they are not among millions recalled last year.

Last year, more than six million car seats were recalled for a safety defect, the largest car seat recall in U.S. history. But experts with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say less than half of the recalled seats were repaired.

Experts convened in Washington, D.C., on Thursday as part of National Child Passenger Safety Week to raise awareness of the car seat concerns.

A new study shows 80 percent of parents think car seat registration cards are important, but only 42 percent return the card, according to the NHTSA.

Here’s what experts recommend you do to ensure your car seats are safe:

• Register your car seat: Go to this website. You’ll need the model number and date of manufacture found on the label of your car seat. Or fill out the registration card that came with the car seat and mail it in.
• Find out if your car seat has been recalled: Visit the NHTSA’s website, and enter your seat’s brand name and model.

Authorities have launched a death investigation after four bodies and "other remains" were discovered Wednesday evening inside a Chicago suburban home believed to be an off-the-books mortuary service. One family's attorney said they have spent years trying to retrieve their loved ones' remains. 

At about 7:30 p.m., Illinois State Police crime scene investigators were called to a residence 13900 block of South Dearborn Street at the request of the Riverdale Police Department.

Illinois State Police said four bodies were found inside a garage at the home, while a spokesperson for the Cook County medical examiner said "other remains" were also located. The genders and ages of the bodies were not immediately known.

The bodies and remains were ordered to the medical examiner's office for examination and autopsies, officials said.

State police said Anton Godfrey had been storing bodies and human remains at their home as part of a mortuary service he was running out of his home. However, police said Godfrey died on August 29th.

Police said Godfrey had been the subject of multiple court orders to cease and desist running the in-home mortuary that was known as Living Waters.

NBC5 Investigates learned just two years ago, regulators with the state’s Department of Financial and Professional Regulation found that Godfrey – doing business as “Living Waters Funeral Services” at an address on the 8100 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue – made funeral or cremation arrangements for 25 different decedents in a three-year period between 2009 and 2012 despite never having a license as a funeral director or embalmer.

The state ordered Godfrey to pay a $10,000 fine in that case. A department spokesman said Thursday that Godfrey never did pay the money.

NBC5 Investigates also found that Godfrey may have even mishandled the body of one of his own relatives. According to a state filing, Godfrey handled the cremation arrangements for a relative who died in 2012, and took possession of the body in March of 2012. However, the state said the body was not disposed of until six months later when the family finally got a licensed funeral director “to intervene and finalize the disposition of the body.”

The family of Pompey Hicks, who died nearly four years ago, filed a lawsuit last week against Living Waters, having not received remains from the off-the-books mortuary service.

The attorney for the family told NBC5 Investigates: “We don’t know if Mr. Hicks body or body parts had been found but I think this will assist us in the case.”

“The hicks had struggled with this for some time the fact that they’re loved ones remains had not been returned,” the attorney added.

One tombstones found on the property for a man named Anthony Bernard whose murder went unsolved brought up bad memories for his brother Michael.

"It's so sad cause we still don't know what happened to him and to bring this up, it's so sad," Michael said. "They should have been professional, not stuff scattered here and there."

US News &World Report has ranked the undergraduate entrepreneurial program at San Diego State University’s College of Business eighth in the nation for public US universities.

The publication rated the school as part of their annual Best Colleges Ranking for 2016.

They also listed the school 21st among all universities in the US.

SDSU just received a $5.1 million donation to expand entrepreneurial programs, including the Zahn Innovation Center, a campus-wide hub for entrepreneurial collaboration. It contains a lab and creativity lounge for students and faculty to help turn ideas into companies.

The school is also listed on FORBES top 25 Most Entrepreneurial Universities in the US.

MIT, USC, and UC Berkeley also made the US News &World Report list. 

Schools without air conditioning in National City will move to a shortened schedule Friday as temperatures threaten to creep into the 90s with high humidity.

The National School District, concerned with student safety, announced a minimum day schedule will be put into place for four schools.

Students will be released from Kimball and Olivewood schools at 1:25 p.m., while Las Palmas and John Otis will get out at 1 p.m.

For hours when students will be in those hot classrooms, the district says its schools will encourage staff and students to drink plenty of water, will keep lunches in backpacks stored inside classrooms and will keep children from playing on metal equipment if they are allowed outside.

All outdoor activities will be limited, and PE classes have been canceled.

All other schools in the district have air conditioning, so they will continue on their normal schedules.

San Diego County's recent heat wave has broken records this week, creating a dilemma for all schools without AC. On Thursday, Coronado Middle School was released early as the high temperatures became unbearable.

A heat advisory, issued Wednesday, is set to expire at 6 p.m. Thursday.

San Diego’s heat wave is forcing residents to crank up their air conditioning, but San Diego Gas & Electric is hoping to entice residents to think twice and instead save some money on their utility bill.

To help reduce electricity use, SDG&E is offering “Reduce Your Use” rewards for the third day in a row Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

If you want to participate, the utility will look at your electricity use over the last five days and average the three highest-use days.

Saving less than that average Friday could earn you a bill credit of $0.75 per kilowatt hour saved, or a $1.25 credit per kilowatt hour saved with enabling technology, according to SDG&E.

Click here to sign up for the program.

SDG&E offered some tips on how to cut down electric use on hot days:

• Use a ceiling or portable fan instead of A/C
• Raise your central thermostat four to six degrees if your health permits it
• Unplug chargers and power strips
• Run major appliances before 11 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
• Turn off your pool pump between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The utility added that it does have enough electricity to meet the excess demand, but the Reduce Your Use program reduces strain on the county’s electric grid.
 

There’s a new kid on the block in the busy downtown San Diego food scene: a restaurant and bar on 5th Avenue that boasts a rooftop space for mixing and mingling.

Rustic Root Rooftop and Restaurant – located at 535 5th Ave. in the Gaslamp Quarter – opened to the public in July, with finishing touches to the new business’ unique design completed last month.

The multi-level eatery includes a 2,500-square-foot rooftop space that serves food and has its own dedicated bar, plus quirky décor such as life-size animal topiary bushes.

Over in the main dining area on the lower floor, patrons will find features like a life-sized Sudoku wall and street-style lamps. The restaurant also includes a 500-square-foot downstairs patio that opens to the main dining room.

As for the menu, it features American cuisine with a focus on locally-sourced meats, produce and seafood, as well as housemade ingredients.

Noteworthy staples include the Duroc Double-Cut Prk Chop with apple rhubarb chutney; Furikake Crusted Hamachi; Elk Chops and Rustic Root Fried Chicken (RFC) served with habanero honey mustard – already a fan favorite among diners.

Appetizers include Firecracker Shrimp with Sriracha aioli and spicy sweet mango drizzle espelette and free-range Deviled Eggs with a classic filling and Thai chili.

Meanwhile, the bar mixes up a range of craft cocktails created by consulting mixologist Garth Flood, also of Cowboy Star.

The menu includes playful spins on timeless classics named after the year each cocktail was created, including the “1830: America’s Original Cocktail” – absinthe rinse, Rittenhouse rye, simple syrup, Peychaud’s Bitters and orange rind – and the “1902: Hemmingway Made it Famous,” which combines Bacardi White Rum with lime juice, simple syrup and a lime wheel.

The bar menu also includes Craft Cocktail Shots, sip-sized versions of classics such as the Manhattan, Margarita, Gimlet and Old-Fashioned with fancy garnishes.

Rustic Root is open Monday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. and offers brunch Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Happy Hour is from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and includes $2 off cocktails. For reservations and more info, visit the restaurant’s website.
 

Newly-released images show more than 20 bombs in the booby-trapped apartment of Aurora theater shooter James Holmes, who was sentenced last month to life behind bars.

The convicted killer used soda bottles and wires to rig his apartment with home-made explosives and incendiaries that had to be made safe by experts with the help of a robot.

Buildings surrounding his suburban Denver apartment had to be evacuated in the hours after the July 21, 2012, shootings in which he opened fire during a midnight screening of Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises," killing 12 people.

Holmes, 27, was formally sentenced on Aug. 27 to one life term in jail for each victim, plus 3,318 years for the attempted murder of dozens of others. He was convicted after the trial judge rejected his insanity plea.

Holmes grew up in Rancho Penasquitos and attended Westview High School.

Temperatures soared into the triple digits today and some students had little relief from the heat inside classrooms with no air conditioning.

In one classroom at McKinley Elementary School, students endured 98 degree temperatures with only fans to keep them cool.

Madeline Ohman, a 5th grader at McKinley Elementary, said the person sitting next to her has asthma and kept taking out her inhaler.

“It was really stressful,” she said.

Temperatures are not expected to come down until the end of this week. A heat advisory is in place until Thursday 6 p.m.

San Diego Unified School District says it’s planning to upgrade or install air conditioning inside two thousand classrooms, including those at McKinley Elementary.

"We absolutely understand families' concerns with the warm weather this week and how it can impact conditions at schools while we work to complete the planned A/C upgrades this fall and all of the planned whole-site modernizations,” the district said in a statement.

There isn’t a clear date for when the plan will be implemented.

Madeline’s mother said this weather is just too much for her children, especially without any air conditioning inside classrooms. She’s opting to keep her kids out of school tomorrow, when temperatures will reach the high 90s.

Madeline said she loves school but when it’s hot, it’s just too much.

San Diego Unified and most other major school districts will have normal schedules Thursday but Coronado Unified will let students leave early.

In the San Diego Unified School District, 68 schools have AC in all instructional rooms, according to a district official.

The rest of the district is made up of 118 schools with air conditioning in 50 to 99 percent of the instructional rooms. Forty-seven schools have AC in less than half of the instructional rooms and 37 schools have no air-conditioned classrooms that are used for instruction, according to the district.
 

Another round of merchants has just been announced for San Diego’s new, large-scale public marketplace set to open next month at Liberty Station.

From seafood and empanadas to pastries and tea, the newest vendors added to the lineup at Liberty Public Market will offer unique, locally-sourced goods in the space slated to open in October.

The 22,000-square-foot venue – a historic, warehouse-style building originally built as the Naval Training Center’s commissary in 1921 – has the capacity to house more than 30 purveyors. The first 10 merchants were revealed in July.

Eight more were added to the Liberty Public Market roster Thursday including: Le Parfait Paris; FishBone Kitchen; Desert Smoke; Parana Empanadas; Pasta Design; Stuffed; Point Loma Tea; and Local Greens.

Some of the small, local vendors are well-known favorites at farmers markets and roving food trucks. Some are entirely new concepts debuting for the first time at the marketplace. For most, this will be their first-ever brick-and-mortar establishment after building a fan base around town.

So, what’s on the shopping list with these new vendors in place?

Marketplace organizers say Le Parfait Paris, a French patisserie and boulangerie, will offer authentic French baguettes, pastries, gluten-free baked goods and seasonally-inspired macaroons churned out by Pastry Chef Jean-François Fays.

FishBone Kitchen will offer a variety of fresh, sustainable, local seafood as well as prepared foods for take-out and dine-in, while Desert Smoke will specialize in a dozen different varieties of specialty BBQ sauces -- from Pineapple Habanero to a Ghost Chile Hot Sauce.

Authentic Argentinian eatery Parana Empanadas will sell the savory South American pastry in nearly 15 different flavors paired with four distinct sauces, all made in-house.

Pasta Design, with three generations of pasta-making experience, will cure those carb cravings with an array of homemade raviolis, fettuccines, sauces and lasagna made with locally-sourced ingredients, natural spices, the finest flours and, most importantly, time-honored techniques. This merchant is a favorite of North County farmers markets and this location at Liberty Public Market will be the business’ first brick-and-mortar space.

Meanwhile, San Diego food truck Stuffed will bring its organic, grass-fed burgers stuffed with gourmet cheeses to the marketplace. The half-pound burgers are typically filled with blue cheese, pepper jack, American or cheddar. Stuffed also serves a mean mac ‘n’ cheese, tater tots and fried Oreos.

Point Loma Tea will sell an array of whole leaf teas, blends and tea accessories from around the world, while Solana Beach-based Local Greens plans to serve healthy, satisfying salads, wraps, bowls and burritos created with seasonal, sustainable, organic ingredients from local farms.

These latest artisans added to the market’s lineup join these other previously announced merchants: Liberty Meat Shop; The WestBean Coffee Roasters; Fully Loaded Micro Juicery; Venissimo Cheese; Pho Realz; Wicked Maine Lobster; MooTime Creamery; Mastiff Sausage Company; Cane Patch Pies; and Cecilia’s Taqueria.

Liberty Public Market organizers say more merchants are still to come, and the final roster of vendors will be announced before the marketplace’s fall opening. Details on each merchant, including hours of operation, can be found here.

The marketplace – a $3 million collaboration between operating group Blue Bridge Hospitality and developer The McMillin Companies – will be located adjacent to Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens at 2816 Historic Decatur Rd.

It aims to be reminiscent of public markets in other cities, such as Napa’s Oxbow Public Market or Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market.

Organizers say the venue will feature a daily farmers market with year-round fresh produce sourced from regional farms, plus merchants offering locally-procured seafood, old-fashioned butcher services, homemade tortillas, artisanal breads and pastries, fine wine, locally-roasted coffee, specialty handcrafted goods and more.

The market will also boast quick-service counters, allowing patrons to grab a bite on site, too.
David Spatafore, of Blue Bridge Hospitality, is helping to spearhead the project. In the past, he’s helped develop Coronado restaurant concepts such as Leroy’s Kitchen + Lounge and Stake Chophouse + Bar.

Alongside the merchants, Liberty Public Market will also feature a shop dubbed Liberty Public Market Pantry, an oversized space within the marketplace that will showcase products from other San Diego artisans including makers of jams, sauces, spices and oils.

The marketplace will also host weekly interactive demonstration, classes and events, giving local merchants a change to engage with costumers and patrons an opportunity to meet the artisans behind their favorite goods.

As the sun gets ready to set in San Diego, some communities felt the sprinkle of some showers.

Moisture associated with Hurricane Linda was moving from the southeast corner of the county in a northwest pattern, creating rain and thunderstorms in the coastal areas of San Diego Thursday afternoon.

Some of those storms could produce heavy rain, lighting, strong winds and even large hail.

The cloud cover lowered temperatures as of 11 a.m. but the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory through Thursday evening.

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Wednesday marked the hottest day of the summer for San Diego, with temperatures at Lindbergh Field reaching 92 degrees. Granite Hills High School in El Cajon canceled all after-school practices and activities due to the extreme heat.

Residents should seek cool zones, wear light or loosefitting clothes and drink plenty of water to avoid heat related illnesses. Seek medical attention if you start to feel nauseated or dizzy. Heat stroke can come on unexpectedly and can be fatal.

Click here to find a cool zone near you.

A flash flood watch was issued for San Diego mountains. Never attempt to drive through moving water. In the presence of thunder and lightning, head indoors.

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Friday begins a slight cool down which will be more significant relief next week.
 

Police are investigating a strange shooting in which gunshots were fired at parked cars in a neighborhood in La Mesa.

Just after 10 p.m. Wednesday, the La Mesa Police Department (LMPD) received several 911 calls reporting shots fired in the 4400 block of Parks Avenue. When officers arrived, they discovered three parked cars had been damaged by shots in the area of 4401 to 4405 Parks Ave. – just one block away from La Mesa Dale Elementary School.

Among the damage, bullets struck the hood and side of a Toyota Prius and two bullets hit a Ford F-150 pickup truck. Another bullet took out the tail light of a Toyota Camry.

The owner of the Camry told NBC 7 she heard the gunshots as she came home from a night class. She said she was grateful she wasn’t injured in the shooting.

The owner of the F-150, Josh Lopez, told NBC 7 he also heard the gunfire and was very scared. He said shootings never happen in his neighborhood, so the incident was a surprise to him. Lopez said one of the bullets got lodged in the door of his truck.

Meanwhile, the owner of the Prius said he had just bought the car a week ago from a local dealership and was upset about the damage done to his new car.

He told NBC 7 he has lived in the area for eight years and always felt safe, but after this shooting, he feels as if he needs to be careful.

No one was injured in the shooting and police were not able to immediately track down the suspect or suspects in the incident, so no arrests were made. Police said, at this time, there is no description of a suspect. The motive remains unknown.

Police shut down traffic on Parks Avenue between Sturgis and Normal avenues following the shooting while investigators gathered evidence. The street has since reopened.

Residents, including Dave Lopez, said they were shocked by the gunfire.

“That’s kind of strange. I mean, I’ve lived here about six years and I’ve never heard any gunshots,” said Lopez. “But I wouldn’t be surprised in this area. It’s kind of that way.”

Neighbors say they are concerned and don’t want something like this to happen again.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information should contact the LMPD at (619) 667-1400 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.