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Chargers Lose Game, Season

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In a game the Chargers absolutely had to have, against a Bears team that is among the worst in the NFL, the Chargers looked like they belong right there with them at the bottom of pro football's food chain.

The Bolts gave up another late TD drive, this time to Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler, who hit tight end Zach Miller with a rifle shot for a 25-yard score with 3:19 to play that gave Chicago a 22-19 win at Qualcomm Stadium.

The Chargers opened the game on a high note. They took the opening drive right down the field and scored when Rivers hit running back Danny Woodhead for a 14-yard touchdown. But after that all the Bolts offense could muster was two Josh Lambo field goals.

Their other score came when defensive back Jason Verrett intercepted a Cutler pass and ran it back 68 yards for a touchdown. The first score of Verrett's NFL career put the Chargers on top 13-0 (the point after try was blocked). Verrett was having a wonderful night until the next drive when he sustained a groin injury.

With him out the Bears offense found its footing. Cutler finished the night with 345 yards and two scores and the Bolts could not answer.

San Diego falls to 2-7. It's the team's longest losing streak since they dropped 6 straight in 2011.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Man Dies in Rollover Crash on SR-76

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A young man died Monday in a rollover crash along State Route 76 between the Pauma and Pala casinos, California Highway Patrol officers said.

There were three people in the Toyota Corolla that crashed into a ravine just after midnight.

The man who died was ejected from a passenger seat, according to CHP officials.

His body was found in the middle of the road, officers said.

He has been identified only as a 22-year-old man.

The driver and another passenger were taken to Palomar Hospital with moderate injuries.

SR-76 was closed for approximately an hour.

Officers say alcohol and speed may have played a role in the crash. 

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Searching for Missing People in San Diego

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This year alone in the city of San Diego, nearly 1,000 adults have been reported missing.

“There is misconception that someone has to be missing a certain amount of time before they could be reported missing, and that's not true,” Lt. Paul Rorrison with the San Diego Police Department said. He leads their Missing Persons Unit and has been with the department for 28 years.

The good news, he said, is most of the people reported missing in San Diego this year have been found. According to Rorrison, it's important to report a missing person to law enforcement right away.

“You know with technology these days, with DNA and those types of things, we never give up; there's always hope,” he said.

The SDPD relies heavily on the public for their help and any tip - big or small – might help reunite a family with their missing loved one.

“You have to think about it, if it were your family member, what would you want someone to do?” Rorrison said. 

NBC 7 Investigates has launched “Searching for San Diegans.” It’s a searchable database where you can see who is missing and learn details about who each person is.

To search our database of all adults and children missing in San Diego County, click here.

Here are just a few stories NBC 7 Investigates has been tracking.

Cloudia Leslie Wells, 61

Cloudia Leslie Wells was last seen April 10, 1998 at a YWCA shelter in San Diego.

According to her daughter, Wells battles mental health issues and a heart condition. She may be using the names Diane, Diana, Cloudia, Claudia, Leslie, Sarah, Linda.

She is approximately five feet to 5’2″ tall, weighing 145 – 155 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.

Her daughter, Robin Burton live in Illinois. Earlier this year, Burton made a trip to Southern California to search for her mother at area homeless shelters. Click here to see the story from our Los Angeles NBC station.

Burton told NBC 7 Investigates, “My love for my mom is unconditional. No one can take away a bond that a mother and daughter have for one another. I just need the public to help be my eyes.”
Burton has also started a Facebook page to bring awareness to her mother’s case and to help others.


Marlane Koue, 54

Marlane Koue was last seen at Pizza Port in Carlsbad around 6:15 p.m. on Oct. 1, 2012.
Police said the Oceanside woman was in the midst of divorcing her estranged husband when she suddenly disappeared.

He was never arrested in Koue's disappearance, but is currently in jail in Mexico for an unrelated crime. Koue is still missing.

Click here to see the original story.

Liz Sullivan, 32

Liz Sullivan, a mother of two, was last seen around 10 p.m. on Oct. 13, 2014, near her home in the Liberty Station area.

Her father, Edward Ricks, traveled from his home in Virginia after his daughter's disappearance last year hoping to find her.

He said, “I feel like she's in trouble. It can happen to you, and when it does it gets very personal and it takes on a whole new light when it happens to you.”

Click here to see the original story.
 


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Firefighters Plead Guilty to Misdemeanor Battery

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Three San Diego firefighters who got into an off-duty fight outside a Normal Heights bar three years ago pleaded guilty Monday.

Gregory Econie, Andrew Brennen and Vadid Cisneros entered pleas to misdemeanor battery. They were sentenced to six months in jail, with credit for time served. They will also have three years of probation and 100 hours of volunteer work.

The firefighters originally faced felony assault, battery and robbery charge in connection with the run-in with two brothers in February 2012.

Their main accuser, Louis Martinez, claimed at the time the firefighters jumped him, knocked him unconscious and stole his wallet and cellphone.

The firefighters originally pleaded not guilty, claiming the fight escalated and they were just defending themselves.

The case was thrown out after a preliminary hearing in 2012 and charges were later refiled in 2013, but due to unrelated circumstances, Martinez died in 2014.

Without their main accuser the prosecution and defense were unable to agree on a plea, so the judge sent the case to trial.

All three firefighters have been on the job since the incident, and it's not known yet if Monday's developments will change that.



Photo Credit: NBC7

SDPD Seeks to Expand Officer Body Cams

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 The San Diego Police Department is looking to expand its use of officer body cameras to patrol sergeants and future recruits.

It's a move that's raising further questions about their deployment and public access to what's recorded.

San Diego is the nation's largest city to provide all of its police patrol commands with body cameras.

Early studies indicate they've improved relations between officers and the public.

But citizen activists and lawmakers complain that department leaders are still resisting calls for transparency.

"And they are basically opposed to any kind of policy that they themselves don't write,” says Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-79th District).

“So as a result,” Weber added in an interview Monday, “they are not going to have the level of transparency that the public wants. And that's going to be an ongoing challenge."

But there's no turning back from law enforcement's buy-in to body cameras.

At SDPD, officials are asking City Hall to approve a two-year contract extension with Taser International Inc. -- from five to seven years, budgeting another $1.9 million for a total of nearly $6 million if all annual options are exercised.

The deal would include not just cameras but related hardware, docking/charging stations, evidence management software, licenses and storage.

As for transparency, SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman says recordings are accessible to defense attorneys and independent community review board members.

“To the entities that have it, I think it's a misconception for people to say that we don't let anyone see the video, that's just not accurate,” she told NBC 7. “There are many entities that see the video."

But to critics, that doesn’t go far enough.

Says Liam Dillon, who’s covered the issue for NBC 7’s media partner Voice of San Diego: "Her perspective is that 'evidence is evidence is evidence' and nothing can get out beyond the very strict structure that she has in place to allow certain groups of people -- and only certain groups of people to view it."

The body-cam contract extension will be reviewed Thursday by the City Council's Public Safety and Livable Neighborhood's Committee.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

One Person Killed in Police Shooting on S.C. College Campus

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A police shooting on the campus of Spartanburg Methodist College in northwest South Carolina has left one person killed and another injured, NBC News reported.

Authorities said that second person is in police custody following the shooting.

A campus police officer came across two people while investigating a report of a car break-in, Thom Berry, a spokesman for the State Law Enforcement Division, told NBC station WYFF of Greenville.

The car took off, striking the officer. One person in the car was killed, while the other was in police custody, Berry said.



Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Mother Faces Eviction After Son Arrested in Drug Bust

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An East County man has been charged with manufacturing hash oil inside a mobile home, and now his mother is being evicted for his alleged actions.

At a 2 a.m. drug bust on Aug. 30, San Diego County Sheriff’s officials say deputies found more than 100 bottles of butane, as well as hash oil, inside an El Cajon home at Rancho Laguna Estates.

The suspect, 22-year-old Michael Kenney, had enough combustible material to engulf the sprawling mobile home park with flames in minutes, according to the property manager’s lawyer.

Soon enough, a full Hazmat team was called in to deal with the chemicals, and Kenney was charged with manufacturing a controlled substance, possession of marijuana for sale and possession of concentrated cannabis.

The property owner wants to be known as a landlord who aggressively fights crime, and his attorney said someone must be held accountable for what could have been a very dangerous, if not deadly, situation.

So the landlord decided to evict Kenney’s mother, who owns the mobile home where the illicit items were discovered. Because she gave the keys to her son, she is responsible for his actions, according to the attorney.

Not everyone agrees. Jeremy Arnold, a resident of Rancho Laguna Estates, said if the mother did not know about her son’s actions, she should not be punished. “I just think that's an awful harsh situation,” he said.

Friends of the mother have sent character reference letters to the property manager’s attorney, calling the woman “a person with very good moral character and integrity.” The letters suggest she had left the state to care for her ailing father.

But the property owner said he’s determined to get rid of tenants even remotely connected to illegal activity.

Though the owner’s attorney said they are getting little information about this case from the sheriff’s department, they will work to serve that eviction notice to the mother.
 

Pilot Coming in for Landing Reports Laser Strike

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A pilot coming in for a landing at Lindbergh Field reported seeing a laser near the flight path Monday night.

As United Flight 691 was on its final approach, the pilot saw the laser at 8:15 p.m., according to airport spokesman Jonathan Heller.

The plane landed safely, and no injuries were reported.

The apparent laser strike came from 32nd Street near Naval Base San Diego, San Diego police say, quoting a Harbor police radio advisory.

Harbor police officials are deferring all questions to the airport.

Check back here for more on this developing story.


Suspect Drives Truck Straight Through Shop's Fence

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A suspect drove a stolen truck straight through a tire shop’s fence in Santee Saturday morning.

“Very brazen. 7 o’clock in the morning, traffic going by. It amazes me, those thieves. They just don’t get it,” owner Wayne Miller told NBC7 Monday.

The man hopped the fence of the tire shop Saturday morning, got into a service truck, stole eight used tires, then plowed through the fence and drove off apparently unaware he was being captured on surveillance video. His shop has more than a dozen cameras and motion sensors.

“Friends called me from the swap meet down the street telling me ‘hey your fence is blown out and I just saw your truck drive by.’ It’s like wow, I can’t believe it,” Miller said.

In 25 years this is the first time his business has had any problems but he said despite this one incident his business will move forward.

“We’re here to stay; we're not going anywhere…This guy’s not going to discourage us. Like I said just turn the page and go on,” Miller added.

Sheriff’s deputies say the suspect is a man between the ages of 18 and 30 seen wearing a dark hoodie and khaki pants with short black hair in the video.

The service truck stolen is a 2003 white Dodge Ram 3500, California license plate 6u86962.

The investigation is ongoing.
 



Photo Credit: Wayne Miller

Target to Open on Thanksgiving for Black Friday Shoppers

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Shoppers hungry for Black Friday deals will now have more retailers to choose from this year. 

Target announced it will open its doors on Thanksgiving.

The company is one of a handful of big box retailers that hope to cash in on eager consumers looking to take advantage of deep discounts instead of a turkey dinner.

Target’s doors will open at 6 p.m. on Nov. 26, following other big names like Macy’s and Sears. Toys R Us will lead the pack by opening its doors to shoppers at 5 p.m.

Wal-Mart and Kohl’s, which were both open on Thanksgiving last year, have yet to announce their store hours.

While some are hoping their early shopping hours will boost sales, other retailers are giving employees a chance to stay away from the crowds by letting them stay home.

Clothing retailer H&M, which has opened on Thanksgiving in the past, said it will remain closed this year.

“H&M is announcing that U.S. stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day to give store employees the opportunity to spend the holiday with friends and family,” a company press release said Monday.

REI said it will skip Black Friday entirely. According to its website, “the outdoors, and the website are always open.”



Photo Credit: AP Images for Target
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Rubio, Bush Appear to Court Scott Walker

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Sen. Marco Rubio and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush appear to be vying for support from a Republican presidential candidate, NBC News reported.

Rubio hasn’t asked for an endorsement, but a campaign aide told NBC News they’d love his support. The New York Times reported Bush would “love” to have Walker’s support. Support from Walker would mean major donors and staffers in early states for either candidate.

Walker has kept a low profile since dropping out of the GOP primary race, due in part to low poll numbers, average debate performances and a lack of fundraising.



Photo Credit: AP

Holiday Wonderland Expanded This Year

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Organizers at Petco Park are planning an expanded Holiday Wonderland this December.

Initiated in 2014, the Wonderland opens December 4 and continues until Christmas.

According to organizers there will be more walk-through lighting vignettes and more activities for kids.

This year a carousel, a sledding hill even larger than last year’s and a 40’ tree will illuminate the playing field.

A snow play zone will be located in Park at the Park complete with inflatable decorations and holiday games.

Other new additions to the festivities include a Ferris wheel and even more holiday characters with designated performance times. Once again this year, guests can ride a Polar Express train for $5.

guests can now trek to the North Pole located in the Western Metal Supply Co. Building to pet live reindeer, look around Santa’s workshop, meet his elves and talk to the man himself.

Photos with Santa are $25 and include a Padres themed Elf on the Shelf ornament.

With two points of entry and expanded space organizers hope avoid the long lines caused by the overwhelming demand in its inaugural year.

Tickets are available now – prices will go up on November 23. Adult admission starts at $15 and children are $10.
 

Rikers Officers Protest New Rules

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The Rikers Island correction officer slashed in the face in a vicious, unprovoked attack by two teenage inmates last week gave a heated, emotional speech at a rally protesting new departmental standards on the treatment of adolescent inmates. 

Raymond Calderon was joined by about 200 correction officers at City Hall Monday in what became a raucous and angry rally on the new restrictions at Rikers. 

Describing the attack, the 31-year-old Calderon said, "I was choked from behind and slashed numerous times. I almost passed out. If I was passed out, this would be a funeral." 

Calderon said he was "lucky" that he only got 22 stitches on his face, considering the nature of the assault. Other officers at the rally held graphic photos of other staff injuries.

The officers say they're angy at new restrictions on punitive segregation for adolescent inmates on Rikers and the new use of force guidelines set to take place later this month. Officers will be prevented from striking inmates in the groin, neck, kidneys or spinal column, and prohibited from using high-impact force, including blows to the head and face. The only exception is if a staff member feels he or she is in imminent danger. 

COBA President Norman Seabrook called for the ouster of Mayor de Blasio and Correction Commissioner Joseph Ponte, who have spearheaded the changes. 

"Vote him out of office in 2017," Seabrook said of de Blasio. 

As for Ponte, "Every time we get the oportunity to have a conversation with the commissioner, he acts as though he's doing us a favor. You're not doing us a favor. Your job is to keep us safe the same way we keep the inmates safe," Seabrook said. 

But earlier in the day, de Blasio offered his full support to Ponte and the ongoing plan to reduce violence on Rikers. 

"I believe we're on the right track to reduce the use of force properly, and to get away from things like punitive segregation," he said.

One correction officer at the rally said the administration doesn't understand what the officers are dealing with.

"So I'm getting hurt, why should I have guidelines on where I'm gonna hit a person?" she questioned. "These inmates are jumping. They don't care who it is. You could be the deputy warden coming in, and they have no respect for staff." 

The inmates charged in last week's attack, William Whitfield, 18, and Darnell Green, 19, did not enter pleas at their arraignment Friday in Bronx Criminal Court. They were ordered held on $500,000 bail on assault and other charges stemming from the attack.

An attorney for Whitfield, who was being held at Rikers on an attempted murder charge, said his client was presumed innocent and planned to contest the charges. A lawyer for Green, who is being detained at Rikers in a murder case, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Ponte said last week he was "outraged by this horrific assault." He said he visited the injured officer in the hospital and pledged to support him and his family.

"Attacks against the hardworking men and women who serve in our department are unacceptable and will not be tolerated," Ponte said in a statement.

Exactly what type of sharp object was used in the attack wasn't immediately clear, and officials said investigators are examining how the inmates obtained it. City officials have moved to restrict visitors to Rikers, arguing those visits are an entry point for weapons. But a report earlier this year found that nearly 80 percent of the 2,100 weapons recovered in city jails in 2014 were shivs and shanks made out of materials found inside the jails.

Ponte said DOC has already tightened entrance procedures to keep weapons and contraband out of jails, bolstered security camera coverage and redesigned emergency response teams to get to officers faster when they are in dangerous situations. The DOCs facilities are on lockdown as the agency conducts searches to root out contraband, authorities said.

Ponte said the DOC will also issue a new use-of-force policy that will give officers more guidance when placed in "situations where force may be necessary for the safety and security of staff and inmates."

Seabrook said the DOC shouldn't issue new guidelines without consulting the union.

"We demand action and a seat at the table from the leadership of the department," Seabrook said.

Suspicious Item Delays MIA Flights

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Dozens of flights were delayed at Miami International Airport Monday evening while authorities investigated a suspicious item at a security checkpoint.

A total of 50 flights - 22 arrivals and 28 departures - were affected, airport officials said. Some 500 passengers were believed to be affected by the delays.

Miami-Dade Police responded to investigate the suspicious item and the investigation was later turned over to the FBI.

Officials with the FBI said a passenger who went through security just before 5 p.m. had items in his carry-on bag that looked suspicious. The passenger was located and questioned and his bag was searched, but the items in question were deemed safe, officials said.

The passenger was cooperative and faces no charges, officials said.

Passengers on an American Airlines flight to Barbados said a SWAT team boarded their plane shortly before takeoff and ordered everyone to put their hands on their heads.

One of the passengers on the plane was taken into custody. The FBI hasn't confirmed if it is the same passenger who had his bag searched.

“A passenger on American Airlines flight 2393 from Miami to Barbados was taken into custody by local law enforcement at MIA. We are working closely with law enforcement while ensuring the care of our customers the best we can," the carrier said in a statement. "The plan is to get them to Barbados as soon as possible. For details regarding this incident, please contact the Miami-Dade Police Department.”

Airport officials said everyone was safe but that the incident affected Checkpoint 2, the SkyTrain on Concourse D and some D gates.

The inner loop of the departure and arrival roadways were also closed, airport officials said.

All checkpoints and the roadways were later reopened.

Many of the affected flights were for American Airlines.

"American Airlines is seeing delays to its operation at MIA tonight as a result of a security incident earlier this evening. We encourage our customers flying with us tonight out of MIA to check their flight status," the company said in a statement.

No other information was immediately known.

Check back with NBC 6 for updates.

Safety Experts Release New Booster Seat Ratings

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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released its latest safety ratings for booster seats on Tuesday.

Twenty of the 23 seats earned the highest rating. The IIHS said the seats would provide a good belt fit for children between 4 and 8 years old in any vehicle, including cars, minivans and SUVs.

Booster seats are meant for children who have outgrown traditional harnessed car seats, which is usually at the age of eight. But the organization recommends keeping some children in booster seats until they're 12 years old.

Until then, the IIHS recommends making sure the belt lies "flat across a child's upper thighs, not across the soft abdomen, and the shoulder belt crosses snugly over the middle of a child's shoulder.”

The other three seats would provide an acceptable fit in almost any vehicle, the IIHS said.

Using a booster seat can help lower the risk of injury in crashes by 45 percent, according to the IIHS.



Photo Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

3 Ala. Officers Suspended After Stun Gun Arrest Video

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Three Alabama police officers were suspended with pay Monday after videos shared online showed officers dragging three people out of an apartment, NBC News reported. 

Various versions of the footage showed a Tuscaloosa Police officer fire a stun gun at one of the University of Alabama students while another officer beat him on the back with a baton while he was on the ground.

Tuscaloosa Police Chief Steve Anderson told a press conference Monday he was "deeply disturbed and disappointed by the way officers responded."

Police said they were called to the property because of a complaint about loud music Sunday morning. Three students were arrested in the incident, Anderson said. One is accused of harassment, obstructing justice and resisting arrest, and the other two each accused of obstructing justice and resisting arrest.



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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Meet Student Who Toppled University President

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Hours after his hunger strike forced the resignation of the president of the University of Missouri System, graduate student Jonathan Butler appeared on campus and insisted it wasn't about him.

"Please stop focusing on the fact of the Mizzou hunger strike itself," Butler said Monday. "Look at why did we have to get here in the first place. And why the struggle. And why we had to fight the way that we did."

Butler refused to talk about his health,  which had become a source of growing concern on the university's flagship campus in Columbia, and focused on the unsatisfactory response from the university's administration to racial incidents.

Since arriving on the campus as an undergraduate in 2008, Butler has become increasingly involved in social movements, in Columbia and beyond. 

Last year, he traveled to Ferguson, Missouri, following the shooting of a black man by a white police officer, and was energized by the protests there, he has said. He applied that vigor to his life on campus.



Photo Credit: AP
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6 NJ Schools Closed Over Fire

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Six schools in New Jersey are closed Tuesday as firefighters work to put out a raging blaze that started Monday night at an abandoned building and escalated to seven alarms by the next morning.

Administrators in Paterson said Eastside High School, New Roberto Clemente Middle School, Robert Clemente Elementary School, Public School 15, Public School 11 and Madison Avenue Pre-Kindergarten are all closed as firefighters try to get a handle on the inferno tearing through the abandoned Paterson Armory. 

About 200 firefighters were working to extinguish the fire that started just before 11:30 p.m. on Market Street, according to officials. 

Thermal imaging cameras show the heaviest portions of the blaze are in the building’s basement 20 to 25 feet below ground, said Paterson Fire Chief Michael Postorino.

The flames spread to the roof Tuesday morning and smoke from the blaze settled over the city. Residents who live across the street from the armory have been offered temporary shelter because of the heavy smoke.

Postorino said the fire department was using about 5,000 gallons of water per minute to extinguish the flames.

One firefighter suffered a minor back injury, officials said.

The Paterson Armory was built in 1896, but it hasn't been in use since 1990. 



Photo Credit: NBC 4 New York

Why Missile Test Created a 'Show': Navy

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The missile launch that caused a mysterious light in the sky off the coast of California put on “a show” due to unique atmospheric conditions, according to a Navy official who witnessed the test in the Pacific Ocean.

Sightings of a strange white or bluish light streaking in the night sky were reported from San Diego to the Bay Area around 6 p.m. Saturday. Within hours, U.S. Navy officials confirmed to NBC 7 the unusual lights in the sky were connected to the test firing of a Trident II missile from USS Kentucky well off the coast of the U.S.

“We know in this particular case, because of the atmospheric conditions and the very clear skies that we had on Saturday night, that there was a little bit of a show,” said John Daniels, Public Affairs Officer for the Navy Strategic Systems Program.

Daniels was present at the launch which he described as part of USS Kentucky’s Demonstration and Shakedown Operation (DASO). The testing is done when a new submarine enters the Pacific fleet or after a sub completes its mid-life overhaul.

The launch is similar to ones performed off the coast of Florida and allows the U.S. Navy to certify the crew and make sure the firing system is operating properly.

“We need to be able to go out there and conduct these tests to ensure our weapons systems are ready and our sailors are ready to conduct these missions,” Daniels said.

On Saturday, people along the coast of Southern California and perhaps further inland saw the launch because the test occurred right at the hours of dusk, he added.

“The reflection of the sunlight that was in the upper atmosphere when the first stage rocket separated,” Daniels said, “that’s what caused the bluish, green haze in the air that everyone saw.”

NBC 7 learned another test launch was scheduled to be performed Monday between the hours of noon and 5 p.m. PT. Navy officials said that it occured at approximately 12:20 p.m. 

The Trident II missile has an unclassified range of 4,000-square nautical miles. There were three stage missiles used in the launch. As the mechanical separation of those missiles occurred, metallic particles in the air added to the unique color witnessed by people in San Diego, Daniels said.

The air space is restricted and the water way is closed prior to the test launch.

“It definitely is not going to impact a land area,” Daniels said.



Photo Credit: DASO 26

SeaWorld to Phase Out Killer Whale Shows

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SeaWorld San Diego will phase out its iconic killer whale show as early as next year and replace it with a conservation-based show, SeaWorld Entertainment's CEO announced during the company's investors meeting Monday. 

The killer whale show featuring Shamu has been part of the park's identity for decades. SeaWorld Entertainment CEO Joel Manby said at Monday's meeting the show will be phased out as part of a shift in focus to promote conservation as part of the company's brand. 

"Now, we've been doing a lot of this quietly, ourselves, but we're making it a part of our brand going forward," Manby said. 

Instead of the killer whale show as it exists now, Manby said SeaWorld San Diego will launch a new orca experience in a natural setting, focusing on the behavior of whales in the wild. The shows will continue at parks in Orlando, Florida, and San Antonio, Texas. 

PETA Foundation Director of Animal Law Jared Goodman said in a statement to NBC7 that despite these proposed changes, no change will be enough to satisfy the animals' needs.

"An end to SeaWorld's tawdry circus-style shows is inevitable and necessary, but it's captivity that denies these far-ranging orcas everything that is natural and important to them," Goodman said.

In addition to transitioning their iconic show, the SeaWorld Entertainment CEO announced a number of new changes aimed at making the parks more cause-based. 

"We'll also design new ways to encounter our animals, not in shows, but in natural environments that will inspire the next generation of our guests," he said.

Manby said he envisions a hands-on experience that will inspire people and teach them about the animals.

"The show will have a strong conservation message, and that means 2016 will be the last year of the theatrical killer whale experience called 'One Ocean' that right now is in San Diego," Manby said. 

Manby outlined the park's plan for "different formats of storytelling," ranging from new rides to virtual presentations of far-away places. One new experience for guests will arrive in 2016, when SeaWorld brings the world of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to life across all parks.

Going forward, park employees — now called ambassadors — will be paid to spend time engaging with guests as part of the park's push to connect with the community and build conversation into its brand. Manby said engagement days will be spent supporting rescues, educations and preservation.

Employees' name tags will now not only identify workers, but will also list animal causes they support, according to Manby.

Additionally, SeaWorld will partner with Evans Hotels as they begin to explore the idea of putting a hotel in some of their parking lot space and the surrounding areas, just off San Diego's Mission Bay. 

At Monday's meeting, SeaWorld Entertainment reported its earnings and park income climbed in the three months leading up to September, even though attendance fell slightly.

More than 22 million people visited parks around the country. According to Manby, 32 percent of SeaWorld guests are millennials and half are families, numbers he would like to increase.

SeaWorld San Diego will also become the testing park for new pricing changes the company is trying out in an effort to streamline the ticketing process. 

The company still faces challenges.

A California congressman introduced a bill to ban the breeding, capture and import of Orca whales for public display.

"The fact still remains that as long as SeaWorld holds orcas in captivity, the physical and psychological problems associated with their captivity will persist," Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff told The Associated Press after SeaWorld's announcement.

The California Coastal Commission, meanwhile, has required that SeaWorld ban breeding in captivity if it wanted to build a new killer whale enclosure. The ban would only apply to California properties.

SeaWorld has come under fire since the release of the 2013 documentary "Blackfish," which suggests the park's treatment of captive orcas provokes violent behavior. Since the release, the company has struggled with falling stock prices and park attendance numbers. In the past, the park has blamed a drop in attendance on its struggle to restore its image. 

An online PETA petition with nearly 100,000 signatures is asking Dubai officials not to allow SeaWorld to open in the city. 



Photo Credit: AP/File
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