Suzy Lee Weiss, the browbeaten teen who sounded off in a humorous op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal about her college rejections, said she was just having some fun.

“It’s a satire. That’s the point. Just like ’30 Rock’ is a satire, which pokes fun at things that are politically correct. That’s what I was trying to do,” Weiss said on Thursday's "Today" show.

Weiss took jabs at the college admisssion process and the impossibly high standards in the controversial essay, which was published last week in the Journal. She poked fun at diversity, volunteer work and chastised her parents for not encouraging her to take on more hobbies.

"For starters, had I known two years ago what I know now, I would have gladly worn a headdress to school. Show me to any closet, and I would've happily come out of it," Weiss wrote. "'Diversity!' I offer about as much diversity as a saltine cracker."

Weiss said she wrote the piece after receiving multiple rejection letters in one day. Depite a 4.5 GPA and a 2120 SAT score, she was rejected from Yale, Princeton, Vanderbild and University of Pennsylvania. The mass rejection left her wondering where she went wrong.

"I also probably should have started a fake charity. Providing veterinary services for homeless people's pets. Collecting donations for the underprivileged chimpanzees of the Congo," she wrote. "Raising awareness for Chapped-Lips-in-the-Winter Syndrome. Fun-runs, dance-a-thons, bake sales—as long as you're using someone else's misfortunes to try to propel yourself into the Ivy League, you're golden."

While some dismissed the essay as a whiny diatribe, Weiss said she received nothing by positive feedback, especially from other high school students.

“Everyone my age, whether they wanted to get into Penn State their whole lives, or Harvard, is agreeing with me that it’s just a rat race nowadays, and it’s such a business model as opposed to who’s most qualified should get in,” she said. “It’s a crapshoot, and I understand that.”

The precocious teen did have some good news to share on the show. She was accepted to Pennsylvania State, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. She hasn't made a decision.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter’s veto of a bill that would require employers to give workers paid sick time has put the issue on ice in his city, at least for the time being.

But the wider battle continues to gain momentum, with a growing number of cities and states debating whether to impose similar mandates—or block them altogether.

These disputes have escalated as the country struggles through a weakened economy and confronts a shift in political power that has labor unions fighting to keep pace with corporations.

Unions, as well as liberal activists, say paid sick leave—in which workers earn a certain number of days a year, depending on the size of their employer—is necessary for a healthy, vibrant workforce (and in the case of restaurants, to prevent the spread of illness). Groups representing employers, including some that voluntarily provide the benefit, argue that forcing it on businesses could cause worse financial damage.

The truth is hard to come by, since paid sick leave has recently become law in only five cities—San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Washington D.C. and Long Beach, Calif.—and one state, Connecticut.

A business-oriented research company’s survey of Connecticut employers reported that many had cut jobs and benefits as a result of the paid sick leave law.

But the head of the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce countered that the state’s employment figures had improved since the law was passed.

In San Francisco, where the nation’s first paid sick leave law was passed in 2007, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research—which advocates for such benefits—found that most businesses hadn’t noticed any discernible negative effects.

That sentiment was supported in recent interviews with San Francisco business owners. They said they agreed with the need for paid sick leave, adding that the impact of the 2007 law paled in comparison with the effects of measures that raised the minimum wage and required they provide health benefits.

Art Swanson, president of the San Francisco Small Business Network, said employers were skeptical at first about having to offer paid sick leave. They worried that the benefit would be abused, or would cripple their budgets.

“Over time, though, it’s become less and less and less of an issue, and how it has been dwarfed by health care reform,” Swanson said.

An estimated 40 percent of private-sector workers, or more than 40 million people, don’t get paid time off when they get sick. There are some protections under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, but advocates say additional measures are needed because the 20-year-old statute doesn’t cover workers at small businesses, or those out with relatively routine illnesses like the flu.

A federal paid sick leave bill has been repeatedly introduced in Washington, but the odds of it passing remain distant.

At the same time, there are organized efforts in several states, including Florida, Washington and Michigan, to restrict municipalities’ ability to impose paid sick leave. Such measures are already in effect in Mississippi and Louisiana and Wisconsin, where an earlier Milwaukee mandate was nullified.

Eileen Appelbaum, a senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, blamed the gradual weakening of labor unions, which has hurt the ability of even non-organized workers to negotiate better benefits.

That has been made more acute by the widening wealth gap between workers and their bosses in recent years, Appelbaum said. “So employers are emboldened to do what they want to do."

Appelbaum argued that the costs of paid sick leave are ultimately born by workers anyway, since they typically sacrifice salary for better benefits.

In theory, the aversion to government-mandated benefits would divide Republicans and Democrats. But the reality has been more complicated, particularly as union power has waned and Democratic mayors, a traditional source of support, have swayed.

That list includes Nutter and Denver’s Michael Hancock, whose opposition to paid sick leave lead to the rejection of a public referendum.

In New York City, pro-business Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Republican turned independent, and Democratic City Council speaker Christine Quinn, who hopes to succeed him, blocked paid sick leave for three years. Only recently, as Bloomberg nears the end of his final term and the political blowback threatened to damage Quinn’s chances, did she give in.

Nutter’s Thursday veto was the second time in as many years that he’d blocked a paid sick leave measure. Both times, he said it would be too damaging to local businesses.

His opponents on the city council have so far been unable to gather enough votes to override him.

But they vowed to keep fighting.

The driver who collided head-on with another vehicle on State Route 78 Monday was committing suicide, according to the medical examiner.

Lupe Vargas, 38, of Escondido, was killed when she was struck by a car traveling the wrong way on eastbound SR-78 just west of San Marcos Boulevard.

She was killed while delivering newspapers for the San Diego Union-Tribune. It was one of two jobs Vargas held as she worked 16 hours a day to support her children ages 5, 8 and 17.

“She never had an easy life since she was divorced and she was taking care of three kids,” said victim’s brother Tony Vargas. “I have no words.”

Tony Vargas said he and his family are angry, frustrated and in pain after learning the driver who caused the accident, 48-year-old Yi Liu was deemed suicidal by the medical examiner.

Liu was depressed officials said Wednesday and was likely committing suicide when she drove her vehicle into traffic.

Now, Lupe Vargas’ family hopes people will pay attention to what happened and understand that people living with a mental illness need help.

“I know that at some point her family didn’t have anything to do with it,” Tony Vargas said. “At the end, they’re responsible all the way because they had to be taking care of somebody like that.”

Co-workers delivering newspapers after 3 a.m. Monday drove by the accident unaware that someone they knew would be a victim.

They have established a memorial fund for Vargas' children. For those who wish to donate, here is the information.

California Coast Credit Union
PO Box 502080
San Diego, CA 92150-2080
account # 914826

Checks should be made payable to ‘Rick Conahan’
memo: Guadalupe Fund


 

A former University of San Diego assistant basketball coach convicted of bribing a University of San Diego basketball player was sentenced to one year in prison and three years supervised release on Thursday morning.

The 34-year-old Thaddeus "T.J." Brown's role in the USD bribery case became public in a 29-page document filed by federal prosecutors in 2011. The crimes affected the 2009 to 2010 season.

The FBI secretly taped phone conversations that revealed former player Brandon Johnson said he would have been willing to throw every game, and that he didn’t take a shot in one game because it would have cost him $1,000.

The wiretapped telephone calls reveal a dangerous exchange between Johnson, Brown and the alleged go-between with the bettors.

Last month, Johnson was sentenced to 6 months in federal prison. Ten defendants total were involved in the case.

Eight of the 10 defendants pleaded guilty to bribing Johnson to fix USD games, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

An openly gay New York man says he was barred from his church duties after marrying his partner of 10 years.

Nicholas Coppola, 47, who was born and raised Catholic, has been an active member of St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church in Oceanside, a New York City suburb on Long Island.

He volunteered at the church, participating in services and teaching a children's religion class. But he was stripped of those duties when he and his partner David Crespo became legally married.

"It has been difficult, very difficult for me," said Coppola. "Because I'm trying to fill that void of good deeds."

"I was accepted into the church being openly gay," said Coppola. "But once I got married, which went against Catholic teaching, they had to remove me from my teaching position."

Coppola said he is openly gay, and that was never an issue with his parish. In fact, in the parish yearbook, Coppola and Crespo are pictured together as a couple. Coppola said parishioners and even some clergy attended their October wedding.

But news of their wedding was not well received by the Diocese of Rockville Centre. Bishop Bob Brennan sent Rev. Nicholas Lombardi at St. Anthony's a letter stating the diocese had received a letter from an anonymous person saying a married, gay man was teaching religion at the church.

"While not on a witch hunt, I know it would be of concern to you if a catechist were in fact 'married' as described," Brennan said in the letter.

Coppola said Lombardi had no choice but to take action.

"I don't want anyone to think this is Nick Lombardi's fault," said Coppola. "He did this with a very heavy heart. You could see it in his face. I felt sad for him that he had to make this decision. In fact, he's still struggling with this now and it's sad."

Janine Maloney is a parishioner at St. Anthony's, and her children attend the pre-school.

"This is a nice man, what does it matter?" she said of Coppola's marriage. "This is a good parish, and I feel bad they had to do this."

Coppola's story comes days after Cardinal Timothy Dolan said the Catholic Church should do a better job of reaching out to gay men and lesbians. But a spokesman for the Diocese of Rockville Centre says its decision is in line with what Dolan preaches.

"We are not denying him the right to participate in church or to receive sacrament," said Sean Dolan, spokesman for the Diocese of Rockville Centre. "We are just saying marriage is a holy sacrament between one man and one woman."

Dolan has also said, "The church is not a democracy. We have certain faiths and morals we believe in."

Even though Coppola is saddened by what happened, he still attends church at St. Anthony's in the hopes that one day, he'll be able to resume his work with the congregation.

President Barack Obama's whirlwind fundraising jaunt in the San Francisco Bay Area is being overshadowed by a compliment he paid California Attorney General Kamala Harris.

"She happens to be by far the best-looking attorney general in the country," he said of the rising Democratic star during his prepared remarks at a Democratic National Committee event in Atherton.

The comment was greeted with laughter by the paying crowd. "It's true. Come on," he responded.

(See full Pool Report of Thursday's events in the Bay Area here.)

On Twitter, #KamalaHarris surged in popularity with people reacting to the remark.

The president also noted Rep. Mike Honda's height (or lack thereof).

"He's not like a real tall guy, but he's a great guy," he said while introducing the Silicon Valley congressman, whom he had trouble finding in the crowd.

Here is the transcript from the White House of those two introductions:

We've got some elected officials who are doing incredible work -- great friends. First of all, somebody who works tirelessly on behalf of California every day, but also works on behalf of working people and makes sure that we've got a more inclusive America -- a good friend of mine, somebody who you guys should be very proud of, Congressman Mike Honda is here. Where is Mike? (Applause.) He is around here somewhere. There he is. Yes, I mean, he's not like a real tall guy, but he's a great guy. (Laughter.)

Second of all, you have to be careful to, first of all, say she is brilliant and she is dedicated and she is tough, and she is exactly what you'd want in anybody who is administering the law, and making sure that everybody is getting a fair shake. She also happens to be by far the best-looking attorney general in the country -- Kamala Harris is here. (Applause.) It's true. Come on. (Laughter.) And she is a great friend and has just been a great supporter for many, many years.

The president arrived on Wednesday evening and attended two events in San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood, including a dinner at the home of Ann and Gordon Getty, to raise money for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

The Atherton fundraisers included a morning brunch hosted by Liz Simons and Mark Heising, then a luncheon at the home of Marcia and John Goldman. Those stops were to benefit the Democratic National Committee.

Outside the fundraising events, a variety of protesters gathered, including some who oppose construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry oil from Canada to Texas.

Opponents of the pipeline were in Atherton this morning for an 8:15 a.m. rally.

Air Force One departed from San Francisco International Airport this afternoon.

The president was in the Bay Area for less than 24 hours and made no public appearances. His last visit to the region was in October during his re-election campaign.
 

With nearly 1,100 sea lions found ill and stranded on Southern California beaches this year, rehabilitation facilities are full, and newly sick marine mammals must be treated on the sand, a federal scientist said Thursday.

The stranding epidemic — mostly affecting sea lion pups born last year — began in January and has not ceased since, said Sarah Wilkin of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on a conference call with reporters Thursday.

The pups, which are part of a broader "robust and healthy" sea lion population in California, are being found underweight, suffering from starvation and dehydration, she said.

"You can see bones through their skin," Wilkin said.

Wilkin, who is the coordinator for NOAA's stranding program in California, said an initial hypothesis is that the high number of sick young sea lions is due to "environmental factors that would limit prey availability for the pups."

Pups are being likely disproportionately affected because they're not as experienced in foraging for alternate prey, and they can't swim as deep or as far as older animals, Wilkin said.

Last week, after a review of the evidence by an international scientific panel, NOAA declared the stranding epidemic an "unusual mortality event." The title comes even though most of the animals stranded are still alive when found, Wilkin noted.

About 20 to 30 percent of those sea lions that have entered facilities have died – a figure that's fairly low for wildlife rehab work, Wilkin said.

With the "unusual mortality event" designation, NOAA is forming a team of scientists to investigate the causes of the illnesses. In addition to looking at prey-related causes, researchers will also consider infectious diseases, parasites, and toxins and pollution in the water as causes of the strandings.

The 1,100 figure is for sea lion standings from Santa Barbara County south to San Diego County, she said.

In Northern California, 83 strandings have been reported. The numbers correspond to animals that have entered rehab facilities, she said.

Those figures will likely go down as facilities are unable to accept new sea lions, she said.

Those pups being found going forwarded will be triaged at the beach, sometimes being moved away from the public, and left under observation, Wilkin said. Lifeguards began helping out last month.

Rescuers will try to find rehab spots for the worst cases, she said.

Juan Garcia is like many people in his Oceanside neighborhood, still trying to figure out why his  brother and three of his friends were innocent victims of a recent shooting at Libby Lake Park.

"They didn't mess with no one, so I don't understand. It's just hard to understand why,” said Garcia.

Two teenagers were killed and another two were injured when gunfire rang out in the neighborhood park around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13.

Edgar Sanchez Rios, 16, and 13-year-old Melanie Virgen were found dead at the scene. Two other teenagers were transported to Palomar Hospital.

Juan Garcia's brother was one of the two injured.

The 17-year-old was shot six times, twice in the head.

He's making progress but has not been able to speak since the shooting and could be partially paralyzed Garcia told NBC 7 San Diego in an exclusive interview.

"I believe that he's going to make. He's a strong guy. He's a really strong guy,” said Garcia.

For the first time, family members are speaking out about the four people accused in the shooting.

Defendants Martin Melendrez, 21, of Vista; Michael Zurita, 19, of Vista and Santo Diaz, 19, and a 17-year-old who will be tried as an adult, face two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder.

A judge ordered all to be held without bail.

"I forgive those guys for what they did because God is going to take care of them," the victim's brother told NBC 7 San Diego. "There's nothing I can do about it no more."

Garcia asked us not to use his brother's name because the family is still concerned about his safety.

They say he and the other victims were not gang members. In fact, they say he spent a lot of time with Vista Community Clinic's after-school program Project Reach.

“It was a blow to the program because everyone felt like wow. If he can get shot, anyone can get shot,” said Jimmy Figueroa with Project Reach

Figueroa and the program have helped to set up a fund for Garcia's family to help pay for medical bills.

For those who wish to donate, the information is: 

Chase Bank
Acct#2972132043
Libby Lake Garcia Family Aid
 

Police arrested two women at gunpoint on Thursday morning in connection with a stolen car.

Authorities received a call from a woman saying her father had been taken by two women to retrieve his stolen car in Linda Vista. The daughter saw the car they were riding in with her father, then wrote down the license plate and called 911.

The daughter and police eventually tracked the car down to Fashion Valley, where police found out the car they were driving was stolen. The man was able to tell his daughter he was in the Fashion Valley parking lot and officers were able to stop the women at gunpoint in the parking lot.

Police said the man had loaned the women his Lexus, but said they would not return it until he paid them more money.

The whereabouts of the Lexus are unknown and the circumstances preceding the incident is unclear.

The women are now in custody, with one facing an auto theft charge.

Check back for updates on this story.

The San Diego Chargers have signed a new defensive end to join the Bolts in the 2013 season.

According to the Chargers office, former Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans defensive end Jarius Wynn was signed to a one-year contract with the Chargers on Wednesday.

Here’s how Wynn stacks up: the 26-year-old athlete is 6-foot-3, 285 pounds and played seven games for the Titans in 2012 in which he totaled 12 tackles and a pair of sacks.

Before his time with the Titans, Wynn played for the Green Bay Packers. He started his NFL career in Green Bay in 2009, playing 36 games with the team over the course of three seasons.

During that time, he totaled 46 tackles and 4.5 sacks, including a career-high of 32 tackles in the 2011 season.

Chargers officials say NFL skills run in Wynn’s family. His cousin is former NFL running back Garrison Hearst, the third overall pick of the Arizona Cardinals in the 1993 draft.

According to Chargers reps, Wynn is the seventh unrestricted free agent from another team to sign with the Chargers. He joins Philadelphia tackle King Dunlap, Buffalo guard Chad Rinehart and Jacksonville cornerback Derek Cox, among others.
 

For nearly four years, Gavin Marquez of Rancho Bernardo has put up a fight in his battle against Tay Sachs disease.

It's a genetic disorder that progressively destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

“One day everything looks pretty and the next day you're hit by a train and you didn't even see that train coming,” said Jan Marquez, the boy’s mother.  

Now 7 years old, Gavin is bedridden. His family has to feed him intravenously, while keeping a close eye on his respiratory system.

“You could just swallow your saliva, he can't,” said his mother.

There is no cure for what he is going through. But despite this hardship, the family has held out hope doing all they can to raise awareness about Tay Sachs. Not only to help their son, but other families as well.

"She has such strength and focus and courage in the face of devastating heartache,” said Kim Kubilus, with the National Tay Sachs and Allied Diseases Association. “Her whole family is truly an inspiration to all of us,” she added.

Which is why for the first time in more than a decade the National Tay Sachs conference has decided to come to San Diego.

"It’s an opportunity for the families to come together meet face to face share care tips, about coping and develop those strong bonds with other families,” said Kubilus.

It is a sense of comfort, support and most of all hope during some of the darkest days.

“The way I see it, is like if you don't have hope then it's almost like you're burying your child,” said Marquez. “So the hope is what keeps me alive keeps me going. That hope is that possibility that there is a cure [and] that's worth it all.”

The goal for these families is to raise enough funds for gene therapy. Many of them hope they can begin treatment next year.

Meanwhile, the National Tay Sachs and Allied Diseases Association will continue their conference until Sunday April 7 at the Marriott in Mission Valley.

For more information you can visit their website.

A controversial, $45 million plan to overhaul the heart of Balboa Park has been on life support since a judge ruled against it two months ago.
          
By Thursday, officials at City Hall officials seem to have 'pulled the plug' on it – that, after legal opinion offering a new approach apparently comes 'too little, too late' to resuscitate the project.

The decision to pursue a 'Plan B' is really up to the Plaza de Panama Committee, headed by Qualcomm's billionaire co-founder, Irwin Jacobs.
          
But Council President Todd Gloria has checked the 'vital signs' and 'course of treatment', and sees no realistic way of pulling it off.

“While it is helpful to understand there is a course to pursue,” Gloria said in a news release, “it is unfortunately apparent that the improvements could not be complete in time for the 2015 (Balboa Park) Centennial Celebration because of the likelihood of additional litigation and the project’s complexity and construction timeline.”

The most controversial elements of the plan to remove vehicles from the heart of the park involve a bypass ramp from Cabrillo Bridge ... leading to an 800-space underground parking structure behind the Organ Pavilion, for which parking fees would be levied.

On Feb. 4, Judge Timothy Taylor ruled that  the city's approval of the plan was a technical violation of the Municipal Code.

On Wednesday, City Attorney Jan Goldsmith  suggested in a “memorandum of law” that an "exemption" process might work for a new effort.

But historic preservationists whose lawsuit led to the plan’s invalidation are poised to challenge that too.

"This was a primary preservation law and we would do everything we can to defend it,” said Bruce Coons, executive director of the Save Our Heritage Organisation, said in an interview Thursday.   “Plus, there's all the other issues with the General Plan, the Precise Plan and the Master Plan that requires similar findings than just this.  This was just one aspect."

As for the construction timeline, said Coons, "Even working 24 hours a day, I see no way they would have been completed.  Besides that, I doubt the litigation would have been over for a number of years -- probably four or five more years.”

Goldsmith offered these thoughts on the turn of events:  “Anything involving Plaza de Panama is going to be messy, given the political structure.  So I respect Todd's assessment of that. And you know, it's pretty realistic … we are the lawsuit capital of the state, when it comes to … a city-type project."

Mayor Bob Filner, an outspoken critic of the project, could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Jacobs, through a spokeswoman, gave this response: "I'll pass at this time."

He and his Plaza de Panama Committee washed their hands of further involvement in the project on the day of the adverse court ruling.

Assuming there’s no change of heart or minds, some 'low-impact strategies' for traffic management and parking will have to fill the void during the 2015 centennial celebration.

This cautionary note, from Kelly Bennett, who’s extensively covered Balboa Park issues for Voice of San Diego:  “The hardest thing about Balboa Park is that everybody has their own routes and paths on how they get there and where they park and where they go. And retraining the whole city to do that? No matter what plan you go with, it's going to be tricky."

A 17-year-old girl fought off an unknown attempted kidnapper in Spring Valley Thursday morning, officials from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department confirmed.

According to deputies, the attempted kidnapping happened around 10:45 a.m. near the intersection of Kenwood Drive and Campo Road.

The teen was walking when two unknown black men drove up to her in an older, burgundy, four-door vehicle and offered her a ride, saying, “Hey beautiful, need a ride?”

The girl declined the ride and deputies say that’s when the passenger of the car got out and grabbed the girl on the arm and shoulders in an attempt to force her into the car.

The teen fought the man off and ran away.

Deputies say the suspects were last seen driving away westbound on Campo Road toward a nearby Wendy’s restaurant.

The teen sustained minor injuries. Deputies say no weapons were used in the attempted kidnapping.

Investigators describe the passenger suspect as a black man in his 40s with a stocky build. He’s 5-foot-8 with short black hair, is unshaven and has acne scars. He was wearing a black shirt, dark jean jacket and black nylon pants. The driver of the car is described as a black male adult.

Deputies are asking anyone with information on this case to call the sheriff’s department non-emergency line at (858) 565-5200 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Officials want to remind parents to teach their children to always be alert and aware of the people around them and, whenever possible, walk with a friend.

Last Thursday, another teenager girl fought back and resisted a kidnapping attempt in the Emerald HIlls area. In that incident, the girl was grabbed by a man inside a van and dragged a short distance as he tried, unsuccessfully, to get her into the car.
 

After being closed for nearly two years, a popular hiking spot near Julian will reopen to the public Friday.

According to officials, Cedar Creek Falls will be accessible to the public once again, but with some new rules in place.

The U.S. Forest Service closed the area back in July 2011 after 16-year-old Joseph Meram died while hiking there with his family. Meram slipped and fell down a steep cliff, landing in the water below.

The U.S. Forest Service closed access to the falls days after the fatal incident in order to provide time to design and implement a new public safety plan that addressed issues of overcrowding and damaging impacts to natural resources.

In April 2012, the area partially reopened, allowing hikers east access into Cedar Creek Falls.

On Friday, west access to the area reopened and new rules were rolled out.

Hikers are now required to pay $6 for a one-day visitor permit. Only 75 permits for individuals or groups or up to five people are available each day by reservation. Hikers can reserve their day pass ahead of time by visiting this website.

Officials say all cliff areas around the falls will remain closed. There is no climbing, jumping or diving allowed anywhere along the cliffs adjacent to or near the falls. Swimming is allowed.

In addition, officials say no alcohol is allowed near Cedar Creek Falls, at the trailheads or along the trails. Campfires are also prohibited.

U.S. Forest Service rangers and sheriff’s deputies plan to strictly enforce the new permit requirements and ban on alcohol and cliff jumping. Those in violation of the rules may be cited, fined or arrested.

Officials want to remind the public that the trail to Cedar Creek Falls is a challenging, 5.5-mile hike with no shade from the sun. The trail is not for beginners, and officials recommend hikers bring at least one gallon of water to stay hydrated.

Also, officials say the trail is not safe for dogs, as the terrain gets very hot and is littered with sharp rocks, making it not easy on the paws.
 

Wendy and Randall Casey don't talk much over breakfast these days. Or lunch. Or even dinner.

Truth be known, even though the mother and son share a home in Dixmoor, a village south of Chicago, they usually just pass each other in the night. After all, one doesn't want to reveal too much campaign strategy to your opponent.

The two Caseys are running against each other for Village President in Dixmoor. Although Randall said he prefers to put it this way: "I'm not running against my mom. I'm running for the people of Dixmoor."

"Our relationship hasn't been as strong as it normally was," Wendy Casey conceded, in a room festooned with family photos of Randall at a much younger age. "We just interact, saying, 'Good morning,' and 'Good evening' when he comes in from work."

By all counts, the very poor south suburban community could use some help. Abandoned buildings stand like rotting trees citywide. The elder Casey says a fire engine was recently repossessed. The community famously missed payroll for city employees not once, but twice.

Against that backdrop, mother and son say they both want the job. And they both want to win.

"I feel, in my honest opinion, that he is not mature mentally to take on the responsibility of running a community," she says. "If I win, I think he will be very supportive."

Randall prefers not to talk about the contest against his mother, saying he doesn't want what some might perceive as a humorous sideshow to detract from the genuine problems Dixmoor faces.

"I don't want to embarrass the people of Dixmoor," he said. "The people of Dixmoor have had enough embarrassment."

Indeed, Dixmoor seems almost comically at odds with itself. Incumbent mayor Keevan Grimmett was thrown off the ballot earlier this year after he was accused of being effectively homeless and living in his city hall office.

"He has no gas, no electricity, and no running water," the elder Casey said.

Grimmett denies that, and after an appeal managed to get reinstated to the ballot.

"I have all the amenities that anyone would have," he said. "And I guess the biggest thing I have is a lot of electricity for the Village of Dixmoor."

The town could use more than electricity. Stories of unpaid bills are legendary. A would-be community center, started with a federal grant, sits half finished and open to the elements, seemingly abandoned. Per capita income for the town's 3,500 residents is just under $13,000. Warring factions have led to walkouts by trustees during village board meetings.

"The town is split," agrees write-in candidate David McWilliams, a local merchant. "I'm here to pull both sides together."

At times, it's difficult to tell the players without a scorecard. Trustee Dorothy Armstrong is also seeking the post. Michael Smith, a former trustee, is running for his old job on the village council. He lost it after he was accused of stealing gasoline, and it was Smith who initiated the investigation of the mayor's residency.

Even Randall Casey brings a complicated linage. His father, Donald Luster, is a former mayor who was forced to step down after he was convicted of fraud. Luster has endorsed his son.

Wendy Casey says if her son wins, she will be respectful.

"I will hold him accountable," she says.

For now, that accountability includes collecting rent from her son, once a month.

"Of course," she says. "I can't let him live here rent free. I wouldn't be a good mother if I did that."
 

A long lost cat that had been missing for more than a decade has finally been reunited with his owners, and in the case of the kitty, the old saying is true: what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Back in 2000, pet lovers Dante and Elizabeth Corso lived in Las Vegas, just northwest of the Strip. One day, their beloved pet cat, Bandit, went missing and they didn’t see him again for 13 long years.

Eventually, the couple moved to Linda Vista where they’ve owned dozens of pets over the years.

But Bandit has always been in the back of their minds.

Recently, the Corsos got the shock of their lives when a veterinarian from Las Vegas called them, saying he had found Bandit.

They both couldn’t believe the news.

“My husband answered; he was very shocked,” said Elizabeth.

“They called Tuesday night, I answered the phone. They said, ‘Hi, are you missing Bandit?’ [And I said] ‘Bandit? Who is this?’” added Dante.

Turns out, the veterinarian ran Bandit’s microchip after the cat was turned into the vet's office by a man who traps feral cats.

Upon hearing the news of their long lost cat, the Corsos high-tailed it to Las Vegas, driving out first thing the following morning.

And the reunion with their furry friend did not disappoint.

The couple said Bandit looked just as they remembered him.

“[He] looks good, pretty handsome pussy cat. Just a little on the thin side,” said Dante.

At 15 years old, Bandit is still trying to navigate his new surroundings now that he's back home with the Corsos in San Diego.

But at least he’s not alone.

When the Corso’s adopted him, they also took in his little brother, Coot, so now it really is a family reunion.

“I think his brother is a little upset, [thnking] ‘You’re finally back -- where have you been?’” said Elizabeth.

Bandit is the prodigal kitty, finally home after all these years.

And, of course, he has quite the tale to tell -- if only cats could talk.

“This cat here has an amazing story. Yeah, I wish I knew it. All of it; who he’s [been] with, where he’s been,” said Elizabeth.

“He’s a special one,” said Dante. “I mean, he’s come back after all this time. It’s crazy. It’s amazing.”
 

Roger Ebert, the Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic and television personality who invented the  thumbs-up, thumbs-down reviewing style, died Thursday after a years-long battle with cancer. He was 70.

Ebert's death, first reported by the Sun-Times, came two days after he marked his 46th anniversary of becoming the newspaper's movie reviewer with a note on his website in which he vowed to keep working through a recurrence of cancer.

He leaves behind a wife, Chaz Hammelsmith, along with millions of fans who devoured his newspaper reviews, watched his groundbreaking television show and followed his blog.

To many of those fans, he'll be the guy who shared their love of movies, and helped them understand how they could enrich their lives.

"If it's a great movie, it lets you understand a little bit more what it's like to be a different gender, a different race, a different age, a different economic class," Ebert once told an audience in 2005, according to NPR. "It helps us to identify with the people who are sharing this journey with us. And that to me is the most noble thing that good movies can do—and it's a reason to encourage them and to support them and to go to them."

An indefatigable worker and unabashed fan of the movie business, Ebert lost part of his jaw to cancer in 2006. The surgery left him unable to speak or eat, but he never stopped writing. His 2011 autobiography, "Life Itself," one of 17 books he wrote, earned widespread praise, and is now being made into a documentary by his friend Martin Scorcese.

Ebert was hospitalized last fall with a broken hip, which his wife tweeted was caused by "tricky disco dance moves." Last May, he unveiled plans to reinvent "Roger Ebert Presents at the Movies" on PBS, and Tuesday he said he planned to launch a fund-raising campaign via Kickstarter. 

Roger Ebert was born on June 18, 1942 in Urbana, Ill., where he also saw his first movie, the Marx Brothers' "A Day at the Races." As a child, he wrote and published the Washington Street News, which he delivered to his neighbors. He continued his journalism pursuits in high school and at the University of Illinois, where he edited the student newspaper.

Ebert joined the Chicago Sun-Times in 1966. After six months as a part-timer, the paper's film critic retired, and an editor told him the job was his.

“I didn’t know the job was open until the day I was given it,” Mr. Ebert recalled later, according to the Sun-Times. “I had no idea. Bob Zonka, the features editor, called me into the conference room and said, ‘We’re gonna make you the movie critic.’ It fell out of the sky.”

Reviewing movies back then was not considered serious journalism. But Ebert's career coincided with a dynamic era in American film-making, as old Hollywood conventions fell away and edgy, creative narratives burst forth. Ebert chronicled the evolution. He also wrote two screenplays for B-movie "sexploitation" director Russ Meyer.

He worked on other scripts until his editor demanded he choose between screenwriting and newspaper writing, according to the Sun-Times.

He chose the latter.

"My newspaper job is my identity," he later said, according to the Sun-Times.

In some years he wrote nearly 300 reviews.

In 1975, Ebert won the Pulitzer Prize, making him the first film critic to win journalism’s most coveted award.

Soon afterward, Ebert joined his rival at the Chicago Tribune, Gene Siskel, on a public television criticism program called "Opening Soon at a Theater Near You." The name was changed to "Sneak Previews" in 1978, and it reached national syndication. At the program's height, it was seen in 180 public television markets and was, according to Television Week, "the highest-rated entertainment show in the history of public broadcasting." The show coined the terms "thumbs up" and "thumbs down," to sum up the reviews.

Siskel and Ebert fought and argued like brothers. It was part of their charm, and got them parodied on "Saturday Night Live." But when Siskel died of cancer in 1999, Ebert wept. "I miss him all the time," he said.

The program continued with Richard Roeper, but like any good film, an unexpected twist was about to occur: Ebert was diagnosed with thyroid and salivary gland cancer.

A 2006 operation left him speechless, and a portion of his chin was removed.

Undaunted, Ebert never shrank from public view, often accompanied by his wife, Chaz. He continued to act as a champion of good movies, and an enemy of bad ones. He also devoted a film festival to movies he thought were under-appreciated classics.

He continued to write. He embraced the Internet, starting a blog, and gathering more than 800,000 followers on Twitter.

For more than five decades, Ebert’s reviews were weekly reading in as many as 250 papers across the country.

He earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, ensuring his memory among the legends he wrote about.

Now, as Roger Ebert might say, the script is complete.

In addition to his wife, Ebert is survived by a step-daughter and two step-grandchildren, the Sun-Times reported.

There have been seven times the number of sea lions that have beached themselves in San Diego County compared to the same time period last year.

There have been significant increases throughout beaches from Santa Barbara County to San Diego, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries. They said 214 sea lions from beached themselves in San Diego County from Jan. 1 – March 31 this year.  Over the same time period last year, there were 32 of the mammals found on San Diego’s shoreline. 

The greatest increase is in Los Angeles County, where the number went from 36 last year, to an astounding 395 beaches sea lions so far this year.

There has been a been 1,100 beached sea lions in the five coastal counties stretching from Santa Barbara to San Diego, according to Sarah Wilkin, NOAA Fisheries Southwest Regional Stranding Coordinator. There has been an additional 83 sea lions in the rest of the state. They are predominately pups, according to Wilkin.

So the big question is, “Why?” It’s a question that still has not been answered. But because of the high number of beached sea lions, NOAA has been granted an official declaration of what’s called an Unusual Mortality Event (UME). The status allows for the establishment of a panel of experts to convene to look for answers and will also provide for extra funding.

Right now, the leading hypothesis the panel of experts is looking at focuses on a lack of food source. Most of the seal pups have shown signs of starvation and dehydration. Other potential causes that will be studied will include possible infectious diseases, or pollutants in the ocean.

In a conference call with reporters Thursday morning, Wilkin said there has been a shortage of food sources such as sardines and anchovies. She also said pups are being affected in greater numbers than adults because they are limited in how far they can travel and are unfamiliar with the environment.

Wilkin also says many rescue centers are at capacity (though SeaWorld San Diego says it is still accepting sea lions) and many of the sick sea lions are being kept on the beach for observation.


Sick sea lions rest at San Pedro marine mammal facility.

USS Decatur is in the process of being relieved by USS Fitzgerald and will start heading home to San Diego within a week NBC 7 San Diego has learned.

The Decatur detoured to the Western Pacific on its way home to San Diego from deployment to provide a ballistic missile defense capability in response to North Korean Threats.

The San Diego-based destroyer was one of two U.S. ships positioned to respond to any missile threats from North Korean, according to the Pentagon.

A man has been arrested for attempted murder and suspicion of arson in connection with a house fire that left a mother and daughter critically injured early Thursday morning.

Firefighters were called to a home on Featherhill Lane in Mira Mesa at 1:36 a.m. where they found a fire had broken out in an upstairs television room.

“As our crews entered, they encountered a lot of heat and some fire on the second floor,” said Maurice Luque, spokesperson for San Diego Fire Rescue Department.

“A lot of the blinds and other items were melted from the heat but there wasn’t a lot of fire damage on the second story,” Luque added.

Upon arrival at the scene, firefighters found a man on the curb who told them there were two people still inside the home. The man had a slight injury to his foot, Luque said. San Diego police officers questioned the man about the fire.

Inside the home, crews found two women – a mother in her 60s and her daughter in her 40s – unresponsive in an upstairs bathroom. Crews performed CPR on the women at the scene.

Both victims were transported to local hospitals with critical injuries.

Officials say the victims are currently on life support. The daughter is not expected to survive her injuries sustained in the fire, officials said.

According to detectives, the house fire appeared suspicious in nature. The arson team was called to investigate the home and determined arson was likely the cause of the fire, officials said.

The home is now considered a crime scene.

The mother's son, Thongsavath Sphabmixay, 43, was arrested on suspicion of arson and attempted murder. It is unclear if the son is the same man that firefighters found on the curb upon arrival at the home.

He was booked into San Diego Central Jail on seven charges, including arson of an inhabited structure. He's scheduled to appear in court on Monday.

Officials say a witness saw the suspect leave the home right after the fire started. He returned to the house shortly thereafter.

“Some witness indication that he was there, left after the fire and then returned later,” said Lt. Jorge Duran with San Diego police. “We want to talk with him about why he left, where he went, what happened right before the fire started -- those types of questions.”

According to court documents, Thongsavath has a past criminal record.

Court documents obtained by NBC 7 show that in 2002, Thongsavath admitted to stealing a car from HERTZ and driving under the influence of a controlled substance. He spent time at the George Bailey Detention Facility.

He was granted probation in December 2002 for five years, but violated his probation at least once, according to court documents.

Late on Thursday night, Luque confirmed that the fire had caused $100,000 in structural damages to the home and $50,000 in damages to the contents inside the home. Luque said the fire remains under investigation.