Bitter temperatures flirted with record lows on Sunday as "life-threatening" conditions put millions across the country in a deep freeze for Valentine's Day, NBC News reported.

More than 38 million people from the Plains into the Midwest and East Coast were under winter-storm warnings or advisories overnight, according to The Weather Channel.

The coldest air mass of the winter brought the thermometer down to minus 6 degrees overnight in Minneapolis, while New Yorkers were urged to take "extreme precautions" against wind chill.

Parts of New England will see "bitterly cold" wind-chill factors of 40 below zero, with air-surface temperatures also below zero for much of the Northeast.

New York City could get wind-chill factor of 20 below zero while upstate New York could experience wind chill of 50 below zero.

Dogs in Normal Heights got a new place to play Saturday.

Councilmember Todd Gloria cut the ribbon for a new off-leash dog facility located in Normal Heights’ Ward Canyon Neighborhood Park Saturday.

The temporary facility is measured at 20,500 square feet and includes dog friendly ground covering, benches, shade structures, and pet waste dispensers. There are separated fenced facilities for large and small dogs.

Councilman Gloria acted to include $100,000 in the City budget for the park after community members addressed the need for one.

The cost of the improvement is estimated at nearly $8 million. The project includes the dog park, 1.54 acres of new park, a community garden and a basketball court.

“I can’t remember the last time a park amenity this impactful was built so quickly,” Councilmember Gloria said. “Today’s ribbon cutting should serve as a sign to the residents of Mid-City that the City is serious about investing in Ward Canyon Park and I will continue to advocate for funding the permanent expansion.”

Councilmember Gloria said this interim solution does not lessen the need for more permanent expansion. He is calling for phase one of the expansion to be included in the mayor’s fiscal year 2017 budget.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., attempted to clarify comments he made about former President Bill Clinton during Saturday evening's GOP debate, in which he blamed the September 11th terrorist attack on the former president's inaction.

"If you're going to ascribe blame, don't blame George W. Bush, blame a decision that was made years earlier, not to take out bin Laden when the opportunity presented itself," Rubio said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Rubio also said he doesn't "trust" President Barack Obama to appoint someone to the Supreme Court seat left open by Justice Antonin Scalia's death and that it should remain vacant until the next president is elected.

NBC 7 recently obtained an image of an illegible sign that may explain why dozens of mountain bikers were recently cited for riding on federal land.

The photo from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar shows a sign covered by what looks like brown paint-ball pellets, making it illegible. When initially posted, the sign marked the beginning of government property in an area popular with hikers, trail runners and mountain bikers.

In January, approximately 45 bikes and 3 motorcycles were confiscated on MCAS Miramar property, which spans over 23,000 acres north of downtown San Diego. Many of the riders cited by U.S. Marines claimed not to be aware they were riding on base property.

“Everybody that got caught, and I was one of them all, had the same question: ‘What? We didn’t see any signs. We've been riding out here for years,’” said mountain biker Darren Lachel.

Each rider was detained, had his or her bicycle seized and received a fine for $500.

USMC 1st Lt. Matthew Gregory told NBC 7 the base hopes better signage will deter and educate individuals who illegally enter the property.

“We are currently looking at adding signage around the base perimeter as well as working with organizations, like the San Diego Mountain Biking Association, to identify key traffic areas and place more signage there,” said Gregory.

At the same time, MCAS Miramar officials say there will be more military police patrolling base property to deter trespassers.

On Thursday, the base officially stated the presence of MPs will be on the borders east of Interstate 805 and north of State Route 52 as well as the East Miramar training areas. They warned individuals to not enter the areas. If caught doing so, individuals may be cited and subject to federal fines.
 

 A well-known professional mixed Martial Arts fighter has died in San Diego, the San Diego County Medical Examiner's office said. 

Kevin Christopher "The Monster" Randleman, 45, of Las Vegas, was in the San Diego area training and attending an event, the ME's office said late Saturday. 

On Thursday morning, he complained of shortness of breath and flu-like symptoms and collapsed, witnesses told the ME's office. 

Randleman was pronounced dead on the scene after paramedics tried life support measures, the ME's office said.  

Aaron Espinoza, who trained with Randleman in the San Diego area at the City of Champions gym, said Randleman did a lot to help veterans and bring light PTSD after combat. One of his close friends was a Camp Pendleton marine, Espinoza said, and Randleman spent some time on base last fall to commemorate him. 

No further information was immediately available.

NBC 7's Liberty Zabala will speak with friends and colleagues on NBC 7 News at 6 p.m. Sunday. 

 San Diego lifeguards used a crane to rescue a teen standing swept off a Sunset Cliffs reef and into the water. 

The 19-year-old was standing at the edge of the shore at Pappy's Point, near Osprey at Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, when he was swept off the reef and into the water, San Diego Lifeguards said. 

A crane arm stretched over the side of the cliff, reaching down to the bottom to help rescue the teen. 

The teen was safely rescued and only suffered minor scrapes. 

No further information was immediately available.

Refresh this page for updates on this breaking news story.

Authorities said they found a “credible explosive device” on a rental car at the Albuquerque, New Mexico, airport on Sunday, NBC News reported.

Police said the device was attached to a car that was rented elsewhere and dropped off at the Albuquerque airport. Staff processing returned cars spotted and reported it. Officials did not identify where the vehicle was originally rented. 

Roads near the Avis Car Rental facility were closed causing delays to travelers at the rental facility. They were later reopened, NBC station KOB reported.

The FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating, police said.  

Ensign Michael Hodosky has been away from his wife and two girls stationed in Washington State, and wasn't supposed to see his family until June.

When the USO San Diego found out his daughters had a Father/Daughter dance Saturday, they bought him a ticket home just to surprise his family, in time for Valentine's Day.

“My children are staying down here so that way they can complete school,” Hodosky said. “Thanks to our friends at the USO they provided a plane ticket. It’s exciting. It's exciting that we have people who care enough about the military family to be willing to reach out and do this especially within our own community.”

Corsage in hand, Hodosky surprised his daughters at their Girl Scout Troop’s dance all the way from Naval Base Kitsap in Washington.

“My daughters got upset,” Hodosky said of the dance. “They didn't want to attend because I wasn't going to be here.”

Hodosky said he’s been through five deployments in his first ten years, but this time felt different because the girls didn’t know he was going to be there.

“When you're building up returning from deployment, it's anticipated. You know the date that you're coming in and coming back but today they're not expecting me at all," he said. "The next time they're expecting to see me is in June.”

“You’ve seen how happy a reunion this is, so I call this one a success,” Arne Nelson CEO of USO San Diego told NBC 7.

Little Melodee, dressed in a sparkly pink dress, agreed the dance was a success “because my dad came.”

“I couldn't believe he was here I didn't think he was going to make it at all,” Hodosky’s oldest daughter Caraleena said while wearing her dad’s corsage proudly on her wrist. “It’s just so exciting. This is probably the best moment in my whole entire life.”

When they move up to Washington in June, the girls will be able to spend much more time with their dad, but for now they’ll settle for several spins around the room.

Mission Beach residents are angry after a beloved woman – considered by many to be the “heart and soul” of the community – was killed in what police believe was a road rage-fueled, hit-and-run crash involving a suspected drunken driver.

“She’s been part of the heart and soul of this community,” Mike Hornung told NBC 7, referring to friend and neighbor, Maruta Gardner, 69. “She’s a go-to person. She really is. She’s given a lot to the community.”

“She’s been a pillar of the community for a long, long, long time,” another neighbor added.

Gardner suffered critical head injuries Friday after she was hit by a 23-year-old DUI suspect at around 5:45 p.m. at the entrance to the Jetty at 800 San Diego Place.

Officers with the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) said the victim was in the process of cleaning up some graffiti on Jetty Road and Mission Boulevard when she was struck by a black Toyota Corolla.

Gardner was standing on a curb when the driver of the Corolla was involved in what investigators believe was a road rage incident with an unknown driver behind the wheel of a white Ford Mustang.

The driver in the Toyota Corolla sped to the right of the Mustang, drove onto the shoulder and hit Gardner. He then fled the scene of the crash, turning into a nearby parking lot before speeding away.

Moments later, officers stopped the hit-and-run suspect a short distance away from the hit-and-run crash scene. The driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, police confirmed. His name was not immediately released.

Friends told NBC 7 that at the time of the crash, Gardner was volunteering doing something she often did: painting over graffiti in the Mission Beach community.

For the past 20 years, Gardner – riding her signature three-wheeled bicycle – was a neighborhood fixture. On her bike, she hauled supplies and paint as she rode around to different spots to paint over graffiti in an effort to improve her beloved community.

Friends said her efforts to eradicate the graffiti problem in the community had been recognized by the San Diego City Council. Gardner had also been actively trying to secure improvements to the playground at Bonita Cove.

“Maruta is a wonderful person,” said neighbor Karen Mitchell, who had known Gardner for 30 years. “She’s been active in the community. She’s out on her three-wheeler every day.”

Friends said Gardner is irreplaceable.

Without her, Hornung said a huge hole will be left behind in the Mission Beach community.

“You don’t replace someone like Maruta. There’s nobody that can step up,” he lamented.

Beneath the pain and sadness left behind by Gardner’s sudden death, her friends are also outraged by how she was killed – something that could have been prevented.

“This is somebody the community needs. She did not deserve to be hit by a drunk driver in a road rage accident,” Hornung said. “We need her down here. We love her when she’s here. She’s done so much. It’s just a needless accident.”

“We’re all very sad. We’re upset that something like this happened on a small street that’s not very busy,” Mitchell added. “It makes you angry. You hate to be angry, but you are.”

“We’re devastated – absolutely devastated,” added friend Stevie Wheeler.

Mitchell said she will forever fondly remember Gardner and her smile.

“She smiles all the time. She laughs all the time. She’s just a real nice person,” she said.

“She’s always got a smile on her face. If a neighbor needs a hug, she’s there for a hug. If a neighbor needs help with something, she’ll organize,” Hornung added.

“It’s a terrible, destructive loss for our community,” added friend Michiel Kuhlken. “She was a superstar. There was no job too big or too small for her. Whatever she touched turned to gold.”

“Everyone, I think, is in shock,” Kuhlken added. “It’s just so hard to understand what happened.”

The investigation is ongoing.

 Four people were left critically injured after a car crashed through a Santee construction site, hitting concrete barriers and eventually smashing into a concrete box, officials said.

The crash happened at 1:14 a.m. early Sunday when Santee officials received a report of a crash at Princess Joann Road at Ironwood Avenue.

When Sheriff’s officials arrived, they found Good Samaritans helping two men pulled from the wreckage, suffering from serious injuries.

Two other men were still stuck in the Chrystler, unconscious but breathing. Fire Department paramedics helped free the two men trapped in the severely damaged car.

Two men were taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital and two went to Scripps Mercy Hospital.

None of the four drivers have been identified, but were in their late teens to early 20s.

The crash is under investigation, but officials said the preliminary investigation indicates speed was a factor.

No further information was immediately available.

Fifteen-year-old Lauren Mullins is facing an extremely rare diagnosis for a young woman: colon cancer. As the San Diego teenager fights the disease, she will, at least, have a beautiful sanctuary in which to recover.

A new organization called "Savvy Giving By Design" is helping children like Lauren in their fight with life-threatening illnesses by giving their bedrooms dramatic makeovers. Founder Susan Wintersteen has already remodeled several rooms in the past year.

The room "reveals" usually come with tears of joy, and life changing results.

"By making their surroundings beautiful, as well as functional, we give them the optimal tools for recovery," Wintersteen told NBC 7 San Diego. "We want them to wake up every morning and look around their space, and feel loved and beautiful. "

She also calls the remodeling process a "design distraction," helping the kids think about something other than their treatment

"Cancer takes away so many things, I am hoping that through this gift, Lauren will have something positive to look forward to," said Lauren's mom, Jen Mullins.

Her mom describes Lauren as a typical, fun-loving teenanger who loves horseback riding. Lauren's typical life took a sharp turn, however, the day her school's nurse called her parents and asked them to pick her up because she was complaining of abdominal pain.

At first, doctors discovered a kidney problem. But after surgeries to repair it, something was still wrong. She was finally diagnosed with multiple tumors in her colon and tested positive for a rare genetic abnormality called Constitutional Mismatch Repair Deficiency Syndrome. It puts her at high risk for developing multiple types of cancer in her lifetime.

"Susan and her team are providing us with such an over the top gift. When your child is diagnosed with an illness like cancer you basically go on auto pilot," Mullins said, "So when someone offers you something so generous that is not a basic need or basic expense, and you know the impact of that gift will be long lasting for your family, that is such a huge blessing."

Savvy Giving By Design raises money to complete the makeovers on a GoFundMe page, including the latest one set up for Lauren's room.

Savvy Giving By Design's Inception

Wintersteen is a mother of five girls, and runs a home remodeling business and a retail showroom in North County San Diego with her husband.

She got the idea for Savvy Giving By Design in 2015, after a friend introduced her to a 13-year-old girl named Kasey Harvey. Kasey had a rare and aggressive cancer called Rhabdomyosarcoma. Wintersteen wanted to help, but said she couldn't really contribute to the community effort to make meals for the Harvey family. She said she's a terrible cook, so she used her design skills instead.

Savvy Giving By Design worked to create a better functioning room for Kasey by painting the walls, wallpapering the ceiling, replacing the floors and lighting and bringing in new furniture.

Kasey's mom Susan said her daughter spent the year of her treatment in that new room, recovering from the side effects of chemotherapy.

"She was a very sick girl for the entire year and having a beautiful and clean room helped with the many many hours she spent in there," Susan Harvey told NBC7.

Kasey is now in remission.

"To see people, strangers donating their money, time and expertise made you realize you had an army behind you," said Harvey, "The love that was poured onto my child and our whole family during this time was amazing."

Luke's New Space

Savvy Giving By Design is in the process of becoming designated as a non-profit. Wintersteen hopes to raise more money and donations from companies in order to remodel more rooms.

In addition to Kasey, she has also made over a rooms for 11-year-old Madi and 10-year-old Luke.

Like a lot of kids, Luke loves Minecraft, pizza and churros. But the young Vista boy has conquered something most have never even heard of: osteosarcoma, a kind of bone cancer.

What began as nose bleeds in 2014 turned out to be a tumor pressing on his left eye, skull base and left sinus. He spent an entire Christmas holiday in the hospital, then faced 10 months of chemotherapy.

Savvy Giving By Design designed the bedroom in which Luke would recover to fit his love of gaming, complete with a custom built entertainment unit and gaming chairs.

"The people at Savvy truly have a heart for creating a space for kids that helps them heal," said his mom, Michelle Sybert, "Luke told me, the day his room was completed. "Mommy, this is officially the best day ever!"

When Luke's room was finished, he slept in his own room for the first time in 10 months.

"It was an incredible wonderful moment to know that he could sleep in his own bed," Sybert told NBC7.

Makeovers For Siblings

Another big part of the projects is doing a mini room makeover for siblings.

"They are "stuck" between being worried and feeling left out," Wintersteen explained.

Luke's older sister Kya got a custom room built around her artistic talents.

"Often times, siblings get overlooked and shuffled around when their brother or sister is in treatment," said Sybert. "Kya was able to take part in choosing her room colors and sharing what she liked with the team. "

Lauren's older brother Ty will be part of the upcoming makeover process for his sister.

"Hopefully this will also become a space for him to unwind, as cancer doesn't just effect the patient, watching his sister go through everything has had a huge impact on him," Mullins said.

The plans for remodeling Ty and Lauren's rooms are now well underway, and should be complete in the upcoming months. if you'd like to contribute, you can visit the GoFundMe page by clicking here.

"It's overwhelming to really think that someone would do this for us," Mullins said. "We've lost ourselves in this last year and I'm hoping you help us find the inspiration to make our house a home again. 

A Virgin Airways plane headed to New York returned to London after it was hit by a laser strike, NBC News reported.

Heathrow Airport told NBC News that Virgin Flight 25 returned because of a “medical emergency involving the pilot.”

London Police said there were no arrests made in the incident.
 

Dozens of people were trapped Sunday on a tram at Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire.

Mountain officials confirmed that 48 people were in the tram suspended in the air of the Franconia ski area.

All of the passengers were evacuated.

According to Cannon Mountain, a service brake issue caused the tram to stop at 1:50 p.m. At 3:20 p.m., officials decided to make the evacuations.

Cell phone video sent to necn by Britnee Rhoades shows people being rescued from one of the stuck trams

"The tram stopped suddenly so it was definitely an e-brake stop, and it swung like I've never swung on that tram before," said Jeremy Fishel, who was on the lower tram..

Fishel is a season pass holder at Cannon Mountain. He says there was not panic. In fact, the head of lift operations happened to be on the tram, as well. She told the skiers they hoped to get it moving again quickly with an auxiliary motor.

But after about an hour, they decided to get the people off. Cannon Mountain marketing director Gregory Keeler says the trams have equipment to do that.

"There's a door at the bottom in the middle of the car that opens up," he told necn. "A rope gets put up to the top or down from the car and it's attached to a sling and we essentially lower people down on a sling. Sort of a belay system."

"They had one harness that was lowered down, and as that was being lowered down, there was a bucket that would go up and then somebody would get in the bucket," Fishel explained. "The bucket would go down, the harness would go back up."

He says it only took about five seconds to lower each person the approximately 40 feet to the ground where emergency personnel waited to check everyone out.

"There were no injuries reported," Keeler said. "Some cold feet, but not even any frostbite reported."

The tramway was expected to be closed until 8:15 a.m. Monday.

No one was injured or sickened. The mountain says it provided food, drinks and blankets to the passengers once they were freed from the tram.

Stay with necn as this story develops.

Cold weather records across the Northeast were shattered on Valentine's Day after the polar jet stream shot a mass of Canadian arctic air south. Warmer temperatures are expected Monday — but so is more hazardous weather, with snow, freezing rain and some potential flooding on the way.

Sunday began with bone-chilling lows: In Boston, thermometers dipped to minus 9 degrees — the coldest day since Jan. 15, 1957, according to The Weather Channel — while in New York City, Central Park registered minus 1, the lowest reading in 22 years.

So it went from Newark, New Jersey, to Hartford, Connecticut, to Watertown, New York, where temperatures plunged to a staggering (and all-time record) minus 37 degrees. Across much of the region, the wind chill drove thermometers down even further.

In Boston, the cold damaged subway lines, cracking one and sending others out of alignment. At Logan Airport, more than 200 flights were delayed because of "minor problems with ground equipment," officials said.
 

More than 140 firefighters were battling a "massive" fire at a multi-story home in Brooklyn Sunday night into Monday morning, the FDNY said. 

"I look out the window and it was all red," one resident named Steve said. "Fire coming out of the backyard, the whole building looked on fire." 

Images from the fire in Greenpoint showed the residential building totally engulfed in flames. 

"You could see the embers in the air, it was just like swirling. I guess the wind was carrying it. Then the fire just kept growing and growing," Jill Checker, who was cat-sitting next door, said. 

Four people, including two firemen, suffered minor injuries in the blaze, which began sometime before 11 p.m., according to fire officials. 

The first started at 47 Diamond St. and spread to two adjacent buildings. 

"They said everyone should move back because there was this popping noise. Things were exploding," Checker said, adding that there were lights flickering like firecrackers as the fire took off.

When Checker realized the neighboring building was on fire, she went back into the home where she was cat-sitting and got Larry the cat, who was not injured. 

"I was worried about the smoke so I went back for the cat," Checker said. 

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A fire official said that all three buildings were damaged and would have to be demolished. He didn't know how many people were forced out of their homes by the fire, but said that all three buildings had been occupied. 

The FDNY tweeted just before 1:30 a.m. that they had the inferno under control.

Fire trucks were lined up down Diamond Street, between Nassau and Driggs avenues, into Monday morning. 

The street was like an ice skating rink early Monday from all the water used to extinguish the fire.

Two salt trucks were nearby, apparently to salt the slippery street. 

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The Albion SC Pros stopped by NBC 7 SportsWrap to introduce themselves to San Diego and let viewers know what to expect at their matches this season.

On their website it states that “The mission of ALBION PROS is to represent San Diego on the professional national soccer scene while embracing people’s passion for the game in a way that is uniquely San Diegan.”

Albion SC Pros will join the National Premier Soccer League’s West Region’s Southwest Conference this season. Even though this is their first season on a professional level, the club has a reputation of success.

The organization is well known for developing national champions and through the Puma Elite Program, has a partnership with one of the top clubs in the English Premier League, Arsenal FC.

The Albion SC Pros kick off their inaugural season in the NPSL on Saturday March, 5th at Mission Bay High School at 5 p.m. You can go to www.ALBIONSCPROS.COM for more information.
 

Sen. John McCain wants President Barack Obama to release the findings of an investigation into the Iranian detention of 10 U.S. sailors and he said he's willing to subpoena the sailors if the information on what happened during the brief detention was not released.

"It's an option that I do not want to exercise," McCain, R-Arizona, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, told reporters as he was returning to the United States from an international security conference in Germany.

The sailors were detained by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after their two patrol boats strayed into Iranian waters on Jan. 12. U.S. officials later blamed a navigational problem.The Americans were soon freed but just what took place isn't known, NBC News reported.

Bahrain has arrested four Americans, three men and one woman, during violent protests marking the anniversary of the kingdom's 2011 uprising, officials said Monday, NBC News reported. 

Bahrain's interior ministry said one of the Americans was wearing a mask and joining "rioters" in attacks on police. All four gave "false" information that they were tourists and were detained in the same area, the ministry added in a statement. The ministry said "at least some" were acting as journalists but hadn't registered with the necessary authorities. 

According to The Assocaited Press, the four Americans arrived in Bahrain last week and were journalists covering the anniversary of the uprising. 

The U.S. Embassy in Manama said in a statement Monday it was "aware of the arrest of four U.S. citizens in Bahrain" on Sunday but that it could not discuss the case due to privacy concerns.

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who passed away Saturday morning, made several trips to the University of San Diego over the course of his career. Many of the professors who met him expressed their sadness Saturday at losing such a brilliant legal mind and dear friend.

USD law professor Mike Devitt said Justice Scalia always took time to visit his law class and even judged several law competitions. Devitt and Scalia even went fishing together.

“He was very committed to his principles and he would have candid, frank question and answers with my students that I think will last forever,” Devitt told NBC 7.

He remembers him as a witty, brilliant and thoughtful man. Devitt said he hoped the political process moving forward would not obscure the justice’s death and his legacy.

He said people don’t always have to agree with his opinions to know he was a great man who did a lot for his country.

Legal analyst Dan Eaton said the justice’s death throws everything out of whack.

“Justice Scalia’s death has two effects: one that Supreme Court decisions that were going to come down five to four are now all of a sudden four to four, which means there’s no decision.

Secondly, it puts the Supreme Court front and center in the presidential election. This is a big deal both for the development of the law and politics as we know it. Everything has just changed.”