Mourners saluted from freeway overpasses and lined Southern California streets Wednesday morning as a memorial procession for former first lady Nancy Reagan traveled to the Reagan Library, where a funeral service is scheduled for Friday.

Thousands are expected to trek to Simi Valley, California, through Thursday to pay their final respects to Reagan, who died in Bel Air Sunday at age 94. The former first lady will lie in repose at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum from 1 to 7 p.m. and again from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday.

Her casket was taken from a Santa Monica funeral home in a motorcade Wednesday morning to the Library, about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles, where it will remain for the public viewing. Firefighters, police officers and others saluated the motorcade as it passed below several freeway overpasses during the journey north through West Los Angeles, into the San Fernando Valley and west to Simi Valley.

Eight U.S. Secret Service agents served as pallbearers. Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Kinnersley was assigned to President Ronald Reagan after he left office, according to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation. The seven others all served Nancy Reagan in the past: Supervisory Special Officer Christopher Cousino and special agents Thomas Feuerborn, Tim Yoshitake, Cory Chhiap, Steven Kulpaca, Nathan Judd and Melanie Lentz.

People hoping to view the casket will not be able to drive to the museum but will have to park at the former Bank of America property at 400 National Way in Simi Valley and take a shuttle.

Ronald Reagan Foundation officials noted that security will be tight and advised people not to bring large bags, cameras or strollers. Gifts and flowers will only be accepted at the bottom of Presidential Drive and at the shuttle pickup location.

According to the foundation, Nancy Reagan requested that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the Ronald Reagan Memorial Fund at www.reaganlibrary.com.

The Reagan library will remain closed to the general public until 10 a.m. Sunday.

There's no estimate of how many people will attend during the two-day visitation, but the museum is bracing for large crowds since Nancy Reagan's funeral service at 11 a.m. Friday will be closed to the public.

A trio of former first ladies, including Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, are among those expected to attend Friday's funeral service, along with current first lady Michelle Obama, although President Barack Obama is not expected to be there. He is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech at South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, on March 11 and Michelle Obama was scheduled to speak there on March 16. 

"Mrs. Reagan was a woman of incredible strength and grace and she was a passionate advocate for so many important issues," Michelle Obama said Tuesday. 

"For the example she set both during her time in the White House and beyond, Mrs. Reagan reminded us of the importance of women's leadership at every level of society. And on a personal note, Mrs. Reagan also understood the value of mentoring," she said.

"She warmly and willingly offered advice and encouragement to me as I settled in to my role as first lady, and I am so grateful for her kindness and generosity to me and my family over the years."

Clinton campaign spokesman Nick Merrill wrote on his Twitter account Tuesday that Hillary Clinton "is going to drop off the (campaign) trail briefly on Friday to attend Nancy Reagan's funeral services in California."

Former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, are also expected to attend, along with former first lady Rosalynn Carter, according to officials at the Reagan Library.

Former President Lyndon Johnson's daughters, Luci and Lynda, are expected to attend, along with Tricia Nixon Cox, a daughter of President Richard Nixon.

Nancy Reagan will be buried next to her husband, the 40th president, with whom she had a love affair spanning five decades.

U.S. flags on public buildings across the country -- and at the Reagan\ Library -- were lowered to half-staff in her memory Monday, following a directive from the president.

A fierce protector of her husband's presidential legacy, the woman behind the "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign and the first lady known for tasteful glamour at the White House, Nancy Reagan died of congestive heart failure while asleep at the Bel Air home where she had lived since 1989, Ronald Reagan Foundation spokeswoman Joanne Drake said.

The Reagans were married in March 1952 and purchased a home in Pacific Palisades, where they lived until a move to Sacramento in 1966. They had two children together, Patti and Ron Jr., and she also helped raise Ronald Reagan's two children with his first wife, Jane Wyman.

Ronald and Nancy Reagan were both actors, but "Hellcats Of the Navy" in 1957 was the only movie in which they appeared together, although she continued to act in TV and minor movie roles.

Her biggest roles, however, were not on the screen, but as Ronald Reagan's adviser, counselor and protector when he was in public life, and later, as his chief caregiver after he became stricken by Alzheimer's disease.

Reagan died in June 2004.

Reagan's daughter, Patti Davis, said in a statement on her website that her mother "had been in poor health for quite a while, and recently had gotten markedly worse, so this wasn't a surprise."

"That said, death always feels like a surprise," she said. "I appreciate the attention and prayers of people I will probably never meet. Just as when my father died, there is comfort in feeling surrounded by gentle thoughts and kind wishes, often sent out by strangers.

"And just as when my father died, we will honor my mother publicly -- stand on the public stage and share as much as we can. Then, when that is completed, we'll draw the circle in a little tighter and deal with the often complicated map of personal loss."

Eleven people died from influenza last week in San Diego County, health officials reported Wednesday.

Still, officials with the county’s Health and Human Services Agency said flu numbers are actually down compared to last year.

Twenty-six San Diego residents have died from influenza, down from 84 at this time last year.

Those who have died range from 41 to 95 years old and four of them did not have any underlying medical conditions.

Also, the total number of flu cases dropped for the first time last week after several weeks that saw an increase, health officials said.

In total, there have been 4,484 influenza cases this year, compared to 6,238 last season.

To avoid spreading the flu, health officials recommend washing your hands often, using hand sanitizers, avoid touching your face and cleaning commonly touched surfaces.

One man riding a bicycle and wearing earbuds was struck and killed by the San Diego Trolley in Barrio Logan early Wednesday.  

An MTS trolley struck the man on his bike just before 6 a.m.at Harbor Drive and Sampson Street.

The cyclist tried to clear the tracks while the crossing arms were moving and alarms were ringing, witnesses told police.

The southbound trolley had cleared the intersection but it appears the bicyclist didn't see or hear the northbound train, police said.

The cyclist flew several feet and hit a pole.

Witnesses tried CPR on the man but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

San Diego Police Officers say the trolley was full of passengers who might have witnessed the crash.

The cyclist was a man in his late 20s or early 30s who was wearing earbuds at the time of the crash, SDPD Lt. Eric Hays told NBC 7.

He may be an employee of a business in the area, Hays said.

Police say there is video of the collision from the trolley which they will look over to investigate.

Meanwhile, they have identified the victim but won't release his name until notifying his family.

Beer drinkers, beware.

Constellation Brands Beer Division announced a voluntary recall of select Corona Extra 12-packs and 18-packs that may contain small glass particles. The affected beer product was distributed in the United States.

The vast majority of Corona Extra products are not affected by this recall, according to Constellation Brands, and no injuries have been reported.

The company estimates the issue to affect about 1 in every 5,000 bottles, impacting less than one-tenth of one percent of Corona Extra 12-ounce clear bottles in the marketplace.

Consumers may check the 8-digit alphanumeric code printed on the side panels of the cardboard cartons of 12-packs and 18-packs, and on the necks of Corona Extra 12-ounce bottles, to determine if their products are part of the recall. The list of production codes that are part of the recall are listed here.

Constellation Brands Beer Division says do not consume the product if your Corona Extra is a part of the recall. 

For more information and to submit for reimbursement, contact the Corona Extra consumer call center at 866-204-9407 or report the product recall here.

This is the second recall of Corona Extra in two years due to potential hazardous glass particles. A similar voluntarily recall was announced in August 2014.

A online post bragging about the rape of an unconscious and intoxicated woman has led to two guilty pleas, according to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.

Jonas Isaac Dick pleaded guilty to one felony count of rape of an unconscious person. He will be sentenced March 25. Sentencing range is mandatory between five and eight years in state prison. He must register as a sex offender.

Jason Berlin pleaded guilty to one felony count of rape of an intoxicated person. Sentencing is set for May.

These developments are in connection with an incident that happened in October 2013, prosecutors told NBC 7.

Dick and Berlin blogged about the attack on a San Diego-based website that claimed to teach men how to meet, seduce and sleep with women in one night,  according to the initial complaint.

Court documents obtained exclusively by NBC 7 San Diego allege, around October 13-14, 2013, the men met the intoxicated woman and agreed to go back to one of their residences located in the Gaslamp Quarter.

There, according to court records, the woman’s friend found the victim unconscious, face down on a bed and surrounded by vomit with two of the defendants nude around her.

The friend dragged the woman from the room and the two reported what happened to San Diego Police, according to the complaint.

A third defendant, Alexander Markham Smith, 26, has pleaded not guilty to one count of rape of an intoxicated person and one count of rape of an unconscious person.

According to a police investigator, “The next day Smith blogged about the incident, touting his sexual prowess. Berlin confessed to engaging in sex with a female who moments before vomited. He chronicled the incident with great detail implicating himself, Smith and Dick.”

Police claim they found “hundreds of pornographic photographs and videos…several of nude women asleep or unconscious” on Smith’s phone.

Smith’s trial will begin April 4.

Jobs in technology, law, finance and healthcare command the highest salaries, according to a new roundup of the 25 best-paying positions by job search site Glassdoor.

Physicians make the most, with a median annual salary of $180,000. Lawyer and research and development manager come int at numbers two and three, with median annual salaries of $144,500 and $142,120, respectively.

Jobs that call on science, technology, engineering or math skills dominate, but the list also includes some outliers such as creative director, engagement manager and design manager. 

When Kendal Oliver booked an appointment at a Southern California barbershop to have his hair cut, the Army veteran who served six years in Afghanistan didn't expect to be turned away.

Oliver, who said he identifies as "more of a man than a woman, was refused service by The Barbershop in Rancho Cucamonga.

"I have religious convictions that prevent me from cutting women's hair," said owner Richard Hernandez.

Hernandez said he belongs to the Church of God and his religious beliefs do not allow him to cut any woman's hair, even if they identify themselves as a man.

"I identify as male, I just feel more comfortable with that way... They said, 'It doesn't matter ma'am, we still won't cut a woman's hair,'" Oliver said.

It's the reason why every customer in the barber chair at the shop is a man, according to Hernandez. 

"People go against what God has created, you start getting everything all out of whack," he said. "It's a shame for a man to have long hair, but if a woman has long hair, it's her glory and it speaks to being given to her as her covering, and I don't want to be one who is taking away from her glory."

Oliver didn't agree with Hernandez's decision.

"I don't see how that should affect a business. I'm a customer here, you provide a service, and everyone is entitled to that service," Oliver said.

Oliver said the barbershop owner's policy is wrong.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination by privately-owned places of public accommodation on the basis of race, color, religion, and national origin. In addition, California's Unruh Civil Rights Act covers gender and sexual orientation.

Hernandez and Oliver had a civil discussion outside of the business, but disagreed.

"These are my religious convictions and they would violate my conscience," Hernandez told Oliver.

"It's hurtful, it's embarrassing," Oliver said in response. 

NBC4 contacted the Church of God, and there are several variations across the country.  Hernandez's church in Upland did not return NBC4's calls, however the church of God in Garden Grove did return calls and said there was no doctrine that does not allow a man to cut a woman's hair in their church.

A husband and wife being held hostage by a suspected murderer fatally shot him Thursday morning - ending the multi-agency manhunt for the armed and dangerous felon, police said. 

The intruder, Rafael McCloud, 34, broke into the home and struggled with the couple for hours before they somehow managed to shoot him, NBC News reported.

McCloud escaped from the Warren County jail by overcoming an officer with a homemade shank on March 2. He faced capital murder charges in the kidnapping and slaying of 69-year-old Sharon Wilson .

An El Cajon police officer is recovering in the hospital after a serious car accident early Thursday.

The collision at Mollison and Main happened just before 2 a.m. while the officer was on duty.

There were reports that the officer was rear-ended by another driver while waiting at a stop light.

The extent of the officer’s injuries are unknown.

No further information was immediately available.

Refresh this page for updates on this breaking news story.

A koala in a Los Angeles Zoo enclosure was mauled to death, and the beloved Griffith Park mountain lion P-22 is believed to be the animal responsible, the zoo's director said Wednesday.

The koala caretakers were doing a head count last Thursday and discovered one was missing.
As they searched the area, they found a tuft of hair.

Hours later, zoo workers discovered the body of a 14-year-old female koala about 400 yards away, John Lewis, director of the Los Angeles Zoo, said.

A month before, zoo workers were reviewing surveillance footage that monitors outside wildlife, and were surprised at what they saw.

"We were actually looking for bobcats, and what we found on that night was P-22," Lewis said. "That was the first time we knew he was getting into the zoo."

After reviewing the footage the night that the koala was killed, they saw P-22. 

The mountain lion is believed to have been born in the Santa Monica Mountains and made the trek across the 405 and 101 Freeways to the Griffith Park wilderness.

"We don't know how he's getting in or how he's getting out [of the zoo], but he was also seen the night the koala disappeared," Lewis said.

Lewis said P-22 has not killed zoo animals before, and is believed to have been eating raccoons that get inside the zoo.

Zoo workers were taking extra precautions after the incident, like locking up smaller animals in their barns at night.

"The koalas are all off exhibit. They're in a safe place," Lewis said.

Despite the sad news of the koala's death, Lewis said he doesn't believe P-22 should be moved from his home in the wilderness of Griffith Park.

"There's a lot of native wildlife in this area. This is their home," Lewis said. "So we'll learn to adapt to P-22 just like he's learned to adapt to us."

The office of LA Mayor Eric Garcetti released a statement to NBC4 via email regarding the incident.

"Unfortunately, these types of incidents happen when we have a zoo in such close proximity to one of the largest urban parks in the country," Barbara Romero, deputy mayor for city services, said. "We are investigating the circumstances of the koala's disappearance but in the meantime, we are taking action to ensure that all of our animals are safe. The koalas have been removed from their public habitats for now and other animals are being moved to their night quarters when the zoo closes."

Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell said that P-22 should perhaps be resettled as his interactions with the city and residents become more frequent.

"Regardless of what predator killed the koala, this tragedy just emphasizes the need to contemplate relocating P-22 to a safer, more remote wild area where he has adequate space to roam without the possibility of human interaction," O'Farrell said. "P-22 is maturing, will continue to wander, and runs the risk of a fatal freeway crossing as he searches for a mate. As much as we love P-22 at Griffith Park, we know the park is not ultimately suitable for him. We should consider resettling him in the environment he needs."

"This is not a situation where we can get rid of the native wildlife and not expect this to happen again," Kate Kuykendall of the National Park Service said.

This wasn't the first time the beloved mountain lion was in a place where some believe he shouldn't be. P-22 was spotted in a Hollywood Hills backyard in November.

A second day of mourning at the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum began Thursday with long lines as visitors honored former first lady Nancy Reagan one day before her funeral at the hillside property northwest of Los Angeles.

Library visitors walked quietly in a circle around Reagan's casket, brought to the lobby Wednesday and covered in white roses and peonies -- her favorite flower. Officials said they were surprised by Wednesday's public viewing turnout and started with four buses each carrying 50 passengers from the guest lot to the presidential library, but within a matter of hours had grown to nearly a thousand. Officials added a dozen additional buses to shuttle passengers.

A similar crowd is expected Thursday.

Many visitors came and recalled fond memories of living through the Reagan era and the couple's mark on American history.

"The end of the greatest generation to me. It's like my dad, my parents, my aunts, my uncles," said  Snooky O'Leary of Simi Valley.

Roy Dillard drove more than 100 miles with two of his daughters and his 3-year-old great-granddaughter to pay their respects. Dillard's daughter Bobbie Eldridge said she admired how the first lady "stood by her man, the great and beautiful love that they had and how she became his caretaker" in old age. She and her 80-year-old father drove from Bakersfield to the library in Simi Valley.

Retired teacher Mary Ellen Gruendyke drove nearly as far from her Riverside home, appearing with a colorful Ronald Reagan souvenir scarf around her neck.

"Ronald Reagan was one of the best presidents we've ever had," Gruendyke said, "and I admired them both as a couple for their love story and the support they showed to each other."

Many cited that love story as most in their thoughts as they stood at the casket, including Daniel Blatt of West Hollywood, who left in tears after paying his respects.

"He wouldn't have been anything without her by his side," Blatt said.

Reagan, who died in her sleep in her Bel Air home of congestive heart failure at the age of 94 on Sunday, will be interred in front of invited guests in a ceremony scheduled to start at 11 a.m. Friday. The Reagan library will remain closed to the general public until 10 a.m. this Sunday.

The one-time actress and former first lady helped plan many of the details of her memorial and funeral service, from the pallbearers to the guest list to the exact location of her interment at her husband's side.

A trio of former first ladies, including Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, are expected to attend the service, along with current first lady Michelle Obama, although President Barack Obama is not expected to be there.

Former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, are expected, along with former first lady Rosalynn Carter, according to Reagan Library officials. Tricia Nixon Cox, a daughter of President Richard Nixon, is also expected.

Other expected guests, according to the Reagan Foundation, are Capt. Christopher Bolt, the commander of the USS Ronald Reagan; Katie Couric; Sam Donaldson; Chris Matthews; Newt and Callista Gingrich; Wayne Newton; Anjelica Huston; Melissa Rivers; Tina Sinatra; and Mr. T, the burly actor who took an active role in Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign in the 1980s.

Beginning at 1 p.m. Wednesday, doors to the museum were opened for people to view the casket, which was placed on a pedestal in the lobby, draped with yellow flowers and encircled by black velvet ropes.

During Wednesday's visitation, 65-year-old Los Angeles Times photographer Ricardo DeAratanha was arrested on suspicion of resisting and obstructing a law enforcement officer, a misdemeanor, while transmitting photographs of the funeral motorcade, the newspaper reported today.

Simi Valley police said he refused to identify himself and balked at providing identification, but the photographer's attorney denied it, saying DeAratanha provided press credentials, including identification cards issued by The Times and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

The attorney said officers swarmed DeAratanha, threw him to the ground and cuffed him. He was later taken to a hospital, where he was treated for a sprained elbow, according to The Times.

Ronald Reagan Foundation officials, noting that tight security has been ordered, advised people not to bring large bags, cameras or strollers to the viewings. Gifts and flowers again will only be accepted today at the bottom of Presidential Drive and at the shuttle pickup location.

According to the Reagan Foundation, Nancy Reagan requested that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the Ronald Reagan Memorial Fund at www.reaganlibrary.com.

Until Wednesday morning, the casket was at the Gates, Kingsley & Gates Moeller Murphy funeral home in Santa Monica, where relatives gathered around 9 a.m. for a private service conducted by the Rev. Stuart A. Kenworthy, the vicar of Washington National Cathedral and the man who will lead Friday's funeral service. He was assisted by the Rev. Donn Moomaw, the Reagan's family minister.

Shortly before 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nancy Reagan's casket was placed in a large black hearse to begin the trek to the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. Her casket was attended by eight pallbearers -- all U.S. Secret Service agents who worked for her or her husband over the years.  

As the motorcade made its way north on the San Diego (405) Freeway, onlookers could be seen on overpasses to watch the procession below. The Los Angeles Fire Department displayed large American flags at a pair of locations along the route. When the motorcade transitioned to the westbound Ronald Reagan (118) Freeway, about a dozen LAFD firefighters stood at attention along the shoulder of the roadway and saluted as the hearse passed.

Nancy Reagan was the woman behind the "Just Say No" campaign and a first lady known for adding glamour to the White House.

The Reagans were married in March 1952 and lived in Pacific Palisades until they moved to Sacramento in 1966. They had two children together, Patti and Ron Jr., and she also helped raise Ronald Reagan's two children with his first wife, Jane Wyman.

Ronald and Nancy Reagan were both actors, but "Hellcats Of the Navy" in 1957 was the only movie in which they appeared together, although she later continued to act in TV and minor movie roles.

Her biggest roles, however, were not on the screen, but as Ronald Reagan's adviser, counselor and fierce protector when he was in public life, and later, as his chief caregiver after he became stricken by Alzheimer's disease. Reagan died in June 2004.

City News Service and Annette Arreola contributed to this report.

The Parking Advisory Committee will meet Thursday evening to discuss paying for permits and metered parking in Pacific Beach.

The meeting, which is open to the community, will be at the Pacific Beach Rec Center on Diamond Street at 6 p.m.

Critics of the proposal say Discover PB, who is heading the proposal, is falsely claiming to speak on behalf of the residents.

At the meeting residents can share their thoughts and opinions about the proposal.

Two inmates escaped while being transferred to a New Mexico prison, leading to a manhunt, NBC News reported.

Joseph Cruz, 32, and Lionel Clah, 29, and three other inmates were being transported from the Penitentiary of New Mexico toward the Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility when they fled, officials said in a statement on Thursday.

The state correctional department said they may have escaped between Roswell, New Mexico, and Las Cruces. It appeared corrections officers didn’t check on the prisoners during two stops.

Cruz was convicted of murder. Clah was convicted of armed robbery with a deadly weapon in 2006. Both men were fully shackled with leg irons, belly chains and handcuffs. They’re believed to be wearing white paper transport suits.  

Both were spotted on surveillance video in Albuquerque, where police have set up a perimeter. 

 San Diego Sheriff's deputies are searching for a domestic violence suspect who fled from deputies. 

Deputies were called out to the 300 block of N Emerald at approximately 3:09 p.m. for a report of domestic violence, Sheriff's officials said. 

When they arrived, the suspect fled. 

Sheriff's officials have set up a perimeter and are searching for the suspect. As of 4:25 p.m., he was not in custody. 

No further information was immediately available.

Thousands of eucalyptus trees dot San Diego County, and with them, come hazards.

After a storm moved through the region on Monday, a eucalyptus snapped in Rancho Bernardo and another one fell off Carroll Canyon Road at Interstate 15.

And on Wednesday afternoon, a Miramar Ranch Elementary School teacher was hit by a falling tree branch, suffering serious injuries.

The culprit behind the withering trees was a pest infestation four years by the Lerp Syllid that took a toll on the tree species.

Still, the city’s urban forester said this is not an issue specific to eucalyptus trees. He said trees fail for a variety of reasons, such as poor branch structure or decay.

Rain and strong winds certainly played a factor, and officials said the city has increased its pruning budget and arborists are looking for any signs of trouble.

"When you see trees look very sparse up top. When the leaves look very small and withered, that's not a good sign," said Jeff Nelson of South Coast Tree Service.

So are residents concerned being in the area of these trees?

Several Scripps Ranch residents told NBC 7 they weren’t worried about the trees causing damage.

“I realize that every time we do have a storm here, there are definitely trees that fall here,” said Scripps Ranch resident Abbie Whynot, who brought her young children to Hoyt Park on Thursday. “But I don’t personally feel it’s a danger to myself or my kids.”

A group of neighbors in Scripps Ranch, however, recently chipped in to cut back eucalyptus trees in their yards because the trees were posing a fire hazard.

Several community leaders protested at the trial of Robert Branch at the Hall of Justice Thursday.

Branch recorded cellphone video of a May 2015 traffic stop claiming that the detective, who was not in uniform and was driving an unmarked car, did not identify himself and began to choke him for no reason.

The prosecution alleged in December Branch was resisting arrest  and threatened the officer with tear gas during the incident in Del Cerro.

Deputy District Attorney (DDA) Michael Runyon said the altercation started well before Branch began recording, “when the defendant almost struck his vehicle due to his speeding and erratic driving.” At that point, the detective began to follow him Runyon said in court previously.

Rev. Shane Harris and the National Action Network led about a dozen protesters one day before a preliminary exam for Branch who is the defendant.

The protesters said they are concerned about District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis’ stance on some issues in the minority community and the criminalization of communities of color.

The rally was held in front of the Hall of Justice Thursday afternoon. Branch is also suing the Sheriff's Department.

Rev. Harris is also calling for Dumanis to release the tapes from a fight at Lincoln Park High School on February 26 in which police had to intervene.
 

Torrential rainfall in the South has forced thousands of residents to flee their homes and head for higher ground, NBC News reported.

Louisiana has been hit the worst — with 20 inches of rain in the city of Monroe and 16 inches in Shreveport. Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency in 22 parishes, deploying 750 members of the National Guard to help with evacuations. 

At least three people have been killed in Louisiana since the heavy rain began and more than 3,500 people have been evacuated. Two other people, in Oklahoma and Texas, also died in storm-related drownings.

More rain is expected for Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, according to the National Weather Service.

San Diego’s staple southern spot, Phil’s BBQ, grabbed the No. 1 spot in a list of USA Today’s 10 Best Airport Bars and Restaurants for Atmosphere.

Not that we’re surprised. The well-known eatery has boasted spots in many rankings and is a local favorite, with several locations in addition to San Diego International Airport.

The ranking takes into account atmosphere, design and “layouts to promote relaxation.” USA Today polled readers online over the course of a month and voters were allowed to pick their favorite restaurant once a day.

Other West Coast winners include Cafeteria 15L at Sacramento International Airport, Timber Ridge at Reno-Tahoe International Airport and Sammy’s Beach Bar & Grill at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.

Phil’s BBQ wasn’t the only standout on USA Today’s roundup of “10Best.” PGA Tour Grill ranked No. 9 on a similar list of 10 Best Restaurants for Sitdown Dining.

The airport as a whole also took the No. 9 spot for best airport shopping.

Well that was stressful.

The top-seeded Aztecs dodged an upset bid by Utah State and escaped with a 71-65 quarterfinal victory in the Mountain West conference tournament.

The Aztecs trailed by five with six minutes remaining but rallied in the final minutes to avoid the upset.

Trey Kell led the Aztecs with 17 points.

The Saint Augustine product banked in a difficult layup to put SDSU up 63-61 with 46 seconds to play.

That basket came just moments after sophomore Malik Pope hit a crucial jumper in the paint to tie the game. 

Freshman Jeremy Hemsley came off the bench as he has for the last few weeks and contributed seven points, including three free throws down the stretch.

As a team, SDSU nailed eight of its last 10 attempts at the charity stripe to survive the nail-biter.

A loss to the Aggies would have been devastating for SDSU’s chances at making the NCAA tournament.

Only one team from the conference is expected to receive a bid to the Big Dance, and if the Aztecs do not secure the automatic bid by winning the tournament, they will likely be on the bubble.

There’s no guarantee the Aztecs will receive an at-large bid into the field of 68 without winning the conference tournament.

The most likely outcome in the event of a SDSU loss Friday or Saturday would be a trip to the NIT.

The Aztecs will face 5th-seeded Nevada Thursday in the semifinals. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. PT.

Nevada beat New Mexico 64-62 in their quartefinal matchup. The team is coached by University of San Diego alum Eric Musselman, who is in his first season as the leader of the Wolfpack.

A former volunteer who tutored at two Spring Valley schools was sentenced in court Thursday to 180 days on supervised electronic surveillance and ordered to register as a sex offender for possessing child pornography.

Gary Alan Dallman, 69, who pleaded guilty last month, was also placed on five years’ probation.

After obtaining a search warrant in October, detectives found child pornography stored on electronic devices at Dallman’s East County home.

A caregiver found the pornographic material last fall and alerted authorities according to officials.

Dallman was a tutor at Kempton Elementary School and La Presa Middle School Sheriff's Lt. Greg Rylaarsdam said.

The schools immediately terminated Dallman after finding out about the investigation Rylaarsdam explained.