Authorities say they still don't know what caused Wednesday night's blast at West Fertilizer Co. in West, Teas. At least 14 people died and more than 200 were injured, and the final report on the tragedy may take months.

Assistant Texas Fire Marshal Kelly Kistner says all fires have been extinguished at the explosion scene and the remaining fertilizer tanks are not a danger.

Kistner said the investigation into the cause of the blast is focused on the center of the explosion, a large crater at the center of the blast area.

West mayor pro tem Steve Vanek said the reentry process is going well and the city is waiting for Atmos gas line testing to clear the scene for phase two of reentry which will be from Walnut to Spring Streets. The third phase will include the area with the most destruction.

Public works and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality are still trying to restore water systems that are still not running in several places around the city. No one under the age of 18 is allowed into secure area for safety and access to the area is still limited to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. while the curfew remains in effect.

Meanwhile a memorial for first responders is planned for Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Ferrell Center at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

West Mayor Tommy Muska has said that 10 of the 14 who died were first responders, including one Dallas firefighter who was off-duty but responded to help.

First responders from across the state and nation are expected to attend the event.

"We're a family," said Joe Ondrasek with the honor guard. "We feel the loss."

There's no word ifPresident Barack Obama will attend the memorial. The president and first lady are scheduled to attend the opening of former President George W. Bush's presidential library at Southern Methodist University in Dallas on Thursday.

The blast in West has brought international condolences from the United Kingdom, Canada and Russia.

When asked about death toll, Vanek said the county judge would have the answer, he was not present at the Sunday morning news conference. The next news conference is planned for 4 p.m.

NBC 5's Keaton Fox and NBC News contributed to this report.

A camp ranger who was carjacked by rogue former Los Angeles police officer Christopher Dorner intends to sue the city to collect a $1 million reward offered for information leading to the fugitive's capture, his attorney said.

Rick Heltebrake, who works at a camp in Big Bear, is one of several people seeking the reward, including a couple that Dorner tied up as the former officer hid out in their nearby cabin.

The Los Angeles Police Department said it had a list of procedures for those seeking reward money offered during the manhunt. A panel of former judges will determine who gets the money.

However, the big payout, which was cobbled together from several, smaller contributions and rewards, has been shrinking in recent months because Dorner killed himself and was not captured.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and police Chief Charlie Beck announced the record-breaking reward during a massive manhunt for Dorner, who allegedly killed the daughter of a police officer, her fiance and a Riverside police officer.

Dorner, a former LAPD officer and U.S. Navy reservist, wrote a lengthy, online manifesto that claimed the LAPD falsely accused him of wrongdoing and unfairly fired him years earlier. He vowed to wage a war against police until his name was cleared.

While police scoured Southern California for any sign of Dorner, the ex-officer's burning truck turned up in the San Bernardino mountains near Big Bear Lake. Hundreds of officers descended on the small mountain town during a heavy snowstorm to search for him.

On Feb. 12, Jim and Karen Reynolds walked into their cabin to find Christopher Dorner holed up inside. He tied up the couple and left without harming them. Karen Reynolds was able to get to her cell phone and call 911.

Later that day, Dorner carjacked Heltebrake at gunpoint and took off in his truck. Heltebrake called a local sheriff's deputy to report the crime.

Authorities soon engaged Dorner in a gun battle, in which a San Bernardino County sheriff's deputy died and Dorner was driven into a cabin. The cabin caught fire when police lobbed in incendiary tear gas canisters, and Dorner reportedly turned his gun on himself.

“Mr. Heltebrake’s telephone call to Deputy Franklin notified law enforcement of Mr. Dorner’s location, provided a description of the vehicle he was fleeing in, and was a substantial factor in the capture of Mr. Dorner,” Allen L. Thomas, Heltebrake’s lawyer, wrote in a letter seeking the reward.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

San Diego police are asking for the public’s help to track down a man wanted for attempting to kidnap a woman near San Diego State University Sunday.

The woman told SDSU police that a man grabbed her arm and leg and tried to pull her toward a car in an alley on Montezuma Road around 2:45 a.m.

The woman got away without injury. She told police the man did not use a weapon.

The suspect was described by police as a tall, Asian male in his mid-20s, with spiked hair and glasses with black frames. He was wearing a white shirt with light-colored jeans according to police.

The suspect’s vehicle was described as a black, four-door BMW or Volkswagen sedan officials said.

Anyone with information is asked to call SDPD at 619-531-2900 or Crime Stoppers at 619-235-8477.
 

Hundreds of locals flocked to Chicano Park in Barrio Logan on Saturday for the 43rd Annual Chicano Park Day.

The event honored the history and legacy of Chicano Park, which was established by Chicano activists on April 22, 1970. This year, the park party held even greater significance since Chicano Park was recently landed a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.

The outdoor event featured live music, dancing, art, workshops, food, vendors and a car show boasting around 350 lowrider vehicles.

Victor Ochoa, Chicano Park muralist and member of the Chicano Park Steering Committee, told NBC 7 that organizers expected between 30,000 and 40,000 people to attend Saturday's party.

Ochoa said the annual celebration is a way to unite the Chicano community and celebrate Chicano heritage.

He says the significance – and authenticity – of Chicano Park is still as strong as it was when it was established more than four decades ago in San Diego’s Barrio Logan neighborhood.

“This is a community park that was taken over 43 years ago. In our surroundings, where things are always under gentrification, Chicano Park stands as a little part of our Barrio Logan community,” Ochoa told NBC 7.

“It feels like [Chicanos] are being recognized in this society,” he continued. “This is a place where we can feel proud of our heritage and our history. This park brings us home.”

To learn more about Chicano Park and Chicano Park Day, visit this website.
 

San Diego police officers are looking for the suspect in a series of carjackings after a man stole a vehicle in Pacific Beach and then tried to steal other cars in Kearny Mesa Saturday.

Real estate agent Martin Correia was picking up a sign in Pacific Beach when he tried to help someone who seemed to be having trouble

"He was going down the wrong road and uh looked like his car had stalled of some sort and I had offered said do you need any help," Correia said.

That's when Martin says the man jumped out of the car he was driving and into his black Mercedes. He turned to Martin and told him to get in the car too.

"He said ‘Jump in’ and I said, ‘No I'm not going to do that’ but I said ‘You do need to get out of the car it's going to be okay, I'm her to help you out.’ He goes ‘No, no I have to go,’" Correia recalled.

Martin said the suspect took off fishtailing. According to investigators the suspect drove to two different car dealerships in Kearny Mesa and demanded a car.

“This is a subject that attempted two armed carjackings, stole a car to begin with and attempted to steal three others  stating that he had a weapon," said SDPD Lt. Paul Rorrison.

Martin says the suspect was about 5'10 , was probably in his 20's and had longish, sandy, blond hair Police say he had also stolen the car he was driving before taking Correia's car.

The police did find evidence in the Mercedes and they say they're confident they will be able to identify him.
 

The horrific bombings at the Boston Marathon on Apr. 15 stopped many runners from completing the marathon, including San Diegan Richard Currier. But on Saturday, Currier finally finished his run.

Currier’s friends from a local running group called “In Motion Fit” decided to surprise him by finishing his final mile with him at Lake Murray in La Mesa.

The group hit the pavement in the morning for a run dubbed “Richard’s Final Mile” in support of their friend, who was unable to finish the Boston Marathon on Monday due to the terror attacks.

“We wanted him to feel the love and we wanted him to know that we are so proud of him,” said runner Katie Johnson.

Monday was the fourth time Currier had participated in the Boston Marathon. He missed finishing the marathon this time by just one mile.

“I’m very, very lucky to be here today,” he told NBC 7 on Saturday.

Currier says he ran the Boston Marathon slower than usual this year on purpose because he has another marathon coming up in Boston soon.

The decision to take it slow may have perhaps saved his life.

His running partners are thankful he’s okay and expressed their relief to him at Lake Murray.

“I’m really glad you didn’t have your best race because if you had your best race, you would have been there at the time the bombs went off,” runner Len Ackerman said to Currier.

With a sigh of relief and without Currier knowing it, his running group friends set up their very own version of the marathon's finish line.

“It was a real shock. I mean this is a great group,” said Currier.

And, when he finally crossed the finish line, everyone involved was overcome with happiness.

"[We felt] joy. I could see it in his face I knew that he appreciated us,” said Johnson.

Support like this is what their running group is all about.

Since Monday’s attacks, Currier says he’s been contemplating whether he’ll ever run the Boston Marathon again. But, based on Saturday’s run at Lake Murray, he says he just might.

Three people who bought tickets in Southern California scored big Lottery wins last week - including an Orange County man who won a $1 million prize.

However, no one hit the Powerball or MEGA Millions jackpots. The Powerball jackpot will increase to $116 million in the next drawing on Wednesday, while the MEGA Millions jackpot will be $92 million in the Tuesday draw, according to lottery officials.

A $205,000 MEGA Millions prize still has yet to be claimed, officials said; someone bought the winning ticket at Mario's Liquor in Los Angeles (map).

The state's first million-dollar Powerball winner was Orange County resident Tom Ngumi, according to California Lottery officials. He bought his ticket at King 17 Food Store in Buena Park (map).

Shane Hayden, owner of Shaneco Plumbing & Rooter, bought a Fantasy 5 ticket at North Oaks Liquor and Market in Thousand Oaks (map) that turned out to be worth more than $150,000. In the same drawing, Ali Hamedi, a San Francisco convenience store owner, drew the same numbers and also won $150,000.

In a news conference Monday, officials declared safe the neighborhood around the site of last week's deadly West, Texas, fertilizer plant blast, which was so powerful it registered as a small earthquake and left a large crater.

Still, public services will not be restored for several weeks, officials said, and they have not yet identified what caused the blast.

Meanwhile, as the town struggles to recover, the White House said Monday that President Barack Obama is planning to attend a memorial service for first responders scheduled for Thursday on the campus of Baylor University in nearby Waco.

Last week's explosion killed 14 people, wounded 200 others, destroyed about 50 homes and severely damaged a nursing home and other buildings nearby. It reportedly killed 10 first responders, many of them volunteer firefighters who came after initial reports of a fire at the plant.

Town's Recovery Could Take Weeks

Preliminary reports indicate the infrastructure to the town was severely damaged and that further assessment is underway to determine just how significant that damage may be, city officials said Monday afternoon.

Due to the damage, officials said a boil water notice is in place for all of West, likely for the next few weeks, and that those without water service will not have it restored for up to three weeks.

City officials said city services it will take some time to restore and are encouraging people to find someplace else to stay until all services are restored.

Federal and state investigators are still trying to determine what caused the fire that set off the explosion. Investigators also said they are taking a 3-D image of the crater to determine it's size and hopefully learn more about explosion.

Authorities said there is still no inventory of all chemicals that were at the facility.

Officials also discussed the memorial service scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday at Baylor's Ferrell Center in Waco.  The White House said Monday morning that President Barack Obama is planning to attend, though it is not yet clear if the president plans to tour the town.

Inside the Blast Zone

The destruction was evident in a short visit to the area organized for reporters.

An apartment building just across the railroad tracks from the plant appeared to bear the brunt of the explosion, according to a pool report. The building's roof was collapsed, its windows were blown out and chunks of concrete from the plant littered the space between the tracks and the apartments.

Assistant state fire marshal Kelly Kistner said the blast left a "large crater." Kistner said all fires have been extinguished at the explosion scene, and the remaining fertilizer tanks at West Fertilizer Co. are not a danger.

"Several blocks we had projectiles or shrapnel that has been found of different sizes," Kistner said. "Smaller pieces have been found blocks away."

The wave radiating from the blast also hit the nursing home across the street from the apartments. There too, windows were blown out, ceiling tiles were visible throughout the rooms and the red brick exterior was cracked. At West Intermediate School, a northern wall was charred and the southern wall showed structural damage.

Crews from Union Pacific were repairing the railroad tracks, but reporters were kept from climbing the berm to see what was happening at the fertilizer plant. Above the berm, four heavily damaged metal structures were visible at the plant.

More than 60 people are working in the blast zone for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the state fire marshal's office. 

Kristner said officials have found the seat, or center, of the explosion, "which is important, because as we conduct our investigation we'll be working from an outer perimeter inward, from the least damaged to the greatest damage. So knowing the seat of that explosion is important."

Robert Champion, the special agent in charge for ATF's Dallas office, said experts plan to get into the crater in the next couple of days and start digging it out "to see what transpired to cause this devastation."

"It's a slow process, but we're getting there," Champion said.

The town of 2,800 people was previously known in Texas for its deep Czech heritage — from the designs of storefronts in the town center and the names of streets and businesses to the "Czech Stop" bakery selling kolaches and other pastries to drivers exiting Interstate 35.

Sunday Services

On the first Sunday after a fertilizer plant explosion leveled part of the tiny Texas town, pastor John Crowder stood atop a long flatbed overlooking a hayfield and spoke to his congregation.

Elsewhere, at the largest Roman Catholic church in town, the Rev. Boniface Onjefu's congregation on Sunday included firefighters and emergency workers who could be spotted in bright yellow jackets.

Some of the people who attended Crowder's outdoor service wore T-shirts calling on others to "pray for West."

"Every time I close my eyes, all I can think about is the explosion," said Edi Botello, a senior at West High School. "People running around. People evacuating. There was one point I couldn't even talk. I just stuttered."

Crowder's First Baptist Church in West remained blocked off as investigators work on the scene of Wednesday's blast. So about 100 people sat in white folding chairs Sunday morning, while others carried their own.

"We have lost our friends and neighbors," Crowder told the audience. We have lost the safety and comfort of our homes. But as scary as this is, we don't have to be afraid."

"I stopped at the nursing home," Onjefu said. "I noticed a lot of people trapped. I assisted. I prayed with some and held the hands of some that needed comfort. I saw him in the eyes of everyone." 

"God heard our prayers and prevented another tank from exploding."

A deadly head-on collision on the streets of Ocean Beach Sunday may have been an incident of distracted driving officials said.

A red Honda Civic was traveling eastbound on West Point Loma Boulevard around 6:30 p.m. when it drifted into the westbound lanes and collided into a Toyota Camry driven by a pregnant woman.

The driver of the Civic, identified by the county’s medical examiner as Crystal Noel Banducci, 32, of San Diego, died in the collision. Banducci may not have been wearing a seatbelt.

“Based on the preliminary investigations and the lack of pre skid before stopping, it’s possible it could’ve been distracted driving but we don’t know that right now,” said SDPD Lt. Steve Hutchinson.

Investigators don't think alcohol played a role in the crash and it's unclear how fast the two cars were going at the time.

The other driver is 8-months pregnant. She and the baby were not injured but were taken to the hospital for observation officials said.
 

Earth Day is here and there is no shortage of opportunities to do something nice for the planet.

The Environmental Protection Agency published a list of events that are taking place across the country to help us honor and celebrate Earth Day.  But for those who are less interested in planting trees and more interested in saving the green in their wallets, here are some great deals that also happen to be great for the earth.

The Body Shop - Use coupon code 3MINUTE for any online or in-store purchase and receive a free 8.4 ounce Earth Lovers shower gel. Valid on April 22 only.

Disney Store: Recycle five plastic shopping bags at the store on April 22 and receive a free "Brave" or "Cars 2" reusable shopping bag.

Caribou Coffee - Bring in your own travel mug and fill up with a free cup of coffee on April 22.

EVOS - The healthy fast food chain is giving out free organic milkshakes on April 22.

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores - The first 50 customers at every store will receive a free tote bag.

Pottery Barn -  Visit the store between April 20 and 22 and kids get a free packet of seeds to plant at home.

National Parks - National Park Week comes right on the heels of Earth Day, which means earth lovers can enjoy all that nature has to offer for free. National parks are offering free admission from April 22 to 26.

H&M - This isn't billed as an Earth Day deal, but the planet will thank you: Bring in a bag of used clothes and receive a voucher for a discount on your next purchase. The donated clothes will be recycled or used for raw material for new products.

Best Buy - Save up to 25 percent on appliances until April 27.

Travelocity - The travel site is offering earth-friendly vacations that start at $76.

Anything whispered or commanded to Apple's virtual assistant can stay on Apple servers for up to two years, according to reports.

An Apple spokeswoman confirmed how long it keeps Siri data, Wired reported. However, spokeswoman Trudy Muller said the data on Apple servers is anonymized and only the company only collects the sound bytes to improve the virtual assistant.

Apple apparently assigns voice files a randomized number to represent an individual user and represents the user in voice analysis. After six months, Apple will take away a user number from the clip and delete the number. However, it still keeps the voice files for 18 or more months.

The American Civil Liberties Union wants Apple to link to its Siri privacy policy so users know that a person could reveal "sensitive things about you, your family or business" before they buy an Apple device.

Apple being forthright about how it uses its customer information would be a boost for consumer protection. However, Apple is notorious for not being a very forthright company. In fact, it seems to revel in its secrecy. So, can Apple be the proverbial leopard that changes its spots? Probably not.

Flights into Los Angeles International Airport were delayed an average of three hours Sunday night due to staffing, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

As of 9:30 p.m., flights arriving at LAX were late an average of three hours and seven minutes at their origin, according to FAA’s flight delay tracker. Airborne planes are delayed about 35 minutes.

By midnight, inbound flights were moving on time, the agency reported.

The hours-long holdup came the same day furloughs went into effect, meant to trim $637 million from the FAA’s budget.

The agency said it had no choice but to subject most of its 47,000 employees, including air traffic controllers, to periodic furloughs and to close air traffic facilities at small airports with lighter traffic.

Federal authorities could not confirm late Sunday whether the delays at LAX and the department-wide furloughs were connected. However, an air traffic controller union official said he suspected the budget cuts were to blame.

Mike Foote, Los Angeles representative for the National Association of Air Traffic Controllers, told NBC4 he believes Sunday night’s delays into LA are due to the furloughs.

LAX stands out as one of two airports marked in red on the FAA’s tracker, denoting flight delays. San Francisco International Airport was showing delays for incoming flights due to construction on the ground.

FAA budget cuts mean the towers at LAX will be down two air traffic controllers during the day shift, and one during the swing shift, Foote said.

Fewer air traffic controllers in the towers could trigger nationwide delays, especially during bad weather.

An average of 68 flights land at LAX every hour. With the furloughs, the number of landing flights will be cut by about 20 flights. This means the additional planes will need to circle in a holding pattern until the runways are clear for landing, Foote said.

“We feel it’s ridiculous,” he said. “They’ve managed to exempt Customs, Department of Prisons, and a few other essential services and we feel this is an essential service.”

NBC4's Tena Ezzeddine contributed to this report.

Poway athlete Kourtney Shaw says she was often overlooked in youth softball because of her small size.

Now, the high school sophomore is planning to play for one of the best colleges in the country.

“It was really exciting. It was unreal. I never thought I'd be committing as a sophomore,” Shaw told NBC 7 San Diego.

Shaw updated her Facebook cover photo two months ago to add an image of her in her Titan letter jacket standing with UC Berkeley coaches Diane Ninemire, Tammy Lohmann and John Reeves.

Shaw and coach Monica Fenton said the Cal Golden Bears have made a verbal commitment to Shaw even before she finishes her second year of high school.

Why commit to her so early? Shaw's overall record is 16-6 with her league record at 3-1 according to high school sports website Maxpreps.

With her average speed nearly 60 miles per hour for a fastball, it’s not the power of her pitches that caught Cal's attention according to her coach.

Fenton says it’s how the pitches break unexpectedly that make them very hard to hit.

“I like the screw which is inside to righty batters because I get 'em all on strikeouts,” Shaw said.

More and more, girls are getting verbal commitments at a young age to secure the best players for their team.

“It's actually becoming the trend, especially for pitchers, for young players, colleges are putting them on a watchlist really early,” said Fenton.

Understanding that college will likely be the pinnacle of her career, Shaw said she's already thinking about what she'll study.

“I'm kinda looking into physical therapy or athletic training because I'm really into sports and I don't want to lose that,” she said. “I'm sure I can find something in that area up at Cal.”

Shaw says some girls are getting offers as early as 8th grade to join top softball.
 

San Diegans are coming together to remember the victims of the Boston Marathon with a special run at De Anza Cove in Mission Bay.

Complete Coverage: Terror in Boston

On Monday at 6 p.m., hundreds of local runners plan to gather at 2750 De Anza Rd. for the “Boston Strong San Diego Run" (See map below for location).

Local Jenn Simpson, a member of VAVi's San Diego Running Club, is organizing the event. She's created a Facebook group and event page for the run and as of 12:30 p.m. Friday, more than 800 people had signed up to attend, with thousands more invited to join.

Simpson says the run is open to anyone and everyone, and is meant to show support and solidarity for Boston Marathon runners and the victims in Monday’s horrific twin explosions near the Boston Marathon finish line.

"This run is open to all. It's about San Diego getting together and saying we care about Boston, and what happened there is not okay," Simpson told NBC 7 on Thursday.

According to Simpson, the idea for the local run for Boston came from the pavementrunner.com website, which urges communities everywhere to organize their own “Boston Strong” runs.

The event is meant to unite people and show strength, as well as run for those who were unable to finish the Boston Marathon or those that may never run again following the terror in Boston.

“A run for us to try and make sense of the tragedy that has forever changed something we love,” the pavementrunner.com website states.

For Simpson, the Boston Strong San Diego Run is truly personal.

She says a few of her friends were running in Monday's Boston Marathon when the bombs erupted.

Like so many Americans, Simpson says she worried for hours over the safety of her friends. Eventually, they were able to check-in and confirm they were alright.

"I felt so upset. So upset for the people who couldn't finish the race and for the spectators who were injured," Simpson added.

Simpson -- who ran her first half marathon this past March in San Diego and is participating in the La Jolla Half Marathon on Apr. 28 -- says Monday's De Anza Cove run is not just in support of fellow runners, but also to show thanks and support to marathon spectators.

"Spectators are the people that truly make our sport awesome. They're always there to push you, cheer for you, make you smile with signs of encouragement when you feel like you can't go on," said Simpson. "They're exactly what you need to keep moving on."

With the Boston Strong San Diego Run growing by the minute, Simpson told NBC 7 she has reached out to Mayor Bob Filner's office and the City of San Diego for a special events permit.

"We are hoping to have that all figured out by Friday morning," she explained.

On Friday, Simpson told NBC 7 the city had cleared the run and given the greenlight for runners to meet at De Anza Cove Monday evening.

Simpson says she also invited Filner to attend the Boston Strong San Diego Run.

A second local runner, Melissa Kirkham, has also stepped in to spearhead the event with Simpson, which Simpson says should help keep everything organized and running smoothly.

To learn more about Monday’s Boston Strong San Diego run, click here.