A rear admiral in the U.S. Navy plead guilty to one felony charge in connection with a multi-million dollar Navy bribery scheme that has led to the arrest or imprisonment of more than a dozen U.S. Navy officers and Pentagon employees.

Rear Admiral Robert J. Gilbeau appeared in court Thursday in the downtown San Diego federal courthouse and entered a change of plea to one count of providing false statements to federal investigators.

He is out on a $75,000 bond.

Gilbeau is the highest-ranking U.S. Navy officer to be charged in this case so far. He is also believed to be the first active-duty Naval flag officer to ever be charged in a federal criminal court, according to a press release by the U.S. Attorney's office in San Dieg.

He will have to surrender his passport, dispose of all of his firearms and will face travel restrictions.

Gilbeau's defense attorney David Benowitz gave NBC 7 San Diego the following statement regarding his client. 

"Rear Admiral Robert Gilbeau has completed multiple combat deployments afloat and ashore during his distinguished 37-year Naval career. Among his many decorations, he was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart during the 2007 Iraq surge. However, Rear Admiral Gilbeau did in fact make a false statement during the course of an important investigation. In this unfortunate situation, he accepts responsibility for the decisions he made and for his conduct."

He previously told the Associated Press he would "fight hard" to ensure his client — a decorated Naval officer — does not spend any time behind bars.

NBC 7 has been following this investigation since September 2013.

A Malaysian contractor known as "Fat Leonard" Francis developed relationships with Navy higher-ups in order to gain access to warship itineraries. Francis ran Glenn Defense Marine Asia Ltd., or GDMA, out of Singapore and used his influence to overbill the U.S. Navy by more than $20 million for ship husbanding services in various Pacific ports.

Since Francis pleaded guilty to bribery charges in January 2015, federal officials have charged 14 people in the case. Allegations include accepting gifts ranging from cash, luxury travel, high-tech gadgets, dinners and prostitutes in exchange for emailing confidential ship movements or government investigation documents to Francis.

According to his plea agreement, Gilbeau admitted to lying when investigators asked him if he had ever received any gifts from Francis. He also pled guilty to destroying documents and computer files after learning that Francis and other Navy officials had been arrested in connection with the fraud and bribary charges in September 2013.

Ten have pleaded guilty, including Rear Admiral Robert J. Gilbeau, Retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Edmond A. Aruffo, U.S. Navy Capt. Daniel Dusek, U.S. Navy Captain (Select) Michael Misiewicz, Lieutenant Commander Todd Malaki, NCIS Special Agent John Beliveau, Commander Jose Luis Sanchez and U.S. Navy Petty Officer First Class Dan Layug.

Still awaiting trial are former Department of Defense civilian employee Paul Simpkins, retired U.S. Navy Captain Michael Brooks, Lieutenant Commander Gentry Debord and Commander Bobby Pitts.

Brooks served as the U.S. Naval Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines from June 2006 to July 2008.

Three rear admirals in the U.S. Navy were reprimanded for wrongdoing in the Navy bribery scandal but will not face charges.

Commander of Carrier Strike Group 7 on USS Ronald Reagan Rear Admiral Michael Miller received a letter of censure along with Rear Admiral Terry Kraft, who was commanding officer on the same ship, and Rear Admiral David Pimpo, who once served as supply officer of the aircraft carrier.

A letter of this nature is viewed as a career-ending development for the officers.

U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy says only a select number of people have the honor of holding the rank of an Admiral but emphasized that those individuals are not above the law.

“Admiral Gilbeau lied to federal agents investigating corruption and fraud, and then tried to cover up his deception by destroying documents and files," she said. "Whether the evidence leads us to a civilian, to an enlisted service member or to an admiral, as this investigation expands we will continue to hold responsible all those who lied or who corruptly betrayed their public duties for personal gain.”

In his 37-year career with the U.S. Navy, Gilbeau has been awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his service in Iraq in 2007.

The Associated Press reports that his most recent post was as a special assistant to the commander of the U.S. Naval Supply Systems Command.

He was reportedly moved to the position after the Navy learned he was being investigated.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Pletcher told NBC 7 that it is up to the U.S. Navy whether or now Gilbeau will lose his job.

But he says their investigation for this case is far from over.

"We are continuing a pace with our investigation. We are building momentum and we are going to continue to follow the facts and the law wherever it leads us," Pletcher said.

Gilbeau is scheduled to be sentenced on August 26.

He could face a maximum of five years in prison.

A magnitude-5.2 earthquake centered in the desert northeast of San Diego caused shaking early Friday morning across Southern California.

The earthquake occurred at about 1 a.m. northwest of Borrego Springs in San Diego County, according to the USGS. The earthquake was initially reported with a magnitude of 5.1 before it was revised to 5.2, according to the USGS.

The 5.2-magnitude quake was followed by a series of smaller aftershocks in Borrego Springs, including a 3.5 magnitude quake at 4:14 a.m., according to the USGS. The jolt triggered a minor rockslide on Montezuma Valley Road, about 14 miles southeast of Borrego Springs, the California Highway Patrol reported.

Borrego Springs is about 150 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.

"We get a magnitude 4 or 5 pretty regularly here, " said Caltech seismologist Jennifer Andrews.

There were no reports of injuries or signficant damage in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties, fire officials said, but the shaking served as a wake-up call for many Southern Californians.

Around 2:45 a.m., about 3,000 people reported feeling the earthquake, according to the USGS. Residents reported shaking in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura and San Diego counties, and the Inland Empire.

 "I was just up late checking some emails doing some homework, and then all of a sudden I feel this shake," said San Gabriel resident Roxanne Menchaca.

In Murrieta, about 70 miles north of Borrego Springs, customers and employees at a Denny's shared some tense moments. Jennifer Najera was ringing up a customer at the register when she felt the swaying.

"It felt like forever, but it must have been maybe 10, 15 seconds," said Najera. "I leaned forward, and I thought, 'Wow, that couldn't be me.'"

Joelle Asperas and his grandfather stopped into the restaurant after a hospital visit.

"We were hanging on," said Asperas. "The nurse was trying to put an IV in my grandfather at the same time, while it was shaking."

Among others who felt the quake and reacted on social media was skateboarding legend and Carlsbad resident Tony Hawk.

"Earthquake! It felt like a bus hit our house," Hawk said via Twitter.

There were at least eight aftershocks in the same general area within 3 hours and 10 minutes. The strongest were magnitude-3.5 shakers at 1:06 a.m., 1:33 a.m. and 4.14 a.m. -- all at a depth of slightly more than 6 miles.

The quake was near the San Jacinto Fault, which is historically Southern California's most active fault. Friday's quake was near the locations of a magnitude-6 quake in 1937 and a magnitude-5.3 quake in 1980.

The San Jacinto Fault extends through the desert and the communities of Lytle Creek, San Bernardino, Loma Linda, San Jacinto, Hemet, Anza, Borrego Springs and Ocotillo Wells.

In July 1923, a magnitude-6.3 earthquake rattled the region, damaging chimneys and windows. The San Bernardino County Hospital and the Hall of Records were badly damaged, according to Caltech.

Two people suffered critical injuries, but no fatalities were reported. Shaking was reported as far away as Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.

In March 1937, a magnitude-6 quake reported near the fault was called the Terwilliger Valley Earthquake, which caused similar damage. The 1980 quake caused a landslide that led to a closure on Highway 74 between Spring Crest and Palm Springs.

"We have never seen a San Andreas earthquake triggered by a San Jacinto earthquake," said retired USGS geologist Dr. Lucy Jones in a post on Twitter, referring to the state's most famous fault. 

San Diego City Clerk Elizabeth Maland probably had to clear out a little extra space in her office on Friday morning.

The San Diego Chargers delivered 83 boxes full of signatures gathered for their citizens' initiative.

In total 110,786 people lent their signatures to the initiative for a Downtown San Diego stadium/convention center hybrid, the Chargers said.

The Bolts need more than 67,000 of them to be verified to get the plan before voters in the November election.

“Most signature gathering efforts of this kind take six full months. We had just six weeks to complete our work,” said Chargers Chairman Dean Spanos in a statement. “The fact that we were able to collect more than 110,000 signatures in that short period of time demonstrates tremendous support in our community for a new, combined stadium-convention center expansion downtown.”

The Chargers paid top-dollar to the signature gathering team, adding motivation to get as many as possible.

The elevated level of news coverage on this topic also no doubt added to the rapidity with which they were procured.

The City Clerk and the County Registrar of Voters will now work to verify the signatures of registered San Diego City voters and determine if the Bolts citizens' initiative will be up for a public vote this year.

San Francisco-based Munchery recently began same-day meal preparation and delivery services in the San Diego market, the company announced.

A company statement said Munchery offers a menu of fresh, seasonal dishes curated by Munchery’s own culinary team, managing the entire process from sourcing to cooking to delivery. The cost is $8.95 per month or $85 per year, with phone and app-enabled services available and other information at munchery.com.

Munchery is among several companies currently offering meal delivery services in San Diego County. The company was founded in 2010 and previously started service in markets including Seattle, New York City and Los Angeles.

Speaking to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund on Friday, Hillary Clinton laid out a forceful case why Donald Trump would set progress back for women, NBC News reports. 

Clinton said Trump wants to take the country “back to the days when abortion was illegal,” is opposed paid family leave and wants to defund Planned Parenthood. 

"Instead of working to continue the progress we've made, Republicans, led by Donald Trump, are working to reverse it," Clinton said. "When Donald Trump says, 'Let's make America great again,' that is code for 'Let's take America backwards.'" 

Clinton also pointed to Trump’s controversial comments about Judge Gonzalo Curiel and said he “mocked” a disabled reporter. 

This was her first policy speech since becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee. She indicated she would continue pressing forward on the women’s rights issues she championed in the primary.

Eater San Diego shares the top stories of the week from San Diego’s food and drink scene, including the arrival of a new beer and seafood restaurant on Adams Avenue, expansion news for Café Chloe and word on a new project from a “Top Chef” contestant.

Seafood Eatery Beerfish Drops Anchor on Adams Avenue
Newly-docked on Adams Avenue is Beerfish, a fresh concept that pairs a casual seafood restaurant with an outdoor beer garden. The eatery’s all-seafood menu features East Coast-influenced dishes, plus an oyster bar, and there are 30 taps of craft beer to enjoy on the patio, which is lined with picnic tables.

Café Chloe Expands to Liberty Station With New Eatery & Event Space
The East Village's beloved European-style bistro will open a location in Liberty Station. Café Chloe will operate an outdoor café on the grounds of design store Scout @ Quarters D and plans to cater weddings and parties in the spacious lawn and garden area.

"Top Chef" Alum to Helm New Little Italy Restaurant Project
San Diego native and “Top Chef” season 13 competitor Giselle Wellman will return to her hometown from Los Angeles to lead Pacific Standard, a coastal-inspired restaurant attached to the new Hilton Bayside Campus on Pacific Highway in Little Italy. Due next month, the eatery will feature a locally-sourced menu and top-notch craft cocktail program.

The Patio Group Plans Asian Concept in Mission Beach
The Patio Group (Fireside by The Patio) will launch a beach-inspired Asian eatery across from Saska's Steak & Seafood in Mission Beach, which the group acquired last year. Called Bao Beach, it will be operated by chef Antonio Friscia of Legal Restaurants, and feature a menu based on steamed bun sandwiches, poke bowls and Korean rice rolls.

Award-winning Orange County Bakery to Open on 30th Street
Launching next month is an expansion of Orange County's celebrated Blackmarket Bakery, which is opening an outpost on 30th Street that will feature its signature house-based breads, pastries, cookies and cakes as well as a breakfast and lunch menu. A just-posted Kickstarter campaign intends to raise funds for an adjacent kid and dog-friendly patio.

Bubbles the pilot whale, the oldest whale in any zoological park, died on Thursday, SeaWorld San Diego announced.

Bubbles, who had been at San Diego’s park for 30 years, was in her early- to mid-50s, park officials said.

She came to SeaWorld in the late 1980s and participated in countless shows at Dolphin Stadium along with dolphins and other pilot whales.

Park officials estimate 100 million park guests have seen Bubbles perform.

Her cause of death wasn’t immediately known; a necropsy will be performed.

“While Bubbles will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her, she has helped generations of park visitors gain a better appreciation for all animals and the ocean environment, “ SeaWorld spokeswoman Kelly Terry said in a statement.

One rider will secure a spot on the U.S. Olympic BMX Team Saturday at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista.

A lot will be on the line for eight competitors as the BMX Olympic Trials take place this weekend.

BMX races last a matter of seconds after the gate drops at the top of the ramp.

What happens on the track could give one young athlete a chance at an Olympic dream.

Just three BMX riders will be going to the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. One has been confirmed already. A second will be decided by the trials Saturday. The third and final competitor will be chosen by coaches.

Nic Long, 26, of Lakeside has already secured one of three spots on the men's USA Olympic BMX Team.

He finished 3rd at the 2016 UCI BMX World Championships in Medellin, Colombia and will be making his second trip to the Olympics.

The trials are open to the public. The gates of the Olympic Training Center open at 12:30 p.m. Saturday and the event is expected to run three hours, according to the City of Chula Vista's website. 

The cost of admission is $10. Children four and under are free.

A San Diego-based parking company has just launched a new app designed to help motorists find the best parking options across 13 markets, including America’s Finest City.

The free app – simply dubbed Ace Parking – is available via iTunes for Apple devices and features a search function to find parking spots in specific areas, as well as voice-enabled search.

According to Ace, users can search by city, area or town or address and the search results will list the closest Ace Parking locations, as well as rates, payment options and hours of operation.

Other features include “Mark My Car” and “Find My Car,” geolocation technology that allows the app user to find their way back to the area where they parked. Ace Parking says app users can also mark lots as favorites in the app, in case they want to continually park at certain locations.

The app will also show real-time availability for some lots, including how full a location is at certain times. Users will see a colored circle around the logo marking the location in red, yellow or green. A green status, for example, means there’s plenty of space at that time in that particular lot.

Ace Parking says this launch marks the first phase of this parking app, with improved features to be released by the end of the year, including a payment portal and parking reservation options.

The app was developed by San Diego-based digital firm Blue Like Neon, which specializes in digital technology.

Ace Parking Management, Inc., was founded in 1950 manages more than 500 locations coast-to-coast, providing parking services to nearly 350,000 customers each day. The company is headquartered in downtown San Diego.

To download the Ace Parking app, click here.

There was no shortage of selfies at this past weekend's San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon.

Although the advent of smartphones introduced many useful apps for runners, it may slow down some racers who stop in the middle of the tracks to take a #selfie.

In a recent New York Times article, Jen A. Miller writes that smartphones have popularized ‘running selfies,’ a new running habit that may be detrimental to the original purpose of races.

A visitor to San Diego documented her run in the Rock ‘n’ Roll 5K this weekend in a blog, which included group selfies at each mile marker in the 5K.

“Our goal for the run was simple: All the fun. All the selfies,” said Dani Holmes-Kirk in her blog Weight Off My Shoulders. Her Twitter bio says, “Mid-run selfie master!”

While snapping the perfect selfie mid-run may be a positive way to connect with running communities on social media, there are important safety concerns regarding running selfies.

There were 27 selfie-related deaths worldwide in 2015, according to the International Business Times. Running selfies may pose a potential hazard to other runners, as race participants can unwittingly run into people who stop abruptly to take a photo.

One local runner, who was part of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Blog Team this year, has shared selfies from various races in San Diego. This included one photo on her Fitness Fatale blog from a previous run with the caption: “Attempting to get a selfie with 4 people while running is not recommended.”

The 2016 National Runner Survey reported that 61 percent of runners regularly run with a cellphone to play music, track mileage and use GPS features, Miller said. The study also found that millennials and Gen Xers are most likely to use social media channels to post about their running activities.

It remains to be seen whether the marathon organizers of future races will implement stricter rules regarding the use of smartphones and selfies in the middle of races.

Instagram was flooded with photos of runners at the Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon from this weekend, which included many selfies:

A new Disney-owned luxury hotel close to the Disneyland and California Adventure theme parks was proposed this week in Anaheim, California.

If approved, the 700-room hotel would be the first new hotel built on Disneyland property in almost two decades.

The planned hotel would be built on 10 acres at 1401 Disneyland Drive and its construction would coincide with the building of the new Star Wars section of the Disneyland theme park.

"This new flagship hotel would create thousands of jobs and benefit Anaheim with more than $750 million in additional tax revenue over the next four decades, while helping the city reach its stated goal of attracting more high-end visitors,"  Disney spokeswoman Suzi Brown said in a written statement.

The current plans include a rooftop restaurant, kids play area, pools and other amenities.

Disneyland currently operates the Disneyland Grand California Hotel & Spa, the Disneyland Hotel and the Disneyland Paradise Pier Hotel.

Building the hotel would remove 10 acres currently used for parking, the Los Angeles Times reports.

However, the news site added that Disney officials have plans for another parking structure and added transit center.

The hotel is slated to open in 2021.

In California, an appellate court ruling upheld the status quo - applicants who want a license to carry a concealed weapon must show good cause.

An 11-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said law enforcement officials can require applicants for a concealed weapons permit to show they are in immediate danger or have another good reason for a permit beyond self-defense.

Hailed as a victory by gun control advocates, the ruling said people do not have a right to carry concealed weapons in public under the Second Amendment.

In San Diego County, the sheriff required applicants to show supporting documents such as restraining orders against possible attackers to show good cause for a permit. The requirement prompted a lawsuit by residents who were denied a permit.

"Good cause requires more than just saying I want a concealed weapon for self-defense,” said Robert Faigin, legal advisor for San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore. 

Applicants must establish they have been threatened through a restraining order, for example.

“There has to be some type of circumstances that are different from the mainstream that establish the necessity to carry a concealed weapon,” Faigin said. 

Licenses can also be given to some businesses where people carry a large amount of money. 

Paul Neuharth, the attorney for the San Diego man who filed the case, said there is no uniformed definition of good cause statewide.

He also said if the courts can not infringe upon guaranteed rights like free speech and freedom of religion, why is the Second Amendment different.

"It should be given the strength of all the other amendments," Neuharth said.

Gun rights advocates were disappointed by the ruling.

Ari Belkin from the Gun Range San Diego said this it creates an open invitation to criminals who aren't going to abide by the law anyway.

“There's only one way to stop a bad guy with a gun and that's a good guy with a gun,” Belkin said. 

California generally prohibits people from carrying handguns in public without such a permit. State law requires applicants to show good moral character, have good cause and take a training course.

Plaintiffs are hoping to take the case to the United States Supreme Court.

A bike thief got a taste of vigilante justice in a Southern Oregon town Friday morning. 

The thief was lassoed by a man on horseback in the Wal-Mart parking lot in Eagle Point, Oregon. 

A woman who walked out of the store saw someone take off with her bike and started yelling out for help, according to NBC station KOBI TV. 

A man heard the commotion, jumped into action, and pulled his horse out of his trailer. He chased down the suspect, lassoed him and held him until police arrived. 

The suspect was arrested and the bike was returned to its owner, according to the Eagle Point Police Department’s Facebook page.

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It’s offseason in the NFL. So what else should Sports Illustrated TV do then enlist a quarterback to put diapers on stuffed animals? And then chuck them across a studio and into a basket?

That bizarre game went down on a sports segment on Friday that included San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.

Because everyone knows he has eight kids and ample practice changing diapers. So that all makes sense, right? Right?

“We want to know how many diapers you’ve changed? And I imagine it’s countless,” the sports anchor says to the pro bowl quarterback in the video posted to Sports Illustrated’ site and on its Facebook page.

Rivers was a good sport, chatting up the anchor, and even made a few successful baskets.

He also graciously fielded questions like this, all while wrapping the stuffed rabbits with diapers: “What do you like best about being a father?”

"I really love just about everything," River said in between throws.

You can check out the warm and fuzzy clip above or here.

California should make it mandatory for convicted drunk drivers to use ignition interlocks, one victim’s mother said Friday in San Diego.

Nina Walker, a board member of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), lost  her 22-year-old daughter in 2001 because of a drunk driver.

"I miss her as much today as the day I found out of her death," Walker said.

Walker, along with MADD National President Colleen Sheehey-Church, and other board members in California, is advocating that state lawmakers pass Senate Bill 1046.

The proposed legislation would require the California Department of Motor Vehicles to install an ignition interlock in vehicles belonging to all convicted drunk drivers in the state.

Currently, in San Diego County courts, installing the device is at the discretion of the judge.

Seventy-five percent of convicted drunk drivers in California ignore the license suspension law, according to Sheehey-Church.

"That is a frightening thought for me and many others," she said.

The ignition interlock is a small device that is connected to the vehicle which costs $2.50 to $3.00 per day. The driver blows into the device which will determine whether it is safe for the driver to operate the vehicle.

In the past six years, the ignition interlock, according to Sheehey-Church, has stopped 1 million attempts to drive under the influence of alcohol.

By requiring the mandatory installation of the ignition interlock to vehicles belonging to all convicted drunk drivers, Sheehey-Church and Walker hope to “eliminate drunk driving once and for all."

With 28 states already using the ignition interlock for all convicted drunk drivers, MADD hopes that California passes this bill to reduce the number of drunk drivers on the road.

Since the passing of her daughter in 2001, Walker has raised her 19-year-old grandson.

Walker’s grandson shares her values “because he’s experienced the loss of his mother first hand."

If the device were around in 2001, Walker said her daughter may be alive today.

"Suspended licenses don't work and the installation of the interlock will prevent them from starting their car after they've been drinking," Walker said.

The bill has already passed the State Senate. It's now up for consideration in the State Assembly.

For athletic teams the importance of proper hydration cannot be overstated. But sometimes, in the heat of competition, athletes will not make water intake a priority.

“Players get distracted and they forget to hydrate while they’re playing,” says Christine Mitchell, the athletic trainer at La Jolla Country Day School. “The big game is coming up. They’re thinking about what their coach is saying. They’re not thinking about hydrating, they’re thinking about their plays.”

If only there was some way to grab the attention of players on the field and get them to hydrate. Hey, a drone might work!

“They notice them,” said Torreys head football coach Tyler Hales. “That probably wouldn’t be a bad little signal to drink up some water.”

The Design and Innovation Program at La Jolla Country Day presented a challenge, with the help of the CamelBak water company: find a way to improve “Team Hydration.” The research started immediately.

“There was an abundance of water on the sidelines,” says senior Andrew Smith. “The bench players could drink as much water as they needed to. The players on the field that were actually doing the hard work had no way to get water immediately.”

“We really went through a very exhaustive process,” says senior Tomas Miralles. “There were a lot of silly ideas.”

Those included a water bottle cannon and a shirt filled with water. Eventually they landed on an idea they thought was silly at first.

“The best way we came up with was to attach a water bottle to the drone and have a hose coming down and let the athlete drink from it directly,” says Smith.

And the Hydrone was born.

With updated water bottle designs, the inventors believe they can add up to five hoses so multiple players can drink at once. Of course, something like this creates several safety concerns. The Hydrone has propeller guards to keep fingers from getting lopped off. The design also includes a way to keep it from landing on anyone’s head.

“We have a system where, if you pull too hard on the hose, the hose just detaches and the drone won’t come crashing down on you,” says Smith.

Of course, common sense also plays a role here.

“Don’t go grab the thing. That’s really it.”

So what about bad weather? Sudden wind gusts are common at places like Chicago’s Soldier Field in November. Improved drone technology might help there.

“With automatic stabilizers in the flight computer for the drone it could easily combat sudden gusts of wind.”

Having a drone purposefully fly over your head can be a bit intimidating but the athletes they’ve tested it on don’t seem to have a problem drinking from a drone.

“It’s definitely not something you experience every day,” said Torreys lacrosse player David Kunczynski. “Once I got the tube in my hand, it was pretty straightforward but seeing that thing fly towards you, it was definitely intimidating.”

This innovation has the support of the high school kids. But how about the adults who have to look out for their safety? Even they are open to what seems like a revolutionary idea.

“I think it’s a good idea,” says Mitchell. “I think it’s a fun idea. I think kids are in love with drones right now. I think that it could work really well but it has some kinks to work out. A player has to be able to call it correctly. If a player is interrupting practice to get water because the drones are kind of loud, then that could be a negative aspect of it. But, how cool would a team feel if they were getting their water delivered to them by a drone? It’s got a definite cool factor.”

“If it’s something that’s going to help hydrate the guys and help keep the guys safe then yeah, I have no problem with it,” says Hales. “That’s what we’re all about as coaches, is how can we do things more efficiently? So it’s something I would definitely be open to, for sure.”

Smith and Miralles have already started the process of patenting The Hydrone. They’re both heading off to college in the fall but still have big plans for their brainchild.

“Ideally, it would be implemented in every soccer game and football game there would be,” says Miralles. “Maybe in a couple years’ time, we’ll get back together and figure it out and work it out.”

And if some day he sees The Hydrone bringing water to players at Lambeau Field on Sunday Night Football?

“It would be crazy to think that our crazy high school idea would come to this huge stage and be something that would be implemented worldwide.”

I’m sure it comes as no surprise that the students earned an A on this project. It’s not ready for use on athletic fields yet but they are still exploring the options for their new invention, which they were able to take up to CamelBak and present in person.

The company said they’re not quite ready for something this revolutionary but certainly have something to think about for the future.

The Padres began day one of the Major League Baseball 2016 First-Year Player Draft with five picks. And most of them were surprises.

Cal Quantrill: With the eighth overall pick in the first round, the Padres added an arm. San Diego surprised some by selecting Stanford right-handed pitcher Cal Quantrill with their first pick. Quantrill didn’t pitch this season after under-going Tommy John surgery last March. The 21-year old could’ve gone number one overall if it weren’t for worries about his arm after the surgery. More than 14 months after it the Padres felt confident in his health after a bullpen session.

During his only full season with the Cardinals, the 6-foot-3 Quantrill went 7-5 with an earned run average of 2.68 in his freshman year. He was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American.

Hudson Sanchez: The surprises continued with the Padres second pick, Hudson Sanchez out of Carroll High School in Southlake, Texas at 24 overall. The 17-year-old infielder is one of the youngest players in this year’s draft. Scouts say the Texas A&M commit has considerable power potential and Padres General Manager A.J. Preller said he’s a “bat-speed combo guy that’s really hard to find.”

Eric Lauer: The Padres final first round pick was 21-year old left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer from Kent State University at number 25 overall. The 6-foot-3 Lauer lead all of Division I with an earned run average of just 0.69. He’s got a fastball in the low 90s but his arsenal also contains a curveball, change-up and slider.

Buddy Reed: With their only pick in the second round, the Padres went with outfielder Buddy Reed from the University of Florida 48^th overall. Reed is the pick I’m most excited about. The 21-year old switch-hitter has the speed to make plays in centerfield and steal bases. This season the 6-foot-4 Reed stole 24 bags with the Gators. The reason he slipped to the second round is most likely due to concerns over his bat. The power is there but he’ll need to learn how to use it and develop an eye for pitches.

Reggie Lawson: In the Lottery Round B the Friars added another arm with 18-year old right-handed pitcher Reggie Lawson from Victor Valley Senior High School. Lawson pitched for USA Baseball’s 18U team as a reliever last summer and got scouts attention. The 6-foot-4 Arizona State commit lost draft value when he had a difficult spring that ended with an oblique strain that finished his season early.

Day two of the 40-round draft continues at 10 a.m. PT with rounds 3-10. It will wrap up Saturday with rounds 11-40.

An old rail line in southeastern San Diego County that connects the U.S–Mexico border will be restored this summer.

A binational agreement was reached Thursday between the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, Pacific Imperial Railroad and Baja California Railroad.

The San Diego region loses approximately $6 billion every year because of delays in getting trucks carrying freight across the border, according to MTS. 

The 70-mile Desert Line railway will help cut down on those long delays.

The line is also expected to reduce air pollution, ease congestion and promote commerce on both sides of the U.S.–Mexico border.

Construction on the Desert Line is scheduled to begin sometime this summer.

San Diego County Sheriff's Detective Chris Johnson, who played a key role in the Chelsea King murder case, worked his last shift Thursday night. 

He spoke exclusively with NBC 7 about the case and his career as a detective.

Six years ago, it was Johnson's unfortunate duty as a detective to inform the King family that Chelsea's body had been found near Lake Hodges in Rancho Bernardo.

He spent 10 days -- 20 hours a day with the family.

He was a protector, confidant, friend and a shoulder to cry on through the family's darkest hours.

For the first time, he shared his feelings about the case that broke the hearts of parents across the country, including him.

From the missing persons report, to the search and the discovery of Chelsea's body, to her funeral where he was Pallbearer, Johnson stood by the King family's side.

"They wanted us to bring Chelsea back to them," Johnson said.

Chelsea went missing in 2010 after she went for a run after school at Rancho Bernardo Community Park. Her disappearance led to a massive search effort in the San Diego community.

She was murdered by convicted sex offender John Gardner.

Her body was found beaten to death and buried in a shallow grave.

We spoke to Chelsea's mom Kelly and dad Brent King over the phone from their home in Chicago.

Kelly says during that time, Detective Johnson was the only one that could make her feel safe.

"He held my hand when we had to go through crowds. I knew that no one, no one in my family could come to further harm, " she said.

Brent says during the search, there was this moment where he asked Detective Johnson to tell him first, if his daughter was found dead.

"He said, 'Do you want to hit somebody? Do you want to hurt somebody? Do whatever you want to do. Do it to me. I'll be here for you, whatever you need,'" Brent told NBC 7.

"I said the sheriff's on his way over, then I hugged him and cried," Detective Johnson said.

It seems appropriate that Detective Johnson's last official duty was providing security for graduation night at Chelsea's alma matar, Poway High School.

The King case was only 10 days of his 29-year career in law enforcement but it was the hardest and at the same time, the most rewarding assignment.

"Undoubtedly, absolutely positively, yes. And I would do it again, " Johnson said.

He told NBC 7, he became a detective to help steer young offenders back to a positive path.

In his retirement, he intends to continue to work with at-risk kids through the county's Start Smart program for teenage drivers.