Chargers tight end Antonio Gates has always been open with his opinions. So when he was asked recently about defensive end Joey Bosa’s holdout, he did not pull any punches.

“Obviously we want him here,” Gates said this week after a training camp practice. “We try to control what we can control, which is the guys that are here, the guys that are working, the guys that are here putting in the time. Hopefully everything will work itself out with Joey and he’ll be here ready to go.”

Gates then offered a word of warning to the unsigned 3rd overall pick in the NFL Draft.

“The biggest thing is you just don’t want to lose the trust of your teammates. You don’t know how your team will accept you when you come back," he said. "You don’t know how they view you based on the circumstance. I think, to me, that was something that was bothering me the times that I did sit out and the times I did have contract negotiations.”

Gates has experience with a holdout himself.

“After my Pro Bowl year I held out and I got suspended, actually,” Gates said chuckling.

That was in 2005 when then-general manager A.J. Smith played hardball and suspended Gates for four weeks for not signing his contract. But that was a very different situation. Gates was not a rookie at the time, he was coming off one of the best seasons a Chargers tight end had ever had and his teammates welcomed him back with open arms.

“I was already here. I had already played and I have already proven myself. I had been to the Pro Bowl.”

Gates eventually signed his $380,000, 1-year contract, went to the Pro Bowl again, and soon became the highest-paid tight end in the history of the NFL. He knew how good he could be and let his play on the field show how much he was worth.

“Eventually I ended up saying I need to get ready. To me, it meant a lot for me to go out and perform. The money was going to be there. I’ve always felt like as long as I was in the best shape and ready to play those opportunities of maximizing financially were going to be there so I tried to make sure I was ready to play.”

Bosa wants his money sooner. Gates says there is really no way to duplicate the kind of preparation time Bosa is missing and the rookie-to-be is eventually going to reach a crossroads.

“Sometimes you’ve gotta just, as a man, you’ve gotta step in and say this is what it’s going to be. Because sometimes, whether or not the miscommunication with the general manager and the agent, or whatever it is, at the end of the day it’s your life. It’s your career. You know what’s best for you and you know what you need.”

Gates says the NFL is a business and understands contract negotiations can be difficult to navigate.

“You try to maximize your financial earnings as much as you can and not somehow cause some kind of frustration with the team.”

But at the end of the day, Gates believes this about Bosa … and anyone else in the NFL.

“My advice to any player that’s going through any kind of contract situation is at one point you’ve got to be a man and you’ve got to understand that you’ve got to get ready to play. It’s harder for a younger guy to try to duplicate something that he’s not aware of, that he’s basically oblivious of.”

The Chargers first preseason game is Saturday in Tennessee and it’s looking like an almost guarantee that Joes Bosa will not be there for it.

Kohei Uchimura produced the performance of his life on the high bar to come back and just barely beat Oleg Verniaiev to defend his Olympic all-around gymnastics title by a tenth of a point.

Verniaiev led Uchimura going in to the last rotation and appeared ready to close it out. But the man known as King Kohei produced a sterling 15.8 on the high bar that wound up being just enough. Verniaiev followed Uchimura and hopped on his landing, leaving the door open for the judges.

The 22-year-old Verniaiev turned in a 16.1 on parallel bars that appeared good enough for gold, but the six-time world champion showed why he's still the best, even if just barely — the final margin was 92.365-92.266.

Britain’s Max Whitlock won bronze with 90.641. Uchimura, who hasn't lost since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, is the first man since Sawao Kato in 1968 and 1972 to win two consecutive all-around Olympic titles.

Americans Sam Mikulak and Chris Brooks finished well off the podium. Mikulak, who finished fifth on the vault in 2012, was seventh. Brooks was 14th.

The principal of a San Diego-area high school who was accused of falsely claiming to hold a doctorate degree is being reassigned to the central district office, NBC 7 has learned.

The Serra High School principal signed the email using the title that caused controversy and prompted teachers to demand his removal.

"Sadly, my last day at Serra will be Friday, August 12th," Vincent Mays wrote Wednesday in an email to parents of Serra High School.

He explained that the San Diego Unified School District extended an offer Tuesday for a new position.

"The position is so attractive that I could not refuse it. It will expand my role regarding equity initiatives," Mays wrote.

In a statement, the district said Mays will work to support commitments to improve student achievement.

“In particular, his work will support commitments to improve student achievement and close the achievement gap for African, African American and Latino students. The district will follow normal protocol in replacing Principal Mays at Serra," the statement reads.

"It is our hope to have a new principal in place before the start of school. In the interim, qualified, experienced administrators will be put in place to provide a smooth transition. Last year, Serra students achieved an estimated 97 percent graduation rate. Working together, we are confident Serra High can achieve new levels of success in the future," the statement says.

Mays was accused by one group of teachers of being a bully and claiming to have a doctorate degree from a university that does not exist.

"From the beginning the issues with Mr. Mays were about his leadership, his treatment of female staff members, and his personal academic record. Every claim we brought forward was supported by data, survey results, witness reports, and careful research," Ralf Ubel, one of the teachers who filed the complaints, told NBC 7 in a previous interview.

The district's Office of Quality Assurance launched an investigation into the teachers' claims after they filed a complaint in May.

According to his resume found online, Mays says he received his Ph.D. from Stamford Hill University.

NBC 7 Investigates found there was no record of the school from the U.S. Department of Education, no record of the school from the Florida State Department of Education and no business licenses, now or in the past.

A man and woman were arrested at a U.S.-Mexico border crossing in Southern California Tuesday after Mexican officials discovered the body of a toddler stuffed inside a duffel bag the couple carried as they tried to enter Tijuana.

San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Lt. Ray Valentin told NBC 7 Wednesday that the couple was attempting to cross into Tijuana around 11:30 a.m. PT via the pedestrian border crossing at the San Ysidro port of entry.

Mexican Customs agents sent the man, who was carrying the bag, into a secondary inspection point.

Officials scanned the man’s bag using an X-ray machine and made a gruesome discovery: it contained the body of a small girl. According to Valentin, the child was approximately two years old.

Valentin said the man's companion tried to run away, but she was quickly apprehended and taken into custody. The man was also arrested. The pair, U.S. citizens believed to be residents of Whittier, California, was deported back to the U.S. and turned over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.

The SDPD Homicide Unit then took over the case.

The SDPD has identified the man and woman as Johnny Lewis Hartley, 39, and Mercy Mary Becerra, 43, both of Whittier.

Both Hartley and Becerra were booked into jail in San Diego and are facing counts of first-degree murder and child cruelty. They are both scheduled to appear in court Friday.

After interviewing the suspects, SDPD Homicide Unit detectives have determined that whatever happened to the girl may have occurred in Whittier. The SDPD is now working closely with detectives of the Whittier Police Department.

Valentin said Hartley and Becerra are not the toddler's parents but investigators believe they knew her and her parents prior to her death. He says that organ trafficking is not a factor in this case.

The toddler's parents live in the Whittier/Greater Los Angeles area.

NBC 4 Los Angeles confirmed Becerra's Instagram account; her bio on the social media page says she's a mother of nine.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's office took custody of the toddler's body and will determine the cause and manner of the girl's death.

No further details were immediately available. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information on the case can call the SDPD Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Whittier is located approximately 127 miles north of Tijuana.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Residents are cleaning up Thursday after a tornado ripped through the Montowese section of North Haven, Connecticut, Wednesday afternoon, knocking down trees and powerlines.

The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado, ranked as an EF0, touched down in a two-mile stretch of the town around 1:30 p.m.  Video captured dramatic images of the destructive vortex sucking up debris into a rotation and the downed trees left in the wake of the storm.

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North Haven Fire Chief Paul Januszweski said the tornado started at Interstate 91, near the Montowese Avenue exit and traveled east toward Route 22, ripping up trees in its path.

There were reports of damage between I-91 and Barberry Road, including to one house and one car.

Downed trees blocked two roads, but have since been removed.

Residents who witnessed the storm reported seeing clouds spinning and videos  showed rotating clouds and strong winds.

And doppler radar detected debris in the clouds, possible leaves or twigs, and there was also a possible waterspout over Long Island Sound, south of New Haven. 

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There have been no reports of injuries or significant property damage.  

"The North Haven Police Department will continue with high visibility patrols in the affected area. Although it is tempting to explore the affected neighborhoods, we ask that residents remain home for their safety, and the safety of emergency crews," North Haven Police posted on Facebook.

Crews from the Red Cross are sending a team to North Haven to assess damage and the National Weather Service has contacted town officials. 

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San Diego-headquartered AleSmith Brewing Co. has expanded its distribution into Australia through a new partnership with that country’s Experienceit Beverages.

A statement from AleSmith said the brewer’s products will be available throughout Australia by the end of September. Financial and other terms were not immediately disclosed.

AleSmith officials said distribution expansions have been made possible by the company’s recent move into its new 105,500-square-foot brewery in Miramar, which includes an 80-barrel brewing system that will enable the company to increase production ten-fold.

According to its website, Experienceit Beverages currently distributes numerous beer and wine brands from Australia, New Zealand and several other countries. AleSmith brews to be distributed through the new partnership will include AleSmith IPA, Nut Brown English-style Ale and Lil’ Devil Belgian-style Pale Ale, with other year-round, seasonal and specialty beers to be added over time.

“We feel (AleSmith’s) beers have a unique place within our portfolio and will form a core part of our developing U.S. range,” said Experienceit Beverages managing director Johnny Latta, in the AleSmith statement.

AleSmith’s products are already sold in six countries including Thailand, Japan, Scotland and Denmark, along with 24 U.S. states. The company was started in 1995 and is currently led by owner and CEO Peter Zien.

The Huffington Post is going to be without a Huffington.

Arianna Huffington, a one-time conservative commentator, oversaw the explosive growth of the liberal online blog and news site she co-founded in 2005, which went on to win a Pulitzer in less than a decade.

Huffington, who has been the site's editor-in-chief, will now head a new health, wellness and productivity startup.

"I thought HuffPost would be my last act," Huffington said in a tweet . "But I've decided to step down as HuffPost's editor-in-chief to run my new venture, Thrive Global."

The Huffington Post is now owned by Verizon Communications Inc., and her departure comes several weeks after Verizon said it was buying the media properties of Yahoo Inc. for about $4.8 billion.

The site is known for its celebrity and newsmaker blogs and for cobbling together articles using information from different newspapers and other sources. In 2012, the site won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting on its series of stories about wounded veterans.

While presidential candidates and supporters debate homeland security and terror attacks, teenagers from Israel and the West Bank who live in fear daily converged on San Diego.

In late July, the teens visited San Diego for an intense three weeks of discussion and activities geared toward finding common ground as part of San Diego's Hands of Peace, a program that teaches tolerance to Israeli and Palestinian teens.

The group gathered at Balboa Park’s World Beat Center for a lesson in harmony.

Several generations of both cultures are born into this historic conflict. But where bombs and guns have not worked, these young adults are trying honesty and openness.

Complete strangers, who grew up fearing and misunderstanding one another are now – after two weeks – dancing to the beat of a different drum.

Yasmin is a Palestinian teen living in Israel less than a mile from a West Bank check point.

“At the checkpoint I hear a lot of shoot guns; I hear a lot of screaming,” she explained to NBC 7. “I feel the racism on the way in a bus station on the way to school.”

“Guga,” also 17 years old, is Israeli, living just outside Tel Aviv.

“I go with pepper spray because I’m scared of terror attacks or if I just teach my dog to run into the safe place when he hears and alarm,” Guga said.

While both are the sum of their respective environments and opinions of generations past, they seek harmony through Hands of Peace.

The program brings these teens together on the neutral territory of San Diego for intense dialog and what you might call cultural team-building activities.

“Our mural is taking out the bad toxic ideas and replacing them with progressive ideas,” Jewish-American Sophie Henry said.

In February 2017, Palestinian and Jewish-Americans who already completed the course are sharing their message with other children in conflicts. This inspirational mural is bound for a Syrian refugee camp in Greece.

“The statistics literally came alive. All the sudden, I had faces to these people and that changed everything,” Palestinian-American Khalid Abudmas said.

Program participants number less than 50 but its message may be a pebble in a pond.

“Solving this conflict and making a solution is by changing the opinions for the next generation and the generation that comes after,” Yasmin said.

“I pass it on to my friends. They say you know what may be your right and they pass it on more and I think that's what makes the change. The circle getting bigger and bigger with the time,” Guga added.

The teens returned home last week, hoping to spread the message of peace and open dialogue among communities through projects of their own.

Hundreds came out to remember a prominent local Catholic church leader Thursday morning, a man widely beloved for his positive community involvement.

Rodriguez Jr. died suddenly on Aug. 4 from pneumonia, when he was 61 years old. “Father Henry,” as he was known, spent his career working in San Diego and contributed decades of his life to community service.

Community members came out to remember the leader at his Funeral Mass Thursday morning, at St. Jude Shrine of the West. The burial at the Holy Cross Cemetery followed the 10 a.m. service. The principal celebrant was Monsignor Edward Brockhaus, an old friend of the priest.

“For what it's worth, Father Henry was very well known in the community. A really great guy,” said Aida Bustos, an official for the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego. “We've interviewed him several times, though it's probably been a long time. I know he was in our Town of Hope documentary with Stan Hay.”

Father Henry most recently served as a pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish, where he started this summer. He was ordained for the diocese on Jul. 12, 1986 and served as an associate pastor at St. Rose of Lima parish in Chula Vista from 1986 to 1989.

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Previously, Father Henry was known for his work as a long-time pastor for St. Jude’s parish in San Diego’s Southcrest neighborhood and associate pastor at St. Therese of the Child Jesus in Del Cerro. He started there in 1989 and stayed for eight years.

In addition to his regular work commitments, he went out of his way to contribute to parishes across the diocese, particularly supporting the Latino congregations.

Besides that, Father Henry served more than 25 years as the Catholic chaplain for the San Diego Police Department and the San Diego Fire and Rescue Department. He also worked for the San Diego Hospice and Scripps Mercy Hospital.

For decades, he played a pivotal role in the community as a local Catholic leader. This included advocating for social justice on a breadth of issues, as well as working for the San Diego Organizing Project and other community organizations.

Father Henry went above and beyond his duties as a pastor, and began the process of reaching out to the LGBT community, meeting with parishioners and their families.

NBC 7 looks over the massive schedule of events from the 2016 Rio Olympics for Thursday, August 11 and brings you seven moments to watch:

TEAM USA WOMEN'S CYCLING ON TRACK TO WIN GOLD

Temecula native Sarah Hammer will take the cycling track at 12:19 p.m. PT at the Rio Olympic Velodrome for qualifying races in the women’s team pursuit.

Team USA won the World Championships in March for the United States’ first ever pursuit title, male or female. Led Hammer, the U.S. bested Team Canada in the finals; they could sneak their way on to the podium in Rio.

Teammate Jennifer Valente, a San Diego native, will also compete in the women’s team pursuit. The track cycling Olympian is a graduate of Southern California’s Fusion Academy High School.

How to Watch: See the cycling live stream beginning at noon PT here.

LEDECKY, PHELPS LOOK TO CONTINUE GOLD RUSH

Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte will race against each other for the final time in the 200-meter individual medley Thursday, ending a 13-year rivalry that has been one of the greatest in swimming history. They are the top two all-time performers in the event.

Katie Ledecky set a new Olympic record in her 800m freestyle heat. The final is Friday night.

BILES WINS INDIVIDUAL GOLD

Simone Biles lived up to all the expectations, winning gold in the individual all-around — her second gold medal at the Rio Olympics, the fourth straight for the United States. Her teammate Aly Raisman took silver.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL FACE HOST BRAZIL

The crowd will be against them when the U.S. men’s volleyball team takes on host Brazil men's volleyball tournament. The team will be looking to rebound after a stunning opening match upset against Canada and close loss against Italy on Tuesday.

"It was an unfortunate way to start the tournament," USA captain David Lee said following the Canada loss. "We didn't find a level of consistency that we could sustain throughout the match.”

San Diegans have been following Lee's Olympic journey. He is from Alpine and his folks still live here.

The U.S. is in last place in Pool A, and needs to find success in their next two matches to advance to the quarterfinals.

How to Watch: Catch the event live online at 6:30 p.m. PT.

US Judoka Kayla Harrison is Golden Again

Kayla Harrison became the first American to defend an Olympic judo title when she forced France's Audrey Tcheumeo to tap out in the final of 78-kg competition Thursday.

Harrison tore her MCL five months before the London Olympics. Although she was able to come back and win gold, she had to undergo reconstructive surgery in 2013 and was sidelined for about a year. Harrison has since come back and regained her status as world No. 1 in her weight class.

"I felt like I still had something left," Harrison said of her decision to compete at another Olympics. "I felt like there was still something deep inside of me that wanted to prove that not only was I the best that the United States had ever seen, but one of the best that the judo world had ever seen.”

FIELD HOCKEY LOOKS TO BUILD ON WINS

Team USA’s women’s field hockey team looks to maintain momentum after two surprising wins against Argentina and Australia. Next up is India in Pool B of the women's field hockey tournament.

"It's not the underdog, it's not whatever, it's just us, united as strong and resilient and gritty," Michelle Vittese said.

How to Watch: Catch the event live online at 3:30 p.m. PT.

WATER POLO CONTINUES QUEST FOR BACK-TO-BACK GOLDS

The United States women were in complete control right from the start of against an over-matched China, improving to 36-2 in 2016 water polo contests.

Results here.

Macy's announced Thursday plans close approximately 100 of its department stores, the latest effort to adapt to shifting consumer shopping patterns and more online competition, CNBC reported.

The 100 store closures are only the latest round of closures Macy's has done in recent years to cast off locations where profitability has waned. Macy's hasn't announced which locations will close. It currently operates 728 stores, including 675 of its traditional full-price locations.

Most of the 100 stores the company plans to close will be shuttered in early 2017, with the remainder shutting down as leases and other obligations expire or are waived. The locations of these stores will be released at a later date.

District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, one of the top law enforcement officials in San Diego, has been subpoenaed to testify in a campaign finance scandal in federal court. 

Jose Susumo Azano Matsura, 48, is facing federal charges for allegedly funneling $600,000 of dollars into San Diego campaigns.

According to unsealed documents, the Mexican millionaire is one of several accused of hiding the source of campaign donations or concealing a donation altogether in records with the San Diego City Clerk, the Federal Election Commission, or the California Secretary of State.

Azano, referred to as "Mr. Lambo" in the indictment, is accused of making more than $600,000 in illegal contributions to former Mayor Bob Filner, failed mayoral candidate Bonnie Dumanis, and other candidates.

As the trial unfolds, 61 witnesses are expected to testify, including several high-profile witnesses like Sheriff Bill Gore and former councilman and current radio host Carl DeMaio. 

Tuesday, Azano's defense subpoenaed Dumanis, as well as Congressman Juan Vargas and former Union-Tribune Publisher Doug Manchester to testify. It is unclear whether they will testify or not. 

Prosecutors list 20 instances in which campaign finance records were falsified to send money from Azano to three candidates in local elections.

It is illegal for a foreign national to donate to a U.S. political campaign.

Azano's motive, according to court documents, was to develop San Diego's waterfront into a Miami-of-the-West, with condos and a high-end hotel.

Azano has also been charged with illegally possessing a firearm, a black Sig Sauer P225 semi-automatic pistol.

Three other defendants, including Azano's son, are on trial. They are accused of getting the money to where it needed to go. 

The annual Perseid Meteor shower peaks Thursday night and lasts through Friday morning. If you want to take in the show, you'll want to stay up late or wake up extra early.

In perfect conditions stargazers can see 60 to 90 "shooting stars" per hour. However, this year European countries may be able to see up to 200 meteors per hour.

And you can thank the planet Jupiter. Every twelve years Jupiter passes through the comet's orbit. This crossing occurred in 2014. The giant planet's gravity moved the particles toward the Earth and on Thursday night, those particles will arrive in Europe. But because it will be daytime in the United States, the West Coast will miss out on this enhanced activity. The East Coast of the U.S. will get a little better show than in past years. 

The particles, or meteors, are about the size, shape and color of Grape Nuts cereal flakes. These tiny pieces of debris, known as Perseids, enter Earth's atmosphere at 37 miles per second, creating a hot streak of superheated air that is visible from the ground as a streak of light. They burn up, never reaching the surface of the Earth.

The Perseids get their name because the meteor showers "radiant," the perspective point of origin, is the constellation Perseus.

Though some may mistakenly call them "shooting stars," they are actually bits of rubble that were shed in 1479 by the Comet Swift-Tuttle. This stream of Perseids orbit the sun and every August the Earth passes through the stream.

Any kind of light will hinder viewing of the meteor shower, including light from the moon. No special equipment is required to see the shower. Simply go outside with an open view and away from as many city lights as possible, including street lights and house lights.

The first-quarter phase moon will set around 12:30 a.m. PST Friday, making for peak viewing between 1 and 5:30 a.m. Friday. Begin by gazing northeast and as the night goes on, if the skies are clear, you won't miss a thing by looking straight up. Lying down on a blanket or a lawn chair is a good idea too. If you are in a big city with a lot of lights you can still see the show by clicking this site: Bareket Observatory in Israel. Astronomers invite you to join them Aug. 11 beginning at 19:00 UT (12 p.m. PST). 

Research suggests that more car crashes are happening on the roads because of litter and debris.

According to American Automobile Association, more than 200,000 wrecks, 500 deaths and 39,000 injuries in the last four years were caused by blown tires, trash and other objects that litter roadways.

Nearly 37 percent of all deaths in road debris crashes resulted from the driver swerving to avoid hitting an object, the AAA Foundation study reveals. More than a third of crashes involving debris happen from 10 a.m. to 3:59 p.m. Most are likely to happen on interstates.

"This new report shows that road debris can be extremely dangerous but all of these crashes are preventable," said Jurek Grabowski, Research Director for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

About two-thirds of debris-related crashes stem from items falling from a vehicle due to unsecured loads. When securing vehicle loads, AAA's Doug Shupe said to tie them down directly to vehicles or trailers with rope, netting or straps. Cover the entire load with a study tarp or netting and don't overload the vehicle.

"Drivers have a much bigger responsibility when it comes to preventing debris on the roads than most realize," said Jennifer Ryan, Director of State Relations for AAA. "States have hefty fines and penalties for drivers who drop items from their vehicle onto the roadway, and in some cases states impose jail time."

As for drivers, Shupe said to avoid tailgating and search the road at least 12 seconds ahead for debris.

If you see you are about to make contact with debris, safely reduce your speed as much as possible prior to making contact.

Officials are investigating a suspicious package left on the side of the street near Mountain View on Thursday morning.

According to the San Diego Police Department and the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, the package was found at about 10:25 a.m. by the intersection of S 45 St. and Logan Ave.

A person called law enforcement and reported the suspicious package. Officials say the package resembles a blue shoe box filled with aluminum cans.

HAZMAT is inspecting the package, due to police concerns that it may pose a public safety threat.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

It had been a rough year for Chalene Nevins out of Clairemont.

“I was burglarized. Had all of my electronics and all of my jewelry stolen except for what I’m wearing right now,” Charlene said.

So, when Charlene received an unsolicited letter in the mail claiming she was owed money, she was skeptical. The company that sent the letter asked for Chalene’s personal details like her social security and driver’s license numbers.

What made things even odder was that the company told Charlene that she would receive a check and then would be required to send a portion of that check to the company for their efforts.

Charlene called NBC 7 Responds, asking us to figure out whether or not this was a scam and what we found out was a big surprise for Charlene.

As it turns out, the company that contacted Charlene was legitimate. These companies go through public records for unclaimed properties or funds that a state may owe an individual. The companies will then look up the individual’s contact information, notify them of the unclaimed funds, and say they will send the person a check if they give the company a percentage.

But there’s a way that Charlene and anyone in this situation can receive those unclaimed funds without having to share a penny with a third party company.

For California residents, it’s as simple as going to the State Controller’s website and searching your name.

To find out if you have any unclaimed funds or properties, click here [link to https://ucpi.sco.ca.gov/UCP/Default.aspx]

The State Controller’s website has a list of money or properties from closed or dormant accounts that have been turned over to the state.

There are millions of dollars waiting to be claimed there and for Charlene, $1816 was waiting for her.

It had been a rough year for Chalene Nevins out of Clairemont.

“I was burglarized. Had all of my electronics and all of my jewelry stolen except for what I’m wearing right now,” Charlene said.

So, when Charlene received an unsolicited letter in the mail claiming she was owed money, she was skeptical. The company that sent the letter asked for Chalene’s personal details like her social security and driver’s license numbers.

What made things even odder was that the company told Charlene that she would receive a check and then would be required to send a portion of that check to the company for their efforts.

Charlene called NBC 7 Responds, asking us to figure out whether or not this was a scam and what we found out was a big surprise for Charlene.

As it turns out, the company that contacted Charlene was legitimate. These companies go through public records for unclaimed properties or funds that a state may owe an individual. The companies will then look up the individual’s contact information, notify them of the unclaimed funds, and say they will send the person a check if they give the company a percentage.

But there’s a way that Charlene and anyone in this situation can receive those unclaimed funds without having to share a penny with a third party company.

For California residents, it’s as simple as going to the State Controller’s website and searching your name.

To find out if you have any unclaimed funds or properties, click here

The State Controller’s website has a list of money or properties from closed or dormant accounts that have been turned over to the state.

There are millions of dollars waiting to be claimed there and for Charlene, $1816 was waiting for her.

San Diego’s Stone Brewing will now tap into the hotel business, opening a craft beer-centric hotel in San Diego’s North County where patrons can toast and lodge.

On Thursday, Stone Brewing and Untitled Hospitality announced they have partnered to create a specialty “brewery hotel” at 1990 Citracado Parkway, located on 13 acres of land adjacent to Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Escondido.

The Stone Hotel – a $26 million, 100,000-square-foot build-out – is slated to open for business in early 2018. It will be constructed, owned and managed by Untitled Hospitality through an exclusive license agreement, Stone said.

Of course, the new lodging site will focus heavily on Stone’s craft brews, with amenities geared at beer buffs. At check-in, for example, hotel guests walk into a “bar-style” lobby and will be handed a complimentary Stone beer. The hotel will also offer in-room growler delivery service.

“Stone beers will be available upon a moment’s notice,” a press release from Stone promised.

Stone Hotel will boast three on-site bars that will serve a wide array of Stone beers on tap. The company said archive special release beers and unique casks will also be periodically tapped at the hotel.

The design of Stone Hotel will also include beer-inspired features, including an artistic inlay on the hotel’s driveway that will display beer flowing from a tap at the top of the driveway down to Citracado Parkway. Stone Brewing said company memorabilia will line the hotel, too, including the Stone gargoyle. Famed San Diego-based interior designer Paul Basile of BASILE Studio will spearhead the design elements, Stone said.

Stone Hotel will feature 99 guestrooms – all more than 375-square-feet – and six suites with expansive balconies. All rooms will include BASILE Studio details.

The property will also boast an 8,000-square-foot ballroom, a pool deck, a 10,000-square-foot rooftop garden, a fitness center and nearly an acre of outdoor event space. Stone said guests will also be able to explore several walking trails around the hotel.

Finally, Stone Hotel guests will also be treated to priority seating at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens right across the street, should they opt to dine out.

The concept for Stone Hotel has been in the works for several years but, as Stone co-founder Greg Koch said in a press release, “You can’t rush a good thing.”

Koch said the project was on hold for many years so Stone could focus on brewing. Koch said Untitled Hospitality understands the vision for the hotel and is a good fit.

“I can’t wait to give our fans this amazing extension of the Stone experience,” he added.

Untitled Hospitality is headed by CEO Robert Cartwright. The company has worked on projects with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Hilton and Marriott, among big names in the hospitality industry. Untitled Hospitality will partner with San Diego developer McMillin LLC to construct the property.

More details on Stone Hotel can be found here.

Stone Brewing is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary. The Escondido-based company was founded by Koch and Steve Wagner in 1996 and is the 10th largest craft brewer in the United States.

Earlier this month, Stone announced it had started brewing and distributing its beers in Europe via Stone’s new facility in Berlin, Germany. Stone’s other current projects include a tap room planned for wine country in Napa, California, and Stone Brewing – Richmond, a 250-barrel brewhouse in Richmond, Virginia.

Florida is reporting three more cases of Zika spread by Miami mosquitoes, but the governor says the infection zone is shrinking. 

According to a statement Thursday from Gov. Rick Scott's office, the state now has 25 known cases of Zika. But, active transmission is only happening in a 1-square-mile area encompassing Miami's Wynwood neighborhood.

The Florida Department of Health removed another corner of the famous art district in downtown Miami from the Zika travel warning area Thursday. Wynwood, hit hardest by the Zika outbreak in South Florida, shrunk its "Zika Zone" by four blocks near the southwest corner.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it will continue to monitor the entire area. 

Aerial spraying of pesticides targeting adult mosquitoes is scheduled Friday over Wynwood as well as surrounding areas, and tablets of larvae-eating bacteria are being dropped into storm drains throughout Miami-Dade County just in case.

“We are confident that our mosquito education, prevention and control efforts are working and hopeful that the impacted area will continue to be reduced as the DOH investigation continues,” Scott said in a press release.

The governor continued to press both the Obama administration and lawmakers to approve funding to fight Zika, saying “The president and Congress must work together to get to a solution for all the families across our nation.”

At the same time, Miami-Dade County announced they will expand their program of treating public and private storm drains in an effort to prevent breeding of mosquitoes. The county is currently using a time release produce that remains in the drainage systems for 30 days.

The county also will conduct a fifth round of aerial spraying Friday morning if the weather allows for it.