The one area I can thing of where location is more important that real estate is pitching.

Jamie Moyer threw in the Big Leagues until he was 49 years old, despite having a fastball that would have a hard time breaking through a stretched out Bounty paper towel roll, because he could put the ball where he wanted to.

Padres starter Burch Smith has a fastball in the high-90's. When the 23-year-old learns to put it where he wants to consistently, he's going to be something special.

Smith rebounded from his dismal MLB debut in Tampa (1 IP, 6 ER) to throw 5.1 innings against the Nationals at PETCO Park on Friday night. Smith struck out 8 Nationals with occasionally stellar command.

However, he also allowed three home runs, two to Adam LaRoche (who has now hit 10 homers at PETCO Park, the most by any visiting player), on fastballs he left too far out over the plate.

Smith will likely be sent back down to the minor leagues when Carlos Quentin returns from paternity leave, but he showed he has the kind of stuff to be successful in the Show.

The Padres were able to get Burch another no-decision with a 9th inning rally. An error and three straight singles off Washington closer Rafael Soriano (by Chase Headley, Yonder Alonso and Kyle Blanks) turned a 5-3 Nationals lead in to a 5-5 tie.

Alas, Soriano was not the only closer to have a rough night. Huston Street got the first two outs of the 10th inning, then gave up a solo home run to Chad Tracy.

It's the 6th homer Street has allowed already this year, tying his career high for any full season that he didn't spend at Coors Field.

Washington won 6-5, taking the first two games of the series. On Saturday Eric Stults goes up against Dan Haren.

More than 2,700 students are set to graduate from California State University San Marcos this weekend, including a lifelong learner who, at 90 years old, will become the oldest graduate in CSUSM Cougars history.

Carlsbad resident Wally Taibleson earned his third master’s degree alongside fellow classmates in CSUSM’s 2013 commencement ceremony Friday evening at the Mangrum Track & Field on campus.

In the process, he went down in history as the oldest graduate in the 23-campus California State University system, according to CSUSM communications specialist Christine Vaughan.

According to CSUSM public information officer Margaret Lutz Chantung, this latest academic accolade is Taibleson’s third master’s degree earned from the university.

Lutz Chantung told NBC 7 that CSUSM is proud to call Taibleson a returning alumnus.

“He is an inspiration to all of our students and a positive reminder that it’s never too late to follow your dreams. You can be impacted by knowledge, even well into your 90s,” Lutz Chantung told NBC 7.

Taibleson’s son, Jim Taibleson, told NBC 7 he’s equally inspired and proud of his father.

Jim, an adjunct associate professor at New York University, flew into town to attend his dad’s big graduation ceremony.

“He’s my best friend. It’s fantastic, inspiring and humbling to call him my father,” Jim told NBC 7. “He’s a living, breathing rebuttal to anyone who thinks they can’t go back to school or achieve their goals.”

Jim says his father first attended college in 1993, at the age of 70, as a way to keep his mind sharp and fill his spare time after his retirement.

The Taibleson family hails from Chicago, Ill., where Taibleson worked as an accountant and later a CFO and vice chairman for the beverage company, National Can Corporation, before retiring in 1984.

In 1986, Jim says his parents, tired of the freezing Chicago winters, fulfilled a lifelong dream by moving to Carlsbad.

From there, Taibleson earned his bachelor’s degree in history from MiraCosta College and then went on to earn three master’s degrees from Cal State San Marcos in english, writing and literature, history and most recently, education.

“College helps him stay sharp. He’s insatiable and curious and a true example of a lifelong learner,” said Jim. “He’s the embodiment of what people should be doing when they’re curious and want to keep acquiring more knowledge.”

Education is a running theme in the Taibleson family.

Jim said his late mother, Clare Taibleson, also earned her degree at the age of 56 from Northeastern University in Illinois. She passed away about 10 years ago and Jim’s father used college as a way to stay busy and meet new friends.

With several graduations under his belt, Jim said his father was not the least bit nervous about walking across the 2013 CSUSM graduation stage on Friday. He was more excited than anything, Jim said.

The pair had plans to go out to dinner to celebrate after the ceremony.

This latest master’s degree will be hung up on a special wall in Taibleson’s Carlsbad home, right next to his other degrees and, of course, his wife Clare’s degree.

Jim says this will likely be his dad’s final master's, as his vision is degenerating, making it more difficult for him to read, write and do his homework. He's been using two magnifying glasses to read his text books in recent years.

“Now, we’re just trying to figure out what kind of adventure is next for him,” said Jim.

Prior to his graduation ceremony, Taibleson told reporters he was proud to be earning his master's degree in education. The 90-year-old grad said he lives by this quote: "As long as you're learning, you're not old."

A deaf 11-year-old mini Yorkie was snatched from a Los Feliz yard and his dognappers are demanding $1,000 from his owners, who are pleading with the public to help bring their dog home.

“I’m scared for him because he’s used to being inside and cozy and cuddled with,” owner Tricia O’Kelley said, her voice quavering. “He slept with me every night for the last 11 years.”

Walter, who weighs about 5 pounds, was last seen Thursday afternoon in the family’s fenced-in backyard along Los Feliz Boulevard in the Griffith Park area. 

A blocked number called O’Kelley’s cellphone, which is listed on Walter’s tags, about 10:15 p.m. Thursday.

“From the second I answered the call, I knew this guy was bad news,” she said.

The man on the other end of the line told O’Kelley he wants $1,000 for the dog’s safe return. O’Kelley said she heard another man laughing in the background.

Her husband took over negotiations. The dognapper said he’d call back and hung up.

Within minutes, the blocked number called back and this time, O’Kelley’s husband, Adam Rosenblatt, put the call on speaker so the police on a second phone could hear.

The dognapper laid out his demands.

He wanted the family to create phony fliers offering a $1,000 reward for Walter’s return and listed streets on which he wanted them posted. Then, he would bring one of those posters to a Chevron station on Western and Franklin avenues where he would exchange the dog for the cash.

Police suggested they make the fliers and meet the men at the gas station with a plain-clothed officer.

O’Kelley’s husband was in the process of hanging up the fliers when the man called back, saying he’d been lied to and that police were at the gas station.

“He said, ‘Don’t lie to me. I’m keeping your dog,’” O’Kelley said.

That last phone call at 11:15 p.m. Thursday came from a 7-Eleven payphone in North Hollywood, O’Kelley said. And that was the last time she heard from whoever has Walter.

Walter has a condition that causes his trachea to collapse, which is common for his breed.

“He’s not just some puppy,” O’Kelley said. “He needs special care.”

The family’s two young daughters – ages 2 and 4 – ate breakfast outside Friday morning in the hopes that Walter would smell the food and come home, O’Kelley said.

“It’s unbearably terrifying and heartbreaking,” she said. “The whole thing about pets and kids, they trust you to take care of them and keep them safe.”

Walter is outfitted with tags and a microchip. He can be brought to any shelter and they can activate the microchip to let the family know where he is.

O’Kelley said she’s willing to pay the money if the men would return her dog, which she’s had since he was a puppy.

NBC4 obtained an incident report number in the case. Calls to LAPD to confirm the report had not been returned by the time of publication.

Anyone with information is asked to call the LAPD Hollywood Division, which is handling the case.

The SPRINTER light rail train in San Diego’s North County fully resumed service on Saturday after more than two months of suspended service.

On Mar. 9, the North County Transit District (NCTD) temporarily suspended the train service due to maintenance issues affecting one of the 24 braking systems on the train.

NCTD officials said the repairs would take an undetermined amount of time to complete, and that service would likely be suspended for two to four months.

In place of the train, the NCTD offered a special temporary express bus service operating every half an hour between Oceanside and Escondido. Buses named the “618 SPRINTER Express” and the “620 SPRINTER Express” provided service for customers seven days a week.

On Saturday, the NCTD began fully operating their regularly scheduled SPRINTER service once again beginning with a train at 4:33 a.m. The current, full SPRINTER schedule can be seen here.

Now that the train is back in action, the NCTD says the supplemental express bus service will stop operating on May 24.

North County resident Ricardo Conseco rode the SPRINTER on Saturday and told NBC 7 he was relieved to see that service has resumed.

Conseco said he usually ride the train on the weekends as a convenient way to get to his job in Oceanside.

“It’s a good thing that the train is back. I always ride my bike to the [Sprinter] stations and then it’s easier for me to get to my job all the way in Oceanside, so it’s a good thing it’s back,” he told NBC 7.

In the meantime, Conseco said he’s been taking the temporary 620 express bus to work, but feels the SPRINTER is much faster and easier for him to use.

During the two-month suspension, the NCTD says the SPRINTER train has undergone extensive safety testing, review and replacement of parts and thorough inspections of the overall vehicle and railroad infrastructure by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

In addition to repairs, routine maintenance work was also performed on the SPRINTER, including engine checks, air conditioning system maintenance, graffiti removal, extensive cleaning, replacement of worn seat fabric, and exterior waxing of the vehicles, according to the NCTD.

‘Blue Crew’ staffers will remain at SPRINTER stations Saturday through Tuesday to provide assistance for passengers using the train again.

A Powerball ticket sold in Florida Saturday evening matched all six numbers drawn, according to the official Powerball website.

The winning numbers in Saturday's $600 million Powerball drawing were: 22, 10, 13, 14, 52 with a Powerball of 11.

The jackpot was a record for Powerball and the second largest U.S. lottery pot in history.

The lump sum cash prize is an estimated $376.9 million before taxes. The odd of winning the big prize were pretty small -- 1 in 175.2 million -- but that didn't discourage Americans across the country from purchasing about 80 percent of all possible combinations, NBC News reported.

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates as they become available.

 

A memorial service and funeral was held in Lakeside on Saturday for two toddlers who drowned in a swimming pool earlier this week.

On Monday, 16-month-old Harley Bradford and her brother, 2-year-old Jason Bradford Jr., were found unresponsive inside a La Mesa swimming pool. Their mother, Tassie Behrens, and a friend jumped in a pickup truck and drove the toddlers from the home at the base of Mount Helix to a La Mesa firehouse on Grossmont Boulevard.

Behrens stayed with the children while emergency personnel tried to save them. Her unidentified friend ran from the scene. Deputies have said they want to question the man about the details surrounding the drowning.

Initially, Behrens told investigators the children drowned at a pool in Spring Valley. Deputies later determined the drowning had occurred at a home on Sunset Avenue in La Mesa and that Behrens had lied to officials.

Once they searched the home, authorities uncovered a large marijuana grow. They seized the equipment and the plants and arrested a man identified as Larry Dangelo, 44, in connection with the illegal drug operation.

On Wednesday, prosecutors added new charges against Dangelo, including felony child cruelty with possible injury or death. He's scheduled to appear in court on May 24.

Investigators have not filed criminal charges against Behrens in the drowning but have said they are still looking into the circumstances of the children’s deaths. The 26-year-old mother could face charges at a later time.

Earlier this week, court documents obtained by NBC 7 revealed that a judge had issued an arrest warrant for Behrens on Feb. 20. The case involved two vehicle code violations.

On Thursday, Pastor Bob Mentze with the Lakeside Community Presbyterian Church told NBC 7 the church was helping the family deal with the tragedy. The church has established a fund to help cover burial expenses for Jason and Harley Bradford.

Mentze said checks should be made payable to Lakeside Community Presbyterian Church and can be sent to 9908 Channel Road, Lakeside, CA 92040. The memo line should include the words “Jason & Harley Fund.”

As loved ones filed into the private service for the toddlers in Lakeside on Saturday, two San Diego County Sheriff’s Department vehicles patrolled the area surrounding the church.

The children’s grandparents attended the service, as well as others who knew the toddlers.

With a $600 million jackpot up for grabs, Americans watched as Powerball selected the winning numbers for Saturday night's draw.

The winning numbers are: 22, 10, 13, 14, 52 and the Powerball 11.

The California Lottery commission confirmed that if nobody wins the $600 million Powerball prize during Saturday’s drawing, the next jackpot jumps to $925 million – nearly $1 billion.

Currently, 43 states participate in the Powerball Lottery.
 

An 18-month-old toddler was struck by a car in the driveway of a home in Escondido on Sunday, police confirmed.

The accident happened just after 11 a.m. in the 800 block of East Ohio Avenue.

Officer Michael Garcia with the Escondido Police Department told NBC 7 that the boy’s mother was backing a car out of a driveway and didn’t notice the toddler behind the vehicle.

Garcia said the child had been playing in the front yard with another adult who didn’t notice the boy had run towards the driveway.

The toddler was struck by the car and sustained serious head injuries, Garcia said.

Medics transported the boy to Palomar Hospital. From there, he was airlifted to Rady Children’s Hospital.

Garcia said the toddler was alert and conscious while being transported to the hospital. The child has a skull fracture and is expected to heal.

Garcia said the accident is under investigation, and mother and family of the child are extremely upset over the incident.

Garcia said the accident should serve as a warning to all parents.

“If you’re backing a car and you have small children around that are not in the car with you, make sure somebody has a hold of them. Unfortunately, accidents do happen, but they can be prevented,” he said.

Heartland Fire & Rescue officials headed to the scene of a brush fire inside the Sycuan Indian Reservation in the East County Sunday.

The blaze sparked just after noon in the 5400 block of Sycuan Road, fire officials confirmed.
By approximately 12:45 p.m., the fire had been contained.

According to Adam Day, tribal manager for the Sycuan Indian Reservation, someone inside the reservation was cutting grass and the lawnmower they were using sparked a small fire.

Day said the fire scorched less than a quarter acre on the reservation. No structures were damaged and no one was injured in the blaze, he said.
 

One person was killed in a crash on northbound Interstate 5 Sunday, officials said.

The single-vehicle crash happened just after 2 p.m. on northbound I-5 near the Sea World Drive and Tecolote exit.

For unknown reasons, a vehicle spun out of control, veering off the road and down an embankment, according to CHP officials.

One person was killed. No further details were immediately available.

Officials are investigating whether the driver suffered from some sort of pre-existing medical condition prior to the crash. Check back for updates on this developing story.
 

A 14-year-old girl riding a city bus in Queens, New York, Saturday on her way home from a sweet-16 party was shot in the head and killed by a stray bullet from gunfire on the street, police said.

Police identified the victim Sunday as Daja Robinson of South Jamaica.

Robinson was sitting about three rows from the back of the Q6 bus at about 8:45 p.m. near Sutphin and Rockaway boulevards in South Jamaica when the shot came through the bus and killed her.

The shots were fired toward the bus while it was moving, according to police. Investigators recovered nine bullet shell casings.

Robinson was with two friends returning from the party at Onyx Lounge on Rockaway Boulevard, according to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

Kelly said police didn't believe Robinson was the intended target, and they are looking into possible gang involvement in the shooting. 

No arrests have been made. 

The Padres beat the Nationals 2-1 on Saturday night. It will come as no surprise the game was played at PETCO Park.

San Diego has won 10 of its last 13 games in the East Village. This time they did it with great pitching, a couple of timely hits, John Baker's right arm.

Eric Stults took a no-hitter in to the 6th inning before giving up a leadoff single to Kurt Suzuki. Stults ended up going 8 innings with 5 strikeouts and only one run allowed to get the win.

Yonder Alonso hit his 5th homer of the year in the second inning, a solo shot to tie him with Will Venable for the team lead.

Everth Cabrera drove in the game-winning run in the 8th inning with a single to score Alexi Amarista. Cabrera is in a nice little groove. He's reached base in 11 of his last 21 plate appearances.

Finally, Baker got the start behind the plate. He threw out Steve Lombardozzi trying to steal twice, both with perfect throws that had Lombardozzi out by a foot. The last one came on a strike out, throw out double play in the 9th inning that helped Huston Street earn the save.

On Sunday, the Padres try to split the series with the Nats. Andrew Cashner gets the start against former All-Star Dan Haren.

The body of a Dallas firefighter who radioed for help after becoming trapped in a burning condominium has been recovered.

The firefighter, Stanley Wilson, was among the 100 Dallas firefighters who responded to a six-alarm fire at the Hearthwood Condominiums at 12363 Abrams Road Monday morning.

According to Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Louie Bright III, Wilson was a 28-year-veteran of the fire department. Wilson was a native North Texan and a Lake Highlands graduate.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said of Wilson, "he's a hero. As I told his boys, they should be very proud."

Wilson is survived by a wife and two sons.

When firefighters arrived shortly before 3 a.m., smoke was seen billowing through the roof of the complex. Dallas Fire-Rescue's Jason Evans said firefighters initially started to attack the fire offensively, but moved to a defensive posture due to how fast the fire was growing.

At about 5 a.m., Wilson radioed that he was trapped inside the building and that he wasn't sure where he was. Evans said crews had not been able to reach Wilson by radio since that message.

At about 9:15 a.m., Wilson was found. He was removed from the rubble, covered in an American flag and carried to an ambulance as dozens of firefighters and onlookers flanked either side, removed their helmets and saluted the procession.

The DFR ambulance then left the scene with a police escort, but without lights or sirens.

Two other firefighters were injured battling the fire and were hospitalized.  Evans did not believe the injuries to those firefighters were life-threatening.

Even though the large fire made searching for the trapped firefighter, or any other residents, difficult, five residents were rescued from the fire. Some older residents were seen climbing down the ladder of a DFR fire engine to safety.

Two injured residents were treated at the scene for minor smoke inhalation. There are no reports of any other injured or missing residents. At this time, the only known fatality is the firefighter, Stanley Wilson.

Many other residents of the community were evacuated. 

Officials said at least 24 units were destroyed and that the roof of the building collapsed in some areas, leaving third-floor apartments exposed. Other damaged portions of the building may have collapsed as well.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Firefighters battled a blaze early Sunday morning that sparked inside a home garage, officials from the Oceanside Fire Department confirmed.

At around 3:45 a.m., Battalion Chief Pete Lawrence says fire officials began receiving multiple 911 calls reporting a structure fire near Sportfisher and Freeman Streets.

When firefighters arrived, they discovered a detached garage engulfed in flames in an alley behind 415 Freeman St.

Chief Lawrence says the flames were threatening nearby power lines. The fire sparked near an adjacent home and an apartment building to the south.

A total of 20 firefighters working with four engines and one laddertruck, were able to contain the blaze within 15 minutes. SDG&E officials also responded to the scene to secure surrounding power lines.

Officials say the garage and a nearby apartment sustained significant fire and smoke damage estimated at $30,000. There was no damage to the primary adjacent house, which officials say is for sale and unoccupied. No one was injured.

After digging through the rubble, fire investigators determined that the blaze stared in a wastebasket in the garage. Due to extensive damage, the material that actually ignited inside the wastebasket could not be immediately determined, officials said.
 

In some areas of San Diego, real estate experts say we’re in a seller’s market.

San Diego is one of several California cities that has been showing growth in sales and media housing prices over 2012 numbers.

Local real estate research firm Dataquick reported the median housing price for San Diego rose 21 percent in April to $400,000.

Southern California also saw an increase in the regional median price of 23 percent over last year. The $357,000 mark is the highest median for the region since June 2008.

A year or so ago, it seemed like sellers needed to practically write letters to potential buyers, asking them to buy their homes.

Now, Victoria Crown from Sotheby’s Realty, said sellers are receiving letters from buyers explaining why they want to purchase a home.

“We’re seeing a lot of situations with multiple offers,” Crown said. “You might have 10 offers and you might have 3 of those that have letters to the seller.”

In some of the upper end areas of San Diego, the market is moving faster.

“Absolutely less than $500,000 even less than $1 million in certain areas, $1 million to $1.5 million,” she said.

She advises San Diegans who are interested in buying get pre-approved and find a realtor that has experience in the market.

Watch the discussion on this episode of Money Matters. 

A spokesman for the medical examiner's office in Norfolk, Va., says it could be several weeks before they know how two agents with the FBI's hostage rescue team died during a training accident off Virginia Beach.

Glen McBride confirmed the office is awaiting toxicology reports on both Agent Christopher Lorek and Special Agent Stephen Shaw. Both men, who were a part of the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group, were on a weeklong training trip in Hampton Roads when they died Friday.

The accident happened on a Military Sealift Command ship the FBI leased from the Navy, reported WAVY-TV, citing a Navy spokesperson. The agents were then airlifted to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where they were pronouced dead.

The cause of death was not specified, and an investigator for the Norfolk Medical Examiner's Office said that no information would be released until Monday morning. FBI spokesman Paul Bresson also said the cause of the incident is under review.

Navy personnel were not involved in the training exercise.

Lorek, 41,  and Shaw, 40, were based in Quantico, Va.

"We mourn the loss of two brave and courageous men," FBI Director Robert Mueller said in the statement. "Like all who serve on the Hostage Rescue Team, they accept the highest risk each and every day, when training and on operational missions, to keep our nation safe. Our hearts are with their wives, children, and other loved ones who feel their loss most deeply. And they will always be part of the FBI family."

Lorek joined the FBI in 1996 and is survived by his wife and two daughters, ages 11 and 8. Shaw worked for the FBI for eight years. He is survived by his wife, 3-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son.

The Hostage Rescue Team is part of the Critical Incident Response Group based at Quantico.

CIRG, an elite hostage rescue team, made headlines earlier this year when they successfully rescued a 5-year-old boy who was being held hostage in an underground bunker in Alabama. Agents killed the boy's captor, Jimmy Lee Dykes, who took the boy from a school bus.

• READ MORE: CIRG Helps Rescue Kidnapped Alabama Boy

Trained in military tactics and outfitted with combat-style gear and weapons, the group was formed 30 years ago in preparation for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. The team is deployed quickly to trouble spots and provides assistance to local FBI offices during hostage situations. It has participated in hostage situations more than 800 times in the U.S. and elsewhere since 1983.

Stay with News4 and NBCWashington.com for the latest on this developing story.

MORE FROM NBCWASHINGTON:

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• White House Defends IRS Handling, McConnell Claims "Intimidation"
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The Southern California baseball community united on Sunday for the annual “Home Run for Chelsea” baseball tournament held in honor of slain Poway teen Chelsea King.

The one-day charity baseball tournament raises money for the Chelsea’s Light Foundation, a local organization spearheaded by the King family that aims to make a positive difference in the lives of youths and protect children.

"The sport of baseball is special to our family and some of Chelsea's favorite memories were of watching her brother Tyler pitch. She would encourage him on every pitch, whether it was a ball or a strike!" Chelsea’s father, Brent King, said in a statement.

"It's our hope that the players will keep score in a different way at this tournament and realize that while they are experiencing the joy of baseball, they are also helping Chelsea's Light protect children in California and beyond. Our goal with this event is to have the community join us in bringing positive memories to each park through the love of baseball and the sense of community," King continued.

On Sunday, from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., baseball teams from all over Southern California gathered simultaneously at eight separate locations, including Del Norte High School, Poway High School and Rancho Bernardo Community Park, to play ball. More than 60 volunteer umpires supervised the games.

The Chelsea’s Light Foundation teamed up with Super Series West, Southern California Little Leagues and PONY Baseball to orchestrate the student athlete event, which included teams from San Diego, Riverside, Orange and Los Angeles Counties.

At Rancho Bernardo Community Park – the site where 17-year-old Chelsea disappeared on February 25, 2010, after going for an after-school run – thousands gathered in support of the 2013 “Home Run for Chelsea” event.

The park was filled with baseball, live music, activities, food and raffles throughout the day.

Organizers say this year’s tournament celebrated the “taking back” of the park that was once filled with tragic memories of Chelsea’s disappearance and death.

Chelsea’s body was discovered on March 2, 2010 in the Lake Hodges area, several days after her disappearance. Chelsea had been kidnapped, sexually assaulted and killed by John Gardner, who also confessed to killing 14-year-old local Amber Dubois, who went missing in February 2009.

The violent murders of both teens shook the San Diego community to its core.

Since the murder of Chelsea, her parents have been active in the San Diego community through their foundation and events like “Home Run for Chelsea.”

Last year, more than 1,500 student athletes ages five to 14 participated in the baseball tournament, which raised more than $50,000 for the Chelsea’s Light Foundation.

To find out more about the baseball tournament, click here.