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Boulder Falls on SR-67 in Poway

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NBC 7's Nicole Gomez reports on how road crews removed a large boulder that fell onto SR-67 in Poway.


'Make Racism Wrong Again' Hats Advocate Racial, Gender Equality

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President Donald Trump's infamous "Make America Great Again" hats got a liberal makeover.

A couple in Fairfax County, Virginia, is selling blue hats that read "Make Racism Wrong Again," "Make Sexism Wrong Again" and "Make Hatred Wrong Again" to advocate for racial and gender equality.

The two lawyers say they have fulfilled 2,000 orders for the hats and T-shirts with the slogans. The "Make Racism Wrong Again" hat outsells products with the other two slogans 10 to 1, Eric Clingan said.

Clingan and his wife Lachina Dovodova, a Muslim-American, said they were "aghast" on election night when Trump beat Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. 

"We said to ourselves, we could either be upset and just gripe about it, or we could do something about it," Clingan said in his office, surrounded by stacks of merchandise.

He and Dovodova launched the website OurLiberalPride.org and sent the first batch of hats and shirts to high-profile figures in politics, entertainment and sports.

"Hamilton" playwright Lin Manuel Miranda sent back a thank-you note.

"Thank you so much for the lovely shirt and hat. We need to keep working until sexism and racism are history," the handwritten note on gold paper says.

So did some members of Congress. And an online post by music mogul and entrepreneur Russell Simmons gave sales a boost.

Clingan said the merchandise was not designed to be a big moneymaker. Half the proceeds go to organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood. Buyers decide who gets the donation.

"We're assisting organizations that we think are threatened by this current administration," he said.

Fairfax County Trump supporter Puneet Ahluwalia said he thought the blue hats potentially were divisive.

"Why can't we just all stay with the focus of 'Make America Great Again,' make our country great again, believe in the Constitution?'" he asked. "That protects all minorities, all religions, all races."

Clingan is pushing ahead and is adding a blog and podcast to his website.



Photo Credit: NBC Washington
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Stock Price Soars for Local Drugmaker

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The stock price is soaring for local drugmaker La Jolla Pharmaceutical Co. following promising clinical trial data on its experimental blood pressure drug.

The local company is studying the drug, called LJPC-501, in patients who have dangerously low blood pressure, which can lead to a condition called “distributed shock” in which tissues and organs don’t receive adequate blood flow. LJPC-501 was developed to treat those who don’t respond to blood pressure regulating drugs. La Jolla Pharmaceutical Co. released early Phase 3 clinical trial results Monday, showing that the drug had met its primary goal during the trial.

The company’s stock price skyrocketed over 83 percent on the news, bringing the price per share to $36.53 at midmorning Monday and the company’s market cap to $729 million.

Following the release of this data, La Jolla now says it plans to file for regulatory approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the second half of 2017.

The company released fourth quarter and full year (2016) earnings on Friday, showing a net loss of $24.9 million in Q4 and a net loss of $78.2 million for the full year. The company’s research and development expenses more than doubled in 2016 compared to the prior year, from $29 million to $62.3 million.

La Jolla Pharmaceutical Co. ended the year with $65.7 million in cash and cash equivalents, enough to fund operations of the company into 2018, according to the company.


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1 Dies on I-805 in City Heights

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One person died Tuesday on Interstate 805 in City Heights.

California Highway Patrol officers confirmed one person was killed in the single-car crash.

The initial report at 4:45 a.m. said a pedestrian was struck by a car.

Later, CHP officers said the fatality may have been someone from inside the vehicle.

One lane was closed to traffic while the incident was under investigation.

No other information was available.

SUV Hits Marching Band at Ala. Mardi Gras Parade, 12 Hurt

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A dozen members of a marching band were injured Tuesday after an SUV "accelerated and struck them" at the start of a Mardi Gras parade in Gulf Shores, Alabama, a city spokesman said. 

Four of the injured are in critical condition at local hospitals, Gulf Shores spokesman Grant Brown said in a news conference. 

The 73-year-old driver is being interviewed by police, who do not believe the act was intentional. There was no indication he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, Brown said. The man is undergoing testing. 

Members of the Gulf Shores High School Band who were struck "are our children," said Brown, who noted that the parade has been a fixture in the community for 39 years.

"This is our community. These are our friends," he said. "And to have this happen — it's horrible." 

The Gulf Shores Police Department said the parade was canceled.  

The incident comes after 21 people were hospitalized when a car drove into a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans on Saturday night. Police said the suspected drunk driver took a breath test that showed a blood alcohol level nearly triple the legal limit, The Associated Press reported.



Photo Credit: WPMI
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Amazon Storage Service Glitch Causes Massive Web Outages

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Amazon Web Services is working to fix an issue with its S3 storage service, which has led to massive outages across the web.

The company reported the S3 outage is affecting cloud storage based on the east coat.

“We're continuing to work to remediate the availability issues for Amazon S3 in US-EAST-1. AWS services and customer applications depending on S3 will continue to experience high error rates as we are actively working to remediate the errors in Amazon S3.”

AWS provides hosting for images for several sites and also hosts entire websites, USA Today reported.

According to TechCrunch, the outages is affecting Quora, newsletter provider Sailthru, Business Insider, Giphy, image hosting at a number of publisher websites, and filesharing in the messaging service Slack.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Man Reported Missing Near Pyramid Lake Found Dead: SDPD

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Investigators searching the Pyramid Lake area for the brother of a Clairemont woman confirmed Tuesday the man has died.

Jake Roberson, 30, was last seen six weeks ago. His car was found near Pyramid Lake along Interstate 5 with a note indicating the car had run out of gas.

Then, a maintenance worker found Roberson's jeans and car keys near the lake.

On Saturday, February 26, a body was recovered from the lake, according to San Diego police.

Three days later, homicide investigator Lt. Mike Holden confirmed Jake Roberson's death.

Roberson didn't have access to medication while he was reported missing, his family told NBC 7.

Ruth Roberson described her brother as an old spirit and a loving uncle to her 4-month-old daughter.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner will determine a cause of death. Holden said it's not considered suspicious at this time.

Man Boogie Boards in Barona Flood Waters

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Monday’s heavy winter storm caused waters to rise at Padre Barona Creek near Barona Casino, leading to flooding at Wildcat Canyon and Quincy Canyon roads. 

The flooding drew the attention of one watersport daredevil: a man who put on a rash guard, grabbed a boogie board and caught some waves in the streets.

A traffic alert was issued at Wildcat Canyon Road due to the flooding; spectators gathered to watch the man go boogie boarding. 

Barona tribal member Sonya Rios said this kind of activity is all in good fun for those who live in the area.

“We were born and raised this way and always watched them go back and forth,” Rios said, of the man on the boogie board. “They’re used to it.”

Still, authorities urged that trying to cross flood waters like this is dangerous and should not be attempted.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Del Mar Welcomes Breeder's Cup

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For the first time ever, Breeder's Cup will be held this year at the Del Mar track in San Diego's North County. Tickets will go on sale next week.

To kick off the event, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club officials hosted a special preview Tuesday morning with the coastline and palm trees as their backdrop.

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said the event will have an estimated $100 million boost to the regional economy.

"It really is the Super Bowl of horse racing," he said adding that millions will be watching the event on television.

Del Mar Mayor Terry Sinnott said he's learning how to say "Welcome" in several languages as part of his hosting duties.

"We want to share our special seaside village with all the international and local fans of thoroughbred racing," Sinnott said.

Organizers of the event say it began as a 7-race event. Now, it covers to days and draws the best horses, trainers, and owners from around the country and the world.

There will be 900 new temporary box seats constructed at the Del Mar track.

In an attempt to bring the beach right up to the track, there will be seating for several hundred people in an area called "The Beach."

The horse races run Nov. 3 and Nov. 4. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Monday, March 6.

As part of the kickoff, 20 statues of the Breeder's Cup Torrie horse will be displayed in the community. Twenty local artists will take part in the celebration.

Couple Accused of Hoarding Yorkies Arrested

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A San Diego couple accused of keeping 140 dogs in deplorable conditions – 92 of them inside a feces-filled home in Poway – have been arrested on nearly a dozen counts of animal abuse.

The San Diego County District Attorney’s office said Tuesday that Christine Calvert, 62, and Mark Vattimo, 73, are both in custody, each facing 10 felony counts of animal abuse and neglect, plus one misdemeanor charge of resisting an officer.

According to the DA’s office, investigators from the San Diego Humane Society were tipped off to the couple’s home by a complaint from a local veterinary office. On Jan. 20, animal service workers entered the home and found 92 Yorkshire terriers and Yorkshire terrier mix-breed dogs inside, kept in a dark room upstairs.

Investigators said the dogs were in bad shape. Most of them had severe matting, faces entangled in their fur, skin issues, ear infections, hair loss, overgrown nails and poor teeth. The DA’s office said one dog was even missing part of its leg.

The room in which the dogs were being kept was covered in debris, feces and mice.

“The shocking conditions and sheer number of animals in the defendants’ home make this a particularly disturbing case of animal abuse,” San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said in a press release.

Four days after the discovery at the couple’s home, officials found dozens more Yorkie mix-breed dogs belonging to the couple at another location.

Both Calvert and Vattimo were arrested late last week.

Calvert had fled San Diego in a motorhome purchased for her by Vattimo and was arrested on Feb. 24 in Primm, Nevada. She had more dogs in her possession; the animals were returned to San Diego on Monday by the Humane Society.

Calvert will be extradited to San Diego to face charges, the DA’s office said. Vattimo was arrested on Feb. 25 and released on $50,000 bail. He’s scheduled to appear in court on March 6.

Stephen MacKinnon, chief of humane law enforcement for San Diego Humane Society, said this case was unique and, as the investigation unfolded, the Humane Society sought support from the DA’s office.

“In this instance, when we discovered the owners were withholding animals and interfering with an active investigation, it became intentional animal cruelty so criminal charges needed to be pursued,” MacKinnon explained in a press release.

Since being the rescued, the dogs have been examined and treated by veterinarians at the San Diego Humane Society’s San Diego campus. The pooches have been evaluated for behavior, too, and have been spayed/neutered, vaccinated, groomed and outfitted with microchips. Some have received dental care as well.

The pups captured the hearts of San Diegans.

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Within 24 hours of some of the dogs becoming available for adoption, the Humane Society was flooded with more than 1,800 applications for the dogs.

The Humane Society closed the application process on Feb. 4, much earlier than expected. They implemented a lottery system to select people to meet the Yorkies.

By early February, 80 of San Diego’s most wanted Yorkies had been cleared for adoption. The first batch was adopted by forever families at the Humane Society’s Gaines Street shelter on Feb. 8, with additional adoptions following.



Photo Credit: San Diego Humane Society
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Aerial Tour of Mission Valley Flooding

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NBC 7 Newschopper went up above Mission Valley on Tuesday morning to take a look at the flooding and damage left by Monday's powerful winter storm.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Petco Park Flooded in Storm

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Just as ground crews started the process of laying down sod in downtown San Diego's Petco Park on Monday, the rain began to fall.

Soon, the storm won the battle and the water filled the field, creating a muddy pond where baseball players normally stand.

Paul Wizikowski witnessed the flooding at the ballpark and posted this photo on Twitter. He wrote: "Rain delay @PetcoPark, don't get to say that often in SoCal!"

The San Diego Padres are currently at Spring Training in Peoria, Arizona, so they won't have to wade through the water at Petco Park to play ball. The 2017 Padres Home Opener is on April 7 -- plenty of time for that field to be in ship-shape for baseball season.

This aerial footage captured how the ballpark looked one day after the rain.

Monday's winter storm broke rainfall records in San Diego County.



Photo Credit: Paul Wizikowski
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Local Law Enforcement Launch 'Take Me Home' Program

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Two local law enforcement agencies have launched a new program to help officers communicate with individuals with developmental disabilities.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO) and Chula Vista Police (CVPD) parternered together for the "Take Me Home" program. 

According to CVPD, it's designed to help law enforcement when they are interacting with individuals effected by Autism, Dementia, Alzheimer's, Down Syndrome or other developmental disabilities. 

The program allows the officers to access information about the individual, including contact information, pictures, and special needs.

It can be used by all law enforcement agencies in the San Diego County.

"Participating in the 'Take Me Home' program is a valuable tool for Chula Vista Police officers to aid them in communicating with these individuals in the field when we come into contact with them. We are pleased to be able to offer this additional communication outreach to our community. Ultimately, it helps us in getting your loved ones home safely," said CVPD Sgt. Frank Giaime in a statement. 

If you would like more information or want to register for the program, click here.



Photo Credit: San Diego County Sheriff's Dept.

Locals React to POTUS' First Address to Congress

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An increased sense of confidence—that's how many San Diegans reacted in response to President Donald Trump's first address to Congress on Tuesday.

But others told NBC 7 they are keeping their guard up and are waiting to hear more about the fine print in his policies.

"Home run tonight. He did exactly what he needed to do," said Coronado resident and veteran, John Bowen.

Bowen voted for President Trump and told NBC 7 he agrees with a lot of his policies, but at times, his delivery can be a little harsh.

"It's his nature to be who he's been for the last two months and who we saw on the campaign trail, that's who he is," he said. "I think that there's going to be a lot more people who are in the middle or even on the other side of the fence who are going to go, ‘well, okay, I'm going to give this guy a little more leash.'"

But some still have concerns, especially about the president's immigration enforcement, such as Dr. Bill Jenkins who has helped thousands of refugees just in the last year.

Dr. Jenkins told NBC 7 the president's policy will only benefit the wealthy.

"If you can prove to our administration that you don't need any help, then we'll let you come into our country. That to me, is not caring for the poor, and it's not going to solve our immigration system."

Bowen said it will also be interesting to see how much President Trump's speech helps him with his approval rating. The latest numbers showed his job approval rating stands at just 44 percent.



Photo Credit: NBC Bay Area

Escondido Homeowner Frustrated After Flooding Damages Home

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Michael Sucharda is one of several Escondido residents dealing with a flooding fiasco for the second time in a month.

During Monday’s storm, a deluge of water came pouring through Sucharda's home on Vista Avenue.

“My wife, she started freaking out saying there’s water all around the house,” he said.

Sucharda told NBC 7 when he opened the front door of their home, the floodwaters rushed in, damaging their hardwood floors and recently remodeled home.

During the downpour Monday, Sucharda said their driveway looked like a waterfall as water raced through it over a wall.

He added the flooding problems stem from a housing development about 100 yards up the street from his home.

Sucharda said the first flood happened earlier this year when a holding pond flooded on the property that’s being developed. It sent water cascading into several homes.

To remedy the problem, Sucharda said developers created a channel to help catch the water and divert it.

But on Monday night, it broke.

“The frustration, as you experienced is kind of horrendous," said neighbor Ruben Cruz.

Sandbags and a trench surrounded Cruz's home to keep floodwaters out.

Like the Sucharda's, Cruz said his concern is mounting and he is wondering who’s going to fix the damage.

“They’re not going to be responsible for anything and they’re going to brush us off. They’ve got big pockets and we don’t matter,” Cruz said.

NBC 7 contacted the construction company but did not hear back Tuesday night.


FBI Made Deal With Ex-Spy for Trump Dossier: Source

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The FBI made a deal in October to pay Christopher Steele, the former British spy who had compiled a dossier on Donald Trump's alleged ties with Russia, to continue his work, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation. 

NBC News reported that the FBI took the allegations seriously; Trump has denied them, calling the allegations "fake news." However, the FBI didn't end up paying Steele, as the former spy pulled out from the deal, the source added. 

The Washington Post first reported the arrangement, which suggests that the FBI found Steele credible and continued to pursue the claims in the dossier, despite it being a collection of unverified claims accusing the Trump campaign of conspiring with Russia to interfere with the election.

A spokesperson for the FBI declined to comment. 



Photo Credit: Getty Images, File

Lane-Splitting Motorcyclist Dies in SR-76 Crash: Oceanside PD

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A motorcyclist who died Tuesday on a San Diego highway was lane splitting at the time, Oceanside police said. Investigators said speed was a factor in the fatal crash.

Witnesses told police the motorcycle was traveling westbound on State Route 76 between two lanes of traffic when he collided with two cars. Police said traffic was stop-and-go approaching Foussat Road and the motorcycle rider was traveling faster than other vehicle traffic.

When the motorcycle rider locked up his rear brakes, he lost control and slammed into a Ford sedan that was stopped on the highway for traffic. The bike bounced off the first car and slammed into a second car in a nearby lane, police said.

Investigators say while it appears speed was a factor in the crash, they are still investigating the incident. Anyone with information regarding this collision can call Accident Investigator Bryan Hendrix at (760) 435-4882.

Last year, California became the first state to make lane-splitting on roadways legal, allowing motorcyclists to drive between two lanes of traffic.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

SDUSD Leaders to Vote on Potential Budget Solutions Tuesday

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San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) leaders will vote Tuesday evening on potential budget solutions that will have a significant impact on the jobs and salaries of almost every department in the district. 

The District must cut $124 million to balance its budget, or ten percent of its total budget. 

Chief Financial Officer Patricia Koch told NBC 7 every department in the district will be impacted to some extent. Teachers and elementary school vice principals, nurses, maintenance workers, landscapers, custodians, school police, health technicians are among those who will be impacted.

Some positions in every department will be eliminated. Read the Board's meeting agenda here

Those employees who keep their jobs will have a reduced work year, meaning they will take a pay cut.

Teachers will not face a shortened year, but teachers could get laid off as senior teachers working in support positions move back to the classroom.

Even if there is more money from the Governor’s revised budget in May, it will not solve this structural deficit, which has become worse due to “declining enrollment, pension contribution increases, labor market pressures, and mandates from the state and federal governments,” according to the District.

Koch says in the past, furlows were in lieu of making cuts to jobs.

This time, she says, even with the furlow, positions “slated to be eliminated will be eliminated.” This is a structural deficit that needs to be solved for the long term.

Sinkhole Forms on SR-163 in Linda Vista

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A possible sinkhole opened up on the southbound State Route 163 in the Linda Vista area of San Diego on Tuesday.

The sinkhole was reported at approximately 1:48 p.m. on the on-ramp of Genesee Avenue.

According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the size of the hole is unknown.

Caltrans is concerned over the possibility of a tree falling over due to its proximity to the sinkhole.

CHP said the Genesee Avenue on-ramp has been shutdown.

No other information was available.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Lake Poway Nearly Full, But Not Expected to Spill Over Soon

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After weeks of powerful storms that dumped record-breaking rainfall across the County, Lake Poway is close to overflowing, though there is no imminent threat of water spilling over at this point in time.  

The water level at the lake is about one foot from overflowing, said Eric Heidemann, Public Works Operations Manager with the City of Poway.

However, Heidemann said, officials are not expecting the dam to overflow. The current level is not rising to the point of concern, Heidemann said. 

The amount of water flowing into the dam has gone down from 2,000 gallons of water per minute to less than 1,000 gallons of water per minute, Heidemann said.

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No citizens are in immediate public danger, the City said. About 18 properties, including Maderas Golf Course, were notified as a precaution. City officials will use AlertSanDiego to notify the any additional affected residents. 

If the water were to flow over the spillway -  a 100-foot wide span of concrete on the east side of the dam - it would be diverted into a canyon below. 

The water would flow into the canyon north of the Lake Poway Dam if it spilled over. The water would then flow into the canyon, through parts of the Blue Sky Ecological Reserve, under Old Coach Road, along Thomson Creek adjacent to Maderas Golf Course and, ultimately, into Lake Hodges. 

Lake Poway hiking trails and the Blue Sky Ecological Preserve will be closed until further notice. 

The dam was inspected Tuesday morning and remains structurally sound, city officials said, though staff will continue to monitor the dam and inspect it every two hours.

City crews are working to lower the level of the lake by diverting water to the City's drinking water system. 

Lake Poway was built in 1971. It holds 33,000 acre feet of water, or about 1 billion gallons. The last time water overflowed from Lake Poway was 1997. 

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Earlier in the day, the Lower Otay resevoir crested and began to spill into the natural Otay River Valley system. The reservoir last spilled over in 2011. 



Photo Credit: City of Poway
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