In San Diego, UC San Diego announced a public-private partnership with BioMed Realty to build a new home for university and local research organizations as they work to find treatments and potential cures for cancer and other chronic diseases.

The project will include an 110,000-square foot research hub as well as a 2,500-bed complex for graduate students.

Something UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla believes is critical to conduct good research.

“Research is not like any other work,” Khosla said.

“Having the ability to be focused on it without distractions is really important for doing good research,” he said.

The Center for Novel Therapeutics as it will be named will be open to both faculty and commercial researchers right on the UC San Diego Campus north of downtown San Diego.

Timothy Schoen, President and CEO, BioMed Realty, said the lab expands the biotech footprint in La Jolla which is already arguably the second largest bio tech region in the country.

“It’s really a collaboration between the UCSD academic firepower and being able to bring the larger life science community to the campus,” Schoen said.

UC San Diego will not spend funds to build the state-of-the-art building that will house not only faculty as well as commercial businesses in an attempt to lower the cost of business for all involved.

The building will be located at the UCSD's Science Research Park next to Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health.

Construction is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2017 and be completed in early 2019, according to BioMed Realty officials.

An anonymous donor's kind gift to the County Animal Services' Spirit Fund will help dozens of sick and injured animals get the specialized medical care they need. 

The donor gifted the fund more than $101,000, raising the fund's total from $127,315 to $228,597. The County Board of Supervisors approved the donation during their meeting Tuesday. 

The County's Spirit Fund helps sick and injured animals get back to full health through specialized surgery, medicine and follow-up care. 

“Thanks to the compassion and generosity of not only this donor but everyone else that has donated to the Spirit Fund, we’ll be able to continue to provide veterinary care above and beyond the capabilities of our shelters, giving more animals the chance at a forever home,” said County Animal Services Director Daniel DeSousa in a statement. 

The fund was first launched in July 2008 when a 10-week-old puppy was found beaten near the U.S.-Mexico border. Officials named her Spirit because of her loving attitude, despite her injuries. 

The County received so many donations at that time, they started the Spirit Medical Trust Fund to help other animals in need of expensive treatment.

To donate to the fund, click here. 

A rescue underway for four people believed to be trapped inside a tunnel in Mission Valley was a false alarm, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) confirmed. 

Crews responded to the call around 3:51 p.m. on the 7400 block of Hazard Center Drive. The area is behind the Doubletree Hotel.

SDFD initially said a tunnel may have collapsed, trapping the people inside.

But as of just after 4 p.m., fire officials called off the rescue, confirming it was a false alarm.

They said a transient man who lives in a confined space beneath the bridge heard voices in his head calling for help. 

Crews searching the space but did not find anyone.

San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan describes what happened inside Classroom B1 at North Park Elementary on April 10, 2017.

A Barrio Logan contractor's bid to build President Donald Trump's controversial border wall caused minor jeopardy Tuesday to at least one of his other public works projects worth millions of dollars.

Port Commissioner Rafael Castellanos said he was "very disappointed" that the company, R.E. Staite Engineering Inc., was being awarded a $7 million dollar Port of San Diego contract to update the Shelter Island boat ramp when the federal border wall contract the company is seeking "flies in the face of everything San Diego is about."

Castellanos pulled the project from the consent agenda, which typically contains projects and items about which there is little to no controversy.

"Because this company is bidding on the border wall, is touting its desire to build the wall on the national news, and thereby thumbing its nose at our regional economy, and recklessly endangering our diplomatic and economic ties to mexico, presumbly motivated by profit and not the public good," Castellanos said. "I'll pinch my nose when we vote."

R.E. Staite Owner Ray Carpenter declined comment about Castellanos' comments outside the meeting. He said he did not think his goal to build the border wall would cost him any business.

The project in question would upgrade Shelter Island's boat ramp, which Castellanos said was the busiest in the state.

On the Embarcedero, one boater told NBC 7 he did not think the company's federal bid on the border wall should impact the company's other business or contracts with local governments.

"Just because they're building the border wall?" the man said. "No. It's a free market economy. So put your bids out and go from there."

R.E. Staite was the lowest bidder on the Shelter Island boat ramp project, which is how the contracts are typically awarded with the Port of San Diego.

A meteor entered the atmosphere over Oceanside Monday, lighting up the night sky across San Diego County, NASA officials confirmed.

The bright light was seen just after 9 p.m. in several different areas, including the City of El Cajon, Clairemont, Kearny Mesa, Talmadge, North Park, Pacific Beach, Solana Beach, Carmel Valley and Fallbrook.

While some people reported seeing just a bright flash, others posted on social media they heard explosions as well. 

NBC 7 received reports there could have been a plane crash in San Bernardino that cause the flash.

We reached out to the San Bernardino Fire Department, and a spokesperson said there is no evidence of a plane crash.

Dr. Ed Krupp, of Los Angeles' Griffith Observatory, said the light might have been an exploding bolide -- an extremely bright meteor that unleashes a flash as it explodes in Earth's atmosphere.

However, early Tuesday, NASA officials confirmed it was a bright meteor that entered the atmosphere just south of Oceanside and proceeded west at 36,000 miles per hour.

"The meteor had a peak brightness exceeding that of the Full Moon, which means we are probably dealing with a piece of an asteroid about a foot in diameter," NASA spokesperson Bill Cooke said.

FAA officials told NBC 7 the bright light was believed to be a meteor and that the agency was not going to investigate further.

A man was rescued from Sunset Cliffs Tuesday according to San Diego Fire-Rescue officials.

An SDFD helicopter was used in the rescue along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and Osprey Street just after 10 a.m.

A 61-year-old man was injured on the rocks near the water and needed to be hoisted up the cliff to receive medical attention, according to an SDFD spokesperson.

No other information was available.

The death of a man who fell four stories to his death from a Rolando apartment has been ruled an accident, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's report. 

Untyuan Smith, 25, a San Diego resident and student, fell approximately 40 feet from the apartment on the 4600 block of 63rd street on Saturday, Feb. 4, San Diego police (SDPD) said. Smith was rushed to a local hospital and died shortly thereafter.

Due to the nature of the man's death, considered to be suspicious, SDPD's homicide unit launched an investigation. 

In the Medical Examiner's report, SDPD Homicide Detective Tim Radtke said that Smith was at his girlfriend's apartment when officers arrived to evict her. 

As officers spoke to his girlfriend, Smith went out onto the balcony to avoid problems with law enforcement, Radtke reported. At the time, he was intoxicated. 

He began to climb down from the apartment, and in doing so, slipped and fell, Radtke said. 

The Medical Examiner ruled the death an accident. His cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. 

In the toxicology report, officials found alcohol, cocaine and alprazolam, a medication used to treat anxiety. 

A 100-year-old wooden boat rich with history needs a new place to call home.

Renfrew, built in Washington in 1919, is described as a “Victorian home that floats.” It sits in a slip in the Chula Vista Marina where Paula Matthei, one of its owners, lives on board.

Three days ago, the marina served Mathei with an eviction notice.

Matthei said the marina is concerned the 65-foot vessel will sink. She admits the boat shows its age, and that the recent wet winter was pretty hard on it, but said that it’s far from a liability.

“A boat in dire shape would be gushing water from her bilge pumps,” Matthei said. “She’s not. Do you see any pumps gushing water? No.”

Matthei and her husband Ed Pieters have owned the boat since 1991. Together they've spent nearly $300,000 over the years keeping it in shape. Pieters fell ill recently and maintenance became an afterthought. To pay for assisted living they sold their home, and two years ago, Matthei started living on the boat. Now, she’s packing up her belongings and preparing for life on dry land.

Matthei is hoping the marina will give her more time to find a home for Renfrew. She is looking into whether a foundation or museum could adopt it, or maybe someone who could restore the boat to its original beauty.

The marina maintains that the boat is, in fact, a liability and officials say Rendfrew’s time at the marina is up.

“They’re focusing on her age,” Mathei said. “They say she’s 100 years old. She’s sinking, she needs to be gone. Everything that is one hundred years old, does it need to be disposed of?”

A representative for the Chula Vista Marina issued a response regarding the dispute:

“The nearly 100 year old wooden vessel in question has deteriorated to the point where she does not comport with the marina's standards for vessel condition, and serious concerns have arisen as to her seaworthiness and safety.”

The response goes on to say, “Due to the poor condition of the vessel, the marina became obliged to, and did lawfully terminate the License Agreement."

If a new home is not found, Mathei fears that Renfrew will be decommissioned, which she calls “the euphemism for cutting her up into small pieces and putting her in a dumpster.”

Mathei and her husband are currently being advised by an attorney who says that the dispute could find its way to court if a resolution isn’t found.

A Point Loma mother called NBC 7 Responds after her daughter received a collection notice at school. 

It was a day Jill Kirby and her daughter will never forget. 

“I punched my hand through a window,” four-year-old Chloe said. 

“She ended up going to the trauma center, needing emergency surgery, blood transfusion, the whole bit,” Jill said. 

Chloe has a nasty scar to remind her of that day. Her mother Jill has a collection notice from the ambulance company, Rural/Metro, to remind her of that day. 

“I opened up her backpack and there was a letter addressed to her at school and it looked like a bill,” Jill said. 

Jill said the collection notice was sent to Chloe’s school, addressed to her daughter. At first, Jill said she was confused because the family had already paid Rural/Metro for the ambulance ride. Then, she said, it made her mad, especially as she tried to straighten out the problem. 

“They wanted information specific to my daughter including name, insurance company, they wanted the insurance number and some other information and I said no and hung up,” Jill said. 

Jill said her biggest concern was her daughter’s privacy and how the collection notice could impact her future credit. Every time she contacted Rural/Metro, Jill said she was asked for more information about the bill. 

Frustrated, Jill contacted NBC 7 Responds for help. 

NBC 7 Responds spoke with Rural/Metro representatives and were told the Kirby’s billing would stop and all of Chloe’s personal information would be wiped clean. 

This isn’t the first time NBC 7 Responds has looked into issues surrounding Rural/Metro ambulance collections. To see those stories, click here.  

Authorities are asking for the public's help to find a missing 75-year-old man who is considered to be at risk.

Doug Nicholson was last seen around 9 p.m. Monday in the 1800 block of Devon Place in Vista, the San Diego County Sherrif's Department (SDSO) said.

Nicholson has Alzheimer's and he does not have his medications with him.

According to SDSO, Nicholson had spoken about going to his home in Washington State and they believe he could be looking for a ride through Orange and Los Angeles counties.

He has gray hair, blue eyes, is 5-feet 7-inches tall, and around 150 punds. He was last seen wearing a baseball cap, navy blue shirt, plaid jacket, light blue pants with suspenders and carrying a gray backpack.

Anyone who has information or who may have seen him is asked to call the Vista Sheriff's Station at (760)940-4551 or SDSO.

Bail was set at $1 million for an accused unlicensed, drunk driver who allegedly ran a red light and struck a pedestrian, killing him, in Little Italy last week. 

David Dominguez, 21, pleaded not guilty to felony gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, felony hit-and-run with injury, felony DUI causing injury, felony driving with a blood-alcohol content of .08 or higher and a misdemeanor for driving without a license at his arraignment Tuesday. 

The collision occurred just after 11 p.m. Thursday on West Laurel Street.

Garold Allen Crosbie, 50, was walking northbound on Pacific Coast Highway and through the intersection of Laurel Street when a car ran a red light and hit him, according to the Medical Examiner's office.

A San Diego Harbor police officer was at the intersection at the time and witnessed the event. 

Just after 7 a.m. on Friday, police arrested Dominguez in Encanto. 

Dominguez faces a maximum of 15 years if convicted. 

A wrong-way driver who led police on a pursuit on Interstate 5, across the Coronado Bay Bridge and, ultimately, into a park, tried to flee officers by running into the waters of the San Diego Bay.

The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) confirmed the chase ended with the suspect running into the water at Centennial Park on 1st Street in Coronado. By 3 p.m., he was under arrest.

SDPD Officer Billy Hernandez said the bizarre pursuit stemmed from a traffic stop. At around 2:30 p.m., officers tried to pull the suspect over on southbound Interstate 5 at Front Street after an officer saw the car zig zagging through traffic. Instead of complying, the driver fled.

Officers pursued the driver, who turned around and drove the wrong way down Southbound I-5, then turned around again and headed toward the Coronado Bay Bridge. 

Authorities shut down traffic on the Coronado Bay Bridge in both directions as the suspect sped across the busy bridge.

While on the bridge, the suspect got out of his car, then got back inside and kept driving to Coronado. 

The driver made his way to the community park, which overlooks the bay.

He stopped at the park when his car broke down and he ran to the water.

News chopper footage showed dozens of police officers surrounding the park amid the incident.

Meanwhile, traffic on southbound I-5 was backed up for miles following the pursuit, with speeds at a crawl all the way to Front Street, Kettner Boulevard and Pacific Highway.

The driver, who has not been identified, faces violation of parole and felony evading charges. 

No other information was available. Get traffic updates here.

President Donald Trump addressed his missile strike on Syria and America's involvement in the country's six-year civil war in an interview with Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo that aired Wednesday morning, NBC News reported.

"We're not going into Syria," the president said, adding that "what I did should have been done by the Obama administration a long time before I did it."

Trump went on to say that "even some of the worst tyrants in the world didn't use the kind of gases that [Syria] used."

He said seeing the chemical attack prompted him to say, "we have to do something."

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and his wife were trapped in an elevator during a visit to a Miami affordable housing complex Wednesday.

The incident occurred while Carson was touring the Courtside Apartments, an affordable housing complex in the city's Overtown neighborhood.

The couple and several others were on their way to meet residents when their elevator became stuck, grounding the group for about 15 minutes before firefighters freed them just before 9 a.m.

"Well, we got all of our questions answered," Carson joked as he stepped out of the elevator.   

He later talked about the elevator incident with SiriusXM host David Webb. "Well, you know, everything has its ups and downs," Carson kidded. "But no, it was no big deal. It was a wonderful opportunity for us all to get to know each other a little better."

Waiting in the lobby was former NBA star Alonzo Mourning. Mourning, whose nonprofit AM Affordable Housing helped develop the complex.

Residents said they were glad to see Carson and hope the secretary will defend against the Trump administration's proposed budget cuts to low income housing programs.

The famed surgeon and former GOP presidential candidate is in town for two days of meetings with both political officials, including Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, as well as community leaders such as developer Jorge Perez and former Heat star Mourning.

After the elevator incident, Carson visited the Liberty Square community, Miami-Dade's oldest public housing community that's set for a major redevelopment project.

Carson delivered the paperwork to start the demolition of the housing to make way for the new Liberty Square Rising project, which is expected to take more than four years to complete.

"It is about developing our people, it is not just about putting a roof over their head but it is about creating a nurturing community," Carson said.

A small group of demonstrators gathered outside the Liberty Square community center to protest cuts to HUD and voice their concerns over losing their homes with the new development.

"We are not against the revitalization of Liberty Square, what we are against is what is going to happen after," former resident Trenise Bryant said.

There are 630 families living in Liberty Square now, but the new development will offer 640 new public housing units, plus 815 non-public housing units and homes. County officials said no one will lose their homes and everyone will be accommodated.

"At some point there are going to be honest people working, and I believe that point is here, at least from the HUD point of view," Carson said.

Carson was expected to visit Florida Memorial University later Wednesday. He will also deliver the keynote address at the NAACP Fair Housing Month Conference at Miami Dade College’s North Campus.

Foodies, prepare to feast: the 16th annual Taste of Hillcrest is happening this Saturday, showcasing delicious dishes found in fun, restaurant-centric community.

The self-guided culinary tour of Hillcrest, known for its wide array of unique eateries, runs from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. This year, 35 restaurants -- from quaint cafés to budding bistros -- will partake in the event, serving samples of their best bites.

For instance, if you’re in the mood for Mexican, head over to Baja Betty’s or Fiesta Cantina. If your palate seeks to travel a bit further, snag a sample at Tajima Ramen Hillcrest, Lotus Thai or Michoz’s Fresh Lebanese Grill. For a full list of Taste of Hillcrest eateries, click here.

Each participating eatery is within walking distance of one another, so plan to stroll from sample to sample or hop on the free Hillcrest Trolley making frequent stops around the neighborhood. The pros recommend starting the walking tour on Park Boulevar and heading west toward 3rd Avenue.

If you need to take a little break, Rich's Nightclub (1051 University Ave.) will serve as the refresher station for attendees. There, you can grab a drink before hitting the pavement on your food trek.

The tasting event typically sells out; tickets are $30 if purchased in advance online or $35 the day of the event. On the day of the event, general admission tickets can be purchased at two locations: The Rite Aid at 535 Robinson Ave. or Gossip Grill at 1220 University Ave. When you grab your ticket, you'll also get a map and a tasting card to track which spots you go to.

Aspen Skiing Co.'s ski resort acquisition spree is expanding with a deal to buy Mammoth Mountain and three other southern California ski areas.

Mammoth Resorts said Wednesday that it will be purchased by the new joint venture of Aspen Skiing and Denver-based KSL Capital Partners.

Mammoth CEO Rusty Gregory called it "the next logical chapter" for his company.

Mammoth Resorts also owns Snow Summit, Bear Mountain and June Mountain.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The announcement came two days after Aspen Skiing and KSL joined forces to buy Intrawest Resort Holdings for about $1.5 billion, including debt.

Properties it is acquiring in that deal include Steamboat Ski Resort in Colorado, Stratton Mountain in Vermont and the Canadian Mountain Holidays heli-skiing operation in British Columbia.

A Bay Area couple's idyllic honeymoon took a horrific turn when they contracted a brain-infecting parasite in Hawaii. 

Newlyweds Ben Manilla, a journalism professor at UC Berkeley, and Eliza Lape were both diagnosed with rat lungworm disease, according to Hawaii News Now.

Manilla, 64, and Lape, 57, traveled to Maui for their wedding in January. After the ceremony, they spent a fortnight in the area of Hana, Hawaii News Now reported.

Lape began presenting symptoms even before the duo’s return to San Francisco.

"My symptoms started growing to feeling like somebody was taking a hot knife and just stabbing me in different parts of my body," she told Hawaii News Now.

Rat lungworm disease is caused by a parasite that impacts rats that then excrete worm larvae. Slugs and snails consume the larvae, which can be passed on to humans via raw produce, freshwater shrimp and land crabs, according to Hawaii News Now. The parasitic worms trigger a rare meningitis that affects the brain and spinal cord.

Lape has recovered, but Manilla has spent a month in the ICU and needs to undergo rehabilitation, the TV station said.

"I've had several operations, two pneumonias, a blood clot. Right now, I'm dealing with a kidney issue, all of which was spurred by the ratlung," Manilla said to Hawaii News Now.

The couple is speaking about the experience to help other people take appropriate precautions.

"Had we known we were walking into this kind of environment, we would have had a completely different attitude," Lape told Hawaii News Now. "It really does disrupt and destroy people's lives."

Officials have noted an upswing in rat lungworm disease – at least nine cases recently – on the Big Island and on Maui, Hawaii News Now reported. But health experts believe that number may not include people who went to private clinics, not hospitals. The Department of Health is investigating.

The wife of former San Diego mayor and conservative radio talk-show host Roger Hedgecock is suing the city after she tripped on a "poorly maintained" public sidewalk and allegedly ruptured her breast implants. 

According to the suit, Cynthia Hedgecock was walking down Morrell Street, near Grand Avenue, in San Diego's Pacific Beach neighborhood on July 31, 2015, when she tripped over a raised crack in the sidewalk and "came crashing to the ground." 

Hedgecock went to a Scripps Clinic facility a few weeks later on Aug. 17, 2015, with complaints of chest pain and breast deformities.  The implants, according to the suit, were "irreparably damaged."

In early September she learned her breast implants had ruptured and "silicone had been leaking into her bloodstream." Hedgecock was forced to undergo "necessary" surgery to remove and replace both implants and took several weeks to recover from the operation, according to the suit.

Roger Hedgecock is also named as a defendant in the suit. He alleges that he "suffered loss of support, service, love, companionship, society affection, relations and solace from his wife" due her injuries.

The Hedgecocks claim the City of San Diego did not maintain the sidewalk and fix needed repairs, which led to Cynthia's fall. They are suing for $25,000 in damages. 

NBC 7 has reached out to the city attorney's office for comment, but was told they do not have a statement in response to the suit. 

A spokesman said the suit will probably go to trial later this year.

You can read the full lawsuit here.