Eater San Diego shares the top stories of the week from San Diego’s food and drink scene, including the debut of “Open House,” a new dining destination in the North County.

Open House Unveils Multiple Food Concepts in Encinitas
Chef and restaurateur Wade Hageman, who runs Blue Ribbon Pizzeria and Craftsman Tavern in Encinitas, has debuted his latest venture in Encinitas – a dining destination dubbed Open House. The spot combines an Asian restaurant with a craft cocktail bar, plus a second bar showcasing a large tequila program and raw, bar-focused menu. 

10,000-Square-Foot Dim Sum Restaurant Coming to Mira Mesa
A spacious new Chinese restaurant is in the works in Mira Mesa. Due this summer, the 10,000-square-foot Fung Fung Yuen will feature an upscale design, beer and wine bar and a menu focused on dim sum served via roving cart and likely available all day long.

Olympic Café Expands and Reopens in North Park
After a five-month hiatus, longtime neighborhood eatery Olympic Café has returned to University Avenue in a newly remodeled location just steps from its original spot. The family-owned restaurant serves a menu of traditional and affordably-priced Greek cuisine.

Where to Treat Mom on Mother's Day in San Diego
Mother's Day is May 14 – do you have reservations yet? Eater has a rundown of some great options for spoiling mom with food and drink, from prix fixe feasts and champagne brunches to gourmet dinners and more.

New Beer Delivery Service Brings Growlers to Your Door
Just-launched in the San Diego market is Hopsy, a company that delivers fresh growlers of craft beer from local breweries directly to homes and offices. The startup also has a storefront in Linda Vista where beer drinkers can pick up a variety of San Diego brews.

A suburban homeowner is suing Zillow, claiming the real estate site’s estimate on the value of her home is keeping her from selling it at the price she believes it’s worth.

The so-called “Zestimate” for Barbara Andersen’s home is more than $70,000 below the current asking price for her three-bedroom townhouse in Glenview, Illinois, according to Zillow’s website.

• See Inside the House at Center of Homeowner's Suit Against Zillow

The home was last listed at $626,000, and has a “Zestimate” of $551,252.

Andersen said last fall, her Zestimate was somewhere around $650,000, but when she decided to switch to “for sale by owner,” that all changed.

“When I went to for sale by owner, all of sudden out of nowhere my market value from the Zestimate just started to plummet,” Andersen told NBC 5.

A Zestimate, the company’s website states, is “Zillow’s estimated market value.” Though the company notes it is “not an appraisal” and should be used “as a starting point to determine a home’s value,” the suit states the estimate is “effectively a sloppy computer-driven appraisal” and meets the definition of an appraisal under Illinois law.

“I didn’t think this was a proper legal thing to do,” Andersen, who practices real estate litigation law, said.

The suit seeks to have a court either require Zillow to remove the Zestimate from her home’s listing or “amend it to an agreeable market value” in addition to reimbursing Andersen for the cost of filing the ligitation.

It claims Zillow “should not be engaging in this business practice without a valid appraisal license and, further, the consent of the homeowner.”

In a statement, Zillow said, “We believe the claims in this case are without merit."

“We always say that the Zestimate is a starting point to determine the home’s value, and isn’t an official appraisal," the statement read. "What’s more, the plaintiff can update her own Zestimate by adding the square footage of her home to her for-sale-by-owner listing. If she did that, she would see an immediate adjustment to her Zestimate."

The real estate website’s information page on the Zestimate said its accuracy “depends on location and availability of data in an area.”

“Some counties have deeply detailed information on homes such as number of bedrooms, bathrooms and square footage and others do not,” the page reads. “The more data available, the more accurate the Zestimate.”

A spokesperson for Zillow added that the company tells homeowners looking to sell their property "if you're serious about selling your home you should work with a qualified real estate agent."

“I understand for a lot of people their home is their biggest investment and people care about how their home is characterized on the internet,” Emily Heffter said. “We really try and give consumers a lot of power over what their Zestimate looks like and what their home looks like. Clearly homes sell for something other than their Zestimate all the time.”

According to Zillow’s site, the company claims the Zestimate has a national median error rate of 5 percent.

“Of course it’s inaccurate because it’s a computer-generated model but it’s the most accurate independent estimate of home values on the internet,” Heffter said, adding that other real estate sites publish similar estimates as well. “We think it’s helpful.”

Andersen bought her three-bedroom, two-bathroom home overlooking a golf course in the north Chicago suburb in 2009 for close to $630,000, records show. The home was listed for sale in 2013 at $650,000 and $670,000 and again in 2014 at $720,000. The list price has dropped and risen since then before landing most recently at $626,000.

“There’s a lot that goes into an appraisal, not just looking at public record, which is what a Zestimate does,” Andersen said.

Andersen admits that she didn’t realize her case would get the attention it has since received, noting that she has “opened a can of worms.”

“I really thought it was going to just be something simple and it really just exploded from there,” she said. “Even if my suit settles, we’ll continue on with the dialogue, which is helpful for all of real estate.”

The San Diego County Sheriff's Office said they are looking for the people who shot a man while he was driving his car.

It happened Thursday around 11:18 p.m. on Sweetwater Road near Ildica Street in Spring Valley.

According to deputies, they responded to the area for a report of 11 gun shots heard.

When they arrived, deputies said they found Maurice Carter, who had been shot three to five times. Carter jumped out of his car after being shot and was hit by his own vehicle before it came to rest against the curb.

Deputies said Carter told them he did not know the shooter, however he did see the people who might have done it at a marijuana dispensary on Troy Street.

Carter was taken to Mercy Hospital. His condition is not known at this time.

Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. You will remain anonymous and could be eleigible for up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to a felony arrest.

Sometimes, a dark situation just needs a little color.

That’s where Darrah Glynn comes in.

“I love what I do. I can’t imagine doing anything else,” said Glynn, a chaplain for the San Diego-based group, The Gift of Hospice.

Glynn visits patients in their homes in their final months of life but rather than bringing medication, she brings paint and a unique type of treatment for a patient's entire family.

The project involves family members painting each other’s hands and then creating a collage on a piece of paper. Sometimes that collage resembles a family tree.

“So, this is a way for them to have a happy moment,” she says. “And it gives them a chance to have a lasting memory.”

Glynn says she’s done this hundreds of times.

The day NBC 7 met up with Glynn, she had set up her paint on a kitchen table in Vista where a man named Tony Adams has a lot on his plate.

“I have something to do all the time,” said Adams, who takes care of his 4-year-old daughter and 98-year-old grandfather, Jim, who has Alzheimers.

The painting orchestrated by Glynn was a chance for everyone to relax and do something together. 

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“We like to try and include him with whatever we can. So, it’s nice to have something where he’s kind of the center of the project,” Adams said.

Glynn said simple art projects like this are just as important for the family as they are for the patient.

“It’s really tough on the family, especially the ones who are the caregivers.  They tend to not take care of themselves because they’re taking care of everyone else,” she explained.

Tony’s grandfather served in World War II, and as a postal carrier for several years. As his fulfilling life comes to an end, Tony just wants to make sure Jim's final days are comfortable.

He said the painting they can now hang on the wall will help. 

“It’s worth it,” said Adams.  “It’s nice being able to have memories that I wouldn’t have otherwise had.”

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A highly-anticipated birthday present for Mr. Padre has been wrapped, stuck with a bow and sent on its way from Texas to the San Diego icon’s hometown.

The City of Poway announced Friday that the 11-foot bronze statue dedicated to Tony Gwynn is in transit and will be erected at Lake Poway Park on Tuesday May 9, Gwynn’s birthday.

Gwynn’s likeness-- uniform on, waving his cap with his daughter, Anisha, on his hip-- will forever stand overlooking the baseball field at the park surrounded by donor wall recognizing those who helped the gift become a reality.

Seth Vandable, the statue designer, is traveling along with it and will oversee its installation at the park. Vandable said the most remarkable part of the design process was the amount of attention paid to the details.

Poway broke ground on the statue site last July. Gwynn’s wife Alicia spoke at the ceremony and thanked Poway for always allowing Tony to be “one of the neighbors.”

The city released this footage of construction and site preparation on Friday

Gwynn’s statue will be unveiled on Tuesday at Lake Poway Park at 9:30 a.m.

To south Texas landowners in danger of losing property to President Donald Trump’s wall between Mexico and the United States, Jose Palomino has this advice: Get a good lawyer.

He did not a decade ago when President George W. Bush was erecting barriers along the border. Where his house in San Benito in Cameron County once had a nice view of trees and grass, it now looks out on a high fence, about 20 feet tall, on a piece of property the federal government condemned, he said.

"It's like a big prison cell," he said.

Before work begins on Trump's wall, the Texas Civil Rights Project is gearing up for the fight by getting in touch with every landowner along the border in south Texas to offer help. This time the organization wants to make sure that they are represented by lawyers.

"Even if they are in favor of the wall, we'll represent them," said Efrén C. Olivares, the project's racial and economic justice director.

Landowners do not have to take the first price offered to them, and if the landowner and the government cannot agree on compensation, the landowner can request a jury trial.

There are more than 1,000 property owners on the Texas-Mexico border, Olivares said. Imagine adding dozens or potentially hundreds of new lawsuits to the federal courts, he said.

"Just by the sheer volume of cases that the government will need to bring, it's going to slow the process such that perhaps the political winds will change and maybe there's no funding for it after the mid-term elections or maybe there's a new president," he said. 

Even if the federal government does eventually take the land through eminent domain -- and the government can take possession before lawsuits are settled -- lawyers can win property owners a better price.

"As a rule, I would say government tends to under-compensate landowners and it's a concerted effort to do so," said Jim Burling, a vice president of litigation for the Pacific Legal Foundation, founded by members of former President Ronald Reagan's senior staff to litigate for property rights, limited government and free enterprise.

Because of the terrain, a wall cannot run entirely along the Mexico border, and property will be cut into portions, he said. What about land still in the United States but on the wrong side of the wall? Those kinds of questions will prompt even more lawsuits, he predicted.

"It seems to be an imperative of governments everywhere, Democratic administrations, Republican administrations, state government, local government, they all want to acquire property for the public good and pay the least amount possible for it," he said. “Now the Constitution says just compensation must be paid, and that means compensation that should just, not just as little as you can get way with."

Bush signed the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which authorized the construction of 700 miles of a physical barrier along the border and resulted in pedestrian fences 18 feet high and other small fences intended to block vehicles.

Of the more than 300 eminent cases brought in south Texas over those fences, 90 are still pending, Olivares said. The cases, which NPR documented in February, were given to one judge in Brownsville.

Last week, as Trump's 100th day in office neared, his proposed wall stalled when the president backed off demanding funding in a federal spending bill needed to avert a government shutdown. But he insisted that the controversial project, embraced enthusiastically by his supporters while unpopular with many along the border, would go forward.

"Don't let the fake media tell you that I have changed my position on the WALL," Trump tweeted last week as it emerged that he was no longer insisting that money be included in the bill. "It will get built and help stop drugs, human trafficking etc."

The cost of a wall the length of the border — between 18 and 30 feet tall, two feet and extending six feet below the ground — would reach billions. Trump has said $10 billion or less, the Department of Homeland Security gave an estimate of as much as $21.6 billion and a technology magazine from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the MIT Technology Review, projected an higher price, from $27 billion to $40 billion for a 1,000-mile wall.

Trump last month proposed spending more than $2.6 billion to begin designing and constructing the wall, buy new security technology, hire additional Border Patrol agents and build detention facilities for undocumented immigrants.

And in a sign of potential court battles to come, Trump wants money to hire 20 lawyers to obtain property on which to build the wall, much of it owned privately and subject to condemnation by the federal government.

A poll released last month by the non-partisan Texas Lyceum, found that 27 percent of Texans ranked immigration or border security as the most important issue facing the state. But 61 percent opposed building a wall along the border and 58 percent disapproved of how Trump was handling the issue.

In the past, Texas politicians have been strong proponents of property rights, and critical of the use of eminent domain. State Attorney General Ken Paxton, for example, sued the federal government under former President Barack Obama last year in a case involving contested land along the Red River.

"Washington, D.C., needs to hear loud and clear that Texas will not stand for the federal government's infringement upon Texas land and the property rights of the people who live here," Paxton said then, according to the Dallas Morning News.

But now Paxton and others are in favor of using eminent domain for the border wall.

"It's a public purpose providing safety to people not only along the border, but to the entire nation,” he told the newspaper in an interview.

Many other Texans, regardless of political leanings, are less enthusiastic. Olivares said the Texas Civil Rights Project opposed the wall as a symbol of hatred and a terrible waste of taxpayers' money. Palomino said he has seen people coming over the border fence in place now.

"What's the sense of having a wall?" he asked.

The South Texans' Property Rights Association is not against structure in strategic places if property owners are compensated well, said its executive director and a landowner, Susan Kibbe.

But the association opposes a wall along the length of the Texas border for numerous reasons, among them the time it would take to build, the diminished trade that would result with Mexico, the country's third largest trading partner, and the money needed to construct it, which could otherwise go to Customs and Border Patrol, technology and equipment, detention facilities, the criminal justice system and programs to address the reasons people are fleeing Central America.

"Where it makes sense, then we're not opposed to it," Kibbe said. "It's just an all-out fence from Brownsville to El Paso that we just don't think that makes good sense."

How much of the border would be walled is unclear. The Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly told Bloomberg News on Thursday that a wall was unlikely in some places. A concrete wall would make sense in the southern Rio Grande Valley, while a large see-through fence would be appropriate elsewhere. And some terrain would be too rough, he said, citing the Big Bend National Park.

"A physical barrier, as much as we can get in the right places, makes all the sense in the world," he said.

Not to Palomino, a 48-year-old welder who said his house has lost value.

"You've got to wake up to that wall behind you every day," he said. "It would be nice if they would just tear it all the way down to the ground." 

The San Diego County District Attorney released video of three shootings involving local officers and deputies and reveal the status of the investigation into each incident.

In one of the incidents, a San Diego County Sheriff's Department off-duty deputy shot a man in a confrontation outside a Vista convenience store. The deputy had just been celebrating at a colleague’s retirement party.

Alejandro Blanco, 32, was shot at least twice on Sunday, March 27, 2016 at 2 a.m. in front of the nearby 7-11 store in the 1500 block of East Vista Way.

Deputy Jason Phillips with the department’s Special Investigations Division was identified as the deputy that opened fire. Sgt. Alejandro Navarro, Deputy Anthony Garcia and Deputy Zheath Sanchez were identified as the three other deputies involved in the incident.

The deputies, who were not uniform, were in a nearby shopping center and walked over to attempt to deescalate the situation, SDSO Lt. Kenneth Nelson said at the time. Blanco put his car in reverse and struck three deputies, officials said.

Phillips fired five shots at the car to stop the threat.

Blanco, who is not a U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon and to two counts of assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury. Blanco’s blood alcohol content was .05.

Officials did not confirm whether the deputies were administered sobriety tests immediately after the shooting.

Dumanis said she was not aware if a sobriety test was administered to the off-duty deputies. She referred NBC 7's question to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

When asked if that would be taken into consideration by the DA’s investigators when determining if procedures were followed, she said, “I think looking at the circumstances of the crime it’s clear they were acting appropriately at the time."

Shooting in Fallbrook, July 7, 2016

San Diego County Sheriff's Deputy Vanessa Rocha and Deputy Giovani Pantoja were involved in a confrontation with a suspect who was believed to be suicidal with a gun on July 7.

At approximately 9:30 a.m., the deputies arrived to the location on Huffstatler Street, east of Interstate 15 and north of Rainbow Valley Boulevard.

Suspect Jose Armando Garcia, 47, was inside the home. A negotiator began talks with Garcia that lasted several hours. At around 2:30 p.m., Garcia left the home and fired a handgun, deputies said. Deputies returned fire, striking Garcia.

The DA’s Office investigation found the deputies were justified in this instance because they believed they were going to be fired upon by Garcia, Dumanis said.

Garcia had a .04 blood alcohol level. He pleaded guilty to a charge of assault with a firearm on a police officer and was sentenced to a six-year prison term, Dumanis said.

Shooting in San Diego, January 24, 2017

San Diego police officers shot a man in the finger near a day care center in Linda Vista.

Ferdinand Gangano Alarcio, 48, ran from officers on Ulric Street toward a day care center off the busy Linda Vista Road, near a library. The Linda Vista Presbyterian Church and a U.S. Post Office were also nearby.

“As the suspect was attempting to climb the fence, armed with a handgun, he posed a significant threat to the children, and the staff," SDPD Capt. Brian Ahearn said.

In an attempt to stop him, the officers shot the suspect, hitting him on the finger, according to Ahearn. The suspect then threw the gun across the fence, where it was later recovered by police and determined to be a dark, metal air-powered BB pistol.

At the time of the incident, approximately 2:15 p.m. on a Tuesday, there were about 100 children and 15 teachers inside the daycare center.

The DA’s Office investigation found the use of deadly force was acceptable under the circumstances.

“Mr. Alarcio intentionally pointed a BB gun which looked very similar to a handgun at a person,” Dumanis said.

Alarcio pleaded guilty to obstructing or resisting an officer by means of threat, use of a dangerous weapon and weapons allegations. He was sentenced to two years, four months in state prison.

Shooting in El Cajon, January 1, 2017

Danny Martin Baldwin, 56, was shot four times by an El Cajon police officer at approximately 9 p.m. on January 1. The shooting took place near Second Street and Madison.

Baldwin was spotted walking in traffic carrying a knife, police said. When Baldwin lunged at the officer with the knife, the officer fired his gun, officials said immediately after the shooting.

Body-worn cameras from two angles show the moments before the shooting.

Two officers fired tasers at Baldwin but neither was effective, Dumanis said.

When Baldwin placed the knife to his neck and made two slashing motions, one officer fired his weapon, she said.

Baldwin was shot in the arms and buttocks and survived the shooting. Dumanis said he later apologized to officers.

"Based on the potential danger to the officers and the bystanders by Mr. Baldwin's erratic behavior while armed with a knife and refusing to surrender, the officers' actions were reasonable under the circumstances," the district attorney said.

The District Attorney's Office is responsible for determining whether a crime was committed in each incident. Video from an officer's body camera may be part of the investigation. 

Dumanis said the DA's Office was releasing the videos in these incidents per the protocol reached with law enforcement agencies.

“With context, video evidence can aid the public in understanding how and why an officer-involved shooting occurred,” Dumanis said.

The northbound connector ramp from State Route 163 which leads to eastbound Interstate 8 will be closed Friday from 11 p.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday.

Caltrans said motorists will be able to directed toward a detour on SR-163 at the westbound Friars Road loop off-ramp. After taking that exit, motorists will be led onto the southbound SR-163 on-ramp to the eastbound I-8 connector ramp.

During the closure, crews will be adding safety upgrades to the roadway including placing high-friction surface treatments, adding reflective signs and improving drainage outlets. Caltrans expects the ramp improvements to be completed in the fall.

A man accused of killing a woman and her 2-year-old granddaughter in a hit-and-run crash on Interstate 15 in September was sentenced to prison Friday.

Grant Stewart Thoren, 31, will serve 10 years 4 months in prison, according to the District Attorney's office.

Califonria Highway Patrol (CHP) officials said Thoren was driving, allegedly under the influence, on southbound I-15 near Scripps Poway Parkway at around 1:45 a.m. on a Saturday when he crashed into a Honda. Inside the Honda were 64-year-old Lina Nebrida, her 35-year-old daughter, and her two granddaughters, aged 2 and 5.

The Honda became disabled in freeway lanes as a result of the collision, and shortly after was hit again by a pickup truck, according to CHP.

It was the second collision, the DA said Friday, that killed the two passengers. Thoren was found to be at fault.

Thoren allegedly pulled over briefly before fleeing the scene. The DA said Friday that since Thoren fled the scene, they could not prove that he was under the influence at the time of the crash.

The driver of the pickup truck stayed at the scene.

Emergency crews worked to extricate the family from the wreck. Nebrida and her 2-year-old granddaughter, Kiera Magat, did not survive the crash.

Thoren exited the freeway and called a tow truck from a gas station near Mira mesa Boulevard to have his silver Cadillac CTS towed to his home in Vista. When the tow truck driver, Erin Hughes, saw the story about the deadly hit-and-run crash on the news hours later, he called CHP investigators and led them to Thoren’s home.

According to the CHP, Hughes told investigators that it appeared Thoren had been drinking and seemed very upset.

"The alignment was off a little bit but it wasn't that bad,” Hughes told NBC 7 in September. “When I greeted them shaking their hands, his handshake seemed kind of lifeless in his hand."

"I had a feeling they didn't want to be seen. They wanted me to drop the car in the driveway as quietly as possible," Hughes added.

The 5-year-old granddaughter and her mother who were also passengers in the vehicle were taken to area hospitals with critical injuries and ultimately survived.

Nebrida's son and daughter, mother of Magat, both spoke at the sentencing.

"It's her charisma, her love, how she takes care of everybody and how she loves to help everybody," Nebrida's son said about how she will be remembered. "She would give everything to help out, not just to us, but to everybody."

One of the Democrats who represent three of San Diego County’s five Congressional districts says “cold-hearted” is an apt description for the health care insurance measure passed Thursday by House Republicans.

“They actually made it worse in the final amendments that they put in it”, Rep. Susan Davis (D-53rd District) remarked during Friday’s recording session for Sunday’s edition of NBC 7’s “Politically Speaking”.

Health care is a familiar issue for Davis, having served on various House committees since 2001.

She has a background in medical social work, and championed major funding for research into curing AIDS and cancer.

Davis is hearing talk that Senators may be inclined to “start from scratch, essentially" and methodically examine the House bill.

"What we saw happen wasn't an agenda that was really focused on care for people, “she said. “It actually focused on major, major tax cuts for the wealthiest. It focused on 'How can we get rid of those government subsidies that people -- some people -- didn't like’."

Davis noted that the Congressional Budget Office didn't have time to "score" the legislation, as it traditionally does, to predict the potential effects.

Her view is that the measure lessens coverage and protections, and imposes higher costs.

“It affects people in a very personal way,” said Davis. “I know it does me.”

In her estimation, unfavorable "pre-existing condition" issues may apply to nearly half of prospective enrollees.

Davis says a number of alternatives for keeping health care costs down are worth investigating -- and that the House Education Committee, on which she sits, will be involved in the discussions.

Another person has died from a Hepatitis A outbreak, bringing the total death count to three in San Diego, the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) announced Friday.

There have been 80 confirmed cases of Hepatits A as of May 1--66 people have been hospitalized during the outbreak, according to HHSA.

Public health investigators continue to look for the cause. So far, they said there has not been a food, drink or drug source that accounts for the cases.

The county has been conducting vaccination clinics in the community.

“We are partnering with the community to ensure the people most at risk – particularly the homeless – have access to the hepatitis A vaccine,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., a county public health officer.

HHSA recommends anyone who works with the homeless on a regular basis, or those who volunteer with illicit drug users be tested for Hepatitis A.

The agency said seven cases of Hepatits A have also been reported in local detention facilities.

Anyone who was an inmate from March through April in the George Bailey Detention Facility, San Diego Central Jail, or Vista Detention Facility is encouraged to be tested.

The best way to prevent Hepatitis A is by getting vaccinated, the agency said. The Hepatitis A vaccine became available in 1995 and is recommended as part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule. However, many adults have not been vaccinated and may be susceptible to the Hepatitis A virus.

Anyone traveling to a country that has high rates of Hepatits A (which includes countries parts of Africa and Asia, and moderate risk areas include Central and South America, Eastern Europe, and parts of Asia) should also be vaccinated.

Hepatitis A can also be spread through contaminated food or water. Along with a vaccination, it is important for everyone to wash their hands before preparing or eating food, and after using the bathroom or changing diapers.

Hepatitis A can also be spread by having sexual contact or sharing drugs with someone who is infected.

Symptoms of Hepatitis A include: jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, and light-colored stools.

Symptoms usually appear over a number of days and last less than two months. However, some people can be ill for as long as six months.

Hepatitis A can sometimes cause liver failure and even death.

The Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (MCAS) Fire Department is scheduled to conduct a controlled burning of vegetation around East Miramar on Saturday morning.

Smoke and flames may be visible from East Miramar, West Sycamore Canyon, Scripps Ranch community and freeway corridors from midmorning to 4 p.m., according to a statement.

Approximately 20 acres of selected strands of vegetation will be burned as part of an annual wildfire prevention program, said U.S. Marine 1st Lt. Gabriel Adibe.

“On a whole, prescribed burns help get rid of the vegetation that fuel fires,” Adibe said. "So getting rid of those plants and vegetation is a great benefit." 

It also helps form fire breaks to stop a fire if one happens to reach the area, Adibe added.

The burns are only conducted under specific weather conditions. Temperature, humidity, winds and moisture from within the plants are all taken into consideration beforehand, according to a statement.

MCAS Miramar said no visibility restrictions are expected.

Residents along the San Diego coast can expect half an inch to an inch of rain this weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

A Catalina eddy is pushing low clouds inland, bringing about a 30 to 40 percent chance of rain on Saturday and Sunday, according to NBC 7’s First Alert Satellite Radar.

A wind advisory will go into effect tomorrow at 2 p.m. and is expected to be in effect all through Sunday as well.

The City of San Diego said it is preparing for flooding from drain blockage by manning portable pump stations.

Sand bags will also be available, with ten empty sand bags per person to be provided until supplies last, according to the city.

Sand bags can be found at the following recreation centers.

• Standley Recreation Center, 3585 Governor Dr.
• Robb Athletic Field, 2525 Bacon St.
• Golden Hill Recreation Center, 2600 Golf Course Dr.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation Center, 6401 Skyline Dr.
• Scripps Ranch Recreation Center, 11454 Blue Cypress Dr.
• North Clairemont Recreation Center, 4421 Bannock Ave.
• Allied Gardens Recreation Center, 5155 Greenbrier Ave.
• San Ysidro Community Activity Center, 179 Diza Rd.
• City Heights Recreation Center, 4380 Landis St.

Reports of trees down, street lights out or storm drain blockage can be done through the GetItDone app or by calling (619)-527-7500.

Sales of ready-to-eat popcorn have skyrocketed, according to market research from Mintel, in part because it is perceived as being a healthy snack. It’s a whole grain, and it’s a good source of antioxidants, compounds that help repair cell damage.

Consumer Reports food experts brought in 15 ready-to-eat popcorn products – some salty, some sweet, some cheesy. First, the salted ones were evaluated for taste and nutrition. A high-quality popcorn has a very light crispness, with no bitterness or burnt notes.

One surprise is Skinny Pop. Although it scores “very good” for taste, despite its name it has more calories and fat than the other four. Smartfood Delight Sea Salt’s large, plump kernels got “very good” marks for taste and “good” marks for nutrition. Best of the bunch is Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop Sea Salt popcorn. Testers give it excellent marks for its toasted-corn flavor and crispy-crunchy texture, and good marks for nutrition.

As for the sweet and cheese-flavored popcorn, Consumer Reports found that some were not as unhealthful as you’d think.

Two cups of Cape Cod’s Salted Caramel have just 10 more calories than its sea-salt version and about one more gram of fat. But the same amount of Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop White Cheddar has 50 more calories and three times the sodium than its sea salt version.

Popcorn can be delicious and good for you … if you keep one hand in the bag and one eye on the label, or consider making it yourself, with just a little salt or other seasoning, for a fraction of the cost of a bag that might have a lot of additives. 

Two robbery suspects are in custody following a hours-long standoff with police and SWAT at a home in Imperial Beach.

Chula Vista Police (CVPD) officers surrounded a home on the 1600 block of Donax Avenue at around 1 p.m. after following the suspects committed two robberies in Chula Vista and IB.

One suspect, a male, was taken into custody with the help of a police canine at around 4:30 p.m. after slipping out of the back door of the home. CVPD says the man had a replica .35-calibeer handgun on him when he was arrest by San Diego County Sheriff’s (SDSO) deputies.

He was taken to an area hospital for treatment.

The second suspect, a female, remained inside the home for some time as CVPD, deputies and SWAT units were staged outside. Contact was made with the suspect but she refused to surrender.

Just after 6 p.m., SWAT personnel threw a distractionary device inside the home, forced their way in and apprehended the woman.

According to CVPD Captain Fritz Reber, the pair attempted to rob a Chula Vista perfume store earlier on Friday before they were stopped by store employees. That’s when the male suspect reportedly brandished his replica gun and the two fled the store.

A witness to the attempted robbery called 911 and followed the suspects from a safe distance as they drove away.

Before police say they could find them, the suspects stopped at what officers are calling a sex shop just a few blocks away from the home on Donax Avenue and committed a second robbery.

SWAT units are suited and prepared to engage the home, but for now investigators are trying to initiate contact.

The standoff caused a road closure on 16th Street between Dahlia Avenue and Elm Avenue. The road reopened shortly after the second arrest.

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.

The Vice President of the San Diego Unified School Board was the target of serious attacks on social media now being investigated by law enforcement.

The attacks stem from the board’s decision to adopt an anti-bullying policy to protect Muslim students.

Since the board adopted that policy on April 25, talk on social media has been focused on what the board did or did not do.

Videos posted on YouTube incorrectly claim the district is implementing Sharia Law, the Law of Islam.

The videos include one showing the meeting when the board adopted its new policy, which was then linked to a Facebook post written by a man from Washington state. That post gives out the address and phone number of board vice president Kevin Beiser.

It ends with the words, “Have at it boys."

“If he doesn’t want to be attacked, he should be a little more circumspect in calling people haters and Islamaphobes,” said Roger Ogden, an activist behind several anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant websites. “I'm not surprised he got attacked.”

Ogden posted the video clip linked to what NBC7 has learned are several Facebook posts from the Washington man targeting Beiser.

Ogden said he cannot control what people link to their Facebook page. He said Beiser should realize that if you're going to do something controversial, these things will happen.

“I would rather it not happen,” Ogden said. “But I would rather Beiser not teach Islam to kids more.”

Beiser's response was marked in disbelief, but he also sees the attacks as an opportunity to set the record straight about what the board approved.

“I just can't imagine why protecting children would be a controversial issue.” 

Under the new policy, Beiser says Islamic holidays, like other religious holidays, will be added to the school calendar. He says it is not so the holidays will be celebrated, but so that people are aware of them. And like other religions, Beiser says, Islam will be taught in social studies classes.

As for the attacks, Beiser says he's just tryimg to do his job.

“How do I react? Do I change the way I fight for our kids, or do I make sure I do my due diligence to articulate and communicate what we’re doing to make sure people understand we are not implementing Sharia law. All we’re trying to do is keep our kids safe.”

It is possible charges could be filed for giving out Beiser's personal information to harass or instill fear.

They call themselves “Breakers”—a name that sounds simple but the meaning behind it holds much more significance.

At the University of California, San Diego, Alternative Breaks, a non-profit student-run organization is aiming “to create globally conscious active citizens who commit to lifelong service.”

The name of the organization is derived from the students’ decision to spend their spring or summer break doing service and giving back to a community.

Every year, the organization sends students on local and international service and learning trips that focus on various social justice issues, including human and sex trafficking, community development, disabilities, HIV/AIDs, health and homelessness, among others.

But for many of the participants and leaders involved, Alternative Breaks, or AB, is much more than just a school organization—it’s a family.

AB was established as an official student organization at UC San Diego by Chapin Cole and Melissa Higgins in the 2005-2006 school year. Both women, students at the time, served as the first Co-Coordinators of the organization.

The first trip took place in 2003, in collaboration with the Cross Cultural Center on campus.

What started off as one trip to Tijuana, Mexico that year, has now branched off to more than a dozen trips every year, including national and international locations.

This year alone, students headed to Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Belize, New York, Tennessee, Indiana, Virginia, Texas, Georgia and Hawaii.

But according to the students, the location does not matter as much as the social justice issue.

Each trip emphasizes the issue over the site, aiming to draw students to the community service aspect of AB, rather than a trip abroad or across the country.

“Joining this group where there are hundreds of other people who think the way I do, who are interested in social justice, who want to give back to the community…that made me feel like this is a place where I belonged,” said Alana Young, one of three current Co-Coordinators for AB.

Young told NBC 7, she dedicates between six to 10 hours a week for AB and all of it is volunteer time.

Although the three Co-Coordinators earn a small stipend, Young said it does not equate to the amount of time and energy they put into the organization.

But she said it is worth it.

Young said every week, service leaders and the executive board meet with the co-coordinators for about two hours. During the meeting, they learn how to facilitate discussions, coordinate the trip and learn the necessary training in case of an emergency.

While many of the service leaders and executive board members work in the forefront of the organization, the co-coordinators work behind the scenes.

“[We] work with UCSD staff and faculty to make sure that relationships are continuously being built and developed between the university and Alternative Breaks,” said Justin Abadejos, Co-Coordinator for AB.

Each AB group is broken down into three components with a total of 12 members. They include the two service leaders who plan, coordinate and execute the trip, the community adviser and nine participants.

The group meets once a week for the entire school year to learn about the social justice issue and the community in which they will be working. Even after spring break, groups gather weekly to discuss how to bring what they learned on their trip back to their own communities.

The AB collaborative also gathers at Orientation, a Winter Retreat and Re-Orientation following all of the spring break trips.

“It’s a very trying process where you’re constantly being forced to re-evaluate all the things you grew up thinking were true,” said Ryan De Leon.

De Leon was a participant for AB Safe and Sound to Double head Cabbage Village in Belize.

He told NBC 7, their group would spend their day interacting with children and teens and teaching them English. He added that he joined AB because of its focus on education about social justice issues.

For Peter Davis, a Service Leader for AB YouBelong, the organization has helped him expand his own thinking and how he can make an impact in his community.

Davis co-led a group to Cartago, Costa Rica to work with elderly and adults with mental disabilities. He told NBC 7, his group worked on a sensory garden and made scrapbooks with the members of the community all while attempting to overcome a language barrier.

He added that as an electrical engineer major, his main focus in college was school. But now, he is wondering how he can make in impact in the community with his career.

"Now that I've graduated, what kind of jobs can I do? That sustainability...or just anything. It really shifts the purpose of what I wanna go to," Davis told NBC 7.

Abadejos spoke along the same lines as Davis.

“Being able to talk about these controversial issues, and how we can deconstruct these issues and work towards tackling them, and how they relate to your community and how they relate to you as an individual is a whole new world that I didn’t really find until I joined Alternative Breaks," he said.

Students fund their trips through fundraisers, both personal and group, and scholarships which are granted through AB.

Alternative Breaks is a chapter of the parent company Breakaway.

Ed. Note: Jaspreet Kaur was a part of this organization when she attended UC San Diego.

The chance of rain arrived during one of Old Town’s busiest time of the year--Cinco de Mayo.

Despite the possibility of a weekend storm isn't going going to stop the celebrations, which will feature dancers, live music, food, drinks and much more.

But with rain and thunder in the forecast, vendors just weren’t taking any chances.

NBC 7 caught some setting up shop, preparing ahead and building up tents in case the rain hits.

This year the main stage is also covered to protect live music bands and dancers from the bad weather.

Meanwhile festival goers came out Friday to avoid the possible rain on the weekend.

“If it rains I plan to stay in, I just hate the rain," one person told NBC 7.

San Diegans are often spoiled with our great weather, but over the next few days, the weather will be gloomy and possibly wet due to an unusual weather pattern taking shape.

You can get more information about the weekend storm here.

But rain or shine, Old Town will be full of Cinco de Mayo festivities.

NBC 7 and Telemundo 20 will also be joining the celebration.

Cinco de Mayo marks Mexico's defeat of the French Army in 1862, better known as the Battle of Puebla.

Early Tuesday morning, a section of the busy Interstate 15 in Escondido became a make-shift delivery room for a baby who just could not wait to meet the world.

When Tabitha Pratt started feeling contractions, she and her husband Lucas loaded up and headed to the hospital.

But not even halfway there, Lucas said his wife knew they weren't going to make it to the hospital.

"She's like, 'This baby is coming right now. You need to pull over,'" Lucas told NBC 7 in an interview Friday. "I was like, 'Oh, you can make it you can make it.'. And she was like, 'No pull over.'"

He pulled over just south of the Citracado Parkway.

That's where Tabitha gave birth to their beautiful 9.5 pound girl, Ava.

California Highway Patrol officers Ralph Ketcher and Israel Diaz arrived shortly after the baby's birth.

It was pitch black on the freeway, so they brought flashlights and heated blankets for the mother and baby. That's when the officers discovered the umbilical cord wrapped around little Ava's neck.

According to the officers, when they unwound the cord, Ava started to breath and cry.

The family was then taken to Palomar Medical Center.

"The best day of your life is having the birth of your child. So I can feel for him," said Officer Ketcher. "How excited, how scared, how optimistic he is. It's just for that proud moment. To be able to share that with him is an honor."

Tabitha and baby Ava were released by the hospital Wednesday afternoon.

Lucas told NBC 7, his 2-year-old daughter Emma loves being a big sister.

The polarizing and ruthless attack at an apartment complex in University City is continuing to affect many--from the victims and their families to those who witnessed the shooting at the poolside birthday party. 

But the community is reaching out to help.

The District Attorney's Office and the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) held a community crisis intervention meeting Friday night. Crisis volunteers were on hand for support, as well as information about programs and assistance for victims. 

NBC 7 spoke to some witnesses--for some, it's a feeling they will always remember.

“We couldn't sleep for a few days, the whole night," said La Jolla Crossroads resident Krieshna Kumara. 

Kumara told NBC 7, she and her husband, Brabhaear, won't be forgetting anytime soon.

Her husband had been walking back to his  apartment when he heard gun shots coming from the pool area Sunday evening. He told NBC 7, the shots were fired one after another and they didn't stop.

He said he ran in the other direction and went to a nearby park. His wife, Krieshna did not know if he was okay.

“We didn't know what was happening. My only thought was 'He went for a walk,'" she said. "We were calling him."

Back at the apartment complex pool area, Peter Selis shot and injured six people, and killing 35-year-old Monique Clark.

Selis, 49, had opened fire on a group celebrating a birthday party at the pool. 

Nearly a week after the incident, tenants said they are still emotionally scarred from what they saw.

"Shock and disbelief but also sadness that it hit so close to home," explained tenant, Ryan Tam.

Friday evening, Tam attended the community crisis intervention meeting. 

NBC 7 asked La Jolla Crossroads apartment if there would be changes to security or if tenants will be let out of their lease if they wish to do so. The complex did not comment.