June Springer has been working for the majority of her life and now, at 90 years old, doesn't have plans to stop any time soon.

Springer turned 90 this week and was celebrated by her co-workers and customers at Caffi Plumbing in Alexandria, Va.

"I went to work when I was 14 at the five-and-ten after school, and I've been working ever since," Springer told News4 Washington.

Her next job at age 18 was making rifles alongside her father in a Pennsylvania steel mill during World War II, before enlisting as a WAVE in the Navy.

"I came to Washington and at that time worked in intelligence on the Japanese code," Springer said.

It was the first of many military positions. She later joined the Army and Naval reserve. To support her son in her early years, she often worked two jobs, in patent law offices by day and restaurants by night.

Eight years ago, the company she was working for folded. She applied for a receptionist job at Caffi Plumbing with Ron Caffi.

"Ron did say to me, 'Do you think you can work eight hours a day?' And I was thinking, 'How dare you ask if I can work eight hours a day? I've been working two jobs all of my life,'" Springer said.

"I brought her in, and the rest is history," Ron Caffi said.

Springer works from 6:30 a.m. through 2 p.m.

"She's a staff and customer favorite," Caffi said. He recalled one customer asked him, "Do you mind if I call her when I'm having a bad day, so I can hear her voice? She's so calming."

Springer maintains her retirement party will wait.

"As long as I can work... I will always work," Springer said.

A 48-year-old man was carjacked and stabbed in front of a Logan Heights library Friday afternoon, the San Diego Police Department said.

Police say the victim was sitting inside his parked car in front of a Logan Heights library in the 500 block of South 28th Street just before 2:30 p.m. when a man armed with a knife walked up and told the victim to get out of the car.

The victim exited his car over the passenger’s seat and the suspect stabbed the victim in the leg, police said. The victim was then able to get away and call police. He was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

The suspect started the victim’s car and an unknown woman got into the vehicle with him. The pair drove away on Ocean View Drive, police said.

According to authorities, the suspect is described as a Hispanic man in his 20s, 5-foot-7 and 170 pounds. He was wearing a black muscle shirt and light blue faded pants.

The incident is under investigation.
 

Nearly 4,000 Philadelphia school teachers, administrators and staff learned Friday they would lose their jobs.

School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Dr. William Hite, Jr. said the layoffs are a result of severe budget cuts necessary to keep the nation's eighth-largest school district financially sound.

"The School District of Philadelphia must live within its means," said Hite. "We can only spend the revenues that are given to us by the city and state. Unfortunately, this is the harsh reality of how that looks."

A total of 3,783 district employees are being laid off from various positions at schools and the district's central office, Hite said. The School District of Philadelphia currently employs a total of 19,530 people and has 242 schools.

All of the district's 160 assistant principals are being eliminated -- with 127 of them being laid off. Schools will also lose 676 teachers, 283 guidance counselors and 1,202 noon-time aides.

More than 300 secretaries and 769 support service assistants are also receiving notice.

Hite said the School District has taken some drastic steps over the last 18 months, "borrowing $300 million to meet basic obligations, closing more than 30 schools, freezing charter expansions, adopting a budget that lacks essential programs," but if those moves hadn't been made, the outlook would be even bleaker, according to Hite.

The President of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers calls this an "immoral act" in a statement released today. “These cuts are beyond unnecessary-- they amount to an immoral act that no Philadelphia taxpayer should tolerate, said Jerry Jordan, who urged people to join him in Harrisburg on June 25.

"We regret having to take these steps and will continue advocating for the funding that gives our students the education they deserve," Hite said. "On a personal note, I am profoundly upset about having to take these actions."

Last Thursday, the School Reform Commission approved a $2.4 billion budget for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year.

However, that budget included more than $304 million in "draconian" cuts to staff, activities and services. Those reductions include eliminating art, music and athletic programs.

Rob McGrogan, President of the Commonwealth School Administration Association, says principals are holding emergency meetings with staff Friday to notify them of the cuts.

McGrogan said not all of the assistant principals are being laid off because some are retiring or moving into other roles into the district.

Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) President Jerry Jordan told NBC10's Deanna Durante the layoffs will only result in unsafe schools and a lower-quality education.

Dr. Hite pleaded with city officials and the state to authorize additional funding to keep offerings and staffing at the current levels, but that money has yet to materialize.

The district, the eighth-largest public school district in the United States, asked the city to offer up an additional $60 million and the Commonwealth provide $120 million. Officials have also asked school unions to make $130 million in contract concessions.

Jordan says the district has asked the PFT to freeze teacher salaries until 2017 and take percentage pay cuts. For example, a teacher earning a $55,000 salary would see a 13-percent reduction, according to Jordan. That's a $7,150 cut.

In his message to staff, the superintendent says the district's budget can be amended if that money comes through -- reinstating programs and jobs.

"I remain hopeful and will continue working tirelessly so that we will be able to restore many of the positions, programs and services that are crucial to maintaining nurturing and effective learning environments," Dr. Hite wrote.

Students have been fighting the cuts for months, rallying several times at Philadelphia City Hall and outside district headquarters on North Broad Street.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.

UC San Diego proved Friday that even when your watermelon doesn’t hit the target, it’s all good anyway.

Sophomore Justine Hopkins, this year’s Watermelon Queen, said it was nerve-wracking being at the center of the college tradition Friday.

With her large crown, stately golf cart entrance and sash, Hopkins said she felt privileged to haul the melon off the seventh floor of Urey Hall.

“I may have missed the mark a little bit but it was fun regardless,” Hopkins said. “It’s all good.”

This is the 49th year of the watermelon drop. The goal is to try and break the splat record of 167 feet, 4 inches, set in 1974.

Opponents of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) say their hard work, paid off.

Gary Headrick, co-founder of San Clemente Green summed it up in four words, "It's a huge day!"

On Friday, Southern California Edison (SCE) announced it will retire two reactors at the plant north of Oceanside.

Read: San Onofre Nuclear Plant Closing

"The people don't want it, and it's not worth the risk," Headrick said.

The decision to shut down San Onofre comes after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission ruled more tests were required to decide if Unit 2 could be put back into operation.

"The economics were no longer there to continue to hope for a regulatory path, when we had so much uncertainty created by this federal licensing board decision," SCE spokesperson Maureen Brown said.

"We have an obligation to our customers and to our shareholders to make the best economic decisions and that's the decision we made today," Brown said.

Southern California Edison wanted to try running Unit 2 at 70 percent for 5 months.

Timeline: Shutdown of San Onofre

According to chief engineer studying the Unit's faulty-steam-generators -- this proposal qualified as an "experiment".

"And the NRC doesn't like to experiment on eight million people," said Arnie Gundersen with the Vermont company Faire Winds.

"In order to get an experiment approved, you've got to have the public involved."

That would include public hearings and Gundersen said SCE decided it didn’t want to take that risk and the financial burden was too much.

San Diego lifeguards and firefighters were called to Mission Bay Friday night to investigate a fuel spill, officials said.

The spill happened around 7:30 p.m. at the Perez Cove Marina on Perez Cove Way, near Ingraham Street.

No injuries were reported, officials said.

By 8:10 p.m., fire department officials said the spill had been contained and was traced to a boat at the Perez Cove Marina. Hazmat and environmental services personnel are now starting to clean up the spill.

At this time, further details about the cause of the spill are unknown, and the investigation is ongoing.

San Diego fire officials battled a blaze that engulfed an RV in front of a home near Rancho Penasquitos Saturday morning.

The fire began just after 10 a.m. in the 11400 block of Meknes Way, near Nawa Way. It was knocked down a short time later.

Officials said the blaze had fully engulfed a recreational vehicle near a home, and the house was being threatened by the fire.

According to a fire captain, the blaze began in the RV and, because it was windy, the fire and smoke spread to a home.

Officials say no one was home at the time and no injuries were reported.

Crews had to cut a square from the roof of the home to let smoke out, and later patched it up with a silver panel.

The fire captain said the home sustained a lot of smoke damage and, at this point, is temporarily uninhabitable.

A mother and daughter who live at the home were very upset about the fire, but the mother told NBC 7 she's happy nobody was hurt.

The captain said embers flew to other nearby houses and firefighters were concerned that the fire could've been much bigger, but luckily that wasn't the case.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

More than 8,000 students are set to graduate from the University of California San Diego next week in various commencement ceremonies on the La Jolla campus.

The majority of UCSD’s 2013 commencement ceremonies will take place Jun. 14-16. Students from the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences graduated on May 18, while the School of Medicine held its graduation on Jun. 2.

This year, speakers at the ceremonies include comedian Lewis Black, San Diego City Councilmember Sherri Lightner, former White House doctor Connie Mariano and former University of California system president Richard Atkinson.

A total of 8,085 diplomas will be proudly conferred to Tritons this year.

UCSD’s commencement weekend kicks off Friday, Jun. 14 at 5 p.m. with the 7th annual “All Campus Graduation Celebration” event at RIMAC Field, which is open to all graduating undergraduate and graduate students, as well as UCSD alumni.

The first of three large graduation ceremonies are scheduled for Saturday, Jun. 15, beginning with Thurgood Marshall College’s 8 a.m. ceremony at RIMAC Field.

Black will deliver the commencement speech at that ceremony, as approximately 1,200 students graduate and 11,000 guests gather. This will mark the comedian’s first-ever university commencement address.

At 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, the Office of Graduate Studies will hold their ceremony at the RIMAC Arena, with UCSD alumna Lightner featured as the keynote speaker. A total of 500 students will receive PH.Ds., while 1,125 students receive their master’s degrees.

At 1 p.m., Sixth College will host their commencement ceremony for 929 students. At 5 p.m., John Muir College will hold commencement at RIMAC Field for about 1,200 students.

On Sunday, the following ceremonies are scheduled: the Earl Warren College commencement at 8 a.m.; the 10:30 a.m. commencement for the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at RIMAC Arena; the Revelle College graduation for some 1,700 students at 1 p.m.; the Eleanor Roosevelt College ceremony at 5 p.m.

Finally, on Jun. 22, UCSD commencement season will wrap up with an 11 a.m. ceremony for 110 graduates from the Rady School of Management held at the Rady School Lawn. Atkinson will speak at that ceremony.

For more details on UCSD’s 2013 commencement ceremonies, visit this website.
 

At least four victims died in a series of shootings, which culminated in a gun battle at the Santa Monica College library that ended in the gunman's death.

The entire ordeal lasted little more than 10 minutes, authorities said.

Below is a rough timeline of the deadly shooting rampage in Santa Monica on Friday, June 7, 2013. It is based on developing information and will be updated as new information is confirmed.

• 11:52 a.m. - Reports of gunfire, a blaze at a house about a mile from Santa Monica College. About the same time, police receive reports of a carjacking nearby. Two people are later found dead in the burned house.
   
• Minutes later, the gunman travels to a busy intersection nearby and shoots at a public bus. A third person is killed in the area.
   
• Shots are soon heard around the campus of Santa Monica College around noon. The campus and two nearby schools are locked down. Witnesses see a man dressed in black wearing cargo pants and a ballistic vest shoot at a red SUV with a semi-automatic rifle. The driver is hit in the torso and the car accelerates across the street into a wall. The driver dies. Two passengers are injured and taken to a hospital.
   
• Witnesses say the suspect shoots again, and a pedestrian is later found dead on the sidewalk. The gunman exchanges gunfire with college and city police.
   
• A few minutes after noon, he moves onto the 38-acre Santa Monica College campus, making his way toward the library.
   
• The gunman shoots a woman outside the library, then goes inside. Police exchange gunfire with the gunman and wound him. He is carried to the sidewalk, where he dies.
   
• About 1:15 p.m., police interview a man dressed in all black with hands cuffed behind his back. They initially call him a person of interest, but later say the shooter acted alone.
   
• About 3:15 p.m., doctors say a female victim who was brought to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center has died. It isn't clear which shooting took her life.
  
  The Associated Press contributed to this article.

A 65-year-old man, who fled the country after being charged with killing another man 34 years ago was arrested Friday, officials said.

Ata Yousef El Ammouri was taken into custody around 5 p.m. Friday at Chicago's O’Hare International Airport in Chicago after he arrived from Jordan, police said. He was traveling to the United States to attend a graduation, according to Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart.

El Ammouri was accused of shooting and killing Joe Harris, 31, on July 22, 1979 after Harris walked out of El Ammouri’s store in the 500 block of 67th Street in Chicago without paying for a can of beer, authorities said.

He was charged with the murder in 1979 and posted $100,000 bail.

El Ammouri received additional charges for jumping bail in November of 1979 after he failed to show up to court hearings and was believed to have fled the country to avoid prosecution, officials said.

“Today’s capture of Ata Yousef El Ammouri should send a message that the simple passage of time does not eradicate our commitment to bringing fugitives to justice,” Sheriff Dart said in a statement.

El Ammouri appeared in bond court Saturday morning and was ordered held without bail. He is next scheduled to appear in court June 10.

A 7-year-old boy nearly drowned in a swimming pool at a home in Ramona Sunday, Cal Fire officials confirmed.

The incident happened just after 2 p.m. in the 400 block of Hansen Lane.

The child was transported to a hospital via Mercy Air with unknown injuries.

Officials did say the child was alert and oriented.

The incident is under investigation. Check back for updates on this developing story.
 

Police have identified two suspects wanted in connection with the robbery of a marijuana dispensary in Ocean Beach.

Detectives say suspects Sai Taylor, 19, and Malcolm Hune, 21, robbed The Storefront marijuana dispensary at 4051 Voltaire Street around 11 a.m. on May 27.

Taylor has been arrested and is currently out on bond awaiting trial, but police say Hune (pictured below) remains at large. Anyone with information on his whereabouts should contact SDPD at (619) 531-2299 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

The dispensary’s surveillance camera system captured clear images of the men suspected of robbing the Ocean Beach store on May 27.

The images from the store’s surveillance cameras show two men without masks or disguises entering the building. One of the men was clearly holding a gun.

Officials said the evidence shows one suspect punching an employee. Then at the back of the store, a shirtless man is ordered to open the safe, while being held at gunpoint.

After that, the suspects hop into a car which officials believe may be a white Toyota Camry.

“This was the kick in the pants on the way out the door,” an employee told NBC 7 San Diego asking that he not be identified.

The employee said the collective was set to close for good on Tuesday, May 28. They wanted to close on their own terms, rather than getting shut down by federal agents.

Timeline: Medical Marijuana in San Diego

Raids have become increasingly frequent, even though California law permits medical marijuana dispensaries.

“It's the absence of regulation that makes people like us vulnerable to these types of attacks,” the employee said.

In all, the employee said the thieves got away with $2,000 worth of marijuana and cash leaving behind canisters of weed in the showcases.

In the future, The Storefront will consider its options, including reopening as another brick-and-mortar or going to an all-delivery system.

A local middle school student was taken to the hospital Friday after possibly ingesting prescription medication allegedly handed to the child by another student, an email from a school principal confirmed.

It happened at Standley Middle School on Radcliffe Drive in University City, as students were being dismissed from school for the day.

Just after 6 p.m. principal Heidi Lyon sent an email to William H. Standley Middle School parents explaining the incident.

In the note, Lyon explained that just before dismissal time, school faculty learned that a student had allegedly given prescription medication to several other students on campus who, in Lyon's words, "possibly ingested the substance.”

The email did not reveal what type of prescription medication was allegedly distributed to students.

Lyon went on to say that school police were called to investigate the incident. Paramedics were then called, and one student was transported to the hospital.

Details surrounding the student’s condition were not disclosed.

Lyon said the incident caused school dismissal to be delayed for a few minutes Friday afternoon. The principal said this remains under investigation by the school and campus police.

“Because of laws that protect student privacy, I cannot release any additional information about the student who distributed the medication, the incident or the investigation,” Lyon said in her email to parents, obtained by NBC 7. “Please be assured that we are working with the appropriate authorities to maintain the safety and security of our students.”

An emotional day in court Friday ended with a judge ordering 48 hours behind bars for a woman who pleaded guilty to running a red light, killing a nanny and seriously injuring a toddler in a crash in Santaluz.

Christine Padilla, an attorney from Del Sur, pleaded guilty last month to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter, running a red light and failure to yield at a crosswalk in connection with a fatal accident that happened on Feb. 1.

Padilla, who had given birth just one day earlier, was driving an SUV and ran a red light at the intersection of Camino Del Sur and Via Verrazzano.

Padilla’s car struck and killed nanny Monserratt Mendez, 41, who was pushing a stroller across the crosswalk carrying 14-month-old toddler Bryan Fomon. The child was severely injured in the collision and spent time in intensive care, but he survived.

A police report from the fatal collision later revealed that Padilla admitted she was sleep-deprived on the day of the accident.

The report said Padilla told officers she was driving home from her sister’s house and knew she ran a red light, but by the time she realized what she had done, it was too late for Mendez and the toddler.

Padilla told officers: “I’m sorry – I’m sleep-deprived and I just looked up and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, it’s red.’ And then oh my God, and she was right there.”

On Friday – more than four months after the tragic crash – Padilla appeared in a standing-room-only courtroom for sentencing.

Watch raw video of Padilla heading into court here.

Emotions were palpable inside the courtroom, as Mendez’s family members and the injured toddler’s mother begged a judge to give Padilla jail time. Many of those in attendance were crying.

Mendez’s16-year-old daughter, Amy Barragan, spoke of the constant pain she and her 14-year-old brother have endured with the sudden loss of their mother.

“All I really want is justice. My mom and I were best friends; she is the one I told everything to. I just can’t explain the pain we are going through right now,” said Barragan.

“Nothing I say will bring my mother back. She was my mother, teacher, best friend,” the teen continued. “She didn’t even get to see [my brother and I] graduate from high school, and that was her dream.”

Rosa Mendez, the victim’s sister, spoke through a translator.

“All the people that know her knew she was an excellent woman and mother. Now we are left with this horrible pain. Sometimes I can’t even breathe,” she said.

The victim’s brother, Heliodoro Mendez, spoke up as well, demanding Padilla be sentenced appropriately for his sister’s death. He said he can’t understand how Padilla could get no more than one year in jail, and said he thinks Padilla is buying her way out of a harsher sentence.

“I want justice to be done. With all the money [Padilla] has, she won’t be able to buy God or Divine justice,” he said.

Allie Fomon, the injured toddler’s mother, also gave an emotional argument asking that Padilla get jail time.

“She took things away from us that we will never get back,” said Fomon, adding that Padilla has shown “no true remorse” and has only been concerned “about herself and her agony” since the deadly accident.

“Your concern for yourself has trumped all else,” said Fomon, referring to Padilla.

A probation officer recommended Padilla be sentenced to house arrest and probation, but no jail time.

Judge Charles Gill, who said he read every letter submitted by both sides -- including more than 60 letters from Padilla's family and friends -- said he was at first inclined to sentence Padilla to the punishment recommended by the probation department.

After listening to statements from Mendez’s family and the toddler’s family, Judge Gill decided to sentence Padilla to 48 hours in jail after she serves 180 days under electronic surveillance and house arrest. She must also remain on probation for three years.

Judge Gill said Padilla’s willingness to plead guilty played a big factor in her sentencing Friday. He said he believes Padilla is genuinely remorseful.

Padilla also got her chance to address the court and Mendez’s family, saying she’s “deeply sorry” for their loss and hopes God will help them heal.

“I have no words to express the depth of my remorse. If I could lessen your pain, I would,” said Padilla.

Padilla said she can’t explain why she ran the red light, and said she was not on drugs, alcohol or any medication on that day. Hospital records show she was not given any medications while in the hospital before the accident.

“I remain horrified by the consequences of what I have done," Padilla added.

Padilla said she had reached out to the Mendez and Fomon families by writing them a letter, but claimed those letters were rejected.

Fomon called the letter she received from Padilla "incredibly self-serving and transparent" and said Padilla failed to "take ownership" for her actions on the day of the crash in the note.

"I received your letter and realized that your main concern has been and continued to be you," said Fomon. "I don't doubt you are sorry this all happened; I just question where the victims fall in your totem pole of remorse."

Padilla’s attorney, Tom Warwick, said his client has admitted liability and wanted to settle the case.

“We tried to resolve this case before it was arraigned. This is a caring, loving woman who didn’t see something in time. The young woman is devastated,” said Warwick.

Padilla is scheduled to appear in court again on Sep. 27 for a restitution hearing.

Mendez's family has also filed a civil suit against Padilla arguing she was reckless and negligent on the day of the accident.

Safety matters aside, the big questions many are asking now include: how will this impact electricity reserves heading into summer and how will it impact my bill?

Read: San Onofre Plant Closing

The good news according to San Diego Gas & Electric is when you flip on the switch in August the lights will go on. They say there is adequate supply. The bigger question mark is money.

SDG&E estimated 20-percent of its power came from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS).

On Friday, Southern California Edison announced it will retire the plant and its two remaining reactors.

Now that the plant will no longer be part of the energy grid for the region, SDG&E said it do what the utility has been doing the past year - meeting demand by relying on the newly built Sunrise Powerlink and other supplies.

"Absent any kind of unusual circumstances like the loss of a generator or the loss of a power plant, or a wildfire under a transmission line, something like that, we think we'll be able to meet our customers’ needs with no problem," said Stephanie Donovan, spokesperson for SDG&E.

While the power is gone - the San Onofre debt is not.

“The really big fear is we're going to be on the hook for another $2 billion in decommissioning costs or whatever that is, and that's the next battle. Who should pay for this money pit?" asked public advocate Charles Langley.

The utilities say 90-percent of decommissioning costs are already paid for and Customers will continue to pay the rest.

Maria Severson is an attorney representing San Diego rate payers - she's part of an effort urging the Public Utilities Commission to give customers money back in light of the pricey failed fixes to the plant's steam generators.

"What's going to happen to what the rate payers have paid so far for services they never got for the defective equipment that seemed to be known defective when it was installed?" she asked.

"That's like paying for a car, making monthly payments for a car, you never got.”

A higher future bill is still on the table.

"Potentially those SONGS costs for the power that should've come from SONGS but didn't and we got from someplace else, eventually could get passed on to customers," Donovan said.

SDG&E says immediate increases as a result of the decommissioning are not likely - however there are already some other unrelated hikes in the works.

Starting in September about 300,000 residential customers in the upper tiers of usage will see an increase in their monthly bill.

Ask the city's new planning director what a perfect neighborhood looks like, and he'll have you thinking Little Italy or North Park -- as opposed to sprawling suburbs like Tierrasanta or Poway.

Urban Planner Bill Fulton is a national expert on "smart growth," a planning strategy that focuses on walkable communities, where residents can live, work, play and get groceries all in the same short distance. He currently serves as the vice president for policy at Smart Growth in America in Washington D.C.

Fulton is the mayor's latest hire to head what the administration has dubbed the "Planning and Neighborhood Restoration Department." Last year, Filner said that he was going to name it the "Office of Prosperity, Livability and Urban Sustainability."

Days after taking office, Mayor Bob Filner led NBC 7 San Diego on a tour of City Hall's empty fourth floor; the Planning Department, gutted by budget cuts and then merged with Development Services.

He saw the empty room and desks as indicative of an overall problem across the city: a lack of focus on neighborhood revitalization.

Enter Fulton, 57, who says he shares the mayors vision for embracing some of the city's more neglected neighborhoods like Barrio Logan and San Ysidro. 

"San Diego has done a great job of reinvigorating a lot of the older neighborhoods in the downtown area. The trolley has been an enormous influence on that," Fulton said. "I think the issue is how to move that prosperity and sustainability out to all the neighborhoods in the city, particularly to the south and to the east." 

Fulton served as mayor of Ventura and, before that, was a city councilman there between 2003 and 2011.

As Voice of San Diego reporter Andrew Keatts pointed out, Fulton took an unusual stance for a local official on the issue of redevelopment by supporting Gov. Jerry Brown's move to end it.

"Every city used redevelopment to do everything, even when it wasn't appropriate. So, I think a more targeted and focused effort to use redevelopment around transit stations and in older neighborhoods is a very appropriate thing," Fulton told NBC 7 today.

He added he supports a bill to bring redevelopment back as a more limited tool.

A spokeswoman for the mayor said Fulton's annual base salary will be $175,000.