The connector ramps to and from State Route 163 and the Interstate 15 Express Lanes will be closed Sunday morning for landscape maintenance.

The southbound connector will be closed 3-8 a.m. and the northbound connector will be closed 8-11 a.m.

Southbound drivers can exit the I-15 Express Lanes just south of Pomerado Road to connect to SR-163. Drivers going northbound on SR-163 can take the northbound I-15 main lanes and enter the Express Lanes just north of Ammo Road.

Follow Caltrans of Twitter  for the latest updates.

A Texas woman posted a heartfelt plea on social media for people to send thoughts to her husband, who is an Army veteran and is currently living at home under hospice care.

According to a Facebook post, Lee Hernandez asked his wife recently to hold his phone for him in case he got any calls.  

After two hours, Hernandez received no calls. He then told his wife, “I guess no one wants to talk to me.”

His wife Ernestine then took to social media, and asked people to call him or text him because it helped brighten his day.

The post eventually went viral, and Lee has received hundreds of phone calls and text messages.

NBC 6 spoke with the person who posted the plea to an Arizona Veterans Forum on Facebook. She said that Lee has received so many phone calls and texts, that they are now requesting e-mails.

If you would like to get in contact with Lee, you can send him an email at blessingsforlee@gmail.com.

McDonald’s will celebrate National Ice Cream Day on Sunday by giving away free soft serve cones, but for one lucky customer at the Golden Arches, they’ll get more than just delicious frozen treat.

According to a press release issued by the company, one lucky customer that redeems a free cone on Sunday will receive a special edition “Golden Arches Cone.” That cone will entitle the recipient to a lifetime of free soft serve ice cream at the restaurant chain.

In order to be eligible to get the special cone, customers must download the McDonald’s app and redeem the free vanilla cone offer between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday afternoon at participating locations.

Customers wishing to just get a free ice cream cone at the restaurant can do so throughout the day on Sunday, according to the company. 

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President Donald Trump's job-approval rating in the U.S. counties that propelled him to victory in 2016 stands at 50 percent, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll looking at "Trump Counties."

Fifty percent of adults in these counties — consisting of Republicans, Democrats and independents – approve of the president's job, including 29 percent who strongly approve. The poll also showed that 46 percent disapprove of Trump's job, including 35 percent who do so strongly.

By comparison, last month's national NBC/WSJ poll had Trump's overall approval rating at 40 percent. 

The poll's sample was taken from 439 counties in 16 states – Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin – that either flipped from Barack Obama to Trump, or where Trump greatly outpaced Mitt Romney's performance in 2012.

Four people were found dead after a flash flood struck an Arizona swimming hole Saturday afternoon, authorities said Sunday. 

The Gila County Sheriff's Office received a report of a flash flood near the Cold Springs swimming hole in Payson, Arizona, at about 3 p.m. Saturday, police said. 

A number of agencies launched a search of the area, which yielded the discovery of four bodies. 

The search for other missing persons was still ongoing Sunday morning. 

A 27-year-old driver died after he lost control of his car on Interstate 15, near Interstate 805, California Highway Patrol (CHP) officials said. 

The crash happened at approximately 11:45 p.m. Saturday on I-15 near the I-805 connector, officials said. 

The 27-year-old, who has not been identified, allowed his car to drift into the median, officers said. 

When he tried to correct his car, he lost control. The car spun clockwise across all I-15 lanes, officers said, and landed in the shoulder lane.

At some point during the incident, the driver was ejected from the car. He landed in the middle lane, where he sustained major head trauma.

The man succumbed to his injuries at the scene. 

He was the only driver in the car.

It is unclear if alcohol or drugs were involved.

No further information is available. 

A San Diego police officer was taken to the hospital with minor injuries after an altercation with an armed suspect in San Diego's Hillcrest neighborhood, SDPD Sargeant Sullivan confirmed to NBC 7. 

The incident happened at 8:54 a.m. Sunday in the 800 block of University Avenue, a busy street in the neighborhood. 

Police officers responded to the scene after a man, armed with a knife, put a lit cigarette in someone's bag, Sullivan said. 

It is unclear what exactly led up to the altercation at this point, Sullivan said. 

However, at one point, an SDPD officer deployed their Taser. 

Even after the suspect was Tased, he continued fighting the officer with his knife, Sullivan said. 

Officers were able to eventually apprehend the suspect, and he was taken to the hospital. 

An officer suffered an elbow injury during the confrontation and was taken to the hospital as a precaution. 

No further information was available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news. 

A 20-foot boat floating in the Coronado Cays was charred when flames ripped through the vessel, Coronado Fire Captain Mike Bechtold said. 

The fire broke out around 4:40 a.m. Sunday near 51 Port of Spain Road, by the Coronado Cays, south of Silver Strand State Beach, Bechtold said. 

When fire crews from Coronado and Imperial Beach arrived, the flames were well involved. 

Crews managed to contain the fire to the boat of origin. 

Coast Guard officials spent Sunday morning fishing out parts of the boat that fell into the water. 

No one was injured. 

No further information was available. 

Cal Fire crews used a helicopter to rescue an injured, distressed hiker in Black Canyon, near Ramona. 

The rescue happened at approximately 1:25 p.m. Sunday. 

The distressed hiker was trapped in Black Canyon, near Ramona, in San Diego's East County. 

A hoist ship helped rescue the hiker. 

It is unclear what injuries the hiker suffered.

No further information was available. 

A parolee-at-large led San Diego County Sheriff's deputies (SDSO) on a pursuit through East County Sunday morning before he was arrested. 

Brandon Worley, a parolee-at-large also wanted for his connection to a stolen assault rifle, was arrested after a pursuit that ended in Descanso. 

Sheriff's officials first came into contact with Worley when they developed information about his whereabouts. Deputies began watching the area, in hopes of arresting him. 

At approximately 9:25 a.m., deputies spotted Worley and tried to stop his car. 

Worley refused and sped off, leading deputies on a pursuit through El Cajon, Rancho San Diego and Alpine. At times, Worley's car reached 79 miles per hour, officials said. 

At one point during the pursuit, deputies deployed spike strips, disabling both of the car's tires on the driver's side. 

However, Worley continued to drive with disabled tires. 

Eventually, he yielded at Viejas Grade Road in Descanso. He was taken into custody without further incident. He was booked for an outstanding parole violation, felony evading and other unrelated charges. 

No further information was available. 

Crews battled a 2.5-acre brush fire that burned near Cowles Mountain off State Route 52 Sunday afternoon. 

The fire broke out around 3:17 p.m. near eastbound SR-52 near the Mast Boulevard exit and was out by 5 p.m. The location is near Mission Trails Regional Park. 

The fire moved up the hillside from the south side of the 52 (just before Mast Boulevard) toward the Fortuna Trail at Mission Trails Park, San Diego Fire-Rescue said.  

The incident commander Battalion Chief Gerboth called for a lot of resources immediately, which allowed the fire to be put out quickly, according to officials. 

Two helicopters were called for water drops but one was canceled. No trail in the area is closed or was evacuated.

California Highway Patrol (CHP) officials shut down several lanes of eastbound SR-52 as crews battled the flames. One lane remains closed. The other lanes have been opened.  

No structures were threatened at any time. 

Check back for updates. 

Barrio Logan was named one of California’s premier state-designated cultural districts this week by the California Arts Council. Only 14 districts in the state were selected for the honor.

“This will be the platform for Barrio Logan to be on the map,” said Luis Ojeda, Community and Business Development Manager for the City of San Diego, “it wasn’t about the money, it was about the respect and recognition.”

A cultural district is considered a well-defined geographic location that has a high concentration of cultural programs and resources. The Barrio Logan Cultural District will receive a small amount of funding for two years.

“It was a really competitive process,” said Ojeda, “everybody had to pull this application together within three weeks.”

The goal now for Barrio Logan is to preserve the culture while attracting more business to the area, said Ojeda.

One of the most culturally rich areas in Barrio Logan is Chicano Park, which is located under the pillars of the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge. Today more than 88 murals grace the pillars at the 7.4-acre park.

“We’ve known locally about how important this park is,” said Councilmember David Alvarez (District 8), “as we’ve been sharing the story with people around the state and country I think people acknowledge that it’s very unique.”

Pierside Body Art Gallery owner Jay closed his tattoo shop in Pacific Beach two days ago after hearing his long-time friend and business partner had died.

“We're going to be doing a lot of installations dedicated to his memory,” Jay says, looking around at some of Bruce’s favorite paintings in the shop.

Tattoo artist Carey Bruce, 36, was killed on Interstate 405 in Irvine early Friday morning when his SUV crashed into a tree and went up in flames.

“He was a great friend to all the people he knew and just a really lovable guy,” Jay says. “A lot of people called him Carebear."

Jay tells NBC 7 he recently spoke with Bruce's family.

“They're devastated,” Jay says. “That was their son and brother, uncle, you know? Carey, he had a lot of family and friends."

Officers don't know what caused Bruce to veer off the roadway. His parents are heartbroken, and friends say the tragedy is only adding to his father's own health problems.

“His father is going through troubling things, cancer actually,” Jay explains.

Friends are preparing to hold a vigil at the tattoo parlor Monday to remember their loving friend and artist.

“He was a really good friend … and if you needed any help at all he was there for you. I just enjoyed every minute I worked with him,” Jay adds.

A pedestrian broke their femur after being struck by a car in Bay Terraces Sunday evening, San Diego police said. The driver left the scene.

The crash happened around 5:17 p.m. in the 2200 block of Alta View Drive.

Check back on this breaking story for updates. 

A 21-foot boat and a jet ski collided in Mission Bay off Ski Beach Sunday evening.

The 28-year-old driver of the jet ski was taken to the hospital. Three passengers aboard the boat were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The jet ski driver does not appear to have life-threatening injuries.

San Diego police and lifeguards are working on the vessel accident report.

The crash happened around 6 p.m.

The front yard of an Encanto home turned into a dream dress shop for brides-to-be Sunday.

Alfred Angelo Bridal, which had 60 stores nationwide, closed its doors at the end of business Thursday, leaving many brides unsure of whether they would get their (often prepaid) dresses. In a statement Friday the company said they are filing for bankruptcy. 

The chain has two locations in San Diego County, and since Thursday, three former saleswomen have been working to keep their promises to their customers.

“I just felt like our job wasn't finished and we're not those types of people. We weren't done yet!” said Charlie Reed, who worked at the Golden Hill store until she left eight months ago. Rachel and Aja were team members at the Clairemont location and lost their jobs last week.

“We know everybody,” Reed explained. “We are on a first name basis, not just between the three of us as to who's who, but we know what their dresses [look like], we know where they're getting married, we know what their bridesmaids are wearing. We've been in contact with their fiancés. We know their moms. We know all of them.”

She said Friar Tux, located next door, graciously offered to hold the dresses. “Once we heard the news on Thursday, we only had about 12 hours to get contact information for all of these brides,” she said. Reed said she grabbed alteration invoices so they could contact customers to let them know they’re trying to figure something out.

The three women were able to organize this dress pickup for the wedding parties of 50 brides – with some weddings as early as next weekend.

Taylor Diaz gets married in October.

“Everything went through my mind,” Diaz told NBC 7. “I had been planning for two years. And this was like the dress. And there's nothing else I can compare to it.”

Sunday she picked up her dress.

"I touched it, it's there,” she laughed.

The three women are volunteering their time out of their own good will, which is especially meaningful, considering Rachel and Aja are now out of work.

“We genuinely care about our customers, and I could not imagine a bride panicking about their dress or walking down the aisle without their gown or items that they rightfully own," Reed added. "These are, I don't know, these are things that they need.” 

In just three days Comic-Con festivities officially begin.

The city already has lots of decor set up for the convention and construction has been underway for the last couple of days.

Wednesday is preview night, a three-hour event open to professionals, people who have exhibits or those who bought four-day passes. Lucky fans will get to enjoy special events like workshops and special exclusive sneak-peek screenings. There will also be a tribute to “Batman” star Adam West on Thursday.

For local businesses, Comic-Con is the tourism lottery. It's the city’s largest convention event and a San Diego tradition for more than 48 years.

“It’s literally the best time of the year for us,” one downtown business owner told NBC 7.

“It’s the super bowl of conventions, as far as we're concerned,” another person agreed.

In a speech last month, Mayor Kevin Faulconer said the event generates more than $130 million each year, and he announced that Comic-Con has been officially extended in San Diego for another five years.

Today, the San Diego City council will consider purchasing the Super 8 motel in Nestor for a new program that offers a different approach to helping people who repeatedly cycle through the justice system.

If approved, the city would convert the motel into a transitional housing facility for the San Diego Misdemeanants At-Risk Track (SMART) Program.

SMART is a pilot program designed to help people who frequently face misdemeanor charges, and who may be homeless or in need of drug rehabilitation or psychiatric treatment. 

Often, such offenders are arrested and released, then arrested again, before the initial charges against them are brought to trial.

The goal of SMART is to end that revolving door, with treatment tailored to help each person.

Participants will get needed counseling, along with substance abuse and mental health services, under the guidance of a case manager.

The program launched in December 2016 with the help of the City Attorney's Office, the San Diego Police Department, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, the Office of the Public Defender, Family Health Centers of San Diego, the ACLU, and the housing provider - the San Diego Second Chance Program under a contract administered by the San Diego Housing Commission.

Today’s council meeting beings at 2:00 p.m. in the City Administration Building downtown.

Emergency crews with the City of San Diego are working to repair a water line, after a 42-inch diameter water transmission line broke in University City.

The water line broke Sunday about 10 p.m. on Greenwich Drive, near Governor Drive, creating a huge geyser that drenched a nearby parking lot. 

A water department spokesperson told NBC 7 it was his understanding that no one was without water service. 

Crews are working on a plan to redirect water from an alternative pipeline, and are expected to be working on the water line for most of the day. 

No other information was available.

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

Days after a federal court ruling involving invalidated AP exam results at a San Diego-area high school, hundreds of students will retake the exams.

On Friday, a federal judge upheld a decision to invalidate the original exam results due to the proximity of desks in the exam room.

San Diego Unified School District filed a lawsuit against the College Board and Educational Testing Services on June 7, after the board invalidated Scripps Ranch test scores because of improper seating arrangements, according to a statement.

The ruling also prohibited the original test scores from being released.

On Monday, students taking the English Literature and U.S. History AP exams will begin the test.

College Board spokesperson Jaslee Carayo defended the College Board’s decision, stating colleges expect the integrity of the AP scores to be protected.

A test proctor filed an incident report with the College Board after one student was suspected of cheating at the school, which caused the College Board to launch an investigation.

The investigation showed seats at Scripps Ranch High School were too close together while students were taking the exam, and partitions were separating the students.

Partitions are prohibited and there is a minimum distance required, according to the College Board’s seating rules.

SDUSD stated there was no real evidence of cheating but legally the agency has the right to invalidate test scores.

Families were notified of the College Board’s decision to invalidate test scores in June when students were already gone for summer vacation or working jobs and unable to make the retest dates.

“We were told where to sit, it was not our choice,” said Marissa Barnes, an incoming senior at Scripps Ranch High School. “Now because of that, we have to suffer.”

One recent Scripps Ranch HS graduate said the school and the San Diego Unified School District should be held responsible for their oversight. 

Teachers are volunteering to offer review sessions for students.

SDUSD will provide free retests, with the first retest dates scheduled for July 17 through July 20, and more to follow in August.

More AP retest information is available on the Scripps Ranch High School website. 

AP exams help high school students get credit for college courses which can save them thousands of dollars.