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County Clerk Ready for Same-Sex Marriages

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San Diego County Clerk will be performing marriages Monday for same-sex couples. NBC 7's Elena Gomez reports.

Former Philly Congressman Bill Gray Dies in London

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Former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Philadelphia minister William Herbert Gray III is dead, according to a family spokesperson.

The spokesperson said Gray was attending the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London on Monday when he suddenly died. He was 71 years old. The spokesman said he had not been ill and that it appears he died from natural causes.

Born in Baton Rouge, La., Gray graduated from Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia back in 1959. In 1972, he became the senior minister at Bright Hope Baptist Church, also in Philly.

Church leaders from Bright Hope Baptist learned of Gray's death during an emergency meeting.

"We're talking about someone who not only became majority whip but was the Barack Obama of his day." said Reverand Kevin Johnson of Bright Hope Baptist.

"It's heartwrenching," said Brenda Willingham, who attends the church. "It hurts so bad. He's going to be truly missed by his congregation."

In 1978, Gray was elected as a Democrat to represent Philadelphia in the House of Representatives. He represented Pennsylvania’s 2nd congressional district until he resigned in 1991.

Gray was also the first African-American to chair the House Budget Committee and the first to serve as the Majority Whip.

"He was a big man doing a big job," former Philadelphia Mayor Wilson Goode said. "He knew how to get stuff done."

Goode, who was Philly's first African American Mayor, says Gray paved the way for him and other African Americans in politics.

"He was a pathfinder," Goode said. "He proved that an African American can run without party support."

While chairman of the Committee on Budget, Gray introduced H.R. 1460, an influential anti-apartheid bill.

From 1991 to 2004, Gray served as president of the United Negro College Fund.

Gray leaves behind a wife and three sons. The family spokesperson says funeral services will soon be announced.

Mayor Michael Nutter ordered that all city flags at city buildings and facilities will be at half-staff on Tuesday, in honor of Gray.

“I am truly stunned, saddened and hurt by the loss of this great man who was so influential in my own growth as a public servant as well as dozens of other Philadelphians, particularly in the African American community," Nutter said. "Bill Gray was also a unifying force bringing together a multi-racial coalition to work in the best interests of all Philadelphians. Bill’s passing is a dramatic and significant loss for Philadelphia, the Commonwealth and the nation he served with honor and distinction."

Philadelphia Council President Darrell Clarke called Gray "one of the most significant figures in Philadelphia politics" in a released statement.

“From advocating for Philadelphia’s fair share of federal dollars to fighting against the injustice of apartheid in South Africa, Congressman Gray’s mark cannot be erased," Clarke said. "He helped make the renovation of 30th Street Station possible, and the sight of that magnificent structure should give us all reason to be thankful for his service."
 



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Man Sues Live Nation, Security Company After Brutal Beating

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A San Diego man who was brutally beaten before a concert in Chula Vista last year is suing Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. and Staff Pro, Inc. claiming they failed to provide adequate security at the event.

Zachary Zander, 25, was beaten at a Jason Aldean concert in the parking lot of the Cricket Wireless Amphitheater (now Sleep Train Amphitheatre) in September 2012. He suffered several broken bones in his face and needed reconstructive surgery.

His parents told NBC 7 that Zander was standing up for a group of girls who were being verbally abused. They said that's when a group of men attacked him.

Seven months later, 27-year-old Marine Sgt. Raymond Sharkey was arrested and accused of being involved with the incident. The Camp Pendleton Marine pleaded not guilty in court on May 17.

Gordon & Holmes law firm is representing Zander, and called the concert an “alcohol-fueled festival.” Zander is seeking damages for bodily injury and emotional distress from concert venues owners Live Nation and Staff Pro.

Live Nation is a ticketing company that operates Sleep Train Amphitheatre and Staff Pro is a Southern California-based staffing agency that provides security for large events.

“Had Live Nation and Staff Pro adequately protected Amphitheatre patrons and guests from alcohol fueled, third party violence, Mr. Zander would have been saved from suffering these dreadful injuries,” stated attorney Rhonda J. Holmes.

Calls to Staff Pro and Live Nation for comment were not immediately returned.

Check back for updates on this story

Reports of Ryan Mathews Arrest False: SDPD

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Rumors of the arrest of a prominent San Diego Chargers player are false San Diego police told NBC 7 San Diego.

Special Section: San Diego Chargers

Several local media outlets reported on the arrest of running back Ryan Mathews based on one witness account.

Officer Ed Zwibel with San Diego police told NBC 7 San Diego Mathews was not arrested or detained and is not a suspect in any current criminal case.

San Diego Chargers spokesperson Scott Yoffe initially refuted the report to NBC 7 San Diego hours after it first appeared on the Examiner website. The article quoted a DJ who said he saw the arrest outside the Sidebar nightclub Sunday night.

The story reported by outlets including Sports Illustrated created a buzz on sports radio and social media early Monday morning.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Collaboration Possible for Future Medical Marijuana Model

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Is the clash over medical marijuana between San Diego's city hall and federal prosecutors giving way to collaboration?

There were hints of that in a high-level summit here Monday -- attended by San Diego's mayor and U.S. attorney, who have been feuding for months over enforcement issues involving cultivation and distribution.

For some of those on hand, seeing Bob Filner and Laura Duffy in the same room exploring those and other concerns was tantamount to believing there might be common ground.

The host of the gathering included representatives of law enforcement, science, health care, education and community interest.

Former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), enlightened by his own addiction and mental health struggles during his eight terms in Congress.

Kennedy thinks San Diego could become 'Ground Zero' for finding ways to settle the legal and emotional issues surrounding ‘compassionate’ handling of the use of cannabis.

In his view, the debate all too often devolves into arguments that boil down to “Light 'Em Up" or "Lock 'Em Up.”

"I think you can do something special here in San Diego,” Kennedy said in an interview Monday.  “I literally think if you can bring the U.S. Attorney's office, the mayor's office and local political leaders here together, this could be a real win. Not only for San Diego, but for the rest of the country."

Kennedy now chairs "Smart Approaches to Marijuana", a nonprofit, bipartisan think tank that’s looking into how best to standardize and regulate medicinal uses of pot – while keeping recreational uses illegal.

Those approaches focus on everyone from doctors to patients and growers to distributors, with input from the DEA and prosecutors.

"You would be setting up a model here that could help answer a lot of concerns all across the country -- that we're going too far in one direction, or too far in the other,” said Kennedy. “People are really in the middle, and you've got to define what that middle is.  And that's the job I hope San Diego takes on."

From Filner and Duffy came perspective that seemed to open the door to some kind of collaboration.

"There's got to be a way to come together,” Filner said in an interview Monday. “And if, say, Ms. Duffy and I can agree on an approach, we can become the model here in San Diego of how to deal with it in a smart way."

Filner envisions, for example, ".. a far more tight, prescription-based use of marijuana, that you can only get at a certain place or two. Maybe Ms. Duffy and I could agree on something like that."

For her part, Ms. Duffy didn’t argue the point.

"The more we can work together with members of the community to identify the legitimate individuals who need that treatment,” she said, “and not to expand the recreational use of marijuana, especially among our youth -- then that's something I want to be involved in."

Duffy said she and her fellow U.S. attorneys nationwide are coming around to the idea of community engagement on the issues: "We, I think, need to be taking on -- in a way that we haven't before -- a greater leadership role in developing that conversation, and cutting that path forward.  And so this is an opportunity to do just that."

Other concerns expressed during the summit involved the prospect of more states legalizing marijuana -- not just for medicinal purposes, but recreational use.

And, that legalizing and taxing marijuana might backfire, with the new markets winding up cornered by “Big Tobacco” and even “Big Liquor” – thereby perpetuating addiction cycles – when tobacco and alcohol taxes only cover 10 percent of society’s costs in terms of health care, accidents, and legal fallout from the dysfunction that stem from overindulgence.

"When we want real solutions,” Kennedy said, “We need to work together, and that's the goal of this."

Vet Honored for WWII Heroics

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An American soldier who fought in WWII and some of the prisoners he helped liberate from a Nazi concentration camp were reunited Monday when the veteran was honored for his service.

Ed Royce Sr., 91, was 20 when his Army unit freed nearly 68,000 prisoners from Germany’s Dachau concentration camp in April 1945.

On Monday, Royce received the Distinguished Service Award from the Simon Wiesenthal Center at the Museum of Tolerance for his part in that defining moment.

“I remember it like it was yesterday,” Royce said.

So do Morris Price and Albert Rosa, who were both imprisoned, malnourished, tortured and marked at when the first Americans walked through the gates of the notorious concentration camp.

“I used to pick up the people from the gas chamber and take them to the crematorium,” Rosa said.

The brutality of what he was forced to do is fixed in his mind. Rosa is the sole survivor of his Greek family of 70.

“I saw (my) sister beat to death because I was talking to her behind the fence, and I saw my brother hanged,” Rosa said.

Royce’s son, the California congressman of the same name, values the meaning of that event six decades ago.

“It’s also a reminder, as my father says, that when someone is talking about exterminating a race, when someone is trying to incite people in order to exterminate a race of people, there's a very clear precedent,” he said.

When asked what the meaning of freedom is, the older Royce and the men he liberated said it was about educating younger generations and continuing to fight hatred.

“It also means you have to be responsible and know what's going on and draw the right conclusions,” Royce Sr. added.

More Southern California Stories:

 



Photo Credit: facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter

Tornado Touchdown Confirmed in NJ

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A tornado touched down in New Jersey Monday, the National Weather Service has confirmed, creating a path of destruction that took down trees and crushed homes and cars in far western Union County.

The National Weather Service said the tornado touched down at 9:17 p.m. in Berkeley Heights near the Passaic River, just west of Garfield Street, moved through New Providence and ultimately lifted at 9:25 p.m. in Summit, near Evergreen Avenue.

At it widest point, the EF-0 tornado measured 50 yards wide and traveled about 4.8 miles, according to meteorologists. While relatively small, it was devastating, carrying winds of up to 85 miles per hour. 

One resident in Summit had just stepped into his kitchen to make breakfast when a tree came crashing through his newly built great room. 

"I have never seen wind like that, the trees around, shaking like that," said Girgis Shehata. "It's a miracle to me that I was in the kitchen."

Wayne Bergman of Berkeley Heights recalled the moment the skies got "pitch black" before a tree topped over into his backyard. 

"My wife says, 'It's raining sideways,'" he said.

"All of a sudden, you heard this big bang.  And that's when the tree came down and the fence exploded." 

A wooden fence, a metal fence and a vinyl fence that had been in his backyard for 20 years were each knocked down.

The National Weather Service said there was extensive tree damage along the tornado path, with the greatest damage occurring at the sewage treatment plant near Snyder Avenue in Berkeley Heights. 

No injuries have been reported. 

A tornado was also confirmed in Connecticut, in the area of Windsor Locks and East Windsor in Hartford County. It brought down power lines, scattered tobacco netting, peeled the siding off of homes and yanked a sports indoor dome out of the ground during summer camp there, NBC Connecticut reported.

NJ Transit service on the Morris & Essex lines was suspended for part of the morning from Dover to Summit in both directions because of downed trees and other weather-related conditions. It was later restored, with delays.

Storms also tossed trees and dumped heavy rains on other parts of the tri-state Monday.

Police in Yonkers, N.Y., said an estimated 50 trees were down on Riverdale Avenue, and numerous trees hit power lines in the Nodine Hill area. Con Edison crews were on scene to restore power to several hundred customers who lost it.

"The trees started falling ... it was terrible," said Garnet Boyd. "You couldn't see anything."

High winds tore off the roof of an apartment building on Willow Street, then flung it across the street where it knocked out wires, an air conditioning unit and windows before crashing into the upper floor of a building on the other side.

"The wires came down, so it was like flames going off. We saw wires on the floor, the ceiling was halfway craking," said Jamileth Hernandez, who lived in the exposed building. The family was ordered to stay inside until rescue crews managed to clear what was left of the roof. 

The National Weather Service said cars were stranded in floodwaters in some areas of Westchester County. The agency is investigating whether it was a microburst that inflicted the damage in the area.

--Brian Thompson, Andrew Siff, Marc Santia and Pei-Sze Cheng contributed to this story.

16-year-old Died of Heart Attack: ME

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The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office has determined a 16-year-old who died after a gym class accident suffered a heart attack.

Taylor Dorman died on April 10, which was also his 16th birthday. The Ramona High School sophomore was hit in the chest with a softball during a game of “Over the Line.” He was flown to Palomar Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

According to the ME report, the official cause of death was “sudden cardiac arrest due to viral myocarditis with dilated cardiomyopathy.” The ME had told Dorman’s mother Sue Kohler that her son had an enlarged heart. Kohler said Dorman’s father died from heart failure last year.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

San Diego Sends Support to Fire Victims

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Several local organizations are rallying to help the victims of a devastating wildfire in Yarnell, Ariz.

19 firefighters died, including two from Riverside County. They were members of the elite Granite Mountain Hotshots firefighting team. The cause of their deaths is under investigation.

The fire has destroyed more than 200 buildings in Yarnell, a town of about 700 people northwest of Phoenix.

Locally, the Red Cross of San Diego and Imperial Counties is sending three disaster workers to Yarnell. They will set up shelters for hundreds of evacuees and provide food, water and counseling, according to the Red Cross.

Meanwhile, the San Diego-based charity FirefighterAid is raising money for the families of the firefighters killed.

“Here in San Diego we stand with the families of the fallen and pray for their comfort and peace,” San Diego Fire Captain George Duardo said in a statement.

To donate to FirefighterAid, click here.

The Red Cross is collecting money for the residents of Yarnell and people affected by other wildfires. Go to redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS to make a contribution.
 



Photo Credit: AP

Driver Fleeing U.S. BP Agents Causes Crash

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Two vehicles collided Monday during the pursuit of suspected drug dealers near the U.S.-Mexico border officials said.

The crash happened around 10 a.m. Monday west of Interstate 5 at the end of westbound Interstate 905.

According to Gabe Pacheco with the National Border Patrol Council, agents got a tip that two men traveling in a gray Honda Civic were dealing drugs.

The agents began a pursuit near Caliente Avenue and eastbound I-905 and attempted to stop the vehicle.

At Beyer Boulevard, the suspect vehicle exited the freeway and drove through a guard rail at a trolley stop.

The suspects then drove to the intersection of near Oro Vista Road and Tocayo Avenue where the Civic T-boned a Nissan Sentra.

The man driving the Civic and his male passenger bashed their heads into the windshield of the car. Even so, officials said the men got out and ran on foot into a nearby residential area.

Border Patrol agents managed to capture the two men and transport them to a nearby hospital with injuries from the crash.

Agents say they found methamphetamine on the driver. The passenger was on parole officials said. They will face multiple felony charges including fleeing the scene of an accident.

Sean Peralta was driving his Nissan Sentra when it got caught up in the pursuit. He was not injured in the crash but his car did need to be towed.

He said he feels "lucky it was not worse. But glad I could help and shorten the pursuit for Border Patrol."

Peralta, 35, said he felt fine but may be heading to the chiropractor to be checked later today.

Officials initially told NBC 7 that a U.S. Border Patrol vehicle was involved in the traffic collision. Pacheco said the agents’ vehicles were involved only in the pursuit and not the collision.

Officials closed the intersection to traffic along with the intersection at Iris Avenue and Howard Avenue on the east side of Interstate 5 and north of Interstate 905.

Naval Commanding Officer Relieved

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The commanding officer of the Naval Air Facility in El Centro has been relieved from his position, according to a statement from Navy Region Southwest.

The statement said Captain Devon Jones was relieved “due to loss of faith and confidence in his ability to command.” Jones is being temporarily reassigned to Commander, Naval Air Forces. Commander Erik Franzen will take over Jones' command, according to the Navy.

The Navy did not release any details about the nature of the issue that prompted Jones to be removed.
 



Photo Credit: U.S. Navy

Man Tried for Chalk Drawings Found Not Guilty

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The man accused of vandalism for drawing with chalk outside banks has been found not guilty on all charges.

A jury returned its verdict in the case against Jeff Olson Monday.

The city charged Olson with vandalism after writing anti-Wall Street messages in chalk on public sidewalks and streets in front of a bank.

Olson said he was relieved by the jury’s decision.

“It feels really good to know that the people of San Diego, represented by the jury, are on my side,” Olson said after the verdict was read.

“I never thought in a million years that using washable sidewalk chalk on a city sidewalk could be considered vandalism,” he said.

The defendant claimed he faced multiple years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines, but the maximum possible sentence was never revealed.

"Our prosecutors never treated this case as anything more than a graffiti case," said a statement from the city attorney's office. "As with most graffiti cases, Mr. Olson was offered reduction to an infraction after completing volunteer work service cleaning up graffiti. His refusal of that offer resulted in the trial and his successful defense."

Olson's supporters staged a "Chalk-u-py" protest last Saturday. They wrote messages of support in chalk outside the Hall of Justice.

Judge OKs Yoga in Schools, Denies Religious Component

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A San Diego judge has ruled in favor of yoga classes in public elementary schools, rejecting an argument from some parents that the practice was an attempt at religious mind control.

Judge John S. Meyer spoke from the bench for nearly two hours Monday as he presented his ruling on the yoga program being taught to elementary school children in the Encinitas Unified School District.

At issue: Are yoga poses religious in nature, and can schools offer yoga instruction as part of its physical education program without promoting the religion or spirituality behind the practice?

Meyer heard testimony in May regarding Ashtanga yoga and a curriculum established within EUSD where students practice yoga as P.E.

The district established its yoga program with a $500,000 grant from the K.P. Jois Foundation.

EUSD administrators hoped yoga would help the elementary school students focus on studies, keep them calm and possibly even curb bullying.

However, some parents heard the chanting, saw the Sanskrit and objected.

After complaining to the district, opponents sued claiming the classes are being used to indoctrinate children and "spread the gospel" of Ashtanga yoga. The plaintiffs wanted yoga classes suspended immediately.

Attorney Dean Broyles argued Ashtanga yoga is inherently religious and that teaching the poses is therefore a violation of the separation of church and state.

In his ruling Monday, Superior Court Judge Meyer said P.E. has traditionally involved physical activity and breath control — whether ithrough jumping jacks, dodgeball, kickball or running — as well as character teachings like perseverance, determination and sportsmanship.

"This physical education, health and wellness class is no different except the physical aspect kickball or something else is EUSD yoga which involves a particular stretching and breathing routine different from traditional physical education."

Judge Meyer called the influence of the foundation over the EUSD curriculum "troublesome" but ruled that the district was not teaching the children any religious component during the yoga instruction.

Broyles said the ruling was confusing. “For the judge to say yoga is religious… but then to say this EUSD yoga is not religious, I’m not sure how he arrives at that point,” he said.

The idea the yoga program was funded by the Jois Foundation as a mind-control technique is “preposterous,” according to the foundation's Executive Director Eugene Ruffin. Watch Video: Jois Foundation Reaction to Verdict

The grant was for the district to create a health and wellness curriculum and yoga is a cost-effective way to attain happy, healthy kids Ruffin said.

“It would be a shame if these children could not have the same kinds of choice as it relates to these century-old techniques as you and I have as adults," he said. “It would be pitiful.”

Superintendent Timothy Baird, Ed.D., said formal studies are being conducted about the results of the program.

He did offer results from one school that taught yoga to students before the program was expanded to all nine of the district's schools. Teachers reported an increase in API for the school as well as better schoolyard behavior according to Baird.  

The plaintiffs' attorney cited studies that shows prayer in school helps calm students down and focuses them to perform better.

"Just because a religious practice is beneficial doesn't mean it should be the standard that's taught in schools," Broyles said. Watch Video: Plaintiff's Attorney Reacts to Verdict

The Encinitas School District will move forward to put the program in place for next year.

Baird said he would tell the plaintiffs, “Come see a class, come observe what your students are doing. If you do, I think you will agree with us that this is just exercise.”



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Same-Sex Couples Line Up for Marriage Licenses

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San Diego County handed out its first marriage license to same sex couples on Monday morning.

The first ceremony of the day was shortly after 8 a.m. when Susan Hartman and Stephanie Torres were married under the trellis after exchanging their vows. The couple had been together for more than 21 years.

Many other same sex couples were wed throughout the day – including Chris Harris and Joseph Bruglin. They were the first couple to ask for an appointment on Wednesday, after the Supreme Court's decision.

Monday morning at 6:30 a.m. Harris and Bruglin received a call, letting them know it was time to make things official.

“I think about all the people who worked to make this happen that came before us,” said Harris. “Some were arrested and some didn’t live to see this day. Those people are on my mind today, we are standing on their shoulders.”

Marriages across the state went on despite efforts by those opposed to same-sex marriage. Saturday a petition was filed to the Supreme Court calling for an immediate halt to issuing licenses. Attorneys argues that Supreme Court rules require a 25 day  period for the appeals process, but Sunday Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy rejected the petition, without explanation.

County officials say all available appointments to be married were filled Monday. Some couples were lined up before the offices opened and the phone system was inundated with calls throughout the day.

For those who could not get an appointment, the county is having their "walk-in Wednesdays" when couples don't need an appointment.



Photo Credit: Elena Gomez

BART Strike Day 2: Negotiations Resume

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BART contract negotiations resumed Tuesday evening, with the agency announcing a tentative agreement with one of the striking unions.

Negotiations continue this evening between BART and the union representing the majority of its workforce.

Earlier in the day, BART and AFSCME Local 3993 announced a tentative deal, with the agency urging its members to report to work immediately.

AFSCME Local 3993 has more than 200 members who serve as supervisorial and professional staff for the agency.

Meanwhile, Tuesday proved to be another day of sluggish commuting for Bay Area residents.

The two unions on strike since Monday met Tuesday morning to rehash their strategy and focus.

"After one full day of no meetings, we are eager to get back to the table," said BART Spokesman Rick Rice in a statement.

Riders, though, were growing weary of the strike, now in its second day.

"I’m very frustrated, I’m frustrated at the union," said Ezra Curry of Hayward. "I’m frustrated at BART in general for making people wait this long. This is too much. It doesn’t need to go no longer than today, this is way too much."

BART management and other transit agencies tried to fill in the gaps left by no train service. But there were definite strains on service.

BART added 36 charter buses - double the number on Monday - to serve the West Oakland Station and transbay passengers during the strike's second day. But by 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, BART buses serving Walnut Creek, Fremont, El Cerrito del Norte and Dublin with "filled to capacity," leaving commuters in those cities stuck if they wanted to get to work on time.

The buses will operate from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and will return from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. BART buses will also continue to serve the El Cerrito del Norte, Walnut Creek, Dublin/Pleasanton and Fremont stations from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and returning from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

"It's been a hassle," Vincent Martinez, who took a bus from Oakland to work on Monday in what became a two-hour commute. "I hope they resolve this soon.

Also, ferries were a popular way of commuting. On Monday, ferry ridership soared to 18,000, triple the normal number.  And at 5 a.m. Tuesday, long lines were already forming in Oakland for the San Francisco-bound ferries.

A big question, too, was how bad the traffic would be during Tuesday's 7 p.m. game between the Oakland A's and Chicago Cubs. Early in the day, the A's were recommending that people carpool to the game, and park for free in the BART lot by the O.Co Coliseum.

BART officials on Monday evening released a statement saying it has received no indication that employees will return to work on Tuesday and that commuters should make alternative plans.

PLAN YOUR COMMUTE: BART Strike Resources

No further bargaining sessions have occurred since representatives from Service Employees International Union Local 1221 and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 left the table on Sunday, and none are currently scheduled.

BART spokesman Rick Rice said on Monday that management has conveyed to mediators the hope that talks can be scheduled "very soon" and that BART is "prepared to negotiate the significantly improved proposal we delivered on Saturday."

Employees announced their intention to strike midnight Sunday, just after their contract expired.

IMAGES: BART Workers Picket, Commuters Find Alternate Routes

The walkout derailed hundreds of thousands of riders who use the nation's fifth-largest rail system each day, forcing them to find other means of transportation in the second-most congested region in the country.

Monday's morning rush hour did not come to a standstill as feared, and some travelers who used carpool lanes and other options added relatively little time to their commutes.

Later, evening commuters lined up early for ferries, buses and casual carpools to get a jump on the heavy traffic. That commute also could have been worse.

"It's been an absolute nightmare for some commuters, but we didn't see total gridlock," said Stuart Cohen, executive director of TransForm, an Oakland-based nonprofit organization focused on public transportation and walkable communities. "Everybody got so worried about potential congestion they found an alternative."

Monday's work stoppage was the first strike by BART employees since a six-day walkout in 1997.

"We are sorry that the (unions') actions ... have caused such a tremendous disruption to the people of the Bay Area," the transit agency said in a statement. "We are working hard to bring a fair and responsible resolution to labor talks."

MORE: BART Workers Strike, Commuting Headaches

Theresa Tramble, 23, and Antanisha Thompson, 24, who usually ride BART trains together from Oakland to San Francisco, were upset after their long, hard commute. They usually enjoy a $5.85 round-trip on a line deep beneath the bay on the quiet, cushioned seats of BART trains. Instead, they rode a bus -- a noisy, jerking ride that cost $4.20 one way, almost doubling the price of their commute.

How was the ride?

"Super crowded, super hot," groaned Thompson, who works at a drug store in San Francisco.

At her side, Tramble said she had to get up two hours early and spent two hours at an Oakland bus stop. On her last day of college, she was worrying about final exams.

California Highway Patrol spokeswoman Sgt. Diana McDermott said it could have been worse.

"It's summertime and a holiday week, so plenty of people didn't go to work," she said. "Others had prepared for it, or they were able to work from home, and we saw lots of informal carpooling."

Transit authorities also made accommodations, including longer carpool lane hours, additional ferries, and extra buses and bike shuttles over the Bay Bridge.

Caltrans spokesman Bob Hahn said the biggest delay added 25 minutes to a stretch of Highway 80 between the Carquinez Bridge and the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The heaviest traffic, he said, was to the south along a stretch of Highway 880, which was twice as heavy as a week ago.

MORE: Reaction of #BARTStrike on Social Media

BART said train operators and station agents in the unions average about $71,000 in base salary and $11,000 in overtime annually. The workers also pay a flat $92 monthly fee for health insurance.

Rice said the agency had upped its original offer of a 4 percent pay increase over the next four years to 8 percent. The proposed salary increase is on top of a 1 percent raise employees were scheduled to receive Monday, Rice added.

The transit agency also said it offered to reduce the contribution employees would have to make to pensions, and lower the cost for health care premiums.

BART, with 44 stations in four counties and 104 miles of lines, handles more than 40 percent of commuters coming from the East Bay to San Francisco, said John Goodwin, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

Bay City News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.


Driver Trapped by Hydrant's Geyser

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Emergency crews rescued a driver trapped by rushing water after his car crashed into a fire hydrant early Tuesday.

San Diego Fire-Rescue responded to the crash at Euclid Avenue and Market Street in Chollas View around 12:40 a.m.

Crews discovered the man trapped inside his car with thousands of gallons of water pouring out of the broken hydrant.

The geyser created by the crash shot approximately 80-feet into the air.

Water was turned off 45 minutes after the crash but it took crews over and hour to get the driver out.

San Diego police are investigating why the man slammed into the hydrant but say it doesn’t appear to be a case of driving under the influence.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Officer Opens Fire After Dog Jumps From Car Window

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An officer shot and killed a Southern California man's dog after it jumped from an open car window and lunged at officers who were taking the Rottweiler's owner into custody on suspicion of interfering with a SWAT stand-off.

Police arrested Leon Rosby, 52, near the scene of the SWAT stand-off in Hawthorne, about 15 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles. Rosby was walking his Rottweiler, Max, and recording the stand-off with armed robbers on his cell phone camera.

"I never meant my dog to be killed and shot like that," Rosby said Tuesday. "He wasn't just shot. He was executed."

A statement from the Hawthorne Police Department detailed his alleged interference: "This interference included loud, distracting music (from the individual's vehicle), and his intentional walking within close proximity to armed officers, while holding an 80-pound Rottweiler on a long leash-line," the statement said.

The video, posted on YouTube (Warning: Disturbing Content), showed Rosby walking his dog along a sidewalk and recording officers on his cell phone. Another man who was also apparently recording the police incident was standing just a few feet away from Rosby, but he was not approached by officers.

Officers stared at Rosby for several seconds and began walking toward him. Rosby placed his dog into his car and, as officers approached, turned around and put his hands behind his back.

Rosby can be heard saying something about civil rights.

"They had asked me why am I there?" Rosby later told NBC4. "And I said I was filming them so that no one's civil rights were being violated."

The officers handcuffed him and the dog began barking out of one of the car's open windows. The dog jumped out and barked at the officers.

One of the officers reached toward the dog several times, apparently trying to grab its leash. The dog lunged at him and he fired four shots at the dog.

The Hawthorne Police Department statement continued, "Fearing that the attacking Rottweiler would imminently bite the officer(s), one officer fired his duty weapon several times, striking and killing the dog."

The dog fell to the ground, yelping and writhing in the street. The animal's owner, still handcuffed, cried out and his legs buckled.

The video is available on YouTube here. Warning: As previously described, it contains extremely disturbing content.

Michael Gulden, Rosby's attorney, said his client was targeted because he had a pending lawsuit against the Hawthorne Police Department. Rosby alleged that police beat him without cause.

"We'll be amending the complaint to include another excessive force action as well," Gulden said.

More Southern California Stories:

 

San Francisco Dog Walkers Limited to 8 Dogs at a Time

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The days of lawlessness are over for dog walkers in San Francisco.

New rules regulating how many dogs can be walked at one time go into effect Monday in the dog-friendly City by the Bay.

Dog-walkers with four or more animals at a time are now required to have a valid permit issued by the San Francisco Department of Animal Care and Control, and no walker may have more than eight dogs on leashes at a time, according to the rules.

Dog-walkers' leashes can only be 8-feet, maximum, and they must have $1 million worth of insurance, according to the law. On top of that, commercial dog walkers will need to buy a permit at the annual cost of $240. Violators will be fined $50, $100 and then $500 for each subsequent offense.

Walkers must also clean up after their dogs and supply adequate water.

The law was first proposed by Supervisor Scott Wiener, who noted that about a third of the city's households had dogs and about 500 people are considered "commercial dog walkers," or people who are paid to take the pets for a daily walk while their owners toil away during the day.

If the rules seem strict, they are. And apparently, they're heralded by professional dog walkers themselves.

Sally Stephens, president of SF Dog, a nonprofit promoting responsible dog ownership, told the SF Examiner when the law was being proposed in January 2012, they she believed the new rules would help legitimize the profession.

"We want professional dog walkers to be legit and have more controls," she testified before a committee at the time. "Some (dog walkers) can manage larger groups, but others cannot."

While the eight-dog-per-walker may seem a bit onerous in a city that once let dog walkers strut with as many dogs as they wanted, it could be worse.

In nearby Marin County, the open space district has long limited commercial dog walkers to capping their total of dogs to six. That limit is also true for Boulder, Toronto and West Vancouver, Canada. And in Newton, Mass., commercial dog walkers can only walk up to three dogs at a time.




Photo Credit: Getty Images

Arizona Firefighter Had Ties to San Diego

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One of the victims, 25-year-old Billy Warneke had ties to San Diego. NBC 7's Catherine Garcia reports.

Caught on Video: Rider Berates Senior on Bus

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An irate commuter terrorized a fellow Metro bus passenger in a caught-on-video confrontation, apparently sparked because the senior citizen sat on him while trying to squeeze into the seat next to him.

It went down about 8 p.m. June 26 on a Metro 720 Rapid Bus, according to rider Erica Rodriguez, who posted the video -- titled "Elderly Man Assaulted on the 720 Rapid Bus" -- to her YouTube channel. The exact ages of the men seen in the video were not available.

An attorney who works in Downtown Los Angeles, Rodriguez was taking the bus home Wednesday night -- as she normally does -- when the fight started.

"It was definitely scary because you hear about incidents on the bus where people pull out guns, so I was, like, oh god, I hope this doesn't get worse," Rodriguez said.

She said the victim was sitting in a front seat, typically reserved for older and handicapped commuters. While the bus was moving, the victim switched seats and appeared to fall into a fellow rider while doing so.

Both men are seated at the start of the video, but then one of them abruptly jumps up.

Victim: “Don’t threaten me.”

Commuter: “I’m not threatening you, buddy. You just assaulted me.”

Victim: “I didn’t…”

Commuter, lunging toward man: “Yes, you did, you sat on me!”

At least twice, the victim can be heard asking someone to call the police, to which the assaulter replies, “I am the police!”

Hurling obscenities and using a derogatory term for a gay man, the commuter berates the older passenger for nearly 3 minutes.

Of the six riders sitting around the pair, one tries to intervene, telling the commuter to calm down. A passenger can be heard laughing in the background.

The bus driver chimes in twice over the intercom, at one point asking the men, "Do we have to call the police? Just let me know."

"The bus driver wasn't doing anything, so I didn't feel protected," Rodriguez said.

A spokesman for Metro said the driver alerted bus opertions, which is supposed to dispatch Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies to the scene.

"The bus driver did what he was supposed to do," Dave Sotero said.

Deputies were called off after the driver stopped at Wilshire Boulevard and Vermont Avenue and both men appeared to have left the bus, said Lt. Karl Schow, with Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Transit Services Bureau.

Rodriguez said most of the passengers, including the angry commuter, boarded another 720 Rapid Bus that happened to pull up behind the first bus.

Coincidentally, the fight happened the same day Metro unveiled its new security app -- which lets commuters document onboard problems and report them directly to Metro.

"Unfortunately these sorts of events happen on the system," Sotero said. "... We’re hoping that the public can help us to identify the perpetrator involved."

Schow said investigators want to speak with the victim. Because the older passenger left the bus, a police report was never filed.

"I really want to find him," Schow said. "... That's unacceptable."

Anyone who recognizes the men involved is asked to call the deputies at 323-563-5000.

Photo credit: biofriendly via Flickr

Warning: The video contains obscene language. To watch, click here.



Photo Credit: littleerica23 via YouTube
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