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Teacher Who Wears Same Outfit in 40 Yearbook Photos Retires

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It’s like Groundhog Day for school photos.

Dallas teacher Dale Irby is retiring this year, and he’s taking with him the brown sweater vest and pointy-collared polyester shirt he has worn for the last 40 years of yearbook photos.

What originally started as an accident turned into an annual joke between Irby and his wife Cathy.

The physical education teacher, whose wardrobe consisted mostly of athletic wear, was instructed to “wear something nice” on picture day, he said.

He purchased the ensemble in 1973 from a local mall for the occasion but accidentally wore it again for a second year on school picture day.

“I was so embarrassed when I got the school pictures back that second year and realized I had worn the very same thing as the first year,” the 63-year-old told The Dallas Morning News.

Wife Cathy dared him to wear it for a third year. After five years of the same outfit, Irby decided to make it into an annual tradition.

The outfit held up, but Irby said he now had to “suck it in a little” to get the shirt to button up.

Check out this slideshow of Dale Irby through the years:


America's Top Fourth of July Celebrations

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The Fourth of July is upon us and there is no shortage of festivities to celebrate the country’s independence.

For those who are traveling to party it up in a big city, firework shows, barbecues, parades and music events are planned in Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth and Miami.

Here are other big July 4 events around the country:


New York City

Every summer, Macy’s lights up the Manhattan skyline with over 40,000 fireworks on July 4. This year’s show is directed by Usher and will feature an all-star line-up including Mariah Carey and Taylor Swift. It airs on NBC at 8 pm. EDT. Check out the full celebrity guest list here.

For revelers who prefer to celebrate far from the fireworks show on the Hudson River, NBC New York has rounded up some of the best July 4th events New York City has to offer.

And finally, what better way to celebrate Independence Day than to pay a visit Lady Liberty herself? The Statue of Liberty is finally ready to receive visitors on July 4 after months of cleanup and damage repair from Hurricane Sandy.

Philadelphia

Philadelphia is the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence, which makes it the perfect location for one of the country’s biggest Independence Day celebrations. The Welcome America festivities started 10 days before July 4th and events includes concerts, a parade, food fests and a fireworks show.

Check out some of these other events in and around Philadelphia on the Fourth of July.


Washington, D.C.

For those who happen to be in the nation’s capital on July 4, head to the National Mall to check the annual Capitol Fourth display of fireworks and free music. Or check out some of these other events in Washington, D.C.

Boston

For 40 years, the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular has dazzled Bostonians and visitors alike with their fireworks display and music in an event that is broadcasted on primetime to over 7 million viewers.

Seattle

Seattle’s Summer Seafair Fourth almost didn’t happen this year when the organizers found themselves short on funding. Fortunately, rescue came in the form of some major corporate donations and the annual fireworks show will take place as scheduled.


Nashville, Tenn.

What better place to take on Independence Day with some great music than in Music City? Nasville’s Let Freedom Sing! event will include performances from The Band Perry, Keb' Mo', the Nashville Symphony and a spectacular fireworks show to top it all off.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Two Tornadoes Hit Conn. Monday

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Two tornadoes touched down in Connecticut yesterday, according to the National Weather Service.

An EF0-category tornado touched down Monday morning in Fairfield County. According to the National Weather Service, the tornado began at 718 North Street in Greenwich and ended at Janes Lane in Stamford.

The tornado reached wind speeds of up to 80 mph and had a maximum width of 150 yards.

A second tornado tore through the area of Windsor Locks and East Windsor Monday afternoon, bringing down trees and power lines, scattering tobacco cloth, pulling the Sports World dome out of the ground and removing siding from houses.

"It was less than a minute — just, boom, just a wall of air going by the window, trees going down left and right," said Dan Rozman, who watched the tornado before preparing to take cover.

The EF1-category twister could have reached a maximum wind speed of 86 mph. According to the National Weather Service, the tornado was up to 200 yards wide and traveled 2.5 miles between 1:30 and 1:45 p.m.

Damage was concentrated in the areas of East Windsor, Windsor Locks and Fairfield.

East Windsor

Multiple lanes of traffic on I-91 southbound were closed near exits 44 and 45 in East Windsor after debris from the Sports World dome on Main Street blew onto the highway, authorities said.

One viewer said he was driving home from work when he saw the dome fly across the interstate.

Camp was underway at Sports World with the tornado struck. Counselors received tornado warnings on their phones and moved the 29 campers to safety just moments before the storm hit and swept away the dome, eyewitnesses said.

"Maybe two seconds after they got through the door, I looked back and heard a loud boom... and saw the top of the dome going flying into the air," said camp counselor Kyle Noonan.

Also in East Windsor, a tractor-trailer rolled over in the Walmart parking lot on Prospect Hill Road. Police worked to free the driver, who was still inside when the truck toppled.

A resident of Cricket Road said a tree in her yard had snapped and was dangling over her house, taking down power lines and narrowly missing her roof.

Windsor Locks

In Windsor Locks, two transformers went down and multiple trees fell, according to First Selectman Steven Wawruck. Damaged tobacco cloth left a trail of debris throughout the area.

"I have a tree that's around my boat right now," said Windsor Locks resident Peter Devine.

"We have a screen house on the porch," said Elizabeth Bartley of Windsor Locks. "We saw it take off like the Wizard of Oz house blew away."

The four-way intersection of Reed Avenue and Sadler Street flooded Monday afternoon, and the area of South Center Street was closed indefinitely due to heavy storm damage.

Police and fire officials were standing guard to keep the area off limits. Electricity has been shut off in some sections until cleanup efforts are complete.

Strong winds tore metal roofing off a vacant warehouse building on Hayden Station Road. The roofing was flung into a back parking lot and nearby woods.

Connecticut Light & Power reported 2,414 outages statewide, 806 of which were concentrated in Windsor Locks.

The utility company is asking people to stay away from tobacco cloth whipped around by the storms and draped across power lines, which can be very dangerous.

Gov. Dannel Malloy and state emergency response officials were continuing to monitor the situation Monday afternoon.

Malloy said he has spoken via telephone with Wawruck and East Windsor First Selectman Denise Menard to discuss resource coordination and recovery.

Fairfield County

Earlier on Monday, heavy storms prompted a tornado warning for lower into central Fairfield County.

That storm flooded streets and downed power lines in Ridgefield, according to emergency officials. It swept through lower Connecticut from Greenwich to Redding, where CL&P reported scattered outages are affecting nearly 650 homes, including around 350 in Wilton.

The National Weather Service is investigating the storm that hit southern Connecticut Monday morning to determine whether or not it, too, contained a tornado.

No storm-related injuries have been reported.

If you see severe weather, send your photos to photos@nbcconnecticut.com.



Photo Credit: NBC Connecticut

Behind the Scenes: Inside the Nation's Biggest July 4th Celebration

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The nation’s biggest Independence Day celebration show lasts 25 minutes but required more than a year of planning and a fireworks shopping trip around the world.

Last fall, pyro technician Gary Souza traveled to China, Portugal, Spain, Germany, and America, looking for the biggest and best new firework shells.

The new pyrotechnics will be making their American debut in the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular, Thursday in New York at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

“One of my favorites is the happy face that everyone remembers from years past, where a little shell bursts and it’s a nice smile at you. This year we are going to have winking eyes in the smiling face,” said Souza, who serves as show designer.

Some other new designs include a green jellyfish, and “diamonds in the sky” that will shine during Rihanna’s song “Diamonds.” Usher’s song “OMG” will feature newly designed “beating heart” fireworks.

Twenty miles of cable are used to wire the fireworks, some of which measure up to 10 inches in diameter and weigh up to 35 pounds, to the electronic digital firing system. The firework triggers are all computer controlled to launch the pyrotechnics in sync with the music. Show organizers said choosing Grammy Award-winning artist Usher to select songs that match the fireworks will make this year’s display extraordinary.

“[Usher] has had the great good fortune of designing stage shows, writing music and producing concerts, but he has never had the opportunity to paint the sky,” said Amy Kule, executive producer of Macy's Fireworks.

In May, Usher worked with the Macy’s team to design and test the fireworks show in the Mojave Desert. After observing a range of sparking designs, he selected the music and he didn’t just stick to R&B. He chose songs by Jimi Hendrix, Frank Sinatra, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, and others, including four of his own.

“One that I think will most certainly touch the hearts of America is Sam Cooke’s ‘A Change is Gonna Come’ because that’s where we are—more now than ever we are accepting of change, recognizing our past and becoming better as a result of it,” Usher said.

The 37th annual pyrotechnic display will also include a light show for the first time. The Empire State Building replaced its traditional lights atop the tower with a customizable, colored LED system last year and it will be used Thursday night to complement the flying colors in the sky.

Certain colors, patterns and effects display differently in person than on television, so the team used brighter colored fireworks with longer durations and cascades to impress both audiences, Souza said.

The television broadcast will use 10 cameras placed on the New York and New Jersey sides of the Hudson River and an aerial camera providing a bird's-eye view of the show. Nick Cannon will host the show from New York’s Hudson River Park.

NBC has extended the fireworks special from one hour to two hours for the first time, which has enabled producers to include more performances and new segments.

The team traveled across the country talking to bus drivers, engineers, bridge builders, cowboys and other “regular Americans” to get their opinions of America, and their responses will be featured in a new addition to the program— “American Spirit Moments”—between the musical acts. Taylor Swift, Cher, Pitbull, Selena Gomez, Mariah Carey and Tim McGraw will perform during the first 90 minutes of the show and the fireworks display will fill the last half hour, producer Bill Bracken said.

Though he had an additional hour of broadcast to fill this year, Bracken said finding more musical artists was not a problem.

“The great thing about the Fourth of July is that it’s a show that everyone wants to participate in,” Bracken said. “It’s such a patriotic holiday and given the events that have taken place over the last year—the tragedy of the tornadoes in Oklahoma, the incident in Boston, and hurricane Sandy—Fourth of July is a time for everyone to come together and be proud of their country.”



Photo Credit: WireImage

4 SoCal Firefighters Killed in Arizona Wildfire

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Three firefighters from Southern California were among 19 killed Sunday as they were overcome by fire during the attack on a 13-square-mile wildfire northwest of Phoenix.

Kevin Woyjeck, the son of LA County Fire Capt. Joe Woyjeck, was killed Sunday when the fire overcame the members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. He was 21.

With tears in his eyes and his voice quavering, Chief Daryl L. Osby, with County of Los Angeles Fire Department, remembered his colleague's 21-year-old son.

“It truly breaks my heart that I stand here and speak on behalf of my profession and my department, and on behalf of the Woyjeck family,” Osby said at a news conference Monday evening.

“But I also have some solace that Kevin was doing what he truly enjoyed and that was being a firefighter and helping others.”

Woyjeck’s friends and colleagues described a young man who was “fun to be around” and “a little bit of a prankster,” said Bill Weston, director of operations.

“In 21 years, he got a lot of life in,” Weston said.

Woyjeck started out as a Fire Explorer, a training mentorship program, and worked as an emergency medical technician.

"He was doing everything he could to become a professional firefighter -- he had an extreme work ethic," said Keith Mora, LA County fire inspector. "He was a great great kid. I say kid, but he was a young man at 21 years old."

Chris MacKenzie, of Hemet, also was killed in the fire fight, his uncle confirmed to NBC4. He was 30.

MacKenzie graduated Hemet High School in 2001 and joined the U.S. Forest Service.

When he was a teenager, MacKenzie lost 75 pounds, in part, so he could follow his father's footsteps as a firefighter.

"He really enjoyed it. He loved fighting fire," his mother Laurie Goralski said.

A second Hemet High School graduate was identified Monday afternoon as the third fire victim from Southern California.

William "Billy" Warneke, 25, is survived by his wife, his highschool sweetheart who is expecting their first child in December, his grandparents said.

Home videos show a young Warneke donning firefighting gear and climbing ladders into trees, pretending he was battling a blaze.

The father-to-be served in the Marines for four years, including on a deployment to Iraq, his grandparents said.

Also killed in the fire was Sean Misner, 26, of Santa Barbara County. Misner is survived by his wife, who is pregnant, according to NBC affiliate KSBY.

The bodies of the 19 victims were transported Monday from the mountain on which they died. Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo said Monday that all 19 were members of the Hotshots.

Previous statements indicated 18 of the men were members of the elite firefighting team found late Sunday afternoon with their emergency shelters deployed. The bodies were discovered near Yarnell, a small community about 85 miles northwest of Phoenix.

The fire destroyed at least 200 homes and burned more than 13 square miles.

More Southern California Stories:

 

RIP Google Reader: 5 News Aggregator Alternatives

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Google Reader's long-awaited death has finally arrived.

The news aggregator gave a final announcement on its blog Tuesday, months after Google first announced it was shuttering the service, citing a decline in usage.

Now that Reader is a thing of the past, here is a list of some free RSS alternatives for former Google Reader users:

Feedly: Feedly is a popular news aggregation reader that has seen a surge in popularity since Google Reader first announced its retirement. Thanks to Feedly's cloud, users can now sync news in multiple platforms as well as customize sites. Feedly also simplifies content-sharing within different social channels, such as Twitter, Pocket and Facebook. There are, however, several major shortcomings: Users cannot search content within Feedly, and the application is not available for Windows phones.

Newsblur: Newsblur is a web-based RSS reader that allows users to follow 64 sites. The application gives users the option of revealing more than a few words on an article by offering a short snippet instead. But if you want to follow more than 64 sites and want to visit articles in their entirety without having to visit the original pages, you'll need a $24-a-year premium account. Another benefit to paying for the application is skipping the line of 7,000 people also waiting for a free account.

Digg Reader: The social news website has been working on a RSS reader of its own. Digg's application is clean and simple; it can filter customized articles as well as show trending articles, thanks to the inclusion of a "popular" option. This reader also makes sharing content through applications like Instapaper easier. On the downside, it is still in development, and some users have complained about delays in news updates.

The Old Reader: The Old Reader resembles the old Google Reader, before it got rid of its social features. It offers many sharing features — giving users the ability to follow friends who also use Old Reader and providing a newsfeed that shows articles your friends are reading.

Pulse: For users who want a more visual, magazine feel to their reading experience, Pulse may be the most ideal alternative. Unlike the other RSS readers mentioned, which use a layout similar to Google Reader's, Pulse uses images and short headlines to show stories instead. Plus, it takes into account the interests of users by pulling up stories it think users will be most interested in based on their customizations.



Photo Credit: AP

Passenger Removed from 2nd Flight in 2 Days

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For the second time in as many days, the same man caused a flight to be diverted after he reportedly tried to exit the planes during flight.

The unidentified man's journey began Monday in Las Vegas. He was on US Airways flight 390 to Charlotte when officials said the man tried to "exit for a smoke." Officials said he was shaking the seat in front of him and may have tried to light a cigarette.

That plane was diverted to Albuquerque, and the man was detained by authorities. Albuquerque International Sunport Airport spokesman Dan Jiron said the passenger was interviewed and checked out by paramedics and was not deemed a threat.

On Tuesday morning, he boarded a second plane, American Eagle 3172, from Albuquerque to Chicago.

The flight was diverted to Kansas City and landed just before 11:30 a.m. when the same man tried to exit the aircraft during flight, American Airlines spokeswoman Mary Frances Fagan told NBC Chicago.

The passenger was again removed from the plane, a Bombardier CRJ-700, and detained by authorities.

Flight 3172 then re-departed from Kansas City at 12:30 p.m., landing at O'Hare International Airport just before 2 p.m., said Fagan.

There were 63 passengers and four crew members on board, said Fagan.

More Local Content from NBCChicago.com:



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Man Grabs Shotgun, Kills Neighbor's Pit Bull

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A San Diego homeowner shot and killed his neighbor’s dog when the animal ran across the street and attacked him and his dog Monday.

Hours later, the dog’s owner was screaming in the street, still visibly shaken by her pet’s death and calling the shooting “malicious.”

San Diego police officers say Lee Pattison was justified in the shooting of a pit bull on Duluth Road in Valencia Park Monday around 8:30 p.m.

When the pizza delivery man arrived at Pattison’s home, the neighbor’s pit bull ran onto his property and attacked him and his Husky officers said.

Pattison, a Navy diver, tried to break up the fight. When the dog bit him in the leg, he went inside to get his shotgun.

He claims he hit it several times with the butt of the gun and then finally pulled the trigger once killing the pit bull instantly.

"I was hitting the dog as hard as I could, nothing. The dog was just all muscle, so there's nothing else I could do," Pattison told NBC 7 News.

The dead dog's owner took out her anger and sadness by screaming from her porch across the street at her neighbor.

“My dog didn’t have no gun,” she yelled. “That’s like my child.”

The woman cried out for her pit bull which she claims was a service companion dog.

“You think you in the woods?” she yelled at her neighbor's home. “You can’t do that here!”

Pattison said this isn't the first time he's had problems with the pit bull. In fact he'd even threatened to shoot the dog the next time it came on his property.

"I just feel like the dog was unsafe,” he said. “I'm not gonna let the dog attack a kid, so once the dog bit me, he doesn't have a problem biting a human, he doesn't have a problem killing a kid."

Animal control officers will investigate the shooting and the claims of prior complaints about the pit bull’s behavior.

However, San Diego police say Pattison was not arrested and is not facing charges.

“He was trying to protect the pizza man, his dog and the pit bull got into the fight,” said Lt. Bennett. “He was legally justified in shooting the dog in self-defense. It was his own property.”

Pattison and his Husky have a few puncture wounds, but will recover from their injuries.
 


Local HotShots Saddened by Arizona Tragedy

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Eighteen members of the Golden Eagles HotShots of Sycuan returned to San Diego Monday night after more than two weeks battling wildfires.

Family, friends and fellow firefighters gathered at the headquarters for the elite firefighting unit.

The Golden Eagles spent 16 days fighting fires north of Los Angeles and later in Westfork, Colo. Their tour was a long one by modern standards. One made even longer by the news of 19 fellow hot shots killed in Yarnell, Ariz.

It has been a tragedy felt throughout the ranks of these front line special operations firefighters.

Retired firefighter Charlie Brown spent 30 years doing this dangerous job.

He feels the same sadness over the loss in this close knit group.

“I lost something right here because that's,” he pauses as he gets emotional. “That’s your brother and sister out there. It hurts when you lose them it really does.”

Returning members of the Golden Eagles, distraught over losing fellow firefighters chose not to talk about it.

The group huddled for a short counseling session with the chief and former chief where they were encouraged to share their feelings about the Arizona tragedy.

The get two days off then return to the front lines. They may even be called to help battle the Yarnell wildfire.
 

Excessive Heat Warning Issued for San Diego

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When you step outside in San Diego Tuesday you may think you've been transported to Florida.

Hot and humid weather will move from the east to the San Diego coastline bringing thick, muggy air with it.

Residents in our local mountains should be aware of a National Weather Service excessive heat warning issued Tuesday through 8 p.m. The NWS anticipates high temperatures of 88 to 102 below the 5500-foot level.

Check NBC 7 Heat Map

There is potential for a thunderstorm in some parts of the county and there may be some dry lightning as well according to NBC 7 Meteorologist Jodi Kodesh.

“Our East County will get very hot, very humid today,” Kodesh said. “It’s going to feel like the mid-90s to you.”

Borrego Springs and other desert communities will see dangerous heat levels with the forecast calling for 112 degrees.

Get Your Forecast

NBC 7 viewer Roxie Kaczmarek, whose Facebook cover photo shows her floating in a clear blue pool, posted, "Feels like Texas...ugh! Hot ok, Humid not ok."

Jan Fuller San Nicolas posted on the NBC San Diego Facebook page about how she wouldn't mind a thunderstorm: "Not my favorite type of weather. However, I know what "REAL" humidity feels like (Florida, Alabama . . .) and this is nothing!"

For those living in areas where the temperatures will reach above 80, there are Cool Zones available to provide respite from the heat and free air-conditioning during scorching summer days

For a full list of the area’s cool zones click here.



Photo Credit: AP

Baby Involved in Rollover Accident

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Emergency crews responded to a rollover accident on Otay Lakes Road on Tuesday morning that appeared to involved an infant.

The incident happened before 10:45 a.m. when the car rolled over into a ravine south of Otay Lakes Road near Wueste Road.

Several people stopped to help the victims, and an ambulance arrived to the scene. Aerial views showed an EMT carrying a baby into an ambulance, but no one appeared to be seriously injured.

Check back for updates on this story.

Girl, 8, Feels Bullied for Food Allergy

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An 8-year-old San Diego girl with a severe peanut allergy recently described a frightening incident in which she was made fun of for having a food allergy.

Kyla Williamson first told our media partner Voice of San Diego that earlier this year she was bullied with a celery stalk of peanut butter.

“I was just sitting at the peanut free table and there was this boy and he kept bossing me with peanut butter,” she told NBC 7.

The incident happened in May at Benchley Weinberger Elementary School in Del Cerro when Kyla was sitting at the school’s peanut-free table.  She was with her sister Emma—who also serves as her food allergy buddy—when she says the boy waved a celery stalk with peanut butter at her.

“People told him to stop but nothing worked,” she said. “Putting it in my face and putting it behind me.”

She said she felt sad - and scared.

“Because I though he was going to touch with me with the peanut butter and I was going to get hives all over me and I was going to get an allergic reaction,” Kyla said.

Her mother said Kyla’s allergy to peanuts can affect skin and eyes, and cause respiratory and cardiac problems.

“She could very well have gone into anaphylaxis,” her mother said.

Kyla said her teachers and school nurse always have Benadryl and an epinephrine pen at the ready, but she and her mother wish other adults and students knew the potential consequences of this kind of bullying.

School officials were told about the incident, and they talked to the boy.

“He apologized like three months later, he wrote a sorry card,” Kyla said. “He made me feel happy about my peanut allergy and people weren't bossing me around. So apology accepted.”

The boy who bullied her understands now, and the hope is others will too -- sooner rather than later, when there could be so much at stake.

“It's unfortunate it went in that order,” said her mother. “That she was bullied and he was educated but at the end of the day he was educated.”

Woman Waiting at Bus Stop Sexually Assaulted

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A woman was sexually assaulted while waiting for the bus Tuesday morning, according to San Diego police.

According to police, the woman arrived at the bus stop in the 3600-block of University Avenue in City Heights around 4:30 a.m. She was on her way to work.

Police said a man tried to rob the woman. Then, he kidnapped her and drove to a secluded area where he sexually assaulted her, according to police.

Police are now looking for the assailant. He is described as in his mid-30s and 6-foot tall with a heavy build. He could have been driving a white or light colored Jeep Cherokee.

Anyone with information can call police at 619-531-2000 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

 


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Will Filner-Goldsmith Standoff Delay Business?

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Is there any limit to how extreme the feud between Mayor Bob Filner and Jan Goldsmith could get?

The latest hostilities threaten to affect city lawsuits, personnel issues and real estate dealings.

Goldsmith has just announced he and his office are pulling the plug on "closed sessions" involving Filner, his staff and City Council -- until the mayor promises not to harass or use police force against the city attorney's deputies.

"I signed up to be city attorney -- not a piñata,” Goldsmith said in an interview Tuesday with NBC 7.

“The feud comes one way,” he added, his arms gesturing from outward-to-inward to suggest that Filner is the antagonist in the scenario.

Goldsmith said Filner violated the City Charter and state law by having a member of his police security detail escort Executive Assistant City Attorney Andrew Jones out of a closed-session meeting two weeks ago.

While legal remedies are available, such as seeking a court injunction against Filner, Goldsmith decided he won't staff closed sessions without the mayor guaranteeing civil treatment.

“Sue the mayor?” he asked rhetorically. “Might be fun for you in the media, but the people of San Diego don’t want that to happen – and neither do I.”

Under the state’s Ralph M. Brown Act, closed sessions can only be held for privately discussing legal, personnel, and property transactions.

Absent the city attorney's advice, they wouldn't make much sense.

"If the mayor and chief of police and council president are unable to give basic assurances that the lawyers won't be arrested illegally or abused or harassed while they're in closed session,” Goldsmith said, “then the people of San Diego have a big problem on their hands."

The mayor had a big problem with Andrew Jones, Goldsmith's executive assistant, and right or wrong, it traces back to what Filner claims is the city attorney's habitual meddling in his decisions.

Filner hasn't responded to requests for comment on the city attorney’s decision.

But in a briefing with reporters last Friday, he said, among other things: "What (Goldsmith) and his staff have done is try to intimidate the council into believing that he has defined the proper role, when I'm disputing it."

“What he's complaining about is, he's not involved in the policy-making of this office…he's not entitled to be in on the process of the policy-making, and he will not be," the mayor said.

Goldsmith, who's independently elected, insists he's just following his legal mandate -- not trying to usurp the mayor's.

"I didn't run for mayor last time because I don't want to do policy,” he said. “I did policy in the state legislature, and I don't want to do it anymore. I want to do law."

For his part, during last week’s media session, Filner acknowledged the feud's downside: "This is bad for the city that these disputes are occurring. I do not want them to happen. They're not in my interest. They're not in Jan's interest. They're not in the city's interest. So we do have a way of working them out."

But he offered no ideas, so it's not clear how or when the 'privileged' business of the city will get done if the mayor ignores all this.

Goldsmith said he’d be inclined to meet with Filner in a one-on-one setting, if that could be arranged, and that he’s not looking for an apology.

“I’m happy to get together with him for a few hours with some beer – I’m a wine guy – and try to work this out,” he suggested. “Kind of relieve some of this tension.”

Teacher Arrested After Allegedly Having Student's Baby

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A Redlands, Calif., high school teacher who allegedly gave birth to a baby fathered by a teen student has been arrested for having a sex with the male pupil.

Laura Elizabeth Whitehurst, 28, was arrested Monday evening after being questioned at her home in Redlands.

She is a teacher at Citrus Valley High School, according to the Redlands Police Department, which issued a news release on the arrest Tuesday afternoon.

Whitehurst was taken into custody on suspicion on unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and released after posting $25,000 bail Monday evening.

The student was 16 at the time of the nearly year-long alleged relationship, according to police.

"One thing led to another, and he ended up at her residence, and it's been going on, going for approximately one year now," said Redlands police Cmdr. Shawn Ryan.

"She was open with her pregnancy. I don't know what her story was to everybody else, but it was an open pregnacy," Ryan added. "The school district knew about it."

The mother of the alleged victim, who is now 17, on Monday reported the relationship to the Redlands Unified School District, which in turn contacted police, according to Carl Baker, a police spokesman.

Whitehurst had given birth to a baby on June 18, the news release stated.

“Investigators say the child was fathered by the teen,” the news release stated.

The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office has not yet received a case from police, according to spokesman Chris Lee.

Baker said police were still investigating. No booking photo of Whitehurst is available at this time, he said. The photo at right is from Citrus Valley High School's 2013 yearbook.

At an afternoon news conference, Baker issued a brief statement from the school district, which stated that the teacher had been placed on leave after police were notifed of the allegations. Whitehurst was not named in the statement, and the district said it would not comment at this time.

"The district takes this arrest very seriously," the statement read. "Our heart goes out to the victim and his family."

According to the school's online staff directory, Whitehurst is an English teacher.

Students who spoke to NBC4 Southern California lauded her performance as a teacher.

Citrus Valley High School has about 2,200 students, according to state records. It graduated its first senior class in 2012.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Detective Natasha Crawford at (909) 798-7623 or Redlands Police Dispatch at (909) 798-7681.
 

More Southern California Stories:


Bed Bath and Beyond Damaged in Fire

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A local Bed Bath and Beyond store was damaged in a fire Tuesday.

The fire was reported around 6 p.m. at 394 East H Street in Chula Vista.

Fire officials told NBC 7 the fire started in the back corner of the store and activated the sprinkler system. Firefighters extinguished the fire quickly, but the store still suffered extensive water damage, according to officials.

No injuries were reported.

There is no estimate yet on how much damage was done. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

New Restaurants, Shops Open at San Diego Airport

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If you’ve looked at your airline ticket and find you have a long layover at San Diego International Airport, not to worry: There are 16 new restaurants and shops now open for you to enjoy.

This is the first wave of concession openings, which are part of the Concession Development Program designed to revive the entire airport’s shopping and dining experience. The program aims to create an environment throughout the terminals that is uniquely “San Diego,” offering local favorites from restaurants and shops around the city.

Standouts of the latest openings include the PGA Tour Grill, featuring a healthy menu where diners can also watch golf, located in Terminal 2 West; Be Relax Spa, where fliers can squeeze in a massage or pedicure before their flight, located in Terminal 2 East and West; and Craft Brews on 30th Street, a bar and restaurant that celebrates San Diego’s local craft beer culture.

Traveling San Diegans can expect another 30 openings in August, which will feature all new restaurants and shops, as well. The Concession Development Program will complete its revitalization of Lindbergh Field in 2014, with a total of 87 new concessions.

To learn more about the program and a complete list of the new concessions, visit their website.

OB Hotel Named Small Business of the Year

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The Ocean Beach Hotel and owners Rich and Donna Grosch were recently recognized by a state lawmaker as the the 39th Senate District's Small Business of the Year.

It’s taken 10 years to restore and repair the historic building right along the shore.

Through the restoration and a recession that took its toll on the tourism industry, the family-run business has survived.

“Having a family owned business is unique and special,” Rich Grosch said. “We’re very hands on.”

His son is the General Manager, his daughter is Chief Financial Officer and his son-in-law helps run the hotel.

“We do everything from the gardening to clearing the toilets,” he said adding that his wife spends days off from her nursing job helping out around the hotel.

State Sen. Marty Block announced the award for the Ocean Beach Hotel on June 10 in honor of California Small Business Day.

The couple posed for a photo with Block at the State Capitol building in Sacramento.

“The award is an affirmation of what’s happening in the whole community and what other business leaders are doing,” Grosch said.

He called the hotel with its signature Woodie Wagon parked out front as a cornerstone business for the small seaside community.

“When we bought this place, that said to other people ‘Hey, let’s invest in this last portion of Ocean Beach,’” he said.

“I think you’ve seen a complete renaissance of Ocean Beach. We want to keep our character and our small town-feel but we just want to make it nicer, cleaner and a little bit more presentable.”

The Groschs say the award is proof of how the business leaders and community members of OB are working together to create an area welcome to guests from all over the world.

“Ocean Beach is a really special place and we hope that those who haven’t seen what we have down here, to come down and visit us,” son Steve Grosch said. “We’d love to show them around.”
 

Daughter Accused of Arson Takes Plea Deal

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The woman once charged in her mother’s attempted murder has taken a plea deal.

Neomi Rodriguez, 41, was supposed to attend a preliminary hearing Tuesday in El Cajon court. At the last minute, it was switched to a change of plea hearing.

Rodriguez pleaded guilty to arson of an inhabited dwelling. She will spend eight years in prison in exchange for the guilty plea.

Deputy District Attorney C.J. Mody said the family thinks this is a fair sentence for Rodriguez, who has struggled with methamphetamine addiction.

“It will be a time for her to get any help she might need and come out on the other side and live a more productive life,” Mody said.

On New Year’s Day, a fire burned a home in the 13000-block of Lakeside Granada Drive. Authorities said Rodriguez set the fire and tried to push her mother, 74-year-old Kazuko Martinez, back inside the house. Rodriguez even attempted to tie her mother to a table to trap her, prosecutors claimed.

Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 20.

Brush Fire Burns Near Lakeside

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Fire crews were still on the scene of a brush fire in Lakeside Monday night.

The fire started around 1:20 p.m. at 15805 El Monte Road near El Monte County Park. White smoke could be pouring from the side of El Capitan Mountain.

At last check, the fire has burned 112 acres and is 50 percent surrounded, according to officials with the U.S. Forestry Service. 

Cal Fire and three hotshot teams were on the scene all afternoon. An air tanker was seen flying overhead, and helicopters dropped water on the flames.

There is a neighborhood at the base of the mountain. Residents told NBC 7 they were worried about brush fires because conditions have been so dry.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

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