A figure emerges from a glistening Swedish lake holding a mysterious sword, crusted over and worn by time.

No, this is not the opening scene from a new “Thor” movie. Nor is it an excerpt from a Nordic myth about a deity and their magical weapon.

The figure is an 8-year-old, blond-haired girl named Saga Vaneck who discovered an ancient sword while playing in Vidostern lake in southern Sweden in July. Vaneck reflected on her find in an Oct. 19 essay for The Guardian.

“I felt like a warrior, but Daddy said I looked like Pippi Longstocking,” Vaneck recounted. “The sword felt rough and hard, and I got some sticky, icky brown rust on my hands.”

Archeologists have since discovered the relic is an approximately 1,500-year-old, pre-Viking sword sheathed in wood and leather.

Researchers were prompted to search the lake after Saga’s find and unearthed a broach from between 300 and 400 A.D.

“I came back from gym class and the whiteboard said, ‘Saga’s sword’ and there were balloons, and the whole class got to have ice-cream,” Vaneck said, describing what happened after news of her discovery broke.

Vaneck’s fantastical experience has also caused the Internet to compare her to other European mythical figures.

She’s been called “the queen of Sweden” because in some versions of the King Arthur origin story, the founder of the Knights of the Roundtable receives his sword Excalibur from a mystical lake woman. The gift predicted his position as king.

 “I am not a lady – I’m only eight – but it’s true I found a sword in the lake,” Vaneck said. “I wouldn’t mind being queen for a day, but when I grow up I want to be a vet. Or an actor in Paris.”

Read the full essay here. 

U.S. prosecutors have charged a Russian woman with attempting to meddle in the 2018 midterm elections, authorities said Friday.

Elena A. Khusyaynova of St. Petersburg was charged Friday in Alexandria, Virginia, with creating a slew of fake accounts that appeared to be American "to create and amplify divisive social media and political content," according to court documents.

The content touched on divisive topics like gun control and the NFL anthem debate as well as events like the Las Vegas shooting. The posts adopted several viewpoints, according to the documents, and attacked politicians of both major political parties, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and former President Barack Obama.

The case is being brought separately from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, which brought charges against Russians for attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort rolled into a Virginia federal court Friday in a wheelchair and wearing a green prison uniform instead of his signature tailored suit.

The judge scheduled Manafort to be sentenced Feb. 8 for eight counts of tax evasion and bank fraud and dismissed the remaining charges against him, NBC News reported.

Manafort, appearing visibly greyer, was pushed into court in a wheelchair, missing his right shoe.

A woman was crushed by a car while she was walking in crosswalk in Lincoln Park, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The collision happened just before 6:30 a.m. at the Imperial Avenue on-ramp to the southbound Interstate 805. 

The woman was pinned under the vehicle while emergency personnel worked to free her and get her into an ambulance.

No other information was available.

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

Approximately 350 San Diego State University students will need to be vaccinated again in an outbreak of meningococcal disease after officials learned the initial round of vaccines may not be effective.

Students who received the vaccine from Walgreens on Oct. 5 and Oct 8. are being notified they will need to be re-vaccinated, a university spokesperson said.

"We recently became aware that the vaccine temperature at the time of administration was not optimal," a Walgreens spokesperson confirmed to NBC 7. "While we believe there is no associated safety risk, in order to ensure that recipients received full efficacy of the vaccine, we are in the process of contacting the students to offer re-vaccinations."

Walgreens assisted the county in vaccinating students in early October after it was confirmed that at least three SDSU students contracted the bacterial disease.

"Students who received a MenB vaccination through the various on-campus clinics by the County of San Diego and Kaiser Permanente have not been affected and do not need to be re-vaccinated," SDSU spokesperson Cory Marshall said.

Bacterial meningitis is spread by sharing items such as cigarettes or drinking glasses or through intimate contact such as kissing. 

The bacteria are not airborne, officials said, so they do not spread like germs associated with the common cold or the flu.

Those who feel they may have been exposed and suffer from a sudden onset of symptoms including fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea and/or vomiting, should go to the hospital, health officials said.

Learn more about the available meningococcal vaccines through the CDC's website.

Or you can talk with someone by calling SDSU Student Health Services 8:30 am - 4:30 pm at 619-594-4325 or by calling San Diego County Public Health Services’ Epidemiology Division at 619-692-8499.

San Diego County is under a red flag warning Friday for inland sections, closer to the foothills and mountain passes, NBC 7 Meteorologist Sheena Parveen said.

The warning was issued through 10 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. 

"We'll see increasing northeast winds developing more after sunrise along with a drop in humidity," Parveen said. 

Humidity was expected to drop into the teens. 

Wind gusts as high as 35 mph were recorded in Alpine as of 5 a.m.

San Diego Gas & Electric shut off power service to some customers in the area of Cuyamaca, Descanso and Boulder Creek as a precaution.

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Fire officials say with a lot of dry fuel in the areas under the warning, the combination of high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds create a dangerous combination.

Cal Fire officials have increased staffing and advise residents to avoid any activity that may spark a fire in these conditions. 

People who live in East County and have been through some of our worst fires say more needs to be done to keep fires from starting in the first place.

"Our firefighters work their behinds off. They're hard workers and I know they do a good job of putting them out, but they shouldn't have to put so many fires out," said Alpine resident Julie Munoz.

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A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly.

Download the free NBC 7 mobile app to stay up to date on changing weather conditions.

A San Diego man apologized in court for the murder of a tow truck driver but the victim's sons described the apology as "hollow words." 

A judge sentenced Michael Gilbert Gray to 25 years to life for his role in the death of Fred Griffith. The tow truck driver was on the side of State Route 52 when he was struck and killed in February 2017.

At the sentencing hearing Friday, Gray read a statement accepting responsibility for his actions. 

"I am truly sorry for the death of Mr. Griffith," he said, directing comments to the victim's sons. "If you guys have any hate in your heart towards me, don’t let it dictate your life."

"Just be strong and do good things in your life," he said.

Griffith, 55, an employee of RoadOne San Diego, lived in Santee and raised his sons as a single dad. 

Michael Griffith, 21, David Griffith, 18 and Joe Griffith, 15, attended the sentencing but were not impressed by Gray's statement. 

“I think they are just hollow words,” said David Griffith, adding that he thought it was Gray's attempt to save face.

Michael Griffith, who said the family had a happy life in their Santee home before their father's death, said he believes the sentencing will be the first step toward healing for him and his brothers.

Gray, 50, pleaded guilty in August to second-degree murder with two serious felony priors. 

He drove with a .24 percent blood-alcohol level when he drove off State Route 52 and onto the shoulder, colliding with Griffith who was on the side of the highway.

Gray fled the scene but an off-duty California Highway Patrol officer saw the crash and pulled Gray over. 

Griffith worked for more than 20 years in the local towing industry.

"He spent all of his days working, doing his best to bring home enough money to let us scrape by," Michael Griffith said of his dad.

Several days after Griffith's death, more than 100 tow truck and flatbed carriers from across San Diego County created a tow truck and emergency vehicle procession.

A single-engine airplane made a hard landing on eastbound Interstate 8 in El Cajon, east of San Diego on Friday. 

Heartland Fire and Rescue and California Highway Patrol officers were called to the interstate near Second Avenue just before 11:30 a.m. 

The plane was parked in the exit lane on the right shoulder of the highway.

No vehicles were hit. No lanes were blocked by the plane.

Officials said no one was injured.

A SigAlert was issued as CHP officers worked to clear the aircraft from the highway.

No other information was available.

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A San Diego-area couple was heading to a routine medical appointment when they captured video of a small plane landing right in front them on Interstate 8 in El Cajon. CHP officers say it's a miracle no one was injured.

Thousands of migrants from Central America gathered at the Guatemala-Mexico border Friday. After several broke the Guatemalan fence, the migrants rushed through the entry way to attempt to enter Mexico.

Eater San Diego shares the top stories of the week from San Diego’s food and drink scene, including a look at a fresh doughnut shop in Encinitas and Mira Mesa's new ramen spot.

Duck Donuts Lands in North County
Opening Saturday in Encinitas is San Diego's first Duck Donuts. The North Carolina-based shop specializes in warm, made-to-order vanilla cake doughnuts that can be customized with a large array of sweet glazes and toppings including hot fudge, chopped bacon, and rainbow sprinkles. 

Menya Ultra Ramen Opens Monday in Mira Mesa
The second location of this hugely-popular Japanese eatery launches Monday, October 22 in the Mira Mesa Shopping Center. Its flagship shop in Kearny Mesa draws crowds and has earned awards for its homemade noodles and outstanding ramen. 

Baja-Inspired Restaurant Debuts in North Park
La Catrina Tapas & Cantina is now open on University Avenue with a menu that showcases the flavors of Baja and the Valle de Guadalupe. Featuring wine and craft beer from the region, the restaurant also serves seafood-focused shareable plates ranging from ceviche to aguachile.

Peek Inside Park Boulevard's New Scoop Shop
The owners of Pop Pie have opened an ice cream shop adjacent to their University Heights eatery. Stella Jean's Ice Cream offers an array of inventive ice cream flavors, including salty caramel corn and matcha pistachio along with fresh-baked waffle cones and brioche ice cream sandwiches.

Buona Forchetta Reveals Wine Bar in South Park
The beloved Italian restaurant has expanded its footprint in South Park with a nearby wine bar and market called Enoteca Buona Forchetta. In addition to pouring Italian wine and beer, it offers dine-in tapas as well as a retail section stocked with pizza dough, pasta sauce, and other gourmet products. 

A nonagenarian from La Jolla became the first confirmed case of West Nile in San Diego County this year, the County Health and Human Services Agency announced Friday.

The 91-year-old man was hospitalized in September for encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, but testing by the California Department of Public Health confirmed on Thursday he contracted the West Nile virus.

He has been released from the hospital and is at home recovering, according to the county.

County health officials determined the man was infected from a local mosquito bite because he had not traveled before becoming ill. Mosquitoes trapped in the area near the man's home, however, tested negative for West Nile, according to the County's Department of Environmental Health.

West Nile virus mainly affects birds but can be transmitted to humans by certain mosquito species native to San Diego that fed on an infected bird or animal and then bit a person.

The presence of the West Nile virus was first spotted in the county in 2003 but the first confirmed human infection was in 2007.

Last year, two people were infected with West Nile in San Diego, one from acquired it from outside the county and one acquired it locally, county spokesman Tom Christensen said. 

There were, however, 22 cases in 2016 and two people died.

The majority of people infected with West Nile virus don't know they were infected because they exhibit no symptoms.

About 10 percent of those infected suffer mild symptoms, such as headache, fever, nausea, fatigue, skin rash or swollen glands. In rare cases, people can become extremely ill and the disease can be fatal.

To prevent disease-carrying mosquitoes from breeding, residents were urged to dump out or remove anything inside or outside their homes that can be a breeding ground, such as plant saucers, rain gutters, buckets, old tires, wheelbarrows and toys.

A community organizer suing National City claims she was handcuffed, forcefully dragged through the council chambers, and abused in custody because she’s black.

National City Department officers arrested Tasha Williamson and several other protestors when they disrupted a July 24 council meeting.

Police stopped the demonstration when the group chanted “You have blood on your hands” and staged a sit-in to protest the in-custody death of Earl McNeil.

Williamson’s federal court lawsuit, filed Thursday by civil rights attorney Doug Gilliland, alleges NCPD officers used excessive force when they arrested her.

The lawsuit also alleges that the “violence, or intimidation by threat of violence (by National City police) was committed against Ms. Williamson because of her race.”

At a news conference Friday, Williamson and her attorney showed a video of the protest and subsequent arrests. That video appears to support Williamson’s contention that police “…treated the white protestors differently. Each of the three white female protestors was lifted off the ground with an officer on each side, lifting them by their upper arms, and carefully dragging them out of the City Council chambers.

“In contrast,” the lawsuit alleges, “Ms. Williamson was placed in handcuffs that were extremely tight, causing severe pain. She was then dragged backward by her wrists, which hyper-extended her arms, tearing ligaments in her shoulder. She can be heard in the video of the incident screaming in agony…”

At their news conference, attorney Gilliland said, “When [police] took out those [white protestors] one-by-one in a safe manner, and they took Ms. Williamson out by dragging her backward and having to call an ambulance for her, I attribute that to race."

Williamson said the mistreatment continued after her arrest. “They [the police] propped the white women up against walls, and asked them if they were OK,” she said. “They asked them if they needed something to drink, and even held a glass of water [for them] while they drank. I was not treated in the same way.”

Her attorney says police are only partly to blame for that alleged mistreatment.

Gilliland claims National City's elected and appointed leaders have a leadership “culture” that allows police to routinely use excessive and unnecessary force without fear of discipline.

“National City had knowledge of excessive force used by its officers [but] routinely ignored and failed to meaningfully investigate and discipline its officers, and failed to take any meaningful action on [citizen]complaints…”

Gilliland and Williamson said they hope their lawsuit forces the city to change those alleged policies.

“I think the changes in this case have to come from the top,” Gilliland said. “I don't think it's with the individual officer. I think it's the leadership in National City."

National City's mayor and a police spokesman declined to comment on Williamson's civil rights lawsuit.

The city’s attorney was not available for comment, and National City’s government offices were closed for the day on Friday, Oct. 19.

Some 3,000 Central American migrants stormed into Mexico from Guatemala on Friday with hopes of eventually arriving to the United States. Busloads of Mexican federal police were gathering in Ciudad Hidalgo and a Mexican military helicopter flew along the river in anticipation.

Here is a look at the differences between the Guatemala-Mexico border and the U.S.-Mexico border between Tijuana and San Diego where members of a migrant caravan arrived last spring.

WHAT'S THE GUATEMALA-MEXICO BORDER LIKE?

The official border crossing is a bridge connecting the cities of Tecun Uman, Guatemala and Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico. A gate onto the bridge on the Guatemalan side was closed Friday and blocked by police. But rafts also cross the swift-moving Suchiate River, moving cargo and people between the two countries day and night, typically without much government interference. Locals said they had been warned by Mexican authorities not to carry people. At times Mexico has stepped up its immigration patrols along the border, but it has had more success patrolling the roads leading away from the crossing where migrants catch rides or walk along the roadside.

WHAT'S THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER LIKE?

The U.S.-Mexico border between Tijuana and San Diego is the world's busiest land border crossing. It is also the most heavily fortified segment between both countries and now sees comparatively few illegal crossings. In some places in the area, the U.S. has installed three layers of walls and fencing. There is also bright lighting, roads patrolled by the Border Patrol and surveillance technology.

While the idea of reinstating a toll on the Coronado Bridge is picking up steam in community social media circles, candidates for the island’s City Council say it’s an idea about as farfetched as the bridge is long.

A poll posted on Coronado Happenings, an 18,000-member Facebook community page, gives outsiders a peek into islanders’ thoughts on the issue. It offered voters a few options, including: No, which received a vast majority of votes as of Thursday; Yes but not for residents or military; Yes; and Not for residents.

Coronado City Council candidates Mary Sikes, Peter Jensen and Bill Sandke didn’t say if they participated in the poll, but they were all in agreeance when they shared their opinions with NCB 7.

Jensen flat out said, “The toll is not coming back.”

For Sikes, “Tolls are not the answer even if they were a possible option, which they are not.”

And Sandke explained that “The practical reality is that a toll will prove extremely difficult if not impossible to reinstitute for a multitude of reasons.”

According to Sikes, even if one of the candidates win a seat on the council they’ll still only have their opinion to offer on the issue.

“Coronado does not control bringing back a toll to the bridge. That is a state and CALTRANS decision that is highly unlikely,” she said.

Sikes said that means revenue from the toll would go to California, not Coronado. She also said a toll, which she estimated would be set at $7, would be an unaffordable daily expense for Navy employees and others on the island.

The bridge had a 60-cent toll each direction when it opened to drivers in 1969 -- years later it increased to $1 – which was supposed to end when the bond for the bridge was paid off. SANDAG collected the revenue for the state and gave some to the cities of Coronado and San Diego for road maintenance.

The toll was discontinued in 2002.

Sandke said the toll reinstatement topic’s recent salience could also stem from a question asked at a recent City Council candidate forum.

For now, the topic is merely a conversation starter and is not scheduled to appear on any upcoming ballots.

The man charged in the killing of an East Village business owner was once known as the "Wishing Well Bandit" for his role in a series of brutal beatings on elderly victims.

Kevin Cartwright, 51, was 21 years old when he admitted to robbing and beating several elderly citizens at a water well in National City in 1989. The crimes landed him in prison for a decade.

Cartwright pleaded not guilty to murder charges Friday in connection to the death of 49-year-old Ghedeer Tony Radda. Radda was found dead inside Bottom Price Flooring on G Street on Wednesday, Oct. 10.

Police said Radda wasn't breathing and had no pulse when they arrived. Firefighters arrived minutes later and performed CPR but could not resuscitate him, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from inside the store and saw a man wearing a mask resembling an older woman with grey hair, and a woman wearing what appeared to be a long purple wig.

Prosecutors said Friday that the woman lured Radda to the back of the store where Cartwright shot him multiple times before stealing money from the register.

Cartwright was arrested in the City of El Cajon on Oct. 17. Police are still searching for the woman.

Cartwright could face a life sentence if he's convicted on special circumstance murder charges.

"The guy's done it before, I just don't understand why he targeted Ghedeer," Radda's cousin Venus said.

The prosecutor did not say whether Cartwright and Radda knew each other or did business together, and he did not reveal how investigators were able to identify Cartwright as the disguised man in the video.

Investigators have not identified a motive in the killing, which Radda's cousin says is another piece to the puzzle.

"We still don't really know exactly what the motive was or why he would do that to Ghedeer. At the end of the day, if it was just for money, money comes and goes it's not worth taking a life," Venus told NBC 7 on Thursday.

Anyone with information can call the homicide team at (619) 531-2293 or San Diego CrimeStoppers at (888) 580-8477.

San Diego police are asking for help locating the suspect in Tuesday night's fatal shooting in the Midway District.

Police said Joe Bennette Conway, 41, shot a woman around 11:45 p.m. Tuesday in the parking lot of the Barons Market on the 4000 block of West Point Loma Boulevard.

Conway then fled in a red Chevrolet Cavalier sedan, possibly with Arizona license plates, San Diego police Lt. Anthony Dupree said.

When police arrived they found a black woman with a gunshot wound in the upper body. She was transported to the hospital where she later died.

The woman has been tentatively identified but police won't release the info until her family has been notified, Dupree said.

An employee at the nearby Domino's Pizza said the woman and Conway came into the pizzeria as a couple where the woman asked to use the bathroom. When she came out, the two went outside to talk.

The conversation turned into an argument and minutes later, a single gunshot was heard, the employee told NBC 7.

The victim was still alive when the employee ran out to help but she was unable to speak.

She died at UC San Diego Medical Center around 2:45 a.m. Wednesday.

Conway was described as black, about 5-foot-7 and weighing 150 pounds. He was wearing a dark blue, button-down shirt, black pants and sandals at the time of the shooting.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Conway was urged to call the SDPD Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

A Former United States Navy Commander who pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges in January was sentenced Friday to 30 months in prison and will pay more than $31,000 in fines and restitution.

The charges against Commander Troy Amundson, 50, of Minnesota, stem from an investigation involving former defense contractor Leonard Glenn Francis, also known as "Fat Leonard."

Amundson admitted that he conspired with Francis and others to receive entertainment expenses and the service of prostitutes in exchange for taking official acts for the benefit of Francis' Singapore-based company Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA).

Amundson pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. In court, he admitted that from September 2012 to October 2013, Francis paid for dinner, entertainment and prostitutes for himself and other Navy officers. He also admitted to violating his official duties to the U.S. Navy.

As Commander, Amundson was responsible for coordinating the Navy's joint military exercises with foreign partners and was in charge of building and maintaining cooperative relationships with those partners.

According to the U.S. Attorney Southern District of California, Amundson sent an email from a private account to Francis arranging to provide him with proprietary Naval information.

The email read in part:

“Handoff?... [M]y [friend], your program is awesome. I [Amundson] am a small dog just trying to get a bone… however I am very happy with my small program. I still need five minutes to pass some data when we can meet up. Cannot print.”

Later that same day, Francis arranged services of several prostitutes from Mongolia for Amundson.

Amundson will spend three years on probation after his release and was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and $21,625.60 in restitution.

Francis pled guilty in 2015 to bribery and fraud charges and admitted to presiding over a decade-long conspiracy involving "scores" of Naval officials, tens of millions of dollars in fraud and millions of dollars in bribes.

A local Border Patrol agent is faced with a life ending disease, but he and his wife are not giving up hope. It’s a love story that you won’t be forgetting about anytime soon.

Jeff and Liz Miranda said they planned on growing old and gray together, but a cureless disease rapidly taking control over Jeff’s nervous system is threatening that plan.

“He's my best friend and my life partner so we're in it together,” Liz said about her husband of 17 years.

Jeff was diagnosed with ALS in 2015. Liz said he was giving a presentation at work and all of the sudden he couldn’t project his voice. Shortly after that, his speech began to slur.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. It progresses quickly and eventually strips patients of all muscle function.

Jeff now communicates through a computer.

"Rather than focusing on the things I can no longer do, which can be self-destructive; I focus on the things I can still do,” he said.

Among the things he says he can still do are love and appreciate his wife, and let her know how special she is every day.

"Having her by my side, always with a smile, has given me enormous happiness and hope. She has always made me feel like the luckiest man in the world to this day,” he said.

Jeff has been a BP agent for the last 17 years. The couple, along with their two teenage girls, has been living off the sick time Jeff has acquired through the years. Agents nationwide have also donated hours, but they will soon run out and Jeff will be forced into medical retirement.

"I have witnessed compassion, generosity, kindness and love that has given me strength and have made me a better person,” Jeff said.

The expenses are piling up. They’ve had to adapt their home to meet Jeff’s needs and Liz had to quit her job to provide around the clock care.

“We just gotta hold out, wait, until they find a cure,” Liz said.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to bring some relief to the family when they need it most.

There's also a walk to defeat ALS happening Sunday morning on Mission Bay Drive and the Mirandas will be there participating.

A driver fell asleep behind the wheel in Kensington Friday night, causing a chain reaction of collisions that damaged several vehicles.

San Diego police say the driver nodded off on Adams Avenue near Marlborough Drive and hit a semi truck unloading things at a Starbucks.

The driver then rear-ended a car parked along the curb, sending it into the back of another parked car which was shoved into a tree.

The driver was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. No other injuries were reported, according to SDPD.

Orville Fitz-Henley was outside a nearby cafe with his friend when they heard the second collision.

"It didn't seem like he hit the brakes at all," Fitz Henley said.

Quickly they realized that one of the cars among the heap of mangled metal belonged to his friend.

"At first she was pretty bummed about it but she recovered very quickly and seems to be doing OK now," he said.

Fitz-Henley said they're just thankful they were safe.

No other information was available.

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