You've spent an unknown amount of blood, sweat and tears (and money) crafting your latest album and it is finally time to reap the validation and reward you so rightly deserve: Submissions are currently open for the 2019 San Diego Music Awards!

Scheduled to take place in March of 2019, the 28th annual SDMAs can only honor you with a trophy if you -- yeah, you -- send in a copy of your album for consideration. What constitutes an "album" these days? Who knows. Last year's winners ranged from five-song EPs to full-length LPs and everything in between, so you're probably good.

Of course, there are a couple of rules: 1) Albums must have been released locally between Jan. 1, 2018 and Dec. 31, 2018; and 2) submissions must be sent in by the Dec. 31 deadline.

Here's the details: Mail all CDs to San Diego Music Awards, 4876 Mount Royal Place, San Diego, CA 92117, or simply email a link to your digital files (do not attach the mp3s to your email) to sandiegomusicawards [at] gmail.com.

It simply couldn’t be easier. If you don’t use the computer (because it’s the work of the devil), the ol' reliable post office awaits.

What’s next after you submit your latest and greatest record to the academy (by the way, academy members are listed here -- maybe send them some info on your project so they're in the know when they cast their votes)? Well, the SDMAs will announce nominees on Feb. 11, 2019, when voting opens to the general public (it'll close on March 3) -- followed by the actual awards ceremony at a date yet to be announced.

For the last two years, the gala was held at House of Blues downtown, so our money's on that spot being the venue of choice for 2019 as well. For a list of 2018 San Diego Music Award winners, visit our coverage here.

Start preparing those acceptance speeches, folks!

A truck crashed into a fire hydrant and caused it to shoot water into the air near power lines in the Midway District Wednesday.

The crash occurred on Sports Arena Boulevard just after 1:30 p.m., according to the San Diego Police Department.

Westbound lanes on Sports Arena Boulevard have been shut down in the area, SDPD said.

The accident occurred near a Goodwill and a Big Lots.

SDPD and the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department responded.

No other information was available.

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

An alligator was left on the steps of a pet store in Point Loma over the weekend.

The three-foot reptile was inside an unmarked container outside Pet Kingdom on Sports Arena Boulevard, a store employee told NBC 7.

The manager of the pet store opened the box, alarmed to find what was inside.

Alligators are not allowed as pets in California, the store said.

The San Diego Zoo doesn’t have room for the alligator, Pet Kingdom said.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is investigating.

No injuries have been reported.

This comes one week after the Heartland Fire Department found a lost tortoise.

At a campaign-style rally in Mosinee, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, President Donald Trump called on the country to come together after packages containing explosive devices were sent to prominent Democrats and CNN’s NYC offices.

The brother of a transient accused of killing an Oceanside man in August told NBC 7 he didn’t think his younger sibling was capable of such a crime.

Prosecutors say Carey Lamond Reid, Jr., 21 of North Carolina, burglarized 77-year-old John Roth's home Aug. 14 and stabbed him multiple times in the neck.

Roth was found dead by his wife, Zui Pang, when she came home from work.

No murder weapon was found, but prosecutors say investigators found Reid's DNA on a can of ginger ale inside the home.

Reid was discovered just steps from Roth's home on Monday and was taken into custody. Prosecutor said Reid confessed to the murder, saying behind tears, "It was me. I'm sorry."

Jewelry, a laptop, Roth's widow's wedding ring, and a number of antique unique Chinese coins were also stolen from the home, police said.

Reid's older brother Travis Michael was at the arraignment and watched in disbelief as prosecutors detailed the alleged crime. Michael told NBC 7 his brother was a high school drop out who had been living in foster care or by himself for a long time.

"It's heartbreaking," Michael said. "I would never think my brother is capable of something like this. He's 21, if you look at him he's small, he doesn't really have the communication in him, but hopefully we can move past this as a family because it's heartbreaking hearing that my brother might be facing life."

Reid pleaded not guilty to murder and burglary charges and is being held without bail. If convicted on both charges he could face life in prison.

Pang, after seeing her husband's accused killer for the first time in court, said Reid was a danger to the community and belongs in jail.

A San Ysidro pizzeria is offering a prize to Mega Millions losers who missed out on the $1.6 billion record jackpot.

Villa Italian Kitchen is offering a free Neapolitan Cheese pizza slice with a purchase of a beverage to people who bring in their losing ticket. The offer is valid for Wednesday only.

“When we heard what the odds of winning the jackpot were, we couldn’t help but feel for all those who would be let down," said Mimi Wunderlich, Villa Italian Kitchen's director of communications and digital marketing. "While a free slice of pizza isn’t a billion dollars, hopefully it will still make someone’s day.”

The pizzeria says only original tickets will be accepted. Limit one per customer.

Villa Italian closes at 9 p.m. More information is available online.

A child was robbed at knifepoint in Otay Ranch Wednesday afternoon, according to the Chula Vista Police Department.

Three suspects reportedly held the boy up with a knife and took his backpack and cell phone, CVPD Captain Phil Collum said.

This happened just after 1 p.m. near Otay Ranch Mall.

Veterans Elementary School and Mater Dei Catholic High School are both within a mile of this area.

No other information was available.

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

An active duty Marine from San Diego is in Sydney, Australia competing in games that bring together wounded and injured armed service personnel and veterans from 18 countries.

Corporal Kira Lavine, 21, is one of 500 competitors selected to participate in the Invictus Games. The games were established by Prince Harry in 2015.

There are 11 adaptive sporting events total like wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball, swimming, sitting volleyball, track and field, and sitting golf.

To be eligible to compete, participants had to qualify in trials before the games. 

"I submitted an application with my times from trials and a statement of why I would want to be part of the Invictus team," said Cpl. Lavine. "And then I was selected." 

Cpl. Lavine is competing in swimming, rowing, and sailing. The 2018 games are from October 20-27.

"For swimming, I was first place in the 100 free and first place for the 200 female relay," said Cpl. Lavine. She also won silver and bronze medals. 

Participants can qualify due to mental health as well. Cpl. Lavine said for anyone suffering from mental health issues, it is important to talk to someone.

"There are people or programs out there to help you," she added. 

Cpl. Lavine is originally from Rancho Peñasquitos and is currently stationed at Camp Pendleton. She is the youngest person on Team USA to compete. 

A new restaurant and gelato shop opened in the Port of San Diego, replacing a more than half-century-old restaurant.

Brigantine, Inc. held a grand opening for Ketch Grill and Taps and Portside Gelato and Coffee Wednesday.

The two stores had soft openings in late September.

The $3.5 million project replaced Red Sails Inn, which previously stood for six decades, according to a report from the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The new restaurant serves a mix of seafood and American food with over 18 craft beers on tap.

Portside Gelato and Coffee uses local roaster Cafe Moto.

Ketch Grill and Taps can seat about 200 people in its mixed indoor-outdoor building.

Delays in construction pushed back the stores' openings from summer into fall.

Brigantine, Inc. is also overhauling the former site of Anthony’s Fish Grotto. That project is expected to cost $20 million.

Anthony’s Fish Grotto was a historic part of the Port of San Diego for over 50 years.

Brigantine, Inc. owns seven Brigantine Seafood and Oyster Bar locations, six Miguel's Cocina locations, and now one Ketch Grill and Taps location.

Megyn Kelly fired her agent Wednesday after news leaked that the NBC News star might be relinquishing her daytime show, a source directly familiar with the situation told NBC News.

The source said Kelly parted ways with her agent Matt DelPiano, of Creative Artists Agency, the executive who negotiated her stratospheric $23 million-a-year deal for three years with NBC News. 

A representative for Kelly, Davidson Goldin, told NBC News Wednesday night that Kelly was switching to UTA. Just hours later, UTA spokesman Seth Oster told NBC News, “After initial discussions, UTA made a decision not to move forward in representing her.”

A source directly familiar with the talks between Kelly and UTA told NBC News they had been in talks with Kelly for two weeks — prior to the blackface comments — and when other UTA clients voiced displeasure over those comments, representing Kelly became “untenable.” (UTA represents Jo Ling Kent, one of the co-authors of the NBC report.) CAA did not immediately return requests for comment. NBC News declined to comment, and Kelly was not immediately reachable.

Trade magazines The Hollywood Reporter and Variety reported that Kelly was in discussions about a new role at the company and suggested her show “Megyn Kelly Today” would end after its second season.

Kelly immediately received harsh backlash after her segment Tuesday about Halloween costumes and what people find acceptable in the current cultural climate. She later apologized for the comments. 

A lengthy Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) probe led to the arrest of a drug dealer suspected of selling a fatal dose of fentanyl to a US Navy Sailor.

According to the federal complaint, the NCIS investigation resulted in the arrest of Marcell Travon Robinson III from Riverside County.

Robinson faces charges he knowingly conspired to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl. He’s also suspected of being the source that provided fentanyl to a sailor who died in San Diego County in August of 2017.

According to documents, undercover agents met Robinson at locations in Riverside and San Diego counties beginning shortly after the death of the sailor in 2017.

The undercover agents purchased more than a thousand illegally-manufactured pills for thousands of dollars in a variety of containers. Some looked like store-bought potato chip bags, according to NCIS documents.

Former NCIS Supervisory Agent Ed Jones spent 14 years in the agency. He says part of the role of NCIS is to protect members of the military.

“We're going to try our best to neutralize those threats, in this case identifying drug trafficking organizations, to take them out before they harm our sailors and our Marines.”

According to documents, Robinson was arrested late last week but NCIS told NBC 7 the investigation is ongoing. For that reason, Jones says he has to be careful about what he says because NCIS are putting their lives at risk to catch people dealing the dangerous drug.

“We have to prevent it from happening again,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in San Diego told NBC 7 that fentanyl is a growing problem locally because it is cheaper to produce than heroin.

The chemicals are purchased in China and sent to Mexico where traffickers manufacture illegal pills resembling painkillers. But the fake pills can have varying doses of fentanyl and even a small amount of it can be lethal.

A local real estate company wants to build a first-of-its-kind apartment complex made out of shipping containers reserved for homeless veterans.

The housing project is being proposed by developers Michael Copley, Jr. and Doug Holmes, partners in the real estate company Makana Properties, LLC. The project is being considered for the vacant lot at 2941 Imperial Ave. in Logan Heights. Twenty-one containers will be stacked on top of each other and turned into homes.

The units would be 320-square-foot in size and have their own patio, kitchen and bathroom. Although the units will be built from metal shipping containers, the walls will be insulated and have interior drywall.

The project also calls for commercial space that with space for public meeting rooms.

Out of the 21 units available, 11 of would be for households classified as very-low income and to households making 80 percent of the area median income. While the remaining 10 will be priced at market-rate.

The owner of a nearby coffee shop says he is excited about the prospect of new customers, but is concerned with the limited space.

“It was really exciting just because it's something you don't see a lot of in San Diego,” said Steven Williamson with Imperial Grounds Coffee. “But then there's a couple drawbacks where there's limited parking for the units. There's nine parking spaces for 21 units.”

The shipping container homes could be ready for tenants as soon as April 2019 given the shortened construction time needed to build them.

More information about how they will assign units has yet to be released. The real estate company still needs to get permits and permission from the Housing Commission.

There are already two similar projects in Los Angeles and in Orange County.

Video obtained by NBC 7 shows how a man and a woman riding tandem on an electric scooter came into the path of an MTS trolley in Logan Heights, sending both of them to the hospital.

Security cameras on the trolley captured the tandem riding between opposite-running tracks near 24th Street and Commercial Street.

As the trolley passed them on their right, they appeared to lose balance on the scooter. Both fell off the scooter and collided with the passing trolley before spilling onto the concrete.

The woman suffered minor injuries but the man's were described as severe.

The trolley engineer didn't notice the collision and continued down the track. While the scooter riders were not cited, a San Diego Police Department traffic patrol sergeant says riding without helmets, riding double and riding in an unauthorized area are all violations.

NBC 7 showed the video to other scooter riders and most of them agreed that the riders were being irresponsible.

"They should be more responsible and obviously limit one person to a scooter," Staci-Jo Palek said.

"I don't think they should be between that space because it is not a designated safe space," Bernie Delrosario said.

SDPD said since the crash happened in between the two tracks, MTS is in control of the investigation.

No other information was available.

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

When emergencies happen, seconds can be the difference between life and death, and the Yes on Proposition 11 campaign is concerned ambulance response times could increase if the proposition fails.

"Private EMT's and paramedics respond to 75 percent of the state's 911 calls. That's why it's critical they’re reachable and paid to be reachable during their breaks," said Yes on 11 spokeswoman Marie Brichetto.

In 2016, the California Supreme Court ruled that private security guards must be given uninterrupted break time. But private ambulance companies were unable to agree with unions over how to comply with the ruling and implement it.

So the ambulance companies drafted Prop 11 to maintain the status quo.

A “yes” would mean companies like American Medical Response (AMR) would pay EMTs and paramedics to remain on-call during lunch and other work breaks.

“This is all about savings,” said Jason Bollino, Executive Director of the United EMS Workers, AFSCME Local 4911.

Bollino isn’t just a union head, he’s also retiring from working on an AMR ambulance after 25years. He supports a “no” vote on Proposition 11, calling it nothing more than a way for private ambulance companies to become exempt from current labor laws and avoid the cost of several pending lawsuits.

“They’re going to save the potential exposure of liability," said Bollino.

The California Nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office says complying with the ruling would increase ambulance companies’ costs by nearly $100 million each year, statewide.

If Prop 11 fails, the Legislative Analyst's Office notes ambulance companies might have to charge more for services and lengthen response times.

The head of the United EMS Union says if Prop 11 fails, they'll work with state lawmakers to find a way to keep their radios on during breaks so they can still respond to calls.

Special counsel Robert Mueller's office has obtained communications suggesting that a right-wing conspiracy theorist might have had advance knowledge that the emails of Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman had been stolen and handed to WikiLeaks, a source familiar with the investigation told NBC News. 

Mueller's team has spent months investigating whether the conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi knew WikiLeaks had obtained emails hacked by Russian intelligence officers before the public did and whether he passed information about the stolen emails to Trump associate Roger Stone, multiple sources said. 

Mueller's investigators have reviewed messages to members of the Trump team in which Stone and Corsi seem to take credit for the release of Democratic emails, said a person with direct knowledge of the emails.

The source and other people familiar with the matter say they have seen no evidence suggesting either man played any role in the hacking or release of the emails. Stone has denied doing anything besides passing on information already in the public domain.

Corsi and his lawyer, David Gray, declined to comment. Mueller's spokesman, Peter Carr, said the office had no comment.

Local water districts are offering rebates to homeowners that replace their grass with sustainable landscape, as many do all year, but a local water district says fall may be the perfect season to jump on the offers. 

"You've got cooler temperatures, shorter days so it gives a chance for the plants that you plant in the fall to take root before the heat of summer kicks in," Michelle Curtis with the Helix Water District said.

The water district is a co-founding partner of the Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon, a five-acre lot designed to show visitors what they can do to save water.

"You see a lot of front yards that people never actually step foot in," Curtis said. "If you have a need for grass, just consider how much you need. You might be able to make it a smaller patch."

One demonstration area shows a typical California backyard, which requires 28-thousand gallons of water each year. An adjacent area showcases a landscape filled with colorful, drought tolerant plants, which needs six-thousand gallons of water each year.

In a typical California home, 75 percent of the water used goes to watering the yard, Curtis said.

Curtis offered tips to homeowners considering taking advantage of rebates, which include turf replacement, high-efficiency sprinkler upgrades, and rain barrel purchases, and making the switch to more drought-tolerant landscaping this fall. 

Homeowners "can also take advantage of any rainfall we get in fall and winter and that gives (the plants) that much more of a head start before the heat comes," she said.

Another way to save water is with rain barrels, which attach to gutters on the roof.

"It also helps reduce stormwater pollution because the more water you can retain on site, the less water is going out into the stormwater system," added Curtis.

If you do decide to put drought-friendly plants in your yard, remember to install high-efficiency irrigation as well, Curtis explained. Smart controllers can adjust water output automatically in response to weather conditions. Distribution components can also be tailored to fit the needs of various plants in a landscape.

"No matter how low-water your plants are, if you're still watering them with traditional overhead sprinklers, you're losing water to evaporation, you've got water running off into your sidewalks and hitting your fences, you're not going to see the water savings," said Curtis.

The Helix Water District is offering a water-smart landscape makeover workshop for homeowners on November 7.

Homeowners should check eligibility and apply for any of the regional rebate programs online. Individual water districts may also have additional incentives.

A man was arrested Wednesday night for lighting fires in National City, police said. 

Eduard Sierra, a 50-year-old Chula Vista resident, was spotted at about 10:15 p.m. pouring gasoline and lighting fires to brush and possibly a car, National City Police Department Sgt. Vincent Fernando said. 

When police arrived at the area near National City Boulevard and the Sweetwater River, a 15 to 20 square-foot brush fire was burning. The National City Fire Department was called to quickly put out the small blaze. 

Police located Sierra, who matched a description given by witnesses, in the surrounding area and arrested him on arson charges, Fernando said. 

There was no damage and no injuries reported. 

No other information was available.

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

President Donald Trump on Thursday denied a New York Times report that claimed Chinese and Russians are spying on him when he uses an unsecured cellphone, saying the story is "soooo wrong!"

Citing current and former American officials, the Times reported that Trump's aides have warned him that the calls to friends aren't secure and that the information the spies are allegedly picking up is being used to influence him and impact administration policy.

While NBC News has not verified the Times' reporting, U.S. officials tell NBC News that they have been concerned for months that Trump has been discussing sensitive information on an unsecured cell phone with informal advisers, including Sean Hannity of Fox News.

Trump said on Twitter that he only uses government-authorized cellphones or land lines and called the article incorrect.

"The New York Times has a new Fake Story that now the Russians and Chinese (glad they finally added China) are listening to all of my calls on cellphones. Except that I rarely use a cellphone, & when I do it’s government authorized. I like Hard Lines. Just more made up Fake News!" the president tweeted.

Earlier, he tweeted that the Times article is "long and boring" and "so incorrect I do not have time here to correct it. I only use Government Phones, and have only one seldom used government cell phone. Story is soooo wrong!"

Officials told the newspaper that Trump "has two official iPhones that have been altered by the National Security Agency to limit their abilities — and vulnerabilities — and a third personal phone that is no different from hundreds of millions of iPhones in use around the world."

While the devices are not completely secure, the Times reported, the calls are intercepted while traveling through international cellphone networks.

While Trump tweeted that "I rarely use a cellphone," the message was sent from an iPhone, according to social media manager Tweetdeck. One of his phones is optimized for Twitter and other apps, according to the Times report. He also dictates tweets to aides.

Apple said it is not commenting on the report, and NBC has also reached out to the Federal Communications Commission for comment.

China on Thursday denounced the report as "fake news" and suggested Trump exchange his iPhone for a cellphone made by Chinese manufacturer Huawei. 

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters that the journalists behind the report in the Times "are sparing no efforts to win the Academy Award for best screenplay." 

A 2012 congressional report said Huawei's equipment was a security risk.

If the U.S. is still concerned about security, Trump could "abandon all modern communication devices and cut off contact with the outside completely," Hua said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A ruptured gas line beneath an El Cajon home forced neighbors to evacuate Thursday as officers closed down a nearby street. 

The broken gas line went unnoticed by the residents inside the home on Mollison Avenue near Greenfield Drive until the Heartland Fire & Rescue Department was called at about 10:50 a.m. 

It was not clear what caused the gas line to break. 

The area outside the home was blocked off to traffic and crews were asking motorists to avoid the area for the next two hours, HFD said.

No other information was available.

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