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DA, Supervisors, Other County Officials Sworn In

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A half dozen county officials were sworn in Monday, including returning District Attorney Summer Stephan and newcomer District 4 County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher.

Room 310 was packed at the San Diego County Administration Center downtown Monday morning to see new and familiar faces alike start their terms as supervisors, sheriff, treasurer, and more.

Stephan, a Republican, was appointed acting interim District Attorney in 2017 before being elected to keep her seat in June 5, 2018, according to her website.

She bought out then-opponent Geneviéve Jones-Wright.

Fletcher, a Democrat, served in the U.S. Marine Corps and has held office as a State Assemblymember from 2008 to 2012, according to his website.

His wife, Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, who won her own race for State Assembly 80th District, called his race a “blowout.”

Fletcher ran against Bonnie Dumanis and won by about 46,540 votes, a roughly 30-point lead.

Other officials sworn in Monday include:

  • District 5 County Supervisor Jim Desmond
  • County Sheriff William Gore
  • Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk Ernest Dronenburg
  • Treasurer/Tax Collector Dan McAllister

To watch the entire ceremony, see the video below:


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Prowler Charged With Murder in Shooting of Father at Malibu Campground

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A man accused of opening fire on campers and drivers in the Malibu State Park Area was charged Monday with murder in the fatal shooting of a 35-year-old father killed while he slept next to his daughters at a campground.

Authorities said this week they had finally assembled enough evidence to link the June 22 killing of the young father to the arrest of a reputed serial burglar, caught last October in a steep, brush-covered ravine near the park while armed with a rifle. A criminal complaint filed Monday charges Anthony Rauda with the murder of Tristan Beaudette, who was hit with a single shot while his young daughters slept beside him.

Rauda, 42, also faces a total of 10 counts of attempted murder for a series of other peculiar gunfire attacks in the area of the park and Las Virgenes Road, and five counts of second-degree burglary for break-ins in the same area over the last few years. 

In a statement, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office said Rauda is accused of shootings in the Malibu Creek State Park area that date to November 2016, when he allegedly wounded a man sleeping in a hammock at the park. Rauda is accused of shooting into vehicles three different times in 2017. In June 2018, he allegedly opened fire on a Tesla on Las Virgenes Road.

Beaudette was shot four days later.

Prosecutors were only able to file the case after a forensic comparison of bullets linked several shootings, including the Beaudette murder, with the gun Rauda was allegedly carrying when he was arrested. That ballistic comparison was completed in early October, but the case took many more weeks to assemble, according to the sources.

They also said evidence shows Rauda is also responsible for additional shootings and burglaries for which not enough evidence was found for prosecution, including an until-now unsolved shooting of a woman driving on Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Ventura County in 2010. Rauda has been tied to thefts and violence in LA, Ventura and Sonoma counties.

"It's a 10-year crime spree that could make a Hollywood movie," said one detective familiar with the case who was not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation.

Rauda has been serving a sentence in LA County jail for violating the terms of Post Release Conviction Supervision, or PRCS, as a result of his arrest in October in the Malibu burglaries. That sentence was expected to be satisfied in the next week, according to court and jail records.

Detectives from the LA County Sheriff's Department's Major Crimes Bureau caught Rauda Oct. 10 near the park. Rauda was carrying the gun and two loaded magazines, according to testimony at a recent PRCS violation hearing.

A key break in the Malibu Creek State Park death investigation came less than two weeks before that when a security camera system recorded images of a man wearing a headlamp and "tactical style" clothing during an office break-in.

As the figure in the video moved into view it was clear the man had a rifle slung over his left shoulder. Some of the images, not shown publicly, captured detailed views of the gun.

Detectives compared the security video with firearms catalog photos and soon confirmed the gun carried by the burglar was a 9mm carbine, a weapon capable of firing the same caliber bullet that killed Beaudette. 



Photo Credit: KNBC-TV

Man, Officer ID'd in Midway SDPD-Involved Shooting

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Police have identified the man who was shot by an officer in the Midway District Thursday night after a reported confrontation.

Ryan Bowers suffered life-threatening injuries after the incident with the San Diego Police Department, the agency said.

Officers responded to a home on Cauby Street just before 10 p.m. Thursday after receiving a call about a man with a knife in a nearby apartment, according to SDPD.

The man was later identified by SDPD as Bowers, 23.

Police entered a back bedroom of the residence and said Bowers allegedly pulled a knife from his jacket pocket and raised it up toward them.

Officers then drew their weapons, according to SDPD. Bowers reportedly did not comply with their orders to back up, so one officer fired his gun, striking Bowers at least once.

"The suspect went down almost immediately," said SDPD Captain of Investigations Tom Underwood. "First aid was rendered, medics were on scene almost immediately, and the subject was transported to the hospital with at least one gunshot wound to the upper torso."

SDPD identified the officer involved in the shooting as Officer Matthew Steinbach. He has served the department for six years.

The agency said Steinbach fired his gun because he feared for his safety.

Bowers was taken to UCSD Hillcrest, according to police.

"Well, officers always do what they can to diffuse the situation," Underwood said. "I think in a situation like this where you know that somebody is injured and there's family members inside, the important thing is trying to get that subject some medical aid."

No officers were injured in the incident, SDPD said.

The residence where the shooting happened is near the intersection of Rosecrans Street and Midway Drive.

Only 6 Immigrants on Terror List Stopped at Border: Data

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered only six immigrants on the U.S-Mexico border in the first half of fiscal year 2018 whose names were on a federal government list of known or suspected terrorists, according to CBP data obtained by NBC News.

The low number contradicts statements by Trump administration officials, including White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, who said Friday that CBP stopped nearly 4,000 known or suspected terrorists from crossing the southern border in fiscal year 2018.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen told reporters on Monday the exact number, which NBC News is first to report, was classified but that she was working on making it public.



Photo Credit: AP

Cloudy With A Chance Of An Accident

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Having trouble seeing while driving at night?

Hold off on updating your vision prescription, and try cleaning your car or truck’s headlights first.

Clouded or yellow headlights can darken your headlights by nearly 80 percent, says new research from AAA. And cloudy headlights can lead to an increased risk of accidents.

“Walk through any parking lot and it is evident that deteriorated headlights are a problem for most vehicle owners,” said AAA’s director of Automotive Engineering and Industry Relations, Greg Bannon. “Headlights on the road in the U.S., even when new, don’t produce enough lighting, so any reduction in performance is a real safety issue.”

In San Diego, there’s little that can be done to prevent the discoloration of headlights, other than keeping your car in the garage during daylight hours.

“Here in Southern California that sun really is harsh, not only for our skin, but the headlights on our cars and trucks as well,” said Doug Shupe, spokesperson for the Auto Club of Southern California. “Over time the sunlight can reduce the visibility by 80 percent.”

There are few things that drivers can do to turn up the lights on your car.

First, and shown to be most effective, according to AAA, replace the headlight casing every 11 years or so. While this is the most effective, it’s also the most expensive option. Headlights, especially on newer model cars can be pricey, and sometimes difficult to remove and install. Hiring someone will only increase the price.

Aftermarkets headlights can be cheaper but they will not be as effective at restoring the light intensity.

The most affordable, but again least effective, is giving the lamps the old-fashioned scrubdown, using products sold at auto parts stores. Those products can cost anywhere from $11 to $15 says AAA’s spokesperson Doug Shupe.

Shupe said using the cleaners generally increases visibility by about 70 percent.

“It’s better than nothing,” said Shupe. “My advice is to check the headlights every so often. If you can’t see the bulb than it’s clearly time to replace or restore that headlight.”



Photo Credit: Bob Hansen

Judge Scolds Lawyer for Russian Firm in Mueller Probe

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A federal judge on Monday scolded a lawyer for a Russian company charged with meddling in the 2016 presidential election by special counsel Robert Mueller, NBC News reported.

Judge Dabney Friedrich told attorney Eric Dubelier that a recent court document he filed for Concord Management, which quoted the movie "Animal House," was "inappropriate and unprofessional and ineffective," undermining his credibility in Friedrich's Washington, D.C., court.

Concord Management is one of three companies charged last February with carrying out a massive disinformation campaign on social media to create discord among American voters and boost Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

The company's lawyers have sought to have the charges dropped, and Dubelier defended the filing Monday. He suggested Friedrich, a Trump appointee, was biased and said he may withdraw from the case.



Photo Credit: Andrew Harnik/AP, File

Suspect Linked to Bloody Handprint in 1986 Killing Pleads Not Guilty

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A suspect in the brutal 1986 stabbing of an Escondido man made his first court appearance on Monday after a bloody handprint helped authorities tie him to the slaying more than three decades later.

Nathan Eugene Mathis, 62, of Ontario, California pleaded not guilty to one count of murder in connection with the killing of 75-year-old Richard Finney, the Escondido Police Department said. 

Finney lived alone in an apartment on East Mission Avenue and was found by authorities in November 1986 with 31 stab wounds from three different knives, according to retired EPD homicide investigator Lt. Richard Bass, the detective called to the crime scene at the time.

He presented one of the first testimonies at Mathis' pre-trial hearing and explained how the evidence was collected that would eventually link the suspect to the crime scene.

"After photographing it, I used an expandable knife to cut out the handprint in the drywall so I could use it for possible future identification," Bass said. 

For decades, the case sat cold as investigators had trouble tying a grisly piece of evidence found at the scene -- a bloody handprint left on a wall -- to anyone specific.  

But even after using State-of-the-art DNA testing in 2007 to reexamine the evidence, the Escondido Police cold case team could not find a match. 

Then, in 2016, Forensic Fingerprint Expert Cassaundra Barnes used new technology to examine a fingerprint collected from the apartment, police said.

"She re-photographed it with newer equipment, more advanced technology and she was able to submit that fingerprint for a match," said Carter.

Investigators say the higher quality print combined with advances in fingerprint comparison databases, led them to Mathis.

Escondido police did not discuss a possible motive and did not say if Mathis and Finney knew each other. Bass noted during his testimony that investigators did not see signs of forced entry at the apartment. 

There were three different bloody knives collected from the crime scene, Bass said. One of them used so forcefully it was bent in half. One of the knives was found near a butcher block and another was found behind a rocking chair, near where the victim was found.

"The victim was clothed but on the floor next to an ottoman on the floor," Bass said.

Mathis lived in the North County at the time of the killing.

Police said Mathis did not show any emotion when he was arrested on April 18. He was booked into the Vista Detention Facility and held on $3 million bail. 


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Rescan Day Is March 14, 2019 in San Diego

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NBC 7 KNSD, Telemundo 20 KUAN will move frequencies along with two other San Diego-area television stations on March 14, 2019.

Viewers who watch TV for free with an over-the-air antenna will need to rescan their TVs on March 14 to continue watching these stations.

The Federal Communications Commission recently held an auction of broadcast airwaves to provide more channels for wireless internet broadband services.

As a result of the auction, the FCC is requiring nearly 1,000 stations nationwide to move to new frequencies.

The four stations affected are working together to identify March 14 as Rescan Day in San Diego County. KNSD, KUAN, KSWB, and KPBS are all part of Rescan Day. 

Viewers do not need to purchase new equipment or services to rescan their televisions.

Individuals can simply use their TV, remote control or converter box to rescan. Rescanning is when a TV finds all of the available channels in an area.

Viewers who watch KNSD or KUAN through a cable or satellite service or through digital platforms do not need to rescan their TVs.

Our stations' current over-the-air channel assignments/numbers will not be affected. Audiences can continue to watch NBC 7 (KNSD) on 39.1 and Telemundo 20 (KUAN) on 48.1.

Instructions on how to rescan your television are often found using the "set-up" or "menu" buttons on the remote control.

    For more information visit TVAnswers.org, a viewer resource provided by the National Association of Broadcasters which offers advice on how to rescan several popular brands of televisions.


    CVFD Praises Measure A For Increased Staffing, Shortened Response Times

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    The city of Chula Vista is touting the success of Measure A and the firefighters the measure helped hire.

    According to Chula Vista Fire Department Chief Jim Geering, the city hired 12 firefighters in 2018 with money promised by the measure that raised the sales tax in the city by half of a cent.

    With the added help, response times are down and the city is already looking at more firefighters in the future.

    “We’re doing exactly what we promised to do. We’ve increased staffing,” Chief Geering said.

    For years, CVFD has operated its fire engines with three people on each rig. Geering said those crews were only able to get to fires in less than 10 minutes 48.5 percent of the time.

    Less than three months later with four firefighters now on each engine, that percentage increased to 73 percent.

    The city said a four-person firefighting crew can deploy a hose at a fire in two-and-a-half minutes. The same task takes three firefighters six minutes, the city said.

    “That’s a heck of a difference,” Geering said. “These are all because of Measure A.”

    However, Russ Hall, vocal opponent to Measure A, said the increase wasn’t necessary and says the city should have done a better job of managing its budget.

    Chula Vista voters approved the measure last June by about a 5 percent margin.

    “It’s always good news when there’s more money, more funding for public safety and especially firefighters,” Geering said.

    Downtown Hospital Replacement Project Could Revitalize Escondido

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    Business owners and residents in Downtown Escondido are hoping a big development project will help revitalize the dated district.

    The injection of energy could come once the old Palomar Hospital at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Valley Boulevard is demolished and replaced with residential and commercial buildings.

    The 13.6-acre property was sold to one of the nation's largest homebuilders for $18 million nearly a year ago.

    The developer, Integral Communities, has already submitted plans to demolish the hospital and replace it with 30 buildings that will include 450 residential units, and 5,500 square feet of commercial and office space.

    Details of the plan still need to be ironed out and the City Council could approve it before the end of the year. That, plus the time it’d take to build, means nearby business owners might have to wait a few years before they see the increased foot traffic they’re hoping the development will bring.

    Empty storefronts along Grand Avenue aren’t hard not to notice. Business owners on and near the strip said they are struggling to stay open because there simply aren't enough people who frequent the area.

    "I think that it's very difficult for the fabric store to stay in business, I think it was hard for the bird store to stay in business,” local business owner Adrian Cervantes said. Cervantes thinks a transformation into more of an entertainment-centric neighborhood would benefit downtown Escondido.

    "I think it needs to be upgraded a little, even if it's just taking the old and making it look new, so it has more style,” he said.

    Former Escondido resident Jeanie Marshall said she knows people need a place to live, but isn’t that excited about the big residential project.

    "It seems to me that a lot of the things that they have built in the last few years, it's all just condo after condo after condo,” Marshall said.

    "I know that it's necessary,” she added, “But it could just be more interesting."

    The majority of hospital services were moved from the old hospital to a new building to the west on Citracado Parkway, south of Auto Park Way and the remaining services still offered at the building will be moved in the next 15 months.

    Changing Plan for U.S. Troops in Syria Watched Closely in SD

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    Local military and Middle Eastern communities are closely watching National Security Adviser John Bolton’s visit to Turkey.

    President Donald Trump’s changing statements about how U.S. troops will be leaving Syria has prompted the close watch.

    He tweeted Monday saying the U.S. will leave at a “proper pace while at the same time continuing to fight ISIS.”

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    Bolton is asking assurances from Turkey that the country won't attack Kurdish fighters when U.S. troops leave.

    Professor Jalal Malahaji is from Syria and his family still lives there.

    Malahaji, like all young people in Syria, served in the military. He also spent time teaching language skills to U.S. Special Ops.

    “We fought with you side by side,” he said. Malahaji witnessed the Kurdish people on the front lines fighting against ISIS.

    Malahaji said Kurdish fighters would communicate with U.S. troops “to direct airplanes where to hit.”

    This is essential in reducing injury and deaths of innocent civilians, he said, and to ensure more accurate U.S. airstrikes, some even conducted from San-Diego-based warships.

    But President Trump’s evolving announcement about the status of U.S. troops stationed in Syria has resulted in panic, according to Malahaji.

    “[Kurdish people are] crossing the borders because they're afraid,” he said.

    Additionally, commerce is coming to a standstill, the professor said. Some shop owners are closing their doors in fear of Turkey's next move.

    Malahaji said the president's abrupt announcement has produced more skepticism in the Middle East about the trustworthiness of America.

    He believed leaving the fate of Syria, with such a large number of ISIS fighters in the hands of Turkey, Russia, and Iran could backfire on the U.S.

    “Now its 2,000 soldiers; you might need 20,000 soldiers later,” Malahaji said.



    Photo Credit: Getty Images
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    Ex-Con Arrested in Deadly Torrance Bowling Alley Shooting

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    A man was arrested related to a shooting that killed three men and injured four others during a brawl at a popular Torrance bowling alley and karaoke bar, according to the Torrance Police Department Monday.

    Reginald Wallace, 47, of Los Angeles was arrested and being held without bail at the Los Angeles County Jail, Torrance Police Chief Eve Irvine said at a news conference.

    After a fight broke out at Gable House Bowl late Friday night, the suspect shot into the crowd of people involved in the brawl using a handgun, Irvine said.

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    Wallace, who spent 17 years in prison and was released in 2017, was believed to be the only shooter in the incident, according to the police chief.

    Seven people suffered gunshot wounds, and three men were pronounced dead at the scene.

    Security Footage Catches Dogs, Coyote Going Paw-to-Paw

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    A fight between two dogs and a coyote was caught on video outside a Rancho Peñasquitos home Friday night.

    Emily Banh was surprised when her mother told her a coyote crept into their backyard when their dogs were outside.

    “I wanted to see how big the coyote was,” Banh, 23, told NBC 7. She said her mom didn’t get a good look at the wild animal.

    The Banhs’ home got security cameras a few years ago, so she decided to check the footage.

    “It was actually really shocking,” Banh said. “I’ve never seen a coyote that bold.”

    A coyote could be seen coming down a nearby hill and jumping down the Banhs’ fence.

    It then darted toward the family’s two dogs playing outside.

    Mio is the white dog, and Neko is the black, orange, and white dog. They are both two years old.

    Initially, the coyote appears to attack Mio before going paw-to-paw with Neko.

    Banh said Neko had a small patch of missing fur after the fight. “We were telling him he was a good boy,” Banh said.

    Mio made it out unscathed.

    When Banh first saw the footage, she called her family over.

    “We were just in shock when it happened,” Banh said.

    Though, this wasn’t the first time Banh had seen a wild animal outside her home.

    She said she’s seen coyotes roaming the neighborhood in packs before. They even came in contact with her dogs a few months ago also.

    Banh also spotted a bobcat in broad daylight a few years ago and again a few months ago.

    “A couple of people had their dogs and cats eaten by coyotes,” she said. “I just wanted to get it out there that it can happen in your very own back yard.”

    The attack happened at around 7 p.m. Friday. Banh noted that the timestamp on her security footage was slightly off.

    Banh said her family has lived in their Rancho Peñasquitos home for 23 years.



    Photo Credit: Emily Banh

    Immigration Activists Call on San Diego County Supervisors to Help Migrants

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    As San Diego County officials were sworn into office Monday downtown, activists were rallying outside the county administration building, advocating for migrant rights. 

    The Immigration Justice League filed a child abuse report, claiming that a 5-year-old migrant boy was physically and emotionally abused in an Otay Mesa Detention Center last month. 

    In the report, the league said the San Diego County Board of Supervisors is "directly responsible," adding that children in detention centers are denied proper clothing, bathrooms, blankets and places to sleep. 

    "We need to treat all with humanity, dignity, and respect," said Nathan Fletcher, Supervisor for District 3. 

    Multiple supervisors said they would be unveiling a plan tomorrow regarding rights of immigrants. 

    "We need to try to identify an appropriate site that could be used as a migrant asylum seeker's shelter," said Greg Cox of District 1. 

    Sheriff Bill Gore and San Diego County District Attorney, Summer Stephan were among the county officials sworn into office. 

    Stephan also addressed community concerns about migrants, adding she herself comes from a family of immigrants. 

    "Immigrants should understand when they're on San Diego County soil they are protected under our state laws," said Stephan. "My team will guard and protect them from harm." 

    State's Tallest Dive Coaster Coming to SeaWorld San Diego in 2020

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    The tallest, fastest and longest dive coaster in California will call SeaWorld San Diego home once construction of the thrilling ride is complete in 2020.

    The park announced Monday that Mako, which will also be the only floorless dive coaster in the state, is coming next year to the southeast corner of the park next to the Journey to Atlantis attraction.

    "Dive" coasters are roller coasters with near vertical drops, and "floorless" means riders are seated and harnessed with their feet dangling in the air.

    Mako's near vertical drop comes in the form of a 143-foot, facedown plunge at speeds faster than 60 mph. Riders will also zoom through a series of inversions, barrel rolls, an Immelmann loop, hammerhead turns and flat spins across nearly 2,500 feet of coaster track.

    And you'll have plenty of chances to see the wild expressions on your friends' faces as you ride in rows of six.

    Mako's animal conservation theme involves sharks and includes a partnership with a shark conservation group.


    Would-Be Carjacker Has Trouble Starting High-Tech Hybrid Car

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    An early morning carjacking was foiled because a low-tech thief was unable to steal a high-tech car.

    Surveillance cameras were rolling when suspect Robert Bustillos took his position in the front a 7-Eleven in the Midway District.

    Seconds later, the victim exits the store with a coffee and an energy drink. Police say Bustillos started a conversation with the victim. Then about a minute later, Bustillos, who allegedly had a gun, told the victim to hand over his keys and phone.

    The victim surrendered both items without argument, then walked back in the convenient store and locked the doors behind him.

    Bustillos got in his car, but never pulled away. That’s because the would-be carjacker didn't know how to start the Chevy Volt Hybrid.

    "He's stupid because he's not going to go anywhere. They are going to catch him anyway," the store owner told NBC 7.

    Frustrated after multiple attempts, the suspect threw the keys and made his escape on foot.

    He didn’t get far, though. He was arrested just six blocks away.

    Police say Bustillos has been charged with carjacking and robbery.

    Restaurant Owners Make Last-Ditch Plea to Reverse Styrofoam Ban

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    Local restaurant owners are making a last-ditch plea to reverse the San Diego City Council's impending ban on Styrofoam.

    The council voted 5-3 in October to ban Styrofoam products in the city and a second vote Tuesday could make the ban law.

    The ordinance restricts the sale of take-out food containers made with polystyrene and plastic foam

    Restaurant owners would love to abide, but say alternative, environmentally-friendly containers would cost them nearly twice as much. That's a tall order for restaurateurs like Andres Rodriguez, the owner of Antojitos Colombianos in Logan Heights.

    "[Law makers] dont think about the small business owners, how prices are going to increase, or how we're going to be impacted with the supplies and the money we have to spend," Rodriguez said.

    He says he has no choice but to pass on the increased costs to his customers which he thinks is unfair and he fears it might drive away business.

    Councilmember Chris Cate shared the same sentiment at the first vote meeting.

    “500 dollars a day more is a lot of money for the restaurant owners in my district,” the District 6 Councilmember said. “Even $10 a day is a lot for them. You don’t know people’s circumstances.”

    The increase in costs come on the back of an increase in the minimum wage to $12 an hour. That wage is scheduled to increase a dollar per year until 2022.

    The Environmental Services Department is to provide a list of safe alternative containers. Restaurants can petition the department for a waiver.

    Under the ordinance, hardship waivers would be awarded on a case-by-case basis for restaurants that would have financial difficulty making the switch to alternative products. 

    “I feel we need to move forward with this to protect our oceans, marine life and ourselves,” City Councilwoman Lorie Zapf said in October. “We just have to do something.” 

    The owners at Ponce's Mexican Restaurant in Kensington say they moved away from Styrofoam and limited plasticware about a year and a half ago, and noted their supply costs went down when they started giving out plastic utensils and straws upon request, a requirement of the proposed ban.

    The operation's manager, Mikey Knab, says the cost of Styrofoam replacement products is also coming down.

    "I've seen an increase in options that are of better quality and prices are going down because increase in demand," he said.

    And for Knab, the positive environmental impact outweighs the shrinking financial burden.

    "If Styrofoam keeps reaching the ocean and becoming microplastics ending up in fish, we eat plastic when we eat fish then fish will be labeled a carcinogen and that whole industry will go away," he said.

    Before October's first vote, Councilmember Scott Sherman asked if this would apply to styrofoam products purchased in a city other than San Diego. 

    "If I go to a donut shop in La Mesa and have coffee in a Styrofoam cup, do I have to switch the container by the time I get to San Diego City Hall?" he asked. He was told he would have to change the container. 

    Ahead of that meeting, a group of local restaurant owners gave 50 letters of disapproval to City Councilwoman Myrtle Cole's district office on Euclid Avenue. 

    Multiple business owners said they would most likely be forced to shut down and go out of business if they have to use alternative containers. 

    “It costs eight cents apiece for the containers I use now and the new containers are forty-five cents apiece,” said Aristotels Garcia, the owner of Wings Empire, a restaurant in San Diego. “That would be an extra $2,000 a month just for containers.”

    Councilmembers said any restaurants that currently have a contract with styrofoam companies can petition the Environmental Services Department for a waiver so that agreements are not broken.

    SDPD Searching for Driver Who Fled After Hitting Cyclist in Mission Bay

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    Police are searching for a driver who hit a woman on a bicycle near Mission Bay.

    The accident happened at around 8 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of West Mission Bay Drive near Quivira Road where a woman in her 40s was hit trying to cross the street going from north to south.

    The bicyclist was crossing outside of a designated crosswalk, SDPD said.

    Police say she is going to be OK, but they have not been able to locate the driver responsible. The San Diego Police Department said the driver pulled over for a moment and then fled, but another driver who saw it all happen pulled over and called the police.

    Investigators say they are looking for a gold sedan with significant damage to the hood and windshield.

    There is a big gap along West Mission Bay Drive where there aren't any crosswalks and police say it’s not uncommon for people to J-walk across this busy intersection.

    Just four months ago in September, a skateboarder was hit and was seriously injured just a few yards from Monday’s crash site.

    Police say every incident is a reminder for drivers to be on the lookout and for pedestrians to use the nearby crosswalks.

    SDPD said nearby construction did not play a role in the crash.

    No other information was available.

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

    Busy Mira Mesa Intersection Shut Down After Pedestrian Struck by Car

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    All four directions of a busy Mira Mesa intersection just west of Interstate 15 are closed indefinitely after a pedestrian was struck by a car Tuesday, authorities said.

    A Sig Alert was issued just after 5:35 a.m. for the intersection of Mira Mesa Boulevard and Black Mountain Road and traffic could be seen snaking around the crash site. 

    The pedestrian had major injuries and was taken to the hospital in unknown condition, the San Diego Police Department said.

    The circumstances surrounding the collision were not clear but police said the driver stayed at the scene. Police did not say if drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash. 

    No other information was available.

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

    NYC Mayor Guarantees Health Care for All Residents

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    New York City will begin guaranteeing comprehensive health care to every single resident regardless of someone's ability to pay or immigration status, an unprecedented plan that will protect the more than half-a-million New Yorkers currently using the ER as a primary provider, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. 

    It's not health insurance, his spokesman clarified after the surprise announcement on MSNBC Tuesday morning. 

    "This is the city paying for direct comprehensive care (not just ERs) for people who can't afford it, or can't get comprehensive Medicaid — including 300,000 undocumented New Yorkers," spokesman Eric Phillips tweeted.

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    At a press conference Tuesday, de Blasio said the plan will provide primary and specialty care, from pediatrics to OBGYN, geriatric, mental health and other services, to the city's roughly 600,000 uninsured. 

    The city already has the foundation for such a plan — a public health insurance option that helps get direct care to undocumented residents. 

    That option will be expanded, the mayor said, and supported with the addition of a new program called NYC Care. Patients who seek health coverage through NYC Care will receive a card that allows them to see a primary care doctor and seek specialty care services, de Blasio said. 

    Those who can afford to pay will pay for services on a sliding scale, while those who can't will receive free coverage, he noted. 

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    New Yorkers will be able to access the program through the city's website or simply by calling 311. There will be no tax hikes to fund it, the mayor said. 

    "The programs will include customer-friendly call lines to help New Yorkers — regardless of their insurance — make appointments with general practitioners, cardiologists, pediatricians, gynecologists and a full spectrum of health care services," his office said in a release. 

    NYC Care is expected to launch launch in the Bronx this summer, and be available in the other four boroughs in 2021, the release said. 

    It'll cost at least $100 million, accordinng to the release. 

    "We'll put the money in to make it work; it's going to save us money down the line," de Blasio said on MSNBC. "We're already paying an exorbitant amount to pay for health care the wrong way when what we should be doing is helping them get the primary care."

    "This has never been done in the country in a comprehensive way," de Blasio said on MSNBC. "Health care isn't just a right in theory, it must be a right in practice. And we're doing that here in this city."

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