The annual “jog-a-thon” at a Bonita school has been a fundraiser for 17 years, helping the school fund library books and computer lab equipment.

However on this 12th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the children of Sunnyside Elementary also ran in memory of those lost.

“Most of the students here at this elementary school weren’t even born until after 9/11,” teacher Robynn Higginson said.

Reading of the Names in NYC

Like many "a-thons", K-6 students raised money by getting sponsors and then running laps around the school's track.

In recent years, the school decided to combine the event with the memorial for 9/11 as a way of incorporating the lessons learned from that tragic day.

Some heroes from the military and local police departments started off the event by walking a lap with the children.

“We’re remembering not only the people who have fallen but also the people who are our heroes and our everyday heroes,” Higginson added.

Kelly Young, President of the Sunnyside Elementary School Parents’ Club said the event is more than simply spending time outside and having fun with their friends.

“It’s a day that they need to understand is day of remembrance and a day of celebration for those people who acted heroically on that day,” Kelly Young said.

Commander Jay Young, a parent of two Sunnyside students, said he thinks the children will take away a sense of respect for those who serve.

“It’s important that they understand why we have these events on Sept. 11th, each anniversary and understand what happened 12 years ago,” Young said.

Chicago's city council approved legislation on Wednesday that bans guns in city bars and restaurants that sell liquor.

"Bullets and booze do not mix," Alderman Ed Burke said, arguing a license to sell alcohol is a privilege and not a right.

Restaurants and bars that don't comply with the new requirement could lose their liquor licenses. The rule would not apply to grocery or liquor stores that sell package liquor.

Some aldermen expressed concern over lawsuits connected to the ban, but Burke said a law firm already has agreed to represent the city for free.

The legislation follows the state's passage of a concealed carry law that permits guns to be carried in public starting in 2014.

Burke said "many of us were chagrined to learn" that while the law prohibits carrying concealed weapons in government buildings establishments that serve alcohol aren't off-limits.

One of the provisions of the law allows weapons inside businesses where alcohol is less than 50 percent of their revenue. Gov. Pat Quinn used his veto power to make changes to the compromise concealed carry bill already passed by the Legislature, but lawmakers voted to override him.

Quinn wanted to keep guns out of places that serve alcohol and impose a one-gun limit.

"We want [visitors] to come together and celebrate," Quinn said earlier this year. "We want them to have a good time. But we don't want any incidents of violence in any bars or restaurants anywhere in Illinois."

At least one Chicago restaurant, Keefer's restaurant in River North,  felt uneasy about the provision approved and installed "No Weapons" signs in July.

"We do not believe that guns should be permitted anywhere where alcohol is being served," owner Glenn Keefer said. "Once we post that sign, once someone comes in the restaurant with a weapon, they've broken the law. It's our responsibility to remove keys from people who have had too much to drink. I certainly don't want to be doing that with someone who might have a gun on them."

Firefighters were called to a brush fire in Lakeside.

The fire, reported near Channel Road and Mapleview Street, started in an area of “heavy fuels” according to a Twitter post by Lakeside Fire.

Heartland Fire was called to the location north of State Route 67 and east of Santee just after 1:30 p.m. 

The fire was quickly controlled and described by officials as a transient fire.
 

On the one-year anniversary of his death in Benghazi, Libya, the school board in slain Ambassador Chris Stevens' hometown plans to name his old high school library after him.

"Chris really loved that school," his mother, Mary Commanday of Oakland, Calif., told NBC Bay area on Tuesday. "The motto there is to 'Achieve the Honorable.' And Chris just loved that motto. It would be a really nice way to honor him."

"That school" is Piedmont High School, nestled in the small, affluent city of 10,000 next to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay Area, where Stevens was editor of the newspaper, active in the model U.N. and American Foreign Service clubs, and graduated in 1978. His high school career served as a springboard for his educational path, which took him to the University of California at Berkeley, where he was a history major, and to UC Hastings in San Francisco, where he earned a law degree.

All that studying -- in the public school system, his 76-year-old mother emphasized -- helped land him the prestigious post as U.S. ambassador to Libya, the country where he was killed at age 52 during a terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2012, along with three other Americans. At first, it seemed like the attack might have been spontaneous, or stemmed from an anti-Muslim film. Later, the State Department determined the terrorism was spawned by Islamist militants.

The fallout from this attack still reverberates today. And the debate over who was responsible for the security, or lack thereof, in that part of the world became political football during the 2012 presidential campaign. Several Republicans in Congress launched their own investigations, some of which are still continuing.

On Wednesday, a car bomb rocked Libya's foreign ministry building in Benghazi, marking a much more tragic remembrance of Stevens' death. Commanday did not know about the most recent attack in Libya, but when told her answer was simply, "Yes, it's a dangerous place."

Last September, Commanday spoke in an exclusive interview to NBC Bay Area about how her son had always tried to "do something bigger with his life," and had always been interested in making the world a better place. A one-time Iraqi neighbor had even clairvoyantly nicknamed the young Stevens "ambassador" 30 years ago because he was always talking to people about their lives and building bridges across cultures.

MORE: "He Was Trying to Do Something Much Bigger," Ambassador's Mom

As a way to honor Stevens and his life's work, the Piedmont Unified School District board was poised on Wednesday evening to rename the high school library the Ambassador Christopher Stevens Memorial Library. It's also the school district where Stevens' nieces are attending. The idea for the library came from Stevens' sister-in-law, Dana Stevens.

(His yearbook photo from Piedmont High is pictured to the right.)

"I think it's wonderful. Wonderful," said Piedmont parent and PTA member Teresa Gilliland. "And today is a great day to do it."

Assistant Supt. Randall Booker told NBC Bay Area this is far from a controversial vote; he expects it to pass and have the sign up in the next few weeks.

"Everyone's very excited about this in a somber way," he said. "We want to honor Chris Stevens' service, and it's important we send a message to our students about his sacrifice."

In addition, Stevens' family last year created the J. Christopher Stevens Fund to award people and groups who have good ideas on how to promote tolerance and peace in the Middle East, places Stevens had worked before his death. On Wednesday, UC Berkley's Center for Middle Eastern Studies announced receiving an unknown grant amount from the Stevens'  fundraising efforts to support research and travel in the Middle East and North Africa. Both of Stevens' parents are Cal alumni.

MORE: Funeral Service for Chris Stevens in San Francisco

This past year has, of course, been painful for Stevens' family, with includes his brother Tom Stevens, an assistant U.S. Attorney in Oakland, his sister, Anne, a pediatric rheumatologist in Seattle, step-sister Hilary, Stevens’ father Jan Stevens, a retired California assistant attorney general who lives in Loomis, Calif., and his step-father, Robert Commanday, who told NBC Bay Area in a past interview that every time Chris's name is mentioned in the media, "it's like he died all over again."

But, on Wednesday, Stevens' mother took a more stoic approach.

"People have been very supportive," she said. "We're just carrying on, and doing the best we can."

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED: The school board is set to meet Wednesday at 7 p.m. at City Hall chambers at 120 Vista Ave. in Piedmont.

The Utah man shown in a viral video so loopy from anesthesia that didn't recognize the beautiful woman talking to him was his wife said he would be skeptical of his viral video, too.

Jason Moretensen and his wife Candice appeared on NBC's "Today" show Wednesday amid reports that the YouTube video "Seeing Her for the First Time Again" might be too good to be true.

In the video, Mortensen appears to have suffered amnesia after undergoing hernia surgery. The pharmaceutical executive is shown falling in love all over again with his wife of six years.

"You're the prettiest woman I've ever seen," he tells Candice from his hospital bed, not realizing who she is. After she informs him that they are married, Mortensen tells her he's "hit the jackpot" and compliments her "perfect" teeth. The video has been viewed over 5 million times online.

"He had been acting like that for about 20 minutes before I pulled out my phone, so I finally realized I need to get this on video so he can see how he acts," Candice Mortensen explained on "Today." She plans to show her kids the video someday.

Jason Mortensen said that he doesn't remember anything from the video. He has undergone four other surgeries for his hernia injury.

"I guess I've been a weirdo during all of them," Mortensen said.

Since the video exploded across the Internet, doubters have poked holes in the story. A user on Reddit pointed to a head shot of Mortensen from an acting auditions website. And Slate.com quoted a psychologist who specializes in memory impairment who discounted that the type of memory loss Mortensen seemed to experience could have occurred post-surgery.

Mortensen's surgeon, Dr. Paul Robinson at Intermountain Healthcare Hospital in American Fork, Utah, told "Today" that he was not in the room when Candice shot the viral video. But he said Jason's reaction, while unusual, would not be impossible either.

Earlier this week, Jimmy Kimmel revealed that he was behind another viral video showing a woman catching fire while twerking.

"I heard that on Jimmy Kimmel some video was faked, and I can understand all the skepticism,’’ Jason Mortensen said of his case. “I talked to my doctor yesterday, and he says he’s gotten like 150 phone calls, so I finally gave him permission to tell them that I had the surgery.”

A couple held captive by a murderous ex-police officer, and a tow truck driver who spotted the fugitive at a Corona gas station will split a $100,000 reward approved Tuesday by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

A panel ruled that the trio played an instrumental role in the February manhunt for ex-LAPD officer Christopher Dorner, who killed the daughter of a former LAPD captain and her fiancé, a Riverside police officer and a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s detective during a rampage from Feb. 3 to 12.

Dorner is also responsible for paralyzing a Riverside police officer from the neck down, the board said.

Karen and Jim Reynolds will receive $80,000, and Daniel McGowan will receive $20,000 of the supervisors’ reward, to be paid from the board’s discretionary funds.

Full Coverage: Christopher Dorner Manhunt | Timeline | Dorner's Manifesto

McGowan was driving to work along an unpaved fire road in Big Bear Lake on Feb. 7 when he came across Dorner’s burning truck. That discovery “gave law enforcement their first solid evidence” that Dorner was in the Big Bear Lake area, according to the LA County Board of Supervisors.

For his role, McGowan was also awarded 15 percent of a separate $1 million reward offered during the manhunt.

The Reynoldses were rewarded the bulk of that separate million-dollar reward, and on Tuesday were granted the majority of the supervisors' reward.

The couple was taken captive by Dorner in the hours leading up to Dorner’s death in a fiery shootout.

A former Navy reservist who served tours overseas, Dorner tied up the pair in their Big Bear cabin then stole their car. After being restrained for some 15 minutes, Karen Reynolds hopped to her cellphone and called 911. Agents found Dorner 30 minutes later.

Four parties filed failed claims for the supervisors' $100,000 reward, including a man who pointed officers in Dorner’s direction after witnessing a shootout in Big Bear, and a man who was carjacked by Dorner.

The carjack victim, Rick Heltebrake, also filed a claim for a separate $1 million reward but was denied.

That roughly $1 million reward pot was created by several Southern California agencies during the frantic manhunt.

In the months after Dorner’s death, two entities pulled their portion of that million-dollar reward.

The city of Riverside and the Peace Officers Research Association of California rejected paying their share of the reward, saying conditions were not met, namely that Dorner – who killed himself during the manhunt – be arrested and convicted for the killing spree.

The LA County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday recognized that the slain suspect’s conviction is impossible, before voting to approve its reward.

The 33-year-old died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Feb. 12 as officers surrounded the Big Bear-area cabin in which he was holed up, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. The cabin then caught fire.

In an online manifesto, Dorner vowed violence against law enforcement agents and their families until his “name was cleared.” He was fired from the force in 2008, accused of falsely accusing a fellow officer of kicking a suspect.

An LAPD report in June ruled that Dorner was justifiably fired from the force.

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A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter, two cutters and two response boats searched for a missing Oceanside fisherman along a 17-mile stretch of California coastline.

Loren Ruden, 53, has been missing for more than 48 hours.

The search grid is 17 miles wide and stretches from San Mateo Point to La Jolla.

Ruden launched from Oceanside Marina around 11:30 a.m. Monday morning. His dog was found sitting on the beach just north of Oceanside Pier later that day.

A passer-by set in motion this search, after calling the phone number engraved on the dog's collar.

Ruden’s wife told the USCG that her husband was an avid boater and fisherman who never went anywhere without his trusted Lab Mix companion.

Ruden's 21-foot Striper he named "Lucky Dog" was found 10 miles northwest of La Jolla Tuesday more than 12 hours after he was reported missing.

The boat was traveling in circles at idle speed with no one aboard.

Oceanside Harbor Police towed it to Del Mar Boat Basin at Camp Pendleton.

Fisherman Paul Hartman says his son Josh and fiancée Anna disappeared five years ago after leaving this same marina on a one-day fishing expedition.

“I don't know how you deal with something like l that. I just try to keep going,” Hartman said.

Their boat, “The Pelican”, turned up empty on the shore of Rosarito in Mexico. Their personal belongings were still on board. The couple hasn't been seen since.

“You can slip so quick especially when it's a little bit rough and you're working hauling gear in when the swell and the wind waves hit you from one side,” Hartman said.

Like The Pelican, The Lucky Dog showed no signs of foul play.

Searchers and the Ruden family are holding out hope Loren will soon be found.

Due to the extraordinary circumstances of Ruden's disappearance, the investigation has been handed over to the FBI.

The agency is responsible for cases involving U.S.-based ships and instances that occur within 12 miles of our shoreline.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard told NBC 7 that searchers had found a life jacket in the search area, but officials believe it's too old to have been used by Ruden.

A private searcher said he heard a report of a body spotted nine miles west of Del Mar, but found nothing when he and his crew combed that area.

The big, the small and the wacky will have their day in the sun when Guinness World Records' new book hits stores on Thursday.

The 2014 book features new extraordinary records like the Largest Lollipop, Largest Walking Robot and Tallest Rideable Motorcycle.

Those who made "small" strides ware also featured in a big way. The Shortest Donkey — standing at 2 feet, 1 inch — made the cut, and so did Miley, the Smallest Living Dog, who stands at 3.8 inches tall.

There is even room for the speedy: Ozzy, a Border Collie and Kelpie crossbreed, holds the title for the Fastest Crossing of a Tightrope by a Dog, after he performed the trick at a record 18.22 seconds on Feb. 1.

The book goes on sale Wednesday for $28.95. A free augmented reality app introduced last year is back on iTunes and Google Play, and it features interactive elements like 3D animation, photo galleries and videos.

Click through the gallery above to see some of the world's most incredible feats.

San Diego's mayoral race could be on track to producing the largest slate of candidates in the city's history.

The size of the potential special election field has more than doubled in a week's time– to 33 people who have filed state notice-of-intent forms with the City Clerk’s office.

Not everyone in this mosh of mayoral hopefuls is expected to actually qualify for the November 19 ballot.

20 was the historical high-water mark in 1983.

While real "name recognition" applies to only five, the other lesser-known candidates have some pointed messages for them.

"We're heading down the road of Chicago, Detroit and Stockton,” said Atty. Hud Collins, an early-bird among the mayoral hopefuls. “They're ready to go under, and we are also…and until the candidates-- especially the ones that will get the most exposure-- understand that and put forth a (financial) plan, we're no place."

Collins issued that challenge directly to the two councilmembers in the race– Republican Kevin Faulconer and Democrat David Alvarez– during a non-agenda public comment session at Tuesday morning’s council meeting.

The other three major contenders to whom Collins referred as in line for prominent exposure are former Assembly Members Nathan Fletcher and Lori Saldana and former City Attorney Mike Aguirre, all Democrats.

"Most of them are empty suits, unfortunately,” Collins said in an interview with NBC 7. "They don't have a clue. They might get elected. But I haven't seen any real ideas from any of the big candidates."

Not a charitable thing to say about people who have held elected office, compiled records to run on, and gotten some influential endorsements.

Should all that just be dismissed by a long-shot entry in a crowded field of mostly obscure wanna-be mayors?

Many San Diegans interviewed at random Tuesday found the idea of 33 candidates somewhat mind-boggling.

“At least shrink it down to 10 or 11 or something,” downtown resident Shirley Antunez said. “To study every single one of them and choose which one will be the right one? It's quite a hard choice."

Some seemed to welcome a high level of civic engagement.

"It would seem to make the most sense to have the maximum amount of discourse from which people then, hopefully, would educate themselves on the issues,” said Mission Hills resident Sean Schwerdtfeger. “And if democracy wins out, we'll get a good mayor."

Among longtime city hall observers, 'the chalk' in the race goes to money, media and name recognition.

Said political strategist Jon Elliott, phrasing the issue in the form of a rhetorical question: "Who's going to invite 33 people to a candidates' debate? I mean, we've had dinner parties that don't have that many people...how many people have 33 friends that they could name? It's really a clown car when it gets to that stage."

"The more, the merrier" also may not be so taxpayer-friendly, in terms of the printing and material costs for the election packets.

The Registrar of Voter’s high-end, "bottom-line" financial projection for what the city could spend on the November 19 election: $6 million.

History shows that many potential candidates who "pull’ and file papers" don't wind up meeting the requirements to qualify for the ballot.

But at this point, 10 days away from the filing deadline, the 30-year-old record of 20 mayoral candidates is looking shaky.
 

A San Diego-based U.S. Navy sailor, with his flight deck uniform as protection, ran into a burning building to try and save a woman from a deadly fire Wednesday.

The woman died and two others were taken to the Regional Burn Center at UC San Diego after fire engulfed a first-floor apartment on Park Way in Chula Vista.

“Picture turning an oven on to 400 degrees and putting your face in it, that’s what it felt like,”  Eric Welsh said.

Several people rushed to help the tenants - a woman, her ex-husband and her son. Some were bandaged after cutting their elbows to get to fire extinguishers. One man was burned on his arm.

Flames broke out inside the lower unit of the Royal Apartments just before 10 a.m. When firefighters arrived, flames were shooting from the door and windows.

Before fire crews got there, Welsh and other neighbors went into the burning apartment multiple times looking for the woman who was said to be still trapped inside.

The flames were too hot and the smoke was too thick, he said.

Residents say the victim lived in the unit with her ex-husband and her son. The two family members were already outside the apartment, sitting on the ground and looking dazed according to neighbors.

As soon as he heard a woman was still inside the burning unit, Welsh ran back to his own apartment to grab his uniform.

Afterwards, he held up the long-sleeved yellow shirt he used to protect himself from the flames.

It's the same shirt he wears on the job as an aircraft carrier deckhand based out of NAS North Island.

Other people tried to use fire extinguishers but they were no match for the flames.

It was impossible, it was just too much, Welsh said.

All were very upset by the fact that they couldn’t save the woman.

The couple was still living together for financial reasons, neighbors said.

Less than an hour after the fire was reported, crews were knocking down parts of the unit to check for embers.

No word on what caused the fire.

As the search for a missing Oceanside fisherman continues, the man’s sister made an emotional plea to the San Diego community Wednesday to help find her brother.

“He’s been on the water almost 48 hours now. We just need help. If you have a boat, or some type of watercraft please, please get in the water and help,” pleaded Angie Richards.

“I’m just begging San Diego to get out in the water. I need people to get on the water to help my brother, to help find him, and adopt him. Pretend he’s part of your family, go out and look for him. If we all work together, we can get him home,” she continued through tears.

Loren Ruden, 53 (pictured below with his family) has been missing at sea for more than 48 hours.

The U.S. Coast Guard and FBI are leading the charge in the extensive search for Ruden – a search grid that spans a 17-mile stretch of the California coastline, from San Mateo Point to La Jolla.

Officials say Ruden launched from Oceanside Marina around 11:30 a.m. Monday. His dog, Sadie, was found sitting on the beach just north of Oceanside Pier later that day.

A passer-by called the phone number engraved on Sadie’s dog tag, reaching Ruden’s wife and setting the search in motion.

On Tuesday, Ruden’s 21-foot Striper he named “Lucky Dog” was found 10 miles northwest of La Jolla traveling in circles at idle speed with no one aboard.

The boat was towed in by Oceanside Harbor Police and processed by investigators for evidence.

Richards -- tearful but still hopeful for her older brother’s safe return – said investigators have been analyzing the GPS found in Ruden’s boat, using the device to pinpoint his last known location.

She said investigators and her family are sure he’s somewhere in the Oceanside Harbor area, possibly a bit north and a few miles out.

However, given the distance between where Ruden’s dog and boat were found, the search area is large.

“We need help. The more boats out there the better. We have one goal, and that’s to get my brother home, back to his family,” Richards told NBC 7 on Wednesday.

With ongoing assistance from authorities, including the U.S. Coast Guard, FBI, Oceanside Police Department and lifeguards, plus the public, Richards is confident her brother will be found.

Richards said Ruden is an experienced boater and fisherman who goes out on the water every few days, often times with his dog.

“He knows the water well, and he’s super tough. He’s a smart boater,” she explained.

Experience, combined with good health and a tough will to live, makes Richards believe that her brother is fighting to survive out there.

“His family is his life, and he would be fighting every second to make it. I don’t care what the statistics say, he knows people are waiting for him -- his wife and kids are waiting for him,” said Richards. “He is so missed right now.”

For boaters who want to help in the search, Richards said there’s a ramp at Oceanside Harbor where boaters can meet with officials, who will then direct boaters on where they should go.

Richards said her family and Ruden’s friends are in “action-mode” and will continue searching until they find him. Still, questions linger in her mind that make every hour and every second more difficult than the last.

“[Our family] doesn’t seek out danger. We’re just like, ‘Why? Why us? Why my brother’s family?’”

Local fisherman Joey Helgren, who owns Helgren’s Sportfishing in Oceanside, planned to spend Wednesday in the water searching for Ruden with friends.

He told NBC 7 that he and his 30-person crew of friends felt compelled to do their part.

Helgren has personal past experience searching for someone missing at sea. About 10 years ago, his nephew disappeared under similar circumstances during a fishing trip. His nephew’s boat also wound up drifting a long distance away, from La Jolla to Encinitas Point.

Helgren believes a powerful current could have pushed Ruden out to sea, but may also eventually push him back to the point where he launched from in Oceanside.

Helgren hopes Ruden has found something to cling onto, such as a piece of wood, to keep his body partially out of the water and increase his chances of survival.

“For the last three or four months we’ve had a current that’s been running up the coast. It’s very strong,” he explained. “We will search with our big boat and 60 eyeballs looking in all directions. We’ll go back out and look again and again.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. Coast Guard told NBC 7 that searchers had found a life jacket in the search area on Wednesday, but officials believe it's too old to have been used by Ruden.

A private searcher said he heard a report of a body spotted nine miles west of Del Mar, but found nothing when he and his crew combed that area.

Federal health officials announced the computer system allowing Americans to sign-up for insurance under the Affordable Care Act is ready ahead of an Oct. 1 deadline.

Health-care 'data hub' is ready, White House officials say (The Washington Post)

• The "data hub," is a system that will verify people's Social Security numbers, immigration status and other information when they go to government websites to buy health plans and apply for government subsidies. 
• The computer system will be able to fact-check parts of a person's application in real time to determine their eligibility for subsidies or Medicaid.

Obamacare tax guide for individuals (CNN Money)

• Most Americans will be required to buy health insurance in 2014 or pay a penalty. That penalty will be equal to a percentage of one's household income, or whichever is greater. The penalty starts at $95 per person or 1% of income in 2014; rises to $325 or 2% of income in 2015; and then increases to $695 or 2.5% of income in 2016.
• Federal tax subsidy: Anyone making up to 400% of the poverty line qualifies. In 2014, an individual making $45,960 or a family of four with household income up to $94,200 is eligible.
• Medicare surtax on wages and investment income: Earners of more than $200,000 annual income ($250,000 if married) will be taxed another 0.9% on top of the 1.45% Medicare tax they already pay.

A rocket wasn't the only thing blasted into the air during last week's NASA launch on Virginia's Eastern Shore.

A frog went, too -- and the bizarre moment was captured in a photograph taken by a remote NASA camera.

Granted, that frog only went a few feet into the air, while the unmanned LADEE spacecraft is going all 238,850 miles to the moon.

Wallops Island spokesperson Jeremy Eggers confirmed to NBC Washington that the image is legitimate and was not altered in any way.

The image was taken by a still camera triggered by sound.

"It's an authentic photo -- there were about eight or nine frames in the sequence; however, this is the only one showing the image of a frog," Eggers said via email.

Still skeptical? The frog appears larger than viewers might expect because it was closer to the camera than the rocket.

Chris Perry, who set up the camera, estimates it was about 150 feet from the rocket. The frog was probably only about 50 feet from the camera, he said.

But the one question everyone wants to know is: What was the fate of that frog?

"LADEE is doing well right now, but we are not certain of the frog's fate," Eggers said.

The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) -- which lifted off at 11:27 p.m. Friday aboard a Minotaur V rocket -- is set to reach the moon Oct. 6.

Once there, the spacecraft will orbit for a few months, analyzing lunar dust and the atmosphere, according to the Associated Press.

While this wasn't the first time NASA caught something like this on camera, it's the first time at Wallops Island.

"Our photo archive contains launch sequence photos from every launch, and none that I’ve seen so far has shown us anything like this before," Perry said via email. "Definitely a surprise to us (and a little sad)."

The image garnered plenty of reaction on NBC Washington's Facebook page.

"Ground Control to Major Frog," quipped Michael Kuzniar.

Full image courtesy of NASA below:

ALSO SEE:

• NASA Launches Robotic Explorer to Moon from Va.
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A Southern California school is forgiving its principal after he admitted to deleting and changing students’ grades, including those of his own daughter, the Ventura County Star reported.

John Hynes, principal of private Christian school Grace Brethren High School in Simi Valley, will keep his job despite changing the grades within the last academic year because he asked his superiors for forgiveness on Wednesday, the paper reported.

"I made a human mistake. Thank God the school didn’t fire me like another organization would have," Hynes told the Star.

School records obtained by the Star showed Hynes deleted the test grades of four students -- including his own daughter, whose history class grade he changed from a C to a B.

Anke Saldarriaga, a former Spanish teacher at Grace Brethren, told the Star that Hynes changed her students' letter grades to one higher without telling her.

Hynes admitted to changing the grades but said he did so because the two students were not in class the day the test date was announced. He also claimed Saldarriaga violated school policy by assigning "too much weight" to the test.

Hynes has worked for Grace Brethren since 2005.

The school has not responded to requests for comment from NBC4.

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A man fell four stories through a skylight on the roof of an MIT fraternity house on Wednesday, officials said.

The 18-year-old man suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to Boston Fire Department officials. The man fell through the skylight shortly after 11:30 p.m. ET and landed on the first floor staircase of the building located near Kenmore Square, a busy area at the heart of Boston's nightlife, according to Boston.com.

The building is home to the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity, but officials have not confirmed whether the victim is a student at the school or a resident of the house, according to Boston.com.

The man was taken to Brigham and Women's Hospital, officials said.

A Newtown police lieutenant is under fire for his late response to Sandy Hook Elementary School on the morning of Dec. 14, police sources said.

The Newtown Police Union learned this week that Lt. George Sinko received a written reprimand from Chief Michael Kehoe, according to the police union.

However, police sources told NBC Connecticut officers are upset and believe Sinko’s punishment has been too lenient.

Sources said Sinko was directing traffic at a construction site when the first emergency calls came through for shots fired at Sandy Hook Elementary.

While police officers rushed to the scene, Sinko stayed at the construction site, then stopped at the police department on his way to the school, police sources said. 

Sources said Sinko arrived at the school at least an hour after Adam Lanza opened fire, killing 20 students and six educators before turning the gun on himself.

NBC Connecticut left several phone messages and sent emails to Kehoe but did not hear back.

Kehoe told the Danbury News Times that Sinko was off duty during the shooting and was being disciplined for “failure to carry his radio and failure to keep it on.”

"He was not going to be a first responder, Kehoe told the paper. "He was not on duty at that moment. When he did arrive, he was immediately given responsibilities that would have overwhelmed most officers, and he performed admirably."

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended the search for a man who went missing while boating near the Oceanside Harbor earlier this week, officials confirmed Wednesday night.

As of 7 p.m., authorities had called off the search for Loren Ruden, 53, who’s been missing at sea since Monday.

“After an exhaustive search effort utilizing a significant number of crews and assets, we’ve come to the very difficult decision to suspend this search,” said Capt. Sean Mahoney, the commander of Sector San Diego in a statement released Wednesday. "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mr. Ruden, and my deepest sympathy goes out to them."

Officials say Ruden launched from Oceanside Marina around 11:30 a.m. Monday. His dog, Sadie, was found sitting on the beach just north of Oceanside Pier later that day.

A passer-by called the phone number engraved on Sadie’s dog tag, reaching Ruden’s wife and setting the search in motion.

On Tuesday, Ruden’s 21-foot Striper he named “Lucky Dog” was found 10 miles northwest of La Jolla traveling in circles at idle speed with no one aboard.

In the last 48 hours the U.S. Coast Guard and FBI have led the charge in the extensive search for Ruden – a search grid that spans a 17-mile stretch of the California coastline, from San Mateo Point to La Jolla.

However, there is still no trace of the missing man.

Coast Guard officials say their search for Ruden has covered 2,170 square nautical miles. Multiple crews have assisted in the effort, including crews from Coast Guard Sector San Diego, Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Oceanside Harbor Police, Customs and Border Protection, as well as several volunteers.

Various air crews have also searched continuously for Ruden since his disappearance, including crews on board two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters, two MH-65 Dolphin helicopters, crews from Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Multi-role Enforcement Aircraft crew.

Meanwhile, search and rescue coordinators working in the Joint Harbor Operation Center have also aided in the search, officials said.

On Wednesday NBC 7 spoke with Ruden’s sister, Angie Richards, about his disappearance. Richards said she’s holding out hope for her brother’s safe return and begged local boaters to get out there and help bring Ruden home.
 

After more than 250,000 unwanted books were trashed by Fairfax County, hundreds of Virginians gathered Wednesday, asking libraries to halt the seemingly wasteful act.

A fired-up crowd gathered at George Mason Library in Annandale, Va., some carrying protest signs, expressing outrage at the county for allowing the tossing of thousands of "unwanted" books, found inside a dumpster.

The move was all part of a cost-cutting attempt, which also called for lowering education requirements and salaries for library staff.

"Many people feel that because of the internet, anyone can research anything. You need a librarian to guide you through these databases and you need someone who's qualified," former college professor Mary Zimmerman told Washington's News4.

After Wednesday's Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees meeting, the board decided send the entire "cost-cutting" plan back to the drawing board.

The board vowed to donate or sell any unwanted books in the future.

Run, Charlie, Run

With the Chargers heading to Philadelphia to face the new-look Eagles Sunday, San Diego needed its own version of Michael Vick.

Enter second-string quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, who ran the scout team offense Wednesday and simulated Vick-like situations for the Chargers defense.

"I'm trying to do my best impersonation," Whitehurst said, smiling. "I thought I was pretty good."

It's a challenge for anyone to really emulate the Eagles, as their first game under new head coach Chip Kelly consisted of a (hyper) no-huddle spread offense that resulted in 443 total yards and a victory over the Washington Redskins.

"The tempo is really quick," Whitehurst said. "They run a bunch of plays at you that other teams don't do. Obviously Chip Kelly is the only guy in the league who's really doing it."

The attempts at re-creating Philadelphia's offense are, well … exhausting.

"You try the best you can and it tires you out," Whitehurst said.

Still, it was a welcome challenge for the athletic quarterback, who teammates describe as "quick" and "a scrambler."

"I have a lot of fun with it," Whitehurst said. "You try to hide the smiles … You hope you don't keep it and run yourself too much, give the defense a good look. It's a lot of fun."

Added linebacker Donald Butler: "He took [the ball] a couple times and he was running with it. He looked good.

"Charlie can run, now. Charlie can run."

High Flying Eagles

The Chargers have a short week to prepare for an Eagles offense that is not only unfamiliar, but at times, unforgiving.

"I think it's going to be fun, " said linebacker Jarret Johnson. "It's definitely all new to me. It's kinda weird because I'm asking all the young guys, what was it like when you played against [Kelly] in college? I never played against an offense like this. All the young guys have, whether it was Oregon or a similar offense.

"It's kinda weird, I'm going to a second year player who's on the practice squad, trying to get tips from him."

The Eagles ran 53 plays in the first half of their season opener, stunning (and exhausting) the Redskins' defense.

"It's about the speed," Butler said. "You have to be ready for the speed. If you're not, then you're going to get gassed."

Cam Can't

The NFL's vice president of officiating, Dean Blandino, admitted Tuesday that the personal foul against Cam Thomas in the fourth quarter of the season opener was the wrong call.

Thomas was fouled for unnecessary roughness with Texans long snapper Jon Weeks. The penalty gifted the Texans with a new set of downs, which resulted in a touchdown and a huge momentum shift for Houston.

Thomas takes full responsibility -- saying he shouldn't have put the team in that position at all -- but still, the blown call is a tough one to take.

"It's very frustrating, knowing where we were at," Thomas said. "Just 'what if' … I gotta keep moving forward though."

It was a bittersweet ending for an otherwise solid performance from Thomas, who made an interception off a tipped ball on the Texan's first play from scrimmage.

"It felt really good," he said. "I wish I had a pick six. Next time I'm gonna get my Danario Alexander on, dunking on a goalpost. I'll show you how to really dunk."

Thomas is, of course, referring to Alexander's signature touchdown move … the goalpost dunk. It's also a trademark of wide receiver Malcom Floyd.

Te'o Watch

Manti Te'o worked on the side field Wednesday, still trying to recover from what the team is calling a "bruised foot." Te'o missed the first start of the season and could miss the second as well.

Head coach Mike McCoy, in mysterious McCoy fashion, declined to give too many details about whether the linebacker could return to practice this week.

"You'll see tomorrow," he said.

If Te'o doesn't start against Philadelphia, expect Bront Bird to take his place. Bird recorded 14 tackles in the season opener, the most he's had in his NFL career.

Lawmakers are poised on Thursday to vote on SB 135, proposed by State Sen. Alex Padilla, on a bill that would facilitate the development of a statewide early warning system earthquakes.

The bill would direct the Office of Emergency Services to collaborate with the Seismic Safety Commission, UC Berkeley and the USGS to work on an early warning system.  It could give 30 seconds warning – maybe more – that a quake was coming. 

Scientists can predict risks, but precise timing and strength is the challenge.  The system envisioned would be like one similar to those being used in places like Japan and Mexico.  However, the infrastructure is not in place.  It would require  the technology for a network of accurate sensors plus the technology to trigger an alert.

This bill would give the OES the responsible for managing the system.  Estimates are the system could cost $80 million.  The bill would need to go back to the Senate before heading to the governor’s desk.