The California Highway Patrol issued a statewide Amber Alert Thursday afternoon for a missing teenager from Washington State.

Washington police said a 14-year-old girl was abducted in the town of Kennewick at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The CHP issued the alert because they think the girl and her abductor may be headed to Mexico.

Her boyfriend, Edwardo Fabian Flores Rosales, was last seen driving a 2001-2003 green Ford Escape with a roof rack, custom wheels, and temporary Washington plates.

A surveillance photo of the actual vehicle is below.

The victim, Elizabeth Romero, is a 14-year-old Hispanic female. She has brown hair, is 5'3" and weighs 130 pounds. 

She was last seen wearing a white tank top and dark pants.

She was carrying a backpack and a pink purse.

Anyone who seems them is asked to call 911.

The photo on the right below is surveillance video of the actual vehicle Flores was last seen driving. 

'Tis the season for giving, but police have arrested a Salvation Army worker accused of stealing donations from a Connecticut supermarket.

Brandon Martin, a 28-year-old homeless man who was working for the charity, is accused of stealing Salvation Army donations customers were making at the Stop and Shop supermarket at 50 Windsorville Road in Vernon Thursday.

One of the store managers called police at 11:47 a.m. and reported that Martin took a Salvation Army collection from in front of the store and stole a sandwich, a bag of chips and a drink from the supermarket.

When police apprehended Martin, he had the Salvation Army collection bucket. He was working as a Salvation Army volunteer at the time, Vernon police said.

The manager confiscated the bucket and locked it in the store’s cash room for safekeeping, contacted Salvation Army management to let them know what happened and asked that they pick up the collection bucket.

While the manager was on the phone with Salvation Army, Martin found another store employee and convinced that person to return him the bucket, police said.

Martin still had a Salvation Army uniform and a bell, and the employee did not know what had transpired, so the person gave Martin the bucket, police said.

With bucket in hand, Martin ran from the store and police caught up to him on Berger Road, a short distance from the store, police said.

In addition to the locked collection bucket, Martin had $16 that police believe was meant to go in the donation bucket.

Martin allegedly had one $5 bill and 15 $1 bills that were each folded up individually. Police said this was donation money that customers had handed Martin, who put the money in his pocket rather than the bucket.

When officers confronted Martin, he admitted to trying to steal the money, police said.

Officials from the Salvation Army said Martin has been fires.

"I really do think this was an individual incident and by in large, the people that are out working for the Salvation Army collecting money for the needy are doing a great job," Detective James Grady, of the Vernon Police Department, said.

Martin was charged with larceny in the sixth degree. He is being held in lieu of a $500 bond and is due in Rockville Superior Court Friday.

Police returned all of the money and the donation bucket to the Salvation Army.

A witness of a violent attack in Hillcrest helped police create a composite sketch of one of the suspects.

The incident happened around 6 p.m. on Nov. 24. Police say a family of three was walking in the 3900-block of 3rd Avenue when they were approached by two men.

According to police, the son was wearing a shirt that said “Circus Liquor.” One of the suspects said he was “disrespecting East LA” by wearing that shirt. That’s when first suspect threw the son onto a car.

When the mom tried to stop the man from beating up her son, he grabbed her neck—choking her—and threw her into the bushes, according to officials.

Police say the second suspect held her husband back so he couldn't intervene.

Both the mom and son were hospitalized for minor injuries.

A witness was able to provide police with enough description of the second suspect to make a composite (pictured above.) Otherwise, the suspects have similar descriptions. Both are said to be in their 20s, about 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds. Both were wearing dark clothing.

A man was hospitalized Thursday night after he crashed his car, ultimately flipping the vehicle and becoming wedged between two homes on the city’s South Side.

Police said the driver, 20-year-old Cristian Salazar, faces a felony charge for driving under the influence, driving on a revoked driver’s license and striking private property after he crashed his car around 10:40 p.m. Thursday in the 9800 block of Van Vlissingen Road.

Salazar was the only person in the vehicle at the time of the crash and no other injuries were reported.

He was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and was listed in good condition, police said.
 

Travis Ganong has been this can't-miss talent for years, the U.S. downhill skier always on the precipice of big things.

That distinction arrived with good reason — he attacks a course a lot like former skiing great Daron Rahlves, the four-time Olympian that Ganong grew up idolizing.

Maybe a bit uncomfortable with the "skier most likely to break out" label in years past, Ganong embraces that title now.

And this would certainly be a good time for a breakout, with the Sochi Games two months away.

"I'm definitely ready, ready for sure, to be fighting for the podium every single day," said the 25-year-old Ganong, who finished seventh in a downhill training run on Thursday, 0.55 seconds behind Canadian Erik Guay's winning time. "I've had a lot of experience now on the World Cup tour. I'm very solid on my skis, very balanced, comfortable on the World Cup hills. Just ready. Hopefully, this will be the year."

Ganong has shown hints of his talent, taking seventh during a downhill race in Bormio, Italy, last December. He also won a training run at Beaver Creek last season.

What's been holding him back from that elusive first podium spot? Well, the little things, really, he said, like proper diet, training the right way and getting suitable rest. This season, he's focusing on those minute details to shave tenths of seconds off his time.

"Ski racing is such a competitive, tight sport," Ganong said. "There are tiny little variables that separate people from winning a race and getting 10th. Now, it's just a matter of putting myself in a position to win, kicking out of the starting gate and letting all the pieces kind of fall in place.

"I'm ready to go to the next level."

There are those on the World Cup circuit who believe that as well.

"He's a great technical skier," Guay said. "With his technique, he can take some chances that other athletes might not be able to get away with. He's emerging and will be around."

Even more so thanks to all his heart-to-heart chats with Rahlves. They talk all the time about how Ganong can find more speed on a course since he's not the biggest of skiers, just like Rahlves.

"I've modeled my skiing after him because he's a legend," said Ganong, who grew up skiing at Squaw Valley, Calif. "He's just a good role model for me. He's a good friend to have and a good inspiration for my career."

Rahlves also gets through to Ganong. So does U.S. speed coach Andreas Evers. That hasn't always been the case with Ganong. It's not that he's strong-willed so much as he simply grew up freeskiing on the mountain and feeling things out on his own.

"When I made it on the U.S. Ski Team, I kind of butted heads a lot with different coaches," Ganong said. "Skiing fast is pretty simple. You go downhill as fast as you can, fighting gravity the least amount as you can. Other coaches break it down and make it super complicated."

That's not the case with Evers.

"Having Andy on board, he keeps things super simple," Ganong said. "I respect what he says."

As for any added pressure with this being an Olympic year, Ganong said he actually feels more at ease.

"I've been nervous for the start of the season in years past, a little nervous to see if I still have the speed, still have what it takes," Ganong said. "Now, three or four years down the road of doing the same thing, going into this new year, I feel relaxed and ready. I'm ready to go. I can't wait."

People in San Diego are mourning former South African president Nelson Mandela, who died on Thursday.

Several locals from South Africa gathered at Cape Town restaurant in Miramar, which is set to open in a few weeks. The shared their memories of the iconic leader.

“To me, he was the greatest leader of modern times,” said South African native Alan Davis. “He was a man of integrity, and he brought people together. All that he went through, it’s just amazing he came out and looked at freedom for everyone.”

According to South African native Graham Perkett, about 30,000 South Africans live in San Diego. A group of them held a fundraiser last May to help achieve Mandela’s final wish.

“What he really wanted was a children’s hospital where all children of the world could attend,” Perkett said.

When Cape Town restaurant opens, it will feature South African food, dance and live sports. The restaurant will also display a painting called “Face of Change,” which shows Mandela with a wide smile (pictured above.)

Gallery: Nelson Mandela's Life in Photographs

La Jolla resident Rosemary Ryan was the former associate director of the Peace Corps in South Africa. She ran health programs, focusing on HIV, AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

“Madiba was very special. He wanted you to change the world from within and start with yourself,” Ryan said, choking back tears. “That is something I realized I had to do. So it's a great loss for us.”

Ryan’s brother-in-law was Mandela’s helicopter pilot. She says the leader arrived early to every function and would sometimes be ready to leave a half hour before takeoff.

Ryan say Mandela was known as Father, or “Tata."

Mandela was also the topic of conversation Thursday at Imperial Barber Shop in Encanto.

"The name Nelson Mandela means perseverance," Encanto resident Hudson Avery said.

"No matter what my circumstances are, I can overcome," he said. "When I think about him, I think about him as a person that did not let the world beat him."

WorldBeat Center Director Makeda Dread Cheatom echoed the same sentiment.

"He brings a freedom to all of us in his compassion, and his humbleness affects all of us and makes us stronger," Cheatom said.

The WorldBeat Center is planning an African dance and drum celebration to honor Mandela's life. It will be one of several events planned during Kwanzaa, which begins Dec. 26.

A rocket carrying a payload for the U.S. government illuminated the night sky off the coast of Southern California when it launched late Thursday from Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Watch: August Launch of Nation's Tallest Rocket | June 2013: Rocket Dropped From Aircraft

The 19-story tall Atlas V rocket roared from the launch pad northwest of Santa Barbara at about 11:15 p.m. -- a soaring candle that became a distant speck of light as it entered low-Earth orbit. The rocket carried a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, in charge of the nation's system of intelligence-gathering satellites.

The agency has not released details about the payload.

Thursday's launch was the second time an Atlas 5 rocket has lifted off from the West Coast this year. Overall, there have been 77 Atlas V launches from Vandenberg and Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Earlier this year, the tallest launch vehicle in the nation took off from Vandeberg AFB carrying a top-secret defense satellite into space. That launch marked the second time a towering and powerful Delta IV Heavy rocket took off from the West Coast.

The launch was the 11th of 2013 at Vandenberg AFB, according to Col. Keith Balts, 30th Space Wing commander.

 

A federal judge has thrown out a $20 million lawsuit filed by the San Diego-based widow of a U.S. Marine who claimed investigators falsified evidence that resulted in her conviction for her husband’s murder.

Back in 2007, a jury convicted Cynthia Sommer for the 2002 murder of her husband, 23-year-old U.S. Marine Sgt. Todd Sommer, who died in their apartment at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. She was accused of poisoning the active-duty Marine in order to cash in on his military death benefits.

However, a judge ultimately overturned that verdict, ruling that prosecutors had honed in on Sommers’ hard-partying “lifestyle” after her husband’s death and, as a result, “inflamed” the jury to a point that it deprived Sommer of a fair trial. Some of those details presented by prosecutors included information about Sommer’s breast implants and wild times partying in Tijuana.

Sommer was granted a new trial a year later.

But, in April 2008 during preparation for the retrial, the government dropped its case against her when new tests indicated no arsenic was found in Todd Sommer’s preserved tissues.

After serving more than two years in jail, Sommer was released.

In September 2009, Sommer filed a $20 million lawsuit against the federal government, claiming prosecutors and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) falsified evidence and acted with negligence in their investigation because they disapproved of her lifestyle.

In the suit, Sommer also claimed that agents improperly arrested her, withheld key evidence and failed to disclose relevant facts that could have helped her defense.

At the time, Sommer said the lawsuit wasn’t about the money, but rather about the freedom she lost.

Now, more than four years after filing the lawsuit in federal court, a judge dismissed the suit, rejecting all of Sommer’s claims and noting that she failed to prove the allegations.

In a ruling handed down on Thursday in San Diego, U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo wrote:

“The evidence does not support plaintiff’s theory that NCIS agents fabricated evidence or knowingly withheld evidence that they understood to be exculpatory.

Plaintiff argues that NCIS agents investigated her because they wanted to punish her for her lifestyle choices. However, because…there is no evidence showing NCIS willfully acted in a wrongful manner (e.g., that it fabricated evidence), Plaintiff’s abuse of process claim fails.”

The judge also noted that the scientists in the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) lab that tested Todd Sommer’s tissue for traces of arsenic were well-qualified to do so and followed standard procedures during the testing.

In her lawsuit, however, Sommer argued that the federal lab should’ve performed additional testing.

In Thursday's ruling the judge added:

“There is evidence before the Court showing that the AFIP met its standard of care for producing reliable test results...Based on the record before the Court, there is and was no evidence of contamination that the AFIP ignored.”
 

A new report released Wednesday by SANDAG revealed that San Diego County is home to 158 gangs.

So, what's being done about it?

In Oceanside, some teenagers feel it is their responsibility to take back their community.

In a room at Vista’s Community Clinic are teenagers who are looking to make a difference.

In their eyes, there is hope. In their hands, a promise of a better tomorrow.

They are determined to make a brighter future because for some, their past has had some very dark moments. Just ask 18-year old David Garcia.

“It’s incredibly unreal of how that happened,” he explains. "All of a sudden four guys just run up basically they just start shooting. they don't say anything. They don't say much, they just shot us.”

Garcia was one of four innocent teenagers who were shot while at Libby Lake park in March. He was hit multiple times.

Two of his friends, 16-year-old Edgar Sanchez Rios and 13-year-old Melanie Virgen, died in the shooting.

“I did see them die. I saw them dead,” Garcia said.

Garcia has now joined with his peers to make sure what happened to him doesn't happen to anyone else.

"I try to teach them something other than that gang violence. I try to teach them there is more than just the gangs. There's more than just being in a hood where there's just bad stuff going on," said 18-year old Carina Calvillo.

The teens are a part of Vista Community Clinic's Project Reach Step Up mentoring program.

They're paired with 26 Libby Lake elementary school students through the Oceanside Boys and Girls Club.

"We teach them like respect, dignity, trust and education,” said Calvillo

The teens are taking ownership of their roles as Libby Lake's future leaders and responsibility to inspire change for those who will come after them.

"Sometimes they need guidance and people aren't there most of the time so somebody has to be there, somebody has to do it. I'm that person. I'm that somebody,” said Garcia.

The mentor program is made possible in part because of the 21st Century Solutions Grant Challenge.
 

Nelson Mandela will be honored in the United States with an official memorial service next week in Washington, where he inspired early protests against apartheid helped pressure U.S. policy against the practice.

The Washington National Cathedral said Friday that it will host the memorial service at 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Seating for the memorial service will be free, but space is limited.

"We certainly hope that it is a microcosm of our nation. This man deserves it because of what he accomplished," said D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray, who appeared at a press conference announcing the service with South African Ambassador and The Rev. Canon Gina Gilland Campbell of the cathedral.

In the meantime, the South African Embassy will begin prayer services each evening at Mandela's statue in front of the Embassy, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. until Tuesday evening, said South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool.

Condolence books will also be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, Rasool said.

Washington had a deep relationship with Mandela; it was in the nation's capital that local leaders began sit-ins and protests at the South African Embassy that led to the Free South Africa Movement. That history was invoked throughout the announcement Friday.

Though this event will be a high-profile remembrance of Mandela, organizers stressed that they hoped other locations would also hold their own celebrations of his life and work.

"We don't want people to feel discouraged that they couldn't attend," said Nicole Lee, president of TransAfrica. "He meant so much, he embodied so much. There are many ways that the celebrations can be jumping off point for more activism."

A California city has selected a medical marijuana dispensary owner to be mayor over its 7,500 residents, and officials believe he's the first dispensary owner in the nation to hold that post.

The Sebastopol City Council selected 36-year-old Robert Jacob as mayor on Tuesday in a unanimous vote. Jacob is the founder and executive director of Peace in Medicine, which operates two dispensaries in Sonoma County.

Jacob has been on the city council for two years, and most recently was vice mayor. He's worked to create statewide dispensary regulations. He was out of town on Friday and couldn't immediately be reached for in-person comment. But he did issue a statement after being selected for the new post.

MORE: Angry Customer Rams Van into Pot Dispensary

"My life has been about service,"  Jacob said. "By addressing social problems such as homelessness, HIV/AIDS, and access to medical cannabis, we can shape a better world for ourselves."

Sebastopol is a small city about 50 miles north of San Francisco, known for liberal politics and small-town charm. It may be best known for its lush plum and apple growing capabilities. It's known locally for its annual Apple Blossom Festival and Gravenstein Apple Fair.

The new mayor outlined many of his mayoral goals: Increasing the diversity of local business and prioritizing pedestrian improvements and road maintenance.

Jacob, a self-described champion of the "disenfranchised," said that he also wants to help patients "who need safe access to medical cannabis."

"As a mayor," he wrote as a guest commentator in the Sonoma County Gazette, "I can facilitate even more public policy work in my efforts to providing help to those in need."
 
Americans for Safe Access, which advocates for safe and legal access to therapeutic marijuana, called Jacob's selection as mayor historic and unprecedented.

"This historic, unprecedented vote in Sebastopol illustrates that the medical marijuana community has political strength and the influence to elect advocates to public office,"  Don Duncan, California Director with Americans for Safe Access, the country's largest medical marijuana advocacy group said in a statement.  "Although medical marijuana enjoys the support of 80 percent of Americans, Jacob's election as mayor of Sebastopol brings additional legitimacy to the patient community."

After opening Peace in Medicine in 2007, Jacob began serving on the Sebastopol Planning Commission in 2011, then successfully ran for city council in 2012.

With a winter storm barreling down on North Texas, officials canceled two major events scheduled for this weekend: The MetroPCS Dallas Marathon and the Children's Medical Center holiday parade.

After meeting with the City of Dallas, Dallas Police Department and Office of Special Events, marathon officials decided Friday to cancel the event.

"Safety of our participants, as well as our volunteers and spectators, is our primary concern on MetroPCS Dallas Marathon race weekend," according to a news release Friday afternoon. "We regret that the race will not go on as planned, but are confident this decision is in the best interest of our runners, volunteers, spectators and the general public."

Children’s Medical Center, which was going to host its holiday parade on Saturday, canceled the annual event on Thursday. It's the first time the parade has been canceled in 26 years.

Runners Were Prepared for Cold Conditions

Before the marathon was canceled, runners were buying layers of clothing to wear in the race, including hats and gloves, according to David Douglas, a manager at RunOn! Dallas, a retail running store.

“We haven't really been able to acclimate that much to cold weather yet. It’s always nice when you have a chance to do some runs in some cold, but we really haven't had that yet,” Douglas said.

Douglas had competed in the Dallas marathon 14 times and planned to run again Sunday -- using a trash bag to stay warm.

“It’s one of the greatest things that you can put over you. Keep your body warm,” Douglas said.

Stacy Yervasi, who ran in this year’s Boston Marathon and finished 30 minutes before the deadly bombings, also wanted to run regardless of the weather.

“I feel very strongly about running my hometown race coming off of Boston,” Yervasi said.

Now, she won't get the chance.

The federal government has issued an emergency order requiring Metro-North to install two crew members at the controls of trains in areas with significant speed restrictions, following a deadly crash on a curve where the limit was 30 mph.

The order from the Department of Transportation comes five days after a train broke apart on a sharp curve in the Bronx, sending cars sliding toward the Harlem River. Four people were killed, dozens were injured and the train was later found to have been going 82 mph.

The DOT said its emergency order "will help ensure that other Metro-North trains travel at appropriate, safe speeds."

It requires the agency to immediately place two crew members at the controls of trains traveling through areas where the speed limit changes by 20 mph or more.

Meanwhile, Metro-North must provide the DOT's Federal Railroad Administration with a list of those areas, and must make improvements to its signal systems to better warn engineers of approaching speed limit changes.

Metro-North must have a plan for making those improvements by Dec. 31, the DOT said.

The MTA said in a statement that it is working with the federal government to review policies and procedures and added "we will of course comply with whatever requirements the FRA directs us to follow."

The lawyer for the engineer in Sunday's crash has said he experienced a hypnotic-like "daze" before realizing something was wrong and hitting the brakes.

The NTSB has not ruled on a cause for the speeding train, and has not commented on the engineer's condition just before the derailment.

Fifteen people were hurt after a woman plowed her car into a crowded Trader Joe's on Long Island, authorities said.

The car slammed into the Trader Joe's on Long Beach Road in Nassau County Friday, pinning a man as it scattered broken glass, groceries and cash registers.

"When the car came through, it was just like shattering glass, and the next thing we knew the registers were like dominoes and went down, 1-2-3," said Elizabeth Donnelly.

Two people were seriously hurt, the rest had minor injuries. A rescue worker on scene said people had broken bones, bruises and head injuries. Some were knocked out.

Officials said it appeared the driver just lost control, but they were still investigating.

A total of 12 people were taken to the hospital.

U2 frontman Bono remembers Nelson Mandela the way many others did: an anti-apartheid, anti-poverty leader who became South Africa's first democratically elected President.

But some of the most intriguing insights in Bono's Time.com tribute to Mandela had nothing to do with him as a leader, but rather what he was like as a person.

"He had humor and humility in his bearing," Bono wrote. "And he was smarter and funnier than the parade of world leaders who flocked to see him."

Mandela's death on Thursday has prompted an outpouring of reactions from world leaders, celebrities and other prominent figures and some of the most heartfelt tributes emerging in the wake of his passing are offering unique perspective into the former South African president's electrifying life.

Mandela damaged his tear ducts while working in the limestone mines, which left him unable to cry, Bono wrote. "For all this man’s farsightedness and vision, he could not produce tears in a moment of self-doubt or grief." Mandela had surgery in 1994 to fix his eye, according to Bono.

Here are six other powerful tributes:

Actor Morgan Freeman touched on Mandela's "wisdom, patience and compassion" in a tribute that was also published Thursday on Time.com. Freeman said he shared a 20-year friendship with Mandela.

"I got to walk with him, talk with him, hold his hand and get to know one of the greatest men who ever lived," Freeman wrote.

Freeman went on to play Mandela in "Invcitus," the 2009 film inspired by rugby player Francois Pienaar, who led the South African national rugby team to the win the World Cup in 1995. Rugby was a symbol of racist white rule for many black people in South Africa, but Mandela saw sports as unifier for his "Rainbow Nation."

Freeman said Mandela's reaction to the movie was "consistent with the true content of his character."

"His only comment after we first screened the movie for him was a humble, 'Now perhaps people will remember me.'" Freeman wrote.

Pienaar, the rugby player portrayed by Matt Damon in the film, recounted his first meeting with Mandela in an interview published on Friday by the Global Post. He said that what he heard first was Mandela's "booming voice," but what he remembers most was the president's "sense of warmth."

"I felt safe," Peinaar said. "I felt like I was in the presence of a very, very wise person."

President Barack Obama also understood the effect Mandela had on people. He said in a speech on Thursday that he drew inspiration from Mandela's work to affect change through politics. But it was Mandela's human side, the president said, that made him effective.

"The fact that he did it all with grace and good humor, and an ability to acknowledge his own imperfections, only makes the man that much more remarkable," Obama said. "As he once said, 'I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.'"

Oprah Winfrey, meanwhile, planned to re-air on OWN Sunday an interview she conducted with Mandela in 2000.

Spending time with him was like "sitting with grace and majesty," Winfrey said in a statement on her website. But Mandela, "always loved to tell a good joke."

New York Times journalist Suzanne Daley, the paper's Johannesburg bureau chief from 1995 to 1999,  remembered Mandela as "quite a dandy" who fussed over his appearance and enjoyed flirting with women.

"He always managed to talk to the women wherever he went," Daley wrote in the Times. "Young or old. He would literally get a sparkle in his eyes when there was a pretty girl around. Even when he didn’t seem to be looking, he took notice. He liked to tease."

Next week's cover of the "New Yorker" magazine will hone in on a different side of Mandela, that of a freedom fighter. It will feature a drawing of a young Mandela with his fist raised. Artist Kadir Nelson said he wanted to make a "simple and bold statement about Mandela and his life as a freedom fighter."

"The raised fist and the simple, stark palette reminded me of posters and anti-apartheid imagery of the nineteen-eighties," Nelson said. "This painting is a tribute to the struggle for freedom from all forms of discrimination, and Nelson’s very prominent role as a leader in the anti-apartheid movement.”

Thousands of San Diegans will gather at Balboa Park this weekend for the annual tradition - December Nights.

Once known as Christmas on the Prado, the large community festival offers everything from live musical performances to carousel rides to festive outdoor caroling.

Sure, everyone knows the museums offer free admission to the December Nights crowds from 5 to 9 p.m. both evenings. But that's not all there is to do. Here's just a sampling of what's offered at the free festival.

• Enjoy the Japanese Friendship Garden for free Saturday from Noon to 4:00 p.m.
• Get your gingerbread house fix at The Mingei International Museum.
• Pick up your roasted chestnuts and cocoa at the San Diego Art Institute.
• Pose with Santa Claus at the San Diego Automotive Museum for a $2 donation
• Celebrate with some Holiday Tuba Friday in the Natural History Museum atrium
• Watch San Diego Civic Youth Ballet perform The Nutcracker at Casa del Prado Theater
• Visit with Jolly Old St. Nick in the Spanish Village
• Dance to reggae in the Kwanzaa celebration at the World Beat Center

December Nights 2013 Entertainment Schedule

Among the different snacks available are the Swedish meatballs and the traditional Swedish beverage Glögg at the California Quadrangle. Of course, you can't go wrong looking for food in the International Cottages. France will have crepes, India will serve samosas and Austria will be cooking up bratwurst with sauerkraut. You may want to swing by the Philippines for lumpia or Panama for tamales.

American fare will be offered at a number of other spots including the hamburgers and hot dogs served up at the San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum.

Complete listing of food offerings

If you're looking for free parking, it's limited to the San Diego Zoo parking lot. There will also be parking offered at $20 per vehicle at the Natural History Museum, South Carousel and Inspiration Point lots.

Free parking for people with disabilities is available in the Federal and Space Theater lots.

You're best bet may be to park at City College for free or PETCO Park for $3 to $5 per vehicle and hop on the free shuttle.

Shuttles run on Friday from 3:00 to midnight and on Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to midnight. You’ll need to get to the shuttle location before 7 p.m. to ensure you’ll catch a shuttle to the event.  All shuttles drop off at 6th Avenue and Laurel Street.

December Nights 2013 Event Parking Map

It's recommended you avoid State Route 163 southbound during the hours of 5 to 8 p.m.

A construction project has closed one lane of Park Boulevard in each direction between University and Polk Avenues.

Prepare ahead of time by downloading a special app designed just for this event. Also, take a moment to see where there will be free WiFi offered and how to access it.

Sunday’s football game between the San Diego Chargers and the New York Giants will be televised locally now that the Bolts have sold enough tickets to avoid a blackout.

The team announced the much-needed uptick in ticket sales Friday for the match-up at Qualcomm Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:25 p.m. PT.

Last Sunday’s

game at Qualcomm was blacked out due to poor ticket sales, per NFL guidelines. Had that happened again, this would’ve been the team’s second consecutive TV blackout this season.

On Thursday, the NFL gave the Bolts 24-hour extension to sell more tickets. At that time, more than 3,000 tickets still had to be sold in order to lift the blackout and have the game aired in local markets.

Though that goal has now been met, as of Friday afternoon, the team said there are still approximately 2,400 general tickets and plenty of Club seats available for Sunday’s game.

Fans who want to buy tickets can do so on the

or by calling (800) 745-3000.

The San Diego Salvation Army reports Red Kettle donations are about half what they were around this time last year.

The charity’s officials say they are concerned about the lost kettle days because of the shortened window between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

For those unable to volunteer as a bell ringer at an actual red kettle, the organization is offering a way for you to start your own red kettle.

Once you create the kettle, you can designate where the funds will go and share the link with friends and family to ask for donations.

Donations can also be mailed to The Salvation Army, 2320 Fifth Avenue, SD 92101 or called into 1 800 SAL ARMY.
 

It may be hours before the intersection is back to normal after a truck slammed into a light pole at Fourth and Cedar in downtown San Diego.

The bakery supply truck ran a red light around 7:20 a.m. according to San Diego police. 

A Prius traveling southbound collided with the truck. Then, the truck driver lost control and drove into a light pole and hydrant.

The impact of the crash destroyed the traffic light which has caused some slowing for people arriving into downtown from Interstate 5.

A hazmat team was called in to help clean up the diesel fuel leaking from the truck, officials said.

Water crews shut off the valve feeding the toppled hydrant.

No one was injured.

Check back for an update on this developing story.
 

Last-minute preparations are underway to make sure everything is perfect for Friday's National Christmas Tree lighting just south of the White House.

A star-studded lineup featuring Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, the Avett Brothers, Train and many others will take the stage before the First Family illuminates the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse.

The festivities were kicking off at with a 4:30 p.m. preshow, followed by the ceremony at 5 p.m. Actress and comedian Jane Lynch is hosting.

But despite the holiday trimmings, that's rain falling outside -- not snow. Performers said they're ready, but the weather will present some challenges.

"A cello, an upright bass, a banjo and an acoustic guitar are very susceptible to the weather conditions," said Bob Crawford of the Avett Brothers.

But for the members of opera trio Forte, it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"A few months ago, we were on 'America's Got Talent,' and we were just kind of normal guys trying it out," said Forte's Josh Page. "And now we're on this bill with Mariah Carey and Janelle Monáe and Aretha Franklin, and we're performing for the president, and it's entirely surreal."

• Official White House Christmas Tree Arrives

However, if you were lucky enough to snag tickets, there are some things you'll need to leave at home, the National Park Service warns.

"Leave home anything that is likely to catch the attention of the Secret Service. Pretend like you're going to the airport; leave home backpacks, leave home liquids; obviously no weapons or knives of any kind," said Mike Litterst with the National Park Service.

Showers and rain are likely throughout the day Friday. But while you are allowed to bring an umbrella, there's a catch -- you can't sit in your seat with your umbrella up.

For those traveling through the area, the evening commute could be a tough one.

Starting at 3 p.m., D.C. and U.S. Park Police will direct traffic away from 15th and 17th streets around the White House, as well as a small stretch of 18th Street.

More than 30 Metrobus routes may also be delayed or detoured Friday evening. Almost a dozen bus stops will be closed during the ceremony.

• Metrobus Service During Tree Lighting

Tickets for the 3,000 seats and 14,000 standing-room spots were made available through a lottery earlier this fall. Only ticketed guests can attend, but you can view the event through livestream on this page. (Check back when the event is scheduled to start.)

President Barack Obama said in his remarks at last year's ceremony that the tree -- which has been replaced twice after the long-standing National Christmas Tree was felled by high winds in February 2011 -- was a symbol of rebuilding and strength.

"In times of war and peace, triumph and tragedy, we've always come together to rejoice in the Christmas miracle," Obama said. "But our tree has been having a hard time recently. ...Just goes to show, nobody's job is safe here in Washington."

Changes to the annual celebration last year included a new stage location to better showcase the White House behind it, a new color scheme for the tree, and, of course, the tree itself.