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Calif. Poultry Plant Shuttered

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The US Department of Agriculture on Wednesday suspended operations at Foster Farms' Livingston, Calif., poultry processing plant after finding an infestation of live cockroaches inside the facility.

The move comes months after a massive salmonella outbreak that spread to at least 23 states and Puerto Rico and sickened hundreds of people, including dozens in California.

"This action is initiated based on egregious insanitary conditions observed in your establishment," the USDA said in a notice of suspension sent to Foster Farms.

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The notice described USDA officials finding live cockroaches at a sink employees use to wash their hands, directly across from an inspection station. At the same time officials made the observation, "slaughter operations were in progress, and exposed product was present on the kill floor," the notice read.

The notice listed cockroaches having been found at a handwashing sink, a production tub, near a sanitizer dispenser box and on the floor.

"Because animal-based organic materials and garbage are excellent breeding media, cockroaches and other pests can transmit disease-causing pathogens, including bacteria," the USDA notice read.

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Foster Farms released a statement to NBC4 in response confirming the temporary closure.

"This morning, a cockroach was observed during plant operations at the company’s Livingston, Calif., plant and the company was notified of four similar incidents since September 2013 in FSIS correspondence today," the Foster Farms statement read. "Foster Farms closed the Livingston facility immediately for sanitization and treatment."

"No other facilities are affected. No products are affected. Product production has been transferred to the company’s other facilities," the statement read.

The poultry processor maintained in its statement that inspectors found five cockroaches in the 250,000 square-foot building since September, adding that "a single incident is not acceptable."

Last year's salmonella outbreak appeared to have begun in March, and the USDA was notified of the illnesses in July, according to the FSIS.

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture had issued a health warning for the chicken but did not issue a recall. A spokesman for Foster Farms said the infections were caused by eating undercooked or improperly handled chicken.

An agreement made in October between the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service and Foster Farms allowed the Foster Farms plants in California, two plants in Fresno and one in Livingston to remain open, as long as they enhance food safety practices.

Some of the salmonella strains are resistant to antibiotics, with a hospitalization rate that's double the normal amount, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Salmonella is a pathogen that contaminates meat during slaughter and processing, and is especially common in undercooked chicken.



Photo Credit: PR NEWSWIRE

Toddler Seizures Treated with Medical Marijuana

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Four-year-old Connor Dalby is a vision of love for his mother, Kelley.

"He's really shown me what love means," she said.

But Kelley says doctors never envisioned Connor making it to this point in his life.

She says they pretty much gave up on Connor. The toddler was in Hospice care and wasn't expected to live to see his 4th birthday.

Connor started having frequent and severe seizures when he was 3-months-old, which kept the Oceanside toddler in and out of the hospital.

"At the worst of it, he lost his eye sight. He was having seizures through his optical nerves and
lost every single developmental skill he gained," Kelley said. "Life consisted of staring off into space."

Not willing to give up, Connor's mom says when the best doctors in the country and their
medical cocktails couldn't stop her son's seizures, she turned to a different medicinal recipe.

It included a diet of a diet of organic foods and fattier meats, reflexive physical therapy and Cannibidiol or CBD, also known as marijuana oil.

Since taking the alternative route, which includes three daily doses of the oil, Kelley says Connor has been seizure-free for one year.

But medical experts, including Dr. Caroline Hastings, are voicing concern because kids like Connor qualify for marijuana cards, and the cannabis use isn't always monitored by a doctor.

"I don't think it's correct to use cannabis in this way," Hastings said. "The most effective way
to use medication like this is in concert with a medical team to make sure that there's no
interference with any other medication to treat the underlying disease and to make sure it's safe."

Kelley says she'd be happy to talk with any doctor who disapproves, saying she'd like to show
video of what her son's life was like the last couple of years compared to what his life looks like now. 

A fundraiser for Connor is scheduled for Feb. 1 at Poinsettia Park's Thorp Field in Carlsbad.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Comcast Worker Shot While Working

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A 45-year-old Comcast employee was critically injured Wednesday in an apparent robbery on Chicago’s South Side, officials said.

Police said the worker was sitting in his vehicle just before 1 p.m. in an alley near 76th Street and Kingston Avenue.

Police say an armed man approached the worker, demanded money, and shot him in the stomach.

But before the shooting occurred, another man walked into the alley and saw what was happening.

"He told me to walk away," said the witness, who asked not to be identified. "I walked away and before I even got to the gate, I heard a gunshot."

The man says the Comcast worker appeared to be complying with the robber.

"I came out of the gate and he was robbing him. He was taking everything from him, going through his pockets and taking everything he had, and the Comcast guy wasn't doing anything, letting him take it," the witness said.

The victim was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition.

“This is shocking news, and our thoughts and prayers go out to our employee and his loved ones,” Comcast said in a statement. “We will continue working with law enforcement as they investigate.”

Police said no one was in custody. The shooting may have been captured on surveillance cameras on buildings in the alley.

Google Offers Workers Ferry Service

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Responding to protests in San Francisco by some over Google buses, the Silicon Valley Internet giant began offering an alternate way to commute to work this week — gliding on water.

On Monday, Google started offering ferry service on a trial basis to take Google employees from the port in San Francisco to Redwood City's port and back, carting up to 150 people aboard the "Triumphant" twice each workday morning and afternoon.

A Google spokeswoman told NBC Bay Area on Tuesday that the program is still in its "very early days."

"We certainly don't want to cause any inconvenience to SF residents and we're trying alternative ways to get Googlers to work," Google said in a statement.

Port of Redwood City Manager Michael J. Giaria said a private bus takes employees from the ferry to the Mountain View Googleplex about 10 miles away. On Monday, he said, there were about 40 Googlers who used the ferry.

Giara said Google has signed a contract through Feb. 7 in Redwood City, and that Google is paying a standard $95 daily docking fee and a $1.75-per-passenger fee. If the boat is full, that would be about $260 a day.

In San Francisco, the rates varied slightly. Port spokeswoman Renee Dunn Martin said the 30-day trial run rate is about $26.50 a day and Multi National Logistics USA is paying the port $4,000 to berth the ferry for a month when not in use at Pier 19. If Google wants to extend the ferry service past a month, the pork will "negotiate a higher rate."

The immediate reaction was mostly positive.

"If it gives people jobs, then yeah, it's OK," said Pearl Villanueva of San Francisco when asked about the service.

And on NBC Bay Area's Facebook page, Melissa Brzescinski wrote: "I think this is awesome!! Why don't more employers do this?? Great idea!"

Still, there were critics.

"If you have the money and the power, you can do anything you want," said Star Amerasu of San Francisco. "I think that really shows in San Francisco with Google and public transportation now they're taking over that. So, they’re doing buses and ferries and soon they’ll do planes and it’s just like everything is going to be taken over people people who have the power."

The search giant had drawn the ire of protestors who share some of Amerasu's opinions and who have been known to block Google buses shuttling Googlers from the city to Silicon Valley. Some critics blame rising rents in the Bay Area on the tech elite, who can afford to pay much more with big salaries. And they said that the high prices just happened to be right around the high-tech bus pick-up and drop-off locations.

MORE: Commuter Buses to Pay Fee to Use San Francisco Bus Stops

Adding to the resentment was the fact that the buses pick up passengers at stops designated for San Francisco's official public transportation without paying the city. However, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said on Monday that the city would start charging the tech buses for stopping at public bus stops.

The bus deal is between Google and other high-tech companies, where the latter will have to pay what equates to about a dollar per stop to use 200 specific Muni zones.That works out to be roughly $100,000 per company during the 18-month project. The estimation is to collect a total of $1.5 million to recoup the costs of the project.

The Google ferry should not be confused with the mysterious Google Barge that appeared on Treasure Island and will eventually become a retail space.

A+new+way+to+get+to+work+for+Google+employees.+A+Google+ferry+is+seen+in+this+photo+by+NBC+Bay+Area+reporter+Kris+Sanchez+taken+Wednesday%2C+Jan.+8%2C+2014.
A new way to get to work for Google employees. A Google ferry is seen in this photo by NBC Bay Area reporter Kris Sanchez taken Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014.

NBC Bay Area's Joe Rosato Jr. and Kris Sanchez contributed to this report.

 



Photo Credit: All American Marine Inc. via YouTube

County Reports First Death of Flu Season

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A 51-year-old San Diego man has died from complications with the flu, according to the County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA.) It’s the first flu-related death in the county this flu season.

According to HHSA, the man died Jan 2. He had Influenza A on top of existing medical conditions.

Meantime, the county is seeing an increase in flu cases for the 2013-2014 flu season compared to 2012-2013. Officials said flu-related visits to local emergency rooms are up 8 percent from last week.

Sharp ER Doctor Robert Patel said the emergency room is seeing about 30 patients more each day compared to a normal day.

“It seems like the flu has suddenly hit San Diego County these last couple weeks,” Patel said.

According to HHSA, eight out of 10 flu cases in San Diego were caused the H1N1 strain. H1N1 is also the predominant strain across the country this flu season. Also known as swine flu, H1N1 became a household word during a worldwide pandemic in 2009.

However, “there is no reason for panic or anxiety here. H1N1 has been with us since the pandemic,” County Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten explained.

Wooten said the best way to avoid the flu is to get a flu shot. The current flu vaccine protects against H1N1, Influenza A, H3N2 and Influenza B.

Dr. Patel recommends seeing a doctor as soon as someone starts to feel flu symptoms, including a sudden onset of fever, body aches, chills and coughing.

“If your symptoms are going on for too long, certainly someone should see you, either your doctor or us,” Patel added.

Health officials said young people, people over 65, people with compromised immune systems and pregnant women are most at-risk for flu complications.

Flu season usually begins in the fall and peaks in January or February, according to flu.gov.

For information on where to get a flu shot, click here.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

One Hurt After Truck Hits Home in Scripps Ranch

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One person was transported to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla after a truck plowed into a home in Scripps Ranch on Wednesday afternoon.

The incident happened at the garage of a private residence in the 10200 block of Mesa Madera Dr.

San Diego police say a tree-cutting truck was working about three houses up on a hill and started rolling down the hill. It hit two other cars, pushed a third one into the garage of the home, then slammed into the garage.

One of the workers with the landscaping company was injured.

The homeowners were not home at the time of the accident. Police are still investigating. The extent of the worker's injuries are unknown.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

DUI Suspect Rams Into Parked Semi-Truck

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A suspected drunk driver sustained major injuries when she rammed her car into a parked semi-truck overnight in the Miramar area, police confirmed.

The crash happened around 12:30 a.m. Thursday in the 9200-block of Activity Road.

According to the San Diego Police Department, a 20-year-old woman suspected of driving under the influence struck a semi-truck with her Chevy Aveo sedan, slamming into the semi-truck’s rear axle.

Police said the driver of the parked semi-truck was sleeping inside the truck at the time and woke up to find the DUI suspect had rammed into his truck.

The woman suffered major facial injuries and head trauma in the collision. The driver of the semi-truck was not harmed and called authorities to report the accident and get help for the woman.

An officer told NBC 7 the underage DUI suspect was allegedly in a drunken stupor when police arrived on scene.

The crash is under investigation. Police spent hours gathering evidence at the scene and said it appears the DUI suspect did not attempt to use her brakes before plowing into the semi-truck.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Man Seriously Injured While Trying to Catch Trolley

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A 37-year-old pedestrian was seriously injured Wednesday night while running to catch a trolley in San Diego’s College East area, officials said.

According to police, the man was running across the 6600-block of Alvarado Road just before 8 p.m. in an effort to catch a ride on the trolley. As he was running, the pedestrian slammed into the side of a trailer that was being pulled by a vehicle.

Police said the man suffered a life-threatening brain bleed and was transported to a local hospital following the incident. His current condition is unknown.
 


3 Vehicles Involved in Escondido Crash

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Four people were involved in a multi-vehicle accident Wednesday night in Escondido, according to fire officials.

Just after 8:30 p.m., three vehicles crashed on San Pasqual Valley Road at Bandy Canyon Road, near San Pasqual Academy.

San Pasqual Valley Road was closed for about an hour, bringing traffic to a standstill.

Officials said an SUV flipped over, causing a chain reaction crash.

Crews rescued a cat from the overturned SUV, according to police. Another cat is still missing.

There is no word on the extent of injuries or what caused the SUV to overturn.

Check back for updates.

Editor's Note: NBC 7 initially reported information from fire officials that six vehicles were involved and seven people were injured. Police have since updated this information to three vehicles and four people. We regret the error.


View San Pasqual Valley Rd & Bandy Canyon Rd in a larger map

Santee Mayor Blames Homeless for Copper Thefts

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A rash of copper thefts has cost the city of Santee thousands of dollars, prompting the city to take extreme measures.

For example, the Maintenance Department has caged its copper and even put up a security camera.

However, it’s the mayor’s response to the problem that is getting much of the attention.

Santee Mayor Randy Voepel blames homeless people living in the San Diego Riverbed for the majority of the city’s nuisance thefts. And he makes no apologies.

“I am insensitive, of course. I am probably mischaracterizing some of them. Too bad,” Voepel said. “These people are stealing. I’ll call them whatever I want.”

The mayor points to copper stolen from a water pump at Town Center Park. The $30 worth of copper stolen will cost the city $2,000 to repair, he said.

“It’s not just replacing the parts you're missing. You have to replace the parts you break to fix it. Then you have the labor at time and a half,” Voepel said.

The city is camouflaging copper with paint, enclosing it in heavy gauge steal cages, adding pad locks to electric boxes and video surveillance.

“I could lose two street lights this week or a transformer,” Voepel said.

The mayor says 45 people live in riverbed encampments. He sometimes joins sheriff's deputies who periodically sweep the area to ticket and arrest trespassers.

“For years, these were just idiots in the river bottom. We got a different kind of idiot there causing damage, and I don't like it,” the mayor said.

San Diego County Sheriff's detectives are investigating four Santee copper thefts since mid-December.

In an email, a spokesperson told NBC7 they are looking at several suspects, but made no arrests.

The Sheriff's Department has no comment regarding the mayor's claim that the homeless are responsible.



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Caused by Hookah?

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A young woman from Alpine is recovering after smoking hookah and ending up in the hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning.

She did not want to be identified, but her mother and boyfriend spoke to NBC 7.

Christine Miller said her daughter was out last weekend. She had been in a hookah lounge for about an hour and stayed for an additional hour when her boyfriend and his friends showed up.
When it was time to go, her boyfriend said there was clearly something wrong.

“I got in the driver’s seat and I just hear a thump and I get out and she’s on the ground,” Evan said. “I make sure she’s breathing, check her pulse and then feel the back of her head, and I feel a bump and then I check and there’s blood.”

His girlfriend was transported to the hospital. Medical documents show she had carbon monoxide poisoning, which her mother says is from the hookah lounge. Miller told NBC 7 her daughter had been home all day before going out.

When describing how serious the poisoning was, Miller said “[Doctors] told me the average smoker would be between two and four, and her’s was 22.”

Child Public Health Officer Dean Sidelinger, M.D., confirmed carbon monoxide poisoning can be caused by coal used to heat up the tobacco in a hookah, as well as whatever fuel is used to light it. He said the use of coal makes hookah unlike cigarettes and cigars. Since hookah a social activity, he said, smokers typically inhale more chemicals, including carcinogens and carbon monoxide.

“The volume of smoke that can be taken in from using hookah for an hour can be equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes and some of the chemicals in that pack of cigarettes,” Sidelinger told NBC 7.

According to Sidelinger, hookah smoking has gained popularity in the United States, including San Diego, over the past ten years. He said more needs to be done to educate the public about its potential dangers.

He said carbon monoxide poisoning linked to hookah is not tracked in San Diego County.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Brown Touts Latest Budget

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California Gov. Jerry Brown is on his way to San Diego to promote the 2014-15 fiscal year budget on Thursday afternoon.

The governor made his first stop of the day in Sacramento earlier Thursday. As expected, he discussed education, which gets an additional $10 billion in this budget.

That includes a $3.9 billion boost for K-12 schools and an extra $1.1 billion for higher education -- UC's, Cal States, and Community Colleges.

Brown's administration says for K-12 schools, funding levels will increase by $3,400 dollars per student through the 2017-18 fiscal year.

Education's a major piece but just a piece of the $154.9 billion dollar plan. It also reduces debt by more than $11 billion this coming fiscal year and fully eliminates it by 2017-18.

There's also $815 million for critical deferred maintenance in state parks, highways, local streets and roads, schools, community colleges, prisons and state hospitals among other state facilities.

In Sacramento, the governor said California has long-term liabilities so it should be hesitant to commit to what seem to be attractive programs.

Brown says the proposed budget aims to build a lasting rainy-day fund, hold tuition flat for college, and focus on health care and public safety.

He says California already has relatively high taxes so a tax increase doesn't seem to be an option.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Flu-Fighting Foods

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NBC 7's Whitney Southwick speaks with San Diego-based registered dietitian Katie Ferraro about foods that help fight the flu. The tips are timely, given the spike in local flu cases.

2014 Coachella Lineup Announced

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The desert music-festival organizers of Coachella dropped their musical bomb on Wednesday.

Headliners for the three-day festival in Indio, Calif., have scheduled successive weekends for April 11-13 and April 18-20. Coachella as always has booked a wide range of musical talent, including headliners Outkast, Muse and Arcade Fire. The headliners will be backed up by contemporary names like Queens of the Stone Age, Skrillex and Lorde, as well as acts with longer histories, such as the Replacements, Bryan Ferry, Beck and Motorhead.

At least one name will jump out to San Diego fans: The Dum Dum Girls, a band with deep local ties. Dee Dee and the rest of the band will be taking the stage on both Fridays.

Here's the complete lineup:

Friday, April 11 and April 18:

Outkast, The Knife, the Replacements, Broken Bells, Zedd, Girl Talk, Ellie Goulding, Chromeo, HAIM, Neko Case, AFI, Martin Garrix, Bonobo, Bryan Ferry, the Glitch Mob, the Afghan Whigs, the Cult, Bastille, Flume, Aloe Blacc, Jagwar Ma, A$AP Ferg, Grouplove, Woodkid, Carnage, Shlohmo, Gareth Emery, Michael Brun, MS MR, Kate Nash, Hot Since 82, Damian Lazarus, GOAT, Nina Kraviz, Anthony Green, Duke Dumont, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Solomun, ZZ Ward, Anti-Flag, Caravan Palace, Flatbush Zombies, Deorro, Waxahatchee, Title Fight, Davide Squillace, DJ Falcon, Dum Dum Girls, Austra, Tom Odell, Dixon, Wye Oak, Crosses, Mako, the Preatures, the Bots, Gabba Gabba Heys

Saturday, April 12 and April 19:

Muse, Queens of the Stone Age, Skrillex, Pharrell Williams, Lorde, Foster the People, Pet Shop Boys, MGMT, Empire of the Sun, Fatboy Slim, Nas, Kid Cudi, the Head and the Heart, Sleigh Bells, Cage the Elephant, City and Colour, Chvrches, Dillon Francis, Capital Cities, the Naked and Famous, Temples, Mogwai, Warpaint, Solange, Washed Out, Future Islands, Ty Segal, Darkside, Banks, Tiga, Bombay Bicycle Club, Holy Ghost!, Netsky, RL Grime, Galantis, Foxygen, White Lies, Graveyard, the Internet, Laura Maula, the Dismemberment Plan, Headhunterz, Blood Orange, GTA, TJR, Cajmere, Guy Gerber, Nicole Moudaber, MAKJ, Bear Hands, the Magician, Young & Sick, Unlocking the Truth, Saints of Valory, Carbon Airways, UZ, Syd Arthur, Bicep, Drowners

Sunday, April 13 and April 20:

Arcade Fire, Beck, Calvin Harris, Neutral Milk Hotel, Disclosure, Lana Del Rey, Motorhead, Alesso, Duck Sauce, Little Dragon, Beady Eye, Flosstradamus, the Toy Dolls, the 1975, Adventure Club, Big Gigantic, Chance the Rapper, Laurent Garnier, Krewella, Rudimental, STRFKR, Fishbone, Trombone Shorty, AlunaGeorge, Art Department, Flight Facilities, Frank Turner, John Newman, Maceo Plex, Superchunk, Bombino, Daughter, Bad Manners, Surfer Blood, Lee Burridge, Poolside, Classixx, Showtek, James Vincent McMorrow, Bo Ningen, Aeroplane, Ratking, Jhene Aiko, J. Roddy Walston & the Business, Factory Floor, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Anna Lunoe, the Martinez Brothers, Scuba, John Beaver

Tickets will go on sale on Jan. 10 at 10 a.m. PST.

Bridge Scandal's Key Players

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Chris Christie
At the time of the September 2013 George Washington Bridge toll closures, Christie, a 51-year-old Republican, was on his way to a landslide November re-election victory over Democratic state Sen. Barbara Buono. The eventual 22-point win in a largely Democratic state propelled Christie to the top of the list of potential Republican presidential candidates for 2016. He has framed that appeal as a result of his cooperation with members of the political opposition — and his image as a blunt-talking executive who is unafraid to make difficult decisions. The bridge scandal threatens to damage that reputation.

A former corporate lawyer, Christie first got into politics as a fundraiser for President George H.W. Bush. He ran for state senate and lost, but was later elected to the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders. He ran for state Assembly and lost, then lost his bid for re-election to the county board.

Christie's political rise began after he returned to private practice and raised money for President George W. Bush, who nominated him to serve as New Jersey's U.S. attorney. He became a modern-day Eliot Ness, taking down dozens of corrupt politicians, including Gov. James McGreevey and Newark Mayor Sharpe James. Even then, he was accused of being a bully, and of awarding friends and allies with public contracts. In 2009, he upset billionaire incumbent Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine.

As governor, Christie made a reputation of slashing spending, antagonizing labor unions and attacking critics in town hall meetings, which his staff recorded for his official YouTube page. Those performances burnished his national profile. In 2012, he gave the keynote speech at the Republican National Convention.

On Thursday, seeking to tamp down the bridge scandal, Christie held a press conference in which he was uncharacteristically contrite and apologetic, saying he'd known nothing in advance about the toll closures, and had been misled about the involvement of members of his staff. Later in the day, he visited Fort Lee to apologize personally.

Bridget Anne Kelly

Kelly, 41, is the author of the most infamous email from the bridge scandal: "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee."

She lives in suburban Bergen County, where Fort Lee is located. At the time of the scandal, she served as Christie's deputy chief of staff for legislative and intergovernmental affairs, earning $114,000 a year. The governor fired her this week.

Christie appointed Kelly to the post in April, promoting her from an administration position in which she served as his liaison to local elected officials. Before that, Kelly handled outreach between Christie's office and the state legislature. Her prior government jobs were assisting state lawmakers.

David Wildstein

Wildstein, the official at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey who frequently corresponded with Kelly about the Fort Lee traffic problem, wrote in a text message that the students unable to get to school during the traffic jam "are the children of Buono voters," a reference to the Democratic lawmaker who ran against Christie last year.

Wildstein attended Livingston High School with Christie in the late 1970s. He briefly served as Livingston's mayor a decade later, then went into private business. He was not well known in New Jersey politics until the bridge scandal unfolded; he joined the Port Authority soon after Christie's first election — hired by Bill Baroni, a top Christie adviser who served as the agency's deputy executive director. When the $215,000-a-year appointment was announced, Wildstein was outed as the long-anonymous man behind a popular political gossip site called PolitickerNJ.

Wildstein's title was director of interstate capital projects, a position that drew little public scrutiny — until the scandal exposed him. Although he resigned in December from the Port Authority, Wildstein was called Thursday to testify to a state legislative committee, where he refused to answer questions.


Bill Baroni

Baroni, 42, one of Christie's most trusted confidantes, earned $289,667 a year as the Port Authority's deputy executive director until he stepped down last month amid the escalating bridge scandal. Christie had given Baroni the job soon after taking office in 2010.

Baroni arrived at the agency after seven years in the state Legislature, where he represented parts of central New Jersey. He is a Republican, but had a reputation for bipartisan dealmaking, and was popular among members of both parties.

He met Christie in the mid-1990s, when Christie was running for a spot on a county freeholder board. They became friends and by the time Christie was elected governor, Baroni was one of his highest-profile and most loyal aides.

 

Bill Stepien

Stepien, Christie's campaign manager, participated in the email and text-message chains that exposed the toll closures as politically motivated. At one point, he emailed Wildstein to call the mayor of Fort Lee "an idiot."

When he wasn't running Christie's campaigns, Stepien served as a deputy chief of staff in Trenton, and is credited for the idea of Christie's highly popular series of town-hall meetings.

Before joining Christie, Stepien worked on the presidential campaigns of Sen. John McCain and former Mayor Giuliani. He also managed several local New Jersey races, including Baroni's successful campaign for state Senate. Until this week, Stepien was in line to head the state Republican Party.

That opportunity vanished this week, after the emails became public, and Christie asked Stepien to withdraw himself from consideration. He also said he asked Stepien to withdraw from his position as a consultant to the Republican Governors Association, which Christie chairs.

Mark Sokolich

Sokolich, 49, is the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, the town on the New Jersey side of the George Washington Bridge.

As trafficked stalled for hours at the bridge when the lanes were closed, it also clogged the streets of his tiny municipality. On Sept. 10, Sokolich, a lawyer, pleaded for help from Baroni in a text message. A couple days later, Sokolich asserted that the lane closures were "punitive." That claim marked the beginnings of a scandal that would grow over the next several weeks.

After the emails became public, Sokolich told MSNBC that Wildstein "deserves an a-- kicking."

On Thursday, Christie apologized to Sokolich and Fort Lee and said he would visit the town that day to deliver the message personally. Sokolich said he appreciated it, but the visit would be premature because there are so many outstanding questions. Christie went anyway.

David Samson


Samson, 74, Christie's handpicked chairman of the Port Authority, is a former New Jersey attorney general, having served in the administration of Democratic Gov. James McGreevey. He was Christie's 2009 campaign lawyer, and headed the governor-elect's transition committee.

Samson was pulled into the bridge scandal by an Wildstein email to Kelly that was made public this week. In the email, Wildstein mentioned the lifting of the toll closures after five days by a New York appointee to the Port Authority. "The New York side gave Fort Lee back all three lanes this morning," Wildstein wrote Kelly on Sept. 13. "We are appropriately going nuts. Samson helping us to retaliate."

In response, Samson said he was "extremely upset and distressed" over the emails. He denied having any knowledge of the closures until they were lifted.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

December Median Home Price in County Was $478,500

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The median price for a single family house in San Diego County increased to $478,500 in December, up nearly 14 percent from the same month in 2012, and up 2 percent from November, says the Greater San Diego Association of Realtors in its latest report.

The median price for condos and townhomes in the county was $300,000 in December, an increase of 19 percent from the same month in the prior year, but down slightly from November, SDAR said.

The number of sales of single family houses declined slightly last month from November, but the sales of condos increased 6 percent over the same period. For the full year, single family house sales fell 21 percent last month compared with December 2012. Sales of condos showed a 10 percent decline over the full year.

The areas with the most sales of single family houses last month were in Fallbrook, 53; Oceanside, 42; and Rancho Bernardo, 41.

The most expensive property sold last month was a five-bedroom, five-bath, 85,000 square foot house in La Jolla for $16.25 million.
 

 

The Business Journal is the premier business publication in San Diego. Every day online and each Monday in print, the Business Journal reports on how local business operate and why businesses leaders make the decisions they do. Every story is a dose of insight into how to run a better, more efficient, more profitable business.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Aztecs Hold Off Boise State for 12th Straight Win

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San Diego State pulled out its 12th straight victory Wednesday night, holding on for a 69-66 win over Boise State at Viejas Arena.

Despite taking an 18-point lead in the first half, the Aztecs had to hold off a potential game-winning shot in the final seconds.

Xavier Thames and Winston Shepard scored 16 points each for the 13th-ranked Aztecs (13-1, 2-0 in the Mountain West) whose only loss this season came to No. 1 Arizona.

The Broncos (11-4, 1-1) battled back in the second half and had a chance to take the lead in the final seconds, but Derrick Marks missed a 17-foot jumper with 4 seconds left.

SDSU went on a 17-0 run to take a 26-8 lead midway through first half and never trailed after that. It was the Aztecs' first game since Sunday's big win at Kansas, snapping the Jayhawks' 68-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents.

Josh Davis added eight points and 10 rebounds for SDSU. Marks had 21 points and Anthony Dmric added 17 points and 10 rebounds for Boise State.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Pursuit Suspect Shot by Police

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San Diego police officers opened fire on an armed driver in the Mt. Hope area Thursday morning following a pursuit, officials confirmed.

According to San Diego Police Department Lt. Kevin Mayer, a sergeant first spotted the driver of a red 2002 Saturn around 8:30 a.m., allegedly talking on his cell phone while driving.

The sergeant attempted to pull over the man for the traffic violation and the driver yielded in the 5400-block of Grape Street. However, the suspect soon took off, and a police pursuit ensued.

Amid the chase, Lt. Mayer said officers learned the suspect vehicle was possibly wanted in connection with a shooting that happened Monday in Logan Heights.

The chase came to a halt in the 800-block of 41st Street and Hilltop. Lt. Mayer said shots were fired and the suspect was wounded.

In tense moments captured on tape by NBC 7 San Diego, dozens of police officers swarmed the suspect's vehicle with guns drawn. Bullet holes could be seen on the red car's front windshield.

At one point, a police K-9 jumped into the passenger's seat of the suspect vehicle, then jumped out.

Minutes later, with the red car still surrounded by officers, the driver was pulled from the vehicle and handcuffed on the ground.

The man was transported to a local hospital following the officer-involved shooting with unspecified injuries. His name was not immediately released.

Officials said no police officers were injured in the shooting.

Witness Frankie Martinez spoke with NBC 7 at the scene and said he saw police fire several rounds at the suspect.

"He just stopped and they started shooting at him," Martinez explained. "Everybody started unloading on him. He got smoked. He probably did something bad for that to happen. They didn't even give him a chance."

According to Martinez, the suspect was traveling with a female passenger. At one point, the suspect dropped the woman off on the street, Martinez said.

Lt. Mayer said the officer-involved shooting is under investigation. It is unclear whether the suspect opened fire on officers as well or if only police fired shots.

Lt. Mayer also could not confirm if there was a female passenger inside the suspect vehicle at any point during the pursuit.

Officials are expected to release more details soon. Check back for updates.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Navy Secretary Mabus Visits Shipyard

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Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus showed his appreciation for local shipbuilders in one of a number of public visits in San Diego this week.

He is in town for a variety of visits and meetings, including discussions with local business leaders, military and federal employees.

Mabus addressed General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard employees Thursday morning, his third visit to the shipyard.

NASSCO has been building ships for the Navy since 1960. Mabus says one of his main areas of focus is military platforms and increasing ship production by the end of the decade. Mabus' first stop in San Diego this morning was to the San Diego Military Advisory Council's monthly breakfast meeting.

It's the fourth time that the Secretary has been to their meetings and he thanked each service member for their sacrifice to the country.

He spoke in front of business leaders and military men and women from all ranks, saying the partnership between the community and the sailors and Marines is admirable in San Diego and makes a difference.

Mabus also answered questions from the audience, addressing issues like sequestration and strategies to recruit retired military members.

The Secretary also touched on his belief that the Navy and Marines are always ready for any crisis and trained for excellence.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Escondido Sex Offender Caught in Colorado

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A registered sex offender who forcibly removed his GPS ankle bracelet and disappeared has been captured in Colorado, according to the Escondido Police Department.

Anthony Wayne Wilkins, 40, was last seen on Christmas Eve holding the ankle bracelet and walking near the Escondido police headquarters. When a parole agent spotted him, Wilkins ran away.

He had failed to update his sex offender registration and was considered dangerous.

Detectives told NBC 7 that in 2003, Wilkins was convicted of assault with the intent to commit rape. He’s also been convicted of other crimes involving drugs and evading law enforcement.

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