Like many young couples, Ryan Lange and Emily Belden were looking for inspiration while deciding how to renovate the bedroom of their Chicago home.

That inspiration finally came from a quick glance at a jar of change.

"We'd been looking up options and were thinking about being green when I said we should just tile the floor in pennies," Lange, a entrepreneur and self-described design freak, told NBC Chicago.

Belden wasn't completely on board at first, but before she could put her two cents in, the project was off and running.

"I came home one day and found a small corner was done, so I thought 'I guess we're doing it,'" she recalled.

Thus began four months of painstaking work they dubbed "pennying," which involves laying down a special glue that acts like grout and individually placing the pennies heads up on the floor of the 380 square-foot room in Chicago's South Loop neighborhood.

It turned into a nightly form of relaxation for the pair — accompanied by "Spotify Premium and pinot noir" — but it does have drawbacks. Handling that many dirty pennies turns your hands pitch black. But all in all, they consider it time well spent.

"Once we were halfway done, we were kind of over it, but I knew it was something that one day we could look back and laugh at it," Lange said.

An estimated 38,903 pennies were used to completely cover the floor, which was then sanded down to a shiny copper sheen and cemented in with a clear coat as smooth as a sheet of glass. They spent close to $1,000 on the project, which made for a lot of trips back and forth to the bank for more pennies. And created more than a few odd glances from the tellers.

"After we told them what we were up to they started tracking the project themselves, and I was always passing my iPhone through the glass window to show them pictures," Lange said.

Within the bulk of pennies came some rare finds — a 1944 WWII 440 steel penny that was created due to a copper shortage, and a 1873 penny featuring an Indian head instead of Abraham Lincoln. Both pennies are worth enough money to pay for the project, but they also ended up on the floor.

"It's turned into a fun party game where we challenge our guests to find the rare coins," Belden said.

The couple has been posting the photos on their social media accounts and created a blog called ThePennyFloor.com about the project.

"A friend pointed out that thousands of people have now seen the inside of my bedroom, which kind of creeps me out a bit," Belden said.

And in case you're wondering, they're buying their home, not renting, which means no pennies lost in the form of a deposit check if they decide to move.

This story was originally published by our media partner, Voice of San Diego.

State Treasurer Bill Lockyer and State Schools Superintendent Tom Torlakson asked California school districts and county education offices Thursday to impose a moratorium on issuing capital appreciation bonds.

In a letter, they asked school officials to wait until lawmakers pass legislation tightening up the rules on school district borrowing.

Capital appreciation bonds, or CABs as they have become known, have become highly controversial since a Voice of San Diego story outlined a deal at the Poway Unified School District, where taxpayers will eventually pay almost $1 billion to pay off a loan of $126 million.

Dozens of districts across California have issued the bonds, which often don't require repayment for decades and allow districts to push the cost of borrowing onto future generations. The Los Angeles Times calculated that districts across the state owe more than $16.3 billion in the loans.

Here's a snippet from the letter that went out to districts today:

In too many cases, CAB deals have forced taxpayers to pay more than 10 times the principal to retire the bonds. Also, the transactions have been structured with 40-year terms that delay interest and principal payments for decades, resulting in huge balloon payments and burdens on future taxpayers that cannot be justified. Too frequently, board members and the public have not been fully informed about the costs and risks associated with CABs. In some cases, board membershave reported they were not even aware they approved the sale of CABs.

The letter doesn't define "high cost" bonds. As we've described, there are big differences between CABs with 25-year terms and those with longer terms. The letter hints that bonds with terms of longer than 25 years are at issue here.

Local state Assemblyman Ben Hueso has pledged to introduce legislation shortly on school bond borrowing.

Hueso's spokeswoman, Paola Avila, said Thursday the legislation should be introduced in a week or so.

"We're still working on the language," Avila said.

The letter notes that "remedial legislation is needed to prevent abuses and ensure that both school board members and the public obtain timely, accurate, complete, and clear information about the costs of CABs, and alternatives, before CABs are issued."

You can read Lockyer and Torlakson's letter in full here.

Will Carless is an investigative reporter at Voice of San Diego currently focused on local education. You can reach him at will.carless@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5670.

President Barack Obama's second inauguration takes place Monday, and there's a lot going on. In an effort to keep you abreast of the action, we'll be bringing you a daily round-up of the coverage.

• Obviously an undertaking the size of an inauguration requires practice, but President Obama has other things to do this week. Meet U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Serpico D. Elliott, the man who's been serving as his stand-in.
   
• This year's inauguration will have a New York flavor, thanks to master of ceremonies Sen. Chuck Schumer, who has seen to it that everything from the water to the wine to the desserts and honey to be served all hail from the Empire State.
   
• If you think you're not being properly represented in Washington, you should try actually living in the District of Columbia, which has literally no representation in the halls of federal government, despite having to pay taxes. Close observers may notice that the president's limo on Monday will bear license plates that say "Taxation Without Representation," a nod to efforts to right that wrong.
   
• Never heard of the Black McDonald's Operators Association? Then you clearly haven't been keeping abreast of the people throwing parties this long weekend.
   
• If you're worried about the grass on the National Mall, which got trashed in 2009, fret not — new measures are being taken to keep it safe.
   
• There's been a lot of talk about how fewer people will be heading to DC for this year's festivities. Among those who can't be bothered? Oprah!

A motor home is on fire in Clairemont Mesa, according to San Diego Fire Department.

The incident happened around 10:40 a.m. at the intersection of Mt. Acadia Boulevard and Mt. Ararat Drive.

The motor home is parked in front of a house. Firefighters are working to extinguish the blaze.

Check back for updates on this story.

With the NHL season set to begin Saturday, questions and predictions surrounding the abbreviated season are aplenty. Here is what's on the minds of NHL fans around the world.

University of California President Mark Yudof announced on Friday that he is stepping down at the end of August, citing unknown health issues. Instead, he said, he will teach law at UC Berkeley.

 "While the decision is my own, the moment comes with a mixture of emotions," Yudof wrote in an open letter on the university's web page. "For a transplant from Texas, by way of Philadelphia and Minnesota, every day at the University of California has brought new wonders."

He called UC the "premier university system in the world," but noted after "careful consultation" with his family,  "it has become clear to me that the time has come for me to step away and return to the teaching of law on the Berkeley campus. The prior 18 months brought a spate of taxing health issues. Though these challenges have been largely overcome, I feel it is time to make a change in my professional lifestyle."

Yudof did not cite what health concerns he is facing. He came to UC in 2008.

To say that running the ten-campus UC system has been challenging is an understatement. The public university system has been battered by financial struggles, though he noted he was thankful for the passage of Prop. 30, which spared the state's public universities from drastic midyear cuts.

On Thursday, Yudof was at a UC Regents meeting in San Francisco, listening to the possibility of tuition hikes for undergraduates next year. Gov. Jerry Brown, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Assembly Speaker John Perez were there, warning the Regents to change their spending behaviors before asking legislators for more.

And in 2009, UC workers critical of his administration gave Yudof a vote of 'no confidence. Student protests have often focused on Yudof - as the face of the university system - as the target for their frustration over rising tuition costs and declining education resources.

Yudof said in his letter than it appears to be "an apt time" for the university to "bring in fresh leadership" to face these severe budget problems.

To see the text in full:

I have decided to bring to a close my tenure as President of the University of California, effective August 31, 2013. While the decision is my own, the moment comes with a mixture of emotions. For a transplant from Texas, by way of Philadelphia and Minnesota, every day at the University of California has brought new wonders.

UC remains the premier public university system in the world, and I was both honored and humbled to serve as its president for what has been nearly five years now. I will miss my daily interactions across the system with so many dedicated, capable, and intellectually stimulating people.

Over the past few months, however, and after careful consultation with my family, it has become clear to me that the time has come for me to step away and return to the teaching of law on the Berkeley campus. The prior 18 months brought a spate of taxing health issues. Though these challenges have been largely overcome, I feel it is time to make a change in my professional lifestyle.

Beyond personal considerations, this also appears to be an apt time for the University to bring in fresh leadership. When I arrived in 2008, the economy had begun to unravel and state coffers were tumbling deep into the red. With its budget slashed, the University was presented with one of the most severe challenges in its history.

Now, it appears the storm has been weathered. We are not fully in the clear, but we are much closer than we were even a few months ago. I look forward to working closely in the months ahead with Governor Brown, Assembly Speaker Perez, Senate President Pro Tem Steinberg and other state leaders to ensure that the University is positioned to continue on this forward course, which ultimately will benefit all Californians.

It is important to note that we — members of the entire UC community-have made it through this rough passage with our fundamental attributes intact. We have preserved excellence in our academics, research and health care. We have kept our doors open to all worthy students, regardless of family income levels, embracing the Blue and Gold financial aid program for low and middle income students and raising more than $671 million through the Project You Can scholarship program.

Many, many people contributed to this remarkable achievement: employees, including tenured faculty, who accepted without complaint a furlough program that cut into their paychecks; students and their families, who endured rising tuition rates; administrators and staff, who worked with great vigor and creativity to carve out savings through improved efficiencies, and California voters, who finally agreed that the cuts needed to stop and brought relief last November by approving Proposition 30. I applaud and am thankful for all of these contributions.

I also would be remiss not to express my gratitude to the Regents. Throughout, they have provided the leadership and unwavering support needed for the University to face down this crisis. I was privileged to serve under three gifted board chairs:  Richard Blum, Russell Gould and Sherry Lansing. I will leave it to others to judge what difference my leadership made, if any, but I will say that I entered each day with a laser focus on preserving this great public treasure, not just in the present day, but for generations of Californians to come. And in the end, what matters most is what still remains: a vibrant public university system, the envy of the world, providing California with the beacon of hope and steady infusion of new thinking that are necessary for any society to flourish.

Escondido police serving a search warrant at a home Friday were assisted by a SWAT team, according to police. 

Officials served warrants on the 900-block of Milane Lane and the 900-block of North Fig Street at 8:40 a.m., read a statement from Escondido Police Department. Both warrants were associated with an armed robbery case that occurred last month.

Eduardo Arguelles, 22, was arrested at Milane Lane then booked into Vista Detention Facility, facing charges of conspiracy to commit robbery. He is suspected of using a handgun to steal cash and lottery tickets from a 7-Eleven store.

No schools were placed on lockdown and no other homes were evacuated. 

An unknown, suspicious man allegedly approached a 9-year-old girl outside an elementary school in Fallbrook and tried to get her into his car, deputies confirmed.

According to investigators, the alleged incident happened Thursday around 4 p.m. at La Paloma Elementary School located at 300 Heald Lane.

Deputies say the student was standing in front of the school waiting for a family member to pick her up when a man in a white truck stopped next to her. The man allegedly attempted to coax the girl into his vehicle, while partially covering his face.

The man did not get out of the truck and the young girl did not get in. Instead, deputies say the girl backed away from the truck. She was not injured.

The parent of another student helped the girl, took her to the principal’s office and called the Sheriff’s Department.

When deputies arrived at the scene, they spoke with the student. Deputies say the girl described the suspect as a heavyset white man between 40 and 50 years old, with redness on his skin in the neck and arm area.

The Fallbrook Sheriff’s Substation is asking anyone with information on this case to contact authorities by calling (760) 451-3100. Anonymous tips can also be called into Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
 

The University of California, San Diego has received a record number of applications from freshmen and transfer students hoping to attend the school in fall 2013.

According to school officials, they’ve received a total of 82,340 freshman and transfer applications for the fall quarter. Of all of the University of California campuses, UCSD received the third highest number of applicants.

Here’s the breakdown:

Of those fall 2013 applications, 67,392 were from freshman applicants. This number is up 10.9 percent from last year. A total of 14,948 transfer student apps were also received.

School officials say there are 5,482 or 8.1 percent freshman applicants from San Diego and Imperial Counties. The largest percentage of freshman applicants -- 38.9 percent -- hail from Los Angeles, while 18.1 percent come from San Francisco.

Diversity among applicants has also increased.

The number of underrepresented students is up 10.9 percent, with a 7.7. percent increase in African-American freshmen applicants and an 8.2 percent increase in Latino freshmen applicants compared to last year’s numbers. The number of apps from Mexican-American freshmen has also surged 13.4 percent.

In recent years, UCSD has been among the nation’s top five universities with the most applications. University officials say the average high school GPA for incoming freshmen is 3.77, while the average GPA among transfer applicants is 3.35.

The most popular majors chosen by freshman applicants include engineering, biology and social sciences. Almost 50 percent of transfer students are social science majors.

For more details on admission to UCSD, visit this website.

A local U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) aircrew rescued two injured crewmen from a tanker ship 130 miles southwest of San Diego Friday morning, USCG officials confirmed.

The rescue was prompted after crew aboard the UK-flagged tank vessel, Energy Conqueror’s, contacted the Coast Guard at around 7:20 a.m.

Two Russian citizens aboard the vessel had been injured when a cable split, and needed to be medically evacuated from the tanker.

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew launched from Sector San Diego and flew to the tanker’s location offshore. Coast Guard Cutter Active also went to the scene to assist with the medevac, USCG officials said.

The Coast Guard aircrew hoisted the injured men into their helicopter and transported them to San Diego.

One of the victims, a 51-year-old crewman, sustained severe lacerations, head injuries and possible internal injuries, officials said. The second crewman suffered leg injuries.

The victims were both turned over to emergency medical personnel for treatment. Their current condition is unknown.

A man convicted of raping two victims has been sentenced to more than 250 years in prison, San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie M. Dumanis announced Friday.

Stephen Boyle, 40, was sentenced to 250 years plus an additional 13 years in state prison for six counts of rape involving two victims.

He’s the former president of the South County chapter of the “Grifters,” a motorcycle club that’s otherwise known as a family-friendly, community service-oriented organization, according to the DA’s office.

Back in October, Boyle was convicted of six felony counts of forcible rape.

According to investigators, in October 2011 Boyle attended an annual motorcycle camping event in Warner Springs. There, he kidnapped a victim, drove to a remote location four miles away from the campsite and sexually assaulted her at knifepoint.

During the investigation, police and the DA’s office learned of two previous rapes committed by Boyle.

Boyle was sentenced in front of his victims and their families Friday in court. They made emotional statements at the sentencing.

DA Dumanis says Boyle’s sentencing is a prime example of justice being served.

“The victims in this case suffered terribly at the hands of their rapist,” DA Dumanis said. “They both demonstrated extraordinary bravery for coming forward to report the defendant. Thanks their courage and to the hard work of Deputy District Attorney Laurie Hauf, who prosecuted the case, this predator will spend the rest of his life behind bars.”

A local Animal Control officer is being hailed a hero for helping a Southcrest family – and their dog – escape a fire that sparked near their home.

The blaze began around 11:30 p.m. Thursday night inside a garage in the 3900 block of Newton Avenue. The fire quickly spread, with flames shooting out of the structure by the time firefighters arrived at the scene.

Luckily, right at that time, Animal Control Officer Melissa Prettyman was out on a call in the Southcrest neighborhood and just happened to see the fire engulfing the garage.

To her surprise, fire officials weren’t on scene just yet, so she took matters into her own hands.

The brave, quick-thinking officer called 911 and then went to the nearby home to alert the residents.

“I’m not going to sit there and wait until help arrived, because you never know when it’s going to be too late,” said Prettyman.

The officer began banging on the door and was able to wake up the family inside the home.

“They were all sleeping,” she recalled. “So, with someone banging on their door, telling them that the house is on fire and they need to evacuate – that was a pretty big shock.”

The late-night wake-up call was especially frightening and shocking for a 7-year-old boy inside the home who froze in his tracks when the situation got chaotic.

That’s when Prettyman sprung into action.

“He seemed, of course, scared. There’s a fire and everyone’s panicking. I picked him up and took him [outside],” said Prettyman.

She also put her animal control skills to use and saved an older family dog that was struggling to move quickly enough. Prettyman said she grabbed a leash from her truck and carried the dog out of the home.

In the end, the family and their dog were thankful that Prettyman was in the right place at the right time.

She, however, doesn’t consider herself a hero.

“I did what I think anybody else would do in that situation -- in helping, whether it be your neighbors or friends or the community, out in that way,” said Prettyman.

Fire officials are still investigating the cause of the garage fire. Luckily, the garage is not directly attached to the house, so damage to the home was limited.
 

He looks, and sounds, a lot like his father.

"Even in life if it follows your lot to be a street sweeper, why, go on and sweep streets like Michelangelo carved marble,” Martin Luther King III said.

He was the guest speaker Friday at an inspirational breakfast meeting of the YMCA of Broward County, Florida – just days before the national holiday marking Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.

The civil rights leader was gunned down in 1968, when his son was just 10 years old. King III has dedicated his life to spreading his father's message of peace, love and equality.

The 500 people at the event at First Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale clung to his words – about how each American must have justice, health care and a home, and every child a great education.

King III pointed out that we live in a culture of violence – and said it is vital that we change that soon.

"My dad was trying to teach us not just about a culture of non-violence. Not only was he teaching us, but he lived that way. He taught us how to turn the other cheek,” he said. “And in Birmingham in '63 – he was arrested over 39 times, and whenever he was arrested if you think about it, he and his team transformed our nation and it reverberates throughout our world, without using a gun, or a stick or a brick. But with the power of love and forgiveness."

Attendee Will Davies said King III’s appearance “was really quite a moment."

"He was every bit the inspiration we'd hoped and he talked about the challenges we have, but more importantly how we can deal with them together. And the legacy of his father,” Davies said.

A Miami police sergeant who authorities say planted cocaine on a suspect and stole drugs and money from dealers has been convicted of civil rights violations, narcotics distribution conspiracy and obstruction of justice, the United States Attorney’s Office said Friday.

Raul Iglesias, 40, who was with the Miami Police Department for 18 years, was found guilty by a jury after a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Cecilia Altonaga, the Attorney’s Office said.

“A law enforcement badge brings with it privileges and responsibilities,” U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer said in a statement. “Although it bestows on the bearer the trust and respect of the community, the bearer is expected to preserve that trust through his actions: by following the law, doing what is right, and seeking to do justice.”

Ferrer said that Iglesias “did just the opposite: he broke the law by planting drugs on a private citizen, distributing drugs, obstructing justice, and making false statements.” 

Iglesias ran the Central District’s Crime Suppression unit, which targeted drug traffickers. Rick Diaz, the attorney who represented Iglesias, had defended his client, accusing undercover detectives and FBI agents of setting up Iglesias by planting incriminating evidence on him in a sting.

An indictment cited at least four dates when Iglesias allegedly stole or planted drugs, or lied to investigators. One date was Jan. 27, 2010, when Iglesias allegedly ordered two of his officers to search a man, and when no drugs were found, Iglesias allegedly asked his officers for some “throw-down dope” to plant on the man.

Iglesias was convicted of eight counts, including two civil rights violations, conspiracy to possess and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, obstruction of justice and making false official statements, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.  

Iglesias’ sentencing is scheduled for March 28. He faces a maximum of up to 20 years in prison.

More Local Stories: 

• Three Miami Gun Buyback Events Planned in Miami 
• Flu Spreads Nationwide, Has Claimed 29 Children's Lives
• Keiser Business School Dean Killed by Own Towed Car

Mayor Bob Filner has vetoed the appointments to the Port Commission made by the San Diego City Council.

In a memo released this afternoon, the mayor outlined several reasons for the change, including finding a representative from District Four to weigh in on the appointment.

He also wants to hold a workshop to discuss the city's vision for the waterfront.

The mayor compared the City Council's appointment process to a "popularity or personality contest” and said the selection process used by the council was “flawed.”

“The City Council’s policies and procedures do not ‘establish a method of ensuring the accountability of our appointed Commissioners.’ There are no minimum qualifications; a common application; a review and screening process; a transparent voting procedure; or mandated reporting requirements,” Mayor Filner stated in his memo.

“The Port District plays a vital role in our community and is central to the economic and cultural success of our region,” the Mayor said. “We need to have a vision of the Port that these Commissioners can carry out.”

Local leaders wasted no time reacting to Filner’s decision to veto the City Council’s two Port Commission appointments.

Councilmembers Todd Gloria and Kevin Faulconer both announced they are going make plans to 'override' the Mayor’s veto.

"I'm proud to have cast a bipartisan vote for two Port Commissioners who will protect and promote San Diego's environment, economy, shoreline and bay,” said Councilman Faulconer. “Leaving two of San Diego’s three Port Commission seats vacant is a disservice to San Diego citizens. San Diegans deserve full representation at the Port now, so I will be voting to override the Mayor's veto."

Meanwhile, Councilmember Gloria had this to say in a statement released Friday evening:

“After the State of the City address where the Mayor stressed the importance of the Port to our economic future, he appears to want to leave the City of San Diego unrepresented on the Port Commission for the foreseeable future. I maintain my belief that both Rafael Castellanos and Marshall Merrifield would serve San Diego’s interests well, and will schedule a hearing for the City Council to consider overriding the veto, as the law requires.”

Councilmember Scott Sherman also spoke out publicly in regards to Filner’s decision Friday evening.

“I was disappointed to learn from media reports this afternoon that Mayor Bob Filner vetoed two outstanding appointees to the San Diego Port Commission,” said Sherman. “These two moderate, diverse, well-qualified candidates were supported by a majority of the Council and nominated by both Republicans and Democrats. The Port of San Diego is too important to our regional economy to be held up by partisan, Washington-style political games.”

So far, Filner has not responded to the remarks made by the three councilmembers.

Police in El Cajon shot a man they said was unlawfully riding his bicycle on a sidewalk Friday morning.

The shooting happened at about 9:30 a.m. on Walter Way and the 1300 block of East Main Street, according to the El Cajon Police Department.

Police said a man – now identified as El Cajon resident Raymond Lee Goodlow -- was riding his bike on the sidewalk, which is against municipal code. An officer attempted to pull him over, and Goodlow appeared to be evading officers by pulling into the parking lot of a car dealership.

When police caught up with him, police said Goodlow put his hands in his waistband. He was told to show his hands but allegedly didn't comply with police orders.

Believing the man was arming himself, an officer fired several rounds at Goodlow. At least one bullet appeared to have hit his face, according to a spokesperson with the El Cajon Police Department.

Officials said the officer involved in this shooting has been with the El Cajon Police Department for more than two years.

According to police, Goodlow’s injuries are not life-threatening, but he was taken to the hospital. On Friday evening, police said Goodlow was recovering in the hospital and was in stable condition.

After investigation and a search of the crime scene, detectives say they found two knives with Goodlow’s clothing. The clothes were cut off by medics while treating Goodlow at the scene.

It is still unclear if the suspect was reaching for those knives in his waistband.

Meanwhile, residents in the area say Goodlow lived a transient lifestyle.

Several streets were shut down in the area after the shooting, and police remained gathered in the car lot where the shooting occurred for hours after it happened.

One neighbor recalled hearing police attempting to pull someone over, then several shots.
When she came out of her home, she said she saw police surrounding a bicycle, and medics transporting the individual.

As of Friday night, investigators are still evaluating potential criminal charges against Goodlow, if any. He is not in custody at this time.

Police are asking any witnesses in this case to contact the El Cajon Police Department at (619) 579-3311.

The incident comes less than a day after an officer-involved shooting in the College Area of San Diego. There, while police were serving a search warrant, they fatally shot one suspect and conducted an hours-long search for the other suspect. The second suspect was eventually taken into custody. 

Check back for more details on this developing story. 

A San Diego State University student sent a very blunt letter to Wall Street asking for an internship that recently went viral.

Matthew Ross, a finance undergraduate, sent a direct letter to a well-known Wall Street firm saying he won't waste time by inflating his credentials, and called SDSU an "average university."

He also wrote he has "no qualms about fetching coffee, shining shoes or picking up laundry.

The letter sparked praise online, which caused many Wall Street executives to comment about him.

Students at SDSU say it's a gutsy letter that they aren't willing to try.

“It sounds to me that he is being very honest and that's maybe what caught their eye,” said Patricia Rosiles, an SDSU business management major. “But personally I wouldn't do it; I think that it might be offensive to some employers.”

Ross declined to speak with NBC 7 San Diego, and there is no word if he has received any job offers.

The cold weather is gone but you will still feeling the impact of those freezing temperatures - especially when you step inside your grocery store.

While the citrus crop survived the deep freeze, the winter freeze took a toll on California crops and drove up prices for asparagus and artichokes. Prices have nearly doubled on items like spinach, romaine lettuce and broccoli.

Shoppers were in for a little sticker shock this week as they went through the produce department at Stumps Family Market in Point Loma.

“Prices go up, they create a huge glut in the warehouse and then the bottom’s going to fall out of it pretty soon,” said Dirk Stumps of Stumps Family Market. “By two weeks the prices will be cheaper than they were prior to the freeze.”

Local restaurants are also feeling the pinch. At Shimbashi in Del Mar they can't raise the prices on the menu, so they simply make less money on every meal.

“The price of gas is one thing,” said Hideko Edwards of Shimbashi Izakaya. “But when they raise the price on my broccoli it’s killing me.”