Dozens of Southern California residents were displaced and hundreds were without power Saturday morning after a magnitude-5.1 earthquake shook La Habra Friday night.

More than 80 Fullerton residents were forced to leave their homes after the strong temblor that was felt as far away as Kern and San Diego counties, according to the Fullerton Police Department.

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At least twenty apartment units in the 2700 block of Associated Road and three homes in the 2900 block of Juanita street were red tagged. No injuries were reported as a result of the quake.

Thirty properties were deemed uninhabitable following the quake.

The American Red Cross opened a shelter for La Habra residents at the La Habra Community Center located at 101 W. La Habra Blvd. Thirty-eight people -- many of whom live in the evacuated apartment complex -- spent the night in the shelter.

The shelter was closed Saturday afternoon.

Hundreds of others were affected Saturday morning as Southern California Edison reported that 34 customers in La Habra Heights and 792 customers in Buena Park were without power.

Fire officials reported several small water main breaks and gas leaks in La Habra, Fullerton and La Mirada. Several stores in the area had items fall of the shelves, creating a mess for employees and customers.

• Special Section: Earthquake Info, Maps, Resources

Fullerton resident Daniel Taylor told NBC4 via email everything fell down in his home.

"I felt both quakes. The second quake hit really hard, it was a hard and fast quake," he said. "My 100-gallon fish tank went down. Water damage everywhere from the tank. My water pipes under my sink cracked."

Police and firefighters were expected to conduct a citywide damage assessment in Fullerton at 8 a.m. Saturday, officials said.

The temblor was first reported just after 9 p.m. as a magnitude-5.3 but it was downgraded within 30 minutes. More than 100 aftershocks were reported as of Saturday morning, said Paul Caruso, a geophysicist with the United States Geological Survey.

The largest aftershock was a magnitude-3.6 quake that struck around 1:30 a.m. A magnitude-3.4 aftershock struck in La Habra Saturday morning around 9:02 a.m.

No significant damage was reported, but aftershocks were widely felt throughout the Los Angeles area.

The earthquake was probably 10 times larger than the March 17 magnitude-4.4 quake near Encino in terms of energy released, Caltech's Lucy Jones said.

 A federal judge has decided to hold off on an obstruction of justice trial for the man accused of killing his girlfriend in Panama.

Brian Brimager, 38, is the lead suspect in the death of Yvonne Baldelli, who went missing while the two were on vacation in Central America in 2011.

Baldelli’s remains were found in a zipped bag off the coast of Isla Carenero in Aug. 2013.

A federal grand jury charged Brimager with obstructing justice and making false statements to law enforcement, and he was arrested by the FBI in the Vista area on June 26, 2013.

Prosecutors allege he underwent an elaborate scheme to cover up Baldelli’s death.

On Friday, the federal judge heard a defense motion to dismiss charges against Brimager. The judge did not throw out the charges, but he also did not set a trial date, calling the hearing a “dicey matter.”

While prosecutors were expecting a trial date, they accepted a 90-day motion.

Baldelli’s family said the delay will give officials in Panama more time to gather the evidence.

• READ: Slain Woman's Family on Suspect: 'He's a Monster'

Brimager’s defense said there has to be a “clear nexus” in the case, and if it goes to a jury trial, they want wording on the charges changed.

James Faust Jr., Baldelli’s brother, told NBC 7 it was heart-wrenching to see the “emaciated” Brimager in court Friday, but the family is glad he has not been released from custody.

“The jumpsuit suits him very well though, and those shackles, those chains on his ankles are music to my ears," said Baldelli’s sister Michele Valenzuela.

According to the grand jury indictment, Brimager and Baldelli traveled to Bocas Del Toro, Panama, in Sept. 2011. They stayed in a hostel on Isla Carenero, an island off the coast accessible only by boat.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office accused Brimager of physically abusing Baldelli, and she was last seen with him at a Panamanian restaurant on Nov. 26, 2011.

Prosecutors allege that soon after that, Brimager killed Baldelli. Investigators said he then tried to cover up her death by sending emails to family and friends from her laptop, posing as Baldelli. The emails said she was traveling to Costa Rica with another man.

• READ: Man Killed Girlfriend in Panama, Covered up Crime: Feds

Brimager allegedly disposed of a bloody mattress from their Isla Carenero hostel by dumping it in the ocean, investigators said. According to the indictment, Brimager had done two internet searches on Baldelli’s laptop for instructions on getting blood stains out of a mattress.

Court documents also accuse Brimager of packing Baldelli’s belongings into ten large garbage bags and leaving them on the dock outside their hostel for disposal.

Brimager then used Baldelli’s ATM card in Costa Rica and San Jose to make it look like she was still alive, prosecutors said.

When investigators questioned the suspect about Baldelli’s disappearance, they said Brimager lied to them and claimed she took her laptop to travel. That same laptop was found in his possession in 2012, at which point he changed his story and said the device never went to Panama and he never sent emails from it.

Nearly two years after vanishing, Baldelli’s body was discovered on a small island off the Isla Carenero coastline. Forensic scientists used DNA analysis on the skull and bones to identify her.

• READ: Body of Missing SoCal Woman Found in Caribbean

Brimager now faces 13 charges in connection with Baldelli’s death. If convicted on all counts, he would have to serve a maximum sentence of 205 years in prison and a $2.5 million fine.

Baldelli’s family said if Brimager goes to trial and is convicted in the U.S., they hope he will then be extradited to Panama to face murder charges.

“Justice is most important for us, and justice will be done when he is incarcerated – like I said – for the rest of his life,” said Baldelli’s father James Faust.

Many of the family members have made it a priority to attend Brimager’s hearings en masse.

“He did everything he could, hoping that people would forget her and not investigate and try to cover his tracks. But it didn’t work and we’re all here and he’s in jail,” said Baldelli’s niece Lauren Beyer.

NBC 7 reached out to Brimager’s defense attorney, but so far, no response has been returned.

A 27-year-old pedestrian was killed after being struck by a suspected drunk driver in a hit and run in Del Mar Friday night, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department confirmed.

Rachel Anne Morrison was walking with a friend eastbound within a crosswalk at the intersection of Camino Del Mar and Coast Boulevard at around 10:15 p.m. when a speeding vehicle ran a stop sign, fatally striking Morrison. Her friend managed to dodge the car and was not injured.

The driver then fled the scene, officials said, leaving the mortally wounded woman on the street.

Morrison was transported to Scripps La Jolla hospital. Unfortunately, she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead a short time later.

Based on evidence left behind at the scene, sheriff’s deputies and officers from the San Diego Police Department worked together to locate the suspect vehicle involved in the hit and run. They found the car at an apartment complex in La Jolla.

The owner of the car, Christopher Stockmeyer, 41, was also located at the apartment complex.

Officials said he was arrested on scene and charged with at least four counts, including felony driving under the influence, felony hit and run and vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

Stockmeyer was booked into the Vista Detention Facility. He’s scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.

The crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information should contact the Sheriff’s Department at (858) 565-5200.
 

A pedestrian was seriously injured by a hit-and-run driver – who later had a change of heart – in Point Loma Friday night.

According to San Diego Police, the 49-year-old pedestrian crossed Rosecrans Ave. near Hugo St. around 8:40 p.m. when he was hit by a 1997 Lexus driven by a 30-year-old man.

The driver fled the scene, leaving the pedestrian with two open fractures on his leg.

However, police said the hit-and-run driver eventually returned to the scene.

The victim -- who investigators said was under the influence of alcohol -- was taken to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

It's unclear if the driver will face any charges. 

Clad in colorful, frilly tutus, dozens of San Diegans gathered for a group run Saturday in response to a recent blurb published in SELF magazine that slammed the tutu trend by mocking a photo of a San Diego cancer survivor who ran a marathon wearing one of the skirts.

The “Joyful Tutu Run” was organized by Girls on the Run San Diego, a charity that sponsors exercise and confidence-building programs for young girls. Tutu-clad participants gathered at 8 a.m. at Torrey Pines State Beach and ran to take a stand against the negative blurb printed in the magazine.

“We, instead of bringing each other down, want to make the choice to celebrate our differences. What makes us strong, what brings us joy, and this morning, tutus are bringing us all joy,” run organizer Annie Sawyer told NBC 7.

“We are choosing to make a difference and to turn it into something beautiful, instead of something negative,” she added.

Participants were encouraged to snap photos of themselves in tutus during the event and post them to social media using the hashtag #tutusrock. Those who weren’t able to make the run at Torrey Pines were encouraged to run wherever they were, wearing tutus, too.

Amy Jerome, executive director of Girls on the Run San Diego, said runners should be able to wear anything they want, tutus included, without being made fun of.

“I feel really strongly about the fact that we should be able to wear anything we want if it helps us be active and strong. Wear a tutu; wear whatever you want and fell really good about yourself while you’re doing it," said Jerome, as she geared up for Saturday's run.

Bill Best, a Girls on the Run board member, also sported a tutu and ran alongside his daughter.

“We want to make something positive out of this. [I want to set an example for my daughter] and show her that it’s fine to be strong and take a situation and make it positive,” said Best, adding that real men proudly wear tutus.

Read: Magazine Makes Fun of Cancer Survivor's Tutu

Tutus became a hot topic that garnered national attention earlier this week when NBC 7 broke the story about SELF magazine making fun of the fashion trend in the running world.

San Diego runner and cancer survivor Monika Allen told NBC 7 the magazine sent her an email asking to use a photo of her and her friend, Tara Baize, which showed them wearing tutus while running the L.A. Marathon.

Allen gave SELF permission to use the picture, but never imagined it would be used to make fun of tutus.

The photo (see right) was published in the magazine’s April issue, in a section called “The BS Meter,” with a caption that mocks the women’s outfits.

"A racing tutu epidemic has struck NYC's Central Park, and it's all because people think these froufrou skirts make you run faster," the caption reads. "Now, if you told us they made people run from you faster, maybe we would believe it."

Allen said she was “stunned and offended” by the blurb and the manner in which the magazine chose to use her image.

Turns out, that photo was taken during a very difficult moment in her life.

The marathon came right as Allen was in the middle of chemotherapy. She made the tutu herself through her company, Glam Runner, and said the cute outfit gave her motivation to get to the finish line.

“The reason we were wearing those outfits is because this was my first marathon running with brain cancer,” Allen explained.

Allen and Baize make the tutus in their spare time. They donate money from sales of the tutus to Girls on the Run, the charity that organized Saturday’s event. Over the past three years, Allen said she’s raised about $5,600 for the nonprofit by making and selling around 2,000 tutus.

Allen said the snub from the magazine was very frustrating.

"I feel like we were misled in providing the picture. Had I known how the picture was going to be used,
I wouldn't have wanted to send it,” she told NBC 7 earlier this week.

After the story broke, it went viral. Millions of people saw it online and expressed their support for Allen and disappointment in SELF magazine.

On Thursday, amid growing backlash on social media, SELF’s editor-in-chief, Lucy Danziger, offered a personal apology to Allen, releasing this statement to NBC 7:

"In our attempt to be humorous, we were inadvertently insensitive. I have sincerely apologized both directly to Monika and her supporters online. At SELF we support women such as Monika; she is an inspiration and embodies the qualities we admire. We have donated to her charity and would like to cover her good work in a future issue. We wish her all the best in her road to good health."

Danziger also took to her Twitter page to say sorry.

"@glamrunner apologies from me and @selfmagazine. We applaud you for supporting girls & wish Monika speedy recovery: http://t.co/2iq4SAzWA9," she tweeted.

Allen said Danziger’s apology didn’t really address the core issue, which was that she was misled into allowing the magazine to use her photo. She said she wouldn't have said yes to the request if she had known how her photo would have been represented.

“She hasn’t addressed the fact that we were misled in the request for the photo to be used in a snarky post,” Allen said, adding that the magazine didn't ask for the story behind the tutus either.

She said it shouldn’t matter whether or not she’s a cancer survivor. What matters is that the magazine blurb was negative and hurtful, no matter who was on the other end.

Baize agreed and told NBC 7 she was also put off by the magazine’s actions.

“[Monika] is really inspiring and just to turn something we did into something people would laugh at. It was hurtful. And I’m glad that people are really responding positively to us,” said Baize.

And that positive support doesn’t appear to be waning anytime soon.

Before the tutu story made national news, Allen’s Glam Runner Facebook page had about 1,000 likes.

As of Saturday afternoon, the company’s page had nearly 35,000 likes and endless messages of encouragement, such as this post: “You are awesome and inspirational! I love the tutu!”

Other posts include photos of people from around the country proudly wearing their tutus.

Allen attended Saturday's run and got a chance to witness more of that solidarity for tutus. After a group warm-up session, she thanked everyone for coming out and participating.

“This feels amazing. I’m just overwhelmed by all of the support that we’ve received, as Glam Runner and also as part of Girls on the Run. It’s just wonderful to see everyone running out here in tutu, just having fun and being healthy," she said.

Allen said seeing so many people come together was truly touching.

“I can’t believe what this has turned out to be, and it’s just become such a positive thing,” she said, holding back tears. “I just want to thank everybody for turning this into a positive event. The magazine article was a negative thing for us; we were embarrassed. Just to see the outpour of love from everybody is just really touching.”

Allen hopes her story will encourage others to be themselves, no matter what others think of them -- and be nice to others.

"Don't judge people. Be nice people. You don't know what their story is," she said.

 San Diego law enforcement is searching for a suspected DUI wrong-way driver who failed to appear in court after posting bail.

On May 22, 2013, Daniel Castro, 32, drove his Toyota Sequoia the wrong way onto Interstate 5 near 1st Ave., according to the California Highway Patrol.

Castro is accused of then hitting a Ford Fusion head-on, causing the 28-year-old driver to lose her left arm and sustain other major injuries from the crash.

Officers arrested Castro for driving under the influence causing injury, and he later posted bail.

Recently, the CHP said Castro failed to appear in court on the DUI charges, so there is an outstanding $600,000 warrant out for his arrest.

Castro is described as a 5-foot-4-inches, weighing about 150 pounds with a medium to heavy build. According to the CHP, he was seen lately with a full beard and medium length hair.

The suspect was living in Escondido at the time of his arrest, and he also plays keyboard in the band “Long Live Logos.”

If you know where Castro may be, the CHP asks that you call 619-220-5492 ext. 234.

Hundreds of friends and family of a couple seriously injured in a motorcycle crash on State Route 67 in Lakeside have come together to show their support for the pair who remain hospitalized.

So far, nearly $37,000 has been raised for the couple, who friends have identified as John So and Anna Huynh. The money, being donated to an online fund, will go toward medical bills, according to organizers.

People as far away as the United Kingdom and Hawaii have pitched in. 

Friends say So and Huynh were the couple who was injured in a motorcycle crash Saturday afternoon on SR-67.

California Highway Patrol officials reported that at about 2:20 p.m. a couple was riding on the southbound SR-67 near Foster Truck Trail and Vigilante Road and crashed on the freeway.

• Read: Fund Set Up for Couple Injured in SR-67 Crash

Officials have yet to release further details about the crash.

The accident prompted officials to shut down southbound lanes of SR-67 for a brief period as emergency medical crews arrived to help the couple and CHP secured the scene.

The crash left the couple seriously injured and they were quickly transferred to an area hospital.

According to the fund website, the man, who was driving the motorcycle, had to be put on life support and is paralyzed from the neck down.

Meanwhile, his female passenger suffered a pelvic injury, a collapsed lung, and required surgery to reconstruct her legs. Friends said she is currently recovering from several surgeries.

Since the accident, the couple has received a large amount of support from family and friends who have been left devastated by the tragic incident.

“A lot of different emotions. I'm scared, I'm wondering if they're even alive, or how their conditions were... just a lot of worry,” said Carla Sampana of how she felt after hearing news of the accident.

Sampana is one of the couple’s friends who helped setup the fund website. She and her husband Deshawn Dominguez said they were going to do all they could do give back to the couple, who they referred to as best friends.

Along with visiting them in the hospital, both Sampana and Dominguez said they aren’t going to avoid riding their own motorcycles; instead they see doing so as a tribute to their friends.

“You don't stop riding because it happened, you keep riding,” said Dominguez. “Just cause you know [John] would still want you to keep riding. It's not something he would want you to stop for. In this case he would want you to ride twice as hard for him.”

Family and friends told NBC San Diego they plan on holding a riding event on April 12 to help raise more donations for the couple at South Shores Park.

For more information on the couple and to make a donation, visit this website. 

Now that a three-year mission to stage a grandiose 100th anniversary celebration for Balboa Park has failed, a new team of civic leaders is working to put on a much more modest party in 2015.

Centennial re-organizers are focusing on showcasing the park's world-class museums and institutions.

"We will not promise kings and prime ministers, or a $30 million or $100 million party,” City Council President Todd Gloria told reporters at a Friday morning news conference in the park’s centerpiece Plaza de Panama. “But we will promise we will deliver an experience that will bring San Diegans back to the park and set up the park for success for another 100 years."

Said Mayor Kevin Faulconer: “The celebration is about honoring the 1915 Panama-California Exposition that put our city on the world map."

The two vowed that the re-booted celebration will be "scaled-down … achievable and affordable … transparent and cooperative.”

All that, in apparent contrast to the original approach taken by the Balboa Park Celebration Inc., a non-profit that drew heavy criticism for mismanagement and great expectations that didn't pan out in the fundraising arena – a fact that its principals didn’t disclose until recently.

BPCI is winding down with a balance sheet that showed less than $600,000 left in the bank as of Jan. 31 of the $3,069,461 they were given, and observers say close-out costs may reduce that amount considerably.

The re-organizers – who include longtime activists in the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership – say approximately $280,000 in BPCI funds that went to the ten of the park’s two dozen “stakeholder” museums and institutions was invested early and smartly in their centennial programs.

"Those efforts are ongoing, and all make up part of what we're doing in 2015, so that's salvageable,” Gloria observed. “There may be other things. But not all is lost. And some of it will be going forward under the cultural partnership's institutional-level programming."

Plans call for this year's "December Nights" to kick off the 2015 festivities, which will feature spring and summer "signature events" yet to be announced.

The celebration’s end will be marked by next year’s “December Nights."

On the financial front, the Balboa Park Conservancy and Tourism Authority will be stepping up with fundraising and room tax allocations.

San Diego Gas & Electric will handle the lighting and power arrangements.

Still, despite talk of allocating funds toward upgrading the park’s facilities, community activists say the city has been unable to make a serious dent in an estimated $250 million worth of deferred maintenance.

They expect more real action than lip service by the time 2015 rolls around.

“I think the odds are pretty low,” says Mike Kelly, president of the Balboa Park Committee of 100. “But it needs to be done and they need to get it on the agenda.”

Meantime, BPCI’s spending, documents and activities are now under scrutiny by the offices of the city auditor and city attorney, with an April 23 hearing set before a City Council committee.

David Lortscher plans to use selfies in his medical practice.  The San Diego dermatologist has started a company named PocketDerm, and it offers prescription medicine using online pictures.

"If the patient takes a few high quality photos, if they give us a really good sense of their medical history," said Dr. Lortscher," we select a prescription regiment for him."

The idea is to treat people at home or work rather than make them come into the doctor's office. 

Dr. Steve Steinhubl with Scripps Health says dermatology is on the leading edge of this sort of tele-health technology.

"We are just at the beginning of mobile health," said Steinhubl. 

He said many chronic conditions can be monitored from home without time consuming visits to the doctor's office.

Lortscher plans to treat patients with mild or moderate acne.  He said the health history and pictures should be enough to develop a prescription plan. 

Patients who sign up for PocketDerm pay $30 dollars a month for the medicine and follow-up analysis.

Steinhubl is part of a research team looking into mobile medicine and says interest is actually greater with older patients but much easier for younger ones.

"Early adopters are more tech savvy," said Steinhubl.

Offering acne medicine with no face-to-face visit is not legal in 13 states, but Lortscher says laws are changing. 

A 4.5-magnitude earthquake has struck in Los Angeles County, less than 24 hours after a 5.1-magnitude temblor hit the La Habra area in Orange County Friday night. 

The 4.5 quake shook up the Rowland Heights area around 2:30 p.m. Saturday, according to The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Residents in the area were already on edge after the 5.1 quake hit Southern California just after 9 p.m., sending rumbles as far away as San Diego County.

That temblor was centered about one mile east of La Habra. More than 30 aftershocks were reported throughout the night, according to NBC 4.

In San Diego, residents across the county felt the shaking. The NBC 7 newsroom was flooded with phone calls from residents reporting they had felt the earthquake in places like Ramona, Vista, Oceanside, Carlsbad and San Marcos, among many other local communities.

Many locals went onto social media to share what they experienced.

Professional skateboarder and Encinitas resident Tony Hawk tweeted “Earthquake!” on his Twitter page. He then added: "Reading stories to my daughter and the bed started shaking. It was either earthquake or exorcist."

Meanwhile, a Santee resident said she felt the earthquake at the Santee Drive-In, adding that it “made the car sway.”

In Orange County, the quake caused some damage, including reports of hydrants being knocked off, to things like wine, liquor and product bottles falling off shelves at a store in Buena Park, Calif.

Of course, people are wondering if the 5.1-magnitude quake was the big one.

San Diego-based geologist Pat Abbott said we really have no way of knowing, but these quakes, the three tonight and one a couple of weeks ago, could actually be quakes leading up to a bigger one.

So why is it that some people felt this one and others didn't?

Abbott told NBC 7 that no two people are going to feel an earthquake in the same way.

“The seismic waves don't shake everyone the same. We hear a number like 5.1., but does everyone feel it? No. Are you on the top floor? Are you on the bottom floor? Are you on this section of the couch or that one? There are all types of factors into who feels what," he explained.

As for the chance of another, bigger earthquake striking Southern California in the next couple of days, Abbott said that is not up to science, but rather, history.

Based on history, we have a 2 to 3 percent chance of a larger quake hitting soon, he said.

Did you feel the earthquake? If so, where in San Diego County were you when it struck?

 An East County lake is down to a level most locals have never seen.

Lake Morena – the centerpiece of a popular county park near Campo – is a shell of what it once was, holding only 4 percent of its water capacity.

The area near the dam still has fish and some boats available for rent, but the east side of the lake is virtually dry. People can walk right out into the middle of it.

Dave White, who has lived in the area for the past 30 years, said he has never seen its water level so low.

“I’m not happy with it. Doesn’t even look like I can launch my boat anymore. They got the boat ramp closed because it looks like it drops off like a little cliff over there,” said White.

Now, bees are pollinating where fish used to swim.

The drought is indirectly to blame, but many residents are pointing fingers at the City of San Diego, which owns the water as part of its drinking supply.

The city, facing its own water woes and a Level 1 drought alert, recently drained Lake Morena to fill other bodies of water like Lake Otay closer to home.

"We’d like to put more water in the lakes closer to our treatment plants so that the ones out in the East County, where it rains most, would collect most of that water," said Luis Generoso with San Diego Water Resources.

He said it will save ratepayers money.

But locals fear the lake front views replaced with cracked earth will keep visitors away during the traditional busy season ahead.

Unlike other lakes and reservoirs under San Diego’s control, Lake Morena can’t have water pumped in; it can only have water taken out.

Residents worry that it could take years – if not decades – to replace the water.

A new facility slated to help inmates with disabilities and mental health issues at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility has run into opposition.

Holding signs that read “Educate, Don’t Incarcerate” and chanting “Education is right, not just for rich and white,” protestors with Californians United for a Responsible Budget and other groups rallied against the prison’s new building Saturday.

They were calling for an end to all prison expansion.

The state plans to add more than 792 beds to the Otay Mesa prison to better serve lower-level security inmates and those with disabilities and mental health problems. The housing project is expected to cost $168 million, and prison officials say it will lead to jobs for nearly 200 people.

According to Lt. Victor Sosa with the correctional facility, the project is designed to be less confining for the inmates, allowing them to move from cells to dorm-style rooms.

“We do offer medical, mental health, as well as other programs such as religious programs education, inmate leisure groups,” said Sosa. “This will help them out. Their movement is a little bit less restrictive, This will help them to get used to being around and being around other people as well."

The goal is to positively rehabilitate the inmates and help them get back into their communities.

But in light of a federal court’s order to drastically reduce the population of California’s overcrowded prisons, Saturday's protestors said the prison should not be creating extra rooms at all.

Instead, some want that money to go to other funds like education and job programs.

"We all know that the system of incarceration -- with California being at the lead -- is an abject failure, especially for our black, brown and poor youth,” said protestor Dennis Childs, a literature professor at UC San Diego. “And as an educator, I feel it's highly just unconscionable that California is first in prison spending but last in education spending."

Childs said he believes the best place for people with mental health difficulties is with mental health care professionals, not in a cell.

Nevertheless, construction on the new facility is set to begin this spring, and it should take roughly two years to complete.

Tens of thousands of people gathered Saturday at a Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork for the start of an annual two-day festival of colors.

Revelers danced to music, practiced yoga and threw colored corn starch in the air once every hour during the all-day Holi Festival of Colors.

The large majority of participants are not Hindus, but Mormons, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. Thousands of students from nearby Brigham Young University take part in the festival, which is expected to draw 70,000 people.

The event stems from a Hindu tradition celebrating the end of winter and the triumph of good over evil.

"It's an opportunity for young LDS (Mormon) kids to come and celebrate their spirituality without alcohol or drugs," said Caru Das, the temple's priest.

Das said the event feels more like a rock concert than a religious ceremony, particularly with live music. He appeared frequently on stage, exhorting crowd members to give hugs to strangers and not to think of themselves as ordinary.

"Each and every one of you is lovely and brilliant. No exceptions," he said. "This festival is to remind you who you are."

The festival gives participants a chance to gain exposure to Hindu chants and beliefs while plastering others with dust of many vibrant colors that costs $3 per bag or $12 for five bags. The hourly throwing of rainbow-hued corn starch leaves participants drenched in color.

"It's a place for your inner child to come out," Robynn Kirkham, a Pleasant Grove accountant who runs a construction company, told The Tribune.

Ranjan Khurana and his wife, Anu, came from Boise, Idaho, because friends in the Spanish Fork Hindu congregation raved about how electrifying the event has become.

"It's vibrant and everybody is just so cheerful," Anu Khurana said. "It's a blessing that so many people are here celebrating the colors."

Haylee Buchanan, a BYU student, said she has attended the event with friends and likened it to a big party.

"I wish that I could have read information on why and what they are celebrating," she said, "because it was fascinating."

Buchanan said it was enjoyable to immerse herself in a cultural event very different from her own Mormon faith.

Indra Neelameggham, a Hindu who worships at Sri Ganesha Temple in South Jordan, said she doesn't mind if young Mormons partake in the festival.

"This festival has no religious significance. There are no prayers or no special services connected with it," she said. "It has evolved in India — particularly in the south — over the years and now is mostly about tourism and marketing — like Christmas or Halloween."

Das said the event is spiritual and many attendees feel moved, but the heavy presence of young Mormons doesn't dampen the event. The festival unites strangers in a common experience, he said.

A dog is being treated at a Monmouth County animal hospital after being tied to a car and dragged down a street.
   
The dog's owner, 49-year-old Keith Guastamacchia, told authorities he stopped to let the dog use the bathroom along Route 36 in Highlands, tying the dog's leash to the side of his car.
   
Guastamacchia said he drove away after an upsetting phone call and forgot about the dog, a 1-year-old Chihuahua mix named Roxy.
   
Police observed the dog being dragged and pulled Guastamacchia over. He was arrested and charged with animal cruelty.

Information on an attorney for Guastamacchia was not immediately available.

 A San Diego woman says she got a rude awakening Sunday morning when she found a stranger sleeping on her couch, according to police. 

The woman called 911 around 6:30 a.m. to report the transient man in the 6300 block of Birchwood Street in Allied Gardens. 

She told police that the man fled when she called the cops. 

However, police later learned that the reports may be unfounded. 

The Chicago Transit Authority restored Blue Line service between the O'Hare and Rosemont stations on Sunday, following a train derailment at O'Hare International Airport on Monday.

Rail service was restored around 2 p.m.

Service at the O'Hare station has been disrupted for almost a week after a train derailed, sending rail cars onto an escalator at the station.

The eight-car train jumped the tracks and landed on the stairs and escalators leading to the airport terminals just before 3 a.m. Monday. The crash left 32 people injured, and three passengers have since filed lawsuits against the CTA.

• NTSB: Emergency Stop System Activated Before Crash
• Family of Train Operator in CTA Crash Speaks Out

The National Transportation Safety Board estimates the crash caused about $6 million in equipment damage.

"CTA personnel have worked around the clock in recent days to repair the O'Hare Blue Line Station," CTA said in a statement. 

The NTSB said the operator admitted to dozing off at the controls as the train pulled into the station.

"She did not awake again until the train hit close to the end of the bumper," investigator-in-charge Ted Turpin said.

Padres baseball season is upon us, and so is one heck of a block party in downtown San Diego.

Opening Day is this Sunday when the Padres take on the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. To celebrate the start of the season, a free Opening Day Block Party will take over downtown’s East Village – on J Street, between 6th and 10th avenues – from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The family-friendly outdoor event will feature live entertainment from local bands and DJs, interactive games and activities and food from various local eateries and food trucks. Between 7th and 8th avenues, a special country-themed block will host line dancing at 1:30 p.m.

A microbrew beer garden will set up shop between 8th and 9th avenues, boasting cold, delicious craft brews from Mission Brewery, Monkey Paw and Stone Brewery.

• Special Section: San Diego Padres

Now, while general admission tickets to Opening Day at Petco Park may be sold out, baseball fans still have a chance to swoop in on a limited number of VIP ticket packages available for the game through the East Village Association.

The package, selling for $250, includes two game tickets behind the Padres dugout and four drink tickets to the beer garden at the Opening Day Block Party. To nab this package, click here.

By the way, proceeds from the party will support the East Village Association and its mission to promote the downtown community. This year, the association is working hard to raise funds for their very own community landmark sign, just like the ones that currently mark hip, urban neighborhoods like Little Italy, North Park and Hillcrest.

Okay, San Diego, now play ball -- and have a ball at the party.
 

 How ready are you for the next big earthquake?

That’s the question thousands across Southern California are asking themselves after a 5.1-magnitude quake hit the La Habra area of Orange County Friday night.

For years, seismologists have been warning residents about an inevitable major quake along the lower San Andreas Fault – the so-called Big One.

So the California Department of Insurance (CDI) released a checklist of sorts Saturday to make sure you are prepared if – or when -- that Big One hits.

PREPARING

First, officials recommend reviewing your insurance policies at least once a year with your agent or broker to make sure your home is covered, and if you’re in a temblor-prone zone, think about getting a separate policy.

The CDI warns that most homeowners’ and renters’ policies don’t cover damage from earthquakes.

Older or multi-story homes can be retrofitted to increase safety in case of a big shaker.

Retrofitting measures include bolting your home’s wooden frame to the foundation so the structure won’t slide off. If your home is on a raised foundation, you can brace the “cripple walls” to reduce damage.

Your water heater can post a fire and water damage risk if it topples during an earthquake, so the CDI said you can brace it as well.

In mobile homes, earthquake-bracing systems reduce the chance of them slipping off support jacks.

You can use child-proof latches on your cupboards so they don’t fly open and dump their contents as the ground shakes, and fasten bookcases, mirrors, televisions and other tall and heavy objects with wall studs.

Gas appliances should be fixed with flexible attachments, and everyone in the family should know how to shut the gas off.

You should always keep an emergency supply kit in an easy-to-access location.

SURVIVING

If you are inside when an earthquake hits, drop to the ground, take cover under a sturdy table or piece of furniture and hold on until the shaking stops.

Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors, walls or anything that could fall, FEMA recommends.

Do not take cover in a doorway unless you know it’s strongly supported. Stay inside until the ground stops moving.

If you are already outside, move away from buildings, streetlights and utility poles and wires.

You could also be in a vehicle when a quake hits. In that case, FEMA says you should stop as quickly as you can, staying away from buildings, trees, overpasses and poles.

Finally, if you are trapped under debris, avoid breathing in dust. Don’t light a match or move around too much. Instead, tap on a pipe or wall or blow a whistle so rescuers can find you; yell only as a last resort so you don’t inhale too much dust.

RECOVERING

Once the shaking stops, make sure it’s safe before you move out of the building -- if you’re not already outside.

FEMA says you should then try to help injured or trapped victims, but beware of aftershocks.

If you can, grab a fire extinguisher and look for small fires to put out, since that is the most common hazard after an earthquake.

Check your utilities for gas leaks, water line damage or electricity damage, and open your cupboards slowly to make sure things haven’t shifted around too much.

Many more tips can be found at the NBC 7 Earthquake Coverage page.

"We messed up."  Those are the first words in an article recently posted on SELF magazine's website by the editor in chief who is now promising a big change.

The article is referring to what's become known as #tutugate on Twitter.  It all started with a photograph of two San Diego women and a story first reported by NBC 7 in San Diego on March 26.

The photograph was taken at the Los Angeles marathon.  In it, friends Monika Allen and Tara Baize are shown running in costumes, wearing tutus.

Allen says in February, someone from SELF magazine emailed her asking if they could use the photo for an upcoming feature on running in tutus.  Allen said, "yes."

However, when the April issue of SELF came out, the picture appeared in a section titled the "B-S Meter" and made fun of people who run in tutus.

"You know, I was just kind of stunned and offended," Allen told NBC 7.

• READ: Magazine Makes Fun of Cancer Survivor's Tutu

What the article did not mention is that Allen makes the tutus and sells them to benefit the Girls on the Run charity in San Diego.  Further, Allen has brain cancer and ran that L.A. marathon, dressed up as Wonder Woman, while going through chemotherapy treatments.

The story spread more quickly than anyone expected, generating thousands of comments on social media and criticism of SELF.

By Thursday, March 27, Allen's tutu company Glam Runner was overwhelmed with messages of support and orders for tutus.  They have had to temporarily stop taking orders until they can catch up. 

SELF has issued multiple apologies.  Most recently, the magazine has now featured Allen's story on the SELF website.  In that article, editor-in-chief Lucy Danziger says the photo should never have run.  

• READ: SELF Apologizes to Cancer Survivor for Tutu Blurb

"Today, I spent some time talking with Monika Allen about her charity work, her disease and, yes, her tutus, but most importantly about how we could work together to create a positive message as a result of this negative incident," Danziger said.

Danziger says SELF magazine is going to get rid of the "B-S Meter" section altogether.  She says it will no longer appear after the May issue.

On Saturday, people were encouraged on social media to go for a run in their tutu.  At Torrey Pines in San Diego, dozens of runners showed up.  Monika Allen had tears in her eyes when she gave an emotional thank you at the event.

"And just to see the outpouring of love from everybody, it's just really touching," she said. 

• READ: San Diegans Unite for Tutu Run

Allen also talked about the positive impact her story is now having. Girls on the Run has received thousands of dollars in donations since the original NBC 7 story.  The Glam Runners facebook page has gone from a little more than 1,000 likes before the story to now more than 35,000.