NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson thanked fans, friends and sponsors Friday for their support after news emerged that his brother-in-law had died in a skydiving accident in San Diego.

Jordan Janway, 27 -- the brother of Jimmie’s wife, Chandra -- died March 30. He collided with another jumper midair and then went into a freefall without his parachute deployed at a small gliderport in the Jamul area of San Diego.

“This week has been a very difficult week for the Janway family. It’s been so tough for myself to sit back and watch the people I love so much deal with so much pain,” Johnson said during brief interview session before practicing for the premiere series at Texas Motor Speedway.

His family spent time the night before swapping stories about Jordan -- smiling more than crying.

“Things are progressing, and everybody is as good as you could hope,” said Johnson.

• READ: Jimmie Johnson's Brother-in-Law Killed in Skydive Fall

The six-time Sprint Cup champ said he will try to switch his mind to the race ahead on Sunday, but he wanted to take a chance Friday to thank everyone who expressed their condolences.

“The few times I did check into social media, there’s just been a huge outpouring of support, and I’m very thankful.”

Janway, an instructor at Skydive San Diego, had more than 1,000 jumps under his belt, according to his boss Buzz Fink.

According to Fink, there is a chip in parachute bags that will automatically deploy the chute if the jumper is falling too fast. However, Janway’s chip was undergoing maintenance, and he chose to jump without it on the day he died.

Johnson, a San Diego native himself, remembered his lost brother-in-law fondly, calling him a free spirit.

• PHOTOS: Skydiver Instructor Jordan Janway

“He was a very adventurous guy -- base-jumping and parachuting and wearing the squirrel suits, like you see the guys flying along the cliff sides. That's what he did,” said Johnson. “He's in a lot of those videos shooting that footage. Tragic death, for sure. But he was doing something he loved. He was very passionate about it. He never met a stranger. A very warm, caring young man, and he's definitely going to be missed."

San Diego brewers are feeling heightened frustration over a new rule proposed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that could impact their businesses – as well as trickle down onto farmers.

The FDA’s proposed rule would make it harder for breweries to sell leftover grains – an alcohol-free, edible byproduct of beer – to farmers who use it as animal feed. The rule imposes new sanitary handling procedures, record keeping and other food safety processes on the part of livestock and pet food manufacturers.

If adopted, the rule could force brewers to dump their wet grain into landfills instead of selling it to farmers to use as cheap livestock feed, or force brewers take extra time to dry it out and package it before allowing farmers to use it.

Some brewers believe the proposed rule is burdensome and unnecessary, and goes against the grain of the longstanding relationship between brewers and farmers.

At San Diego’s Karl Strauss Brewery some brewmasters, including Paul Segura, are hopping mad over the idea.

“It’s frustrating and puzzling – and curious to us,” Segura said.

The Karl Strauss facility generates 16,000 pounds of spent grain each day. In turn, this grain helps feed 750 cows belonging to a local dairy farmer.

Segura worries that drying out the grain could prove costly and time-consuming.

“It means extra costs, extra equipment, extra processes and extra people. All sorts of added expenses that weren’t there before,” he explained.

It could also lead to a serious buzzkill for consumers if those costs creep into the price of future cold ones.

Krystina Cook, owner of Cook Pigs Ranch, said the price of pork could also go up as well, considering it takes more than 2,000 pounds of spent grain to feed the more than 500 pigs on her ranch in Julian, Calif.

“We rely on that [grain] every week to fill in with other feed products and the amount of money we’ll have to spend to recover that is a lot. It’s sad,” she told NBC 7.

The FDA is supposed to make a decision on this new rule sometime this summer.
 

A 16-year-old boy was fatally shot in Chicago Saturday night in front of a South Side church.

Michael Flournoy, of the 8000 block of South Evans Avenue, was found shot around 8 p.m. in front of St. Anthony’s Church in the 1000 block of East 93rd Street in Chicago’s Burnside neighborhood, according to the Cook County Medical examiner’s office and Chicago police.

“I was in the house and I heard the shots,” said Flournoy’s uncle Richard Jackson, who said the teen was visiting his cousin's before the shooting. “I came over here and I saw my nephew lying on the ground.”

Jackson said the teen was on his way to buy chips when he was caught in crossfire.

Family members said Flournoy was an active student at Simeon High School, participating on the school's football and wrestling teams, had a clean record and planned to go to college.

His wrestling coach, Carnell Jones, said he was a "well-rounded, conscientious kid."

"I just feel like this time I dropped the ball," said his mother Tymeka Woods. "He would say, 'Mamma, I'm going to build you and home and you are not going to worry anymore.'"

Family members said the violence needs to stop.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with these kids,” Jackson said. “These kids are really out of control. I don’t know if we failed them as fathers or what, but we need to get control of something. Kids are losing their lives for nothing.”

Flournoy is the second person killed by gun violence in Chicago this weekend and at least 18 others have been wounded.

Less than an hour after Flournoy was killed, a 23-year-old man was taken to Roseland Hospital with gunshots wounds to his knee, police said. The man was shot following a dice game, according to authorities, just before 9 p.m. in the 13100 block of South Ellis Avenue in the Altgeld Gardens neighborhood. Police said a person who lost the dice game announced that he was taking the winnings, but a struggle ensued and the victim was shot. The offender fled without any of the proceeds, police said.

About 20 minutes later, 26-year-old man was shot in the 2000 block of West Birchwood Avenue in Rogers Park in a possibly gang-related shooting, police said. He was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston in stable condition with wounds to the hand and leg.

Also Saturday evening, a 34-year-old man was shot while walking in the 8200 block of South Loomis Boulevard, police said.

The man said an offender, who was around 5 feet, 11 inches tall and about 180 pounds, came out of a gangway around 7 p.m. wearing a black ski mask and a black jacket. He then shot the man in the shoulder with a revolver and fled the scene. The man was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center for treatment.

Earlier Saturday, a a 21-year-old man was shot while seated in a parked car around 3:30 p.m. in the 11300 block of South Parnell Avenue. The man said two unknown offenders approached on foot and fired at him, striking him in the left shoulder blade. He was transported by a friend to Roseland Hospital in stable condition, according to Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Janel Sedevic.

Around 11:25 a.m., a man was shot in the face in the 10500 block of South Wabash Avenue, police said. He was listed in stable condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center with a gunshot wound to his “brow area,” Sedevic said. Details surrounding the shooting were not immediately available.

At least 14 other people were shot, one of them fatally, in less than 12 hours Friday and Saturday.

More than 100 people were arrested and several deputies were injured during a spring break street party in Santa Barbara, Calif., that quickly dissolved into violence overnight.

Authorities from various law enforcement agencies were dispatched to control unruly crowds during Deltopia, a party in Isla Vista that drew about 15,000 people, according to a news release from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

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One officer suffered a head injury when he was hit in the head with a backpack that contained large bottles of alcohol around 9:30 p.m., officials said. As authorities arrested the suspect, a large crowd gathered and threw rocks, bricks and bottles at them, deputies said.

The situation quickly escalated into a major disturbance, with some party-goers ripping out stop signs, lighting small fires and damaging property. Chemical agents and foam projectiles were used to disperse the crowds in an hours-long effort to restore order.

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Five other deputies were injured during the riot, with one being hit in the face with a brick, authorities said. About 26 people were taken to local hospitals in the incident.

Eighteen arrests were made in the disturbance.

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Throughout the day more than 100 people were arrested and 44 people were taken to the hospital, officials said.

Personnel from Santa Barbara and Ventura County assisted in the crowd control. 

It turns out that old adage about not poking a bear rings true for cuddly mascot bears, too.

A YouTube video posted Saturday shows a man dressed as “Billy Cub,” an unofficial mascot of the Chicago Cubs, punching a patron in a bar after he removes the head of the costume.

John Paul Weier, the man who has been playing the role of “Billy Cub” for the last six years, says the costumed man seen in the video is his brother, Patrick Weier who frequently fills the role.

• WATCH: Man Behind "Billy Cub" Mask Speaks Out After Fight

Weier says his brother was being harassed by the patron long before the video footage began. He said the man was punching his brother in the back, shoving him into the bar and continued to poke and hit him until his brother confronted the man.

He said the man left, but came back shortly after and removed the costume’s head.

“It’s obviously not good publicity. You never want anything like this to happen, but from what I’ve read online it seems like people understand that the guy was antagonizing [my brother],” Weier said. “It wasn’t something he was looking to do.”

Renae Kondrat, who filmed the video, said two intoxicated men were antagonizing the mascot at Wrigleyville bar John Barleycorn.

Kondrat and her friends were taking pictures with "Billy Cub" when the incident started.

She said one man was taken out of the bar when he became too rowdy, but that a second man continued to tease the mascot before taking off his head.

"A drunk guy threw himself into [Billy Cub] and I happened to have my camera so I started recording and it all happened real fast," she said. "I wasn't surprised. You're not supposed to take off the mascot's head, everybody knows that."

This isn’t the first time a “Billy Cub” character has had issues with fans.

Cubs spokesman Julian Green said the team has received complaints from fans before.

“We have received complaints from fans, mistakenly believing ‘Billy Cub’ to be associated with the Cubs,” Green said in a statement.

Green cited complaints that two years ago, a Billy Cub character swore at a patron and used an ethnic slur, because of an inadequate tip. On another occasion, a Cubs employee claimed to have witnessed a “prolonged verbal altercation” between Billy and another fan, again over the size of a tip.

“This behavior is wholly inconsistent with the enjoyable fan experience we try to create at Wrigley Field,” Green said.

Weier said the complaints mentioned by the team didn’t involve him, however, and noted that he has severed relations with the employee who was wearing the costume on those days.

The Cubs and “Billy Cub” have battled over the mascot title for some time, until the Cubs unveiled an official mascot dubbed “Clark the Cub.”

Citing allegations of trademark infringement, the League sent Weier a 100-plus page letter, ordering him to stop wearing the Billy Cub costume, and engaging in “unabated Mascot Activities.”

"They can threaten legal action, it’s once they finally take legal action that’s kind of a different story," Weier said. "I’m willing and prepared to go to court and try to defend myself over what I’ve built over the last seven years."

Weier says he has no intention of stopping his role as "Billy Cub."

"We'll have a little mascot competition now," he said. "There hasn't been an official mascot yet, and now we've got an official mascot and an unofficial mascot. So, a little competition in Wrigleyville."

Fire investigators are looking for a serial arsonist after at least nine vehicles were torched in Fort Worth Sunday morning.

911 operators began to receive numerous car fire reports on the short south side of Fort Worth beginning at around 4:02 a.m. The fire department said all of the burned vehicles were found in a one mile area by Hemphill Street and Berry Avenue.

According to arson investigators the cars were lit intentionally but it is still unknown why.

The Fralia family's 2002 Ford F-350 diesel was burnt to a crisp. Investigators said it looks like the fire was set at the front driver's side tire.The windshield melted onto the dash.The couple's barking dogs got them up around 4 a.m.

Caroline Fralia said “I came running out, try to grab the hose and as I'm calling 9-1-1 to give them our address and tell them our car's on fire the 9-1-1 operator goes, don't you live at 46? and I go no, I live at 47 and she said well we've got another fire down there and I thought oh my gosh."

Whoever got their kicks destroying at least nine vehicles including the Fralia's pick-up truck, likely wasn't counting a surveillance camera above the Fralia’s front door pointed right at them.

The video, which investigators downloaded onto a disk, shows a dark car pull up on the other side of the street and go out of frame. Moments later a white crew cab pick-up truck pulls up behind it and stays in the frame. Seconds later you see movement of someones head bobbing by the driver's side window of her truck. Then you see a bright flash, the truck’s burning and the two vehicles take off.

Fort Worth Police said the fire starters hit nine cars from about 4 a.m. to 4:45 a.m. all within a couple of miles of each other… mostly in the Ryan Place Neighborhood. This is where Marsha Henderson had her 10-year-old Toyota minivan parked.

"The fire department was down the street,” said Henderson. “They saw it catch on fire so they got here really quickly. They didn't run any sirens or anything. “They were working another fire one block down."

Vehicle owners are glad the fire didn't spread beyond their cars and no one was hurt but they are angry.

"It inconveniences me. It's going to cost me a lot of money to replace it and it'll have a ripple effect. It's a stupid, senseless crime," said Henderson.

"I really would like to get them caught because someone else may not be as fortunate as me," says Fralia who added she hopes this didn't’t happen to someone who had to wake up and go to work Saturday morning.

Investigators hope her surveillance video, in addition to any other evidence or tips they get, leads to some quick arrests.

The Fire department said this is a rapidly evolving investigation. Anyone who may have information relating to the identity of the person responsible for the car fires can call 817-469-8477 (TIPS).

People who call with information will remain anonymous and may collect up to $1,000.00 cash reward if your tip leads to an arrest and conviction, said the Fort Worth Fire Department.

NBC 5's Dulce Hernandez, contributed to this story.

It began as a friendship, a man and a woman with similar experiences and common interests. Barbara Kanas was a retired nurse from Philadelphia who had lost her husband to Parkinson’s disease. Lenny Raffeo was a former Montgomery County businessman who lost his wife to Parkinson’s as well.

The two met six years ago when they moved into the Elm Terrace Gardens Continuing Care Retirement Community in Lansdale. From the moment they met, Barbara made an immediate impression on Lenny.

“She reminded me of my wife who passed away,” Lenny said. “Same mannerisms, same sweetness and kindness.”

As for Barbara, what she first noticed about Lenny was his compassion.

“He went around and helped everybody,” Barbara said. “He encouraged people and was so nice to everyone, including me. I never really thought too much about him except he was a nice and friendly fella.”

The two remained friends until a year and a half ago, when Lenny said the words that would change everything.

“I just want you to know that you’re the one,” Lenny told her. “I’ve been watching you all along.”

For Barbara, Lenny’s words made her realize her own feelings.

“We had a chorus that he encouraged me to lead for a Christmas program,” Barbara said. “He sang a solo and a friend of mine took a picture of him and gave it to me. I kept that picture by my side the whole year, not realizing that he was really interested in me until he said that.”

From that moment, the relationship progressed until the couple decided to take the next step.

“One day he said we should really consider getting married,” Barbara said.

Barbara is 81-years-old. Lenny is 87. Yet neither had any doubts that it was the right thing to do.

“We really believe that God brought us together,” Barbara said.

At first, the couple only wanted a small wedding with their families. That changed however, once the staff and residents at Elm Terrace learned the news.

Traci Connelly, the PR Director as well as staff members Toni Allebach and Marissa Filippucci  planned the wedding and called on local businesses to lend a helping hand.

Koehler’s Jewelers provided the engraved wedding bands, the Rhoads Garden made the bouquet and corsages while the Distelfink Bakery made a 4-tiered wedding cake.

Barbara and Lenny got married on Saturday during an extravagant ceremony at Elm Terrace.

“It was unbelievable,” Barbara said. “Everybody here was so excited. We were sitting and reading cards that were given to us and it’s just amazing. The thoughts and wishes of everybody here.”

The newlyweds plan to visit Niagara Falls in June for their honeymoon. After that, they will continue their new lives together.

“I know we’re going to be happy for the rest of our lives,” Lenny said. “Being together will give us longevity. We are really meant for each other, there’s no doubt about it. We’re one person.”

 

 A San Diego Opera board member put her money where her mouth is in an effort to keep the institution running.

Opera officials announced Friday that board member Carol Lazier has donated $1 million to encourage the board to “rescind the dissolution vote as soon as possible” and “consider and explore realistic options from experts in the field,” according to a statement Lazier sent to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

After 49 years on the stage, the board announced March 19 that the 2014 season will be its final curtain call.

But last week, board members voted to delay the planned closure until April 29, giving them an extra two weeks to explore options.

• READ: San Diego Opera Closure Postponed 2 Weeks

Board President Karen Cohn said the opera would need at least $10 million to put on its 50th anniversary season.

In her statement, Lazier made it clear that her gift was not meant to start raising financial support for the company “as it exists today.”

Instead, the money is meant to help find financially stable ways to retool the opera with new fundraising models, a new repertoire and new cost saving measures – looking to other companies likes Dallas Opera for guidance.

“If we close, 400 jobs will be lost and all our assets, including our profitable scenic studio will be sold off,” Lazier wrote in her statement. “Our city's reputation will be tarnished. How can ‘America's finest city’ not have an opera company? Perhaps this is the blessing of a near death experience – the capacity to nurture this new life we have been given.”

The curtain opened Saturday for opening night of the company’s final opera, “Don Quixote.”

Some ticketholders said they bought seats specifically because this may be the last opera at the Civic Center.

“We said, ‘We’ve gotta go. This could be the last chance,’” said operagoer Robert Massey.

Chad Frisque with the White Knight Committee – created after the closure was announced – told NBC 7 he’s optimistic that the opera can be saved with continued support from it community of business owners, philanthropists and even school systems.

“What Ms. Lazier’s support means is that it’s basically saying to the rest of the board, and even those that are not part of the board, this is something we need to stand behind,” said Frisque.

 An early morning crash left one person dead and three others seriously injured in Mission Valley. 

Around 1:40 a.m. Sunday, multiple vehicles collided as they traveled eastbound on Interstate 8 near Taylor Street in the Hotel Circle area, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue officials. 

The California Highway Patrol said one SUV overturned, and debris was scattered across the freeway.

One person died at the scene, and three were taken to the UC San Diego Medical Center with serious injuries.

The Taylor Street on-ramp and the eastbound I-8 were closed for a time as the crash was cleared. 

Police believe one woman may have been responsible for a string of hit-and-runs in a Chicago suburb Sunday.

Evanston police said three hit-and-run accidents were reported in the area around 10:45 a.m., involving a car, a motorized scooter and a cyclist. The incident sparked a police chase that ended in suburban Skokie.

“We could see her swerving, just missing cars,” said witness Cleveland Burkitt.

Police said a blue Toyota Corolla hit a car near Ridge Avenue and Davis Street in Evanston. That same car went on to hit a woman on a motorized scooter, sending her to the hospital with minor injuries, officials said.

The worst accident came when police said the car also hit a man riding his bike in the 700 block of Main Street, nearly snapping the bike in two pieces.

“We saw a bicycle down on the ground, lots of fire engines and tons of police cars around,” said bystanders Cheryl Nester-Detweiler. “We knew something fairly major had happened.”

Evanston police chased the vehicle into Skokie, stopping the driver on Main Street.

“Next thing I know they’re pulling her out of the car,” said Burkitt. “We can hear her say ‘I didn’t do anything. Why are you doing this? I didn’t do anything.’”

Police took the 63-year-old female driver from Wilmette into custody and to a nearby hospital for evaluation.

There did not appear to be any mental or physical issues or substance abuse involved, according to Evanston Police Commander Jay Parrott.

Police said the cyclist was transported to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston in critical condition with injuries to his head. His condition was later stabilized.

Police are searching for a man who disguised himself as a construction worker and assaulted and robbed a 71-year-old woman in Queens.

Authorities say the man was wearing a yellow construction helmet and a white surgical mask when he followed the woman into her building in Flushing Saturday afternoon. The man then pushed the victim into her apartment before stealing her purse and fleeing.

The woman was injured in the attack, and had to be taken to a hospital for a fractured bone in her leg.

Police have released surveillance images of the suspect and are asking anyone with information about the robbery to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.
 

Embattled former San Diego Mayor Bob Filner is now a free man.

His three-month house arrest was expected to end at 5 p.m. Sunday. However, a source close to Filner confirmed to NBC 7 on Sunday afternoon that Filner's GPS anklet has been removed, effectively ending his house arrest.

On Dec. 9, Filner received his sentence after pleading guilty to felony false imprisonment and two misdemeanor charges of battery involving victims of sexual harassment.

Since Jan. 1, Filner could not leave his downtown residential building and was subject to searches and visits at any time from his probation officer.

The only time he was allowed to leave home was to attend mental health counseling, as mandated by his plea agreement.

Now that his 90 days of home confinement are up, Filner is required to serve three years of probation. If he violates that probation, he could be ordered to serve up to 270 days in jail.

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However, if he does not violate it, there is a chance Filner could be placed on “probation with the court,” where he would have to check in with the courts as needed instead of being supervised by a probation officer.

His plea agreement also stated that Filner cannot contact any of his victims, and he is not allowed to seek or hold public office.

The punishment was ordered after multiple women came forward to accuse Filner of sexual advances and inappropriate behavior, beginning in July 2013. 

Soon, many of his former allies demanded he step down from office.

• READ: City Settles Filner Civil Suit for $250K

Filner finally acquiesced in August, tendering his resignation on Aug. 23 and stepping down on seven days later.

A special election and run-off election followed to fill Filner’s vacant seat. Mayor Kevin Faulconer will complete the rest of Filner’s term.

A little 10-year-old girl from Leesburg, Va., who died from brain cancer, became a driving force in the efforts to raise awareness for pediatric cancer before her short life ended.

Gabriella Miller and her family started an annual walkathon to raise money for research specifically for pediatric brain cancer. A documentary about Gabriella was made to give kids like her a voice.

"A mom shared it with her husband who happened to work for House Majority leader Eric Cantor,” said documentarian Mike Gillette. “He saw it and said I'm going to share this with all my colleagues and were going to make some changes"

The changes led to legislation signed by the president, directing $126 million to pediatric cancer research over the next 10 years at a time when research dollars are being rolled back.

“When there’s an opportunity to see Democrats and Republicans come together to do something good, they really should be commended,” said Marc Miller, Gabriella’s father. "Honestly, it took a 10-year-old girl saying stop talking and start doing, and they did."

She's inspiring a generation to "do" as well as people from all ages came out Sunday for the walkathon.

Gabriella died last October, but after today's walkathon, somewhere, she is probably smiling.

For more information about childhood brain cancer or how you can support research, visit Smashing Walnuts.

More than one million car seats are being recalled because of a problem with the buckles.

Evenflo is recalling nearly 1.4 million convertible car seats and harnessed booster seats.

The reason for the recall is because the buckles can get stuck, making it tough to get a child out of the seat. The instructional video from Evenflo shows customers how to replace the defective buckle with a new one.

The recall covers nearly two dozen models. Check this website to see if your car seat is affected and to acquire a new buckle.

The Coast Guard says it rescued three people stranded when their boat caught fire off Long Island Sunday. 

The three people abandoned their 36-foot cabin cruiser when it was engulfed by fire off Shinnecock Inlet and swam to a life boat they had deployed before a rescue crew from Coast Guard Station Shinnecock and the South Hampton Bay Constables reached them.

"They had only been in the water for a few minutes and they were already showing signs of mild hypothermia,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Patrick Rogers, of Coast Guard Station Shinnecock.

The three received medical attention when they reached shore.

Their boat, meanwhile, sank after the North Sea Fire Department put out the fire.

San Diego is among the thinnest cities in the country, according to Gallup research released Friday.

According to the survey, 19.3 percent of people living in the San Diego are obese, making it the No. 6 “least obese” city in the country.

That’s compared to 12.4 percent of people in Boulder, Colo., which has had the lowest level of obesity for years.

San Jose ranked No. 8 least obese, the only other California city in the Top 10.

Huntington, W.Va. was named the “most obese” city in the country, with 39.5 percent of its population classified as obese.

However, among cities with more than 1 million residents, San Diego tied with Denver for skinniest city.

Memphis, Tenn. had 31.9 percent obesity, making it the "most obese” major city.

Researchers found obesity levels in cities with more than 1 million residents were almost two percent lower than in smaller communities. This indicates people living in smaller towns are more likely to be obese than those living in big cities.

Researchers studied 189 U.S. metropolitan areas between January 2012 and December 2013.

San Diego County sheriff’s deputies arrested a Lakeside man wanted in an assault Sunday, officials said.

Deputies surrounded the suspect’s apartment on Wintergardens Boulevard after following the man from a gas station on Woodside Avenue.

A victim called deputies from the gas station around 9:20 p.m. reporting that the suspect used a stick to beat him and then chased him with a knife.

The suspect ran from the gas station and barricaded himself in the nearby apartments.

Deputies said they executed a search warrant for the apartment and arrested 24-year-old Steve Nakho without incident.

The weapons believed to be used in the assault were recovered.

The victim suffered minor injuries and decided not to get medical attention from authorities.

Nakho was booked on charges for assault with a deadly weapon.