The interim president of the NAACP said during NBC’s "Meet the Press" on Sunday that embattled Clippers owner Donald Sterling would not be honored at an awards gala in Los Angeles next month.

Sterling, who allegedly told his girlfriend that he didn’t want her to “broadcast” that she associates with African Americans, was set to be awarded a lifetime achievement award by the Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP on May 15.

• NBA Investigates LA Clippers Owner

Lorraine Miller, the interim president of the NAACP, said Sunday that he would not be receiving the honor.

“He is not receiving a lifetime achievement award from the NAACP that is coming up in the next few weeks," Miller said.

Miller also called for a previous award given to Sterling to be rescinded in a statement released Sunday.

"The remarks attributed to Mr. Sterling are outrageous and remind us that racism is alive and well at every socioeconomic level. With the election of President Obama, many were sold the idea that the United States would be instantly transformed into a post racial society and racism would be eviscerated. People who bought that idea were sold wolf tickets," she said.

"As a nation, we must ask ourselves if we are living up to the obligations of the Emancipation Proclamation and the Constitutional that require equality in opportunity for all people regardless of the color of their skin. If we cannot answer in the affirmative, we must redouble our efforts to ensure this goal is reached," Miller added.

In audio-tapes obtained by TMZ, a man who is allegedly Sterling tells his girlfriend that he doesn’t want her to be seen in public with African Americans. NBC News has not been able to authenticate the audio-tapes.

The comments were made after Sterling’s girlfriend posted a photo with Magic Johnson on her Instagram account, TMZ reported.

“Yeah, it bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people,” the man says in the recording.

“You can do anything, but don’t put him on an Instagram for the world to have to see,” he adds. “And don’t bring him to my games.”

• Dodgers' Magic Johnson Responds to Negative Comments

Miller’s comments on "Meet the Press" come after a flurry of responses to the allegations, including statements by politicians and NBA officials.

"The owner is reported to have said some incredibly offensive, racist statements that were published,” President Barack Obama told a group of people during a news conference in Malaysia. “When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don’t really have to do anything. You just let them talk, and that’s what happened here."

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti released a statement condemning the comments attributed to the Clippers' owner.

"These statements are offensive and despicable and have no place in Los Angeles," Garcetti said. "I urge the NBA to act swiftly. L.A. fans deserve and demand better."

Los Angeles City Councilman Curren Price said in a statement Saturday that business owners should be held accountable by the same standards as athletes and elected officials.

"It is incredibly disappointing to see someone who is leading a nationally recognized brand, express this kind of ignorance and hatred. Unfortunately this is another example of why we must continue to fight racism everywhere," Price said.

• Twitter Reacts to Donald Sterling's Alleged Remarks

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he hopes to have an investigation into the allegations wrapped up in the next few days.

"The audio recording posted by TMZ is truly offensive and disturbing and we intend to get to the bottom of it as quickly as possible," Silver said.

Clippers president Andy Roeser released a statement Saturday that suggested that the woman who is believed to have released the tapes to TMZ is currently involved in a lawsuit with Sterling.

"We have heard the tape on TMZ. We do not know if it is legitimate or it has been altered. We do know that the woman on the tape -- who we believe released it to TMZ -- is the defendant in a lawsuit brought by the Sterling family alleging that she embezzled more than $1.8 million, who told Mr. Sterling that she would 'get even,'" Roeser said.

The woman, V. Stiviano, is challenging the case.

Roeser added in his statement that Sterling was hurt by the allegations made against him.

"Mr. Sterling is emphatic that what is reflected on that recording is not consistent with, nor does it reflect his views, beliefs or feelings. It is the antithesis of who he is, what he believes and how he has lived his life. He feels terrible that such sentiments are being attributed to him and apologizes to anyone who might have been hurt by them. He is also upset and apologizes for sentiments attributed to him about Earvin Johnson. He has long considered Magic a friend and has only the utmost respect and admiration for him--both in terms of who he is and what he has achieved. We are investigating this matter," he said.

 A caffeine-fueled, first-of-its-kind discussion played out in Old Town Saturday as the state’s top education administrator talked with community members about their funding priorities for the San Diego Unified School District.

The meeting was about taking control of school district budgets on the local level.

“This is to get the community involved. It’s training on how we define our priorities. We believe – I believe that decisions are made best locally, not from Washington, D.C. or Sacramento,” said Tom Torlakson, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Last year, the California Department of Education changed the way it funds districts. Instead of dividing tax payer money into more than 40 state-mandated categories, each district will essentially get a lump sum and decide where the money is best spent within its jurisdiction.

• READ: Officer Saves Suspected DUI Driver from Burning Car

Now, the state will base success on how well a district performs in eight priority areas.

“At the state level, they understand that the real decisions are made closest to the kids. As a local superintendent, I fully support that concept,” said SDUSD Superintendent Cindy Marten.

To hold the districts accountable, they have to create a local control and accountability plan (LCAP) that lays out how funds will be used for three years.

Marten said the SDUSD – the state’s second largest school district – started its LCAP last year and began gathering community input in September.

Saturday’s meeting with teachers, parents and Torlakson was the latest in that process steps.

Those inside examined the 45-page draft LCAP that focused on 12 local priority areas like digital literacy and quality teaching.

“The draft is out right now. The group here is a planning team. They’re looking at the draft saying, ‘Are we getting it right? Did we figure out where the money needs to go with our district-wide local control accountability plan?’” said Marten.

The draft will now be reworked to include the group’s feedback, and a new version will be made public on May 1.

After that, everyone with a stake in the SDUSD will be able to give their input for 30 days. Marten hopes to have final adoption of the plan by the end of June.

“One reason why again this local process is to bolster community involvement and support and to again underscore that districts need flexibility. They need the chance to define their priorities,” said Torlakson.

 A recent attempted sexual assault has residents in University City on high alert, and some are turning to a smartphone app and website that serves as a virtual neighborhood watch to keep them informed.

The app is called NextDoor. It serves as a private social network for neighbors and a community.

Barbara Gellman, a University City resident, used NextDoor.com to read a post about the attempted sexual assault in Marian Bear Park, just blocks from her home.

“Just because one thing happens here another thing might happen in Clairemont or La Jolla or Bay Ho,” said Gellman.

She uses her phone app to connect with other residents and share information about what’s happening in their neighborhood.

San Diego Police officers have been using the website for the past year to not only keep residents posted about crime in their community, but also to connect with residents by opening a two-way form of communication.

“Maybe I might know something about it, maybe I don’t, but at least I know that the incident happened,” said Gellman’s neighbor Diane Ahern, who also uses the app.

From classifieds to crime, the site acts like a private Facebook page for people living in the same community.

The website verifies that a person actually lives in the area before he or she can join.

“It just makes us all aware that we are the eyes and the ears of our police department,” said Ahern.

The SDPD said so far, more than 25,000 residents in the City of San Diego have signed up for the app.

Although officials encourage people to use it, they say it should never replace 911.

 Two families stood divided Saturday at a Barrio Logan park over a tragic DUI crash that killed two people last weekend.

In Chicano Park, family and friends of DUI suspect Mario Carranza took donations to raise money for his legal defense.

“We will continue to stand by Mario because we love him, because he deserves a fair trial and help, not a lifetime in prison,” said Jesus Mendez, Carranza’s family friend.

Carranza was charged with murder in the deaths of C.J. Vargas and Monica Lupercio. They were killed when Carranza drove his car off Interstate 8. 

• READ: Man Wearing Headphones Hit, Killed by Train

Prosecutors said he had a blood alcohol level of 0.30 at the time of the crash, so they opted for murder charges due to a prior DUI conviction on Carranza’s record. The suspect also faces vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence charges and has pleaded not guity to all of them.

As Carranza’s supporters gathered in Chicano Park, Lupercio’s family rallied against the fundraiser right across the street.

“People who kill innocent people, they’re still able to have a second chance, but my daughter Monica is never going to have a second chance in her life,” said Lupercio’s mother Maribel.

They said they want Carranza to live with his decision to drive that night for the rest of his life.

Meanwhile, Carranza’s family said they have set up a memorial page and are planning a benefit concert to raise money for Lupercio’s and Vargas’ funeral costs.

 A police officer risked his own safety when he entered a burning car to reach the driver inside, Escondido Police officials said.

Officer Putulowski was called to respond to a suspected DUI crash around 1:30 a.m. Sunday in the intersection of Valley Parkway and Broadway.

Investigators learned that a tan Lincoln Navigator was driving west on Valley Parkway when a driver in a gray Nissan Altima ran a red light and collided with the Lincoln.

When Putulowski pulled two minutes later, he saw the Nissan was on fire and the driver unconscious.

The officer first tried to put the fire out with an extinguisher, but it was growing too large.

Instead, he got in the burning vehicle himself and pulled out the driver, who had significant head injuries, police said.

In the second vehicle, two people were injured. One was able to get out, but the driver had to be cut out using the fire department’s Jaws of Life.

All three patients were taken to the hospital for multiple minor injuries. The Nissan’s driver –whose identity was not known -- was later arrested for felony driving under the influence causing injury.

Escondido police will continue the investigation. If you have information about the crash, call Officer Bruce Masten at 760-839-4424.

A big rig driver who overturned his truck, causing a partial closure of State Route 94, is suspected to have been driving while intoxicated, California Highway patrol officials report.

The accident was reported just before 4 p.m. when officials said a 45,000-pound big rig carrying garlic turned on its side near the northbound State Route 15 transition ramp to eastbound SR-94

Officials said the driver took a turn onto the on-ramp too sharp and fast, causing the truck to overturn. Garlic was strewn across the roadway, leaving an odorous mess for crews to clean up.

Arriving CHP officials reported that the driver of the big rig smelled of alcohol. He was given a field sobriety test and failed, according to officials. Soon after, he was taken into custody.

The overturned truck prompted the closure of the northbound SR-15 transition ramp to eastbound SR-94. A Sig Alert was issued for the area.

The ramp was not reopened until 8:40 p.m.

The truck was on its way to Chicago at the time of the accident, officials said. 

The logo on the side of the truck was that of a local company, Rust and Sons. When NBC 7 crews went to the business in El Cajon, an employee said the company has no comment on this incident. 

A man is dead after he was hit by an Amtrak train in Midtown, according to the San Diego Police.

The 24-year-old man was struck near Pacific Highway and W. Washington Street around 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

Police said the victim was wearing headphones and looking at some kind of handheld device, so the incident appears to be accidental.

Witness Reno Torres was sitting in his car, waiting for the trains to go by when he saw the whole thing.

He told NBC 7 the man was just getting off the trolley. The railroad crossing barriers were down and warning lights were flashing on the street, but there is no barrier separating the trolley tracks from the train tracks.

• READ: Man Held Sister Captive in "Dungeon" for Years: Cops

Just as the man stepped on the tracks, a train approached. Torres said he tried to roll down his window to yell at the man, but it was too late.

The pedestrian was hit by the train, his body flying 50 to 60 feet from the initial impact site, the witness said.

Torres has seen a lot of things while serving in the military on deployment in Iraq, but he said this man's death is the worst thing he's ever seen. 

"I'm very distraught. This was very distrubing to see. A young man lost his life. I can only imagine what his family will go through when they find out," said Torres.

Emergency crews pronounced the man dead at the scene. 

The northbound COASTER train 689 has been cancelled, according to the North County Transit Twitter page. 

A 16-year-old Connecticut student accused of stabbing a classmate to death inside a Milford high school will be arraigned Monday, as the community in mourning prepares to pay tribute to the victim at an evening vigil.

Maren Sanchez, a 16-year-old junior at Jonathan Law High School, was fatally stabbed by a classmate on Friday morning, hours before she was planning to attend the school's junior prom.

Police have not named Sanchez's alleged assailant, who has been charged in the attack, but friends and neighbors have identified him as Christopher Plaskon.

Plaskon's attorney has not identified his client by name, but said he will be charged as an adult.

Rich Meehan, the attorney representing the suspect, said his client is currently under psychiatric evaluation and a 15-day emergency commitment at a medical facility.

Plaskon was not expected to appear at the arraignment in New Haven on Monday. 

Some students said the attack took place because Sanchez, a member of the National Honor Society who was active in the school community, would not go to prom with the suspect. Police are not revealing a motive at this time and said the investigation is ongoing.

Classes at the school remained canceled on Monday as members of that community and beyond mourned and tried to come to grips with the tragedy. Tonight, a candlelight vigil will be held to pay tribute to Sanchez, who was named prom queen hours after her death. It is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the football field.

Gov. Dannel Malloy is planning to attend.

The school is welcoming the community and asks people to bring candles.

"We're all very much connected, so this hurts. It hurts," said Jonathan Law High School parent Lucy Ferrara.

The school was scheduled to remain open from noon to 5 p.m. on Monday for students and parents who wished to see counselors or support staff, the student newspaper reported on Twitter. Students mourning the loss of Sanchez also returned to the high school on Saturday for comfort and counseling.

"Today is kind of hitting me because yesterday it was, you knew it happened, but you didn't know what to think about it because it's not something that happens every day and not something that you're ready for," said Kassandra Sebas, a friend of Sanchez's, said over the weekend.

• Milford Teen Stabbed to Death at High School

As night fell on Saturday, the memorial outside the school continued to grow. Grieving friends and community members left flowers, balloons, candles and mementos in honor of Sanchez.

Mourners held each other close, with some breaking down after seeing the memorial. All of them are trying to find some way to come to terms with such a loss. 

• Milford Stabbing Suspect Under Psychological Evaluation

A spokesperson for the suspect's family told NBC Connecticut their thoughts are with the victim and her family. The family plans to release a statement after the arraignment on Monday.
 
Friends of the suspect expressed shock at the allegations, saying he is a good kid from a great family.
 
"I was pretty good friends with the kid," said a sophomore at the school. "He was on the football team. We talked a lot, and it's kind of shocking knowing one of your good friends did something bad like that."

Funeral arrangements have not been finalized, but there will be visiting hours at Cody-White Funeral Home in Milford on May 1, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. A fund has been set up to create a scholarship in memory of Maren Sanchez.

Donations can be made to:
The Maren Sanchez Memorial Fund
Attorney Mike McCabe, 23 Sunnyside Court, Milford CT 06460
 

California is now one step closer to a major change in the way allegations of sexual trauma in the military are investigated. This week, the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee approved legislation that would require sexual assault cases of California National Guard members to be investigated by civilian authorities instead of military personnel. 

• California National Guard Culture Questioned

• Military Women: We Got Fired for Being Raped 

The father of the Santa Clara teen stowaway, whose 5 1/2 hour journey inside a Boeing 767 wheel well captured the world's attention, said Sunday that he will fly to Hawaii to bring his son home.

The father identified the teen as Yahya Abdi. Yahya survived the flight from San Jose Mineta International Airport to Hawaii last Sunday despite high altitudes, low oxygen and freezing temperatures.

“My name is Abdulahi Yusuf and I am Yahya's father," a statement from Yusuf said. "Our family was deeply concerned when my son went missing, and we were relieved to hear of his safety considering the circumstances of his trip."

The statement was delivered on behalf of Yusuf by Zahra Billoo, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

• "Allah Saved Him": Santa Clara Teen Stowaway's Father

"My son, like many immigrant children, is struggling adjusting to life in this country," the statement said. "Our situation was aggravated by our displacement in Africa for many years after fleeing our home country of Somalia because of war conditions. As a result, my son was not able to receive any formal education before we immigrated to the United States. Yahya is a good kid who I love dearly."

Yusuf said that he plans to fly to Hawaii soon to be reunited with his son.

[I] "am excited to bring him back home to his family in California," he said in the statement. "We thank everybody for their concern and support, and ask that people continue to respect our privacy during this incredibly difficult time.”

Abdi told Voice of America in an earlier interview that his son always talked about going back to Africa, where his grandparents still lived.

• Report: Teen Stowaway's Mom Says Son Believed Her Dead

The teen's mother Ubah Mohamed Abdullahi told VOA that her son had recently found out that she was alive after being informed by his father she had died.

"I was told that he did this because of me," she told VOA. "I know his mentality. You know our kids. He was the smartest of them (the kids). I know how he could react."

Abdullahi is divorced from Abdi. The boy lives with his father, a cab driver, in Santa Clara.

Search crews are looking for a pilot after two small planes crashed in the air in the North Bay Sunday afternoon, according to the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard said a Cessna 210 and Hawker Sea Fury TMK 20 collided in midair about one mile north of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. One plane and its pilot landed safely in Ione, Calif. around 4:45 p.m. at the Eagle's Nest Airport more than 100 miles away, but the Cessna crashed into the San Pablo Bay and that pilot remains missing.

"Right in the channel right here, it’s about 40 feet," Coast Guard Lieutenant Jeannie Crump said. "That’s the largest depth right here, but it goes to about 5 feet depending on where the plane went down."

Witnesses who heard the crash said it happened about three miles off the shore of the San Pablo Yacht Harbor.

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"My wife came running and told me that two planes had just hit each other," Point San Pablo Yacht Harbor owner Eric Johnson said. "That an old World War II airplane and a Cessna had collided. Cessna lost a wing and spiraled into the water and hit hard."

The Coast Guard, along with support from other government agencies, has crews in the water and in the air searching. Several boats and three helicopters are still searching and the Coast Guard said they will continue overnight.

Debris has only been spotted so far in the water, but no people yet, the Coast Guard said.

"We’ve seen quite a bit of aircraft debris in the water here," Crump said. "We have not seen any persons in the water, and we have one person reported being on the plane that went down."

• San Jose Woman Accused of Killing 1-Year-Old Son Near Livermore

Johnson, who lives in the Point San Pablo Yacht Harbor, said a neighbor immediately went out on a boat to see if he could help.

"Any time something like this happens in the Marina, people jump to help," he said. "Whatever is running, they grab and they go, and he was the nearest vessel."

"Joe said he saw oil and fuel and debris on the top of the water," Johnson added. "No contact with any large debris or couldn’t see the airplane, no bodies."

Each aircraft just had its pilot on board. The Hawker pilot was reportedly uninjured.

• Is Uber Keeping Riders Safe?

Both planes in the collision were involved in the Pacific Coast Dream Machines Show Sunday at Half Moon Bay Airport before the crash, according to a spokesman for the show. The planes were on their way back to Ione Airport after the event had ended, and the two pilots knew each other.

The spokesman for the Pacific Coast Dream Machines Show issued the following statement:

"Everyone associated with the Pacific Coast Dream Machines Show is terribly saddened by this news, and we hope and pray the missing plane and survivors are found."

The FAA and NTSB is investigating the accident, and the identities of pilots have not been released.

The search is over for a prison escapee with ties to North Texas.

Kendrick Rishard Davis, 34, escaped from the Kyle Correctional Center just after 2 p.m. Saturday. He was captured sometime around 8 p.m.

KXAN-TV reports officers dragged Davis out of a wooded area several hundred yards from the correctional facility. He was naked except for the white socks he was still wearing.

Officers saw Davis jump a fence but could not catch him. At the time authorities said he was wearing boxer briefs and only one shoe.

The Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter searched for him by air while a tracking dog was used on the ground, according to Jerry Hendrix with the City of Kyle.

Davis was convicted in 1996 of two counts of aggravated robbery in Dallas County. He was sentenced to 25 years.

The privately-run minimum security facility is located between Austin and San Marcos.

Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp has been dragged into the controversy over racist comments allegedly made by Clippers owner Donald Sterling, according to an audio recording released Sunday by Deadspin.

• Clippers Turn Gear Inside-Out in Apparent Protest Against Sterling

In an extended version of the original audio clip obtained by TMZ Sports, a woman says she didn't remove a photo she took with Kemp from her Instagram account even after being asked to remove all African-Americans from her profile by the man in the conversation, identified by Deadspin as Sterling. NBC News has not been able to authenticate the audio tapes.

When the man asks her why, the woman replied, "I thought Matt Kemp is mixed, and he was OK, just like me."

"He's lighter and whiter than me," the woman goes on to say.

TMZ Sports posted a photo on its website Sunday of Kemp with the woman, identified by TMZ as Sterling's girlfriend, V. Stiviano. There is also a photo of the woman with Magic Johnson.

In a report by ESPN, Kemp acknowledged taking a picture with Stiviano.

"I was shocked," Kemp said. "I haven't been to a basketball game since maybe last year, and I did take my mom. I met that young lady, I've known her through mutual people. We all sat in the same [area]."

Kemp said he could never play for a team owner like Sterling, according to ESPN.

• Clippers Owner Will Not Be Honored at Gala: NAACP

"There is just no room for racism in any of our games," Kemp said.

During the Dodgers game against the Rockies on Sunday, Kemp changed his at-bat music to Michael Jackson's "Black or White."

The Dodgers lost the game, 6-1.

Nehoray Legal Group, who represents Stiviano, said in a news release Sunday that the audio tapes are legitimate and are part of a longer recording about one hour in length.

Clippers president Andy Roeser released a statement Saturday, which said in part: "Mr. Sterling is emphatic that what is reflected on that recording is not consistent with, nor does it reflect his views, beliefs or feelings. It is the antithesis of who he is, what he believes and how he has lived his life. He feels terrible that such sentiments are being attributed to him and apologizes to anyone who might have been hurt by them."

• NBA Investigates Sterling Over Audio Recording

In a news conference Saturday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said an investigation has been launched into the audio tapes.

Members of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team are turning their shirts inside-out in what appears to be a player-fueled protest against the team’s embattled owner Donald Sterling, who has come under fire after TMZ released audio they say is of Sterling making racist remarks about his girlfriend bringing black people to his team’s games.

Clippers players hit the hardwood Sunday afternoon for Game 4 of a playoff match-up against the Golden State Warriors. Led by Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, Clippers players took off their warm-up gear to reveal inside-out red T-shirts, which hid the Clippers team insignia usually emblazoned front and center.

• Read: More on Donald Sterling and His Alleged Remarks
• Clippers Owner Will Not Be Honored at Gala: NAACP

The team collectively dumped pieces of their warm-up gear at mid-court, and many players were seen wearing black tape, socks and wrist bands. Sterling's estranged wife, Rochelle Sterling, was present at the game wearing all black, too.

“Love your team, but despise your owner’s racist ways,” NBA analyst Jalen Rose said during the game’s halftime report, endorsing the players’ move.

Throughout the game, players continued to wear their team-issued gear, excluding uniforms, inside-out:

CP3: "We're going to be one. Everything we do, we do it together." pic.twitter.com/aQC4kcNEMZ

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 27, 2014

TMZ Sports over the weekend released an audio clip of a man they say is Sterling talking to his girlfriend about his distaste for her associating with black people -- especially at his team’s games.

The circulation of the audio has prompted an outpouring of negative responses from well-known figures inside and outside of the NBA, including former Lakers star Magic Johnson, rapper Snoop Dogg and President Barack Obama, among others.

• Download: FREE NBC LA Breaking News App

At time of publication, players had yet to comment on the warm-up gear protest. Game 5 of the Clippers' series against the Warriors is scheduled for April 29 at the STAPLES Center.

The Clippers organization is currently conducting an investigation into the allegations against Sterling. Clippers president Andy Roeser released a statement Saturday that suggested that the woman who is believed to have released the tapes to TMZ is currently involved in a lawsuit with Sterling.

"We have heard the tape on TMZ. We do not know if it is legitimate or it has been altered. We do know that the woman on the tape -- who we believe released it to TMZ -- is the defendant in a lawsuit brought by the Sterling family alleging that she embezzled more than $1.8 million, who told Mr. Sterling that she would 'get even,'" Roeser said.

The woman, V. Stiviano, is challenging the case. Nehoray Legal Group, who represents Stiviano in the case, said in a news release Sunday that the audio-tapes are legitimate and are part of a longer recording about one hour in length.

Stiviano’s attorney denied that his client leaked the recording to media.

“Ms. Stiviano did not release the tape(s) to any news media,” attorney Mac E. Nehoray said in the statement. "Due to the present litigation and its absurd allegations, which Ms. Stiviano vehemently denies, Ms. Stiviano and this office have no comments at this time."

Thousands of people packed Balboa Park Sunday for EarthFair 2014. According to organizers, the event is the largest free annual environmental fair in the world, drawing an average of 60,000 people.

Hundreds of them were exhibitors, including El Cajon resident Tess Valencia. She turns Caprisun packets into purses, wallets and even backpacks.

“I made one little party bag for my daughter's birthday, and a friend came over and saw them and said, ‘God, that's so nice!' [Now] my bags are all over the world. They’re in Chicago, in Europe,” Valencia said.

A few stalls over was yet another green creation. Young entrepreneur Leslie Uke from Poway says her runny nose inspired the HankyBook. She says she was tired of throwing away so much tissue paper and dealing with the apparent stigma surrounding handkerchiefs.

“Everyone just looked at me like I was gross, and I was like, this is really useful actually. It's not unsanitary, but they had that perspective,” Uke said.

Uke sold her first HankyBook at EarthFair four years ago.

“We're in more than 40 stores right now, mostly in Canada. Whole Foods is definitely my like high in the sky destination, and we're working with their North Atlantic region to get into their stores,” Uke said.

EarthFair organizers say exhibitors like Uke and Valencia are the heart of the event. For a full list of exhibitors, click here.

The California Highway Patrol issued a SigAlert for State Route 76 after a car ran into a power pole in the Rincon area.

The collision happened around 4 p.m. on SR 76 near Valley Center Road. 

The pole and power lines fell across the road when the car crashed into it, and the energized lines created a hazard for other drivers. CHP officials closed the highway in both directions for about three hours.

No one was injured.

The driver, 21-year-old Stephen Want of Pala, was booked into the Vista Detention Facility on suspicion of DUI, according to officials.

SDG&E was called to turn off the lines so crews could clean up. The utility's outage map showed that 650 customers were without power for roughly an hour.

CHP says SDG&E and AT&T will be working on the pole into Monday morning, so drivers are asked to avoid the area.