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Vets Get "Incredible" Homecoming

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Dozens of San Diego-area World War II veterans, returning from a special trip to Washington, D.C. Sunday, were greeted with cheers and applause at Lindbergh Field.

The spectacular reception was arranged for about 80 veterans who took a whirlwind trip that included the World War II memorial, Arlington National Cemetery and the Vietnam, Korea and Iwo Jima memorials.

Veteran Bud Vander Schaaf called the welcome, “Fantastic, the only word to describe it.”

“Absolutely amazed,” Dusty Ward said of the reception. “San Diego really turned out to welcome us home.”

Ward was in the second wave in Iwo Jima and volunteered to carry wounded Marines from inland to a hospital ship.

“I’m one of the luckiest guys in the world. Thanks a lot for being here,” Ward said.

At 90, Louis Segal said the sight of all those there to welcome him home he wanted to cry.

“It was incredible. I really appreciate it,” he said.

Segal served in the Navy for 12 years including WWII and the Korean War.

“No matter where we went, we met people like this,” Segal said of the honor flight.

Army veteran Clancy Meeter served from Omaha Beach “all the way to the end,” he said. For him, the trip reinforced his national pride.

The vets loved the trip, the reception back home, and above all, serving their country.

Robert Mitchell told NBC 7 that seeing the WWII memorial in person was unlike anything he had ever seen.

"It's far more impressive in person than any picture you could see,” Mitchell said.

The trip was paid by Honor Flight San Diego, a non-profit created solely to honor America's veterans by flying them to see war memorials on the other side of the country.

 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

1st U.S. MERS Patient Improves

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A patient battling the first confirmed U.S. case of a deadly new respiratory illness was said to be improving rapidly, and initial testing has revealed no additional infections, officials said Monday.

"He has been improving every day," said Dr. Alan Kumar, the chief medical information officer for Community Hospital in Munster, Indiana. "He no longer has any oxygen requirements. He's in good spirits. He's eating well, and we have begun the discharge planning process at this point. We expect him to be going home soon."

The hospital and state confirmed Friday that the patient, who lives in Saudi Arabia and came to the United States on a planned trip to visit family, was the first confirmed case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus in the United States.

The first tests on those who came in close contact with the patient, including his family members and about 50 hospital employees, have yielded no new cases. Indiana Health Commissioner William VanNess attributed that fact to the swift response by hospital staff and the cooperation of local, state and federal authorities, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"At this point, it appears that MERS picked the wrong hospital, the wrong state and the wrong country to try to get a foothold," VanNess said at a Monday morning press briefing.

Still, the hospital staffers who had direct contact with the patient have been ordered to stay home for two weeks. Health officials said the incubation period -- the time from exposure to exhibited symptoms -- has been as few as two days and as many as 14 days. Most cases are confirmed within five days.

The patient checked himself into Community Hospital on April 28 after feeling ill. Dr. Daniel Feikin, an epidemiologist with the CDC, said the patient works in a hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Ariabia. He flew from Riyadh through London to Chicago on April 24 before boarding a bus to Indiana.

The man's symptoms appeared after he was in the United States, Feikin said.

"Although we didn't know where it would happen, we're not surprised that MERS-CoV has come to the United States," said Feikin. "We know that infectious diseases do not respect international boundaries. In this day and age of global travel and trade, infectious diseases can spread almost anywhere."

Feikin said CDC officials were using the flight manifest to contact about 100 other passengers who were on the plane with the patient. About 75 of them had been reached by Monday morning and none were exhibiting symptoms, he said. Additionally, none of the "about 10" people who were on the bus were symptomic.

MERS belongs to the coronavirus family that includes the common cold and SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, which caused some 800 deaths globally in 2003. Saudi Arabia has been at the center of a Middle East outbreak of MERS that began two years ago. The virus has spread among health care workers, most notably at four facilities in that county last spring.

Officials said Monday the patient did not recall working directly with a MERS patient in Riyadh but said the hospital where he worked did have some MERS cases.

Overall, at least 400 people have had the respiratory illness, and more than 100 people have died. All had ties to the Middle East region or to people who traveled there.

Officials said the disease isn't highly contagious, but there is no cure.

The MERS virus has been found in camels, but officials don't know how it is spreading to humans. It can spread from person to person, but officials believe that happens only after close contact. Not all those exposed to the virus become ill.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: AP

High Wind Warning in Effect

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San Diego and Riverside counties were both under high wind warnings through Wednesday.

The warning from the National Weather Service (NWS) will be in effect from noon Monday through 3 a.m. Wednesday.

Strongest winds were expected Monday night and again Tuesday afternoon and evening.

The NWS forecasts west winds from 25 to 35 mph with gusts as high as 70 mph possible.

Travel along Interstate 8 through the mountains may be impacted.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

 

 

"Fish Smoothies" for Record Number of Sick Sea Lions

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A record number of sea lions and seals are being taken care of at a Bay Area marine mammal rescue care center, and volunteers are busy making fish smoothies to feed the stranded patients, most likely sickened by an algae bloom.
 
The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito said as of Monday, volunteers have brought in 446 California sea lions, elephant seals, harbor seals and fur seals this year. That's up from 302 animals admitted over the same period last year and the previous record of 418 animals in 1998. Most of the mammals are in Sausalito, but the overflow were sent to San Luis Obispo and Monterey.

The animals, many of them emaciated and dehydrated pups, include a sea lion pup spotted in March hopping through an almond orchard a mile from the San Joaquin River in Central California. The sea lion, nicknamed "Hoppie," was taken to the Marine Mammal Center's Sausalito headquarters for treatment. Some of the other patients came in over the weekend, including a California sea lion named "Wipper" from Santa Cruz, a Pacific Harbor Seal named "Cotton Candy" from Goat Rock Beach in Sonoma County, and a Northern Elephant Seal named "Brulay" from Anchor Bay Beach in Mendocino County.
 
Experts say that domoic acid - which is produced by algae and toxins in shellfish, sardines and anchovies eaten by the sea lions -  appears to blame for some of the sea lion sickness epidemic. This is also the height of pupping season, when the young often get separated from their mothers.

Marine mammal center workers are using 1,000 pounds of fish each day to feel the animals, and they burned out two "fish grinders" over the weekend used to make "fish smoothies."

Contributions to the center  can be sent to the Dollar-a-Pound campaign. The center hopes to raise $86,000. Stay up-to-date on the latest patient numbers - and their names - by saving this link.

 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: The Marine Mammal Center

Bridge Fire Shuts SoCal Freeway

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A stretch of Southern Cailfornia freeway could be closed through Tuesday after a construction worker's blowtorch caught the overpass bridge's wooden supports on fire.

Both directions of the 15 Freeway near Ranchero Road in Hesperia were shut down at 1:30 p.m. Monday due to the fire that sent debris falling onto the highway below, fire officials said.

It took more than 60 firefighters to battle the flames against wind gusts up to 35 mph.

The freeway is Southern California's main connector to Las Vegas.

San Bernardino County Fire Capt. Josh Wilkins said the fire was ruled accidental and one worker suffered from smoke inhalation.

Wilkins said there's great concern that the wooden skeleton of the football-field-sized bridge will collapse.

He said a third of it has burned and Caltrans engineers are monitoring its status.

Firefighters had limited access to water with the nearest hydrant half a mile away.

Holocaust Homework Prompts Outrage

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An assignment asking Rialto middle school students to debate whether the Holocaust really happened has prompted death threats against school officials, the district said Monday.

The Rialto Unified School District assignment asked eighth-graders to argue whether the Holocaust "was an actual event in history or merely a political scheme created to influence public emotion and gain wealth," according to a copy obtained by NBC4.

Interim Superintendent Mohammad Z. Islam and District Spokeswoman Syeda Jafri have received death threats "verbally on tape," Jafri told NBC4 Monday.

Officers could be seen standing outside the school Monday in response to the threats (pictured). Jafri would not specify whether the threats were made via phone calls.

The assignment, given to the students in April, instructed them to base their argument on "multiple credible sources."

The one-page instruction sheet stated: "When tragic events occur in history, there is often debate about their actual existence. For example, some people claim the Holocaust is not an actual event, but instead is a propaganda tool that was used for political and monetary gain."

"You will read and discuss multiple, credible articles on this issue, and write an argumentative essay, based upon cited actual textual evidence, in which you explain whether or not you believe this was an actual event in history, or merely a political scheme created to influence public emotion and gain wealth. Remember to address counterclaims (rebuttals) to your stated claim," it continued.

Students were asked to read three articles provided in the assignment, including one that stated, "Even The Diary of Anne Frank is a hoax," and, "It is time we stop sacrificing America’s welfare for the sake of Israel and spend our hard-earned dollars on Americans."

The district said it would not assign the topic again.

"Our Interim Superintendent will be talking with our Educational Services Department to assure that any references to the Holocaust 'not occurring' will be stricken on any current or future argumentative research assignments," the district said in a statement posted by the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. "The Holocaust should be taught in classrooms with sensitivity and profound consideration to the victims who endured the atrocities committed."

No students, teachers or parents complained about the assignment, which was created by district officials, Jafri told the newspaper.

"It's like asking students to make an argument that the world is flat," said Matthew Friedman, associate regional director of the Anti-Defamation League. "It's just a patently false argument and there's really no educational value there."

In 2007, the United Nations passed a resolution rejecting efforts to deny the Holocaust, efforts "which, by ignoring the historical fact of those terrible events, increase the risk they will be repeated."

Teens Turn to Troops Over Prom

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Hundreds of Philadelphia high schoolers whose class-cutting put their prom plans in jeopardy have gotten the chance to reclaim their big night — with care packages for United States troops in Afghanistan.

South Philadelphia High School officials informed their nearly 500 juniors and seniors last month that half of them were ineligible to attend prom because they had cut class too many times, in a follow-up to a September assembly outlining who would be eligible for prom.

Students who had cut class more than 20 times lost their prom privilege, they said. The "cuts" list was posted so everyone could publicly see who was affected, and the most serious class-cutter had 420 cuts.

"They thought we weren't serious," school counselor Pierre LaRocco said. "Men and women overseas are fighting for your freedom, and you're using that freedom to walk around the hallways."

Adara Jones, 17, hadn't realized she had 23 "cuts." She and her friends were frantic when they learned they wouldn't be able to attend prom.

LaRocco and principal Otis Hackney III wanted to make prom possible while also making sure students had earned the opportunity to attend, so they came up with a way for students to earn back their prom rights: They brought in the troops.

Well, not exactly.

Hackney decided what the students needed was to do something selfless for others, and the school initiated its own service project to support U.S. troops.

Students barred from attending the prom can create a care package for U.S. troops — specifically, for South Philadelphia High's 2012 graduate John Russino's unit serving in Afghanistan — to earn back their prom privileges.

"This is a great cause to help students find their way and show support to our fellow soldiers overseas," said Russino.

For every 20 times a student cut class, a student must submit a care package and a personal letter to a service man or woman to earn back their prom. So if a student has 101 cuts, she must submit five care packages.

"I think it's a good opportunity. It not only gives students a chance to get their 'cuts' off but also gives back to the soldiers," student Adara Jones said.

Each prom-to-troops care package contains beef jerky, nuts, sunflower seeds, granola bars, Crystal Light singles and lip balm. Its estimated value is about $25.

"These gift boxes will lift the morale of the troops. Soldiers are serving overseas and risking their lives. Free education, not taking full advantage of it," said ROTC teacher Timothy Mack. "This is a great way to help soldiers and the students."

Students have until May 9 to create a package. As of Monday, the school has received 10 packages.

Councilman Jim Kenney heard about the project and connected the school with the Liberty USO, which has come forward to cover the cost of shipping the boxes.

The prom takes place June 6 at the Double Tree Hilton on Broad Street. With 250 students ineligible for prom, the school expects hundreds of care packages to come in to support the women and men serving abroad.


Contact Sarah Glover at 610-668-5580, sarah.glover@nbcuni.com or follow @skyphoto on Twitter.

Tire Crashes Through Bus Windshield

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Four people were hurt after a tire flew off a Lexus and crashed through the windshield of a Manhattan-bound commuter bus on a highway in New Jersey Monday morning, authorities said.
 
The bus was carrying 50 people along southbound Route 17 from Kingston, N.Y., to Port Authority at about 7:30 a.m. when the tire flew off the northbound Lexus, authorities said.
 
Police said a 49-year-old man sitting directly behind the bus driver had a severe head injury and was in critical condition. Two other passengers and the driver had minor injuries.

Passenger John Ditmars, who was heading to Manhattan from Accord, N.Y., said he was seated in the front row next to the badly injured passenger.
 
"The wheel was traveling really fast -- it actually smashed the window, struck the bus driver, ricocheted off the ceiling of the bus and struck four more passengers," he said.
 
Chopper 4 showed the bus pulled over near a Route 17 exit ramp in Ramsey shortly after the 8 a.m. accident. The windshield near the driver's side was shattered.

Police said the wheel came from the front driver's side of the 2009 Lexus. The woman was not expected to be charged.
 
--Jen Maxfield contributed to this story




 


Photo Credit: NBC 4 New York

Big Rig Leak Creates Hazmat Situation off I-5

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 A Hazmat team was called to clean up a leaking substance from a semi-truck off the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 in Carlsbad. 

The California Highway Patrol said a big rig stalled around 3:15 p.m. and pulled over onto the right-hand shoulder of the Palomar Airport Road on-ramp.

A driver passing by reported an unknown white substance leaking from one of the drums in the trailer. 

When officers arrived on scene to investigate the leak, they declared it a Hazmat situation after seeing the hazardous materials placards on the truck. 

Crews determined the liquid was a hazardous -- but not deadly -- cleaning substance made by Airproducts which is 80 percent water. 

The Palomar Airport Road on-ramp to I-5 South was shut down for at least three hours. Traffic on the road was backed up for a time.

“At the end of the day, we just want to make sure that this substance is going to be safe and that this truck can leave out of here and be transported safely so that nobody is injured,” said CHP spokesman Jim Bettencourt.

The truck will not be allowed to leave until Hazmat crews have cleared it, the CHP said. 



Photo Credit: Omari Fleming

Corgi Comes Face-to-Face With Bear

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There’s a bear at the door!

This Pembroke Welsh Corgi came face-to-face with a giant black bear who found his way onto the Barry family’s porch in Connecticut.

The Barry family said the bear showed up at their front door in Winchester around noon Monday. He stayed on the deck for about five minutes, scoping it out, then meandered back into the woods and disappeared.

They live in near a state forest in a rural area on the northwest side of town.

The Barry family said bears appear on their property a couple times a year, but this is the first one to show up on their doorstep.



Photo Credit: The Barry Family

Man, 21, Stabbed in Chest, Arms in Oceanside

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 A man is in critical condition and another in police custody after a stabbing in the North County Monday afternoon. 

According to Lt. George Darrah with Oceanside Police, officers responded to the 3600 block of Spyglass Way for reports of a stabbing at an apartment complex around 4:55 p.m. 

There, they found a 21-year-old man suffering from stab wounds to his chest and arms.

He was taken in a helicopter to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, where he is in critical condition, Darrah said. 

A female witness told officers that Joseph Flores, 20, was responsible for the stabbing. He was next to the unnamed victim when officers arrived and was soon taken into custody. 

Investigators have not determined a motive in this case. 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Singer, Goddard Face New Underage Sex Allegations

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A new lawsuit has been filed against “X-Men” franchise director Bryan Singer and producer Gary Goddard for the alleged sexual abuse of a United Kingdom teenager about one decade ago.

The allegations, made by an unidentified man dubbed “John Doe No. 117,” come just weeks after allegations that the Hollywood power players are part of a sex ring involving underage boys.

Attorney Jeff Herman, who filed the other lawsuits against Singer and Goddard, is representing Doe in the newest case.

“The allegations highlight the insidious nature of child sexual abuse, which forces victims to suffer in silence,” Herman said in a statement. “I am proud to give this brave young man a voice."

The newest lawsuit claims that Goddard and Singer contacted the alleged victim when he was 14 years old via social media and asked him if he wanted to be an actor. Goddard allegedly proceeded to tell the boy that he and Singer could help in launching his career, according to the complaint.

Goddard allegedly engaged in several sex acts with Doe, then between 14 and 17, including during a trip to London in which he allegedly supplied the teen with alcohol before having sex with him.

Singer allegedly brought Doe to the London premiere of “Superman,” and invited the teen to an after-party in his hotel suite. Singer allegedly bullied Doe into sexual acts, using a “large, musclebound” man to “smack” the teen around when he refused to comply with the director’s requests.

“He was groomed with literally love letters, with candy, with gifts,” Herman said.

Singer’s attorney previously called allegations in the other lawsuits as absurd and defamatory.
"It is obvious that plaintiff's attorney is not looking to litigate the case on its merits," Marty Singer, who is not related to Bryan Singer, wrote.

Michael Egan III sued Singer in April and is seeking more than $75,000 on each of four accusations: intentional infliction of emotional distress, battery, assault and invasion of privacy after he claims he was abused starting when he was 15 years old.

Jody Armour is a professor with USC's Gould School of Law.  He says the defendants have a defamation of character case, only if the allegations are proven false.

"The truth is a defense to any defamation claim," Armour said.

Getting to the truth is difficult in these types of cases. Herman shared this email from Goddard to the boy with the subject line, "The closest thing I have to a naughty shot of you." The email includes a photo of the teen wearing only a towel around his waist.

Kim Baldonado contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: Matt Sayles/Invision/AP

"Coaster Dad" Builds Backyard Roller Coaster for Kids

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Even though Mother's Day is just around the corner, Will Pemble is gaining a following online for being one of the coolest dads around.

The 50-year-old father began building his kids a backyard roller coaster last September 2013 in his Orinda backyard and decided to document his labor and love on YouTube. The end product was a 180-foot long, 10-foot high coaster that cost $3,500 to create and a venture he calls "The CoasterDad Project."

Pemble, who is the chief product strategist at Extensible Management Inc. and proud father of Lyle, 10, and Ellie, 12, chronicles his construction experience on a blog and through pictures.

In addition to the tutorials about how he built his own amusement park, complete with PVC pipe and steel wheels, Pemble posts reviews of other parks, such as Knott's Berry Farm.

In an interview Tuesday, Pemble said he was motivated to take on the endeavor after his family returned from Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, where he rode the best roller coaster ever - the Kingda Ka.

His son, a bit mopey that he had to return to school after that great ride, told his dad: "You know what would be cool? If we built a roller coaster in the backyard," he recalled.

"Any responsible parent would have said, 'No,' " Pemble said. "I said yes."



A handmade roller coaster in Will Pemble's Orinda, Calif. backyard.

In addition to learning to construct a roller coaster, which his kids named "The Caution Zone," because of the family rules about safety, Pemble taught himself some fancy video editing tricks. He says in one of his clips on inserting posts, "I learned this trick on Gilligan's Island," before playing a fast motion video of him assembling a coaster with silly music in the background. 

But Pemble is a realist too, and doesn't spend all of his time creating magical memories for his kids.

In one video, he signs off temporarily saying, "Sadly, I have to go do grownup things with business people. Someone has to pay for all this."



Photo Credit: Courtesy of Will Pemble

Woman Rescued from Submerged Car

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A U.S. Border Patrol agent rescued an unconscious woman moments after she drove a car into an El Centro canal.

The car had landed upside down in the Evergreen Canal near the intersection of Evan Hewes Highway and Austin Road around 1:20 p.m. Sunday.

The agent dove into the water and discovered an unconscious 24-year-old woman in the driver’s seat of the vehicle.

The woman was pulled to the surface and out of the water where the agent began performing CPR until emergency personnel arrived.

The California Highway Patrol and Imperial County Fire and Rescue Team also responded.

The woman regained consciousness and was transported to the nearest hospital for treatment.

 


 



Photo Credit: U.S. Border Patrol

Better Communication Urged After Dorner Manhunt: Report

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A newly released report reviewing the 2013 manhunt for former LAPD officer Christopher Dorner commends various law enforcement agencies for working together, but also highlights improvements to be made for future incidents.

The report, released by Washington D.C.-based The Police Foundation on Monday, stressed that communication between agencies should be made clearer to ensure officer and public safety.

Dorner killed four people, including two police officers, during a rampage that ended with his death from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot in a burning cabin during a police shootout near Big Bear.

“This incident represents a sentinel event in American policing – one that serves as a warning of needed changes in the public safety system,” said Police Foundation President Jim Bueermann in a statement. “A trained former police officer was hunting police officers and their families, exploiting geo-political, jurisdictional and technological boundaries and using legally-acquired, sophisticated, high-powered weaponry.”

Communication between five of the nation’s most populated counties contributed to confusion and delays in two officer-involved shootings, according to the 102-page report.

Self-deployment tactics were also called into question after hundreds of officers descended on the San Bernardino Mountains when Dorner was cornered. According to the report, an excess number of law enforcement clogged roads and distracted incident commanders.

"As we review this report, and continue to reevaluate our law enforcement response, let us not forget the lives that were lost, and the families that were torn apart by this killer," LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said in a statement. "We are profoundly grateful to our law enforcement partners throughout the region, for their tireless work, cooperation, and their willingness to literally put their lives on the line to end this murderer's rampage.”

Dorner was first sought by police after he became the suspect in the fatal February 2013 shooting of Keith Lawrence and his fiancée Monica Quan. An assistant basketball coach at California State University Fullerton, Quan was the daughter of a former LAPD captain who was targeted by Dorner in an 11,400-word angry manifesto that police said he published online.


Car into Pole Prompts Poway Sig Alert

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 A Sig Alert was in effect in Poway Monday evening after a car rammed into a telephone pole in Poway, according to San Diego County Sheriff's officials. 

The crash happened at 3:17 p.m. at Espola and Valle Verde roads, the area for which the Sig Alert was issued. 

The vehicle caused severe damage to the pole, which will need to be replaced.

No one was injured, according to sheriff's officials. 

Poway Man Found After Hours of Searching

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San Diego County sheriff's search and rescue teams covered six miles over 12 hours looking for a Poway man reported missing Monday.

On Tuesday, the subject of the search - Fernando Pacheco, 71 - was located in the Escondido, Valley Center area officials confirmed.

He was found to be in good health, officials said, and they were working to reunite him with his family.

A member of the public helped solve the case after seeing the reports of Pacheco missing on morning television newscasts, deputies said.

Pacheco was last seen walking southbound on Midland Road around 3:30 p.m. Monday wearing a white cowboy hat, black jacket, black pants and black shoes..

He is in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease and was believed to be without a cell phone, credit cards or money, officials said.

Pacheco is a Spanish speaker with limited English speaking ability.

This isn't the first time authorities have searched for Pacheco. He walked away from his residence in January 2014 and was located a few blocks away on Poway Road.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

$8.8B in County's Investment Pool

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The San Diego County investment pool that manages excess cash from some 100 local government agencies and invests it in safe securities has grown to $8.8 billion in assets, the second-largest such investment pool in California.

The fund, which is managed by County Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan McAllister, received the highest credit rating from Standard & Poor’s, AAAf, making it 13 years in a row it’s achieved that rating.

In addition to managing money belonging to 42 public school districts, it manages funds for five community college districts, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, Sandag, the Metropolitan Transit Service and several smaller cities and water, fire and cemetery districts.

A 10-member oversight committee regularly reviews the fund’s operations. Ben Dillingham was recently named chairman of the oversight committee, a job formerly held by Vernon Evans, who retired as chief financial officer of the Airport Authority in March.
 

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

 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

9/11 Victim Remains to Return to Ground Zero

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Thousands of pieces of unidentified human remains from 9/11 victims will be moved from the medical examiner's office to a repository at ground zero this weekend, according to a letter sent to families.
 
The repository at ground zero is in the same building as the 9/11 museum that opens to families on May 15 and to the public on May 21.
 
The 7,930 unidentified remains will get an escort of NYPD, FDNY and Port Authority Police vehicles when they are taken to the site Saturday morning, according to a group of victims' relatives. 
 
The group, Voices of September 11th, said Tuesday that there would be a "solemn, respectful" procession from the medical examiner's office on the East Side of Manhattan, but no ceremony is planned.
 
The remains are not under the museum's jurisdiction and will still be considered under the care of the medical examiner. Families will be able to visit the remains through a private room at the repository on May 15, according to the letter from the city to families.
 
Forty-one percent of the 2,753 people killed in the World Trade Center attack, or 1,115 victims, have had some remains identified.
 
Some relatives told The New York Times they are relieved the remains are being returned to hallowed ground.
 
"That is where they died, that is where there is a proper memorial for them, and to me it is a good, safe and holy place," said Eileen Fagan, 66, of Toms River, N.J., who lost her sister, Patricia.
 
Monika Iken, 44, told the Times she would be at the site Saturday when the procession arrives.
No remains have been recovered of her husband, Michael.
 
"I have been waiting for this day for almost 13 years," she said. "He needs to have me there as well. It has been a long time, and I am very happy."
 
A number of victims' relatives said they were unhappy with the timing of the letter, which came from Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, deputy mayor for health and human services. 
 
Sally Regenhard, whose son died in the attack, said the moving of the remains was announced at "the last minute" and painfully close to Mother's Day. She is part of a group of relatives who have been seeking to stop the remains from being moved, since the plan was announced years ago.
 

 



Photo Credit: AP

Law Enforcement Memorial to Be Unveiled

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NBC 7's Sherene Tagharobi previews the new law enforcement memorial that will be unveiled Tuesday in a special ceremony at the County Administration Center.
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