San Diego lifeguards and the U.S. Coast Guard were searching the ocean off the coast of San Diego after an abandoned personal watercraft was found early Friday.

The watercraft was noticed about two miles off Imperial Beach around 6 a.m. Friday but it’s not known how long it was floating.

One life vest was found on the beach. Another was recovered just off shore.

USCG has dispatched a helicopter and small boat to search for people who may need rescued.

• Drugs Sold Under Code Name "Roxy Board Shorts Size 30"

There have been no reports of missing persons so lifeguards say the watercraft could belong to drug smugglers.

An agent with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection was also on scene, lifeguards said.

Check back for updates on this developing story.
 

Illegal drugs deals were made in the open using Craigslist and similar sites with the help of code names like “Roxy board shorts size 30” and “roofing tar” investigators revealed Friday.

San Diego County sheriff’s deputies explained the code system uncovered as part of a five-month investigation called Operation.com.

Officials say dealers would use the brand “Roxy” to list the painkiller Roxicodone for sale and “size 30” would signify 30 mg. “Roofing tar” was used to list heroin.

Nineteen people were arrested after deputies made undercover buys of prescription drugs, heroine, methamphetamine, cocaine and ecstasy. Officials say they also seized $25,000 in cash as a result of five search warrants served between November 2013 and April 2014.

• Football Fan Sentence for Q Parking Lot Brawl

Commander Mike Barletta credited the idea behind the operation to simple research by one deputy who used Google to search for current drug terminology.

The department found Urban Dictionary to be a good reference guide, the commander told NBC 7.

“This is the wave of the future, we believe, Internet sales. It’s cleaner, a little safer for them. They are advertising online their wares for sale rather than standing on a corner,” Barletta said.

“We can’t shut down the Internet so we’re going to have to devote resources to this kind of operation,” he said.

• Pile of Pot Found in Street

The suspects, ranging in age from 26 to 46, were students or unemployed, deputies told NBC 7.

The defendants now face charges including conspiracy, possession of controlled substances and possession of controlled substances with intent to sell, officials said.

Deputies said more arrests were expected.

A football fan responsible for a violent post-game brawl at Qualcomm Stadium following a Chargers vs. Cowboys game last fall was sentenced in San Diego Friday.

According to court officials, Ramon Heredia, 41, must serve 400 volunteer hours for his role in the fan fight. He was also given probation for the next three years.

Heredia pleaded guilty to smashing a beer bottle over a fan’s head following the Chargers vs. Cowboys match-up on Sept. 29, 2013.

Witnesses said the parking lot brawl began as a verbal altercation but quickly escalated, with numerous bottles flying between opposing fans.

The fight lasted nearly half an hour and was caught on tape by witnesses.

Video of the confrontation showed the beer bottles being used to strike victims as a large crowd in the parking lot tried to break it up.

Police said the fight mainly involved two suspects – one of whom was Heredia – and two victims. Heredia was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon. The victim he struck sustained minor injuries.

The second suspect in the brawl was not immediately identified or charged. Police said that suspect allegedly struck a male victim over the head with a beer bottle and the victim suffered multiple lacerations to his head. The wounds required 13 staples.

The violent fan brawl in San Diego broke out less than a week after a California man was fatally stabbed during a rivalry-fueled fight that followed a baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers in San Francisco.

After the altercation at Qualcomm Stadium, police told NBC 7 that there are fights and arrests at every Chargers home game.

Qualcomm Stadium has an alcohol policy that limits beer sales during the game. There is a two-drink limit until the start of third quarter. After the third quarter begins, fans can purchase only one drink per visit to the concession stand. No alcohol is sold in the fourth quarter.

The Chargers website says glass bottles are not allowed in the Qualcomm Stadium parking lot.
 

A unique program pairing guard dogs with livestock could hold the key to saving the cheetah, Africa's most endangered cat.

Laurie Marker, Ph D., visited Escondido recently as part of her U.S. tour to raise awareness about  threats to the animal revered by many for its speed.

"What people don't realize that they're running their most important race and that's for their very survival," Marker said.

With an ongoing loss of habitat and an increase in illegal wildlife trade, their population has dwindled.

“There are only 10,000 cheetahs left in the world," she said. 

Outside of hunters seeking fur, the biggest threat to cheetahs are African farmers.

Because cheetahs have been known to kill and eat livestock, many farmers kill the cats to protect their herds.

As Executive Director and Founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, located in Namibia, Marker has developed a unique guard dog program to help stop the killing.

Marker’s team trains Anatolian Shepherd Dogs to live with a farmer’s livestock. The dogs then serve as a security system when they sense a cheetah is near.

"We've put out about 500 dogs into our rural communities," Marker said.

"The dog acts as a guardian they protect the livestock they bark loudly there is a lot of avoidance from the predators,” she said. “They don’t want to come near a herd that is protected."

The program is working.

By tracking the dogs, what they've discovered is that herds protected by guard dogs have 80 percent less livestock loss than those that were unguarded.

Marker said there is a long waiting list for dogs and she's touring the U.S. this spring asking those who care about the cheetah to help sponsor the program.

She believes that those rare opportunities when humans can get close to one of nature’s true wild wonders, will help save the cheetah.

"They listen to the cheetah purr. They see what it is looking at and they can actually kind of feel that cheetah next to them and understand why it is this beautiful animal needs help," she explains.

For those interested in learning more about the Cheetah Conservation Fund or to adopt a cheetah or a guide dog go to the organization's website.
 

Virginia State Police said a second body has been found by searchers, but one person remains missing after a hot air balloon caught fire and crashed Friday evening.

The incident occurred near Meadow Event Park in Caroline County, just south of Fredericksburg around 8 p.m. The balloon was one of three attempting to land in a designated landing area.

One of the balloons struck a live power line and caught fire. The pilot attempted to extinguish the fire and manage the situation when witnesses said there was an explosion. The balloon and the gondola separated after the explosion.

Virginia State Police spokesperson Corinne Geller said searchers worked through Friday night into Saturday morning and found one body. A second body was discovered around 11 a.m. Saturday morning.

She said the remains were sent to the Chief Medical Officer for autopsy and positive identification.
She did not release the identity of the victims.

Searchers are continuing to canvass the area for the third person as well as the basket and balloon. Geller said they would continue overnight if necessary, but they are searching in a heavily wooded, overgrown area.

Geller said searchers have found debris and specialized teams will be spreading out from that area. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are also on scene.

The Mid-Atlantic Balloon Festival was taking place in the area this weekend. A "Friday Flights Happy Hour" was scheduled for three hours beginning at 6 p.m. Friday.

As of 11 p.m. Friday, festival planners announced on Facebook the rest of the weekend's events are canceled.

 The 2014 NFL Draft has moved into its second day, and with the 50th pick in Round 2, the San Diego Chargers chose Jeremiah Attaochu, an outside linebacker from Georgia Tech. 

Then in the next round, the Bolts picked offensive guard Chris Watt from Notre Dame. 

Born in Nigeria, 6-foot-3, 252-pound Attaochu joined the Georgia Tech team in 2010 as a true freshman, according to the NFL's draft profile. 

During that season, he registered 23 tackles -- four for a loss and three sacks. He owns the school's career sacks record with 31.5, the fifth highest in ACC history. 

As for Watt, the 6-foot-3, 310-pound Chicago native started as a back-up as right guard in 2010 at Notre Dame. He started all 26 games at left guard in the 2011-12 season, and then in 2013, he started 11 game before tearing his right PCL. 

When the draft returns Saturday morning, the Chargers will continue with Rounds 4 through 7. 

Thursday night, the Bolts selected Jason Verrett, a cornerback from Texas Christian University. 

A potentially deadly disease in dogs has been found in canines in the Antelope Valley.

Canine parvovirus infection, commonly known as parvo, is a highly infectious and contagious disease. Parvo has been reported in "concerning numbers" in Lancaster and Palmdale – 70 of the 162 parvo cases reported in LA County since January were in those cities.

• Study Tests Power of Dogs Against Cancer

Half of the cases were detected in April. Because the disease is contagious, it appears there is an increase in risk.

The virus does not affect people but can be fatal for dogs if left untreated. Parvo can spread through people's hands and feet, as well as through equipment and other surfaces.

Signs of parvo include fever, anorexia, dehydration, vomiting an diarrhea.

Petowners who believe their dog may be infected by the disease should keep their dog away from other dogs. Do not share dog bedding or toys either, as the disease can spread through surfaces as well.

• Corgi Comes Face-to-Face With Black Bear

Puppies are most susceptible to the disease, but any dog can be infected. Officials suggest all dogs and puppies 6 to 8 weeks of age and older be vaccinated. Puppies under 20 weeks should be revaccinated every three to four weeks until reaching 20 weeks old.

After an adult dog is vaccinated twice, it should get booster shots every one to three years.

• Dog's Family Files $1M Lawsuit Against Vet Who Kept Pet Alive

Vaccinations are available bi-monthly at the Lancaster Animal Care Center at 5210 W. Ave I in Lancaster from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and cost $14. The Low Cost Vaccine Clinics will be held this Sunday, May 11, as well May 25, June 8, June 22, July 6 and July 20.

Future dates can be found here.

 Families had to say goodbye to sailors aboard USS Vandegrift Friday as it set off from Naval Base San Diego for a seven-month deployment.

The U.S. Navy’s guided-missile frigate is on its way to join Operation Martillo, a U.S.-European effort to target illegal trafficking routes along the coast of Central and South America.

During the sendoff Friday morning, families stood on the pier to wave goodbye to their loved ones. Many spouses said it is a difficult farewell, especially when they have to be there for their children.

“My oldest son has experienced more deployment than the little ones, so he’s feeling it really, really bad right now,” said Melissa Flores, whose husband is aboard USS Vandegrift. “He knows dad’s going to be leaving, and it’s difficult, and as mom – to try to be there for your kids and be strong for them – it’s difficult.”

Along with the Vandegrift crew, the international drug interdiction team includes the ship’s Visit, Board, Search and Seizure team with air support from the Helicopter Anti-Submarine Light Squadron 49 Detachment 3, according to the Navy.

On this phase of the operation, the crew will be working in the Eastern Pacific Ocean under the 11th Coast Guard District’s tactical control.

Prior to deployment, one of the Vandegrift's most recent missions was rescuing a stranded sailing family with a sick baby on board. The Navy ship sailed from San Diego to about 900 nautical miles off the coast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and back to save the family. 

A patient who was battling the first confirmed U.S. case of a deadly new respiratory illness has been released from the hospital, officials said Friday.

“The patient has tested negative for MERS, is no longer symptomatic and poses no threat to the community,” said Dr. Alan Kumar, chief medical information officer, Community Hospital in Munster. “Community Hospital finalized its discharge plan with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Indiana State Department of Health, and the patient was discharged from the hospital. We are proud of our medical staff for recognizing and responding quickly to this incident, and we wish to thank the CDC and the ISDH for their assistance and collaboration.”

• Download Our Mobile Apps

The hospital and state confirmed 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.

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."

• Learn More About MERS
• Illinois MERS-CoV Hotline: 844-565-0256

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.

President Obama declared Friday Military Spouse Appreciation Day, a day to thank the spouses of U.S. service members for all they do to support the country and the sacrifices they've made.

In San Diego, some organizations showed their appreciation with giveaways for military spouses.

At the Armed Services YMCA in Tierrasanta, the organization gave away 1,500 bags of coffee donated by Starbucks and their customers.

Many of those bags of coffee had "thank you" notes written on them.

“They're going through the challenges of deployment, relocation, sometimes separated from loved ones we're always here to make sure that we are here to put a smile on their face taking care of them when times are a little bit tough,” said Kat Quirk of Armed Services YMCA San Diego.

Local military spouses were grateful for the gesture Friday.

“I think it’s nice that they do things for us, they think of us once in a while,” said local Hilda Gutierrez.

“We really don't think of ourselves as serving – we just do our duty, duties that we have to do, we take care of the family and the home front and make sure our husbands are taken care of,” added military spouse Lacey Pascoe.

By the way, May is National Military Appreciation Month, and many local businesses are saying “thanks for your service” with freebies and other cool offers. To see the full list of freebies, click here.

Officials are investigating after more than a dozen semi-automatic assault rifles were stolen from a freight train container at a rail yard on Chicago's South Side.

Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent Thomas Ahern said Friday that 13 semi-automatic rifles were stolen from the rail yard near 61st Street and Lafayette Avenue in Englewood sometime between the Sunday morning and Tuesday morning.

• Download Our Mobile Apps

"Hopefully they're not used in a crime and we can recover them before something happens," Ahern said.

The Smith & Wesson M&P15 Sport rifles, equipped with 30-round magazines, were being shipped to a licensed federal firearms dealer in Minnesota and were stolen as they were coming through Chicago, according to authorities.

Community activist Andrew Holmes said he too is concerned about what might happen with the stolen weapons and is demanding the security firm at the scene be removed until the case is resolved.

"I'm totally upset because if that gun is on the street, that assault rifle, with a 30-round magazine, that can do some damage within less than a minute," he said. "At any given moment, even tonight, 30 to 40 people can lose their life in one spot. I’m holding this railroad yard and the company accountable "

Ahern said the ATF is working with the Chicago Police Department and Norfolk Southern Corp. on the investigation, but no suspects had been identified as of late Friday afternoon.

"They're in the wrong hands if they're in the hands of thieves, but we want to prevent guns from moving into more dangerous hands," Ahern said.

Officials have denounced the use of semi-automatic rifles with high capacity magazines in Chicago most notably after a military grade weapon was used in an attack at a Chicago park in September of last year.

• Assault-Style Weapon Used in Chicago Attack: Police
• Seven Charged in Chicago Shooting Spree
• Mom of Shot Toddler: "They Shot My Baby in the Face"

The news comes after a particularly violent night in Chicago where 15 people were shot within 12 hours.

Dozens of volunteers gathered in City Heights Friday for an important mission: a thorough clean-up of the home of a World War II veteran whose property had become a zone for squatters and other unwanted activity.

“This, to me, is absolutely amazing. I can’t believe what these people are doing for me here. It’s like being in a dream,” former U.S. Marine Jess Busco, 88, told NBC 7, in awe of the clean-up effort at his home in the 3800-block of 45th Street.

Volunteers included San Diego Police Department officers, city workers, staffers from Councilmember Marti Emerald’s office, U.S. Coast Guard personnel, members of the Urban Corps of San Diego and area residents, all lending a helping hand to make Busco’s home safe again.

Busco has lived at the same house his entire life.

Over the past seven months, however, his home was no longer his haven as squatters made themselves at home on his property, damaging the surroundings and hiding out in brush along the house. Police said the area had also become a zone for drug deals.

With all of this activity, Busco said his wife and tenants were afraid to go outside, afraid to walk to their cars.

“I felt like a goldfish in a bowl, watching a cat approaching the goldfish bowl. My wife was afraid to come out into our yard. She was scared to death of these squatters. They were constantly coming and going,” he explained.

Busco said this caused a lot of stress and strain in his life.

“At my age, it’s not like being a young person any more. It concerned me,” he added.

Last week, his daughter sent a letter to the City of San Diego, and leaders took action, including SDPD Lt. Martha Garcia Sainz.

Busco said Garcia Sainz helped get the squatters out and locked up and secured the area around his home. She and the city also arranged to have branches and debris cleared and the trees cut around the property to provide more visibility.

“We’re doing crime prevention through environmental design. Everyone can see what’s going on here,” Garcia Sainz said.

Officers and volunteers said helping with this project was their way of thanking Busco for his service and making the City Heights community safer for all residents.

Busco said words can’t describe his gratitude for the officials and volunteers that made this happen.

“I’m elated. I couldn’t be happier. I feel like I’m in a dream here. I don’t have the words to express how grateful I am for what the city is actually doing for me,” he said.

When asked if he was ever frightened by the activity taking place on his property, Busco said his Marine Corps training kicked in, making him act on the situation instead of fearing it.

“Fear can’t stop you from doing what has to be done. That’s how we fought World War II. That’s how the Marine Corps trains you. You can’t be afraid. You must carry out your duty. This was another case of doing my duty – getting these people out of here,” said Busco.

A brush fire that scorched more than 7,000 acres on Mount Laguna last summer was sparked by a government vehicle, according to Cal Fire.

The Chariot Fire was started July 6 by a Jeep Wrangler owned and operated by the Bureau of Land Management, officials said.

The Cal Fire report released Friday said the SUV ignited the dry vegetation.

Around 120 buildings were destroyed or damaged in the fire that prompted evacuations for residents along Sunrise Highway.

El Prado, Horse Heaven and Laguna Campgrounds were evacuated, as well as the Al Bahr Shrine Camp and the Foster Lodge.

Al Bahr Shriners camp took a direct hit from the fire with reports of propane tanks exploding on the property.

The camp lost a total of 23 buildings to the fire, including a 99-year-old lodge.

A massive undercover drug sting across downtown San Diego came to a head Friday as police worked to arrest 74 accused street-level drug dealers. 

San Diego Police officers have taken 29 people into custody as of Friday afternoon in a detail dubbed “Operation November Reign.” 

Over the past six weeks, undercover officers purchased a wide range of controlled substances from local street dealers in areas most impacted by narcotics activity, according to the SDPD. Generally, the amounts purchased were small, from dealers operating independently from one another, according to officials.

It started in response to complaints from residents and businesses about blatant drug sales and use in the Gaslamp District, Core-Columbia, Sherman Heights, Golden Hill and the East Village areas of downtown. 

"Acts of violence between these dealers over control of the drug trade combined with criminal street gang influence created a dangerous environment for the entire community," said SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman.

The SDPD worked with the District Attorney’s Office to secure arrest warrants for suspected drug dealers and facilitators operating in downtown neighborhoods.

The DA’s office presented the cases to a grand jury, which issued the indictment and 74 arrest warrants.

"Handling these cases through the grand jury saves taxpayer dollars and saves the court system a tremendous amount of time and money," said District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis.

Of those named in the indictment, six are already on parole, and another eight are on probation under the state's AB 109 prison de-population mandate. All suspects range in age from 23 to 62 years old, and all have been charged  with selling a variety of illegal drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin. 

The suspected drug dealers' clients range from downtown residents to transients, students and tourists, according to authorities. 

The owner of a barber shop in San Diego's Oak Park area was shot to death by an unknown suspect at his business Friday morning, officials confirmed.

The deadly shooting happened at the Official Cutz Barber Shop at 54th and Redwood Street just before 11:30 a.m.

A preliminary police investigation revealed that a man walked into the business, walked up to the owner and fired several rounds at him.

The victim was down on the ground of the barber shop when police arrived on scene.

Police say the suspect is a dark-skinned man who was wearing a dark shirt and shorts, a baseball cap and white shoes. 

News of the shooting spread quickly in the Oak Park community. Angry and concerned residents flooded the streets in search of answers from police.

At 11:50 a.m., police officers detained several people for questioning in connection with the shooting at a home in the 3300-block of Winlow Street, but no one was taken into custody. Multiple SDPD cars were called to the area.

Several residents were seen talking and arguing with police officers in the streets. Tensions were high and many people were upset. Some were led away by police in handcuffs.

A woman, possibly the shooting victim's mother, was crying hysterically at the scene while being held back by a group of people.

Witness Danny Nguyen works at Nu's Auto Repair & Body on 54th Street, directly across the street from the barber shop. Nguyen told NBC 7 he heard six or seven shots, ducked for cover and called 911.

He didn't see the shooting suspect or suspects. Nguyen said the barber shop has been open for about three months and has been quiet, with no activity of this kind.

The shooting victim's aunt, Audrey Brooks, spoke to NBC 7 and identified the victim as 32-year-old Lamar Canady. She said Canady owned the barber shop where the shooting happened.

Brooks said her nephew was a good person and well-known in the community. He leaves behind a wife and four children, including a newborn baby girl. She said the family doesn't have details yet on what prompted the shooting.

“He was just a wonderful guy. My nephew was ambitious, smart, funny, witty. He was a lot of things. He had a wonderful wife, four kids. He worked. He wanted to serve his community,” said Brooks.

As of Saturday morning, the investigation into this fatal shooting remains ongoing.

Anyone with information on this incident should contact the SDPD Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

 Chula Vista Police are searching for a suspected flasher who jumped in front of at least three victims completely naked, according to witnesses.

The most recent case happened Thursday around 9 p.m. in the 2200 block of Trellis Street.

A woman told police she was walking along the road when a naked man jumped out from behind some bushes and asked her for clothes.

However, the suspect ran off when another man walked up with his dogs.

• 1 Killed in Barber Shop Shooting

Police say the indecent exposure matches a similar incident on May 1 in the 2100 block of Kestrel Falls Road. A second woman was walking her dogs around 9:30 p.m. when she spotted a naked man standing in the road.

She said he was holding some clothing over his groin area and asked the victim for some clothes. When the woman ignored him, the man walked away and appeared moments later in some bushes down the street—this time completely exposed, according to police.

The woman and her friends had seen the man a few days earlier at their community pool, she told police.

In that instance, the man again appeared naked and requested clothes. The women ignored him, so he left, reappearing a short time later fully dressed. He told them his name is Bruce and requested he let them in the gated area.

The victim said she did not call 911 because she thought the man was drunk.

• Investigators Raid Camp Pendleton

CVPD officers were canvassing the neighborhood Friday afternoon in search of more victims and witnesses.

The suspect is described as a dark-skinned, brown-eyed man between 16 and 20 years old. Witnesses say he is about 5-foot-2 to 5-foot-4, weighs between 140 and 160 pounds, is clean-shaven and has brown, short hair with a “bowl cut” hair style.

If you know anything about these incidents, call CVPD at 619-691-5190 or 619-691-5151.

The 2014 NFL Draft moved into its third day Saturday and with the 201st pick in Round 6, the San Diego Chargers chose Marion Grice, a running back from Arizona State.

The 208-pound, 6-foot-tall player is known for his good balance and body control, according to the NFL website.

His bio also says he “displays vision and elusiveness in the open field” and is a good receiver. He fumbled only once in the last two seasons.

Earlier in the day, with the 165th pick in Round 5, the Bolts chose defensive tackle Ryan Carrethers, formerly of Arkansas State.

The 6-foot-1, 337-pound player led his school to three consecutive championship games, according to the NFL website. He also lettered in wrestling.

Carrethers’ strengths, according to the NFL website, is his big, thick build, “sheer mass,” and “outstanding weight-room strength.”

Carrethers had eight tackles for a loss and four sacks last year, plus blocked two field goals. He scored a touchdown as a fullback, too.

On Friday, the Bolts picked Jeremiah Attaochu in Round 2 of the draft, followed by Chris Watt in Round 3. On Thursday, Jason Verrett was chosen as the team’s first round pick.

At a media briefing on Friday, Verrett spoke about the excitement of being chosen first by the Bolts. He also got emotional when asked about his family, saying his parents have always supported him in all of his football achievement.
 

An Oceanside boy suffering from potentially deadly seizures join hundreds of Southern California families in a search for a new solution after their supplier for a controversial, marijuana-based treatment was shut down.

Four-year-old Connor Dalby has been suffering from vicious seizures since he was three months old.

“Connor had lost eye sight. His brain wasn’t registering anything. He lay on the ground and stared into space,” said his mother Kelley.

He was soon diagnosed with West Syndrome -- the worst form of epilepsy that rarely responds to medication.

• READ: Medical Board: 5 San Diego Doctors Are Danger to Patients

When traditional treatments didn’t work, the Dalbys turned to a medical cannabis oil called Charlotte’s Web. The treatment has no THC – the main psychoactive component of marijuana -- so patients like Connor can’t get high.

Kelley was giving the treatment to Connor three times a day, purchasing it from Realm of Caring California, a nonprofit resource center in the San Fernando Valley.

“I’ve given hope to hundreds of families who were hopeless,” said Ray Mirzbegian, the center’s director.

But the city attorney recently threatened criminal charges against the nonprofit, so the 40-year-old father closed it down.

• READ: Couple Falls Prey to Facebook Death Hoax

“There’s 800 children on my waiting list, and these children need their help. They need the city’s help,” said Mirzbegian.

The director wants to come up with a solution as quickly as possible because he knows time is not a luxury many can afford.

His own ten-year-old daughter suffered from seizures before using Charlotte’s Web.

“The hardest part of this is when you get a call from a parent who says, ‘Ray, take my child off the list. They didn’t make it.’ When you say didn’t make it? They passed away,” Mizbegian said.

Mirzbegian hopes to set up a shop in Oceanside that only sells Charlotte’s Web to children in need.

Currently, zoning laws in the North County city don’t allow dispensaries, but the planning commission has asked the city council to consider the possibility.

 Warmer weather and strong winds are heading for San Diego County, and a red flag warning is expected to go into effect early Sunday morning.

On Saturday, the National Weather Service issued a fire weather warning and high wind warning across the county’s inland valleys and mountains.

However, those will change over to the more severe red flag warning at 6 a.m. Sunday as strong gusty winds and low humidity move through the area. The warning will last until 8 p.m. Tuesday.

• Get Severe Weather Alerts

High temperatures will be in the 80s at the coast and 90s inland by Monday, heating up as the week moves on.

The dry weather, combined with strong winds and hot temperatures, could create extreme fire conditions, the NWS warns.

Last weekend, fire crews put out a number of brush fires aided by hot, dry Santa Ana winds through the county.