We've officially reached the point where it's okay to stop focusing on the spectacle of the Super Bowl and start focusing on the game. That means the only reason to talk about John or Jim Harbaugh is to discuss the coaching decisions that they'll have to make, rather than the fact that they shared the backseat in a family car.

Both coaches already made their biggest moves of the year: John fired his offensive coordinator in December, a move that could have backfired in spectacular fashion if the Ravens hadn't caught fire.  Jim turned the offense over to Colin Kaepernick even though things were going well in San Francisco.

Those were the kinds of risky moves that got the teams to this game, so we know that neither side is going to be afraid to go for broke. Here's what to watch for on Sunday evening:

Ravens Offense vs. 49ers Defense: Joe Flacco's made headlines for throwing eight touchdowns and no interceptions in the playoffs, but the resurgence of the Ravens running game has been a hidden reason for that. They've been feeding Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce the ball more than 30 times a game in the postseason, making life easier for Flacco. 

The 49ers defense isn't easy to run against, but the addition of Bryant McKinnie at left tackle and the injury to defensive lineman Justin Smith gives the Ravens reason to believe they can keep the ball rolling. If they can, it will help them avoid exposing some bad matchups in pass protection (Michael Oher vs. Ahmad Brooks, Justin and Aldon Smith against McKinnie and guard Kelechi Osemele). 

The 49ers will play man on the outside, something wide receiver Torrey Smith struggled with against New England. Anquan Boldin thrived, however, and getting the run going would open up the play-action shots down the field that Baltimore enjoys taking. 

49ers Offense vs. Ravens Defense: It's become a passing league, but the 49ers run game is a thing of beauty. Kaepernick's read-option skills are all the rage, but the 49ers were already a good power running team with Alex Smith. 

Now, they can overwhelm you on the ground both ways, and Frank Gore looks fresher than he did at the end of last season. The Ravens will counter with a well-rested Haloti Ngata in the middle and athletic players at the edges in an attempt to avoid overcommitting to one while allowing the other to beat them. 

The 49ers throw a lot of different formations out there, which will require a lot of discipline from the Ravens defense to identify and communicate with one another. Those formations are designed to come up with favorable matchups for Kaepernick's targets in the passing game while also making it easier for the still-inexperienced quarterback to make the right decisions.

Ravens Will Be Happy If: Strangely enough, they might be happy to see Kaepernick run a bit early in the game so that they have a chance to get physical with him right away. The Ravens beat the Patriots up in the AFC Championship Game, and they'd love to do the same to the 49ers in the Super Bowl. Hitting Kaepernick is a good way to make that happen, although the 49ers haven't been easy to push around this year.

49ers Will Be Happy If: The two Smiths on the 49ers defense were running roughshod over the league through the first 14 weeks or so of the regular season, but since Justin's injury, Aldon's pass-rushing productivity has fallen off. If the two of them come up with a play or two to disrupt Flacco, it will be a very good sign for the Niners. 

Ravens X-Factor: Linebacker Terrell Suggs started the season with an Achilles injury and suffered a torn biceps muscle later, which kept him from playing at the level he did in 2011, when he won Defensive Player of the Year. He's looked lively in the playoffs, though, and hes the kind of athletic edge player that can both pressure Kaepernick on passes and clamp down on the read-option. If the extra time off gives Suggs something extra, he could make a big difference.

49ers X-Factor: When Kaepernick took over, tight end Vernon Davis dropped off the face of the Earth. He had just six catches in the final five weeks of the regular season. But he's been rediscovered in the playoffs. Davis has six catches for 150 yards in the two 49ers wins and he's got the potential to be a matchup nightmare for Ravens linebackers Dannell Ellerbe, who has an ankle injury, and Ray Lewis, whose coverage deficiencies help explain why he's retiring.

Key Matchup: Ray Rice vs. Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman. The importance of Rice to the Ravens offense can't be overstated, both as a runner and a receiver on screen passes. When their offense is looking good, Rice is in the middle of everything. 

To get Rice free on Sunday, the Ravens will need to handle the 49ers' all-world inside linebacking duo. Willis and Bowman excel in all phases, so it's not like there's some way to limit their effectiveness through creative playcalling. The Ravens are going to have to block them, but Rice also has to run around or through them for the Ravens to dictate the pace and tenor of the game. 

That's key, because the 49ers are the more talented team from top to bottom. Riding Rice makes that a lot less important because it's hard to score when you don't have the ball.

Josh Alper is also a writer for Pro Football Talk. You can follow him on Twitter.

Two hundred Chicago police officers will migrate from administrative tasks to the streets, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police Supt. Garry McCarthy announced Thursday.

"Why would you ask the taxpayers for more when you're not using what you have today well?" Emanuel said at a press event at Area Central Headquarters.

The move comes on the heels of a recommendation report released last week by Chicago's Inspector General and with the city ending one of its most violent months in a decade. As of late Thursday, Chicago recorded 42 homicides, including the death of a 15-year-old girl gunned down earlier in the week in what authorities said was a gang turf war.

"Getting these officers out the door quickly from their assignments, putting them into places where they can make a difference, this was the simplest, easiest, best assignment that we could do," said McCarthy.

The reassigned officers, who Inspector General Joe Ferguson said are doing administrative tasks such as making travel arrangements, timekeeping, grant writing and nursing, will be replaced by civilians, Emanuel's office said.

Ferguson said the move could save city taxpayers about $16 million annually.

The first deployment will happen fairly quickly. Sixty officers will be reassigned to mobile units by the weekend. Emanuel said the full transition of 200 cops should be completed by the end of March.

"If we're hiring officers to be clerks, we're being inefficient. If we're hiring officers to put them in the places at the times when crime is most likely to happen, and giving them the tools, those are the steps that will reduce crime," said McCarthy.

Moving the officers from the desk to strike force is contrary, however, to Emanuel's and McCarthy's original plan to de-emphasize specialized units.

"Emanuel's administration is so controlling of police headquarters. Everything has to be run past them. They've got to knock it off," said Fraternal Order of Police President Mike Shields. "City Hall needs to get their fingers out of the policing process and let Chicago police officers go do their job."

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Several Grantville residents awakened Thursday to find their cars damaged in a hit-and-run crash.

The crash occurred around 1:30 a.m. in the residential area near Crawford and Twain.

A man who appears to be in his early 20s was driving a blue Mustang collided with a BMW, completely smashing the back.

San Diego police tracked down the driver and conducted a field sobriety test.

The man can be seen trying to stay balanced as he walked in a line before officers.

Officers say the driver was taken into custody and faces charges of hit and run and suspicion of driving under the influence.
 

Five people were injured in a serious traffic collision in Carlsbad Wednesday night, officials said.

The two-vehicle crash happened around 7:20 p.m. at the intersection of Palomar Airport Road and Innovation Way.

Chief Luis Osuna said a total of five people -- including a toddler under two years old – were injured. At least three of the victims were in critical condition.

Osuna said four victims became trapped inside one of the vehicles and had to be removed by rescue crews. Those four patients were transported to various local hospitals, including Rady Children’s Hospital, via ground and air.

Details on what led to the crash were not immediately available. The collision is under investigation. No information has been released on whether drugs or alcohol played a factor in the crash.

Police temporarily shut down traffic on Palomar Airport Road as emergency crews worked to assist the victims and process the scene.

 

Former NFL cornerback Wade Davis hears the pre-Super Bowl debate over gay athletes and same-sex marriage and one word comes to mind: progress.

Davis, a retired pro-football journeyman who came out last summer, even sees something positive in San Francisco 49er Chris Culliver’s disparaging remarks about playing with gay teammates.

“In a way, he’s doing us a favor, because we’re having this conversation,” Davis said Thursday. “Everyone’s talking about it on ESPN this morning, people are asking (players at the Super Bowl’s media day) about gay rights. That’s never happened before. That’s progress.”

Football, and pro sports in general, has traditionally been perceived as a bulwark of homophobia, a place where coming out would spell career suicide. In part, that remains true: no active American pro male athlete has ever said publicly that he is gay. But underlying that image is a widening acceptance of gays that reflects a similar shift in the general public, according to scholars, journalists and athletes who follow the issue.

“Sports is the last closet,” said Cyd Zeigler Jr., co-founder of the website Outsports. “Nobody’s out, but sports aren’t necessarily this horrible homophobic institution anymore. It’s just not.”

Much of that shift has to do with the fact that pro sports are played by young people, and young people are less likely to view homosexuals as undeserving of equal treatment on the playing field and in life, Zeigler said. He did his own survey of pro athletes, and said nearly all told him that they’d have no problem with gay teammates.

“People don’t realize how much sports have transformed. Guys really don’t care,” Zeigler said. “Culliver is just an outlier.”

The reaction to Culliver’s comments – in which he told a radio interviewer that there were no gays on the 49ers and “they gotta get up out of here if they do” – has shed some light on the transformation. The 49ers denounced his remarks, as did former 49er Kwame Harris, who is gay. Culliver ended up apologizing and saying he would “learn and grow from this experience.”

But the pre-Super Bowl conversation has not only involved Culliver, or Harris, who made news himself when he was charged with assaulting a former boyfriend. Members of the 49ers and their Super Bowl opponents, the Baltimore Ravens, spoke openly, and respectfully, on the issue of gay marriage. Ravens center Matt Birk said his Catholic faith fed his belief that only a man and woman should be wed. His teammate, linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo, continues to be a vocal proponent of gay rights.

What’s missing, of course, is an active player comfortable enough to acknowledge his homosexuality publicly.

One reason is there still may be fear of teammates’ reactions, especially among players who aren’t among the sport’s elite -- those who struggle to keep their careers alive, said Eric Anderson, an American sociologist who studies homosexuality in sport at the University of Winchester in the United Kingdom.

Another explanation is statistical: assuming that the rate of homosexuality is the same among athletes as among the general public, there are probably only few dozen active NFL players who are gay, Anderson said. Of those, the number of superstars who can assume the Jackie Robinson role is very small.

But Anderson said that when it happens – and it will – this “hero” will be inundated with sponsorships from gay-friendly companies, praised on TV talk shows and gain legions of new fans.

“Their cultural commercial value will go through the roof,” Anderson said.

Davis, the former NFL cornerback, said he thinks the NHL will be the first sport with an openly gay athlete -- perhaps because its players come from places with more liberal attitudes toward homosexuality, like Canada and Europe.

“Americans are further off, but we’re getting close, definitely,” Davis said.

He added: “The fact that we’re talking about gay rights before the Super Bowl, the largest stage in the sports world, is progress.”
 

A person died after hitting their car into a power pole in Santa Ysabel Thursday afternoon, according to officials.

The incident happened shortly before 1 p.m. on state Route 78. A car rolled over and hit the pole, causing the power lines to go down. CAL Fire said the vehicle was found rolled overturned.

California Highway Patrol is assisting at the scene.

Check back for updates on this story.

Arab-American leaders have slammed Coke's new Super Bowl ad and a promotion based on it, saying the campaign demeans and stereotypes Arabs.

The ad shows a thirsty Arab man leading a camel through the desert and pining after a mirage of an enormous bottle of Coca-Cola. A clutch of cowboys, a bus full of Las Vegas showgirls and a "Mad Max"-style bike gang zooms past him to snatch the Coke.

In an associated online promotion, Coke lets viewers vote on who should win the race — but doesn't allow a vote for the Arab.

"The Coke commercial for the Super Ball is racist, portraying Arabs as backward and foolish Camel Jockeys, and they have no chance to win in the world," Muslim Institute for Interfaith Studies' president Imam Ali Siddiqui told Reuters in an email.

"By not including the Arab in the race, it is clear that the Arab is held to a different standard when compared to the other characters in the commercial," Abed Ayoub, the director of legal and policy affairs for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said.

"Coke should understand and respect their consumers and have a better understanding of the market they are sharing," he added.

The president of the ADC, Warren David, also bemoaned the ad, asking why Arabs tended to be stereotyped as "sheiks, terrorists, or belly dancers."

A Coke spokeswoman told Reuters the ad was intended to invoke Hollywood tropes, while a spokesperson for CBS, which is airing the Super Bowl, declined to comment to Reuters.
 

A local doctor admitted in court Thursday to writing nearly 200 fraudulent power wheelchair prescriptions for Medicare patients in exchange for more than $55,000 in bribes and kickbacks, the U.S. Attorney announced.

Dr. Irving Schwartz of Yuba City and Oceanside Medical Services owner Jose Melendrez pleaded guilty to selling prescriptions for power wheelchairs to senior citizens in the hopes of getting Medicare reimbursements, U.S. District Attorney Laura Duffy said.

Investigators found that Schwartz would visit Medicare patients in El Centro and write them prescriptions for the power wheelchairs -- even if the patients didn't need them at all.

Each prescription earned the two about $300 in a cash kickback.

Melendrez would then sell the wheelchairs to a co-conspirator, and submit the fraudulent prescriptions to Medicare for reimbursement.

They billed Medicare over $5,000 in some cases for each wheelchair. Overall, the men submitted more than $1 million in claims to Medicare. 

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Sure, Jennifer Siebel-Newsom is married to one of the most powerful politicians in California. But she’s a powerhouse in her own right.

She is up for an Academy Award for her work on the film, "The Invisible War."  The film exposes the epidemic of rape in the U.S. military and questions the role of the Department of Defense.

According to the film, about a half million women have been sexually assaulted while serving.

Siebel-Newsom of Marin is one the film’s executive producers. She also happens to be the pregnant wife of  Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, expecting their third child - to soon be the newest sibling of Montana and Hunter. Gavin Newsom used to be mayor of San Francisco; the couple now lives in Marin County.

"I feel strongly because I think this film has put the Department of Defense in a position where they had to really take action," Siebel-Newsom said. "If we can prevent sexual assault in the military, I believe we can reduce it in our larger culture. And that’s why we wanted to be a part of this film."

 
Siebel-Newsom is not new to film. She wrote, directed, and produced her first film in 2001, "Miss Representation," which explores the under-representation of women in positions of power in America.

Now, that the Academy Awards is around the corner - on Feb. 24 - Siebel-Newsom is hoping to bring home an Oscar. But she insists she's not in it for the gold.
 
"I want other girls to see that I'm challenging myself intellectually," she said, "and that I am getting behind important causes."

 

Two teens will spend most of their life behind bars for the "brutal, callous and ruthless" act of raping two girls in a Rancho Peñasquitos park.

When Judge Peter Deddeh sentenced 17-year-old William Rodriguez to 50 years to life for his role in the crime, the young man appeared straight-faced.

Leonel Contreras, 18, showed no reaction when he learned he will spend 58 years to life in prison. Contreras earned an additional 8 years for using a knife in the crime.

Rodriguez and Contreras attacked two girls from behind as they sat under a tree in a park on Spindletop Road in September 2011.

The teenagers forced the victims across a street at knife point to a secluded area where the attack lasted 30 minutes. At the time, the defendants were both 16 and their victims were 15 and 16.

Deddeh called the case “heartbreaking” and told Rodriguez that he had taken his victim’s spirit.

He then addressed abuse in Rodriguez’ childhood saying, "His background is terrible and his crime is terrible."

During the sentencing, a letter was read from one victim’s mother telling Rodriguez that he had changed her 15-year-old daughter forever.

“Since that September 2011 day, she’s had months of violent nightmares, heart racing, flashbacks and fear of people walking behind her,” the mother wrote.

The mother went on to say the teenage victim has chosen to heal and move on with her life.

“She has courage and determination,” she wrote.

Rodriguez and Contreras were tried as adults before separate juries and convicted in November. Contreras was found guilty on all 21 counts. Rodriguez was convicted on 10 counts.

A group of 14 employees have been fired from the Midway Museum in connection with the alleged sale and recycling of metals from the historic aircraft carrier, according to a museum spokesperson. 

According to a newsletter sent by the museum to its volunteers, 14 employees from the Midway’s engineering department were recently axed.

The newsletter states that metals such as steel, copper and aluminum – which are highly valuable in the recycling business – were allegedly taken from the aircraft carrier for recycling, but only a portion of the proceeds were returned to the Midway.

“This involves several hundreds of thousands of dollars over several years,” the newsletter added. “All those involved in this activity are no longer employed and are no longer welcomed on board.”

The newsletter named facilities manager and former Navy master chief Vic Zambrano as the ringleader in the alleged metals scheme. He has been with the Midway since 2003.

Zambrano was in charge of supervising the demolition of certain areas of the Midway to make way for future displays. The demo work yielded the scrap metal that was supposed to be sold to generate money for the museum.

"It's a national treasure, and a lot of people worked their whole lives and died," said Midway visitor Peter Little. "The people who built it, the people stationed here, all the visitors who've come to see it since then, it's a slap in the face to everybody."

Midway marketing director, Scott McGaugh, said an internal investigation was conducted regarding the metals back in December. The findings were then turned over to the San Diego Police Department.

McGaugh said the selling of the metals without the return of proceeds to the museum had been going on for a long time.

This isn't the first time an employee has allegedly stolen from the USS Midway Museum.

In 2009, a Midway Museum employee by the name of Veronica Monay was accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from the nonprofit.

Monay spent three years employed at the Midway Museum as an accounting manager. Police said Monay used her position to embezzle a large amount of money from the museum.

Initially, Monay denied the embezzlement allegations. About a month later, she changed her tune and admitted to stealing $110,000 in cash deposits from the museum. She pleaded guilty to grand theft and fraudulent appropriations by an employee.

Californians are more optimistic now about the state's outlook than at any time since before the recession.

A new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found Californians are giving high marks to Gov. Jerry's Brown's approach to fixing the budget, which included the voter approved tax increase, Proposition 30.

Results suggest just over half of all adults believe California is moving in the right direction, with 40 percent believing the state is moving in the wrong direction and 9 percent not knowing which direction the state is headed.

The most optimism was expressed in the San Francisco Bay Area. The least was expressed in the Inland Empire.

Additionally, 51 percent of all adults approve of the job Brown is doing. That’s up 10 percent from last year at this time, the institute found.

The optimism comes after about 10 years of deficit spending. In 2009, state tax revenues dropped 14 percent, forcing the state to make temporary tax increases, fee increases and budget cuts. Perhaps for that reason, residents are still wary about future increases and cuts to government services, the institute reported.

Brown recently proposed a budget that would leave California with a surplus. He announced his vision for the state last week, declaring, “California is back.” Prop. 30 alone will provide $6 billion a year to the state budget for several years, according to state projections.

"We have promises to keep," Brown said at the State of the State address a week ago. "The most important one is the one we made to the people if Prop 30 passed. This means living within our means and not spending what we don't have."

He urged lawmakers to remain prudent, but to consider approving a funding formula that would help lower-income schools and districts that teach a high volume of English-language learners.

Brown’s cautious optimism reflected in the institute’s poll as well. Over 60 percent of the respondents said they still think California’s budget is “a big problem” – that has not changed much from a year ago this time.

In addition to approval ratings, the poll also gauged interest in an assault weapons ban and found 65 percent of all adults would support the ban.

About the same percentage of those polled said they were either a great deal worried or somewhat worried about a possible mass shooting in their community. About 18 percent are not worried at all.

The body of a U.S. Air Force pilot reported missing off the coast of Italy has been found, officials said.

Captain Lucas Gruenther, 32, of Twaine Harte, Calif. was killed when his F-16 fighter jet disappeared after taking off from Aviano Air Base Monday. He was taking part in a nighttime training mission at the time of the crash.

A shipping vessel found some fragments from the plane Tuesday. According to the family, they included Gruenther's drogue parachute and helmet that was intact. His family was optimistic that he would be found alive.

Ongoing search efforts in the area were hampered by heavy fog. Then, on Wednesday, Gruenther’s body was recovered in the Adriatic Sea, officials said.

"A compassionate husband, a loving son, and a devoted brother; Luc leaves behind a family who loves him dearly and a legacy of achievement," a family statement reads.

"We will never fully recover from our loss, but take heart in the knowledge that during his all-too-short time in this world, he made a significant difference in the lives of all whom he met."

Sacramento television station KCRA reported that Gruenther was from Twaine Harte in California’s Central Valley.

The pilot had married Cassy, his high school sweetheart, who is expecting the couple’s first child, Serene, in a few weeks.

She spoke of her husband to the base website, describing him as a "health nut" who learned to speak fluent Italian and loved to go sky diving, rock climbing and scuba diving. The couple documented many of their travels on their blog "Luc and Cassy."

Gruenther served six months in Afghanistan and was the grandson of Army Gen. Alfred Gruenther, who served as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe from 1953 to 1956.
 

A year after safety a radiation leak prompted the shutdown of California’s San Onofre nuclear power plant, owner Southern California Edison insists the facility can be re-opened safely.

Thursday is the anniversary of the controversial beachside plant’s closure, and activists plan to use the occasion to call once again to make the shutdown permanent.

But Southern California Edison, which owns the majority of the plant along with San Diego Gas & Electric and the city of Riverside, says its plan to re-open the facility is conservative – and safe.

“Safety remains SCE’s top priority,” the utility said in a statement released Thursday. Its plan to restart one of the two reactors “will get San Onofre Unit 2 back to providing reliable and clean energy to Southern Californians.”

Under its plan, the utility would not operate the reactor at full strength. Instead, it would only be used at 70% of its capacity. In addition, the company promised to close the plant for inspection within 150 days of starting it up again.

But activists in the communities around the plant oppose Edison’s plan to re-open the San Onofre, saying that it would not be safe.

“One year ago, a radiation leak nearly became a major nuclear disaster,” activist Donna Gilmore wrote on a website dedicated to opposing the plant. She and others are holding an event for opponents of re-opening the plant on Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. at the San Clemente Community Center.

A public hearing on Edison’s proposal for the facility will be held by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Feb. 12 in Capistrano Beach.

 

Three civilian contractors appeared in federal court Thursday after allegedly stealing millions of dollars' worth of life-saving medical equipment designated to aid Marines in combat, according to the U.S. Attorney.

Defendants Henry Bonilla, Richard Navarro and Michael Tuisee were working at a Camp Pendleton unit responsible for sending medical equipment

Over $3 million of the "sophisticated and expensive" equipment never made it to those combat zones, said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy.

The defendants are accused of stealing the equipment and selling it to medical equipment resellers. Often, the sales took place at night in commercial parking lots, Duffy said.

“The equipment included ventilators, defibrillators and ultrasound machines,” said Shireen Becker, Assistant U.S. Attorney. “The equipment was meant for troops deployed all over the world, including in the Middle East.”

Duffy said the alleged thefts from the military warehouses occurred over a span of months in 2012.

The three defendants face charges of conspiracy, theft and forfeiture after an investigation. If convicted, they would serve a maximum of 10 years in prison. They would also have to pay the military back for the stolen property.

The number of gray whales passing through San Diego waters in January broke records, according to experts.

Last year, whale experts saw an increase in the amount of whales migrating, but this year is proving to be even larger. Data shows that there are 15 more whales traveling per day than a decade ago.

This migration is a yearly event for these whales but this time around they are traveling in much larger numbers.

The gray whales are making their long migration from Alaska to their final destination in Baja, and San Diego is one of those stops along the way where we can see the whales up close.

The whales travel near the coastline so they can navigate where they are going – if the shore is on the left, they know they are heading south.

One whale expert says the number of whales seen in San Diego waters has increased by 30-percent this year. A couple of years ago people would typically see 1-3 whales, whereas now groups up 5-10 whales are being spotted.

Professional whale watchers said it could be because of more polar ice in Alaska forcing the whales to leave earlier on their migration toward warmer waters.

No matter the reason, whale watching groups say it’s been great for business.

“People will come in and say, ‘We gotta see the whales!’ makes it better for us,” said Russell Moore who owns charter company Xplore Offshore. “There are always dolphins but to have consistent whale trips we can count on seeing whales, guests have more fun.”

Clean air comes at a price, but surges in gas prices could cost families much more at the pump.

"The oil industry can use these alleged shortages, these shutdown to really take advantage of the market," said oil industry critic Charles Langley with the consumer group UCAN. 

Langley is talking about the annual transition from Winter to Summer blend of gas that is sold at California gas stations. 

"Our concern is what we're seeing right now, unless prices immediately reverse, is a Super Spike," said Langley. 

Wholesale prices paid by San Diego independent stations are up 47 cents a gallon since Monday.  When those independent dealers run out of their current supply of fuel and fill up with more expensive gas, the price at the pump will climb.

The summer blend provides cleaner burning fuel and cuts down on air pollution. But to create the special fuel, California oil refineries must transition into a more expensive brand of fuel. Some oil companies will use the transition to perform routine maintenance. 

But whatever the reason, the price at the pump is climbing fast and drivers aren't happy about it.

"I can't afford to keep pumping fuel in this truck," said Jim Gough, who uses his pickup truck for work.

Scott Ash says every time he drives into a gas station, he's paying more to fill up.

"You just have to grin and bare it," he said.

But Charles Langley says drivers won't be grinning when they see prices start climbing a nickel a day. 

"A lot of gas buyers are going to go into sticker shock," said Langley. He predicts average gas prices will go above $4 a gallon within the next two weeks.

Driving into the heart of Balboa Park eventually may involve taking a detour and parking underground -- for a fee, to free up the scenic centerpiece for pedestrians.

That's a scenario the city of San Diego hopes will be validated in court Friday.
           
Environmentalists and historical preservationists are fighting it.

The battleground in this dispute is Plaza de Panama, where drivers vie for some 70 parking spaces while pedestrians, joggers and bicyclists, take chances making their way through traffic.

The city wants to install a bypass bridge and underground parking structure to do away with all that, and restore the area to the exhaust-free, walker-friendly atmosphere an earlier time.

That controversial bypass is called the "Centennial Bridge", a reference to the upcoming Centennial celebration of the 1915 Panama-California Exposition that gave San Diego worldwide exposure 'back in the day'.
           
Billionaire Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs is raising over $40 million to build the bridge and link it to an 800-space, subterranean garage behind the Spreckels Organ Pavilion – where there’ll be parking charges.
           
Opponents say those projects will violate city regulations and cause environmental damage.

Says Mayor Bob Filner, a longstanding opponent of the project who nonetheless promises to abide by the legal outcome: "I don't think this can be built in time for the Centennial celebration. So I think it becomes a moot point. Then the question becomes, how do you keep cars out of the center of Balboa Park and make it a more pedestrian experience? Well, I could do that with six traffic cones.”

As Filner elaborated in an interview Thursday: "You have parking on the perimeter of the park, and you take a tram system that brings people in, and the tram becomes the whole experience. This is what they'd have to do while they're building that thing anyway."

Locals and tourists surveyed on the plaza today were all over the map as to what should be done.

"Putting up some cones and using transit that's already in existence?” said Temecula resident Angie Murphy. "That sounds just like a deal. I don't want to pay any money."

North Park resident James Spellman, leaning on the handlebars of his mountain bike, offered this: "As long as it is a plan that doesn't deface the park, and turns it into what it was originally planned to be -- a beautiful place for people to come and enjoy the outdoors."

Wendy Douglas, visiting from Salt Lake City, Utah, took issue with the parking structure approach: "I still think it should be a place where you could come and not have to spend a dime to get here, to stay here, to walk around here."

Said Bonita resident Maria Muhammad: "I pay taxes. I mean, that's enough. I shouldn't have to pay for underground parking. This is fine. If it's not broke, why fix it?"

The judge case is leaning toward ruling in favor of the opposition, and will issue a final opinion after hearing oral arguments Friday.

Mayor Filner says he hopes the parties might settle in arbitration or mediation, to avoid a long appeal process.

Deputies from the Santee Sheriff’s Station announced Thursday that car burglaries in the area are on the rise.

Officials say they’ve seen a notable increase in thefts over the last few months stemming from unlocked vehicles. Since September, officials say there have been a total of 177 reported car burglaries in Santee.

According to deputies, car burglary criminals are looking for an easy steal. Suspects are generally peering into windows or opening a door and rifling through the car.

Deputies say the burglars usually are attracted by any items left in plain view inside a vehicle.

As a warning, officials are reminding the public to always lock their car doors, roll up their windows and conceal any valuables that might be inside their car. Moving valuables to the trunk or underneath a seat, out of plain sight, are options.

For more burglary prevention information, call the Santee Sheriff’s Station Crime Prevention Unit at (619) 956-4000. If you see something suspicious in your neighborhood, including a car burglary, report it to officials at (858) 565-5200 or call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
 

A flight scheduled to come into San Diego from New York City was diverted to Denver Thursday night due to an unruly passenger on board, airline officials confirmed.

According to JetBlue Airways corporate communications spokesperson Sharon A. Jones, JetBlue Flight 185 from JFK to the San Diego International Airport diverted to Denver, landing safely in Colorado at 7:15 p.m.

A total of 137 people were aboard the plane. Upon arriving in Denver, Jones said the “unruly customer” was met by local law enforcement officers. The passenger's name was not released.

JetBlue did not release any further details on what may have led to the in-flight disturbance.

Our Denver affiliate, KUSA, reports it was a “customer service” issue between a flight attendant and a female passenger. Once she was escorted off the plane, the flight was back in the air.

FAA spokesperson Ian Gregor confirmed the unscheduled stop was the result of a “security issue” aboard the airplane, but could not elaborate. The TSA and FBI are now handling the investigation.

FBI officials told NBC 7 that no arrests have been made and the in-flight incident does not appear to be terrorism-related.

The San Diego International Airport website says Flight 185 was originally scheduled to land in San Diego at 8:10 p.m. For now, the flight continues to reflect a "delayed" status.

There is no word yet on what time Flight 185 will land in San Diego.