Sometimes saving water around the garden is as simple as turning off the hose.
 
“We get more plants that are killed by overwatering than anything else,” said Patty Cordero with Armstrong Garden Center.
 
She said people are often watering more than necessary. That’s why the popular San Diego nursery is giving homeowners tips to save water around the yard.
 
The first tip is to watch when you water. Cordero said it is best to water early in the morning and not water between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. She said it is more efficient to water during the early morning hours.
 
And when you water, it’s best to water deeper, not more often. In other words, you can increase your watering time, but not water as many days of the week. A moisture meter can tell you if the water is still wet around a plant.

For some plants, you may have to dig down and see if the root ball is still wet. If you are seeing burnt edges at the end of the plant, that may be from not watering deep enough because of a salt build up.
 
Another tip is to put mulch around your trees, plants and garden. A good bark cover or mulch, “keep the moisture in and they help keep the weeds down,” said Cordero.
 
New California water restrictions ban watering down sidewalks and driveways. There is also no more washing a car or boat without a shut-off nozzle on the hose. Cordero said that's also a must when watering around the house.
 
“Don’t have water just going willy-nilly all over the place,” said Cordero. “Get a handle on that, get a nozzle or get a watering want.”

Whether it's for real or just a psychological warfare stunt by the new Market Basket leadership is far from clear, but full-page newspaper ads by the supermarket chain's co-CEOs promoting a three-day job fair for replacement workers provoked a range of reactions Thursday from protesting workers.

"Good luck trying to fill all our jobs! They don't know what we do in there," said Linda Kulis, who works in accounts receivable in the Tewksbury, Massachusetts, headquarters.

"I just started laughing and said, 'This is a joke,'" said Mike Feather, an 18-year company veteran who works in its New Bedford store.

"They've fired people, they've tried to scare people, and I think that's more of what this is: Scare tactics," said Chris Dick, director of the Salem, New Hampshire, Market Basket.

They're among thousands of Market Basket employees who have been protesting for two weeks and urging customers to boycott the 71 stores until Arthur T. Demoulas, fired June 23, is reinstated as CEO.

In the ad, new co-CEOs Jim Gooch and Felicia Thornton said the first two days of the job fair, to be held in Andover, will be for current employees looking to apply for higher-up positions.

"I don't think there will be any Market Basket associates that are going to be willing to step up and work for this regime," Dick said.

Thornton and Gooch released a statement defending the job fair In a statement shortly before 5 p.m.

"We have said several times that we hope sincerely that we do not discharge any employees. We want our associates back," they said. "We are focused solely on getting Market Basket stores back up and running for our customers and, importantly, for the many local vendors that rely on Market Basket to make their own businesses successful for the sake of their employees."

The mother of a Ridgefield boy who died after being left in a hot car has started a blog to raise awareness of heatstroke in children and help others avoid the tragedy she suffered.

Lindsay Rogers-Seitz told the Associated Press that she forgives her husband for leaving 15-month-old Benjamin in the car while he went to work at Owl Technologies on July 7, resulting in the child’s death.

The boy’s father, Kyle Seitz, was supposed to bring Ben to daycare before going to work, but that didn't happen. According to Lindsay, at the end of the day, Kyle went to the daycare to pick up Ben, but when he learned Ben wasn't there, he asked the staff at the daycare if his wife had picked him up earlier in the day.  He was told she had not, and so he went back to his car, found Ben and then rushed him to the hospital, Rogers-Seitz said.

“The profound grief and trauma that we were going through was something we could never verbalize,” Rogers-Seitz explained. “How do I live the rest of my life? Do I just break down right now in hysterics, and just not live?”

She decided to channel her grief into activism, and now the couple is spreading the word about hyperthermia in children.

“One night we were sitting together and [Kyle Seitz] said, ‘You know, Lindsay, I just can’t let another family feel this pain,’” Rogers-Seitz recalled.

Rogers-Seitz sprang into action, creating a Web site, titled “The Gift of Ben,” to share her son’s story and help educate other parents.

“A week after the tragic death of my 15-month-old son on July 7, 2014, I began researching – everything and anything – and thinking,” Rogers- Seitz writes.

It was a timely decision – today is National Heatstroke Prevention Day.

“The Gift of Ben” presents facts and figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, including frightening statistics about the prevalence of heat stroke in children.

According to the NHTSA, hyperthermia is the leading cause of non-crash-related death in children under the age of 15. Rogers-Seitz says 111 children have died in hot cars over the past three years.

“This isn’t an anomaly,” Rogers-Seitz said. “It’s something that has been happening.”

She proposed roundtable talks to generate conversation and explore “ideas of how we can potentially move forward and work together and find solutions,” including conversations with car seat companies, child safety advocates, academics, health and medical professionals and other families who have been affected.

Rogers-Seitz said one of the biggest mistakes parents can make is to believe it will never happen to them. She admitted she doesn’t know yet how to find a solution, but the first step is to talk about it.

“I challenge manufacturers, agencies and politicians to get together with other interested parties, including victims and psychologists, and let's figure this out,” she wrote.

In the meantime, she said, make a habit of double checking your car before you walk away, and place valuable items in the back seat with your child. Teach kids that cars are not for playing and store keys out of their reach. Ask your child’s school or daycare to call right away if he or she doesn’t show up on time.

Rogers-Seitz also launched a blog Wednesday – a more delicate and personal forum.

“Lying in bed last night, I began realizing what an integral role the press has in deciding what ‘the story’ will be. The truth is that there is a bigger picture out there – an ongoing political and intellectual debate about the history of these effort to elicit change and how to go about it in the future,” she wrote in her first post.

“I ask that we move beyond the sensationalization of the events of July 7th to deal with the real issues at hand – that will continue to affect hundreds of more children in the future if nothing is done," she added.

Rogers-Seitz is standing by her husband of 12 years and said the two are taking comfort in each other’s support.

“We can deal with it together, and we’re finding peace in that,” Rogers-Seitz said.

 Some military members say the company newly contracted by the U.S. Department of Defense to move their cars for free when they relocate overseas is operating in the slow lane.

Troops endure very long wait times, and even worse, some say when they go to pick up their car, the vehicle isn't available.

The corner lot of International Auto Logistics (IAL) on Woodside in Santee is packed with the cars of military members. Some cars have been dropped off for transport overseas, while others are there to be picked up.

“I came this morning to the vehicle processing center to pick up my vehicle and found out from the manager that my vehicle's not here and they are not expected to receive another shipment for a week, said a Marine, who didn't want to give his full name or show his face.

Sailor Yuki Chang said she was told on July 3 it would take 25 days for her car to arrive in San Diego from Hawaii.

She was expecting her car to be here Monday, so she flew down from Oakland to pick it up.

Four days later, her car is still not here, but she is waiting.

Chang said she tried to call the office before flying down, but got no answer.

The Marine had the same experience.

“It just goes to voicemail, says the voicemail's full and then hangs up on you,” he told NBC 7.

In May, the DoD awarded IAL with the multi-million dollar contract to transport troops’ personal cars overseas.

IAL points to the company's website where service members can track their car online to see where it is on the journey’s process. The website also warns the arrival location may change.

Adding to the frustration the military members and families who talked with NBC 7 said the wait time to talk to an employee of IAL in Santee about a pick-up was more than four hours -- even with an appointment.

About 20 people waiting inside Thursday. The Marine said another service member inside was on page two of the waiting list: “He's been in there waiting for his car for three hours, and fortunately he was able to find his car.”

NBC 7 was told by a company representative that as long as service members are in the door by 3 p.m., they will be seen on the same day, no matter how long it takes.

IAL spokesperson Amanda Nunez sent this statement in response to NBC 7’s request for comment:

"In a community like San Diego, that has such a large military community, it's important to us that the families we work with here know how committed we are to doing the absolute best job we can. We began working with military personnel in May. We have been growing, adding customer support personnel and expanding the volume of customers we serve."

The Ebola virus has killed more than 700 people in Africa, but one San Diego doctor says an outbreak in California is very unlikely.

Dr. Nancy Crum-Cianflone, an infectious disease physician at Scripps Mercy Hospital, says the chances are so small because of how the disease is spread.

“It's not transmitted through the air, It's not transmitted simply by touching someone. You really have to have contact with someone's bodily fluids," Crum-Cianflone said.

This means you couldn’t catch this from someone sitting next to you on an airplane unless they are coughing and sneezing so much, you inhale or ingest their secretions.

“Just us sitting here talking, there's really no risk. That's the big difference between this and things that are much more contagious, like the influenza viruses, which you can pick them up just by breathing the air," she said.

As of Thursday, more than 1,200 were infected with the virus in the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Dr. Crum-Cianflone says at this point, the biggest concern for health care workers is travel history.

“If someone has recently come back the last week or two from West Africa or has been in contact with someone who's been sick from West Africa and has a flu-like symptoms, I think we should think about Ebola and then do the appropriate testing," she said.

The Group to Eradicate Resistant Microorganisms – or GERM – Commission, a group of infectious disease doctors in San Diego County, met Wednesday night to discuss how to be proactive in the rare chance of an outbreak here.

The National Transportation Safety Board has launched its investigation into the fatal plane crash that left a passenger dead and a pilot injured in the parking lot of a busy Kearny Mesa shopping center.

The fixed wing, single-engine Mooney M20L crashed in a parking lot between a Target store and the Costco Business Center off Convoy Street around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. It landed near parked cars but away from the main entrances to the stores.

The aircraft missed bystanders on the ground, though a couple of people did sustain minor burns trying to help the pilot and her passenger out of the wreckage.

“It was really heroic on the part of those people with those fire extinguishers that put out that fire quickly as they did and then got the two occupants out of the airplane," said NTSB Air Safety Investigator Tom Little at a news briefing Thursday.

The 52-year-old pilot survived the crash, while the 78-year-old passenger suffered serious burns and later died at the hospital. The San Diego County Medical Examiner's officer identified the passenger Thursday as Joy Gorian.

“The pilot has survived and is cognizant of her surroundings, I’m told, and is recovering," Little said. He did not know the extent of her injuries.

What happened in the minutes before the crash remains unclear. Little said the plane had flown to Riverside and back earlier in the day.

“The initial report that I have, which still needs to be followed up, was the aircraft bounced on a landing at the Montgomery Airport on runway 27 right I believe. Subsequently, a go-around was begun and the pilot did radio she was having problems and she was losing power. That was her last transmission," he said.

As the plane went down, the right wing scraped the roof of the Target before hitting a light pole and crashing.

The investigation into the cause of the crash could be lengthy. Little said investigations like this usually last six to nine months, but could take up to a year.

In the next two or three weeks, the NTSB and FAA will meet with plane manufacturer Mooney and engine manufacturer Continental Motors.

“At that time, we’ll do a detailed examination of the engine and the air frame, and hopefully by that time we will have been able to talk with the surviving pilot as to what actually occurred to the best of her memory,” Little said.

Aviation safety consultant Rich Martindell, a pilot himself for the past 50 years, said one of the benefits of the crash is that there is a survivor.

“Having someone that was on the plane to talk to [helps] facilitate the investigation,” he said. “These planes don’t have black boxes so the only way to know what happened is by radio calls or talking to someone flying. [That’s] very helpful for the investigation.”

Crews were in the process of removing the plane from the parking lot Thursday afternoon. The wreckage will then be taken to a salvage yard in Phoenix.

Little said the pilot had a medical certificate and was legal to fly, but did not identify her.

According to FAA records, the aircraft is co-owned but registered to San Diego resident William Logan. Family members told NBC 7 William Logan was not on the aircraft when it crashed and said Devon Logan – the other co-owner – was one of the women aboard. 

Del Mar racetrack officials have suspended turf races after another horse was seriously injured Thursday, bringing the total of race-related, equine injuries to eight since the season's start.

During the seventh race of the day, a filly named "Serious" was badly hurt while sprinting on the turf.

It's unclear what kind of injuries the horse sustained, but the animal will be taken from Del Mar to Los Alamitos, the home base of its trainer and owner. 

In response to the incident, Del Mar officials have canceled turf racing for the next three days as crews perform more maintenance on the track. 

They hope to return to regular racing on Wednesday.

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club began making changes to its new turf Sunday after seven horses were euthanized due to race-related injuries in just the first ten days of the season. 

Four of those deaths have been after falls on the new turf.

Another horse died after a morning workout on Opening Day, July 17. 

Officials say a number of elements factor into a race horse's injury -- not just the type of track -- but adjustments like extra watering and aerating the grass are being made. 

Officials also moved the inner rail 18 feet so horses wouldn't be running on as many divots and holes in the turf.

Facebook was down on Friday for many users, who received an error message instead of access to the social networking service.

“Sorry, something went wrong,” the message on Facebook said. “We’re working on getting this fixed as soon as we can."

The hashtag FacebookDown was trending on Twitter.

How will I know if my aunt enjoyed her salad at Applebees last night?! Panicking. #facebookdown

— Zach Braff (@zachbraff) August 1, 2014

Facebook now says service is back.

"Earlier this morning, some people had trouble accessing Facebook for a short time," the company said in a statement. "We quickly investigated and have fully restored service for everyone. We're sorry for the inconvenience."

It was the second recent outage. Facebook went down in June in a disruption that appeared to stretch across the world as users from the United Kingdom to India reported no service. In that instance, service came back for some in less than an hour.

Facebook said it had 1.32 billion users worldwide as of the end of June.

Southern California's latest multi-millionaire says a love of Popsicles brought him his newfound wealth.

Jack Long, 76, a single father who raised two daughters and now uses a motorized wheelchair to get around, bought a California Lottery Powerball ticket on a whim while buying a Popsicle at Cardenas Market in Fontana.

He checked the numbers a few days later.

"I kept looking at it, looking at it," Long said during a press conference Thursday. "I could see the numbers and I couldn't believe it."

He won the $60 million jackpot.

Long said he would use the money to set up family trusts, pay for eye surgery to improve his sight and buy a faster wheelchair.

"I get tired of this five or six miles an hour stuff," he said. 

He'll also give money to various local charities, including an organization that helps homeless children.

"It's definitely more money than I'll ever be able to use," Long said. "Fontana has been good to me and my kids. So that's where I start, is in Fontana."

Long refers to his pre-lottery life as "five or six completely different lives." He's worked for construction and investment companies.

He had an active life, spending time water skiing and drag racing.

He doesn't expect many relatives to start appearing and asking for money, he said.

"I do not believe blood's thicker than water," he said.

Starting Friday, San Diego County will officially be under a Stage 2 Drought Alert, so San Marcos is cutting off one source of summer fun to help meet conservation rules.

The city plans to shut off water to five splash pads Friday, located in Sunset, San Elijo, Buelow, Mulberry and Discovery Lake parks.

Officials expects to save between 8,000 and 12,000 gallons of water every day – roughly the size of one of its community pools, which are still open.

But some parents are not going with the flow, since inland communities like San Marcos are sizzling during these unusually hot summer days.

For some, splash pads have become an oasis in the neighborhood since they are a free, close source of kiddie fun.

“If it is not available to us, we will have to find other ways of entertaining our kids that will take a toll on our budget,” said Mayra Molano, a San Marcos parent.

In addition to the splash pads, every city fountain that is not using recycled water will be turned off.

City officials say the splash pads must run off potable water to ensure the children’s health and safety.

The prohibition of the water playgrounds is indefinite in San Marcos.

The waiting is over. Now it’s time to get on with the rest of the season.

Thursday’s non-waiver trade deadline passed with just one more casualty from the Padres roster – outfielder Chris Denorfia, whose much-anticipated ticket out of town was punched with a deal involving the Seattle Mariners.

Now, barring any minor waiver wire trades, the core of the team is set for the season until the September call-ups arrive.

Really, the addition by subtraction has gone pretty well. Since the Padres announced the trade of closer Huston Street on July 18, they are 7-6 and have won three of four series. They've also been hitting the ball, scoring nearly 5 1/2 runs per game over their past nine. This from a team that has been shut out more than anyone else this season.

The only series loss since the trades started going down came to the Atlanta Braves last weekend. Conveniently, that same team comes to Petco this weekend for a rematch. The Braves are in the middle of a playoff race while the Padres teeter on the edge of fourth place in the National League West. But now they’re ridin’ lean with a revamped roster. Will they continue to find success?

Let’s break down the weekend.

Matchups:
Friday, 7:10 p.m.: Eric Stults (L, 3-13, 5.22) vs. Mike Minor (L, 4-6, 5.23)
Could anybody use a victory more than Stults? He has one win since May 10. He took the loss (big surprise) against the Braves last weekend, giving up six runs in as many innings. Minor got the win against the Padres last weekend, but gave up six earned runs in his two previous starts.

Saturday, 5:40 p.m.: Ian Kennedy (R, 8-9, 3.66) vs. Ervin Santana (R, 10-6, 3.63)
Now that all the trade rumors are over, Kennedy can just focus on pitching. It hasn’t been a problem lately, as he has won three straight.  Santana has also won three straight, racking up double-digit strikeouts in his last two starts.

Sunday, 1:10 p.m.: Tyson Ross (R, 10-10, 2.60) vs. Aaron Harang (9-6, 3.43)
It would be a shame if Ross doesn’t at least get some consideration for the NL Cy Young. He now has eight straight quality starts, is sixth in the league in ERA and tied for fourth with 150 strikeouts. #TyforCy. It’s a homecoming for Harang, who played high school ball at Patrick Henry High and in college at San Diego State. He also has a four-game win streak and hasn’t lost in over a month.

What’s at stake: It’s sweep or bust for the Padres if they want to win the season series over the Braves after dropping three of four in Atlanta last weekend. They are also dangerously close to getting passed by the Diamondbacks for third place, leading by just half a game. Not that it matters much, as the Dodgers are once again run making a late-season run with six straight wins. They have a 3 ½ game lead on the Giants.

Meanwhile, the Braves lead the race for the second wild card spot and trail the Washington Nationals by just 1 ½ games for the division lead. Of course, they are no strangers to the playoffs, having made the postseason two of the last three years.

Who to watch:
Padres: Infielder Yangervis Solarte is making himself right at home after coming over in the Chase Headley deal. He is hitting .324 in nine games with the team, including a four-hit night on Wednesday. Outfielder Seth Smith is coming off a July where he was among the league leaders with a .358 average – although he has cooled off this week with just a pair of hits in his last 15 at-bats. And how about second baseman Jedd Gyorko, finally coming out of a season-long slump with six hits and two homers against the Cardinals this week. His average is still just .183 on the season.

Braves: Outfielder Justin Upton leads the team with 19 home runs and 63 RBIs. He has a hit in his last five games. First baseman Freddie Freeman leads the team and is seventh in the NL with 28 doubles. Rookie second baseman Tommy La Stella leads the team with a .294 average.

Coming up: It’s back to the road as the Padres visit Minnesota and Pittsburgh next week before returning home to play the Rockies on Aug. 11.

San Diego’s seaside City of Coronado will feel more like the Emerald City this month as the Hotel Del Coronado celebrates the 50th Annual “Wizard of Oz” Convention.

The “Winkie Con,” as it’s called, will be held at the iconic red-topped hotel on Aug. 8-10 but the week leading up to the big convention is also jam-packed with Oz-inspired activities.

For instance, every Sunday during the month of August the Hotel Del Coronado will host “Yappy House,” a free happy hour gathering for animal and Oz enthusiasts.

While owners enjoy themed cocktails like the “Ruby Slipper,” dogs can lap up free Evian water and organic “yappetizer” treats. Yappy Hour will be held on the hotel’s Sun Deck Bar & Grill on Orange Avenue from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.



This Sunday hotel guests and visitors can put on their best Dorothy, Tin Man or Scarecrow get-up and enter the Oz-themed costume contest. Prizes include a 2-night stay at the hotel and gift cards.

In addition, from July 28 through Aug. 31 Hotel Del Coronado will host a “Toto Photo” contest. Participants can follow @DelCoronado on Instagram and share photos of their pet in an Oz-themed costume for a chance to win a Del Beach Day Package with cabana and chair set-up service.

The hotel will also host “Wizard of Oz” walking tours all this week, as well as a special screening Thursday of the classic 1939 film.

Historically, Coronado has many connections to L. Frank Baum, the creator and writer of “The
Wonderful Wizard of Oz." Baum spent many winters at the Hotel Del Coronado and rented a house in the community where he wrote “The Road to Oz.”

San Diego’s La Jolla community also served as inspiration for Baum as he began developing the story for “The Scarecrow of Oz.”

For more details on Winkie Con, including an interactive schedule of events, visit the convention website.

A tentative settlement has been reached in the civil lawsuit filed by an alleged victim of a former San Diego Police Officer convicted of multiple sex crimes committed while on duty and in uniform.

NBC 7 obtained court documents signed Wednesday indicating a tentative agreement has been reached between the woman, identified only as Jane Doe, and the City of San Diego. 

Trial had been set to begin August 12 in Jane Doe's civil suit regarding the traffic stop with former San Diego Police Officer Anthony Arevalos in March 2011.

"The parties have tentatively reached a settlement, and there are some things to be finalized. We will be jointly making a statement later,” a spokesperson for the plaintiff's attorneys told NBC 7.

Arevalos was convicted of eight counts of sexual battery, assault and asking for bribes.

Prosecutors had said a routine traffic stop involving "Jane Doe" turned into a sexual assault when then-Officer Arevalos suggested the two of them go into a nearby convenience store bathroom.

The two entered the restroom with the agreement that she would give him her panties, and in exchange he would not charge her for a DUI, prosecutors said.

Once inside, the victim said, Arevalos touched and rubbed her genitals. A Superior Court judge threw out two criminal counts involving that allegation, however, because of how evidence was shared between legal teams.

The evidence was ruled to still be relevant to the civil case, however.

No details on the agreement were released.

Unless one side decides against the settlement agreement, a hearing is scheduled for Nov. 4 to discuss terms.

A teen Comic-Con cosplayer initially thought to have been brutally assaulted is now believed to have suffered her head injuries in a fall, police said Thursday.

Harbor police said in a news release issued Thursday afternoon that the 17-year-old Riverside County girl in town for Comic-Con was not the victim of a sexual assault or beating, as earlier thought, but rather suffered head injuries after falling six feet.

Police said the girl was climbing a gate at the Marriott Hotel after an altercation with an older man. That’s when she fell and was found at 1 a.m. Sunday near the pool at the hotel on Harbor Drive, near the San Diego Convention Center.

Since the incident, police have had difficulty piecing together the circumstances because the girl did not remember what happened. She was under the influence of drugs, police said.

The case attracted widespread online attention – first by bloggers questioning whether an assault of the girl was a hoax – and then by mainstream media, including national news outlets. Photos of her dressed as a Roger Rabbit cosplayer, or dressed in character, were widely circulated online.

Harbor police said because of this widespread attention they investigated the case extensively, including reviewing footage from multiple surveillance cameras and by questioning Comic-Con attendees

“Her injuries and physical evidence at the scene were consistent with a fall,” the news release said.

The girl suffered several brain bleeds and is still recovering, her family has said

A 29-year-old man, Justin Kalior, whom the girl got into a fight with before her fall, was arrested on unrelated allegations of having sexual contact with a minor and providing her alcohol. He will not face any other charges, police said.

The city medical examiner has ruled the death of Eric Garner, the 43-year-old father whose death in police custody sparked national outrage, a homicide, saying a chokehold killed him.

The medical examiner said compression of the neck and chest, along with Garner's positioning on the ground while being restrained by police during the July 17 stop on Staten Island, caused his death.

Garner's acute and chronic bronchial asthma, obesity and hypertensive cardiovascular disease were contributing factors, the medical examiner determined.

There was no immediate comment from the NYPD.  A spokesman for Richmond County District Attorney Daniel M. Donovan said his office had been contacted with the cause and manner of Garner's death but was waiting for the official death certificate and the autopsy report to be issued while its investigation was continuing. 

The Rev. Al Sharpton said neither he nor the Garner family had a immediate comment, but that they would make a statement tomorrow at the headquarters of the National Action Network.

Garner's family members and Sharpton, met with federal prosecutors last month to press for an investigation into his death. Sharpton said police violated his civil rights while arresting him for allegedly selling untaxed cigarettes, and that led to his death.

The U.S. attorney hasn't commented on the meeting with the Garners. Previously, Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department is "closely monitoring" the investigation into Garner's death. 

An amateur video shows a plainclothes police officer placing Garner in what appears be a chokehold during the arrest. In the video, Garner can be heard multiple times gasping, "I can't breathe!". Chokeholds are banned under NYPD policy.

Mayor de Blasio has said he was "disturbed" by the video.

One officer has been stripped of his gun and badge pending an internal NYPD investigation and another has also been placed on desk duty. Two paramedics and two EMTs have been placed on modified duty after allegedly failing to provide CPR in a timely manner.

The case has incited calls for sweeping police department reform. New alleged chokehold videos have emerged in its wake, including one involving an alleged fare beater and another involving a pregnant Brooklyn woman who claims she was put in a chokehold when she questioned officers' requests to move the site of her BBQ.

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton has said the officer appeared to have placed Garner in a chokehold and has ordered a top-to-bottom redesigning of use-of-force training in the NYPD.

In addition to running the National Action Network, Al Sharpton is a talk show host on MSNBC, which is owned by WNBC's parent company, NBCUniversal.

Here’s your challenge for August (if you choose to accept): Resolve to do something new every weekend. Here are some suggestions to get you started.

Thursday, July 31

NASA Destination Station
10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
The International Space Station orbits hundreds of miles above the Earth’s surface, but it still affects our everyday lives. Find out how at this out-of-this-world exhibit, open through Sept. 2.

Santee Summer Concert Series
6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Town Center Community Park East
Need some help deciding what to do Thursday night? Come together for a night of iconic Beatles music with the tribute band Help! Free admission.

GEEKS! The Musical!
8 p.m. at BLKBOX in Hillcrest
Are you experiencing Comic-Con withdrawal? This musical is the cure. It has all the drama of the Con, from finding a rare comic book to finding love on the floor.

SoundDiego Suggestion: The Hold Steady
8 p.m. at the Belly Up
The Hold Steady barged out of Brooklyn, New York in 2004 with booze-soaked alt-country epics and intricate tales of loss and redemption that we haven’t heard since Springsteen was trading licks with Clarence “Big Man” Clemons on 1975’s “Born to Run.” It’d be a shame to miss them at such an intimate spot on the beach.

Friday, August 1

Padres WineFest 2014
5 p.m. at Petco Park
Raise a glass to the Padres before they take on the Atlanta Braves Friday night. Admission to this pre-game party is free with your game ticket.

First Friday – Cumbia Night
8 p.m. in North Park
Queen Bee’s Art and Cultural Center kicks off its new First Friday (of the Month) program with a night of live music and Cumbia dancing. Come early at 7 p.m. for a beginner dance lesson.

Searsucker Speakeasy
10 p.m. – 1:45 a.m. in the Gaslamp Quarter
Travel back in time to the 1920s when drinking was done behind closed doors. You’ll take a hidden elevator to the speakeasy where 10 secret cocktails await. It’s all part of Searsucker’s 4th birthday celebration. Call 619-233-7327 for reservations.

Saturday, August 2

25th Annual Clairemont Family Day
8 a.m. – 5 p.m. at South Clairemont Park
This free event features activities for the kids, like swimming, pony rides and laser tag, and a classic car show.

Bubbles and Bling
11 a.m. – 2 p .m. at the Pacific Beach Bar and Grill in PB
Calling all fashionistas. It’s your chance to score exclusive styles before they hit the runway at Fashion Week San Diego. Plus, a little champagne doesn't hurt.

SoundDiego Suggestion: Weezer
4 p.m. at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
It seems like summers in San Diego just aren’t complete without a performance by everyone’s favorite alt-rock icon at the Del Mar Track. Weezer definitely have the market cornered when it comes to their incredibly catchy pop wall o’sound – and no one sports a cardigan better than lead singer/guitarist Rivers Cuomo. With hits like “Buddy Holly,” “Beverly Hills,” “Say It Ain’t So,” and yup, “Undone (the Sweater Song)” – this fun-loving quartet always put on a killer show.

SoundDiego Suggestion: Erik Canzona CD Release
7 p.m. at the Victory Theater
If you’re a fan of local jam/soul/rock quintet the Heavy Guilt, you’ll recognize their lead singer at the Victory Theater on Saturday. Canzona takes to the stage in celebration of his debut solo album, “The Narrows.” Also on the bill are the Silent Comedy’s Joshua and Jeremiah Zimmerman (as Brothers Grim), and Transfer frontman Matt Molarius. The frontmen of three of San Diego’s biggest rock bands share the stage at Grant Hill’s historic venue for an all-ages show. Bottom line: Don’t miss it.

Sunday, August 3

San Diego Sip ‘N Stroll
11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. in Pacific Beach
Bring the whole family and check out local PB businesses. There will be live music and lots of activities to keep both you and the kids entertained.

Wizard of Oz Yappy Hour
4 p.m. – 5 p.m. at the Hotel del Coronado
There’s no place like the Hotel del Coronado this weekend. The 50th annual “Wizard of Oz” Convention is taking place there, and both you and your pooch can be part of it. Come dressed as your favorite “Oz” character for a chance to win a two-night stay at the iconic hotel. You’ll enjoy themed cocktails, like the Kansas Twister, and can enter your dog in the Toto Photo contest. So click your heels (or paws) and be there.

SoundDiego Suggestion: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
7 p.m. at Viejas Arena
It’s unbelievable, but it seems like this show has flown under the radar since it was announced a few months back. Petty needs no introduction but regardless, he’s one of America’s most legendary songwriters and consistently puts out great album after great album (his most recent, “Hypnotic Eye,” drops July 29). We’re not sure which is more impressive: That he’s been at it with the Heartbreakers since 1976 – or that he’s penned some of the biggest hits radio’s ever heard. Either way, we’ll be “Free Fallin’” when his unmistakable voice fills Viejas Arena on Sunday.
 

The man whose face – and scowl – San Diegans will forever remember in connection to the murders of two teens looks different these days – a stark contrast to his appearance in 2010.

It’s been more than four years since John Albert Gardner III was sentenced to life in prison. Today, officials say the inmate’s life behind bars is very quiet compared to the uproar his crimes caused in San Diego.

Gardner was given a life sentence without the possibility of parole on May 15, 2010, for raping and killing Escondido teenager Amber Dubois and Poway teenager Chelsea King. The highly-publicized cases sent shock waves through San Diego County.

In June 2010, Gardner was transferred to California State Prison-Corcoran to begin serving his sentence.

Today, Terry Thornton, a spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), said Gardner is still housed in the Protective Housing Unit (PHU) at the prison and lives an unremarkable existence.

“Officials at California State Prison-Corcoran tell me that inmate Gardner is quiet,” Thornton told NBC 7. “There are no discipline issues.”

Thornton said the PHU – designated for high-profile inmates segregated from other inmates – was activated at the facility in 1992. It’s a small unit with only 24 cells and a maximum capacity of 47 inmates but typically only houses between 15 and 25 offenders.

“It houses inmates whose high notoriety has caused public interest in their cases and is likely to result in great bodily harm if he is placed in general population housing. The PHU also houses inmates whose safety would be endangered by general population housing,” Thornton explained. This can include inmates who have testified in major cases against organized criminal organizations and prison gangs.”

Thornton said some of the inmates besides Gardner who live in the PHU include infamous serial killer and cult leader Charles Manson, Mexican serial killer Juan Corona and Phillip Garrido, the man convicted of kidnapping and raping California girl Jaycee Lee Dugard.

The CDCR spokesperson said the PHU is operated like any other general population unit. Each day, a hot breakfast, sack lunch and hot dinner are served to each inmate. That food is delivered by CDCR staff to the unit, not general population inmates.

Thornton said PHU inmates go to a dayroom and can go to the yard every day. The PHU offers education programs, contact visits, jobs, phone calls and televisions in the inmates’ cells.

“There is a designated day for PHU inmates to go to the law library in a nearby facility,” Thornton said. “When PHU inmates are in the law library, there are no other general population inmates there.”

As in all state prisons, visitation hours are held twice a week on Saturdays and Sundays but because the PHU is so small, Thornton said visits can last longer.

“The PHU is typically very quiet,” Thornton added.

Thornton said the CDCR does not release central files on any offenders, so more specific details on Gardner’s incarceration were unavailable.

The CDCR did release Gardner’s latest prison photograph, however, dated Apr. 4, 2014. In the picture, the bearded and scruffy 35-year-old Gardner looks much different than he did at his 2010 sentencing.

Next month, it’ll be four years since former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger approved Chelsea’s Law (Assembly Bill 1844), a bill that increased penalties, parole provisions and oversight for sex offenders in the state. It was officially signed into legislation in February 2011.

The bill was championed by Nathan Fletcher and the family of Chelsea King.

As Gardner lives a muted life in prison, the families of his young victims continue to make their voices heard.

Chelsea’s parents, Brent and Kelly King, run the Chelsea’s Light Foundation, a non-profit organization aimed at supporting youth and spreading positive change in the community.

Amber’s mother, Carrie McGonigle, formed the search and rescue group, Team Amber, to help families find their missing loved ones. Through her search efforts, McGonigle helped find the remains of missing nursing student Michelle Le in September 2011.
 

An adult friend of the San Marcos girl who prosecutors say deliberately set the massive Cocos Fire in May describes the teenage suspect as “good-hearted, helpful, and encouraging,” and told NBC 7 she is in “shock and disbelief” about the allegations.

“It’s almost like hearing that someone you know has terminal cancer,” said the suspect’s friend. The two know each other from the Southern California competitive bicycling community.

A San Diego Juvenile Court judge has ordered a mental competency evaluation for the teenager who faces four felony arson charges and one misdemeanor charge in connection with the destructive wildfire that burned close to 40 homes and more than 1,995 acres.

It is NBC 7's policy not to identify minors charged with a crime.

The suspect’s adult friend told NBC 7 she has known the girl for most of her young life. This source spoke with NBC 7 on the condition of anonymity.

“I can’t see that evil side,” the friend responded, when told about the charges filed against the San Marcos girl.

“She is always smiling, she listens well. She was always inspired and achieved her goals. I never said to myself, ‘That girl’s going to be a trouble maker.’”

The friend added: “I never saw an evil bone in her body. She is always very helpful, and she smiles a lot.”

The friend did note that the young suspect is “transitioning from being a kid, to being an adolescent” and could be experiencing problems related to that maturing and growing process.

She confirmed that the suspect is being raised by adoptive parents and could perhaps be facing “too much pressure from her family to win. But that’s just speculation.”

The friend also speculated that the suspect might be “internalizing anger or resentment."

But this source stressed the positives of the young suspect’s personality, and said she “has such a huge future.”

The accused minor is not allowed to leave her home without her parents and must adhere to a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew.

She was expected to return to Juvenile Court on August 20 for the next scheduled court hearing. 

Friends and family gathered Thursday evening to mourn a 20-year-old USC-bound man who died after being struck by lightning in Venice Beach.

Nick Fagnano had stepped into the water to wash off the sand before leaving the beach July 27 when lightning struck, family members said. He later died at a hospital.

"I was so proud of him for so many things," his father, Jay Fagnano said, holding back tears. "Nick and Mary had an amazing mother-son bond. But Nick and I...he was my best friend, and I think maybe I was his best friend, 'cause we sure did a lot together."

The Los Angeles native graduated from Notre Dame High School in 2012 where he was a pitcher for the baseball team, family members said. Fagnano continued playing when he attended Santa Barbara City College.

After finishing up some general education requirements at Santa Monica College, Fagnano was accepted to USC where he planned to attend in fall.

"When have we known the universe to go so out of its way like that?" Mary Fagnano said earlier this week, reading a letter from a friend. "When what is most needed in the world is love, those who are most loved will often get called."

The USC Price School of Public Policy has set up the Nick Fagnano Memorial Scholarship to support undergraduate transfer students. Anyone who wishes to donate can contact Brent Watson at brw@usc.edu.

Fagnano's parents said donations can also be made to The St. Brendan School Building Fund at info@stbrendanmail.org.
 

Joe Combs says he has lost the love of his life.

Joy Gorian, 78, was killed after the plane she was riding in as a passenger crashed into a parking lot Wednesday between the Kearny Mesa Costco and Target stores.

The fixed wing single-engine Mooney M20L crashed in a parking lot off Convoy Street about a mile from Montgomery Field.

The investigation into what happened in the minutes before the crash could take months. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the aircraft bounced while attempting to land.

The plane was piloted by Gorian's daughter Devon Logan, 52, who used the radio to send a distress call.

“Problem now. I’m not getting any altitude here,” she told the tower.

The tower advised full throttle and for the pilot to return to the airport if possible.

“I’m going down,” Logan responded.

With that, the planes right wing scraped the top of the Target and crashed into a light pole before hitting the ground.

Combs says his wife and step daughter were returning from a trip to Redlands. Joy was seeking to acquire power of attorney to help her ailing sister.

Combs says he didn’t get to the hospital in time to see her before she died. But he recalled his last conversation with his wife.

“I went over and kissed her and said ‘goodbye honey, I hope you have a good day.’ And that’s the last time I saw her alive,” said Combs.

In the hospital he also talked to pilot Logan, who is his step daughter. She suffered multiple broken bones, including a shattered left wrist, right ankle, broken knees and will need plastic surgery to repair facial wounds, according to Combs. All she said about the accident was that the plane lost power, according to Combs. 

“She was feeling guilty for her mother dying. I told her, Devon, things happen. You loved your mother. Your mother loved you. She’s the most wonderful woman in the world, and this world will not be as good a place today as it was yesterday when she was here,” said Combs.

According to Combs, Gorian is also survived by three sisters, two children, four step children, 12 grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren.

“She’s an adorable, caring person and I’m going to miss her. I do miss her,” said Combs.

The couple met in 1973 and were married in 1986. Gorian was active in the Unitarian Universalist Church and worked at a public library.

“She’s the most wonderful woman in the world. The world is not going to be as well off without her,” said Combs.