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Close to $1 million in marijuana was found hiding in plain sight in two illegal narcotic smuggling incidents near San Diego over the holiday weekend.
First, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents pulled over a 2004 Dodge Durango heading northbound on Interstate 5 on Friday afternoon. In the back of the SUV, they noticed three cardboard moving boxes tucked between the second and third rows of seats.
When agents searched the boxes, they reported finding 27 bundles of marijuana worth an estimated street value of $105,690. 
The driver, a 29-year-old U.S. Citizen, was arrested. The car and drugs were seized.
Then, Monday around 11:30 p.m., agents reported finding eight large black trash bags sitting on the side of Interstate 8 near the Pine Valley checkpoint.
Inside the bags agents found 134 bundles of marijuana.
The pot weighed close to 490 pounds and is estimated to be worth more than $730,000 on the street officials said.
There were no arrests in connection with this seizure.
The body of a woman in her 20s was being recovered Tuesday from the roof of a downtown Los Angeles hotel where a young missing Canadian tourist stayed before she disappeared several weeks ago.
At about 10:15 a.m., police were called to 640 S. Main St. (map) – the address of the Cecil Hotel. The Los Angeles Fire Department also responded.
Officials were engaged in a "body recovery" operation from a water tank on the hotel's roof, a Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman said.
Hotel guests had reported that the water pressure in the building was low, prompting a maintenance worker to visit tanks on the roof, where the body of a woman in her 20s was found, according to Officer Sara Fayden.
Officials were gathered on the hotel's roof at midday, and multiple emergency vehicles were gathered in front of the building, including sedan from the county coroner's officer.
LAPD homicide detectives had been investigating the disappearance of missing Canadian tourist Elisa Lam, pictured below at right in two photos. The 21-year-old from Vancouver, B.C., had stayed at the hotel during a visit to Southern California last month.
Surveillance video from the hotel had shown Lam in the hotel's elevator on Feb. 1. She seemed to push multiple buttons in the elevator, then stepped in and out and appeared to hide in a corner in what authorities described as "abnormal" behavior.
Watch: Surveillance Video
The surveillance video is the last known image of Lam, whose parents said she had called them every day until she disappeared., according to police.
Lam had stayed at the Cecil Hotel during a visit to LA that began Jan. 26, but when it came time for her to check out, she could not be found. She was last seen Jan. 31.
A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said the agency was investigating the water tanks to determine whether the hotel's water supply had been contaminated.
Fire Capt. Jaime Moore said a water sample had shown "no biohazard" and that the hotel's water tanks were not connected.
Longtime hotel resident Bernard Diaz reported flooding on the fourth floor at about the time Lam disappeared, saying he heard a thump so loud one night he "fell out of bed."
The water tank was about three-quarters full when the body was found, according the Sgt. Rudy Lopez of the LAPD. He said the tank's metal latch could be easily opened but added that the roof is secured with an alarm and lock.
An urban search and rescue team was working on extracting the body while trying to maintain evidence.
The building, located near Skid Row, is described on its website as a "beautiful vintage European-style hotel built in the 1920s."
The single-room-occupancy hotel has an unusual history. "Night Stalker" Richard Ramirez, who was found guilty of 14 slayings in the 1980s, lived on the 14th floor for several months in 1985. And international serial killer Jack Unterweger is suspected of murdering three prostitutes during the time he lived there in 1991. He killed himself in jail in 1994.
In 1962, a female occupant jumped out of one the hotel's windows, killing herself and a pedestrian on whom she landed.
Two letters were found detailing a threat against students and teachers at a San Diego-area middle school. One parent said he was told the students named in the letter were the school's "popular kids."
Pershing Middle School parents received two phone calls – one Sunday and another Monday – regarding a threat from a student.
In the pre-recorded phone message Principal Susan Levy told parents a threat was made by a student, to multiple other students. The student has been removed from the campus and the school is safe for all students, parents and teachers.
San Diego Unified School District spokesperson Jack Brandais told NBC 7 San Diego there was a threat made by a student at the school.
Brandais said the student has been removed from the school but he couldn't reveal any other details in the case citing state and federal privacy rules, specifically FERPA, the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
Joshua Leach has a son in the 8th grade at Pershing. He told NBC 7 San Diego his heart sank when he learned his son was named in the threat.
In a phone call from police Wednesday night Leach learned there were two letters found at the school. He hasn’t seen the letter but he said he was told the other names included were “popular kids.”
Leach said his son knows the student who allegedly wrote the letter but is not friends with the boy.
His son thought it was a joke at first but Leach said he had to explain the seriousness of the matter to his son.
Students are scheduled to return to the San Carlos campus Tuesday after a long weekend because of the Presidents’ Day holiday.
School police and members of the district's Crisis Response Team will be on campus to provide support.
Marine Gen. John Allen, the former top American commander in Afghanistan and President Barack Obama's nominee to lead U.S. and NATO forces in Europe, announced Tuesday that he will retire from the U.S. military after 38 years of service, citing personal reasons.
"While I won't go into the details, my primary concern is for the health of my wife, who has sacrificed so much for so long," he said in a statement. "For more than 35 years, my beloved Kathy has devotedly stood beside me and enabled me to serve my country."
He added that it was "profoundly sobering" to consider the amount of time he has spent away from his two daughters over the course of his career.
His decision comes just weeks after his name was cleared in an investigation into his conduct with Jill Kelley, a Florida socialite who was linked to scandal that ended David Petraeus' career at the CIA.
President Barack Obama said he accepted the request, calling Allen one of the nation's finest military leaders and a true patriot.
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Last week, NBC News cited three U.S. officials in reporting that Allen had been likely to withdraw his name for the nomination to be the next NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.
Allen did not want to put his family through a nomination process that would bring up the Kelley emails, several military officials also told NBC News.
In an interview with the Washington Post Monday evening, Allen said that the probe, which examined his relationship with Kelley and had investigators combing through batches of his emails for signs of inappropriate behavior, had taken a toll on his wife, who suffers from chronic health problems including an autoimmune disorder.
"For a long time, I told her, 'When you can't bear this anymore, just tell me and I'll drop my [resignation] letter right away," Allen told the Post. "Now I need to be the one who takes this out of her hands."
A four-star general, Allen was a key player in the development of Afghan troops and transitioning of power from international forces to local security forces as the U.S. began its drawdown.
Outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who worked closely with Allen during his tenure, said that "his leadership over the last 19 months will long be remembered as pivotal to this campaign" in Afghanistan. "The strategy he developed and implemented has put us on the right path towards completing this mission, with Afghan forces now on track to step into the lead for security nationwide this spring and to assume full security responsibility by the end of next year."
Here is President Obama's statement on Tuesday:
Today, I met with General John Allen and accepted his request to retire from the military so that he can address health issues within his family. I told General Allen that he has my deep, personal appreciation for his extraordinary service over the last 19 months in Afghanistan, as well as his decades of service in the United States Marine Corps. General Allen presided over the significant growth in the size and capability of Afghan National Security Forces, the further degradation of al Qaeda and their extremist allies, and the ongoing transition to Afghan security responsibility across the country. He worked tirelessly to strengthen our coalition through his leadership of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and to improve our relations with the Afghan government. Above all, he cares deeply for the men and women in uniform who serve our nation - as well as their families - and I am grateful for the sacrifices made by his family in supporting him during his service. John Allen is one of America's finest military leaders, a true patriot, and a man I have come to respect greatly. I wish him and his family the very best as they begin this new chapter, and we will carry forward the extraordinary work that General Allen led in Afghanistan.
A HAZMAT team responded to Sharp-Rees Stealey Medical Center located at 10234 Genetic Center Dr. on Tuesday morning.
The incident happened around 9:30 a.m. when a person at the facility said they felt sick. More people reported a similar illness, forcing 100 people to evacuate from the building.
Seven people were transported to the hospital for symptoms of nausea and dizziness, according to the fire department.
HAZMAT determined the cause of the incident to be an overheated air conditioning belt. Fire officials and HAZMAT have reopened the building for the remainder of the day.
Officials at Sharp said Urgent Care remained open during the evacuation.
The medical center is located on Genetic Center Drive, north of Mira Mesa Boulevard in Sorrento Mesa and just west of Camino Santa Fe.
A San Marcos couple was shot at while trying to recover a stolen BMX bike Monday night according to authorities.
The husband and wife were trying to track down a BMX bicycle that had been stolen from in front of their home around 10 p.m. Monday.
They drove around the neighborhood looking for the bike when they found a group of people sitting at the intersection of 1st Street and Via Juanita.
As the victims got out of the car, they called to a man who had the stolen bike deputies said.
While there’s no information on what was said, deputies say the suspect got off the bike, threw it in the road and pulled out a gun.
The man fired four rounds at the couple according to deputies.
One bullet hit the rear driver’s side door. Another struck a parked car on the other side of the street.
The suspects took off heading eastbound on 1st Street toward S. Rancho Santa Fe Road.
No one was injured.
Two former marines based at MCAS Miramar have been indicted on bribery and fraud charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.
Former U. S. Marine Sergeants Luis Gilbert Menchaca and Manuel Ramos Padilla were also indicted for false travel and lodging claims.
The indictment states Ramos knowingly signed and approved dozens of false lodging claims for Menchaca and another reservist. It also said each of the two reservists received thousands of dollars in lodging payments as a result of the scheme.
Both men have plead not guilty and are scheduled to appear in court again on March 1.
Carlos and Barbara Landeros only wanted a little Valentine's Day romance.
So last Thursday, the Vallejo couple decided to drive to San Francisco for a swanky romantic dinner. And of course no romantic outing would be complete without a pre-dinner trip to the Golden Gate Bridge. But as soon as the Landeroses pulled into Vista Point, Barbara spotted a black camera bag without an owner in sight.
With tourists running to and fro, she and Carlos stood guard over the bag in hopes the owner would soon return.
"We wait about 45 minutes before we picked up the bag," said Barbara Landeros at her Vallejo home. "Because we didn't know who it belongs to."
With no one returning for the bag, Barbara eventually decided to take a peek inside. At first she saw a camera lens, then credit cards, then an envelope of cash - lots of cash.
"I got nervous at first, it could be drug money," she said. "I was scared."
The Landeroses finally decided the thing to do was take the bag to San Francisco's Hall Of Justice to turn it in to the police. 
"He said 'good for you guys,'" she recalled of the policeman who took the report. "'I'm proud of you."
It turns out that wad of cash inside the bag was no small sum.
It totaled $11,060.42. Police used the credit cards to trace the bag to a visiting Chinese tourist in San Francisco.
Mark, who didn't want his last name used, said he was excited to get the call from police. "When the officer give me everything, and he said happy Valentine's Day," said Mark who was in the last day of vacation before returning to China.
He said he was carrying the cash for several families who were traveling together, and that he forgot the bag after posing for family photos on the bridge.
"I think somebody who pick it up and return," he said, "it really is someone very, very kind in heart."
Mark said he tried to call the Landeros family to thank them, but had the wrong phone number.
So he piled his family into a rental car and drove out to their Vallejo home to thank them personally. Only they weren't home.
He said he finally reached them by phone and was able to thank them. He also put a check in the mail with a reward.
It seems Mark's Valentine's Day ended a lot better than Barbara and Carlos'. After spending hours making a police report, they hit rush hour traffic heading back to Vallejo. Valentine's Day dinner, ended up being a snack at McDonald's next to the police station.
Still, Barbara said she believes in karma, and was happy not to invoke any of the negative kind. And she figured she and Carlos at least got a few photos and a heckuva story out of their day.
"So my heart is rested now because the people got their money and their bag," she said.
A Texas woman who was arrested after calling 911 to ask for cigarettes now admits it was a frivolous request and says she regrets it.
Linda White, 48, of Granbury, Texas, called 911 at about 1 a.m. on Feb. 11 and asked deputies to make a delivery.
"I need some cigarettes," she said in a recording of the call.
On Tuesday, she apologized and tried to explain.
"We were just kicking it in the back yard — a few beers too many," she said. "Next thing you know, we're out of cigarettes. Well, I didn't want to drive to town. ... I was drunk, you know, but in my back yard.
"Who's the safest person to call?" she asked. "Your police department, I thought."
Drunk or not, the sheriff's office said 911 is reserved for emergencies.
"A call for deputies to bring cigarettes to the resident is not an emergency call," Hood County Chief Deputy Biff Temple said.
Two deputies responded and found White and her boyfriend, Gary Roberts.
"I just saw bright lights and knew," White said.
Roberts said he knew White was in trouble.
"I knew, because I told her, 'Somebody is fixing to go to jail,'" he said.
White was booked on a charge of abusing 911, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $2,000 fine and 180 days in jail.
She was released on bond about six hours later, she said.
"I am deeply sorry for what I did," she said in an interview outside her home. "I'm embarrassed. It's not me.
"It is kind of funny," she said laughing.
White added that she learned the hard way not to call 911 with a frivolous request.
"They don't deliver — they pick up," she said.
Listen to the 911 call (Warning: explicit language):
If you are planning on driving through Missouri City, Texas, be cautious.
The Houston suburb has implemented a "crash tax" that requires drivers to pay a fee for their wrecks, according to KHOU 11 News in Texas.
The fee is meant to cover the cost of first responders who handle auto accidents. The charge can cost drivers a couple thousand dollars.
Missouri City's Fire Department will begin charging for traffic accident service on March 1.
All drivers involved with the incident will be charged, even if they didn't phone for help.
The amount of the charge depends on how severe the accident is, ranging from $500 to $2,000, according to KHOU 11 News. The fees target drivers responsible for accidents, but not everyone feels the fee will be effective.
Fire Chief Russell Sander told KHOU the new fee will help cover the city's budget deficit. When asked to address concern over the charge, he said bills will be sent to insurance and shouldn't concern drivers.
A third party company handles the billing for the new fee and estimates say that the city will gain an extra $50,000 a year with the new measure, according to KHOU.
A Chinese businessman agitated by a polluted river devised a plan to address the problem. He is offering an environmental official $32,000 to swim in the dirty water, according to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.
Jin Zengmin, chief executive of a eyeglasses retailer, will reward the official if he remains in the water for 20 minutes. His plan is to bring attention to the environmental concerns in China's eastern province.
He announced the dare on Sina Weibo, a China microblogging site similar to Twitter.
“If the environmental protection bureau chief dares to swim in [Ruian's] river for 20 minutes, I will pay 200,000 yuan [$32,062],” Jin wrote.
Jin also posted three photos of a river in Ruian, a small town in the east coast of China. In the photos, trash can be seen blocking the river's flow. Jin claims a rubber overshoe factory is to blame for refuse and industrial waste.
Villagers used to use the river to wash vegetables and clothes during his childhood, Jin said to Chinanews.com.
When asked for a comment, Ruian’s environmental protection bureau chief, Bao Zhenmin, reportedly said that there was in fact a problem with pollution with the river, however he placed blame on the villagers, not the factories.
“Overpopulation of this region is the main reason behind the pollution…[The population] has largely exceeded the local environment’s capacity,” Bao told Chinanews.com.
Apparently there will be a new water recycling system put in place within three years that includes proper facilities for trash disposal, Bao said.
Former Illinois Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. on Wednesday pleaded guilty in federal court to misusing hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds, while his wife pleaded guilty to a tax offense.
It was Jackson's first public appearance since taking medical leave last summer for treatment of bipolar disorder.
Jackson acknowledged in court that he spent $750,000 of campaign cash on personal items — like a $4,600 Michael Jackson fedora and a $1,500 black-and-red cashmere cape, according to the charges against him — and pleaded guilty to several charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud and false statements.
"I love everybody back home," Jackson told NBC 5 Chicago after he entered his plea. "I'm sorry I let them down."
Jackson told Judge Robert Wilkins the charges are an "accurate statement" of what he did, and when asked how he wishes to plead, answered "Guilty, your honor."
"For years I have lived off my campaign and used money that should have gone for my campaign," Jackson told Wilkins.
The charges require a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and an order of restitution. Because Jackson accepted responsibility, he is eligible for a lesser sentence of between 46 to 57 months and a fine between $10,000 and $100,000. The final decision, though, will be with the judge.
"I'm not bound by the sentencing guidelines," Judge Wilkins said, noting he cannot go beyond the maximum of five years. "The sentencing guidelines are advisory, and they are something I am bound to consider."
"I don't know what sentence you're going to get," Judge Wilkins said. "You don't know what sentence you're going to get."
Prosecutors said Jackson knew the unlawful nature of a "shared or unlawful plan" that he willfully joined. When asked if he committed the offenses described by the prosecution, Jackson acknowledged he did.
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Jackson acknowledged that by pleading guilty, he waived his right to a jury and trial. "I am freely aware of the fact that I am giving up my right to trial," he said.
He was ordered to surrender his passport and report to pretrial services weekly. He can travel outside of the Washington, D.C., area but can only live at either his D.C. or Chicago address pending sentencing.
When asked by the judge whether Jackson's hospitalization for bipolar disorder affected his ability to understand the charges, he responded, "I fully understand the consequences of my actions."
After the hearing, Jackson attorney Reid Weingarten told reporters "there will be another chapter in Jesse Jackson Jr.'s life."
Weingarten said Jackson has "serious health issues" that have been discussed with the courts.
"Those health issues are directly related to his present predicament," he said. "That's not an excuse, it's just a fact. Jesse has turned a corner there as well and there's reason for optimism."
Weingarten said they expect fairness in the sentencing process, noting Jackson should get credit for contributing much to his community.
At this point, Jackson's biggest concern, Weingarten said, are his kids.
"Jesse's many things, including being a terrific father: He has two small children, and we are hopeful that in short order or at least in reasonably short order, Jesse again will be a full-time, wonderful, caring, devoted dad."
Hours later, his wife, former Chicago Ald. Sandi Jackson pleaded guilty before the same judge to falsifying a tax return and reporting less income than she made. That charge carries a maximum prison sentence of three years, but her lawyer said the plea agreement calls for significantly less time.
Jackson resigned last month from her elected position as Chicago's 7th Ward alderman. For years, she received a $5,000 a month check from her husband as his political consultant.
She entered the courtroom earlier in the day holding hands with Jesse Jackson Jr. when he entered his plea.
A section of the 5 Freeway near Frazier Park was closed Wednesday morning after an overnight storm brought snow, ice and high winds to Southern California and led to another road closure north of Los Angeles.
The road reopened at about 9:30 a.m. after the morning closure, prompted by dangerous driving conditions after an overnight winter storm.
Snow and strong wind gusts were reported early Wednesday in the Frazier Park area. Crews responded to a big rig crash -- the cab and two trailers ended up on their sides -- near Lebec.
The closure came after a 60-mile stretch of highway between Los Angeles and Bakersfield was closed late Tuesday during the height of a winter storm. Authorities closed a portion of Highway 58 (map) because of snow and poor travel conditions.
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CHP officers escorted drivers off Highway 58 late Tuesday. The road reopened Wednesday.
The storm from the Gulf of Alaska brought the first significant rainfall to the region in several weeks, the National Weather Service said. Bear Valley Unified schools are closed Wednesday because of the weather.
Remnants of the storm are expected to move out of the region late Wednesday morning, but cold conditions will remain.
"It feels windy, brisky, cold, freezing -- like the air is coming from somewhere cold," said Robert Bitter, who was in Manhattan Beach early Wednesday.
Temperatures will remain at or below normal late this week, said NBC4 forecaster Elita Loresca.
Rain and snow were reported in the Inland Empire Wednesday morning. A winter weather advisory was extended until 6 a.m. for the region.
Skies in the mountain and desert areas will clear Wednesday afternoon.
"A lot of the shower activity occurred overnight," said Loresca. "We're still dealing with lingering rain showers over the next couple of hours."
Carlos and Barbara Landeros only wanted a little Valentine's Day romance.
So last Thursday, the Bay Area couple decided to drive to San Francisco for a swanky romantic dinner. And of course no romantic outing would be complete without a pre-dinner trip to the Golden Gate Bridge. But as soon as the Landeroses pulled neared the bridge, Barbara spotted a black camera bag without an owner in sight.
With tourists running to and fro, she and Carlos stood guard over the bag in hopes the owner would soon return.
"We wait about 45 minutes before we picked up the bag," said Barbara Landeros at her Vallejo home. "Because we didn't know who it belongs to."
With no one returning for the bag, Barbara eventually decided to take a peek inside. At first she saw a camera lens, then credit cards, then an envelope of cash — lots of cash.
"I got nervous at first, it could be drug money," she said. "I was scared."
The Landeroses finally decided the thing to do was take the bag to San Francisco's Hall of Justice to turn it in to the police.
"He said 'good for you guys,'" she recalled of the policeman who took the report. "'I'm proud of you.'"
It turns out that wad of cash inside the bag was no small sum.
It totaled $11,060.42. Police used the credit cards to trace the bag to a visiting Chinese tourist in San Francisco.
Mark, who didn't want his last name used, said he was excited to get the call from police. "When the officer give me everything, and he said happy Valentine's Day," said Mark, who was in the last day of vacation before returning to China.
He said he was carrying the cash for several families who were traveling together and that he forgot the bag after posing for family photos on the bridge.
"I think somebody who pick it up and return," he said, "it really is someone very, very kind in heart."
Mark said he tried to call the Landeros family to thank them but had the wrong phone number.
So he piled his family into a rental car and drove out to their Vallejo home to thank them personally. Only they weren't home.
He said he finally reached them by phone and was able to thank them. He also put a check in the mail with a reward.
It seems Mark's Valentine's Day ended a lot better than Barbara and Carlos'. After spending hours making a police report, they hit rush hour traffic heading back to their home in Vallejo. Valentine's Day dinner ended up being a snack at McDonald's next to the police station.
Still, Barbara said she believes in karma and was happy not to invoke any of the negative kind — and she figured she and Carlos at least got a few photos and a story out of their day.
"So my heart is rested now because the people got their money and their bag," she said.
A rift is forming between marines and surfers, over a stretch of land considered sacred to surfers, but owned by the military.
The Surfrider Foundation is trying to protect Trestles Beach, and it could be the first actual state beach and surf spot that would be set aside and recognized at the national level as historically significant and preserved as such.
The beach, spanning more than 2 miles, is often called the “mecca” of surfing and it’s owned by the military.
Since the 1971, Trestles has been leased out as a state beach and open for surfers to enjoy.
“This is the spot in the continental U.S. where you can get the greatest surfing in the world,” longtime surfer Rick Wilson told NBC 7 San Diego.
Wilson said he remembers risking up to six months in jail to surf there as a teen when the military still owned the land.
“They’d give you these warnings and sometimes confiscated your surfboard,” he said.
The Surfrider Foundation is now trying to make Trestles a national historic site.
"There are threats of toll road, of coastal development of water, environmental impairments so that's why Surfrider has to remain diligent,” said Angela Howe with Surfrider.
But this beach is equally important to the military, serving as a unique area for specialized training.
Despite opposition from Camp Pendleton, the State Historical Resources Commission recommended that it be listed as a historic site last week
The Marine Corps says this designation threatens the base's mission and released a statement saying, “One of Camp Pendleton's primary mission is to provide ...the training opportunities necessary to ensure combat readiness. The requested designation...poses unacceptable risks to this essential military training."
The Navy and Marine Corps also said they will continue to support shared use and remain committed to ensuring the beach remains a widely available and accessible resource.
Surfrider says military training won't be impacted and they just want to protect Trestles for generations of surfers to come.
"You see fathers surfing with their sons and fathers and sons and grandsons you know surfing together,” said Wilson. “It's something that is different three really than any other place in Southern California.”
Like avocados? Then you’re going to love the guacamole bowl.
San Diegans are welcome to attend the 10th Annual Law Enforcement Challenge Guacamole Bowl on Saturday, where dozens of teams will compete for the best guac recipe.
The best part? Attendees can sample as much guacamole as they want for only $5.
Upon arrival, guests are given a bag of tortilla chips and asked to taste as many recipes as possible. With 30 teams competing, you won’t run out of guac to taste.
After ample sampling, people vote for their favorite recipes. The top three teams in each division advance to the final round, where they are judged by a panel of local celebrities, law enforcement and community members. The winner is awarded the "guacamole cup" which is coveted by avocado aficionados across the land.
More than 2,000 avocados donated by Calavo Growers, Inc. will be used for the guacamole creations on Saturday. Hundreds of tomatoes, onions, tomatoes, cilantro and jalapenos will also be provided by Jordanos for the teams.
But that’s not all! Live entertainment will be provided by the Chula Vista High School mariachi band – because you can’t eat good guacamole without the sound of trumpets in the distance.
The event begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23. Tastings runs from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Proceeds from the event benefit SPORTS for Exceptional Athletes (S4EA), a community based sports program serving athletes with developmental disabilities in San Diego. The Guacamole Bowl is co-sponsored by San Diego Park & Recreation-Therapeutic Recreation Services.
Think you have the best recipe in San Diego, nay, the world? Then register online before the weekend. And may the best guac win.
A new year, a new 'do — and a new official portrait.
Michelle Obama's new official White House portrait was unveiled Wednesday, replete with the bangs she has called her own take on a "mid-life crisis."
In the more intimate new photo by Chuck Kennedy, the first lady is seated in a relaxed pose against a green upholstered chair and a green wall.
Compare the new shot with the official portrait taken in 2009, and the new one is much softer. Her hair is a softer black, she is lit by softer light and her famously toned arms are contained in a long-sleeved seamed black top.
The 2009 photo, taken by Joyce Boghosian, showed the first lady standing somewhat stiffly at a table. In it, she was wearing a two-strand pearl necklace and a watch.
This time around, she is wearing a single strand of pearls, and her engagement and wedding rings are visible.
Below are the new portrait and the 2009 one:
Official White House Portrait by Chuck Kennedy
Official White House Portrait by Joyce N. Boghosian
A birth at the San Diego Zoo marked a milestone for an animal considered threatened in its native land.
Linshuh, a two-week-old Sichuan Takin calf, took his first climb Tuesday at the San Diego Zoo.
Linshuh, whose name means "silver snake" in Mandarin, was born on Feb. 2.
Weighing around 19 pound, the animal is described as a goat-antelope with split hooves.
Like the panda, takins are considered national treasures in China.
Unfortunately, their numbers are decreasing in the wild because of farming, mining, and logging operations.
In 1989, the first Sichuan Takin born outside China was born here in San Diego.
Linshuh now represents the 54th Takin born at the zoo that boasts the most successful breeding program of Sichuan Takins in the U.S.
