Natasha Hill couldn’t decide what to call the baby she is expecting in September.

So when a baby-naming website offered $5,000 to an expectant mom who was willing to let the public vote on the best moniker, the 26-year-old jumped at the chance.

“I just thought it was a really cool idea,” said Hill, an art teacher who works with young children. “I found it when I was online looking for baby names on different websites.”

Hill, who lives in West Los Angeles, was one of 80 women who entered the contest, which was sponsored by a Texas based company called Belly Ballot.

The social media website grew out of a naming game sometimes played at baby showers, at which participants are given a list of acceptable names by expectant parents, and then vote on their favorite ones.

At Belly Ballot, expectant moms sign up groups of family and friends, and offer them five possible girl names and five possible boy names, said owner Lacey Moler. The group votes, and then the mom can either go with their consensus or ignore it.

For the contest, Moler and her staff secured funding from advertisers, and decided to offer a $5,000 prize to an applicant who was willing to let anyone in the world vote on a name for her baby.

The voters will be presented with a list of names chosen by Moler, her staff and the advertisers, Moler said. Product names will not be allowed, nor names that are “too crazy,” and everyone gets just one vote.

Unlike the more casual balloting conducted for groups of family and friends by the website, Hill won’t have the option of rejecting the name that is chosen.

But she trusts Moler’s promise that the name won’t be too strange – and she says that given her own eclectic tastes, the baby may be better off anyway with a consensus name chosen by the public.

“I think whatever name is chosen my child is going to be grateful that it didn’t come from me,” Hill said.

Her boyfriend is a little less sanguine about it. He remembers a Facebook contest in which a man said he would name his child Batman if he got 500,000 likes on his page.

"He thinks people are going to use it as a chance to do something pranky,” she said.

To choose Hill as their winner, Moler and her staff sifted through essays written by each of the applicants. They were moved, she said, by Hill’s promise to use half of the money to pay down credit debt and the other half to start a college fund for the baby.

“We heard all kinds of stories,” Moler said. Moms promised to use the money for diapers, helping with newborn costs, financial support to take a leave of absence – even a down payment on a house.

“People told stories about their pregnancies,” said Moler, herself a mother of three. “People definitely did pull at our heartstrings.”

But, Moler, said, letting the whole world choose your baby’s name isn’t for everyone.

At her own baby shower, she said, guests voted on a slate of names for her daughter, and chose Stella.

Moler named the child Anna instead.

I have very strong opinions about my names,” Moler said.

Hill, nervous enough about the baby and now the name, has decided not to check the website to even see what appellations wind up on the final list.

“I’m afraid if I look at them I’ll get my favorite one,” said Hill, who had previously considered names including Katorah (no, she doesn't know what it means) and Winter. “And then I’ll be disappointed.”

If she doesn’t like the name, Hill said, there’s still one available exit strategy.

And it’s a classic.

“There’s always a nickname,” the mother-to-be said.
 

A 1-year-old toddler was struck by the family car in Otay Mesa Wednesday, officials confirmed.

The incident happened around 4:40 p.m. at Via de la Bandola and Via del Bardo.

Neighbors told NBC 7 that a woman believed to be the toddler’s mother was backing a sedan into a garage and didn’t see her own toddler in the driveway. She accidentally ran over the tot.

Medics were requested for the child, who was then transported to Rady Children’s Hospital with non-life threatening injuries to the face and head.

A sergeant at the scene told NBC 7 the toddler is expected to make a full recovery, but said medics proceeded with extra caution since the child is so young.

The collision is under investigation.

Neighbors told NBC 7 they heard loud screams following the accident. At that point, a handful of neighbors say they helped lift the car in order to get the toddler out from underneath.

“The mom’s daughter, she started screaming and started crying,” recalled neighbor Nathaly Anaya.

“That’s when I felt bad. I wish I was there to help, but I couldn’t really do anything because I wasn’t that strong.”

Check back for updates.
 

It appears California voters prefer marijuana legalization -- and they much prefer it over federal Justice Department meddling in the state's medical cannabis dispensaries.

A new Field Poll released Wednesday reveals 54 percent of polled voters favor marijuana legalization, compared to 43 percent of respondents against, according to reports. That's the highest level of marijuana support recorded in the Field Poll's 44-year history, the Bay Area News Group reported.

In addition, 72 percent of voters surveyed support the state's medical marijuana laws, and 66 percent said they oppose the Obama Administration's crackdown on state-legal dispensaries, according to the poll.

The poll showed the strongest support for marijuana legalization is in the Bay Area, where 66 percent of respondents voiced support, and among young, single people. Republicans, voters over 65, and Latinos over 40 all strongly came out against marijuana legalization.

The poll comes on the heels of 2010's Proposition 19, when the opposite was true: 53.5 percent of voters cast "no" ballots on that marijuana legalization effort.
 

An audit report made public by the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) has found that dozens of Cajon Valley Union School District retirees received pension overpayments totaling more than $1 million.

According to the report, 77 district retirees received these overpayments over the course of an eight-year period spanning the 2004-05 to the 2011-12 school years.

Read the full audit report here

CalSTRS says the overpayments were the result of incorrect payroll data reported by the district.

An announcement from CalSTRS Thursday said the district “erroneously reported the retirement incentives to 78 educators’ Defined Benefit (DB) Program accounts, resulting in overstated final compensation amounts for 77 of the 78 employees.”

CalSTRS CEO Jack Ehnes said no one abused the system in this case, but the improper pension payouts could have negative impacts.

“The effects of these kinds of errors are painful to the members involved, costly to the school districts and deplete the pension system resources serving more than 262,000 benefit recipients,” said Ehnes.

As of October 2012, CalSTRS reports that resulting overpayments in core pension benefits for this group of Cajon Valley Union School District retirees totaled approximately $1,071,600.

The affected members’ monthly pensions were overpayed by amounts ranging from $26 to $566.

As of right now, CalSTRS will begin collecting the overpayments from members at a rate set by law that does not exceed 5 percent of the adjusted monthly benefit.

In cases where CalSTRS may not be able to collect the entire overpayment amounts from members over their lifetimes, CalSTRS will collect the remainder from the district.
 

Light winds and cool temperatures allowed firefighters in southern California to make progress on a wildfire that caused power outages and prompted evacuations Thursday near Riverside.

By 4 a.m., the Jurupa Wildfire burned about 200 acres and containment was at 30 percent.

Power was restored early Friday to Riverside residents, some of whom watched as flames neared their homes. Wind gusts tossed embers over a wide area Friday evening, sparking small brush fires.

"It was way too close," said homeowner Matt Kolstad.

The vegetation fire was reported about 4:43 p.m. near Rio Road and Calle Hermosa in Jurupa Valley, at the south end of Santa Ana River Regional Park (map). The fire grew from 10 acres to 50 acres by 5:45 p.m., according to the Riverside County Fire Department's online incident report. The fire scorched between 50 and 75 acres by 6:50 p.m.; and grew to consume 150 acres by 8:45 p.m.

Angelenos in Griffith Park reported seeing smoke, 50 miles west of the fire. And while flying in the San Fernando Valley, NBCLA's NewsChopper 4 spotted plumes about 60 miles away from the blaze.

Firefighters used deliberately set blazes, known as backfires, to help control the fire. The tactic is meant to burn possible fuel in the fire's path.

No injuries were reported and it was not immediately known if any structures were damaged.

More: Resident Near Riverside Fire: "I'm Scared to Death"

A Garland, Texas, police officer who fired 41 shots at a chase suspect in August has been fired.

The Garland Police Department confirmed that it fired Officer Patrick Tuter after an internal investigation into the Aug. 12, 2012, shooting.

Michael Allen, 25, was shot and killed after a high-speed chase that began in Garland and ended in Mesquite. Allen was wanted on suspicion of eluding police in Sasche a few days earlier.

Garland police spokesman Officer Joe Harn said Tuter violated the department's general order of use of force and pursuit protocol.

The department at first said that Tuter opened fire in fear of his life, but dashboard camera video raised concerns after it showed that Tuter had rammed Allen's truck and fired 41 shots after he cornered Allen. Tuter reloaded twice, police said.

"He did not deserve the death sentence," said Allen's mother, Stephanie Allen. "Patrick Tuter was not judge and jury, and that's what he made himself out to be."

Allen's father, Randy Allen, said he is glad the department finally acted on the matter because he doesn't want any other families to feel what he, his wife and his son's 4-year-old daughter feel every day.

"Maybe the streets are safer now," he said.

The Allens have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tuter, seeking damages in their son's death.

The lawsuit says that Michael Allen did not have a weapon and did not pose a threat to officers. The lawsuit also says that Tuter's use of force was excessive.

"That's what tears me up -- that they weren't only just excessive, it was excessive on top of excessive," Randy Allen said.

The Allens said their son should not have run from police but also know that nothing can bring him back.

Tuter's attorney said his client does not agree with the department's decision to fire him and will appeal.

"The indefinite suspension was based upon alleged violations of the Garland Police Department's internal, administrative policies," the attorney said in a statement. "However, Officer Tuter's actions were justified under this state's penal code, and the indefinite suspension will be appealed under state civil service law."

A current and former firefighter from the West Haven Fire Department were arrested, accused of forcing a 12 year-old boy into sex slavery in Vermont until he was 25, according to a spokesman for the West Haven Police Department.

Vermont State Police arrested Frank Meyer, 39, and  Brett Bartolotta, 42, in Ludlow, Vermont on Wednesday after a sting operation in which the victim wore a wire.

Police said the firefighters bribed the boy with money and gifts since 2001 to get him to perform sexual favors.

The victim had been in a sexual relationship with the two men for the past 12 years, police said.

Meyer is currently a volunteer firefighter for the West Haven Fire Department at Engine 23 and a 911 dispatcher for the city of West Haven, Fire Chief James O'Brien said.

He has also been involved with the explorer program, a department program for youths and photos online show him standing in front of Explorer Post 3.

The Engine 23 company has been shut down as a precaution, officials said.

Bartolotta was a former volunteer firefighter for the department several years ago and lives in Cavendish, Vermont, according to O'Brien said.

Meyers and Bartolotta are charged with aggravated sexual assault and slave trafficking. Their bail is set at $50,000 and both are being held.

They each pleaded not guilty in court Thursday.

Two weeks ago, two volunteer firefighters from Coventry, Conn. were arrested, accused of having sexual relations with members of the junior firefighter program, a program for teens between 14 and 17 years of age.

Joseph Michael Carilli, 55 of Coventry, the department’s training officer, was charged with sexual assault in the second degree and risk of injury to a minor. No court records are available on Carilli's next court date.

Joe Fragoso, 35 of Coventry, a second lieutenant, was charged with second-degree sexual assault.

Fragoso is due in court on March 21.

Henrietta Lacks has saved a countless numbers of lives, and that was after she died from cervical cancer in 1951.

More than six decades ago, cells from Lacks’ body became the first human cells to ever flourish in a lab.

Her descendants on Thursday visited the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte to see close up the impact their ancestor’s contribution continues to make.

Lacks was 31 years old when she died. At the time, she had no idea that her cells would be harvested for research.

Dr. Linda Malkas, of City of Hope, launched her career studying what are known as "HeLa" cells, a name with a nod to their origin. On Thursday, she gave Lacks’ relatives a tour of the lab.

Lacks’ son David and granddaughter Kim flew to Los Angeles from Baltimore, and were eager to learn more about the legacy of their long lost relative.

Kim Lacks said she is proud "to know that the same blood tissues they’re using for this research is actually flowing in (my) body."

David Lacks was 4 years old when his mother died.

"I have heard she was a giving person, she was a loving person," he said. "So, I’d imagine she would’ve given her cells to science."

Since 1951, HeLa cells have helped in creating the polio vaccine, chemotherapy, cloning and in-vitro fertilization.

In 2010, journalist Rebecca Skloot wrote a bestselling book about the history of experimentation on African Americans called "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks."

Doctors treating Lacks’ cancer gave a sample of her tumor to Dr. George Gey, a researcher at John Hopkins Hospital. He had until then been searching in vain for cells that would live indefinitely in culture so researchers could experiment on them.

Lacks’ cells did just that.

Neither Lacks nor her relatives knew this had happened.

"These cells are not just important for research in the United States, they’re used around the world," Malkas said.

Malkas and her colleagues are using HeLa cells to develop possible cancer fighting therapies. She told the Lacks that their mother and grandmother is the ultimate example of how we're all connected.

Great white sharks off the coast of California will be protected by the California Endangered Species Act beginning March 1.

Three environmental groups asked the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to protect the fish at the beginning of February. The groups said there are only around 340 great whites in the Northwestern Pacific region, making them in danger of extinction.

Beginning March 1, great whites may not be hunted, pursued, or killed under CESA. Anyone caught harming or killing a shark could face criminal prosecution. 

Commercial fishing for great whites has been banned in California waters for nearly 20 years, but some exceptions previously existed for research purposes. Starting March 1, the Fish and Wildlife department will issue permits for scientific research. Fishers will also have to obtain a permit in case of accidental capture of great white sharks. 

With CESA protection for great whites, Fish and Wildlife may also decide to deem the species endangered. The department will conduct a status review of the sharks to determine whether or not it is threatened and expect to make a decision by early 2014.

Europe's horse meat food labeling scandal continues to hit major food companies, while regulators in the U.S. are weighing whether to allow horses to be slaughtered stateside for human consumption. 

American consumers, meanwhile, are growing concerned that horse meat could eventually end up in their food supply.

After European inspectors found traces of horse meat in IKEA’s frozen Swedish meatballs last week, four new products in England, including Taco Bell's Ground Beef, have tested positive for equine DNA, BBC News reported.

Taco Bell apologized to customers, saying the products had come from a supplier in Europe and all of its tainted stock has been removed.

"Once we learned of this issue, we immediately voluntarily tested our product for our three Taco Bell restaurants in the UK,” a Taco Bell spokesman said. "Based on that testing, we learned ingredients supplied to us from one supplier in Europe tested positive for horse meat.

The UK’s Food Standards Agency said that as part of the latest round of tests, three other products — Birds Eye's Traditional Spaghetti Bolognese and Beef Lasagne and catering supplier Brakes' Spicy Beef Skewer — have also been found to contain horse meat, BBC News reported.

Initially, horse meat was detected in January in frozen burgers on sale in England and in Ireland, and since then traces have been discovered in many processed beef products and prepared meals throughout Europe.

The latest developments on Europe's horse meat scandal come amid reports that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is likely to approve a horse slaughtering house in Roswell, N.M., within the next two months, The New York Times reported Thursday.

Horse meat isn't allowed to be produced in the U.S. for human consumption, but the USDA’s decision would allow it to occur for the first time since 2007, according to the Times.

Congress decided not to extend a ban on USDA horse meat inspections back in November 2011. Roswell-based Valley Meat Company sued the USDA over what it said was the lack of inspection for horses going to slaughter, according to the Times.

Currently, horses destined for slaughter have been shipped to Mexico and Canada instead, the Times reported.

A spokesman for the agriculture department, Justin DeJong, told the Times that "several" companies had asked the agency to re-establish inspection of horses for slaughter. "These companies must still complete necessary technical requirements and the F.S.I.S. must complete its inspector training service," he said.

Such a decision to bring back horse meat production in the U.S. may not be too popular with American consumers who feel a deep aversion to eating horse meat.

According to Food Museum co-founder Meredith Sayles, Americans see horses as something more than just animals.

“In the U.S. and U.K. horses are almost considered pets,” Sayles said. “And we don’t eat our pets.”

In fact, attempts by chefs to serve horse-based dishes have prompted passionate and even violent responses.

A restaurant owner in Philadelphia was threatened last week after announcing his plan to add horse meat to the menu.

“They called into the restaurant and said, ‘You guys start cooking horses, I am going to blow up your restaurant,’” Peter McAndrews told NBC10.com.

Although horse meat is not necessarily unsafe for human consumption, opponents of horse slaughtering say that its consumption is risky because of the use of various kinds of drugs in horses.

The Humane Society of the United States has filed a petition with the Agriculture Department and the Food and Drug Administration to delay approval of any facility that would slaughter horses, citing concerns over drugs like phenylbutazone, used to treat inflammation in horses, the Times reported.

Chicano Park in Barrio Logan has just secured a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, the California Department of Parks and Recreation’s Office of Historic Preservation announced Thursday.

The designation means Chicano Park has been recognized as a national cultural resource worthy of preservation benefits and protection from adverse effects stemming from federally funded or licensed projects.

The listing will also facilitate the restoration of historic structures and grant the park certain tax advantages. In addition to placement on the National Register of Historic Places, Chicano Park was also placed on the California Register of Historical Resources.

Assemblymember Ben Hueso – who serves as an ex-officio member of the California State Parks & Recreation Commission – said Chicano Park’s historic designation is more than well-deserved.

“This is an exciting accomplishment not only for the community but the region as a whole. Chicano Park is much more than a neighborhood park; it is the cornerstone of San Diego’s Mexican-American heritage and legacy,” said Hueso.

“Chicano Park is a symbol of great pride for the community, an example of the great things that can be accomplished when a neighborhood comes together for a common cause,” he continued.

Hueso’s father was an active member of the community organization that advocated for the creation of Chicano Park under the Coronado Bridge pylons.

Annual celebrations of Chicano Park Day have been held since 1971. The official “takeover” of the park space under the Coronado Bridge pylons dates back to April 22, 1970, according to the park’s website.

The City of San Diego has ordered the owner of a well-known Mission Valley hotel to crackdown on prostitution activity.

As a result of a legal settlement, the Howard Johnson Hotel located at 1631 Hotel Circle South, must add a 24-hour security guard, install more security cameras and post signs warning of criminal activity.

According to City Attorney Jan Goldsmith’s office, an investigation was launched into the activity at the hotel after San Diego police made 18 prostitution-related arrests in less than one year.

Chhatrala Hospitality Group, LLC, owned by Hemant Chhatrala, owns and runs the franchise hotel.

"A lot of times a pimp or someone else will register for the room and then they're gone for two or three days and the girls in the room, so even the person who is registered for the room is nowhere in site," said Deputy City Attorney Nicole Pedone. "That should not be occurring."

Pedone said they are investigating other hotels in the area as well.

Manager Paresh Patel says they've installed security cameras, improved lighting, require every vehicle to be registered and have a strict no guest policy in their rooms.

As part of the settlement, the company has agreed to $21,000 to the City of San Diego to cover costs of the investigation.

If the hotel owner fails to comply with the changes ordered, a $10,000 penalty may be assessed according to the city attorney's office.

The suspect in last week's triple slaying on the Las Vegas Strip has been arrested in the Los Angeles area, the Clark County District Attorney's Office said on Thursday.

Ammar Harris, 26, was taken into custody in the San Fernando Valley community of North Hollywood on Thursday morning after being followed by a task force of local, state and federal officials, police said.

Harris had been the subject of a manhunt since Feb. 21 when he allegedly fired a gun from a moving vehicle on the Vegas Strip, killing Oakland rapper Kenneth Wayne Cherry Jr. aka Kenny Clutch, officials said.

Cherry was behind the wheel of a Maserati when he was shot and crashed into a taxicab which subsequently exploded, killing the driver and the 48-year old passenger.

At a press conference in Las Vegas on Thursday afternoon, Clark County District Attorney Steven B. Wolfson said the case was the worst he had seen in his 32-year career.

“I can’t imagine anything much more serious than firing a weapon from a moving vehicle into another moving vehicle on a corner such as Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo," Wolfson said. "It is reckless. It disregards human life.

“Thank God only three people lost their lives … it could’ve been worse.”

Clark County Sheriff Douglas Gillespie said the suspect does not reflect the values of Las Vegas.

“If you live in this city, work in this city, visit this city and you act like this person, we will find you, we will prosecute you and we will send you to prison,” Gillespie said.

Harris is believed to have left Nevada after the shooting and was believed to have been hiding out in a friend's North Hollywood apartment, authorities said.

Police accuse the suspect of being the driver of a Range Rover from which gunfire erupted, killing the 27-year-old rapper.

Harris could be seen online boasting about the stacks of money that have come his way thanks to being a pimp, according to reports.

In one video, Harris "flashes a thick stack" of $100 bills.

In a Web posting, he boasts of the flock of women at his home, all of whom are working for him.

In another, he talks about the birthday party he is organizing on a boat in the Atlantic Ocean, replete with a $1,000 bikini contest, the Associated Press reported.

Harris is expected to appear in court to face an extradition hearing to Las Vegas where he faces three counts of murder and other felonies, Wolfson said.

NBC4 Staffer Samantha Tata contributed to this report.

Forget the sequester, the hottest topic in Washington is just how well does President Obama know his Star Wars mythology.

During an impromptu press conference on Friday to address the sequester deadline, President Obama was asked why he was powerless to prevent the deep spending cuts from going into effect.

Obama responded by saying he can't "do a Jedi mind meld with these folks and convince them to do what's right."

The Twitterverse wasted no time in calling out the Commander-in-Chief for his apparent gaffe confusing "Star Wars" and "Star Trek."

Jedi mind TRICK, not meld. Impeach this clown.

— daveweigel (@daveweigel) March 1, 2013

Jedi mind meld? Nevermind the GOP, now he'll have the wrath of pedantic Trekkies to confront.

— Xeni Jardin (@xeni) March 1, 2013

Obama lost the Star Wars vote with that "Jedi Mind meld" gaffe.

— The Fix (@TheFix) March 1, 2013

Jedis, of course, are famed for their "mind tricks," as when Obi-Wan Kenobi convinced a pair of storm troopers that R2 and C3P-O were not the droids they were looking for. A "mind meld" is a part of the "Star Trek" legend, a method by which Vulcans can communicate with others.

But as the derisive tweets poured in, Garance Franke-Ruta of The Atlantic came to Obama's defense.

Not a mixed reference: There is a Jedi Mind Meld, apparently: starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Force_meld

— Garance Franke-Ruta (@thegarance) March 1, 2013

As it turns out, the "Jedi Meld," as defined by the "Star Wars" wiki, is "a technique where a number of Force users joined their minds together through the Force, drawing strength from each other."

Does Obama really know "Star Wars" this well, or was it a massive error that will cost Dems the nerd vote in the 2014 midterm elections?

Two armed men attempted to break into a golf course in Bonita Thursday, officials from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said.

According to officer Melissa Aquino, deputies received reports of a possible burglary in progress in the 5400 block of San Miguel Road right around 11:30 a.m.

Two men had been attempting to allegedly break into a nearby golf course when an employee spotted them.

Aquino says the employee ran after the suspects and caught up with them. One of the suspects then brandished a handgun so the employee would back off.

The armed men fled the scene. Deputies did not immediately locate the suspects, and they remain at large.

A resident in the area told NBC 7 she saw two young men with backpacks jump a small fence toward a ravine before running away from the area.

Nearby golfers said they saw the men get into a black Lexus and drive away from the scene.
 

Civic San Diego approved plans this week for what will be Downtown San Diego’s largest apartment complex.

The $300 million development called Blue Sky is aimed at attracting young, single tenants.

Developers are focusing their plans solely on this special clientele.

The plans show that the complex will predominately be studios and one-bedroom apartments. As of now, developers intend to have less than 200 two-bedroom apartments in the entire complex.

Currently a vacant lot, located at 8th and B, Blue Sky will offer hundreds of new apartments by 2015.

A report from the San Diego County Apartment Association says that the vacancy rate in San Diego County is at 4.5 percent.

According the data company MarketPointe, the county has the sixth-lowest vacancy rate in the nation. This number suggests that rental units are still in high demand.

With a low- vacancy rate, the city of San Diego will be welcoming the new 900 unit apartment complex.

Unless plans are appealed, the developers of Blue Sky are hoping to attain permits within 90 days and begin construction this summer.