A young man in Lakeside who was killed after being hit by a truck while riding his skateboard is being honored by friends at a fundraiser Saturday, and the proceeds go to a scholarship to help other young skaters.

Daniel Donals, 21, was riding his skateboard out of a private driveway on Valle Vista Road on Feb. 11 when he skated into the pathway of an oncoming truck, according to California Highway Patrol. He died later in a local hospital.

A group of Daniel's friends are joining together Saturday to host a spaghetti luncheon in honor of their late friend at the Lakeside VFW at 12650 Lindo Lane.

Daniel's father, Christopher Donals, who lives in Arizona, said his son was survived by many, including his mother Krista, his brother Dill, sister Katy and extended family, all of which he shared time living with before moving to San Diego at 18.

"My son was articulate. He liked to speak his mind," Christopher said in an email memorializing his son's life. "Once in middle school, the counselor told me he would be a good attorney when he grew up because he liked to argue. I have held onto that through the years and had a goal to fund his college and encourage him to become an attorney."

Daniel competed in wrestling and swim in high school and even lettered for his participation, his dad said. And he enjoyed skateboarding.

"That was usually a bone of contention for me and him," Christopher said.

The skateboarding, however, is what his friends in Lakeside remember him for best, and because of that, are raising money for a memorial brick at the local skate park and starting a scholarship fund to help young skaters in need.

The Local Skate Shop has joined in their efforts.

"He was a really good kid that just sort of stood out in the community," said Local Skate Shop owner Mark Johnson. "He was really kind to everyone. He didn't have a bad bone in his body."

Johnson, who said he plans to close the shop briefly to attend the spaghetti luncheon, just wants to see Daniel's memory live on in the skating community.

"This is our first loss for our brand new skateboard community," Johnson said. "The skate park is barely a year old, and this has really had an effect on our skateboard family."

According to the Donate Life Foundation, Daniel's organs were used to save the lives of four people in need and his tissue donations will be used to heal more than 50 others - something his father said makes him a hero, even in death.

"As a last heroic effort, Danny was able to provide life-saving organ donations by becoming an organ donor when he passed," his dad said.

To other skaters, Johnson said it's important to watch out for yourself and others to stay safe.

"Safety gear is always encouraged, but more than that, make sure you're looking out for yourself and your local skateboarders," Johnson said.

Ottavios Italian Restaurant is providing the food for the spaghetti luncheon, which starts at 11 a.m. and goes until 2 p.m. Gift cards to local shops and eateries will be raffled off to raise funds, and food costs $10 per plate.

Daniel's friends are also requesting supporters to wear bandanas of any color in his memory, as he owned two dozen of his own, a trademark, if you will.

For more information or to RSVP, visit the event page on Facebook by clicking here.

A Wesleyan University student who remains hospitalized nearly a week after overdosing on MDMA, or "Molly," is slowly recovering, according to a statement from family members.

"It is difficult to put into words how deeply grateful we are for the generous outpouring of love and support that we have received over the last few days," the student's family said in a statement Friday. "We are profoundly grateful to the teams at Hartford Hospital that went above and beyond to save our child's life. Thankfully, against all odds, our child will survive this terrible ordeal."

The student, who has not been publicly identified, was critically injured after overdosing last weekend and remains at Hartford Hospital.

"We would also like to express our deepest gratitude to the Wesleyan community — the administrators, faculty, and students — for their concern and support. And we are thankful as well for the expert work of the Middletown Police Department," the family added.

Ten of the student's peers also received medical treatment. After being rushed to Middlesex Hospital on Sunday, two were airlifted to Hartford Hospital and two more were transferred by ambulance, officials said.

Only one student is still in the hospital.

Four of their peers were arrested on drug charges earlier this week, accused of selling the MDMA that sickened them.

Eric Lonergan, 21; Andrew Olson, 20; Zachary Kramer, 21; and Rama Agha Al Nakib, 20, were immediately suspended from the school.

Olson is the founder and co-president of Students for Sensible Drug Policy at Wesleyan. According to the warrants for their arrest, Kramer, Lonergan and Nabik are known as drug dealers among their peers.

Gas prices are soaring in California in a classic example of supply and demand after an explosion stopped gasoline production at an Exxon Mobil refinery while another remains offline due to labor unrest.

Average retail gas prices in the state have surged 25 cents a gallon in less than a week, from $2.98 per gallon for regular on Monday to $3.23 per gallon on Friday. That caps a run that saw the price of regular unleaded go up 60 cents per gallon since Jan. 30 as refineries prepare to shift to a summer blend of fuels.

In some areas of Southern California, gas station owners were forced to pass price hikes of 24 cents per gallon along to consumers on Thursday after seeing wholesale prices shoot up. Prices in Northern California lagged a day, but by Friday were also rising; an independent operator with a chain of gas stations around the San Francisco Bay area boosted prices 20 cents a gallon for regular on Friday, to $3.19.

The situation underscores the frustrating complexity of the gasoline market in California, where state environmental regulations mandate a specialized blend of fuel that isn't used anywhere else in the U.S.

Because of that, California is economically isolated and can't easily or quickly purchase fuel from outside the state in a crisis.

"Your market in California has about as much margin for error as Jennifer Lopez's Academy Awards dress," said Tom Kloza, global head of energy at the Oil Price Information Service.

"If you're not a refiner who had a problem with a refinery this month -- if you're not Exxon Mobil -- you have been rewarded with incredible profits this month. That's just the way the market works."

A unit of the Exxon Mobil refinery in Torrance that's critical to producing California-grade gasoline exploded on Feb. 18, causing a fire and stopping new production there while the state investigates. The blast injured four contractors and rained a fine white ash on nearby homes and cars. State air quality regulators confirmed last week that the ash was not toxic.

At the time, another Tesoro oil refinery in Martinez, in Northern California, wasn't producing oil due to labor unrest.

The two facilities combined make up 17 percent of the state's crude oil processing capacity, said Gordon Schremp, a senior fuels specialist with the California Energy Commission.

Refineries in a few other places have the ability to produce gasoline that would meet California's strict standards -- including parts of Canada and Korea -- but most refineries don't want to because it's expensive and prevents them from making other types of gasoline, he said. Also, the product would have to travel to the market, a process that could take weeks.

"It takes a while to get some significant supplies from outside," Schremp said. "It's very normal that we'd see a significant price spike."

But consumer advocates are asking state lawmakers to investigate the sudden surge at the pump, seeing if reactions to the refinery problems are rightfully to blame for these rising prices.

"What we need to do is get refinery inspectors on the scene to make sure one, the refineries  are safe and two, that they're not intentionally creating disasters to panic the market and drive up prices," said gas price analyst Charles Langley.

There are two hearings scheduled for next month to look into all this. A joint state Senate committee in Los Angeles wants to look closer at the Torrance explosion on March 5. The second hearing will discuss will how refinery troubles are impacting gas prices.

Gas station owners, meanwhile, chafed at having to pass the costs on to consumers. The profit margin for station owners was 18.5 cents per gallon in California on Friday, a break-even or money-losing proposition for many independent retailers, said Jeff Lenard, a spokesman for the National Association of Convenience Stores.

In Torrance, station owner Frank Scotto was forced to increase his prices by 24 cents per gallon on Thursday. He hasn't seen such a spike since he went into the gas station business in 1967, he said.

"I printed out the price change and I'm framing this thing because I've never seen this kind of thing in all my years," said Scotto, who owns a Mobil and Exxon station.

Community members on Friday rallied outside the downtown San Diego courthouse, calling for justice for several men charged with “criminal street gang” conspiracy charges.

The rally came an hour before rapper Brandon “Tiny Doo” Duncan was supposed to appear in court.

Protesters believe Duncan is unfairly charged and said in an announcement of the rally that the chargers were an “unjust and inaccurate documentation of black men as gang members.”

The rally was organized by the Black Student Justice Coalition.

“The DA is arguing that everyone in a gang is automatically guilty because everyone in the gang benefits from any crime committed by another gang member,” said Margaret Dooley-Sammuli of the ACLU of San Diego. “That’s dead wrong.”

Duncan faces conspiracy charges because prosecutors say his rap lyrics promote gang violence.

The district attorney has said Duncan can be charged under a section of the penal code approved by California voters in 2000 because he profited from these gang activities through album sales, even though there is no evidence connecting him to the actual shootings.

He and nine others are accused of conspiracy related to two dozen shootings in San Diego starting in 2012.

Duncan’s trial is expected to begin in April; his hearing on Friday was a status hearing.

Still, protesters in a statement called the charges an “overreach by the district attorney.”
 

Although the Padres overhauled their roster this off-season, they could not possibly get to all the issues that need addressing. The addition of power and youth were paramount, and both accomplished.

There's a lot of new pop in the lineup. Matt Kemp, Justin Upston, Wil Myers and Derek Norris can all drive in runs. The question is, who will be the runners they drive in?

The Padres don't have a true leadoff hitter anywhere on the projected, Opening Day 25-man roster. But, don't worry. Neither do most teams.

"In this day and age, I think the true, prototypical leadoff hitter is hard to find," said Padres manager Bud Black. "There are some out there. I think (Marlins second baseman) Dee Gordon is a prototypical one. Obviously, Rickey Henderson was probably, arguably the best leadoff hitter of all time."

If you have to go that far back, you know there's a dearth of "true" leadoff hitters in the 2015 world of Major League Baseball. So, since there's not a guy who really stands out (prospects Rico Noel and Jose Rondon seem to fit the mold but they're not MLB-ready yet), who does Buddy see as the guy who sets the table?

"I think if you look at (Will) Venable, (Cameron) Maybin, (Wil) Myers, (Yangervis) Solarte ... let's get started there," said Black

Shortstop Alexi Amarista is one option many people thought would be in the mix for the top spot in the order because of his speed, but a low on-base percentage has Black thinking something else.

"Alexi and (fellow shortstop Clint) Barmes fit, maybe, down at the bottom of the order."

Catcher Derek Norris is another guy people thought would have a shot at leading off. He has that high OBP, but not the speed you need from a leadoff guy, so Black sees him in the middle of the order with Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, Jedd Gyorko and Will Middlebrooks.

When Cactus League play begins, expect to see multiple guys getting the first at-bat of the game.

San Diego is expecting another storm this weekend, and the San Diego County Water Authority and local lifeguard and fire rescue stations are offering tips to conserve water and keep homes and businesses safe.

Rain is expected to hit the East County Saturday morning and shower hard into the middle of the day before widespread showers hit the rest of the county Saturday night.

San Diegan's can expect anywhere from a half inch to an inch and a half of rain between Saturday morning and Sunday night.

Snowfall is also expected at 4,000 feet.

Homes and businesses in need of sandbags can go to any San Diego county fire station or to lifeguard stations in Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach and La Jolla Shores.

Crews do need to be present at the stations to receive sandbags. If they are not, they suggest trying a retailer that sells them.

Sandbags do not come pre-filled, but anyone with access to the beach can fill them there, according to city officials.

The San Diego County Water Authority said it is important to have sprinkler systems shut off during the rain to conserve water, and the systems can remain off for a few days after the last rain.

“While these rainstorms are welcome, they will not break the serious drought conditions that exist statewide, and we need to continue to take advantage of these opportunities to reduce our use as much as possible,” said Mark Weston, chair of the San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors.

The water authority said it would take three full months of heavy precipitation and cooler temperatures for the state to begin recovering from the drought, so taking advantage of the little bit of rainfall we are getting is crucial.

The San Diego Sheriff's Department also reminds those headed to the snow in the Julian, Pine Valley and Descanso areas to be respectful of residents and private property.

They also remind drivers to have a full tank of gas, water and food in the event they get stuck in traffic or stranded by weather for several hours.

Federal workers, including two from the San Diego area, have illegally purchased more than $2.4 million worth of gasoline since 2010 by using taxpayer-funded government gas cards for their personal vehicles, according to federal investigators.

A review of federal audits by NBC 7 Investigates found about 260 cases of gas theft by government workers nationwide in the past five years. Taxpayers are forced to foot the bill when government employees fill up for their own personal use.

The U.S. General Services Administration, which oversees a federal government fleet of 150,000 automobiles, has distributed 590,385 gasoline purchase cards to federal employees. Investigators with the GSA track purchases through a database that alerts them to suspicious gas purchases made on the same day.

In the San Diego area, two members of the military were caught and prosecuted for stealing more than $5,000 between them. A lance corporal stationed at Camp Pendleton faced a special court martial in July 2013 for making $2,201 worth of purchases in unleaded plus and super unleaded gasoline. Investigators say the individual purchased gas fraudulently at gas stations in West Virginia and Newport News, Virginia.

In another case, a Navy engineer technician from El Centro was convicted in federal court with a misdemeanor count for stealing government funds. He was sentenced to paying $3,169 in restitution and 6-months probation in 2012.

Bob Erickson, acting inspector general of the GSA, is tasked with overseeing the $514 million federal gas program.

"I think it's opportunistic. It's human greed," Erickson said of the thefts. "There is a variety of motives. Sometimes it's a well put together scheme to defraud the U.S. Sometimes it's just someone who decides they're not getting paid enough and wants to get a bonus using the government credit card."

GSA investigators have prosecuted more than 260 gas theft cases since 2010, recovering $2.4 million nationwide.

"When we catch them red-handed, it's 'I knew this was coming. I've been waiting for this day,'" said Special Agent Eric Radwick. "Most of them, they know what they're doing is wrong."

The FLEET cards require workers to enter the odometer from their government cars and their government tag numbers to prevent theft.

But cases reviewed by NBC 7 Investigates show workers can and do falsify the information.

Radwick says his team goes undercover and reviews a federal database looking for similar gas purchases on the same day to catch the crooks.

"It is a crime. You're stealing from the federal government. The government is paying for the fuel and they're not getting it, so you're stealing the fuel from the federal government."

A balloon with the name “Angel” floated above a sidewalk memorial that grew in El Cajon Friday.

It's on Peach Avenue, where 7-year-old second grader Angel Cruz was hit by a car Thursday afternoon. Early Friday morning, Angel died from a traumatic brain injury, the medical examiner's office says.

“It’s horrifying,” said resident Christine Gram. “I’m just saddened by this whole situation.”

The entire community, including the boy's school, are now dealing with the loss. Crisis counselors were sent to Naranca Elementary School. The school district superintendent said he met with teachers and staff.

“I shared the tragic news, prepared for the day emotionally and are doing everything we can to prove as much normalcy for the kids as we communicate and go through various steps of grief,” said David Miyashiro, Superintendent of the Cajon Valley Union School District.

Back at the family apartment complex, a steady stream of family and friends walked up to the family home to offer condolences. Among them was the owner of the building, who says the family has lived there for the past eight years.

Right now, El Cajon police are investigating the accident, but right now have not filed any charges against the 18-year old driver, another resident of the neighborhood, who hit the boy.

“Preliminary evidence from the scene, as well as witness statements, indicate that speed and alcohol were not a factor in the collision,” said Lt. Randy Soulard with the El Cajon Police Department.

But while speed may not have been a factor in the accident, residents say drivers often exceed the posted 25 mile per hour speed limit.

“What’s really bad is this street is well known for speeders. They want to try to dodge Broadway, so they come down Peach, thinking they’ll miss the lights,” said Gram.

Family friends have set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for medical and funeral expenses. Click here for more information.

After the California condor came dangerously close to extinction 30 years ago, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park has two new hopeful additions to the protected population.

Two recently laid condor eggs are now under the watchful eyes of zookeepers, marking the kickoff of the 2015 breeding season.

On Friday, the zoo sent out pictures of senior keeper Debbie Marlow holding a 2-week-old egg up to a warm light – a process called candling, where they check the air cell, position of the embryo and blood vessel development.

She then discovered the egg weighed 249 grams, a 14 percent weight loss from the previous check. But unlike with newly born zoo babies, who they hope will gain weight, the loss is a good thing. The zoo says it means the fluids inside the egg are decreasing and the chick is growing at a healthy clip.

"All eggs lose weight as they develop," said Marlow. "It seems counterintuitive because as the chick grows you would expect there to be a weight gain, but egg shells are porous and moisture is lost through the shell by evaporation during the incubation process."

It’ll be a warm little life in the incubator until the chick is ready to “pip,” or emerge from its shell. That typically happens about 55 days after it’s laid.

Animal care staff takes condor eggs out of their mother’s nest to monitor their growth and replace them with artificial eggs so the mother bird is not concerned or confused. But when the chick is ready to pip, staff puts the real egg back into the next so the parents can help it hatch.

The zoo says in the 1980s only 22 condors were left in the world. Now, there are more than 400, more than half of which are in California, Arizona and Baja California, Mexico. The Safari Park has hatched 185 chicks and released more than 80 birds into the wild.

Miami Gardens Police Chief Stephen Johnson was arrested for soliciting a prostitute in Dania Beach Friday, officials said.

Mayor Oliver Gilbert confirmed the arrest and said Johnson was fired immediately.

Jail records showed Johnson, 53, was being held on $300 bond. It was unknown if he has an attorney.

According to a Broward Sheriff's Office arrest report, deputies were conducting an undercover operation targeting solicitation of prostitution at a Dania Beach hotel when Johnson was arrested.

Authorities had placed an escort ad on backpage.com and two detectives were posing as prostitutes at the hotel, the affidavit said.

Johnson had called the number on the ad and arranged to pay $100 for 30 minutes with two prostitutes, the report said.

When Johnson arrived at the hotel room, he was let in and handed over the $100, the report said. He had two condoms in his pocket when he was arrested, the report said.

A news release from the department said Assistant Chief Antonio Brooklen will serve as interim chief.

"We remain committed to excellence and integrity on every level," the department said in the release. "We will not allow Mr. Johnson's bad judgment to reflect negatively on the hardworking officers of the City of Miami Gardens and the residents they serve on a daily basis."

The department came under fire earlier this month following the officer-involved shooting of 25-year-old Lavall Hall.

Johnson said Hall attacked two officers with a broom handle and was shot twice with a Taser before he was fatally shot by an officer.

Hall's family has been critical of police in the wake of the shooting, holding a vigil and protest and demanding more answers in the shooting.

Johnson was named Miami Gardens' Police chief in May 2014 after a long career with the North Miami Police Department. He also served as North Miami's city manager from 2011 to 2014.

This weekend is your last chance to catch Cirque Du Soleil at Valley View Casino Center.

The thrilling performance’s final four shows happen Saturday and Sunday at the event center at 3500 Sports Arena Boulevard.

The show, called “Varekai Cirque Du Soleil,” follows a young man who’s parachuted into a magical forest with fantastical creatures.

“This production pays tribute to the nomadic soul, to the spirit and art of the circus tradition, and to the infinite passion of those whose quest takes them along the path that leads to Verekai,” Valley View writes.

Show times are at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday.

Ticket costs range from $44 to $169. Parking costs $20.

Deputies and K-9 units are searching for two men seen running from the scene of a five-car pileup on State Route 76 in Pala.

The California Highway Patrol says the incident started at 7:22 p.m. when a truck towing a trailer crashed, sending debris flying into other cars on SR-76 at Pala Mission Road.

Soon after, witnesses saw the two men, bleeding from their heads, run from the scene.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department's helicopter was called in to help search for the men. CHP has shut down the eastbound SR-76 while the hunt continues.

Officials believe they may be hiding on property in that area.

While the political fight over funding the Department of Homeland Security is playing out in Washington, the dilemma could hit close to home for thousands of DHS employees in San Diego.

More than 500,000 people cross the border between San Ysidro, Tecate and Otay Mesa a day, keeping officers with Customs and Border Protection on their toes as they look for threats — DHS shutdown or not.

“We're essential personnel and we'll be there without a paycheck, but we will still be out there protecting the border,” said Shawn Moran, vice president of the National Border Patrol Council.

However, some of the area’s 2,200 Border Patrol agents might be called in to replace other furloughed border employees.

Moran said a loss of income would greatly affect many workers living paycheck to paycheck.

“Obviously our newer agents are not making the same amount of money as our veteran agents, but even those agents, this is a high cost of living area -- -the highest along either border,” he said.

The U.S. Coast Guard has nearly 500 people, active duty and reserve, protecting San Diego's port and coastline.

“Most Coast Guard personnel in the San Diego area are military members and will remain on the job in the event of a lapse in funding,” spokesperson Dan Dewell said in a statement. "While such a lapse has significant impacts to our workforce and long term planning, the Coast Guard will continue activities that provide for national security, or that protect life and property."

But discretionary training, routine patrols or other operations may be reduced, deferred or canceled.

Also under the DHS umbrella are Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Transportation Safety Administration, charged with securing the skies operating out of Lindbergh Field. There are 400 TSA employees working at the San Diego International Airport, many of whom are essential employees.

A spokesperson for TSA said they too will report to work whether they are being paid.

Moran said while DHS employees worry about security of the nation, many of them are wondering Friday who has their backs.

“Our agents are basically hostages in a political standoff between Congress and the President,” he said.

On Friday, Congress narrowly avoided a DHS shutdown when the House passed a one-week extension of its funding just two hours before the deadline. The impasse began after congressional Republicans tried to add measures in the bill that would halt President Obama's executive action on immigration, which they call unconstitutional.

Democrats, however, refused to pass anything other than a clean funding bill. The House will reconvene Monday to take up the debate again.

The search for a hiker who disappeared in the Anza Borrego desert will be suspended Friday night due to weather, according to the San Diego Sheriff's Department.

An avid hiker, 28-year-old Christopher Sylvia set out Feb. 12 on the Pacific Crest Trail with a week's supply of food. He was reported missing by his roommate the following Monday when he failed to show up at a meeting spot to refill his food and supplies.

On Tuesday, other hikers on the trail found Sylvia's sleeping bag, backpack and other personal belongings just north of Warner Springs about 13 miles off Highway 79.

Rescue crews from San Diego, Riverside and Los Angeles have been searching for Sylvia since Thursday, but the search will be suspended due to a winter storm headed into the area this weekend.

Christopher's mother, Nancy Sylvia, spoke to NBC 7 Friday and said all five of her children are experienced hikers and she suspects her son's disappearance is foul play.

"Why was he going alone? That is very unusual," Nancy said. "Especially when they found his gear... He would not have left his gear."

Christopher's mother said his roommate is his best friend from middle school and he did not come to bring provisions, but to pick up her son and take him back to Vista.

She said he left the rendezvous place when Sylvia didn't show because he had to go to work.

"I'm very concerned, I'm very upset," Nancy Sylvia said. "I'm poor...I'm trying to get the money...I want to go out in the mountains and find him myself."

The Sheriff's Department said they do not suspect foul play, but the investigation is open and ongoing.

Sylvia is described as 5-feet, 8-inches tall, 155 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. He was last seen in brown hiking boots, dark colored jacket and green pants.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the San Diego Sheriff's Department at (858) 565-5200.

The investigation into allegations a local bus driver forced a special needs student to urinate on a school bus and then touched the student inappropriately cannot be substantiated, according to San Diego Police.

Lt. Scott Wahl, spokesperson for the San Diego Police Department, confirmed Friday the investigation into the incident is over. Wahl also said no arrest has been made.

The allegations stem from a local family who is going to trial over a lawsuit they filed against the San Diego Unified School District. According to court documents, a special needs student on his way home from Riley Elementary School was forced to expose himself and urinate on the bus in January 2012.

The claim says the bus driver took photos and video of the child’s exposed penis with his phone and then touched the boy, who was eight years old at the time, in a sexual manner.

The school district, in an answer to the complaint, denied all charges made by the family. A spokeswoman for the school district told NBC 7 she could not comment on ongoing litigation.

Click here to read more about the lawsuit in the original story.

A family member of the boy reported the incident to the San Diego Police Department a week after it happened, according to a district spokeswoman.

SDPD has not released the full police report, citing exemptions in the California Public Records Act, but the agency confirmed it received a report and has provided some details related to it and the incident.

According to that information obtained from SDPD, a police officer “responded to a call regarding a bus driver who grabbed the victim as the victim urinated inside the school bus” on Feb. 6, 2012 around 5:35 pm.

In details of the report provided by police, the answer “none” was given, when asked to provide a “general description of any injuries, property, or weapons involved.”
 

More than 15 tons of marijuana hidden in a mattress shipment was seized at the Otay Mesa cargo port of entry — the largest narcotics bust in the history of that border crossing and the second largest seizure at any crossing nationwide.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers made the find as they inspected a truck claiming to carry mattresses and cushions on Thursday evening.

The officer inspecting it referred it to an x-ray exam, where an anomaly was detected.

As the truck was docked for a more intense examination, a CBP officer raised the trailer's door and found plastic-wrapped packages, stacked floor to ceiling and front to back, filling nearly the entire truck. Just a few mattresses were stacked along the wall at the other end.

Officers tallied the find, which came to 1,296 packages containing about 31,598 pounds of marijuana. That load has an estimated street value of about $18.96 million.

The driver, a 46-year-old Mexican citizen with a valid border crossing card, was turned over to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. The tractor-trailer, cargo shipment and drugs were all seized by CBP officers.

The Otay Mesa cargo port of entry saw its last record-breaking bust in 2003 when 19.999 pounds of marijuana was discovered. The largest seizure ever recorded by CBP officers was 355,265 pounds of marijuana at the Calexico East port of entry in 2013.

Coaches and parents are credited with saving the lives of two dozen students after the roof of an ice skating rink collapsed in Canton, Massachusetts.

It came crashing down with little notice - part of the roof over the Metropolis Rink is now gone.

"We were like, 'Why are we alive?'" said Norwood Youth Hockey Coach Mike Fanizzi. "We just looked at each other."

At 7 a.m., the team had just started practicing inside when the coaches heard loud, unusual noises coming from above.

"Heard a second snap and started screaming - we knew something was so wrong," said Coach Chris Sharkey

"I immediately started screaming to get off the ice," said Fanizzi. "I just knew that wasn't a natural sound."

That split-second decision saved lives.

"There were seven kids that we were staring at that were right underneath where it collapsed, and luckily, Mike's voice just was so loud that it forced them to move," said Sharkey.

Fifteen seconds later, the roof gave way.

"Right as we get to probably where the penalty box is, one of the other coaches and a mother went past us, and the roof collapsed right in front of us," said Fanizzi.

Even though the collapse happened at the other end of the rink, the force of it blew out a wall, creating even more damage.

Firefighters say heavy snow on the roof brought it down.

"Every single coach out there did a great job today," said Sharkey.

Remarkably, no one was injured.

The coaches say they were just doing what anyone else would.

"I didn't even think twice," said Fanizzi. "I know none of the other coaches did, either."

State officials say a site survey had been done at the rink just one day prior to the collapse and there were concerns expressed about the amount of snow on the roof.

The Town of Canton operates and leases the rink from the state.

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation says they have reached out to all 34 non-DCR managed rinks to make sure their roofs are checked.

February 2015 was brutal. The bone-numbing, punishing cold shattered records in the Northeast, making February the coldest month for some cities since reliable records were first kept.

Some places recorded the most days of zero or below temperatures. Adding to the misery were multiple winter storms that buried Boston under piles of snow.

While the first day of March will be blustery, with another snowstorm expected to hit Sunday evening, the end is surely near.

Weather Services International predicts that March, April and May should all be warmer than normal in the Northeast.

Take a look at the frigid February by the numbers:

6.2 degrees: The average temperature in Bangor, Maine, according to the National Weather Service. That's about 15 degrees below normal and easily beats the old record of 8.4 degrees, from January 1994.

9.2 degrees: The average temperature in Syracuse, New York, which shattered by 3 degrees the old record set in February 1934. That makes February 2015 the coldest month ever for Syracuse.

15.7 degrees: The average temperature in February in Hartford, Connecticut, according to First Alert Meteorologist Ryan Hanrahan. That's a degree below the current record of 16.5 degrees, which was set in February 1934. This month is also expected to break the 2004 record in Bridgeport, Connecticut, which stands at 21.9 degrees. The average temperature in the Bridgeport area in February was 19.7 degrees.

18.8 degrees: The average temperature in Boston, making February the second-coldest month on record. The city spent over 500 hours without breaking 32 degrees.

24.1 degrees: The average temperature in New York City. That’s some 11 degrees below the average of 35 for February, according the National Weather Service. Those numbers make the month the coldest recorded February in New York City since 1934, when the average temperature in Central Park was 19.9 degrees. February 2015 is tied with February of 1895 for the third-coldest observed in New York City.

102 inches: The amount of snow Boston received this winter, most of it in February. It’s just 5.6 inches shy of the snowiest winter on record, according to the National Weather Service. Another storm, however, is expected to hit Sunday, dumping 6 inches in some areas, according to the New England Cable News.

150: The number of structures in Massachusetts where roofs have collapsed because of the snow loads this winter, according to state officials, The Associated Press reported. On Sunday, a youth hockey team escaped without injury when part of a snow-weighted roof at a Canton, Massachusetts, skating rink collapsed.
 

A brother enjoyed a dream reunion with his soldier sibling as he picked up a commendation on his behalf Friday.

Wyatt Bailey, 17, shed tears of joy when his elder brother Kristopher, who he thought was in Korea, made his surprise appearance in full uniform as he accepted the award in front of his class at Tesoro High School in Rancho Santa Margarita.

The U.S. Army Infantryman was given the Orange County Sheriff's Department award for helping deputies catch a suspected drug dealer as he ran through his neighborhood back in 2013.

"He's a once in a lifetime type of person," Wyatt said, "There's never going to be anyone else like him."

Initially Kristopher thought he was being followed by a patrol car, and instead ended up helping the deputy catch a suspect, tackling the man when he realized what was happening.

"The only thing going through my head was just get this guy, stop him and let the sheriff do the rest," Kristopher said.

Kristopher, wanted to join the army since he was eight, will now enjoy a 15-day break back home with his family before he is stationed in New York.