Baseball season is upon us, but taking the family to a ball game doesn’t come cheap, according to a new report.

Analysts at Team Marketing report that it costs, on average, $211.68 to take a group of four fans to a baseball game in the U.S. in 2015. This total tab includes four tickets, two beers, four soft drinks, four hot dogs, parking and two hats.

The report shows that total is up 2.5 percent from last year’s report.

In San Diego, the prices are a bit lower. According to the report, the cost of attending a San Diego Padres game with a group of four this year is $153.45, factoring in all of the aforementioned items.

Here’s the local breakdown of your ballgame bill:

• Average price of a ticket: $16.37
• Average premium ticket: $41.18
• Average price of a beer: $5
• Average price of a soft drink: $4
• Average price of a hot dog: $5
• Average price of parking: $8
• Average price of a baseball cap: $18.99

The report shows that attending a San Diego Padres game is almost the cheapest package in the MLB. An Arizona Diamondbacks game was the cheapest on the list, costing an average of $126.89 for four people.

The most expensive teams to watch live at the ballpark were, in order: the Boston Red Sox ($350.86); the New York Yankees ($337.20); the Chicago Cubs ($300.73); the Philadelphia Phillies ($252.18); and the San Francisco Giants ($241.13).

San Diego’s Barrio Logan community has just unveiled a new artistic addition: giant murals honoring the life of labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar E. Chavez.

The murals were installed this week on the exterior façades of the new San Diego Continuing Education parking structure, which faces National Avenue and Cesar E. Chavez Parkway.

There are eight murals total, each differing slightly in size. The art was created using photographs taken by local community members. The photos were transferred onto vinyl and then attached to the glass.

According to San Diego Continuing Education (SDCE), one of the artists behind the photographs is Carlos LeGerrette. He worked directly with Chavez and had major input on the final selection of images for the art installation.

The Cesar E. Chavez murals will be seen by many. SDCE says the four-level parking structure contains 320 parking spaces for students attending classes at SDCE’s new Cesar E. Chavez campus, which is slated to open in September. The official dedication of the new campus will be held on Oct. 28.

Chavez was born on March 31, 1927. He died in 1993 at age 66. Today, his birthday is celebrated as an official state holiday in California, Texas and Colorado. San Diego observes the day each year.
 

Fire crews launched a dramatic rescue Thursday morning in San Diego’s Bay Park area after a tree trimmer got trapped in a palm tree.

Rescue efforts began just after 10 a.m. at Nashville Street and Tonopah Avenue. Firefighters surrounded the palm tree, hoisting their ladders into the sky. The tall tree was positioned right between homes, overlooking backyards and a swimming pool.

As of 10:50 a.m., firefighters had reached the 47-year-old man trapped inside the palm tree. He was dangling upside down, covered in dirt and debris from the tree, but conscious.

He could be seen talking to firefighters while still wedged in the fronds of the tree about 35 feet up in the air.

Firefighters quickly fashioned some kind of secure line to hoist him out while clearing away debris from the palm. By 10:58 a.m., firefighters had safely pulled the victim from the tree. The man appeared to be in a harness still and was able to make some movements.

Just after 11 a.m., the man was completely off the palm tree, with officials preparing to transport him to a local hospital. He was strapped to a gurney and taken away by ambulance.

Officials said the trimmer was contracted by San Diego Gas & Electric to clear the tree growth away from power lines in the neighborhood. He works for an Escondido-based company called Utility Tree Service, Inc., but his supervisor declined to comment Thursday.

He scaled the palm on a rope system, anchored himself inside the tree and started working. That's when a ring of the tree's vegetation began to break loose, officials said. The only thing keeping the vegetation from falling to the ground was the man's body and his harness and rope system.

The pressure was so intense on the trimmer's body, he could have suffocated, officials said.

San Diego police officers provided traffic control in the area. Officials said they would remain on scene for several hours investigating the incident.

San Diego Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Glen Holder said the rescue operation was a success. In many cases like this, the trimmer does not survive.

“Many times this is a body recovery because the weight of the skirt will basically collapse their body in half and they’re unable to breathe,” Chief Holder explained.

The chief said crews have a plan in place for rescues like this.

“Tactically, our initial plan is, you want to get a ladder tip to the top of the palm skirt and cut from the top down so you’re taking the weight off the person as you’re removing the fronds,” he said.

Chief Holder said he and his crew were relieved with the successful rescue effort.

“I’m one really proud chief today. This is just an outstanding job. It demonstrates a commitment to training. We basically saved somebody’s life today, so its, I’m one very proud chief right at this moment,” he added.

Resident Anna Gallardo lives at a home right near the palm. She told NBC 7 she heard some loud screaming before she ran outside to see the trimmer trapped in the tree.

“I was just concerned because he had said he couldn’t breathe, he was up in the tree and couldn’t breathe,” she recalled.

Her husband, Lewie Gallardo, said the sight of the trapped man was extremely concerning.

“What was scary for me is I saw him, how he was bending over backwards with all that weight on him. When I saw that, that was really scary to me. Man, I started praying for the guy,” Lewie said.

Anna said she too felt relief when firefighters were able to free the victim from the palm tree.

“Knowing that he’s alive is what I prayed for. He’s alive. I heard that sometimes they don’t make it through those,” Gallardo added.

The tree trimmer's name was not released. As of 3 p.m., his condition was unknown.

Cal OSHA will investigate the incident, per protocol.

Some South Mission Beach residents are perturbed by a beachfront fence around the construction of a new lifeguard tower, which one homeowner calls unnecessary.

The more than $4.6 million project was proposed in 2003, and now it’s fully funded and underway near the North Jetty. The new tower will replace the old wooden one currently near the site.

"Why is it necessary? They have a lifeguard station down there now that they say is useless, but it could be refurbished for maybe $100,000,” said Mission Beach resident Charles Boyd.

He was among a group of people who voiced their concerns Wednesday evening at a Mission Beach Town Council meeting. They said a door hanger warned them of the future construction, but it did not explain the scope; in the end, it will be about 3,900 square-feet.

Boyd is frustrated by the project’s price tag -- money he believes could be better used to repair the crumbling seawall or cracking sidewalks in the area.

“If you walk along the boardwalk near Belmont Park, boy, the sidewalk and concrete is coming apart,” said visitor Bob Templeton.

While Boyd, among others, do not think the area is busy enough to warrant such an expensive project, the city planners disagree. According to numbers from City Councilwoman Lorie Zapf’s office, lifeguards rescued 22 swimmers from a strong rip current there on the same day.

The city says the exisiting tower, built in 1974, was meant to just be temporary, and now it is ridden with a cracking foundation and rusty pipes.

The new, three-story tower will have dual observation areas, a first-aid room and storage for rescue vehicles and equipment. It’s expected to be complete around September 2016.

DNA from duct tape used in a kidnapping attempt of a young girl at a Solana Beach elementary school matches DNA of suspect Jack Doshay, a prosecutor said on Thursday.

Doshay appeared in court for a bail hearing, where a prosecutor shared the new detail in the case. The judge set bail for 22-year-old Doshay at $2.5 million, though the prosecutor requested $25 million bail and the defense asked for the much-lesser $1 million.

If Doshay is able to post bail, he would still have to enter a private in-patient psychiatric facility and wear an ankle monitoring bracelet, the judge noted.

Prosecutors have implicated Doshay as the man who brazenly walked onto Skyline Elementary School just minutes after the dismissal bell rang and tried to wrap tape around a 7-year-old girl’s head and carry her off.

Her screams and kicks caught the attention of staff nearby and the girl was unharmed.

After more than a week of searching for a suspect, police announced Doshay’s arrest on April 2. He is charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment with violence and child abuse.

His defense attorney, Paul Pfingst, said on Thursday he advised Doshay’s parents – affluent community members (his father is a minority stake owner of the San Diego Padres) – to not attend Thursday’s hearing.

He said his client’s parents have received disturbing threats on social media since news of their son’s arrest broke.

“They are starting to come out of their shell, but it’s been a difficult time,” Pfingst said.

A prosecutor in court described Doshay’s family as being uncooperative in the case, though Pfingst says that’s not the case.

San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon ordered an immediate internal investigation Thursday into what he called "disturbing" video showing an arrest by deputies after a horse pursuit that was caught on camera by NewsChopper4.

Deputies appeared to use Tasers to stun a man and then beat him after the pursuit in San Bernardino County Thursday afternoon.

Aerial footage captured by NewsChopper4 showed the man falling off the horse, and then being stunned with a Taser by a sheriff's deputy.

The man then appeared to fall to the ground with his arms outstretched. Two deputies immediately descended on him and began punching him in the head and kneeing him in the groin.

The group surrounding the man grew to 13 sheriff's deputies as several appeared to kick, hit, and punch him dozens of times over a two-minute period.

In the two minutes after the man was stunned with a Taser, it appeared deputies kicked him 17 times and punched him 37 times and struck him with batons four times. Thirteen blows appeared to be to the head. The allegedly stolen horse stood idly nearby.

The man did not appear to move from his position lying on the ground for more than 45 minutes. He did not appear to receive medical attention while deputies stood around him during that time.

The man, identified as Francis Jared Pusok, 30, of Apple Valley, was hospitalized with unknown injuries, authorities said.

Three deputies were injured during the search. Two suffered dehydration and a third was injured when kicked by the horse. All three were taken to a hospital for treatment.

The series of events started when deputies from the Victor Valley station went to a home on Zuni Road to serve a search warrant in an identity theft investigation, authorities said in a news release.

The suspect took off in a vehicle and deputies initiated a pursuit through unincorporated Apple Valley, the town of Apple Valley and unincorporated Hesperia. The area is more than 80 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles.

Pusok allegedly abandoned the vehicle 40 miles away from Hesperia in a place called Bowen Ranch where he took off running.

During a search on foot, with off-road vehicles and by helicopter, deputies learned the suspect had stolen a horse and rode it on dirt trails through rugged, steep terrain, causing numerous injuries to the horse.

A sheriff's helicopter inserted a team of deputies to take the suspect into custody. As deputies made contact with Pusok, the horse threw him off.

Deputies said the Taser was ineffective due to his loose clothing and a use of force occurred.

"I can certainly understand the concerns in the community based on what they saw on the video," McMahon told NBC4. "I'm disturbed by what I see in the video. But I don't need to jump to conclusions at this point, until we do a complete and thorough investigation. If our deputy sheriff's did something wrong, they'll be put off work and they'll be dealt with appropriately, all in accordance with the law as well as our department policy."

San Bernardino Superior Court records show Pusok has convictions for resisting arrest, animal cruelty, disturbing the peace, attempted robbery and failure to provide evidence of financial responsibility.

Asher Klein and Nyree Arabian contributed to this report.

A pedestrian was seriously injured Thursday night after she was hit by a vehicle.

San Diego police say a 60-year-old woman stopped on the median of College Avenue as she crossed at Streamview Drive just after 8 p.m.

She stepped out into the lane just as a male driver in his 20s, who had the right of way with a green light, was heading southbound. The Infiniti car hit her. 

The pedestrian suffered compound fractures to both of her legs. Investigators believe her injuries are non-life threatening.

The driver will not be cited. Officers are closed down the area to traffic for a time as they investigated.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is going high-tech to protect and serve from the sky in a new helicopter, debuted Thursday.

The $4.8 million, Bell 407GX chopper is equipped a camera that can switch to thermal imaging, thanks to its infrared capabilities – a big asset during night searches.

The all-glass cockpit contains a moving map which delivers weather and traffic in real time.

“Our primary mission is patrol support to the ground units,” said Corporal Kevin Randall, the chief pilot. “That's what this aircraft will primarily be used for. So any agency in the county that calls us we'll go and support their units.”

Deputies also plan to use it for search and rescue operations, as well as firefighting. It has a bucket, known as a “bambi bucket,” that can be attached to drop water on flames.

The helicopter will be crewed by the pilot and a tactical flight officer, both of whom are deputies. It can carry five passengers.

The sheriff’s department says it is in the process of buying a Bell 205 firefighting chopper. It should be delivered this fall.

At that point, the department will have nine total helicopters: six for law enforcement and three for firefighting and search and rescue.
 

The mother of a Southern California man who was beaten by deputies after a horse pursuit caught on camera by NewsChopper4 says the officers acted like they were on a "joyride."

Anne Clemenson said Thursday night she still does not know where her son Francis Pusok is, or what condition he is in following the arrest, which took place in the Deep Creek area of Apple Valley Thursday.

She was shocked at the way the San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies beat her son, appearing to kick him 17 times, punch him 37 times and hit him with batons four times. NBC4 reviewed the video multiple times.

"To me, it was like a joyride for the cops to do this to him. (It was) brutality. He didn't deserve something like that," Clemenson said, "To Tase him, the beatings that I see them doing to him — it's uncalled for. You see him laying down, and they continue to kick him, hitting him and punching him. Why?"

Clemenson was desperate to find out how her son was doing in hospital, but Thursday night still did not know where he was.

"All I want to know is, where is my son, and is he OK? I think something's happened to him, and they're not telling us," Clemenson said.

She questioned the officers' behavior, and said she did not believe they would have acted like that if they had known their actions were being captured on camera.

"To me, if they think they are not being watched, they can get away with whatever they want and do what they want to anybody," Clemenson said. 

Clemenson was also angry her son did not receive treatment before the deputies.

"My son should have come first because of what they did to him. He was down, they are walking around like nothing happened and everything is OK," Clemenson said, "They come first before someone who's down on the ground and the way they kicked and beat at him."

San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon ordered an immediate internal investigation Thursday into the arrest by deputies after a horse pursuit caught on camera by NewsChopper4.

"I'm not sure if there was a struggle with the suspect," McMahon said. "It appears there was in the early parts of the video. What happens afterwards, I'm not sure of but we will investigate it thoroughly."

Whenever the Padres and Giants get together at Petco Park, there’s going to be a big crowd. This was the first time in recent memory it was hard to hear the San Francisco fans.

A sellout crowd of 45,150 people stuffed the Padres' jewel of a downtown ballpark to see the new-look Friars play the defending World Series champions in San Diego’s home opener, and what transpired was one of the most exciting low-scoring games you’ll see, although it ended with a sour taste for the home crowd.

The Giants got the only run of the game in the 12th inning to win 1-0.

Padres starting pitcher Ian Kennedy had to leave in the 3rd inning with a left hamstring injury. Kennedy delivered a pitch in the third inning and immediately called the training staff out to the mound. Ian might not be back for a while.

"This could be a possible disabled list (trip)," said Padres manager Bud Black. "It's a mild hamstring strain, and those are tricky."

Kennedy says he felt completely healthy coming out of Spring Training but first felt the hamstring grab when he struck out Juan Arias in the second inning. He tried to loosen it up before going out for the third, but it wasn't meant to be.

"It was almost like a cramp feeling," said Kennedy. "I've never had a pulled hammy or anything before."

Leaving the fourth game of the season was the prudent course of action.

"I'm not going to hurt my arm," said Kennedy, "trying to change my mechanics. It's still pretty tight right now so we'll see how I feel tomorrow."

If Kennedy's evaluation on Friday does, indeed, put him on the DL, the man who replaced him in the game will also replace him in the starting rotation.

"I'll say it on record: if Ian doesn't make that start (next Tuesday the 14th against the Diamondbacks at home), Despaigne will."

Odrisamer Despaigne, who was a starter for Spring Training and is used to a heavy workload, came in and threw a great game, going 4.2 innings without allowing a run.

But, the Padres could not get anything going offensively against Giants starter Tim Hudson and the San Francisco bullpen. Padres hitters grounded in to four inning-ending double plays, two of them by second baseman Jedd Gyorko.

In the top of the 9th inning, Padres manager Bud Black called on closer Craig Kimbrel to make his Petco Park debut. It didn’t take him long to ingratiate himself to Padres fans. Giants outfielder Angel Pagan led off and got in a heated jawing session with Padres catcher Derek Norris. On the very next pitch, Kimbrel ran a 98-MPH fastball up under Pagan’s chin.

It was a clear sign to the Giants, and the rest of the National League West: These are not the old Padres you used to kick around anymore.

Pagan would triple, then Buster Posey walked. But, Kimbrel got a pop up and a double play ball to get out of the inning with no harm done and walked off the field celebrating while looking in to the Giants’ dugout.

In the bottom of the 10th inning, Wil Myers reached on an error and Derek Norris singled to left. So, up came Matt Kemp in the precise situation the Padres got him for … runner in scoring position, one out, chance to win a ballgame.

Kemp hit a bullet that McGehee got a glove on to save a run and even got an out at second. So, with runners at the corners and two outs, up came Justin Upton in the precise situation the Padres got him for. Upton popped out to right field. So, off to the 11th inning we went!

Then to the 12th inning we went!

Then one of the Padres’ major concerns burned them. With the addition of all the offense, the outfield defense seemed like it was going to suffer. In the top of the 12th, Nick Vincent got Brandon Crawford to pop up to shallow left. Justin Upton and Clint Barmes couldn’t get together, the ball fell in for a 2-base error, and it was the opening the Giants needed.

Crawford scored on a 2-out single by Justin Maxwell and the Padres went in order to finish a 1-0 San Francisco win. But, not without a few more theatrics. Will Venable was called out a check-swing by the home plate umpire and voiced his displeasure with the call. That got Venable a quick ejection.

Black came out to plead his case and was also tossed. So, was it frustration from 12 shutout innings that led to the hook?

"No," said Black, "that's probably vocabulary more than anything."

The Padres try to get their first home win of the year on Friday night when RHP Brandon Morrow makes his San Diego debut.

Surveillance cameras and a loud house alarm were not enough to scare off a burglar in San Jose's Santa Theresa neighborhood early Tuesday. The homeowner locked herself in the closet as the man forced his way into her home at about 2 a.m. and looked around.

“It was like the horror movie nobody wants to watch because it gives you nightmares, it's like that,” Heidi Quezada said.

Quezada has three surveillance cameras outside of her home that are noticeable when you walk up to the front door. She also has stickers on the doors leading into her home from the security company. Instead of leaving, the man took 10 minutes trying to find a way in.

The man tried the front door, and hopped over the back fence, before forcing her back glass sliding door open. Her house alarm went off and Quezada locked herself in the closet.

“By then I was already on the phone with 911 and [the dispatcher] said just stay put, the officers are on their way,” Quezada said.

The man calmly looked around the house, and eventually tried to open her bedroom door.

“This is when I got scared because I thought he was going to come in and right here is where I yell,” she said looking at the video.

“I ran to the door and just started screaming, ‘get out of here the police are coming and they're going to shoot you," she said.

The suspect then ran away.

Since then Quezada changed her locks, put more locks on her sliding glass door and bought a gun for protection.

The man left empty handed but is still on the loose. Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to contact the San Jose Police Department at 408-277-8900.

Eric Jackson took a bullet in the forearm during the deadliest mass shooting on a U.S. military base, and returned to Fort Hood five years later with other survivors Friday to receive Purple Heart medals.

Some smiled over an honor they felt was overdue, but also clenched their teeth over needs in their scarred and injured lives they say the Army has denied.

"I try not to be bitter. But it's kind of hard not to be bitter," said Jackson, a former Staff Sgt. "You wonder, where's the respect? Where's the recognition? Where's the support for what you've gone through and what you're continuously going through?"

Thirteen people were killed and 31 were injured in the 2009 attack carried out by an Army psychiatrist who is now on military death row. Following years of tension, the Army gave the Purple Hearts to survivors and relatives of the dead in a somber ceremony on the Texas military post, just two miles from where Nidal Hasan had opened fire in a room of unarmed soldiers.

"This award for me validates this experience, it validates that it was a terrorist activity and draws a line, a distinction between work place violence and terrorism," said retired Capt. Dorothy Carskadon.

Top military commanders recalled tables that became makeshift stretchers to transport the wounded and dying. Ten of the survivors remain on active duty.

"It is our sincere hope that in some small way this will help heal the wounds you have suffered," Army Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland said.

But words of gratitude from military leaders and elected officials, including Republican Texas senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, gave way to medal recipients pressing and chastising the Pentagon over combat benefits. The Purple Heart, given to military personnel wounded in battle, offers increased retirement pay.

"We're also here to say the job is not yet done until they receive that full measure of benefits," said Cornyn.

Cornyn said he expects Fort Hood victims to finally get approved for entitlements within weeks, noting that he spoke to Army Secretary John McHugh before the ceremony.

"You have no idea how hard this has been, pushing to make this happen, and unfortunately our fight doesn't appear to be quite over," said retired Staff Sgt. Shawn Manning.

Many survivors are also seeking separate financial damages in a lawsuit, claiming the U.S. government should have known of Hasan's extremist views.

During his 2013 trial, Hasan told jurors he had "switched sides" in what he called America's war with Islam. He admitted beginning the rampage by pulling out a pistol and shouting "Allahu akbar" (God is great) and said he wanted to stop American soldiers from being deployed to kill fellow Muslims.

Kimberly Munley, a Fort Hood police officer at the time, helped end the attack in a gunfight with Hasan. She was awarded the Defense of Freedom medal but after the ceremony expressed frustration over uncertainty about the level of benefits Fort Hood victims would receive.

"These soldiers are going to get what they rightfully deserve," Munley said.

Military officials had long denied the Purple Heart awards because they called the attack an act of workplace violence, not terrorism. Cornyn and others have long condemned that classification, but he said changing the distinction could have jeopardized the case against Hasan, who was not charged with terrorism.

Last year, Congress approved new eligibility requirements for Purple Hearts that forced the Defense Department to reconsider.

"It is a medal that shows we've given blood sweat, tears and sacrifice for this uniform. some of us are fortunate enough to still be upright, but we dare not forget the ones that are fallen." said retired Staff Sgt. Alonzo Lunsford.

The daughter of Michael Cahill, a physician's assistant who was the only civilian killed in the attack, accepted the Defense of Freedom medal for her father and used the occasion to draw attention to veteran suicides. Cahill was shot while as he rushed toward Hasan with a chair lifted over his head.

"The first month after dad died, everyone asked us, `What can I do?' And it was great," Kerry Cahill said. "Nobody asks me that any more. We're not done."

The Encinitas bag ban goes into effect Friday.

Shoppers will pay up to 10 cents if you want a paper bag -- or bring your own reusable bag for free.

The ban applies to grocery stores, pharmacies, liquor stores, mini-markets and discount retailers that sell groceries-- such as Walmart or Target.

The ban will be expanded in October to cover more retailers.

Residents who spoke to NBC 7 on Friday expressed mixed reactions about the ban. 

Cardiff resident Stefan Georgi said that while he understand the environmental appeal, he walks to the grocery store and carrying a paper bag can be cumbersome.

 "Having plastic bags can help me kinda carry stuff when I walk up the hill," he said.

Carrie Kargman also of Cardiff said she fully supports the ban.

"I think they're horrible, especially by the coast and things can go into the ocean," she said.

A trade group has turned in enough signatures to qualify a referendum on California's plastic bag ban law, suspending implementation of the nation's first statewide ban until voters weigh in on the November 2016 ballot, state elections officials said Tuesday.

The plastic bag manufacturing trade group American Progressive Bag Alliance had 555,000 of the roughly 505,000 valid signatures needed to qualify the referendum after a random sample of the signatures, said Bill Mabie, chief deputy for Secretary of State Alex Padilla. The group had submitted more than 800,000 at the end of last year.

After one of the fiercest legislative battles of the year, pitting bag-makers against environmentalists, Gov. Jerry Brown signed the bill last fall. It was scheduled to be phased in starting in July at large grocery stores and supermarkets as a way to cut down on litter and protect marine life.

But the American Progressive Bag Alliance said the ban amounts to a cash giveaway to grocers that would lead to a loss of thousands of manufacturing jobs. The alliance says Californians now have a chance to weigh in.

Supporters of the statewide ban criticized manufacturers for spending millions on the referendum campaign in order to continue selling plastic bags. "This is a cynical ploy by out-of-state interests desperate to delay a ban already adopted in more than 100 communities across California," Brown's spokesman Evan Westrup said.

Mark Murray, a spokesman for Californians vs. Big Plastic, said the coalition of environmental, labor, and business groups is confident that Californians will uphold the existing statewide ban. "It's not surprising that after spending more than $3.2 million, 98 percent of which is from out of state, the plastic bag industry has bought its way onto the California ballot to protect its profits," Murray said.

Under SB270 by then-state Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Los Angeles, California was to begin pulling plastic bags out of checkout counters at large grocery stores such as Wal-Mart and Target this summer. The ban was scheduled to expand to convenience stores and pharmacies in 2016.

Padilla was elected in November as California secretary of state, whose office oversees the process to qualify initiatives for the ballot.

Six Camp Pendleton Marines were honored Thursday for their bravery in Afghanistan: one with the Navy Cross, and the others with the Bronze Star.

All part of a Marine Corps Special Operations Team, they took part in one of the most historic battles during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Gunnery Sgt. Brian Jacklin, who was the team’s second in command, described the June 2012 battle at an early morning ceremony at Camp Pendleton Thursday.

He and ten fellow Marines were helping the Army stabilize villages in the Helmand province when they were surrounded on all sides by their foes.

“The enemy had the advantage in terms of geographic position, they had the advantage in terms of local fire power. Everything was working against that team,” said Maj. Gen. Joseph Osterman at the ceremony.

Coming under heavy fire, the team leader and another Marine suffered life-threatening gunshot wounds.

“I was on the rooftop, and then I was shot and slumped over and realized I was paralyzed. At that point I immediately… really the only actions I had taken from that point on was to make a radio call,” said Capt. Derek Herrera.

Jacklin is credited with quickly organizing a counterattack, getting another way to communicate with a nearby unit for support.

He said medevac helicopters were about five minutes away, and they were about to blow a hole the wall of the compound where they were taking cover. But he hesitated and turned back to his team.

“I asked the guys, I said, 'Look, does anyone have a problem with risking it to take these guys out there because if we don't, they're going to die here,’” said Jacklin. “And there wasn't a second of hesitation. Everyone says, ‘I'm in, let's do it, let's do it.”

They secured a landing zone for the choppers, with Jacklin in the open, throwing grenades on the insurgents and directing fire. The helicopters were able to land and evacuate the wounded.

Soon, another special operations unit arrived to relieve Jacklin’s team, but he remained behind to the next day. Military officials say he gave them intelligence, tactical assistance and accurate personal fires.

For those actions, Jacklin was given the Navy Cross – the military’s second highest valor award. He is the eighth service member in the Marine Corps Special Operations Team’s nine-year history to get the award.

“I have no words to describe what I’m feeling,” Jacklin said with the Navy Cross in his hands, “other than I’m proud to be a part of this organization, to work with the men that I do.”

For their efforts, Gunnery Sgt. William Simpson IV, Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Buckminster, Staff Sgt. Hafeez Hussein, Sgt. William Hall and Sgt. David Harris received the Bronze Star on Thursday.

Unfortunately, Navy Seal Team Three, which came in to assist in this battle, did suffer losses. During the ceremony, the Marines acknowledged their sacrifice. Another two service members involved in the battle will be presented with a Silver Star and a Bronze Star at a later date.
 

The NYPD has suspended one detective and reassigned after the owner of a Brooklyn deli said surveillance video from a raid on a Brooklyn deli showed one of the officers pocketing over $2,500 in cash. 

Police had gone into the deli in Bedford-Stuyvesant to look for untaxed cigarettes, and officers put two men in handcuffs and searched behind the counter, video shows. A detective, wearing a dark coat with a gray hood, apparently finds something, looks at the surveillance camera, then tries repeatedly to put the item in his left pocket. 

Store owner Ali Abdullah said the officer was taking $2,650 in cash. 

"It was crazy, honestly," he told NBC 4 New York Thursday. "I was thinking he should give that money to the sergeant, not to his pocket." 

Abdullah, who's owned the store for two years, said he's never been in trouble with the law, and when his employees were arrested, he took inventory. He said police showed him a receipt for other money seized during the raid, but then the store owner noticed his rent money was gone.

Abdullah assumed at first it was a co-worker but he watched the surveillance video and saw the plainclothes detective take the money, he said. 

"I see this guy stealing the money. He was stealing the money and putting it in his pocket," he said. 

The NYPD said in a statement: "Based on the nature of the allegations in this incident, in addition to the video provided to us, the NYPD has placed one detective on suspension and one supervisor on modified assignment status pending further investigation into the matter."

Michael J. Palladino, president of the detectives union, said "because the investigation is ongoing, it is inappropriate to make a statement at this time."  

A woman living at the address listed for the detective told NBC 4 New York Thursday night he had nothing to say. 

Abdullah maintains nothing illegal was happening inside his store. He said he just wants his money back and justice to be served.

A deadly and devastating tornado tore through a northwest Chicago suburb Thursday evening, killing at least two people and leaving behind a trail of damage across several counties.

The twister leveled the small town of Fairdale in DeKalb County, killing 67-year-old Geradine M. Schultz and destroying about a quarter of the town's homes, fire officials confirmed. 

A second fatality was confirmed by Gov. Bruce Rauner Friday.

DeKalb County Coroner Dennis Miller said the second victim found in the wreckage was identified as 69-year-old Jacklyn Klosa.

Miller said Klosa was found in a bathroom around 10 a.m. Friday by rescue workers. She had last spoken to her sister, telling her she was going into the shower to take cover because she didn't have a basement. 

Miller said Schultz, who lives next door to Klosa, was found in the upstairs of her home by family members Thursday.

"She was removed from the home by family members and I took her from there," Miller said. 

An official on Friday morning said one person in the community was unaccounted for. Kirkland Community Fire District Chief Chad Connell said roughly 11 people were taken to hospitals. None had life-threatening injuries.

"The whole town was gone," said Daniel Prothero, who arrived at the scene shortly after the storm. "It was one of the worst things I’ve ever seen in my life. It was heartbreaking."

Of about 75 homes in the village of about 150 people, 17 were completely leveled. Roughly every structure in the town was damaged, Rockford Fire Department division chief Matthew Knott added.

"This town is absolutely devastated by the tornado," Knott said.

Sycamore Fire Chief Peter Polarek said there were lots of safety issues to consider and that crews began using heavy equipment to move debris. By Friday morning, crews had twice searched buildings. A third search was planned.

"We hope that our search will be fruitless in the sense that we won't find anybody, but we're going to go through all the spaces," he said. 

In Rochelle, about 20 miles to the southwest of Fairdale, several people were rescued from the basement of a restaurant buried by debris. Fire officials said no fatalities were reported during the rescue at Grubsteakers, but some suffered minor injuries.

Ogle County Sheriff Brian Van Vickle said there was an "outstanding response" from first response entities across Northern Illinois. 

Van Vickle said the storm left about 30 homes in the community uninhabitable or completely destroyed, including his own, and that access to the area would be limited only to credentialed residents until further notice.

The Summerfield Zoo in Belvidere, in Boone County, said it was also hit by a tornado, and two animals were killed. The zoo said no employees were hurt, and the remaining animals were accounted for and noted that the facility was severely damaged. 

"We are heart broken at the devastation," the zoo posted on Facebook Thursday night.

A tornado was first located moving northeast at 40 miles per hour over Cherry Valley near Rockford just before 7 p.m., the National Weather Service announced, and by 7:20 p.m. the tornado was spotted on the ground in DeKalb County. By 7:30 p.m. it had moved toward the Ogle, McHenry and Monroe Counties.

Tornadoes were reported in Marengo, Harvard, Belvidere, Kirkland, Hillcrest, Cherry Valley, Ashton and Franklin Grove. 

Hail the size of golf balls and wind gusts of up to 70 mph were reported in the Chicago-area storms after 7 p.m.

The Red Cross said it planned to deploy crews to help those impacted by the tornadoes. 

Patricia Kemp with the Red Cross said teams planned to assist residents of Rochelle and Kirkland and provide disaster relief to the many areas damaged. 

The storms canceled nearly 900 flights in the Chicago area with 850 flights canceled at O'Hare International Airport and 45 flights canceled at Midway International Airport. 

Tornado watches and warnings were issued across Illinois Thursday afternoon ahead of the storms as severe weather lingered through the late evening hours. 

A dispute at a party in San Diego’s Oak Park area left two people injured after a man stabbed the victims in the buttocks, police said.

The stabbings happened at around 1:40 a.m. at a party in the 3100 block of Indian Fig Drive. San Diego police said an argument at a party escalated to the point that an unknown suspect stabbed an 18-year-old woman in the bicep and buttocks. The suspect then stabbed a 23-year-old man in the buttocks too.

Both victims were taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening wounds. They are expected to recover.

As of 4 a.m. Friday, the stabbing suspect remained at large. Police said they did not have a detailed description of the suspect.
 

California is done with gentle nudges and polite reminders to deal with its devastating drought.

State regulators are naming and shaming local water departments that have let water wasters slide — and forcing them to slash water use by as much as a third. They say it's necessary as California reservoirs, and the snow on mountains that is supposed to refill them, reach record lows.

The drought has no clear end in sight, but it's up to hundreds of local agencies, from small irrigation districts to the city of Los Angeles, to make sure California has enough water to get through it.

Since Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency last year, they've largely taken a soft, educational approach to curtail water use. But that's no longer enough, he says.

In response, state regulators have drafted plans that show how much each community has conserved and assigns mandatory water reduction targets of up to a third to each one. The highest targets are set for those that use the most water.

"It's going to require some major changes in how those communities think about, use and manage their water, but it is possible,'' said Heather Cooley of the nonprofit Pacific Institute.

The excuses cities have given for pitiful conservation, including hot weather and earlier cutbacks, are no longer a free pass.

Ways of meeting these ambitious targets include increasing the frequency of water waste patrols, hitting guzzlers in the wallet with higher water prices and expanding incentives to rip up lawns for drought-tolerant shrubs and bushes. Those who don't meet the targets or take steps to conserve face $10,000-a-day fines if they don't adopt new water restrictions or change rates as demanded by the state, although regulators have been wary of using similar powers before.

State officials say residential conservation through turning off the sprinklers, taking shorter showers and doing less laundry is the most effective way to boost statewide water supplies in a drought.

Not all cities were at risk of running out of water and didn't feel the same pressure to conserve. Some had enough water in local storage to weather the drought. Other local elected officials risked the wrath of constituents for hiking rates or imposing far-reaching restrictions.

"If it's the state telling them what they have to do, that takes the heat off of local officials,'' said Ellen Hanak, a water expert at the Public Policy Institute of California.

The new strategy is a result of Brown's executive order to make temporary and lasting changes to water consumption. Brown planned a meeting Wednesday on the drought with representatives from water agencies, agricultural interests and environmental groups.

The toughest hurdle for this new strategy is getting people who haven't been conserving over the last few years to suddenly make drastic cuts. Water agencies are not getting any money to hire water cops or acquiring any authority to turn off taps.

Hitting customers in the wallet is an effective way of bringing change: Santa Cruz and the San Ramon-Dublin area slashed water use more than 30 percent after slapping big fines on residents who went over water limits.

Bigger bills may not be enough to motivate the owners of mansions on the hills overlooking San Diego. They are served by California's top water guzzling agency, the Santa Fe Irrigation District.

Jennifer Parks, a spokeswoman for the district, said the agency plans to finally fine offenders and is willing to ration if necessary.

In some communities, drastic cuts could threaten the local economy. The man-made oasis of Palm Springs, in the desert, attracts thousands each year to dozens of lush golf courses, hotels and verdant landscapes, but now faces a mandate to cut water use by 35 percent, or 2 billion gallons, over nine months.
 

A newly-launched parking service could help drivers find a spot more easily in a pinch in some of San Diego’s busiest communities.

Ace Parking, which is headquartered in San Diego, has partnered with BluCar, an “on-demand” parking app to offer something dubbed “cloud parking” in neighborhoods like North Park, Hillcrest, Little Italy and La Jolla.

Here’s how it works: Customers download the BluCar iOS app and choose a drop-off point for their vehicle at specified “safe zones” in the service areas shown on the app.
Once the customer chooses a drop-off point, this signals an Ace Parking attendant to meet them at that location. The parking attendance then takes the vehicle and parks it an Ace Parking location.

To pick up their car, the customer selects their desired return location in the app and an Ace Parking attendant delivers their car within 10 minutes of choosing the return spot.

According to Ace Parking, the app offers real-time tracking of a customer’s vehicle in transit to and from the parking location. Customers are able to pay and tip for the parking service directly through the BluCar app, too.

Currently, Ace Parking said the service is available Thursday through Sunday between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m.

The companies said the service aims to solve the challenge of drivers finding parking in busy areas and the challenge local businesses face with not having enough street parking or a parking lot for their customers.

Customers can request the service directly in front of those businesses.

“Ace is very excited about bringing this type of technology to the parking industry to offer our customers a convenient service and parking solution during an evening out,” said John Baumgardner, CEO of Ace Parking in a press release this week.

“The idea behind the BluCar App is to offer customers virtual parking at the front door of their destination so they don’t have to search for parking or walk very far from the lot,” said Michael Dee, co-founder and Vice President of Sales and Business Development for BluCar. “The app is especially appealing to individuals who do not want or are unable to walk very far.”

By the way, Ace Parking said only experienced parking attendants “who have been through extensive customer service training” will be staffed for this service.
 

An arrest at the end of a horseback pursuit in the high desert northeast of Los Angeles appeared be an "excessive" use of force by deputies who punched and kicked the suspect as he was sprawled out on the ground, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff.

San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said during a Friday news conference that he is "disturbed" by what he saw in the video obtained by NewsChopper4 Thursday at the conclusion of a chase in the rugged terrain about 90 miles northeast of Los Angeles. Teams are "working around the clock" as part of the criminal and internal investigations into the arrest and 10 deputies involved are on paid administrative leave, McMahon said.

The pursuit began after deputies attempted to serve a warrant at an Apple Valley home as part of an identity theft investigation. The subject left the home and led deputies on a pursuit in a vehicle through the Victor Valley before he abandoned the vehicle and stole a horse that he rode on dirt trails, according to authorities.

The suspect, later identified as 30-year-old Apple Valley resident Jared Pusok, was thrown from the horse and aerial video appeared to show a deputy use stun gun on him. Deputies said the stun gun was ineffective due to his loose clothing.

Pusok then fell to the ground with his arms outstretched as the horse stood nearby. Two deputies immediately descended on him and appeared to punch him in the head and knee him, according to aerial video reviewed several times by NBC4.

"At the end of the day, it appears to be excessive," McMahon said Friday.

Attorneys for the suspect said they met with Pusok for a couple of hours at the West Valley Detention Center. He suffered several injuries to his face, possibly a concussion and a bruised eye, according to the attorneys.

"He remembers being beat, and he remembers that he wasn't resisting -- that he was laying still," said attorney Sharon Brunner. "He complied immediately. He says that he didn't even move a muscle because he didn't want to be continuously beat."

Pusok also claimed at least one deputy verbally threatened him.

"After the whole beating, he finally thinks it's over, and an officer goes over to his ear and whispers, 'This isn't over,'" said attorney Jim Terrell. "That's why he's scared to death for himself and his family."

The group surrounding the man grew to 11 sheriff's deputies. Pusok appeared to have been kicked 17 times, punched 37 times and struck with batons four times, a review of the video showed, and 13 blows appeared to be to the head.

The man did not appear to move from his position on the ground for more than 45 minutes. He did not appear to receive medical attention while deputies stood around him during that time.

Three deputies were injured during the search -- two suffered dehydration and another was injured when kicked by the horse.

Pusok was hospitalized with unknown injuries, authorities said. He was released from the hospital and booked on suspicion of felony evading a law enforcement officer, theft of horse and possession of stolen property.