San Diego-area law enforcement agencies should implement procedures for dealing with aggressive and dangerous dogs, according to a report by the San Diego County Grand Jury.

From 2010 to 2014, law enforcement officers in the County have killed 56 aggressive dogs protecting their owners and injured eight more. The San Diego County Grand Jury looked into the issue to find out if recent shootings were rare or more common than they believed.

They found that officer dog shootings were “more than an isolated incident.”

The Grand Jury spoke to senior staff from four local police departments on their methods for dealing with aggressive dogs and surveyed local departments to tally how many dogs had been killed.

Additionally, they received a presentation from the Sheriff’s Department on their procedures, reviewed local ordinance laws and looked into whether the issue had been addressed in other parts of the state.

The San Marcos substation of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (SDSO) had previously instituted a training program meant to help their deputies understand how to recognize and handle aggressive dogs. This program, the report finds, could be a model for other agencies. 

When dealing with these dogs, the Sheriff’s Department brings tools like beanbags and mace to homes where a dog lives but officers are justified in using things like a baton to ensure their safety, the report said. According to numbers compiled in the report, the SDSO had the most incidents with dogs at 31.

Other departments, however, did not offer specific training. El Cajon, Oceanside and La Mesa police department did not offer formal training to their officers on how to handle aggressive dogs. Of those agencies, El Cajon and Oceanside law enforcement agencies have not put in place measures meant to reduce or eliminate officer-involved dog shootings.

Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Coronado, El Cajon, La Mesa, National City, Oceanside and San Diego police departments as well as the SDSO do not educate the public on their office’s procedures when it comes to dealing with aggressive dogs.

The Grand Jury found that enforcement agencies could improve the safety of their officers while minimizing harm to dogs if they offered training sessions to their officers. These same agencies should provide information to the community about their practices, the report found.

The report recommended implementing procedures for dealing with aggressive and dangerous dogs, educating the community on its practices, and providing copies of the department’s training program to other agencies to collaborate.

The Grand Jury spoke to senior staff from four local police departments on their methods for dealing with aggressive dogs and surveyed local departments to tally how many dogs had been killed. Additionally, they received a presentation from the Sheriff’s Department on their procedures, reviewed local ordinance laws and looked into whether the issue had been addressed in other parts of the state.

The report recommended implementing procedures for dealing with aggressive and dangerous dogs, educating the community on its practices, and providing copies of the department’s training program to other agencies to collaborate.

A pair of sisters adopted into different families were raised thousands of miles apart and lived entirely separate lives — until a chance encounter led them to the same non-fiction writing class at Columbia University two years ago. 

Katy Olson, 34, and Lizzie Valverde, 35, were adopted and raised by separate families three decades ago — Olson in Florida and Iowa, and Valverde in New Jersey, according to The New York Times.

But two years ago, they wound up sitting in the same writing class at Columbia. On the first day, as students shared some stories about growing up, they realized their connection. 

"It hit me, all the pieces just collided -- kind of like a big aha kind of moment," said Olson, who had been looking for her sister for years. "I was like, 'Whoa!'" 

The reunion was truly against the odds: Valverde had registered for the class on the last possible day, and then only made it to the first class with a minute to spare because of traffic. 

After the class, Olson approached Valverde and asking questions about her personal life, they told The Times. 

"I think we're sisters," she told Valverde.

Valverde, who never knew she had a biological sister, asked, shocked, "Is this real life?" 

This week, as Valverde got ready for graduation, the two women spent time with their biological mother as a group for the first time. 

"It was awesome," said Leslie Parker, the women's biological mother, told NBC 4 New York. "Like we'd never been apart, in a way." 

Parker had both daughters while she was a teenager in Tampa, Florida.

"I was not in a position to raise them," she told the Times.

"They're brilliant, beautiful young women," she added. "In them, I see what I had the potential to be. They're both living what I always wanted to be." 

"It's nice to have a happy ending every now and again," said Valverde. 

A mountain lion that was on the loose in San Mateo was captured by police and California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials late Monday.

The mountain lion was sighted three times in a residential area three times earlier in the day.

Officers and Fish and Wildlife officials located the big cat in a residential backyard near 9th Avenue and El Camino Real at about 7 p.m.

After being hit with a tranquilizer dart the mountain lion fled a brief distance into some nearby bushes. At 7:30 p.m., the mountain lion was picked up by three officers, who put the animal in a pickup truck.

CDFW officials said the mountain lion late Monday was released back to its original habitat.

After two mountain lion sightings earlier in the day, a third call came in about 4:30 p.m. to report a sighting on a street near South El Camino Real, a spokesman from CDFW said.

"This is a lion that's afraid and all it wants to do is get away," said Andrew Hughan of the CDFW. "We don't know what we're going to do yet."

Earlier in the day, employees of a San Mateo Catholic school were put on notice as police responded to a series of mountain lion sightings in the Peninsula city. A San Mateo resident called police to notify authorities of an apparent mountain lion in the vicinity of Hayward Avenue and South El Camino Real at about 1:20 p.m. As a precaution, San Mateo police “personally notified” the staff at St. Matthew Catholic School, 910 S. El Camino Real.

Earlier Monday morning, another resident in the area notified police of a mountain lion spotted near Avila Road and South El Camino Real. In that case, one responding officer was able to spot what appeared to be a 60-80 pound mountain lion. In each instance, authorities said, the animal was reportedly “not acting aggressive or predatory in any way.”

A few hours later, about 5 p.m., a third sighting: Authorities said a mountain lion was spotted on the loose near downtown San Mateo. Several neighborhood streets were blocked off as officers looked for the animal.

Authorities are reminding residents not to feed wild animals and to avoid approaching mountain lions. Most mountain lions will attempt to avoid confrontation, authorities said.

Authorities say, if you do run into a mountain lion, don’t run. Instead, face the animal, make noise and try to look bigger by waving your arms; throw rocks or other objects.

Bay City News and Associated Press contributed to this report.

The man killed by San Diego Police after shooting an officer has a history of mental illness and run-ins with law enforcement, court records reveal.

Dennis Richard Fiel, 34, was shot to death Sunday after a high-speed pursuit and a shootout with officers. SDPD investigators said before he died, Fiel shot Officer Heather Seddon in the neck, though she is expected to be fine.

Court records obtained by NBC 7 on Monday show that Fiel – also known as Dennis Kiel -- has a number of felony and misdemeanor convictions on his record. In 2008, he was accused of stealing a video game from a Game Stop in Mira Mesa and pepper-spraying a store clerk on his way out.

While he was charged with felony robbery, felony use of tear gas and misdemeanor resisting arrest, Fiel ultimately pleaded guilty to the robbery count and served three years of probation, according to records.

Before his sentencing, Fiel was evaluated by two mental health experts. The first said he suffered from severe depression, psychosis, Asperger syndrome and ADHD with a paranoid personality.

However, the second expert determined Fiel would be helped by medications and therapy, calling him a “sensitive and intelligent young man” in the court document.

Fiel also had two misdemeanor counts on his record, as well as one pending. The first count came from March 2007 when he was charged with misdemeanor vandalism, to which he pleaded guilty, got probation and paid a fine.

In March 2014, he again was sentenced to probation and a $367 fine for making an obscene and/or threatening phone call in June 2012. Most recently, Fiel was charged with misdemeanor theft last July. He was scheduled to appear at a hearing next month.

Some of Fiel’s neighbors spoke with NBC 7 about him on Monday, saying they felt something suspicious was going on.

Ike Owens said any time he would drive home, Fiel would close the garage door before he even turned off the car.

“He came in and out, was a very private individual,” said Owens. “Didn’t wave, didn’t socialize with anyone that I know of.”

He said Fiel’s home was flooded with officers, rummaging through his possessions, after the suspect was killed.

“It’s definitely upsetting because we live two doors down,” said Pauline Flores.

On Monday, SDPD investigators announced Fiel was also a suspect in a string of six shootings throughout the county. They believe he shot at buildings like an SDG&E complex and a 7/11.

When homicide detectives served a search warrant to his home, they said they found a weapon and magazines, as well as a large marijuana grow.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is being ordered to reverse its postcard-only mail policy by the end of this week.

In an order from United States District Court Judge James Lorenz, the sheriff’s department is asked to “suspend enforcement of the postcard-only policy for incoming mail” by May 21.

The order comes after Prison Legal News filed a lawsuit against the County of San Diego, Sheriff William D. Gore and others in October 2014. The lawsuit claimed the policy violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

The sheriff’s department introduced the new postcard-only mail policy in September 2012. When in place, local inmates were no longer allowed to receive letters from loved ones in the mail -- only postcards and email. There was an exception for letters coming from attorneys and legal counsel.

At the time, the sheriff’s department said the policy was aimed to help promote safety by limiting contraband such as drugs and weapons from being smuggled into jails via envelopes.

A spokesperson for the sheriff’s department, Jan Caldwell, said the agency is “the process of reinstituting the mail procedures we had prior to the postcard-only policy.” Click here to read the prior policy.

Prison Legal News is a monthly publication sent to prisoners and law librarians in over 2,000 correctional facilities across the country.

The postcard-only policy resulted in the agency refusing to deliver Prison Legal News to San Diego County jails, according to the lawsuit.

San Diego's Citizens Stadium Advisory Group (CSAG) delivered the completed proposal for a new NFL stadium in Mission Valley to Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Chargers owner Dean Spanos on Monday. 

The general architectural look and the financing plan were released in a media briefing from the County Operations Center in Kearny Mesa.

“We believe a modern, efficient stadium will cost $1.1B,” CSAG chair Adam Day said adding the figure was determined taking into consideration retail and market costs in San Diego using 2018 dollars.

The group recommends Chargers contribute $300 million to build a new stadium.

“In 2003, the team offered to pay half the construction costs, our plan has them making a direct contribution of $300 million or less than 30%,” Day said.

The group recommends the team pay $1M per game in rent.

“This is well within the range for new stadiums across the country,” Day said.

Read the full report here.

A nationwide analysis of PSLs suggests the San Diego market could sustain at least $120 million in revenue, he continued. The advisory group's proposal would split the total revenue with the team, with half going toward construction.

The plan also banks on the city selling 75 acres of public land for $225 million.

A $5 per game ticket surcharge and a $3 per game parking surcharge would also help raise revenue, according to the CSAG.

Through special counsel Mark Fabiani, the team responded to the proposal with the following statement:

"We are grateful to the CSAG members who volunteered their time, and we will now ask our stadium development team -- including our financing, legal and land use experts -- to thoroughly review the CSAG results."

“If they want to stay in town, they have a plan that provides them an opportunity to do so,” Day said.

Mayor Faulconer said he suggested the city, county and Chargers plan to begin formal negotiations on June 1.

"San Diego has a framework to build a new stadium that’s tangible, that’s achievable and that won’t raise taxes," Faulconer said in a news release.

The mayor said he still wants to have an agreement with the team approved by a public vote. Even though the CSAG recommendations do not require new taxes and so don't require a 2/3 vote to move forward.

City Attorney Jan Goldsmith reacted swiftly to the proposed recommendations, warning San Diegans that any stadium deal will be negotiated face-to-face and not in the media.

"Charger negotiations should be conducted at the table, not in the media. Thus, the City will have much less public comment during these negotiations than there has been during the CSAG process," Goldsmith said in a prepared statement.

Day personally delivered copies of the report to Spanos and Faulconer this morning.

President & CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Jerry Sanders, who served as mayor from 2005 to 2012, said he thinks there’s a basis for starting negotiations within the CSAG's recommendations.

NBC 7 Sports Wrap's Derek Togerson broke the story Monday morning.

NBC 7's Gene Cubbison offers his analysis of the proposal here.

Check back here for coverage or download the free NBC 7 mobile app for push alerts.

Uber users are worried about drivers manipulating prices after an online video emerged that claims to teach a method that tricks the system into jacking up fares.

The video, apparently created by a Los Angeles driver and titled "Driving for Surge," was uploaded onto YouTube and shared on an Uber driver online forum. It shows how repeatedly canceling planned pickups causes fees to increase.

On the online forum the poster said, "It would be nice if we all got on the surge bus and rode to profits together. Here's a little how to, please follow and share."

Rider Liz Price is unhappy some may be "cheating the system," especially as she has seen drivers cancel for seemingly no reason as they have been heading to pick her up in the past. 

"It'll show that the car is actually moving on the screen, but it just stops and then it'll go back to the main screen," Price said.

Uber uses a computerized algorithm to quickly increase prices in response to changes of supply and demand in the market. 

In theory it should attract more drivers during times of increased demand, while also reducing demand. Customers are notified when making a reservation if prices have gone up.

Honest drivers are also unhappy unscrupulous people could damage the reputation of the system as a whole.

"I'm not going to do it if I'm going to be cheating people — that's just not fair," operator Dan Bertsch said.

He was especially displeased as he tries to take every rider he can when he is using the system.

"I'm so excited to get a fare that I just accept every single one," Bertsch said.

The company itself insists there are safeguards in place to protect customers from profiteers, though it would not comment on how the individual who uploaded the video would be dealt with.

“Consistently canceling rides in an effort to manipulate the app or discriminate against riders is in violation of the contract that driver partners sign," Uber spokeswoman Taylor Patterson said. "Driver partners who do this may be deactivated from the system."

Uber applied for a U.S. patent on surge pricing in 2013. The practice was criticized last year when it raised prices in Sydney as people were trying to leave the area during a hostage crisis.

Allen's Eagle Stadium will be ready to reopen in time for graduation, more than a year after the $60 million high school football stadium was shuttered for major structural problems.

Repairs are almost complete, Allen Independent School District officials announced at Monday's school board meeting, as 200 workers raced around the clock to fix the cracks in the concourse that had forced the 18,000-seat facility to close just 18 months after it opened to massive fanfare.

The district said crews need three dry days to finish the project, but assured families the stadium will be open for graduation June 5.

All life safety systems and structural repairs will be finished by Wednesday.

The final step in the repairs is to install a “traffic topping,” or final coating, to the concrete concourse. About 70 percent of it had been finished by Monday night, but wet weather delayed completion.

Major structural problems were found at the stadium last year, causing visible deep cracks in the concourse. A forensic report last year blamed those cracks on structural problems with the stadium's press box, scoreboard and more.

The two companies found at fault for the problems were paying for the repairs, Allen ISD officials said.

“Completing the work on time and at no cost to the school district has been our goal from the start,” said Superintendent Dr. Lance Hindt. “We wouldn’t be here without to cooperation from all of the parties involved.”

An El Cajon man was in custody Monday, accused of killing his mother and assaulting his brother.

The attack happened just after 5 p.m. Sunday at a home on Hidden Crest Drive, south of Dehesa Road and east of Jamacha Road in unincorporated El Cajon.

San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputies were called to an assault.

When they arrived, they found a 63-year-old woman with serious injuries to her upper body. Emergency personnel began CPR while taking the woman to the hospital. The medical team at the hospital pronounced her dead soon after.

Deputies say the woman’s 34-year-old son “severely physically” assaulted her and then turned on his older brother.

The brother managed to escape and call 911.

Deputies say they took Erik Enrique Margain into custody on Gustavo Street soon after the attack.

He faces a murder charge for the death of his mother, Martha Margain-Velarde, and an attempted murder charge for injuries suffered by his 37-year-old older brother.

The older brother has not been identified. Officials said he was seriously injured and was still hospitalized Monday evening.

Margain was scheduled for arraignment on Wednesday, May 20.

Two medical students from UC San Diego were killed and three others injured in a wrong-way crash on State Route 163 Saturday, in which a 21-year-old suspect faces DUI and vehicular manslaughter charges.

The UC San Diego community is planning a memorial service, set for Wednesday night, for Anne Li Baldock, 24, and Madison Elizabeth Cornwell, 23. Baldock, whose family is from Seattle, was living in an apartment near campus while in her second year at UCSD Medical School. Cornwell, another second-year medical student, was from Mission Viejo.

"We're processing a lot of the tragedy and loss that frankly we're going to be treating and facing in the clinic," said fellow medical student Brandon Williams. "Now it's coming home. It's personal." 

Although both were wearing seat belts, Baldock and Cornwell were killed when the Toyota Prius they were in was struck head-on just after 1:30 a.m. Saturday on SR-163 in the Mission Valley area.

Three other medical students — Jared Molitoris, Yuki Iizuka and Stosh Ozog — were injured in the crash.

The wrong-way driver, identified by the California Highway Patrol as Jason Riley King, was taken into custody after the Saturday crash. He was injured and will likely be arraigned at the UCSD Medical Center in the next few days on two counts of vehicular manslaughter and five counts of felony DUI, officials said Monday.

"I'm of two minds about it," said Williams. "I'm angry because there's such real consequences for something like this. At the same time, I really hope that this brings home more of the impact of if you're drinking and you have a problem, get help."

According to the California Highway Patrol, King was driving a white pickup truck and was flashing his hazard lights while driving the wrong way on the freeway. That driver plowed into the Prius, totaling the car, killing the two women.

On Monday, UC San Diego confirmed its students were involved in the crash and released this statement:

"This is a terrible loss for the UC San Diego community. We send our condolences to the families and friends of the students. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved."

NBC 7's Gene Cubbison offers this analysis on the latest dealings behind the Chargers' stadium scramble.

First, let’s all take a deep, deep cleansing breath.

Slow down the speed of the game.

No dancing around maypoles yet or dismissing things out-of-hand for, let’s say, 48 hours.

Wednesday is when this report was due anyway, but CSAG apparently thought it timely and prudent to push the deadline up a couple days.

Why?

Because NFL owners are meeting in San Francisco this week, and let’s face it, a “new, multi-use” stadium is for the benefit of The Shield and Bolts first and foremost.

Thoughts of new sugarplum stadia and “enhanced revenues”/profits in short order are twerking in their scheming heads – that’s why they’re moving up their own deadline for pulling the trigger on relocation decisions that later (maybe not that late) this year.

I’ve already received and zigzagged through the report’s 42 pages (including a most appealing cover) – under an embargo that doesn’t lift until 12:30 p.m.

But in my admittedly naïve opinion, the CSAG members seem to have acquitted themselves admirably.

No folks ‘born yesterday’ are aboard that ship, and the study deserves the Chargers’ most serious consideration before, if so inclined, declaring it a failure of ‘the smell test’.

Sure, it just might be a non-starter if in fact the team’s mind already is made up on other courses of action, so negotiations with One San Diego’s mayor would be a Fool’s Errand.

Early details from “informed sources” that still aren’t embargoed:

No new taxes – so no two-thirds voter approval needed!

No taxpayer resources or land given away – just sold on the open market!

The City and County appear to have a Marriage Made in Heaven!

Or Hell, if things really go south.

But let’s not be so negative right out of the gate.

Just sayin’.

It’s not clear whether the longstanding promises of a public vote (even if a 55% voter majority is required to approved an “Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District”) will be kept – because legally speaking, they may not “at the end of the day”, because municipal bonds and other borrowing packages are routinely floated without direct citizen involvement.

However, such a move potentially could gaslight a groundswell of naysaying in this “World’s Smart City” (see National Geographic).

Natives are suspicious/paranoid enough as it is.

And given San Diego’s humiliating and outrageous history of being taken to the cleaners by the Chargers – we should expect early on to echoes of the Who’s great refrain “Won’t Get Fooled Again”!

Can’t reveal much more without betraying embargoes – but will update early this afternoon with as much “chapter and verse” as can be parsed and digested.

One of the motorcycle gangs involved in the shootout that left nine people dead in Central Texas over the weekend presents a growing criminal threat to U.S. law enforcement by trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana, federal authorities say.

The Bandidos Motorcycle Club is a highly organized criminal organization whose members use the gang for drug and weapons trafficking and other violent crimes, according to the Department of Justice.

“They have a history of not just violence, but shootings in public places,” Julian Sher, the author of a number of books on biker gangs, told NBCNews.com.

“They relish their brutal pedigree,” said Sher, who is also a senior producer on CBC’s “The Fifth Estate.” “Among the bad guys, they are the baddest of the bad. They flout their violence which is often why they are the center of so much of it.”

At least five rival gangs met at the Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco on Sunday on turf and other issues, Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton told The Associated Press. All nine of those killed were members of the Bandidos or another of the gangs, the Cossacks. At least another 18 were wounded.

Formed in the 1960s, the Bandidos gang is as dangerous as the Bloods, the Crips, and the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, the Texas Department of Public Safety says.

It has up to 2,500 members in the United States and in 13 other countries and is expanding in the areas it is most active in — the Pacific, Southeastern, Southwestern and West Central regions of the United States, the Department of Justice says.

It is one of the largest of what the Department of Justice calls outlaw motorcycle gangs, more than 300 of which operate in the United States. The Bandidos as well as the Hells Angels, Mongols, Outlaws and Sons of Silence conduct most of the criminal activity linked to these gangs, particularly cross-border drug smuggling, the department says. Because they are international gangs they are able to coordinate drug-smuggling operations with major international trafficking organizations, it says.

The Bandidos and the Cossacks got into a confrontation in another restaurant parking lot in 2013 in Abilene, according to police. A Bandidos president and another gang member were charged with aggravated assault after two members of the Cossacks were stabbed, Abilene police said.

The Cossacks were formed in 1969 in Texas, taking its name from the famed Russian horsemen, according to “The One Percenter Encyclopedia: The World of Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs from Abyss Ghosts to Zombies Elite.” Its motto: “We take care of our own.”

Sher said that the Bandidos had been involved in shootings in Australia and had been part of the “Great Nordic War” in Europe with the Hell’s Angels. A cycle of wars in Quebec left 120 dead.

“They call themselves outlaws or Bandidos,” Sher told NBCNews.com. “They relish that. It’s important that people realize they are not fun-loving rascals. They are violent killers who have murdered innocent people.”

San Diego Police have released the names of officers involved in a shooting that left one suspect dead and one police officer wounded.

Officer Heather Seddon, a five year veteran assigned to the Northern Division, was identified as the officer shot Sunday morning. Seddon suffered a bullet wound to the neck and and the bullet lodged into her shoulder. She had the bullet removed Sunday. 

Suspect Dennis Richard Fiel, 34, of San Diego, shot Seddon, police said. 

"This is just a solemn reminder as to the dangers officers face each day while proudly protecting and serving the citizens of our great city," said Zimmerman.

Two additional officers responded to the scene. Officer Joshua Hodge, a four-year veteran assigned to the Northern Division, and officer Mario Larrea, a five-year veteran assigned to the Eastern Division, both responded. 

Two body cameras were on during the incident and footage "captured the entire incident," Acting Captain Mike Hastings said at a press conference. Seddon's camera and Hodge's camera were both on during the incident. The footage will now go to the District Attorney's Office for the investigation.

The incident started as a high speed pursuit, when a gray late model Jeep heading southbound on State Route 163 did not yield to lights and sirens while driving approximately 90 miles per hour, Lt. Mike Hastings said. 

Officers lost sight of the suspect's car on State Route 163 at the Mesa College Exit. When additional officers assisted, officials found the suspect's car near the 7700 block of Mesa College Drive. 

The license plate linked the car to one that had been used in several shootings throughout the City of San Diego over the last several weeks, Hastings said. 

The incident turned into a foot pursuit when officers saw a man walking a short distance from where they found the car and officers approached him. The man being chased showed a gun and began firing at officers near Highway 163 at Health Center Drive, Hastings said. 

Hodge and Larrea "fired several rounds" at the suspect, Hastings said, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. 

At a press conference Monday, police said they believe the suspect may be connected to six shootings at buildings throughout the county, including a shooting in January and on May 10 at a 7/11 on the 9100 block of Clairemont Mesa Boulevard and two seperate shootings at an SDG&E building on April 17 and May 8.

When a homicide investigation unit served a search warrant at the suspect's house, they said they found a weapon and magazines for the weapon as  well as a large marijuana grow. 

The investigation into this incident is ongoing. 

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Monday’s release of the Citizens’ Stadium Advisory Group’s new stadium plan answers a lot of questions. It also brings up a lot of questions, not the least of which are:

Will it work fiscally?
Will the Chargers accept it?

Those are to be determined in the future. For now let’s go with some of the more hard-and-fast questions, things we can give definitive answers to. The entire 42-page report can be found here, but if you’re short on time (or patience) these are five questions football fans will have about the proposed new facility.

1.    What are the stadium specifics like size and design?

The CSAG proposal is based on a 65,000 seat stadium that can expand to 72,000 seats for special events like the Super Bowl or College Football Championship games. It will be an open-air stadium because, well, we live in San Diego and the cost of putting a roof on would add an estimated $150 million to the project. Instead of a rood there is a canopy around the ring to provide shade. Design company MEIS (who designed Staples Center in Los Angeles as well as NFL stadiums in Cincinnati and Philadelphia) says the canopy is designed to, “… ensure a home field advantage by keeping crowd noise close to the field.” Seattle and Kansas City, get ready. You might have company in the NFL’s Loudest Stadium debate.

2.    When can construction start and when will the build be completed?

CSAG suggests negotiations with the Chargers start immediately. Once the deal is ironed out, the Group recommends the team start (and fund) a citizens’ initiative to gather enough verified signatures to secure a City Council vote prior to the NFL Owners Meetings in October of this year. Basically, to the same thing here the team did in Carson. Since the area is already zoned for a stadium the site could be shovel-ready by 2017. The build is expected to last 30 to 36 months, meaning the first games could be played there in 2019 or, more likely, 2020.

3.    Why was the Mission Valley site chosen instead of the Downtown area?

According to CSAG research, the Downtown site presented more problems than the Mission Valley spot. Multiple land parcels would have to be purchased, the total area is smaller and therefore not able to be developed, and a bus yard would have to be relocated, among other concerns. CSAG determined all that would raise the total cost by at least $250 million and call for a tax increase of $600 million, something that would have trouble passing with two-thirds of the voting public.

4.    What else will the stadium be used for?

San Diego State University and the San Diego Bowl Game Association have both expressed interest in using the new facility and paying annual rent to do so. In addition, the CSAG identifies multiple events in its report. Right at the top of the list is a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in San Diego, something that has been kicked around for a long time but that might become a reality with a new facility. International soccer matches involving the U.S. National Teams and prominent Mexican and British clubs will be pursued, along with major college football games, concerts, Monster Jams and Motocross/Supercross events.

5.    (Possibly the most important of all) … Will I still be able to tailgate?????

The short answer is, yes. But it’s a bit more complicated than that. CSAG earmarked part of the infrastructure cost to go to a 12,000 vehicle parking structure near the stadium, as well as a dedicated tailgate facility. It will be different from the current Qualcomm Stadium setup, where basically any spot in the lot can be used for tailgating, and the area will be smaller. But we all know tailgating is a tradition at San Diego sporting events and despite public fears that activity not going away.

That’s just a sampling of some of the more commonly asked questions. I’m sure you have more. Feel free to peruse the report or ask me yourself on Twitter (@DerekNBCSD) or Facebook (Derek Togerson NBC 7 San Diego). I’ll be happy to get back to as many as I possibly can.

Two days of substantial rainfall last week did not eliminate severe drought conditions in Southern California.

Much of the runoff made its way to the ocean instead of reservoirs but some San Diego residents were able to harvest water and store it for upcoming not-so rainy days.

South Park resident Jason Folkman collected 650 gallons in this tank and another 900 gallons in what's called a water pillow he had installed last year in the crawl space of his home.

“I felt like it was the environmentally responsible thing to do,” Folkman said.

Over 1500 gallons is enough to water his three-tiered garden and green up the rest of his entire yard all summer.

“Some are native some are fruit trees some are vegetables. You're getting more natural water that the plants like more and respond to better,” Folkman said.

Two days of rain funneled from his deck filled the pillow, rain from his roof filled the tank. It is a system designed by architect Candace Vanderhoff.

“Imagine all of the water staying on your property soaking into the ground creating this really beautiful soil,” Vanderhoff said.

Vanderhoff started her rain tank company in 2009 after discovering San Diego imports most of its water.

They vary in size and can even be decorative. She creates systems to collect rain water or greywater.

All of it can keep landscape and lawn lush and green with barely a drop of water wasted.

“Unfortunately a lot of people don't do anything until the resource is gone,” Vanderhoff said.

Vanderhoff estimates in a year the average homeowner could collect 30,000 gallons of water through such a system.

Sweetwater High School has installed a sustainable, clean source of drinking water for students in a move meant to reduce students’ risk of childhood obesity.

The school, in mentorship with the UC San Diego Center for Community Health and the support of the City of National City, The National City Chamber of Commerce and The Mile of Cars, installed the water source and will cut the red ribbon Tuesday afternoon.

50 percent of the children in National City are overweight or obese, some of the highest in the county. Previous studies have shown that reducing the amount of sugary drinks students drink can help reduce childhood obesity, said Karemi Alvarez with the UCSD Center for Community Health.

Students at the school led an initiative together to bring a sustainable, clean, free drinking water source to the community.

Many schools with low resources may have broken or non-functioning water fountains, Alvarez said, and small changes such as installing a new water fountain can shift attitudes.

Tuesday, National City Mayor Ron Morrison, Sweetwater High School Principal Maribel Gavin in addition to officials from the UCSD Center for Community Health, The Mile of Cars and Sweetwater High School students will come out to the ribbon cutting at 12 p.m.

The drought definitely has our attention. A new NBC Bay Area Field Poll shows 89 percent of Californians say the water shortage is "serious."

The poll also shows that more than two-thirds of the state's residents support the governor's mandate to cut water-use.

However, nearly half say they will find it hard to conserve more water. Seventy percent say higher water bills would be a serious problem for them.

San Diego city employees will save taxpayers more than $7 million over the next six years with new cost-cutting measures they have suggested through a new program.

The program, called San Diego Works, was launched by San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and includes dozens of money-saving ideas from city employees that improve city operations, from using cheaper envelopes to cutting library fees.

The program's goal is to introduce reforms that will make tax dollars more available for community projects and services. It aims to spur innovative ideas from city employees to reduce costs by rewarding employees for outstanding proposals.

Employees will get bonuses as large as $5,000 for participating in the program, which has already yielded 262 ideas from 550 city employees. Officials plan to use at least 100 of these ideas.

Some include revamping and eliminating trash routes, shrinking overtime shifts for maintenance workers, cutting library fines in half and reducing printing costs by using less blue ink on city stationary.

Officials estimate the plan will save the city $500,000 during the fiscal year beginning on July 1, and $1.3 million per year from 2017 through 2021 for more than $7 million in total savings.

Of the 100 accepted proposals, 55 will be implemented, eight will be enacted as pilot projects and 37 will be studied further.”

"Some of them are common sense, but it's about focusing on doing things differently - not just sticking with the way we've always done them before," Mayor Faulconer told the U-T San Diego. "I think we're just scratching the surface. And the dollars we're saving can be invested back into the libraries, rec centers and neighborhoods."
 

A resident in City Heights encountered the most unusual discovery: a man living in an apartment building’s garage for five days, police said.

The resident of the apartment building at University Avenue and 38th Street said he heard noises coming from the garage on Tuesday morning and called San Diego police.

When officers arrived, the owner of the garage opened the door, revealing the intruder inside. A police dog was called in to subdue the man, who was then taken by ambulance to the hospital for an unknown medical reason.

Police said they weren’t sure how the man gained entry to the locked garage, but believe he could have crawled through a hole in the wall hidden by a cabinet.

Neighbors were shocked by the discovery.

“This guy living the garage in the neighborhood for five days,” said neighbor Hector Castillo. “We don’t know who he is.”

Police could not say what led the man to hide in the garage.

A group of parents in the Encinitas Union School District is criticizing a recent software purchase by the school board that they feel is expensive and possibly unsafe.

The district is in the early stages of its virtual key ring project, using facial recognition technology on iPads to automatically log students into multiple programs at once.

The objective was to save time logging into learning programs and allow more time for learning.

Parent Leslie Schneider believes the software is expensive and unnecessary.

“My question has been, why are we spending this money when we have a lot of holes in our budget,” Schneider said. “When you go to the school/parent community and you say to them we will not have a science program if you don't reach into your pocket and fund the instructor.”

NBC 7 attempted to contact Superintendent Tim Baird concerning the software. He wasn't available to speak so we were directed to the district’s website where the district has posted a notice for parents concerning the virtual key ring software. 

"Facial recognition would be an optional feature that parents could opt into in lieu of a password," the statement reads. "Parents will have an option to indicate their preference at the time of implementation if the project makes it through the pilot phase."

Some parents told NBC 7 they emailed the district for answers about the program a month ago and have received no response.