Hospitals across San Diego County took part in large-scale, emergency preparedness drills on Thursday designed to practice and improve staffers’ response to life-threatening events when disaster strikes.

The staff at UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest pulled out all the stops for their emergency drill. Their exercise simulated a mass casualty and mass fatality incident resulting from a large building collapse.

With mostly student volunteers acting as the “victims,” physicians and hospital staff practiced patient care and transportation, mobilization of resources and hospital command center operations for two-and-a-half hours in a staged area outside the Emergency Department at 200 West Arbor Dr.

The volunteers wore full make-up and posed as injured victims and concerned family members.

As the victims showed up, hospital staff members classified them based on their injuries, with emergency vehicles transporting patients to emergency areas and trauma bays.

The fake injuries included everything from severe burns to amputations.

The students acting as patients said the drill was a great first-hand experience.

UCSD Health System trauma surgeon and Director of Emergency Preparedness Jay Doucet M.D., told NBC 7 the exercise was an excellent way to practice and prepare for potential disasters.

“Disaster preparedness is something that we always have to be thinking about and to be good at it, we have to plan and drill,” said Doucet.

Doucet said the staff at UCSD Medical Center conducts these types of drills often, and takes them very seriously.

He recommends families across San Diego keep their own disaster preparedness kits at home in case of an emergency. He says websites such as ready.gov and redcross.org offer good emergency preparedness tips.
 

An 18-year-old man whose car fatally crashed into another driver on State Route 56 earlier this month has now been booked into county jail, California Highway Patrol officials confirmed Thursday night.

On May 16 at around 9:45 a.m., Timothy Barnette (pictured below) was driving a Land Rover traveling eastbound on SR-56, just east of Black Mountain Road, when his car drifted into the center median and into opposing traffic lanes of westbound SR-56.

At the same time, Nick Hart, 22, was driving a Toyota traveling westbound on SR-56.

Barnette’s Land Rover struck Hart’s car, and Hart was killed in the crash. Hart was a graduate of Poway High School, where he competed on the Titans wrestling team.

According to CHP officials, Barnette was arrested after the fatal collision on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs. He was then released to a local hospital for immediate care because he suffered major injuries in the crash.

The CHP would not say what kind of drugs Barnette was allegedly using on the day of the collision, as the case is still under investigation.

On Thursday, two weeks to the day of the fatal crash, CHP officials confirmed he had been arrested and booked into jail on charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence of a controlled substance causing injury or death.

CHP officer Jake Sanchez told NBC 7 Barnette is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.

A Disneyland worker pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges involving two dry-ice explosions that forced evacuations at Disneyland’s popular Toontown.

Christian Isaiah Barnes, 22, of Long Beach, Calif., faces one felony count of possession of a destructive device in a public place. He's set to appear in court on June 7.

Prosecutors accuse him of opening a vending cart, at which time the first water bottle containing dry ice exploded on Tuesday afternoon.

The defendant is accused of then taking the second water bottle from the cart and walking away toward the employee break room, prosecutors said.

While passing through Toontown, Barnes is accused of placing the second water bottle containing dry ice in a trash can before leaving the immediate area.

No one was injured in either explosion, but some park goers reported ringing in their ears. Disney officials closed down Toontown for about three hours while the rest of the park remained open.

The incident prompted a response by Anaheim police and an Orange County Sheriff’s Department bomb squad, prosecutors said.

Barnes was arrested at the scene, prosecutors said.

If convicted, Barnes faces up to six years in state prison, prosecutors said.

The Mexican drug cartel attorney who was slain execution-style in Southlake last week had been a confidential informant for the U.S. government, law enforcement sources told NBC 5.

Juan Guerrero Chapa, 43, had worked for the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, secretly providing inside information on cartel operations to American investigators.

HSI is part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Guerrero was gunned down at about 7 p.m. May 22 at the Southlake Town Square by a masked man who jumped out of the back seat of a white sport utility vehicle, police said. It was the first homicide in the upscale suburb since 1999.

The attorney had worked for top leaders of the Gulf Cartel, including former top boss Osiel Cardenas, who is now in prison in the United States.

It was unclear if his role as an informant may have leaked to the cartel, providing a motive for his killing. At least two U.S. trials of high-ranking Gulf Cartel members have concluded in recent weeks.

Guerrero, a Mexican citizen, his wife and three teenage children had been living in Southlake for two years, police said.

They had been living in the U.S. legally, according to ICE spokesman Carl Rusnok. High-level informants from Mexico or other countries are sometimes allowed to live in the United States as long as they are cooperating.

Rusnok had no comment when asked about Guerrero’s role as an informant. He referred questions to Southlake police.

Southlake police spokeswoman Kim Leach also declined comment.

Along with the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration, HSI investigates drug crimes.

With 6,700 special agents, HSI is the second-largest federal law enforcement agency. Only the FBI is bigger.

More Local Stories:

• Second Arrest in Irving Teen Prostitution Case
• Man Sentenced to 50 Years for Stealing Ribs
• Police Say Craigslist Ad Turned to Murder Plot
• Oswald Home Up For Sale

LeBron James has given the Miami Heat a number of performances for the ages in his three years with the team, and he delivered another for Miami against the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

With his team struggling, James propelled the Heat to a furious finish, scoring 16 of his 30 points in the third quarter and leading the Heat to a 90-79 victory. Miami leads the series 3-2, and can earn a trip to face the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals with a win on Saturday.

"That's what I came here for, to be able to compete for a championship each and every year," James said. "I'm one step away from doing it once again. It's not promised. It's not promised at all. I made a tough decision. Obviously, I think we all know the story. I envisioned something that was bigger as far as a team ... and we've got an opportunity as a team, once again, for the third year straight to make a trip to the NBA Finals."

PHOTOS: Heat Top Pacers in Game 5

He added 8 rebounds and 6 assists, his 42nd career playoff game with at least 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists (only Michael Jordan has more).

Udonis Haslem scored 16 points, 10 in the third quarter, while Mario Chalmers scored 12 and Dwyane Wade added 10.

Roy Hibbert, Paul George, and David West scored 66 of Indiana's 79 points, while their teammates combined to shoot 5 for 20.

Heat Lose Game 4 to Pacers, 99-92

The first half was a plodding affair. Indiana led most of the way behind a combined 29 points from George and Hibbert. The Heat scored 9 points on 9 Pacers turnovers, missing multiple opportunities to score. The Heat scored just 5 fast break points, and only 18 points in the paint. Indiana led 44-40 at halftime.

A tussle between Chris "Birdman" Andersen and Tyler Hansbrough resulted in a flagrant-1 foul for Andersen. He knocked Hansbrough to the ground after a change in possession, and when Hansbrough stepped to him with some words, Andersen shoved him.

Hansbrough was assessed a technical foul for his role, but Andersen could find himself suspended for Game 6. The NBA will surely review the play on Friday, and Chicago Bulls center Nazr Mohammed was suspended for shoving LeBron James to the ground during the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Andersen did make both of the shots he took in the game to continue his perfect shooting performance in the series.

Before Miami took the floor after halftime, James huddled his teammates up for a pep talk, then took them on his back. What did he say? Both Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem declined to tell reporters after the game. The Heat outscored Indiana 30-13 in the quarter.

Miami attacked the rim to start the quarter, and the first four possessions resulted in four moves in the paint and seven points. He scored or assisted on 25 of Miami’s points that quarter, hitting from every area of the floor.

"That's LeBron showing his greatness and making it look easy," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "What we talked about was doing whatever it takes and competing for each other without leaving anything out there. His engine in that third quarter was incredible. He was tireless, he was making plays on both ends of the court, rebounding, covering so much ground defensively and then making virtually every play for us offensively. It's really remarkable."

Udonis Haslem scored 10 of his 16 points in the third, on 5 of 5 shooting. The Heat led 70-57 after three, and their lead did not fall below eight in the fourth quarter.

"We had 24 minutes to play for our livelihoods," Haslem said. "And that's how we played in the second half." He said Juwan Howard had words for his teammates at halftime, warming them up for James' middle act before the real show got started. "A lot of bleeps and stuff like that," Haslem described Howard's speech, though he did say that James' echoed Howard's words.

Game 6 will be played at Indiana on Saturday night. Miami can earn its third straight trip to the Finals with a win. The Heat have won its past eight potential closeout playoff games.

"It's the playoffs," Wade said. "Shane Battier said this is when you feel alive, when your back's against the wall. ... You've got to go out there and play. This is what we prepared for all season."

Complete Miami Sports Coverage

"Mayday, mayday — engine out," said the pilot, in a controlled voice, to air controllers as his small plane struggled to stay aloft early Friday morning.

In audio files obtained by News4 Washington, the pilot who identified himself as "D.C. Photo" is heard describing his predicament to air traffic controllers, who clear other planes out of the way and try to get the Cessna 177B to Dulles International Airport.

They could not.

"Okay, I think we’re, um, we’re not going to make the airport," the pilot says. "We’re heading for a road just before the Dulles Toll Road."

The small plane crashed into the living room of a Herndon, Va., apartment Friday morning. Three people suffered minor injuries.

• LISTEN: Calls to Air Traffic Control Moments Before Plane Crash

David Ventura was still in shock hours after he awoke to the plane inside his Dulles Greene apartment on Astoria Circle.

"You are shocked; you don't know what's going on," Ventura said.

Two people were aboard the aircraft when it began experiencing electrical problems while low on fuel around 12:30 a.m. and crashed into the home where four adults and two children were sleeping.

Ventura said all he heard was an explosion. He told News4 Washington's Megan McGrath when he opened his bedroom door, two people and a plane were in his living room. He recalled one of the men saying, "Is everyone OK here?"

Both people on the Cessna and one person in the apartment were injured, but all are expected to recover, said Captain Willie Bailey with Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.

One resident — a 33-year-old woman — and the pilot of the plane, William Larson, 61, of Vienna, were transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital. Larson's injuries were described as serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

His passenger, Tache Alejandro of Orlando, Fla., was treated at the scene.

The two work for the Vienna-based Aerial Photographers, LLC. The Cessna is registered to the company, according the FAA.

Larson and Alejandro had left from Northeast Philadelphia Airport and were taking infrared photographs from the air when their plane began experiencing electrical problems, according to Virginia State Police.

Because the plane was also running low on fuel, Larson contacted air traffic controllers and asked to land at Dulles International Airport instead of Manassas Regional Airport before they crashed.

"It could have been a whole lot worse," said Bailey. "It's a blessing that no one got killed or any major injuries."

The plane was removed from the building around 7 a.m. There is significant damage to the exterior of the building. Inspectors will be on scene to check the infrastructure.

Bailey said the plane's lack of fuel may have prevented a fire from starting.

"Good thing it didn't have any [fuel] when it crashed into the living room, because we'd probably have a totally different scenario right now," he said. 

The Red Cross is assisting nine adults, seven children and three dogs evacuated from the apartment building.

The NTSB and FAA are investigating the crash.

News4 has obtained the Cessna's records, which are clean and up to date. The plane was last inspected May 1.

Inset photos courtesy of Virginia State Police.

Vine video below via @MeganMcGrath4.

MORE ON NBCWASHINGTON:

• Resident: Plane Crashed Into My Living Room
• Deputy Charged With First-Degree Murder of Alexandria Man
• Md. Woman Awarded $800K Over Bedbug Infestation
• Cicada Mating Call Can Be Louder Than Beltway Traffic
• Police: Custodian Sexually Assaulted by Former Student

After finishing third each of the last two years, Arvind Mahankali, a 13-year-old from Queens, New York, won the 86th Scripps National Spelling Bee by finally conquering a word of German origin.

He took the spelling bee's top prize on Thursday by correctly spelling the word “knaidel,” the German-derived Yiddish word for a matzo ball.

"I thought a German curse has turned into a German blessing," Mahankali said after winning.

Spelling words of German origin proved difficult for the aspiring physicist in the past. Two years ago, Mahankali pronounced "Jugendstil" as "You could steal" and saluted the crowd when he got it wrong, according to The Associated Press. Last year he misspelled "schwannoma" and proclaimed, "I know what I have to study."

He told NBC’s “Today” show Friday that he prepared for this year’s contest by making a list of German-origin words and had his mother quiz him.

"This year I decied that no matter what I wouldn't be eliminated on a German word," Mahankali said on "Today." "So I decided to improve my skills with German."

He was ready. He spelled "dehnstufe" correctly earlier in the finals and broke “the German curse” Thursday night with the correct spelling of "knaidel."

"I had begun to be a little wary of German words," Mahankali, who admires Albert Einstein, told the AP. "But this year I prepared German words and I studied them, so when I got German words this year, I wasn't worried."

Eleven contestants -- out of the original group of 281-- vied for the top prize demonstrating their spelling ability with words such as "auncel," "greffier," "envoutement," "mamaliga" and "transrhenane."

Mahankali took home $30,000 in cash and prizes and a large cup-shaped trophy. His victory continues Indian-Americans' domination of the contest – though he is the first boy to win since 2008. He is also the first champion from New York since Rebecca Sealfon in 1997.

"It hasn't completely registered yet that I won," Mahankali told "Today." I didn't really appreciate the magnitude of what had just happened."

A tool that lets sexually active people receive and share their STD testing results digitally is now available to junior high and high school students in the Los Angeles School District.

Qpid.me relays STD and HIV test results from a health care provider to the user, who can then choose whether to send that information to a potential partner.

The free service is available to anyone older than 13. It's not a program implemented district wide, but rather is available for health education teachers to use in their curriculum if they choose to, Timothy Kordic, manager of LAUSD’s HIV/AIDS Prevention Program, told NBC4 Thursday.

“We have a huge epidemic of STDs going on in Los Angeles right now. We know that the people we have to look at and target right now are 13- to 24-year-olds,” Kordic said.

"That’s the group that are increasing their infection rates … and it’s coming from sexual activity,” he added.

Offering a digital tool to tech-savvy students so they can be aware of their sexual health status seemed natural, Kordic said.

“We need to make sure we get as much information to the youth as possible to make sure they make better, healthy decisions,” Kordic said.

Kordic said QpidMe.com was “heavily” vetted to make sure it was appropriate for students as young as those in seventh grade.

If students choose to use the service, they’ll receive two messages – one with their results and another about how to prevent the STDs for which they were tested, among them gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis and HIV.

That message will say something to the effect of “be careful. Even though they’ve been tested, they may have had sex since. Make sure you use a condom,” Kordic said.

There’s no way to search for other users’ sexual health status and all of the information comes directly from a health care provider or clinic – it’s never self-reported, Qpid.me founder Ramin Bastani said.

When asked if using his service among high school students may promote sexual activity, he replied: “We’re actually promoting testing.”

NBC4's Kim Baldonado and John Cadiz Klemack contributed to this report.

Coffee and cigarettes, for some, are an inseparable pair. But if that coffee is from Starbucks, smokers will have to take a walk if they want to light up.

Cigarettes and their electronic counterparts will no longer be permitted within 25 feet of any Starbucks storefront in the U.S. or Canada effective Saturday. The ban will also prohibit smoking on Starbucks patios—a policy that's already in effect in some parts of the country with more stringent smoking regulations.

"The intent is to provide a healthy environment for our customers in the outdoor seating areas of our stores," Starbucks spokesperson Jaime Riley said.

Smoking is currently banned inside all Starbucks locations.

Coffee and cigarettes, for some, are an inseparable pair. But if that coffee is from Starbucks, smokers will have to take a walk if they want to light up.

Cigarettes and their electronic counterparts are no longer allowed within 25 feet of any Starbucks storefront in the U.S. or Canada starting Saturday, according to a manager of a Starbucks in LA’s Little Tokyo.

An employee at another LA Starbucks confirmed the policy change.

The mega-coffee shop’s smoking policy currently lets customers light up as long as they are not on the store’s patio, which means sometimes smokers are feet away from other patrons or on the other side of an open-air gate.

Smoking is banned inside all Starbucks locations.

Californians are already barred from smoking in any outdoor area within 20 feet of a public-owned building.

NOTE: An earlier version of this report stated that smoking is prohibited within 20 feet of a "public building" in California. Smoking is banned with 20 feet of a public-owned building, such as a state, city or county property.

In a small room, with just about two dozen people, San Diego Unified Superintendent Cindy Marten addressed a Grand Jury report accusing the district of ignoring the problem of adult to student bullying.

The report released nearly two weeks ago concluded that the San Diego Unified School District doesn’t have a policy in place to address the issue but Marten and other administrators have said that's not true.

Judy Neufeld-Fernandez is one of nine parents who filed a complaint against the district. She said her child was bullied by a teacher.

"There is no true process for a parent to bring legitimate complaints forward where they will be treated seriously,” Neufeld-Fernandez said.

After the report, she is anxious to see what will be done.

On Thursday, Superintendent Marten asked a small advisory board to identity five or six people to create an even smaller focus group to discuss the Grand Jury investigation.

SDUSD trustee Kevin Beiser said the district does have a policy that allows the opportunity to raise concerns whenever there is any adult to child bullying that is investigated by the district, police and legal services.

Beiser said the civil grand jury didn't consult the district’s human resources or legal departments about the issue before releasing its report.

Marten wants parents to feel they can voice concerns about student safety.

"It's a matter of effective implementation of those policies,” Marten said.

“We have supports in place. I want to make sure the community knows where to turn to get that support,” she said.

Neufeld-Fernandez, who will be part of the superintendent’s focus group, believes there’s a need to change the culture of the district. “There is a difference between writing a policy and implementing it,” she said.

The district’s attorney and the superintendent have 90 days to respond to the Grand Jury report.
 

Evacuations were again ordered Friday afternoon in the 1,500-acre brush fire burning in steep, rugged terrain of San Francisquito Canyon, north of Los Angeles.

Flare-ups, meanwhile, tested homeowners' nerves as they watched firefighters and water-dropping aircraft battle the blaze during a second day of hot and dry conditions.

A probation camp called Camp Mendenhall was being evacuated at about 2:30 p.m., as were areas north of South Portal Road and West of San Francisquito Canyon. The fire was moving north toward Lake Hughes Road.

A Red Cross evacuation center is set up at the Marie Kerr Park, located at 39700 30th St. West Palmdale, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. Large animals can be taken to the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds' Gate 3 at 2551 West Ave. H in Lancaster.

Containment of the Powerhouse fire, reported Thursday afternoon, was estimated at 15 percent Friday as crews fought the fire during another warm day in the Santa Clarita Valley, about 50 miles north of LA.

Flare-ups and spot fires were reported early Friday -- prompting the morning evacuation order -- and temperatures in the 90s are likely during the afternoon and weekend.

Evacuations had been ordered Thursday and then lifted.

Resident Frank Disesso watched with relief as water-dropping aircraft attacked the fire Friday morning.

"The embers were coming down, and they were so big they were burning my arms," said Disesso. "You could hear them hit all the oak leaves in the yard."

Homeowner Arlene Summers said her family used a fire hose to spray water on their house, yard and trees Thursday evening.

"No garden hose is going to get this under control," said resident Arlene Summers. "It's nerve-racking."

About 600 personnel from the U.S. Forest Service and Los Angeles County Fire Department are battling the fire, which burned power transmission lines and forced road closures Thursday as it burned uphill in steep terrain and heavy brush north of Santa Clarita. The department of water and power shut down larger transmission lines in the area.

The fire is burning away from Green Valley, a community within Angeles National Forest.

"We want to hit this as hard as we can with air resources and boots on the ground," said Nathan Judy, spokesman for Angeles National Forest. "We just want to make sure this fire doesn't switch and start heading back toward this way."

The fire was first spotted Thursday by a power plant station operator burning north of Power Plant 1 near San Francisquito Canyon Road.

There were no problems reported with SoCal Edision power lines Friday, according to utility spokesman Paul Klein. The fire appeared to be moving away from the lines, but crews continued to monitor the fire's direction.

A firefighter injured when a rock fell on his leg was treated and released. No other injuries have been reported.

Viewer Photos: Send Images to isee@nbcla.com or click here.

Evacuation orders for about 200 homes south of San Francisquito Canyon and Spunky Canyon were lifted at 10 p.m., according to a U.S. Forest Service official. Mandatory evacuations ordered Friday morning for the Green Valley area have been lifted.

The fire prompted a weekend air quality advisory for residents in the Santa Clarita Valley and San Gabriel Valley mountain areas.

"In all areas of visible smoke or where there is an odor of smoke, all individuals are urged to be cautious and to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities," said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of public health for Los Angeles County.

Firefighters have responded to several wildfires during a hot, dry and windy May in Southern California.

The nearly 2,000-acre White fire in Los Padres National Forest, which started Monday, was 100 percent contained Friday north of Santa Barbara.

On Tuesday, the Magic fire burned about 150 acres near Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park in Valencia.

The Grand fire started May 15 near Frazier Park. Crews continue to monitor the area after the fire burned more than 4,000 acres, but little to no fire activity has been observed, according to the U.S. Forest Service web site. 

NBC4's Melissa Pamer contributed to this article.

Abandoned as a newborn, a 62-year-old woman has returned to the Northern California city of Concord in search of her birth mother.

Kira Derhgawen was left in the passenger seat of a parked car, swaddled in a baby blanket with her umbilical cord still attached, on April 30, 1951.

Now, more than six decades later, she's come back to the Bay Area to meet the woman who found her and to search for her biological family.

"It would bring more joy probably to her (birth mother's) life and my life if we could be reunited," said Derhgawen. "I just want people's hearts to be touched and hopefully, my birth mother will come forward."

Derhgawen recently uncovered a letter her teenage mom sent to the owner of the car she was found in. In it, the young mom pledges to someday find her.

"I cut her picture out of the paper and carry it in my wallet. I cry when I think of her. I love her so much," reads the letter.

While Derhgawen hopes to find her birth mom, she's grateful to have re-connected with her rescuer.

Jan Hungerford, 84, was just a new mother herself when she discovered Kira in her neighbor's parked car.

"It was a very tiny baby. Very calm, very sweet... just like she is now," said Hungerford, who now lives in Auburn, Calif.

The two now share an undeniable bond. "Words don't describe it because this is a once in a lifetime happening. This doesn't happen to too many people," Hungerford said.

If you have any information about Derhgawen's birth family you can contact the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department.

The San Diego Tourism Authority announced Thursday that it will suspend operations citing the lack of funding from the Tourism Marketing District (TMD).

The TMD funds have been frozen for weeks as part of an ongoing political and legal battle between the city’s hotel industry and San Diego Mayor Bob Filner.

At issue: whether the TMD, a creation of the city's hotel industry, has the legal power to impose the 2-percent room surcharge that the city has been collecting at the rate of $30 million a year.

Even though a "handshake deal" was reached in March, progress came to a halt the following month during a dispute over some of the language in the agreement. 

Filner said TMD will get its millions once it pays the 5-percent 'off the top' or $300,000 that it owes Balboa Park.

SDTMD Chairman Terry Brown issued a statement saying the board committed to funding the Centennial as stated in the agreement with the city.

“Unfortunately, the amount of money available for disbursement was less than the mayor wanted and he indicated that he would continue to withhold the tourism funding. Withholding the funding not only hurts the region's economy and tourism jobs, it also prevents funding of the centennial,” Brown was quoted in the TMD release.

Filner told NBC 7 San Diego that he's tired of “the rich hotels jerking around.” He says it knows it’s the end of the deal and TMD is not following its part of the agreement.

After TMD announced it would close its doors, Filner released the following statement:

“I have had enough of the whining and complaining from the wealthiest hotels in America. It was only days ago that they submitted a bill! We will issue their money when they hold up their end of the bargain, for example, approving payments to the Balboa Park Centennial. This idle and baseless threat is beneath them and I urge them to grow up and do business the right way. The City of San Diego will not be held hostage by such antics.”

Eight-five people working at the Authority’s Visitor Information Center on Harbor Drive will be affected if operations cease Monday said San Diego Tourism Authority spokesperson Darren Pudgil.

The employees booking the convention center will not be affected since they are funding through a contract with the San Diego Convention Center Corp.

Tim Lambesis, a local musician accused of trying to hire a hit man to kill his estranged wife, posted bail on Tuesday, according to law enforcement officials.

The As I Lay Dying frontman faced a $2 million bail. It is unknown if he paid in full or used a bail bond.

Local Musician Arrested in Murder-for-Hire Plot

A readiness hearing that was scheduled for Thursday morning was rescheduled for June 26 on a request from Lambesis’ lawyer. Officials have not revealed what time he posted bail on Thursday.

The singer of the Grammy-nominated Christian metal band was arrested on May 7 in Oceanside. Prosecutors allege that Lambesis approached someone from his gym on Apr. 23 and asked if the person knew anyone who could kill his wife.

Meggan Lambesis lives in Del Mar with the couple’s three adopted children ages, 4, 8 and 10. Court documents reveal she had filed for divorce in September 2012 to end the couple’s 8-year marriage.

The metal rocker was motivated because he felt it would be better for his three children to have a healthy relationship with one parent, prosecutors alleged in court earlier this month.

If convicted, Lambesis faces a maximum sentence of nine years behind bars.

Firefighters have fully contained a 1,271-acre wildfire near State Route 78 and the Banner Grade area that sparked as a result of a recreational shooting last weekend, fire officials confirmed.

The blaze – dubbed by officials as the “General Fire” -- began just after noon on Sunday, south of SR-78 and southeast of Julian. Residents near the site of the fire reported seeing and smelling smoke going south on S2.

Multiple agencies assisted in tackling the fire, which was fully contained as of Friday. Officials said the blaze scorched approximately 1,271 acres of terrain in the area.

No homes or structures were ever threatened, as Cal Fire officials said the fire mostly burned east toward the desert.

Earlier this week, fire officials attributed the cause of the blaze to a recreational shooting, though further details were not released. On Sunday, there were reports that officials from the Bureau of Land Management had detained two people near Banner Grade for questioning regarding the fire.

A total of 750 fire personnel, 15 engines, 32 fire crews, three helicopters, one bulldozer and 11 water tenders were used to tackle the General Fire. Fire officials said five firefighters sustained injuries.

Windy conditions played a factor in the spreading of the blaze.

On Sunday, the National Weather Service in San Diego issued a wind advisory in the area. Another wind advisory went into effect Monday afternoon for San Diego County deserts, which remained in effect through 3 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Minimum-wage workers in California could see their first raises in six years if a bill that passed the state Assembly this week continues to make its way through Sacramento.

The state’s minimum hourly wage would increase from $8 to $8.25 next year under the bill. It would rise to $9.25 by 2016 and adjusted for inflation in following years.

That would make it the highest minimum wage in the country, if other states' wages stay the same as they are now. Washington currently has the highest minimum wage at $9.19.

AB10 passed the Assembly Thursday on a 42-24 vote. It now heads to the Senate.

Democratic supporters of the measure contend the minimum wage has not kept pace with the rising costs of food, gasoline and other necessities.

“The last time the minimum wage was increased in California, gas was at $3.25 a gallon in this state,” said Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Watsonville, who is spearheading the change.

“I don't know about you, but I haven't seen gas prices at that level for a very long time.”

Seven states have set their minimum wages higher than California, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Minimum wage is $9.19 in Washington; $8.95 in Oregon; $8.60 in Vermont; and $8.25 in Nevada, Connecticut, Washington D.C., and Illinois.

Massachusetts is the only other U.S. state with an $8 per hour minimum wage.

Opponents argue that minimum-wage jobs are often held by teenagers or workers who soon move on to higher-paid positions. Alejo said his mother-in-law has earned the minimum wage at one of her jobs for 20 years.

Business leaders oppose the bill, which they say would burden employers and force them to cut jobs. A study by the National Federation of Independent Business said more than 68,000 jobs could be lost during the next decade as a result.

“Small-business owners at a minimum get a double whammy on Jan. 1” when various taxes and fees from the federal health care law also will go into effect, said John Kabateck, executive director for the state's NFIB chapter.

An assemblyman from Chino Hills argued that because different regions of the state face different economic challenges, it could be harmful to increase the minimum wage in areas with a lower cost of living.

“If we do a blanket change like this, it puts us out of competition with other states,” said Assemblyman Curt Hagman, R-Chino Hills.

Federal law sets a minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have set their minimum wage levels higher than the federal standard.

Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina have no minimum wage law.