The death of the Frisco woman charged in her son's death has been ruled a suicide, and her husband's death has been ruled a homicide, a month after the couple were found dead at their home.

A note found at the Dhawans' home is still being analyzed, Frisco police said Wednesday. Police refused to characterize the case as a murder-suicide and said their investigation was ongoing.

Pallavi Dhawan, charged with murder in their son's January death, died from a combination of drowning and toxicity from the common antihistamine diphenhydramine, according to an autopsy report police received Wednesday from the Collin County medical examiner. Her death was ruled a suicide, police said.

Her husband Sumeet Dhawan died from a combination of blunt force head injuries and toxicity from diphenhydramine and salicylate toxicity, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory found in many over-the-counter medications, the report said. His manner of death was ruled a homicide, police said.

Texas Department of Public Safety officials have not released details about the note found at the scene of their deaths, saying they are still analyzing it, and the police investigation is ongoing.

Pallavi Dhawan had been charged in January with the murder of her son with special needs, Arnav Dhawan, after police found his body in a bathtub in the home, surrounded by bags of melting ice.

Pallavi consistently maintained her innocence. The Dhawans said the boy, who had several underlying medical conditions, had died of natural causes, and Pallavi was preserving her son's corpse until Sumeet returned home from a business trip in India. In their culture, the family said, the father must deliver a final blessing.

The Dhawans' attorney David Finn said Arnav had several underlying medical conditions, including a cyst in his brain and a condition that causes a person to develop an undersized head and that can shorten life expectancy. The medical examiner said the boy's cause of death was undetermined, with natural disease being the most likely factor.

The Frisco Police Department, however, continued to pursue a homicide investigation against the boy's mother.

Sumeet and Pallavi Dhawan were both found dead at their Frisco home in the 15000 block of Mountain View Lane last month, he in the house and she in the backyard, authorities said.

A federal U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent who works on the front lines at Newark International Airport says customs officers at the tri-state hub lack appropriate training and equipment to handle potential Ebola cases.

"They are assuring the public everything is being done, but it is not," the agent told NBC 4 New York, adding there are currently no doctors or CDC personnel assigned to the airport for when flights with passengers from West Africa arrive. 

The agent's statements come as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new screening and security measures would be implemented this weekend at the five airports, including Newark, that account for 95 percent of travelers from Ebola-ridden countries.

The agent expressed concern such measures had yet to be implemented. The agent says confusion reigned there Saturday when a passenger believed to be Liberian on an arriving flight was vomiting.

The plane went to the gate and most passengers were allowed to enter the customs hall, the agent said. Federal officials took the sick passenger and a companion to a hospital, where they were evaluated. It was determined the sick passenger showed symptoms consistent with a minor, treatable condition, not Ebola. The companion was asymptomatic.

The scare was real, however, the agent said.

"A panic ensued," according to the agent. Airport managers went on the public address system and asked the passengers to separate themselves because they were mixed in with passengers from other flights who had not been exposed to the vomiting passenger, the agent said.

"It was a disaster," the agent said.

In cases of a low-level bomb scare, the plane is parked away from the terminal, the agent said. That wasn't the case with the sick passenger's flight, which landed amid intensifying global fears over Ebola.

On Wednesday, the first patient diagnosed with Ebola in the United States died at a hospital in Dallas, Texas. Another patient from the U.S. was transported to a Dallas hospital the same day.

Sen. Chuck Schumer has said it is past time better protocols be implemented at the five airports -- Newark and John F. Kennedy International Airport among them -- that account for 95 percent of travelers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and New Guinea to the United States.

Shortly after NBC 4 New York spoke with Schumer, the CDC announced new measures would be implemented at Newark, JFK and the other three airports, which include, Dulles International Airport in Virginia, Chicago O'Hare International Airport in Illinois and Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia.

About 150 passengers from the three infected countries arrive at those airports each day, according to the CDC. The new measures call for enhanced screening with targeted questions, temperature-taking and getting contact information from travelers in the event the CDC needs to reach them. Passengers who have fevers or report contact with Ebola patients in West Africa will be further interviewed and additional action will be taken when appropriate, the agency said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more personnel will be in place at airports, but it will still be the custom border agents on the front line looking for sick passengers. On-site CDC public health officers will then further interview potentially sick passengers.

The new measures will be implemented this weekend.

The customs agent who spoke with NBC 4 New York said such measures should have been in place sooner. Passengers from West Africa should also be screened for symptoms at the gateways, well before entering terminals, the agent added.

"It's a simple thing where we just need to focus and take extra precautions," the agent said. "I am speaking out because I care. It's just a matter of doing it."

A spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said agents and officers are trained to look for overt signs of illness, and protocols are in place to try to prevent the spread of Ebola. The spokesman said customs officials are working closely with the CDC to improve screening at the five major hubs for people from West Africa traveling to the U.S.

Follow Jonathan Dienst on Twitter @jonathan4NY

The San Francisco Giants are moving on to the National League Championship Series to face the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Giants won its National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals 3 games to 1 with a 3-2 victory on Tuesday.

Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong pitched 5.2 innings, allowing 2 hits and 1 run. He also struck out four batters.

Game 1 of the NLCS is scheduled for Saturday.

Visit NBC Bay Area's San Francisco Giants page for more coverage.

So much happiness. #SFGiants #OctoberTogether pic.twitter.com/zVxpB7HU8k

— #OctoberTogether (@SFGiants) October 8, 2014

Never gets old #SFGiants #OctoberTogether https://t.co/tyGi5IiPbf

— #OctoberTogether (@SFGiants) October 8, 2014

Long gone are the days when Morse code and snail mail were the primary modes of communication in the U.S. Navy.

Cox Communications has completed a major project retrofitting 165 Navy sites in San Diego with digital cable and high-speed Internet, the company announced Wednesday.

These sites include ships, fire stations, recreation centers, barracks, military housing, Navy hotels and more, according to Cox.

“It was like building a mini city, 40 miles of new cable and fiber plant infrastructure,” said Larry Coval, Vice President of Cox Business in San Diego.

Sailors who work on ships will now have access to more than 100 digital channels, as opposed to only a handful before. Also, faster Internet should allow them to better stay in touch with their families while they're at work, according to the company.

The build-out is part of five-year contract Cox has with the Navy.
 

Don Dimon sits in a 100-year-old barber chair in San Diego's Little Italy for an old fashioin haircut and a shave.

"I used to go to a regular salon," said Dimon. "You really didn't see barber shops."

But that is changing for many men as a growing number of new barbershops are opening up in San Diego.

Boris Zavurov is a fifth generation barber and said a younger group of people are coming to his shop.

"Styles are changing," said Zavurov. "Hair cuts are changing and going back to more old fashion styles."

Some of his new customers once went to the barbershop with their father or grandfather but then with longer hairstyles, stopped going to the neighborhood barber in favor of a hair stylist.

But new trends are working in favor of the barbershop.

Felipe Becerra with Lefty's Barbershop in Pacific Beach said his shop with five barbers is nearly always busy.

"Definitely the nice clean cut is in right now," said Becerra.

But it's not just haircuts that keep barbers busy. More men are coming in for a straight edge shave.

"It's a treat," said Zavurov. "Obviously they can shave at home themselves, but it's more of a luxury."

After his haircut, Dimon had a warm towel placed on his face, followed by a massage of shaving oil then another hot towel. After that his beard was covered with shaving cream and Zavurov started shaving him with the straight razor.

"It's great, it's relaxing," said Dimon. "I sometimes fall asleep and end up looking like a movie star at the end."

But a shave isn't cheap. At Vince's Barbershop in Little Italy, that shave can cost $45. It's $16 at Lefty's.

Barbers say a good shave also takes time, not something you want to rush.

Teachers in the San Ysidro Elementary School District are officially on strike.

“In the morning, I got to admit, I was feeling very depressed driving up to the work site,” teacher Claudio Zuazo said. “Once I got here, I saw the support of my fellow teachers and the community rallying around this cause.”

Teachers picketed before and after school on Wednesday after rejecting a 1.54 percent raise from the district.

Teachers say they don’t consider that a raise at all. If they accepted that agreement, they say they would have to work an extra five minutes of instructional time a day, totaling two full days and two hours, plus one full day of teacher training.

The district says it could only finance the pay increase by using money set aside specifically to enhance student learning.

“In thinking creatively to find a way to be able to put some money on the table and at the same time legally be able to use LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan) funds to be able to do that,” said George Cameron, Ed.D., Interim Superintendent.

Classes were held as usual Wednesday, though with below average attendance. Cameron says the substitute teachers came from neighboring communities, not from out of town as the permanent teachers allege.

The cost of hiring substitutes is about $50,000 a day, according to Cameron, plus $20,000 for extra security.

NBC 7 Investigates compared median earnings for teachers in elementary school districts across San Diego County based on data from Transparent California, a taxpayer advocacy group. NBC 7 Investigates found the median teacher in San Ysidro earned $80,259.825 in pay and benefits, while ranked about in the middle of districts countywide.

The San Ysidro Elementary School District is in negative certification, meaning the San Diego County Office of Education now oversees its spending. County Superintendent Randy Ward released this statement Wednesday night:

"It's amazing what can happen when we put the needs of children first. They're the ones who are caught in the middle when adults disagree, and they're the ones with the most to lose. The important thing is to focus on the students."

A school board meeting scheduled for Wednesday night was canceled.

Officials at a Brooklyn mall say they're investigating a video of several security guards appearing to punch, choke and kick at least one teenage boy as outraged onlookers plead for the men to stop.

Witness Shaunternett Melton posted video of the fight on Facebook Oct. 5. She said mall security officers at Kings Plaza Mall started to follow two teenagers when they began arguing. 

"He was walking out of the mall by Modell's, and a whole bunch of security guards, they just started attacking him," she said at a news conference with community advocate Tony Herbert. "Punching him, kicking him in his head while he was on the floor being choked." 

One guard is seen in the video placing his hand over one teen's neck as he was already restrained on the ground. 

"We can't tell these kids to act civil and professional in society when those who have the authority and are trained professionally can't do the same," Herbert said.

Police confirmed they were called to the mall for a report of a disorderly crowd that day. Officers were told by mall security that a 17-year-old boy assaulted one of the security guards, according to the NYPD.

The teen was arrested and charged with assault, trespassing and disorderly conduct. It's not clear if the arrested teen was the one in the video. 

A property management official for the Kings Plaza Mall says the company is looking into the "disturbing" video and is working with police and AlliedBarton Security Services, the company that employs the security officers involved, as part of the investigation.

Viewers who watched the video on Facebook expressed shock. 

"Did he steal something? If not, why are their hands on him like that? There is a big difference between law and policy. Those gentlemen will have a lot of explaining to do if that young man didn't put his hands on them or confiscate anything," said one woman.

"Someone should have helped this boy, no matter what he did, he didn't deserve to be beat up like he was some type of animal," another commenter said. "Look how big those men were compared to him." 

Kings Plaza Mall has seen its share of violent confrontations. Last December, a large brawl involving hundreds of teens prompted a short-lived policy banning minors from entering the mall without a guardian and a rollout of additional NYPD officers. 

Follow Ida Siegal on Twitter @idasiegal4NY

Two brothers charged in an attack inside a Levi's Stadium restroom during Sunday’s San Francisco 49ers' game in Santa Clara last weekend lashed out for no good reason, prosecutors said Wednesday.

“This was not a fight,” Deputy District Attorney Deborah Hernandez said. “This was an unprovoked and vicious attack against spectators that has left one of them close to death.”

The alleged attack by Amador Rebollero, 27, and his brother, 34-year-old Dario Rebollero, both from the town of Traver in Tulare County, left one man injured and his cousin hospitalized in critical condition, possibly paralyzed, according to prosecutors.

The victims have not been identified.

Prosecutors say the attack apparently happened when the possibly-paralyzed victim was in line in the men’s room behind Amador Rebollero and “nudged” him on the shoulder to point out an available urinal.

A video posted on YouTube, which was confirmed by police as showing the fight in question, shows a stocky man with a goatee wearing a No. 21 Frank Gore shirt punching a thinner man in a Colin Kaepernick No. 7 shirt. The thinner man falls flat on the floor. The video camera stays with this man for a while, showing him motionless.

The witness told police he started filming "because he could sense an attack," and then Amador Rebellero threw punches at the man without warning.

After the assault, both defendants, who prosecutors say have gang tattoos, fled from the bathroom, but were soon tracked down and arrested by officers.

One of the victims was treated for his injuries. The other victim required emergency brain surgery and has been unable to speak with investigators about the attack, prosecutors said Wednesday.

The brothers were arraigned Wednesday on felony assault charges. Amador Rebollero, also known at Jose Ramos, is being held in custody on $350,000 bail. He could face 11 years in prison, if convicted. His brother’s bail was set at $75,000. He could face up to eight years in state prison, prosecutors said. Amador is charged with an additional count offelony assault producing paralysis, Hernandez said.  

Dario's victim was treated and released after the fight but Amador's victim remains hospitalized. The two victims are cousins, according to Hernandez.

Hernandez said she asked for a large bail figure for Amador Rebellero because his victim in the fight ended up with bleeding in his brain, had to have part of his skull surgically removed to relive brain swelling and has paralysis.

The two are due back in court date Oct. 30.

In a statement, the 49ers said the organization was “appalled to see the video of the attack … Maintaining the safety of all stadium guests is our highest priority and we are dedicated to providing a friendly and welcoming environment for all events held at Levi’s Stadium.”

NBC Bay Area's Nannette Miranda and Bay City News contributed to this report.

A small shark rescued from a fishing gear tangle at Mission Bay’s Marina Village has returned to the great open ocean.

The pregnant grey smooth-hound shark was found stranded and caught up in fishing gear on Sept. 30 with shallow wounds to her snout, abdomen and below her dorsal fin.

“When our rescue team arrived and we saw it, we noticed that there was damage from fishing line and it actually had a fishing lure hook stuck in it,” said Mike Price, SeaWorld’s assistant curator of fishes.

SeaWorld teams took her from the Marina Village waters to the park. Using ultrasound and X-rays, they discovered she was carrying several pups, though it’s unclear how far along she was.

Price said the finding put the veterinarians on more of a “taking care of mom mode.”

The 3 ½-foot, 20-pound shark, nicknamed Marina, got some much needed rest and relaxation while under the watch of veterinarians.

One week after her rescue, aquarium specialists deemed the shark healthy enough to return to the ocean. On Wednesday, Marina was set free to swim among the kelp bed of Point Loma.

“This is us giving her a second chance at life. Sharks play a very important role in their ecosystems, so the more we can help out apex predators like sharks, the better for the environment (as a) whole,” said Price.

Smooth-hound sharks are often spotted around the coast of Southern California and Northern Mexico. They favor shallow waters with muddy or sandy bottoms where they can find their favorite foods: lobsters, crab or other crustaceans, according to Fishbase.org.

After an urgent search in Vista Wednesday night, sheriff's deputies arrested the man wanted in an attempted rape.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department received a 911 call at 7:30 p.m. reporting that a man grabbed a 15-year-old girl and tried to pull her pants down on Eucalyptus Avenue at Alestar Street.

Deputies soon spread out across the neighborhood to search for the man, using the support of a helicopter looking from above.

The man was taken into custody later that evening, though no information has been released about him.

Investigators remained at the scene to gather evidence.

Cellphone video catches a San Diego Police officer slamming a teenager to the ground in what his mother and attorney call a blatant example of police brutality.

In the grainy video, Cruz Munster, 18, is seen walking with his skateboard away from a group of officers, who are not pursuing him. Suddenly, as walked between two cruisers, another officer grabs him by the shoulders and hauls him down in City Heights.

Several other officers quickly jump in to help handcuff the teen.

“It’s heartbreaking and very scary” said Carina Munster, the teenager’s mother. “They could’ve killed him — you never know, one blow to the head” said Munster.

She told NBC 7 her son’s head was slammed against the pavement.

The video was taken last October by a local business owner filming a police response at a local liquor store along the 4000 block of Van Dyke Avenue. It was just posted to YouTube on Tuesday.

Munster’s attorney Karolyn Kovtun, who is representing him in a separate legal matter, says she found it as part of her discovery and felt compelled to share with NBC 7.

“The reason I’m bringing it up is because it’s conduct we don’t expect from law enforcement,” said Kovtun.

Carina Munster said her son was questioned by police near the City Heights liquor store and released. But as Cruz started to walk away, officers started making fun of him and called him a “loser,” according to Carina.

She says he talked back, which is what she believes prompted the officer to take physical action.

According to the SDPD field interview report provided to NBC 7 by Kovtun, Munster was observed running from officers and discarding marijuana and a scale.

He was arrested and spent a night in jail, but police released him the following day without any charges.

Kovtun said there was no marijuana impounded and the video clearly shows the teenager walking, not running.

“They didn’t know they were being filmed, so they can say anything, and that’s what is disturbing,” said Kovtun.

SDPD Lt. Kevin Mayer released the following statement in response to NBC 7’s questions:

“We want the public to come forward and report concerns they may have regarding service or the actions of our personnel. Based on the information you have provided, an investigation has been opened to determine the factual circumstance of this case.”

The Munsters say they have filed a complaint with the department but never followed up on it, claiming they were scared about retaliation.

The month of Oktober means beer, bratwurst and pretzels, and nowhere will the great German tradition of Oktoberfest be carried out with more beachy flair than in Ocean Beach and South Park this weekend.

So strap on your lederhosen for the ultimate beer garden doubleheader.

Starting appropriately enough at 4:20 p.m. on Friday, the O.B. Oktoberfest at the intersection of Newport Avenue and Abbott Street gets into the spirit with a tasting of seven German brews inside the beer garden for $20.

Local bands Brothers Gow, Electric Waste Band and Piracy Conspiracy are slated to perform for the fall-loving crowds, and the “Blonde’a’thon” happy hour runs until 6 p.m.

On Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., the brews and tunes keep rolling, featuring Vokab Kompany, Todo Mundo and the Devastators.

Those wanting to burn off the beer calories from the night before (or the calories they expect to gain) can join in for the Brat Trot Beach Run at 10:15 a.m., which benefits the local youth sports. Any sausage enthusiast would love to add this trophy to his or her collection.

The German art of competition will be celebrated with challenges in stein holding, bratwurst eating, balloon blowing and sausage tossing — all ripe for a hefty helping of schadenfreude.

Finally, revelers will crown the fairest of them all: Ms. Oktoberfest.

If that’s not enough for you, South Park's Parktoberfest is just a hop, skip and a jump away (as long as you’re sober behind the wheel).

The first ever event will take over the Gala Foods parking lot at 3030 Grape Street Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

You’ll need a big plate to handle all the Bavarian sausages, pretzels and German potato salad set to come your way.

For those 21 and up, you can pair your food with San Diego’s finest brews from Stone, Green Flash, Ballast Point, Mission Brewery, Lightning Brewery, Mother Earth, Thorn St. Brewery, Twisted Manzanita Ales and Mike Hess brewing companies.

And what’s an Oktoberfest without a polka band? Papa Oom Pah Pah will headline the main stage, preceded by local bands Lexington Field, Brick Top Blaggers, and the School of Rock.

But this isn’t an adults-only event. Kiddos will have plenty to do in the family section with face painting and carnival acts, organizers say.

Parktoberfest itself is free, but the parts that cost you a few bucks will benefit Shakti Rising, a charity aimed at empowering women and children.

Both events have plans to get people to and from their beer gardens without driving drunk.

Shuttles will run hourly on Friday from the 710 Beach Club in Pacific Beach to Ocean Beach from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Those trips will increase to every half an hour Saturday from 12 to 10 p.m., and hourly shuttle stops will also be set up at The Local in downtown San Diego and the Rabbit Hole in Normal Heights.

As for Parktoberfest, a free bike valet will make trips for those not in a state to drive. A complimentary shuttle will also run up and down 30th Street from Grape Street to North Park.

Lots of little boys like police officers, but probably not as much as Xander Sanchez does.

In fact, the 4-year-old wears a police uniform and badge every day, according to his aunt Ana Villegas.

“He’s always the good guy. He never wants to be the bad guy,” Villegas said.

A few weeks ago, Xander approached an off-duty police officer in his Otay Mesa neighborhood and asked for a sticker. Sgt. Lem Siansonoy didn’t have any stickers, but took the boy’s address and promised to bring him a bag of goodies.

Sgt. Siansonoy made a surprise stop at Xander’s house on Oct. 1. Sure enough, Xander was wearing his police uniform and even had his miniature police motorcycle parked in the front yard.

The officer invited Xander to ride his mini motorcycle to the San Diego Police Department Southern Division, located just a few blocks from his home.

His aunt said she couldn’t believe what happened next.

“As we’re riding over, we look outside. There is like 25 police officers waiting outside,” Villegas said.

“Next thing we know, we see the motorcycle cops ride in with lights and sirens,” she said.

The SDPD officers lined up to take pictures with “Officer Sanchez.” Besides touring the police station, Xander got to sit on an actual police motorcycle and hold the radar gun.

But these officers did more than make a little boy’s day. Xander was diagnosed with autism at age 3 and has had problems with communication, Villegas said. Currently, he receives in-home speech therapy three days a week.

Villegas said the police station visit was "the best day of his life so far” and that he can’t stop talking about it, even telling strangers about his experience.

“I don’t think they understand how much good they did for him,” she said.

The officers gave Xander a notepad to write tickets. Villegas said he’s constantly writing tickets for family members, for violations ranging from parking in grandma’s driveway to playing music too loud.

A government employee has been reported missing off the coast of San Diego, prompting a search involving the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and Los Angeles Fire and Rescue, officials said Wednesday.

The missing person, identified only as a civilian employee from Naval Auxiliary Landing Field San Clemente Island (NALFSCI), hasn’t been heard from since Tuesday evening.

Officials say the employee went fishing and was expected to commute to work Wednesday morning but did not arrive.

The search is focused around San Clemente Island, about 70 miles west of San Diego. The U.S. Navy owns and operates the island.

The employee's name is being withheld while the search continues.
 

An Escondido motel turned into the site of a standoff Wednesday as San Diego SWAT officials arrested a man accused of robbing a convenience store with a fake gun.

Escondido Police Department Lt. Eric Skaja said there had been a robbery at a 7-Eleven on North Ash Street earlier in the morning and the suspect was possibly holed up inside one of the rooms at the Motel 6 at 900 N. Quince Avenue, near West Mission Avenue.

At 11:15 a.m., Skaja said SWAT officials were working to get a warrant and working with the victim of the robbery to identify the suspect. At around 11:55 a.m., a man was escorted from the motel and handcuffed. SWAT officials could be seen approaching the open door to a room and sending in a K-9.

A witness sent NBC 7 photos of SWAT officials surrounding a portion of the motel. The witness said officials were calling out a name, ordering a person to leave one of the rooms for about an hour. She said it looked like officials might ram the door open with a rod attached to a truck.

By 1 p.m., the situation appeared to be wrapped up.

Escondido Police Department officials told NBC 7 a suspect identified as Domi Gustavo Jimenez had been taken into custody.

Police described Jimenez as a transient from San Jose, California, with contacts in Escondido and San Diego County.

Police said Jimenez had allegedly robbed a nearby 7-Eleven store at around 2:30 a.m., flashing a fake gun and making off with an undisclosed amount of cash.

The robbery then led to a pursuit in which Jimenez sped off in a white sedan. He ditched the vehicle and was able to escape officers.

Police said investigators were able to track Jimenez to the Motel 6 location a few hours later.

Guests were evacuated from the first floor of the motel and SWAT and police units were called in after he refused to leave his room.

Ultimately, Jimenez was arrested. No one was injured in the standoff, police said.

Several witnesses watched the take-down of the suspect, including a man staying in a motel room next door who told NBC 7 he was awakened by the sound of police banging on the door.

A Motel 6 staffer told NBC 7 she couldn’t confirm SWAT activity at the motel, despite details from police.

The San Diego City Council’s Committee on the Environment voted Wednesday to declare mandatory water restrictions through a Level 2 Drought Alert.

The city needs to reduce its water use by 20 percent, Committee Chair David Alvarez says — a goal residents are far from hitting with only 4 percent conservation under Level 1 voluntary measures.

Now, mandatory rules will be up for a full city council vote.

“It is clear to me that the current drought is not coming to an end in the near future and it is critical that we take action now in order to guard against more severe restrictions in the future,” said Alvarez in a press release.

Under a Level 2 Drought Alert, the following recommendations would become requirements:

• Water lawns no more than three days a week for nor more than seven minutes each time
• Use hoses with automatic shut-off nozzles or timed sprinkler systems
• Wash vehicles before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
• Water potted plants, gardens and fruit trees before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.
• Don’t water plants or yards on rainy days
• Shut off ornamental fountains that don’t use recycled water

Watering lawns would be restricted based on where you live. Odd-numbered addresses will water Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Even-numbered addresses will water Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Apartments, condominiums and businesses would be allowed to water on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

A Drought Alert was last declared in 2009.

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer put his support behind the mandatory measures Tuesday, saying he wants to see the Drought Alert in place by Nov. 1.

He said ten city employees would be responsible for educating the public and business about new restrictions and their “24 Ways to Save Hundreds of Gallons Every Week.”

The San Diego County Water Authority has already mandated a “Drought Alert” for 20 percent conservation. For that agency, measures include offering water to restaurant patrons only on request, offering hotel guests the choice not to launder towels and linens every day, watering yards and plants early in the morning or late in the evening and repairing all leaks within 72 hours.

When Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state drought emergency in January, he called on Californians to cut their water use by 20 percent

Water suppliers across the state report consumption fell 11.5 percent on average in August.

A woman hit and killed Tuesday by a vehicle while she was unloading her car on a busy La Jolla street has been identified as Melissa Bonney Ratcliff, vice president of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Ratcliff was running errands and had been unloading her car before noon on Girard Avenue when a 91-year-old driver backed out of a nearby parking spot on the west side of the street, crossed into the other side and rammed into Ratcliff, San Diego police said.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

In a report released Wednesday, the medical examiner's office said Ratcliff died from blunt force injury to her torso and listed her manner of death as an accident.

Ratcliff, 45, served as vice president of marketing and events for the chamber of commerce.

Ratcliff was hired by the chamber of commerce earlier this year, according to a news release from the chamber in March.

She was described as a “nationally recognized leader in marketing and strategic communications” and previously worked as a press secretary for the Democratic National Committee. She also served in the White House in the 1990s as then-Vice President Al Gore’s deputy director of communications, according to the chamber.

The chamber issued a statement, saying members were "grief stricken over the tragic loss."

"She was a well-respected and valued member of the chamber team and will be missed by all of us," the statement said. "We're deeply saddened by her loss and send our thoughts and prayers to her family and friends."

North San Diego’s Stone Brewing Co. has tapped Richmond, Virginia, as the future home for a new brewery and restaurant location, the company announced Thursday.

The Escondido-based company confirmed it has signed a formal letter of intent with the City of Richmond outlining Stone’s interest in building its first-ever East Coast facility in the city’s greater Fulton community.

If approved, Stone plans to invest $74 million to construct a brewery, packaging hall, restaurant, retail store and administrative offices.

The company said the construction of the East Coast facility will occur in phases, with the brewery up and running by late 2015 or early 2016 and the Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens portion opening a year or two after that.

The 200,000-square-foot brewery and distribution facility will likely be built on 14 acres of land and will be equipped with a 250-barrel brewhouse that produces year-round and special-release beers to be bottled, kegged and distributed.

A two-story, 30,000-square-foot building will be transformed into a destination restaurant spanning four acres and boasting landscaped gardens where patrons can enjoy craft beer and bites in a relaxing atmosphere. The restaurant menu will highlight locally-grown, organic food.

The company plans to employ approximately 288 people or more at the Virginia business.

Stone president and co-founder Steve Wagner said narrowing down the location of the East Coast facility was tough, as the company received hundreds of proposals and visited more than 40 sites before making their big decision.

“We decided to begin next-step negotiations with Richmond because of their ability to meet our extensive site requirements, subject to the city’s approval. We also feel that Richmond’s vibrant energy and impressive craft beer culture, along with the uniqueness of the property, will allow us to create a truly memorable Stone experience for our fans,” Wagner said in a press release Thursday.

Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones said the city was thrilled to welcome Stone Brewing Co. to Virginia.

The North County brewing company first announced plans to expand its IPA empire to the East Coast this past March.

In July, the company announced another expansion, this time hopping international borders with plans to open a brewery in Berlin, Germany. With that big move, the company will become the first American craft brewer to independently own and operate a brewery in Europe.

With plans to invest $25 million, Stone will transform a two-acre historic gasworks complex in the Berlin suburb of Marienpark into a brewhouse, World & Bistro Gardens restaurant and retail store by late 2015 or early 2016.

Stone is Southern California’s largest brewery and the nation’s 10th largest craft beer producer. It operates its flagship brewing facility and bistro out of Escondido on Citracado Parkway and a second location in Point Loma’s Liberty Station, which opened in 2013.