Parents, finding free things to do with your kids this month just got easier.

On Thursday, San Diego tourism leaders launched Kids Free San Diego, an annual, month-long program that offers more than 100 free deals for the smallest in your family.

Kids can go free to the Birch Aquarium, Museum of Music Making and dozens of other attractions. Restaurants and hotels are giving “kids eat free” deals with the purchase of adult meals.

“I can tell you as the father of two kids, I like it when the word kids and free are close together,” said San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer. “That's what this great program is all about. Just like other words when they're together like budget surplus, Chargers and victory. You get what we're talking about."

City data shows San Diego hosted 33 million visitors from around the world who spent more than $8 billion.

Many tourists come from Great Britain and Japan, where the city has been focusing their international advertising efforts.

Faulconer said this Kids Free promotion is another step to attracting those valuable visitors.

"That spending includes about $157 million in hotel tax revenue which is used in providing quality city services that our neighborhoods depend on,” said the mayor.

For a full list of activities, got to SanDiego.org.

A Fremont mother is accused of providing alcohol for an underage party linked to a deadly DUI crash, according to the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.

Tabassum Yousuf was arraigned in court on Thursday after being arrested earlier in the week on suspicion of providing alcohol for a party at her home with underage kids.

Jason Park was one of the teens who was drinking at the party and was drinking. The 17-year-old student later died that night in a single-car crash.

"I feel sorry for her," Jason's mother Lisa Park said of Yousuf. "Her life has changed."

Yousuf, 42, was arrested on Tuesday, nearly a year after her son hosted a Halloween party at their home in the Fremont Hills.

Police said it took six months to get a hold of receipts and documents that they said prove Yousuf purchased a large amount of beer and liquor for the teenage party.

"There were a lot of bad decisions made that night, by her, by kids who chose to drink that night," Lisa Park said.

Jason Park was one of those kids. He felt he was too drunk to drive his car, so he gave his keys to a designated driver, who was also 17 and turned out be intoxicated as well.

Jason Park was killed when the car slammed into a tree.

"Did she go buy that alcohol thinking this would happen? No," Lisa Park said. "She just wanted to be the cool mom. But that's wrong. That's wrong."

The 17-year-old driver of the car has since pleaded guilty and has been convicted of DUI and vehicular manslaughter.

A Brooklyn couple was reunited with their lost dog last month, nearly a year after the pooch was hit by a car and dragged off underneath the vehicle.

Animal Care & Control of NYC says that that it was able to get the young lab mix, named Phife, back to his owners, Matthew Dublin and Kendall Layrock, after the dog was brought to the shelter in September. Staff members at the animal control center scanned the microchip embedded in the pup’s skin and matched it to the couple, who had adopted the dog from a rescue in 2013.

Dublin and Layrock told animal control that they were playing with Phife in a park about two months after he was adopted when the dog ran out into the street and was hit by a car. The car left the scene, dragging the dog underneath.

The couple searched fruitlessly for Phife for weeks, canvassing the neighborhood, checking online boards and calling shelters. Eventually, they called off their search and adopted another dog, which they named Buggy.

Dublin said it was “incredibly surreal” to be reunited with Phife. He said that the dog gets along with Buggy and licks and cuddles with his owners whenever he gets the chance.

“We have no idea where he's been for the last 10 months, but we couldn't be happier he's back with us and he seems to feel the same,” he said.

Animal Care & Control says it microchips every cat and dog it receives. So far this year, microchips have helped the organization reunite 1,370 lost pets with their owners.

“Microchipping your pet, and keeping your contact information current, is critical,” said Risa Weinstock, the organization's executive director. “We’re thrilled for Phife and his family, and hope their story will encourage more New Yorkers to microchip their companion animals.”

The prime suspect in the September 2014 disappearance of U.Va. student Hannah Graham had been interviewed by police five years ago in connection with another missing young woman, NBC29 in Charlottesville, Virginia, reported Thursday.

Jesse Matthew, 32, who was arrested in connection with Graham's disappearance last month, has been linked to the 2009 unsolved murder of Morgan Harrington. Harrington, a 20-year-old Virginia Tech student, was last seen at a rock concert in Charlottesville. Her body was found several months later.

Matthew had worked as a cab driver in the Charlottesville area the night Harrington vanished, according to NBC29's Henry Graff. Two weeks ago, as the search for Graham intensified to areas outside Charlottesville, police found Matthew's abandoned cab on a farm. 

Following Harrington's disappearance in 2009, police had interviewed dozens of cab drivers, including Matthew.

It's not clear which police department may have spoken with Matthew that year, but Virginia State Police said their officers did not interview him.

A cab driver said a Charlottesville detective told him Harrington had gotten into a taxi the night she vanished, according to NBC29.

"[They] said yes, she did jump into a taxi cab her last time being seen alive," Melvin Carter, Jr. with Carter's Taxi told NBC29.

Since Matthew's cab was discovered, Charlottesville police have interviewed about 20 taxi drivers who were also working the night of Harrington's disappearance, asking them if they remember seeing her or noticing a change in Matthew's behavior, NBC29 is reporting.

Though police have not yet commented on the newest developments, Harrington's father told NBC29, "This is what we hoped for, that more pieces of the puzzle would come together."

Graham, 18, was last seen during the early morning hours of Sept. 13 with Matthew on Charlottesville's downtown mall. Matthew was arrested in Texas on Sept. 21 and charged with abduction with intent to defile in Graham's disappearance.

Two years ago, the FBI said DNA evidence showed that Harrington's killer also was responsible for a 2005 rape in Northern Virginia. City of Fairfax police have declined to comment, citing their ongoing investigation. 

Crumbs is rising again in New York City less than three months after the company declared bankruptcy, according to an investor who now owns a share of the cupcake chain. 

The company will hold a grand re-opening for location on Broadway between 37th and 38th streets on Tuesday morning, according to a news release from Marcus Lemonis. Lemonis is an investor and CNBC reality show host who owns a part of the bakery chain along with several other confectionery companies including Dippin' Dots. 

Crumbs, which shuttered the doors of its shops nationwide this summer after its stock was delisted by Nasdaq, will also reopen 25 more locations in New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and in Delaware over the next 30 days, Lemonis said.

The company will also begin selling sugary treats on its website Tuesday.

As part of the reopening, Lemonis said Crumbs will offer a greater variety of sweets, including lines of cookies, ice cream and chocolate bars.

"Saving this iconic bake shop was important to me not only because of its existing delicious products, but because there is a tremendous opportunity to expand product offerings so that every sweet lover can find something they'll enjoy," he said.

Crumbs was founded in 2003 by husband-and-wife team Jason and Mia Bauer on the Upper West Side. It was purchased by a shell company in 2011 and went public, selling giant cupcakes topped with M&Ms, cookie dough, and Girl Scout cookies.

Hundreds of men and women – all in high heels – walked through downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter Thursday as part of a fundraiser to raise awareness on breaking the cycle of domestic violence.

The 7th annual “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” walk kicked off at 6 p.m. at 4th Avenue and K Street. The program raised funds for the San Diego County YWCA, an organization that empowers women, children and families to end domestic violence and homelessness and achieve self-sufficiency.

After the purposeful stroll, participants enjoyed an after-party at Jolt’n Joe’s on 4th Avenue, complete with live music, food and drinks.

According to the San Diego County YWCA, one in four women face domestic violence.

This event is designed to educate on that issue and raise money for Becky’s House, a program of the YWCA that offers a safe haven for victims of domestic violence to overcome trauma and improve their lives. Becky’s House includes a 24-hour domestic violence hotline, an emergency shelter and four transitional housing communities.

The program also provides supportive services including counseling, legal, financial, housing and employment resources to more than 5,000 people every year.

A female San Diego City College student was rushed to the hospital following an attempted robbery near campus Thursday.

School officials say a 54-year-old male student shoved the 19-year-old woman against the wall at the Mathematics and Social Sciences Building near 16th and C streets, just steps from the headquarters of the San Diego Police Department downtown.

The man did not use a screwdriver as police originally reported.

Other students tackled and restrained the would-be robber, who was later arrested.

The victim suffered an injury to the bridge of her nose that campus police described as minor. School officials confirmed the student was taken to UCSD Medical Center and appeared to be doing okay.

San Diego police assisted campus police in the incident.

Video from NBC 7 Newschopper showed SDPD patrol cars and San Diego Fire-Rescue engines parked outside one of the buildings on the urban campus.

Classes were not affected by the incident.

The commanding officer of USS Vandegrift has been relieved of duty following misconduct allegations.

This is the second time in two weeks that the captain of a San Diego-based ship has been fired.

Cmdr. Luis Alva was relieved of duty Wednesday, according to the Navy. The Navy would not elaborate on the circumstances of Alva's departure.

"The commanding officer was relieved due to allegations of misconduct that are under investigation," said Lt. Rick Chernitzer with Commander Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Alva has been temporarily reassigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 23. DESRON 23 deputy commodore Capt. Tom Williams will take over as CO for the time being, according to the Navy.

The frigate Vandegrift left Naval Base San Diego in May for a seven-month deployment to combat drug trafficking off Central and South America.

In April, the Vandegrift made national headlines for rescuing a family stranded at sea and returning them to San Diego. The Kaufman family was trying to sail around the world when one of their young daughters became sick.

On Sept. 30, the Navy announced that the commanding officer of USS Boxer, Capt. Wayne R. Brown, had also been relieved of duty after only three months on the job.
 

A three-hour SWAT standoff ended Thursday at the Mission Viejo home of Mixed Martial Arts fighter Jason "Mayhem" Miller when police stormed in and took him into custody.

Thursday's incident was unusual as Miller tweeted about the standoff and even encouraged people to go to his address to watch "the absolute waste of resources going on outside of my house right now."

Mike Tierney took him up on the offer.

"It's very voyeuristic," Tierney said. "It's just something to do. I'm off today and I live two miles from here."

It started at 10:30 a.m. when Orange County sheriff's deputies tried to take Miller into custody on
an arrest warrant in a domestic violence and stalking case, but he ran back into his home and refused to come out, Orange County sheriff's Lt. Jeff Hallock said.

It ended about 2:15 p.m., when SWAT officers placed a device on his door that blew off the locks, prompting Miller to surrender, Hallock said.

Miller defended himself in a tweet, saying "I have not committed any crime, but yet i am forced HERE."

Miller's attorney, Joseph H. Low IV, told City News Service the raid was unnecessary.

"Jason had been under the care of a doctor for an illness," Low said. "He has been waiting for me to come back to town so that we could go back to court to continue to prove his innocence. I wish the police had informed me of their raid. We could have saved the taxpayers a lot of money. There was no
reason at all for them to get all dressed up in their SWAT costumes."

Twitter user @pjuric, who claimed to be a neighbor of Miller, begged him to give himself up, writing, "If not to save himself, please think of your neighbors and our kids!"

Some of his Tweets include:
"I WISH YOU NO HARM. I respect the Police, but this is overkill, for something that would be settled with one piece of paperwork from OCBAIL;

ALL THIS because I wanted to help raise a young boy into a man, and his mama wenr off her meds, and an ambitious DA thinks mayhem is BAD.

i woke up late, and couldn't leave because there is a highly equipment regiment of wanna be soldiers outside my house reminding me that, 'WE WON'T GO AWAY!'

i have the proper paper work, at my office in  HYPERLINK 'https://twitter.com/VaporLabsIrvine/'@VaporLabsIrvine, i was due to go to court this morning, but the LFPD chase me all last night.

if you would like to see this drama unfold, please, come to 26262 Avenida Calidad, Mission Viejo, CA 92691;

Mental health services for one single mother immigrant from the Philipines, who I know was well intentioned, but has a mental condition... now i have to pay a debt for her mistakes.

Just before he surrendered, Miller Tweeted, "They are gearing up like the Bin Laden raid, and I just want to be heard in court, to dispel all of the lies."

He also Tweeted to sheriff's deputies, "They threw a phone box threw a plate glass window. Disrespect. I would like to give up, but not with 50 RAMBOS out there. Not cool."

He also vowed to have the sheriff pay for the damage to his home in one of his Tweets.

Miller is facing two counts of corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant and stalking, all felonies, and a misdemeanor count of violating a protective order, according to court records. He was last due in court Sept. 8 for a pretrial hearing, but he was declared a fugitive and a warrant for his arrest
was issued.

Court records show a $200,000 bond was forfeited on Sept. 8.

This wasn't the first brush with the law for Miller, 33, who had vandalism charges against him dismissed in 2012, but found himself in trouble with the law again for the domestic violence case in August of last year.

A misdemeanor vandalism charge against Miller was dismissed Nov. 21, 2012, after he was accused in August of 2012 of breaking at least one picture frame and damaging a propane tank and other items while spray-painting inside Mission Hills Church, causing at least $400 in damage.

Miller was arrested in August of 2012 when the church's pastor called sheriff's deputies to report he found books and CDs scattered throughout the Alicia Parkway church, along with broken picture frames and fire extinguisher dust on the first and second floors.

Miller, who was an Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor, was found on the second floor nude, although he did have some sort of cloth wrapped around him.

City News Service contributed to this report.

A man on a flight that left Philadelphia for an island paradise triggered a caught-on-camera Ebola scare on his plane when he reportedly sneezed and said, "I have Ebola."

US Airways Flight 845 left Philadelphia en route to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, just after 10 a.m. Wednesday. When it arrived shortly after 1 p.m. local time, passengers were told to stay on the plane as crews in hazmat suits came onto the aircraft.

The flight "was met yesterday by local officials upon landing due to a possible health issue on board," US Air said in a statement afterward.

"We are following the direction of, and strictly adhering to, all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines in place for airlines in response to the Ebola virus," the airline added.

An unidentified 54-year-old man had allegedly said "I have Ebola, you are all screwed," Dominican newspaper Diario Libre reported.

That led to the hazmat suit-clad workers boarding the plane, in a moment captured on passenger video.

"I think the man who said this is an idiot," said a flight attendant addressing passengers shortly before the workers came on board.

US Air said the flight was checked, and vacationers were allowed to go on their way.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, but the safety of our customers and employees is our first priority," the airline added.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether the passenger, who according to reports had no history of travel to Ebola-stricken parts of West Africa, was charged.

Health care officials in San Diego County say the region is adequately prepared to handle a diagnosis of an Ebola patient.

The disease has killed at least 3,800 people in West Africa with no signs of subsiding.

After the death of Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person in the U.S. to be diagnosed with Ebola, NBC 7 asked health care officials in San Diego about screening and treatment if a case of the deadly virus were to surface here.

San Diego Fire Rescue and City Emergency Medical Services met with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention representatives Thursday to talk about how to handle such a situation.

EMTs and firefighters are equipped with the proper gloves, masks, gowns and medical equipment to handle any patient exhibiting symptoms, should crews be called to take him or her to the hospital, the City Emergency Medical Services says.

“Every acute care hospital is prepared to deal with contagious, infectious pathogens,“ said Dr. Michael Butera, Infectious Disease Physician and chairman of the Infection Control Department at Alvarado Hospital.

Alvarado Hospital has negative pressurized rooms and other isolation rooms used for droplet and contact precaution, Butera said.

He added that all hospitals in San Diego County – particularly acute care centers – are very well prepared to care for someone exhibiting symptoms of the Ebola virus.

Currently, Alvarado Hospital staff is using a standard list of questions posed to all patients that asks about recent travel and exposure to people who may have recently been in West Africa.

He believes that screening and training is key to preventing an outbreak similar to the one currently in West Africa here in the U.S.

“Having robust policies in our hospitals and with first responders to be able to recognize and anticipate that it could happen anywhere is really important for the protection of everyone else in both the medical community and our public,” Butera said.

Physicians, nurses and other hospital staffers are outfitted with standard layers of protective gear including impermeable gowns, gloves, mask, face shield or goggles, as well as eye protection to prevent splatters from body fluid and special shoes.

That type of gear is used for other transmissible diseases currently in San Diego County including seasonal and pandemic influenza, West Nile Virus and tuberculosis.

“The epidemiology of all the [Ebola] outbreaks to date… suggest that this is a contact-spread virus that does not behave like influenza, SARS,” Butera said.

“We are well prepared, well poised to handle a first diagnosis of Ebola in San Diego,” said Dr. Wilma Wooten, Public Health Officer County of San Diego.

The health department should be notified if someone arrives at a hospital or doctor’s office with symptoms of Ebola and has either traveled to the three countries in the West African Ebola outbreak or have had contact with someone carrying the Ebola virus, Wooten said.

Once a potential Ebola patient has been identified, then that person needs to be isolated and the health care official should call the health department, Wooten said.

At that point, her agency’s laboratory will package the specimen and then call a courier to ship the specimen to Los Angeles to run tests.

Then, contact tracing begins – something Wooten called, “the bread and butter activities of the public health department” and points to San Diego County’s Measles outbreak in 2008 as the agency’s most recent experience with the process on a large scale.

Butera said it’s important for San Diegans to remember that the incubation for the Ebola virus is two to 21 days. Most patients who are going to become ill will get sick on days 6 through 10 after exposure.

“The key to understand is that if you’re not symptomatic, you’re not infectious,” he said.

During the time a person has no symptoms, the patient cannot spread the virus and those symptoms, he repeats, include fever, headache, body ache, back pain, nausea and vomiting.

The mainstay of treatment for the Ebola Virus is support of care – maintaining hydration, stable blood pressure and organ function, he said. 

However, the San Diego Border Patrol is not as optimistic about its ability to handle a patient with Ebola, according to National Border Patrol Union Representative Gabe Pacheco.

He said while agents have masks, gowns and gloves, those supplies are few, and they do not have the full mock suits needed.

The Department of Homeland Security has only sent mass internal emails about the disease's indicators, Pacheco said, but agents have not recevied clear guidelines about how to handle a case at the border.

"I think we're all waiting for the direction, and I think that's what's lacking is their direction and leadership that we're saying, 'Hey this is what we're going to do, this is where we're gonna go," said Pacheco.

The CDC says Border Patrol and TSA agents are at low risk for coming across the disease.

A cab driver is dead after he collided with the back of an San Diego Gas & Electric truck in the Webster area Thursday, according to police.

The 53-year-old driver of a Discovery Cab van, identified by family as Abebe Ainekulu, was traveling fast southbound on Fairmount Avenue as he approached the intersection with Home Avenue at 2:55 p.m.

Ainekulu made a sudden swerve into the right turn lane and slammed hard into the back of the SDG&E utility truck, according to Mark White, who rushed in with others to help the driver.

"I held his hand, he was bleeding, and we immediately called for 911. We're telling everyone, 'Hey this is no laughing matter, he's about to die," said White.

He said the steering wheel pinned Ainekulu by his stomach inside the vehicle. He died shortly after suffering the massive trauma and a heart attack while undergoing treatment, emergency responders say.

Those riding in the utility truck were not hurt, according to SDG&E.

 A Sig Alert was issued for the area four about four hours.

About an hour after the crash, friends and family began arriving at the emotional scene to learn what  happened to their loved one. They told NBC 7 Ainekulu was a husband and father of a daughter and son.

So many people wanted to share their condolences and grief that family members opened up St. Gabriel Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Logan Heights, where Ainekulu was a deacon.

Inside, some 200 people begin three days of mourning.

"He's a friend for everybody. He gives service for church for long time," said longtime friend Tesfai Takele.

Ainekulu has worked at a independent driver who owned his own cab for about 7 years, according to Ferede Gebru, who says he's known Ainekulu for 23 years.

He believes the victim was on his way to work from his home, which was about three blocks away.

"I was not expecting this. Abebe, he's a sweet guy. He's disciplined, how he drive, everything. I know, I know for sure," Gebru.

SDG&E sent out the following statement about the fatal collision: 

"While we are thankful that our crewmembers were not injured, we are saddened to learn that the cab driver has passed away. Our condolences go out to those involved in this tragic incident and to their families."

Calls to Discovery Cab have not been returned.

One week ago, another SDG&E truck was in a crash on State Route 76. The driver and another motorist were hospitalized by that incident.

This is the second time an SDG&E truck was involved in a fatal crash this year.

Last month, former SDG&E employee Hector Hoyt pleaded guilty to one count of felony hit and run causing death, stemming from a deadly incident on Jan. 6. The defendant hit and killed Robert Fisher, 54, while driving his company truck off duty in El Cajon and then took off from the scene.

Check back here for details on this breaking news story.

After putting a public call out on NBC 7, a Poway woman who was rescued from a riptide along Del Mar Beach has found the surfer she calls her hero.

Mia Glass was with her husband, Andrew, and their 3-year-old daugher at the beach in Del Mar around 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 3 when Mia decided to go swimming in the surf.

“Before you knew it, I was way out into the ocean, and I was getting beaten down on by a huge wave. I knew I needed help,” she told NBC 7.

A rip current had pulled Mia out into the ocean, and there were no lifeguards in sight, she says. She waved to her husband and screamed for help.

Andrew told NBC 7 he went out into the water knowing it was treacherous. He didn’t stop swimming to save his wife until a surfer paddled up next to him.

“He just showed up out of the blue to my right, tapped my shoulder and said he was going to go get her,” Andrew recalled.

That surfer paddled out to Mia, pulled her onto his surfboard and brought her safely to shore. Andrew says he rushed over, and when the two went to properly thank their hero, they realized he had left. They didn’t even get his name.

“I need to meet this person, and I need to look him in the eyes and say, 'Thank you so much,'” Mia said on Thursday.

Andrew echoed her appreciation. “Just thank you, and how grateful we are for saving my wife and potentially me,” he said.

On Friday, their wish came true. The mystery surfer contacted NBC 7's Candice Nguyen and plans to meet up with Mia soon. He wants to remain anonymous, but he says he was happy to help.

The family said they hope to donate to the charity of the surfer's choice to show their appreciation.

President Obama declared on Friday a large chunk of the San Gabriel Mountains a national monument during the final day of a Southern California visit that will include a signing ceremony in the wilderness northeast of downtown Los Angeles.

Some 350,000 acres of land -- from Santa Clarita to San Bernardino -- was set aside Friday during a ceremony at Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park in the San Gabriel Valley community of San Dimas. The rugged moutains provided a backdrop for the event, at which Obama described the "magnificent" mountains as an important part of the nation's history.

"There haven't been enough resources to manage and maintain this area the way it deserves," Obama said. "We have a responsibilty to be good stewards of those landscapes for future generations."

The mountains' steep canyons and soaring peaks are home to several archeological and culturally significant sites, such as rock art, and Mount Wilson Observatory, where William Hubble discovered galaxies. The area also provides a sweeping view toward downtown Los Angeles and a stunning backdrop for football games at the Rose Bowl.

"Within these hills lies millennia of history including the ancient rock art of native peoples, the first Americans," Obama said. "It was here at the Mount Wilson Observatory that Edwin P. Hubble showed the universe to be ever expanding, and it's where astronomers still explore the mysteries of space."

Supporters say it will give much needed status to the area, protecting water access rights and public recreation, while leaving the land pristine. The U.S. Forest Service, always strapped for cash, has not always succeeded in this, spending more than half its annual budget on fire suppression.

The move will provide recreational opportunities for millions of people -- minorities and children in particular -- who live in Los Angeles County, one of the most disadvantaged areas in terms of access to open space, according to backers of the plan.

"We heard from the community that for a lot of urban families this is their only big, outdoor space," Obama said. "And too many children in LA County, especially children of color, don’t have access to parks."

Not everyone is on board.

"I don't see how that is going to preserve the mountains in the way that they say it will," Erin Letarte said.

Letarte is part of a small, but vocal opposition. Residents and some business owners are furious that politicians went to the President after a bill to turn the land into a "national recreation area" stalled in Congress.

Letarte said members of the public were cut out of the process.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement that the move will "ensure its resources are managed properly and protected for future generations to enjoy."

"The San Gabriel Mountains are a vital natural and cultural resource," he said.

A 2003 study by the National Park Service said the region deserves special attention and protection, especially considering that the forest and rivers provide an essential habitat for endangered and sensitive species. As national monument, the San Gabriel Mountains northeast of Los Angeles are expected to benefit from additional resources, such as increased maintenance, new picnic sites and restrooms, more rangers, and improved educational programs for children. 

More than 15 million people live within 90 minutes -- depending on Southern California traffic -- of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Foundations such as the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Wyss Foundation, the Annenberg Foundation, and the California Endowment are establishing the San Gabriel Partnership Fund to support such projects. Together, they have already raised $500,000.

Obama has used his authority under the federal Antiquities Act to create or expand 12 other national monuments nationwide.  Last month, he created the world's largest marine preserve by expanding the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument in the south-central Pacific Ocean.

NBC4's Jonathan Lloyd contributed to this report.

Cal Fire announced Friday that the agency is lifting the safety stand down on its air tankers following Tuesday's fatal crash of one of its aircraft while fighting a fire in Yosemite National Park.

Cal Fire Director Ken Pimlott said that an investigation shows no structural failures were involved in causing the crash. Air base personnel have returned to routine safety inspections and can resume normal flight activities Friday, he said.

All of CalFire's S-2T air tankers were put on a safety stand down following Tuesday's crash of Cal Fire Tanker 81. Authorities lost contact with the Grumman S-2T Tanker 81 about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday as the pilot was fighting the Dog Rock Fire in Yosemite.

The pilot was identified as Geoffrey Craig Hunt, 62, of San Jose, a father of three. Hunt's aircraft is part of a fleet of 1950s-era Navy tankers given to the state of California to fight fires. His tanker was based out of the Hollister Air Attack Base.

Hunt was on his second drop of the day when the accident happened, officials said. His body was brought back to San Jose on Friday as part of a solemn procession.

Cal Fire, along with firefighters from the city and Santa Clara County, were on hand to honor hunt.

"Anytime you lose a member of the fire service in the line of duty like this, it's very challenging and very sad," said Brad McGibbon, a San Jose Fire Department captain. "Our hearts go out to the family. He died courageously."

Cal Fire officials said Hunt's family plans to take the body back to Indiana, where the pilot was born.

"This has been an extremely difficult week for us," Pimlott said. “Words can’t express my sorrow for the Hunt family, but I am incredibly thankful of the work our pilots, employees and fire service partners have done following this tragic accident.”

"We encourage all pilots to take all precautions necessary for their safety," he added.

NTSB officials said that their investigations did not show any mechanical issues with the accident sequence. The agency is coordinating with Cal Fire, the Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service on the recovery of the aircraft, which will probably happen once the fire control operations have concluded, officers said.

NTSB is expected to publish a preliminary report on the incident on its website within five business days. The investigation could take anytime between six months to a year to be completed.

CAL FIRE has lifted its safety stand down for all of its S2T airtankers. NTSB finds no structural failures involved in crash.

— CAL FIRE PIO Berlant (@CALFIRE_PIO) October 10, 2014

#Calfire pilot Craig Hunt pic.twitter.com/VghtdjbkV3

— Damian Trujillo (@newsdamian) October 8, 2014

Three children in Orange County have tested positive for enterovirus D68 in cases “not linked with any community outbreak of the illness,” health officials said Friday.

The latest diagnoses comes the same day that the California Department of Public Health confirmed that 32 people have tested positive for the virus, which has reached areas including San Diego, Alameda, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Solano and Ventura counties.

“Due to the heightened awareness and surveillance for enterovirus D68, it is not surprising to identify cases in Orange County,” said Public Health Officer Dr. Eric Handler in a statement.

Enterovirus spreads from person-to-person through coughs, sneezes and touches by an infected person, officials said. Symptoms include a runny nose, sneezing, coughing, and body and muscle aches.

Children who have the disease may exhibit more serious symptoms, such as wheezing. Parents who notice their children having trouble breathing should seek medical attention immediately, officials said.

There is no vaccine or specific treatment for the virus. According to the Orange County Health Care Agency, the best preventative measures include:

• Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially after changing diapers

• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands

• Avoid kissing, hugging, and sharing cups or eating utensils with people who are sick

• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as toys and doorknobs, especially if someone is sick
   

Police say a 9-month-old baby died Sunday after her parents left her in her crib alone for 16 hours.

Avarice Alexander was not breathing when officers responding to a 1 p.m. call about an unresponsive infant arrived at the home on the 10200 block of Aqua View Court in Nokesville, Virginia. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators say Avarice's parents, Adam Alexander and Jasmyne Alexander, both 21, left the child in her crib for 16 hours and never checked on her. Court documents show that the 9 month old was placed in her crib face-down at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

Her mother came home from work just before midnight, and according to court documents, both parents began to drink and later went to sleep.

It wasn't until Sunday afternoon that the Alexanders checked on their infant daughter.

Detectives also learned that the child had not visited a doctor in the past seven months, despite her parents noticing a potential breathing problem four weeks prior to her death.

Both parents were arrested and charged with felony child neglect.

The Alexanders also have a 2-year-old daughter. They family lived with Adam Alexander's mother and his teenaged sister. Neighbors say they rarely saw the young couple or their children. 

Keep it right here to watch all of the action in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

The 26.2-mile course snakes through 29 neighborhoods as diverse as Lincoln Park and Pilsen, and participants will represent all 50 states and more than 100 countries.

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All indications are that it's going to be a fast race. 

The elite competition will feature five men with personal records of 2:05 or faster, and four women with the potential to break 2:20, marathon officials have announced.

Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele (2:05:04) and Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge (2:04:05) will resume their historic rivalry in the race. The two have raced more than a dozen times since squaring off for the first time at the 2003 IAAF World Championships in the 5,000m.

Also in the mix will be Kenya's Sammy Kitwara (2:05:16), Bernard Koech (2:04:53) and Dickson Chumba (2:05:42).

With all this elite talent, last year's course record of 2:03:45, set by Kenya's Dennis Kimetto, could be in jeopardy. Only five men in history have broken 2:04 on record-eligible courses.

The top women include 2013 champion Rita Jeptoo (2:18:57), Kenya's Florence Kiplagat (2:19:44), Jemima Sumgong (2:20:48) and Ethiopia's Birhane Dibaba (2:22:30).

Jeptoo ran her first career sub 2:20 in last year's race, the fifth fastest time in Chicago Marathon history, and she returns this fall after smashing the Boston Marathon course record in April, a blazing 2:18:57. She could become the third woman in history to run three career sub 2:20s.

Jeptoo's training partner, Jemima Sumgong, returns to Chicago in October. The 2013 Rotterdam Marathon champion placed second in Chicago last year with a personal best of 2:20:48.

"This year's field is built for speed and record-breaking performances," said Bank of America Chicago Marathon Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. "We have big expectations due to this group of men and women who know how to race, dig deep and win."

Two local firefighter will join more than a dozen others as they are added to the California Firefighters Memorial in Sacramento Saturday.

A “Last Alarm” bell ringing ceremony will mark the moment for Samuel Escalante, an investigator with the Chula Vista Fire Department (CVFD) and Michael James Hicks, a retired National City firefighter.

Escalante, 43, died of a heart attack June 21 while hiking with his family.

He was described as a “highly technical” and “very thorough” colleague by fellow Chula Vista firefighters.

Escalante had been working with the CVFD since February 2006 as the city’s first Fire Prevention Engineer. Prior to joining the department, he was a Fire Protection Engineer in the U.S. Navy.

Hicks, 70, died on April 23 after succumbing to the effects of cancer.

In his 30 years of service with the National City Fire Department, Hicks was known for best remember his calm, cool demeanor in even the most dangerous conditions.

The two men will join more than 1,250 fallen firefighters listed on the statewide memorial in the Capitol Park.