A deadly form of meningitis that quickly claimed the life of a San Diego State University freshman is the same strain that infected students at multiple colleges throughout the country.

Sara Stelzer, who was taken off life support over the weekend, contracted Type B meningoccal meningitis. While she had been vaccinated against meningitis, the vaccine did not cover the rare Type B bacteria.

Two other students nationwide died last year from the Type B bacteria. A student at Pennsylvania’s Drexel University died after coming into contact with Princeton students who had Type B meningoccal disease.

A student at University of California Santa Barbara also died from the B-strain of the disease during a campus outbreak.

Coincidentally, a Carlsbad native who attended UCSB, contracted the disease and had to have his feet amputated. He survived, however.

Vaccination against Type B bacteria isn’t legal in the United States, though it is legal in Europe. If another San Diego State student contracts the strain, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention could evaluate whether to use the European vaccine here.

That vaccine was used to successfully treat a number of infected students at Princeton and UCSB.

So far, no other students have contracted the B-strain, university officials said. Nearly 1,000 students were evaluated and some were given antibiotics over the weekend after the campus issued a health alert.

Here’s an incentive to turn your ballot in early: It may save you more robocalls and political mailers.

Campaigns often use software like one by Political Data Inc. to show who has cast a ballot — though not how they voted. Once your name makes the list, they make an effort to leave you alone, says political analyst Vince Vasquez.

Campaigns can check a box to weed out those who have already voted, even narrowing it down by demographics or the specific political race.

Vasquez is working with a nonprofit that uses the Political Data program to target Asian voters in San Diego’s 6th City Council District.

“We're doing it now to only target those voters who have not yet cast ballots, the reason being we're limited in our budget and volunteer time and we don't want to waste any money or any effort,” said Vasquez.

It’s hopeful news for residents in the 52nd Congressional District, where one of the most competitive races in the country is playing out.

Ads, phone calls, door-to-door volunteers and fliers bombard homes there, hoping to sway people to their side.

“It's really irritating to receive that kind of mail,” said Mira Mesa resident Tom Derr. “One or two is fine, but when you get dozens of these things all the time, I don't even bother looking anymore. I see it I pull it out and I throw it in the recycle bin,” he said.

But not all the campaigns are using such software.

Bill Filio told NBC 7 he turned in his ballot, but he’s still getting two to three mailers a day.

While there is not guaranteed it’s foolproof, voting early may be a solution for those particularly irked by constant ads.

A new generation of San Diegans will soon be able to climb to the top of Balboa Park’s iconic California Tower after it was shuttered nearly 80 years ago.

The city approved the San Diego Museum of Man’s plan to reopen the century-old, Spanish-style tower on Jan. 1, 2015. But first, the historic structure will need some remodeling and safety improvements.

A $3 million fundraising effort is underway to support the renovations, provide a long-term fund for the tower and invest in the museum, officials say. One third of the goal has been reached, thanks to the Legler Benbough Foundation’s pledge of $1 million.

“This is transformational not just for the Museum of Man, but also for Balboa Park,” said the museum’s CEO Micah Parzen in a release. “This will be the one experience all visitors, tourists and residents alike remember forever.”

Reopening the California Tower, one of the most recognizable sights in the park, is one of the many events city leaders are touting to celebrate Balboa Park’s centennial next year.

From atop the structure, visitors will get a glimpse of Mexico, the Cuyamaca and Laguna mountains, the ocean and, of course, nearly the entire expanse of San Diego.

The California Building, which houses the museum and tower, was built in 1915 for the Panama-California Exposition.

It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the California Quadrangle, and the tower is recorded in the Historic Buildings Survey in the Library of Congress, according to the museum’s website.

A University of New Hampshire political science professor's three word pop culture reference in the New Hampshire U.S. Senate race debate Tuesday night in Concord had the audience laughing and the Internet buzzing.

"Winter is coming," Dante Scala said in kicking off a question on rising energy costs directed at Democratic incumbent Jeanne Shaheen.

NBC's "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd, who was moderating the debate, quickly said it wasn't in reference to HBO's hit show "Game of Thrones." 

The light moment in an otherwise testy debate came as Shaheen and Republican Scott Brown face a close race.

A recent WMUR Granite State poll showed Shaheen leading her GOP challenger 44 percent to 38 percent among likely voters at the start of the month. Seventeen percent remained undecided.

Questioner in #NHSEn debate: "Sen. Shaheen, winter is coming.” !!!!

— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) October 22, 2014

Thus far, the #nhsendebate's most memorable line is from @Graniteprof. ("Winter is coming.") Figures. He made Research Methods interesting.

— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) October 22, 2014

"Winter is coming" - nicely done, @Graniteprof! #gameofthrones

— Jim Merrill (@JimMerrillNH) October 22, 2014

Mic drop by @Graniteprof: "Winter is coming...." #NHsendebate

— Cory True (@corytrue) October 22, 2014

Oh yeah #GOT reference "winter is coming" to intro energy issues #nhsendebate

— Bridget Bartol (@Bridge_B) October 22, 2014

A company manufacturing guardrails lining highways in California and across the country defrauded the federal government, according to a jury verdict out of a federal whistleblower case in Texas.

Trinity Industries, a highway manufacturing heavyweight based in Texas, has been accused in lawsuits and complaints across the country for making a change to a widely used version of its guardrail end terminals, the ET-Plus.

The changes cause the guardrail to perform improperly, according to the lawsuits.

On Tuesday, in a letter to the company, the federal government is asking Trinity to perform additional crash testing of the ET-Plus guardrail. According to the letter, the company must submit a crash test plan to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) by October 31.

“Should Trinity not comply with this request, FHWA may suspend and/or revoke the eligibility of the ET-Plus,” according to the letter.

Click here to read the letter

In a statement, Trinity said “it looks forward to working with the Federal Highway Administration and having further conversations about additional testing of the ET-Plus® System. It is important to us that our nation’s roads are safe for drivers across our country. We have the highest degree of confidence in our company, our employees, and the performance and integrity of our products.”

The jury awarded $175 million Monday in favor of Josh Harman, the whistleblower in the federal case brought under the False Claims Act. Harman is a competitor of Trinity who alerted the FHWA to changes made to the ET-Plus.

“Hopefully, their verdict and the voices of victims across the country will be heard by Congress,” Steven Lawrence, an attorney for Harman, said in an email statement to NBC 7 Investigates.

In a statement, Trinity suggests it may appeal the verdict:

“The Company respects the jury's decision. However, Trinity believes the decision cannot and will not withstand legal scrutiny. The Company strongly believes the courts will affirm its position.”

Click here to read the full statement

Lawrence and other lawyers are representing victims across the country in cases against Trinity for injuries incurred after coming in contact with Trinity guardrails in crashes.

According to the lawsuits, instead of passing through the terminal chute and pigtailing out the side, away from the vehicle, the metal railing of the guardrail jams up inside the chute. The metal then sometimes pierces through a vehicle like a spear, cutting through cars and sometimes the people inside.

Trinity has said in statements the company stands behind its product and has called Harman’s allegations “false and misleading.”

This recent verdict is just the beginning Lawrence said, “Joshua Harman's demand from the beginning was a recall, and that's still what he's asking for.”

This year, four states have removed the Trinity ET-Plus guardrails from state-approved product lists, banning future use of the end terminals on roadways. Nevada prohibited them in January because Trinity failed to disclose the change in the product to the state. Missouri, Massachusetts and Virginia has cited safety concerns.

The FHWA is the federal agency responsible for approving which highway safety materials are eligible for federal reimbursement and states look to for which products are approved for use on their highways.

In previous statements the department has said the ET-Plus remains eligible for federal reimbursement.

After the verdict Monday, Brian Farber, an FHWA spokesperson said in a statement, the department “will evaluate the findings of the Trinity case and consider whether it affects the continued eligibility of the ET-Plus. Separately, the FHWA continues to review the Trinity guardrail service record. We have asked all states to immediately share any crash information involving the Trinity ET-Plus guardrail end terminal. To be clear, our number one priority is safety and we will take a data-driven approach to ensure safety on our highways.”

Click here to read more

In a recent study, researchers at the University of Alabama Birmingham looked at almost a decade of crashes in Missouri and Ohio.

According to the study, the ET-Plus guardrail end terminal is 1.36 times more likely to produce a severe injury and 2.86 times more likely to produce death than an older model manufactured by Trinity, the ET-2000.

The study was funded by The Safety Institute and the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission and published Sept. 11 by the University of Alabama School of Engineering. In 2012, the FHWA was notified of the changes made to the ET-Plus by Harman.

When asked about the changes, the company admitted to making them in 2005 and apologized for omitting the details of the changes to the federal government. Trinity provided crash tests which it said showed no safety issues with the modified ET-Plus. The tests were certified by the Federal Highway Administration.

Last March, a committee with a national traffic safety non-profit, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), approved an in-service review of guardrail terminals.

It’s being led by the Transportation Research Board’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program.

It hopes to determine whether or not guardrail end terminals currently on our roadways, which have performed acceptably in crash tests, are actually performing the way they are designed to perform in real-world accidents.

The review was initiated after the committee surveyed state transportation officials across the country, Tony Dorsey, AASHTO's Manager of Media Relations said. The survey asked state officials if they had been having problems with any guardrail end terminals.

A pet bobcat escaped from its Jersey Shore home for at least the third time this year, a little more than a month after a judge told its owner the feline would be removed from her home permanently if it got out again.

Authorities were notified around 9 a.m. Tuesday that the bobcat, named Rocky, escaped from Ginny Fine's home. Stafford Police said Wednesday the 38-pound cat was found in a humane trap Wednesday morning. It is currently being held at the Popcorn Park Zoo in Lacey.

Fine was issued another summons after the cat escaped, and she could lose custody of the animal because of its previous escapes.

It's the third time authorities have had to round up the elusive cat this year. In one escape, the partially-declawed feline was missing for days, leaving neighbors concerned.

A judge ordered Rocky to undergo DNA testing to determine if he was a full-blooded bobcat, which are illegal to have as pets in the Garden State. Fine said he is a hybrid. The test came back inconclusive. 

A garbage truck fully engulfed in flames shut down traffic along the eastbound State Route 52 Tuesday afternoon.

The truck somehow caught fire at about 1:45 p.m., at one point still driving down the highway as flames rose from the back. It finally stopped to block the eastbound offramp to Mission Gorge Road.

The California Highway Patrol issued a Sig Alert for the freeway near that exit.

The driver was able to escape unharmed.

Firefighters are working to extinguish the fire and investigate what caused it.

All eastbound lanes of SR-52 were closed for more than three hours, reopening at 5:12 p.m.

A new complaint against SeaWorld San Diego alleges keeping dolphins, whales and walruses in captivity is causing psychological and physical harm, including skin lesions, scars and abnormal behavior.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) filed the complaint Monday with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees and annually inspects SeaWorld parks.

PETA is calling on the agency to send inspectors to investigate alleged violations of the Animal Welfare Act after veterinarian Heather Rally says she witnessed detrimental behaviors during visits on Sept. 4 and Oct. 18.

"During my first visit to SeaWorld, I personally observed several dolphins who were aggressively chasing, ramming and attempting to bite one another," said Rally, who works for PETA, during a news conference Tuesday.

She said the behavior was an unnatural result of being held in close quarters.

But being held in isolation may be worse for the typically social mammals, she claimed.

Describing a walrus kept alone in a tank, Rally said the animal spends his days swimming in tight circles, only stopping to regurgitate his food and eat it again — something she calls very abnormal behavior.

"Several of these animals were also suffering from extensive pathological abnormalities of the skin, including lesions, defects and unusual patterns of discoloration, as well as scars and rake marks from being bitten from other animals," said Rally.

The veterinarian said she also saw unsupervised human contact with the aggressive dolphins.

Kathy Guillermo, senior vice president of PETA, told the media they hope SeaWorld will stop importing wild animals, halt its breeding programs and retire orcas and other animal to sea pens and  sanctuaries.

In a statement sent to NBC 7, a SeaWorld spokesperson calls the complaint’s allegations “groundless." 

The company's veterinarians say Rally's accusations were incorrect and reflect a complete misinterpretation. They attacked her, claiming she has only been a veterinarian for five months and is not remotely qualified to make her allegations.

“Today’s news conference represents the eighth time in just over two years that PETA has called for an investigation into SeaWorld’s animal care practices; all were groundless and none resulted in a negative finding," said the statement. " Today’s allegations are no different. The credibility of these charges is also reflected in PETA’s partnership with an activist who himself has been convicted of violating the federal law that protects marine mammals. It is unfortunate that PETA’s focus in targeting SeaWorld continues to be on getting media attention, not helping animals.”

The parks spokesperson says there is no higher priority than the safety of its guests and team members and the welfare of its animals, especially those taken in by its rescue and rehabilitation program.

The representative argues that SeaWorld is accredited by two professional zoological associations and operates under multiple state and federal animal welfare laws.

The park — which has branches in Orlando and San Antonio as well as San Diego — came under fire in the 2013 documentary “Blackfish,” which focuses on allegations of orca whale mistreatment that the company calls false.

SeaWorld has since been on the PR defensive, announcing multimillion dollar plans to expand a killer whale environment and programs to protect the creatures in the wild.

San Diego County health officials are trying to find children or adults who may have handled a rabid bat outside a San Marcos restaurant over the weekend.

Five children discovered the bat Saturday morning in the outdoor courtyard near Pizza Nova, located at 141 North Twin Oaks Valley Road, according to the county’s Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA).

When the animal was taken to the County Public Health Laboratory, it tested positive for rabies Monday.

Now, officials are looking for the children, their parents or those who may have come in contact with the rabid bat to make sure they were not exposed to the deadly disease. If you know who those people are, you are asked to call the HHSA at 619-692-8499.

But Charlie Muirhead, owner of the Pizza Nova, said there may no need to worry.

"There's a lot of wildlife out here so it doesn't surprise me that they found a bat," said Muirhead. "But the kids -- what I understand -- the kids found the bat and they got their parents involved. The parents said, 'Did anyone touch the bat?' They said, 'No one touched the bat.'"

Another rabid bat caused a health scare last week for a man who participated in the Del Mar 5K Mud Run. As he was enjoyed a drink with his co-workers post-race, the flying animal landed on him.

He is now undergoing a series of rabies shots and vaccinations as a precaution.

Rabies is a preventable viral disease mostly transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal, the HHSA says. However, it can also be spread if the animal’s saliva comes in contact with a person’s eyes, nose, mouth or open wound.

The disease attacks the nervous system, and early symptoms — which include fever, headache, discomfort and general weakness — can take weeks to months to develop after an exposure.

Later signs are insomnia, anxiety, confusion, partial paralysis, hallucinations, increased salivation and fear of water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Once symptoms do develop, health officials warn rabies is almost always fatal.

But if the exposed patient catches it early, the virus is treatable through vaccines.

The HHSA recommends you should never handle live or dead bats or other unfamiliar animals. If you have come in contact with a bat, or if you were bitten or scratched by suspected rabid animal, wash your wound carefully with soap and warm water and immediately call your doctor.

You can also call the county’s Epidemiology Program at 619-692-8499 during business hours or 858-565-5255 after hours.

The CDC says the vast majority of rabies cases come from infected raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes.

A part-time snowplow driver was convicted Wednesday of luring a prep-school teacher out of her Vermont home under the guise of a broken down car, then killing her.

A jury rejected arguments by Allen Prue's defense that his wife, Patricia Prue, killed 33-year-old Melissa Jenkins in a jealous rage on March 25, 2012.

Prosecutors said the Prues lured Jenkins from her home as part of a long-planned crime. Jenkins' nude body was found the next day in the Connecticut River. She had been strangled.

Allen Prue, 32, cried when the jury's verdict was announced after six hours of deliberations. His lawyer had argued his client was unaware of his wife's plan to kill Jenkins.

Allen Prue was convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy and attempted kidnapping in the death of Jenkins, a teacher at St. Johnsbury Academy.

Patricia Prue, 34, is being tried separately on an aggravated murder charge and other counts.

Prosecutors said Allen Prue gave a detailed confession to police that implicated both him and his wife.

Jenkins, a single mother, was reported missing on March 25, 2012, after her vehicle was found idling on her rural road with her 2-year-old son inside. The next day, her nude, strangled and beaten body was found in a remote spot.

Police were led to the couple by a business card for Prue's plow business. The killing shocked the Northeast Kingdom, an area in Vermonot where violent crime is rare. The trials were moved out of Caledonia County.

Prue, who had plowed Jenkins' driveway, and his wife were arrested two days after she was killed.
 

McDonald's was there during the recession, offering menu items for under a dollar.

Now that times are getting better, the same people who stocked up on cheap food may be turning their back on the fast-food giant.

"With the economy improving, consumers have a couple dollars extra to spend," said San Diego State marketing professor Miro Copic. "When they're looking at higher quality food they're not choosing McDonald's."

And the numbers prove his point. On Tuesday shares of the world's largest burger chain were down. Third-quarter comparable store sales dropped 3.3 percent in the United States. And earnings fell worse-than-expected: 30 percent compared to a year ago.

With rising labor and food costs, McDonald's and other fast food restaurants have had to cut down on their dollar menu.

Today the "value" menu includes items from between $1 and $6 and that's not necessarily bringing customers in the door. Instead people are going to "fast casual" restaurants like Chipotle and Panera.

"Mexican food, Asian fair, sandwich shops have made a big comeback," said Copic. "People are seeing options and they're looking at a lot of different variety that they didn't do over the last five years."

In the mean time, millennials, health conscious shoppers and others are steering away form many fast-food restaurants. McDonald's is experimenting with more personalized meals and offering regional menu items.

One published report says the company is even rethinking it's "I'm Lovin' It" ad campaign. And while it still owns the market for budget shoppers, it will have to work harder to capture the crowd walking across the street to more upscale casual food restaurants.

"Fast food needs to re-think its value proposition," said Copic. "And in the spaces they compete, they need to have a more compelling offering."

A 21-year-old man faces six felony charges after police say he entered a woman’s open window in Golden Hill and sexually assaulted her as she slept.

Daniel Gomez made his first court appearance on Tuesday in connection to the Oct. 11 attack. He pleaded not guilty to forcible rape, sodomy, burglary, robbery and making criminal threats.

A judge set bail at $1,250,000.

Gomez also has been charged with a separate burglary that occurred last Wednesday, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors say on Oct. 11, Gomez slipped through the victim's window as she slept in her B Street home.

Using a knife, he allegedly raped, sodomized and robbed her. Gomez then ran away, according to police. 

Officers arrested Gomez in connection to the attack last Thursday.

Most who live in Golden Hill say it's a gentrified community of unlocked doors and open windows, even at night, but the brutality of the alleged attack is stealing away some of the residents' sense of security.

Kimberly Morgan, who usually works at night, said she adjusted her schedule to feel safer.

"Since that happened, I haven't driven at night. I haven't," she said.

The incident may be rare and isolated, but it's having a universal affect on Golden Hill.

"I would be a little more careful," said resident Mike Kravcar. "I wouldn't leave my back door open, unlocked, what have you." 

If convicted on all charges, Gomez could face 75 years to life in prison. He is scheduled to next appear in court at the end of the month.

Two homes are without water and another suffered damage after a water main break in La Presa.

The main broke around 6 a.m. at Maya Street and Luther Drive, near Jamach Road.

Crews were able to isolate a 10-inch asphalt concrete pipeline. They are working to open the road in order to get to the pipe.

Water trailers are being delivered to the area while repairs are made.

There’s no estimate yet how much water was lost, although crews have slowed the water flow.

According to the Otay Water District, the project won't be fixed until 8 p.m.

A family of four mountain lions was spotted passing through Big Dalton Canyon in Glendora last week and it was all caught on camera.

When mountain lion enthusiast Robert Martinez reviewed footage from his trail camera, he discovered the family of four mountain lions that passed through the area the morning of Friday Oct. 17.

"I almost didn’t believe what I was seeing, like I was seeing double on my video," Martinez said. "I couldn’t believe four cats were just there."

As Martinez continued to review footage, he discovered that another male mountain lion passed by later that night – a lion he believes is following the family.

Martinez said he was "really excited" about the discovery. He says his trail cameras are set up specifically to track mountain lions. Martinez said that one of the lions was so close to the camera, you could hear him or her breathing and see the lion’s teeth and whiskers.

“It’s a hobby and a passion, just for fun, the thrill of the chase," Martinez said. “I love the challenge of trying to follow their path, figure out where they might go next."

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is the subject of all the talk in the NFL after breaking the career touchdown passing record on Sunday night.

Now he and the league’s top-ranked offense get to pick apart a reeling Chargers D.

The Broncos lead the league in scoring, averaging 31.5 points per game. They are third in passing yards per game with 299. And there’s the whole 510 career touchdowns for Manning.

He has been as good as ever, throwing 19 scores and just three interceptions, completing nearly 69 percent of his passes.

“I never feel like I am playing the opposing quarterback,” Chargers signal caller Philip Rivers said. “But there are certain games and opposing quarterbacks that are more special than others. That’s just being honest.

Rivers said he enjoyed watching Manning break the record.

“That’s a credit to his consistency,” he said. “Being out there for his team, not only being out there, but at a high level.”

OK, but how do you beat this team?

“Players out-executing the scheme that presents itself to you,” Chargers coach Mike McCoy said. “That’s what it comes down to every play. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing against.”

That’s coach-speak for “Don’t give Manning any extra chances to beat you.”

Defensive coordinator John Pagano says one of the keys is doing better when the defense has the other team’s backs against the wall. The Chiefs converted 7-of-14 third downs in beating the Bolts on Sunday.

“We gotta get off the field,” he said. “Our last game was not our best performance.”

Getting the Chargers offense on the field – and, more importantly, keeping Manning off it – may very well be the biggest key. The Chargers have thrived this season when dominating time of possession.

The same was true in a Thursday night win over the Broncos last year. The Bolts converted half of their 12 third downs and had the ball nearly 39 minutes.

If they are unable to keep the Broncos’ offense on the sideline, it could be a long night in the Mile High City.

Rivers doesn’t deny the importance of matching up against one of the league’s all-time greats.

“Going against a Peyton Manning-led team, there’s no denying that there’s a little more uh, shoot, I don’t know what the word is -- awesomeness to those games,” he said.

As for getting over Sunday’s heartbreaker against the Chiefs, McCoy has no doubt his team has already put it out of their minds.

“We’ve got a lot of veteran players who have played a lot of big games,” he said. “They’ve played in plenty of games after a loss. It’s the next game you gotta play.”

A man is in custody, accused for driving under the influence after his car collided with a California Highway Patrol car in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The CHP SUV was stopped at 9th Ave & Interstate 15 in Escondido at 12:26 a.m. as the officer was finishing up a traffic stop.

Suddenly another driver crashed his vehicle into the CHP vehicle’s rear fender.

That driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

The officers were outside their patrol car at the time of the collision.

No one was injured.
 

A bunch of pallets began burning at a ranch east of Gilroy early Wednesday morning, and spread to a barn sending bright orange flames into the sky and shutting down roads in the area.

The NBC Bay Area chopper flew over 2676 Ferguson Road at State Route 152, showing the bright flames surrounding burning bales of hay. The California Highway Patrol closed the roads surrounding the fully involved blaze, which was first reported at 4:47 a.m. The Gilroy Premium Outlets on Leavesley Road are three miles away.

Uriel del Toro, the owner of the Del Toro Trucking Company which housed the barn, said he believes the fire may have been intentionally set, because he's had a few run-ins with homeless people including Tuesday night. He estimated the damage to be about $5,000, because most of it was junk.

The National Weather Service showed a satellite image of the heat the fire was creating.

A fire near Gilroy is creating a heat signature on satellite imagery this morning pic.twitter.com/oLhFVXvB7X

— NWSBayArea (@NWSBayArea) October 22, 2014

A Cal Fire captain said the fire had spread to 10,000 square feet. And despite the size the the large flames, no one had been injured and there were no immediate evacuations.

The Gilroy, Morgan Hill and San Jose fire departments, along with Cal Fire were all providing help to put out the flames.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

NBC 7 got some love from the annual San Diego CityBeat readers poll, released today.

Our own meteorologist Dagmar Midcap was named the city’s best TV personality. SoundDiego earned top honors for best local music blog. NBC 7 was also named the best TV station.

Catherine Garcia was also given honorable mention in the best TV personality category.

Two California teenagers admitted to vandalizing American flags in a senior living community.

The two teenagers were caught spray painting one flag and vandalizing two others in July in the community of Oceanside north of San Diego.

Breeana Serrato and Daniel Moran, both 18, pleaded guilty to felony vandalism in court Tuesday.

Oceanside Police surveillance video showed the vandals in the act, including writing “F*** USA” in light blue spray paint. Two flags on Rosemary Way and one on Mesa Drive were involved in the incident.

The video led investigators to Serrato and Moran who were arrested last month.

A third defendant, Reuben Jimenez, 18, is also charged in the case. He is expected to appear in court next week.

Serrato and Moran will be sentenced in December.