Chargers at Work in Solid Win

The San Diego Chargers are 3-1 for the first time in five seasons under Norv Turner, and they've done it with workmanlike performances rather than a lot of flash and dash.

Philip Rivers was 21 of 31 for 307 yards and one touchdown, Mike Tolbert ran for another score and the Chargers knocked out Miami quarterback Chad Henne on the way to beating the winless Dolphins 26-16 on Sunday.

The Chargers have a one-game lead in the AFC West over Oakland, which lost to New England.

"Everybody seems to think we can't start fast," Tolbert said. "But no matter how we win, how ugly it is, we're 3-1. We're on a good pace right now. We're trying to keep momentum going."

It's a big change from Turner's first four seasons, when slow starts agitated the fans. The Bolts were 1-3 in Turner's first season, 2007, then had three straight 2-2 starts.

"The only thing faster would be 4-0," Rivers said. "It's a little faster than it has been around here. It's usually a flip of 3-1."

Said Tolbert: "As long as you win, the style points really don't count. We don't care about style."

They didn't need to in a game in which the teams combined for three touchdowns and seven field goals.

"We're finding ways to win," said safety Eric Weddle, who had another late-game interception. "If that's all you can say about us, then that's a good thing to say."

It was the second week in a row the Chargers beat a winless team at home. The previous Sunday, the Chargers beat the defending division champion Kansas City Chiefs 20-17. The Chiefs got their first win Sunday by beating the winless Minnesota Vikings 22-17.

Turner was impressed with his team's effort.

"There wasn't anything blah-blah about anyone on our side," the coach said.

Henne hurt his left shoulder at the end of a run on a broken play on the Dolphins' second possession and didn't return. Although backup Matt Moore led the Dolphins to the game's first TD, Rivers' passing eventually overpowered the Dolphins (0-4).

Rivers threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson to tie the game at 7 late in the first quarter. Ryan Mathews' 42-yard gain on a screen pass set up Tolbert's 1-yard leap over the pile for a 20-10 lead for the Chargers early in the third quarter.

The Chargers managed to score two touchdowns. They got four field goals from Nick Novak, from 27, 48, 23 and 38 yards. Rivers took a knee three times inside the Dolphins' 20-yard line to end the game.

"One thing that has been nice about all three of our wins is we took a knee at the end of the game," Rivers said. "A lot of guys will say that's the best formation in football."

Jackson, who was in and out of the game with a muscle strain in his leg, had three catches for 108 yards. Mathews had another solid day, running 16 times for 81 yards and catching five passes for 68 yards.

Henne and Moore were each intercepted once.

"Everybody is going to wish they had some plays back," Moore said.

Chargers star tight end Antonio Gates missed his second straight game with a sore right foot, an injury that's bothered him since last season.

Henne was hurt at the end of a 1-yard run in the first quarter. He went to hand off to Lex Hilliard, who wasn't ready for the ball. Henne was hit by Shaun Phillips and stayed on the ground for a few minutes. He walked off the field, then went into the locker room. When he came back out to the sideline, it was clear he wasn't going back in.

"I wanted to see how it felt, but the risk was too heavy to do," Henne said. "Doctors will let me throw tomorrow, we'll get some more tests done, see how my strength is."

Henne said it was a checkdown to a run and there were "missed communications with the running back. Injuries happen. I'll bounce back."

Moore came in and completed a 31-yard pass to Charles Clay. Hilliard capped the drive with a 4-yard TD run, but it was overturned after replay, with the officials saying his knee was down inside the 1-yard line. Hilliard then dove over the pile to give the Dolphins a 7-0 lead.

Rivers needed three plays to tie it. After consecutive first downs, he lobbed the 55-yarder to Jackson, who dived to make the catch, then got up before a Dolphins defender could touch him, and scooted into the end zone.

Reggie Bush, playing as a pro in his hometown for the first time, ran 13 times for 50 yards and caught two passes for 15 yards.

Miami's Dan Carpenter kicked field goals of 41, 37 and 51 yards.

Notes: The game was blacked out in Southern California. ... The PA announcer referred to Bush as "Reggie Jackson" after a carry late in the first quarter. ... San Diego's Larry English had two sacks. ... Rookie CB Marcus Gilchrist, making his first start in place of injured Quentin Jammer, intercepted Henne.

Man Steals Volunteer Patrol Car, Leads Police on Chase

A man who stole a senior volunteer patrol vehicle led police on a short pursuit and was later arrested in area northwest of Carmel Valley on Sunday afternoon, according to the San Diego Sheriff's department.

The incident began in Poway at about 9:47 a.m. when a male suspect stole a parked retired senior volunteer patrol vehicle that was being used to help control traffic at the Tour de Poway cycling event, officials said.

Sheriff’s deputies were alerted and began pursuing the suspect.

Based on how the man was driving, deputies were asked to fall back and called in their Astrea helicopter to assist them in the chase, officials said.

Deputies were able to spike the tires of the car driven by the suspect  on Hartfield Ave. near Del Mar Heights Road, according to reports.

At that point the man exited of the vehicle, got down on the ground and was taken into custody.

The reason as to why the man took the vehicle was not immediately known.  

 

"Very" Sick Crewman Airlifted From Cargo Ship to San Diego

A crewman aboard a ship 170 miles northwest of San Diego had to be airlifted to the hospital after falling ill on Saturday, according to Coast Guard officials.

The Coast Guard Command Center in Alameda received word at about 2:30 p.m that a 37-year-old crewman on a Cyprus-flagged cargo ship had become “very sick,” officials said.

After an initial investigation by a Coast Guard flight surgeon, a medevac was recommended, according to a media release.

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew soon airlifted the man to the Coast Guard Sector San Diego, where he was later transferred to emergency medical service for further treatment just before 11 p.m.

 

Police Hunting for Would-Be Robber

Police are searching for a man who they believe attempted to commit three robberies in the same morning last week along Island Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia.

The alleged robberies took place Sept. 23 over a period of one hour and 45 minutes.

At 5:10 a.m., an unknown man approached an employee of the Sunoco station in the parking lot at 2500 Island Avenue. The man told the employee he had a gun and demanded money. The employee fled into the store. The suspect initially followed the employee but later fled on foot before taking any money.

At 6:45 the same morning, police believe that the same man entered the Burger King restaurant at 3000 Island Avenue. The man allegedly told the cashier that he had a gun and demanded money. The cashier stated that he did not believe the man was armed and refused to give him any money. The suspect fled on foot. 

Ten minutes later, police say the man entered the McDonald's at 2900 Island Avenue, pointed a "simulated weapon" at one of the employees and demanded money. The employee refused to open the register and the suspect fled on foot.

The suspect is described as a black male in his mid-20s, standing 5 feet, 8 inches high and weighing approximately 160 pounds. He is seen in surveillance video wearing long blue jean shorts, a black jacket, and a black baseball hat with a red Chevrolet logo on the front.

Police are asking anyone with information about these crimes or the suspect to contact the Southwest Detective Division at 215-686-3183.

Man Linked to 4 Convenience Store Robberies

An 18-year-old Wilmington man arrested in a Newport-area convenience store robbery has been linked to three additional robberies in a span of a week.

State police say Jarrett McKinstry was armed with a handgun Thursday night when he demanded money from a clerk at the Country Farms store in the 2000 block of West Newport Pike.

While fleeing the scene, police say McKinstry was struck by a vehicle. He was arrested after police were called to Christiana Hospital on Friday.

Police then linked him to convenience-store robberies on Sept. 23, Sept. 25 and Sept. 27.

In those heists, an armed man demanded cash and cigarettes while a second person acted as a lookout.

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11-Year-Old Boy Struck by Hit and Run Driver

Philadelphia police say an 11-year-old boy was struck by a hit and run driver while skateboarding in Southwest Philadelphia Sunday.

It happened along 65th and Greenway Avenue shortly before 8:30 p.m.   Police say the driver stopped, got out of the car and saw the boy on the ground.  The driver then got back into his car and continued on Greenway, according to investigators.

The victim is in stable condition at Children’s Hospital with cuts and bruises to his head and body.

Police describe the car as a black or dark blue Mercedes or BMW.

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Police Investigate Walmart Bomb Threat

Police are trying to determine Sunday who called in a bomb threat that forced the evacuation of a Walmart in Temecula.

The threat was called in about 7:15 p.m. Saturday at the Walmart in the 22000 block of Temecula Parkway, sheriff's Sgt. Don Fortney said.

The store was evacuated and employees and customers moved to a safe location, Fortney said.

"The business was searched and a suspicious package was located near the front of the store,'' he said. "The Hazardous Device Team later determined the package was not harmful.''

Two bomb-sniffing dogs went through the store and did not find anything suspicious, Fortney said.

Investigators were continuing to try to find out the identity of the caller.

The sheriff's department asked anyone with information to call the Temecula Police Department at (951) 696-3000.

 

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Winter-Like Storms to Bring Rain, Snow

Forget fall, the Southland is skipping directly to winter.

Rain, snow, and gusty winds are expected as early as Monday when two winter-like storms move through the area this week, according to the National Weather Service.



More: Weather Forecast



The first system is expected Monday and may bring light rain to the central coast with most of the moisture expected around Santa Barbara County.

A second, stronger system is expected to bring more measurable rain and may drop temperatures in many areas by as much as 30 degrees below seasonal norms.

"Some of those hillsides that face the incoming clouds will get a lot of rain, in a range of 1 to 2 inches, before this is over,'' said forecaster Rich Thompson at the NWS station in Oxnard.

After scattered drizzle or light rain douse the area on Tuesday, heavy rain and strong winds are likely Wednesday, with gusts up to 50 mph possible in some mountain locations.

Snow levels are expected to drop to around 7,000 feet Tuesday night which could bring some early season snowfall. Mountain traffic is not expected to be affected since most roads are at lower elevations, the NWS said.

Fair and warm weather is expected to return by Friday.

 

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Man Claiming to Be Cop Tried to Lure Boys: Police

Police have arrested a man they say claimed to be a cop when a mother questioned why he called her sons over to his van.

James M. Pochervina, 32, was driving a silver van around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, when he pulled to the other side of the road to stop and talk to two boys in the 2300 block of Richmond Street, Cmdr. Brian Benton said.

“The 9- and 5-year-old boys were playing in the driveway when he called them over, while their mother was sitting inside a parked car,” Benton said. “Before Pochervina could speak to them, she asked him what he wanted and he said he ‘was going to ask if they’d seen someone wearing a Michael Myers ‘Halloween’ mask.’”

Pochervina was holding a walkie-talkie and the woman asked if he was a police officer, she reported.

“She asked to see a badge, but he said he was undercover and couldn’t show her, then sped away,” Benton said.

The mother called 911 and Pochervina was stopped by tactical officers who were in the area “because there have been recent reports of a suspicious van hanging out,” Benton said.

Pochervina, of 2706 Caddy Lane, was booked into the county jail on charges of luring a child, impersonating a police officer and disorderly conduct.

Drugs, Booze Led to Sybaris Drowning

Alcohol and drugs contributed to the drowning of an Oswego woman this summer at the Sybaris in Frankfort, the Will County coroner’s office said.

Suzette O’Donnell, 53, was found dead in a pool in her private suite on July 29 by a relative.

The cause of death was drowning, but her blood alcohol content was .228 and there was a significant level of the prescription anti-depressant drug Xanax in her system as well, Chief Deputy Coroner Bob Brenczewski said.

The amount of drugs and alcohol would have been enough to cause her death, he said.

The Sybaris, which bills itself as a romantic getaway with private pools and whirlpools, is at 7500 W. Lincoln Highway.

Handcuffed Teen Surrenders to Police

An underage drinking suspect still wearing handcuffs delivered himself to the door of authorities after realizing he’d left his ID with the officers he'd run away from the night before.  

It happened about 2 p.m. Thursday when Zachary A. Keilman, 18, of Rensselaer, Ind., walked into the Lowell State Police post and told Sgt. Alan Jamerson that he believed he was wanted on a warrant, according to a release from Indiana State Police.

When asked why he thought he was wanted, Keilman rolled up his sleeves on his shirt, exposing handcuffs on both wrists, with the chain cut in the middle.

Further investigation revealed that Keilman had been detained by Newton County Sheriff’s Department the night before for attending an underage drinking party they had been dispatched to, the release said.

But while handcuffed inside one of the deputy’s police car Keilman took off, still handcuffed, when the deputy was busy dealing with other participants, the release said.

Keilman then had someone cut the chain to the handcuffs and his legal problems worsened when he realized that he had left his identification inside the deputy’s police car, the release said.

He was taken into custody and charged with escape and fleeing. He was incarcerated at the Newton County Jail.

Police Shoot Man in Woodlawn

Police shot a man late Saturday in the South Side Woodlawn neighborhood.

The shooting happened about 11 p.m. when uniformed Grand Crossing District officers were in the 6300 block of South Vernon on patrol when they observed several males and approached them to conduct a field interview, a statement from police News Affairs said.

As the officers approached, one of the males fled on foot with his hand in his waistband. One of the officers gave chase and was confronted by the man, who refused to obey the officer’s orders to remove his hand from his waistband. As a result of this action, and in fear of his life, the officer discharged his weapon, striking the man.

The offender was taken into custody and transported to an area hospital, police said. No officers were reported injured.

The matter remains under investigation by police and the Independent Police Review Authority, which investigates all police-involved shootings.

IPRA spokesman William Weeden confirmed the police-involved shooting and said that a suspect was struck.

Mister Softee Truck Robber Stopped by Quick Witness

A Suffolk County man didn't get very far after jumping through the order window of a Mister Softee ice cream truck at a stoplight, robbing the driver and running away.

The alleged ice cream truck robber, 42-year-old Robert Martone, targeted the truck at around 7:30 p.m. Saturday as it was stopped at a red light at Hawkins Road and Nichols Road in Centereach, according to police.

Martone jumped into the truck through the order window, displayed a gun and robbed the driver of cash.

A witness, Michael Rhatigan, happened to be stopped at the same traffic light and saw the robbery in action. Rhatigan chased Martone into a nearby wooded area, and with the help of the Mister Softee truck driver, held the man until police arrived.

The cash and handgun -- which turned out to be fake -- were seized from Martone, said police.

Martone was charged with first-degree robbery.

Female Sexually Assaulted in El Cajon: SDSU Police

A female walking home in the El Cajon area was the victim of a sexual assault early Sunday morning, according to San Diego State University police.

The victim was walking on El Cajon Blvd. at about 4:15 a.m. when an unknown male offered her a ride home. The victim accepted the ride, police said.

Instead of taking her home, the suspect drove the victim to an alley near College Ave and Lindo Paseo, where he later sexually assaulted her, according to police.

The suspect reportedly left the victim in the alley after the alleged assault.

The suspect was described as being in his 20s, wearing dark clothing and driving a 4-door sedan at the time of the incident.

 

Washington Redskins Take On Rams on the Road

The Washington Redskins look to bounce back on the round against the St. Louis Rams.

In the first half, the Redskins defense shut down the Rams' young quarterback.  Sam Bradford completed 10 of his 18 pass attempts for 73 yards.  The Skins allowed the St. Louis offense to convert only 1 of 8 first downs in the first half, and Bradford gave away a fumble.

On the other side of the ball, the Redskins have had an efficient, balanced first half of offense.  Over two quarters, Rex Grossman tossed 8 completions for 88 yards and a touchdown to Santana Moss.  On the ground, Ryan Torain ripped off a rushing touchdown from 20 yards out.

Graham Gano added a 38-yard field goal in the 3rd quarter to make the score 17-0.

Check back for more updates after the game.

$2.8B Fund to Aid 9/11 Victims Taking Applications

 A $2.8 billion fund to help compensate people who became ill after working at ground zero is accepting applications.

Requests for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund can be submitted beginning Monday.

Many illnesses common among people exposed to the site are presumed covered by the fund, such as lung disease and chronic sinusitis. But it won't cover cancer, despite the protests of first responders who have been diagnosed with the disease and believe it's linked to their time clearing smoldering debris from the site.

Federal officials say too little evidence exists to link the two. Officials plan next year to review which illnesses are covered.

The fund operated for two years after the attacks. Congress passed legislation last year to reopen it.

Drunken NJ Driver Hits, Kills 2 Men Fixing Flat Tire

Vehicular homicide charges have been filed against an alleged drunken driver accused of hitting and killing two New York men who were changing a tire on a major northern New Jersey highway.

Twenty-nine-year-old Jacob Cintron of Lodi was being held Sunday in the Bergen County Jail on $125,000 bail.

State police say 43-year-old Wilfredo Pena of the Bronx was driving on Interstate 80 in Saddle Brook when the flat occurred around 2:30 a.m., and he stopped on the side of the road between Exits 62B and 62A.

Pena and a passenger, 28-year-old Segundo Fernandez-Urena of Bayshore, then got out to change the flat. But Cintron allegedly lost control of his car while headed toward Exit 62B and struck Pena's vehicle.

Both Pena and Fernandez-Urena were pronounced dead at the scene.

Motorcyclist Dead After Collision in Chula Vista

A motorcyclist died after a traffic collision at an intersection in Chula Vista early Sunday morning, according to Chula Vista police.

CVPD officers responded to a report of a collision at the intersection of Bonita Rd. and Willow St. just after 2 a.m., police said.

Upon arrival, officers discovered a single-vehicle collision involving a motorcycle, according to a media release.

An official cause of the accident was not given. However, witnesses said they observed the motorcycle traveling southbound on Willow St. at a high rate of speed.

The driver was said to have lost control of the motorcycle just south of the intersection when he struck a concrete curb.

Medical personnel transported the victim to Mercy Hospital, where he later died due to injuries from the collision.

The motorcyclist’s name was being withheld pending family notification.

 

SD Bound Helicopter Crashes In Missouri

Authorities say one person has been taken to a hospital after a military helicopter crashed at Jefferson City Memorial Airport.

The Jefferson City News-Tribune reported that (>) the chopper reportedly reached a height of about 20 feet before it came down on one of the runways Saturday afternoon.

Three people were aboard. The person who was injured apparently was riding in the rear of the helicopter where most of the damage occurred. The extent of the person's injuries weren't immediately known.

The Jefferson City Fire Department described the helicopter as a Navy Seahawk that only had been in service for about 20 hours. They said it was on its way to San Diego and had stopped to refuel in Jefferson City.

Witnesses said the rear rotor appeared to have malfunctioned.

Video of the accident was taken by Evan Hemeyer:

9-Year-Old Crashes Car Into Tree In Northeast

A nine-year-old child was taken to a local hospital after crashing a car into a tree in Northeast Philadelphia.

The incident occurred at about 9:30 a.m. Sunday morning. Witnesses said the child was driving a Chevy Malibu northbound on Roosevelt Boulevard near Rhawn Street when the car slammed into a tree.

The youth was taken to St. Christopher's Hospital. The victim's condition is unknown at this time.

Check back with NBCPhiladelphia.com for more updates as they become available.

Brush Fire Burns East of Julian Community

On Sunday, CAL Fire officials reported that a brush fire burning in a community east of Julian had grown to 2,000 acres.

"The Great Fire" was only 5 percent contained, as the flames continued to be active overnight, officials said.

The blaze was first reported at 12:53 p.m. near the community of Scissors Crossing, Saturday.

"The fire is burning on BLM and State Park land," said an official, " firefighters are constructing hand line, bulldozer line and contingency lines."

Though officials said no structures are immediately threatened, they reported 25 residences could potentially be in harm's way.

California Highway Patrol has closed down Highway 78 at the Scissors Crossing and at Wynola Road, according to CHP reports.

The flames are located on the south side of Highway 78, officials said.

The fire was said to be burning across a light grass area at the base of Granite Mountain, officials said.

Currently 79 engines, 15 fire crews, five bulldozers, eight air tankers, five helicopters, 13 water tenders and 1,019 firefighters were battling the flames, officials said.

Earlier, firefighters said the blaze had slowed it's pace as the flames were being slowly being pushed by east winds to the west away from structures.

Crisis Counselors Called to School After Fatal Stabbing

Crisis Counselors were on hand Sunday at South East High School in South Gate following a stabbing Friday morning that left one student dead.

The LAUSD will have counselors on the campus at 2700 Tweety Boulevard from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday and again Monday when classes resume.

"We have people here all weekend long and obviously all next week, to provide support for people who are really grieved by this," LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy said Saturday.

 

Cindi Santana, 17, was stabbed allegedly by Abraham Lopez, 18, during a lunchtime fight. Santana was taken to Saint Francis Medical Center in Lynwood where she later died.

Jorge Garcia, an 11th-grade varsity football player, and a female dean were stabbed or cut while trying to stop the attack, according to school police. Four other people, including the alleged assailant, were also hospitalized after the stabbing.

"The male student stabbed the female student, and the dean interceded. He received non-life threatening injuries, but was wounded," said Deasy. "Another student also jumped in to stop this. That student received injuries, but also non-life threatening."

The motive for the fight was unclear. Some students said the stabber and the female victim may have dated in the past.

 

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D.C. Cab Commission Plans to Remove Fare Cap

Riders may have to shell out even more money for a trip in a D.C. cab. 

WTOP-FM is reporting that the District of Columbia Taxicab Commission is planning to remove the $19 cap on fares this wek. The change would mean that the meter will keep running for the entire length of a cab ride, however long or short. The fare cap does not cover any additional surcharges and the $1 gas surcharge on all fares is expected to remain in place through mid-November.

In addition, the rule change would mean that a cab's meter will continue to run at the same rate for rides into Maryland and Virginia as for rides completely within the district. Currently,  the meter rate is $3.00 for the first 1/6 of a mile and $0.25 for each 1/6 of a mile after that.

Woman Fights For Life After Fiery Crash

A 27-year-old woman is fighting for her life Sunday after being involved in a fiery wreck that killed her daughter on the 101 Freeway near Calabasas.

Gelani Taylor was rushed to County-USC Medical Center with burns over 80 percent of her body after Saturday's roll-over accident.

Taylor was driving southbound on the 101 early Saturday Morning near the Malibu Canyon-Las Virgenes Road overpass with her 9-year-old daughter, Jayla.

Taylor apparently lost control of the vehicle, crashed into the center divider, then collided with a tanker truck causing the car to overturn and burst into flames. 

Several bystanders tried to help. They were able to pull Taylor from the wreckage.

The daughter died in the fire, according to the California Highway Patrol.

"She's rolling in pain, on fire, and her skin is falling off," Dale Johnsen told a reporter at the scene. "I was shocked at first. I thought it was a horror movie."

The cause of the accident was under investigation.

 

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Amid White House Rumors, Christie Meets NJ Guard

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie remains mum over speculation that he'll seek the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

A large media presence was on hand Sunday as the governor traveled to Sea Girt to attend a New Jersey National Guard event and speak with guard members.

But Christie wasn't expected to meet with reporters or take questions on whether he'll make a run for the White House.

Christie has long resisted calls from party activists and leaders who urged him to seek the GOP nomination. But those close to the first-term governor say he's been reconsidering his decision to stay out of the race in recent days.

It's not known when Christie will announce his intentions.

The Bob Sanders Effect

It was the news Bob Sanders hoped he'd never have to share again.

The Chargers safety walked to his fellow defensive backs during their Wednesday morning walkthrough and, with his usual soft-spoken tone, addressed the group together. He told them a decision had been made. His knee injury would sideline him the rest of the season.

For the fourth straight year, Sanders was placed on injured reserve.

“It's very tough to look at each other eye-to-eye when something like that happens,” safety Darrell Stuckey said. “Any time something like that happens to a great player or to anybody, it's never a good thing. But especially to him.”

Said safety Eric Weddle: “There's nothing really to say. We just wished him the best.”

The Sanders era in San Diego lasted a training camp and two games, but the 30-year-old's presence, however brief, was not in vain, as he left a resounding effect on Chargers defenders. They will face the Miami Dolphins on Sunday in their first game without him on the 53-man roster.

Co-captain linebacker Takeo Spikes said he was an “inspiration to all of us.”

Player

Sanders played 102 of 117 defensive snaps in the team's first two games before waking up on a Monday morning with knee soreness. He dazzled as a decisive, instinctive tackler. In run support, every angle he took, no matter the degree, was right.

On maybe his most memorable snap, everything went wrong.

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson took a second-quarter run in Week 1 through a gaping hole between right guard and tackle.

Sanders, the human protractor at seven yards depth on the opposite side, measured the play and began striding forward before quarterback Donovan McNabb could transfer the handoff.

“He was able to see things almost before they happened,” said Steve Gregory, who's filled Sanders' place in the starting lineup. “He had a good vision for runs and the way they developed.”

Peterson clutched the ball, jolted his accelerators and met Sanders five yards downfield. The defensive back's arms banged off the steam engine's legs for a missed tackle. In half an instant, Sanders popped from his knees and resumed chase.

Still rolling ahead, Peterson made a second defender miss at the Chargers' 39-yard line. He zigged past a third man at the 8.

The end zone was steps away, and there came the forgotten Sanders, the 2007 AP Defensive Player of the Year and a Super Bowl champion with the Indianapolis Colts, from behind, wrapping and pulling the runner to the ground four yards short of a score change.

“He got up and he hustled his ass down there to try to get (him), which he did,” said defensive coordinator Greg Manusky later that week. “We had a chance to play the next down. He's a ballplayer.”

Chargers cornerback Quentin Jammer sat at his locker Wednesday, hours after Sanders' announcement.

His deep voice rumbled lowly as he reflected with empathy on his teammate's string of physical hardship. Even if injuries, as it's often matter-of-factly stated, are part of the game, the Sanders sequence seemed especially cruel.

While applying lotion to his own ailment, a left hamstring injury, the memory of playing alongside Sanders brought a smile to his face.

“He wasn't one to shy away from contact,” Jammer said with a chuckle. “He brought attitude to each and every play. That's what we'll take from him: the fact that he brought attitude with every play he played.”

Professional

Sanders lasted two picks longer than Travis LaBoy in the second round of the 2004 NFL draft.

Seven years later, LaBoy noticed little changed: Sanders lasted longer.

LaBoy, an outside linebacker, stays at the Chargers facility in Mission Valley later than most, but there comes a time to flip the lights, turn the key, and push the pedal down Interstate 15.

Before exiting the complex, he'd see Sanders, studying more film.

Just like earlier when he saw Sanders, lifting extra in the weight room. Or when Sanders took long stretches from trainers. Or when he worked on minute technical details on the practice field.

“He's a professional, and he carries himself like a professional,” LaBoy said. “(Seeing that) is valuable for young guys. It's valuable for vets like myself. I look up to him and give him the utmost respect for the things he's done and the things he's capable of doing.”

Sanders was an active student in the Chargers film room.

On a given snap, to ensure all were on the same page, he'd ask Weddle what he saw as a play developed. He'd ask the cornerbacks. He'd ask secondary coach Steven Wilks.

Sanders was a pro, Weddle said, at “just being a pro.”

“Not settling for mediocre. Always wanting to be great,” Weddle said. “He'd prepare his butt off, and I do as well, but it just confirms what I do is the right thing when you see a guy like that. Just as a teammate and as a friend, he's a great guy. I don't think he ever said a bad thing about anyone. He was quiet and reserved but passionate and aggressive when he needed to be.”

Person

Life as a rookie NFL cornerback has it bumps. During the lockout, the absence of OTAs and minicamp added a few potholes.

Lucky for Marcus Gilchrist, he had Sanders volunteering to help smoothen them out.

“He was always asking me if I was getting everything, how my body was feeling,” Gilchrist, 22, said. “He was kind of like a big brother-type. He was always checking up on me.”

Stuckey, 24, received similar assistance.

In training camp, Sanders gave pointers and encouraged the safety to keep working. During the season, as Stuckey began devoting more time to special teams, Sanders continued the support, lauding Stuckey for his performance and imploring him to continue.

"I think there's a mindset to guys you respect and feel are great players," coach Norv Turner said. "With what he's accomplished, I think he had our players' attention. He's got great work ethic, he knows how to prepare, and I think that rubbed off on some of our guys."

Sanders, his teammates know, would never miss a game if given the choice.

Without him now, they're left with the blueprint of a champion.

Play with humble attitude. Make the extra effort. Take care of your body. Take care of your teammates.

Do it all, and have an effect.

“Something to this extent cannot be controlled,” Stuckey said. “You can't control injuries. You can't control what happens to you. All you can do is pray. But he definitely left his impact on the NFL. He left his impact on this team. He left his impact on this secondary and especially me.”

Disease Killing NJ Deer, Officials Say

State wildlife officials say a disease has killed hundreds of deer across New Jersey during the past two months, thinning the herd in at least six counties.

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, or EHD, has resurfaced in one of the most significant outbreaks in state history, though it has subsided in recent weeks.

But officials tell The Star-Ledger of Newark that there's nothing they can do about the illness, which is spread by tiny bugs. But they note EHD has no effect on humans and can't be transmitted through handling or consuming infected deer meat

Since early August, it's killed deer across a swath in the west-central part of the state. Nearly all reports have come from two regions — Morris, Union and northern Somerset counties and Mercer, Hunterdon and southern Somerset counties.

It's unclear what the illness' long-term impact could be, but officials say the state's deer population of roughly 114,000 shouldn't be affected too badly. They also note the disease's death toll is minimal compared with the estimated 64,000 deer killed in New Jersey by hunters in a given year.

Experts say EHD is fairly common and returns every few years, but rarely strikes as hard and wide as it has this year.

Two of the state's worst outbreaks came in 1999 and 2007. EHD fanned across 10 counties in 2007, and in 1999 the disease was blamed for the deaths of more than 4,000 white-tailed deer in the Salem County area.

Test Scores Below Federal Targets in Montgomery County

Published reports indicate almost half of public high schools in Montgomery County failed to make the grade on statewide tests this year.

The federal government's No Child Left Behind law requires schools to meet annually increasing education performance targets each year. Officials with the Maryland State Department of Education say 12 of 25 high schools in Montgomery County did not achieve adequate yearly progress on the NCLB High school assessments for reading and math.

The schools include Albert Einstein, Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Clarksburg, Magruder, Gaithersburg, Kennedy, Montgomery Blair, Northwood, Sherwood; Springbrook, Wheaton, and Richard Montgomery.

Six of the 12 are classified as "school improvement," indicating a failure to meet the testing goals for two consecutive years. A school that misses the target for more than two years could be subject to corrective action and staff restructuring.

Man Crashes Stolen Ambulance

A 36-year-old man faces several felony charges after he crashed an ambulance he allegedly stole from a hospital in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

About 1:40 a.m. Sunday, paramedics were loading a stretcher into an ambulance at Norwegian American Hospital, 2900 W. Cortez St., when an intoxicated man jumped into it and drove off, police News Affairs Officer Amina Greer said.

The man was identified as Juan Hernandez, of the 3600 block of West Belmont Avenue. 

While behind the wheel of the ambulance, Hernandez struck several parked vehicles before he was taken into custody by police in the 2500 block of West Cortland Street, about a mile and a half north of where the ambulance was taken, according to police.

Hernandez was taken back to Norwegian American Hospital, where he was in good condition, being treated for minor injuries he suffered when he crashed the ambulance, Greer said.

Hernandez is charged with drunken driving, criminal damage to government property, possession of a stolen vehicle, reckless driving, and failure to carry a driver's license.

Civilians Connect With Troops at Miramar Air Show

A crowd roughly equivalent to the population of Oceanside gathered Saturday to witness astonishing displays of speed and winged power as the nation's biggest and best air show saluted the 100th anniversary of Marine aviation, reports the North County Times.

More than half a million people were expected to visit the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station during the three-day run of the 56th annual Miramar Air Show. The show, which ends Sunday, highlights military and civilian aeronautic prowess, including an awe-inspiring performance by the world-famous Blue Angels.

The air show also was a chance for spectators to connect with military personnel.

Read more about this story from our media partner the North County Times.

 

Police Search for Suspects in Shooting of Two LAPD Officers

Police are searching for two suspects who shot and wounded two undercover LAPD officers in Koreatown Saturday night, said authorities.

It happened when the officers came to the aid of the victims of a previous shooting.

“About 9:30 Saturday evening, officers assigned to the Olympic narcotic detail were working near the area of Leeward and Magnolia,” said Andrew Smith, LAPD Public Information Officer.  “They were in plain clothes in a plain car, and they saw a group of male Hispanics on one side of the street pull a weapon and start shooting at an unarmed group of individuals on the other side of the street,” said Cmdr. Smith.

When the officers intervened to stop the shooting, the suspects turned and opened fire on the officers, striking them both, Smith said.

Both officers were taken to a local hospital where one has been treated and released, said police officials. 

Los Angeles police Sgt. Cathy Reyes of the Olympic Station said buckshot hit one officer in an eye, but she did not know if it would affect his sight. She said he was expected to be OK. The officer is in serious condition and underwent eye surgery Sunday morning.

Officers detained two men shortly after the shooting and are searching for two others. Police set up a large perimeter in the area and are determined to get the suspects.

“We are prepared to search forever for those two suspects,” said Cmdr. Smith. “Our detectives are going to continue this investigation as long as it takes to find them,” he said.

A description of the other suspects was not released. Nor were either of the injured officers identified. 

 Anyone with any information about this incident should contact the LAPD’s Olympic division station at (213) 382-9110.

High Winds Shut Down Washington Monument Inspection

The team of daredevil climbers inspecting the sheer faces of the Washington Monument suspended operations on Sunday in the name of safety.

The National Park Service together with the Difficult Access Team from architectural firm WJE made the decision to stand down after consulting Sunday's forecast, which called for high winds on the National Mall.

"Safety is always our first concern," National Mall superintendent Bob Vogel said.

The team made some changes to their security procedures, after gusting winds tossed one of the climbers from the west face of the monument to the south face on Friday.  Erik Sohn, a member of the climbing team, was lifted 30-feet out from the monument.  He was uninjured in the incident.

Dan Lemieux, manager for the WJE architectural firm that is conducting the inspection, said "minor adjustments have been made and reviewed with the team."  The changes came out of interviews conducted with Sohn and other team members.

Lemieux said that events like the one that happened on Friday do not scare his team of climbers.

"It is the hours of training and actual experience in the field that typically allows our DAT team to react calmly and effectively to those events," he said, "and continue their descent safely and without injury."

Culpeper Police Ask Public to Survey Performance

Throughout the month of October, Culpeper residents who receive their utility bills will also receive a 13-question survey, asking them to anonymously rate the department in various areas, including overall performance, crime reduction efforts, traffic control and enforcement, overall competence, and courtesy. Residents will also be asked how safe they feel in their neighborhood, the town's business district, and the town's parks.

The survey does ask people to provide their race, sex, and age. However, the Department insists that the survey will not be used to target any particular group of people and that no tracking data will be used to determine who did and didn't fill out the survey.

"We want to know what citizens think," Culpeper Police Captain Eric Settle said in a statement. "If the public doesn't tell us, we don't know." Settle said that the department will tally up the responses and look for trends in the responses.The results will then be forwarded to the chief of police and the department's supervisors. 

Citizens are asked to return the completed surveys by Nov. 15. Surveys can be can be mailed to the treasurer’s office with the utility bill payment, dropped off at the treasurer’s office if paid in person or deposited in the treasurer’s office drop box outside the town hall.

State to Close Swimming Pools for Not Fixing Drains

Six pools around the Fox Valley are scheduled to close Saturday after the Illinois Department of Public Health announced they were in violation of the federal government’s drain regulations for pools and spas.

A press release from the Health Department said that since August 2009, the pools received six warnings that if they did not make federally required adjustments to the drain system by Oct. 1, the pools would be forced to close.

Roughly 85 percent of all licensed swimming facilities in Illinois have already complied, but about 500 municipal, park district, school and hotel pools are still out of compliance, the Health Department said.

The six pools in the Fox Valley on the Health Department’s list are: the pool at East Aurora High School in Aurora; Huntington Park Apartments in Aurora; Park Terrace Apartments in Aurora; Royal Fox Country Club in St. Charles; Holiday Inn Express in Yorvkille; and Hoover Outdoor Education Center in Yorkville.

The news came as a surprise to some of the pool owners contacted Friday. Kendall County Forest Preserve Director Jason Pettit said the pool at the Hoover center has been closed for several years. Someone who answered the phone at Park Terrace Apartments said the pool has been closed for a year. A manager at the Holiday Inn said the pool is open and they are not in violation of state rules.

East Aurora High School and Royal Fox did not return calls for comment. Huntington Park Apartments could not be reached for comment.

The federal requirements are outlined in the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool And Spa Safety Act, named after a 7-year-old girl who drowned in 2002 when a hot tub drain suctioned her to the bottom of a pool. Pools are now required to install mechanical devices that ease the vacuum seals or turn off motors when entrapment or blockage is sensed.

A list of facilities not complying with the code is posted on the Illinois Department of Public Health Web site at >

Man Swept into Lake Michigan, Presumed Dead

One person is presumed dead and a woman was hospitalized late Saturday after they were swept into Lake Michigan off the Oak Street Beach, according to officials.

Fire and police crews responded to the report of a man in the water about 9:35 p.m. in Lake Michigan near the intersection of Lake Shore Drive and East Oak Street, according to police News Affairs Office Amina Greer.

The man's family said he was swept into the lake by high waves.

A woman was pulled from the water and taken in good condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to Fire Media Affairs spokesman Will Knight.

Emergency personnel suspended the search Saturday night, but resumed it around 7 a.m. Sunday.  The search is being categorized as a recovery effort.

Fire and Chicago Police Marine Unit divers are on the scene, Greer said. A CPD helicopter is also being used in the rescue efforts.

Police Hunt Men Who Robbed UMd. Student

Police in Prince George's County are on the hunt for a pair of armed robbers who held up a female University of Maryland student Saturday night.

Police say the student was waiting for a ride outside her off-campus apartment on Baltimore Avenue when two men in a black-and-purple Toyota Scion called her over. The men then pulled out a gun and snatched the woman's purse before driving away. The woman was not harmed.

FDNY Welcomes First Transgender Firefighter

The FDNY, long criticized for its lack of diversity, has welcomed its first transgender firefighter.

Brooke, a third-generation firefighter whose father is still on the job, is the first known transgendered woman in the firefighting ranks, according to the New York Post.

The paper chose not to publish her full name.

In a statement to the Post last week, Brooke confirmed her male-to-female transition, saying, "I am appreciative of the support that the FDNY has given me during this time in my life. However, it is my expressed wish that the details of my personal and professional life remain private."

The firefighter was initially assigned to Ladder 172/Engine 330 in Bensonhurst before she took a desk job at FDNY headquarters where she works scheduling appointments for recruits, the Post said.

Her family has a long history of firefighting, starting at least three generations ago with Brooke's grandfather, and continuing to her father, an FDNY officer who responded to the Twin Towers on 9/11.

Department sources told the Post some insensitive colleagues might have a hard time dealing with her gender change, but one veteran member said "Especially among those who know the [family], this won't amount to a hill of beans to them. There's a lot of respect for the family."

The FDNY has an LGBT organization and some members are openly gay. The department has been actively recruiting for a more diverse force in response to accusations the FDNY used exams that discriminated against minorities.

Chemical Tanks Explode on South Side

The Chicago Fire Department was out in full force Saturday night after tanks used to ship chemicals blew up at an industrial plant on the South Side.

Fire officials said the explosion caused a 200-foot wide debris field.

Hazmat teams were on the scene, and at first they weren't sure what was burning.

Fire crews used foam to put out the flames. They were able to get the fire under control in a few hours.

No one was hurt.

A part of the Bishop Ford freeway was closed during the fire but has since been re-opened.

Rockaways Crime Surges 119 Percent

Crime in the normally peaceful area of the Rockaways in Queens has surged, with break-ins alone jumping 119 percent this year, according to the New York Post.

That's the worst crime increase in any neighborhood in the city through Sept. 18 over the same period last year, according to the paper. No other area had a triple-digit rise in the felonies that affect most New Yorkers -- robbery, burglary, assault, grand larceny and auto theft.

The Queens' 100th Precinct is normally a low-crime zone of residences and beach properties, but that neighborhood ease is exactly what thieves appear to be taking advantage of: Thieves are getting into places where doors or windows aren't locked, says the Post.

They're taking jewelry, bikes, cash, electronics, and even potted plants.

"It started sometime around the hurricane in a small pocket around Rockaway Park-Belle Harbor," Lew Simon, leader of Assembly District 23, told the Post. 

In the past four weeks alone, there were 17 break-ins in the area.

Police say the burglaries may be the work of a single suspect, and are looking for a young white man or light-skinned Hispanic who cruises the area on his bike in bathing trunks.

Cowboys Ready to Roar Over Lions

Once upon a time, the Detroit Lions won a playoff game. Yes, one. This franchise has only a single victory in the entire Super Bowl era, and they've been around for the whole thing. At least it was a good win, taking down a Dallas Cowboys squad featuring Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin, just before they won three Super Bowls in four years.

But this isn't a story about ancient history. This is about the Lions potentially being on the verge of something big -- not necessarily three-titles-in-four-years big, but certainly bigger than one playoff win every 40 to 50 years. Led by a quarterback who grew up in Dallas during those Aikman, Smith and Irvin glory days, a receiver who might be the best in the NFL and a rapidly maturing defense, Detroit is a team on the rise.

The Lions head to Cowboys Stadium on Sunday seeking another victory that could stamp them as a team to beat in the NFL this season -- that is, if they aren't already. After all, Detroit is 3-0 and has the league's longest winning streak, seven in a row. "They've won 11 games straight if you include the preseason," Dallas defensive end Marcus Spears said. "So they're not slouches, not at all."

Clearly, coming to grips with the idea of the Lions being a team to beat is easier for players than for fans, especially the players about to play Detroit. This week, the Cowboys watched the Lions turn a 20-0 halftime deficit at Minnesota into an overtime victory, and saw their 48-3 pounding of Kansas City the previous week.

They've watched Matthew Stafford -- a native of Highland Park, an affluent Dallas suburb -- throw two touchdown passes to Calvin Johnson in all three games, and Ndamukong Suh and Kyle Vanden Bosch pressure quarterbacks. "You see their talent over there?" Dallas safety Gerald Sensabaugh said. "They have all the tools. I guess now they're putting it together." The Cowboys are still trying to figure out how good they might be.

They're 2-1 and part of a three-way tie atop the NFC East, a burgeoning turnaround of their own after a 1-7 start that doomed them last season. But every game has been an adventure -- and all decided by a field goal or fewer. Their past six games last season also were that tight, the longest such stretch in NFL history. Dallas is 5-4 in that stretch, and proud of it.

"It's really part of the deal in the NFL," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. "You have to play well in quarters one through three. But regardless of how well or how poorly you play, typically these games come down to how you perform in the fourth quarter." The bigger challenge for Dallas the past two weeks has been dealing with injuries, primarily on offense.

Tony Romo has won the past two games while playing with a cracked rib, and many of his most talented teammates are sidelined or also playing through pain."I'm not back to where everything is back to normal yet, but it's definitely on its way," said Romo, who expects to be wearing a protective vest and to take painkilling medication before kickoff.

Both teams have something to look forward to after this game. For Dallas, it's a bye week to get healthy. For Detroit, it's three straight games at home, an opportunity to continue what's already been the franchise's best start since 1980.

In just a few weeks, the Lions have notched their largest-ever margin of victory in a regular-season game and their biggest comeback win on the road. They've also stretched their road winning streak to four straight, their longest since 1969-70. More amazing is that it immediately follows a 26-game road losing streak, the longest in NFL history. The previous time Detroit lost on the road happens to have been at Cowboys Stadium. Jon Kitna was filling in for Romo then, and Shaun Hill was filling in for Stafford.

It was a weird game that included a hair-pulling tackle, a 97-yard punt return and the Lions being the Lions -- well, the old Lions -- by folding when things started going against them. Detroit coach Jim Schwartz compared that to the way his team rallied to win in Minnesota last weekend, despite penalties and mistakes. "We didn't turn the ball over," he said. "We didn't give up any long touchdowns off the returns and things like that.

We were able to hang in that game, keep it manageable and then once we started playing better in the second half, we were able to get back in that game and obviously take it to overtime and win." Having Stafford leading things makes a difference, too. The former No. 1 overall pick in the draft, the only question about him is durability because he's missed a lot of time with injuries. Stafford has the third-best passer rating in the NFL, behind only Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, and ahead of Drew Brees. Only Brady has thrown more touchdown passes than Stafford's nine.

This weekend, he may also be among the league leaders in tickets purchased. He estimates springing for 25. It will be his first time playing at the $1.3 billion Cowboys Stadium after many appearances at Texas Stadium. "It's fun going home and playing and I'm excited about it," he said. "Once the ball is snapped, I'm not thinking about that."

One of his teammates might. Suh brought up this week his 0-2 lifetime record at Cowboys Stadium. There was the loss to Dallas last season, and an excruciating, last-second loss to the Texas Longhorns in the Big 12 championship game when he was at Nebraska.

  "I don't really like that stadium," he said.

Thornton's Recalls Salads Over Salmonella Concerns

A chain of gas and convenience stores with locations in the Chicago area is voluntarily recalling some salad products because they're potentially contaminated with Salmonella.

Thornton's is recalling its garden salds and chef salads manufactured and distributed by Greencore U.S.A. to select stores in Chicago, Cincinnati, OH, Columbus, OH, Indianapolis, IN, Evansville, IN, Lexington, KY and Nashville, TN.

 

The product comes in a black bowl with clear lid and is marked with expiration dates 9/30/2011, 10/2/2011, and 10/3/2011 on the label on the front of the package. The garden salad comes in a 6 oz container and the chef salad comes in a 5.6 oz container.

The potential for contamination was noted when a lot of grape tomatoes revealed the presence of Salmonella. Salads produced for Thorntons contain grape tomatoes from the same lot.

 

No illnesses have yet been reported.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

Ex-Gov. Paterson's Stepdaughter Arrested in Fight With Boyfriend

The stepdaughter of former Gov. David Paterson was arrested Saturday night, charged with felony assault after hitting her boyfriend over the head with a bottle during a fight in his West Village apartment.

Ashley Dennis, 23, and Brian McGuinness, 30, engaged in a violent fight in the apartment at 122 MacDougal St. at around 4:45 a.m., with Dennis breaking a bottle over his head, knocking him to the floor, and then repeatedly slamming his leg in the door until he lost consciousness, the Daily News reports.

McGuinness received three stitches at Beth Israel Medical Center.

The superintendent at the West Village building told the Daily News she thought the somebody has been stabbed.

"There was blood on the floor, on the door handle, all over the hallway," Pearl DiGeronimo, 60, said. "I thought it was a murder."

A neighbor also told the paper she woke to the sound of smashing glass, and then heard McGuinness saying "Help me, help," then "Fire, fire." It was at that point the neighbor, who only gave her name as Marie C., knew it was serious.

"He wasn't moving," she said. "He had two shoes on top of him like she kicked him out of the apartment and threw the shoes."

McGuinness was charged with criminal obstruction of breathing, a misdemeanor under the state's anti-choking law, the News reported. Dennis was charged with felony assault.

Police walked Dennis out of the 6th Precinct stationhouse several hours after her arrest, the News said.

Dennis was arraigned Saturday night and released on her own recognizance and ordered to stay away from McGuinness. She's due back in court Dec. 20.

First Couple Celebrates Wedding Anniversary in Virginia

In fear of forgetting their wedding anniversary, President Obama decided to have a premature celebration.

The president and first lady enjoyed a romantic dinner at "Restaurant Eve," a bistro in Old Town Alexandria.

The couple traveled to Virginia Saturday night after the president's speech at the Human Rights Campaign National Dinner.

No word on the menu selections for either President Obama or First Lady Michelle.

Their actual wedding anniversary is on Monday.

Two-Alarm Fire Leaves 60 Homeless in Laurel

More than 60 residents of Prince George’s County apartment complex are looking for a new home this morning after a two-alarm fire tore through their building.

The fire was sparked around 4:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon at the Berkshires at Briarwood apartment complex on Hunting Lane in Laurel, MD.

Investigators say a malfunctioning furnace on the first floor is believed to be the source of the blaze. The fire then spread to the two floors above, badly damaging 22 apartments. Everyone inside got out fine and no injuries were reported, though firefighters did rescue a cat from the second floor.

Damage to the apartment complex is estimated at $250,000.

 

Fatal Ninja Motorcycle Crash in Elkridge

Maryland police investigated a fatal motorcycle accident that took place in the middle of the day on Saturday.

The incident occurred on the eastbound lane of Brookdale Drive in Elkridge, near Route 1, around 12:45 p.m.

Investigators said the driver of a 2001 Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle lost control and struck the back of a parked tractor trailer. 

Police identified the man as 30-year-old Juan Carlos Calderon Mejia, of Columbia, Maryland.  Authorities said that Calderon Mejia was not licensed to drive a motorcycle, and was not wearing a helmet.

Howard County paramedics transported the operator to a nearby hospital, where he died of his injuries.

 

Man Fatally Shot Inside Brooklyn Barber Shop

Police are looking for a suspect in the shooting death of a man inside a Brooklyn barber shop.

Police say 38-year-old Warren Billings, of Brooklyn, was shot once in the head just before 4 p.m. Saturday by an unidentified man who fled the scene. The suspect was last seen running eastbound on Cortelyou Road toward East 22nd Street.

Billings was pronounced DOA at the scene. There have been no arrests.

Schumer: New York Has Lost 160,000 Jobs to China

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer says New York state lost more than 160,000 jobs since 2001 to China because of what he calls unfair trade practices and currency manipulation.

The New York Democrat is trying to build an argument for his bill that would target China's currency practices. He expects the bill to pass in the Senate next week.

Schumer says New York companies have been outbid on projects by Chinese companies using methods Schumer says creates an uneven playing field for New Yorkers.

He and his supporters say China has an undervalued currency, uses export subsidies and pays depressed wages that provide an unfair advantage.

U. of Maryland Team Wins Solar Decathalon

The University of Maryland's WaterShed has won top overall honors in the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon.

The competition pitted university-designed solar-powered homes against each other. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the competition winners on Saturday. Purdue University took second place, followed by New Zealand's Victoria University in third.The competition involved ten contests that gauged each house on factors including performance, liability, and affordability. The winning home had to produce as much or more energy than it consumes.

Maryland's team website describes WaterShed as "a solar-powered home inspired and guided by the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, interconnecting the house with its landscape, and leading its dwellers toward a more sustainable lifestyle." Among the home's features are two main rooms, or modules, connected by a bathroom space; soy-based spray foam insulation; high-efficiency doors and windows that collect solar energy while keeping out solar heat; and reconfigurable furniture. The home is designed to be suitable for a working couple to use as a  home and an office.

All of the homes in the competition, including WaterShed, will be on display through Sunday in West Potomac Park.

PHOTOS: Bronx Livery Cab Robbers Sought

The New York Police Department has released a series of surveillance video stills, asking for the public's help in identifying two men wanted in connection with a series of livery cab robberies in the Bronx.

The three robberies occurred in the late night to early midnight hours between Sunday, Sept. 18 to Friday, Sept. 23, according to police. In all incidents, once reaching the destination, the suspect wrapped an unknown object around the driver's neck and demanded money.

In one instance, the driver attempted to escape and was stabbed in the back as a result, said police.

The requested destinations in two of the livery cab rides were East 223rd Street, and the third was to White Plains Road and Magenta Avenue.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS or at

usa-local-news.blogspot.com

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Pre-Gamer: Panthers vs. Bears

This Sunday, the Bears will attempt to stop a two-game losing skid and emerge from the first quarter of the season 2-2. What do you need to know before sitting down to (hopefully) enjoy the game?

Heisman watch: Cam Newton is tall, strong, and can throw the ball like a cannon. With 1,012 yards and four touchdowns so far, the Bears have to be worried about him on every single play. One of Julius Peppers' best games last season was against his former team. Can he come up with another great game against the Panthers and neutralize Newton?

Finding offense: The Bears offense is not good, and if they are going to find their ability to score, it needs to be against the Panthers D. They're a middle of the pack team that doesn't make big plays, and big plays are exactly what Jay Cutler and his merry band of receivers need to make.

Homecoming: Greg Olsen will want to put on a show for his former team, and he might have an easy time doing that against the Bears beat-up secondary. So far this season, Olsen has fit in well with the Panthers offense.

Handling Steve Smith: Tim Jennings and Charles Tillman will have their hands full as they take on Steve Smith, who already has 349 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The best way to stop him is to hit him. Hard.

More injuries: The Bears have been decimated by injuries. Luckily, they didn't lose anyone new in the loss to Green Bay, but Earl Bennett and Gabe Carimi definitely won't play. Chris Harris is unlikely to play, but the good news is that Marion Barber and Major Wright are expected to play. The Panthers are relatively injury-free. Only cornerback Chris Gamble is listed as doubtful.

History lesson: This will be the sixth time the Bears play the Panthers. Chicago leads 3-2, with the last win happening last season in Charlotte.



Gametime weather: Andy Avalos predicts a high of 64 and sun for the game, which will be a nice change for Carolina. They played their last game in a deluge.

Follow Grizzly Detail on Twitter.

Howard's HR Backs Halladay, Phils Win Game 1

Ryan Howard took a mighty cut, dropped his bat and admired the shot.

The big slugger didn't go down looking in a clutch spot this time, Roy Halladay overcame a shaky start and the Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 11-6 Saturday night in the opener of their NL division series.

Howard shook off his season-ending strikeout last October in the championship series to hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in a five-run sixth inning, sending Citizens Bank Park into a frenzy.

“I left last year in the past,” Howard said. “You can't let what happened last year affect this year. It's a fresh start.”

Halladay retired his last 21 batters, and the NL East champions began their all-or-nothing postseason run with a comeback win.

Halladay allowed three runs and three hits, striking out eight in eight innings. He didn't allow a runner after Skip Schumaker led off the second with a single.

“That's why he's the best in the game,” Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols said. “We wanted to keep adding on it, but we just never put that inning together again.”

Game 2 is Sunday night, with Cliff Lee pitching for Philadelphia against Chris Carpenter, who is starting on three days' rest.

Raul Ibanez hit a two-run shot off Kyle Lohse to cap the Phillies' burst in the sixth, and Shane Victorino had three hits and two RBIs.

Last year, in his first career playoff start, Halladay threw the second no-hitter in postseason history in Philadelphia's 4-0 victory over Cincinnati.

His bid for an encore in the first round didn't last one batter, and Lance Berkman hit the first three-run homer off Halladay in three years to put the wild-card Cardinals up 3-0 in the first.

But the offense bailed out Doc.

“I couldn't think of a worse start and putting your team in a hole like that,” Halladay said. “But you get to this point, you're not going to pack it in.”

Lohse retired the first 10 batters before Chase Utley hit a double off the right-field fence in the fourth. The righty, who was 14-8 this season, ran out of gas in the sixth.

Down 3-1, Jimmy Rollins singled to start the inning. After Utley struck out, Hunter Pence grounded a single up the middle. That brought up Howard, who heard a lot of criticism for taking that called third strike last year in the NLCS with the tying run on second base to end the Phillies' season against San Francisco.

Howard worked a full count before launching a towering drive into the second deck in right-center to give the Phillies a 4-3 lead.

The towel-waving crowd went wild, and Howard came out for a curtain call.

“In that situation, I knew he wasn't really going to throw a fastball, so I just sat on the changeup,” Howard said. “Trying to get me to chase, but he just kind of left one up there hanging for me.”

Victorino followed with a single. Ibanez then lined a two-run homer to right to end Lohse's night.

Lohse allowed six runs - five earned - and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings.

The Phillies cruised to their fifth straight division title, winning a franchise-record and major league-best 102 games. Anything less than a second World Series title in four years will be considered a failure by players, management and fans.

A crowd of 46,480 was the 218th straight sellout at Citizens Bank Park, including postseason play. The stadium resembled an apple orchard with all the red-clad fans.

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Good Day To Be A Dallas Star

Francis Wathier and Vernon Fiddler each had a goal and an assist, leading the Dallas Stars to a 4-0 win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.

Andrew Raycroft stopped 33 shots for the win, but the Blues lost forward B.J. Crombeen, who broke his left shoulder blade and is out indefinitely. Crombeen was injured in the third period.

Jake Dowell and Tomas Vincour also scored, and Trevor Daley added a pair of assists for the Stars, who ended their preseason winning six of seven games. Jaroslav Halak stopped 20 shots, but the Blues, who won five of their eight preseason games, were shut out for the second time at home.

Dowell scooped a shot over Halak for a 1-0 lead at 5:25 of the first. Wathier scored on the Stars' first power play, deflecting Daley's shot from the point screening Halak at 8:29 of the first for a 2-0 lead.

Fiddler beat Halak with a wrist shot at 5:01 of the second period for a 3-0 lead, and Vincour scored from in tight at 11:16 of the second to make it 4-0.

What a Finish for the Ponies

TCU's 22-game home winning streak is over. The Horned Frogs' long stay in the national rankings could be next. No. 20 TCU rallied from 16 points down in the fourth quarter to force overtime, but SMU held on for a 40-33 upset on J.J. McDermott's fourth touchdown pass of the game and one last defensive stand.

The Horned Frogs scored 23 points behind three fourth-quarter touchdown passes from Casey Pachall, a month after they ambushed Baylor with 25 points in the final period before the Bears drove to the deciding field goal in a 50-48 win. That loss in Waco ended TCU's 25-game regular-season winning streak. Sunday could mark the first time the Frogs are unranked since October 2008.

"For us, at some point, it was all going to come to an end," TCU coach Gary Patterson said. "You didn't want to end right here, but the bottom line is our group downstairs has to do some soul-searching."

It looked like the Mustangs (4-1) would cruise to just their second win over a ranked opponent since the program was shut down by the NCAA's so-called death penalty in the 1980s. But Pachall made it interesting before faltering in overtime. His toss on fourth-and-2 was tipped and bounced off the chest of TCU's Brandon Carter, prompting a wild SMU celebration.

"It was real tough after getting off to a slow start," said Pachall, who was 30 of 42 for 304 yards. "To come all the way back, and have it happen like that, it's never easy to swallow." The Mustangs moved the ball well behind McDermott and Darius Johnson, who repeatedly teamed up for big third-down completions, starting with a 13-yard touchdown on the game's opening drive.

The pair hooked up on a 21-yard score to put the Mustangs ahead 33-17 barely a minute after Pachall had thrown his first TD pass on the opening play of the fourth quarter.

McDermott and Johnson did it again on a 32-yarder on third-and-17 midway through the fourth before TCU finally stiffened. After forcing a punt, the Frogs drove 77 yards to a field goal, then SMU's Kenneth Acker hesitated a yard deep in the end zone and was tackled at the 10 on the subsequent kickoff.

The Frogs held and had to drive just 46 yards to the tying score, a 4-yard pass from Pachall to Luke Shivers with 1:16 remaining.

"The bottom line is we've come back twice and come up short," Patterson said. "Our kids did everything the could to get to that point, but you've got to find a way to finish." Both of SMU's post-death penalty wins over ranked teams have come against TCU.

The other was in 2005, a week after TCU entered the rankings with an upset of Oklahoma. SMU is off to its best start since going 5-1 in 1986, the year before the program was shut down. "What a win. It's been a long, long time coming," McDermott said. "We were up. They stormed back. I'm ecstatic, so proud of our guys."

SMU's Zach Line entered the game second nationally with 11 touchdowns, but the biggest play from the linebacker-turned-running back came on the kickoff coverage team to start the second half. He stripped TCU's Greg McCoy inside the 10, and Chris Parks recovered in the end zone for a 24-10 lead. The Mustangs rode the momentum swing from that play until TCU's big rally in the fourth quarter.

The Frogs, coming off an unprecedented three straight seasons with the nation's top defense, gave up more than 450 yards for the second time this year. The first was in the Baylor loss. The Horned Frogs couldn't stop SMU on third down and were having trouble getting first downs themselves for the most first half.

The problem was best illustrated early in the second quarter when TCU had second and less than a yard and couldn't keep the ball. Ed Wesley lost 4 yards, and Waymon James fell down short of the first-down marker after catching a short pass from Pachall.

Wesley turned things in TCU's favor in just one play, though. He ran through a huge hole in the middle of the line and skirted through the secondary before he was caught from behind on a 63-yard run to the SMU 3. Matthew Tucker scored two plays later to cut SMU's lead to 17-7.

Details Emerge in SDPD Officer's Death

In what is another sad development in recent news for the San Diego police department, an additional member of the force died Saturday in a multi-vehicle accident on Interstate 15.

Officer Jason Prokop, 34, was traveling southbound on I-15 when he was involved in a collision with another vehicle that had been stopped on the freeway, said Lieutenant Andra Brown with SDPD.

One witness said the fatal string of accidents began when a stalled vehicle was hit by another vehicle on the I-15.

"The car in the opposite [direction] of traffic tried to help the guy in the stalled car out," said  Marlon Dumbrique, "and that's when he was struck by another car."

Dumbrique said an ambulance had arrived but the stream of cars was not slowing down.

According to reports, Officer Prokop, who was off-duty at the time, got out of his vehicle in order to render aid to the other driver invloved in the collision, at which point he was struck by another vehicle.

"I also saw a car sideswipe another car in the right shoulder lane," said Dumbrique, "I believe that was when another guy was struck."

An exact timeline of the accident was not made immediately available and investigators on the scene said they considered it a complicated case due to how many vehicles were involved.

Prokop, a five-year veteran of SDPD assigned to Central Division , was declared dead at the scene. He scheduled to go into work at 6 a.m., according to officials.

"Everyone in this command, this department, in the community in the family is grieving right now," said Capt. Mark Jones of SDPD at a news conference held later in the day.

Prokop's death is another in a string a officers who have passed from SDPD and the department's Central Division in particular.

On Aug. 24, off-duty Officer Christopher Blakeley, 26, was killed while riding his motorcycle in Palm City near Nestor.

On Aug. 6, Officer Jeremy Henwood was shot and killed while sitting in his patrol car in City Heights. Henwood, 36, served with the SDPD for four years but during that time served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. The suspect in his shooting, Dejon White, 23, was killed that same evening in a shootout with police.

Also in August, Officer David Christopher Hall was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his Linda Vista home, police said.

Just two weeks before that, the department learned of the death of another colleague.

SDPD Detective Donna Williams and her daughter Bree Williams were attacked and killed in their Rancho Penasquitos home on July 18. The detective's son was arrested in their deaths.

"The entire department this past year has been a very tough year but everybody is professional," said Jones. "Everybody knows that we help each other to get through these things and we always do."

Ryan Howard's Big Blast

Baseball, like other sports, or movies, or television shows, are nothing more than a collection of moments in a certain order that ultimately create the story of the events that took place. Some of these moments serve only to take up space and keep things going, while others serve to advance the narrative. Those are the moments that really count; the ones when the villain reveals himself, or when the protagonist gives some heroic speech.

Or in this case of Game One of the National League Division Series, it's when Ryan Howard hit a ball to the second deck.

It was the sixth inning of the inaugural game of the annual Second Season for the city of Philadelphia, and the Phillies found themselves behind the eight ball and up against a 0-1 series deficit, thanks to a first inning, three-run homer from Lance Berkman, and a fine pitching performance from Kyle Lohse.

Down 3-1, with two men on and one away, Ryan Howard stepped into the box. The slugger, coming off his worst season to date, stood in the box and gave gave the Phillies their first “big” moment of the postseason, when he deposited a belt high offering into the second deck of Citizens Bank Park, to put the Phils ahead, 4-3, in what would be the deciding moment of the game.

The crowd roared, Howard got his curtain call, and the Phillies were off to the races, buoyed by a three-run shot that ignited the offense that sent them well on their way to an 11- lead over the St. Louis Cardinals.

It was one of those moments that, depending on which way it went, was going to be the deciding moment of the game. Had Howard struck out or harmlessly popped out to the third baseman, it may very well have been the Cardinals, and not the Phillies, who drew first blood.

But as big as Howard's homer was, perhaps there was a moment that didn't happen that proved to have a bigger impact on the game.

With the Phillies within striking distance and Howard coming to the plate, it was a very curious of Tony La Russa to not go to a left-handed pitcher, despite the fact that Kyle Lohse was holding the Phillies in check. But when you consider that he isn't going to overpower hitters, and that Howard has hit left-handers to the tune of a .224/.286/.347 line this season, it was a moment of non-management that shifted the course of the game. 

But, that's the playoffs for you. Every move is magnified and second guessed by bloggers and beat writers and fans. But that's just good news for the Phillies, and because what did happen was Ryan Howard crushing a ball and Roy Halladay throwing eight strong innings to take a 1-0 series lead.

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Devils Beat Flyers, 2-1

David Clarkson's power-play goal with 4:21 left in the second period, snapped a tie and lifted the New Jersey Devils to a 2-1 preseason victory over the Flyers Saturday night.

Petr Sykora added his second goal of the preseason, strengthening his chances of making the team. Sykora scored on a breakaway off a pass from Zach Parise that got by three Flyers at 4:12 of the second.

Flyers took a 1-0 lead on Scott Hartnell's power-play goal with 3:31 left in the first. Philadelphia used with few regulars, but Ilya Bryzgalov played the entire game and made 18 saves.

Martin Brodeur backstopped New Jersey's regular lineup and stopped 25 shots.

New Jersey (3-3) will open the regular season at home against Philadelphia (4-2-1) next Saturday.

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Teen Shot in New Castle County

New Castle police are investigating the shooting of a 15-year-old boy.

The incident happened Friday night shortly after 9 p.m. on the 100 block of Whitburn Place.  The victim was shot in the foot and was transported to the Christiana Hospital. The suspect fled the scene before police arrived.

The suspect was described as a black male, 5’09” tall, with dreadlocks or braids in his hair. 

Anyone with information should contact the New Castle County Police Department at (302) 395-8110. Tipsters may call Crime Stoppers as well at (800) TIP-3333.

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DC's Version of the Wall Street Protests

For the last two weeks, demonstrators have taken their grievances to Wall Street, railing against what they see as excessive corporate influence on government and society. They call it a "Corporatocracy."

On Saturday, that movement came to D.C. Sort of.

As of early Saturday afternoon, you could find tour groups that outnumbered the group called "Occupy DC," which held a self-described general assembly in McPherson Square. At the peak of participation, between 40 and 50 people braved the rain and the chill.

"You gotta start small," said Justin Rodriguez, one of the participants. "Everything has to start somewhere."

Like their fellows in New York, these hardy souls were brought together out of dissatisfaction with the government and what they see as the too-close relationship between money and power.

"We're united around a sense that the country's gone in a bad direction, allowing corporate interests to govern where the people should be governing," said Micah Bales, another protester.

What they lack in numbers, they make up for in devotion to their cause. And despite the fact that their protests were often drowned out by a women's percussion practicing across McPherson Square, the men and women of "Occupy DC" believe that this is just the beginning.

"We're locals, and this is a homegrown movement," said Bales. "We're not just gonna come in and do our little thing. We're here for the long haul."