City News Service

Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre Thursday told the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to continue its effort to get a Superfund site designation the Tijuana River Valley despite a rejection by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The dangerously high winds will strengthen and spread southward through San Diego County over the day Thursday, reaching their zenith overnight and into Friday morning.

The alert status for heightened combustion hazards in the county's inland valleys and mountains went into effect at 4 a.m. Wednesday and will last until 6 p.m. Friday.

Nearly 9,000 San Diego Gas and Electric customers were without power Wednesday afternoon due to Public Safety Power Shutoffs, with more than 69,000 others at risk of being shut off due to weather conditions.

Children's Hospital of Orange County and Rady Children's Hospital San Diego announced a merger Wednesday, combining the two hospitals into a health care system called Rady Children's Health.

Vargas announced on Dec. 20 that she wouldn't serve a second term after winning re-election in November.

California has been battered by 10 previous atmospheric rivers this winter.

The latest in-custody death comes on the heels of news that a sheriff’s deputy was arrested for allegedly having illegal drugs on county jail property.

Officials with the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a statement in response to Southwest's cancellations, noting that the department will be looking into the situation.