San Diego, CA

Nickelodeon showcases all-new products at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 – Three If By Space

Published

2 years ago

July 24, 2024

Nickelodeon showcases all-new products at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 – Three If By Space

Nickelodeon showcases all-new must-have products featured at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2024, available for purchase at the Nick booth (#4113) on the convention center floor!

Celebrating the 25^th anniversary of SpongeBob SquarePants, Nickelodeon will transport fans to Bikini Bottom with larger-than-life replicas of SpongeBob’s pineapple home, The Krusty Krab, and the Barg’N-Mart in honor of the original pilot episode, “Help Wanted.” Every day of the convention, the booth will feature interactive games, photo opportunities, costume character appearances, and autograph signings.

At the booth, fans can stock up on memorabilia from their favorite Nickelodeon shows, including an exclusive 25^thAnniversary Edition SpongeBob SquarePants Krusty Krab spatula, an Avatar: The Last Airbender reversible bucket hat, and more.

EXCLUSIVES

SpongeBob SquarePants Reversible Hat

There is no place like home! Rep SpongeBob SquarePants’ home or a fun Bikini Bottom-inspired tiki print with this cool reversible bucket hat.

SRP: $25.00

SpongeBob SquarePants Barg’N-Mart Reusable Tote

Shop for all the essentials at the Barg’N-Mart! The reusable tote bag is inspired by the local supermarket of Bikini Bottom in SpongeBob SquarePants. Use it to help carry your Bran Flakes, Kelp Jerky, Kelp Nougat Crunch, Pop Kelp, Seanut Brittle, Volcano Sauce, and whatever else you’re craving.

SRP: $7.00 or free with a purchase of $50.00 or more

Courtesy of Nickelodeon

SpongeBob’s 25th Anniversary Series: Limited Edition SpongeBob SquarePants Painterly Pin

It’s the best celebration ever! Celebrate 25 years of SpongeBob SquarePants with our SDCC exclusive, limited-edition pins by Zen Monkey Studios. Collect pins of SpongeBob, Patrick, Sandy, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs spattered with vibrant paint to capture the festive spirit of this milestone anniversary! Available only at San Diego Comic-Con, each pin is a colorful explosion of artistry, with only 350 pieces per design, making them the perfect keepsake for any fan.

SRP: $15.00

SpongeBob SquarePants The Krusty Krab Spatula: Exclusive 25^th Anniversary Edition

Are you ready to serve up some smiles? Make some delicious Krabby Patties for you, your family, or your best pals with The Krusty Krab Spatula! We guarantee you will feel like an official Krusty Krab fry cook and create some delicious meals that would make SpongeBob proud! This is a 25th-anniversary edition.

SRP: $29.99

Avatar: The Last Airbender Reversible Bucket Hat

The Avatar: The Last Airbender Arrow Reversible Bucket Hat is a versatile and eye-catching accessory that replicates the elements in the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. This bucket hat features a unique reversible design, allowing you to showcase two distinct looks in one.

SRP: $25.00

Nickelodeon San Diego Comic-Con 2024 Custom T-shirt

Fans can purchase t-shirts at the retail shop and create their own custom design from a choice of 20 fan-favorite Nick shows and characters. Items are ready within minutes!

SRP: $25.00

Nickelodeon San Diego Comic-Con 2024 Custom Flip Flops

Fans can purchase flip-flops at the retail shop and create their own custom design from a choice of 20 fan-favorite Nickelodeon shows and characters. Items are ready within minutes!

SRP: $15.00

LIMITED EDITION

Limited Edition Playmates Toys Classic TMNT Black & White Original Sketch Turtles: Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo

Booyakasha! Discover the origins of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with this exclusive figure set! Based on Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s first group sketch, each of these highly detailed, black-and-white turtles comes with signature weapons, a collectible sleeve, and a card of the original sketch. The figures also include bases that connect to recreate the iconic scene, making this set a must-have for any TMNT fan!

SRP: $30.00

DEBUT

Plushiverse Avatar: The Last Airbender Momo Plushie Fanny Pack

Add some style to your outfit with an adorable Momo Plushie Fanny Pack! Simply buckle it around your waist for hands-free functionality and use the adjustable belt for a perfect fit. These are perfect for holding all your essentials so you can have more fun hands-free!

SRP: $20.00

Courtesy of Nickelodeon

Avatar: The Last Airbender Avatar State and Momo Diamond Art Club Painting Kits

Embrace the charm of these fun adventurers! Fans can create vibrant artworks of Aang in the Avatar State and Momo with Diamond Art Club kits by simply applying colorful diamonds to pigmented canvas paintings. Each kit includes premium canvas, reflective resin diamonds, an applicator, tray, baggies, labels, and instructions. No experience is necessary!

SRP: Aang Avatar State $35.00; Momo $30.00

Cubles Reptar Paper Craft Poseable Character Kits

CUBLES, maker of paper craft poseable character kits, debuts the one, the only REPTAR of Rugrats fame. Friend to babies, enemy of towns—build him, then set him on a path of destruction wherever your heart desires. *Ice Skates not included.

SRP: $13.00

NON-EXCLUSIVES

Plushiverse SpongeBob & Patrick Plushmates Besties

These SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star Plushmates Besties are adorable plushie keychains that hold hands! Each plushie has magnetic hands that let them stick together and a plastic keychain so you can clip them onto your bag or keys. Give one to your bestie and keep one for yourself! These on-the-go companions are sure to add some cuteness to your day!

SRP: $15.00

Overtime x SpongeBob Classic Hoodie for Adults and Kids

Rock the SpongeBob look with this unique hoodie! Featuring an “O” SpongeBob logo on the chest, “OVERTIME” on the sleeve, and a vibrant SpongeBob graphic on the back, this cozy cotton and polyester blend is perfect for fans who never want the fun to end!

SRP: Adults $80.00; Kids $75.00

Dr. Squatch’s Nautical Nonsense Bar Soap Inspired by SpongeBob SquarePants

Are you ready?! Dive into an ocean of tropical freshness with the limited-edition Nautical Nonsense bar soap. With notes of juicy pineapple, cool chamomile, and fresh moss, this brick will transport you to Bikini Bottom and leave your skin feeling soft and breezy.

SRP: $6.00

Plushiverse Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 6” Reversible Plushies

Cowabunga! Bring Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo along on your own adventures by checking out these reversible plushies. These 6” tall plushies have two different faces that make it perfect for showing how you feel at school, home, or the office, plus they’re soft and cuddly!

SRP: $15.00

Cubles Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Paper Craft Poseable Character Kits

CUBLES, maker of paper craft poseable character kits, debuts their IDW-era inspired Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo are gritty, tough-as-nails, and ready for trouble. Build all of the brethren and get ready to take down the enemy.

SRP: $9.99

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San Diego, CA

San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s Elephant Valley: Get closer to elephants

Published

7 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s Elephant Valley: Get closer to elephants

Todd Martens
| Los Angeles Times

San Diego — Before we see elephants at Elephant Valley in the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, we come face to face with destruction, only the wreckage is beautiful. A long, winding path takes guests around and under felled trees. Aged gray tree hunks form arches, for instance, over bridges that tower over clay-colored paths with hoof prints.

The design is meant to reorient us, to take us on a trail walked not by humans but traversed and carved by elephants, a creature still misunderstood, vilified and hunted for its cataclysmic-like ability to reshape land, and sometimes communities.

“It starts,” says Kristi Burtis, vice president of wildlife care for the Safari Park, “by telling the story that elephants are ecosystem engineers.”

Elephant Valley will open March 5 as the newest experience at the Escondido park, its aim to bring guests closer than ever to the zoo’s eight elephants, which range in age from 7 to 36, while more heavily focusing on conservation. The centerpiece of the 13-acre-plus parkland is a curved bridge overlooking a savanna, allowing elephants to walk under guests. But there are also nooks such as a cave that, while not previewed at a recent media event, will allow visitors to view elephants on their level.

In a shift from, say, the Safari Park’s popular tram tour, there are no fences and visible enclosures. Captive elephants remain a sometimes controversial topic, and the zoo’s herd is a mix of rescues and births, but the goal was to create a space where humans are at once removed and don’t impede on the relative free-roaming ability of the animals by keeping guests largely elevated. As an example of just how close people can get to the herd, there was a moment of levity at the event when one of the elephants began flinging what was believed to be a mixture of dirt and feces up onto the bridge.

“Our guests are going to be able to see the hairs on an elephant,” Burtis says. “They can see their eyes. They can see the eyelashes. They can see how muscular their trunks are. It’s really going to be a different experience.”

Elephant Valley, complete with a multistory lodge with open-air restaurants and bars, boasts a natural design that isn’t influenced by the elephant’s African home so much as it is in conversation with it. The goal isn’t to displace us, but to import communal artistry — Kenyan wood and beadwork can be found in the pathways, resting spaces and more — as a show of admiration rather than imitation.

“We’re not going to pretend that we’re taking people to Africa,” says Fri Forjindam, now a creative executive with Universal’s theme parks but previously a lead designer on Elephant Valley via her role as a chief development officer at Mycotoo, a Pasadena-based experiential design firm.

“That is a slippery slope of theming that can go wrong really fast,” she adds. “How do we recognize where we are right now, which is near San Diego? How do we populate this plane with plants that are indigenous to the region? The story of coexistence is important. We’re not extracting from Africa, we’re learning. We’re not extracting from elephants, we’re sharing information.”

But designing a space that is elephant-first yet also built for humans presented multiple challenges, especially when the collaborating teams were aiming to construct multiple narratives around the animals. Since meetings about Elephant Valley began around 2019, the staff worked to touch on themes related to migration and conservation. And there was also a desire to personalize the elephants.

“Where can we also highlight each of the elephants by name, so they aren’t just this huge herd of random gray creatures?” Forjindam says. “You see that in the lodge.”

That lodge, the Mkutano House — a phrase that means “gathering” in Swahili — should provide opportunities for guests to linger, although zoo representatives say reservations are recommended for those who wish to dine in the space (there will also be a walk-up, to-go window). Menus have yet to be released, but the ground floor of the structure, boasting hut-like roofing designed to blend into the environment, features close views of the elephant grazing pool as well as an indoor space with a centerpiece tree beneath constellation-like lighting to mimic sunrises and sunsets.

Throughout there are animal wood carvings and beadwork, the latter often hung from sculptures made of tree branches. The ceiling, outfitted with colorful, cloth tapestries designed to move with the wind, aims to create less friction between indoor and outdoor environments.

There are, of course, research and educational goals of the space as well. The Safari Park works, for instance, with the Northern Rangelands Trust and Loisaba Conservancy in Kenya, with an emphasis on studying human-elephant conflict and finding no-kill resolutions. Nonprofits and conservation groups estimate that there are today around 415,000 elephants in Africa, and the African savanna elephant is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Studies of the zoo’s young elephants is shared with the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in the hopes of delivering care to elephant youth to prevent orphanage. Additionally, the Safari Park has done extensive examination into the endotheliotropic herpes virus. “The data that we collect from elephants here, you can’t simply get from elephants in the wild,” Burtis says.

One of the two entrances to Elephant Valley is outfitted with bee boxes; bees are known to be a natural elephant deterrent and can help in preventing the animals from disrupting crops or communities. To encourage more natural behavior, the plane is outfitted with timed feeders in an attempt to encourage movement throughout the acreage and establish a level of real-life unpredictability in hunting for resources. Water areas have been redesigned with ramps and steps to make it easier for the elephants to navigate.

With Elephant Valley, Forjindam says the goal was to allow visitors to “observe safely in luxury — whatever that is — but not from a position of power, more as a cohabitor of the Earth, with as much natural elements as possible. It’s not to impose dominance. Ultimately, it needed to feel natural. It couldn’t feel like a man-made structure, which is an antiquated approach to any sort of safari experience where animals are the product, a prize. In this experience, this is the elephant’s home.”

And the resulting feel of Elephant Valley is that we, the paying customers, are simply their house guests.

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San Diego, CA

Man fatally struck by hit-and-run vehicle in San Diego

Published

19 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Man fatally struck by hit-and-run vehicle in San Diego

A man in the Mission Bay Park community of San Diego was fatally struck Sunday morning by a hit-and run vehicle, authorities said.

The victim was also struck by a second vehicle and that motorist stayed at the scene to cooperate with officers, the San Diego Police Department reported.

The initial crash occurred at about 2:20 a.m. Sunday in the area of West Mission Bay and Sea World drives.

The pedestrian was in the southbound lanes of the 2000 block of West Mission Bay Drive when he was struck by a silver vehicle also in the southbound lanes. That vehicle fled the scene, continuing southbound, police said.

A 28-year-old man driving his vehicle southbound ran over the downed pedestrian.

“That driver remained at the scene and is not DUI,” according to a police statement. “The pedestrian was pronounced deceased at the scene.”

Anyone with information regarding the initial crash was urged to call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

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San Diego, CA

Here are the 9 San Diego County communities that set or tied heat records

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Here are the 9 San Diego County communities that set or tied heat records

San Diego County is known for having wet, cold weather in February. But it had numerous hot spells this year. And when the month ended on Saturday a high pressure system produced heat that broke or tied temperature records in nine communities from the desert to the sea, the National Weather Service said.

The most notable temperature occurred in Borrego Springs, which reached 99, five degrees higher than the previous record for Feb. 28, set in 1986. The 99 reading is also the highest temperature ever recorded in Borrego in February.

Escondido reached 95, tying a record set in 1901.

El Cajon reached 92, three degrees higher than the record set in 2009.

Ramona topped out at 88, five degrees higher than the record set in 2009.

Alpine hit 88, four degrees higher the record set in 1986.

Campo reached 87, four degrees higher than the record set in 1999.

Vista hit 86, four degrees higher than the record set in 2020.

Chula Vista reached 84, one degree higher than the record set in 2020.

Lake Cuyamaca rose to 76, four degrees higher than the record set in 1986.

Forecasters say the weather is not likely to broadly produce new highs on Sunday. Cooler air is moving to the coast, and on Monday, San Diego’s high will only reach 67, a degree above normal.

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