Pentagon Identifies Marine Killed in Afghanistan

1. While overall crime rates in the San Diego area continued to decline, the number of homicides reported in the region in the first half of this year was up 65 percent compared with the same period in
2010, according to a report released Friday. Between January and the end of June, a total of 51 slayings were reported in the county, 20 more than during the comparable period last year. Roughly 25 percent of this year's cases were associated with gang activity, the San Diego Association of Governments reported.

2. The Pentagon released the name today of a 22-year-old Camp Pendleton-based Marine killed in combat this week in Afghanistan. Cpl. Michael J. Dutcher of Asheville, N.C., died in Helmand Province on Thursday, according to the Department of Defense.

3. More than 7,000 people are expected to turn out at 90 sites around San Diego Saturday for the 27th annual California Coastal Cleanup. The annual end-of-summer cleanup, which includes streams and storm channels leading to the ocean, starts at 9 a.m. and ends about noon. In Poway, a cleanup is taking place at Lake Poway. A list of sites can be found at cleanupday.org/cleanupsites.