Police nab suspect in Chase Bank robbery San Diego Police Department canine and patrol officers, in conjunction with detectives from the San Diego Police Department’s Robbery Unit, apprehended Robert Nathan Alm, 27, on suspicion of robbing the Chase Bank on Midway Drive on Jan. 14. On that date, a man entered the Point Loma Heights branch around 3 p.m. approached a teller window and placed a box on the counter. He then removed a black handgun from the box and demanded cash from the teller and customer, according to investigators. The suspect fled and was seen getting into a sport utility vehicle with a personalized license plate ALMDUDE in the parking lot. Two days later, a canine officer did some research on the license plate and discovered the vehicle was known to frequent the area of Third Avenue and Market Street in the Marina district. The canine officer located the unoccupied vehicle and coordinated efforts with investigators and plainclothes officers. Alm was taken into custody and booked into county jail, pending transfer. Home fire displaces owner; dogs killed Flames swept through a two-story home of Poinsettia Drive on Jan. 18, displacing one woman and claiming the lives of her two dogs. Maurice Luque, a spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, said the cause of the fire was deemed accidental or undetermined. Flames apparently erupted in a bedroom about 12:30 p.m., but the woman managed to escape the burning home unharmed. Luque said the estimated loss was placed at $500,000 to the structure and $250,000 to its contents. OB planners slate March 13 election The Ocean Beach Planning Board (OBPB) will conduct its annual election on Tuesday, March 13 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Ocean Beach Recreation Center, located at 4726 Santa Monica Ave. in Ocean Beach. Candidates are required to present to the board a nominating petition signed by at least 35 electors of the OBPB district in which he/she desires to run and must be least 18 years of age, Candidates must also be a resident of the district for at least 30 consecutive days, have owned real property situated in the district for at least 30 consecutive days or be a business owner with an address in the district at which employees or operators of the business are located for more than 30 days. Petitions may be obtained by calling (619) 997-5023, or emailing [email protected] or [email protected]. Nomination petitions are due by 6 p.m. on Feb. 19. Task force gears up for new homeless headcount The county’s Regional Task Force on the Homeless (RTFH) will again be sending out trained volunteer teams throughout the region’s communities to conduct this year’s official headcount/census on the local homeless. The headcount campaign will begin Friday, Jan. 27 and continue through Wednesday, Feb. 1. Among the targeted areas is Zone 5, which encompasses Ocean Beach, Mission Bay, Mission Beach, Old Town and the Rosecrans Street/Midway Drive corridor. This zone has a deployment center at the Point Loma United Methodist Church on Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. Volunteer teams will count the homeless, including cars and recreational vehicles that appear to sleep houseless people. One vehicle will count as three people. Questionnaires can also be filled out on Saturday, Jan. 28 from 7:30 to 10 a.m. at the Episcopal Church Center on Sunset Cliffs Boulevard. To volunteer or become a sponsor, visit www.CountSD.org. For more information about the headcount, call (858) 292-7627, email [email protected], or visit www.rtfhsd.org. — Bianca Koch

Habitat restoration project set at Dog Beach Friends of the San Diego River Mouth, a chapter of the San Diego River Park Foundation, meets for its regular habitat restoration project Jan. 28 from 9 a.m. to noon at Dog Beach in Ocean Beach. With California’s coastal dune and wetland habitats at risk, the group’s members encourage the public to join the group in caring for this rare and highly endangered habitat. Activities will include a guided-walking nature tour through four distinct habitat zones, native plant rescue and trail maintenance. The group will also plant native species. All tools and supplies will be provided. Proper dress includes work clothes and closed-toe shoes. To sign up, call (619) 297.7380 or email [email protected]. — Marsha Seff

Yelpers give nod to Phil’s BBQ in nation’s top 10 Since launching in 2004, Yelp has quickly become a go-to source for locals and visitors alike in finding the best restaurants, services and attractions in any given city. The company recently released its Top 10 Yelp restaurants in 2011 — and one very familiar Point Loma establishment made the list. Among the typical food meccas of San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York, San Diego had its only shining star on the list — Phil’s BBQ on Sports Arena Boulevard.  “We appreciate every review posted on Yelp — the good, the great and the not-so-great,” said owner Phil Pace. “The feedback we get from our audiences helps keep us competitive, and we try to respond to all customer reviews with each opportunity we get.” The restaurant boasts a proud 4½ out of 5 stars on the popular site, with more than 3,500 reviews posted to date. Yelp factored in several components when determining ranks, including how many people bookmarked the business in 2011, the average star rating, total reviews and total check-ins.   Of all the restaurants listed in this year’s Top 10, nine were West Coast restaurants. Phil’s BBQ has long been a staple of great BBQ in San Diego. The first Phil’s BBQ restaurant opened in 1998, and apparently has no plans of slowing down. It is actively pursuing a new location in East County, and is slated to open a fourth location in the San Diego International Airport in 2014. OB Town Council has surplus clothing goodies for sale Anyone thinking it’s too late to purchase a 2011 Ocean Beach Christmas Tree shirt or sweatshirt can think again. Items are still available — at special sale prices — at the James Gang, 1931 Bacon St., and the money raised from the sales goes to support the annual OB Christmas Tree Festival. Short-sleeve T-shirts can be purchased for $10 each, long-sleeve T-shirts are available for $15, and sweatshirts without hoods are available for $20. Special limited-edition hoodie sweatshirts may be purchased for $40.  For more information, visit www.obtowncouncil.org.   Pastel Society to host ‘members’ art show The second annual “members” art show of the Pastel Society will be held in the Allied Gardens library from Feb. 3 to March 2. There will be an opening reception for the public on Tuesday, Feb. 7. This exhibit features work by all levels of members-only artists, from beginners to professional. Pastel Society of San Diego offers their first meeting of 2012, which will be held at 2 p.m. in the Point Loma/ Hervey Branch Library, 3701 Voltaire St. on Sunday, Feb. 5. Refreshments will be served. The public is welcome. The meetings feature a demonstration by premier pastel artists. For more information on meetings, exhibits and membership, visit www.zhibit.org/pssd.