BRIEFLY BOARD APPROVES OWENS RIVER DEAL.

The board that oversees the Los Angeles muncipal water system Wednesday signaled its support for a deal to end more than 30 years of litigation by restoring part of the Owens River drained by a city aqueduct.

The board of the Department of Water and Power ordered department lawyers to proceed with an agreement with environmentalists, state agencies and Inyo County to restore a 62-mile stretch of the Owens River.

The Lower Owens River Project will return water from the Los Angeles Aqueduct to the Owens River, creating wetlands habitat for waterfowl and shore birds, DWP officials said.

The agreement is supposed to end more than 30 years of litigation over the DWP's construction of the second Los Angeles Aqueduct, which Inyo County claimed had caused environmental damage by draining groundwater.

- Daily News

DWP worker hurt in car crash

RESEDA - A chain reaction crash caused a motorist to drive into a construction zone and into a truck early Wednesday, seriously injuring a Department of Water and Power worker, police said.

The unidentified victim was hit at 8:30 a.m. in the 19500 block of Sherman Way. Police said an unidentified driver was hit as she traveled west on Sherman Way and lost control of her vehicle, said LAPD Detective Billy Bustos, of the Valley Traffic Division.

The DWP worker was transported to a local hospital where he was listed in serious to critical condition.

- Daily News

Cops seek Sylmar robbery suspects

SYLMAR - Police are looking for two masked armed gunmen who ordered customers to lay on the ground while they robbed two stores in Sylmar, officials said Wednesday.

One robbery occurred last Friday and the other occurred on Nov. 21, Los Angeles police Officer Jason Lee said.

The robbers were described as black, about 5 feet 10 inches tall to 6 feet tall, 170 to 180 pounds, and in their early 20s, Lee said.

- City News Service

Foundation funds telescope project

PASADENA - The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has awarded $17.5 million to the University of California for collaboration with the California Institute of Technology on a project intended to build the world's most powerful telescope.

Coupled with an award by the foundation to Caltech for the same amount, a total of $35 million is now available for the two institutions to collaborate on this project to build the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). Their next step will be to work together to create detailed design plans for the telescope.

- Daily News