BRIEFLY DELGADILLO PICKS MURRAY FOR ETHICS.

Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo nominated the Rev. Cecil L. ``Chip'' Murray to the city Ethics Commission on Thursday.

If confirmed by the City Council, Murray would replace San Fernando Valley activist David Fleming, who resigned from the commission recently so he could work in favor of Valley secession.

Since 1977, Murray has been pastor of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church, one of the largest African-American churches in Los Angeles.

- Daily News

Furutani college board president

Warren T. Furutani has been unanimously elected president of the Los Angeles Community College District Board.

First elected in 1999, Furutani is also a consultant to the speaker of the state Assembly, Herb Wesson Jr., specializing in education.

The board also unanimously elected Mona Field as vice president at Wednesday's meeting.

- Daily News

Mysterious smell empties building

An unusual smell of gas prompted the evacuation of the Los Angeles County courthouse near Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday afternoon, authorities said.

More than 200 people were evacuated at the Airport Courthouse, 11701 S. La Cienega Blvd., authorities said.

Firefighters did not immediately pinpoint the origin of the smell. Authorities said that shortly after 5:30 p.m., the building was declared safe and people were allowed to return.

- City News Service

Volunteers to get counseling funds

NORTH HOLLYWOOD - The North Hollywood chapter of Volunteers of America will receive a $190,000 federal grant to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds succeed in higher education, a lawmaker said Thursday.

Rep. Howard Berman, D-Mission Hills, said the grant from the Department of Education will help the group continue to provide academic, career and financial counseling to encourage students to go to college.

- City News Service

Hahn to lead panel on train corridor

Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn on Thursday was elected chairwoman of the board overseeing the Alameda Corridor freight rail expressway.

Hahn will chair the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority board for one year. The 20-mile corridor opened earlier this year with the intention of shifting port rail traffic onto one set of tracks.

- City News Service

Salvadorans may receive extension

Eligible Salvadorans were urged Thursday to take advantage of a newly approved extension to their legal status in the United States.

The Justice Department extended by one year the Temporary Protected Status to more than 260,000 Salvadorans who fled two powerful earthquakes last year. Those with TPS or pending TPS applications must reregister with the INS between Sept. 9 and Nov. 12.

- City News Service

Healthy Kids plan gets county's OK

The county panel in charge of Proposition 10 tax revenues from tobacco products approved a budget Thursday that includes health insurance for children younger than 5.

The Healthy Kids Initiative will cover about 15,000 children countywide. Families can earn three times the federal poverty level and still be eligible, according to the commission.

- City News Service

Rape video leads to teens' arrest

NEWPORT BEACH - Three teen-agers have been arrested on suspicion of raping a girl and capturing the attack on videotape, police said Thursday.

The teens were accused of raping an unconscious 16-year-old girl at a party July 5 at a Newport Beach home, said Sgt. Steve Schulman.

``We believe she was drugged before the assault took place,'' Schulman said.

- Associated Press