BRIEFLY METH SUSPECT DIES AFTER TAKING DRUG.

BURBANK - A man arrested early Sunday on suspicion of possessing child pornography and methamphetamine died suddenly from apparently ingesting an unknown drug, police said.

Burbank police reported arresting the man at about 4 a.m. near Magnolia Avenue and California Street.

The 40-year-old suspect, however, appeared to be high on some illegal drug, according to police, and was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital for treatment prior to being booked.

At Burbank City Jail, he later became unresponsive while being fingerprinted midmorning and was rushed back to the hospital, where he died at 1:40 p.m., police said. The man's name was not released pending notification of relatives.

- Daily News

Vandenberg nixes satellite launch

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - Upper level winds forced base officials early Sunday to postpone once again the launch of a Titan II rocket carrying a satellite designed to keep tabs on weather that affects military ships and spacecraft.

The Coriolis mission was delayed several times last month because of bad weather and technical problems.

The satellite carries a Navy instrument to measure wind speed and direction over the world's oceans and an Air Force instrument to monitor solar storms that could damage satellites and communications networks on Earth.

Officials have rescheduled the launch for 6:18 a.m. Monday, said Master Sgt. Lloyd Conely.

- Associated Press 

Quigley to go back up the tree today

STEVENSON RANCH - A traditional ``Ring of (bread) of the Kings'' - Rosca de Reyes - will be held today around Old Glory, the 400-year-old oak that activists are fighting to keep from being uprooted, supporters said.

The bread celebrates the arrival of the Three Kings to present gifts for the infant Jesus, which has little to do with the battle between developers and environmentalists trying to preserve natural areas, except that it keeps the fight over the old oak in the public's eye.

After 62 straight days, tree-sitter John Quigley of Pacific Palisades took a break Sunday and climbed down from the old oak to stretch his own limbs and get some exercise, while alternate tree-sitter Jeff Johnson took his place, KNBC (Channel 4) reported.

Quigley earlier had said he would come down to spend time with his family and sick father, but now plans to stay rooted to the tree and return to his perch in its branches today, according to the TV station.

The fight over the old oak has captured the public's imagination, with children and celebrities visiting, and even a dentist making a tree call when Quigley needed dental work done. Meanwhile, environmentalists got a polite but firm rebuff from Gov. Gray Davis on Friday, after activists delivered a petition to his Los Angeles office. Through an aide, the governor said the fate of the oak tree is a local rather than a state issue.

Hilary McLean said the Davis administration is ``extremely sympathetic'' to preservationists who hope to keep the Pico Canyon Road tree from being moved.

- City News Service