BRIEFLY MORE WANT REFORM ON BUSINESS TAX.

A health care workers union, an association representing apartment owners and a west San Fernando Valley business group joined a coalition calling for reforms to the Los Angeles city business tax, officials announced Tuesday.

Advocates for rolling back the business tax - long considered a drag on the local economy - hailed the endorsements of Service Employees International Union Local 434B, the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles and the Warner Center Association as evidence that their coalition is broadening.

Groups such as the Valley Industry and Commerce Association and the Greater Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce are calling for city officials to lower and simplify the business tax by Oct. 31.

- Daily News

Burglary alarms still mostly false

Burglary alarm calls declined 28 percent in June 2004 from June 2003 in Los Angeles, a statistic city officials attributed Tuesday to a policy of not responding to false alarms.

But the vast majority of alarm calls - 97 percent in June 2004, compared with 98 percent in June 2003 - were still false alarms, according to information presented Tuesday to the Los Angeles Police Commission.

Last year, the commission and City Council approved a policy of not sending police to addresses with two or more false alarms in a 12-month period. The City Council is scheduled on Sept. 10 to consider fines of $115 for the first false alarm in a year, escalating by $50 for each subsequent false alarm.

- Daily News

West Nile cases keep increasing

Health authorities have confirmed 27 more human cases of West Nile virus in California, the state Department of Health Services said Tuesday.

So far this year, the state has confirmed 370 human cases of the mosquito-borne virus, an increase of nearly 8 percent since Friday - the most recent date that statistics were released.

Health authorities have said they expected the number of human cases to increase through September and October.

So far this year, the virus has killed 10 people in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside.

In addition, 82 horses have been euthanized or died from the infection after contracting West Nile.

As of this week, authorities have detected West Nile fever in birds in 52 of California's 58 counties.

Nationwide, West Nile has infected 1,053 people and killed 28, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus infected 9,862 and killed 264 people last year.

- Associated Press

Permits proposed for Venice Beach

Seeking to impose some order on the famously chaotic Venice Beach Boardwalk, city officials are proposing permits for people who perform, play music or create art for money.

Los Angeles city officials would reserve 44 spaces for performers and 62 spaces for vendors whose messages are protected by the First Amendment, such as people selling bumper stickers and other political messages. People who want a spot on the west side of the boardwalk would submit $25 to the Department of Recreation and Parks and be entered into a random monthly lottery for a space.

- Daily News

Boy in hospital; condition critical

NORTH HOLLYWOOD - A 12-year-old boy was in extremely critical condition Tuesday night after nearly drowning in a backyard plastic pool at a North Hollywood home, officials said.

Paramedics called to the home in the 13100 block of Welby Way at 7:38 p.m. applied cardiopulmonary resuscitation and finally got a pulse as they took the boy to Pacifica Hospital of the Valley, said Bob Collis of the Los Angeles City Fire Department.

- City News Service