BRIEFLY.

Robbers hit marijuana joint

TARZANA -- Armed robbers made off with an unspecified amount of marijuana Thursday after hitting a medical marijuana dispensary, police said.

Four or five black men, all apparently armed, entered the business near Ventura Boulevard and Tampa Avenue about 7:15 p.m. and demanded marijuana, said Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. Kim, who did not give his first name.

"Nobody (was) injured. Nobody got tied up," Kim said.

The robbers then reportedly took off in a black BMW SUV, Kim said, possibly heading toward the Hollywood Freeway.

Early reports are that the robbers didn't demand cash, just marijuana, Kim said.

-- Daily News

Residents alert for mountain lion

LA CRESCENTA -- After a mountain lion dragged a small dog out of a backyard over the weekend, officials are warning foothill residents near the Angeles National Forest to take precautions.

The attack occurred at 10:05 p.m. Sunday at the home at 2723 Pinelawn Drive.

A resident watched as a mountain lion climbed over his fence, grabbed the miniature pinscher and took off into the mountains, officials said. The dog was not found.

County Supervisor Mike D. Antonovich provided the following tips when it comes to mountain lions:

Avoid hiking, biking or jogging alone.

Don't feed deer.

Trim brush to reduce hiding places for mountain lions.

Don't leave small children or pets outside unattended.

Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house.

Bring pet food inside to avoid attracting raccoons, opossums and other potential mountain lion prey.

-- Daily News

Janitors union targets Galleria

The union representing mall janitors, including some working at the Glendale Galleria, filed unfair labor practice charges Wednesday against General Growth Properties, the second-largest mall owner in the country.

Officials from the Service Employees International Union contend that GGP and two of its cleaning contractors, Service Management Systems and Millard Group Inc., illegally interrogated, spied on, discriminated against, threatened to fire, and even fired workers who are active in the union.

Six charges allege violations at Glendale Galleria; Park Meadows Mall in Lone Tree, Colo.; and Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood, Wash. The mall operator denied any wrongdoing.

-- City News Service

Glendale names interim fire chief

GLENDALE -- Donald Biggs, director of emergency services at Warner Bros. Studios, was named interim chief of the Glendale Fire Department.

Biggs will begin his new duties Monday and serve until a permanent chief has is named early next year. Biggs served 35 years with the Glendale Fire Department before retiring in 2004 and joining Warner Bros. Studios.

-- City News Service

37 feet divided planes at LAX

Two planes that nearly collided last week at Los Angeles International Airport came within 37 feet of each other, closer than originally estimated, the National Transportation Safety Board reported Wednesday.

The near-miss that occurred just before 1 p.m. last Thursday involved a WestJet Boeing 737 and a Northwest Airlines Airbus 320-A.

According to a preliminary report from the NTSB, the WestJet pilot landed on runway 24R, exited onto a taxiway and then switched radio channels too quickly.

As a result, a ground controller assumed the tower had cleared the WestJet pilot to cross runway 24L, at the same time a tower controller was clearing the Northwest jet for takeoff from the same runway, the report states.

The two aircraft missed colliding by 37 feet as the Northwest plane departed from runway 24L.

The NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration, which both investigate such so-called incursions, originally estimated the distance as 50 feet.

-- City News Service