Quantas flights from LAX scheduled to resume Sunday night

Qantas Airways flights from Los Angeles were scheduled to resume Sunday night after the airline had shut down operations worldwide over the weekend because of conflicts with employee unions.

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) reported on Facebook and Twitter that flights to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in Australia and Auckland, New Zealand, would be departing the airport. The airline usually operates 34 departures a week from LAX.

The airline posted an announcement for L.A. passengers on its website:

If you are booked on a flight that is scheduled to depart from Los Angeles on Sunday 30th or Monday 31 October (local time), please travel to the airport as normal.

If your travel has been disrupted and you are in Los Angeles, we will contact you once we have details of your flight. We recommend you do not travel to the airport for a Qantas flight unless you have been advised to do so. All flights are still subject to regulatory approval.

The Times' John M. Glionna in Seoul reports:

An Australian arbitration court has issued an emergency ruling that will allow Qantas Airways to return to the skies after a bitter labor dispute prompted the airline to ground its entire fleet during the weekend. ...

The court’s ruling ended weeks of strikes and canceled a staff lockout against the world’s 10th-largest airline that caused chaos at Qantas destination airports worldwide, including LAX. ...

In past months, the rolling worker strikes by pilots, aircraft mechanics, baggage handlers and caterers have forced the cancellation of 600 flights, disrupted travel for 70,000 passengers and cost Qantas $75 million.

The airline had posted policies on refunds and accommodations for stranded travelers during the shutdown.

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-- Mary Forgione

Photo: A Qantas plane at the departure gate in Perth, Australia, on Monday, local time. The airline started to resume operations after a shutdown over the weekend. Credit: Daniel Munoz / Reuters

Man collapses, dies near finish line of L.A. half marathon

A 40-year-old man died Sunday after he collapsed near the finish line of the Los Angeles Rock 'n' Roll half marathon, according to authorities and the footrace's medical director.

“We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss, and our heartfelt sympathies go out to the runner’s family and loved ones," said Dr. Lewis Maharam, medical director of the Competitor's Group Rock 'n' Roll marathon races held around the country. 

“The family has asked for their privacy during this difficult time," Maharam said. "Out of respect for their request, we will have no further comment.” Race officials declined to release the man's name.

Paramedics with the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the 600 block of Olympic Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles near the finish line of the race around 9:30 a.m., about two hours into the event. They performed CPR on the man before taking him to a nearby hospital.

Fire Department spokesman Erik Scott said the incident was the only serious health issue associated with the race that he was aware of. No further details were immediately available.

The race, with at least 8,000 runners and walkers, began and ended at L.A. Live, following a course that passed the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and crossed the 6th Street bridge, reaching Boyle Avenue before doubling back.

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-- Victoria Kim and Kenneth R. Weiss

Wide body chassis rules in Manhattan Beach pumpkin race

The winner had a wide-body chassis, low slung to the ground like the pumpkin that whisked Cinderella into the night after the ball.

It also had a novel design, cribbing from in-line skates, to make it whiz past competitors and claim the title to the 21st Annual World Famous Pumpkin Race in Manhattan Beach.

"Innovation won this year," said Karl Rogers, the race's organizer and lifelong Manhattan Beach resident. "Sometimes it's luck; sometimes it's design. This year's winner had an innovative design."

This year's race attracted an estimated 12,000 people, Rogers said, to watch 814 pumpkins compete for fame, and in some cases infamy: smashed to smithereens by an oversized wooden Mallet-O-Justice. This squash mashup has become an annual highlight as competitors who knowingly violate the rules by bringing in ringers, such as a dolled up watermelons painted orange or affixing pumpkins to skateboards that run fast and true.

"Surprisingly, people want to be caught cheating," Rogers said. The referees in black and white striped shirts call them out and with great fanfare, pummel the pumpkins to a pulp, much to the delight of kids watching the race.

The key to a top-notch squash is aligning independent axles and wheels perfectly parallel so the pumpkin-mobile will head straight down the hill of Manhattan Beach Boulevard without veering off course.

Rogers, an internet software entrepreneur who dreamed up the race decades ago, said this year's winner has reconfigured the design in a way he's never seen: channels scooped out for the axles running front to back, instead of side to side.

-- Kenneth R. Weiss

 Photo: Competitors cheer on their pumpkins during the 21st Annual Pumpkin Race near the Manhattan Beach Pier on Sunday. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

Driver accused of running over a man on purpose, killing him

A Rancho Cucamonga man was being held on suspicion of murder after he allegedly drove his car over another man in Pico Rivera.

Alfredo Campos, Jr. 38, was arrested shortly after the incident at 1:19 a.m. Sunday near Passons Boulevard and Telegraph Road. 

Witnesses told sheriff's deputies that Campos and the 38-year-old victim, whose name has not been released, had gotten into a fight and that Campos got into his car and deliberately ran over the other man, according to a statement released by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

A deputy on patrol nearby arrived at the scene as Campos was fleeing, according to the sheriff's statement. Deputies stopped Campos at Slauson Avenue and Boer Street in an unincorporated section of Whittier and arrested him.

Paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene. 

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— Abby Sewell

Reader photos: Southern California Moments Day 303

Fall sky: Using the Instagram mobile app, Ken Shelton snaps a shot of the Helms Bakery district in Culver City on Oct. 24.

Every day of 2011, we're featuring reader-submitted photos of Southern California Moments. Follow us on Twitter and visit the Southern California Moments homepage for more on this series.

Occupy Orange County protesters allowed to stay overnight

The Irvine City Council has approved Occupy Orange County demonstrators' request to camp overnight on the Civic Center lawn.

"America is a democratic country," Mayor Sukhee Kang said Thursday. "It is important as a city to respect and facilitate free speech rights for everyone and that is exactly what the city has done on Tuesday night after listening to over 60 people speak. It wasn't about politics, it wasn't about partisanship, it was about respecting their voice."

City council members approved the request unanimously.

It's a move that bucks the trend of lawmakers in cities such as Santa Ana, where activists are barred from setting up overnight encampments.

"What was holding us back was that we were not fully established," said Irvine resident and Occupy Orange County demonstrator Abdur Outlaw, 22.

Woman dies in fiery crash in Santa Clarita

A driver died in a fiery car crash in Santa Clarita on Sunday.

The victim, whose name has not been released, was driving westbound on Plum Canyon Road, just east of Heller Circle, when her car moved onto the sidewalk and crashed into an out-of-service traffic signal pole, according to a California Highway Patrol report.

The car caught fire, trapping the driver inside the vehicle as flames engulfed it. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

CHP is investigating the crash.

— Abby Sewell

Man collapses near finish line of half-marathon

A 40-year-old man was in grave condition Sunday after he collapsed during the Los Angeles Rock 'n' Roll half-marathon, fire officials said.

The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the 600 block of Olympic Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles near the finish line of the race around 9:30 a.m., about two hours into the event Paramedics performed CPR on the man, who was described only as a “possible participant.” The man was transported to a hospital.

Fire department spokesman Erik Scott said the incident was the only serious health issue associated with the race that he was aware of. No further details were immediately available.

The race, with an estimated 15,000 runners and walkers, began and ended at L.A. Live, following a course that passed Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and crossed the 6th Street bridge, reaching Boyle Avenue before doubling back on itself.

-- Victoria Kim

 

Crime alerts for Cypress Park, Gramercy Park and 13 other L.A. neighborhoods

Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in 15 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times’ Crime L.A. database.

Seven neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Cypress Park (A) was the most unusual, recording four reports compared with a weekly average of 1.2 over the last three months.

Gramercy Park (H) topped the list of eight neighborhoods with property crime alerts. It recorded 12 property crimes compared with its weekly average of 5.9 over the last three months.

Alerts are based on an analysis of crime reports for Oct. 20–Oct. 26, the most recent seven days for which data are available.

— Ben Welsh, Thomas Suh Lauder

Flights between LAX and East Coast resume after snowstorm

Los Angeles International Airport reported that LAX flights both to and from the East Coast resumed normal operations following an unusual October snowstorm that hit the Northeast on Saturday.

The airport advised those picking up passengers to check with the airline regarding arrival times.

Cancellations of Qantas Airways and Air France flights due to labor disputes remained in effect.

Australia-based Qantas grounded aircraft around the globe Saturday because of a worker strike and lockout. Qantas has 34 departures a week from LAX, serving 880,000 passengers at the airport between January and September. 

An Australian tribunal ordered an end to the labor action Sunday morning (Monday in Australia) and directed the two sides to return to the bargaining table. It remained unclear when flights would resume. 

Meanwhile, LAX reported, Air France announced the cancellation of Flight 69 from LAX to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and Flight 72 from Charles de Gaulle to LAX until Wednesday. All other flights remain on schedule, but passengers were encouraged to check with the airline for updates.

-- Abby Sewell and wire reports

Three children suffer minor injuries in hit-and-run; driver sought

Three children injured Saturday evening in a hit and run in South Park sustained only minor injuries and were released from the hospital, police said.

Police were still seeking the driver that struck the children, ages 4, 6 and 11. The crash took place around 5:30 p.m. in the 100 block of East 47th Street.

Sgt. Kevin Custard at the LAPD's Central Traffic division said the children had bumps and bruises and were checked out and released from an area hospital.

The vehicle was described only as a blue car.

To report information about the incident, call the Central Traffic division at (213) 972-1853.

-- Abby Sewell

Landmark California water deal on the rocks

The mega-deal signed eight years ago between the water-rich Imperial Valley and water-poor San Diego County was supposed to stop the fighting and litigating over the Colorado River. It hasn't.

The Imperial Irrigation District and the San Diego County Water Authority are increasingly annoyed at the California Legislature for reneging on a promise to resolve the future of the Salton Sea, that environmental invalid that straddles Riverside and Imperial counties and is dependent on agricultural runoff for its survival.

While there are numerous suggestions for the Salton Sea, most center on decreasing its salinity level, which threatens birds and fish, and on stabilizing (or reducing) its size so that property owners are not subject to periodic flooding. A water bond being prepared for the statewide ballot in 2012 would possibly include $100 million for such a project — a mere drop in a very salty bucket. Fixing the sea, most planners assert, would cost upward of $10 billion.

Unless the state follows through on its promise to deal with the Salton Sea issues, the larger water deal could be struck down in the courts and California’s plan for dividing its share of the Colorado River thrown into disarray.

In the domino-world of water, loss of the Imperial-San Diego deal could lead to pressure in Southern California to seek more water from Northern California.

It’s all a far cry from that sunny day in October 2003 when the water barons of California met at a spot overlooking the Hoover Dam to sign a 75-year pact and declare an end to years of intra-state fighting over the Colorado — much to the delight of the federal government and six other states that depend on the river for survival.

“We thought everything was settled out nicely on the Colorado River,” said Roger Patterson, assistant general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. “But if somebody can see how this one is going to play out, they’ve got better vision than I do.”

The lawyers go to court Nov. 21 and all sides are looking for a Plan B.

Read the full story.

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Sprinklers irrigate fields in the Imperial Valley. Credit: David McNew / Getty Images

Half-marathon closes many downtown L.A. streets

Downtown Los Angeles streets are closed Sunday morning for the 2011 Dodge Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon.

The event, which benefits the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, is expected to draw about 15,000 runners and walkers. The race begins and ends at L.A. Live. Participants must travel  both ways on a route that extends from Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to Whittier Boulevard and Boyle Avenue.

No-parking zones are in effect along the race route.

A map and list of road closures is available at event website. A map is also available at the city's traffic information site.

— Abby Sewell

 

Two shot in apparent gang-related attack in South L.A.

Two men were in serious condition after being shot on a South Los Angeles street Saturday night.

The two men were walking with another man on the sidewalk in the 1700 block of West 50th Street at about midnight when a vehicle approached them and someone in the vehicle asked the men which gang they belonged to, said Sgt. Rudy Alaniz at the LAPD's 77th Street station.

When the men said they weren't in a gang, someone in the vehicle fired several shots, hitting one man in the head and one in the chest, Alaniz said.

There was no description of the vehicle or suspects, who have not been arrested. The victims were not identified.

-- Abby Sewell

Hollywood nightclub fight leaves man in critical condition

A man was in critical condition Sunday morning after a fight broke out among Halloween revelers on Hollywood Boulevard.

The brawl occurred as club-goers were leaving the Playhouse Hollywood nightclub on Hollywood Boulevard and Wilcox Avenue about 1:30 a.m., said Sgt. Mark Ro of the LAPD's Hollywood station.

The fight involved two groups, Ro said. He said a crowd of club patrons, many in Halloween costumes, was looking on when a man fell to the ground and was kicked in the head several times until he was unconscious. The man was transported to a local hospital, where he was in critical but stable condition, Ro said.

Ro said three suspects kicked the victim, who was not identified. They could face charges of assault with a deadly weapon.

No suspects have been arrested. Ro said witnesses provided descriptions of them, but the victim's friends were uncooperative with police. It was unclear what triggered the fight.

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-- Abby Sewell

Man in Smurf costume shot leaving Halloween party

A man in a Smurf costume was shot in the leg while leaving a Halloween party Sunday morning.

The man left a party on 6th Avenue and 30th Street at about 2:30 a.m., said Sgt. Mayberry at the LAPD Southwest station, who would not give his first name.

He encountered a group of gang members and was shot once in the calf, Mayberry said. He was transported to a local hospital and was in stable condition.

City News Service reported the man and his girlfriend were dressed as Smurfs. The suspect first punched the victim's girlfriend, and when he came to her aid, the suspect shot him. Mayberry said the victim was painted blue but could not confirm that he was dressed as a Smurf.

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-- Abby Sewell

Earthquake: 3.5 quake strikes near Kettleman City

A shallow magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Sunday morning four miles from Kettleman City, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 6:26 a.m. Pacific time at a depth of 0 miles.

According to the USGS, the epicenter was six miles from Avenal, 16 miles from Huron, 22 miles from Coalinga and 140 miles from San Jose City Hall.

In the past 10 days, there have been no earthquakes magnitude 3.0 and greater centered nearby.

Read more about California earthquakes on L.A. Now.

— Ken Schwencke

Image: Location of the epicenter. Credit: Google Maps

California surfer bitten on neck by shark airlifted to hospital

A California surfer is recovering at a San Jose hospital after being bitten on the neck by a shark off the coast of Monterey County.

Officials said the surfer's condition with not life-threatening, but no other details were immediately available.

The shark attack occurred Saturday morning at Marina State Beach, the Monterey County Herald reported. The shark bit the surfer and also took a chunk out if his surfboard.