Art Lopez

Running back Art Lopez of Moorpark High could play for the first time this season tonight in a Marmonte League game against Agoura. Lopez, who rushed for 604 yards last season, has been sidelined because of a knee injury. "I can't tell you how much time he's going to get," Coach Tim Lins said. "He looked pretty good [at practice Tuesday]. Joe Papandrea has rushed for 159 yards and two touchdowns in 35 carries in place of Lopez.

An Oxnard police officer fatally shot a 23-year-old man who came at two officers with a knife on Monday night, authorities said. Rutilio Gracida Castillo of Oxnard was shot by one of two officers who responded to a report of a person peering into apartment windows in the 1600 block of West 5th Street. Castillo was shot twice in the upper body and once in the back, according to autopsy reports.

Mayor James K. Hahn telephoned the three police chief finalists on Monday for follow-up questions, an aide to the mayor said. The mayor spent hours last week interviewing Oxnard Chief Art Lopez, former Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Timoney and former New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton. "He wanted to have follow-up conversations on a variety of issues," Deputy Mayor Matt Middlebrook said.

The Oxnard City Council has approved Police Chief Art Lopez's request for 11 new officers. The new officers, as well as an unspecified number of support staff members, will be at work by April and will cost the city $700,000 annually, officials said. Lopez said the extra officers will help cut response times and decrease the number of calls each officer handles per shift. "This will allow our officers to be proactive instead of reactive," Lopez said.

I am writing on behalf of the West Valley Family YMCA. The article authored by Margery L. Schwartz for the July 3 edition of The Times was appreciated by our staff and members. Scott Koznar has put a great deal of time and effort into the swim team. We would like to go on record as appreciating the past efforts of our two previous coaches. Both Steve Wolvek and Art Lopez made positive contributions to the team during their coaching tenures with the West Valley YMCA Tritons.

Three Los Angeles Police Department commanders have been temporarily transferred from assignments at Parker Center to fill vacancies in three of the department's four geographic bureaus. Rick Dinse, who was retired Chief Daryl F. Gates' liaison during the investigations of the Rodney G. King beating, will go the Valley Bureau to replace a retired commander who assisted the deputy chief in charge.

Nordhoff 21, Moorpark 7--Jessie Hawkins rushed for 117 yards and scored the go-ahead touchdown at Moorpark. The Rangers' defense also came up big, stopping Moorpark inside Nordhoff's 10-yard line four times. Hawkins' 15-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter put Nordhoff on top, 14-7. Scott Drew had eight receptions for 117 yards, accounting for all but two of Nordhoff quarterback John Hill's passing yardage.

A 19-year-old El Rio man in critical condition after being shot in the face this weekend was scheduled for another surgery, officials said Monday. Ventura County sheriff's investigators have neither suspects nor motive in the shooting that also left an Oxnard man and a woman injured. The victims were at a house party in 1100 block of Helsam Avenue when two men drove up about 5 a.m. Sunday and fired on people, officials said. Two men were fatally shot in Oxnard on Thursday in separate incidents.

Oxnard Police Chief Art Lopez will hold two town hall meetings to discuss community concerns about the eight homicides that have occurred this year. The first one-hour meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Carriage Square Police Storefront, 181 Gonzales Road. The second will be held at the same time on May 6 at the South Oxnard Center at Bard and Saviers roads.