Investigation

Detectives decided to reopen the investigation into the death of actress Natalie Wood in part because of statements made by the captain of the boat Wood was on at the time of her death. L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca told The Times that homicide detectives want to talk to the captain based on comments he had made recounting the case on its 30th anniversary. Baca did not detail what the captain said regarding the case "He made comments worthy of exploring," Baca said. A law enforcement source added that the department had recently received a letter from an unidentified "third party" who said that the captain had "new recollections" about the case.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched an investigation into the Doheny Glatt Kosher meat market as controversy brews over the integrity of products sold there. The owner of Doheny, Michael Engelman, faces accusations of selling meat that was not properly certified under kosher rules. Last week, a council of rabbis pulled Doheny's kosher certification and, in a statement Friday, raised the possibility of "legal action," a recourse to secular courts that would be rare. Tuesday, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service confirmed that the Doheny market is under investigation.

Golden West Swim Club said it has found nothing to support allegations of inappropriate behavior by assistant swim coach William Jewell or evidence of wrongdoing by his boss, famed former Olympic swim coach Mark Schubert, according to a letter from the club's president. The organization hired an outside firm to conduct an investigation after former swim team employee Dia Rianda sued Schubert for wrongful termination in September, alleging Schubert ignored complaints she made regarding sexually inappropriate behavior displayed by Jewell.

Oct. 2010: A worker at a CVS pharmacy in the South Bay notices the images of children blindfolded, with tape over their mouth while processing film belonging to teacher Mark Berndt. He alerts Redondo Beach police. Dec. 2010: Redondo Beach police turn over investigation to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department after concluding the photos were taken at Berndt's classroom in an unincorporated section of South L.A. Jan. 3 , 2011: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department detective Marvin Jaramilla goes to Berndt's Miramonte Elementary School classroom.

State Sen. Michael Rubio (D-East Bakersfield) and 22 of his legislative colleagues are demanding a congressional investigation of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. USADA is the quasi-governmental body known for stripping American athletes of their right to compete based on doping charges that it doesn't have to prove in a court of law. USADA's most recent target was Lance Armstrong. The legislators' demand, in a letter last week to U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, is a response to  my column about USADA's Armstrong ruling , which declared him a doper and purportedly stripped him of his seven Tour de France titles.

The state Fair Political Practices Commission is investigating whether the Bell police union violated state law in the March election, when voters in the scandal-battered town swept the last remaining City Council members out of office. The state panel is examining whether the Bell Police Officers Assn. distributed campaign literature showing officers in uniform, a violation of state law. The commission could fine the union as much as $5,000 for each offense. In rare instances, it has filed suit to get up to three times the amount spent on improper campaigning.

Blake Griffin signed a five-year contract extension with the Clippers on Tuesday night that could be worth up to $95 million. The deal could keep Griffin, who has an opt-out clause after the fourth year of the extension, in a Clippers uniform until 2018. Griffin signed the contract in Las Vegas, where he was training with the U.S. basketball team in preparation for the London Olympics. Clippers President Andy Roeser and director of player personnel Gary Sacks flew from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to get their All-Star power forward signed.

Death threats tweeted at Ellen Page are under investigation by Los Angeles police, who have sought a search warrant for account-tracing information from Twitter. "I'm going to murder Ellen Page. She's dead," an unidentified user wrote, according to L.A. Now . Another message, reported by TMZ , indicated jealousy as a possible motive. (The “Inception" actress was photographed leaving a Kings game with Alexander Skarsgard in June.) "Ellen Page," the threat read, "if you continue to date Alexander I will K-1-L-L you in public in the next year ... Be it in a club, at a game, in a restaurant, or when you're signing autographs.

The investigation into Miami athletics is growing, with the university looking into the eligibility of 15 athletes who might have accepted improper benefits from a booster. Miami President Donna Shalala did not reveal any names of the players under investigation as she released a video statement Monday. The booster, convicted Ponzi scheme architect Nevin Shapiro , told Yahoo Sports for an article published last week that 12 current football players and one men's basketball player received money, gifts and other items from him. Most, if not all, of the current football players Shapiro named would probably be major contributors if they get to take the field.

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is investigating 10 U.S. military members in a widening inquiry into whether an advance team led by the Secret Service hired prostitutes or engaged in other misconduct before President Obama visited Colombia for a weekend summit, U.S. officials said Monday. The Pentagon investigation is focusing on five Army Special Forces soldiers, two Marines, two Navy personnel and one member of the Air Force, a U.S. military official said. The Navy and Air Force personnel belong to an explosives detection unit, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.