Lebec Ca

A group of parents in the small Tehachapi mountain community of Lebec on Tuesday filed the first lawsuit challenging the teaching of "intelligent design" in a California public school. The suit targets what appears to be the latest wrinkle in the continuing national fight between supporters and opponents of teaching evolution in public schools -- a course that says it examines the debate as an issue of "philosophy."

Tucked in the raw folds of the Tehachapi Mountains, 63 miles north of Los Angeles and a time warp away in ambience, this town is not used to being the center of attention. But this far-flung place, one of half a dozen close-knit communities in these mountains, has become the latest focal point in the national debate over teaching "intelligent design" in public schools. Usually, big news in the region is heavy snow shutting down Interstate 5.

A fire that began Sunday afternoon burned 1,155 acres before it was declared fully contained at about 6 p.m. Tuesday. The fire near the Los Angeles and Kern County border cost $1.5 million to battle, according to Kern County Fire Capt. Tony Plante. The blaze, which had initially threatened hundreds of homes, began when a truck caught fire on the side of the road. No property damage or major injuries were reported, Plante said.