Norco

State and federal authorities have opened an investigation into a Norco housewife, alleging that her vitriolic protests against a high-risk group home in her neighborhood may constitute housing discrimination. The inquiry makes the actions of Julie Waltz, 61, the first test of a controversial new tactic by advocates for the developmentally disabled to stop protesters from trying to drive group homes from neighborhoods throughout the state.

Firefighters responding to a house fire in a Norco neighborhood were greeted with a dangerous surprise: gunfire. Lots of it. Authorities on Thursday found a cache containing more than 1 million rounds of ammunition and 75 firearms, ranging from small handguns to assault rifles, throughout the burning home and in a shaft and tunnel under the garage. The firefighters realized the stockpile was inside when rounds started going off. No injuries were reported.

On the day Norco's Toby Gerhart learned he was the Glenn Davis Award winner as The Times' outstanding football player, he took batting practice for scouts of the Kansas City Royals. In June, he could be a high-round selection in Major League Baseball's amateur draft as well as his school's valedictorian. He had a 4.6 grade-point average at the beginning of the year. He narrowed his college choices, if he chooses to go, to Stanford or UCLA because they will let him play both sports.

Three people, including a firefighter collecting donated presents for children, were wounded Sunday when gunfire erupted between rival motorcycle gangs gathered for a Christmas toy drive at a Riverside County saloon, authorities said. The shootings occurred about 3:30 p.m. outside Maverick Steakhouse in Norco, where participants in the Spark of Love toy drive -- most of them bikers -- delivered toys to be distributed to needy children. Authorities said none of the injuries was life-threatening.

It came on a simple dive play midway through the third quarter Thursday night at Corona High. Toby Gerhart, as he'd done a hundred times before, blasted up the middle on third-down-and-four, and gained five yards. First down, and just like that California had a new high school career rushing leader. The Norco High senior now has 8,632 rushing yards and a record, he said afterward, that "hasn't sunk in yet."

Norco running back Toby Gerhart had some making up to do against Corona Centennial. After losing to the Huskies twice last season, Gerhart couldn't wait to play Centennial in a Mountain View League opener Friday night at Norco. In his first full game this season, Gerhart, a senior, rushed for 441 yards and scored six touchdowns to lead Norco, ranked No. 10 in the Southland by The Times, to a 42-21 victory over No. 8 Centennial at Norco.

Toby Gerhart of Norco became the Inland Empire's career rushing leader Thursday night when he finished with 236 yards in 12 carries in a 49-21 nonleague victory over Tustin. Gerhart has 7,438 yards rushing during four seasons, eclipsing the Inland Empire record of 7,256 yards by Moreno Valley Valley View's David Dotson (1989-91). Gerhart becomes the third-leading rusher in state history behind the 8,495 yards of Ventura St.

Five months after a Corona high school student was killed in a racially motivated attack off campus, a civil rights legend came to Riverside County on Wednesday and told thousands of Corona and Norco educators that they had a pivotal role in teaching children about tolerance. Morris Dees, co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center and a renowned civil rights attorney, told the teachers that the "keys to the gates of opportunity and justice" were in their hands.

*--* Rk School (Rec-Div) LW 1 MISSION VIEJO (2-0, Div. II) 1 2 LONG BEACH POLY (1-0, Div. I) 2 3 EDISON (1-1, Div. 1) 3 4 S.O. NOTRE DAME (1-0, Div. III) 4 5 SANTA MARGARITA (1-0, Div. I) 5 6 ESPERANZA (2-0, Div. I) 6 7 LOS ALAMITOS (1-0, Div. I) 7 8 ST. BONAVENTURE (2-0, Div. IV) 8 9 VALENCIA (1-0, Div. II) 13 10 ORANGE LUTHERAN (2-0, Div. VI) 17 11 NORCO (1-0, Div. V) 11 12 CORONA CENTENNIAL (0-1, Div. V) 12 13 MATER DEI (0-1, Div. I) 9 14 OAKS CHRISTIAN (1-0, Div.

Residents and local leaders in northwest Riverside County breathed easier Wednesday after a federal commission recommended against a proposal to close a naval weapons research center that employs at least 1,200 in Norco. The Pentagon in May had recommended closing the Naval Surface Warfare Center and moving the operation to the Naval Air Weapons Station at Point Mugu in Ventura County.