Woodland Hills

From the beginning, the death of professional tennis umpire Lois Goodman's husband was beset by contradictions. When Alan Goodman, 80, was found dead in April at the couple's Woodland Hills condominium, paramedics noticed a suspicious cut to the side of his head. But Los Angeles police initially agreed with Lois Goodman's account that her ailing husband had fallen down a flight of stairs. Days later, a coroner's investigator found that the injuries were consistent with being struck by a sharp object.

Citing proposed cuts to Pentagon spending, aerospace giant Northrop Grumman Corp. revealed plans to eliminate about 200 positions in Woodland Hills and Salt Lake City by March. Northrop confirmed that it has offered a voluntary separation program open to all employees working at its electronics division complexes in the two cities. The Falls Church, Va., company said the move is in response to billions of dollars in proposed Pentagon budget cuts. "This workforce reduction action is regrettable, but unavoidable," said Gina Piellusch, a Northrop spokeswoman.

Otis Williams, co-founder of the R&B/soul group the Temptations, has listed his Woodland Hills home for sale at $849,000. The gated Mediterranean-style home, built in 1989, features a two-story living room, three fireplaces, a billiards room, an office, four bedrooms and 41/2 bathrooms. There are about 3,600 square feet of living space in two stories. Williams, who will turn 71 on Oct. 30, is a singer, songwriter and record producer. The baritone is the last surviving member of the original Temptations lineup and has continued to tour.

Actor Scott Grimes has listed his house in Woodland Hills at $1.199 million. Designed for entertaining, the gated home features a media room, a den-office, a bar, four bedrooms, four bathrooms and about 3,400 square feet of living space. The Mediterranean-style house sits on a third of an acre with a swimming pool, a pool house and a sports court. The versatile actor, 41, has been one of the stars of the animated series "American Dad!" since 2005. He was on "ER" (2003-09), "Band of Brothers" (2001)

They are one-time allies, Democrats with similar voting records and nearly identical views on healthcare, immigration and other divisive national issues. Even their names are so alike that people have trouble keeping them straight. But only one of the two congressmen - Howard Berman or Brad Sherman - can occupy the 30th Congressional District seat in the San Fernando Valley. And their struggle to differentiate themselves from each other has led to character attacks and a war over who deserves more credit for helping constituents.

The price of admission to last weekend's play at El Camino Real Charter High School was anything but typical. Then again, neither was the play. Students had to submit essays describing their views on gay marriage. The play, "8," dramatizes the 2010 trial that overturned California's ban on gay marriage. El Camino's production was probably the first time it has been performed by a high school cast, a main reason why author Dustin Lance Black attended and participated in a discussion afterward.

A high-ranking umpire on the U.S. tennis circuit was arrested Tuesday on charges she fatally bludgeoned her 80-year-old husband with a coffee mug, then tried to make it look like he took a deadly tumble down the stairs of their Woodland Hills home, authorities said. Lois Ann Goodman, 70 was taken into custody at a hotel in New York City, where she was preparing to work at theU.S. Open tennis tournament. Goodman has worked as an umpire for decades, officiating matches of some of the sport's top players.

Susan Holtz's baking class was cooking right along until the bad news arrived: The school had run out of dough. The culinary arts instructor was one of those at the West Valley Occupational Center who received a pink slip because of budget problems in the Los Angeles Unified School District. But Holtz, who headed up the Woodland Hills program for 14 years, knew the district was losing more than just a popular adult education class. There was also a baker's legacy at stake: What was going to happen to the 140 elaborately decorated cakes that Holtz used as finishing models for her students?

The FBI is investigating the apparent disappearance of an estimated $1 million in donations that about 200 nonprofits reported losing when the organization that handled their finances abruptly shut down this year, forcing some groups to curtail their charity work. The head of one nonprofit said two FBI agents specializing in white collar crime interviewed her in April about the International Humanities Center, and the director of another said she has been asked to meet with agents this month.

Anthony January finished with 24 points and 19 rebounds and had six dunks in the second half alone as Woodland Hills Taft won its second consecutive City Section Division I boys' championship and third in five years Saturday night with a 58-42 victory over L.A. Dorsey at Cal State Dominguez Hills. "Yeah, I had big shoes to fill — my own," said Taft's first-year coach, Jason Hart, who played 10 years in the NBA and replaced the highly successful Derrick Taylor, who is now at Bellflower St. John Bosco.