Alligator eludes capture in L.A.

Los Angeles Reptile wranglers searching for an alligator let loose in a southern California lake have given up the hunt – at least for now.

The alligator was spotted Aug. 12 in Harbor City’s Lake Machado, and since then hundreds of visitors have flocked to the South Los Angeles park for a glimpse.

However, the reptile has not been seen since Aug. 21.

“We are considering this halftime,” Tim Williams, a 30-year gator handler from Florida, said Friday when the search was called off. “He’s won the first half.”

Two men, one a Los Angeles police officer, were arrested this past week for conspiring to release the alligator in the 56-acre lake.

Creationist lawsuit targets Calif. colleges

Los Angeles A group representing California religious schools has filed a lawsuit accusing the University of California system of discriminating against high schools that teach creationism and other conservative Christian viewpoints.

The Association of Christian Schools International, which represents more than 800 schools, filed a federal lawsuit Thursday claiming UC admissions officials have refused to certify high school science courses that use textbooks challenging Darwin’s theory of evolution. Other rejected courses include “Christianity’s Influence in American History.”

According to the lawsuit, the Calvary Chapel Christian School in Murrieta was told its courses were rejected because they use textbooks printed by two Christian publishers, Bob Jones University Press and A Beka Books.

Wendell E. Bird, a lawyer for the association, said the policy violates the rights of students and religious schools.

“A threat to one religion is a threat to all,” he said.

UC spokeswoman Ravi Poorsina said she could not comment, because the university had not been served with the lawsuit. Still, she said the university has a right to set course requirements.

DuPont hit with $14 million award

Laurel, Miss. An oyster fisherman who claimed chemicals from a DuPont factory caused his rare blood cancer was awarded $14 million in actual damages in the first of 1,996 lawsuits involving the plant.

A jury found DuPont DeLisle at fault Friday for Glen Strong’s multiple myeloma. Strong’s wife received $1.5 million for loss of “love and companionship.” The jury will meet again Monday to decide on punitive damages.

DuPont officials say they plan to appeal.

Strong and 1,995 other plaintiffs filed lawsuits claiming releases of dioxins from the plant caused a variety of health problems.

Hundreds rally for Northwest strikers

Bloomington, Minn. Hundreds of people gathered Saturday in support of striking Northwest Airlines workers, one week after union members walked off the job.

About 4,400 mechanics, cleaners and custodians represented by the Airline Mechanics Fraternal Association are refusing to take pay cuts and layoffs that would have reduced their ranks by nearly half and the wages of those remaining by about 25 percent. No new talks have been scheduled.