Rising temperatures send tethered blimp
vertical
LONG BEACH “”mdash; A tethered Ameriquest blimp got an unexpected
lift, rising uncontrollably when temperatures climbed at Long Beach
Airport.
The colorful “˜”˜Soaring Dreams” blimp went
nearly vertical Monday but didn’t float away because it
remained tied to its mooring pole from the front. No one was
inside.
The fire department sprayed cooling water on the blimp and
within 10 minutes, the aircraft floated down to its normal
position.
Temperatures ranged from 52 degrees at about 5 a.m., to 68
degrees at about 11 a.m., authorities said.
Violent crime decreases throughout Los
Angeles
The city’s violent crime dropped 27 percent during the
past three months compared to the first quarter of 2004. But Police
Chief William Bratton said eight killings during the weekend show
there are still safety problems.
Bratton said gang arrests were up 13 percent in the past three
months. But “there are still major crime problems in this
city,” Bratton said Monday.
Two of the slayings were in the San Fernando Valley, the rest in
downtown or South Los Angeles, including one in which officers
killed a suspected gang member who was armed.
Compiled from Bruin wire services.