SPREADING CRIME: The high desert is no...

SPREADING CRIME: The high desert is no longer the haven it once was . . . Authorities say Los Angeles gang members were responsible for several recent Antelope Valley robberies. To Sheriff’s Department officials, the robberies are not surprising. “It’s happening everywhere,” says a sergeant (B1).

FORMER STAR INJURED: Ryan Connors, former quarterback at William S. Hart High School and considered one of the best prep quarterbacks in state history, suffered minor injuries in a car crash that seriously injured another motorist in Santa Clarita (C1). . . .Authorities said Connors was drag-racing at speeds of 100 m.p.h. when he lost control of his car and slammed into an oncoming vehicle.

BATTLING ADVERSITY: Since Natasha Kuchiki finished a disappointing eighth with partner Todd Sand in the pairs skating competition in the 1992 World championships, she has encountered some difficult times. . . .The Canoga Park youth doesn’t have a coach and is battling a weight problem (C12). Still, Kuchiki, 16, turned in an outstanding effort in the ladies’ technical program in the U.S. Olympic Festival. She is in third entering today’s free-skating program.

AIRPORT NOISE: It’s a dispute that’s been going on for years. And there’s no end in sight. . . . Residents around Van Nuys and Burbank airports complain that aircraft noise can make life unbearable. Despite efforts to reduce noise, thousands of people still live in areas where the noise levels are deemed uncomfortable by federal officials. See Valley Briefing (B3).

ROUGH ROADS: On L.A.’s wild freeways, anything can happen. California Highway Patrol officers recall how a guru stopped her car in the fast lane of the Ventura Freeway so she could meditate. . . . But along with the wacky, there is always danger, though many motorists don’t always realize it (B1).