Authorities

Authorities this week finally dropped their misguided case against Nadine Hays, the woman who was effectively treated like a thug last year for insisting on carrying applesauce and other snacks aboard a flight at Bob Hope Airport for her 93-year-old mother. But after a yearlong debacle — which may carry on for months more as she seeks civil compensation for the ordeal — there were at least some lessons to be had for officials and future passengers. For plane passengers: Don't think even hiding behind your 93-year-old grandmother will fly with security agents.

Authorities staged a full-scale emergency response at Bob Hope Airport Tuesday, an exercise required every three years by the federal government to test readiness in case of a real incident. On Tuesday, emergency crews simulated a jet fire, complete with rescued passengers, a triage and full scale firefighting response. According to the scenario, the pilot experienced temporary flash blindness caused by laser lights originating from a person on the ground. The blindness caused a hard landing and the aircraft penetrated a fence, striking multiple vehicles, some of which burst into flames as part of the staged event.

Burbank police on Friday continued their search for an FBI agent on foot in the Verdugo hills, one week after he was reported missing from his home. Authorities had been relying on air support in their search for 35-year-old Stephen Ivens, who on May 11 apparently left his Burbank home in the 1700 block of Scott Road with his department-issued gun. But after a week of chasing down tips and leads, authorities have reported little progress, saying only that the search remains "wide open.

Authorities have stopped actively combing local mountains and hillsides for an FBI agent who went missing from his Burbank home nearly two weeks ago, instead basing their search on tips from the public, a police official said Wednesday. The decision came after a search carried out Saturday by teams from the Ventura and Los Angeles County sheriff's departments turned up empty, Burbank Police Sgt. Darin Ryburn said. In the days after the May 11 disappearance of 35-year-old FBI agent Stephen Ivens from his Burbank home in the 1700 block of Scott Road, authorities from several agencies mounted a massive search - initially focused on the nearby Verdugo Mountains - using helicopters, dogs and foot patrols.

Ryan Carter Authorities were investigating a blaze that broke out Friday night at a house at 1310 N. Myers St. The fire broke out at 8:22 p.m. and was deemed "fully-- involved," Burbank Fire Marshal Dave Starr said, before it was knocked down after 9 p.m. A woman was treated at the scene for inhaling smoke, but it was not know if she was a resi- dent of the home. According to initial reports, an elderly woman, two male occupants and possibly a dog lived at the home.

The 50-year-old man who was struck and killed by a car near Bob Hope Airport on Saturday was homeless, authorities said. Burbank police on Monday continued their investigation into the death of the man, who Los Angeles County coroner's officials said died of several traumatic injuries. Authorities did not release his identity pending notification of next of kin. He was struck about 3:50 p.m. on Empire Avenue, near Clybourn Avenue, where he was pronounced dead at the scene by firefighters and paramedics about 4 p.m., Burbank Police Sgt. Scott Meadows said.

Ryan Carter HILLSIDE DISTRICT -- An afternoon fire caused $5,000 in structural damage and $2,000 in damage to the contents of a storage shed behind a home on the 1100 block of East Alameda Avenue, authorities said. Burbank and Glendale authorities were still trying to find the cause of the fire, which broke out Wednesday, but it appeared to have started from the outside of the shed, Glendale Fire Capt. Joel Apollo said. A resident in the home in front of the shed said if any time was a good time for the fire, it was now. The shed had contained Christmas decorations, which at the time, were adorning the front yard of the home, resident Mark Austin said.

A faulty transformer was blamed for a fire that caused about $7,000 worth of damage to a Magnolia Boulevard hair salon Friday morning, authorities said. The fire started about 9:50 a.m. inside Olga's Best Hair Shop, 3210 W. Magnolia Blvd. and was put out a short time later, Burbank Fire Capt. Bob Reinhardt said. Reinhardt identified a faulty transformer that powers a neon sign as the cause of the fire, which sustained fire damage to a window and chairs and smoke damage to the walls.

Amanda Bynes was cited Sunday morning for driving with a suspended driver license, and her car was impounded, police officials said. Bob Hope Airport police spokesman Victor Gill said Bynes was pulled over at 8:20 a.m. She was not detained and no details were available about why officers made the traffic stop. Bynes' driver's license was suspended after authorities filed two hit-and-run charges against the actress earlier this month. In addition to the hit-and-run charges, she is also facing a trial on a charge of driving under the influence.

An urgent search for an FBI agent who went missing last week stretched into its fourth day on Monday with authorities reporting little progress. The missing agent, 35-year-old Stephen Ivens, left on foot from his home in the 1700 block of Scott Road in Burbank Friday morning and was reported missing by his family a short time later. A 40-member search-and-rescue team from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department joined about a dozen Burbank police officers and 100 FBI agents in the search for him on Saturday, but despite the massive response and dozens of tips from the public, Ivens remained missing.

The California bullet train agency on Thursday defended its bidding criteria for selecting the winner for its first construction contract, saying that the process held down prices and was handled properly. The California High-Speed Rail Authority has come under fire from critics who assert changes to the bidding criteria could jeopardize the quality of the project. The authority tentatively chose a team led by Sylmar-based Tutor Perini to build a 29-mile segment of track through Fresno even though it had the lowest technical score.

A lawsuit alleging that approval of the high-speed rail system's first sections in the Central Valley violated state environmental laws was settled Thursday, eliminating a legal obstacle that could have delayed construction. A Sacramento County Superior Court judge approved an agreement that calls for the California High-Speed Rail Authority to further reduce the project's effects on farming operations, preserve agricultural land and provide additional compensation for landowners.

Burbank police have opened an investigation into who may have left 10, 50-gallon barrels of toxic material on a city street that threatened to spill into a nearby storm drain Thursday morning. Firefighters and police were called at about 6:25 a.m. to Spazier Avenue just east of Victory Boulevard, where they discovered the barrels full of “various substances consistent with roofing materials similar to tar and white paint.” According to police, some of the barrels were leaking their contents toward the wash at the east end of Spazier Avenue, but firefighters were able to contain and clean up the spill.

Amanda Bynes was cited Sunday morning for driving with a suspended driver license, and her car was impounded, police officials said. Bob Hope Airport police spokesman Victor Gill said Bynes was pulled over at 8:20 a.m. She was not detained and no details were available about why officers made the traffic stop. Bynes' driver's license was suspended after authorities filed two hit-and-run charges against the actress earlier this month. In addition to the hit-and-run charges, she is also facing a trial on a charge of driving under the influence.

The author of Proposition 8 is vowing to continue his fight for an Assembly seat in the Sacramento suburbs, despite an earlier pledge to drop out if he failed to finish first in the June primary. Andy Pugno, who drafted the ballot measure banning same-sex marriage in California, came in second to incumbent Assemblywoman Beth Gaines (R-Rocklin) but told the Sacramento Bee this week that he had decided to continue his campaign because of what he called his opponent's "dishonest and unethical campaign tactics" in the final days of the primary.

Plugging long-standing vacancies in its management team, the agency that plans to build the state bullet train system announced Monday the hiring of a chief administrative officer and seven other individuals to fill a variety of top executive posts. The California High-Speed Rail Authority “is making major strides in putting in place an experienced management team to significantly improve its operations. Today marks a major milestone in achieving our staffing goals,” said Jeff Morales, the agency's chief executive, who was hired in June.

Two hikers found a body in the foothills above Burbank on Monday night believed to be that of FBI Special Agent Stephen Ivens, reported missing more than two months ago. The body was found in a wooded area near the 3600 block of Scott Road after the hikers noticed a foul smell, police said. “Every indication is that he's been there from the first day,” Burbank Police Sgt. Darin Ryburn said. Ivens' gun was also recovered near his body, Ryburn added. The cause of death had yet to be determined Tuesday by Los Angeles County coroner's officials, who were also working to officially confirm that the body is Ivens'.

If there was ever a Parking Space Whisperer, you could pin that title on Kaaron Williams of Burbank. Williams' unusual superpower helps her find a parking space whenever she needs one. Her friends and family request rides with her for that very reason - and once while riding with her husband, Randall, the couple held hands to amplify her power. Two cars backed up at the same time, offering her a choice of spaces. At the heart of this power is a personal and professional philosophy handed down by her father.

A new Metrolink train station appears to be on track on the north side of Bob Hope Airport, connecting the airfield with the Antelope Valley. The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority this week committed $1.75 million toward building the station at Hollywood Way and San Fernando Road. The station would be a significant addition to Metrolink's Antelope Valley line, said Don Sepulveda, executive officer for regional rail for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which would administer the project.

The family of an FBI agent who disappeared from his Burbank home more than a month ago made an emotional plea on Wednesday for the public's help in preventing the case from going cold. It was the second time the family of Special Agent Stephen Ivens appealed for help in tracking down Ivens' whereabouts since he went missing May 11, seemingly vanishing despite a massive manhunt by foot and air in the days after his disappearance. The active, on-the-ground searches have long been called off, and authorities say few, if any, leads have come in. The family has since launched its own search effort, aided in large part by social media websites and campaigns.