Walt Disney Studios

The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board has concluded an investigation into contamination on the site of the Walt Disney Studios, a senior board official said. The agency's decision comes a day after The Times reported the board, along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , was investigating whether a vintage air conditioning system and cooling towers at Disney were the source of groundwater and soil contamination from chromium 6, a cancer -causing heavy metal.

Iron Man is already part of an elite crew of superheroes, but now he is set to join a rarefied group at the box office. "Iron Man 3," the third film in the franchise starring Robert Downey Jr. , will pass the $1-billion milestone, possibly by Wednesday night. As of Tuesday morning, Walt Disney Studios said the Shane Black-directed movie had collected $962.2 million worldwide and was still selling tickets in territories worldwide. The well-reviewed picture will become only the 16th film to gross over $1 billion globally, and the first in Marvel Studios' Tony Stark trilogy to cross the impressive milestone.

A pedestrian standing outside Walt Disney Studios on Alameda Avenue and Kenwood Street in BUrbank was struck after two cars collided and one spun out of control onto the sidewalk, police said. The man was smoking outside the Disney building just after 5 p.m. when the collision occurred, said Burbank Police Lt. John Dilibert. Police reported that the car also struck the building. While the extent of the pedestrian's injuries are unknown at this time, “it's not going to be a fatality,” Dilibert said.

OTS relocates to Glendale OTS Solutions LLC, a offshore software development service provider, with offices in the United States and India, announced this week that it has shifted its regional sales office from Burbank to Glendale. OTS Solutions Chief Executive Hemant Madaan explained the move as being necessary in order to enhance the reach of potential clients, but also to serve its existing clients better. ? Disney Channels Worldwide VP named Carolina Lightcap, vice president of programming and creative affairs and chief marketing officer of Disney Channels Latin America, has been named president of Disney Channels Worldwide.

Blockbuster -starved studios rarely reach Hollywood's Emerald City, but Walt Disney Studios appears headed there this weekend. The studio's $200-million-plus 3-D production is set to open this weekend with a massive gross of about $90 million, according to those who have seen prerelease audience surveys. (Disney is predicting a softer opening of roughly $75 million.) Not only would that make for the biggest debut of 2013 by far -- "Identity Thief" currently holds the record with its $34.6-million February launch -- but the strong opening could help jump-start what has been a slow year for film-going.

The Force is strong with Alan Horn. At CinemaCon on Wednesday, the Walt Disney Studios chairman said the company plans to release three “Star Wars” films by the end of the decade - one in 2015, 2017 and 2019. In between those movies, “we expect to have pictures derived from that universe,” Horn said, indicating that spinoff movies should be expected in 2016 and 2018 as well. The news comes six months after Disney acquired Lucasfilm in a surprise deal for $4.05 billion.

Laura Sturza MEDIA DISTRICT WEST -- Monterey High School graduates overcame obstacles that included being teen parents, working while in school, caring for family members and catching up on credits. The 66 students in the class of 2002, which included four teen parents, accepted their diplomas in a courtyard ceremony at Walt Disney Studios on Wednesday. Monterey is an alternative school, featuring smaller classes and designed to "nurture students," Principal Ann Brooks said.

The fight between the nation's largest theater chains and Walt Disney Studios over the upcoming release of "Iron Man 3" escalated on Thursday, when AMC Chief Executive Gerry Lopez took the studio to task for taking what he described as an unusually hard line in negotiations. The dispute prompted AMC, the nation's second-largest theater chain, to announce Wednesday that it would stop selling advance tickets for the film. In another development, Regal, the nation's largest theater chain, also on Wednesday night decided to stop selling tickets for "Iron Man 3" because of objections over Disney's terms, a source close to the circuit said.

New technologies, high-quality films, expanding markets on agenda for new company head. MEDIA DISTRICT WEST -- Expanding into new technology and creating profitable yet high-quality films will be among the areas of focus for the new president of the Walt Disney Studios. Alan Bergman was promoted to the post Wednesday by Walt Disney Pictures Chairman Dick Cook. Bergman had been serving as executive vice president and chief financial officer for the studios. "I'll be focusing on strategy and operations of the studios," said Bergman, who joined the Disney company in 1996.

Bobby Edward Schifferle Bobby Edward Schifferle died July 26, 2004, in Ventura. He was 84. He was born March 3, 1920, in Noel, Mo., and was a Burbank resident for 54 years. He is survived by his daughters, Carol Mailloux and Donna Tchirkow. No services are planned. Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills handled the arrangements. Andrew Alfons Engman Andrew Alfons Engman died July 16, 2004, in Victorville. He was 92. He was born Nov. 21, 1911, in Vasta, Finland, and was a Burbank resident for 27 years.

Iron Man is already part of an elite crew of superheroes, but now he is set to join a rarefied group at the box office. "Iron Man 3," the third film in the franchise starring Robert Downey Jr. , will pass the $1-billion milestone, possibly by Wednesday night. As of Tuesday morning, Walt Disney Studios said the Shane Black-directed movie had collected $962.2 million worldwide and was still selling tickets in territories worldwide. The well-reviewed picture will become only the 16th film to gross over $1 billion globally, and the first in Marvel Studios' Tony Stark trilogy to cross the impressive milestone.

The fight between the nation's largest theater chains and Walt Disney Studios over the upcoming release of "Iron Man 3" escalated on Thursday, when AMC Chief Executive Gerry Lopez took the studio to task for taking what he described as an unusually hard line in negotiations. The dispute prompted AMC, the nation's second-largest theater chain, to announce Wednesday that it would stop selling advance tickets for the film. In another development, Regal, the nation's largest theater chain, also on Wednesday night decided to stop selling tickets for "Iron Man 3" because of objections over Disney's terms, a source close to the circuit said.

The nation's second-largest theater chain, AMC Entertainment, has stopped selling advance tickets for the upcoming movie "Iron Man 3" because of a dispute with Walt Disney Studios. At an industry convention intended to showcase the close relations between studios and theater chains, a fight erupted between the two powerful companies over how to divvy up box-office revenues from "Iron Man 3," the Marvel Studios film that is set for release May 3. "We do not have 'Iron Man 3' tickets on sale because we are still working to reach terms with Disney," AMC said in a statement.

The Force is strong with Alan Horn. At CinemaCon on Wednesday, the Walt Disney Studios chairman said the company plans to release three “Star Wars” films by the end of the decade - one in 2015, 2017 and 2019. In between those movies, “we expect to have pictures derived from that universe,” Horn said, indicating that spinoff movies should be expected in 2016 and 2018 as well. The news comes six months after Disney acquired Lucasfilm in a surprise deal for $4.05 billion.

Blockbuster -starved studios rarely reach Hollywood's Emerald City, but Walt Disney Studios appears headed there this weekend. The studio's $200-million-plus 3-D production is set to open this weekend with a massive gross of about $90 million, according to those who have seen prerelease audience surveys. (Disney is predicting a softer opening of roughly $75 million.) Not only would that make for the biggest debut of 2013 by far -- "Identity Thief" currently holds the record with its $34.6-million February launch -- but the strong opening could help jump-start what has been a slow year for film-going.

A pedestrian standing outside Walt Disney Studios on Alameda Avenue and Kenwood Street in BUrbank was struck after two cars collided and one spun out of control onto the sidewalk, police said. The man was smoking outside the Disney building just after 5 p.m. when the collision occurred, said Burbank Police Lt. John Dilibert. Police reported that the car also struck the building. While the extent of the pedestrian's injuries are unknown at this time, “it's not going to be a fatality,” Dilibert said.

The driver of an SUV involved in a head-on collision Sunday that killed a 33-year-old Burbank man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to vehicular manslaughter in Los Angeles County Superior Court, officials said. Ivan Valle, 29, of Burbank, was arrested shortly after the fatal crash, which occurred at about 5:40 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of Buena Vista Street and Alameda Avenue when his SUV struck a sedan driven by 33-year-old Roman Ramos Rubio, also of Burbank. The impact of the collision caused the sedan to strike a light pole and a fence, while the SUV struck and sheared a fire hydrant.

More than 175 employees at entertainment-related companies in Burbank likely will be laid off starting in December, many as a result of outsourcing custodial services, studio representatives said. Sixty-seven workers at Walt Disney Studios - mostly janitors, along with a few floor waxers - were given notices that will go into effect by Dec. 1, according to the California Employment Development Department. The company decided to contract out janitorial services on its studio lot, representatives said.

The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board has concluded an investigation into contamination on the site of the Walt Disney Studios, a senior board official said. The agency's decision comes a day after The Times reported the board, along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , was investigating whether a vintage air conditioning system and cooling towers at Disney were the source of groundwater and soil contamination from chromium 6, a cancer -causing heavy metal.

OTS relocates to Glendale OTS Solutions LLC, a offshore software development service provider, with offices in the United States and India, announced this week that it has shifted its regional sales office from Burbank to Glendale. OTS Solutions Chief Executive Hemant Madaan explained the move as being necessary in order to enhance the reach of potential clients, but also to serve its existing clients better. ? Disney Channels Worldwide VP named Carolina Lightcap, vice president of programming and creative affairs and chief marketing officer of Disney Channels Latin America, has been named president of Disney Channels Worldwide.