JUDGES: State officials took a look at...

JUDGES: State officials took a look at the conduct of judges in the workers’ compensation courts and weren’t too happy with what they found. But it does appear that Van Nuys Judge Mark L. Kahn, head of the court system, has been cleared of wrongdoing after being scrutinized for income earned from a legal seminar firm he owns. . . . The state found misconduct within the system, but did not find any criminal activity (D1).

GIRLS AT ALTAR: At first glance, the Vatican decision this week to permit altar girls seems like a big change. Not really. Many U.S. parishes, including some in the Valley, have had them since the 1980s, as well as women reading Scripture and distributing Communion. . . . Still, some Catholics fear it will give women more hope that they could become priests (B13).

ANNUAL RUSH: Next year will be different. You’ll start getting those tax records together in December and by mid-February at the latest, you’ll have filed. Sure. But this year, as always, hundreds of thousands of us local residents waited until the last day to file. (B1) . . . By 2 p.m., cars were already backed up for a block at Van Nuys Main Post Office.

NEW SPORT: So he’s not exactly pulling a Michael Jordan. Gabe Higa’s basketball exploits never went further than UC Irvine. But he is trying another sport--volleyball--and he’s pretty good at it. (C12) . . . Higa, who played hoops at Quartz Hill High, starts for Pierce. “I thought I’d still be playing basketball in college,” he said. “I had no idea I would be playing volleyball.”

CALL A MEDIC: This has been a painful year for CSUN baseball. The Matadors have lost 19 games, and two starting pitchers. The only healthy hurler left from the original rotation is Marco Contreras, who will pitch the final game of this weekend’s series in Hawaii. . . . “I hope nobody takes this the wrong way,” Contreras said, “but I’m glad I’m still holding up.” (C12)