SLIP-SLIDING AWAY: Monday was a bad day...

SLIP-SLIDING AWAY: Monday was a bad day at the office for Litton Industries Inc. . . . The Woodland Hills-based company suffered a severe legal defeat as a federal judge threw out a jury verdict that ordered Honeywell to pay $1.2 billion to Litton for alleged patent infringement--the largest patent award in U. S. history. Said one Honeywell official: “It’s obviously a very good day for Honeywell” (D1).

WET PETS: Have you seen your pet lately? . . . Animal advocates say foul weather is no friend of furry companions. “In this kind of weather, we see lots of disoriented or separated animals,” says Madeline Bernstein, executive director of the Los Angeles Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. . . . Simple safeguards: Give pets I.D. tags or keep them indoors until the weather clears.

BAG THIS IDEA: It’s better late than never. . . . Today’s expected round of rain means greater flood danger to hillside homes, but sandbags can lessen the threat. Many Valley fire stations are supplying empty sandbags at no charge to residents like Harvey Taylor, above, of Tarzana. Check out today’s sandbagging guide to do the job right (B2).

SOUND VIEW: And wait until you hear the view. . . . Paging and dispatch services may soon benefit from a mountaintop antenna site owned by Lockheed Corp. The Calabasas company is considering selling the location south of Mulholland Drive to a Boston investor, who plans to lease space on the site’s five antenna towers to up to 40 wireless communications companies. See Valley Business, Page 10.

HEALTHY WITHDRAWAL: For sale or not for sale . . . that is the question at Health Systems International Inc. One bidder has dropped an offer to buy the Woodland Hills-based HMO for $1.55 billion in stock, but another bid still stands and company officials say they’ve fielded several inquiries . . . even though they said last month that the company was not for sale (D2).