PULP FACT: Why should the LAPD care...

PULP FACT: Why should the LAPD care that the price of waste newspaper has risen by about $155 a ton in the past year? Because increasing newspaper thefts from recycling bins are costing the city about $2 million annually. . . . The solution: West Valley officers are now scouring the streets for scavengers (B3).

TIRE PROJECT: How much does it cost to remove about 54,000 old tires from an illegal dump on Osborne Street in Pacoima? About $2.77 per tire. . . . After months of complaints, the California Integrated Waste Management Board authorized $150,000 to clean up the abandoned site, which was considered a fire hazard. The cleanup is expected to take two weeks. Said Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sylmar): “It’s been a scary ordeal for residents who have lived near this potentially deadly area.”

OLYMPIAN? Former Cal State Northridge standout Barbara Jordan, above, is no stranger to pressure. But now she’s 29 and trying to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic Softball Team. . . . “I’ve got to stay on top of my game,” she says. Times Valley Edition sportswriter Mike Hiserman and photographer George Wilhelm report from the Olympic Sports Festival in Denver (C8).

NO BALK: The Lancaster City Council OKd a $10-million stadium project Tuesday that would bring the Seattle Mariners’ California League affiliate, the Riverside Pilots, to the desert community next April. . . . But some criticized the city for moving too quickly on a stadium (B1).

DEPUTY REDUX: First, KLOS-FM disc jockey Mark Thompson was detained by deputies for crossing a gated area at the Santa Clarita sheriff’s station. Now he’s taking on all the deputies there. . . . Thompson--who was never charged with a crime--and KLOS comrades will play a charity softball game against the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Department at 6 p.m. Friday at the Castaic Sports Complex. Proceeds benefit the Santa Clarita Valley Search and Rescue Team.