PLAGUE ALERT: Visitors are being warned to...

PLAGUE ALERT: Visitors are being warned to avoid contact with ground squirrels in the Angeles National Forest. . . . Officials have temporarily closed Switzer’s picnic area north of La Canada Flintridge after discovering two ground squirrels there with sylvatic plague. Humans can develop bubonic plague if bitten by a flea or squirrel infected with sylvatic plague. People should avoid feeding or handling live or dead squirrels. Anyone finding a dead squirrel at a campground should call the county health department at (213) 881-4046.

SENTENCED: Former Woodland Hills attorney Leonard R. Milstein found himself on the receiving end of justice Friday when he was sentenced to three years in state prison for using false testimony to win partial acquittal for a client accused of murder. . . . In his decision, Superior Court Judge William A. MacLaughlin said, “There isn’t anyone who should be more aware of the values of our legal system” than an attorney (B1).

NEW HEIGHTS: Once known for his skill on the baseball field at Kennedy High and with the California Angels, Jim Anderson, above, is pinning his dreams on a new baseball career: his son’s (C12). . . . Says Anderson--now a Northridge realtor--of his son Justin: “I may be biased, but I feel he’s got a really good chance.”

DIRTY HISTORY: A city commission says a nine-mile-long dirt section of scenic Mulholland Drive deserves recognition as a National Historic Place. . . . The designation, which is supported by such celebrities as Don Henley and Jack Nicholson, could help conservationists working to preserve the Santa Monica Mountains environment (B2).

BACK ON TRACK: After years of neglect caused it to nearly disappear, the Pierce College Braille Trail is again flourishing. The 500-foot nature path for the visually impaired is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a face lift (B1).