News briefs
By Daily Bruin Staff
May 26, 2005 9:00 p.m.
Airports prepare for summer rush
Airports throughout Southern California are bracing for record
passenger traffic this summer as airlines anticipate the busiest
summer travel season since 2001.
Lines at customs, ticket counters and security checkpoints are
already growing at Los Angeles International Airport, the
world’s fifth-busiest airport.
The Los Angeles World Airports expects 18.5 million travelers
this summer, up 6 percent from the same period a year ago. About
5.1 million of them will be international passengers, a gain of
about 10 percent over June, July and August of 2004.
Low airfares, a weak U.S. dollar and an expanding array of
flights to destinations around the globe are expected to contribute
to the record number of international travelers.
The increase is welcome news at the airport, which suffered more
than other major U.S. airports from the steep decline in travel
that followed the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Iraq war
and the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in
Asia.
Street racer arrested for girl’s
death
FOUNTAIN VALLEY “”mdash; An Anaheim man suspected of killing a
10-year-old girl during a street race has been arrested.
Police believe that Ahmed Shakir Dakhil, 19, was racing another
driver April 25 when his Nissan 240SX struck a Ford Mustang in
front of the Fountain Valley Boys and Girls Club, killing passenger
Kylee McGowen.
Dakhil, the girl’s aunt Tamy McGowen and two other
passengers in the Mustang were injured.
“I’m just happy that he was caught and behind
bars,” said the girl’s aunt upon hearing news of his
arrest.
Jury report warns of overcrowding in
prisons
SANTA ANA “”mdash; An Orange County grand jury report is warning
that the county jail system is overcrowded and the problem will get
worse without new construction.
The sheriff and his staff have “done a good job of
managing the overcrowding problem, but it is only going to get
worse unless action is taken,” grand jury foreman Lew Avera
said in the report issued Wednesday.
County officials maintained that the five main jail facilities
are not overcrowded based on federal and state regulations
requiring that each inmate have a bed.
Compiled from Bruin wire services.
