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VICTORVILLE

Firefighting air tanker available

A DC-10 firefighting air tanker capable of dropping 12,000 gallons of water or fire retardant is ready for California wildfire missions.

"We think ... it is going to be a game changer," said Rick Hatton, a managing partner for jet owner 10 Tanker Air Carrier. "It is very effective, especially when trying to contain a large fire."

A $15 million, three-year contract with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection takes effect today and continues through Oct. 15.

The air tanker, which can create a fire line three-quarters of a mile long in eight seconds, demonstrated its prowess Wednesday.

The Victorville-based jumbo jet, which made its debut last year with a limited evaluation contract, won praise in fighting six wildfires in California and one in Washington. The contract means the jet will be available immediately.

In brief

FRESNO

Extension asked for San Joaquin air plan

State air regulators voted Thursday to approve a plan asking the government for an 11-year extension to bring the San Joaquin Valley's smog-laden air in line with current, tougher federal ozone standards.

Once the plan is sent to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, California's farm belt will likely become the first region in the country to be granted the extra time, a move environmentalists feared could be repeated by regulators in other areas plagued by dirty air.

Protesters dressed in black, symbolizing premature deaths caused by air pollution, chanted before the meeting Thursday, the first day this year in which regulators asked local residents to stay inside to avoid unhealthy levels of summertime smog.

The valley, stretching 240 miles from Stockton to Bakersfield, is one of the dirtiest air basins in the nation for emissions that create ozone, the main ingredient of smog.

Local air district officials told the California Air Resources Board that they wished a cleanup were possible sooner, but they had to request an extension until 2023 to avoid sanctions that could cut off more than $2 billion in federal funds to the region

SAN FRANCISCO

Governor's remarks on Spanish criticized

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's remarks that immigrants should avoid Spanish-language media if they want to learn English quickly left some Hispanic journalists shaking their heads Thursday.

"You've got to turn off the Spanish television set" and stay away from Spanish-language television, books and newspapers, the Republican governor said Wednesday night at the annual convention of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. "You're just forced to speak English, and that just makes you learn the language faster."

Schwarzenegger, who emigrated from Austria, was responding to a question about how Hispanic students can improve academic performance.

"I'm sitting shaking my head not believing that someone would be so naive and out of it that he would say something like that," said Alex Nogales, president and CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition. He said immigrants need Spanish-language media to stay informed and "function in this society."

YUCAIPA

1 teen killed, 9 hurt in crash after picnic

Two cars carrying teenagers home from a pre-graduation picnic collided, killing one and injuring nine others, authorities said Thursday.

The 17- and 18-year-old seniors from San Gorgonio High School were heading home from Yucaipa Regional Park on Wednesday afternoon when the crash occurred, said a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. A Honda Civic with four girls inside collided with a Chevrolet Tahoe sport utility vehicle with seven boys inside, she said.

"Witnesses say that they were speeding a little bit and driving a little bit recklessly," she said.

From wire reports