A salvage crew loads the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed on Sheridan Road near Interstate 680 after hitting power lines, onto a truck near Fremont, Calif., on Friday, July 4, 2008. A flight instructor and student have been killed in a helicopter crash near a Northern California freeway that knocked power lines into traffic lanes and started a grass fire. (AP Photo/The Contra Costa Times, Doug Duran)** NO SALES, MAGS OUT, TV OUT**

LIVERMORE

Crash kills flight instructor, student

A flight instructor and student were killed in a helicopter crash near a Northern California freeway that knocked power lines into traffic lanes and started a grass fire near the road.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the Schweizer Model 269 Series helicopter crashed and caught fire after striking power lines just east of Interstate 680 in Livermore about 12:30 a.m Friday.

He said the two unidentified victims had departed from Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose and had planned to return to that facility.

It was unknown whether the instructor or student was piloting the helicopter when the crash occurred.

The weather was cloudy at the time of the incident.

LONG BEACH

Pilot slightly injured in emergency landing

The pilot of a single-engine plane suffered minor injuries after making an emergency landing on the water off Seal Beach.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the Cessna plane was pulling a banner Friday afternoon when he made the emergency landing.

Gregor said the pilot had minor bruises. and no one on the beach was hurt.

ORANGE

Pot dispensary suit not dismissed

A Superior Court judge refused to dismiss a civil suit filed against the city of Orange by a medical marijuana dispensary that claims it has a legal right to remain open.

Thursday's court decision clears the way for Nature's Wellness Collective to continue operating while the dispensary pursues its lawsuit.

Dispensary attorney Herbert Papenfuss said the ruling essentially nullifies a city code stating businesses must obey federal laws, which outlaw marijuana.

But city attorney Wayne Winthers said the ruling changes nothing and the city will continue making its case when the lawsuit proceeds to trial in the coming months.

SANTA MONICA

Comic book artist Michael Turner dies

Michael Turner, a comic book artist who drew covers for major titles such as "Superman/Batman," "The Flash" and "Civil War,"' has died. He was 37.

Turner died June 27 at a Santa Monica hospital from complications related to cancer, said Vince Hernandez, editor in chief of Aspen MLT, the Santa Monica publishing company Turner founded in 2003.

Turner had been battling bone cancer for eight years.

Through his company, Turner created online comic adaptations for the NBC series "Heroes" and published his own titles, including the best-selling "Fathom," a deep-sea story about a female superhero with water-based powers.

He also drew covers for large projects such as DC Comics' "Justice League," and Marvel's "Civil War" and was a regular cover artist for "Superman/Batman" and "The Flash."

"He was definitely one of the most popular and influential comic-book artists working right now," said Andrew Farago, curator of San Francisco's Cartoon Art Museum.

FONTANA

Fireworks, drugs, guns are found

Police responding to a tip about buried human remains at a Fontana home found 1,000 pounds of illegal fireworks and a stash of drugs and guns instead.

Police Sgt. Jeff Decker said 31-year-old Antonio Guerrero and his 33-year-old wife, Laura Guerrero, were booked on charges of possessing illegal fireworks and narcotics, along with weapons charges, after the items were found at their home Thursday.

Decker said police had been told by an anonymous source that a human body might be buried on the property.

No human remains were found, but police dogs trained to sniff out dead bodies uncovered a dead pit bull buried in the back yard.

The seized drugs included methamphetamine and marijuana.

A shotgun and a handgun were also found.

LOS ANGELES

French couple is charged with fraud

A French couple has been charged with defrauding French residents out of thousands of dollars by making false promises of providing them jobs and work permits in the United States, authorities said.

Deborah Sion, 25, was arrested in Van Nuys Thursday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents after being charged with mail fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and transfer of false identification documents. Also charged in the case is her husband, Isaac Peres, 27, who is in custody in France, where he is facing charges in an unrelated fraud scheme.

Sion was ordered held without bond pending an Aug. 4 arraignment in federal court, U.S. attorney's spokesman Thom Mrozek said.

According to court documents, the couple posted ads on the Internet offering jobs for French workers at restaurants in the Los Angeles area and casinos in Las Vegas. Sion told interested applicants she could help them get legal immigration status through a green card lottery program and that application for the program cost $2,358 to $4,244, depending on additional services such as travel and housing assistance she could sell to the victims.

The U.S. government does not charge a fee to apply to the Diversity Lottery Program, Mrozek said.

Philippe Larrieu, the French consul general in Los Angeles, said Sion and Peres stole from more than 100 victims.

—From wire reports