Officer

It was a weekend of firsts at the box office. The No. 1 spot went to the first cave-man family in "The Croods," and "Olympus Has Fallen" star  Gerard Butler had his first strong showing at the multiplex in years. The 3-D animated family film beat out the competition, grossing a solid $44.7 million, according to an estimate from distributor 20th Century Fox . "Olympus Has Fallen," a White House-set action thriller, exceeded industry expectations by about $10 million, debuting with a healthy $30.5 million.

The real estate market in Glendale saw continued steady growth last month as median home prices were driven up by a limited number of homes and lots of potential buyers, according to the latest real estate report. The median price of a single-family home rose 10.1% compared to February 2012, from $622,000 to $685,000, according to statistics compiled by Realtor Keith Sorem with Keller Williams Realty in Glendale. The median price of a condominium also increased, rising 14% for the second straight month.

A Los Angeles man and woman have filed a federal lawsuit against the Glendale Police Department, alleging a wrongful search last year during a traffic stop that led to their arrest. David Thompson Boyd, 51, and Patricia Marie Hale, 52, claimed in a U.S. District Court lawsuit filed March 5 that they were stopped on their way to dinner on Aug. 31, 2012 in Glendale for unknown reasons, searched without probable cause, arrested and denied bail. The pair are representing themselves. “It went from simply going to have dinner to all of a sudden being Bonnie and Clyde,” Boyd said, adding that he wants to know why the traffic stop escalated to an arrest.

It looks like the yellow brick road could lead Walt Disney Studios to box office gold. "Oz: The Great and Powerful," the studio's $200-million-plus production, is headed toward the biggest opening of 2013 by far. The Sam Raimi -directed picture starring James Franco as the iconic wizard could bring in at least $75 million on its opening weekend, according to those who have seen pre-release industry surveys. The film hits theaters March 8. The movie, a prequel to the 1939 classic, follows the wizard as he makes the journey from Kansas to Oz, where he becomes the ruler of a foreign land filled with good and evil witches.

I am a little surprised at the mention of "Armenian police officers" in your article, "Forum talks police panel" (Feb. 15). I had always thought that for one to be a member of the Glendale Police Department, one had to be an American citizen. Are these folks part of some sort of exchange program between the republic of Armenia and Glendale? Donald Cameron Glendale

A Glendale police officer has filed a lawsuit claiming he was the victim of repeated retaliation after he reported alleged health violations. Officer John Schmidt, who is currently employed with Police Department, alleged he and another officer were exposed to “blood-borne pathogens” while on duty, according to a Los Angeles County Superior Court lawsuit filed Jan. 22. He reported the incident on Sept. 28, 2011, to the city and the Police Department, alleging that he believed they failed to comply with California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health regulations.

Thanks to Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) for his efforts to save from closure the Broadway post office . Our law firm has used this facility for many years. It is very close to many businesses and new housing now being developed on Broadway. The building is officially the Carlos J. Moorhead Post Office, named in honor of the man who preceded Schiff in representing this area. Moorhead served with honor for 24 years in the U.S. House and several years before that in the state Assembly.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) on Tuesday called on the U.S. postmaster general to abandon plans to close and sell the historic post office on Broadway in Glendale as part of a nationwide effort to rein in costs. In his letter, Schiff said closing the office at 313 E. Broadway “would mean a significant degradation in services for the community” and do little to achieve the agency's goal. Richard Maher, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service, said officials are considering closing the building, but would relocate services to a smaller retail site nearby.

More than 97,000 citations for traffic and parking violations were issued last year, a sum that changed little compared with 2011, according to figures recently released by Glendale police. Parking enforcement officers issued 79,392 tickets last year, up 4,397 from 2011, according to the Glendale Police Department. Citations for traffic-related violations, meanwhile, were down from 22,896 in 2011 to 17,784 last year. “The overall goal behind it is to make the streets safer,” said Glendale Police Lt. Steve Robertson, who oversees the Traffic Bureau.

"I hope to one day be able to extend a hand to others in the same manner you have done to me, to be able to make a difference in one's life by providing others with tools to thrive in their chosen field," said Trichele Bubla, recent graduate of the registered nursing program at Glendale Community College. Bubla was referring to the scholarship she was given by the college's Patrons Club. On Jan. 17 (Thursday) some 60 members of the Patrons Club, now 65 years old, patted themselves on the back for the tens of thousands of dollars donated to students at the college over those years.