HELPING OUT - A family friend retrieves two dogs Tuesday from a Quartz Hill residence, in the 43000 block of 45th Street West, where firefighters discovered four bodies late Monday while responding to a fire at the house. EVELYN KRISTO/Valley Press

ROSAMOND - Kern County sheriff's homicide detectives and fire officials are investigating the deaths of two people whose bodies were found after an early-morning fire west of Rosamond.   Complete story.

PALMDALE - Gary Stephens Sr. makes money out of trash. Stephens, a Palmdale resident, drives his Chevrolet Suburban into the Palmdale Recycling Center some four or five days a week. There's enough room for him in the driver's seat. Beyond that, the vehicle is loaded with plastic lawn-and-leaf size bags filled with items that other people have tossed away.   Complete story with photo.

LANCASTER - Motorists on 10th Street West may not notice a tiny purple-and-green-trimmed Victorian-style house among the bustle of commercial businesses.   Complete story with photo.

The BellaDonna Gift Boutique and Tea Room, tucked behind a hedge of cascading red roses, harkens visitors to a simpler time when ladies took part in the daily ritual of afternoon tea. It was an opportunity for women to relax, trade gossip, show off the latest fashion trends and, perhaps, a stylish new hat.   Complete story with photo.

EDWARDS AFB - Base officials, together with officials from surrounding communities, are exploring the possibility of creating a public-use hospital on Air Force land adjacent to Rosamond.   Complete story.

PALMDALE - Members of the City Council have unanimously given initial approval to an ordinance empowering the elected mayor to select nominees for appointment to the city's various commissions, committees and boards.   Complete story.

LANCASTER - A reputed gang member accused of the brutal 2007 beating and murder of a man pleaded not guilty to the charges Tuesday in an Antelope Valley courthouse.   Complete story.

JUNE 24, 2008 EDITORIAL - We hope doubling daily airline flights between Palmdale and San Francisco is a good move for keeping and expanding Antelope Valley's fledgling passenger-air service.   Complete story.

Rudy Burgess is coming back home, and he still has a shot to make an NFL team. Burgess, a 2003 Desert High School grad, has been training with the Colts in Indianapolis since he was signed as a free agent April 27 and survived the first round of team cuts after the Colts held their Organized Team Activities at the beginning of June.   Complete story.

Hyperbole is the language of scouts. They sell a team on spending millions for a sensational talent and like any sale, hype is part of the pitch. The latest sensation is Michel Inoa, a 16-year-old Dominican, who is expected to sign for upwards of $4 million when the international signing period begins on July 2.   Complete story.