Today’s News: Police at schools; Secret church files; NHL ice breaker

School safety. Winter break is over and it’s back to school for LAUSD students, with officials promising tighter security in the wake of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. L.A. Police Chief Charlie Beck says an officer will stop each day for up to half an hour at each of the city’s 600 public elementary and middle schools. The district’s own police force patrols high schools. Beck says officers will be expected to develop contacts with school officials and teachers. Sheriff’s deputies are also promising extra patrols at campuses. Officials stress that there have been no threats against any local schools. KCBS

Keeping secrets. A judge could decide today whether the L.A. Catholic Archdiocese can black out the names of church officials in documents related to sexual abuse cases. A $660 million settlement with victims included an order that the once-secret files be released. Another judge ruled two years ago that the church could black out the names of top leaders because it was likely to cause further embarrassment. But the L.A. Times and the Associated Press challenged that decision. The news organizations argue the omissions will prevent the public from learning how much church officials knew about abusive priests, and what they did about it. AP

Looking for answers. A woman arrested in a mysterious child pornography case is due in court this afternoon. Federal agents and L.A. police officers took 52-year-old Letha Mae Montemayor into custody in North Hills last week. Her arrest came just hours after federal authorities asked the public’s help in finding the man and woman who appear in child porn photos taken 11 years ago in the San Fernando Valley. The U-S Attorney’s office says five separate tips led to the woman’s arrest. The girl in the photos has never been identified. L.A. Daily News

Return of the Kings. It appears the Los Angeles Kings will get to defend their Stanley Cup Championship after all. A tentative deal to end the NHL’s nearly four-month lockout struck this weekend still must be approved by a majority of the league’s owners and the union membership, but that’s considered a formality. An announcement is expected today on how many games will be played this year, and when they’ll begin. The Kings won their first NHL championship in June – beating the New Jersey Devils four games to two to capture the Stanley Cup. L.A. Times