There are too many options for local news today. That's a good thing for an editor. And it's a busy news day elsewhere in the world. That means something will probably be held until at least Wednesday. Here's a look at the stories we're working on today:

Sports writer Loren Ledin (lledin@VenturaCountyStar.com) writes that success for high school sports often comes with a price. Ledin reports that schools competing in CIF playoffs split half the gate -- CIF takes the other half. And the cost to get to the playoffs (for example, the Oak Park basketball team is going to San Diego for a Tuesday game at a cost of up to $2,000) is seldom offset by the gate receipts.

J.D. Power and Associates of Westlake Village has been bought by McGraw-Hill. Business writer Gretchen Macchiarella (gmacchiarella@VenturaCountyStar.com) explains the impact on the local company.

County reporter Charles Levin (clevin@VenturaCountyStar.com) checks out the report that when the Juvenile Justice Center opens later this month, it will lack pay telephones or bus service, making it hard for parents to talk to -- or get to -- their children involved in the juvenile justice system.

And, in a story that will probably hold for at least a day, education writer Jean Moore (jcmoore@VenturaCountyStar.com) has a fascinating story on high school seniors -- and how and why so many are coasting through their last year of high school because they've already completed all the requirements for graduation.

There's plenty of news off the wire services: New wave of attacks and deaths in Iraq; White House rebuttal of claims that an Italian journalist escaping Iraqi captivity was deliberating targeted by U.S. soldiers; more on the Syrian slow withdrawl from Lebanon; study that indicates women can cut the risk of strokes with aspirin; adn Martha Stewart goes back to work.