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ByJohnRogers The Associated Press LOS ANGELES The first Special Olympics World Games drew about a thou- sand U.S. and Canadian competitors to Chicago for an event designed to cel- ebrate athletes with intel- lectual disabilities. "It was probably a little on the small side," Olym- pic icon Rafer Johnson, who welcomed those com- petitors in 1968, recalled recently with a chuckle, "but it had an unbelievable amount of enthusiasm." Nearly a half-century later, the games will bring some 6,500 athletes from 165 countries to Los An- geles this week to take part in 25 sports at ven- ues across the city. And Johnson, who won a gold medal in the decath- lon at the 1960 Olympics, will be there to welcome them again. Athletes ages 8 to 71 will compete in soccer, basket- ball, volleyball, tennis, track, roller skating and other sports over nine days. About a half-million peo- ple are expected to come watch, including Olympic gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps and diver Greg Louganis, basketball great Yao Ming and even first lady Michelle Obama, who will open the event Saturday at the Los Ange- les Memorial Coliseum, site of the 1932 and 1984 Sum- mer Olympics. "It's going to be the largest event Los Angeles has hosted since the 1984 Summer Olympics, and the largest sports-human- itarian event in the world this year," said Patrick Mc- Clenahan, president and chief executive of LA2015, the nonprofit bringing the games to LA. Musicians Stevie Won- der, Avril Lavigne and others will perform at the opening ceremonies. The event is similar to the Olympics that inspired it, but with a few tweaks. Athletes will be placed in divisions based on age and skill level so, for exam- ple, a 10-year-old sprinter doesn't wind up running against a 25-year-old. While the top three finish- ers will receive gold, silver and bronze medals, every- one will receive a partici- pant's ribbon and a chance to stand on the victory platform. ATHLETES WITH DISABILITIES NICKUT—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Former Special Olympics athlete and coach Dustin Plunkett holds the Special Olympics' Circle of Inclusion in Carson. By Brian Skoloff and Justin Pritchard The Associated Press DESERT CENTER No safety issues were found earlier this year during an inspec- tion of a bridge along In- terstate 10 that collapsed during a major storm, in- definitely severing a major artery between Southern California and Arizona, a state transportation offi- cial said Monday. The bridge, which was built in 1967 near the tiny town of Desert Center, passed inspection March 17, according to Will Shuck with the California Depart- ment of Transportation. Sunday's collapse of the eastbound side of the inter- state left one driver injured, stranded numerous oth- ers and complicated travel through the region, possibly for a long time. Motorists who would normally use the six-lane I-10 will have to go far out of their way on two- lane local routes. The bridge, which spans a desert gully about 50 miles west of the Arizona state line, was washed out as remnants of a tropical storm off Baja California dumped rain at a rate of 1.5 inches an hour. A total of 6.7 inches fell Sunday in Desert Center, said National Weather Service forecaster Ken Waters. Showers and thunderstorms in drought- stricken southern and cen- tral California set rainfall records in what is usually a dry month. Inspectors planned to as- sess all bridges along a 30- mile stretch of the inter- state after a second bridge showed signs of dam- age following the storm, which sent torrents of wa- ter and debris through des- ert washes, said Terri Kas- inga, spokeswoman for the California Department of Transportation. She did not know how many bridges that stretch in- cluded. The damaged bridge was still standing despite having much of the earth underneath it washed away. The westbound section of the freeway was also closed. The roadway was intact but badly undermined by flood- ing and could need extensive rebuilding, Kasinga said. No timeframe was given for when either side would reopen as crews were di- verted from other projects to examine the site Monday. Transportation officials recommended travelers on the east side of the collapse use U.S. Highway 95 in Ar- izona to get to other free- ways, and that in Califor- nia drivers use state routes 86 and 111 to get to Inter- state 8 into Arizona. Driv- ers from the Los Angeles area who want to rejoin I-10 could take the mountainous State Route 62 to the north — a journey of an additional 140 miles and several extra hours. One driver had to be res- cued from a pickup that crashed in the collapse and was taken to a hospital with moderate injuries, the Riv- erside County Fire Depart- ment said. Hundreds of other cars were stranded immedi- ately after the collapse, but the California Highway Pa- trol worked to divert them. It wasn't clear if any re- mained, Kasinga said. Rain fell Sunday after- noon in parts of Los An- geles County's mountains, the valley north and inland urban areas to the east as remnants of tropical storm Dolores brought warm, muggy conditions north- ward. The showers forced the Los Angeles Angels' first rainout in 20 years and the San Diego Padres' first rain- out since 2006. DRIVER INJURED St at e br id ge t ha t co ll ap se d in storm passed inspection PHOTOS BY NICK UT — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS All traffic along one of the major highways connecting California and Arizona was blocked indefinitely when the bridge over a desert wash collapsed during a major storm. The roadway in the opposite direction sustained severe damage. Mike Ristic, senior transportation engineer for California Department of Transportation, inspects the bridge that was washed out along Interstate 10in Southern California. Thousands of athletes pr ep ar e fo r Sp ec ia l Olympics this week | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2015 8 A