Gloria Hillard

As a young, dedicated fan of the University of Southern California football team, Jake Olson dreamed he would wear the Trojan jersey one day — even after cancer took his sight at age 12.

Dogs are routinely used by police forces for criminal investigations, drug-sniffing or search and rescue missions. But to LA county K-9 handler Karina Peck, "Indy" the dog is more than a co-worker.

California's drought and mandatory conservation measures are taking a toll on Los Angeles' green spaces. First to go were lawns, and now people are not watering their trees.

The city has seen some positive changes in recent years, including a reconnection with the city's rural past. The pastime has given youth an outlet in a region that's at the center of gang violence.

More than 1 million public school students in the U.S. don't have permanent homes. Most live doubled up with family or friends, but many live in motels, emergency shelters, campgrounds — even cars.

The boisterous birds are a familiar sight in an upscale community near LA, but in recent years they've become a source of conflict. Now, someone is killing them — 20 in the past six months alone.

Malls have long been the place to "shop till you drop." In Southern California, Forest Lawn, a funeral industry leader, has made them places to shop before you drop.

Since returning from Iraq, Jerral Hancock, a single father of two, has been living in a poorly constructed mobile home with doors and hallways too narrow for his wheelchair. When a group of high school students found out, they decided to do something about it.

Last year, two sisters took in Arefa, a badly burned Afghan girl, while she received medical treatment in the U.S. The sisters were ecstatic to host a goofier and wigglier Arefa during a return visit this summer, but they say the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan may make future reunions difficult.

Senior Softball USA has 33,000 members and is growing. As part of our Summer Night series, we head to southern California, where the Mightys play. It's a group of senior women who love the sport and love to swear in excitement. But no chewing tobacco.