–

A Lockheed Martin Corp.-led team that includes L.A.-based

Northrop Grumman Corp.

received a $6.5 billion addition to its Joint Strike Fighter contract, Bloomberg News reported. The contract, to reduce the aircraft’s weight and add equipment, raises the value of the development contract to $19.7 billion.

The Joint Strike Fighter is being designed for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, and could be worth as much as $256 billion if all 2,458 jets are built, Bloomberg said.

–


99 Cents Only Stores

said same-store sales fell 0.7 percent for the third quarter, and total sales rose 3 percent to $246 million. The company said the high price of gasoline had a negative impact on traffic to its stores.

The City of Commerce-based discount retailer said it is addressing a number of operational issues, but doesn’t expect to see substantial improvement this year. It has slowed new store openings to 5 percent for 2005, and expects to increase that to 10 percent in 2006, with a goal of 15 percent to 20 percent store growth in 2007 and beyond.

–

George Mason, a longtime member of the board of MGM Mirage and a senior managing director of Bear Stearns & Co. in Los Angeles, died on Oct. 5 at the age of 74. Before joining Bear Stearns in 1973, Mason worked for Kirk Kerkorian’s Beverly Hills-based

Tracinda Corp.

Tracinda is the majority owner of MGM Mirage.