CLOSING HOUSE: Buffeted by losses, Sherman Oaks-based...

CLOSING HOUSE: Buffeted by losses, Sherman Oaks-based House of Fabrics has targeted more than 200 of its cloth and sewing supply shops for closure by year’s end. The figure is double the number previously announced and includes all mall outlets (D1). . . . Started in 1946 by brothers David and Charles Sofro, the company began a rapid expansion after going public in 1965.

BURBANK BOUND: Now for some good business news. . . . It might seem like companies are only moving out of the Valley these days, but a Utah-based firm announced Tuesday that it’s coming here. Battery Automated Transportation, which converts cars to electric power, said it is relocating to the Burbank facility of Calstart--a nonprofit group of companies developing new transportation technology. . . . The company will hire 15 to 20 people, Calstart said.

ALIAS BILL: Democrats protesting a speech by state Sen. Don Rogers (above) to a group accused of racism found an unusual weapon against him--pushing his name off an unrelated Antelope Valley flood control bill he authored and giving it someone else’s name (B1). . . . Speaker Willie Brown said the bill was doomed as long as it was credited to Rogers, another lawmaker said.

MEMORIES: It’s been a busy week for the Northridge Little Leaguers--limo rides, parades and a meeting with the mayor (B3). Their triumphs have also released warm memories for members of the 1967 and ’75 Northridge teams who made it to the World Series (C8). . . . “The greatest thrill I ever had was playing in Williamsport,� recalled Craig Stevenson, 31, a pitcher for the ’75 team.

FAN CLUB: Timon, the fast-talking meerkat of Disney’s “The Lion King,� has been a hit with moviegoers. But according to the Los Angeles Zoo in Griffith Park, crowds haven’t exactly materialized to see a live one. Still, they do have their fans. . . . “They’re fabulous to watch,� zoo spokeswoman Deborah Pollack said.