News: August 2009 Archives

Not only is smoke from the Station Fire affecting the San Bernardino Mountains, officials have been dealing with now three fires over the past week, the newest one that began this afternoon.

Arizona Diamondbacks defeat LA Dodgers 5-3 (10). Yeah the Dodgers lost the game. The newest Dodger as of 9:00 pm Ronnie Belliard made a great impression with the fans by hitting a solo homer in his first at-bat. Manny Ramirez and Matt Kemp hit back-to-back solo shots in the sixth inning. But the DBacks would come back to win it.

Speaking a press conference at 5 p.m. tonight, officials described the Station Fire as "erratic." "This is a very angry fire that we're fighting right now," a spokesman said. "Until we get a change in weather conditions, I'm not overly optimistic, yet at the same time, our firefighters will be taking every action they can in order to keep this fire from burning more structures... I wish I could be more optimistic."

A motion from back when Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was a City Councilmember became reality today when he announced LA Rx, a discount prescription drug program for not just city residents, but L.A. County ones, too.

Former reigning beauty queen "Carrie Prejean has filed a lawsuit against Miss California USA officials who stripped her of her title, accusing them of libel and religious discrimination for her views on same-sex marriage," according to CNN.

This afternoon there are several new areas in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains that are under mandatory evacuation orders due to the Station Fire. While authorities cannot force people to leave their homes in these areas, heeding orders is seriously urged; this afternoon 5 people who opted not to leave Gold Canyon under orders two days ago are now in a situation too dangerous to allow a helicopter rescue.

   

In less than a months time, rangers with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area area have captured and placed a GPS collar on a second mountain lion. Found Saturday morning in a trap set by National Park Service scientists around Malibu Springs, the approximately 2-year-old lion became the 14th to wear a tracking collar around its neck. At the end of July, a female with a similar age was found and collared. P14 and P13, respectively, have blood samples being analyzed by researchers at UCLA to determine connections, if any, to other lions studied in mountains.

5 people who did not heed mandatory evacuation orders to leave their homes in the Gold Canyon area in the path of the Station Fire are now "trapped in a canyon and it's too dangerous to rescue them," the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has announced, according to cbs2.com. The four men and one woman called for help today, after having elected against orders to remain in the area.

              

La Crescenta is an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County, though some parts are considered Glendale, and is often co-mingled in reference with neighboring communities like La Cañada-Flintridge and Montrose. The foothill community has risen to the collective local and national attention since last week when it became one of the initial areas immediately affected by the Station Fire.

Two wildfires north of the Los Angeles region had prompted partial closures within National Park units over the weekend, but today one opened as the other continues to see dangers. The Gloria Fire has been after burning some 6,400 acres northeast of Soledad and near Pinnacles National Monument. Officials with the National Park Service closed portions of the monument on Friday and today announced the reopening. “Pinnacles has been working closely with Cal Fire and with the fire completely contained and all evacuations and road closures lifted, I am comfortable lifting the park’s temporary closures,” Superintendent Eric Brunnemann explained in a statement.

As the the Station Fire grows, the latest official tally boosts acres burned to over 100,000 with 5 percent containment, according to KNX1070, which also reports that three people who ignored evacuations orders are trapped near Gold Creek.

The Station Fire is not only threatening homes across the region and broadcast towers on Mount Wilson, but also the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's two 500 KV transmission lines northeast of the Acton. "These high-voltage power lines are critical to maintaining a steady supply of power to the city, especially as demand for energy rises throughout the day," the department made in a statement noting that all in-basin power plants have been activated to generate energy.

Evacuation orders still hold in La Cañada Flintridge for the following areas, per InciWeb:

all streets east of Ocean View Blvd. and north of Los Amigos St. In addition, all streets north of Jessen Drive and Palm Drive have been evacuated as well. There has been a mandatory evacuation of all streets located west of Briggs Ave. and east of Pennsylvania Ave., in between Harmony Pl. and the foothills. There has been a mandatory evacuation of all streets north of Rockdell St. between Briggs Av. And Pine Glenn Rd.

       

The jagged rocks off the 14 Freeway in Agua Dulce are internationally known, thanks to Star Trek (the new one, too) and other movies. Currently, the Vasquez Rocks are inside the evacuation zone due to the Station Fire. Before that, LAist Photographer Tom Andrews visited yesterday afternoon as the fire approached from the South in the Angeles National Forest, taking some eerie desert-smoke shots.

The Station Fire made short work of the dense dry brush of the Angeles National Forest and the San Gabriel Mountains last night, almost doubling in size to at least 85,000 acres and growing. It is 19 miles long and 16 miles wide, according to a live KTLA broadcast, and still stands at only 5% contained. While communication towers and the Observatory atop Mount Wilson have not been burned, officials "said that area remains highly vulnerable," and firefighters remain actively working to keep the flames at bay from the historic building and vital broadcast equipment, reports the LA Times.

       

These numbers are expected to change significantly by morning, but the Station Fire stands at 42,500 acres with 5 percent containment, according to officials. 2,575 personnel have responded, leaving four injured and two dead. 18 homes have been lost.

As the Station Fire consumes most resources and attention, here's a look at the three other major fires burning in the greater Los Angeles region. Morris Fire It began early Monday evening last week in the Angeles National Forest north of Asuza and Glendora, but has stayed out of harms way for the most part, save for a mandatory evacuation at Camp Williams. As of tonight, the conflagration is 95 percent contained after burning through 2,260 acres. Full containment is expected tomorrow by 6 p.m.

Two Los Angeles County firefighters have been killed near Mount Gleason in the Angeles National Forest just south of Acton. Their vehicle went over the edge of the mountainside road amid intense fire activity around 2:30pm, according to LA County Deputy Fire Chief Mike Bryant at an 8:00 pm news conference.

• Two residents who refused the evacuation order and tried to protect their home were seriously burned when the walls of flames surrounded them. They thought they could protect themselves by jumping in a jacuzzi...(!)
• One of the winning Mega Millions lottery tickets were sold in San Gabriel. The ticket is worth around $166 million! The other ticket was sold in New York.
• With fires raging, the triple digit temps didnt help matters at all.

The Station Fire continues to hold the San Gabriel Mountains under siege as the northeastern flank of the 35,000+ acre blaze rages in the Acton area, continues to burn out of control with dangerous hotspots near homes in neighborhoods of La Crescenta, and could pose a threat to Mount Wilson (where 22 broacast stations have communication towers). The fire remains at around the 5% containment level. Here are some updates and information at this hour:

Local television news, so quick to cut into programming for car chases, and often repetitive non-stop coverage of celebrity-involved incidents (i.e. the death of Michael Jackson) has been eerily quiet this weekend as the Station Fire--one of three current blazes raging in Southern California--has prompted the evacuation of more than 6,600 homes, threatens 12,000 structures, and has blazed through 35,000 acres and is growing with 5% containment.

At around 10:40 a.m. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger held a press conference at Hansen Dam regarding the Station Fire, and other fires currently affecting the state. Just home to California following yesterday's funeral services for his wife's uncle, Sen. Edward Kennedy, Schwarzenegger spoke immediately of his wish to continue to work to ensure the safety of lives, property, and memories.

In just a few short hours since dawn, the Station Fire is now reportedly burning over 35,000 acres, and has spawned a new set of evacuations. Deputies are now ordering out residents of "Crown Valley, Soledad Canyon and Aliso Canyon as the fire [has] moved northwest along the Angeles Forest Highway," reports the Pasadena Star-News.

David Beckham scored his first goal on the season to help secure the Honda SuperClásico for the Galaxy last night at the Home Depot Center.

The Station Fire, which began on Thursday in the Angeles National Forest, made short work of tearing through the hilly acreage of the San Gabriel foothills that haven't burned in decades. Now estimated at over 20,000 acres in size, the fire is moving northward currently, and is expected to pose a threat to the community of Acton, according to an abc7 live newscast.

Time Lapse Test: Station Fire from Eric Spiegelman on Vimeo.

With wildfires raging across the Southland right now, the Los Angeles County Health Officer is hoping to take a moment to remind people that it's important to have an emergency kit packed and ready to go. They've sent out a press release today detailing the suggested essentials you'll want to include so that if you are called up on to evacuate, like many residents in parts of northern Glendale and the Crescenta-Cañada Valley into Altadena are having to do due to the Station Fire.

The following evacuation orders are currently in place in the Glendale-La Crescenta-La Cañada-Altadena areas due to the Station Fire, according to InciWeb:
• Mandatory evacuations in the City of Glendale north of Santa Carlotta St between Lowell and Pennsylvania. A new evacuation center is located at the Civic Auditorium at 1401 N. Verdugo Rd., Glendale, CA 91208.
• Mandatory evacuations in Big Tujunga Canyon between County Camp #15 and the Ranger Station as well as Camp Colby which is located at 23828 Angeles Crest Highway.
• Mandatory evacuations include east of Ocean View Blvd, north to High Rim Rd and south to Fairhurst Drive.

The Station Fire continues to rage under the blazing sun and on tough terrain. Evacuations of Big Tujunga Canyon have been ordered for the "Western portion of the fire just north of Mt Luken" according to the CalFireNews Twitter feed. Currently the following areas are also under mandatory evacuation notice, per KNX1070:

Evening Canyon Dr., Bay Tree Rd., Briartree Dr., Summit Crest Dr., Bramblewood Rd., Alder Ridge Dr., Catherwood Drive., Greenridge Dr., Forest Green Dr. Ridge Court, and Starlight Crest Drive.

Continue reading "Evacuation of Big Tujunga Canyon Ordered Due to Station Fire*"

       

Blogger Dave Bullock went on an impromptu photo shoot last night, first heading to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), then up the hills of La Cañada towards the Station Fire that continues to burn today with essentially no containment. He shared with us these images from the scene. The Station Fire is expected to remain burning through the week, as hundreds of firefighters work on rugged terrain that has not burned in decades.

Burning over challenging terrain that has not been scorched in decades, the Station Fire in La Cañada Flintridge grew wildly overnight, and has prompted a more extensive set of evacuations. The Pasadena Star-News reports:

More mandatory evacuations were ordered early Saturday morning for Gould Mesa Motorway, North Starlight Crest Drive, Ridge Court and Greenridge Drive, effective immediately, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Sometimes events in the sporting world happen in such a way that one has to wonder if someone scripted them. This year's final installment of the Honda SuperClásico between the Galaxy and Chivas USA seems to fit that bill quite well.

The four major fires burning in the greater Los Angeles region were especially worrisome last night, but as of 10:30 p.m., things seem to be subsiding for the most part. Here are the updates for each of the blazes from fire information officers.

Further up north, two fires are affecting some of the most beautiful parts of California. The Meadow Fire has been burning in Yosemite National Park since Wednesday and the Gloria Fire, burning since Thursday near Soledad, is threatening parts of Pinnacles National Monument.

• Jurors have started deliberations in the USC stabbing murder trial. Self defense or murder?
• The days may be numbered for the "Bates Motel". The long since vacated motel nicknamed because of its closeness to Bates Street in Silver Lake has been a magnet for crime and homeless people who charge to use the sidewalk there.
• A man was killed by a Sheriff's deputy after being tasered. The deputy was checking to see if he had a ticket when the man apparently charged him and then was tasered three times.

Angeles National Forest officials are reporting this afternoon that the Station Fire is also crawling eastward from La Canada Flintridge towards north of Altadena in addition to its west- and northwardly directions. Areas such as Big Tujunga Canyon, Brown Canyon and Brown Mountain are affected. No evacuations of any kind have been ordered for Altadena, but authorities say it's a good idea to prepare and keep alert.

                     

Since this morning, not much has changed with the Station Fire in the Angeles National Forest north of La Canada Flintridge, according to U.S. Forest Service officials. The fire is burning in two different directions with smoke traveling northeast, which is one direction the blaze is taking. But most concerns are focused on the portion moving southwest towards homes, 873 of which that are evacuated last night.

A new study says that Los Angeles is the number one city for sensitive guys -- in where they (we?) can be found and where that sensitive side can best be showcased. Actually, we share the top position. The City of (Sensitive) Angels tied with San Francisco. With six additional Golden State cities filling out the study’s top fifteen, California kicked the less-sensitive butt’s of forty nine other states. Orange County (Anaheim/Santa Ana) came in at number eight.

The start of ice hockey action in L.A. usually serves as reminder to Angelenos that although the weather might still be nice outside, summer is indeed over. This year, however, the L.A. Kings have something special in store for fans and they don't have to wait until fall to enjoy it. Action begins this evening when Live frontman Eddie Kowalczyk performs an acoustic set at Nokia Theatre to help kick-off L.A Kings Hockey Fest. The inaugural three day event at L.A. Live celebrates everything relating to Kings hockey and the sport itself.

As four major fires burn in the greater Los Angeles region, officials from the LA County Health Department, who raised this week's heat advisory to a heat alert, want to make sure people stay safe. "We have two problems in Los Angeles County; each makes the other worse," Dr. Jonathan Fielding, county health officer, said in opening statements at a press conference this morning. "Summer has finally come." He said the heat exacerbates the fires which in turn worsens air quality.

Four major fires have consumed around 4,600 acres across the greater Los Angeles region this past week. Here's the latest, as of 9:30 a.m., according to fire information officers for each of the blazes. Palos Verdes Fire The fire that began around 8 p.m. last night has only consumed 100 acres in a residential area prompting the evacuation of around 1,200 to 1,500 people.

       

As the evening began to settle in, the Station Fire changed directions and began to head towards La Canada Flintridge. By 11 p.m., 500 homes were under orders to leave their homes, sending hundreds of residents to an evacuation center. The nighttime photos were taken around the same time from the 2 Freeway and surrounding side streets in the neighborhood as flames grew near homes.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa later today intends to nominate Battalion Chief Millage Peaks to head the Los Angeles Fire Department, according to sources close to the department speaking under the condition of anonymity. Peaks, a 33-year veteran of the department will replace Chief Barry Douglas, who will retire this weekend. Currently the Chief of Battalion 4 (LAX, Venice and other Pacific coast and inland neighborhoods), Peaks joined the department in 1976 and was promoted to be a captain in 1984. Eight years later, he became a Battalion Chief in South L.A.

The fire in Rancho Palos Verdes has burned more than 75 acres and has prompted the evacuation of up to 3,000 people, said officials with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. A fire has not burned in the area since the 1950s. The blaze began around 8 p.m. and within an hour, had already consumed a couple homes. Officials do not know how much of the fire is contained, if any.

Just to give you a general picture of what's happening right now, here's a map with general locations of the four major fires burning right now.

Three new fires broke out tonight, all in separate areas of the greater Los Angeles region. The largest of the three is the Cottonwood Fire in the San Bernardino National Forest. Located between Hemet and Idyllwild, the 400-acre blaze that began at 5:13 p.m. is 5 percent contained, said Forest Service Fire Information Officer Norma Bailey. "Right now air support is down for the night, but hand crews and engines are on duty," she explained. A voluntary evacuation is in effect for the Bee Canyon area where about 12 homes are located.

The 350-acre Station Fire shifted directions this evening back down the hill towards the Angeles Crest Fire Station and La Cañada Flintridge, according to Forest Service officials. "They're going to try to squash that as quickly as possible," said Rachel Mailo, a Fire Information Officer with the Angeles National Forest, over the phone. The LA Times notes that If it does reach the station, residential neighborhoods are about one mile further.

• A girl kidnapped in 1991 has been found alive in Northern California and whoa, it looks like she had a baby with one of her alleged captors.
• Ha, ha, ha! A Kentucky Fried Chicken in Palms has been converted into a medical marijuana dispensary called... Kind for Cures
• The latest in the Michael Jackson investigation, via NPR: "The warrant unsealed Thursday showed that various drugs, including marijuana, the generic form of Valium and other sedatives were found in the singer's rented mansion. A detective also indicated that Jackson's body showed signs of injections."

Geologists are monitoring the cliffs behind Yosemite's beautiful Ahwahnee Hotel after tumbling boulders from the Royal Arches formation forced the evacuation of all 300 guests yesterday. Lucky for those guests, no one was hurt (a few cars were damaged) and the hotel reopened tomorrow after 4:00 p.m. The largest rock that fell is estimated to be 350 cubic meters.

       

The Station Fire has burned some 300 acres in the Angeles National Forest. Here's some what it looks like from the foothill community of La Canada. This and the Morris Fire continue to worsen the air quality among the high temperatures around the Los Angeles region.

The Station Fire, which began yesterday afternoon and is burning above La Canada-Flintridge in the Angeles National Forest, has grown to 300 acres and has been downgraded to 10 percent contained, the Forest Service reports as of 2:20 p.m. The number of firefighters reporting to the blaze has doubled to 410 since this morning and mandatory evacuation orders have been given to those at Camp Hi Hill and Clear Creek School. The fire is currently burning in a northerly direction.

It only took four minutes for the LAPD to show up after The Green Truck's General Manager, Bobby Allen, pulled up to the curb on Wilshire for the lunch hour. The truck's health permit, although paid for, was not on display because the LA County Health Department was late in sending out bills and permits, explained Allen. But officers would not accept a note from the Health Department that should have excused the Green Truck from being cited and shut down. The truck can only open back up for business when they have proof they paid for the permit.

For years, the city of Santa Clarita (my former employer) has made great strides in furthering non-motorized transit throughout the suburban valley chock full of six-lane roads with 45 or sometimes higher speed limits. The high speed limits combined with hills plus soccer moms or pedal-to-the-medal teens are not exactly attractive for street biking without some kind of safety net. A lot of the city is connected by 60-plus miles of off street trails, paseos (well-maintained HOA paths open to the public) and street bike lanes with more to come, pending funding.

Take the high heat and the smoke from the Morris Fire and it's just not going to be a fun next few days outdoors. “While people don’t need to be told it’s hot outside, they do need to be reminded how to take care of themselves, children, the elderly, and their pets when the weather gets hotter,” said LA County Health Officer Jonathan E. Fielding in a statement this morning. “When temperatures are high, prolonged sun exposure may cause dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke."

If you happen to be in Sacramento tomorrow and Saturday, do the state a favor and give them some money in exchange for some official government crap. Back in July, Governor Schwarzenegger announced that they would be selling government stuff--cars, computers, other crap--to help offset the billion dollar deficit. Then someone on Twitter suggested that he sign some of the items to raise the value and he went, paraphrased, "OMG, such a g00d idea! Keep the ideas coming, Twitter pals!"

Is this guy sly or what? As an international manhunt ensued, he got not one, but two women on each side of the border to help him out, sources tell the Los Angeles Times: Investigators said they are looking at whether one unidentified woman aided Ryan Jenkins when he was hiding in Washington state and a second woman helped him in British Columbia

With temperatures expected to rise to triple digits today, the Morris Fire north of Azusa has burned through three square miles of the Angeles National Forest and is now 45 percent contained, according to authorities this morning. The fire began Tuesday afternoon and quickly spread into dry brush of San Gabriel Canyon and sending smoke into the Los Angeles basin that may stick around until Sunday.

LA Dodgers defeat Colorado Rockies 6-1. Andre Ethier hit two homers and James Loney hit a three-run tater to power the Dodgers over the Rockies. Ethier hit a homer in the first inning after Matt Kemp walked and hit a solo shot to lead off the fourth inning. After Manny Ramirez was hit by a pitch and Casey Blake walked Loney hit his shot in the same inning. At that point the Dodgers had only three hits, the three homers. While it's easy to get very excited about this power surge, keep in mind the Rockies were forced to start Josh Fogg who has been a reliever all season. This gives the Dodgers a three game lead over the Rockies again.

• The Governator is getting testy... calling out the State Assembly as "gutless" to make the prison system cuts necessary to save the state more money.
• So the Governator's furlough plan might be coming back to haunt him... and the state. With state tax collectors forced to miss work, they cant do their job and might cost California over $1 billion in uncollected tax revenue. Sheesh...
• Congrats to former USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. He was named the Jet's starting QB today.

If you like music, you're going to see a lot of familiar faces seen in this trailer for East of Sunset, which has no set release date yet. We don't believe that West Hollywood's Sunset Strip is totally dead (it's been making a nice comeback over the past year), but we can't wait to see this flick, which is still in post-production with Thrillhouse Productions (h/t web in front).

Baseball is often used as a metaphor for life. In so many ways, it is about the moments. Not just the moments on the field, but every moment from the time you enter the stadium gates until you leave. Some are content to gloss over these details, fixated on box scores and home runs and batters charging the pitcher’s mound. To leave it at that is to miss the more human side of the game, the side that makes you ignore the bloated player salaries and the excessive cost of beer and hot dogs at the stadium. There’s humanity in the tiniest moments.

As the Morris Fire continues to burn in the San Gabriel Canyon of the Angeles National Forest, a spot fire that has developed on the eastside of the San Gabriel River has officials concerned. "It's becoming very active now," explained Robert Brady, a Fire Information Officer with the Forest Service. He said there's more dry fuel for the blaze on that side of the river.

It's currently against the law to make a home of your car in Long Beach, but a proposal due to be discussed come September 1st at the City Council meeting would create "a new law that would allow "economic refugees" to legally sleep" in their vehicles, according to the Press-Telegram.

Officials announced this morning to take heed of the smoke pouring into the Los Angeles basin from the Morris Fire in the Angeles National Forest, but the LA Times finds that it could be sticking around throughout the hot weekend. While a lack of wind is helping firefighters battle the blaze in San Gabriel Canyon north of Azusa, it is also hindering it from blowing away.

To the shock of the film community last month, LACMA announced that come October, the beloved weekend film series would discontinue due to budget constraints. That prompted some advocacy and strong words from many, including director Martin Scorsese. "It comes as no surprise to me that the public is rallying," he wrote in an open letter printed in the LA Times. "People from all over the world are speaking out, because they see this action - correctly, I think - as a serious rebuke to film within the context of the art world."

Looks like Fall Out Boy's Infinity on High has come to at least a temporary stall as one of the band members "is behind bars this morning," according to On the Red Carpet. Patrick Stump, the band's composer, vocalist, and guitarist was stopped last night while he was driving, and determined the 25-year-old "had a previous warrant out for his arrest in Beverly Hills [...] for being an unlicensed driver."

A handful of workers affected by the recent decrease in lunch options on the Miracle Mile have begun a petition to stop restaurants from calling city officials and police on "designer trucks" who park in the area. "We, the undersigned request that the brick and mortar restaurants in the area known as Miracle Mile cease and desist from any attempt to impede or hinder any mobile food preparation units or food trucks from operating in the area," the petition reads.

       

Signage on buildings and along thoroughfares has evolved, as has the move to prohibit them in recent months. But the origin of the roof sign in Los Angeles reflects one aspect of our rich local history that runs the risk of being elbowed out by the more bully-like presence of neon-lit ads that now top buildings all over the city.

For the second month in a row, Los Angeles as a whole--residents, businesses, government--have reduced water usage to record breaking levels, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced today. Major strides in energy savings have also been made this year.

It began yesterday afternoon around 4:30 p.m. in San Gabriel Canyon and began spreading quickly in the hills north of Azusa. The Morris Fire has now burned over 750 acres with only 10% containment, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department shortly before 8 a.m. on Twitter. "Steep terrain is making access very difficult," they said.

For many years, Craby Joe's was known as a divey destination for cheap drinks and somewhat shady dealings. It also held a warm place in many Angeleno hearts, particularly because it was a favorite of local literary icon Charles Bukowski. The bar closed in 2007, but recently plans surfaced involving turning the spot into a more "top-shelf" bar. "Charles Lew, a lawyer and restaurateur, envisioned a new upscale bar in its place called the Haven Lounge. It would have high, wood-beam ceilings and a 200-year-old piece of stained-glass from a church in Germany," explains the LA Times.

Among the many mourners for Senator Edward Kennedy, who died last night at the age of 77 following a battle with brain cancer, includes members of his extended family like his niece, Maria Shriver, and her husband, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. California's first family issued a statement late last night, noting that they are "immensely saddened" by the loss of Maria's "Uncle Teddy," and that Kennedy "was the rock of our family," according to cbs2.com.

The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education voted 6-1 yesterday to approve a controversial plan put forth by Board VP Yolie Flores Aguilar called the "School Choice" plan which will allow private organizations and companies to submit bids for operational control of several schools in the district, including as-yet unopened campuses as well as troubled schools.

Although he tells the denizens of Los Angeles to cut down on their water use or face fines and higher bills, Mayor Villaraigosa's city-owned mansion has had its lawn watered during illegal hours several times, NBC's Joel Grover found in a month long investigation.

Colorado Rockies defeat LA Dodgers 5-4 (10). On June 3, the Rockies trailed the Dodgers by 15 1/2 games. With their victory over the Dodgers Tuesday night that deficit has shrunk to two games. The Dodgers led off the first inning with Andre Ethier doubling in Matt Kemp taking a 1-0 lead. Casey Blake would extend the lead to two with a solo shot in the fourth. But the Rockies would come back in home half of the fourth when with Todd Helton on second Brad Hawpe hit a homer to center field. They would add a run in the seventh and eighth inning for a 4-2 lead going into the top of the ninth. With closer Huston Street unavailable to pitch for the Rockies, manager Jim Tracy instead went with Rafael Betancourt, Joe Beimel and Matt Daley in the ninth inning resulting the Dodgers tying the game 4-4. Thanks to a James Loney throwing error in the bottom of the 10th the Rockies loaded the bases on James McDonald. Troy Tulowitski would bloop a single to bring in the winning run.

The wildfire that began this afternoon in the Angeles National Forest has grown to 275 acres with only 10 percent of it contained by 9:40 p.m. The blaze began shortly before 4:30 p.m. north of Azusa near the Morris Dam in San Gabriel Canyon. A cause is not known yet, but police detained at least one man, reported ABC7-TV.

• They finally voted: "The Los Angeles Board of Education has voted to adopt a resolution that could turn a third of the schools in the nation's second-largest school district over to private operators."
• Momentum is building for high speed rail between L.A. and San Francisco.
• Speaking of other forms of transit, the Bicycle Film Festival begins tomorrow!

Since the torrential rains of 2005, the Mount Wilson Toll Road leading up to Henninger Flats and Mount Wilson has been closed. The popular, yet historic, trail has been a favorite for outdoors enthusiasts. The fire road leads into the hills above Pasadena and offers sweeping views across the San Gabriel Valley and beyond towards downtown and Catalina Island. After nearly four years, it officially opened last Friday to hikers and mountain bikers.

Just in case you were wondering where your local bicycle patrol officer was... Some LAPD bicycle units were sent down to Mexico City to train local officers in bicycle crowd control and patrolling techniques, according to the Associated Press. It's part of a four-day course with the California Department of Justice. Let's hope they are leaving out this technique seen in the video below (scroll to 35 seconds):

That's just not cool. Congress may have just passed a law allowing guns into national parks that takes effect in February, but hunting animals before and after the law is not legal and is just plain bastardly. Over the past several years, multiple trophy-sized deer have been poached within Yosemite National Park boundaries. As authorities began to investigate, officials "uncovered a complex, concerted effort by these individuals to illegally hunt within the park and kill trophy size bucks," according to a statement from the park.