TV Junkie: Interview with 'Bored to Death' Team of Ted Danson, Jonathan Ames & Jason Schwartzman
Mint Condition VW Bus Stolen 35 Years Ago Found!
The Creepy, Yet Beautiful Street Art of Dan Witz Now in L.A.
Recession Obsession: Sky's Gourmet Tacos
Does Traffic Get Worse After the End of Daylight Saving Time?
One week ago, 16-year-old Wilson High student Melody Ross was with her friends, watching the school's Homecoming football game. Last night the team observed a moment of silence in her honor, as Ross was gunned down minutes after she exited the Long Beach school's stadium. At last night's game students wrote MR on their cheeks, the team turned the school's "W" on their helmets upside down to make an "M" in their classmates honor, and attendees faced upped security, according to the Press-Telegram. Earlier that day in a Long Beach court Tom Love Vinson and Daivion Davis, both 16-year-old gang members, found themselves charged as adults; the Deputy DA said the charges are as a result of the "seriousness of the crime" and the fact that it was gang-related, notes LA Now. Ross was an innocent bystander; two young men who were wounded "may have been the intended targets."
News: November 2009 Archives
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Yesterday was yet another Friday on which the state's DMV offices were closed down, thanks to Executive Order S-13-09--a furlough mandate launched in July that sees the department darkened for the first three Fridays of each month. However, do a little figuring with the calendar, and yesterday kicked off a long string of Fridays when the DMV just won't be an option for motorists. "[F]actoring in upcoming holidays on top of those mandated furlough days, Friday marked the start of a 12-week stretch in which DMV offices will be closed for business every Friday," reports the Daily Breeze, which "means that the next Friday employees will be on the job - and that motorists can get their licenses and vehicle registrations renewed - won't come until Jan. 29."
Last night during rush hour an MTA bus collided with a private vehicle near 1959 N. Glendale Boulevard and the 2 Freeway. "According to Officer Gregory Baek of the Los Angeles Police Department, the No. 92 bus was driving northbound just before the freeway ramp when the accident occurred," explains LA Now. As a result, 19 people suffered injuries, of which 10 "were taken to the hospital," and of those, one "was reported to be in critical condition," according to CBS2. The other nine injuries were described as being "as minor to moderate." Police are currently investigating the cause of the crash, however Sgt. Gregory Hoyte of the Central Traffic Division notes that "the driver seemed to have lost control of the bus and hit the middle divider [also going Northbound on the road] and another object before crashing into the car."
Injuries tend to have a yin-yang effect on professional athletes, sometimes they are good, other times, not. For Chivas USA 'keeper Zach Thornton, injuries opened the door to opportunities this year which he may not have had otherwise.
When the two hotels and Ritz Carlton residences open at L.A. Live next year, that's not the end for development at the mega sports and entertainment complex in downtown. The Downtown News finds that AEG has submitted some big plans. It includes "332,618 square feet of office space and a 269,182-square-foot broadcasting studio that could accommodate a nationwide cable television network, a 275-room hotel and a 25-story residential building with 65 units adjacent to the L.A. Live campus." Currently, L.A. Live is home to two stage venues, the Grammy Museum, a movie theatre and various restaurants.
Sean MacPherson, the man behind some of L.A.'s most popular bars, announced today that his Hollywood-Los Feliz-Silver Lake neighborhood hang, the Good Luck Bar, will celebrate its 15th birthday later this month. On Thursday, November 19, DJ Travis Keller and Chinese burlesque dancers will entertain patrons as they guzzle down $5.00 Stolichnaya, Sailor Jerry, Cazadores, or Jack Daniel's cocktails and selected beers for $2.00 beers (plus: Kogi BBQ will be outside). In 1994, MacPherson took over the space, formerly a Mexican transvestite bar, and based it on his favorite Chinatown bar, Yee Mee Loo, which closed its doors after 40 years. Nearby: 'Ironic Hipster Bar' Stinkers to Celebrate 1 Year on Sunday.
The holiday season always means more and more DUI checkpoints. With thousands of hit-and-runs and drinking-related crashes so far this year, the LAPD has two Sobriety & Drivers License Checkpoints set up for the weekend. The first is tonight 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. at West Florence Avenue and South Main Street in South L.A. Then tomorrow from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m., a checkpoint will be set up on Figueroa between 7th and 8th in downtown. Stay safe out there!
The LAPD is on the lookout for a man who impersonates a police officer and robs them. He's struck at least four times--twice in the Rampart area and once in Olympic and Pacific--over the last couple of months in various neighborhoods around the city. Usually operating in the late morning or early afternoon, he approaches victims dressed as a plain clothes police officer, complete with badge and gun. He'll search the victim and remove cash and wallets.
The world of horse racing is still a bit sexist. The girls don’t really have a place with the boys, or so they say. Hopefully five-year old Zenyatta will prove them all wrong in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic tomorrow at Santa Anita Park to become the first filly or mare to win the Classic since its inception in 1984. Winner of the last two Lady’s Secret Stakes and last year’s Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic, she has won all 13 races with a total purse of over $2.7 million.
If you get the sense a war between L.A. and SF is brewing over the weekend, here what's actually happening: "On November 8 and 9, 2009, military flight training exercises will occur in and around the greater Los Angeles area," the LAPD said a statement today. "The military operation will be routine proficiency flight training exercises. Training sites have been carefully selected so that activities will not interfere with the daily routines of the community. Training will occur after 5 p.m. each day and will be generally in Central and West Valley Areas."
Frustrated with a new (and slower) traffic pattern, one LAist reader earlier this week wrote us an e-mail: "Over the past week I’ve noticed a sharp increase in Eastbound traffic between Bundy and Overland during the morning rush hour, almost doubling the Santa Monica-Century City commute time," he noted. "Any idea as to why this might be? Have they reprogrammed the signals in the area? Perhaps the one at Sawtelle or Sepulveda?"
Not the most humorous interview, but Stephen Colbert last night got Bratton to explain his "Broken Windows Theory," which was applied here in L.A., and how he's going to apply it to his new private security gig.
It's been a week of mourning in Long Beach after the death of 16-year-old Melody Ross between last week's Homecoming football game and dance at Wilson High School. She was an innocent bystander when two alleged 16-year-old gangmembers shot bullets into a crowd meant for two men who were wounded. Those teens were identified today--Tom Love Vinson and Daivion Davis--because they were charged as adults, according to the LA Times.
The next in a series of community town halls with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, featuring the new LAPD Chief, will be on the Westside next week. On Tuesday when Charlie Beck was chosen, meetings were immediately scheduled for that day in South L.A., followed by one in the Valley on Wednesday and one yesterday in El Sereno.
When the city tried to regulate digital billboards earlier this decade, the advertising industry brought on the lawsuits. Out of one big cases, CBS Corp.'s Outdoor division and Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc. landed a major settlement in 2006: 800 billboards could be converted into digital ones.
The New York Times nailed it this morning when they said "For Americans who wake up each morning thinking about their job hunt, Friday’s unemployment report offered little reassurance that their search would soon pay off, even as the broader economy showed signs of strengthening." That's because nationwide, unemployment in October shot up to 10.2 percent, a 26-year record high. 190,000 jobs were lost with the largest amount found in the construction industry.
Tonight's episode of SoCal Connected on KCET will air an episode detailing how some South LA residents are being forced to pay thousands of dollars because they are in some so-called new flood zone, as determined by the all-mighty FEMA.
He's been called a hero, even a stud, and now he's the Grand Marshal of the Rose Parade. Captain Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger was the man at the helm when his US Airways jet with 155 people aboard landed in New York City's Hudson River earlier this year. He has nearly 600,000 fans on Facebook and gave Hugh Jackman a good run for his money in a TMZ "Who'd you rather do" contest. And despite his fame out East, he's actually from California.
What a crazy story! Via the LA Times: "When U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the Port of Los Angeles opened a shipping container bound for the Netherlands, they discovered a 1965 Volkswagen bus stolen in Washington state 35 years ago."
Santa Monica police today released the names of the four suspects allegedly involved in Tuesday night's murder. Patrick Dwight Birdsong Jr, 18; Norman Lovan Cole, 33; Sean Alex Mermer, 29; and a male juvenile were all booked on murder, attempted murder and "promoting of a street gang." Cole and Mermer were also charged with violating parole.
Our sister blog Chicagoist is reporting that Oprah might be moving her show to Los Angeles. That's via Deadline Hollywood blogger Nikki Finke, who doesn't name a source. If true, then Oprah could be here by 2011 and the show would air on her own channel, ending syndication. But Oprah's people say no decisions have been made yet. This would also mean she'll be closer to her Montecito home near Santa Barbara.
This morning it was Vietnamese-fusion and now we're talking Japanese-fusion. After a soft-opening in October that ended last night, Grub Street gives a heads up to this Saturday's opening of Agura in West Hollywood.
The Gold Line's Eastside Extension is opening on November 15th, but how does one get to the light rail line? Other than the big connections at Union Station (Red Line, etc), what other bus lines connect to it?
lad in Caltrans uniforms a few nights ago, a group of people installed a 12-foot wooden carved fork where Pasadena Avenueu splits at, well, a fork in the road, with St. John Avenue (see a map here). Who did this awesome piece of art and why? "It turns out the fork is an elaborate - and expensive - birthday prank in honor of the 75th birthday of Bob Stane, founder of the Ice House comedy club, who now owns the Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena," reports the Pasadena Star News. And the group would like to see it stay there permanently, but that will be up to the Caltrans, which owns the small parcel of land and the city.
In an attempt to attract the thousands of USC students ready to spend money in downtown, AEG is funding a free weekend shuttle between the campus and the entertainment complex.
DNA evidence from a double murder 12 years ago has been linked to a suspect who is currently in a California prison. Back in September of 1997, the stabbing murders of 57-year-old Nancy Boehm and her mentally impaired 23-year-old son Shawn occurred in their North Hollywood home on the 5700 block of Riverton Avenue. Without any leads, the case remained unsolved.
LA Lakers defeat Houston Rockets 103-102 (OT). Kobe Bryant scored 41 points, his 98th career game with over 40 points and Andrew Bynum scored 17 points and 17 rebounds as the Lakers clung on for the win. As in the playoffs last season, the Lakers allowed the Rockets easy points in the paint. However they managed to play good defense at the end of the overtime period to take out the Rockets. This was the first game for Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza facing their former teams. Both scored 15 points. Here's a very telling stat for the Lakers that should be of concern. Derek Fisher in 34 minutes scored 0 points going 0-for-5 from the field. Now for some good news. Pau Gasol could return to the starting lineup on Friday in Memphis.
- The new LAPD chief Beck has a leadership style starkly different from the outgoing chief Bratton.
- A new law that was supposed to help shed light on tragic cases of abuse, neglect and death of children has fallen woefully short of its intended goals.
- A new report found that holes in the system of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation caused a failure to properly supervise Phillip Garrido, allowing him to keep his alleged kidnap victim undiscovered.
No, downtown does not have a bunch of crunchy cheezeball souvenir shops, superheroes or stars embedded in the sidewalk. It does, however, have a convenient spot for movie premieres along the relatively unknown Georgia Street. Such an unremarkable name, but one that means less impacts to neighbors, traffic and, well, a movie studio's wallet.
A shooting that left one man dead last night in a Santa Monica park led to the arrest of multiple suspects. At around 8:52 p.m. last night, two suspects approached and began shooting at a group of four people in Virginia Park on Pico Boulevard, a few blocks from Santa Monica College. Three people escaped safely, but 20-year-old Richard Juarez was killed. The Santa Monica Police Department this afternoon announced that four suspects are in custody.
Thousands of rape kits still remain untested, finds a follow-up to a year-old audit that revealed some 7,500 rape kits sat untested on the shelves of LAPD labs. City Controller Wendy Greuel plans to release the the full findings tomorrow morning. Her office said today that the backlog has been reduced to 65%. However, Greuel says the Department’s record keeping is inconsistent, making it difficult to give entirely accurate numbers. In early October, it was reported that 3,157 kits were left to go with the full backlog completion due in the summer of 2011.
If “Mad Men” has taught us anything, it’s that advertising is all about the client and the product. But a “Mad Man” for the technology age urges ad firms to put the Don Draper era behind them and consider the consumer in a new manner: through the lens and the interactive venue of today’s social media tools.
Pacifica Radio KPFK, the Cahuenga Pass-based progressive radio station (also 98.7 FM Santa Barbara), today announced some big changes to stay relevant to to L.A. and Southern California audiences. Morning, noontime and afternoons will now carry daily shows with news shows covering local to international topics as well as economic and environmental ones.
There was no such luck for San Francisco this year, but the Abbey Food & Bar in West Hollywood beat out popular gay spots in Rio, London, Amsterdam, Chicago and Montreal this week in a contest put on by MTV's Logo Channel. Other winners in the TripOutGayTravel awards include New York City (best U.S. destination), the Wynn Las Vegas (best ultimate luxury/hotel resort) and the W Hotels (best hotel chain). Party on, WeHo.
The World Series isn't over yet, but that hasn't stopped the exciting Dodgers offseason from getting a little head start. Dodgers pitcher Vicente Padilla apparently shot himself in the right leg in his home country of Nicaragua today.
Following up on last week's news that the Orso space was going through some changes, the New York Times today dives in, examining the Hollywood power lunch spots of today and yesterday while explaining Orso's demise: Named for a dog that once befriended Mr. Allen in Venice, Orso was hurt when the Creative Artists Agency and International Creative Management moved into Century City office towers...
The state legislature early this morning finally passed a big water package that will bring an $11.1 billion bond to voters next year. In part, "it sets aside $3 billion for new storage and $2 billion for ecosystem restoration in the delta," explains the LA Times. "It would fund recycling and groundwater cleanup important to Southern California, pay for Salton Sea restoration and watershed projects on the Los Angeles and San Gabriel rivers. There is money for drought relief, Lake Tahoe, a dam removal project on the Klamath River in Northern California and Sierra foothill communities." The bond has split environmental groups. Some, like the NRDC and the Environmental Defense Fund, like it. Others, such as the Sierra Club, do not.
It's really happening. After two years of threats to close state parks, groups, including the California State Parks Foundation, have gotten together to put their own measure on the ballot. "We're done trying to convince them," the Foundation said in a e-mail newsletter this morning referencing politicians. "We're taking our case to the people."
We've got a former eBay CEO and conservative Meg Whitman running for Governor and today we find that another tech CEO from the right is making the move for public office. Former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Carly Fiorina will announce this morning her run for the Senate, according to the LA Times. She will face Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (R-Irvine) in the Republican primary. The winner of that will face incumbent Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer in next year's November election. If Boxer wins, it will be her fourth term.
One year ago tonight, thousands of disappointed voters hit the streets to protest the passing of Prop 8 which banned gay marriage in California. Tonight, people will gather again.
While elections locally weren't exactly a topic around town, they were nationally and the outcomes are still relevant to Los Angeles and California. One year after Prop 8, which banned gay marriage in California, Maine faced a similar fate. After the state's assembly and governor approved gay marriage earlier this year, the voter-initiated Question 1 was placed on the ballot asking "Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages?" Question 1 passed with XX% of the vote.
- Again? The reopening of King hospital may be pushed back to 2013.
- We've seen the loss of mailboxes, but will L.A. lose 19 post offices?
- Today was the busiest day for the free L.A. County H1N1 clinics.
A park planned along the L.A. River between the Los Feliz/Silver Lake area and Atwater Village jumped another hurdle today when the LADWP Board of Water and Power Commissioners gave its stamp of approval, something that was needed since the property lies within a LADWP transmission line right of way.
The town hall train has already taken off with three community meetings set up in order to introduce Beck to the public. As noted earlier, one meeting will take place this afternoon in South L.A. Then tomorrow, the public can attend a meeting in the Valley and in El Sereno on Thursday. Details are below.
It's an uncertain time for Dodger fans. To put things lightly, there are some questions about the ownership. It is not clear who will maintain control of the club. It is not clear what the payroll of the club will be. Despite falling two years a row to the Phillies in the NLCS, the reality is the Dodgers are blossoming into a very good baseball team. I am going on the record in saying I don't want the progression to end. We have miles left in our legs.
It appears that this afternoon's fast-moving fire in Diamond Bar was not caused intentionally, but by a pickup truck that had a small fire its bed. One story is that an burning debris was flying out of the bed of the truck, unbeknownst to the driver and passenger. Another is that a faulty cadyilac converter was sending sparks out from under the truck, according to KCAL-TV. Nevertheless, the truck and people inside have been detained by LA County Sheriff's Deputies.
This morning, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced he will tap Deputy Chief Charlie Beck as the newest head of the LAPD. While we all wish him luck, we are simply dumbstruck by the uncanny and positively eerie resemblance to Mr. Magnum, P.I. himself. Coincidence or underhanded push to increase film production in Los Angeles?
A large fire this afternoon is burning right next to homes in Diamond Bar, about one-half mile from the 60 freeway, reports KABC-TV. It began around 11:45 a.m. Because there are several different start points, the word "arson" is being thrown around a lot, but not by officials. There are no evacuations at this point and no reports of damage or injuries. Update: The cause of the fires might be from a pickup truck. More info here.
When you go to the Tam O'Shanter Inn, Five Crowns or Lawry's, there should be a good mix of men and women servers. After a gender discrimination complaint was filed in 2003, Lawry's stopped a policy dating back to 1938 in which women were the preferred gender to hire. Despite the change in policy, the case went forward to federal court. The Pasadena-based company will pay out more than $1 million, half of which that will go to men who were denied jobs based on their gender," says the LA Times. The other money will go towards discrimination training and a public awareness campaign.
With runaway production affecting the local economy, Los Angeles wants filming to come back home. Last month, the city council adopted a motion that brought 19 ideas to the table that would hopefully entice more local filming. One of those tasks was to identify the ten hardest places to film in. And in record time--less than a month, that's saying something for a city report--that list was just released.
We're a joke, so it's time to laugh at ourselves, California. Last night the Colbert Report took on Schwarzenegger, making fun of our Governor's adorable breakfast photo on Twitter and his letter to Assemblyman Tom Ammiano that contained a hidden "fuck you."
On December 8th, voters in L.A.'s Council District 2 (from Sherman Oaks to the Northeast Valley) will hit the polls to elect a new councilmember. The Mayor Sam blog digs into the latest filings for the two candidates, finding some notable patterns for each.
78-year-old Mong Kim Tran does not like getting pulled over. Via the Daily Breeze, here's the craziness that took place last week: "When he was told he was getting a speeding ticket, Tran came within three inches of the officer's face and began screaming... When the officer told Tran to back off, Tran took a fighting stance, and struck the officer twice with a closed fist and then kicked the officer in the groin... The officer pushed Tran back to the ground and handcuffed him. Tran sat on the curb while paramedics responded. As more officers arrived, Tran again stood up and kicked the officer in the groin."
USC Broadcast Journalism student Matt Schrader has spent the last three months investigating parking tickets issued for violating street sweeping hours. He finds that tickets are often given on days when sweepers never come by. No surprise there.
Mojava-based Masten Space Systems yesterday won $1 million in the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, funded by NASA "as an incentive to spur development of technology by space entrepreneurs," according to the AP. Teams this past weekend had to fly robotic robots that would rise 160-plus feet, travel in the air for at least 180 seconds, land on a rocky landing pad and then fly back to the starting point.
On the heels of West Hollywood and Santa Monica, Los Angeles councilmembers will consider banning the practice of declawing. "Declawing is not a simple cosmetic procedure akin to a manicure or a pedicure," says the motion, authored by Councilmember Paul Koretz and Bill Rosendahl.
Today is the big day. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will name our new Chief of Police. Per former Chief William Bratton's recommendation, the new LAPD leader is from within the department. The candidates are Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Charlie Beck, Assistant Chief Jim McDonnell and Deputy Chief Michel Moore.
- A California nurses' union says they won't strike since they got the Swine Flu protections they sought written into their contracts.
- LA Observed notes that "ten members of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association have lost their gigs in the last 18 months." That leaves 11 full timers. Yikes.
- What stinks in the South OC? It's just the algae bloom.
Two wins and two draws. That was the net result of this year's first weekend of MLS playoff action. Oddly enough, the victories were registered by the two lowest seeded teams vying for MLS Cup 2009. Real Salt Lake defeated the Columbus Crew by a score of 1 - 0 on Saturday night and the New England Revolution pulled out a 2 - 1 victory over the Chicago Fire on Sunday afternoon, just ahead of the Chivas USA - Galaxy clash at the Home Depot Center which ended in a 2 - 2 draw.
When Los Angeles' 72nd library branch opens in two weeks, it will be the first for Silver Lake. Located near the corner of Silver Lake and Glendale boulevards, the 13,600-square-foot facility was built to Gold LEED standards and includes new technology not seen before in L.A.'s system.
Has it been a year already? The "Eastside's" most loved/hated bar, Stinkers Truck Stop, will celebrate its one-year anniversary this Sunday evening with drink specials and swag including, wait for it, air-fresheners and hats. For those who remember, an LAist post last year about the bar became quite heated in the comments section. One year later, we're curious if this place is still ironic.
Remember last year when Dr. Christopher Thompson slammed on his breaks on Mandeville Canyon Road so bicyclists he apparently was annoyed with would crash into him? He was found guilty by a jury on all seven counts this afternoon. "Thompson was accused of assault with a deadly weapon, reckless driving causing specified bodily injury, battery with serious bodily injury and mayhem," among other charges relating to two incidents, one of them being the July 4th, 2008 incident, according to VeloNews. Last week, the LA Times looked into the case, saying "bike riders see the case as a test of the system's support for their rights." Looks like the system was on their side this time. Congrats!
Former Assemblyman Mike Duvall will not be investigated by the FBI after he was caught on tape telling stories--fairytales, allegedly--about have sex with a lobbyist. "No prosecutive action by the United States Attorney’s Office is warranted," an FBI statement read. The day the video aired on TV, Duvall resigned, calling his words "inappropriate storytelling.'' Meanwhile, Sempra lobbyist Heidi Dejong Barsuglia "is exploring legal remedies for the personal and professional damages caused by allegations that she had an affair with former lawmaker," reports the Sacramento Bee.
It was the early morning on February 8th--Grammys night--when Chris Brown lashed out at his girlfriend Rihanna in Hancock Park. What exactly happened is unknown, but ABC says Rihanna will reveal publicly what happened on Good Morning America this Thursday and Friday (also on 20/20 on Friday evening) in an interview with Diane Sawyer. Brown eventually apologized publicly on YouTube after entering into a plea agreement. He was slapped with five years of probation and 180 days of community service. He also has to take a one-year domestic violence class and stay 50 yards away from Rihanna.
Out in Granada Hills, 11-year-old Japhy Frolick rocked this iPhone costume, catching the attention of many in his neighborhood. His dad says three hours before trick-or-treating, he had no idea what he wanted to "be." Nice last minute idea! And below, a couple of Florida guys went all out and actually created life-size iPhone costumes with 42-ince LCD video screens that show what the costume wearer is doing on his phone. A video is below.
![Van Nuys Water Main Break Creates Large Geyser [Updated]](http://laist.com/attachments/la_zach/geyesrvanuys_restrict_width_110.JPG)
The Los Angeles Fire Department is reporting major flooding on the 7000 block of Van Nuys Boulevard, near Sherman Way. It looks like a sheared fire hydrant, but it is reportedly a water main break. Water is shooting about 100 feet into the air and LADWP crews are on scene. [Update: the LADWP confirms that it is a water main break]. Streets on and around the major thoroughfare are closed down.
A press release from the University of California today announced a new revolutionary program wherein tuition will be free. Pretty cool, right? Too bad it's a fake press release from a fake website mocking University President Mark G. Yudof and the Regents. Here's a fun little sample:
On Halloween, some new tax rules began that will affect your next paycheck and so on. You'll see an additional 10 percent in state income taxes taken out, but not to fear, says the Sacramento Bee. Basically, the state is front-loading the coffers. An excerpt from their in-depth analysis to clarify:
A night of dancing at a Halloween party turned into a trip to the hospital for Susie Medina this weekend. She and her husband thought it was a urinary problem related to a recent gastric bypass surgery. Boy, were they ever wrong... and surprised.
Crime Mapping is a website that "automatically retrieves data from a records management system," and tracks and maps the information for the public to view, explains KTLA. The San Gabriel Police Department has joined with about two dozen California law enforcement agencies to make use of the Google-powered mapping site so that are residents "can now track crime trends in their neighborhoods." The service for San Gabriel launched today, and marks the first time a police department within Los Angeles County is making use of the service, which "requires no man-hours from police."
With a $1 billion net income for the 3rd quarter, Ford is forecasting "solidly profitable" future by 2011. The AP reports: "The automaker said Monday earnings were fueled by U.S. market share gains, cost cuts and the Cash for Clunkers program, which drew flocks of buyers to showrooms this summer. Ford's shares rose 58 cents, or 8.3 percent, to $7.58 in pre-market trading." The company was the only Detroit automaker that did not receive government aid or go to bankruptcy court.
Yesterday, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa met with all three of the finalists for the position of Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, to replace William Bratton, who surrendered his star this weekend and is moving back to New York to work in the private sector. The three candidates all come from within the LAPD, a consideration that the departed Bratton and many Angelenos felt was essential to the future success of the department. Sunday's meetings were the second of the week between the three and the Mayor; Villaraigosa's "request to see them again appeared to indicate that the choice was not an easy one," notes the LA Times.
Gunfire erupted outside Wilson High School in Long Beach at around 10 o'clock Friday night as about 200 students were inside the building enjoying their Homecoming dance. The bullets took the life of 16-year-old Melody Ross, a "popular honors student and athlete," and the "daughter of Cambodian immigrants," who died in hospital half an hour after the shooting, according to LA Now. Ross and friends had just left the Homecoming football game when the shots were fired. Police are working to determine who killed Ross and wounded two young men, but "said they have no suspects and no motive," and "don't have a description or many leads to go on."
- Hope you all enjoyed your extra hour of sleep. Clocks were turned back as Daylight Savings came to an end.
- After seeing major improvements in academics and athletics under his watch, USC President Steven B. Sample will step down.
- After seeing major improvements in public relations and crime statistics under his watch, LAPD Chief Bill Bratton handed over his keys and stars in a ceremony for his "last act as a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department..."
Let me channel my inner Vic the Brick. "Trojan fans! One word: UY!" In a Saturday where all of the excitement was contained to the margins (Southern Miss-Houston; Miami (FL)-Wake Forest; Cal-Arizona State; Rutgers-UConn), all eyes were on USC and Oregon. And in the spotlight, the Trojan defense withered.
Back in April of 2008 we remarked that the announcement of a new overlay area code--a code within an existing code area for use with new numbers when all previous numbers have been assigned--was "not a big deal." Okay, fine, so soon people in the 818 might have to accept a 747 area code, and everyone within the area would have to dial each other using all 10 digits.
Chivas USA and the Galaxy will close out the first weekend of MLS playoff action this afternoon when they take the field at the Home Depot Center for their first ever playoff battle. The folks at Elias Sports Bureau dug up an interesting tidbit on the match, noting that today's match will mark the first time since 1944 that two U.S. professional sports franchises sharing the same home venue will face off against each other in a playoff series.
The end of Daylight Savings Time means more than just gaining an extra hour of sleep. To many, it's changing out fire alarm batteries and checking up on earthquake supplies. And now with water and energy conservation as a big theme in L.A., the LADWP is advising the public to not forget about adjusting automatic sprinklers as it could save you a citation. And considering that sunset will be at 5 p.m. tonight, you might want to change your lighting timer.
![10-Car Pileup Prompts Sigalert on 101 Fwy in Hollywood [Updated]](http://laist.com/attachments/la_zach/101crash-sigalert.gif)
The Los Angeles Fire Department is reporting a large car crash, involving approximately 10 cars, on the southbound 101 freeway. The crash, which occurred around 1:40 a.m., has injured at least 10 patients, two who are reported to be in critical condition. A Sigalert was issued by 2:09 a.m by the California Highway Patrol.
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