A San Bernardino County Supervisor was driving his work-issued vehicle on a suspended license for over four years, according to records, says CBS2. Paul Biane was arrested in Illinois for drunk driving in 2005 on a "a family trip to attend a Notre Dame-University of Southern California football game," and consequently had his license suspended. Biane claims he did not know that the suspension applied to all states; he says he found out about it when he attempted to renew his license in California. The initial suspension was to have lasted just six months, however because Biane managed to not pay a $250 reinstatement fee, it was extended to four years. more ›

• Councilman Tom LaBonge: luh-BONJ
• County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky: yaar-o-SLAV-skee
• Councilman Jose Huizar: WEE-sar

This past Saturday, the Boardmembers, stakeholders and guests of the Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council met at the WH Marriott for an all-day Retreat and Board Workshop. more ›

We don't understand why no one wants the Las Lomas project, a proposed 5,500 unit/555-acre development, to be built between the 5 and 14 freeways just north of Los Angeles' border. Come on, how cool would it be to live between two freeways so close together! Not to mention two other freeways are near by, the 405 and 210. Access to so many freeways = good quality of life. Cough, cough. more ›

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The first time I was in Compton, I didn't even know it until later when I was at a restaurant looking at the menu and noticed the address. It appeared the world's stereotype was wrong, maybe gone or I just happened to be in the "right" part of town. "Compton is beautiful, there are horse ranches there," a co-worker who grew up there told me at a previous job a few years before my... more ›

That's what Orange County Fire Authority Chief Chip Prather said this morning:If we had more air resources, we would have been able to control this fire. Instead we've been stuck in this initial attack mode on the ground where we hopscotch through neighborhoods as best we can trying to control things. But OCFA is not the only frustrated agency in Southern California, as losses grow to an estimated $1 billion in San Diego County... more ›

Last night came and went, but we know a select bunch of aware Angelenos turned off their lights last night for Lights Out LA, a program in San Francisco and Los Angeles asking residents to turn off lights for one-hour in the name of conserving energy. Alisa Pugha in Koreatown participated and she spoke to LAist last night. "So just as Light Out LA starts, my power starts dimming. What the fuck?" The anonymous blogger,... more ›

As the Sunday morning sunrise warmed the lawn of the San Gabriel Mission, dedicated celebrants gathered with the Pobladores 200 to recognize LA’s upcoming 226th birthday by retracing the steps of the original settlers who established El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles in 1781. San Gabriel is quite proud of its contribution to the “birth” of Los Angeles and a significant contingent of enthusiastic San Gabriel volunteers were on hand to outfit and... more ›

The LA Times has definitely had its fair share of scandals in the near past with firings and hirings. Yet recently, content wise, the watchdog coverage of scandalicious politicians has been riveting. There is Mayor V and then there was the daily pounding of Rocky Delgadillo. The newest politician in the ring is 74-year-old 2nd district county supervisor Yvonne Burke who represents Watts, Culver City, Compton, South LA, Hollywood, Marina Del Rey, Inglewood to... more ›

An Antelope Valley resident once told me that the slogan of Palmdale was "Why throw it in the trash when you can throw it in the front yard?" It was so rude. I loved it. Palmdale and Lancaster always feels worlds away. Many of the thoroughfares have names like Avenue R-12 or Avenue P-8. Only a select few are lucky enough to live on Avenue Q (who doesn't like puppets singing about STDs and... more ›

Who said emergency preparedness has to be boring? If you live, work or spend a good amount of time in Topanga, this free downloadable document is a must. The team that designed this 17 chapter disaster guide did an extremely beautiful job putting this visually exciting document together. And why did they do it? Here is the introduction from County Supervisor Yev Zaroslovsky: I am honored to present the inaugural edition of the Topanga... more ›

Q: What do you call a road with five to seven lanes of traffic in one direction, if the only way to exit this road is by going to the right? more ›

Maybe it’s because of its residents' blogginess, but these days everyone seems to know that downtown LA is booming. However, flying way below the radar is Koreatown. Yes, you already know it’s the place to go for your late night barbecue and karaoke needs, but the boozin’, beef-eatin’ hood (best known to those outside LA as one of the places ravaged by the 1992 riots) has quietly been getting a $1 billion makeover that... more ›

As we discussed last week, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is in Washington D.C. today telling the rest of America why LA and its surrounding area is getting ripped off from federal investment. If we get jammed in traffic, we can't deliver for the rest of the U.S. Here are some facts: This delegation is part of the kick off of Access Washington, D.C. 2007, a trip sponsored by the L.A. Chamber and Mobility 21. Southern... more ›

We didn't say it. Tony Bell said it to the LA Times' Steve Hymon. Who is Bell? Bell is the communications director for Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich. And to be fair, Bell thinks "light rail down one of the major east-west streets on the Westside might be the better solution." So trains are not totally out. Here's another Bell quote: "The supervisor understands — as do most county residents — that we... more ›

Mayor Tony has a busy Sunday scheduled for this weekend, but we're glad to see he's blocked off the entirety of tomorrow to pulling for the underdog Bruins as they square off against Tommy Trojan and the Song Girls. Saturday, December 2, 2006 1:00 PM - PASADENA - Mayor Villaraigosa will cheer on the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruins as they go up against the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans in... more ›

The whole airports/power-failure fiasco last night was started by one car hitting one pole up in Palmdale. more ›

LA County Supervisor Yvonne Braithwaite Burke will retire after 40 years in politics. She was the first African-American woman elected to the California State Assembly. While there will be many heartfelt farewells for the 73-year-old, more interesting will be the race for her seat. The 5-member Board of Supervisors controls the pursestrings for the County and is vastly powerful; so far, Mark Ridley Thomas, Herb Wesson and Bernard Parks are rumored to be possible successors. more ›

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Yesterday, County Supervisor Mike Antonovich suggested the Coliseum play host to the New Orleans Saints this season, while the city recovers from the tragic destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina. The NFL rebuffed the offer because it's not feasible for this year. The Saints, for their part, have expressed a desire to play closer to their fans, preferably in Baton Rouge. But some speculate that the team would really like to play in San Antonio, or move to Los Angeles. more ›

What do City Councilmember Tom LaBonge, County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, and the city of Beverly Hills have in common? Well, yes, they all think Jamie Foxx is a shoo-in for Best Actor (and who doesn't?), but they're also all in favor of extending the Red Line subway westward along Wilshire, all they way out to Santa Monica. more ›

The first LA mayoral debate, hosted last night at the Museum of Tolerance, probably wasn’t on the radar of local voters. Many are still worn out from the long presidential campaign that ended just a month ago; others are simply wrapped up in the holidays. more ›

State Senate candidate George Runner and his wife, Assemblymember Sharon Runner, are poised to be the first husband and wife team to serve in the Legislature at the same time. George Runner was first elected in 1996 to serve in the Assembly and was termed out in 2002. His wife succeeded him and was up for re-election yesterday. more ›