Compared to the Santa Monica Mountains and the Angeles National Forest, the Palos Verdes Peninsula might not be one of Los Angeles’s most famous hiking destinations, but there are many great trails in the area. more ›

Three juniors at Palos Verdes High School were arrested yesterday for their role in an elaborate grade-changing, test-stealing plot. The honors students were looking for nothing more than an "A-" in the grade books of their four teachers (and a little cash from selling test), but now they have a criminal record and will likely be expelled from school. more ›

It's a big week for smuggling and it's only Tuesday. The discovery of a capsized "smugglers' boat" in the surf near Palos Verdes Estates has prompted an investigation, says the Daily Breeze. On Sunday, three suspected smugglers were arrested on a small boat off Newport Beach after hurling packages into the ocean. more ›

Palos Verdes High School is considering bringing a drug-sniffing dog in once a week with the hopes of preventing kids from bringing in illegal substances, reports the Daily Breeze. The idea will be presented to parents at a meeting tonight. Principal Chris Bowles received the go-ahead from the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified school board to explore the possibility recently. more ›

It's a whale watchers' paradise these days off the coast in Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Long Beach, and other SoCal seaside areas, thanks to the prolific numbers of Great Blue Whales in the waters, reports the Daily Breeze. more ›

It is claimed to be the world's rarest butterfly and it lives here, albeit endangered. The Palos Verdes blue butterfly was listed as endangered in 1980--thanks to development, non-native plants and off-roading--but within a few years, many scientists believed it was extinct, according to Cooperative Conservation America. That was until 1994 when a UCLA researcher came upon some of the butterflies in San Pedro. more ›

L.A. County health officials have closed the area around Lunada Bay off the coast of Palos Verdes Estates due to a sewage spill that occurred this afternoon. 100,000 gallons spilled onto the streets at Via Rivera and Paseo Lunado around 3:30 p.m. after a sewage pipe collapsed, resulting in effluence flowing into the Bay. The flow of sewage has been stopped by sanitation officials and cleanup is in progress. The advisory to stay away from nearby waters will be in effect for at least 72 hours, pending test results that measure the bacteria level in the ocean water. more ›

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. more ›

The fire that begun last night in Rancho Palos Verdes quickly prompted the exodus of thousands of people last night, but today firefighters got an upper hand containing the 230-acre blaze to 70 percent, as of noon, said Inspector Fredric Stowers of LA County Fire over the phone. Evacuation orders were lifted around 11:30 a.m., but residents will have to show their ID to gain entry into neighborhoods. However, some roads will be closed to everyone "as to not hamper the efforts of the firefighters," explained Stowers. He said three homes have been damaged in the Rolling Hills area with two outbuildings completely lost--a shed and a gazebo. more ›

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. more ›

As a fast moving fire moves through Rancho Palos Verdes, already burning at least two homes, Palos Verdes Peninsula High School has been set as the evacuation center, according to Vanessa Bezic, a journalist, on Twitter. The school is located at 21178 Silver Spur Road in Rolling Hills Estates. The fire began around 8 p.m. around Portuguese Bend and other areas, the LA Times reported. UPDATE, 11:06 p.m.: "Large animal evacs Ernie J. Howlett Park in Rolling Hills Estates," reports LATimesFires on Twitter. UPDATE, 11:28 p.m.: Evacuated streets are Portuguese Bend, Amber Sky Drive and Crest Road. more ›

Since the recession and a new ordinance began, business for a family selling food out of a taco truck in Palos Verdes Estates is down by half. It started last summer, as LA County tried to unsuccessfully enforce a similar, but more relaxed, ordinance that was struck down as unconstitutional. In an article about trying to curb taco trucks nationwide, the LA Times explains: "No longer could loncheras set up for hours at parks or construction sites. Instead, they could stop only at sites where a bathroom was available to patrons, and stay just half an hour, barely enough time to set up and prepare a meal or two before having to break down and drive away again. In addition, all employees had to get background checks." The guys over at Carne Asada is Not a Crime caught wind of an ordinance proposed at neighboring Rancho Palos Verdes earlier this year and spoke to the attorney who represented taco vendors in the LA County case. No word if any action will be or was taken. more ›

Palos Verdes' Natalie Pack suffers from an acute case of foot-in-mouth syndrome, as evidenced by her airtime on this season of America's Next Top Model. The 20-year-old contestant let fly with some gems that had locals--and anyone who doesn't have a stomach for snobbish observations--wincing. "'I'm sorry I live in a nice community and you don't,' Pack told a girl who called her a snob for not washing post-Thanksgiving dishes," references the Daily Breeze, pointing to another PV Peninsula shout-out: "I'm from Palos Verdes. It's a really wealthy community. ... I feel like these [other contestants] are just whack." more ›

There is something distinctly eerie about a lighthouse. Jutting out from the shoreline, alone and battered by the cold air and frothing waves of the sea, puncturing the horizon and so strangely remote, haunting the night like a tall wraith. Point Vicente Lighthouse is situated near the intersection of Palos Verdes Drive and Los Verdes Boulevard in the Rancho Palos Verdes section of Los Angeles. It has its own ghost. more ›

In addition to the fires burning in the Corona-Yorba Linda area and the Sayre Fire, there is a small fire in Palos Verdes. According to the LA Times' LA Now blog: "Officials in Rancho Palos Verdes said a fire had burned about 10 acres and that 50 to 75 firefighters were battling the blaze." The fire is off Hawthorne Boulevard, and at this time no structures are threatened. Local fire officials have not reached out for aid from any other fire departments. more ›

Yesterday was one of those great Los Angeles weather days. That is, when 5 miles makes the difference between a downpour and clear sunny skies. The Northwest Valley had some nice cloud cover and the Southeast Valley was perfect all day. It poured randomly in Santa Monica, but Beverly Hills was perfect. Brief spouts of rainfall were also reported in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Then early this morning, lightning struck. 445 times to be exact, according to National Weather Service sensors, says the Associated Press. The lucky folks who got a little thunder and lightning action lived around Catalina Island and Palos Verdes where three thunderstorms were reported moving along the coast. more ›

LAistory is our new series that will take us on a journey to what came before to help us understand where we are today. We began with Val Verde, the "Black Palm Springs", then journeyed to Thelma Todd's Roadside Cafe, then to a house in Beverly Hills and then to Echo Park's Bonnie Brae House. Now we're off to Palos Verdes to a water park closed for twenty-one years and the strange wonder that closing made necessary... more ›

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Most people have heard of Candy Cane Lane, a neighborhood in Woodland Hills that puts up elaborate holiday displays. There are a number of other neighborhoods around Los Angeles that can also deck the halls. more ›

If you're looking for 20-25 ft. waves, you better at least head up to Point Conception or past Eureka for even higher ones. If 7-14 ft. waves are your style, then stay LA.The surf will build throughout today and tonight, peaking Wednesday. By Thursday, the swell is expected to diminish into the 5- to 7-foot range, Seto said. A rainstorm from the Northwest is expected Thursday through Saturday, bringing more than an inch of... more ›

Silly Jack Weiss! He thinks the Valley is different from the City. Tsk tsk! The Daily News takes the Councilman to task (lovingly) for his slip of the tongue. Halloween events abound in the city this time of year, and LAist is your best source for the hottest spooky spots: check out our continuing Halloween coverage here. OMGZZZ Kitten Cops! I can has ratburgerz?? The LAPD is recruiting feral cats to root out rodents... more ›

Southwest Chamber Music The season opening concert will feature Southwest Chamber Music’s percussionist Lynn Vartan, the Grammy-nominated Tambuco Percussion Ensemble (an LAist pick of the week earlier this summer) and the soloists of Southwest Chamber Music in a colossal program of the "Encounters, part 1" by one of Los Angeles’ most important composers and percussionists William Kraft, who was an LA Phil member (percussion, timpani), composer-in-residence, and conductor for three seasons. Monday, October 15 @... more ›

The Los Angeles County Assessor announced that the property values in LA County rose above 9% in 2006 and totals a smidge over $1 trillion. Beating the trend is everyone's favorite, Compton, whose value rose 13.6%. However the largest increases were in Lancaster, Paramount and Palmdale . Lancaster surged by 21% due in part to a lot of new home sales, reports the LA Business Journal. Two inner-city communities also saw substantial gains: Paramount... more ›

You probably know him as the host of eclectic daily radio program Jonesy's Jukebox or as the former guitarist for the Sex Pistols, but you may not know about Steve Jones' true passion. I'm not referring to strippers and lager, I'm talking about soccer, or as they call it every-freakin-where else in the world: football. Along with some other lads -- among them former soccer star turned reliably thuggish character actor Vinnie Jones, musician... more ›

San Pedro is one of the last truly working-class port towns left in California. Unlike its fancy-pants neighbors Palos Verdes and Long Beach (well, at least the parts of Long Beach that are, you know, along the beach), you can still find a diverse population, low-cost housing, and most importantly, good cheap eats. A friend of mine introduced me to Baja Fish Market a few months back, and he swore up-and-down that “the fish... more ›

New York Times Does Culver City "Clearly, things have changed. Culver City, once considered a place to drive by on your way to somewhere else, has become Los Angeles's newest stylish neighborhood, a magnet for lovers of the arts, good food and culture. One part Hollywood nostalgia, one part modern design, the city-within-a-city now inspires expressions like “nascent Chelsea” and 'L.A.'s new restaurant mecca.'”(New York Times) What's in Your Fish? Pesticide and We Have... more ›

Marshall Astor loves San Pedro something fierce. He is a working artist who not only manages programs at Angels Gate Cultural Center but also operates the Walled City art gallery in his spare time. He's organized a group show at the Brewery Project called "Contemplating Apocalypse" that will debut on September 9, 2006 with a reception starting at 7 PM. Custom brewed malt liquor will be on hand and patrons will be encouraged to consume copious amounts so that they can truly understand the project. Marshall also contributes to "Life on the Edge," a blog about San Pedro. more ›

unhappy trails The Donald is ruffling feathers in Rancho Palos Verdes with a request to rename the street that leads to his new development Trump National Drive. So far, city officials are sticking with the current Ocean Trails Drive. more ›