City officials and law enforcement seem to be in prep mode for delivering the expected eviction notice to the Occupy LA protesters who have lived on the City Hall lawn since October 1. more ›

It's three years' probation for a young woman who took the life of an elderly pedestrian in Glendale last year while she used her cellphone to text message while behind the wheel. When then-20-year-old motorist Ani Voskanian of Tujunga was arrested in December for her role in the September, 2010 death of an elderly pedestrian, Glendale mayor Ara Najarian said their city was suffering from a "distracted driver epidemic." more ›

So as it turns out, it's a crime to send yourself hundreds of threatening text messages--that is, if you claim they're coming from other people. The OC's Jeanne Mundango Manunga "told police her former boyfriend and his sister-in-law were behind the threats. They were arrested on false charges and required to post thousands of dollars in bail," reports cbs2. But it was Manunga who started sending the messages to herself after she and her boyfriend broke up in 2008. Friday she was sentenced in Santa Ana to spend a year in jail, where, luckily for her, she'll have to surrender her cellphone. more ›

Once upon a gorgeous SoCal Sunday, a group of friends journeyed to the tip of the county to enjoy brunch by the sea at the beautiful Hotel Casa del Mar in Santa Monica. They had a reservation, and, like most studied food aficionados, had perused the menu beforehand for the $29 two course plus dessert buffet meal, and dutifully texted in ahead of time to get the secret code for free unlimited champagne or Bloody Mary brunch cocktails (hello, wouldn't you, too?). They were ready for brunch. more ›

A lot of people have been getting a kick out of seeing the signs posted in Hollywood and other parts of town explaining how (not) to hail a taxi. For those who know the drill of reaching your arm up and leaning towards the street and hoping the next cab pulls up to the curb in front of you, the signs are precautions about what for many urbanites is second nature. more ›

Today will forever be remembered as The Day The Fun Died for those Californian motorists who revel in texting-while-driving. As we flip the calendar to 2009, that act becomes illegal whether you have an iPhone, a Blackberry, or a hefty Zack Morris phones from 1992.

Text Messaging (SB 28) This new law makes it an infraction to write, send, or read text-based communication on an electronic wireless communication device, such as a cell phone, while driving.

That is, if you take public transit between Santa Clarita and Los Angeles on Santa Clarita Transit's commuter express routes. Officials in Santa Clarita acted fast to solve a problem they could forsee happening again. A protest a couple months ago in Westwood caused major traffic delays and bus stop changes. With little communication to riders except for e-mail (because not everyone has a Blackberry they check obsessively), that afternoon became a bit hectic for commuters who didn't know what to do. more ›

Now a common feature on college campuses exemplified by USC this semester after a series of violent crimes and a virus outbreak, cities may be the next to go high tech with emergency text message alerts. Yesterday, Santa Clarita announced a new e-Alert system that allows residents to subscribe and receive text messages in the event of a local emergency (of course, if cell towers are down...). Also: LA Times looks into their beautification programs today. more ›

Veolia, the firm hired by Metrolink to supply train engineers has had no comment since the September train crash in Chatsworth that killed 25 people until now. While the investigators have has asked them not to comment on specifics about engineer Robert Sanchez or the crash, they did talk about their cell phone policy. more ›

National Transportation Safety Board investigators released information this afternoon regarding Metrolink Engineer Robert Sanchez' cell phone records. He sent 29 text messages while on duty the day of the crash with the last one sent at 4:22:01 p.m. The However, the NTSB says precise timing of cell phone activity and how it correlates with the crash is still under investigation. According to preliminary estimates, the crash occurred at 4:22:23 pm. more ›

At 4:22 p.m., one minute before the crash, the Metrolink train engineer sent a text to a teenage friend, a fellow rail enthusiast, about where the train would meet another passenger train, according to CBS2 News. While the engineer who died in the collision has not been identified by officials, the teens said he is Robert Sanchez and despite Metrolink's claims that he was at fault, his friends said "he would 'never' have been reckless or unprofessional or run a red light." Earlier today Metrolink said the engineer was at fault but gave no basis for their conclusion. Two videos have been posted on YouTube in honor of Sanchez. more ›

It's official(ish). Delaware Senator Joe Biden is Senator Barack Obama's vice presidential pick, according to a CNN text message alert. more ›

... if Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signs a bill that's headed to his desk. more ›

In an unprecedented move sure to keep us all (even more) glued to our cellphone and computer in the coming days, Sen. Barack Obama has promised to announce his vice-presidential candidate to supporters through a text message and/or via e-mail, his campaign announced Sunday night. more ›