If there's one thing we know about kids, it's that some of them will find any way -- any way at all -- to get drunk or high. The latest method of intoxication for the youth? Drinking hand sanitizer. The LA Times broke the story yesterday, reporting that six kids in the Valley had shown up at the emergency room with alcohol poisoning. more ›

Los Angeles, we apologize in advance, but may we present to you possibly the most disgusting local abode. After a few fits of dry heaves and some mild therapy, we have mustered up the strength to post photos of this putrid pad, located in The Valley, for sure. more ›

Lucius Foster, the estranged 89-year-old father of Jodie Foster, was convicted of using his charm, war stories and the family name to swindle dozens of would-be homebuyers in the Valley out of thousands of dollars. more ›

Pauly Shore has seen his career go up and down, but one thing that no one can take from him is his epic L.A. childhood. In an interview with the Huffington Post, the red-headed Angeleno discusses little known facts about his life growing up as a local, like how he used to hide under the desk at the Comedy Store -- which his mother owned -- as she was putting together line-ups that including David Letterman and Robin Williams. more ›

It's not your imagination, the earth is still shaking in the Valley after Thursday's 4.2 quake. more ›

"Carmageddon my ass!" begins the Daily Truffle's, er, opinion piece about the meaning of this weekend's 53-hour shut down of the 405 Freeway between the 101 and the 10. Cause to panic? Mais, non, say the cultured bloggers of DT. This is a reason to celebrate, because for one weekend, the General Public (that's GP, for short, dears) will be kept at bay. more ›

Whoever said that LA residents don't need seasonal wardrobes was wrong (you know who you are). After weeks of rain and cold temperatures, weather in LA hit a high of 80 degrees today, according to Weather Underground, and could reach up to 87 tomorrow in the city, and over 90 in parts of the Valley. more ›

The Daily News reports that the popular burger restaurant has opened its first location in the Valley, on Ventura Blvd. in Studio City:

The red, white and black decor is reminiscent of a '60s to '70s glamorous Hollywood with white marble counters, black booths, red seats with gold studs (at the bar and tables) and fancy chandeliers.

When it comes to farmers' markets, this is one of the behemoths of the Valley. Open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. off Laurel Canyon and Ventura Boulevard along Ventura Place (map), the Studio City Farmers' Market covers the basics thoroughly -- all the veggies and fruits, including from organic farms -- but also boasts a variety of extras -- think farm-to-freezer popsicles to vegetarian Korean food -- which makes this market a must for locals. more ›

Through last week, there have been close to 18,000 reported car break ins within Los Angeles city limits, making it the city's most often-committed property crime. For someone involved in their community, this is not news. Officers at community meetings often sound like a broken record, telling residents to not leave stuff in the parked car, or, at the very least, not visible. more ›

Hikers who stayed on trail at O'Melvany Park in Granada Hills may have never known, but just 300 yards off a main hiking trail about one mile and a half from the parking lot, $24 million worth of marijuana was being cultivated. more ›

Whether a marked crosswalk or not, 159 drivers in North Hollywood were ticketed yesterday for failing to yield to pedestrians -- actually, plainclothes LAPD officers -- trying to cross the street, according to the Daily News. Drivers tried to get out of the tickets, saying officers were jaywalking. That was not the case as corners without signs and paint are still considered crosswalks, just unmarked ones. more ›

A series of eight arson fires lit early this morning in the San Fernando Valley has investigators asking for the public's help and vigilance. Trash cans, grassy patches and even pine needles on a sidewalk were among the fires that took place between 3 and 4 a.m. in the Northridge area, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. more ›

Earlier plans for the California's High Speed Rail called for two stations in the San Fernando Valley -- one in Sylmar and another in Glendale or Burbank. At first, HSR planners were looking at station locations in downtown Burbank, but city officials there balked, wanting consideration of a station at Burbank Airport. Now it appears planners are all about that airport station as the only station in the Valley, reported the Burbank Leader last week. The news left HSR blogger Robert Cruickshank with many questions, including this one: "Is Burbank Airport equipped to handle the ridership that HSR might bring?" He also noted that the Valley, "with a population of 1.76 million, would seem capable of supporting two stations." more ›

It's an a relatively unknown event supporting an important grassroots city function that's garnered little attention, but at 2 p.m. today the polls will open to the public in 11 San Fernando Valley neighborhoods. Yes, it's election day for some neighborhood councils. Save for a Daily News editorial by Councilman Paul Krekorian, there hasn't been much buzz about them (but do neighborhood councils ever get that much buzz in the first place?). Neighborhoods involved in today's election are Reseda, Tarzana, Lake Balboa, Encino, Van Nuys, Mid-Town North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Valley Glen, Valley Village, and Toluca Lake. Polls close at 8 p.m. Locations are listed here. more ›

Dinner and a movie is a classic combo, as is bar eats and sports watching. For many heading out to pursue such endeavors, convenience and affordability are top priorities. It doesn't get much more convenient if you're in Sherman Oaks and you're headed to or from the ArcLight there, or if S'Oaks is where you'd like to watch "the big game." more ›

It may seem like it, but parking enforcement officers are not everywhere. Who is everywhere, however, is the public. And in the Valley, one of the most complained about quality of life issues are mobile billboards, specifically ones sitting atop unhitched trailers. So why not educate the already-exasperated residents on how to spot illegal mobile advertisements and report them? more ›

One of the oldest neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley, Northridge, is getting its due respect beginning tonight. Once the "horse capitol of the West," the neighborhood later transformed, becoming the quintessential example of America's suburb with its California ranch style homes and as home to one of the state's premiere Cal State colleges. more ›

Not to be confused with the "Left-Handed Eyeglass" Bandit on the Westside, a pair of bandits in the Valley have been dubbed the "Eyeglass Burglars." For eight months, the pair of men have burglarized optometry businesses throughout the Valley. Prescription eyeglasses, frames and sunglasses are likely a good commodity on the black market. In their last hit, back on November 25th in Van Nuys, they stole $75,000 worth of stolen goods. more ›

In a landslide, Assemblyman Paul Krekorian defeat former film executive Chris Essel in race for Los Angeles' Council District 2 seat, which covers a large portion of the San Fernando Valley. Outspent three to one--nearly $2 million was raised for Essel--Krekorian pulled a 13-point lead with all precincts reporting before midnight. more ›

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." more ›

It may be November, but in Woodland Hills, you can still celebrate Halloween for one more day. The annual Halloween Harvest Festival and Frightfair at Pierce College continues through tonight. more ›

After 16 years as a raw and vegan chef, producing meals in containers found in places like Whole Foods, catering and traveling, Chef Rawsheed launched his very own storefront last May. Ultra vegan bloggers tried it out early and gave their thumbs up. It left Quarrygirl dying to go back and Foodeater is glad the Valley is "no longer the dreaded no-mans land that it used to be" because SunPower does raw food the way it's supposed to be done. more ›

If you were in the Los Angeles area, and you need your memory jolted... Enough of a hint? Mayor Sam reminds us that today marks the 15-year anniversary of the Northridge earthquake, when "a 6.7 magnitude quake with an epicenter near the intersection of Saticoy and Reseda Boulevard in Reseda struck." It was a Monday morning, and MLK day, which meant most folks were snug in their beds hoping to sleep in on the holiday. Instead, the quake was, to say the least, a rude awakening, and a reminder of how precarious life can be when you build your city on top of fault lines. "Seventy-two people died as a result of the earthquake with more than 9,000 injured. In addition, the earthquake caused an estimated $20 billion in damage, making it one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history." For more about Northridge and the '94 quake, check out LAist's Neighborhood Project. more ›

The Los Angeles Police Department opened up their brand new Topanga Station in Canoga Park yesterday with a public dedication ceremony attended by 1,200 people, including Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Located on Schoenborn Street near Roscoe and Canoga, the station cost $36 million to build, and is "the 21st station opened by the Los Angeles Police Department in its 140-year history." The station's officers "will patrol 32 square miles covering West Hills, Canoga Park, Winnetka and Woodland Hills." more ›

Smoke from the Sesnon and Marek fires continue to affect the San Fernando, Simi and Santa Clarita Valleys, including the immediate areas around fire scorched San Gabriel Mountains. However, the South Coast Air Quality Management District adds a new warning today with the changing winds: "As the winds diminish and shift, additional areas may experience smoke and ash, causing air quality to be Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or higher." Basically, continue to keep those windows shut and avoid vigorous outdoor or indoor exertion, they say. LA County's Dept. of Public Health recommends that "all individuals wanting to pursue any outdoor activities in areas where smoke, soot, or ash can be seen or there is an odor of smoke" should be avoided. more ›

Depending where you are in the San Fernando Valley, it's super windy or not at all. The National Weather Service sent out an alert at 12:31 a.m. announcing a wind advisory through 9:00 a.m.: "Northerly winds 20 to 30 MPH with gusts to 45 MPH will continue overnight mainly affecting the Western portion of the San Fernando Valley including but not limited to Porter Ranch, Chatsworth and Van Nuys." ALSO: The weather is predicted to cool over the weekend with temps in the high 60s and low 70s. more ›

"The tragic case of the Rajaram family is at the bleakest edge of the economic turmoil that is rattling Americans' emotional well-being. Worries about home foreclosures, job losses and plunging stock prices have sparked a surge in mental health problems," says the LA Times in a report about the economy and a national surge in mental health problems. "Rates of depression and suicide tend to rise during hard economic times. A study that looked at economic shifts between 1972 and 1991 found suicides rose an average of 2% when the economy faltered." more ›

Following an LAPD press conference on the six deaths from a presumed murder-suicide in Porter Ranch, a northwestern San Fernando Valley community, police disclosed that the father left behind three letters indicating that he was behind the slaying of his mother, wife and three children because of "financial difficulties." The man had worked for Price Waterhouse and Sony Pictures and had a MBA in business. More info on the killings can be found here. more ›

Around 7:15 a.m. this morning, six people were found dead inside a gated community home in Porter Ranch, a neighborhood in the Northwest San Fernando Valley between Chatsworth and Granada Hills. LAPD detectives suspect that the incident at the 20600 block of Como Lane to be a murder-suicide with initial reports saying all victims were from one family. more ›