A man driving through Watts was killed this morning after being shot in the head by an unknown sniper armed with a rifle. Police say they do not know where the shot came from. more ›

A mother and her teenage daughter coming home from a wedding last night were caught in the crossfire of a gang battle in Watts, according to CBS Los Angeles. The mother and daughter were shot while they were inside their car on the 2200 block of East 108th Street around 11:45 p.m., said Los Angeles police Sgt. P. Johnson. more ›

Seven people were shot at a single family home on Holmes Avenue in South Los Angeles on Saturday when gunmen allegedly opened fire at a benefit party sometime around 1:00 a.m., reports KTLA. The party was reportedly a fundraiser arranged to "offset funeral costs for a 22-year-old man that was recently murdered," according a partygoer who said she and others were dancing when the incident occurred... more ›

Somebody out there increased their bad karma factor by a zillion on Saturday after broadsiding an ambulance and fleeing the scene leaving two Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics injured as they were transporting a patient in Watts, reports LA Now. more ›

At around 6:05 this morning, a female pedestrian thought to be in her 40s or 50s, was struck by a Metro Blue Line train in Watts, according to the LAFD's emailed reports. "The incident happened near the 103rd Street station, which was closed for hours as the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigated the crash," notes ABC7. The victim, whose name has not been released, was initially reported as being in critical condition and transported to hospital for treatment, however the Daily News reports she "died on the tracks" this morning. more ›

An incident in Watts on Christmas morning is now under investigation after police shot and killed a bicyclist armed with an assault rifle around 4 a.m. at the Jordan Down Housing Projects. Authorities were questioning a group of people inside an SUV after receiving a report of an assault involving a rifle and the armed suspect appeared, riding toward them on a bicycle, according to KTLA. The suspect reportedly ignored commands to drop the rifle and was shot. more ›

If any traffic from President Barack Obama's visit to USC's campus and Glendale wasn't enough, then here's more. A march from Pershing Square in downtown and ending at MacArthur Park in Westlake will begin at 2 p.m. It's just one of the many protests across the nation for the National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality. more ›

The LAPD has surrounded the Imperial Courts Housing Project and shut down westbound traffic on the Imperial Highway following a shots fired call that apparently got of hand. more ›

L.A. Youth, the 1988-founded newspaper by and about teens in Los Angeles, yesterday came out with an article featuring students from English classes at Locke High School #3 in Watts. The assignment was to "write about growing up in South Central L.A. to show people what their lives are really like." more ›

The first homicide of 2010 was logged yesterday when the LAPD responded to a call Friday afternoon at a home in Watts. There they discovered the bodies of Jose and Paula Torres, both 44, a couple who died in an apparent murder-suicide, according to LA Now. It was their daughter who made the call after she discovered them shortly after 1 o'clock in the afternoon on New Year's Day. She reported that it was her father who shot her mother, then turned the gun on himself. Authorities are investigating the motive for the killing. more ›

The Tony Award-winning performer Alan Cumming starts an eight-night stint of his one-man cabaret show tonight at the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at the Geffen Playhouse. The show mixes witty banter, hilarious stories and show-stopping songs. Tickets are $55-$65, but a limited number of $30 tickets are available for tonight and tomorrow's show using ACE30. Curtain at 8 pm. more ›

On May 30th of this year, a group of fifteen bright-eyed L.A. students were honored as URBAN TxT's inaugural graduating class. URBAN Teens Xploring Technology (URBAN TxT) is an innovative after school program helping inner-city youth develop leadership and other skills through the use of technology. The program is sponsored by ZeroDivide, a San Francisco based organization that assists low-income communities empower themselves through the use of technology and is the brainchild of Oscar Menjivar -- himself a graduate of Jordan High School and Cal Poly Pomona. The idea itself dates back to Menjivar's high school days who states "the program was created to develop confident and collaborative minded young men equipped with the skills to improve social and economic conditions in their community." more ›

Last Wednesday, GOOD and Knight Pulse partnered up to honor the five individuals they awarded for their involvement in various community projects addressing local and global issues. more ›

Four people, including the suspect, were stabbed earlier this morning on a block of single family homes in Watts. Two of the females victims, aged 68 and 20, were stabbed in the head and were listed in serious and stable condition, respectively. Another 20-year-old female suffered a minor wound. The suspect, a male, was also stabbed and sent to the hospital with unknown injuries, but the LAPD has confirmed he is now in custody. "It's still unfolding," an officer said over the phone speaking to the unknown nature what happened. more ›

The Watts House Project (video) goes way beyond your average neighborhood beautification projects. It is large-scale "collaborative artwork in the name of neighborhood redevelopment" that seeks to engage a variety of individuals, from the residents of 107th street, to artists, to educators and community members. The project, according to artist and director, will Edgar Arceneaux, transform and remodel all 20 residences on the street through a collaboration with an artist, architect and resident of the property. more ›

A 3:35 a.m. rant from Roseanne Barr earlier this week: "I said Israel will attack any boat carrying doctors and medical supplies--they have turned away the red cross already and all medical and food assistance. Israel is a NAZI state. The Jewish Soul is being tortured in Israel. The destruction of the jews in Israel has been assured with this inhuman attack on civilians in gaza. Hamas is the street gangs---this is equivilent to los angeles attacking and launching war on the people of watts to attempt to kill the bloods and the crips." Barr planned to travel with pro-Palestinian activists on a protest boat that was trying sail from Cyprus to Gaza, but it was forced to turn back by the Israeli Navy. (h/t Michael Freund) more ›

Work is underway on the first phase of the Watts House Project, an ambitious and visionary project directed by Edgar Arceneaux and being tackled now by college students representing a wide range of backgrounds, as described by the LA Times: "[Y]oung men and women; white, black, Asian, Latin; some from USC, others UCLA, and still others from Cal Arts and Art Center [who] have set to work in front of a modest, cream-colored stucco bungalow on 107th Street." more ›

A new youth arts center in Watts run by the city's Department of Cultural Affairs will have its grand opening later this month during a weekend when two festivals will be happening. Named after the famous jazz musician and past local resident, the Charles Mingus Youth Arts Center will expand space for youth arts programs. The new building, which is next to the Watts Towers Arts Center, will bring more classroom space expanding the department's educational classes that give children a safe and creative atmosphere for individual expression with guidance and direction from professional artists. more ›

3.85 miles of beach were closed yesterday after 20,000 gallons of sewage spilled into the LA River via the Compton Creek in the Watts area. Long Beach's Health Officer, Dr. Helene Calvet, issued a beach closure specific to Long Beach’s open coastal beaches from Alamitos Avenue to 72nd Place, according to a release issued by the city. This is the 31st sewage spill since January causing the fourth beach closure. This time last year, there had been 41 spills and 7 closures, according to LA Times background work. more ›

"The neighborhood surrounding the Watts Towers presents a stark contrast to the well-maintained aesthetics of this national monument, and currently the residents have limited means to capitalize socially or economically on this cultural currency," reads a pamphlet about the Watts House Project, which self-describes themselves as an an artist-driven urban revitalization project that hopes to be a catalyst for solutions and change in the community. more ›

• The Daily News has more details on those marijuana vending machines. Besides, you know, the fact that they are TOTALLY AWESOME!
• A rash of gang violence in Watts since the weekend has led to two shooting deaths and the injury of at least 13 others.
• Yahoo is not doing so well: a major drop in fourth quarter profits is going to mean layoffs somewhere in the neighborhood of of 7% of the workforce.
• Four people, including one juvenile, were arrested in Glendale for an attempted carjacking in which the suspects are accused of threatening the driver with a shotgun: "A suspect fired at the frightened driver as he took off in his truck, and shotgun pellets hit the back of the truck."
• More on the USC "Riots" and the cops who spoiled the party, from L.A. blogger WitnessLA: "Now, no one would argue against an officer having the right to use appropriate force on a large, drunk, bottle-throwing college guy. But, in multiple instances eyewitnesses insist that they saw an indiscriminate use of Tasers and batons on non-aggressive students."
• This isn't really news...which doesn't stop it from being TOTALLY AWESOME: make your Guitar Hero controllers into actual instruments!
• An asteroid passed by earth today, a mere 334 thousand miles away from us! Close calls, guys!

Reports are surfacing this morning of a secret memorial service held last night in Westwood for Heath Ledger, who was found dead earlier this week in a New York apartment. more ›

While the features and shorts at Sundance are occasionally hit or miss, the documentaries are always strong across the board. Yesterday, I was able to see two that I have had my eye on since the festival schedule was originally released: by Morgan Spurlock. Considering all the frantic back-and-forths I've been doing since last Friday, it was a blessing that these two awesome documentaries were screening right after each other at the same theater. more ›

As Cloverfield set a box office record for a January opening this holiday weekend, we Angelenos should be glad at the local economic boost, but we should also question if it could have been even more successful had the film been set in Los Angeles. Yes, the New York setting drew memories of 9/11 and classic monster movies, but Los Angeles is the city in which this monster would have done so much better – both as a character and as a film. (Note: spoiler alert in generalities.) more ›

Want to buy a two-story, four bedroom, two-and-a-half bath house with a view of a local artistic and historic landmark for a price tag of around $400,000? They've got custom cabinetry, marble counter tops, walk-in closets, and two-car garages to boot. Sounds pretty sweet! more ›

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The community of Watts seems to be undergoing a shift in atmosphere, reports the Daily News, as the area's gang violence has been decreasing, thanks in part to the Watts Gang Task Force. In terms of statistics, homicides were halved last year from the year before--11 in 2007 as compared to the 24 in 2006, and 2007 saw "a three-month stretch without a single slaying. Gang homicides for the approximately 1-square-mile home to an estimated 2,000 gangsters dropped from 13 in 2006 to eight last year." The larger area, known as the South Bureau, which includes 35,000 Watts residents, also saw a marked decrease in homicides from 2006 to last year. more ›

Haven't you always wanted to grow your favorite fruit in your own backyard? more ›