A West Hills couple has literally translated that elusive feeling of being trapped into your own home by turning their house into a prison. KTLA reports that Lou and Linda DeMarco's home renovations, such as they are, are being billed as a commentary on the current housing crisis. But since the couple is also trying to sell a movie about a couple that turns their home into a prison to make ends meet, it's also part of a PR stunt. more ›

Some local Lap-Band patients will have to wait for their new lives to begin, as two L.A. outpatient clinics have temporarily halted the surgeries. The 1-800-GET-THIN marketing campaign has fallen under much scrutiny in recent months, including state and federal investigations. As a result, both local clinics are conducting a review of the procedure. more ›

An 18-year-old male committed suicide by jumping off a 200-foot Palos Verdes Estates cliff today after a disagreement with his mother. The West Hills teenager and his mother were reportedly arguing on the 1700 block of Paseo Del Mar. When the teen threatened to jump, his mother called the police. more ›

We've all seen the billboards, illustrated by a photo of a triumphant patient, along roadways encouraging desperate heavyweights to make that saving phone call that will help them lose "50 pounds or more." And we all know the catchy jingle clogging the airwaves. more ›

Laly Dobener is a petite, unassuming 72-year-old, whose lawn ornamentation has made a big statement in her West Hills cul-de-sac. Dobener put up a two-story white cross on her front lawn that she says is a symbol of God's love. There are blood-red paint splotches, representing where Jesus' hands and feet would have been nailed, and a crown of thorns under a sign that says, "Jesus I trust in you." more ›

He played a California Highway Patrol officer in the 1970s TV show CHiPs, but lately actor Larry Wilcox, 63, has been on the other side of the law. Wilcox was sentenced today to three years of probation, 500 hours of community service, and a fine of $100 for conspiring to commit securities fraud, according to the AP. more ›

It's very hot out. And it will continue to be throughout the weekend, so L.A. city officials this afternoon are pointing to places where the public can take a break and cool down indoors. They are encouraging people to take advantage of libraries, senior citizen centers, and recreation and parks facilities as cooling facilities. Additionally, seven San Fernando Valley Recreation and Parks and Senior Centers locations will be open on the weekend (full list below). For specifics information, people can call 3-1-1. more ›

After eluding authorities for over three days, adult industry worker and sometimes actor Stephen Hill, 34, engaged the LAPD's SWAT team in a standoff today that ended in Hill's death. more ›

One of Los Angeles' quirkiest claims to fame might be the La Brea Tar Pits, where prehistoric fossils were discovered in the early twentieth century in the bubbling ooze in what would eventually become a core area in a bustling city. William Warren Orcutt is considered a "pioneer of the oil production industry in California," and is credited as the "discoverer" of those fossils:

It was during [1901, his] first year in Los Angeles that Orcutt discovered fossilized prehistoric animal bones preserved in pools of asphalt on the Hancock Ranch. These would be the first of many fossils excavated from the La Brea Tar Pits. In commemoration of Orcutt’s initial discovery, paleontologists named the La Brea Coyote in W.W. Orcutt’s honor, Canis Orcutti.

On the edge of Los Angeles at the Calabasas city line is the Sagebrush Cantina. It's the last place you can smoke in public before getting a ticket within a few steps, it's a place where margaritas are flowing and where bikers are hollerin'. Even if it is officially in Los Angeles (by 20 feet), come on, it's really Old Town Calabasas. more ›

Back in November, it was announced that the West Valley would be getting an additional LAPD station in a former sex toy manufacturing plant on Schoenborn Street between Owensmouth and Canoga in Canoga Park. Tentatively called the Northwest Division, it will serve Woodland Hills, West Hills, Canoga Park, and Winnetka when it opens this or next year. Those neighborhoods lay within Council Districts 3 and 12, both represented by LAPD Reserve Officers, Councilman Dennis Zine and Councilman Greig Smith. more ›

Tomorrow may be the day we observe today's holiday, yet today our local newspapers honor the men and women of the past and present who have fought for us. Here are their stories: Steve Lopez takes his weekly LA Times Sunday column and dedicates it to telling the story of Sgt. Maj. Jesse Acosta, who lost his sight, taste and smell in Iraq. Lopez follows Acosta as he commutes on the bus in Los Angeles.... more ›

Curated by… Guy Maddin Bizarro Canadian filmmaker Guy Maddin (Tales From The Gimli Hospital, Careful, The Saddest Music In The World) has been invited to curate a program of films culled from the extensive collection of the UCLA Film Archive. His choices include On Dangerous Ground, Make Way for Tomorrow, Ministry of Fear and a slew of his own short films, all of which will screen over the next couple of weeks. But tonight Maddin... more ›

The Daily News talks to Cherie Currie, now a mom who lives in the Valley suburb of West Hills. Currie was the lead singer of The Runaways from 1975 to 1977; that's her in the center of the photo next to Joan Jett. You've heard "Cherry Bomb," right? That's Cherie rocking with The Runaways. more ›

Daniel Olivas is a writer and Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice in Los Angeles. He was the lead counsel representing the California Coastal Commission and the State Coastal Conservancy in litigation regarding coastal access to the beach in front of David Geffen's property in Malibu. more ›