Yusra Farzan
covers Orange County and its 34 cities, watching those long meetings — boards, councils and more — so you don’t have to.
Published March 4, 2024 12:57 PM
Here are all the streets that will be shut down to through traffic in the Hollywood and Highland area.
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Courtesy Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
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Topline:
Commute times are always a factor when you make plans as an Angeleno and Oscars weekend is no exception. The 96th Academy Awards will take place at the Dolby Theater this Sunday, but some street closures are already in effect.
Streets closures in effect:
Orchid Alley from Orange Drive to Orchid Ave
All lanes of Hollywood Boulevard (with 20-ft Fire Lane) from the southeast corner of Orange Drive to Highland Avenue
East and west curb lanes on Orange Drive from Hollywood Boulevard to Orchid Alley
North curb lane of Hawthorn Avenue from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive
South curb lane of Hawthorn Avenue from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive
Sidewalks/Pedestrian crossings already affected:
North sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive, allowing 8-foot pedestrian access
South sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard from Orange Drive to Highland Avenue, allowing 8-foot pedestrian access.
Pedestrian crosswalk, mid-block on Hollywood Boulevard between Orange Drive and Highland Avenue
Hawthorn Alley behind El Capitan Theatre, from 300 feet east of Orange Drive east to the “T” alley
Hawthorn Alley on the east side of the El Capitan Theatre from Hollywood Boulevard south 210 feet to “T” of east/west alley
Commute times are always a factor when you make plans as an Angeleno and Oscars weekend is no exception. The 96th Academy Awards will take place at the Dolby Theater on Sunday, but some street closures around Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue are already in effect.
Streets closures in effect
Orchid Alley from Orange Drive to Orchid Ave
All lanes of Hollywood Boulevard (with 20-foot fire lane) from the southeast corner of Orange Drive to Highland Avenue
East and west curb lanes on Orange Drive from Hollywood Boulevard to Orchid Alley
North curb lane of Hawthorn Avenue from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive
South curb lane of Hawthorn Avenue from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive
Sidewalks/pedestrian crossings already affected
North sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive, allowing 8-foot pedestrian access.
South sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard from Orange Drive to Highland Avenue, allowing 8-foot pedestrian access.
Pedestrian crosswalk, mid-block on Hollywood Boulevard between Orange Drive and Highland Avenue.
Hawthorn Alley behind El Capitan Theatre, from 300 feet east of Orange Drive east to the “T” alley.
Hawthorn Alley on the east side of the El Capitan Theatre from Hollywood Boulevard south 210 feet to “T” of east/west alley.
Street closures beginning Friday March 8
Hawthorn Avenue from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive.
Closures beginning Saturday March 9
Close north and south sidewalk of Hawthorn Avenue from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive.
6 a.m. Saturday through 6 a.m. Monday:
Orchid Avenue from 60 feet south of Franklin Boulevard to Orchid Alley (access only to local residents, emergency vehicles and hotel loading.)
Orange Drive from Orchid Alley to Hollywood Boulevard (access only to local residents, emergency vehicles and hotel loading.)
10 p.m. Saturday through 6 a.m. Monday:
North sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard from Highland Avenue to Orange Drive. Pedestrian traffic rerouted to the south sidewalk.
Johnny Grant Way from Highland Avenue to Orchid Street.
West sidewalk of Highland Avenue from Johnny Grant Way south to Hollywood Boulevard
Metro stops:
There will be no stops at the MTA Hollywood/Highland station from the last regularly scheduled train on Saturday, March 9 until the first scheduled train after 6 a.m. Monday, March 11.
Street closures on the day of the ceremony
The following street and sidewalk closures will go into effect on the day off but additional restrictions might be in place depending on the discretion of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.
12:01 a.m. Sunday through 6 a.m. Monday:
More street closures:
Hawthorn Alley from Orange Drive to Highland Avenue.
Orange Drive from Hollywood Boulevard to Lanewood Avenue.
Where you can't walk:
No pedestrians: North sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard from Highland Avenue to 300 feet east of Highland Avenue.
No pedestrian access to the cross alley on the south sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard directly in front of the north-south Hawthorn Alley.
No pedestrians access on the west sidewalk of Highland Avenue from Hollywood Boulevard to Sunset Boulevard.
No pedestrians on the west curb of Highland Avenue from Johnny Grant Way to Hollywood Boulevard until 9 a.m.
Limited access for pedestrians:
Limited access: South sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard from Highland Avenue to 300 feet east of Highland Avenue (8 feet of passage for pedestrians).
East sidewalk and curb lane of Highland Avenue from Yucca Street to Sunset Boulevard will also have 8-feet for pedestrian access (south of Hollywood Boulevard only).
4 a.m. Sunday through 4 a.m. Monday
Additional street closures:
Highland Avenue from Sunset Boulevard to Franklin Avenue.
Hollywood Boulevard from La Brea Boulevard to Orange Drive.
Hollywood Boulevard from Highland Avenue to Cahuenga Boulevard.
Where pedestrians can't walk:
North and south crosswalks on Hollywood Boulevard at the Highland Avenue intersection.
Local residents, business access and emergency vehicles only:
Hawthorn Avenue between Orange Drive and La Brea Boulevard.
Hawthorn Avenue between Highland Avenue and McCadden Place.
McCadden Place between Yucca Street and Hollywood Boulevard.
Yucca Street between Highland Avenue and Wilcox Avenue.
Wilcox Avenue between Sunset Blvd and Cahuenga Boulevard Restrict.
First artifacts installed in LA museum's expansion
Makenna Sievertson
has been covering space shuttle Endeavour's journey at the California Science Center since December 2023.
Published November 18, 2025 4:08 PM
The first of many artifacts have been installed in the Kent Kresa Space Gallery, including a space shuttle main engine (right) and a solid rocket booster segment.
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Makenna Sievertson
/
LAist
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Topline:
The California Science Center unveiled Tuesday the first of many launch vehicles, engines and other artifacts set to be installed in the museum’s 200,000-square-foot expansion coming to Exposition Park.
Why it matters: Jeff Rudolph, president and CEO of the California Science Center, said the $450 million expansion is California’s biggest “endeavor” yet that will inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and explorers.
Why now: The first artifacts in the expanded museum were placed in the Kenta Kresa Space Gallery, including a three-story-tall Electron launch vehicle from Rocket Lab in Long Beach.
The backstory: It’ll be the only place in the world where visitors can see an authentic space shuttle in its “Go for Stack” position, which is what museum officials called the process of moving each of the space shuttle components into place.
What's next: Officials expect to announce next year an opening date for the expansion.
Read on ... for a peak inside the expansion coming to Exposition Park.
The California Science Center unveiled Tuesday the first of many launch vehicles, engines and other artifacts set to be installed in the museum’s 200,000-square-foot expansion coming to Exposition Park.
Once complete, the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will include multi-level galleries built around a towering centerpiece — the space shuttle Endeavour — displayed in its 20-story vertical launch position.
It’ll be the only place in the world where visitors can see an authentic space shuttle in its “Go for Stack” position, which is what museum officials called the process of moving each of the space shuttle components into place.
Museum admission will be free.
Jeff Rudolph, president and CEO of the California Science Center, said the $450 million expansion is California’s biggest “endeavor” yet to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and explorers.
“The enthusiasm that people have when they come in and see this stuff and get excited about it will hopefully lead to many more people, young and old, but particularly young people wanting to pursue more education in science,” Rudolph told LAist.
Museum officials expect to announce next year an opening date, according to Rudolph.
A look inside the center
The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will feature three main galleries: the Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery, the Korean Air Aviation Gallery and the Kent Kresa Space Gallery.
Guests will be guided through hundreds of exhibits and authentic artifacts focused on the exploration of the universe — including rocket ships that carried humans into space and telescopes used to view stars and galaxies beyond our reach.
A real Electron launch vehicle from Rocket Lab in Long Beach spans several stories tall in the Kent Kresa Space Gallery.
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Makenna Sievertson
/
LAist
)
The first artifacts in the expanded museum were placed in the Kenta Kresa Space Gallery, including a three-story-tall Electron launch vehicle from Rocket Lab in Long Beach.
Adam Spice, chief financial officer of Rocket Lab, told LAist the Electron helped lower the cost of getting to space by sending satellites in smaller, cheaper rockets. The new center is an opportunity to get up close and personal with an Electron for the first time outside of a factory.
Spice said he hopes it’ll show visitors their dreams can become a reality.
“They can be part of something much bigger than probably they ever thought they could,” he said.
The first artifacts installed in the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center include a solid rocket booster segment. Kenneth Phillips, aerospace curator, shows the scale of the piece, which has flown into space several times.
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Makenna Sievertson
/
LAist
)
The solid rocket booster segment will become a walk-through interactive experience in the Kent Kresa Space Gallery.
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Makenna Sievertson
/
LAist
)
A segment of a solid rocket booster that flew into space several times is laid on its side on the second floor of the gallery.
Kenneth Phillips, the California Science Center’s aerospace curator, told LAist it’ll be turned into an interactive exhibit with audio, video and educational graphics.
“It's 12 feet in diameter, so people can actually walk through it and learn about the function of it from the inside out literally,” Phillips said.
Visitors will be able to get up close and personal with a space shuttle main engine.
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Makenna Sievertson
/
LAist
)
A detailed model of a space shuttle main engine is set up next to the solid rocket booster. Three of those main engines helped boost space shuttles into orbit by providing about 20% of their power, Phillips said.
What's next
Construction of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center started more than three years ago and is on track to be completed in the coming weeks, according to museum officials.
With construction of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center weeks away from completion, crews have started to put in landscaping around the outside of the expansion.
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Makenna Sievertson
/
LAist
)
The exterior of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center as of Tuesday.
(
Makenna Sievertson
/
LAist
)
The remaining exhibits and artifacts will then be installed over "many months," Rudolph said. Officials expect to announce next year an opening date for the expansion.
The California Science Center also is looking to raise about $70 million more for the $450 million project before it opens. You can learn more about its “EndeavourLA” fundraising campaign here.
Matt Dangelantonio
directs production of LAist's daily newscasts, shaping the radio stories that connect you to SoCal.
Published November 18, 2025 3:58 PM
The Westwood Village Theater will be operated and programmed by American Cinematheque when it opens
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George Rose
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Getty Images
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Topline:
The group of directors restoring the Village Theater in Westwood are tapping film nonprofit American Cinematheque to program and run the venue when it opens.
Why it matters: American Cinematheque also programs the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and the Los Feliz Theater, making it a visible and active film arts nonprofit in the industry.
The backstory: The nearly century-old movie palace went up for sale in 2024 before Village Directors Circle bought it in February. The group is comprised of more than 30 notable filmmakers. They're led by director Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking, Juno) and their ranks include Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón, Lulu Wang, Chloé Zhao, Christopher Nolan and Ryan Coogler.
What's next: VDC says it's eyeing a 2027 opening for the Village Theater, and is currently in the quiet phase of a capital campaign to raise $25 million to restore and remodel the Village Theater into a more than 1,000-seat venue.
For January fire survivors looking for fresh start
Gillian Morán Pérez
is an associate producer for LAist’s early All Things Considered show.
Published November 18, 2025 3:46 PM
Residents embrace in front of a fire-ravaged property after the Palisades Fire swept through in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 8.
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Etienne Laurent
/
AP
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Topline:
The city of Long Beach has launched a new jobs program to help people affected by January’s fires.
Who is it for? The initiative will provide paid career opportunities and financial assistance to people looking for a fresh start in Long Beach.
To start, 10 people will get up to 300 hours of paid work experience with local employers. Another five people also will get training scholarships of up to $7,500 in high-demand fields like health care and information technology.
Who's paying for it? The initiative is funded by a $130,000 federal act called the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
How to apply: Anyone interested in applying can contact Nakawa Shepherd, Career Center manager, Economic Development and Opportunity, at Nakawa.Shepherd@longbeach.gov or visit the LBWIN Adult Career Services Center.
How to participate: Long Beach’s Economic Development and Opportunity office also is looking for local employers to provide on-the-job training for applicants.
Jacob Margolis
covers science, with a focus on environmental stories and disasters.
Published November 18, 2025 2:51 PM
This undated photo provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office shows Jonathan Rinderknecht, who has been accused of setting a fire that led to the Palisades Fire.
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U.S. Attorney's Office
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Topline:
The man accused of igniting a fire that led to the deadly and destructive Palisades Fire in January will remain in custody without bond, U.S. Judge Rozella Oliver decided Tuesday in Los Angeles. Jonathan Rinderknecht has been in custody since his arrest in Florida on Oct. 7.
Where things stand: Rinderknecht was indicted by a federal grand jury in October and is charged with one count of arson, one count of timber set afire and one count of destruction of property by means of fire. Rinderknecht pleaded not guilty in mid-October and faces anywhere from five to 45 years in federal prison if convicted. His trial is set to begin April 21, 2026. His lawyers recently asked the court to allow him out of custody as he awaits trial.
Argument against release: In a filing on Monday, prosecutors said Rinderknecht is a flight risk because of his familial ties to France, as well as a danger to the community. The filing states that Rinderknecht threatened to burn down his sister’s home and that he purchased a gun and threatened to kill his brother-in-law. Prosecutors also raised the fact that a judge determined in October that the suspect’s mental health had declined.
The allegations: Authorities allege Rinderknecht set fire to brush near the Skull Rock Trailhead in the Santa Monica Mountains at around midnight Jan. 1, starting the Lachman Fire. Though the fire was held to just 8 acres and was believed to have been extinguished, authorities say it flared up once again amid strong, dry winds a week later. That fire grew into the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,800 structures.
