Callie Miller

Boyle Heights shooting, Santa Monica deal site, Porto's Parking Passion, donation-stealing thieves, frozen tracks and more news of the day. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports

Rick Ordonez, once known in graffiti circles only as Atlas and charged in July with six felony counts of vandalism for spraying his cartoonish cats on public property, now has his own gallery show at Mid-City Arts, according to the LA Times. After serving 90 days in jail and completing 300 hours of community service, the show comes at a good time for Ordonez as it allowed him to "get back on track."

Reverend Maurice Chase, aka Father Dollar Bill, was at it again this Thanksgiving, handing out $15,000 in cash yesterday to eagerly awaiting homeless in what has become an annual tradition. Singles, twenties and a few benjamins were handed out to those in need at the Salvation Army Mission at 5th and Sanford in downtown LA. KTLA reports that the money Father Chase donates comes from Mrs. Bob Hope, Mrs. Frank Sinatra, Bob Newhard, Eli...

Mr. Gay O.C. gives back, LAist's Editor talks food on KCRW, one beach swallows another, Touch Your Junk Anime and more news of the day. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports

Thought you were done with the hard holiday work after defrosting your bird? Think again. You may need to defrost your toes and car windows tomorrow. The National Weather service has issued a Freeze Warning through tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. The chilliest spots will be the valleys where it is expected temperatures will reach 18 degrees. That's right, people. Eighteen. Degrees.

Star Wagon foodies watch-out! While the food truck health rating system has won wide support from food-truck-following Angelenos all over, the letter grades have film set catering trucks in a tizzy, according to the Daily News. The entertainment industry is urging Councilman Tom LaBonge to exempt on-set catering trucks because they don't sell food directly to the public and are thus, different enough to be outside the letter grade law.

Bravo Farms did! The California Department of Food and Agriculture is widening its recall of all Bravo Farms cheeses after 40 people in five states became ill after ingesting bad cheese, according to CBS Los Angeles. What sort of yuck awaits your digestive tract if you eat this deemed-bad cheese? E. Coli and Listeria. Yummy. Bravo Farms is encouraging all customers to toss the tainted cheese or request full refunds from the stores where...

Photo by Gamma Infinity via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr The FBI and local police are investigating another event in a string of incidents surrounding David Jentsch, a neuroscientist who conducts research on rodents and primates at UCLA, according to the LA Times. The Animal Liberation Press Office claims to have sent "AIDS-tainted" razors to Jentsch to bring attention to their concern over how animals are treated in his research lab. In...

Photo by Jason Rojas via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr It's accepted that regular surf sessions are responsible for mellowing many a dude, but can serious surf time make you happy too? Manhattan Beach native Ryan Pittsinger has studied the link between surfing and mental health and has found that just 30 minutes of riding waves can significantly decrease negative feelings, according to the Hermosa Beach Patch. After polling more than 100...

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has formed a 26-member committee tasked with making LAX safer while reducing passenger wait times, according to Daily News. The new committee is comprised of city employees and outside experts, including security experts from Israel's famously safe Ben Gurion airport. The committee will focus on counter-terrorism, law enforcement, fire protection and emergency management.

A Carnotaurus specimen, remounted for the exhibition. Photo by Karen Knauer. The new Dinosaur Hall is set to open at the Natural History Museum next summer and it promises to be twice the size of the old dinosaur galleries and rival some of the best dinosaur exhibits in the world. What makes this dino hall so special? It will feature the world's only T. rex growth series, over 300 fossils, 20 full body specimens,...

Rabid bat counts have doubled this year and The Department of Public Health is urgently reminding residents to be sure that pet vaccinations are up to date to guard against rabies. County officials are not sure why there has been an increase in rabid bats, but have asked Angelenos to report all questionable bat sightings to local animal control. The most urgent warning: don't touch the bats! Several people attempting to rescue bats have...