Emma G. Gallegos

If you're heading 26 miles to Santa Catalina any time soon, you might want to stay out of the water for the time being. The Los Angeles Times has a story about the effort to clean up the "deceptively clear" but "chronically polluted" beaches of Avalon.

Get out so you can check out Kim Kardashian's trash, square dance or learn how to yarnbomb.

The Los Angeles Brewing Company, set to open this evening, seems to have thought of everything for the downtown crowd: besides local brews, organic cocktails and upscale California comfort cuisine, there is a layout that incorporates Prohibition Era-tunnels, a bullet-riddled metal door and planned expansion that will include a downstairs cigar lounge.

Can you imagine what the mood was like at Invisible Children headquarters today after news broke that co-founder Jason Russell went apeshit on the streets of San Diego? Los Angeles Times San Diego bureau chief Tony Perry checked in at the non-profit's headquarters just long enough to send a dispatch.

A 16-year-old boy in Hacienda Heights admitted to a horrible act of animal cruelty: bashing the skulls of three kittens with a baseball bat before tossing them out in the garbage. The boy confessed to the kitten killings to a staff member at Wilson High School.

In tonight's Extra, Extra, Green LA Girl signs off, 1-800-GET-THIN billboards come down and Sprinkles cupcake ATM gets some competition in the vending machine arena. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports.

It's one of those days when we Angelenos have to band together to cope with the big, bad rains that flood the hills, snarl our freeways and turn the most aggressive drivers into whimpering babies who would just rather stay under the covers until it all stops. Here's our round-up of really deep thoughts on today's storm from celebrities, would-be emo icons and regular folks.

Police have released a sketch of a man who they say attempted to kidnap a 16-year-old girl walking to school in Cypress Park on Wednesday. The suspect said that he wanted to talk to the girl before grabbing her and trying to drag her into his car.

Heading out to the bar for St. Patrick's Day to throw back some whiskey, green beer, Guinness, pickelbacks—or all of the above? Consider this list of the most popular St. Patrick's Day bars in the Los Angeles area compiled by Foursquare.

A passenger for American Airlines was taken into the custody of the FBI at LAX this morning after spending too much time in the bathroom on the plane and "acting suspiciously." What exactly he did to warrant attention from the FBI isn't clear.

Police are looking for a man who tried to kidnap a 16-year-old girl walking to school in Cypress Park yesterday. The victim told police that a man waiting in his car grabbed her as she walked by. She said he tried to pull her into his car, but she he was able to escape his grip and run to L.A. River High School and report the incident.

Step aside, boys, there's a new biking group in town, and they want you to know they "don't need no fucking balls." LA Streetsblog has a profile of the fierce women who make up this new Eastside-based biking brigade called the Ovarian-Psycos.