Lindsay William-Ross

via Franklin Ave. Birds and tied-up tennis shoes are the domain of the wires that dangle over our streets. A few years ago one artist who calls himself Berd began dangling colorful paper birds "on a lark," but now, as Franklin Avenue points out, celebrity heads are popping up on the wires above us. They've spotted a Tom Selleck, and commenters on their post on the topic said they'd seen similar heads of Cher,...

This weekend there will be several places offering free blessings for your animals as part of an annual Catholic tradition done in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. As part of the Feast of St. Francis on October 4th, every year Catholic churches invite the public to bring their furry or feathered friends by to receive a blessing. "At Franciscan churches, a friar with brown robe and white cord often welcomes each animal with a special prayer," explains the American Catholic.

The Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division announced yesterday they collected 8,190 pounds of medicine as part of the Nationwide Prescription Drug Take-Back Program held on Saturday, September 25th. The goal of the one-day event was to give people a safe method and location for disposing of unwanted prescription medication.

"Meat" the all-bacon Lardon Truck (Lindsay William-Ross/LAist) Thrillist is hosting a Best of the Best Food Truck Rally on Saturday, and your $5 suggested donation gets you tastes of the meals from 5 eateries on wheels, and it all benefits Meals on Wheels. The five participating trucks are the Dim Sum Truck [LAist Story], Frysmith [LAist Story], Komodo [LAist Story], Lardon [LAist Story], and Dante Fried Chicken. While you eat, you can enjoy music...

National Coffee Day; Oxnard schools got bucks for lunches they never made; prostitution bust at Redondo Beach massage parlor; Pasadena gets a new rink; Paddleboarding post-cancer; teacher who killed himself over bad rating had high ranking; something you may or may not want to know about animals.

The man who was found naked under a child's bed in a Westminster home this weekend has been apprehended, reports the Pasadena Star-News. Edgar Antonio Lucha, 23, was "arrested Wednesday night at a Compton drug rehabilitation center," and "booked for investigation of burglary, indecent exposure and attempted lewd acts on a child." The homeowner had discovered the intruder hiding under his 10-year-old son's bed. Reports indicate Lucha allegedly "pulled on his pants and repeatedly...

As part of their company's need to re-approach their business model, book retailer Barnes & Noble have announced two Los Angeles locations will be closing down by the end of the year, according to the Daily News. B&N will shut down their Calabasas and Encino locations on December 31. Both shopping plaza properties are owned by Rick Caruso, who says he has CVS as the new tenant slated to take over in Encino, but...

Photo by AnnaBannana Veggie Girl via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr When the surf's was up in California this summer, it was pretty safe to go in the water. The annual End of Summer Beach Report Card issued by Heal the Bay shows that 92 per cent of the state's beaches have "good-to-excellent water quality," reports MyFoxLA. Over 450 beaches were part of the report, all of which "were graded based on...

Census Bureau data released yesterday shows an increase in the poverty rate as reported in Los Angeles County, according to LA Now. Up from 15.2% in 2008, the 2009 figure for the County is 16.1%; over "1.56 million county residents lived below the poverty threshold, which is $10,956 for one person and $21,954 for a family of four."

The driver of a stolen vehicle evaded arrest by the California Highway Patrol by pinning the officer pulling him over against a fence, according to LA Now. The CHP motorcycle officer observed the suspect running a red light at around 7:30 p.m. on Eastern Avenue in East Los Angeles last night. He gave pursuit, using his lights to signal the driver should pull over.

An autopsy is scheduled for today for Sally Menke, the 56-year-old award-winning film editor who died while hiking Monday on rugged terrain in Griffith Park. Menke's body was found north of the 5500 block of Green Oak Drive, with her "loyal Labrador retriever" at her side, the LAPD explain in an emailed release.

Authorities in Compton are investigating the death of 13-year-old Luis Fraire, a 7th grade student at Whaley Middle School [map]. Fraire "collapsed on Tuesday while walking toward the boys' locker room," according to abc7, and was pronounced dead at a local hospital. He had allegedly "complained of chest pains," and suffered from heart problems.