Lindsay William-Ross

Photo by kimbrough-photo via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr They call it public school, so why is it that parents of kids in LAUSD schools are getting the shakedown for thousands of bucks to keep things running? Speaking of the LAUSD, the board is prepping to put the stamps on 9,000 pink slips for mailing mid-month. All hail Paula Cracium: The California Assembly has named her their Woman of the Year. Tough...

Photo by tinou bao/Flickr Annette Yeomans, a 51-year-old woman from the San Diego area, turned herself in at the jail in Vista yesterday. The former bookkeeper got herself booked, on charges related to the grand theft and embezzlement of $9.9 million from her former workplace, according to abc7.com. Between 2001-2007 Yeomans cooked the books at Quality Woodworks in San Marcos, forcing her employers to layoff her co-workers as she skimmed off the top to...

A freeway "goddess" (Photo by C.M./LAist Featured Photos) The California Department of Transportation has told local officials how many miles they've covered and at what cost in 2008, according to abc7.com. Here's a look at some of the numbers: 5 million: Amount of square feet of graffiti that was removed from along Los Angeles freeways 7.6 million: Amount of square feet of graffiti removed in LA and Ventura counties combined $2.7 million: Approximate cost...

Photo by Heather Hayes/LAist Featured Photos Say goodbye to that bonus hour you picked up back in the fall--overnight tonight we've got to set our clocks ahead an hour for Daylight Savings Time. You can also use this as an opportunity to do a six-month check-up around your place to be sure your smoke alarms are properly powered, and that you've got fresh water for the household (and your pets) in case of an...

A small plane was reported as being seen hitting the water yesterday approximately 25 miles off the coast between Oceanside and San Clemente Island, according to abc7.com. The Coast Guard says as of this morning, "rescue boats have yet to find survivors or bodies." Three rescue boats and a helicopter were in use early this morning as part of the search for survivors. "Federal Aviation Administration officials believe the plane took off from San...

Photo by pink_fish13 via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr Many small libraries use web resource LibraryThing to help sort their inventory, as do readers all over the world who want to keep track of their tomes. The site is now urging users to form FlashMobs to catalog complete library inventories. They explain that the event usually entails a gathering where "LibraryThing members descend on some small library with laptops and CueCat barcode...

Photo by s2art via Flickr Orange County's Laguna Beach could be another Californian city to ban the use of plastic bags. Last night the City Council unanimously passed a motion that moves the discussion to the next level, reports the OC Register. Their environmental committee will now look further into the ban, which many believe "will help save both the environment and retailers' bottom lines." Council members want to be certain that local businesses...

The Environmental Protection Agency announced today that Los Angeles is the US city with "the most Energy Star-certified buildings," according to the Daily News. We have 262 Engery Star buildings, which means they "use one-third less electricity than traditional buildings." The count is current as of the end of '08, and occupants of the buildings "saved $87.2 million over the course of the year and conserved enough energy to power 35,800 households." The list...

Los Angeles now has more cops in the Department than ever before--9,895 active-duty sworn officers, to be precise--but Chief William Bratton said yesterday "he will ask the federal government to allocate billions more from the economic stimulus package to law enforcement agencies across the country to combat a potential rise in crime triggered by the worsening economy," according to the Daily News. The Chief would like to see hundreds more police added to the...

Last November, the Laguna Beach City Council voted to stand with other California cities in supporting the movement to sue the state over the passage of the controversial Prop 8, which outlaws same-sex marriage. Although "7,602 Laguna residents voted against Prop. 8, with 68 percent of the vote, and 3,544 residents, or 31 percent, voted in favor of the initiative," residents were upset with the Council's decisions, and supporters of the ban called for a gathering to be held last night at 5 "outside the City Council's regularly scheduled March 3 meeting," explains the OC Register.

You might think it's just fast food, but for national chain Jack in the Box, image is everything. The company is announcing today via iconic "mouthpiece" CEO Jack Box they are embarking on "a major brand overhaul that includes a new modern logo, the debut of sliders and a makeover at more than 2,000 restaurants," according to the OC Register's Fast Food Maven. Rumors swirled about logo changes last year when they tested new...

Can you spot the errors in this sign, found at a store near the LA Flower Market? (Lindsay William-Ross/LAist) Today is the day no participle shall dangle and no modifier be misplaced! March 4th is National Grammar Day, brought to us by the fine people of the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar. How does one honor the occasion? Well, of course by speaking and writing well, and by spreading the word. The...