Lindsay William-Ross

...and another one bites the dust: Yankee Candles' Illuminations stores have announced they are shutting down all 28 of their retail locations as part of a large financial restructuring plan. The stores are located in 9 states, but half are here in California, including ones in Anaheim, Brea, Canoga Park, Costa Mesa, and at the Westside Pavillion. Illuminations joins the growing number of retailers with stores in the LA-area shutting down, such as Circuit...

Heavy brush in the area of 8300 W. La Tuna Canyon near the neighborhood of Tujunga was ignited by errant flames and now the fire has grown to consume three-acres. The LAFD responded to the call shortly before 3 this afternoon, and believe it was "started by an auto fire," according to an email alert. "According to police reports, the fire is traveling uphill and is a half-mile away from homes," cbs2.com is reporting,...

cogdogblog via Flickr It seems these days you can't swing a dead cat without hitting someone whose glassy eyes are fixated on the tantalizing business card-sized screen of their beloved iPhone. Techies, Apple enthusiasts, and gadget junkies alike, take heed: There are rumors swirling around that hint that a new iPhone could hit stores come summertime, based on some clever 'decoding' by techies of iPhone software update numbering. The new phone is expected to...

Photo by Polkadotdotdot via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr An off-duty LAPD officer was shot early this morning as he left his City Terrace home to go play golf. The suspects fled, and the officer, a 14-year vet is expected to make it. A 4.4 quake rattled in Kern County today--anyone with super-sensory skills feel it? 2 women were arrested at LAX this morning for possession of illegal drugs. Their names, and...

No matter which team you're rooting for, if you're headed out tomorrow to celebrate the Super Bowl, don't get all stupid about it. "Law enforcement officers around Southern California will be on the lookout for drunk drivers on Super Bowl Sunday," reports abc7.com. That doesn't mean you can't party, it just means you should plan to party responsibly, or face the consequences; "The CHP and local law enforcement organizations will deploy extra DUI patrols,"...

A report filed yesterday with the California Secretary of State reveals that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints "spent $190,000 more supporting the Proposition 8 gay marriage ban than they previously reported," according to the Daily News. The amount previous given was only $2,078. The money was spent on travel for church leaders based in Utah, use of facilities and equipment at their Salt Lake City headquarters, and to pay employees to...

LA Wad/LAist Featured Photos There was a little something "extra" in the air Downtown on Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year, and it wasn't part of the celebration. It was "a cloud of noxious gas," that caused some folks to vomit and one "Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy to experience a burning sensation in his eyes and lungs," according to the LA Times. But it wasn't the work of terrorists targeting the nearby...

Layoff the "refresh" button kids, and close your browsers...The much-anticipated Coachella lineup will not be announced today. Why? Well, the LA Times spoke to Coachella organizer Paul Tollett, who said: “I know everybody is going crazy, but we’re not stalling, we’re still working on the show. Everything we do is in service of the show, not in service of the announcement of the show. Believe me, we’re excited to tell everybody and we want...

Benjamin Page/LAist Featured Photos Earlier this month the Pasadena City Council voted to approve a plan to "remove 43 mature trees from along Colorado Boulevard-as well as side streets between Lake Avenue and Los Robles Boulevard" and replace them with younger trees that would cause less damage to city sidewalks. The plan, endorsed by local businesses, may not get the go ahead after all, and now the "item is again up for discussion at...

If you are a decaf coffee drinker* and you like to grab your jitter-free java at Starbucks, get ready to cut your consumer hours...or up your wait time. The world's largest coffee chain has announced plans to save some bucks--"$400 million by September," according to USA Today--by having brewed decaf sitting ready only until noon. After noon, customers who want a cup of decaf will have to request it and sit tight; a 'bucks...

Know what used to be across the street? | Photo by James Herman via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr If his patients could show emotion on their Botox-ed faces, a Sunset Strip doctor's plea of not guilty on charges of administering fake chemicals instead of the real deal could garner a variety of reactions. The man arrested after 200 dead dogs and cats were found on his Temecula property this weekend was...

Late last week brought the opening of Locali, a small convenience store on Franklin catering to consumers' need for all animal-free products. For some, like blogger Quarrygirl, this store is a godsend, who says "seriously, this place is too good to be true, and exactly what this city needed." In addition to all the food products from local and sustainable suppliers, Locali is where you can get your hands on vegan condoms. They stock...