Zach Behrens

A wind farm near Palm Springs | Photo by sirimiri via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Of the 169 medical marijuana dispensaries that applied to stay open under L.A.'s ordinance, only 41 can actually stay open. Lots of talk this week over a LA Times article called Blogger beware: Postings can lead to lawsuits. Take note, however, it's not just the bloggers, anonymous commenters can see trouble as well. One of the largest LED...

Restaurant workers in California may soon be required to be trained and certified in proper food handling. What?! They weren't already trained and certified in that? Apparently not. Now a bill, which passed out of the State Senate today and headed to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for his approval, seeks to address that issue.

A rendering of the development area from 2005 | See a larger image of this here. Eli Broad may be bringing his museum to Grand Avenue and a new civic center park may be underway, but the massive $3 billion Grand Avenue Project is not going to start in 2011 as planned. Developer Related Cos. wants a two-year extension on the start date, saying that obtaining financing in this weak economy is not panning...

Deputies stand on KIngs Road Thursday evening | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist The three men found shot dead in a West Hollywood apartment Thursday night have been identified, coroners officials announced today. The victims include brothers 27-year-old Pirooz Moussazadeh and 38-year-old Shahriar Moussazadeh, according to the LA Times. The third victim was 27-year-old Bernard Khalili. Detectives are working off few clues, do not know a motive and there have been no arrests. Deputies were...

An officer at Sunset Junction | Photo by Jamie Engber via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr The Los Angeles Police Protective League yesterday backed the mostly Texas-oil company funded Prop 23, which would suspend California's landmark global warming bill, AB 32. At issue for the LAPD union are city budget constraints, which is affecting the number of officers on the streets. "The City's budget deficit has already forced LAPD to cut services and reduce...

An El Mac x Retna mural | Photo by i_hate_my_screen_name via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr How did the LA Times break the city of Bell salary scandal story? Neon Tommy's Paresh Dave details two reporters' story. 13 people were arrested at today's Janitors for Justice protest in Century City. 14%: That's the average amount the health insurance premium with Anthem Blue Cross will increase under their new and state-approved rate hike. Yet another...

At the 2009 FYF Fest | Photo by Jack Rodriguez/FYF Fest Over the years, FYF Fest has become one of Los Angeles' staple music festivals and this year organizers are making heads turn without apology. The event, which takes place at Los Angeles State Historic Park (the former Not a Cornfield space) in Chinatown on Saturday, September 4th, has been receiving praise for its line-up that includes Local Natives, !!!, Panda Bear, Warpaint, The...

Renderings for Drake Park in Long Beach | Photo via city of Long Beach Planned to go aside the Los Angles River, Long Beach's proposed expansion of Drake Park would include a boardwalk, community gardens, wetlands, recreation fields and more. This week the city revealed renderings of the project and announced funding for the next big step, the Environmental Impact Report (EIR), before construction can begin. LBPost, which detailed the park section by section,...

For this first time in the L.A. Zoo's history, komodo dragons have been successfully breeded. Since August 8th, when the first one poked through its egg, 22 have seen the light of day. But not is all easy for the 14- to 20-inch hatchlings: "Komodos are cannibalistic and usually eat their young and eggs of their own species, so zoo officials say staying alive is tricky for a hatchling," explains the Associated Press. In any...

Alyson Huber In wake of the city of Bell sky high salary scandal, everyone wants more transparency. State controller John Chiang will post all city and county salaries from around the state online in November, but to get elected state officials to post their own salaries, as well as their staffs', that's a harder proposition. Here's what happening, per the LA Times: The pay-disclosure bill causing trouble is by Assemblywoman Alyson Huber (D-El Dorado...