Zach Behrens

Found in Mentryville, a little ghost town in the Santa Clarita Valley | Photo by R. E. ~ via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Sad. The mentally disabled man who allegedly attempted to rob a Monrovia bank yesterday may have been tricked into doing the crime and may be a victim himself. The plan to replace Ross Dress for Less on West 3rd Street with the proposed 300-Unit 13-Story Casden Project is drawing criticism...

Is Long Beach is getting hipper by the day? Via the LA Times: "At a time when cities are cutting expenses across the board, Long Beach has raised $17 million in state and federal grants to improve its bike system through traffic improvements, education and bike share programs. In the next six months, the city will be resurfacing 20 miles of streets to include new bike lanes, part of a plan that includes painting...

"Supporters of legalized marijuana announced today that they have gathered about 700,000 signatures for their initiative, virtually guaranteeing voters will see it on the November ballot," says the LA Times. And when and if it wins, will it be a boon for tourism?...

Over the 101 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles | Photo by Scani - Salina Canizales via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr 34 new parks for Los Angeles? Politicians are seeking the funding. The school district in Riverside County that banned a dictionary because it defined "oral sex" has quickly reversed the decision. Fans of Henry's might be happy that a Sprouts Market is opening up in Culver City. And fans of drinking rum might...

Although gas was about 40-cents cheaper the year before, gasoline demand last October declined 0.4 percent when Californians used 1.246 billion gallons of gasoline compared to 1.252 billion gallons the same month in 2008, according to a state report released today. That percentage difference means about a $27 million difference in taxes collected by the state. "The October decrease in consumption is the first decline in six months," said the California State Board of...

A division of the L.A. Conservation Corps called the L.A. River Keepers combine classroom environmental education with outdoor work to help clean and green the waterway. In a year period, the young adult group has removed some 400,000 lbs trash and debris from the river, 26,000 square feet of invasive plants and 27,000 square feet of graffiti. Later this morning, Councilmember Ed Reyes and the American Chemistry Council will announce a $100,000 contribution to...

Week 3 of the federal case against Prop 8, which banned gay marriage in California, continues on today with the defense--the sponsors of the initiative---presenting their case. Here's what each legal team is saying about the case: Plaintiffs via e-mail (pro gay marriage): "The trial is culminating with the defendants' own witnesses making the plaintiffs' case, and crumbling under cross examination."

"The culture of the car is going to end now!" exclaimed Councilman Bill Rosendahl at today's City Council meeting about his ordinance to protect cyclists from harassment on the streets of Los Angeles. "The purpose of this ordinance is to protect cyclists in a way that they haven't been protected before. The LAPD hasn't been part of the solution, but sometimes has been part of the problem... By end of March, I want an...

A nighttime view from Griffith Park | Photo by Chris Camargo via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr The big cultural news these days is the possibility that philanthropist Eli Broad's art museum will be built downtown on Grand Avenue. However, nothing is in stone yet. Following a lawsuit here in Los Angeles, eHarmony is now letting gays and lesbians do the online dating thing via their service. Neighborhood politics can get whacky: the President...

Taken in 2008 at the Wedding Park in West Hollywood (more photos here) | Photo by Tom Andrews/LAist As the gay marriage debate continues in the courts and within communities, a newly introduced bill by State Senator Mark Leno may win over church leaders who are opposed to same-sex unions. The Civil Marriage Religious Freedom Act, SB 906, will affirm that no clergy member will be forced under law to perform any civil marriage...

Photo by soychemist via Flickr If all goes to plan at today's regularly scheduled meeting of the Los Angeles City Council, the massive backlog of DNA rape kits sitting on LAPD shelves--around 7,500 in Fall 2008--should be eliminated by June. A motion introduced by Council President Eric Garcetti and to be vote upon this morning seeks to hire and outsource enough personnel to complete the Spring-time goal. [Update: The motion was passed by the...

Here's one motion that has been going through the halls of L.A.'s City Hall quietly, without much notice. Former LAPD Chief and South L.A. Councilman Bernard Parks wants the city attorney draft up an ordinance banning the sale of tobacco within 1,000 feet of schools. And it wouldn't just be for new businesses, it would restrict current ones, too: "If an ordinance grandfathers existing tobacco retailers, the hours of operations/sales should include, but not...