Zach Behrens

At today's City Council meeting, Ban Billboard Coaltiion's Dennis Hathaway stood up during public comment to bring up a specific issue with supergraphics on one Melrose Avenue building. Two frustrated tenants spoke as well, saying they were sold on the 2nd story office locations by having a view over the famed street. Acording to one of the tenants, a city inspector said the issue is not just civil, but criminal because it was blocking...

A new medical marijuana ordinance is not fully completed, but the Los Angeles City Council today did finalize at least one aspect of the new law: to limit the number of dispensaries or not, and if so, to how many. The cap is 70, but locations legally registered before a 2007 moratorium will be able to stay open, as long as they comply with location restrictions in the ordinance. It appears 137 will be...

Paris confirms to us that the LAPD have priorities, and it's not Nicky Hiton. Hilton's home was robbed today....

Major flooding from a broken trunkline on Coldwater Canyon not only damaged various businesses and homes along the Ventura corridor last September, it destroyed a block section of the new Studio Oaks Park, which was still under construction. After months of delays, caused by funding issues, community organizers learned that the park's construction will continue.

Council President Eric Garcetti sat down with Neon Tommy's Senior Editor Hillel Aron for a nice interview this week. It revealed that the Councilman is a not hipster (although he represents the most hipster-dense neighborhood) and that Rodeo Grill in Echo Park is a good diner. We also learned that--as we suspected--Los Angeles is in for a worse budget shortfall fiscal year than the current one. "It's gonna be really rough," Garcetti said. "It...

The much-awaited new Little Tokyo bar and restaurant, Lazy Ox Canteen, is scheduled to open on December 17th, reports Eater LA. With both owner Michael Cardenas (Matsuhisa, Sushi Roku) and Chef Josef Centeno (Meson G, Opus, Charles Nob Hill) at the helm, the restaurant is expected to be accessible and casual yet keeping that chic and upscale vibe. Think neighborhood joint for drinks and food, happy hours and late nights. Although the menus, which...

Unofficial Sharrows dot a NELA Street | Photo by ubrayj02 via Flickr City approved sharrows--street markings that educate drivers to share the road with cyclists--have been buried in the city's bureaucracy since first proposed over a year ago. While plenty of cities around California have painted them on their own streets, Los Angeles officials say they are still studying the issue. To many cyclists, it's simply a matter of painting a stencil on the...

In a controversial yet budget-saving move, the Los Angeles Unified School District board today approved a plan to cut some 5,000 jobs. Of those to be jettisoned from the payrolls will be 1,400 teachers, increasing average class sizes from 24 to 29, according to the Associated Press. Outside the meeting, protesters rallied with signs that read "Stop Underfunding Our Schools. Enough is Enough." The district has a $1.2 billion projected budget deficit for the...

The Hotel Hayworth in Downtown L.A. | Photo by kimbrough-photo via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr LAUSD may have to cut 5,000 jobs in a money-saving move. Signal protests. A prominent local attorney was found shot dead in his Palos Verdes Peninsula frontyard this morning. The L.A. City Council has asked City Attorney Carmen Trutanich to clarify his position on the costs of the Michael Jackson memorial. Great video: KTLA's Sam Rubin went off...

Two young children were airlifted to children's hospital after a hit and run on the 7600 block of Corbin Avenue in the Winnetka area of the San Fernando Valley this morning. Both the 4 and 6-year-old are listed in serious but stable condition, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Police believe they have located suspect vehicle, but the investigation is currently ongoing, according to Officer Gil Cardenas. Circumstances surrounding the incident, which occurred...

Photo by GarySe7en via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr A transit lobbying group today released their formal position on budget-saving Metrolink proposals to either raise fares or jettison more than 50 trains from its schedule, which included canceling Orange County Weekend Service and a variety of other trains. Bart Reed, the Executive Director of The Transit Coalition, said fare increases would better serve ridership. "A 6% fare increase sounds scarier than it really is,"...

View it in normal size and large size. ExperienceLA recently launched a new interactive map that lets you choose what kind of events--theatre, dance, music, etc, some combination thereof--it should display. It's in beta now (they're seeking input and hence the missing Gold Line Eastside Extension), but it's a fun way to look at your neighborhood to see what's going on. By no means it is complete (it's up to arts organizations to submit...