Zach Behrens

This weekend is the big two-day music festival and cannabis expo at the San Manuel Amphitheater and police are ready to make arrests. Cypress Hills, Slipnot, Deftones among many other bands are playing alongside the Cannibus Cup, Medical Marijuana Expo and 4:20 Movie Night. In a statement, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department warns against any recreational use of the drug. "Further, there is no provision in the law for the use of marijuana...

Via TMZ TMZ caught pop-singer Brandy yesterday illegally using her cell phone while driving. And then they called it pulling a Shriver, thanks to Califonia's First Lady who last week was caught a number of times breaking the law her hubby signed into law. Shriver apologized, but this may be her legacy, at least in pop culture. We'll see if this phrase actually catches on (Maria should truly be noted for her work on...

A second water main break occurred last night in the Hollywood Hills, a few miles drive east from an earlier break. LADWP crews cleared the "slow leak" break on Packwood Trail off Mulholland Drive by 2:30 a.m., more ethan four hours after the break was reported. Earlier on Tuesday, a break prompted the closure of Mulholland Drive in the Sherman Oaks and Bel-Air Crest areas. Two others were reported in South L.A....

After wiping out 100 percent of domestic violence funds in the state budget over the summer, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to sign a bill tomorrow that will restore funding....

One of the six similarly-themed sculptures at the new LAPD headquarters | Photo by Eric Richardson/blogdowntown The new abstract public art at the Police Administration Building in downtown is garnering some nice discussion and attention, as all good art should. Artist Peter Shelton tells blogdowntown that the six "beasts of burden" should have viewers making up their own stories as to what they are. And people are: ink splots, cow splat, blobs, pigs, butts...

At the Golden Dragon Parade in Chinatown | Photo by Huro Kitty via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Remember how Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa took two vacations over the summer? First there was one to Iceland and then another to Africa. That bugged KTLA's Eric Spillman enough to go digging for costs, if any, to taxpayers. At first he was given the run around, being denied access from public records about the Mayor's security detail....

A warning, of sorts, came from a delegation of local members of congress today. Two mainstream media headlines begin to the tell the story. From this morning, the Pasadena Star News: 14 SoCal congressional leaders call for prioritizing Gold Line And this afternoon from the LA Times: Mayor's effort to fast-track Westside subway faces challenge

Photo by Kevin Britton via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr There are some staff changes happening at the Times this week. Tina Daunt, who wrote at the paper for 20 years, is among an unknown number of people laid off. Last night, she wrote on her blog: I had a really bad day today, and tomorrow is going to be even worse. You see, I've been a newspaper reporter for a major metropolitan paper...

The body of 42-year-old Zoltan Tombol was found today after a couple days of searching in the Cleveland National Forest. Tombol, an L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy described as being in in exquisite shape, went missing Sunday night when he went hiking. Officials have been mum about any speculation to the cause of death, but when his truck was found yesterday, there were no signs of foul play. An autopsy will be performed tomorrow....

Fearing that she would turn him in, Joe Saenz kidnapped, raped and murdered the mother of his child, leaving her body at his grandma's house. That was in 1998, just days after he killed two rival gang members on the Eastside. For ten years after those murders, he disappeared until 2008 when a video tape caught him walking up to someone and shooting them execution stye over drug money. Police say it looked like...

The Dodgers lost yesterday, giving the Phillies a 3-1 lead in the series, but if our boys in blue win tomorrow, the playoff series comes back to Los Angeles for games on Friday and if need be, on Saturday. That said, Dodgers officials today are releasing 6,000 tickets for the two potential games. The cheapest tickets go for $51. Go, go Dodgers!...

Photo by Fred Camino via Flickr LAX officials yesterday finalized plans for the fourth FlyAway route that will take passengers to and from Irvine. Beginning November 16th, the one-way 50-mile trip will cost $25 for adults (they won't accept cash, credit or debit only). Each fare allows for two students 8th grade and under to ride for free. Children under five also ride free. Buses will depart for the airport from the Irvine Station...