Zach Behrens

Photo: James Herman After long deliberations in public and behind closed doors, the Los Angeles City Council today voted to go ahead with a budget-saving plan to eliminate 926 positions and 26 furlough days for civilian employees. However, many members see the decision as a temporary move, which gets the ball rolling on the layoff and furlough process, but buys time to make alternative arrangement to save jobs. The vote “is a safety net,...

Homeowners, renters and businesses can now take advantage of low interest federal loans to help rebuild or repair property lost or damaged during the Station Fire. 89 homes were destroyed along with 26 commercial properties. Of that 66 homes and five businesses sustained uninsured losses of at least 40 percent of their value, which meets the U.S. Small Business Administration's criteria to declare a disaster. "Homeowners may borrow up to $200,000 to repair or...

One day before the Station Fire began, the Morris Fire ignited in the Angeles National Forest above Azusa and Glendora, prompting the closure of Highway 39 and a handful of evacuations of camping areas. Today authorities said that a 13-year-old boy started the fire, but did not say how it was started, according to the LA Times. The case was presented to the district attorney's office, which will decide if there will be any...

Photo by Alan Heitz via LAist Featured Photos/Flickr Facing a $405-million budget deficit, Mayor Villaraigosa earlier this summer asked city employees to share the sacrifice. A major deal was struck with civilian union employees by letting 2,400 employees retire early within five years. That plan needed City Council approval and with months of no action, things have changed. Mostly, $75 million in projected tax revenue did not come in meaning early retirement at this...

Photo by JeremyRyan via Flickr Considering the recent flooding in Studio City, a fire truck consumed into a Valley Village street and various other floods throughout the city--Melrose Ave., South LA, Exposition Ave.--Los Angeles Department of Water and Power officials said today that in order to repair the city's older infrastructure within the 7,200 miles of piping, they will ask the City Council to increase water rates, according to the LA Times. “They have...

Attorney General Jerry Brown may officially not be running for Governor yet, but he's raised a lot more money than San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who aggressively has been holding town hall meetings across the state. Today Newsom'e campaign announced that Former President Bill Clinton will join him at two events in Los Angeles, one of which that will be a fundraiser. A look at the first half of 2009's filings with the Secretary...

Not that normal means no more smog, but the daily Station Fire-related alerts from the Los Angeles County Public Health Department took a turn for the better today. "According to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the air quality in Los Angeles County has returned to 'moderate' to 'good' levels, except for in the areas immediately around the still-burning portions of the Station Fire in the San Gabriel Mountains," the agency announced in...

Dog walkers at Leo Carillo State Beach this weekend | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist California State Park officials last week said the list of parks to close could be announced sometime this week. "Possibly by the end of the week, but nothing is for sure," said Sheryl Watson, a state parks spokesperson, over the phone today. Word on the street among parks activists concur, but some speculate next week will hold D-Day. And with...

Just like every time a space shuttle lands at Edwards Air Force Base, the Los Angeles area is rocked by twin sonic booms. And every time, you can perk your ears up and listen to neighbors outside ask if it was an earthquake or big crash on the street. Luckily, the Los Angeles Fire Department, who faithfully warned the public through Twitter, reports no 911 calls, but someone did flag out an LAFD unit...

If there was a weekend where you wanted to check out art, this is it. No, it's not a coordinated event or festival, it's just good timing. This happens every year as the art season is very much like back to school. Everyone has been gone for a month or two so it just happens that all the fall shows open the same time. "This weekend people are driving cross town to see as much as possible," explained Bettina Korek, Founder of ForYourArt, which lists the best of best for the weekend on its website.

It was supposed to be produced in 1969 at an exhibition about Earth Art, but it never happened, “perhaps for lack of funds or because it was not taken seriously," artist Bruce Nauman once wrote. But tomorrow, 40 years later, Nauman will have his chance to correct that when Untitled, 1969/2009 will be seen by thousands in the Pasadena area. The skywriting, which will mischievously say “Leave the Land Alone," will commence sometime between...

AP Photo/Matt Sayles Two officers have been placed on paid leave as a probe continues into how a battered photo of Rihanna was leaked to TMZ, according to four unnamed sources speaking to the LA Times. In the early morning hours before the Grammys last February, Chris Brown threatened and assaulted Rihanna, his girlfriend, after a dispute. About a week and a half later, TMZ posted a leaked police photo of Rihanna showing cuts...