Zach Behrens

Wakame, which is used in Miso Soup, is a non-native Asian kelp that found its way to the California coast, now possibly threatening the state's marine ecosystem. Scientifically called Undaria pinnatifida, it was first found in Los Angeles around 2000 and began spreading northward and was thought to be stopped near Monterey. Then last May, it was found in San Francisco. The species is considered one of the 100 worst invasive species and scientists...

Some of Mayor Villaraigosa's tweets asking for the public's financial help for Michael Jackson's memorial service Last week, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa tweeted seven times, asking for fans for donations that would help offset the cost of Michael Jackson's public memorial service. Every tweet included a link to the city's website where the online donations could be given. But Villaraigosa was on vacation last week in Africa, which got LA Observed suspicious of who was...

After a four year search, police have finally caught up with a suspect for a July 2005 gang-related shooting death in South LA. Dion Hays, known as "Solo" on the streets, was arrested on June 29 in Lancaster by LAPD and US Marshals working together on a task force. The 2005 incident left Andre Williams dead in an alley near the 700 block of East Florence Avenue. Apparently, he was chased down by two...

Sarah Palin will step down as Governor of Alaska on July 26 and next month she's headed to Simi Valley to attend a gala for the Republican Women Federated of Simi Valley. The August 8th event will be held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library with conservative radio talk-show host and filmmaker John Ziegler as the master of ceremonies. Palin announced that she was stepping down from office for unknown reasons last week, but...

Another day, another fire. This year's fire season in Southern California may have gotten off to a slow start, things are beginning to pick up. Two fires--the Oak and Marshall fires--burned in and near the Angeles National Forest within the last 24 hours. This afternoon, a new one began near Pyramid Lake in the Grapevine. A first, it was reported to be rather small, then more than 100 acres and now over 350 acres...

Van Nuys resident Robert Korda had been missing for a few days, prompting a police and community search fueled by the media and social media tools like blogs and Twitter. Korda died Wednesday night at a home in Glendale and although the search by police included the coroner's office, he wasn't discovered until last night after an autopsy was performed--at some point, his last name was input incorrectly as "Norda," not "Korda." He died...

At the Rosa Parks Station where the Blue and Green Lines meet | Photo by Fred Camino via Flickr As talks to extend the Green Line closer to LAX continue, the city will still have to figure out how to get people to each terminal from the new station. Councilman Bill Rosendahl last week proposed that a study be conducted about the feasibility of extending the train line directly into the Central Terminus area...

Yesterday was a big day for Los Angeles transportation. Metro, the county's behemoth transit agency, officially announced their partnership with Google. But the county is large and there are various partner agencies throughout. Here's a sampling, with more to come in later days, of where other city transit systems stand with Google Transit: Los Angeles (LADOT): "Basically, our information, all of it, whether it's DASH or Commuter Express, will be included in whatever Metro...

The Echo Park based artist who made President Obama's iconic poster image pleaded guilty today to three vandalism charges in a Boston Municipal Court. Shepard Fairey was accused of 28 counts of vandalism, but prosecutors dropped 14 charges last month and 11 of them today. "He pleaded guilty to one charge of defacing property and two charges of wanton destruction of property under $250," according to the Associated Press. As part of his two-year...

Photo by tom.arthur via Fickr With no state budget solution, Governor Arnold Schwarzegger ordered a third furlough day per month. Today is the one of the three for July, meaning most state offices are closed. “Though the legislature failed to solve our budget problem yesterday, rest assured that solving the entire deficit remains my first and only priority, and I will not rest until we get it done," Schwarzenegger said in the order. "I...

Photo provided by the Krekorian Campaign It's pretty much been known for months, but today Assemblymember Paul Krekorian announced his campaign for Los Angeles Council District 2, which crosses the Valley from Sherman Oaks to North Hollywood to a handful of Northeast Valley neighborhoods like Shadow Hills and Tujunga. Currently, Krekorian represents the 43rd Assembly District, which covers Burbank, Glendale and portions of LA including Valley Village, Valley Glen, Toluca Lake, Atwater Village, Silver...

A ground breaking ceremony is underway for a new $5.5 million Recreation and Parks facility in South LA. The 9,200-square-foot Prop K funded Fred Roberts Recreation Center near Alameda and Vernon south of downtown will include a high school regulation size gymnasium with six baskets on motorized backboards, power touch electronic scoreboards, staff offices, bathrooms, storage space and a courtyard suitable for public gatherings. In terms of being green, "the facility is a Leadership...