Zach Behrens

Neighbors gather around a memorial set up in front of the Kings Road Arms Apartment in West Hollywood on Saturday afternoon | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist Detectives investigating the Thursday night slaying of three men inside a West Hollywood apartment are calling it "a drug deal that didn’t go well." That's Homicide Lt. Pat Nelson speaking to the LA Times about motive in the murder case. “He came for the drugs and decided he...

Although some reports are indicating that a bill to ban plastic and other single-use bags in California has failed in the State Senate, ultimately killing the bill, that was not the case as of 11 p.m. Tuesday night. An e-mailed update from the office of the bill's author, Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D - Santa Monica), explained the technical details...

Downtown L.A. | Photo by dreamyshade via LAist Featured Photos "It is time to turn the page," said President Barack Obama in a speech tonight announcing the end of the combat effort in Iraq. Nonetheless, we're still at war. Your dinner, made with ingredients from within 100 miles: Grist takes a look at urban farmers and locavores in various cities, including Forage in Silver Lake. County Supervisors are demanding answers about underreporting of children...

Officials with California's High Speed Rail Authority recently held community open houses for the L.A. to Antelope Valley section of the route to give updates on the project. Station locations, otherwise known as alternatives, under consideration basically remain the same as before with two in Burbank at the downtown Metrolink station or at San Fernando Blvd. and Ontario St. and three others in the northeast Valley. Only one is expected to be chosen. But...

Santa Monica | Photo by arne meyer via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr A former charter school principal in Canoga Park is said to have "misappropriated $2.7 million in public funds, including more than $1 million deposited into his personal investment account." You shouldn't bother them, but if you enter the waters these days, you can come home say you swam with the sharks because it's leopard shark season at the beach. Before you...

A vehicle found on fire with a body inside this morning on a Studio City/Valley Village street has now turned into a bomb squad situation. Upon investigation, "some sort of wire" was found underneath the body, prompting them to call the bomb squad, according to a LAPD spokesperson. Because the vehicle was found in an underpass on Radford Street (map), the 101 Freeway may be shut down, warned KNX1070, which states a possible "Intermittent...

Make that 433 years and four months in prison. And add on 21 life sentences, 10 of which that will be served concurrently. That's what the Long Beach Press-Telegram is reporting about today's sentencing of transient Charles Juan Proctor, who was known as "the box cutter" for attacking women working alone in Long Beach businesses. "I can say absolutely ... you deserve each of these 433 years," said the Judge about Proctor's violent attacks...

In an effort to raise some cash for Prop 19, which would legalize marijuana in California, backers today announced their online store. "Yes We Cannabis" t-shirts, mugs and hats can all be yours for a low, low price. The Yes on Prop 19 group is also conscientious about their messaging and also offers apparel that is more straight forward and stripped of cultural references. Speaking of that, has anyone noticed that pro-marijuana logo is...

The LA Times really let Metro have it in a weekend editorial about their TAP system, a multi-year $100 million-plus project that still hasn't seen full realization yet. Times writers used words and phrases such as disheartening, embarrassed, headaches, bad planning, dumb, complicated, insecure, and even a "D'oh!", to explain their position on the Transit Access Pass system...

An example of a supergraphic | Photo by troshy via Flickr Another supergraphic, another arrest. The L.A. City Attorney's Office on Friday arrested a building owner on 48 misdemeanor charges. 56-year-old Siamak Michael Rahimi, a Santa Monica resident, is accused of violating city law by installing and maintaining supergraphic signs at 9800 South Sepulveda Boulevard, across the street from LAX. Rahimi, along with LAX Enterprises, LP, and Westside Investment Group, was charged with "12...

A wind farm near Palm Springs | Photo by sirimiri via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Of the 169 medical marijuana dispensaries that applied to stay open under L.A.'s ordinance, only 41 can actually stay open. Lots of talk this week over a LA Times article called Blogger beware: Postings can lead to lawsuits. Take note, however, it's not just the bloggers, anonymous commenters can see trouble as well. One of the largest LED...

Two separate news stories citing anonymous sources this afternoon are indicating possible motives in the murder of three men Thursday night in West Hollywood. The LA Times says the deaths may be a result of a "robbery confrontation" and WeHo News says it could be related to medical marijuana.