Zach Behrens

Orange County based Johnny Rockets is launching two mobile food trucks, but you won't find them in California until later. The fast food American fare chain restaurant is taking the mobile truck model and doing it franchise style. "Each mini-burger truck will have a 22 foot kitchen and a 14 foot trailer. Each is designed to provide a condensed Johnny Rockets menu consisting of hamburgers, shakes, fries, hot dogs, chicken tenders and maybe even...

On the heels of the Grammy Museum's attendance spike--thanks to their Michael Jackson exhibit--today its operators and curators celebrated, along with City Councilmembers Richard Alarcon, Tom LaBonge and Jan Perry, the declaration of the first Ritchie Valens Day. For the past 15 years, the Fourth of July marked not just the holiday celebration at Hanson Dam near Valens' Pacoima home in the Northeast Valley, but also a correlating festival named in his honor (additionally,...

We may be cut short by 80 miles for the train to Vegas, but the one to San Francisco is moving along. Yesterday the California High-Sped Rail Authority met electing Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle as the chairman and approving the scope of projects that qualify for federal stimulus funds. “We have obtained environmental certification for the general statewide alignment and station locations for the 800-mile system designed to carry over 100 million people by...

After 30 years of planning, the MagLev project between Anaheim and Vegas lost one of its biggest proponents last month to a train part of the federal high-speed rail corridor. Nevada Senator Harry Reid is now behind the DesertXpress between Southern California and Las Vegas that would mainly go along Interstate 15. Unfortunately, the phase planned right now only goes between Vegas and Victorville. Why Victorville? Their website explains: Of course it would be...

Photo by Alan Heitz via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr Why did the police close down Pershing Square this afternoon? A manhunt ensued for three jewelry suspects involved in a jewelry store theft. LA Weekly's cover story this week is all about environmental activism in the city, or the lack thereof: "Activists leave the street-fighting to the little guys. The city’s environmentalists must increasingly deal with the fact that labor unions, big...

After days of speculation, it was finally confirmed yesterday evening: Michael Jackson's public memorial will be held Tuesday morning at the Staples Center. 11,000 tickets will be distributed for free via a process yet to be announced. It's safe to say, ticket or not, hundreds of thousands of people will show show up. It's going to be quite a day in downtown Los Angeles....

The Foothill Transit agency approved $259,141 of federal transit money for two automated wheel polishers from Australia, the Pasadena Star News found. Watchdogs are obviously not happy, but the agency said no U.S. companies placed a bid, that the polishers will "dramatically" reduce time spent on prepping buses, therefore streamlining operations, and $72,000 a year will be spent on polisher supplies from the U.S. "If we were to look at the highest-priorities for FTA,...

Security footage of the break-in One of the most consistent tips police give retail business owners along Ventura Blvd. is to leave cash registers empty and open over night to show potential burglars there's nothing to steal. However, that doesn't mean they'll try anyway. One night last week, the New Orleans Sno-Ball and Cupcake Shop, NOLA Ice and Se' La Vi Sweets in Sherman Oaks, became a victim when a man threw a rock...

Long Beach Press-Telegram Sports Columnist Doug Krikorian witnessed a little girl with her family riding along Long Beach's new green bike lane in Belmont Shore. He was a bit taken aback, worried for her safety among the potentially deadly cars on the road. Others shared that sentiment: "This is an absolutely crazy concept," says Long Beach resident Bernie Selmanson. "Who's going to accept the responsibility when someone gets seriously hurt? The first time that...

Although the city is fighting a $534 million budget deficit, they will dip into special funds for extraordinary events such as Michael Jackson's memorial service planned for next Tuesday. The situation is reminiscent of when the LAPD spent $25,000 on an operation escorting Britney Spears from her home to the hospital, about 6 miles away. Of course, if private donors want to help out as some did with the Lakers parade, the city welcomes...

So California is issuing IOUs for the first time since 1992. They carry an interest rate of 3.75%, but that's apparently on an annual basis only earning about ten bucks for every thousand you're owed. But that's not stopping people from trying to buy them on Craigslist! Unlikely it's for profit, it's probably just for the kitsch souvenir factor....

Chris Essel Now that Wendy Greuel has officially vacated her seat as the 2nd District Councilmemember for her City Controller post, we're going to begin to hear more about those who are officially running. Councilman Jack Weiss' popular Valley field deputy Joan Pelico was rumored to be taking a stab at running, but it seems not any more. She's been re-hired by Weies' successor Paul Koretz at the satisfaction of a handful of neighborhood...