Zach Behrens

Work to restore truck arresters to their original function after a deadly crash last month began today, announced Caltrans. On April 1st, a truck barreled down Angeles Crest Highway (SR-2) through a red light in La Canada Flintridge, crashing into several cars, injuring 12 and leaving a father and daughter dead. "This project will restore the truck arresters to their original function and enhance safety on SR-2," the state agency said in a news...

The counties of San Bernardino and San Diego tried to fight Prop 215, but were denied an appeal hearing yesterday by the US Supreme Court. They tried to challenge state law, specifically ID cards to protect users from police, saying federal law prohibits use of marijuana. That didn't fly, especially in light of the Obama administration's new stance on state rights in regards to medical marijuana, and the appeal went on deaf ears. "No...

Photo: JT3_11 And that approval came at a price. Last night's budget compromise included 800 more employee layoffs--400 were approved earlier this month--26 furlough days for many city employees, no new left turn signals or sidewalk repairs, reduced hours at city libraries and swimming pools and a slower plan to hire 1,000 new officers, albeit probably not by the end of the year as desired by Mayor Villaraigosa and Chief Bratton. Interestingly enough, the...

Photo: neonspecs via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Hello, Election Day! Today, Californians decide the fate of the state's budget, or at least the direction of around $5 billion of it. And in Los Angeles, our new City Attorney will be chosen along with a new Councilman for the tony 5th District. Here are a few tips, just in case you need: Polling places will be open from 7:00 a.m. and close at 8:00...

Today, the Santa Monica Police Department announced the city's new crime mapping tool. It's a great start, but it's a bit clunky when compared to LAPD's crime map. Data, stored for the last 90 days, can be searched by type of crime in relation to an address, intersection, landmark or within the city's boundaries. Only sex-related crimes are not included.

After years of bickering--okay, lawsuits--with the Bush administration about more stringent fuel standards, California and other states are finally getting their way. Tomorrow, a California delegation will join President Obama for his announcement that the federal government plans to set fuel efficiency standards for vehicles at 35.5 mpg by 2016, according to the AP who spoke to anonymous sources. And the Wall Street Journal says "in a perverse way, that answers Detroit’s prayers: U.S....

A shooting that occurred around 3:10 p.m. at the La Cienega Boulevard entrance of the Beverly Center has left one man dead. He was transported to Cedars-Sinai where he died. Two suspects, one of them who may be a female, are on the loose....

Zach Behrens/LAist Rejoice! The Valley will soon have a dedicated vegan ice cream shop. Spotted on Cahuenga Blvd. at Regal Place, Nice Cream is a few storefronts down from recent vegan newcomer, SunPower Natural Cafe, which is from local veteran Chef Rawsheed. Blogger Quarrygirl has already given SunPower her stamp of approval (she's "dying to go back"), especially because it's not another vegan Thai eatery. At some point in the future, she and others...

Enforceable times at parking meters are still confusing residents as LADOT makes it way through the city updating extended times at signs and meters. The problem? Here's an example: a sign on West 3rd Street says "2 Hour Parking 8am to 6pm Except Sunday” but corresponding meters say Mon-Sat 8am-8pm and Sunday 11am-8pm, notes Tasha Nita Adams at her blog Blackburn & Sweetzer. This is an issue LAist looked at back in January and...

LA Times photographer Jay L. Clendenin shows us why it's important to "drop, cover and hold," as earthquake experts tell us. Yes, this photo (see it, and others, in large here) shows a shard of glass on a chair at a Starbucks at Hawthorne and Artesia boulevards. Another photo shows broken glass from a North Long Beach storefront on the sidewalk. It's all a sobering reminder to always be cognizant of your surroundings, to...

If you've been sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to grab up the best 747 area code number (747-666-6666?), today is the first day to grab one. The San Fernando Valley has been in overlay mode--that means you have to first dial 1 when calling within the 818 area code--since last month. Starting today, new phone line activations can be in the new 747 area code or still within the 818 one...

Speaking from South LA today, Vice President Joe Biden announced that affordable-housing development Esperanza Community Housing Corporation will receive $875,000 for the removal of toxic paint from 225 homes. The money will employ workers for the abatement work, but also "save the country millions in future health care costs that would otherwise be spent to treat people suffering ailments connected to growing up in contact with lead-based paint," according to the Associated Press. To...