Zach Behrens

The Manny Ramirez saga is over. In what the LA Times has dubbed "The Great Compromise of 2009," a deal was reached today, confirmed by a a baseball source who spoke on the condition of anonymity. We're looking at a $45-million two-year contract that includes an opt-out clause that can be used after the first year. Ramirez, 37, will earn $25 million this year, making him the second highest paid player in the sport,...

At a December Prop 8 Candlelight vigil in Hollywood (more photos here) | Photo by Tom Andrews/LAist "The night before the California Supreme Court hears arguments against Prop 8 we will stand together," reads a flyer (.pdf) for tomorrow night's event. "Meet at El Pueblo to hear from our legal council, celebrate our families, and unite in solidarity and hope." The 5:30 p.m. event goes to 8 p.m. and organizers urge people to use...

We're hearing more and more of rumors and rumblings that residents in Los Angeles did not receive their sample or vote-by-mail ballot. Even LA resident and Secretary of State Debra Bowen was left out. But as she pointed out, there could be a variety of factors involved beyond a city gaffe including post office delivery, mailroom mistakes at condos, etc. But we want to hear from you in the comment section below. If you...

Photo: atomicshakespeares via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr This could be the turning point for Measure B and a few other close races. The City Clerks office has 21 days by election code to announce the official results, but they could be announced earlier, one representative said over the phone. Here's what's left to count: 12,000 provisional ballots 24,000 vote-by-mail 10,000 "snag" ballots (those are the ones they have to look more carefully at,...

The main band of the rainstorm has already come through the Los Angeles area, but there's a lighter secondary one in Ventura County right now and it could sweep down into the city, according to Bonnie Bartling, a weather specialist with the National Weather Service. Otherwise, we're looking at partly cloudy skies through tomorrow night when a weak front is expected to hit through Friday morning. Then more cool, but dry weather throughout the...

At Malibu Creek State Park | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist Over the last forty years, the California State Parks Foundation along with its 100,000 members has grown into a powerhouse advocacy group on behalf of keeping nature available to us. Now in their 40th year, they are celebrating by producing 40 short podcasts, each with a resident sharing their favorite trail. It all began yesterday with none other than rocker Sammy Hagar who is...

Tweeted by Debra Bowen earlier today If you were the LA City Clerks office, there's one elected official you probably want to make sure their vote-by-mail ballot gets to. And that would be the Debra Bowen, California's Secretary of State who is charged with being the state's Chief Elections Officer, among many other important duties. A City of LA gaffe or easily blamed on the post office? In any case, better luck on the...

If one person wins tonight's Mega Millions jackpot, they'll be taking home $8.15 million over the next 26 years, or $138 million if taken in one lump sum, according to a California State Lottery official. Of course, these numbers could be higher depending on sales today (and if you are going to buy, you must by 7:45 p.m. as the drawing will be 10 minutes later). And since today is election day, it should...

If you only read the LA Times local section online, you wouldn't have noticed know the difference, but today the paper dropped the California section, rearranging the " A section, with local news starting on page A2, followed by national and foreign news, editorial pages and obits," notes Kevin Roderick at LA Observed. "The second or B section now has Business and some classified ads." Why is this happening? Among the many questions the...

That's how many "active-duty sworn officers" we have on the LAPD as of yesterdays big news press conference (well, at least 63 of them just started police academy). Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's goal was 10,000 officers by 2010 and it looks like that post will be hit. At the press conference yesterday, Councilman Bill Rosendahl hinted towards the next goal being 12,000 officers. Still, Los Angeles will be behind a police officer to population ratio...

Photo: Casey Schreiner/Modern Hiker Casey Schreiner over at Modern Hiker took a walk in the Verdugo Mountains between Glendale and Burbank on Sunday finding a few patches of wildflowers. Blogdowntown's Ed Fuentes also found himself walking on Sunday, albeit in South Park where he was enjoying the full bloom of cherry blossoms on 12th street. The late-winter, early-spring flower season can come and go in a blink of the eye if you're not paying...

Photo by neonspecs via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Happy election day! Whether you're doing a last-minute catch up or need to get some information, we've got a few basic tips for you below. The following is intended for the City of Los Angeles election, but some may be useful to everyone. If you are voting in another city, go to your city's homepage and check in with their election information. Los Angeles Information...