Zach Behrens

Speaking of the recent rash of televised, live blogged and publicized car chases, the LA Times looks into the costs to policing agencies and the media that covers it. "When it comes to TV, what troubles me is that it's not breaking news they're reporting with a pursuit, it's more breaking entertainment," said radio traffic reporter Jeff Baugh of KNX-AM (1070) to the Times. "Whenever I cover a pursuit, I'm not so much concerned...

Photo: bredgur A manhole cover blew on 4th Street around 10:30 a.m. this morning, prompting the LA Fire Department to shut down traffic at 4th and Spring. "They're trying to make sure no one is around any of the adjacent manhole covers in case they also blow," explaind d'Lisa Davies, LAFD spokesperson, over the phone. One film crew was evacuated from the area and currently, "lots of heavy smoke" is coming from under the...

An unidentified man in his 20s was killed when he tried to run across the northbound 5 freeway, just above downtown Los Angeles. It happened around 4:30 a.m., shutting down lanes until around 6:30 a.m. as rush hour began, pushing back traffic for the morning....

Working on fossil discoveries | Via the Project 23 blog For the second time this month in Southern California, a large amount mammoth remains have been found. First, it was in San Diego two weeks ago when construction crews were preparing to build a law school in downtown-they found an 8-foot tusk, skull and foot bones from a Columbian mammoth, estimated to be 500,000 years old. But yesterday, with the official announcement coming this...

With a sleeping bag under his arm, state Sen. Lou Correa, D-Anaheim, walks into the Senate at the Capitol in Sacramento today (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) As evident by this picture (and as promised earlier today), state senators are preparing to stay up all night, talk about the girls and boys they like, have pillow fights and just maybe, fix California's budget....

Photo by Mike Prasad (Twitter) via TwitPic "Hanging out on the 15 N to vegas," tweeted GirlGamer.com founder and Kogi BBQ Social Media Guy. "Traffic completely stopped and people are chilling outside their cars." Apparently, a big rig caught on fire shutting traffic down. Over the phone, Prasad described it as twisted and charred. "It was ridiculous."...

After a controversial city employee salary database (plus one for overtime) and an LAUSD salary database, the Daily News is at it again, this time with the LAPD's most wanted. "Some 207 people are wanted by the Los Angeles Police Department for 15 types of crimes ranging from DUI to fraud to murder," the Valley based paper says. "Of that number, 196 are men, 11 are women. About 80 percent, or 167, are Hispanic,...

That's how many layoff warnings Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will be sending off tomorrow morning to state employees, save for SEIU members. "In the absence of a budget, the governor has the responsibility to realize savings any way he can," Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear said, per the SacBee. The budget standstill could be end if one Republican decides to side with Democrats. It's speculated that tonight's move by the Governor is to pressure Sen. Dave...

We're not sure how many $10 tickets are left, but here you go, compliments of Jane's Addiction blog today: "Some additional tickets have become available for Jane's mailing list members for the Echoplex show on Monday, February 16th in Los Angeles, CA. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to janesRSVP@janesaddiction.com as soon as possible. RSVPs will be accepted on a first come first serve basis. If you have already RSVPed, there is...

Today, the Santa Monica Police are asking for help finding an unidentified hit and run suspect: "On January 17, 2009 at about 12:30 am, a 33 year-old male bicyclist riding southbound on 20th Street at Arizona Avenue was struck by an unknown vehicle. After striking the cyclist, the vehicle ran over the bicycle and the rider’s body and then left the scene without rendering any assistance or notifying police. The bicyclist is currently in...

The Dr. Phil supergraphic at 10801 National Blvd. | Photo via a blog dedicated to the building To the astonishment of building tenants and just about everyone else, an illegal supergraphic went up last week on the same building that was used by the city as an example of the verboten advertisements. In late January, the building at National and Westwood Boulevard--then with a Tropicana supergraphic--was used as a press conference backdrop to talk...

He was one of the best and most exciting and respected jazz drummers to grace our ears. Louie Bellson fell breaking his hip in early November, which was followed by complications with Parkinson's disease--he died on Valentines Day at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center . "Tenative plans are for an L.A. area funeral, followed by funeral and burial in Moline, Illinois, his boyhood home," his website announced. In the LA Times, Oscar Peterson described Bellson, who...