Zach Behrens

City Seal The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday moved forward with a plan to ask residents to increase the sales tax by a half penny on the November balot. Currently at 9.75%, if a majority of voters approve the measure, the sales tax would be hiked to 10.25%. Why a marjority vote and not a two-thirds vote? "As a 'general tax' that would raise revenue to be allocated at the council's discretion, the...

Photo by casualtimetravel via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr An uncle of a 21-year-old Canoga Park woman was arrested for killing her and her 6-year-old daughter today. At the 40th annual Los Angeles Architectural Awards, a theme could be found: police stations were a popular building type to win. Not in L.A., but... In Sacramento, there is a proposal to ban people from wearing hoodies on public transit. No more Hare Krishnas, or otherwise...

There's a relatively new blog that's produced by the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, which owns the Long Beach Press Telegram, Daily News, Pasadena Star News, the Daily Breeze and various other papers. Out in the 562 focuses on covering LGBT stories in the Long Beach area. Being the second largest city in L.A. County, and also home to a large gay community -- their pride event brought out around 80,000 people -- it's a...

The 11-mile extension from Pasadena to Azusa just broke ground, but the Gold Line Foothill Extension goes beyond that. Phase 2B takes the light rail even further, about 13 more miles east to Montclair (some want it to go out to the Ontario airport) and Tuesday big news about funding was announced. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, said $650,000 has been included in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill, according to the San...

The Like | Picture via the Like's Myspace NPR on Tuesday picked up on one of best aspects of Los Angeles' local music scene: Monday nights. That's when music venues open up their doors for free shows that feature one band and weekly special guests every month. This is how Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros, Local Natives and the Silversun Pickups got their start. The success is partly with club bookers who have...

Consider this housekeeping. Some boundaries between L.A. and Orange counties, mostly by the Alamitos Bay and the San Gabriel River, are considered a bit backwards and "illogical." Now a number of cities are passing resolutions to better organize their borders so things make sense to them. In Long Beach, the city stands to gain about 35 acres and lose around 43 acres, a mix of land swaps with Seal Beach and Los Alamitos. The...

Photo by A.C.Thamer via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr How did the residents of Boyle Heights, Echo Park and Lincoln Heights celebrate Independence Day more than a century ago? Here's how. In Venice, the Fourth of July means a regatta in the canals. Yo! Venice has the photos. You can now get free shuttle service between Burbank Airport and the Burbank Metrolink Station. Raska, a relatively new studio in Culver City, is offering a...

Los Angeles City Counciman Richard Alarcon has been the subject of an investigation by the District Attorney's office since the beginning of the year and now six members of his city staff have been ordered to appear before the grand jury, according to the LA Times. Earlier this year, the councilmember was accused of not living within his Northwest Valley district, instead residing at his wife's home in the nearby Council District 2, which...

Photo by *Mike Flores via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Yesterday was a holiday, so is today -- observed at least. That means parking enforcement rules within the city of Los Angeles are a bit relaxed. We've confirmed the following points with LADOT about holiday enforcement, but if you're unsure, you can always call 311 and ask to speak to a parking enforcement operator yourself. via LADOT (.pdf)...

Of the 153 parks in Long Beach, 87 of them are considered small. That's small as in less than five acres and even down to the size of a "glorified median." Nonetheless, one smoker in a small park could mean everyone else is dealing with it. "I tend to go to a lot of smaller parks," Long Beach City Councilmember Suja Lowenthal, who wants city staff to draft an ordinance, told the Press Telegram.

A man who was suspected to be drunk jumped off the Venice Pier early this morning, prompting a Coast Guard search by air and water. The man has been identified as 29-year-old Brian Patrick Dunn of West Hollywood. When he jumped in around 2:30 a.m., he was not wearing a life vest. That, combined with a high surf advisory bringing in rip currents and 6 to 8 foot waves, has authorities worried....

A brush fire burns Sunday in Irvine Regional Park | Photo via the Orange County Fire Authority A 75-acre brush fire in Irvine Regional Park was 100% contained this morning wit firefighters expecting full control later this evening. The Orange County Fire Authority was alerted to the blaze at 3:16 p.m. on the Fourth of July, prompting about 160 firefighters on the ground to respond in addition to helicopters, bulldozers and a fixed wing...