Zach Behrens

Officials hope this doesn't happen again (see more photos of last year's Lakers craziness here and here) | AP Photo Metro late this afternoon warned that several buses will be impacted by the Lakers Championship game and that the Blue Line between downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach could shut down if conditions warrant it. "Blue Line passengers traveling to Long Beach can board a southbound Metro bus either [at] Grand Avenue and Pico...

There's a good number of late-night eating options in the Los Angeles area, but there's definitely room for more. Starting tonight, Chin Chin in West Hollywood is looking to help fill that gap with Thursday through Saturday late-night service 'til 3:30 a.m. (they're also adding health-concious new menu items like Honey Walnut Shrimp and Salt and Pepper Tofu). It's only for the Sunset Plaza location, but one could hope Chin Chin's locations in Studio...

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck says tonight's LAPD presence for the Lakers game will be three to four times than last year. And that's not all: other law enforcement agencies around L.A. County plan to deploy resources in three other areas, according to the LA Times. Those areas include "Crenshaw Boulevard in South L.A., Pacific Boulevard in Huntington Park and Whittier Boulevard in East L.A," the paper said. Yesterday, Mayor Villaraigosa and Beck asked that...

Photo by guamafro via Flickr The immediate area around North Hollywood High School has been shut down by the LAPD after a suspicious package was reported to them this morning. At 6:12 a.m., police received a call from LAUSD police officers who found a box with wires coming out of it at the front entrance. No evacuations were needed as school is not in session; however, a graduation is scheduled for later today. Colfax...

Photo by casualtimetravel via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Attention: boys and girls who love Apple products now have a dating site to meet each other. There's a big, big, big animal adoption event this Saturday throughout the city and county. Found Animals' "Better with a Buddy" event will be simultaneously be held at 14 shelters and will pay for half of adoption fees when you adopt and 100% of them if you adopt...

Photo: R. E. ~ One of L.A.'s toughest jobs is expected to be filled soon. Brenda Barnette of the Seattle Humane Society will reportedly be named as the city's Animal Services General Manager by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, according to the LA Times. The job, which faces a lot pressure from animal advocates about euthanasia rates, has been vacant for about a year. Los Angeles took in about 54,000 dogs and cats last year --...

The Santa Monica City Council this week adopted a $533 million budget and was spared most of the drama Los Angeles had seen. Explains the Santa Monica Daily Press: "Though City Hall had to cover a $13.2 million deficit with fee increases, spending reductions and reserve funds, the approved budget called for no layoffs and no radical shifts in spending priorities." They even set aside money for bicycle safety education just in case they...

Last year it was Ozzy, this year the Smashing Pumpkins, the Sunset Strip Music Festival announced today for its 3rd annual festival. Billy Corgan, Jeff Schroeder and Mike Byrne will join their new bassist Nicole Fiorentino to headline on Saturday August 28th. This year, again, the event will shut down the Sunset Strip for a day of 50 bands on two outdoor stages and inside The Roxy, Whisky, Viper Room, Key and Cat clubs....

Parking aside the Santa Monica Pier | Photo by GarySe7en via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Although no ranger greets you when you enter, Santa Monica Beach is a state park, one that is operated by the City of Santa Monica. So if voters decide this November to approve a state parks ballot prop that would add an $18 fee to annual vehicle registrations and lift parking fees at parks, the lots at Santa...

Lindsay Lohan is stuck in California under court order and is now getting whiney about Los Angeles. "She was going on about how she hates it here and how disgusting the people are," a source told E! Online. "She said she likes NY and London and wants out of this city." Call it jingoism, but we love Los Angeles. Sure, it has its problems and they need to be reported on, but to be...

In the American Pie movie series, Chris Klein is the sweet, clean-cut, all American boy. In reality, he's often referred to as a douchebag and now he's landed himself in jail on suspicion for driving drunk, reportedly testing three times over the legal limit. At 3:15 a.m., Klein's 1999 black Chevrolet Blazer was pulled over after apparently weaving across three lanes of the 101 Freeway at Woodman Avenue, according to the LA Times. He...

Photo by RobeRt Vega via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Whether a marked crosswalk or not, 159 drivers in North Hollywood were ticketed yesterday for failing to yield to pedestrians -- actually, plainclothes LAPD officers -- trying to cross the street, according to the Daily News. Drivers tried to get out of the tickets, saying officers were jaywalking. That was not the case as corners without signs and paint are still considered crosswalks, just...