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Westwood topped a list of best places for trick-or-treaters in Los Angeles. The real estate website Zillow plugged in a bunch of factors: the value of homes, crime data, population density and walkability. more › Read this article: Is Westwood the Best Neighborhood for Trick-or-Treating in L.A.?
Kenneth Alexander was a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy, assigned to patrol out of the Marina del Rey Sheriff’s Station when he met a 15-year-old girl who he ultimately met up with again off-duty and allegedly molested her. more › Read more from the original source: Sheriff’s Deputy Turns Himself in For Molesting Teen Girl He Met On Duty
Some people have yearbooks to look back through, others have Facebook albums. But Lindsay Lohan? She’s racking up quite a collection of mugshots. Lohan smiled pretty for Los Angeles police officers Wednesday when she took her fifth — yes, fifth — mugshot after her probation was revoked by Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner Why? Because, according to Sautner, she didn’t the follow the court’s orders to serve community service at a women’s shelter. Her bail was set at a whopping $100,000, which she paid, but not before being led from the courtroom in handcuffs. A new hearing to determine whether or not she should be sent back to jail is set for November 2. Here’s Lohan’s latest mugshot, and take a trip down memory lane below to see the rest. PHOTO: Visit link: Lindsay’s Mugshots Through The Years
Burbank resident Faye Allen turned 107 years old Wednesday. The assisted-living home where she resides organized a birthday bash. Photo Credit: Getty Images Continued here: Burbank Woman Turns 107
The SEIU and United Long Term Care Workers joined Occupy LA in echoing the need to do away with corporate greed. Photo Credit: Getty Images Read more here: SEIU Joins Occupy LA Protest
Kelsey Grammer , left, and Camille Grammer arrive at the annual Pre-GRAMMY Gala presented by The Recording Academy and Clive Davis on Saturday, Jan. Read the original post: IOL bang kelsey_camille_grammer
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority released a report Wednesday on the Westside Subway Extension’s seismic and safety issues that favors a Constellation Boulevard location for the Century City stop. Metro states that scientists have recommended the Constellation Boulevard route in order to avoid two earthquake faults in the area. The experts, who include seismologists, geologists and engineers, said that tunneling can be done safely under Beverly Hills High School . Fieldwork and research also failed to detect any active or inactive oil wells on the high school campus that would be in the path of potential subway tunnels. However, no decision about the final placement of the subway route has been made. The Westside Subway Extension would travel through Beverly Hills to proposed stops at Wilshire/La Cienega and Wilshire/Rodeo, then onward to one of two proposed stops in Century City: Constellation Boulevard and Avenue of the Stars, which would require tunneling under BHHS , or one at Santa Monica Boulevard and Avenue of the Stars, the location that scientists are advising Metro not to use due to the presence of the Santa Monica Fault. Mayor Barry Brucker and Vice Mayor William Brien proposed a third option—for Metro to build a Century City stop at Santa Monica Boulevard and Century Park East—with the added incentive that Beverly Hills could be the location for two park-and-ride facilities to get commuters to and from the station. Experts hired by Metro, however, have reported that the Century Park East site is within the West Beverly Hills Lineament fault zone, an extension of the Newport-Inglewood Fault. In an email released by Metro, experts reportedly told the Metro Board of Directors Planning Committee that tunneling under BHHS as part of the Constellation Boulevard route “would not compromise the structural integrity of existing structures, interfere with future building plans or create perceptible noise or vibrations on school grounds.” To read the report in its entirety, click here . “Metro’s seismic findings are, of course, a disappointment to me, the City Council and the entire community,” Brucker said in a statement. The city has hired two engineering firms, Exponent Inc. and Shannon & Wilson, to conduct separate, independent analyses of Metro’s seismic findings. “The independent analysis by our consultants is an important step toward determining the appropriate response for Beverly Hills as we move forward,” Brucker said. “The citizens of Beverly Hills deserve a fair and impartial independent analysis.” The council has formally requested a 90-day delay between when the final Environmental Impact Statement/Report is released and when Metro meets to consider the tunnel route between Beverly Hills and Century City. “We need at least 90 days to properly evaluate the scientific and seismic data before any final decision is made,” Brucker said. The seismic and safety reports released Wednesday will be used by Metro staff to develop a recommendation on the Westside Subway Extension’s EIS/EIR, which is scheduled to be released this winter. The final decision on the subway’s route is made by the Metro Board of Directors and expected in early 2012. Beverly Hills Unified School District Board of Education President Lisa Korbatov released a statement in response to Metro’s report. “Metro has opened a veritable Pandora’s box that potentially impacts many dozens of existing buildings and future projects in the region, including Beverly Hills High School, future station locations for the Westside Subway Extension as well as currently entitled development projects,” she wrote. “Our independent experts will immediately begin evaluating the findings and will weigh in as this process moves forward.” Should the Constellation Boulevard route receive approval, two tunnels would be built 55-70 feet below the BHHS campus. The tunnels would pass under the administration building and then go beneath the high school’s tennis courts, the southern wing of Building B and the lacrosse fields. Be sure to follow Beverly Hills Patch on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook . See the original post: Metro Experts Support Constellation Boulevard Station
The Los Angeles Jewish Community came together Tuesday morning at the Beverly Hilton to celebrate the release of 25-year-old Gilad Shalit—the Israeli soldier kidnapped by Hamas terrorists inside Israel’s borders on June 25, 2006. One-thousand, nine-hundred and forty-one days later, Gilad Shalit is finally back home on Israeli soil. Beny Alagem, an expat Israeli who purchased the Beverly Hilton in 2003, worked feverishly with the Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles and the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles to bring the Jewish community together in his hotel ballroom. Hundreds of people came from all over the county for the 7 a.m. event. They filled the chairs and lined the walls; necks craned to see the two huge screens beaming live footage from Israeli television. They cheered, applauded and wiped away tears of joy when Shalit appeared on the screen. While Shalit was actually released during the middle of the night local time, attendees at Tuesday’s event were on hand to witness his return to his hometown of Mitzpe Hila. As attendees filled up on coffee, juice and pastries, the live stream showed Shalit walking out of the mouth of an Israeli army helicopter to a waiting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli news commentator noted how gaunt and pale Shalit was. Westwood resident Carole Shnier said she came to the early morning event to share a historic moment. “It’s very surreal because there was disbelief that this day would ever come,” she said. “It’s bittersweet, but I’m thrilled and proud to be a Jew and a supporter of the State of Israel.” Richard Sandler of the Jewish Federation addressed the crowd. “We come together today as one community and one people to support Gilad Shalit and his family, our brothers and sisters in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and the State of Israel,” he said. The morning program included addresses by local rabbis and Los Angeles city officials, all of whom spoke openly about the joy of bringing Shalit home, and also about the release of thousands of terrorists from Israeli prisons in return for Shalit’s freedom. “This is an amazing moment that we can all experience first hand. It was a gut wrenching decision for all of us. We are relieved to witness Gilad’s return but our hearts are heavy,” Israeli Consul General David Siegel said. “The anguish of bereaved families of victims of terror and what the future may bring is in our minds.” Nonetheless, Siegel said Israel’s decisions came from a great internal strength. “We uphold the sanctity of life,” he said. “Ours is not a society that celebrates in the release of cold-blooded murderers.” Siegel also thanked the Los Angeles community for actively seeking the release of Shalit over the past five years. L.A. County Third District Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said the only thought that came to his mind was the difference in the celebrations in Israel and Gaza. “Israel, the Jewish people and all freedom-loving people celebrate with Gilad but in Gaza thousands are celebrating the release of murderers,” Yaroslavsky said. Fifth District Councilman Paul Koretz cited the Jewish caveat that if you save one person it is as if you have saved the whole world. “Israel has passed that test today,” he said. “I’ve never been so proud. It’s great to be here and celebrate with the Jewish community and everyone in the world who cares about what’s right.” Third District Councilman Dennis Zine noted that he was the only Lebanese Christian who has been to Israel and he pledged to continue to work with Rotary International and the Israeli consul general to find a way to create a long-term peace accord. “We need to recognize that the terrorists being released still pose a threat to Israel,” he said. While the official morning ceremony concluded with a prayer for peace by many of Los Angeles’ local rabbis, guests stayed to watch the live Israeli feed of Gilad’s father, Noam, talk to the crowds outside his home. Many attendees seemed reluctant to leave. Shoshi Wichfort who lives in Bel Air said she came to the event to be part of history surrounded by her community. She stayed to watch Shalit’s father speak. “I’m Israeli in my neshama [soul],” she told Patch. “I couldn’t be anywhere else but here this morning.” Be sure to follow Beverly Hills Patch on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook . Original post: Beverly Hilton Hosts Gilad Shalit Homecoming Event
Gregory Powell, one of the two men responsible for the 1963 “Onion Field” kidnap and murder of Los Angeles Police Department Officer Ian Campbell has cancer, and is serving a life sentence. However, District Attorney Steve Cooley announced late today that the California Board of Parole Hearings has denied Powell a compassionate release from prison. more › Original post: Onion Field Killer Gregory Powell Denied Compassionate Release
