Post Fire Soil Testing Uncovers Lead in Altadena

Soil samples collected from properties downwind of the Eaton Fire burn area contained elevated levels of lead, above health screening thresholds, according to the county Department of Public Health. Health officials said some elevated lead levels were also found in the Palisades Fire area, but there was no evidence detected of “widespread contamination” in that […]

Trash Fees on the Rise! LA Council Approves Motion Upping Collection Prices

The City Council Friday approved a plan to increase trash collection fees, the first rate adjustment in 17 years, as part of an attempt to close a nearly $1 billion budget shortfall. In a 10-1 vote, the City Council authorized the Bureau of Sanitation to begin the process under Proposition 218, with the goal of […]

Prosecutor Shows Crime Scene Photo of Menendez Murders During Hearing

A prosecutor Friday showed a bloody crime scene photo from the case of Erik and Lyle Menendez, who are serving life prison sentences without the possibility of parole for the shotgun murders of their parents in the family’s Beverly Hills mansion more than three decades ago, while arguing in court that the siblings should not […]

LA Council Approves Motion Prohibiting Two Racist, Sexist Slurs

A City Council committee Friday approved a motion seeking to prohibit the use of two specific offensive epithets during civic meetings. The Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee voted unanimously in favor of a motion introduced by Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson and co-signed by six of his colleagues. Council members intend to rein in the […]

Jury Convicts Woodland Hills Wife of First Degree Murder

A woman was convicted Friday of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for masterminding the killing of her husband — a prominent hairdresser — at the home they shared with their two daughters in Woodland Hills. Monica Sementilli, 53, cried as a court clerk read the jury’s verdict finding her guilty of the two […]

Teen Boy Killed, Man Wounded in Alleged Gang Shooting in Hawthorne

A 16-year-old boy was killed and a 32-year-old man was wounded in a shooting believed gang-related in Hawthorne Friday. Hawthorne Police responded around 12-30 a.m. Friday to the 4200 block of West Broadway, between 122nd and 126th streets, regarding a shooting, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Michael Modica. A 16-year-old boy with a […]

Tom Girardi’s Ex-Accountant Sentenced Over Ten Years

The ex-chief accountant at convicted disbarred attorney Tom Girardi’s law firm was sentenced Friday to more than 10 years in prison for helping the once-prominent litigator embezzle funds from clients and for siphoning millions for himself. Chris Kamon, 51, pleaded guilty last year in downtown Los Angeles to two federal counts of wire fraud. He […]

Malaika Billups Confirmed as LA’s Personnel Dept General Manager

With Los Angeles facing a nearly $1 billion shortfall in the upcoming fiscal year and as city leaders contemplate thousands of layoffs, the City Council Friday appointed Malaika Billups as the next general manager of the Personnel Department, a role in which she would receive a $7,000 pay bump compared to her predecessor. In a […]

Possible DUI Crash Leaves One Dead on 101 Freeway

The driver of a Kia sedan was killed early Friday when a Buick SUV driven by a possibly impaired driver crashed into the car while it was on the right shoulder of the Ventura (101) Freeway in Calabasas. The crash was reported at 2:01 a.m. on the southbound Ventura Freeway just south of Mureau Road, […]

Single Lane of 5 Freeway in Sun Valley Remains Shut Down

A big rig hit an overpass Friday morning on the Golden State (5) Freeway in Sun Valley, prompting the closure of the two right lanes while Caltrans cleared chunks of concrete and checked the extent of damage to the bridge. The crash was reported to the California Highway Patrol at 9:41 a.m. Friday on the […]

Foreigner, Local High School Choir to Perform at Grand Prix of Long Beach Concert

In what sounds like an episode ripped from the scripts of “Glee,” the Jordan High School choir will perform with Foreigner Saturday as part of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. It’s another chance for the Jordan High School choir, which has previously performed at Carnegie Hall, to shine on a big stage. Ten […]