Email Author Simone Wilson

Awards

• 2011 - Southern California Journalism Awards/LA Press Club, published December 16, 2010

  "Culture of Cruelty"

More

2011 Stories by Simone Wilson

• Rob Delaney, L.A. Comedian, Wants to Sue Kim Kardashian Over 'Sham' Wedding; Kim, Lawyers Call BS

  published Nov 01, 2011

  Update, Nov. 30: ... More >>

• 15,000 Faux 'Paul Frank' Pirate Pajamas Seized at L.A. Port (Could Have Fooled Us)

  published Nov 01, 2011

  They must really be hurting for new things to counterfeit in Indonesia these days. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers at the Los Angeles/Long Beach port just intercepted a 20-foot terminal conta... More >>

• Metro Red Line Stabbing at Hollywood Station (Again): Welcome to L.A.'s Year-Round Halloweentown

  published Nov 01, 2011

  Update: A man dressed in a clown suit came to the couple's rescue this morning, sheriff's investigators tell KTLA. (At least someone was on duty.) The billions that L.A. has pumped into redeveloping ... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Dan Behar, Agoura High Student, Dies in Second Reported Suicide at Malibu Creek; Community in 'State of Shock'

  published Nov 01, 2011

  Yesterday around noon, Dan Alexander Behar, 17, became the third young Agoura Hills man to die by his own accord in less than a week. Last Wednesday, former Agoura High student Josh Feinberg committed... More >>

• Eli Broad, L.A. Elite, Offers $250K Prize to Charter Schools That Serve Low-Income Kids

  published Oct 31, 2011

  Opponents of the burgeoning charter-school industry like to paint it as a corporate wolf in "reform" clothing -- stealing money from struggling district-run schools while receiving an even steadier ca... More >>

• L.A. Archbishop: Gays, Abortions Are Ruining American Democracy

  published Oct 31, 2011

  Archbishop Jose H. Gomez, head of the Diocese of Los Angeles (the nation's largest), thinks democracy is dead in this country. Yeah, well, join the club. But where Gomez parts philosophies with Occup... More >>

• R.I.P. Aristide Laurent: Pioneering L.A. Gay Activist Co-Founded The Advocate, Fought LAPD Harassment

  published Oct 31, 2011

  Artiside "A.J." Laurent, 70-year-old writer and activist, died at his L.A. home on October 26 "after a long illness," the San Diego Gay & Lesbian News reports today. Choosing to spend his young adult... More >>

• Griffen Kramer, Thousand Oaks High Quarterback, Found Dead Sunday Morning; Alcohol Poisoning Likely

  published Oct 31, 2011

  Update: "David Nernberg, Friend of Kramer, Arrested for Involuntary Manslaughter." Griffen Kramer, an 18-year-old senior at Thousand Oaks High, died this Halloween weekend. He was found lifeless yes... More >>

• CalArts Racist Graffiti: Black Students at Valencia Campus Targeted by Vandals

  published Oct 31, 2011

  It's hard to keep a racist-graffiti scandal under wraps these days -- media hit-seekers sniff out that stuff quicker than Schwarzenegger baby mamas. But back in early September, California Institute ... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Whit Riske, 37-Year-Old Energy-Solutions Manager, Dies in Rock 'n' Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon

  published Oct 31, 2011

  A man who died in the Rock 'n' Roll Los Angeles half marathon yesterday, previously thought to be 40 years old, has since been identified as 37-year-old Charles Whitmore Riske III of Costa Mesa. He d... More >>

• Cry Baby Lane VIDEO: Watch Nickelodeon's 'Banned' Halloween Movie Online

  published Oct 28, 2011

  So much hullabaloo, this Halloweentime, about the revival of Nickelodeon's fabled turn-of-the-century horror flick "Cry Baby Lane." According to Reuters, it'll be airing this Oct. 31 for the first tim... More >>

• Roosevelt High Parents Beg L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa: Don't Make Us Your Pet Project

  published Oct 28, 2011

  Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has grown super attached to a few key issues since taking office. King among them: environmentalism, the subway, bicycle friendliness and education reform. Unfor... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Occupy L.A. versus Zuma Dogg: OG City Activist Tries to Out-Shout Occupiers

  published Oct 28, 2011

  Leave it to Zuma Dogg, perpetual public commenter at every single L.A. City Council meeting ever (rivaled only in civic involvement by John Walsh of the insane neckties and Einstein hair), to add even... More >>

• Occupy Walmart: Non-Unionized Employees Protest Health-Care Cuts Outside Paramount Superstore

  published Oct 28, 2011

  Public-employee unions -- and, of course, the Sacramento politicians they paid for -- are ripping into California Governor Jerry Brown today for his (really quite reasonable) proposal to trim down sta... More >>

• Gay History Bill: Why Is the Los Angeles Times Spreading Sex-Ed Lies Birthed by 'Stop SB 48'r

  published Oct 27, 2011

  Hide your little boys and girls... 'cause California's scheming, sexed-up politicians are about to sneak gay porn all up in their kindergarten classrooms! Heh. That's the gist of the "Stop SB 48" cam... More >>

• Red-Light Camera Tickets: Calm Down, L.A., You Still Don't Have to Pay Them

  published Oct 27, 2011

  Looks like all those goody two shoes who paid their red-light camera tickets last month -- against the hard advice of select City Councilmembers, traffic lawyers and, well, this very blogger -- just s... More >>

• Josh Feinberg, College Student 'Upset About Grades,' Commits Suicide off Malibu Dam

  published Oct 27, 2011

  A former Agoura High student named Joshua A. Feinberg, now 21, jumped 100 feet to his death off the Rindge Dam at Malibu Creek yesterday. The century-old structure is located about three miles inland ... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Three West Hollywood Gay Bashings Reported in One Week

  published Oct 27, 2011

  Updated after the jump: West Hollywood Mayor John Duran pretends nothing is wrong. Originally posted October 26 at 11 a.m. A recent string of violent attacks on gay men in West Hollywood has L.A.'s ... More >>

• 'Crappy' Republican Lawsuits Against New, Citizen-Drawn Voting Districts Thrown Out by California Supreme Court

  published Oct 26, 2011

  The refreshingly un-gerrymandered voting districts unveiled by California's new Citizens Redistricting Commission in June have a damn good chance of going to stone, thanks to the California Supreme Co... More >>

• More L.A. Leaders Come Out Against Teachers Union, in Support of 'Don't Hold Us Back' Reform at LAUSD

  published Oct 26, 2011

  See also: "Progressives Find Religion on LAUSD Reform," today's print piece by Hillel Aron. In case you haven't heard, the door to much-needed education reform in L.A. will either be thrown open or s... More >>

• Santa Ana Winds Usher in L.A. Fire Season

  published Oct 26, 2011

  It may feel cooler and more wintery outside (OK, still in the upper 60s and 70s; sorry Denver), but don't be fooled: What has the potential to be SoCal's worst fire season ever is only just now settli... More >>

• L.A. Zoo Will Have a Carousel Made Entirely of Endangered Species (Plus a Unicorn!)

  published Oct 19, 2011

  Never has jumping on the green train looked so goddamn fun. Meet the Conservation Carousel at the L.A. Zoo: It's not the first of it's kind (and the Bronx Zoo beat us to an insect carousel! Jealous!)... More >>

• Watts Gang Rivalry Heats Up: Shooting Suspect Kicks Over Murder Victim's Memorial, Reports 'Twitter Cop'

  published Oct 19, 2011

  If LAPD Detective Sal LaBarbera wanted to draw more attention to the countless gang homicides he investigates down in South L.A. -- as he claimed he did, in defense of the "Twitter Cop" controversy --... More >>

• Venice Residents Still Fuming Over Santa Monica Airport's Self-Serving Flight Pattern

  published Oct 19, 2011

  Update: L.A. City Councilman Bill Rosendahl says he has some tricks up his sleeve to possibly take down the airport before 2015. Also, he calls it "a health emergency for the lungs of my people." More... More >>

• 

  FEATURED STORY

  Bars, Clubs Making Big Post-Recession Comeback, Thanks to Spendy Youngsters

  published Oct 19, 2011

  Economists have been watching various industries very closely in this (very slow-mo) bounceback from the low point of the Great Recession, trying to guess which one would pull out ahead. Thanks to We... More >>