Los Angeles County

Here's Your Chance To Own A House-Sized Tamale

We know you love your Mexican food, you Rick Bayless-worshipers. So here's your chance to really prove your dedication to all things south-of-the-border. Here's your chance to own a house-sized tamale. Really:

Marijuana: L.A. Democrats Officially Support Shutting Down Most Dispensaries In Town

L.A. Democrats are getting behind a measure that would shut down most marijuana dispensaries in the city. In a statement today the local party is calling its endorsement of Measure D a "historic first" because " ... this is thought to be the first time the Los Angeles County Democratic Club has end ... More >>

Acton Helicopter Crash Kills 3; Aircraft Used In Reality TV Production

Three people were killed when a helicopter reportedly involved in the filming of a reality show crashed in Acton over the weekend. The crash at the Polsa Rosa Movie Ranch was reported at 3:40 a.m. Sunday by the Los Angeles County Fire Department. A company called Bongo Productions was ...

ABA 1616, The California Homemade Food Act: What You Need to Know

On Saturday, Jan. 5, the Silverlake Library held a public meeting for people to learn more about the new cottage food law, ABA 1616. The law allows homemade, non-potentially hazardous food to be sold by home cooks to the public. When bread baker Mark Stambler's homemade bread operation -- he was s ... More >>

Proposition 30 Election Results: California Secretary of State Calls Jerry Brown's Tax Hike Push 'Close Contest'

Update: L.A. County voters continue to come through for Governor Jerry Brown. At 12:26 a.m., with 46 percent of precincts reporting, L.A. voters back Prop. 30 with 58 percent of the vote. As of 10:47 p.m., Governor Jerry Brown and his Proposition 30 are still in the game. California Secretary of S ... More >>

The Ultimate Locavore: Backyard Chickens and Beekeeping in L.A.

Imagine a Sunday morning breakfast of a simple omelette with goat cheese and herbs, and a hunk of toasted bread drizzled with honey. How great would it be if you could ensure the freshness of those eggs and the quality of that honey by harvesting them yourself? If only you lived in a place where you ... More >>

Two-Year Citrus Quarantine in Eastern Los Angeles County

We knew it was only a matter of time. After watching Brazil's and Florida's citrus get decimated by Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) -- to the tune of billions of dollars -- we knew that despite rigorous agriculture checkpoints, testing and restrictions, California would probably be next. The bug, the c ... More >>

L.A. Farmers Markets Exposed

Often, produce sold at stalls isn't organic, grown by small farms — or even spray-free

Los Angeles County Gerrymanding: Did the Board of Supervisors' Redistricting Decision Violate the Federal Voting Rights Act?

By Hillel Aron After a seemingly endless session that included hundreds of public speakers, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a redistricting plan, 4-1, with Gloria Molina the dissenting vote, yesterday. Why does this matter? Isn't gerrymandering -- the redrawing of the lines in ... More >>

Sandra Bernhard at REDCAT

Steven GuntherSandra Bernhard: I Love Being Me, Don't You?​Sandra Bernhard performs I Love Being Me, Don't You? this weekend, and through August 21. Check out Amy Lyons' review on Tuesday.(Here are the latest capsule NEW THEATER REVIEWS and this week's  Theater feature on Melissa James Gi ... More >>

Hall of Justice Downtown Sees Key Renovation Starting This Month: L.A. Sheriff Ready to Move in

​Downtown's iconic Hall of Justice is coming back to life, with "primary renovation" starting up this month. The L.A. County Sheriff's Department, which will occupy the 1925 Beaux Arts building that was the backdrop for TV's Dragnet and Get Smart, is champing at the bit. But it'll have to wai ... More >>

Bike Traffic: Santa Monica Lifeguards Declare 'SigAlert' After Bike Path Gets 'Worse Than 405' on Fourth of July

The good old days​Hilarious L.A. oxymoron o' the day: bike traffic! L.A. County lifeguards, bless their hearts, were faced with said phenomenon while regulating a packed Santa Monica coastline this Fourth of July. Forget Carmageddon, people -- we just survived the Bike-ocalypse. Apparently, ... More >>

L.A. County's Private Property War

Richard McKee RIP: Pasadena Professor Beat Scores of Politicians in Court Who Illegally Kept Public Meetings and Info a Secret

RIP Richard McKee, Brown Act hero​Big loss for anyone worried about the scheming, secretive government entities and politicians so common in California cities, counties and Sacramento: The surprise death of Richard McKee, a widely respected expert on the California Public Records Act and Brown ... More >>

March 8 2011 Los Angeles Election Results at Your Fingertips: Click Here for Winners and Losers

Will Mona Field, a college trustee for years, be called to account by voters?​Beginning at 8:30 pm tonight, the Los Angeles City Clerk will issue the first Election Day results for seven Los Angeles City Council races where Jose Huizar, Bernard Parks, Tom LaBonge and other long-timers face ch ... More >>

Dirty Storm Waters Foul L.A. Coast: Beach-Goers Told to Stay Away From Drain Pipes, Creeks, Rivers

You've been warned.​It's the sad underbelly of the beach lifestyle stereotype that gives Southern California some of its glow: We're some dirty bastards. And while we've done a good job of keeping beach water fairly clean in the summer months (thanks Heal the Bay and Surfrider Foundation), th ... More >>

Private Security Officers Guarding L.A. County Buildings Say They're Under-Trained and Under-Paid, Placing the Public at Risk

​The security provided by private companies to protect Los Angeles County buildings is a joke. At least that's the picture painted by contract security officers who participated in a recent study conducted by labor leaders. Their training, they say, is deficient, equipment is sparse, and it ofte ... More >>

Shore Lovers' Last Stand at Mother's Beach

Marina del Rey's future is looking like L.A.: chain stores and towers

Los Angeles: Watch Your Vote Get Counted Live

L.A. CountyWatch your vote get counted live.​So you think your votes are being counted in smoke-filled backrooms by corrupt trolls? Wrong! They're counted faithfully in smoke-free backrooms by democracy-loving trolls. Don't believe us? Take a gander (after 8 p.m.) at the handy-dandy "LIVE ELE ... More >>

Los Angeles Commuters: Make Better Use Of Those Four Rubbery Things You're Driving On

New York TimesSay good-bye to your old tires.​ Want to do something good for the environment and clean out your garage-full of old tires at the same time? Now you can. Los Angeles County residents can turn in their discarded tires at the Free Tire Amnesty event happening this Saturday from ... More >>

Do Booze And Breast Cancer Awareness Mix? Not Really, Says L.A. Expert Deborah Anthony

​It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Los Angeles, and the alcohol companies are out in force making sure you "think pink" when it comes to supporting this particular cause. There's Chambord and its "Pink Your Drink" campaign. Sutter Home has a white zinfandel wrapped in a pink ribbon. And, ... More >>

Should Food Trucks Be Given Letter Grades? Stay Tuned...

Should food trucks be given health inspection letter grades? The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will meet next week to consider whether food trucks should be given the same health grades that Los Angeles County restaurants are currently given. Letter grading has been in effect for L.A. Coun ... More >>

Alois Nihswohl, L.A. Homicide No. 184: 84-Year-Old Man Found Dead In El Sereno

Google Maps​ An 84-year-old man found dead in his home in El Sereno September 1 has been identified as Alois Nihswohl. Nihswohl died from blunt force trauma, according to a report by the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

Would Your Kitchen Pass the Cleanliness Test?

Flickr/moriza​ Afraid of dirty restaurant kitchens? To paraphrase novelist Thomas Wolfe: Look homeward. The results of a two-year Web survey conducted by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health found that at least one in seven home kitchens would flunk the kind of inspections that ... More >>

Water-Quality Testing At California Beaches Down; Public Health At Risk?

Flickr via irene​ Health officials have reduced bacteria testing at California beaches, a move that has resulted in fewer closures, but one that could also be putting more beach-goers at greater risk when it comes to contaminated water, according to the Los Angeles Times. The number of annual ... More >>

Pot Shops: First Too Many, Now Too Few

​Updated, with information from the office of the city attorney. More problems with L.A.'s medical marijuana dispensary ordinance. After years of wrangling and foot-dragging, the city finally passed an ordinance to regulate the shops, with the expectation that it would shut down 400 of about 5 ... More >>

Crown Fire: Containment Of Palmdale Blaze Expected Today

​The Crown Fire in northern Los Angeles County that burned nearly 14,000 acres since it broke out Thursday afternoon was expected to be contained by late Monday, county fire officials said. About 2,460 structures near and in Palmdale had been threatened, they said. It was one of two fires tha ... More >>

Succulent Bear at the Natural History Museum "Age of Mammals" Gala

Check out this crazy amazing succulent bear. Holly Vesecky, floral artist, made it for the grand re-opening gala for Los Angeles County's Natural History Museum's Beaux Arts Building. The bear was the centerpiece at the new Age of Mammals exhibit. Vesecky runs her own innovative floral design busine ... More >>

Los Angeles Courts Burdened By Celebrity Cases

​Lindsay. Don Johnson. The "bling ring" of burglars that allegedly preyed on celebs' homes. The doctors of Anna Nicole Smith and Michael Jackson. Leif Garrett. Roman Polanski (in absentia). And more. All have been to Los Angeles County courts recently, and all have helped to stretch the resour ... More >>

Video Exclusive: Are L.A. County Probation Camps Abuse Instead of Rehab?

This week, reporter Sam Slovick takes an inside look at the scandal-ridden Los Angeles County juvenile-probation system in his article "Who Can Fix Camp Nobody?" Many involved abuse of incarcerated youth. And creepy videos have surfaced on YouTube of what appear to be organized fights allowed betwe ... More >>

Goldman Sachs Announces Initiative To Assist Los Angeles Small Businesses

​Goldman Sachs announced today a plan to provide $20 million in loans for small businesses in the Los Angeles area, offering educational opportunities and business support services as part of an initiative it calls "10,000 Small Businesses." "Los Angeles is home to many very talented small ... More >>

Parking: A Fine Mess

Fines jacked up by L.A. City Council send strapped Angelenos into community service

County, State, Stuck With More Of The Bill To Jail Illegal Immigrants

The County Inmate Reception Center.​The federal government, she is a fickle lover. And even in this time of stimulus, Los Angeles County is getting stuck with more of the bill to jail illegal immigrants who have been arrested locally. KPCC (89.3 FM) reports that the county will see $3 million ... More >>

Mt. Wilson Observatory Saved, Thanks to Firefighters: An Appreciation

UCLA​The 105-year-old Mount Wilson Observatory, which today was called "the birthplace of the expanding Universe" by Discover Magazine online, seemed on the verge of destruction just three days ago, evacuated of all personnel on Monday and surrounded by 25 firefighters who then had to flee as flam ... More >>

Station Fire Update: Killed L.A. firefighter's baby due

The Los Angeles County Fire Department released two sad biographies of the firefighters who were killed when a boiling wall of flames suddenly appeared near a remote road where they were driving. Their vehicle went over the side, plummeting 800 feet down a cliff. Arnie Quinones, horribly, is expecti ... More >>

County Parking Tickets to Jump

Taxes may not be going up during the rest of 2009, but those reliable tax surrogates, parking fines, are. At least in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, whose Board of Supervisors voted to up the ante on drivers who lose the foot race to their cars' expired meters to parking enforcement ... More >>

Up in Smoke: California's Pot Forests Cause for Alarm

It's long been a fear of state parks officials -- that California's already vulnerable, tinder-dry forests could be set ablaze through activities of pot growers who have penetrated deep into wilderness areas to cultivate weed. "It's a very big concern of ours," state parks spokesman Roy Stearns told ... More >>

L.A.'s State Parks & Beaches Admissions Climb

Starting Monday, August 17, entry fees to California's state parks and beaches will rise. The State Parks' Web site has a page showing the new admissions, as well as the old ones that were last posted April 1. Below is a sampling of Los Angeles County parks and beaches operated by the state, showing ... More >>

Underworld Posts Statement on Hard Fest Shut Down

Hard Summer 2009 headliners Underworld have posted a statement on their website regarding the events that led the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Inglewood Police to shut down the massive party. Underworld websiteThe Forum before last night's Hard Summer shutdown​ It reads, in part: ... More >>

Human Rights Watch: L.A. County has U.S.'s largest rape kit backlog

Los Angeles County has the largest rape kit backlog in the United States, according to a report released today by Human Rights Watch. More than 50 reporters, rape kit advocates, city workers and cops gathered today at a 40-minute press conference outside Los Angeles City Hall to hear the bleak ne ... More >>

Prolonged Battle over Proposition 8

It looks like the gay marriage ban won, but activists could upend the victory

Air Inferiority

Is “Run!” the new strategy against firestorms on California's urban fringe?

LA Vida

A New Umpire

Reforming the state’s three-strikes law

Pulling the Plug

The long, sad road to King-Drew

Exposing L.A. Secrets

The right lawyer could make sure that L.A. County is run openly

Beaching the Cleanup Plan

How a one-man crusade to overturn pollution controls became a $1 million legal fight

Cheap L.A.

Other countries are more generous with home-care workers