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  • Fire Scorches Apartment Unit at the Santa Monica Shores So Tower

    Sarah Storkin, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Feb 14, 2019

    The greatest concentration of population anywhere in Santa Monica is the Santa Monica shores, at 2800 Nielson Way. Built in the 1970's the apartments start at around $5000 a month for two bedrooms. They can be double that with a view. Somehow a unit in the pricey South Tower caught fire Friday evening, February 8th 2019. At 7:15 p.m., the SMFD responded to the 14 floor tower, to investigate a fire alarm activation. When firefighters discovered smoke billowing from an...

  • California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation Programs Documented to be Total Failure

    Michele Hanisee, Assn Deputy DAs|Updated Feb 6, 2019

    You won't find much disagreement that it is good public policy to offer rehabilitation programs for inmates to increase the odds that they will be law-abiding citizens after they're released. Good intentions, however, are not enough. The success of rehabilitation programs depends on several factors. One is developing programs that are effective. Another is having processes in place to measure their effectiveness. Inmates must be placed in programs that best address their...

  • Mudslide Closes California Ramp in Santa Monica Tuesday Morning

    Samuel Alioto, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Jan 29, 2019

    A small mudslide onto the California Ramp has closed the road to traffic on Tuesday morning. The City sent out the following general e mail at 7 am Tuesday morning: "The City of Santa Monica is responding to a traffic hazard. The California decline between Ocean and Pacific Coast Highway will be closed for an unknown duration of time. Use alternative routes. The incline from Pacific Coast Highway to Ocean Avenue is not affected at this time."...

  • Tragic Stabbing in Sunset Park, say Santa Monica Police. Tranquil Neighborhood Stunned

    Samuel Alioto, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Jan 24, 2019

    Three members of one Santa Monica family were stabbed by another family member in their Sunset Park home on Thursday morning. Neighbors said the family's son had stabbed 3 other family members, killing his own mother. Thursday morning at about 6:23 AM, the Santa Monica Police Department responded to the 1200 block of Sunset Avenue regarding a 911 call with a male requesting assistance, , said Santa Monica Police Sergeant Roberto Villegas. Officers found three adults, two...

  • Innovative Third Street Promenade Can't Imagine Building a Ross Dress for Less There

    Alyssa Erdley, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Jan 18, 2019

    In response to our article of December 26, (In the Face of E-Commerce, Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade Struggles to Remain Relevant), we were contacted by Downtown Santa Monica, Inc., the public-private entity that manages the downtown, for a tour of the 3rd Street Promenade and a discussion of how it is and will remain relevant for the foreseeable future. We're always up for a tour, so last Friday I met with Kathleen Rawson, CEO of DTSM, Inc., and she schooled me about...

  • Trader Joes Applies for Alcohol Permit at New 23rd and Wilshire Location

    Dana Polk, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Jan 18, 2019

    Trader Joe's has pulled a permit to sell alcohol at a new location it intends to open at 23rd Street and Wilshire Blvd in Santa Monica. When the car wash at that location was torn down in May, the neighborhood was full or rumors that the national grocery chain would soon draw a ton of traffic to the already crowded intersection, by opening a new store. The rumor now appears to be correct, as a Notice of Application to Sell Alcoholic Beverages sign has appeared at that...

  • Men Really Can Chase Women in Santa Monica, Police Say. Even With Weapons

    Alyssa Erdley, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Jan 18, 2019
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    A news story in the SM Daily Press about the arrest of Alfonso Flores, 45, in the early hours of January 12 has sparked a firestorm on social media platforms Nextdoor and Facebook regarding actions taken by the Santa Monica Police Department. According to the news report, on January 12 in the early hours of the morning, a woman walked up to police officers at 3rd Street and Broadway and requested assistance regarding a man who'd been following her. The police discovered, upon...

  • Pedestrian Dragged 3 Blocks In Horrific Fatal Expo Line Accident Tuesday Morning

    Observer Staff|Updated Jan 17, 2019

    The 17th Street Expo line station was the scene of a fatal accident on Tuesday. Police have not yet identified the victim. It was unclear whether the pedestrian was chasing after the train, or just oblivious to it. The death was the latest in a string of mishaps involving Santa Monica train, but the first fatal accident since April 2017. Paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene about 8:30 a.m., said Ramon Montenegro of the Sheriff's Transit Services Bureau. The...

  • Top Ten Stories of 2018. Here's our take on the biggest local stories of 2018.

    Alyssa Erdley, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Jan 7, 2019

    For a relatively small metropolis, Santa Monica has more than its fair share of national headlines. We're the little city that can...make news. Here's our take on the biggest local stories of 2018. 1. Woolsey Fire (November) On November 8, a fire started in Woolsey Canyon in the Santa Susana Mountains. Driven by powerful Santa Ana winds, it swept quickly south and through much of northern Malibu. For two weeks, the fire burned through 97,000 acres, destroyed 1,643 structures,...

  • Judge Rules Santa Monica City Council Should be Elected by Districts

    Alyssa Erdley, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Jan 7, 2019

    A Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday that the City of Santa Monica should hold a special election and all future elections for council members by district rather than at large. The hearing regarding elections was held by the request of plaintiffs Maria Loyo and the Pico Neighborhood Association in order for Judge Yvette M. Palazuelos to clarify her tentative ruling from December 14. In that ruling, Palazuelos had decreed all future city council elections to be held by...

  • New Year's Day Power Outage In Santa Monica East of 11th St, North of California Ave

    Sarah Storkin, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Jan 3, 2019

    Update 8pm: power has been restored to affected areas of Santa Monica. A morning transformer explosion dimmed lights in Santa Monica North of California Avenue and East of 11th Street, residents reported. It occurred on New Years Day, a National holiday. Southern California Edison tweeted no statement concerning the outage. Calls to a recorded line said the power would be restored by Tuesday at 9 pm. One resident reportedly heard a transformer explode at at 10:27 am Tuesday,...

  • Two Guatemalan Children Died in ICE Custody of Influenza, Medical Records Reveal

    Samuel Alioto, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Dec 31, 2018

    Two children have died in ICE custody in a month, after crossing the border illegally with a parent. It appears that both children, a 7 year old girl and an 8 year old boy, died of a particularly virulent strain of Influenza. This according to hospital records released under the Freedom of Information Act. According to the latest World Health Organization data published in 2017 Influenza and Pneumonia Deaths in Guatemala reached 8,091 or 10.49% of total deaths. Influenza is...

  • In the Face of E-Commerce, Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade Struggles to Remain Relevant

    Alyssa Erdley, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Dec 25, 2018
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    While the exponential growth of e-commerce is shuttering storefronts across the nation, Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.(DTSM), the nonprofit organization that promotes Downtown Santa Monica, is determined to preserve the popularity of the Third Street Promenade. Thirty years ago, the brick-paved carless three blocks of stores and restaurants now known as the Third Street Promenade was a makeover itself. For decades before that, there had already been a pedestrian 'street' dotted...

  • Video: Watch as a Tsunami wipes out a Concert Stage on an Indonesian Beach

    Samuel Alioto, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Dec 25, 2018

    As a local pop band concludes a set, a wave lifts them into the audience, killing most of the band members and 222 others. While the Tsunami was only 4 feet high at the beach, it was enough to drag the band, its equipment and audience inland several hundred yards. The Tsunami occurred on Saturday night, and is believed to have been caused when a landslide, either underwater or above water, from the steep slopes of Mount Krakatau, slipped into the seas in the Sunda Straight...

  • Law Limiting medium-term Rentals: The Latest Battle in Santa Monica's War on AirBNB

    Alyssa Erdley, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Dec 25, 2018

    In an effort to preserve true, rent-controlled housing, the Santa Monica City Council directed staff on Tuesday, December 18, to draft a law that would restrict the ability to sublet units to corporations or for periods less than a year. Currently, Santa Monica only allows AirBnB-type rentals if the owner of the unit is present during the visitor's stay and only for visits of less than 31 days. To date, the city has no legislation that bars tenants from subletting units for mo...

  • Major Water Main Break Floods Wilshire Blvd & Masselin Street in Los Angeles Miracle Mile

    Stan Greene, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Dec 23, 2018

    A major water main break at Wilshire Boulevard and Masselin flooded streets in mid Wilshire Thursday morning at 10 AM. LAFD units responded and blocked off the street, but then departed. This is the 5700 block of Wilshire Blvd, which has been called LA's main street. Los Angeles' aging infrastructure, strained by massive construction in recent years, often produces water main breaks. The amount of water was annoying and disrupted traffic. However, it could not compare to the...

  • 12 Story Building Proposed for 4th Street and Arizona Goes to Planning Commission

    Alyssa Erdley, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Dec 20, 2018
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    A draft environmental impact report has been released for a controversial mixed-use project proposed for the corner of 4th Street and Arizona Avenue in downtown Santa Monica. The project is somewhat scaled back from its original conception where it would have risen to 148 feet in height. This version reaches 129 feet (12 stories) at its highest, which would be along a new east-west alley in the middle of the block. Many residents oppose the project, located on city-owned...

  • Venice Homeless Shelter Approved. 154 Beds for temp shelter

    Sarah Storkin, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Dec 15, 2018

    On Tuesday, 12/11/18, the Los Angeles City Council voted to construct a temporary homeless shelter on a former Metro bus yard located at Sunset and Pacific Avenues, blocks from the beach. Designated a temporary shelter, it will open next year. Funding will come from Mayor Eric Garcetti's A Bridge Home initiative. In April, Mayor Garcetti announced the initiative he called A Bridge Home. The idea was to see the creation of temporary homeless shelters in each of the city's 15 co...

  • Abbot Kinney Sushi Bar Wabi Venice Destroyed in Early Morning Fire Wednesday

    Rebecca Brando, Brando PR|Updated Dec 14, 2018

    Abbot Kinney sushi bar, Wabi Venice , has been destroyed by an early morning fire occurring on December 12th, 2018. First responders arrived at 1635 Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice at around 5 a.m. It took an hour for the Los Angeles Fire Department to extinguish the blaze, Wabi GM, Brent Moon, who was on scene said. The cause of the fire remains unconfirmed and there were no injuries. "Unfortunately, very little remains of the upscale sushi restaurant. Wabi Venice, known...

  • Gleam Davis Elected New Santa Monica Mayor

    David Ganezer, Observer Publisher|Updated Dec 13, 2018

    In an action about as surprising as 25 SM Paramedics and firemen rushing to rescue a homeless guy sleeping on the corner of 7th and Arizona, Gleam Davis was elected Santa Monica Mayor. The Harvard Law School graduate is corporate counsel for AT&T and has sat on the council since taking Herb Katz' seat in 2009. Katz died that year. "Serving the community is an honor and wonderful opportunity to elevate Santa Monicans priorities during an exciting time in the City's history. We...

  • LAPD Arrests Big Blue Bus Transit Superintendent Jamieson on Child Pornography Charges

    Sarah Storkin, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Dec 13, 2018

    Less than two months after the arrest of Eric Uller, a systems analyst with the Information Services Department, for lewd and lascivious acts with a minor, another city-related employee has been arrested for crimes against children. Transit Operations Superintendent Larry Jamieson of Big Blue Bus was arrested on Monday by the Los Angeles Police Department for alleged possession of child pornography. The news of Jamieson's arrest was posted on the Residocracy Facebook page via...

  • New York Police Seek Motivation In Mysterious Death of Google Engineer Found Unconscious

    Stan Greene, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Dec 8, 2018

    Scott Krulcik was found unresponsive in Google's Chelsea headquarters at 9 pm Saturday night. A janitor found him unconscious at his computer desk. The janitor called emergency medical technicians from the NYFD, who were unable to revive Krulcik. He has no history of drug abuse or suicide, and had only recently begun to work for Google at their Chelsea location. Police are examining his social media posts, as they do in such cases. On October 27, 2018, a gunman entered the...

  • Mountain Lion P-64 Survives the Woolsey Fire, But Dies from Burns on his Paws

    Kate Kuykendahl|Updated Dec 8, 2018

    THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Earlier this week, National Park Service (NPS) researchers discovered the remains of P-64, a male mountain lion who survived the flames of the Woolsey Fire, but died a few weeks afterwards. Although the cause of death is not known at this time, P-64's paws were visibly burned. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will conduct a necropsy. "P-64 was a fascinating cat to study because he crossed our notoriously deadly freeways dozens of times,"...

  • Lawsuit over Party Bus Shooting Near SM Pier, Alleges Failure to Provide Security

    Sarah Storkin, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Dec 2, 2018

    An early-morning shooting between two party buses near the Santa Monica Pier last year resulted in the death of 28-year-old De'Ommie de la Cruz. Now her friends and relatives are suing the city and the bus company for negligence they say contributed to her demise. De'Ommie de la Cruz was on the Lion Limousine Corp. bus on November 3, 2017 in order to celebrate the birthday of a friend. When the passengers asked for a bathroom break just before 1 a.m., the driver pulled over in...

  • As Hanukkah begins, Debate Over Oldest Depiction of Menorah Intensifies

    Stan Greene, Observer Staff Writer|Updated Dec 2, 2018

    What is Hannukah? Imagine if your cellphone was at 10%, but lasted for 8 days. Now you understand Hannukah, says a new T Shirt that explains the Jewish holiday. Yes, but how did the Menorah get nine branches, when Deuteronomy specifies just 7 branches? Early Menorahs apparently had just 7 branches. Today they have nine. No one is certain precisely when and how this evolution took place. Take for example, the Arch of Titus, which has a 7 branch Menorah looted from the Ancient...

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