U2 rocker the Edge sues coastal panel over Malibu project

 

U2 guitarist the Edge, whose real name is David Evans, and three other Malibu property owners filed separate lawsuits Friday seeking to set aside the California Coastal Commission's denial of their applications to build ridge-top homes above Malibu.

The plaintiffs, who own four adjacent parcels of land zoned for residential development in the unincorporated Sweetwater Mesa area, allege that the coastal panel's June 16 denial represented an unconstitutional taking of property without just compensation. (Another owner withdrew an application for a fifth home at the site just before the panel's vote and did not file suit.)

The action "denied [the owners] any economically viable use of their properties and will establish a sweeping new basis for denying other landowners the ability to use their properties in California," the landowners said in a statement.

Despite the Edge's assertion that the homes would meet the highest environmental standards and would be designed to minimize effects on views and natural resources, the project has sparked intense controversy. Critics say the project would destroy sensitive habitat and pave the way for more development.

Among other contentions, the owners say the commission's staff incorrectly claimed that the properties were under common ownership and therefore had to be considered as a single project. The suits assert that the properties are under separate ownership. Coastal commissioners stated at the June 16 hearing that the Edge had initially talked to them about his dreams for a sustainable, unified development.

RELATED:

Coastal Commission rejects U2 guitarist's Malibu development plan

Steve Lopez: U2's The Edge says he's an environmentalist, but he still wants to pave over paradise

State agency drops opposition to U2 guitarist's Malibu project in exchange for $1 million, services

 --Martha Groves

 Photo: The Edge performs at New Meadowlands Stadium on July 20, 2011. Credit: Getty Images

Police seek at least 3 suspects in Westside robberies

Los Angeles police are looking for three or more suspects involved in at least three store robberies over the last few days in West Los Angeles.

Robbery detectives say the suspects typically enter the businesses wearing black ski masks and gloves. In one case, a second suspect wore a white jacket and blue jeans. Witnesses have seen the suspects flee in a white or dark-colored four-door car.

All three robberies have occurred in the Palms area.

Based on eyewitness accounts, police have described the suspects as three black males, all between 18 to 25 years of age, weighing between 160 to 180 pounds and 5 feet 10 inches tall.

In the most recent robbery, which occurred Wednesday about 9:45 p.m. at Trader Joe's at National Boulevard and Midvale Avenue, all three masked suspects entered the store wearing shirts with "Security" written on the back. They were also armed with handguns, according to a police statement.

One suspect pointed a handgun at the manager, who was counting money behind a podium. The other suspects grabbed money from the cashiers, then all three fled in a dark-colored vehicle parked in the store's parking lot.

The second robbery occurred Aug. 9 about 8:50 p.m. at the Overland Liquor Store at Overland Avenue and Charnock Road. One suspect wore the same outfit as in the Trader Joe's robbery and was armed with a revolver. A second suspect is seen on a surveillance video wearing a white jacket, blue jeans and white gloves.

The suspects fled south on Overland Avenue to Charnock Road and got into a white, four-door, unknown model car with a sunroof.

The first robbery occurred Aug. 6 about 8:20 p.m. at Bob's Market at 1000 National Boulevard.

Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to call Pacific Area detectives at (310) 482-6392 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. Callers may remain anonymous.

ALSO:

BART admits interrupting cellphone service during protest

Expert disputes Dodgers' view of lawsuit by Bryan Stow's children

Former Hells Angels leader charged in firebombing of tattoo shops

-- Ruben Vives

16 arrested in prostitution sting in Castaic

In an ongoing effort to address the prostitution problem in Castaic, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has conducted a second "john" sting and prostitution sweep around a high-traffic trucking area.

At least 16 men were arrested in Thursday's sweep, according to a statement released Friday by the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station. The sting was conducted to address complaints about prostitution along Castaic Road, a popular spot for truck traffic, according to authorities.

Most of the men were arrested on suspicion of soliciting prostitution and loitering with the intent to commit prostitution. At least one man was wanted by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement, while another was wanted for a Los Angeles County probation violation. A third man was cited for a misdemeanor narcotics warrant. One man was taken into custody on suspicion of felony possession of a controlled substance, the statement said.

In the previous sweep conducted in February, 18 people were arrested.

Of those, 14 were men held on suspicion of soliciting prostitution; two were women held on suspicion of loitering with the purpose of prostitution; and two were men held on suspicion of interfering with a peace officer. One of the men arrested was also accused of sexual battery.

The sweep was conducted by the Sheriff's Department's Major Crimes Bureau with assistance from members of the Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS, an outreach program adopted in 1999 by the department to address community issues.

Authorities plan to conduct more operations to "deter this type of activity," the statement said.

ALSO:

BART admits interrupting cellphone service during protest

Motorist fleeing nightclub patrons apparently kills pedestrian

Expert disputes Dodgers' view of lawsuit by Bryan Stow's children

-- Ruben Vives

3 held on marijuana smuggling charges

Three Mexican nationals were arrested south of San Onofre State Beach as they attempted to sneak 741 pounds of marijuana into the U.S., authorities said, another example of the illicit trend of smuggling by sea.

The three were spotted in a panga-style boat by the U.S. Border Patrol, Oceanside Harbor Patrol and a helicopter from Customs and Border Protection. Aboard the boat were 32 bundles of marijuana worth an estimated $444,6000, officials said.

The arrests were made Thursday near Red Beach, where Marines learn the kinetic art of amphibious assault. To the chagrin of the Marine Corps, the beaches of Camp Pendleton have become a favorite landing spot for smugglers of illegal immigrants and drugs.

Last year, 867 illegal immigrants and smugglers were arrested either along the California coast or at sea, more than double the number in 2009.

While northern San Diego County and southern Orange County are the most common spots, an empty 30-foot motorboat was discovered in March off Malibu. Officials believe it was used to transport either illegal immigrants or drugs.

In June, three men were arrested after being spotted by California National Guard troops traveling in a boat without lights near San Onofre State Beach. In their boat was 1,543 pounds of marijuana worth nearly $1 million, officials said.

The smuggling of illegal immigrants is both lucrative and, for the immigrants, risky.

Officials say that tiny boats are often crammed with up to 25 people, some paying as much as $6,000 each, many not wearing life vests. Last year two suspected illegal immigrants drowned when their boat capsized near Torrey Pines State Beach. The boat was designed for 10 people but was packed with more than twice that number, officials said.

The California coastline is not the only place where smugglers are using boats, officials said. On Tuesday, Border Patrol agents from McAllen, Texas, confiscated more than 2,400 pounds of marijuana from three vehicles and a metal boat beside the Rio Grande River.

While the sea smuggling may be the newest trend, old-fashioned overland smuggling is still practiced. Underground, too.

On Friday, the Mexican army announced that it had discovered an unfinished drug tunnel that was apparently meant to stretch from Tijuana into the U.S. The tunnel was 328 yards long and hidden beneath a house under construction. In November, a 600-meter tunnel was discovered.

This time, the smugglers apparently were hoping for better luck. An altar to the “Santa Muerte,” an icon said to be worshiped by drug smugglers, was found in the house.

It didn’t work. Ten people were arrested by Mexican authorities.

ALSO:

Simi Valley teens arrested in Las Vegas bomb-threat plot

Motorist fleeing nightclub patrons apparently kills pedestrian

Fullerton to hire veteran watchdog to review Police Department

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: San Onofre State Beach is a popular landing spot for smugglers. Credit: Los Angeles Times

Man sentenced in machete attack on roommates

A Lawndale man was sentenced Friday to 27 years to life in prison for last year's machete attack on his two roommates that left one dead and the other seriously injured.

Carlos Arias Donis, 26, was convicted last month on one count each of second-degree murder, attempted murder and aggravated mayhem with a special allegation of causing great bodily injury, Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Donald Syn said in a statement.

Shortly before 1 a.m. on Aug. 25, 2010, Donis attacked two of his roommates with a machete in their residence in the 15300 block of Larch Avenue. The attacks left Fernando Garcia, 23, dead at the scene. The second roommate suffered serious head injuries.

Deputies arrested Donis, who worked as a gardener, as he attempted to flee the scene.

ALSO:

Teen hiker is latest to die after Yosemite fall

U2 rocker the Edge sues coastal panel over Malibu project

Former Hells Angels leader charged in firebombing of tattoo shops

-- Ruben Vives

Double standard for Fullerton officers to see video, lawyer says

An attorney for Kelly Thomas' parents questioned Friday how the department could let the six officers involved in the deadly encounter with the homeless man watch of a video of the violence when authorities won't release it publicly because they fear it will taint witnesses.

Fullerton's acting police chief, Kevin Hamilton, acknowledged this week to The Times that the department had allowed officers involved in the altercation with Thomas to watch a video of the incident before writing their reports about it. Hamilton said supervisors allowed the review so that the officers would have a chance to refresh their memory and write an accurate account.

"They don’t want to taint witnesses' testimony and yet they don’t seem to have problems with allowing those same tapes to taint the officers' testimony and witnessing of events," said Garo Mardorissian, an attorney for Ron and Cathy Thomas. The attorney filed a legal claim against the city Wednesday alleging the officers beat Kelly Thomas to death.

Fullerton's action is at odds with the way many other police departments deal with serious use-of-force cases. The LAPD's former inspector general, Jeffrey Eglash, said that allowing police to look at video before giving evidence is a "bad practice."

Photos: Fullerton residents protest death

"You want each person's recollection. I would look at the videotape like another witness," he said. "It allows the officers to conform their statements to other evidence rather than getting their independent witness recollection. It is not a practice that advances the truth-seeking."

LAPD's practice is to not allow officers to review videos unless authorized by internal affairs, but the department allows an exception for footage from in-car video cameras.

Hamilton said there was no hidden agenda in allowing the officers to see the video.

"Sometimes audiotapes or videotapes can refresh an officer's memory to what happened and then they can write about it," he said. "The videotapes were not shown to the officers in an effort to flavor anything."

He added: “The reason we do that is that we want an accurate accounting in the police reports.”

Hamilton acknowledged Friday, however, that had the department known the officers might become suspects in a criminal investigation, they might have reconsidered the stance.

“In the rearview, with 20-20 hindsight, would we have changed some things? Maybe,” he said. “But in the initial phase in the investigation, are we thinking that we’re going to be looking at criminal charges of our officers in every case where there’s use of force? If that were the case, an officer would never review a videotape when there’s use of force, never review an audiotape when there’s use of force.”

The deadly incident occurred July 5 while officers were investigating reports of someone trying to break into cars at a downtown Fullerton transit center.

The officers tried to search Thomas' backpack, then the encounter escalated after Thomas ran. Witnesses said officers beat and kicked Thomas and used a Taser on him multiple times. He died five days later after being removed from life support.

Mardorissian, the lawyer for the Thomases, said the officers brutal beat Kelly Thomas while he was subdued. He said that though six officers are involved, he does not believe they all took part in the alleged assault.

"We do believe that there at least three" involved, he said. "We are hoping one or two of these officers will come forward and break code of silence ... and tell us why they continued to beat Kelly Thomas after he was completely motionless."

Hamilton, however, said he has seen the video and it shows a struggle between the officers and Kelly Thomas, a 37-year-old man with a history of mental illness.

The circumstances surrounding Thomas' death are already under criminal investigation by the FBI and Orange County district attorney's office.

The Fullerton City Council on Friday directed its attorney to draw up a contract to hire a police watchdog to review department policies and conduct an independent review of Kelly Thomas' death. The contract with Michael Gennaco is expected to be approved next week.

Gennaco oversees Los Angeles County's Office of Independent Review and daily scrutinizes the L.A. County Sheriff's Department's actions.

The council's decision came after a closed-door meeting to discuss the incident and its impact on the city.

 Photos: Fullerton residents protest death of homeless man

Also Friday, local blogger Tony Bushala submitted paperwork to the city clerk to begin a recall petition against Mayor F. Richard Jones and City Council members Pat McKinley and Don Bankhead. The three, along with Police Chief Michael Sellers, who has gone on medical leave, have come under fire for their silence on the Thomas case.

"The best department in this country could improve, and that's what we're looking to do," Gennaco said. "I can't tell you, because I don't know, where Fullerton falls on the range."

ALSO:

 -- Richard Winton and Abby Sewell

Photo: Kelly Thomas. Credit: Thomas family

 

Hate crimes against Latinos up 50% in California

The number of hate crimes reported in California held steady in 2010, although such violence against Latinos increased nearly 50%, according to a report issued this week by the state attorney general’s office.

In 2010, 1,107 hate crimes were reported throughout the state, compared with 1,100 in 2009. There were 119 hate crimes against Latinos reported to authorities, compared with 81 the year before.

In comparison, hate crimes against Jews, gays and lesbians and African Americans all dropped in 2010, according to the report, which was put together using data collection methods developed by the state Department of Justice and law enforcement agencies in all 58 counties.

“A crime that is motivated by hate is a crime against all people,” said Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris in a written statement on the release of “Hate Crime in California 2010.” “We will monitor and prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law.”

ALSO:

Dodgers usher took foul ball from boy as joke, team says

Fullerton to hire veteran watchdog to review Police Department

Jani Lane: Investigators probe why former Warrant singer was at motel room

-- Maria L. LaGanga in San Francisco

Reader photos: Southern California Moments, Day 224

 

Desert scene: On a boring day in February, Adriaan Kirchner dragged props out to Lancaster for a photo shoot.

Every day of 2011, we're featuring reader-submitted photos of Southern California Moments. Follow us on Twitter and visit the Southern California Moments homepage for more on this series.

Motorist fleeing nightclub patrons apparently kills pedestrian

A man fleeing “a large group of patrons” from inside a Victorville nightclub early Friday morning apparently hit and killed a 29-year-old woman when he jumped in his car and sped out of the parking lot, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

The victim, Damisha Ford of Victorville, was transported to the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, where she died of her injuries, authorities said.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a disturbance at Teaser’s Night Club on Seventh Street in Victorville at 12:42 a.m. The suspect had run out of the bar, pursued by a large group of patrons, and quickly got into his 2009 Dodge Charger, according to a statement released by the Sheriff’s Department.

As he tried to leave, two other cars blocked his path and people from the bar began to throw bottles at his vehicle and jump on top of it, authorities said. The suspect then accelerated quickly in reverse, hitting the victim.

A bar security guard fired several shots at the car, striking it several times. The Dodge Charger was found by deputies several blocks away, abandoned and disabled. Deputies said that the registered owner of the car was not the driver, and investigators still are trying to identify the suspect.

ALSO:

Dodgers usher took foul ball from boy as joke, team says

Fullerton to hire veteran watchdog to review Police Department

Jani Lane: Investigators probe why former Warrant singer was at motel room

--Phil Willon

Life sentence handed down in rape, murder of 23-year-old man

 
A 40-year-old San Diego man was sentenced Friday to life in prison without parole for the murder and rape of a 23-year-old man from Huntington Beach.

Testimony during the San Diego County Superior Court trial of Philong Huynh indicated that he victimized straight young men, plied them with alcohol, and then sexually attacked them.

A jury last month convicted him in the 2008 murder of Dane Williams, who was in San Diego for a sports retailing convention. His body was found wrapped in a blanket near Huynh's apartment.

ALSO:

McCourt attorneys: Bryan Stow's children cannot sue Dodgers

Fullerton City Council holds closed-door session on homeless man's death

Jani Lane: Investigators probe why former Warrant singer was at motel room

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Dane Williams (left) and Philong Huynh. Credit: Fox 5 San Diego

 

Fullerton to hire veteran watchdog to review Police Department

The Fullerton City Council on Friday directed its attorney to draw up a contract to hire a police watchdog to review its embattled Police Department in the wake of a homeless man's deadly encounter with six officers.

The council is expected to approve the contract next week with Michael Gennaco to conduct an independent review of Kelly Thomas' death. Gennaco oversees Los Angeles County's Office of Independent Review and daily scrutinizes the L.A. County Sheriff's Department's actions.

The council's decision came after a closed-door meeting to discuss Kelly Thomas' death and its impact on the city. In the last week, Police Chief Michael Sellers has taken a medical leave and Thomas' parents have filed a claim against the city, alleging police brutality.

 Photos: Fullerton residents protest death of homeless man

Also on Friday, local blogger Tony Bushala submitted paperwork to the City Clerk to begin a recall petition against petition against Mayor F. Richard Jones and City Council members Pat McKinley and Don Bankhead. The three, along with Sellers, have come under fire for their silence on the Thomas case.

"The best department in this country could improve, and that's what we're looking to do," Gennaco said. "I can't tell you, because I don't know, where Fullerton falls on the range." He estimated the contract would run from $50,000 to $70,000.

Simi Valley teens arrested in Las Vegas bomb-threat plot

Two Simi Valley teenagers have been arrested for threatening to blow up numerous Las Vegas hotels and casinos if the operators failed to come up with protection money, authorities said Friday.

Zachary Jackson, 18, and a 16-year-old friend were allegedly involved in making the calls, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. In Las Vegas, people who fielded the threats said it sounded as if the caller were trying to disguise his voice.

Counterterrorism investigators from the Las Vegas Police Department traced the calls to Simi Valley, despite what officials described as “sophisticated devices” intended to hide the calls’ source, authorities said.

Investigators in Las Vegas will examine the devices in a search for additional possible victims.

Jackson was booked into Ventura County Jail on suspicion of making false bomb threats and attempted extortion. It was not immediately clear if the younger suspect remains in custody.

ALSO:

Jani Lane: Autopsy planned on Warrant band member

Alex Trebek suspect says punishment doesn't fit crime

L.A. City Council to consider measure to privatize zoo management

-- Steve Chawkins

Photo: Las Vegas strip. Credit: Los Angeles Times

710 Freeway to close again this weekend

Another weekend, another closure on the 710 Freeway.

A six-mile stretch of the freeway will shut down again this weekend from Bell to Downey as workers repair old pavement, the second weekend out of 10 that the freeway will close for construction.

The mix of full- and partial-freeway closures between Atlantic Boulevard and the 105 Freeway connector begins at midnight Friday and will last until Monday at 5 a.m.

Between midnight Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday, the freeway will be entirely closed in both directions as workers install movable median barriers to guide traffic throughout the weekend. The northbound side of the freeway will open at 6 a.m. Saturday as crews work on the southbound lanes.

Another full freeway closure will begin on Sunday at 11 p.m. and will remain in place until the freeway is fully opened in time for Monday morning traffic at 5 a.m.

Jani Lane: Investigators probe why former Warrant singer was at motel room

Authorities on Friday were trying to determine why Jani Lane, former lead singer of the 1980s glam-band Warrant, was at a Woodland Hills motel when he died Thursday.

Lane has a home in the South Bay, so it is unclear exactly why he was at the Ventura Boulevard motel, according to law enforcement sources familiar with the case. Alcohol and prescription drugs were found in the motel room, the sources said, but there was no indication he took intentionally took his own life.

An autopsy will determine how the 47-year-old Redondo Beach resident died, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner. Lane's body was found about 5:30 p.m. Thursday in a room at a Comfort Inn in the 20100 block of Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills.

“He was discovered unresponsive," said Coroner's Deputy Chief Ed Winter.

 Lane, born John Oswald, was pronounced dead by fire department paramedics.

Warrant's two first albums -- "Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich" in 1989 and "Cherry Pie" in 1990 -- sold more than 2 million copies each.

The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because the case is still under investigation.

ALSO:

Jani Lane: Autopsy planned on Warrant band member

Alex Trebek suspect says punishment doesn't fit crime

L.A. City Council to consider measure to privatize zoo management

-- Richard Winton

Photo: Former Warrant singer Jani Lane performs in Las Vegas in 2005. Credit: Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Man fatally shot, woman wounded in Lake Balboa area

A man was fatally shot and a woman critically wounded in the Lake Balboa area Thursday evening, and Los Angeles police detectives are continuing to search for suspects in the shootings.

West Valley Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to an assault call in the 7900 block of White Oak Avenue Thursday about 7:20 p.m. and discovered the body of Hector Elio Espinoza, 19, of Northridge.  Espinoza had been shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 26-year-old woman with a gunshot wound to her upper body was also found seated in a parked car nearby at White Oak Avenue north of Stagg Street. Paramedics rushed her to a hospital, where she is listed in critical condition. Detectives have not released her name.

Homicide detectives have not determined a motive for the shootings and no weapons were recovered at the scene.

Police are asking the public with information to contact them at (818) 374-7720. After hours or weekends, call (877) 527-3247.

ALSO:

Jani Lane: Autopsy planned on Warrant band member

Alex Trebek suspect says punishment doesn't fit crime

L.A. City Council to consider measure to privatize zoo management

-- Richard Winton

Twitter/lacrimes

Image: Map shows location of Thursday's shooting in purple, as well as 13 other homicides (in red) since January 2007. Credit: Homicide Report

Burbank moves closer to plastic bag ban

The Burbank City Council this week agreed to move forward with a plastic bag ban that will likely start with large grocery stores.

The draft ordinance will be based largely on the ban currently in place for unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, where since July 1 larger supermarkets and pharmacies have also been required to charge 10 cents each for paper bags, the Burbank Leader reported.

"I don't think most residents will see this as a big crimp when they shop," Councilwoman Emily Gabel-Luddy said.

Not everyone on the dais was convinced, with some speakers at the meeting decrying what they said was another example of government overreach. They already said they use the plastic bags for more than just taking home groceries.

Even Councilman Gary Bric, who owns a restaurant, said he was concerned he might be blamed if customers eventually have to bring in reusable bags for takeout.

But his colleagues on the council said public feedback on a possible ban had been overwhelmingly positive.

"The emails I get are 10 to 1 in support," Gabel-Luddy said, adding that the majority of people she had spoken to were already using canvas or other reusable bags.

Kreigh Hampel, recycling coordinator for the city, said his job gives him a front-row seat to how many plastic bags are used in the city.

"When you talk about plastic bags, about 500 to 600 bags are used per person, per year, according to Los Angeles County," Hampel said. "If there are 110,000 people in Burbank, and they use 550 bags, that's 60.5 million bags."

ALSO:

L.A. City Council to consider measure to privatize zoo management

Jani Lane: Alcohol, prescription drugs in motel room where he died

Newspaper publisher retaliated against former reporters, board rules

-- Maria Hsin, Times Community News

Photo: Burbank may join the growing number of cities that bans plastic bags. This Ralphs in Malibu encourages shoppers to bring reusable bags. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

Man shot to death in car in Jefferson Park

Police responding to a report of a traffic accident early Friday found a man shot to death in a vehicle in Jefferson Park.

Police discovered the victim in the car about 5 a.m. in the 2700 block of Exposition Place, authorities said.

The man was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, said Los Angeles Police Officer Greg Baek.

The investigation is continuing.

ALSO:

Dodgers usher took foul ball from boy as joke

Newport Beach’s Balboa carousel for sale on EBay

Bell ex-police chief's pension cut by more than $100,000 a year

-- Richard Winton

Twitter.com/lacrimes

 

Deactivated meters mean free parking in downtown Glendale

The parking meters remain in downtown Glendale, but for a while, at least, the spaces they guard will be available for free.

The city deactivated its network of electronic parking meters in downtown Thursday after receiving complaints from motorists who said they had been erroneously ticketed, the Glendale News-Press reported.

The meters –- on Brand Boulevard and in select parking lots -– were covered and signs were posted informing motorists that they are out of service. Parking at electronically metered spots is free during repairs, which are expected to take three to five weeks, city spokesman Tom Lorenz said.

Time limits will be enforced manually with the marking of vehicle tires, he added.

The move came after city officials discovered occasional delays in the wireless communication signal between the electronic meters and hand-held receivers used by parking attendants. Motorists paid to park, but the attendants were not always getting the real-time information, Lorenz said.

The meters will be upgraded and tested before being reactivated for service sometime next month, he said.

Officials said they have received a limited number of complaints, but felt it was a good time to review and update the system. If anyone wants to dispute a ticket, they should contact the city's parking enforcement supervisor, officials said.

The electronic meters on Brand Boulevard stretch between Colorado and Doran streets.

ALSO:

Alex Trebek suspect says punishment doesn't fit crime

Beverly Hills police blow up screenwriter's laptop, script

Carson spends money on signs to change order of officials' names

-- Megan O'Neil, Times Community News

Photo: Raul Hernandez from the Glendale Maintenance Department blocks out the "pay" notice for parking spots on the 300 block of North Brand Boulevard in Glendale on Thursday. Credit: Raul Roa / Glendale News-Press

The Sandwich Gets a Makeover

“Too few people understand a really good sandwich,” once declared James Beard, the famed American chef and food writer.

This week, the lowly sandwich gets a makeover from Martha Rose Shulman, who offers combinations of sardines, smoked trout, salmon, goat cheese, roasted peppers, Greek salad and tofu to create delicious and portable sandwiches that make for a satisfying meal.

Smoked Trout Salad, Cucumber and Roasted Pepper Sandwich: Packed in oil, smoked trout lends itself to a mixture a bit like tuna salad.

Greek Salad Sandwich: A Greek salad on a bun makes a satisfying meal.

Marinated Tofu Sandwich With Asian Greens: Use the leftover marinade to make another meal.

Smoked Salmon Sandwich With Goat Cheese:A goat cream cheese inspired this sandwich.

Spinach and Sardine Sandwich: This creation uses the classic Mediterranean combination of sardines and spinach.

Jani Lane: Autopsy planned on Warrant band member

The L.A. County Coroner's office is planning an autopsy on Jani Lane, former lead singer of the 1980s glam-band Warrant, who was found dead Thursday evening in Woodland Hills.

Lane's body was found at a Comfort Inn in the 20100 block of Ventura Boulevard about 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Los Angeles police said.

Lane, born John Oswald, “was discovered unresponsive" in a room at the hotel, said Coroner's Deputy Chief Ed Winter. He was pronounced dead at the scene by fire department paramedics.

The autopsy will be done to determine the cause of death.

Warrant's two first albums -- "Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich" in 1989 and "Cherry Pie" in 1990 -- sold more than 2 million copies each, achieving double-platinum status.

ALSO:

Dodgers usher took foul ball from boy as joke, team says

Fullerton police chief not expected to return, mayor says

Alex Trebek burglary suspect is a prostitute, not a thief, attorney says

-- Robert J. Lopez and Richard Winton

twitter.com/LAJourno

Photo: Jani Lane, third from left, with other members of Warrant in 1988. Credit: John Scarpati

Crime alerts for Winnetka, Fairfax and nine other L.A. neighborhoods

Crime reports are up significantly for the latest week in 11 L.A. neighborhoods, according to an analysis of LAPD data by the Los Angeles Times’ Crime L.A. database.

Seven neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Winnetka (A) was the most unusual, recording seven reports compared with a weekly average of 2.2 over the last three months.

Fairfax (F) topped the list of six neighborhoods with property crime alerts. It recorded 20 property crimes compared with its weekly average of 12.6 over the last three months.

Two neighborhoods triggered alerts for both violent and property crime.

Alerts are based on an analysis of crime reports for July 31–Aug. 6, the most recent seven days for which data are available.

— Ben Welsh, Thomas Suh Lauder

L.A. City Council to consider measure to privatize zoo management

The Los Angeles City Council on Friday will take up a proposal to possibly turn over management of the Los Angeles Zoo to a private operator.

The measure calls for the city to begin soliciting proposals from prospective operators. It also asks city analysts to explore an alternative to privatization to see whether there are changes that can be made that would save money while keeping the zoo under city control.

Los Angeles officials started looking at the possibility of privatizing the zoo two years ago, in the midst of the recession, when Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa asked staff to reevaluate the city’s core services.

The zoo and botanical gardens, which the city opened 45 years ago, have faced budget cuts and staff reductions in recent years, and Chief Administrative Officer Miguel Santana has warned that the zoo could face more cutbacks in the future, and even possible closure, unless a private operator steps in. Santana says privatizing management of the zoo would save nearly $20 million over the next five years.

Opponents of the plan include the union that represents zoo workers, as well as some animal welfare activists. They worry that a zoo not managed by the city might be less transparent when it comes to animal welfare.

The zoo proposal is part of a larger effort by budget officials to turn over some city functions to private companies and nonprofits. They are also considering proposals to privatize the Los Angeles Convention Center, several arts facilities and an animal shelter.

On Friday, the council will also consider a proposal to turn over management of a Northeast Animal Care Center to a nonprofit, Best Friends Animal Society.

Under the proposal, Best Friends Animal Society would take over operations at the Mission Hills shelter. Currently, no animals are housed at the shelter, due to staffing cutbacks.

Related:

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/28/local/la-me-0728-zoo-private-20110728

 http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/07/la-zoo-privatize-controversey.html

--Kate Linthicum

Do Patients Have the Toughest Job in Medicine?

The physician blogger known as Dr. D, from the “Ask an M.D.” blog, writes about doctor and patient issues “from the doctor side of the equation,” as he puts it. But after recently suffering a severe leg break, he wrote about medical care from the patient’s point of view.

His conclusion: Being the patient is the hardest job in medicine.

We doctors think we have difficult work. We have to slave our asses off for years in school. We are expected to be perfect and heroic while working with huge uncertainty. We try to protect your health, comfort and life, while you patients just lay back and get taken care of.

Lying here isn’t as relaxing as overworked docs think it is.

Just a few days as a hospital patient cleared my mind of any misconceptions. Abject helplessness combined with severe pain trumps everything. And helplessness is far worse than pain. Dr. D had never done anything as a doctor that caused more stress than allowing myself to be put to sleep for a major operation with a surgeon I had only spoken to for 30 seconds.

Being a patient also gave Dr. D insights into how patients describe pain, taking narcotics and doctors with poor communication skills. Go to the KevinMD blog to read the full column, “What This Doctor Learned When He Was a Patient,” and then please join the discussion below.

Arthritis and the Exercise Gap

Exercise can help ease joint pain and stiffness for arthritis sufferers. But despite urgings from health officials and plenty of science documenting its benefits, many men and women with osteoarthritis do not engage in any meaningful physical activity in a typical week, according to new research.

The findings directly contradict what many arthritis patients themselves report when asked about their exercise habits. Studies in the past have generally shown that 30 to 40 percent of people with arthritis say they get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week, or about 20 minutes a day, the minimum amount that the federal government recommends for all adults.

But when researchers at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine used special devices to track the activity levels of more than 1,000 people with knee osteoarthritis, they were surprised to find that many were in fact couch potatoes. Only 13 percent of men and 8 percent of women met the federal guidelines for activity.

Exercise is specifically recommended for osteoarthritis patients because it can reduce pain, ease joint stiffness, increase strength and improve mobility, said Dorothy Dunlop, an associate professor of medicine at Northwestern and an author of the study.

“Physical activity is a positive intervention for people with joint disease,” she said. “We certainly applaud the 10 percent of people who met the target, but we also recognize that many adults with arthritis are not meeting the target, and for that group the advice is to be as physically active as possible, even if they accomplish less than the recommended level.”

As part of the study, published in the current issue of the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism, Dr. Dunlop and her colleagues asked more than 1,000 people with osteoarthritis to wear accelerometers, small, pedometer-like devices that measured their levels of movement and activity. The participants ranged in age from 49 to 84 and wore the devices for a week.

The finding that was most alarming, Dr. Dunlop said, was that almost half the people in the study met the Department of Health and Human Services’ definition for “inactive,” meaning they did not participate in any moderate exercise lasting at least 10 minutes at any point over the course of the week.

“Frequently they’re very surprised,” she said. “They thought that they were doing vigorous activity and working hard, but the monitor measures no vigorous activity.”

Some arthritis sufferers steer clear of physical activity because of pain and stiffness. Others find their energy sapped by conditions like diabetes or heart disease, Dr. Dunlop said.

But there is also a widespread perception that people with arthritis need to rest their joints, a myth that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has worked hard to dispel. The American College of Rheumatology has also made a point of encouraging people with arthritis to spend more time going on brisk walks or taking part in water aerobics and other activities that can benefit their joints.

Still, Dr. Dunlop said she believes doctors who treat patients with arthritis are the ones who can have the greatest impact. “There is evidence that if a person is encouraged by their physician to be active, it’s a stronger message than if they’re encouraged by a friend or a family member,” she said. “So it would be wonderful if one of the first messengers was their own physician.”