Dense fog forecast for Friday morning commute

  

The National Weather Service has issued a dense fog warning for Thursday night continuing into Friday, promising to snarl the morning commute.

The affected areas include L.A. County coastal communities from Malibu to Santa Monica, and as far south as Long Beach.

Diminished visibility is expected in some inland areas, including downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood and Beverly Hills.

Visibility of less than one quarter mile can be expected, according to the weather service.

ALSO:

Los Angeles regional weather forecast

 Obama's Westside campaign office vandalized

 Man wounded in shooting at San Ysidro border crossing

-- Julie Cart 

Photo: Fog drapes the Temecula Valley while the San Bernardino Mountains display a mantle of fresh snow in a 2010 photo. Credit: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times

Neglected horses seized in Riverside County

 

Animal control officials in Riverside County are seeking misdemeanor animal cruelty charges against a La Cresta woman for allegedly neglecting more than a dozen thoroughbred horses.

Officers responding to a tip about skinny horses seized 16 animals Thursday from a large property near Murietta, according to Riverside Animal Services spokesman John Welsh. He said 15 of the animals appeared to be underweight.

The owner had been previously cited for neglect, Welsh said. The matter has been presented to the Riverside County district attorney's office.

The horses are in protective custody, Welsh said, and are not available for adoption.

ALSO:

El Monte man convicted in murder of prostitute

Vegetable oil, innovation aid rescue of dog trapped in boulder

FBI-LAPD anti-gang task force closes 11 more murder investigations

-- Julie Cart

Photo: One of the seized horses is loaded into a trailer. Credit: John Welsh / Riverside County Animal Services

Man wounded in shooting at San Ysidro border crossing

San Diego police are investigating a shooting at the San Ysidro border crossing involving a federal law enforcement agent and a man attempting to cross into the U.S. from Mexico.

The shooting occurred late Thursday afternoon. The shooting victim was taken to a hospital. The federal agent was unharmed.

 

ALSO:

Arnold Schwarzenegger to write memoir

Marijuana shipment tracked to NFL player's home

Brown bear, 12-year-old girl have close encounter in kitchen

--Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: The San Ysidro border crossing. Credit: Associated Press

 

 

 

 

Crane unlikely to win confirmation as UC regent

San Francisco businessman David Crane’s brief term as a UC regent seems likely to be over in December because Democrats in the state Senate have not moved to confirm his appointment nine months ago by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Under state rules, an appointee to the university board can serve up to a year without legislative confirmation. The state Senate is now in recess and no special session is scheduled for the rest of the year.

Crane, a Democrat who was an economic advisor to Schwarzenegger, a Republican, is opposed by labor unions and student organizations who contend that Crane does not represent the values the board needs and that he has taken anti-union positions. Crane has said that he is not anti-labor and said that union activists have distorted his concerns about the power of public employee unions over pension benefits and reform.

Navy to destroy two missiles dropped in ocean off Camp Pendleton

 

The Navy next week is set to conduct an underwater demolition off  Camp Pendleton to destroy two missiles lodged in about 60 feet of water.

The Sea Sparrow missiles were jettisoned for safety purposes by a helicopter taking them to the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard on Aug. 30, the Navy said. The two missiles dropped 400 feet  to the ocean’s surface about 1.7 miles from Camp Pendleton.

During the flight to the ship, the two missiles began to "swing excessively" and were a threat to the safety of the helicopter and its crew, the Navy said.

In advance of the demolition, the Coast Guard will enforce a 2,000-yard safety zone and broadcast a warning to civilian craft to stay clear.

Sea Sparrow experts at the Naval Air Systems Command have determined that it is not safe to attempt to move the missiles ashore, the Navy said. The detonation may produce a plume of water visible from land.

The Sea Sparrow is a surface-to-air missile used primarily as defense against anti-ship missiles.

--Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: A Sea Sparrow missile is fired from the amphibious assault ship Essex during training in East China Sea. Credit: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mark Alvarez / U.S. Navy

El Monte man convicted in murder of prostitute

An El Monte man was convicted Thursday of first-degree murder for beating, strangling and robbing a prostitute he contacted through an online escort service two years ago.

Cesar Gomez, 36, was found guilty by a jury in Santa Ana on one felony count of special circumstances murder in the death of 24-year-old Ashley Lilly in a Garden Grove hotel room.

The victim posted her profile on an escort website and Gomez arranged to meet her at a hotel near Disneyland on Aug. 20, 2009. Gomez severely beat Lilly and then ransacked the room, taking her possessions.

He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 2 and faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

ALSO:

Arnold Schwarzenegger to write memoir

Marijuana shipment tracked to NFL player's home

Brown bear, 12-year-old girl have close encounter in kitchen

-- Julie Cart

FBI-LAPD anti-gang task force closes 11 more murder investigations

The joint FBI-LAPD operation that is trying to cut the backlog of unsolved gang-related killings in South Los Angeles totals 43 homicide arrests in nearly three months, with 11 of those cases closed in the last day, officials said Thursday.

Officials with operation Save Our Streets said the Los Angeles County district attorney's office has filed 11 new murder charges -- and authorities have made 175 related arrests -- in connection with the intensive effort to cut down on gang crime.

The operation, which began July 1 and ends Sept. 30, is in its second year. It comes amid two years of deep budget cuts that have forced the LAPD to drastically limit overtime and thus the number of hours dedicated to gang and homicide investigations.

Veteran LAPD Det. Sal LaBarbera said working with his federal counterparts has been critical in maintaining the integrity of investigations that demand working cases "nights, weekends or whatever it takes."

LaBarbera said he expects the FBI and LAPD to clear additional murder cases in the next 10 days before the operation ends.

Last year, the joint task force solved 27 killings and made 28 arrests between July 1 and Sept. 30.

Case clearances have also seen a marked improvement with the addition of the FBI, authorities said. Normally, the average annual solve rate among South Los Angeles gang cases is about 50%, LaBarbera said. The average clearance rate under Save our Streets is more than 70%.

ALSO:

Three West Nile virus cases reported in Riverside County

Barking dogs could lead to financial bite in Laguna Niguel

Shacknai accepts state's refusal to review Coronado deaths

-- Andrew Blankstein (Twitter.com/anblanx)

Earthquake aftershock near Darwin, Calif., measures 3.2

A shallow magnitude 3.2 earthquake was reported Thursday afternoon 11 miles from Darwin, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 5:41 p.m. PDT at a depth of 1.2 miles.

Earlier in the day, the area was rocked by a magnitude 3.8 earthquake. 

Since the 3.8 earlier Thursday, at least 10 aftershocks ranging from 1.2 to 3.2 have been recorded by the USGS.

-- Ken Schwencke

Image credit: Google Maps

Vegetable oil, innovation aid rescue of dog trapped in boulder

Fire crews are trained for human rescues. Animal rescues require some improvising.

So when the Alpine Fire Protection District in eastern San Diego County got a desperate call Tuesday about a dog wedged in narrow crack in a large boulder, some innovation was necessary.

The dog was apparently walking on the top of the boulder and fell into the crevasse, landing at the bottom 15 feet down. It was wedged so tightly that it could not move.

First, firefighters used an extraction tool to pry the boulder apart. Repeated attempts failed. The rock was too strong, the crevasse too tight.

Then air bags were deployed to create a space for the dog to escape. Again, failure.

Finally, the dog was doused in vegetable oil and a pole and ropes were used to lasso its rear legs. Slowly, the slippery animal was pulled to the top, howling a bit, but unharmed. The dog's owner was elated.

The dog's name remains unknown. Firefighters have two suggestions: Rocky or Lucky.

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Alpine firefighters Broc Thorn, left, and Colby Ross with the rescued dog. Credit: Alpine Fire Capt. Brian Boggein

Deputy uses patrol car to stop runaway vehicle

A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy used his patrol car Thursday to stop a runaway vehicle on Foothill Boulevard, officials said.

A Tujunga woman, 51, was driving a Ford Focus on Foothill Boulevard near Pennsylvania Avenue in Glendale  about 11:20 a.m. Thursday when the deputy noticed her frantically trying to wave him down as her car continued to accelerate,  officials told the Glendale News Press.

The woman went through at least five intersections before the deputy was able to get ahead of her and use his brakes to stop the runaway car, Sheriff's Sgt. Gary Ogurek said.

No one was injured in the incident, and the woman's Focus sustained nothing more than a minor scratch.

A preliminary inspection of the woman's vehicle found that her brakes were not working.

Ogurek said the department doesn't necessarily train for techniques on how to stop runaway vehicles, but he described Deputy Marcelo Ruiz as having "a lot of driving experience."

"He just happened to be the right person at the right place at the right time," Ogurek said.

ALSO:

Three arrested in bungled beer heist in Covina

Porn filming on L.A. firetrucks 'unacceptable,' mayor says

Jaycee Dugard sues U.S. for 'gross neglect' in supervising Garrido's parole

-- Jason Wells, Times Community News

Photo: A sheriff's deputy used his patrol car on Thursday to stop a runaway Ford Focus. Credit: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

Shopping mall evacuated; bomb squad investigates packages

The Sherman Oaks Westfield Fashion Square mall was evacuated Thursday after officials discovered a suspicious package.

The Los Angeles Police Department bomb squad was sent to the scene about 4 p.m. as shoppers were evacuated by shopping mall security personnel.

It's unclear what was inside the package or whether it posed any risk.

ALSO:

Arnold Schwarzenegger to write memoir

Marijuana shipment tracked to NFL player's home

Brown bear, 12-year-old girl have close encounter in kitchen

--Andrew Blankstein

Photo: Shoppers walk through the Westfield Fashion Square mall in Sherman Oaks. Credit: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times

Reader photos: Southern California Moments Day 265

Catching air: Players compete at a game of handball at the courts in Venice Sept. 10. Photo is by Chi Fai Chow.

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.

Dead squid wash up on south Orange County beach

Hundreds of dead squid have washed up on a beach in San Clemente, puzzling some beachgoers, but officials said it was a natural occurrence and not a cause for alarm.

The Orange County Register reported that 100 to 200 Humboldt squid washed up overnight.

Ian Burton, a marine safety officer, said the squid, about 18 inches long, were covering the beach when he came to work Thursday morning. City maintenance crews spent a couple of hours cleaning them up, he said.

Andrew Hughan, a spokesman with the California Department of Fish and Game, said the squid die-off was a natural occurrence. The squids spawn, then die.

"They do what they do, and then they call it in," he said.

David Schmitt, a manager at Davey's Locker Sportfishing & Whale Watching in Newport Beach, said fishing excursions have been catching thousands of Humboldt squid over the last few days. He said the coast periodically sees an invasion by the squid.

"They show up, and they eat everything in sight, not including people," he said.

ALSO:

Arnold Schwarzenegger to write memoir

Marijuana shipment tracked to NFL player's home

Brown bear, 12-year-old girl have close encounter in kitchen

-- Abby Sewell

Three arrested in bungled beer heist in Covina

Three Covina men are behind bars after they allegedly stole a 30-pack of Tecate beer from a market and attempted to escape but crashed a car and hit an employee who chased them, then one ran through a car wash and another left behind his ID.

Andy Huynh, Nicholas Kalscheuer and Nicholas Fiumetto, all 19, were arrested Wednesday on charges of robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest, according to a Covina police report.

Kalscheuer and Fiumetto entered the Baja Ranch Market about 3 p.m. Wednesday while Huynh remained behind the wheel of a car nearby.

Inside the store, Fiumetto grabbed a 30-pack of beer and the two men ran out. Employees ran after the pair into the parking lot, grabbing and detaining Kalscheuer and later turning him over to police, according to the report.

Two Cal State campuses among 30 awarded federal teaching grants

Two California State University campuses have been awarded federal grants to recruit new teachers for  schools with special needs, such as those serving rural areas and Native American communities, officials announced Thursday.

The Cal State campuses -- Fullerton and Dominguez Hills -- were among five California institutions and 30 nationally to receive $12.8 million in grants as part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Transition to Teaching program. 

The program aims to recruit and train mid-career professionals and recent graduates with degrees outside of education for placement at schools in rural or low-income communities and with particular staffing needs in such subjects as science; technology; engineering and math; and bilingual and special education.

The projects are funded for five years and an estimated 4,800 new teachers are expected to be certified in fast-track courses.  Candidates are required to commit to teach for at least three years.

Memorial service to be held for woman crushed by tree

A 29-year-old Tustin woman killed when a tree fell on her car will be remembered at a memorial service Thursday night.

The services for Haeyoon Miller will be held at Harbor-Lawn Mt. Olive Memorial Park & Mortuary at 1625 Gisler Ave., Costa Mesa, with a viewing from 4 to 8 p.m. and services at 6 p.m., the Daily Pilot reported.

Miller was on her way to the children's gym, Pix&Flips, which she ran with her boyfriend George Osorio, when a 10-ton tree fell on her car and killed her while she was stopped at a red light at 17th Street and Irvine Avenue in Costa Mesa.

Miller, who was originally from South Korea, came to the United States with her parents when she was 10 so she could attend the Juilliard School and nourish her talent for violin.

On Wednesday, work crews finished removing roughly 100 eucalyptus trees from the Irvine Avenue median where Miller was killed, a day ahead of schedule, Newport Beach officials announced.

The city's tree maintenance contractor, West Coast Arborists, initially estimated that the tree and stump removals would take two days to complete, but the work was finished quickly as a crew of about 30 workers cut throughout the day Wednesday.

Police reopened Irvine Avenue to traffic Wednesday night.

Now city officials from Newport Beach and Costa Mesa will contact nearby residents and business owners to help select a replacement species of tree, Newport spokeswoman Tara Finnigan said.

ALSO:

Arnold Schwarzenegger to write memoir

Brown bear, 12-year-old girl have close encounter in kitchen

‘Heartbreaking decision’ to remove 100 trees after woman crushed

-- Lauren Williams, Times Community News

Photo: Haeyoon Miller, 29, was killed last week when a tree crushed her car.  Credit: Courtesy of George Osorio

Ebay sale means Balboa Fun Zone is losing its carousel

 
The long-spinning merry-go-round at the Balboa Fun Zone will be dismantled, packed up and trucked down the freeway to a new home –- so far undisclosed.

The Fun Zone attraction, a remnant of the once-bustling amusement park in the heart of Balboa, was purchased for $149,000 on EBay.

Patrick Moore, who had owned the merry-go-round, confirmed that the attraction –- painted ponies and all -– had been sold, but declined to say who bought it. Moore was equally vague on where its new home would be.

In an email to the Daily Pilot, Moore said he had “discounted the price to the buyers in order to keep it somewhat local."

He said the ride will be "within about 15 miles from here along the 405, if all goes according to plan."

In July, the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum told the Fun Zone that it would not renew the carousel's lease. The museum intends to use the patio area for outdoor classes and activities.

This will be the final weekend for rides on the historic amusement, which coincides with the Fun Zone's 75th anniversary. Anniversary celebrations will offer 5-cent rides. The attraction will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Ferris wheel, also owned by Moore, will stay put. It has 25 years remaining on its lease.

ALSO:

Marijuana shipment tracked to NFL player's home

Brown bear, 12-year-old girl have close encounter in kitchen

Kelly Thomas death: Councilman 'sickened' by beating details

-- Sarah Peters

Twitter: @speters01

Photo: Balboa Fun zone merry-go-round. Credit: Mark Boster

Slain Pasadena barber remembered for his generosity

Neighbors mourned the death Thursday of a Pasadena barber whose body was found in a parking lot on Washington Boulevard.

King Eldridge King, 43, owner of King King’s Barber and Beauty Salon, was known for taking aspiring barbers under his wing to teach them about the profession, said Altadena resident Derrek Watson.

Betty Henderson, co-owner of Bonnie B’s Smokin restaurant, said King was generous, giving free haircuts to those in need and money to those who were hungry.

She told the Pasadena Sun he would send them to her restaurant to buy a meal with money he had given them.

Three West Nile virus cases reported in Riverside County

Three Riverside County women contracted the West Nile Virus in August, the county’s first reported cases this year, authorities said Thursday.

All three are recovering and there doesn't appear to be any connection between any of the cases, said Dr. Eric Frykman, the county’s public health officer.

A 44-year-old Corona woman and a 63-year-old Norco woman were hospitalized for a short time after contracting the virus last month, the county health department said in a statement released Thursday.

In the third case, a 36-year-old Beaumont woman is recovering at home.

The virus is transmitted to people and animals by infected mosquitoes.

Officials with the Northwest Mosquito and Vector Control District have increased efforts to control mosquitoes in the Norco and Corona areas.

ALSO:

Arnold Schwarzenegger to write memoir

Marijuana shipment tracked to NFL player's home

Brown bear, 12-year-old girl have close encounter in kitchen

-- Phil Willon

Photo: Mosquitoes acquire the sometimes deadly West Nile virus from birds and transmit it to humans through bites. Credit: Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times

Barking dogs could lead to financial bite in Laguna Niguel

Laguna Niguel is considering a barking dog ordinance that would allow animal control officials to issue citations and fines to people with loud, annoying canines.

The new ordinance would allow officials to issue citations after five warnings. Mission Viejo, which handles animal services for Laguna Niguel and Aliso Viejo, has called the process successful and has never had to give more than one citation to stop the problem.

The citations would start at $100 and go up to $500, the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot reported.

The current approach offers mediation to the parties if they cannot sort it out privately. If mediation is refused, the city leaves it to the complaining party to contemplate civil action against the dog owner.

Councilwoman Linda Lindholm asked to add a 10-day grace period between complaints. While most of the council agreed to the addition, Mayor Pro Tem Paul Glaab pointed out that only the most irresponsible dog owners are going to face the fines.

"It's for those people that won't exercise responsibility for their animals," he said.

He added that a 10-day grace period might mean more than a week of constant dog barking and that the council should consider those affected as well.

Several residents spoke at a City Council meeting on Tuesday, advocating that a financial "bite" could be the ticket to effective enforcement.

"It gets pretty obnoxious when you have a dog barking for hours and hours on end," Mark Snider said.

The ordinance with the 10-day waiting period amendment will be on the Oct. 4 council agenda for consideration and adoption.

ALSO:

Arnold Schwarzenegger to write memoir

Marijuana shipment tracked to NFL player's home

Brown bear, 12-year-old girl have close encounter in kitchen

-- Joanna Clay, Times Community News

Photo: Laguna Niguel considers citations for barking dogs. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Sierra Nevada red foxes are more common than once thought

At least half a dozen Sierra Nevada red foxes, a species once believed to have been nearly wiped out in the 1920s, roam the high country wilderness south of Yosemite, U.S. Forest Service biologists said Thursday.

Until last year, biologists believed the only known population of Vulpes vulpes necator consisted of about 20 animals clinging to survival in the Lassen Peak region, about 150 miles to the north.

Not anymore.

Several red foxes have been sighted in recent months just west of Bridgeport, and DNA analyses of scat collected in the area indicates they may be related, Forest Service biologist Sherri Lisius said. In addition, an adult red fox was struck and killed by a vehicle in January near the intersection of U.S. Highway 395 and State Route 108.

"We know there are six, which is still ridiculously rare," Lisius said. "We are expanding our studies of this animal, the rarest carnivore in the state, in hopes of finding more. It would be sad to lose this special creature just after rediscovering it."

Federal and state wildlife technicians have installed motion-sensitive cameras throughout the region, and followed tracks left the snow in hopes of finding a den with pups.

The Sierra Nevada red fox lives at high elevations, eating small mammals and birds. It has a reddish head, back and sides; black backs of the ears; black "socks" on its feet; and a white-tipped tail.

UC Davis biologist Jocelyn Akins, who spent most of last winter collecting red fox scat and following fox  tracks for miles in the snow, said, "It is important to determine whether there is a stable population in the area."

"If so, the big question is this: Should there be restrictions on recreational skiing and snowmobiles up there?" she asked rhetorically. "A comprehensive population assessment will take a few years to complete."

ALSO:

Yellowstone grizzly bear euthanized for "predatory behaviors"

Southwestern pond turtle making a comeback in San Diego County

Agency seeks to end sea otter relocations, to allow them off SoCal

-- Louis Sahagun

Photo: A Sierra Nevada red fox in 2010. Credit: Jocelyn Akins

South Gate shooting victim identified

The Los Angeles County coroner's office released the name Thursday of a fatal shooting victim in South Gate.

Randy Tellum, 23, of Bell Gardens was driving a U-Haul pickup truck in the 9700 block of San Gabriel Avenue shortly after midnight Tuesday when he was shot in the head by someone in another car, a sheriff's official said.

He died in a hospital about three hours later.

Sheriff's deputies were looking for two men in a white sport utility truck in connection with the shooting.

ALSO:

Arnold Schwarzenegger to write memoir

Marijuana shipment tracked to NFL player's home

Brown bear, 12-year-old girl have close encounter in kitchen

-- Abby Sewell

Teen girl and man, 26, die in apparent Inglewood murder-suicide

A 17-year-old girl was killed in an apparent murder-suicide inside an Inglewood optometry center, authorities said Thursday.

The girl, identified by the Los Angeles County coroner's office as Diana Garcia, died at a hospital after the shooting Wednesday.

The apparent shooter, 26-year-old Christopher James McLeish, was found dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a bathroom at the location.

Officers responded to a report of a shooting about 10:52 a.m. at the Inglewood Optometry Center in the 200 block of North Market Street, according to a police statement.

West Nile virus: 10 more birds found dead in Bay Area

Ten more birds have tested positive for West Nile virus in the San Francisco Bay Area, Contra Costa vector control officials said this week.

This brings the total number of birds found with West Nile virus in Contra Costa County to 25, said a spokeswoman for the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District.

One bird was collected from Walnut Creek, two from Pleasant Hill, four from Concord, one from Lafayette and two from Brentwood in Contra Costa County.

Dead bird reports are an important tool for West Nile virus detection, even if the bird is not picked up and tested, because it allows officials to locate West Nile hot spots, said Deborah Bass, public affairs manager for the Contra Costa district.

"Our surveillance of the area coupled with the public reporting of dead birds has enabled us to locate these areas of higher risk of West Nile virus where we can concentrate our mosquito control efforts," Bass said in a statement.

Earthquake near Darwin, Calif., measures magnitude 3.8

A shallow magnitude 3.8 earthquake was reported Thursday morning 11 miles from Darwin, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The temblor occurred at 9:19 a.m. PDT.

The depth was recorded at 1.2 miles.

— Ken Schwencke

Arnold Schwarzenegger to write memoir

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is planning a memoir, publisher Simon & Schuster announced Thursday.

The autobiography, with a working title of "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story," will chronicle Schwarzenegger’s rise from bodybuilder to movie star and politician.

The publisher’s statement did not mention whether the book will cover a personal scandal that has embroiled the former governor: It was revealed several months ago that he fathered a child with his family’s longtime housekeeper. He and his wife, Maria Shriver, subsequently divorced.

Stop complaining -- L.A. traffic isn’t so bad; do you agree?

Traffic jams in Los Angeles are practically legendary, but a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that commutes in L.A. aren't as bad as we think.

That may be bad news for people using traffic as an excuse for tardiness, but good news for the thousands of commuters traveling on Southland freeways.

The Times reported Thursday that it took commuters in the L.A.-Long Beach-Santa Ana area an average of 28.1 minutes to get to work in 2010, ranking 17th nationally, according to data released Thursday from the American Community Survey's latest one-year estimate.

And at the top of the list were areas with robust public transit systems. New York-northern New Jersey-Long Island, where it takes drivers an average of 34.6 minutes, ranked first. Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, which clocked in at 30.7 minutes, ranked fourth. The national average was 25.3.

"We have a lot of congestion in L.A. ... but it doesn't mean that the average person is spending hours and hours in congestion," said Brian Taylor, director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at UCLA.

Commute times in nearby Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario declined slightly every year since 2007, but the data show that residents still face longer commutes than in L.A., with a 2010 average of 30.6 minutes.

Tell us, commuters, are the census numbers accurate? How long does it take you to get to work? And is this traffic nightmare reputation in Los Angeles overblown? Click on the comment button to weigh in.

ALSO:

Marijuana shipment tracked to NFL player's home

Brown bear, 12-year-old girl have close encounter in kitchen

Kelly Thomas death: Councilman 'sickened' by beating details

-- Kimi Yoshino

Photo: It took commuters in the L.A.-Long Beach-Santa Ana area an average of 28.1 minutes to get to work in 2010. The national average was 25.3. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Glendale residents told to remove mirrors attached to trees

The city of Glendale is making residents along a busy stretch of Glendale Avenue take down mirrors the residents have attached to trees to better see oncoming traffic from their driveways.

The residents living north of the 134 Freeway say they were forced to install the round, convex mirrors because there aren't any speed-reduction enhancements, such as speed humps, on the street, the Glendale News-Press reported.

But city officials say the mirrors aren’t allowed on city trees.

Joseph Vargas and two of his neighbors installed the mirrors following several near misses over the years with cars heading south on Glendale Avenue.

Two other residents had planned to install mirrors, but changed their minds after the run-in with the city, Vargas said.

According to city officials, Vargas added, the straps are damaging the tree bark. “But it’s a mature tree,” he said.

Jano Baghdanian, traffic and safety administrator for the city, said city codes bar anything from being attached to city-owned trees or street-light poles.

If public demand is strong enough, the City Council could consider changing the code, Baghdanian said.

ALSO:

Kelly Thomas death: Fullerton officer remains in custody

L.A. County poverty rate jumps for third straight year to 17.5%

Marijuana shipment tracked to NFL player's home, news report says

-- Mark Kellam, Times Community News

Photo: Glendale resident Joseph Vargas stands near mirror he put up on tree near his driveway on Glendale Avenue. Credit: Cheryl A. Guerrero / Glendale News-Press.

51% in California still oppose legalizing marijuana, poll finds

Legalizing marijuana remains a tough sell in California, according to a new poll.

The Public Policy Institute of California, in a new statewide survey released Thursday, showed that 51% of voters oppose legalizing marijuana while 46% favor it.

Voters rejected marijuana legalization last year, but there has been talk of another ballot measure.

According to the PPIC, the finding was similar to a poll conducted last September.

In the most recent survey, the San Francisco area was the only part of California that favored legalization. Most respondents in Southern California opposed it.

Kelly Thomas death: Fullerton officer remains in custody

A Fullerton police officer remained behind bars Thursday after being charged in the beating death of homeless man Kelly Thomas.

Arraignment for Manuel Ramos on charges of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter was postponed Wednesday, with the hearing rescheduled for Monday.

The other officer arrested in the case, Jay Cicinelli, posted $25,000 bail after pleading not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter and using excessive force.

Thomas' father, Ron Thomas, said Wednesday he was pleased that bail was kept at $1 million for Ramos.

"He's wearing handcuffs right now -- which is great -- for the murder of my son," Ron Thomas said.

RELATED:

Full coverage: Kelly Thomas death

Ron Thomas satisfied with charges in son's death

Kelly Thomas begged for his life from "menacing" officer, D.A. says

-- Nicole Santa Cruz in Santa Ana

Photo: Ron Thomas hugs a friend outside court Wednesday after arraignment proceedings for two Fullerton police officers charged in the beating death of his son. Credit: GIna Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

Despite fatal stabbing, crime low on Metro transit, agency says

Crime on Metro trains and buses has been dropping over the last five years and is lower than in many of the communities they serve, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s news blog.

The Source, addressing the issue after a fatal stabbing last month on the Red Line in Hollywood, reported 2.77 “part one” crimes committed for every million boardings in 2010 on Metro trains and buses.

Part one crimes are murder, rape, assault, robbery, burglary and theft.

The agency’s part one crime rate compares with 6.68 per million on Washington, D.C.'s WMATA system and 11.03 per million on Dallas’ DART system. Boston’s MBTA system registered 2.63 per million last year.

The most common part one crime committed on Metro trains and buses is theft, usually of jewelry, cellular phones or other personal electronics, according to the blog.

Metro’s Blue Line, with 14.3 part one crimes per million riders, tallied the highest number, 29, last year. The Green Line (19.7 per million riders) was second, with 27 part one crimes.

Jesse Garay, 58, of North Hollywood was killed last month after being stabbed on the Red Line subway near the Hollywood and Vine station.

ALSO:

California measles cases hit a 10-year high

Angry driver allegedly runs down pedestrian in Redondo Beach

Protesters don’t want 100 eucalyptus trees removed in Costa Mesa

-- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

Photo: Commuters on the Metro Red Line last year. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times.