3.4 earthquake strikes northwest of Las Vegas

This post has been corrected. See the note at the bottom for details.

A shallow, magnitude 3.4 earthquake was reported at 7:20 p.m. Saturday about three miles from Pritchards Station in central Nevada, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the epicenter was 197 miles northwest of Las Vegas. It also was 26 miles from Lockes, 29 miles from Duckwater and 70 miles from Austin.

In the last 10 days, there has been one earthquake magnitude 3.0 and greater centered nearby.

Read more about California earthquakes on L.A. Now.

For the record, 9:12 p.m.: The original version of this post said the quake measured magnitude 3.5 and occurred 11 miles from Pritchards Station. An update said it was magnitude 3.8 and occurred 16 miles from Pritchards Station. It has since been revised to magnitude 3.4 and the location has been changed to about three miles from Pritchards Station.

ALSO:

Lindsay Lohan cleaning toilets, emptying trash at morgue

End of the world 2011: Today is the day, Christian group says

Police arrest suspect in kidnapping, murder of Moreno Valley girl

-- Ken Schwencke

Image: Google Maps

3.8 earthquake strikes northwest of Las Vegas

This post has been corrected. See the note at the bottom for details.

A shallow, magnitude 3.4 earthquake was reported at 7:20 p.m. Saturday about three miles from Pritchards Station in central Nevada, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the epicenter was 197 miles northwest of Las Vegas. It also was 26 miles from Lockes, 29 miles from Duckwater and 70 miles from Austin.

In the last 10 days, there has been one earthquake magnitude 3.0 and greater centered nearby.

Read more about California earthquakes on L.A. Now.

For the record, 9:12 p.m.: The original version of this post said the quake measured magnitude 3.5 and occurred 11 miles from Pritchards Station. An update said it was magnitude 3.8 and occurred 16 miles from Pritchards Station. It has since been revised to magnitude 3.4 and the location has been changed to about three miles from Pritchards Station.

ALSO:

Lindsay Lohan cleaning toilets, emptying trash at morgue

End of the world 2011: Today is the day, Christian group says

Police arrest suspect in kidnapping, murder of Moreno Valley girl

-- Ken Schwencke

Image: Google Maps

3.5 earthquake strikes northwest of Las Vegas

A shallow, magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Saturday evening 11 miles from Pritchards Station in central Nevada, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 7:20 p.m. Pacific time at a depth of 4.3 miles.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the epicenter was 197 miles northwest of Las Vegas. It also was 29 miles from Duckwater, 36 miles from Lockes and 59 miles from Austin.

In the last 10 days, there has been one earthquake magnitude 3.0 and greater centered nearby.

Read more about California earthquakes on L.A. Now.

ALSO:

Lindsay Lohan cleaning toilets, emptying trash at morgue

End of the world 2011: Today is the day, Christian group says

Police arrest suspect in kidnapping, murder of Moreno Valley girl

-- Ken Schwencke

Image: Google Maps

San Diego man held on suspicion of using skateboard as weapon

A 26-year-old San Diego man was arrested Saturday on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon: a skateboard.

Collin Hennessy got into an argument with an employee at a laundromat in the Rolando neighborhood and allegedly began hitting him with his skateboard, police said.

When the unidentified employee grabbed the skateboard, Hennessy reportedly sprayed him with a chemical spray, police said.

Hennessy was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, misuse of tear gas and possession of drug paraphernalia.

ALSO:

Comment about Compton violence offends civil rights group

End of the world 2011: Today is the day, Christian group says

Big-rig chicken spill recalls famous Hollywood Freeway Chickens

-- Tony Perry in San Diego

14,000-pound Christmas Tree arrives at South Coast Plaza

Even for the most seasoned trucker, hauling a 14,000-pound Christmas tree down the 5 Freeway is a pretty unusual experience.

South Coast Plaza's 96-foot white fir — the same size and species as the one used last year — arrived at 7 a.m. in Town Center Park on Friday after an 11-hour drive down one of the state's busiest freeways.

"It's the start of Christmas," said Richard Coffey, the truck driver who's been responsible for transporting the holiday cargo 650 miles from Mt. Shasta for the last three years.

However, there was no holiday music playing inside Coffey's cab, who explained that he needed to focus fully on the road and other drivers.

"There were a lot of people taking pictures as I was going down the road," Coffey told the Daily Pilot. "You have to remain aware and cautious because people slow down as they get up beside you and hold up traffic."

ALSO:

Comment about Compton violence offends civil rights group

End of the world 2011: Today is the day, Christian group says

Big-rig chicken spill recalls famous Hollywood Freeway Chickens

--Sarah Peters, Times Community News

Photo: The tree arrives. Credit: Times Community News

Lake View Terrace brush fire burns 8 acres

A fire in Lake View Terrace burned 8 acres of brush Saturday afternoon before firefighters could knock it down, authorities said.

The blaze lasted less than an hour, burning away from structures, down steep terrain around the 11800 block of Terra Vista Way.

No one was injured, and no buildings were reported damaged, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Matt Spence.

More than 75 firefighters put out the blaze with the help of water-dropping planes and helicopters, Spence said.

ALSO:

Lindsay Lohan cleaning toilets, emptying trash at morgue

End of the world 2011: Today is the day, Christian group says

Police arrest suspect in kidnapping, murder of Moreno Valley girl

-- Robert Faturechi

Asian citrus pest in trees prompts warning

An aphid-like citrus pest with a history in Glendale prompted another warning issued this week calling on residents to report infestations to state agricultural officials.

The Asian citrus psyllid is not harmful to humans, but can be devastating to citrus trees if it is carrying a fruit-destroying disease that has no cure.

The so-called greening disease, which so far has been kept from spreading north of the Mexico border, destroys the taste of fruit and kills the tree within five years, said Beth Grafton-Cardwell, UC Riverside research entomologist based at a facility in the Central Valley.

Reader photos: Southern California Moments Day 295

The picture thief: Russo Mutuc shoots over the shoulder of another photographer in Union Station on Sept. 29.

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.

Earthquake: 3.0 quake strikes near Julian

A shallow magnitude 3.0 earthquake was reported Saturday afternoon 11 miles from Julian, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 2:32 p.m. at a depth of 5.0 miles.

According to the USGS, the epicenter was 14 miles from Pine Valley, 17 miles from Borrego Springs, 40 miles from Escondido and 46 miles from San Diego.

In the past 10 days, there have been six earthquakes magnitude 3.0 and greater centered nearby.

Read more about California earthquakes on L.A. Now.

— Ken Schwencke

Image credit: Google Maps

Couple, pets escape Huntington Beach mobile home fire

A couple that had survived a hurricane in Florida and riots in South Africa narrowly escaped death in Huntington Beach when their mobile home caught fire Saturday morning.

Arnold and Marlene Steele were awakened by their adult son, Nathan, who sleeps at their mobile home and was himself awakened by smoke coming from the rear of the unit at Huntington Shorecliffs Mobile Home Park, 20701 Beach Blvd., shortly before 6 a.m., said Jeff Lopez, spokesman for the Huntington Beach Fire Department.

The unit did not have a functioning smoke detector. “They fortunately got out OK, but if they’d had a functioning smoke detector, they could have gotten out sooner,” Lopez said.

Lopez said the couple told firefighters they’d also survived a hurricane in Sarasota, Fla., and riots in Johannesburg, South Africa, before moving to Huntington Beach 20 years ago.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, though foul play is not suspected, Lopez said. No one was hurt in the fire.

Also saved were the couple’s numerous pets, including two dogs, a bird, a snapping turtle, a snake and a small alligator -– all of which apparently co-existed in and around the couple’s side yard, Lopez said.

A cat named Smarty hasn't been seen since the fire,  but is presumed unharmed, he said.

ALSO:

Comment about Compton violence offends civil rights group

End of the world 2011: Today is the day, Christian group says

Big-rig chicken spill recalls famous Hollywood Freeway Chickens

 -- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

Man charged with 78 Riverside County robberies

A Hemet man, reportedly a member of a Los Angeles street gang, has pleaded not guilty to a series of 78 Riverside County robberies that prosecutors say he committed to support a heroin habit, local media are reporting.

The Press-Enterprise reports that police believe Sergio Nicolas Lopez, 31, was the robber they had dubbed the "Sweet n Stylin’ Bandit," for his preference for small businesses with a few female employees on duty.

Lopez was arrested in May and charged with a robbery in Indio, authorities say. This week prosecutors expanded their case against him to include robberies in Temecula, Murrieta, Moreno Valley, Hemet, San Jacinto and Riverside, dating to the fall of 2010.

In all, Lopez faces 266 felony charges, including robbery, burglary, and carjacking; he faces up to 184 years in prison if convicted of all the charges, the Press-Enterprise reported.

In April, Lopez allegedly robbed a linen store in Indio, authorities say. A high-speed chase with police followed. The suspect ditched his car, but left identification, with a replica gun behind in the car, the newspaper reported.

Police wound machete-wielding man near downtown Los Angeles

A Los Angeles police officer shot and wounded a man who was wielding a machete and allegedly was robbing another man near downtown early Saturday.

The suspect, whose name was not immediately released, was shot in the torso and taken to a local hospital, where he was in critical condition, said Sgt. Mike Huff of the LAPD Olympic Station. The robbery victim had numerous machete cuts and was in serious condition at a local hospital.

The investigation into the incident has closed a two-block stretch of Beverly Boulevard between New Hampshire Avenue and Catalina Street, Huff said.

The incident began when officers received a report of a robbery in progress at Beverly and Berendo Street about 3:50 a.m., Huff said.

They spotted a man with a machete hitting another man, who was on the ground. They ordered the man with the machete to stop several times. When he continued, one officer fired, wounding him, Huff said. No officers were hurt in the incident.

ALSO:

Comment about Compton violence offends civil rights group

End of the world 2011: Today is the day, Christian group says

Big-rig chicken spill recalls famous Hollywood Freeway Chickens

 -- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

Crime alerts for Leimert Park, Tarzana, 9 other L.A. neighborhoods

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

Nine neighborhoods reported a significant increase in violent crime. Leimert Park (A) was the most unusual, recording nine reports compared with a weekly average of 2.9 over the last three months.

Tarzana (F) topped the list of three neighborhoods with property crime alerts. It recorded 25 property crimes compared with its weekly average of 13.0 over the last three months.

One neighborhood triggered alerts for violent and property crime.

Alerts are based on an analysis of crime reports for Oct. 13–19, the most recent seven days for which data are available.

— Ben Welsh, Thomas Suh Lauder

Stray dogs and cats: should the taxpayer foot the bill?

They're expensive things

The high cost of keeping a pet has been covered many times in the media. But who should pay for animals that don’t have owners? Feral cats and stray or unwanted dogs are a serious problem for society. Who should be responsible? Should government put funds into the issue, or should it be left to private individuals? If nothing is done, the bad consequences affect us all.

If feral cat colonies are left to their own devices, they multiply uncontrollably, with populations of hundreds of cats gathering in back alleys and side streets. The cats suffer from disease and a high mortality rate, and they cause a nuisance by raiding bins. It’s simple enough to control feral cats, and no, I don’t mean the trigger happy option of just killing them all (this doesn’t work: the “vacuum effect” kicks in, with feral cats from surrounding areas moving in to occupy the niche). The best answer is trap/neuter/release (TNR) schemes: these create a stable population of cats that quietly get on with their own lives without bothering humans. In the UK, TNR schemes are funded by charities and private individuals. In other countries, government funds are sometimes used, recognising that this is an environmental issue for all citizens. Meanwhile, thousands of unwanted pet cats in the UK are looked after and rehomed by private charities.

Stray dogs also present a potential problem for society, with packs of feral dogs causing serious problems in many countries. It’s easy to forget this in the UK, because there are such effective systems for controlling the problem. Local authorities have a duty to deal with all dogs that are found wandering the streets. Dog wardens collect them and taking them to local authority pounds: if no owner comes forward after seven days, the dogs are either euthanased or rehomed to one of the many animal rescue groups. The cost of stray dog control is funded by local authorities, with private charities covering their own costs of intervention to find homes for the unwanted animals.

It’s obvious that without privately funded animal charities, our society would have a much more serious problem on its hands. And in these economically challenging times, the charities are under increasing pressure. The number and value of legacies is falling significantly, as are the day to day donations from members of the public. Animal charities need to work harder than ever to stretch their diminishing resources to meet the demand, and they’re constantly seeking new and innovative ways to provide income streams.

One new fundraising initiative which will benefit a wide number of animal charities was launched by petcare brand Pedigree this week, in the format of a virtual dog walk.  Anyone can contribute to the campaign without the need to buy any pet food: just by taking a virtual dog on a walk across several web pages, the user will unlock a £1 donation from the company, to their annual Pedigree Adoption Drive scheme

Animal charities don't receive any public funding, although some argue that they’re all funded by the taxpayer because of the fact that donations are exempt from income tax. Effectively, the state donates the equivalent of the unpaid tax.

Should the state (i.e. the public, through taxation) contribute more to the care of unowned animals? Or less? My view? I think that the UK has the balance just about right.

New trio of earthquakes rumble under Berkeley

A trio of earthquakes rattled Berkeley just as Saturday began, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The aftershocks came just two days after a pair of quakes shook Berkeley, include one strong enough to knock items off  shelves. 

The first quake Saturday was  magnitude 2.8 and hit at 12:06 a.m., with its epicenter less than 100 feet south of the Claremont Hotel Club and Spa. A 1.3 aftershock hit at 12:14 a.m.in the same neighborhood, followed by a 2.5 quake at 12:45 a.m.

On Twitter, Berkeley residents chatted about the latest quakes. "Much weaker than [Thursday's], but enough to put me back on edge for the night," tweeted @AChanceFind. 

On Thursday, a pair of larger quakes rattled the region, a 3.8 in the afternoon and a 4.0 at night. The evening quake was large enough to cause some items to fall from shelves in some homes near the Berkeley epicenter, and some plaster fell from the ceiling of a business in Oakland, according to KRON-TV, KPIX-TV and the San Francisco Chronicle. 

At schools, stores and hospitals, Californians prepare for quake

U.S., Mexico to install quake sensors in two border city areas

Berkeley earthquake hits during ‘Shakeout’ drill

-- Rong-Gong Lin II in Dublin, Calif. 

Redondo Beach man charged with graveyard burglary

A Redondo Beach man was charged with burglary Friday after allegedly being caught trying to steal from a mausoleum at Green Hills Mortuary in Rancho Palos Verdes.

An employee reported he saw James R. Haggstrom earlier in the week trying to break into a niche designed to hold urns with cremated remains, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Clay Anderson said. The witness called sheriff's deputies, who arrested Haggstrom on the spot on suspicion of burglary.

Deputies from the Lomita Station later served a search warrant on Haggstrom's home and recovered property that authorities believe was stolen.

The Green Hills mausoleum has been burglarized three other times in recent weeks, according to the Sheriff's Department.

ALSO:

Comment about Compton violence offends civil rights group

End of the world 2011: Today is the day, Christian group says

Big-rig chicken spill recalls famous Hollywood Freeway Chickens

-- Gale Holland