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From the LA Times:

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Officials Fight Halt of Valley Busway Project
Lawmakers announce a strategy to undo last week's ruling by a state appellate court. Local, state and federal officials are banding together to reverse a court ruling that has halted construction of the San Fernando Valley east-west busway, a half-built project whose fate is now uncertain.
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New York Developer Chosen to Make Grand Ave. Grander
Civic leaders select Related Cos. to create a $1.2-billion centerpiece for downtown L.A. After struggling for decades to bring urban vitality to a civic center often derided for clearing out after dark, Los Angeles civic leaders Monday picked a New York developer to undertake a $1.2-billion transformation of downtown's Grand Avenue.
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Immigrants Exploited by 'Notarios'
Officials crack down on those who take advantage of confusion over the word, which can mean 'lawyer.' An immigration scam exploiting the use of the Spanish word notario has bilked thousands of Latino immigrants seeking to legalize their United States residency status and prompted Los Angeles officials to launch a crackdown.
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County Death Toll Hits 17 in Violent Weekend
A double and triple homicide add to a surge in what is often the year's deadliest month. Most of the recent victims are Latino men. At least 17 people died from shootings and assaults in Los Angeles County during an exceptionally violent weekend that marked the start of the area's traditional peak period for homicides.
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Chemerinsky Leaves Rampart Panel
Settling a burgeoning conflict-of-interest flap, former USC law professor Erwin Chemerinsky said Monday that he has agreed to leave a blue-ribbon panel investigating the Los Angeles Police Department's handling of the Rampart corruption scandal.
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Budget Cuts Hit County's Mentally Ill
Los Angeles County has started to cut services for some of its neediest residents, the thousands of mentally ill people who rely on the government for treatment and medication. Institutions and clinics alike feel the squeeze of the $28.6-million reduction, which some say will leave many patients 'caught in the cracks.'
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From the Daily News:

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Bratton, community to meet
Pacoima residents concerned about bilingual officers, response times
A town-hall meeting will be held at 7 p.m. today at the Alicia Broadous-Duncan Senior Center, 1130 Glenoaks Blvd., Pacoima. A Spanish-language translator will be available.
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Leaders vow to search for traffic answer
VAN NUYS -- Six Los Angeles City Council members committed themselves Monday to work toward solutions to traffic problems in the San Fernando Valley.
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MTA: Ditching busway would be disaster
VAN NUYS -- Halting the $330 million Orange Line busway will rob the San Fernando Valley of a much needed rapid transit corridor and lead to an unprecedented waste of taxpayer money, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said Monday in an appeals court filing.
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West Nile kills 2 more -- County may lead state in fatal cases of mosquito virus
Two more deaths connected to West Nile virus were reported Monday, making Los Angeles County the state's hardest-hit region with two suspected fatalities and one confirmed death in the past few days.
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Wake-up call -- City Hall's tax, fee and rate hikes conceal officials' failures
OPINION -- Wake up Los Angeles, before it's too late. At the rate City Hall is going, the cost of living in Los Angeles will soon be so high that only the rich and the hoodlums living off the drug trade will be able to afford to pay their bills, especially those for water, sewer and other services provided by the city.
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From other sources:

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From the LAPD
City Council Offers $25,000 Reward
West Los Angeles Homicide detectives are investigating the murder of Marie Fouquet, a 78 year-old female who was murdered in her home. It is believed the suspect is a "Hot Prowl" burglar who surprised the victim while she was inside her residence. The suspect murdered the victim, and ransacked the apartment taking several items of jewelry and credit cards.
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From Attorney General Lockyer
State and Local Narcotics Agents Seize More Than $31 Million Dollars in Illegal Drugs
(ALHAMBRA) – Members of the California Department of Justice Inland Crackdown Allied (INCA) Task Force, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the Alhambra Police Department on August 5, 2004, seized approximately 3,100 pounds of marijuana and 21 pounds of "ICE" methamphetamine with a street value of more than $31.5 million dollars.
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