Law Enforcement

Car crashes into North Hills apartment
An SUV crashed into an apartment building in North Hills Thursday, displacing at least four people, and the woman driving the vehicle fled, police said. The crash near the intersection of Parthenia Street and Noble Avenue in North Hills was reported around 2:30 a.m., said Officer J. Pleitez of the Los Angeles Police Department's Valley Traffic Division. No one inside the building was hurt, he said.
Los Angeles Daily News

Police raid medical marijuana dispensary and home in Woodland Hills
Los Angeles police have raided a marijuana dispensary and a home in Woodland Hills, arresting one man and seizing 50 pounds of marijuana. The raid Wednesday came the same day Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed a law banning all medical marijuana clinics in the city, though the ban won't take effect for 30 days. In a news release, police said the dispensary in the 23000 block of Ventura Boulevard, whose name wasn't immediately available, was conducting illegal sales.
Los Angeles Daily News

A store robbed with an iPhone app
We now have phones that can do a lot more than just chat with friends and family, apparently you can use an iPhone to rob a store, yes as absurd as it sounds, it has happened. All you need is a little ingenuity, and iPhone and an app called iRealGun. With a collection of apps well over 600,000 you should not be surprised to see some of the most unique applications in the iTunes app store. iRealGun is an application for iOS devices that allows you to imitate real gun sounds. Apparently this was enough ammo for a man to use to rob a liquor store in Los Angeles.
prMac

Traffic & Parking

Carmageddon II warning: Stay away from the 405 Freeway
With Carmageddon II scheduled for the end of September, local officials on Thursday urged the public to stay away from the 405 Freeway that weekend, and instead shop, eat and play in their neighborhoods. Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said the message during this Carmageddon is not that people should stay home during the weekend of Sept. 28 to Oct. 1. Instead he urged the public to walk, bike or take public transit, and go out to eat, watch a movie or just spend time in their neighborhoods.
Los Angeles Daily News

L.A. OKs removing 600 parking meters from San Pedro, Wilmington
More than 600 parking meters will be removed from San Pedro and Wilmington streets under a Los Angeles City Council move Wednesday that also will lower the rates on meters left in place. The measure, approved unanimously, also establishes some limited free parking in city-owned lots. Next up: A meter removal ceremony that will be scheduled "in the near future" by Los Angeles Councilman Joe Buscaino, who sponsored the motion. Once that happens, the meters will be yanked the following day.
Long Beach Press-Telegram

Politics

Trutanich stuck with debt from his unsuccessful D.A. run
Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich has racked up more than $154,000 in unpaid bills from his unsuccessful run for district attorney, a situation that could complicate his bid for reelection in March. Trutanich failed to make the runoff in the June election for district attorney, a drubbing that prompted him to seek a second four-year term in office at City Hall instead. Yet even before he has begun raising money for reelection, the city's top lawyer has a pile of bills from his countywide campaign, according to a report filed this week with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk for the period ending June 30.
Los Angeles Times

State Budget

California reaches deep into special funds to pay for schools, prisons, social services
California drivers pay fees for smog checks, vehicle registrations and new tires, all supposedly for programs that benefit roadway use. Consumers pay fees to recycle beverage containers, televisions and computers. Doctors and accountants pay license fees to regulate their industries. But for more than a decade, the special funds collecting these dollars have served a second purpose: helping California pay for schools, social services and prisons that are supposed to be funded by general taxes.
Sacramento Bee