Two people were arrested for driving under the influence and four vehicles impounded during a driver’s license/sobriety checkpoint conducted by the Santa Monica Police Department on Aug. 12. More than 820 vehicles passed through the checkpoint, which was located near the corner of Main Street and Ocean Park Boulevard, said SMPD Sgt.... Read more →

SMMUSD HDQTRS — Students in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District continued their climb toward academic excellence, slightly improving scores on standardized tests issued by the state. Scores increased in every subject area of the 2011 STAR program exams, with more than 73 percent of students proficient or advanced in... Read more →

SMC — Santa Monica College was placed on lockdown Tuesday while police investigated reports of a person with a gun on campus, but no suspect or weapon was found. A stretch of Pico Boulevard was also shut down while campus and Santa Monica police searched SMC buildings with guns drawn. SMC spokesman Bruce Smith said the campus was... Read more →

In the past, phone calls about Prince Albert in the can or running refrigerators were all seniors had to worry about. But these days, scammers are using the telephone and social media sites like Facebook to fool grandparents into thinking that their relatives are in trouble, and in the process, rob them of hundreds of dollars overnight.... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — As the school year approaches, Santa Monicans can be seen stocking up on pens, paper and other supplies — and not just for themselves. They’re picking up those tried and true staples and a plethora of small toys and treats to act as box stuffers for Operation Christmas Child. The project is an international... Read more →

Chilies will be grilling once more on an authentic New Mexican chili roaster this September at the Pico Farmers’ Market at Virginia Avenue Park. The “Chili Roast,” hosted by the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market, will take place every Saturday in September starting at 9 a.m. until chilies run out. Poblano, Anaheim and... Read more →

SMMUSD HDQTRS — The Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving local public schools, is striving to consistently raise $1 million per year by the end of 2013. In the past, the organization has been able to consistently raise $400,000 to $500,000 annually, according to foundation board... Read more →

CITYWIDE — Sometimes, acting with the best of intentions can be extremely inconvenient. I fully grasped this in a stairwell of a nine-story office building on the 200 block of Wilshire Boulevard, praying to the high heavens that there were no video cameras, or particularly industrious members of the workforce that eschew elevators in... Read more →

Santa Monica High School senior Trent A. Nelson earned a composite score of 36, the highest mark achievable, on a recent ACT test. In an average year the number of students who achieve a top score is about one-tenth of 1 percent, according to officials with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. Of the graduating class of 2010,... Read more →

Dear EarthTalk: What is a “dead zone” in an ocean or other body of water? Victor Paine Tallahassee, FL So-called dead zones are areas of large bodies of water-typically in the ocean but also occasionally in lakes and even rivers-that do not have enough oxygen to support marine life. The cause of such “hypoxic”... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — An American sculptor known for large-scale public art projects is the front-runner for a City Hall contract to beautify a rebuilt Parking Structure 6 on Second Street. Mike Ross, best known for his work “Big Rig Jig,” consisting of two modified tanker trucks attached to each other vertically in an... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — In an era when more people are feeling pressured to use their cell phones for business as much as pleasure, Dr. Michael Farzam, a local house call doctor, has no other choice — and he likes it that way. Farzam grew up knowing he wanted to dedicate his life to healing others. “At the end of the day, I enjoy... Read more →

  SAMOHI — Well-dressed youth traveled in groups of three in a circular pattern around the Santa Monica High School Library Thursday, peering at pieces of poster board depicting school groups extolling everything from the virtues of candy to working groups on racism. This was not a high-powered Club Day for the discerning high... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — The past week has been a roller coaster ride for the New York Stock Exchange. The Dow Jones Average experienced a 513 point drop last Thursday, the furthest it had plunged since October 2008. In the days following, the market continued to buckle back and forth, the most drastic change when the S&P downgraded the United... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — The Third Street Promenade, a central piece of the Downtown business district largely populated by clothing stores and restaurants, may see a new kind of tenant — alternative car dealerships.  The idea was brought before the City Council Tuesday by members Terry O’Day and Bob Holbrook on behalf of Toyota of... Read more →