CITY HALL — An independent review of a recent Santa Monica Police Department investigation into whether school board member Oscar de la Torre committed child endangerment in connection with a fist fight between two teenagers is expected to begin this week, City Manager Rod Gould said on Friday. Gould ordered the review after... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — Thousands flocked to Santa Monica Place’s grand re-opening Friday to be among the first to experience the open-air, upscale shopping venue and possibly get their hands on a variety of free gift cards. The 540,000 square foot mall re-opened after two-and-a-half years and $265 million worth of renovations. The three... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — The political party Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights will back full slates of candidates for all races in November’s election, adding incumbent Councilwoman Pam O’Connor and incumbent school board members Oscar de la Torre and Ralph Mechur to the list of candidates with official SMRR support, leaders of... Read more →

CITY HALL — Leaders of the political party Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights on Thursday were keeping quiet about whether the organization would support additional candidates in the City Council and school board races, saying they’d make an announcement this evening. SMRR members who attended the group’s convention... Read more →

The City Attorney’s Office is expected to receive an award today from the American Bar Association for its work in securing over $300 million from major oil companies that were responsible for allowing a toxic fuel additive to seep into the city’s drinking water supply, forcing the closure of local wells. The Jefferson Fordham... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — Two-and-a-half years after it closed for a $265 million renovation, Macerich Co. is re-opening Santa Monica Place today, giving shoppers in the region a new destination and bringing City Hall a needed sales tax boost. Today’s ribbon cutting marks one of very few shopping center openings in the country this year, as... Read more →

CITY HALL — A homeowner was put on probation and ordered to pay roughly $4,000 in fines and attorneys fees for using his former Ocean Park pad as a hotel by renting it out to vacationers for short-term stays, a violation of the zoning code, Santa Monica city officials said Thursday. It is the first prosecution of a case involving... Read more →

If you’ve ever wanted to learn a new language, the Santa Monica Library is offering something that will help. Mango Languages is a free online tool that offers a variety of languages to choose from including: French, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian, German, Greek, Italian, and more. Library cardholders can access Mango via the... Read more →

The highly anticipated grand opening of the new Santa Monica Place kicks off today at 10 a.m. City officials are expecting a large turnout and have launched what they call a number of transportation improvements to ease traffic flow. Here they are: • Additional signage throughout Downtown directing visitors and residents to available... Read more →

Santa Monica’s cable television station, CityTV, capped off another successful year of quality local programming by winning its 10th Emmy at this year’s 2010 Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards. CityTV won the Public Service Announcement (PSA) category with its “Kids Finance PSA,” a video geared toward teaching children the... Read more →

SMC — Despite concerns about construction projects slated for Santa Monica College raised by the neighborhood group Friends of Sunset Park, the school’s board of trustees on Tuesday unanimously approved a new master plan that envisions construction, building renovations and demolitions at the college’s main campus and... Read more →

OCEAN PARK BLVD — Clara Kleinman was not sure she would have anything to offer a teenage girl. Kleinman, 84, has lived what she described as a “weird” life, growing up during the Great Depression in a slum in St. Louis where she witnessed multiple stabbings, beginning to work when she was 12 by selling apples and leaving... Read more →

After a year of intensive collaboration with the local communities and stakeholders, the Santa Monica Mountains Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) is ready for public comment now through Sept. 15, 2010, federal officials said. The purpose of the CWPP is to help local communities collaborate with agencies, organizations and homeowners... Read more →

CITY HALL — A handful of Santa Monica City Council and school board candidates opened up big fundraising leads during the first half of the year while most hopefuls in November’s election had yet to begin raising money, campaign disclosure statements show. In the City Council race, Terry O’Day, who was appointed to the body... Read more →

SACRAMENTO — Those living near the Santa Monica Airport who are concerned about pollution from jets have a potential ally in the state Legislature. A resolution asking federal authorities to impose restrictions to reduce noise and air pollution at SMO is awaiting a vote in the state Senate after passing in the assembly 46 to 21 on June... Read more →