VENICE — Kendra Moore is quick to name the reasons which she believes make her home for the past 24 years nearly impossible to leave, speaking proudly of the area’s racial and economic diversity and smiling when reflecting on raising four children there. But there’s a sense of underlying frustration and exhaustion when... Read more →

Dear EarthTalk, I’m a musician and am curious about what the guitar industry is doing to ensure that the wood it uses is not destroying forests. Chris Wiedemann Ronkonkoma, NY Though it has not received a lot of press to date, the industry is on the case — in part for the sake of its own survival, and thanks to the hard work... Read more →

SANTA MONICA BLVD — Through the emotional stress and burden of battling breast cancer, Stephanie Philp found a silver lining. Worried about the financial loss from missing an extensive number of work days during radiation, which typically takes six to eight weeks, the Marina del Rey resident learned she was eligible to receive a... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — Santa Monica’s Google office welcomed 35 Girl Scouts Friday to show them the ropes and do its part to encourage young women to study science and engineering. The event, part of the National Engineering Week, was a collaboration between the Girl Scouts of America and Google to foster the girls’ interest in what... Read more →

CITY HALL — District administrators will take another look at a controversial proposal to layoff staff in several high-demand services after the Board of Education expressed concerns with letting go of employees without further exploring alternatives. Facing steep budget reductions in the coming year, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified... Read more →

Crime Watch is a weekly series culled from reports provided by the Santa Monica Police Department. These are arrests only. All parties are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Saturday, Feb. 14, at 2:27 p.m., Santa Monica police officers responded to the 300 block of Colorado Avenue — Sears — regarding a report of... Read more →

LINCOLN BLVD — A fire broke out in Santino’s Restaurant early Thursday morning, gutting the building and destroying the apartments above, authorities said. No one was hurt in the blaze. Firefighters responded to the two-alarm blaze at 1:09 a.m. and doused it within 30 minutes of arrival. The heat of the flames coming from the... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — A serial bank robber linked to more than a dozen heists spanning one month, including two in Santa Monica, was arrested at a Los Angeles residence on Wednesday, according to the FBI. Authorities believe that Brian Keith Robinson, 49, is the so-called “Salt & Pepper Bandit” who allegedly hit up 17 different... Read more →

SM LIBRARY — After a nearly two-year delay, the much anticipated construction of the Santa Monica Historical Society Museum will begin next month. The new headquarters for the nonprofit organization, which was founded in 1975 during the planning for the city’s centennial celebration, will be located on the east side of the Santa... Read more →

CITY HALL Teen scene Youth who love to watch movies are encouraged to create their own and submit them for judging as part of the fourth annual Santa Monica Teen Film Festival, which will be held June 20 and 21. The festival is now accepting submissions from filmmakers ages 12-18, and will accept any film in any genre from 30 seconds to 30... Read more →