WILSHIRE BLVD — Construction has begun toward the rehabilitation of a Great Depression-era movie theater that for decades stood as a cultural and architectural icon on one of the busiest streets in Santa Monica. Crews commenced the restoration and renovation of the Nu Wilshire Theater at 1314-1316 Wilshire Blvd. earlier this month,... Read more →

CALIFORNIA AVENUE — Administrators at Lincoln Middle School have suspended five students following a series of incidents that have involved drug-related arrests, cyberbullying and altercations reminiscent of the movie, “Fight Club.” Principal Suzanne Webb sent a letter home to parents on Wednesday letting them know of an... 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. Sunday, March 8, at 1:42 p.m., Santa Monica police officers responded to the 1400 block of Lincoln Boulevard — CVS — regarding a robbery that... Read more →

Following a recent case of accidental poisonings of children at a daycare in Arkansas, who were mistakenly served blue windshield-wiper fluid as Kool-Aid, Los Angeles County health officials are reminding residents to assess and ensure the safety of their homes. The warning comes during National Poison Prevention Week. Officials want... Read more →

SAMOHI — He’s been making the rounds in cities across the central and northern part of the state, talking about healthcare, education and other issues expected to play a key role in the 2010 election. On Tuesday, San Francisco mayor and possible gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom came into the backyard of Los Angeles mayor and... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — Before purchasing a book online or driving to a mall in another city, shoppers might want to consider patronizing businesses in their own neck of the woods. That’s the message the Bayside District Corp. and City Hall want to send to residents through the new “Buy Local” campaign, hoping to give a shot in... Read more →

NOMA — Like many residents concerned about the cost of installing solar panels on their roofs, Ann Giagni wasn’t sure the investment would be worth it. She was interested in solar and had been for years, but there was always that financial uncertainty. That is until one afternoon last year when she visited the Farmers’... Read more →

LINCOLN BLVD — About 40 pounds of Ecstasy were discovered stashed inside of a parked car here on Sunday after Santa Monica Police and federal agents busted a Northern California man believed to be trafficking drugs. Ramandeep Singh Sandhu, 25, of Fremont, was booked by SMPD after authorities found about 51,000 tablets of MDMA —... Read more →

PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY — Facing an increase in auto burglaries just three months into the year, the Santa Monica Police Department is warning residents about keeping their vehicles safe from criminal activity. “Our goal is to take this comprehensive approach and lower that number by not only beefing up patrol and adding resources... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — Those frustrating days of queuing in the exit line at the garage, waiting for the drivers who dig through their car ashtray in an attempt to find enough change, could soon be a thing of the past. A series of prepaid parking ticket stations at the city-owned garages in Downtown are expected to go live over the next several... Read more →