Saturday, Feb. 7 at 1:35 a.m. Officers responded to the 2000 block of Wilshire Boulevard — The Gas Light — to a report of a fight. Upon arrival they found that a theft had occurred. An uninvolved bystander attempted to help the female victim, but he was punched in the face by one of a number of suspects. The victim told officers... Read more →

OLYMPIC BLVD — It happens every day before and after school, groups of young children walking up and down the busy corridor here, carrying backpacks and chatting as cars speed by. While it’s hardly the most pedestrian-oriented street, parents at Crossroads School fear that it will be even less so if Olympic Boulevard is chosen... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — The future of Santa Monica Place is starting to take shape. Standing at what will become the open-air rooftop dining deck, officials with Macerich on Thursday announced one by one the latest restaurant and retailers to sign on with the renovated shopping mall, naming the new tenants as construction work continued around... Read more →

CITY HALL — A controversial senior group housing project in an upscale part of town cleared another hurdle on Tuesday when an appeal filed by neighbors was turned down. The City Council unanimously denied a petition filed by a group of Montana Avenue area residents who argued that the Planning Commission acted in error in determining... Read more →

CITY HALL — In light of a challenging economy and rising unemployment rates, leading to tough times for residents, city officials are looking into whether to use temporary funds to help those who are in imminent danger of losing their homes. The City Council on Tuesday directed its staff to investigate what possibilities are available... Read more →

CITY HALL — With just two weeks before the latest smoking ban is set to go into effect, city officials have launched a Web site aimed at educating residents about the new law. The information about the smoking ban on common areas of all multi-unit residences is available via www.smconsumer.org where residents can read frequently asked... Read more →

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SMMUSD HDQTRS — Through the years of budget headaches and funding cuts from the state to public education, threatening the continuation of certain services, at least one district program has continued to shine in the face of it all — the arts. That success by the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District was recognized in a... Read more →

CITYWIDE — When it comes to improving special education in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, an ad hoc committee of parents and students have more than one idea. Just several months after the 16-member Working Group was assembled to review a pile of studies, audits and strategic plans that have been conducted for the... Read more →

<i>Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing series that tracks the city’s expenditures appearing on upcoming Santa Monica City Council consent agendas. Consent agenda items are routinely passed by the City Council with little or no discussion from elected officials or the public. However, many of the items have been... Read more →