DOWNTOWN — For most local artists, actors, and musicians the slumping economy isn’t an abstraction. As art patrons and collectors are seeing their assets dwindle away, they are more reluctant to spend money on shows and pieces. This leaves artists struggling for a way to keep their studios and stages open through these tough... Read more →

CITYWIDE — As the debate on billboards in Los Angeles drags on, activists are using Santa Monica as the shining star of municipal sign policy. Los Angeles stemmed a growing flood of visual clutter in 2002 when the City Council passed a billboard moratorium, banning the construction of new billboards. It was immediately attacked by... Read more →

SMMUSD HDQTRS — Tim Cuneo, a former education consultant who arrived here last summer to take over a district that had gone through a series of major personnel changes and challenges, is expected to be named the next superintendent. The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District announced on Friday that the Board of Education will... Read more →

PICO NEIGHBORHOOD — The long-awaited project to aesthetically revitalize a barren stretch of 20th Street and Cloverfield Boulevard will have to wait a while more. About a decade after residents first approached City Hall about sprucing up the two corridors from the I-10 Freeway to Pico Boulevard, the City Council earlier this week... Read more →

KANSAS AVENUE — School district officials plan to launch an investigation into a sexual harassment allegation involving a male teacher at Edison Language Academy and two female colleagues. The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District was notified several weeks ago that an instructor reportedly made an anti-gay comment to the... Read more →

Upward Bound House, a leading provider of housing and supportive services to homeless families in Los Angeles, accepted $100,000 that will help support the construction of an emergency shelter in Culver City for families with children. The gift was given by longtime supporters Robert and Marion Wilson, who helped found Upward Bound... Read more →

SM AIRPORT — The head of a popular aviation Web site was one of two victims who perished in a fatal plane crash here on Wednesday night, according to friends and colleagues. The forum for Airliners.net was flooded with messages of condolences on Thursday as news spread that Paulo Emanuele, the site’s general manager, died when... 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. <!-- LPSH -->Wednesday, Jan. 21, at 11:35 a.m., Santa Monica vice officers contacted a woman offering sexual services in exchange for money. The... Read more →

11th STREET — Musical icons Dave Grusin and Lee Ritenour debut their latest classical crossover venture “Amparo” at the Broad Stage on Saturday. Grammy nominated “Amparo” — the follow up to Grusin and Ritenour’s successful 2000 release of “Two Worlds” — is the brainchild of Chris... Read more →

CITY HALL — After a nine-year absence, the surreal sights and sounds of Cirque du Soleil will return to the city where it made its American debut and first experienced commercial success, helping launch a more than two-decade career entertaining audiences across the globe. The City Council on Tuesday authorized City Manager Lamont... Read more →