CITY HALL — Long the target of criticism for air pollution, the Santa Monica Airport could serve as the basis for stronger federal regulations over lead emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to conduct a study on lead particulate from propeller aircraft at SMO starting this summer, using the results to develop a... Read more →

Tonight some 200 community volunteers will conduct the most important data-collection effort of the year — a citywide count of the number of homeless people on the streets of Santa Monica. This year, for the first time, the City Hall is expanding its involvement in the biennial Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) Count... 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 →

SMMUSD HDQTRS — For years City Hall has remained one of the steadiest financial backers of the school district, providing stability and a reliable revenue stream to an educational institution whose security can be influenced by the state’s fiscal volatility. Whether the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District will receive... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — Despite months of preparation, local lawmakers are trying to push back the date of the transition to fully digital television channels, saying that millions of Americans are unprepared for the switch. Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA), the newly elected head of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, authored a bill to push... Read more →

SM BEACH — Giving surf lessons are fun until someone gets punched in the face. Two years ago, tensions were high between the 14 surf camps crammed onto the one mile stretch of beach south of the Santa Monica Pier. Some altercations even escalated to fist fighting. Last year, City Hall cut the number of surf camps from 14 to four by... Read more →

SMMUSD HDQTRS — Public school officials last week celebrated the addition of four newly certified National Board teachers, raising the overall number to 52, six of whom are now administrators. National Board Certification is a symbol of professional teaching excellence. It was created so that teachers, like professionals in other... Read more →

Dear EarthTalk: It seems like more products are being packaged in no. 5 rather than no. 2 plastic today, and my local recycling agency won’t take no. 5. I’ve also heard that no. 5 plastics are more toxic, which concerns me more than the recyclability issue. Which plastic is the better choice? — Janice Shaffer, Chillicothe,... Read more →

CITY HALL A dozen local businesses that generate or store hazardous materials such as used oil and antifreeze have failed to comply with local and state laws meant to protect the public from exposure to toxins, city officials said. The businesses, the majority of which are auto repair shops, received warnings letters this week from the... Read more →

WASHINGTON, D.C. A frigid 15 degrees, one and a half million people, the 44th president of the United States of America — the overwhelming elation and excitement at the inauguration of Barack Obama could only be described in numbers. After years of hoping for better national leadership, gathering in the nation’s capital this past... Read more →