MID-CITY — Nurses at Saint John’s Health Center who want to unionize have filed a third complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming hospital managers threatened to arrest nurses who spoke about patient care at a recent City Council meeting. Registered nurses held a news conference near Saint John’s on... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — There is finally some good news to come out of Heal the Bay’s 19th Annual Beach Report Card for the Santa Monica Pier. While the beach is still among the dirtiest in the state, making the top 10 “Beach Bummers” list and earning an F for water quality once again, the outlook is positive for a better grade... Read more →

MONTANA AVENUE — The alliances, bullying and teasing — it’s not just a plot straight out of the teen hit “Mean Girls,” but a normal occurrence in elementary schools. That’s what a group of parents learned on Tuesday night at Franklin Elementary School where Dr. Dorli Burge, a clinical psychologist and... Read more →

CYBER SPACE — Residents and business owners can now use their computers to find out when and where crimes are occurring throughout Santa Monica. The Santa Monica Police Department, in conjunction with the Information Systems Department, unveiled a new crime mapping system Monday that allows the public direct access to crime data, which... Read more →

CITY HALL — This fall, Santa Monica tenants could see one of the smallest rent increases in recent history. The Rent Control Board is currently considering a staff recommendation to allow landlords to raise rents by no more than 1 percent effective Sept. 1, setting a floor of $8 and a ceiling of $16. A public hearing is scheduled for... Read more →

SMMUSD HDQTRS — If the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is to avoid an extra $6.8 million revenue shortfall on top of the money it’s already expected to lose, it will need a lot of help at the polls today. That’s the harsh reality facing the school district which is already preparing to say goodbye to more than... Read more →

MAIN STREET — Amid all the buzz surrounding a series of future projects meant to reactivate the Civic Center comes news that construction for a major housing development could face delays for up to a year. The ground breaking for the Civic Center Village has been pushed back to July 2010 as the developer, Related/Santa Monica Village... Read more →

CLOVERFIELD BLVD DMV closes for renovation The Santa Monica office of the Department of Motor Vehicles is undergoing a much-needed facelift. The office, located at 2235 Cloverfield Blvd., has been closed since May 1 for a major renovation project, which includes the installation of a new floor and a number of physical upgrades to bring... Read more →

Dear EarthTalk What is “nanotechnology?” I’ve heard that nanoparticles are already in consumer products, yet we haven’t really studied their potential health impacts. Dan Zeff San Francisco, CA Nanotechnology makes use of minuscule objects — whose width can be 10,000 times narrower than a human hair —... Read more →

MID-CITY — As local residents continue to feel the crunch of the national economic recession, small community groups are making big differences in the lives of those who have fallen on hard times. One such ongoing effort, organized by Beth Shir Sholom, holds weekly meetings at its recently established career center, teaching attendees... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — It’s a long-time fixture on the Third Street Promenade, a crowd-drawing line-up of diverse entertainment acts, from crooners to break-dancers to acrobats, all accessible over three blocks. But while street performers have long played a part in making the promenade a world-famous shopping destination, their presence... Read more →

EASTSIDE — Several shots rang out Friday night in the neighborhood bordering Stewart Street Park in what police said may have been a targeted attack. At least two residents were shot at as they arrived at their home in the 2800 block of Delaware Avenue around 9:23 p.m. Police said two suspects approached the victims’ vehicle on... Read more →

SMMUSD HDQTRS — Upset with a proposal to cap employer contributions to their health care coverage, a contingent of teachers flooded the Board of Education meeting on Thursday to address what they believe will be a permanent pay cut. There was not an open seat in the house as a crowd of educators filled the board room, a strange... 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. Friday, May 8, at 2:30 a.m., Santa Monica police officers responded to the 2000 block of 14th Street regarding a report of a male bleeding from his neck.... Read more →

CITYWIDE — Dialing 911 from a cell phone used to be a gamble for those trying to reach the Santa Monica Police Department. Oftentimes the call would be answered by the California Highway Patrol, which was overloaded, leaving some callers on hold for minutes at a time. Not any more. Now those who call for help within Santa... Read more →