Busier-than-usual day for me away from the blog. Here's what has caught my eye:

• Would you believe $40 million more for the new LAPD headquarters that is despoiling the view of the Civic Center?
• Yet another longtime Santa Barbara News-Press staffer was escorted out of the building. Meanwhile, former editor Jerry Roberts is receiving a First Amendment award from PEN tonight at the Beverly Hills Hotel, despite owner Wendy McCaw's apparent attempts to subpoena everyone who might attend. Taylor Hackford will do the honors. AP trial master Linda Deutsch is also being honored, with Joseph Wambaugh doing the presenting.
• OC Sheriff Carona is taking a 60-day leave. Or is that 60 years? He pleaded not guilty yesterday.
• Councilman Bernard Parks suggested diverting some of the special trash fee hike — explicitly set aside for police hiring — to other city uses.
• Longtime U.S. Forest Service spokesman in California Matt Mathes apparently killed himself, his wife and their dogs and left a note saying he was distraught over her chronic illness.
• LAO contributor Jacob Soboroff was on NPR's "Day to Day" this morning talking about his new cause, the Why Tuesday? movement to reform election practices.
• LAO contributor Erika Schickel reviewed Choice: True Stories of Birth, Contraception, Infertility, Adoption, Single Parenthood and Abortion in today's L.A. Times.