A portion of the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve was cleared of trees and brush in an abrupt move by the Army Corps of Engineers that caught the area's birdwatchers and volunteer caretakers by surprise. Reacting to an outrcy, the Army Corps halted work for more discussion.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa showed up in a Twitpic by Charlie Sheen from the actor's new hotel bar that opened last night in Baja California. A spokesman for the mayor confirms he is in Mexico until Jan. 2.

This weekend's year-end edition of "This American Life" reprises a 1998 segment in which Jonathan Gold explains his year exploring the food offerings of West Pico Boulevard. Then everything changed. Listen inside.

Jay Schaefer, a father of four daughters, saw a bicycle parked on an overpass above the Hollywood Freeway. Then he spotted the 16-year-old girl perched on the ledge above the freeway. He stopped, jumped out, and grabbed her through the fence rails. "I asked her if she was OK. She said, No, she wanted to die."

The son of cowboy star Harry Carey was born on his father's ranch near Saugus and went on to ride horses in the westerns directed by pal John Ford and act in many other films and TV shows. Through Ford, Carey also was part of an exclusive San Fernando Valley club of Hollywood men that's now mostly forgotten.

The year-end memo from Michael Anastasi, vice president and executive editor of the Los Angeles News Group, announces the promotion of senior editor Kim Guimarin and suggests that photos and graphics will get more attention in the planning of projects. "Photo, in other words, will have a seat at the table," Anastasi says.

With a few days left in the year, the number of murders in the city of Los Angeles has crept up and will likely surpass 300 for the first time since 2009. Total crime declined for the tenth straight year.

Former New West staffer Michael Kurcfeld found this clip from July 3, 1978, disclosing plans for a new alternative newspaper to fill the void left by closure of the Los Angeles Free Press. Working title: L.A.Weekly.

The Celtics lost Thursday to the NBA-best Clippers, but they did gain a new beat writer from LA.

The owner of Grand Central Market has launched a makeover aimed at capturing more of the new demographic moving into downtown. The new downtowners who are renting condos and lofts and walking their dogs on Spring Street and Broadway apparently don't appreciate the market's gritty vibe and sub-par produce. The redo is beginning with a "deep cleaning" and repainting. See the photos.

The New York Times package reconstructing the stories around an avalanche in the Cascades has been called by some the best designed big web story ever. That encompasses a lot of great work, with much competition, but let's agree it's in the conversation and may be the best thing the NYT has ever done on the web.

Fontella Bass, a church choir singer in St. Louis who recorded as a soul singer for Chess Records and had a hit with "Rescue Me" in 1965, died Wednesday at age 72 in her hometown. She suffered a heart attack three weeks ago.

Awesome. Brilliant stroke to go female with the Led Zeppelin anthem. The surprise church choir voices finally brought Robert Plant to subtle tears.

Photos: Yuccas thrive in the foothills on the north side of the San Gabriel Mountains. If there's one plant more iconic of the Mojave, it could be the tumbleweed.

Gun holders queued up in cars around the block at Exposition Park to exchange guns for Ralphs gift cards in front of the Sports Arena — no questions asked. Long lines were also reported at the Van Nuys Masonic Temple.

Longtime employes of Junior's Deli at the Rancho Park end of Westwood Boulevard were told today that the Westside landmark will close before the end of the year. A rent hike from the landlord is to blame, along with slumping business, say the sons of Junior's late founder.

Photos: The California Aqueduct near Littlerock, moving Northern California water across the Mojave Desert on Wednesday afternoon.

Actor Jack Klugman began on television in 1950 and became known as a character actor ( in "Twilight Zone" and many other series) until he broke through as the co-star of "The Odd Couple" from 1970-75 and the star of "Quincy M.E." from 1976-83. One of his most enduring roles, though, was as Juror #5 in the jury room in the Oscar-nominated 1957 film "Twelve Angry Men."

Janis Hood, the owner of Henry's Tacos in Studio City, says on Facebook that the landlord has asked her stay open until Jan. 15 and has agreed to hold lease talks with a possible new owner. Hood had previously said the landlord would not discuss a lease with the person she hopes will buy the business her family opened 51 years ago.