Follow LA Observed on Twitter here
News, notes and observations from LA Observed and selected media sources. Sometimes daily, often in the morning.
Police uncovered a mass-shooting plot at South Pasadena High School, arresting two students on suspicion of planning to "kill three staff members and as many students as possible with firearms." LAT, AP
A 15-year veteran of the LAPD's SWAT team was shot in the leg and suffered a possibly career-ending injury during an early morning gun battle in South LA. LAT, NBC 4
Clay Shirky: "If you are a journalist at a print publication, your job is in danger. Period. Time to do something about it." Medium
Sharon Waxman: "Naysayers who note the latest set of spinoffs as a sign of further, inexorable decline are missing the larger trend. [Newspapers] are in the process of emerging from a dark period of decline and looking at their future with a more realistic set of expectations and goals." The Wrap
After years of dickering, the City Council on Monday moved forward on developing a comprehensive program to repair more than 4,700 miles of sidewalks in LA. They still want you to pay if your property adjoins the sidewalk. DN, KPCC
Mayor Garcetti outlined Los Angeles' pitch for the 2024 Olympics at a chamber of commerce luncheon. LA Register
Garcetti nominated Michael Shull to be general manager of the Department of Recreation and Parks. He's moving former GM Jon Mukri to a job at the Port of Los Angeles.
A mariachi-themed 5k run planned through Boyle Heights has generated opposition from some neighborhood mariachis and elected officials. ABC 7, LAT
LA Unified school police will no longer issue citations for most campus fights, petty theft and other minor offenses, but instead refer students to counseling and other services. LAT
David Letterman remembers Robin Williams — they met 38 years ago at The Comedy Store. "It was like something we had never seen before...It was just a pleasure to know the guy." Ten minute clip. YouTube
The new episode of "SoCal Connected" Wednesday on KCET covers whale/cargo ship collisions, micro-loans helping local entrepreneurs, Bottle Tree Ranch off Route 66 and the Colby Poster Printing Company.
SoCal's longstanding pastrami obsession. The Nosh
Chef Josef Centeno takes over Pete's Cafe in the Old Bank District. Daily Dish
LA's 10 most pervasive stereotypes: true or false? LA Weekly
Don Pardo, the TV announcer best known for "Saturday Night Live" and game shows such as "Jeopardy," died at age 96. NYT
Total # of journalists arrested in #Ferguson since Aug. 9 is now 1̶ ̶2̶ ̶3̶ ̶4̶ ̶5̶ ̶6̶ ̶7̶ ̶8̶ ̶9̶ ̶1̶0̶ 11 http://t.co/A9c1IN0Pp8
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) August 19, 2014