LA Observed archive
for August 2016

If you don't find what you want here, check another month or search below.

Mid-week media notes: Hot dogs and politics

tailothepup-truck.jpg A very big City Hall payout. Tail O' the Pup returns. Trump will find a new LA Times correspondent in Mexico. And more.

Joe Hicks, political commentator, was 75

joe-hicks-cai.jpg Joe Hicks, the co-founder of Community Advocates Inc. and a long-time media commentator on race and columnist in Los Angeles, died Sunday.

Bob Long, former TV news executive in LA

bob-long-voa.jpg Long worked on "The Big News" at KNXT and was VP and news director at NBC 4.

Border Grill closing in Santa Monica after 26 years

milliken-feniger.jpg Chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken have been VIPs in the LA food scene since they opened City Cafe in 1981.

Monday media notes and more: 8.29.16

villaraigosa-vista-la.jpg Juan Gabriel, Tronc, gentrification and of course Clinton and Trump are in the news, plus job moves and random notes.

Baseball strikes out in Bakersfield after 75 years

DSC_0220.jpg Minor league baseball is leaving the city where Don Drysdale and Mike Piazza perfected their games.

Bet you didn't know quicksand is a real SoCal thing

quicksand-hand-youtube.jpg Readers of the Southern California News Group papers are warned how to watch out for the stuff.

Museum of Neon Art thriving in Glendale

mna-eastsde.jpg MONA had to leave downtown in 2011 but things are all right now. Visiting is like seeing old friends again.

Tronc takes over the phones at LA Times

tronc-on-phone-lat.jpg The new telephones going into the newsroom at the Los Angeles Times carry the Tronc brand.

Monday media notes: a new format

katytur-marie-claire.jpg Gawker.com's last day. Clinton is in town for fundraisers. Media moves. Jobs. And in praise of the Olympics.

City Council president doesn't pay his bills on time

herb-wesson320.jpg Herb Wesson has received five default notices for being late with mortgage payments.

Saul Halpert, 93, longtime TV journalist in LA

saul-halpert-tarlau-nbc4.jpg Halpert reported for all three network stations in LA and hosted "KNBC News Conference."

Mary Decker and 'the perfect image of Olympic pain'

mary-decker-down-david-burn.jpg With the Rio Olympics fully involved in track and field this week, LA sports historian and journalist David Davis revisits one of the most emotional moments — and photographs — of the 1984 Los Angeles games.

Michel Richard, 68, formative LA chef

michel-richard.jpg The French-born chef built a national empire after his two hit Los Angeles eateries.

Councilman Felipe Fuentes to resign, become lobbyist

felipe-fuentes.jpg The councilman from the northeast Valley stayed less than one term.

NYT thins more in Los Angeles, and the LAT hires locally

nyt-newsroom.jpg The LA bureau of the New York Times is down to one news reporter, one Hollywood reporter and film reviewer Manohla Dargis plus bureau chief Adam Nagourney.

Villaraigosa marries in weekend ceremony in Mexico

villaraigosa-govea.jpg Villaraigosa was married to Patricia Govea at a hotel in San Miguel de Allende.

1932 Olympics tourist map

1932olympicsmap-beschloss.jpg Historian Michael Beschloss has an active Twitter presence and posted this stylized map to the sights of the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

How Chicken Boy got to Highland Park

chicken-boy.jpg Vice revisits the story of how designer Amy Inouye saved Chicken Boy from the landfill.

Arianna Huffington is done with HuffPo

arianna-huffington-huffpost.jpg Huffington plans to leave the Huffington Post, the site she started 11 years ago, in the coming weeks.
gottlieb-suit-grab.jpg Jeff Gottlieb's lawyer represented T.J. Simers in his recent suit against the Times. Also: Another newsroom exit and confirmation of the Timers building's sale.

More going and coming on the LA Times Metro staff

annaphillips.jpg Veteran reporters Jason Song and Garrett Therolf are leaving, along with a recent hire from Texas, and a new education reporter comes from Florida.

Feds throw more charges at ex-Sheriff Baca

baca-retires.jpg After grand jury indictment, the former lawman could get 20 years but probably wouldn't.

Change on the Lakers beat at LA Times

tania-ganguli-320.jpg Mike Bresnahan goes to TWC Sportsnet and Tania Ganguli joins the LA Times from ESPN.com.

Oops: 6-year-old Betty Broderick story runs in LA Times*

broderick-320.jpg Weekend news report in the Times is an exact copy of a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2010.

Valley candidate is in, then he's out of runoff

joe-shammas-certif.jpg The Secretary of State gave Joe Shammas a certificate saying he finished second to Rep. Tony Cardenas. Then he took it away.

Dodgers demoting Puig after failing to trade him

dodgers-mannequins-puig.jpg He's not on the road trip and looks headed for Oklahoma City in the minor leagues.

Ex-sheriff Baca rolls the dice on a trial

bacas-team-wla.jpg LA County's disgraced former sheriff withdraws his guilty plea for lying to the FBI about jail abuse.

KCRW investigates LA restaurant worker abuse

kcrw-investigates-grafic.jpg Longtime LA investigative reporter Karen Foshay rolls out her first series for KCRW, a five-parter on the treatment of workers in LA restaurants.
Clinton fundraises in LA
kermit-la-brea-closer.jpg Jim Henson Studios on La Brea became a presidential campaign stop on Thursday.
Brown declares disaster area
porter-ranch-sign.jpgThe natural gas leak above Porter Ranch now qualifies for various government actions. Story
Wet coyote
wet-coyote-vdt.jpgSpotted between the storms at Here in Malibu.
Performing arts with cheer
guys-dolls-kevin-parry.jpgDonna Perlmutter closes out 2015 with productions downtown and on the Westside.
Junkyard down
upick-firetruck-560.jpgAfter 53 years, Sun Valley's Aadlen Brothers and U-Pick Parts cleans out. Photos