LOS ANGELES - Aiming to match people struggling to make ends meet with good-paying county jobs, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved pilot programs targeting economically disadvantaged communities as well as women interested in construction craft and apprentice jobs.Supervisor Hilda Solis recommended the county focus on hiring people with barriers to ... Read more →
Child deaths down in latest Los Angeles County report on abuse
LOS ANGELES - The number of children killed at the hands of a parent, relative or caregiver in Los Angeles County dipped to 14 in 2016, down from 18 the previous year, while suicides among kids and teens decreased by 39 percent, according to reports released Monday.The reports on child abuse and child deaths also found that the number of children referred to authorities for ... Read more →
County to hire outside agency to find cause of election-day ballot troubles
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles County will hire a third-party investigative agency to help determine why the names of thousands of residents were omitted from voter rolls during the June 5 primary election, leading to confusion at the polls that left some wondering if they would be able to cast a ballot."I believe it is critical to have an independent third-party assessment of ... Read more →
L.A. County footing big bill for affordable housing
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles County has invested $182 million and leveraged $1.7 billion in public and private funds toward construction of 3,362 affordable apartments over the last five years, but a wider range of strategies are needed to solve a daunting shortfall of more than half a million affordable units countywide, according to a report by the Community Development ... Read more →
LA County sheriff’s race headed for runoff
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell fell short of the majority vote needed for him to avoid a November runoff in his bid for re-election, and he will face sheriff's Lt. Alex Villanueva in the general election.McDonnell held a wide lead throughout the night as ballots from Tuesday's primary were tabulated, but he failed to reach the 50 percent threshold ... Read more →
Printing glitch might complicate counting of ballots
LOS ANGELES - The number of provisional ballots still set to be counted might be higher than usual, based on a printing glitch that left nearly 120,000 voters off of Los Angeles Country rolls.A spokesman for the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's office said an estimate of the total provisional ballots was expected to be released late Wednesday afternoon and the root cause ... Read more →
Knight easily advances to November runoff
LOS ANGELES - In his bid for a third term in the 25th Congressional District, which covers the Antelope and Santa Clarita Valleys, Steve Knight [R-Palmdale] had broad support Tuesday night and easily cruised to the November runoff.With 100% of precincts reporting, Knight garnered 41,310 votes (52.8%). He was followed by Katie Hill (D), the executive director and deputy CEO ... Read more →
Printing glitch leaves some people off voter list, provisional ballots issued
LOS ANGELES - Some voters arriving at their Los Angeles County polling places Tuesday were surprised to discover that their names were missing from the roster of eligible voters, a glitch that county officials attributed to a printing error.Dean Logan, the county's registrar-recorder/county clerk, called the problem a "random issue with the print job that ran the paper ... Read more →
Families paying old juvenile detention fees may have one less bill
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to review any legal barriers to ending the collection of fees ordered years ago to cover the cost of juvenile detention.The county ended the practice of charging families for housing their children in juvenile halls or camps nearly a decade ago, but kept collecting fees that were court-ordered prior to ... Read more →
L.A. County looks to ‘incubate’ mental health providers
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to look at creating an academy to train more nonprofits to be community-based mental health treatment providers.Supervisor Janice Hahn recommended creating an "incubation academy" to better connect small agencies with funding opportunities."Delivering mental health services is done best by ... Read more →
L.A. County approves $20 million for veterans housing, support
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved $20 million in funding Tuesday for veterans housing and a peer-to-peer network to help veterans find housing and other resources.Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas and Kathryn Barger co-authored the motion, following up on a February vote to consider creating a network of veterans helping fellow veterans."We ... Read more →
L.A. County to pay out $11.75 million in deputy texting while driving lawsuit
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to pay $11.75 million to the family of a bicyclist struck and killed by a sheriff's deputy who was typing a message while driving.Milt Olin Jr., an entertainment lawyer and former Napster executive, was riding east in a bike lane on Mulholland Highway in Calabasas when he was struck around 1 p.m. on ... Read more →
Today is last day to request a vote by mail ballot for June 5 election
LOS ANGELES - Tuesday evening -- at 11:59 p.m. to be exact -- is the deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot for the June 5 statewide primary election, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's office.As of Tuesday morning, the RR/CC has issued nearly 2.3 million mail ballots.Voters can request a vote-by-mail ballot by:-- applying ... Read more →
L.A. County backs legislation to automatically update cannabis convictions
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to back legislation that would automatically remove or reduce certain cannabis-related convictions.Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas and Hilda Solis recommended support for AB 1793. The bill sponsored by Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Oakland, would shift the work of identifying cases eligible for dismissal or ... Read more →
L.A. County appeals law concerning supervisorial boundaries
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles County Wednesday filed an appeal seeking to stop a new state law from taking effect that officials say would undercut the right of county residents to govern themselves.The appeal follows a unanimous vote by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to take legal action to prevent implementation of Senate Bill 958. Under the new law, Los Angeles ... Read more →
Move to eliminate “carried interest” loophole gains traction in L.A. County
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday to back a bill in the Assembly to levy an additional 17 percent tax on the profits of hedge fund and private equity managers in an effort to close what some see as an unfair federal tax loophole.The federal government taxes fund managers' share of profits -- known as "carried interest" -- as ... Read more →
Bilingual debate for 25th Congressional District candidates this Sunday
PALMDALE - Various Latino agencies, civic organizations and churches from the Antelope Valley will host a Spanish/English debate this Sunday for candidates running for the 25th Congressional District seat.The event will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, May 6, at the Palmdale International Shopping Mall, located at 2520 East Palmdale Boulevard [between 25th and 27th ... Read more →
L.A. Public Defenders Say Leader Must Have Criminal Defense Experience
LOS ANGELES - More than a dozen Los Angeles County deputy public defenders went to the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday in a continuing protest against the woman temporarily leading their office.Nicole Tinkham was appointed interim public defender in January, despite concerns raised by a majority of the department's lawyers about her lack of experience as a criminal ... Read more →
L.A. County votes to create new probation watchdog
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday to staff and fund a new watchdog agency to oversee the Probation Department.Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas championed the plan to transform the existing Probation Commission, giving it investigative power through the Office of Inspector General and shifting from an all-volunteer membership to ... Read more →
L.A. County names new head at Women and Girls Initiative
LOS ANGELES - Longtime community leader and nonprofit organization head Abbe Land has been named executive director of Los Angeles County's pioneering Women and Girls Initiative, Los Angeles County announced Monday.Land's appointment comes as the initiative enters its second year, according to a county statement."Abbe Land has been an exemplary leader in Los Angeles on ... Read more →