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Council Locks in Recycling Contract
March 16, 2026 -- The City Council last Tuesday authorized a 10-year contract to secure the services of one of "only a handful" of recycling process facilities in the Los Angeles region.
Police Crack Down on Dangerous Driving
March 13, 2026 -- The Santa Monica Police Department is conducting another traffic safety operation today as it boosts enforcement to crack down on dangerous driving.
Landlords Ordered to Pay Relocation Fees
March 13, 2026 -- Two Santa Monica landlords will have to pay their tenants more than $50,000 in unpaid relocation fees after the City Attorney's Office obtained final judgments in two cases.
Council Appoints Permanent City Attorney
March 12, 2026 -- On Tuesday, Heidi von Tongeln was named City Attorney, marking the first time in more than half a century that the post was permanently filled from within City Hall.
Health Advisory Lifted for Most Local Beaches
March 12, 2026 -- It's safe to wade into the water at most Santa Monica beaches as summertime temperatures hit the region on Thursday and Friday.
Rise in Workers Comp Claims 'Will Be Costly'
March 11, 2026 -- The number of open worker compensation claims filed by City workers grew to a record 653 during the past fiscal year, or nearly one-third of all employees, according to a report to the City Council last week.
Details of Waymo Collision with Child Released
March 11, 2026 -- The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) last week released its preliminary findings in a widely publicized collision between a self-driving Waymo car and a a 9-year-old pedestrian.
Chief Jacob Discusses Policing Santa Monica
March 10, 2026 -- The Lookout recently asked Police Chief Darrick Jacob to share his thoughts on a range of issues. Here are his answers to six questions we posed.
Police Seek Help Identifying Sexual Battery Suspect
March 10, 2026 -- The Santa Monica Police Department is asking the public's help identifying a suspect in a sexual battery investigation who may have attacked additional victims.
LETTERS -- Making Councilmembers Shiver
March 10, 2026 -- If all Santa Monica neighborhood associations said "we have a right to endorse," there would be a counterweight to Santa Monica's entrenched ideological organizations.
Second Neighborhood Group Pulls Out of City Grants Program
March 9, 2026 -- Friends of Sunset Park (FOSP) informed City officials Friday it would not participate in the City's new grant program, making it the second neighborhood group to reject the new restrictions.
Santa Monica Beach Under Heat, Water Advisories
March 9, 2026 -- Santa Monica State Beach was under both heat and water quality advisories this weekend with bacteria levels exceeding health standards at all six local beaches.
EXTRA -- Fatal, Severe Injury Crashes Fall
March 6, 2026 -- The number of Fatal and Severe Injury (FSI) crashes in Santa Monica fell in 2025 after soaring to a record high the previous year, according to Transportation Department data.
SMC Kicks off Spring Jazz Series
March 6, 2026 -- Three elite jazz veterans who have been performing for a combined total of more than 100 years will take center stage this spring during the Santa Monica College Music Department's Friday Night Jazz Series.
Cybertrucks Burn in Santa Monica Garage
March 5, 2026 -- Tesla Cybertruck fires continued to make headlines after two of the hulking futuristic vehicles were engulfed in flames in a Santa Monica parking garage Wednesday.
Stay in Santa Monica Like a Tourist
March 5, 2026 -- Los Angeles County residents can experience Santa Monica as tourists do with discounted rates at more than a dozen hotels in the world-renown beach city.
SMPD Increases Patrols Amid War in Iran
March 4, 2026 -- The Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) is "conducting additional patrols" in select locations as the war in Iran escalates, officials announced Monday.
Council to Select New Poet Laureate
March 4, 2026 -- The City Council on Tuesday is expected to appoint Jay Baldwin as Santa Monica's second Poet Laureate.
Motel Claimed to Be Bane on City Permanently Shut Down
March 3, 2026 -- A Sunset Park motel City officials say has long been a "hotbed" for drugs and other illegal activities will be permanently shut down under a settlement approved by the City Council last week.
Police Focus on Drivers Using Cell Phones
March 3, 2026 -- Santa Monica police are cracking down this month on drivers who violate the hands-free cell phone law, a leading cause of distracted driving that can result in deaths and serious injuries.
Pro-Housing Group Opposes Building on Airport Land
March 2, 2026 -- The rift in Santa Monica's pro-housing bloc is widening over a potential ballot measure that would allow housing to be built on Airport land.
Santa Monica Celebrates Women's History Month
March 2, 2026 -- Santa Monica is celebrating Women's History Month in March with a series of events that include an indigenous jazz ensemble and a candid discussion with the women who have served as mayor.
County to Review LAHSA's Finances, Operations
February 26, 2026 -- LA County on Wednesday informed the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) it would conduct an "evaluation and review" of its finances and operations starting next week.
City Adds New Artwork to Collection
February 27, 2026 -- Santa Monica has added a new artwork to its municipal Art Bank collection through a special partnership between the City and the Frieze Los Angeles art fair, officials announced Thursday.
Council Explores Converting Vacant Retail Spaces into Restaurants
February 26, 2026 -- The City Council Tuesday night took steps to make it feasible to convert vacant retail spaces Downtown into restaurants by lowering costly fees and helping with tenant improvements.
City Seeks Applicants for 'People's Academy'
February 26, 2026 -- Those curious about the inner workings of Santa Monica's government can get an inside look by joining the City's new One SaMo People’s Academy, City officials announced Wednesday.
Beach Dune Project Picks Up Steam
February 25, 2026 -- Work began Tuesday on a row of dunes at Santa Monica Beach that will stretch from the Pier to the sands along the Venice border, City officials announced.
SMC Designated 'Black-Serving Institution'
February 25, 2026 -- Santa Monica College (SMC) has been designated a California Black-Serving Institution for its longstanding commitment to "advancing Black student success," college officials announced Monday.
Supervisor Sounds Alarm Over LAHSA
February 24, 2026 -- County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath on Friday called for removing funding from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to "stop the madness" that has brought its operations to a standstill.
Arrests Reach Record-Breaking Pace
February 24, 2026 -- The Santa Monica Police Department has averaged more than 110 weekly arrests over a one-month stretch this year, a pace that if sustained would shatter recent annual records.
Poll Finds Strong Opposition to Airport Housing
February 23, 2026 -- Santa Monica residents overwhelmingly oppose a potential ballot measure to include housing on airport land slated for a Great Park, according to a monthly poll.
Explore the Spring Skies at SMC Planetarium
February 23, 2026 -- Do other planets in the solar system have seasons? And what celestial bodies will appear in the night sky this spring?
LETTERS -- Proposed Airport Housing Measure Title Deceptive
February 23, 2026 -- The proposed measure does not create or implement the Great Park voters approved in 2014. Instead, it would remove and rezone nearly 50 acres for housing and commercial development.
Santa Monica Could Move Homeless Services Outside the City
February 20, 2026 -- For the first time, the City Council on Tuesday will expand its search for transitional housing and services for the homeless far outside Santa Monica.
Santa Monica Launches International Jazz Festival
February 20, 2026 -- Inspired by world-renowned festivals in Monterey and Montreux, Santa Monica will launch it own International Jazz Festival in May.
Election Season Kicks Off
February 19, 2026 -- The November 3 general election race is slowly taking shape with six potential candidates and two ballot measures listed on the City Clerk's web page.
Jazz Takes Center Stage at the Pier
February 19, 2026 -- Pacific Park is presenting Jazz night on the Santa Monica Pier this evening featuring alumni from legendary bassist Stanley Clarke's Artist Residency program.
Council Takes Sharp Turn on Traffic Safety
February 18, 2026 -- The City Council last week took steps to swiftly implement traffic safety measures after a marked rise in fatal and serious injury crashes despite major investments.
City to Switch Provider for Old Phone Lines
February 18, 2026 -- The City Council next Tuesday is expected to approve a nearly $1.5 million agreement to overhaul the City's old phone lines.
Protesters Blame Local Company for Fentanyl Deaths
February 17, 2026 -- Santa Monica made national headlines last week when families from across the nation gathered outside the offices of one of the city's biggest employers to protest the drug deaths of their children.
Santa Monica Celebrates Lunar New Year
February 17, 2026 -- Pacific Park celebrated the “Year of the Horse” Monday with a "dazzling" 90-foot-tall display on the Pier, and the Santa Monica Place mall Downtown will follow suit with festivities this weekend.
Plan to Lease Homeless Facilities Gets Pushback
February 13, 2026 -- Community leaders in two neighborhoods Tuesday opposed City Council negotiations to lease spaces in three area properties that provide transitional housing for the homeless.
Santa Monica Celebrates Presidents Day
February 13, 2026 -- City Hall will be closed Monday to celebrate Presidents Day, and facilities and programs will be scaled back or closed.
Homelessness Emergency Enters Fourth Year
February 12, 2026 -- The City Council on Tuesday extended the Local Emergency on Homelessness for a fourth year, making it easier to seek funding and launch initiatives to tackle the long-entrenched problem.
Police Investigating Murder Suicide
February 12, 2026 -- Police officers found two victims of an apparent murder suicide in an oceanfront residential complex in Santa Monica early Saturday morning.
City Launches In-House Ambulance Service
February 11, 2026 -- After decades of contracting ambulance transports for emergencies, the Santa Monica Fire Department (SMFD) launched its own in-house ambulance service this month.
Santa Monica Tech Company Settles Landmark Lawsuit
February 11, 2026 -- Snap Inc, one of Santa Monica's largest employers, became the first major social media platform to settle a landmark lawsuit claiming the companies deliberately addict children.
Neighborhood Group Pulls Out of City Grant Program
February 10, 2026 -- Northeast Neighbors informed City officials Monday that the group will not participate in a new grant program it claims is overly restrictive, invasive and muzzles free speech.
Promenade to Host Valentine's Day Festival
February 10, 2026 -- The Third Street Promenade will be transformed Saturday as Downtown stages one of Santa Monica's largest free nightlife and music events to date in Southern California's first entertainment zone.
City Taking Steps to Lease Beds for Homeless Outside Downtown
February 9, 2026 -- The City of Santa Monica is taking steps to relocate homeless services and temporary shelter from Downtown as a key component of its citywide "Realignment Plan."
PCH Off-Ramp Closed
February 9, 2026 -- The City closed a key freeway off-ramp for more than two weeks starting Monday as part of the $35.6 million Pier Bridge reconstruction project.
City Negotiating to Lease Housing for the Mentally Ill
February 6, 2026 -- The City Council will meet in closed session Tuesday to discuss leasing space from an adult residential facility for the mentally ill in the Pico Neighborhood.
Councilmembers Call for Revamping Traffic Safety
February 6, 2026 -- A decade after Santa Monica implemented a "Vision Zero" plan that has failed to curb fatal and severe injury crashes, three Councilmembers are calling for the City to go in a new direction.
Proposed Statewide Ballot Measure Puts Local Transfer Tax at Risk
February 5, 2026 -- (UPDATED) A local property transfer tax estimated to generate $50 million a year to help build affordable housing is at risk of being overturned.
County Tightens Oversight Over Homeless Funding
February 5, 2026 -- On Tuesday, the LA County Board of Supervisors took steps to strengthen oversight and accountability in homeless services contracts.
Officer Initiated Calls, Arrests Up
February 4, 2026 -- Santa Monica police last month continued taking proactive measures that resulted in an increase in both officer initiated calls and arrests, according to data released Tuesday.
Sharing Memories During Pier's 'Month of Love'
February 4, 2026 -- For generations, the Santa Monica Pier has served as a scenic backdrop for love and romance -- from first dates and wedding proposals to special moments with family and friends.
SMC Board Poised to Slash More than 70 Jobs
February 3, 2026 -- The Santa Monica College (SMC) Board this Tuesday is expected to eliminate or abolish 74 classified and management positions to address a "fiscal crisis" that has "reached a tipping point," the school's top official said.
Santa Monica Celebrates Black History
February 3, 2026 -- Santa Monica is commemorating Black History Month with a series of events that help mark "an especially significant and momentous milestone," City officials said.
Council Approves Narrowed Labor Policy
February 2 , 2026 -- Hospitality businesses on the Pier and nearby hotels on City-owned property must offer open positions to laid off workers under an ordinance approved by the City Council last week.
BBB to Offer Free Rides on Transit Equity Day
February 2, 2026 -- On Wednesday, the Big Blue Bus will honor the legacy of Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks during Transit Equity Day by offering free rides to all passengers. |
