Former Santa Monica Bank Building Designated as Landmark
March 31, 2017 -- After a lengthy battle, the City Council Tuesday granted local landmark designation to the former Home Savings structure in Santa Monica that features a colorful mural depicting a day at the beach.

Santa Monica Nonprofit Fears Beach Erosion
March 31, 2017 -- A new report saying Southern California could, by the year 2100, lose up to two-thirds of its beaches through erosion caused by sea-level rise has Santa Monica-based activist nonprofit Heal the Bay calling for action.

Santa Monica Police to Conduct Undisclosed Checkpoint Friday Night
March 31, 2017 -- Santa Monica Police will conduct a checkpoint from 7 p.m. Friday night to 3 a.m. Saturday in an effort to screen for motorists driving while intoxicated or without a license, police announced this week.

Vacation Rental Company Violated Santa Monica Law, Judge Rules
March 30, 2017 -- In a decision hailed by City officials as "a significant milestone," a judge this month found Globe Homes LLC engaged in more than 30 violations of Santa Monica's short-term rental laws.

Santa Monica Lawmaker Seeks First Official State Dinosaur
March 30, 2017 -- The duck-billed Augustynolophus morissi, which roamed pre-historic California some 66 million years ago, could have a future as the first official state dinosaur.

Santa Monica Joins in Dedication of April for Awareness and Prevention of Sexual Assault
March 30, 2017 -- It is a crime authorities say is declining significantly, but is also widely under-reported and far too often leaves perpetrators on the streets and victims long traumatized.

Audit Subcommittee Meant to Ease Public Distrust of Santa Monica City Hall Faces New Challenge
March 29, 2017 -- When it was created almost two years ago, a special panel to act as a watchdog of public spending at Santa Monica City Hall inspired some high hopes.

Protestors Call on City to Aid Laid-Off Workers at Typhoon Restaurant in Santa Monica
March 29, 2017 -- Concerned about the 25 employees laid off when Typhoon restaurant at Santa Monica Airport closed last fall, unionized hotel workers picketed the site Monday to call on the City to do more to help.

California Traffic Amnesty Program Ends Friday
March 29, 2017 -- Friday marks the end of a Traffic Court Amnesty Program that has allowed low-income Californians, including low-wage workers and those on fixed incomes in Santa Monica, to reduce unpaid court debt , State officials said.

Demand for Water Rebates in Santa Monica Drying Up
March 28, 2017 -- Despite the ongoing drought, demand for once popular water-conservation rebates has seen a dramatic drop largely due to a recent change in tax write-offs, according to a new City report.

City Ponders Future After Fuel Supplier Announces Exit from Santa Monica Airport
March 28, 2017 -- City officials are deciding how to supply the type of fuel used by two-thirds of aircraft at Santa Monica Airport (SMO) following the decision by American Flyers to shut down on April 15.

Santa Monica Broad Stage Presents 'The Mystery of Our Human Story'
March 28, 2017 -- Four years ago a pair of recreational cavers in South Africa stumbled on a find that has been hailed as one of the greatest fossil discoveries of the past half century.

No Violations Found in Review of City of Santa Monica's Agreements with Developer
March 27, 2017 -- Following the orders of the City Council, City of Santa Monica staff reviewed all current and pending agreements between the City and NMS Properties, and no violations were found, according to a report issued last week.

Judge Keeps Santa Monica Hit and Run Suspect’s Bail at $10 Million, Citing Possible Terrorism Link
March 27, 2017 -- Absadi Kidane, who is accused of killing a man last Tuesday in Santa Monica’s Civic Center Parking Lot, when he struck him with his car and continued driving, remains in custody with an unusually high bail set at $10 million.

OPINION: A Separate School District for Mailbu, But How Much Should Santa Monica Give Up?
March 27, 2017 -- Former School Board member José Escarce explores the best path for a Board he believes is in a very strong bargaining position.

Visit the 'Wonder Rooms' of Santa Monica's Tongva Park
March 27, 2017 -- An interdisciplinary group of artists will turn Santa Monica's Tongva Park into an enchanted forest for two consecutive nights next month.

Santa Monica Rent Board Endorses State Bills to Turn Back Clock on Housing Lease Laws
March 24, 2017 -- Santa Monica Assemblymember Richard Bloom’s bill that would allow for the return of extreme rental housing price control eliminated two decades ago has received a mixed reaction statewide. But his bill has the full support of the Santa Monica Rent Control Board.

Santa Monica Joins Lawsuit Challenging President on Immigration
March 24, 2017 -- The City of Santa Monica signed onto an amicus brief this week supporting the County of Santa Clara’s effort to get a nationwide injunction against the president’s executive order for federal funds to be withheld from “sanctuary jurisdictions” for illegal immigrants.

Santa Monica Library Mural Focus of Conservancy Presentation
March 24, 2017 -- The Santa Monica Conservancy will present an illustrated talk next month about a storied mural that found its way back to the beach City after years in storage in the nation's capital.

Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole Takes on Critics -- Again
March 23, 2017 -- Call it Cole vs Critics: Round Three. Rick Cole, Santa Monica's sometimes outspoken-to-a-fault city manager, has taken to his City blog to issue a written blow to “those who pose” as government watchdogs for allegedly trying to “discredit,” rather than “reform,” their targets .

Council Could Landmark Former Bank Building with Iconic Santa Monica Mural
March 23, 2017 -- The former Home Savings Building in Santa Monica, a signature design of famed California artist Millard Sheets, heads back to the City Council Tuesday for a decision on whether to grant it the protections of an official landmark.

Santa Monica's Woodlawn Cemetery to Open 'Green' Burial Site Next Week
Mach 23, 2017 -- "Eternal Meadow," Southern California's second "green burial site," will open at Santa Monica’s historic Woodlawn Cemetery on April 1, City officials announced Thursday.

Santa Monica Mourns Death of Third Samohi Student in Six Months
March 22, 2017 -- Santa Monica was in mourning Wednesday as the community tried to cope with news of a 15-year-old Samohi student who fell three floorsto his death Saturday while on LSD, the third death of one of the school’s students in six months.

Low-Income Housing Crisis in Santa Monica Poised to Worsen Under Proposed White House Budget
March 22, 2017 -- When the City of Santa Monica re-opened its application list for subsidized housing on January 31 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., some 18,000 applications poured in -- for 1,167 vouchers.

Santa Monica Firefighters Save Dying Dog from Blaze
March 22, 2017 -- Santa Monica Firefighters revived a dog they had rescued from a blaze Tuesday afternoon near Santa Monica High School, fire officials said.

Trailblazing Santa Monica Assistant City Manager to Retire
March 21, 2017 -- After a nearly 27-year career that reached top posts at City Hall, Santa Monica Assistant City Manager Elaine Polachek is retiring, the City has announced.

Study Finds Santa Monica Among Affluent Cities with Biggest Subsidy Hikes under Proposed Health Care Plan
March 21, 2017 -- People in Santa Monica who buy their own health insurance will see average subsidies under the proposed American Health Care Act rise from zero to $6,000 a year, a hike matched by a few other well-off cities, a new study found.

Concert for the Arts Raises More than $88,000 for Santa Monica - Malibu District Schools
March 21, 2017 -- The Greg Coote Concert For The Arts headlined by two multiple-Grammy-award winners this month raised more than $88,000 to support the arts in Santa Monica - Malibu District schools, event organizers said this week.

Appellate Court Upholds $23 Million Judgment Against Contractor in Santa Monica Homeowner Case
March 20, 2017 -- A California Court of Appeal panel has upheld a jury’s decision to award more than $23 million to an autistic woman who says a contractor took advantage of her and her now deceased mentally ill brother and nearly sold their Santa Monica home for his own benefit.

Two Runners from Santa Monica Place in Marathon Top 10
March 20, 2017 -- Santa Monica was well-represented among the top finishers in the LA Marathon, which was raced on Sunday. Two of the top 10 finishers (outside the invited “elite” runners) and three of the top 100 live in Santa Monica.

Challenges to Santa Monica Airport Closure Deal Continue
March 17, 2017 -- A Republican congressman from Louisiana who says he has a “deep concern” about the recently approved agreement to close the Santa Monica Airport (SMO) in 2028 is demanding clarifications from federal officials.

Pedestrian Killed in Santa Monica Victim of Rising Number of Collisions
March 17, 2017 -- Santa Monica marked its first pedestrian fatality in more than a year when a car struck a woman crossing Lincoln Boulevard early Thursday morning. The pedestrian is the victim of a rising number of collisions involving pedestrians and cars on the beach city's increasingly busy streets, police said.

Santa Monica Police Ends Agreement with Federal Immigration Authorities
March 17, 2017 -- Responding to what she called “community concerns,” Santa Monica Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks announced in an open letter released Wednesday that her department would end its operational agreement with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Santa Monica Reviewing “Safe Route” Plans for Edison Language Academy
March 16, 2017 -- After months of meeting with worried parents and others, the City of Santa Monica is looking at new designs City planners think can make it safer for neighbors and children who walk or bike to and from Edison Language Academy.

Santa Monica Offers Tips for Getting to Sunday's LA Marathon
March 16, 2017 -- Once again the LA Marathon -- which takes place on Sunday -- will end in Santa Monica, and that means plenty of excitement, big crowds and closed streets.

Sink Hole in Santa Monica Interrupts Water Service, Tangles Traffic
March 16, 2017 -- A sink hole on Colorado Avenue between 20th Street and Cloverfield Boulevard in Santa Monica cut off water to nearby customers and tangled traffic Wednesday following a water-main break the previous night, officials said.

PART III: Cole a Key Player as “New Urbanism” and Fears of Over-Development Clash in Santa Monica
March 15, 2017 -- The Santa Monica of 2030 could be a far cry from its days as an eclectic mix of hipsters and tourists lolled into a mellow state of mind by perpetually sunny skies, swaying palm trees and the glittering views and soothing sea breezes of the Pacific Ocean.

Santa Monica Lawmaker's Bill to Allow Therapy Dogs in Court Wins Key Vote
March 15, 2017 -- A state bill proposed by a Santa Monica lawmaker to allow “therapy” dogs in court during witness testimony cleared a key hurdle on Tuesday, officials announced.

The Sounds of Traditional Ireland at Santa Monica's Broad Stage
March 15, 2017 -- Those who want to feel Irish more than once a year can head to The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage at Santa Monica College a week after Saint Patrick's Day for a concert by the traditional Irish group Dervish.

PART II: Critics Zero in on Santa Monica City Manager's Spending Priorities
March 14, 2017 -- Arriving in Santa Monica in June 2015, City Manager Rick Cole pledged to provide transparency, connect with a community divided over crucial issues like development and use the innovation and practices of good governance for which he was already reputed.

Santa Monica Preservation Activist, Journalist Peggy Clifford Dead at 87
March 14, 2017 -- Preservation activist and journalist Peggy Clifford -- who for two decades used her pen to fight what she viewed as Santa Monica's rampant development -- died last month at a Santa Monica Hospital. She was 87.

Santa Monica College Presentations to Focus on Latino Experience
March 14, 2017 -- First-generation Latinos born in the U.S. and the recent history of Chicana art will be the topics of two presentations at Santa Monica College (SMC) starting this month, school officials announced.

PART I: Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole Is 'Distinctly Different'
March 13, 2017 -- It isn’t often that a city manager takes his mic on the dais to liken those he is unhappy with to Stalinists and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un -- not even in Santa Monica, a city well-known for its outspoken ways.

Adding More Affordable Housing to Lincoln Boulevard Project Unlikely
March 3, 2017 -- A last-minute possibility of adding more affordable housing to a five-story mixed-use apartment project planned for Lincoln Boulevard isn't getting support from City planners, who say the idea is neither legal nor necessary.

Santa Monica College Presents Stoppard's Play "Arcadia"
March 13, 2017 -- Tom Stoppard's play "Arcadia," which begins a short run at Santa Monica College Friday, explores the relationship between the past and present.

Santa Monica Voters Among Strongest Supporters of Measure H
March 10, 2017 -- Santa Monica voters were in line with voters in Los Angeles Tuesday when they overwhelmingly supported Measure H, a countywide quarter-cent sales tax increase to help end homelessness, according to preliminary election results.

Former Football Player Sentenced in 2013 Santa Monica Murder
March 10, 2017 -- Former football player Janzen Jackson was sentenced Thursday for the September 2013 strangling death of his mother's boyfriend inside a Santa Monica Apartment.

Santa Monica College Wins Award for 'Comprehensive Internationalization'
March 10, 2017 -- Santa Monica College (SMC) is the recipient of a new award given by the world’s largest nonprofit international education and exchange association, school officials announced Thursday.

LETTERS: How to Get Santa Monicans Out of Their Cars
March 10, 2017 -- Without implementing more extreme measures, easing Santa Monica traffic is a "fool's errand."

Santa Monica City Councils Steps Closer to Allowing Medicinal 'Pot Shops'
March 9, 2017 -- The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday ordered staff to draft an ordinance allowing medical marijuana dispensaries, but balked at taking similar action for future shops selling to recreational users.

Groundwater Supply for Santa Monica Helps Yield 'Encouraging' News
March 9, 2017 -- After years of worry over its drought-strained groundwater supply, the City of Santa Monica is headed into the new year with some good news.

Calder Quartet to Present Three Concerts at Santa Monica College Broad Stage March 9, 2017 -- The Calder Quartet will perform six of Beethoven's string quartets during a series of concerts starting this month at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, event organizers announced Thursday.

National Aviation Group Asks Court to Delay Reducing Santa Monica Airport Runway
March 8, 2017 -- A national aviation group and others on Monday asked a federal court to temporarily halt shortening Santa Monica Airport’s runway pending an appeal of the City’s surprise pact with the federal government to close the airport in 12 years.

City Plans to Discontinue Santa Monica Festival
March 8, 2017 -- After more than a quarter century, the City plans to say goodbye to the Santa Monica Festival, an annual celebration of spring in the bayside city that was temporarily canceled last year to make way for a much bigger, and costly, newcomer.

Santa Monica Police Seek Hit-and-Run Driver
March 8, 2017 -- Santa Monica Police are looking for the driver who struck a pedestrian in Ocean Park early Sunday morning and fled a scene.

Santa Monica High School Cancels Open House As Norovirus Persists
March 7, 2017 -- Open House Night at Santa Monica High School, which was scheduled for Thursday, has been canceled due to the persistent spread of norovirus on the campus, School District officials said.

Study Finds Santa Monica Residents Still Sticking to Cars
March 7, 2017 -- Years into a City push to get drivers in Santa Monica to switch to alternate transportation, use of cars or other vehicles is still the first choice for almost two of every three trips, a new study has found.

Santa Monica Council Set to Approve Plans to Restore Historic Post Office Lobby
March 7, 2017 -- The Santa Monica City Council is set to approve plans Tuesday to restore the historic lobby of the old post office on 5th Street now owned by a media production company.

Most Santa Monica Development Agreements Compliant, Annual Report Says
March 6, 2017 -- Nearly all Santa Monica developers are meeting their end of the bargain on agreements with the City, according to an annual review. submitted to the City Council.

Prominent Experimental Composer to Perform at Santa Monica Library
March 6, 2016 -- Expect to be entranced as much by the silences as by the notes played when composer Michael Pisaro performs and discusses one of his solo guitar compositions at the Santa Monica Library.

Santa Monica Confronts President in Council Resolution, Mayor’s Letter
March 6, 2017 -- If the federal government boosts its immigration enforcement in Santa Monica, it will not get much help from City officials.

Council Member Offers ‘Cautionary Statement’ as Santa Monica Moves Toward Airport Closure
March 3, 2017 -- One of the major criticisms about the Santa Monica Airport (SMO) closure agreement between the City and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is that it will be nearly 12 years until the facility shuts down, and many things could happen in that timespan.

Santa Monica Group Praises California Supreme Court Decision on Public Records
March 3, 2017 -- A Santa Monica activist group is happy about the California Supreme Court's ruling on Thursday that widens the scope of what qualifies as a public record.

Santa Monica Assemblymember Announces Creation of Committee to Tackle Two Prevalent Diseases
March 3, 2017 -- Assemblymember Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) on Thursday announced the creation of a Select Committee on Diabetes and Heart Disease Prevention, which he will chair.

Santa Monica Inches Forward with Civic Center Sports Field
March 2, 2017 -- The City of Santa Monica Tuesday continued to inch toward creating a sports field on a now-packed parking lot at the Civic Center, despite major hurdles on financing the proposal and strong concerns from the California Coastal Commission.

State Senator Ben Allen Appointed to Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
March 2, 2017 -- State Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) has been appointed to the governing board of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, his office announced Tuesday.

Santa Monica College Debate Team Advances to Nationals
March 2, 2017 -- There's little debate that Santa Monica College's (SMC) debate team is one of the best in the region after earning several regional awards during two competitions last month and advancing to a nationals tournament.

Another Election Days Away for Santa Monica
March 1, 2017 -- Still recovering from the November 8 general election, voters in Santa Monica and the rest of metro L.A. will head back to the polls on Tuesday to decide a proposed quarter-cent sales tax increase to help house and care for the homeless and those at risk of being homeless.

Santa Monica Pier Hosts Rube Goldberg Machine Contest Sunday
March 1, 2016 -- Cartoonist Rube Golberg drafted contraptions that made the easiest everyday tasks such as lifting a hat or opening an umbrella insanely complex by using everything from rolling balls and rocking chairs to birds and clocks.

Santa Monica Adds More Electric Vehicles to Fleet
March 1, 2017 -- The City Council on Tuesday approved the purchase of 14 electric sedans to replace some of the vehicles in the City's aging fleet.