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january 2023 Newslist
SPECIAL REPORT -- November Election Spending Broke Local Record
February 1, 2023 -- (UPDATED) Local campaigns for City Council and ballot measures spent some $2.7 million in the November election, making it the most expensive in Santa Monica history. The campaigns spent an average of $68 for every ballot cast.
SMC Planetarium Looks at Lunar Lander and China Space Program
February 1, 2023 -- The Santa Monica College (SMC) John Drescher Planetarium will train its sights on the moon and Mercury during a series of free, live virtual shows this month.
Santa Monica Tops LA Region in Rent Growth Despite Recent Drops
January 31, 2023 -- Santa Monica rents dropped for the fifth straight month in January but continue to outpace the growth rate of other LA Metro cities, according to a report released by Apartment List on Thursday.
Monthly Poll Gauges Support for Downtown Guards, City Hall Murals, Lobbying Ban
January 31, 2023 -- A monthly push poll of "civically engaged" Santa Monica residents found few thought security patrols recently added at Downtown parking structures would "greatly" increase safety.
Metro to Explore Hubs for Homeless Passengers When Trains Are Emptied
January 30, 2023 -- Homeless passengers removed from LA Metro rail trains when they stop running late at night may soon have an alternative to spending the night at the station or on the streets.
Santa Monica Celebrates Philip Glass
January 30, 2023 -- Santa Monica will celebrate the distinctive music of American composer Philip Glass -- who half a century ago popularized Minimalism -- with two events marking his 86th birthday.
Santa Monica Police Force Braces for Potential Protests
January 27, 2023 -- The Santa Monica Police Department is bracing for potential protests after the release Friday of footage showing the violent beating of motorist Tyre Nichols by Memphis police officers.
Brock Appointed to National Public Safety Committee
January 27, 2023 -- Councilmember Phil Brock -- an outspoken critic of local efforts to fight crime and homelessness -- has been appointed to serve on the National League of Cities’(NLC) Public Safety and Crime Prevention Committee.
Airport Plan Takes Off
January 25, 2023 -- The City Council late Tuesday night began planning for the future of Santa Monica Airport (SMO), "a thousand year project," one top City official said, that "is just too much to imagine."
Angry Speakers Push Back After Lengthy Closed Session
January 25, 2023 -- A four-hour closed session Tuesday yielded one eagerly awaited decision by the City Council and unleashed the frustration of those who had packed the chamber waiting to speak.
City to Buy Art Work at Fair Next Month
January 25, 2023 -- The City will add to its collection of more than 200 art works when it buys a work by an LA-based artist at an art fair in Santa Monica next month, City officials announced.
Two Drivers Arrested After Trying to Kill Each Other
January 25, 2023 -- Two drivers were charged with attempted murder after an argument turned violent at a busy Downtown Santa Monica intersection Tuesday afternoon.
Driver Shoots Man After Traffic Collision
January 24, 2023 -- The driver of an SUV involved in a traffic collisionin Downtown Santa Monica Tuesday afternoon shot and injured the man in the other car, shutting down traffic in the busy area, police said.
County Pushes Boosters as Cases and Hospitalizations Drop
January 23, 2023 -- For the first time since November, Los Angeles County returned to the CDC's Low Community level last week, but Health officials continue to push questionable boosters to fight the latest coronavirus variants.
Police to Focus on Bike and Pedestrian Safety This Week
January 23, 2023 -- Santa Monica police will hold the year's second Bike and Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Operations this week as fatalities among those walking and bicycling rose nationwide last year.
Santa Monica Kicks Off Process to Determine Fate of City Hall Murals
January 20, 2023 -- The public will begin weighing in next month on the fate of two historic murals in the City Hall lobby that critics contend are "vestiges of white supremacy."
Michigan Man Extradited for Santa Monica Murder
January 20, 2023 -- A Michigan resident was arrested and extradited to Santa Monica Wednesday for the murder of a man found stabbed to death in his car at a beach parking lot in November.
Local COVID Cases Drop
January 19, 2023 -- Coronavirus cases in Santa Monica dropped over the past ten days as an anticipated post-holiday surge in LA County has failed to materialize.
Food Bank Faces Egg Shortage
January 19, 2023 -- The Westside Food Bank (WSFB) is scrambling to find eggs amid soaring prices and scare supplies nationwide, the Santa Monica-based non-profit said Thursday.
Lawsuit Seeks to Void Transfer Tax Hike
January 18, 2023 -- The City Council on Tuesday will take up a lawsuit in closed session that seeks to void the transfer tax hike approved by Santa Monica voters in November.
Early Childhood Lab School Earns Prestigious Building Designation
January 18, 2023 -- The Santa Monica Early Childhood Lab School has earned the highest rating from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
Former Employee Becomes Fourth Appointed Rent Board Member
January 17, 2023 -- In what is likely a first, Lonnie Guinn on Thursday became the fourth Commissioner initially appointed to the five member Santa Monica Rent Control Board.
Homeless Burglary Suspect Arrested in North of Montana Guest House
January 17, 2023 -- A suspected homeless burglar wanted in Arizona for shoplifting was arrested Monday night after breaking into a guest house in an exclusive North of Montana Neighborhood.
Annual Homeless Count Addresses Previous Drawbacks
January 13, 2023 -- Santa Monica is seeking volunteers to participate in an annual homeless census this month that County officials say has been improved to provide a more accurate count.
Stabbing Outside Mental Health Facility Furthers Trend
January 13, 2023 -- A man was stabbed outside a home for the mentally ill in Santa Monica Tuesday, furthering a trend that has seen knives increasingly used in local crimes.
Council Bars Paid Lobbyists from Boards and Commissions
January 12, 2023 -- Eight years after it began hammering out a lobbying law, the City Council on Tuesday agreed on final revisions that bar paid lobbyists from serving on boards and commissions.
Council Takes Measured Approach to New Smoking Ban
January 11, 2022 -- The City Council Tuesday night got a brief glimpse of how difficult it could be to enforce its new anti-smoking provision when it had to use a measuring tape.
Santa Monica To End COVID Emergency
January 11, 2023 -- Santa Monica will end its health emergency for the cornonavirus pandemic on February 28, nearly three years after it was declared, City officials announced Tuesday.
Iconic Black Civil Rights Leader to Speak at MLK Day Celebration
January 10, 2023 -- Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Jr. -- a Black civil rights leader and icon who coined the phrase "environmental racism" -- will be the keynote speaker at Monday's birthday celebration for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Santa Monica.
Highly Contagious But Less Dangerous Omicron Variant Taking Hold
January 10, 2023 -- County Health officials on Tuesday "strongly" recommended that students and workers returning from the holidays get tested for COVID and wear a mask for ten days.
City Seeks to Recoup Nearly $100 Million in Sex Abuse Settlement Costs
January 9, 2022 -- The City of Santa Monica is seeking to recover nearly $100 million it used from its General Fund to settle sex abuse cases involving former employee Eric Uller, according to financial statements from the City.
Armed Man Arrested After Passing Out in Car
January 9, 2023 -- Officers arrested an armed felon after he allegedly passed out at the wheel of a car blocking a busy Santa Monica intersection Sunday night, according to police.
City Receives $1.5 Million to Tackle "Behavioral Health Needs"
January 6, 2023 -- Santa Monica has another $1.5 million to address the "behavioral health needs" of the homeless as part of the $1.7 trillion Appropriations Act signed last month, City officials said.
Santa Monica Rents Cooled Down Last Year
January 5, 2023 -- Rents in Santa Monica grew at a slower rate last year than they did in 2021 and are now slightly higher than at the start of the coronavirus shutdown, according to a report released by Apartment List on Thursday.
Police Officer Sues City Over Crash of Patrol Vehicles
January 5, 2023 -- A crash involving two Santa Monica police patrol SUVs responding to emergency calls two years ago is headed to court after one of the officers filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court.
A Squirrely Question
January 4, 2023 -- Where are the squirrels? That question is being asked on a flier in Palisades Park as concerned residents send a flurry of emails to Councilmembers seeking an answer.
Local COVID Cases Saw Dramatic Rise Last Year
January 3, 2023 -- The number of coronavirus cases reported in Santa Monica rose more than two-thirds last year, while virus-related deaths dropped one-third, according to an analysis of data from LA County Public Health.
Guards Equipped with High Tech Begin Patrolling Public Parking Structures
January 3, 2023 -- Security guards armed with cameras and tracking devices have begun patrolling Santa Monica's 10 public parking structures in the Downtown area nightly, City officials report.
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