Los Angeles Times

The soil around Mt. Wilson Observatory still smolders, burning what root systems remain after the devastating Station fire was declared contained weeks ago. Fire crews are monitoring the area. More than a month ago, the Station fire was fully contained by firefighters. Full Story »

California's attorney general says the tapings were done only by a rogue lieutenant who quit after his actions were revealed. State Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown's office closed its inquiry into the unauthorized tape recording of his and some staff members' conversations with reporters, saying the tapings were done only by a rogue lieutenant who quit after his actions were revealed. Full Story »

At a hearing, locals express fears that if sold, the property could be developed for residential or commercial use. The state has given bidders until Jan. 8 to submit offers for the site. Forget the swap meets, fried food and farm animals. For now the biggest to-do at the Orange County Fairgrounds is the controversy over who will buy the property from the state and for what purpose. Full Story »

Tim Stehr, who became chief in 2007, did not give a reason for his resignation. Several current and former officers at the department are being investigated by the FBI. The chief of the Burbank Police Department announced Monday that he is stepping down, a month after the FBI revealed it was investigating several current and former officers at the agency. Full Story »

Consumers filed 391 complaints of unfair treatment by insurance carriers in the aftermath of the 2007 Witch fire in San Diego. Insurance commissioner tells firms to pay claims quickly. California regulators have recovered more than $27 million from insurance companies stemming from several hundred complaints filed by victims after a devastating 2007 wildfire in San Diego County, officials said ... Full Story »

Hospital officials apologize and offer to cover medical care needed because of overdoses. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center officials said Monday that 260 patients had been exposed to high doses of radiation during CT brain scans during an 18-month period, up from the hospital's original estimate of 206 in September. Full Story »

At least 120 cities and eight counties in California have banned medical pot shops, fearing crime and profiteering. Some cite the proliferation of dispensaries in L.A. As hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries have opened this year in a startling rollout across California, unnerved local officials have started to push back aggressively. Full Story »

Nominee promises to push former Chief William J. Bratton's reforms 'down into the patrol cars.' The City Council's Public Safety Committee on Monday unanimously confirmed Charlie Beck's nomination to be the next Los Angeles police chief. Full Story »

Board says only that Sadullah Khan was removed for inappropriate conduct. Before taking the Irvine post, Khan was dismissed by his mosque in Los Angeles. Before the sermon Oct. 9 at the Islamic Center of Irvine, a member of the board got up and informed the congregation that the beloved and charismatic religious director, Sadullah Khan, had been dismissed, citing inappropriate conduct. Full Story »

For nearly two years, celebrityaddressaerial.com operated with little notice. But a warrant revealed that a member of an alleged burglary ring had used it to case the homes of young Hollywood stars. Suppose you could look at the pool in back of James Cameron's Malibu estate. Or admire the ornate garden at Haim Saban's Beverly Hills mansion. Or check out the tennis court at Tiger Woods' Florida ... Full Story »

Fenix gained street fame by tagging from Slauson Avenue to Sunset Boulevard. Now he attends community college and hopes to give his stories of L.A.'s streets a new life in print. A young man once known as Fenix is standing at a fork in the road. Full Story »

A 25-year battle over property also known as Elephant Hill ends with development ruled out. The next step: preserving 'a place of nature and solitude.' For a measure of solace in the city, Hugo Garcia climbs to the top of a hill crowned with walnut groves that El Sereno residents know simply as the Heavens. Full Story »

Hundreds of legal immigrants whose cases have been languishing for years will get resolution within six months because of a settlement with the U.S. government. Hundreds of legal immigrants in Southern California who have been waiting years for citizenship will have their cases resolved as a result of a settlement with the federal government, attorneys announced Monday. Full Story »

Robert Louis Caballero is a suspect in the Sept. 29 killing of a Pomona man. L.A. County sheriffs found two other bodies Saturday based on information gathered after he was booked for evading arrest. A suspect in the fatal shooting of a Pomona man may be linked to two bodies found Saturday in the Mt. Baldy area and Chino, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Full Story »

More than a month ago, the Station fire was fully contained by firefighters. But on Mount Wilson, it doesn’t look that way. Full Story »

Hundreds of legal immigrants in Southern California who have been waiting years for citizenship will have their cases resolved as a result of a settlement with the federal government, attorneys announced today. Full Story »

The L.A. City Council's Public Safety Committee today unanimously confirmed Charlie Beck's nomination to be the next Los Angeles police chief. Full Story »

The new 'Stadium to Sea' course, taking in several city landmarks, is designed to be more inspiring for runners. Its generally downhill direction could also make for faster times. When Dodgers owner Frank McCourt bought the Los Angeles Marathon last year, he gave management a new goal: Create a route that shows off the best of Los Angeles. That new "Stadium to Sea" route will be unveiled today ... Full Story »

Few dispute that surfing was introduced to California by Hawaiian royalty. Now there's evidence that their boards were homegrown. At a reception in the mountains above Santa Cruz, dozens of surfers of a certain age, balancing wine glasses and pizza slices, basked in their closeness to a little piece of their sport's history. Full Story »

Of those surveyed, 54% want to keep the two-thirds majority required to pass a budget, 65% reject a new sales tax for service providers and 62% oppose changing Prop. 13's property-tax restrictions. Backers of an overhaul of California's government, who hope to leverage disgust with Sacramento into support for changing how the state raises taxes and spends money, have a difficult path ahead ... Full Story »

At a small resort in the Sierra, the cabins are boarded up for winter. It's a ritual of time and memory. The lake is deserted, and the forest is quiet at the far end of Huntington Lodge Road. A breeze combs through the pines and the firs. It strips a ready leaf or two from the willows that grow by the water. Full Story »

This year's earlier due date is tied to the district's effort to improve its own forecasting of enrollment for the following school year, an official says. The application deadline for the popular local magnet-school program is three weeks earlier this school year. Parents will have until Dec. 18 to turn in applications for their choice among 173 magnet programs in the Los Angeles Unified School ... Full Story »

The five-county rail agency's board is scheduled to decide this week whether to increase fares by as much as 6%. Some worry that the move would exacerbate a drop in ridership. Faced with falling ridership, deepening budget woes and increased expenses for safety reforms, officials at Southern California's commuter rail service are considering raising fares for the second time in less than six ... Full Story »

Worshipers celebrate services in an interim sanctuary on the site where, two years ago, their church burned to the ground. 'It feels like home again,' a deacon says. For the Rev. Greg Hughes, it was a case of a resolute community of faith rising up from the ashes. Full Story »

Spelling out the state's new 'interest-free loan': T-A-X The state of California began withholding more taxes from paychecks last week. And don't believe it if you hear this isn't a tax increase. Full Story »