Category: Santa Monica

Former Santa Monica Mayor Dies in Small Plane Crash on Beach

SANTA MONICA, Calif.—A former mayor of Santa Monica, California, died after a small plane crash-landed and flipped upside down on a beach in the coastal California community, authorities said. Rex Minter was a passenger in the single-engine Cessna that took off from Santa Monica Airport about 3 p.m. Thursday en route to Malibu. The pilot…


Bomb Threat Prompts Search of Santa Monica High School; Nothing Found

SANTA MONICA, Calif.—Authorities searched the campus of Santa Monica High School Nov. 3 in response to a telephoned bomb threat that prompted a lockdown, but no devices or suspicious items were found. “At approximately 11:42 a.m., the switchboard operator received a phoned-in bomb threat, alleging the bomb was set to go off within five minutes,”…


Majority of SoCal Cities Miss State Housing Plan Deadline, Face Possible Consequences

Sixty-one percent of Southern California cities failed to have an approved housing element plan by the Oct. 15 deadline—as mandated by the state—and now face possible consequences including loss of state funding, less control over certain development projects, and a shortened period for rezoning. The state has required cities and counties to update their housing…


Falun Gong Adherents Hold Local Rally Against 23-Year Persecution

SANTA MONICA, Calif.—Over a hundred Falun Gong adherents gathered in front of the beautiful coastal view in Palisades Park July 17 to commemorate the 23-year anniversary of the persecution of the spiritual practice in China. Several speakers denounced the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) unethical persecution of the practice, also known as Falun Dafa. The rally…


Malibu Vandalism Suspect Arrested in Santa Monica Beach Restroom

MALIBU, Calif.—A 55-year-old man was in custody July 10 on suspicion of committing numerous acts of vandalism in Malibu while wielding a pickaxe. Thomas Aaron Brothers was identified as a suspect in numerous incidents of vandalism in the Malibu area over a three-day period, which included damage to numerous vehicles, residential front doors, and cameras…


Amazon Announces Major SoCal Expansion

SANTA MONICA—Amazon.com Inc. plans to create 2,500 corporate and technical jobs in Southern California, including more than 1,000 in Santa Monica, 800 more in Irvine, and over 700 in San Diego, the company announced Tuesday. The new jobs “include roles building cloud infrastructure, improving the Alexa experience, and designing cutting-edge video games,” said Holly Sullivan,…


Santa Monica Residents Worry About Safety After USPS Suspends Delivery in Neighborhood

SANTA MONICA, Calif.—Some Santa Monica residents said they fear their neighborhoods are becoming more prone to crime amid a trend of attacks on United States Postal Service (USPS) mail carriers earlier this week and a new study that identified their city among a list of the least safe cities in the nation. “I’ve seen a…


USPS Stops Service to Santa Monica Neighborhood Following Attacks on Mail Carriers

LOS ANGELES—One neighborhood in Santa Monica will not be receiving postal service from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) until further notice after “multiple carriers have been subjected to assaults and threats of assault from an individual who has not been located or apprehended,” according to a postal letter sent out to residents alerting them of…


A Stunning Malibu Hills Ranch Lists for $38 Million

Tucked in the Malibu Hills, the 180-acre Rosenthal Ranch is a luxurious paradise that’s a world apart. Located just five minutes from the famous Malibu beaches, this estate is a spectacular, secure, and private oasis of tranquility surrounded by vineyards and the Santa Monica Mountains. On the market for $38 million, the 180-acre estate surrounds…


Santa Monica College Student Challenges District Vaccine Mandate

SANTA MONICA, Calif.—A Santa Monica College freshman is suing the Santa Monica Community College District, alleging the school’s coronavirus vaccine mandate for in-person learning violates his religious freedom and his right to privacy. Carter Sparks’ Santa Monica Superior Court lawsuit, filed on Jan. 11, seeks court orders declaring that the mandate is unconstitutional and that…