MALIBU—On September 5, the city of Malibu announced public offices will be closed on Monday, September 7, in observance of Labor Day.

This includes Malibu City Hall, the Rebuild Center, the Community Swimming Pool at Malibu High School, and the Malibu Senior Center.

City Parks will be open between 8 a.m. and sunset.  The Skate Park at Malibu Bluffs Park will be open during its normal operating hours, from 8:30 a.m. to sunset.

For more information about the city’s public parks and other public facilities visit: https://malibucity.org/338/Facilities-Parks.

By Daniel Diquinzio

WEST HOLLYWOOD—The city of West Hollywood announced City Hall will be closed on Monday, September 7, for Labor Day. The city will not enforce some of its parking regulations including street sweeping, towing restrictions during peak traffic hours, and the use of parking meters and street-parking time limits. West Hollywood will also enforce its remaining normal parking rules, including permit parking.

Those who want to obtain visitor parking permits can do so at the garage located on Kings Road. On Tuesday, September 8, West Hollywood will resume enforcing all of the city’s parking rules.

By Daniel Diquinzio

HOLLYWOOD—On August 29, at approximately 12:05 a.m., Destiny Valderrama, 18, was violently attacked inside the 7-11 convenience store located at 6702 Hollywood Boulevard. The attack was captured on the store’s surveillance camera. The teen reported to the police she felt someone tugging at the chain around her neck, and that the suspects were after her necklace. Reports indicate that the suspects struck Valderrama on the head, knocking her unconscious. Her friends were attacked inside the store also. “I kept begging them, like I’ll give you the chain, just don’t hurt me, please don’t hurt me. They just kept strangling me and shoving my head against the ground. When I woke up. my friends were just really badly beaten up, and they had told me everything that went down,” Valderrama informed ABC 7 Eyewitness News. The friends were ambushed when they tried to prevent the attack. The clerk allegedly refused to call the police, and no arrests have been made in the case. According to reports, the teens went to the 7-11 for snacks after attending a quinceañera celebration for a friend. The suspects were described as a Black man and a Black woman, both unknown to the victims. Anyone with information on the incident should contact the Los Angeles Police Department. By Sharon

SANTA MONICA—In remembrance of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States, the Santa Monica Fire Department is inviting the community to a remembrance ceremony. The ceremony will be hosted at Fire Station 1, located at 1337 7th Street, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. on Friday, September 11. 

The ceremony is recognized as part of the National Day of Service and Remembrance. The year 2026, marks the 25th anniversary, and this year’s ceremony will dedicate an hour of the community’s time to reflect on the resilience and strength of the nation when faced with immense tragedy. 

Community members are asked to show up in the morning to stand in solidarity with the city’s firefighters, public safety community, and city officials while reflecting on the lives lost 25 years ago.

A steel artifact recovered from the World Trade Center site resides at Fire Station 1. This artifact is on permanent display outside the Fire Department’s community room. Attendees can view this during the ceremony, and it is also available for public viewing during normal business hours. 

For more details on the remembrance ceremony, visit www.santamonica.gov/events/9-11-remembrance-ceremony.

By Ryley Metten

WOODLAND HILLS—A new In-N-Out is set to open in late 2026 at 22822 Ventura Blvd near Fallbrook Avenue in Woodland Hills. This will be the second In-N-Out location in the region. The plan calls for a 3,342-square-foot restaurant with a drive-thru, a dining patio, and a 32-space parking lot. The site will replace a demolished 6,739-square-foot building that previously housed a Bank of America location.

Plans for the project first startedin 2022. They were later rescinded and redesigned before a Woodland Hills Neighborhood Council committee determined in 2024 that the project was exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act, known as CEQA. According to the State of California, CEQA is a state statute that requires state and local agencies to identify the significant environmental impacts of their actions and to avoid or mitigate those impacts.

After the committee’s ruling, the West Valley Alliance for Optimal Living, a homeowner group led by Jeff Bornstein, opposed the project. The group argued that traffic patterns, noise, water, and air quality would be affected, impacting homeowners south of the proposed drive thru.

The restaurant chain got its start in 1948 by Harry and Esther Snyder. They are known for their burgers and fries, with a vast majority of its locations in the Southwest parts of the United States including California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and Texas.

By Milan Manesh

SANTA MONICA—At 1:16 p.m. on September 2, the Santa Monica Police Department announced it will establish a DUI checkpoint on September 4.

It will last from 6 p.m. on September 4 to 2 a.m. on September 5, but the location has not been revealed to the public.  The operation aims to promote public safety by apprehending suspected impaired drivers, and organizers selected the location based on available information on driver-related crashes.

The SMPD advises the public that impaired driving is caused by alcohol, along with over-the-counter drugs, medicinal and recreational marijuana, and prescription medication.  In the city of Santa Monica, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.

The purpose is to promote public safety by apprehending suspected impaired drivers, and the location is selected based on available data on driver-related crashes.

This operation is funded by a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to the California Office of Traffic Safety. The SMPD conducted its last DUI checkpoint on August 14.

The SMPD later announced it canceled the planned operation.

By Daniel Diquinzio

BEVERLY HILLS—On September 2, 2026, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged 19-year-old Conoray Lawantara, of Beverly Hills with one count of murder, in connection with a fatal assault in the city late Sunday night

On Sunday, August 30, at approximately 11:39 p.m., the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) received a report of an altercation involving two males in the alley of the 400 block of North Palm Drive. Officers responded to the alley and located a male suffering from a wound to his neck. Officers rendered aid, and the patient was transported to a local hospital by Beverly Hills Fire Department (BHFD) Paramedics, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The victim, who was reported as a homeless individual, but his name and age has not been disclosed to the public.

Based on the evidence gathered during the investigation Lawantara was arrested on suspicion of murder, in violation of California Penal Code (187(a).

On Wednesday, September 2, Lawantara was released from the hospital and was booked at the Beverly Hills Police
Department, where he is being held on a $2 million bail. He is expected to be arraigned on September 3, at the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Airport Branch.

Anyone with details on the crime is asked to call the Beverly Hills Police Department Detectives at 310-285-2125. Anonymous reports can be made by texting TIP BHPDALERT to 888777 followed by the tip information or by visiting nixle.us/tip/bhpdalert. Individuals can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org. Additional information will be released as the investigation progresses.

By Danny Jones

HOLLYWOOD—On Tuesday, September 1, repairman was seen on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard to make repairs to country star Dolly Parton’s star that was vandalized.  Parton was awarded the Queen of Country Music in 1985 in a dual ceremony with actor Sylvester Stallone for their 1984 performances in “Rhinestone.” Parton fans constructed a memorial around Parton’s star with flowers, notes, nail polish, pink sunglasses. Multiple scratches across Dolly Parton’s name were discovered after her death. It is unclear when the scratch marks were made and by whom. One of Dolly Parton’s famous quotes reads: “When I was a little girl I used to say that when I grow up, I want to be rich and famous, and I’m not going to complain about that.” Growing up poor added to Parton’s philanthropic endeavors. She often spoke of her father, who could not read and she started book club for children. Any four-year-old in the U.S. who wanted a book, could have one for free each month from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Parton died at the age of 80 on September 25, 2026. She earned a total of 11 Grammy Awards, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Kennedy Center during her career. According to Parton, her father was most proud of her work with Imagination Library. When the Tennessee wildfires burned families out of their homes, Dolly started sending them a monthly stipend to help homeowners. When people were without jobs, Dolly opened an amusement park, Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee which employes over 4,000 people at present. By Sharon

MALIBU—On Friday, August 28, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Malibu/Lost Hills Station announced that several people were arrested for stealing copper wires.

Authorities noted what started as a call regarding a suspicious person in Malibu led deputies to an investigation involving the theft of copper wire.

Three individuals were arrested in connection with the incident. The names and ages of those suspects have not been disclosed to the public.

“Another reminder that calls from our community can play an important role in helping deputies identify suspicious activity and investigate potential crimes,” the LASD Malibu/Lost Hills Station stated.

By Danny Jones

BEVERLY HILLS—On Tuesday, September 1, the Beverly Hills Police Department introduced the public to K-9 Bear. He joined the Police Department a little over a year ago and “has been hard at work ever since,” the BHPD stated on its Facebook page.

September 1 is National Police K-9 Day, which is a day to recognize the dedicated K-9s who serve alongside law enforcement across the country.

“We’re proud to celebrate Bear and all of our BHPD K-9 partners, past and present, and grateful for their service, loyalty, and everything they bring to our department and community,” the BHPD stated.

By Danny Jones