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This Week: The Rink in Downtown Burbank Opens

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The Rink in Downtown Burbank debuts: If you thought that Southern California was as be-rink'd as it was going to get, in terms of those seasonal outdoor pop-up ovals that start appearing in November, well, hold onto your mittens and look to DTB, where an icy sheet of sheer fun-a-tude is opening on Thursday, Dec. 13. There's a sweet special on opening day for Burbank residents — twelve bucks for all-day skating, with free skate rental — but other good times are gliding this way. Final day? Skate, skate, skate before Jan. 6, 2019.

"It's a Wonderful Life," a Live Radio Play: So you know the Jimmy Stewart classic, backwards and forwards, from every-time-a-bell-rings to the perfect pool scene to the knob on the staircase? Amazing, but, just maybe, you've never seen it presented in "live radio" fashion, a rarer treat. There's a chance to add that to your "Wonderful" repertoire, beginning on Wednesday, Dec. 12 at the Pasadena Playhouse. Running time is an hour, actor Simon Helberg is George Bailey, and the final date is Dec. 23.

"Casablanca" live read: 'Tis the season for live readings of films we all know and adore. And this one is popping up at The Theatre at Ace, on Thursday, Dec. 13, to benefit the Astrea Lesbian Foundation for Justice. Director Jason Reitman teamed up with Oscar nominee Ellen Page for the event, which will also include cocktails and memorabilia of a nostalgic nature (indeed, it will be for purchase). Will you wear your best fedora, or something else that speaks to the time? You can, but, of course, do remove your hat once the evening commences. Find your ticket info here.

Los Angeles Krampuslauf: The holidays are full of lights and bells and baubles and candies, but there are a few terrifying tales that could make anyone's elf hat droop. At the forefront of the fright-makers is Krampus, a yuletide figure who never makes the "nice" list. He'll be out, with a lot of other people sporting Krampus-type costumes, at the 6th annual Krampus Run, which will take place in DTLA on Thursday, Dec. 13 from 8 to 9 o'clock. Patterned on the Krampus-themed events of Europe, it's described more as "an interactive ruckus than an orderly parade." 

"Auntie Mame" at The Egyptian: Southern California has as many holiday traditions as a tall tree has ornaments, with this one providing some extra oomph, and pizzazz, each year, on the big screen in Hollywood. American Cinematheque and Outfest are behind the live-large lark, which features Rosalind Russell as the pluckiest, quippiest high-society dame around. The Dec. 12 screening sold out, but there's an additional one on Dec. 13, so find your Mame-loving pals and dress to impress.



Photo Credit: The Rink in Downtown Burbank

Homeless Crime Jumps Nearly 50 Percent in Los Angeles

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The number of crimes in which homeless individuals were listed as suspects increased by nearly 50 percent in the city of Los Angeles in 2018.

Crime data provided by the Los Angeles Police Department showed there were 8,906 crime reports between Jan. 1 and Dec. 1 this year in which a homeless person was listed as the suspect, compared with 5,976 for the same time period in 2017.

LAPD officials said most concerning were the disproportionate number of homeless individuals listed as suspects in physical attacks that cause serious injuries, described as, "aggravated assaults," in police records.

People described as homeless were listed as suspects in 4.3 percent of all crime reported in Los Angeles during the same period in 2018, they were listed as suspects in 12.6 percent of aggravated assaults, the crime records showed.

The descriptions of perpetrators in the reports as homeless are not conclusive, as they depend on the perception of the person reporting the crime, according to city and other officials. But the LAPD said Monday it was concerned about the increase.

"Every person who lives in Los Angeles or walks our streets should feel safe in this city, and Mayor Garcetti will not tolerate violent crime anywhere or by anyone," said Garcetti spokesman Alex Comisar. "He wants people who commit these horrible, shameful acts to be arrested, held accountable, and prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

A portion of the increase was thought to be the result of more thorough crime reporting, officials told NBC4. Officers were directed in the second quarter of 2018 to make more detailed statistical reports on incidents that involved people experiencing homelessness, said LAPD Commander Dominic Choi. Special marks were added to some reports beginning in the third quarter of the year to further assist in assembling accurate statistics.

The LA Police Commission was expected to be briefed about the factors and the LAPD's plans to address the increase in the coming weeks, officials said. Last week a man described as a transient living in downtown LA was charged with attempted murder for allegedly pushing a pedestrian into the path of an oncoming truck on 3rd Street.

Well-known tailor Albert Davtyan was hit by the truck and has been in the hospital recovering from critical injuries, including a collapsed lung and several shattered ribs, family and friends told NBC4. The pushing attack was recorded by a nearby business' security video system.

Court records show Garrett Boldt, 29, was on probation for an assault with a deadly weapon case when he was arrested last Wednesday afternoon for the pushing attack. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Agency, which conducts an annual homeless count, reported a 6 percent decline in the number of people experiencing homelessness between 2017 and 2018.



Photo Credit: chalabala - Fotolia

PIT Maneuver Ends Police Pursuit of DUI Suspect in San Fernando Valley

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Police were pursuing a vehicle with a DUI suspect behind the wheel in the San Fernando Valley area Monday night, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Newschopper Alpha and Josh Kuzo were over the chase at approximately 10:10 p.m.

The LAPD employed a PIT maneuver to end the pursuit a short time later. The DUI suspect proceeded to run from the vehicle, with an officer chasing down the suspect to end the chase in the Northridge area.

The suspect was arrested without further incident.



Photo Credit: NBC4

Late GI Bill Payments to Struggling Vets: Who's Accountable?

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Confusion has reigned in Washington in recent weeks after the Department of Veterans Affairs provided a series of inconsistent messages about delayed or incorrect payments to veterans covered by the GI Bill.

As the issue gained steam, lawmakers demanded further answers, introduced a related bill and called for an investigation to find out what went wrong and what VA plans to do to fix the problem, NBC News reported. For many, behind this flurry of sternly worded letters and acts of oversight, however, lies an open question: Who should be held accountable for a series of missteps that left student veterans in dire financial circumstances?

There’s also an attempt to discern whether this is a systemic issue at a beleaguered federal agency or mismanagement by a new administration.

“The VA is responsible for executing the handshake that America makes with people in uniform,” Paul Rieckhoff, the founder and executive director of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said. “When they screw up, it’s bigger than a bureaucratic issue.”



Photo Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images, File

'The Guardians' Named Time's 2018 Person of the Year

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Time magazine unveiled its Person of the Year for 2018, honoring a group of journalists whose work has landed them in jail — or cost them their lives — "in the pursuit of greater truths."

The magazine's editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal announced Time's choice of "The Guardians and the War on Truth" on the "Today" show Tuesday, and revealed the four magazine covers featuring Jamal Khashoggi, Maria Ressa, the Capital Gazette staff, and the wives of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo.

"Like all human gifts, courage comes to us at varying levels and at varying moments,” Felsenthal wrote in an essay about the selection. “This year we are recognizing four journalists and one news organization who have paid a terrible price to seize the challenge of this moment."

In honoring Khashoggi, Felsenthal noted it is the first year Time has named someone who is no longer alive as Person of the Year. Khashoggi, who lived in the U.S. and wrote for The Washington Post, was publicly critical of the Saudi crown prince. He was killed in what U.S. officials have described as an elaborate plot at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, which he had visited for marriage paperwork.

Ressa is founder and executive editor of the Philippine digital news outlet Rappler and a vocal critic of the government of President Rodrigo Duterte. In return, she has faced several government lawsuits and threats of violence, according to The Associated Press. Ressa, who has worked with CNN, was the winner of two prestigious journalism awards this year, a Press Freedom award from the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, and the International Center for Journalists’ Knight International Journalism Award.

The gunman who opened fire at the Capital Gazette newspaper, in Annapolis, Maryland, killing five people, had a "vendetta" against the paper over an article it published in 2011 about criminal harassment to which he pleaded guilty to. But, a day after the massacre at the Maryland newspaper, Gazette staffers "did what it has done since before the American ­Revolution—they put the paper out," Time said in a statement.

The other two honorees, Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, are now imprisoned over their reporting in 2016 on the brutal crackdown by security forces on the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, which, according to the AP, left hundreds dead in the massacre. The U.N.'s top human rights body has said that genocide charges should be brought against senior Myanmar military officers over the crackdown.

The magazine said the four individuals and the lone newspaper symbolize something bigger than themselves.

"They are representative of a broader fight by countless others around the world — as of Dec. 10, at least 52 journalists have been murdered in 2018 — who risk all to tell the story of our time," Felsenthal wrote in his essay.

Other contenders on Time's shortlist revealed Monday included President Donald Trump, families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border, Meghan Markle, Russian President Vladimir Putin, special counsel Robert Mueller, "Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler, Christine Blasey Ford, March For Our Lives Activists, and South Korea President Moon Jae-in.

Time has made the designation every year since 1927. Last year, the magazine's editors chose "The Silence Breakers," individuals who spoke up and sparked a national reckoning over the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault.

Trump, who held the title in 2016 after winning his presidential race, was also a runner up in 2017. He claimed ahead of last year’s announcement that he was turning the honor down, tweeting that Time "called to say that I was PROBABLY going to be named" person of the year, if he agreed to an interview and photo shoot. "I said probably is no good and took a pass." Time disputed the president’s claim, calling his assertion "incorrect."

"TIME does not comment on our choice until publication, which is December 6," the magazine responded in a tweet of their own.



Photo Credit: 'Today'

Burbank Shelter Dog Inspires the Awws in 'Oz'

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Truth? You could easily and accurately describe 2018 as the Year of the Pickle.

For pickles popped out of jars and into all sorts of unlikely dishes, from desserts to the occasional pricy cocktail. Gifts, too, reflected the trend, and finding a pickle pillow or pickle pajamas nowaways won't, um, send you into a pickle.

But let's just call Pickle the utmost and ultimate star of this pickle-ish year, for his adorable story isn't sour at all.

Rather, it's very, very sweet.

The small-statured fluffster is a former Burbank Animal Shelter resident, but before that, he was spotted while "... out for a stroll in the parking lot at Fry's." 

A change of fate, and some good-hearted volunteers, brought him to the shelter, then to a loving home, then eventually to the Laguna Playhouse, where he first trotted onto the stage, in costume, no less.

Now Pickle's star is rising even further, for he'll be stepping all four paws into the storied role of Toto in "The Wonderful Winter of Oz."

The Lythgoe Family Panto production, which includes zazzy musical numbers, oodles of humorous moments, and Kermit the Frog as the Wizard of Oz himself, will dance at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium from Dec. 14 through 30, 2018.

But all eyes, and awws, will likely be directed at Pickle C. Irwin, when he is on stage. (Indeed, that's Pickle's full handle, so let's be proper and refer to him, at least once, with his surname.)

After all, consider what a comfort and pal Toto is to Dorothy as she skips down the Yellow Brick Road, helping out her new friends and learning a few life lessons along the way.

You can read more about Pickle's past and bright future at the Lythgoe Family Panto's Facebook page.

And, indeed, you can learn more about the annual panto production, which finds inspiration in the outlandish and not-so-serious yuletide pantos of Great Britain, a favorite pastime with theater-loving families come the Christmas season.

Will this all go to Pickle's head? After playing such a major part, among major stars, on a major Southern California stage?

We think not. After all, edible pickles may be tart and vinegary, but this furry Pickle only engenders thoughts of a cuddly, cute, and highly unsour nature.



Photo Credit: Lythgoe Family Panto

Russian Operative Butina to Plead Guilty, Help Prosecutors

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Maria Butina, the accused Russian agent of influence who built ties to the National Rifle Association and influential Republicans, has agreed to plead guilty and cooperate with federal prosecutors, according to a plea agreement obtained by NBC News. The case was not brought by special counsel Robert Mueller. 

Butina, 30, will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the law governing foreign agents operating in the United States, a felony that carries a five-year prison term. The estimated sentencing guideline range is from zero to six months in prison. As a noncitizen, she would face deportation after serving any prison sentence. 

According to the documents, Butina — a former graduate student at American University in Washington, D.C. — will admit to conspiring with an unnamed American to act at the direction of a Russian official "to establish unofficial lines of communication with Americans having power and influence over U.S. politics…for the benefit of the Russian Federation." 

The unnamed American has been identified by law enforcement officials as Paul Erickson, a longtime Republican activist who was in a romantic relationship with Butina. 

Click through for the full report from NBC News.



Photo Credit: AP

Santa Monica Locals, Your Fab Hotel Deal Is Here

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If you live in Southern California, and you call a citified neck o' the woods home, there are likely numerous shops or restaurants or businesses in your neighborhood or general area or larger zip code.

And, sometimes, those businesses will say "thanks" to the locals, via a discount or special or free scoop of ice cream or complimentary shoe shine.

It's just the lovely, neighborly way of doing things, a nice tradition that keeps neighborhoods, and towns and even cities, feeling a little closer, and even chummy.

Santa Monica Travel & Tourism understands this chummy notion, the idea that says it is good for businesses to notice nearby residents, and give them the opportunity to enjoy a special, you-live-here treat of some sort.

And a major version of that particular treat arrives in the ocean-close city around the holidays, when well over a dozen hotels kindly give Santa Monica residents the chance to enjoy "deeply discounted hotel rates."

It's called the Extra Bedroom Program, some 16 properties are participating during the 2018-2019 run, and the whole deal lasts right through to Jan. 19, 2019.

Have relatives coming to town over New Year's, or sooner, but you're already crammed? This is the program for you.

Do you yourself need an overnight somewhere swanky, after the hubbub of the holidays? Again, this could be the relaxing route you should consider taking.

Participants include Shore Hotel, The Georgian, and Shutters on the Beach.

There are a few steps to nabbing the lower, locals-only rates. When you make the reservation, do tell the agent you're a Santa Monica resident and you'd like your upcoming stay to be part of the Extra Bedroom Program. 

And, yep, at check-in, you'll need to show proof you live in Santa Monica. 

The rates are listed on the Extra Bedroom page on the Santa Monica Travel & Tourism site, so pore over all of the prices and see what works out for your still-to-come visitors (or, yes, for you, if you intend to make the booking for your own mini-cation).

Happy hotel deal-getting, locals o' Santa Monica and their lucky, LA-visiting relatives.



Photo Credit: Santa Monica

Full Version: Trump Argues With Schumer, Pelosi in Public

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President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence met with Democratic Senate and House leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi in the White House. Their discussion grew contentious over Trump’s demand for funding his proposed border wall.

'Horrified' DA Drops NYC Case vs Mom in Cop Baby Grab Video

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The Brooklyn charges against a mother who was seen wailing on the floor of a social services office, her 1-year-old son in her arms, as a group of officers forcefully try to snatch the baby from her have been dropped, the district attorney's office said in a statement Tuesday. 

Jazmine Headley, 23, had faced charges of resisting arrest, criminal trespass and other offenses stemming from the caught-on-camera fracas on the floor of the Human Resources Administration office on Bergen Street last week. The video, which showed her surrounded by officers trying to grab her baby as she clutched him to her chest, wailing, stirred outrage across the city and beyond. 

Headley was expected to be released from Rikers, where she has been held since the encounter, Tuesday evening. A New Jersey fraud case against her remains open. 

"Like everyone who watched the arrest of Jazmine Headley, I was horrified by the violence depicted in the video and immediately opened an investigation into this case. It is clear to me that this incident should have been handled differently," Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement. "Continuing to pursue this case will not serve any purpose and I therefore moved today to dismiss it immediately in the interest of justice."

"The consequences this young and desperate mother has already suffered as a result of this arrest far outweigh any conduct that may have led to it: she and her baby have been traumatized, she was jailed on an unrelated warrant and may face additional collateral consequences."

The NYPD has called the video "troubling" and said it is reviewing the encounter. 

New Jersey authorities planned to transfer Headley to Mercer County Wednesday morning, where she was charged with two counts of third-degree credit card theft and one count of fourth-degree trafficking in personal identifying information in March 2017, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said.

Headley's lawyer maintains she wasn't involved in the theft, but was in a car with a man who stole cards. 

Her attorney plans to ask the prosecutor's office to review the charges and consider dismissing them.

In her own statement, Lisa Schreibersdorf, the executive director and founder of Brooklyn Defender Services, said the group was "filing a special application to ask the judge to release her on the New Jersey matter" on Tuesday. 

At one point in the footage taken inside the HRA office, an officer is seen forcibly ripping the child from the mother's arms, but Headley doesn't let go. Other people in the crowded office screamed, "Oh my God!" and "Look what they're doing to her!" 

At least one officer brandished a stun gun. 

The NYPD said they were called after HRA officers and staff were unsuccessful in removing her from the facility. They cited disorderly conduct and said she was blocking the hallway. 

Nyashia Ferguson, who shot the video, said on Facebook that Headley was asked to leave when she sat down on the floor because all of the chairs were full. 

“Being poor is not a crime," Public Advocate and Attorney General-elect Letitia James said. "The actions of the NYPD in this video are appalling and contemptible."

"No mother should have to experience the trauma and humiliation we all witnessed in this video,” she added.

Department of Social Services Commissioner Steve Banks appeared to agree, saying Monday that two peace officers from HRA were put on leave and will be placed on modified duty when they return to work pending the department's investigation. 

Headley, of Brooklyn, refused medical treatment for both herself and her son, police said. No officers were harmed.

The boy, Damone, is in the custody of his grandmother, Jacqueline Jenkins, who spoke to News 4 New York Monday.

"I can't believe the NYPD, how they handled it, the force of what they did to grab my grandson like that," she said. "He was like a rag doll." 

She continued, "Maybe she should have given the baby up. But understand if they gave her space, she would have gone up and left." 

Headley's attorney, Lisa Schreibersdorf of Brooklyn Defender Services, called it a "violent encounter where the child was being used as a pawn."

Patrick Lynch, the president of the NYPD's rank-and-file union, said in a statement Monday that officers were put in an "impossible situation."

"They didn't create the dispute at the HRA office -- as always, they were called in to deal with the inevitable fallout when the rest of our City government fails in its task," he said.

He added, "The event would have unfolded much differently if those at the scene had simply complied with the officers' lawful orders. The immediate rush to condemn these officers leaves their fellow cops wondering: when confronted with a similar impossible scenario, what do you want us to do? The answer cannot be 'do nothing.'"

Alabama 9-Year-Old Dies by Suicide After Being Bullied

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A fourth-grader in Alabama died by suicide after being bullied with racist taunts, according to the child's family.

McKenzie Nicole Adams, 9, a U.S. Jones Elementary School student, was found dead in her home on Dec. 3 by her grandmother, according to Tuscaloosa News.

Eddwina Harris, the girl's aunt, told Tuscaloosa News that the bullying her niece experienced stemmed from her friendship with a white boy at her school.

"She was being bullied the entire school year, with words such as 'kill yourself,' 'you think you’re white because you ride with that white boy,' 'you ugly,' 'black b----,' 'just die'," Harris told the paper.

If you or a loved one are looking for help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255



Photo Credit: Eddwina Harris

The Dos and Don'ts of Giving Marijuana as a Holiday Gift

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Let's talk about weed.

With Christmas around the corner giving weed as a gift has now legally opened up as an option. 

This will be the first holiday season when recreational use is legal in the state of California. So, if you’re thinking of gifting weed this holiday season, we got the do's and don'ts.

Do

  • Buy from a licensed retailer.

“The most important thing is to make sure when buying cannabis you’re buying it from a licensed retailer," said Alex Traverso with the Bureau of Cannabis Control in California. "Make sure that the product is safe and tested.”

  • Make sure the person receiving the gift meets the age requirements.

In the state of California, you must be 21 or older to consume cannabis legally. You can also use cannabis if you’re 18 or older and have a qualifying physician’s recommendation or a valid county-issued medical marijuana identification card.

Don’t

  • Gift over the legal amount.

A person can carry up to one ounce (28.5 grams) of marijuana and up to eight grams of concentrated marijuana.

  • Mail weed.

Traverso warns that a person cannot mail weed anywhere in the state or outside of the state.

It's also illegal to take marijuana across state lines, even if you're traveling to another state where marijuana is legal for recreational use like Nevada or Colorado.

“The main thing is to make sure your buying legal product and gifting it to people of age,” Traverso told NBC 7. “And keeping that gifting only in our state.”

There are severe penalties for violating marijuana laws including, fines, jail, community service or drug education.

Visit Let’s Talk Cannabis' website to learn more about marijuana laws.



Photo Credit: https://www.maxpixel.net/

Fly by Disneyland's Soon-to-Open Tropical Hideaway

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The "exotic marketplace" inside the theme park's Adventureland is preparing for its delicious debut.

Photo Credit: Joshua Sudock/Disneyland Resort

Dog Found Badly Abused in Long Beach, Reward Offered

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A Good Samaritan found a dog, near death and stuffed inside a trash bag in a dumpster in Long Beach in appalling condition, with rescuers now offering a reward to find the person or people responsible.

Rescuers called it the worst case of animal abuse they've ever seen. The people who rushed the dog to the hospital are offering a $1,000 reward for any information. The rescuers say the dog was in such poor condition that, at times, they weren't sure she was alive.

New video from inside an incubator shows Chloe can hardly lift her head up. Her tiny body was limp from fractures to her skull and ribs, along with a broken leg.

"She would have died within three hours if the Good Samaritan had not found her," Diana Kliche, a rescuer, says.

Rescuers rushed the one year old terrier-poodle mix to Long Beach Emergency Hospital Saturday afternoon after a passerby found the pooch in a dumpster on Walnut Avenue.

"It was one of the worst cases of abuse I've ever seen," Kliche said. "She smelled, which we found out later was human urine. She had pieces of food --ham, spaghetti -- stuck to her fur."

Kliche added, "I'm just devastated and heartbroken that someone would do this."

Unfortunately, there don't appear to be any security cameras in the alley where Chloe was found. Long Beach Animal Care Services confirms it is investigating the incident and is asking anyone who saw anything to give them a call.

"I'm very hopeful they find the person and they're prosecuted to the full extent," Kliche said. 

Historic Babe Ruth Collection Up for Auction

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A collection of Babe Ruth's personal belongings was announced from the auction block Tuesday. Jummy Olabanji reports.


Sup at SIP & SAVOR, a New Tournament of Roses Event

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There's no doubt about it: Viewing all of those petals, the petals that literally cover the wondrous and world-famous Rose Parade floats, can put one in quite the peckish frame of mind.

Good thing that Pasadena is home to so many excellent eateries. Of course, if you're over near Rose Bowl Stadium, and you're volunteering as a float decorator, or you've simply stopped by to see the end-of-the-year hubbub, you might want to grab a bite then and there.

SIP & SAVOR, a brand-new food-and-more event from the Tournament of Roses, can be your go-to, if you're at Jackie Robinson Memorial Field from Dec. 28 through 30, 2018.

Rosemont Pavilion is the place, and a large line-up of "Southern California's favorite eateries and culinary brands" will have all sorts of vittles and drinks for purchase.

Firestone-Walker Brewing Company will also be behind the Sports Bar, which will boast six large-screen television monitors. 

Music, too, will weave through SIP & SAVOR, with the Mariachi Divas performing during the daytime hours and a host of other acts, covering everything from '80s tunes to rockabilly, popping up to keep the pre-party, decorating-push, Pasadena-delightful vibes elevated.

A general ticket to SIP & SAVOR is $15, and there's a deluxe VIP package for $150. 

If you're planning on visiting the busy-busy area just ahead of New Year's Eve, and you need a spot for a brew, lunch, some TV sports, or some sound to swing by, call upon the Rosemont Pavilion for this inaugural foodie festival.

And, of course, if you're going the decorating route, as one of the treasured float volunteers, you'll probably want a place to dine, after all of that intense petal-placing.

Here's more on the new Bowl-close nexus o' noshery, so click.



Photo Credit: Tournament of Roses

Jimmy Dean Sausage Links Recalled for Metal Pieces

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Attention Jimmy Dean sausage lovers: check your freezer because your links might be under recall due to possible metal contamination.

Kentucky-based CTI Foods LLC has recalled more than 29,000 pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat pork and poultry products that may be contaminated with metal pieces, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said on Monday. 

There haven't been any reports of "adverse reactions" thus far, but the government still classified the recall as a high health risk, defined as a "reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death." 

Under recall are: 23.4-oz. pouches of “Jimmy Dean HEAT ’n SERVE Original SAUSAGE LINKS Made with Pork & Turkey” with a "use by" date of Jan. 31, 2019. The sausages have the case code A6382168, and a time stamp range of 11:58 through 01:49. The back of the packaging also includes the number “EST. 19085.” 

The government was notified on Dec. 10 of five complaints of metal pieces found in the sausages. 

Jimmy Dean said in a separate release about the voluntary recall that the consumers who complained had spotted small, string-like fragments of metal in the product.

About 2,845 cases of the product were made at one plant location on Aug. 4.

The sausages were shipped to an establishment in Tennessee then distributed to retail stores, the FSIS said. 

It's not immediately clear how many states and which retailers sold the potentially contaminated product.

Jimmy Dean spokesman Worth Sparkman said "there's always a little post investigation" and that the FSIS would eventually publish the list of retailers. A USDA spokeswoman confirmed that list will be posted on the FSIS website here when available. 

Sparkman noted CTI Foods "wanted to get the news out" on the recall so that anybody who might have the product can look for it in their fridge and discard it.

Consumers should throw away the affected sausages or return them to the store where they were purchased. 

Those with questions can call the Jimmy Dean customer service line at (855) 382-3101. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET on weekdays. 



Photo Credit: Jimmy Dean

CSUN Campus Remains Open Following Threats

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Another threat was made to the Cal State Northridge campus Monday, but this time in the form of a letter.

NBC4 obtained the photo of a letter that was found at the same location as last week’s graffiti that included a swastika.

The letter, written with red ink, uses descriptive language and profanity and states when and where the shooting will take place.

Officials said Tuesday that the expletive-filled handwritten note threatening a shooting at the campus does not appear to have been written by the same person who scrawled a similar threat on the wall of a campus bathroom last week.

At a late morning news conference, CSUN police Chief Anne P. Glavin stressed that there was no imminent threat at the campus, which will remain open, but said there would be a stepped-up police presence throughout finals week.

Glavin said school police were being assisted by the Los Angeles Police Department in the investigation.

Students showed concern over the situation on social media and created a petition online that asks for CSUN President Dr. Dianne F. Harrison to have the campus closed on Dec. 12, the day the shooting is supposed to happen.

The petition states, “Though this is a fragile situation during finals week, the safety of CSUN students, faculty, must come first.”

"Because student anxiety is high, which will affect their performance on finals, I have directed all faculty who have examinations on Dec. 12 to provide alternative examination options for their students that would not require students to be physically present on campus Wednesday, tomorrow, Dec. 12," Harrison said. "Faculty will be communicating specifics of their plans with their students." 

About 5,550 people have signed the petition. Comments include, "I'm not risking my life for a 3 unit class," and "I don't feel safe about csun anymore. It feels like our administration can care less about our lives and more about money. It's heart-wrenching."

NBC4 also received messages on Facebook from parents concerned about their sons and daughters.

“As parents we are frustrated and our students are afraid to step foot on campus and feel that nothing is being done,” said Marrissa Redd.

CSUN’s statements in response to the graffiti say police presence will be increased on campus, but the school won't cancel classes.

“Sadly, the world in which we live requires we take threats of violence and expressions of hate seriously -- even when there is no evidence to suggest that the threatened acts are likely to materialize,'' CSUN President Harrison said.

Glavin confirmed they’re aware of the letter that was found and are actively investigating the nature of the letter with the help of LAPD to find who wrote the letter.

Fall semester finals at CSUN begin Wednesday.



Photo Credit: LoudLabs/CSUN

AGT Winner Darci Lynne Farmer Brings a Hometown Christmas to NBC

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“America’s Got Talent” season 12 winner and audience favorite Darci Lynne Farmer is celebrating the holidays Oklahoma style in her first original TV special on NBC. It’s called “Darci Lynne: My Hometown Christmas.”

The one-hour show will feature musical performances and sketches from the talented young singer-ventriloquist, along with her lively puppets. There are also several feature performances from such notable guests as multi-award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth, singer-songwriter Toby Keith, country music superstar Hunter Hayes, three-time Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum selling artist Pentatonix and two-time Billboard Music Award-winning electronic violinist Lindsey Stirling.

The special will also include surprise guest appearances from “America’s Got Talent” judges Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Mel B.

“I’m going to be singing by myself a little bit without my puppets so that’s going to be fun” Farmer said.

Farmer will bring viewers home for the holidays to show off all of Oklahoma’s beauty and warmth. The Emmy and Tony Award-winning Chenoweth, also an Oklahoma native, will perform “What a Wonderful World.” In addition, Farmer will perform with Keith as the two pay visit to the OK Kids Korral, a home for children battling cancer.

Additional performances with Pentatonix and Stirling – as well as puppets Petunia, Oscar, Edna and Katie – will feature many familiar holiday tunes such as “Santa Baby,” “Mary Did You Know” and “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” Hayes will debut his new song,

Farmer’s 18-city “Fresh Out of the Box Tour” kicks off Feb. 15, 2019. Additional information and tickets for both shows are available now at www.darcilynne.com. And you can see “Darci Lynne: My Hometown Christmas,” airing Tuesday, December 11th at 9 p.m. ET/PT.



Photo Credit: Chris Haston/NBC

405 Freeway Reopens After 90-Minute Shutdown Near LAX

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The 405 Freeway was completely shut down on Tuesday due to police activity near Los Angeles International Airport.

Police were dealing with a person near the Florence Avenue exit, and the activity required both sides of the freeway to shut down for a lengthy period of time.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the freeway shut down started at about 4 p.m.

At approximately 5:15 p.m., police and fire officials appeared to be wrapping up their investigation.

Due to the complete shutdown, traffic was backed up as far north as Westwood.

As of 5:20 p.m., both sides of the freeway were still shut down.

At approximately 5:30 p.m., police ended the freeway shutdown and the backed-up traffic began to slowly unclog.



Photo Credit: Newschopper4 Bravo
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