Local News Briefs

City TV Launches Election Website

CityTV and the League of Women Voters of Santa Monica Education Fund (LWVSMEF) have launched their first round of election programming on-line and on television. “On the Record” features candidate statements from City Council, School Board, College Board and Rent Control Board Candidates.

City Council Candidates also have additional short videos, where the candidates have an opportunity to speak briefly on issues including transportation, local ballot measures, and more. In addition, “Meet the Candidates”, a series of one-on-one interviews with the candidates is also on-line and airing on CityTV.

All candidate videos can be seen on smvote.org. Smvote.org is a centralized resource for all Santa Monica election information. The website provides election-related information including videos, candidate statements, ballot measures, and election links and calendars.

Scheduled airings of candidate videos are also airing on CityTV cable channel 16 in Santa Monica, over-the-air digital broadcast channel 20.2 and is streamed at citytv.org. The schedule can be found on smvote.org. Vote 2014 election also airs 24/7 on Time Warner Cable Channel 99 so that viewers can access Santa Monica election programming at any time.

Future Vote 2014 programming includes ballot measure programming and two live City Council Candidate Forums. CityTV is the government access cable channel for the City of Santa Monica. The channel airs live public meeting coverage, local news and local event coverage. The channel is celebrating its 25th year and has been honored with numerous national and local awards, including thirteen local Emmy Awards.

Donut Store Fight Leaves Hole

Santa Monica police arrested a 58-year-old man on Monday, Sept. 27 after he assaulted an employee at a donut store.

Officers of the Santa Monica Police Department received a radio call at 7:45 pm on this day informing them of a disturbance at DK Donuts, located at the corner of 16th Street and Santa Monica Boulevard, so the officers sped to the scene in order to investigate.

When the officers arrived they saw a man pulling on the front doors of the baked treats store in an attempt to open it while an employee was inside resisting the man’s efforts.

The officers quelled the situation then spoke with all the parties involved in order to ascertain what had been going on.

The officers discovered that the man who had been attempting to enter the store had moments before grabbed an employee by the arm and had been causing a commotion inside the store, creating a hostile environment for the patrons who had been attempting to enjoy their donuts that evening.

The employee was desirous of a prosecution for the assault and battery and so placed the man under a private person’s arrest. The suspect was arrested and charged with the aforementioned crime.

Bail was set at $20,000.

Homeless Man With Flashlight Arrested

Santa Monica police arrested a homeless man on a bicycle on Sunday, Sept. 26 after watching him use a flashlight to peer into parked cars then later discovering burglary tools.

Officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were on routine patrol at 5:30 am on this day when they witnessed the man riding his bicycle on the sidewalk in the area of Seventh Street and Broadway in contravention of Santa Monica Municipal Code 3.12.540(a).

The officers waited for a few minutes and during that time saw the suspect using a flashlight to look into parked vehicles as he rode past the vehicles.

The officers then stopped this man and began to ask him questions about his activities.

This man told the officers that he had simply been returning home from working in downtown Los Angeles.

The officers asked this man if they could search his pockets and backpack, to which he agreed.

The officers discovered that this man had been carrying a broken sparkplug (commonly known as “Ninja Rocks” and used to break automobile windows).

The officers also found bolt cutters, pliers, screwdrivers, a cut bicycle lock, and a used hypodermic syringe in his backpack.

Based upon their discoveries the officers arrested this 34-year-old homeless man and he was charged with possession of burglary tools, unlawful possession of hypodermic needles and the municipal code violation.