NEWS
April 21, 2014 | By Mary Forgione, Daily Deal and Travel Blogger
Finn, a large Irish wolfhound, spends some of his time cheering up travelers at Los Angeles International Airport. One day after a gunman opened fire at Terminal 3 and left a Transportation Security Administration officer dead last November, Finn was on the job. A member of LAX's Pets Unstressing Passengers, or PUPS program , Finn moved in and out of boarding gates, stopping for some petting and love from passengers. "I think after the shooting, Finn attracted attention because he represented something comforting," owner Brian Valente said in an airport statement.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
April 17, 2014 | By Los Angeles Times staff, This post has been corrected; see note below for details.
A Korean Airlines plane struck some light poles at Los Angeles International Airport, causing slight damage to one of its wings, authorities said Thursday. The incident occurred about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, airport officials said, according to L.A. Airspace, a Daily Breeze news blog. The Associated Press reported: The plane's right wing was scratched, but no one was injured. Two 30-foot light poles were bent. The A380 is the world's largest commercial airliner, carrying passengers in a double-deck configuration.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
April 13, 2014 | By Rong-Gong Lin II
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday after he allegedly became argumentative with a screening agent and made comments suggesting he had a bomb, police said. Aldon Jacarus Ramon Smith, 24, was transported to Los Angeles Police Department's Pacific Division on the Westside, where he was booked on suspicion of making a false report of a bomb threat. Smith was randomly selected for a secondary screening about 2 p.m. at Terminal 1 when he “became belligerent and uncooperative with the process,” said airport police Sgt. Karla Ortiz.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
April 10, 2014 | By Emily Alpert Reyes
Striking a "back to basics" theme, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti concluded his first State of the City address by challenging residents to help build "the Los Angeles of tomorrow. " "I stand before you today to say that the state of our city is strong, but is in need of fundamental reform," he said. In a 45-minute appearance at the California Science Center, Garcetti said he would keep the Department of Water and Power from raising rates this year, foster jobs by starting to phase out the city's business tax, reform the Fire Department and make "great streets" out of 15 city byways from the San Fernando Valley to San Pedro.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
April 10, 2014 | By Dan Weikel
Significant holes in record keeping at Los Angeles International Airport and inadequate oversight by the Federal Aviation Administration has made it difficult to ensure that millions of dollars in airport revenue are being spent properly for law enforcement, a new government audit has found. The review by the U.S. Department of Transportation's inspector general revealed that Los Angeles World Airports, the operator of LAX, has paid at least $7.9 million in the last few years to the Los Angeles Police Department without documentation showing that the services provided were airport-related.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
April 8, 2014 | By Dan Weikel
Los Angeles airport officials on Tuesday told a City Council committee that improvements in training, communications and emergency management are on the way in the aftermath of November's deadly shooting at Los Angeles International Airport. The measures include better communication and coordination between airport and public safety command centers as well as an expanded emergency notification system for airlines, LAX concessionaires, hotels and ground transportation companies. Among the other improvements are a new wireless communications system to send emergency information to all cellphones at the airport, a special team of officials to help stranded travelers and more evacuation training for all workers at LAX. Airport Director Gina Marie Lindsey, airport Police Chief Patrick Gannon and two high-ranking emergency managers for Los Angeles World Airports appeared at a special meeting of the council's Trade, Commerce and Tourism Committee.