West Hollywood

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation will offer free meningitis vaccines starting Monday. The move comes just days after a West Hollywood man died from the disease. Anyone who might have been exposed to the disease or might be at risk should to make plans to receive the vaccine, officials say. Worry over a meningitis outbreak started last week after 33-year-old Brett Shaad, a West Hollywood lawyer, died of the disease on Friday. Shaad became critically ill shortly after he attended an annual Easter weekend gathering of gay men in Palm Springs, according to the foundation.

Reacting to the death of a young West Hollywood lawyer over the weekend and growing concerns about the possible spread of bacterial meningitis, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation gave hundreds of free vaccinations to visitors who showed up Monday at its facilities. The organization, which initially ordered about 1,000 doses and plans to acquire more, said it would continue providing the shots as needed. Brett Shaad, 33, contracted meningitis and died several days later after attending a gathering of gay men in Palm Springs.

Responding to fears of a deadly meningitis outbreak among gay men, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation announced Sunday that it will begin offering free vaccines to help counter a spread of the potentially deadly disease. Worry over a meningitis outbreak started last week after 33-year-old Brett Shaad, a West Hollywood lawyer, died of the disease on Friday. Shaad became critically ill shortly after he attended an annual Easter weekend gathering of gay men in Palm Springs, according to the foundation.

A man is in custody on suspicion of attempted murder after he allegedly set a 63-year-old man on fire in his sports utility vehicle in Long Beach, police said. The victim was parked in front of a 7-Eleven about 5 p.m. Friday when a 39-year-old man described as homeless by neighbors doused him with a flammable substance and set him ablaze, said Sgt. Aaron Eaton of the Long Beach Police Department. The attack at the intersection of Clark Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway caused witnesses to rush to the victim's aid, but not before he suffered burns over most of his body, Eaton said.

A recently confirmed case of meningitis in Los Angeles County and a spate of others striking gay men in New York City have officials in West Hollywood warning residents to take precautions. "We don't want to panic people," said West Hollywood City Councilman John Duran, who serves a community with a heavy gay and lesbian population. "But we learned 30 years ago the consequences of delay in the response to AIDS. We are sounding the alarm that sexually active gay men need to be aware that we have a strain of meningitis that is deadly on our hands.

A 33-year-old West Hollywood man afflicted with meningitis has died, a Los Angeles County coroner's official confirmed Saturday. Brett Shaad was pronounced dead at about 3:40 p.m. Friday, said Dana Been, a coroner's investigator. The case, along with several instances of meningitis striking gay men in New York City, caused West Hollywood officials to warn residents to take precautions. "We don't want to panic people," City Councilman John Duran, who serves a community with a heavy gay and lesbian population, said at a news conference Friday.

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Los Angeles County prosecutors have closed an investigation into the spending habits of West Hollywood Councilman John Duran -- whose charges on a city-issued credit card were the focus of a nearly two-year probe. Deputy Dist. Atty. Max Huntsman said criminal charges will not be filed against Duran, who charged dozens of meals to his city expense account, spending more than $7,000 at local restaurants over three years. There  was “no evidence available to contradict the claim of city officials that they were conducting public business during these meals,” Huntsman wrote in a letter Thursday to a person who filed a complaint against members of the City Council.

A 31-year-old West Hollywood resident, who was described as being extremely fit only a week or so ago, is now in a coma and on life support after being diagnosed with "full-blown meningitis," city officials said.  West Hollywood City Councilman John Duran issued a warning to residents and gay men on Friday, saying he did not want to panic people, but wanted them to be aware of the case and take the necessary precautions. Duran said one of his concerns is that the man attended the annual White Party in Palm Springs over Easter Weekend, an event that attracts gay men from across the country.

West Hollywood city officials and community leaders warned residents Friday about a serious case of  meningococcal infection  recently found in Los Angeles County, a bacteria-caused illness that can lead to potentially deadly  meningitis . "We don't want to panic people," said West Hollywood City Councilman John Duran. "But we learned 30 years ago the consequences of delay in the response to AIDS. We are sounding the alarm that sexually active gay men need to be aware that we have a strain of meningitis that is deadly on our hands.