Newsletter: L.A. Police Commission takes on issue of police shootings

Good morning. It is Wednesday, Oct. 12. Target expects to hire more than 14,000 people for temporary jobs this holiday season. Here’s what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Guidelines on shootings

The Los Angeles Police Commission voted Tuesday to direct the LAPD to release information about police shootings more quickly and to expand training designed to reduce the number of shootings. “The commission and the department are ultimately accountable to the public, and therefore, it is important that we are constantly self-critical so that we are always improving,” said Commissioner Sandra Figueroa-Villa. Los Angeles Times

Dodger blue

Steve Lopez watched Tuesday’s do-or-die game between the Dodgers and Washington Nationals at the Greyhound Bar & Grill in Highland Park. “Were those wrinkles on the face of a 9-year-old boy sitting with his mother, both of them wearing Dodger blue? Maybe so. The poor kid’s team gets close every year and then folds,” he writes. Meanwhile, the San Francisco Giants were eliminated by the Chicago Cubs. Los Angeles Times

If you can’t beat ’em…

In Santa Ana, some merchants are surfing the wave of gentrification by catering to new customers. At Genesis Bridal Boutique, the ruffled quinceañera dresses have been pushed to the back in favor of streamlined wedding and bridesmaid dresses. “The newer clients … the Americans and younger-generation Hispanics are more selective,” said store owner Lilia Cerpas. Los Angeles Times

L.A. AT LARGE

Renovations green-lit: Paramount Pictures’ 25-year plan to renovate and expand its Hollywood studio was given the OK on Tuesday by the Los Angeles City Council. The plan is expected to add 1.4 million square feet of space to the lot on Melrose Avenue. “Paramount has found a way to grow and evolve into the future with minimum impact to the surrounding neighborhood,” said Councilman Mitch O’Farrell. Los Angeles Times

Wrong place, wrong time: Remember that hiker who was mauled by a bear? Game wardens believe he may have inadvertently interrupted a mating session. Los Angeles Times

In pictures: Incredible Los Angeles Depression-era photos by Dorothea Lange. LAist

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Sick pup: Sad news out of Sacramento — the state’s “First Dog,” Sutter Brown, is critically ill. Masses that are suspected to be cancerous were found in the Pembroke Welsh corgi’s intestines, lymph nodes and liver. Sutter (and his sister, Colusa) are big stars on Twitter, often coming to the governor’s aid to bring attention to the state budget and get-out-the-vote efforts. Politico

Caught on tape: Watch out! Attorney Gloria Allred is now fighting to get those Donald Trump outtakes from “The Apprentice” made public. Los Angeles Times

You’re fired? And Billy Bush appears to be exiting NBC News over the “Access Hollywood” tape. Los Angeles Times

New face: The city of Santa Ana represents the new face of California. “There is now — unlike before — a comfort level with knowing there’s a lot of Latinos living here and Latino leadership here,” said Vicente Sarmiento, the city’s mayor pro tem. New York Times

Problems at the bank: Assemblyman Matt Dababneh (D-Encino) chewed out Wells Fargo on Tuesday during a hearing in Calabasas. The chairman of the Assembly Banking Committee noted he’s a Wells Fargo customer and had worked with the bank on financial literacy events. “It is disappointing to find out some of the students and seniors we may have helped get services and information may now have gotten fraudulent accounts that did more harm than good,” he said. Los Angeles Times

Campaign finance: Carson Mayor Albert Robles was referred to the Fair Political Practices Commission for failing to file his campaign finance reports for his reelection to the Water Replenishment District. It’s not the first time he’s run into such problems. Whittier Daily News

CRIME AND COURTS

What’s the point? A local pastor who headed the Sacramento Community Police Commission resigned his post, saying the panel is irrelevant. “For this moment that requires oversight, requires transparency and requires accountability, this commission, the community is asking of it something it doesn’t have,” said Les Simmons. He was referring to the July police shooting of a mentally ill man. Sacramento Bee

Time off: The Anaheim chief of police and a deputy chief are being investigated for days they took off from work, city officials said. Few details were available, but an outside law firm was brought in to do an independent review of police payroll. Orange County Register

Young hero: A 5-year-old boy in Irvine is being called a hero for rescuing a 2-year-old girl who fell into a hot tub. The child was underwater for less than a minute when she was pulled out. “It’s great to see a 5-year-old react to a situation, realizing that someone is in trouble and immediately coming to their aid,” said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Larry Kurtz. Orange County Register

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Fire dangers: Wildfires are becoming something of a California export. “As climate change continues to bring warmer, drier conditions to most of the country, many experts agree that wildfires will be both larger and more frequent.” Reveal

Filling the lake: Lake Mission Viejo is getting a makeover courtesy of treated wastewater. Work on the 124-acre manmade lake is expected to start in November. Orange County Register

BUSINESS

Ups and downs: The epic story of a Silicon Valley flameout. They wanted to dominate tech in Asia. Now, they struggle to open a Korean restaurant in Palo Alto. BuzzFeed

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

On shaky ground: San Francisco’s infamous Millennium Tower might be sinking, but a penthouse there is still going for $9 million. SFGate

Speaking out: Writer Kelly Oxford asked women to tweet her their stories of sexual assault and harassment. The response was overwhelming: more than 13,000 tweets from men and women. NPR

Internet famous: With his red sweater and mustache, audience member Ken Bone was a clear winner at Sunday’s presidential debate. His brush with fame landed him on the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” show. Hollywood Reporter

For breakfast: The cruffin has arrived in Highland Park. The croissant-muffin hybrid looks mighty tasty. Los Angeles Times

Spooky discovery: A new room is said to have been discovered at the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose. Time Out

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Diego will have clouds and a high of 72. In Los Angeles, there will be low clouds and a high of 72 degrees. Riverside will have a high of 79. San Francisco will have low clouds and a high of 64. Sacramento will be 77 and mostly sunny.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California Memory comes from Jessica Mackenzie:

“My California memory is building a miniature scale model of a California Mission (I think it was Mission La Purisima) with my dad in our driveway when I was in 4th grade. Cardboard framing, plaster of Paris walls, lasagna noodle roof and sugar cube courtyard with a real brass bell in the belltower — I thought it was just the most beautiful thing. Over the years, I’ve discovered ‘the Mission project’ is a pretty much universal experience for public school 4th graders (and their parents) throughout the state — I love that such an unorthodox tool to pass along California history has endured. I can’t wait to do the same with my daughter.”

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Alice Walton or Shelby Grad.