The LAPD is investigating the homicides of two Israeli men found dead in their residences on Saturday in what appear to be unrelated incidents Police were called to a home on the 22200 block of De La Osa Street in Woodland Hills just before 1 a.m they discovered the body of 47-year-old Alexander Modebadze had been living in the house for the past couple of years According to the Los Angeles Police Department the attack was premeditated and staged to look like a robbery Eyewitnesses told police they saw a group of people entering the house before fleeing the scene Officers collected evidence and reviewed surveillance footage in an attempt to identify the suspects and determine the motive “We found very unusual signs at the scene that indicate murder,” said detectives from the Valley Police “We believe that the fact that there were people in the house who fled shortly before the body was found suggests that the incident was criminal and we are working to locate the suspects involved.” Three suspects were arrested a few hours later and identified as Georgian nationals: Pata Kochiashvili (38) The arrests were made with the assistance of the FBI Kochiashvili was apprehended in the Van Nuys neighborhood while Outarashvili and Kutsishvili were arrested together in nearby Glendale Witnesses reported seeing several suspicious individuals enter the home late at night and leave shortly after Neighbors described Modebadze as a sociable man with no known public disputes police were called to an apartment on the 12600 block of Riverside Drive in Valley Village to conduct a welfare check after relatives were unable to reach the resident they found the body of businessman Menashe “Manny” Hidra the brother of Nitzan Prison Warden Moshe Hidhra in Israel Police have not disclosed the nature of his injuries and it is not yet confirmed whether a firearm or knife was used There is no apparent connection between the two incidents elections in the 39th World Zionist Congress nears conclusion—voting closes May 4—American Zionist Movement (AZM) Executive Director Herbert Block said there were few barriers of entry to voting in what Jewish leaders are describing as a consequential election We are here today because Jewish fathers and mothers wanted more than happiness from their children The bipartisan group includes Los Angeles representatives Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) and Ted Lieu (D-West LA) Speaking ill of someone once most likely leads to a second time Police are investigating the homicides of two Israeli men found dead in their San Fernando Valley homes on Saturday in what appears to be unrelated incidents that left two businessmen dead including the brother of an Israeli politician.LAPD officers were called to a home on the 22200 block of De La Osa Street in Woodland Hills just before 1 a.m April 26 where they discovered the body of 47-year-old Alexander Modebadze who had been brutally beaten and suffered severe head trauma He was pronounced dead at the scene. The LAPD with agents from the FBI's Fugitive Task Force soon tracked three men down in connection with the vicious attack: Paata Kochyashvili who did announce that the men held him captive Thelma Golden will celebrate Lauren Halsey and U.K.-based singer Griff will take the stage featured A-list designers and Otis College standouts who earned scholarships for innovation in Fashion Design lawyers say Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe showed injuries consistent with a dog attack and plan to present a case against Chloe a German Shepherd who was re-homed by the owner's of the house where the cop's body was found in a snowbank Magazine’s takeaways on five notable topics from President Donald Trump’s first 100 days of his second term consumers are stocking up on household items and bites from THEBlvd and Hinoki & the Bird Cowboy Carter cocktails for Beyonce’s SoFi concert run Borekas, the San Fernando Valley Sephardic pastry shop that started as a Sherman Oaks takeout window in 2022 opened a new Woodland Hills location in early April This is the third outlet for the expanding business that added a Van Nuys outpost in May 2024 Though people file in for borekas (a flaky Borekas Woodland Hills also offers outdoor seating plus a retail shelf for diners to take home like clarified butter Owners Gal and chef Uzi Waizman also expanded the drinks menu with more than Turkish coffee Chef Uzi tells Eater that they will add special borekas including a current variety with carrots from his home garden Borekas Woodland Hills is open daily from 7 a.m Time Out Los Angeles editor Patricia Kelly Yeo dined at Somni “LA’s most expensive restaurant is (unfortunately) worth it.” Papa Cristo’s owner Chrys Chrys opened up to FOX-11 this week Chrys talks about what the restaurant means to him and the surrounding community The longtime restaurant closes this weekend on May 4 SoFi Stadium is getting in the mood for Beyoncé’s tour for her album The popular recording artist and producer performed at SoFi on April 28 With cocktail names like Sweet Honey Bey and Texas Hold ‘Em A post shared by SoFi Stadium (@sofistadium) The West San Fernando Valley Disaster Preparedness Fair brings together families and community leaders for a day of hands-on activities and critical information to help everyone stay safe in an emergency Whether you're building your first emergency kit or want to improve your family's plan This event is made possible by the West Valley-Warner Center Chamber of Commerce the West Valley Warner Center Community Benefit Foundation It is hosted on the campus of Pierce College A prepared community is a quick-to-recover community This fair offers the chance to learn practical steps that make a real difference during an emergency Bring the whole family and spend the day learning, preparing, and connecting with local experts. For more information, visit www.woodlandhillscc.net or call 818-347-4737 Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Today’s Paper#masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }The Hunt for … By Michele LernerApril 24 Share full articleSeeking more space for their growing children (and maybe a pool) a couple combed the San Fernando Valley for a single-family home they could afford Anwar (A.B.) Barnes and Cecily Lewis Barnes were proud to own a townhouse in pricey Los Angeles were raising their two children (now ages 6 and 14) there they realized the townhouse wasn’t big enough to handle their changing lives “We went to an open house at a single-family home for sale in our neighborhood for $750,000,” said Mr but that started the wheels turning to think about whether we could sell our townhouse to get something else.” [Did you recently buy a home? We want to hear from you. Email: thehunt@nytimes.com] First they would have to sell the townhouse in the North Hills section of the San Fernando Valley they would need to find a house that they could afford and then line up the two closings just right a real estate agent with Compass and a friend of Mrs the couple were confident they could get about $550,000 for the townhouse leaving them with a profit of around $150,000 after they paid off their mortgage the median sale price for a single-family home in the San Fernando Valley was $903,500 “We really wanted to stay in the Valley near our kids’ schools and our friends,” said Mrs an actress and executive assistant at Hulu “Our priorities were for more indoor and outdoor space Johnson advised them that the local market had begun to slow in the fall as the holidays approached and mortgage rates remained high “There weren’t as many bidding wars,” she said “but most homes had more than one offer and the seller would just accept the highest one.” The Barneses quickly learned that homes at their initial budget of $750,000 typically needed a lot of work so they expanded their search farther afield including areas more susceptible to wildfires would sometimes bid on homes that weren’t livable without $100,000 of work,” Mrs “I was relieved when he was outbid because I didn’t want to spend that much just to be able to move in.” they found a few options they could agree to consider two-bath house from 1955 sat at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in the Mission Hills neighborhood the 1,358-square-foot house had hardwood floors an open-plan family room with a picture window a wall of sliding-glass doors out to the yard and a remodeled kitchen two-and-half-bath house from 2001 was in Sylmar near the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains It had a concrete patio and a patch of artificial turf out back but the homeowners’ association offered a swimming pool and a basketball court The 1,842-square-foot house had an airy great room with vinyl flooring and an open kitchen and a bonus area upstairs that could be a home office with a monthly HOA fee of $199 and annual taxes of about $9,500 nestled up to the mountains in a pocket of Sylmar with older homes including a partly covered patio with seating and a fountain The 1,676-square-foot house had a fireplace in the living room but since there hadn’t been a fire in Sylmar since 2008 Find out what happened next by answering these two questions: Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More three of the five City Council members in the City of San Fernando rejected a policy that would limit the amount of collaboration between federal immigration authorities and local police but City Council members cited fear that the Trump administration would retaliate THE South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) has agreed to compensate a mother and her child who suffered a permanent neurological injury during childbirth at San Fernando General Hospital The consent order was issued by Justice Karen Reid The judgment follows discussions between the parties with the matter now referred to a High Court master for assessment although the attorneys are expected to continue discussions on a possible final settlement filed a medical negligence lawsuit in October 2024 alleging that inadequate care during delivery in 2018 led to her child’s lifelong injuries and need for multiple surgeries An expert report by a British professor of obstetrics and gynaecology concluded that the medical team failed to properly assess and manage the mother's labor It also cited a shortage of qualified staff and a delayed response from senior medical personnel during a complicated delivery Hospital records did not contradict these findings The lawsuit said the child’s injuries have had a devastating impact on his quality of life and imposed a significant emotional and financial strain on the family the court had warned the SWRHA that failure to comply with its directions would lead to judgment in favour of the claimants the family hopes the incoming board will act quickly to address the consequences of the medical error SAN ANTONIO - Protesters gathered outside the San Fernando Cathedral on Saturday to protest President Donald Trump and Elon Musk This protest was part of an ongoing nationwide protest movement called '50-50-One Demonstrators say they disagree with the actions President Trump has been taking and they believe these protests may help people share their voices and concerns The next 50-50 One protest is being planned for May 1st Some of the first visible signs of work on a light rail line in the median of Van Nuys Boulevard are starting to appear Metro announced last week that advanced utility work is occurring for the East San Fernando Valley light rail line along the stretch of Van Nuys Boulevard between Nordhoff Street and Woodman Avenue K-rail barriers will be installed along a portion of Van Nuys Boulevard through the Fall leaving two lanes of traffic open in each direction The initial phase of the East San Fernando Valley line which secured nearly $900 million in federal funding in September 2024 will include 6.7 miles of right-of-way within median of Van Nuys Boulevard between the G Line's Van Nuys Station and the Metrolink right-of-way in Pacoima including connections to the G Line Busway Completion of the $3.6-billion light rail line is expected in 2031 A second phase of the project calls for extending services additional 2.5 miles to the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink Station. Metro is considering  building a new station to connect with Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line at Van Nuys Boulevard and San Fernando Road as an alternative to extending light rail service Work on Van Nuys Boulevard will coincide with a three-year closure of the G Line's Van Nuys Station that commenced on February 21 to facilitate the construction of a $668-million project that will speed up travel times on the east-west busway Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn / Threads / Instagram / Bluesky The swelling was already evident soon after Tatis was hit in Friday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates More news: Padres Fall in Latest MLB Power Rankings From National Outlet Fernando Tatis Jr. left the game after being hit by this pitchYou could see the swelling already on his left forearm pic.twitter.com/TuCzvRrij5 Tatis immediately left the game in the third inning after being looked at by trainers The 26-year-old exited the game with a visible welt on his forearm The Padres have dealt with a slew of injuries to start the season and one of the biggest questions for the team entering the month of May was whether they could stay healthy After getting a trio of reinforcements back in Luis Arraez the Padres are in jeopardy of losing one of its biggest stars Manager Mike Shildt made no excuses for his team once the Padres lost three outfielders in the span of a few days San Diego may have to continue using the next man up mentality this month “This is a battle-tested team,” Shildt said earlier this season “Last year we lost a lot of guys coming into the season (Yu) Darvish and (Joe) Musgrove were out a good portion of the season Manny was coming off a surgery and took him a while to get back in the flow of things You’re going to be compromised throughout the course of the season We have more than capable guys with us now." it appears the Padres could lose another outfielder if Tatis is sidelined for some time More news: Padres Assert Themselves as Dodgers' Biggest Threat in Dominant NL West For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI VALENTINA MARTINEZ The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER — The city of San Fernando will discuss whether to approve a "sanctuary city" policy The policy would limit the amount of collaboration between federal immigration authorities and local police Caltrans and the city of Glendale announced the completion of Phase 1 of the San Fernando Road Beautification and Multimodal Improvements Project a 1.6-mile stretch from Elk Avenue and Grandview The $13.2 million project was funded in part by a $4.9 million local grant through Gov Gavin Newsom’s Clean California initiative multiyear cleanup effort led by Caltrans to remove trash create thousands of jobs and engage communities to transform public spaces The project also received local and state funds The project includes new ADA-compliant curb ramps and sidewalks 7,000 square feet of art-inspired crosswalks nearly 18,000 square feet of new landscaped medians “We are proud to support this landmark project which will meet growing demands for public transit in the region,” said AECOM U.S our transportation experts have played a critical role in delivering Southern California’s ambitious transit objectives That experience prepares our teams to provide innovative engineering solutions that boost connectivity and improve the quality of life for the communities we serve.”  AECOM will provide services to manage the design integration for multiple facilities AECOM says all project elements will be designed in 3D using building information modeling (BIM) to increase efficiency enable clash and design constructability detection AECOM’s BIM practice will promote better decision-making by leveraging current BIM design practice supported by its digital delivery and practice leaders the transit line will create connections with regional transit services Metro’s G and B lines and other planned L.A “We are excited to partner with San Fernando Transit Constructors and [L.A.] Metro on this important project to provide new transportation options for communities across the San Fernando Valley,” said AECOM Regional Business Line Leader for U.S “As the industry’s top rail and mass transit firm our teams have delivered some of the world’s most ambitious urban mobility projects and we look forward to deploying that global experience to enhance one of the valley’s busiest travel corridors.”   AECOM says Phase 2 of the project will also include comprehensive street improvements to enhance accessibility and safety and a new 22-acre maintenance and storage facility several buildings within the facility are planned with a solar-powered system equipped with excess power storage capabilities The project will be built on Van Nuys Boulevard one of the valley’s busiest corridors and will provide a new light-rail alternative for the residents of Van Nuys The project is currently forecast to open in 2031 LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio A San Fernando Valley Superfund site will be cleaned up and help boost Los Angeles’ local water supply the Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday that industrial manufacturing conglomerate Honeywell International Inc has agreed to pay to clean up contaminated underground aquifers and build water treatment plants in North Hollywood The effort is expected to cost Honeywell around $57 million plus $8 million to $12 million per year to maintain and operate the water treatment facilities The company expects to start delivering water from the treatment plants by late 2027 the EPA said Honeywell’s aerospace and chemical manufacturing predecessors leaked dangerous chemicals into San Fernando Valley groundwater Those chemicals include cancer-causing trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene The agreement adds to ongoing efforts to clean up Cold War-era contamination of the city of L.A.’s largest groundwater basin officials say cleaning up the groundwater basin will more than double L.A.'s local water supply during average wet years and help the city store more water for use during dry years only about 10% of L.A.’s drinking water is sourced from local underground basins The vast majority is piped in from the eastern and northern Sierra Nevada and the overstretched Colorado River a basketball recruit for USC and son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas is expected to be released from the hospital with no major injuries following a fiery single-car crash early Thursday morning according to a statement made on Gilbert Arenas' podcast "Happy to announce that Alijah is doing much better," Josiah Johnson, one of the hosts of "Gil's Arena," said during the showMonday." Just got off the phone with Gil.. should be released from the hospital very soon No major injuries as a result of the car accident." Johnson said Alijah Arenas, 18, was driving back from the gym when he "lost control" of the Tesla Cybertruck he was driving in the Reseda area of the San Fernando Valley the vehicle crashed into a tree and/or fire hydrant Video obtained by TMZ shows the front of Arenas' vehicle on fire after the crash with two people attempting to help remove him from the truck while water sprays from a damaged fire hydrant Arenas was transported to a hospital and put into an induced coma due to his inhalation of smoke and his family released a statement Friday saying he was making significant progress An official cause for the crash has not been released 13-ranked recruit in the class of 2025 after reclassifying in December and committing to the Trojans in January The five-star prospect attends Chatsworth High School in Los Angeles helping lead the team to the final of the Division II state championships this year Arenas became the first high school boys' basketball player in the Los Angeles area to reach 3,000 career points He was also one of 48 players selected for this April's McDonald's All American Game which showcases the best high school basketball players in the country Information from ESPN's Shams Charania and Paolo Uggetti and The Associated Press was used in this report Welcome, Mickeymickey@disney.comManage MyDisney AccountLog OutSparks fly from suspect's car during wild chase across San Fernando ValleyWednesday 2025Sparks were flying during a wild pursuit in which LAPD units chased a shooting suspect who refused to stop.LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Sparks were flying during a wild pursuit in which LAPD units chased a shooting suspect who refused to stop hit several vehicles Tuesday night across the San Fernando Valley Video shows sparks flying from underneath the truck as officers chased with their sirens on The driver eventually stopped near the intersection of Laurel Canyon and San Fernando Mission boulevards Additional details about how the pursuit started were not available PRIVACY POLICY | PRIVACY SETTINGS | | ADVERTISE | ACCESSIBILITY LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network. The San Fernando Valley is a quintessential Los Angeles suburb. So could this slice of suburbia, with more than 1.8 million people living across 260 square miles, be home to the next farming revolution? Elliott Kuhn, owner of Cottonwood Urban Farm in the San Fernando Valley, told LAist you might not make a living selling boutique microgreens from your front lawn, but it absolutely can work on a smaller scale to help feed your family and build a community with your neighbors. “I think the opportunity here for L.A. specifically … is the idea that we have one of the largest stages in the world,” Kuhn said. “If we can lay out a pathway that's replicable here for transforming underutilized space to valuable green space that can be used and important to people, holy smokes, man. Holy smokes.” The Cottonwood Urban Farm sits on a half acre of land right off Roscoe Boulevard, near the border of Panorama City and Arleta. It used to be an empty lot that looked like the pavement landscape around it, but Kuhn said it’s become a “collective organism” of nonprofit organizations, for-profit companies, and government entities since he took over 13 years ago. “It's really just community creation and building,” he said. “And leveraging agriculture and horticulture as the vehicle.” Cottonwood Urban Farm, named after the century-old cottonwood tree that casts much-needed shade over parts of the property, grows stone fruit, figs, bananas, white sapotes, and Pakistan mulberries, to name a few. People in the neighborhood are welcome to drop off food waste or wood chips at the front gate for free through LA Compost, an organization that shares some of the space, which is then used for the farm’s ground and garden beds. There are mounds of mulch, about a dozen birds keeping the beetles in check, and a trio of beehives that help pollinate the plants. Kuhn said the food and waste that is generated in the San Fernando Valley is finding its way back into the soil in the same general area. “I feel like, at least for me, urban farming is sharing the story and trying to activate people to learn about the systems and maybe grow stuff themselves,” he said. “I think the opportunity for ‘suburban farming’ is to build community, show connection.” There are several challenges associated with converting a yard into a suburban farm in the San Fernando Valley, including water. Haven Kiers, an associate professor in landscape architecture at UC Davis who primarily focuses on small-scale suburban designs, agreed that water is a factor — especially in the West. She told LAist that lawns are a “waste” in this way, and the benefits of having your own vegetation far outweigh the initial costs. “You're really going to be sensing when do these trees need it, how much do they need, so that it's not like that crazy waste of water,” Kiers said. “And, you know, there is something to be said, too, about using water that is going to help cool that surrounding environment, and also help cool areas within the house, and so you're not going to necessarily need to use air conditioning as much.” Plus, if you’re producing flowers and food locally, Kiers said, you’re helping cut down on transportation emissions. And growing crops in the space and seasons you do have, rather than a year-round greenhouse, can reduce the amount of energy and fertilizers being used, she noted. Transforming and maintaining a front yard farm can seem incredibly daunting to some, but Kiers said it’s become an opportunity for capitalism, community, and companies to step-in, especially as “urban farming is so hot right now.” “There's definitely, definitely a market for it, definitely a space for anyone to come in with that knowledge to design, install, and maintain these front yard gardens as urban farms,” she said. And Urban Farms LA has been doing exactly that since 2012. Sophie Pennes, founder and owner, told LAist the organization specializes in California native landscaping and edible vegetable gardens, with clients including an urban farm near LAX and more than 40 residential gardens. “We can grow potatoes, onions, you know, broccoli, tomatoes, melons, squash, everything,” she said, including about 130 pounds of onions from a 210-square-foot space. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Solis Gardens (@solis_gardens) Pennes used to have to convince people to get rid of their lawns Urban Farms LA’s four-person team visits some clients a couple times a year “What's really cool to me about gardening and urban farming is the way that we can use produce for ourselves to also rewild and heal our cities and reduce the carbon footprint of traditional agricultural farming,” she said “It is truly astounding how much food you can grow on what used to be a front lawn.” who lives a few blocks away from the farms in Panorama City at three different farmer’s markets around the city She told LAist she has more than 30 trees in her yard at this point but it all started as a way to thank the doctors and nurses caring for her mother hence the word “mom” in the middle of her jujube logo She soon had more fruits than she knew what to do with why you have to do all of this,” Chau said which offers hands-on programs for young people in farming and gardening In July — which was also the hottest on record across California according to the National Centers for Environmental Information — they were able to harvest 256 pounds of food and divert 246 pounds of green waste to the LA Compost site up front the organization’s executive director and farm hands coordinator Romo noted they could scale up to produce even more but they’re focused on teaching others how to experiment and grow food That means there've been some casualties along the way such as this past summer when they turned half of the farm into flowers or when they tried to grow mushrooms for three months “Everybody doesn't need to do everything,” she said It's great for you to be a jack of many trades but there's also a lot of jacks around here.” LAist takes the climate emergency seriously And our coverage is unique because we took the time to listen to Southern Californians about their concerns With more climate coverage than ever before we are here for you every single day with stories that provide actionable information so you can make your everyday life better But we cannot do this essential work without your help We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you At a time when the need for local journalism has never been greater Member support – your support – is what will sustain a free press in Southern California so please be here for us now with a donation to power our trusted local reporting Step up right now and make the choice to give Because that’s exactly what it is - a choice But it is not a choice without consequences If readers do not choose to step up and donate the future of fact-based news in Southern California will not be as strong LAist will remain a voice you know and trust En Español 한국어 “In the middle of an excessive heat warning we brought more Angelenos inside and removed RVs,” said Mayor Karen Bass “We’ve brought more than 3,000 Angelenos inside through over 60 Inside Safe operations and we will continue this work with our partners as we break the cycle of homelessness in L.A.” “Addressing homelessness in Sun Valley’s industrial corridor where people go to work everyday is a top priority for our office It is important to us to provide a safe environment where RV encampments have created dangerous conditions for the community,” said Councilmember Imelda Padilla “We are grateful to partner with Mayor Karen Bass along with city and state departments to ensure that our unhoused neighbors receive immediate support and access to housing Our goal is to move people into interim housing quickly offering them safety and the resources needed to regain stability This approach not only enhances community safety but also provides a path to lasting change for those in need.” Earlier this week, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2525 which is sponsored by Mayor Karen Bass to move RVs out of neighborhoods and bring more unhoused Angelenos inside It will reduce homelessness by allowing the City to lease property from the California Department of Transportation(Caltrans) at a reduced rate to store recreational vehicles (RVs) while the unhoused Angelenos receive housing and services through the Inside Safe program.  Since her first day in office when she declared an unprecedented emergency on the homelessness crisis Mayor Karen Bass has driven change in how we address homelessness with new initiatives to bring people living in encampments inside She has also worked to prevent people from losing their homes and to lock arms across all levels of government to move people inside and save lives and restore neighborhoods Key results from the 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count: Homelessness in the City of Los Angeles is down for the first time in six years Unprecedented drop in street homelessness (10% decrease in the City of Los Angeles – the first double digit decrease in the last at least 9 years) A decrease in makeshift shelters (38% decrease in the City of Los Angeles) The number of people who moved into permanent housing is at an all time high