Results tagged “usc”

Why won't Dr. Jonathan Fielding answer basic questions about H1N1? Reporters at USC's journalism project, Neon Tommy, have done a fantastic job investigating the epidemic disease. Fielding apparently declined to go on KCRW's Which Way, L.A.? Tuesday night to engage in a conversation with Neon's Callie Schweitzer (however, he did speak with host Warren Olney), who in turn published an open letter to Fielding.

In an attempt to attract the thousands of USC students ready to spend money in downtown, AEG is funding a free weekend shuttle between the campus and the entertainment complex.

If “Mad Men” has taught us anything, it’s that advertising is all about the client and the product. But a “Mad Man” for the technology age urges ad firms to put the Don Draper era behind them and consider the consumer in a new manner: through the lens and the interactive venue of today’s social media tools.

Travion Terrett Ford, 25, was sentenced Thursday to prison for 2nd degree murder in the fatal stabbing of a USC student in September of last year. Bryan Richard Frost, 23, was walking with two other students early morning on the September 18th near 28th Street and Orchard Avenue when Ford apparently approached and an argument turned fight. Frost was killed by his stabbing wounds.

USC's digital online news website Neon Tommy began a new series today called Democracy in Action where reporters visit field offices of L.A.'s state legislators. "Our goal is to see what goes on in a two-hour period on a routine day," they explain. For the first post, Jessica Flores visited Assemblyman Mike Davis' field office, finding that the simplest of questions were the hardest to find answers to. Perhaps this is just one of the many symptoms why Sacramento is fucked:

A two-year study between the United Way of Greater Los Angeles and USC's Center for Community Health Studies and Housing found that housing the homeless is about $80,000 cheaper than leaving them on the streets. The survey found that taxpayers spent $187,288 a year those living on the streets because of their use of hospitals, jails and clinics. Putting people in permanent housing costs $107,032.

Car sharing service Flexcar, since bought by Zipcar, was an exciting thing for Los Angeles. If you lived near a Zipcar parking space, you could take the car out for errands and the such if you were a member. But management found Los Angeles was a difficult market for such a program and pared it down to 14 cars around USC and UCLA campuses.

As a courtesy to students on the USC campus who cannot access the tram lines the safety department offers use of the Campus Cruiser service, which "provides [students] with either a walking or vehicle escort to [their] destination," through a request service. However, the campus has issued a warning today that there is a "man driving a van that looks like the Campus Cruiser vans is offering female students rides," according to abc7.com. Students should be aware that this is a fake operation--"Campus Cruiser vans only come to students who order them -- they don't offer rides to students walking on the street." If you are approached by this copycat Cruiser, call (213) 740- 4321 to report the encounter.

Today marks the first Saturday of the college football season. Millions across the country; especially here in the home of the #4 ranked USC Trojans and the recipient of seven votes in the AP Top 25 - UCLA Bruins, are excited to get the 2009 campaign kicked off. I, on the other hand, could couldn't care less.

So has Pete Carroll. Unfortunately for USC's opponents, the NCAA doesn't approve of settling things with pitchforks and torches. Fortunately for USC's opponents, they also don't approve of settling things with a playoff. The Trojans start this season with another mind-boggling collection of talent -- and expectations. Ranked No. 4 in most of the preseason polls, the only schools ahead of USC all feature a quarterback who already won the Heisman Trophy (or should have).

A personal injury lawsuit has been filed in Los Angeles Superior Court against former USC football assistant Dave Watson, as well as the university and a local auto dealership. The plaintiff, Alaric Valentin, was a passenger in a vehicle struck by Watson's car on May 17, 2008. Watson was arrested at the time on suspicion of driving under the influence. The suit alleges that he had taken as many as seven Vicodin and several Soma pills. Valentin's attorney believes the damages (ranging from medical bills to pain and suffering) could run more than $500,000 -- far exceeding the insurance coverage on the accident.

Insomniac's events have made people dance through their bedtimes since 1993. Never have they made insomniacs out of 100,000. That’s the goal for this year’s Electric Daisy Carnival, their largest annual event. Seas of people will dance away their economic woes in what should be the largest electronic dance music festival this city has ever seen.

The same day USC student Adriana Bachan died near campus in a hit-and-run, a 56-year-old man also died in a similar incident across town. Agapito Gaspar Nicolas was hit by an alleged silver Volkswagen Jetta while in a marked crosswalk on Figueroa Street at Avenue 51 in Highland Park. He later died in the hospital

A USC Annenberg School reporting project was one of eight community journalism initiatives to be awarded $25,000 in grant money from the Knight Foundation's New Voices program, the Institute for Interactive Journalism announced today.

Yesterday evening, authorities took the second suspect into custody in connection with the recent hit-and-run accident that killed one USC student and left another seriously injured. 32-year-old Josue Luna was found "attempting to cross into the U.S. from the Mexican border when a computer alerted Border Patrol agents that he was wanted by the Los Angeles Police Department," according to an LAPD press release issued today. Agents from the LAPD fugitive unit "picked up Luna and transported him to 77th Division Jail for booking." Luna posted bail at noon today. His wife, Claudia Cabrera, 30, was arrested for her role in the accident that took the life Adrianna Bachan, 19, and injured Marcus Garfinkle, 18. Cabrera pleaded not guilty to the charges of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run driving on April 6th. A memorial service for Bachan was held the following day.

Dr. Drew Pinsky and Dr. Mark Young penned the recent book, “The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism Is Seducing America." (LAist Book Review) In this video from 2006, the doctors give a talk at the USC Annenberg School for Communication on celebrity narcissism, and more. Both doctors have Trojan ties. Dr. Young heads the entertainment business program at USC, and Dr. Drew earned his MD from USC Medical School. (The audio sync is a little off -- but not like an old kung fu flick.)

Tonight Machine Project teams up with 826LA for “Dead Author Readings” with Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson who’ll be discussing Walden. There are two shows at 8 and 10 pm. Bring blankets or something else to sit on. Space is limited because of Machine Project's "forest."

After her daughter died in a hit-and-run accident a couple weeks ago, the family is moving on, but not back to Santa Barbara. "The intersection [at Jefferson and Hoover] where [Adriana] Bachan was killed is notoriously treacherous for pedestrians, and her mother said she’s on a mission to see that the area’s safety is improved. She said she’d like to see a pedestrian bridge constructed," Santa Barabra's Noozhawk reported. Damien Newton at StreetsblogLA notes the reality of these situations: "While it's more than inspiring to see a family try and turn a tragedy into something positive, it's also a sad statement that the only time people focus on the deadly conditions pedestrians face is when someone dies and their survivors demand it."

Following the appearance of hit-and-run suspect Claudia Cabrera in court yesterday--she pleaded not guilty--the family of Adriana Bachan announced two memorial services, one in Los Angeles. Tonight's 7 p.m. service will be held at St. Anthony’s Croatian Catholic Church on 712 Grand Avenue. Tomorrow at 1 p.m., a service in Bachan's home town Santa Barbara will be held in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish at 1300 East Valley Road.

Police this morning have announced that they have arrested a suspect in Sunday morning's hit and run that left one student dead and another injured. This comes one day after an anonymous donor added $100,000 to the award, already at $135,000. The accident happened early Sunday morning, as Adrianna Bachan, 19, and Marcus Garfinkle, 18, were walking across Jefferson at Hoover on their way home from a frat party and were struck by a driver who ran a red light. "According to a witness, the driver stopped the vehicle and a passenger got out of the vehicle to remove [Garfinkle] from the hood onto the ground," the LAPD said in a statement. "The passenger was described as a male Hispanic. The passenger got back into the suspect car and the driver drove eastbound on Jefferson Boulevard." Bachan died at the hospital and Garfinkle was listed in stable condition.

An anonymous donor has given $100,000 to the reward pot for last Sunday' fatal hit-and-run near USC, according to the LA Times.

Today the LA City Council voted to approve adding $75,000 to the already-assembled $50,000 from USC and $10,000 from the LA County Board of Supervisors as reward in the case of the hit-and-run accident that took the life of one USC student and left another critically injured, according to abc7.com. The accident happened early Sunday morning, as Adrianna Bachan, 19, and Marcus Garfinkle, 18, were walking across Jefferson at Hoover on their way home from a frat party and were struck by a driver who ran a red light. "Bachan was killed, while Garfinkle was seriously injured. The driver stopped briefly at the scene, while his passenger got out and removed Garfinkle from the hood of their car. They fled the scene, leaving the victims on the street." Although there were witnesses, the suspect remains at large. "Police are looking for a black or charcoal, late '90s sedan, possibly a Honda Accord or a Toyota Corolla, with a cracked windshield and front end damage."

A heavy equipment operator ruptured a gas line this afternoon prompting the evacuation of approximately 500 people from and around a film school building. Authorities have had trouble shutting the gas down and expect things to get back to normal around 2:30 p.m., according to USC Trojan Alert. UPDATE: At 1:48 p.m., USC officials announced that the leak was repaired at the School of Cinema and that the evacuation is over.

Sunday morning saw the death of one USC student who died in a hit and run crash as she crossed Hoover around 3 a.m. 18 year-old Adrianna Bachan and Marcus Garfinkle, 19, were were walking southbound on Jefferson Boulevard at Hoover Street. Both were in a marked crosswalk when they were hit by a black, 1999-2002 Honda Accord or Toyota Corolla, travelling eastbound on Jefferson Boulevard.

Two USC students were struck by a vehicle as they "were walking in the crosswalk at Hoover Street about 3 a.m." according to abc7.com. The pair were hit by "a man driving a dark-colored vehicle east on Jefferson Boulevard," who fled the scene. The students were transported to the hospital, where the 19-year-old female was pronounced dead and the 18-year-old male received care for his "critical injuries." The incident is being investigated by LAPD's South Bureau Traffic Division.

A male pedestrian died this afternoon around the corner from the LA County-USC Medical Center after a forklift ran over him at the old ambulance entrance of the hospital. Preliminary reports show that the operator was carrying a load of unknown contents and did not see the pedestrian, who was not part of the construction crew. As of 4:00 p.m., the man completely remained under the forklift, nearly two hours after the incident occurred, as the LAPD and Coroner investigated. "The driver was clearly shaken but not injured," LA Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said. It is unknown if the pedestrian or forklift were in the wrong place.

Day two of the NCAA tournament is underway. Yesterday offered little in the upset department, and not much as far as excitement goes besides UCLA's escape from VCU and local underdog CSUN's scare of Memphis. Today, Louisville, the top seed in the entire tournament and the most popular pick in the LAist bracket to win it all, takes the court against 21.5 point underdog Morehead St. Speaking of the LAist group, as promised, we've got a prize. The winner of the LAist group will take home an XBOX 360 Elite System thanks to the good people at Microsoft. Also on tap for today, red hot USC takes on Boston College at 4:20.

We are counting down to the madness. One of the most exciting days in sports and the least productive work days on the calendar, the opening round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championships, is less than 24 hours away.

LAist recently met Elliot Darvick, the 'technical guru' behind the FreeConnie.com campaign launched by Adam Reich, a 25-year-old, second year law-student at USC. As the name implies, the fight is to free Connie Keel, a woman who has been imprisoned for 30 years for a crime she did not commit.

Last Halloween, USC track star Bryshon Nellum, hailed as "the fastest kid in the world," was shot multiple times as he was heading to his vehicle. The athlete was taken to the hospital, where he underwent surgery on his legs. The LAPD have just announced their Southwest Gang detectives have arrested Travon Reed, 21, and Horashio Kimbrough, 21, in connection with the shooting, according to an email press release. Both Reed and Kimbrough were charged with one count of attempted murder with a gun and gang allegations. Bail for Reed was set at $2 million and Kimbrough is being held without bail.