🌱 FREE Tax Prep And Filing + Autistic Children Benefit From AI

Good morning, friends! Today, Valentine’s Day encourages us to focus on love. It's Sylvia, your host of the Los Angeles Patch newsletter. Let's get this Tuesday started off right, with a quick review of everything you need to know that's happening in town. Today's issue includes news on:

• 👮 A noise complaint led to a deadly shooting
• 🧑‍🚒 A hiker rescue in Griffith Park
• 🐶 75,000 pounds of doggie food

💗 Please help us grow! Send a friend or neighbor this link, so they can be in the know, like you!

🌥️ But first, today's weather:

Clearing, a shower. High: 60 Low: 41.

📢 I'm looking for business owners and marketers in Los Angeles who want to build awareness, connect with customers and increase sales.

I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. If that's you, then I invite you to learn more and secure your spot now.

⛽ Three of the Cheapest Gas Stations in the City of Los Angeles

• ARCO at 3949 Dennison St., $4.19
• 76 at 5436 W 6th St., $4.20
• 76 at 3070 Glendale Blvd., $4.29

⏰ Daylight Saving Time Poll! 🤔
Daylight saving time begins on March 12. According to history, we can thank entomologist George Hudson for coming up with the idea in 1895. Implementation took place in 1918 to save resources and extend the work day during wartime. In 1966, daylight saving time became the law of the land, but states could opt out. So far, only Hawaii and Arizona have done so. Now, dueling studies point to the successes and failures of the practice. Where do you stand on the issue? So far, 66.1% don’t like daylight saving time, while 33.3% do. Only 0.6% don’t care one way or the other.

📰 Here are the top stories in Los Angeles today:

1. The Los Angeles Police Department responded to a deadly shooting in the 14600 block of Moorpark Street on Monday around 3:15 a.m. The alleged shooter, a 43-year-old man, called the PD himself after shooting the victim, a 68-year-old man, over a “noise complaint.” (KTLA)
2. The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) successfully assisted a hiker near 136 Griffith Park on Sunday. The 19-year-old woman got in trouble just after 8 a.m. with a possibly broken leg. The LAFD “performed a hoist operation and transported her to an area hospital by air.” (LAFD)
3. What snarled traffic Monday morning on the 5 and 210? Would you believe me if I told you it was 75,000 pounds of dog kibble? A crash happened at 5 a.m. and resulted in a 10-hour SigAlert. CalTrans spent all that time unloading the overturned big rig carrying the food, and then putting it back on its wheels. (Patch)
4. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is coming for the kids! Well, not really. Monday’s report outlines that the USC School of Engineering developed “socially assistive robots” that benefit autistic youngsters. Termed human-robot interaction, the machines could “learn” the behaviors of specific children they worked with, “providing more personalized feedback tailored towards the child’s individual needs during the learning process.” (Viterbi School of Engineering)
5. If you’re dreading tax day, you’re not alone. However, the Los Angeles Public Library's got your back. Take advantage of “free tax preparation and filing at many of its branches through April 13.” Don’t miss out on any of the deductions that might net you a refund! (Spectrum News1)

📆 Today in Los Angeles:

• Silicon Valley Disposition facilitates an Online Auction of Simple Feast's assets (9 AM)
• Geeks Who Drink invite you to a Trivia Night at the Thirsty Merchant (8 PM)
• Enjoy an evening with John Legend at the Walt Disney Concert Hall (8 PM)
• Trulio Disgracias brings the tunes at The Venice West (8 PM)
• Live Band Karaoke sets the tone for your performance at Break Room 86 (9 PM)

🖊️ From my notebook:

• "101 Years Ago - on February 12, 1922. The men and women of Los Angeles Fire Department remember Fireman Harry J. Custer, killed in a line of duty traffic collision between an LAFD aerial ladder truck and a Pacific Electric streetcar." (LAFD via Instagram)
• "WESTLAKE - Over 150 LAFD firefighters battled for over an hour to control flames from a vacant two-story home that spread to apartment buildings on either side." (Los Angeles Fire Department via Facebook)

🏡 What are homes selling for these days in Los Angeles?

• Median Listing Home Price $1.1M
• Median Listing Home Price/Square Foot $658
• Median Sold Home Price $885K

Check out more Los Angeles real estate information!

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• Assets of Simple Feast Online Auction (February 14)
• Turn Your Fear of Divorce into Fuel for Your Future (February 17)
• Grand Opening Celebration (February 18)
• Add your event

You're all caught up for today! I'll see you soon.

— Sylvia Cochran

About me: Sylvia Cochran works out of sunny Southern California and has been freelance writing full-time since 2005. She loves dogs, cats, books, plays Best Fiends (don't judge), embraces social justice, and tries to live out Micah 6:8.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Los Angeles Patch newsletter? Contact me at losangeles@patch.com