🌱 Windsor Hills Crash Update + New Job For Former Mayor Villaraigosa

Happy National Vinyl Record Day, L.A.! If you made the news into a song, what would be the melody? We've got a crash update, former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s new job, and a structure fire for starters.

• 🚓 The alleged 37-year-old driver was involved in 13 prior car crashes
• ⭐️ Former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is now a czar
• 🚒 There was a repeat structure fire at a vacant theater

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🌞 First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 92 Low: 68.

🌡️ FYI: To locate a cooling center in Los Angeles, call 3-1-1, reach out to the Los Angeles Public Library Public Information Office at (213) 228-7555, or find your nearest location and its hours on the current list of county facilities.

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⛽ Three Of The Cheapest Gas Stations In Los Angeles

• Valero at 401 S Soto St., $4.85
• Arco at 2740 E Olympic Blvd., $4.95
• Valero at 615 W Florence Ave., $4.99

🤔 Homelessness Poll!
CNN reports that Los Angeles County has a homeless population of “more than 66,400 people.” The numbers are increasing. Do you think that city governments are doing enough? Are there better solutions? Please let me know your thoughts! So far, 37% favor more infrastructure investment, 22.2% want federal involvement, 3.7% say faith-based groups need to step up, 7.4% want the military to open its bases, and 24.1% ask for justice system involvement.

Here are the top five stories today in Los Angeles:

1) Windsor Hills Crash Update: The 37-year-old visiting nurse from Houston, who is the alleged driver in the deadly Windsor Hills crash, “did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.” However, authorities explained on Wednesday that “her previous driving history should have alerted her to the risks of reckless driving.” According to the CHP, she was involved in 13 earlier car crashes. Now, a prosecutor has to prove that she “acted with implied malice and knew that speeding on city streets could put lives in danger.” If convicted of all charges, the suspect could spend life in prison. (People)

2) Former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will be the new California infrastructure czar. Governor Gavin Newsom announced the appointment on Thursday. Villaraigosa would take on “an advisory position in which he would be pursuing billions of federal dollars and helping pair it with needs in the state.” (My Motherlode)

3) There was a structure fire on Wednesday at 1445 North Las Palmas Avenue. It took 43 firefighters only 19 minutes to knock down the flames. There were no injuries. It is interesting to note that “this structure is a two-story, vacant theater, which burned previously.” Traffic around the area of Sunset and Las Palmas backed up for a while. (LAFD)

4) Ultimate Frisbee is out of the 2028 Summer Olympics! We learned on Wednesday that “baseball and softball, break dancing, cricket, flag football, karate, kickboxing, lacrosse, motorsport and squash” are still in the running. The World Flying Disc Federation released a statement saying it “is surprised and disappointed to not have been included in the shortlist of potential additional sports invited to submit a proposal for inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Programme.” (Ultiworld)

5) There is scuttlebutt that the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles has sent a sternly-worded message to London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. We learned on Wednesday that it involves “a life-sized dummy of Boris Karloff’s monster from James Whale’s definitive 1931 masterpiece, Frankenstein.” According to available records, the dummy was reported destroyed in 1967. Recently it was spotted at the British venue. (LA Mag)

Today in Los Angeles:

• Help With Becoming An Adult’s Legal Conservator at the LA Law Library (10 a.m.)
• Docent-Led L.A. Central Library Art & Architecture Tour at the Central Library (12:30 p.m.)
• Online French Conversation Group with the Westwood Branch Library (2 p.m.)
• Little Feat – Waiting For Columbus Tour with Special Guest Hot Tuna Acoustic at the Ace Hotel (8 p.m.)
• Best Coast at The Ford (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Check out Art in the Library at the Exposition Park - Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune branch. This regional branch is home to a Charles White mural, inspired by its namesake, as well as artisanal hand-carved, glazed ceramic tiles by Cha-Rie Tang. (Los Angeles Public Library via Facebook)
• The August ECSWANDC General Board & Community Meeting is another way of getting connected to your neighborhood. Join on Monday, August 15. See the posted flyer for more info. (Nextdoor)
• Join the CivitasLA podcast for a great conversation with two guests who were here as part of the U. S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program. It was great to hear their perspectives on building community. (Nextdoor)
• Huge moving and estate sale in Ladera Heights!! SATURDAY, AUGUST 13 @ 8 a.m. antiques, collectibles, books, clothes, shoes, kitchenwares, furniture, tools, bikes and home décor. All must sell! Doors open at 8 a.m. (Nextdoor)
• Three household yard sale this Saturday and Sunday, August 13 and 14 from 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. Lots of home appliances, toys, back to school supplies, women’s clothing and shoes and much more. Look for the signs off of Century and Western. (Nextdoor)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday off right! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with a new update.

— 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 Daily? Contact me at losangeles@patch.com