Diamond Bar-Walnut|News|
Freeway Closures Underway and Diamond Bar Planning Commission Meets

Phone: 909-560-3791
Hometown: Carson and Long Beach, CA (now Walnut)
Birthday: Aug. 5
Bio: Melanie C. Johnson is a writer and lover of all things escapism, including books, movies, music and television. She loves art, theater, travel and anything her dad cooks. She is a diehard Lakers fan. She also is the editor of your Walnut Patch.
Melanie grew up in Carson and Long Beach. She also lived in Diamond Bar for several years and is there regularly visiting her mom. She earned a bachelor's degree in English from Cal Poly Pomona in 1997 and a master's degree in journalism from Syracuse University in New York in 1999.
Most recently, Melanie worked as a reporter for the Press-Enterprise newspaper in Riverside. She covered cities and school districts. She also worked as a former city and education reporter for the San Bernardino Sun, covering some of the largest school districts in the state. There she earned back-to-back first place awards in 2001 and 2002 for education coverage from the Society of Professional Journalists, Inland Empire chapter.
Now, she is bringing her love of journalism, writing and people to her job as the editor of Diamond Bar-Walnut Patch!

The following police blotter includes crimes reported Oct. 3-6.
Jessica Serrano filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against RO and MP Distributors Inc. in Industry and co-owner Rafael Ortiz.
The 200-space parking structure is the first one the agency has owned.
Chu announced her plan to give up her salary Saturday, the same day the House voted to retroactively pay furloughed workers when funding is restored.
The forum is at 7 p.m. Thursday in the school district board room.
Saturday's fundraising festival will feature six gourmet food trucks.
The partial closures are for an ongoing $121.5 million pavement rehabilitation project.
Local forest campgrounds were closed Tuesday.
Lin Liang and husband Denian Fu were indicted Thursday on eight counts related to importing and selling seal oil capsules, likely from clubbed baby harp seals.
Students and staff will perform on the famed horses in celebration of the university's 75th anniversary.
Thieves will follow or watch for the UPS, FedEx, US Mail, or other delivery trucks, and then target a home after a delivery is made.