LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the City Council, and business and community leaders launched a month of cultural events honoring African-American history and culture at the City’s annual African-American Heritage Month celebration. This year the City of Los Angeles honored Sheryl Lee Ralph, Walter Mosley, and Dr. Keith Black.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. asks Los Angeles business leaders to stand with him on two major priorities for 2012: passing his balanced budget plan and persuading the legislature to enact his 12-point pension reform proposal.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced on Monday that six newly improved BusinessSource Centers are reopening across Los Angeles. The BusinessSource Centers are part of the Mayor’s strategy to create a healthy environment for job creation in Los Angeles.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Assemblymember Isadore Hall, III (D – Los Angeles) will lead fellow legislators in honoring Los Angeles County Reserve Deputy Sheriff Shervin Lalezary for his acts of bravery during a ceremony in the Assembly Chambers on Thursday, January 19, 2012.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ — L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and LAPD Chief Charlie Beck today announced the 2011 results of the City’s Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) program including a successful 2011 Summer Night Lights (SNL) program resulting in a 35 percent reduction in gang related Part 1 crimes for all SNL sites.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — On the same day as the college football national championship game, California State Senator Alex Padilla announced he will be introducing legislation that would require that student-athletes injured during their college career be provided the necessary medical and financial support to complete their degree.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck today announced the City’s 2011 year-end crime statistics that showed violent crime and property crime were reduced across Los Angeles for the 9th consecutive year.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Delivering on his promise to reduce pollution at the Port of Los Angeles and protect public health, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa today marked a major milestone in the Clean Truck Program. The program required all trucks at the Port of Los Angeles to meet the toughest environmental standards in the nation by January 1, 2012.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Mayor Villaraigosa released the following statement on Monday on the string of arson fires in Los Angeles: Over the past few days we have been faced with an ongoing series of arson fires committed by an individual with wanton disregard for the lives and property of Angelenos. Thankfully, there have been no lives lost to these criminal acts and only minor injuries to date.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. on Tuesday announced the appointments of Kerry R. Bensinger, Michelle Williams Court, Holly J. Fujie, Michael Garcia, Roberto Longoria and Michael J. Raphael to judgeships in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ — At approximately 12:30 a.m., the LAPD began enforcing the closure of City Hall Park after giving those in the park a final opportunity to leave without facing arrest.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ — L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced at a Friday press conference that City Hall Park will close at 12:01 AM on Monday, November 28, 2011, because the City of Los Angeles cannot maintain the public safety of a long-term encampment. During the period when City Hall Park is closed, a Free Speech area on the Spring Street City Hall steps will remain open during regular park hours.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ — The ‘Pin-Ups for Ron Paul’ 2012 calendar produced by Los Angeles singer/writer/director Juliet Annerino has arrived. This sexy collection of female activists is the most innovative way to spread the message of presidential candidate Ron Paul!

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa issued the following statement today regarding the landslide along Paseo Del Mar: On Sunday afternoon, a portion of the previously closed Paseo Del Mar between S. Western Avenue and S. Weymouth Avenue, in the San Pedro area, experienced a significant landslide. A section of the closed road slid off the hill and into the ocean.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and United States Commerce Under Secretary for International Trade Francisco Sanchez hosted mayors and business leaders at the US-Mexico Binational Mayors Summit on Friday.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa delivered a major address on Building a More Livable City on Wednesday, highlighting the concrete steps his administration has taken in the face of the Great Recession to build a better, more livable city for generations to come.