News Roundup – Feb. 9, 2009

Here are some of the stories in the Southland on Monday...

ONE MORE COLD STORM CAPS SERIES

Another cold storm has moved into the Southland. Forecasters expect a half-inch to an inch of rain in the downtown Los Angeles area and possibly more in the San Gabriel Valley. Snow could fall as low as 3,000 feet, possibly creating whiteout conditions in the mountains. The  National Weather Service says driving conditions will be treacherous in mountain areas, and a winter weather advisory has been issued for the mountains, including the Grapevine section of Interstate 5. At 8 a.m. Monday, a snow slide was blocking Highway 18 east of Snow Valley in the San Bernardino Mountains. Initial reports were that four vehicles were blocked between snow berms (at Lakeview Point, between Snow Valley and Big Bear Lake). Also, schools in Bear Valley Unified School District are closed due to snow Monday. (NBCLA.com)

NEW REVELATIONS ABOUT OCTUPLETS' MOM 

The mother of the woman who used a fertility doctor to give birth to octuplets, despite already having six young children, calls her daughter's actions "unconscionable" in an interview posted online. Angela Suleman of Whittier is caring for the six older children. Her daughter gave birth to octuplets Jan. 26. Angela Suleman says her daughter Nadya's boyfriend is the biological father of all 14 children and had wanted to marry her. Angela Suleman also identified the Beverly Hills fertility clinic that she says provided in-vitro fertilization for all 14 of her children. Nadya Suleman said in an interviewed broadcast on NBC's "Today" show that she used the West Coast IVF Clinic for all of her pregnancies, and video from a 2006 broadcast on KTLA-TV shows Dr. Michael Kamrava from the clinic treating Suleman and discussing the implantation process.  (NBCLA.com)

UNARMED SUSPECT SHOT, KILLED

An investigation is under way into an officer-involved shooting in which Huntington Park police killed an armed-robbery suspect who turned out to be unarmed. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says 23-year-old Steven Hernandez of Huntington Park was shot to death near Gage Avenue and Albany Street at around 10 p.m. Saturday. Police were responding to reports that a person on the street had been robbed at gunpoint. Authorities say officers spotted a vehicle matching the description of one used in the robbery and tried to pull it over but the driver sped away. It then stopped abruptly, and someone got out and ran. Two officers chased the man. The Sheriff's Department says they opened fire when they felt their lives were in danger. But no weapon was found on the man. The Sheriff's Department, Huntington Park police and the LA County District Attorney's Office are all involved in the investigation.
  
3 KILLINGS IN COMPTON

Homicide detectives in the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department are investigating three fatal weekend shootings in Compton. The first of Sunday's shootings was reported at 5:35 p.m. in the 1200 block of East Golden Street. Then, at about 9:50 p.m., another man was shot to death in the 400 block of West Palm Street. On Saturday, a man was shot to death at about 8 p.m. in the parking lot of a liquor store in the 1400 block of East Alondra Boulevard.
  
GRAMMY AWARDS

Former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant got a whole lotta love at the Grammy Awards. He and his stage partner, Alison Krauss, collected five awards at Sunday night's award show at Staples Center, including album of the year for "Raising Sand" and record of the year for "Please Read the Letter."  "Raising Sand" was also named best contemporary folk-Americana album. The song "Rich Woman" won the Grammy for best pop collaboration with vocals while "Killing the Blues" won for best country collaboration. Coldplay won song of the year for "Viva La Vida," and the group's album of the same name won best rock album. "Viva La Vida" also won for best pop performance by a duo or group. Lil Wayne took home the best rap album Grammy for "Tha Carter 3."  He also won best rap solo performance for "A Milli" and shared the Grammy for best rap performance by a duo or group with  Jay-Z, T-I and Kanye West for "Swagga Like Us." Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" was named best rap song. Jennifer Hudson, whose mother, brother and nephew were shot to death in Chicago on Oct. 24, won best R and B album. (NBCLA.com) 
  
CHRIS BROWN ARRESTED

As the award show was in progress, 19-year-old R and B singer-songwriter Chris Brown was arrested in connection with a domestic violence complaint apparently involving his girlfriend, 20-year-old pop singer Rihanna. The two allegedly got into a fight early Sunday in Hancock Park after leaving a pre-Grammy party in a rented Lamborghini. He was booked on suspicion of making a felony criminal threat and released after posting $50,000 bail. Brown and Rihanna both canceled their performances at the award show, where he had two nominations and she had three. Neither won any awards. (NBCLA.com) 

RISING GAS PRICES

Gasoline prices are continuing to rise in the Southland ... but at a slower pace than in previous days. The average of elf-serve unleaded regular rose a half-cent in Los Angeles County today and now stands at 2 dollars and 18-point-4 cents. The average increased by 2-point-1 cents on Friday ... 1-point-8 cents on Saturday and 1-and-a-half-cents yesterday. In range ounty ... it increased seventh-tenths of a cent overnight and now stands at 2 dollars and 17-point-1 cents.

SCAFFOLD COLLAPSES IN LONG BEACH

A five-story-high scaffold collapsed in Long Beach on Monday, crushing several cars, but no one was hurt, authorities said. The scaffold was erected next to a six-story parking structure at 325 E. Broadway that was either being plastered or sandblasted when the accident occurred late Monday morning, said Battalion Chief Frank Hayes of the Long Beach Fire Department. Eight-to-10 cars were crushed. Hayes said it was possible that the accident was caused by high winds that pushed against a tarp that was covering the scaffolding.