Restraining order for Sheryl Crow
A judge has issued a temporary restraining order on behalf of Sheryl Crow, who says a male fan began posting disturbing Facebook messages about her a few months ago and later said he was going to shoot her, court documents show.
Santa Monica Superior Court Judge Joseph Biderman issued the order on behalf of the 50-year-old singer last Tuesday, directing Phillip Gordon Sparks to stay at least 100 yards from Crow and her home — along with her 5- and 2- year-old sons and their nanny — pending an Aug. 14 hearing on whether the order should be extended.
Ruptured gas line near Third Street Promenade
Santa Monica Boulevard near the Third Street Promenade was closed to traffic due to a broken gas line in a nearby alley.
“A contractor doing some remodeling on a building in an alley behind 1403 Second St. inadvertently ruptured the three-quarter-inch gas line,” said Denise King of the Southern California Gas Co.
Motorists beware
The Santa Monica Police Department will focus on motorists who make illegal U-turns in business districts in August. The Santa Monica Police Department’s Traffic Enforcement Section focuses on a different problem each month.
E3 Expo event commitment
The operators of the nation’s largest computer and video game trade show announced a commitment to keep the annual event in Los Angeles for three years, despite plans for major construction on and around the city’s convention center.
The decision by the Entertainment Software Association, which puts on the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, is a major victory for city leaders backing a plan for a downtown football stadium and new convention hall downtown.
Michael Jackson forensic analysis
A lawyer for Conrad Murray today asked an appellate court to order a forensic analysis of evidence that the defense believes will show Michael Jackson in part caused his own death by injecting himself with a powerful anesthetic.
Murray has appealed the November 2011 verdict in which a jury found him guilty of involuntary manslaughter for administering a fatal dose of propofol to Jackson in the bedroom of the singer’s Holmby Hills home.
Hollywood legend funeral service
Funeral services were pending Thursday for singer/actor Tony Martin, a baritone crooner who performed on the big screen alongside greats such as Judy Garland, Lana Turner and Barbara Stanwyck during a career that earned him four stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Martin died Friday at his West Los Angeles home at age 98.
Batman dominates
The Dark Knight Rises” continued to dominate North American theaters over the weekend, while “Ice Age: Continental Drift” fended off a pair of heavily hyped debut films to hold on to the number-two spot, according to final figures released Thursday.
“The Dark Knight Rises” earned $62.1 million between Friday and Sunday, pushing its two-week total to $287.1 million, according to Hollywood.com Box Office. The latest installment of the “Ice Age” animated film series earned $13.3 million, giving it a three-week total of $114.9 million.
Reality star’s marriage on the rocks
Businesswoman and reality star Adrienne Maloof’s husband filed today for legal separation after more than 10 years of marriage. Dr. Paul Nassif, a cosmetic surgeon, filed the petition in Los Angeles Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the breakup. He wants joint physical and legal custody of the couple’s 9-year-old son Gavin and their 6-year-old twins Christian and Collin.