Matthew Hall

Jawa Tengah, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Windsor

Editor-in-Chief at Santa Monica Daily Press

Articles

Alcohol fueled entertainment zone up for approval at Tuesday’s Council meeting

3 days ago | smdp.com | Matthew Hall

The Santa Monica City Council is poised to vote on an emergency ordinance establishing a permanent entertainment zone along the Third Street Promenade at its May 13 meeting, allowing for open container alcohol consumption in the popular shopping district seven days a week.
Second film festival announces departure from Santa Monica beach

6 days ago | smdp.com | Matthew Hall

The Film Independent Spirit Awards, a cornerstone celebration of independent filmmaking, will move from its longtime Santa Monica home to the Hollywood Palladium for its 2026 ceremony, organizers announced Friday. The awards show, which has traditionally been held in a beachside tent in Santa Monica, will take place on Sunday, February 15, 2026, at the historic Hollywood venue.
New single school to replace SMASH and Muir delayed to 2026

6 days ago | smdp.com | Matthew Hall

The reopening of a long-awaited neighborhood school in Ocean Park has been pushed back to 2026, adding another delay to a campus renovation project that has displaced hundreds of students since 2022. Construction on the Ocean Park neighborhood school, which previously housed John Muir Elementary School and the Santa Monica Alternative School House (SMASH), is now scheduled to be completed by the end of November 2025.
Vandalism suspect arrested for destroying beachfront bathroom

1 week ago | smdp.com | Matthew Hall

The Santa Monica Police Department has arrested a homeless man in connection with the intentional vandalism of public restrooms along Ocean Front Walk that cost the city approximately $10,000 in repairs. Jairo Navarette, 49, was arrested Sunday after officers responded to a disturbance call in the 2600 block of Ocean Front Walk. City maintenance staff directed officers to Navarette, who was contacted near the 2100 block of Ocean Avenue and arrested without incident.
Suspect arrested after stealing $56,000 in jewelry during home invasion

1 week ago | smdp.com | Matthew Hall

Police have arrested a suspect in connection with a home invasion robbery in Santa Monica where approximately $56,000 in jewelry was stolen. Craig Anthony Richey, 58, was apprehended in Los Angeles on April 23 following a robbery that occurred at approximately 8:40 p.m. in the 2000 block of La Mesa Drive, according to Santa Monica Police Department officials. The victim reported that an unknown male entered the residence, displayed a firearm, and stole the jewelry.
Toilet blockage flushes $10K a month from beach bathroom

1 week ago | smdp.com | Matthew Hall

The City of Santa Monica is spending thousands of dollars to repeatedly unclog a beachfront toilet that residents say is being consistently vandalized. The bathrooms near Tower 26 should be in frequent use by the hundreds of students who frequent that stretch of beach for local swim clubs and surf teams. However, when residents noticed the bathroom was repeatedly out of service for days at a time, they contacted the city’s 3-1-1 service for answers.
Debunking California's Fast Food Minimum Wage Controversy

1 week ago | smdp.com | Matthew Hall

Controversy continues to swirl around California’s minimum wage requirements with a recent study prompting a counter study from academic circles and business owners doubling down on criticism of the rules as destructive to their industry. While economist Christopher Thornberg's March 2025 analysis claimed the Fast Act resulted in over 23,100 lost jobs across the industry, a new academic study is challenging those findings and suggesting the law's impact has been minimal.
Sexual assault reported in SMC Library

1 week ago | smdp.com | Matthew Hall

Santa Monica College Police Department issued a crime alert Wednesday following a sexual battery incident that occurred in the college's main campus library. According to police, at approximately 11:30 a.m. on April 30, a suspect approached a student in the library, tapped the victim on the shoulder and asked for a kiss. When the victim attempted to leave, the suspect grabbed the victim's groin area without consent before fleeing in an unknown direction.
California launches free AI tool to speed fire recovery

2 weeks ago | smdp.com | Matthew Hall

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday the launch of an artificial intelligence-driven software system aimed at accelerating building permit approvals for communities recovering from the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires. The software, created by Archistar, will be provided free of charge to Los Angeles City and County governments through a partnership between the state and philanthropic organizations including LA Rises and Steadfast LA, with contributions from Autodesk and Amazon.
Santa Monica 4th of July Fireworks Cancelled Due to Lack of Funds

2 weeks ago | westsidecurrent.com | Matthew Hall

SANTA MONICA - The All-American tradition of celebrating the birth of the country by blowing up a small piece of it has come to an end in Santa Monica with the cancellation of the City’s only public fireworks display. Santa Monica College announced this month that Celebrate America, its patriotic July 4 event, has been canceled due to a lack of funding. At the SMC Board of Trustee’s April meeting, Superintendent Kathryn E.