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Fires and more Villaraigosa shakeup follows lead the news and notes tucked after the jump. Follow LA Observed updates on Twitter through the day.
- Daylight allowed fire crews to get the upper hand on wildfires in the Palos Verdes and La Cañada Flintridge areas, but the threat to homes continues. Six homes were damaged in the PV area. LAT, Daily Breeze
- Villaraigosa chief of staff Robin Kramer is "Los Angeles' leading grown-up" and the city will be poorer for her decision to leave his office, says Times' opinion editor Jim Newton. LAT Op-Ed
- While new mayoral aide Jay Carson is something of a newbie to the Los Angeles political/media scene, he's certainly been no stranger to the New York press, says Patrick Range McDonald. LA Daily
- Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa reportedly will name Battalion Chief Millage Peaks to head the Los Angeles Fire Department at an 11 a.m. presser. LAist
- All inmates booked into Los Angeles County jails will have their immigration status checked beginning today, but not all found to be illegal will be deported. LAT
- Graffiti seeming to suggest the killing of cops has things on edge in Carson. Daily Breeze
- Toyota will shut down California's last automobile plant, up in the Bay Area town of Fremont. LAT
- Alejandro Stephens, former president of the SEIU local union that represents county workers, agreed to plead guilty to federal fraud and tax charges. LAT
- Father Junipero Serra's sainthood campaign needs one more miracle, "defined by the church as an event that cannot be explained by science but can be attributed to the candidate's intercession from beyond the grave." LAT
- A flight from South Korea was recently fumigated after federal authorities at LAX discovered grasshoppers in the main cargo hold. Breeze
- Former Times transportation reporter and blogger Steve Hymon will be the official blogger and tweeter for the Mobility 21 Transportation Summit in September.
- American Public Media has a job opening in Los Angeles for something called a "public insight analyst." Gary Scott
- The Dodgers got their lead back to 4 games by taking 2 of 3 from the Rockies in Colorado.
- Kurt Niklas, the former maitre d' of Romanoff's who opened the Bistro and Bistro Garden restaurants, died at age 83. LAT