Applications for Los Angeles police officer jobs surged last month as LAPD recruiters began advertising crime-fighting as one of the few recession-proof careers. Kevin Modesti in the Daily News.

The spike in interest, from 401 people taking the applicants' written test in December 2007 to 870 a year later, followed months of sharp but less eye-popping increases, recruiters said.

Recruiters' message to job seekers: Although being a police officer might not be completely safe, it is relatively secure.

"During these times of economic uncertainty," read a full-page advertisement that appeared in December in the Daily News and on job-hunting Web sites, "the (LAPD) is always looking for a few good women and men to protect and to serve our communities. Never have to face a layoff again! Start your new career today!"

It sounds like any classified ad for a house or a car.

"Must sell. Half price."

Only what's offered is a little more eternal.

"Prime burial plot."

In an economy on virtual life support, people have been hawking jewelry and furniture to make ends meet. It was only a matter of time before they started selling off burial plots - something they won't use until the hereafter but whose cash value could keep them afloat in the here and now. Tony Castro in the Daily News.

After years of planning and preparation, a crowd of more than 1,200 celebrated Saturday at the 21st station opened by the Los Angeles Police Department in its 140-year history. Connie Llanos in the Daily News.

From an explosive SWAT pursuit demonstration to an American Indian blessing, the dedication ceremony for the Topanga Area Community Police Station was marked by performances and speeches from local politicians.

A "fashionably late" Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who said he was delayed because he was making breakfast for his kids, stressed the importance of the new station's opening.

Los Angeles in 2008 saw the lowest number of homicides in four decades, but the San Fernando Valley saw a slight uptick in killings - largely because of a recent surge in shootings and a pair of bizarre multiple slayings.Brandon Lowrey in the Daily News.

Citywide, there were 380 killings last year - the lowest since 1969, which had 377, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The Valley, however, had 69 slayings in 2008, up from 64 the previous year.

The drop for Los Angeles comes as both New York and Chicago saw increases in homicides.

Californians planning to stuff their thinning wallets with money from 2008 state income tax returns could be disappointed. Sue Doyle in the Daily News.

For the first time in 17 years, California finance officials warn they could pay taxpayer income tax refunds in April with IOUs. And don't get any ideas: Residents who owe tax cannot pay the state with IOUs.

Though the plan sounds like a desperate move from a down-and-out Vegas high roller, it's actually one of the few alternatives remaining for the world's eighth-largest economy as it struggles to close an ever-growing budget gap - now estimated at nearly $15 billion for this fiscal year. If nothing's done, the gap could widen to $41.6 billion by July 2010.

Goodbye 2008

Calling California's declining fiscal health "a major crisis," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration on Wednesday released its latest plan to close a $41.6 billion budget deficit.
More News San Francisco Chronicle.

The proposal is unusual for two reasons: It covers the rest of the current fiscal year and the next one starting July 1, rather than just a single year, and it comes early.

California governors typically release their budget proposals for the coming fiscal year in early January.

Walking up the steps of the Coliseum at the end of USC's 38-3 win over Notre Dame last month, a longtime Trojans booster greeted a friend with a handshake and one word: Phil Collins in the Daily News.

"Bummer."

He said it with a hearty laugh, since USC was celebrating another win over the Fighting Irish. Yet the resignation in the sentiment was almost palpable. Earlier in the day, Oregon State had been walloped by Oregon, virtually assuring USC's presence in the Rose Bowl - for a fourth consecutive season.

Once again, the ho-ho-ho of the coming holiday season would be ho-hum for the Trojans.

Kindergarten classes could grow to nearly 40 children. Some 45 million meals for poor students might not be served. Art classes will likely be history. And hundreds of teachers could lose their jobs.George B. Sanchez in the Daily News.

That's the bleak outlook for the Los Angeles Unified School District in 2009 as officials face $400 million in cuts next month and further reductions in state funding. The $400 million comes on top of a series of other cuts, taking the total to nearly $1 billion this school year.

While districts across the state have managed to avoid a large number of layoffs so far, LAUSD officials say job losses are almost inevitable because salaries and benefits account for more than 80 percent of the district's $12billion budget. And most educators expect bad news to continue coming from Sacramento well into the new year.

Los Angeles Sue Doyle in the Daily News.

Violence against Los Angeles Police Department officials in 2008 involved the slaying of SWAT Officer Randal Simmons in a Winnetka shootout, 168 assaults with deadly weapons and 358 attacks from punching and shoving to kicking.

The decline of crime against Los Angeles police follows the 15 percent slide in crime rates across the city - where homicides in July plummeted to 1970s levels.

Merrill Lynch announced Monday that it had loaned $1 million to the Valley Economic Development Center that will be used to help small businesses throughout Southern California. Gregory J. Wilcox in the Daily News.

The Merrill Lynch credit facility comes about two weeks after the Los Angeles City Council approved a $15 million loan to the nonprofit VEDC, a small-business incubator based in Van Nuys.

The agency's loan fund now totals about $25 million, said its president, Roberto Barragan.

California has a New Year's resolution for motorists: Keep your hands on the wheel and off that text-messaging device.AP in the Daily News.

A bill making it an infraction to write, send or read a text message while driving is among dozens of California laws that take effect Thursday.

Other new statutes will set up a state certification system for massage therapists, impose new safety requirements for wave pools, provide additional safeguards against misleading sweepstakes pitches and ensure gender equality when married couples pick a last name.

Complaints against nursing homes in the San Fernando Valley rose 47 percent in the past year, outpacing a statewide trend and indicating an elderly population that experts said is more inclined to demand better care.Troy Anderson in the Daily News.

With the nearly 60 Valley skilled nursing homes registered with the California Department of Public Health, there were 358 complaints filed this year, compared with 243 last year.

In 2004, there were 227 complaints, meaning the number has risen 58 percent in four years.

Parents have analyzed test scores, toured the campuses and narrowed down their options, and with the deadline just days away, all that's left is to file that application. Connie Llanos in the Daily News.

All this for kids who aren't even done with high school.

While December is the heart of college application season, parents of students from preschool to high school are frantically searching for the perfect Los Angeles magnet school. Even those who are years away from grade school are caught up in the frenzy.

Tipoffs: Controller Laura Chick calls for open scrutiny of plans.