Century City/ Westwood SEPTEMBER 24 – OCTOBER 21, 2021
NEWS CenturyCity-WestwoodNews.com
UCLA Ranked No. 1 Public University for Fifth Straight Year U.S. News & World Report releases annual rankings By Chad Winthrop UCLA has again been named the nation’s top public university in U.S. News & World Report’s annual “Best Colleges” rankings. This is the fifth year in a row UCLA has been ranked No. 1 in the rankings, which were published on September 12. “UCLA’s ranking as the top public university in the country five years running reaffirms what we already know: that this is a place where students of all backgrounds can thrive, where we invest in and support excellent teaching and where we set students up for success after graduation,” said UCLA Chancellor Gene Block. “I hope every member of our community takes pride in what
this ranking represents.” Since Block became chancellor in 2007, UCLA has risen from the No. 4 public university in the United States to the top of the U.S. News rankings. UCLA was the only school among the top 20 national universities overall to be ranked highly in social mobility, which measures the number of Pell Grant recipients and the sixyear graduation rate for these students. Five other UC campuses were among the top 10 public universities in the overall rankings: UC Berkeley (No. 2), UC Santa Barbara (5, tied), UC San Diego (8), UC Irvine (9) and UC Davis (10, tied). The U.S. News & World Report rankings are based on 17 measures, including graduation rates, student-faculty ratio, social mobility and the average federal loan debt of graduates, as well as schools’ academic reputation, as determined by a peer assessment survey of presidents, provosts and deans of admissions at U.S. colleges.
Royce Hall on UCLA’s campus.
Photo: Courtesy of UCLA
Veteran Killed in Stabbing at Encampment Alongside West Los Angeles VA September 15 incident under investigation By Sam Catanzaro A homicide investigation is underway following a stabbing at a homeless encampment alongside the West Los Angeles VA. According to Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Captain Jon Tom, the incident took place on Septmber 15 around 6:30 a.m. “The victim, a male Veteran, intervened in a domestic violence incident between two other residents of the encampment and was stabbed. The victim was transported to the hospital and died there. LASD arrested the suspect, also a Veteran, and is handling the investigation,” Tom wrote in an incident report. The encampment, located on Los Angeles County land, has now experienced two homicides in the past six months, following a March 4 murder. In the wake of this week’s incident, the Brentwood Community Council (BCC) called on Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl to take action. “The BCC has requested that Supervisor
Sheila Kuehl initiate an ‘encampment to home’ on San Vicente program for more than 3 years. Kuehl has never agreed to cooperate. Today, we had a second murder within 6 months. Instead of the Supervisor, it is the LASD who is working on behalf of everyone by providing immediate shelter and housing options, while removing dangerous encampments,” the BCC wrote in a Wednesday afternoon email. “As of 9.8.2021, 39 homeless Veterans were living on San Vicente The V.A. has more than 500 spots available in treatment, shelter and housing programs. Some VA programs are running at less than 60% capacity. It is unsafe to remain living on the street, anywhere.” Supervisor Kuehl issued the following statement when reached for comment: “I am deeply saddened to hear about a homicide last night at an encampment near the Veteran’s Administration in West Los Angeles. An investigation is underway. My office along with the VA, LA Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), service providers, and the Sheriff’s HOST team have been working diligently to engage and move the 30-40 individuals, many of whom are veterans, into interim and permanent housing. We will be intensifying outreach efforts
with the goal of moving every encampment resident into interim and permanent housing over the next 2-3 months. Almost all current residents of this encampment are already connected to a VA housing resource, including vouchers, and many are actively looking for
an apartment. But it’s clear we must accelerate the pace at which people are moved off the street. Further loss of life in this encampment is simply unacceptable.” This story is still developing and will be updated.
Photo: Citizen App The scene of a murder that took place at a homeless encampment alongside the West Los Angeles VA.