By Lookout Staff

December 29, 2022 -- In September, a crash at the airport kills two, the City's liberal establishment tries to regain control of the Council and Sheriffs raid a County Supervisor's Santa Monica home.

It's politics that dominates the month's headlines. For what may be the first time in at least two decades, an organized slate of four challengers from Santa Monica and Malibu will try to gain control of the School Board ("School Board Slate Eyes Major Shake-Up," September 1, 2022).

Los Angeles County sees more homeless people in shelters during the coronavirus emergency than ever before, contributing to a drop in Santa Monica's homeless population ("LA County's Homeless Population Up 4 Percent, Down 23 Percent on Westside," September 8, 2022).

The pilot of a single engine aircraft and his passenger die after the plane operated by a local flight school crashes at Santa Monica Airport ("Two Killed in Plane Crash at Santa Monica Airport," September 9, 2022).

High humidity and COVID fears result in a record low turnout at Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights (SMRR) political convention, paving the way for the hotel workers union to flex its political muscle ("Hotel Union Flexes Muscle at SMRR Convention," September 12, 2022).

Los Angeles County Sheriff's investigators search County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl's Santa Monica home in connection with an ongoing public corruption investigation ("Sheriffs Search Kuehl's Santa Monica Home," September 14, 2022).

The battle over Mayor Sue Himmelrich's transfer tax measure promises to be a costly one, with a record-breaking fundraising advantage quickly erased with a single donation ("Transfer Tax Battle Could Shatter Fundraising Records," September 19, 2022).

Four major Santa Monica-based businesses donate a total of $400,000 to expand the Police Cadet Program decimated by budget cutbacks made during the coronavirus shutdown ("Major Donations Give Much-Needed Boost to Police Cadet Program," September 21, 2022).

A suspected sexual predator who has been luring female students from Santa Monica College's (SMC) main campus is arrested in one of the school's parking structures ("Sexual Assault Suspect Arrested at SMC," September 26, 2022).

The local hotel workers union fires the first attack of the 2022 Election season with a mailer targeting Councilmember Lana Negrete ("Negrete Target of First Election Hit Piece," September 23, 2022).

In a highly unusual move, Santa Monica's three most liberal groups are not in lockstep with their City Council endorsements, risking a takeover by a "conservative" majority ("Dem Club Membership Breaks with Tradition in 'Surprising Upset,'" September 30, 2022).

Santa Monica takes major strides toward an all-electric future when in late September the Council approves policies that ban gas energy in all new construction and require developers to add EV chargers in multi-family buildings ("Council Paves Way for All-Electric Future," September 30, 2020).