Community Corner

January's Most Popular L.A. County Stories

Some of the most-read articles in January dealt with The Rose Parade, Girl Scout Cookies, an assault weapons ban, a Marijuana cooking explosion, new state driving laws, the world's youngest Microsoft tech, Huell Howser's death and women servin

The Rose Parade rang in the new year in Pasadena with floats inspired by Dr. Seuss' "Oh, the Places You'll Go." Check out reader-submitted photos of the parade here. "Dreams Come True" will be the theme of the 2014 Rose Parade. What did you think of the Rose Parade this year?

Girl Scout Cookie season is upon us and with it a new flavor, Mango Creme. Readers were curious to learn more about the vanilla, coconut and mango-flavored cookie that costs $4 per box and went on pre-sale Jan. 13. Which are your favorite kinds of Girl Scout Cookie?  

Readers weighed in with almost 500 comments when we asked what you thought about the Democrats' proposed assault weapons ban that would outlaw some 157 types of military-style weapons and ammunition. Do you think there should be a ban on these types of weapons?

Find out what's happening in La Cañada Flintridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Be careful how you cook your Marijuana. Three men were badly burned after accidentally causing an explosion which set fire to a Monrovia house, according to police. The men were allegedly trying to extract THC from Marijuana plants to make a concentrated form of the drug. Police say the explosion "literally lifted the ceiling off the room."   

Several laws passed by the California State Legislature went into effect on Jan. 1 and will affect the way you drive on public streets. Some of those laws deal with teens drinking on charter buses; the testing of self-driven vehicles; consumer protections from used car dealerships; texting and driving; and mandatory blood tests for DUI suspects. Tell us what you think of these new laws.

Find out what's happening in La Cañada Flintridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A 9-year-old boy becomes the world's youngest Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist after spending some 18 months studying 8 hours a day to pass the ASP.NET framework exam. The previous record holder was 12. How do you encourage your children to accomplish their goals?

Famed TV icon and host of "California's Gold" Huell Howser died early January in his Palm Springs home. Howser's show ran for 19 years and often featured little-known points of interest throughout the state. Follow the above link for an interactive map of all the places Howser and "California's Gold" traveled. After his death, a crowd of hundreds gathered at the Griffith Observatory for a sunset memorial to honor Howser. What was your favorite Huell Howser TV moment? 

Patch asked what you thought about women serving in combat alongside men and we received more than 100 comments. Last week Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced he would lift a 19-year-old ban on women serving in direct-combat jobs. What do you think? Should women be given the choice to face danger like their male counterparts or should they be protected? Would women serving in smaller combat units disrupt unit cohesion or would they be an asset? 


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