Featured Articles from the Glendale News-Press

A waxwork of Kim Kardashian was unveiled Wednesday in Los Angeles - and not at Madame Tussauds. On display at LAB ART Gallery, artist Daniel Edwards' “L.A. Fertility” depicts the pregnant reality star in the nude. The lifesize sculpture features “lactiferous breasts” and a “voluminous” belly “to entice visitors to give a respectful rub for good luck and success,” according to a release from the artist. PHOTOS: Celebrities by The Times “I was inspired by the beauty of Kim Kardashian and felt quite put-off by the media's criticism of her weight gain during pregnancy,” Edwards said in a statement.

After months of hold-ups and headaches, city officials approved a roughly $5.3 million construction contract on Tuesday to expand the Alex Theatre, an improvement project officials say will make the historic venue more competitive as it is weaned off an annual government subsidy. The theater's operator, Glendale Arts, currently gets $415,000 a year to manage the venue, but that subsidy is set to expire in 2015. PHOTOS: Backstage at the Alex Theatre for 'Girl Crazy' Before then, it needs three large dressing rooms, a freight elevator, loading dock, more storage space, new electrical systems and a backstage passenger elevator so it can handle larger, more technical productions and move toward self-sustainability, officials have said.

Many government meetings are broadcast live and archived with a vast array of official records posted online. Mainstream media may be on financial life support, but more than half the adult population still reads a newspaper daily, in print or digital form, as part of their news overload from radio and TV and their blogosphere favorites. We've never been so well-informed - or so cynical about our government and society. Evidence of this is the long-term decline in voting, even with mail-in ballots.

The attorney for the operator of the Glendale Gun Show on Tuesday threatened legal action as the City Council introduced an ordinance to ban the event, and others like it, from city-owned property. “This ordinance, in the way it's drafted … will necessarily require litigation,” said Sean Brady to council members and the roughly 140 people packed inside City Hall. PHOTOS: Gun show discussed at Glendale City Hall Despite the threat, the ordinance, which must still come back for a final vote next week, had the support of the majority of council members.  “This gun show being banned on Glendale city property won't make any difference on anybody's ability to purchase a gun,” said Councilwoman Laura Friedman.

Pamela Abolian Alfred Abramian Lusine Abramyan Vage Abramyan Blake Ackerman Neftali Aguilera Arin Aharonian James Myungjin Ahn Kristine Akhverdyan Lermont V. Akopyan Anna Aladadyan Arpine Alaverdyan Ermine Alaverdyan Anait Altunyan Alec Hassell Aluzri Allen Amarkarian Tadeh Amirian Levon Antwan Mikkel Aranas Carla Mercedes Armendariz Sean Arora...

GLENDALE — Four Armenian officers and one former officer have filed a joint lawsuit against the Glendale Police Department, alleging years of discrimination, derogatory comments and harassment because of their race. Officers John Balian and Robert Parseghian; Sgts. Vahak Mardikian and Tigran Topadzhikyan; and former Officer Benny Simonzad filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Wednesday, alleging myriad on-the-job discrimination and harassment incidents. When confronted with complaints of the discrimination, command staff failed to respond, according to the federal lawsuit.

GLENDALE — An attorney has filed a lawsuit against two Glendale police officers, one of whom he claims was having an affair with his wife, and he says the pair conspired to have him arrested. The attorney, Robert Yousefian, claims his wife admitted that she was having an affair with Glendale Police Officer Michael Lizarraga, who arrested Yousefian on drug and assault charges in August 2007, according to the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Despite "overwhelming evidence" that Yousefian had not committed a crime, Glendale police maliciously investigated him, which led to an improper prosecution that violated his civil rights, the lawsuit claims.

Under cloudy skies, “Stars Among Us” was the theme of the 85th anniversary gala of Glendale Community College. But the only stars to be seen were the stars in the campus Planetarium, open during the first part of the party. The rain held off Saturday for the reception, silent auction and cocktails in front of the John Davitt Administration Building, named for the college's superintendent/president of 21 years. Fortuitously, Dr. Davitt and Gael Davitt were the evening's co-chairmen as part of the Honorary Committee.

A 19-year-old Los Angeles man was assaulted Friday after he refused to get up from a theater seat which a patron claimed she saved for a family member, police said. The man and his girlfriend planned to watch “Fast & Furious 6” at the Pacific Theatres at the Americana at Brand in Glendale, according to police. The couple found two empty seats near the front of the packed theater and sat down, but they were quickly confronted by another patron, police said. The patron claimed she was saving the seats for her family members who were in the lobby, police said.

Kimberly Aalberg Narineh Abadian Noel Ramos Abellera Lernik Abnoos Anet Masimi Aboulian Retina Abraamyan Aleksandr Abramyan Anton Hovik Abramyan Aram Abramyan Stella Abramyan Vaheh Abrikhanian Octavio Eduardo Acevedo Nelly Adamian Stina Adamian Viliam Akopi Adamian Tania Adary Maryam Afifi Meganush Agakiyanest Lala Aghaian Herbert Aghajani...

For the first time in its 40-year history, Verdugo Hills Hospital is no longer independent, announcing on Tuesday that it has completed its merger with USC's Keck Medical Center. The partnership, first explored by Verdugo Hills board members at a meeting in June 2012, still needs approval from the California Attorney General's Office before it is finalized. Len LaBella, chief executive officer and president of Verdugo Hills Hospital, said in a statement that the merger would allow the 158-bed facility to expand its clinical services while having access to greater resources to improve existing services.

Recent mountain lion sightings in the hillside neighborhoods of Glendale prompted city officials on Thursday to release a new website that will allow residents to report wildlife sightings and check out other sightings logged in the area. The site, created by city tech staffers, was designed to track public sightings of mountain lions, bears, bobcats, coyotes and deer, but is not a substitute for reporting an emergency. “We still expect you to pick up the phone and call 911 if you feel you are in danger,” said city spokesman Tom Lorenz.