Top 5 Westside Stories: Cheer Coach Suspended, TOMS Shoes, CicLAvia at the Beach

Close out your weekend with a recap of the newsiest and most popular Patch articles from last week. Here are the five stories that topped the headlines on Westside Patch sites:

• A week after a Culver City woman was hit by a K9 Culver City Police officer while driving his cruiser, the California Highway Patrol says the incident is still “under investigation.” CHP Officer Karina Nunoz told Patch that the officer was traveling eastbound on Washington Boulevard at Prospect Avenue on Feb. 14 at 3:16 p.m. when Roc was struck while crossing northbound on Washington Boulevard. Patch is in regular contact with Philippe Roc, who says his wife is still in hospital but is getting better.

• Join the conversation: Have you noticed the parking garages in downtown Santa Monica are less crowded? The city says the average occupancy of the garages, depending on the location, is down between 5 and 10 percent. That's thanks mostly to an October parking rate change that compelled about 850 downtown employees to park farther away in the Civic Center, freeing up spaces in the garages on Fourth and Second streets for shoppers and restaurant and movie-goers. Have you noticed a difference? Tell us in the comments here.

• on April 21 can take part in the longest and first route in CicLAvia’s 6-year history that will connect downtown to Venice Beach. In the past, the event has been restricted mostly to the neighborhoods close to downtown. “CicLAvia’s success and the breakneck pace of bikeway construction demonstrate that LA has removed its training wheels,” said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

• A Palisades Charter High School cheerleading coach has been suspended and administrators are investigating claims that cheerleaders were forced to fight to settle differences. The coach reportedly told the students to settle their differences physically, according to a student.

• A portion of sales of a new TOMS shoe style is benefitting Upward Bound House, a Santa Monica-based nonprofit that's addressing homelessness on the Westside by providing transitional shelter to homeless families and the elderly. And as usual with every purchase, , will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need.

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