Partly Sunny, Jackson Talks, No Texting and Driving

Today is April 8. It is the 98th day of the year. We are under a waxing crescent moon. Sunset will occur about 7:21 p.m. Here are five things to know:

1. The National Weather Service forecast for this afternoon calls for partly sunny skies with a high near 55 degrees. There's a 50 percent chance of showers tonight with a low around 46 degrees. There's a 20 percent chance of showers Saturday morning and it should be partly sunny in the afternoon with a high near 58 degrees.

2. Playa del Rey resident Phil Jackson talked to a group of reporters last night in Portland about his upcoming retirement, about a meeting between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan a decade ago and about the lifestyle of an NBA coach. You can read a story on the lengthy interview on NBA.com right here and another version by the Los Angeles Times right here.

The Lakers play the Portland Trail Blazers tonight at the Rose Garden. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

3. The nonprofit reporting group California Watch has released its findings from a 19-month investigation that found holes in the state's enforcement of seismic safety regulations in schools. California Watch and Patch are working together to get the word out on the local level. You can read what California Watch and Patch found out about local schools right here.

4. April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the Los Angeles Police Department are enforcing a zero tolerance policy for cell phone use and texting while driving. A ticket for either the hands-free or no texting law costs a minimum of $159 and subsequent tickets cost $279. More than 200 local agencies and 103 California Highway Patrol areas are participating statewide in the crackdown.

Studies have shown that drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. Other studies have found that texting while driving can delay a driver's reaction time just as as much as a driver with a legally drunk blood alcohol content.

5. Did you know that you can follow Marina del Rey Patch, which also covers Del Rey and Playa del Rey, on Facebook and Twitter?