Today’s News: Inauguration; MLK events; Teacher evaluation concession; Pepper spray judgment

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Obama and MLK. An accident of the calendar means a double celebration for many civic groups and organizations around the Southland today: they’re marking the second inauguration of the country’s first African-American president while honoring the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The African American Museum in Exposition Park is holding events throughout the day, including a screening of the documentary “King: Man of Peace in a Time of War,” starting at 11 a.m. About one-thousand volunteers are expected to spruce up Belmont High School, and other clean-up events will be held in Long Beach. In Gardena, black and Latino activists have gathered to watch President Obama’s inauguration speech. And at Grand Park in downtown L.A., rap artists and other musicians will entertain crowds celebrating both the inauguration and MLK Day. California African American Museum, Grand Park

Scoring teachers. For the first time, L.A. teachers have agreed to use student test scores to evaluate their job performance. Sixty-six percent of the teachers union’s nearly 17,000 members agreed to the landmark deal with Los Angeles Unified. The plan was hammered out after a judge ruled last year that LAUSD was in violation of state law because it wasn’t using student performance data in teacher assessments. The District does not get everything it wanted in the deal. The agreement requires administrators to drop a controversial method of rating teachers known as “value-added.” Superintendent John Deasy says he’ll unveil of details of how student test scores will be used in teacher evaluations in the next week. L.A. Times

SMC pepper spay. Santa Monica College is vowing to implement a number of recommendations following a report from an independent review that found the use of pepper spray by campus police during a student protest did not comply with policy. The report finds that although most campus officers acted with restraint, the use of pepper spray and a raised baton by one officer was inappropriate. The review says the melee was exacerbated by inadequate planning by campus police and pushing and grabbing by some student demonstrators. About 100 demonstrators had gathered outside a Board of Trustees meeting to protest against a proposed plan to raise fees on classes that are in biggest demand. Santa Monica Mirror

Return of the Kings. The L.A. Kings finally got to raise their championship banner this weekend, but the good feelings didn’t last much longer than the opening horn of their first game. After breaking out the Stanley Cup during a joyous ceremony at Staples Center, the NHL champion Kings skated to a 5-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Before the game, the party began with a lengthy video presentation. Nancy Anschutz, the wife of Kings owner Phillip Anschutz, then gave the players their championship rings at center ice. The NHL is playing an abbreviated 48-game season after ending a labor dispute that dragged on for several months. ESPN

Farewell to Kings? It appears the city of Sacramento may finally be losing its grip on California’s other Kings. The Maloof family, majority owner of the basketball team, Has agreed to sell to a Seattle investor who plans to move the team north. Sacramento lost its basketball team to Oklahoma City five years ago. The Maloof’s will reportedly get $525 million for their 65 percent share. Sacramento has been fighting an up and down battle to keep the Kings for years. Mayor Kevin Johnson – a former NBA player – says he intends to present a counter offer from a group of investors who want to keep the team in Sacramento. ESPN