Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Hearing Today for Pasadena Man Convicted of Killing Aunt in Altadena, Leaving Bound Body in Bathtub

A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 8:30 a.m. in Los Angeles in the case of Nathan Charles Sheard, a Pasadena man convicted in the 1999 beating death of his aunt, Gertrude Mills, whose body was found bound in a bathtub in her Altadena home.

The proceeding will take place in Department 114 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, located at 210 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, on the 11th floor in Room 11-305.

Court records show Sheard was convicted in connection with Mills’ killing, which occurred more than two decades ago in Altadena. Mills was 72 years old at the time of her death.

The California Court of Appeal, Second District, Division Seven, filed an unpublished opinion in People v. Sheard (B308523) on Dec. 13, 2021, remanding the case for further proceedings involving Sheard and co-defendant David Emanuel Talmadge.

The appellate ruling followed earlier convictions and returned the matter to Los Angeles County Superior Court for continued review.

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Scientists Explore How Stellar Storms Could Make or Break Life on Distant Planets

Arizona State researcher to discuss emerging field linking space weather to exoplanet habitability

The same stellar forces that paint Earth’s auroras may determine whether distant worlds can support life.

Prof. Evgenya Shkolnik of Arizona State University will examine this possibility on Tuesday, Nov. 11, at Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena. Her talk explores exospace weather, a new field studying how stellar activity affects planets beyond our solar system.

Space weather shapes planetary atmospheres throughout the cosmos. Its effects appear in auroras and comet tails. It gradually strips away atmospheric layers.

Scientists are just beginning to understand its impact on exoplanets.

Stellar flares, particle winds and coronal mass ejections could reshape exoplanet climates. They may drive atmospheric escape. These forces might even determine if a planet can sustain life.

The field sits at the crossroads of heliophysics, stellar physics, planetary science and astrobiology.

Prof. Shkolnik leads the SPARCS mission, a cereal-box-sized space telescope that monitors flares and sunspot activity on low-mass stars.

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

LA County Moves To Limit License Plate Tracking, Citing CalMatters Report

By Phoebe Huss and Khari Johnson, CALMATTERS

Drivers in Los Angeles County have a powerful new privacy advocate after the Board of Supervisors pushed to restrict how their license plates are scanned by law enforcement.

The board recently voted to ask the Sheriff’s Department to more stringently regulate its use of the license plate data it collects through high-tech camera systems mounted on patrol cars and above roads. The measure it approved cited reporting from CalMatters that roughly a dozen police and sheriff’s departments throughout Southern California shared such data with federal immigration agencies.

The September motion requests that the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, which operates independently from the supervisors, conduct yearly privacy training for deputies with access to license plate cameras and that the data not be used for non-criminal immigration enforcement.

It also requests the department delete plate sightings after 60 days unless they are flagged on criminal lists.

The Sheriff’s Department “welcomes” the motion and plans to review its practices and policies,

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Dodgers Outlast Blue Jays in Marathon Game 3 Thriller

By EDDIE RIVERA

18th-inning home run from Freddie Freeman, and another historic Ohtani performance, give Dodgers 2-1 lead in the World Series

The Los Angeles Dodgers outlasted the Toronto Blue Jays in a grueling 18-inning epic Monday night at Dodger Stadium, winning 6–5 on Freddie Freeman’s walk-off home run and taking a 2–1 lead in the World Series.

The game, which stretched past midnight and into the early hours of Tuesday, clocked in at six hours and 39 minutes — the second-longest in World Series history. It was a night of endurance, emotion, and extraordinary performances, none more so than Shohei Ohtani’s.

Ohtani, the Dodgers’ two-way superstar, turned in one of the most astonishing individual efforts ever seen in a Fall Classic. He reached base nine times — a World Series record — and crushed two home runs, two doubles, and drew four intentional walks. Each time Toronto tried to pitch around him, he found another way to make them pay.

Monday, October 27, 2025

Altadena Sheriff Urges Residents to Secure Homes as Bear Sightings Increase

More wildlife encounters reported in foothill neighborhoods near forest edges

The Altadena Sheriff’s Station is warning residents to secure their properties as bear sightings surge in the foothill community.

Bears are increasingly venturing down from higher elevations into residential areas. The station posted safety guidance on social media in response to mounting reports.

Wildlife officials say the animals seek food, water and shade. Drought conditions, heat waves and recent wildfires drive bears into neighborhoods.

The sheriff’s advisory centers on eliminating attractants around homes. Residents should store garbage in bear-proof containers or locked garages until collection day. BBQ grills must be cleaned promptly after use.

Pet food should remain indoors. Fallen fruit needs removal from yards. Bird feeders and scented outdoor items can also draw bears.

Property security is critical. Large bears have been found using crawl spaces and under-house access points. Homeowners should block vents and similar openings.

Doors and windows must stay closed when not actively used.

Monday, October 27, 2025

Community Colleges as Crisis Anchors: PCC’s Role in Post-Fire Recovery Gains Spotlight

The Future of Work Conference will explore how education institutions can lead long-term disaster response

As Pasadena City College prepares to host the 7th Annual Future of Work Conference on Tuesday, Oct. 28, the spotlight is turning toward a deeper question: What role should community colleges play in disaster recovery?

The conference, themed “Mobilizing for Recovery and Regional Renewal,” will not only launch a new regional coalition but also examine how institutions like PCC can serve as anchor points in times of crisis. The event runs from 8 a.m. to noon at Westerbeck Recital Hall in Pasadena and is free to attend.

The concept of community colleges as “anchor institutions” — entities with deep local roots and sustained civic influence — is gaining traction nationwide. PCC’s response to the Eaton Fire, which scorched over 14,000 acres and displaced more than 50,000 residents, offers a case study in how educational infrastructure can be rapidly repurposed for community aid.

In the months following the fire,

Monday, October 27, 2025

California’s Gerrymander and Generational Rift Could Shake Up Its Democratic Hierarchy

By Dan Walters, CALMATTERS

Democratic politicians throughout California — those already in office and those who want in — assume that voters will rearrange the state’s 52 congressional districts next month and create new career opportunities.

The assumption is well grounded. A recent CBS News poll found 62% of the state’s likely voters, driven by disdain for President Donald Trump, will enact Proposition 50, a plan to shift five more congressional seats to Democrats even though they already have 43.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s gerrymander would offset pro-Republican redistricting schemes in Texas and other states that Trump seeks to retain, or perhaps expand, the GOP’s paper-thin majority in the House next year.

With Prop. 50 seemingly a slam-dunk, current Democratic congressional members and wannabes are trying to sort out who will run for what — no small feat. To create the new seats, the Democrats’ political cartographers have to spread the party’s 10.4 million voters more thinly,

Monday, October 27, 2025

21 Candidates to Face Altadena Voters in Virtual Forum Tuesday Night

Community gathering on Zoom offers residents first comprehensive look at historic slate seeking eight council seats

Twenty-one candidates are scheduled to make their case to Altadena voters Tuesday evening in a virtual forum that organizers hope will draw residents from across this scattered community as they prepare to elect eight members of the Altadena Town Council.

The forum, hosted by Neighbors Building a Better Altadena, will run from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the organization’s Facebook page, with this Zoom also link posted on the NBBA Facebook group page: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3383057874?omn=85946412876 .

The event marks the second major candidate gathering in about a week, following an emotional in-person session during last Tuesday’s Town Council meeting where the candidates introduced themselves to voters.

Tuesday’s virtual format will feature candidate presentations followed by a novel approach designed for community engagement: breakout groups organized by census tract, allowing residents to question candidates specific to their neighborhoods.

NBBA,

Sunday, October 26, 2025

County Reports First West Nile Virus Death on Heels of Pasadena’s First Human Case of 2025

Los Angeles County health officials on Friday, Oct. 24, confirmed the first local death of the year due to West Nile virus, days after Pasadena recorded its first human case of the virus since 2022.

The fatality involved a San Fernando Valley resident who died of neurological illness caused by severe West Nile virus, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. No additional details about the individual were released.

According to the Pasadena Public Health Department, the city’s first human case of West Nile virus for 2025 was confirmed on Oct. 9. It marked Pasadena’s first reported infection since 2022. Pasadena operates its own health department and reports cases independently from Los Angeles County.

While no positive mosquito samples have been detected in Pasadena this year, the virus has been found in nearby San Gabriel Valley communities. The San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District began detecting virus activity in July through surveillance traps. Positive mosquito samples were collected in El Monte (July 22),

Sunday, October 26, 2025

Feds to Monitor Polling Places in Los Angeles County on November 4

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The U.S. Department of Justice plans to monitor polling sites in five California counties — including Los Angeles and Orange — during the Nov. 4 election in which voters will decide whether to approve a temporary statewide redistricting aimed at adding more Democrat representation in Congress.

Monitors will also be stationed in Riverside,  Fresno and Kern counties. The DOJ will also monitor polling places in Passaic County, New Jersey.

“Transparency at the polls translates into faith in the electoral process, and this Department of Justice is committed to upholding the highest standards of election integrity,” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “We will commit the resources necessary to ensure the American people get the fair, free, and transparent elections they deserve.”

DOJ officials said the monitoring effort is designed “to ensure transparency, ballot security and compliance with federal law.”

The announcement came days after the California Republican Party requested that polling places be monitored in select counties due to “reports of irregularities”