Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Governor Newsom Predeploys Firefighting Resources Southern California Ahead of Dangerous Fire Weather

With gusty, dry winds expected to develop in Southern California mid-week and temperatures soaring, Governor Gavin Newsom has directed the state’s first responders to take early, proactive steps to protect communities. In advance of the coming weather, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) approved the predeployment of 129 personnel and resources to Los Angeles and Ventura counties ahead of critical fire weather driven by high winds, high heat, and low humidity.

This predeployment includes 10 fire engines, three water tenders, three helicopters, three hand crews, and three dispatchers with 107 support personnel. Additional engines and staff will be added based on local needs.

CAL FIRE also remains at peak staffing at all units within the impacted region and has full use of both state-owned air assets and exclusive use aircraft to rapidly attack any new fires that may start.

Pasadena is predicted to experience only moderate winds, however the temperature will soar to 96 degrees and humidity will drop. A heat advisory has been declared until 7 p.m.

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Barger Cites Insurance Delays, System Gaps in Altadena Rebuild Effort

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger acknowledged Monday that major obstacles remain in the effort to rebuild Altadena following last year’s devastating Eaton Fire — citing both financial hardship among homeowners and bureaucratic delays within the county’s own permitting system.

Speaking at a weekly community meeting, Barger outlined what she called two main hurdles to recovery: financial strain and a “rebuilding ecosystem” that has not kept pace with residents’ needs.

“Too many families are still waiting for payouts delayed or disputed, leaving them stranded,” she said. “Insurance companies must do better and be held accountable for the harm their delays are causing.”

According to the official, more than 2,100 rebuilding applications have been submitted to Los Angeles County since the fire, but only about 28% have received building permits, and just 251 homes are actively being rebuilt.

The largest bottleneck, she noted, occurs between the submission of full building plans and the county’s permit approvals.

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,