Friday, January 24, 2025

Trump En Route to LA to Visit Fire-Ravaged Los Angeles

CITY NEWS SERVICE

President Donald Trump, who has criticized state and local leaders over what he calls faulty water- and forest-management policies that he says contributed to the region’s deadly wildfires — suggested federal aid should be withheld until changes are made will visit Los Angeles Friday to get a firsthand look at the destruction.

Speaking to reporters Friday morning at the White House before departing for hurricane-ravaged parts of North Carolina, then on to Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Trump again repeated his assertions that California is somehow diverting water away from the L.A. area, hampering the firefighting effort.

Trump said he was going to “take a look at a fire that could have been put out if they let the water flow but they didn’t let the water flow and they still haven’t, for whatever reason.”

After he landed at Asheville Airport in North Carolina, Trump was asked what he wants to see from California leaders as he considered continued federal recovery funding.

Friday, January 24, 2025

Eaton Fire Remains 95% Contained as Rains Bear Down on Pasadena

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The Eaton Fire was 95% contained as firefighters managed to further surround the blaze despite another round of threatening Santa Ana winds that prompted red flag warnings that will be in effect until 10 a.m. Friday.

The fire has burned 14,021 acres in Altadena and Pasadena since Jan. 7, leaving at least at least 17 people dead, according to Cal Fire. Nine firefighters have been injured battling the blaze. It has destroyed 9,418 structures and damaged another 1,073.

There were 1,837 personnel assigned to the firefighting effort as of Thursday morning, Cal Fire reported.

County officials announced Monday that all residents evacuated from the Altadena area may now return, but noted that some areas are still under an evacuation order featuring “soft closures” meaning those areas will be open only to residents with valid proof of residence.

Pasadena activated red flag parking restrictions Monday to allow for improved fire department access and resident evacuation on narrow and/or winding roads,

Friday, January 24, 2025

Pasadena Unified Welcomes Back 3,400 Students in Phase One of Post-Fire Campus Reopenings

By EDDIE RIVERA

Following Eaton Fire, three-phase return to school program begins with combined campuses

The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) welcomed 3,400 students back to their campuses Thursday after a two-week disruption caused by the devastating Eaton Fire. The fire, which began on January 8, destroyed more than 1,000 structures and scattered numerous families within the PUSD community.

Despite the challenges, the district’s leadership, staff, and families expressed a sense of hope as students returned to their classrooms.

On hand to greet the returning students at Willard Elementary School were PUSD Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Blanco, PUSD Board President Jennifer Hall Lee, PUSD Board Member Michelle Richardson Bailey, and Willard Principal Maricela Brambila.

PUSD Board President Lee beamed as she stood outside Willard Elementary.

“I’m smiling, and I haven’t been smiling in a long time. It feels wonderful to see children going into school. There’s something so solid and comforting about it—it feels normal again,” she said.

Friday, January 24, 2025

AME Church Leaders Show Support for Eaton Fire Victims

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

Leaders from the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church spoke on Thursday at an event at local First AME Church after touring the destruction in Altadena and Pasadena caused by the Eaton Fire.

The fire, which is now 90% contained, burned through Altadena earlier this month, leaving rubble and ashes in its wake as it destroyed most of the homes in that town and left nearly 150 homes uninhabitable in Pasadena.

“Never did I think that I would have a fear of saying How are you to my neighbors and now when I say how are you, people nod and say ‘Not doing so well,'” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “The devastation is unquestionable, the impact it’s had on people’s lives. I’ve talked to people whose family home is gone.”

Barger said she stands with the community and is laser-focused on rebuilding Altadena.

Local residents there have expressed concerns over what the community will look like after it is rebuilt and an excruciatingly long process that could hinder efforts to rebuild the community.

Friday, January 24, 2025

Governor Signs $2.5 Billion Fire Relief Bill at Pasadena School

STAFF REPORT

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a $2.5 billion wildfire relief package at Willard Elementary School in Pasadena on Thursday, marking the 16th day since the devastating Eaton fire began ravaging local communities.

Dr. Elizabeth Blanco, Superintendent of the Pasadena Unified School District overseeing Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre, described widespread displacement across the District’s service area. Joined by Board President Jennifer Hall Lee, Blanco spoke at the press conference, which was packed with federal, state, county, and local officials.

“This has been a time of grief and gratitude,” Blanco said. “We grieve for all of our students and the families and staff that have lost their homes and were displaced. More than 10,000 of our students were in the evacuation zone, and so were nearly half of our employees, about 1,400 employees.”

“Ours is a strong community that is holding each other up,” Blanco continued. “Our teachers, our support staff, our administrators showed up today, they showed up even if they lost their homes,

Thursday, January 23, 2025

Teachers Rally for Hope and Resilience as PUSD Prepares to Reopen First Group of 10 Schools and Programs on Thursday

By EDDIE RIVERA

More than 3,400 TK-12th grade students return to school at ten schools and programs in the first phase of reopening on Thursday

“Today is Day 15 of what has been the most devastating experience in my 34 years in education,” said PUSD Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Blanco on Wednesday at a rally for returning teachers one day before a group of campuses will re-open after being closed because of the destructive Eaton Fire.

“But what I have learned is that anything is possible with the right team” she said. Her words resonated with a room filled with teachers who, despite personal losses, were confident about regaining a sense of normalcy for their students.

Just two weeks after a firestorm fueled by high winds roared through Altadena and parts of Pasadena, the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) gathered together thousands of  teachers and staff members at the Pasadena City College gymnasium.

Along with Dr.

Thursday, January 23, 2025

LA County Board Approves New Housing Policy to Aid Wildfire Survivors

New initiative focuses on rebuilding support for communities impacted by recent wildfires

At Wednesday’s Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency board meeting, members unanimously approved a new housing policy that will prioritize the development of new housing for communities impacted by recent wildfires.

The motion, successfully introduced by Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger, who represents Pasadena,  and coauthors Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell and Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, directs the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency to incorporate wildfire recovery into both its five-year housing development plan and strategic funding plans.

“Residents whose lives were stable just two weeks ago have been completely upended by these wildfires. To lose your home overnight is unthinkable. Wildlife survivors deserve both short-term and long-term support, and this motion helps deliver exactly that,” Chair Barger said in reaction to the unanimous vote approving the motion.

The policy establishes a framework for rebuilding support through both the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency’s five-year housing development plan and the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency’s strategic funding plan,

Thursday, January 23, 2025

County Supervisors to Tackle Major Housing Plans, Mental Health Care and Fire Safety

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will address emergency response procedures, extensive land use changes, and mental health care facilities during their upcoming Tuesday meeting, with decisions affecting housing development, public safety, and healthcare access across multiple communities.

Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Lindsey P. Horvath have called for an independent review of January’s Palisades and Eaton Fires response, directing County Counsel to “retain a consultant with subject matter expertise, to review the evacuation policies and emergency alert notification systems utilized by the County and its partners.” Progress reports will be required every 90 days.

A key 11:00 a.m. presentation will address the Continuum of Care for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Beds, continued from previous meetings.

The South Bay Area Plan (SBAP) Project No. PRJ2022-004615-(2 and 4) proposes significant rezoning across eight unincorporated communities: Alondra Park/El Camino Village, Del Aire, Hawthorne Island, La Rambla, Lennox, West Carson, Westfield/Academy Hills, and Wiseburn. The plan would accommodate 5,361 potential housing units through 94 property redesignations,

Thursday, January 23, 2025

Congresswoman Calls for Probe Into Fatal Wildfire Evacuation Order Delays

Investigation demanded after at least 17 deaths reported in Western Altadena during Eaton Fire

Congresswoman Judy Chu, who represents Pasadena and Altadena, has demanded an independent investigation into delayed evacuation orders that may have contributed to at least 17 deaths in Western Altadena during the devastating Eaton Fire.

Her call for an inquiry comes after Los Angeles Times reporting revealed that residents west of Lake Avenue received evacuation notices hours after the fire’s initial outbreak.

“I’m dismayed and deeply concerned that evacuation warnings and orders were significantly delayed for residents in western Altadena, west of Lake Avenue, at the start of the Eaton Fire,” Chu said in a release issued Wednesday.

The Eaton Fire has emerged as part of Los Angeles wildfires that are on track to become one of the most costly and devastating natural disasters in the country’s history.

The fire has destroyed more than 7,000 structures and displaced 20,000 people, with all 17 deaths identified so far coming from the area west of Lake Avenue.

Thursday, January 23, 2025

Cancer Support Community Extends Aid to Los Angeles Wildfire Survivors Through Art and Counseling

Support group’s response highlights parallels between natural disaster trauma and cancer patient experience

In response to the devastating Eaton Fire in Southern California, Cancer Support Community Greater San Gabriel Valley has launched initiatives to help residents process trauma and rebuild their emotional well-being.

The organization will host a virtual workshop, “Recovering and Reconnecting – Processing the Aftermath of the Eaton Fire,” on Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 12:30 p.m., addressing the psychological impact of the recent wildfires.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist Jay Wagener, who brings over 40 years of experience and serves on the Cancer Support Community Board, will lead the workshop focusing on grief processing and survivor’s guilt.

“Studies show that healing in a community setting significantly enhances recovery and improves quality of life,” a statement from the organization said. “Cancer Support Community is honored to serve as a cornerstone of hope and healing as our community continues to recover – from wildfires, cancer and beyond. Together, we are stronger,