Thursday, December 7, 2023

L.A. County Supervisors Honor Legacy of Pioneering Altadena Artist Charles White

STAFF REPORT

This week, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion introduced by Supervisor Kathryn Barger to honor the legacy of pioneering artist and Altadena resident Charles White.

The motion directs the County’s Department of Arts and Culture to contract the artist’s son, Ian White, to design and create civic art that will be displayed at the soon to be renovated Charles White Park.

“I’m proud our County will tangibly honor the life and work of Charles White,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “He was a true master of his craft and a visionary for what is possible when art, social commentary, advocacy, and community come together. He has undoubtedly influenced generations of artists. I look forward to his talented son creating something special in his memory. It’s exciting to see his legacy continue.”

Born in 1918, Charles White is renowned for highlighting African American related subjects in paintings, drawings, lithographs, and murals.

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

LA County Closes Loophole, Requires Paid Health Care for Hospital Contract Workers

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Photo courtesy LA County Department of Health Services

Closing a loophole that threatened to leave some contract workers at Los Angeles County-run hospitals without fully paid health care premiums, the Board of Supervisors Tuesday adopted a motion requiring existing contractors to provide such coverage for most workers by March 31.

In April, the board approved a motion requiring contractors providing services such security, food service and janitorial work at hospitals run by the county to provide 100% employer-paid health care for employees who work 30 hours or more per week. The requirement was to be effective by Dec. 31.

According to a motion introduced by Supervisors Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis, DHS officials are in the process of revising is contract solicitations to include the requirement in new contracts, however, the original motion failed to include a provision for existing contracts to be amended with the health care provision.

“Until that happens,

Monday, December 4, 2023

Opening the Door to Homeownership in Los Angeles County with the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs

STAFF REPORT

Opening Doors resource fair offers current and future LA County homeowners valuable resources to guide them from buying their first home to preventing foreclosure

The Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA) hosted a resource fair and a series of workshops on Saturday, December 2, Opening Doors: Planning for the Stages of Homeownership, to support current and prospective homeowners living in LA County. The event brought together professionals and experts at Magic Johnson Park to provide direct guidance on the processes involved in each stage of owning a home.

Topics addressed during the event include:

• Homebuyer Education
• Navigating Down Payments
• The Document Recording Process
• Assessor Property Tax Savings Programs
• Assessment Appeals and Recordation of Deeds
• Secured Property Tax Collection
• Foreclosure Timeline and Foreclosure Scams
• Mortgage Delinquency and Default Counseling
• Homeowner Notification and Mortgage Relief Programs
• Estate Planning
• Innovations in Housing
• Accessory Dwelling Units
• Common Legal Pitfalls in Homeownership

Compared to the rest of the United States,

Thursday, November 16, 2023

LA County Reports 1st Flu Death of the Season

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Los Angeles County reported the county’s first flu-related death of the 2023-24 flu season Wednesday.

According to the county Department of Public Health, the patient was an “elderly” resident with multiple underlying health conditions, and was apparently unvaccinated against the flu.

“Although most people recover from influenza without complications, this death is a reminder that influenza can be a serious illness,” according to a statement from the health agency. “Pneumonia is the most common complication of the flu. Flu can also aggravate underlying health conditions like heart disease or asthma. Annually, thousands of people nationwide are hospitalized or die from influenza-associated illness.”

Health officials said they are anticipating a potentially busy fall and winter for the health-care system, given a trio of circulating viruses — flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. All three have similar symptoms, and health officials urged anyone who develops symptoms to get tested for COVID-19.

“Although influenza seasons are difficult to predict,

Thursday, November 9, 2023

Investigator for Medical Examiner’s Office Charged with Theft

CITY NEWS SERVICE

A man who worked as an investigator for the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner has been charged with two counts of theft for allegedly removing a gold crucifix necklace from a dead man’s neck and keeping rare coins that were apparently linked to another man who was found dead, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.

Adrian Munoz, 34, of Los Angeles, is charged with one felony count of grand theft of property and one misdemeanor count of petty theft of property, according to the DA’s office.

Surveillance video showed Munoz removing a gold crucifix necklace from the neck of a warehouse worker who died Jan. 6 of a heart attack at his job in South Los Angeles and placing it in his medical bag, according to the DA’s office, which alleges that Munoz did not return the necklace or document it in the property receipt.

Investigators who searched Munoz’s desk cubicle found rare antique coins with a receipt in the name of a man who had been discovered dead last November,

Monday, November 6, 2023

In Altadena, Rotary and Sheriff’s Station Join to Host a Holiday Food Drive

STAFF REPORT

In a heartwarming display of community spirit, the Altadena Sheriff’s Station and the Altadena Rotary Club are joining forces to host an annual food drive.

This initiative is aimed at supporting families in need in the Altadena and unincorporated Pasadena area. The food drive, which runs from through November 30th, is accepting nonperishable food items.

The organizers are specifically requesting canned goods such as soup, green beans, corn, yams, cranberries, mixed veggies, and starch beans (pinto, kidney). In addition to these, boxes of stuffing, cornbread mix, packets of gravy or broth, boxes of jello/sweets, and boxes of mashed potatoes are also being accepted. These items were chosen for their long shelf life and nutritional value, making them ideal for a food drive of this nature.

Donations can be delivered to the Altadena Sheriff’s Station, located at 780 E. Altadena Drive, Altadena, CA 91001. The station is open for donations 24 hours a day, making it convenient for donors to drop off their contributions at any time.

Thursday, November 2, 2023

Jury Finds Woman Guilty For Murder of Foster Mother Who Had Custody of Her Child

By ANDRÉ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

A homeless woman was found guilty of strangling the foster mother in 2018 who was caring for the homeless woman’s daughter.

According to the prosecutors Mary Jean O’Connor tracked down 75-year old Jeri Douglas to her Pasadena home and strangled her.

O’Connor is scheduled to be sentenced next month. She faces 25 years to life.

Pasadena police officers found Douglas’ body inside her condo in the 200 block South Madison Avenue in Pasadena on Dec. 17, 2018. Paramedics declared her dead at the scene.

Authorities went to the home after one of Douglas’ daughters was unable to reach her mother for several days, according to Pasadena police.

O’Connor was arrested in a mobile home in North Hollywood in late December 2018 and charged with one count of murder.

In a Jan. 17, 2019 interview with the Pasadena Weekly, O’Connor proclaimed her innocence.

Monday, October 30, 2023

LA County Supervisors Demand Answers About Delay in Landlord-Relief Program

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Two Los Angeles County supervisors Monday called for an audit to determine why a rent-relief program for small property owners who are owed back rent accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic has yet to be implemented, despite being approved nine months ago.

The Board of Supervisors approved the program on Jan. 24, directing the county Department of Business and Consumer Affairs to distribute $45 million to “mom-and-pop” landlords who are owned back rent. But according to Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Holly Mitchell, the program still has not begun, with neither applications nor program guidelines being made available.

“Delaying the disbursement of relief funds to mom-and-pop property owners is simply unacceptable,” Barger said in a statement. “The motion I introduced included an expectation that this landlord relief program would be launched expeditiously. We’ve missed the mark and small property owners are bearing the brunt of DCBA’s delays.”

Barger and Mitchell called on the county CEO to conduct an audit to identify reasons for the delay,

Saturday, October 21, 2023

LA County Unemployment Rate Rises Slightly in September

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Los Angeles County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 5.1% in September, up slightly from a revised 5% in August, according to figures released Friday by the state Employment Development Department.

The 5.1% rate was above the 4.5% rate from September 2022.

In Orange County, where seasonally adjusted numbers were not available, the September unemployment rate was 3.7%, down slightly from 3.9% the previous month.

Statewide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.7% in September, 4.6% in August and 4% in September 2022. The comparable figures for the nation were 3.8% in September, 3.8% in August and 3.5% a year ago.

Total nonfarm employment in Los Angeles County increased by 20,200 positions between August and September to reach more than 4.6 million.

The government sector showed the biggest increase, adding 16,400 jobs, according to the EDD.

Wednesday, October 4, 2023

L.A. County Board OKs Amended 2023-24 Budget, Boosting Spending by $3.4 Billion

Crediting an influx of state and federal dollars along with higher-than-expected revenue and departmental cost savings, the county Board of Supervisors approved an amended $46.7 billion budget for the 2023-34 fiscal year Tuesday, adding hundreds of new positions.

The board unanimously approved a $3.4 billion supplemental budget plan, augmenting the initial $43.3 billion budget it approved for 2023-24 back in June.

In a presentation to the board, county CEO Fesia Davenport said more than half of the new funding, or about $1.8 billion, represented new funding from the state and federal governments. She noted that the bulk of that money is specifically “attached to particular programs or services,” meaning it mostly cannot be reallocated to other county programs.

The rest of the additional funding is the result of “operational savings” in various departments, including staff vacancies, cost savings in areas such as ongoing capital improvement projects and revenue collections that “exceeded what was anticipated,” primarily property tax revenue.

The new funding will be used to add 666 staff positions,