Wednesday, April 2, 2025

FEMA Granted $100 Million in Aid to LA County Fire Victims

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

Federal Emergency Management Agency doled out more than $100 million in federal assistance in response to the Los Angeles County wildfires in Eaton Canyon and the Palisades.

An official with Federal Emergency Management Agency’s public affairs office told Pasadena Now on Tuesday that in total $104,827,937.86 was given out for assistance. LA County residents received $26,457,850.91 in housing assistance and $78,370,086.95.

There was no breakdown available showing what local residents in Pasadena and Altadena received.

Seventeen people died as a result of the Eaton Fire which destroyed 9,000 buildings in Altadena and Pasadena, and burned 14,000 acres.

More than 200,000 Californians were evacuated.

LA County residents received $2 billion in home and business loan offers from the Small Business Association.

The deadline for local residents impacted by January’s Eaton Fire to apply for federal disaster assistance, including disaster loans from the Small Business Administration and disaster unemployment assistance,

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Democracy in the Dark: How California Lawmakers are Trying to Shield Themselves from Public View

By Sameea Kamal and Yue Stella Yu, CALMATTERS

At town halls across the nation, including in California, residents have confronted their members of Congress face-to-face to voice their fears and frustrations over Trump administration policies, from cuts to overseas aid to Medicare.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in the state Legislature have introduced about a dozen proposals that would make it harder to confront your local officials at public meetings and would shield more information from the public eye, according to an analysis of CalMatters’ Digital Democracy database.

The bills follow a streak of California officials’ attempts to shroud themselves in secrecy.

Gov. Gavin Newsom recently sent burner phones to major California business leaders with his number preprogrammed — paid for by his nonprofit, allowing him to communicate with executives without having to disclose the content publicly. Lawmakers and government employees signed non-disclosure agreements preventing them from sharing details about taxpayer-funded renovations to the state Capitol.

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Breaking Bread, Mending Hearts: New Horizon’s Eid Celebration Embraces Fire Victims

Community gathers for Eid breakfast, welcoming families affected by the Eaton Fire with open arms and traditional generosity

As hundreds of Muslim families gathered Sunday to celebrate Eid al-Fitr at New Horizon School Pasadena, their festive breakfast took on special meaning for several attendees who recently lost their homes in the Eaton Fire and were welcomed free of charge, embodying the holiday’s emphasis on community support and charitable giving.

The annual Eid breakfast, hosted by New Horizon School Pasadena at its campus on 651 North Orange Grove Boulevard, brought together students, faculty, and members of the broader Muslim community for a morning of prayers, food, and fellowship. This year’s gathering, held from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on March 30, was especially poignant, as organizers prioritized welcoming families displaced by the devastating wildfire.

“We wanted to ensure that families impacted by the fire could still partake in the joy and togetherness that this holiday represents,” said a New Horizon School Pasadena spokesperson.

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

House Approves Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act Co-Authored by Pasadena Congresswoman

Bipartisan legislation addresses gap in IRS authority for state-declared emergencies

The House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation Monday co-authored by Pasadena Congresswoman Judy Chu that would authorize the Internal Revenue Service to postpone tax filing deadlines for victims of state-declared natural disasters without waiting for federal declarations.

The Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act (H.R. 517), introduced by Reps. Chu and David Kustoff, R-Tenn., cleared the chamber in a 388-0 vote.

Currently, the Internal Revenue Service can only extend filing deadlines after presidentially-declared federal disasters, creating potential hardships for taxpayers affected by emergencies that receive only state-level declarations.

“While President Biden immediately declared a federal disaster for the Los Angeles fires that devastated my district in January, that was unusually fast,” said Rep. Chu. “That means that if disaster strikes during filing season, taxpayers run the risk of missing federal filing deadlines through no fault of their own. And, there may be serious natural disasters that affect taxpayers’

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Paradise Mayor Visits Altadena Fire Zone, Offers Recovery Insights

Mayor of town destroyed by 2018 Camp Fire shares rebuilding lessons with community devastated by Eaton Fire

The Mayor of Paradise, site of California’s deadliest wildfire, toured the Eaton Fire burn area in Altadena on Monday, March 31,  and offered his insights and guidance on rebuilding based on his town’s recovery from the 2018 Camp Fire.

Paradise Mayor Steve Crowder, accompanied by local and state leaders during an hour-long tour, emphasized that Altadena will recover despite the challenging path ahead.

“Well, I think the first thing they can learn is they will recover,” Crowder said, speaking of Altadenans. “They also need to realize that it, it’s not a quick process or an easy process.”

Crowder reached out to members of the Altadena Town Council the night of the fire to express support, according to KNBC-TV News reporter Traci Li Long. Crowder told Li Long that watching the Eaton Fire unfold hit him hard because it looked exactly like the Camp Fire in Paradise in 2018 — with no rain,

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

New County Tax to Support Homeless Prevention Measures Starts Tuesday

CITY NEWS SERVICE

A revamped anti-homelessness funding measure approved by Los Angeles County voters in November is set to take effect Tuesday, meaning the county’s sales tax will rise by a quarter-cent.

Los Angeles County voters approved Measure A — a half-cent sales tax – – to help maintain existing programs and provide more revenue to address the homelessness crisis in the region. The measure will replace a quarter-cent county sales tax approved by voters in 2017, under then-Measure H. That sales tax had a 10-year lifespan, and it was set to expire in 2027.

Measure A — the Affordable Housing, Homelessness Solutions and Prevention Now measure — will remain in perpetuity unless it is repealed by voters.

According to the written language of the measure, about 60% of revenue generated by the sales tax will cover costs for homelessness services and 15% of that will be distributed to cities based on the annual point-in-time count of homeless people.

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Paris Hilton Helps Local Women-Owned Businesses Rebuild After Eaton Fire

By André Coleman, Managing Editor

Several Pasadena-based business owners received $25,000 grants to help rebuild their businesses lost in the Eaton Fire. Recipients include owners of childcare centers, bakeries, bookshops, dance studios, and salons, including the Little Red Hen, Octavia’s Bookshelf, and Pasadena Rosebud Academy.

“One of our parents sent us a video of [the school] on fire,” Shawn Brown, founder and executive director of the Rosebud Academy, told Pasadena Now in an interview after the fire. “We knew at that point that, for the most part, our school had burned.”

The Pasadena Women’s Business Center also received a $25,000 grant. The money will be used to offer free advising services to local entrepreneurs.

“[Fifty] incredible women-owned businesses have been awarded grants to help them rebuild and thrive,” the center posted on its website. “They represent the heart of their communities—from beloved neighborhood restaurants and childcare centers to fitness studios, florists, and family-run shops.”

The grants are part of GoFundMe.org’s Wildfire Relief Fund,

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Supervisors to Vote on Resolution Extending Eaton Fire Emergency

By André Coleman, Managing Editor

The County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on a resolution that would continue the local emergency declaration caused by the Eaton Fire and windstorm event that decimated Altadena in January.

“At this time, conditions of disaster or of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property caused by the January 2025 Windstorm and Critical Fire Events continue to exist; this warrants the local emergency being continued by the Board,” the resolution reads.

The proclaimed local emergency for the January 2025 Windstorm and Critical Fire Events has been in effect since January 7, 2025, and continued by the Board thereafter.

The declaration enables the County to access state and federal assistance and expedite resource procurements.

“The local emergency provides the County with the ability to continue its efforts to assess costs and damages and perform significant repairs to damaged property within the County,” according to the resolution. “By continuing the local emergency,

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Nearby Residents Unhappy With Decision at Altadena Golf Course

By André Coleman, Managing Editor

Local residents in Altadena on Monday told Pasadena Now that the Army Corps of Engineers, local residents living near the Altadena Golf Course are worried that an operation to place hazardous materials at the Altadena Golf Course could recontaminate their homes and put their families’ health and safety at risk.

On Monday, the Army Corps of Engineers began transporting burn debris to the former Altadena Town & Country Club Golf Course which was destroyed in the Eaton Fire in January.

The property is staging for the temporary storage of hazardous materials collected from the Eaton fire burn footprint. Staging areas have also been established in Duarte and Farnsworth Park in Altadena.

“All of the reasons given for why this is a good idea are anecdotal, and not data driven, and when the data is asked for to support this notion,” said George Gund.

Residents have expressed concerns over noise and air quality issues as crews work to transfer the debris,

Monday, March 31, 2025

Average LA County Gas Price Rises for Ninth Time in 10 Days

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County rose Monday for the ninth time in 10 days, increasing 2.2 cents to $4.819, a day after rising 3.3 cents.

The average price has risen 16 cents over the past 10 days, including 5.3 cents Saturday, its largest increase since April 5, according to figures from the AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. It rose three consecutive days, increasing 1 cent, dropped four-tenths of a cent Tuesday and resumed increasing Wednesday.

The average price is 16 cents more than it was one week ago and 6.2 cents higher than one month ago but 32.5 cents less than one year ago. It has dropped $1.675 since rising to a record $6.494 on Oct. 5, 2022.

The national average price of a gallon of gas rose nine-tenths of a cent to $3.168, a day after it was unchanged. It has increased seven of the past eight days.