Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Investigation into Power Line as Possible Cause of Eaton Fire Ramps Up

STAFF REPORT

After initially claiming there was no evidence its equipment was at fault in the Eaton Wildfire that left more than a dozen people dead, Southern California Edison (SCE) is now investigating one of its power lines as the possible origin of the blaze.

The utility is checking a “zombie” power line. According to SCE spokesperson Kathleen Dunleavy, zombie power lines are no longer energized.

The fire, which broke out in early January, was driven by intense winds and killed 17 people, destroyed 9,000 structures in Altadena and Pasadena, and burned more than 14,000 acres.

At least two videos appear to show sparks coming from the power line, and then the fire breaking out on the hillside in Eaton Canyon.

At least 50 law firms appeared in court on Monday, representing Altadena and Pasadena residents who have filed lawsuits against Edison. The City and the Pasadena Unified School District have also filed lawsuits.

SCE is gathering evidence and inspecting its equipment in the area where the fire started.

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

LA County Assessor Outlines Tax Relief For Eaton Fire Victims

County’s “Misfortune and Calamity” program allows homeowners to maintain tax base while rebuilding

Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang presented detailed information about property tax relief programs available to Eaton Fire victims at Monday’s Pasadena City Council meeting. The programs aim to help affected property owners maintain their tax base and receive lower property tax bills until they rebuild their homes.

“If your home is destroyed, land is worth 50% of the value, we will zero out the value on the improvements. You’ll get a lower tax bill until you begin to rebuild your home,” Prang explained in his presentation to the council.

Prang highlighted the “Misfortune and Calamity” tax relief program as the primary resource for fire victims. To qualify, property damage must exceed $10,000 (including smoke damage) and claims must be filed within 12 months of the fire date, though Prang mentioned he is sponsoring legislation to extend this period to 24 months.

The assessor addressed a significant challenge with the January 1st lien date for assessments,

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Court Hearing Today for Woman Convicted in Fatal Altadena Shooting

2012 murder case involved dispute over a 4-year-old child

A hearing is scheduled Tuesday, March 18 for Mesha Arshaz Dean, who was convicted of fatally shooting a man during a confrontation over his 4-year-old nephew in Altadena.

The hearing will take place at 8:30 a.m. in Department 110 of the Criminal Courts Building in downtown Los Angeles.

Dean was convicted in March 2012 of second-degree murder, kidnapping and child endangerment in the March 18, 2007, shooting death of Monroe “Monty” Miles. She was sentenced to 49 years and four months-to-life in state prison.

According to court records, Dean and her girlfriend, Vanessa Marie Ochoa, traveled from Nevada to California to take Ochoa’s son from his father’s home without permission. Ochoa had previously left her son with his father while establishing a new life in Nevada. Miles, the boy’s uncle who had been caring for the child while his father was away, attempted to stop them.

Prosecutors said Dean and Ochoa had planned to take the child by force if necessary,

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

California’s Medi-Cal Shortfall Hits $6.2 Billion with ‘Unprecedented’ Cost Increases

By Ana B. Ibarra, CALMATTERS

The hole in California’s Medi-Cal budget seems to be bigger than what state officials reported just last week.

California health care officials told the Legislature on Monday that the state will need another $2.8 billion to be able to pay Medi-Cal providers through the end of the fiscal year.

That’s on top of a $3.4 billion loan that the administration told lawmakers last week it needed to make “critical” payments for Medi-Cal, the state-federal health insurance program for low-income people.

Combined, that’s $6.2 billion in spending above what was projected in the budget Gov. Gavin Newsom signed last summer. Almost 15 million Californians have health care coverage through Medi-Cal, also known as Medicaid.

“With the loan and these additional funds, the administration anticipates being able to manage expenditures for the remainder of the current year,” said Michelle Bass, director of the Department of Health Care Services, which oversees Medi-Cal.

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

‘Quiet Panic’ as National Rental Assistance Program Set to Run Out of Cash

By Ben Christopher, CALMATTERS

[Editor’s Note: The Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program, which provides housing assistance to vulnerable populations, is administered locally by the City of  Pasadena’s Department of Housing.]

A $5 billion pot of federal money set aside to help people on the verge of homelessness pay the rent is running out of cash — and no one has a plan to keep the roughly 60,000 renters, more than 15,000 of them in California — from losing their housing after the last dollar is spent.

News of the imminent expiration of the Emergency Housing Voucher program came in a March 6 letter the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development sent to local public housing authorities, the agencies that administer federal rental housing assistance programs.

A final payment this spring may allow some agencies to keep their emergency programs running into 2026, the letter reads. But housing authorities were advised to move forward with “the expectation that no additional funding from HUD will be forthcoming.”

For the housing authority staff who received the letter,

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Report: California Construction Sector Loses Most Jobs in Nation in 2024

CITY NEWS SERVICE | PASADENA NOW CONTRIBUTED TO THIS STORY

Ironically, California lost the most construction jobs in the nation last year, according to a report issued Monday by the Associated General Contractors of America. The Eaton Fire recovery may change the 2025 outlook.

From January 2024 to January 2025, the state lost 27,600 jobs or 3% of its construction work sector, AGC reported.

New York followed with 11,700 jobs lost, Arizona with 7,700 and Massachusetts with 6,700.

“While two-thirds of the states added construction jobs over the past year, gains were much less widespread recently,” Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, said in a statement. “Some of the job losses in January may be due to bad weather, but many owners have paused projects in the face of rising uncertainty about funding and tariffs.”

AGC officials urged the Trump administration to quickly resolve the underlying disputes prompting many of the proposed and put-in-place tariffs on products,

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

USC Launches Free Lead Testing Program for Los Angeles Communities Affected by Wildfires

New CLEAN project allows residents to mail or drop off soil samples at three locations including Altadena

The University of Southern California (USC) has launched a new initiative offering free lead testing of soil samples from areas potentially affected by recent Los Angeles wildfires. The Contaminant Level Evaluation & Analysis for Neighborhoods (CLEAN) project is now accepting samples by mail or at three community drop-off locations, including Altadena.

The program, developed by USC’s Department of Earth Sciences and Public Exchange, aims to rapidly evaluate and communicate lead contamination levels in soils and playgrounds in fire-impacted areas. Anyone in Los Angeles concerned about fire impacts on soil can participate in the cost-free program, the project announcement said.

“This is a developing initiative that aims to quickly evaluate and communicate the levels of lead contamination in soils and playgrounds in fire-impacted areas in the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires in January,” the CLEAN project team said.

USC said while they’re currently only testing for lead contamination,

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Slain Altadena Teen’s Legacy Lives On Through Basketball Tournament and Scholarship Program

Annual event in Pasadena will award funds to high-achieving students and families affected by wildfire

The 11th Annual Brandon Jackson Memorial Scholarship and Basketball Classic will take place on May 3 at John Muir High School in Pasadena. The event honors the memory of a young basketball player who was tragically killed in a shooting in Altadena on Feb. 12, 2011.

David Williams, Jackson’s coach in the Amateur Athletic Union and former college athlete, established the scholarship in 2011. He has since formed Empower U, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, to expand the program’s reach and impact.

“To date he has awarded $156,000 in scholarships to 79 students in Brandon’s honor,” Empower U said in a press statement.

The basketball tournament will run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with a special ceremony at 2 p.m. During this break, Williams and special guests will present checks to scholarship recipients and two families affected by the Eaton Canyon Fire.

Empower U focuses on supporting “high-achieving,

Monday, March 17, 2025

Newsweek Ranks Kaiser Permanente Hospitals as Being Among the Best in California and the U.S.

Several Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Southern California rank among the top best medical centers in the state and the U.S. for providing high-quality patient care and service, according to Newsweek.

Newsweek/Statista rated more than 4,000 hospitals from 30 countries, including over 400 from the United States and 41 from California.

According to the magazine, the following Kaiser Permanente medical centers made Newsweek’s list of Best hospitals in the U.S. and California: Los Angeles Medical Center, Woodland Hills Medical Center, Anaheim and Irvine medical centers, and Zion and San Diego medical centers. Kaiser Permanente Southern California is headquartered in Pasadena.

This was the seventh straight year that Newsweek placed Woodland Hills Medical Center on its list of best hospitals. Los Angeles Medical Center and Zion and San Diego medical centers are on the list for the sixth straight year. Additionally, Newsweek recognized three Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Southern California for ‘infection prevention’ excellence: Los Angeles, Anaheim and Irvine medical centers.

“We’re grateful that so many of our Kaiser Permanente Southern California hospitals received such a prestigious recognition of being among the top medical centers in the state and the country,” said Michelle Gaskill-Hames,

Monday, March 17, 2025

Dozens of Lawsuits Against Edison Over Eaton Fire Head to Court Today for Key Hearing

Case management conference aims to coordinate litigation in catastrophic wildfire that killed 17, destroyed thousands of homes

Multiple lawsuits against Southern California Edison over the devastating Eaton Fire are scheduled for a case management conference today, marking an important step in litigation that alleges the utility’s equipment sparked the deadly blaze.

The 10 a.m. hearing at the Spring Street Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles will address proceedings for numerous plaintiffs, including Jeremy Gursey, who filed one of the first suits after losing his Altadena home in January.

The fire, which began Jan. 7 in Pasadena and Altadena, killed at least 17 people and destroyed approximately 9,400 structures while damaging more than 1,000 others.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs allege that SCE’s equipment caused the fire. According to Gursey’s lawsuit, “at approximately 6:18 p.m., an electrical failure occurred on energized overhead power lines owned, operated, and controlled by Defendant SCE, causing an arc and/or electrical sparks that ignited susceptible ground vegetation below and resulting in the ignition of the Eaton Fire.”