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.”

Sunday, March 16, 2025

Loma Alta Park To Reopen As Community Support Hub

April volunteer days aim to restore park facilities and landscaping

With urging from Altadena residents, the reopening of Loma Alta Park on May 10 will also see the transformation of the park into a community support hub to assist Altadena families, children, and seniors affected by the disaster, according to an annoucement by the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation.

“The vision is for this park to serve as a hopeful sign of Altadena rising — to bring neighborhood residents together, to assist the community with critical services needed to help it heal and rebuild its future,” according to LA County Parks.

Loma Alta Park, the first Altadena park to reopen since the fire, will host multiple essential services including a satellite Altadena Senior Center to replace the one burned in the Eaton Fire.

The park will also provide space for an after-school child-care center serving 100 youth ages 5-12, addressing the loss of 34 childhood education licensed facilities destroyed in the disaster.

Friday, March 14, 2025

PUSD Board Votes to Sue Southern California Edison Over Eaton Fire

District follows earlier City of Pasadena announcement of legal action against utility company for January disaster

The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to pursue litigation against Southern California Edison and other defendants to recover damages resulting from the catastrophic Eaton fire that devastated the community in January.

The 7-0 vote took place during a closed session of the Board’s special meeting on March 14, with the decision announced when the public portion of the meeting resumed.

“Today the Board voted seven to zero to initiate litigation against responsible defendants including Southern California Edison to recover damages resulting from the Eaton fire,” said the Board member identified as Speaker 2 in the meeting transcript after emerging from closed session.

The Eaton Fire in January 2025 substantially damaged or destroyed five campuses within the Pasadena Unified School District. These include: Eliot Arts Magnet Middle School, Franklin Elementary (which was already closed in 2020 but sustained about 80% damage),

Friday, March 14, 2025

PUSD Certifies Positive Financial Status, But Acknowledges Fire Insurance Revenues Mask Shortfalls

The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education certified a positive financial condition for the current and next two fiscal years on Thursday, though officials emphasized this status largely stems from temporary fire-related insurance revenues that are currently exceeding expenditures.

The certification, approved during a special meeting, confirms the District is projected to meet its financial obligations through the 2026-2027 fiscal year. However, District officials warned that significant budget challenges remain unresolved.

“The proposed reductions approved on February 27th were not sufficient to close the shortfall,” said Chief Business Officer Saman Bravo-Karimi during his presentation to the Board. “Additional reductions will be necessary in the future.”

The District is currently projecting operating deficits of nearly $40 million for the current year (2024-2025) and $29.5 million for 2025-2026, with a small surplus in 2026-2027 that depends on fire-related insurance funds, according to Bravo-Karimi.

Several factors are driving the District’s financial difficulties, including continued declining enrollment, the expiration of one-time COVID relief funds,

Friday, March 14, 2025

What to Know About Two New Measles Cases in California

By Lynn La, CALMATTERS

California public health officials are closely monitoring two residents who recently tested positive for measles. Officials are on high alert given ongoing measles outbreaks in Texas, New Mexico and abroad.

The Los Angeles and Fresno public health departments each disclosed a case on Tuesday. In both cases, the infected individuals had traveled internationally, officials said. So far this year, the California Department of Public Health has confirmed a total of five cases. No deaths have been reported here. Nationally, more than 250 cases have been confirmed, the vast majority out of West Texas, where last month one unvaccinated child died.

L.A. health officials in their announcement said the individual who tested positive for measles arrived at LAX on March 5 on a China Airlines flight. The city’s public health department is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to notify people who were on that flight and may have been exposed,

Friday, March 14, 2025

Keys of Loss and Hope: Community Transforms Destruction Into Memorial Art Project

After January Eaton Fire, residents rally to collect keys as symbol of resilience

In the wake of the January Eaton Fire, a community-driven initiative has emerged to transform personal tragedy into a powerful collective statement of hope and rebuilding.

The Keychain Project, started by Altadena resident Kate Sullivan after losing her house, invites those who lost homes, apartments, or businesses to preserve their keys as part of a unique memorial.

Sullivan’s vision originated from a post on Nextdoor, capturing the imagination of local volunteers who saw deeper meaning in the humble household object.

“A key has power. A key is the last thing you put in your pocket or toss in your bag as you go for your neighborhood walk and you always fish around for when you get back,” explains Caty Maxey, a project volunteer. “Keys are among the most vital tools humans own; Hearing the jingle of your keys makes you feel safe.”

The project has established multiple drop-off locations across the San Gabriel Valley:

• Samy’s Camera (1759 E.

Friday, March 14, 2025

Teacher Layoffs Spark Outcry Amid School District’s Budget Crisis and Eaton Fire Recovery

Facing significant budget shortfall, PUSD Board hears emotional pleas about impact on traumatized community

[Updated] The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education faced impassioned pleas from teachers and parents during a Thursday, March 13 Special Meeting as the Board reviewed the possibility of 117 teacher layoffs amid a $37 million budget deficit.

The likelihood of cuts, in the wake of January’s devastating Eaton Fire, has raised serious concerns about stability for students already grappling with trauma.

“The wildfire you are unleashing on our schools is unconscionable,” Jonathan Gardner, president of the United Teachers of Pasadena, told the Board during the meeting. “The vast majority of the cuts you have enacted to balance your budget have been in our schools, resulting in 125 teachers being told they don’t have a job next year.”

The layoffs include 65 individuals who received pink slips last week, in addition to temporary teachers whose contracts will not be renewed, according to Gardner.