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Friday, May 7, 2021

A Licensed Vocational Nurse Finds Time to Help Children in Foster Care in Altadena

A Licensed Vocational Nurse Finds Time to Help Children in Foster Care in Altadena

STAFF REPORT

 

Genevieve Laguna, a licensed vocational nurse, works tirelessly to keep people safe, healthy, and recover from surgeries. Overworked and exhausted, Laguna still finds time to help others outside of the hospital.

Six years ago, her friend who lives down the street from Five Acres, a foster care and mental health charity in Altadena, was interested in volunteering and reached out to Laguna to support a Christmas collection drive for the charity. Since then, Laguna, a Montclair resident, has committed to having a pajama clothes drive for the children living at Five Acres in time for Christmas Eve. Each year Five Acres children open their pajama gift, have hot cocoa, and enjoy a holiday movie.

“Like most people, I’ve gone through some very personal things in my life where I’ve been down and out, but instead of giving up, I’ve learned what it means to live in gratitude,” said Laguna. “I am truly blessed and grateful for all that I have,

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Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Sheriff’s Tech Chief Eli Vera Will Run Against Villanueva in 2022

Sheriff’s Tech Chief Eli Vera Will Run Against Villanueva in 2022

CITY NEWS SERVICE

A senior member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s leadership ranks today announced his intention to run against Sheriff Alex Villanueva in 2022.

Eliezer Vera is chief of the department’s Technology and Support Division, and has been with the LASD since 1988. He criticized Villanueva for how the sheriff has handled disagreements since his election in 2018.

Although the Sheriff’s Department does not patrol Pasadena, deputies patrol nearby unincorporated Altadena and work with the Pasadena Police Department.

Locally, Villanueva faced criticism when he threatened to close the Altadena substation. He has also ignored several subpoenas issued by the department’s Civilian Oversight Commission.

“I believe as law enforcement officers our mission is to bring calmness and civility and peace to very difficult situations. And what we’ve witnessed from the current sheriff is someone that when someone disagrees with him, we see nothing but utter disdain and contempt,” Vera said as he announced his candidacy this morning in Grand Park,

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Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Newsom: State Will Ease Mask Rule To Align With New Federal Guidance

Newsom: State Will Ease Mask Rule To Align With New Federal Guidance

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Gov. Gavin Newsom said today the state will loosen its COVID-19 mask mandate to align with new federal guidance, saying fully vaccinated people can gather outdoors and dine at outdoor restaurants without face coverings.

The new guidance was issued Tuesday morning by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a White House briefing that for people fully vaccinated against COVID, “things are much safer for you than those who are not fully vaccinated.”

Under the new CDC guidance, people can walk, run or bike outdoors with members of their own household without a mask, regardless of whether they are vaccinated. But people who are vaccinated can also shed their masks for small outdoor gatherings and for outdoor dining with people from other households.

Masks are still urged for anyone — vaccinated or not — attending an indoor activity or patronizing indoor businesses, and for anyone at a crowded outdoor event,

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Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Webster’s Pharmacy in Altadena Distributing COVID-19 Vaccinations

Webster’s Pharmacy in Altadena Distributing COVID-19 Vaccinations

COVID-19 vaccines are available to those 18 and older at Webster’s Community Pharmacy in Altadena, the business has announced.

The pharmacy at 2450 Lake Ave. is distributing the Moderna vaccine via online appointments, which can be made at https://scrcxp.pdhi.com/Portal/Member/d1e1f5d5-007f-4167-b8d1-1ea83cb3b215, co-owner Michael miller said. Walk-ins and appointments by phone are not available.

“We’re doing, I’d say, about 30 to 35 shots a day at this point,” he said.

The vaccines became available at the pharmacy this week.

Webster’s staff members were preparing to begin vaccinations with the Johnson & Johnson formulation several weeks ago, but usage of that vaccine was placed on hold as authorities looked into reports of possible serious side effects.

In keeping with standard procedure, after receiving the vaccine, patients are advised to hang around for 15 minutes so staff can watch for any potential adverse reactions, co-owner Meredith Miller said.

In the meantime, “we’re giving them a 15% discount during those 15 minutes,” she said.

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Tuesday, April 20, 2021

L.A. County Supervisors Votes in Support of $36.2 Billion Recommended Budget

L.A. County Supervisors Votes in Support of $36.2 Billion Recommended Budget

By ELIZABETH MARCELLINO, City News Service

Photo courtesy LACounty.gov

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday took the first of multiple votes to adopt a $36.2 billion recommended budget for fiscal year 2021-22, which highlights spending to expand safety-net services, support economic recovery and address racial and other inequities.

The budget process will continue with public hearings on May 19 and major adjustments will be made before the budget is ultimately finalized in October. For example, the budget does not yet include roughly $1.9 billion in federal funding expected to flow to the county from the most recent coronavirus relief package.

County CEO Fesia Davenport released the budget recommendations Monday, emphasizing spending to combat homelessness and fund new social justice initiatives during that presentation and again in her recap to the board on Tuesday.

“Clearly, this pandemic has exposed and increased huge inequities between the haves and the have-nots, and the county’s safety net was called upon as never before over the last 12 months,”

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Saturday, April 17, 2021

Unemployment Rate Dips In LA County In March

Unemployment Rate Dips In LA County In March

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Los Angeles County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dipped to 11.3% in March, down from a revised 11.5% in February, according to figures released Friday by the state Employment Development Department.

The 11.3% rate was still well above the pre-pandemic rate of 5.4% in March 2020.

Statewide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.3% in March, down from 8.5% in February, but also well above the 4.5% rate from March 2020. The comparable estimates for the nation were 6% in March, 6.2% in February and 4.5% in March 2020.

According to the EDD, total nonfarm employment in Los Angeles County increased by 34,200 jobs between February and March to reach about 4.1 million. The leisure and hospitality sector led the way with 13,300 jobs.

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Wednesday, April 14, 2021

COVID-19 Deaths Linked to Poor Air Quality

COVID-19 Deaths Linked to Poor Air Quality

CITY NEWS SERVICE

A research project led by the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health found that Los Angeles County neighborhoods with poor air quality had the highest coronavirus death rates, it was announced today.

“Our findings imply a potentially large association between exposure to air pollution and population-level rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths,” said Dr. Michael Jerrett, a Fielding School professor of environmental health sciences and the project’s leader. “These findings are especially important for targeting interventions aimed at limiting the impact of COVID-19 in polluted communities.”

The research — “Spatial Analysis of COVID-19 and Traffic-Related Air Pollution in Los Angeles” — is being published in the August edition of the peer-reviewed journal Environment International and is now available online.

One example of the findings is Los Angeles County neighborhoods with the worst air quality saw a 60% increase in COVID-19 fatalities when compared with communities with the best air quality.

“In the U.S.,

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Thursday, April 8, 2021

COVID Vaccine Appointments Up For Grabs? Blame Scheduling, Not Lack Of Demand

COVID Vaccine Appointments Up For Grabs? Blame Scheduling, Not Lack Of Demand

CITY NEWS SERVICE

COVID-19 vaccination appointments — often a hot commodity in Los Angeles County — appeared widely available Wednesday, but the county’s public health director said it was likely the result of scheduling issues, not a sign of dwindling demand.

Barbara Ferrer also said that even if there is a sudden wide availability of appointments, it doesn’t mean the county should immediately expand eligibility to everyone aged 16 and over, which is scheduled to occur April 15.

“There’s 5.5 million people in (currently) eligible groups, and all of them have not received their first dose,” Ferrer said. “… We only opened for people 50 and older a few days ago, so we’re going to continue to make sure there’s good access.”

Officials at the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services announced Wednesday morning that there were immediate appointments available for vaccines at the federally operated site at Cal State Los Angeles. Appointments were also readily available at many Los Angeles city-operated sites,

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Monday, April 5, 2021

61-Year-Old Diabetic Man Reported Missing in Altadena Has Been Found

61-Year-Old Diabetic Man Reported Missing in Altadena Has Been Found

CITY NEWS SERVICE

A 61-year-old schizophrenic man with type-2 diabetes who went missing in Altadena has been found, the sheriff’s department reported
today.

Michael Coker was reported missing last Thursday and the Los Angeles

County Sheriff’s Department had sought the public’s help to find him.

The LASD announced on Monday afternoon that Coker had been found. No further information was released.

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Friday, April 2, 2021

Altadena Libraries to Begin Phased Reopening Next Week

Altadena Libraries to Begin Phased Reopening Next Week

New partnership with local businesses announced

Altadena Libraries plans to begin a phased reopening of its facilities Monday, while also kicking off a new program to allow members to get discounts at local businesses with their library cards, representatives said.

The reopening coincides with National Library Week, April 4-10.

Following a closure prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, library facilities will reopen with limited capacity and services, primarily geared toward providing members with computer and internet access, Altadena Libraries said in a written statement.

“The Bob Lucas Memorial Library and the Community Room at the Main Library will be open for limited hours to help meet needs for computer access and bring back the joy of browsing,” according to the statement. “While the main floor at the Main Library on Mariposa Street will still be closed to the public, the Community Room has been laid out to allow for socially distanced services.”

More information on services and hours at each branch can be found online at altadenalibrary.org/reopening.

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