Sunday, August 10, 2025

Low-Income Housing Advocates Sue to Rezone Fire-Ravaged Palisades, Altadena Areas

The lawsuit challenges SB 9 development bans in post-fire zones, citing recovery and affordability concerns

A coalition of low-income housing groups and attorneys filed suit this week to challenge state and local restrictions on development in fire-damaged areas of Pacific Palisades and in Altadena, arguing that the bans hinder affordable housing efforts amid post-disaster recovery.

The lawsuit targets Governor Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order N-32-25, which suspended SB 9 applications within “Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones” affected by the January Pacific Palisades and Eaton fires. The order was confirmed in a July 30 press release from the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office and further clarified by the Governor’s Office, which stated the suspension applies to all state-level SB 9 permits within the fire perimeters of Pacific Palisades and in Altadena.

Sonja Trauss, executive director of YIMBY Law, said the governor’s emergency powers must be used to facilitate—not restrict—rebuilding efforts.

“Rebuilding is recovery. Allowing more people to do more with their land is facilitating recovery,” she said.

Saturday, August 9, 2025

Woman Rescued After 300-Foot Plunge Off Angeles Crest Highway Above Pasadena

A woman was airlifted to safety Friday afternoon after her vehicle plunged 300 feet off Angeles Crest Highway near Mile Marker 28, in a remote canyon area above Pasadena. The dramatic multi-agency rescue operation involved the Pasadena Police Department and Altadena Mountain Rescue Team, among others, according to KCBS News.

An electricity crew working in the canyon witnessed the fall and initially attempted to assist before calling 911, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Sergeant John Gilbert.

“They took one of their workers and went down and were trying to help this person,” Gilbert told KCBS.

The rescue effort mobilized 20 personnel from five agencies, including Los Angeles County Fire, Air Rescue 5, Pasadena Police Department, and search and rescue teams from Altadena and Montrose.

The operation was complicated by power lines directly overhead the crash site, requiring the woman to be loaded into a rescue basket and hoisted out by helicopter.

During the mission, one rescuer was stung by a bee and suffered an allergic reaction,

Friday, August 8, 2025

California Supreme Court Hands Victory to Rooftop Solar Panel Owners

By Malena Carollo, CALMATTERS

The California Supreme Court today sided with environmental groups in a case seen as pivotal for the proliferation of rooftop solar power in California.

In a unanimous vote, justices told a lower court to revisit a ruling that upheld reduced payments to solar panel owners for selling excess power back to utility companies. Justices did not rule on whether the changes to the solar program were legal, requiring the court of appeals to determine this.

“They basically said the lower court kind of punted on the whole substance of the [solar payments] decision,” Bernadette Del Chiaro, vice president for California at the Environmental Working Group, said. “I do think they’re clearly stating this needs to be reviewed.”

At issue is a 2022 decision by state regulators to reduce by about 75% payments to solar panel owners for excess power. The change was intended to help make bills affordable for all customers while still encouraging the adoption of renewable energy sources.

Friday, August 8, 2025

Holden To Host 26th Annual Community Resource Fair and Block Party

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

Former Assemblymember and current LA Fire Justice CEO Chris Holden will host the 26th Annual Community Resource Fair and Block Party on Saturday, Aug. 23, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the 500 block of East Jackson Street in Pasadena.

The event, presented in partnership with LA Fire Justice, aims to support resilience for Altadena businesses and families by connecting residents with essential community resources, entertainment, and opportunities to support local enterprises.

The family-friendly gathering will feature games, live music, and information booths from local nonprofits and public agencies.

Attendees will also have a chance to shop with local vendors and businesses.

In previous years, the block party has drawn families and civic leaders from across the San Gabriel Valley.

Organizers say this year’s event continues the tradition of combining fun with public service, aiming to foster community resilience in the face of economic and social challenges.

The event is free and open to the public.

Friday, August 8, 2025

First Signs of Recovery Rise from Eaton Fire Ashes as Homeowners Begin to Rebuild

Seven months after the Eaton Fire reduced their Montana Street home to rubble, a Pasadena couple cut a ceremonial ribbon Tuesday over the cleared lot where their new life will rise—marking what officials describe as one of the first reconstruction projects to begin in the fire-devastated community.

The moment carried weight beyond one family’s recovery. As neighbors gathered to watch the simple ceremony on the debris-free lot, they witnessed the first tangible sign that their scorched neighborhood might heal.

“We know the community is going through this together,” said Alex Rahban, whose construction firm is handling the rebuild. “The most important thing is to keep morale high and keep pushing forward—together.”

The August 5 gathering drew an unusual crowd for what would typically be a routine construction milestone.

Paul Little, President of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, brought board members to mark what he called “the first step of recovery from the Eaton Fire.”

“It is very exciting to be here to mark the beginning of rebuilding in Pasadena,”

Friday, August 8, 2025

Pasadena Grid Holding Steady Amid Heat Wave; No Outages or Flex Alerts in Effect

Despite high temperatures across Southern California, Pasadena’s electrical grid remains stable with no outages, Flex Alerts, or Public Safety Power Shutoffs in effect, according to early morning Friday reports from Pasadena Water and Power and Southern California Edison.

The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) confirmed normal statewide grid operations Friday morning, citing a surplus of 1,451 megawatts above one-day-in-ten-years planning targets and robust battery storage capacity totaling 15,763 MW. The agency’s 2025 Summer Assessment indicates sufficient resources to meet demand under current conditions, with capacity margins exceeding demand and reserve requirements for the third consecutive year.

Local Utility Status 

Pasadena Water and Power reported zero active outages and no planned maintenance affecting customer service. The distribution system is operating normally. Southern California Edison noted minimal disruptions, with only 814 customers affected across Los Angeles County—representing 0.07% of its customer base. No shutoffs are under consideration for Pasadena or Altadena. Ventura County reported 1,966 customers affected.

Heat Wave Conditions 

The National Weather Service has issued heat advisories for much of the region,

Thursday, August 7, 2025

Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Lift Immigration Raids Restrictions

CITY NEWS SERVICE

As anticipated, the Trump administration Thursday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block a court order barring federal agents from making immigration arrests via raids that a Los Angeles federal judge determined were carried out without probable cause.

The emergency petition from the Justice Department comes after an appeals court denied the government’s bid to lift the temporary restraining order freezing the raids as they were previously carried out.

“This case involves a district-court injunction that threatens to upend immigration officials’ ability to enforce the immigration laws in the Central District of California by hanging the prospect of contempt over every investigative stop of suspected illegal aliens,” according to the Justice Department’s application to the Supreme Court TO stay the lower court order.

The high court will decide whether to grant emergency relief pending further litigation.

Friday night, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the federal government’s request to reverse the order prohibiting federal agencies —

Thursday, August 7, 2025

Steadfast LA to Provide Grants for Small Businesses Impacted by January Fires

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Small business owners affected by January’s wildfires will be able to apply for grants up to $50,000 through Steadfast LA, a nonprofit dedicated to the rebuilding of fire-impacted areas of Los Angeles, developer and former mayoral candidate Rick Caruso announced Wednesday.

Caruso, who formed Steadfast LA, formally introduced the initiative at Wednesday’s CNBC Small Business Playbook 2025 event alongside Gordon and Shirely Wong, owners of Knoll’s Pharmacy in Pacific Palisades.

To begin the program, the Bank of California’s Wildfire Relief and Recovery Fund donated $1 million to help retailers, restaurants and other independent businesses in Altadena, Malibu and Pacific Palisades. Steadfast LA is expected to conduct outreach to other philanthropic and private donors for further funding of the grant initiative.

“These small businesses were about much more than commercial or economic activity. They were local hallmarks that gave neighborhoods their soul and fostered a sense of community,” Caruso said. “We cannot abandon them. This is about ensuring they have the tools,

Thursday, August 7, 2025

Study: Actual Death Toll from LA Wildfires May Be Much Higher Than Reported

CITY NEWS SERVICE

While the official death toll from January’s Palisades and Eaton fires stands at 31, a research paper published Wednesday suggests the actual number of fire-related fatalities is likely much higher — in the hundreds.

The research paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that there were 440 more deaths between Jan. 5 and Feb. 1 in Los Angeles County than would be typically expected. Many of those are likely attributable to the wildfires, which erupted Jan. 7.

The additional deaths are likely attributable to fire-related factors such as lung or heart conditions that were exacerbated by smoke or stress and indirect causes such as disruptions to health systems and mental health impacts, according to the paper.

“Attributing deaths properly to a wildfire is just almost an impossible task,” Andrew Stokes, an associate professor at Boston University and a mortality demographer who co-authored the research, told the Los Angeles Times. “The research highlights the need for these types of modeling efforts to really get at the true burden of these disasters.”

Thursday, August 7, 2025

Democracy Be Damned: Texas and California Plot Dueling Congressional Gerrymanders

By Dan Walters, CALMATTERS

Under pressure from President Donald Trump, Texas’ dominant Republicans are attempting to redraw the state’s congressional districts and thus increase the number of GOP-held seats after the midterms.

Republicans have a paper-thin majority in the House of Representative. Trump obviously fears that Democrats could win control next year and he wants mid-decade redistricting to make congressional regime change less likely.

Meanwhile, Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders want to counter the nakedly partisan effort in Texas by gerrymandering California’s congressional districts to neutralize whatever Texas does. It’s faintly reminiscent of the Spy vs. Spy comic strip in MAD Magazine that baby boomers might recall, or perhaps the classic Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote cartoons.

However, there’s nothing funny about trampling — in the lust for partisan political power — the quaintly democratic notion that congressional districts should fairly represent the characteristics and values of their constituents.