Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Average LA County Gas Price Continues to Rise

By STEVEN HERBERT, City News Service

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County rose Monday to its highest amount since Oct. 11, 2023, increasing 2.5 cents to $5.895.

The average price has risen 32 of the past 33 days, increasing $1.276, including 7.2 cents on Sunday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It rose 10 consecutive days, was unchanged March 1 and resumed rising the following day.

The average price is 27.7 cents more than one week ago, $1.23 higher than one month ago and $1.239 greater than one year ago. It is 59.9 cents less than the record $6.494 set on Oct. 5, 2022.

Prices were rising slightly in line with seasonal norms before the joint U.S./Israel attack on Iran on Feb. 28 sent oil prices higher and drastically accelerated increases at the gas pump.

The national average price rose to its highest amount since Aug.

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Pasadena’s John Muir High School Named Among State’s Exemplary Dual Enrollment Programs

BASED ON A REPORT BY CITY NEWS SERVICE

John Muir High School in Pasadena was recognized Monday by state education officials as one of a small group of Los Angeles County campuses honored for dual enrollment programs that allow students to earn college credit while still in high school, according to the California Department of Education.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced that 32 schools statewide were selected as 2026 California Exemplary Dual Enrollment Award recipients. The designation highlights programs that provide early access to college courses at no cost.

The award recognizes schools that demonstrate strong partnerships between high schools and colleges, along with a commitment to equity, student support and measurable outcomes, the department said.

“By partnering with their communities, they’re opening doors and creating real opportunities for young people,” Thurmond said in a statement. “Dual enrollment programs give students a chance to explore their interests, discover what inspires them, and begin their college journey early at no cost before they even graduate from high school.”

In Los Angeles County,

Monday, March 23, 2026

Ashes to Action Panel Explores Wildfire Resilience

Community leaders and environmental experts to discuss Eaton Fire’s impact and climate change at the Arboretum

Pasadena residents and environmental advocates are invited to a crucial dialogue on wildfire impacts and long-term resilience as the “Ashes to Action” panel series continues. Building on the recent launch of the Landscape Recovery Center at Eaton Canyon, this installment promises an engaging discussion rather than a traditional presentation, fostering meaningful exchange between experts and the public.

The panel, scheduled for Wednesday, March 25, will delve into the profound effects of the Eaton Fire, the broader implications of climate change, and the pivotal role of the Landscape Recovery Center in forging sustainable solutions. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session, directly engaging with environmental leaders and community members dedicated to strengthening the region’s resilience against future ecological challenges.

This initiative underscores a commitment to proactive environmental stewardship, bringing together diverse perspectives to address pressing issues facing the San Gabriel Valley. The focus on dialogue aims to empower the community with knowledge and actionable insights,

Monday, March 23, 2026

As Recovery Continues, Eaton Fire Survivors Find Support and Connection Through Community Meetings

As rebuilding questions persist, fire survivors are turning to local meetings for updates on recovery resources and legal developments

More than a year after the Eaton Fire tore through Altadena and nearby foothill communities, many residents are still navigating the complicated and often uncertain process of rebuilding their homes, resolving insurance claims and understanding their legal options.

While the fire destroyed homes and businesses in a matter of hours, recovery has proven to be a much slower process for many families. Beyond the physical rebuilding, residents continue to face questions about insurance coverage, rebuilding decisions and the broader legal process tied to the disaster.

In recent months, informal gatherings in Pasadena have become one place where survivors exchange information and compare experiences as they work through those challenges.

Some of the meetings have been organized by California-based attorneys involved in fire-related litigation and are intended to provide updates on the legal process while giving residents an opportunity to speak with one another about the recovery process.

Monday, March 23, 2026

Altadena Fire Survivor Makes the Case for Rebuilding Without Gas

A retired JPL engineer urges neighbors to go all-electric at a free Pasadena talk on April 6

Sandy Krasner watched the Eaton Fire take property in his neighborhood. Now he wants to make sure what comes back is built differently.

Krasner, a retired Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer and Altadena resident, will speak on April 6 at Pasadena Village about the case for rebuilding homes in the fire zone without natural gas — replacing gas furnaces, water heaters, stoves, and dryers with all-electric alternatives. The free talk comes more than 15 months after the January 2025 fire destroyed more than 9,000 structures across Altadena and killed 19 people, and at a moment when most homeowners in the burn zone have not yet broken ground on reconstruction.

“It will take a long time for Altadena and its neighboring communities to recover from the enormity of this loss,” Krasner said in a 2025 statement to the Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

Krasner leads the Pasadena-Foothills chapter of the Citizens’

Sunday, March 22, 2026

Fire Survivors Tell State Lawmaker Banks Denied Them Mortgage Relief Required by Law

At a Pasadena City College hearing, Eaton and Palisades fire victims pressed for stronger protections and longer forbearance

Wildfire survivors told a state Assembly committee meeting in Pasadena on Friday that mortgage companies delayed and denied relief they were legally owed, more than a year after a law authored by their own assemblymember required lenders to grant it.

The Outcomes Review Hearing on AB 238, the Mortgage Forbearance Act, was held at Pasadena City College and led by Assemblymember John Harabedian (D-Pasadena) and Assembly Banking and Finance Committee Chair Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim). Survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires described being stonewalled by mortgage servicers even after the law took effect. Harabedian responded by announcing AB 1847, a bill that would extend forbearance protections from 12 months to 36 months and strengthen penalties against lenders who do not comply, according to a press release from Harabedian’s office.

AB 238, which Governor Gavin Newsom signed in September 2025, requires mortgage servicers to offer up to 12 months of forbearance to homeowners whose properties were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.

Sunday, March 22, 2026

Sheriff’s Detectives Release Video, Seek Four Suspects in Unsolved March 22, 2023 Altadena Murder

Three years after Daniel Ursitti was shot during a home-invasion burglary, investigators and his father appeal for the public’s help

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department homicide detectives released surveillance video Thursday showing four suspects outside a home in Altadena’s gated La Viña community, renewing a public appeal for help solving a three-year-old murder that remains unsolved.

Daniel Ursitti, 27, was shot and killed inside the home in the 700 block of West Owen Court about 2:30 a.m. on March 22, 2023, after four men entered through what investigators said was a lower-level door that had been left open. No arrests have been made.

Lt. Mike Gomez of the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau said Ursitti and his girlfriend were asleep in his bedroom when they awoke to find four men standing over them. One of the men demanded that Ursitti “show him the stuff” and threatened to shoot.

“Before Daniel could react the male suspect shot at him as he lay in bed,”

Sunday, March 22, 2026

Pasadena Bank Finances Wave of Office-to-Housing Conversions Across L.A. County

East West Bank’s lending to developer Izek Shomof coincides with the city’s own push to turn vacant offices into homes.

East West Bank, the Pasadena-headquartered bank and lender that last month purchased a 270,000-square-foot office building on Colorado Boulevard for $98 million, is financing a series of projects to convert vacant office buildings into housing across Los Angeles County, the bank said in a company article published Wednesday.

The bank’s lending to developer Izek Shomof — who has filed plans to turn office towers in Long Beach and Glendale into more than 700 residential units — comes as Pasadena itself contends with an office vacancy rate nearing 25% and works to implement adaptive reuse zoning amendments the City Council approved in September 2024 to encourage similar conversions.

East West Bank has provided construction financing, acquisition loans and other banking services for Shomof’s projects, according to the company’s article. The bank said it helped finance Shomof’s purchase of a 24-story Long Beach office tower with a $25 million loan in 2025.

Saturday, March 21, 2026

PUSD Names New Chief Business Officer After Six-Month Vacancy Amid Fiscal Straits

Arik Avanesyans would take over a district facing a $30 million deficit and possible schools consolidation

The Pasadena Unified School District announced Friday the appointment of Arik Avanesyans as its new chief business officer, filling a position that has been vacant for six months as the district navigates a fraught period filled with financial pressures.

The appointment is pending approval by the Board of Education at its March 26 meeting. Avanesyans would start on July 1. He joins PUSD from the Newhall School District, a 10-school elementary district in the Santa Clarita Valley, where he has served as assistant superintendent of business services since 2023.

The CBO position has been empty since mid-September, when predecessor Saman Bravo-Karimi left to return to the Los Angeles Unified School District. The vacancy drew concern from the Los Angeles County Office of Education, which is overseeing PUSD’s finances under a conditional budget approval.

At an October special meeting of the Board of Education, LACOE Director of Business Advisory Services Octavio Castelo said that anytime there is a vacancy in a district’s chief financial officer position,

Saturday, March 21, 2026

Kaiser Permanente Nurses Ratify Contracts After Year of Strikes

Agreements covering 31,000 health care professionals take effect at Pasadena-headquartered health system

Nurses and health care professionals at Kaiser Permanente have voted to ratify new contracts with the Pasadena-headquartered health system, the unions representing the workers announced Friday, concluding nearly a year of negotiations that included three strikes.

The agreements between the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals and Kaiser Permanente take effect immediately and expire September 30, 2029, covering 31,000 Kaiser health care workers across California and Hawaii. The contracts include 21.5% across-the-board wage increases — which the union called the largest in its history — along with what UNAC/UHCP described as strengthened staffing protections and patient care standards.

Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California regional administrative offices are located on Walnut Street in Pasadena. The company also operates medical offices on East Foothill Boulevard in the city.

“This agreement reflects everything our members stood up and stood together for: safe staffing, improved access, and respect for the professionals who provide critical care every day,”