Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Barger, Bass Ask Congress for $15.7 Billion to Fund Eaton, Palisades Fire Recovery

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have sent a series of joint letters to Congress seeking continued federal funding for the long-term recovery from the Eaton and Palisades wildfires, according to a July 14 news release from Barger’s office.

The letters — addressed to congressional leadership, the Los Angeles County congressional delegation, and the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees — ask lawmakers to advance a supplemental disaster appropriation aligned with a combined city and county request of $15.7 billion to rebuild infrastructure and communities burned in the January 2025 fires that destroyed much of Altadena, an unincorporated community in Barger’s district, and forced evacuations in neighboring Pasadena. For Altadena and Pasadena, the request is the latest step in a monthslong effort to secure federal money that has not yet been approved.

In the letters, the two officials request support to help the county and the city rebuild critical public infrastructure, restore community facilities,

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Extreme Heat Warning for Pasadena, San Gabriel Valley Remains in Effect Through Thursday

An extreme heat warning covering Pasadena, Altadena and the rest of the San Gabriel Valley remains in effect through 8 p.m. Thursday, with the National Weather Service forecasting Wednesday as the hottest day of the stretch.

The warning, which took effect at 10 a.m. Tuesday puts much of inland Los Angeles County under a high risk of heat-related illness as temperatures climb toward the triple digits, with a Pasadena high forecast near 98 degrees before an increase in onshore flow begins to ease conditions Thursday. County and city officials have pointed residents to cooling options and urged extra care for older adults, young children and people without air conditioning.

The Weather Service said temperatures across the valleys, lower mountains and far interior would range from the 90s to as high as 110 degrees, with the interior hottest. “Wednesday will be the warmest day,” the agency said, forecasting an additional 3 to 6 degrees of warming. In the San Fernando Valley, highs were forecast to reach 110 on Wednesday and about 104 on Thursday,

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

L.A. County Fire Pre-Deploys Crews Across Foothills as Heat Wave Raises Wildfire Risk

The Los Angeles County Fire Department has augmented staffing and pre-deployed additional firefighting equipment across the county ahead of a dangerous heat wave that forecasters warn will heighten wildfire risk through Thursday, Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a July 14 news release.

The pre-positioning carries particular weight for the foothill communities of Barger’s Fifth District, including Altadena, where the January 2025 Eaton Fire killed at least 19 people and destroyed more than 9,000 structures. The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for inland Los Angeles County running from Tuesday through 8 p.m. Thursday, with afternoon highs forecast between 90 and 110 degrees and Wednesday expected to be the hottest day.

Forecasters expect temperatures to exceed 100 degrees in some areas of the county, and the National Weather Service has cited low humidity and dry vegetation as conditions that increase the potential for wildfire. Monsoonal moisture is expected to raise humidity and worsen heat impacts, with warm overnight lows offering little relief.

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Chu, California Delegation Urge Disaster Aid for Altadena Before New War Spending

Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28), whose district includes Altadena and Pasadena, joined more than 40 California Democratic House members on July 8 in a letter urging congressional leaders not to advance any supplemental spending package — including President Donald Trump’s Iran war request — until Congress passes federal disaster aid for survivors of the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. The letter responds to the administration’s June 24 request for $87.6 billion in supplemental funding, more than $67.1 billion of it for the war against Iran, which included no money for California’s fire recovery.

For Altadena and Pasadena, where the Eaton Fire destroyed thousands of homes and killed 19 people, the standoff will help determine whether the federal government finances a rebuild that, 18 months on, has barely begun.

Addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Charles Schumer, the letter — led by Reps. Norma Torres (CA-35), Chu, Brad Sherman (CA-32) and delegation chair Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) — asks leaders to withhold action on the supplemental until relief passes for California and other disaster-hit states.

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Altadena Water Losses from Eaton Fire Shape Regional Hazard Plan

Damage to Altadena water systems during the Eaton Fire helped shape a new regional hazard mitigation plan intended to strengthen drinking-water infrastructure and reduce service interruptions during earthquakes, wildfires and other disasters.

Foothill Municipal Water District and five retail water agencies released the draft five-year plan for public review July 14. The district said in a news release that comments will be accepted through Aug. 7.

The Draft Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan is available for public review online: www.fmwd.com/hazard-mitigation-plan

The plan describes extensive damage to water systems serving Altadena during the Eaton Fire, including damage to reservoirs, pumps, electrical equipment, pipelines, meters and communications equipment.

According to the draft, seven of 23 reservoirs in the affected area were damaged.

The plan says Las Flores Water Company lost about 74% of its service connections during the fire, while Lincoln Avenue Water Company lost about 55% and Rubio Cañon Land and Water Association lost about 35%.

The draft says damage to the three primary water systems serving Altadena reduced their ability to provide water for household use and firefighting.

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Youth Campers to Stage ‘Schoolhouse Rock Live! JR.’ in South Pasadena This Weekend

A cast of summer campers will present four performances of Schoolhouse Rock Live! JR. at the Fremont Centre Theatre on July 18 and 19, closing a two-week session of Young Stars Theatre Academy’s summer camp.

The show is the culminating production of the academy’s first summer session, a program in which participants ages 6 to 18 rehearse and stage a full musical over two weeks, according to Young Stars Theatre Academy. The nonprofit youth theatre company is based in South Pasadena and has drawn campers from families across the San Gabriel Valley, according to The South Pasadenan. The session runs Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., from July 6 to July 19, and every camper appears in the closing weekend, the academy says. The four performances are divided between two shows Saturday and two Sunday.

Schoolhouse Rock Live! JR. is a junior stage adaptation of the 1970s animated series Schoolhouse Rock!, which aired on ABC beginning in January 1973 and taught grammar,

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

LA County Property Values Top $2.2 Trillion Despite Wildfires

Los Angeles County’s total assessed property value surpassed $2.2 trillion this year despite the economic fallout from the wildfires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena and a slowing real estate market, Assessor Jeff Prang announced Tuesday.

The county’s 2026 Assessment Roll reached a record $2.272 trillion in net taxable value, an increase of $96 billion, or 4.42%, over the previous year and marking the 16th consecutive year of growth, according to Prang.

The increase is expected to generate more than $27 billion in property tax revenue to support public schools, public safety, health care, libraries, parks and other local government services throughout Los Angeles County.

“When I presented the forecast to the Board of Supervisors in May, I emphasized 2025-26 was a challenging year, and the impact of January’s devastating wildfires will be felt for years to come,” Prang said in a statement. “Even so, Los Angeles County’s economy continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience. Not only did we maintain value growth, we exceeded our May forecast of 3.9%,

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Altadena Rotary’s Free Summer Concerts Return to Fire-Renovated Loma Alta Park

A seven-Saturday series opens July 11 at the first of Altadena’s county parks to reopen after the Eaton Fire

The Rotary Club of Altadena will open its 29th season of free Saturday-night concerts on July 11 at Loma Alta Park, which the county has called the first of Altadena’s county parks to reopen after the Eaton Fire.

The seven-Saturday series, staged in partnership with the county Department of Parks and Recreation, runs through Aug. 22 on the lower lawn of Loma Alta Park, 3330 N. Lincoln Ave. It is the second summer the concerts have been held there. The Rotary Club moved them to Loma Alta after the January 2025 fire damaged Farnsworth Park, the series’ previous home, according to LA County Parks.

Loma Alta Park closed after the fire and reopened May 17, 2025, following a $3.4 million renovation, the county Department of Parks and Recreation said. The rebuild added two Dodgers Dreamfields, a gymnasium renovated by the LA Clippers Foundation,

Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Sheriff’s Department to Detail Its Military Equipment July 22

A July 22 virtual meeting will present the agency’s annual report on drones, surveillance technology and other equipment, and take questions from the public

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the agency that patrols Altadena and the surrounding unincorporated foothill communities, will present its annual accounting of the military equipment it owns and how that equipment is used at a public virtual meeting on Wednesday, July 22.

The one-hour session, required under a California transparency law, gives residents of Altadena, Northeast Pasadena and the other areas the department serves a chance to review the equipment the state classifies as military — including drones, specialized munitions and a cellular surveillance device — along with what each item costs and how often it is deployed. Attendees can ask questions and engage directly with department representatives, according to the department.

The meeting runs from 5 to 6 p.m. and will be held online. The department is presenting its Annual Military Equipment Report, a document it is required to publish each year for the preceding calendar year,

Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Free Dental Van Parks at Pasadena Library for Children Through Aug. 7

A USC mobile clinic offers screenings, cleanings and sealants to kids ages 5 to 18, by appointment, as part of the library’s summer meals program

A free mobile dental clinic has been set up at the Jefferson Branch Library, where licensed dental professionals and USC dental students are treating children ages 5 to 18 through Aug. 7.

The clinic, run by the Pasadena nonprofit Young & Healthy in partnership with the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC and the Pasadena Public Library, provides free screenings, cleanings and sealants. It operates Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and runs alongside the library’s Lunch at the Library summer program. The clinic is open to all children ages 5 to 18, according to Young & Healthy. Appointments are required.

The van does more than clean teeth. Screenings are used to identify children who need further care, who can then be enrolled in Young & Healthy’s ongoing dental clinics.

“The whole intent is to make sure that no child is getting missed in terms of their dental care,”