Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Altadena Town Council and GoFundMe.org Establish the Altadena Eaton Fire Relief Fund

The new Altadena Eaton Fire Relief Fund will be overseen by trusted local leaders and directly dispersed to Altadena fire survivors

The Altadena Town Council announced Tuesday the launch of  The Altadena Eaton Fire Relief Fund in partnership with GoFundMe.org, to help residents recover and rebuild following January’s devastating wildfires. The fund will be managed by an advisory committee of trusted town leaders who will oversee the fund’s structure, holdings, and eventual distribution to ensure an equitable and transparent allocation of resources.

“The need for financial assistance is urgent, as many in the community are experiencing immense hardship. The creation of this fund will give those wishing to directly and positively impact affected Altadenans a trusted source to donate to,” said Victoria Knapp, Chair of the Altadena Town Council. “We are grateful for the support and partnership of GoFundMe.org and appreciate the lengths they have gone to ensure Altadenans receive the maximum benefit from donations to this fund. Altadena is our home and together,

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Employees Worried About More Layoffs at FEMA

By André Coleman, Managing Editor

More than 200 employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been fired as part of the Trump Administration’s sweeping cuts to the federal workforce.

And more cuts at the Federal Emergency Management Agency may be coming.

On Tuesday, State Sen. Sasha Rene Perez said Federal Emergency Management Agency employees believe mass layoffs are coming to the disaster relief department this week.

“Yesterday FEMA employees shared with me that there’s fear Trump & Musk will be doing mass layoffs at FEMA this week,” Perez posted on X. “As the Senator representing Altadena & Pasadena, I can’t emphasize enough how terribly this would impact the victims of the #Palisades & #Eaton Fires.”

The Eaton Fire ignited on January 7, burning over 14,000 acres across Altadena and Pasadena. The disaster claimed at least 17 civilian lives and left thousands displaced, creating an urgent need for rapid but careful debris removal.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has helped lead the way in the recovery of the Eaton Fire and has opened a Disaster Recovery Center in Altadena to assist Californians who experienced damage to their primary home,

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Altadena Community Unites for Resource Workshop Event as Grocery Outlet Heralds Reopening

By EDDIE RIVERA

Residents of Altadena gathered Monday for a community event that brought together resources, celebrated the upcoming reopening of a beloved grocery store, and provided food and entertainment for families and children.

Organized by Altadenans Freddy Sayegh and Pastor BJ King, the Altadena Coalition event, which reportedly drew an estimated one thousand people, aimed to offer both immediate relief and a long-term vision for a community hurting from the disastrous Eaton Fire.

The Small Business Administration (SBA), the American Red Cross, and numerous other organizations, continued to provide resources and information to families still recovering from the week-long fire.

At the same time, it provided a much-needed reprieve, Sayegh noted, featuring food from Little Caesar’s Love Kitchen, entertainment, and a celebration of the grand re-opening of the Grocery Outlet Market.

“We just felt that these kids needed a break — and the parents needed a break,” he said. “We wanted to create a nice opportunity for the families to meet with SBA,

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Crackdown On Power-Guzzling Data Centers May Soon Come Online In California

By KHARI JOHNSON, CALMATTERS

California residents now pay the highest price for electricity in the continental U.S., state analysts reported last month. Costs have been driven in part by levies to prevent and insure against wildfires, but the analysts anticipate a less conspicuous source of pressure on power bills going forward: growing electricity demand from data centers.

Tucked away in nondescript buildings, data centers store and transmit the contents of the internet. At least one is involved every time you watch a TikTok video or shop on Amazon. But in recent years, artificial intelligence, and especially new general purpose systems like ChatGPT, has caused server farms to multiply.

That means more power plants to build and more transmission lines to run, leaving state regulators increasingly concerned that the general public will be on the hook for Big Tech’s electricity binge.

In response, California lawmakers have in recent weeks proposed bills to ensure that electricity customers don’t pay for the infrastructure that utility companies build to serve data centers — and to encourage more energy efficiency or use of clean energy on the part of the tech companies,

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Three Altadena Water Companies Face “Significant Damage” Following Wildfires

Agencies work to restore drinking water and fire suppression capabilities as state coordinates recovery

Three mutual water agencies serving the Altadena area – Rubio, Lincoln, and Los Flores Water Companies – sustained significant infrastructure damage during January’s Eaton Fire, County officials said during Monday’s Altadena community meeting.

The damage affects the companies’ drinking water supply and fire suppression capabilities are affected.

“We’ve had formal discussions with all three mutual water Districts and have come to learn that they have significant damage to their systems,” reported Mark Pestrella, Director of Los Angeles County Public Works during the meeting.

“Currently they are assessing those systems and they are governed by the State of California. [The] State Water Board has been notified and the State Water Board is working with all three agencies to understand what it will take to get them back up and running.”

The restoration of both drinking water and fire suppression systems is clearly critical for home occupancy in affected areas being repopulated.

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Average LA County Gas Price Rises to Highest Amount Since Last June

By STEVEN HERBERT, City News Service

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County rose Tuesday for the 23rd time in 24 days, increasing six-tenths of a cent to $4.785, its highest amount since June 28.

The average price has risen 29.4 cents over the past 24 days, including three-tenths of a cent Monday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It rose a half-cent Jan. 26 and four-tenths of a cent Jan. 27, dropped four-tenths of a cent Jan. 28 and resumed increasing Jan. 29.

The average price is 10.4 cents more than one week ago and 29.2 cents higher than one month ago, but 2.2 cents less than one year ago. It has dropped $1.709 since rising to a record $6.494 on Oct. 5, 2022.

The national average price was unchanged, remaining at $3.161, after rising six of the previous eight days, increasing 2.5 cents. It is 2 cents more than one week ago and 4.1 cents higher than one month ago but 11.8 cents less than one year ago.

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Army Corps Launches Interactive Map to Track Wildfire Cleanup Progress

Residents can monitor debris removal progress in real-time across affected neighborhoods

The United States Army Corps of Engineers has unveiled a new digital tool to help Los Angeles County residents track wildfire debris removal operations in their communities. The Phase 2 Debris Removal Viewer, now available at the top of the Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District Wildfire Debris Removal Mission page, provides real-time updates on cleanup efforts through a color-coded mapping system that displays the status of affected properties.

“Transparency and timely information are critical as we work to safely and quickly remove wildfire debris,” said Col. Eric Swenson, Commander of the United States Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles Wildfires Recovery Field Office. “This new viewer gives residents a clear picture of where their property stands in the Phase 2 process, reinforcing our commitment to keeping the community informed every step of the way.”

The interactive map identifies three categories of properties: parcels submitted by Los Angeles County for Phase 2 debris removal,

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Webster’s Community Pharmacy Reopens in Altadena

By EDDIE RIVERA

Webster’s Community Pharmacy, an Altadena landmark since 1926, reopened Monday at its new Chase Plaza location following a closure triggered by the Eaton Fire in January and then by regulatory and infrastructure hurdles.

“Today is the first day we could physically open up after all the remediation and things we had to deal with,” owner Meredith Miller said. “Up until about a week ago, we didn’t have water. We had to wait for that.”

The business escaped the widespread destruction that affected many neighboring establishments. During the initial reopening phase, the pharmacy department will be fully operational, filling prescriptions and offering local delivery services.

“We’re a pharmacy first,” said Miller as customers returned to the 2333 Lake Avenue location. “Our team will be available to answer any questions and arrange for prescriptions to be delivered locally,” Miller said.

The pharmacy has served the Altadena community for nearly a century.

Like all others in California,

Monday, February 17, 2025

LA Mayor Bass Admits Ghana Trip Prior to Wildfires Was a Mistake

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is addressing her trip to Africa during the historic windstorm that preceded January’s deadly Los Angeles wildfires, admitting for the first time that she now views it as a mistake.

“Yeah, absolutely, there is no question about that,” Bass told NBC4’s Conan Nolan in an interview Friday when asked directly if the trip was a mistake.

Bass was heavily criticized for being out of the country when the fires broke out Jan. 7, 2025. She was in Ghana as part of a four-member U.S. delegation sent by President Joe Biden to attend the inauguration of John Dramani Mahama as that nation’s president.

The Eaton Fire decimated parts of Altadena.

Bass returned to Los Angeles the day after the fires erupted, but City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, acting as Mayor, had to sign the proclamation of a local emergency issued by Bass.

Forecasters had warned of dangerous fire weather conditions in the days leading up to Jan.

Monday, February 17, 2025

Los Angeles County to Prioritize Housing Vouchers for Wildfire Victims

Officials take emergency action to aid displaced families below 50 percent of area median income

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously last week to approve a motion allocating 50 federal housing vouchers to residents displaced by the devastating January wildfires.

The emergency housing initiative, introduced as a motion by Board Chair Kathryn Barger and Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, specifically targets families earning less than half of the area’s median income.

The Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) will amend its Housing Choice Voucher Administrative Plan to distribute the assistance, commonly known as Section 8, to eligible residents on a first-come, first-served basis.

“Many of the residents affected by these wildfires were renters who now face immense challenges securing a new home,” Barger said in a statement on Monday. “These vouchers will serve as a critical lifeline for displaced families struggling to create stability for their children and households.”

Supervisor Horvath highlighted the urgency of the situation,