Friday, August 29, 2025

Army Corps Completes Debris Removal From Eaton Fire in Altadena

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has completed final debris removal in Altadena and neighboring communities impacted by the Eaton Fire, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger announced Friday

The corps signed off at Eliot Arts Magnet School in Altadena, marking the completion of debris operations in Pasadena and Sierra Madre, according to Barger’s office. Restoration work will continue through the fall at the Altadena Golf Course, with a final handover to the county Department of Parks and Recreation expected by the end of the year.

“I thank the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for their extraordinary service to the residents of Altadena and our region,” Barger said in a statement. “Their dedication and professionalism ensured that recovery efforts moved forward quickly and effectively.”

Barger said the county’s focus will now fully shift toward rebuilding. She pledged to continue monitoring progress and working alongside residents to support long-term recovery and restoration.

“Our residents deserve nothing less than a full and resilient recovery,”

Friday, August 29, 2025

Why California Backed Down From Forcing Landlords To Keep Residents Cool

By Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, CALMATTERS

During the most recent heat wave in Los Angeles, Memphis Perez, his wife, three children and elderly mother crammed into a bedroom, the only room in their apartment with air conditioning. He paid for the air conditioner himself, but thinks his landlord should have provided one instead.

“It’s like being inside a toaster,” Perez said. Temperatures reached the upper nineties; it was sweltering for days. “It’s only fair for them to do their part and provide a survivable experience in an apartment,” he added.

But it is unlikely the state Legislature will make that happen this year, despite a report from the California Department of Housing and Community Development recommending that the state set a maximum indoor temperature standard of 82 degrees for all homes.

Sen. Henry Stern, a Los Angeles Democrat, authored a bill that would make it a state policy that residents must be afforded comfortable temperatures in the dwellings they rent.

Friday, August 29, 2025

A Young Senator Enters History with Crisis at Her Back

By EDDIE RIVERA

State Senator Sasha Renée Pérez ceremonially sworn in at PCC ceremony

Last Saturday morning, the freshly restored walls of Sexson Auditorium at Pasadena City College reverberated with applause, and cheers as hundreds of supporters and dignitaries gathered for the ceremonial swearing-in of Senator Sasha Renée Pérez, currently the youngest member of the California State Senate and already one of its most closely watched new voices.

The official oath had been administered months earlier in Sacramento, but the belated community celebration carried its own symbolism.

“Joy is what will sustain us,” said Juliana Serrano, the master of ceremonies, reminding the audience that Pérez’s first months in office coincided with catastrophe: the January Eaton Fire, which killed 19, leveled thousands of homes in Altadena and Pasadena, and displaced tens of thousands more.

“Managing a regional emergency would have been a challenge for any senior legislator,” Serrano said. “Yet as a freshman, Senator Pérez led like the professional that she is.”

As PCC President José Gómez reminded the audience,

Friday, August 29, 2025

CHP’s Annual Labor Day Weekend Crackdown Begins Friday

CITY NEWS SERVICE

California Highway Patrol officers will ramp up operations on highways and roads throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties, and statewide, Friday to catch drunken and drug-impaired drivers — marking the start of the agency’s annual Labor Day weekend enforcement campaign.

The “maximum enforcement period” will get underway at 6 p.m. Friday and conclude at 11:59 p.m. Monday.

All available officers will deploy for targeted crackdowns.

“Every available officer will be on the road this Labor Day weekend with one mission: stop impaired drivers before they harm themselves or others,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said.

“If you choose to drive under the influence, expect to be stopped, arrested and held accountable. No excuses, no warnings. Lives are on the line.”

During the 2024 Labor Day weekend MEP, 1,140 motorists statewide were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, compared to 1,064 during the 2023 Labor Day weekend campaign.

Friday, August 29, 2025

First Round of 2026 Rose Court Interviews Set for Sept. 6 at Tournament House

The Tournament of Roses will begin its selection process for the 2026 Rose Court with initial interviews scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 6 at Tournament House in Pasadena.

Prospective candidates will be interviewed between 10 a.m. and noon, with a second session from 1 to 4 p.m. at 391 S. Orange Grove Blvd. Applicants are advised to arrive early due to limited parking behind the venue; free street parking is available on Arbor Street.

The Sept. 6 interviews mark the first public step in the annual search for seven young women who will represent the Tournament of Roses at official events leading up to the 137th Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game.

The Rose Court members will be selected through multiple rounds of interviews conducted by the Queen and Court Committee. Each member will receive a $7,500 educational scholarship and serve as an ambassador for the Tournament of Roses, the Pasadena community and the greater Los Angeles area.

Twenty-five finalists will be invited to the Rose Court Announcement on Sept.

Friday, August 29, 2025

Altadena Fire Cleanup Entering Final Phase

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials said Tuesday that debris removal and restoration work following January’s Eaton Fire is nearly complete and remains on schedule for a full handoff to local agencies by the end of the year.

“Our attention has turned towards the completion of the last few projects within our mission,” said Lt. Alexander Cummings.

The January fire decimated Altadena, burning approximately 14,000 acres.

As of July, the official death toll reached nineteen people.

Cummings told Los Angeles County supervisors that the Corps’ private parcel debris removal program has wound down and crews are focused on completing the last projects within their mission.

“We remain on schedule to complete a handover back to the Department of Parks and Recreation by the end of 2025,” Cummings said.

A restoration plan to repair the irrigation system, in coordination with the Department of Public Works, is being finalized. Cummings said the Corps expects earthwork and irrigation repairs to be finished by mid-October.

Thursday, August 28, 2025

Altadena Cookie Co. Awarded $10,000 Grant for Wildfire Recovery

The small business was selected for its resilience and civic engagement following the Eaton Fire

Altadena Cookie Co., co-owned by local entrepreneurs Michelle Taylor and Jessica Christopher, has received a $10,000 grant from Bank of America and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, recognizing the small business’s resilience and community impact following the devastating Eaton Fire earlier this year.

The grant, announced Aug. 26 provides critical financial support for the business’s recovery efforts. The program was coordinated in part by the Pasadena City College Women’s Business Center, which selected Altadena Cookie Co. for its demonstrated need and civic engagement (“Meet the Grant Winners,” Pasadena City College Women’s Business Center, June 30).

Taylor and Christopher’s business suffered extensive losses during the Eaton Fire, which destroyed half of their baking equipment, all ingredients, and rendered both of their home kitchens nonfunctional. A February 2 GoFundMe campaign titled “Share the love for Altadena Cookie Co!” described the impact in stark terms: “Michelle lost her home and Jessica’s is unsafe to live in after the recent Eaton fire.

Thursday, August 28, 2025

With Candidates Bowing Out, California’s Gubernatorial Race Remains Wide Open

By Dan Walters, CALMATTERS

Given California’s size and its cultural and economic impact around the globe, whoever captures its governorship instantly becomes one of the nation’s most prominent politicians and a potential candidate for president.

However, running for governor is not for the faint of heart. It requires early commitment, stamina, a thick skin and the ability to raise the huge amounts of cash.

That’s why, in most cases, serious candidates come from the ranks of lesser officeholders, spend years laying the groundwork their campaigns and declare themselves at least two years in advance of the election they hope to win.

Of the 10 men who have won the governorship since World War II — including Jerry Brown twice — only two didn’t use other offices as springboards: actors Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

However, the historic pattern is not holding for 2026 as Gavin Newsom’s governorship ends. Two of the most prominent potential Democratic candidates, former Vice President Kamala Harris and Lt.

Thursday, August 28, 2025

Community Vigil Planned Today After ICE Detains Six Car Wash Workers in Pasadena

A community vigil and fundraiser will be held Thursday evening in response to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid that resulted in the detention of six car wash workers last week in Pasadena.

The incident occurred shortly before noon on Friday, Aug. 22 at the Pasadena Car Wash, located at 164 W. Del Mar Blvd. near Old Pasadena. According to organizers, seven employees were initially detained by individuals believed to be ICE agents. One worker was released shortly after the operation, while six others were taken into custody. No Pasadena police officers were present or witnessed the raid.

The National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), a Pasadena-based nonprofit advocating for immigrant and low-wage workers, announced the vigil as part of a broader community response. The event, titled “Vigil for Justice,” is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at the site of the raid. Attendees are encouraged to bring candles and join in solidarity.

“This cruel enforcement action will be met with love,

Thursday, August 28, 2025

Teen’s Fire Relief Nonprofit Expands to Permanent Location

Organization founded after Eaton Fire has distributed over 1 million items to victims

A teenage entrepreneur who launched a nonprofit to help peers affected by the Eaton Fire announced she is opening a permanent location in Old Pasadena this fall.

Avery Colvert, who will turn 15 soon, started “Altadena Girls” in January following the devastating wildfire. A CBS News report said the organization has since distributed more than one million items to fire victims.

The new facility will feature a music and yoga studio, plus a “Sliving” lounge funded by media personality Paris Hilton, who has become a major supporter of the organization.

“I can’t believe an idea I had in January is turning into something this big,” Colvert told CBS News Los Angeles.

The nonprofit continues serving families still recovering from the fire. Melanie Bran, 15, recently visited to shop for school clothes after her family lost their home.

“When I came back to the house and I saw that it was in ashes,