Monday, August 25, 2025

Vehicle Goes 1,000 Feet off Angeles Crest Highway North of Altadena; One Injured

CITY NEWS SERVICE

A vehicle went about 1,000 feet off the Angeles Crest (2) Highway in the mountains north of the Altadena area Sunday and the iPhone of the person inside notified authorities of the need for help.

The California Highway Patrol received an emergency text from the iPhone at 6:18 p.m. Sunday, notifying dispatchers that there was an emergency at a certain latitude and longitude, the Angeles Crest Highway at Barley Flats Road near the Strawberry Park Trail.

The CHP was unable to talk to the phone’s user because the crash was out of cell service range.

At 6:47 p.m., someone at the scene told the CHP a vehicle was about 1,000 feet down an embankment.

A SigAlert was issued about 7 p.m. shutting down all lanes in both directions.

One person was transported to a hospital by ambulance but the individual’s condition was not available, CHP Officer A. Delos Reyes told City News Service.

Monday, August 25, 2025

Altadena Tenants Union to Hold First In-Person General Meeting Aug. 26

The meeting will include a recap of recent activities, a renters’ rights overview and a collaborative tenant discussion

The Altadena Tenants Union will hold its first in-person general meeting Tuesday, Aug. 26, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Altadena Main Library, located at 600 E. Mariposa St.

The meeting is open exclusively to current or displaced Altadena tenants.

Homeowners, organizational representatives, neighboring community members, law enforcement, landlords and journalists reporting stories are asked not to attend, according to the event announcement.

The meeting will include a recap of Altadena Tenants Union’s activities from January through August, a brief overview of renters’ rights, and a collaborative problem-solving session focused on a tenant-submitted issue. Spanish translation will be available, and attendees are asked to register in advance to confirm their tenant status.

The event will begin with a 30-minute social period, followed by the general meeting and a closing session. Tenants unable to attend in person are encouraged to register and indicate their availability.

Sunday, August 24, 2025

Listen to the Local Entrepreneur Who Launched Three Brands Against Daunting Odds – And Succeeded

When Kaiy Smith-Biesman launched her businesses during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic while her Marine husband was on active duty, she did what seemed impossible: She built three community-rooted brands, navigated through the LA wildfires, all while raising two children.

The Chapman University graduate in business management, marketing and entrepreneurship will share her unconventional business playbook at the Pasadena Rotary Club’s weekly meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 27, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at The University Club, 175 N. Oakland Ave.

Smith-Biesman, founder and owner of Stems Catering and Neighbors & Friends Café, has become known for mentoring aspiring—and often underserved—food entrepreneurs with what she calls a “no-fluff approach” to building sustainable businesses. Her philosophy centers on food as connection rather than commodity – specializing in turning food into visual art and shared experience.

Known for her candid approach, Smith-Biesman believes gathering isn’t just about what’s on the menu but about connection, storytelling and creating spaces where people feel seen. She helps entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses grounded in clarity and purpose.

Sunday, August 24, 2025

Local Church, Community Hub Celebrates 25 Years with Community Cookout for Fire Survivors

LIFT honors resilience and community support through festive neighborhood gathering

LIFT International will mark its 25th anniversary with a special community cookout on Saturday, August 30, dedicated to supporting survivors of the recent Eaton Canyon Fire.

The free event at Eaton Blanche Park will provide a day of healing, connection, and celebration for local residents.

The nonprofit is a vibrant church and community hub dedicated to serving the Altadena and Pasadena communities.

“For 25 years, LIFT International has been committed to being a light in the community—bringing hope, restoration, and practical support to those in need,” said Anthony and Micheline McFarland, founders of LIFT International.

“As we celebrate this milestone, we’re especially honored to recognize the strength and resilience of the fire survivors we’ve walked alongside these past seven months.”

The event, running from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., will offer complimentary food, family-friendly games, face painting, and a pie-eating contest.

Highlights include $100 reward gift cards for game winners,

Saturday, August 23, 2025

State Senator Takes Ceremonial Oath in Pasadena Saturday As Immigration, Housing Crises Escalate

Pérez brings progressive agenda to education committee leadership

When Senator Sasha Renée Pérez takes her ceremonial oath of office Saturday at Pasadena City College for California’s 25th State Senate District, she will do so as one of California’s most progressive voices on immigrant rights and housing reform, carrying legislation that would ban algorithmic rent manipulation at a time when many of her constituents are still reeling from January’s devastating Eaton Fire.

Her outspoken pushback against the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement actions makes her among the most vocal of California’s elected officials.

Saturday’s ceremony, originally scheduled for January but postponed when Pérez pivoted to Eaton Fire disaster relief efforts, represents more than a symbolic gesture for the 32-year-old freshman senator who officially assumed office on December 2.

Chair of the powerful Senate Education Committee and author of 23 bills in her first legislative session, Pérez has positioned herself as a fierce advocate for renters, immigrants, and the unhoused—constituencies she knows intimately.

Saturday, August 23, 2025

CBS Developing Kenya Barris–Mike Epps Comedy Set in Post-Wildfire Altadena

The series will spotlight Altadena’s recovery after the Eaton Fire and explore themes of family and gentrification

CBS is reportedly developing a half-hour multi-camera comedy from Kenya Barris and Mike Epps, set in Altadena in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire. The untitled series will explore themes of family, displacement, and gentrification while spotlighting the community’s recovery.

Barris, creator of “Black-ish” (ABC, 2014–2022), returns to broadcast television as writer and executive producer. Epps will star and co-produce alongside his longtime collaborator Niles Kirchner. The series is being developed under BET Studios, where Barris is a principal, and co-produced by CBS Studios—both operating under Paramount Global’s TV Media division led by George Cheeks, chair of TV Media, who oversees CBS Network, CBS Studios, BET Studios and other television operations.

The show follows two estranged Black brothers who reunite to sell their late grandmother’s home to private developers. Their plans unravel when they discover the grandmother’s caretaker owns part of the property and refuses to sell,

Saturday, August 23, 2025

Sheriff’s Stations Holding “Bus Pull” To Raise Funds For Eaton Fire Victims

Two Los Angeles County sheriff’s stations will host a charity “bus pull” event Saturday to raise funds for residents affected by the deadly Eaton Fire that devastated Altadena earlier this year.

“Bus Pull 2025″ promises to be “a high-energy, family-friendly event aimed at uniting the community and raising critical funds for local charities that directly serve Altadena residents impacted by the recent Eaton Fire by pulling a 50,000-pound sheriff’s department transportation bus,” according to a sheriff’s department statement.

The event will take place on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First City Credit Union on Woodbury Road in Altadena.

Teams will be made up of community members, first responders and local organizations.

“We are honored to announce the attendance of Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, who will be joining us in support of this powerful effort to uplift and restore our Altadena community,” according to a sheriff’s department statement.

Proceeds will go to vetted charities and relief organizations working to provide shelter,

Friday, August 22, 2025

California Cities Lack Unified Response On Homeless Encampments

By Marisa Kendall, CALMATTERS

Clearing an encampment is one of the most complicated and fraught tasks any California city can take on when responding to homelessness.

How they handle that challenge varies widely.

CalMatters asked nearly three-dozen cities and counties throughout California for copies of their encampment management policies. Responses spanned a wide range, highlighting the lack of a unified strategy to address street homelessness across the state, even as Gov. Gavin Newsom is pushing for more cohesive rules.

San Diego, for example, has a 10-page policy that spells out everything from when removals can take place (during daylight hours and not if there is a 50% chance of rain) to how much advance warning the city must give camp residents (at least 24 hours) and how to handle personal belongings confiscated during the removal (items must be photographed, logged and stored for 90 days).

But some smaller cities and counties have no rules, or only bare-bones guidelines.

Friday, August 22, 2025

Defendants Face New Hearing in Altadena Fire Looting Case

Four men charged with residential burglary during Eaton Fire evacuation

A preliminary hearing is scheduled Friday for Pierre Obannon and three co-defendants in a residential burglary case stemming from alleged looting during the Eaton Fire in Altadena. 

Obannon, 19, along with Roy Sims, Ryan Sims, and Naquan Dewey Reddix, will appear in Pasadena Courthouse’s Department H to face charges of first-degree residential burglary. Prosecutors allege the men entered an evacuated home during the January 8 fire and stole multiple items, including an Emmy Award. 

According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, all four defendants were charged on January 10 and pleaded not guilty at their arraignment. Each faces up to six years in state prison if convicted. 

Court documents reveal the alleged crime occurred at approximately 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. during mandatory evacuations for the Eaton Fire. Notably, Obannon was released on bail, while co-defendants Roy and Ryan Sims remain in custody with bail set at $50,000 each.

Friday, August 22, 2025

California Lawmakers Vote for Special Election on Redrawn District Maps

CITY NEWS SERVICE

A redrawn congressional district map aimed at shifting five U.S. House seats to Democrats will go before California voters this November, a move some Republican state legislators — including Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Huntington Beach — said violates the state constitution.

State lawmakers voted Thursday to put the newly proposed California congressional map — a direct counter to legislative redistricting efforts in Texas to increase the number of GOP House seats there — before voters in a Nov. 4 special election.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement shortly after the vote, “The People of California will be able to cast their vote for a congressional map. Direct democracy that gives us a fighting chance to STOP Donald Trump’s election rigging. Time to fight fire with fire.”

Just before Thursday’s vote, California Republican legislators accused their Democratic counterparts in Sacramento of pushing a redistricting plan without proper oversight or notice to the public.

During a Thursday morning news conference on the steps of the Capitol,