Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Gascón Bound for Runoff in Re-Election Bid for LA County District Attorney

CITY NEWS SERVICE

District Attorney George Gascón will be heading to a November runoff election in his bid to retain his position. He will likely face Nathan Hochman, a former U.S. assistant attorney general who was the Republican candidate for state attorney general in the 2022 general election.

With neither candidate earning more than 50% of the vote from Tuesday’s primary election, the top two vote-getters advance to the November general election.

Gascón topped the field of 11 challengers as votes were tabulated Tuesday night, with Hochman running a close second and Jonathan Hatami, a child abuse prosecutor in the District Attorney’s Office, in a fading third place.

Gascón was elected in 2020 over incumbent Jackie Lacey because he promised a wave of progressive changes. But he has been under fire since taking office for issuing a series of directives critics have blasted as soft on crime. The directives included a rule against seeking the death penalty,

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Barger Preparing for Third, Final Term on LA County Board of Supervisors

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Pasadena, was preparing for a third and final term Wednesday after besting four challengers in Tuesday’s election.

Barger, who was first elected in 2016 to represent District 5, was challenged in Tuesday’s election by Pasadenan Chris Holden, who has served in the state Assembly since 2012; Perry Goldberg, an attorney and founder of ThriveLA, which promotes farming communities for unhoused veterans; Konstantine Anthony, a member of the Burbank City Council since 2020 and a former mayor; and Marlon Marroquin, a technologist with specialization in international crime analysis.

District 5 covers more than 90 communities, including the cities of Arcadia, Burbank, La Cañada, Palmdale, Santa Clarita, Temple City, along with the unincorporated areas of Agua Dulce, Claremont, Palmdale, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Lakeview Terrace, Sunland, Toluca Lake and Valley Village.

With returns still being tabulated early Wednesday, Barger had well over the 50% margin needed to avoid a November runoff election and reclaim her seat outright.

Sunday, March 3, 2024

11 Candidates Battling George Gascón to Become LA County’s Top Prosecutor

CITY NEWS SERVICE

District Attorney George Gascón will face 11 challengers in Tuesday’s primary election, featuring a mix of prosecutors and candidates who say they can offer a more moderate approach to criminal justice reform.

Gascón was elected in 2020 over incumbent Jackie Lacey as he promised a wave of progressive changes. But he has been under fire since taking office by issuing a series of directives critics have blasted as being soft on crime. The directives included a rule against seeking the death penalty, a ban on transferring juvenile defendants to adult court and prohibitions on filing sentencing-enhancements in most cases.

“This campaign is not about me, this is a community movement,” Gascón said last November when he kicked off his reelection campaign. “This is about looking at the criminal justice system of the 21st Century not with a rear-view mirror but looking forward.”

Among the candidates running for his job are five members of Gascón’s office: Jonathan Hatami,

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Candidates to Square Off in Altadena for LA County Board of Supervisors-5th District Seat

The League of Women Voters-Pasadena Area and Neighbors Building a Better Altadena are hosting a candidate forum for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors 5th District seat from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at the Social Hall of Loma Alta Park, located at 3330 N. Lincoln Ave. in Altadena.

Confirmed attendees include candidates Konstantine Anthony, Kathryn Barger, Perry Goldberg, Chris Holden, and Marlon Marroquin, according to Karen Gibson, co-leader of Neighbors Building a Better Altadena.

“The League of Women Voters was handling this part of it and they have confirmation from them all,” Gibson said.

Altadena residents will get an opportunity to engage directly with the candidates and ask questions. The candidates are expected to provide insights into their priorities and platforms.

“The County Board of Supervisors is a really powerful force in Altadena as it is an unincorporated town, so the supervisors are really our most impactful government entity here,” Gibson said.

Parts of the forum may be recorded and posted later on the League of Women Voters website for wider accessibility.

Friday, February 16, 2024

Average LA County Gas Price Rises for 22nd Consecutive Day

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County rose Friday for the 22nd consecutive day, increasing nine-tenths of a cent to $4.806, one day after rising 1.9 cents.

The average price has risen 26.7 cents over the past 22 days, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. The streak of rising prices began one day after the end of a 20-day streak of decreases totaling 21.8 cents that dropped the average price to its lowest amount since Jan. 24, 2023.

The average price is 7.7 cents more than one week ago, 18.9 cents higher than one month ago and 6.3 cents greater than what it was one year ago. It has dropped $1.688 since rising to a record $6.494 on Oct. 5, 2022.

“Southern California refineries are continuing to report planned and unplanned maintenance, which creates supply uncertainty and drives up prices at the pump,”

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

LA County Board of Supervisors Tentatively OKs New Rules for Short-Term Rentals

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday tentatively approved a suite of new regulations on short-term rentals located in unincorporated areas.

The board voted unanimously to amend the county code regarding businesses licenses, which regulates short-term rentals. Under the new rules, hosts with Airbnb or Vacation Rentals By Owner, VRBO, will be required to register and pay a fee of $914 on an annual basis.

The county rules also restrict short-term rentals to a host’s primary residence — prohibiting the use of accessory dwelling units, rent-restricted primary residences and vacation rentals for short-term rental use.

Additionally, the regulations place restrictions on the number of guests, length of stay and types of events for short-term rentals. Companies like Airbnb and VRBO would be required to comply with the new regulations, and establish an enforcement and appeals process for customers who fail to abide by the new rules.

The board asked for several minor amendments to the proposal,

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

L.A. County to Offer Same-Day Valentine’s Day Marriage Licenses, Ceremonies

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Amorous couples looking to tie the knot on Valentine’s Day will be able to obtain a marriage license and get hitched all in the same location Wednesday at the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s Office in Norwalk.

Same-day marriage licensing and civil wedding ceremonies will be offered only at the county clerk’s Norwalk headquarters at 12400 Imperial Highway. The services will be offered from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Appointments are not required, although, to save time, couples are encouraged to fill out an online license application before arriving. The applications are available at https://marriage.lavote.net/mls/.

The county charges $35 for a civil wedding ceremony. A marriage license costs $91, but a confidential license costs just $85.

On Valentine’s Day last year, 140 couples took advantage of the same-day licensing and ceremonies in Norwalk, where about 30 ceremonies are usually performed on a normal day. Another 73 couples were married on Valentine’s Day 2023 at the various registrar-recorder offices across L.A.

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Divided LA County Board Votes to Support Appeal of Homeless Camping Ban Issue

CITY NEWS SERVICE

A divided Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has voted to support an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court of a court case questioning if cities and counties can legally enforce outdoor camping restrictions in an effort to clear homeless encampments, and is joining an Oregon city’s call for action Wednesday.

Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Janice Hahn introduced the motion calling on the county to support the city of Grants Pass, Oregon, in its appeal to the Supreme Court of two 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rulings that struck down cities’ ability to enforce public camping restrictions against the homeless unless there is adequate alternative shelter space available.

“I want to be clear that this is not an advocacy push for the criminalization of homelessness, but rather a call for comprehensive, compassionate action,” Barger said in a statement after the board’s 3-2 vote in support of the appeal. “This motion encourages the Supreme Court to clarify our state and local governments’

Thursday, February 1, 2024

LA County Health Officials Confirm Local Measles Case

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Los Angeles County health officials said Thursday they have confirmed a case of measles in a resident who recently traveled through Los Angeles International Airport while infectious, and they urged people who may have been exposed to check their vaccination status, monitor their health and contact a doctor if necessary.

The unidentified patient arrived on Turkish Airlines flight 009 at the Tom Bradley International Terminal, Gate 157, at 5 p.m. Jan. 25, according to the county Department of Public Health. People who were in the terminal between 5 and 9 p.m. could be at risk of measles due to exposure, health officials said.

Other passengers who were seated near the patient on the flight are being notified, officials said.

The patient also visited a Chick-Fil-A restaurant at 18521 Devonshire St. in Northridge at some point between 8 and 10:30 p.m. Jan. 25, possibly exposing people there.

“Public Health encourages residents to confirm their measles vaccination status,”

Thursday, January 25, 2024

20-Day Streak of Dropping Average LA County Gas Prices Ends

CITY NEWS SERVICE

A 20-day streak of decreases totaling 21.8 cents that dropped the average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County to its lowest amount since Jan. 24, 2023, ended Thursday when it was unchanged, remaining at $4.539.

The average price is 4.5 cents less than one week ago, 18.2 cents lower than one month ago and a half-cent below what it was one year ago, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It has dropped $1.955 since rising to a record $6.494 on Oct. 5, 2022.

The national average price rose six-tenths of a cent to $3.102, the third consecutive increase after a four-day streak of decreases totaling 1.7 cents. It has risen 2.5 cents over the past three days, including 1.2 cents Wednesday.

The national average price is eight-tenths of a cent more than one week ago, but 2.5 cents less than one month ago and 37.9 cents lower than one year ago.