Thursday, May 25, 2023

Stepped-Up Law Enforcement of Traffic Laws Planned for Memorial Day Weekend

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Law enforcement personnel in Los Angeles County and statewide will be out in force over the Memorial Day weekend, on the lookout for people driving while impaired or otherwise violating traffic laws.

The California Highway Patrol’s “maximum enforcement period,” will begin at 6:01 p.m. Friday and continue through 11:59 p.m. Monday, said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. During this period, all available uniformed officers will be assigned to patrol duties.

“Memorial Day weekend is quickly approaching, and many Californians are preparing to kick off the summer with a holiday gathering or road trip,” Duryee said in a statement.

Forty-five people were killed in crashes statewide during last year’s Memorial Day weekend, nearly a 30% increase from the same period in 2021, Duryee said.

“This holiday, motorists can expect to see additional CHP officers patrolling California’s roadways,” Duryee said. “Our primary focus will be to enhance public safety, deter unsafe driving behavior, and when necessary, take appropriate enforcement action.”

Thursday, May 25, 2023

Metro Votes to Adopt $9 Billion Budget for 2024

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Metro’s Board of Directors approved the agency’s $9 billion budget for fiscal year 2024 Thursday, representing a $232.4 million, or 2.6%, increase over the current year.

The budget will make investments in service frequency and reliability, cleaning and public safety, Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggans said.

“All these investments focus on one thing: putting people first,” Wiggins wrote in her budget letter. “Metro’s budget must reflect that we are here to serve our customers.”

The budget includes $2.4 billion in the Metro Transit Operating and Maintenance program. The transit agency intends that allocation to provide about 8.9 million revenue hours of service, a 9.6% higher level of service than prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

Metro will allocate $201 million in cleaning efforts, an increase of $23.6 million, or 13.3%, compared to the current year. The money will fund 10 roving cleaning teams, hire 24 more full-time custodial staff and hire up to 50 temporary part-time custodial staff dedicated to the B (Red) and D (Purple) lines.

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

State Board Declares LA County Juvey Halls Unsuitable to Detain Youth

CITY NEWS SERVICE

A state regulatory board Tuesday declared Los Angeles County’s Barry J. Nidorf and Central juvenile halls unsuitable to house pre-disposition youth and ordered the county to relocate such detainees out of the facilities within 60 days.

Members of the Board of State and Community Corrections said they felt they had no alternative other than to make the declaration, citing a protracted history of short-comings at the facilities, which were found in recent inspections to still be out of compliance with numerous state standards. Board members called the county’s recently approved “aggressive” plans for an overhaul of its juvenile detention system too little, too late.

Representatives for the county unsuccessfully asked the board for a 150-day delay in the board’s action, saying plans are already under way to relocate pre-disposition youth detainees to the previously closed Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, but doing so in 60 days could create “chaos” and safety concerns.

Roughly 275 pre-disposition youth —

Monday, May 22, 2023

California State Parks Offers Free Admission to Veterans, Active and Reserve Military on Memorial Day

California State Parks is honoring the service of veterans, and active and reserve military members, by offering free admission to 130 participating state park units on Memorial Day – Monday, May 29, 2023. The list of participating park units can be found at parks.ca.gov/MemorialDay2023.

“State Parks invites these brave people and their families to enjoy the beauty, peace, and rich history of their public lands,” said California State Parks Director Armando Quintero. “Thank you for sacrificing so much for your nation, for your families, and for our freedom.”

Veterans, active duty, and reserve military personnel must show a valid military ID, or proof of discharge other than dishonorable or bad conduct, to receive free admission. AB 150 (Olsen), signed by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. in 2013, authorized California State Parks to offer veterans, active duty, and reserve military personnel from the United States Armed Forces and the National Guard of any state a reduced or free day use at participating state parks.

State Parks is reminding the public that there are other free passes available including the California State Park Adventure Pass for California fourth graders and their families.

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Motion Co-Authored by Supervisor Barger Backs Extension of California Film Tax Credit

In a move to keep TV and film jobs in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously today to back the extension of the current California Film Tax Credit for another five years.

This endorsement to Governor Newsom comes in the wake of an industry report showing a 24 percent decline in on-location filming over the last quarter.

The motion was co-authored by Supervisors Kathryn Barger, who represents Pasadena, and Lindsey P. Horvath.

The $1.55 billion tax relief program, which is managed by the California Film Commission, provides financial relief to film and television companies producing projects in California. Unless extended, the program is set to expire on June 30, 2025.

“Easing the tax liabilities of film and television companies both large and small is a significant carrot that keeps them from moving their production out of state where it may be cheaper to film,” said Supervisor Barger. “We have an amazing production infrastructure here and we must seize every opportunity to protect and support it.”

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

LA County Property Assessment Expected to Near $2 Trillion

CITY NEWS SERVICE

This year’s assessment of property values in Los Angeles County is expected to rise by 5% over last year, reaching nearly $2 trillion, according to a forecast released Tuesday by county Assessor Jeff Prang.

“It has been a challenging couple of years as the local and national economies respond to a variety of factors, including COVID,” Prang said in a statement. “But our analysis indicates property value growth for the 13th consecutive year. This is good news for property owners and for local government, which depends on property taxes to pay for vital public services. However, the real estate market in 2022 began more robustly than it ended, and the sluggish market is likely to continue through this year.”

The 2022 assessed valuation of properties in the county was $1.89 trillion, up nearly 7% from the previous year. The 2023 tax roll assessment will be completed in July.

According to Prang’s office, the nearly $2 trillion assessment would translate into about $20 billion in property tax money to fund county services.

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Lower Home Prices and Interest Rates Improve LA 2023 Housing Affordability

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Lower home prices and slightly lower interest rates improved the outlook for both Los Angeles County and L.A. city homebuyers in the first quarter of 2023, as the state’s housing affordability rose to the highest level in a year, the California Association of Realtors announced Tuesday.

Seventeen percent of L.A. County households could afford to buy the $746,750 median-priced home in the first quarter of the year, up from 13% in the last quarter of 2022, but down from 20% in first-quarter 2022, according to the association.

A minimum annual income of $185,200 was needed to make monthly payments of $4,630, including principal, interest and taxes on a 30-year fixed- rate mortgage at a 6.48% interest rate, the report said.

In the L.A. metro area, 19% of households could afford to buy the $720,000 median-priced home in the first quarter of 2023, up from 18% in the fourth quarter of 2022 but down from 24% in the first quarter of last year.

Friday, May 12, 2023

LACo: COVID Vaccines, Medications Remain Available as Emergencies End

With federal emergency declarations stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic ending, Los Angeles County health officials reminded residents Thursday that vaccinations remain readily available, along with approved therapeutics and testing kits.

In a statement, the county Department of Public Health noted that COVID-19 “continues to be one of the leading causes of death in Los Angeles County, requiring ongoing efforts to reduce severe illness through readily available vaccinations, testing and treatment.”

Health officials said the federal government will continue to make its supply of the therapeutic medications Paxlovid and Molnupiravir available at no cost regardless of insurance coverage, while state law requires insurance plans to cover the costs of vaccines, testing and Paxlovid through Nov. 11.

“We are grateful that Los Angeles County is in a better place and that emergency declarations are no longer needed,” county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. “I am aware that each day thousands of people throughout Los Angeles County continue to be impacted by COVID-19,

Thursday, May 11, 2023

Altadena Music Theatre Returns to Farnsworth

STAFF REPORT

In a Berlin nightclub, as the 1920’s draw to a close, a garish Master of Ceremonies welcomes the audience and assures them they will forget all their troubles at the Cabaret. This iconic Kander and Ebb musical written by Joe Masteroff is based off the play by John Van Druten and ‘The Berlin Stories’ of Christopher Isherwood. It tells the tale of two love stories and the impact society and the Nazi’s rise to power has on their relationships. Politics and society can change so quickly, but so many detrimental aspects remain if we are complacent and don’t shine a light.

Altadena Music Theatre returns to the Charles Farnsworth Amphitheater this May following their inaugural production of “Hair” this past September which swept audiences away. You can expect another stunning musical adventure in the open air amphitheater at Charles Farnsworth Park in the foothills of Altadena May 25th – June 4th.

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

LA County Board of Supervisors Holds Public Hearing on Budget Proposal

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The public got its first chance Wednesday to weigh in on the county’s $43 billion 2023-2024 budget proposal, with some speakers voicing frustration at funding amounts being allocated for incarceration and the probation and sheriff’s departments.

Those who spoke out against the agencies generally asked that the funding be diverted instead to education and recreation programs. Several speakers referenced this week’s overdose death of a detainee at the Barry Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar.

One speaker asked that Probation Department officials look at their detainees “as though they were their own children.”

Despite calls from multiple speakers for a reduction in the sheriff’s department budget, Sheriff Robert Luna appeared before the board and asked for additional funds. He asked for money to fund two more captain positions, citing a need for more senior officers to complete a management overhaul of the agency.

“I can’t believe that we have the biggest jail in the nation and it doesn’t even have a management system,”