Saturday, May 24, 2025

Eaton Canyon Closed Indefinitely Due to Post-Fire Hazards; Trespassers Could be Fined $5,000

By EDDIE RIVERA

Hundreds of miles of hiking trails remain available throughout LA County, say officials

Citing unstable hillsides, destroyed infrastructure, and fragile regrowth following the Eaton Fire, Los Angeles County and U.S. Forest Service officials announced Thursday that Eaton Canyon Natural Area will remain closed indefinitely — at least through the end of this year, and likely longer.

Speaking at the Henninger Trailhead, officials warned the public that returning to the area too soon could lead to their serious injury and the area’s long-term environmental damage.

To prevent unauthorized access and further harm, officials also stressed that trespassing in the closed areas will be met with enforcement. LA County Park Sheriff Bureau officers will issue fines up to $5,000. On Angeles National Forest lands, violations carry even steeper penalties—fines of up to $5,000 for individuals or $10,000 for organizations, plus potential imprisonment for up to six months, according to City News Service.

The closure affects both hiking and equestrian trails throughout the fire-damaged areas.

Saturday, May 24, 2025

SoCal Edison Agrees to Pay $82.5 Million to Settle Claims From 2020 Bobcat Fire

CITY NEWS SERVICE with PASADENA NOW

Southern California Edison has reached a record $82.5 million settlement with the United States to resolve claims stemming from the 2020 Bobcat Fire that threatened Pasadena’s foothill communities and came within 50 feet of the historic Mt. Wilson Observatory, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday.

The U.S. government sued SoCal Edison in September 2023, alleging in Los Angeles federal court that the Bobcat Fire — one of the largest wildfires ever in Los Angeles County — was caused by the failure of the utility and its tree maintenance contractor to properly maintain trees that came into contact with power lines and caused the blaze.

The Bobcat Fire ignited in September 2020 and scorched more than 114,000 acres — nearly 175 square miles — of which nearly 100,000 acres were in the Angeles National Forest.

The 82-day blaze forced Pasadena to issue evacuation warnings on Sept. 8, 2020, for residents north of Sierra Madre Boulevard.

Saturday, May 24, 2025

CHP, Local Law Enforcement Begin Memorial Weekend Enforcement

CITY NEWS SERVICE

California Highway Patrol officers began a maximum enforcement period Friday evening in an attempt to crack down on drunken and unsafe driving across Southern California as part of a statewide push to keep roads safe through Memorial Day.

The effort began at 6 p.m. Friday and will run through 11:59 p.m. Monday, with all available officers deployed to monitor for impaired drivers and other traffic violations.

“Our top priority is keeping the public safe, not just during the holidays but daily,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said. “Buckling up is one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect yourself and your passengers in a crash. Our officers will be out in force to help everyone arrive at their destination safely.”

During last year’s Memorial Day weekend enforcement operations, the CHP arrested roughly 1,100 motorists on suspicion of drunken or drug-impaired driving, a figure similar to 2023. Forty-two vehicle occupants were killed in collisions investigated by the CHP and other agencies during the 2024 effort —

Friday, May 23, 2025

Pasadena Teachers Union: End of Contract Talks In Sight

Teachers say they seek fair pay and better conditions as the district faces financial and wildfire damage challenges

The United Teachers of Pasadena is preparing for its final scheduled bargaining session, aiming to resolve key contract issues that have remained unresolved since September, officials said during Thursday night’s Pasadena School Board meeting.

The negotiations come amid significant district challenges, including recent wildfire damage and tightening financial constraints.

“We’ve gone the entire school year working under an expired contract despite our efforts to get an early start back in September,” said UTP bargaining chairperson Bethel Lira, a Marshall Fundamental Secondary School history teacher. “UTP has brought several proposals to the table, and we are hopeful that during your closed session tonight, you will guide and authorize your bargaining team to collaborate with UTP in finding common ground that would move us toward reaching an agreement.”

The union said key outstanding issues include:

• Aligning child development teacher salaries with promised degree advancements
• Transitioning from staffing ratios to class size caps
• Establishing clear planning time for elementary teachers
• Resolving special education contract language
• Implementing cost-sharing for the UTP president’s position

UTP President Jonathan Gardner highlighted the breadth of educators’

Friday, May 23, 2025

US Senate Blocks California’s Electric Car Mandate in Historic Vote

By Alejandro Lazo and Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, CALMATTERS

The U.S. Senate voted today to block California’s landmark mandate phasing out gas-powered cars, dealing a substantial blow to the state’s aggressive transition to electric vehicles.

The decision to revoke three waivers that the Biden administration granted to California could upend the state’s decades-long efforts and authority to clean up its air pollution — the worst in the nation — and reduce greenhouse gases that cause climate change.

Today’s move by the Senate — following a vote in the House last month — sets the stage for what is likely to become a high-stakes legal and political battle between California and the Trump administration.

Republicans in the Senate and some Democrats in the House who voted in favor of blocking California’s electric car mandate — along with two rules cleaning up diesel trucks — said they’re costly and impractical, and prevent consumers and businesses from making their own choices.

But Democrats in the Senate who voted against them,

Friday, May 23, 2025

California’s High Living Costs and High Poverty Sharpen its Economic Divide

By Dan Walters, CALMATTERS

Forty years ago, I wrote a series of 14 articles for the Sacramento Bee describing major economic, social, cultural and political trends coursing through California as the 20th century was drawing to a close.

One theme of the series, which later became a book, was the transformation of California from a state with high economic and social mobility to one of relatively rigid classes defined by ethnicity, education, incomes and wealth.

I quoted two researchers, Leon Bouvier and Philip Martin, who had projected California’s future as “the possible emerging of a two-tier economy with Asians and non-Hispanic whites competing for high-status positions while Hispanics and blacks struggle to get the low-paying service jobs.”

Unfortunately their analysis turned out to be quite accurate.

California has the nation’s highest rate of poverty as defined by the Census Bureau when it includes the cost of living in its calculations — 18.9% in 2023,

Friday, May 23, 2025

Spectrum Reach to Support Altadena Small Businesses Damaged by Eaton Fire

Local businesses to receive free advertising campaigns during Small Business Month reception

Spectrum Reach will support local small businesses impacted by the Eaton Fire, awarding three Altadena businesses free advertising campaigns worth up to $15,000 each during a Small Business Month reception on May 29.

The event, hosted by Spectrum and the Altadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association, will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Altadena Community Center, located at 730 E Altadena Dr. Confirmed attendees include Representative Judy Chu, California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, Senator Sasha Renée Pérez, and representatives from the Los Angeles County Supervisor’s office.

Selected businesses will receive a comprehensive advertising package that includes live and streaming TV exposure, a custom 30-second commercial, expert marketing consultation, mentoring, and educational resources. Spectrum will also donate $5,000 to the Altadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association.

Since launching the Pay It Forward program in 2021, Spectrum Reach has invested over $50 million in advertising and resources to help more than 2,250 small businesses across 40 markets.

Friday, May 23, 2025

LA Metro Doubles Down on Safety in $9.4 Billion Spending Plan for Fiscal Year 2025-26

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Metro’s Board of Directors on Thursday approved a $9.4 billion spending plan for 2026 — which represents a 2% increase or $180.9 million more compared to the $9.26 billion in the current year — prioritizing more funding for public safety and boosting the frequency of transit services.

Despite financial headwinds and economic concerns, Metro directors adopted the budget in a unanimous vote, which they described as “balanced” and something that should not be taken for granted. One official noted that similar financial challenges have led other transit agencies across the country — including in San Francisco, Chicago and Philadelphia — to reduce services

“Metro is not immune to the same headwinds all of our peer agencies are facing,” Metro Director and Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval said Thursday, who is also the chair of the budget committee. “It’s time for us to have some honest, tough conversation about our future and priorities.”

Sandoval asked Metro staff to return next month with a framework outlining possible trade-offs and solutions to address the agency’s budget constraints.

Friday, May 23, 2025

LA County Launches Residential Soil Testing Program in Eaton Fire Area

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Thursday began a residential soil testing program in neighborhoods near the Eaton Fire to better assess the levels of lead potentially in the ground.

Earlier testing by the agency found levels of lead above health screening thresholds in the soil at properties downwind from the Eaton Fire. In response, the county Board of Supervisors voted last month to allocate $3 million to a more robust testing program for affected residents.

Under the program, which will continue through December, residents will be provided with instructions on how to collect soil samples from their yards and drop them off at a One Stop Permit Center at 464 W. Woodbury Road, suite 210, in Altadena between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

The samples will be picked up by certified labs, and residents will receive results within a week to 10 days, with a link to a website that will help residents interpret the results.

Friday, May 23, 2025

Ex-LA Deputy Mayor to Plead Guilty to Reporting Fake Bomb Threat

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Brian Williams, a former Los Angeles deputy mayor who is a Pasadena resident, has agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge for reporting a fake bomb threat to L.A. City Hall last year, prosecutors announced Thursday.

Williams, 61, is charged with a single count of threats regarding fire and explosives, a felony carrying a possible prison sentence of up to 10 years, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

According to his plea agreement, on Oct. 3, 2024, while serving as Mayor Karen Bass’ deputy mayor of public safety, Williams participated in a virtual meeting with multiple people in connection with his official duties. During the meeting, Williams used the Google Voice application on his personal cellphone to place a call to his city-issued phone, court papers show.

Williams then left the virtual meeting and called the Los Angeles Police Department’s chief of staff, falsely claiming he had just received a bomb threat to City Hall on his city-issued phone from an unknown man,