Sunday, April 6, 2025

New Fire Maps Put Nearly 4 Million Californians In Hazardous Zones. What Does That Mean For The People Who Live There?

By Ben Christopher, CALMATTERS

New bursts of yellow dot the hills of Mendocino County.

Smears of burnt orange now span the aqueduct near Bakersfield.

A fresh splash of crimson juts east of Chico like a fresh wound.

With the release of its fourth and final round of color-coded hazard maps this morning, California’s firefighting agency is showing just how much of the state is prone to wildfire — and how much that computationally-modeled danger zone has grown since the state issued its last round of local hazard maps more than a decade ago.

With a few notable areas where the orange and red tide receded, like the hills above Berkeley and Oakland, territory deemed “high” or “very high” hazard exploded across the state, increasing by 168% since 2011.

All told, the size of these orange and red patches on the new maps is 3,626 square miles — an area nearly twice the size of Delaware.

Friday, April 4, 2025

Newsom Lays Out Plan for CA Career Education

By Lynn La, CALMATTERS

More than a year after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to develop the initiative, the governor on Wednesday unveiled full details of his Master Plan for Career Education, reports CalMatters’ Adam Echelman.

The plan lays out the state’s approach to job training and education programs, but critics have said the proposals are unclear. At the same time, some for-profit career colleges and trade schools — which play a key role in workforce development — face issues with licensing or other violations.

Included in the plan are efforts Adam previously reported: The Cradle-to-Career Data System, for example, is a multi-year project that tracks student progress and remains behind schedule. The plan also expands competency-based education, which focuses on skills rather than grades. Though seven community colleges are moving forward with a pilot to employ this approach, Madera Community College has stalled its efforts due to faculty opposition.

Friday, April 4, 2025

Youth Empowerment Festival To Support Kids and Families Affected By Eaton Fires

Local nonprofit aims to restore hope and provide resources for wildfire victims

Loveland Community Development Corp (LLCDC) will host a Youth Empowerment Festival will be held this Saturday for families impacted by the devastating Eaton Fires. The carnival-style event at Pasadena City Hall, located at 100 Garfield Ave. in downtown Pasadena, will offer activities, workshops, and resources specifically designed to uplift young people ages 0-24 and their families who have faced hardship due to the fires.

“This is more than just a festival, it’s an opportunity to restore hope, provide resources, and strengthen community bonds,” states promotional materials for the event organized by the nonprofit organization.

The free festival will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 5th and feature live performances, carnival games, youth panel discussions, empowerment workshops, community giveaways, networking opportunities, resources, and food. Entertainment will include Tommy the Clown, who appears in promotional materials wearing a referee outfit.

The event is sponsored by numerous community organizations including LA,

Friday, April 4, 2025

LA County Opens Housing Voucher Waiting List for Wildfire Victims

Priority given to 50 displaced families from Pacific Palisades, Eaton fires

The Los Angeles County Development Authority will open its Housing Choice Voucher waiting list Friday for individuals and families displaced by the January 2025 Eaton Fire.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. on April 4 at https://harp.lacda.org but will only remain open until 300 individuals/families apply and will close without notice, according to information issued by the Los Angeles County Development Authority officials.

The agency plans to prioritize up to 50 very low or extremely low-income households whose primary residences were rendered uninhabitable by the fires.

Selected individuals/families will be required to provide proof of residence in a fire impacted area and proof of displacement due to damage that has rendered the residence uninhabitable. Those who cannot provide such documentation and applicants not selected will be removed from the HCV waiting list.

To qualify for the Housing Choice Voucher Program, also known as Section 8,

Friday, April 4, 2025

Pasadena to Host Free 1:1 Advising Event for Restaurant Recovery

Local business support initiative targets restaurant sector following Eaton fires

The City of Pasadena’s Economic Development Division and its community partners are continuing efforts to help local businesses recover from the Eaton fires with a specialized event for restaurant owners. The Pasadena Restaurant Resilience Pop-Up, scheduled for Tuesday, April 8, will provide free one-on-one advising sessions and facilitated networking opportunities for the restaurant sector.

“Pasadena has over 700 restaurants and their contributions to the local economy are essential,” said David Klug, Pasadena’s Economic Development Director. “We are proud to work with our partner organizations to offer this support to this important sector of our business community.”

The upcoming restaurant-focused event builds on the success of a previous Small Business Fire Recovery Pop-Up held on March 19 at the Dena Heals space at The Paseo.

That event, hosted in partnership with Pasadena Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Pasadena Women’s Business Center (WBC), U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and Foothill Workforce Development Board (FWDB),

Friday, April 4, 2025

Palmdale Deputy Announces Bid for LA County Sheriff

CITY NEWS SERVICE

With the June election 15 months away, Lt. Oscar Martinez announced his bid to lead the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department – – the third largest law enforcement agency in the nation — with other potential candidates to follow and challenge incumbent Robert Luna, officials confirmed Thursday.

Martinez, a 16-year deputy of the sheriff’s department currently assigned to the Palmdale Station, said Wednesday that he will focus on “real leadership.” He aims to defend and support deputies, modernize the department and demand fiscal responsibility.

“I’m putting my career and everything that I’ve worked for on the line, not for personal gain, but for my partners in law enforcement, as well as the future of public safety in our communities,” Martinez said.

Martinez is set to challenge Sheriff Robert Luna, who was elected in 2022 by county voters. Luna previously told the Los Angeles Times that he plans to run for reelection.

Luna defeated then-Sheriff Alex Villanueva,

Friday, April 4, 2025

First-Ever Report on `Hate Incidents’ Released by LA County

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations Thursday released its first-ever Hate Incident Report, showing reported non-criminal hate acts in the county grew 35%, from 609 in 2022 to 821 in 2023.

Hate incidents are non-criminal occurrences motivated by prejudice or bias against a person or group’s actual or perceived identity. Such incidents can include verbal abuse, harassment and displays of offensive material.

According to the survey, reported hate incidents taking place at schools, colleges and universities rose 234% — from 59 to 197. Incidents with white supremacist ideology increased 124% — from 33 to 74, while Middle East conflict-related incidents grew from 2 to 45, an increase of 2,150%.

“Hate incidents can be just as traumatic for victims as hate crimes, and can perpetuate systemic inequality; so all of us must report them, not accept them as `normal’,” Robin Toma, LACCHR executive director, said in a statement. “Understanding hate incident data along with hate crime data is a crucial new dimension for effective prevention and intervention policies and action.”

Friday, April 4, 2025

Caltech to Host Webinar Series Pulling Focus on Lead Contamination Following LA Fires

Researchers to share findings from environmental samples collected during recent blazes

In the wake of the 2025 Los Angeles fires, Caltech is launching a webinar series to explore the environmental impacts of urban blazes, beginning with a session focused on lead contamination.

The first installment of “Conversations After the Fires” will take place Thursday, April 10, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., featuring Caltech geochemist Francois Tissot and graduate students Merritt McDowell and Isaac Aguilar. They will be joined by Christine O’Connell, assistant professor of Biological Sciences at Chapman University.

The researchers will discuss their analysis of ash, soil, and water samples collected during the fires to determine lead levels released into the environment. The session will be moderated by Caltech science writer Lori Dajose.

“When the 2025 Los Angeles fires broke out, Caltech researchers on campus and at JPL, which Caltech manages for NASA, jumped into action, collecting and analyzing data as soon as flames erupted,” Caltech said in the event announcement.

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Pasadena Congresswoman Denounces Trump’s Global Tariff Expansion

Warns new policy will raise costs for American families

Rep. Judy Chu criticized President Donald Trump on Wednesday for signing an executive order immediately imposing tariffs on every single country in the world, including America’s closest allies, calling it “the largest tax increase in history” that will raise costs for American consumers.

The California Democrat, who represents Pasadena and serves on the House Ways and Means Committee overseeing international trade, said the tariffs will increase prices on medications, groceries, gasoline and construction materials needed for rebuilding after the Eaton Fire in her district.

“These tariffs aren’t liberation; they’re stupidity and the clearest sign Trump cares more about being a bully than helping Americans,” Chu said in a statement.

The Congresswoman referenced Trump’s recent comment that he “couldn’t care less” if his tariffs on cars raised prices for Americans, noting that today he is “extending the same treatment to millions of products.”

Chu said the President’s own economic advisor estimates the plan will raise prices for American families by up to $6 trillion,

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Pasadena Community Foundation Announces the Formation of the Altadena Builds Back Foundation

Foundation will provide resources and options for people to stay and rebuild in Altadena

The Pasadena Community Foundation officially announced the establishment of the Altadena Builds Back Foundation on Wednesday. This supporting organization of PCF has been formed to focus on the long-term recovery and rebuilding of Altadena, which was disproportionately affected by the Eaton Fire. ABBF has secured $55 million from generous donors to support its efforts.

Operating as a subsidiary of PCF, ABBF will assist in the leadership and funding of the rebuilding of Altadena through a community-centered process that reflects the strengths, opportunities, and priorities of those directly impacted by the Eaton Fire. The resources of ABBF will be focused on the broad issue of housing with a priority to preserve the demographic, socio-economic, and creative diversity that has always been woven into the fabric of Altadena. ABBF’s goal is to help provide resources and options for people who want to stay and rebuild in Altadena and to preserve and enhance the affordability for both homeowners and renters.