Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Altadena Town Council Presses PUSD on Future of Eliot Arts Magnet Tower

Pasadena Unified School District officials told the Altadena Town Council on Tuesday that no final redevelopment decision has been made for fire-damaged Eliot Arts Magnet Academy, including its tower, and that an environmental review and additional structural assessments will examine whether the tower can be saved or made safe.

The clarification came during a special May 19 presentation listed on the meeting agenda as “PUSD — Eliot School,” with Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Blanco and district Director of Facilities, Maintenance, Operations & Transportation Michael Dunning as presenters. It followed an earlier land use meeting where district comments about structural reports raised concerns among attendees, including concerns later raised publicly about a possible tear-down of the Eliot tower.

Blanco apologized for “any grief” caused by the earlier discussion, saying district officials had been working from information available at the time from structural engineers.

She said she learned new information the next day that changed the district’s understanding of the review required for the tower.

Blanco said the tower is not registered as a historical landmark in the places architects would normally search,

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Altadena Council Backs Affordable Housing Project Aimed at Bringing Displaced Renters Home

As Altadena rebuilds from the Eaton Fire, town council members are confronting a central question of recovery: who will be able to come back? On Tuesday, the Altadena Town Council threw its support behind a proposed 52-unit affordable housing development at 2214 North Windsor Ave., describing the project as a critical tool for helping displaced renters and families return to a community where much of the naturally affordable rental stock was destroyed.

A letter of support, signed by Council Chair Nic Arnzen and read into the record by Council Member Anton Anderson during the May 19 meeting, was written to back the developer’s application to the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee for tax credits to help fund the project. The letter said the project “arrives at a pivotal moment in Altadena’s recovery, one that requires not only rebuilding, but intentional equity centered intervention.” It was approved by the council’s Land Use Committee at its May 5 meeting before being read to the full council Tuesday night.

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Eaton Fire Survivors Press Five Recovery Priorities at Sacramento Capitol

Dena Rise Up coalition holds Capitol press conference, meets with lawmakers on insurance, contamination and housing demands

More than 80 Eaton Fire survivors held a State Capitol press conference Tuesday and met with state legislators through the afternoon, pressing five recovery priorities organized by the Dena Rise Up coalition.

“They need to hear the voices of survivors. We know it’s important to put pressure on those who are holding the key to our recovery,” Heavenly Hughes, a Dena Rise Up representative and Eaton Fire survivor, said at the press conference, according to CBS Sacramento.

The priorities are three pending bills — AB 1642 on wildfire contamination testing, SB 878 on insurance payment timeliness and SB 1301 on insurance non-renewal protections — a proposed CARE Fund the coalition described as a $300 million community-rebuild ask, and an Urgent Housing Relief Proposal directing Southern California Edison to advance up to $200,000 per displaced household.

Tuesday’s event came five days after the Senate Appropriations Committee cleared SB 878 and SB 1301,

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Pasadena-Area Election Workers Would Receive Legal Protection Under New L.A. County Motion

Los Angeles County supervisors approved a motion aimed at strengthening election resiliency and protecting election workers — a move with implications for those administering voting in Pasadena — as the county prepares for the June 2, 2026 Primary Election and the Nov. 3, 2026 General Election.

The action, authored by Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis and Third District Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, affirms that Los Angeles County will provide for the legal defense of County election employees, in accordance with California Government Code Section 995.8, if they face federal criminal charges arising from the good-faith performance of their official election duties within the scope of their employment.

The motion responds to threats of federal interference by the Trump administration ahead of the 2026 elections, according to the county’s press release. It also establishes clear authority for the County to take timely legal action should federal interference threaten the integrity or administration of the 2026 elections.

“We cannot ignore the very real threats posed by the Trump administration against election workers and democratic institutions across the country,” Solis said in the county’s statement.

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Los Angeles County Gasoline Prices Hold Steady Despite Pressures

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County dropped six-tenths of a cent Tuesday to $6.208, one day after rising one-tenth of a cent.

The average price is 2.1 cents less than one week ago but 27.9 cents more than one month ago and $1.384 higher than one year ago, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.

The average price has risen $1.514 since the joint U.S./Israel attack on Iran on Feb. 28, moving within 28.6 cents of the record $6.494 set Oct. 5, 2022.

The national average price rose 1.8 cents to $4.533, one day after a three-day streak of decreases totaling 2.1 cents ended with an increase of two- tenths of a cent. It is 2.9 cents more than one week ago, 48.5 cents higher than one month ago and $1.353 more than one year ago.

The national average price has risen $1.551 since the attack on Iran,

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Median California Home Price Sets Record in April

CITY NEWS SERVICE

California’s median home price reached a record last month while sales picked up steam as well, the California Association of Realtors said Tuesday.

The median price of an existing, single-family home in California was $914,810 in April, up from $889,190 in March.

Sales totaled 275,580 in April on a seasonally adjusted basis, up 3.9% from March and 4.1% from April 2025.

CAR said the numbers were fueled by lower mortgage rates early in the month and strong market activity in higher-priced segments.

“April’s year-over-year increase in home sales is a welcome sign that buyer demand remains resilient as we move deeper into the spring home buying season,” said CAR President Tamara Suminski, a Southern California broker and Realtor. “While elevated mortgage rates and ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East continue to weigh on the market, California buyers and sellers are still finding opportunities, and that speaks to the underlying strength of housing demand.”

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

LA County Advances Creation of Ethics Commission

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The county Board of Supervisors took another step forward Tuesday in creating a Ethics Commission and Office of Ethics Compliance in an effort to bolster accountability and transparency in county government.

The board unanimously approved a motion directing various departments to begin establishing the infrastructure for staffing and operating the commission, including allocation of funding, recruitment of staff and commission members and drafting of a county charter amendment to place on the November ballot for voters to codify the establishment of the office and commission.

The idea of the commission was first backed by voters through the 2024 approval of Measure G, a county governance overhaul measure that also called for expansion of the Board of Supervisors and other changes in county operations.

“Los Angeles County is taking a historic step toward stronger ethics, accountability, and public trust,” Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said in a statement following the board’s vote. “Establishing the county’s first-ever independent Ethics Commission and Office of Ethics Compliance —

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

County Urges Residents to Participate in Health Survey

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Los Angeles County residents were being urged Wednesday to participate in the 2026 Los Angeles County Health Survey, a countywide effort examining health issues affecting local communities.

The survey, conducted by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in partnership with RTI International, marks the 10th cycle of the ongoing health study and will continue through December.

Officials said randomly selected households throughout the county will receive mailed invitations to complete surveys online or by telephone covering health conditions, health care needs and other issues affecting residents and their communities.

“The health survey gives us an opportunity to hear from local residents about health issues affecting their communities,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. “The survey results will help Public Health and our community partners throughout Los Angeles County develop policies and plan programs to improve the health of the 10 million people we serve.”

According to the department, the survey is available in English,

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

LA County Establishes Disaster Recovery Rebuild Authority

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The county Board of Supervisors Tuesday created a Disaster Recovery Rebuild Authority, which was billed as a “landmark step” in the region’s long-term recovery from the January 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires.

At the direction of Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Lindsey Horvath, the board approved a motion to officially establish the authority as the county’s unified coordinating body for recovery efforts.

The action builds on an earlier motion that commissioned a report on the legal and governance framework needed to establish the new entity. County officials noted the rebuild authority will work within the Department of Public Works.

The entity will have responsibility for integrating and aligning all recovery functions across county departments without superseding their individual operational authorities, officials said.

Effective immediately, county officials said they are launching “Phase 0,” which means they will staff the authority with a specialized team of 13 full-time positions. The team will finalize an operational plan, align with One-Stop Permitting Centers and advance an Infrastructure Master Plan with impacted fire-recovering communities.

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

LA County Declines to Extend Price Gouging Protections on Rental Housing

CITY NEWS SERVICE

A divided Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday refused to again extend price-gouging protections on local rental housing that were implemented following the Jan. 7, 2025, wildfires.

In January 2025, a state of emergency was declared in the county following the windstorm and deadly wildfires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, activating price gouging protections that barred price hikes of 10% or more on critical goods and services, including housing.

The wildfires destroyed thousands of structures and displaced numerous residents and businesses.

Under the declaration, the price-gouging protections were put in place through July 1, 2025, but state law allowed the county to approve 30-day extensions — which the Board of Supervisors has OK’d each month since last summer.

Another proposed 30-day extension was the board’s agenda Tuesday, since the protections are set to expire May 28.

But the continued extensions have drawn increased opposition from landlords and other business groups,