Friday, April 17, 2026

Five Years Later, an Altadena Murder Case Returns to the Pasadena Courthouse

Robert Cotton, charged in the 2021 stabbing deaths of his mother and uncle, faces a pretrial hearing Friday

The man charged with killing his mother and uncle at their Altadena home in 2021 — an attack that a Zoom call made impossible to ignore — is scheduled to return to a Pasadena courtroom this week.

Robert Anderson Cotton, now 37, faces a pretrial hearing Friday, April 17, at 8:30 a.m. in Department B of the Pasadena Courthouse, 300 E. Walnut St. He has been held in Los Angeles County custody since his arrest, on $4.02 million bail, as the case moves through the courts more than five years after the killings.

Cotton is charged with two counts of murder in the March 22, 2021 stabbing deaths of his mother, Carol Anne Brown, Ph.D., 67, and her brother, Kenneth Wayne Preston, 69. The two were killed at the 3100 block of North Marengo Avenue in Altadena — a home they shared with Cotton.

Friday, April 17, 2026

LA County Launches Mental Health Awareness Campaign

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Thursday launched its annual “Take Action for Mental Health L.A. County” campaign, marking the start of a monthlong series of events tied to Mental Health Awareness Month.

The campaign includes nine large-scale events and more than 130 community-based activities scheduled throughout May, organized in partnership with dozens of local groups, according to organizers.

The department will host events on May 28 at Pasadena City College, 1570 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, and various eight other locations around the county.

Officials said the effort is aimed at promoting mental health awareness, reducing stigma and connecting residents with resources and support services.

“Mental Health Awareness Month provides a vital opportunity for us to connect with communities across Los Angeles County and elevate the importance of mental health and wellbeing,” LACDMH Director Lisa Wong said in a statement.

The department said it is partnering with 84 community-based organizations to host free events that include wellness activities such as meditation,

Thursday, April 16, 2026

Earth Day Altadena Returns with a Message of Resilience and Renewal

Altadena’s annual celebration of community and environmental stewardship promises an afternoon of music, art, and healing at Solvang Garden

Altadena is set to host its third annual Earth Day celebration, a vibrant community gathering dedicated to fostering resilience and connection through environmental awareness. This year’s event, themed “Making Change Where We Stand,” invites families and individuals to Solvang Garden on Sunday, April 19, 2026, for an afternoon filled with engaging activities, live performances, and opportunities to connect with local eco-conscious initiatives. The free event, presented by a coalition of community organizations including Soul Force Project, United Nations Association Pasadena, Dena Hive Consortium, and Dena United, aims to transform collective grief into growth and isolation into connection, embodying a powerful declaration of renewal for the Altadena and Pasadena communities.

The celebration will feature a diverse lineup of musical talent, showcasing both local and international influences. Attendees can look forward to a performance by Mayeya, a dynamic ensemble led by Peruvian percussionist Diana Andrea Soto Teixeira,

Thursday, April 16, 2026

County Budget Proposes $9.9 Million to Fix the Emergency System That Failed Altadena

Supervisor Barger, absent for Deputy Vargas’s funeral, issues written endorsement of county’s proposed $48.8 billion spending plan

Less than 16 months after evacuation failures cost 19 lives in Altadena, the county that oversees those alert systems is proposing to spend $9.9 million to overhaul them.

Los Angeles County’s recommended $48.8 billion budget for fiscal year 2026-27, presented to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, includes funding to expand the Office of Emergency Management by 44 positions — a step Acting Chief Executive Officer Joseph M. Nicchitta’s office described as part of a multi-year plan to rebuild the agency, which a landmark independent review found had only 37 staff members serving a county of 10 million people.

Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Altadena and was absent from Tuesday’s meeting to attend the funeral of Sheriff’s Deputy Levi Vargas, issued a written statement calling the investment “a meaningful step toward strengthening our emergency preparedness” that reflects “our commitment to implementing key improvements identified in the McChrystal Group After-Action Report — particularly in alerts,

Thursday, April 16, 2026

Bill to Extend Insurance Moratorium for Eaton Fire Survivors Clears Assembly Committee

A bill authored by Assemblymember John Harabedian (D-Pasadena) that would give wildfire survivors in Altadena and other fire-affected areas more time before insurers can drop their coverage passed the Assembly Committee on Insurance this week.

AB 2038, jointly authored by Harabedian and Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood), would lengthen the period during which insurance companies are prohibited from canceling or declining to renew residential policies after a declared disaster. According to a press release from Harabedian’s office, the bill would extend the current one-year moratorium to two years for homes located in a fire perimeter ZIP code, and to three years for homes declared a total loss.

The legislation comes as Altadena residents face mounting uncertainty more than 15 months after the Eaton Fire destroyed more than 9,000 structures and killed 19 people in January 2025. The existing one-year moratorium on nonrenewals — established under a 2018 law authored by then-state Sen. Ricardo Lara — expired in early January 2026 for areas affected by the Eaton and Palisades fires.

Thursday, April 16, 2026

Altadena Nonprofit That Lost Offices in Eaton Fire Launches Free Music Series for Children

Children of One Planet, an Altadena-based nonprofit that lost its headquarters in the January 2025 Eaton Fire, is launching a three-part music program for children and families returning to the community. The first session of Music for Hope Altadena begins Thursday, April 17, at the Loma Alta Park Gymnasium.

The series, which runs from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the park at 3330 N. Lincoln Ave. in Altadena, will continue on May 15 and June 12. Each session is free and open to the public. According to the organization’s event announcement, activities will include music, dancing, snacks and refreshments, giveaways, and educational booths.

The event is presented in partnership with the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation, according to promotional materials from Children of One Planet.

The nonprofit, founded in 2000 by Azita Milanian, promotes the well-being of children through performing arts programs. The organization has been a partner with LA County Parks and Recreation and previously provided music and dance instruction at Loma Alta Park and the Farnsworth Park community center through the county’s Parks After Dark program,

Thursday, April 16, 2026

Two Altadena Neighbors Return to Their Block in Free Modular Homes, 15 Months After Eaton Fire

Two neighboring families who have lived side by side in Altadena for more than 30 years move into new temporary modular homes on their own properties Thursday, marking what organizers described as the first no-cost housing units delivered to Eaton Fire survivors through a collaborative nonprofit initiative.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned this morning, April 16, to be followed by a community block party welcoming residents Ana Robles and Carolyn Smith back to their block.

Both women lost their homes when the Eaton Fire swept through Altadena on Jan. 7, 2025.

The modular accessory dwelling units were provided at no cost through the Dena Forward Alliance, a collaborative of five nonprofit organizations: Shared Harvest Foundation, the SoLa Foundation, MODEL/Z, the Southern California chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (SoCal NOMA), and the Pasadena-based Greenline Housing Foundation.

The alliance was formed to help displaced families return to their properties while their permanent homes are rebuilt.

The two households were the first recipients in the program to be assigned a Shared Harvest Disaster Care Manager.

Thursday, April 16, 2026

Guest Opinion | Calmatters’ Dan Walters: Candidates for California Governor Ought to Get Serious About These Pressing Issues

By Dan Walters, CALMATTERS

Eric Swalwell’s abrupt departure from the campaign for governor due to revelations about sexual transgressions leaves nine men and women remaining as serious contenders for spots on the November ballot.

So far their campaigns have produced a scattershot of positions and promises that have only occasionally touched on California’s real world issues. However, by sheer coincidence, there’s been a recent flurry of think tank reports and articles on those issues that should be required reading for would-be governors and moderators of forums to question the candidates.

In no particular order:

The Public Policy Institute of California delved into the worrisome lack of academic achievement among in California’s public schools. It notes that in state tests just 49% of students met or exceeded state standards in English language and 37% in math.

Results of federal tests were even less satisfactory, with only 29% of fourth-graders and 28% of eighth-graders proficient in reading and 35% and 25%,

Thursday, April 16, 2026

New Eviction Rule Takes Effect in Altadena Today

Altadena renters now have a two-month Fair Market Rent cushion before landlords can begin nonpayment proceedings

A Los Angeles County ordinance taking effect Thursday raises the amount of unpaid rent a tenant must owe before a landlord can begin eviction proceedings for nonpayment, from one month to two months of HUD Fair Market Rent. The rule applies to rental units in unincorporated Los Angeles County, including Altadena. The City of Pasadena, which has its own rent-control framework under Measure H, is not covered.

The Board of Supervisors approved the change 4-1 on March 17, amending the county’s 2022 Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protections Ordinance. The 30-day waiting period expired today.

Under the new threshold, a landlord cannot serve a Notice of Termination for nonpayment until a tenant’s unpaid balance exceeds two months of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Fair Market Rent for the unit size — not the actual contract rent. For fiscal year 2026, HUD’s Fair Market Rent for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale metro area is $2,085 for a one-bedroom and $2,601 for a two-bedroom,

Thursday, April 16, 2026

Inflation Pressures, Energy Shocks and Housing Strain Complicate Economic Outlook

By EDDIE RIVERA

Gas prices surge, consumer confidence slips and Southern California homebuyers face a tightening vise as economic uncertainty lingers

A fresh burst of inflation, driven largely by volatile energy markets and geopolitical tensions, is rippling across the U.S. economy, complicating an already uneven recovery and deepening pressure on consumers—particularly in high-cost regions like Southern California.

The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows consumer prices jumped 0.9% in March, the sharpest monthly increase since mid-2022, pushing the annual inflation rate to 3.3%. The increase was driven primarily by energy costs, which surged following instability tied to the Iran conflict.

California drivers have felt the impact immediately. The average price for regular gasoline reached $5.89 per gallon as of April 12, according to state tracking data—about $1.20 higher than just six weeks earlier. While prices have eased slightly following a ceasefire announcement, economists warn that energy-driven inflation tends to move through the broader economy with delay.