Wednesday, March 26, 2025

LA Supervisors Approve $637 million for Homelessness Services

CITY NEWS SERVICE

After several back and forth amendments on budget adjustments, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday voted unanimously to allocate a $637 million budget for homelessness services.

The total consisted of over $535 million from fiscal year 2025-26 Measure A Comprehensive Homelessness Services funds, $59 million from one-time Measure H carryover, and $42 million from the State Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program.

Over $96 million of the Local Solutions Fund was allocated to cities and unincorporated areas under one of six formulas available for the board to choose. Senior Manager of Homeless Initiative Carter Hewgley said Formula No. 6 stood out in incentivizing progress.

The board considered the adoption of baseline and target metrics as recommended by the Executive Committee for Regional Homeless Alignment, a move that was vocally opposed by several local leaders.

Palmdale Mayor Richard Loa urged the board to reconsider the allocation, saying the budget disproportionately takes away money from cities and unincorporated areas that need it the most.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Deadline to Submit Form Allowing Fire Debris Removal Just Five Days Away

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

There are just five days left for local property owners affected by the Eaton Fire to submit forms for debris removal.

Residents in Altadena and Pasadena have until March 31 to turn in the Right of Entry (ROE) form that allows crews onto their properties.

As of last week, 5,087 ROE forms had been submitted and 3,080 of them had already been transmitted to the Army Corps for cleanup. The department is processing hundreds of ROEs daily and transmitting over 200 each day, ensuring that the cleanup continues at a steady pace.

Local residents can hire a private contractor for debris removal, but they must still opt out of the Army Corps of Engineers program. They are still required to fill out an ROE.

The Army Corps of Engineers has significantly expanded its debris removal efforts in the Eaton footprint, with 80 crews now working to clear affected properties, a major increase from the 34 crews operating just two weeks ago.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Supervisor Barger Honors Altadena Social Workers’ Heroism in Eaton Fire Response

Supervisor Barger recognizes agencies as county declares March Social Work Month

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger on Tuesday honored three Altadena-based foster youth agencies for their swift action during the Eaton Fire that swept through Altadena in early January, as the Board unanimously declared March as National Social Work Month in the County.

Five Acres, Sycamores, and Bourne Family Services received recognition for ensuring the safety and well-being of vulnerable children during the fire emergency that began on January 8.

“Despite the terrifying circumstances, the Five Acres team remained an unwavering anchor for foster youth,” Barger said at Tuesday’s Board meeting. “Even with 25% of their staff displaced by the fire, their professionalism and dedication never wavered. They put children first, and that is truly commendable.”

The commemoration aligns with the National Association of Social Workers’ theme, “Social Work: Compassion + Action,” highlighting the crucial role social workers play in supporting vulnerable residents during times of hardship.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

LA District Attorney Reverses Blanket Ban on Death Penalty Prosecutions

New policy allows capital punishment in “exceedingly rare cases” after extensive and thorough review

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced Tuesday an immediate policy shift that lifts the previous administration’s “extreme and categorical” prohibition on seeking the death penalty in murder cases.

Under the new guidelines, prosecutors may pursue capital punishment only in “exceedingly rare cases” and after extensive and comprehensive review. The policy requires a “beyond reasonable doubt” standard for charging at all stages of review, rather than the previous “probable cause” threshold.

“I remain unwaveringly committed to the comprehensive and thorough evaluation of every special circumstance murder case prosecuted in Los Angeles County, in consultation with the murder victim’s survivors and with full input on the mitigating and aggravating factors of each case, to ensure that the punishment sought by the Office is just, fair, fitting, and appropriate,” Hochman said in a statement.

The policy change recognizes “an evolving determination that the death penalty should be restricted to the most egregious sets of circumstances,”

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

To Free Up Much-Needed Space to Board 4-Legged Eaton Fire Survivors, Pasadena Humane Waives Adoption Fees For Dogs

Shelter population still impacted by Eaton Fire boarding

Pasadena Humane is calling on the community to help ease their near-capacity dog kennels by adopting dogs. To free up much-needed space, the shelter has announced that adoption fees are waived for all dogs and puppies through Friday, March 28.

Pasadena Humane continues to provide housing and care for nearly 90 dogs whose families have been displaced by the Eaton Fire, significantly reducing the number of available kennels for stray and lost dogs. To make matters more urgent, 25 stray dogs have entered the shelter in just the past five days, further straining resources.

“Unfortunately, a lot of dogs have come in over the last several days,” says Marissa Sunny, Senior Director of Placement. “This has stretched us to capacity, so we urgently need to find homes for some of the dogs in our care.”

Shelter officials estimate that at least 25 adoptions would provide temporary relief but warn that this is likely the beginning of an ongoing challenge in the coming months.

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler Visits Pasadena, Highlights Disaster Recovery Efforts

By EDDIE RIVERA

Loeffler highlights $2 billion in disaster recovery loans given so far

Kelly Loeffler, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, visited Pasadena on Tuesday to meet with local stakeholders and promote ongoing federal recovery programs aimed at helping businesses and homeowners rebuild following recent disasters.

Loeffler began her visit at the Altadena SBA office on Woodbury Drive, where she met with small business owners and community advocates. She then toured the SBA Disaster Assistance Center at the Pasadena City College Community Education Center, emphasizing the critical role of federal partnerships in recovery efforts.

Loeffler also noted that the SBA has now processed more than $2 billion in disaster assistance loans after the LA fires.

“What we’re emphasizing are several practical things and then some holistic things,” Loeffler said during her visit. “Practically, for disaster loans, those applications are due by March 31. The economic injury loans go through October.”

She encouraged individuals and businesses affected by recent storms and other qualifying events to visit disaster recovery centers and explore available SBA loan options.

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

LA County Officials Push For Property Tax Relief For Wildfire Survivors

Legislation sought to prevent higher assessments on homes rebuilt with mandated safety features

Los Angeles County officials are advocating for state legislation that would protect wildfire survivors from facing higher property tax assessments when rebuilding homes with mandated safety features. The effort follows concerns raised by residents in Altadena affected by the Eaton wildfire who fear being financially penalized when rebuilding their homes to meet current safety standards.

“It’s not the Assessor that makes that determination. It’s a state [process] and I’m very grateful to Assemblyman Harabedian as well as Senator Pérez who have bills pending that are going to address some of the issues that we’re finding up in Altadena and actually the Palisades,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger during the March 24 Altadena Community Meeting.

The issue centers around how property tax assessments affect work when rebuilding after a disaster. Currently, the County permitting office allows homeowners to rebuild with plus or minus 10% or up to 200 square feet of their pre-fire home size.

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

New Podcast Focuses on Caltech Scientists’ Race to Conduct Research after the January Fires

By Andrew Moseman, CALTECH

In the aftermath of the fires that raged across Los Angeles County in January—and in particular the Eaton fire that burned through parts of Altadena and got close to NASA’s JPL, which is managed by Caltech—the Institute did what it does best: came together as a community to support individuals touched by the tragedy and started asking and addressing the most critical research questions.

In just the past couple of months, Institute scientists have deployed sensors to collect information on air quality, tested samples of soil and ash from the burn zone and beyond, monitored debris-flow models that predict areas of concern, studied how the mountains react to rains after fires, and contributed to conversations about community resilience and rebuilding.

To bring those efforts, and the information they are garnering, to public attention, the Caltech Science Exchange has launched a limited-series podcast, After the Fires, to highlight what Institute scientists and engineers have learned.

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

If Zero-Emission Cars Cut Gasoline Sales and Tax Revenue, How Will California Replace Them?

By Dan Walters, CALMATTERS

When California motorists fill their tanks, they are often paying the nation’s highest gas prices, an average of $4.65 a gallon currently and about $1.50 above the national average.

One component of California’s high gas prices is the state’s gas tax, which ranges between 60 and 70 cents a gallon and is also the nation’s highest. The 10-cent range reflects differences on how indirect levies for climate change policies are calculated.

Eight years ago, the Legislature and then-Gov. Jerry Brown enacted a big increase in gas taxes and license fees that raises more than $5 billion a year for rehabilitation and maintenance. However, Californians drive nearly a billion miles a day, and conditions of the state’s more than 400,000 lane-miles of highways, streets and roads remain among the nation’s worst — 49th among the states, according to a recent study by a libertarian think tank.

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Cal Fire Releases Revised Fire Hazard Zones for LA County

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Cal Fire released updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps for Los Angeles County Monday, using various criteria to identify wildfire hazard areas and ranking them on a three-tiered scale.

The maps, generally updated every decade, can impact building and clearance requirements in areas deemed to be in particular hazard areas.

According to Cal Fire, the determination of “hazard” is based “on the physical conditions that create a likelihood and expected fire behavior over a 30- to 50-year period, without considering mitigation measures such as home hardening, recent wildfire or fuel reduction efforts.”

Identified hazard zones are divided into three levels — moderate, high and very high. The determination is made based on a variety of factors, including terrain, fire history, weather patterns and the presence of fire fuels such as thick vegetation.

Once the hazard zone maps are released by the state, local jurisdictions can adopt them or amend them by increasing the hazard level for particular areas.