Friday, October 17, 2025

First Major Storm of the Season Adds 700 Million Gallons to Local Water Supply

CITY NEWS SERVICE

This week’s storm, the first major rainfall of the 2025-26 season, dropped roughly 3 inches of rain in Los Angeles County, adding more than 700 million gallons to local water supplies, officials announced Thursday.

The storm began late Monday night with rain intensifying into the following morning and later slowed in the evening. Rain collected during Tuesday’s storm was enough to supply 18,400 people for a full year and brought the total amount collected since Oct. 1 to a billion gallons, according to Los Angeles County Public Works.

The majority of stormwater was captured behind the region’s 14 major dams, which will be held and later distributed among the county’s 27 spreading ground facilities to recharge local groundwater aquifers.

County officials patrolled and monitored the rainfall to ensure a prompt response for any potential storm damages, particularly in fire-impacted areas such as Pacific Palisades and Altadena. No major issues were reported in L.A. County’s burn scar areas,

Friday, October 17, 2025

State, FEMA Ending In-Person Support For Eaton Fire Survivors

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will end in-person operations at Survivor Support locations in Altadena at 5 p.m. on Friday

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will end in-person operations at Survivor Support locations in Altadena at 5 p.m. on Oct. 17.

The decision follows a steady decline in demand for face-to-face assistance related to the Eaton Fire.

Virtual support will remain available after the in-person sites close, allowing survivors to continue accessing FEMA and state resources online or by phone.

Residents can visit DisasterAssistance.gov or call 800-621-3362 daily from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. for federal assistance. State recovery information will remain accessible at www.ca.gov/LAfires/ .

The U.S. Small Business Administration will continue to provide in-person services at the Altadena Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Drive.

The Small Business Administration will also continue in-person services at a location in Los Angeles.

Thursday, October 16, 2025

Eaton Fire Spurs Renewed Focus on Earthquake Readiness as City Joins Statewide Drill Today

By EDDIE RIVERA

January’s disaster reignites interest in emergency preparedness ahead of today’s Great ShakeOut

January’s devastating wildfires have become an unexpected catalyst for earthquake preparedness in Pasadena, as city officials report renewed public interest in emergency readiness ahead of Thursday’s Great ShakeOut earthquake drill.

“The Eaton Fire last year helped reignite interest in emergency readiness,” said Nallely Procopio, emergency coordinator for the City of Pasadena. “When we teach you about preparing for a wildfire, we’re also teaching you about an earthquake—anything that comes our way.”

Pasadena and Altadenans will join millions across California on Thursday for the Great ShakeOut, a statewide event to promote readiness for the next major quake. City officials say the drill is meant to reinforce everyday preparedness habits as much as it is to simulate the “big one.”

“The main point is really to educate our public, create earthquake awareness, and show how we can prepare,” Procopio said. “We keep hearing about the one that we’re long overdue for here in Southern California.”

Thursday, October 16, 2025

Here’s what Newsom vetoed

By Lynn La, CALMATTERS

In Tuesday’s newsletter, I mentioned some of the new laws California will enact. Now let’s dig into what didn’t make it past the governor’s desk.

At the end of this year’s legislative session, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed 123 out of the 917 total bills lawmakers sent to him — a slightly lower veto rate of 13.4% compared to last year’s 15.7%.

One of the bills he spiked Monday would have raised the cap car dealers can charge to process Department of Motor Vehicles’ and other paperwork from $85 to $260, writes CalMatters’ Ryan Sabalow.

In his veto message, the governor said that consumers could be charged “hundreds more for only minutes of data entry” even though there are no new state requirements and DMV processes are getting more streamlined.

Read more here.

Newsom also rejected a handful of bills intended to expand health care coverage,

Thursday, October 16, 2025

Community Dinner Offers Free Meal and Support for Fire Survivors

Two churches partner with local coalition to create space for healing and connection

Fire survivors in the Altadena area will have a chance to connect with others who have experienced similar losses at a free community dinner next month.

Epicentre Church and the Clergy Community Coalition are hosting the second dinner for fire survivors Tuesday, Nov. 4. The event takes place at Epicentre Church, located at 425 Sierra Madre Villa Ave.

The dinner begins at 6 p.m. and is catered by Nancy’s Greek restaurant. Organizers describe it as a safe space for survivors to process their experiences together.

“All fire survivors are welcome,” according to the event announcement. Attendance is capped at 100 people due to space constraints.

In addition to the meal, the evening includes an optional therapeutic art project. Clarissa Castillo-Ramsey of the Altadena Arts Collective will lead the activity.

Fire survivors interested in attending must sign up in advance. Organizers need an accurate headcount for catering purposes.

Thursday, October 16, 2025

County Public Health Probes First Locally Acquired Dengue Case of 2025 Season in San Gabriel Valley

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is investigating the first confirmed case of locally acquired dengue virus for the 2025 mosquito season, officials announced Wednesday.

The patient, a resident of the San Gabriel Valley, developed symptoms in late September and is currently recovering. Health officials said the individual had no recent travel history to regions where dengue is endemic, indicating the virus was contracted from a local mosquito.

While the risk of widespread dengue transmission in Los Angeles County remains low, public health officials emphasized that the case confirms the presence of infected mosquitoes in the area. They urged residents to take preventive measures, including eliminating standing water, using insect repellent, and ensuring window and door screens are intact.

In response, San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District field teams have deployed additional mosquito traps and increased testing frequency to detect the presence of dengue virus (DENV) in local mosquito populations. Door-to-door inspections and treatments are underway to eliminate adult mosquitoes and breeding sources.

Thursday, October 16, 2025

Barger Warns of Looming Fiscal Crisis for L.A. County if Federal Shutdown Persists

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger on Tuesday issued a stark warning about the potential fallout from a prolonged federal government shutdown, saying essential safety net programs and County operations could face severe disruptions beginning Nov. 1 if federal funds are not secured by the end of October.

Barger’s statement followed briefings from County officials outlining the fiscal cliff that could emerge. She emphasized that programs such as CalFresh and CalWORKS — which provide food assistance and child welfare support to thousands of vulnerable families — are at risk of suspension.

“I am deeply concerned about the looming cliff facing many of our vulnerable families and children if federal funds are not secured by the end of this month,” Barger said. “Programs like CalFresh, which provides essential food resources to thousands of families, and CalWORKS, which supports child welfare payments for children in need, are lifelines for the most vulnerable in our County.”

Without these resources, she warned, families who rely on them could face “unimaginable hardship beginning November 1.”

Barger also noted that the shutdown threatens funding for County departments including the Department of Public Social Services and the Department of Children and Family Services,

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Barger Casts Lone Dissenting Vote Against Immigration-Related Emergency Declaration

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger on Tuesday opposed a motion to declare a local state of emergency in response to federal immigration enforcement actions, casting the sole dissenting vote in a 4-1 decision.

The emergency declaration, approved by the board majority, alleges that ongoing federal immigration raids are preventing people from going to work and forcing some businesses to close.

Barger, who represents Altadena and Pasadena, said her vote was rooted in concerns about governance and the appropriate use of emergency powers—not immigration status. “Families across Los Angeles County are afraid, and that fear is real,” she said in a statement following the vote. “I’ve spoken with members of our Latino community who live with the daily anxiety that immigration actions could separate families and destabilize neighborhoods. That fear deserves to be acknowledged with honesty and compassion.”

However, Barger argued that invoking emergency powers in this context is a misuse of authority. “Emergency powers exist for crises that pose life and death consequences like wildfires—not as a shortcut for complex policy issues,” she said.

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

LA County Board OKs Local Emergency Proclamation Due to Immigration Raids

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The county Board of Supervisors declared a local state of emergency Tuesday in response to ongoing federal immigration enforcement raids, alleging the actions are preventing people from going to work and forcing some businesses to close.

Supervisor Lindsey Horvath introduced the motion calling for the drafting of the emergency proclamation in response to a report presented to the board last week by county attorneys on options for possibly enacting an eviction moratorium or other protections for people impacted by the raids.

The Los Angeles Tenants Union advocacy group has been pushing the board for weeks to enact such a moratorium, saying the raids are creating enough fear to prevent people from going to work, or prompting businesses to temporarily close, leaving their employees unable to work.

The county attorney’s report noted that an eviction moratorium could be enacted during a declared local emergency, but it would have to be “temporary and narrowly tailored” to address impacts of the emergency,

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Powerball Winner Edwin Castro Buys Fire-Damaged Lots to Help Rebuild Altadena

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

Nearly a year after wildfires devastated Altadena, Powerball winner Edwin Castro is putting millions toward rebuilding his hometown

Nearly a year after wildfires devastated Altadena, Powerball winner Edwin Castro is putting millions toward rebuilding his hometown.

Castro, who won the record $2 billion jackpot in 2022, has spent about $10 million to buy 15 fire-scorched lots in the San Gabriel Mountain foothills, The Wall Street Journal reported. The 33-year-old, who bought his winning ticket at an Altadena gas station at Woodbury Road and Fair Oaks Avenue, has become one of the area’s largest post-fire land buyers.

The Eaton Fire killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,000 structures. More than 14,000 acres were charred by the blaze.

“I want to rebuild this place for families who want to live here.”

He said he is not constructing homes to “give them away,” but added that “profit margin should not be egregious.”

The son of a construction worker,