Thursday, January 02-January 08, 2025
The CDC hasn’t asked states to track deaths linked to abortion bans
By Kavitha Surana, Robin Fields and Ziva Branstetter
Series:Lifeofthe
Mother: How Abortion Bans Lead to Preventable Deaths
After the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in 2022, President Joe Biden issued an executive order tasking the federal government with assessing the “devastating implications for women’s health“ of new state abortion bans.
Experts were warning that these bans would interfere with critical medical care and lead to preventable deaths. And the states that passed the laws had little incentive to track their consequences.
Biden directed the secretary of Health and Human Services to make sure federal agencies were “accurately measuring the effect of access to reproductive healthcare on maternal health outcomes.” He called on the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to drive targeted research and data-collection efforts.
But the Biden administration has missed a critical opportunity to illuminate how abortion bans are interfering with maternal health care, leading to deaths and irreversible injuries: The CDC has not pushed state committees that review maternal deaths to examine the role these new laws have played.
The CDC leads the
nation’s work to track and reduce maternal mortality, spending nearly $90 million over the last five years to fund state panels made up of health experts who analyze fatalities to spot trends and recommend reforms. While it cannot require states to collect or report certain data, the CDC gives committees detailed guidance for assessing whether deaths were preventable and which factors contributed to them.
Following this guidance, committees consider factors including obesity, mental health issues, substance use, homicide and suicide.
In 2020, the CDC added a checkbox to its model case review form for committees to indicate whether discrimination played a role.
Yet the agency has issued no guidance to address the recent rollback of reproductive rights or to direct committees to consider how abortion bans factor into deaths. Some state officials point to this silence as a reason their committees haven’t made any changes to their process. “The committee must follow national guidelines in maternal mortality review committee death investigations,” said a spokesperson for Oklahoma’s health department, which oversees the committee in the state.
Researchers say that this can obscure the impact of abortion bans.
“It’s pushing it under
the rug in a way — like we don’t want to count it, we don’t want to know what’s happening,” said Maeve Wallace, an epidemiologist at the University of Arizona who has published studies on the intersection of intimate partner violence and maternal deaths, including one that found a rise in maternal homicides in places with increased abortion restrictions.
When asked about this, the CDC said the information submitted by states is sufficient to understand any effects from abortion bans.
“Maternal mortality review committees already comprehensively review all deaths that occur during pregnancy and through the year after the end of pregnancy, including abortionrelated deaths,” said David Goodman, lead health scientist with the CDC’s Maternal Mortality Prevention Team. “The current process includes documenting and understanding contributing factors.”
But experts said that the CDC’s current guidance gives committees no standard way to consider the role abortion bans played in maternal deaths, which makes it harder to study deaths related to the restrictions and create an evidence base to inform recommendations.
Georgia’s maternal mortality review committee blamed the state’s abortion
ban as a factor in one of the deaths examined by ProPublica, that of Candi Miller. The 41-year-old mother of three ordered abortion medication online and suffered complications, but did not visit a doctor “due to the current legislation,” her family told the coroner, who documented the statement. Committee members told ProPublica
that the explicit mention in the records indicated the law created a barrier to care.
The case of Amber Thurman wasn’t as clearcut; she had taken abortion medication at home and she sought care in a Georgia hospital for complications similar to Miller’s. Records showed doctors discussed, but did not provide, a dilation and curettage
procedure to clear her uterus of infected tissue as she suffered for 20 hours with sepsis. Any impact the law may have had on the doctors’ decisionmaking was not noted in records the committee reviewed.
The committee concluded that one of the factors in her preventable death was
Covina teacher charged with alleged sex acts with 2 students Pg 02
New
| Photo by risingthermals CC BY-NC 2.0
This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
2024 Kentucky Derby champion Mystik Dan last in Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita
ReigningKentucky Derbychampion
Mystik Dan was last in the field of six in the $300,000 Grade One Malibu Stakes, as Santa Anita Park began its 90th anniversary season last week with graded stakes races on the 11-race card.
Mystik Dan was never a factor in his first start since finishing eighth in the Belmont Stakes, the third jewel of thoroughbred racing's triple crown, June 8. Mystik Dan was near the back of the pack throughout the seven-furlong race for 3-yearolds on the south track.
"He broke good, but it just seemed like we were always chasing," jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. said Dec. 26. "I think shortening up took away from him. After running a mile and a quarter, it is tough to go back to seven-eighths. The horse is fine."
Raging Torrent, the 5-2 favorite, took the lead at the top of the stretch and won by 1 1/4 lengths over Santa Anita Derby winner Stronghold
for his second stakes victory in his 12-race career. The bay colt also won the sevenfurlong Pat O'Brien Stakes Aug. 24 at Del Mar.
"The horse was doing so well and threw such a great pose," trainer Doug O'Neill said. "We knew this is a perfect distance, so we were so optimistic. But in this sport, a lot of times you're optimistic and you go home with a flat balloon ... but
he ran a race that we had dreamed of and just so happy and proud."
Raging Torrent paid $7.20, $4.00 and $2.80. Stronghold paid $4.40 and $3.20 to place and Imagination $3.20 to show.
Raging Torrent earned $180,000 for the victory, increasing his career earnings to $667,400.
The card also included two other Grade 1 $300,000
stakes races — the La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs and the American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/4 miles on turf. There were also three $200,000 Grade 2 stakes races — the Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles; the San Gabriel Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at a 1 1/8 miles on turf; and the Mathis Mile Stakes for 3-year-olds on turf.
Covina teacher charged with alleged sex acts with 2 students
A41-year-oldhigh schoolteacheris scheduledtobe arraigned this month on charges of committing sex acts on two underage female students.
Joshua Daniel McGinn, who works in the Charter Oak Unified School District, was arrested Dec. 18 and was being held without bail, according to jail records.
He was charged in December with four counts of oral copulation of a person under 18, one count of sexual penetration by use of force, two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor more than three years younger, one count of contact with a minor for a sexual offense, one count
of possession of child or youth pornography and one misdemeanor count of sexual battery, according to the District Attorney's Office.
He is scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 6 in West Covina.
"Prosecutors from our Sex Crimes Division are working tirelessly to ensure justice is served for the victims and their families," District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement. "We also want to encourage anyone who may have additional information or has been victimized to come forward and report information to the Covina Police Department. Your courage in speaking out is vital, and we are here to
Joshua Daniel McGinn. | Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office
Mystik Dan. | Photo courtesy of MdAgDept/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Asweeping new law designed to save lives and prevent accidents by boosting visibility at intersections took effect in Los Angeles and across California on Wednesday.
The new "daylighting" law, AB 413, prohibits parking within 20 feet of any marked or unmarked crosswalk to improve safety by increasing visibility at intersections.
New 'daylighting' law in effect
The law applies to all intersections statewide, regardless of whether a red curb or no-parking signage is present.
The legislation aims to improve the range of vision for drivers, making it easier to see pedestrians, skateboarders and other road users at intersections.
By increasing what traffic experts call "daylight" visibility, the law
the delay in care. And while members were able to check a “discrimination” box for Thurman’s case, they did not have any method to flag that she experienced a delay in receiving a procedure that is commonly used in both abortions and miscarriages and that had recently been criminalized.
If such a category were created by the CDC, it would allow researchers to see if there have been increased delays in care after abortion was banned, maternal health researchers said.
Experts told ProPublica this categorization would likely have covered the three other deaths ProPublica reported on, of Texas women who had not considered ending their pregnancies but who needed the same kind of procedure to manage their miscarriages. In those cases and that of Thurman, doctors diverged from the standard of care in ways that raise serious questions about how criminal abortion bans are affecting care for pregnancy loss, ProPublica’s reporting found.
“CDC public data shows an alarming increase in maternal mortality in states that ban abortion,” said Nancy L. Cohen, president of Gender Equity Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research organization. “Our analysis of the evidence and other factors strongly indicates that the bans are driving this increase, but there is no way currently
By City News Service
is expected to reduce accidents and save lives.
Police will issue warnings for the first 60 days of enforcement.
Beginning March 1, 2025, motorists who violate the law will face a $65 fine, plus a $12.50 statemandated administrative fee, totaling $77.50.
The average vehicle in the United States measures about 14 feet in length,
meaning the new law requires about one and a half car lengths of clearance at intersections.
Studies show that greater visibility at crosswalks can significantly reduce pedestrian-involved crashes.
Currently, 43 states have similar daylighting laws, most of which prohibit parking within 20 feet of intersections.
Abortion
to determine from publicly available data if abortion restrictions contributed to a particular death.”
The CDC “has the power to correct this,” she said, by asking states to collect information about whether abortion restrictions contributed to a death.
Inas Mahdi, a maternal health researcher who previously worked at the CDC for 15 years, said officials at her former agency know the power that investigating the impacts of policy can have. “The CDC is well aware that without data, there’s no action,” she said. But she added that officials likely experienced “trepidation” over wading into a “polarizing” topic without more direct support from the administration.
In Republican-led states, there’s little appetite to study the harmful effects of laws that their leaders avidly support, and any backlash could hamper efforts to improve maternal health that are seen as bipartisan, she said.
Her fellow CDC alum, Dr. Zsakeba Henderson, agrees. “If CDC were to request that of maternal mortality review committees, I know there would be pushback at the state level,” said Henderson, who previously worked in the agency’s reproductive health division supporting state-based perinatal quality collaboratives. The maternal mortality program is voluntary,
and states could simply opt out. In the past year, for example, Texas decided to forgo federal funding and not share maternal death data with the CDC. Officials at the CDC declined to comment on the reason for the change. A spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services said the Legislature directed the agency to do this.
A spokesperson for the Biden administration responded to ProPublica’s questions about whether his order had been fulfilled with a list of efforts to gather and make available data on contraception access and maternal health care outcomes. They said the administration had also “amplified” data from other sources on the impact of abortion bans in a memo.
When asked why the CDC has not created a checkbox to track deaths related to abortion access, a spokesperson for HHS, the CDC’s parent agency, said that the CDC “receives feedback from states on data fields.” The spokesperson noted that the discrimination checkbox was “added based on state requests” after a work group went through a multiyear process.
The spokesperson also said the lack of a checkbox does not mean HHS failed to meet the goals of Biden’s order. The spokesperson forwarded a 73-page update on the maternal mortality crisis that had been sent
to Congress this past July. The report is packed with information on progress combating major maternal health risks: task forces to support mental health, initiatives to respond to the opioid crisis, research on intimate partner violence. It doesn’t include a single reference to abortion access.
Ushma Upadhyay, a public health scientist at the University of California, San Francisco, said collecting data is crucial for understanding how the new abortion bans are impacting maternal health. Her research through WeCount, a project from the Society of Family Planning, has helped establish that the number of abortions has increased nationally since Roe v. Wade was overturned.
Though she has participated in roundtables with HHS officials about how it could better support reproductive health research related to abortion access, she never saw the agency take action based on these talks, she said. (When asked about what these conversations had led to, the agency shared a readout on an expert roundtable about contraception and said its work on studying how abortion restrictions impact maternal health care is ongoing.)
Upadhyay said sending a congressional update on maternal mortality with no mention of abortion access
as evidence of fulfilling the order “kind of says it all.”
When it comes to measuring the impact of abortion restrictions, “HHS is not doing much.”
The federal government’s largest contribution to this effort comes in the form of millions of dollars of NIH funding to research projects by academics looking into the impact of abortion restrictions, Upadhyay said.
But more than two years after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision allowed abortion bans to go into effect, none of those studies have been published and it’s unclear whether the incoming administration will continue funding them.
Researchers who track reproductive health lament the failure to think creatively and act urgently to monitor the fallout of abortion bans while the department had a chance.
“The Biden administration’s lost opportunity is that it viewed Dobbs as a political moment to gain advances for the Democratic Party,” said Tracy Weitz, the director of the Center on Health, Risk, and Society at American University. “It did not take this seriously as a public health crisis.”
The window is closing as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office. There is little chance a Republican administration will try to collect data that helps shed light on
the impact of abortion bans, which were uniformly passed by Republicanmajority state houses.
In December, Trump named Ed Martin, a prominent anti-abortion activist, to be the chief of staff for his Office of Management and Budget, which oversees how the federal budget is administered. Martin has opposed abortion exceptions, supported a national ban and discussed the idea that women and doctors should be prosecuted for abortions.
If Project 2025 is any guide to how the Trump administration will approach abortion, the CDC may soon start a very different project: launching a mandatory, nationwide surveillance program aimed at portraying abortion care as dangerous.
The conservative blueprint for reshaping the federal government recommends that the agency require all states to report detailed data on abortions, miscarriages and stillbirths or risk losing federal funding.
It states that the CDC “should ensure that it is not promoting abortion as health care.” Instead, “It should fund studies into the risks and complications of abortion.”
Mariam Elba contributed research.
Republished with Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).
| Photo by green kozi CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Los Angeles homelessness drops amid 18% nationwide increase
By Joe Taglieri joet@beaconmedianews.com
Despite an 18% spike in nationwide homelessness in 2024 compared with last year, Los Angeles and several other cities bucked the national trend — LA posted a 5% drop in unsheltered homelessness over the same period, the first such decrease in seven years, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported Friday.
HUD's 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report: Part 1: Point-inTime Estimates found more than 770,000 people in the United States were experiencing homelessness on one night in January.
In the LA region, 49,509 people were unsheltered with 71,201 overall experiencing homelessness in 2024, compared with 52,307 unsheltered and 71,320 overall in 2023.
The San Diego area's unhoused residents totaled 10,605, followed by San Jose/Santa Clara with 10,394; Oakland/Berkeley/ Alameda County at 9,450; San Francisco with 8,323; and Santa Ana/Anaheim/ Orange County with 7,322 unhoused residents.
Counts this year in Riverside city and county reported 4,249 residents experiencing homelessness, with 1,808 unsheltered, according to HUD. The 2023 totals were 3,725 unhoused residents overall and 2,441 unsheltered.
In San Bernardino city and county, 3,055 people were living unsheltered in 2024, with 4,255 total experiencing homelessness. In 2023, the totals were 4,195 overall and 2,976 unsheltered.
Long Beach's overall homeless population decreased slightly to 3,376 in 2024 from 3,447 the year prior. Unsheltered city residents numbered 2,455 in 2024 and 2,482 in 2023.
Individuals experiencing homelessness in Pasadena numbered 556 overall in 2024, the same total
recorded in 2023, according to HUD. Unsheltered individuals totaled 321 in 2024 and 303 the year prior.
Nationwide, families experiencing homelessness spiked by 39% compared with a year earlier.
People experiencing homelessness in New York City totaled 88,025 overall in 2023 and 140,134 in 2024, a nearly 60% increase.
According to HUD, the nationwide homelessness increase this year was tied to migration, displacement by natural disasters such as the Maui fire and increasing housing costs.
However, Los Angeles was among municipalities, such as Dallas and Chester County, Pennsylvania, that posted a decrease in people experiencing homelessness, according to HUD data.
Struggling with a highcost rental market, Los Angeles increased the availability of housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, combining federal, state, county and city funds, according to the federal agency.
"This crisis has been decades in the making, but after years of increases, we've turned the corner with the first decrease in street homelessness in years, by acting with innovative solutions that have resulted in thousands more people inside and more housing being built throughout the city," Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. "There's still more work to do and this urgent work will continue in 2025."
California, the state with the highest population in the U.S., also has the most unhoused residents — 187,084 in 2024 and 181,399 the year before — followed by New York, Washington, Florida and Massachusetts.
HUD attributed the spike in homelessness to increases in rent rates that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic and decades of inadequate numbers of new
housing projects, HUD said.
The Maui fire, among other natural disasters, led to an increase in homelessness, according to HUD. In Hawaii, over 5,200 people were in disaster emergency shelters on the night of the homelessness count.
HUD also reported that veterans experiencing homelessness decreased almost 8% in the United States from 35,574 in 2023 to 32,882 in 2024. The number of unsheltered veterans dropped nearly 11%, from 15,507 in 2023 to 13,851 in 2024.
In the LA area, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority's 2024 homelessness count reported a 22.9% drop in veterans who were unhoused.
Bass' office pointed to HUD-backed initiatives that led to this decline, such as boosting participation in a veteran housing voucher program, HUD-VASH and policy changes regarding veterans' benefits.
"Los Angeles is one of the few communities
in California. We have turned the tide on a decades-long increase in homelessness — but we have more work to do. California‘s plan is ambitious and challenging but the data is proving that it is not impossible: our strategies are making a positive difference."
Compared with the national trend's 18% spike, California held its statewide homelessness increase to 3%, a lower rate than in 40 other states this year. California's unsheltered homelessness increased 0.45%.
In 2024, nationwide unsheltered homelessness increased just under 7%. In other states with large populations such as Illinois, Florida, New York and Texas, growth in unsheltered homelessness surpassed California in percentage and number.
approach," according to the governor's office. "Caltrans provides advance notice of clearance and works with local service providers to support those experiencing homelessness at the encampment, and stores personal property collected at the site for at least 60 days."
The executive order also directed the California Interagency Council on Homelessness to release new guidance to help local communities address encampments. The guidance details best practices for removing encampments and connecting encampment residents with supportive services and housing.
in the country that saw a decrease in homelessness," LAHSA CEO Va Lecia Adams Kellum said in a statement. "What's happening in L.A. is working.
"Now is not the time to go backward," Adams Kellum added. "Our community must redouble its efforts in pursuing what we know works to bring all our unsheltered neighbors home."
According to LAHSA, its 2024 homelessness count found that roughly 54% of people who became unhoused cited economic hardship as one of the main reasons they lost their home.
Gov. Gavin Newsom touted the state's efforts to curtail the increase in homelessness that bucked the national trend.
“No one in our nation should be without a place to call home," Newsom said in a statement. "Homelessness continues to rise and increase at ever-higher numbers nationwide, but we are seeing signs of progress
According to the governor's office, California is a nationwide leader in availability for year-round shelter beds.
"As the total number of shelter beds decreased nationally by nearly 4%, California’s year-round shelter bed capacity grew by 5.7%, reaching 208,517 beds — more than any other state in the nation," the governor's office reported. "During the Newsom Administration, California made available a record number of 71,000 shelter beds. This is nearly double the number created in the previous five-year period before 2019."
California’s growth rate in year-round shelter outpaced 35 other states, according to Newsom's office.
In August, Newsom issued an executive order prodding local governments to enact policies and plans consistent with the California Department of Transportation’s encampment policy.
"This policy prioritizes encampments that pose a threat to the life, health, and safety of the community, while ensuring a humane
Behavioral health care is another point of focus at the state level in an effort to bolster "access, accountability, transparency, and capacity," according to Newsom's office.
The Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment, or CARE Court, is "a first-in-thenation approach to create accountability for connecting individuals with untreated psychosis to the treatment and housing they need," the governor's office reported.
Officials also referenced Proposition 1, which expanded "the behavioral health continuum using existing dollars and providing care to individuals experiencing mental health conditions and substance use disorders — with a particular focus on people who are the most seriously ill, vulnerable, and at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness."
Between 2014 and 2019, unsheltered homelessness in California increased by about 37,000 individuals, more than double the increase seen during the Newsom Administration's five years. Since 2019, the number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness has increased by 14.3%.
Los Angeles City Hall towers over an encampment set up by people experiencing homelessness. | Photo courtesy of Ron Reiring/ Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Los Angeles
Monrovia
Monrovia PD to host Battle of the Badges Blood Drive
The Monrovia Police Department will host this year's Battle of the Badges Blood Drive on Thursday, Jan. 23, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Community Center (119 W. Palm Ave.). All donors will be entered into a raffle for Super Bowl tickets at the Caeser's Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. To schedule an appointment, go to RedCrossBlood.org and enter sponsor code “BOB24". Streamline your donation experience and save up to 15 minutes by visiting RedCrossBlood. org/RapidPass to complete your pre-donation reading and health history questions on the day of your appointment. All donors get a Battle of the Badges t-shirt.
Long Beach
Long Beach to host Westside Long Beach Economic and Market Study
The City of Long Beach Economic Development Department (Department) is inviting residents, businesses and stakeholders to learn about existing market conditions and provide input on potential strategies for growing economic development and boosting investment in West Long Beach. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Jan.11, 2025, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Silverado Park (1545 W. 31st St.). The presenta-
tion will discuss opportunities for reimagining existing properties in the area, revisiting housing as a revenue creator that supports local jobs and taking actionable implementation steps to attract and retain development opportunities. Information and resources from various city departments and opportunities for attendees to meet with and ask questions of city staff will also be available. Those interested in attending are requested to RSVP online. Live interpretation services will be available in Spanish and Khmer. Refreshments will be provided.
Burbank
Burbank receives award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting
The City of Burbank has received the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting (PAFR Award) for its Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023. To be eligible, a government entity must also submit its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report to the GFOA’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program and receive the Certificate for the current fiscal year. “We are honored to receive this recognition from the Government Finance Officers Association,” said Financial Services Director Jennifer Becker. “This award underscores our commitment to transparency and ensuring that our residents
clearly understand the City’s financial position. We will continue to strive for excellence in serving the Burbank community.” Monterey Park
Monterey Park Police Department conducting DUI patrols Jan. 3
The Monterey Park Police Department will be out January 3, 2025 from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. looking for drivers suspected of driving under the influence (DUI). Monterey Park Police Department reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving. Always follow directions for use and read warning labels about driving. While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal. Drivers caught driving impaired and charged with a firsttime DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.
Orange County
Man charged with killing 67-year-old woman while leading police on highspeed pursuit in OC
Anthony Michael Hanzal, 43, of Anaheim, who stole Legos from a Fullerton grocery store has been charged with felony gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated for hitting and killing an innocent driver after running a red light during a high-speed police pursuit while under
the influence of drugs last week. The pursuit reached speeds of nearly 90 miles per hour on surface streets. He faces a maximum sentence of 26 years and four months if convicted on all counts. Hanzal is currently being held without bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 6, 2025 at the North Justice Center in Fullerton in Department N12.
Anaheim
Anaheim residents can get trees picked up through Jan. 16
Anaheim residents can set out trees for pickup through Jan. 16. As able, trees larger than 6 feet should be cut. All decorations should be removed from the tree before pickup. Trees cut in multiple pieces can go in yard waste bins. For apartments and condo communities, check with your property manager for guidance.
Riverside
Riverside County
Riverside County looking for volunteers for Homeless Pointin-Time Count
Volunteers are needed to count how many people are experiencing homelessness throughout Riverside County.The Homeless Count is a county-wide event that requires a large number of volunteers to canvas communities, to survey, and count unsheltered persons. Visit https:// rivcohws.org/volunteerregistration to volunteer. If you know someone expe-
riencing homelessness or who is at risk of becoming homeless, you can refer them to HomeConnect at (800) 498-8847 where coordinators are ready to link them to services and resources.
City of Riverside
Riverside Art Museum offering free admission Thursday
Join the Riverside Art Museum the first Thursday of every month from 6 to 9 p.m. for the Riverside ArtsWalk, a vibrant community event that celebrates the diversity of arts and culture in Riverside and the Inland Empire.The museum also offers free admission at both Riverside Art Museum (Julia Morgan Building) and The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture as part of the ArtsWalk, which includes many downtown arts destinations. Riverside Artswalk is hosted by the Riverside Arts Council and sponsored by the City of Riverside and Riverside Downtown Partnership. More information and Artswalk map is available at https://riversideartscouncil.com/artswalkvenues.
Corona
Artists sought for Signature Spring Music and Arts Festival
The City of Corona invites artists to showcase their talent at the Signature Spring Music and Arts Festival on April 19, 2025 . Whether you create through photography, sculpture, graffiti, woodworking, or
any other art form, this is your chance to shine.The registration deadline is March 14, 2025. Sign up at https://bit.ly/40OxSpP.
San Bernardino
San Bernardino County Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park hosts ‘Build Your Own Bird Feeder’ activity
Stop at Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park on Saturday, Jan. 25, from 10 a.m. to noon to learn how to make a homemade bird feeder to take home. All ages are welcome, and all supplies are provided while they last. Park admission is $10 per vehicle. CucamongaGuasti Regional Park is located at 800 N. Archibald Ave. in Ontario. Park hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offers fishing, biking, picnic shelters and grills, a playground and splash pad. Cucamonga-Guasti is pet-friendly and leashed pets are welcome too.
City of San Bernardino
San Bernardino PD to hold Citizen’s Academy
Join the San Bernardino Police Department for the 2025 Citizen's Academy. This eight-week program will be held every Wednesday from Jan. 22 to March 12, 2025. This program will feature presentations from Dispatch, Forensics, SWAT, Traffic, Narcotics, and the K-9 Unit. There are only 20 spots available so be sure to secure your spot. Direct registration/ inquiries to Officer Martinez at martinez_ti@sbcity.org.
STARTING
Holiday-timed strikes at Starbucks conclude
Thousands of Starbucks workers who walked off the job last week, concluding what amounted to a five-day strike against the coffee giant, were expected to return to work Christmas Day.
More than 5,000 Starbucks workers walked out Dec. 24, with their union saying the action shut down more than 300 locations nationwide including a few sites in the Los Angeles area.
Baristas represented by their union Starbucks Workers United returned to work Dec. 25. Union officials said they are ready to return to the bargaining table to consider serious economic proposals from the company.
Additionally, the union said it will strategize in the coming days on the next steps in their campaign to win higher wages, among other benefits.
In Los Angeles, workers picketed at a store in the Cypress Park area Dec. 24 — joining baristas who went on strike a week before across 43 states.
The actions began Dec. 20, with a location at Alameda Avenue and Shelton Street in Burbank among the stores shut down.
The union accused Starbucks of failing to honor earlier commitments to improve collective bargaining and resolve legal disputes.
Starbucks Workers United says the company proposed an economic package with no new wage increases for union baristas and a guarantee of only 1.5% in future years, amounting to less than 50 cents an hour.
The final days before Christmas are traditionally one of Starbucks' busiest customer traffic times of the year, according to the union.
Michelle Eisen, a barista and bargaining delegate, noted the union was ready to exchange economic proposals with Starbucks in October. But after the company failed to negotiate in the following months, they decided to take action.
"This is backtracking on months and months of progress and promises from the company to work toward an end-of-year framework ratification," Eisen said in a statement. "We're ready to do what it takes to show the company the consequences of not keeping their promises to baristas."
In an open letter, Sara Kelley, executive vice
California has more than 60,000 children in the foster care system and about 7,000 in extended care up to age 21 but many do not receive all the services for which they are eligible.
December marked the 25th anniversary of the Chafee Foster Care Program, passed by Congress to greatly expand services for foster youth.
Todd Lloyd, senior policy associate for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, said
By City News Service
president and chief partner officer for Starbucks, said over the course of Dec. 21-23, a very small number of stores were temporarily closed — about 60.
More than 10,000 company-operated stores in the U.S. opened as planned and were busy with customers, she added.
Of the Christmas Eve action, Kelley said the vast majority of stores, about 97% to 99%, would be open
with very limited impact to the company's overall operations.
"Workers United proposals call for an immediate increase in the minimum wage of hourly partners by 64%, and by 77% over the life of a three- year contract," Kelley wrote in her letter.
"These proposals are not sustainable, especially when the investments we continually make to our total benefits package are
the hallmarks of what differentiates us as an employer — and, what makes us proud to work at Starbucks."
The company said it offers an average wage of more than $18 an hour and provides what it calls bestin-class benefits, including health care, free college tuition, paid family leave and stock grants.
According to the union, in September, Brian Niccol became CEO with a compensation package worth at least $113 million, which is 10,000 times the median hourly wage for a barista.
The union argued the company has enough to offer appropriate wage increases for workers.
"I am paid $15.49 an hour as a barista, while Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol's compensation package has been valued at more than $50,000 an hour when you break it down," Lauren Hollingsworth, a barista, said in a statement.
Hollingsworth added that several of her co-workers drive 30 minutes to get to work because they can't afford to live closer.
"My coworkers and I made the difficult decision to launch unfair labor
Foster care system celebrates 25 years of progress
By Suzanne Potter, Producer, Public News Service
across the U.S., around a half-million people are eligible for Chafee services to help them transition from foster care.
"Of all those eligible young people, less than a quarter are receiving a service in a given year," Lloyd pointed out. "When we looked at their experiences over time, less than half have ever experienced even a single Chafee service."
Some of the services available include tutoring, mentoring and a variety
of counseling supports. Extended foster care grants low-income young adults to health insurance via Medi-Cal and food benefits through CalFresh. Young
adults in extended foster care may also receive financial assistance for room and board and for college expenses.
Hope Cooper, campaign
practice strikes in hundreds of stores across the country because we know that investing in baristas is the only way to turn things around," Hollingsworth said in a statement.
Kelley maintained Starbucks is committed to reaching an agreement and is willing to return to the bargaining table, claiming the union was the one to cut off negotiations the previous week.
"It is disappointing they didn't return to the table given the progress we've made to date. Since April, we've held more than nine bargaining sessions over 20 days," according to a statement from the company. "We've reached over thirty (30) meaningful agreements on hundreds of topics Workers United delegates told us were important to them, including many economic issues."
Meanwhile, baristas at the Starbucks on Sunset Boulevard and La Brea Avenue filed a petition Dec. 20 with the National Labor Relations Board for a union election, seeking to join more than 520 Starbucks locations across the country where baristas are unionized.
manager for the advocacy group Journey to Success, a national policy reform effort focused on youth and young adults who experience foster care. She said it's a group that has enormous potential to have happy, prosperous lives.
"We have to provide the supports that they need during these critical transition years," Cooper contended. "Because they face a steep climb in their pathway to young adulthood."
Data show young adults
exiting foster care run a greater risk of experiencing housing instability and homelessness, unemployment, physical and mental health issues, and more.
Disclosure: The Annie E Casey Foundation contributes to Public News Service’s fund for reporting on Children's Issues, Education, Juvenile Justice, and Welfare Reform. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, visit https://www. publicnewsservice.org/dn1. php.
| Photo courtesy of Fight for a Union/X
| Photo by RDNE Stock project via Pexels
Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ taint rural Californnia wells
By Hannah Norman for KFF Health News. Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the KFF Health News-Public News Service Collaboration
Juana Valle never imagined she’d be scared to drink water from her tap or eat fresh eggs and walnuts when she bought her 5-acre farm in San Juan Bautista, California, three years ago. Escaping city life and growing her own food was a dream come true for the 52-year-old.
Then Valle began to suspect water from her well was making her sick.
“Even if everything is organic, it doesn’t matter if the water underground is not clean,” Valle said.
This year, researchers found worrisome levels of chemicals called PFAS in her well water. Exposure to PFAS, a group of thousands of compounds, has been linked to health problems including cancer, decreased response to vaccines, and low birth weight, according to a federally funded report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Valle worries that eating food from her farm and drinking the water, found also to contain arsenic, are to blame for health issues she’s experienced recently.
The researchers suspect the toxic chemicals could have made their way into Valle’s water through nearby agricultural operations, which may have used PFAS-laced fertilizers made from dried sludge from wastewater treatment plants, or pesticides found to contain the compounds.
The chemicals have unexpectedly turned up in well water in rural farmland far from known contamination sites, like industrial areas, airports, and military bases. Agricultural communities already face the dangers of heavy metals and nitrates contaminating their tap water. Now researchers worry that PFAS could further harm farmworkers and communities of color disproportionately. They have called for more testing.
“It seems like it’s an even more widespread problem than we realized,” said Clare Pace, a researcher at the University of CaliforniaBerkeley who is examining possible exposure from PFAS-
contaminated pesticides.
Stubborn Sludge
Concerns are mounting nationwide about PFAS contamination transferred through the common practice of spreading solid waste from sewage treatment across farm fields. Officials in Maine outlawed spreading “biosolids,” as some sewage byproducts are called, on farms and other land in 2022. A study published in August found higher levels of PFAS in the blood of people in Maine who drank water from wells next to farms where biosolids were spread.
Contamination in sewage mostly comes from industrial discharges. But household sludge also contains PFAS because the chemicals are prevalent in personal care products and other commonly used items, said Sarah Alexander, executive director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association.
“We found that farms that were spread with sludge in the ‘80s are still contaminated today,” Alexander said.
The first PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, were invented in the 1940s to prevent stains and sticking in household products. Today, PFAS chemicals are used in anything from cookware to cosmetics to some types of firefighting foam - ending up in landfills and wastewater treatment plants. Known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment, PFAS are so toxic that in water they are measured in parts per trillion, equivalent to one drop in 20 Olympic-size swimming pools. The chemicals accumulate in the human body.
On Valle’s farm, her well water has PFAS concentrations eight times as high as the safety threshold the Environmental Protection Agency set this year for the PFAS chemical referred to as PFOS, or perfluorooctane sulfonate. It’s unclear whether the new drinking water standards, which are in a five-year implementation phase, will be enforced by the incoming
Trump administration.
Valle’s well is one of 20 sites tested in California’s San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast regions - 10 private domestic wells and 10 public water systems - in the first round of preliminary sampling by UC-Berkeley researchers and the Community Water Center, a clean-water nonprofit. They’re planning community meetings to discuss the findings with residents when the results are finalized. Valle’s results showed 96 parts per trillion of total PFAS in her water, including 32 ppt of PFOSboth considered potentially hazardous amounts.
Hailey Shingler, who was part of the team that conducted the water sampling, said the sites’ proximity to farmland suggests agricultural operations could be a contamination source, or that the chemicals have become ubiquitous in the environment.
The EPA requires public water systems serving at least 3,300 people to test for 29 types of PFAS. But private wells are unregulated and particularly vulnerable to contamination from groundwater because they tend to be shallower and construction quality varies, Shingler said.
A Strain on the Water Supply
California already faces a drinking water crisis that disproportionately hits farmworkers and communities of color. More than 825,000 people spanning almost 400 water systems across the state don’t have access to clean or reliable drinking water because of contamination from nitrates, heavy metals, and pesticides.
California’s Central Valley is one of the nation’s biggest agricultural producers. State data shows the EPA found PFAS contamination above the new safety threshold in public drinking water supplies in some cities there: Fresno, Lathrop, Manteca, and others.
Not long after she moved, Valle started feeling sick. Joints in her legs hurt, and there was a burning sensation. Medical tests revealed her
blood had high levels of heavy metals, especially arsenic, she said. She plans to get herself tested for PFAS soon, too.
“So I stopped eating [or drinking] anything from the farm,” Valle said, “and a week later my numbers went down.”
After that, she got a water filter installed for her house, but the system doesn’t remove PFAS, so she and her family continue to drink bottled water, she said.
In recent years, the pesticide industry has increased its use of PFAS for both active and “inert” ingredients, said David Andrews, a senior scientist of the Environmental Working Group, who analyzed pesticide ingredient registrations submitted to the EPA over the past decade as part of a recently published study.
“PFAS not only endanger agricultural workers and communities,” Andrews said, “but also jeopardize downstream water sources, where pesticide runoff can contaminate drinking supplies.”
California’s most concentrated pesticide use is along the Central Coast, where Valle lives, and in the Central Valley, said Pace, whose research found that possible PFAS contamination from pesticides disproportionately affects communities of color.
“Our results indicate racial and ethnic disparities in potential PFAS threats to community water systems, thus raising environmental justice concerns,” the paper states.
Spotty Solutions
Some treatment plants and public water systems have installed filtration systems to catch PFAS, but that can cost millions or even billions of dollars. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed laws restricting PFAS in textiles, food packaging, and cosmetics, a move the wastewater treatment industry hopes will address the problem at the source.
Yet the state, like the EPA, does not regulate PFAS in the solid waste generated by sewage treatment plants, though it does require moni-
toring.
In the past, biosolids were routinely sent to landfills alongside being spread on land. But in 2016, California lawmakers passed a regulation that requested operators to lower their organic waste disposal by 75% by 2025 to reduce methane emissions. That squeeze pushed facilities to repurpose more of their wastewater treatment byproducts as fertilizer, compost, and soil topper on farm fields, forests, and other sites.
Greg Kester, director of renewable resource programs at the California Association of Sanitation Agencies, said there are benefits to using biosolids as fertilizer, including improved soil health, increased crop yields, reduced irrigation needs, and carbon sequestration. “We have to look at the risk of not applying [it on farmland] as well,” he said.
Almost two-thirds of the 776,000 dry metric tons of biosolids California used or disposed of last year was spread this way, most of it hauled from wealthy, populated regions like Los Angeles County and the Bay Area to the Central Valley or out of state.
When asked if California would consider banning biosolids from agricultural use, Wendy Linck, a senior engineering geologist at California’s State Water Resources Control Board, said: “I don’t think that is in the future.”
Average PFAS concentrations found in California’s sampling of biosolids for PFAS collected by wastewater treatment plants are relatively low compared with more industrialized states like Maine, said Rashi Gupta, wastewater practice director at consulting firm Carollo Engineers.
Still, according to monitoring done in 2020 and 2022, San Francisco’s two wastewater treatment facilities produced biosolid samples with total PFAS levels of more than 150 parts per billion.
Starting in 2019, the water board began testing wells - and finding high levels of
PFAS - near known sites of contamination, like airports, landfills, and industry.
The agency is now testing roughly 4,000 wells statewide, including those far from known contamination sources - free of charge in disadvantaged communities, according to Dan Newton, assistant deputy director at the state water board’s division of drinking water. The effort will take about two years.
Solano County - home to large pastures about an hour northeast of San Francisco - tested soil where biosolids had been applied to its fields, most of which came from the Bay Area. In preliminary results, consultants found PFAS at every location, including places where biosolids had historically not been applied. In recent years, landowners expressed reservations about the county’s biosolids program, and in 2024 no farms participated in the practice, said Trey Strickland, manager of the environmental health services division.
“It was probably a ‘not in my backyard’ kind of thing,” Strickland said. “Spread the poop somewhere else, away from us.”
Los Angeles County, meanwhile, hauls much of its biosolids to Kern County or out of state. Green Acres, a farm near Bakersfield and owned by the city of Los Angeles, has applied as much as 80,000 dry tons of biosolids annually, fertilizing crops for animal feed like corn and wheat. Concerned about the environmental and health implications, for more than a decade Kern County fought the practice until the legal battle ended in 2017. At the time, Dean Florez, a former state senator, told the Los Angeles Times that “it’s been a David and Goliath battle from Day One.”
“We probably won’t know the effects of this for many years,” he added. “We do know one thing: If it was healthy and OK, L.A. would do it in L.A. County.”
Hannah Norman wrote this story for KFF Health News.
EL Monte City Notices
CITY OF EL MONTE PLANNING COMMISSION NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Hablamos Español - Favor de hablar con Jeni Colon (626) 258-8626
TO: All Interested Parties
FROM: City of El Monte Planning Division
APPLICATIONS:
• Code Amendment (AMEND) No. 01-2024 and Code Amendment No. 808: Title 17 (Zoning Code) of the El Monte Municipal Code (EMMC);
• Zoning Map Amendment (AMEND) No. 02-2024: Amendment to the Zoning Map to replace the Mixed/Multiuse (M/MU) and General Commercial (C-3) Zoning District Designations indicated on the Zoning Map for the Project Area with the new Urban/Multiuse (U/MU) Zoning District; and
• Zoning Change (ZONE) No. 02-2024: Amendment to the Code to replace existing permitted uses and development standards with the proposed uses and development standards.
PROPERTY
LOCATION: Citywide and Various Locations
PROJECT
SUMMARY
: The project will be presented to the Planning Commission as the recommending body. The project will be presented to the City Council for a final decision at a future public hearing.
Title 17 (Zoning Code) of the EMMC (AMEND No. 01-2024 & CA No. 808) Zoning Code Updates to the following Divisions –
• Division 00 – Table of Contents
• Divisions A – Matrix of Permitted Uses.
• Division 1 – General Regulations; Rules and Measurements; Zoning Classifications and Map; and Nonconforming Provisions.
• Division 2 – One-Family Dwelling Residential Zones and Multiple-Family Dwelling Residential Zones.
• Division 3 – Multiuse Zoning Districts
• Division 4 – Commercial & Manufacturing Zoning Districts; and Public and QuasiPublic Zones.
• Division 5 – Performance Standards.
• Division 6 – General Property Development Standards.
• Division 7 – Parking Regulations; Landscape Regulations; and Landscape Water Efficiency.
• Division 8 – Signage Regulations and Billboard Overlay Zone
• Division 10 – Affordable Housing; Density Bonus Provisions; Inclusionary Housing; and Affordable Housing in Commercial Areas.
• Division 11 – Regulations for Specific Residential Uses, Corridor Housing; and Religious Institutions Housing.
• Division 12 – Zoning Clearance and Business Occupancy Permits; Initial Plan Review; Design and Minor Design Review; Temporary Use Permits; and Planning Residential Developments.
• Division 13 – Specific Plans; Gateway Specific Plan; Downtown Specific Plan and Esperanza Village Specific Plan.
• Division 15 – Use Definitions; and General Definitions.
Zoning Map Amendment (AMEND 02-2024) – Amendment to the Zoning Map to replace the Mixed/Multiuse (M/MU) and General Commercial (C-3) Zoning District Designations indicated on the Zoning Map for the Project Area with the new Urban/ Multiuse (U/MU) Zoning District; and Zoning Change (ZONE) No. 02-2024: Amendment to the Code to replace existing permitted uses and development standards with the proposed uses and develoment standards.
The entitlements noted above are made pursuant to Chapters 17.128 (General Plan and Zoning Amendments) of the EMMC.
APPLICANT: City of El Monte
ENVIRONMENTAL
DOCUMENTATION:Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines, Section 15164, an Addendum was prepared to a previously Certified EIR that was prepared in 2011 for the General Plan and Zoning Map. Since then, the City has adopted the updated 2021-2029 Housing Element in February 2022. CEQA review required for the project may tier from the Certified GP EIR pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15152. The proposed project would not result in substantial changes requiring major revisions to the previously Certified GP EIR, therefore, no new mitigation measures are required for the proposed project.
PUBLIC HEARING:The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing to receive testimony, orally and in writing, on the proposed Project. The public hearing is scheduled for:
Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: El Monte City Hall East – City Council Chambers 11333 Valley Boulevard El Monte, CA 91731
OPTIONS TO PARTICIPATE: Members of the public wishing to observe the meeting may do so in one of the following ways:
(1) Attend the meeting in person at the City’s Council Chambers.
(2) Turn your TV to Channel 3.
(3) Visit the City’s website at http://www.elmonteca.gov/378/Council-MeetingVideos.
(4) Call-in Conference Line at (669) 444-9171; Meeting ID 890 6173 4276, then press #, press # again when prompted for participant ID.
Members of the public wishing to make public comment may do so in one of the following ways:
(1) Call-in Conference Line at (669) 444-9171; Meeting ID 890 6173 4276, then press #, press # again when prompted for participant ID. Once admitted into the meeting, press *9 to request to speak.
(2) E-mail or Telephone – All interested parties can submit questions/comments in advance to the Planning Division’s general e-mail address: planning@elmonteca. gov or by calling (626) 258-8626. All questions/ comments must be received by the Planning Division no later than 3:00 pm on January 14, 2025.
The staff report and attachments on this matter will be available on or about January 9, 2025 on the City of El Monte website, which may be accessed at https://wwwci.elmonte.ca.us/AgendaCenter/Planning-Commission-2 or by e-mailing selias@ elmonteca.gov
AMERICAN WITH DISABILITIES ACT:In compliance with Section 202 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12132) and the federal rules and regulations adopted in implementation thereof, the Agenda will be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with a disability. Should you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Planning Division by calling (626) 258-8626. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City of El Monte to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.
Persons wishing to comment on the environmental documentation or proposed application may do so in in writing prior to the meeting date and must be received by 3:00 p.m., the day of the meeting. Public Comments of no more than 3-minutes shall be read into the record. Written comments shall be sent to Sandra Elias; El Monte City Hall West; 11333 Valley Boulevard; El Monte, CA 91731 or at selias@ elmonteca.gov. If you challenge the decision of the City Planning Commission, in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City Planning Commission at, or prior to, the public hearing.
For further information regarding this application please contact Sandra Elias at (626) 258-8621. Monday through Thursday, except legal holidays, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. by Sandra Elias, Planning Commission Secretary
PUBLISHED DATE: January 2, 2025, EL MONTE EXAMINER
CITY OF EL MONTE ZONING REVIEW COMMITTEE
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Hablamos Español favor de hablar con Jeni Colon (626) 258-8626
TO: All Interested Parties
FROM: City of El Monte Planning Division
PROJECT LOCATION: 10423 Valley Boulevard, Unit B1 / APN: 8575-024-012
APPLICATION: Minor Use Permit (MUP) No. 06-2024
REQUEST: The Applicant is proposing to establish a 1,182 square foot Personal Service, Restricted use consisting of a tattoo studio within an existing 79,953 square foot multi-tenant commercial building. The subject site is 152,000 square feet in size and located in the M-2 (General Manufacturing) zone. The MUP request is made pursuant to Chapter 17.123 (Conditional and Minor Use Permits) of the El Monte Municipal Code (EMMC).
PROPERTY OWNER: Robin Investment LLC
APPLICANT: Hongyu Sheng
ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTATION: Article 19. Categorical Exemptions – Class 1, Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) of 1970 and the CEQA Guidelines, as amended.
PLACE OF HEARING: Pursuant to State Law, the Zoning Review Committee will hold a public hearing to receive testimony, orally and in writing, on the proposed project. The public hearing is scheduled for:
Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Place: El Monte City Hall City Hall East – Council Chambers 11333 Valley Boulevard El Monte, CA 91731
Members of the public wishing to observe the meeting may do so in one of the following ways:
(1) Attend the meeting in person at the City’s Council Chambers.
(2) Call-in Conference Line at (669) 444-9171; Meeting ID 819 5313 8958, then press #, press # again when prompted for participant ID.
Members of the public wishing to make public comment may do so in one of the following ways:
(1) Call-in Conference Line at (669) 444-9171; Meeting: ID 819 5313 8958, then press #, press # again when prompted for participant ID. Once admitted into the meeting, press *9 to request to speak.
(2) E-mail – All interested parties can submit questions/comments
Starting a new business?
in advance to the Planning Division’s general e-mail address: planning@elmonteca.gov. All questions/comments must be received by the Planning Division no later than 3:00 pm on January 14, 2025. The staff report on this matter will be available on or about January 9, 2025, on the City of El Monte website, which may be accessed at https://www.ci.el-monte.ca.us/276/Zoning-Review-Comimittee or by e-mailing antoniaperez@elmonteca.gov.
Americans With Disabilities Act : In compliance with Section 202 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12132) and the federal rules and regulations adopted in implementation thereof, the Agenda will be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with a disability. Should you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk’s Office by calling (626) 580-2016. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.
Persons wishing to comment on the environmental documentation or proposed application may do so in in writing prior to the meeting date and must be received by 3:00 p.m., the day of the meeting. Public Comments of no more than 3-minutes shall be read into the record. Written comments shall be sent to Antonia Perez; El Monte City Hall West; 11333 Valley Boulevard; El Monte, CA 91731 or at antoniaperez@elmonteca.gov. If you challenge the decision of the City Zoning Review Committee, in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City Zoning Review Committee at, or prior to, the public hearing.
For further information regarding this application please contact Antonia Perez at (626) 258-8660. Monday through Thursday, except legal holidays, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
PUBLISHED DATE: Thursday, January 2, 2025, by Laura MacMorran, AICP, Zoning Review Committee Secretary
Publish Jnuary 2, 2025 EL MONTE EXAMINER
CITY OF EL MONTE ZONING REVIEW COMMITTEE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Hablamos Español favor de hablar con Jeni Colon (626) 258-8626
TO: All Interested Parties
FROM: City of El Monte Planning Division
PROJECT LOCATION: 12363 PoinsettiaAvenue /APN: 8109-005-050
APPLICATION: Minor Use Permit (MUP) No. 11-2024
REQUEST: The Applicant is requesting approval for a new 210 square foot addition to an existing 952 single-story dwelling on a legal non-conforming site. The subject site is 20,578 square feet in size and located in the R-1B (One-Family Dwelling) zone. The MUP request is made pursuant to Chapter 17.123 (Conditional and Minor Use Permits) and Chapter 17.16 (Nonconforming Provisions) of the El Monte Municipal Code (EMMC).
PROPERTY OWNER: Kim Sokkea
APPLICANT: Alex Cabanillas
ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTATION: Article 19. Categorical Exemptions – Class 1, Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) of 1970 and the CEQA Guidelines, as amended.
PLACE OF HEARING: Pursuant to State Law, the Zoning Review Committee will hold a public hearing to receive testimony, orally and in writing, on the proposed project. The public hearing is scheduled for:
Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Place: El Monte City Hall City Hall East – Council Chambers 11333 Valley Boulevard El Monte, CA 91731
Members of the public wishing to observe the meeting may do so in one of the following ways:
(1) Attend the meeting in person at the City’s Council Chambers.
(2) Call-in Conference Line at (669) 444-9171; Meeting ID 819 5313 8958, then press #, press # again when prompted for participant ID. Members of the public wishing to make public comment may do so in one of the following ways: (1) Call-in Conference Line at (669) 444-9171; Meeting: ID 819 5313 8958, then press #, press # again when prompted for participant ID. Once admitted into the meeting, press *9 to request to speak. (2) E-mail – All interested parties can submit questions/comments in advance to the Planning Division’s general e-mail address: planning@elmonteca.gov. All questions/comments must be received by
the Planning Division no later than 3:00 pm on January 14, 2025.
The staff report on this matter will be available on or about January 9, 2025, on the City of El Monte website, which may be accessed at https://www.ci.el-monte.ca.us/276/Zoning-Review-Comimittee or by e-mailing omartinez@elmonteca.gov.
Americans With Disabilities Act: In compliance with Section 202 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12132) and the federal rules and regulations adopted in implementation thereof, the Agenda will be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with a disability. Should you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk’s Office by calling (626) 580-2016. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.
Persons wishing to comment on the environmental documentation or proposed application may do so in in writing prior to the meeting date and must be received by 3:00 p.m., the day of the meeting. Public Comments of no more than 3-minutes shall be read into the record. Written comments shall be sent to Osvaldo Martinez; El Monte City Hall West; 11333 Valley Boulevard; El Monte, CA 91731 or at omartinez@elmonteca.gov. If you challenge the decision of the City Zoning Review Committee, in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City Zoning Review Committee at, or prior to, the public hearing.
For further information regarding this application please contact Osvaldo Martinez at (626) 258-8663. Monday through Thursday, except legal holidays, between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
PUBLISHED DATE: Thursday, January 2, 2025, by Laura MacMorran, AICP, Zoning Review Committee Secretary
Publish January 2, 2025 EL MONTE EXAMINER
Monrovia City Notices
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
MONROVIA DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE
This Notice is to inform you of a public hearing to determine whether or not the following project should be granted under Title 16 and/or 17 of the Monrovia Municipal Code:
APPLICATION: Minor Conditional Use Permit (MCUP2024-0003)
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Applicant, on behalf of the business owner, is requesting a Minor Conditional Use Permit to allow tattoo service as part of a clothing store known as the “Grailed Gallery.” The subject property is located in the PD-5 (Planned Development - Area 5) zone.
ENVIRONMENTAL Categorical Exemption (Class 1). DETERMINATION: Class 1 consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, and permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures.
OF PUBLIC HEARING
DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE
APPLICANT: Wing Ho, Architect
This Notice is
ing, or submitted in writing. Written comments submitted by 3:00 p.m. on the meeting date will be distributed to the Development Review Committee.
If you challenge this application in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Planning Division at, or prior to, the public hearing. This application will not alter the zoning status of your property. For further information regarding this application, please contact the Planning Division at (626) 932-5565, or by email to planning@monroviaca.gov.
Supporting documents pertaining to this item will be available on Thursday January 9, 2025 after 4:00 PM on-line at the following hyperlink: www.monroviaca.gov/projectsunderreview
Este aviso es para informarle sobre una junta pública acerca de la propiedad indicada más arriba. Si necesita información adicional en español, favor de ponerse en contacto con el Departamento de Planificación al número (626) 932-5565.
Jennifer Driver Senior Planner
PLEASE PUBLISH ON JANUARY 2, 2025 MONROVIA WEEKLY
San Gabriel City Notices
Public Notice: City Of San Gabriel Notice of Public Hearing Before the Planning Commission
You are invited to participate in a public hearing before the City’s Planning Commission. Members of the public may submit public comments by U.S. Mail addressed to Community Development Department, Attn: Public Hearing Comment, 425 S. Mission Drive, San Gabriel, CA 91776, which must be received by the hearing date, or electronically using the online public comment form at http://sangabrielcity.com/PlanningComment, by 5:00 p.m. of the hearing date to be considered by the Planning Commission. The meeting will be broadcast on the City of San Gabriel’s YouTube channel at the link shown below:
Hearing Date: Monday, January 13, 2025 TIME: 6:30 p.m. Location Of Hearing: Council Chambers located on the second floor of San Gabriel City Hall (425 South Mission Drive, San Gabriel, CA 91776) The meeting can be viewed live at: https://www.youtube. com/CityofSanGabriel
Project Address: 1522 Stevens Avenue, San Gabriel, CA 91776
Project Description: The application, Project No. TMAP24-006 is for a Tentative Tract Map (TTM) No. 84467 for the subdivision of one lot for condominium purposes. The project would result in five condominium units. The project site is located in the R-NC zone within the Valley Boulevard Specific Plan area.
Questions: For additional information or to review the application, please contact Christine Song, Senior Planner at (626) 308-2806 ext. 4625 or csong@sgch.org.
Environmental Review: The project was reviewed for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This project is exempt from the requirements of CEQA, per Guidelines Section 15332, Class 32 (In-Fill Development).
Per Government Code Section 65009, if you challenge the nature of the proposed actions in court, you may be limited to only raising those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Planning Division at or prior to the public hearing.
PROPERTY ADDRESS: 113 East Olive Avenue, Monrovia, CA 91016
APPLICATION: Minor Conditional Use Permit (MCUP2024-0003)
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Applicant, on behalf of the
DATE & HOUR OF HEARING: Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 4:00 p.m.
PLACE OF HEARING: Monrovia City Hall (Council Chambers), 415 South Ivy Avenue, Monrovia, California, 91016
SAN GABRIEL PLANNING COMMISSION
By Samantha Tewasart Assistant Director of Community Development
Published January 2, 2025
SAN GABRIEL SUN
Probates Notices
NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: YAN WANG CASE NO. 24STPB09851
To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of YAN WANG.
A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by JESSIE J CHIU in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that JESSIE J CHIU be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.
THE PETITION requests the dece-
dent's WILL and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The WILL and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A HEARING on the petition will
Menorah lightings in Pasadena, Santa Monica mark start of Hanukkah
By Steven Herbert, City News Service
Free public menorah lightings were scheduled for Pasadena and Santa Monica last week to mark the first night of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.
An hourlong event to light what Chabad of Pasadena is billing as the "Menorah of Roses" was scheduled to begin Dec. 25 at 4 p.m. at Pasadena City Hall. The event also included live entertainment, arts and crafts, doughnuts and latkes.
A series of eight menorah lightings on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica began at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 25. The lighting was organized by Chabad of Santa Monica and included music, arts and crafts. Latkes and hot chocolate were available.
Free public menorah lightings were held Dec. 26 at the Third Street
Promenade at 4:30 p.m., The Culver Steps in Culver City at 5 p.m. and the Fairmont Century Plaza and Redondo Beach Civic Center at 5:30 p.m.
Once the Jews defeated the Hellenist Syrian forces of Antiochus IV in 165 B.C. at the end of a threeyear rebellion, the temple in Jerusalem, which the occupiers had dedicated to the worship of Zeus, was rededicated by Judah Maccabee, who led the insurgency begun by his father, the high priest Mattathias.
According to the story of Hanukkah, Maccabee and his soldiers wanted to light the temple's ceremonial lamp with ritually pure olive oil as part of their rededication but found only enough oil to burn for one day. The oil, however, burned for eight days in what was considered to be a miracle.
Hebrew — is observed around the world by lighting candles in a special menorah called a Hanukkiah each day at sundown for eight days, with an additional candle added each day.
The reason for the lights is so passersby should see them and be reminded of the holiday's miracle.
Other Hanukkah traditions include spinning a dreidel, a four-sided top, which partially commemorates a game that Jews under Greek domination are believed to have played to camouflage their Torah study, and eating foods fried in oil, such as latkes, pancakes of grated raw potatoes and jelly doughnuts.
Children receive Hanukkah "gelt" (the Yiddish word for money) from parents and grand-
parents. The tradition originated with 17th-century Polish Jews giving money to their children to give to their teachers during Hanukkah, which led to parents also giving children money.
In the United States, the practice has evolved into giving holiday gifts to children and others.
Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of the month of Kislev on the lunisolar Hebrew calendar, which indicates both the moon phase and the time of the solar year. The earliest Hanukkah can begin on the Gregorian calendar is Nov. 28 and the latest is Dec. 26.
This is the first time Hanukkah has begun on Christmas since 2005 and fourth time since 1900. It also fell on Christmas in 1910, 1921 and 1959.
Hanukkah — which means "dedication" in
People gather near the 2024 "Menorah of Roses" in front of Pasadena City Hall. | Photo courtesy of coloradoblvd/Instagram
Christmas in LA County features church services, help for homeless
By Steven Herbert, City News Service
Christmas Day in Los Angeles County last week included the customary Masses and church services celebrating the birth of Jesus along with annual events providing meals to the homeless and poor.
English-language Christmas Day Masses were celebrated at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels while Archbishop José Gomez celebrated the 12:30 p.m. Mass in Spanish. The 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Masses were streamed on the cathedral's page, youtube.com/olacathedral, and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles' Facebook page, facebook.com/lacatholics, and broadcast on digital Channel 7.2.
"God wants us to do beautiful things with our life. He wants our life to be filled with joy and love, in our homes and in our families, and in our life in the world. God really wants all of these great things for us, and he will give us the grace and the strength we need. This is the meaning of Christmas."
As is tradition, Gomez also celebrated Christmas Day Mass at 9 a.m. for general population prisoners at the Men's Central Jail Chapel.
The Laugh Factory planned to serve more than 2,000 free dinners to those in need at its 45th annual
During his homily at a Christmas Eve Mass at the cathedral Dec. 24, Gomez said, "Christmas reveals the truth about our lives. And the truth is this: We are born to become like Jesus, every one of us. We are born to share in his divine nature. In this Child, we find the way to true happiness.
free Christmas dinner and show. Seatings were at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Tim Allen, Tiffany Haddish, Craig Robinson, Paul Rodriguez and Dane Cook were scheduled to be among the comedians serving food and performing.
Every child in attendance received a free toy. Staff members from the health care provider El Proyecto del Barrio offered "free assistance to anyone who has a cold, cough, the flu or other minor health issues," club owner Jamie Masada said.
Laugh Factory President David Fuhrer encouraged the public to spread the word about the event.
"We can all show our holiday spirit by doing something to help people in need," Fuhrer said. "Please tell anyone who is
alone this holiday season about this event, or even give them a ride to the Laugh Factory. If you find someone in need in your neighborhood that needs a Christmas meal, please stop buy, pick up some food and give it to them.
Let's do all we can to make spirits bright this holiday season."
For the 38th year, a free Christmas Day dinner was served at Hollywood United Methodist Church from noon-3 p.m. "to everyone who is in need
of a little help this holiday season," organizers said. All in attendance received personal care items, while children received toys. The dinner was co-hosted by Temple Israel of Hollywood.
Bird flu detected in pets' raw food, LA County Public Health warns
By City News Service
Los Angeles County health officials warned residents last week not to feed their pets raw food following a voluntary recall of Northwest Naturals brand 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe Raw & Frozen Pet Food due to detection of H5 bird flu virus in product samples.
According to the LA County Department of Public Health, the recalled products are packaged 2-pound plastic bags with "Best if used by" dates of May 21, 2026, B10 and June 23, 2026, B1. Pet owners were urged to immediately dispose of those products.
Residents who fed their pets the recalled products or other raw meat or dairy products and notice their pet experiencing symptoms should immediately contact their veterinarian.
The Oregon Department
of Agriculture confirmed that a house cat contracted H5 bird flu and died after consuming the recalled raw frozen pet food, officials said. The products are also sold in California.
A listing of retailers can be found on the product's website at nw-naturals. net/12-24-24-voluntaryproduct-recall.
Additionally, the DPH recently confirmed H5 bird blue in four house cats who consumed recalled milk and later became sick and died, officials said. That investigation is ongoing.
Cats infected with the virus can develop severe illness, and may show the following: neurological signs, respiratory signs or liver disease that can rapidly progress to death. The department is also
investigating an additional possible case of bird flu in three cats from a different household.
One cat tested positive for Influenza A, a rare result in cats that indicates possible bird flu. Two other cats, who died from respiratory illness, are presumed to have also been positive for Influenza A. The DPH is awaiting the results of those tests.
These cats were not known to be exposed to raw milk, but the department is investigating other means of infection, such as the consumption of raw meat.
The county advises residents to avoid consuming all raw milk and raw meat products, and not to feed their pets those items.
Raw dairy, meat and poultry products can harbor harmful bacteria and viruses,
including bird flu, which can pose serious risks to a person's health and the health of their pets.
According to the DPH, the overall risk of H5 bird flu to the public remains low. There is currently no evidence of
person-to-person spread of the virus, county officials said.
On Dec. 23, the department confirmed the first case of bird flu in a human resident of LA County, who was exposed to livestock
infected with the virus at a worksite.
For questions or to find a nearby clinic or doctor, residents can call the department's InfoLine at 833-5400473, which is open every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
A Christmas Day Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown LA. | Photo courtesy of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles/Facebook
Northwest Naturals 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe Raw & Frozen Pet Food has been recalled following bird flu concerns. | Photo courtesy of Northwest Naturals
File your DBA with us at filedba.com
Pasadena
City Notices
Notice of Public Hearing City Council
Master Plan Amendment and Termination of Development Agreement for Fuller Theological
Seminary Master Plan
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The applicant, Fuller Theological Seminary, has submitted a Master Plan Amendment application to amend their Master Plan, which was adopted in 2006. The Amendment would revise the Master Plan’s boundaries to include only 29 Fullerowned properties (15 “core” properties and 14 “non-core” properties); subdivide 261 N. Madison Avenue into two lots and change the General Plan land use designation from Institutional to Medium Mixed Use and the Zoning from Public-Semi Public (PS) to Central District Residential Multi-Family (CD-RM-87) for one of the newly created lots; and terminate the Development Agreement. In addition, the Amendment provides that the 14 “non-core” properties owned by Fuller would be subject to the Master Plan until sold or leased for non-Fuller purposes. No development is proposed as part of the Amendment.
PROJECT LOCATION: Fuller Theological Seminary Master Plan area, bounded by Corson Street and the 210 Freeway to the north, Union Street to the south, Madison Avenue to the east and Los Robles Avenue to the west, in Pasadena CA.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: An Addendum to the 2015 Pasadena General Plan Environmental Impact Report (GP EIR) (State Clearinghouse No. 2013091009) was prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Cal. Public Resources Code Section 21000, et. seq., as amended) and its implementing guidelines (Cal. Code Regs., Title 14, Section 15000 et. seq.). This Addendum found that the proposed Amendment will not result in any potentially significant impacts that were not already analyzed, and no conditions described in State CEQA Guidelines Section 15162 calling for preparation of a subsequent EIR or negative declaration have occurred.
PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: On October 9, 2024, the Planning Commission recommended that the City Council approve the staff recommendation with an additional recommended condition of approval that allows Fuller to provide shared parking with neighboring commercial and residential uses.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council will conduct a public hearing and consider the proposed Zoning Code Amendments and proposed environmental determination. The hearing is scheduled for:
Date: Monday, January 13, 2025
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Place: Robinson Park Recreation Center, Multi-Purpose Room 1081 North Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91103. The meeting agenda will be posted by Friday, January 10, 2025, at https://ww2.cityofpasadena. net/councilagendas/council_agenda.asp.
Public Information: All interested persons may submit correspondence to correspondence@cityofpasadena.net prior to the start of the meeting. During the meeting and prior to the close of the public hearing, members of the public may provide live public comment. Please refer to the agenda when posted for instructions on to how to provide live public comment. If you challenge the matter in Court, you may be limited to raising those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing, or in written correspondence sent to the Council or the case planner at, or prior to, the public hearing.
For more information about the project:
Contact Person: Melanie Hall, Planner Phone: (626) 744-7101
E-mail: mhall@cityofpasadena.net Website: www.cityofpasadena.net/planning
Mailing Address:
Planning & Community Development Department Planning Division, Community Planning Section 175 North Garfield Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101
ADA: To request a disability-related modification or accommodation necessary to facilitate meeting participation, please contact the City Clerk’s Office as soon as possible at (626) 744-4124 or cityclerk@ cityofpasadena.net. Providing at least 72 hours advance notice will help ensure availability.
Publish December 26, 2024, January 2, 9, 2025 PASADENA PRESS
Probate Notices
NOTICE
OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:
AMY ALLISON WOODALLOJEDA
CASE NO. 24STPB14040
To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of AMY ALLISON WOODALL-OJEDA.
A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by LOREN OJEDA in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that LOREN OJEDA be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act with limited authority. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.
A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 01/22/25 at 8:30AM in Dept. 9 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012
IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.
IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.
Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.
YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.
Attorney for Petitioner
SHANNON H. BURNS - SBN 125359
HINOJOSA & FORER LLP
2215 COLBY AVE. LOS ANGELES CA 90064
Telephone (310) 473-7000 Ext 125 12/26, 12/30/24, 1/2/25 CNS-3881315#
PASADENA PRESS
NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF JAMES WILFRED BLAINE
Case No. 24STPB14268
To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of JAMES WILFRED BLAINE
A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by Elizabeth Ann Perkovich in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.
THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that Elizabeth Ann Perkovich be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.
THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administra-tion authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objec-tion to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.
A HEARING on the petition will be held on January 21, 2025 at 8:30 AM in Dept. No. 11 located at 111 N. Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.
IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your ap-pearance may be in person or by your attorney.
IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issu-ance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.
Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowl-edgeable in California law.
YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: DIANA LAM ESQ SBN 340713
THE BURBANK FIRM L C 2312 WEST VICTORY BLVD STE 100 BURBANK CA 91506 CN113000 BLAINE
Jan 2,6,9, 2025
GLENDALE INDEPENDENT
NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF TIMOTEO CORNEJO Case No. 24STPB14174
To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of TIMOTEO CORNEJO
A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by Earnesto Lauro Cornejo in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.
THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that Earnesto Lauro Cornejo be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.
THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administra-tion authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objec-tion to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.
A HEARING on the petition will be held on January 17, 2025 at 8:30 AM in Dept. No. 99 located at 111 N. Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.
IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your ap-pearance may be in person or by your attorney.
IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issu-ance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowl-edgeable in California law.
YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: CLARK E SELTERS ESQ SBN 306892
SELTERS & SELTERS
399 W MISSION BLVD STE K
POMONA CA 91766
CN112986 CORNEJO
Dec 30, 2024, Jan 2,6, 2025
BALDWIN PARK PRESS
NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:
DORA GUADALUPE GOMEZ
CASE NO. 24STPB14190
To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contin-gent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of DORA GUADALUPE GOMEZ.
A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by FRANK OLIVAS in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGE-LES.
THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that FRANK OLIVAS be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authori-ty will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very im-portant actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interest-ed person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.
A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 02/13/25 at 8:30AM in Dept. 79 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012
IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.
IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.
Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledge-able in California law.
YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.
Attorney for Petitioner
DANIEL B. BURBOTT - SBN 279759 GAUDY LAW INC. 267 D STREET UPLAND CA 91786
Telephone (909) 982-3199 12/30/24, 1/2, 1/6/25 CNS-3881812#
BALDWIN PARK PRESS
NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: JANET F. VORE CASE NO. 24STPB14284
To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contin-gent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the lost WILL or estate, or both of JANET F. VORE.
A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by BRADLEY WAYNE BROWN in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.
THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that BRADLEY WAYNE BROWN be ap-pointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. THE PETITION requests the decedent's lost WILL and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The lost WILL and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act.
(This authori-ty will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very im-portant actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the
proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interest-ed person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.
A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 01/28/25 at 8:30AM in Dept. 62 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012
IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.
IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledge-able in California law.
YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner
Cities with the fastest-growing home prices in the LA metro area
By Stacker
The real estate frenzy spurred by the coronavirus pandemic continues, though at a slower pace. Buyers are still competing for a limited supply of housing, driving up prices for affordable properties.
The typical home value in the United States was $358,761 in November, 2.3% higher than the year before.
Increasing mortgage rates have slowed growth, with prices even declining in some places. But some areas are still seeing price jumps compared to the year before.
Stacker compiled a list of cities with the most expensive homes in the Los AngelesLong Beach-Anaheim metro area using data from Zillow.
No. 30. Cerritos
- 1-year price change:
+$64,661 (+6.7%)
- 5-year price change:
+$327,631 (+46.5%)
- Typical home value:
$1,031,989 (63rd most expensive city in metro)
29. Laguna Beach
- 1-year price change:
+$68,430 (+2.4%)
- 5-year price change:
+$1,013,932 (+54.3%)
- Typical home value:
$2,880,437 (7th most expensive city in metro)
28. Rancho Santa Margarita
- 1-year price change:
+$73,106 (+7.8%)
- 5-year price change:
+$388,403 (+62.7%)
- Typical home value:
$1,008,252 (65th most expensive city in metro)
27. Garden Grove
- 1-year price change:
+$73,855 (+8.3%)
- 5-year price change:
+$345,244 (+55.9%)
- Typical home value:
$963,113 (73rd most expensive city in metro)
26. San Juan Capistrano
- 1-year price change:
+$74,908 (+6.2%)
- 5-year price change:
+$514,598 (+67.6%)
- Typical home value:
$1,276,260 (40th most expensive city in metro)
25. Aliso Viejo
- 1-year price change:
+$75,367 (+8.4%)
- 5-year price change:
+$382,398 (+64.3%)
- Typical home value:
$977,460 (70th most expensive city in metro)
24. Huntington Beach
- 1-year price change:
+$77,829 (+6.4%)
- 5-year price change:
+$473,824 (+58.4%)
- Typical home value:
$1,284,904 (39th most expensive city in metro)
23. Los Alamitos
- 1-year price change:
+$78,681 (+5.5%)
- 5-year price change:
+$551,860 (+56.9%)
- Typical home value:
$1,522,257 (26th most expensive city in metro)
22. Placentia
- 1-year price change:
+$79,717 (+8.1%)
- 5-year price change:
+$389,510 (+57.7%)
- Typical home value:
$1,064,563 (59th most expensive city in metro)
21. Westminster
- 1-year price change:
+$80,203 (+8.3%)
- 5-year price change:
+$365,721 (+54.0%)
- Typical home value:
$1,043,384 (61st most expensive city in metro)
20. Dana Point
- 1-year price change:
+$81,509 (+5.3%)
- 5-year price change:
+$673,903 (+71.6%)
- Typical home value:
$1,614,705 (22nd most expensive city in metro)
19. Rancho Mission Viejo
- 1-year price change:
+$82,159 (+7.2%)
- 5-year price change:
+$499,811 (+68.9%)
- Typical home value:
$1,225,310 (43rd most expensive city in metro)
18. La Palma
- 1-year price change:
+$82,931 (+7.8%)
- 5-year price change:
+$423,700 (+59.2%)
- Typical home value:
$1,139,717 (54th most expensive city in metro)
17. Orange
- 1-year price change:
+$89,267 (+8.9%)
- 5-year price change:
+$397,892 (+57.2%)
- Typical home value:
$1,093,561 (56th most expensive city in metro)
16. San Clemente
- 1-year price change:
+$92,972 (+6.0%)
- 5-year price change:
+$727,768 (+79.6%)
- Typical home value:
$1,641,551 (20th most expensive city in metro)
15. Costa Mesa
- 1-year price change:
+$97,521 (+8.0%)
- 5-year price change:
+$511,921 (+63.9%)
- Typical home value:
$1,313,216 (35th most expensive city in metro)
14. Yorba Linda
- 1-year price change:
+$104,427 (+8.3%)
- 5-year price change:
+$521,908 (+62.3%)
- Typical home value:
$1,359,128 (32nd most expensive city in metro)
13. Ladera Ranch
- 1-year price change:
+$104,463 (+8.4%)
- 5-year price change:
+$559,342 (+70.8%)
- Typical home value:
$1,349,123 (33rd most expensive city in metro)
12. Mission Viejo
- 1-year price change:
+$110,112 (+10.2%)
- 5-year price change:
+$493,795 (+70.4%)
- Typical home value:
$1,194,945 (47th most expensive city in metro)
11. Laguna Hills
- 1-year price change:
+$111,737 (+10.2%)
- 5-year price change:
+$501,893 (+70.7%)
- Typical home value:
$1,211,991 (44th most expensive city in metro)
10. Fountain Valley
- 1-year price change:
+$114,036 (+9.5%)
- 5-year price change:
+$525,896 (+67.2%)
- Typical home value:
$1,308,543 (36th most expensive city in metro)
9. Lake Forest
- 1-year price change:
+$115,310 (+10.7%)
- 5-year price change: +$487,149 (+69.3%)
- Typical home value:
$1,190,113 (48th most expensive city in metro)
8. Tustin
- 1-year price change:
+$115,751 (+11.0%)
- 5-year price change: +$460,259 (+65.1%)
- Typical home value:
$1,166,914 (50th most expensive city in metro)
7. Laguna Niguel
- 1-year price change: +$124,647 (+9.7%)
- 5-year price change: +$625,381 (+79.8%)
- Typical home value:
$1,408,844 (29th most expensive city in metro)
6. North Tustin
- 1-year price change:
Laguna Beach PD launches alcohol safety initiative
By City News Service
The Laguna Beach Police Department last week announced an initiative to promote public safety and responsiblealcohol service by notifying establishments when a Driving Under the Influence arrest is directly linked to their business.
This program aims to raise awareness about the
critical role businesses play in preventing impaired driving and reducing the dangerous impact on the community, the department said Dec. 25.
When a patron is arrested for DUI after consuming alcohol, and the investigation is linked to an alcohol establishment, the business will receive a notification letter
outlining the details of the incident. This will include the date, time, and location of the arrest, as well as the offender's Blood Alcohol Content, if available.
Laguna Beach Police Chief Jeff Calvert emphasized that the notifications are not intended to be punitive, but rather an opportunity for
businesses to evaluate their practices and ensure compliance with Alcoholic Beverage Control Department regulations.
"Often, businesses are unaware of DUI arrests resulting from overserving alcoholic beverages," Calvert explained. "This initiative aims to educate business
+$143,734 (+9.3%)
- 5-year price change:
+$686,187 (+67.9%)
- Typical home value:
$1,696,630 (17th most expensive city in metro)
5. La Cañada Flintridge
- 1-year price change:
+$146,305 (+6.7%)
- 5-year price change: +$760,322 (+48.3%)
- Typical home value:
$2,334,790 (10th most expensive city in metro)
4. Villa Park
- 1-year price change: +$181,595 (+8.9%)
- 5-year price change: +$959,600 (+76.4%)
- Typical home value: $2,216,047 (11th most expensive city in metro)
3. Newport Beach - 1-year price change: +$193,306 (+6.2%) - 5-year price change: +$1,357,986 (+69.4%)
- Typical home value: $3,314,376 (3rd most expensive city in metro)
2. Coto de Caza - 1-year price change: +$197,068 (+11.4%)
- 5-year price change: +$870,346 (+82.7%)
- Typical home value: $1,922,806 (15th most expensive city in metro)
1. Irvine - 1-year price change: +$213,818 (+16.1%)
- 5-year price change: +$680,327 (+79.0%)
- Typical home value: $1,541,386 (25th most expensive city in metro)
The article was copy edited from its original version. Republished with CC BY-NC 4.0 license.
owners and make our roadways safer. By collaborating with the businesses, we can prevent impaired driving and the devastating outcomes it so often causes."
The Laguna Beach Police Department encourages establishments to evaluate their policies on alcohol service, ensure staff are
trained to recognize signs of intoxication, and promote alternative transportation options to prevent impaired driving.
Information about this initiative and resources on responsible alcohol service are available from Jail Supervisor Monika Ghaly at 949-497-0776.
| Photo courtesy of Fotogrin/Shutterstock/Stacker
Man arrested in fatal stabbings of 3 relatives in Baldwin Park
By City News Service
A23-year-old man was arrested in connection with the fatal stabbings of three of his relatives — a man and two women — in Baldwin Park, authorities said Friday.
Baldwin Park Police Department officers responded at 6:48 p.m. Dec. 26 to the 4700 block of Bogart Avenue, between Maine and Phelan avenues, where they found the victims, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Lt. Michael Modica.
The victims suffered multiple stab wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene, according to several reports.
Modica said that when officers arrived, a person tried to drive away from the
scene but was detained.
That 23-year-old man was determined to be related to the victims and a resident of the home, Modica said. He was arrested and booked at the Baldwin Park Police Department on suspicion of murder.
The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office for charging, he said.
The victims' names were not released.
"Out of respect for the family of the victims, the exact relationships will not be released at this time," Modica said.
A neighbor told KNX radio that a cousin with whom he lives heard noises coming from the house at about 6:30 p.m.
"She heard a loud noise, someone yelling for help [and] to call 911," the neighbor said. "And then she heard a guy scream, like, just to the top of the lungs and after that all she heard was just a loud crash. Like [a] boom, like someone slammed the door really, really hard."
Anyone with information about this case was asked to contact the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or send tips to lacrimestoppers.org.
Sheriff's Homicide Bureau investigators will be assisting Baldwin Park Police Department detectives with the stabbing investigation.
Ex-boyfriend charged in stabbing death of Azusa teen
An 18-year-old man described by relatives as the victim's ex-boyfriend was charged Dec. 24 with murder for the stabbing of a 17-year-old Azusa High School cheerleader.
The murder charge against Daniel Rodriguez includes an allegation of the use of a deadly weapon, according to court records. He is scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 8 in Pomona. Rodriguez remains jailed in lieu of $2 million bail, according to jail records.
He is charged in the Dec. 20 death of Angelina Camilla Gonzales, who was found dead that night at a home in the 300 block of North Soldano Avenue, near Third Street and west of the
Azusa High School West Campus, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which assisted Azusa police in the investigation.
Family members said Rodriguez was Angelina's ex-boyfriend, although it was still unclear what may have motivated the attack. According to relatives, Rodriguez picked up the victim after she attended a cheerleading banquet the night of Dec. 20, and she never returned home.
Her stepfather told ABC7 he was able to track her cell phone location to the Soldano Avenue address, where authorities found her suffering from stab wounds. She died at a hospital.
Rodriguez was arrested Dec. 21.
Angelina recently joined the Azusa High wrestling team and she would have turned 18 on Jan. 7, relatives said. Angelina's family has raised more than $17,700 as of Dec. 24 through a GoFundMe page for her funeral. The family was also raising money by hosting a car wash and bake sale on Saturday at the VFW in Azusa.
Anyone with additional information about the stabbing was asked to call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Callers who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or send tips to visit lacrimestoppers.org.
By City News Service
| Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Angelina Camilla Gonzales. | Photo courtesy of Leticia Pimentel Caraballo/GoFundMe