Category: Los Angeles County

‘Expect Chaos’: Climate Expert Forecasts Extreme Weather as West Coast Prepares for El Niño

Climate experts are warning of possible extreme weather as an El Niño weather pattern arrives this summer along the west coast. This year’s El Niño looks to be a “strong one,” according to climate expert Dr. Jennifer Francis, a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Climate Research Center in Massachusetts. “Expect Chaos,” Francis said on…


Application for Internet Service Assistance Now Open in Orange and San Diego Counties

A program connecting low-income families and households nationwide to affordable internet services is now accepting applications in Orange and San Diego counties. Called the Affordability Connectivity program, benefits include up to a $30 a month discount for internet services and a one-time discount of up to $100 for the purchase of a laptop, desktop computer,…


Los Angeles County Ordered to Move Nearly 300 Youth Inmates Out of Juvenile Prisons

Los Angeles County has been ordered by state regulators to move nearly 300 youth inmates out of its two troubled juvenile prisons after California regulators on Tuesday determined the facilities “unsuitable for the confinement of youth.” LA County has two months to make the moves, which will close Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar and…


Man, 62, Killed in Drive-By Shooting in Los Angeles County

LOS ANGELES—A 62-year-old man was shot dead by two suspects who drove up in a sedan as he was about to exercise on his bike May 21 morning in the unincorporated Firestone Park community of Los Angeles County, authorities said. The shooting was reported at 6:27 a.m. in the 9400 block of Parmalee Avenue, the…


LA County to Convert Downtown Jail Into Treatment Facility for Severely Mentally Ill Inmates

LOS ANGELES—Hoping to relieve the overload of seriously mentally ill inmates in its jail system, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on May 16 authorized the conversion of space at the Twin Towers downtown jail into a 16-bed unit to evaluate and treat inmates suffering from “acute mental health illness.” The facility—dubbed an Acute…


Teen Dies of Apparent Overdose in LA County Juvenile Hall: Report

LOS ANGELES—A teenage detainee at a Los Angeles County juvenile hall died of an apparent overdose on May 9, according to an online report. The death was reported by the Los Angeles Times, which cited unnamed sources with “direct knowledge of the situation.” According to the county Probation Department, the unidentified “young adult was found…


LA County Restaurants Must Use Recyclable Food Ware Starting May 1

LOS ANGELES—Beginning May 1, restaurants and food facilities in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County must provide only recyclable or compostable food ware such as containers, cups, dishes, and cutlery under a new ordinance aimed at reducing waste and fossil fuels. The ordinance also requires full-service restaurants to use reusable food service ware for dine-in…


New Pass Provides Free Public Transit for Los Angeles County Jurors

LOS ANGELES—Jurors in Los Angeles will be offered a special pass providing free public transit to and from any of the 23 county courthouses where jury trials are held in lieu of the standard mileage reimbursement, officials announced Wednesday. Jurors and potential jurors may use the EPass to travel free within the LA Metro system…


Former Sheriff: ‘Politically Driven’ California Bill Would Undermine Democracy

Proposed California legislation supported by Black Lives Matter and other social justice groups that would allow county boards of supervisors to remove elected sheriffs from public office is “politically driven” and would undermine democracy, says former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva. “This is all about power. It has nothing to do with elected sheriffs…


Effort to Depopulate Los Angeles County Jails Delayed Amid Backlash

LOS ANGELES—A proposal to declare a humanitarian crisis in Los Angeles County’s overcrowded jail system and begin efforts to dramatically pare down the inmate population was pulled April 3 from this week’s Board of Supervisors agenda amid opposition from some board members and law enforcement groups. The motion to “depopulate and decarcerate” the jails—introduced by…