Today, Metrolink announced it was awarded a $59,000 grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to address the issue of suicides along its system through outreach and training with key railroad staff, first responders and community members.   ... read more »

State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond announced that Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), in partnership with The San Diego Foundation, have donated a total of $420,000 to the Bridging the Digital Divide Fund. SDG&E and The San Diego Foundation’s grant of $100,000 to the Classroom of the Future Foundation will address digital divide among tribal K-12 youth in San Diego County. SoCalGas’ portion of $320,000 will be split into five grants to separate organizations in Southern California for specific work to close the digital divide. SoCalGas and SDG&E are part of the Sempra Energy family of companies. ... read more »

Last week, the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (South Coast AQMD) Governing Board approved a recommendation to add the South Los Angeles community to the Assembly Bill 617 (AB 617) program. AB 617 requires the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and local air districts to reduce emissions in communities disproportionately impacted by air pollution. The Governing Board also directed staff to pursue additional funding to help support emissions reduction efforts in this community. ... read more »

A judge today took under submission a motion by the estate of the pilot in the Jan. 26 helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others to move a lawsuit brought by Bryant's widow to Orange County to ensure a fair trial.     Vanessa Bryant brought the case on Feb. 24 in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of herself and her surviving three daughters, including the youngest, Capri, who turned one-year-old on Sunday.     The case was later transferred to Van Nuys Superior Court and names as defendants the estate of the late chopper pilot, Ara Zobayan, plus Island Express Helicopters and Island Express Holding Corp. Judge Virginia Keeny heard arguments on the change-of-venue motion, then took the case under ... read more »

   Orange County supervisors today voted to declare Aug. 24 as Kobe Bryant Day.     Bryant was born on Aug. 23 and wore the number 24 in his playing days, said Orange County Board Chairwoman Michelle Steel, explaining why she settled on Aug. 24 as the date to honor the former Lakers great who died Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash that also killed his daughter and seven others.  ... read more »

You might think that the kind of generational poverty that would concern a global powerhouse like the United States of America, let alone the paradise we call Southern California, is a non-conversation in this country. Yet the special rapport on poverty, racial equity, and human rights is an appropriate link. The notion that we have a low unemployment rate, but a high under-employment rate, increased homelessness, immigration, food insecurity, poor education, immigration political wars, and racial inequity, when correctly interpreted, the numbers suggest that we have an urgent problem. ... read more »

Stressing that they were acting out of "an abundance of caution'' and not panic, Los Angeles city and county officials today declared a state of emergency for the novel coronavirus, as six new cases of the disease were revealed in the county in the last 48 hours. ... read more »

 Everytable, the Los Angeles-based social enterprise seeking to end food inequality by making healthy food affordable, convenient and accessible for all, has received a total of $2.5 million in program-related investments (PRI) from Annenberg Foundation and The California Wellness Foundation (Cal Wellness) to support the development and implementation of a pioneering social equity franchise program. The $1.5 million in funding from Cal Wellness and $1 million from the Annenberg Foundation will allow Everytable to foster economic empowerment among entrepreneurs from marginalized communities. Everytable plans to open 25 franchises owned by entrepreneurs of color from underserved neighborhoods in Southern California over the next five years. ... read more »

A Downey man was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for committing four armed robberies of GameStop video game stores in Los Angeles and Orange counties that resulted in the theft of more than $132,000 in merchandise and cash. ... read more »

What started out as a desk video/audio interview to learn more about what goes into the day-to-day work of firefighters and paramedics for print and radio broadcasts turned into a ride-along with Los Angeles County Fire Department Public Safety Officer Captain Brian Jordan, and a front seat to one of the most publicized health crises to strike L.A. area schools in recent times. ... read more »

Census 2020 could be the most important and inclusive civic activity our country has ever experienced, covering every person in the United States of America.  Our constitution requires an accurate recording of the nation's population every ten years.  It is a centerpiece of our democracy that must honor its diversity and inclusivity in the process. ... read more »

Accomplished businessman continues his remarkable dedication to public service ... read more »

Former SCE executive brings 25+ years of leadership and operations expertise to OCCF ... read more »

The Compton Unified School District (CUSD), in partnership with the Carrot Group and the Los Angeles Chargers, will host its first-ever eSports High School Tournament between its four high schools – Centennial, Compton, Compton Early College, and Dominguez High Schools – to kick off a districtwide career program and strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) skills in schools.  ... read more »

Here’s a staggering number - 553,000. Imagine what you would do if 553,000 dollars were deposited into your bank account today. Imagine what you can see if you travel 553,000 miles around the world? That is a significant number. The truth is that’s the number of homeless people recorded in the United States in 2018. Yes, the most developed country in the world allows a whopping 17 percent of its population to live on the streets. California holds a total of 113,952 abandoned homeless individuals; this represents 20 percent of all homeless people in the United States. Approximately 15,179 are veterans. People in this country are turning a blind eye as if this is some “new normal.” We have abandoned our neighbors, and homelessness is a clear symptom.  ... read more »