Holly Avenue Elementary School named as a 2020 California Distinguished School for the second time in three years by the California Department of Education.
Bobcat Fire, on its 9th day in the San Gabriel Mountains, continued to grow north of the San Gabriel Valley. It had charred 38,299 acres Monday with containment at 3%. The fire has crossed to west side of Santa Anita Canyon. On Sunday, residents in Arcadia and Sierra Madre who live north of Elkins Avenue and east of Santa Anita Avenue were ordered to evacuate. About 305 homes were in the evacuation zone. Most are in Arcadia and 32 are in Sierra Madre.
A second Interstate-210 shutdown August 17 through August 23. Major closure for the San Gabriel River Bridge Hinge Replacement Project, affecting eastbound 210 Freeway at the Interstate-605 and Irwindale Avenue.
210 Freeway closure returns this week. For second time in a month, motorists face delays during a 5-day shutdown for bridge construction, closing eastbound lanes of the 210 Freeway from the 605 Freeway interchange to Irwindale Avenue. The delays may be more pronounced in the weekday afternoon during peak hours through Pasadena, Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, and Irwindale, as the eastbound lanes detour from 6 lanes into 3 lanes.
With the House of Representatives leaderless and legislation going nowhere, President Biden has been urged to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. More cities, elected officials, ask president to use his executive power to add acreage to the area, including Alhambra, Monterey Park, Santa Clarita and South Pasadena. The proposed addition of 109,000 ares to the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument includes forest sections just above the cities of Monrovia, Arcadia, and Sierra Madre, and up to Santa Clarita.
House passes preservation bill on a bipartisan vote. The Protecting America's Wilderness and Public Lands Act, or House Resolution 803 seeks to conserve 1 million acres of public land in California, much of it in Southern California. HR 803 incorporates two local measures, including the San Gabriel Mountains Foothills and Rivers Protection Act that will protect the Angeles National Forest, located just north of Arcadia.
A driver killed, two passengers injured when car hits power poles and a fence about 11:30 PM on Sunday, February 21, near Las Tunas Drive and El Monte Avenue.
Huge California conservation bill heads to vote in Congress today. The Protecting America's Wilderness and Public Lands Act, or House Resolution 803, seeks to preserve 1 million acres of public land in California. Part of it is the San Gabriel Mountains and Rivers Protection Act, authored by Rep. Judy Chu-D. to extend the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument designation by adding 109,143 acres of the western front-facing Angeles National Forest. This includes popular hiking areas within Chantry Flat, located just north of Arcadia.
U.S. Senator Alex Padilla seeks wilderness protections, introduced in a bill covering 1 million acres of land and 500 miles of rivers. Padilla's bill incorporates the San Gabriel Mountains Foothills and Rivers Protection Act, written by Representative Judy Chu, D-Pasadena. Under this provision, the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, established by President Barack Obama in 2014 will be expanded by 109,143 acres to include front facing portions of the Angeles National Forest north of Sierra Madre and Arcadia and into the forest's western edge near Santa Clarita.
$2 million in funding to help provide more homes. San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust gets state award for affordable, transitional housing. About 2 dozen cities have partnered, including Alhambra, Arcadia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, and others, to develop affordable housing.
President Biden sending official to hear public views on the proposed expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. Chantry Flat, a hiking and picnic spot north of Arcadia and Sierra Madre, closed for several years, is proposed for inclusion in the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.
26 local schools earn high honors, the 2023 California Distinguished Schools award, including Hugo Reid Elementary, Camino Grove Elementary, Highland Oaks Elementary, Rancho Learning Center, Baldwin Stocker Elementary, Holly Avenue Elementary and Longley Way Elementary School from the Arcadia Unified School District.
Hunt continues for gunman in Arcadia car-to-car shooting on the 210 Freeway near Baldwin Avenue which left a woman named Betty Hernandez, 36, of Monrovia, dead. This shut down the freeway for several hours on September 4. On September 5, two people were found dead, in the block of 600 West Huntington Drive, an apparent murder-suicide. Both victims were in their 50s.
Cities of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments assess plan for coyote population management. Those involved in a regional management effort must decide on renewal by November. The council anticipates the cities of Alhambra, Arcadia, Azusa, Covina, Irwindale, Montebello, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino and Temple City, will continue with the program. In 2018-2019, Arcadia received 300 calls or emails regarding coyotes in neighborhoods. By 2019-2020 that number dropped to 120. In 2017, animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) sued for trapping and killing coyotes. In response, Arcadia developed its own coyote management plan focused on non-lethal alternatives.
Arcadia Unified appoints new Highland Oaks Elementary School principal, Debbie Champion.Champion began her career in Arcadia as a teacher at Holly Avenue Elementary School. She has been with the district for over 25 years.
San Gabriel Mountains: Bobcat Fire grows, but Arcadia lifts evacuation warning. The fire has burned more than 19,796 acres. as of yesterday evening. It was 0% contained.
Bobcat Fire continues to wreak havoc. Nearly 24,000 acres burned above foothill communities, north of Monrovia, and still spreading out of control yesterday as firefighters contended with powerful winds. The fire has burned 23,890 acres of pristine forest lands. It was 6% contained. Evacuation warnings are still in effect in Monrovia, Arcadia, Azusa, Sierra Madre, Duarte, Pasadena, Altadena & Bradbury.
Some evacuation orders lifted-Bobcat Fire. Sierra Madre and Arcadia residents okayed to return to their homes starting yesterday (Wednesday) at 4 PM. By Wednesday evening the fire had grown to 46,263 acres with containment still at 3%.
Flames continue north to homes. Residents evacuate as Bobcat Fire jumps Highway 2, tops mountain ridge, menaces Antelope Valley. The 50,539-acre fire which once primarily threatened San Gabriel Valley foothill communities after it started on September 6, jumped Highway 2 overnight and continues to spread north, putting Antelope Valley under an evacuation warning. Evacuation warnings were still in place for parts of Monrovia, Arcadia, Duarte, Bradbury, Sierra Madre, Pasadena, and Altadena, though evacuation orders in parts of Sierra Madre and Arcadia were lifted Wednesday.