Monica Rodriguez, a 27 year old pregnant woman from El Monte, died at Arcadia Methodist Hospital. The family believes she died of complications from the H1N1 virus (swine flu). The family is considering legal action against Greater El Monte Community Hospital because she went there to be treated October 14 and 15, but was sent away with medicine and cough syrup, instead of admitting her.
Arts & Culture spotlight on the new exhibit at the Ruth & Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum. The exhibit is called "Roll 'em!: Motion Pictures Filmed in Arcadia and Surrounding Communities." Photos include Dana Dunn, curator at the museum, and movie posters of "A Star is Born" starring Judy Garland and James Mason, and "The African Queen," starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn.
A U.S. District judge overturned convictions for bribery, mail, wire and tax fraud and harboring illegal immigrants, against George Torres, 52, of Arcadia, the former owner of Numero Uno supermarket chain. The judge threw out the more serious convictions for racketeering, conspiracy and solicitation of murder, back in June. Torres has been set free after 2 years in custody.
Metropolitan Transportation Agency (MTA) is not considering the Gold Line Foothill Extension from Sierra Madre to Claremont a priority now. County transportation officials recommended the so-called "Subway to the Sea," a proposed extension of the Purple Line out to Santa Monica and a "regional connector" project that would link several rail lines through downtown Los Angeles, as the priorities.
Monrovia High School Wildcats football team beat Arcadia High School with a 27-13 victory in the season opener. A photo of Darrell Cheng (AHS) and Nick Bueno (MHS) is included.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board approved $10 million for the 24-mile Gold Line Foothill Extension that is going through Arcadia to Claremont. The money comes from Measure R.
The California State Department of Education has released test scores and rankings. Every spring the state gives each public school two rankings from 1 to 10. A "statewide" rank compares each school in the state and the "similar schools" rank compares schools with similar demographics and populations. Oak Avenue Intermediate in Temple City Unified School District and Huntington Middle School and San Marino High School in San Marino Unified all got 10s in both categories. All schools in the Arcadia Unified School District earned a rank of 10 in the "statewide" category, but ranks varied in the "similar schools" category.
In the election for Arcadia Unified School District board members, it seems incumbents Joann Steinmeier and Janet Chew are ahead. Steinmeier is seeking to extend her five terms on the school board.
John Fasana, a Duarte City Council member and Metropolitan Transportation Agency (MTA) board member, will introduce a measure today to include the 24-mile Gold Line Extension to Claremont in the MTA's long range transportation plan. To get federal stimulus money, the Gold Line needs to be listed in the MTA's long-range plan. Fasana wants to see the MTA reinforce the commitments made in Measure R, the tax measure that Los Angeles County voters approved to provide more than $700 million for the Gold Line.
The Los Angeles Conservancy gave an F grade to Arcadia, Bradbury, Diamond Bar, El Monte, Industry, La Habra Heights, La Mirada, Monterey Park, Rosemead, Santa Fe Springs, Temple City and Walnut, in a report card of local cities. The cities were judged on whether or not they had an ordinance allowing designation of historic landmarks, how many landmarks are designated, if cities provide for implementation of the Mills Act and other criteria.
Debra Amos, Food Services Director for the Arcadia Unified School District for the last 20 years, recently earned the Silver Special Achievement Award from the National Food Service Achievement Management Excellence program. She discusses her job and how tastes have changed over the years.
As ordered by the Los Angeles Superior Court, Arcadia city officials were expected to finalize the repeal of all approvals related to the Shops at Santa Anita mall project and the decertification of the environmental impact report (EIR). Jason Kruckeberg, Development Services Director for the City of Arcadia, said city officials are just starting the potentially year-long process of fixing the 11 faulty areas of the EIR. City officials have begun talks with CalTrans and the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts asking for their cooperation in fleshing out traffic and sewage studies.
A middle-aged man tried to kidnap a 5-year-old school girl from the Westfield Shoppingtown Santa Anita mall on November 26. His composite sketch is shown and is described as an Asian male in his 50s, 5'8" with gray hair and a bald spot. Police are calling it an isolated incident but parents should be vigilant.
Arcadia police are searching for a man in his 50s wanted in the attempted kidnapping of a 5-year-old school girl on a field trip to the Westfield Shoppingtown Santa Anita. He was described as Asian, with gray hair and a bald spot on top of his head. He was 5'8" tall, 170 pounds, with yellow teeth, blue pants, and white sneakers.
Arcadia mail-in voters reject proposal for new lighting assessment districts. Under the proposal, the single-family homes on well-lit streets would pay up for $24 a year. Those with "sporadic" lighting would pay up to $10.12 a year, while homes on streets without lights would pay nothing. The current lighting assessment districts expire in 2010. Out of 14,600 ballots sent out, about 1/3 were returned. The proposal failed by 70 votes. 2,457 ballots voted yes and 2,530 voted no.
Oak Tree at Santa Anita Park will host the Breeders' Cup World Championships today and tomorrow, bringing most of the best thoroughbreds in the world together for 14 races with a record $25.5 million in purses. Local businesses hope to get a financial boost from the evevnt.
A 2-year-old legal battle between the city of Arcadia and Taboo Gentlemen's Club, a strip club, will most likely result in the club being closed or sold off by April, 2009. The federal court case started when the city revoked Taboo Gentlemen's Club's business license for breaking the city's adult business codes. The club's owners Bill Badi Gammoh and Chawkat Jajieh sued in response, claiming city and police had obstructed business and violated their civil rights. The city's adult business ordinance prohibits lap dances, sexual contact, private dance booths and direct tipping. It requires licensed dancers to perform on an elevated stage.
Arcadia city officials have adopted a voluntary water conservation program that aims to reduce annual water consumption by 10 percent. Currently there is a state wide drought and a local water supply shortage. Metropolitan Water District (MWD) has voted to raise water rates 14 percent in July 2009. The other two main sources of the city's water are the Main San Gabriel Basin and Raymond Basin.
Two bank robberies in the past three weeks are believed to have been committed by the same suspect. In both cases, the robber wore a blonde wig under a dark baseball cap, carried a manila envelope and said, "Hurry up" to tellers. He displays a handgun under his shift and is a white man in his 30s or 40s, of average height and weight.