Gayle Anderson had the opportunity to visit the Peacocks at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, in anticipation of Peacock Day on April 20. An event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. will be held, which is included with paid admission and free for members. For more information and tickets, visit Arboretum.org. This is a fun an educational event. Learn the difference between male and female peacocks. Learn about the elaborate feathers. Learn why a bird native to India and Sri Lanka is here in the first place! Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden 301 North Baldwin Avenue Arcadia ..read more

March is National Reading Month, a month to motivate people of all ages to read every day. Gayle Anderson reports in addition to municipal and county libraries, there’s the Los Angeles County Arboretum’s Plant Science Library, a library most people don’t know exists. It contains an extensive collection of publications specializing in the history of the L.A. Arboretum, Southern California gardening, Botany, native plants, environment, water, birding, and more! Plus, the facility contains extensive research material and information that cannot be found online. The library is open to L.A. Arbor ..read more

It’s the last Saturday of February! Where did the month go? Well, it’s not to late to learn and enjoy several important events. Take a look! Enjoy! Please stay safe! Gayle ?   -000-   Free! Intro to Emergency Preparedness Zoom Virtual Class Saturday, March 9th @ 10am – Noon Registration Deadline: Thursday, March 7th sosproducts.com  Our recent rain and subsequent flooding are problems. Question? Are we ready for the next storm, the next power outage or the next earthquake? We can get ready at the free SOS Survival Products emergency preparedness class. The next virtual session i ..read more

After decades in the community, a beloved bookstore is closing its doors for good, pushed out by the rising costs of living and working in Southern California. The Book Rack in Arcadia is a used bookstore that has been in operation for over 40 years. It’s among the rarer species of stores in the age of Amazon book buying and online shopping. Located in downtown Arcadia, the once bustling street filled with small storefronts is more vacant nowadays, a sign of a bygone era.  For Karen Kropp, 79, owning the bookstore has been a labor of love. She began working at the shop around 30 years ago ..read more

Three people were found dead near the stairwell of an Arcadia home that was engulfed in flames Tuesday morning. Firefighters responded to the blaze in the 5300 block of Tyler Avenue just after 1 a.m. As first responders arrived, smoke and fire were coming from the two-story residential home. Three people were found dead following in a fire in Arcadia on Jan. 2, 2024. (RMG News) Flames were initially showing from the garage area but quickly moved through the structure, Los Angeles County Fire Department Battalion Chief Frank Garrido said. Video showed the home engulfed in flames as firefighters ..read more

An advocate for domestic violence survivors and her mother are suing Los Angeles County after deputies used "violent tactics" in a 2022 traffic stop in East Los Angeles, their attorney claims. On Sept. 25, 2022, Gabriela Koutantos of Monrovia was driving a rented U-Haul van that she had used to deliver donated furniture to the East Los Angeles Women's Center, a shelter for victims of domestic and sexual violence where Koutantos serves as executive director. L.A. County Sheriff's Department deputies, believing the van was stolen, executed a "high-risk" traffic stop near Atlantic Boulevard and H ..read more

Two owners of massage parlors in Ventura and Los Angeles counties are facing felony charges that they pimped out their employees. Shuzhi Fan, 47, and Qiuju Jia, 43, face felony charges of pimping and pandering, as well as a special allegation that the crime was done in a sophisticated manner, the Ventura County District Attorney's Office said Monday. The women have pleaded not guilty. Fan, a Thousand Oaks woman who owns Xinyi Massage in that city, was first investigated in May for "profiting from" what prosecutors described in a news release as "commercial sex activity." "Further investigation ..read more

As the newest class of graduates are anointed in ceremonies this month, one Los Angeles County high school is celebrating a milestone — a 100% graduation rate. Every single one of Arcadia High School’s 753 seniors accepted their diplomas on Thursday at a ceremony at Santa Anita Park. Officials said the last time a 100% graduation rate was achieved by the high school was in 2018. To compare, in 2022, the average graduation rate in California was 87.4%, according to the school. "We are immensely proud of our seniors in the Class of 2023 for their hard work, determination, and commitment to excel ..read more

An Arcadia Police Department K-9 unit found 80 kilograms of cocaine in a traffic stop on Sunday. The dog, Kruz, and his partner were helping another law enforcement agency when Kruz detected narcotics in the car, police said on Twitter. The 80 kilograms of cocaine has an approximate street value of $25 million, police added ..read more

Two people were killed in a crash along Angeles Crest Highway above Arcadia Friday morning. The crash was reported about 9 a.m. near mile marker 47, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. A vehicle was overturned off the side of the roadway and two people were pronounced dead at the scene, according preliminary reports from the Fire Department. The victims have not been identified. Aerial video from Sky5 showed firefighters trying to recover the bodies inside a heavily damaged red car. No further details about the incident have been released. Check back for updates on this develo ..read more