| Archive for August, 2009 |
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| Posted by Janice | Permalink | 3 Comments | Add a comment |
Over the past week, a delayed fire season has hit the Southland with a vengeance! Except for the Palos Verdes fire, all current blazes are continuing to wreak havoc on firefighters, property and air quality. My eyes are burning as I write this piece. Mandatory evacuations are in order for many areas, and some residents near La Cañada are now trapped.
Tragically, firefighters Arnaldo Quinones, 35, of Palmdale and Tedmund Hall, 47, of San Bernardino were killed while overseeing workers who were clearing brush at a Department of Corrections, inmate campsite, and drove off the side of a treacherous road in the Mt. Gleason area, south of Acton, around 2:30 p.m., Sunday. We salute these brave souls, along with the thousands of firefighters across California who continue to diligently battle the havoc.
Hand crews attempted to intervene Sunday by clearing brush by Mt. Wilson, the historic observatory and critical transmission towers for local television and radio stations. That structure and outlying areas are still in danger of being engulfed. The radius of the largest fire is spreading westward towards Tujunga, Sunland, Sylmar and Santa Clarita. Current estimates for property damage are upwards of $7.7 million on top of the millions of dollars it costs to combat these blazes.
August 31st, 2009
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| Posted by Janice | Permalink | 4 Comments | Add a comment |
The man known as “The Lion of the Senate” has died at the age of 77, leaving a legacy of crusading for liberalism. Ted Kennedy’s body currently lies in repose at John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, where scores of people continue to bid farewell. Over the weekend, he will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery alongside his two brothers.
August 28th, 2009
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| Posted by Janice | Permalink | 3 Comments | Add a comment |
Fire season is upon us, and the proof is literally burning before my eyes. As of this writing, I’m witnessing two fires, the earlier one commencing north of Azusa, and the Wednesday afternoon blaze near the foothills of La Cañada Flintridge. The 750+ acre Azusa fire centered in the Morris area of the Angeles National Forest thankfully cannot claim any homes or lives as victims (due to dry air and lack of winds in the area), although the pungent white haze in its wake is being inhaled by countless Southland residents.
The second fire is now spread over ten acres of dry chaparral, and the Angeles Crest Highway is shut down north of Altadena. The cause of both fires are under investigation and let’s hope if arson is the cause the culprits are apprehended and prosecuted swiftly. The forecast consists of temperatures exceeding 100 degrees and low humidity, so another fire could easily spring up elsewhere.
I want to take this opportunity to again commend the brave men and women of our local fire departments, who are sorely underpaid and who risk life and limb for us all.
August 26th, 2009
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| Posted by Janice | Permalink | 3 Comments | Add a comment |
Michael Jackson’s physician, Conrad Murray, might face manslaughter charges. According to several news reports, police are now moving ahead to issue an arrest warrant against Dr. Murray. He was administering 50 milligrams of Propofol (a powerful anesthetic) to combat MJ’s insomnia each night; the L.A. Chief Medical examiner reported lethal levels were in the pop star’s system. L.A. police have discovered 8 bottles of Propofol in MJ’s home and according to authorities, Murray failed to tell doctors he administered the drug, a critical omission that calls into question his method of treatment.
August 25th, 2009
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| Posted by Janice | Permalink | 3 Comments | Add a comment |
Jasmine Fiore thought it was true love when, earlier this year, she wed investment banker turned reality-television star Ryan Jenkins. Their courtship lasted 2 days. Fast forward to August 15th, when her strangled body sans fingers and teeth was found inside a suitcase in a trash bin behind her apartment in Orange County.
Her breast implants provided the only clue to her identity. The suspected killer was none other than Jenkins, who fled to a motel room in Canada to end his life. In an interview on NBC’s Today Show, Fiore’s mother, Lisa Lepore, stated his death brought the beginning of much-needed closure to this terrible ordeal and that he is no longer a threat to others. Lady Justice shudders at the thought - could Fiore’s life will now be the fodder of a movie similar to Star 80, the 1983 vehicle about Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten who met a similar fate at the hands of her husband.
August 25th, 2009
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