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covers the daily drumbeat of Southern California. She has a special place in her heart for eagles and other creatures that make this such a fascinating place to live.A large black bear has finally crawled out from under a house in Altadena where he’s been hiding forThe roughly 550-pound bear, dubbed “Barry” by the neighbors, had been holed up in a crawlspace beneath the home since late November.
Cort Klopping, a spokesperson with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, confirmed to LAist Thursday that the bear had left and the access point had been secured.This wasn’t the first time the bear hid out under a house in Altadena. The same bear was lured out fromOfficials encourage residents to secure access points around their homes. One suggestion is to cover crawlspaces with something stronger than the wire mesh Barry has broken through, such as metal bars.Bears are extremely food motivated and can smell snacks in trash cans on the curb from 5 miles away, Klopping has said. He suggested putting trash cans out the same day they get picked up and bringing pet food sources inside, including bird feeders. You can find tips on how toThe Original Saugus Cafe, L.A. County's oldest restaurant since 1886, was supposed to have closed Sunday, with lines around the block. But this week a sign on the door said it was reopening under new ownership. That was news to the Mercado family, who had previously run the business for nearly 30 years. It's turned into a legal dispute between the Mercado family and the owners of the property, who are laying claim to the name.The dispute highlights the precarious position of small business owners who operate under informal agreements with their landlords. For nearly 30 years, the Mercado family ran the restaurant on a handshake deal with property owner Hank Arklin Sr. After he died, the Mercado family is facing losing not just their location, but potentially the business name and legacy they've built.Hank Arklin Sr., a former California assemblyman with multiple properties, died in August at age 97. New management presented the Mercado family with written lease terms they found unfavorable, triggering negotiations to sell the business that ultimately fell apart.Lines stretched around the block Sunday at the Original Saugus Cafe in Santa Clarita. It was supposed to be the restaurant's last day before closing after 139 years — making it the oldest continually operated restaurant in Los Angeles County. But earlier this week, a sign was posted on the door saying,"Reopening under new ownership soon," although there were few details about who would be running it.who have operated the restaurant for nearly 30 years. The family now is in a legal dispute with the Arklin family, who owns the property, about the potential re-opening and who owns the historic name.Alfredo Mercado worked his way up from bartender to restaurateur, purchasing the business in 1998. Since then Mercado and his daughters have operated the restaurant, leasing from the Arklin family. For most of that time, according to the Mercado side, the two families maintained good terms. Property owner Hank Arklin Sr., a former state assemblyman who owned other properties in the area, kept a verbal month-to-month agreement with the Mercados — no written lease required.Larry Goodman, who manages multiple properties for the Arklin family's company, North Valley Construction, took over the landlord relationship. In September, the Mercado family say they were presented with a new written month-to-month lease. Yecenia Ponce, Alfredo's daughter, said the new terms included various changes to the existing agreement, including a rent increase and charges for equipment. Months of back and forth negotiations about different options, including selling the business, ultimately fell apart. Their attorney, Steffanie Stelnick, says they are being forced out, without proper legal notice, and has sent aLAist reached out to Goodman for comment repeatedly Wednesday and Thursday by phone but did not hear back. Goodman told The Signal, a Santa Clarita valley news outlet, that Alfredo Mercado had changed his mind several times in recent weeks about keeping the business.He said he'd been in contact with Eduardo Reyna, the CEO of Dario's, a local Santa Clarita restaurant, and that the cafe could re-open as soon as Jan. 16.Ponce said when her father purchased the restaurant in 1998, it was called The Olde Saugus Cafe, but the name was then changed to The Original Saugus Cafe. State records show that name registered as an LLC under Alfredo Mercado. After Arklin’s death, however, the Arklin family filed a pending trademark application to lay its own claim to the name."As long as they don't buy the name from us, we're not handing it over," Ponce said."We truly did think we were closing," she said."We were not aware that they had plans to continue."is a general assignment reporter. She covers the news that shapes Los Angeles and how people change the city in return.A protester displays a poster as tear gas is used in the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles on June 8, 2025.The fatal ICE shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good has sparked anger and fear in Los Angeles, which has been an epicenter of federal immigration enforcement since the summer.Jorge-Mario Cabrera with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, or CHIRLA, says the killing was upsetting but not surprising." Los Angeles has been witness of the escalating aggressiveness of these federal agents against the community," he told LAist. The fatal ICE shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good has sparked anger and fear in Los Angeles, which has been an epicenter of federal immigration enforcement since the summer. Jorge-Mario Cabrera with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, or CHIRLA, says the killing was upsetting but not surprising., saying Good was trying to run agents over with her car. That account has been disputed by eyewitnesses, the mayor of Minneapolis and other officials. Bystander video also challenges the federal narrative,demanding justice for Good. Mayor Karen Bass posted on X, saying that ICE agents are waging"a purposeful campaign of fear and intimidation" on American cities. "The senseless killing of an innocent and unarmed wife and mother by ICE agents today in Minneapolis is shocking and tragic and should never have occurred," she said in the post. The senseless killing of an innocent and unarmed wife and mother by ICE agents today in Minneapolis is shocking and tragic and should never have occurred. And it happened because of the brutal and racist policies of the Trump administration that unleashed these agents in…“These ICE agents are undertrained and trigger happy and everyone who has seen this video knows ICE murdered this woman,” she said in a statement.If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.As the Rams head to the NFL playoffs this weekend, we’re shining the spotlight on a beloved fan favorite: the Mariachi Rams. Violinist Crystal Hernández, the only woman in the band, tells LAist it’s exciting to see how fans — even those cheering for the opposing team — have embraced their presence at SoFi Stadium. She said it shows how involved and integral Latino culture is to L.A. “There's no boundary. There's no border,” she said. “It’s all about love and joy and bringing excitement to the game.”The Rams are the first NFL team to have an official mariachi. The group was formed in 2019 by Hernández' father, the renowned mariachi Jose Hernández. Since then, a handful of teams, including the Houston Texans, have begun incorporating mariachi bands as part of theirThe Mariachi Rams’ musical flare has captivated audiences, blending hip-hop and rock-and-roll sounds with traditional mariachi. They typically perform two or three times throughout the game, starting with a Mexican classic like “El Rey” and segueing into local favorites like “Low Rider” from the Long Beach band War and Tupac’s “California Love.” The Mariachi Rams blend hip-hop and rock and roll sounds with traditional mariachi. They typically perform two or three times throughout each game.Crystal Hernández also works with L.A. County students at the nonprofit Mariachi Heritage Society. She said it’s important to pass the tradition down to kids — and especially young girls who may not otherwise see themselves represented onstage. “If you're a mariachi, you're also an educator,” she said. “It's our responsibility to teach the next generation so this beautiful Mexican tradition doesn't die out.”covers the daily drumbeat of Southern California. She has a special place in her heart for eagles and other creatures that make this such a fascinating place to live.A dog being sheltered at Pasadena Humane on Jan. 10, 2025. Some fire-impacted animals are still in there a year later.and in the aftermath, providing shelter, medical care and emergency resources. The organization also helped reunify pets and livestock with the humans who love them.San Diego Humane Society took in more than 50 animals from Pasadena Humane to clear space during the fire, which officials said was critical for their operations during the crisis. So, Pasadena Humane returned the favor Wednesday, helping to take in dogs rescued from a recent hoarding case down south.Several animals affected by the fire are still in the organization’s care. They include four dogs at Pasadena Humane, as well as three cats and a guinea pig in foster homes. Chris Ramon’s corner office at Pasadena Humane boasts a sweeping view of the San Gabriel Mountains peaking over Pasadena and Altadena. Ramon, the organization’s president and CEO, said this week that he couldn’t help but remember what the same window looked like a year ago, when the “The mountains that we're looking at right now and admiring were being engulfed in flames,” Ramon told LAist. “For us as an organization, that's what kicked off one of the most devastating situations and experiences we've ever had to navigate through.” Chris Ramon, president and CEO of Pasadena Humane, said he couldn't help but remember what this window looked like a year ago during the Eaton Fire.and in the aftermath, providing shelter, medical care and emergency resources. The organization also helped reunify pets and livestock with the humans who love them.“Several people who lost their homes are still trying to figure out what their next step is,” Ramon said. “We told the community, and everybody who was affected by the Eaton Fire, that we would be here and we would provide help.” Pasadena Humane marked the one-year anniversary of the fire this week with a show of gratitude for another Southern California shelter who helped the organization weather the storm.In the first three weeks after the Eaton Fire erupted, Pasadena Humane took in about 1,000 animals that were injured, displaced and separated from their families.and a horse was housed in Pasadena Humane’s garage when Ramon ran into its owner walking miles down Raymond Avenue. Pasadena Humane search-and-rescue teams went into burn zones looking for animals in need of assistance. Those teams reunited pets with owners in an effort to make sure the organization had enough space for those that didn’t have anywhere else to go — including an Altadena neighborhood cat whom the residents named Skinny Minnie. Pasadena Humane teams looked for pets and wildlife in Eaton burn zones, dropping off food and water along the way.The cat was brought into Pasadena Humane with severe injuries as the fire was still raging. Her whiskers were singed and her body was so badly burnt that staff “couldn't tell what color she was,” Ramon said.The cat stayed in Pasadena Humane’s intensive care unit for several months, which by that time had become a makeshift burn ward. Skinny Minnie endured the invasive medical treatments used to tend to her wounds, later revealing a gentle personality, seeking cuddles and scratches from caretakers or veterinary staff, Ramon said.Chris Ramon, president and CEO, says the organization is committed to helping Altadena rebuild.San Diego Humane Society took in more than 50 animals from Pasadena Humane to clear space during the fire, which officials said was critical for their operations during the crisis.It welcomed nine dogs from San Diego to free up resources as the organization deals with a large-scale hoarding case. A tenth dog was also expected to arrive, but was adopted. Nina Thompson, San Diego Humane Society's director of public relations, told LAist the organization was bursting at the seams caring for 725 dogs before 40 more were rescued from an apartment in La Mesa.The organization's four campuses were already operating well over capacity before the 40 dogs and puppies were removed from the 500-square-foot home, according to Thompson.San Diego Humane Society officials say the transfer will free up space and resources so staff can focus on animals involved with the hoarding case.at Pasadena Humane as of Thursday. Two of those dogs have already found their forever homes, according to the organization.
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