Hahn mourns medical crew lost in Catalina helicopter crash
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn (D-Long Beach, San Pedro, Torrance, Redondo Beach, Whittier, Diamond Bar) is mourning the people killed when a medical helicopter crashed into the ocean off Catalina Island Wednesday night, as crews search for a fifth person who was on board.
The REACH Air Medical Services helicopter went down near the Pebbly Beach helipad, about a mile from Avalon, just after 7:50 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. LA County Fire and lifeguard units, the Sheriff’s Department, Avalon Fire and the U.S. Coast Guard responded. Crews recovered four people from the water. Two died, and two were taken to hospitals on the mainland. The National Transportation Safety Board took over the investigation Thursday morning.
“The people onboard this helicopter dedicated their careers to saving lives. They are heroes, and this is a terrible loss not just for Catalina but for our County,” said Hahn.
The pilot and a flight nurse were among those killed, KABC reported. The helicopter had crashed shortly after takeoff, and Global Medical Response, which owns it, said it was coordinating with authorities. The cause of the crash is still unknown.
Hahn said she and her staff stayed in close contact overnight with the county’s Fire and Sheriff’s departments and Avalon Mayor Anni Marshall as first responders worked the scene.
“I am heartbroken for the families of the people who lost their lives in this crash,” said Hahn.
Newsom signs Harabedian’s best-value contracting, housing bills
Assemblymember John Harabedian (D-Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge, Monrovia, Sierra Madre, Claremont) won Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature on three bills to speed up housing construction. Among them is AB 1786, the best-value contracting bill LACP has followed since it cleared its first committee in April.
Under current law, general law cities and the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments are largely locked into lowest-bid contracting on major projects, even when the cheapest bidder has a weaker track record or a slower timeline.
AB 1786 lets them weigh a contractor’s experience and quality alongside price. It’s the difference between being forced to buy the cheapest cell phone in the store and being allowed to pay a bit more for the mid-range model that actually does what you need.
“California is showing that there is no zero-sum choice between accelerating housing production and historic preservation. These new laws make it clear that we can reduce red tape around housing construction while also preserving the historic sites that are anchors of our identity,” said Harabedian.
AB 2058 eliminates extra permitting and inspection requirements for factory-built housing, letting developers use faster, cheaper construction methods. AB 2576 amends SB 79, last year’s law raising allowable housing density near public transit, to make clear that designated historic districts and landmarks in those areas remain eligible for protection.
Local officials praised AB 2576. La Verne Mayor Tim Hepburn said it strikes an important balance between housing goals and historic preservation. San Dimas Councilmember Eric Nakano said it lets cities like his welcome housing near transit without sacrificing their historic character.
“Pasadena can build more housing while protecting the historic places that define our community. AB 2576 strikes that balance and helps cities meet the housing crisis responsibly,” said Pasadena Councilmember Tyron Hampton.
Pasadena Councilmember Steve Madison said the law strengthens the city’s ability to balance new development with protecting its historic districts.
All three bills passed the Legislature with bipartisan support and take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
Hochman charges ex-charter school chief with embezzling $150,000
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has charged the former executive director of a shuttered Antelope Valley charter school with embezzling more than $150,000 in public funds within months of winning approval to open the school.
Derrick Devaul Spiva of Lancaster faces felony counts of misappropriation of public funds, embezzlement of public funds, grand theft, money laundering and conflict of interest, plus an aggravated white-collar crime enhancement. He faces up to six years and eight months in state prison if convicted.
“Stealing public money meant to educate children is unconscionable. The alleged sequence of events in this case shows a brazen disregard for the Antelope Valley Unified High School District, students and the entire system of public education,” said Hochman.
Charter schools are independently run public schools that operate under a contract with an authorizing agency, such as a school district. In April 2023, the Antelope Valley Unified High School District approved Spiva’s petition to open the Synergy School of Arts and Technology, pitched as an arts and technology charter for transitional kindergarten through 12th grade. Synergy’s board hired him as executive director the next month.
Between June 28 and Oct. 13, 2023, Spiva allegedly made unauthorized payments from the school’s bank account to himself, his business and his domestic partner, spending some of the money on travel, theater tickets and electronics. The school opened that September with about 100 students on two Lancaster campuses. After it discovered the missing funds, the board fired Spiva in November, and the school closed in December.
Spiva was released on his own recognizance at his Sept. 28 court appearance. His arraignment is set for Nov. 16 at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
Deputy District Attorney Stefan Mrakich of the Public Integrity Division is prosecuting the case.
Chu, Cisneros seek $250 million for San Gabriel water cleanup
U.S. Reps. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena, Monterey Park, San Gabriel, Alhambra) and Gil Cisneros (D-Covina, West Covina, Baldwin Park, El Monte, Azusa, La Puente) introduced legislation this week to lift the funding cap on the San Gabriel Basin groundwater cleanup and reauthorize $250 million to finish the job.
The San Gabriel Basin Restoration Fund Reauthorization Act would support the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority, which has used the fund since 2000 to clean groundwater contaminated by past industry. The basin supplies drinking water to more than 1.5 million residents, including in Alhambra, Arcadia, Monrovia, Monterey Park, Rosemead, Sierra Madre and South Pasadena.
“The San Gabriel Basin provides drinking water to more than 1.5 million people across our region, but it still carries contamination left behind by industries of the past,” said Chu.
Chu and Cisneros secured federal Community Project Funding for the restoration fund earlier this year. The bill would remove the funding hurdles they say stand between the project and completion.
“Clean drinking water is a fundamental human right, and every family in the San Gabriel Valley deserves direct, affordable, protected access to it,” said Cisneros.
