Fiona Ng
is LAist's deputy managing editor and leads a team of reporters who explore food, culture, history, events and more.
Published September 1, 2023 11:00 AM
Proposed barriers for the Colorado Bridge
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Courtesy City of Pasadena
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Topline:
The city of Pasadena has unveiled several designs for permanent barriers along the Colorado Street Bridge. They want the public's help in narrowing down these concepts.
Why it matters: The iconic bridge was known as the world's highest concrete bridge when it opened in 1913. In the years since, it's earned a more macabre distinction as "suicide bridge" for the people who've taken a fatal leap.
Why now: In 2018, the city manager called for temporary fencing to be installed across the entire 1,400-foot span of the bridge, after police spent 13 hours talking a would-be jumper down. Since then, Pasadena has been on the hunt for a permanent design that's both practical and tasteful, and earlier this week it released four that are under consideration.
See the designs: Read the full story to check them out.
The City of Pasadena has unveiled several designs for permanent barriers along the Colorado Street Bridge, and they want the public's help in refining these concepts.
The iconic bridge, towering 150 feet above the Arroyo Seco, was said to be the world's tallest concrete bridge when it opened in 1913.
In the years since, it's earned the more macabre distinction as the site of a number of suicides — in one widelyreportedfigure, more than 150 people have made the fatal leap. About half of them took place during the Great Depression.
Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena at sunset with snow covered mountains in the distance
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Jim Brown/Getty Images
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iStockphoto
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Why now
An unusually high wave of suicides and attempts in 2017 prompted the city to install 10-foot tall mesh fencing at each of the bridge's 20 alcoves.
A year later, after police spent 13 hours talking down a would-be jumper over Labor Day weekend, then-city manager Steve Mermell ordered the entire 1,400-foot span of the bridge to be fenced.
“It’s going to be very unattractive," the mayor at the time, Terry Tornek, told Pasadena Now. Still, he said, "[w]e need to take action."
To prevent a future crisis, here's how to help someone make a safety plan.
And ever since, the city has been on the lookout for a permanent design that's both practical and tasteful.
Historic Colorado Boulevard Bridge in Pasadena with sunset sky.
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trekandshoot/Getty Images
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iStockphoto
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Check out the 4 designs
Earlier this week, the city unveiled a number of designs that are under consideration.
Design #1: Canted webmesh
Design #1: Canted webmesh
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Courtesy of City of Pasadena
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Design #1: Canted webmesh.
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Courtesy of City of Pasadena
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Design #2: Vertical cables
Design #2: Vertical cables
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Courtesy of City of Pasadena
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Design #2: Vertical cables
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Courtesy of City of Pasadena
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Design #3: Vertical picket
Design #3: Vertical picket
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Courtesy of City of Pasadena
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Design #3: Vertical picket
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Courtesy of City of Pasadena
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Design #4A and #4B: Vertical webmesh with shorter or taller light posts
Design #4A and 4B: Vertical webmesh, with taller or shorter light posts
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Courtesy of City of Pasadena
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Design #4A and 4B: Vertical webmesh
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Courtesy of City of Pasadena
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For more information about the Colorado Street Bridge barrier project, go here.
How to weigh in
If you'd like to be part of the discussion, you can submit your thoughts using this city survey by Sept. 10.
"From information that we gather from that, we're going to be further developing those preliminary design concepts and then presenting them back to the community, probably in October," said Hayden Melbourn, a principal engineer with Pasadena's Department of Public Works.
Melbourn said the hope is for the city council to settle on a permanent new look by early 2024, after additional rounds of input from different city commissions and from the public.
Gillian Morán Pérez
is an associate producer for LAist’s early All Things Considered show. She also writes about your daily forecast.
Published November 25, 2025 5:00 AM
Sunny with highs in the mid 70s for most areas.
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Samanta Helou Hernandez
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via LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
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Quick Facts
Today’s weather: Morning low clouds, sunny
Beaches: 68 to mid 70s degrees
Mountains: 60s to low 70s degrees
Inland: 74 to 80 degrees
Warnings and advisories: None
What to expect: A sunny day with highs in the mid 70s, and up to 80 degrees more inland.
What about those Santa Ana winds? Santa Ana winds are returning, which means it will be breezy all day in most areas. Gusts could reach up to 25 mph in the foothills, around 30 mph for the 5 Freeway corridor and Santa Clarita Valley, and up to 35 mph for the San Gabriel Mountains.
What's next? Warmer temperatures are on tap through Wednesday, but don't worry, cooling will return for Thanksgiving.
Quick Facts
Today’s weather: Morning low clouds, sunny
Beaches: 68 to mid 70s degrees
Mountains: 60s to low 70s degrees
Inland: 74 to 80 degrees
Warnings and advisories: None
Warmer temperatures are on tap through Wednesday, but don't worry, cooling will return for Thanksgiving.
Low clouds and some fog will cover the beaches Tuesday morning, but that will clear by the afternoon. Along the Orange County coast, expect highs of between 68 and 74 degrees. For L.A. County, highs will be from 70 to 78 degrees.
More inland, valley communities will see highs of up to 81 degrees in some areas. Temperatures for the Inland Empire will range from 74 to 80 degrees.
In Coachella Valley, expect daytime highs of up to 79 degrees. The Antelope Valley will be cooler, with highs reaching 67 degrees.
Santa Ana winds forecast
Santa Ana winds are returning, which means it will be breezy all day in most areas. Gusts could reach up to 25 mph in the foothills, around 30 mph for the 5 Freeway corridor and Santa Clarita Valley, and up to 35 mph for the San Gabriel Mountains.
Frank Stoltze
is a veteran reporter who covers local politics and examines how democracy is and, at times, is not working.
Published November 24, 2025 5:01 PM
Federal law enforcement officers conduct an immigration enforcement operation.
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Hyoung Chang
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Denver Post via Getty Images
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Topline:
Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight on Monday launched a new tracking system to document possible misconduct and abuse during federal immigration enforcement operations under the Trump administration, according to Rep. Robert Garcia of Long Beach, who is the ranking member of the committee.
The details: As of Monday, the the new dashboard listed 252 incidents dating back to Jan. 26. Only incidents verified by reputable media outlets or referenced in litigation are included, according to the committee website. Social media videos without corroboration are not included. Each incident is categorized as either under one or more of the following types of possible misconduct: "concerning use of force," "concerning arrest/detention," "concerning deportation," and an "enforcement action at a sensitive location.” Incidents involving U.S. citizens are categorized with a "U.S. Citizen" tag.
The backstory: Immigrant rights organizations and many Democratic leaders have long expressed concerns about the practices of federal immigration authorities carrying out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan. “Our Dashboard shines a light on the harmful actions perpetrated against U.S. citizens and immigrants across the country,” Garcia said in a statement.
In-custody deaths: More than 40 members of the U.S. House, including 15 representatives from California, are also demanding answers from federal authorities about the record number of people who died in immigration detention this year. Fifteen people have died so far this year, including two at the Adelanto immigration detention center.
Coyotes like this one are among the many animals driven closer to humans during periods of drought.
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Courtesy Kendall Calhoun
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Topline:
A study from UCLA found that in drier years, larger animals are more likely to head closer and closer to where people live.
What’s driving this: It depends on the animal, but food and water are the main factors. Less rain means less standing water and less vegetation for herbivores. As these animals look for food and water in more populated areas, omnivores and carnivores also follow them.
What animals are affected: Among many others, deer, elk, squirrels, mountain lions, bobcats, and black bears are all inclined to leave their natural habitats to seek out supplemental food sources in yards and agricultural areas.
Read on... for more on what the data tells about our wild visitors and what are climate has to do with them.
If you’ve noticed more wildlife visiting your yard in recent years — maybe digging up your vegetable garden or even drinking from your pool — you’re not alone.
A recent study from UCLA found that larger predators like mountain lions and bears are more likely to interact with humans and travel closer to population centers in drier years. To determine this, the researchers analyzed state data collected on reported property damage, nuisances, conflicts and sightings.
“It kind of runs the full gamut of how people interact with wildlife around their neighborhoods and their homes,” said UCLA postdoctoral researcher Kendall Calhoun, the lead author on the study.
It's not just P-22. Mountain lions across the whole state are forced to leave their habitats for survival.
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Courtesy Kendall Calhoun
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Different motivations for different animals
As you might expect, different animals might have different reasons for entering populated areas. But in large part, Calhoun said, it comes down to animals’ survival instincts.
The primary motivator for many herbivores is likely to be food. That’s because with less precipitation, there’s also less plant material for them to eat. (Don’t forget: even with all the rain we’ve had recently, much of Southern California is still in a drought.)
“ Deer and elk might be pushed to find those food resources in places that they normally wouldn't go, like agriculture, crops, things from people's yards, persimmons from your tree,” Calhoun said.
And as herbivores get pushed toward humans, the animals that prey on them are too. In fact, the species that saw the highest increases in clashes with humans were omnivores and carnivores, specifically mountain lions, coyotes, black bears and bobcats.
But even these animals have varying reasons for getting close to people.
“Mountain lions might be more inclined to look for supplemental food in livestock — that might be a sheep or a goat,” Calhoun said. “Black bears may be more willing to go into your trash to look for food to help supplement what they're missing in their resource-scarce natural areas.”
Meanwhile, animals of all kinds might enter a yard even when they have enough food to look for standing water.
About the data
Researchers analyzed data from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife that were reported over the last several years as part of a citizen science initiative.
One important caveat is that the researchers primarily looked at conflicts between wildlife and residents, and there may be differences in how these interactions are reported.
For example, you might not report a deer eating fruit from an overloaded tree as a nuisance, but even a peaceful black bear digging through your trash could raise alarm bells.
"People also really value having wildlife living alongside them," Calhoun said. "It really is important for us to try to strike that balance where there's pros for both sides, without some of the negative interactions that come with living in close proximity with wildlife species."
Learn more about human-wildlife interactions
There’s more background on the research on UCLA’s website, and you can find the full study here.
You can also learn much more about interactions between humans and wildlife in LAist’s Imperfect Paradise podcast series, “Lions, Coyotes, & Bears.”
Listen
45:45
Lions, Coyotes, & Bears Part 1 Redux - The Mountain Lion Celebrity
Destiny Torres
is LAist's general assignment and digital equity reporter.
Published November 24, 2025 3:32 PM
A student takes notes during history class.
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Allison Shelley
/
via EDUimages
)
Topline:
Fast, affordable internet service in parts of L.A. County is expected to become available soon and organizers say now is a good time to sign up for alerts when the program goes live.
How much will the service cost? There will be different plans available — low income, market rate and small business — at different internet speeds and fixed price rates. The low-cost service plan will start at $25 per month for qualifying families. Those who don’t qualify could also purchase plans starting at $65 a month.
How will it work? The internet provider, WeLink, will install a Wi-Fi router inside a home and a 4-inch radio on the roof that will then connect to the internet network.
Why it matters: About 23% of households in East L.A. and Boyle Heights, and more than 40,000 households in South L.A., don’t have home internet.
Read on … for how to stay in the loop when the service rolls out.
Low-cost internet service will soon roll out in parts of L.A. County at the end of this year, and organizers say eligible households can sign up for alerts when the service becomes available.
The service — a partnership between L.A. County and internet provider WeLink — is the latest project from the county’s “Delete the Divide,” an initiative meant to bridge the digital divide in underserved neighborhoods.
Major funding for the project comes from the American Rescue Plan Act, as well as a grant from the California Public Utilities Commission.
It’s badly needed
About 23%, or more than 20,000, households in the East L.A. and Boyle Heights area don’t have home internet, according to Delete the Divide.
The service will also soon be coming to South L.A., where more than 40,000 households were identified as lacking home internet.
What you need to know
There will be different plans available — including low-income, market-rate and small business options — at fixed prices. The low-cost plan will start at $25 per month for qualifying families. Those who don’t qualify could also purchase plans starting at $65 a month. Monthly rates are fixed until at least September 2027.
Every plan includes unlimited data, a router and parental controls.
Low-cost internet service will soon roll out in South L.A. at the end of this year.
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Courtesy of L.A. County
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Low-cost internet service will soon roll out in parts of East L.A. and Boyle Heights at the end of this year.
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Courtesy of L.A. County
)
How it works
WeLink will install a Wi-Fi router inside a home and a 4-inch radio on the roof to connect the household to the internet.
Interested households can sign up for updates and be notified by WeLink when service is available here.
