Homelessness and public safety intertwined in Boyle Heights
Katherine Conchas, Community News Reporter
April 5, 2020
With all the issues that Boyle Heights residents battle -- rising costs of housing, gentrification’s impact on small businesses, and now, 28 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the neighborhood -- homelessness sometimes gets lost in the mix. But residents such as Desire Sanchez say it's an issue ...
Why approve tax hikes?
Vanessa Wyatt, Community News Reporter
April 5, 2020
Tax hikes are never popular. So why did Alhambra voters approve a measure that would increase taxes? The answer to that starts with a state law that sets a cap of 10.25 percent for sales tax. City leaders in places like Alhambra are expecting the county to propose a sales tax hike at some point, so...
Los Angeles restaurants attempt to adapt to stay-at-home restrictions
Marlene Cordova, Community News Reporter
April 3, 2020
Camino Real, a family-owned Mexican restaurant that has been in La Puente for about 40 years, had almost fully recovered from the 2009 recession. Who knows what will happen now that the coronavirus crisis has required restaurants to close their dine-in operations? “Post-virus, it’s going to b...
El Monte weighs meeting housing needs with traffic, pollution
Ethan Axtell, Community News Reporter
March 28, 2020
The city of El Monte is weighing the benefits of new housing – in the form of a proposed 110-unit condominium building on Orchard Street – against concerns expressed by some residents about it. Several residents from the neighborhood warned of a potential increase in crime, traffic and pollution...
Cycles of violence in La Puente?
Marlene Cordova, Community News Reporter
March 28, 2020
Five days. A three-mile radius. Three reported drive-bys last month. Are they all real or imagined? It's unclear because police could not confirm the details of two of the three reported incidents. La Puente residents claim to have heard the gunshots from their homes. In an interview with the UT...
Coronavirus’ economic impact: Service and gig economy workers are some of the hardest hit
Vanessa Wyatt, Community News Reporter
March 23, 2020
Izabel Nazdracheva, a behavioral therapist substitute teacher for Los Angeles Unified School District, is losing at least one month of pay because of recent closures. “Right now, it’s a struggle because I have to pay for my bills, I have to pay for my car payment, insurance, housing, and these...
Balancing a dream with life’s realities
Ethan Axtell, Community News Reporter
March 23, 2020
Lesley Elizondo didn’t have much growing up. Her dad died when she was six, so she and her family moved around Los Angeles frequently in search of better living situations. So when Elizondo revealed to her mom her dream to pursue film-making in college, her mother’s reaction didn’t come as a su...
Those who can’t afford to stock up lose out on some basic necessities
Catherine Valdez and Denae Ayala, Community News Reporters
March 20, 2020
By now, shoppers are well aware of the empty shelves and lines out the door. What is less expected during this time of the coronavirus pandemic is that basic necessities for their babies are sold out, people can’t practice “social distancing” because they’re squeezed tightly together at some crow...
Coronavirus coverage: As schools close, parents scramble for childcare and other assistance
March 18, 2020
About a week ago, one of the challenges facing working parents was determining who would handle school drop-offs and pick-ups. Now, the question is: Who will watch the kids all day – possibly for months? “I’m bugged, I’m bothered, I’m annoyed. I find it inconvenient that they closed schools...
As classes move online, students’ anxieties shift into high gear
Kilmer Salinas, Community News Reporter
March 17, 2020
Erika Gonzalez, a fourth-year student at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College in South Los Angeles, already has a lot going on in her life: While both of her parents work, Gonzalez, a first-generation college student, juggles caring for her siblings, work and classes. Coronavirus-related closures are making her ...
Eastsiders prepare for possible spread of coronavirus
Vanessa Wyatt and Marlene Cordova, Community News Reporter
March 11, 2020
From products flying off the shelves to local families preparing to work or take classes remotely, coronavirus fears shook the Eastside. Disinfectants, hand sanitizers, antibacterial wipes, water and even toilet paper started running out at local stores. And several area school districts reported ...
Personal essay: Celebrating Black History Month in all its blackness
Chidera Bosah, Community News Reporter
March 11, 2020
As I entered the room, I felt embraced. I did not stand out. I did not feel eyes on me. I was not questioned for my It was a moment of complete blissfulness where I could be my authentic self: a Black Nigerian- American woman. At Netflix’s Black History Month celebration last week -- which...
Richard Tzul and Christopher Lazaro
April 1, 2020
As a child, Simon Tam said he was the victim of several racially motivated attacks. He said his school...
Richard Tzul, News Managing Editor
March 30, 2020
A second reported case of a Cal State LA student with COVID-19 was announced via a school wide email...
Tahiti Salinas, Staff Reporter
March 23, 2020
What was meant to be one of the most educationally fulfilling semesters of their college careers has...