Story by Sofia Alva Staff Writer Photo by Katelyn Hernandez Staff Photographer The city council voted down the proposed budget and instead opted to continue appropriations of the 2019-2020 budget at its meeting on Wednesday, June 24. Council members also approved the creation of a six member sub-committee regarding the future of policing in South Pasadena. […]
City faces $20 million civil rights lawsuit in Vanessa Marquez officer-involved shooting
Story by Kahlen Miao Staff Writer Reporting by Noah Kuhn News Editor Photo by Patrick Baca Contributor The family of late actress Vanessa Marquez announced that a civil rights lawsuit was filed over her 2018 killing by SPPD officers on Wednesday, June 24. The family demanded that the police officers involved be reinvestigated and held accountable for […]
School board adopts 2020-2021 district budget while discussing ways to implement diverse curriculum
Story by Georgia ParsonsStaff Writer Photo by Oscar WalshStaff Photographer The South Pasadena School Board officially approved and adopted the 2020-2021 district budget at its meeting on Tuesday, June 23. The newly adopted budget eliminates several district staff jobs in addition to reducing funds in several different departments. Budget cuts in faculty, staff, and administration departments […]
SPPD’s arrest of a crime suspect draws community criticism for excessive force
Story by Lilian Zhu Staff Writer Photo courtesy of South Pasadena Youth For Police Reform Contributor The SPPD forcibly detained a middle-aged Black man on charges of assault and robbery in front of city hall on Tuesday, June 23. The police watch commander reported that the person had assaulted an individual and stolen their phone, […]
City council to vote on establishing a community policing sub-committee
Story by Noah Kuhn News Editor Photo by Richard Gomez Contributor The South Pasadena City Council will vote on whether to appoint a council sub-committee on the future of policing in South Pasadena at a special meeting on Wednesday, June 24. The sub-committee would collect data on SPPD practices and study the effects of city laws […]
Discovery of life-saving drug coincides with L.A. County’s increase in coronavirus cases
Story by Janice Park and Lenise Diaz Contributors Illustration by Alicia Zhang Staff Illustrator This week California reported a record-high increase in the number of new coronavirus cases in a single day, prompting Governor Gavin Newsom to enact an order that mandates face masks in all public areas. Also, researchers from the University of Oxford found a way to […]
SPUSD discusses hybrid schedule for next school year
Story by Eddie Zhou Staff Writer Photo by Tucker Judkins Contributor South Pasadena Unified School District (SPUSD) has begun preliminary discussions to implement a hybrid schedule model that consists of both in-person and virtual learning for the 2020-2021 school year. School officials maintain that these are only proposals and no final decision has been made. […]
Griffins of Kinsale owner faces misdemeanor charge after defying a public health mandate back in March
Story by Lilian Zhu Staff Writer Photo by Dominic Marziali Contributor The owner of the local pub Griffins of Kinsale, Joseph Patrick Griffin, has been charged with a misdemeanor on Wednesday, June 17 after refusing to abide by coronavirus shutdown orders back in March. If convicted, Griffin will face a maximum of 90 days in […]
City schedules more reopenings, prepares for outdoor dining program
Story by Sofia Alva Staff Writer Photo by Katelyn Hernandez Staff Photographer The City Council prolonged the local state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic for 60 more days and approved workplace reopening protocols at its meeting on Wednesday, June 17. A local emergency was first proclaimed at a meeting in mid-March, however, it […]
L.A. County may need to take steps back in economic reopening
Story by Janice Park and Lenise Diaz Contributors Illustration by Alicia Zhang Staff Illustrator The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has placed Los Angeles County on a coronavirus watch list because of the potential for increased transmission rates as the county slowly transitions into phase three of economic re-opening. California recently surpassed 150,000 cases and has reported at […]
Library launches new, in-person checkout service
Story by Kahlen Miao Staff Writer Photo by Noah Kuhn News Editor The South Pasadena Public Library launched its no-contact material checkout service, Library Takeout, on Monday, June 15 to allow the community to pre order items online for pick-up. The Library Takeout program will be open seven days a week and follow proper social distancing and […]
City budget falls under intense scrutiny
Story by Sofia Alva Staff Writer Photo by Katelyn Hernandez Staff Photographer The City Council discussed and reviewed the draft budget for fiscal year 2020-2021 at its meeting on Wednesday, June 10. Multiple parties criticized the City for its lack of accountability in creating a sustainable budget, in addition to calling for SPPD to be […]
Community assembles in front of City Hall, pressures City Council to reform SPPD
Story by Lilian Zhu Staff Writer Photos by Oscar Walsh & Preston Sharkey Staff Photographer & Contributor South Pasadena Youth For Police Reform (SPY4PR) organized a City Hall protest calling for the City Council to significantly reform the SPPD, at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10. Over a hundred residents congregated outside the chambers where local leaders engaged […]
School Board eliminates use of drug dogs in SPUSD
Story by Haelee Kim Staff Writer Photo by Oscar Walsh Staff Photographer The South Pasadena School Board officially ended the use of narcotic dogs in the South Pasadena Unified School District (SPUSD) during a virtual meeting on Tuesday, June 9. The board members reacted to a local campaign organized by the South Pasadena Youth for Police […]
South Pasadena embraces the Black Lives Matter movement with local action
Story by Zoe Schlaak and Haelee Kim Staff Writers Reporting by Noah Kuhn News Editor Photo by Oscar Walsh Staff Photographer The officer-involved deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor several weeks ago reinvigorated the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and escalated the cry against police brutality in communities of color across the country. South Pasadena resident London […]
Residents urged to make public comment in City Council’s upcoming labor negotiation with local police
Story by Zoe Schlaak Staff Writer Illustration courtesy of the South Pasadena Youth for Police Reform Contributor The newly formed South Pasadena Youth for Police Reform group is calling on residents to submit public comment to the City Council for its closed session labor negotiations with the South Pasadena Police Officers’ Association on Wednesday, June 10. London Lang, local […]