Kings suffer third straight loss, fall to Blues

• March 2, 2025

ST. LOUIS — Colton Parayko and Pavel Buchnevich each scored, and Jordan Binnington made 25 saves to help the St. Louis Blues beat the Kings 4-1 on Saturday night.

Dylan Holloway and Zack Bolduc also scored for St. Louis, which has won four in a row for the first time this season.

Kevin Fiala scored, and David Rittich made 30 saves for Los Angeles, which has lost three straight.

Bolduc scored his ninth goal of the season on a breakaway 9:27 into the second period to expand St. Louis’ lead to 3-1.

Buchnevich scored his 13th goal of the season on a feed from Robert Thomas to put St. Louis ahead 2-1 with 1:53 remaining in the first period. Thomas has an assist in nine straight games.

Parayko scored his career-best 15th goal of the season on a feed from Jordan Kyrou 9:37 into the first period to tie the game at 1-all.

Fiala scored his 24th goal of the season on a power play 3:43 into the first period to put the Kings ahead 1-0.

Despite scoring first, Los Angeles showed signs of fatigue after playing Friday night in Dallas.

St. Louis controlled the flow of the game for the majority of the contest as the team finally appears to be hitting its stride under coach Jim Montgomery. The Blues are 4-0-1 since play resumed after the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Buchnevich almost scored a second goal as time expired in the second period, but the puck crossed the goal line about a tenth of a second after time expired.

Montgomery won his 200th career regular-season game in his 336th career game as a head coach making him the sixth-fastest coach in NHL history to achieve that milestone.

The Kings play next at Chicago on Monday night.

​ Orange County Register 

Locked earns Santa Anita ‘redemption’ in Big ’Cap win

• March 2, 2025

ARCADIA – The last time Locked ran at Santa Anita, in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, he went off favored on the tote board but endured a troubled trip around the track and finished a well-beaten third.

In the colt’s return Saturday, for the Santa Anita Handicap, he was again favored, and this time there was no disappointment.

Locked and jockey Jose Ortiz took a wide path around both turns but overcame the loss of ground and then some, powering away to an 8½-length victory, the largest in 88 runnings of the $300,000, Grade I race.

“We felt like we didn’t get the fairest of shakes in the Breeders’ Cup when he was here at (age) 2, and thankfully, he got redemption today,” said Aron Wellman, head of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, who are among Locked’s owners.

Locked (who paid $3.40 to win) covered 1¼ miles in 2:01.71, the fastest clocking for the Santa Anita Handicap since Shaman Ghost’s 2:01.57 in 2017.

Trained in Florida by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Locked also became the first horse since Shaman Ghost to come in from out of state and win the Santa Anita Handicap.

Finishing second was Express Train, the tenacious 8-year-old trying to win Santa Anita’s most historic race for the second time after doing it in 2022. Locked’s fellow Florida shipper Hit Show finished third.

The order was completed by Midnight Mammoth, JB Strikes Back, Katonah, New King and pacesetter Mirahmadi, and Tarantino was scratched.

But it was 4-year-old Locked’s race all the way, even if that wasn’t obvious when he went into the first turn running sixth, four paths out from the rail after starting from post 7 in the field of eight.

Wellman spread the credit around after the Big ’Cap, which capped a day when his ownership group also won the $300,000, Grade II San Felipe Stakes with Journalism.

Wellman said Ortiz told him before the race: “I’m not going to worry too much about how much ground I lose, I just want to make sure (Locked is) engaged and in the clear.” It went as Ortiz planned.

Wellman said it was jockey John Velazquez who recommended fitting Locked with blinkers after riding him in his Grade II Cigar Mile victory and two other races. After Locked threw his head right before the start of the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park and finished a distant second to White Abarrio, Wellman said, it was time for the equipment change.

“It certainly looks like it did the trick,” Wellman said.

The win makes Locked 5 for 8 in his career, with earnings over $1.6 million, and three for four since returning from an 11-month layoff forced by a knee injury that kept him off the 2024 Triple Crown trail.

“You never take anything for granted (about a horse coming back),” Wellman said. “He had a really bizarre injury that not a lot of people had seen before. A lot of hands went into his return to the races.”

The moment was emotional for Wellman, a Southern California native and Rancho Santa Fe resident who played soccer at UC Santa Barbara.

“It’s a huge honor to be here with a horse like Locked,” he said in the winner’s circle on a cloudy day with temperatures in the 60s. “I grew up coming to Santa Anita every weekend with my parents. To win a race like the Big ’Cap, it’s what dreams are made of.”

Locked, who won the Grade I Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland before his Breeders’ Cup loss to Fierceness, ends a string of seven Big ’Cap winners who came into the race without a Grade I win.

He should move up in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association rankings after being No. 5 this week behind White Abarrio, Thorpedo Anna, Sierra Leone and Straight No Chaser.

If all goes well, he can get more redemption at the 2025 Breeders’ Cup, where Locked should be a contender for the $7 million Classic Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

​ Orange County Register 

When is the rain — and snow — starting in Southern California, and how wet will we get?

• March 2, 2025

Forecasters are predicting a week of sporadic rain in Southern California, with light showers falling as soon as late Saturday or early Sunday.

“Cool and cloudy weather will likely persist with scattered rain showers possible (Saturday), then rain showers and low elevation snow likely for Sunday and Monday,” the National Weather Service said. “Another, potentially stronger, storm is on tap for Wednesday into Thursday. Gusty westerly winds are expected Sunday and Monday, and again Thursday,” the NWS added.

Forecasters lowered the likelihood of rain falling Saturday night to about 20%.

An extended period of gusty west to northwest winds were expected across the Antelope Valley into Monday night and possibly Tuesday.

RELATED: Cooling trend and rain is on the way across Southern California

Tuesday was expected to be dry, with winds subsiding, but another storm system will move into the region Wednesday and Thursday night. Early estimates suggest a quarter to half-inch of rain across the coast and valleys with up to a half-inch to one inch of rainfall in the foothills and mountains, according to the NWS.

Cooler daytime temperatures are also on the way next week, with highs in the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys, as well as the Orange County area in the upper 50s and low 60s throughout the week. Overnight lows will mostly be in the 40s and lower 50s.

A warming and drying trend is expected for next weekend, with highs possibly climbing into the low 80s in the valleys by next weekend.

Palm Springs was expected to stay dry most of the week, with rain in the forecast on Thursday. Hemet was predicted to see rain Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday. Coachella was expected to stay largely dry throughout the week.

San Bernardino and Riverside county metropolitan areas should see rain Sunday and Wednesday, with a chance on Thursday.

A winter weather advisory was in effect from 10 a.m. Sunday to 4 p.m. Monday for the Inland Empire mountains, and a wind advisory was in effect until 10 a.m. Sunday for the Riverside County mountains. West winds will strengthen late Sunday afternoon and evening, gusting as high as 60 mph over the mountains, into the deserts, and below the passes through Monday evening, the NWS said.

Gusts of up to 40 mph prompted the South Coast Air Quality Management District to issue a windblown dust advisory in the Coachella Valley effective from 4 a.m. Saturday until noon Monday.

Snow levels were estimated at about 6,000 feet Saturday morning and were expected to fall to 4,000 to 4,500 feet by Monday morning.

Saturday’s highs were in the mid-60s in the Riverside and San Bernardino metropolitan areas, 62 in the Temecula Valley and 81 in the Coachella Valley and Palm Springs, according to the NWS.

Next week will bring cooler daytime temperatures to the San Bernardino and Riverside counties, with highs in metropolitan areas staying in the lower 60s and dropping to about 55 on Thursday.

​ Orange County Register 

Santa Anita horse racing consensus picks for Sunday, March 2, 2025

• March 2, 2025

The consensus box of Santa Anita horse racing picks comes from handicappers Bob Mieszerski, Eddie Wilson, Kevin Modesti and Mark Ratzky. Here are the picks for thoroughbred races on Sunday, March 2, 2025.

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​ Orange County Register 

Laundromat dispute turns violent in La Mirada, 1 man shot

• March 2, 2025

A dispute at the La Mirada Laundromat led to a man being shot on Friday, Feb. 28, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Late Friday morning, deputies responded to the Mirada West shopping center on Valley View Avenue, Sgt. Aldana said. They found a man suffering from gunshot wounds.

The victim had reportedly gotten into an argument with another man over the use of a dryer. The suspect allegedly left the plaza but returned some time later with a friend.

According to authorities, the victim then pulled a knife, prompting the two men to run to a blue Ford Explorer to retrieve a firearm. The shooter fired multiple times, striking the victim in the arm at least twice, Aldana said.

Further details about the victim’s injuries and condition were not immediately available.

News video from the scene showed that gunfire also shattered a window at a nearby business.

The suspect fled the scene, and no arrests have been made.

​ Orange County Register 

Starbucks workers in Newport Beach seek to join union

• March 2, 2025

Starbucks workers at one of the coffee chain’s Newport Beach locations are seeking to become the latest to unionize.

Baristas at the Via Lido location filed a petition for a union election Saturday with the National Labor Relations Board, according to Starbucks Workers United.

They’re seeking to join 11,000 baristas at more than 550 locations in 45 states and the District of Columbia who’ve won their rights to unionize.

“We as humans have an obligation to people and planet to strive for equity, sustainability, liberation and justice for all people. Our efforts to bring our store together into this movement is how we stand for our right to the fruits of our labor. A better world is possible, and we will fight for it,” shift supervisor Mia Visconti said, according to the union.

Thousands of Starbucks workers walked off the job during last year’s Christmas period in what amounted to a five-day strike, including locations in Southern California.

The company has said it offers an average wage of more than $18 an hour and provides what it calls best-in-class benefits, including health care, free college tuition, paid family leave and stock grants.

“At Starbucks, our success starts and ends with our partners (employees),” the company said earlier this year in a statement to City News Service. “We respect our partners’ right to choose, through a fair and democratic process, to be represented by a union or not to be represented by a union, and will continue to work together to make Starbucks the best job in retail.”

​ Orange County Register 

Rep. Cisneros slams ICE arrest of woman, son in El Monte

• March 2, 2025

LOS ANGELES — Rep. Gil Cisneros, D-Covina, on Satufday criticized the arrest of an El Monte woman and her son by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

Her family told NBC4 that Yolanda does not have a criminal record and that Johnathan’s unspecified crime occurred 12 years ago.

“These arrests are sickening, and I have grave concerns with how these arrests were reported to have been carried out by ICE,” Cisneros said in a statement. “The 31st District is home to many immigrant families who came to our country wanting to contribute to our communities and local economy. This El Monte family was simply trying to care for the youngest daughter and work to provide her with the healthcare treatments she needs. Stoking fear, targeting our community members, and ripping apart families is not an acceptable solution for our broken immigration system. We need humane comprehensive immigration reform that addresses bad actors, but still upholds our American values and helps bring immigrants who have been living in our country out of the shadows. My office will continue to monitor this situation.”

ICE officials released the following statement to NBC4:

“ICE is focused (on) public safety and national security threats first and foremost. However, any individual illegally present in the U.S. who is encountered during an immigration enforcement operation may be taken into custody and processed for removal as stated by law.”

Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has followed through on his promise to increase enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws, carrying out deportation operations in multiple states focused primarily on undocumented immigrants accused of crimes.

A series of recent federal law enforcement actions in the Los Angeles area have caught the attention of local officials and immigrant-rights activists.

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez spoke at the beginning of Friday morning’s council meeting to express concern about the activity.

“Colleagues, this morning we have been receiving reports from my district and from others about aggressive immigration raids and enforcement,” Hernandez said. “My team and I have been in contact with community members and rapid response organizers since early this morning. The stories we are hearing are heartbreaking and indefensible. When we fought to make Los Angeles a sanctuary city last year, it’s because this is what we feared. We feared for our neighbors, for our families for our children, families being ripped apart. We feared for people who would be targeted by weak-minded politicians who rely on ripping families apart.”

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said Friday that the department was not assisting in any federal actions directed at illegal immigration.

“I want to be absolutely clear: The LAPD does not participate in civil immigration enforcement,” McDonnell said. “This has been the department’s policy since 1979, and it remains unchanged today.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Defense announced Saturday that the Pentagon is deploying a Stryker Brigade Combat Team and a General Support Aviation Battalion to the southwestern border to boost security. The units, equipped with wheeled vehicle and air capabilities, are set be employed in the coming weeks.

Each SBCT is a mechanized infantry force of approximately 4,400 soldiers.

“These forces will arrive in the coming weeks, and their deployment underscores the department’s unwavering dedication to working alongside the Department of Homeland Security to secure our southern border and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of the United States under President Trump’s leadership,” Pentagon Press Secretary Sean Parnell said.

​ Orange County Register 

Newsom proclaims state of emergency ahead of wildfire season

• March 2, 2025

LOS ANGELES — Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency Saturday “to fast-track critical projects protecting communities from wildfire, ahead of peak fire season.”

The proclamation will cut bureaucratic red tape, including suspending the California Environmental Quality Act and the Coastal Act, that Newsom said was slowing down critical forest management projects.

“This year has already seen some of the most destructive wildfires in California history, and we’re only in March. Building on unprecedented work cutting red tape and making historic investments — we’re taking action with a state of emergency to fast-track critical wildfire projects even more,” Newsom said. “These are the forest management projects we need to protect our communities most vulnerable to wildfire, and we*re going to get them done.”

Saturday’s proclamation includes the following provisions:

— Suspends environmental regulations, including CEQA and the Coastal Act, as needed to expedite fuels reduction projects. Projects include vegetation and tree removal, adding fuel breaks, prescribed fire, and more.

— Allows non-state entities to conduct approved fuels reduction work with expedited and streamlined approval.

— Directs state agencies to submit recommendations for increasing the pace and scale of prescribed fire.

— Increases the California Vegetation Treatment Program’s efficiency and utilization, in order to continue promoting rapid environmental review for large wildfire risk reduction treatments.

Newsom is also asking Congress to approve nearly $40 billion in aid to help Los Angeles recover from January’s wildfires, which many officials have described as the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

At least 16,250 structures were destroyed in the Palisades and Eaton fires, which broke out Jan. 7 amid winds that topped 100 mph.

​ Orange County Register