Update: Winter weather advisory for Yosemite for Sunday and Monday – up to 12 inches of snow

• March 16, 2025

Yosemite was placed under an updated winter weather advisory by the National Weather Service on Saturday at 7:34 p.m. The advisory is valid from Sunday 11 p.m. until Monday, Mar. 17 at 11 p.m.

The NWS Hanford CA said, “Snow expected at elevations mainly above 6,000 feet Sunday night lowering to around 5,000 feet by Monday afternoon. Total snow accumulations of 8 to 12 inches with locally heavier amounts possible. Winds gusting as high as 55 mph.”

“Travel could be very difficult to impossible. The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning and evening commutes. Strong winds could cause tree damage,” according to the NWS. “Slow down and use caution while traveling. The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1.”

The full list of affected locations includes:

• Yosemite
• Upper San Joaquin River
• Kaiser to Rodgers Ridge
• Kings Canyon NP
• Grant Grove area
• Sequoia NP

Winter driving guide: Tips from the NWS for safe and sound travels

Winter weather can make driving treacherous, leading to over 6,000 weather-related vehicle fatalities and over 480,000 injuries each year. When traveling during snow or freezing rain, prioritize safety by slowing down. In near-freezing temperatures, it’s safest to assume that icy conditions exist on roadways and adjust your driving accordingly. Be cautious of ice accumulating on power lines or tree branches, which can lead to snapping and falling hazards. If possible, avoid driving in such conditions. If you must venture out, opt for routes with fewer trees and power lines. Never touch a downed power line, and immediately dial 911 if you come across one. Here are additional winter driving tips from the NWS:

Share your travel plans:

When traveling out of town in hazardous winter weather, inform your family or friends of your destination, planned route, and estimated time of arrival.

Prepare your vehicle:

Ensure your gas tank is full and equip your vehicle with essential winter supplies, including a windshield scraper, jumper cables, a small shovel, flashlight, cell phone, blanket, extra warm clothing, drinking water, and high-calorie non-perishable food.

Stay calm when stranded:

If you become stranded, remain composed. Inform someone about your situation and location. Avoid attempting to walk to safety. Indicate that you need assistance by attaching a cloth to your car’s antenna or mirror, and make your vehicle more visible by using the dome light and flashers

Be aware of snow plows:

Keep an eye out for snow plows and allow them ample room to pass. Only overtake a plow when you have a clear view of the road ahead.

Check road conditions:

Before embarking on your journey, check the latest road conditions to make informed travel decisions.

These winter driving tips from the NWS are your key to a safer journey on snow-covered roads. By following these guidelines, you can significantly reduce the risk of accidents and ensure your well-being during challenging winter weather.

​ Orange County Register 

1 of the newly hatched Big Bear eaglets has died, nonprofit says

• March 16, 2025

The Big Bear Valley eagle-watching community Saturday mourned the loss of one of the three newly hatched eaglets of Jackie and Shadow.

Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that runs two webcams that livestream the eagles’ nest, said Friday morning that during the first feeding, only two chicks were visible.

Then Saturday, the nonprofit announced on its website the missing chick had been spotted dead.

“We are sad to let everyone know that one of Jackie and Shadow’s chicks did not make it through the severe winter storm that brought over 2 feet of snow to the area. The chick’s passing happened some time after all three were observed together getting fed at 6 p.m. on (Thursday) 3/13,” the group announced. “We do not know what happened or why it passed. The shorter snow berm now makes that chick partially visible in the nest bowl, on the right side.”

It wasn’t known which of the three chicks, which hatched separately beginning March 3, had died because they were close in size.

“Please allow yourself to grieve and feel whatever you feel. Please honor the chick for its courage in getting as far as it did and doing whatever it came to do,” Friends of Big Bear Valley said.

​ Orange County Register 

K9 working dogs and handlers show their skills onboard the Battleship Iowa in San Pedro

• March 16, 2025

First responder dogs from various military and law enforcement units showed off their in-bred talents on Saturday, March 15 — Los Angeles K9 Veterans Day — with a working dog demonstration onboard the Battleship Iowa in San Pedro.

Dogs from the Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles Police Department, L.A. County Fire, California Highway Patrol, L.A. County Sheriff, and various other law enforcement agencies along with military units representing the U.S. Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard took part.

The military’s K9 Corps was created on March 13, 1942, and National K9 Veterans Day has expanded to recognize the service and sacrifice of all first responder working dog teams.

This family-friendly event honored the heroic working dog teams from first responder agencies that perform security and life-saving missions every day throughout Los Angeles County. Missions supported by working dog teams include pursuing and apprehending dangerous suspects; detecting weapons, narcotics, explosives, and other illegal items; search and rescue; and protecting ports and military bases.

Attendees also learned what it takes to be a canine handler.

Special honor and recognition was paid to the search and rescue dog teams that deployed in support of the Palisades and Eaton fires.

​ Orange County Register 

Sailing’s global grand prix brings cheers and gasps amid wins and close calls on San Pedro coast

• March 16, 2025

The sun returned on Saturday, just in time for the first of two days of intense final competition among the world’s top Sail Grand Prix — SailGP — teams facing each other in the Port of Los Angeles Outer Harbor in San Pedro.

While there was no rain, the temperatures were unseasonably cool as 12 teams battled it out on the water with hydrofoil catamarans skipping through, on top of, and over the water at speeds of up to 60 mph. It was “lake-like” conditions on the LA harbor course off the southern coastline, said one announcer.

The weekend races in San Pedro were sold out after hitting full capacity — nearly 6,000 — of onsite spectators. But the races are also being streamed on YouTube. Nearly 8,000 tuned in to watch Saturday’s races remotely.

The Rolex Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix event this weekend is the fourth event in the sport’s 2025 season and featured the U.S. SailGP team defending its home waters. Competitors represented Australia, Great Britain, Germany, New Zealand, Denmark, Switzerland, Canada, France, Brazil, Italy, Spain, and the United States.

Throughout the day’s races, nimble crew members scrambled on deck, dashing back and forth, from side to side on the vessels to even out the onboard weight as the teams navigated extreme turns and course corrections, all prone to causing a potential capsizing incident.

There were close calls as vessels had to “thread the needle” between other competitors on tight turns that brought near misses with 25-knot winds. Kelp frequently slowed some boats when the seaweed got caught on vessel undersides. Denmark hit a floating marker in the Saturday’s first competition taking that boat out for the remaining races of the, but it is expected to return for competition on Sunday.

The key advice offered by various crew members on the competing vessels during various broadcast interviews:  “keeping fast and keeping clear,” “finding space,” “finding a clear wind with no boats ahead for a nice lane” — and avoiding seaweed or hitting anything, of course.

Saturday’s race winners in each of the four competitions:

• New Zealand, Spain and Canada came in as top placers in the first race.
• New Zealand, Canada, and Australia took the lead in the second round.
• Australia, Brazil, and France led the third round.
• France, New Zealand, and Australia led in the fourth race.

The U.S. team came in 7th in the first race, 8th in the second, and 5th in the third and fourth races.

Additional races take place on Sunday.

Overall point rankings at the end of Saturday’s events stood at: New Zealand (1st), Canada (2nd), and Australia (3rd) — with the U.S. in seventh place.

The Port of L.A. course is one of the tightest and smallest on the sport’s calendar this season and has also competed to host sailing events at the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympics (though it appears that the Long Beach coastline has nailed that hosting designation).

The tight quarters didn’t go unnoticed by competitors. “It’s tough going on such a tight race track,” one crew member commented on a quick broadcast interview.

The 12 teams registered — the first time all of them have gone up against each other this year for what is formally the sport’s fifth season — began gathering at the starting line shortly after 1 p.m. This was the fourth event of this season (there are 13 events overall to determine the top three winners of the season) and the next stop will be San Francisco.

In the nearby outdoor stands, fans cheered and watched the drama as it unfolded. A second day of finals takes place at the same L.A. Port Outer Harbor location from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, March 16.

Races 5 and 6 — the first races on Sunday — will include all competitors while the last race that day (7), will pit the top three against one another before the overall global competition moves on to Northern California.

The Port of L.A. event caught a break in the weather by as the heavy rains of the past few days had finally moved on. Temperatures topped out at around 60 degrees but were likely cooler on the water and at the coast.

The sport, formally founded in 2018, came to the Port of L.A. in July 2023 (toward the the sport’s end of that season) and now has returned for the earlier part of the 2025 season. There was some early competition among prospective hosts for the event this year as Long Beach challenged San Pedro for the 2025 Southern California honors.  Races are booked throughout the world during the several-month rollout of each season.

The aim of SailGP, founders have said, was to establish a commercially viable, fast-paced, global sailing race series that would grow and sustain a large audience.

Contributing to this report was correspondent Jo Murray 

​ Orange County Register 

Angels’ bats are quiet in loss to Brewers

• March 16, 2025

THE GAME: The Angels managed just five hits in a 4-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in a Cactus League game Saturday in Tempe, Arizona.

PITCHING REPORT: Right-hander Jack Kochanowicz was charged with three runs in 3⅓ innings. He gave up six hits, all singles on ground balls, and he walked three. “Obviously not my best stuff today,” Kochanowicz said. “Definitely want to limit the walks every time. I can’t really get too mad about ground balls when they sneak through, because that’s just the name of the game for me. So just really got to limit the walks.” Kochanowicz has allowed four earned runs in 12⅓ innings this spring. He is in the race for the No. 5 starter spot with Reid Detmers and Chase Silseth. … Left-hander Garrett McDaniels worked around two walks in a scoreless inning. McDaniels, a Rule 5 pick, has allowed one earned run in seven innings this spring. … Left-hander Brock Burke gave up his first run of the spring. He has pitched 6⅔ innings, with nine strikeouts and one walk. … Right-hander Michael Peterson pitched a scoreless inning, with two strikeouts. Peterson, a non-roster invitee who is in the running for a bullpen spot, has allowed two earned runs in 5⅔ innings this spring, with seven strikeouts. … Right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn worked a perfect inning. He has not allowed a run in 5 ⅔ innings this spring.

HITTING REPORT: Tim Anderson hit a line drive to left-center and legged out a double. He also hit a line drive into the gap, but it was caught by center fielder Garrett Mitchell as he slid. Anderson started the spring 2 for 17 (.118) but he’s gone 7 for 20 (.350) since. … Mike Trout drew a walk – after falling behind 0-and-2 – and he reached on an infield hit. Trout is 6 for 21 (.286) with an OPS of 1.102 this spring. He’s hit two homers and drawn seven walks.

DEFENSE REPORT: Second baseman Kyren Paris had trouble getting rid of the ball quickly enough to turn a potential double play. … Center fielder Jo Adell made a catch as he crashed into the fence. Adell, who is adjusting to center after playing right last season, has improved at the position throughout the spring. … Center fielder Matthew Lugo fully extended to make a nice running catch of a ball in the gap in left-center.

UP NEXT: Angels (RHP Kyle Hendricks) vs. San Diego Padres (RHP Dylan Cease), Sunday, 1:10 p.m. PT, at Tempe Diablo Stadium, FanDuel Sports Network West, 830 AM

​ Orange County Register 

Cinecon hosts ‘Pop-Up’ classic film festival at El Segundo’s Old Town Music Hall on April 6

• March 16, 2025

The Cinecon Classic Film Festival hosted its 59th annual celebration at the Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo in 2023.

Because of the success of the event, Cinecon will host its first “Pop-Up” day at the OTMH on Sunday, April 6, which will include a full day of rare television shows and film.

All proceeds will benefit the non-profit organizations.

“After the wonderful experience of having Cinecon at Old Town in 2023, I knew that I didn’t want the relationship between us to drift into memory,”said Stan Taffel, a professional motion picture archivist and president of Cinecon. “Bringing this special day of rare programming to El Segundo once again links our festival with one of the greatest venues for classic cinema. It was meant to be.”

The “Pop-Up” opens at 9:30 a.m. with a selection of shorts, followed by a restored screening of 1944’s “Song of the Open Road,” starring Jane Powell, Edgar Bergen, and W.C. Fields.

The previously unavailable 1973 featurette “Zukor: A Man of our Century,” will then be screened at 11:30 a.m. The 25-minute film explores the life of the legendary Paramount Pictures co-founder Adolf Zukor as he celebrated his 100th birthday that year.

After a lunch break, Stirling Yearian will accompany the French silent film from 1929, “The Seamstress,” on the Mighty Wurlitzer organ, which marks its 100th birthday in 2025, beginning at 2:20 p.m.

Richardo Montalban and Bert Lahr star in “The Fantasticks,” a television show from 1964, will be screened beginning at 4 p.m. This will be followed by the Anna May Wong-starring 1929 silent film “Pavement Butterfly,” at 5:10 p.m., and a new Paramount restoration of “The Mountain,” from 1956, starring Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner and Claire Trevor, at 7 p.m.

The OTMH was built in 1921, and decades later became home to the 1925 Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ, with its 2,600 pipes.

Bill Coffman and Bill Field refurbished the organ, which they purchased from the Fox West Theater in Long Beach, and reopened the music hall as a movie theater in 1968.

When Bill Field died at 80 years old in 2020, volunteers took over operating OTMH including James Moll, Danny Tokusato and Angie Hougen, to keep the theater open almost every weekend throughout the year.

“We are pleased to be the venue for Cinecon’s latest collection of film rarities spanning from the 1920s to the 1960s,” Hougen said. “It promises to be a memorable day and we hope that our South Bay neighbors take advantage of this unique opportunity.”

Last year, an effort was launched to raise $100,000 for new seats, which are around 50-years-old.

James Moll, an award-winning filmmaker and longtime music hall volunteer and boardmember, said the new seats will be installed “late summer.”

“Thanks to matching gifts from generous donors, we did reach our $100,000 goal,” Moll said.

The OTMH will also celebrate the 100th birthday of the Mighty Wurlitzer throughout year, Moll said, by “showing many more silent films than we usually do.”

“Our July through December schedule in particular will feature 100-year-old films, like the war epic ‘The Big Parade,’ and ‘The Phantom of the Opera,” Moll said.

The theater is located at 140 Richmond St.

For more information, visit OldTownMusicHall.org, or for tickets visit cinecon.org.

​ Orange County Register 

LAFC shut out by Austin FC for 3rd straight loss

• March 16, 2025

LOS ANGELES — The scoreline couldn’t have surprised anyone.

For the fourth straight match to begin the Major League Soccer season, Ilie Sanchez and his new Austin FC teammates played to a 1-0 finish, doing just enough to wind up on the good side of that outcome Saturday afternoon at BMO Stadium.

For Sanchez, who joined Austin as a free agent after captaining the Los Angeles Football Club in 2024 and helping the club win its lone MLS Cup in 2022, the contest marked a homecoming to a place he admirably represented the past three years.

Before, during and after the contest, Sanchez, 34, interacted with people throughout the announced crowd of 22,111 at BMO Stadium.

With a quarter hour remaining, Sanchez played peacemaker and asked the 3252 supporters in the north end to keep calm after LAFC midfielder Timothy Tillman mixed it up with Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver in the box. The Spaniard played 85 minutes, a season high, before taking in the final moments with his teammates on the sidelines.

“Ilie’s a great guy,” Long said. “We all love and respect him here, so wishing him nothing but the best.”

Ending a difficult mix of eight MLS and CONCACAF Champions Cup matches in 26 days with its first defeat of the year at home, LAFC struggled to create quality chances or work through Austin’s packed midfield and low block, which Sanchez anchored deep in the midfield.

“We prefer to play lots of games in multiple competitions,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said. “It is a challenge we took on and it’s physically very demanding for our players, and mentally as well. So it’s there, but again, we like that. We love that. It’s not an excuse, but I think it’s very clear to see.”

Austin took the lead 12 minutes in when the visitors scored the first goal of the year against LAFC at BMO Stadium.

Opening 2025 with four clean sheets here, the Black & Gold fell victim to an Owen Wolff corner kick that found Guilherme Biro’s head one step in front of the penalty spot. Covered by midfielder Mark Delgado, the Brazilian fullback barely had to move as he redirected the perfect cross underneath the right hand of a diving Hugo Lloris, whose clean sheet streak concluded at 372 minutes.

While Austin (2-2-0, 6 points) made the most of its lone shot on goal in the first 45 minutes, LAFC’s attempt to break down the stingy Austin defense in front of Stuver fell short.

At full time, Stuver made three saves to Lloris’s two.

Each side put three shots on goal, and LAFC dominated possession by a 2-to-1 margin as Austin was happy to deny Cherundolo’s group transition opportunities while bogging things down.

After scoring three times in eight days, Denis Bouanga was denied a score despite a game-high six shots, including each on-target attempt for LAFC.

LAFC’s best opportunity in the first half came in the 26th minute when Turkish Designated Player Cengiz Ünder, who earned his debut start on the right wing and became the first Turkish-born player in Major League Soccer, hit a left-footed curler that turned just wide of the far post.

Ünder managed one more near-chance before exiting in the 63rd minute for David Martínez, who was one of three players Steve Cherundolo brought on at that moment as LAFC searched for a spark that never materialized.

“We had a ton of the ball but just didn’t find a way to get that first goal,” LAFC captain Aaron Long said. “I think a first goal would have changed a lot for us, but having that 1-nil lead really allowed them to sit in that low block, bunker in, and stop us in our transition game.”

For the first time this season, LAFC did not get on the board, as Austin snapped a six-game winless streak against their hosts since 2022.

If there’s good news for Long and his teammates coming off three straight losses — the defeat in Columbus on Tuesday still allowed them to advance in the CONCACAF Champions Cup — it is that for the first time this year they won’t have to prepare for a midweek match.

“We would have loved to end this big block on a win and come out with nine points,” Long said. “That was our goal going into this big block, so a little bit of a bitter taste in our mouth, but finally we can hit the league with a couple days off, and a lot of preparation not feeling like we’re running on E.”

Since starting at Colorado on Feb. 18, LAFC went 4-4, winning four of five at home.

The congested schedule, however, returns the first two weeks of April with the two-leg CONCACAF quarterfinal series against Inter Miami. Meanwhile, LAFC (2-2-0, 6 points) visits Sporting Kansas City next weekend and heads to a first-ever contest at San Diego FC on March 29 during a stretch of four away dates over the club’s next five matches.

Said Cherundolo: “If you’re losing games because you’re a little fatigued and your chance creation is down in the moment but you know the solutions and know they’ll be there next week, it’s not too concerning.”

​ Orange County Register 

Jack Draper upsets Carlos Alcaraz, will face Holger Rune in Indian Wells final

• March 16, 2025

INDIAN WELLS — Jack Draper toppled two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, 6-1, 0-6, 6-4, on Saturday to reach the BNP Paribas Open final.

The 13th-seeded Draper will face 12th-seeded Holger Rune on Sunday (2 p.m. PT). Rune beat fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev, 7-6, 6-4, in the first semifinal for his 150th tour-level victory.

In the women’s final on Sunday, top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka will play 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva at 11 a.m. They won semifinal matches Friday night in chilly conditions.

Draper ended Alcaraz’s 16-match winning streak in the ATP Masters 1000 event in the desert. The 23-year-old English left-hander – set to break into the top 10 in the world for the first time Monday – won last year in Vienna and Stuttgart for his lone tour titles. He’s 2-3 against Alcaraz.

“It was a strange match in all honesty,” Draper said “Carlos came out a little flat, I sensed that. I had a chance in the first game of the second, and he came up with an ace. … What happened to him happened to me, I got tight, I had low energy.

“Against the top players in the world, they can change their momentum very quickly. I got lost out there for 25 minutes, but in the third, I was really proud of my competitiveness, my attitude and I somehow managed to get over the line.”

Alcaraz, seeded second, missed a chance to become the youngest player to win three consecutive singles titles at any ATP Tour event – and just the third to do it at Indian Wells. The 21-year-old Spanish star won in Rotterdam in February for his 17th ATP Tour title.

The 21-year-old Rune, from Denmark, snapped a seven-match losing streak in semifinals. He’s 2-2 against Medvedev.

“It means everything,” Rune said. “The job is not over yet, but it feels amazing. Playing Daniil is one of the toughest challenges for me on tour. I managed to beat him the first time (we played), but we know each other well. I obviously had the right tactics, but it was still so difficult because he puts in great effort and is super solid. So, I’m very proud of myself.”

Rune has four ATP Tour titles. His biggest victory came in Paris in 2022 in another ATP Masters 1000 tournament.

Medvedev won the last of his 20 ATP Tour titles in 2023. The 29-year-old Russian lost to Alcaraz last year in the Indian Wells final.

​ Orange County Register