Preliminary damage costs for LA fires at $385 million, expected to rise

• January 23, 2025

Damages and emergency response costs related to the early days of the multiple wildfires that burned in Los Angeles are anticipated to reach $385 million with that figure expected to grow, according to a preliminary report issued Wednesday.

During a discussion with City Council members, City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo said numerous facilities and public infrastructure were damaged as a result of the fires. He anticipated that the city will be eligible for at least partial reimbursement by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The estimate covered damages incurred from the start of the fires on Jan. 7 to Jan. 10. Of that $385 million, $350 million is associated with damages to infrastructure and city properties.

Separately, Szabo estimated more costs are expected from the period of Jan. 7-17, which could reach at least $24 million just for staffing and overtime.

Some of the major costs include at least $75 million in damages at the Department and Water and Power related to distribution stations, equipment and wiring.

Additionally, damages to DWP-owned streets and outdoor lighting are costing nearly $20 million.

The LA Public Library has reported at least $55 million in damages, partly due to the loss of the Pacific Palisades Library and its books.

Significant smoke, ash and dust impacted HVAC filters at 73 city libraries,according to Szabo.

LA Sanitation reported nearly $50 million in damages with full Replacement of stormwater structures and pumping plants accounting for the majority of that cost.

Street lightning reported about $16 million in damages, and thebDepartment of Recreation and Parks estimates another $150 million.

The city is expected to front 100% of the costs for damages and its emergency response. But under FEMA’s reimbursement model, officials anticipate recovering 75% of that money.

Typically, the remaining 25% would be reimbursed by the state, Szabo added.

Former President Joe Biden previously announced that the federal government would cover certain costs for 180 days, which Szabo noted covers two categories — staffing and debris removal.

The city is expected to refine its damage assessments, apply for disaster relief and meet with FEMA officials in late February.

City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez highlighted the city’s financial challenges Wednesday and questioned how the costs would impact the reserve fund.

In response, Szabo noted his office is working to identify funds tobprotect the reserve fund, which is already below the city’s 5% policy.

Particularly, the city is looking through special funds that could be used to front costs while money from FEMA comes in.

That process could drag out for a year or sometimes several years, Szabo added.

“We do the best that we can to have our applications ready to go, ready for reimbursement,” Szabo said.

With Los Angeles facing a budget deficit as a result of overspending, liability payouts and labor contracts, Councilman John Lee emphasized that thecity can “no longer be business as usual. We need to make sure that, startingwith this budget, we really focus on the core services — what the city of LosAngeles expects from their tax dollars,” Lee said.

Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents the 11th District, which encompasses the Pacific Palisades, urged the CAO to develop plans for adequate staffing and resources needed for burn areas.

“As we are beginning the repopulation efforts, there is a ton of opportunity to get more workers on the ground,” Park said. “ … We need to look at every potential resource of getting bodies on the ground to get this toxic waste mess off the ground.”

In the city’s jurisdiction, the Palisades Fire burned 23,448 acres, and was among multiple fires that erupted in Los Angeles in the week of Jan. 7.

​ Orange County Register 

LAFC wants to hit ground running ahead of another busy schedule

• January 23, 2025

LOS ANGELES — Two weeks into training camp, less than a month before a CONCACAF Champions Cup match opens its season in Colorado, the pieces required for the Los Angeles Football Club to move forward in the continental tournament and beyond are taking shape.

Following this week’s additions of physical Brazilian Igor Jesus and two-time MLS Cup champion Mark Delgado, LAFC aims to bring in another four players between now and the start of competitive play on Feb. 18.

“I think what you’ll see in the next few days, once the group becomes more complete, is you will see two deep in every position to enable us to rotate and compete on all the fronts we want to attack this year,” LAFC co-president and general manager John Thorrington said on Wednesday at the club’s performance center.

LAFC is unlikely to add a third Designated Player alongside Denis Bouanga and Olivier Giroud in the winter. Long reported to be another Frenchman, Antoine Griezmann, Thorrington offered a “maybe” when asked about the Atletico Madrid star.

“If the right DP is not available now we will likely build our roster in such a way that is flexible and able to add a DP in the summer,” he said. “If that’s the right decision for the club.”

In the meantime, Yaw Yeboah, a wingback who scored against LAFC in the 2023 MLS Cup final at Columbus, and highly regarded center back Nkosi Tafari (FC Dallas) could arrive soon.

“We feel with the announcements to come we’re adding some real key additions that know the league, that know what it takes to win in this league, and we’re also adding some young exciting talent that we’ve also seen examples of that type of player really flourishing here at LAFC,” Thorrington said.

Coming off a campaign that fell short of a third straight trip to the MLS Cup final meant operating absent the budget crunch that coincides with winning in Major League Soccer. So the offseason afforded LAFC a chance to improve.

“The scalpel wasn’t quite as sharp as it had to be in years past,” Thorringon noted.

Contrary to last year, when the summer window brought Giroud and was used to strengthen the roster, hitting the ground running in 2025 is a clear priority, as is developing a younger, more robust group capable of giving head coach Steve Cherundolo quality options for lineups in the face of a potential third 50-match season in a row.

To reach the half-century mark again, LAFC will need to go on runs in the MLS Cup playoffs, Leagues Cup and Champions Cup on top of its 34-game league schedule. Unconfirmed as of yet is LAFC’s participation as defending champions in the U.S. Open Cup.

The group, built with lessons learned about managing a heavy schedule, has been arranged to cope with the anticipated physical demand.

“This will be up there with maybe the deepest group we’ve had to start a season,” Thorrington said.

As of now that includes Cristian Olivera, however the 23-year-old Uruguayan forward has not reported to camp.

“It’s not excused,” said Thorrington, noting there is no news involving Olivera’s possible departure. “We are working with him and I expect him to be back very soon.”

The other contracted player absent from training has been Mateusz Bogusz, whose breakout 2024 made him a target for inquiries about outbound transfers. Liga MX’s Cruz Azul is reportedly linked to Bogusz for a fee above $9 million, but the deal is not done.

“If indeed a transfer comes it’s only because Mati agrees it’s the right thing for him,” Thorrington said. “And for us it’s never something we want to do where one of the top players in our league moves on, but we understand it’s a part of the business.”

Losing Bogusz, who scored 20 goals to go with a dozen assists in all competitions, puts the onus on other attackers not named Bouanga to make up for the Polish player’s amped production.

As it did with Diego Rossi, Brian Rodriguez and even Carlos Vela, Thorrington expects the next man up to deliver, be it 18-year-old David Martínez, 38-year-old Olivier Giroud, free agent newcomer Jeremy Ebobisse or someone else.

(Discussions regarding Vela’s future with the club are ongoing. Thorrington stopped short of sharing details about any arrangements with the Mexican great, whose home in Malibu burned down during the Palisades fire this month.)

“I think this will be as competitive a group for starting positions as we’ve had in a while,” Thorrington said. “When we have teams that every single day there’s competition, we win.”

​ Orange County Register 

Jackie and Shadow, Big Bear’s famed eagles, welcome first egg of 2025

• January 23, 2025

Jackie and Shadow, Big Bear’s beloved nesting eagle pair, have welcomed their first egg of 2025.

For days, fans of the eagles have following a live feed from their nest overlooking Big Bear Lake, monitoring as Jackie, the female, and Shadow, the male, prepared their home for their new arrival.

Shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, Jackie settled in the nest and began making the tea-kettle like sound that is associated with egg-laying. At 5:06 p.m., the whistling ended, Jackie rose and a single egg was visible, according to the live stream of the nest available on the Friends of Big Bear Valley nest cam.

For the past several years, the nest trained on the tree overlooking Big Bear Lake has captured the goings-on of Jackie and Shadow. The pair have hundreds of thousands of followers and subscribers on social media who follow along as the eagles welcome their eggs each winter.

In 2024, Jackie laid her first three-egg clutch, though the eggs did not hatch. It’s been nearly three years since one of Jackie’s offspring has survived. Her most recent offspring, Spirit, hatched in March 2022.

Pip watch — looking for signs of the newest egg hatching — begins 35 days from now.

​ Orange County Register 

3 OC girls soccer standouts lose eligibility because of in-season trip organized by pro team

• January 23, 2025

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Peyton Trayer of Santa Margarita, Zamorah Malinoski of Los Alamitos and Kai Tsakiris of Corona del Mar will be ineligible for the remainder of the girls soccer season because of their participation in a training camp in Brazil organized by a professional team, the CIF Southern Section stated Wednesday.

The players, all of whom are juniors and committed to colleges, departed earlier this month with other players on the trip organized by the Kansas City Current of the National Women’s Soccer League.

The trip aimed to show the players competitive training, a professional environment and introduce the Current’s style of play, Kansas City Current general manager Caitlin Carducci said in a letter in support of the SoCal players.

For Trayer, Malinoski and Tsakiris, the trip during their high school season violates CIF bylaw 605 titled “professional tryout,” stated Thom Simmons, a section assistant commissioner and spokesperson.

The rule states, “A student shall become ineligible for CIF competition if he/she participates in any tryout for a professional team in any CIF-approved sport during the high school season of sport. The season of sport for a school is that period of time that elapses between the first interscholastic contest and the final contest in that particular sport.”

In the Southern Section rule book, the bylaw is accompanied with the following question:

“May a student participate in an invitation-only practice, ID camp, or clinic that is sponsored, co-sponsored, or involving a professional sports team/organization during their high school season of sport? Answer: No. A student may not participate in an invitation-only practice, ID camp, or clinic that is sponsored, co-sponsored, or involving aprofessional sports team/organization during the high school season of sport.”

A violation of the rule makes the players ineligible for the remainder of this high school season, Simmons stated. He added that the section is aware of the Brazil trip and has answered questions about eligibility to the parents of the players.

“(The trip) would be violations of Bylaw 605,” Simmons stated in an email. “They would not have eligibility to continue participating with their high school in the CIF for the 2024-2025 season.”

Carducci stated in her letter that the trip was not a “tryout with a professional team” but a “development opportunity” for the players.

“We do not want to cause any strife within the soccer landscape in California, but rather, we just want to provide youth women with the opportunity to be exposed to what the soccer environment at future levels is like,” Carducci wrote. “We are very willing to work with the CIF.”

Trayer’s father, Greg, expressed several concerns with the high school ramifications of the trip.

“The rule is outdated,” he said, “and it’s inconsistently enforced.”

“I know (Peyton) is very disappointed,” he added. “She feels bad for her coaches and teammates.”

Trayer, a goalie who is committed to reigning national champion North Carolina, helped Santa Margarita claim the CIF-SS Division 1 title in 2023 and two CIF SoCal Regional Division I championships. She was CIF-SS player of the year as a freshman.

The Eagles are ranked No. 1 in Orange County.

Malinoski, who is committed to Alabama, helped the Griffins reach the Division 1 final in 2023. She scored a hat trick in one of her matches before leaving for Brazil. Los Alamitos is ranked No. 6 in the county.

Tsakiris is committed to Florida.

Corona del Mar coach Bryan Middleton, whose team is 12-4, declined comment Wednesday night. Los Alamitos coach Pat Rossi didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

“I think it puts a huge asterisk next to the whole season when teams aren’t playing with their full rosters,” Santa Margarita coach Craig Bull said of the situation. “(Trayer) loves high school soccer. She wants to play.”

The Current’s ownership group includes Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife Brittany.

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County scores and player stats for Wednesday, Jan. 22

• January 23, 2025

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Scores and stats from Orange County games on Wednesday, Jan. 22

Click here for details about sending your team’s scores and stats to the Register.

The deadline for submitting information is 10:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 p.m. Saturday.

WEDNESDAY’S SCORES

BOYS SOCCER

TRINITY LEAGUE

JSerra 4, Servite 0

SUNSET LEAGUE

Edison 7, Marina 0

ORANGE LEAGUE

Orange 3, Rancho Alamitos 1

NORTH HILLS LEAGUE

Sonora 2, La Habra 0

FREEWAY LEAGUE

Brea Olinda 2, Troy 1

GIRLS SOCCER

ACADEMY LEAGUE

Calvary Chapel/Downey 4, Tarbut V’Torah 0

GIRLS WATER POLO

TRINITY LEAGUE

Orange Lutheran 22, Santa Margarita 3

Goals: Urkov (OLu) 6, Cohen (OLu) 4

Saves: Pranajaya (OLu) 5

SOUTH COAST LEAGUE

San Clemente 18, El Toro 7

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Laguna Beach 16, Northwood 1

​ Orange County Register 

Dodgers aced Roki Sasaki’s homework assignment to land another offseason prize

• January 23, 2025

LOS ANGELES — Three-time MVP, two-way player, one-of-a-kind revenue producer – and news breaker.

Thirteen months after he broke the news of his own signing with the Dodgers on Instagram, it was Shohei Ohtani who broke the news to the Dodgers that Roki Sasaki would be joining him in Los Angeles.

“We got him,” Ohtani texted to Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman on Friday.

“(Ohtani) beat the agent to the punch,” Friedman said of getting the news of the Dodgers’ latest star acquisition.

“It was just pure excitement.”

Along with landing the 23-year-old Sasaki, the Dodgers have spent their winter as reigning World Series champions adding two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, outfielder Michael Conforto, Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim and veteran relievers Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, re-signing outfielder Teoscar Hernandez and reliever Blake Treinen and signing utility man Tommy Edman to a contract extension.

The Dodgers, who will try to become the first repeat World Series champion since the New York Yankees won three in a row from 1998 to 2000, have seemingly gotten everything they wanted this offseason.

“Yeah, it’s been pretty close,” General Manager Brandon Gomes said after pondering the idea for a moment then breaking into a wide smile.

“We’ve added a lot of impact talent.”

Sasaki might very well be the most talented of the group with the potential to be an annual Cy Young contender. Sasaki’s 100-mph fastball and devastating splitter have prompted comparisons to another two-time Cy Young Award winner, Jacob deGrom, as well as the National League’s reigning Rookie of the Year, Paul Skenes.

“To have done what he was able to do in Japan at this age and there’s room to get better – it’s really exciting and impressive,” Gomes said.

Sasaki didn’t seem very impressed by what he’s accomplished so far. At his introductory press conference on Wednesday, he said he was “deeply honored so many teams reached out to me, especially considering I haven’t achieved much in Japan.”

What he hopes to achieve with the Dodgers now is – everything. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts mentioned Sasaki’s goal to be the first Japanese pitcher to win a Cy Young Award. Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe (who also represents Padres pitcher Yu Darvish and the Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto), has said Sasaki told him at the start of the process this winter that his goal is to be the best pitcher in baseball.

Toward that end, Sasaki gave every team that he met with a “homework assignment.” His fastball velocity had dropped during the 2024 season in Japan. He wanted the teams courting him to explain why and what they would do about it.

“I thought it was a terrific idea,” Wolfe said.

“The specifics of the homework assignment gave the teams No. 1 a very clear idea of what he wanted to hear because prior to that teams were trying to figure out ‘What should we talk about? What does he want to hear?’ … One thing we all know is Roki is not a finished product by any stretch. He’s not in the position that Yamamoto was when he came over. He has a lot of growth and learning to do, and he was asking what can you do to help me and what do you think has gone wrong while I was in Japan and how would you go about working with me and developing me? That was a big part of his decision-making process with all the teams.”

Sasaki said he wanted to use the assignment to “understand the differences among the many teams” in the limited time he had to make his choice (Sasaki was made available to MLB teams for a 45-day window by the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s Pacific League under the posting agreement between Nippon Professional Baseball and MLB).

“I just felt like this homework assignment would be a really good opportunity for me to see how the teams think,” Sasaki said through Will Ireton, acting as interpreter.

The Dodgers welcomed the assignment as a chance to show off the sophistication of their multi-pronged approach to developing pitchers. And they felt they aced the test.

“For us, we felt like the homework assignment was right in our wheelhouse,” Friedman said. “Our ability to showcase our performance-science group, our training staff, our performance staff, our pitching coaches, how connected those groups are, we felt like really highlighted a strength of ours. Going through this process, we felt like the most important thing was gonna be to put our best foot forward. And we felt like we did that.”

Sasaki’s decision to sign with the Dodgers (on a minor-league contract with a $6.5 million signing bonus) gave them high marks – but the final grade is still to come, Gomes said.

“Last year was an A-plus because we won the World Series,” he said when asked to grade the Dodgers’ offseason this winter. “So we can grade it after.”

​ Orange County Register 

Realtor says ‘there’s been a mistake’ after state charges him with price-gouging in wake of Eaton fire

• January 23, 2025

State prosecutors have filed charges against a real estate agent for allegedly trying to price-gouge a couple who were looking to rent a property in La Cañada Flintridge after they lost their home in the devastating Eaton fire, officials said Wednesday.

But the real estate agent vehemently denied the accusations, saying state officials had made a mistake.

In the criminal complaint, Mike Kobeissi, who owns Kobeissi Properties, is accused of increasing the price listing for a rental property in La Cañada Flintridge by 38% after the couple’s rental application had been completed, in violation of state law. The couple ultimately decided against renting the home due to the significant increase, officials said.

The state’s investigation began with a complaint filed in the wake of a Jan. 7 emergency order from Gov. Gavin Newsom, which protects fire victims from price gouging and limits price increases of things like rent, and other essential goods, to no more than 10% following a natural disaster, state Attorney General Rob Bonta said.

“May this announcement serve as a stern warning to those who would seek to further victimize those who have lost everything,” Bonta said in a prepared statement announcing the charges. “DOJ is aggressively and relentlessly pursuing those who are trying to make a quick buck off of someone else’s pain.”

Bu Kobeissi asserted in an interview Wednesday afternoon that Bonta’s accusations were misguided.

“There’s been a mistake,” Kobeissi claimed. He said the house was originally listed below the market price at $8,700 before it was increased to $12,000 after he learned the area had switched school districts, which affected the price. While the rent was increased a few days after the LA wildfires, the realtor said the fires “had nothing to do with it” and that the listing was “very fair” for the area.

According to Zillow Rentals, the median rent for a house in La Cañada Flintridge is $13,000.

Kobeissi said the home was ultimately rented to a family affected by the wildfires, which agreed to pay the listed price. After learning about their situation, the property owner lowered the price to $9,570 and gave them a free month of rent and a $5,000 move-in allowance, according to the owner’s attorney, Ryan Stearns.

The state DOJ has also sent at least 500 warning letters to hotels and landlords who have been accused of price gouging. In addition, the office has more active criminal investigations into price gouging underway, Bonta said.

“As I have said repeatedly, the price gouging must stop,” the AG said in a statement.

Kobeissi was charged in Superior Court with misdemeanor price gouging on Tuesday after having allegedly “unlawfully raised the rental price advertised, offered, and charged” for housing in La Cañada Flintridge to the prospective tenants by more than 10% on Jan. 11, days after Newsom’s emergency declaration.

Violators of the price gouging statute are subject to criminal prosecution that can result in one-year imprisonment in county jail and/or a fine of up to $10,000. Violators are also subject to civil enforcement actions including civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation, injunctive relief, and mandatory restitution, according to the DOJ.

The attorney general urged the public to report similar incidents to local authorities or his office by calling (800) 952-5225 or submitting a complaint online.

​ Orange County Register 

El Toro boys soccer trying to recapture Sea View League championship

• January 23, 2025

El Toro is closing in on another league championship in boys soccer.

The Chargers took a 4-0 record in the Sea View League into Wednesday’s league game at Trabuco Hills (2-2 in league). El Toro is in first place, 1½ games ahead of second-place Beckman (2-1-1). El Toro is home against Beckman on Friday.

El Toro won the Sea View League championship two seasons ago. The Chargers finished second to Trabuco Hills last season.

They have played well against some of Orange County’s better teams. El Toro tied San Clemente, the No. 10 team in the Orange County rankings, and defeated Santa Margarita and Edison. The Chargers’ last two losses were to Mira Costa and Mater Dei, which are Nos. 2 and 3 in this week’s CIF Southern Section rankings.

El Toro plays an aggressive, attacking style.

“We like to encourage our boys to be creative in the final third (portion of the field),” said Chargers coach Kyle Pizano. “That’s a big reason why we’ve scored 14 goals and given up only two goals in league.”

Gianluca D’Amato, a junior forward, leads El Toro in goals with eight. Senior forward Johnny Cruz has scored seven goals. Pizano said among the many other standout contributors are junior center midfielder AJ Davis and freshman forward Quinn Wood.

El Toro started league play with a 3-0 win over Trabuco Hills on Jan. 8.

“Trabuco’s been our rival the past couple of years,” Pizano said. “That was a big statement game for us.”

NOTES

Among Orange County’s better boys soccer leagues is the Empire League. Going into Wednesday, Santa Ana, which beat Godinez 1-0 last week, was in first place with a 3-1 league record and Valencia and Godinez were tied for second place at 1-1-1. Godinez plays at Valencia on Friday at 6:15 p.m. …

JSerra is No. 1 and Mater Dei is No. 3 in the CIF-SS rankings compiled by the Massey Ratings System. Those ratings will be used at the end of the regular season to place teams into CIF-SS playoff divisions. The regular season ends Feb. 5. …

After JSerra and Mater Dei, the next three Orange County teams in the CIF-SS rankings are Valencia at No. 12, Servite at No. 17 and Santa Margarita at No. 23. …

Gavin Allegaert has scored 10 goals in eight games for JSerra, the No. 1 team in the Orange County rankings. Jake Tatch has nine goals for the Lions. JSerra has outscored its eight opponents 30-4. …

Servite plays at Mater Dei on Friday at 5 p.m. JSerra is at Mater Dei on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 5 p.m.

​ Orange County Register