Tens of thousands in Southern California could lose power next week with return of high winds

• January 18, 2025

Tens of thousands of customers across Southern California should prepare to lose power Monday or Tuesday as Southern California Edison plans to make preemptive cutoffs as “extreme” fire weather returns.

More than 10,000 Southern California Edison customers remained without power Saturday morning, Jan. 18 as the utility scrambled to fix equipment damaged by the recent high winds.

Although the utility has no ongoing public safety outages on Saturday, SCE is considering shutoffs early next week to communities across Southern California that — if enacted — could affect about 40,000 customers in San Bernardino County, 18,000 customers in Riverside County, 13,000 customers in Los Angeles County and 5,000 customers in Orange County.

“We have notified customers that may be under consideration for a public safety power shutoff for a period of time Monday or Tuesday depending on how the wind develops,” said SCE spokesperson Gabriela Ornelas.

Santa Ana winds and “extreme” fire conditions are forecast for those days and beyond in fire-torn Los Angeles County and across Southern California, meteorologists say.

“A strong and dry Santa Ana event with extreme fire weather conditions is increasingly likely,” the National Weather Service said in a statement on Saturday, Jan. 18. “This event may be considerably stronger for many areas than the event that we experienced this past Monday through Wednesday.”

SCE customers can search by address to check if a scheduled public safety outage could affect them: sce.com/outage-center/check-outage-status.

​ Orange County Register 

USC hires Rob Ryan as assistant coach for the defense

• January 18, 2025

LOS ANGELES — D’Anton Lynn was born into the NFL, his father Anthony Lynn the former head coach of the Chargers. But his introduction to coaching in the NFL, as D’Anton Lynn once said, was Rex Ryan. A slew of influences, since Lynn started in the NFL as an intern with Ryan’s Jets in 2014, have left their mark, like former Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and current Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald.

But it “all comes back to Rex,” Lynn said, upon the USC defensive coordinator’s second time speaking with the media in February.

And faced with a key vacancy on a new-look defensive staff, USC and Lynn have turned back to that Ryan coaching tree – just not Rex. On Saturday morning, USC announced it had hired longtime NFL coordinator and assistant Rob Ryan – Rex’s brother – as its newest linebackers coach, also earning the title of assistant head coach for defense.

“With over two decades of NFL experience, he will immediately bolster our staff as we continue our climb here at USC,” head coach Lincoln Riley said in a statement announcing Rob Ryan’s hire.

In December 2023, upon nabbing Lynn from UCLA, Riley said the program’s “north star” was to build the best defensive staff in America. Just over a year later, the amount of pro-level pedigree on USC’s staff can rival most anyone across the country. Lynn grew for nearly a decade in the NFL, and coached the safeties on a formidable Baltimore Ravens defense before coming to UCLA. Defensive line coach Eric Henderson won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams.

Enter the fiery Ryan, once a coordinator for four NFL teams and a defensive mind who’s coached Pro Bowlers like New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan and former Dallas Cowboys pass-rusher DeMarcus Ware.

It’s Ryan’s first collegiate job since a stint as Oklahoma State’s defensive coordinator from 1997-99. Since, he has coached the linebackers on multiple Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots teams, coordinated for the Raiders, Browns, Cowboys and Saints, and most recently served for three years as a senior defensive assistant for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Ryan brings immediate cohesion to Lynn’s staff and scheme. Ryan first crossed paths with Lynn under brother Rex’s staff with the Bills in 2016, when the future USC coordinator was a defensive assistant. They reunited for a year with the Ravens in 2021, Ryan the inside linebackers coach and Lynn the safeties coach.

Ryan’s hire was met with a fury of excitement from the program.

“Rob is in the building People, hahaha …,” Henderson tweeted Saturday.

“yuppp,” Eric Gentry wrote on Twitter, adding a couple winking emojis.

Ryan’s work with the returning Gentry will be perhaps his most important job, after the linebacker developed a close bond with former linebackers coach Matt Entz, who left after just a year for a head-coaching job at Fresno State. USC, too, will need Ryan to shine as a developer amid a room thin on proven experience, between rising sophomores Desman Stephens II, Elijah Newby and Jadyn Walker.

All in all, it’s been a bang-up couple weeks for USC’s program. First came the hire of Chad Savage on the offensive staff, a necessary Southern California recruiter. Then came Lynn’s extension Thursday, a necessary retention for the program’s defensive future. Now comes Ryan, a naturally loud complement to Lynn’s scheme and quieter demeanor, the final piece of a USC staff that looks plenty formidable entering a key 2025 season.

​ Orange County Register 

German shepherd mix Paisley loves other friendly dogs

• January 18, 2025

Breed: German shepherd mix

Age: 7 months

Sex: Spayed female

Paisley’s story: Paisley was set to be killed at a shelter because of a mild skin condition that has been cleared. She is sweet, patient and demure. She loves other friendly dogs and is good with kids who understand how to not scare her. She’s house-trained and loves to go for walks. She would make a great dog for first-time shepherd owners. She seems to be mixed with a smaller type of dog, so probably won’t get to be bigger than 50 pounds when full-grown. She’s microchipped and up-to-date on vaccinations.

Adoption donation: $395 (tax-deductible as allowed by law)

Adoption procedure: Contact German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County at 714-974-7762 or fill out an application online. The group has more than 80 shepherds available for adoption.

​ Orange County Register 

Shepherd mix Natasha’s ready for her forever Valentine

• January 18, 2025

Breed: German shepherd mix

Age: 1 year

Sex: Spayed female

Natasha’s story: Natasha was rescued from a high-kill shelter when her life was in danger due to overcrowding. She’s a happy-go-lucky girl who likes other large dogs. (She’s too bossy for small canines.) She learns things quickly and is great on a leash. She’s affectionate and likes kids, but is too rough for young ones; older children would be best. She’s microchipped, up-to-date on vaccines and has been treated for parasites.

Adoption donation: $395 (tax-deductible as allowed by law)

Adoption procedure: Contact German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County at 714-974-7762 or fill out an application online. The group has more than 80 shepherds available for adoption.

​ Orange County Register 

Newsom strikes deal with major lenders to provide mortgage relief during wildfire crisis

• January 18, 2025

Some of California’s major lenders will offer waves of mortgage relief to Los Angeles County firestorm victims, in an emergency program announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday.

Among the measures mapped out in the governor’s executive order:

–A 90-day grace period on mortgage payments;

–A 90-day waiver of late fees; and

–A 60- to 90-day moratorium on new foreclosures for property owners whose structures were damaged or destroyed by the deadly wildfires in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

“After so much trauma, we hope this deal will provide thousands of survivors a measure of relief,” Newsom said in a statement. “These financial protections will enable residents to concentrate on taking care of their immediate needs rather than worrying about paying their mortgage bills. I thank each of the financial institutions that are offering this help for Californians recovering from this catastrophic firestorm.”

More than 12,000 homes, businesses and other structures have been confirmed as damaged or destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires — an area already in the midst of a deep affordable housing shortfall.

Saturday’s declaration is just the latest in a series issued by the governor in the aftermath of the fires. Most have dealt with housing, from fast-tracking the building of temporary structures to prohibiting L.A. County landlords from evicting a tenant and then re-letting that unit at a higher price.

The banks committing to the mortgage-relief program:

–Bank of America;

–Citi;

–JPMorgan Chase;

–U.S. Bank; and

–Wells Fargo.

Newsom said his administration is in talks with other financial institutions to seek similar help for homeowners is and collaborating with such agencies as the California Bankers Association, the California Credit Union League, and the California Mortgage Bankers Association.

Also, the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, Newsom said, has launched a survey of state-chartered financial institutions to seek more commitments.

Under the new program, affected homeowners will also be afforded:

–Streamlined, form-free  processes for requesting relief;

–Waiving of immediate repayment of “balloon payments” at the end of the forbearance period;

–Relief from mortgage-related late fees for at least 90 days;

–Protection from new foreclosures or evictions for at least 60 days; and

–No immediate reporting of late payments to credit agencies

The program will include qualified residents in Los Angeles County in the following ZIP codes: 90019, 90041, 90049, 90066, 90265, 90272, 90290, 90402, 91001, 91104, 91106, 91107, or 93536.

The relief will be available directly via the lenders holding the mortgages.

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County boys basketball standings: Saturday, Jan. 18

• January 18, 2025

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Standings for the Orange County boys basketball leagues through Friday, Jan. 17.

​ Orange County Register 

Be ready for new opportunities and your breakout moment in 2025

• January 18, 2025

Are you ready for 2025? Not sure I am since I prefer to savor the Christmas holiday joys a bit longer before leaping into the new year. That’s why I adopted the idea, inspired by Byrd Baylor’s “I’m In Charge of Celebrations,” to celebrate New Year’s Eve on Jan. 31.

In the book, a boy in the Southwest desert invents “one hundred and eight celebrations,” and he shifts New Year’s to spring when the desert blooms.

While my year isn’t fully planned yet, stories of two very different women have sparked some ideas for being ready to have a great year.

In 2013, Kristin Chenoweth picked Sarah Horn from the Hollywood Bowl audience to sing “For Good” from the musical “Wicked.” Unknowingly, Chenoweth had randomly chosen a voice teacher, who delivered a flawless performance – a viral moment that skyrocketed Horn’s career overnight.

In a Tedx talk, Horn spoke about her secret to success, which was two words: be ready.

How did Horn “get ready” for the performance of a lifetime? She first saw “Wicked” on Broadway in 2004 and dreamed of one day singing the famed duet with Chenoweth. Taking her voice teacher’s guidance to heart about being prepared, Horn perfected her part in “For Good” through years of practice. When she joined Chenoweth onstage, the celebrated Broadway star exclaimed, “Holy crap,” after Horn seamlessly harmonized with her.

Since then, Horn’s life has been a whirlwind of starring roles in acclaimed productions and performances across the globe.

In 2012, I wrote a column about being in the audience to hear a dynamic speaker, Dr. Hedda Bolgar, a 103-year-old practicing psychoanalyst who still drove her Prius, saw patients four days a week and taught classes on the fifth day. I could barely keep up trying to take notes on all her words of wisdom.

What has stuck with me the most over the years is how she handled surviving the loss of her beloved husband of 33 years. After a grieving period, she realized it was time to start something new, do something different. She cited bypassing the tropical settings for a trip to the North Pole.

Bolgar also established two thriving businesses, a clinic and a teaching institute, at the age of 76 and 79 respectively. Who starts not one but two businesses when they are fast approaching their 80th birthday?

Unlike Horn, who was ready for her breakout moment, Bolgar pivoted in order to be ready for hers. Here’s to being ready for a remarkable 2025 – may it be your best year yet!

Writer, editor and speaker Cheryl Russell is a Laguna Woods Village resident. Contact her at Cheryl@starheart.com.

​ Orange County Register 

Donald Trump will ‘probably’ visit LA wildfire areas, president-elect says

• January 18, 2025

President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday, Jan. 18, that he will “probably” travel to California next week to view the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles County.

“I will be, probably, at the end of the week,” he told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Saturday. “I was going to go, actually yesterday,” the president-elect added, “but I thought it would be better if I went as president. It’s a little bit more appropriate, I suspect.”

Also see: Firefighters make overnight progress battling Palisades and Eaton fires

Trump is set to be inaugurated on Monday.

He was invited to visit the wildfire area last week by Gov. Gavin Newsom and County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, amid a war of words between Trump and Newsom.

Trump criticized Newsom in the early hours of the wildfire crisis for policies that he said hampered the firefighting effort.

“Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way,” Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform.

“He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, by giving it less water (it didn’t work!), but didn’t care about the people of California. Now the ultimate price is being paid. I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA! He is the blame for this. On top of it all, no water for fire hydrants, not firefighting planes. A true disaster!”

The president-elect issued another comment on the fires later.

“The fires are still raging in L.A. The incompetent pols have no idea how to put them out. Thousands of magnificent houses are gone, and many more will soon be lost. There is death all over the place. This is one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our Country. They just can’t put out the fires. What’s wrong with them?” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Newsom blasted Trump’s response on “Meet the Press” last Sunday.

“Responding to Donald Trump’s insults, we would spend another month,” Newsom told NBC News. “I’m very familiar with them. Every elected official that he disagrees with is very familiar with them.”

Newsom said Trump was “somehow connecting the delta smelt to this fire, which is inexcusable because it’s inaccurate. Also, incomprehensible to anyone that understands water policy in the state.”

The governor said he was concerned that his feud with Trump could delay badly needed federal disaster aid.

“… that’s his style,” Newsom said. “And we take it seriously to the extent that in the past it’s taken a little bit more time [to get federal aid].”

Some officials have said they expect the fires to constitute the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. The county and state have issued emergency proclamations, and President Joe Biden approved a Major Disaster declaration for the state.

​ Orange County Register