Crean Lutheran standouts from left Brady McKay Ian McDermott and Dylan Maez after the win With less than a handful of regular season games remaining and the North Hills League title still up for grabs the La Habra High and Crean Lutheran baseball teams were poised as they took the field at La Habra on Wednesday afternoon for the first of a critical two-game series this week.  Crean Lutheran sophomore left hander Blake Armstrong allowed only one run over five innings to help Crean Lutheran capture a 7-2 victory Armstrong allowed only four hits and earned his sixth victory of the season The Saints moved into a tie with La Habra for second place in league and trail first-place Canyon by a game and half with three league games remaining A key moment in the game came when Armstrong was able to pitch out of a bases loaded one-out jam in the fifth inning when he got Bobby Brooks and Fernando Alatorre to fly out to shallow right field to end the inning 8-3) stranded nine base runners in the game but it felt good to compete and this win means a lot to us,” said Armstong who snagged a vicious line drive off the bat of Bobby Fierro to end the third inning Crean Lutheran sent 10 batters to the plate and scored four runs and Griffin Theetge and Ethan Cavlovic drew a bases loaded walk as Crean Lutheran jumped out to a 4-0 lead.  and we put the ball in play,” said Saints Coach Jake Haney He’s such a fierce competitor and will do anything to win a game I was thinking of taking him out of the game when they loaded the bases ‘I got this.’ We got it done today and this win will continue to build confidence for us.” Ian McDermott added an RBI single in the fourth inning to help Crean Lutheran extend its lead to 5-0.  “We put the ball in play and made them play defense,” said McDermott who had two hits and two RBI and made several fine catches in right field “We want to go for the season sweep on Friday.” La Habra got on the board in the fourth inning on a Jonah Mayo RBI single Mayo had two hits in the game and hit a ball hard up the middle in the sixth inning however Crean Lutheran shortstop Brady McKay turned it into a double play “A double play like that deflates a team and I think it took the air out of them,” said McKay Dylan Maez got on base twice and scored two runs as the Saints kept the pressure on La Habra we executed well and got the bat on the ball; it’s a good road win for us,” said Maez.  McDermott smacked an RBI double in the sixth and Crean Lutheran added another run on an errant infield throw at the Saints upped its lead to 7-1 The Highlanders finished off the scoring with a run in the seventh DeJong pitched the final two innings to close out the win for the Saints He was also on base three times and scored a run to go along with his RBI La Habra Coach Jack Brooks was disappointed “We were terrible offensively; the name of the game is timely hitting but we didn’t take advantage of our opportunities We have got to play better in order to win.” Friday against Crean Lutheran and two next week against Canyon —- The Saints also have three games remaining Friday against La Habra and two next week against Pacifica CAIR California [Update: On April 9, O’Reilly Auto Parts responded to the incident on social media stating that their “leaders have been actively engaged” and that “the situation has been handled appropriately.” On April 10 CAIR-LA reached out to the company’s La Habra location and was informed that the man is no longer working there.] CA – 4/9/2025) – The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today condemned an anti-Muslim tirade directed at a group of visibly Muslim women at an In-N-Out Burger in La Habra and called for a thorough investigation into the apparent hate incident CAIR-LA also praised the In-N-Out employee who reportedly refused to serve the man responsible for the harassment and demanded that he leave the premises SEE: Man goes on racist rant against group of girls at a restaurant in OC a man wearing an O’Reilly Auto Parts shirt with the name “Sean” on it can be heard yelling profanities at the women He accuses them of being part of a Satanic cult tells them to “get out of [his] country,” and falsely claims that “Islam teaches hate.” The footage also shows the In-N-Out employee threatening to call the police if the man does not leave the area CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said:  “This alleged hate-filled outburst is yet another example of the rising Islamophobia that American Muslims No one should be subjected to verbal abuse or threats simply for their faith or appearance “We commend the In-N-Out employee who stepped up in defense of these young women and demonstrated what it means to be an ally in the face of hate “We call on the La Habra Police Department to investigate this disturbing and we urge O’Reilly Auto Parts to take immediate action if the individual is confirmed to be one of their employees.” Ayloush also emphasized that CAIR-LA remains committed to protecting the rights and dignity of all individuals and urged community members to report any hate crimes or bias incidents by calling (714) 776-1177 or filing a report online Anyone with information about the alleged perpetrator is encouraged to submit a tip here CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam promote justice and empower American Muslims CONTACT: CAIR-LA Digital Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, (714) 851-4851 or eelkadi@cair.com   Privacy Policy Website Designed by Digital Learning Partners Residents turned out for the La Habra City Council meeting Monday to air their concerns about privacy, traffic and parking. Council members bemoaned state requirements to plan for more housing while being unable to deny the proposed development without risking a costly lawsuit. What made La Habra’s housing debate different? The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange will be the future landlord. The Diocese of Orange is looking to turn a grass field at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in La Habra currently used for church activities into a nearly 1.6-acre housing site. “It’s just like any other apartment complex, it just happens to be owned by the Diocese,” Douglas Woodward, a consultant for the Diocese, told the council. “This is an apartment complex where we are going to find people that want to call La Habra home, who want a beautiful new neighborhood and are willing to rent there.” TimesOC La Habra City Council members voted to dismiss the city’s own policy goal of funding and approving a rental housing inspection program an initiative first discussed more than half a century ago Churches turning properties into housing is a relatively new approach to boosting Orange County’s housing stock denominations have partnered with affordable housing developers for innovative projects in recent years Buena Park recently celebrated the grand opening of Orchard View Gardens a 66-unit affordable housing development at the site of St where a dozen units are set aside as supportive housing for previously homeless seniors the United Methodist Church partnered with Jamboree Housing to build Wesley Village an affordable housing complex for seniors and multi-generational families that opened in 2017 With the help of Mercy Housing of California Joseph embarked on a $37-million effort to renovate their Motherhouse in Orange into affordable housing for seniors The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is also looking to transform its unused properties into affordable housing for workers La Habra City Council voted 4-1 to approve new housing at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church property (Gabriel San Roman) But in La Habra the proposed apartment project is primarily a market-rate effort by the Diocese of Orange Several housing developments are currently being planned for Santa Ana “The Diocese of Orange is committed to serving both its local faithful and the wider community in ways that align with its values and long-term vision,” said Jarryd Gonzales we are actively assessing underutilized property assets to better serve our communities and generate funds to support our ministries.” the Diocese of Orange is eyeing projects that allow for new church construction with housing developments also on site Its entrance into the housing market in La Habra has raised questions from affordable housing advocates Cesar Covarrubias, executive director of the nonprofit Kennedy Commission, noted that the project did not seek a density bonus to build more units in exchange for more affordable housing or take advantage of SB 4, also known as Affordable Housing on Faith Lands Act, a state law that streamlines such developments. “It appears as if they’re trying to do just market-driven development to maximize their return,” Covarrubias said. “There’s an opportunity for the Diocese to reexamine how they can help address the critical need of affordable housing. A large part of the Catholic Church’s congregation is struggling with housing. They need to be a leader.” Gonzales said that the Diocese of Orange will explore all options, including utilizing SB 4. La Habra City Hall (James Carbone) Two units at the La Habra site are set to be affordable at the moderate-income level, which restricts rent to 30% of an annual household income and equates to $138,000 for a family of three, per the city’s inclusionary housing law. “This apartment project will provide funding to support the church and its good works for the next 100 years,” Fr. William Goldin, parochial administrator at Our Lady of Guadalupe, told council members. “We will be a great neighbor, and this project will be a great neighbor, both to the church and our neighbors.” People who live near the project site weren’t so sure. They voiced concerns to the council about pedestrian safety and car traffic, which has already been an issue on Sunday mornings. “I am impacted with the traffic every Sunday,” said Jesse Perez, a La Habra resident. “If you try to come in or leave during Mass hours, it’s hard. I can just imagine the impact with more apartments in there. That is my concern, just safety.” Some council members seemed reluctant to approve the housing development but didn’t have any legal findings to deny the project outright since it met all necessary requirements. “I have an expectation, should this project be approved, that the church and the Diocese will make every possible humanly and heavenly effort to work with the folks that have spoken eloquently about their concerns,” said Councilman Daren Nigsarian. “I favor the project because I don’t think we have a choice.” The Irvine City Council bypassed noise and safety concerns over future housing development plans near John Wayne Airport. Citing the recent Palisades fire, Councilman James Gomez wanted to ask the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which contracts with La Habra for services, about the safety of the proposed complex. City staff noted that the LACFD reviewed the project multiple times and had no issues. Council members initially voted to discuss the housing development in closed session. But when they came back from confidential deliberations with La Habra City Atty. Dick Jones, they approved the apartment homes by a 4-1 vote. “The project is wonderful,” said Mayor Rose Espinoza. “It’s just more [about] community meetings...that the church needs to have with the [residents] to make sure they alleviate the issues as much as they possibly can.” Gabriel San Román is a feature writer for TimesOC. He previously worked at OC Weekly – as a reporter, podcast producer and columnist – until the newspaper’s closing in late 2019. In 2023, San Román was part of the breaking news reporting team that was a Pulitzer finalist for its coverage of the Lunar New Year mass shooting in Monterey Park. He may or may not be the tallest Mexican in O.C. Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Official website of the State of California What you need to know: Governor Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta have reached a settlement with La Habra Heights to bring the city into compliance with state housing law SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the state has entered into a stipulated judgment with the City of La Habra Heights putting the city on an expedited timeline to submit a compliant housing element to the Department of Housing and Community Development The new housing plan must create 244 housing units including at least 164 that are affordable to low or very-low-income households “No more excuses — every community has a responsibility to create housing and to help reduce homelessness I am pleased that La Habra Heights has come to the table and agreed to meet their housing goals for a community that desperately needs more affordable homes.” “The City of La Habra Heights has done the right thing Instead of continuing to skirt California’s housing laws it will finally be complying with its legal obligation to plan for 244 housing units,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta “My office will not let up: no matter the size of the city or county we will not rest until every local government in California plans for the future and does its part to tackle our housing crisis.”  The City of La Habra Heights is designated as a high opportunity jurisdiction by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee and California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) Opportunity Area 2024 map and jobs—all factors that impact long-term success for families with children the city currently has only single-family homes with no multifamily housing and zero affordable units The deadline for the City of La Habra Heights to adopt a compliant housing element was October 2021 After repeated attempts to assist the city to come into compliance, HCD’s Housing Accountability Unit — launched by Governor Newsom in 2021 — issued a Notice of Violation on March 19 HCD then worked with the Attorney General’s Office to reach today’s agreement with La Habra Heights until La Habra Heights fulfills its obligations under the agreement the city remains subject to the “Builder’s Remedy” and cannot refuse to permit certain affordable housing projects The city also remains ineligible to receive key state housing and homelessness funds through the Attorney General’s Office has now entered into five agreements over housing element compliance “This latest agreement is a key example of why it is so important that every city is held accountable for doing its fair share to address the statewide housing need,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez “When La Habra Heights adopts a compliant housing element it will — for the first time ever — make land available for multifamily and affordable housing creating a path to opportunity for more families in this high-resource community.” All state and local public agencies must take deliberate action to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing — combating disparities resulting from past patterns of segregation Increasing supply of multifamily housing expands access to fair housing for lower-income and historically disadvantaged groups in turn fostering more inclusive communities Governor Newsom has invested $40 billion in housing production The state has also invested over $27 billion to help communities address homelessness through enforcement actions and by working with local jurisdictions to ensure compliance with housing law paired with robust accountability measures Housing and Homelessness, Press Releases, Recent News News What you need to know: The Governor honored the contributions of fallen California law enforcement officers at the annual California Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremony California – Honoring the contributions of fallen California peace officers,.. News What you need to know: California applied to the federal government today to update the state's benchmark plan which would expand coverage requirements for essential health benefits (EHBs) like hearing aids and wheelchairs in the individual and small group.. News What you need to know: California remains the #1 state for tourism with record-high tourism spending reaching $157.3 billion in 2024 the Trump administration’s policies and rhetoric are driving away tourists © Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Monday - Friday 9am-12pm / 2pm-6pm GMT + 1 All financial news and data tailored to specific country editions LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio The La Habra City School District is asking voters to approve the continuation of a property tax to fund $73 million in renovation and repair projects At least 55% of voters need to approve Measure O for it to pass Official title on the ballot: La Habra City School District Measure O A "yes" vote means: The district can borrow $73 million to construct new buildings repair and renovate existing public schools A "no" vote means: The district cannot borrow $73 million to construct new buildings La Habra City School District serves more than 4,000 students across nine schools and electrical systems; upgrade classrooms and science labs; and repair and construct classrooms and equipment A bond is basically a loan that a school district takes out and which property owners in that school district pay back through property taxes If at least 55% of voters approve Measure O La Habra City School District can issue up to $73 million in bonds to finance specific school facilities projects The district estimates the bond would cost property owners that live within the school district's boundaries an average of $25 per $100,000 of assessed value each year There’s also a possibility that La Habra City School District could get additional state funding if Prop Districts cannot spend bond money on employee salaries and are required to commission independent audits of bond spending When California voters approved the creation of the lottery the law required 34 cents of every dollar to fund education In 2010 lawmakers changed the rules giving the lottery the mandate to “maximize” funding for education Critics of bonds often say the cost to property owners is too high and question why school districts with declining enrollment need money for construction when they’re serving fewer students but it should be judicious because it raises property taxes at the local level,” said Susan Shelley The Association has not taken a position on specific local bonds other than LAUSD’s $9 billion Measure US (no) and on Prop Shelley said voters weighing school bonds should carefully consider how the school spent previous bond funding and the plans for future projects “You should have confidence that the priorities are right,” Shelley said say no and make [the district] come back to you with a better plan.” No individual or group submitted an argument in opposition to the bond to the O.C State law lays out several accountability measures for local school district bonds While districts identify projects that could benefit from improvements that list is not a guarantee of which projects will be funded There are often years of community meetings and permitting between the passage of a bond and the start of construction though minor renovation projects could be completed sooner La Habra City School District voters approved a previous Measure O in 2012 One example of a project funded by that measure is flexible furniture — desks and chairs that can be easily re-arranged in a classroom The bond authorized by Measure O would be paid back — with interest — through local property taxes Member support made these voter guides possible Our election coverage is focused on you: helping you understand the results of these races and their impact on our everyday lives you need a source of trusted reporting that will hold those in power to account and shine a light on issues important to our communities LAist reporting and voting guides are here for you But we need to hear from you now with your support to know that this work we’re doing is important We cannot do this essential work without your help We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you At a time when the need for local journalism has never been greater Member support — your support — is what will sustain a free press in Southern California so please be here for us now with a donation to power our trusted local reporting Step up right now and make the choice to give Because that’s exactly what it is — a choice If readers do not choose to step up and donate the future of fact-based news in Southern California will not be as strong LAist will remain a voice you know and trust KCBS-2 reported Monday that a pedestrian was killed by a driver in La Habra It took until Saturday night to discover that the victims were apparently sharing an ebike it’s unclear whether they had both had attended La Habra High The site reports they were riding north on Hacienda when they were hit from behind by the driver, with enough force to throw both victims into the windshield. It also left the ped-assist ebike embedded deeply in the sedan’s grill, as shown in raw video from the scene which suggests the driver may have been traveling at a high rate of speed while the other victim was rushed to a trauma center in critical condition if only because the car appears to be underivable; it’s unknown if drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash This was at least the fifth bicycling fatality in Southern California this year and the first that I’m aware of in Orange County That V8 electric motorcycle is a motor-driven cycle I found that bike listed on Amazon with a 31 mph top speed and on Walmart with a top speed under 20 mph My guess is that it is sold as a legal ebike with an easily defeated speed limiter that allows it to exceed the legal limit when removed But it was the pedals that convinced me to treat it as an ebike instead of an electric motorbike I decided how fast it can go didn’t matter He was actually a 10th grade student at La Serna HS in Whittier My daughter is a freshman at La Serna and told me all about it The school was devastated by what happened The student ran track and was popular among his classmates A La Habra hs student and La serna Hs student This has shaken our entire community & Ethan is deeply missed & loved Any update on the recovery of the injured teen We may never learn anything due to HIPPA medical privacy rules as well as the fact that it’s a minor I saw what looked parents refreshing the shrine today Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive La Habra was led by (from left) Acen Jimenez Sebastian Esparza and Joaquin Arciaga in the victory over Canyon Four La Habra High players scored in double figures and the Highlanders ended a four-game slide by defeating Canyon 76-70 in a Crestview League boys basketball game Thursday night at La Habra Highlanders junior guard Acen Jimenez led La Habra with 28 points including 13 points in the final quarter to help fend off the Comanches comeback “We’ve had some tough losses on the road recently so it was good to get back home,” said Jimenez who converted eight free throws in the final minute of play It’s a big win and we have to keep playing like this day in and day out.” Sebastain Esparza and Joaquin Arciaga also had huge games for the Highlanders (19-8 Both played critical roles down the stretch helping to break the very aggressive Canyon full court press This win will give us an extra push and confidence.” “We played hard every quarter and from here out we have to take it one game at a time,” Arciaga said La Habra led 50-49 at the start of the fourth quarter but quickly went on a 7-0 run and extended its lead to 57-49 after Jimenez’s two baskets and a free throw and Jaedon Anderson’s two free throws led by Staf Yilmazturk and University of San Diego-commit Brandon Benjamin sparked a furious Comanches rally who is averaging 31 points per game this season combined to score 11 of the Canyon’s final 12 points over the final 1:09 of the game But the Highlanders were up to the challenge as they scored on each of their last eight possessions to secure the win He showcased his excellent play in the paint and his quickness to the basket Yilmazturk also added 22 points for Canyon Anderson scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half for La Habra Comanches Coach Nate Harrison said La Habra deserved to win “This league is a battle every night; give La Habra credit and their big guy (Ulavai Fetuli) was dominant on the boards,” said Harrison “One of our strengths is our rebounding and he made it tough on us I think this game had extra meaning for La Habra with everything that has occurred this week The coaches around the league have a close network and Aaron (Riekenberg) is my guy and my heart goes out to the La Habra team Thursday was the third time the two teams have met this season with La Habra winning two of the three games Canyon led 15-14 after one quarter and Arciaga led the Highlanders charge in the second quarter as La Habra built a 30-25 lead at the half The Comanches outscored La Habra 10-5 over the final minutes of the third quarter and cut the lead to 50-49 after three quarters Print More than half a century after first considering an inspection program for rental housing the La Habra City Council declined to fund and staff the policy once more council members debated the merits and timing of a three-year pilot program that would hire a code enforcement officer to routinely inspect rental units for substandard and unsafe living conditions La Habra Mayor Daren Nigsarian spoke strongly of the program as one that addressed a key public safety issue in the community “My concern still lies first and foremost with the health and welfare of the people that live in the city and the people who are renters,” he said “There’s a huge constituency of renters in this city and they’re living in squalid conditions sometimes and they simply feel that they cannot report them.” But Nigsarian found himself in the minority “I don’t want to make bigger government here and add an almost $100,000 position at this time,” said Councilman James Gomez He suggested the city do community outreach in densely populated neighborhoods without having to approve an additional staff hire vice president of external affairs for the Apartment Assn offered to help La Habra with any public outreach at the council meeting while offering his take on rental inspection programs “What we’ve seen with different programs [is that] some work “There are ways you can do it more efficiently “The goal is to get quality housing for everybody It’s not to overburden the property owners [and] not to put more costs on housing from the tenants In considering the three-year pilot program this time around, Susan Kim, La Habra’s community and economic development director, noted inspections could average 40 units per week. Currently, code enforcement officers inspect about eight to 12 rental units per day in response to tenant complaints. “A proactive inspection program protects underserved tenants that may not be aware that they have a right to safe and habitable housing,” Kim told council members. Anaheim enacted a similar program a decade ago. Santa Ana adopted an inspection policy in 1992 that is funded by a small fee imposed on property owners. Kim noted that council members could lessen the inspection workload by exempting properties that are less than 20 years old. She also suggested that a $50 per unit assessment fee would cover costs associated with the pilot program. Cesar Covarrubias, executive director of the Kennedy Commission, told TimesOC that rental inspection programs can be beneficial to tenants if designed in a proactive way that helps protects them. “If a program is designed to address the conditions, it could be a systematic way of putting out information to landlords,” he said. “That way it’s comprehensive, not to one unit but to the whole complex. That protects tenants a bit more from being singled out as the ones that called the city.” Councilwoman Rose Espinoza, who has served on La Habra City Council since 2000, recounted helping a tenant who called her office years ago to complain about substandard conditions. “I had never seen an apartment like that,” she said. “They had to put some kind of tape around the counters and along the refrigerator so these bugs would not get into their refrigerator. It just broke my heart to see them live in that condition.” An apartment building on the corner of Montwood Avenue and Burwood Street in La Habra. (James Carbone) Espinoza helped set up a meeting with the Fair Housing Council of Orange County and residents of that particular complex but noted not much came from it. She recalled the hesitation tenants had in speaking out for fear of retaliation from landlords but did not support the inspection program out of concerns for adequate staffing. “I don’t think that our staff is able to handle that,” Espinoza said. “They have too much work already on their hands.” Nigsarian pushed back against the notion where it concerned the pilot program. “We’re not placing any greater burden on community development,” he said. “We’re going to hire somebody for that three-year period to assume those duties. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. If it does work, then we continue the program, no longer as a pilot.” After the debate, council members voted unanimously to remove the rental housing inspection program from its goals and objectives for the next fiscal year. The vote also removed it from future policy updates to the city’s General Plan document. La Habra was led by (from left) Fernando Alatorre David Arias and Isaac Aguirre in the win Saturday David Arias and Isaac Aguirre held La Serna in check and the Highlanders came away with an 8-3 nonleague baseball victory over the Lancers Saturday afternoon at La Habra Acuna pitched 4 1/3 innings and struck out seven and Arias and Aguirre were effective in relief as La Habra snapped a two-game losing streak and I was just trying to be consistent,” said Acuna who did not walk a batter and limited La Serna to two runs two runs in and one on in the top of the fifth inning Arias relieved Acuna and promptly struck out both hitters he faced to get out of a jam and preserve La Habra’s 4-2 lead “My job is to attack hitters and be aggressive; I’m happy to be out there in situations like that,” Arias said The Highlanders (11-8) countered in the bottom of the fifth by sending nine batters to the plate and scoring three runs Fernando Alatorre and Maddox Moreno produced RBI hits and Jonah Mayo added an RBI sacrifice fly to up La Habra’s lead to 7-2 With one out in the top of the sixth inning Arias gave up back-to-back hits to Dominic Segura and Luther Sullens Aguirre then walked Mike Alvarez to load the bases but struck out Matt Hernandez and retired Max Rodriguez on a liner to third to foil the rally and end the inning we haven’t been getting that clutch hit when we need it,” said La Serna Coach Anthony Gonzales Jr Aguirre shut the Lancers (10-9) down in the seventh inning to preserve the win for La Habra “I wanted to show why I’m the guy,” said Aguirre “This kind of a win gives us all more confidence going back into league play.” La Habra Coach Jack Brooks complimented his pitchers and said the road ahead is tough.  “Acuna pitched well today; it was his third quality start in a row,” said Brooks “Both Arias and Aguirre came out of the pen and got big strikeouts We’re starting to play our brand of baseball stealing bases and applying pressure on our opponents Our league is very tough and the next four and ½ weeks are going to be a dog fight It’s probably going to come down to the final week of the season to see who wins the league title.” The Highlanders took advantage of three walks an error and scored three runs in the first inning La Habra pushed across a solo run in the second inning to build its lead to 4-0 Bobby Brooks and Alatorre had strong games for the Highlanders normally a middle infielder filled in at catcher for injured starting catcher Izaiah Posada and had a stolen base while playing admirably behind the plate “Each of our pitchers were hitting their zones today,” said Brooks “We try and attack each game and each at bat and as a team we try to put up a big number.” “We need to come out focused against every opponent and never play down to them,” added Alatorre —-La Serna used nine pitchers in the game —The Highlanders had 10 stolen bases Saturday —-Segura led La Serna with three hits and a run scored The La Habra City School District is kicking off the 2024-25 school year with a renewed focus on student attendance through its “Show Up, Shine Bright” campaign — introduced as part of Attendance Awareness Month Last year, the district reintroduced its Attendance Champions program which contributed to a more than 4.6 percent improvement in student attendance compared to the previous year assistant superintendent of special education and student services noted that while the program was successful the new initiative was launched to further engage students and families “This new campaign not only motivates students to be present but also emphasizes the ongoing need for family engagement in support regular attendance,” Nguyen said the district’s school counselors revamped attendance protocols over the summer and introduced new materials for the new initiative — including stickers banners and pins — at back-to-school events to engage students staff and families in the importance of daily attendance “Our goal is to create excitement among staff students and families about the value of coming to school daily contributing to a thriving and supportive school environment,” said David Soto the district’s public information officer La Habra City School District aims to achieve higher attendance rates and stronger family engagement throughout the year Here are the other stories we’ve been following this week: Official Instagram for the Orange County Department of Education | View the OCDE web policy at ocde.us/webpolicy Orange County Department of Education  Website publishing policyNon-discrimination policySocial media policy Thanks for visiting the OCDE Newsroom. Questions and story suggestions should be sent to communications@ocde.us If you’re a member of the media in need of information about the Orange County Department of Education, please email communications@ocde.us or call 714-966-4475. Print Los Angeles County Fire Department investigators are trying to determine the cause of a house fire Saturday morning in La Habra that killed a 48-year-old man and two of his dogs A neighbor told The Times that she was in her kitchen when she heard an explosion She stepped onto the back porch and saw black smoke roiling up from her neighbor’s house “My husband and I ran out,” Alisa Grace said trying to see if anybody was in there because of all of the cars out front.” County firefighters responded to the fire about 10:38 a.m in the 1300 block of North Farrington Avenue The department has not identified the man whose body was found inside. A family member told KTLA that the man’s wife and children were traveling out of the country. Two of three dogs found in the house were also dead, the station reported. The third was taken to an animal hospital. Paige St. John covers criminal justice, disasters and investigative stories for the Los Angeles Times from Northern California. Politics California Climate & Environment La Habra was led to the victory Friday by (from left) Jaedon Anderson Before Friday’s Crestview League boys basketball opener coaches for La Habra and Cypress emphasized how tough the league is and how they expect a battle every night It turned out to be an accurate assessment The Highlanders built an 18-point first half lead but then had to rally and come-from-behind to defeat the Centurions 74-65 at La Habra Jaedon Anderson and Acen Jimenez each scored 21 points apiece to lead the Highlanders (17-4 “Our environment and our fans are so supportive and they give us so much energy,” said Anderson Anderson sank two free throws to give the Highlanders a 28-10 lead at the 4:14 mark of the second quarter He added a 3-pointer in the final minute of the quarter to propel La Habra to a 35-19 halftime lead the Centurions came out on fire in the third quarter led by Ryan Gov’s 13 points and quickly changed the tide of the game Emmanuel Igbekoyi and Isaac Vergara also drilled clutch baskets as the Centurions outscored La Habra 28-14 in the quarter and trimmed the Highlanders lead to 49-47 In the opening seconds of the final quarter Gov’s 3-pointer gave Cypress its first lead Christian Howlin hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give La Habra 57-52 lead with 5:04 left Anderson then drilled three 3-pointers that gave the Highlanders breathing room and a slim 67-60 lead with 3:49 to play “We kept playing tough defense and we hit some big shots that gave us a lot of energy,” said Howlin “It’s good to get the first league win,” said Jimenez who was limited to one basket in the second half but made six critical free throws “They hung 28 points on us in the third quarter but that’s all right because we came back and won Vergara’s basket cut La Habra’s lead to 69-65 with 46 seconds remaining But Jimenez and Sebastain Esparaza combined to convert three free throws and Anderson added a basket in the final 30 seconds to secure the win and hold off the hard charging Centurions.  “I’m proud of our team; they are battled tested and have a lot of experience,” said La Habra Coach Aaron Riekenberg “Anderson is a four-year starter; Jimenez is a three-year starter and guys like Sebastian (Esparza) are tough and they’ve been tested These guys have been here before and they are built for games like this.” Cypress Coach Derek Mitchell praised his team for its efforts “Our guys proved they are up to the challenge; they never quit,” said Mitchell we made adjustments and made an attitude adjustment as well and we held him to one basket in the second half Gov led Cypress with 26 points and Vergara scored 11 and King Birdsong added 10 points Baylor Wilks scored nine points and Howlin added eight points for La Habra —-La Habra is celebrating its 70th school year —-La Habra senior Jaedon Anderson and junior Acen Jimenez were honored before the game and each presented with a commemorative basketball recognizing their 1,000th point that each player scored earlier this season —La Habra senior Kaia Fritter sang an outstanding rendition of the National Anthem before the start of Friday’s game.  Crean Lutheran’s Jordan Ceballos goes past La Habra defenders for a basket Friday night (Photos courtesy Crean Lutheran Shutterbugs With the high school boys basketball regular season winding down each game in the highly competitive Crestview League has taken on greater importance as the teams make their final push for the CIF playoffs.  Friday night’s game at Crean Lutheran between the Saints and La Habra had a familiar playoff atmosphere to it and Crean Lutheran was able to pull it out in the final seconds and come away with a 57-53 victory to take over sole possession of first place Hunter Caplan and Jacob Majok all scored in double figures to lead the Saints (12-10 4-1) to their sixth win in their last seven games Caplan’s three free throws in the final 16 seconds sealed the win for Crean Lutheran avenging a 56-55 first round loss to La Habra at the buzzer was fouled and went to the line and made one of two free throws La Habra turned the ball over with three seconds to play Caplan was fouled and went to the line and sank both free throws to give the Saints a crucial league win “I was mad that I missed the first free-throw,” said Caplan who scored 14 points and made three 3-pointers “I knew when I went to the line the next free throws were going in All of the work that I put in behind closed doors is paying off Ever since these guys (La Habra) beat us at the buzzer earlier this season we’ve had this game on the calendar circled.” Caplan’s free throws in the final seconds broke a three-minute scoring drought by Crean Lutheran Caden Jones’ basket at the 3:33 mark of the final quarter gave the Saints a 54-48 lead Crean Lutheran failed to score on its next six possessions and turned the ball over three times the Highlanders got a 3-point bucket by Jaedon Anderson and a basket by Baylor Wilks to cut the lead to 54-53 with 55 seconds to play and set the stage for a dramatic finish “You can’t turn the ball over and make as many miscues as we did and expect to win,” said La Habra Coach Aaron Riekenberg “We have to learn from this and continue to get better.” and my shot wasn’t dropping in the second half,” said Anderson who scored five of his game-high 19 points in the second half “We have to work on our defense and work together better as a team.” Majok had a huge game for the Saints at both ends of the floor especially after teammate Will Malual got into foul trouble and was forced to sit out a good deal of the second half “The key was our focus tonight,” said Majok we played aggressive defense and forced La Habra into committing several turnovers This game was very similar to the game we played against them at La Habra I felt like I was getting to my spots and able to get rebounds block a few shots and get good looks at the basket.” Crean Lutheran went on an 8-2 run late in the third quarter sparked by Majok and Ceballos five free throws and Capian’s 3-pointer as the Saints built a 49-43 lead after three quarters “It was definitely our defense that made the difference tonight,” said Ceballos who scored 15 points and played a strong defensive role as well.  Crean Lutheran Coach Nate Klitzing was pleased with the victory and praised Majok “We didn’t play a good first quarter; we were dribbling the ball too much and making mistakes but after that we played well,” Klitzing added He has improved so much as a basketball player He goes out there every night and gets us a double double.” 2-4) came out in a fast pace and led 21-16 after the first quarter Acen Jimenez also scored 17 points for the Highlanders La Habra‘s DJ Mitchell scrambles for yards as Crean Lutheran’s Tyler Parker defends La Habra High defensive end Ulavai Fetuli sacked Crean Lutheran quarterback Dylan D’epifanio in the end zone for a safety with 3:55 remaining in the game to lift the Highlanders to a 15-13 victory in a key Epsilon League game Friday night at La Habra.  and I watched their quarterback’s eyes earlier in the game and I knew his tendencies,” said Fetuli “I give my D-backs a lot of credit for that sack.”   After dropping its opening game of the season 3-0) has won seven consecutive games and remains in first place in league 2-1) had its three-game winning streak snapped Trailing 13-7 midway through the fourth quarter Highlanders’ junior running back Bobby Brooks keyed the La Habra drive with six consecutive carries for 48 yards that fueled the Highlanders’ momentum Kevika Martinez capped the drive with a six-yard TD run La Habra was unable to convert the PAT and the score remained 13-13 “We’ve been looking forward to this game all season,” said Brooks “We played harder in the second half and got after them.” La Habra pinned Crean Lutheran at its 5-yard line following a penalty on the ensuing kickoff Fetuli stormed into the Saints backfield and tackled D’epifanio in the end zone giving the Highlanders a 15-13 lead.  The Saints ensuing free kick sailed over the head of the La Habra receiving team and the Highlanders started their possession back at their seven-yard line On a fourth-down-and-three play from their own 17-yard line with less than two minutes remaining in the game La Habra elected to go for the first down instead of punting The huge gamble paid off as the shocked Highlanders’ homecoming crowd looked on and witnessed as quarterback Kenneth Saucedo ripped off a 16-yard first down run to keep the drive alive Saucedo barreled for a 21-yard run and the Highlanders were able to run out the clock and secure the win “It was kind of a sneaky play,” said La Habra Coach Frank Mazzotta and he has been unbelievable for us in his four years here and it was up to him if he was going to run that play and go for the first down.”   Saucedo said we “knew this was going to be a battle and we grinded it out.” Crean Lutheran’s senior running back Archer C’de Baca and sophomore Caleb Bey combined to rush for 107 yards against a very strong La Habra defense “We made too many mistakes in the fourth quarter,” said Crean Lutheran Coach Rick Curtis “They made more plays than we did in the final quarter and that was the difference They say you learn more from a loss than a win; we’ll learn from this and get ready for a tough battle next week with Huntington Beach.” The Saints marched 63 yards in eight plays on their first possession of the game for a touchdown The drive was highlighted by the C’de Baca’s running and D’epifanio’s passing D’epifanio completed three clutch passes and C’de Baca carried the ball five times for 36 yards C’de baca capped the scoring drive with a 12-yard TD run the Saints missed the extra point but still led 6-0 The Highlanders countered with an impressive scoring drive of their own DJ Mitchell tossed a four-yard touchdown pass to Noah Holm for the score La Habra added the PAT and led 7-6 with 17 seconds left in the opening quarter moved 73 yards in nine plays to retake the lead Bey carried the ball six times for 44 yards and D’epifanio completed an 8-yard TD pass to Dillon Booth in the corner of the end zone giving Crean Lutheran a 13-7 lead at the 8:44 mark of the second quarter.  the Highlanders had a 14-play drive to the Saints seven-yard line La Habra elected to go for it on fourth down with less than a minute left in the half but Saucedo was stopped short of the goal line and Crean Lutheran took over possession and was able to run the clock out and take a six-point halftime lead The defenses tightened even more so in the second half as both teams forced a turnover in the third quarter La Habra’s long drive in the final quarter tied the game and set the stage for the dramatic finish and we put it on them,” said Crean Lutheran’s sophomore linebacker Ethan Haugsland “We’re disappointed but we have to put this behind us and move on.” La Habra rushed for 222 yards and only completed four passes in the game Booth had a big game for the Saints as he caught six passes for 58 yards and a touchdown Friday’s loss was Crean Lutheran’s first road defeat in four games this season —-Friday was the first time La Habra and Crean Lutheran have met on the gridiron — Mazzotta is in his 27th year as head coach at La Habra —Mazzotta said: “Our rushing attack has been successful this season because we have a lot of returning guys on the Oline defensive line and tight ends and we’ve built on that experience I like the new league alignment (Epsilon League) it’s new and we’re playing a bunch of new schools who have talented players sophomore quarterback Caden Jones is still a few weeks away from returning from his PCL knee injury “We’re not sure if Caden will be back in a few weeks in time for the playoffs or if he’s done for the season —Saints sophomore running back Caleb Bey returned to action this week after suffering a hip injury in the San Juan Hills game Crean Lutheran players celebrate after Friday’s victory Crean Lutheran High School’s girls soccer team defeated La Habra in penalty kicks Friday evening in a second round match to advance into the quarterfinal round of the CIF Division 3 playoffs at home Tuesday vs The Saints eventually won on penalty kicks 4-3 “We played one of the toughest schedules in preseason playing some of the top teams in the Southern Section,” said Saints Coach Stephen Jennings “I believe that this has help us know who we are and what we can do this year “Last night’s game was a hard fought game by both teams They both gave it their all to the very end That was the third time we’ve had to play La Habra in a month Never easy to beat a team that good three times Our girls showed great determination and grit and stuck together until the end “Sophomore Kate Nourse showed her amazing talents throughout the game and in the penalty shootout She saved two PK‘s and made one herself.” Crean Lutheran had some chances in regulation “We definitely made it a little harder on ourselves by not finishing the 10 chances we had,” Jennings said “We hit the crossbar four times and continued to shoot it right at the keeper As fatigue set in late into the second overtime the girls never gave up I saw a belief in the girls last night I haven’t seen before and I knew that game was eventually going to end in our favor “We look forward to continuing the run on Tuesday at home vs another really good team in Foothill High School.”  Cypress girls basketball team after Friday’s league victory The Cypress High School girls basketball team opened its Crestview League schedule with an impressive 57-39 road victory over La Habra Friday night Junior guard Jocelyn Tani led the Centurions (10-7 and we shared it throughout the game,” said Tani “You have to give our bigs a lot of credit  When La Habra rallied in the second half we slowed the game down and got back into rhythm.” Cypress Coach Nathaniel Rivera said he was pleased with his team’s performance especially in the second half,” said Rivera whose team has won three of its last four games but we continued to battle hard on defense.”  0-1) were led by Penelope Miles and Sarah Sanabria One person was killed while another was critically injured after a vehicle struck two pedestrians late Monday evening, January 27, 2025, in La Habra The incident occurred around 8:45 p.m. in the 1200 block of N. Hacienda Road, according to the La Habra Police Department Officers arrived at the scene to find a driver who had struck two pedestrians The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with authorities Paramedics declared one of the pedestrians dead on the spot The second pedestrian sustained critical injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment Authorities stated that DUI is not suspected as a factor in the collision The cause of the crash remains under investigation If someone else’s actions led to your injuries in a pedestrian accident, we can assist you in seeking financial recovery. Our La Habra injury law firm will demonstrate the negligent party’s fault in the accident and aggressively pursue the compensation you deserve You can rely on the legal advice of our dedicated pedestrian accident lawyers at Arash Law to provide sound legal advice with your insurance claim or to represent you in court proceedings Our law firm has recovered over $750 Million for clients and is widely acknowledged for its success and reputation as one of California’s leading personal injury law firms our injury attorneys suggest you follow these steps to ensure your safety and protect your legal rights: I HAD AN ACCIDENT Everyone is a pedestrian at some point, whether you drive your vehicle or not. Injuries and fatalities related to pedestrian accidents remain tragically high, especially in the state of California. According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, pedestrian fatalities in the state increased from 1,013 in 2020 to 1,108 in 2021, a 9.4% jump in just one year Five California metropolitan areas are also included in Smart Growth America’s list of the twenty most dangerous cities for pedestrians. There were between three and four pedestrian deaths per 1,000 people in these areas between 2018 and 2022 On the national level, there were 7,522 pedestrian deaths in 2022 as well as more than 67,000 pedestrian injuries nationwide according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Six people were injured following a five-vehicle crash on the northbound 15 Freeway near Highway 138 in the Cajon Pass A bicyclist sustained serious injuries after being hit by a vehicle in Sacramento on Saturday evening According to the Sacramento Police Department and another woman and two children sustained injuries following a two-vehicle head-on crash in El Dorado Hills A motorcyclist was killed following a suspected DUI crash in Merced on Saturday afternoon Two young men were killed following a suspected DUI crash in Fresno on Friday night and two others sustained non-life-threatening injuries following a multi-vehicle collision in the Westlake community of Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon California’s Powerhouse Accident Lawyers With a consecutively proven track record Disclaimer: Not every one of our firm’s attorneys has received the recognitions stated here Visit the attorneys’ specific profile page under the ‘Our Firm’ tab for specific attorney recognitions (888) 488-1391 Do I Have A Case? 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This is a concerted effort by other Nations a National Security Threat." With more on the proposal and efforts to bring production back to the U.S. Cher Calvin and Micah Ohlman are joined by film critic Scott "Movie" Mantz President Donald Trump is eyeing Hollywood for his next round of tariffs threatening to levy all films produced outside the U.S and nine others are unaccounted for after a suspected smuggling boat capsized off Del Mar early Monday morning Details: https://ktla.com/news/california/suspected-smuggling-boat-capsizes-in-southern-california-at-least-3-dead/ KTLA 5 News takes a look at the top stories impacting Southern California Newly released audio captured the last communication between a pilot and air traffic control moments before a plane crashed into a Simi Valley neighborhood KTLA's Jennifer McGraw reports live on May 5 Details: https://ktla.com/news/local-news/the-plane-keeps-turning-on-me-audio-released-from-deadly-simi-valley-plane-crash