logo
Pasadena school district files lawsuit against Edison over Eaton fire damages

Pasadena school district files lawsuit against Edison over Eaton fire damages

Yahoo24-03-2025

The cash-strapped Pasadena Unified School District is suing Southern California Edison, seeking compensation for the loss of multiple buildings that burned in the Eaton fire and the ensuing disruption of its operations.
The district — which was grappling with a $37-million budget deficit prior to the Jan. 7 blaze — sued the Rosemead-based utility and its parent company, Edison International, last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court, accusing them of negligence and other causes of action that led to the fire.
While the cause of the fire remains open, investigators have focused on Edison power lines in Eaton Canyon that may have sparked the inferno that killed 17 people and destroyed more than 10,000 homes and other structures in Altadena.
"The destruction of multiple schools and educational facilities has created an immense burden on students, families, and the entire educational community," John Fiske, an attorney representing the district, said in a statement. "This lawsuit seeks fair compensation to recover the taxpayer resources and district property lost as a result of this devastating fire."
Read more: Fire, lack of students, teacher layoffs: Inside Pasadena Unified's struggle to stay solvent
Southern California Edison is already facing scores of lawsuits seeking damages due to the Eaton fire, and insurance companies are expected to seek compensation for billions of dollars of claims they are likely to pay out to homeowners and businesses.
"The Eaton fire has been heartbreaking for the Altadena community. We are reviewing this lawsuit and will respond through the legal process," said Diane Castro, a spokesperson for the utility.
The March 19 lawsuit details extensive damages suffered by multiple facilities, including Franklin Elementary School, Eliot Arts Magnet Middle School, the Edison campus housing Odyssey Charter School, the Loma Alta campus housing Pasadena Rosebud Academy and Oak Knoll Montessori School and the Noyes campus housing Aveson School of Leaders.
It also seeks compensation for debris, soot and ash removal; environmental testing; staff and labor costs; fire-related crisis response and mental health services to district students; among other costs the district has borne since the fire.
The damage to its campuses follow years of declining enrollment that prompted the district's board — looking to slash $12 million from its budget — to approve cuts last month that will result in the loss of about 150 jobs, including 120 certificated positions mostly held by teachers.
The district was home to about 21,000 students in 2005 but now has less than 14,000, which has led to the closure of five campuses since 2018. The decline is attributed to a lack of affordable housing in the wealthy community and the availability of multiple charter and private school options.
The lawsuit alleges the utility failed to temporarily shut down power lines in Eaton Canyon despite ample warnings of a strong windstorm from the National Weather Service amid abundant dry vegetation near its power lines. It includes photographic evidence to support its allegation the fire started beneath power lines "arcing in the high winds."
The lawsuit says the utility later filed a report with the California Public Utilities Commission that showed there was an increase in current through four power lines in the canyon about the time the fire started.
Read more: Edison towers in the Altadena fire zone had known 'ignition risk' and needed repairs, records show
A Times investigation has found Edison knew that some of its towers at and near the likely ignition point were fire hazards. While evidence is still being collected, records the company filed with the state show towers on three lines considered a potential 'ignition risk' were overdue for maintenance.
The utility had 94 open work orders along the three lines, portions of which run past the northern edge of Altadena and through Eaton Canyon, as of Dec. 31, according to Edison data reviewed by The Times. They included two work orders for "weed abatement" and "structure brushing" that were flagged "ignition risk."
'The cause remains under investigation as part of our ongoing commitment to a thorough and transparent investigation,' Edison said last week. 'Southern California Edison is beginning the next phase of inspections and testing of electrical equipment in Eaton Canyon."
In January, the California Public Utilities Commission voted to allow the utility to raise electric rates to cover payments it made to victims of the devastating 2017 Thomas wildfire in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties that later was blamed for debris flows that killed 23. Investigators said Edison's equipment was at fault.
The vote will allow Edison to charge its customers for more than $1.6 billion of the $2.7 billion that the utility paid to more than 5,000 fire victims. Edison said it planned to spread the cost over 30 years with most customers experiencing a $1 increase on their monthly bills, the company said.
The company also has asked the commission to approve a second rate increase for $5.4 billion in payments to victims of the 2018 Woolsey fire in Los Angeles and Ventura counties that destroyed more than 1,600 structures and killed three people. An investigation determined Edison equipment sparked the blaze.
Read more: State officials approve Edison rate hike for 2017 wildfire sparked by its equipment
Some estimates put the insured damage from the Eaton fire at $10 billion, but experts say the final tally could be higher and losses other than those covered by insurance will further raise the total.
The impact on rate payers, though, could be diminished, even if Edison is found to be at fault. The Legislature in 2019 passed a law that created a $21-billion fund to help pay for wildfire damages caused by utility equipment.
The fund was established after Pacific Gas & Electric filed for bankruptcy following a series of wildfires in 2017 and 2018, including the Camp fire that destroyed the Sierra Foothills community of Paradise and killed more than 80 people.
In order to qualify for the money, a utility must have acted prudently to prevent a fire. Even if that is found to be so, the company would still have to pay the first $1 billion in claims before being able to access the state fund.
Pedro Pizarro, chief executive of Edison International, told Wall Street analysts in January that if it is found the utility's transmission equipment was "associated with the ignition of the Eaton fire" he was confident the utility could prove "its conduct with respect to its transmission facilities in the Eaton Canyon area was consistent with actions of a reasonable utility."
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Kennebunk mourns loss of Shiloh Schulte: 'He's the kind of person you want in the world'
Kennebunk mourns loss of Shiloh Schulte: 'He's the kind of person you want in the world'

Yahoo

time40 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Kennebunk mourns loss of Shiloh Schulte: 'He's the kind of person you want in the world'

KENNEBUNK, Maine — As the community mourns the death of Shiloh Schulte, one of its most liked, respected, and dedicated citizens, there is one word that Select Board member Kortney Nedeau says describes the loss. 'It's immeasurable,' Nedeau said. 'It's just such a shock. He was the kind of person you want in the world.' Schulte, 46, died in a helicopter crash while conducting conservation work in Alaska on June 4. As outpourings from the community have shown, the former chair of the Kennebunk Select Board will long be cherished and remembered as a kind, energetic, and generous man who was devoted to his family, dedicated to his hometown, and passionate about celebrating and protecting nature, especially its birds. On social media, for example, Nedeau provided a heartfelt example of Schulte's impact as a community member and his ability to inspire others. She said Schulte was one of the reasons that she ran for a seat on the Select Board five years ago. 'He was encouraging, courageous, genuine, even-tempered, and fair,' Nedeau wrote in a post. 'It was such an honor to serve the town of Kennebunk in such a thankless job with someone who understood our work was above ourselves ... He was so humble, insightful, and honest.' Nedeau expanded on Schulte's character during an interview. 'He was unassuming,' she said. 'He was always listening first and was the last to speak. He always rose to the occasion. He always showed up.' And his impact went well beyond Kennebunk, Nedeau noted, so much so that she imagined that the duties of small-town government and community volunteering must have been a 'piece of cake' when compared to the hard work he accomplished throughout the world. More: Conservationist Shiloh Schulte, of Kennebunk, dies in research helicopter crash in Alaska Schulte worked with Manomet Conservation Sciences, a Massachusetts-based organization dedicated to using 'science and collaboration to improve the health of flyways, coastal ecosystems, and working land and seas,' according to its website. Among his contributions, Schulte coordinated the organization's American Oystercatcher Recovery Program and is credited with helping to rebuild the presence of that large shorebird – once believed to be completely out of existence locally – by as much as 45%. Nedeau said she and her colleagues on the Select Board would always know where Schulte would be come summertime as they worked out their meeting schedule for June, July, and August. Schulte, she said, would always tell them, 'I'll be in a tent, in the Arctic, unreachable – so do whatever works best for you guys.' Indeed, with June here, Schulte was in Alaska, pursuing his passions, fulfilling his commitment to protecting nature, and meeting his responsibility to future generations. 'Shiloh gave his life in the service of something greater than himself, dedicating himself to preserving the natural world for future generations," Manomet Conservation Sciences said in a statement announcing the tragedy. Schulte also was an avid and accomplished runner, who became the top Maine finisher of the Boston Marathon in 2019, completing the race in two hours and 39 minutes, according to the Dirigo Run Club, to which he belonged. In a social media post, the club described Schulte as 'known to always have a smile on his face' and as a 'fierce competitor.' Schulte served on the Kennebunk Select Board for a few years before ascending to the chair in the summer of 2022. Nedeau nominated him for the post, praising him as someone who knew how to lead a meeting, and who had a 'really great way about him to move things forward, regardless of where he is on the spectrum of an issue.' Schulte succeeded longtime Select Board member Blake Baldwin as chair. Anyone who followed the Select Board meetings during Baldwin's tenure could see the respect and esteem Baldwin had for Schulte and for the contributions he made to the discussions and hard decisions about town issues. 'He was the cool head that calmed troubled waters,' Baldwin said during a phone interview. 'For that, I was grateful to have him on the board, not just as a colleague but as a friend.' A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Schulte's family, including his wife and their two daughters. The GoFundMe campaign has a goal of $45,000. By the early afternoon of June 9, a total of $39,062 already had been raised. On the GoFundMe page, Schulte's family also refers to his passion for the natural world, describing him as an explorer of forests, wetlands and birds since an early age. Importantly, though, Schulte was more than a scientist, his family says on the fundraising page. 'He was a devoted husband and father, a loving son and brother, a generous neighbor, and a pillar of his community,' they said. 'Shiloh gave his all – always with a warm heart and a boundless energy.' In his interview, Baldwin also spoke of what Schulte was and always will be, not just to him, but to others. He spoke of Schulte's compassion for other people. In describing the impact that Schulte had, Baldwin referred to one of the most beloved movies of all time, 'It's a Wonderful Life.' In that Christmas classic, Clarence, the angel who is trying to earn his wings, explains to George Bailey, who wished he had never been born, what happens when people lose someone they love. Some people leave a big hole, Clarence said. Some people are part of your soul, Baldwin said, and when they are gone, 'they leave a big hole.' Said Baldwin, 'Shiloh is one of those people.' This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kennebunk mourns loss former Select Board chair Shiloh Schulte

Puppy Ready To Meet Adopters but They Never Showed, Then Euthanasia Loomed
Puppy Ready To Meet Adopters but They Never Showed, Then Euthanasia Loomed

Newsweek

time5 hours ago

  • Newsweek

Puppy Ready To Meet Adopters but They Never Showed, Then Euthanasia Loomed

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Hearts have broken when a German Shepherd facing euthanasia was adopted, only for her new owners to never show up to collect her. Everyone was delighted when Flora, just 8 months old, was adopted. But after the shelter had arranged her spay appointment, the adoptive family never returned to collect her. "Her potential adopters completed the paperwork, and she stayed for her spay surgery. However, when it was time for pickup, they never came, and the shelter hasn't heard from them since. It's disheartening to see people change their minds when a dog's life hangs in the balance," Amanda Downes, from California-based Advocate 4 Paws who network dogs at high-risk shelters told Newsweek. Flora the German Shepherd who was left at the shelter after being adopted. Flora the German Shepherd who was left at the shelter after being adopted. @advocate4paws/Instagram Flora was found as a stray, and like many dogs in shelters across the U.S., was facing euthanasia. According to Shelter Animals Count, around 748,000 animals experienced non-live outcomes, including euthanasia, in 2024. While this represents a 1.6 per cent decrease compared to 2023 and a 20 per cent drop from 2019, the number remains high. Placed at Stanislaus Animal Services Agency, her future looked bleak. "Currently, dogs in the Stanislaus Shelter are given about a month before being placed on the euthanasia list. The shelter is severely over capacity, housing 330 dogs when it's only meant for 180, with more coming in daily," Downes explained. In 2024, approximately 7 million animals entered U.S. shelters and rescues, according to Shelter Animals Count—an increase of nearly 3 percent from 2023. By the end of the year, 103,000 more pets had entered shelters than had exited, contributing to an ongoing capacity crisis in U.S. shelters. There has been a positive update in Flora's story: a rescue has stepped to take over her care. There has been a positive update in Flora's story: a rescue has stepped to take over her care. @advocate4paws/Instagram "She is a typical happy-go-lucky puppy who is all tail wags and gets along well with other dogs," Downes said. "She's an affectionate 8-month-old German Shepherd mix who enjoys attention from shelter volunteers and she just loves people. She's such a great puppy, I can't believe her adopters didn't come back for her." Thankfully, there has been a positive update in Flora's story: a rescue has stepped to take over her care, and Downes hopes that she will soon have a home to call her own. "We want Flora to never see the inside of a shelter again and pray that her forever home is on the horizon, she deserves it," she said. Despite Flora's happy ending, there are still many dogs in need, and Downes hopes that sharing their stories will help them find a rescue too, and encourage more people to adopt or foster. "We hope that her story, along with others we share, will highlight the shelter crisis and encourage more people to open their homes to foster dogs to help lighten the load," she said. Flora isn't the only dog having a tough time being adopted. Earlier this month a dog called Dexter gained viral attention after his shelter revealed he has been returned by adopters five times. While Duke the terrier mix gained sympathy after he was returned just one day after being adopted.

Success for All Foundation Approved to Provide Evidence-Based Literacy Support for Hawaii Public Schools
Success for All Foundation Approved to Provide Evidence-Based Literacy Support for Hawaii Public Schools

Yahoo

time6 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Success for All Foundation Approved to Provide Evidence-Based Literacy Support for Hawaii Public Schools

$100,000 Scholarships Available for Eligible Schools to Implement Science of Reading-Based Model HONOLULU, June 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Success for All Foundation (SFA), a nationally recognized nonprofit focused on whole-school literacy improvement, has been approved by the Hawaii Department of Education (HIDOE) as a qualified provider of Comprehensive Assistance, Training & Educational Resources (CATERS). This designation makes it easier for public schools across the state to partner with SFA to strengthen early literacy outcomes through an integrated, proven approach. Already working in 14 Hawaii schools, SFA provides a comprehensive schoolwide model grounded in the Science of Reading, pairing high-quality curriculum with embedded instructional coaching to help educators achieve immediate and lasting results. "Principals and teachers are working hard to do it all: raise reading scores, coach instruction, manage behavior, and find time to plan," said Julie Wible, CEO of Success for All. "With our Science of Reading-based curriculum, built-in coaching, and team-based structures we remove the guesswork and provide educators with an effective model to achieve immediate results. With SFA, schools move forward with clarity and confidence and every child achieves at the highest levels." Success for All partners with schools to align every layer of instruction, support, and leadership into a connected system. Teachers receive real-time coaching as they implement a high-quality, ready-to-teach curriculum. The use of schoolwide practices—such as cooperative learning, daily progress monitoring, and structured leadership teams—ensure that every student's academic and behavioral needs are consistently met. The result is a cohesive, energized instructional environment where educators and students work together toward a shared vision of success. "The transformation in our Hawaii schools has been incredible," said Kathy McLaughlin, Director of Implementation at Success for All. "In just a short time, we've seen classrooms go from silent and disengaged to joyful and alive with student voices. Students are working together, debating ideas, and supporting one another's learning. Schools have embraced cooperative learning, our proven cycle of effective instruction, and practices that help children express their thinking and collaborate respectfully. We're seeing significant academic growth and renewed engagement among teachers, students, and families." In addition to its CATERS approval, SFA is offering $100,000 scholarships to support Title I-eligible Hawaii K–5 schools that are committed to implementing a sustainable, systemwide approach to literacy. To learn more or apply for the scholarship, school leaders can contact:Kenly NovotnySuccess for All Foundationknovotny@ About Success for All FoundationSuccess for All is a nonprofit organization that has partnered with schools for more than 40 years to ensure every child, regardless of background, achieves at the highest levels. Grounded in the Science of Reading and earning the highest ESSA evidence rating, the SFA model offers schools a comprehensive, sustainable path to literacy and academic success. Media Contact Kenly NovotnySuccess for All Foundation396458@ 410.616.2394 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Success for All Foundation Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store