🌱 2.7 Earthquake + Temporary Hold On Unpaid Ticket Car Impounds

Hello, neighbors, and happy National Pizza Day! It's me again, Sylvia, your host of the Los Angeles Daily.

There was a minor quake near L.A. Also, a judge put a temporary kibosh on vehicle impounds for unpaid parking tickets. Finally, the City is trying to end the bicycle chop shops.

First, today's weather:

Very warm. High: 86 Low: 60.

Here are the top five stories today in Los Angeles:

1. It takes more than a 2.7 magnitude earthquake on a Tuesday morning to rattle an Angeleno. The quake “struck at 7:38 a.m. and was centered about 2 miles east-southeast of Echo Park and 2.5 miles west-northwest of Hollywood.” One resident, who pretty much summed up the City’s attitude, tweeted, “I felt this one. Just didn't know if it was a heavy truck hitting a bump outside or an earthquake.” (ABC)
2. As of Friday last week, the City no longer impounds “vehicles that have accrued numerous unpaid parking tickets.” In the past, it only took five unpaid tickets to get your vehicle impounded. Now, there is a temporary suspension of this rule. A judge recently handed down a decision that called the “city's interpretation of a variety of federal and state laws it has relied on for many years to justify warrantless vehicle seizures, in order to enforce parking rules” incorrect. However, the City can still tow you if you “are parked in anti-gridlock zones, are blocking fire hydrants or driveways” or present a traffic hazard. (NBC)
3. L.A. will be taking a page from Long Beach’s playbook, which has an ordinance “to prohibit the assembly, disassembly, sale, offer of sale, distribution of bicycles and bicycle parts on public property or within the public right-of-way.” The City Council tasked the City Attorney’s Office on Tuesday with drafting this ordinance. The motion was introduced by Councilman Joe Buscaino, opposed by Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Nithya Raman, Curren Price, and Mike Bonin, and passed 10-4. The City seeks to discourage the setup of bicycle chop shops. (My News LA)
4. Next week, on Tuesday, the California mask mandate expires. Governor Gavin Newsom has already signaled that he won’t be extending it. What does this mean for Los Angeles? “L.A. County's health officials said they intend to keep their indoor mask mandate in place beyond the state deadline until hospitalizations have dropped below 2,500 for seven consecutive days, and case counts drop to 50 new cases per 100,000.” (ABC)
5. Kato's new location at 777 South Alameda Street is open, we learned Tuesday. It is the perfect introduction for the newcomer to Asian-American cooking. Dishes include “milk bread served with a side of kelp and cultured butter,” “local black cod wrapped in Aaron's hoja santa,” jujube, and an expanding tea program. (KCET)

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Today in Los Angeles:

• Los Angeles City College hosts Welcome Week (8 AM to 7 PM)
• Cassandra Press: An Unfolding, Sanford Biggers And The Amistad Research Center at the California African American Museum (10 AM to 5 PM)
• The Lighthouse Los Angeles presents Immersive Van Gogh (11 AM to 8 PM)
• Lunchtime Art Talk On Ulysses Jenkins at the Hammer Museum (12:30 PM)
• Wine Wednesday Specials at The Tuck Room Tavern (3 PM to 7 PM)

From my notebook:

• Do you want to work for the City of Los Angeles? Check out this great career opportunity to work as a VETERINARIAN II with LA Animal Services! Give back to your community, one happy shake of the tail at a time, as a Veterinarian with the City of LA! (Instagram)
• A Southeast Florence-Firestone lost their cat. She is a 1-year-old tabby cat, gray and black stripes. Did you find her? (Nextdoor)
• Did you see our Broadway-Manchester North neighbor's missing dog? He was last seen by Century and San Pedro around 9:30 am on 02/07/2022. (Nextdoor)
• The Harbor Gateway North Neighborhood Council Board will hold its next meeting on Tues. February 8 at 6:30 pm via Zoom. The Board will consider adopting a Code of Civility. (Nextdoor)
• Can you help a West of Lincoln Heights neighbor who needs a repairman for a stacked washer/dryer? (Nextdoor)

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Events:

• Long Beach Rise Up! Cannabis Tax Reform Now! Rally (February 9)
• Understanding the Probate Process (Webinar w/ Live Chat Q&A) (February 9)
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• Taxes in Retirement Webinar 2/21 & 2/23 (February 21)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar (February 21)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar (February 21)
• 41st Annual CARSplus Convention : Networking for Success and Best Practices (February 25)
• [Free Masterclass] Increase Your Website Sales & Leads Using SEO (February 26)
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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today! I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow morning with a new update.

— Sylvia Cochran

About me: Sylvia Cochran works out of sunny Southern California and has been freelance writing full-time since 2005. She loves dogs, cats, books, plays Best Fiends (don't judge), embraces social justice, and tries to live out Micah 6:8.