Community Corner
5 Things to Know: Los Angeles County Moves to Fire 4 Social Workers After Boy's Death
- Wednesday's ultraviolet index level in the Los Angeles area will be 11, according to the National Weather Service. The reading indicates what the UV exposure is expected to be at noon, when the sun's rays are at their strongest. Ultraviolet radiation is blamed for a host of health problems, including skin cancer and cataracts.
- dineLA proved to be successful again this year—generating about $16 million in Los Angeles County, according to a Huffington Post report. Read the full story here. Did you participate in dineLA? Tell us in the comments.
- County authorities say they will fire two social workers and two supervisors in response to the death of an 8-year-old Palmdale boy, who was left in his home, despite warnings from multiple sources that he was being abused there, it was announced Wednesday. Gabriel Fernandez was hospitalized May 22 with BB pellets embedded in his lungs and groin, a cracked skull, broken ribs, burns, bruises and two missing teeth. He died two days later. Prosecutors allege the youngster's mother, Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, stood by as her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, beat the 8-year-old. The pair have been charged with murder. Activists and journalists have questioned why county social workers—alerted to the abuse—let the child continue to live in the home. At Wednesday's county Board of Supervisors meeting, there were again calls for transparency and accountability from the troubled child welfare agency.
- The Los Angeles City Council's Planning and Land Use Management Committee advanced a mural ordinance Tuesday. City attorneys presented the committee with two versions of the ordinance. One would allow murals on single- family homes, while the other would prohibit them. The proposed ordinance defines murals as non-commercial works of art, distinguishing them from signs advertising goods and services. The Los Angeles City Council is due to consider the ordinance at its meeting on August 20th.
- There were no tickets sold with all six numbers in Tuesday night's drawing of the multi-state Mega Millions lottery. The estimated jackpot for Friday's drawing will be $13 million. No tickets matched the five numbers excluding the Mega number in the game. The Mega Millions game is played in 42 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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