Local News
LA remembers lives lost in 9/11 terror attacks – NBC Los Angeles
Walking around rows of wood, pipes and other materials, Thomas Kitahata was focused on renovating his garage until he was paged by his wife and he looked up at screens in front of the hardware store, watching as the events of Sept. 11, 2001, unfolded.
Twenty-three years later, Kitahata, who is now a captain with the Los Angeles Fire Department, recalled how in a matter of 12 hours from that moment, he and a group of emergency responders landed at an Air Force Base and were soon supporting the New York Fire Department in their efforts to find survivors and respond to the aftermath of the terror attack.
“I wasn’t nervous. I had been in disasters before, but when we got to Ground Zero — we couldn’t — it was hard to understand the scope and devastation was done by human hands,” Kitahata told City News Service in a phone interview.
The LAFD deployed about 70 members as part of California Task Force 1 and 23 members as a Critical Incident Stress Management Team in search-and-rescue efforts in the aftermath at the World Trade Center.
Kitahata also remembered the resilience the people of New York showed.
“I’ll always remember the support we were able to provide, and the emotional support that people gave,” Kitahata said. “Some of the other things that I think about are how people get together in times of need — for the common good. Also, how America, New York especially, but how America just bounced back.”
More than 3,000 people died as a result of the terror attacks.
The 36-year veteran firefighter will be among his colleagues and Los Angeles Police Department officers attending a 9/11 remembrance ceremony Wednesday at 9 a.m. at the LAFD Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center, 1700 Stadium Way in Elysian Park. Mayor Karen Bass will be on hand, along with LAFD Chief Kristen Crowley, LAPD Interim Chief Dominic Choi, L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna and other regional public safety and city officials.
Crowley and Choi will ring “10-Bells” during the ceremony, which also will include bagpipers and a helicopter flyover.
The ringing of the bell is a tradition, symbolizing the beginning of a day’s shift. When a firefighter died in the line of duty, it was the toll of the bell that announced a comrade’s passing, according to the LAFD.
Kitahata told City News Service it is important to understand the significance of 9/11 and to commemorate the lives lost that day. Some of the younger generations don’t fully comprehend the weight of that day, he noted, which he also described as “disheartening.”
The fire captain said he talked to his three children when they were young about the tragedy.
“It’s a hard topic, but it’s important to educate them, and the different ways people think,” he added. “… It’s never forget what happened, and also how to prevent it from happening again.”
On Sept. 11, 2001, 19 members of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger jets. The hijackers crashed two planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Hijackers crashed another plane into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and the fourth jet crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers attempted to take control before it could reach its intended destination in Washington, D.C.
Events marking the 23rd anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 terror attacks will take place throughout the Southland on Wednesday, including at the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center adjacent to Dodger Stadium with Mayor Karen Bass set to speak and participate in the laying of wreaths with Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley. Ceremonies are also planned for San Gabriel, Culver City, Carson and elsewhere.
At 8:30 a.m., the Palm Springs Fire Department will pay tribute to fellow first responders lost in the collapse of the towers, with remarks by fire Chief Paul Alvarado and a performance by the Palm Springs Air Museum’s Pipes & Drums group.
At 6 p.m., a commemorative service at the Duck Pond, near the corner of Rancho California and Ynez roads, is scheduled in Temecula.
At 6 p.m., the city of Carson will have “Heroes Day’” at the Carson Event Center, 801 E. Carson St.
In a proclamation from the White House issued Tuesday, President Joe Biden honored the “brave Americans who met the terror of September 11 with extraordinary acts of courage and sacrifice.”
“In our darkest hour — when terrorists believe they could bring our nation to its knees — those Americans proved that our nation’s unbreakable spirit would prevail,” the proclamation read. “Over the last 23 years, what was destroyed, we have repaired. What was threatened, we have fortified. What was attacked — the indomitable American spirit — prevailed. That is who we are. That is the soul of our Nation.”
Local News
How to add California driver’s license to iPhone, Apple Watch – NBC Los Angeles
California driver’s license holders can now add their state ID to Apple Wallet on their IPhone and Apple Watch, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday.
The digital IDs will be accepted at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) check points, including Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco Airport, as well as select businesses.
“With this new integration, we’re working to better serve the people of California in the 21st Century,” Newsom said in a statement.
Here’s how to add your ID to Apple Wallet
- Go to Apple Wallet
- Click the + button on the top right-hand corner
- Under the “Add to Wallet” section, tap “Driver’s License or State ID” to select “California mDL Pilot.
- Scan the front and back sides of your California ID
- Scan your face
- Take a picture
- Wait for verification from the California DMV.
But there’s a catch
The mobile driver’s license (mDL) pilot program is currently only limited to 1.5 million participants.
If your license is expired or suspended, your mDL will be rejected.
Other factors that could impact your mDL applications are:
- Wearing headwear
- Not using plain background
- Lack of consistent lighting
- Other faces in the frame
- Wearing sunglasses
More tips can be found here.
Last month, the state announced the DMV addition of Google Wallet as an option to hold driver’s licenses and identification cards.
Local News
New LA City Council president begins leadership role – NBC Los Angeles
Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian will hand over the position Friday to Council President Pro Tem Marqueece Harris-Dawson in a leadership shakeup for the 15-member panel.
First elected to in 2015, the 54-year-old Harris-Dawson represents Council District 8, where he won his first election with 62-percent of the vote in an area that includes Baldwin Hills, Chesterfield Square, Crenshaw, Jefferson Park and other communities.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Harris-Dawson won his bid for the top council post in May and vowed to focus on the city’s homeless crisis. The chair of the city’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee co-authored Prop HHH, which was a $1.2 million bond measure to provide permanent supportive housing.
The council voted 14-0 to name Harris-Dawson as Krekorian’s successor as president.
As president, Harris-Dawson will preside as chair over council meetings, have the power to assign council committees and handle parliamentary duties such as ruling motions in or out of order. He was elected president pro tempore to replace Curren Price, who stepped down after he was charged in June 2023 with embezzlement, perjury and conflict of interest.
Harris-Dawson is expected to serve as president through mid-December. Following November’s election and once new council members assume their offices, another election will be held to elect a council president for a new term.
Krekorian received an ovation Thursday at his final meeting as council president. The Council District 2 representative will leave the body in December due to term limits. Councilman Bob Blumenfield unveiled plans to rename two sites in honor of Krekorian — the Victory Valley Child Care Center at 6451 Saint Clair Ave., and the Valley Plaza Sports Fields at 6980 Whitsett Ave. in North Hollywood.
Krekorian, whose district includes east San Fernando Valley neighborhoods, was first elected to the council in late 2009. He was elected council president in the wake of a leaked audio recording of colleagues, including then-President Nury Martinez, that shook City Hall.
Martinez resigned in 2022 after being heard in a recorded racially charged conversation with two other council members and a county labor official discussing the council’s redistricting process. The recorded conversation included racist comments about a colleague’s young Black adopted son.
Krekorian stepped into the council presidency during the tumultuous time at City Hall.
“I couldn’t do the work for the next 79 days and I couldn’t do the work as council president, and I couldn’t have done the work as an Assembly member or anything else without the support, guidance and love that I’ve received from my wife, Tamar, for the last quarter of the century almost,” Krekorian said.
He also thanked his staff.
“To all my staff, I hope you noticed that a number of members of this council specifically recognized you and that’s because you do extraordinary work — not only for me, our constituents, but for the entire city of Los Angeles,” Krekorian said.
Local News
Find Riverside County Airport Fire recovery assistance – NBC Los Angeles
Residents impacted by the Airport Fire in Riverside County can visit a local assistance center in Lake Elsinore.
Residents seeking assistance with food, health care support and more are welcomed to visit the one-stop resource center located at the Lake Community Center. The center will be open from noon to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
The Riverside County Department of Public Social Services, Public Health, Housing & Workforce Solutions and other local agencies will be joined by representatives from the California Office of Emergency Services and several nonprofit organizations to provide information on how to get financial, medical and related aid.
Residents seeking help also can click here.
On Tuesday, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved an emergency declaration, enabling the county to seek state and federal allocations for infrastructure repairs or improvements and general recovery of expenses stemming from the blaze.
As of Thursday, the Airport Fire was 41% contained at more than 23,500 acres in Orange and Riverside counties.
For information about Orange County recovery resources, click here.
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