Colleen Shalby
@cshalby.bsky.social
Reporter at the Los Angeles Times. Reach me at colleen.shalby@latimes.com
One year ago, a fire ripped through my hometown. I wrote about the loss, the resilience of the community and the future of my Altadena in a piece that's part reporter's notebook, part tribute to a place I didn't realize how much I loved until it was gone
A year after the Eaton fire, the loss of Altadena is still raw
A reporter reflects on the loss of her hometown, Altadena, remembering what it was and imagining what it will become.
latimes.com
The fires took his home, his mom's house next door, and his sister's life. For nearly a year, he's fought for his community while trying to get back to his land. My latest on the recovery efforts in Altadena www.latimes.com/california/s...
The fire took his sister and his lifelong home. He's been fighting to get back ever since
The Eaton fire destroyed the homes of Zaire Calvin's family. It took the life of his sister. For nearly a year since, he's advocated for Altadena and for the Black community.
latimes.com
On one block in Altadena, more than half the neighborhood was destroyed. 10 months later, nearly every resident has vowed to return. This is a story about a tight-knit community and the deep bonds that have driven their rebuilding efforts.
The deep bonds on an Altadena street driving neighbors to rebuild
More than half of Highland Avenue in Altadena burned down in the Eaton fire. Ten months later, nearly everyone on the street has vowed to return.
latimes.com
The deep bonds on an Altadena street driving neighbors to rebuild Set aside some time to read @cshalby.bsky.social's beautiful portrait of the community along Highland Avenue, where the connections among neighbors are a driving force behind the rebuilding efforts. www.latimes.com/california/s...
The deep bonds on an Altadena street driving neighbors to rebuild
More than half of Highland Avenue in Altadena burned down in the Eaton fire. Ten months later, nearly everyone on the street has vowed to return.
latimes.com
Nearly 10 months after the fires, the adrenaline that pushed survivors at the beginning has given way to dismay. For many, momentum has slowed as residents sink into a waiting game for permit approval, decide whether to return or grapple with unknowns
Months after fire in Altadena, determination turns to despair
The adrenaline that drove victims in the aftermath of the Eaton fire has worn off for many, leaving a sense of "great disillusionment."
latimes.com
In Altadena, a grassroots dining club to help restaurants has grown to more than 1,300 online followers, helping local businesses while giving neighbors a chance to meet and discuss recovery from the Eaton fire. my latest --> www.latimes.com/california/s...
Restaurants that survived the Eaton fire are struggling. This club hopes to change that
The Altadena Dining Club was formed to help local restaurants stay afloat after the Eaton fire, while simultaneously bringing neighbors together to discuss the recovery.
latimes.com
A new survey of 2,300+ found that -75% of surveyed Pacific Palisades residents and 67% of Altadena residents are in temporary housing. -1 in 5 households that earn less than $100K a year have had to cut back on food; 1 in 6 have had to skip medical care
Nine months after fires, residents continue to struggle with housing stability, finances
A Department of Angels survey for more than 2,300 fire-impacted residents across L.A. County found that 8 in 10 Altadena residents and 9 in 10 Pacific Palisades residents have not returned home.
latimes.com
Hundreds of homes in Altadena survived the fire, but have remained filled with ash and toxins. Efforts to clean those homes have been largely carried out by immigrant workers who have risked their health and, with ongoing raids, the lives they have built
In the fire zones, an immigrant workforce warily carries out cleanups
Months after the Eaton fire, a largely immigrant workforce clears homes of ash and debris in Altadena amid health risks and threat of immigration raids.
latimes.com
85% of LA Times Guild journalists voted to authorize union leaders to call a strike if deemed necessary. This is a first for our union
L.A. Times journalists vote to authorize newsroom’s first open-ended strike — Media Guild of the West
Eighty-five percent of the Los Angeles Times Guild, the union that represents reporters, editors, designers, photographers and other journalists at the West Coast’s largest newspaper, voted this week ...
mediaguildwest.org
"These efforts to clean.. have largely been carried out by immigrant workers who have not just risked their health while clearing homes of toxic material and debris but, with ongoing raids, the lives they have built in California." great story by @cshalby.bsky.social www.latimes.com/california/s...
In the fire zones, an immigrant workforce warily carries out cleanups
Months after the Eaton fire, a largely immigrant workforce clears homes of ash and debris in Altadena amid health risks and threat of immigration raids.
latimes.com
In the fire zones, an immigrant workforce warily carries out cleanup @cshalby.bsky.social www.latimes.com/california/s...
In the fire zones, an immigrant workforce warily carries out cleanups
Months after the Eaton fire, a largely immigrant workforce clears homes of ash and debris in Altadena amid health risks and threat of immigration raids.
latimes.com
The LAX People Mover was expected to open in Jan. 2026. Now, officials hope it will open in time for the World Cup next June, but are working on contingency plans. I spoke with LAWA CEO about the airport's ongoing challenges + hopes for the future www.latimes.com/california/s...
LAX has fallen in global airport rankings. Will a pre-Olympics transformation help?
Los Angeles World Airports Chief Executive John Ackerman describes ongoing challenges at LAX and the $30-billion overhaul he believes will significantly improve the experience.
latimes.com
As new property owners in Altadena clear private land for construction and as tree removals by the county pick up, the future of the town’s canopy remains in question www.latimes.com/california/s...
As tree removals continue in Altadena, residents raise concerns over future
Local arborists believe that Altadena has already lost at least 50% of its pre-Eaton fire tree canopy and fear for further loss.
latimes.com
🎧 Listen to the podcast! Transit reporters @cshalby.bsky.social and Ralph Vartabedian spoke with @mina-kim.bsky.social about California's slow-moving high speed rail project and what it will take to complete construction. 🔗
What Will It Take to Complete California’s High Speed Rail?
KQED's Forum · Episode
buff.ly
Update: Metro's ridership numbers fell to its lowest numbers of the year in June after a 13.5% drop from May www.latimes.com/california/s...
Metro's ridership in June dropped to lowest of the year after immigration raids
Metro ridership dropped more than 13% last month after initial immigration raids in L.A. County.
latimes.com
Colleen Shalby@cshalby.bsky.social · last yr.Metro bus and rail ridership has dropped up to 15% since recent ICE raids. An incident this week at a Pasadena bus stop has brought new fear for riders who rely on public transit (w/ @hannahfry.bsky.social + Christopher Buchanan)
Metro bus and rail ridership has dropped up to 15% since recent ICE raids. An incident this week at a Pasadena bus stop has brought new fear for riders who rely on public transit (w/ @hannahfry.bsky.social + Christopher Buchanan)
L.A. bus ridership plummets amid fears of immigration arrests
In an incident in Pasadena witnessed and videotaped by several residents, immigration officials took away several people waiting at a bus stop, raising the fear that public transit is being targeted f...
latimes.com
All of LA is not a 'war zone.' We separate facts from spin and disinformation amid immigration raids
All of LA is not a ‘war zone.’ We separate facts from spin and disinformation amid immigration raids
What's actually happening during the ICE sweeps and protests across Los Angeles.
latimes.com
The LAX/Metro transit center opens today, bringing LA one step closer to an airport rail connection. The station is about 2.5 miles from LAX. Travelers will take shuttles to and from until the people mover train opens next year www.latimes.com/california/s...
Metro moved forward on its $9.4 billion budget while uncertainties around future funding remain. Newsom's latest budget revision pulls $17.6 million from state's highway fund towards Olympics but ignores a $2 billion request for state agencies' transit operations.
Metro committee moves forward on $9.4-billion budget as Olympics funding remains uncertain
Metro's finance, budget and audit committee approved a $9.4-billion budget. Transit agency leaders warned of a future funding deficit and said that federal and state money remains uncertain, potential...
latimes.com
And now taxis, but make them float. @cshalby.bsky.social on a water taxi that could ferry Olympic fans from San Pedro to Long Beach. www.latimes.com/california/s...
Olympics water taxi service between Long Beach, San Pedro takes a step forward
In a push for a transit-first Olympics, Los Angeles County leaders move forward on plan to launch a water taxi between San Pedro and Long Beach.
latimes.com
FEMA tasked Army Corps to clean up fire debris at private residences, some public buildings and places of worship — but not commercial properties. In Altadena, the business districts are still lined with rubble and the shells of gutted shops and restaurants. www.latimes.com/california/s...
A concrete recycling operation is going up in the middle of an Altadena neighborhood that largely survived the fire. Residents who expected to return soon have been told the work is safe but have seen no proof and fear the plans pose new danger. "We are just totally and utterly trapped."
Their homes survived the fire. Will a cleanup operation across the street pose new danger?
Most of the homes around the Altadena Golf Course survived the Eaton fire. Residents are concerned that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' debris operation on its grounds could pose new danger.
latimes.com
Latest issue of the L.A. Times Guild Eagle: Our latest updates to you on the loss of even more irreplaceable staff and our owner's push to weave Artificial Intelligence into our work. latguild.com/news/2025/3/...
Inside the L.A. Times: Buyouts, AI blowback — L.A. Times Guild - Los Angeles Times Guild
Buyouts hit newsroom hard, irreplaceable institutional knowledge lost
latguild.com
Whether Southern California Edison was responsible for sparking the Jan. 7 Eaton blaze remains to be seen, but company records uncovered by The Times show for the first time that Edison knew some of its towers at and near the likely ignition point were fire hazards.
Power lines suspected of starting Eaton fire were overdue for 'ignition risk' repairs
Southern California Edison knew for years that its transmission towers around Eaton Canyon posed a risk of sparking a fire, company records show, with repairs long overdue.
latimes.com
2+ months after the Eaton fire tore through Altadena, questions persist for residents eager to get back -- how long will it take to rebuild once they're allowed to, what the process will require and whether they can manage the wait www.latimes.com/california/s...
As debris removal continues in Altadena, residents eager to learn next steps to rebuild
More than two months after the Eaton fire, Altadena residents wonder how long it will take to rebuild their homes, what the process will require and whether they can manage the wait.
latimes.com
As the Trump administration continues to threaten federal funding, Los Angeles is waiting for millions of allocated dollars to expand Metro’s rail lines and an answer to a multibillion dollar request for the 2028 Olympics www.latimes.com/california/s...
Metro's Olympics plans rely on federal funding. Will Trump threaten it?
As the Trump administration threatens federal funding, Metro is assessing what allocations could be vulnerable and if cuts could affect the 2028 Olympics.
latimes.com
In Altadena, healthy trees that survived the fire have been at risk of removal. Some have already been cut down, tree care experts and residents say. A look at their mission to save the town's historic canopy
In Altadena, a fight to save the trees that survived the fire
The Eaton fire destroyed much of Altadena. Now, residents are fighting to save the trees that survived.
latimes.com
In the early 20th century, people could buy home kits from Sears catalogs, saving on time and money. Inspired by that model, local architects are mapping out a plan to help Altadena residents rebuild after the fire
People used to buy homes through catalogs. Could that idea help Altadena?
As residents continue to imagine what Altadena’s future could look like after the Eaton fire, dreamers have begun mapping plans inspired by old Sears catalogs.
latimes.com
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it won’t order soil testing at properties charred by the fires. This breaks with a long-standing safeguard to ensure no lingering contamination is left behind after fires, my colleague Tony Briscoe reports: www.latimes.com/environment/... @latimes.com
Feds won't test soil after L.A. wildfire cleanup, potentially leaving contamination behind
In the wake of the Eaton and Palisades fires, Army Corps officials are saying that excavating six inches of topsoil is enough to rid properties of contamination.
latimes.com
Southern California Edison was warned in 2022 that an emergency shutdown could overload power lines that run through Eaton Canyon, increasing the risk of a wildfire, according to public records reviewed by The Times.
Edison knew before Eaton fire that cutting power risked igniting blaze, records show
Southern California Edison was warned in 2022 that an emergency shutdown could overload power lines that run through Eaton Canyon, increasing the risk of a wildfire, according to public records reviewed by The Times. Planned fixes that experts said would have mitigated the risk were never completed.
latimes.com