Los Angeles, Ca
Disney clears major hurdle in $1.9B expansion plans
The Anaheim City Council has voted to approve a measure for a massive $1.9 billion expansion proposal by Disney, also known as Disneyland Forward.
City council members voted 7-0 for the proposal early Wednesday morning, following an 8-hour meeting.
Even though the city council voted to approve the proposal Wednesday morning, it will face another city council vote on May 7. Should the proposal be approved on that day, changes related to Disneyland Forward would be implemented until 30 days after.
Many, ranging from Anaheim residents and Disneyland cast members to officials from neighboring cities, expressed their support or opposition for the Disneyland Forward proposal.
Disneyland Forward details how Disney wants to grow its theme park resort in Anaheim.
The proposal, which is a 40-year agreement that would guide where and how future developments would occur, would allow new attractions, shops and restaurants to be built within current undeveloped areas at the resort that Disney already owns or operates.
The proposal would allow theme park attractions to be built alongside hotels on the west side of Disneyland Drive, along with building attractions, shopping, dining and entertainment where the Toy Story Parking Area at Katella Avenue and Harbor Boulevard stands today.
The company would also pay $40 million to buy Magic Way, Hotel Way and a part of Clementine Street from the city, a move some residents aren’t on board with.
Magic Way serves drivers using the Pixar Pals Parking Structure and visiting the Disneyland Hotel.
If Disney bought Magic Way, it would be transformed into a pedestrian walkway, a city spokesperson previously told KTLA.
During Tuesday’s meeting, many residents continued to express their disapproval of the potential sale of Magic Way.
With the approval, the city ended up transferring “responsibility for Magic Way” over to Disney.
“The city is transferring responsibility for Magic Way because the road overwhelmingly serves the Disneyland Hotel, Disney employee parking and the south end of the Pixar Pals Parking Structure,” a news release from the city said.
During the public comment portion, some residents asked why the city had to rely on Disney to provide money for streets and infrastructure while others proposed that Disney donate more money to the city without the needing to expand its theme park resort.
During its presentation, Disney once again expressed its commitment to spending at least $1.9 billion on the resort over the next decade should Disneyland Forward receive approval.
The city specified in the proposed development agreement for Disneyland Forward that the minimum investment would go towards theme park attractions, entertainment, lodging, shopping and dining.
Investments for parking, road improvements and bridges would be separate.
The expansion plans could also benefit the city outside of the theme park resort since Disney has set aside millions of dollars for improvements to infrastructure, such as sewers and roads around the resort area.
The company also announced it‘s committed to spending $30 million for affordable housing, $8 million for city parks, and continuing workforce programs in Anaheim.
Disneyland Resort president Ken Potrock also spoke during the meeting and described Disneyland Forward as the resort’s “legacy project.”
“We are ready to bring the next level of immersive entertainment to Anaheim,” Potrock said during the meeting. “We are committed to starting right away.”
As for the new experiences and attractions coming to the resort, no official plans have been announced, but there are theories out there.
Disney fans hope that lands, rides and attractions based on “Tangled,” “Zootopia” and “Tron” and expanded areas based on “Peter Pan” and “Toy Story,” will be in the works.
Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro also talked about the possibility of bringing Frozen’s Arendelle, Black Panther’s Wakanda and Coco’s Santa Cecilia to life in some capacity at the “Happiest Place on Earth” and potentially its sister park in Orlando last year.
During the meeting, Potrock talked about the potential of bringing expanded experiences to Star Wars: Galaxy Edge, Avengers Campus and Cars Land.
Aside from the proposal, an “Avatar”-themed experience is expected to come to the resort. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is also slated to open later this year at Disneyland.
Los Angeles, Ca
Thief steals custom tricycle from Southern California girl with rare neurological disorder
A Southern California family is distraught after a thief stole an adaptive tricycle from a young girl with a rare neurological disorder.
Surveillance videos captured the theft outside of a Lawndale home on Thursday at around 7:30 a.m. A man is seen walking in the neighborhood when he spots the bike in the victim’s front yard.
He walks over and inspects the bike before rolling it across the neighborhood street and placing it into his black van parked around the corner.
The bike belongs to Alli, a 7-year-old girl who has a rare genetic mutation that causes neurological issues and limits her mobility.
The girl’s mother, Elisabeth Booth, said Alli’s condition causes epilepsy, dyskinesia, developmental delay, speech issues and motor issues. Alli is also on the autism spectrum and is nonverbal.
The adaptive bike was custom-made for the girl’s physical therapy and is vital to strengthening her legs while allowing her to keep up with other neighborhood children.
“She has a twin brother and we go out on bike rides,” Elisabeth said. “This allows her to ride with us and be a part of everyday activities with regular, typical kids.”
Elisabeth bought the bike several years ago secondhand and paid $1,700 for it. The bike is custom-fit to Alli and Elizabeth said she cannot afford to purchase a new one.
“It’s adjusted to exactly her leg length, so, the end seam measurements,” the mother explained. “Her seat is exactly where it needs to be so that her knee comes up at a 90-degree angle.”
Elisabeth said she didn’t understand why the thief would take the bike, especially knowing it looked unique and likely belonged to a child with special needs.
“I’m shocked that, at any point, he didn’t think to himself that this bike is needed for a child and that he just took off with it without a care in the world,” Elisabeth said. “This is a child’s trike who needs it to feel like a part of the kids and the community. She misses it and wants it back.”
By releasing surveillance video of the theft, Elisabeth hopes someone will recognize the suspect or his black van.
A GoFundMe page to help raise money to replace Alli’s tricycle can be found here.
Anyone with information on the theft is asked to call the Lawndale Sheriff’s Station at 310-219-2750
Los Angeles, Ca
4 arrested for $1.5 million theft targeting Southern California jewelry stores
Four suspects were arrested in connection with violent smash-and-grab robberies targeting jewelry stores across Southern California.
The group is believed to be a part of an organized theft crime ring that stole over $1.5 million worth of jewelry, according to the California Attorney General’s Office.
The suspects were identified as:
- Rodney Allen Flynt, Sr., 31
- Michael Anthony Jones, Jr., 32
- Christopher Shawn Pate, 27
- Ryan Keith Pate, 31
The thefts occurred from April 4, 2023, through May 8, 2024, and targeted high-end jewelry stores across Orange, Riverside, San Diego and Kern counties.
The retailers targeted include Kay Jewelers, Zales, Marc Jacobs, Princess Jewelers, Banter By Piercing Pagoda, JCPenney and Karrada Jewelry.
The suspects would typically run into shopping malls and ransack the jewelry shops in violent smash-and-grab style thefts, authorities said. The heists took place both during operating hours and sometimes after the stores were closed.
In total, the quartet escaped with jewelry and merchandise worth around $1,542,706, according to court documents.
Thirty criminal counts were charged against the group including organized retail theft, grand theft, conspiracy, second-degree robbery, second-degree commercial burglary and vandalism.
“Organized retail crime has a profound impact on our community and the broader region,” said Carlsbad Police Lieutenant Shaun Lawton. “These crimes not only affect the financial health of local businesses but also result in increased prices for consumers and reduced tax revenues that support public services.”
“Organized retail crime has been plaguing our state for far too long,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “It harms businesses, retailers, and consumers – and puts the public at risk. I thank our local law enforcement partners for their work in apprehending the suspects in this case. The California Department of Justice and its partners will continue fighting to keep our communities, businesses, and consumers safe from retail theft and other crimes.”
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including the California Department of Justice Organized Retail Crime Task Force, Bakersfield Police, Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, San Diego Police, Carlsbad Police, Escondido Police, El Cajon Police, National City Police and Chula Vista Police.
Los Angeles, Ca
EV goes up in flames, damages home in Los Angeles
Flames from an electric vehicle that caught fire overnight damaged some power lines and scorched a home in the Granada Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The fire was reported around 2 a.m. on Rinaldi Street near Haskell Avenue.
Firefighters found flames engulfing a Mercedez-Benz, which proved to be difficult to put out.
The electrical nature of the fire made it so intense that firefighters requested additional resources, Stringer News Service KNN reported.
Flames from the burning vehicle spread to a nearby home and burned some power lines in the area. It was unclear if power was affected at any of the residences.
The cause of the fire was unknown but what appeared to be a charging chord or possibly a power line was seen draped across the front of the vehicle as it was burning.
There was no word on whether the car was charging at the time of the fire.
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