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Owner of DTLA building where explosion hurt 12 firefighter avoids jail time

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Owner of DTLA building where explosion hurt 12 firefighter avoids jail time

The proprietor of a downtown Los Angeles constructing the place an explosion injured 12 firefighters has been allowed to enter a judicial diversion program that permits him to keep away from jail time and probably have all fees dismissed.

A court docket commissioner on Wednesday granted the diversion request for Steve Sungho Lee. He and his firms should pay greater than $15,000 in investigative charges, be sure that the property meets hearth and constructing codes and arranging for Fireplace Division coaching.

Lee owned a business constructing on East Boyd Road within the metropolis’s Toy District that caught hearth on Could 16, 2020. Firefighters needed to run for his or her lives when a ball of flames shot out the constructing and scorched a hearth truck throughout the road.

Firefighters contained in the constructing needed to run by a wall of flames he estimated as 30 toes (9 meters) excessive and vast, and people on the roof scrambled down a ladder that was engulfed in hearth.

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Fireplace officers stated the constructing was a warehouse for Smoke Tokes, a wholesale distributor of provides for smoking and vaping merchandise together with butane hash oil, a concentrated hashish extract that may be eaten, smoked or vaped. Extremely flammable butane is used within the manufacturing course of.

A lot of the injured firefighters nonetheless haven’t returned to work and one, Capt. Victor Aguirre, was hospitalized for greater than two months and all of his fingers needed to be partially amputated, based on a lawsuit he filed towards the constructing and enterprise house owners.

Aguirre alleged that the realm contained “lots of of illegally and improperly saved butane canisters and hundreds of illegally and improperly saved nitrous oxide cylinders.”

A fireplace division report concluded that the blaze, which unfold to a close-by constructing, was fueled by an “extreme amount” of the containers.

Investigators from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives concluded that the fireplace began underneath a storage rack within the constructing and {that a} employee with a lit cigarette was seen within the space. The reason for the fireplace was dominated unintentional.

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Nonetheless, metropolis prosecutors filed greater than 300 misdemeanor fees of violating hearth and security codes towards Lee, his firms and house owners of companies within the constructing and close by properties. That included greater than 160 counts towards Lee and his firms.

If Lee meets all circumstances of his judicial diversion program for 2 years, the costs can be dismissed.

“Mr. Lee can be deemed by regulation to have by no means been charged,” stated his legal professional, Blair Berk. “The exhaustive federal investigation of the tragic hearth objectively concluded that the trigger was unintentional, and there was no discovering of any wrongdoing by Mr. Lee or his firms.”

Metropolis Lawyer Mike Feuer opposed diversion for Lee, noting the severity of the fireplace, the accidents suffered by the firefighters and Lee’s alleged failure “to take steps which may have mitigated the extent of the blaze.”

The house owners of Smoke Tokes and one other enterprise, Inexperienced Buddha, agreed in November 2020 to pay $139,000 every to cowl investigative prices and to maneuver out of the constructing. Costs towards them have been later dismissed.

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This story has been up to date to right that Lee and his firms should pay greater than $15,000, not $125,000.

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Los Angeles, Ca

Rescue underway of woman trapped in tunnel in Los Angeles neighborhood

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Rescue underway of woman trapped in tunnel in Los Angeles neighborhood

Emergency crews are attempting to rescue a woman from a tunnel in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday morning.

Firefighters were called to the 500 block of South Bixel Street around 8:20 a.m. on reports of a female entering a tunnel and being unable to exit, the Los Angeles Fire Department stated in a news alert.

Emergency crews attempt to rescue a woman trapped in Westlake on Nov. 19, 2024. (KTLA)

The patient was able to communicate with arriving crewmembers and did not mention any injuries and did not seem to be in distress, the Fire Department stated.

An Urban Search and Rescue Team was also sent to the location.

Sky5 was over the scene at 9:45 a.m. where crews could be seen standing near a ladder leading into the tunnel.

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Check back for updates on this developing story.

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Los Angeles, Ca

These are the best cruise lines for 2025

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These are the best cruise lines for 2025

If you’re looking to spend a vacation at sea but haven’t decided which cruise line is best for your specific needs, a new online ranking shows the best options for every type of traveler, from families to luxury seekers.

U.S. News & World Report has released its 2025 Best Cruise Lines rankings, highlighting 18 of the most popular cruise lines across six categories ranging from couples and families, to which distinct parts of the globe you’re looking to experience.

From cruises that offer the best bang for your buck to experiences that spare no expense, the rankings aim to help travelers select the perfect cruise vacation based on expert evaluations, traveler ratings and other key factors.

Norwegian Epic Cruise shown in this undated image. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Viking Ocean Cruises topped three categories: Best Luxury Cruise Lines, Best Cruise Lines for Couples, and Best Cruise Lines in the Mediterranean.

Disney Cruise Line also made a strong showing, maintaining its No. 1 positions in Best Cruise Lines for Families and Best Cruise Lines in the Caribbean.

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And for thrifty vacationers, Celebrity Cruises earned the title of Best Cruise Line for the Money.

“Given the variety of cruise lines available, these rankings provide travelers a way to compare features, amenities, and offerings to find the right cruise,” said Nicola Wood, senior travel editor at U.S. News.

2025 Best Cruise Lines Highlights

Best Cruise Lines for the Money

  1. Celebrity Cruises
  2. Virgin Voyages
  3. MSC Cruises

Best Cruise Lines for Families

  1. Disney Cruise Line
  2. Royal Caribbean International
  3. Norwegian Cruise Line

Best Cruise Lines for Couples

  1. Viking Ocean Cruises
  2. Seabourn Cruise Line
  3. Celebrity Cruises

Best Luxury Cruise Lines

  1. Viking Ocean Cruises
  2. Seabourn Cruise Line
  3. Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Disney Cruise Line's newest ship, The Treasure, arrives at dawn Port Canaveral, Fla., Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, The Treasure, arrives at dawn Port Canaveral, Florida on Nov. 12, 2024. (AP)

The rankings were based primarily on three main factors: expert evaluations (30%), traveler ratings (50%), and health ratings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program (20%). Expert ratings assessed the ship’s luxury, facilities and services, while traveler reviews provided first-hand insights into the experience of being onboard one of the ships.

Each cruise line was also evaluated on factors including price, family suitability, and destination options. Cruise ships and lines were only included in rankings if they met a minimum threshold for traveler reviews or itinerary availability.

For a full list of rankings and insights, visit U.S. News Cruise Rankings.

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Los Angeles, Ca

Bear shot, killed by homeowner in Southern California mountain community

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Bear shot, killed by homeowner in Southern California mountain community

A resident in a small San Bernardino County Mountain community is being criticized after he shot and killed a bear last week that he claimed was getting into his chicken coop.  

The Arrowbear Lake resident, a man identified only as Chris, reported the Nov. 13 shooting on Fox Lane to the county sheriff’s department and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said the homeowner was justified in fatally shooting the animal.  

Under California Fish and Game code 4181.1 “any bear that is encountered while in the act of inflicting injury to, molesting or killing livestock may be taken immediately by the owner of the livestock.” 

“I love the bears, everybody here. We coexist with them,” neighbor Mike Kutz, who heard the shots told KTLA’s Shelby Nelson. “I hear three or four gunshots and then, a few minutes later, I had another two more gunshots.”  

  • Bear shot in San Bernardino Mountains
  • Bear shot in San Bernardino Mountains
  • Bear shot in San Bernardino Mountains

According to Kutz, the bear was no stranger to the neighborhood and added that it appeared to be skittish of humans.  

“He would just walk up the street and if I opened the door to my cabin, he would run,” he said. “He would not stop and look. He would instantly run.”  

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The homeowner who shot the bear and had previously reported to the sheriff’s department that the animal charged him briefly spoke to KTLA.  

“It was getting into my chicken coop. Like I said, talk to the sheriff. They’ll give you the details,” he explained. “I’ve done everything I can to prevent this bear. I had an electric fence. The bear went right through it no matter what. I had a bunch of deterrents, the bear kept coming. I even bear sprayed him, and he still kept coming.”  

While the shooting was deemed justified, it has drawn a lot of criticism from other mountain residents, especially online, with many saying it was sad to see the situation end this way.  

“I think if fish and game said that it’s justified then it’s justified,” Arrowbear Lake resident Eric Real told KTLA. “I do love animals, so it does hurt to see a bear get shot over the situation.”  

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