Essential California Week in Review: Historic winter storm in California

Good morning and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It is Saturday February 25.

Here’s a look at the top stories from the past week

Rare weather conditions fuel California’s ‘big and unusual’ snow and blizzard warning. The powerful winter storm sweeping through California is expected to drop massive amounts of rain, hail and snow across much of the state, including Southern California, where dozens of feet of fresh powder could fall in the mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties at elevations as low as 1,500 feet.

More about the storm in California

The housekeeper’s husband is arrested for the murder of LA Bishop David G. O’Connell. Authorities suspect Carlos Medina, 61, fatally shot O’Connell at the bishop’s home, sources said.

Check out the photos behind this week’s biggest stories: California marks a gloomy toll, a powerful blizzard covers the mountains, and a woman survives a 200-foot fall.

Harvey Weinstein used to be sentenced to 16 years in prison for rape in Los Angeles. The sentence pretty much ensures that the disgraced Hollywood king-maker will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Crips gang member sentenced to 60 years in prison for murder of Nipsey Hussle. A Crips gang member was sentenced to at least 60 years in prison for murdering beloved rapper Nipsey Hussle outside his Crenshaw clothing store in 2019.

A coastal city in Orange County banned balloons. Laguna Beach passes an ordinance banning the sale, public use and distribution of balloons. This is why.

Amid well drilling and pumping, calls are growing for stronger California water regulation. As more wells threaten to run dry, activists are urging the state to intervene in five Central Valley areas where they say plans are inadequate to curb chronic overpumping.

More than 100,000 deaths from COVID-19 in California. Even in an age of abundant vaccines and therapies, California still averages more than 20 COVID-19 deaths per day.

Hollywood studios are planning a writers’ strike – even before negotiations have started. Studios and producers are preparing for a possible writers’ strike a month before negotiations begin with the Writers Guild of America.

LA wants to evict families living in a luxury hotel ever since a failed fireworks explosion in 2021. LA officials told families displaced by the failed 2021 fireworks blast to leave by March 31, leading some to worry about shelter.

ICYMI, here are this week’s great articles

An asteroid will just miss us in 2029. Scientists are making the most of a rare opportunity. In April 2029, a huge asteroid will fly past Earth. It won’t be close enough to hit us, but close enough to study, so scientists are preparing. Here’s how.

Best coffee city in the world? Los Angeles. Find the best cafes, the freshest brews and your favorite beans in the coffee shop capital of the world.

Canyon Country Store preserves Laurel Canyon’s music history. Tommy Bina, owner of the Canyon Country Store—part grocery store, part homemade museum—is on a mission “to bring back the spirit of Laurel Canyon.”

Today’s week-in-review newsletter is curated by Kenya Romero. Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to essentialcalifornia@WhatsNewDay.com.