Le Journal

Two hikers were rescued from Switzer Falls in the Angeles National Forest near Tujunga after falling into a creek Saturday night, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said. Deputies first got a call at around 7 p.m. Saturday about two hikers who were soaked and stranded during the dark and cold hours. It could have been a perilous situation, but the hikers went prepared, according to the sheriff’s department. The hikers had a satellite SOS device, which allowed them to request for help when their cell service became unavailable. Being able to communicate with authorities allowed rescue workers to reach the hikes efficiently, the sheriff’s department said. The hikers also had taken materials to start a fire, so they could stay warm while waiting for the rescue team. After climbing out of the creek, they were able to dry their clothes and change into dry socks. “These steps significantly reduced the risk of hypothermia, which is a real and dangerous concern in cold, wet conditions—especially at night,” the sheriff’s department said. Mount Baldy Jan 12 Grieving parents of deceased hiker warns of dangerous conditions on Mt. Baldy in winter Mount Baldy Jan 15 Some Mt. Baldy trails reopen despite icy and possibly perilous conditions Once reaching the hikers, the rescue team was able to safely put out the fire and escorted them out to the parking lot. “Our message is simple: be prepared. The right gear and planning give you the best chance to take care of yourself while help is on the way,” the sheriff’s department urged.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day was marked Monday with numerous parades, musical and cultural events and volunteer opportunities throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties on the federal holiday that honors the legacy of the slain civil-rights leader. Monday’s biggest Southland event for the occasion took place in South Los Angeles, where the annual MLK Day parade is under new leadership — Bakewell Media, publisher of the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper. Bakewell took over the event — formerly called the Kingdom Day Parade — and rebranded it as the “Los Angeles Official Martin Luther King Day Parade” after the previous organizers, Adrian Dove and the LA chapter of theCongress of Racial Equality California, decided to retire from producing the event. The parade, which annually draws thousands of spectators, began at 10 a.m. Monday at Western Avenue and MLK Jr. Boulevard, ending at Leimert Park. It featured floats, marching bands, faith-based and community organizations, local and national leaders and more. Cedric The Entertainer will serve as grand marshal. Following the parade, L.A. City Council members Marqueece Harris- Dawson, Curren Price and Heather Hutt were set to host the MLK Freedom Festival in the historic Leimert Park Village. The festival featured music performances from the likes of the Grammy award-winning Avila Brothers, along with a community resource fair, local vendors, food trucks and more. Assemblyman Isaac Bryan, D-Culver City, and state Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, D-Los Angeles, were among those scheduled to attend the event. The Freedom Festival will also feature the South Los Angeles Community Coalition’s “The Barbershop,” which aims to replicate the safe spaces that barbershops and nail salons have represented in the Black community for generations. Organizers say the setup was used as a forum to discuss MLK’s call for justice, dignity and collective action. Topics will include community safety, housing, economic justice and the power of people-led solutions. The coalition will also launch a community poll to identify key issues felt by South LA residents. Also Monday, the annual MLK Day Volunteer Festival took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, beginning at noon and run by the nonprofit LA Works. It’s billed as “the largest activation of service event honoring Martin Luther King Jr. at a moment when the city’s need for collective action has never been greater.” The event focused on wildfire recovery and uplifting displaced families, and standing with immigrant communities, organizers said. It included volunteer projects, educational activities, a nonprofit fair and BIPOC small-business zone, a live DJ, and more. According to the festival’s website, tickets were sold out, with “thousands of Angelenos (stepping) … forward to join the movement on MLK Day to transform compassion into action.” “We are at capacity for this year’s event and cannot accommodate walk-ups, but there are still powerful ways to honor Dr. King’s legacy through action,” organizers said. Meanwhile, the volunteer organization Big Sunday was scheduled to conduct its 14th annual MLK Day Clothing Drive & Community Breakfast from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at South Park Elementary School, located at 8510 Towne Ave. Big Sunday aims to collect non-perishable food and clothes for a new, year-round food pantry. In addition to the food and clothes drive, the nonprofit organized gardening and other school beautification projects, arts and crafts activities and a special MLK Day mosaic project. Other Monday MLK events include: In Exposition Park, the California African American Museum, at 600 State Drive, will host a King Day program from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. that will include a community service book donation drive supporting the Little Free Library at the Crenshaw Family YMCA; a faux stained glass workshop; a King study group; and concluding with a performance by the Inner City Youth Orchestra of LA In Santa Clarita, a Unity Walk” will take…