Railroad traffic through La Mirada is about to get a lot busier

La Mirada- Rail activity on the BNSF line through La Mirada will see more traffic as part of a plan President Joe Biden will announce today increasing operations at the Los Angeles Port to 24 hours a day to eliminate bottlenecks that are hindering economic recovery from the pandemic.

The BNSF rail line through La Mirada plays a significant part in moving the millions of shipping containers that move through the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports each year which receive 40% of U.S. import cargo.

Port authorities will nearly double the number of hours longshore workers will offload ships that currently sit anchored offshore in a row extending seven miles to the south off Huntington Beach.

To clear space at the port to receive all the incoming shipping containers commitments have been made by the biggest players at the port to receive and transport out many more of the containers in the coming days as the operation expected to last 90 days gets underway.

Those commitments include Walmart that will receive and transport up to 50% more products, UPS handling 20% more containers, 60% by Samsung, Home Depot 10%, and Target 10%. 

FedEx will make a major shift to nighttime hours through increased use of rail and trucking transport that could result in a near doubling of shipments it handles daily. 

A similar effort is also underway at Long Beach Port.

Los Angeles Port has also seen a 30% increase in exports this year, with 20% more exports being reported at Long Beach.

House fire near La Mirada causes extensive damage

 A fire in South Whittier this afternoon near Biola Av and Imperial Hwy caused extensive damage to a home and the detached garage that had been converted into a residence.

For more detail follow the link to the La Mirada News Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/LaMiradaNews/posts/1205259059968824

Entertainment and Community News : The return of Broadway shows nears as Theatre opens 44th season

La Mirada native Kenny Metcalf kicked off the 44th season of entertainment at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts last night in a musical  re-creation as Elton John in Elton and the Early Years Band in the first of two shows.

Metcalf and his supporting band perform hit after hit from the early years in a live concert setting that even includes the flamboyant type of attire Elton John was known for.  

Good seats remain available for tonight's performance the last of the TV show series. seats for the 8 p.m. performance are priced from $19- $58. 

Further information and a link to purchase tickets can be found at:

https://lamiradatheatre.com/current_events/concerts/elton_john_tribute/

The wait is almost over

Next Friday, after a season scrapped  due to the pandemic, the wait will be over as Broadway returns to La Mirada with the McCoy-Rigby production of Clue.

Based on the motion picture of the same name, Clue is a comedic whodunit with a cast of zany characters that brings to life the classic boardgame from Hasbro.

Clue premieres Friday September 24th and runs through October 17th with ticket prices ranging from $14 up to $62.90. Matinee shows are offered on Saturdays and Sundays.

The theatre is obligated by state law to enforce a mask and vaccination mandate in place through November 1st for all venues with a capacity of 1,000 or more.  All persons attending an events at the theater are required to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status or covid-19 test results.

In accordance with state law attendees must present photo ID and their proof of vaccination or a report showing a test of negative within the past 72 hours at the door in order to be admitted.

Sheriff's Dear Awareness Event

WHITTIER- The Sheriff's department will be hosting a deaf awareness inaugural event on Saturday at 10 a.m. to raise awareness of the deaf community and to highlight the Sheriff's Department involvement.

 The event at the Sheriff's STARS Center will feature educational breakout sessions, static displays, food trucks, face painting, and career information.

STARS Center is located at 11515 Colima Rd near Telegraph Rd in South Whittier.

La Mirada News in Brief 090821 A pursuit, West Nile, new Starbucks, Pepe's and more

 Sunday vehicle pursuit

A suspect was taken into custody Sunday evening after a nine-minute pursuit that went through parts of La Mirada took an interesting twist near the end.

About 7:04 p.m. the suspect driving a 99 Brown Chevy near Rosecrans Av and Carmenita Rd fled when a deputy attempted to stop him for suspicion of reckless driving while under the influence. 

The chase entered La Mirada a few minutes later on Valley View Av at Imperial Hwy moving southbound to Rosecrans Ave.  The suspect then went east to Biola, then south to Stage Rd, and west to Norwalk again.  

The pursuit came to a sudden stop at Firestone Blvd and San Antonio Dr when the suspect collided with another vehicle and the center divider. The occupants of the other vehicle were not seriously hurt.

The man then took off on foot in a futile attempt to escape with a Sheriff's Department air unit overhead. 

After hopping the wall to the Vernola's Tow storage yard the suspect appeared to surrender to the helicopter loudspeaker order to spread eagle on the ground and wait to be taken into custody.

After gaining entry to the tow yard after an employee opened the gate the suspect suddenly bolted out the gate in a second attempt to escape and again hopped another wall, this time into a storage yard for Norwalk Transit buses at Sproul St and Clarkdale Ave.

The suspect became trapped without a way down after he climbed up on the roof of one of the buses and was taken into custody without further incident.

Virtual Neighborhood Watch meeting Sept. 15

The La Mirada Public Safety unit is holding an online Neighborhood Watch meeting on Zoom next Tuesday, September 15 at 10 a.m.

The following information is needed to gain access to the live stream Meeting ID #890 6873 0258  Passcode 585975.

For more information contact Public Safety Officer Mary Cipres at mcipres@cityoflamirada.org.

West Nile infected mosquito found in LM

The Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District in Santa Fe Springs has reported the first mosquito infected with the West Nile Virus has been located in La Mirada.

Four were found in the city last year.

The district asks residents to not have standing water where the breeding of mosquitos can occur.  

The public can report significant issues or potential breeding spots of standing water they observe by calling (562) 944-9656.

Local Engine on Northern California fire lines

The Los Angeles County Fire Department engine from Station 194 located on Beach Blvd near Hillsborough Dr has been on the fire lines in Northern California since July.

Engine 194 is part of a strike team consisting of five engines and a battalion chief that were dispatched to the Dixie fire shortly after it broke out on July 14. It is likely they were sent to the Caldor Fire in August.

County Fire has six strike teams on loan to the California Office of Emergency Services and will be compensated with disaster funds once they become available for costs incurred.

The personnel on the strike teams are usually relieved after two weeks with fresh personnel.

A fully-staffed reserve engine is now deployed at Station 194 24 hours a day until Engine 194 returns.

A New Starbucks coming to LM?

A notation in a recent city report noted that a new Starbucks would be opening a new coffee shop in the shuttered former Jack-in-the-Box at Beach Blvd and Hillsborough Dr.

No opening date was given.

New Pepe's Restaurant opens on Beach Blvd

Many of you fans out there of Pepe's located at Telegraph Rd and Lakewood Blvd in Downey will be pleased to find out that you will not have to make the trip over there any longer to enjoy their excellent food.

The have opened up a new location in the former Taco Bell in La Habra on Beach Blvd north of Imperial Hwy next to the Tommy's.