Senin, 05 Oktober 2026

Santa Clarita Wildfire, Almond Cargo Heist, and a Boxing Bear

Monday, October 5, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1955, the Disneyland Hotel opened in Anaheim, three months after the park itself. Walt Disney didn’t own the place, though. It was initially owned and operated by Jack Wrather, and Disney officially acquired the hotel in 1988.

A piece of California history is getting ready for a very big birthday. We have details below on Mission San Juan Capistrano’s 250th anniversary and the special bell ringing planned to mark the occasion.

And speaking of local history, what’s your favorite historic landmark in your neck of the woods? Hit reply and let us know.

Remember the traditions you used to keep and somehow just stopped? Maybe not since you were a kid. A lot of the ones we grew up with are quietly slipping away, and the numbers on how far each has fallen are steeper than you'd expect. Which Sunday tradition did families once build the whole week around? And why are so few grooms asking their bride's father for permission anymore? In the latest episode of Flyover Focus, we count down 10 American traditions that are fading, ending with the one you could still bring back before the month is out. Tune in here!

Today's sponsor, Oricle Hearing Aids, is helping readers hear more clearly without sky-high prices, offering a tiny, easy-to-use hearing aid with clear sound and all-day power for under $100.

Bouquet Fire Burns Near Santa Clarita

The Bouquet Fire has charred 1,048 acres of the Angeles National Forest northeast of Santa Clarita, where crews had the blaze 40% contained by Sunday morning.

The fire broke out shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday near Bouquet Canyon and Quarry roads and exploded past 1,000 acres within hours. Bouquet Canyon Road remains closed at Vasquez Canyon Road.

Nearly 300 personnel worked the blaze, which burned through brush in an area that hadn't seen fire in decades. Investigators believe it may be human-caused, with equipment, power lines, or a vehicle among the possible sources.

Evacuation orders and warnings remained in effect for several Los Angeles County zones, and a shelter opened at the Castaic Sports Complex. Air-quality officials warned of heavy smoke across the Santa Clarita Valley.

Newsom Signs $19.75 Farmworker Wage

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a law raising the minimum wage for California farmworkers to $19.75 an hour, effective Jan. 1, 2027.

Assembly Bill 2646 covers guest workers in the federal H-2A program and the California residents who do the same work. Its author, Assemblymember Maggy Krell, D-Sacramento, said farmworkers "are barely getting by, and some are not getting by at all."

The United Farm Workers sponsored the bill, which follows a Trump-administration move that lowered California's H-2A wage floor to $16.90 an hour. Some 30 farm and business groups had urged a veto, warning the higher wage would add hundreds of millions of dollars to farm labor costs.

The fight runs through the Central Valley, where much of the work happens. Several Valley Democrats backed the raise even as growers warned it would pile onto rising fuel, fertilizer, and water costs.

State Report Faults LA Fire Response

A 723-page report ordered by Gov. Gavin Newsom has concluded that no single failure explains the devastation from the January 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires, which killed 31 people across Los Angeles County.

In the Palisades, the Fire Safety Research Institute found, fire officials underestimated the danger as a windstorm bore down, didn't deploy enough resources, and sent one crew home over concerns about overtime costs.

The report also faulted poor evacuation planning and warnings that reached people late or through conflicting channels. Those failures fell hardest on renters, people with limited mobility, vision, or hearing, and non-English speakers. The report said the circumstances of several deaths suggest some victims may not have known the fire was nearby or their evacuation status.

The institute stopped short of blaming any single agency, instead offering recommendations for the future. With responsibility spread across the system, the report leaves unresolved who is responsible for fixing it.

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➤ San Jose: A pickup truck crashed into a fence at the closed CaliBunga Waterpark on Saturday, sparking a fire that spread to a water slide and a chemical storage shed. No chemicals leaked, and the arson unit is investigating. (See Details)

➤ Sacramento: Thirty-seven fallen firefighters from across California were honored Saturday at the California Firefighters Memorial downtown, where the California Fire Foundation added their names to a memorial that now holds more than 1,600. (Read Story)

➤ Bay-Delta: State agencies used a confidentiality agreement to withhold some communications about science behind the proposed Bay-Delta water plan, raising transparency concerns ahead of an Oct. 28-29 vote. (More)

➤ Lake Tahoe: The Forest Service has begun closing beaches and campgrounds for winter, with Baldwin, Pope, and Nevada beaches among several sites closing Oct. 12. Some trailheads will remain open until Nov. 15. (See List)

➤ San Francisco: The roughly 500-foot Hunters Point gantry crane will become the centerpiece of a 40-minute multimedia show called Crane on Oct. 9-10 and 16-17, combining projected video, lighting, music, and Bayview-Hunters Point stories. (Read Story)

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➤ Central Valley: A $253 million federal grant will expand rural high-speed internet across Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced, and Tulare counties. Officials said it is California’s largest award under the federal broadband expansion program. (See Details)

➤ San Joaquin County: Four people were arrested after about $400,000 in almonds were stolen in a Kerman cargo heist and traced to the county, where local police, sheriff’s deputies, and the California Highway Patrol recovered the load. (More)

➤ San Benito County: Hollister goalie Dominic Rosales, 16, will represent Team USA at the 2026 World Skate Games in Paraguay, hoping to bring home gold. (More)

➤ Santa Cruz: UC Santa Cruz researchers are testing high-temperature steam as a chemical-free alternative to soil fumigants on organic berry farms in the Pajaro Valley, with a focus on fields near schools and neighborhoods. (More)

➤ Santa Barbara County: Officials are urging residents to join the Great ShakeOut earthquake drill at 10:15 a.m. Oct. 15, practice “Drop, Cover, and Hold On,” and enable the state’s earthquake early-warning alerts. (More)

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➤ Temecula: Two school board members accuse trustee Melinda Anderson of placing a listening device under their desk during a closed-session meeting. Surveillance video captured the incident, and the sheriff is investigating. (See Details)

➤ Los Angeles: The city will switch on the first of 125 new speed cameras Oct. 26, targeting drivers going 11 mph or more over the limit. A 60-day warning period comes before citations begin, with all cameras due online by year’s end. (See Details)

➤ San Gabriel: Federal prosecutors charged tech CEO Greg Lui, 38, with smuggling more than $300 million in export-controlled AI technology to China through third countries using falsified paperwork. He faces up to 30 years if convicted. (See Details)

➤ Catalina Island: Authorities identified the pilot and flight nurse killed in the medevac helicopter crash off Avalon as Steven Robinson, 59, and Jessica DeVries, 48. The helicopter went down shortly after takeoff, also killing a patient. Two others survived. (More)

➤ San Juan Capistrano: Mission San Juan Capistrano, founded by Father Junipero Serra on Nov. 1, 1776, is marking its 250th anniversary alongside the nation’s, with a special bell ringing set for Nov. 1. The historic mission is considered the birthplace of Orange County. (Read Story)

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➤ The San Francisco 49ers improved to 4-0 with a 24-14 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Brock Purdy threw two touchdown passes, including a 56-yarder to George Kittle that sealed the victory late. (More)

➤ The Los Angeles Rams improved to 2-2 with a 24-20 comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Kyren Williams scored two touchdowns in the final four minutes, including the game-winner with 1:10 remaining. (More)

➤ The Los Angeles Chargers fell to 0-4 with a 30-23 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Justin Herbert threw for 189 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions before losing a late fumble that sealed the defeat. (More)

➤ The Los Angeles Dodgers fell 3-2 to the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, leaving their NL Division Series tied 1-1. Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy homered for Los Angeles, but Muncy’s ninth-inning shot wasn’t enough to complete the comeback. (More)

➤ The San Diego Padres fell behind 2-0 in the NL Division Series after a 4-3 loss to Milwaukee on Sunday. Jackson Chourio’s two-run single in the ninth completed the Brewers’ comeback. (More)

➤ Gabby Williams had 25 points and 11 rebounds as the Golden State Valkyries beat the Las Vegas Aces 71-60 Sunday in Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals. (More)

➤ USC slipped one spot to No. 19 in the latest AP Top 25, while undefeated UCLA moved up two spots to No. 21. The Bruins visit No. 13 Oregon on Saturday. (See Full Rankings)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | MLB | NHL | WNBA | NBA | Soccer | Golf | NASCAR | F1

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➤ Ten American traditions are quietly disappearing, and you've probably let a few of them go without ever noticing. (Tune in here)

In the latest episode of Flyover Focus, we run through 10 American traditions on their way out and just how far gone they are. From the midnight movie premieres people used to line up for to the paper that showed up on your porch every morning. And you can still bring back the one in our No. 1 spot.

In case you missed it, last week on Flyover Focus, we broke down the 10 things to buy before you retire, so tune in here.

➤ California’s economy is expected to keep outpacing the nation, fueled by AI investment, aerospace, and defense spending, according to UCLA economists. Job growth remains weak, with unemployment at 5.1% in August. (See Report)

➤ Lyft will pay $272.5 million to settle California claims it misclassified drivers and committed wage theft from 2016 to 2020. The deal is the state’s largest worker-misclassification settlement. (See Details)

➤ The Bureau of Land Management will auction 43 oil-and-gas leases covering about 35,000 acres in Central California this December, opening new federal acreage to energy producers for the first time in six years. (More)

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➤ A sea otter disrupted a youth surf club at Santa Cruz’s Steamer Lane, climbing onto a surfer’s board in a tense standoff before one young surfer charged toward it and scared it off. No one was hurt. (See Video)

➤ A La Cañada resident caught video of a “boxing bear” that keeps returning to spar with a punching bag hanging behind her home. She says a local “bear baby boom” has brought more bruins than she’s seen in a decade. (Watch)

➤ Hundreds of items from the late Paul Reubens’ personal collection, including Pee-wee Herman props, his signature suit, and bikes, head to auction this month. Julien’s Auctions will sell 439 pieces at the L.A. theater where Reubens created Pee-wee. (Read Story)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes.

➤ Canada's prime minister admitted his government has war-gamed an American invasion, and the military's own model says how long the country would last. (Hear Plan)

➤ Some college freshmen are packing up and heading home just weeks into their first semester, and they say they still want the degree. (Hear Why)

➤ An Iowa substitute teacher offered her students extra credit for donating to her personal GoFundMe. (Listen Now)

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Yesterday's Results:

Which San Diego attraction would you most like to visit?

San Diego Zoo: 28%
USS Midway Museum: 23%
Safari Park: 13%
SeaWorld San Diego: 10%
Birch Aquarium: 10%
Other: 9%
LEGOLAND California: 7%

The city of Anaheim was founded in 1857 as a wine-growing colony by settlers from which country?

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New State Park, Cowboys Beat Texans, and Devil's Sinkhole Expands

Monday, October 5, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1946, the Dallas Health Museum opened its first exhibit at the State Fair of Texas. Over the next 16 days, 40,000 people walked through the first museum in the Southwest devoted entirely to health.

Today's edition spotlights a brand-new state park coming to Henderson County in The Roundup, as well as the expansion of Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area near Rocksprings, mentioned in Et Cetera. We're curious: Do you have a favorite state park, natural area, or historical site? Hit reply to share your recommendations.

Remember the traditions you used to keep and somehow just stopped? Maybe not since you were a kid. A lot of the ones we grew up with are quietly slipping away, and the numbers on how far each has fallen are steeper than you'd expect. Which Sunday tradition did families once build the whole week around? And why are so few grooms asking their bride's father for permission anymore? In the latest episode of Flyover Focus, we count down 10 American traditions that are fading, ending with the one you could still bring back before the month is out. Tune in here!

Today's sponsor, Oricle Hearing Aids, is helping readers hear more clearly without sky-high prices, offering a tiny, easy-to-use hearing aid with clear sound and all-day power for under $100.

Lake Palestine Ranch Becomes State Park

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation closed on 650 acres along Lake Palestine in Henderson County on Oct. 1, paying more than $10 million for a ranch that will become a new state park.

The tract sits about 100 miles southeast of Dallas, roughly halfway between Chandler and Moore Station, in native pine forest and pasture. Plans call for hiking and biking trails, campsites, boating, and lakefront access.

The foundation will invest more money in the property before handing it over to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in late 2027.

The Pollard family has owned the land since 1940, running the Texas Pecan Nursery on part of it, while most of it has remained untouched. "I think they're really happy that it's going to be preserved forever," listing broker Josh Smith said.

Waxahachie Mother Charged in Sons' Deaths

Deputies who walked into a Waxahachie home before dawn Thursday, Oct. 1, found two brothers shot in the head in separate bedrooms, and their 42-year-old mother now faces two counts of capital murder.

An arrest affidavit says deputies found Colleen Nichole Lemmon covered in blood, a handgun beside her, and what appeared to be self-inflicted cuts on her wrists. Asked where the blood came from, she told them, "I shot both my kids."

Christopher Scott Pitre, 21, was pronounced dead at the home on Big Sky Drive, and his 15-year-old brother died later at a hospital. Lemmon was treated, then booked into the Wayne McCollum Detention Center on $2.5 million bond.

Longhorn Who Outdueled Staubach Dies

Duke Carlisle, the quarterback who led Texas to its first national championship and took MVP honors in the 1964 Cotton Bowl, died Friday in Lockhart at 84 after a battle with lung cancer.

Carlisle was born in Kaufman, grew up in Athens, and worked as an investment banker in New York before landing in the oil business in Mississippi.

In the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 1964, Carlisle threw for a then-record 234 yards, and two long touchdowns to Phil Harris as Texas beat Roger Staubach's No. 2 Navy 28-6.

Carlisle played safety, too, and his end-zone interception against Baylor, the only defensive series he played all season, preserved a 7-0 win and kept Texas unbeaten. He entered the Longhorn Hall of Honor in 1979.

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➤ Statewide: Counties cleared a backlog of more than 500,000 voter registration records that sat for months after a Department of Public Safety software update failed to forward them. (More)

➤ Fort Worth: Storm damage left parts of Meacham Middle School unsafe to occupy, and repairs will take weeks. Students will move into the empty Briscoe Elementary building on Tuesday. (More)

➤ Dallas: A DNA hit on blood found inside the home led to a capital murder charge in the 1993 killing of 55-year-old Tommie Davis. Gary Len Ross, 56, was arrested Friday, 32 years after the case went cold. (More)

➤ San Antonio: Two off-duty Bexar County sheriff's deputies, ages 19 and 25, resigned rather than be fired after police arrested them Sunday for reckless driving and drunken driving. Both lost their state peace officer licenses. (More)

➤ Canyon Lake: The Hill Country reservoir barely budged during last week's storms, sitting 97.6% full Friday. Forecasters had warned of isolated rain totals up to 6 inches. A year ago, the lake was 66.3% full. (More)

➤ Gulf Coast: Forecasters are watching the Bay of Campeche for a tropical low that could form this week, putting the odds at 30% over seven days. (More)

➤ Statewide: State Sen. Angela Paxton, who filed for divorce from Attorney General Ken Paxton last year, made an ad urging Texans to back the full Republican ticket on Nov. 3 without naming Paxton by name. (More)

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➤The Dallas Cowboys improved to 2-2 with a 34-30 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday in a matchup between the state’s two NFL teams. CeeDee Lamb caught a career-high 17 passes for 189 yards, including the game-winning 12-yard touchdown with 40 seconds left. (More)

➤Texas football remained No. 1 in the latest AP Top 25, while Texas Tech moved up one spot to No. 11. Houston slipped two spots to No. 22, and SMU fell three spots to No. 24. (See Rankings)

➤ Plano voters will decide in November whether to approve five new taxes that could help finance a proposed $1 billion Dallas Stars arena. The city plans to contribute $700 million toward the project. (More)

➤ Texas Tech fans may have gotten an early look at Colorado's game plan after a copy of Deion Sanders' game script turned up at a bar in the Buffaloes' hotel. Video of the pages surfaced online after Saturday's game. (More)

➤ Red River Rivalry tickets have fallen nearly $200 in a month ahead of the Oct. 10 game at the Cotton Bowl. No. 1 Texas is 4-0, while Oklahoma fell out of the coaches' poll after losses to Michigan and Georgia. (More)

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➤ Ten American traditions are quietly disappearing, and you've probably let a few of them go without ever noticing. (Tune in here)

In case you missed it, last week on Flyover Focus, we broke down the 10 things to buy before you retire, so tune in here.

➤ A second H-E-B is rising on a long-vacant former landfill off I-35 in Buda, a $61.2 million store just south of Austin. Layne's Chicken Fingers is also moving in nearby, a $400,000 build in a former Zaxby's. (More)

➤ Waco's Hotel 1928 earned its first Michelin Key, the hotel world's version of a Michelin star. Joanna Gaines, who owns the property with husband Chip, called it one of the couple's biggest "fixer upper" projects. (More)

➤ A protein bowl built for customers on weight-loss drugs drew 15 orders in its first five hours on the menu at Los Barrios in San Antonio. Chipotle and Olive Garden have added similar high-protein and smaller-portion options. (More)

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➤ Devil's Sinkhole, the 140-foot cavern near Rocksprings that shelters one of Texas' largest Mexican free-tailed bat colonies, just gained 1,200 acres. About 10 miles of trails are planned within the next few years. (More)

➤ The Great Lawn at Zilker Park turned to sludge after a half-inch of rain, pushing ACL Festival's Saturday opening back two hours. Council member Ryan Alter called the damage "unacceptable." Organizer C3 Presents says it restores the lawn every year. (See Photos)

➤ A 321-acre ranch on the Guadalupe River will become Kendall County's first "Blue Trail," a public float route for tubers and kayakers. The county says that stretch may not open until summer 2027 while it pursues a grant. (More)

➤ Corpus Christi firefighters are rallying behind the 6-year-old son of one of their captains, diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroblastoma. A $12-a-plate barbecue fundraiser is set for Nov. 7. (More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes.

➤ Canada's prime minister admitted his government has war-gamed an American invasion, and the military's own model says how long the country would last. (Hear Plan)

➤ Some college freshmen are packing up and heading home just weeks into their first semester, and they say they still want the degree. (Hear Why)

➤ An Iowa substitute teacher offered her students extra credit for donating to her personal GoFundMe. (Listen Now)