The Santa Clarita City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to pass a Special Standards District for the Happy Valley neighborhood in Newhall to a second reading. The vote signals a victory for a number of residents who have been working for many months on the District proposal. 

If passed for a second time on December 8, the Special Standards District would be bound by Apple Street to the west and Cross Street to the east. The District would provide a unique look at the Happy Valley area, especially when considering development. The District would make it easier for the neighborhood to retain its rural nature, which includes varying sized lots, few sidewalks or curbs, and some animal hosting.

The process was originally started in 2003, however it lost steam among the residents until last year when a developer was pushing a project to build five homes on a 1-acre lot on Valley Street.

Michael Freeman will end 21-year tenure as fire chief.

The man in charge of the Los Angeles County Fire Department is retiring, according to the department’s website. P. Michael Freeman, who held the post of fire chief for nearly 21 years, says he’s looking forward to spending more time with his family.

“It has been my honor and privilege to serve the people of Los Angeles County, alongside the most unselfish, caring, and courageous men and women of the Department,” said Freeman in a letter to the County board of supervisors. “There were many challenges, but meeting them brought a great deal of satisfaction. It has truly been an opportunity of a lifetime, and now I am looking forward to spending more time with family and on personal pursuits.”

More than 2.1 million drop-side cribs have been recalled by the manufacturer and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission because of injuries and deaths caused by faulty equipment. The federal consumer safety group advises parents to immediately stop using cribs included in the recall.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's officials attend somber ceremony.

In what is beginning to seem like a recurring scene, another hospital has come forward and reported that some of its patients were exposed to high doses of radiation during CT scans.

The overdoses happened at Glendale Adventist Medical Center, where ten patients accidentally received three to four times higher doses of radiation during their procedures.