Injured Whale + Climbing COVID Cases +Cow's LA Story

LOS ANGELES, CA — Happy Friday, Los Angeles!

Hopefully, you enjoyed the short-lived cooldown because it's coming to an abrupt end over the weekend. The return of hot weather means elevated fire risk across the Southland.

And did you hear? The escaped cow saga that captivated us here at Patch all week got its Hollywood ending.

All this and more in LA's top stories.

Friday's Weather Report: There is a chance of patchy drizzle in the morning and a high of 78 degrees Downtown, 82 degrees in Studio City and 69 degrees in Venice.

Patch Pick: LA County's fugitive cow got her Hollywood ending! In case you missed it: a herd of cows escaped the slaughterhouse and stampeded through Pico Rivera this week only to be wrangled by Los Angeles Sheriff's deputies. But one cow made good on the escape and spent a day on the lam. The animal was found in an El Monte field, and Grammy-winning songwriter Diane Warren came forward to "facilitate the freedom" of the cow and will "work with local sanctuaries" to find the animal a home (More on Patch).

Here are 5 of Los Angeles County's top news stories of the day:

1. Los Angeles County Thursday reported its highest daily number of new COVID-19 infections since mid-May, and it is also seeing slight but noticeable increases in hospitalizations and testing-positivity rates, but the public health director said she is not immediately concerned about a virus surge. Rather, it's the unvaccinated who are vulnerable as nearly all COVID deaths in the United State are occurring among the unvaccinated. In addressing the Delta variant, UC San Francisco epidemiologist Dr. George Rutherford put it bluntly to KTLA: “If you’re vaccinated, it’s nothing. If you’re not vaccinated, you’re hosed (More on Patch)."
2. Former Saturday Night Live cast member Laraine Newman testified that her friend Susan Berman provided a false alibi for the disappearance of Robert Durst's first wife.
3. A West Hollywood server said he was harassed for supporting former president Donald Trump. The server says he quit in November 2020 after he was forced to take a coronavirus test following a trip to Florida (More on Patch).
4. The L.A. Auto Show will return to the Los Angeles Convention Center in November. The show will run for 12 days and cover one million square feet of indoor and outdoor space.
5. Officials will the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are searching for an injured humpback whale that was spotted off the Southern California coast. The whale is tangled in crab fishing gear it is believed to have dragged more than a thousand miles from Washington state. “The concern is that in reality, if this whale is not able to get out on its own, this whale is going to die from this entanglement,” Justin Viezbicke who works with NOAA told NBC Los Angeles (More on NBC).

Featured Events To Get You Through To The Weekend:

Jumanji @ Electric Dusk Drive-In, Friday, 8:30 p.m., Electric Dusk Drive-In, 236 N Central Ave, Glendale

• Electric Dusk Drive-In presents Jumanji! Electric Dusk Drive-In presents Jumanji!
  LA's longest Pop-Up Drive-In & Outdoor Movie! Electric Dusk Drive-In retro feel al fresco Drive-In movies! Pop-up Drive-in the Old Glendale Sears Parking lot.

National Food Truck Day in LA, Friday, 9:00 am

• This June 25th, for more than 200+ food trucks in LA will celebrate National Food Truck Day with freebies, special events and promotions. Roaming Hunger is inviting everyone to support and eat from their favorite food truck and celebrate the individual stories of the men and women who make up the food industry You can search for food truck locations and deals in Los Angeles by visiting https://www.foodtruckday.org/cities.

The Laramie Project, Saturday, 12:00 a.m., Los Angeles

• TWO DAYS ONLY! JUNE 26-27, 2021, STREAMING ON DEMAND. The Laramie Projectby Moises Kaufman and Members of Tectonic Theater Project. In October 1998, a twenty-one-year-old student at the University of Wyoming was kidnapped, severely beaten, and left tied to a fence in the middle of the prairie outside Laramie, Wyoming. His bloody, bruised, and battered body was not discovered until the next day, and he died several days later in an area hospital. His name was Matthew Shepard, and he was the victim of this assault because he was gay.

The Phoenix Los Angeles and AT Center to Host Pride = Health Saturday, 11:00 a.m., AT Center, 1773 Griffith Park Blvd, Los Angeles

• The Phoenix, a non-profit organization that fosters a supportive, sober active community for individuals recovering from substance use, is collaborating with the AT Center to host Pride = Health, a local fundraiser to raise funds for gym equipment as part of the two organizations’ on going partnership. The Phoenix Los Angeles invites local sober LGBTQ+ members, friends, and family to the three-hour, fun-filled event to celebrate Pride and sobriety through food, games, music, dancing and more. The event will feature performances from The Iconic House of Ebony, Pickle and Ronald Keaton, DJ by DJ BB Gurl, and emceed by Tony Moore. Scott Strode, founder of The Phoenix will also be sharing his experience with sobriety and how he created The Phoenix as an inclusive community for supporting individuals in recovery from substance use disorder.

Torrance Antique Street Faire, Sunday, 8:00 p.m., Downtown Torrance - 1317 Sartori Ave., Torrance

• Join the hunt for vintage treasures when 150 sellers transform the streets of downtown Torrance into an eclectic open-air antiques market! Antique Appraisal Booth - only $3.00 per item! DJ Ozzie in the Park! Special performance by LA Swing Dance Posse at 10:00 am and 12:30 pm. Pet Friendly! Free admission and parking! For information call (310) 328-6107.

See more on the Los Angeles calendar!

Now you're in the loop and ready for this week, but don't miss out on stories posting throughout the day! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content every day of the week.

~Paige

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Los Angeles County Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Los County Patch? Email all inquiries to me at paige.austin@patch.com