Stolen Ambulance + A Father's Love Born Of Tragedy + Record Heat

LOS ANGELES, CA — The weekend is finally here — the first weekend after the state's full reopening. For the first time in a long while, there are museum exhibits, packed Dodgers games, clubs and restaurants to choose from.

However, the unseasonably warm weather will continue into the weekend thanks to a stubborn high-pressure system lingering above Southern California. Relief is in sight, however. Temperatures will begin a gradual cooldown Saturday and should return to normal next week.

On Friday, the record heat continued. Lancaster's high of 110 broke the record for June 18 in the city as did the high of 108 in Palmdale and 104 in Sandberg, according to National Weather Service figures.

All this and more in LA's top stories.

Saturday's Weather Report: The high Downtown is forecasted at 84 degrees, 94 degrees in Northridge and a lovely 72 degrees in Palos Verdes.

Patch Pick: The Orange County Register tells the touching story of James Alvarez, of Burbank, whose pregnant wife was killed when a driver with a history of intoxicated driving jumped the curb slamming into her and ripping her from her husband's grasp and his life. His daughter was born that day by emergency c-section, and, together, they have forged a way forward (More on Patch).

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

1. Health officials are monitoring a set of numbers to understand the state of the pandemic in Los Angeles. Case rate numbers remain low. Other numbers of note include the 1,696 fully vaccinated Angelenos who still contracted COVID-19, including 19 who died. They are also watching how the Delta variant is spreading in Los Angeles, and in about half the cases confirmed so far, people have been infected by others in their household (More on Patch).
2. A Los Angeles County woman's car was stolen, and it contained 10 years of research on the biological parents who gave her up at birth, CBS reports. She's on a desperate quest to get back her precious research (More on Patch).
3. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's chief of staff allegedly posted sexual innuendo and insults about city officials and leaders on an LA City employee Facebook group. The revelations cast a shadow over the mayor's office (More on Patch).
4. A woman hopped into an ambulance early Friday morning in North Hills as emergency crews responded to a 911 call, stealing the ambulance and crashing it a short time later. She was able to flee the crash on foot, so she didn't need an ambulance (More on Patch).
5. Officials celebrated the opening of the Argo Drain Sub-Basin Facility Project, a $35.8 million project near LAX to capture and treat runoff (More on Patch).

Featured Events To Get You Through To The Weekend:

'Noah’s Outdoor Explorers' Fun 2021: Skirball, Los Angeles Saturday, 10:00 a.m., Brentwood

• "Calling all adventurers! Noah’s Outdoor Explorers invites you to spend time enjoying the Skirball’s outdoor pathways and green spaces. Spark your senses on a self-guided nature walk, get to know diverse plant life, contribute to a community art project, and hear a timeless flood story told by a Noah’s Ark educator. As you traverse the campus, keep an eye out for Noah’s Ark puppets scurrying past or flying overhead!"

Hollywoods Village Neighborhood Cleanup, Saturday, 9:00 a.m., Los Angeles

• Join community groups this Saturday morning to clean up neighborhoods in Hollywood and support the Cash 4 Trash program, which invites the homeless to help pick up trash and get paid for it. 9am-noon event includes breakfast snacks and lunch. All cleanup tools provided. Instagram @hollywoodsvillage RSVP by email: vickiejenkins@celebritycentre.org

Father’s Day Celebration 2021: Ronald Reagan Museum, Simi Valley, Sunday, 12:00 p.m., Moorpark

• "We are excited to offer our 7th annual Father’s Day Celebration at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Museum. Enjoy a delicious barbeque buffet of tri-tip, marinated chicken breast, garlic mashed potatoes, barbeque beans, coleslaw, and homemade cheddar corn muffins. Finish your lunch with our delicious chocolate fudge brownies. "

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.