Will Rogers State Historic Park reopened and hosted a Route 66 centennial kickoff, turning the scars of the Palisades Fire into a visible sign of recovery. Community groups and preservationists used the visit to spotlight the park’s next chapter.

Palisades Park in Santa Monica is seeing a surge of bold ground squirrels. Officials and wildlife rehabbers say visitor handouts — often junk food — are fueling the boom.

A mountain lion was seen in Old Town Pasadena near Del Mar and Euclid, prompting a shelter-in-place advisory and a wildlife response.