Dinner at Copper Still Grill


Dinner at Copper Still Grill, on the east side of Myrtle, just south of Colorado. Got the Chicken Ranch Wrap for $12, and a beer for $5.50. Nice. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police: Burglar ransacks business; Two arrested with fraud tools at car dealership; Runaway juvenile missing; Home guest steals property; And drugs and alcohol, of course ...

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for January 15 - 21, 2026. 581 calls for service, 98 investigations, 1 mental evaluation, 1 traffic collision, 20 arrests. - Brad Haugaard]

JANUARY 15

Vandalism
At 8:43 a.m., a business in the 800 block of W. Chestnut reported their gate had been ran into by a golf cart. This investigation is continuing.

Domestic Battery – Suspect Arrested
At 10:18 a.m., a disturbance between a male and female subject was reported in the 200 block of Valle Vista. Officers arrived and made contact with the parties involved. An investigation revealed the female subject was the aggressor. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Theft – Suspect Arrested
At 7:47 p.m., a caller in a business in the 500 block of W. Foothill reported a theft. Officers arrived and located a male subject in possession of stolen merchandise. He was arrested and taken into custody.

JANUARY 16

Drug Offense – Suspect Arrested
At 1:04 a.m., an officer patrolling the area of Mountain and Evergreen saw a bicyclist in violation of a vehicle code. A traffic stop was conducted and the bicyclist was contacted. He was found to be in possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Drug Offense – Suspect Arrested
At 4:54 a.m., a caller in an apartment complex in the 1600 block of S. Magnolia reported a male subject trespassing. Officers arrived, located the subject and made contact with him. An investigation revealed he was in possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Vandalism
At 7:48 p.m., a caller in the 200 block of W. Foothill reported that his vehicle was vandalized. This investigation is continuing.

JANUARY 17

Drug Arrest – Suspect Arrested
At 1:45 a.m., while patrolling the 600 block of W. Huntington an officer saw a suspicious subject to the rear of a closed businesses. The officer made contact with the subject and discovered that the subject was in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
At 2:32 a.m., several callers in the 800 block of S. Magnolia reported a fight inside a business. Officers arrived and determined that all the parties involved were intoxicated. One male subject was determined to be too intoxicated to care for himself. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Drug Offense – Suspect Arrested
At 6:43 p.m., a caller in the 500 block of W. Huntington reported a male subject using a controlled substance. Officers arrived and made contact with the subject who was found to be in possession of the controlled substance. He was arrested and taken into custody. Later that night, the same subject was found in possession of a controlled substance again. He was again arrested and taken into custody.

Runaway Juvenile
At 9:03 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 100 block of N. Ivy regarding a juvenile who ran away. Officers conducted area checks but were unable to locate the juvenile. This investigation is continuing.

Commercial Burglary
At 9:42 p.m., a commercial burglary was reported in the 900 block of W. Huntington. Officers arrived and found a glass door broken and the interior ransacked. The suspect was gone prior to officers arriving. This investigation is continuing.

JANUARY 18

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
At 12:59 a.m., a caller in the 100 block of E. Lime reported a female subject was intoxicated and refusing to leave his vehicle. Officers arrived and made contact with the female subject who was found to be too intoxicated to care for herself. She was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Drug Offense – Suspect Arrested
At 1:24 a.m., an officer patrolling the area of Peck and Longden saw a bicyclist in violation of a vehicle code. A traffic stop was conducted and bicyclist was contacted. The bicyclist was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Drug Offense – Suspect Arrested
At 2:02 a.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop in the 700 block of S. Myrtle after seeing a vehicle in violation of a vehicle code. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was contacted. An investigation revealed the subject was in possession of drug paraphernalia. The driver was arrested and taken into custody.

Commercial Burglary
At 3:41 a.m., officers were dispatched to a business in the 200 block of W. Foothill for a burglary alarm activation. Officers arrived and found a broken glass door and the interior ransacked. This investigation is continuing.

Fraud / Drug Offense – Suspect Arrested
At 6:51 p.m., officers were dispatched to a car dealership in the 700 block of E. Central regarding suspicious circumstances involving multiple subjects. Officers arrived and located a vehicle with two occupants inside. An investigation revealed the vehicle had stolen registration tabs along with tools associated with identity theft and fraud. One of the occupants was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. They were arrested and taken into custody.

JANUARY 19

No significant incidents to report.

JANUARY 20

Shoplifting
At 9:44 a.m., a loss prevention officer for a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain reported a theft. An investigation revealed a male subject fled when he noticed the loss prevention officer saw him. The subject was gone prior to officers’ arrival. This investigation is continuing.

Fraud
At 11:50 a.m., a victim walked into the MPD lobby to report that unknown subjects were using his residence address to apply for credit and/or services. This investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting
At 2:29 p.m., a caller in a business in the 600 block of W. Huntington reported a female subject concealed merchandise and left without paying. Employees from the business detained her outside the business. Officers arrived and made contact with the suspect. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Fraud
At 4:46 p.m., a victim in the 200 block of S. Ivy reported that a check she placed in the mailbox was stolen and cashed by an unknown subject. This investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
At 7:19 p.m., a family disturbance was reported in the 100 block of Montana. Officers arrived and made contact with the parties involved. One of the subject’s was found to be heavily intoxicated and the one causing the disturbance. He was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

JANUARY 21

Resist / Delay
At 9:17 a.m., an officer patrolling the 700 block of W. Chestnut saw a bicyclist riding and out of traffic, causing a hazardous situation. The officer attempted a traffic stop, but the bicyclist refused to stop and fled on foot. The officers were able to locate him. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Theft
At 10:46 a.m., a victim in the 600 block of W. Huntington reported her purse was stolen after she left it unattended for a brief moment. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
At 11:14 a.m., a caller in a store in the 500 block of W. Huntington reported two male and two female subjects putting merchandise in bags and leaving without paying after the bags were filled with merchandise. The subjects were gone prior to officers arriving. This investigation is continuing.

Fraud / Scam
At 12:34 p.m., a victim in the 100 block of N. Ivy reported receiving a call from an unknown subject suggesting she was involved in a crime and requesting payment. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
At 9:57 p.m., a resident in the 800 block of W. Walnut called to report a theft. Officers arrived and determined the victim had allowed the suspect into her home to shower. While he was inside he stole property. This investigation is continuing.

Hum Out Loud poetry reading Feb. 24

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia race horse trainer dies at age 80

Monrovia resident and veteran horse trainer, James Cassidy, known for his success with fillies and long service to the racing community, died yesterday at age 80 at his Monrovia home. During a career spanning decades, Cassidy won 442 races with $30.7 million in purses and served multiple terms as president of the California Thoroughbred Trainers organization. His last racehorse, Pure Chaos, ran Jan. 11 at Santa Anita. Details

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia arts group has paid opening for project manager

Monrovia Association of Fine Arts has an opening for a part-time project manager. The position pays $25 per hour, about 10 hours per week, with a hybrid schedule: remote work plus in-person support for events and outreach. The project manager assists with administration, membership communications, fundraising, social media, marketing materials, written communications, and event coordination. Candidates should have strong writing, interpersonal, and social media skills, comfort with public engagement, and a demonstrated interest in the arts. Fundraising and nonprofit experience preferred. Send a brief cover letter and resume to christine@monroviafinearts.org with the subject line "MAFA Project Manager Application."

- Brad Haugaard

Dutchie is a well-behaved, cuddly and kindhearted dog


Dutchie is a 2-year-old brindle bulldog at Pasadena Humane with a whole lot of love to give! Playful but not over-the-top, Dutchie is always ready to enjoy a nice game of fetch followed by plenty of lounging and cuddles. She’s very affectionate, thrives on praise, and loves being close to you. Not to mention, Dutchie is potty trained, well-mannered indoors, and walks nicely on a leash.

An easygoing companion, Dutchie has shown herself to be calm around kids and people in her foster home. She’s quiet, rarely barks, and can be left alone without issues. While she may need a brief moment to warm up in new situations, she quickly blossoms into a trusting, sweet, and devoted friend. Available for a 10-day adoption trial, Dutchie would thrive in a loving home — especially with a family looking for a well-behaved, cuddly, and incredibly kindhearted dog.

And there’s no better time to adopt — adoption fees for dogs 6 months and older are waived at Pasadena Humane as part of the Dog Days of Winter adoption promotion, now through January 25.

The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, and age-appropriate vaccines. Walk-in adoptions are available every day from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. View photos of adoptable pets at pasadenahumane.org.

New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet. Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls or email.

- Brad Haugaard

2025 Monrovia School District accomplishments


A list of Monrovia School District successes in 2025:
 
  • Bradoaks Elementary School teacher Dr. Heather Povinelli was selected as District Teacher of the Year, then Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year, and ultimately recognized statewide. She was honored as one of five California Teachers of the Year.
  • Monrovia High School was awarded the Gold Medal AP School Honor Roll.
  • Mayflower and Plymouth Elementary Schools were selected for the 2025 Honor Roll by the Educational Results Partnership.
  • Plymouth Elementary School was also recognized among the Best Schools nationwide by U.S. News & World Report.
  • The Monrovia High School Debate Team brought home multiple trophies from an invitational competition at Claremont Mckenna College.
  • Debate Team senior Caleb Watson earned second place overall in the competition.
  • The Monrovia Marching Wildcats & Color Guard earned 7th Place Field Show Championships, competing among the top programs across Southern California and the Percussion Division won 1st Place.
  • The MHS Cross Country girls team became League Champions, and both the boys’ and girls’ teams advanced to the Playoffs. Isla Terrill earned a spot in the State CIF XC competition.
  • Clifton’s Robotics Team placed in the top 10 in their league.
  • Sophia Lim and Carissa Morales each earned medals for finishing in the Top 15 of their division at the World’s Largest Cross Country Meet.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia High wins Gold Medal status from College Board


Monrovia High School has been awarded Gold Medal Status overall with Platinum Status in College Optimization, earning it a place on the College Board's Advanced Placement School Honor Roll for the 2024-25 school year.

At Monrovia High 70 percent of seniors took at least one AP Exam during high school, 44 percent scoring a three or higher (5 being the highest score) on at least one AP Exam. Nineteen percent of seniors took five or more AP Exams.

For 2025-26 the school offered 17 AP courses of study with 42 AP classes, with 16 teachers teaching AP.

Breakdown by Department:

Social Science
Thirteen classes in: European history, US history, psychology, human geography, comparative government.

English
Seven classes in English Literature and English Language.

Math
Seven classes in Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Statistics, Physics 1.

Science
Nine classes in Chemistry, Biology, Environmental Science. 

World Language
Five classes in Spanish Literature, Spanish Language, French Language.

- Brad Haugaard

A Moment in Monrovia History: Mary Jane Monroe, wife of Monrovia's founder

Studio picture of Mary Jane Monroe, wife of Monrovia founder William Newton Monroe, taken in 1884, when they settled in Monrovia and built their cottage. From the Monrovia Historical Museum collection. See full details here.

For more historic photos and papers, see the Monrovia Historical Society’s complete Legacy Project collection here. Learn more about the Monrovia Historical Society here.

- Brad Haugaard

Lunar New Year celebration at Library, Jan. 31


Celebrate Lunar New Year on Jan. 31 at the Library. Lion Dance at noon by Field Elementary team in front of the Library. Crafts from 1 to 3 p.m. in Youth Services (while supplies last). Guqin Chinese instrument demonstration at 1:30 in the lobby. Families welcome. Designed for children with accompanying adults. No drop-offs. Details.

- Brad Haugaard

One City One Story kickoff at Library fountain, Jan. 24


Kickoff for One City One Story on Jan. 24, 1 to 3 p.m., at Library Park fountain. Community invited to read The Bear by Andrew Krivak. Activities include crafts, raffles, read-ins, and workshops. Companion books available for kids while supplies last. All ages welcome. Details.

- Brad Haugaard

Council to consider how to implement pay raises

At its next meeting (agenda here), Monrovia City Council members will consider how to give themselves a raise. The options are a cost-of-living increase based on the Consumer Price Index, most recently at 3.2 percent, or a 5 percent per year increase, which would make their compensation increase at the same rate as other city employees. The staff report estimates council members spend 20 to 30 hours a week (80 to 120 a month) on city business and currently make $1,275 per month. The pay changes would take effect at the beginning of new council terms. Details

- Brad Haugaard

Low-fee dogs at Pasadena Humane Jan. 16-25

Pasadena Humane is offering $26 dog adoptions for animals 6 months and older during its “Dog Days of Winter” promotion, Jan. 16–25. The program includes spay/neuter, microchipping, vaccinations, a wellness exam, and pet care info. Standard adoption procedures apply. Details here

- Brad Haugaard

Experimental. try to get to work on mobile devices