Good morning, Santa Clarita.

Santa Clarita offers a full week of events with the SCV Chamber 2025 Business Expo holding today — running from 4 pm to 8 pm at Valencia Town Center — and theaters presenting The Angel Next Door running June 27th to 28th, The Last Romance running June 28th to 29th, and World Builders running June 27th to 29th at Canyon Theatre Guild and The MAIN. Local activities include nature walks at Placerita Canyon, farm visits at Gilchrist Farm, and more special events planned through early July.

Santa Clarita pet owners are urged to prepare for Fourth of July fireworks as illegal displays are expected to frighten pets in neighborhoods like Newhall, firefighter Joshua May said.

Authorities advise that owners secure their pets indoors — ensuring they are microchipped with updated ID tags and consulting veterinarians about anxiety treatments — to help prevent escapes and lost animals.

Today, the City of Santa Clarita is hosting the 2025 World’s Largest Swim Lesson at the Aquatic Center from 10:30—11 a.m. The free event offers a short water safety talk and swim lessons led by American Red Cross lifeguards to help children learn to swim and prevent drowning.

Hart District students competed at the NSDA nationals in Iowa from June 16-20, where West Ranch created its first Worlds School Debate team and junior Rohan Radharaj finished fourth in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

Valencia High School sent three students and Ava Dinapoli placed second in Impromptu speech and reached quarterfinals in Extemporaneous Commentary — achievements that her coach praised.

Air regulators at the South Coast Air Quality Management District ordered stricter monitoring at Chiquita Canyon Landfill after nearly 30 months of odor complaints from nearby residents — the new measures include expanded remote sensing, weekly drone methane inspections and daily cover maintenance, while landfill lawyers denied claims of delaying the hearing process.

Planning Commissioner Denise Lite refused to resign after Councilmember Laurene Weste demanded her removal on June 18, citing her prompt responses over the past nine months.

Residents plan to speak at the City Council meeting on July 8 at 6 p.m. + the move is seen as a distraction from Weste’s undisclosed $750,000 fee negotiation.

Circle of Hope hosted its fourth Hoedown for Hope fundraiser on June 21 at Gilchrist Farm in Santa Clarita to raise money for cancer patient programs.

Guests enjoyed live music from the G3 Band and a silent auction as the event supported ongoing services for those affected by cancer.

Santa Clarita resident Spencer Rathkamp, a 30-year-old professional mountain biker, is excited about the upcoming Haskell Canyon Bike Park Project—set to add 15 miles of trails over 380 acres north of Copper Hill Drive in Saugus—that will serve riders of all levels.

He said the local mountain biking scene, which gained strength during COVID-19, continues to bring the community together through rides and bike clinics.

More than a dozen gymnasts from Santa Clarita’s Gymnastics Olympica competed at the USA Gymnastics DP National Championships in Salt Lake City from May 8 to 11.

Jada Kim won the Level 10 all-around title — teammates earned medals and secured college commitments.