9 Hurt In Balcony Collapse, CA Population Falls | SoCal In Brief

LOS ANGELES, CA — As the weekend wraps up, we've rounded up all the stories you may have missed on Saturday and Sunday to prepare you for Monday.

But before we jump into Southern California's top stories, Golden State residents should know that California's population declined in 2020 for the first year since at least 1900. The state's leaders have maintained that the coronavirus pandemic shrank the population.

California's population declined by 182,083 people in 2020, according to data released Friday by the state Department of Finance.

Also, the state has managed to keep coronavirus infection rates low even as neighboring states experience the fourth surge. On Sunday, the state reported a 1.1 percent positivity rate, which was among the lowest in the nation.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize vaccines for children ages 12 to 15 as early as next week. The green light for this age group will add 2.1 million teens to the number of Californians eligible. And state officials will allow pediatricians to bypass California's glitchy appointment system, MyTurn, to speed up vaccinations.

To date, California has administered 32,471,842 vaccine shots.

What's more, California has entered its 2021 fire season a little early. The number of acres burned this year is around 700 percent higher than last May, ABC10 reported. In Northern California, fire agencies battled several wildfires on Saturday in the first red flag warning weekend of the year.

From a Malibu balcony collapse that injured 9 people at a house party to a racehorse who died after being injured at the Los Alamitos Race Track — here are the top Southland stories that you might have missed over the weekend.

9 Injured After Malibu Balcony Collapses Onto The Beach

• A balcony holding a group of people celebrating a birthday party gave out Saturday, sending nine people crashing down onto a rocky beach.

Racehorse Died From Back Injury Suffered At Los Alamitos

• Officials released more details Sunday on the death of "Steamy" the racehorse, who was injured at Los Alamitos Race Course.

CA's Population Shrank In 2020, But Don't Call It An Exodus

• The number of Californians declined in 2020 for the first year since at least 1900. But state officials blame the pandemic.

Model, MTV Star Tawny Kitaen Dies At 59

• Actress and model Tawny Kitaen, famous for her appearances in 1980s music videos and her high-profile marriages, died at her Newport home.

AQMD Adopts Rule Requiring Warehouses To Curb Equipment Emissions

• The Warehouse Indirect Source Rule requires warehouses that are 100,000 square feet or larger, aiming to slash their nitrogen oxide output.

Body of Man Found In Canoe In San Diego Riverbed Inlet

• A man in his 50s was found dead by Oceanside police in a canoe in the riverbed inlet between the beach and Interstate 5, authorities said.

CA Proposes To Steer New Homes From Gas Appliances

• California's energy policy and planning agency wants to transition new homes away from gas-powered appliances.

Vehicle Crash In Santee Kills One

• A vehicle came off state Route 67 in Santee and landed on a street below, killing one person, authorities said Saturday morning.

Man Uninjured After Vehicle Goes Over Side Of Road In L.A.

• A man, described by fire officials as elderly, escaped injury Saturday when the vehicle he was in went over the side of the road.

CA Bar Owner Accused Of Selling Fake Coronavirus Vaccine Cards

• Golden State authorities charged a man this week in connection with selling fraudulent COVID-19 vaccine cards, a first for the state.

How Growers Sidestepped County, CA Programs To Vaccinate Workers

• As harvest season approached, growers begged county officials to vaccinate their workers.

LA County Reports 248 New Cases Of Coronavirus, 5 Deaths

• On Sunday, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that the city would offer appointment-free COVID-19 vaccinations beginning Monday.

LA Opening Up All City Cites For No-Appointment Vaccines

• The city is prepared to administer over a quarter million vaccinations for the second week in a row.

1 Killed, 3 Injured In Rollover SUV Crash On SR-243 Near Banning

• The crash forced the closure of lanes in both directions as an air ambulance was dispatched to the scene.

Angels Honor Teacher Diagnosed With Breast Cancer

• The L.A. Angeles honored Cypress High School science teacher Susan Fried and designated her as their honorary bat girl on Sunday.

Pediatricians Can Bypass MyTurn As They Vaccinate Children

• To accelerate vaccination of teens, CA health officials say they will allow pediatricians to obtain doses without going through MyTurn.

3 Men Wounded In Shooting At La Mesa Bar's Parking Lot

• Officers responded to reports of gunshots outside the Alibi Bar in the 5200 block of Baltimore Drive at 1:32 a.m. Sunday.

Southwest Airlines Route From Palm Springs To Las Vegas Begins

• Southwest Airlines will launch year-round service from Palm Springs to Las Vegas on Sunday.

American Rescue Plan Provides Billions For A Down Payment Toward Racial Equity

• Here are 5 key proposals using money from the American Rescue Plan Act as an initial investment for racial equity in California.

LA Vax Live Concert Raises $302 Million, Exceeds Vaccine Goal

• Selena Gomez hosted the show, which was attended by several thousand fully-vaccinated concertgoers who cheered on several performers.

Navy Commissions USS Miguel Keith Expeditionary Sea Base

• The Navy commissioned its newest warship, the USS Miguel Keith, Saturday at Naval Air Station North Island.

CA Hospital Safety Grades 2021: The Best And The Worst

• Safety grades by the nonprofit health care watchdog group Leapfrog show how hospitals in California responded to the coronavirus pandemic.

Group Protests 'Animal Captivity' At Sea World San Diego

• About 20 people gathered to protest as part of the ninth annual "Empty The Tanks Worldwide Event" to free captive whales and dolphins.

California COVID-19 Data as of Sunday

• 3,654,545 cases of coronavirus have been reported in California to date.

• 1,853 newly recorded confirmed cases Saturday.

• 1.1% is the 7-day positivity rate.

• 61,827,671 tests have been conducted in California.

• 61,228 COVID-19 deaths have been recorded since the start of the pandemic.

• 32,471,842 vaccine doses have been administered statewide.