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6 LIVEMAGS.NET MARCH>>10 The rain and hail that hit Los Angeles County prompted the National Weather Service to warn residents living near the burn-damaged areas of flash flood conditions. People living in the foothills where the Station fire cleared out brush and foliage last summer, leaving patches of loose soil, were in danger of being caught in landslides. Mandatory evacuation orders were given to 500 homes in La Crescenta, Acton, Soledad Canyon, Aliso Canyon and La Canada Flintridge on February 8. In Montrose at the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church and in Acton at the Community Center, evacuation centers were opened for displaced evacuees. On February 11 the evacuated residents returned to their homes. The City of Long Beach announced February 4 that the airport (LGB) will host two additional airlines starting this summer. Allegiant Air and Frontier Airlines will join the four established commercial airlines offering domestic flights at Long Beach Airport: Alaska/Horizon Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, and US Airways. Allegiant and Frontier's two new flights a day each, along with Delta and JetBlue's recently acquired one added flight apiece, brings the airport to its maximum number of daily flights. Frontier Airlines is gearing up to present two flights to Denver International Airport daily where travelers have the option of connecting to over 50 destinations in the U.S., Mexico and Central America. Allegiant and Frontier Airlines to Fly from L.B. Airport Rain Evacuations Cost of Oil Spill For the oil transport firm based in Long Beach, Pacific Pipeline Systems LLP, the cost of a 2005 Bakersfield mudslide that broke a section of their underground pipeline was $1.3 million. The Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with the United States Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division, ordered the company to pay this civil penalty for their Clean Water Act violation of neglecting to fix their pipeline. The EPA stated that Pacific Pipeline must also relocate the faulty pipeline from the Tehachapi Mountains to stable ground. The damaged pipe caused almost 3,400 barrels of crude oil to spill into Pyramid Lake, a water reservoir 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles that serves Southern California. LOCAL IN REVIEW THEMONTH NATIONAL WRITER>>TOVA MORRISON Toyota Recalls Washington D.C. Snowed In The Olympic Games Toyota recalled 8 million cars, millions of which were sold to drivers in the United States. Cars that were recalled for potential "floor mat entrapment" of the gas pedal and/or accelerator pedal sticking in the depressed position include the Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Matrix, RAV4, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra, VENZA, Prius and three Lexus models. In an effort to systematically fix the issues, Toyota dealerships sent out recall letters to owners and extended their servicing hours, some remaining open 24 hours a day, to adjust the floor mats and install a steel reinforcement bar to pedals for car owners. Focusing on repairing recalled vehicles, Toyota temporarily stopped production and sales of eight affected models. On February 9 the biggest snow blizzard on record stormed into the D.C. area causing the major East Coast airports, Dulles International and Reagan National, to close down and cancel thousands of flights. In New York, Maryland and Pennsylvania school was canceled, the U.S. Postal Service suspended mail delivery, highways were blocked off and the United Nations shut down for a day, the Washington Post reported. Officials warned residents to stay inside while white out conditions persisted. Electricity went down for the region and utility workers were not able to resume power while the snow fell in droves. Later that week snow was recorded in every state except Hawaii. The 2010 Winter Olympic Games began with tragedy when the Republic of Georgia luge athlete, Nodar Kumaritashvili, flew off the bobsled/luge course going almost 90 mph in a training run. He died after impact with a steel pole on the day of the opening ceremonies, February 12. Hosted in Vancouver during an abnormally warm and snowless winter, Canada's Olympic organizers had to import snow from higher elevations to fill the competition's ski and snowboard runs. The first U.S. win was made by 23-year-old skier Hannah Kearney of New Hampshire on February 13 in the women's moguls. With the winning score of 26.63 points, she earned a gold medal.