Fillmore fire. Firefighters are getting a break from the wind as they work to contain a wildfire that’s destroyed two homes and threatened 160 others in Ventura County. They’re trying to take advantage of the lull to surround the flames, because the wind is expected to pick up again tomorrow. The wind storm that swept through yesterday knocked out power to more than 10,000 Edison and DWP customers and forced the closure of the 14 Freeway for a time. It’s also kicked up big surf. Ventura County Star, AP
State of the City. Time flies when you’re running the country’s second biggest city…L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will deliver his final State of the City Address today. Villaraigosa has been taking flack lately from City Controller Wendy Greuel and City Councilman Eric Garcetti, who are vying to replace him when his term ends in July. He’s expected to counter those criticisms and put his own spin on his accomplishments. In particular, Villaraigosa is expected to talk about his efforts to increase the size of the police force, cut crime rates, reform schools and improve public transportation. LA Cityview
College prep. LAUSD’s ambitious plan to prepare all of its graduates for college faces an uphill battle, according to a new study. Harvard researchers say that just 16 percent of LAUSD’s Class of 2011 passed the classes needed to qualify for California’s public universities. Under new graduation requirements adopted last year, L.A. students must pass four years of English, three years of math and two years each of science, social science and foreign language. The course load conforms to standards for the U.C. and Cal State systems. L.A. Daily News
Grape tragedy. Bad news for wine lovers, and California vintners…A new study by the National Academy of Sciences concludes that land suitable for wine production will decline by 73 percent internationally by 2050. In California, the figure is 70 percent. The biggest factor is rising temperatures. But dwindling freshwater supplies are also expected to pose a problem. San Jose Mercury News
Desecrated. Part of Joshua Tree National Park is closing to visitors. For that, the National Park Service says, you can thank graffiti vandals. Natural rock formations and archeological sites in Rattlesnake Canyon are increasingly being targeted by taggers. The Park Service says it’s closing the area to prevent further damage, and to try to clean it up. The Sun