San Fernando Valley roundup: Community college leaders fear Prop. 30 failure, Salton Sea likely source for foul odor

Good morning, readers. Today is Tuesday, September 11. Taking a breath of fresh air was a bit of a challenge in many parts of the Southern California region yesterday.

Authorities believe that a foul smell reported by thousands of residents was most likely caused by a fish die-off at the Salton Sea, combined with strong winds that pushed the smell into the area. The smell was reported as far east as Palm Springs and as far west as Ventura County. Los Angeles Times

Leaders of community colleges in the San Fernando Valley fear that a failure to pass Proposition 30 could result in drastic cuts in classes and the loss of many services. Campuses such as L.A. Valley College have already been forced to cut library and records services. Daily News

Three small brush fires were reported at the junction of the 5 and 118 freeways Monday afternoon. Authorities believe the blazes started near the intersection of the 118 Freeway and San Fernando Road. Los Angeles Times

As the anniversary of the deadly Chatsworth crash approaches, Metrolink has unvelied its first train featuring “positive train control” technology. The GPS-based technology tracks trains as they move across the region and can stop the trains if needed. The Source

The identities of the victims who were killed after their car crashed into a Studio City eatery and burst into flames have been released. The accident has been described as a “very violent, very volatile” crash. LAist

--Josh Cox, Times Community News

Follow Josh on Twitter @joshualcox