Simi Valley’s 2026 State of the City Address offered a wide-ranging look at the community’s progress and what residents can expect in the years ahead.

Presented Sept. 16 at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, Mayor Dee Dee Cavanaugh’s “Spotlight on Simi Valley” focused on public safety, economic development, infrastructure and quality of life.

Among the highlights, reported offenses declined for a third straight year, with 2025 crime down 6.4%. Two recent community surveys also found that 77% of respondents rated Simi Valley’s overall quality of life as good or excellent.

Economic development played a major role in the presentation. Pennymac is moving into the former Bank of America building with plans for approximately 1,000 jobs, while Hanover Company has started work on a $75 million industrial development.

Simi Valley’s film industry also posted strong growth, with at least 482 production days recorded through Sept. 15 — about 63% more than all of 2025. The city also announced a new dedicated Film Office aimed at attracting additional productions.

Looking ahead, city leaders highlighted potential USHL hockey expansion, new housing projects, continued work on the Town Center, and nearly $28 million in infrastructure investments covering streets, sewer lines, water systems and traffic signals.

October brings cooler evenings, fall events, seasonal activities and plenty of reasons to get out and enjoy Simi Valley. From local entertainment and fall farm fun to home projects, neighborhood walks and a little early Halloween planning, we’ve rounded up 10 simple ways to make the most of the month before the holiday rush begins.

Catch up on Simi Valley high school sports for September 30–October 6 with this week’s varsity schedule for Simi Valley High, Royal High and Grace, plus a look back at Royal football’s 5–0 start and the key local matchups ahead.

Simi Valley has approved a nearly $2 million rehabilitation project for Los Angeles Avenue between First Street and Erringer Road.

The work will include resurfacing, sidewalk and curb repairs, ADA improvements and changes to one crosswalk, with most construction scheduled overnight.

Ventura County is getting older, fewer children are being born, and younger families are increasingly struggling with housing costs — demographic shifts that could affect the region for decades.

Those trends were the focus of the Ventura County Civic Alliance’s recent Future of the Region Conference in Camarillo.

Data presented at the event showed the county’s birth rate has fallen sharply since 1990, while the median age has continued to rise and the number of residents under 18 has declined.

Keynote speaker Fernando Torres-Gil, a UCLA professor and expert on aging and public policy, said the county must prepare for two challenges at once: supporting a growing older population while remaining affordable and accessible to younger families and workers.

Housing was a major concern. Rising property values can benefit longtime homeowners, but they can also make it harder for younger residents, caregivers and essential workers to live in the communities where they work.

Speakers said the demographic shift could eventually affect schools, health care, long-term care, the workforce and public services.

The central message: Ventura County needs to plan now for how it will support older residents while ensuring younger generations can continue to live, work and raise families here.

Ventura County employers continue to need skilled workers in fields such as:

• healthcare
• biotechnology
• cybersecurity
• education
• engineering
• emerging technologies

According to Moorpark College President Dr. Julius Sokenu, part of the solution may already be living here.

In a recent Ventura County Star opinion column, Sokenu makes the case for investing more heavily in adult learners age 25 and older — including parents returning to school, workers whose jobs have changed or disappeared, and experienced employees adapting to new technologies.

Moorpark College enrolled a record 4,849 students between ages 25 and 50 during the 2024–25 academic year, highlighting the size of this often-overlooked workforce pipeline.

Sokenu argues that serving these students effectively requires colleges to rethink the traditional educational model. Two priorities he emphasizes are:

•  credit for prior learning, which recognizes skills gained through employment, military service and professional certifications

• flexible scheduling that accommodates work and family responsibilities.

His broader point: as Ventura County faces an aging population and a tighter labor pool, economic development cannot rely solely on attracting workers from elsewhere. Helping local adults retrain, advance and move into high-demand careers could strengthen both the workforce and the regional economy.

A Tesla Model 3 struck a firefighter and fire truck at a crash scene on westbound Highway 118 in Simi Valley early Sunday, seriously injuring the firefighter.

The emergency response began around 2:25 in the morning, after a wrong-way Ford Bronco Sport hit a Honda CR-V head-on.

California Highway Patrol officers said the Tesla crossed road flares set out to protect the scene.

The firefighter was taken to a trauma center, and the Tesla driver, a 30-year-old Saratoga man, was arrested on suspicion of felony driving under the influence causing injury.

The Bronco driver, a 24-year-old Minnesota man, was also arrested on suspicion of impaired driving; he reported injuries, while the Honda driver was unhurt.

Later, another driver crossed the flares and was arrested on suspicion of impaired driving.

Three westbound lanes remained closed for about four hours.

Authorities did not establish whether the Tesla was using an automated driving feature.

AI can do more than help you make a plan. This week’s AI Made Simple shows how to use it as a second set of eyes—first to organize your October, then to review the plan for conflicts, overlooked details, unrealistic timing, or missing steps before you move forward.