Catch up on Simi Valley high school sports for September 24–29 with this week’s varsity schedule for Simi Valley High, Royal High and Grace, plus a look back at Royal football’s unbeaten start and an alumni update on Simi Valley High graduate Justin Campbell.

Two Simi Valley youth All-Star teams made their mark this summer.

The 10U Girls Softball All-Stars finished an incredible 119-9-1 season by winning the USA Softball Pacific Coast Tournament of Champions, while the 16U Colt Baseball All-Stars battled through the West Zone Tournament to earn Simi Valley’s first-ever trip to the International Colt World Series.

Both teams were honored by the City Council for their historic seasons.

The jalapeño pepper recall has left Simi Valley residents on high alert, as the contamination scare ripples through California grocery aisles.

Shoppers are scrutinizing labels on salsas, dips, and snacks, worried about their families’ safety amid the fast-unfolding salmonella outbreak.

The situation escalated after a FDA class I recall was issued, signaling a risk of serious illness or death from tainted produce purchased at major retailers.

Locally, several Ventura County stores swiftly pulled affected items, but some products likely reached homes before the recall took effect.

Officials caution residents to double-check any jalapeño-containing foods bought this July or August and, when uncertain, discard them immediately.

This warning resonates during summer’s busy gathering season, underscoring how a single ingredient can upend daily life in Simi Valley.

If you had to evacuate your home with little warning, would you know exactly what to grab? A well-prepared emergency go-bag can save valuable time during a wildfire, earthquake or other local emergency. This week’s Ready Simi guide covers the essentials every household should have packed and ready, including food, water, medications, power, important documents and supplies for pets.

A Simi Valley woman faces murder and DUI-related charges after a Sept. 15 collision involving a Metro bus in Chatsworth killed two people. Three additional people died when a news helicopter covering the crash went down nearby.

Both incidents remain under investigation.

September is National Preparedness Month, a good reminder to make sure every member of the household is included in your emergency plan — including the furry, feathered and scaled ones.

If you ever need to evacuate quickly because of a wildfire, earthquake or other emergency, having pet supplies packed in advance can save valuable time and reduce stress.

A pet go-bag should include basics such as food, water, medications, identification, vaccination records, a leash or harness, a secure carrier, waste or cleanup supplies, and a familiar comfort item. Cats, birds, rabbits, reptiles and other household pets may also need species-specific supplies such as litter, bedding, travel cages or temperature-control items.

It’s also smart to choose a trusted backup person who could evacuate your pets if you aren’t home and to identify pet-friendly places you could stay.

We created a simple Pet Go-Bag Checklist to make getting started easier.

Download the checklist, customize it for your pets, and keep it with their carriers or other evacuation supplies so it’s ready when you need it.

Instead of asking AI, "When should I take Social Security?" or "When should I sign up for Medicare?", use it to build a personalized roadmap and identify the questions you need answered.

✨ Copy & Paste This Prompt

"I'm starting to plan for Medicare and Social Security and I'm confused about the different ages, enrollment periods, options and decisions.

 

I do not want you to simply tell me what to do. Help me understand my situation and prepare to make informed decisions.

 

First, ask me questions one at a time about the information that could affect my decisions, including:

• My age and birth year
• Whether I'm currently working
• When I expect to retire
• Whether my spouse is working
• What health insurance I currently have and where it comes from
• Whether I contribute to an HSA
• My estimated Social Security benefits at different claiming ages
• Whether I'm married, divorced or widowed, if relevant to benefit options
• Whether I expect to continue earning income
• My general retirement income needs and priorities

 

After you've gathered the information, create two separate roadmaps: Medicare and Social Security.

 

For Medicare, explain the enrollment periods that appear relevant to me, important dates I should put on my calendar, questions about my existing insurance I need answered, potential late-enrollment issues I should investigate, and the official Medicare resources I should use to verify everything.

 

For Social Security, show me the claiming ages that apply to me and help me compare starting earlier, at my full retirement age, and delaying. Explain the tradeoffs rather than simply choosing an age for me.

 

Then give me:

1. My personalized timeline
2. A checklist of information I still need to gather
3. Questions to ask Medicare, Social Security, my employer or a financial professional
4. Decisions I don't need to make yet
5. Decisions or deadlines I should not overlook

 

Important: Use current information from official Medicare.gov and SSA.gov sources. Provide links to the sources you used and clearly tell me when something depends on my individual circumstances or needs professional guidance."

 

⭐ The Simi Signal Bonus Prompt

Once AI creates the roadmap, ask:

"Now pretend I'm six months away from the first important date on my timeline. Create a month-by-month checklist so I know exactly what I need to research, verify or do—and what can wait."

Turn confusion into a plan.

UNDERSTAND • ORGANIZE • PREPARE