👋 Welcome to Northridge Now — Issue #0026
Happy Mid-Week Wednesday Northridge ☀️
Hey Northridge 👋 — there's a lot moving across the Valley today. We're covering a fatal hit-and-run right here on Roscoe Blvd, an early-morning fire on Reseda, and a Silver Alert for a missing 62-year-old out of Reseda — community safety is front and center this week.
On the lighter side — CSUN baseball just claimed the season series over Pepperdine, In-N-Out's owner doubled down on why they'll never have a mobile app, and NASA shared something genuinely stunning from the far side of the moon. Let's get into it 📰
🔥 In Today's Issue:
🚗 Northridge Hit-and-Run — Man Killed on Roscoe Blvd
🔥 Pre-Dawn Fire at Strip Mall on Reseda Blvd
🚨 Silver Alert: Missing 62-Year-Old Man Last Seen in Reseda
🍔 In-N-Out's Owner Says No to Apps — Here's Why
🌕 Artemis II Shows the World Something It's Never Seen
🏫 Five CSU Presidents Unite to Power LA's Talent Pipeline
🎓 CSUN Spotlight: One Student's Unbreakable DACA & Indigenous Story
⚾ CSUN Baseball Takes the Season Series Over Pepperdine
⛳ CSUN Women's Golf Competes at Silverado Showdown
🦊 Why LA's Urban Animals Are Getting Bolder — UCLA Weighs In
📅 Trivia Tonight, Grubfest Friday, Farmers Market Sunday
🚨 Northridge Alerts
🚗 Man in His 20s Killed in Hit-and-Run on Roscoe Blvd — Driver Identified
A pedestrian was struck and killed in Northridge Sunday night at the intersection of Roscoe Blvd and White Oak Ave — and the driver fled the scene.
🔥 What happened:
🕗 Incident occurred Sunday, April 6 around 8:15 PM
🚗 A gray 2006 Honda Accord heading eastbound on Roscoe struck the victim and dragged him before fleeing
💔 The man, in his 20s, was rushed to the hospital but did not survive
👮 LAPD has since located the vehicle and identified the driver — investigation ongoing
📍 Have information?
Call LAPD Valley Traffic Division at 818-644-8255 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
NNN Take:
This happened at a busy intersection in our neighborhood. A reminder to stay visible at night and be extra careful crossing on Roscoe — especially after dark.
👉 Full story: KTLA
🔥 Pre-Dawn Fire Breaks Out at Northridge Strip Mall on Reseda Blvd
LAFD crews responded before sunrise Tuesday morning to a second-story fire at a strip mall right on Reseda Blvd — bringing 75 firefighters to the scene.
🔥 What happened:
🕓 Call came in at 4:38 AM at 8363 N. Reseda Blvd (between Chase St and Roscoe Blvd)
👩🚒 75 firefighters knocked it down in 47 minutes
✅ No injuries reported
🏗️ City building inspectors called in to assess structural safety
🔍 Cause remains under investigation
NNN Take:
Quick work by LAFD kept this contained. If you have a business or know someone near that block of Reseda, worth checking in on any structural notices posted by the city.
👉 Full story: Patch Northridge
🚨 Silver Alert: 62-Year-Old Man Missing From Reseda — Please Share
A Silver Alert has been issued for a 62-year-old man who went missing Monday afternoon from the Reseda area. If you've seen him, call 911.
🔎 Who to look for:
👤 Valentine Zepeda, 62 years old
📏 5'7", 200 lbs, black hair, brown eyes
👕 Last seen wearing a brown shirt and black pants
📍 Last seen near Saticoy St & Wilbur Ave in Reseda at approximately 4:50 PM Monday
🆘 If you see Valentine or have any information — call 911 immediately.
NNN Take:
This is our community. Please forward this to your neighbors — the more eyes we have out there, the better.
👉 Full story: Patch Northridge
📰 Valley & Beyond
🍔 In-N-Out's Owner Just Said It Again: No App. No Mobile Ordering. Ever.
In-N-Out owner Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson spoke at Pepperdine University this week and made it crystal clear — the brand has zero interest in mobile ordering or pickup, and that's not changing.
🔥 What she said:
📱 Mobile ordering conflicts with how In-N-Out operates — every burger is made fresh, to order, right then
🍟 No heat lamps. No microwaves. No holding your food until you pull up
🤝 The in-person experience — the wait, the freshness, the interaction — is the product
🏆 The brand's simplicity is intentional, not a gap — it's what keeps quality consistent across every location
📍 Why it matters locally:
There's an In-N-Out on Reseda and another on Nordhoff — both with lines that haven't gotten shorter since 1948. Whatever they're doing, it's working.
NNN Take:
In a world where every chain is racing to get you an app, In-N-Out keeps proving the experience is the product. Hard to argue when the line at Reseda is still wrapped around the building every Friday night.
👉 Full story: KTLA
🌕 Artemis II Just Showed Humanity Something It's Never Seen Before
On Sunday — two days ago — four astronauts on NASA's Artemis II mission flew around the far side of the moon and captured the most breathtaking space photos in years. The whole world stopped to look up.
🔥 What happened:
🚀 Crew: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover & Christina Koch (NASA), Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency)
📏 Traveled 252,756 miles from Earth — farther than any human has ever gone
🌑 First humans to see parts of the moon's far side with their unaided eyes
📸 Captured a stunning "Earthset" — Earth dropping below the lunar horizon — and an "Earthrise"
🌞 Witnessed a solar eclipse from space, and 6 meteoroid impact flashes on the moon's surface
❤️ Named a lunar crater "Carroll" — after Commander Wiseman's late wife — in an emotional live broadcast moment
📍 Local angle:
CSUN has a growing aerospace and physics program, and the greater LA region is home to a massive slice of the aerospace workforce — from JPL in Pasadena to Northrop Grumman and Aerojet just minutes from the Valley. This mission is part of the story playing out in our backyard.
NNN Take:
Between the fires, the news cycle, and the commute — four humans flew farther from Earth than anyone in history and named a crater after love. That's worth pausing for. Go look at the photos.
👉 Full story + photos: Yahoo News
🏫 CSUN & Community
🎓 Five CSU Presidents, One Mission: Powering LA's Talent Pipeline
The presidents of CSUN, Cal State LA, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Dominguez Hills, and Cal Poly Pomona just came together around a shared goal — building a stronger, more connected workforce pipeline for the Los Angeles region.
🔥 What's happening:
🏫 The five schools are known collectively as the "CSU5" — they all serve the greater LA region
👩🎓 Combined, they have 1.3 million alumni across the region
💼 Industry leaders from healthcare, aerospace & local government were part of the discussion
🤝 Focus areas: internships, research partnerships, and career-ready graduates
📣 CSUN President Erika D. Beck represented Northridge on the panel
📍 Why it matters for Northridge:
CSUN sits at the center of this. When the region's biggest universities coordinate like this, it creates real opportunities — internships, jobs, and research coming into the Valley.
NNN Take:
1.3 million alumni is a serious number. This kind of alignment doesn't happen often — and it could mean more intentional investment flowing directly into Northridge and the surrounding Valley.
👉 Full story: CSUN Newsroom
🎓 Unbreakable: A CSUN Student's DACA & Indigenous Voice
The CSUN Daily Sundial spotlights a student navigating life as both a DACA recipient and a member of an indigenous community — and doing it with what the piece calls "unbreakable determination."
📍 Why it matters:
🌱 CSUN serves one of the most diverse student populations in the country
📣 This story speaks for thousands of Matadors navigating similar challenges right now
💪 A reminder of the grit that defines so much of who shows up on that campus every day
NNN Take:
This is the kind of story that deserves more than a headline. Worth the full read — note it's published in Spanish.
👉 Full story (en español): Daily Sundial
⚾ CSUN Sports
⚾ Matadors Take Season Series Over Pepperdine With 4-2 Rubber Match Win
CSUN baseball got it done in the deciding game Tuesday night — edging Pepperdine 4-2 to claim the season series 2-1.
🔥 Highlights:
💥 Home runs from Matthew Pena and Matthew Thomas powered the offense
⚡ Strong pitching throughout — held Pepperdine to just 2 runs
🏆 CSUN claims the season series after splitting the first two matchups
📈 A statement win heading deeper into the schedule
NNN Take:
Taking a series from Pepperdine isn't easy. The Matadors showed they can win the big moments — and that matters when conference play starts heating up.
👉 Full story: Go Matadors
⛳ CSUN Women's Golf Competing at the Chevron Silverado Showdown in Napa
The Matadors are in Napa this week for one of the tougher fields in women's college golf — the Chevron Silverado Showdown against 16 teams.
📊 Where things stand after two rounds:
🏌️♀️ CSUN sits 16th at 37-over 613 after back-to-back rounds of 309 and 304
⭐ Senior Kim Turgut is the team's low scorer — back-to-back solid rounds including two birdies Tuesday
📍 Turgut currently tied for 47th individually at 7-over 151
🏆 No. 2 USC leads the team competition — it's a stacked field
NNN Take:
A tough field but valuable reps against elite competition. Kim Turgut is quietly having a solid tournament — keep an eye on her as the season wraps up.
👉 Full story: Go Matadors
🦊 Valley Vibes
🦊 Why LA's Urban Animals Are Getting Bolder — And It's Not Just Coyotes
A new study from UCLA researchers has a name for what Valley residents have been noticing for years: behavioral homogenization. Urban animals worldwide are becoming more similar, bolder, and way more comfortable around people. Sound familiar?
🔥 What the science says:
🧬 Cities are literally selecting for bolder animals — the brave ones eat, survive, and reproduce
🐾 Urban animals from New Delhi to New York to LA are behaving the same: food-focused, fearless of people
🔊 Urban birds are even changing their songs to cut through city traffic noise
🗑️ Sydney ibises steal sandwiches. Toronto raccoons outsmart trash cans. LA coyotes? You already know.
⚠️ Losing behavioral diversity has real long-term consequences — more human-wildlife conflict, less resilience
📍 Local angle:
The Valley's coyote population is thriving — and according to this UCLA-led research, they're only getting smarter. Small pets should stay close at dusk and night, especially in neighborhoods near the hills.
NNN Take:
The coyote that stared you down last Tuesday wasn't being aggressive — it was operating at peak urban efficiency. Respect the hustle. But keep your dog inside.
👉 Full story: Yahoo News
📅 Events & Things To Do
🧠 Trivia Night at Paragon Bar and Grill — Tomorrow Thursday!
Need a reason to get out tomorrow night? Paragon's weekly trivia is a low-key, local way to do it.
🗓️ Thursday, April 9
📍 Paragon Bar and Grill, Northridge
🧠 Classic pub-style trivia — laid-back, competitive, fun
🍔 Full menu + drinks while you play
👥 Perfect for groups or a casual midweek night out
🌮 Granada Hills Grubfest — Friday Night!
The Valley's best weekly food truck tradition is back this Friday night.
🗓️ Friday, April 10 | ⏰ 5:00–10:00 PM
📍 Chatsworth St, between White Oak Ave & Zelzah Ave, Granada Hills
🌮 30+ rotating food trucks every week — tacos, BBQ, fusion, desserts
🐶 Family & dog friendly — no reservation needed
🍇 Weekly Farmers Market at The Vineyards — Sunday
A clean, easy Sunday morning in Porter Ranch — fresh produce, local vendors, and open-air vibes.
🗓️ Sunday, April 12 | ⏰ 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 The Vineyards at Porter Ranch
🥬 Fresh produce, artisan foods, ready-to-eat bites & local vendors
☕ Easy add-on with nearby coffee shops and restaurants in the center
🎮 Tuesday Trivia at Dave & Buster's — Coming Up April 14
🗓️ Tuesday, April 14 | ⏰ 7:30 PM
📍 Dave & Buster's, Northridge
🏆 Hosted by Leaderboard Games — competitive format with rankings & leaderboards
🎯 Trivia + full arcade energy = perfect group night
👨👩👧👦 Great for date nights, friend groups, or team outings
👀 What’s Coming Next
More local business spotlights
Short, relevant Northridge news
Events, deals, and community updates worth paying attention to
💡 Know something we should feature?
• 📅 A local event coming up
• 🏪 A new or longtime local business
• 📣 Something happening others should know
If someone forwarded you this issue, you can subscribe free and get Northridge updates delivered straight to your inbox.