These are among the tales of redemption, forgiveness and love told in Column One, The Times’ showcase for storytelling, in 2021.

Downtown Los Angeles has received a scant 0.71 inches since the water year started Oct. 1, compared with the normal 1.68 inches for this time of year.

Melrose Action raised $30,000 for license plate readers, including $10,000 from L.A. City Councilman Paul Koretz. The readers start going up this week.

L.A. Pizza Hut customers are being hit with an extra charge to help recover “the increased cost of operations in the state of California.”

It’s still far from clear what kind of COVID-19 increase California will see, and the state so far has been doing better than other parts of the country. But officials say they want to be ready.

Explore the stunning portraits and moments captured by Times photographers from the past few weeks

Concerns remain about how transmissible Omicron may be.

Health officials reported Los Angeles County’s second confirmed case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus Monday, a college student who had recently returned from the East Coast.

The COVID-19 vaccination numbers raise questions about how Metro will balance protecting transit riders and maintaining crucial services.

Light rain is slated for Tuesday morning, officials said, and a stronger system should deliver more moisture by the end of the week.