WomenShelter Long Beach gets $850,000 in federal funding for transitional housing project

WomenShelter Long Beach, a nonprofit serving survivors of domestic violence, will soon build a new transitional housing facility for its clients — with help from a significant chunk of federal funding.

Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán, who represents California’s 44th Congressional District, helped secure $850,000 for the nonprofit’s project.

Congress members, during the 2024 fiscal year, were able to submit funding requests to the U.S. House of Representative’s Appropriations Committee for up to 15

Grand Prix topples attendance record second year in a row

Another Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is in the books — and this year’s event, the 49th annual, set another record for attendance.

The Grand Prix, a three-day racing spectacle that took over Downtown Long Beach from Friday, April 19 to Sunday, April 21, drew in about 194,000 attendees.

That’s up around 2,000 people from the last year’s event according to Grand Prix Association of Long Beach President and CEO Jim Michaelian, when the Grand Prix welcomed a record 192,000 visitors.

“It continue

59th annual Congressional Cup returns to Long Beach this week

The prestigious Congressional Cup regatta — dubbed the “granddaddy” of modern match racing — will return to Long Beach’s coastline for five days of action this week.

This year’s 59th annual Congressional Cup, hosted by the Long Beach Yacht Club, will continue a busy event season in the city — taking place a week after both the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and the Ficker Cup, the latter of which is a qualifier for this week’s regatta.

The Congressional Cup will run from Wednesday to Sunday, A

Day 2 of Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach a thrilling prelude to Sunday’s main event

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach continued to delight attendees — and fuel the adrenaline rush for thousands of racegoers — during the penultimate day of the “200-mph beach party” on Saturday, April 20.

Though Saturday seemed to start off slightly slower than the day prior, by mid-morning, the entire concourse was packed with attendees excited for the day’s events — including the IMSA Sportscar Grand Prix.

Renger van der Zande and his co-driver, Sebastien Bourdais, of Chip Ganassi Racing edg

The first-timer’s go-to guide for the best Grand Prix of Long Beach experience

It’s just about time for 49th annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

The event, dubbed Southern California’s 200-mph beach party, will offer Grand Prix veterans and first-timers countless offerings from Friday to Sunday, April 19-21.

There’s so much to see and do at this event — which takes over a big chunk of Long Beach’s downtown and waterfront — it might be hard to figure out how to make the most of the experience.

But never fear. The Southern California News Group has you covered with a g

CSULB breaks ground on La Playa Residence Hall — a new affordable student housing complex

Construction has officially begun on a new 108,000 square-foot residence hall that will bolster affordable housing options for Cal State Long Beach students, according to a recent announcement.

Dubbed La Playa Residence Hall, the complex will feature three five-story buildings that can house an additional 424 beds distributed across both single- and double-occupancy rooms.

Besides the additional housing, each La Playa Residence Hall building will also include a ground-floor communal kitchen, t

Grand Prix of Long Beach returns for 49th year this weekend

Thrill seekers from around the world will once again descend on Long Beach’s downtown this weekend to get a taste of the high-speed world of racing.

The 49th annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, a three-day spectacle with tons of offerings for both hardcore race lovers and casual fans, will run from Friday to Sunday, April 19-21. The Grand Prix is one of Long Beach’s biggest annual events, and one of its grandest — which is why organizers have dubbed it the region’s “200-mph beach party.”

La

Thunder Thursday to give a taste of what Grand Prix of Long Beach has to offer

Southern California’s high-speed weekend is about to kick off — but before the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach gets officially underway, Thunder Thursday will rev up the party.

The community event, as its name suggests, will take place on the eve of the Grand Prix, offering a free taste of what the city’s “200-mph beach party” has to offer.

Thunder Thursday — organized by Visit Long Beach, otherwise known as the city’s Convention & Visitors Bureau — will take place at the Pike Outlets. The four

Aquarium of the Pacific gives orphaned otter pups the chance to return to the wild

Another sea otter pup has moved into the Aquarium of the Pacific — but with help from her new surrogate mother, it may eventually be released back into the wild.

This is the first time a sea otter pup has come to the Long Beach aquarium with the goal of returning to the wild. The effort is thanks to a partnership with the Aquarium of the Pacific — which has cared for sea otters deemed unfit to live in the wild since it’s opening in 1998 — and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

“We’re thrilled to be ab

Long Beach will look at possibly letting electric scooters on popular beachside bikepath

Long Beach will study the pros and cons of allowing electric scooters on a popular beachside bike path, the City Council decided this week.

The Shoreline Pedestrian Bikepath, a 3.1-mile paved route offering walkers, runners and bicyclists a path from Alamitos Bay to Shoreline Village, is currently off limits to electronic scooters.

But Vice Mayor Cindy Allen, who represents the Second District, submitted a motion during this week’s City Council meeting to study whether its feasible for Long Be

Photos: Thousands celebrate at 16th annual Cambodia Town Parade and Culture Festival


• None Participants put on a colorful spectacle as they walk along Anaheim Street on Sunday, Apr. 7, 2024, at the 16th annual Cambodia Town Parade & Culture Festival in Long Beach (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
• None Participants walk along Anaheim Street on Sunday, Apr. 7, 2024, at the 16th annual Cambodia Town Parade & Culture Festival in Long Beach (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
• None Kase Somsak, 9, waves a Cambodian flag as he watches the 16t

Musical Theatre West puts on pop-up performances on Second Street

Musical Theatre West, a beloved performing arts company in Long Beach, put on a series of pop-up performances in Belmont Shore on Saturday, April 6.

The 10-minute mini concerts, featuring hits from iconic performers including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis, took place all up and down Second Street all day Saturday.

The little sets were performed by a select few members of the cast and crew of Musical Theatre West’s newest production, “Million Dollar Quartet,” which is set to h

As kitten season arrives, ‘Bottle Baby Brigade,’ scores of fosters are keeping baby felines fed

As the weather around Southern California starts to dry out and warm up, animal-care agencies and rescues from across Southern California are bracing for an onslaught of newborn kittens to come through their doors.

Kitten season, as its known by those who work in animal care, is a months-long timetable that usually kicks off in the spring when endless new litters of infant felines are born and, inevitably, brought to local shelters.

And though most animal lovers may rejoice at the thought of t

Cambodia Town Parade, Culture Festival returns for 16th year this weekend

The 16th annual Cambodia Town Parade and Cultural, a celebration of the country’s new year, will return to Long Beach this weekend.

The free event will kick off with the parade at the intersection of Anaheim Street and Cherry Avenue on Sunday, April 7 at 10:30 a.m. after an interfaith program, including a traditional blessing.

The parade will travel about a half mile to MacArthur Park, 1321 Anaheim St., where a cultural festival — featuring traditional Cambodian dance, ancient martial arts dem

LGBTQ Center Long Beach gets more than $2 million — largest single grant in nonprofit’s history

The LGBTQ Center Long Beach has been awarded a $2.3 million grant to support its services, programs, and advocacy for the city’s LGBTQ community, the nonprofit announced recently.

The center is just one of 340 other organizations across the country to receive grant funding from billionaire philanthropist Mackenzie Scott.

Scott became a billionaire after divorcing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019. She has donated more than $17 billion to more than 2,300 nonprofit organizations through Yield Gi

Downtown Long Beach’s Union Bank building sold; 3 other waterfront parcels on the market

An iconic building in the Downtown Long Beach skyline has been sold — and another three parcels of land, all part of a larger plan to redevelop the area — are up for sale.

The Union Bank building at 400 Oceangate, which sold in July 2023, is just one of three other properties on 6.2 acres of land dubbed “Golden Shore,” a mixed-use site that could be developed for housing, hospitality, and retail uses.

All of the Golden Shore land parcels are owned and being sold by Keesal, Young, & Logan, a la

Long Beach OK’s changes to short-term rental rules, enforcement

Long Beach is set to make some changes to its laws that govern how short-term rentals, such as Airbnb properties, operate in the city.

The City Council, on Tuesday, OK’d an item to add new language to clarify the city’s existing short-term rental rules — and how they can be enforced — following concern from the public about a recent shooting at an Airbnb in Long Beach.

In early January, Fourth District Councilmember Daryl Supernaw gathered with more than 100 residents to discuss how short-term

Forest Lawn celebrates Easter sunrise services’ centennial at Long Beach, other sites


• None Steady early-morning rain and wet grounds forced Forest Lawn’s centennial Easter Sunrise service to take place inside the chapel on Sunday, Mar. 31, 2024, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
• None Members of the Southern California Latter-day Saint Choir sing during Forest Lawn’s centennial Easter Sunrise service on Sunday, Mar. 31, 2024, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
• None The Reverend Yvonne Tyler of New Mt. Calv

Long Beach’s 2nd District Easter egg hunts get underway — despite the raindrops


• None Twin 7-year-olds Elijah and Maliyah Denton display their drawings at the second annual District 2 Easter Egg hunt on Saturday, Mar. 30, 2024, at Orizaba Park in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
• None Youngsters draw pictures in the crafts area at the second annual District 2 Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, Mar. 30, 2024, at Orizaba Park in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
• None Brayden Bradbury, 4, checks out the toy he fou

Historical Society opens new exhibit celebrating Long Beach’s Chicano history


• None Harbor commissioner Bonnie Lowenthal, left, District 1 Councilmember Mary Zendejas and Herlinda Chico, of the Long Beach Community College District, are among the local dignitaries at the opening of “Centro de la Raza: John A. Taboada Legacy Photo Collection,1970-1985,” on Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024, at the Historical Society in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
• None District 1 Councilmember Mary Zendejas, left, and original Centro de la Raza member Phyllis

Election 2024: Long Beach voters pass Measure RW; City Council incumbents dominate

The grand total of results from the Tuesday, March 5 local elections are in — and Long Beach voters have approved a new ballot measure and selected several City Council representatives.

The Los Angeles County registrar’s office released its final election results at around 12:20 p.m. on Friday, March 29. Across LA County, more than 1.6 million ballots have been tallied, for a total voter turnout of nearly 29%.

Here are the certified election results for Long Beach’s local races.

Long Beach’s
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