What next for homeless? Long Beach, South Bay officials assess Newsom’s unexpected encampment order

Local officials along Los Angeles County’s Coast striving to ease the plight of the homeless are working to assess last week’s unexpected edict from the governor’s office urging that communities clear their streets of “problematic encampments.”The executive order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom — imploring cities across the massive state to take more action to resolve homeless encampments within their borders — has been met with some criticism from local government leaders and advocates, who cited c...

Some Southern California hospitals mildly impacted by global IT outage

Health care providers across the Southern California were working to remedy the impacts of a cybersecurity firm’s faulty software update, which caused technological chaos across the globe on Friday, July 19, including at airports, government offices, businesses — and hospitals.The software update, issued by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, affected customers running Microsoft Windows, leading the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily ground flights across the country on Friday, along wit...

What does SpaceX’s move to Texas really mean for the South Bay?

The news that SpaceX, the massive aerospace company with an equally vast headquarters in Hawthorne, is apparently departing the South Bay for a new kind of south, caused an immediate stir among other local aerospace startups looking to hire — but also left locals with more questions than answers about how the move will impact the local economy.Mercurial billionaire and SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced the company’s move from Hawthorne to Texas on Tuesday, July 16, in a post on X, formerly Twit...

SpaceX to move from Hawthorne to Texas, Elon Musk announces

SpaceX, the massive aerospace company known for its innovative rockets and space capsules — with billions of dollars worth of contracts with the federal government — will move its headquarters from Hawthorne to Texas, founder Elon Musk announced on the social media platform X on Tuesday, July 16.While the precise impact wasn’t immediately known, the relocation could prove a blow to the South Bay and regional economy, though at least one economist cast doubt on that.Related: From modest beginning...

Election 2024: Nomination period for candidates to get on the Nov. 5 ballot is open

The nomination period for those wishing to run for local offices across Los Angeles County during the Nov. 5 general election is now open.The November election will feature scores of political offices — local, state and federal — up for grabs throughout Los Angeles County, from Alhambra to Bellflower, from Santa Clarita to Manhattan Beach.But for some races, the candidates are already known. That’s because they were on the March 5 primary ballot and Nov. 5 will be a runoff. Among the races that...

Long Beach Utilities to host public hearing over proposed rate increases this August

The Long Beach Utilities Department has approved three different rate increases as part of its fiscal year 2025 budget — though the changes will be subject to a public hearing and City Council approval before becoming official.The Utilities Commission approved its $378 million budget — which is comprises a $180 million water fund, a $165 million Gas fund and a $33 million sewer fund — for the upcoming fiscal year last month.That proposed budget, which will still need to be OK’d by the City Counc...

Long Beach opens pet food pantry for homeless people with singer John Legend, Project Street Vet

The Multi-Service Center, Long Beach’s hub for homeless services, now has a new offering for unhoused people — thanks to a collaboration with musician John Legend and a local nonprofit.Anyone visiting the MSC will now have access to free food for their furry friends with the opening of the new pet food pantry on Friday, July 12.The pet food pantry, according to a Friday news release, was sponsored by nonprofit Project Street Vet, which provides free vet care for unhoused people’s pets, and Kisme...

St. Mary Medical Center recognized by Human Rights Campaign for LGBTQ health care services

Dignity Health’s St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach has been recognized as a leader in LGBTQ health care by the Human Rights Campaign, according to a recent press release.The Human Rights Campaign, America’s largest civil rights organization dedicated to protecting LGBTQ rights, puts out its Healthcare Equality Index each year.The HEI, originally established in 2007, evaluates health care providers across the country to determine how well their practices and policies support equitable and inc...

LBCC to host first SummerFest & Drone Show event on July 27

Long Beach City College is set to host a new event, dubbed the 2024 SummerFest & Drone Show, later this month.The event, which will take place Saturday, July 27, at Veterans Stadium, 5000 E. Lew Davis St., will focus on STEAM-related activities, carnival games and more, according to a recent news release. (STEAM stands for (science, technology, engineering, art and math.)“(LBCC) is thrilled to host our first-ever Summerfest & Drone Show, a celebration that truly embodies the vibrant and welcomin...

LGBTQ Center Long Beach names new executive director

The LGBTQ Center Long Beach, a nonprofit serving the city’s queer community, officially has a new executive director.Ellie Perez, who has been the center’s interim executive director for the past 11 months, has taken over the position permanently, according to a Tuesday, July 9, press release.The center’s Board of Directors began the search for a new executive director six months ago, the news release said, after the organization’s previous leader, Carlos Torres, left the job in August.It’s uncl...

Lakewood raises new POW-MIA, American flags after vandals burned previous ones on July 4

Lakewood city officials raised three new flags at a local veterans memorial on Monday, July 8 — after vandals took down and burned the plaza’s previous ones on Fourth of July.The incident occurred just before midnight on Thursday, July 4, with a video capturing a man with a bicycle — who was later joined in the footage by a woman — burning the American and POW-MIA flags, which had been on display at Del Valle Park’s Veterans Memorial Plaza.The Veterans Memorial Plaza, which was built in 1960 and...

Long Beach Airport’s Historic Terminal set to reopen after $17.8 million restoration project

The Long Beach Airport’s Historic Terminal — which closed in February 2023 to undergo a significant restoration and renovation — will reopen to the public later this month.The $17.8 million project, part of the airport’s larger $125 million Terminal Area Improvements Program, sought to unveil and bring back to life the terminal’s myriad historic elements while modernizing certain aspects of the building.The terminal, which was designed by architects William Horace Austin and Kenneth Smith Wing,...

Long Beach celebrates July 4 with kids’ bike parade, other events

Long Beach residents helped ring in the America’s 248th birthday with a local Fourth of July tradition — the Great American Kids’ Bike Parade at Rosie’s Dog Beach.The annual event, organized by Justin Rudd’s Community Action Team, featured hundreds of kids — donning their best patriotic outfits — riding their equally star spangle-designed bikes along the beach path.Kids participating in the Thursday, July 4, event were encouraged to decorate their bikes, and themselves, for cash and other prizes...

Boys & Girls Clubs of Los Angeles Harbor names new CEO

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Los Angeles Harbor — one of LA County’s largest youth-serving organizations — will soon have a new leader at its helm.Peter Settelmayer, who has more than 15 years of experience in education, will take over as the organization’s CEO on Aug. 1, according to a recent news release.He’ll succeed Mike Lansing, who headed up the organization for the past 30 years. Lansing is set to retire in December, staying on after Settelmayer comes on board to serve as a consultant to hel...

1 dead, 10 injured after boat crashes into Long Beach jetty

A 59-year-old man died and 10 others were injured this week when a 48-foot pleasure boat crashed into the jetty and sank in Long Beach, public safety officials said.The man who died was John Correa, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office said; the coroner’s office was still investigating his exact cause of death.Correa, according to his Facebook page, attended Millikan High School and was most recently working as a real estate agent with Sun West Mortgage Company.The Long Beach Fire and Police...

Assistance League of Long Beach names new executive director

The Assistance League of Long Beach, a volunteerism nonprofit, recently appointed a new executive director.

Colleen Bragalone, a seasoned nonprofit leader who previously worked as the executive director of both the Long Beach Rotary Scholarship Foundation and Friends of Leaps & Bounds Pediatric Therapy, took over the top spot at the Assistance League on June 1.

Bragalone replaced the Assistance League’s previous executive director, Annette Kashiwabara, who retired from the job, according to a

Nearly 30 nonprofits get $67,000 combined in grants for summer programs

The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services has dolled out $67,000 in grants aimed at helping nonprofits offer various community events over the summer, according to a recent news release.

The grant funds were split up among 27 different nonprofit groups as part of the city’s Summer of Opportunity initiative — which aims to reduce and prevent youth violence through positive development opportunities, according to the city.

“These programs embody Long Beach and our commitment to fost

Long Beach auditor finds $9.2 million sitting unused in recycling program

A recent city audit found more than $9 million sitting unused in a Long Beach program aimed at encouraging developers to recycle building materials, according to a recent news release.

The report, released last week by City Auditor Laura Doud’s office, examined the city’s Construction and Demolition Recycling Program.

That program, established by the Community Development Department in 2007, aims to encourage developers to use green building techniques and recycle construction materials, accor

Ring in July 4th with the Queen Mary’s fireworks spectacular, all-day celebration

The Queen Mary will once again host its annual Fourth of July celebration aboard this week — culminating with a fireworks spectacular that will be visible all along Long Beach’s waterfront.

This year’s event, starting at 3 p.m. Thursday, July 4, will have Long Beach’s only major fireworks show for Independence Day this year — after the Big Bang on the Bay, a local holiday staple, was canceled unexpectedly in June.

The Queen Mary, meanwhile, will offer attendees various food offerings, live ent

Long Beach man sentenced to 28 years in federal prison for Antelope Valley armed robberies

A 38-year old Long Beach resident was sentenced Friday to nearly 30 years in federal prison for leading several armed robberies in Antelope Valley, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.

Kaleb Williams’ six-day trial in federal court, where a jury found him guilty on seven charges, finished up last September.

The crimes, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office news release, were committed in 2019 and were led by Williams and a co-conspirator, Terrance Cleyon Pearson, 44, of Long Beach, who has al

LAHSA’s homeless count results a mixed bag for Long Beach, Southeast LA County cities

The results of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s 2024 tally of unhoused people across the county were a mixed bag for Long Beach and Southeast LA County cities, according to new data released on Friday, June 28.

The data was recorded during LAHSA’s 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, which was conduced over a three-day period in January.

LAHSA tallied 75,312 unhoused people across Los Angeles County, excluding Long Beach, Pasadena and Glendale, which conduct their own surveys.

Long Beach may put local tax measures on November ballot to combat projected budget shortfall

Long Beach may put some new local tax measures — aimed at bolstering the city’s revenue to combat an ongoing projected budget crisis — on the November ballot.

The City Council received a report this week about four potential local tax measures, ranging from removing Utility User Tax exemptions for local power plants to increasing taxes for property transfers.

The measures, according to city officials, are being considered as a means to confront Long Beach’s ongoing budget crisis by increasing
Load More