Wednesday, May 16, 2012
City of Long Beach health officials find bacteria levels are within safety standards after sewage spill.
Updates with correction on procedure in the event of a spill: The shorefront of Long Beach west of the Belmont Pier was reopened Wednesday after city health officials ruled it free of contaminants from a weekend L.A. sewage spill. And they said it wasn't clear if sewage ever reached city beaches. On Sunday, more than 5,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled city of L.A. pipes in the Highland Park neighborhood and flowed into the Los Angeles River. That empties in the Port of Long Beach, but the City Manager's Office said there was no evidence that the beach was ever contaminated. Anytime there is a spill into the L.A. River, the city of Long Beach is required by the state to automatically close beaches, and did so Monday. The procedure is that …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The long-controversial proposal to build a 9-story hotel, condos and retail-restaurants was denied in December, but property owners had said they'd try again. They've now sought city OK for something already allowed.
The years-long effort to turn the corner of 2nd and PCH into a hotel-condo-shopping and dining center has apparently been called off, in its place a request by land owners to build within zoning. Tom Modica, the city's director of Government and Strategic Affairs, said the following in an email Tuesday night: ""An application for conceptual site plan review has been received for the Seaport Marina Hotel site for retail development." The land in question, at the southwest corner, holds a large but low-slung pink hotel that once was graced by Elvis Presley but has not been modernized in recent years, perhaps awaiting a potential tear-down. The Long Beach hotel has been the backdrop of more than a few scenes in the Showtime series, "Dexter," …
33.75808
-118.11118
E 2nd St & E Pacific Coast Hwy, Long Beach, CA
/articles/2nd-pch-project-will-seek-to-stay-in-zoning-city
/locations/7030898
South Pas public works officials say Long Beach inaccurately blamed the city for the 5,500 gallon sewage spill Saturday. It originated in the Highland Park area of Northeast L.A.
A report filed with the California Emergency Management Agency states that a sewage spill on Saturday that closed two miles of ocean water in Long Beach originated in Highland Park, not South Pasadena. Long Beach officials reported on Monday that about two miles of ocean waters were closed due to a raw sewage spill of more than 5,550 gallons in South Pasadena, that reached Long Beach via the Los Angeles River. (Patch will seek further city comment on how long the beaches will remain closed to the public). South Pas officials Tuesday said the spill was not in their sewer system, and other officials confirmed it came from the Highland Park neighborhood of northeast L.A. "A report filed with Cal EMA states that the spill happened in the City …
Monday, May 14, 2012
The longtime employee of Long Beach Animal Control Services is arraigned. City audit found $253,000 missing, but D.A. Monday tells court she's suspected of taking $500,00 in public funds.
- GOVERNMENT
-
Monday, May 14
A former Long Beach employee who handled cash transactions for the city's Animal Care Services division pleaded not guilty Monday to misappropriating more than $253,000 in public funds. The charges against Jongluck Mutrais, 59, of Orange, cover an 11-month period between Oct. 1, 2009, and Sept. 1, 2010. City Auditor Laura Doud found, at a new department leader's request, $253,000. However, at her arraignment, Deputy District Attorney Dana Aratani said the city's Animal Care Services Bureau is estimating that she misappropriated more than $500,000 over the course of more than 10 years of employment. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Shelly Torrealba refused a defense request to reduce Mitrais' bail from $500,000. She has been in custody …
The second grant of $170,000 will go toward the Willmore Courts and Ways Demonstration Project.
Long Beach has been recommended for two grant awards by the State Department of Conservation’s Strategic Growth Council, city officials announced last week. “Thanks to California's Department of Conservation, Long Beach will have the ability to pursue sustainability goals as a city while exploring quality developments, including the restoration of the Los Cerritos Wetlands," Mayor Bob Foster said in a statement. The grants to be received by the city include a Sustainable Communities Planning Grant award of $929,000 to fund what it called "an amendment" to the city’s Local Coastal Program Southeast Area Development and Improvement Plan (SEADIP). It called it an "amendment design." It also funed a $170,000 award for the Willmore Courts and …
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Residents and commuters are invited to a series of meetings on proposals to add lanes between Euclid and the 605.
It’s no secret the 405 Freeway moves at a snail’s pace during peak hours. But some relief may be on the way. Residents and commuters are invited to a series of public hearings to learn about a proposed 405 Improvement Project and comment on an environmental impact report scheduled to be released May 18. “The 405 freeway has had limited improvements since 1989 and it's one of the most heavily traveled in the nation,” said Orange County Transportation Authority spokesman Joel Zlotnik. The project calls for widening the 405 between Euclid Street and the 605 Freeway. The environmental impact report will outline the effects associated with each of three construction alternatives. Plan 1 would add one general purpose lane in each direction and …
Friday, May 11, 2012
Several wrecks were reported, and some motorists made U-turns to exit the jammed freeway. Nearby surface street signals were also out.
A downed power line fell across the 405 Freeway on Thursday, causing collisions and closing lanes in both directions near Magnolia, the CHP reported. A Sigalert was called, but lifted by about 6 p.m. No one was seriously hurt, but the downed lines caused car crashes in both directions of the freeway and backed up traffic for miles during rush hour, California Highway Patrol Officer Gabe Montoya told City News Service. The lines fell across the freeway just after 2:45 p.m., Montoya said. By 3:30 p.m., southbound traffic was backed up to the Garden Grove (22) Freeway and northbound traffic was jammed from the 55 Freeway, Montoya said. Some motorists turned around and drove in the wrong direction to exit the jammed freeway, according to CHP …
Thursday, May 10, 2012
The alleged theft was discovered Aug. 31 2010 when a new boss took helm of Animal Control Services. D.A. says "hundreds of thousands" more were embezzled over 10 years. Better oversight and tech urged by City Auditor Laura Doud.
A 21-year Long Beach Animal Control Services worker was arrested this morning for allegedly embezzling $251,000 in public funds due to what the City Auditor called poor oversight and lack of technology. The Long Beach Police Department reported: "On Thursday, May 10, 2012, detectives from the Long Beach Police Department’s Forgery/Fraud Detail arrested Jongluck “Lucky” Mutrais, a former Long Beach Animal Care Services Bureau clerk, for misappropriation of $251,000 in public funds. Suspect Mutrais, a 59-year-old resident of Orange, was arrested at her home this morning without incident and charged with multiple felony counts, including misappropriation of public funds, altering or falsifying an account, embezzlement by a public officer, …
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Judge finds sufficient evidence to hold over Fullerton cops Manuel Ramos and Jay Cicinelli for trial. The beating of Kelly Thomas was shown for the first time during this week's hearing.
- GOVERNMENT
-
Wednesday, May 9
Two Fullerton police officers were ordered today to stand trial for the beating death of schizophrenic transient Kelly Thomas. Officer Manuel Anthony Ramos, 38, is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, while Cpl Jay Cicinelli, 40, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and excessive force in the beating last July 5 at the Fullerton Transportation Center. The 37-year-old homeless man died five days later when his family took him off life support. The 38-year-old Ramos, a 10-year Fullerton police veteran, is free on $1 million bail, one of the highest ever posted in Orange County. Cicinelli, 42, is free on $25,000 bail. They are both on unpaid administrative leave. Ramos faces a potential sentence of 15 years to …
Belmont Heights house where college officials gathered drew a noisy group of hunger strikers and other students who by bullhorn blasted incoming guests over executive pay at student cost.
A small but noisy group of picketers protesting rising student costs created a spectacle with bullhorns and picket signs outside the Cal State University Chancellor's house in Belmont Heights Tuesday night. A dinner party was underway at the large corner home, on Granada Avenue at Vista, during the hours of 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., when the students had legally obtained a city permit to assemble on the sidewalk outside. Long Beach Police Department had at least four patrol cars in the area and officers on the lawn and street observing the scene, along with what appeared to be some form of suited security. The protest was loud but peaceful, led at about 7 to 7:30 p.m. by a dozen or so students, and perhaps as many photographers videotaping the …
CDC
6:25 pm on Wednesday, May 16, 2012
No, but if you pay them off enough any rule can be changed. I think the city should trade Lin the Marina Pacifica Shopping Center and let him go wild with that mess. Could not get any worse. http://www.lbds.info/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=2459 http://www.lbds.info/planning/current_planning/zoning_ordinances.asp more ›