Hours after issuing a boil water notice for some residents of Long Beach, city officials said Thursday they were setting up water distribution centers to give away free bottled water.
After a significant water main break caused the water pressure to drop, the city had to follow the state guidelines to issue a boil water notice, Mayor Rex Richardson said in a news conference Thursday.
Two water distribution centers would be set up by Thursday afternoon at Houghton Park and Somerset Park.
Those who want to receive free bottled water will need to bring their utility bill to the water distribution center to prove that they live in the impacted area.
While the boil water notice was in effect, people were urged not to drink tap water or use it for food preparation unless boiled.
As the state was testing the water sample from the city, those who live in the 90805, 90806 and 90807 zip codes were urged to boil all drinking water, including filtered water from the fridge, before drinking it.
“The boil water notice is done out of an abundance of caution. There is no evidence that water is unsafe to drink,” said Dr. Anissa David, the city’s health officer.
Dr. Davis said that it was safe to bathe with the water despite the boil water notice.
And if people accidentally consumed the tap water, such as brushing their teeth with it, there’s no need to worry, according to Davis.
Residential construction is booming in downtown Long Beach, but one construction site is keeping neighbors up at night with a blaring security alarm.
“(The sound) is like ‘woo,’ like we need to evacuate or something crazy,” said Samantha Gonzalez, who lives across the street from the Holland Construction and Development project off Pacific Avenue and 3rd Street. “It sounds pretty scary to me.”
“(The alarm) goes off about three or four times a night and it’s loud,” said Michelle, another neighbor who lives on the opposite side of the construction site. “It wakes me up. It wakes up everybody.”
The construction project, a residential community that stretches from 3rd to 4th Streets off Pacific Avenue, is run by Holland, a firm out of Washington state.
Project manager, Sebastian Allard, told NBC4 its corporate office would respond to questions regarding neighbors’ concerns. As of Tuesday afternoon, they have yet to respond.
“I honestly didn’t start noticing it (the alarm) until like, six months ago,” said Gonzalez. “It’s something that’s more recurring (now).”
Neighbors wondered if there was a glitch in the alarm system that made it more sensitive and set off more often.
They’ve filed noise complaints with the city and even called the constriction company to complain, but have not seen results.
“Something definitely needs to be done,” said Michelle.
NBC4 reached out to city councilwoman Mary Zendejas’ office since she represents the downtown Long Beach area. Her communication team acknowledged our request and said they had not discussed the issue with Zendejas. We asked if the councilwomen could help neighbors with the problem and are waiting a response.
A small taco stand on the corner of 7th Street and Termino Avenue that has become a favorite may soon be serving its last taco in Long Beach due to the city’s new street vendor rules.
Lines wrap around the block for the family-run and operated taco stand, Tacos Uziel. Owners Adriana Mancia and Luiz Perez said they started the taco stand for their son’s future.
“My taqueria is called Taco Uziel thanks to my son,” said Mancia. “We started this business for his future, so he won’t have to suffer as much as we had to.”
The young couple migrated separately from Oaxaca but met in Southern California as they worked for other stands around Los Angeles.
“I learned to cook little by little,” said Perez.
The training paid off with rave reviews of the stand’s el pastor and carne asada tacos.
“Sometimes the lines go all the way to the driveway back here, but we will stand in line because it’s that good,” said Chris Marquis, who lives in Long Beach and frequents Taco Uziel. “Hopefully they stay in Long Beach.”
The smell coming from the charcoal grill is enticing enough for drivers passing by to make a pitstop.
“I can smell the food from my car and I had to stop here,” said Donna Aragon, who lives in Long Beach and came for the first time with her husband to taste the tacos.
“It makes you hungry, even if you’re not,” said Keith Aragon.
Despite the taco stand’s popularity, Long Beach’s new vendor rules may force the stand to move.
“We don’t know how much longer we have here,” said Mancia.
Long Beach has been cracking down on unpermitted stands after working for months to educate owners on the new rules passed in February.
The city has even waived the cost of permits as well as licenses and is giving away 40 pre-approved carts that are now required.
To qualify for those carts you have to live in Long Beach.
The couple lives in Compton and said the permit process is difficult to understand.
“It’s very difficult to get permits because there are a lot of regulations for street vendors,” said Mancia,
The owners say if the city forces them to move, they’ll leave Long Beach for another city with more lenient rules.
Customers say it would be a big loss to Long Beach, not just the food, but the dream of a small family to give their 4-year-old a brighter future.
“If they move, we will follow,” said customer Maria Marquis. “Tell me where they are. Instead of walking over, we will drive over, whatever it needs to be.”
Two people died in North Long Beach on Monday morning, leading to an apparent standoff between Long Beach SWAT officers and a suspected gunman.
The series of events began at 11:15 a.m., when Long Beach police responded to a reported shooting on the 300 block of East 63rd Street.
Upon arriving, they discovered a woman with gunshot wounds to the upper body and a man with unknown injuries, the department said in a statement. The Long Beach Fire Department transported the woman to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead; the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victims’ identities have not been released.
A possible male suspect fled the scene to a nearby building, where officers established a perimeter and attempted to contact him, according to the statement. SWAT officers were called in to help, and they were on scene as of 3:30 p.m.
The police had released no further information about the incident as of Monday afternoon.
The motive for the shooting is unknown, and an investigation is ongoing.
A pair of modest earthquakes rattled Southern California on Saturday morning, with epicenters in Ontario.
The earthquakes, of magnitudes 3.5 and 3.9, occurred within about a half hour of each other. Shaking was felt as far away as the city of Los Angeles, Orange County and northern San Diego County, according to crowdsourcing reports sent to the U.S. Geological Survey.
“Light” shaking, as defined by the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale, was felt close to the epicenter, which included Ontario International Airport, the USGS said. Light shaking is enough to disturb windows and dishes and can rock standing cars noticeably.
“Weak” shaking may have been felt as far away as Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Valley, Long Beach, Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino.
The first earthquake struck near Archibald Avenue and Brookside Street at 10:05 a.m. Saturday, and was followed by the larger earthquake about three-fifths of a mile to the northeast, with an epicenter at the 60 Freeway and South Oak Hill Drive.
The Ontario Police Department said there were no immediate reports of damage.
In Rowland Heights, a resident felt his desk shake hard for a few seconds. The shaking was so jarring he initially thought someone might have crashed into the house.
Driving around Long Beach is getting a lot smoother thanks to relentless work from the city’s Public Work crews.
“We are filling 5,000 potholes a month,” said Eric Lopez, Director of Public Works. “Our goal is to get to 10,000 potholes and keep going to zero.”
Six crews have been working six days a week to tackle the pothole problem, fixing 28,000 of the 63,000 that Lopez said was caused largely by unprecedented rains this past Winter.
“I love rain, but I hate potholes. And unfortunately, rain creates potholes,” said Lopez.
Lopez told the city council 23 inches of rain last winter pummeled streets as historic flooding submerged cars and uprooted massive trees.
The city had 100 employees at the height of the storms, clearing gutters and removing debris.
Crews, who have also being filling cracks or sealed more than 15 million square feet of pavement, are on track to tackled 30,000 square feet of sidewalks, curbs and gutters as part of the city’s “Elevate 28” project to get infrastructure in tip top shape in time for the Olympics.
“It’s obviously great because it makes the neighborhood look better,” said Brandon Castagna, who was enjoying an afternoon walk with Lizbeth Garcia Nunez along their newly pavement street in North Long Beach.
“The streets right now are very beautiful,” says Garcia Nunez.
The couple said it was a 180-degree change from how the streets had been the last few years.
“It looked a little off roady, but in the middle of the road. It would be nice and then all of the sudden, bup bup bup for a couple of feet,” said Castagna, who hopes it will have a trickle-down effect of homes. “A lot of people do take pride in their home.. This is what they work for. This is where they raise their family. A little changes like that just right outside your doorstep really find their way inside your doorstep.”
The Long Beach Police Department released new body camera footage on the night of April 26 where officers shot and killed a teen home intruder.
Video shows a frantic 911 call from inside a home on Cerritos Avenue in Long Beach. The caller, a grandmother, tells dispatch through a translator that an armed man has entered her home.
“The guy who got inside of the house and right now he is with my husband in another room,” said the grandmother.
Surveillance cameras show a person wearing a mask and using a crowbar to break in.
When officers arrived, the intruder fled to the backyard.
Long Beach police officers are heard giving the intruder orders to drop the weapon. Over the next 90 minutes officers and crisis negotiators try to de-escalate the situation.
“Hey, we want to talk to you. Can you put that thing down on the ground please. Put it down on the ground. We are not here to hurt you we don’t want to hurt you,” said a Long Beach officer.
Long Beach police said during that time the intruder said he wanted officers to kill him and threatened to kill himself.
Then just before 10 p.m., Long Beach police said an officer fired one shot after the intruder pointed a gun at the officer.
The body-worn camera appears to be blocked by the police car the officer is behind.
Officers inside the house attempted CPR on the intruder before he was transported to the hospital where he later died.
According to Long Beach police, the weapon he was carrying turned out to be a replica gun.
The 17-year-old was a resident of San Bernardino. Long Beach police also learned of an accomplice who fled the scene and was later arrested in Modesto.
As with all use-of-force investigations, the LA County District Attorney’s office is conducting its own independent investigation.
One person is dead and 10 others are injured after a pleasure boat crashed into the Alamitos Bay jetty in Long Beach, according to the Long Beach Fire Department.
One person was confirmed deceased, a man aged 40 to 50.
Eleven people boarded the 48-foot pleasure craft, 10 of those were transported to a hospital, and three of those were listed as critical.
Some of the passengers were rescued in the water after the boat sank.
Cannabis taxes in Long Beach will be reduced by 1%, and businesses may be able to receive an additional 3% reduction, the city of Long Beach has announced.
The 1% cannabis tax reductions will apply to cultivation and adult-use cannabis retailers. This reduction went into effect on May 24.
Businesses will have the additional opportunity to apply to the Pilot Tax Credit Program to receive an additional 3% cannabis tax reduction.
In order to apply, cannabis retail businesses must be “in good standing” and satisfy the following criteria provided by the city of Long Beach:
Hire employees locally
Pay 80% of employees 115% or above the state minimum wage, and the rest of the employees 110% or above the state minimum wage
Proof of participation in a High Road Training Partnership
Present proof of participation in a High Road Training Partnership
Either have 15% of their products on display be from an equitable distribution, or provide 50 hours minimum per year of incubation support to equity businesses
Submit official payroll records and EDD’s DE9 and DE9C quarterly
Businesses on Special Circumstances Payment Plans may also be eligible after six months of proven payments, and the following documentation is required:
Quarterly or annual taxes
Gross receipts reports
Prior to this cannabis tax reduction, Long Beach charged a 6% excise tax on medical cannabis purchases and an 8% tax on recreational purchases. These taxes are additional to the city’s regular sales tax of 10.25% and the state’s 15% excise tax.
The Long Beach City Council will require all cannabis tax reductions to be passed onto customers.
These tax reductions come as an effort to “stimulate growth in the local cannabis industry and promote community,” according to a press release provided by the city of Long Beach.
A massive gold nugget was reported stolen Thursday from the Long Beach Convention Center, spurring an offer of a $10,000 reward.
Bob Campbell, the owner of a coin shop in Salt Lake City, said he brought the gold nugget to the Long Beach Expo — a show that gathers sellers of coins and other collectibles — to sell for more than $80,000. He said its value exceeds its sheer content in gold, as an “original 49er nugget” believed to date back to the Gold Rush.
“They will lose money if they melt it. It has collector value,” Campbell said. The roughly 27-ounce nugget was about the size of a goose egg, he added, and specimens of that size are “exceedingly rare.”
Video captured by another coin dealer at the event shows someone appearing to press on the display case, then pocket something. Campbell faulted a defect in the case that allowed the thief to wiggle his hand inside.
Long Beach police said they are investing the theft, which was reported before noon Thursday. Campbell is also passing out fliers with a photo of the gold nugget and the alleged thief and personally offering a $10,000 reward hinging on the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator.
“We’re hoping that this information gets out” and maybe “one of his friends will rat him out,” Campbell said.
He urged anyone with information to call his Utah shop at (801) 467-8636 or to contact the Long Beach Police Department regarding case number 24-28245.
A group of California residents unhappy with their city’s weak restrictions on short-term rentals are determined to remove most of the rental properties from Long Beach — even if it means taking them out block by block.The Long Beach City Council passed an ordinance in 2020 allowing up to 800 unhosted short-term rentals (STRs) to operate, after discovering that more than 1,000 of these STRs were operating illegally in the city. The law also allows individual neighborhoods to petition their census block, and if more than half of the neighbors sign on, residents can ban unhosted short-term rentals — rentals where the host does not live on-site — from operating in that area.In the Long Beach neighborhood College Estates, resident Andy Oliver spearheaded the community action group called Long Beach Safe Neighborhood Coalition to ban unhosted short-term rentals. The group went door to door in College Estates asking neighbors if they’d support booting these rentals. Last week, the petition prevailed, and now the neighborhood is the first in Long Beach, and the state, to run unhosted short-term rentals off its block.“It’s time to fix the problem and end the civil war that’s raging in our neighborhoods over short-term rentals that are destroying our communities and eroding our housing market. It really boils down to this — what do we want our neighborhoods to be?” the organization wrote in its plea to the city. Oliver co-founded the coalition with Christina Nigrelli and started organizing with other Long Beach neighbors who had undesirable experiences with vacation rental guests from companies like Airbnb and Vrbo. They said vacation rental companies were not always reachable when problems arose with guests. “If you go to a hotel, there’s someone always on staff — a security manager or staff that you can always reach out to. Someone’s available 24/7 at a hotel,” Nigrelli said. “But I live next to a revolving door of guests and no one to really communicate with.”During an April 2 city council meeting, the Long Beach Community Development Department found that hosts were meeting the city’s compliance standards.Right now, Nigrelli said nine other neighborhood petitions are circulating or have been submitted to the city.“We’re hoping that all 10 of these petitions are successful so that we can send a message to the city council that they need to make a change, that this burden of responsibility to get short term rentals, at least unhosted out of the city is falling on the backs of the residents,” Nigrelli said.Airbnb told SFGATE that it implemented a party ban in August 2020 that has seen an over 50% decrease in parties reported to the company. The company added that it has implemented a neighborhood support team where neighbors can report concerns about homes hosted on the platform and a law enforcement portal for law enforcement. Vrbo did not respond to a request for comment.The list of California cities fighting back against short-term rentals is growing. In the Bay Area, Danville and several cities in Marin County, including Sausalito, Larkspur and Belvedere, adopted bans. Editor’s note: This story was updated at 5:17 p.m., May 17, 2024, to include additional information on the Long Beach short-term rental ordinance and unhosted short-term rentals.
A group of California residents unhappy with their city’s weak restrictions on short-term rentals are determined to remove most of the rental properties from Long Beach — even if it means taking them out block by block.
The Long Beach City Council passed an ordinance in 2020 allowing up to 800 unhosted short-term rentals (STRs) to operate, after discovering that more than 1,000 of these STRs were operating illegally in the city. The law also allows individual neighborhoods to petition their census block, and if more than half of the neighbors sign on, residents can ban unhosted short-term rentals — rentals where the host does not live on-site — from operating in that area.
In the Long Beach neighborhood College Estates, resident Andy Oliver spearheaded the community action group called Long Beach Safe Neighborhood Coalition to ban unhosted short-term rentals. The group went door to door in College Estates asking neighbors if they’d support booting these rentals.
Last week, the petition prevailed, and now the neighborhood is the first in Long Beach, and the state, to run unhosted short-term rentals off its block.
“It’s time to fix the problem and end the civil war that’s raging in our neighborhoods over short-term rentals that are destroying our communities and eroding our housing market. It really boils down to this — what do we want our neighborhoods to be?” the organization wrote in its plea to the city.
Oliver co-founded the coalition with Christina Nigrelli and started organizing with other Long Beach neighbors who had undesirable experiences with vacation rental guests from companies like Airbnb and Vrbo. They said vacation rental companies were not always reachable when problems arose with guests.
“If you go to a hotel, there’s someone always on staff — a security manager or staff that you can always reach out to. Someone’s available 24/7 at a hotel,” Nigrelli said. “But I live next to a revolving door of guests and no one to really communicate with.”
Right now, Nigrelli said nine other neighborhood petitions are circulating or have been submitted to the city.
“We’re hoping that all 10 of these petitions are successful so that we can send a message to the city council that they need to make a change, that this burden of responsibility to get short term rentals, at least unhosted [rentals] out of the city is falling on the backs of the residents,” Nigrelli said.
Airbnb told SFGATE that it implemented a party ban in August 2020 that has seen an over 50% decrease in parties reported to the company. The company added that it has implemented a neighborhood support team where neighbors can report concerns about homes hosted on the platform and a law enforcement portal for law enforcement.
Vrbo did not respond to a request for comment.
The list of California cities fighting back against short-term rentals is growing. In the Bay Area, Danville and several cities in Marin County, including Sausalito, Larkspur and Belvedere, adopted bans.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 5:17 p.m., May 17, 2024, to include additional information on the Long Beach short-term rental ordinance and unhosted short-term rentals.
Launch: The Electron rocket carrying a satellite from Synspective Inc. launches from New Zealand on March 13.
Rocket Lab USA Inc. has been busy of late with several launches completed and more planned for the future.
The Long Beach launch provider successfully deployed a satellite for a Japanese customer in March, followed by a launch of its Electron rocket later that month for the deployment of a satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office.
In April, the company launched satellites for the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and NASA.
And later this month, Rocket Lab will prepare to send up two Electron launches to deploy NASA’s technology to study the polar ice caps.
The launch of“Owl Night Long,” by the company on March 13 from its pad in New Zealand was done for Synspective Inc., a Tokyo-based satellite developer.
TheSynspective StriX-3 satellite is the fourth one launched by Rocket Lab and was added to a constellation, or a group of satellites, all of which were launched by the aerospace provider.
Just eight days later, on March 21, the company launched a satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office. It was the fifth satellite launched for the agency since 2020.
“It’s an honor to continue delivering dedicated access to orbit for national security missions,” said Peter Beck, founder and chief executive of Rocket Lab, in a statement at the time of the launch.
Satellites at different orbits
Last month, Rocket Lab sent up two satellites at different orbits.
The first one was for the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
NEONSAT-1 will perform Earth-observation of the Korean Peninsula for the institute, which will then pair the satellite’s data with artificial intelligence to monitor for natural disasters in the region. It was put into an orbit 323 miles above the Earth.
The second was for NASA. It was a demo mission of the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System to show the feasibility of using sails powered by the sun to propel a spacecraft. It was deployed to an orbit 621 miles above the Earth.
The capability to deploy two satellites more than 300 miles apart on the same launch is enabled by Electron’s Kick Stage, a small stage with engine relight capability to enable last-mile delivery.
The next Electron launch from New Zealand – named “Ready, Aim, PREFIRE” – will take place no earlier than May 22. The second mission for NASA – named “PREFIRE And Ice” – will take place within three weeks of the successful deployment of the first.
Data from the mission, which consists of two small satellites with a mission length of 10 months, will improve understanding of how the Arctic and Antarctic help to regulate Earth’s climate, the mechanisms of polar ice loss and related issues of sea level rise and sea ice loss, according to the company.
“It’s these types of missions where Electron really thrives as the leading launch provider for dedicated small satellite missions,” Beck said in a statement. “We have an excellent track record of delivering NASA’s payloads to exactly where they need to go and when they need to, and we’re looking forward to adding to that tally further with these next back-to-back launches.”
The missions will be Rocket Lab’s 48th and 49th Electron launches overall and its sixth and seventh launches so far this year.
The majestic ocean liner the Queen Mary, once the playground for the rich and famous, fell into disrepair and was in danger of sinking until officials in Long Beach, California, gave it another shot. Tom Wait has more.
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A teenager walking to work, a veteran cleaning his yard and a man outside a bar on Second Street are just three of the victims killed by gun violence that has plagued Long Beach in the first four months of the year.
Data released to NBC4 shows 114 shootings took place between Jan. 1 and April 30 with 37 of them striking victims.
“In response to a recent increase in violent crime, we’ve increased our patrols and engagement efforts in the areas impacted by violence,” said a statement from Long Beach Police Department. “Our officers and detectives continue to take enforcement action, making arrests and recovering illegal firearms. We are utilizing a data-driven approach to allocate our resources to deter additional crime in our community.”
There were just 89 shootings reported to Long Beach Police during the same period in 2023 and 115 in 2022.
Police have made significant arrests in many of the fatal shootings this year.
On April 10, police announced the arrest of four young men connected to the April 4 murder of U.S Veteran Mario Morales Moreno. Police said Moreno was killed by a stray bullet as he was cleaning his yard in North Long Beach.
On Feb. 22, police arrested 24-year-old Christopher Rene Salguero in the shooting death of 32-year-old Johnny Santos in Belmont Shore.
But police still have come up short in the murder investigation of 17-year-old Brianna Soto.
“Brianna was walking home from work when she was gunned down,” said Deputy Chief Gerardo Prieto. “She is an innocent victim of gun violence.”
Police have released surveillance video and a still photo of the potential shooter and hope someone will come forward.
“Families don’t feel safe, not even in their houses,” said Lilia Ocampo, who lives near downtown Long Beach and asked for more to be done to combat the violence. “The community lives in fear that a bullet is going to enter your house and kill one of your children or yourself.”
“We hear you loud and clear,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “We’ve had a lot of high profile shootings in the last six weeks.”
Ocampo said the violence has been persistent in her neighborhood for months with more guns shots being heard at all hours of the day.
Police released photos of more than two dozen guns seized by officers since January. Many of them illegal, unregistered and used in some of these fatal shootings.
“Our community’s are hurting, and everyday we are losing lives to violence and gun violence,” said Ariana Sahagún, from the community non-profit Centro CHA. “Enough is enough.”
A pursuit ended in a standoff in Compton on Friday after police responded to a kidnapping that was later determined to have not happened.
The Long Beach Police Department said a woman near Artesia Boulevard and Myrtle Avenue told reporters shortly before 4 p.m. that she had been kidnapped by a man in a vehicle. Officers located a man matching the description given and tried to detain the individual.
Refusing to comply, the man evaded officers and instigated a pursuit. The chase finally came to an end after officers performed a PIT maneuver on the vehicle while it was on the westbound 91 freeway in Compton.
According to Long Beach police, “As officers continued to investigate the kidnapping, the facts revealed that the crime of kidnapping had not occurred.”
Authorities did not release the name of the driver involved in the chase.
Six racing series will roar along the shoreline during three days of competition at the 2024 Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Fans will see purpose-built race cars, high-performance production cars, high-flying trucks and historic Indy cars. Three days of motorsports on the street course begin Friday with practice sessions and qualifying before shifting into high gear Saturday and Sunday.
Click here for the full weekend schedule. Download the 2024 fan guide here.
Here are the six different types of series featured at the 2024 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
NTT INDYCAR Series
These open-wheel cars — the same competing at the Indianapolis 500 in May — make up Sunday’s feature race. Raced on banked oval tracks, road and street courses, the versatile cars will reach top speeds around 185 mph in front of the grandstands on Shoreline Drive.
The top-five finishers averaged more than 97 mph around the 11-turn street course. Seven laps were run under the caution flag, which can make or break a team’s afternoon in Long Beach.
Alex Palou clocked the fastest lap of the race at 104.270 mph.
When to Watch: A knockout-style qualifying session starts Saturday at 11:25 a.m. before Sunday race day. The green flag drops at 12:45 p.m.
Broadcast/Streaming Schedule: Peacock will carry qualifying on Sunday. Watch the race Sunday on Peacock and USA.
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
One of the world’s most exciting and competitive sports car racing series features Saturday in a 100-minute shootout. The event is actually two races in one — a competition among GT Prototype race cars (GTP) and another in the production car GT Daytona class (GTD), which features 11 of the world’s top automotive manufacturers.
The cars, drivers and teams have been battle tested at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring this year, so the 100-minute shootout on the 1.9-mile Long Beach street course will be a hard-fought sprint race with the winner largely determined by who can stay out of trouble and the pits.
Nick Tandy and Mathieu Jaminet drove a Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 to victory last year in the GTP class after some late-race drama. TD PRO was won by Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat in the Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3. In GTD, Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow finished first in the Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3.
Filipe Albuquerque, driving an Acura ARX-06, set the series track record last year with a lap of 1:09.909.
When to Watch: A 50-minute qualifying session is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday before the race at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Visitors also can tour the IMSA paddock Friday and Saturday for a close look at the cars and the teamwork that goes into race day preparations.
Broadcast/StreamingSchedule: Watch the race live on USA Network and Peacock. A live qualifying stream will be available Friday on Peacock.
Getty
Formula Drift driver Simen Olsen drives at the 2022 Acura Grand Prix Of Long Beach Media Day on March 29, 2022 in Long Beach, California. (Photo by Greg Doherty/Getty Images)
Super Drift Challenge
The Super Drift Challenge is a tire-smoking fan favorite in which drivers slide through turns. Judges watch for a driver’s line on the course, angle in the turns and and style. A trailing car’s proximity to the lead car also is a factor in the tandem competition.
When to Watch: Friday and Saturday nights, 6:30 p.m.
Stadium Super Truck drivers Zoey Edenholm, Max Gordon, Robert Stout and Davey Hamilton Jr. all go airborne off a jump on Pine Avenue during the SST race at the 47th annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Saturday, April 9, 2022. (Photo by Will Lester/MediaNews Group/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin via Getty Images)
SPEED/UTV Stadium SUPER Trucks
Stadium SUPER Trucks literally fly down Shoreline Drive. The powerful trucks provide some of the weekend’s best entertainment, soaring off ramps as they compete side-by-side.
When to Watch: Races are scheduled for 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday and 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, after the Indycar event.
GT America Powered by AWS
GT2, GT3 and GT4 spefc race cars will compete in two 40-minute races on Saturday and Sunday. Manufacturers in the field includes Acura, Audi, Aston Martin, BMW, Ferrari, Maserati, McLaren, Porsche and Toyota.
When to Watch: Watch qualifying from 4:25 p.m. to 4:40 p.m., Saturday. Races are scheduled for 4:45 p.m. to 5:25 p.m. Saturday and 4:20 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, the weekend’s final event.
Historic Indy Challenge
Turn back the clock. Vintage Indy cars from decades past rev up the nostalgia with 20-minute races on Saturday and Sunday. The cars include a 1966 Eagle, the oldest and among the most storied cars in the field. The car was built by Dan Gurney’s All American Racers in Santa Ana.
When to Watch: Races are 10:40 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday and 10:45 a.m. to 11:05 a.m., Sunday.
About the Street Course in Long Beach
A lap doesn’t take long in Long Beach. The course is only 1.968 miles with 11 turns. The fastest section is along Shoreline Drive and the start-finish line. Fans in the grandstands can watch cars reach their top speeds on the track and see what happens when pit lane gets busy.
From there, drivers brake hard into Turn 1, an overtaking opportunity before the dolphin fountain section and turns 2 and 3. After navigating turns 4 and 5, the track parallels a portion of Shoreline Drive — an exciting viewing area on the dive down into Turn 6.
Drivers set up through here for the blast down Seaside Way and entry into another technical section of track that includes a sweeping left into the hairpin Turn 11. This last section of the track is another great place to watch.
Take a lap with Colton Herta during his blistering qualifying run in 2022.
Long Beach food truck owner Bryan Tecun is recovering from multiple stab wounds after he chased down a man for robbing and attacking an elderly woman.
Tecun had just wrapped up for the night and was driving home when he saw the attack, so he pulled over to help near Ocean Blvd and Pine Avenue in Long Beach on March 10 just before 5 a.m.
“I asked if she was ok and what happened and she said her belongings were stolen by a gentleman running down the street,” said Tecun, who owns Bryan’s Birrieria Food Truck.
Tecun jumped back in his truck and confronted the thief a few blocks down near Pacific and Ocean Blvds. The two got into an argument and a physical fight, and Tecun managed to get the woman’s cell phone back.
During the scuffle, Tecun thought he dislocated his shoulder and when police arrived he didn’t think he needed medical attention. However, as he drove home he started to feel sick, so he called 911.
Tecun was taken to the hospital where he found out he was stabbed in the upper torso and rib cage, and ended up with a punctured lung and internal bleeding. Since Tecun has been unable to work while he recovers from his injuries, the community has come together to help him financially.
“The community has been really backed us up showed a lot of love and support and reached out definitely means a lot to us, want to say thank you to everybody for keeping us in mind and giving us the support I need at this time,” said Tecun.
Long Beach Police arrested the person who allegedly stabbed Tecun and robbed the elderly woman. Police identified the suspect as 29-year-old Alexander Pierson from Los Angeles, who was arrested for robbery and bail set at $75,000.
An Orange County resident was charged with murder Wednesday for a man’s stabbing death at a chicken restaurant in Long Beach.
Brandon Van Nguyen, 29, of Huntington Beach, was found Monday at Los Angeles International Airport, taken to the Long Beach City Jail and booked on suspicion of murder, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
Officers were sent to the area of East Second Street and Covina Avenue at about 1:06 a.m. Sunday regarding a stabbing inside a nearby business and found a man suffering from a wound to the upper body, police said.
Long Beach Fire Department paramedics rushed the victim to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Police are searching for the person responsible for a stabbing in Long Beach overnight. Tracey Leong reports for the NBC4 News on Mar. 3, 2024.
“The preliminary investigation indicates two groups of subjects were involved in a fight. During the fight, a male adult suspect stabbed the victim. The suspect and subjects fled the scene,” police said in a statement.
It was unclear what may have led up to the fight at Dave’s Hot Chicken at 5246 Second St.
The victim’s name has not yet been released by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner pending notification of relatives.
Nguyen has remained behind bars without bail since his arrest.
He is due in a Long Beach courtroom for arraignment March 20, according to court records.
Through Feb. 28; some restaurants will push into Leap Day with special savings
36+ places, including Roe’s Seafood and Long Beach Tap House, are participating in 2024
Valentine’s Day is over, and the long holiday weekend is coming to an end, and the effervescent occasions of March?
True, they’re happening next month, but “next month” can feel a long way away from the middle of damp and chilly February.
In short? We’re seeking celebratory moments, the kind of moments that aren’t often associated with the second half of the second month, that time of year when people are beginning to feel all of the intense “where oh where is spring” feelings.
Dine Out Long Beach is here to turn our February frowns upside down, or at least appetizingly alleviate the dining doldrums of late winter, the dine-out dullness that can overtake us before merrier March meals arrive.
The Restaurant and Cocktail Week will feature almost three dozen restaurants, with the deals covering almost the rest of February.
That means you can find snack-worthy and suppable savings through Feb. 28 at a few seafood spots, Italian eateries, and spaces that specialize in fast-casual cuisine.
And a tasty twist? A few places on the list will push into Feb. 29, with Leap Year deals, so be sure to check with your favorite dining destination to see if they’ve got something in store.
The Grunion Gazette is presenting the palate-pleasing celebration and participating restaurants in 2024? Yummy: The excellent eateries include Claire’s at the Museum, Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que, and El Barrio Cantina.
One item that should tempt you, if available? “Imaginary Breadsticks,” which are indeed imaginary, but the good they do is not: The give-back “item” helps support Restaurants Care, the beneficiary of Dine Out Long Beach.
Worried your taking too many medicines? A presentation on Wednesday may help you advocate for yourself and keep medications in check throughout the aging process.
The Rockport Council on Aging will host Donna Bartlett, author of âMedStrong,â at a special luncheon presentation Wednesday, Feb. 21, at noon.
The lunch and presentation topic âShed Your Medsâ is free thanks to sponsorship from Addison Gilbert Hospital and the Friends of the Rockport Council on Aging. The event will take place at the Rockport Community House, 58 Broadway, where seats are limited and advance reservations are required.
A board-certified geriatric pharmacist based in Worcester, Bartlett is engaged in community outreach programming specializing in older adult medication needs, affordability and prescription coverage. Bartlett has seen first-hand the effects of staying on medication longer than necessary and the impact of âover medication.â
Those in attendance can expect to come away with a better understanding of âde-prescribingâ from an expert who has been practicing, teaching and speaking on the subject for more than 15 years. Copies of Bartlettâs book âMedStrongâ will be available for purchase at the event.
Seats may be reserved by contacting the Rockport Council on Aging at 978-546-2573.
Career Day
The DECA chapter at Rockport High School is sponsoring Career Day on Wednesday, April 3, at the school, 24 Jerden’s Lane, from 8 to 10:30 a.m., and the chapter is seeking for volunteers for presentations. Rockport High alumni are encouraged to present. Anyone interested in participating should email DECA advisor Scott Larsen at slarsen@rpk12.org.
