Category: Long Beach

Officials Work to Combat Orange County’s Unemployment Rate

Elected officials in Orange County say they’re working to bring the region’s unemployment numbers down to pre-pandemic levels through innovative initiatives. Orange County’s unemployment rate in January stood at 7.4 percent, up year-over-year by 4.3 percent. Los Angeles and Orange counties experienced the highest jump in unemployment this past year among the nation’s large metropolitan areas, according to a new study…


Dog Adopted After Waiting Nearly Two Years for a New Home

RANCHO PALOS VERDES—A dog that spent nearly two years waiting for a new home has been adopted by a family in Rancho Palos Verdes. Melvin—who has since been renamed Loki—was matched to the Maguires, who were in search of the “perfect pit” to join their two other dogs, according to spcaLA officials. The nearly four-year-old…


About 20 Percent of Adult Californians Are Vaccinated, Newsom says During Long Beach Visit

California Gov. Gavin Newsom held a press conference March 3 at California State University –Long Beach, where he discussed the state’s rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations. The conference came shortly after Newsom toured the university’s two vaccination sites. During his visit, the governor touted the state’s inoculation efforts. “We’ve designed a system that currently provides the ability to…


Blind Masseuse Embraces Life With Faith and Companions

Whenever Ezzie Davis has a challenging day, she relies on her faith, her husband, and her dog, Calypso, to lift her spirits. Calypso, a black Labrador, accompanies Davis, 31, as she takes three different buses from her home in Long Beach, California, to Costa Mesa, where she works as a professional masseuse at Elements Massage….


Blind Massage Therapist Embraces Life With Faith and Companions

Whenever Ezzie Davis has a challenging day, she relies on her faith, her husband, and her dog, Calypso, to lift her spirits. Calypso, a black Labrador, accompanies Davis, 31, as she takes three different buses from her home in Long Beach, California, to Costa Mesa, where she works as a professional massage therapist at Elements…


Costa Mesa’s Illegal Cannabis Dispensaries Could be Committing Tax Fraud: Mayor

As Costa Mesa prepared to move forward with its retail cannabis plans Feb. 23, its mayor called out illegal dispensaries operating within the city. Speaking during a special study session, Mayor Katrina Foley said under-the-table marijuana dispensaries could be committing tax fraud. “They [customers] are paying sales tax; it’s not getting collected and sent to the…


Third Orange County City Mulls Hero Pay for Grocery Workers

Buena Park has become the latest Orange County city to consider boosting the paychecks of grocery workers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. City council will discuss during its Feb. 23 meetings a proposed $4 per hour premium pay to grocery store employees at qualifying retail businesses. “Workers at these establishments have encountered new hazards in…


Irvine City Council Backs Proposal for ‘Hero Pay’ Wage Hikes at Grocery Stores

A proposed city ordinance that would force grocery and drug store chains in Irvine, California, to pay their workers an extra $4 an hour in hazard pay for the next four months has cleared its first hurdle. On Feb. 9, the Irvine City Council passed the first reading of Mayor Farrah Khan’s proposal by a…


Irvine Will Consider ‘Hero Pay’ for Grocery Store Workers 

Irvine city council will consider boosting the pay of grocery store workers during the COVID-19 pandemic at a Feb. 9 meeting. If approved, the ordinance would increase employee pay by an extra $4 an hour at any large franchise company—not including managers, or supervisors—for 120 days. The ordinance would go into effect immediately. “I am very supportive…


Ralphs, Food4Less Locations Closing In Long Beach Over `Hero Pay’

LONG BEACH—Grocery company Kroger announced Feb. 1 it will be shuttering two of its stores in Long Beach—a Ralph’s location and a Food4Less store—in response to a city ordinance requiring a $4 “hero pay” salary boost for some workers. “As a result of the city of Long Beach’s decision to pass an ordinance mandating extra…