Author: Emilie St. John

INGLEWOOOD – The former owners of an Inglewood property that was shuttered to make way for the Intuit Dome have begun construction on a new hotel along the Century Blvd. corridor. According to UrbanizeLA, Bhagat Investments – Century, LLC, which previously owned and operated the Rodeway Inn at 3940 W. Century Boulevard have begun construction on a Fairfield by Marriott property at 3640 W. Century Boulevard adjacent to the multi-billion NBA arena. The new Fairfield by Marriott will consist of a five-story structure featuring 150 guest rooms above a new ground-floor bar and lounge. The Inglewood Fairfield is designed by…

Reading of top prize-winning ‘Angel’s Share’ set for May 25, open to the public The Echo Theater Company is pleased to announce the winners of the company’s 2024 New Play Competition. In first place, winning a $1000 cash prize plus travel and housing to attend rehearsals and a public reading, is Dominic Finocchiaro with Angel’s Share. The reading, directed by Echo associate artistic director Elana Luo and featuring Carter Calahan, Joy DeMichelle, Jenny Soo and Timothy Wright, will take place on Sunday, May 25 at 1 p.m. at Atwater Village Theatre. Admission is open to the public, with a suggested donation of $10. The second place prize of $500 and a rehearsed online reading went to Boni B.Alvarez for his play The Cathedral, and playwright Chelsea Sutton is the recipient of the…

INGLEWOOD – The members of the city council entered into an exclusive negotiating agreement to bring 110 workforce housing units to downtown Inglewood. The council voted 5-0 to enter into an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement (ENA) with 244-268 Market Nutwood Management LLC (Developer) to acquire a 25 space city-owned parking lot which is contiguous to the properties they own during the May 13 regular city council meeting. According to the staff report, “the Developer approached the City and proposed to specifically acquire City-owned property located on Nutwood Street, east of Market Street, commonly referred to as a twenty-five (25) space public…

California landlords could be required to provide refrigerators and stoves under a proposed state law. The new law is being proposed by South Bay lawmaker Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) under Assembly Bill 628 which was approved by the Assembly 54 to 10 during a vote held April 7. “A working stove and a working refrigerator are not luxuries – they are a necessary part of modern life,” said Assemblymember Tina McKinnor. “By making these necessary appliances standard in rental homes, California can provide all of its residents with a safer, more affordable and more dignified place to call home.” According…

It is being reported that a Southern California nonprofit based in Long Beach, California, is facing state scrutiny for allegedly misappropriating $11 million in state funds. The Foodbank of Southern California has been around for five decades and is being accused of misspending the state funds on a lavish lifestyle, including trips to Las Vegas, cars, jewelry and issuing funds to members of its board of directors. “For at least the last decade, the Foodbank’s officers, directors, and vendors worked together to divert millions of dollars of state and federal funds away from these most vulnerable communities, into their own…

The former executive assistant to Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. was ordered to pay $217,4040 in a recent ruling in her ongoing wrongful termination lawsuit against the City. Judge Lia Martin ruled on March 5 that she granted evidence and monetary sanctions against Melanie McDade in the amount of $217,404 and also bars her from introducing any new evidence in her lawsuit where she alleges she was terminated after ending her sexual relationship with Butts. The City’s attorneys lauded the sanctions as “decisive” where they allege McDade committed loan fraud when she purchased a new home with documents the…

INGLEWOOD – The City of Inglewood has set a Mar. 25 Public Hearing seeking community input on the reallocation of nearly $1.1 million in federal funds related to the COVID pandemic. The City of Inglewood is an entitlement city of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) funding. As an entitlement city, the City, through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Division, must comply with federal regulations for the use of these funds. On June 14, 2022, the City adopted the Citizen Participation Plan to provide for and encourage citizens…

Senator Laura Richardson (D-South Bay) proudly announced Linda Evans as the State of California 2025 Woman of the Year (WOTY) representing the 35th Senate District. Linda Evans has spent nearly four decades serving the public in the Department of Transportation for the City of Los Angeles. Courtesy photo “I carefully selected Linda Evans, a lifelong resident of the 35th Senate District, because she has consistently demonstrated excellence in our community, her honorable service within the Delta Sigma Theta sorority and her unmatched professional dedication to managing 502 miles of traffic signals and signs for over 10 million residents and visitors…

WESTCHESTER – Inglewood Assemblymember Tina McKinnor will host her 3rd Annual Emergency & Disaster Preparedness Fair at Westchester YMCA on Saturday, Mar. 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. McKinnor urges the community to come out and take advantage of receiving important emergency preparedness information in light of the recent wildfire disasters that devastated the communities of Altadena and Pacific Palisades. https://www.instagram.com/2urbangirls/reel/DG388KJy2zz/ McKinnor will bring together first responders, healthcare providers, communication providers, insurance providers, local business leaders and non-profit organizations to give residents important tools necessary to safely respond to an emergency or natural disaster. Safe-T-Proof will also be at the…

INGLEWOOD – Three students from Inglewood Unified School District (IUSD) received recognition during the City’s Black History Family Festival held Feb. 22. The annual K-12 Art Expression Showcase, themed “African Americans and Labor,” showcased how students interpret history through powerful and thought-provoking art along with the annual speech contest where winners received cash prizes sponsored by the Inglewood Education Foundation and the Los Angeles Rams. Each year the district receives hundreds of speech submissions from students across all grade levels which are then read by a panel of committee members who determine the winners. “I want to thank my commissioners…