Author: Emilie St. John

A new affordable housing project broke ground in South Los Angeles on Sept. 1. Surrounded by more than 50 community members and stakeholders, co-developers Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County (NHSLA) and Abode Communities broke ground on a site that was once governed by a restrictive covenant that forbade the sale or rental to “any person of the African or the Mongolian race.”  “The Manchester Urban Homes groundbreaking is an example of how far we’ve come and how far we still must go to make sure every Angeleno has a place to call home,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “It is…

A Labor Day demonstration brought a renewed focus on the strains of workers in the healthcare industry and how employers are addressing what some are calling a “staffing shortage” as unions are bargaining for new contracts. Thousands of healthcare workers marched down Vermont to call for improved working conditions. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, representing more than 85,000 healthcare workers in seven states and the District of Columbia, is negotiating its first contract renewal since 2019. According to an article published in the Los Angeles Times, workers say the pandemic decimated staffing to a degree…

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (2UG) – The Second Appellate District Court has ruled that elected officials are not employees in an ongoing dispute in Inglewood, California. Inglewood Treasurer Wanda Brown filed a lawsuit against the City and the members of the city council claiming defamation and retaliation after she began to speak out during city council meetings about the state of the City’s finances. In return, the council, led by Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. voted unanimously to reduce Brown’s duties which led to an 83% reduction in her monthly salary and remove her from sitting on the dais. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXflNGI1kko Related: Inglewood…

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (2UG) – The Inglewood Planning Commission voted in favor of imposing a 1,000-foot distance requirement between fast food restaurants during its July 5 meeting. City Planner Bernard McCrumby presented the proposed guidelines where he explained that over the past few years, a number of studies have been conducted, on the over-proliferation of fast food restaurants in minority communities and why they disproportionately target lower-income communities and Inglewood is no exception. Citing a potential over-proliferation of fast food restaurants, the 34-page staff report lays out the proposed 1,000-foot distance requirement that would be similar in scope to the current requirements imposed…

INGLEWOOD (SBE) – The new movie theatre at Inglewood’s Hollywood Park is set to open July 21. Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas Hollywood Park will boast spacious auditoriums, cutting-edge sound and projection technology, in-theatre waiter service, and more, across its 12-screen (including 11 screens and 1 IMAX screen), 1,236-seat, 55,137 square-foot concept.  This new theater (with a total of 1,236 seats, all leather recliners) includes LA’s first Dine-In IMAX as well as an indoor/outdoor bar and restaurant that’s open to guests as well as to non-moviegoers headed to SoFi Stadium, The Youtube Theater, The Forum and more. “We are thrilled to bring the Cinépolis…

Are you ready for romance? Time travel? Listen to Nick Fury sing? “Rogers: The Musical” is now playing at the Hyperion Theater at Disney’s California Adventure. The musical tells the tale of Steve Rogers journey to becoming Captain America. The musical, first spotted in the first episode of Hawkeye on Disney+, tells Rogers’ story of his quest to join the Army during World War II. “What’s a guy to do when ‘I want you’ doesn’t mean you?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep0V7CbaZRU After applying to service centers around town, and being rejected, Rogers happens across two individuals who offer him the role of a lifetime: to become the first member of…

SACRAMENTO (2UG) – CA Speaker Anthony Rivas has kept his word and appointed a legislator from South Los Angeles to a top position in the State Assembly. Assemblymember Isaac Bryan was named the new Majority Leader in a move that has been in the works for weeks. Bryan has shared with everyone within earshot that Rivas would be appointing him to a leadership post. Once Rivas was in the seat, Bryan heaped praise on him, while appearing to shun the outgoing Speaker Anthony Rendon as he made no fond wishes to him on his way out. Credit: Isaac Bryan/Twitter “[Rivas]…

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (SBE) – The City of Inglewood will open applications for small businesses and nonprofits to apply for one-time grants on July 24. Here are all the details on what you need to be considered for the one-time grant of up to $20,000. The program is being funded with $4 million from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds made available from the federal government due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Related: Inglewood finally establishes grant programs to help small business, nonprofits According to Economic Development Manager Qiuanna Williams there are over 5,000 registered businesses and 225 registered nonprofits in the…

INGLEWOOD (SBE) – Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. closed the scheduled public hearing on the Street Vending Ordinance and tabled the matter to an unknown date during the city council meeting held June 20. The city scheduled the public hearing to establish guidelines for street vending in accordance with state law. “The ordinance would create a no-vending buffer zone around entertainment venues, schools, and other sensitive uses,” said Code Enforcement Manager Jerry Tucker. “Department staff desires a 1,000-foot buffer zone, however, City Attorney [Ken Campos] office reduced it to a 500-foot buffer zone.” The ordinance identifies the cemetery, hospital,…

WASHINGTON D.C. (2UrbanGirls) – A petition has been filed with the Federal Communications Commission to stop the sale of KBLA 1580AM to Tavis Smiley. The law firm of Smithwick & Belendiuk filed the petition for denial on behalf of The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) calling Smiley a “sexual predator” who violated the morals clause of his contract after hearing accounts of six women, who testified that he had sexually harassed them when they worked for him. The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America or UCCA is a non-partisan non-profit national umbrella organization uniting over 20 national Ukrainian American organizations in advocating for…