Author: Emilie St. John

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…

COMPTON – Vanessa Bryant celebrated the dedication of a refurbished outdoor basketball court in memory of her late husband Kobe and daughter Gianna in Compton on June 16. “Thank you for showing up and showing out for our exclusive court reopening at Wilson Park in honor of Kobe and Gianna,” said Bryant. “Special thanks to artist Sloe Motions for the incredible mural and Lisa Leslie and Trae Young, for being a big part of this special occasion.” Bryant also thanked the donors who made the court possible. “To our donors – you made this happen. Every single dollar you’ve donated…

INGLEWOOD (SBE) – NFL legend Terrell Owens will be promoting his wine brand, 81 Wines, at Inglewood wine bar, 1010 Wines on June 29. The event will feature a Special Happy Hour that includes a special wine & food pairing and a Q&A session with Owens. 81 Wines features a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 made in Paso Robles, CA, which is a blend of two great Paso Robles vineyards that provides the quality fruit for this bold Cabernet. After a 3-day cold soak, the wine was pumped over 3 times a day throughout fermentation. An exceptional example of the power…

INGLEWOOD (SBE) – An Inglewood hospital is under scrutiny after federal regulators found they violated federal requirements that jeopardize patients. According to the LA Times, investigators Centinela Hospital “failed to properly assess and treat birthing patients to reduce the risk of blood clots”, according to a state review. April Valentine died on January 10 of this year after experiencing complications during childbirth at Centinela Hospital. Her daughter Aniya survived. “Aniya is going to have to grow up without her mother,” said Mykesha Mack, her cousin. “She was supposed to come out of that hospital with her baby and DIDN’T. I…

INGLEWOOD (SBE) – Inglewood rapper D-Smoke will receive a ‘Key to the City’ during the Inglewood Juneteenth Street Festival on June 18. “I couldn’t be more honored to be the second person in history to be awarded the key to the city of Inglewood,” wrote Farris on his social media account. “To see the changes its incurred and to know that black businesses still thrive and we’re a part of its growth makes me proud!” D-Smoke, born Daniel Farris, grew up in Inglewood and attended local schools. He graduated from UCLA with a degree in Spanish and became a teacher…

CARSON, Calif. (SBE) – The Sheriff’s Department is seeking the public’s help in identifying additional suspects of a man suspected of attempted rape and kidnapping of a female juvenile on June 11 in Carson. Eugene Martindale III, 28, was arrested and charged with the attempted kidnapping of a woman in Carson. Deputies responded to the 21000 block of Main Street to reports of the attempted rape and kidnapping and placed Martindale under arrest. He remains in custody with a bail amount of $300,000. Martindale is due back in court June 28 at the Superior Court in Compton. The Long Beach…

Stephen Marley has released the video for his highly anticipated new single “Old Soul.” The well-crafted retrospective video reveals never-before-seen old family photos, vintage vinyl album covers, and a collage of Jamaican music history.  The award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer chronicles his growth and innocence as a youth Marley kid, the second son of Bob Marley, and his personal rites of passage through the family legacy. The warm acoustic track takes the listener on a coming-of-age journey through allusions to personal legends and eras of musical influences that “made it all possible.” “April 1972, my mom and poppa brought me through,” Stephen…

LOS ANGELES – The City of Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass and Councilwoman Heather Hutt will host New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell for the unveiling of the New Orleans Corridor on June 17 in South Los Angeles. Hutt, and the Los Angeles Jazz Festival Foundation will host the dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly named, “New Orleans Corridor”, which spans from Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church to Harold & Belles Creole Restaurant. The New Orleans Corridor will honor the historical migration of Creole and African American families from Louisiana to their settling in Los Angeles during a violently…

LOS ANGELES (SBE) – A former first responder who worked at a Long Beach hospital was sentenced today to 352 months in federal prison for selling fentanyl to two of his co-workers who thought they were buying cocaine, one of whom later died of an overdose after ingesting the powerful opioid.  Cruz Noel Quintero, 43, of Long Beach, was sentenced by United States District Judge Christina A. Snyder, who scheduled a September 6 restitution hearing in this case. At the conclusion of a six-day trial in September 2022, a jury found Quintero guilty of one count of distributing fentanyl resulting in…