Author: Emilie St. John

COMPTON (SBE) – Compton Unified School District announced one of their school bands has been selected to participate in the Hollywood Christmas Parade on Nov. 26. This is the second time a Compton school has participated in the 91-year history of the parade, according to a release provided by the district. Photo courtesy of Compton Unified School District “I am excited to witness the Compton High School band take center stage at the Hollywood Christmas Parade. This is a moment of pride for the Compton Unified School District (CUSD) that highlights our commitment to arts education,” said CUSD Board Trustee…

Earvin “Magic” Johnson and the Magic Johnson Foundation hosted Holiday Hope, an invite-only, drive-through community giveaway event at Faithful Central Bible Church on Saturday, Nov. 18. Earvin “Magic” Johnson assisted over 800 families through the Magic Johnson Foundation and a host of sponsors at Faithful Central Bible Church on Nov. 18 in Inglewood, CA. (Credit: 2UrbanGirls) Holiday Hope assisted over 800 families from Inglewood and Los Angeles in receiving food and other items through the generosity of Johnson’s Foundation, Feed the Children, Mattel, Cricket, Starbucks, and others. “I’m inspired to give back because of my mother,” said Johnson, before the…

INGLEWOOD – The Inglewood City Council council approved another trash rate increase during the Nov. 14 regular city council meeting after increasing rates back in March. The City delayed increasing trash rates until after the runoff election for District 1. On March 21, the City approved a temporary special rate increase of 3.12% starting April 1 through November 30. Councilwoman Gloria Gray requested staff provide information on the proposed rate increases but Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. interjected to provide an answer alluding to the Special Rate Adjustment request being at the behest of their colleagues. “The first increase…

Abel Green bursts onto the stage after hopping on the train headed to perform in a minstrel show in a small southern town. It’s 1910 so why not “hire a real coon” whose face will stay Black long after the makeup is removed? J. Alphonse Nicholson Photo by Jonathan Benavente “All negroes are actors by necessity,” says Green. “The script is passed down generation to generation. The Negroes who know they lines tend to live longer than the Negroes that don’t, generally speaking, as it pertains to dealing with white folks.” Green, played by J. Alphonse Nicholson, (Broadway’s Tony award-winning A Soldier’s Play; P-Valley on…

INGLEWOOD – Another man was fatally shot in Inglewood Oct. 24. Inglewood Police Department officers responded to a shots fired call around 8:20 p.m. at the intersection of Venice Way and Victor Avenue where they found two victims. Credit: KeyNews.TV One man was pronounced deceased at the scene and the other was transported to a local hospital in an unknown condition. Jose Cubillos, 29, of Los Angeles died at the scene, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner. The other man was taken to a hospital in unknown condition. A witness spoke to a videographer off-camera and…

McDonald’s has partnered up with Los Angeles native, creative director, and founder of the famous game Millennial Lotería, Mike Alfaro, to design a special McDonald’s edition of the iconic game “lotería.” os Angeles native, creative director, and founder of the famous game Millennial Lotería, Mike Alfaro. (Photo: Emilie St. John | 2UrbanGirls) The games will be provided exclusively to restaurants in Southern California for game night events starting October 5th through the end of the month in select locations across LA, OC, Riverside, and Ventura counties. McDonald’s Lotería night in Whittier, California. (Photo: Emilie St. John | 2UrbanGirls) The first game…

HAWTHORNE – A Hawthorne Police Officer earned an eye watering $246,000 in overtime in 2022.His overtime pay of $246,000 was more than twice his regular pay of $106,000, with total wages of $465,208, according to data from the state controller.In 2021, the same officer clocked $206,000 in overtime, with his regular salary being $92,000.It is believed their overtime was earned working at special events in Inglewood under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Inglewood and Hawthorne police departments for Supplemental Law Enforcement Services.The officer earned more in overtime than those with a higher rank.The contract between the cities is funded…

INGLEWOOD – Inglewood Assemblywoman Tina McKinnor’s bill to allow legislative staffers to unionize was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom. California becomes the largest state in the nation that will allow non-supervisor legislative staff to join a union and follows Oregon and Maine, whose staff are able to unionize. “Today is a huge victory for the nearly 2,000 legislative and district staff that have dedicated their careers to public service and have long deserved the right to be represented by a union,” said Assemblymember Tina McKinnor. “Legislative staff aren’t looking for special treatment – they are looking for the same…

COMPTON – Postal workers staged a protest to bring attention to the violence they face while working in Compton on Oct. 4. U.S. Postal Service letter carriers rally at the USPS Compton main office to call attention to robberies and physical assaults they’ve experienced. Postal workers said crimes against them are more frequent, brazen and violent. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) One by one postal employees discussed the violence they faced with a writer from the Los Angeles Times. Sharon Whitaker, a 63-year-old letter carrier and union steward who grew up in Compton, said the job feels a lot…

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – An Inglewood resident posted on social media their frustration with the amount of broken sidewalks in and around the City. Eye on Inglewood family.  I came to yall February last year to tell you about a woman who filed a claim on my homeowners insurance policy because she tripped on the city owned sidewalk in front of my home.  I was surprised when an adjuster called from my insurance company.  And y’all came for me.  Said I was a liar.  How could she find out the name of my insurance company without ever speaking to me, and…