Long Beach Poly junior middle blocker Rylie McGinest did not need long to make the biggest decision of her athletic career so far. When she received a formal offer from USC a few days ago, McGinest committed immediately. “Oh I did commit on the spot, yes,” she said. “They said, ‘You can wait and think […]
Author: Mike Guardabascio
Feature: Travon Free’s Long and Winding Golden Road
There were two Long Beach State basketball alumni in the news last week, for wildly disparate reasons. James Ennis III was making headlines for reasons you might expect from the program’s alums: he’s in the NBA bubble trying to help the Orlando Magic to an upset of the Milwaukee Bucks (Ennis was also ejected from […]
Year Unlike Any Other For LBUSD Students, Teachers
With class set to open tomorrow for the 70,000+ students of the Long Beach Unified School District, one thing is clear: there’s never been a year like this in the more than 100 year history of the district, its teachers, and its students. The Sept. 1 start date will see school conducted entirely online for […]
Long Beach Poly Volleyball Star Adonia Yandall Faumuina Commits to USC
Adonia Yandall Faumuina College Commitment No Description Long Beach Poly junior outside hitter/setter Adonia Yandall Faumuina has ended a whirlwind college recruitment by announcing she’s staying close to home as she’s verbally committed to USC. “It was important to me to stay close to my family and to pick a school with great academics, athletics, […]
Hall of Fame Hoops Coach Lute Olson Passes Away
Legendary college basketball coach Lute Olson passed away Thursday evening at the age of 85 after a brief stay in hospice care. Olson built the University of Arizona into a national power and won the Wildcats’ only national championship. He’s won of only five NCAA men’s basketball coaches with 20 20-win seasons. The 2002 Naismith […]
COLUMN: What We Get Wrong When We Talk COVID-19 Shutdowns
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Semaj Miller. Two weeks ago, I attended a candlelight vigil for Miller, a 14 year-old Compton native who was shot to death in broad daylight. Miller’s youth basketball coach, Derrick Cooper, said that at the time he was shot and killed, Miller would have been at a […]
Feature: Long Beach YMCAs Adapting, Serving Community In New Ways
The YMCA of Greater Long Beach has locations in East Long Beach, North Long Beach, Lakewood, and Bellflower along with a camp in Big Bear, an Early Childhood Education Center, and a Community Development Center downtown. The YMCA serves more than 50,000 people annually and, as it’s involved in both fitness and education, it’s difficult […]
Obituary: Bruce Flanders, Longtime Grand Prix Voice
Bruce Flanders, the longtime voice of the Grand Prix of Long Beach, passed away last Friday at the age of 75. Flanders had been the official race announcer for the race since 1978, with an energetic and enthusiastic voice that became synonymous with the sunshine and excitement of Long Beach’s signature event. “The ‘Voice of […]
Obituary: The Impossible Loss of Semaj Miller
Semaj Miller 3/21/2006-7/29/2020 Semaj Miller was shot to death two weeks ago in South Los Angeles. The 14 year-old Miller had enrolled at his hometown high school, Compton High, and was going to start his freshman year in a few weeks, preparing for a four-year tour of Compton and Long Beach as a star basketball […]
LBUSD Fall Plan Takes Shape As Labor Negotiations Continue
With just a few weeks left until the Sept. 1 start of classes for the Long Beach Unified School District, plans for the Fall are starting to take shape. At a Board of Education meeting last week, the district presented its plan for virtual learning, which is how all students will be attending class until […]











