Millikan football fans will remember Nik Lombardi from the magical 2017-18 seasons when the Rams won a pair of playoff games. Despite being one of smallest starters in the Moore League, the 5’8″ 180-pound Lombardi made more than 200 tackles from his middle linebacker position in those two seasons. Lombardi, 19, didn’t leave his mark […]
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 […]
FEATURE: Glenn Walker Takes Own Path as Major League Scout
Baseball has taken Glenn Walker all over the world, and it eventually brought him home. The former Poly Jackrabbit followed his love of the game to Hawai’i, Japan, Sioux Falls, and everywhere in-between, but he’s finally made roots in his hometown. Walker currently holds a coveted position as a SoCal area scout for the New […]
FEATURE: Bluff Yoga Offers Sense of Peace, Normalcy
On a cloudless summer day at Bluff Park, more than 100 Long Beach residents moved in unison, strewn across a lush patch of grass along Ocean Boulevard. It’s a familiar scene in Long Beach, with brightly colored yoga mats scattered across the bluff. It’s not until the participants in the popular Yogalution on the Bluff […]
Long Beach State Basketball’s Dan Monson Upfront About COVID-19
Dan Monson has had an eventful quarantine. At work, the winningest coach in Long Beach State men’s basketball history is preparing for an unpredictable season while adding elite transfer talent to his roster. More importantly at home, his 18-year-old daughter Mollie is recovering from coronavirus. It’s a waiting game for the return of basketball activities, […]
PODCAST: Long Beach Youth Sports Starting Again
On this episode we’re talking to Long Beach PONY president Ken Jakemer and baseball dad Dan DeCarlo about the challenges of starting youth baseball practice again after the COVID-19 closures. 01:00 We’ve Got Good News! 08:30 Long Beach PONY & Youth Sports Update 26:00 Speech & Debate: Camping
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 […]











