🌱 Ammo At Sowers Middle School + New Oil Sheen Off PCH & Warner

Hey, people of Huntington Beach! Sylvia here with today's edition of the Huntington Beach Daily.

Facebook was on fire with a notification involving a disturbing communication from Sowers Middle School. Also, officials confirm another oil sheen off the coast. Finally, Anaheim reached a deal with Republic Services.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 66 Low: 43.

Here are the top stories today in Huntington Beach:

1. Communication went out from Sowers Middle School to parents on Thursday that a student “brought a live round of ammunition and showed it to some students.” The administration confiscated it right away. Moreover, there was no weapon or threat. That said, school officials encourage parents to “be vigilant about checking your child’s backpack and know what your child is bringing to school.” (FB)
2. There was a strong smell of oil around PCH and Warner Avenue near the HB shoreline on Wednesday. Oil spill response teams went out and discovered an oil slick the size of a football field off Bolsa Chica State Beach. Another oil slick was seen nearby. Once again, the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center is on standby to assist oiled wildlife if necessary. At this time, speculations range from the recent storms agitating things in the ocean to the oil from the last spill washing out of the sand. (Patch, CBS)
3. Is there an end to the sanitation worker strike? Thursday reports noted a Republic Services statement indicating “we feel we are making progress toward a competitive contract that is fair for all.” The Teamsters Local 396 went on record stating it is “hopeful for a ratified agreement between Republic Services and the Union within the next 24 hours.” However, it appears that this agreement affects primarily the City of Anaheim but doesn’t include Huntington Beach. Mayor Barbara Delgleize hopes that progress in other cities will lead to “a positive outcome here in Huntington Beach.” (Patch, Fox)
4. A federal grand jury indicted Amplify Energy Corp. and two subsidiaries, Beta Operating Co. and San Pedro Bay Pipeline Co., on Wednesday for the October oil spill off the HB coast. Prosecutors stated that the “companies were negligent six ways, including failing to respond to eight leak detection system alarms over a 13-hour period.” OC Supervisor Katrina Foley noted that the company lied to the community during the press briefings. A conviction would carry a sentence of “up to five years of probation for the corporation and fines that could total millions of dollars.” (KTLA, Times of San Diego)
5. The City announced Wednesday that it would spend two days surveying homeless individuals. The goal is to get an accurate count of how many live in the city and what types of support they need. According to a HB Homeless Solutions Saturday report, the Navigation Center had an 83% occupancy rate of mostly men between the ages of 55 and 61. (@CityofHBPIO, HB Homeless Solutions)

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Today in Huntington Beach:

• Dog Teeth Cleaning at Pet Supplies Plus (9 AM to 3 PM)
• Kundalini Yoga, Gong & Celestial Communication Meditation at Seventh Chakra Yoga (11 AM)
• Modern Makers Mart Holiday Festival at Golden West College (5 PM)
• Dreamstate Presents Sunny Lax With Special Guest Jaytech at The Circle (9 PM)
• Damaged Goods at Dino's (9 PM)

From my notebook:

• Visit the Oak View Branch Library for its winter family story time on Friday, December 17th at 6 pm with Joel, the new bilingual librarian. (Instagram)
• Our Springdale Shores neighbor needs recommendations about getting water delivered. (Nextdoor)
• A Surf City Newland Park neighbor has a heavy-duty wheelchair they want to donate to someone in need. Do you know of anyone? (Nextdoor)
• Does anyone have an old dog crate for our Washington area neighbor? They have a new puppy that isn’t potty-trained yet. (Nextdoor)
• A Goldenwest Park neighbor lost a red paddle board during the last storm. Did you find it? (Nextdoor)

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That's it for today. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with your next update!

— Sylvia Cochran

About me: Sylvia Cochran works out of sunny Southern California and has been freelance writing full-time since 2005. She loves dogs, cats, books, plays Best Fiends (don't judge), embraces social justice, and tries to live out Micah 6:8.