🌱 More To A Beach Blvd Traffic Death? + Desalination Plant Doomed?

Morning, Huntington Beach; today is National Babe Ruth Day! Here's everything you need to know to get this Wednesday started off right.

Is there more to a traffic death than what the family was told? Also, why did the California Coastal Commission’s staff speak out against the plant? Finally, have you enjoyed the photos of the HB dawn?

First, today's weather:

Fog giving way to sun. High: 68 Low: 56.

Hello Huntington Beach! Writing your daily newsletter is truly a rewarding experience, and your loyalty has made it all the better! I just wanted to say, you might be missing the Huntington Beach Daily for a while -- but don’t worry! It won’t be away for long, we just are focusing on some other Patch communities at the moment. Thanks for your support and patience; and we will be back and better than ever, sooner than you think!

Here are the top five stories in Huntington Beach today:

1. A young man “was critically injured on Beach Boulevard last week as he walked in traffic lanes in the early morning hours.” We learned on Wednesday that his family thinks there’s more to the story. When they arrived at the hospital, they expected “some scrapes and bruises, maybe broken bones.” However, the victim required brain surgery and eventually succumbed to his injuries. (Patch)
2. Is the desalination plant doomed? On Monday, it “failed a crucial regulatory hurdle,” which led to the California Coastal Commission’s staff to recommend “denying approval of the Huntington Beach plant proposed by Poseidon Water, controlled by the infrastructure arm of Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management.” At issue was a susceptibility to sea level rise and potential harm to nearby habitats. It is now up to the Coastal Commission to go with its staff recommendation or defy it. (Reuters)
3. An era is coming to an end. For about three years now, Sara Sanchez, who works as the night auditor at Quality Inn & Suites on Beach Boulevard, has photographed the picturesque HB dawn and posted the photos on Facebook with a greeting. However, there’s a good chance that it won’t continue because we learned Tuesday that “the hotel is up for sale & HB is wanting it for a homeless transition center.” (HB News)
4. Which are the best and worst Huntington Beach Union High schools? Fountain Valley HS is ranked #139 in California or #1,006 nationwide. It has a graduation rate of 95%. On the other end of the spectrum is Coast HS which ranked “1,265-1,603rd within California” and “13,383 - 17,843” nationally. (US News)
5. A 34-year-old Rossmoor man was arrested on Tuesday for “and charged with one count of interstate communication of threats to commit violence in federal court.” He is alleged to have threatened the “Merriam-Webster dictionary over revising the definitions of the words ‘girl’, ‘woman’ and ‘female’." Using the 'contact us' feature anonymously, he allegedly talked about how “it would be poetic justice to have someone storm your offices and shoot up the place, leaving none of you commies alive,” among other things. (Patch)

Today in Huntington Beach:

• Bibliotherapy Bag Pickup Starts at the Huntington Beach Public Library (12 AM)
• Frontline Care Academy Grand Opening at 16052 Beach Blvd. (12 PM)
• Oak View Branch Library Homework Club Program (12:30 PM)
• Mermaids at the Pacific City Reading Reef (3 PM)
• Free-To-Play Trivia at Four Sons Brewing (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Inis Huntington Beach have opened their doors and would love to see you in store. Please stop by for a free sample vial of their sparkling, clean Inis Energy of the Sea fragrance, and discover their ocean lifestyle jewelry and home decor. (Facebook)
• An Irby Park Tract neighbor is wondering if anyone can foster or adopt a dog at risk of being killed. Riverside County animal shelter is now euthanizing perfectly healthy, young, and beautiful dogs every Saturday. (Nextdoor)
• Our Pacific Sands neighbor wants to give a business shoutout to Groom Closet mobile grooming. They are super communicative and helpful with any questions. They also groom cats! (Nextdoor)

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You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you around.

— 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.