🌱 Longfellow Elementary Teacher Arrested + Stabbing On 4th Street

Hello all; today is the anniversary of the first parking meter, which was installed in Oklahoma City in 1935. It's me, Sylvia, your host of the Long Beach Daily — back in your inbox with all the most important things happening in town. Keep scrolling for the scoop...

Did a Longfellow Elementary School teacher fatally strike a Long Beach Playhouse theater volunteer with a car? Also, there was a stabbing. Finally, there’s a Dominguez Channel stink update!

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 83 Low: 67.

FYI: Long Beach Cooling Centers are open daily from noon to 6 p.m. You find them at the Houghton, McBride, and Admiral Kidd community centers as well as the Senior Center and El Dorado Park West.

🚗 Three Of The Cheapest Gas Stations In Long Beach 🚗

• Arco at 4385 Atlantic Ave., $5.48
• Del Amo Petroleum at 4990 Long Beach Blvd., $5.49
• Arco at 6001 Long Beach Blvd., $5.59

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💧 Water Crisis Poll! 💧
Residents are limited to watering their landscapes two days per week, before 9 a.m. or after 4 p.m. What else should the City do to deal with the water crisis? Please let me know your thoughts! So far, 17.3% want to mandate drought-resistant landscaping, 19.2% want to recycle wastewater for irrigation, another 42.3% want to build a desalination plant at the coast, and 21.2% don’t believe residential water use contributes to the water crisis.

Here are the top five stories today in Long Beach:

1. A 55-year-old Longfellow Elementary School teacher was arrested on Wednesday “on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.” They are alleged to have struck a 78-year-old woman “who was walking in a crosswalk on Fourth Street in Belmont Heights around 10 p.m. on July 6, 2021.” The victim “was a writer and longtime volunteer for the Long Beach Playhouse theater.” The teacher was “released on $50,000 bail.” (LB Post)
2. On Friday, at around 2:30 a.m., the LBPD was called to the “1200 block of E 4th Street regarding a stabbing incident.” According to the victim, they were on the street and “approached by an unknown male suspect.” That’s when the stabbing occurred. (LBPD)
3. Do you remember last year’s Dominguez Channel stink? In December, we learned that authorities had narrowed down the source of the stench to a warehouse. On Thursday, officials announced “a proposed $17 million penalty.” It needs to be approved in an October 12 meeting. In the meantime, the warehouse owner “vigorously” disputes “any suggestion” of responsibility. (Patch, Spectrum News 1)
4. There’s a new restaurant at Ocean Boulevard and Pine Avenue! Solita Tacos & Margaritas has opened its third eatery that serves “Baja-style, Mexican cuisine, homemade salsas and hand-crafted margaritas.” The management notes that “nothing beats the warm flavor of wood-fired food and good friends – and that good queso feeds the soul.” Amen to that. (Patch)
5. Mark your calendars! The Long Beach Jazz Festival is coming back to Rainbow Lagoon Park! It’s been two years, but this is the year the concert returns on August 12 through 14. To celebrate, the concert is expected to be a star-studded event, with Grammy Award-winners Robert Glasper and Ledisi. The Al Williams Jazz Society also performs. (Show Pass)

Today in Long Beach:

• MOWLB Car Show Fundraiser at LBPOA Park (9 a.m.)
• Pet Adoption Bonanza & Craft Fair at the Long Beach Towne Center (10 a.m.)
• Sea Change Festival at 79 Claremont Pl (noon)
• Passion Over Paint hosts Paint In The Park at 130 Cherry Ave at the Concert Dome (noon)
• Long Beach's '80s Arcade Pub Crawl checks in at 300 The Promenade N (4:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Our Cal Heights neighbor reports that there’s a young man spinning around the neighborhood on some type of Robo 2-wheeled vehicle claiming he was sent out to test our tap water for chemicals, he then asked if we’d received a notice from the Water Department. (Nextdoor)
• A Belmont Shore neighbor recommends Gypsy’s Mediterranean on the Pier. Fresh and delicious every time. (Nextdoor)
• A neighbor in the Historic Zaferia Village-Cir area found and turned in an ID to Big 5 by the traffic circle. (Nextdoor)
• Our Alamitos Beach neighbor recommends Sideburns at The Stash Bar for the best burgers. (Nextdoor)
• A concerned Plaza parent is inquiring if anyone attending camp shark has experienced bullying issues. (Nextdoor)

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• WOW! Fabulous Outdoor Theater in Irvine! (July 16)
• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (July 18)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar (July 25)
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Thanks for following along and staying informed. 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.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Long Beach Daily? Contact me at LongBeach-CA@Patch.com