🌱 Unhoused Bused Across City To Shower + What’s Up With The Gas Bill

Hello, neighbors! Today, we kick back and relax on National Bubble Bath Day! It's Sunday in Long Beach, and I'm back in your inbox with everything you need to know that's happening locally, including news on:

• 🚓 Gunfire around the city
• ✈️ American Airlines shutting down its Long Beach Airport routes
• 🎶 Kontrapunktus’ upcoming engagement at Grace First Presbyterian Church

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🌥️ But first, today's weather:

Times of clouds and sun. High: 66 Low: 54.

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⛽ Three of the Cheapest Gas Stations in the City of Long Beach

• Sam’s Club at 7480 Carson St., $3.89
• ARCO at 3201 E 7th St., $3.99
• ARCO at 4235 E Anaheim St., $3.99

💐 Valentine’s Day Poll! 🥂
Pink hearts, boxes of chocolates, and greeting cards – reminders that Valentine’s Day is coming are everywhere. But responses to the holiday are mixed. What are your feelings about the occasion? Do you celebrate? So far, 48.4% take a bah-humbug approach, while another 38.7% plan on a Valentine’s Day with all the trimmings. 3.2% plan on celebrating Galentine’s Day, and 9.7% focus on Singles Awareness Day.

📰 Here are the top stories today in Long Beach:

1. Why do residents of the city’s homeless winter shelter have to be “bused across the city to take showers?” Friday’s report outlines that “the city never intended to offer showers” at the Community Hospital Campus. Also, there were problems involving sewage line backups and flooding, which resulted in a shut-off of water to most of the facility. Port-a-potties will have to be brought in. Now, there’s discussion for who’s on the hook to fix plumbing that couldn’t “handle use from the 70 to 80 residents staying there.” (Long Beach Post)
2. It didn’t take long for the bad guys to start firing off guns again. Reportedly, someone fired at two women in the 0 block of East Plymouth Street on Thursday evening at 9:44 p.m. The victims said “they were approached by another vehicle with an unknown number of passengers” who then fired at them. On Friday, someone shot into a home around 2:20 a.m. in the 1200 block of Lime Avenue. (Long Beach Police Department)
3. American Airlines announced that it’ll quit flying out of the Long Beach Airport, with the last flights departing February 28. The airline said its “route is not meeting performance expectations.” If you’ve booked a flight on American after that date, the carrier said it’s contacting customers and offering “alternative travel arrangements.” You may recall that the airline has three of 53 slots at the airport and offers “two or three nonstop flights to Phoenix daily.” (Long Beach Business Journal)
4. Did you do the double take when you opened your natural gas bill? You aren’t alone. We learned on Saturday that “SoCalGas rates are expected to more than double over the cost of last winter . . . the average Long Beach single-family residential customer should prepare for an increase of $200 or more on their bill.” Why? So far, officials are pointing fingers at the “California drought, unexpected severe cold snaps across the country, and Russia’s war in Ukraine.” If it makes you feel any better, Long Beach Utilities wants you to know that the sharp spike in costs “won’t spike their own profits.” (Press-Telegram/paywall)
5. On the bright side, Kontrapunktus, the “chamber ensemble devoted to performing repertoire from composers of the Baroque period,” announced its new season! The nine-player ensemble comes to Long Beach on January 13, when it plays at Grace First Presbyterian Church, at 3955 North Studebaker Road. This year, look forward to the “lesser-known works of Johann Sebastian Bach and George Friedrich Handel.” (The HiLo)

📆 Today in Long Beach:

• High Performance Swap Meet at Long Beach Veteran's Stadium (6 AM)
• Marina Farmers Market at 6602 E Marina Dr (9 AM)
• Tai Chi for Beginners at 5608 East Los Santos Drive (12:30 PM)
• "Emergence" by Deborah Weir is on display at the Alpert Jewish Community Center (2 PM)
• Club Real Ones Day Party at Grey LB (3 PM)

🖊️ From my notebook:

• "LBPD officers were out in the Peninsula this morning to assist our partners at Long Beach Fire Department in addressing the significant erosion in the area." (Long Beach Police Department (CA) via Facebook)
• "We are launching a Request for Proposals to partner with one or more qualified organizations to increase the availability of low-cost, culturally relevant, produce in priority neighborhoods in Long Beach." (Long Beach City via Facebook)
• "Join Mayor Rex Richardson as he delivers his inaugural State of the City Address 🎙️ and learn about his priority focus areas for Long Beach, including stable housing, economic prosperity, and a sustainable and resilient city." (Long Beach City via Facebook)
• "Growing Community: Beautify 4th Street is another service project available for sign-ups for MLK Day! If you’re interested, sign up here: https://leadershiplb.org/mlk20..." (Leadership Long Beach via Facebook)
• "Join us online every month for our exciting virtual author talk series, which offers a mix of perspectives and live Q&A with bestselling authors. January’s talks cover fierce female leads, realistic tips for organizing your home, and more." (Long Beach Public Library via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

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• Cara Connors Queer Comedy Show: Live at Plantiitas! (January 12)
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That's it for today! I'll be back in your inbox Tuesday with another 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.

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