🌱 What Led To Coolidge Street Murder? + Structure Fire On Cowles Ave.

Hi there, Long Beach; today is National Words With Friends Day, which Zynga declared in 2021! I'm here in your inbox per usual to get you up to speed on everything you need to know about what's going on around town.

Why did a 31-year-old allegedly stab his 78-year-old neighbor? A fire damaged power lines in an industrial area. Will another road bond measure do what Measure A was supposed to achieve?

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny. High: 84 Low: 65.

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.

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🚗 Three Of The Cheapest Gas Stations In Long Beach 🚗

• Costco at 2200 E Willow St., $4.99 ⚠️
• Sam’s Club at 7480 Carson St., $5.24
• Arco at 1945 E Pacific Coast Hwy., $5.39

💧 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, 18.3% want to mandate drought-resistant landscaping, 16.7% want to recycle wastewater for irrigation, another 43.3% want to build a desalination plant at the coast, and 21.7% don’t believe residential water use contributes to the water crisis.

Here are the top five stories in Long Beach today:

1. Coolidge Street Stabbing Update: A 31-year-old neighbor is under arrest for the stabbing death of a 78-year-old woman on Saturday morning. “Detectives believe the victim was in the alleyway collecting recyclables when she was attacked from behind by the suspect. The suspect stabbed the victim and fled the area on foot after residents began yelling for help.” The suspect is in jail “in lieu of $2 million bail.” (KTLA)
2. There was a structure fire on Saturday at about 11 a.m. The LBFD responded to the 1500 block of Cowles Avenue, which is “an industrial area with several commercial buildings.” One of the one-story buildings and a garage area were on fire. The fire was knocked down, but Edison had to respond to the scene because “the flames damaged nearby power lines.” (Long Beach Post)
3. Are we going to be voting on a “Long Beach Street Bond Measure? We learned on Thursday that city polling tested the waters with arguments such as “Long Beach has 200 miles of roads in poor conditions and this would be a dedicated source to fix those roads.” Critics claim this is politics, because residents already voted for Measure A to do that. They said the goal is to divert Measure A funding to police and fire, where “monies could actually be applied to growing salaries and pension funding.” (The Beachcomber)
4. Do you rake or blow leaves into the gutter just ahead of street sweeping day? The city really wishes you would stop doing that and said so on Saturday. “Contrary to popular belief, our vehicles are not built to suck up large amounts of leaves that are in the gutter.” (LB Public Works)
5. Mark your calendars! The second annual Burger Week is coming to Long Beach! Scheduled for August 7 through 14, participants enjoy “featured burgers (that) are value-priced at $5, $10, $15 and $20, plus burger/cocktail combos at $25.” This year’s participants include The Attic on Broadway, Portuguese Bend Distillery and Vibes Beach Café. (OC Breeze)

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Today in Long Beach:

• In-Person Storytime at the Rancho Los Cerritos (10 a.m.)
• Paper Monarch Butterfly Workshop at the Ruth Bach Neighborhood Library (2 p.m.)
• I Love Yesi at Brouwerij West (3 p.m.)
• Bixby Park Farmers Market (3 p.m.)
• FREE Tickets to Latino Night at the Hollywood Laugh Factory (9:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Our Greenbelt Heights neighbor is wondering if anyone can recommend a local carpet and upholstery cleaner in Long Beach? They prefer a small business, someone trustworthy. (Nextdoor)
• An El Dorado Park Estates neighbor is wondering if anyone out there has solar pool heating? The company that they used to service theirs is out of business. They are in need of repair to a leaking pipe (not solar panels) and can't FIND ANYONE!!! Anyone in the same boat? (Nextdoor)
• A neighbor in the Belmont Heights North area urges you not to use any sort of poison for your animal pest problems. There are domestic animals that are in danger when you do this. The “pests” die, domestic animals and local animals (like birds) eat them. (Nextdoor)
• An El Dorado Park South neighbor saw three large coyotes on the flood control/bike path behind Stevely Avenue between Atherton and Stearns. (Nextdoor)
• Our Historic Zaferia Village-NE neighbor lost a turtle. 🐢 It was last seen at Loma Avenue and 15th Street. (Nextdoor)

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Featured businesses:

• The Appliance Coach — (Visit website)
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Events:

• Torrance Antique Street Faire (July 24)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar (July 25)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Tuesday! See you tomorrow morning for 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.

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