Man builds tiny houses for South LA’s homeless + South LA teacher honored for musical passion

May 11, 2015 By Leave a Comment


Homeless encampment in South L.A. | Photo by Stephanie Monte

Homeless encampment in South L.A. | Photo by Stephanie Monte

Tiny houses for homeless: Elvis Summers built a tiny house on wheels for a homeless women in his South L.A. neighborhood and has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help more homeless individuals. (Ventura County Star)

Music teacher honored: Southern California Honda Dealers surprised music teacher Aaron Stanley by building him a new music room at West Athens Elementary for Teacher Appreciation Week. (ABC)

Skateboarder fatally struck: Thirteen-year-old skateboarder Jarek Trejo was fatally struck by a car on Thursday in South L.A. (L.A. Times)

Free library: The Literacy Club, the USC Interfraternity Council and the USC Panhellenic have joined an effort to establish a Little Free Library, a bookcase full of free children’s books, at Hoover Recreation Center in South L.A. (Patch.com)

Fast food ban: A study shows that banning new fast food restaurants in South L.A. has not helped decrease obesity rates in the area. (L.A. Times)

Filed Under: In the news Tagged With: , , ,

Earthquake hits Baldwin Hills + Construction begins on retail center in South LA

May 4, 2015 By Leave a Comment


Baldwin Hills overlook | Photo by CleftClips (Flickr Creative Commons)

Baldwin Hills overlook | Photo by CleftClips (Flickr Creative Commons)

Earthquake hits South L.A.: A magnitude-3.8 earthquake shook residents in the Baldwin Hills area on Sunday morning. (KTLA)

Construction begins: A $200 million retail center will soon fill a South L.A. lot that has been empty since the 1992 riots. (CBS)

Three shot: Two men and a woman were shot on Friday around 10 p.m. at 719 W. 66th St. (My News L.A.)

Tenants reach settlement: The residents of a South L.A. apartment build allegedly run by a slumlord reached an agreement with the owner of the building. (My News L.A.)

Car chase: A car chase ended in South L.A. Thursday after the driver headed into a park and oncoming traffic. (L.A. Times)

Filed Under: In the news Tagged With: , , ,

Reporting on social change, 50 years after Watts

April 30, 2015 By Leave a Comment


Erin Aubry Kaplan with her father, Larry Aubry. Kaplan covered the 1992 Riots, while Aubry covered the 1965 Riots. | Jenna Pittaway

Erin Aubry Kaplan with her father, Larry Aubry. Kaplan covered the 1992 Riots, while Aubry covered the 1965 Riots. | Jenna Pittaway

How is social change covered in the wake of civil unrest? Journalists, community organizers and students convened at the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism on April 23 to reflect on the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Watts Riots — along with underlying issues, and how reporting can benefit the community. The event was the culmination of a months-long project that connects local and ethnic media outlets and organizations to investigate current structural problems and potential solutions in South Los Angeles. Through a partnership between USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism’s Metamorphosis Project, Intersections, five additional news outlets, six community organizations and a local high school, attempted to create a glimpse of contemporary challenges, as well as where change is happening that could be expanded.

Annenberg Civic Engagement and Journalism Initiative Director Daniela Gerson moderated a panel that considered how coverage of South Los Angeles can play a role in drawing attention to and alleviating structural inequalities that contributed to civil unrest and rioting. The panel included observations from two long-time South L.A. residents with first-hand perspectives on the unrest and coverage of it. Larry Aubry, a columnist with the Los Angeles Sentinel and civil rights activist who witnessed the 65 riots, exchanged thoughts with his daughter, KCET writer Erin Aubry Kaplan, who reported on the 1992 unrest. Among the questions they raised was: Just how should we refer to the event commonly known as the “Watts Riots?” Perhaps “culmination,” said Kaplan, indicating that such eruptions come from long-simmering issues and that terms riots, unrest, and rebellion do not encompass all of the elements.

Two of the project participants, KPCC Community Health Reporter Adrian Florido and Community Coalition press liaison Isaiah Muhammad shared the process of collaborating on an article about promoting healthy living, as well as some of the barriers for media to cover South LA such as an assumption of a violent narrative and lack of context. The four panelists agreed that many stories remain to be revealed in South L.A. — if only reporters can dig deep to the “grassroots level,” as Kaplan suggested. The audience divided into teams to do just that, meeting with community activists to discuss development, housing, jobs and health.

Visit the site at www.wattsrevisited.org.

Visit the site at www.wattsrevisited.org.

The event also marked the launch of WATTS REVISITED, a website that provides solutions-oriented reporting about challenges that South L.A. faces today. It was created by Intersections, the Metamorphosis Project and the Civic Engagement and Journalism Initiative, all hosted at the USC Annenberg School. Media partners included La Opinion, LA Sentinel, Hoy, LA Wave, KPCC, and students from the journalism program at Augustus Hawkins High School. Community organization partners included the All Peoples Community Center, Coalition for Responsible Community Development,Community Coalition, Community Health Councils, Esperanza Community Housing Corporation, and Trust South LA.

Read event highlights in the Tweets below:

Filed Under: Community, Featured Story, More on Intersections Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

South LA tenants allege slum conditions + South LA could be nicknamed SoLA

April 29, 2015 By Leave a Comment


Bernard Parks, councilman for District 8 | Stephanie Monte

Bernard Parks, councilman for District 8 | Stephanie Monte

South L.A. tenants allege slum conditions: Ninety tenants claim their landlord at 2108 Maple Avenue in South L.A. ignored their complaints of rat and cockroach infestations. (Courthouse News)

Bernard Parks speaks out on SoLA nickname: Bernard Parks defends his decision to introduce SoLA as a possible nickname for South L.A. that would not replace its former name but would be recognized as an official nickname. (City Watch L.A.)

St. Francis Medical Center: A South L.A. hospital faces financial troubles, threatening to decrease the quality of medical care in an area with a disproportionate number of victims of traumatic injury and violence. (L.A. Times)

LAPD officer charged: Officer Richard Garcia was charged with one count of felony for using unlawful force when he arrested Clinton Alford Jr. in South L.A. (L.A. Times)

Six arrested during protests: Six were arrested in protests against police brutality Monday, the same day riots broke out in Baltimore. (L.A. Times)

Street racing crackdown: Forty-four people were arrested April 20 at 12:30 a.m. in a crackdown against street racing, a problem authorities say has been increasing in L.A. (ABC)

 

Filed Under: In the news Tagged With: , , ,

South LA residents march to protest neighborhood oil drilling

April 24, 2015 By Leave a Comment


video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player

By Diana Lee, Intersections South LA and Pierce Larsen, Annenberg TV News 

South L.A. residents protested against oil company Freeport McMoRan yesterday by marching through Jefferson Boulevard in their fight against disruptive – and potentially hazardous – drilling operations.

This isn’t the first time Freeport has clashed with residents over their concerns about noxious fumes, truck traffic and health hazards. The company, which runs 34 wells in Jefferson Park near the University of Southern California, faced numerous criticisms from residents when it tried to get a permit to expand its site last November.

The oil and gas group announced yesterday that it would be conducting a “routine cleanout,” according to issue advocacy group RALLY. In response, locals traveled to the drill site on Jefferson while holding signs and singing, “Stand together!” Others followed with: “…against neighborhood drilling.”

But the trucks didn’t come rolling in like the residents expected. In a gathering before the march, community organizer Niki Wong told residents that 15 minutes before the scheduled 7 a.m. visit, she got a notification that Freeport had cancelled.

“There is no maintenance work planned for today,” Freeport told Intersections in a statement.

Wong, who represents the Redeemer Community Partnership, decided to continue with the protest.

She said what the company calls a “routine cleanout” essentially refers to acid drop, in which they bring tens of thousands of gallons of hydrochloric acid and corrosive liquids to put into the area’s wells.

“The process for why they do it and how they do it is not very clear,” she said.

Wong believes the company has not been transparent about its practice to the residents, who only began getting work notices since 2012 through the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the agency in charge of air pollution control for Los Angeles. She wondered if the company got tipped off about their planned march and decided to call off their visit.

The company said it provided notice to the management district to conduct “routine and conventional well maintenance work,” comparing the task to what might be performed on water supply wells in Los Angeles, as well as all over the world.

Freeport said in a statement: “The work is designed to remove calcium deposits from building up inside the well bore. Rumors and assertions that hydraulic fracturing or well stimulation work are being planned are not accurate.” The notice given to the SCAQMD shows there was no plan for hydraulic fracturing, a process of using high pressure to pump liquid down a well and fracture the rock.

The agency received 29 order complaints about the oil company’s practices in 2014, according to spokesman Sam Atwood. After investigating these claims, SCAQMD issued two violations to Freeport over air pollution and odor.

Atwood said he thinks the oil company was told about the protest, but is unsure if that was the reason it called off their plan for maintenance acidizing.

Whether the trucks carrying toxic chemicals are responsible for health problems is still unproven.

But Kathryn Wiley, co-founder of Church of the Redeemer, said her sons now experience asthma and bloody noses. She worries that air pollution caused by oil sites is the culprit.

“I physically have seen these trucks come in and out around 6:30 or 7 in the morning,” she said. “They have people standing out, rushing them in before anybody could see them.”

Like Intersections on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and sign up for the Newsletter to stay in the loop on news and views from South L.A. Follow the author on Twitter at @atdianalee.

Also see this story at Annenberg TV News.

Filed Under: Community, Environment, Health, More on Intersections, Neighborhood Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

South LA’s District Square: Big plans and a long waiting game

April 21, 2015 By Leave a Comment


DistrictSquare1Slider

The lot slated to become District Square, seen in mid-March, 2015. | Ciara Lunger

By Ciara Lunger

A shopping center that was supposed to break ground in South L.A. three years ago is still slated for construction, according to officials who envision an economic boost for the Crenshaw district.

The 6 1/2 acre retail establishment, called District Square, is planned for the corner of Crenshaw Boulevard and Rodeo Road. Local organizations hope it will not only improve the financial climate but also bring in-demand shops and services to the neighborhood.

“There are a lot of missing elements in the neighborhood as far as access to basic goods — not a lot of clothing stores, still a need for groceries,” said Tunua Thrash, executive director at the West Angeles Community Development Corporation. District Square is slated to replace a Ralphs and Rite Aid, which, according to Thrash, were aging and needed aesthetic upgrades. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Crenshaw, Development, Featured Story, More on Intersections, Real Estate Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Watts-raised Cal football player brings books to South LA school + Metro halts Crenshaw rail line construction for safety violations

April 17, 2015 By Leave a Comment


Cal Football | Photo by John Martinez Pavliga (Flickr Creative Commons)

Cal Football | Photo by John Martinez Pavliga (Flickr Creative Commons)

Cal football player: Cal football player Jeffrey Coprich helps young students learn to read through the #CollectiveProject in honor of his sister Essence K. Coprich, who died in a car accident when she was seven. (California Golden Blogs)

Metro halts construction: Construction on the Crenshaw rail line was closed for four days for safety violations. The construction began again on Monday. (L.A. Times)

Man with autism lost: Gabriel Martinez, a 19-year-old from South L.A. with severe autism, was last seen on the 14000 block of South San Pedro Street around 2:10 p.m. on Monday. Police are asking the public to be on the lookout. (CBS)

Two killed in shooting: Two men were killed on Monday near Central Avenue and 52nd Street on Monday in an apparent gang-related shooting. (L.A. Daily News)

Tavis Smiley remembers Maya Angelou: Smiley recalls his decades-long friendship with Angelou in his latest book, “My Journey with Maya.” (L.A. Times)

Filed Under: In the news Tagged With: , , ,

Magnitude-3.5 earthquake shakes South LA + Pedestrian loses leg in hit-and-run

April 14, 2015 By Leave a Comment


Baldwin Hills overlook | Photo by CleftClips (Flickr Creative Commons)

Baldwin Hills overlook | Photo by CleftClips (Flickr Creative Commons)

Earthquake hits South LA: A 3.5-magnitude earthquake shook South L.A. Sunday night near Baldwin Hills. (KTLA)

Pedestrian loses leg: A woman was arrested after an alleged hit-and-run crash that critically injured a pedestrian. (KTLA)

Freeway crash injures two: Two people were injured Monday morning when their car struck the concrete barrier and burst into flames on the 110 freeway. (Daily Breeze)

Neighborhood watches car chase: A crowd gathered outside their homes in South L.A. to watch a car chase. Some were just nosey, but others wanted to thought that capturing the scene on video would prevent potential police misconduct. (My Fox L.A.)

Race relations better in California: About two-thirds of California believe that race relations are better in their home state than in other parts of the country according to a recent study by USC Dornsife and the L.A. Times. (L.A. Times)

Filed Under: In the news Tagged With: , , ,

Metro unfair to Black contractors on Crenshaw and Expo line, lawsuit charges + South LA woman walking dog finds brother stabbed to death

April 9, 2015 By Leave a Comment


The Expo Line | Intersections

The Expo Line | Intersections

Metro unfair to Black contractors: A group of minority workers filed a lawsuit against the county, Metro and contractors for unfairly excluding local Black contractors from work on the Crenshaw and Expo lines. (Daily News)

South L.A. woman find brother stabbed: A woman walking her dog Monday night came home to find her brother stabbed to death. (ABC)

Dual language campus: The Accelerated Schools, a group of charter schools in South L.A., has started construction for a new dual language school on Martin Luther King Boulevard and Main Street. (PR Newswire)

Unarmed teen shot by officer speaks out: The family of 15-year-old Jamar Nicholson has filed a lawsuit in relation to a February 10 incident where LAPD officers shot Nicholson in the back on his way to school. (L.A. Times)

Filed Under: In the news Tagged With: , , ,

New musical highlights South LA music producer’s legacy + South LA schools lack library staff

April 7, 2015 By Leave a Comment


Students at LAUSD school. | Photo by Clotee Allochuku (Flickr Creative Commons)

Students at LAUSD school. | Photo by Clotee Allochuku (Flickr Creative Commons)

Music producer musical: A new musical, Recorded in Hollywood, pays tribute to the legacy of South L.A. record store owner and producer John Dolphin, aka Lovin’ John. (L.A. Weekly)

No library staff: LAUSD elementary schools in South L.A. still lack staff to maintain their libraries, even though many school libraries that closed in the recession have begun to open in other parts of the city. (KPCC)

Street artist featured at CAAM: South L.A.- born street artist Adah Glenn’s work is featured at the California African American Museum. (L.A. Weekly)

Food revolution: Guerilla gardener Ron Finley started growing his own garden in South L.A. 10 years ago in the hopes of starting a food revolution. (NBC)

Teen stabbed in backyard: Police search for a suspect who fatally stabbed 18-year-old Tommy Cheatham around 9:30 p.m. Monday in the 800 block of W. 101st Street. (CBS)

Man pleads not guilty to murder: 18-year-old Jose Alberto Perez pleaded not guilty to murder and assault with a deadly weapon charges for shooting his stepfather’s girlfriend, 35-year-old Yemeni DeLeon, in a case of mistaken identity. (My News L.A.)

Filed Under: In the news Tagged With: , , ,
«Previous Page
Next Page»