City Attorney announces task force to combat illegal dumping

November 10, 2014 By Leave a Comment


South L.A. alleys have been plagued by illegal dumping. | Daina Beth Solomon

South L.A. alleys have been plagued by illegal dumping. | Daina Beth Solomon

Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer announced last week a new task force that will focus on removing waste that is illegally dumped on streets, in alleys and in the L.A. River. The task force will also prosecute offenders.

Along with ten other agencies, the L.A. city attorney’s office is identifying nine chronic dumping spots around the city, including South Los Angeles. They hope to clean up the sites and help communities develop enforcement strategies such as putting cameras in alleyways and encouraging residents to call when they see illegal dumping.

Listen to Feuer’s announcement in a story for Annenberg Radio News: 

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

Students at South LA’s Manual Arts High react to superintendent’s resignation

October 16, 2014 By Leave a Comment


John Deasy speaks at a City Year event in 2013. | City Year

John Deasy speaks at a City Year event in 2013. | City Year

Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy resigned on Thursday, ending a controversial, much-discussed tenure. The word about his resignation spread quickly through South L.A., which is home to some of the lowest performing schools in California with some of the nation’s lowest graduation rates.

Students at South L.A.’s Manual Arts High School, which in 2012 had a graduation rate of about 65 percent and a dropout rate of about 26 percent, are hopeful that a future superintendent can be a model leader, and bring resources to their school.  [Read more…]

Filed Under: Education, More on Intersections Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Metro to aid South LA businesses choked by construction

October 4, 2014 By Leave a Comment


South Los Angeles residents walk pass the construction site for the Crenshaw/LAX line on Crenshaw and Exposition Boulevards. A new labor agreement between the union and contractors could lead to more jobs for residents in the coming years. | Jordyn Holman

South Los Angeles residents walk pass the construction site for the Crenshaw/LAX line on Crenshaw and Exposition Boulevards a few months ago. | Jordyn Holman

Construction and expansion are usually good things, but they can come at a steep prices.

For those in the Crenshaw Corridor, a new light rail line coming through their neighborhood may eventually cost them their livelihoods. That’s why Mayor Eric Garcetti and others on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Board of Directors approved a pilot funding program on Thursday that will help small businesses in the area stay afloat during construction of the new line.

Heavy construction on the Crenshaw/LAX line started earlier this year, and businesses say they are losing customers due to the lack of sidewalks, parking and visibility. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, More on Intersections Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Trader Joe’s scouting out first South LA store

September 19, 2014 By Leave a Comment


Trader Joe's | Rebecca

Trader Joe’s | Rebecca

In 1967, the first Trader Joe’s opened in Pasadena. The supermarket chain began selling its organic pretzels and “Two Buck-Chuck” wine among other groceries outside of California in the 1990s and grew to operate more than 400 stores nationwide.

Now, for the first time, Trader Joe’s is coming to South L.A.

The store has committed to opening a location at the forthcoming USC Village, located on Hoover and 31st streets near the Figueroa Corridor, according to USC University Communications.

Many residents who live in the area are rejoicing. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Health, More on Intersections Tagged With: , , , ,