Loyola High student Braun Levi celebrated at Manhattan Beach paddleout

Baywatch Redondo Beach sends up an arch from its watergun in tribute to Braun Levi. Photo by Kevin Cody

Several hundred friends and family members gathered at 1st Street in Manhattan Beach Sunday morning for a paddleout in celebration of the life of Braun Levi, the 18-year-old Loyola High star athlete and student who lost his life to an alleged drunk driver on May 4. But if the occasion for the gathering was tragic, […]

FINANCE: Skechers sells for $9.4 billion in a blockbuster deal

by Mark McDermott  Skechers, the Manhattan Beach-based footwear company, has agreed to be acquired by 3G Capital, a Brazilian-based investment firm. The sale price is an estimated $9.4 billion, the largest shoe company buyout in history. Father and son founders Robert and Michael Greenberg, as well as their leadership team, will continue to manage the […]

TRAGEDY: Another teenager is killed on Sepulveda Boulevard

by Mark McDermott and Liz Mullen  Braun Levi, an 18-year-old Loyola High School tennis star, was tragically killed by a suspected drunk driver while crossing Sepulveda Boulevard shortly after midnight Sunday.  The accident occurred in the early hours of May 4 after Braun and three of his friends left a nearby gathering and went to […]

Marine mammals suffer worst crisis in recent history

by Mark McDermott  The toxic algal bloom sickening and killing marine mammals up and down the Southern California coast is showing some of its most severe impacts in Manhattan Beach, where dozens of sea lions and dolphins have been found stranded on the beach since February.  The Marine Mammal Care Center has been overtasked as […]

RESIDENTIAL OVERLAY DISTRICT: Developer defends North Sepulveda residential project

  by Mark McDermott  Matt Moore had no illusions he was going to win over the residents on Oak Avenue who oppose the seven-story, 40-unit multifamily residential project his family’s LLC is planning to build at 2301 North Sepulveda. But in mid-April, he introduced himself on Nextdoor anyway.  His intention mainly was to make himself […]

MANHATTAN BEACH PARKING: Rates, permits, citations will be increased, meters replaced

by Mark McDermott  During the course of a six-hour meeting that ran til midnight, the Manhattan Beach City Council grappled with several matters, in particular the 432 fees the City charges for everything from block parties to solar permitting. But mainly, they talked about parking, in nearly every way possible.  Under consideration were downtown parking […]

MB COSTA CHEER: Mira Costa Cheer wins first ever CIF state championship

by Mark McDermott The Mira Costa High School Cheer team made history earlier this year. They won the first-ever CIF state-level championship on February 1, triumphing over 21 other elite cheer teams competing in the invitational tournament.  Coach Travis Neese said the team’s accomplishment was particularly meaningful because of its historical significance.  “This was the […]

REAL ESTATE: Manhattan Beach purchases $13 million downtown property 

by Mark McDermott  The City of Manhattan Beach has purchased the former U.S. Bank site, located in the middle of downtown adjacent to Von’s, for $13 million. The purchase was approved by the Council at its April 1 meeting and sale closed April 15.  City Manager Talyn Mirzakhanian told the council the site’s location, both […]

HOUSING CRISIS: Manhattan City Council reluctantly adds state-imposed housing codes

by Mark McDermott Over the past month the City Council has twice deliberated over a set of five state-imposed code amendments that will streamline processes related to affordable housing projects, accessory dwelling units, Density Bonus waivers, and the easing of lot consolidation restrictions in order to encourage more residential building.  The code-amending ordinances were a […]

MBUSD orchestras awarded top honors

by Mark McDermott The Manhattan Beach Middle School and Mira Costa High School orchestras were honored last week for their performances at the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association music festival at Santa Ana High School. The Chamber Orchestra and String Ensemble from MBMS and the Philharmonic, Sinfonietta, Symphony, and Chamber Orchestras from Mira […]

OCEAN EMERGENCY: Dolphins, other marine wildlife suffering demonic acid poisoning

by Mark McDermott A toxic algal bloom in local ocean waters is causing a wave of sickness and death among dolphins, sea lions, and other marine wildlife. The event, also known as a red tide, is causing many of the animals to wash up in Manhattan Beach.  Biologist Eric Martin, co-director of the Roundhouse Aquarium, […]

Big Waves, Big Screen, Bo Bridges goes bigtime at Cosm

by Mark McDermott  It began, like so many harrowing adventures do, with a small group of party crashers.  Action photographer Bo Bridges, who is based in Manhattan Beach but spans the globe for photo shoots, was in Salt Lake City for the 2023 NBA All-Star game. Bridges was at the event mainly for fun. His […]