Daily Breeze back issues from April 2008:
Hands-only CPR is often as effective
Apr 01, 2008 ... By Stephanie Nano The Associated Press NEW YORK - You can skip the mouth-to-mouth breathing and justpress on the chest to save a life. In a major change, the American Heart Association said Mondayhands-only CPR - rapid, deep presses on the victim's chest untilhelp ...
International traffic at LAX on the rise
Apr 01, 2008 ... AIRPORT: High fuel costs mean fewer domestic travelers, butworldwide passengers increased by 4 percent so far in 2008. By Art Marroquin Staff Writer More travelers from around the world are descending on LosAngeles International Airport than ever before, even though ...
Karmic Gesture
Apr 01, 2008; ... When Brian Kelly arrives at the Venice Beach boardwalk, homelesspeople flock to him. That's because they know every week this guy from Hermosa Beachshows up in his beige SUV and hands out brown paper bags filled withfood. The son of the owners of Kelly's Korner, a popular ...
Fed plan looks to financial future
Apr 01, 2008 ... ECONOMY: Democrats say it's too sweeping and ignores presentproblems. By Jeannine Aversa The Associated Press WASHINGTON - Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has an eye towardthe future as he seeks to revamp the nation's regulatory morass.Democrats and other critics ...
Medrano hearing postponed until May 8
Apr 01, 2008; ... By Denise Nix Staff Writer Former Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano appeared in courtthis morning, but his scheduled preliminary hearing was postponed amonth. Medrano, 47, has hired a new attorney to defend him against 12charges of committing a lewd and ...
Century Freeway closed after off-duty deputy shoots attacker
Apr 01, 2008; ... Three miles of the Century Freeway were shut down in Hawthornetoday after an off-duty sheriff's deputy shot a man who tried to runhim off the road and attacked him with a knife. Although the freeway confrontation at first appeared to be a caseof road rage, investigators were not ...
Beaches director retires abruptly
Apr 01, 2008; ... The director of the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches andHarbors stepped down abruptly Monday, ending a long career in countygovernment that in recent years has put him at odds with residentsin Marina del Rey. Stan Wisniewski told his staff only on Thursday that he would ...
LAFD airlifts fall victim at Point Fermin
Apr 01, 2008 ... City fire conducted a cliff rescue Monday along the rocks atPoint Fermin in San Pedro, where a 24-year-old man slipped and fell,said Ken Hawkes of the Los Angeles Port Police. Witnesses say theysaw a ...
Wednesday Letters to the Editor
Apr 01, 2008; ... Shortage doesn't compute So, California has only one computer per five students ("Stateslack computers in school," Friday). Presumably students have atleast six classes, one of which may be a computer science class. Therefore, each student is provided with 1.2 computers. I'd ...
Unions to march for new contracts
Apr 01, 2008; ... Thousands of organized labor leaders and unionized employees willtake to the streets April 15 for a three-day, 28-mile march fromHollywood to the Port of Los Angeles aimed at bringing attention toa series of pending contract negotiations with employers. More than 350,000 workers - ...
Fix for tax system is hardly fair
Apr 01, 2008; ... The so-called "Fair Tax" proposed by former Republicanpresidential contender Mike Huckabee would replace 97percent offederal tax revenues such as personal and corporate income taxes,Social Security and Medicare taxes, and excise, estate and gifttaxes. This sales tax would apply to ...
Northrop begins assembly of 1st F-35
Apr 01, 2008; ... PALMDALE - Northrop Grumman Corp. has begun assembling the firstF-35 Lightning II jet, marking the transition from demonstration toproduction of the Joint Strike Fighter, the defense giant saidTuesday. Assembly work on the aircraft's center fuselage began March 24 atNorthrop's ...
Living life with bases loaded, nobody out
Apr 01, 2008; ... We were newlyweds, young and in love, when George said he had asurprise for me. I couldn't imagine what it would be - maybe aspecial dinner, a favorite play? Instead, he held up two tickets. "We're going to a Dodger game." He flashed me a mischievous grin. My heart sank. I ...
Deputy shoots man in freeway struggle
Apr 01, 2008; ... » BLOG: Keep up to date with South Bay crime and court news A three-mile stretch of the Century (105) Freeway was shut downTuesday in Hawthorne after an off-duty sheriff's deputy shot a manwho allegedly tried to run him off the road and then attack him witha knife ....
Another Carson city attorney candidate drops his bid
Apr 01, 2008; ... Another candidate for Carson city attorney, who has madecontributions to council members in violation of ethics guidelinesthat apply to municipal lawyers, has dropped out. William D. Johnson, among 12 contenders who submitted bids forthe city attorney's job last week, has ...
Harbor-UCLA to get more doctors
Apr 01, 2008; ... Thanks to funding approved Tuesday, more emergency room doctorswill be permanently stationed at County Harbor-UCLA Medical Centernear Torrance as part of a plan to ease crowding in the face ofthreatened federal sanctions earlier this year. After weeks of delay, the Los Angeles ...
House grills Big Oil execs
Apr 01, 2008; ... WASHINGTON - Don't blame us, oil industry chiefs told a skepticalCongress. Top executives of the country's five biggest oil companies saidTuesday they know record fuel prices are hurting people, but theyargued it's not their fault and their huge profits are in line withother ...
Hybrids may lose L.A. parking perk
Apr 01, 2008; ... RELATED LINKS: * » Find the MPG of popular hybrids * » Help with gas prices * » Why are gas prices so high? * » Find cheapest gas prices in Torrance Free parking for Angelenos who tool around in hybrid vehiclescould soon be coming to ...
Wind, alcohol may have played roles in man's SP cliff fall
Apr 01, 2008; ... Officer Tou Moua was only thinking about the person who fell tothe bottom of the San Pedro cliff when he climbed from his LosAngeles Port Police boat to a slippery rock. From there, the 33-year-old officer scrambled 40 feet on the rockbefore plunging into the cold, choppy surf for ...
United grounds 777s, warns of delays
Apr 02, 2008; ... RELATED LINKS: * » History, schematics of the 777 * » Check LAX flight status United Airlines canceled 37 flights nationwide today, includingsix at Los Angeles International Airport, as crews inspected thecargo fire suppression system on Boeing 777 ...
Government will bypass laws for border wall
Apr 01, 2008; ... WASHINGTON - The Bush administration will use its authority tobypass more than 30 laws and regulations to finish building 670miles of fence along the southwest U.S. border by the end of 2008,federal officials said Tuesday. Invoking the two legal waivers, which Congress authorized, ...
Hawthorne political enemies blamed for tax fraud case
Apr 01, 2008; ... Despite arguments at a Tuesday bail hearing that he's a danger tothe community, former Hawthorne school board trustee Frank DeSimoneremains free on his own recognizance. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Peter Espinoza rejected DeputyDistrict Attorney Max Huntsman's request Tuesday ...
L.A. Council calls for end to violence
Apr 01, 2008; ... Pushed by activists to call for a three-day moratorium on murderand violence in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., the Los AngelesCity Council on Tuesday instead urged residents to spread a messageof peace. "I know that there are those who will say this is just a ...
Classy Cat
Apr 02, 2008; ... For some of the kids at Elysian Heights Elementary, he was thepet they never had, a portly cat dubbed Room 8 by the kids in, yes,Room 8. The gray-striped tabby roamed the halls of the Echo Park schoolfor 16 years, sauntering in and out of classrooms, sleeping on kids'desks and, ...
Senior Calendar
Apr 02, 2008; ... The South Bay has a wide array of senior clubs with activitiesand resources from which to choose. Here is a sample of some ofthem. CARSON COMMUNITY CENTER WHAT: The center offers a variety of classes, trips, andresources to local seniors. WHERE: Carson ...
Redondo to send out new letter on higher sewer fees
Apr 02, 2008; ... Redondo Beach plans to mail its nearly 20,000 property owners anew notice about higher sewer fees in light of concerns that anearlier letter was overly vague. The key point missing from the notice mailed in January is thatthe proposed hikes will fail if a majority of city ...
Thursday Letters to the Editor
Apr 02, 2008; ... Is HB losing its 'cool'? Hermosa Beach was a bicycle-friendly and presumed "cool city"until recent events regarding improvements on Pier Avenue. As reported, droves of people attended committee meetingspleading to change the preliminary plans. Many preferred bike lanesand ...
Shopping smart for organic
Apr 02, 2008; ... Organic foods may not be on your shopping list, but it's gettingso easy to buy what seems to be better-for-you- and-the-planetversions of your favorite products that odds are you're reaching forthem anyway. They are often worth the extra money - but with alittle research, you can still ...
Business briefs
Apr 02, 2008 ... LUCASARTS EA exec to lead video-game unit Electronic Arts executive Darrell Rodriguez has been namedpresident of LucasArts, the video-game division of George Lucas'entertainment operations. Rodriguez, currently chief operating officer of EA L.A., replacesJim Ward, ...
Closed store
Apr 01, 2008 ... Q: Closed store What happened to the Longs Drug Store at the corner of Crenshawand Lomita boulevards? I was there recently and was shocked to findit was not only closed but entirely empty. Two other people came upat the same time and were equally shocked. Why did it close ...
April Fool's flop? Depends on whom you ask
Apr 02, 2008; ... When I'm telling the truth nobody believes me. Then, once a year,I completely fabricate a column for fun and it's like everybodydiscovered that Walter Cronkite is an acid head. I am, of course, talking about Tuesday, April 1, a day justbegging for a column on how a Torrance ...
Don't let anxiety get work down
Apr 02, 2008; ... No matter what position you're in - management or not - you feelit: Stress is at an all-time high. The uncertain economy keeps everyone slightly off-balance. Doingmore with less has become a way of life: fewer dollars, feweremployees, and what feels like fewer hours in the day ....
Torrance manufacturer hopes general can bring in business
Apr 02, 2008; ... Pelican Products Inc., the Torrance maker of heavy-duty cases andflashlights, appointed former Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Paceas company chairman in a move designed to shore up militarybusiness, the firm said Wednesday. Pace, who serves in a non-executive role, will ...
Forums set for Torrance Council races
Apr 02, 2008; ... The race for four Torrance City Council seats in the June3election begins in earnest today with the first of at least eightscheduled candidate forums. The first forum, hosted by the Torrance Area Chamber of Commerceand South Bay Board of Realtors, is scheduled for 3:30 to 5:30 ...
UC study finds few Latino, black doctors in state
Apr 02, 2008; ... The first analysis of physician diversity in California showed analarmingly low number of Latino and African-American doctors inpractice, particularly in Los Angeles County, where nearly half ofpatients are Spanish speaking. "It is key to understand that this is a public health ...
L.A. water, power hikes win 1st OK
Apr 02, 2008; ... Los Angeles city residents will be socked with higher water andpower bills beginning this summer under rate increases tentativelyapproved Wednesday to fund improvements to the city's aging utilityinfrastructure. The City Council decision came after more than three hours ofdebate ...
Beating suspected in woman's death
Apr 02, 2008; ... The body of a 73-year-old woman who might have been beaten wasfound inside her home near Carson on Wednesday, sheriff'sinvestigators said. Amada Simbala, 73, was found by a roommate at 3:40 p.m. insideher bedroom in the 24300 block of South Doble Avenue, in anunincorporated area ...
LAPD police cameras contract is OK'd
Apr 02, 2008; ... A $5.47 million contract to install video cameras in 300 LosAngeles police cars was unanimously approved Wednesday by the CityCouncil. The cameras will be installed in patrol cars assigned to theLAPD's South Bureau, which includes the Harbor Area. Installationwill begin in June ...
Verdict is upheld in killing of rival
Apr 02, 2008; ... Jorge Flores testified he was "upset and hurt" to see hisgirlfriend with another man at a San Pedro party. But, despite Flores' contention that his romantic rival pulledout a gun first, a Long Beach Superior Court jury found him guiltyof murder. On Tuesday, the 2nd District ...
United cancels flights to check 777s' fire safety
Apr 02, 2008; ... United Airlines canceled 41 flights nationwide on Wednesday,including six at Los Angeles International Airport, as crewsinspected the cargo fire suppression system on Boeing 777 jetliners,according to airport and airline officials. Chicago-based United on Tuesday night began ...
Semper Fi: El Segundo retreat helps Marines mend their marriages
Apr 02, 2008; ... Fighting in Iraq took a heavy toll on Marine Lance Cpl. DanielPatrick, damaging his hand, injuring his brain and causing him tosuffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. But Patrick's body wasn't the only thing hurt by combat.His relationship with his wife was wounded, ...
Redondo Beach sewer fee discussion stalled
Apr 02, 2008; ... Redondo Beach plans to mail its nearly 20,000 property owners anew notice about higher sewer fees in light of concerns that anearlier letter was overly vague. The key point missing from the notice mailed in January is thatthe proposed hikes will fail if a majority of city ...
MB will shelve $45M library project
Apr 02, 2008; ... Just more than a month after launching an aggressive quest for anew $45 million library, Manhattan Beach in an about-face this weekpostponed plans as it braces for a tough financial future. In a 4-1 vote Tuesday, the City Council halted the project and apossible bond measure to ...
Detectives waiting to grill attack suspect
Apr 02, 2008; ... Detectives have been unable to question an Inglewood man to findout why he allegedly tried to crash into an off-duty sheriff'sdeputy on the Century Freeway and then attack him with a knife. Jose Antonio Ruiz, 19, remained hospitalized Wednesday at CountyHarbor-UCLA Medical Center ...
Carson Council feuds over city attorney
Apr 02, 2008; ... In their most contentious meeting in more than a year, the CarsonCity Council this week feuded about the city attorney's contract,trading charges of corruption and lawbreaking and shouting eachother down for control of the floor. Mayor Jim Dear did most of the shouting Tuesday, as ...
Long Beach anthrax scare shuts port's Pier T
Apr 02, 2008; ... Authorities shut down a section of Pier T in the Port of LongBeach for more than five hours Wednesday after a cargo containercame in spray-painted with a warning that anthrax was inside andcontained the message, "regards from Osama." A Los Angeles County hazardous materials team ...
Business Briefs
Apr 01, 2008; ... AUTO INDUSTRY Car sales drop steeply in March Auto sales in the U.S. dropped by double digits in March, amidfears that 2008 will be a dismal year for automakers, companyofficials said Tuesday. General Motors and Chrysler each reported a 19percent drop,Ford's sales ...
Put basics before bilingualism
Apr 01, 2008; ... The benefits of bilingualism are undisputed. People able to speakmore than one language are simply more valuable in the working worldthan those who can only speak one. And those who speak the hottestlanguages - English, Spanish, Chinese - are the most valuable byfar. For that ...
Messy divorces
Apr 01, 2008; ... Next to divorce or losing your job, losing your home because youcan't make the mortgage payment is the kind of trauma most peoplewould rather skip. But that doesn't mean you have to exit any ofthose traumas like an animal. Laid-off workers have been known to leave their cubicles a ...
Scanning the Area
Apr 01, 2008; ... GARDENA Medrano hearing delayed Former Gardena City Councilman Oscar Medrano appeared in courtTuesday, but his preliminary hearing was postponed a month. Medrano, 47, has hired a new attorney to defend him against 12charges of committing a lewd and lascivious act on ...
Group launches probe of Nunez
Apr 01, 2008; ... The Fair Political Practices Commission will investigate acomplaint by a Santa Monica-based consumer rights group intoAssembly Speaker Fabian Nunez's fundraising efforts, a commissionspokesman said Tuesday. "We've received a formal complaint," said Roman Porter of theFPPC. "We ...
Police shoot, kill man in Wilmington at the end of a chase
Apr 02, 2008; ... Police officers shot and killed a man at the end of a chase inWilmington today when he jumped out of a car and began shooting atthem, a department spokesman said. One officer was hit with a bullet that ricocheted off somethingand struck his bullet-resistant vest. He was taken to a ...
Russell needs a home
Apr 02, 2008; ... Russell is a medium-sized male shepherd mix. He is available forimmediate adoption at the Carson Animal ...
Passport snooping
Apr 01, 2008; ... The twenty-some unauthorized breaches of confidential passportfiles by government employees are an embarrassment that must bethoroughly investigated and, if warranted, prosecuted.Last week, the State Department confirmed that contract employeeshad snooped into files for the ...
South Bay Pet Adoption
Apr 03, 2008 ... Russell is a medium-sized male shepherd mix. He is available forimmediate adoption at the Carson Animal ...
Jodie Foster family flick a contender
Apr 03, 2008 ... Academy Award winners Jodie Foster and George Clooney arrivetoday in multiplexes, with movies targeting very differentaudiences, battling for box office supremacy. Foster, who earned Best Actress Oscars for her roles in "TheAccused" and "Silence of the Lambs," stars with Abigail ...
Family members search for answers in 73-year-old woman's suspicious death
Apr 03, 2008; ... A day after their mother's lifeless body was discovered in thehouse where they grew up, Amada Simbala's daughters waited foranswers. "My mom didn't have any enemies," Janet Hildebrand said. "She wasarthritic. She couldn't defend herself against anybody." An autopsy is ...
School donations good idea
Apr 03, 2008; ... This week's question: "The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified SchoolDistrict is asking parents to donate $200 per student to saveteaching jobs threatened by state budget cuts. Would you give moneyto help offset budget cuts in your school district?" I think it's a wonderful idea for ...
Scully, Coliseum take a bow
Apr 03, 2008; ... Saturday's 50th anniversary L.A. Dodgers game in the venerableLos Angeles Coliseum was not about a sport, or a team or a city. Itwas about me, and 115,299 of my close personal friends - many ofwhom never saw the original Dodgers play a game there - creating newmemories. We will remember, ...
Digital television
Apr 02, 2008; ... Q: Digital television How do you tell if your television is digital or analog withrespect to the conversion of the broadcast system? - LINDA DRUM Torrance Check your television's instruction manual to determine if yourtelevision contains a digital tuner, ...
Another Hollywood strike?
Apr 02, 2008; ... Not again. Los Angeles should not have to suffer through another Hollywood-related strike.And that's why both sides of the SAG and AFTRA feud ought to cometogether and finish negotiations with studios and television shows.Then they can go back and fight about whether SAG ...
Mitigation fund may end SP port growth protests
Apr 02, 2008; ... The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners is poised today toestablish a $50 million, five-year community mitigation fund as partof a settlement with environmental and labor groups opposed to theTraPac terminal expansion project. In return, opponents of the $1.5 billion TraPac ...
Armed man fatally shot by police was a felon wanted on drug charge
Apr 02, 2008; ... » BLOG: Keep up to date with South Bay crime and court news Police officers shot and killed a felon wanted for a drug chargeWednesday at the end of a chase in Wilmington when he jumped out ofa car and began shooting at them, a department spokesman said. An officer was hit ...
New trend in street crime
Apr 02, 2008; ... One of the downsides of owning something valuable is thepossibility of losing it, either by carelessness or to thieves. Whencar stereos were a hot item, manufacturers came out with radios youcould pop out of your dash and take with you.But other items are more difficult to ...
Scanning the Area
Apr 02, 2008; ... REDONDO BEACH City aids JROTC effort with $5,000 The Redondo Beach City Council agreed this week to give $5,000 tothe organizers of a Memorial Day parade and tribute. The event was started in 2003 by the Rev. Bhagavan Friend, aresident who wanted to find a way to ...