The NCAA men’s volleyball title game is set — and it should be a thriller. No. 1 UCLA and No. 2 Long Beach State, two of the best volleyball teams in the country, will square off on Saturday afternoon, May 4, at the Walter Pyramid, with the national championship on the line. The Bruins (25-5) are searching for their second title in a row. The Beach (27-2) are looking for their first since going back-to-back in 2018-19. It should be an intense game, with the Walter Pyramid, on the LBSU campus, poised to be packed with boisterous fans on both sides and the two teams having blueblood credentials ..read more

Yes, the sun is finally out, so let’s go and enjoy it! Here’s our list of fun things to do in May that are really free! (And really fun.) FREE ON CERTAIN DATES The Queen Mary’s historic Observation Bar, featuring its Art Deco lounge, reopened to the public on Friday, May 19, 2023, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer) The Queen Mary, Long Beach (Tuesdays): Enjoy free ship admission on Tuesdays in May during the “Meet me at the Mary” special events. Happy hour only, from 4 to 8 p.m. (Parking is $10). Head to the beautiful Art Deco Observation Bar for live mus ..read more

Pro-Israel counter-protesters clashed Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning, April 30, with demonstrators in the pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA — with violence breaking out just hours after UCLA had declared the “Palestine Solidarity Encampment” unlawful. For update, see: UCLA cancels classes after night of violence at pro-Palestinian encampment As sporadic violence in the quad continued for about two hours, Los Angeles Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky posted on social media at 1:13 a.m.: “Everyone has a right to free speech and protest, but the situation on UCLA’s campus is out of contro ..read more

Welcome to the world, Kaleia. That was quite an entrance you made on April 15 this year. A real one in a million shot. You weren’t due until April 26th, but when your mom’s water broke at 1 p.m. on the 14th and she went into labor on her way to the hospital, the odds went out the window. You were about to join a very exclusive club. Your grandma Jackie Gamez was born on April 15, 1966, and your mom Annie Urrutia was born on April 15, 1998. And, here you came along after a hard day’s night of labor at 10 a.m. on April 15, 2024 to join their birthday party. Three generations born on the same day ..read more

While restaurants may come and go in the tough food business, there are some Los Angeles eateries that have defied the odds and stayed open for a century or more. Many of these places have rightfully become local icons often with generations of loyal customers dining at their tables. These long-running restaurants can range from fancy steakhouses to classic diners to sandwich spots to places serving international cuisines. But they are all Los Angeles culinary legends. Here are 10 of the county’s oldest restaurants, some of which have been serving hungry locals for more than a century. Joe ..read more

The new education center at the Port Administration Building in Civic Center Plaza will be named after former Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, as the City Council approved the name change on Tuesday, April 23. The 10,000-square-foot space will be named the Congressman Alan Lowenthal Global Trade and Education Center, which Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero announced during the annual State of the Port address in January. New interactive and immersive exhibits highlighting the port’s history, operations and environmental stewardship will open later this year. The Government Operations & ..read more

Makhi Clifton, 12, loved everything about the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 21 — from the roar of the powerful racing cars on the street to the thunder of the Navy F-18s flying overhead to start the race. “This is great,” Makhi said. “I love seeing all the cars and hearing all the noise. I’m having lots of fun.” Makhi, a sixth-grader at Hughes Middle School, was in the grandstands with his mother, Mia Clifton, enjoying the sights and sounds of the race, courtesy of King Taco This was the 30th anniversary of King Taco — which is also celebrating half a century as a company — d ..read more

Food truck row at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach has something for everyone — including, if you’re an LBCC culinary arts student, work experience. That’s right, Long Beach City College’s culinary arts program debuted its food truck at the Grand Prix this weejend, offering up banh mi, a Vietnamese sandwich typically served on a baguette. It’s a relatively simple dish for students to make, but is also a different type of fare than what’s usually on offer at festival-like events. “We just wanted to make something simple so that the students can have a feel for how it is to actually work on a ..read more

Al Unser Jr. stepped off American Airlines flight 2659 late Wednesday afternoon, April 17, and made his way through Terminal A at John Wayne Airport. He descended a set of stairs to the baggage claim area. His wife, Norma Unser, accompanied him. Besides the echoey din of travelers chatting with each other and heaving their bags off turnstiles, all was quiet. There were no trumpets. There were no crowds waving checkered flags. There was no fanfare of any kind. But make no mistake: For nearby Long Beach, Unser Jr.’s arrival was regal. The “King of the Beach” had returned. Al Unser Jr., six-t ..read more

Shea Hovey’s head is on a swivel. She pivots her head to the right before snapping it back the other way to follow the next IndyCar as it speeds around the curve. Women in Motorsports Throughout the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, we’re highlighting women in the motorsports world, from driving to pit crew to the fans and more. This is the final installment of the Women in Motorsports series. Read the first here, the second one here and the third one here. It was early Saturday morning in downtown Long Beach. The sun hadn’t yet broken through the marine layer yet. And the crowds at Day 2 of the ..read more