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LASD is Asking for the Public’s Help Locating Missing Person Kevin Joseph Slattery

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LASD is Asking for the Public’s Help Locating Missing Person Kevin Joseph Slattery

 

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department South Los Angeles Station is asking for the public’s help locating Missing Preson, Kevin Joseph Slattery. He is a 33-year-old male White who was last seen on Jan. 23. His last known location was the 1000 block of West Carson Street in the unincorporated county area of Torrance.

Kevin is 5’9”, 180 lbs with long blonde hair, blues eyes, and is known to wear earrings.

Mr. Slattery has mental health conditions and takes medication. His family is concerned for his well-being and asking for the publics help.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the LASD homicide bureau missing persons unit 323-890-5500, or anonynously at http://lacrimestoppers.org

Mayor Bass Proclaims Last Monday of March as “Farm Workers Day” in City of Los Angeles

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Mayor Bass Proclaims Last Monday of March as “Farm Workers Day” in City of Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES – Mayor Karen Bass March 24 was today joined by LA City Councilmembers Monica Rodriguez, Imelda Padilla, Eunisses Hernandez and Ysabel Jurado – to sign a proclamation to rename the last Monday of March as “Farm Workers Day” in the City of Los Angeles. She also announced her intent to assess the renaming of city landmarks in close coordination with the community and the city council.

“The farm workers movement was about securing basic human rights that were denied to some of the hardest working people in our state and country,” said Mayor Bass. “Their fight, their struggle, and their victories inspired me and inspired a generation of activists across the country. We honor the legacy of farm workers and the universal fight for dignity, equality, and fair working conditions for all. This March 30th – and every last Monday of March moving forward – will provide an opportunity for Angelenos to reflect on how the struggle of farm workers has elevated working people everywhere.”

Details: Read the Proclamation here: https://tinyurl.com/Farmworker-Day-Los-Angeles

San Pedro Bay Ports to Give Clean Air Action Plan Update on April 14

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San Pedro Bay Ports to Give Clean Air Action Plan Update on April 14

 

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will give a progress update on the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan or CAAP on April 14. The meeting will provide a summary of the recent CAAP Plus efforts, along with updates on 2025 accomplishments, priorities in 2026 and harbor craft strategies.

Find prior meeting presentations and minutes at: https://tinyurl.com/Clean-air-plan-update

Limited parking with validation will be available in the Superior Court of California parking garage at 101 Magnolia Ave. Find a map of nearby parking facilities: https://tinyurl.com/cn2rjujn

Updated in 2017, the CAAP is a comprehensive strategy for accelerating progress toward a zero-emissions future while protecting and strengthening the ports’ competitive position in the global economy. The document calls for the ports to reduce GHGs 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. The Clean Air Action Plan was originally approved in 2006. View the latest emissions inventories for the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach.

The ports will take public comments at the advisory meeting to receive input on CAAP implementation. The agenda will be posted on the CAAP website prior to the meeting. For more information, visit cleanairactionplan.org.

Time: 9 to 11 a.m., April 14

Cost: Free

Details: Proceedings will be livestreamed. Participation is in-person only. Join the meeting at this link or call in at 408-418-9388 and enter access code 249 129 28206.

Venue: Port of Long Beach Administration Building 1st Floor Multipurpose Room, 415 W. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach

World TB Day: Rising Cases and Funding Cuts Threaten TB Control in L.A. County

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World TB Day: Rising Cases and Funding Cuts Threaten TB Control in L.A. County

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health March 23 released its 2025 Tuberculosis or TB surveillance report, reporting a 3.4% increase in cases over the past year in Los Angeles County, bringing the total to 554 cases, the highest since 2016.

Public Health warns that this increase, combined with cuts to sustained funding, could reverse of progress, allowing more cases to go undetected and increasing the risk of community spread and more severe illness from a disease that is both preventable and curable.

Tuberculosis spreads through the air when a person with active disease coughs, speaks, or breathes. It spreads quietly because many people do not feel sick at first and may unknowingly spread it to others. The infection can remain inactive (latent) for years before becoming contagious and life-threatening.

What’s at Stake

TB treatment is effective, but only with months of consistent care and treatment. When care is delayed or interrupted:

  • People remain infectious longer
  • More cases go undetected
  • The disease spreads further in the community
  • The infection becomes more severe and harder to treat

Without sustained investment in early detection, treatment, and support, these risks grow, threatening both the people infected and broader community health. Preventing TB cases today also avoids hospitalizations and future outbreaks.

TB spreads through the air, especially in indoor spaces where people spend extended time together and in places where the disease is more common. When cases are not identified and treated early, people can unknowingly spread TB to others, allowing it to persist in the community. People with conditions like diabetes are also more likely to become sick after exposure, contributing to more severe outcomes.

Public Health works to stop TB and prevent further spread by:

  • Tracking TB to detect risks early and help prevent outbreaks
  • Providing expert clinical guidance, care and case management
  • Conducting contact investigations and outbreak response
  • Offering housing and nutritional support to help those infected complete their months-long treatment

In 2025 alone, these efforts included:

  • Over 4,200 nights of housing
  • More 3,000 grocery and gas vouchers to support treatment completion

These services are essential to preventing the spread if TB and could be reduced or lost without sustained funding.

“Tuberculosis is a disease of inequity that thrives in the shadows of poverty and housing instability, and the 3.4% rise in cases we’ve seen this year is a clear signal that we cannot afford to look away, said Barbara Ferrer, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Ed., Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “While every dollar cut from our budget is a direct blow to the vulnerable people who rely on us for life-saving treatment, we are taking action by bolstering our support for the broader medical community treating TB. Despite the current budgetary climate, Public Health launched the Southern California Regional Community of Practice to End TB in 2025 to provide essential training and guidance to community providers. This initiative ensures that even in the face of fiscal uncertainty, we are expanding the local capacity for the testing and treatment of TB infection to protect the health of all who live and work in Los Angeles County.”

As a visual reminder of the community’s shared commitment to ending tuberculosis, several Los Angeles County landmarks, including Los Angeles City Hall and Union Station, will be lit up in red on March 24 to commemorate World TB Day.

Public Health urges people at higher risk to speak with their provider about TB testing, including those born in or who have recently traveled to areas where TB is more common, as well as people with weakened immune systems. Early detection and treatment not only protect individual health but also help prevent the spread of TB across communities.

For individuals without access to healthcare services, TB testing and follow-up care is available at six Public Health centers throughout the County. For a list of clinics and contact information visit: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/chs/phcenters.htm

For more information on TB services and to view the full 2025 TB Surveillance report, visit ph.lacounty.gov/tb/

Additional TB Resources

Caltrans to Begin Vincent Thomas Bridge Deck Replacement Project on March 23

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Caltrans to Begin Vincent Thomas Bridge Deck Replacement Project on March 23

 

San Pedro — Caltrans (District 7) announced construction on the Vincent Thomas Bridge Deck Replacement Project on State Route 47 (SR-47) will begin in two weeks as crews prepare the work zone in anticipation of the bridge’s full closure scheduled for Nov. 1, 2026.

Initial construction activities include the installation of an under-deck shield and working platform, as well as staircases for crews to access the bridge deck from multiple locations. Full overnight closures in the westbound direction between Ferry Street and Harbor Boulevard will begin on March 23. Closures will occur from 10:45 p.m. to 6:45 a.m., Monday through Friday, with occasional weekend closures. Additionally, the southbound SR-47 on-ramp at Ferry Street will be closed during the bridge closures.

Overnight closures in the eastbound direction will begin at a later date. Caltrans will provide advance notification before they are implemented. The overnight closure work is expected to continue through summer 2026, with occasional overnight closures occurring in the fall. Daytime construction activities will not require bridge closures.

During the westbound overnight closures, traffic will be detoured via SR- 47 to Route 103 to Pacific Coast Highway to Route 110. (See map) This work is part of the Vincent Thomas Bridge Deck Replacement Project. A critical infrastructure project totaling $752.8 million, the deck replacement will require partial and full closures of the bridge over the next two years. More information is available at the project website.

Skanska-CEC Joint Venture is the general contractor for the project. Due to weather or operational factors, the schedule is subject to change, including dates and times, the number of closures, and other details. Motorists should expect delays when utilizing the Vincent Thomas Bridge and use Caltrans Quickmap to review current traffic conditions before traveling. Caltrans reminds drivers to exercise increased caution near the closure and Slow for the Cone Zone.

Gov. Newsom Announces Appointments

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Gov. Newsom Announces Appointments

 

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom March 23 announced the following appointments:

Dorene Dominguez, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the University of California Board of Regents. Dominguez has been chairman and chief executive officer at Vanir Construction Management since 2004 and chairman and chief executive officer at Vanir Group of Companies since 1989. She is chairwoman of The Dominguez Dream, a Trustee of Hesburgh Women of Impact at the University of Notre Dame, a board member of the audit committee and nominating and governance committee at Douglas Emmet Inc., board member at kb Home, and member of the Aspen Conexión Advisory Council. Dominguez earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance from the University of Notre Dame. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Dominguez is a Republican.

Carl “Chip” Robertson, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the University of California Board of Regents. Robertson has been a co-managing partner at Warland Investments Company since 2009. He was a management committee member at Dax LLC from 2000 to 2014. Robertson was an associate at Paul Hastings LLP from 1999 to 2001. He is a member of the board of directors of the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, Jewish Vocational Services of Los Angeles, and the California Coalition for Public Higher Education, and member of the board of visitors for the University of California, Los Angeles School of Education and Information Studies and board of advisors for the UC/CSU Collaborative for Neuroscience, Learning and Diversity. Robertson earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, a Diploma in Business Studies from the London School of Economics, a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of California, Berkeley. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Robertson is a Democrat.

County’s Innovative Program Supports Incarcerated Mothers and Their Babies During World Doula Week

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County’s Innovative Program Supports Incarcerated Mothers and Their Babies During World Doula Week

As communities around the world recognize World Doula Week March 22 – March 28, Los Angeles County is highlighting a groundbreaking partnership that brings compassionate doula and lactation support to pregnant people who are incarcerated — strengthening maternal health, infant outcomes, and family bonds during one of life’s most vulnerable moments.

Through a collaboration between LA Health Services’ correctional health services and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, with funding from the Los Angeles Justice Care and Opportunities Department’s or JCOD Care First Community Investment (CFCI), people who are incarcerated, recently released, or at risk of incarceration, now have access to specialized doulas who provide emotional, physical, and educational support throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery.

This is the only program of its kind dedicated to serving justice-impacted families in Los Angeles County. At its heart, the program centers dignity, human connection, and affirms that every parent and every baby deserve a healthy, supported start.

Compassionate Care — Inside and Beyond Custody

A winner of the 2025 California State Association of Counties or CSAC Challenge Awards, the CARE Doula Program provides trauma-informed doulas who support patients through all pregnancy outcomes. A doula is a trained professional who provides emotional, physical, and educational support so the parent feels informed, safe, and cared for. Since the program launched in 2023, 145 clients have been served and 61 births attended.

Services include:

  • Prenatal education and birth planning
  • Labor and delivery companionship
  • Postpartum care for up to one year
  • Separation planning and emotional support to prepare families for transitions and preserve parent-infant bonding
  • Mental health and social service referrals
  • Lactation education and counseling

Doulas, as non-clinical support providers, work in close partnership with clinical teams from LA Health Services’ Correctional Health Services, who provide medical care inside LA County jails.

Together, they ensure patients receive whole-person care that addresses both medical and emotional needs.

A cornerstone of the program is an innovative lactation initiative, developed in collaboration with BreastfeedLA, that allows incarcerated mothers to express breast milk for their newborns — even while separated due to custody status.

Through secure milk collection, storage, and transport, infants can receive the health benefits of breast milk while maintaining a vital biological and emotional connection to their parent.

How to Access Services or Make a Referral

Pregnant individuals who are currently incarcerated at Century Regional Detention Facility — or who have recently been released — may be eligible for doula and lactation services.

To learn more or make a referral:

Email: AAIMMCFCI@ph.lacounty.gov. Please include:

  • Name
  • Phone number
  • Zip code
  • Estimated due date
  • Custody or release status
  • A program representative will follow up directly

Leadership Update Advances Port’s Vision

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Leadership Update Advances Port’s Vision

 

The Port of Long Beach March 20 introduced innovative improvements to its leadership structure that will capitalize on existing strengths and target new opportunities for excellence.

“These enhancements to the leadership structure will provide immediate and lasting benefits to the Port of Long Beach team and are designed to improve communication, collaboration and decision-making,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Dr. Noel Hacegaba. “We will be able to act faster and more effectively and deliver world-class customer service to our customers, partners and comm

unity members as we build the Port of the Future guided by our 2050 Vision.”

The plan elevates two executives to new positions and makes key changes to the management chain that will give the port team new tools to ensure strong adherence to leadership practices while also providing new opportunities for innovation and collaboration.

Recently the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners approved the creation of a new bureau called organizational effectiveness. Hacegaba has named Khristina Jason, the port’s current director of Human Resources, to head up the new bureau. The move takes two port divisions which had reported directly to the CEO – human resources and central procurement services – and places them in a bureau.

As managing director of organizational effectiveness, Jason will report directly to Hacegaba and will lead groundbreaking new initiatives aimed at developing the port’s workforce of 600 teammates, as well as building stronger connections to the business community – especially small businesses – by providing new ways for area businesses to engage with port contracting opportunities.

Meanwhile, the Board of Harbor Commissioners on March 23 is considering the appointment of a chief administrative officer. This newly created position will report to Hacegaba and oversee four of the port’s six bureaus – commercial services, engineering services, finance & administration and planning & environmental affairs. Current Port of Long Beach managing director of commercial services Casey Hehr will be considered for promotion to the CAO position.

The strategic advocacy bureau, led by managing director Eleanor Torres, will continue to report to Hacegaba and assist him in managing the port’s strategic partnerships.

Letters to the Editor

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Letters to the Editor

Finally, RLN has raised the issue that so many have feared, PBID.

I write in response to your recent column that addresses the structure that has oppressed the arts district for more than 20 years. PBID, or the Property Business Improvement District, has focused on one goal; increase property values and raise rents in downtown San Pedro. They have certainly accomplished those goals, at great cost to the many artists who had studios and galleries downtown. There has been a slow, steady pressure that culminated with the tumultuous takeover of the First Thursday Art Walk at the end of 2025, and the introduction of the Night Market, which brought ebikes and trinket sales to the street.

PBID’s aggressive marketing campaigns are paid for through mandatory taxes totalling $3.6 million. They use our tax money to stage festivals that generate income for the PBID, but only exacerbate the already exploding traffic in a town that developers have overtaken. The claim that PBID has lowered crime rates during its tenure is patently false; violent crime rates have fallen throughout LA County by nearly 20% in the past five years. PBID put a guy on a Segway, strung festive outdoor lights over the street, and called it crime control. Property owners have complained that the original promise of PBID to clear alleys never materialized, although the guy on the Segway will walk you to your car if you want.

The history of artists struggling for agency in the arts district dates back to the first days of taxation in 2005, when artists staged a “crime scene” action. Yellow tape blocked the entrances to studios that were being taxed out of existence. 7th St. used to be gallery row, but more profitable businesses have moved in as costs rose.

I’m glad your writer attended one of the many discussions being held to discuss this challenge, but his dismissive comments about the lack of direction and coordination seem like victim-blaming. Over these twenty years, San Pedro gained recognition as one of the first California Arts Districts with the establishment of the Waterfront Arts District. This has enabled organizations like Angels Gate Cultural Center to qualify for grants supporting arts in schools and to host Arts Open San Pedro. This highly attended citywide tour featured over 100 artists in April 2025 and is set to return next month, with the goal to inspire the discovery of art in San Pedro.

During my time in San Pedro, I have been fortunate to serve as an arts writer for RLN, as an assistant to artists, and as a gallery sitter, which gave me a deep insight into the talent that resides here and the people, young and old, who frequent the art walk. PBID needs to get its boots off the necks of the artists who built the arts district, rather than turn First Thursday into a monthly carnival. Do not renew their chokehold on the arts district. We don’t need a “manifesto” as this writer states; we need the end of taxation without representation.

Thank you,

Andrea Serna

San Pedro

Black Eye for A “Green Port”

Paul Rosenberg
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Black Eye for A “Green Port”

 

Long Beach Tank Expansion Project Nixed By Court

A project to build two new tanks at the World Oil Terminal in Long Beach was blocked by a court order on March 9. Superior Court Judge Maurice Leiter, said the project description in the Environmental Impact Report “is insufficient under CEQA,” the California Environmental Quality Act. More pointedly, he also wrote, “The EIR provides inconsistent and misleading descriptions of the Project’s operational reality.” The EIR also “improperly rejects a feasible alternative without substantial evidence or adequate explanation.”

As a result of the ruling, the EIR must be invalidated, and the port and City of Long Beach must conduct a new EIR if the project is to proceed.

While two tanks were being added to World Oil’s operations, two existing tanks would be removed from service and leased to parties unknown. Because the EIR describes the

existing tanks as “underutilized,” and also states that leasing them will “increase petroleum storage capacity at the Terminal,” the court concluded that “increased utilization of the existing tanks is reasonably foreseeable, and CEQA requires that such foreseeable consequences be disclosed and analyzed clearly.”

The ruling came as a result of a suit filed by Earthjustice, representing and co-counseling with Communities for a Better Environment (CBE), in December 2024.

“The court’s decision is clear: the city’s approval of this project was unlawful,” said Earthjustice attorney Esme Levy. “Communities surrounding the Port of Long Beach are consistently targeted by polluting facilities. This decision recognizes the serious defects that underpinned the city’s project approval, and is a reminder that Long Beach decisionmakers cannot prioritize oil infrastructure over people.”

In its statement of facts, the court took note of the community impacts Levy referred to:

The Project site is located near the communities of Wilmington, Carson, and West Long Beach, designated as environmental justice communities pursuant to Assembly Bill 617, which was enacted to address cumulative air pollution burdens in impacted communities. … The 48-square-mile project area includes 83 schools, 132 daycare facilities, and 15 hospitals. … The surrounding communities have a population of approximately 363,000 residents, 88 percent of whom are identified as people of color. … The record indicates that these communities experience higher rates of poverty and are exposed to elevated levels of environmental pollutants. … The Wilmington, Carson, and West Long Beach areas are designated as environmental justice communities pursuant to Assembly Bill 617, which was enacted to address cumulative air pollution burdens in impacted communities.

As with all such lawsuits involving EIRs at local ports, approval by the Port of Long Beach was appealed to the city council, which also gave its blessing, despite significant public opposition. When the council approved, and the suit was first filed, Earthjustice attorney Oscar Espino-Padron called out the contradictions between image and reality.

“The Port of Long Beach brands itself as a ‘green port,’ and recently withdrew funding for fireworks events, citing environmental concerns, yet it greenlit this harmful project,” he said. “We are taking legal action to demand better for communities who have been trapped in a deadly web of oil infrastructure for too long, subjecting them to elevated cancer risks, toxic fumes, and chemical fires.”

Now that the project is at least temporarily blocked, Dilia Ortega, SoCal program co-director with Communities for a Better Environment, expressed frustration with what had happened and hope for something better to come.

“As a Long Beach resident that grew up in South Gate, a community highly impacted by environmental injustices, it is frustrating to see my elected officials attempt to carelessly and expeditiously expand crude oil infrastructure in severely overburdened communities, all while claiming to champion environmental policies,” she said. “Councilmember Suely Saro and Mayor Rex Richardson have an opportunity to stand up for public health and safety by halting harmful projects like this one. We urge them to stop this crude oil project, support a moratorium on fossil fuel infrastructure expansions at the Port of Long Beach, and to protect the health of the residents [who] elected them.”

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