WATCHDOG TODAY: Watchdog celebrates one month, an earthquake shakes Long Beach and city officials kick off 'Spring Cleaning' initiative
Plus, City Council to discuss a charter amendment aimed at speeding up Long Beach's hiring process and more headlines you may have missed.
The first story for Long Beach Watchdog was published on April 1. Since then, we have produced about 80 original stories and newsletters — including news, reviews, columns and photo galleries — garnering more than 111,400 page views.
In one month, we have gained a total of 1,330 subscribers, 136 of whom are paid subscribers, despite the fact that none of our coverage is behind a paywall. Those paid subscribers equate to more than $11,600 in gross annual revenue.
This level of revenue certainly cannot sustain a single journalist, let alone an entire newsroom, but we are so encouraged by the growth and support we have seen over this first month. We’d like to thank you, the community and our faithful readers, for your trust in us.
The team at the Watchdog loves Long Beach, plain and simple. We want to continue to tell its stories — your stories. But independent media does not exist in a vacuum and we need the support of readers, both in clicks and in dollars, to keep this going.
Here are the latest headlines.
4.1 magnitude earthquake shakes Long Beach
Alicia Robinson • May 1, 2024
A moderately sized earthquake that occurred at 1:49 p.m. Wednesday was felt across Southern California, including in Long Beach. Some sources were reporting a larger magnitude, but the U.S. Geological Survey listed the temblor at 4.1 on its earthquake mapping website
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City officials kick off 'Spring Cleaning' initiative by picking up trash at Alamitos Beach
Jake Gotta • May 1, 2024
Long Beach officials announced the city’s new “Spring Cleaning” initiative Wednesday during a press conference at Alamitos Beach, followed by a beach cleanup to kick off the citywide b…
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Man dies 2 days after being hit by car in East Village, police say
Fernando Haro • May 1, 2024
A man died in the hospital days after he was hit by a car while crossing the street in the East Village Arts District, authorities announced Wednesday. Police say the crash happened Monday, April 22, around 6:23 p.m. The man was walking north of a crosswalk near the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Fourth Street when …
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City Council to start discussing charter amendment aimed at speeding up Long Beach's hiring process
Jason Ruiz • May 1, 2024
The Long Beach City Council will hold the first of a series of meetings that could result in a charter amendment to overhaul the city’s hiring practices, which will come before voters in November as the city seeks to close its large workforce vacanc…
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Clocked Out: Where the rock 'n' roll is always free (and margaritas are $7)
Kat Schuster • May 1, 2024
In the spirit of being very much clocked out, you — dearest and most lovely reader — are receiving this column a few days late. Cheekiness aside, I do apologize and will try to never miss my deadline again. Why did I blow s…
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In case you missed it
Dark Harbor returns to the historic Queen Mary this fall
Brandon Richardson • Apr 30, 2024
Dark Harbor’s band of monsters and freaks will once again cast a shadow over the historic Queen Mary this fall. After a four-year hiatus, the cult-favorite event will run on Long Beach’s haunted ocean liner from Sept…
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California legislators debate Froot Loops and free condoms
May 1, 2024
By Don Thompson, KFF Health News California state lawmakers this year are continuing their progressive tilt on health policy with dozens of proposals including a ban on…
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