Lena Gonzalez Names Fellow Councilmember As Campaign Chairman
First District Councilmember Lena Gonzalez yesterday named fellow Councilmember Rex Richardson as chair of her campaign to replace State Sen. Ricardo Lara, whose 33rd District seat opened up following his election as state insurance commissioner. Both councilmembers were elected in 2014. “As incoming campaign chair, I call on all our local leaders in Long Beach and across the region to unite behind this campaign for economic opportunity, good jobs, and equality,” Rex Richardson said in a release shared by Gonzalez’ office. The state senate seat is expected to draw a large field since the district includes part of South Gate, Lynwood, Bell, Bell Gardens, Paramount, Lakewood, Signal Hill, Long Beach and several other cities.

Airport Passenger Traffic Decreases, But Cargo Traffic Increases
Long Beach Airport’s (LGB) passenger traffic decreased by 18.3% in October and 8.7% in November, compared to the same months in 2017. LGB served 60,310 fewer passengers in October and 28,052 fewer passengers in November than a year ago. Meanwhile, the amount of cargo carried by inbound and outbound aircraft increased year-over-year for both months. Total air cargo increased by 5.8% in October and 10% in November.

LBCC Board Of Trustees Eliminates Half Of Its Meetings For 2019
The Long Beach Community College (LBCC) District Board of Trustees changed its meeting dates for the upcoming year to a Wednesday schedule. The change is resulting in a reduction of regular meetings from twice a month in 2018 to once a month in 2019. The board is switching its meeting schedule from 5:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month to the same time every fourth Wednesday, “to avoid conflicts with other city council and school board meeting dates” and to “allow more people time to attend a meeting after work,” according to an LBCC statement.

Long Beach State University Ranks Top 5 Best Colleges For Transfer Students
Money Magazine ranked California State University, Long Beach fifth on its list of top colleges for transfer students. The ranking “highlights colleges where transfer students are succeeding in high numbers,” according to a statement from CSULB. Last year, the university ranked first for transfer applicants. Eighty-three percent of CSULB transfer students graduate with a degree within four years.

Spectrum Awards Grant To Nonprofit Human-I-T For Digital Training Education
Spectrum presented a $25,000 grant to Long Beach-based nonprofit human-I-T during a free computer distribution event at The Port of Los Angeles Boys and Girls Club in San Pedro on December 17. Human-I-T will use the grant toward digital literacy training in English and Spanish for low-income communities throughout Los Angeles County. The grant was a part of Spectrum’s $1 million commitment to digital education. Spectrum also awarded 22 other nonprofits with similar grants.