According to Torrance Superior Court records, a judge Tuesday appointed two psychiatrists to determine if a Hermosa Beach woman accused of killing a 65-year-old man with her car nearly three years ago is competent to stand trial for murder. Marie Elise West May 12 pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder and the court…Read more Psychiatrists appointed to determine H.B. murder suspect’s competency

In a workshop open to the public, the Hermosa Beach City Council May 29 reviewed this year's proposed city budget along with discussing ways of balancing future budgets by possibly raising various city fees and taxes in the form of a ballot measure. The City Council will vote to adopt the budget at its next…Read more City to look at increasing local fees to balance future budgets

A Hermosa Beach resident faced with five counts of lewd conduct with a minor recently pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of assault and received probation. A Torrance Superior Court April 25 sentenced Christian Kacher, 34, to five years probation after he was accused of engaging in sexual relations with a then-13-year-old boy whom…Read more Hermosa man pleads guilty to lesser assault charges

With a surge of new residential developments continuing to sprout up in Hermosa Beach, many older homes, some of which were built more than 50 years ago, continue to endure in a time when demolition seems more common than renovation. The Beach Reporter decided to take a closer look at the history of these houses…Read more Houses with a Past

A man linked to a lawsuit related to localism and surfing territory in Palos Verdes Estates was arrested last month in connection with a recent Hermosa Beach stabbing. According to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department records, Thomas Banas, 20, has remained in custody since April 29 on suspicion of attempted murder. Police are still looking…Read more Man in court for recent home stabbing

With an almost certain loss of funding, county officials will most likely approve the closure of 15 libraries in the Los Angeles County system. Aside from such closures, other branches like Hermosa Beach could experience a cutback on hours to what many residents already consider deficient. "I have not heard yet anything about a cut…Read more County officials could cut back on city’s library hours

The Hermosa Beach City Council Tuesday night voted to transfer its emergency dispatch services from the city of El Segundo to the South Bay Regional Public Communications Authority in the city of Hawthorne for the next five years. At its April 8 meeting, the council agreed to allow RCC to finalize its proposal and also…Read more City changes emergency dispatch services

The City Council approved the Beach Bash event and a banner program operating in conjunction with the event that advertises the weekend festivities scheduled for early June. The council voted to reconsider the event in April following a 2-1 vote when the municipality denied the approval of the fifth annual event. Councilman Art Yoon and…Read more City OKs Beach Bash and banners

At the request of Hermosa Beach Planning Commissioner Pete Tucker, the city officials recently agreed to explore the prospect of restoring a well-known statue standing just west of the pier plaza. Now it seems as though the project might fall into the hands of a private committee of citizens who wish to restore the historical…Read more Famed statue will undergo face lift with private funds

In a continued effort to improve its museum collection, the Hermosa Beach Historical Society this Saturday will host a fund-raiser to subsidize a new expansion that will highlight the city's unique surfing history. The organization hopes to eventually generate $30,000 through a series of fund-raisers that will pay for renovations to the 2,145-square-foot space at…Read more Society hosts fund-raiser for museum

A Hermosa Beach woman accused of killing a 65-year-old man with her car nearly three years ago pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder Monday. A Los Angles Superior Court judge initially deemed Marie Elise West, 37, mentally incompetent to stand trial for allegedly running down and killing Jesus Plascencia in Van Nuys during…Read more Local woman ruled sane to stand trial for murder

In the hope of providing more funding to schools amidst a severe state budget crisis, Gov. Gray Davis has ordered redevelopment agencies in cities such as Lomita, Lawndale, Torrance and Redondo Beach to appropriate millions to state education funds by May 10. Since a redevelopment agency does not exist in Hermosa Beach, the city is…Read more City exempt from recent state action