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Boyle Heights Beat
Students panic after new financial aid application blocks them: ‘I don’t know who to call’
For many of these college applicants, it’s a crisis not only preventing them from applying for federal grants and loans, but also from applying for free tuition at the University of California and California State University or partial tuition waivers at private colleges in the state. The deadline for...
Six candidates show up for CD 14 Forum in Boyle Heights
Residents packed the multipurpose room at Mendez High School on Saturday morning as Boyle Heights Beat hosted its CD 14 Candidate Forum. Some came almost two hours before the event began to grab a front seat. Boyle Heights Beat led the event in partnership with local news outlet LA Public Press and the Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council.
Los Angeles City and County ease on street vending regulations
Food vendors across the Eastside and greater Los Angeles County marked wins this week after the Board of Supervisors voted to pass two ordinances and a motion Tuesday to better support the small business owners. No-vending zones, like those areas outside of places like Dodger Stadium, Exposition Park, Hollywood Walk...
A forum to get to know who wants your vote in CD 14 + more to do on the Eastside this weekend
We’re only a month away from city elections! Here are some important dates to keep note of if you plan on voting:. February 20th is the last day to register online to vote and get a mail-in ballot. You can still vote in person after this date. February 24th...
Everything to know about our LA City Council District 14 Forum
In collaboration with LA Public Press, the Boyle Heights Beat is hosting a forum for candidates in the upcoming Los Angeles City Council District 14 election. The forum is set to take place this Saturday, February 10 from 10 am through 1 pm at Felicitas & Gonzalo Mendez High School (1200 Plaza del Sol E, Los Angeles, CA 90033).
Is the world’s first fine art amusement park worth the hype?
In an area of Boyle Heights where rustic, nondescript warehouses line the edge of the Los Angeles River, a long-lost fine art amusement park known as Luna Luna has resurfaced and opened its doors for a limited time. Luna Luna’s unexpected resurgence comes with some minor but key adjustments. Austrian...
Jennifer Cuevas hopes to build on legacy of Self Help Graphics & Art
Over the past five decades, some of the most impactful leaders on the Eastside have played a role in the story of Self-Help Graphics & Art – a community arts center headquartered in Boyle Heights. Founded in 1973 by Franciscan nun Karen Boccalero, local Chicano leaders worked together with a printing press in a rented-out garage. While the organization has drastically grown over the years, its leadership works to make sure to stay true to its roots.
Record-setting rainfall soaks Boyle Heights
The winter’s first big storms dumped 7.03 inches of rain over downtown Los Angeles on Sunday and Monday, according to the National Weather Service, shattering daily rainfall records. The 2.93 inches of rain downtown Los Angeles saw on Monday exceeded the record last set in 1901 by 0.63 inches....
Near century-long story of Candelas Guitars finds a new chapter in next generation
For a decade now, Boyle Heights Beat’s youth journalists have reported on some of the neighborhood’s most outstanding businesses, institutions and individuals. In this recurring series, we’re revisiting our sources and updating some of those stories. There’s a special type of familiar warmth you feel as your...
Salvadorans on the Eastside reflect on their country’s upcoming elections
On a sunny Saturday afternoon, El Sereno resident Ana Salina could be found sitting on a bench covered by the veranda outside Los Molcajetes, a popular Salvadoran restaurant chain in Los Angeles. Salina, who is from Santa Ana, El Salvador, was waiting to be seated inside. “I really love the food here,” Salina said.
Boyle Heights Beat youth to shine at upcoming CD 14 Forum
I remember being shy and anxious when I first joined the Boyle Heights Beat as a sophomore at Bravo High School back in 2015. That would change through the program’s mentorship, interviews I needed to get for my first articles and opportunities to engage with the community through public forums. My first two articles (one diving into FAFSA and the other on the local LGBTQIA+ community) would be the subject of two community forums hosted by the Beat just down the street from our new home (2026 E. 1st Street) at the Boyle Heights City Hall. I helped emcee both events thanks to guidance from my mentors and support from my fellow youth reporters.
At X’tiosu, Ignacio and Felipe Santiago Marcial showcase their culture through their food
Immigrating to the United States wasn’t easy for brothers Ignacio and Felipe Santiago Marcial. They grew up speaking Zapotec in their native Oaxaca, in southern Mexico, and they couldn’t fully understand English or Spanish when they settled in the Los Angeles area. But a lot has changed after...
The makers of ‘Blood In Blood Out’ celebrate the film’s 31st anniversary
The bold act of existing produces unforeseen consequences, and one has to choose whether to embrace the cosmic messiness or be crushed under its pressure. This is the message of the phrase “Life’s a risk, Carnal”. It’s an iconic line from “Blood In Blood Out”, a 1993 film about three young Chicano family members struggling to navigate life in East Los Angeles. It succinctly captures the movie’s ethos and is often quoted by those visiting Cinco Puntos or “El Pino”, two Eastside landmarks featured in “Blood in Blood Out”.
Construction on Lucha Reyes Apartments to begin in 2025
A 100% affordable housing apartments adjacent to Mariachi Plaza that will include permanent supportive housing for homeless youth is set to begin construction next year after a long stall. The Lucha Reyes Apartments at 125 N. San Vicente Fernández Street will bring 60 units of affordable housing to the area...
Teen shot and killed in Boyle Heights
A 14-year-old boy was shot and killed in Boyle Heights Sunday afternoon, and authorities believe the incident was gang-related. The shooting took place near Pecan Park and the 101 Freeway. According to a spokesperson from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), police responded at around 5:30 pm to a report of shots fired in the area of 1st and Pecan streets.
Boyle Heights residents, other CD 14 stakeholders, react to Huízar sentence
Several former constituents of disgraced councilmember José Huízar –sentenced to 13 years Friday for corruption and racketeering– said they were pleased that the politician received the maximum sentence sought by federal prosecutors. “I think it’s great that he got the maximum amount,” said El Sereno resident...
“The bigger they are, the harder they fall”: José Huízar to serve thirteen year prison sentence in corruption case
Former CD 14 Councilman José Huízar was issued a thirteen year sentence in federal prison this morning after being found guilty in the biggest Los Angeles City Council corruption case in decades. The prosecutors were firm with their position, despite Huizar’s defense team insisting their client receive a...
The fall of José Huízar: How an Eastside hero rose to the top and how it all came crashing down
It’s not unusual to see the word “disgraced” prefacing the former City Councilman José Huízar’s name in news headlines, blog posts, or op-eds. After a lengthy FBI investigation, arrest, and an eventual 2023 guilty plea, Huízar, 55, will face a judge and a long prison sentence on Friday in regards to his historic city corruption trial that involved bribes from Chinese developers, tax evasion, extortion, and conspiracy.
With copper theft impacting Boyle Heights, city leaders propose task force
Eighteen months after the 6th St. Bridge’s reopening, city leaders are facing yet another challenge regarding the multi-million dollar structure. Copper wire thieves have broken into electrical boxes to steal and sell the precious metal, leaving the bridge, and other parts of the Eastside, in the dark. In a...
Miguel Santiago: ‘My record speaks for itself’
Growing up, Los Angeles native Miguel Santiago did his best to value his parents’ hard work and sacrifices. Santiago’s parents moved to the U.S. from Teuchitlán, in the Mexican state of Jalisco, but went back and forth between the two countries while he was still young. His father worked as a janitor and his mother worked as a maid for years to support their family, eventually settling down in LA for good.
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Boyle Heights Beat offers a unique brand of community journalism, built around neighborhood meetings that youth reporters lead each quarter to solicit ideas and hear concerns.
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