Chris Haire
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Coastal cities editor for SCNG's Long Beach Press-Telegram, presstelegram.com; and Daily Breeze, dailybreeze.com. Tips welcome! chaire@scng.com.
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Articles by Chris Haire
Luchadores clash at Long Beach’s Museum of Latin American Art
One of Long Beach’s most popular museums turned into a wrestling ring this weekend — with lucha libre fans watching performers in vividly eccentric masks flying into each other. The Museum of Latin American Art kicked off a three-day luche libre celebration on Friday, Sept. 25, as part of MoLAA’s 30th anniversary festivities. While the celebration was set to continue on Sunday, the high point came on Saturday evening, when the museum hosted live luche libre matches.
Long Beach’s 8th annual Ranchos Walk educates participants about local history
Hundreds of people walked back in time this weekend. Long Beach hosted its eighth annual Ranchos Walk on Saturday, Sept. 26, providing a free hiking experience that also educated participants about local history — about the people, places and events that have shaped the city. • Participants cross Willow Springs Park during the Ranchos Walk on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in Long Beach.
Spooky season is here – and so is the Press-Telegram’s annual Scary Stories Contest
Spooky season is here already? You bet it is. And you know what that means: It’s time once again for Long Beach students to make us shiver by sending us their most terrifying tales and most dastardly drawings as part of the Press-Telegram’s annual Scary Stories Contest. Submissions are now open. The deadline to submit stories or drawings to the contest is 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19.
2026 Long Beach Gives raises about $2.6 million for 300 nonprofits, another record
Long Beach Gives logged another record-breaking campaign – raising millions of dollars for hundreds of nonprofits over the last week. Each year, Long Beach Gives brings local nonprofits together under one campaign to share their stories, bring in new donors, raise money and rally the community around the causes that keep the city thriving, according to the organization’s website.
Even when things seem bleak, there’s kindness all around us
A war with Iran. High gas and food prices. Earthquakes, hurricanes and wildfires, too many to count. An upcoming election, which always brings a certain amount of angst — no matter where on the political spectrum you fall. It’s safe to say there’s enough negativity out there to turn even the most-ardent, eternal optimists into cynics. But that’s not what this column — or the following stories you’re about to read — is about. Instead, it’s about Kindness.
Long Beach’s iconic Veterans Memorial Stadium hosts final football game before demolition
And soon, it will be gone — though Long Beach City College has plans to resurrect it. After more than three-quarters of a century as a local landmark, Veterans Memorial Stadium is set to be torn down and replaced with a newer athletic complex. The LBCC Vikings took on Riverside City College on Saturday, Aug. 29, playing their last time home game at the historic stadium a day after Poly High took the field there for the final time.
You have World Cup questions. We have answers Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... The world’s game has arrived in North America. The 2026 FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial showcase of the most popular sport on Earth, got underway on Thursday, June 11, with co-host Mexico taking on South Africa in the iconic Estadio Azteca. And on Friday, it’s our turn: The United States men’s national team will begin its World Cup journey against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium – ahem, Los Angeles Stadium, for branding purposes.
Graduation 2026: Poly High celebrates outgoing Jackrabbits
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Hundreds of Jackrabbits have graduated and are now moving on to the next phase of their lives. Poly High School in Long Beach held its commencement ceremony for the class of 2026 on Monday afternoon, June 8. The Jackrabbits became the first of Long Beach’s big six high schools to graduate, with Wilson High set to host its commencement ceremony on Monday evening. Poly High School graduation on June 8, 2026 in Long Beach, CA.
Long Beach’s new baseball team debuts with season-opening road win
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Long Beach’s professional baseball team put its undefeated record on the line this week — and still hasn’t lost. The club is now a pristine 1-0. The Long Beach Coast, which was founded last year, went on the road on Tuesday, May 19, and won its Pioneer League debut 10-6 against the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds at Bryant Field in Marysville.
Congressional Cup semifinals get underway a day early; semis to finish Sunday, along with finals
The final four of the 2026 Congressional Cup is down to three previous winners and one relative newcomer, with the semifinals, initially slated to take place on Sunday ahead of the championship match, getting started a day early. World No. 1 Chris Poole of America, 37, No. 2 Johnie Berntsson of Sweden, 53, defending Congressional Cup champion Eric Monnin of Switzerland, 50, who is ranked 11th in the world, and No. 3 Cole Trapper of Australia, 23, advanced to the semifinals Saturday.
Congressional Cup semifinals get underway a day early; semis to finish Sunday, along with finals Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... The final four of the 2026 Congressional Cup is down to three previous winners and one relative newcomer — with the semifinals, initially slated to take place on Sunday ahead of the championship match, getting started a day early. World no. 1 Chris Poole of America, 37; no.
Spain’s Alex Palou wins Grand Prix of Long Beach to cap thrilling 3 days of motorsports action
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Another three days of motorsports excitement concluded on Sunday, April 19, with the titular Grand Prix of Long Beach enthralling the thousands of fans who packed the grandstands and lined the track — as Spain’s Alex Palou took the checkered flag. In a post-race interview with Fox, Palou, who narrowly lost the Grand Prix in 2025, touted Long Beach as the second-biggest race of the season.
Here’s what’s happening, and when, during the 2026 Grand Prix of Long Beach Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Long Beach’s 200-mph beach party is about to rev its engines once again. The 51st Grand Prix of Long Beach will take place from Friday to Sunday, April 17-19, along the city’s downtown waterfront. And while racing — headlined by the titular IndyCar Series race on Sunday — will be the star of the three-day motorsports extravaganza, there will be plenty more to entertain hardcore and casual racing fans.
Still need tickets to the 2026 Grand Prix of Long Beach? Here’s how much they cost Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... The 51st Grand Prix of Long Beach is nearly here — so time is running out to buy tickets. And there are a ton of options to choose from. The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will take place from Friday to Sunday, April 17-19. And whether you’re thrifty or extravagant, there’s a ticket package for you. The various packages in fact, run from as little as $58 — all the way up to $1,995. Below is a breakdown of available ticket packages and their cost.
When Does Multi-Cloud Actually Earn Its Complexity? Lessons from a Global Content Platform
The threat landscape adds another layer of pressure. Volumetric attacks are becoming more common, more automated, and more expensive. Global traffic volumes are increasing dramatically due to AI-driven crawlers and automated agents. A significant and growing percentage of internet traffic is now non-human, arriving without regard for cost models or resource constraints. In this environment, security decisions have direct financial consequences.
Jim Michaelian, Grand Prix of Long Beach’s longtime leader, has died at 83
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Jim Michaelian, the high-profile leader of the Grand Prix of Long Beach for the past quarter-century, died on Saturday, March 21, just a few weeks away from the final event he planned to oversee before his retirement, race officials announced. He was 83. Last year, Michaelian celebrated the landmark 50th anniversary of the race, now the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Jim Michaelian, Grand Prix of Long Beach’s longtime leader, has died at 83
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Jim Michaelian, high-profile leader of the Grand Prix of Long Beach for the past quarter-century, died on Saturday, March 21, just a few weeks away from the final event he planned to oversee before his retirement, race officials announced. He was 83. Last year, Michaelian celebrated the landmark 50th anniversary of the race, now the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Blind, visually impaired students enjoy special soccer experience in Carson Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... The Los Angeles Galaxy dedicated its first blind soccer pitch in Carson on Wednesday, March 4 — and welcomed nearly 60 LAUSD students for a special training program. The Los Angeles Unified School District students, who are in grades three to 12, are blind or visually impaired.
Port of L.A. welcomes the Year of the Horse with annual festival Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... How could anyone say neigh to music, dancing and a petting zoo? There certainly wasn’t any bucking at the fun to be had during the Port of Los Angeles’ Lunar New Year Festival on Feb. 21. The free festival, at Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, welcomed the Year of the Horse —- specifically the Fire Horse —- with a wishing wall, food trucks serving up fare traditionally enjoyed during the annual Asian holiday and an evening drone show.
Shirley Wild promo
Seen at the Scene: Social columnist Shirley Wild writes about Long Beach hosting a watch party for the Winter Olympics opening ceremony. Page TK Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved. This story was originally published February 15, 2026 at 2:03 AM.
Shirley Wild promo
Seen at the Scene: Social columnist Shirley Wild writes about Long Beach hosting a watch party for the Winter Olympics opening ceremony. Page TK
Jim Michaelian to step down as CEO, president of Grand Prix of Long Beach Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Jim Michaelian, the longtime leader of the Grand Prix of Long Beach for the past quarter-century, will step down from that role after this year’s race, the association in charge of the annual three-day event announced on Thursday morning, Jan. 15. Michaelian’s last day as president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach will be June 30.
Long Beach celebrates grand opening of new training academy
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... The Long Beach Police Department’s rebuilt training facility has made it public debut — and is ready to take on new recruits. The city held a grand-opening ceremony for its recently completed Long Beach Police Training Academy on Saturday, Jan. 10, with officials touting the facilty’s ability to train 100 recruits at a time and prepare LBPD for future public safety needs — including during the upcoming World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Long Beach students spook us during Scary Stories Contest
Long Beach students succeeded in their mission — they frightened us, disturbed us, creeped us out. The Press-Telegram’s annual Scary Stories Contest was another spooky success, with hundreds of Long Beach students submitting terrifying tales and dreadful drawings. The Halloween tradition asks students to compete to tell the best stories or create the most compelling artwork across three divisions: elementary school, middle school and high school.
Aircraft arrive in Long Beach for annual Festival of Flight
Historic aircraft are ready to star in Long Beach. The aircraft that will be part of the annual Festival of Flight arrived at the Long Beach Airport on Friday afternoon, Oct. 24. The festival, which began in 2013 to raise awareness about California's oldest municipally owned airport, will take place on Saturday. * Air Show Performer Anthony Oshinuga arrives at Long Beach Airport ahead of Saturday's Festival of Flight on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. (Photo by Drew A.
Aircraft arrive in Long Beach for annual Festival of Flight Original
Historic aircraft are ready to star in Long Beach. The aircraft that will be part of the annual Festival of Flight arrived at the Long Beach Airport on Friday afternoon, Oct. 24. The festival, which began in 2013 to raise awareness about California’s oldest municipally owned airport, will take place on Saturday. The lineup of aircraft at the Festival of Flight included the C-53 “D-Day Doll,” which participated in the D-Day invasion and Operation Market Garden in Holland.
Spooky season is here - and so is the Press-Telegram’s annual Scary Stories Contest
Spooky season is almost upon us — so you know what that means. It’s time for Long Beach area students to frighten us with their most haunting stories and morbid drawings. With this article, the Press-Telegram is once again launching its Scary Stories Contest. The deadline to submit stories or drawings to the contest is 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 13. This popular contest, which is open to all Long Beach area students, receives hundreds of submissions annually — and we’re hoping that continues this year.
Special Olympics athletes rack up strikes at Bowling Championship in Lakewood Original
Cal Bowl in Lakewood set up the pins — and the Special Olympic athletes knocked ’em down. The Special Olympics Southern California held its annual Bowling Championship in Lakewood on Saturday, Aug. 23, with 450 athletes competing on the oil-slicked lanes. The championship featured both traditional teams and unified teams — the latter of which brings together people with and without intellectual disabilities — knocking down as many pins as they could.
Medley of colors, shapes fill the sky during 12th annual Long Beach Kite Festival
The sky above Granada Beach was a menagerie of hues and shapes on Sunday, Aug.17 — as Long Beach celebrated the 12th annual Kite Festival. The kites soared through the air Sunday, with onlookers and those holding the strings staring up at a kaleidoscopic and geometric medley swaying against the cerulean sky. The festival, however, featured more than kite flying.
LA County residents enjoying perfect summer weather
If there’s such a thing as perfection when it comes to summer weather, then Southern Californians have been enjoying it this week. Los Angeles County residents have been granted a reprieve from the usually blistering summer heat this week, with temperatures on the coast remaining around 70 degrees — and even the valleys, known for sweltering temperatures, have stayed in the 80s. And residents have been enjoying it.
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