C e l e b r a t i n g 2 7 Ye a r s o f Service in Inglewood, Airport area Communities
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Monumental Signing Day at Inglewood High School UCLA nabs trio as eight players earn scholarships By Kenneth Miller, Publisher
Inglewood High School Principal Debra Tate was speechless as she kicked off a remarkable signing day for eight graduating senior football players at the basketball gymnasium on the morning of Dec. 15. Since Tate made the bold step in hiring Mil’Von James as the Sentinels head coach three years ago, days such as this one where players and parents donned their new college polos and T-shirts to celebrate signing a National Letter of Intent is common place. “Five million kids play high school football, but only 3200 are going to college. That’s less than one percent,” James told the audience as he sat at the table flanked by his players on each side. “A higher percentage of kids go to jail or drop out of school, but if I continue to do my job as coach the championships will come but this is what it’s all about. We are sending kids to college.” For Kanika Mosley, the mother of Justus Ross-Simmons who was among two signing with Colorado State, it marked a moment of overcoming all of the trials and tribulations of a Black young man. ‘He’s made it out of high school and now he’s about to get an education and
SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED—From left UCLA bound Tomarion Harden, Washington State signee Taariq Al-Uqdah, Justyn Martin (UCLA), Marshon Oxley (Colorado State), Inglewood Coach Mil’Von James, Clint Stephens (UCLA), Damon Williams (San Jose State), Louis Brown (Colorado State) and Justus Ross-Simmons (Colorado State) all signed their National Letters of Intent for college during a ceremony at the Inglewood High School basketball gymnasium on Dec. 15. (Jevon Moore/Photo)
continue his dream that he has always Acting Inglewood Unified School “It’s an amazing day in the Inglewood intended ever since he was first grade District Superintendent and County Unified School District. We are which is to be a college football player,” Administrator Dr. Erica Torres was also Continued on page 7 Mosley explained to Inglewood Today. on hand for the monumental occasion.
Oregon State to Battle Utah State in inaugural Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl Game set for SoFi Stadium Dec. 18 at 4:30 PM
Omicron in California:
Officials Push Booster Shots to Stem Rise in Variant Cases
IT News Wire
Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media
INGLEWOOD, CA-Pacific 12 No. 5 team, Oregon State and Mountain West champion Utah State have been selected to meet in the first annual Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 18th at 4:30 p.m. Tickets are priced as low as $32 and can be purchased at www.SoFiStadium.com/ LABowl. The Oregon State Beavers concluded the regular season finishing third in the Pachome record this season at 6-0. Under 12 North with an overall record of 7-5 experienced head coach Jonathan Smith, and a conference record of 5-4. The Beavers managed to keep an undefeated Continued on page 7
As of Monday, there were 39 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant in California, according to the California Department of Public Health. That number represents a 140% increase in new variant cases since Thanksgiving. As authorities monitor and work to stem the spread of the new strand of COVID-19, Gov. Gavin Newsom continues to promote booster shots for eligible Californians: Adults 18 and older -- or teens who are 17 or 16 – who have been fully vaccinated for at least six months. Additionally, the state has reinstated mask mandates in several counties that have been without them during the pandemic. “Yesterday California reinstituted –
in counties and in sections of the state where we don’t currently have any indoor masking requirement – a onemonth masking requirement indoors in public settings. This is intended to lean in, as we all have for a long time in California, to keep our guard up in a period of uncertainty and unknown with Omicron,” said California Health & Human Services Agency Dr. Mark Ghaly. “Requiring the indoor masking as California continues to learn more about Omicron gives us a chance to keep our guard up in a very purposeful and meaningful way during these critical weeks of celebration without needing to do what some other countries have had to do which is put further limitations Continued on page 2
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