L.A. DIGEST
Staff and Wire Reports
SOUTH LOS ANGELES — About 25 PVJOBS participants and their families attended an Octoberfest event Oct. 30 at the nonprofit’s headquarters. The event was held to give PVJOBS participants and their families an opportunity to enjoy fun activities commemorating the harvest season.
PVJOBS scheduled the families to attend the harvest event during a staggered schedule to ensure meeting socially distanced guidelines. During the event, one child from each family received a pumpkin to paint and decorate. Other activities included a photo booth and raffle giveaways, and all families were treated to an array of food and goodie bags.
“We held Octoberfest to give participants and their families a place to celebrate the harvest season together, especially amidst everything happening in the world right now,” said Olga Lopez, PVJOBS program manager. “This event also gives us an opportunity to let our participants know that we’re still here to support them.”
PVJOBS participant Edward Tate was grateful to bring his niece, nephew and a young family friend to the event.
“I’m here to get the kids out to have fun,” said Tate, a union apprentice. “All of this shows how much PVJOBS is so hands-on and supportive.”
PVJOBS (Playa Vista Job Opportunities & Business Services) is a nonprofit public benefit corporation that works to provide at-risk youth, adults and veterans with job training and employment opportunities
La Cienega to close
for road repairs
INGLEWOOD — La Cienega Boulevard will be closed at Florence Avenue in Inglewood for seven days starting Nov. 4 as crews do roadway repairs as part of Metro’s Crenshaw/LAX Transit Project.
The intersection is scheduled to be closed from 6 a.m. Nov. 4 to 6 p.m. Nov. 11.
Motorists exiting the southbound San Diego (405) Freeway at Florence Avenue and Manchester Boulevard will be detoured onto westbound 83rd Street, southbound Hindry Avenue, and then back onto Florence Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
All lanes will also be closed on westbound Florence Avenue between Hyde Park Boulevard and Glasgow Avenue, and there will be left turn restrictions for motorists on Florence Avenue turning onto La Cienega Boulevard.
Right turns will be restricted for westbound traffic on Florence Avenue onto La Cienega Boulevard.
Northbound traffic will be detoured eastbound on Florence Avenue, northbound on La Brea Avenue, and westbound on Centinela Avenue. Southbound traffic will be detoured eastbound on Centinela Avenue, southbound on La Brea Avenue, and westbound on Florence Avenue.
Weather permitting, crews will work on the restoration of La Cienega Boulevard, including demolition, excavation, backfill and paving, according to the MTA.
Two plead guilty
to Medi-Cal fraud
LOS ANGELES — Two former executives at a South Los Angeles company that offered substance abuse pleaded guilty Nov. 3 to federal charges alleging they defrauded Medi-Cal by billing at least $2 million for ineligible services.
Mesbel Mohamoud, 47, and her mother-in-law, Erlinda Abella, 66, have each agreed to plead guilty to a federal count of health care fraud, under which they each would face up to 10 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
They were named in a 23-count indictment returned by a Los Angeles federal grand jury in March 2018, charging both Inglewood women with 21 counts of health care fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft stemming from the scheme that allegedly ran from 2009 through 2015.
Mohamoud was the owner and executive director of The New You Center, while her mother-in-law, who co-founded the now-defunct company, was the firm’s program director. The company had contracts to provide medically necessary substance abuse treatment services through the Drug Medi-Cal program to adults and teenagers in Los Angeles County.
Companies donate to
Digital Divide Fund
LOS ANGELES — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has announced that Southern California Gas Company and San Diego Gas & Electric have donated $420,000 to the Bridging the Digital Divide Fund.
SoCalGas’ $320,000 in total grants will benefit five local organizations to help meet specific needs. Southeast Community Development Corporation will provide students from South Los Angeles with a Chromebook, earbuds, hotspots and tutoring.
STEAM Coders will provide STEAM programming to more than 1,100 students enrolled in schools located in Los Angeles and Inglewood and will provide 140 high-grade laptops with 120 hotspots.
Community Coalition in South Los Angeles will sponsor laptops, hotspots and Microsoft Office for students in Los Angeles Unified School District.
