Sam King

Barely a year after overhauling his upscale downtown Water Grill eatery to make it more appealing to young diners, restaurateur Sam King is launching a second Water Grill location in Santa Monica next month. The new establishment is currently rising out of the skeleton of Ocean Avenue Seafood, the 27-year-old bastion overlooking prime Westside beach. Ocean Avenue closed on St. Patrick's Day this year, worn down by a post-recession slump in tourism and the eatery's dated Art Deco atmosphere, King said.

Barely a year after overhauling his upscale downtown Water Grill eatery to make it more appealing to young diners, restaurateur Sam King is launching a second Water Grill location in Santa Monica next month. The new establishment is currently rising out of the skeleton of Ocean Avenue Seafood, the 27-year-old bastion overlooking prime Westside beach. Ocean Avenue closed on St. Patrick's Day this year, worn down by a post-recession slump in tourism and the eatery's dated Art Deco atmosphere, King said.

In any other chain restaurant, a walk-in cooler is a walk-in cooler. To Sam King, it's 40 degrees of heaven. Standing in the frosty, metallic cubicle he calls the Shrine, the chief executive of King's Seafood Co. shows off the contents like a dad displaying photos of his kids. On one shelf are boxes of wahoo -- white, delicate and flown in fresh (dated that day) from the Pacific Islands. On another are boxes of salmon just harvested from farms in Chile.

In any other chain restaurant, a walk-in cooler is a walk-in cooler. To Sam King, it's 40 degrees of heaven. Standing in the frosty, metallic cubicle he calls the Shrine, the chief executive of King's Seafood Co. shows off the contents like a dad displaying photos of his kids. On one shelf are boxes of wahoo -- white, delicate and flown in fresh (dated that day) from the Pacific Islands. On another are boxes of salmon just harvested from farms in Chile.

Herman Keiser, 89, who beat golfing legend Ben Hogan by a stroke to win the 1946 Masters tournament, died Wednesday of complications of Alzheimer's disease at an assisted living facility in suburban Akron, Ohio, his daughter, Diane Parker, announced Thursday. A native of Springfield, Mo., Keiser moved to northeast Ohio in 1940, becoming an assistant pro at Portage Country Club, and later was the head pro at Firestone Country Club in Akron.

The Long Beach Redevelopment Agency board vowed to address concerns of downtown merchants who complained this week that Pine Avenue is too poorly promoted, policed, lighted and lacks adequate parking to foster a thriving night life. Also, they said, the street lacks movie theaters, the kind of strong drawing card that would lure shoppers on a regular basis. "We really need to bring people downtown and we're not doing that," lamented Sam King, owner of the Pine Avenue Grill.

Southern California burger chain Johnny Rockets has a new owner in Boston Market parent Sun Capital Partners. The Boca Raton, Fla., private equity firm also runs several other restaurant brands, including Fazoli's. The financial terms of the Johnny Rockets deal, which was confirmed by the chain, were not disclosed. The transaction was announced by North Point Advisors, which guided Johnny Rockets' previous owner, private equity firm RedZone Capital. The Aliso Viejo-based company was founded in 1986 by Ronn Teitelbaum, a men's fashion retailer.

A 16-year-old boy refused to drop the knives he was using in a slashing attack at a Pennsylvania school and told a school official that he had “more people to kill,” according to a police affidavit released Friday. Alex Hribal was arraigned Friday on 21 counts of attempted homicide and 21 counts of aggravated assault in the April 9 attack at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville, Pa., about 20 miles from Pittsburgh. Hribal, who remains in custody, was originally charged with four counts of attempted homicide and 21 counts of aggravated assault.

MURRYSVILLE, Pa. - The hallways were buzzing with pupils arriving for classes at Franklin Regional Senior High School when screams, shouts and the thunder of running feet broke the morning routine. "Run, run! He has a knife!" a teacher yelled Wednesday as a boy charged through the first-floor corridor, slashing and stabbing anyone who got in his way in a melee that unfolded like a scene from a horror film. He fought off a group of boys who tried to pin him down. By the time he was tackled by a security guard and vice principal, he had wounded at least 19 classmates, including three who underwent surgery for what doctors called deep, life-threatening puncture wounds.

When I was growing up in a Boston suburb, my father took us regularly to a Chinese restaurant called the Gold Coin. It was just about the most exciting thing we did as a family, and I always feel a twinge of nostalgia thinking about it. For one thing, the owner always treated us as if we were visiting royalty. As we walked in the door, Sam King would pump my father's hand and say, "Joe, where you been?" even if we'd eaten there on Tuesday.

The organization that uses city money to promote the convention center and hotels has been urged by the city auditor to take on an added job: luring permanent businesses to vacant downtown offices. Auditor Robert Fronke said the Long Beach Area Convention and Visitors Council receives enough public money "that they can take on another goal." Fronke said he recommended the added duties because the organization "has been so successful and aggressive with covering the convention business."