Seal Beach

Citing the growing interest but limited understanding of electronic cigarettes, the small Orange County city of Seal Beach has adopted a moratorium that will prevent any new stores from selling the devices. After a brief discussion late Monday, the City Council agreed to a 45-day moratorium on any new e-cigarette and smoke shops, as well as drug paraphernalia vendors. Seal Beach officials said they needed time to study the effects of e-cigarettes before making a recommendation to the city.

Orange County prosecutors have ended their quest to use recorded conversations between the suspect in the Seal Beach mass killing and a jailhouse informant, which they had hoped could put the man on death row. Senior Deputy Dist. Atty. Howard Gundy told the court Tuesday he would concede a defense motion arguing that tapes of Scott Dekraai and informant Fernando Perez were obtained in violation of Dekraai's 6th Amendment rights. The recordings spurred a wide-ranging defense investigation into the use of jailhouse informants in Orange County.

The Seal Beach Historical and Cultural Society has extended the deadline for its fifth annual amateur photo contest to Nov. 30. The contest is titled "Visions of Seal Beach . . . Through the Lens." Photographers should capture their favorite Seal Beach scene. Information: (562) 683-1874.

Orange County prosecutors have ended their quest to use recorded conversations between the alleged Seal Beach mass killer and a jailhouse informant, which they had hoped could put the man on death row. Senior Deputy Dist. Atty. Howard Gundy told the court Tuesday he would concede a defense motion which argued that tapes of alleged gunman Scott Dekraai and informant Fernando Perez were obtained in violation of Dekraai's 6th amendment rights. The recordings spurred a wide-ranging defense investigation into the use of jailhouse informants in Orange County.

A legal fight over the use of jailhouse informants has thrown the emotionally charged trial of the man accused of committing the deadliest shooting in Orange County history into jeopardy and will probably have repercussions in other high-profile cases. The battle has shifted the spotlight from the case against Seal Beach shooting suspect Scott Dekraai to prosecutors and informants, who have testified for weeks in hearings over allegations by the defense that jailhouse snitches were unconstitutionally deployed to gather information, and their work was then routinely concealed from defense attorneys.

After years of eliminating jobs in Southern California, aerospace giant Boeing Co. announced plans to increase its engineering workforce in Long Beach and Seal Beach by 1,000 positions. It is a rare and welcome development for the Southland's beleaguered aerospace industry, which has been stung by layoffs and assembly line closures for decades. "I couldn't be happier for the region," Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster said. "We want to continue to carry on our aviation tradition here.

The trial for the man charged with killing eight people in a Seal Beach salon will split into two separate phases, with two different sets of jurors asked to decide the ultimate fate of the accused mass murderer, a judge ruled Monday. The first phase, the actual trial, would begin in June. If convicted, Scott Dekraai faces the death penalty for allegedly walking into Salon Meritage in October 2011 and opening fire, killing his ex-wife and seven others in the county's deadliest shooting.

Jamie Carrano is the recently appointed executive chef of 320 Main in Seal Beach, the cocktail bar known for its drink roster from co-owner Jason Schiffer. It's where Carrano, who has worked at Bouchon Beverly Hills and Aureole in New York, has installed a new menu to go with cocktails: pork belly mac 'n' cheese; duck fries with duck confit, poutine-style duck gravy and cheddar; bacon-wrapped pâté with purple mustard, red wine prunes and grilled bread; bone marrow with braised oxtail and pickled red onion; gnocchi with mushrooms and grilled tomato vinaigrette; and the 320 Burger with braised pork, fresh ground beef, mojo sauce and Gruyère.

An Orange County judge said Friday that he'll hear testimony on accusations that county prosecutors and sheriff's deputies ran an illegal jailhouse informant operation that ensnared multiple inmates, including the man accused of killing eight people in a Seal Beach salon in 2011. Superior Court Judge Thomas M. Goethals said the allegations made by defense attorneys for Scott Dekraai deserve to be fully examined. The judge indicated it may take weeks of testimony and evidence to ferret out the claims.

Mike Tannourji was named Executive Vice President, Advertising for the Los Angeles Times Media Group (LATMG) in August 2012 and leads the company¿s sales force. He is responsible for revenue strategy and development that supports LATMG¿s evolving portfolio, including the flagship Los Angeles Times and Hoy Los Angeles, to digital and mobile products.  Previously, Tannourji led Ernst & Young¿s business development efforts in Los Angeles, transforming the company¿s sales strategy and culture while working with clients across industry sectors, including start-ups and Fortune 100 companies.

Aerospace giant Boeing Co. announced that it would reduce its workforce in Southern California by 200 to 300 people who are part of its research and development unit. The reductions, which will affect employees in the company's commercial, defense and space units, are set to begin during the first quarter of 2014 and expected to be completed by the end of 2015. Boeing has about 700 employees in the R&D unit spread across Long Beach, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach and El Segundo.

Orange County transportation officials are recommending the addition of at least one free lane to the 405 Freeway, but are leaving enough wiggle room for a possible second lane. A committee for the Orange County Transportation Authority voted 6-2, with directors Gary Miller and Matthew Harper dissenting, to suggest adding one general-purpose lane in each direction of a 14-mile stretch between Seal Beach and Costa Mesa. The recommendation for "Alternative 1" was slightly modified to suggest building the single lane in a way that would allow another lane to be built in the future, said agency spokesman Joel Zlotnik.