This Week's Top News in the South Bay

Manhattan Beach

Defendant's Bizarre Behavior in Throat Slashing Case All a 'Show', Says DA: The prosecution began its case against Tyler Lee Rodgers, 19, in a Torrance courtroom late Wednesday afternoon, with three witnesses testifying. Rodgers is charged with attempted murder for slashing a store clerk's throat during a robbery last year in Manhattan Beach, among other charges.

City Misstep Postpones City Council Meeting: The day of its regularly scheduled Manhattan Beach City Council meeting, City Manager David Carmany canceled the meeting due to improper noticing of it, he told Patch. Carmany blamed the last-minute and unusual council meeting cancellation and subsequent postponement on "human error."

Jeep Crashes Into Car, Building: The driver of a Jeep that hit a Mercedes-Benz and residence around 1 a.m. Thursday was taken into custody, said Lt. Christian Eichenlaub of the Manhattan Beach Police Department. The collision was "drunk-driving related," he said, and happened on Highland Avenue near 32nd Street.

Two Power Outages Strike Manhattan Beach Over Weekend: Two power outages hit Manhattan Beach less than 24 hours apart last weekend, according to city officials last Sunday. The first outage struck at approximately 3:10 a.m. Saturday with the second occurring at 10:30 p.m. Saturday, SoCal Edison said.

Hermosa Beach

Man Drowns in Rip Tide in Hermosa Beach: Daniel Thorne, 21, of Lancaster, was identified Monday as the swimmer who drowned when large waves pulled him into deep water at the Hermosa Beach surf line.

Mermaid Property Sold to Strand and Pier Holdings : Beverly Hills-based Strand and Pier Holding purchased the historic Mermaid restaurant property, according to a Daily Breeze report. The company purchased the property for an unknown amount on May 31 but the property was previously listed at around $24.5 million.

Vagos Motorcyclists Ride Into Hermosa Beach: Members of the notable Vagos motorcycle club rode into Hermosa Beach last weekend, causing a bit of a stir on twitter. Hermosa Beach Police Capt. Steve Johnson on Thursday confirmed the gang's presence in the city last weekend, saying the visit to Hermosa Beach was "very atypical."

Redondo Beach

Search on for Missing Redondo Man in Mendocino County: Erik Lamberg, 51, who had been living in Redondo Beach with family, has not been seen since May 28 when he left Laytonville and headed south on Highway 101 toward Willits. His wife, Samantha Lamberg of Hermosa Beach, last spoke with him May 26 when his van had broken down on the road and he was waiting for a tow from AAA.

FAA Calls for Voluntary Measures to Reduce Helicopter Noise: The day it announced it is opposed to cracking down on helicopter operations, the FAA also announced a test to reduce chopper noise at a Torrance airport that is at the vortex of noise complaints.

City Council Decides Against Changing Meeting Time: The Redondo Beach City Council on Tuesday night decided against starting the open sessions of city council meetings a half-hour earlier—a plan initially floated by new Mayor Steve Aspel in an attempt to get council meetings to end earlier.

Palos Verdes

Four Earthquakes Strike Off Palos Verdes Peninsula: A series of four earthquakes ranging in magnitude from 2.1 to 2.9 struck south of the Palos Verdes Peninsula early Friday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The largest temblor—magnitude-2.9—rattled residents at about 4:25 a.m.

School District Hires Three New Principals: Three new principals have been hired to replace the outgoing principals of Montemalaga, Silver Spur and Rancho Vista elementary schools in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, Superintendent Walker Williams announced Friday in a news release posted on the school district's website.

West Nile Virus Found in Harbor City: Authorities began spraying the area around Machado Lake, a pond in a city park best known in the recent past as the home of Reggie The Alligator, on Wednesday in an attempt to combat West Nile Virus. Testing done at the beginning of the year found confirmed cases of the disease, which can kill birds and in rare cases severely sicken people, in the Wilmington and Harbor City area, the Daily Breeze newspaper reported.