Christopher Simmons
Christopher Simmons (aka Christopher Laird Simmons) has been a working journalist since his first magazine sale in 1984. He has since written for wide variety of print and online publications covering lifestyle, tech and entertainment. He is an award-winning author, designer, photographer, and musician. He is a member of ASCAP and PRSA. He is the founder and CEO of Neotrope®, based in Temecula, CA, USA.
Calif. Assemblymember McCarty Introduces Legislation to Close California Gun Free School Zones Loophole
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Calif. Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D- Sacramento) today introduced Assembly Bill 424 (AB 424), which will close a loophole in California’s Gun Free School Zones law. While civilian possession of a gun on a school campus is prohibited, a school district can currently authorize an armed civilian with a Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) permit to enter a school campus.
Asm. Bocanegra California Film Tax Credit is Box Office Success for Hollywood Jobs
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, the California Film Commission announced the second round of recipients for feature films and independent projects, bringing back jobs and revenue to California as promised under AB 1839, the California Film and Television Job Retention and Promotion Act. Assemblymember Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima) and former Assemblymember Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles) authored the legislation in 2014, and 2015 marked the first year of credit distribution.
UPROAR Entertainment releases Stand-Up Comedy CD by ALEX ELKIN ‘Live from Las Vegas’
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Uproar Entertainment is excited to announce the release of "Live From Las Vegas" by Alex Elkin. Comedian Alex Elkin has a comedy style that is unique and true to himself. He is unapologetic, says what he thinks, delivers the unexpected, and knows what funny is.
Calif. Senator Tony Mendoza Statement on Immigration & Customs Enforcement Raids in California
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- On February 9, 2017, several urgent reports of the Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency launching raids in Downey, Van Nuys, San Bernardino, and Santa Paula reached Senator Mendoza’s Capitol and District Offices. “It is important that the Immigration & Customs Enforcement Agency publicly address the nature of these raids,” Senator Mendoza said.
S.F. Mayor Lee and Supervisor Kim Announce Plan to Provide Access to City College for Calif. Residents
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- S.F. Mayor Edwin M. Lee, Supervisor Jane Kim and City College Acting Chancellor Susan Lamb announced this week that starting next school year City College will be accessible for all California residents living in San Francisco and taking courses for credit.
S.F. Mayor Lee Signs Historic Legislation for Mixed-Income Development in Sunnydale
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee last week (Feb. 1) signed historic legislation to authorize the phased redevelopment of the Potrero Terrace and Annex and Sunnydale public housing sites, both part of the City’s HOPE SF neighborhood transformation initiative.
AVNation Names Utelogy Corp. an Award Winner at Integrated Systems Europe 2017 in Amsterdam
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Utelogy has been selected as an AVNation 2016 award winner. Utelogy was nominated in three of the four product categories and was voted winner of the unique "Saved My Bacon" award. The awards were announced at the AV industry's largest conference Integrated Systems Europe 2017 in Amsterdam this week.
5 BARS Resets Wi-Fi ‘BAR’ for Wireless Data Usage, Performance During Super Bowl LI
IRVINE, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- 5 BARS(R), a premier provider of wireless solutions, set a new record for any single-day wireless data usage event on the Wi-Fi system installed and operating at NRG Stadium. During Super Bowl LI, the Wi-Fi system recorded data usage of 12.2 TB, exceeding last year's record from Levi Stadium.
Bill Cosgrove of EPIC to Lead Panel Discussion at 2017 Advisen Cyber Risk Insights Conference
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Bill Cosgrove, Managing Principal & Practice Leader, EPIC Financial Risk Solutions, will moderate a panel on Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) exposures at Advisen's Cyber Risk Insights Conference on Wed., Feb. 15 in San Francisco.
Calif. Gov. Brown announces Appointments for Feb. 8, 2017 including State Council on Developmental Disabilities
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the following appointments: First, Sid Voorakkara, 46, of San Diego, has been appointed deputy director of external affairs at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), where he has served as senior business development specialist since 2013.
Calif. Assemblymembers McCarty, Gonzalez Fletcher and Nazarian to Introduce ‘California Welcomes Refugees’ Legislation
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Calif. Assemblymembers Kevin McCarty (D- Sacramento), Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D – San Diego) and Adrin Nazarian (D- Sherman Oaks) will introduce a legislative package that builds upon California’s efforts to welcome and successfully integrate refugees from around the world.
Calif. Gov. Brown Announces Appointments for Feb. 7, 2017, including to California Department of Technology
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the following appointments for Feb. 7 -- first, Cindy Messer, 48, of Sacramento, has been appointed chief deputy director at the California Department of Water Resources, where she has served as assistant chief deputy director since 2016. She was deputy director of the Planning, Performance and Technology Division at the Delta Stewardship Council from 2012 to 2016.
Calif. Federation of Teachers Statement on Confirmation of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Despite an unprecedented surge of opposition and protest, the United States Senate voted to confirm Betsy DeVos as the nation’s 11th Secretary of Education on Tuesday. The California Federation of Teachers is extremely disappointed in the confirmation of this unqualified candidate to lead our nation’s education system.
Calif. Assemblymember O’Donnell Leads the Charge to Deliver Academic Equality for Students with Disabilities
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, Calif. Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D – Long Beach) introduced AB 312, which strengthens California’s support for students with disabilities by creating a state funding source for special education preschool services and addressing long-standing special education funding inequities.
Calif. Speaker Rendon Statement on Trump’s ‘Out of Control’ Comment
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) released the following statement in response to Donald Trump’s Super Bowl interview: “California has the most manufacturing jobs in the nation. Our state grows a quarter of the nation’s food. Our minimum wage increase has not only helped our poorest workers, it has boosted the economy while unemployment continues to drop.
City of Twentynine Palms to Develop Wireless Master Plan with Wi-Fi Leader 5 BARS®
IRVINE, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- 5 BARS(R), a premier provider of wireless master plans and marketing agreements for cities and municipalities across the United States, announced today an agreement to develop a Wireless Master Plan for the City of Twentynine Palms.
Calif. Governor Brown Welcomes Australian and Mexican States to Under2 Climate Coalition
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- This past week, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. welcomed the states of Aguascalientes, Mexico and Victoria, Australia to the Under2 Coalition - the global pact among cities, states and countries to limit the increase in global average temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius, the level of potentially catastrophic consequences.
City of Paramount Continues Aggressive Response to SCAQMD Air Quality Findings
PARAMOUNT, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- On January 24, the Paramount City Council unanimously voted to extend the moratorium on all metal-related businesses within the City for an additional six months.
The original moratorium was established on December 13, 2016 to prohibit businesses that manufacture or process metal from opening or expanding within the City.
EPIC Strengthens California Benefits Team, Acquires Benefit Compass Insurance Services LLC
IRVINE, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property & casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today it has acquired Benefit Compass Insurance Services, LLC, a specialist in employee benefits brokerage and consulting services.
Calif. Asm. Speaker Rendon Launches Speaker’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Calif. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) today announced the launch of the Speaker’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Childhood Education. The commission’s goal is to develop solutions to improve results for California’s youngest learners and their families.
Calif. Asm. Kevin McCarty Releases Statement in Response to Legislative Analyst Office Report on Debt Free College
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Calif. Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance released the following statement in response to the Legislative Analyst Office’s (LAO) report, “Creating a Debt Free College Program.”
California Federation of Teachers Opposes Supreme Court nomination of Neil Gorsuch
POLITICS: California Federation of Teachers (CFT) opposes 2017 SCOTUS Nominee. President Trump’s announcement of his Supreme Court nominee doubles down on the approach he has taken with his other selections, says CFT. Federal Appeals Court Judge Neil Gorsuch is a conservative disciple of the late Judge Scalia and a proponent of the Supreme Court as a defender of the original interpretation of the Constitution - a Constitution that was drafted to protect the interests of white slave owners.
EPIC Golf Insurance Services Adds Bill Bergstrom as VP and Program Leader
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property & casualty brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Bill Bergstrom has joined the firm to lead the operations and growth initiatives of its Golf Insurance Services Program, which has provided insurance and risk management solutions to golf courses and country clubs since 1985.
Calif. State Assembly Elects Dr. Bryon G. Gustafson as Chief Sergeant-at-Arms
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- The California State Assembly today unanimously elected Bryon G. Gustafson, Ph.D., to serve as the Assembly’s chief sergeant-at-arms. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) administered the oath of office to Dr. Gustafson shortly after the vote.
Calif. Asm. Cervantes Introduces Bill to Expedite Teacher Credentialing for Military Spouses
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, Calif. Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes (D-Corona) introduced a bill to help military families. The bill, Assembly Bill 226, would require the state Commission on Teacher Credentialing to give priority to applicants who are spouses of active United States Military service members.
Calif. Senator Tony Mendoza Introduces Resolution 5 Honoring India Republic Day
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- On January 26, 2017, Calif. Senator Tony Mendoza presented Senate Concurrent Resolution 5 which observes January 26, 2017 as India Republic Day and also marks the 68th Anniversary of the day the Constitution of India was adopted.
Calif. Asm. Bocanegra Introduces Legislation to Bring Equity for Immigrants to California Criminal Justice Laws
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, Calif. Assemblymember Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima) introduced legislation to bring equity to our criminal justice laws, by ensuring that use of false immigration documents carries the same penalties as use of a fake driver’s license. AB 222 would amend Section 114 of the California Penal Code, a provision enacted in 1994 as part of Proposition 187, a largely unconstitutional attempt to fight the perceived ills of illegal immigration and punish undocumented immigrants in California.
‘Chillennial’ by Comedian Feraz Ozel Debuts at No. 9 on Billboard Comedy Chart
LOS ANGELES, Calif., Jan. 25, 2017 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Uproar Entertainment is proud to announce that "Chillennial" by Feraz Ozel has debuted at #9 on The Billboard Comedy Chart in its first week of release. The Billboard Comedy Chart lists the week's top selling comedy albums ranked by sales data as compiled by Nielsen Music.
Calif. Gov. Brown Puts the New D.C. ‘Swamp’ on Notice with 2017 State of the State
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- On Tuesday, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. delivered his State of the State address for 2017, departing with the traditional practice of listing every issue and restating every priority to focus on the "broader context of our country and its challenges."
Edutech Pro Joey D’Angelo named V.P. of Engineering at Utelogy Corporation
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Utelogy Corporation, creator of audio/visual control, management, and analytics software, announces Joey D'Angelo joins the company as Vice President of Engineering. D'Angelo will help drive Utelogy's growth velocity and product feature sets as the company continues on its mission to deliver true, non-proprietary Software-Defined AV solutions that can be virtualized or leveraged on any common data center and network infrastructure.
MCT and OpenClose Complete New Integration to Optimize Lender Loan Hedge Positions
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Independent Mortgage Bankers Conference - OpenClose(R) an enterprise-class, multi-channel loan origination system (LOS) provider, and Mortgage Capital Trading, Inc. (MCT), a leading mortgage hedge advisory and secondary marketing technology firm, jointly announced they developed an integration that eliminates manual intervention and streamlines the delivery of loan data to maximize hedging for lenders.
Monnie McGaffigan named President at 5 BARS in Irvine
IRVINE, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- 5 BARS(R) announced today the appointment of Monnie McGaffigan as president of the wireless solutions firm. 5 Bars is a premier provider of master wireless plans and marketing agreements for cities and municipalities across the United States.
Animal rights advocates applaud new book, ‘Jeremy and the Crow Nation’ by Tatiana Strelkoff
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Rebecca House Publishing and To Love Children Educational Foundation International Inc., a 501(c)(3), announces the release of "Jeremy and the Crow Nation" (ISBN 978-0945522058) by Tatiana Strelkoff. "Jeremy" is the second book in "The Changer Trilogy."
Campaign for Cursive and AHAF Launch 2017 Cursive Writing Contest in US and Canada
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- The annual Cursive is Cool(R) contests are presented by the Campaign for Cursive(R), a committee of the American Handwriting Analysis Foundation (AHAF) on National Handwriting Day. Each year, National Handwriting Day is celebrated on Jan. 23, the date associated with the birth of John Hancock.
Assemblymember Cervantes Introduces Bill to Restructure California Transportation Commission – AB179
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes (D-Corona) has introduced a bill to restructure the California Transportation Commission. The bill, Assembly Bill 179, would impose certain additional expertise requirements on future appointments to the Commission.
Calif. Assembly Speaker Rendon Announces 2017 Assembly Committee Assignments
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, Calif. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) announced the members of Assembly committees. Among the changes this year, the number of women committee chairs has doubled under Speaker Rendon, and women hold membership on every committee.
California Assembly Democrats Issue #DearCalifornians Inauguration Day Letter
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Members of the Calif. Assembly Democratic Caucus today issued a letter and video addressed to all Californians, pledging to continue California’s history of leading the nation in producing policy that benefits all people.
EPIC Now Ranked 26 Among World’s Largest Commercial Insurance Brokers
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, has been ranked #26 among the world's top insurance brokers in Finaccord's "Global Insurance Broking: A Strategic Review of the World's Top 150 Commercial Non-Life Insurance Brokers."
EPIC Insurance’s Rosemary Manning Hughes to Present at ISCEBS 2017 in New York
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that senior consultant and principal Rosemary Manning Hughes will present at the 2017 Health & Welfare Compliance Update put on by the New York Metro Area Chapter of the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (ISCEBS) on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 8:45 a.m. at BDO, 100 Park Ave., 11th Floor in New York, N.Y.
ReverseVision Distributes Food to the Hungry with Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank
SAN DIEGO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- ReverseVision Inc., the leading provider of software and technology for the reverse mortgage industry, has teamed up with the San Diego Food Bank to help local residents in need. The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief organization in San Diego County.
U.S. Rep. Tony Cardenas Joins Calif. Lawmakers Not Attending Trump Inauguration
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, in Washington, D.C., U.S. Representative Tony Cárdenas (CA-29) released the following statement on his decision not to attend the inauguration: “My humble and loving parents taught me to live by this saying, ‘Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres.’ It means tell me who you hang out with, and I'll tell you who you are. My wife and I have lived this truth, and we have taught it to our children.
City of Millbrae California Awarded $200K for Millbrae Station Comprehensive Access Plan
MILLBRAE, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- This past week, the City of Millbrae announced that it has been awarded $200,000 from the California High-Speed Rail Authority to support the development of a comprehensive, multi-agency, multi-modal access plan to the Millbrae Intermodal Transit Station.
New stand-up comedy CD ‘Chillennial’ by Feraz Ozel announced by Uproar Entertainment
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Feraz Ozel, a "brown" comedian, is a light-hearted performer driven by passion, and intelligence, says Uproar Entertainment. His is a diverse and energetic brand of insightful comedy that connects with people from all walks of life. He prides himself on putting on a show that will make you laugh till it hurts, think about a few new things, and remember that regardless of our vast differences, we can all come together for a night of comedy.
Cap-Intro West Conference: EPIC Insurance’s Bill Cosgrove to Speak
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that its Managing Principal & Practice Leader - Financial Risk Solutions, Bill Cosgrove will speak at the Cap-Intro West Conference on January 19 at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco, Calif. in the Main Hall - Pacific Level.
Wine Lovers Online Portal Kazzit Inc. Tallies its Highest Quarterly Usership Growth to Date
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Kazzit Inc., the wine industry's most all-inclusive online community, has announced a bullish end of the year in terms of company growth. The fourth quarter of 2016 showed a 30 percent increase in unique visitors over Q3, and a 400 percent increase over the previous year. These results were fueled by a recently refreshed design, enhanced content and search capabilities, the launch of the Kazzit mobile app, and international expansion into 17 new countries.
Laguna Art-A-Fair hosts 2017 Call for Artists Jury Day in Laguna Beach, Calif.
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- The Laguna Art-A-Fair announces a Call for Artists Jury Day on Sunday, February 12 with an opportunity to join one of California's premier summer fine art festivals. Artists and artisans may enter three pieces of their original artwork along with a jury fee from 8 - 11 a.m. at the Boys and Girls Club, 1085 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651.
Millbrae Calif. School District Expands Synergy Solution to Include Online Registration and Assessment
MILLBRAE, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Edupoint(R) Educational Systems, creator of the industry-leading Synergy(R) Education Platform for K-12 student information and learning management, has been selected by Millbrae School District (MSD) to implement the company's Synergy Online Registration and Synergy Assessment solutions, and the Inspect(R) Item Bank from Key Data Systems that works seamlessly with Synergy Assessment. MSD is located in San Mateo County in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Federation of Teachers Statement on Governor Brown’s 2017-18 Budget Proposal
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Thanks to the passage of Proposition 55 in the November 2016 election, California will be able to maintain its commitment to providing quality public education to the state’s more than six million students in the years to come, says the California Federation of Teachers. While Governor Brown cites fiscal uncertainties due to likely changes in federal education policies and funding under the Trump administration, as well as projections of lower state revenues than anticipated, his proposed state budget keeps investments in public education a priority.
Calif. Assembly Special Committee Recommends Becerra Confirmation with Floor Vote Friday (with Audio)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- The Calif. Assembly Special Committee on the Office of the Attorney General today voted 6-3 to recommend that the full Assembly confirm Rep. Xavier Becerra as Attorney General of California.
Democratic Assemblymembers Respond to Gov. Brown 2017 California State Budget Proposal
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, Calif. Governor Brown released his proposal for the 2017-18 budget. Assemblymembers Raul Bocanegra, Sabrina Cervantes, and Kevin McCarty issued statements. As anticipated, the governor introduced a fiscally-conservative budget that forecasts lower revenues due to uncertainty at the national level.
