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.
HOARDERS TV Star Cory Chalmers will be making guest appearance at newest Steri-Clean franchise opening in Sacramento
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Cable TV Star and lead expert of the hit television show 'Hoarders,' Cory Chalmers, will be making a special guest appearance at his newest Steri-Clean franchise. This franchise owned by Chapin Fowler is hosting the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce for a ribbon cutting on November 14 at 4:30 p.m. held at the chamber office at One Capitol Mall, suite 300 Sacramento.
Bank of Southern California, N.A. Acquires Frontier Bank, FSB dba El Paseo Bank – Its Third Acquisition in Coachella Valley
PALM DESERT, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Bank of Southern California, N.A. (OTCMKTS:FBBN / OTC Markets FBBN) announced today that it purchased substantially all the assets and liabilities of Frontier Bank, FSB dba El Paseo Bank through a purchase and assumption agreement with the FDIC.
EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants adds Karman Chan as new CFO
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Karman Chan has joined the firm as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in San Francisco. EPIC's current CFO, Michael Gonthier, will transition to a new EPIC position as Chief Administrative Officer.
Artist Marta Thoma Hall Makes Sculpture Transforming Bottles while Day Job Includes Designer Audiophile Headphones
SAN JOSE, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- The 'Brain Works' sculpture in San Jose, is the latest public art installation for artist Marta Thoma Hall, who is also president of Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. For Hall, the process of designing a new line of headphones or subwoofers is no different than creating, say, a piece of sculpture.
Calif. Gov. Brown Announces Appointments for Nov. 4, 2014 including to California State Independent Living Council
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- On Tuesday, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments: First, Alene Shimazu, 52, of Sacramento,...
Alex Padilla Statement On His Election as California Secretary of State
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Today, Calif. Senator Alex Padilla released the following statement after being declared the winner in California's 2014 mid-term election...
EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants welcomes Sharon Rusconi as VP and Regional Surety Executive
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property and casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, today announced that surety executive Sharon Rusconi and her team have joined the firm in Sacramento, Calif. Rusconi's book of business and other assets were purchased by EPIC from Lesron Insurance Agency.
Documentary Film director Eric Schwartz shows Chicano contribution to worldwide body-art culture
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Tattoos adorn the bodies of over 45 million Americans and the phenomenon of ink-on-flesh is now global. One area often overlooked when discussing tattoo art is the contribution of the Chicano community. 'The elevation of the tattoo to the status of art can be directly traced to Chicano culture,' notes Eric Schwartz, director of the documentary motion picture, 'Tattoo Nation.'
MCT Trading's new secondary marketing technology platform MCTlive! earns Release of the Year Award
SAN DIEGO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- MCT Trading, Inc., a recognized industry leader in risk management providing pipeline hedging, best-execution loan sales and centralized lock desk services, is pleased to announce that MCTlive!, MCT's best-in-class secondary marketing software platform, has been selected as the winner of Mortgage Technology magazine's 2014 Release of the Year Award.
The Original Patented Selfie Stick Proves 10 Years Later that Not all Selfie Poles are Created Equal
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- When Wayne Fromm invented and patented the Quik Pod, the original 'selfie stick,' more than 10 years ago, he had no idea how popular selfies would become. In fact, according to an article in Psychology Today, selfies have redefined how we document experiences.
SuperFly Magazine Publisher Gloria Goldwater announces New Book on Her Untold Story of Hip-Hop Legacy
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- New book, 'SuperFly - My Untold Story of Hip-Hop' (ISBN: 9780991356010), authored by Gloria Goldwater, pulls back the curtain on how the popular hip-hop magazine, SuperFly, that launched in the early 90s, came to be and why it ultimately folded.
With focus on Ebola, many forget that every 4 hours a Californian is diagnosed with Tuberculosis (TB)
OAKLAND, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Ebola is dominating the news headlines, bringing public health into the spotlight. Tragically, thousands have died. In the U.S., public health departments everywhere are quickly learning about Ebola and taking measures to prevent an epidemic here; but they are not starting from scratch, says the California Tuberculosis Controllers Association (CTCA).
New web portal hopes to offer the best travel deal guide for Vegas Tourism
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- It's not hard to lose money in Las Vegas, says new start-up VegasTourism.com. Remember the phrase, The house always wins? For the most part, gone are the days when hotel-casino heads figured that if they could get the tourists there, they'd spend so much money gambling it was worth it to sell prime rib plates for $4.99 and offer cheap entertainment.
5 Bars Communities will develop a Wireless Master Plan for the 73 Toll Road in Orange County
IRVINE, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- 5 Bars Communities announced today that it has been selected as the chief wireless consultant for the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency's 73 Toll Road. Amid growing demands for high-speed mobile broadband connectivity, the addition of strategically and sensitively placed cell sites on the 73 Toll Road will improve safety and provide added convenience for commuters.
EPIC Insurance Brokers Ranked 46 Among World's Top Insurance Brokers in Finaccord's Global Insurance Broking
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, has been ranked 46 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.
Calif. Gov. Brown Announces Appointments for Oct. 22, 2014 including to California Film Commission
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- On Wednesday, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the following appointments. First, Thomas Davis, 56, of Sherman...
Calif. Gov. Brown Announces Appointments for Oct. 21, 2014 including to California Travel and Tourism Commission
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- On Tuesday, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the following appointments. Clark Ducart, 53, of Crescent City, has...
Calif. Gov. Brown Announces Appointments for Oct. 20, 2014 including to California Department of Human Resources
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- On Monday, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the following appointments. First, Richard Gillihan, 46, of Folsom, has...
Californians Can Still Access Over $37 million in Middle Class Tuition Assistance – AB 94
REDONDO BEACH, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Calif. Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance), Chairman of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, called upon the California...
Michael Nischan of EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants to Advise Trucking Industry on Minimizing Risk, Enhancing Safety
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- As the head of the transportation safety and security consulting business for EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, Michael Nischan will present his views on risk management in the trucking industry on a panel during a three-day industry seminar hosted by the Trucking Industry Defense Association (TIDA).
Rapid Prototypes announces beta launch of AdaptRM Time Tracking and Invoicing service
SUNNYVALE, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Rapid Prototypes, Inc. today announced the release of its AdaptRM Time Tracking and Invoicing beta service. Already supporting unlimited numbers of devices, this release incorporates a new invoicing ability. This option not only allows the user to track time to their various projects, but also creates professional invoices for direct transmission to clients via their preferred method.
Edgewood Partners Insurance Center adds John Walsh as Executive Liability and Financial Lines Principal
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Edgewood Partners Insurance Center (EPIC), a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that John Walsh has joined the firm as their Principal of Executive Liability and Financial Lines insurance. Walsh brings more than 10 years of Financial Lines Broking, Placement, Underwriting, Business Development, Client Service, Operations and Claims Management experience to EPIC.
Jeremy Burcham named Chief Strategy Officer at The Compliance Group, Inc.
CARLSBAD, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Leading mortgage compliance services provider The Compliance Group, Inc. (TCG) today announced it has hired Jeremy Burcham as Chief Strategy Officer. Bringing nearly 14 years of quality control and operations experience, Burcham will be responsible for formulating, facilitating and communicating TCG's plans for the future.
ImmersiON-VRelia space exploration experience on GO Head Mounted Display at 75th Anniversary Open House
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- ImmersiON-VRelia, the premier innovator in the HMD Virtual Reality sector, will exhibit at NASA's 75th Anniversary Open House. The event, set for October 18, 2014 at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif., is expected to draw approximately 120,000 attendees.
Seasoned Community Banker Mark Gustafson Named Market Exec at Bank of Southern California
PALM DESERT, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Bank of Southern California today announced that seasoned community banker, Mark Gustafson has been appointed to lead the bank's Coachella Valley region. Mr. Gustafson most recently served as Market President for First California Bank which was sold and merged into Pacific Western Bank. He also served as President and CEO of Canyon National Bank, Ogden BancShares, Inc
Christopher Walker, Esq. joins Edgewood Partners Insurance Center as Director of Healthcare Compliance
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Edgewood Partners Insurance Center (EPIC), a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Christopher Walker, Esq. has joined the firm as Director of Healthcare Compliance and Associate General Counsel, Employee Benefits. Walker will be based in EPIC's San Francisco headquarters and will report to Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Dan Crawford.
Edgewood Partners Insurance Center announces Co-founder Dan Francis to Leave Company
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Edgewood Partners Insurance Center (EPIC), a national retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, today announced that Co-founder and Executive Chairman Dan Francis has elected to leave the firm effective Nov. 1, 2014.
Foodies welcome new store in Burbank, Van Dorn Gourmets, offering complete line of Spices, Seasonings, Blends and Dip Mixes
BURBANK, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Foodies on alert! After experiencing popularity and success through their online store of gourmet rubs, seasonings, spices and dips, Van Dorn Gourmets has recently announced the launch of their first brick and mortar store in Burbank, Calif. Featuring an expanded line and customer-first service the store has been met with quick enthusiasm and positive feedback from area food lovers.
Laguna College of Art and Design and Project Gado bring Rex and Joan Irving Brandt Papers to Getty Images
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Laguna College of Art and Design (LCAD), the West Coast's top fine art college, today announced with Project Gado that 1,000 pages of material from The Rex and Joan Irving Brandt Papers are now available on Getty Images. California Watercolorist Rex Brandt kept sketchbooks, photographs and archival materials that can now be viewed on the Getty Images website.
Edgewood Partners Insurance Center welcomes Bill Cosgrove as Financial Institutions Practice Leader
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Edgewood Partners Insurance Center (EPIC), a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that William P. Cosgrove has joined the firm as managing principal and Financial Institutions Practice leader. Cosgrove brings 28 years of insurance industry underwriting, production, marketing, client service, management and executive leadership experience to the firm.
Edgewood Partners Insurance Center Names Insurance Veteran Peter Garvey as Chief Operating Officer
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Edgewood Partners Insurance Center (EPIC), a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, today announced the appointment of insurance industry veteran Peter Garvey as Chief Operating Officer, a newly created position reporting to CEO John Hahn. Bringing EPIC nearly 35 years of insurance brokerage strategic operations, mergers and acquisitions, and executive leadership experience, Garvey will be chartered with further accelerating EPIC's growth momentum.
California Bill to Facilitate Texting to 911, Modernize Emergency Communications signed into Law – SB 1211
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Calif. Gov. Brown this past week signed Senate Bill 1211, authored by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima). The bill moves...
Legislative Idea to Create California Aerospace Commission Announced
TORRANCE, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- This past week, Calif. Assemblymember Muratsuchi (D – Torrance) convened aerospace industry stakeholders for an Aerospace Advisory Council (Council)...
California Bill to Protect Campus Crime Victims signed into Law – AB 1433
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- This past week, a closely watched and highly anticipated bill by Calif. Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles) to "ensure...
VLP Law Group LLP welcomes Jeremy Cubert and Richard Kimball to its IP Law and Corporate Groups
PALO ALTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- VLP Law Group LLP today announced the addition of Jeremy A. Cubert and Richard N. Kimball. Jeremy will join the Intellectual Property Practice Group as a partner based in the Washington D.C. area. Richard, based in Boston, focuses on corporate and transactional matters.
Edgewood Partners Insurance Center welcomes David Wiesner as Regional Director for Employee Benefits Consulting
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Edgewood Partners Insurance Center (EPIC), a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, today announced that David Wiesner has joined the firm as managing principle and regional director in EPIC's Employee Benefits Consulting Division.
California Student Social-Media Privacy Bill Signed Into Law – AB 1442
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Social-media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have stoked concerns from parents about how to protect the privacy of...
Landmark California Plastic Bag Ban Signed into Law – SB 270
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/-- This week, Calif. Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Senate Bill 270 which will phase out single-use plastic bags in...
California Legislation to Create New Funding Stream for Water Efficiency Signed by Gov. Brown – AB 2636
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Another key water-conservation bill introduced by Calif. Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles), and co-authored by Assemblymember Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley),...
EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants named a 'Best Place to Work in Insurance' for 5th Year
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants (EPIC), a retail property, casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage, has been recognized for a fifth year as a 'Best Place to Work in Insurance' by Business Insurance Magazine and survey co-sponsor Best Companies Group.
Angels Baseball selects 5 Bars to Deliver High-Speed Wi-Fi and DAS to Increase Efficiencies for Post Season Games
IRVINE, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- 5 Bars, an Irvine, Calif.-based premier provider of indoor and outdoor distributed antenna systems (DAS) and Wi-Fi(R) systems, has installed permanent neutral host DAS and Wi-Fi networks at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Angel Stadium is a 45,483 seat facility and home to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
California Legislation to Protect Healthcare Workers Signed into Law by Gov. Brown
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Calif. Senate Bill 1299 authored by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Padilla) was signed by Governor Brown this week. The bill...
Landmark California Recycled-Water Bill Signed by Gov. Brown as 2014 Drought Persists
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Most homeowners want cheaper water bills. If provided the infrastructure, they'd gladly use recycled water to wash cars...
California Bill of Rights for senior RCFE residents, to reform oversight of assisted living centers, singed into law
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ Calif. Governor Jerry Brown’s signing this week of several bills to aid California seniors by improving oversight of assisted living...
Launch of new secondary marketing technology platform MCTlive earns recognition
SAN DIEGO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- MCT Trading, Inc., a recognized leader in mortgage pipeline hedging, loan sale execution and risk management services, today announced that it has been chosen by Mortgage Technology magazine as a finalist for the 2014 'Release of the Year' Award.
Tackle Cancer with a Cheer! Inaugural 'Team Up for St. Jude, Spirited by Varsity – Game Day' will help find cures,...
ANAHEIM, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Anaheim-based Esperanza High School Cheer and Song Leaders are hosting Team Up for St. Jude Spirited by Varsity - Game Day, a spirit week to raise funds and awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital(R). The Aztec cheer and song teams are enlisting students and fans to help sideline childhood cancer and other deadly diseases by cheering on the Cardinal and Gold at Brea Olinda High Stadium on October 2, 2014, at 7 p.m.
At Educause 2014, Meru Networks Inc. and Utelogy Corp Showcase Intelligent Campus AV Solutions
LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Utelogy Corporation, creator of audio-visual control and management software will demonstrate its capabilities over SDN-enabled Wi-Fi(R) powered by Meru Networks, Inc. in booth 1037 at Educause 2014, being held September 29 through October 2, 2014 in Orlando, Fla. Meru is a leader in intelligent networking and the only wireless LAN vendor to have received OpenFlow(TM) conformance.
California legislation to protect and preserve sacred Native American landmarks signed into law by Gov. Brown
SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- After nearly two years of negotiation, legislation to protect and preserve sacred Native American landmarks was signed by Governor...
Down the rabbit hole in time for tea: the 5th Annual Mad Hatter Holiday Festival 2014 is a Wonderland
VALLEJO, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Down the rabbit hole! The City of Vallejo, Calif. has gone Mad for the month of December 2014 - Mad Hatter that is - with its popular 'Mad Hatter Holiday Festival' that attracts thousands to the historic downtown district with its whimsical and fire-shooting Wonderland recreation that turns the city into a fantasy world for children and adults alike!
Southern California's First Working Vertical Farm on a High School Campus to include GardenSoxx drought resistant food growing system
IRVINE, Calif. /California Newswire/ -- Alegria Fresh announced today the expansion of the hydroponic vertical farm at Bell Gardens High School, Southern California's first working vertical farm on a high school campus. The farm, which features high-performance urban hydroponic vertical and organic farming methods, will be completed with Phase 2, a high efficiency organic food production system using GardenSoxx(R).
