This Week's Top News in the South Bay

Here is a look at some of the top news stories this week in the Beach Cities and on the Palos Verdes peninsula as reported by Patch:

Hermosa Beach

E&B Testing in City Yard Rankles Residents: When Mike Collins woke up Tuesday morning and went upstairs to make coffee, he saw something he didn't expect: a rig being used in the city's Public Works Yard at 6th St. and Valley Drive. E&B and the city confirmed that work was being done at the yard on Tuesday and would continue for a day or two. On Thursday, city yard staff said the work had been completed and the holes created for it filled with concrete.

City Treasurer David Cohn Resigns: Hermosa Beach City Treasurer David Cohn has resigned from the position he was elected to in Nov. 2011. He will step down on May 15th, according to city officials. In his resignation letter, Cohn writes that his age (he is 72) and number of commitments have become too much for him.

Pier Repairs Postpone Re-Opening: The re-opening of the Hermosa Beach Pier has been pushed back from May 17 to May 20, said City Manager Tom Bakaly Tuesday. Bakaly said the pier will be open in time for the Memorial Day weekend, which begins May 25.

Hermosa Police Release July 4th Video Aimed at Teens: The Hermosa Beach Police department released a YouTube video this week with the goal of dissuading local teenagers from partaking in illegal parties this year on the Fourth of July. The video, which was recently filmed and produced by local students, outlines the penalties and procedures associated with underage drinking and other illegal activity on July 4.

Redondo Beach

Redondo Burglary Suspect Arrested After Brief Pursuit: A burglary suspect was taken into custody Tuesday after a short pursuit in the South Bay, police said. It began at 11:35 a.m. in the 800 block of Avenue C in Redondo Beach when a neighbor saw a man he didn't recognize go into his neighbor's backyard and come back out and get into a black car, said Sgt. Mario Fizulich of the Redondo Beach Police Department.

2.9 Earthquake Hits Los Angeles Area: A magnitude-2.9 earthquake centered one mile southeast of Marina del Rey jolted the Southland on Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The quake struck at 2:08 p.m. two miles north of El Segundo and three miles west of Inglewood, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

KISS Rock Stars Open New Rock & Brews PCH: It was a rock star-studded affair as KISS co-founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley joined community members and business partners Wednesday to officially christen the new Rock & Brews Pacific Coast Highway in the Riviera Village.

Mistrial Declared in Fatal Collision Case: Redondo Beach prosecutors will seek a retrial on a vehicular manslaughter charge in the case of an off-duty Lomita sheriff's deputy who ran over and killed an elderly woman in Redondo Beach on July 4, 2011, according to the Beach Reporter.

Palos Verdes

Second Suspect Arrested in Death of Man in Burning SUV: A second suspect has been arrested in connection with the death of the man whose body was found in a burning car in Rancho Palos Verdes, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

• Related: Teen Arrested in Connection With Body Found in Burned SUV

Conservationist Preserves Open Space for Future Generations: Bill Ailor’s aerospace credentials reach from here to Mars, quite literally. The principal engineer with the Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies at The Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, Dr. Ailor is deeply involved with the safety of deep space missions such as the Mars Exploration Rover and Mars Science Laboratory. Around the South Bay, however, he is known for something else: his passion for conservation, specifically the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy, an organization that preserved some 1,000 acres under his 18-year leadership and now boasts 1,600 acres.

RPV Man: I Was 'Trapped' Between Boston Marathon Blasts: A Rancho Palos Verdes resident had a close call at last month's Boston Marathon, according to the Palos Verdes Peninsula News. Phil Norman was walking to the finish line when the first bomb went off in front of him; he turned and ran in the other direction when the second explosion hit.

PV Schools Rank High in Newsweek List: Newsweek has ranked Palos Verdes Peninsula and Palos Verdes high schools as the Nos. 88 and 159 high schools in the country, respectively. For its rankings, Newsweek sent out a survey to more than 5,000 high schools in the U.S., with about 2,500 schools responding in 2013.

Manhattan Beach

Truck Driver Arrested for Alleged Assault With Deadly Weapon: A verbal dispute over a closed road escalated to an incident between a construction worker and the driver of an 18-wheel rig Tuesday before noon near 7th St. and Ocean Drive, said Manhattan Beach Police Public Information Officer Stephanie Martin.

Residents Concerned About Bike Sharrows on Pacific Avenue: With the idea of bike sharrows designations being painted onto Pacific Avenue, Manhattan Beach residents have come out to voice their opposition.

Mark Leyman Promoted to Parks and Rec Director: Mark Leyman was named the new director of the city's Parks and Recreation Department this morning, replacing long-time staffer Richard Gill, whose retirement was effective May 10, according to the city.

Mira Costa Drama 'The Top' at John Raitt Awards: Fresh from two closing day performances of "Anything Goes," students in the Mira Costa Drama Department won five awards at the John Raitt Awards for Youth 5th annual awards show, presented by the Fullerton Civic Light Opera at the Plummer Auditorium in Fullerton on April 28.