Around Town: Footvolley championship tournament kicks off Friday in Huntington Beach

Fresh off the U.S. Open of Surfing and the Surf City Pickleball Tournament, Huntington Beach is ready to host another championship athletic event this weekend — the 2017 California Footvolley World Championship.

Footvolley, created in Brazil in 1965, is like soccer on the beach — or more precisely, beach volleyball in which the players aren’t allowed to use their arms and hands.

The tournament will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday at Huntington City Beach, 325 Pacific Coast Hwy.

It’s free to watch. For more information, call (949) 701-9986.

Overnight closure coming for 405 connector and ramp in Costa Mesa

The California Department of Transportation will briefly close a connector and onramp to the 405 Freeway in Costa Mesa starting Friday night.

Both the southbound connector of the 55 Freeway to the northbound 405 and the Bristol Street on-ramp to the northbound 405 will be closed from 10 p.m. Friday until 4 a.m. Saturday to accommodate paving work.

Detour signs will be in place for motorists.

For more information, visit dot.ca.gov/dist12 or call the Caltrans District 12 public information office at (657) 328-6000.

Newport Dunes to host Marines fundraiser

The Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort in Newport Beach will host a car wash fundraiser Saturday to benefit the city’s “adopted” 1st Battalion, 1st Marines.

The event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The resort is at 1131 Back Bay Drive.

Huck Finn Fishing Derby returns to Huntington Beach

Want to fish like Huckleberry Finn? There’s a chance to do it Saturday in Huntington Beach, and it’s free.

The 54th annual Huck Finn Fishing Derby will be held from 9:15 a.m. to noon at the pier at Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway. Check-in begins at 8 a.m.

Bait will be provided, and there will be a limited number of rods available for participants.

Sawdust’s Benevolence Fund Art Auction set for Sunday

Art enthusiasts can bid on an array of paintings, ceramics, jewelry, clothing and photography and help artists in financial need during Sunday’s 31st annual Benevolence Fund Art Auction at the Sawdust Art & Craft Festival in Laguna Beach.

The event will include a silent auction at 10 a.m. followed by a live auction at 1 p.m. featuring works donated by Sawdust artists.

Since its inception, the fund has awarded more than $100,000 to artists in times of need, according to the Sawdust website.

The Sawdust Festival is at 935 Laguna Canyon Road.

For more information, visit sawdustartfestical.org and click on the “Donate” tab.

Erosion repairs to begin on east bluff in Upper Newport Bay

Orange County Public Works will begin repairs on the east bluff at Upper Newport Bay on Monday.

The maintenance road used by residents as an access to Back Bay Drive will be closed Mondays through Fridays for the three-month project.

Back Bay Drive will be open to vehicle traffic during construction, except during two weeks in September.

Contractor Excel Paving will be backfilling the bluff erosion and installing storm drain structures.

Newport arts grants up for grabs

The Newport Beach Arts Commission invites organizations to apply for Newport Beach cultural arts grants.

Grants will be awarded to qualified arts organizations with projects that can enhance arts education and community programs benefiting children and adults living in Newport Beach, as well as local schools.

Grant applications are available at newportbeachca.gov/culturalarts. They must be emailed to thetherton@newportbeachca.gov or dropped off at Cultural Arts Services, Newport Beach Public Library, 1000 Avocado Ave., by 4 p.m. Sept. 29.

UCI receives $150,000 to help medication monitoring efforts

UC Irvine has received a $150,000 gift from the Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Foundation to study the feasibility of using saliva rather than blood to monitor patients’ lithium medication levels.

Lithium has a narrow therapeutic range, UCI officials said, but is used to treat some psychiatric and mental health conditions, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

“This gift provides the opportunity to translate research into clinical practice,” Douglas Granger, professor of psychology and social behavior, said in a statement. “Monitoring lithium levels through saliva rather than blood holds great promise, because collecting samples is much easier for patients and physicians without compromising precision.”

Rotary Club donates school supplies to Costa Mesa children

The Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa recently packed and delivered backpacks to children in Costa Mesa.

The backpacks contained school supplies. About 250 of them were given to a Costa Mesa Boys & Girls Club branch and Costa Mesa elementary schools.

The project was funded by the Rotary Club with a grant from Rotary District 5320.

Costa Mesa TV airs Concerts in the Park series

Costa Mesa TV is airing the local Concerts in the Park series throughout August.

The TV schedule is 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5 p.m. Saturdays and noon Sundays.

The channel is available to Spectrum customers on Channel 3, AT&T U-Verse on Channel 99 and on the city’s website, costamesaca.gov.

UPDATES:

3:55 p.m.: This article was updated with the 405 Freeway and Huck Finn Fishing Derby items.

This article was originally published at 2:20 p.m.