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Beloved sandcastle artist booted from California beach by luxury hotel after nearly 20 years

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Beloved sandcastle artist booted from California beach by luxury hotel after nearly 20 years

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For nearly two decades, families posed for photos beside his towering sandcastles, couples got engaged in front of them, and holiday visitors returned year after year to see what he would build next.

Now, the man affectionately known as “The Sandcastle Man” is no longer building on the stretch of Southern California beach where he became a Coronado fixture.

Hotel del Coronado confirmed to Fox News Digital that it and sand artist Bill Pavlacka “have parted ways” effective Feb. 5, ending his nearly 20-year run crafting elaborate sculptures on Coronado Beach outside the historic resort.

“We can confirm that Hotel del Coronado and The Sandcastle Man have parted ways effective February 5. We wish The Sandcastle Man continued success,” a hotel spokesperson said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

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Bill Pavlacka, known as “The Sandcastle Man,” poses beside one of his sand sculptures on Coronado Beach in California. The longtime beach fixture recently parted ways with the Hotel del Coronado after nearly two decades building on the resort’s beachfront. (Daniel Knighton/Getty Images)

The hotel did not provide any additional details about the decision.

Pavlacka’s sand creations, ranging from whimsical holiday displays to custom wedding proposals, anniversary tributes and birthday messages have long-drawn crowds along the iconic shoreline adjacent to San Diego.

The circumstances surrounding his departure were detailed in a letter and interview quotes reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune, as well as in statements Pavlacka shared on social media.

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The Union-Tribune reported that Pavlacka was formally notified in a letter from the hotel’s human resources director that he was no longer permitted to operate on hotel property. According to the newspaper, the letter said that in recent months a new incident had come to light “involving consumption of alcohol, resulting in a negative guest experience.”

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A sandcastle sculpture created by Bill Pavlacka sits on Coronado Beach in Southern California with the Hotel del Coronado in the background. Pavlacka has built proposal displays, holiday scenes and custom creations along the beachfront for nearly 20 years. (Daniel Knighton/Getty Images)

Pavlacka denied that allegation in an interview with the Union-Tribune.

“There was no alcohol. I don’t drink alcohol out there,” he said. “I asked the hotel guy who complained, ‘Did you see me drinking?’ He said, ‘We’re not going to go there.’ If they want me out of there, that’s OK. I’m not going to fight and argue with them.”

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The Union-Tribune also reported the letter stated Pavlacka was “no longer permitted to operate ‘The Sandcastle Man’ or any other business on the premises of the Hotel del Coronado… explicitly including the Hotel’s beach.”

The newspaper further reported that the hotel owns portions of the beachfront and, citing the California Coastal Commission, has the right to control that property so long as public access is not denied.

Pavlacka told the Union-Tribune he believes the decision may have been influenced by messages he sometimes carved into his sculptures. The newspaper reported the hotel letter said that as a condition of operating on the hotel’s beach property, Pavlacka’s sandcastle content was to be “neutral” and “free of political or controversial messages.”

Pavlacka said he had incorporated phrases such as “I believe in freedom of speech” and “I love democracy,” along with a quote attributed to Mark Twain: “Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.” 

He said the messages were interpreted as political.

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The historic Hotel del Coronado is seen in Coronado, Calif. The beachfront resort confirmed it has “parted ways” with longtime sand sculpture artist Bill Pavlacka, known locally as “The Sandcastle Man.” (Daniel Knighton/Getty Images)

“The hotel always says I do not work for them, but they kicked me off the property,” he told the Union-Tribune. “But I have tremendous support in San Diego and almost all the feedback I’ve gotten is positive. So I can’t understand why all of a sudden things changed.”

Local supporters echoed that sentiment.

“Bill is hardworking and quiet and never have we ever seen him drinking,” Kimberly Weed told the Coronado Times. “This is a huge loss for the people of San Diego, and everyone loves ‘The Sandcastle Man.’ Bring him back and appreciate the joy it brings people from all over the world.”

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Ken Fitzgerald told the outlet, “There is nothing controversial, much less offensive, about a quote from one of America’s greatest authors about the importance of truth and objective reality in our nation’s civic life.”

Pavlacka addressed the split in a Facebook post.

“After nearly two decades, Hotel del Coronado and I have parted ways. Building sandcastles in front of the hotel, and meeting guests from all over the world, has meant everything to me,” he wrote.

“While I’m saddened this chapter has ended, I’m excited for greater creative freedom ahead,” he added, directing supporters to find him “just north of the main lifeguard tower on Coronado Beach.”

The San Diego skyline from Centennial Park in Coronado, Calif. (Christopher A. Jones via Getty Images)

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In his interview with the Union-Tribune, Pavlacka said he plans to continue building sandcastles elsewhere.

“I won’t give up, I’ll still build sandcastles. It may not be here, it will be somewhere,” he said.

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Pavlacka also publishes a price list on “The Sandcastle Man” website. 

The page states: “Sandcastles and lessons on Hotel Del Coronado property must be pre-approved by the hotel.” It adds that prices are subject to change based on design complexity and may include add-ons such as music, lights, rose petals and travel fees.

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Pavlacka is currently seeking donations per his most recent Facebook post.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Pavlacka for additional comment.

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Alaska

Alaska Sports Scoreboard: July 11, 2026

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Alaska Sports Scoreboard: July 11, 2026


High School

Legion Baseball

Sunday

Issaquah (WA) 7, Wasilla 5

Monday

Dimond 14, Eagle River 4

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West 13, Kenai 4

Service 2, East 1

Tuesday

Roseburg (OR) 16, Wasilla 5

Kenai 7, Dimond 2

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Kenai 15, Dimond 4

Palmer 5, Service 4

Palmer 20, Service 11

Chugiak 8, East 7

South 3, Ketchikan 1

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Fairbanks 10, Chena River 4

Wednesday

West 4, Palmer 3

Chugiak 13, Eagle River 3

South 4, Ketchikan 3

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Ketchikan 4, South 1

Thursday

Service 2, Dimond 1

Ketchikan 9, South 6

Friday

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Wasilla 20, Dimond 4

Palmer 11, Eagle River 5

Auke Bay 12, East 2

Fairbanks 13, Chena River 5

Kenai 15, West 5

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Kenai 24, West 8

Saturday

Chena River vs. Fairbanks (Late)

East vs. Auke Bay (Late)

Auke Bay vs. East (Late)

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Palmer vs. Wasilla (Late)

Alaska Baseball League

Sunday

Mat-Su Miners 7, Anchorage Bucs 4

Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks 18, Peninsula Oilers 7

Monday

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Mat-Su Miners 14, Anchorage Glacier Pilots 3

Peninsula Oilers 11, Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks 4

Tuesday

Anchorage Bucs 8, Anchorage Glacier Pilots 7

Peninsula Oilers 7, Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks 6

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Wednesday

Mat-Su Miners 10, Anchorage Glacier Pilots 0

Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks 5, Peninsula Oilers 3

Thursday

Peninsula Oilers 6, Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks 5

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Mat-Su Miners 7, Anchorage Glacier Pilots 2

Friday

Anchorage Bucs 2, Mat-Su Miners 0

Saturday

Anchorage Bucs vs. Anchorage Glacier Pilots (Late)

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Mat-Su Miners vs. Peninsula Oilers (Late)





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Arizona

Cardinals Mailbag: Latest on Jacoby Brissett, Carson Beck, and Arizona’s QB Future

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Cardinals Mailbag: Latest on Jacoby Brissett, Carson Beck, and Arizona’s QB Future


ARIZONA — We’re less than two weeks removed from the start of training camp, and the Arizona Cardinals feel oh-so-close to football season.

We’ll probably do one more pre-camp mailbag before things get kicking, but thanks to everybody who answered our call on X.

Before we get started, I did get a few questions on how players looked during minicamp and OTA’s. Reporters are only allowed to view the first 30 minutes of practice, which mostly involves individual position drills, special teams and stretching.

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Case in point, we can’t say how somebody like Carson Beck or Isaac Seumalo looked. The questions are appreciated nonetheless.

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Let’s get into it, hopefully you guys are staying hydrated:

Which Cardinals position groups are well stocked and worry free heading into training camp? – Ed

Ed, thank you always for the questions.

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I think the running back room is the most obvious answer here, where the Cardinals realistically have three backs who could be starters on other teams in Jeremiyah Love, James Conner and Tyler Allgeier.

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Offer a bit something different, and if former Day 2 pick Trey Benson is your fourth running back, that’s a pretty loaded room.

Another spot I’m eying for this is cornerback, where all of Will Johnson, Denzel Burke, Garrett Williams, Starling Thomas and Sean Murphy-Bunting could start with Max Melton being another name to provide competition.

The tight end room — headlined by Trey McBride — is also a good one, which bodes well for Arizona’s intentions to utilize 12 and 13 personnel.

What’s the current standpoint on the Jacoby Brissett contract extension? – Ceddy

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That’s a great question Ceddy, as there’s been virtually zero info leaked on how talks are going between the two sides.

For what it’s worth, Brissett was spotted working out with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride this week, so his intentions are still to be the starter. Arizona reportedly is committed to him being the starter, too.

The actual divide seems to be guaranteed money, as Brissett has only $1.5 million guaranteed for 2026 — which is the final year of his contract. It doesn’t seem like he wants more years tacked on.

The likely end result? The Cardinals guarantee a few more million to satisfy Brissett right before the start of training camp.

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What’s your prediction for running back touches? – Staches

Stache, IF THAT IS YOUR REAL NAME, running back touches in Arizona might not be what people want or think.

Yes, the Cardinals used the No. 3 pick on Love. Yes, he should be featured in the offense.

However, Love has never quite owned a dominant role in a backfield dating back to his Notre Dame days with Jadarian Price.

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On the other side of the coin, Mike LaFleur’s tenure in New York/Los Angeles as an OC utilized more of a committee approach in terms of running back usage.

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Love, Allgeier and Conner all figure to have some role. By season’s end, Love probably ranks first in total touches, but it won’t be a wide gap barring injury.

Cardinals overperform relative to expectations next year but still need a QB. What avenues could they pursue? – Blake

First of all, Blake does great stuff as the host of Bleav In Arizona Cardinals podcast, so go check his work out.

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In this scenario, I think Arizona has two options: Roll with Carson Beck for 2027 or push all of their chips into the coming draft class for a quarterback.

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If the Cardinals outperform relative to expectations, you would…. hope Beck at least showed something? At some point? Though nothing is guaranteed.

Also I know the 2027 class has all the hype in the world, though we’re so far removed from seeing that come to fruition. We forget the 2026 class had plenty of quarterback hopes before the dust eventually settled.

This is a very real scenario, but entering LaFleur’s second year, there might also be very real pressure to get a franchise guy and get the program moving in the right direction.

The NFL stands for “Not For Long” and the Cardinals have been losers for far too long. If Arizona outperforms expectations, they need to put the pedal to the floor in 2027.

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How much Carson Beck do you think we’ll see on the hall of fame game? – Noah

Noah, I think we saw a lot of Beck.

It’s unlikely any starters will play in the first of four Arizona preseason games, paving the way for Beck, Kedon Slovis and potentially even a drive or two of Gardner Minshew for the Cardinals.

Beck will see plenty of preseason time entering his rookie season. Maybe the third preseason game will feature less since that’s considered a typical “dress rehearsal” for starters that typically play the most.

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If I had to guess a split for Beck/Minshew/Slovis in the HOF game, it would look like this:

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Minshew: One drive
Beck: Rest of first half
Slovis: Second half

You could flip-flop Beck and Slovis, but you get the idea.

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What is the most un-spoken positive change the team’s made since the Mike LaFleur hire? (For me its the defensive staff) – S0N0FDAV1D

That’s along what I’m thinking too, but I would take a bit of a step back to see the bigger picture.

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Part of the criticism on Jonathan Gannon’s staff was the lack of experienced and seasoned minds on either side of the ball. Gannon banked on high energy, youthful guys — which ultimately didn’t pan out.

LaFleur acquired names such as Nathaniel Hackett and Teryl Austin to supplement their respective sides of the ball. Both have extensive coordinator experience and carry weight across the league.

That won’t directly translate to wins, but especially for a first-time coach like LaFleur, I do think there’s something to be said about those changes.

If Carson Beck starts half the season, and shows real flashes, do the Cardinals take a quarterback in the 1st round next year? – Holden

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Incredible twitter name, Mr. Holden Beers.

I do think a best-case scenario is Beck can clearly show he’s the guy for Arizona, which would save time and money for the Cardinals. That would be massive.

The biggest issue here is the Cardinals have a massive question to answer with Beck on little expected time on task. The sample size we see of the rookie quarterback won’t be convincing enough one way or another.

So if he shows “real” flashes, I think it depends where the Cardinals finish in the standings. If they’re already in pole position to draft somebody, I do think they’ll pull the trigger on somebody like Arch Manning.

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If Arizona is out of reach and needing to make a massive trade up, the Cardinals might prefer to stick with Beck.

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California

‘Explosive diarrhea’ parasite surfaces in California as health officials fear statewide surge

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‘Explosive diarrhea’ parasite surfaces in California as health officials fear statewide surge


A parasite that causes bouts of “explosive diarrhea” has surfaced in California as a fast-growing outbreak sweeps across the US — with health officials warning the state’s official case count likely captures only a fraction of the true number of infections.

State data show between that between 1 and 10 California cases have been linked to a broader statewide outbreak as authorities continue tracking the spread.

But officials say many infections are never confirmed because some people recover without seeking medical care or getting tested, the parasite requires specialized laboratory testing to detect, and confirmed cases can take about six weeks to be reported.

State data show between that between 1 and 10 California cases have been linked to a broader statewide outbreak as authorities continue tracking the spread. Pattarisara – stock.adobe.com

Most of California’s infections have been tied to international travel rather than the expanding multistate outbreak.

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Across the country, at least 2,944 people in 32 states have been sickened, with Michigan bearing the brunt of the outbreak.

The state has reported 1,562 infections, roughly 31 times the approximately 50 cases it typically records in a year, and at least 44 people have been hospitalized.

Investigators are examining whether contaminated food is driving the spike, but they have not identified a specific produce item, supplier or grower responsible for the outbreak.

The California Department of Public Healthhas recorded 41 provisional cases of cyclosporiasis in 2026. freshidea – stock.adobe.com

Cyclospora, the parasite behind the illness known as cyclosporiasis, is typically spread through food or water contaminated with feces.

Previous outbreaks have been traced to imported fresh produce, including raspberries, basil, snow peas, mesclun lettuce and cilantro.

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According to the CDC, the illness can cause severe gastrointestinal symptoms, including watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements.”

Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss.

Dr. Erica Pan is the Director and State Public Health Officer for the California Department of Public Health. Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images

Symptoms usually begin about one week after infection, although they can appear anywhere from two days to two weeks later, making it more difficult for investigators to determine where someone was exposed.

The CDC recommends treating cyclosporiasis with the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, commonly sold as Bactrim, Septra and Cotrim, over a 10-day course.

As investigators continue searching for the source of the outbreak, some Taco Bell restaurants have temporarily removed fresh ingredients from their menus as a precaution.

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“We are currently unable to sell Lettuce, Cilantro Onion, Pico de Gallo and Guacamole due to a nationwide recall,” the signs state. Christopher Sadowski

Locations, including some in Metro Detroit, posted notices telling customers they were temporarily unable to serve lettuce, cilantro, onions, pico de gallo and guacamole because of a nationwide recall while health officials respond to the increase in cyclosporiasis cases.

Restaurants in outbreak hot spots, including Michigan and Ohio, have also pulled raw lettuce, onions, cilantro-onion mix, pico de gallo and guacamole from their menus.

However, neither the CDC nor the Food and Drug Administration has linked Taco Bell to any reported illnesses.

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