Category: Orange County Community

Irvine Mayoral Candidate Determined to Build Veterans Cemetery at the Great Park

Irvine resident Tom Chomyn is running for the city’s mayor in the Nov. 8 election, against incumbent Farrah Khan, Katherine Daigle, Branda Lin, and Simon Moon. The first-time politician is an account executive for a technology company, where he sells copiers for a living. Chomyn said if elected, he would build a 125-acre veterans memorial…


Newport Beach First Responders Awarded for Lifesaving Efforts

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.—“We’re having some mechanical issues right now,” Huntington Beach Police Officer Nicholas Vella, 44, broadcasted over police radio from helicopter HB-1, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. “We’re going down, we’re going down,” he said. Seconds after the helicopter’s final transmission, Vella and his pilot crashed into the waters of Newport Harbor…


‘It’s Not Just a Job—it’s a Lifestyle’: Orange County News Veteran Looks Back on 45 Years in the Industry

With a constantly changing media market in Southern California, Tom Johnson continues to play a key role in journalism shaping Orange County coverage. Johnson has more than 45 years of experience in the industry spanning multiple outlets, including the Daily Pilot, now published by the Los Angeles Times. However, when he first moved to Orange…


College Student Runs for Irvine City Council

High internet prices and slow speeds became the number one factor for one Irvine Valley College student to launch his campaign for a seat on the Irvine City Council, which will be decided in the upcoming Nov. 8 election. Navid Sadigh, 19, said there is only one internet provider available at his home creating a…


Newport-Mesa Unified Candidate Kristen Valle Wants to Invest in Children

Kristen Valle, a candidate in the Nov. 8 election for the Newport-Mesa Unified’s Board of Education, is calling on the entire community to invest in its children. Valle, 34, a sales and marketing professional who currently works for a healthcare organization, told The Epoch Times she noticed an increase in anxiety and depression among children…


Former State Senator Runs for Costa Mesa Mayor

The County of Orange was in turmoil in 1994, after having filed bankruptcy that December. It was out $1.67 billion in investment losses—becoming the largest municipal bankruptcy in history. John Moorlach, a CPA and financial planner was appointed county treasurer-tax collector following the bankruptcy and within 18 months he assisted the county’s exit of Chapter…


Irvine City Councilman Larry Agran Seeks Re-election to Take Care of ‘Unfinished Business’

Irvine City Councilman Larry Agran is running for re-election in November to take care of what he calls “unfinished business.” He has served in office as a councilman and mayor for over 20 years, first elected in 1978. He was last elected to the city council to serve a two-year term in 2020. “I think…


Laguna Niguel’s Melissa Caldwell Wants to Engage the Community in Local Government

Around the time Melissa Caldwell began serving as the president of the PTA of her daughter’s elementary school, she was told the school was closing because there weren’t enough students. Caldwell, who is running for a seat on the Laguna Niguel City Council in the upcoming Nov. 8 election, said after talking to Capistrano Unified…


Incumbent Mayor Running for Election in Costa Mesa

John Stephens, who was appointed mayor of Costa Mesa in 2021 to replace Katrina Foley when she was elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors, is running for mayor in the upcoming Nov. 8 election. His opponent is former state Sen. John Moorlach. Stephens has a history of public service and said he enjoys…


Fun Things to Do in Orange County This Weekend

Huntington Beach Health and Beauty Expo Spend the day in luxury at Dermfx’s ninth annual health and beauty exposition. If you love self-care and discounts, nearly all treatments will be on sale including botox, fillers, fat-burning and freezing treatments, and more. Guests will also have a chance to win specialty “swag bags” worth up to…