Category: Regional News

Lake Forest Man Convicted of Killing Stepmom with Pick Axe a Decade Ago

FULLERTON, Calif.—A 30-year-old man was convicted Mar. 2 of killing his stepmother with a pick axe in Lake Forest nearly a decade ago. Since the defendant pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, another phase of the trial will begin later this month. Oscar Luis Morlett III was convicted of first-degree murder with jurors finding…


Man, 23, Pleads Guilty to Fatal DUI Crash in Huntington Beach

SANTA ANA—A 23-year-old man pleaded guilty Mar. 2 and was immediately sentenced to four years in prison for a DUI-fueled crash in Huntington Beach that killed his passenger. Miguel Angel Guzman Jr. pleaded guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, according to court records. He accepted a plea deal from Orange County Superior Court Judge…


15 People Arrested in EBT Card Skimming Crackdown in LA

LOS ANGELES—Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles Mar. 2 announced the arrest of 15 people who allegedly used information from “skimmed” electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards to make unauthorized withdrawals of funds that had been disbursed to the needy. More than 300 law enforcement officers early Wednesday began monitoring about 20 ATM locations across the Los…


Biden Finds No Olive Branches on Alaska’s North Slope in Pending Willow Decision

President Joe Biden is stuck between Alaska’s North Slope and a hard place in pondering his pending decision to deny or endorse Conoco-Phillips’ $8 billion Willow Project, the largest new oil field development proposed in the United States in decades. Among Biden’s 2020 campaign pledges was “no, no, no more” new oil drilling on federal…


Oceanic Administration’s Fisheries Expert Raised Red Flags About Offshore Turbines

A critical letter from a fisheries expert in May 2022 raised serious red flags about the siting of offshore wind turbines in southern New England waters. Authored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries’ Chief of Protected Species Dr. Sean Hayes, the letter revealed the risks that offshore wind farms pose to the marine…


Tornadoes Hit Texas, Louisiana, Storm Warnings Issued for Parts of Southwest US

Tornadoes hit Texas and Louisiana on Thursday, causing widespread power outages in the region and canceling hundreds of flights into and out of the Dallas area. The weather conditions are part of a powerful storm system that had brought heavy snow to California earlier. It made its way to Texas and surrounding states late Thursday, bringing…


Yosemite Park Remains Closed Indefinitely Following Historic Snow Storm in California

Yosemite National Park has been forced to close indefinitely after two consecutive storms battered the beloved outdoor destination over the last week, officials announced March 2. The park broke its 54-year record, receiving 40 inches of snow Feb. 28. The previous record was 36 inches received on Feb. 28, 1969. “Yosemite has experienced significant snowfall…


Los Angeles Police Union Says Officers Should No Longer Respond to Certain Calls

As the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) grapples with understaffing and slow emergency response times, the city’s police union—the Los Angeles Police Protective League representing over 9,000 sworn personnel—submitted a list this week to the Los Angeles City Council of 28 non-emergency calls that it believes should be diverted to unarmed responders. The list—which includes…


Man Declared Factually Innocent of 1983 Los Angeles Murder

LOS ANGELES—A man who spent 38 years behind bars for the 1983 abduction and murder of a woman in Inglewood was declared factually innocent Mar. 2 of the crime. Superior Court Judge William C. Ryan noted that the request for a finding of factual innocence for Maurice Hastings came in a motion jointly filed by…


Half a Million Dollars of Stolen Goods Recovered in Orange County and LA

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) Border Division continues to crack down on organized retail theft after uncovering an organized group of thieves last month, operating in part, in Anaheim. Anaheim resident Yolando De La Rosa, 49, and Jesus Ortiz, 48, of Lynwood were booked in Orange County jail Feb. 24 on charges of organized retail…