Category: Orange County

José Hernández’s Innovation on Traditional Mariachi Earns Him 12th Latin Grammy Nomination

After nearly 50 years in the industry, California-based mariachi band leader José Hernández has earned his twelfth Latin Grammy nomination for his band, ‘Mariachi del Sol de Mexico’—an honor on par with nearly two centuries of family musicianship. His was the first mariachi ensemble to be nominated for a Grammy. Playing mariachi music with his…


Huntington Beach Police Find Nonverbal Boy Alone, Arrest Mother

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.—A noncommunicative boy was found alone in Huntington Beach Oct. 3, prompting a call for public help to locate his family before police were able to identify him—and take his mother into custody. Kimberly Kalafatic, 46, of Huntington Beach, was arrested on the late morning of Oct. 3 on suspicion of child endangerment,…


Anaheim OKs $4 Billion OCVibe Development Around Honda Center

OCVibe—a $4 billion project designed to create new entertainment venues, office space, and housing around the Honda Center in Anaheim, California—was approved by the Anaheim City Council Sept. 27. The city council will hold a required second vote on the project Oct. 4, after which the approval will become official. OCVibe will “transform the area in…


Tustin Named by Fortune as Best Place to Live for Families in California

Tustin in Orange County was named among the “25 Best Places to Live for Families” in the United States—and the best in California—by Fortune, an American business magazine, in its Sept. 28 report. The city ranked twelfth, followed by San Marco in San Diego County, the twentieth, as the two Californian cities that made the 2022…


Faith-Based Organization Assists Refugees in Orange County, Calif.

In a ground-floor motel room suite in Irvine, Calif., two sisters in their twenties began to make afternoon tea as their mother and brother sat on the bed of their neatly organized room. The family of four recently arrived from Turkey, where they waited for U.S amnesty for eight years after fleeing their home within…


Orange County Mayors’ Breakfast Encourages Local Leaders With Faith, Prayers

IRVINE, Calif.—Standing in front of an audience of hundreds, Michael Franzese—former mob boss of the Colombo crime family in New York—recalled a Forbes article from the 1980s that listed him as one of the 50 most wealthy mafia members, which he said led him to a grim conclusion that prompted him to share his experience…


Irvine School Board Candidate Marlene Bronson Wants to Be a Voice for Parents

Marlene Bronson, a candidate for the Irvine Unified School Board in the upcoming Nov. 8 election, said she felt prompted by her faith to run for the board because she believes in “being a voice for children and parents.” Bronson, a mother of two adult children, describes herself as a business owner, former homeschooling educator,…


Man Pleads Guilty to Throwing Rocks at Santa Ana Churches

SANTA ANA, Calif.—A 34-year-old man pleaded guilty to throwing rocks through the windows of two Santa Ana churches and was sentenced to 208 days in jail and freed from custody because he had already served that much time behind bars awaiting trial, according to court records obtained Sept. 30. Omar Rico Olivares pleaded guilty Sept….


Convicted Arsonist Charged With Setting Fire in Garden Grove

SANTA ANA, Calif.—A convicted arsonist was charged Sept. 30 with setting a fire at the Harbor Motel in Garden Grove. Alexis Alan Avila, 22, was charged with a count of arson of an inhabited structure and two counts of arson of property, all felonies. He also faces sentencing enhancements for arson with a prior conviction….


Lockdowns, Mask Mandates Prompt Mother to Run for Capistrano Unified

Kira Davis is running for Capistrano Unified school board in the Nov. 8 election, she says, to be a voice for parents in the district’s schools. In the last two years, Davis said her children have experienced the district’s school closures during the pandemic, including her son’s high school graduation ceremony being canceled in 2020….