Category: Orange County

Orange County’s 2 Water Agencies Should Merge Despite Difficulties: Grand Jury

The Orange County Grand Jury’s recent report called for the county’s two water agencies to join as “one voice” so that the county can manage its water resources more efficiently, but some water officials said consolidating the two might be too difficult to be beneficial. The county’s water currently comes from two sources: the Orange…


Orange County Beaches Among the Cleanest in California

Some Orange County beaches topped the list for some of California’s cleanest in Heal the Bay’s annual Beach Report Card (pdf). The non-profit environmental advocacy group assessed 500 California beaches in its 2021–2022 report and categorized them on a scale from A to F based on sewage-related pollutants measured by county health agencies. The water…


Orange County Home Prices Could Fall 12 Percent in a Year: Report

ORANGE, Calif.—As the Federal Reserve continues to raise interest rates, economists say it would significantly lower demand in the housing market and impact local home prices. According to the semiannual economic forecast released by Chapman University, economists predict Orange County’s median home price would fall by 12 percent down from $1,012,000 in mid-2022 to $891,000…


Orange County Home Prices to Fall 12 Percent in a Year: Report

ORANGE, Calif.—As the Federal Reserve continues to raise interest rates, economists say it would significantly lower demand in the housing market and impact local home prices. According to the semiannual economic forecast released by Chapman University, economists predict Orange County’s median home price would fall by 12 percent down from $1,012,000 in mid-2022 to $891,000…


Los Alamitos Schools Consider Overhauling Homework Policy

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif.—In an effort to emphasize “quality over quantity,” the Los Alamitos School Board announced their preliminary plans on June 14 to limit time spent on homework for students in the district at all ages, with mixed opinions pouring in from both parents and teachers amid initial planning stages of the new policy, although…


CalOptima Receiving Bipartisan Scrutiny From Orange County Delegation

Commentary The best real estate transaction the County of Orange ever entered was the sale of its hospital along the Santa Ana Freeway in the city of Orange for one dollar. You know it as the University of Irvine Medical Center on The City Drive. If you’ve followed any of the hospitals in Los Angeles…


High Gas Prices May Trigger Big Gains for GOP: Report

ORANGE, Calif.—Economists at Chapman University are predicting Republicans will see a midterm gain of 53 seats in the House of Representatives and high gas prices may be the reason. “There is a relationship between the price of gas and election results,” Chapman University President Emeritus Jim Doti said June 23 at the school’s Economic Forecast Update…


Orange County Probation Officer Convicted of Stealing on the Job

WESTMINSTER, Calif.—An Orange County probation officer was convicted Thursday in connection with stealing money while helping authorities carry out search warrants. Juan Manuel Rodriguez was assigned to an Orange County Sheriff’s Department tactical team when he was accused of the thefts in August of 2017. While serving a search warrant in 2017, a target of…


Coyote Attacks Child in Fountain Valley Park

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif.—A 2-year-old child was attacked by a coyote in a Fountain Valley park earlier this week, and authorities Thursday were looking for the animal. The attack occurred about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in Mile Square Park, near Euclid Street and Stonecress Avenue, Fountain Valley police Lt. Kham Vang said. “The attack was not immediately…


Huntington Beach City Council Takes Steps to Aid Mobile Homeowners

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.—City Councilors June 21 voted 6 to 0 to look into expanding its current rental assistance program to include mobile homeowners. Councilors Dan Kalmick and Natalie Moser proposed the change, with Moser calling it “the next major issue we need to worry about.” According to city officials, the program would be federally funded…