Category: Orange County

3 Killed in Solo Crash in Newport Beach

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.—Three people died early Thursday in a solo vehicle crash in Newport Beach. The crash was reported about 12:45 a.m. in the 3000 Block of Pacific Coast Highway, the Newport Beach Police Department reported. The victims were identified as Crystal M. McCallum, 34, of Texas, Wayne Walter Swanson Jr., 40, of Newport Coast,…


3 Killed in Solo Tesla Crash in Newport Beach

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.—Three people died early Thursday in a solo vehicle crash in Newport Beach. The crash was reported about 12:45 a.m. in the 3000 Block of Pacific Coast Highway, the Newport Beach Police Department reported. A Tesla Model S was traveling west when it hit a curb, then crashed into equipment on the south…


2 Men in Orange County Fraud Scheme Get 7 Years

WESTMINSTER, Calif.—Two men involved in a $15 million mortgage fraud scheme in Orange County were sentenced Thursday to seven years in prison. Jimmy Phan, 47, and Vinh Phan, 47, both pleaded guilty Dec. 16, 2021, according to court records. The Phans are not related. Co-defendant Stephen Nguyen, 59, is a fugitive. Jimmy Phan has about…


Orange County Homeless Population Drops by 17 Percent Since 2019: Officials

Orange County’s homeless population has decreased nearly 17 percent since 2019, according to a report released by the county on May 11. Of the 5,718 homeless individuals reported in the 2022 point-in-time count (pdf), about 53 percent were unsheltered. The last point-in-time count in 2019 reported 6,860 homeless individuals, with about 58 percent unsheltered. “We’re…


Officials Declare Local State of Emergency Over Coastal Fire

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif.—Orange County officials have declared a local state of emergency after a fire destroyed more than 20 homes, injured one firefighter, and spread at least 200 acres in Aliso Canyon. No containment percentage was available as of 12 p.m. Thursday. “It’s been a long night for the people living in Laguna Niguel, and…


Fast-Moving Brush Fire Races Up OC Hillside, Burns Homes

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif.—A wildfire swept through Aliso Wood Canyon May 11, burning down multimillion-dollar homes on the hillside overlooking the ocean between Laguna Niguel and Laguna Beach. The Coastal Fire was reported at 2:44 p.m., Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Sean Doran said. The fire originated near the South Orange County Wastewater Authority’s Coastal Treatment Plant, which handles…


Mater Dei Football Players Allegedly Sexually Assaulted Teammate: Police

SANTA ANA, Calif.—A former Mater Dei High School football player whose family previously claimed he was harassed and bullied was also allegedly sexually assaulted by a football player, according to a Santa Ana Police Department document released Monday. The alleged incident took place inside a locker room at Mater Dei High School last August, according…


California Lawmaker Attempts to Make Drug Overdose Antidote More Accessible

Assembly Bill 1627 by Assemblyman James Ramos (D-Highland) would create a pilot program to teach participants—like mothers, fathers, and friends, for example—how to administer naloxone during an opioid overdose. “The loved ones of those who have fallen to fentanyl want to know we are doing all we can to end this plague,” Ramos said in…


California Lawmaker Seeks to Make Drug Overdose Antidote More Accessible

State Assemblymember James Ramos (D-Highland) has introduced a proposal that would create a pilot program to teach participants—such as mothers, fathers, and friends, for example—how to administer the lifesaving treatment naloxone during an opioid overdose. “The loved ones of those who have fallen to fentanyl want to know we are doing all we can to…


Orange County Makes It Easier for Students to Attend Schools Outside of District

COSTA MESA, Calif.—The Orange County Board of Education is making it easier for students to attend schools outside of their districts. Typically, parents can petition the board to allow their child to attend a school outside of their district, in the cases of issues related to transportation, childcare, and the parent’s place of employment. But…