Category: Southern California OC News

Irvine Looks to Incentivize Electrification in City After Natural Gas Ban Blocked by Court

The Irvine City Council voted 4–1 June 13 on a plan to incentivize all new homes and commercial buildings to be electric-powered in the city, after an earlier effort to mandate them was stymied when a federal court ruled another city in California could not ban natural gas in new construction. City staff is now…


New Clinic to Offer Free Surgeries in Orange County

A nonprofit clinic offering free surgeries and other medical procedures to homeless or uninsured residents and those who are illegal immigrants is opening in Orange County next spring. The Lestonnac Free Clinic in the City of Orange will be renovating a space for a free surgery center, the first of its kind in Orange County,…


2nd In-N-Out Burger Coming to San Juan Capistrano, This Time in Mission Revival Style

In-N-Out enthusiasts will soon be able to enjoy eating at a new location in San Juan Capistrano, California, in Spanish mission revival style. The architectural theme is expected to “complement the traditional and historic character of the city,” according to a city agenda report. Currently being built on a former Marie Calendar restaurant site, the…


Elderly Seal Beach Woman Says She Was Hypnotized by Scammer for Money

A 96-year-old Seal Beach woman was scammed out of thousands of dollars—she believes by hypnosis—in one of the more recent online scams targeting the elderly. Seal Beach police, last week, warned of a “significant uptick in financial scams and fraud crimes, primarily targeted at our senior citizen population,” and the elderly woman was one of…


San Clemente Approves Program to Improve Roadway Safety

A program to identify road improvements for traffic safety was approved by the San Clemente City Council June 6 and will qualify the city to apply for further state and federal grants to improve road infrastructure. “This is a program that a lot of cities are utilizing, and it helps us establish a baseline and…


Orange Unified Adopts ‘Parent Bill of Rights,’ Votes to Fly Governmental Flags Only

The Orange Unified School Board adopted a “parent’s bill of rights,” which grants district parents and guardians the right to know what their children are being taught and the right to be heard by district leaders. At a special June 20 board meeting, trustees unanimously approved the resolution—though Trustees Andrea Yamasaki and Kris Erickson criticized…


Huntington Beach Sued Over Nondisclosure of Airshow Settlement

A Huntington Beach resident has filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming it is breaking California public records laws. At issue is a settlement agreement between the city and operators of the Huntington Beach Pacific Airshow, who sued the city when the final day of a three-day event it had staged was cancelled due to…


San Clemente Closes Beaches Earlier, Hires Security Following Attack on Marines

San Clemente city councilors approved an ordinance on June 20 to change the city’s beach hours, now closing at 10 p.m. daily instead of midnight. The beaches will reopen at 4 a.m. as usual. The council also voted 4–1—with Mayor Chris Duncan opposed—to hire a private security firm to assist law enforcement in maintaining public…


Huntington Beach Advances Ordinance Screening Children’s Library Books for ‘Obscene’ Content 

The City of Huntington Beach is moving forward on June 22 with a proposal to require the city’s libraries to screen children’s books for obscenity and pornographic content. The City Council voted 4–3 to approve the proposal, introduced by Councilwoman Gracey Van Der Mark, which directs the city manager and city attorney to develop several…


3-Alarm Fire Engulfs Restaurant at Irvine Strip Mall

A fire at the 99 Ranch Market strip mall was extinguished by the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) in less than an hour, leaving one building damaged June 20. The fire began around 6:42 p.m. Tuesday at 5394 Walnut Avenue. Multiple county fire authority units responded to the fire and the Irvine Police Department was…