Category: Southern California

California Laws Don’t Make Common Sense as Lawmakers Are Cornered by Ideologies: Former State Senator

“If [lawmakers] change how they are dealing with these issues, they’ll have to admit that they were wrong,” said former Republican California State Sen. Melissa Melendez regarding why she thinks the state Legislature keeps passing laws that don’t seem to work. Bills are passed not because they can solve the state’s issues, but because they…


Man, 70, Gets 5 Years to Life for National City Woman’s 1974 Stabbing Death

SAN DIEGO—A 70-year-old man who pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing a National City convenience store clerk almost 50 years ago was sentenced June 7 to five years to life in state prison. Carlin Edward Cornett pleaded guilty earlier this year to second-degree murder in the July 31, 1974, killing of 22-year-old Christy Ellen Bryant. Currently,…


Man Who Killed Irvine Scientist Camping With Daughters in Malibu Gets 119 Years

LOS ANGELES—A man convicted of fatally shooting a research scientist as he slept inside a tent with his two young daughters in Malibu Creek State Park in what the judge called a “cold-blooded” crime was sentenced Wednesday to 119 years to life in prison. Anthony Rauda, 46, was brought into a downtown Los Angeles courtroom…


Disneyland Pixar-Themed Hotel Remodel to Be Finished by Year’s End

Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, has announced the renovation of its Paradise Pier Hotel into a Pixar-themed location will be finished by the end of the year. Complete with a Finding Nemo-inspired water park with a nearly 200-foot water slide and other Pixar touches, construction is already underway, officials said. Artist rendering of new Pixar-themed…


Sharks Almost Always Swimming Near People in Southern California: New Study

After two years of drone surveillance, a new study published on June 2 by the California State University Long Beach Shark Lab shows some beaches in San Diego and Santa Barbara almost always have great white sharks swimming near people. According to the study, those in Carpinteria, of Santa Barbara County, and San Diego County’s…


Man Pleads Guilty to Shooting 2 Teens in Laguna Hills

SANTA ANA, Calif.—A 21-year-old man pleaded guilty to shooting two 17-year-old boys in Laguna Hills, leaving one victim in critical condition. Luis Angel Martinezmondragon of Aliso Viejo pleaded guilty to two felony counts of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury. He was scheduled to be sentenced April 22, 2025. As part of…


Orange County Fair and Event Center to Hire Over 1,000 Seasonal Employees

As the 2023 Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa, California, approaches, event organizers are looking to hire over 1,000 seasonal employees to help run the annual festivities, which run from July 14 to mid-August. The OC Fair and Event Center is seeking individuals ages 16 and up for numerous seasonal and part-time positions including building…


LA District Attorney’s Office Abandons Twitter

LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced June 6 it will no longer post news or other content on Twitter, citing “unchecked vitriol” on the social media platform, including in comments on the office’s page. “As a prosecutor’s office, we uphold the principles of justice, fairness, and equality for all,” according to a…


Los Angeles DA George Gascón’s Office Leaves Twitter Over ‘Unchecked Vitriol’

LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced June 6 it will no longer post news or other content on Twitter, citing “unchecked vitriol” on the social media platform, including in comments on the office’s page. “As a prosecutor’s office, we uphold the principles of justice, fairness, and equality for all,” according to a…


Grand Jury Report Claims Orange County Could Have 30,000 Homeless Children

A recent report by the Orange County Grand Jury estimates there could be as many as 23,000—or even more than 30,000 according to some of its sources—homeless youth in the Southern California county, a far cry from the 700 estimated by the county in 2022. The jury decided to conduct their study because they felt the…