The Mission Viejo City Council voted Feb. 14 to scrap term limits for residents appointed to city commissions. Commissioners are appointed by councilors and have been limited to three two-year terms. While the vote removes that cap, under the new policy, commissioners will still need to be re-appointed by a majority vote by the council…

MISSION VIEJO, Calif.—Four musicians from the Pacific Symphony teamed up with the city of Mission Viejo to put on a performance for children and residents with autism and other sensory sensitivities to light and sound on Feb. 10 at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center. The concert was part of the Orange County-based…

SANTA ANA, Calif.—A 33-year-old woman was behind bars Friday on suspicion of ramming multiple cars in a parking lot in Mission Viejo before a standoff with police on the 5 Freeway. Aria Alexandra Martin was being held on $25,000 bail, according to jail records. Martin was accused of ramming multiple cars about 1:30 p.m. Thursday…

SANTA ANA, Calif.—A 28-year-old man was convicted Monday of a speeding death that killed a driver in Mission Viejo five years ago. Jurors deliberated for about 90 minutes before convicting Afiff Kevin Doaifi of second-degree murder in the March 25, 2017, death of 33-year-old Judith Noval. Doaifi, who is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 13,…

Three Mission Viejo City Councilors must step down immediately, a California appeals court ruled Nov. 10. The state appeals court dissolved a temporary stay issued by a lower appeals court after a county Superior Court judge found councilors Ed Sachs, Greg Raths, and Mayor Wendy Bucknam had overstayed their terms. The councilors were elected to…

Known for its tree-lined streets and Spanish mission-style architecture, the city of Mission Viejo—located in the Saddleback Valley east of Laguna Beach—is the largest master-planned neighborhood in California. Though Mission Viejo can trace its origins back to the 19th century, it is relatively young, becoming incorporated just 34 years ago. The delay of cityhood, historians…

A multistage plan is set to expand Providence’s medical facilities in south Orange County, California, officials announced last week. Providence—a nonprofit, Catholic health care system operating dozens of hospitals in seven states—will fund the $712 million of projects to “meet the ongoing development and ever-growing demand for high-quality health care in [the region],” according to…

An Orange County judge removed three of five Mission Viejo city councilors on Aug. 31, after they remained in office beyond the two-year terms they were elected for. OC Superior Court Judge Walter Schwarm ordered Mayor Wendy Bucknum, Mayor Pro Tem Ed Sachs, and Councilman Greg Raths to vacate their seats by Wednesday evening. Schwarm left 30…

The Mission Viejo City Council unanimously approved an ordinance Aug. 23 requiring sober living, or group homes to register with the city. These group homes that house six or fewer people who are exiting drug rehabilitation programs now must send an application to the city with the operator’s contact information. The ordinance comes after a…

In November Mission Viejo voters will decide the fates of all five members of the City Council. That stems from legal wrangling that forced the city to switch from five “at-large” seats in which candidates run citywide, to a system made up of five separate districts. A 2018 lawsuit by the Southwest Voter Registration and…