Two teenagers attempted to steal a catalytic converter at a movie theater in Glendora, triggering a vehicle pursuit and the eventual recovery of 14 stolen catalytic converters as well as a loaded handgun and the tools used to cut the converters from vehicles, authorities said on July 22. Officers were dispatched at about 11:50 p.m….

A California organization is hoping to gather enough signatures to place an initiative on the November 2024 ballot to let voters decide if magic mushrooms should be decriminalized. If successful and voters approve it, psychedelic mushrooms could be sold anywhere, including such places as the local supermarket or yoga studios, to anyone over 21. It…

A Lake Forest city councilman charged with domestic violence said on July 21 that he was innocent of the allegations. Benjamin Yu, 40, was charged on July 7 with corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant and false imprisonment, both misdemeanors, according to court records. He is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 23 in the…

An 87-year-old woman was struck and killed by a Jeep Wrangler in Irvine, authorities said on July 22. The motorist driving the jeep stayed at the scene and cooperated with police, according to Lt. Cathy Scherer of the Irvine Police Department. The victim was identified as Maria Servas, Ms. Scherer said. The black Wrangler was…

Limited supply is driving up housing prices in Orange County, with sales records indicating declining inventory and an uptick in price in June as compared to the same time last year. “It’s not insatiable demand,” Steven Thomas, founder of Reports on Housing—which publishes biweekly analyses of the real estate industry since its founding in 2004—told…

A former employee of a San Diego homeless center pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud July 20 for stealing over $70,000 in government checks meant for the homeless. Charisse Elaine Alexander, 55, worked at the San Diego Day Center for Homeless Adults—also known as the Neil Good Day Center—in April 2021, where she…

“Believe it or not, California has some of the lowest rates in the United States out of any state, because of … rate suppression,” said Chris Hebard, president of Hebard Insurance Solutions, a Northern California-based agency that offers home, auto, farm, and other net worth insurance for both personal and business use, on a recent…

DEATH VALLEY, Calif.—A Southern California outdoor enthusiast died Tuesday after collapsing following an hours-long hike in Death Valley National Park, the world’s hottest place. The Los Angeles Times reported Friday that 71-year-old Steve Curry died of what officials believe were heat-related causes. His death occurred just hours after speaking to a Times reporter about hiking…

San Clemente residents can expect wastewater sewage rates to rise by 30 percent over the next five years after the San Clemente City Council voted 4–1 July 18 in favor of the rate hikes, with Mayor Pro Tem Steve Knoblock abstaining. Such rates will increase by 9.5 percent as soon as October. Going forward, rates…

Chino Valley Unified teachers must notify parents if their child identifies as transgender under a new policy approved by the district’s board at a July 20 meeting, where fierce debate took place among the community and the state’s top education official was escorted out of the meeting. The board voted 4–1 to approve the policy…