Category: Orange County

Rossmoor Taxpayers Get Answer to Sales Tax Confusion

Residents of an unincorporated Orange County, Calif. town said they were recently overcharged taxes for sharing the same zip code as a neighboring, higher-taxed city. The issue dates back to last November, when Los Alamitos voters narrowly passed Measure Y, which allowed the city to raise its sales tax by 1.5 percent. The tax hike…


Sole Survivor of March 31 Mass Shooting in Orange Leaves Hospital

SANTA ANA—The only survivor of the March 31 mass shooting in Orange has been released from the hospital to heal at home and mourn the deaths of a son and daughter who were among four people killed in the rampage. Blanca Ismeralda Tamayo was released from UCI Medical Center on May 5, two bullets still…


Water District Partnership Brings Increased Water Supply, Habitat Restoration 

The Orange County Water District (OCWD) has entered into a partnership with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) that will allow for increased water storage and habitat restoration behind the Prado Dam near Corona, Calif. It made the announcement May 5. The change comes as Lt. General Scott A. Spellmon signed off on a feasibility study April 22 that proposed an update to the…


Fullerton Shoots Down Ban on Unoccupied Short-Term Rentals

Fullerton city council has rejected a complete ban on whole house short-term rentals (STRs). Council during a May 4 meeting instead proposed shortening the cap on unoccupied STRs in an attempt to compromise after being hit with lawsuits from parties on both sides of the issue. It will vote during its May 18 meeting on an amended ordinance that would reduce the limit of total allowable whole-house STRs within the city from…


Traffic Stop Leads to Happy Ending for Single Mom

Being pulled over by police turned out to be a blessing in disguise for one Orange County mom. Police in Irvine, Calif., said they pulled the woman over April 27 for not having her three children properly secured in their seats. One of the youngers, a three-year-old girl, was riding in a heavily-worn car seat….


Irvine Man Arrested for Murder of Wife

Police in Irvine, Calif. have arrested a 42-year-old man in connection with the murder of his wife, they said May 5. The victim, 33-year-old Chao Chen, was discovered May 4 about 1 p.m. on the kitchen floor of her Red Apple home. Police said they learned of the killing after a probationer called his parole…


Huntington Beach Unveils New Mat for Disabled Beachgoers 

The City of Huntington Beach rolled out a new tool May 5 that gives disabled beachgoers an opportunity to get closer to the ocean. Known as a “Mobi-Mat”, the 150-foot pathway lies on top of sand, extending from the sidewalk to the shore. There is an extended area toward the end of the mat, which allows about five people…


Huntington Beach Increases Modified Exhaust Enforcement 

Huntington Beach is teaming up with other coastal cities to more aggressively enforce illegally-modified vehicle exhausts. During a May 3 presentation to the Huntington Beach city council, police Chief Julian Harvey outlined the city’s ongoing problem with cars and motorcycles with modified exhausts, and how police intend to discourage the practice. “Every city police chief that I’ve talked to… is impacted by this…


Dynamite Book Club Shares the Gift of Reading

When 16-year-old Alex Law’s friend Ellie told her how isolating it was to be a patient at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) during the pandemic shutdown, Law and three of her friends decided to do something to help. “Ellie told me about the children she meets when she has to go to CHOC sometimes,…


Huntington Beach City Council Imposes Social Media Guidelines

Huntington Beach city council unanimously passed a policy that prohibits elected officials from blocking or deleting public comments on social media sites. The city adopted the ordinance during a May 3 vote. “This policy is the bare minimum,” Mayor Kim Carr said during the council meeting. “If you’re an elected official … allow that content to be accessible to anybody who…