Category: Orange County

Man Dies in Homeless Encampment Fire

The homeless community is on edge after a man died during an April 20 fire at an Anaheim homeless encampment. “The homeless community is shook up,” Zach Southall, managing director of Charity on Wheels, told The Epoch Times. “We all immediately thought back to April of last year when a homeless man was intentionally set on fire.”…


Rescuers Search for Entangled Baby Whale

SAN CLEMENTE—Whale watchers up and down the coast of Southern California April 20 were on the lookout for an entangled baby gray whale first spotted near the San Clemente Pier. Efforts to disentangle what appeared to be fishing lines wrapped around the calf’s head were unsuccessful April 19 as rescuers on an inflatable and two…


Human Remains Found Near San Juan Capistrano Trail

Police are investigating after human remains were found near a popular San Juan Capistrano hiking trail. The unidentified man was found April 17 by a hiker, who reported finding the remains in a dry creek bed off the Bluff Trail, said the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. “We do have an ongoing death investigation, but there’s…


Crews Rescue 14 From Sinking Boat in Newport Beach

NEWPORT BEACH—Orange County first responders and good Samaritans rescued 14 people from a boat that was taking on water off the coast of Newport Beach, authorities said. Harbor Patrol officials received a call at 2:45 p.m. Sunday of a 41-foot Carver vessel taking on water outside the entrance to Newport Harbor. When deputies from the…


Irvine Directs $42 Million in COVID-Relief Funds Toward Park Repairs

The City of Irvine is considering spending 80 percent of its federal COVID-19 relief funds on improvements to a local park. It received $53 million from the American Rescue Plan, a pandemic stimulus package, and will discuss during an April 27 meeting whether to put $42 million of that money toward Heritage Community Park upgrades….


Santa Ana Street Racing Spectators Could Face Jail Time

Watching a street race in Santa Ana could soon land spectators behind bars. An ordinance set for discussion during Santa Ana’s April 20 city council meeting would allow police to issue misdemeanor citations to street racing spectators. Those who knowingly attend or assist with such events would face up to six months in jail and a…


Diamond Bar Man Arrested in Fatal Tustin Crash

TUSTIN—A 29-year-old Diamond Bar man was arrested in connection with a fatal crash after he fled Tustin police, authorities said April 19. The chain of events began about 8:45 a.m. April 18, when Tustin police were called to the 2800 block of Park Avenue, following reports of an unresponsive driver, said Lt. Bill Bingham of…


Housing Plan Calls for 1.5 million New SoCal Homes

Commentary Southern California counties, cities and jurisdictions need to provision for 1.5 million new homes throughout the next eight years. California’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) works with local jurisdictions, analyzing population growth, job growth and transportation infrastructure to develop mandates for how many new homes jurisdictions must plan for. The approach includes…


Congressional Art Contest Celebrates Coastal Heroes

Each spring, members of the U.S. House of Representatives sponsor an artistic discovery contest, a nationwide high school arts competition, to recognize and encourage high school students’ artistic abilities both nationwide and in each congressional district. “Orange County is full of so many talented and creative students, and I can’t wait to see what they…


Southern California Repurposes Buildings for Trafficking Survivors, Homeless

LOS ANGELES—When San Diego stopped issuing strip club licenses and a local club went up for sale, a church bought it to create a shelter for human trafficking survivors. When the pandemic bankrupted a family favorite roller rink that had been in Los Angeles for more than 40 years, a project to turn it into…