Category: Orange County

State Agency Hits Non-Compliant Restaurants With Warnings, Fines

Orange County officials might not be cracking down on local restaurants defying state health orders, but that doesn’t mean the eateries are off the hook. California’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) has been penalizing non-compliant restaurants since July, and has cited 19 Orange County businesses for violating state health orders. It has issued several…


Street Racing Enforcement Ramps Up in Orange County

Orange County officers are cracking down on street racing events. Santa Ana police issued 27 citations, 25 impounds, four street racing-related arrests and 40 spectator arrests Jan. 9 after several cars were caught street racing in the city. Police said the bust came after they discovered several cars racing and doing donuts at the intersection of Fourth…


More Orange County Entertainment Centers Tapped to Host Vaccine Super Sites

SANTA ANA (CNS)—Orange County supervisors have reached a deal to host a second super site for vaccines at Knott’s Berry Farm, shortly after confirming Disneyland would be used as its first super site. Officials are also working on setting up a vaccination site at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, said Supervisor Doug Chaffee….


Orange County Voters Will Elect New Supervisor in March

A date has been officially set for the Orange County Board of Supervisors (OCBS) second district special election. The election will be held March 9. The seat became available after of former OCBS chair Michelle Steel won her congressional bid for California’s 48th District during the Nov. 3 election. She previously represented the second district, which covers Costa Mesa, Cypress,…


Local Leaders Hope Proposed California Budget Will Help Businesses, Schools

Orange County leaders say they’re optimstic the recently-released draft budget will benefit local businesses and public schools. “We think that this budget that the governor presented has a number of good things in there that are steps in the right direction of giving the mainstream mom-and-pop [shops] more hope and support that they desperately need,”…


December Deadliest Month on Record for COVID in Orange County

SANTA ANA (CNS)—Orange County health officials Jan. 11 reported another 29 COVID-19 virus fatalities, bringing the death toll to 2,120. The death reports are staggered and sometimes take weeks to be logged, but it’s clear now that December was the deadliest month for the county since the pandemic began, with 410 fatalities reported so far….


Southern California Hospitals Postpone Elective Surgeries During COVID-19 Surge

Some Orange County hospitals have suspended elective surgeries as they struggle to keep pace with an ongoing pandemic that continues to push the boundaries of health care capacity. Local health officials made the call to postpone nonessential procedures following a state health order that sought to more effectively prioritize patient care. The California Department of…


Popular Newport Beach Charity Golf Tournament Cancelled

The annual Hoag Classic Golf Tournament in Newport Beach, which has raised more than $20 million since 1998 for the hospital group and its various programs, has been postponed indefinitely because of the ongoing pandemic. The tournament, hosted by Hoag Hospital at the Newport Beach Country Club was originally scheduled for March 1 to 7. More than…


State Quotas for Housing Meet Resistance in Southern California

Cities throughout Orange County, California, are appealing state-mandated quotas to build more high-density and affordable housing. Some local officials say the quotas are too high and have been shifted unfairly from nearby counties. Irvine, Newport Beach, Yorba Linda, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, and Mission Viejo are among the cities that have launched appeals with the Southern…


Orange County-Based Food Chain Plans to Hire 15,000 New Workers

NEWPORT BEACH (CNS)—Chipotle Mexican Grill will host a “Coast To Coast Career Day” on Jan. 15, with plans to hire 15,000 new workers for its restaurants across the United States, the Newport Beach-based company announced today. Although the pandemic has resulted in lost business for many companies, Chipotle officials said their model has allowed them…