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OAKLAND – Oakland City Hall is open for business after a group of “Occupy” protesters broke into the historic building and smashed glass display cases and windows, spray-painted graffiti and burned the American and California flags.
On Monday city…

A Huntington Beach woman wants at least $75,000 to cover medical expenses and lost wages after she says she tripped and fell on a sidewalk that was raised.
Rosa Herrera, 56, filed a claim against Huntington Beach on Jan. 23 alleging that the roots of…

GARDEN GROVE – Thousands came Sunday to the final day of the Tet Festival, which celebrated the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Dragon.
Visitors watched a mock wedding, played games, checked out rides and watched the moves on a human Chinese…

ORANGE – An elderly woman crashed her Cadillac into the patio of a doughnut shop as she tried to back out of a parking space, injuring herself and three others, police said.
The crash was reported at 10:45 a.m. when the driver was in the parking…

A judge has just denied a petition by John Williams, Orange County’s locked-out public administrator, for immediate reinstatement.
Williams was locked out of his office last week, after he failed to retire on the day he said he would retire.
Facing…

Renowned marine-life artist Wyland will give art lessons via video starting this weekend as the Wyland Foundation and Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching begin “Wyland’s Whale and Dolphin Adventure,” a series of ocean cruises Saturdays and…

We told you last week that California’s 425 redevelopment agencies will soon be handing off $29.8 billion in unpaid long-term debt to their successors, according to the latest figures from the state controller’s office.
We also told you that…

Barbara Ann Kelley, a longtime San Clemente resident before moving to Vista in 2002, died peacefully Dec. 17 at age 80 with her family beside her, four days after suffering a massive heart attack and stroke.
She grew up in Whittier, attended…

Ever wonder how a volcano erupts? Maybe you want to know how a lava lamp is made or how nuclear power works or how to capture motion through a photograph.
Kindergartners through fifth-graders at Marblehead Elementary School in San Clemente have the…

Smoke can be seen to the west of Orange County as firefighters battle a commercial fire in Paramount Monday morning.
Firefighters were called to the 16200 block of South Orange Avenue at about 8 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department….

SANTA ANA – A 55-year-old man fatally struck by two hit-and-run drivers as he tried to cross Broadway Street has been identified as Jose Javier Diaz, police said Monday.
Diaz was crossing in the 400 block of South Broadway just south of Chestnut…

HUNTINGTON BEACH – Three families were displaced after a fire tore through a three-unit apartment building early Monday morning, authorities said.
No injuries were reported, but firefighters did have to help a man get out of a unit on the second…

LA HABRA – The bicycle, Bob Laher insisted, was practically an arm’s length away.
But for just a few minutes, the 86-year-old World War II veteran turned his back to the bike while he got his hair trimmed.
And in those few minutes, someone made off…

ANAHEIM – A man who was driving on the wrong side of the 91 freeway and crashed head-on with another vehicle Sunday morning was arrested on suspicion of DUI, authorities said.
The crash killed a 53-year-old woman from Buena Park, and three other…

LADERA RANCH – Ending a 4½-year court battle that rewrote state law, a Ladera Ranch family tormented by grisly accident photos of their daughter on the Internet has settled a lawsuit against the California Highway Patrol for leaking images that…

If you hear any of San Clemente’s 19 community-alert sirens sounding Monday or Tuesday, don’t be alarmed. They’re all scheduled to be given a 20-second test during those two days, one siren at a time.
It’s a quarterly test. In a real…

FULLERTON – Several straight years of budget volatility at Cal State Fullerton have forced the county’s largest university to shed jobs, increase class sizes, limit enrollment and scale back course offerings.
Those cuts have made it increasingly…

One hour, 27 minutes and 52 seconds into the inaugural Tinker Bell half marathon run in Anaheim, Kellie Nickerson broke the ribbon. The New Mexico resident flew out for the race and hoped to finish among the top racers.
She finished first.
Wearing…

PLACENTIA – A man was injured after a fire destroyed the garage of a house at 346 Eagle Drive in Placentia Sunday afternoon.
The fire was reported at 5:06 p.m., and 25 firefighters from the Orange County Fire Authority, Fullerton and Anaheim fire…

John S. Williams, Orange County’s public administrator, goes to court this morning to ask a judge to reinstate him to his elected position after he was locked out of his office last week.
Facing accusations that he had mismanaged his department and…

Orange County should see a brief return of cooler weather, then highs could push back into the 80s by midweek, the National Weather Service says.
Back-to-back “troughs” of low pressure air are expected to move inland through Southern California…

A model boat thought lost at sea late Saturday transmitted a GPS signal Sunday evening from San Clemente Island, where it ran aground after traveling some 60 miles off the south Orange County coast.
The WikiWiki’s onboard GPS tracking device pinged…

For one night on Sunday, the Angels and the Texas Rangers were on the same side with major leaguers including Torii Hunter, Howie Kendrick and Adrian Beltre bowling to raise money for autism.
Former major league reliever Eddie Guardado helped…

BREA – About 35 people gathered in front of Petco Sunday to protest what they call unfair treatment of rescued huskies.
Some of those attending were from the Occupy Orange County movement, there to protest against companies such as Petco.
Henry…

LAGUNA BEACH – A 40-year-old man was rescued by helicopter out of El Moro Canyon at about 2 p.m.
The unidentified man was mountain biking by himself when he somehow crashed in the El Moro ridge area, according to Orange County Fire Authority Capt….

WESTMINSTER – A Sig-Alert was issued for the northbound 405 Freeway just north of Springdale Street, but has been cleared.
According to early California Highway Patrol reports, a gray sedan was involved in an accident at 1:02 p.m., causing the No….

Girls ages 5-18 helped a Saddleback Valley Christian High School student from San Clemente put on a pair of dance shows Saturday to raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Jake Esten’s “Dance for a Cure Benefit Showcase” at the San…

ANAHEIM – A person who caused head-on collisions on two different freeways early Sunday left one woman dead and three other people possibly injured.
A passenger who died as a result of the first collision, which was on the westbound 91 Freeway, was…

Jeannette “Jay” Irene Gill Lewis, a resident of San Clemente, went home to be with the Lord on Jan. 22.
She was born in San Diego on Feb. 25, 1938, while her father, John Clifford Gill, was serving in the Coast Guard. She grew up in Boston and moved…

GARDEN GROVE – Phuong Le, draped in vivid pink satin robes and sparkling jewel earrings, knelt on stage in front of a table of colorful offerings as part of a Vietnamese ancestral ceremony.
The ceremony was part of the opening events of the 31st…

Marines became lean, clean, washing machines Saturday outside San Clemente’s Walmart store, washing cars for donations to send members of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment to Las Vegas after the unit arrives home to Camp Pendleton from…

IRVINE – Instead of two teaching assistants for a class of about 50 students, UC Irvine professor Mark LeVine now gets one.
Instead of being able to lead intimate seminar classes of just a dozen or so students, LeVine is under pressure to teach…

FULLERTON – The up-close photo of a bloody and bruised Kelly Thomas in a hospital bed, along with reports that the injuries that would turn fatal were pounded upon the unarmed, mentally ill homeless man by Fullerton police officers, circulated…

SANTA ANA – More than 130 teens, residents and community leaders gathered at Memorial Park on Saturday to take part in a graffiti removal project aimed at fostering neighborhood pride.
Participants congregated in front of the stage before fanning…

CYPRESS – They came to remember Paulus Cornelius Smit, the man they said marched to a different drummer’s beat.
He was “Dutch” to some, “Paul” to others, and “Papa” to his daughters.
Among the 75 or so gathered Saturday in the worship hall at…

LADERA RANCH – Authorities evacuated a supermarket midmorning Saturday to search for a bank robber they said later was confirmed to have already walked out.The 11:15 a.m. robbery occurred at the US Bank inside the Pavilions at 25636 Crown Valley…

Wouldn’t it be fun to surprise someone with a singing valentine?
South County Sound, the south Orange County chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, is offering to send a barbershop quartet to the address of your choice to deliver a serenade. It’s…

About 40 Dana Point music lovers gathered at the home of Keith and Barbara Johannes on Friday night to help celebrate the upcoming inaugural season of the Dana Point Symphony.
The symphony, led by artistic and executive director Berenika Schmitz and…

High winds and low humidity are raising the risk of wildfire in Orange County and the surrounding region, with a red-flag warning from the National Weather Service in effect until 6 p.m. Saturday.
The warning covers coastal areas and the mountains…

Mission San Juan Capistrano Executive Director Mechelle Lawrence-Adams will host a tour of the mission from 10:30 a.m. to noon Thursday.
The cost is $20 per person, including admission to the grounds. All proceeds will benefit mission preservation….

Feb. 3 is set as the date for state Assemblywoman Diane Harkey, San Clemente city officials and former San Clemente Police Department personnel to gather to dedicate a pair of freeway signs designating I-5 through San Clemente as the “Officer Richard…

The number of California homes going into foreclosure dropped in the fourth quarter of 2011 to the second-lowest level in more than four years according to San Diego-based real estate analytics company, DataQuick.
Industry analysts speculate that the…

LAKE FOREST – A naked man who ran from a traffic accident was arrested Friday afternoon after arming himself with shovels that he used to keep sheriff’s deputies at a distance, authorities said.Vu Xuan Do, 49, was taken into custody after leading…

GARDEN GROVE – The Tet Festival will hold its opening ceremony Saturday as its moves into its second day of celebrating the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Dragon.
The ceremony will be held from noon to 2 p.m., followed by a children’s pageant,…

Twenty-seven Orange County high school seniors have been named candidates in the 2012 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program for their perfect or near-perfect SAT and ACT scores, or for a nationally recognized artistic talent.
The students, who hail from…

A dognapping duo swiped a chow puppy worth nearly $600 from a Stanton pet store this week, distracting store clerks but apparently not paying enough attention to a running surveillance camera.
Sheriff’s deputies have “very vivid” video of the crime,…

NEWPORT BEACH – Prosecutors charged a former JSerra Catholic High School teacher Friday with engaging in sex acts with a 14-year-old student, accusations his attorney said are untrue.
Ricardo Aldana, 37, out on $100,000 bail, is expected to be…

A Newport Beach developer is proposing a three-story building next to San Clemente’s “Historic City Hall” that the San Clemente Historical Society says would negatively affect that and other historic buildings in the heart of downtown.
Olen…

SANTA ANA – Police continue to call on women who may have been assaulted by a man suspected in a series of rapes to come forward.
Police have linked Jose Luis Capacete, 39, of Baldwin Park to three Orange County rapes, but authorities believe he…

A classroom crowded with more than 40 high school students got some lessons Thursday on preventing teenage domestic abuse. Laura’s House, an Orange County domestic-violence shelter, says it’s an often-overlooked problem.
As part of a series of…

President Barack Obama called on the nation’s public universities to control spiraling tuition costs or they may risk losing federal funding.
The president made his appeal during a speech Friday at the University of Michigan, while calling for an…

SANTA ANA – An Afghan man who hid out in Austria after he was accused of raping a woman in Tustin in 2004 was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison plus 21 years Friday for sexually assaulting two women and attempting to sexually assault a third….

City officials will sell land for $3.3 million that will be slated for a hotel with up to 140 rooms as part of the plan to revamp the city’s major corridors, Edinger Avenue and Beach Boulevard.
At a special meeting on Friday, City Council members…

An ROP model-making class at San Clemente High School was at it again Thursday afternoon, trying for the second year to launch handmade watercraft from Capistrano Beach on a course students hope will take the boats as far as Hawaii.
About 50 students…

Three men accused of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon in a Jan. 6 brawl in San Clemente pleaded not guilty Friday.
Filiberto Thomas Cordova, 23, of Garden Grove, Gilberto Velazquez of San Juan Capistrano and Francisco Javier Sanchez…

SANTA ANA – A judge has told an Orange County jury to continue deliberations Monday after the panel reported it was deadlocked in the trial of a woman accused of secretly giving birth to a full-term baby girl in a restaurant bathroom, suffocating…

SANTA ANA – A Garden Grove man was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Friday for bludgeoning to death a Fullerton father of two after he was invited to a sexual rendezvous in the victim’s bedroom in June 2007.
Jaime…

NEWPORT BEACH – A local entrepreneur has launched a new line of bras with built-in pockets to be used everywhere a purse is inconvenient.
Designer Toni Ibabaza said the bra is especially useful when going out dancing or going for a workout.
“I…

SANTA ANA – An Orange County judge Friday sentenced two more of the five inmates convicted of beating another prisoner to death to 15 years to life in prison.
While family members and supporters of defendants Garret Eugene Aguilar, 29, of Anaheim…

High winds began to blow in the Santa Ana Mountains early Friday, and there’s plenty more to come: Much of Orange County could see winds in the 25-35 mph range with mountain gusts over 60, said the National Weather Service, which placed the county…

A man was taken to Saddleback Memorial Medical Center San Clemente after reportedly being assaulted at the San Clemente Pier. The call to the Sheriff’s Department was logged at 1:51 a.m. Thursday.
Here are other recent Sheriff’s Department reports…

For the second consecutive year, San Clemente’s Bret Miller turned in a stellar performance at the 10th Annual Nike Chris Sailer National Kicking Event in Las Vegas, Jan. 14-15.Miller, a junior at SCHS, was listed as one of the Top 12 kickers in the…

SANTA ANA – A Superior Court judge scheduled an Oct. 15 trial date for the Huntington Beach man charged in the deadliest shooting in Orange County – the massacre of eight people at a Seal Beach beauty salon – but he acknowledged that it will…

New state Senate districts unpopular with Republicans will be used in elections this year, the California Supreme Court ruled Friday.
Republicans had asked the high court to block the districts because they have submitted a referendum for the…

Although it won’t officially open until Feb. 25, San Clemente’s new $33 million Vista Hermosa Sports Park could see its first activities as early as Monday.People driving by on Avenida Vista Hermosa may notice AYSO soccer or other limited activities…

With the first 50 years of cityhood under San Juan Capistrano’s belt, the local Historical Society is working on the next 50.
The group’s president, Tom Ostensen, and volunteer Mike Forster, a descendant of original area landowner Marco Forster,…

JURUPA VALLEY – A Riverside County man is defending his decision to obtain a temporary restraining order against a fourth-grader who he says threatened his son with a knife.
Robert Casteel tells the Press-Enterprise that “something needed to be…

A 20-year-old man from Huntington Beach will serve one year in jail after pleading guilty to a crash that killed his cousin and injured a tow truck driver and his passenger three years ago on Christmas Eve.
Luicci Nader pleaded guilty to felony…

LA HABRA – Two La Habra men shot and killed in a residential neighborhood have been identified, police said.
Nick Burresch, 24, and Phillip Reinig, 30, were fatally shot outside of a home in the 500 block of South Clifton Street, near Lambert Road,…

A new Disney race may shut down streets for a few hours. But this weekend’s event is expected to open the road to millions of dollars for the region.
The inaugural Tinker Bell Half Marathon events are set to run Friday through Sunday at the…

The county has paid $375,000 to end a federal lawsuit alleging that sheriff’s deputies arrested the wrong man, ordered him to strip naked and beat him while taking pictures with their camera phones.
The deputies were actually looking for his…

FULLERTON – Mildred García already has a plan to lift Cal State Fullerton as one of the nation’s premier comprehensive universities.
The school’s newly appointed president said Fullerton could reach that pinnacle by promoting undergraduate…

COSTA MESA – A driver suspected of being drunk suffered multiple broken bones after crashing through a power pole late Thursday night.The crash took out electricity for several homes and businesses in Costa Mesa and Huntington Beach, officials…

The city of San Clemente hosted a luncheon Thursday at the Community Center to recognize 43 of its employees for their service.
UCLA flags and signs adorned the auditorium’s walls, and tables were decorated with chocolate softballs, Cracker Jack…

LA HABRA – Two men died after shootings Thursday night in a La Habra neighborhood, authorities said.Officers responded to reports of shots fired in the 500 block of South Clifton Street, near Lambert Road, about 7:15 p.m.They found two men outside…

John S. Williams, who is disputing whether he retired from his elected position as the county’s public administrator, has sued the county to be restored to the post and to regain access to his office, from which he has been locked out.
A hearing is…

Construction on the next phase of the $65.5 million Orange County Great Park Western Sector is expected to begin in March.
The $21.5 million project will include the South Lawn and Timeline West, with four soccer fields, basketball courts, a jogging…

As promised, Barack Obama and his Atlanta-based lawyer skipped a hearing today in which plaintiffs argued that the president should be kept off Georgia’s March 6 primary ballot because there’s inadequate evidence that he’s a natural-born citizen,…

San Clemente State Beach, Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and the Irvine Ranch Conservancy are a little nicer this year, thanks to Eagle Scout projects completed by three members of San Clemente Boy Scout Troop 737.
Evan Stansel built, engraved, painted…

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO – For the second time this season, the JSerra boys basketball team came up just a bit short against St. John Bosco of Bellflower.
The Lions, ranked fourth in the county, trailed by two with 21.8 seconds left.
On their next…

Gov. Jerry Brown helped San Juan Capistrano’s 50th Anniversary Committee finish its yearlong festivities Thursday by attending a luncheon at El Adobe de Capistrano restaurant meant to thank 150 volunteers who worked on the cityhood commemoration the…

The San Clemente Art Association is remembering the late Tom Cartt with a display devoted to the longtime Dana Point artist in the San Clemente Art Gallery.
Cartt died Nov. 30 at age 92. He had been a member of the San Clemente Art Association for…

San Clemente – A showdown for first place in South Coast League girls soccer turned into a battle of wills between San Clemente goalie Sheridan Hapsic and Aliso Niguel goalie Sammy Prud’homme.
Hapsic recorded seven saves, while Prud’homme collected…

SANTA ANA – A 39-year-old bicyclist struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver has been identified as Elfego Lozano-Nicolas, authorities said Thursday.
The Santa Ana man was struck by a pickup truck on the 100 block of South Broadway just before…

SAN FRANCISCO – The head of California’s air quality board on Thursday called proposed rules that would require automakers to build less-polluting cars and trucks by 2025 a historic move for a cleaner environment.
California Air Resources Board…

The 2011 Dana Point Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving raised $25,000 for the Dana Point 5th Marine Regiment Support Group and $10,000 for Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, organizers said Thursday.
The 34th annual event, featuring 5K, 10K and…

The International Surfing Museum in Huntington Beach may partner with a new entity in Huntington Beach and look into possibly expanding the museum to draw more visitors downtown.
City Council members at a special meeting on Friday will consider…

A new Burger King in Anaheim is celebrating its grand opening Friday with prizes and a cheap deal on a chicken sandwich.
The event takes place Friday, Jan. 27, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Address: 814 N. Brookhurst St., Anaheim.
Here’s the lowdown:

  …

City officials will consider selling land for $3.3 million that would be slated for a hotel with up to 140 rooms as part of the plan to revamp the city’s major corridors, Edinger Avenue and Beach Boulevard.
At a special meeting on Friday, City…

SANTA ANA – A homeless man was arrested on suspicion of stabbing another homeless man during a fight Wednesday night, police said.
The men, who are friends, got into an argument while two Christian relief volunteers went to their encampment in the…

Slack key guitarist Jeff Peterson, who recorded five songs featured in the movie “The Descendants,” is coming from Hawaii to play two shows this weekend in south Orange County as part of the Lord of the Strings Concert Series.
Peterson will play at…

The first ‘blue marble’ photo taken by Apollo 17 astronauts on their way to the moon in 1972 became an iconic image, and NASA’s follow-up seems likely to join it.
It’s a composite image made up of photos taken by the Suomi NPP satellite on Jan. 4….

A Saddleback Valley Christian High School student from San Clemente is teaming this week with a San Clemente dance studio to produce a pair of fundraising shows for the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Jake Esten’s “Dance for a Cure Benefit Showcase” will…

A fire-weather watch was declared for Orange County and much of the surrounding area Thursday with a forecast of high winds and low humidity as the weekend begins.
The watch, issued by the National Weather Service when critical fire weather is…

LAKE FOREST – San Clemente High’s Kelsey Thornton and her fellow senior teammates were on a mission to make it a clean sweep.
Thornton scored five goals to lead the No. 7 Tritons in an 8-4 win against No. 9 El Toro in a pivotal South Coast League…

LOS ANGELES – Makers of counterfeit NFL jerseys have been sacked a total of 304 times since the season started in September, losing an estimated $847,000 worth of jerseys seized by Customs and Border Protection officers at Los Angeles and Ontario…

SAN CLEMENTE – It isn’t often that San Clemente heavyweight wrestler Cody Cornish and 106-pounder Daniel Garcia follow each other in the lineup in a dual, but that was the case in Tuesday’s South Coast League match against Capistrano Valley.
The…

The Dana Point City Council and the Planning Commission will have a joint public meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday to discuss the status of city plans to revitalize the Doheny Village area in Capistrano Beach.
The meeting, a follow-up to a public workshop…

Visitors and locals may see San Clemente become dramatically more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly after the City Council adopts a new General Plan for the city this year.So suggests Pete van Nuys, executive director of the Orange County Bicycle…

SAN DIEGO – Two men who police said are members of the Mexican Mafia are among 119 people charged in a San Diego-area gang crackdown, authorities said Wednesday.
There were 104 people arrested early Wednesday throughout San Diego County, with 15…

Services are scheduled for Feb. 6 for a 20-year-old San Clemente man who reportedly jumped to his death from a freeway overpass early Saturday.
The memorial service will be at 1 p.m. at San Clemente Presbyterian Church, 119 N. Avenida de la Estrella….

So a raging debate in the pension wars has long been this: Just how much will the giant investment funds really earn over the long haul?
The more the investments earn, of course, the less that public workers — and the agencies  employing them…

Sunny skies are forecast for Saturday’s benefit car wash outside San Clemente’s Walmart store, where Marines will be washing cars for donations to send the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines to Las Vegas after the unit arrives home to Camp Pendleton…

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO – A Mission Viejo elementary school that has been sharing its campus with a new K-8 charter school since September will be closed in June, as Oxford Preparatory Academy expands to fill the entire campus.
During an emotional,…

IRVINE – A woman suspected of stealing another woman’s credit card information and using it to order high-end merchandise was arrested Tuesday afternoon as she waited for the items to be delivered to the Irvine resident’s home.
Detectives arrested…

IRVINE – Two men suspected of robbing another man after agreeing to purchase his laptop were arrested early Wednesday when they were seen driving in South County, police said.
Investigators believe that the robbery occurred after Xavier Austin…

San Clemente’s elected leaders are waiting for Caltrans’ response to the city’s request to reopen an environmental review of two sound walls being added along I-5 through town.
The city contends the state agency didn’t comply with the California…

SANTA ANA – An Orange County jury Thursday will continue weighing the fate of a woman accused of secretly giving birth to a full-term baby girl in a restaurant bathroom, suffocating her and then dumping the newborn into a trash bin.Jurors in…

Scoffing at a judge’s call for Barack Obama to appear in court Thursday, Obama attorney Michael Jablonski says that not only will the president not be on hand but neither will Jablonski.
The lawsuit, in which several Georgia voters are represented by…

Gov. Jerry Brown will attend a luncheon at El Adobe restaurant in San Juan Capistrano on Thursday to help wrap up the celebration of San Juan’s 50th anniversary of cityhood, the city announced Wednesday afternoon. Brown was invited to the private…

If you’re in San Juan Capistrano and hear sirens sounding for a few seconds Thursday, don’t fret. It’s just the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station conducting a “growl test” of its community alert siren system in town.
The nuclear plant does…

California State University trustees on Wednesday named Mildred García as the new president for Cal State Fullerton.
García, now president of Cal State Dominguez Hills, will assume her position at Fullerton on June 1.
“I’m honored to be named…

Three balloon pilots scaled the side of the Great Park’s 118-foot orange orb, carefully securing each foot in the outer net before taking a step. Attached to their belts were the ends of a 640-pound net they would slip over the balloon with the help…

John S. Williams, the county’s embattled public administrator and former public guardian, is refusing to leave office as he had said he intended to do.
Williams in March signed a letter to  Bill Campbell, who was then chairman of the county’s Board…

Oops.
About 98,000 federal, postal and congressional employees owed $1.03 billion in unpaid taxes to their employer, Uncle Sam, at the end of fiscal 2010, the Washington Post reports.
The total number of delinquent employees dipped slightly from…

Asphalt repair is scheduled for Monday in the Embarcadero parking lot at Dana Point Harbor. The county says a portion of the lot near the Wind & Sea restaurant will be replaced with new asphalt paving.
Work is scheduled to last just one day, the…

A former San Clemente fire station at 1030 Calle Negocio will become the new home of Family Assistance Ministries, a charity organization that provides food and other services for south Orange County’s needy.
FAM could begin moving into the…

LADERA RANCH – As third-generation Vietnamese-Americans, it’s important for our family to remember where we came from, as well as the traditional values and customs of the Tet holiday.
My parents were “boat people” when they fled Vietnam after the…

VILLA PARK – The flames of a contentious battle for the Orange County Board of Supervisors Third District seat got hotter Tuesday.
Villa Park councilwoman Deborah Pauly, facing a better financed and more experienced opponent in former Assemblyman…

The Fair Political Practices Commission will investigate allegations of conflict of interest made by Robert Hawkins, a former member of the Newport Beach Planning Commission, against City Council members Rush Hill and Mike Henn.
Hawkins resigned from…

Time is running out for John Moorlach, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, and he wants more.
Moorlach’s term is up in 2014. With just three years left, he feels another term would make a difference in reaching goals he’s set to accomplish during…

Americans are much less concerned with illegal immigration compared with five years ago, ranking it at a lower priority than other public-policy issues such as the economy, jobs and terrorism, according to a new survey.
A Pew Research Center poll…

Applications are still available for adults interested in filling an adviser position on the San Juan Capistrano Youth Advisory Board.
The board, a liaison between youths and city government, submits recommendations to the City Council for special…

A former Marine faces trial on a manslaughter charge in connection with a high-speed crash that tore his car in half and killed a friend.Prosecutors say Andrew Stueber, 27, was drunk when he lost control of a Ford Mustang in August 2009 and slammed…

SANTA ANA – Authorities seek the public’s help in identifying additional victims of a suspected serial rapist who has been linked to three rapes in Orange County.
Jose Luis Capacete, 39, of Baldwin Park, was arrested on suspicion of raping a…

SANTA ANA – More than 1,300 customers are without electricity after a power outage hit Wednesday morning, officials said.
The outage was first reported to Southern California Edison at 11:08 a.m., said Lauren Bartlett, spokeswoman for SCE.
The…

Sixty-eight percent of likely California voters support Gov. Jerry Brown‘s plan to raise taxes, according to a new survey released by the Public Policy Institute of California.
That’s up from 60 percent just six weeks ago, according to PPIC…

HUNTINGTON BEACH – The Woman’s Club will have to wait to rebuild until it can come up with a compromise with neighbors who have complained about a lack of parking and rowdy events at the clubhouse.
Planning Commissioners at their meeting on Tuesday…

The Rancho San Clemente Tennis & Fitness Club’s 14-and-under Intermediate tennis team recently won the Orange County Fall 2011 Championship.The victory marked the team’s second consecutive title, as it also won the 2011 Spring trophy. “I’m really…

Roy H. Gobrogge, 67, beloved husband, father and brother, passed away peacefully Jan. 23 with his family at his side.
Roy grew up on a farm in Malinta, Ohio, served in the Air Force during the Vietnam era and, after completing his service, became a…

A man told the Orange County Sheriff’s Department that he and his friend were physically attacked as they were skateboarding on the street near Whispering Winds Apartments in San Clemente. The man said his friend suffered a bloody nose.
The incident…

Auditions are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Monday at Dana Hills High School for the new Bellagio Strings Youth Orchestra for students in grades 4-8 who play string instruments.
Rehearsals will be Monday evenings at the school, 33333 Golden …

The San Juan Capistrano Community Services Department is offering beginning and intermediate tennis lessons for teenagers and adults starting this week.
Beginning and intermediate teen classes for ages 12-17 are held from 6 to 7 p.m. and 7 to 8…

ANAHEIM – Donny Hopkins says it was a twist of fate that left him face to face with a man suspected of stabbing a homeless man to death outside a Carl’s Jr., and pure instinct that led him to chase him until police arrived.
But while authorities…

Evanne Smith passed away peacefully Jan. 20. Viewing will be at 9 a.m. Saturday at Lesneski Mortuary, 640 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente, with services in the chapel at 11 a.m.Evanne is survived by her loving husband, Walter A. Smith; her sister…

Unless the City Council decides differently, there will be no new stop signs along Ola Vista at Avenida Cabrillo in downtown San Clemente.
On a 6-0 vote, the city Planning Commission last week turned down a proposal to create a four-way stop at that…

ALHAMBRA – The bizarre murder case against a man who assumed multiple identities including that of a Rockefeller is headed for trial and a lawyer for the defendant said he welcomes the chance to go before a jury.
“He views this as a beginning, not…

DANA POINT – A man who was shot and killed after he apparently broke into a home Monday night had been in court earlier that day facing theft and burglary charges in an unrelated case, records show.
On Wednesday, authorities identified the man as…

BELL CANYON – Owl cam viewers following the lives of baby barn owls that hatched earlier this month at the Starr Ranch are calling the disappearance of the father owl tragic but applaud ranch staff for helping supplement food.
The baby birds,…

Once, Michael Peevey was president of Edison International and Southern California Edison Company.
Today, he is president of the California Public Utilities Commission, where he regulates his former company.
Is that a problem?
State Sen. Leland Yee,…

COSTA MESA – Trustees in Newport-Mesa Unified on Tuesday fired Superintendent Jeffrey Hubbard, a day after his conviction for felony misappropriation of funds at his previous district.Trustees met at Newport-Mesa headquarters Tuesday afternoon for…

Faced with another billion-dollar budget deficit, a weak economy and high levels of unemployment, Democrats in the State Legislature took decisive action Tuesday … to protect their own pocketbooks.
They sued State Controller John Chiang for…

CAMP PENDLETON – There was an ear-deafening roar and a storm of sand as a Landing Craft Air Cushion hovered through the surfline at Red Beach.
In about 12 minutes, the 87-foot-long, 47-foot-wide hovercraft cruised to the beach from the horizon. By…

For a 16-year-old high school athlete, what could be better than being part of a CIF Division I state championship team?
How about what Sara Kebede did in December, just weeks after San Clemente High School’s cross country victory, when she traveled…

More sun and warmer temperatures round out the week in Orange County, with highs in the 80s and gusty winds near the foothills, the National Weather Service says.
High-pressure air building from the eastern Pacific should keep things warm through …

The Dana Point City Council has given initial approval to an ordinance to ban retail sales of cats and dogs in the city.
Irvine adopted a similar ban in October, and many cities around the country have done the same.
A poll at…

The Be A Hero Become A Donor Club at San Clemente High School invites the community to a blood drive and marrow registry from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot in front of the school, 700 Avenida Pico.
Walk-ins are welcome, but…

BUENA PARK Viewers across the United States on Tuesday watched a somber President Barack Obama talk about job growth, renewed energy and a divided Congress.
About 60 people had the similar, thoughtful looks on their faces as they watched this year’s…

The Anaheim City Council approved Tuesday up to $158 million in tax incentives to build luxury hotels in the Disneyland area, despite opposition by city staff members.
Two hotel towers with 866 rooms are slated to go in the Anaheim GardenWalk mall…

Unsurprisingly, Orange County’s Congress members either hated or loved President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address tonight, depending on which side of the aisle they sit on.
“I thought the speech was nonsensical and contradictory,” said Rep….

COSTA MESA — The remnants of the Airborne Law Enforcement program will be put up for sale in the coming months by two independent brokers.
Jack Schafer Aircraft Sales and GovDeals were approved by the ABLE board on Monday to market and sell the…

SANTA ANA – A man suspected of kidnapping his girlfriend was arrested Tuesday after bystanders saw the woman attempting to escape, authorities said.
Police received several calls about a man with a gun attempting to force a woman into a vehicle in…

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO – Two more horses at Rancho Sierra Vista Equestrian Center have the potentially deadly virus known as neuropathogenic equine herpes virus-1, bringing the total number with the disease to 11, state officials said late Tuesday…

I reported that Barack Obama had been ordered to appear Thursday at a court hearing over a suit that attempts to block him from the Georgia ballot because of allegations that he is not a natural-born citize. The suit was filed by Laguna Niguel…

Developers of two Disney-area hotels are asking Anaheim to give up to $158 million in tax incentives to help fund the construction of high-end rooms — a plan backed by business leaders and opposed by the city staff.
The City Council is set Tuesday…

The Ark of San Juan is seeking adoptive homes for these animals:
Miss Mylo: “Miss Mylo is a mostly white 6-year-old Calico short-hair who lost her home due to a family member who developed allergies. She is a sweetheart, very talkative and gets along…

President Barack Obama’s expected State of the Union focus tonight on the economy and income equality is in evidence in excerpts released by the White House, along with talk of “how to keep that promise alive” and bipartisan unity.

“Think about the…

A strong solar storm that reached Earth early Tuesday mostly missed the planet, moving off into space far above the north pole.
Scientists had expressed concern that the coronal mass ejection, accompanying a bright solar flare Sunday night, could…

Bolton Colburn, former director of the Laguna Art Museum, is the new executive director of the Surfing Heritage Foundation in San Clemente.
Colburn, a surfer who won a U.S. amateur title in the 1970s, was at the helm of the Laguna Art Museum from…

ANAHEIM – Groundbreaking for a multi-million-dollar,12,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor entertainment area at Honda Center is set for early February, an arena spokesman said Tuesday.
The Grand Terrace will be the largest improvement in the history of…

NEWPORT BEACH – The City Council is set to consider new regulations in city parks that include banning smoking and could require permits for “any games” played in the city’s 73 parks.
The smoking law would forbid smoking within 100 feet of parks…

Here’s how Dana Point looks through the camera lens of a local resident.
 
If you have a photo that represents Dana Point, please email it to rvardon@ocregister.com. Better yet, join our Dana Point/San Clemente/San Juan Capistrano Flickr group for…

SANTA ANA – A woman failed to do a mother’s duty when she secretly gave birth to a full-term baby girl in a restaurant bathroom, suffocated her and then dumped the newborn into a trash bin, a prosecutor told an Orange County jury Tuesday.
A mother…

Flooding was reported in the history room of the San Juan Capistrano Regional Library as a result of a rainstorm early Monday, causing damage to several books, an Orange County library official said Tuesday.
Cynthia Corderman, South Region…

CAMP PENDLETON – A military judge has recommended no time in confinement for a Marine sergeant who pleaded guilty to negligent dereliction of duty in assaults by his squad that killed 24 unarmed Iraqis after a roadside bomb killed a Marine in the…

Here are recent Sheriff’s Department reports from San Juan Capistrano. Details are provided when available:TUESDAYBurglary alarm-audible. 5:36 a.m. 33000 block Camino Capistrano.Suspicious person/circumstances. 5:17 a.m. 27200 block Ortega…

A caller told the Sheriff’s Department that he chased a man wearing a black hat and jeans after hearing a window being smashed and a friend’s car alarm go off. The man ran into bushes, the caller said.
The incident was reported at 10:04 p.m. Sunday…

City officials will consider giving the Woman’s Club in Huntington Beach the go-ahead to rebuild after a fire destroyed the historic building about nine months ago.
Planning Commissioners on Tuesday will consider issuing a permit for the Woman’s Club…

CAMP PENDELTON – A 23-year-old Marine has been killed in action. This is the second Marine death from the base this year.
Cpl. Christopher G. Singer, 23, of Riverside died Saturday while conducting combat operations in Helmand province,…

ORANGE – A 36-year-old man rammed his SUV into a social services building Monday night, then fled and crashed his car through the glass doors of a car parts store just a mile away, authorities said.
In both instances, the Orange resident left…

SANTA ANA – A Lake Forest man who coaches a girls recreational soccer team was charged Tuesday with coercing a 13-year-old girl he met in an online chat room into sending him explicit videos of herself, and also with possessing almost 2,000 child…

With his team trailing by two points, Mater Dei boys basketball coach Gary McKnight called a timeout to restore order.This occurred only one minute and fifteen seconds into the game.The Monarchs, straightened out by McKnight’s reminders-filled…

An experienced desert racer died this weekend when he lost control of his motorcycle and crashed during an 80-mile off-road race in Johnson Valley in San Bernardino County, officials said Tuesday.Lance Black, 45, was found by another rider about 1:15…

The California State Auditor reported Tuesday that the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s “funding situation has become increasingly risky.”
That assessment, which the authority disputed, came just a week after Gov. Jerry Brown endorsed funding…

Will Gov. Jerry Brown be at El Adobe de Capistrano restaurant in San Juan Capistrano on Thursday?
He’s been invited to a private luncheon to help the city’s 50th Anniversary Committee honor more than 150 volunteers who worked on a celebration the…

Working people with low-enough incomes can claim the earned income tax credit on their federal tax returns – up to $5,751 this year, based on income and family size. Not everyone realizes it, and San Clemente Collaborative says just four in five…

Celebrated French restaurant Tradition by Pascal is closing next month as its chef owner Pascal Olhats focuses on his numerous other projects. That makes this Newport Beach Restaurant Week a special opportunity – it may be your last chance to try…

DANA POINT – A resident shot and killed an intruder after confronting him inside his home late Monday night, authorities said.
Officials are still investigating the circumstances behind the shooting, but say the resident was asleep in his home when…

Capistrano Unified School District Superintendent Joe Farley invites parents and other members of the community to San Clemente High School at 7 p.m. Tuesday for an update about CUSD topics and a chat.
The forum will be in the Triton Center on campus…

As the lights are fading to black for California’s 425 redevelopment agencies, their successors will inherit $29.8 billion in unpaid long-term debt, according to the latest figures from the state controller’s office.
 And that doesn’t include the…

Two pedestrians and a bicyclist struck during three unrelated traffic accidents have died, authorities said.
A 97-year-old man struck by a vehicle in Garden Grove on Saturday and a 21-year-old man struck by a vehicle in Buena Park on Saturday both…

SEAL BEACH – A man stole prescription drugs during a robbery at a Seal Beach pharmacy Sunday night, police said.
The robbery was reported at a 24-hour CVS store in the 920 block of Pacific Coast Highway just after 7 p.m.
The man, reportedly in his…

Dana Point residents love to get out and see the world, and some even take the Dana Point News along. Here are some shots from their travels.If you have a picture of yourself on vacation with the Dana Point News, please email it to editor Rob Vardon…

SANTA ANA – The Yorba Linda man arrested in the serial murders of four homeless men told detectives after his arrest earlier this month that he went hunting specifically for his fourth victim, according to court documents.
Itzcoatl Ocampo, 23, told…

Here’s how San Juan Capistrano looks through the camera lens of local resident Robert Dolan.
If you have a photo that represents San Juan, please email it to rvardon@ocregister.com. Better yet, join our Dana Point/San Clemente/San Juan Capistrano…

ROSSMOOR – A man and woman were arrested after a Rossmoor resident caught one of them breaking into his home Monday, Sheriff’s Department officials said.A man was in his home in the 3100 block of Blume Drive when he heard someone attempting to pry…

Laguna Niguel attorney Orly Taitz appears to have scored a rare victory in her battle to prove President Barack Obama is not a natural-born citizen and so is ineligible to hold office.
A Georgia judge has refused to quash a subpoena requiring Obama…

In a troubled economy, south Orange County has a new resource for people who are struggling to find work, pay bills or stay in their home or, if it comes to it, must live on the street.
On Monday, a nonprofit organization known as iHope established a…

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA – When Erik Rees led his daughter’s memorial at Saddleback Church on Jan.11, he vowed to carry out her pledge of getting Joy Jars to at least 50,000 children fighting cancer.
Jessie Joy Rees, died on Jan. 5 after battling…

Ten of San Clemente’s 14 gas stations are charging the same as last week for a gallon of regular, our survey shows. Three stations raised their prices 2 to 10 cents per gallon, and one station, Arco at Poche Beach, cut its price by a penny. Here are…

Approval ratings after three years in office are far from accurate predictors of a president’s ability to get reelected. From 1956 to 2004, four presidents had approval ratings below 50 percent – and three of them won re-election. Of the three that…

SANTA ANA – The femme fatale at the center of a love triangle was convicted of special circumstances murder Monday for convincing her young lover to kill her rich, older boyfriend in 1994 for financial gain.
Nanette Johnston, 46, showed no reaction…

Newport-Mesa schools chief Jeffrey Hubbard was found guilty Monday of two counts of  felony misappropriation for giving illegal pay raises to a favored employee during his tenure at Beverly Hills Unified School District.
Hubbard, 54, faces up…

Cruz Meza, a very special mother, wife, friend and lady who will be surely missed by many, passed on Jan. 18.
She lived a long and very good life, despite the struggles she encountered in life, always seeking the best she could.
Viewing will be from…

Two people were arrested in separate traffic accidents Saturday in San Clemente, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
In one incident, the driver of a Toyota coupe reportedly crashed into a parked car and then became argumentative…

IRVINE – A man who jumped from a parking structure at UC Irvine has been identified as an 18-year-old from Santa Ana, according to the Orange County coroner’s office.
Students found the man on a road near the Social Science Parking Structure at…

Characters, such as Blackbeard and the Seven Dwarfs, won’t be the only employees at Disney with facial hair anymore.
For the first time, the Walt Disney Co. is allowing male employees to sport beards and goatees.
Starting Monday (today), the company…

By virtue of its first-place finish at the Nike South County Classic Tournament, the San Clemente High frosh-soph boys soccer team set a school record.
The Tritons posted a 4-0 record to capture the tournament title, improving its nonleague record to…

CAMP PENDLETON – A Marine accused of killing unarmed Iraqi women and children pleaded guilty to dereliction of duty Monday, reaching a plea deal and ending the largest and longest-running criminal case against U.S. troops to emerge from the Iraq…

The friends of a Seal Beach environmental activist suffering from terminal lung cancer filled a Los Alamitos home Sunday with memories of his vigorous campaigns, fiery emails and torrent of ideas — along with a powerful sense of triumph.
Doug…