Rearview Mirror: OC Week in Review

Sunday (05.31.215)

Report: Animal shelter is dilapidated

The 74-year-old Orange County animal shelter has fallen into “utter disrepair,” creating health risks to both humans and critters, according to a new grand jury report. The main structure, built with unreinforced brick and surrounded by “piecemeal placements of sheds, gazebos, lean-tos, trailers” and other portable units, may not survive earthquakes, the report found. When the facility first opened during World War II, it was intended to serve about 200,000 residents. But today, with 18 contract cities also depending on the county for animal care services, the coverage area includes roughly 2.1 million people, more than 10 times the original target. (Los Angeles Times)

Police investigate stabbing

Police were investigating the death of a 40-year-old man was stabbed in Costa Mesa on May 30, according to police. Authorities said they found the man bleeding on the front lawn of a home in the 2900 block of Pepper Tree Lane after they responded to a neighbor’s call around 4:30 p.m. Paramedics took the man to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, where he was pronounced dead, according to the Orange County Coroner’s office. (Daily Pilot)

Monday (06.01.15)

Police looking for vintage bike

Huntington Beach police were looking for a man seen in surveillance footage stealing an expensive bicycle from the downtown area. About 3:45 p.m. on May 16, a man was seen in the alley near the Longboard Restaurant & Pub, at 217 Main St., cutting the lock off a vintage 1953 Schwinn bicycle valued at about $3,000, police said. The man was described as white and in his early to mid-20s. He had short hair and was wearing a black jacket, gray shorts, black socks pulled up to his knees, black and white Converse shoes and a black baseball cap with a red brim and an unknown logo on the front, police said. (Los Angeles Times)

Tustin fire displaces six

Six people were left displaced in Tustin after an unattended candle started a house fire that took crews more than an hour to put out. The fire was reported at a two-story home in the 13300 block of Epping Way at 1:50 a.m., the Orange County Fire Authority posted on its Twitter account. Forty firefighters were sent to the scene, where flames spread to the backyard, which was filled with a “heavy fuel load of combustibles,” the Fire Authority tweeted. (KTLA)

Tuesday (06.02.15)

Sea lions released back into the ocean

More than a dozen sea lions that were sickened in an attack in April at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach were released back into the ocean. In front of a large crowd of spectators, the 14 sea lions scampered through the sand on Laguna’s beach and into the cold ocean water after being released by the mammal center at 8:30 a.m. The sea lions had become sick after an intruder contaminated one of the center’s pools with chlorine, according to the Laguna Beach Police Department. (KTLA)

Huntington Beach to test officer cameras

Some Huntington Beach police officers soon will be wearing video cameras to help the department keep pace with evolving police practices. Chief Robert Handy told City Council members during a study session that the department this month will launch a 90- to 180-day pilot program to equip 15 officers with differing types of cameras. The department ordered five cameras from each of three companies — Taser, Vievu and WatchGuard — and will determine which works best. The pilot program, which costs $15,000, is being paid for by a state grant the department received, Handy said. It does not require council approval. (Huntington Beach Independent)

Lake Mission Viejo to be filled with recycled water

Members of the Lake Mission Viejo Assn. have approved the use of highly purified recycled water to refill the private lake, which has become a hotbed of controversy amid the state’s relentless drought. The unanimous vote came as mandatory water-use cuts take effect for urban water districts statewide. Drinkable water has been used to refill the recreational lake since its creation in the 1970s, but the practice has come under fire as California struggles through a fourth year of drought. (Los Angeles Times)

Wednesday (06.03.15)

Nobel winner Irwin Rose dies

Irwin Rose, a UC Irvine biochemist who shared the 2004 Nobel Prize in chemistry for discovering a way that cells destroy unwanted proteins — the basis for developing new therapies for diseases such as cervical cancer and cystic fibrosis — has died. He was 88. Rose died in his sleep in Deerfield, Mass., said UC Irvine spokeswoman Janet Wilson. (Los Angeles Times)

Bag ban repeal leads to lawsuit in H.B.

Three California environmental groups are suing Huntington Beach, claiming that the city unjustifiably repealed its ban on plastic bags. The Huntington Beach/Seal Beach chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, Costa Mesa-based Orange County Coastkeeper and Sacramento-based Californians Against Waste filed a claim Wednesday in Orange County Superior Court, stating that the city failed to prepare a proper environmental impact report analyzing the effects of lifting the ban, said Angela Howe, an attorney representing the groups. (Huntington Beach Independent)

Historic theater headed to market

With the Balboa Theater likely to be put up for sale in the coming months, the foundation that for years has raised funds to resurrect the venue will give what’s left in its coffers to the city for future arts projects. The foundation board, which recently disbanded, will donate $175,000 to the city through the nonprofit Newport Beach Arts Foundation. The gift will be earmarked for oversight by the Arts Commission. (Daily Pilot)

Capistrano parcel slated for development

One of Orange County’s last large plots for housing development has been sold to a national home builder that plans to restart the partially completed community, which became a symbol of the housing crash. The sale of Pacifica San Juan, perched on the hills of San Juan Capistrano, underscores a hot luxury housing market in the region. A rising stock market and an influx of foreign buyers have the high-end housing market humming, real estate consultant John Burns said. (Los Angeles Times)

Thursday (06.04.15)

Laguna Beach wants photos for its website

Laguna Beach is accepting photographs that represent the city for its new website, according to a news release. Individuals who live, work or exhibit in the city are invited to submit photos fitting the theme “My Laguna” by 5 p.m. June 12. Possible subjects include art and art-related occasions, beaches, downtown, neighborhoods, ocean, parks, public events, recreation, residents, transit, trails and action shots. Winning entries from the youth and adult categories will be recognized at a City Council meeting and posted in a gallery on the city’s website. Cash prizes will be awarded. For more information and submission instructions, visit lagunabeachcity.net. (Coastline Pilot)

Church volunteer faces sex-abuse case trial Monday

The trial for a former church volunteer accused of sexually abusing young boys will begin Monday with jury selection, an Orange County prosecutor said. It was unclear until last week whether the trial would be delayed while the district attorney’s office worked to get a witness who lives out of the country to the courtroom. Officials have secured a visa for the man and can move forward, prosecutor Heather Brown said. Officials say they believe that the witness is one of seven people assaulted by Christopher McKenzie, 48, over several years. (Daily Pilot)

Friday (06.05.15)

Hillary Clinton to visit Newport Beach

It was announced that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will hold a fundraiser at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. June 18 for her 2016 presidential campaign. The minimum donation is $1,000. A $2,700 donation will include a reception with Clinton. Those who raise $27,000 will be invited to attend a host reception and be enrolled in Clinton’s Hillstarters program. Those who raise $50,000 will be allowed to attend a host reception and receive membership to the Hillstarters organization. For more information, email lwehbe@hillaryclinton.com or call (323) 573-9328. (Los Angeles Times)