Orange County, California news stories on Newser

4 Tons of Marijuana Pulled From Ocean

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 21 May 2012 08:23:05 CDT

What a find: After receiving a tip yesterday, Harbor Patrol agents in California pulled about 160 bales of marijuana from the ocean off the coast of Orange County. That's more than 7,263 pounds, and agents say the street value is $3.6 million, CBS 2 reports. The marijuana, which...

Housekeeper Sues Kobe Over Dog Poop

Will McCahill — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:47:01 CDT

A former housekeeper for Kobe Bryant is suing the NBA star and his wife for wrongful termination, the Orange County Register reports, alleging that Vanessa Bryant “badgered, harassed, and humiliated” her and, as punishment for a laundry mistake, made her pick up dog droppings with bare hands. Maria Jimenez, fired...

Obama Visit Lights Up Conservative Orange County

Harry Kimball — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:52:01 CDT

President Obama will speak today at a town hall meeting in deep-red Orange Country, Calif.—though maybe the “conservative stronghold” tag is weakening, the Los Angeles Times reports. Hundreds swarmed the event site for tickets, even camping out overnight to get them in an area that gave Obama 48% of...

'Hidden Homeless' Turn to Motels

Katherine Thompson — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 09:48:10 CDT

As the economy leaves people without the income they need to afford a mortgage or monthly rent, more and more families find themselves checking into motels for indefinite stays. While they may be a step above homeless shelters, motels bring with them a unique set of problems as long-term stopgaps,...

Millions Mobilize for SoCal Earthquake Drill

Harry Kimball — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:45:01 CST

An estimated 5 million volunteers and emergency personnel participated in a huge earthquake drill in Southern California today, the Los Angeles Times reports. The “ShakeOut,” as it is known, was designed to raise awareness of the continued need for earthquake preparedness. California will almost certainly get hit with a quake...

Disney Monorail Gets a Facelift

Jane Yager — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 08:58:56 CST

Disney's once-futuristic elevated train has gotten its first facelift in 20 years, with the arrival at Disneyland Thursday of the first new cars in a series of planned upgrades to the monorail. The cars, to be unveiled in February, feature blue glass windows and red stripes that change color in...

Who Knew a Prius Was a Hot Rod?

Wesley Oliver — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 05:14:39 CDT

As the exhaust clears following Al Gore III's joy-ride drug bust, an astonished public has zeroed in, not on the former veep's son, but on his little-Prius-that-could. Clocked at over 100mph before he was pulled over, Gore shattered the assumption that the Toyota hybrid sacrifices speed for fuel efficiency, the...