🌱California's National Parks+ EV Startup Soars+ Hit-And-Run + Knott's

Welcome back, Orange County. I'm here in your inbox to tell you everything you need to know that's happening today in Orange County! Here we go...

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny today. High: 84 Low: 64.

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Here are the top 4 stories in Orange County today:

1. California has more parks than any other state in the country! The nine parks include: Joshua Tree National Park, Yosemite, Redwood National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Point Reyes, Channel Islands National Park, Death Valley, Pinnacles National Park, and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park. Alaska is second, with eight national parks, including the largest national park: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve, which is "larger than Yosemite, Yellowstone, and the country of Switzerland combined." The smallest national park is Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas with 5,500 acres. (Parade.com)
2. Orange County EV startup, Rivian, saw its stock price jump after building 4,401 vehicles in this quarter, up from 2,553 in the previous quarter, according to a statement Wednesday. The EV automaker is "on track to produce 25,000 units this year across its three products." Rivian stock was more than 10 percent higher Thursday after shares soared during its IPO Wednesday. The Amazon-backed startup has a value of $85.9 billion. Investors are hoping it will be the next Tesla. (Orange County Register via Facebook)
3. Two children, an 11-year-old boy from Moreno Valley, and a 10-year-old girl from Huntington Beach were killed in an off-road hit-and-run in the San Bernardino County desert. Investigators said that the children were riding a Tao Tao ATV northeast on Stoddard Wells Road on Saturday when a 2019 to 2022 model side-by-side struck the ATV the children were riding in. CHP is asking for the public's help to locate a 2021 Razor Turbo S or an S4 in a "velocity orange madness coloration." Anyone with information regarding the crash is asked to contact CHP Officer Cesar Ramos at 760-241-1186. (Orange County Register via Facebook)
4. Knott’s Berry Farm and its sister parks saw "record spending" in the first half of 2022, the company said in a Facebook post. This is good news, as Knott’s Berry Farm suffered "devastating losses" during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 when its theme parks were closed. (Orange County Register via Facebook)

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Today in Orange County:

• "My Garden of a Thousand Bees," A PBS Production In-Person. (10 a.m.)
• Saturday Morning Cartoons Presented by Chuck Jones Center for Creativity at The Bowers Kidseum. (10 a.m.)
• All-American Brew Works SWEL Fundraiser. (2 p.m.)
• Free: Rossmoor Family Festival — Arts and Culture Events in Orange County. (2 p.m.)
• Clases Básicas de Computación en Español para Adultos In-Person. (2 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County: "Available for adoption. Meet 3-year-old GSD mix Erik." (German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County via Facebook)
• Orange County Fire Authority: "Yesterday the #OCFA & Orange County Sheriff’s air operations teams joined together to train on wildfires in preparation for the upcoming fire season." (Orange County Fire Authority via Facebook)
• Orange County Fire Authority: "🔥Boat Fire🔥 This afternoon #OCFA rapidly extinguished a boat fire in the Dana Point Harbor before other boats became involved. (Orange County Fire Authority via Facebook)
• Orange County Pit Bull Rescue: "Don’t forget to vote for our friend Jeffrey, The Positively Peaceful Pit Bull for the Hero Dog Awards!" (Orange County Pit Bull Rescue via Facebook)

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You're caught up for today! I'll see you around.

— Paula Constance

About me: Paula is a freelance writer, author, and award-winning media producer. She is committed to media projects that empower, engage, and help make the world a better place. You can find her on Instagram and Twitter.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Orange County Daily? Contact me at orangecounty@patch.com