🌱 Corruption + Minivan Vs. Apartment + School Construction Finished

Hello, everybody! Today’s National Paranormal Day; did you know that polls show almost two-thirds of Americans believe in aliens and ghosts? I'm here with your Wednesday edition of the Orange County Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out all the local news you need to know right now, including:

• 💰 A corruption probe, gag order, and legal liability concerns.
• 🔥 Newport Beach teen designs remote area fire sensor.
• 👨‍🎓 San Juan Capistrano teen is a Presidential Scholars Program finalist.

💗 Please help us grow! Send a friend or neighbor this link, so they can be in the know, like you!

🌥️ But first, today's weather: Mainly cloudy, mist; cool. High: 64 Low: 54.

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⛽ Three of the Cheapest Gas Stations Across Orange County

• Sinclair at 1101 W. Commonwealth Avenue in Fullerton, $4.24
• Gulf at 3300 E. Imperial Highway in Brea, $4.39
• ARCO at 3003 Newport Blvd. in Costa Mesa, $4.45

🍷 Hobby Poll!
Everybody has hobbies. If time and money were no object this summer, which new hobby would you like to learn or take up? So far, 14.3 percent each pick horseback riding, flying, and traveling. We also had write-ins! Of these, 14.3 percent each select crocheting, Mahjong, basket making, and fly-fishing.

📰 Here are the top stories today in Orange County:

1. On Monday evening, a minivan crashed into the Vista de Rio apartment complex in Santa Ana. The building in the 1600 block of West Memory Lane was seriously damaged, and a woman sitting inside one unit was harmed; a second woman was also taken to the hospital. Reportedly, the minivan traveled “at a high rate of speed;” however, the driver didn’t stick around — neither did the passenger. (Patch, NBC)
2. Is there corruption in Anaheim’s City Hall? Last year, the FBI revealed that “Anaheim is controlled by Disneyland area resort interests through the local chamber of commerce,” leading to the mayor’s resignation. In the wake of this bombshell, the outgoing City Council ordered an “independent corruption probe.” Fast-forward to November of last year, and the probe’s results were to be released to the public. However, Anaheim neighbors might not get to see everything in July. So far, investigators — courtesy of City Councilwoman Natalie Rubalcava — are under a gag order. Besides that, “officials (are) citing legal liability concerns over releasing aspects of the final investigation report.” (Voice of OC)
3. Ryan Honary, a 15-year-old teen from Newport Beach, may have designed a game-changer for wildfire season. We learned on Tuesday that he designed and built an early smoke alert tool for remote areas in danger during fire season. “The small device runs on two AA batteries and has three sensors that Honary said can detect smoke, flames, and heat.” Best of all, it doesn’t need cell coverage, which makes it suitable for the many canyons in the area. The teen configured it as a mesh network that connects to the app he designed. And, while this tool is great for firefighters, it also works as an early warning system for people living in fire-prone areas. Testing is underway to see if the system could be used next fire season. What were you doing when you were 15? Wow. (KTLA)
4. Construction at Irvine’s Solis Park K-8 School is completed. Some $58 million later, C.W. Driver Companies finished work on the “campus (that) encompasses 108,000 square feet of educational space across seven buildings.” Soon, the facility can welcome students in grades 6 through 8. Students in the lower grades are undoubtedly happy that the dust and noise are finally done. The campus now offers access to design labs, childcare, a commissary, and a fitness center. Also, check out the “photovoltaic system installed in both of Solis Park’s parking lots.” (School Construction News)
5. A shoutout to Winston Verdult of St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano! We learned on Monday that he’s a graduating senior who is a semifinalist in this year’s Presidential Scholars Program. At this point, he’s competing against 627 other excellent students. However, he’s already beaten nearly 5,000 others, which is no small feat! “Inclusion in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, now in its 59th year, is one of the highest honors bestowed upon graduating high school seniors.” After graduating, Verdult plans to work toward a career in television by attending NYU. Congratulations! (PR)

📆 Today in Orange County:

• Bring the toddlers to the Itty Bitty Rockers Music Class in Irvine (9 AM)
• Hear Coleen Dieker entertain with her electric violin at the ACT Expo in Anaheim (3:30 PM)
• It's time for a Tween Takeover at the Santa Ana Public Library (4 PM)
• Attend the Bridge Community Church MidWeek in Orange (6 PM)
• See Bryson Tiller perform at the House of Blues in Anaheim (7 PM)

🖊️ From my notebook:

• "Thank you to our friends at The Kevin Woyjeck Explorers For Life Association for donating 30 helmets and 30 sets of boots to the OCFA Fire Cadet program. We appreciate their generous support of our Fire Cadets and the relationship we share." (Orange County Fire Authority via Facebook)
• "The next Board of Education Meeting will be held on Thursday, May 4. Opening session begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by Closed Session and the 7 p.m. Open Session." (Orange Unified School District via Instagram)
• "Seven Orange County districts have been recognized among the Best Communities for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation, which also presented awards to local campuses. Now in its 24th year, the national awards program recognized 830 school districts and
  78 schools across 43 states. In Orange County, the Capistrano, Garden Grove, Irvine, La Habra City and Santa Ana unified school districts all made the Best Communities list for 2023, as did the Anaheim Elementary School District and the Anaheim Union High School District." (Orange County Department of Ed via Instagram)
• "📣 Calling all 8th grade Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors! Dreams to Reality is GSOC's premier career exploration event, for Girl Scouts in grades 8-12, to gain insight and inspiration by learning about different careers, participating in hands-on adulting situational games, getting a glimpse into university life through campus chats with Girl Scout alums currently in college, and more! Click the link https://bit.ly/40gxInR to register today!" (Girl Scouts of Orange County via Facebook)
• "On April 21, students at Leport Montessori School Irvine Spectrum in Irvine in bugged out in celebration of Earth Day as they released more than 1,000 ladybugs throughout the schoolyard and back into the environment on plants, flowers and trees." (Patch)

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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you soon!

— Sylvia Cochran

About me: Sylvia Cochran works out of sunny Southern California and has been freelance writing full-time since 2005. She loves dogs, cats, books, plays Bee Swarm Simulator (don't judge), embraces social justice, and tries to live out Micah 6:8.

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