🌱 Horse Rescue + Carjacking Of Mom Fails + Son Saves Dad's Life

Hey, Orange County! It's Paula Constance of the Orange County Daily. I'm here in your inbox today to tell you everything you need to know that's going on in town, including news about:

• A Fullerton father and son celebrate 10 years of life.
• A horse named "Cactus" was rescued by firefighters.
• Man sentenced to jail for attempting to carjack an Anaheim mom.
• An Irvine company was named the Best Place to Work in Orange County.

But first, today's weather:

Some sun, then clouds. High: 67 Low: 56.

Here are the top stories in Orange County today:

1. "Cactus" is one lucky horse! He can get back out on the trails, thanks to a team of Orange County firefighters and deputies. The horse's leg was caught when he stepped over a high gate in his trailer in Yorba Linda. A veterinarian had to sedate the horse before he could be freed by firefighters who had to loosen and cut the hinges of the gate. (Orange County Patch)
2. A Fullerton father and son are celebrating 10 years after a kidney transplant saved the father's life. After Craig Hostert's wife Kathleen donated her kidney to save her husband's life, and it failed, "his son Justin came to the rescue and gave him the gift of life." That was nearly 10 years ago. Justin said donating his kidney "kind of served two purposes for me, giving my dad his life back and gives me my dad back." (Orange County Patch)
3. A mom and her three children are safe after an attempted carjacking in Anaheim. A transient man, Colin James Sheehan, 32, will serve a year in prison after pleading guilty Thursday "for attempting to carjack a vehicle with three young children inside." Sheehan tried to carjack the car while their mom was trying to load a Christmas tree on the car at Home Depot in Anaheim. (Orange County Patch)
4. CPT Group of Irvine was chosen as the Top Place to Work in Orange County in 2022 by its employees. This is the second year the company won the top honors from the Orange County Register. The win was determined by a confidential list "based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administrator." What does CPT Group do? The company "is a leading provider of notice and settlement class action administration services" for the courts. (PR Newswire)

Today in Orange County:

• Christmas at The OC Zoo & Santa 2022: Orange (10 a.m.)
• Family Photos with Santa at The District at Tustin Legacy on Saturday, 12/10! (Noon)
• South Coast Repertory "A Christmas Carol" 2022: Segerstrom Stage, Costa Mesa (2:30 p.m.)
• Huntington Harbour Holiday Boat Parade 2022: Huntington Beach (4:30 p.m.)
• Capistrano Lights at Mission San Juan (9 a.m.)

From my notebook:

• Home for the holidays: "Can you provide a warm and loving home for the holidays? 💚 We have so many amazing dogs who would love nothing more than to wake up on Christmas morning to cuddles and some play time! Consider opening your home up to foster this holiday.." (German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County via Facebook)
• Deputies are thankful: "This is Lucy! She noticed our deputies didn't have any water and decided to run into her house to grab them some bottles of water and thank for them for keeping the community safe. Thank you for the waters Lucy." (Orange County Sheriff's Department, CA via Facebook)
• Interim fire station opens: "Rancho Mission Viejo and OCFA officials will celebrate the opening of an innovative and first-of-its-kind prefabricated interim fire station for the Village of Rienda." (Orange County Fire Authority via Facebook)
• Help find driver of hit and run: "Buena Park police are looking for the driver who fatally struck a 73-year-old pedestrian last month in a hit-and-run collision at Valley View Street and Cerritos Avenue." (Orange County Register via Facebook)
• Album anniversary: "The Irvine-based rock band will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its sophomore album at House of Blues Anaheim on Dec. 15-18." (Orange County Register via Facebook)

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Events:

• Family Photos with Santa at The District at Tustin Legacy on Saturday, 12/10! (December 10)
• United in Light (December 10)
• Ballet Etudes presents The Nutcracker (December 11)
• VAPE AWARENESS with Dr. Timothy Fong (December 12)
• Christmas City Markets- Festival of Lights (December 15)
• Free & Fun Family STEM Event (December 17)
• Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (December 24)
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You're all caught up for today! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with your next update.

— Paula Constance

About me: Paula is a contributing writer, author, and award-winning media producer. She is committed to media projects that empower, engage, and help make the world a better place. When she's not writing, you can find her hiking or watching fireflies in the sultry moments before sunset. You can follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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