🌱 Orange County Pushes Back + Fierce Winds, Dust + Crime Spree

Hello, Orange County! It's me again, Paula Constance, your host of the Orange County Daily.

First, today's weather:

A nice day today with abundant sunshine. High: 75. Low: 48.

Here are the top stories in Orange County today:

1. Orange County is pushing back against a California housing mandate to build more than 183,000 new homes in the state over the next seven years. The required Regional Housing Needs Assessment dates back five decades, setting new housing goals for each city every eight years. Officials in Orange County, including councilwoman Peggy Huang, want places like Yorba Linda to stay the way they are. Resident Dee Dee Friedrich said she moved to Yorba Linda nearly 40 years ago because the lots were large enough for horses, which she had always dreamed of owning. Huang said she's not a "NIMBY,” the acronym for “not in my backyard, but says it's important for people to understand that the "one size fits all" policy Sacramento is pushing doesn’t work for everyone. You can read more about this story here: (Los Angeles Times)
2. A High Wind Advisory was issued for the entire South Coast starting Friday at noon, with wind gusts of up to 65 mph possible on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. A Dust Advisory is in place from noon on Friday through noon Sunday as fierce Santa Ana winds and dry conditions can stir up dust and soil that can make air quality unhealthy, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Air quality in Orange County will vary, officials said, but the most significant impacts were expected in the valleys of the Inland Empire and the Coachella Valley. You can read more about this story here: (Orange County Patch)
3. A ring of Orange County thieves targeting TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods stores throughout Southern California were arrested after stealing from multiple stores and bringing the stolen goods to a mobile home in Midway City, according to the CHP. After serving a search warrant investigators found a home filled with stolen goods stacked to the ceiling and in four self-storage units. A man and woman pleaded guilty in court on Thursday, while two other suspects are awaiting trial. The CHP said the thefts impacted 43 separate retailers and that $1.9 million in stolen goods were recovered. You can read more here: (Orange County Patch)

Today in Orange County:

• Crafts for Kids (El Modena) - Orange Public Library - Kids. (All Day)
• National Junior Basketball - Los Alamitos High School. (7:30 a.m.)
• Nature Hike - Crystal Cove Conservancy. (9 a.m.)
• Photography Class: Creating Drama with Water. (2:30 p.m.)
• Sunday Musicale - TC4 Saxophone Quartet. (3 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Pets: Aedes aegypti mosquitoes increasing threat of heartworm disease in dogs in Orange County. (KABC-TV)
• Orange County Fire Authority: "Tonight your #OCFA Hazmat team was called to action. We received a call of an ammonia leak in a lab on the UCI campus. (Facebook)
• German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County: "AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION HI! My name is SHILOH and I am a puppy with a job." (Facebook)
• Girl Scouts of Orange County: "Jumping for joy because Cookie Season is here!" (Facebook)
• Orange County Register: "Assistant coach Mike Stothers will coach the team in his place for Friday’s game, and perhaps several more to come, depending on subsequent tests." (Facebook)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with a new update.

— Paula Constance

About me: I am a freelance writer, author, and media producer. I am committed to media projects that empower, engage, and help make the world a better place.