🌱Strawberry Festival + Employees Fight Off Thieves + Mayor Resigns

Hi. It's me, Paula Constance, your host of the Orange County Daily — here with everything you need to know about what's happening in our community today. Here we go.

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First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 77 Low: 60.

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Here are the top stories today in Orange County:

1. The Mayor of Anaheim, Harry Sidhu, resigned Monday after being named in a federal public corruption investigation over his role in the $320 million sale of Angel Stadium. Paul Meyer, Sidhu's attorney, said in a statement the mayor denied doing anything wrong and he said he is stepping down, "In order to continue to act in the best interests of Anaheim and allow this great city to move forward without distraction." Sidhu has resigned as mayor effective May 24," Meyer said. "Meeting the needs of the community has been and will always be Harry Sidhu's top priority." You can read the full story here: (Orange County Patch)
2. The Garden Grove Strawberry Festivals back! If you love the Garden Grove Strawberry Festival, you will be happy to hear that the popular festival returns on Memorial Day weekend after a two-year break from the pandemic. The 62nd annual festival kicks off Friday, May 27, at 1 p.m. with carnival rides, contests, live music, and what they say will be the "largest strawberry shortcake in the world" at the Village Green on 12732 Main St. You can find out more here: (Orange County Patch)
3. Employees of a local Huntington Beach jewelry store fought back after a group of hooded thieves attempted to rob the store at noon on Sunday. Several employees sprang into action after one of the robbers smashed a glass display case at the Princess Bride Diamonds jewelry store in the Bella Terra shopping center, 7821 Edinger Ave. Employees began fighting back by punching and kicking the suspects, NBC Los Angeles reported. One employee even threw a chair at a robber, said store employee Dallas Baca. The thieves then fled. You can read more about this story here: (Orange County Patch)
4. German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County in Newport Beach would love your help. My Giving Circle is giving away $14,000 in grants to the 10 U.S. charities with the most votes in June. The German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County needs to climb the leaderboard so they can be among the grant winners!" You can find out more here: (Facebook)

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Today in Orange County:

• American Red Cross Blood Drive — City of Rancho Santa Margarita. (11:30 a.m.)
• Sip & Shop — Placentia Chamber of Commerce. (5:30 p.m.)
• Historical Committee — City of Placentia — Committee and Commission Meetings. (6 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County: "GSROC is always in need of foster homes! We have dogs of all ages that would benefit tremendously from being in a family setting." (Facebook)
• Orange County Sheriff's Department, CA: "Parents, do your kids ride a bike or E-bike? If so, this video is for you!" (Facebook)
• Orange County Fire Authority: "We recently had the pleasure of working on a four-part disaster preparedness short video series with Irvine Rotary and Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan. Today is the first video about creating an emergency supply kit." (Facebook)
• Orange County Department of Ed: "It is no secret that dogs make people happy. The Garden Grove Unified School District is partnering with the Garden Grove Police Department to add an extra layer of social-emotional support for students and campus staff." (Instagram)
• SoCal with Kids: "The Museum of Making Music, located in Carlsbad, California, offers their visitors a true hands-on opportunity." (Instagram)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start your day on an informed note. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— 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.

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