Laguna Beach, CA

BREAKING NEWS - April 22 - Bon Jovi Guitarist Pleads Guilty By STU SAFFER      An attorney for Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora’s attorney entered a guilty plea on behalf of his client to one count of driving while under the influence of alcohol during a hearing at Harbor Justice Center in Santa Ana on Tuesday, April 22. The surprise plea came only a few hours after the OC ... More ... Laguna Loses an American Hero By JENNIFER ERICKSON       To those who knew him, Laguna resident Mark Barry Metherell was a hero long before he died an honorable death in a war zone. He had already left an indelible impression in the hearts of his friends. On April 10, Metherell, a former Navy SEAL, was on patrol with the Iraqi Security Forces he was t... More ... Student Athletes Lead League in Academics By COURTENAY NEARBURG       Laguna Beach High School's athletic teams led the California Interscholastic Federation with their cumulative GPAs in the 2007-08 school year, sweeping the CIF Southern Section academic awards this week. The girls swim team and the school's football teams scored the highest GPAs in the CIF. The B... More ... Midwives, Mothers Oppose Maternity Center's End By ANDREA ADELSON       Two midwives, about 25 baby-carrying mothers and a half-dozen staff nurses from South Coast Medical Center politely stormed City Hall on Tuesday, pleading with the City Council to intercede and halt the looming closure of the hospital's maternity center. More ... High Costs Upend Village Entry Again By WILLIAM HAGLE       The City Council on Tuesday agreed to press ahead with a plan for a village entrance park and parking structure whose cost has soared to $57 million even though a new staff report estimates the city cannot pay off the project as envisioned in 20 years. More ... Bond Trader's Auction Aims to Lick Poverty       Wall Street bond manager Bill Gross of Laguna Beach will offer the Scandinavia portion of his extensive, international stamp collection next month in a public auction that is conservatively estimated to fetch over $1 million. More ... Workers Step In to Keep Labor Center Open By WILLIAM HAGLE       The national economic slowdown is taking a toll on the Laguna day-worker hiring center. When center coordinator Irma Ronses started coordinating workers about 10 years ago, 45 to 75 workers showed up each day looking for jobs. During the week then, as now, contractors hired the bulk of the worker... More ... Little Fundraisers Bring in Big Cash for Local Causes By COURTENAY NEARBURG       In recent weeks, local kids took to the streets, to their kitchens, to cars and to their own kind, raising funds for causes they identified with and having a lot of fun along the way. A group of El Morro fifthgraders made a competition out of their philanthropy, pitting four girls from Emerald Ba... More ...