Carolyn McCuan, a 39-year-old marathon runner, had been feeling unusually tired for months when she decided on the afternoon of June 28, 2023, to take a rejuvenating walk along Aliso Viejo’s tree-lined, picturesque Wood Canyon Trail encircling Canyon View Park. As McCuan approached the entrance of the 12-acre park bordering her home, she spotted a white pickup truck belonging to Irvine-based Mission Landscape Cos. parked along Canyon Vistas. An ominous red decal with a skull and crossbones that read “DANGER” was plastered to a brown metal box, and a large tank connected to a long orange hose s ..read more

A Long Beach man already in federal prison on a life sentence for using a homemade bomb to kill his ex-girlfriend, destroying the Aliso Viejo day spa she owned and injuring two others who were there, was sentenced on Thursday, Feb. 28 to more than three years in prison in a separate fraud case. Stephen Beal, 64, last year agreed to plead guilty to wire fraud, Social Security fraud and concealment of bankruptcy assets, with Beal admitting to filing for bankruptcy despite having received a large payout from his late wife’s estate a year earlier. According to the agreement, Beal filed for bankrup ..read more

Second-term Republican Rep. Young Kim appears to be in a comfortable lead with Democrat Joe Kerr a distant second as early vote counts rolled in Tuesday night for the 40th congressional district race. Democrat Allyson Muñiz Damikolas is also vying for the seat. See the latest election results. The top two vote-getters in the primary, regardless of party preference, will advance to the general election in November. CA-40 is one of several Republican-held House districts that went for President Joe Biden in 2020. It includes Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Brea, Lake Forest, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods, M ..read more

The Habit Burger Grill has a new director of culinary innovation named Jason Triail, and Southern California residents have the chance to try out one of his early creations for the Irvine-based chain. Ten locations in Orange and Los Angeles counties are testing his Charburger Taco while supplies last. In a news release, Triail said the taco came from an urge to shake things up a bit. It features a chargrilled beef patty wrapped in a toasted flour tortilla with melted American cheese, caramelized onions drizzled with red pepper sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles. They sell two for $5, accordi ..read more

Two pursuits initiated by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department ended in crashes on Wednesday, sending two innocent motorists to a hospital, authorities said. One pursuit started after the Sheriff’s Department received a call about juveniles doing graffiti around 2:20 p.m. on a building at Beach Boulevard and Cerritos Avenue in Stanton, said Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Frank Gonzalez. When deputies attempted to question the suspects at the scene, they got into a car drove away, Gonzalez said. The vehicle crashed into two others, driven by innocent motorists, at Brookhurs ..read more

Irvine Valley College is putting the final touches on its $61 million Arts Village. The 62,471-square-feet complex, due to open to students this spring, combines the college’s School of the Arts into three main structures: Music/Dance, Visual Arts and Fine Arts/Gallery. Built by McCarthy Building Cos. and designed by DLR Group, the sustainable LEED Gold facility sits at the southwest edge IVC’s Performing Arts Center, adjacent to the new Parking Lot 6. Also see: Taiwanese computer maker signs $265M lease for new Tustin headquarters “The Arts Village is IVC’s most significant construction proje ..read more

Ahead of the March primary, The Orange County Register compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language. MORE: Read all the candidate responses in our Voter Guide Name: Dom Jones Current Job Title: Businesswoman + television host Political Party Affiliation: Democrat Incumbent: No Other political positions held: None City where you reside: Huntington Beach Campaign website or social med ..read more

Ahead of the March primary, The Orange County Register compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language. MORE: Read all the candidate responses in our Voter Guide Name: Diane Dixon Current Job Title: State Assemblymember Political Party Affiliation: Republican Incumbent: Yes Other political positions held: Former Newport Beach City Councilmember and mayor City where you reside: Newport ..read more

Celebrating its 16th year, Orange County Restaurant Week – wherein a slew of restaurants from Brea to San Clemente ranging from luxe to affordable offer deals, prix-fixe menus, new dining experiences – returns Sunday, March 3-Saturday, March 9. The dedicated food week will feature deals and prix-fixe menus ranging from $15 to $25 for lunch, and $25 to $45 for dinner, a date-night lineup and even luxury menus offering a more tony experiences for $60 to $120. New to this year’s lineup include Irvine’s Benny and Mary’s, Bloom Restaurant and Bar in San Juan Capistrano, Le Shrimp Noodle Bar in Cost ..read more

Aliso Viejo-based Thomas James Homes will wind down its Denver operations by next fall and exit the state after finding a tougher-than-expected market. “We did decide to phase out of the market,” confirmed Steve Kalmbach, president and COO of the home builder. “We have 34 homes that we are still going to deliver and sell in 2024.” Denver’s housing market received a boost from in-bound relocations during the pandemic years, bolstering home prices, which attracted the Orange County builder to what it thought would remain a hot market. Instead, mortgage rates spiked, making it harder for buyers t ..read more