The Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley will remain in its current location at the city’s Bell Tower for another year, despite city officials’ recent interest in using the space for a proposed museum. The Boys & Girls Clubs has been occupying a space in the southwest wing of the Bell Tower building since 2012. But in January, city officials said they were looking to use the space to display an extensive collection of artifacts, maps and city-related documents. That sparked concerns within the community about where the Boys & Girls Clubs would be able to operate. The city had be ..read more

The future of the Boys & Girls Clubs in Rancho Santa Margarita is uncertain since the lease on the city property it rents expires at the end of June — and the city does not plan to renew it, officials with the organization say. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley has occupied a room within the Bell Tower for the past 12 years, but according to a Jan. 10 City Council report, the lease agreement will be terminated at the end of June. And the City Council has been eyeing that space, in the southwest wing of the Bell Tower, to display an extensive collection of artifacts, maps and ..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

Rancho Santa Margarita is imposing new restrictions on the timing and locations of sidewalk vendors, along with enforcing permit regulations. Per the new regulations, roaming street vendors — those who move from place to place to sell goods — would be allowed to operate in residential areas from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. But in nonresidential areas, all vendors, including those that are stationary, will be able to sell until 10 p.m. or later if other businesses on that street are allowed to remain open past 10. Stationary vendors are prohibited from selling in residential areas, and all types wo ..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: Babar Khan Current Job Title: Businessman Political Party Affiliation: Peace and Freedom Incumbent: No Other political positions held: Peace and Freedom Party county chair City where you reside: Murrieta Campaign website ..read more

A mountain lion known as Uno because of an injured right eye has died after being struck by a car late Thursday, Jan. 18. For two years, UC Davis researchers followed F312’s movement with a collar around her neck, as the lean predator navigated the wilderness areas, hiking trails and roadways of south Orange County, where she died. “She’s pretty much an icon, this mountain lion with an injured eye who gets around,” said Orange County Outdoors wildlife photographer Mark Girardeau, who twice had encounters in the wild with Uno, both times captured on videos that went viral, adding to the big cat ..read more

Rancho Santa Margarita wants to welcome residents and visitors alike with a new landscaped entrance to the city. At the corners of Santa Margarita Parkway right off of the SR-241, the sparse area is now marked by dirt and sycamore and pine trees. An updated aesthetic design, city leaders say, will bring a fresh look to Rancho Santa Margarita. City leaders are looking for an entrance that includes updated greenery and the Rancho Santa Margarita seal, the latter a “priority” for Mayor Carol Gamble. “I would like some tasteful and subtle signage to reinforce the identity of the city,” said Gamble ..read more

Rancho Santa Margarita leaders are still eyeing the Bell Tower Community Center for a new historical museum — but they need to ensure the community center can accommodate its size and design first. City leaders discussed utilizing the southwest portion of the Bell Tower community center on Wednesday, Jan. 10 after originally proposing it in November. To accommodate the city’s extensive collection of artifacts, maps and city-related documents as well as future donations, city leaders say they need at least 1,600 square feet of space. No other city-owned space exists that could accommodate the s ..read more

Rancho Santa Margarita leaders are in search of a place to display an extensive collection of historical artifacts, maps and other documents, some of which date back to the 1920s — around 80 years before the city was even incorporated. The city has collected historical items and information for several years through efforts by a group of volunteers at the Rancho Santa Margarita Historical Society. And after Rancho Santa Margarita’s long-time master planner, Richard Reese, died in August, numerous documents about the planning of the city were donated in his honor. “The time has arrived for the ..read more

Orange County boys athlete of the week: Name: Trent Mosley School: Santa Margarita Sport: Football Year: Sophomore Noteworthy: He caught 12 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for two touchdowns, had 114 yards in kick return yardage and compiled 351 all-purpose yards in the Eagles’ 50-42 loss to Servite. Mosley (5-10, 180) this season has rushed for 14 touchdowns, has 10 receiving touchdowns and 62 receptions in nine games. He has scholarship offers from several colleges, including Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Stanford, USC and Washington. Related Articles High School Sports | H ..read more