Orange County’s Top Civic Headlines as Mountain Lion Population Dwindles
OC mountain lions are on the brink of extinction and Anaheim residents still don’t know the condition of Angel Stadium – these are some of this week’s top civic headlines.

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OC Election’s Chief Rejects Newport Beach Initiatives Ordered by Judge
It’s now unclear when Newport Beach voters could vote on a series of initiatives aimed at expanding transparency, establishing term limits and shifting the city to district elections.
These Orange County Pets Need Homes As ‘Clear The Shelters’ Month Ends
As of Aug. 27, there are 94 dogs and 203 cats at OC Animal Care in Tustin waiting to be adopted as “Clear the Shelters” month comes to an end.
Orange Looks to Bring in El Modena neighborhoods, Olive Heights and Santiago Creek
City officials voted on Tuesday to look into annexing four unincorporated county pockets into the city, coming off the heels of a budget deficit earlier this year.
OC Judge Forces Newport Beach Leaders to Put Charter Reforms On November Ballot
Newport Beach voters now could vote on four initiatives that would reshape the city charter to expand transparency, throw out the housing plan and limit city council members terms this November.
Buena Park Eyes AI-Assisted Police Calls
Amid public concern over artificial intelligence, Buena Park is entering a one-year contract that will let AI assist and answer police calls.
Former OC Superior Court Judge Sentenced to Probation for Fraud
Former OC Superior Court Judge Israel Claustro will not go to prison after he pleaded guilty to a yearslong fraud scheme from before he was elected to a judgeship.
Anaheim Implements Program Aimed at Protecting Autistic Drivers During Police Stops
Anaheim police department is launching an initiative intended to facilitate interactions with deaf or autistic drivers during traffic stops – a program elected leaders say will prevent police killings.
The Aftermath of 4th of July Fireworks in Cities Across OC
Cities across the county, like Orange, Anaheim, Garden Grove, Santa Ana and Stanton, reveal Fourth of July weekend-related citations.
Orange County Supervisors Deal with Dana Point Harbor Hotels in the Dark
Supervisors abruptly pulled the discussion out of the public eye on Tuesday morning amid last minute concerns about a lease they’ve been debating for months.
Does Anaheim Need an Ordinance to Crack Down on Seedy Motels, Liquor Stores and Abandoned Buildings?
Anaheim officials say they need a new law to close a gap in their municipal code to deal with seedy motels, abandoned buildings and loitering at liquor stores after long time promises from area politicians to clean up Beach Boulevard.
Was OC Public Works Hiding Internal Talks About Threatened Mountain Lions?
OC Public Works officials initially said they had no records of them discussing mitigating mountain lion deaths with CalTrans but records released by the county transportation authority show the dialogue did exist – a pattern activists say is pervasive at the agency.
INSIDE THE NEWSROOM
Voice of OC Wins Six First-Place Awards from State Publishers and Four Second-Place Awards from LA Press Club
News staff was recognized more than 50 times in 29 categories including Photojournalism, Public Service, Breaking News, and Local Government.
Voice of OC: A Pioneer in Nonprofit News
Voice of OC Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Norberto Santana Jr. selected as winner of the 2026 INN Service to Nonprofit News award.

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