Print A bat infected with rabies was found near Rancho Santa Margarita Lake in Orange County this month The bat was discovered on April 17 and taken in for testing as part of the county’s routine rabies surveillance effort The infected bat’s carcass was frozen and then sent to the California Department of Public Health The OC Health Care Agency encourages anyone who made physical contact with the bat — or saw anyone else do so — to inform its Disease Control Division to determine the risk of infection Owners of pets that may have touched the bat are also asked to contact health authorities Rabies is almost always fatal in humans once someone begins to show symptoms, according to the Health Care Agency. That’s why it’s important for people to seek medical assistance promptly after a possible exposure, officials say. California died after being bitten by a rabid bat inside her classroom at Bryant Middle School in Dos Palos in Merced County The virus is spread through an infected animal’s saliva As of April, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has documented two rabid bats this year One of the bats was found dead in a residential backyard the other was alive in the front yard of a home In 2024, Fresno County recorded its first human rabies fatality in more than 30 years. The person was infected after being bitten by a bat. Human cases of rabies are rare, but bats are the leading source of transmission, according to Orange County health officials. Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Print By summer the Boys & Girls Club will no longer have a home in Rancho Santa Margarita after contract talks between the nonprofit and the city failed to reach a new agreement The Boys & Girls Club of Capistrano Valley, which offers various after-school programs, has operated out of the Rancho Santa Margarita Bell Tower Regional Community Center since 2012. But they will be vacating the venue, which has been provided for free, on Aug. 13. “The only reason why this contract is not going to continue into the future is because the leadership of the Boys & Girls Club terminated the negotiations with the city,” Rancho Santa Margarita Mayor Tony Beall told TimesOC. “They notified the city, their staff and the community that they will be leaving Rancho Santa Margarita.” TimesOC Public records obtained by TimesOC show that Mike Munzing targeted the nonprofit over its Diversity Inclusion and Belonging position statement and references Last year, the club faced political blowback when conservatives in Aliso Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita, including Beall, took issue with the club’s diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging statement and an accompanying reading list that included titles such as “White Fragility” and “Race Matters.” Conservatives pointed to the reading list as evidence of political indoctrination. The club clarified that the books were intended as a reference for adults. Both the statement and reading list were deleted from the club’s website amid the controversy. Despite Beall’s lone vote against it in May, Rancho Santa Margarita City Council granted the club a $120,000 extension for one year on the condition that it submit a six-month report addressing concerns over average daily attendance and cost comparisons with other club youth facilities in San Juan Capistrano and Aliso Viejo. Beall claimed that the past DEI controversy was not a factor in negotiations, which council members directed city staff to enter into in January. He described the city’s offers as “generous.” When asked about talks with the city, Nicole Watson, chief executive of the Boys & Girls Club of Capistrano Valley, offered a general statement on behalf of the organization. “Unfortunately, contract negotiations were not successful and, as a result, the city manager’s report indicated that no further council action was required,” Watson said. During the Rancho Santa Margarita City Council meeting on Wednesday, City Manager Jennifer Cervantez gave an update on the broken-down negotiations, starting with the report that preceded them. “The six-month report did not include all of the requested information, particularly the cost and service comparisons with its other locations,” Cervantez said. “Staff was unable to provide a recommendation and the council was unable to evaluate the status of the issues previously identified.” Despite city staff’s reservations about the report, Cervantez said talks afterward were mostly “positive.” On Feb. 27, Rancho Santa Margarita offered the club a two-year agreement at a reduced rate of $100,000 per year. The city also offered relocation assistance for an alternative site outside of the Bell Tower. Cervantez claimed that the club rejected the offer. The Boys & Girls Club van parked outside of the Bell Tower in Rancho Santa Margarita (Gabriel San Roman) The city countered with a two-to-three year lease at the current $120,000 contractual rate. The club, according to Cervantez, asked for an extra month to vacate the Bell Tower at the end of the current contract, which the city agreed to. Without an agreement in place, the city’s community services department is developing plans for alternative programming at the Bell Tower, including activities for youth. Council members will consider such a plan during the budget development process. In the meantime, parents attended the council meeting to voice their displeasure over the club leaving Rancho Santa Margarita. “My son just started at the Boys & Girls Club,” said Jill Shea. “I’m working three jobs and I still can’t pay for other childcare. The Boys & Girls Club was a blessing to me. Now what am I going to do? I just don’t understand why we would be trying to get rid of such an awesome service that is so inexpensive for someone like me who’s a full-time mom and a full-time working person.” According to 2024 statistics, the club serves more than 1,100 youth, 59% of whom are Latino, across all three locations every year. Beall, the mayor, told TimesOC the club was only serving 62 children on average daily attendance in Rancho Santa Margarita, which led the city to pay nine times higher per child than San Juan Capistrano does. The organization’s chief executive countered that the closure of the club will have a “significant impact” on local families. “[The club] has long served as a vital resource providing after-school and summer programs that promote academic success, character development, healthy lifestyles, and life and workforce readiness within a safe and supportive environment,” Watson said. “We believe that the absence of these services may affect the overall well-being and development of local youth by limiting access to mentorship, educational support and recreational activities that foster personal growth.” During Wednesday’s meeting, Councilwoman Keri Lynn Baert spoke in favor of the club before Beall closed discussion. “This program was well-worth the investment,” she said. “This decision isn’t about cost. We don’t need to cut or reduce programs to balance our budget.” Gabriel San Román is a feature writer for TimesOC. He previously worked at OC Weekly – as a reporter, podcast producer and columnist – until the newspaper’s closing in late 2019. In 2023, San Román was part of the breaking news reporting team that was a Pulitzer finalist for its coverage of the Lunar New Year mass shooting in Monterey Park. He may or may not be the tallest Mexican in O.C. will plead guilty to making a false affidavit on paperwork she filed to get on the ballot Wednesday’s announcement comes a week after Fullerton City Council candidate Scott Markowitz agreed to a plea deal after being charged with falsifying nomination paperwork Carol A. Gamble, city of Rancho Santa Margarita mayor. (City of Rancho Santa Margarita) “American democracy relies on the absolute integrity of the electoral process,” Spitzer said in a statement “Voters must have total confidence that every election is being carried out in a fair and unbiased manner.” who dropped out of the council race last week Her plea allows her to avoid jail time with 160 hours of community service one year of probation and an unknown amount of restitution based on the outcome of the election Spitzer said Gamble is expected to officially enter her plea in court on Friday Gamble has lived in Rancho Santa Margarita for over 30 years, according to her bio page, and was a member of the inaugural City Council in 2000. The second mayor in the city’s history, she served on council from 2000 to 2004 before starting her current tenure in 2011. She has rotated into the mayor’s seat in 2001, 2014, 2017 and this year. She was a no-show for the latest city council meeting on Oct. 23. Paul S. Meyer, attorney for Gamble, said his client voluntarily contacted the district attorney’s office through representatives and quickly took responsibility for her error, which included suspending her campaign and returning all contributions. “Her good faith actions were communicated to the district attorney,” Meyer said. “Ms. Gamble apologized to her supporters and has acknowledged her responsibility. As a good citizen, she stepped forward long before a case was filed, and did the right thing.” Rancho Santa Margarita Mayor Carol Gamble is no longer seeking reelection after admitting she attested to an inaccurate statement on nomination papers 7 that stated she personally collected and witnessed 30 signatures a candidate needs a minimum of 20 signatures Rancho Santa Margarita residents led by Shawn Gordon sent a letter to Orange County Registrar Bob Page alerting him to potential fraud The TimesOC reviewed Gordon’s letter last week and a notarized complaint from a resident that stated Gamble was not present at that time and did not witness my signature.” The letter was forwarded to Spitzer’s office “I’m hoping Spitzer does the right thing,” he said last week Gamble released a statement on Oct. 20 that she “signed [her] nomination paperwork attesting to an inaccurate statement.” She said then that she was “deeply embarrassed” and suspended her campaign Her name is still on the ballot, however, along with Keri Lynn Baert. Scott Markowitz faces two felony charges related to campaign paperwork submitted to run for Fullerton City Council Gamble stated that she would resign immediately if she won Since she didn’t file enough legal signatures Should she be the top vote-getter in her race the city would likely hold a special election Gamble’s announcement follows that of Markowitz who ran for Fullerton City Council and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for falsifying nomination paperwork claimed to have witnessed them all in person under the penalty of perjury and was also turned in by residents who claimed he had not watched them sign The admission led to a dismissal of one felony count of perjury by declaration and one felony count of record of forged or false instrument. Avoiding imprisonment, Markowitz was sentenced to 160 hours of community service and ordered to pay restitution. Should he win, Markowitz would be ineligible to serve, according to Spitzer. The city would host a special election to fill his seat. When should a candidate apologize? The question roils an L.A. City Council race Oct. 30, 2024 Updates 7:28 a.m. Oct. 31, 2024: Updated with a statement from Carol Gamble’s attorney at 7:05 a.m. Andrew J. Campa is a member of the Fast Break team at the Los Angeles Times, having previously covered the Eastside and San Gabriel Valley. Before, he worked at several medium and small daily newspapers and has covered education, sports and general news. He’s a proud University of Alabama (#RollTide), Cal State Fullerton and Pasadena City College alumnus. 2025 at 12:59 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Rancho Santa Margarita is the safest city in California CA — Rancho Santa Margarita ranks among the top 10 safest cities in California SafeWise, a security product review platform, looked at FBI crime statistics for cities in California to compile its 11th annual Safest Cities report ranked in the top 10 safest cities in the state Orange County cities dominated the list with cities in the region claiming five of the top 10 spots daily concern continues to be the California state of mind," the report said 64 percent of Californians feel a high daily level of concern for their safety—the highest percentage in the nation and up from 50 percent last year." Here are the 10 safest cities in California in 2025 For more information on Rancho Santa Margarita's ranking, visit Safewise. Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. 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More than 1,100 kids living in South Orange County have been the beneficiaries of the services offered by the nonprofit Boys & Girls Club of Capistrano Valley, and 59% of them are Latino, I first learned from a TimesOC news story by Gabriel San Román published in October the organization’s after-school and summer camp programs are in place at youth facilities located in three communities: San Juan Capistrano San Román’s story that ran last fall explained that our nation’s great political divide — specifically in this case over diversity inclusion and belonging policies — had put the Boys & Girls Club of Capistrano Valley into an uneasy situation Some conservative civic leaders were not happy that DEI was one of the frameworks of the organization and compounding their worries was the fact a DEI-related reading list was posted on the nonprofit’s website The discord came to light after Mike Munzing a member of the Aliso Viejo City Council who was then serving as mayor attended the club’s annual Youth of the Year competition in Rancho Santa Margarita in January 2024 and became upset by the organization’s embrace of DEI then a staffer and now executive director of the organization “We do need to have a bit of a chat regarding this big DEIB stuff that y’all [were] pushing hard last night,” Munzing texted Watson “It is a deeply political issue and a new emphasis for the club The relationship between the mayor and the organization soured further when Munzing turned down an invitation to the club’s bocce ball championship at Doheny State Beach because of “your radical new DEI stance,” he told Watson the policy was not new to the organization; it had been adopted in October 2020.) Munzing traveled 11 miles to a meeting of the Rancho Santa Margarita City Council to urge it not to approve a one-year extension of the agreement it had with the club for services at the Bell Tower Regional Community Center Munzing’s stance against DEI resonated with Tony Beall one of Rancho Santa Margarita’s councilmen but the vote was 3-1 to grant the extension until this summer with Beall casting the only dissenting vote According to terms of the agreement approved that night the city would pay the organization $120,000 to continue offering its services to local youth until July of this year on the condition that it submit a six-month report addressing concerns over average daily attendance and cost comparisons with the organization’s facilities in San Juan Capistrano and Aliso Viejo That brings us to this month, when TimesOC reports the subject of extending the agreement between the Boys & Girls Club of Capistrano Valley and the city of Rancho Margarita came up again It was discussed at last week’s meeting of the City Council during which City Manager Jennifer Cervantez gave an update She explained that negotiations had broken down between the city and the club because the six-month report required in the agreement didn’t include all the details that had been spelled out “particularly the cost and service comparisons with its other locations.” told TimesOC that DEI had nothing to do with the collapse of the relationship and that the city had been generous to the club throughout the talks but its offers were rejected The Boys & Girls Club did ask for and was granted a one-month extension the parents of children who currently participate in the club’s programming at the Bell Tower Community Center may have to look elsewhere for similar offerings Some of those parents attended last week’s council meeting to voice their objections over the pending loss of the program One mom told the panel she’s working three jobs and relies on the low-cost Boys & Girls Club to provide activities for her son I just don’t understand why we would be trying to get rid of such an awesome service that is so inexpensive for someone like me who’s a full-time mom and a full-time working person,” she said the city’s community services department has been tasked with coming up with alternative programming at the Bell Tower and include in their plans some youth activities • The storm that swept through the region last Wednesday and Thursday left behind rocks large sections of trees and several inches of mud on Trabuco Canyon Road Orange County Public Works officials reported evacuation warnings were issued as the rain approached to residents of areas in Trabuco a man hanging onto a tree at a rain-swollen creek in San Juan Capistrano was successfully rescued Thursday looked at allegations of mismanagement by its previous chief executive The suit alleges a surgeon cut an artery rather than a vein in Wayne’s leg while performing what was expected to be routine surgery and then covered up the mistake • Orange County sheriff’s deputies were on the hunt Tuesday for a man suspected of stabbing a deputy who was on patrol in the area of Avenida Pico and Calle de Los Molinos in San Clemente at around 2:15 p.m. an OCSD spokesperson told City News Service Students at San Clemente High and Las Palmas Elementary School sheltered in place during the hunt which had not concluded by this newsletter’s deadline but her wounds were not considered life-threatening • A 78-year-old motorist was killed when his pickup truck Thursday on Chapman Avenue in Garden Grove Paramedics pronounced Orange resident James Eads dead at the scene • Police allege in court documents that Jerry Gilbert Gutierrez an 18-year-old with “anger issues” gunned down a woman in her car because she had upset the younger members of the gang she was affiliated with Gutierrez pleaded not guilty March 4 in the 2020 killing of 48-year-old Charlene Lynn Zuazo of Anaheim A pre-trial hearing was scheduled for today with 15 kills and 1½ blocks to lead the visiting Sea Kings to a 25-20 25-21 sweep of the Sailors in the Sunset League match • The Sage Hill girls basketball team came this close last Friday night to winning its second state championship in Sacramento. “But four free throws in the final minute quelled a late rally by Sage Hill, which fell to Concord Carondelet 51-48,” the Daily Pilot reported Beach will be relocating to Colorado to be near one of her four children The day offers family fun with an Old West flair The parade begins at 11 a.m.; visitors are encouraged to arrive early because nearby streets will be closed by 10 a.m I appreciate your help in making this the best newsletter it can be. Please send news tips, your memory of life in O.C. (photos welcome!) or comments to carol.cormaci@latimes.com Carol Cormaci is executive editor of Times Community News’ Daily Pilot in Orange County and pens the TimesOC newsletter She is a native Southern Californian and a proud UCLA Bruin She previously served as managing editor of three former Times Community News publications: the Glendale News-Press 2025 at 4:50 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Philadelphia Eagles play in Super Bowl 57 against the Kansas City Chiefs (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)CALIFORNIA — Some familiar California names are on the roster in Sunday’s Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans Ten of the players on the 53-man rosters got their start in playing high school football in California high school athletes from 31 different states plus Australia will be represented when the Chiefs and Eagles battle for the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the second time in the last three years Florida has 14 former players (10 for Philadelphia four for Kansas City) slated to play in America’s biggest football game Texas has the second most with 12 (eight for Philadelphia 2025 at 5:09 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A bat — not pictured above — found at Rancho Santa Margarita Lake tested positive for rabies the Orange County Health Care Agency reported CA — A bat found at Rancho Santa Margarita Lake tested positive for rabies the rabid bat was found on the ground near a walking path around the lake on Thursday "The rabies virus is found in an animal's saliva and is transmitted to people by a bite from a rabid animal," an OCHCA statement read mouth or an open wound the saliva of a rabid animal can also transmit rabies." Most cases of rabies in the country in recent years have resulted from bat strains of rabies as bats have very small teeth and their bites may go unnoticed Anyone who may have had physical contact with this bat or saw someone else having contact with the bat is urged to call the Orange County Health Care Agency Communicable Disease Control Division at 714-834-8180 Steps residents can take to minimize the risk of rabies 2025 at 11:42 am PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A well-loved local eatery is closing for good in Rancho Santa Margarita after Cibo Italiano announced its impending closure on Saturday CA — A well-loved local eatery is closing for good in Rancho Santa Margarita "It is with profound sadness that I wish to inform you that Cibo Italiano will be going out of business," the restaurant posted to Facebook on March 30 "We have loved serving the community and will miss you all beyond measure." Cibo ownership cited operating expenses and a "downward spiral" of the food industry as being main factors behind closing The announcement left countless Cibo Italiano patrons disheartened by the local closure "I literally just discovered you guys last month now I’m so sad." Ioana Hagiu wrote on Facebook serving up the most delicious food I’ve ever had and her food all so much," Lauren Rae wrote "We’ve spent countless nights there over a bottle of wine it’s one of the only spots I could stomach while pregnant and we were excited to have a place to make new family traditions This is why it’s crucial to support small businesses where and when you can." Residents in possession of a Cibo Italiano gift card were urged to cash in before the last dish is served on Saturday Cibo Italiano is located at 29941 Aventura in Rancho Santa Margarita 2025 at 11:08 am PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A routine patrol check on local businesses in Rancho Santa Margarita revealed a theft in-progress the Orange County Sheriff's Department reported (Orange County Sheriff's Department Courtesy Photo)RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA CA — A routine patrol check on local businesses in Rancho Santa Margarita revealed a theft in-progress the Orange County Sheriff's Department reported when deputies stopped a vehicle from leaving a CVS parking lot "Something just didn't seem right," an OCSD statement read An investigation into the vehicle revealed over $2,000 worth of stolen items from the CVS The individuals were arrested and a juvenile was released to an adult pending additional charges Information on the arrested suspects was not immediately available 2025 at 1:23 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The biggest storm to hit Southern California this year drenched Rancho Santa Margarita and Orange County this week CA — The biggest storm to hit Southern California this year drenched Mission Viejo and Orange County this week Rancho Santa Margarita got a total of 3.27 inches of rain according to OC Public Works Most of Orange County’s coastline saw between 1 and 3 inches of rain during the storm this week Coto de Caza and Upper Silverado Canyon saw between 5 to 6 inches Mount San Antonio in the San Gabriel Mountains logged the most rain in the county The Eaton fire burn scar area saw around 4 inches of rain and the Palisades fire burn scar area saw around 2 inches Most of OC’s coastline saw between 1 and 5 inches of rain during the storm this week John Wayne Airport saw 1.24 inches of rain while the Santa Ana Mountains saw between 2 to 8 inches Coto de Caza logged the most amount of rain of the Orange County coastal areas The airport fire burn scar area saw nearly 3 inches of rain The recent storm brought a variety of dramatic weather conditions throughout the county including a major mudslide that swept up an SUV into the ocean and a collapsed roof at a Smart & Final in Azusa including evacuations in OC canyon communities due to possibilities of heavy debris flow 2024 at 2:31 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Rancho Santa Margarita was once again ranked the safest city in California by Safewise in their 2024 Safest Cities Report (City of Rancho Santa Margarita Courtesy Photo)RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA CA — Rancho Santa Margarita was once again ranked the safest city in California by Safewise in their 2024 Safest Cities Report Rancho Santa Margarita has a violent crime rate of .4 and a property crime rate of 4.8 incidents per 1,000 Safewise also said that of the 77 cities that were considered Rancho Santa Margarita was one of two cities that reported zero murders and zero rapes — the other city being Yorba Linda This is the second year in a row that Rancho Santa Margarita has claimed the top rank in Safewise's annual report According to Safewise for the purposes of this report the terms “dangerous” and “safest” refer explicitly to crime rates as calculated from FBI crime data—no other characterization of any community is implied or intended To read the full report, visit Safewise. 2025 at 1:35 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Rancho Santa Margarita officials are ramping up the city's street cleaning services after residents complained of debris in the streets CA — Rancho Santa Margarita officials are ramping up the city's street cleaning services after residents complained of debris in the streets The change comes after the city reduced its street cleanings from twice a month to once a month in April 2024 due to rising costs after residents voiced complaints about leaves and trash in the streets city council members voted to raise the cleanings back to twice per month at last week's Jan A set schedule of which Rancho Santa Margarita streets would be impacted was not immediately available 2025 at 2:57 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Whether you're celebrating Easter Sunday with family Rancho Santa Margarita has several brunch options to consider CA — Whether you're celebrating Easter Sunday with family Orange County has several brunch options to consider While some restaurants will be closed for the holiday on April 20 No matter where you land this Easter Sunday be sure to book in advance — these eateries tend to fill up faster than a basket of chocolate eggs Here are the eateries serving brunch on April 20 this year: the acclaimed Laguna Beach eatery is hosting an Easter Buffet Brunch Chef Rainer Schwarz will celebrate the holiday with a made-to-order Omelet station hot station and carving station with Double R Ranch prime rib of beef and maple-glazed turkey breast The Easter Brunch special will be held on Sunday and pricing for children under 12 is $25 with children under 6-years-old eating for free Reservations can be made online at OpenTable. The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar — Tustin and Newport Beach The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar is hosting a very special brunch to honor the holiday on Sunday The brunch will feature a special spring-inspired prix-fixe menu courtesy of Executive Chef Yvon Goetz Guests can enhance their brunch experience with a "Seafood Tower" or partake in endless mimosas please call Tustin at (714) 258-7600 or Newport Beach at (949) 999-6622 Residents can view menus for each location online at the restaurant's website Fable & Spirit will be offering an elevated take on classic brunch favorites Menu highlights include Wood-Fired Shakshuka — featuring baked eggs crème fraiche and queso fresco — and House-Smoked Salmon on a sweet anise toast Fable & Spirit recommends its Crispy Edge Sourdough Pancakes For more information or to make reservations, residents may call 949-409-9913 or visit the restaurant's website. Georgia's Restaurant — Irvine This soul food restaurant is offering Easter Sunday Brunch from 9 a.m Adults may partake in specially-priced brunch cocktails Hard Lemonade for $5 and Bloody Mary for $7 For more information, residents can visit the restaurant's website. The Waterfront Beach Resort — Huntington Beach The Waterfront Beach resort will offer a brunch buffet in the hotel's Breakwater Ballroom Guests will enjoy an ocean-to-table selection of Oysters including NY Medallions and Chicken Piccata For information on reservations and pricing visit the hotel's website. Residents can enjoy a brunch service from 11 a.m A regular menu service will follow starting at 3 p.m For information on menu and pricing, visit the restaurant's website. Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa — Dana Point Guests will enjoy a delicious Easter brunch overlooking the Pacific including specially-curated seasonal specialties a decadent dessert display and interactive stations with local flavors and ingredients Family-friendly activities will be available for children of all ages For information on pricing and booking a reservation, visit the hotel's website. The Orange County district attorney’s office announced on Wednesday that Gamble will be charged with a misdemeanor violation of election law for claiming to have personally gathered signatures to qualify on the Nov. 5 ballot when, in fact, she did not. “Voters must have total confidence that every election is being carried out in a fair and unbiased manner,” Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer said. “Interference in the electoral process in any manner and at any stage jeopardizes the will of the people being carried out while eroding the trust of voters that their vote counts.” Gamble will not face a felony perjury charge She will be sentenced to one year of probation 160 hours of community service and will have to submit her DNA to authorities a longtime Rancho Santa Margarita resident and local government watchdog first alerted authorities about allegations of perjury against Gamble back in August “She has been in politics for 25 years,” Gordon said. “She knows better and should have gotten jail time. The punishment should be far more severe than for Markowitz.” Gamble has served on Rancho Santa Margarita’s City Council for 16 of the past 20 years, including four terms as mayor. The D.A. stated that Gamble, under the penalty of perjury, attested on Aug. 7 to having circulated and witnessed signatures on her nomination papers in seeking a return to council. But investigators interviewed numerous voters who signed them and stated that Gamble neither circulated the nomination papers nor witnessed their signatures. Prior to taking a plea deal, Gamble released a statement on Oct. 20 calling her attestation an “error” that wasn’t caught in time to correct and pledged to resign from office if elected, as printed ballots already list her as a District 3 City Council candidate. But the D.A. claimed that Gamble is ineligible to hold office and a special election would have to take place should Rancho Santa Margarita voters elect her. As part of the plea deal, Gamble would pay restitution for the cost of a special election, if necessary. Keri Lynn Baert, the sole candidate running against Gamble in District 3, thanked the D.A. for investigating the matter but isn’t taking Tuesday’s election for granted. “It’s very important for voters to be able to trust the election process,” she said. “I’m still going to talk to voters because the issues are important. I want to win a majority of votes and not have to run again in a special election.” Gamble is expected to appear in court on Friday to enter her guilty plea. Public records obtained by TimesOC show that Mike Munzing targeted the nonprofit over its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging position statement and references. With just days before the Nov. 5 election, Gordon has, again, alerted authorities to another alleged perjury case. He submitted a complaint to the district attorney claiming that Rancho Santa Margarita Councilman Tony Beall attested to signatures he did not circulate or witness for his mayoral campaign. “Anyone who suggests that I did not personally gather and witness my nomination signatures is lying and exposing themselves to damages for libel and slander,” Beall said when reached by phone on Friday. “I personally gathered and witnessed every single signature.” When asked, a D.A. spokeswoman stated that the office does not confirm investigations. 2:23 p.m. Nov. 1, 2024: Updated with comment from Rancho Santa Margarita Councilman Tony Beall 2025 at 12:41 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Keep those patio umbrellas inside Rancho Santa Margarita — the strong winds in your area are expected to stick around into the week A wind advisory issued for Orange County by the National Weather Service this week warned residents of northeast winds ranging from 35 to 45 miles per hour The wind advisory will remain in effect until 6 p.m "Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines and power outages are possible," according to the NWS Residents were urged to remain in the lower levels of their homes during the windstorm and to avoid windows The wind advisory comes at the heels of a Red Flag Warning issued for much of the Southland is expected to remain in effect until Thursday due to strong Santa Ana winds and low relative humidity Nearly half a million electric customers in Southern California are at risk of losing power in a public safety power shutoff Tuesday due to the warning shutoffs were being considered for 414,306 in the following areas (as of 12 p.m For more information, visit www.sce.com/outage-center/outage-information/psps and www.sdge.com/psps-dashboard Print Shawn Gordon drove around Rancho Santa Margarita when he noticed something odd happening in his hometown Mayor Carol Gamble’s campaign signs began disappearing from District 3 even the lawn signs outside of the mayor’s home vanished from sight The next day, Gamble’s campaign website was scrubbed to read “coming soon.” the sudden political retreat made sense when she publicly announced the suspension of her campaign that same day Gamble acknowledged she attested to an inaccurate statement on her nomination papers but deemed it a mistake that was found too late to correct “My error, my responsibility and my decisions have been discussed with the District Attorney through my counsel, and no promises have been made to me,” said Gamble in a press released published on the city’s website. On Oct. 16, the Orange County district attorney’s office could neither confirm nor deny an investigation with TimesOC regarding Gamble and any potential perjury case surrounding her nomination papers. Under election law, anyone of voting age can help circulate nomination papers so long as the person signing off on the documents is the same person who witnessed the voter signatures. Gordon, a longtime Rancho Santa Margarita resident, first alerted election authorities about Gamble and allegations of perjury back in August. He wrote a letter to Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page and informed him that several registered voters in Rancho Santa Margarita signed declarations stating that Gamble did not witness their signatures despite attestations that she had. TimesOC reviewed one notarized statement related to Gamble’s campaign. “Ms. Gamble was not present at that time and did not witness my signature,” it read. The Registrar’s office forwarded the matter to the O.C. Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer’s office for review, according to Gordon. “There is no cure period,” he said. “I’m hoping Spitzer does the right thing. This is absolutely cut and dry.” An O.C. D.A. spokeswoman did not immediately respond for comment following Gamble’s campaign suspension. It comes just days after the O.C. D.A. brought two felony charges against Scott Markowitz, a first-time Fullerton City Council candidate, for allegedly attesting under the penalty of perjury that he witnessed signatures gathered for his own nomination papers. Markowitz, who was arraigned on Monday, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor election law violation and was sentenced to a day in jail, a year of probation and 160 hours of community service. Gamble, an incumbent, has served on Rancho Santa Margarita City Council since 2011 following an initial four-year term in 2000. According to her press release, she is making efforts to immediately return campaign contributions to donors. Political Action Committees for the Lincoln Club of Orange County, Apartment Assn. of Orange County and the Assn. of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs have all recently contributed to Gamble’s campaign this month. Gamble will still appear on the ballot but pledges to resign from office, if elected. In the Markowitz case, the O.C. D.A. stated that he would be ineligible to hold office if he won, and a special election would need to be called. Keri Lynn Baert, a Rancho Santa Margarita District 3 council candidate, declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding Gamble’s campaign suspension. “Her decision doesn’t impact how committed I am to my campaign,” said Baert, who is the sole opponent in the race. “She’s still on the ballot. I’ve focused my entire time on term limits, fiscal responsibility and transparency. It’s still important that I win the majority of the votes in this election.” Chris McLaughlin, a former City Council candidate, appeared to allude to issues surrounding a candidate’s nomination papers, but didn’t name who, during an Oct. 9 Rancho Santa Margarita council meeting. “When it says penalty of perjury, that’s actually a crime,” he said. 9:24 a.m. Oct. 22, 2024: Updated with Markowitz’s guilty plea and sentencing. 2025 at 12:22 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A man was injured in a garage fire Friday at an apartment complex in Rancho Santa Margarita (Orange County Fire Authority Courtesy Photo)RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA CA — A man was injured in a garage fire Friday at an apartment complex in Rancho Santa Margarita where they found heavy smoke coming from a garage According to the Orange County Fire Authority a rapid and coordinated attack allowed firefighters to knock down the blaze in 30 minutes The injured man suffered burns in the fire and was taken to a local hospital The cause of the fire is under investigation our citywide embarrassment was finally charged Carol Gamble accepted a plea deal to reduce her felony perjury charge to Misdemeanor and 160 hours of community service She was facing over 3 years in jail for the felony To say this is a travesty of justice is an understatement She still shows no remorse and is trying to gaslight residents into painting herself as some kind of victim We will run through a quick timeline and then look at the articles and quotes that are undiluted lies First, read the DA press release published on October 30 She claimed she had personally witnessed each of the 30 signatures on her nomination paperwork Here is the timeline for the nomination paperwork dates This will make sense when we look at her gaslighting Aug 9 — Deadline to submit nomination paperwork was notified of the error on Carol Gambles’ nomination paperwork Aug 19 — Last day the public can review the candidate statements Aug 18 — I was alerted by whistle-blowers about the paperwork problem and I suggested they get notarized statements and then proceeded to research courses of action with other residents Aug 22 — This is the day I filed my complaint about Carol not witnessing the signatures for the city attorney Aug 30 through Oct 9 — I and other residents made statements in public comments at city council meetings on three occasions about this problem Oct 17 — The DA interviews all the witnesses and the signature gatherer who I’m told admitted to collecting all the signatures Oct 17 — The DA tried to interview Carol Gamble Oct 20 — Carol removed all her campaign signs around town and orchestrated a weak statement to the OC Register about dropping out for an “inaccurate statement.” Oct 23 — Carol misses the city council meeting and the rest of the city council refuses to address the issue or attempt to alert residents that Carol is no longer eligible for office Nov 1 — Carol officially faces the judge and receives her charges let’s examine Carol’s statements in the press over the past few days through her lawyer Oct 31 — LA Times — statement from her attorney: said his client voluntarily contacted the district attorney’s office through representatives and quickly took responsibility for her error which included suspending her campaign and returning all contributions “Her good faith actions were communicated to the district attorney,” Meyer said Gamble apologized to her supporters and has acknowledged her responsibility she stepped forward long before a case was filed Nov 1 — CBS News: Gamble said she witnessed the supporters sign the document however numerous voters who signed her paperwork told investigators that she did not witness them signing the nomination forms Nov 1 — OC Register — statement from her attorney – this is where the most intense gaslighting happens She knew for months about the problem and was hoping she would skate DA investigators earlier this week said Gamble a candidate for the City Council’s District 3 seat signed her candidate nomination paperwork under the penalty of perjury attesting that she had circulated the paperwork and collected the nomination signatures on it But multiple people who had signed the nomination paperwork told investigators that she did not circulate it or witness their signatures Gamble is a wonderful and respected woman who devoted decades to create and grow a city she loves,” her attorney Meyer said as soon as Gamble realized her mistake But she was not aware of the “error” until after the deadline to fix it had passed “The people who learned of the error held the information until the deadline for correction had passed,” Meyer said “The law did not allow a correction,” Meyer said “She consulted two expert election attorneys who confirmed that the law does not permit correction at that time She had her lawyer notify the DA of her decision to admit the mistake and to resign if elected.” If elected the DA’s office said Gamble would not be eligible to serve on the City Council like actually try to let residents know and have the decency to face them at the city council and atone But Carol Gamble is remorseless and flat-out lying We alerted law enforcement and the city at the absolute earliest opportunity It was only a few days between finding out and filing the only option was to drop out immediately so she wouldn’t be on the ballot and wouldn’t disenfranchise the voters Will the city council try and play games with her replacement if Carol happens to win the vote My conversation with a rep from OCGOP was very alarming he told me that he was instructed by Fred Whitaker that Carol’s opponent was a Democrat and that’s why they were still endorsing Carol and I made the rep look it up; his response was I’ve been wondering why no one around here seemed to care about this.” We’ll see what happens but one thing we’ve learned in this cycle is that incumbents actually rarely get their own signatures They’ve gotten away with it for so long that they don’t mind signing under penalty of felony perjury This will mostly stop if DA Todd Spitzer really starts throwing the book at the worst offenders Congratulations to Keri Lynn Baert – she may even have beaten Gamble without this particular scandal Without Bushala this wouldn’t have happened She worked hard and is well-known and liked in her district And Carol had already pissed off a lot of people with her Boys and Girls Club / Museum stunt and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. when Janet Nguyen really pissed off a lot of the Little Saigon community by politicizing Black… The Register article had some good stuff from Mike but I got more from talking to him and his sister… But Danny Hughes said those who spoke of a Culture of Corruption were misinformed or lying Lou was back in Washington voting with Republicans to overturn one of California's Clean Air Act… Doing well Ca needs elected auditors of our powerful assessors Next time… About Arras WordPress Theme First we learned that experienced politician had to perjure herself in order to gather the relatively meager number of resident signatures necessary to put her name on the ballot despite DA Spitzer downplaying Gamble’s offense Gamble is not the only RSM elected that struggles with integrity Gamble’s close friend and confidant Tony Beall found it necessary to include the signature of his adult daughter who apparently doesn’t even live in RSM on his nomination papers in order to meet the minimum resident signature requirement Aside from the concern that someone who has sat on the dais as long as Mr Beall can’t collect 20 resident signatures without tapping a family member there is nothing intrinsically wrong with having your daughter sign your nomination papers so long as she is a current resident of RSM do you have to lie about your children’s residency in order to adequately complete your paperwork an attorney who works out of an Irvine office and according to her biographical information posted on her employer’s website “resides in Newport.” So does Mr Beall’s 34-year old daughter that practices law in Irvine still live in her RSM childhood home with mommy and daddy thereby legitimizing her signature on Daddy Beall’s nomination paperwork is the information on her law firm’s website correct when it states that Tony Beall’s daughter is a resident of Newport Beach We did learn from the Gamble case that we cannot rely on District Attorney Todd Spitzer to protect residents by fairly investigating and enforcing the laws at least when it comes to Todd’s Republican friends But one would have hoped that at least one of the Beall daddy/daughter lawyer duo would remember that as attorneys and officers of the court What is to become of Rancho Santa Margarita as our electeds lapse back into corruption and wasteful government spending This wouldn’t matter if the dude had more than 20 valid siggies My answer to this one is the same as my answer to the last one If Spitzer won’t do his job (presuming that a remedy is still possible) then there’s PAGA (Private Attorney General Act.) I don’t know whether this would be susceptible to a quo warranto challenge for eligibility to serve if Beall’s daughter was actually complicit in defrauding the Registrar as to her eligibility to sign then the California Bar might want to know about that But seriously: Spitzer could just do his job its effect on Daddy Beall’s right to hold office does presume that she was the decisive 20th signature as the story suggests but would need to be confirmed But if the two of them conspired to include her as an eligible signer when she wasn’t I think that the signature forms delivered to the Registrar should be susceptible to a Public Records Act request; we should be able to see who witnessed her signature (or pretended to) “But if the two of them conspired to include her as an eligible signer when she wasn’t then they have other legal problems.” This is similar to the problem in Fullerton Scott Markowitz didn’t collect the signatures Whoever talked all those active Democrats into signing the nomination papers for an ostensible MAGA Republican really an even worse offense than the offense committed likely naïf Markowitz should certainly roll on them; Beall’s daughter should do the same with her Dad or his agent Beall’s daughter either committed fraud That’s pretty pathetic for a 30 something attorney I understand their even older son signed it as well Sad how much time you spend crying about him and other petty BS in RSM The reason Spitzer didn’t charge Gambell was because she said she would resign her position even if she won re-election She only lost to the left-wingnut because most of her supporters knew this and didn’t vote for either candidate in hopes of avoiding a costly special election The City of RSM is being inflated with libtard LA transplants The City has been run very well for the past 25 years This is a conservative city and always has been You always try and bring your stupid left-wing politics to places that don’t want them and the author of this piece “lefties?” LOL Only if the definition of conservative is kleptocrat And Keri got the vast majority of her votes long before the Gamble legal trouble ever came out She won decisively due to her hard work and popularity and she is a well-known honest conservative I know who Shawn is and his political position He’s an agitator with a grudge against Beall The “author” of this hit piece is posting under an anonymous screen name but the “commentary” would make one believe he/she is a lefty This “article” should have been written as “commentary.” Gamble still got 44% even after she said she would resign if she won I would call that a circumstantial win for Ms Take away Gamble’s legal issues; the numbers would have been the opposite most votes were cast already before anyone heard about Gamble “promising to resign” (a promise she could have easily broken) This all came out a week before election day and you’re suggesting 20% of votes could have been flipped I don’t know “what pots don’t need stirring” but I know Keri thinks RSM needs term limits and from where I sit I think she’s right 2025 at 1:36 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Weather officials issued a flood warning for Orange County residents as a seasonal storm brings clouds (Renee Schiavone/Patch)RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA CA — Weather officials issued a flood warning for Orange County residents as a seasonal storm brings clouds The floor watch advisory will remain in place from Thursday afternoon through Friday morning with the heaviest rainfall expected to occur Thursday night The flood watch advisory affects a portion of Southern California San Bernardino and Riverside County valleys the Inland Empire and Santa Ana Mountains and foothills "An atmospheric river will generate moderate to heavy rainfall Thursday into early Friday with rainfall rates of .30-.50 inches per hour locally up to .75 inches per hour at times on the coastal mountain slopes," the National Weather Service said in a statement Excessive rain may result in flooded rivers streams and other low-lying and flood-prone locations Debris flows and landslides will also be possible in and below recent burn scars 2025 at 12:00 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Rancho Santa Margarita Police Services is getting new leadership after Captain Dwayne Chapple was announced the new Chief of RSM Police Services this week (Orange County Sheriff's Department Courtesy Photo)RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA CA — Rancho Santa Margarita Police Services is getting new leadership Potsdam graduate joined the Orange County Sheriff's Department in 2009 where he was assigned to the Central Men's Jail Shortly after he became a member of the Jail Compliance and Training Team where he helped develop policies and facilitated training for staff He was assigned to patrol in 2014 and worked for the City of Dana Point before being promoted to investigator in 2018 Chapple worked in auto theft and general investigations Chapple was promoted to the rank of sergeant and was first assigned to the Theo Lacy Facility before joining the SAFE Division's internal affairs team "I am deeply blessed and honored to have the opportunity to serve as Chief of Police Services for Rancho Santa Margarita," Chapple told Patch "I am grateful for the trust and support I received from city officials and OC Sheriff leadership as I embark on this new path." Chapple has a bachelor's degree in Sociology and a master's degree in Education from the State University of New York He currently serves as an associate instructor with Santa Ana College 2025 at 7:03 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The business reported a loss of $168,985 in merchandise (OCSD - Rancho Santa Margarita Police Services)RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA CA — Five people were recently arrested in connection with a burglary in which nearly $170,000 in merchandise was stolen from an Orange County business Authorities apprehended two people Friday after the New Year’s Day burglary in Rancho Santa Margarita with one caught committing another crime at the time of the arrest who said three more arrests were also made during the investigation The business reported a loss of $168,985 in merchandise business owners are reminded to turn on their alarm systems and ensure they are functioning properly,” Rancho Santa Margarita Police Services said in a social media post consider registering or integrating your security camera system with Fusus through the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Camera Registry Program to add an extra layer of security for your businesses.” 2025 at 2:52 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Be aware Rancho Santa Margarita residents: SoCal Edison issued a possible Public Safety Power Shutoff impacting portions of Orange County on Monday The potential Public Safety Power Shutoff would impact portions of Rancho Santa Margarita The power shutoffs could occur on Tuesday or Wednesday due to heightened wildfire risk Power shutoffs are likely to occur if weather conditions create risk for a wildfire The notification comes as a fire weather watch was put in effect Wednesday morning through Thursday for the Inland Empire inland Orange County and San Diego valleys due to strong Santa Ana winds and low relative humidity For more information, please contact SCE at (800) 611-1911 or visit http://sce.com/psps At the regular meeting of the Rancho Santa Margarita City Council held on December 11 final election returns canvassed and certified by the Orange County Registrar of Voters certified the following candidates were elected to office: One Mayor at-large: (1) Tony Beall (full four-year term and One Member of the City Council residing in District 3: (1) Keri Lynn Baert (full four-year term Certificates of Election were presented to Tony Beall and newly elected Council Member Keri Lynn Baert who took the oath of office on behalf of District 3 and was welcomed to the Council at Wednesday night's meeting The Council selected Brad McGirr to serve as Mayor Pro Tempore for the 2025 term Mayor Pro Tem McGirr was appointed the City's representative to the Orange County Fire Authority's Board of Directors The City Council will reconvene on January 15 This press release was produced by the City of Rancho Santa Margarita The views expressed here are the author’s own 2025 at 10:39 am PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Five suspects were arrested over the weekend on suspicion of stealing roughly $168,985 worth of merchandise from a Rancho Santa Margarita business on New Year's Day CA — Five suspects were arrested over the weekend on suspicion of stealing roughly $168,985 worth of merchandise from a Rancho Santa Margarita business on New Year's Day two of the suspects were arrested on Friday Three additional arrests were made during the investigation bringing the total number of suspects arrested to five The business reported the theft on New Year's Day according to the Orange County Sheriff's Department The business reported a loss of roughly $168,985 worth of merchandise though authorities said most — if not all — of the stolen merchandise was recovered The identities of the five suspects were not immediately released business owners are reminded to turn on their alarm systems and ensure they are functioning properly," the OCSD said in a statement consider registering or integrating your security camera system with Fusus through the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Camera Registry Program to add an extra layer of security for your businesses." No further information was immediately available but it’s still a great excuse to make your loved ones feel special with chocolates prix fixe menus and beloved restaurants with reservations still open But you’d better not wait to snag a reservation because this year falls on a Friday and you can bet it’ll be a busy one If you aren’t able to make it happen on Friday there’s no shame in making plans for the weekend that follows Whether you’re Valentine is your significant other or a fellow single friend this year — happy planning Around the state, some chains will also be offering deals. Rally’s will offer two Big Bacon burgers for $4 while Chick-fil-A will offer its annual heart shaped tray Here’s a list of places in and around RSM to check out this Valentine’s (or Galentine’s) Day: The CDFA issued a proclamation that the agency will be actively surveying and treating impacted areas Residents of affected properties will be invited to a public meeting or contacted directly by CDFA staff The news from CDFA follows a warning and quarantine that has been in place throughout segments of the region to protect the state’s citrus fruit The deadly citrus tree disease Huanglongbing (HLB) is one of the biggest threats to California citrus there is no cure; once a citrus tree is infected The HLB quarantine limited the transport and movement of citrus plants and material to prevent the spread of the deadly disease Additional details, resources and answers to frequently asked questions are available on the CDFA’s website Residents can register for email updates from the CDFA about the issue and call the pest hotline with questions at 800-491-1899 2025 at 4:01 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The Air Quality Management District issued an air quality alert through noon Tuesday across Orange County as a result of poor air quality caused by SoCal wildfires CA — The Air Quality Management District issued an air quality alert through noon Tuesday across Orange County as a result of poor air quality caused by SoCal wildfires The alert was issued due to increased harmful levels of particle pollution from windblown dust the alert impacts Orange County and non-desert portions of Los Angeles "Particles can get deep into the lungs and cause serious health problems such as heart attacks asthma attacks and difficulty breathing," the National Weather Service said in a statement children and those who spend a lot of time outdoors are at greater risk." 2024 at 12:32 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The polls have closed in Rancho Santa Margarita and soon residents will know who will represent them on their city council (Kat Schuster/Patch)RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA CA — The polls have closed in Rancho Santa Margarita Rancho Santa Margarita voters decided who they want to represent them as Mayor at-large this 2024 General Election season Rancho Santa Margarita residents will choose between Tony Mata Beall led the mayors race by a large margin with 73.56 percent of the vote Rivera followed with 17.18 percent of the vote and Mata trailed with 9.26 percent of the vote residents chose between current Mayor Carol Gamble and candidate Keri Lynn Baert.However after Gamble pled guilty to falsifying documents needed to run for election the Orange County District Attorney's Office stated that she will no longer be eligible to hold the seat — even if elected the city will host a special election to determine a new candidate Baert led the race to represent Rancho Santa Margarita's 3rd District with 53.69 percent of the vote Voters also decided who they want to represent them in Assembly District 71. The district, which encompasses Ladera Ranch, Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita, is currently represented by Republican Kate Sanchez This election season, voters will choose between Sanchez and Democrat Gary Kephart Wednesday and with 100 percent of precincts reporting Sanchez led the race with 61.53 percent of the vote Kephart trailed behind with 38.47 percent of the vote For up-to-date election information and real-time results, click here. Carson Palmer is headed back to where it all started for him It was announced earlier today that Palmer will be the next head coach at Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita leading the Eagles to back-to-back CIF championships Palmer broke 27 school records on the way to a 14-0 record and a second straight state championship before being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the first pick in the 2003 NFL Draft Palmer played 14 seasons in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals then-Oakland Raiders and Arizona Cardinals He finished his career passing for 46,247 yards and 294 touchdowns Palmer has mostly stayed out of the spotlight he had already been helping out on staff with the freshman team Santa Margarita has a long way to go to resemble anything close to Palmer's days on the field Faced with a demanding Trinty League schedule they haven't won more than seven games since 2017 and only had two 10-win seasons since the early 2000s The team went 5-7 this season and again missed the postseason and considering that much of the season was played with distraction surrounding head coach Anthony Rouzier's administrative leave there is plenty of reason to be hopeful about what's ahead Having Carson Palmer on the sidelines should certainly help the outlook 2025 at 2:13 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}An Orange County firefighter pleaded guilty Friday and was immediately sentenced to six months in jail for a fatal hit-and-run crash with a 24-year-old pedestrian in Dana Point CA — An Orange County firefighter pleaded guilty Friday and was immediately sentenced to six months in jail for a fatal hit-and-run crash with a 24-year-old pedestrian in Dana Point Rancho Santa Margarita resident Jeffrey Richard Grasinger pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of hit and run with permanent injury or death He was indicted in October of 2023 with a felony count of hit and run with permanent injury or death which carries a maximum punishment of four years in prison Grasinger was also placed on one year of informal probation and is expected to report to jail on Monday He pleaded guilty to killing 24-year-old Said Darinel Sanchez on Oct According to the Orange County District Attorney's office Grasinger struck the victim at about 6:45 p.m while the man was crossing Pacific Coast Highway spun through the air and fell head-first onto the pavement The sentence is lighter than another similar case, when a Long Beach Fire Department Captain was sentenced to a year in jail for a drunken hit and run that left a one person injured in 2011. Sheriff's investigators tracked the vehicle to a home in Rancho Santa Margarita where blood was found on the front of the vehicle City News Service contributed to this report 2025 at 1:35 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Stay vigilant Rancho Santa Margarita: dangerous fire weather conditions are expected to stick around the region until Friday The news comes after a High Wind Warning was extended across the county Rancho Santa Margarita residents can expect brisk winds with gusts up to 65 miles per hour and isolated gusts up to 75 miles per hour and power outages are possible," the NWS said in a statement a Red Flag Warning remains in effect across inland Orange County until 6 p.m Friday for strong gusty winds and low relative humidity "A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now low relative humidity and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior." The warnings come as firefighters struggle to gain the upper hand in wildfires burning rapidly across Los Angeles County including the Palisades Fire burning in West Los Angeles and the Eaton Fire burning in Pasadena Smoke from the massive fires prompted authorities to issue an Air Quality Alert for harmful particle pollution levels from windblown dust and wildfire smoke Both alerts will be in effect until Friday according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District Orange County residents who see smoke from nearby wildfires were urged to follow the following protocol: Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. As he walked toward the lockers, a player shouted, “Get him!” The lights were shut off and several team members slammed him against a locker, pinned him to the ground and took turns “touching, yanking, grabbing, pulling, and twisting his genitals,” according to a lawsuit filed in Orange County Superior Court on Tuesday. The lawsuit, first reported by the Orange County Register, details a disturbing assault against a sophomore football player that triggered a police investigation and has left the boy with post-traumatic stress disorder, severe depression and anxiety. At least eight other student athletes at the high school have also been assaulted by teammates, according to the lawsuit. “This kind of stuff shouldn’t happen at any school. It shouldn’t happen in any locker room. It shouldn’t happen to any child,” said Greenberg Gross partner Brian Williams, who is representing the boy’s family. “The adults in charge of programs like this clearly need to do better. They need to do a better job of protecting student athletes and preventing what appears to be a systemic problem within the culture of that team.” The Orange County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Wednesday that it launched an investigation into the incident after the boy went to the emergency room and alleged he had been sexually assaulted. More than 15 students were interviewed as part of the investigation. The student and parent told deputies that they did not want to pursue criminal prosecution and “were planning to handle the incident with the help of school officials,” Sheriff’s Sgt. Matt Parrish said. “The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has not been contacted by anyone else from Santa Margarita Catholic High School — employees or students — who is claiming to be a witness or victim of any crime by football players at Santa Margarita Catholic High School,” Parrish said. was injured after in 2021 when he slipped on uneven terrain that was not maintained Santa Margarita Catholic High School President J Andrew Sulick wrote in a message to families in the football program that the school has cooperated with the Sheriff’s Department investigation which he says found “no evidence of sexual assault.” The school which also conducted its own investigation on Tuesday retained a third-party firm to conduct an additional review of the incident “These measures reflect a responsible and proactive approach that our campus community is taking as the investigation continues,” he wrote which names Santa Margarita Catholic High School and the Roman Catholic bishop of Orange alleges negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress said in an email that the “Diocese of Orange and Santa Margarita Catholic High School take these allegations seriously and are committed to addressing them thoroughly and transparently.” A parent whose child is in the football program said they became aware of the investigation into the locker room incident within days, when law enforcement interviewed players at the school. The parent, who did not want to be identified to protect their child’s anonymity, said the incident was “blown out of proportion.” The other players denied touching the student in any sexual manner, the parent said. The parent said the teens would often play a game where they turned off the lights and tried to “scare” other players, but said it was not malicious. “It was kids being kids. Nobody was punching anyone. It wasn’t even wrestling. It was horseplay,” the parent said. The boy, described by his attorneys as an athletic teenager, had enrolled at the high school this school year and was excited about the prospect of playing on an esteemed high school football team. But after the Sept. 24 attack, the student has not wanted to play the sport any longer, according to the lawsuit. During the attack inside the locker room, the boy fought back against his teammates, which caused him significant bruising, the lawsuit claims. He screamed “No!” and “Stop!” as several players groped him and others watched, the lawsuit says. A lawsuit alleges that football players were sexually assaulted by teammates at Santa Margarita Catholic High School. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) After the incident, he went to get help from the team’s trainer because he was in pain. But another player stopped him, according to the lawsuit, saying, “This is football, you knew what you were signing up for.” The boy’s mother alerted Rouzier and school administration about incident. Later, during a conversation between the coach and the teen, Rouzier appeared “more focused on [the teen’s] comment that he did not want to play football at SMCHS again than discussing how such an event could occur inside his locker room,” according to the lawsuit. Less than two weeks after the locker room incident, the boy alleges in the lawsuit, he was targeted by students he didn’t know who approached him from behind and groped him as he was walking in the hallway. The lawsuit alleges school officials failed to supervise students in the locker room and “turned a blind eye to the tradition of violence ingrained in its football team.” But other parents whose children are affiliated with the football program disputed the idea that staff tolerated any sort of violence or bullying. “On the contrary to these hazing assertions there’s been positive mentoring from the players, from upperclassmen toward freshmen kids, in the program,” said Greg Carpenter, whose sons play on the freshman football team. “This portrayal isn’t fair to those kids.” A lawsuit accuses Mater Dei and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange of trying to cover up a brutal locker room altercation that left a player with a traumatic brain injury This is the second diocesan high school in Orange County to be roiled with allegations of violence in the football program in recent years In that case, the Orange County district attorney declined to file charges, saying there was “no evidence of hazing or any other crime that we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt.” After a resident of Rancho Santa Margarita rationally laid out her concerns over RSM refusing to pay the legal fees of the CVRA attorney the City fed their residents more lies to justify their fiscally negligent actions the City leadership and overpriced City Attorney Greg Simonian turn our once fiscally responsible city into a laughing stock Mayor Carol Gamble lied about her nomination papers either forging his Newport Beach daughter’s signature or having his Newport Beach daughter lie about her residency and sign it herself we have Beall flat-out lie to a resident who raised very valid concerns over fighting a lengthy and costly legal battle Tony claimed that 1) the CVRA attorney refused to provide the basic information that the City requested and 2) this is not like the expensive $800,000 cases that are fought over districting as our esteemed Mayor ProTem so disingenuously put it “for the benefit of our new council member.” 1) The CVRA  attorney refused to provide the basic information that the City requested after having expressed multiple times that she was concerned for the safety of the prospective plaintiff due to concerns that the our esteemed elected officials would retaliate against them to meet confidentially with the City Attorney and provide him with everything that he requested Please see excerpt from Jackson’s letter below:  “…We recognize that this is an attempt on the part of the City of Rancho Santa Margarita (“RSM”) and its councilmembers who were vocal in their distaste for the California Voting Rights Act (“CVRA”) during recent public hearings to weaken and undermine the ability of members of a protected class to challenge at-large election systems that dilute their capability to elect a candidate by making unfounded and unprecedented requests impairing a minority’s ability to find legal counsel willing to accept these types of allegations on a contingency basis placing CVRA violation allegations financially out of reach for many protected class members RSM’s continuous request for my clients to disclose their identity prior to filing a complaint puts them at risk and in fear of political payback and retaliation as my client is a resident as well as employed in RSM my clients asked that I reach out to you and offer to meet with you in person to show you copies of the requested documents.” 2) This is not a fight over going to districts In the case against the Whittier Unified School District, Law Office of Carlos R 468-69 (2023), the school district’s refusal to comply with the safe harbor and pay the CVRA attorney’s fees prompted the attorney for the prospective plaintiffs to file an action for reimbursement Following a successful appeal by the attorney, the parties settled the lawsuit for $227,000 almost $200,000 more than Section 10010(f)’s cap on fees and costs This number does not include the costs the school district incurred on its own attorneys and consultants The City leadership is manipulative and dishonest (NOTE: An earlier version of this story misattributed Beall’s lies to Mayor Pro-Tem Brad McGirr – That’s how it sounded on the audio of the meeting you are a liar and you are lying once again Shawn Gordon didn’t write this piece and is not particularly involved in the district elections cause (Although Shawn DID alert us to the error about Brad McGirr showing Shawn to be an agent of truth.) So you Simonian has a law degree from the Golden Gate University School of Law And his dad Arthur was a controversial Yorba Linda city manager accused of corruption in the 90’s…. “accused of paying himself and his aides secret bonuses” and fired https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-sep-08-me-7973-story.html Westlake Ace Hardware will open its second OC store next summer in Rancho Santa Margarita Westlake Ace Hardware has signed an agreement to open a new store in Rancho Santa Margarita Ace Hardware of Rancho Santa Margarita will be Westlake Ace’s second location in Orange County; its first The new store will feature approximately 18,000 sq Renovations to the space will start in early 2025 Westlake Ace currently owns and operates 19 California Ace Hardware locations including nine in Southern California: Glendale The retailer is developing locations in Northern and Southern California In addition to selling lawn and garden supplies Ace Hardware of Rancho Santa Margarita will feature many leading brands and Weber grills and accessories; cookware and bakeware specialty gourmet foods and more; Craftsman and Milwaukee power tools; Diablo saw blades and power tool accessories; Benjamin Moore and Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines paints; EGO and Stihl outdoor power equipment; Scotts and Miracle-Gro lawn and plant care products; nd Yeti coolers and accessories “We are excited to show our new customers in Rancho Santa Margarita how we live the Ace Helpful Promise every day through reliable service and the leading products they need to get their household projects done right,” said Joe Jeffries president and CEO of Westlake Ace Hardware “We are thrilled to join this community as a friend Westlake Ace Hardware has been the helpful neighborhood hardware store countless generations have counted on for power and hand tools Westlake lives the Ace Helpful Promise every day by delivering reliable service and products so its customers and neighbors get their projects done right every time Part of the Ace Hardware Cooperative since 1959 Westlake Ace is headquartered in the Kansas City area It currently owns and operates more than 165 stores in 13 states Westlake Ace is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ace Retail Holdings Ace Retail Holdings currently owns and operates more than 245 Ace hardware stores nationwide under the Buikema’s Ace has acquired Groupe Expan and its subsidiaries Groupe Isolofoam Canadian manufacturers of expanded polystyrene solutions US LBM has renamed its Breckenridge and Edwards Building Centers and the Colorado locations of Foxworth-Galbriath Lumber as Colorado Building Supply Jeld-Wen is permanently closing its Chiloquin Doors plant in Chiloquin Southern Forest Products Association has released a new technical publication "Allowable Load Tables for Machine-Graded Lumber" 2024 at 4:07 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A south Orange County mayor suspended her campaign for city council this week citing an "error" with her nomination paperwork CA — Rancho Santa Margarita's mayor abruptly suspended her campaign for reelection this week and said she won't serve another term if elected Rancho Santa Margarita Mayor Carol Gamble said she would resign from her District 3 City Council seat if she wins the race Gamble cited an "error" with her nomination paperwork for her decision according to a statement authored by Gamble The former candidate said she signed her nomination paperwork "attesting to an inaccurate statement," and it was discovered after the review period to fix it had passed my responsibility and my decisions have been discussed with the District Attorney through my counsel and no promises have been made to me," Gamble said in the news release Gamble did not specify the nature of the inaccuracy in her paperwork Council Colleagues and City Staff of Rancho Santa Margarita I am very sorry for my irreversible mistake and I am at the same time very proud of all that we accomplished by working together," she said Campaign contributions from supporters will also be returned residents may have already voted for her or may yet vote for her Gamble was not immediately available for comment The Rancho Santa Margarita city clerk has not responded to a request for information regarding Gamble's campaign filings Gamble has worked with the City of Rancho Santa Margarita since 1995. She has served in the same position three other times Enjoy a fun day learning about H2O and getting to know your water provider and speak with garden pros and water district experts Be sure to plan on viewing the movie The Journey of Water and signing up for an Infrastructure Tour - Infrastructure Tours: Sign-ups will be available on the day of the event - Aquarium experience: Birds of prey: owls and hawks by OC Bird of Prey Center - Observe pollinators: Bats and moths; take a quiz - Touch Rosie the snake with Rancho Mission Viejo Reserve - Stroll through the WaterWorks Garden and converse with garden experts amidst beautiful California-friendly plants The 2025 Water Festival takes place Saturday at Santa Margarita Water District Headquarters For more information, visit SMWD.com/Festival 2025 at 11:21 am PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A fatal crash was reported just before 8 a.m CA — A woman in her 60s died Thursday after she was hit by a car in Rancho Santa Margarita when deputies were dispatched to the scene of the crash in the 2300 block of Arroyo Vista She was only identified as a woman in her 60s The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation Mark your calendar for the spring electronic waste and recycling opportunity conveniently located in the parking lot of Applied Medical at 29977 Avenida de Las Banderas Safely and responsibly dispose of obsolete electronic waste and take advantage of onsite shredding to prevent identity theft during this semi-annual event Unexploded ordnance (UXO) are explosive weapons that did not explode when they were employed and still pose a risk of detonation approximately 1,800 acres of Rancho Santa Margarita were used for aircraft bombing practice and gunnery practice range called Trabuco Bombing Range in connection with El Toro Marine Corps Air Station Pilots dropped small practice bombs that included an explosive charge designed to create smoke upon impact practice rockets that did not contain an explosive charge were fired While the ordnance used in the City are only practice devices there is still the potential for small explosive charges that could burn or cause fatal injuries if picked up or disturbed If you suspect you may have come across a military munition the best way to ensure your safety is to follow the 3Rs of Explosives Safety: Recognize - when you may have encountered a munition and that munitions are dangerous; Retreat - do not approach but carefully leave the area; and Report - call 911 and advise the law enforcement of what you saw and where you saw it 2025 3Rs Safety Brochure 2024 at 5:38 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Fire Crews stand on property damaged by the Airport Fire Thursday CA — Firefighters were making steady progress Monday battling the massive Airport Fire in Orange and Riverside counties where 23,519 acres have been charred with containment at 31 percent Cooler temperatures helped firefighters make progress battling the blaze and helicopter water drops on Santiago Park helped extinguish flames there on Monday officials said that downed power lines and poles continue to pose a hazard for firefighters and the public Authorities warned that generators and solar power could still energize some of the downed power lines Firefighters were working with Caltrans and utility companies along Ortega Highway to track down and put out hot spots and fix hazards There was no word on when the highway will reopen The blaze ignited in Trabuco Canyon last week before charging over the Santa Ana Mountains and toward Lake Elsinore triggering countless evacuation warnings and orders and forcing multiple road closures across Orange and Riverside counties Here are five things to know about the blaze as of Monday afternoon: There is some discrepancy regarding the number of structures destroyed or damaged by the Airport Fire According to a late Monday afternoon update from Cal Fire 160 structures were destroyed in the blaze and another 34 damaged Steve Conciadi said Monday afternoon that 120 homes and three businesses were destroyed in the fire Another 11 homes and 23 structures were damaged The OCFA figures include Orange and Riverside counties who said he could not provide details on where the bulk of the damage occurred The fire ripped through Trabuco Canyon in Orange County before charging eastward and burning across Decker Canyon and El Cariso Village in Riverside County The blaze continues to threaten communities west of Lake Elsinore city limits and unincorporated Temescal Valley Fire authorities confirmed in the early days of the fire that some recreational cabins were lost in the blaze Twelve firefighters and two civilians were hurt in the Airport Fire — all of the injuries were minor and all of the victims were released from the hospital Some evacuation orders were downgraded Monday in Riverside County including for residents along a portion of the Ortega Highway Residents on the western edge of Murrieta who were forced to evacuate from their Santa Rosa Plateau communities — including La Cresta and Meadow Oaks — learned late Monday afternoon that they were no longer under an evacuation of any kind Residents can visit https://go.genasys.com/11hh53 to determine if their homes are impacted by evacuation orders or warnings Evacuation centers for humans and animals remain open in Orange and Riverside counties. Full details are available here Many road closures are expected to remain in place. Find an updated list here 9 near Trabuco Canyon Road in the area of the remote-controlled airplane airport Officials said the fire was sparked by a county public works crew using heavy equipment the equipment was being used to replace barriers out in the area to restore a pathway Orange County Fire Authority Deputy Chief TJ McGovern said during a Monday news conference A spark from the equipment resulted in a fire that the two employees were unable to put out according to the Orange County Fire Authority The Airport Fire broke out during a sweltering Southern California heat wave while several other brush fires exploded across the Southland The largest wildfires currently burning include the Line Fire 5 and scorched a little over 39,000 acres by Monday The massive forest fire forced the evacuations of the Mountain towns of Running Springs and Arrow Bear In San Gabriel Canyon in Los Angeles County, the 54,690-acre Bridge Fire has been burning since Sept Smaller brush fires broke out across the San Fernando Valley Monday The spread of the brutal Airport Fire slowed significantly Thursday "The weather has been great with cooler temperatures relative humidity," Orange County Fire Authority Capt Light showers and drizzle were forecast for Monday night into Tuesday morning Officials said crews were having "notable success in increasing containment" in areas such as Lake Elsinore The forecast was favorable for the next few days as well According to the National Weather Service light rain could return Wednesday through Friday 2024 at 1:20 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The project's design phase is being completed for free and the estimated construction cost is $78,000 CA — City leaders are considering plans to install a new veterans memorial in Rancho Santa Margarita's Central Park According to The Orange County Register, the city council discussed the proposed design for an arch-style monument during a meeting last week which would be built in the park that hosts the annual Veterans Tribute The existing Armed Forces plaque created by a Boy Scouts troop would be relocated or worked into the new memorial the Glendale-based Southern California Bronze Company is working on a design for free and the estimated cost for construction is $78,000 Plans included in the council's July 10 agenda show a 12-foot wide arc design with granite plaques for each military branch The city is still exploring fundraising options to cover the cost with construction not expected to begin until the next fiscal year >> Read more in The Orange County Register 2025 at 1:55 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Orange County communities living near the Airport Fire burn scar were notified of an incoming evacuation warning on Wednesday CA — Orange County communities living near the Airport Fire burn scar were notified of an incoming evacuation warning on Wednesday an evacuation warning will go into effect at 8 a.m impacting residents living in Trabuco Canyon The warnings come into effect as rain pours over the region heightening the chance of mud and debris flows A woman in her 60s was killed after being struck by a vehicle in Rancho Santa Margarita on Thursday morning According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department the fatal crash occurred shortly before 8:00 a.m Deputies arrived at the scene and found the victim deceased Authorities confirmed that the driver of the vehicle stayed at the scene and cooperated with the investigation No further information has been released as officials continue to investigate the incident Everyone who uses our roads has legal rights in California This is especially true for the most at-risk users If you get hurt while walking on the road or lose someone you love in a pedestrian accident our industry-recognized law firm can help you get the pay you deserve We will offer you a free consultation to evaluate your claim and discuss your choices for getting financial compensation. Our Orange County pedestrian accident lawyers will consider all the factors that could affect your case and possible settlement We are ready to fight for you in court to help you get the most money possible Arash Khorsandi, Esq., and his skilled team at Arash Law will give you quality legal help when you choose to file a personal injury claim. We will do our best to make sure you receive full compensation. We have helped our clients in California get more than $750 million which makes us one of the largest and most trusted injury law companies in the state Our experienced personal injury lawyers recommend that you follow these steps if you’re in a pedestrian accident as long as you are able to do so Following these steps will help keep you safe and protect your right to fair compensation: I HAD AN ACCIDENT The highways and roadways in California are considered to be the third deadliest for pedestrians in the United States the 653 pedestrian fatalities recorded in 2012 rose to 1,108 in 2021 In Orange County, the Office of Traffic Safety reported 883 pedestrians who were killed and injured in traffic collisions A total of 66 of these victims were under the age of 15 These numbers illustrate the devastation that pedestrian accidents can cause don’t hesitate to contact our pedestrian accident attorneys as soon as you can We will help you pursue justice and secure fair compensation Six people were injured following a five-vehicle crash on the northbound 15 Freeway near Highway 138 in the Cajon Pass A bicyclist sustained serious injuries after being hit by a vehicle in Sacramento on Saturday evening According to the Sacramento Police Department and another woman and two children sustained injuries following a two-vehicle head-on crash in El Dorado Hills A motorcyclist was killed following a suspected DUI crash in Merced on Saturday afternoon Two young men were killed following a suspected DUI crash in Fresno on Friday night and two others sustained non-life-threatening injuries following a multi-vehicle collision in the Westlake community of Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon California’s Powerhouse Accident Lawyers With a consecutively proven track record Disclaimer: Not every one of our firm’s attorneys has received the recognitions stated here Visit the attorneys’ specific profile page under the ‘Our Firm’ tab for specific attorney recognitions (888) 488-1391 Do I Have A Case? 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