Accidents and Disasters

San Onofre Nuclear Plant Closure Has Cost More Than $300 Million, Edison Investors Told

Southern California Edison overlord Edison International reports it has lost more than $300 million since its two reactors at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station went down last winter.So far.

Go Text Yourself

[Hey, You!] Colliding with stupidity on the 55 freeway

Black Lips

Observatory

Kurt Duncan Naegele Sentence in Hearst Castle DUI Crash That Killed a Man Satisfies None

No one was happy when Kurt Duncan Naegele was blamed for causing a 2009 car crash near Hearst Castle that injured him, two others and killed a fourth. And they weren't happy when a mistrial was declared in his vehicular manslaughter trial after the defense said it would present evidence showing a di ... More >>

[UPDATED with Victim Speaks Out:] Daniel Tosh Has Nothing on This Hit-and-Run Footage

See update at end of post.ORIGINAL POST, JUNE 11, 3:36 P.M.: In an attempt to locate the driver and passenger of a vehicle that rammed into a 20-year-old man, who was thrown into the windshield and air, the Buena Park Police Department has released the graphic surveillance video that is shown after ... More >>

Diego Garcia

Constellation Room

Donavon Frankenreiter To Headline Catalina.com and KROQ's ROQ N' SURF Summer Series

SoCal native Donavon Frankenreiter is scheduled to play Catalina.com and KROQ's ROQ N' SURF summer concerts series on the water. Pepper, rock n' rhythm roots band, will headline the first date, Saturday, June 16, with support from Long Beach-based singer songwriter, Josh Fischel, and The Fiction. ... More >>

Newport Beach Film Festival's Social Network

A curated sample of socially relevant offerings at the 2012 festival

Police Cracking Down on Distracted Drivers This Month (This Means You, Vehicular Sexters)

​Save the sexting until after you've parked your Prius. Thanks to Congress, it's National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The California Highway Patrol and law enforcement agencies up and down the state will be on the lookout for lawbreakers, conducting zero-tolerance enforcements.

Chi Cheng, Deftones Bassist, Showing Signs of Emerging From Three Year Coma

​Bassist Chi Cheng of the Deftones was involved in a high-speed car accident in Santa Barbara in November 2008. Cheng, who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, was ejected from his vehicle and consequently fell into a coma. Now, three years and two months later, Cheng is finally s ... More >>

Lisa Lampanelli

City National Grove of Anaheim

Wild Records' Gizzelle, The Desperados, and Luis & the Wildfires at the House of Blues Friday Night

Lainna FaderLuis & the Wildfires​ Wild Records' Gizzelle, The Desperados, and Luis & the Wildfires September 30, 2011 House of Blues, Anahaim The House of Blues Anaheim hosted the Wildest show on the planet on Friday night, an evening of vintage rock 'n' roll and soul hosted by Wild Reco ... More >>

Gabrielle Jane Nestande, Ex-OC Supe's Daughter, Chided by Hit-and-Run Victim's Father

​Speaking out in the media about the death of her daughter, who a former Orange County supervisor's daughter is accused of killing, has mostly fallen to Courtney Griffin's mother. But now the father of the late 30-year-old Austin, Texas, nanny, is chiming in for the first time, vowing that the que ... More >>

Sobriety Checkpoints in Buena Park Tonight, Westminster Saturday Night

​Sobriety checkpoint fever heats up tonight in Buena Park and Saturday night in Westminster.Buena Park Police's DUI/drivers license stop will be at the intersection of Stanton Avenue and Beach Boulevard from 7 tonight to 3 a.m. Saturday. Cops there note that over the past three years, DUI collisio ... More >>

[UPDATED with Corrected Day, New Earthquake:] Today's UC Irvine Chaos and Mayhem was Expected

​UPDATE, SEPT. 15, 7:23 A.M.: Um, you know those emergency exercises at UC Irvine I reported were happening Wednesday? Major brain fart: the drills are actually TODAY. Just apply the details from the original post on the next page to today, Thursday. But, here's the weird thing: when I thought&nbs ... More >>

[UPDATED with Conviction:] Gustavo Adrian Vega, Repeat Drunken Driver Accused of Murdering Cara Alexandra Lee, Stands Trial

​UPDATE, JUNE 30, 4:58 P.M.: A jury today found second-time drunken driver Gustavo Adrian Vega guilty of murder, hit-and-run resulting in death and possession of cocaine for the Valentine's Day 2010 crash in Costa Mesa that killed 20-year-old aspiring model Cara Alexandra Lee.Vega, 23, of Costa M ... More >>

Japan Fundraiser at Tanaka Farms this Saturday

ProfessorSalt.comTanaka's scenic farm during the autumn!​Irvine's Tanaka Farms and the Orange Coast Optimists Club will host Walk The Farm, an event raised to help Japanese farmers impacted by the tsunami and subsequent nuclear accident. A self-guided mile-and-a-half walking tour of Tanaka Farms w ... More >>

The Bruery Collaborates with Dogfish Head's Sam Calagione on Japanese-Inspired Beer

From left: Bruery head brewer Tyler King, Dogfish Head's Sam Calagione and Bruery CEO Patrick RueThe Bruery Facebook page​Some big news from The Bruery. Founder Patrick Rue, who we recently profiled in a Weekly cover story, is teaming up with Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Brewery on a specialty br ... More >>

Stakes Raised in Re-Licensing San Onofre Nuke Plant

​The folks who run the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS)--and by "folks" I mean "Southern California Edison," or simply "SCE"--can't be happy with what's happening at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant up the coast near San Luis Obispo. Both plants were built in active earthquake zo ... More >>

Former College Football Star, NFL Dud and Car Accident Victim, Colt Brennan, Signs Contract to Play in the UFL

Brennan is getting a second chance at pro football.​A little more than six months ago, Colt Brennan was lying in a hospital bed in Hawaii, listed in serious condition. Today it was announced that Brennan will be returning to football, having signed a contract with the Hartford Colonials of the Uni ... More >>

[UPDATED with Federal Action Sought:] No Neighboring Nukes Tempt San Clemente City Council

​UPDATE, MAY 18, 11:31 A.M.: Facing a full house of potential voters opposed to the continued operation of the nearby San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), the San Clemente City Council decided Tuesday night to send letters to lawmakers seeking removal of radioactive waste from the plant. ... More >>

[UPDATED with Results:] Irvine Holds DUI Checkpoint Close to UCI

​UPDATED, MAY 9, 8:39 A.M.: Besides reporting no significant traffic delays, the Irvine Police Department released the following statistics from Friday night's sobriety checkpoint at Campus Drive and Bridge Road: Vehicles stopped: 545Sobriety tests: 9DUI arrests: 2Citations issued: 10

Gwen Stefani Donates $1 Million to Japanese Emergency Fund

​After co-opting Japanese fashion for years, Gwen Stefani is giving back. Today, she announced that she donated $1 million to Save the Children's relief efforts for Japan. The No Doubt singer and fashion designer said in a statement: "I've been inspired by Japan for many years and have a true love ... More >>

Pilot of Airbus That Nearly Collided with Plane Sees Dark Days Ahead in Skies Above John Wayne Airport

​A cockpit alarm prevented a collision between a small aircraft and an Airbus 319 jetliner in the skies above John Wayne Airport (JWA) this past September.Later, on the FAA's Aviation Safety Reporting System log, the Airbus 319 pilot predicted that the mix of large jets and light aircraft at JWA " ... More >>

Long Beach Cops Hold DUI Checkpoint Tonight, Costa Mesa Kicks Off the First of 2 This Month on Saturday

​There will be a DUI checkpoint from 6 tonight to 2 a.m. Saturday within Long Beach's South Patrol Division, which includes Anaheim Street to the ocean and from Cherry Avenue to the western edge of the city.Costa Mesa holds the first of two DUI checkpoints this month from 7 p.m. Saturday to 1 a. ... More >>

Father in Costa Mesa Accidentally Runs Over Toddler With Pickup Truck

​In a tragic accident on Sunday, a Costa Mesa man ran over his 23-month-old son with his pickup truck, killing the child.According to the Daily Pilot, at 11:30 a.m., 32-year-old Armando Medina went to move his 2007 Chevrolet Silverado, which was parked on the street, so that another car could pull ... More >>

Wyclef Jean Filed Papers to Run for President of Haiti

www.myspace.com/wyclefjean​We knew it was official; Wyclef Jean did tell Time Magazine he was running for president of Haiti after weeks of rumors yesterday. But a few minutes ago, the AP reported that Jean has filed the paperwork to run for president of Haiti at an electoral council office i ... More >>

Not Dead Yet

[Hey, You!] Dogs are living, breathing animals, not fashion accessories

At Last! Someone Holds Benefit Shows For The Gulf Coast Oil Spill

​Just last week, we were wondering where the musical benefit shows for the oil spill were. Well, someone's finally come up with something, and it's pretty big. On July 1, music venues all over the country will hold concerts and donate all their ticket sales to benefit those directly impacted by th ... More >>

All Disasters Aren't Created Equal: Six Reasons the Music Industry Isn't Singing Over Spilt Oil

​Every summer has its Big Story This year, it's the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, an ecological and financial disaster that is quickly reaching such staggering proportions that the human mind can't comprehend it. It's like trying to count grains of sand on a beach -- or in this case grains o ... More >>

Local Muslims Step Up to Help Haiti

American Red CrossA Haitian man in temporary shelter receives earthquake relief in a box.​Orange County Muslims on Friday plan to ship out to Haiti a 40-foot container full of clothes, medicine, medical equipment, bottled water and other basic necessities.

Zee Avi: Live From NPR's Little Desk

Former Costa Mesa resident (by way of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) and first gal to ever sign to Brushfire Records Zee Avi is currently being featured on the front page of NPR Music online. Check out three live tracks, "Honeybee," "First of the Gang" (Morrissey cover) and "You and Me," recorded at NPR's ... More >>

News and New Material from Matt Costa

A few things have happened since we last checked in with Brushfire artist and Huntington Beach resident Matt Costa. Though he's been MIA for the last few months, it seems like he's back, but not without a few new developments. His Facebook page just posted this semi-new (recorded in August, it s ... More >>

The Glory of Easter

Crystal Cathedral

The Fire of the Century . . . of the Year

Hellish fires now, Sahara Desert later, says UCI doom prophet Mike Davis

Cognitive Overload as a Motorsport

There's good news if you're one of those people infuriated by the sight of some idiot behind the steering wheel with a cell phone pressed to his head talking and not paying attention while driving-- that idiot's days are numbered. Come Summer 2008, that idiot will be replace by the new and improved ... More >>

Shake n' Bake

It's been funny--not funny ha-ha--sitting here on the sidelines watching the changing global-warming debate. While the international scientific community for years has piled voluminous report atop voluminous report detailing that global warming is real, producing all sorts of climatic problems and e ... More >>

Typhoon in a Teacup

Asian action movies dont get much less significant than this one.

Cross that bridge when you come it, if it's still there

Only 6 days after the San Francisco Chronicle first reported on it and 5 days after The Blotter first noted it, the Los Angeles Times today informs its readers about the state of California's bridges. The state: hundreds of bridges are considered at risk of collapsing during a major earthquake becau ... More >>

Earthquake weather or whatever...

Yesterday, as Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff was submitting to a public humiliation ritual before a Senate committee, his only punishment for letting New Orleans drown (in other countries, such incompetence would result in dismissal from office and permanent disgrace, but in the land o ... More >>

Fema Food

Whats in an MRE?

The Tragedy of It All

Orange Countys own Hurricane Katrina: the Great Flood of 1938

A Clockwork Orange

A CLOCKWORK NARANJA

The Blame Game

The Wreckfinder

No plane crash is too small or too old for Gary Patric Macha

All Over the Road

Reg photographer Mell Kilpatricks car-crash photography takes a dark journey beyond the American highway

Crash Test Dummies

A state law that was supposed to save teens from themselves backfires

Letters

Prescription for Disaster

If San Onofre is so safe, why are federal officials pushing anti-radiation pills on its neighbors?