Concerns are mounting that efforts to prevent Orange County’s dwindling mountain lion population from going extinct will fail with a mountain lion dying once a month in Southern California this year so far mainly by getting hit by vehicles. 

Amid an investigation into the deaths, Voice of OC filed a public records request asking OC Public Works for all their communications with CalTrans about mitigating mountain lion deaths, but the county agency initially denied the records existed. 

Records released by the local transportation authority, however, showed such communications did in fact exist – raising questions about OC Public Works’ compliance with the state public records law.

Meanwhile, Fountain Valley is joining a growing list of Orange County cities barring synthetic kratom sales in the city – alongside other cities that have instituted bans on the substance and or its derivatives.

In Anaheim, residents are still waiting to see if one of their largest assets – Angel Stadium – is trashed four years after officials sought to find out the condition of the property when a corruption scandal tanked a previously proposed land sale.

This week, officials there directed staff to come back with a potential new law they say is needed to close a gap in their municipal code to address nuisance properties like seedy motels, unkept abandoned buildings and liquor stores that attract loiters after longtime promises from elected officials to clean up Beach Boulevard.

At the same time, Anaheim police officials are rolling out their blue envelope program aimed at protecting drivers who are autistic, deaf or have developmental difficulties and facilitate their interactions during traffic stops in a town where police have often faced questions about their use of force.

Orange County Dana Point Harbor on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2026. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC

Efforts to develop two new hotels at Dana Point Harbor continue to stall after Supervisor Katrina Foley, who is running for reelection, pushed for the developers to protect current hotel employees jobs before backpedaling on those demands this month and failing to get support from her colleagues on a project in the district she represents during an election year.

This week, OC Supervisors still couldn’t agree on what to do with the leases to develop two new hotels after taking their deliberation behind closed doors and giving staff secret directions on negotiating the deal.

Also, A federal judge sentenced former Orange County Superior Court Judge Israel Claustro to one year of probation and a $5,000 fine after he pleaded guilty to fraud earlier this year.

Up north in Fullerton, officials are starting to look into potentially leasing or selling off three city owned parking lots in downtown to possibly make way for over 250 new homes on the heels of slashing millions in spending to adopt a late budget.

On the coast, Newport Beach residents are slated to vote on an initiative shrinking how much housing can come to town after a judge ordered city leaders to put the issue on the ballot.

The same judge is also ordering Newport Beach officials to place other initiatives on the ballot related to reshaping the city’s charter to expand transparency and change how city council members are elected.

Officials there and in Orange are also accepting tens of thousands of dollars in federal grant funds from the Department of Homeland Security to cooperate with Border Patrol in combating drug trafficking. 

Meanwhile, executives with GKN, the aerospace company that owns the chemical tank that almost exploded in May, will be reopening their plant in Garden Grove and will pay up to $100 million to residents and businesses impacted by evacuation orders. 

GKN leaders have also promised to hold a series of community meetings about the claims program, with no dates confirmed at this time.

Over 260 citations related to illegal fireworks were doled out around Fourth of July this year five Orange County cities including Garden Grove – netting a combined total of over $600,000 in fines.

Amid public concern over artificial intelligence, Buena Park is entering a one-year contract that will let AI assist and answer police calls.

Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org.

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