Yusra Farzan
Local news in Orange County has my heart: All those long meetings — city council, school boards, power authorities, housing commissions, planning departments — play a huge role in our everyday lives. So I take the time to synthesize how decisions in Orange County’s 34 cities affect your electricity bill, how your taxes are funding the next big project and the resources available at your child's school.
Even though I got my break in entertainment reporting, the pieces I am most proud of spotlight everyday people: teachers in Orange County, the duo who started a school for Ukrainian refugees, the women behind Ramadan markets and the teenager who invented a cancer-detecting toothbrush.
Ask me about the small liquor store in Garden Grove that also carries Sri Lankan snacks, the best places to get Arab food in Anaheim and why the drive to Laguna Beach is worth it for those warm, summer days.
I grew up in the Middle East, but I am of Sri Lankan descent. I used to live in Irvine, and I still have one foot in O.C. But now I also call Rancho Palos Verdes home — it’s also why I am so invested in covering the land movement here.
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The nonnative weeds are also a fire hazard that go especially mobile during Santa Ana wind events. -
The school board passed the policy despite a student representative, teacher organization and parents speaking out against it. -
The move comes after nearby residents had long complained of foul odors from the property. -
Fire damage led to the indefinite closure of the freeway. -
The county has seen a 12% increase in the unhoused veterans population. -
The 10 Freeway opens just over a week after a fire shut down a key stretch near downtown L.A. -
One business owner says it will take her five to 10 years to recover. -
SZA, Phoebe Bridgers and Taylor Swift emerged with the most nominations. -
The office will act as an “air traffic control center” for all entities addressing food insecurity. -
City attorney says it is the first of its kind in California.
