
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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Irvine city officials are set to discuss the controversial new project at the next Great Park board meeting.
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Prosecutors say Tammy Kim changed her driver’s license and voter registration in 2024 to reflect an address she has never lived at.
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The $10.8 billion spending plan cuts vacant jobs and boosts funding for liability claims.
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A total of 85 homeowners sought to get the federal funds for a buyout, but there's not enough money for everyone and cash could take years to arrive.
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Andrew Do defends his actions in part by saying he didn't vote for the contracts alone — his fellow colleages on the Orange County Board of Supervisors did so, too.
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The life jackets are U.S. Coast Guard-approved and available for free in Irvine. And you don't have to live in the city to get one.
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In recent years, investigations have revealed the grip Anaheim’s tourism industry has on city politics. Now, the city is implementing oversight measures.
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What to do with the property has been a top community issue since the north hangar burned in 2023.
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San Clemente wants to hang on to its beach town status, but coastal erosion over the years has cut off public access in some areas. A sand replenishment project seeks to reverse that.
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The city has been managing the peafowl population for years in response to complaints about noise and property damage.