
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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City officials say the findings don’t bode well for the landslide complex when heavier rains inevitably come.
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Claude Parrish, who took office in 2015, was told to cease and desist following a confidential report LAist obtained through a public records request.
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Land movement has taken a heavy toll on the area’s main thoroughfare. The city plans to study the idea of a toll road but hasn't yet made any decisions, and residents will have a chance to weigh in before they do.
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The tornado early Thursday lasted 2 minutes and was around 1 mile long and 80 yards wide, officials confirmed.
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As predicted, rainfall rates peaked between late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.
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Suhoor parties, Egyptian TV shows galore, late night Qiyam prayers and Yemeni coffee have become integral parts of the Islamic holy month.
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This week's rain storm is expected to be strong enough to cause debris flows in and around recently burned areas.
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“I can't sleep. I cry every day. I'm really nervous.”
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Mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration could be eligible for the relief.
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Federal funds can be used toward home repairs and other expenses like childcare, but you must apply by the end of March.