Orange County

A U.S. Forest Service firefighter was behind bars Thursday on charges of possession of child pornography and groping a 12-year-old girl in Newport Beach. Authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying additional potential victims. Jacob Daniel Carothers, 38, of San Jacinto, was arrested Wednesday on a warrant by Newport Beach police and was being held on $100,000 bail….

Newport Beach, Seal Beach and Huntington Beach made the decision Wednesday to shut down their beaches for the Fourth of July holiday, joining Laguna Beach and all beaches in Los Angeles County. Whether the beaches are shut down for the whole weekend is still on the table. Also, fireworks won’t light up the night sky over Surf City USA,...

Hetty Chang reported for NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1, 2020.

The city of Newport beach and its residents voted to close the beaches for this 4 of July weekend, after 3 lifeguards test positive for COVID19. Vicky Vargas reports. July 1, 2020

Orange County’s health department ordered bars to close at midnight as communities in Southern California grapple with rapid increases in the number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. In at tweet, the agency said the order for bars that do not offer dine-in meals will go into effect Thursday at 12:01 a.m. and continue until further notice. For those that...

Laguna Beach Tuesday joined the growing list of coastlines closed for the Fourth of July holiday, but nearby Newport and Huntington beaches are deciding to keep their beaches open. However, Newport Beach is imposing steep fines for people partying in an attempt to help stop the spread of coronavirus. There also won’t be any fireworks in Newport Beach. So,...

County leaders are exploring closing bars, too. Hetty Chang reported on NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30, 2020.

Orange County Fire Authority demonstrate what can happen when safety rules aren’t followed for the 4 of July weekend. Chuck Henry has the story. June 30, 2020

Orange County set another daily record for coronavirus cases Tuesday announcing 779 infections, along with three additional deaths. The fatalities reported Tuesday bring the number to 10 so far this week and 333 overall. Last week was the deadliest week so far in the COVID-19 pandemic in Orange County, with 56 deaths reported. The county’s total coronavirus case load stands…

Nearly half of all California beaches earning spots on Heal the Bay’s annual Honor Roll for excellent year-round water quality are in Orange County, while Los Angeles County claimed three entries on the list, according to the environmental group report released Tuesday. According to Santa Monica-based Heal the Bay, 42 out of more than 500 beaches across the state earned…

In the latest move to change U.S. place names tied to racist groups and ideas, leaders of Orange County’s Democratic Party are pushing to drop film legend John Wayne’s name from the county’s airport because of his racist and bigoted comments. The party’s executive committee in Orange County adopted a resolution last week condemning Wayne’s “racist and bigoted statements” in a...

Orange County has been added to a watch list of counties with concerning coronavirus trends in California that could mean renewed lockdown orders, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday. That list already included Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Orange County officials reported 146 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 and three additional deaths Sunday, bringing the county’s totals to 12,608…

A pregnant woman’s 8-month-old unborn child was fatally injured in a two-vehicle crash in Santa Ana, and the driver of the vehicle fled the scene on foot, police said Saturday. A speeding vehicle going west on First Street struck another vehicle going eastbound on the same street and making a left turn onto Lacy Street at approximately 9:46 p.m....

Beachgoers packed Orange County’s shoreline on Saturday and not everybody wore masks, worrying public health and elected officials who say people were letting their guard down even as the coronavirus surges across California. Data collected by health officials show hundreds of people have been infected in densely populated neighborhoods in Anaheim and Santa Ana that are more likely home...

A good Samaritan says he tried to help the injured until help arrived. Darsha Philips reports for NBC LA at 11 p.m. Saturday June 27, 2020.

Orange County Democratic Party officials are demanding the name of iconic actor John Wayne be removed from the airport due to his “racist and bigoted statements,” according to a resolution. The resolution, which was approved Friday, states: “There have been numerous calls to remove John Wayne’s namesake from Orange County’s airport because of Wayne’s white supremacist, anti-LGBT and anti-Indigenous views, which were...

Orange County has experienced its highest weekly death toll, 56, since the coronavirus pandemic began, marking its third straight record-setting week. Moreover, as of Friday, the county also exceeded two important metrics that will trigger more scrutiny from the California Department of Public Health. The county’s rate of positive tests for COVID-19 is 8.5%, exceeding the state standard of 8%….

As seen on Today in LA on Sunday, June 28, 2020.