Chris Norby is first but faces runoff in 72nd Assembly District

The Orange County supervisor jumped to an early lead but fell short of the majority vote needed to win Mike Duvall's old seat.

Wildfire east of San Juan Capistrano nearly contained

Crews are aided by cooler temperatures and higher humidity. Full containment of the blaze, which has burned about 145 acres of heavy brush, is expected today, officials say.

Counties diverge on plan to widen the 405 Freeway

Officials in L.A. County prefer to have focus transit dollars on rail projects. In Orange County, freeway and surface street improvements get top priority.

Bank of America seeks to foreclose on Maguire property in Irvine

The 16-story tower is among the first of what may be a wave of defaults, write-downs and workouts as the office market bottoms.

Two GOP rivals vie for dominance in race to replace Mike Duvall

Linda Ackerman and Chris Norby appear to be front-runners among five candidates in Tuesday's 72nd Assembly District election. A majority vote for either would avoid a runoff, but that's unlikely.

A rude awakening for youths out too late

O.C. authorities round up teenagers and call their parents to stress curfew enforcement.

Work to begin on a far more modest Orange County Great Park

The amount of land to be developed in the short term is reduced from 500 acres to 225 acres, and the number of soccer fields is trimmed from six to three. A lake plan is also shelved.

Islamic Center of Irvine dismisses popular leader with little explanation

Board says only that Sadullah Khan was removed for inappropriate conduct. Before taking the Irvine post, Khan was dismissed by his mosque in Los Angeles.

Costa Mesa residents and officials press to halt auction of O.C. Fairgrounds

At a hearing, locals express fears that if sold, the property could be developed for residential or commercial use. The state has given bidders until Jan. 8 to submit offers for the site.

Jan Vandersloot dies at 64; leading Orange County environmental activist

He was a founder of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust and a founder and board member of the Ocean Outfall Group, which pushed to clean up waste water pumped offshore in Huntington Beach.

Ground to be broken on 91 Freeway widening project

The $59.5-million plan to widen the eastbound side of the freeway for six miles is expected to ease the commute between Orange and Riverside counties.

FBI clears former Assemblyman Duvall

Mike Duvall, a Yorba Linda Republican, will not face federal charges after he made comments about having a sexual relationship with a woman believed to be a Sempra Energy lobbyist, officials said.

O.C. shouldn't accept Irvine Co. land now, environmentalists say

The 20,000 acres of nature costs money to maintain -- money the county doesn't have, activists argue. The parks department disagrees, and the donation is moving forward.

Two O.C. toll road operators to forgive fines

As part of a pending settlement, the agencies will forgo $40 million in penalties and pay $1.4 million to drivers who alleged in a lawsuit that they were fined excessively for unpaid tolls.

Laguna Niguel couple's yard is used as testing ground

The landscape architects experiment with plants, stone and decor before using similar techniques for their clients.

Despite safeguards, peril of night flying is noted in midair collision

Searchers scour a 644-square-mile area off the Southern California coast after a Coast Guard plane and Marine helicopter collide, apparently killing all nine crew members.