Saturday, May 19, 2012
Rocks set fire in pocket: Woman burned by beach rocks that spontaneously combusted in her pants.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
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less than an hour ago
The San Clemente woman recovering from severe burns after rocks she picked up at San Onofre State Beach ignited in her cargo shorts said is grateful to be alive. Lyn Hiner has now undergone two painful skin-graft surgeries to her damaged leg. "We know bad things happen to many people," Hiner told the Orange County Register. "I'm thankful God carried us through this. That Jason, the deputy, the firefighters and the doctors, the hospital staff and our friends and family have all been with us. I know there are patients here that are going through a lot more than I am. I'm grateful it wasn't the girls and that it didn't happen on the freeway on our drive home." Hiner's daughters picked up the rocks during a beach outing last week. Two of them …
From Southern California, the moon will not be perfectly centered on the sun. The 2 1/2-hour eclipse, starting at about 5:25 p.m., will be partial rather than full.
Forget about the Sunday night blues: Southern Californians will have a ringside seat to watch the partial eclipse of the sun beginning around 5:25 p.m. The moon will partially block the sun, resulting in a "ring of fire'" around the dark disk of the moon. "From start to finish, it looks like something is taking a bite out of the sun, which keeps getting smaller and smaller,'' said Laura Danly, curator at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. "It's a very unusual sight." Observers can steal a glance with the naked eye but should not look directly at the sun for more than a second or so. "Sunglasses are not enough,'' Danly said. "You can damage your retinas if you look directly at the sun for any length of time. It's very risky -- it can …
How much are Disneyland tickets? Starting Sunday, the cost goes up across the board.
Disneyland has announced a significant ticket price increase that will start Sunday. Tickets to Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure Park for anyone 10 or older are going up about 9 percent, or $7, to $87. An adult one-day park hopper ticket will also go up to $125 from $105. Annual passes, which include parking, which will go from $499 to $649. The increases were announced Friday on the Disney Parks blog. This is the second time in almost a year that Disneyland tickets have gone up. This time last year, an adult one-day pass cost $76. The Cars Land section of California Adventure Park, a 12-acre expansion that pay homage to the movie "Cars," opens June 15. Here is the new ticket price breakdown: Disneyland Resort Ticket Options 1…
Solar Eclipse 2012: 'Ring Of Fire' is coming to California. Best viewing time is 6:38 p.m.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
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2 hours ago
Move over, Supermoon! California is in for another extraterrestrial evening display this weekend -- a rare "ring of fire" solar eclipse that hasn't been seen in the United States since 1994. Called an annular solar eclipse, the moon and sun will exactly align Sunday, May 20, creating a "ring of fire" around the moon because of the sun's larger apparent size. Unfortunately for Orange County, the best views of the "ring of fire" eclipse will be from Northern California around Eureka, Redding, the Sacramento suburbs, and Lake Tahoe, reports the Los Angeles Times. But that doesn't mean we still won't be in for an awe-inspiring view. The Griffith Observatory notes that the moon will eclipse 86 percent of the sun's diameter, which will be the …
Students from schools across Orange County showcase their art at the Orange County Green Fair.
Paint, paper, bottles, aluminum and used tea bags were just a few of the materials transformed into art at the Orange County Green Fair's art walk. Created by students living in Orange County, every piece of art on display represented the artist's views on "Going Green." While some of the art displayed messages of conservation and sustainability, others used recycled items to create something new and original. Check out the slideshow from the student art walk above.
The Office of Protective Services patrols five centers for the developmentally disabled, including Fairview in Orange County.
Overtime pay for a small, state-run police force has soared in recent years, according to a California Watch investigation. Last year, the Office of Protective Services paid roughly $2 million in overtime to 80 of its officers, who patrol five centers for the developmentally disabled, including Orange County's Fairview Developmental Center in Costa Mesa. "An unusually high number of [OPS] officers ... have doubled their salaries with overtime, enabling some to earn more than $150,000 a year," California Watch reported, noting that the number of officers collecting overtime "far exceeds" other agencies. At Fairview, patrolman Daniel Butler "regularly collected more money from overtime than from his base pay" and "netted at least $60,000 a …
Experts at OC Water Summit debate how to fix and expand the state's water infrastructure.
Water officials, experts and businesses converged Friday on the Grand Californian Hotel in Anaheim to learn what they can do to be more water-wise. The occasion was the Orange County Water District's 2012 Water Summit, and the topics ranged from water-stingy fabrics to global warming. "Essentially, we keep talking about the same things with water: where the problems are, how do we address them, how do we get people together?" said OCWD District 6 Director Cathy Green. "That's pretty much what the genesis of all of this is. What we're trying to do is -- all the people who are involved in water, business in particular -- to realize all the challenges they have, and see if we can get together and come up with a solution." The highlight of the…
Friday, May 18, 2012
Eric Naposki and Nanette Ann Packard-McNeal were convicted in the 1994 murder of her former boyfriend, a Newport Beach millionaire. Victim's brother calls Packard-McNeal a "black widow" in court today while the prosecutor labels Naposki a coward.
An Orange County woman convicted of first-degree murder in the death of her millionaire boyfriend was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility parole today while her co-conspirator secret lover, former NFL linebacker Eric Naposki, had his sentencing delayed until Aug. 10. Nanette Ann Packard-McNeal, 46, received her punishment for the the Dec. 15, 1994, shooting of 55-year-old Bill McLaughlin this morning from Judge William Froeberg at the Orange County courthouse in Santa Ana. Authorities say Packard-McNeal was romantically involved with both McLaughlin and Naposki, 45, and the pair plotted to kill McLaughlin in order to reap the benefits of his savings account and $1-million life insurance policy. Naposki refused to appear in …
Utility asks PUC for permission to upgrade service and build a controversial new substation in San Juan Capistrano.
Citing a surge in electricity demand, SDG&E filed an application with the California Public Utilities Commission on Friday for a project designed to improve service. San Diego Gas & Electric said the upgrade, which includes controversial plans for a new substation in San Juan Capistrano, would improve service to San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente and unincorporated areas of South Orange County. "The energy demand in Orange County has more than tripled over the last 26 years,'' said Michael R. Niggli, the utility's president and chief operating officer. "By upgrading our transmission and substation infrastructure in this area, SDG&E not only will increase reliability, but also provide additional capacity and flexibility for meeting our …
Cpl. Christopher B. Farias earned the Navy Cross for heroics on Oct. 5, 2010. Three other service members were awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with a “V” device for valor.
A Camp Pendleton Marine was pinned with the second highest military award Friday. Cpl. Christopher B. Farias earned the Navy Cross for his heroics during an Oct. 5, 2010 firefight in Helmand Province in which a compound they were in was attacked by enemy forces. They blasted the structure with recoilless rifles and rocket-propelled grenades in addition to small arms fire. A wounded Farias fought enemy forces as well treated and transported wounded Marines under fire. Under Secretary of the Navy Robert Work presented Farias and three other service members for their actions that day. “They all willingly marched to the sounds of the guns,” Work said. Two Marines and a sailor were awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with a “V…
brian lemon
4:49 am on Saturday, May 19, 2012
Professor Mann is NOT a Nobel Prize Laureate. This is an untruth never denied by him - a lie if he states it - and a lie by you if you repeat it. http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2007/# He is entitled to a certificate from the IPCC for participating in the activities that led to its award, but may not be referred to as a "winner". And the IPCC and Al Gore did not win it for … more ›