Episodi

  • When Hollywood Discovered Newport Beach: The Silent Films That Turned a Coastal Town Into a Movie Set

    When Hollywood Discovered Newport Beach: The Silent Films That Turned a Coastal Town Into a Movie Set
    Oct 11 2026
    Long before Newport Beach became synonymous with luxury yachts and waterfront mansions, its beaches and coastline attracted Hollywood filmmakers looking for dramatic scenery. During the silent-film era, Southern California's coastline provided natural settings for historical epics, including productions associated with Cleopatra. This episode explores Newport Beach's early relationship with the motion picture industry and how Hollywood helped transform the public imagination of California's coast.
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    4 min
  • Rachel’s Remnants Spare Newport Beach Worst-Case Flooding as Sunday Tide Falls Short

    Rachel’s Remnants Spare Newport Beach Worst-Case Flooding as Sunday Tide Falls Short
    Oct 11 2026
    Newport Beach narrowly avoided the major coastal flooding officials feared from Post-Tropical Storm Rachel when Sunday’s high tide came in lower than forecast and the city’s massive sand berms held. Streets on the Balboa Peninsula had already been inundated Friday after tides ran far above predictions, prompting a local emergency, pier closures, and round-the-clock berm and pump operations. The episode covers the latest street-level impacts, what held the water back this morning, and what residents should still expect through Tuesday’s remaining elevated tides.
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    3 min
  • The Balboa Pavilion: The Building That Changed Newport Beach

    The Balboa Pavilion: The Building That Changed Newport Beach
    Oct 18 2026
    Built in 1906, the Balboa Pavilion became one of the most recognizable landmarks in Newport Beach. From its early days welcoming visitors arriving by boat to its transformation into a destination for dancing, entertainment, and seaside recreation, the Pavilion helped establish Balboa as a Southern California attraction. Discover how one waterfront building helped shape the identity of a growing coastal community.
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    3 min
  • Eyes in the Sky: Newport Beach Expands Police Drone Program After 912 Flights

    Eyes in the Sky: Newport Beach Expands Police Drone Program After 912 Flights
    Oct 4 2026
    Newport Beach is significantly expanding its police drone program after officers deployed drones 912 times during a recent three-month period. The aircraft reached scenes before officers nearly 65 percent of the time, giving police an aerial view of incidents before personnel arrived. The City Council has approved an expansion involving Skydio drone technology and the department’s existing Axon systems, with the contract amendment estimated at nearly $752,000 in its first year. Over the remaining six years of the agreement, the additional cost is expected to exceed $4.5 million. The expansion illustrates how rapidly drones are moving from specialized police equipment toward becoming a routine part of emergency response.
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    3 min
  • The Ship That Gave Newport Beach Its Name: The Voyage of the Vaquero

    The Ship That Gave Newport Beach Its Name: The Voyage of the Vaquero
    Oct 7 2026
    Before Newport Beach became famous for yachts, oceanfront homes, and one of Southern California’s most recognizable harbors, it was a difficult stretch of coastline that few considered suitable for commercial shipping. In 1870, Captain Samuel S. Dunnells guided a small vessel called the Vaquero through the entrance of the bay and helped demonstrate that goods could be delivered directly into the area. The successful voyage contributed to people referring to the landing as a “new port,” a name that would eventually become Newport. This is the story of the modest commercial voyage that helped put Newport Beach on the map.
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    3 min
  • The Island That Was Sold Before It Was Really an Island

    The Island That Was Sold Before It Was Really an Island
    Sep 29 2026
    Today, Balboa Island is one of Newport Beach’s most recognizable neighborhoods, packed with waterfront homes, boutiques, boats, and visitors strolling the bayfront. But its beginnings were far less glamorous: much of the “island” being marketed to buyers was still a muddy tidal flat that disappeared beneath the water at high tide. The story involves an ambitious developer, hundreds of optimistic buyers, repeated flooding—and one of the most brutally memorable remarks ever attributed to a Newport Beach mayor.
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    4 min
  • Curbing the Surge: Communities Turn to Buybacks and Bans Amid a National E-Bike Injury Epidemic

    Curbing the Surge: Communities Turn to Buybacks and Bans Amid a National E-Bike Injury Epidemic
    Sep 15 2026
    Across the United States, municipal leaders and healthcare professionals are grappling with an unprecedented surge in severe electric bicycle collisions. What began as an eco-friendly micro-mobility revolution has increasingly strained pediatric emergency departments as high-powered and modified two-wheelers proliferate among young riders. In response to mounting trauma admissions and fatal collisions, local jurisdictions from Southern California to Colorado are deploying aggressive countermeasures, ranging from school-zone bans to county-level buyback initiatives. Trauma surgeons emphasize that standard bicycle helmets often fail to protect against the high-impact velocity and severe brain trauma generated by these motorized vehicles. As local officials evaluate financial buybacks and legal accountability for parents, nationwide calls for standardized age restrictions and regulatory enforcement continue to intensify.
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    4 min
  • After the Takeover: Orange County’s Week of Curfews, Booster-Club Theft, and a Burning McLaren

    After the Takeover: Orange County’s Week of Curfews, Booster-Club Theft, and a Burning McLaren
    Sep 13 2026
    Newport Beach just put minors on a holiday curfew after a viral July 4 mob night. An Aliso Viejo football mom was raided over an alleged $400,000 booster-club theft. A speeding McLaren killed two in Irvine, and a sheriff’s deputy was back in court in the shooting of her fiancée. Together they sketch the same county in two registers: polished life on the surface, and the mess underneath.
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    3 min