December 16, 2021 Media Brief
Orange County
Voice of OC: Federal prosecutors criminally charge Amplify Energy over OC oil spill
The indictment, released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, calls out at least six different instances of negligence by Amplify and its subsidiaries over the spill, resulting from a crack in a 16-inch oil pipeline the company operates.
Voice of OC: Oil spotted off OC coast for third time in three months
The sheen’s position off of Bolsa Chica puts it further north than previous spills in the area, which started along the Huntington Beach and Huntington State Beach coastlines.
Voice of OC: Sheriff staff have biggest share of COVID Worker’s Comp claims among County workers
Orange County sheriff staff are getting hit with COVID-19 illnesses at a much higher rate than other large county departments, and are by far the largest share of pandemic-related worker’s compensation costs the county has paid so far.
OC Register: Southern California storm will ‘chip away’ at drought, but drier-than-normal winter is forecast
Tuesday’s storm that brought record rainfall to Southern California increased the seasonal totals to about normal, but the outlook for the winter is continued drought and a continued need to conserve water, weather scientists said Wednesday, Dec. 15.
OC Register: Newport Princess riverboat, once an Newport Beach fixture, sinks off Long Beach Coast
The 77-year-old boat’s service as a whimsical venue for weddings and corporate events ended amidst the emergence of COVID-19 and the mandates the illness brought with it, said Jack Wall of Al Larson Boat Shop, a shipyard that serviced vessels owned by Electra Cruises.
OC Register: Southern California home prices set year’s 9th record
It was the region’s ninth record home price this year, according to DQ News/CoreLogic figures released Thursday, Dec. 16. Four of the region’s six counties — Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and San Diego — also recorded new high prices.
Labor
Daily Pilot: Huntington Beach declares local emergency in response to impacts of refuse collection strikes
The declaration authorizes city staff to administratively issue limited and temporary permits to a company to perform trash collection and waive some regulations related to the co-mingling of refuse and the transfer of refuse across county lines.
California
KTLA: COVID-19 hospitalizations jump dramatically across Southern California amid warnings of omicron variant
California’s COVID-19 hospitalizations have hit their highest number in more than a month. Over the past three weeks, COVID-19 hospitalizations statewide have risen by 16%, from 3,109 patients in hospitals on Nov. 23 to 3,613 as of Tuesday.
Nation
OC Register: Chauvin pleads guilty to federal charge in Floyd’s death
With good behavior, Chauvin’s state sentence would have amounted to 15 years behind bars before he became eligible for parole. A federal sentence would run at the same time, and good behavior also can reduce time — but inmates typically serve about 85% of their sentences.
Publication Date: December 16, 2021
