The Pacific Surfliner is shut down indefinitely between South Orange County and Oceanside after tropical storm Marie sparked high surf that damaged a section of train tracks in San Clemente.

As the sweltering tropical heat and humidity remains, Costa Mesa officials are gearing up to have police officers give bar patrons voluntary breathalyzers – a program city officials say is based on education, not enforcement. 

Meanwhile, Costa Mesa City Council members also signed off on raises for police officers and city hall employees amid bleak municipal budget projections.

Some La Habra residents had to either evacuate or shelter in place after an orange plume was floating in the air from an unknown chemical leak in the neighborhood around city hall – a threat fire department officials say curbed after a few hours, allowing the emergency measures to be lifted. 

Wynonna and Wendy, both 3-month-old domestic shorthair cats, sit in their shared kennel at OC Animal Care on Sept. 2, 2026. Credit: ANGELINA HICKS, Voice of OC

A host of cats and dogs are available for adoption this month at the OC Animal Care shelter, which is also cutting feline adoption fees to $50 on Fridays this month as over 150 cats await homes.  

A three-acre public park is being built behind Angel Stadium – one that lacks a parking lot – a feature that city officials are relying on the future development of the stadium for. 

Ladera Ranch residents could see local homeowner associations overhaul move away from using herbicides and pesticides after revelations of child cancer clusters caused an uproar in the unincorporated South Orange County community – spurring wide calls for investigations.

Democratic city council candidates in Huntington Beach are mirroring the slate campaign strategy that helped Republicans gain the entire seven-member council over the past four years. 

More than half of the 13 ballot initiatives Orange County voters will decide on this November are tax increases – sales, hotel and business tax increases – as cities throughout the county face increasingly grim budget projections. 

Spencer Custodio is the civic editor. You can reach him at scustodio@voiceofoc.org. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerCustodio.