Laguna Beach

Laguna Beach will see little effect on its medical dispensary laws following Monday's California Supreme Court ruling . "Laguna Beach requires all businesses to comply with federal, state and local laws," Laguna Beach City Manager John Pietig wrote in an email. "Medical marijuana dispensaries are prohibited under federal law so those businesses are not allowed in Laguna Beach. " The state Supreme Court's unanimous ruling gives cities the authority to prohibit storefront dispensaries under land use and zoning powers.

Authorities believe a Lake Forest man accused of sexually assaulting three girls could be in Laguna Beach, the Orange County District Attorney's office said Tuesday. Jesus Gomez Montes, 34, is charged with one felony count of alleged sexual intercourse with a child 10 or younger and seven felony counts of lewd acts on a child under 14, according to a press release from the D.A.'s office. Montes is 5-foot-7 and 170 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He might be driving a 2004, gold Nissan Murano with a California license plate of: 6PWE354.

Laguna Beach police on Sunday arrested a man who allegedly grabbed a woman's neck outside of Ruby's Diner and then later damaged her black BMW. Abdullah Latifzadh, 47, of Concord, was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor battery and felony vandalism, Capt. Jason Kravetz said in an email. A 911 call alerted authorities to the incident at 8:20 p.m. Sunday, according to the police log. Latifzadh and the woman, who are dating, got into an argument inside the diner at 30622 Coast Hwy., before leaving and continuing the argument outside, Kravetz said.

Laguna Beach sent three fire engines and seven firefighters to help combat a fire in Ventura County, according to an official. The first unit left Laguna at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, with those firefighters working 24 straight hours, Laguna Beach Fire Department Chief Jeff LaTendresse said. Firefighters, under Division Chief Dan Stefano's direction, protected structures and helped lay hose lines, LaTendresse said. "They got an incredible experience protecting structures and doing what we train them to do," he said.

View Equity Committee members debated at a meeting Tuesday on whether they should use the date a property was purchased when considering a homeowner's view blockage claim, or if the date of a future view ordinance should be used. About 100 residents filled City Council chambers for the public meeting. The committee is working to draft an amended view ordinance to provide homeowners guidelines on how to deal with view blockage from overgrown trees and vegetation. The date a home or lot was bought did not seem appropriate for committee member Morris Skenderian.

A Brooklyn, N.Y., man who allegedly bothered children at Main Beach on April 26 was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication, Laguna Beach police said. Officers took Borislav Rabinovich, 31, into custody on $500 bail, Capt. Jason Kravetz wrote in an email. Beachgoers reported a man bothering children in the playground area at 11:14 a.m., according to police. Officers met with Rabinovich and saw that he was "very intoxicated," and had wandered into the playground, Kravetz said.

The once-prestigious Laguna Open volleyball tournament has fallen on hard times since its heyday in the early 1980s. Enthusiasts would like to see it restored to its former glory - without the headaches brought on by the alcohol distributors that sponsored the tournament at its apex. Olympic gold medalists, professional stars and $150,000 in prize money drew huge crowds, tournament director Kent Morgan, a city volleyball instructor, told the City Council April 23. Last year, by comparison, prize money totaled $500 at what is now an amateur tournament.

Laguna Beach High was the site Monday of the Orange Coast League track and field preliminaries, and several Breakers gave strong performances on their home track to advance to league finals. The league finals were held Thursday at Guyer Field. Finals results weren't available at press time. The top eight finishers in sprint events, and the top 12 finishers in distance events, advanced to Thursday's finals. Seniors Drake Martinez (100-, 200-meter dash), who Laguna boys' coach Scott Wittkop said "ran great," and Spencer Anderson (110, 300 hurdles)

Meeting the evolving healthcare needs of our community requires both flexibility and investment. In the tradition of our founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, Mission Hospital - Laguna Beach is committed to ensuring everyone in our communities has access to advanced, compassionate healthcare. When South Coast Medical Center faltered over three years ago, Mission Hospital readily made the $35 million commitment to the people of Laguna Beach so they would continue to have access to complete, compassionate healthcare in their local setting.

A Laguna Beach man who co-founded Gotcha surfwear was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and cocaine possession following a traffic accident, police said Wednesday. Michael Elliot Tomson, 58, was charged with two felony counts of DUI and possession of a controlled substance as well as a misdemeanor count of being under the influence of drugs, Capt. Jason Kravetz wrote in an email. Tomson posted $100,000 bail and was released. A former professional surfer, Tomson started Gotcha with Joel Cooper in 1978 in Laguna Beach.