Mesa

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District and its two employee unions are moving to avoid a $2.3-million tax the district predicted it would have to pay if it couldn't rein in healthcare costs. Employees have agreed to take on higher individual costs to offset higher rates from the district's insurance provider. The move could reduce what the district would owe in a new tax on premium policies starting in five years under the federal Affordable Care Act. The school board signed off on the agreement Tuesday.

David Peterson, assistant principal at Costa Mesa High School, walked into Paul Grady's literature class and called Trevor Davis to the door Tuesday afternoon. The 16-year-old sophomore didn't know what was going on until his sister, U.S. Army Pvt. 2 Tyler Davis, donning her battle dress uniform, stepped through the doorway, grabbed him and gave him a hug. Tyler Davis, 19, had arrived in Costa Mesa that day after graduating from her training at Fort Lee, in Virginia. She has a few weeks off before heading to Fort Carson, in Colorado, for more training.

Three drivers escaped uninjured Tuesday after two cars caught fire in separate incidents and third was involved in a collision, according to authorities. Costa Mesa firefighters responded to a call that a silver Ford Focus was on fire at 12:35 p.m. at Fairview Road and Mustang Way in front of Costa Mesa High School. Capt. Brent Turner said the driver, Maria Najera, of Costa Mesa, had just been at her mechanic's shop before the engine caught fire. She said her vehicle was feeling a little sluggish and her mechanic told her to use higher-octane fuel.

Julie Elkins cried only twice during her 11-year battle with breast cancer. The first time was while walking out of a clinic with the words, "You have cancer" ringing in her ears. The second was when her husband shaved her head. The Costa Mesa resident was also unprepared for the chemotherapy-induced loss of her eyebrows and eyelashes, she recalled. "I looked like Charlie Brown when I was bald," said Elkins, 52, laughing. "I learned how to tie scarves so I wouldn't look stupid.

Costa Mesa High senior Noah JeyaRajah has committed to play football at Southern Oregon University, an NAIA program, and senior Adrian Marin at Hiram College, a NCAA Division III program in Ohio, said Wally Grant, the Mustangs coach. JeyaRajah, a quarterback and linebacker, earned first-team All-Orange Coast League honors last season. He threw for 740 yards and 11 touchdowns, with five interceptions, and finished with 48 tackles, two interceptions, one sack and two forced fumbles.

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District board will vote Tuesday night for the second time on whether to accept a $96,000 donation. Costa Mesa's City Council approved sending that money to the school district earlier this year as the first installment of a grant program that would donate half a million dollars toward athletics improvements at Costa Mesa's two high schools. But confusion surfaced last month over exactly where the money was coming from. Newport-Mesa officials insisted the donation was directly from the city of Costa Mesa to the school district.

The Costa Mesa High STUNT team ended its season undefeated Friday with victories over Downey and Covina at Costa Mesa. This is the first year that STUNT was competed at the high school level in Oklahoma, Florida and Virginia. The Mustangs were one of the first teams to compete in California and have earned the state title. STUNT is the new, emerging collegiate and high school sport, which also helps satisfy the Title IX requirements to give more sport opportunities to female athletes.

COSTA MESA - As 50 teenagers began to warm up for their final day of spring ball at Costa Mesa High, an 85-year-old man arrived. Ed Baume wore the football team's colors, green polo, black khakis and white shoes. Baume is all too familiar with the field the youngsters prepared on Friday evening. His two sons, Steve and Gary, played on it in the 1970s, and his grandsons, Dan and Sean, in the 1990s. "Same [condition]," Baume said of the field's dead grass. "I bet you some of this grass was there [when my sons played]

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District plans to shuffle principals at three campuses if the school board approves the move Tuesday. Rea Elementary School's principal Anna Corral would take over the top job at TeWinkle Middle School, replacing Rich Rodriguez who would become principal at Newport Elementary School. The district would start an open recruitment process for a new principal at Rea, and it's undecided where Newport Elementary School principal Amy Nagy would land, according to district officials.

COSTA MESA - During the fall, winter and spring, Mason Tufuga is a busy kid. You will find him either on a football field, a basketball court or a baseball diamond at Costa Mesa High. On Wednesday night, he showed up to campus with his football jersey on. Instead of making his way onto the field, he hit the streets. Tufuga joined 50 of his Costa Mesa High football teammates, 32 girls that cheer for the Mustangs during Friday night games, and half a dozen Costa Mesa Middle School basketball players to raise money for their respective programs.