Vehicles

-- Danette Goulet NEWPORT BEACH -- Police have arrested two men and one male juvenile on suspicion of vandalism for allegedly launching golf balls at parked vehicles, authorities said Wednesday. Michael David Ferketic and Lawson Mickie McClung, both 18, and a 16-year-old male are accused of shattering windshields and denting cars by throwing golf balls from a moving vehicle. The teens were arrested at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday near Fifth and Iris avenues in Corona del Mar after a Newport Beach Police officer heard noises resembling fireworks or small-caliber gunshots coming from a 1991 Ford Mustang, according to a police report.

Lolita Harper Costa Mesa City Hall was transformed Monday evening from a mundane venue to a lively scene -- complete with cheers, applause and the occasional outburst -- as more than 200 people packed the City Council meeting in opposition to a proposed ban on motor homes. Almost a dozen recreational vehicles were in the parking lot, while the owners crowded council chambers, creating standing room only. They stayed past 1 a.m. to express their views and succeeded in changing the minds of city officials.

A group of Costa Mesa Police Explorers recently won eight trophies from a countywide competition. Twelve members of the department’s post 198 battled in a two-day test at Orange County Sheriff’s Training Facility in Tustin. After competing in an obstacle course, the explorers tested their minds in a series of scenarios encountered by local police every day. As a team, they handled mock calls for burglaries, domestic violence, DUIs, vehicle stops resulting in felony arrests, assaults, disabled vehicles, and “officer down.

BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS Retiring firefighters stop sprung hydrant The last day of work was a wet one for two retiring Newport Beach fire department employees who were called to stop a water-spewing fire hydrant on Tuesday. A delivery truck struck a hydrant in front of 107 30th St. on the Balboa Peninsula, causing a spray of water about 25 feet into the air, fire department spokeswoman Jennifer Schulz said. Responding to the call at 11:44 a.m. were Engineer Robbie Dobbie and Capt.

Fountain Valley police are looking for a suspect who was involved in a police pursuit that caused an accident in Costa Mesa Tuesday night, Fountain Valley police said. Costa Mesa police went to assist Fountain Valley when a Fountain Valley patrol car was involved in an accident with two vehicles on South Coast Drive unrelated to the pursuit, Costa Mesa spokesman Sgt. Bryan Glass said. One of the other vehicle’s drivers and the officer were taken to an area hospital for minor injuries, Fountain Valley police said.

Lolita Harper COSTA MESA -- City officials are bracing for another long meeting tonight as the ban on recreational vehicles returns to the agenda and opponents have worked out plans to shoot holes in the latest proposal. Costa Mesa Police Lt. Karl Schuler detailed a program that would employ large fluorescent placards, allowing vehicles to be parked on city streets while preparing for -- and unwinding from -- vacations. Unlike the previously proposed ban on recreational vehicles in residential areas, the new law would be enforced citywide.

Deepa Bharath Police are looking for two men they say were involved in two separate bank robberies in the city, officials said Thursday. One of the men has been identified as 45-year-old Hector Rodrigo Soto of Anaheim. Soto reportedly robbed First Bank on Harbor Boulevard on Aug. 1, as well as a bank branch in Fountain Valley on July 30. Police said he used a note and threat of a gun in both incidents. Soto may be staying in motels near the San Diego Freeway in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas, Costa Mesa Police Lt. Dale Birney said.

-- Lolita Harper Anybody who has ever gotten into their car and wondered whatthat strange sound was is invited to a free vehicle inspection today at the Automobile Club of Southern California. Car owners can have their vehicles inspected for free during the Auto Club's daylong Car Care Fair. The event is designed to help motorists drive safely and save money, officials said. Inspectors will be on hand to check out the belts, lights, fluids, hoses and tires on people's cars.

The CarMax on Harbor Boulevard has been open for just three weeks, but it already appears to have established itself within the Costa Mesa community. The lot was the site of Southern California’s “Survivor” casting call last month and is in a can’t-miss location just south of the 405 Freeway. With gas prices at all-time highs and many questioning the future of the automotive industry, this wouldn’t appear to be the best time to open a car dealership.

JUNE CASAGRANDE Let's say, hypothetically speaking, that I hate sport utility vehicles. Would I be hating S.U.V.'s, S.U.V.s, SUV's or SUVs? To find out, let's first explore our hypothetical scenario a bit further. Let's say, hypothetically, that I hate these vehicles not for the most common reasons -- fuel inefficiency, rollover dangers, general silliness -- but for an even better reason: Sport utility vehicles obstruct my view of traffic, hypothetically speaking of course.