West Coast Highway

A 43-year-old San Luis Obispo man was killed while riding his bicycle on West Coast Highway near Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, authorities said Saturday. David Hulbert, who was not wearing a helmet, was riding north through West Coast Highway where it intersects at Hoag Drive at about 9 p.m. Friday when he was struck by a westbound 2006 Mercedes Benz E500. Hulbert was pronounced dead at the scene. Hulbert had a BB gun, which looked like a real gun, in his waistband, police said.

The Orange County Sanitation District will begin replacing underground sewer valves along West Coast Highway between Newport and Dover avenues this week. The project is expected to last three to four weeks and could cause traffic delays. The construction work will take place at night so it doesn’t impact sewer services and to minimize disruptions to traffic. Traffic lanes will be reduced from Newport Avenue to west of Dover Avenue and left-hand turns into and from driveways will be restricted.

Two upcoming construction projects on West Coast Highway in Newport Beach are expected to cause traffic delays. The first project, starting Tuesday and continuing through Friday, will close some traffic lanes on the highway around Tustin Avenue so workers can lay conduit for Southern California Edison and AT&T. Work on the project will be done from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily and might include some night sessions, according to the public works department. A longer-term resurfacing project will begin the following week, with work being done from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays.

The Newport Beach City Council on Tuesday night will consider approving an agreement to build an access road for Sunset Ridge Park in West Newport that will run through Banning Ranch. Conservationists who want to preserve Banning Ranch, a large parcel of undeveloped, coastal land that abuts West Coast Highway, say that even if paved with good intentions, building the road would be the first step toward developing the area. “If you can put a man on the moon, Newport Beach can come up with a plan for Sunset Ridge Park that does not involve a road through Banning Ranch,” said Terry Welsh, leader of the Banning Ranch Conservancy, a nonprofit that wants to preserve Banning Ranch.

Hollywood director and producer Joseph McGinty Nichol, better known as McG, made an international star out of The Arches location while he was executive producer of Fox’s super popular and recently canceled “The OC.” But now his stake in the location has been ramped up. The filmmaker and Newport Beach native has signed a 10-year lease to take over The Arches location on West Coast Highway, The Arches owner Dan Marcheano said....

Mariner's Mile could be the next hot spot to buy a condo. If the city of Newport Beach's proposed zoning ordinance is passed, then the long-troubled commercial corridor on West Coast Highway could have condominiums and apartments above ground-floor shops and restaurants. City officials hope the move will attract investment to the area and inject life into some older office and retail buildings that have remained vacant for years. "There's a lot of commercial property there, but not enough demand," said David Lepo, the city's planning director.

A Laguna Niguel man is awaiting possible charges that he and two others attacked a man in front of Newport Beach police outside a convenience store over the weekend. Randy Jurdi, 21, was arrested outside the Circle K on West Coast Highway and West Balboa Boulevard just after bars closed. Police said he and two other men punched and kicked a man to the ground. Jurdi was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon because police said he kicked a 26-year-old man who was on his hands and knees.

City officials are shaking up the Newport Beach Aviation Committee and other citizens groups with long-standing community members. Beginning at its regular meeting Tuesday, City Council members will begin replacing appointees, some of whom have served for more than 10 years. The Aviation and Special Events Advisory committees and other such groups advise the council on specialized issues. Officials apparently established some of them without specifying terms for members, or made terms indefinite.

AREA 1 Harbor Boulevard: A vehicle burglary was reported in the 2800 block at 10:24 a.m. Friday. South Coast Drive: Vandalism was reported in the 1500 block at 3:30 p.m. Friday. Harbor Boulevard: Theft was reported in the 2300 block at 5:27 p.m. Friday. * AREA 2 Newport Boulevard: A DUI was reported in the 1800 block at 12:13 a.m. Friday. Newport Boulevard: A DUI was reported in the 1900 block at 2:23 a.m. Friday. 17th Street: A missing adult was reported in the 900 block at 8:19 a.m. Friday.

Newport Beach firefighters took a bicyclist to the hospital after a crash with a white Honda, authorities said Thursday. The crash occurred about 9:05 a.m. Wednesday near West Coast Highway and Newport Boulevard, according to Newport Beach Fire Department spokeswoman Jennifer Schulz. The cyclist was taken to Santa Ana's Western Medical Center. Police and fire officials were unable to provide any information about the bicyclist's condition. Police would not release information as to the cause of the crash or how fast the Honda was traveling because the investigation was ongoing, said Newport Beach Police Department spokeswoman Kathy Lowe.

City officials are shaking up the Newport Beach Aviation Committee and other citizens groups with long-standing community members. Beginning at its regular meeting Tuesday, City Council members will begin replacing appointees, some of whom have served for more than 10 years. The Aviation and Special Events Advisory committees and other such groups advise the council on specialized issues. Officials apparently established some of them without specifying terms for members, or made terms indefinite.

Lido Village Renewal What: Architectural and other design guidelines for property owners who are remodeling or building new structures. Also, the guidelines apply to future public improvements such as sidewalks, street landscaping, streetlights and signs. Area: Site of the current Newport Beach City Hall, the Lido Theater and Via Lido Plaza shopping center,  Lido Marina Village, St. James Anglican Church, the First Church of Christian Scientist, and several retail and office properties.

Newport Beach traffic may be impacted while the Orange County Sanitation District performs construction on West Coast Highway. A contractor will trench across the highway starting Monday, and construction will stretch between Tustin Avenue and the Balboa Bay Club entrance, according to the district's website . The construction may take three weeks. Traffic in the area will be reduced to one lane in each direction, and noisier activities are scheduled between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. to reduce impact on the community, the district said.

Don O. Croft October 12, 1927 - September 11, 2011 Don was born on October 12, 1927 in Costa Mesa, California to Glenn and Velma Croft.  He was a graduate of Newport Harbor High School, earned an Associate Degree in Petroleum Technology from Orange Coast College, and served in Navy during WWII.  Some of his other endeavors included being a member of the Costa Mesa Volunteer Fire Department, flying small planes and continuing the family tradition...

The Newport Beach Police Department will reduce vehicle access to the Balboa Peninsula on the Fourth of July by half, Sgt. Steve Burdette said. The eastbound stretch of West Balboa Boulevard from 40th Street to West Coast Highway will be closed vehicle and pedestrian traffic from noon to 6 p.m. on Independence Day. The area will be closed due to its classification as a "Safety Enhancement Zone. " The policy passed by the City Council in 2003 triples the cost of the fines police can issue scofflaws.

NEWPORT BEACH — Drivers who pass West Coast Highway and Dover Drive may notice tall wooden posts with strings attached. For the property's neighbors, they might bring noise and oversized buildings, but for the developer and many motorists, they signal the turnaround of a long-neglected strip. Mariner's Pointe, a proposed luxury shopping and dining center with a three-story parking garage, is the pet project of former Mayor and retail developer Tod Ridgeway. He recently submitted plans to the city and is now working through the approvals process.

The absolute worst part of a reporter's life? Being sent to interview friends and relatives of someone who just died — usually in accidents or by the hands of others. My heart would pound as I knocked on the front door of a family whose father or mother, sister or brother had just died in a newsworthy way. Would a grieving relative berate me for my insensitivity? I would if I were on the other side of the door. Would I be the latest in a long line of journalists turned away?