Santa Ana man deported in connection with 1982 Guatemala massacre

Pedro Pimentel Rios is accused of being part of an elite Guatemalan army unit that murdered at least 160 villagers — including nearly 70 children under age 12.

Penske buys Crevier BMW in Santa Ana

The acquisition represents a move to increase the group's presence in Southern California and the luxury auto market.

Wife arrested in penis-severing case; life sentence possible

Catherine Kieu Becker, 48, of Garden Grove is accused of lacing her husband's dinner with drugs and then cutting off his penis with a kitchen knife. The couple were divorcing, police say.

Bankruptcy filings indicate Crystal Cathedral interested in other offers

The embattled church requests partial withdrawal from a plan that would make Greenlaw Partners of Orange County the primary bidder for the property, entitling the group to a fee if outbid.

A community of single parents

A portion of Santa Ana's Willard neighborhood outranks every other Orange County area in the proportion of single-parent households. It may be affordable, but poverty is the norm and the streets aren't always safe.

Shopping: Longchamp opening a shop in South Coast Plaza

The Costa Mesa boutique will be the luxury brand's first West Coast location.

Diocese of Orange may make bid for Crystal Cathedral

The Crystal Cathedral would provide an instant, 3,000-seat architectural landmark at roughly half the $100 million that was estimated for construction of a new site in Santa Ana.

Demand at Los Angeles, Orange County food pantries continues to grow

Food pantries in Los Angeles and Orange counties struggle to keep up with rising demand even as the economy stabilizes.

Chapman University offers $46 million for Crystal Cathedral site

The school, which would use portions of the property as a satellite campus, says its proposal would allow the bankrupt church to lease back its core buildings and repay debts sooner than an initial reorganization plan.

Judge halts Costa Mesa layoffs

The Orange County city may not proceed with planned layoffs of 213 workers without following proper procedure, judge rules.

Seeking labor peace in Costa Mesa

There's a great deal of bargaining room between employee sick days and City Council health benefits.

Many small cities pay officials hefty health benefits

Laguna Hills council members, for example, receive medical benefits worth an average of $24,300 a year. Some other cities don't offer any health benefits.

Crystal Cathedral board ousts the Rev. Robert H. Schuller

The pastor is ousted from the board of the O.C. megachurch in a squabble over control of a ministry wracked by financial turmoil.

News Corp. sells Myspace for $35 million

The new owner, an Orange County digital media firm, paid a fraction of the $580 million that News Corp. paid for the once-dominant social network in 2005.

Number of beach closures due to pollution rose last year, report says

Closures were up to their second-highest level in 20 years, the Natural Resources Defense Council study said, partly because of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and heavy rains.

Bank of America nears $8.5-billion deal over mortgage-backed securities

The proposed payment by Bank of America would settle claims by large investors including Pimco of Newport Beach and BlackRock Inc. of New York.

Newport Beach lifeguards' retirement benefits scaled back

The City Council approves a reworked contract that reduces pension plans for new employees and requires current guards to contribute more toward their own retirement costs.