Montage Sold a Third Time?
A Chinese company is negotiating to buy the company that owns Montage Laguna Beach resort.
Year in Review: Top Stories of 2019
The following is a compilation of stories that made headlines in Laguna Beach in 2019.
Indy Bids Farewell to Managing Editor
After two years with The Laguna Beach Independent, Managing Editor Allison Jarrell is returning to her home state of Michigan.
OCTA Plan Reduces Public Access at Pacific Horizon Preserve
By Daniel Langhorne, Special to the Independent
Mountain bikers and hikers could lose access to part of the Pacific Horizon Preserve if the California Coastal...
Laguna Beach Officers to Train at FBI Shooting Range in Irvine
Laguna Beach police officers will start shooting their rifles later this year at the FBI’s Jerry Crowe Regional Tactical Training Facility in Irvine, following the City Council’s approval Tuesday of a Memorandum of Understanding.
Updated: Gifted Teacher, Musician Roger Shew Dies
Roger Shew, the popular jazz instructor in the Laguna Beach public schools, died eight months after his diagnosis with cancer.
Rebirth of Re-imagined Ranch
By Cassandra Reinhart, Special to the Independent
If you've ever wondered what the summer of 1969 was like in beach cottage No. 9 at Crystal...
Laguna Chef Launches Food Co-Op to Serve Frustrated Shoppers
Nirvana Grille executive chef Lindsay Smith-Rosales was scrolling through her newsfeed on Friday and was shocked by a friend’s photo of empty shelves at...
Relay Team Celebrates Crossing the Catalina Channel
Team 33.5 Miles Across the Sea lived up to their name, swimming 33.5 miles and into the record books by crossing the Catalina Channel...
Rivian to Bring ‘New Automotive Retail Experience’ to South Coast Theater
Construction is well underway at South Coast Theater on Coast Highway - the future home of electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian's "Spaces" and part of...
Laguna Playhouse Youth Theatre Stages Timely Holocaust Play
This infamous period in history is the setting for the play “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” by Celeste Raspanti, which is being produced by the Laguna Playhouse Youth Theatre October 19-27.
City Adds Goats, Hand Crews to Reduce Wildfire Risk
A heard of about 200 goats enjoyed a $4 million ocean view off Loretta Drive this week as they munched on dry grass and brush.
Friends Mourn Lives Upended by Slaying
Late last August, surf school owner James Pribram returned home from the beach in early evening to the broad streets and hillside ranch houses...
City Aims to Regulate 5G Antennas
More than 20 parents, community members, and one child asked the Laguna Beach City Council on Tuesday to ban the deployment of 5G antennas—a non-starter because the city is preempted from taking such action under federal law.
Business Partner Arrested in Missing Surfer’s Death
Two men were arrested this week in connection with the disappearance and murder of Laguna Beach surfer and business executive Christopher Ryan Smith, who...