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Printed in Garden Grove, California n orangecountytribune.com n Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021 n orangecountytribune@gmail.com
Police shot suspect in attack on bicyclist
New case count stays elevated in Orange Co.
A man suspected of shooting a bicyclist in Sunset Beach was shot by Huntington Beach police on Monday afternoon According to Jennifer Carey, public information officer for the HBPD, the incident began with officers responded at around 12:30 p.m. to a report of a shooting of a cyclist in the area of South Pacific and 7th Street. Officers found an armed suspect a few blocks away. Police say the man – identified only as an adult male resident of Norwalk – was “non-compliant to the multiple commands” given by officers and was shot. The suspect was treated at the scene and taken to a local hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. The suspect’s gun was recovered at the scene. Police located the cyclist in the initial shooting on South Pacific. He had sustained gunshot wounds that were considered “non lifethreatening.” He was taken to a local hospital where he is in stable condition. There’s no evidence, said Carey, that the gunman and the victim knew each other, but “this remains as part of the ongoing investigation.” The investigation into the incident is ongoing. At the request of the HBPD, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department is investigating officer-involved shooting.
Coronavirus numbers continue to be high, in Orange County and elsewhere, as the predicted “winter surge” persists. According to the county health care agency, there were 987 confirmed new cases in Tuesday’s count. That’s down from Monday’s four-day average of 1,295, but above last Thursday’s 655. Deaths declined from 13 to six, but hospitalizations rose from 282 to 322. The number of people being treated in intensive care units for COVID-19 is stable at 66. To date, Orange County has had 330,012 confirmed cases of coronavirus, of which 308,307 are considered recovered. The death toll is 5,883. Nationally, the numbers are up dramatically. The New York Times is reporting that – over a 14-day period – new cases are up by 105 percent, although deaths have declined by 5 percent. In California, new cases have risen by 204 percent while deaths are down by 18 percent.
OIL SPILL OFF HUNTINGTON BEACH It closed beaches along the Orange County coast
THE YEAR THAT NORMAL NEVER MADE A RETURN COVID is still with us but the local issues are also The year 2021 was supposed to be known as a return to “normal,” however it was anything but. The coronavirus, which appeared to be getting under control, showed new vigor with the emergence of new variants. Over 200 million Americans are vaccinated, but millions remain resistant or hesitant to getting their “jabs,” despite reports by public health officials that the unvaccinated are at the greatest risk. The foundations of democracy shook somewhat on Jan. 6 when right-wing extremists stormed the U.S. Capitol trying to stop the certificstion of the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the offices of president and vice president. Weird and extreme weather continued across the landscape, with drought, tornados, floods and hurricanes doing billions of dollars in damage from coast to coast. All that was on the national and international scene, but there was a
lot going on in West Orange County as well in 2021, much of it – if not exactly abnormal – not what would likely be considered “good news.” Here’s our look back, city by city.
Garden Grove: No strawberries again
For the second consecutive year, the Strawberry Festival – one of the largest community events in the western United States – was cancelled, dealing a blow not only to a tradition Continued on page 2
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