Awning Company in Costa Mesa, CA

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You probably already know California has decided to really crack down on car modifications, including passing a law about exhaust noise that’s so restrictive some owners with factory exhaust systems have been cited for violations. Whether or not you feel that law is warranted, it not appears that at least some cops in California have decided to cite vehicles clearly registered out of state for violations.

Watch a man jump off a moving semi-truck on a California highway.

This issue came to light thanks to YouTube channel DailyDrivenExotics. They were driving around Costa Mesa in a 2003 Lamborghini Murcielago with a modified exhaust when a motorcycle cop pulled them over.

The officer in question, who had a famous run-in with the channel back in 2019, didn’t want to say much probably because he knew he was being recorded and everything would end up on YouTube. But he eventually admitted he wrote a citation for excessive exhaust noise even though the supercar is registered in Canada.

We know from experience California cops aren’t the only ones who pull this sort of thing. If the tint on your vehicle windows exceeds the allowable limit in an area where you’re traveling through, say on vacation, police have been known to write citations even though you’re within the allowable amount where your car is registered and you live.

It seems the situation with this Lambo in the video is a little different than someone just driving through somewhere while on vacation. But we wonder if anyone who’s visited California or anywhere else for a getaway has run into similar issues?

If you have gotten a citation while on vacation somewhere else did you try to fight the ticket or did you just pay the fine? Did that make you not want to return for another vacation?

Image via YouTube

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services in a few years will have a new operations center in Costa Mesa.

The state’s Department of General Services awarded a $158 million contract to Turner Construction Company to build the facility using state-owned property in town, according to a December news release.

The Southern Region Emergency Operations Center will be located on the southwestern corner of the Fairview Developmental Center. The facility will support local coordination during disasters, but day-to-day will be an office for Cal OES employees and to conduct simulations to prepare for emergencies.

The emergency operations center will be built on about 15 acres of the Fairview Developmental Center, located off of Merrimac Way.

It will include a 35,000-square-foot, single-story office building, a 20,000-square-foot warehouse with a vehicle maintenance bay, and a more than 100-foot-tall communication tower with antennas.

The building will have solar panels, battery energy storage and emergency generators. Originally, Cal OES wanted to build a helipad at the site, but the state removed funding for those plans.

Originally 752 acres and opened in 1959 as Fairview State Hospital, the state-run facility served people with developmental disabilities and has been slowly closed over the last few years.

The Fairview Developmental Center is now 114 acres with most of the land transferred to the city back in 1979.

The new Southern Region Emergency Operations Center will replace a temporary facility being used in Los Alamitos and will be a backup for a larger emergency operations center in Sacramento County.

Cal OES is the state agency that coordinates disaster response. The new facility will serve the Cal OES’s Southern region, which has 11 counties, including Orange, Los Angeles and San Diego.

A Cal OES description of the project calls the region a major economic driver “with a population density centered on some of the state’s highest risk earthquake faults.”

Construction will be finished by mid-2027, according to a news release from Turner Construction.

There are also plans by the city to earmark the remaining property for the development of housing. Plans are looking at anywhere from 2,300 to 4,000 housing units. The homes would be made affordable across a range of income levels, officials have said.

A number of workshops were held for the community over the summer on the concepts for how the land would be used. You can find more about the city’s vision for the property and get updates on the planning at fdcplan.com.

Dec. 24, 2024 3:10 PM PT

Chef, author and actor Matty Matheson beefed up the local smash burger scene by opening Matty’s Patty’s Burger Club in Costa Mesa, the eatery’s second location. The celebrity chef made an appearance at the restaurant on Friday, Dec. 20, posing for pictures and greeting fans who queued up well before the 11 a.m. grand opening.

Costa Mesa residents Jacob and Kelly Slaughter were the first in line at the restaurant at 1734 Newport Blvd. (the former site of Oh Those Donuts) at 6 a.m.

“I pushed for midnight, but she walked me back to 6 a.m.,” said Jacob.

The smash burger concept began as a pop-up before opening as a brick and mortar in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Business partner and Orange County native Pat Tenore, the “Patty” in Matty’s Patty’s and the designer, entrepreneur and former owner of surf and sportwear company RVCA, is part of the reason the burger club chose Costa Mesa for its first U.S. location.

“Pat Tenore is a foundational person down here in Costa Mesa and Orange County, and being able to bring it home here is an amazing thing,” said Matheson. “I am from Toronto, Pat’s Costa Mesa so it only made sense.”

The well-known Matheson recently became even more beloved for his role on FX’s Emmy-award-winning television series, “The Bear,” as lovable handyman Neil Fak. But Matheson, who also serves as a producer and consultant on the show, was famous long before his TV debut as a chef, restaurateur and internet personality.

“We are huge fans of Matty Matheson, and we have been watching his YouTube cooking videos for years and years,” said Kelly Slaughter.

Joshua Price became a fan after watching Matheson’s popular YouTube cooking channel. The Anaheim resident got in line at 9 a.m. with a copy of one of Matheson’s cookbooks, hoping to get it autographed.

“My grandma and I always watch his videos,” said Price. “I brought his ‘Home Style Cookery’ cookbook, which is his second one and my favorite.”

The first YouTube video the Slaughters saw of Matheson featured the chef making a cheeseburger, and they were excited to try one in real life.

“We want to try as much as we can fit in our stomachs,” Kelly laughed.

The menu features smash burgers with 3-ounce beef patties smashed thin on the flattop for a juicy center and crispy edges, available as a single patty, double or triple.

“The staple is the double with yellow sauce, that is the original,” said Coulson Armstrong, culinary director for Our House Hospitality Co., which includes Matty’s Patty’s. “In California we are adding the Tenore-style burger, which is a grass-fed beef burger at more of a premium price.”

There is also a Matty burger, thicker than the smash with a 7-ounce beef patty served pink and topped with mustard sauce, a slice of white onion and pickles.

“Today we have really seen that one pop off, and I think there is huge excitement around Matty and him coming to California and opening up something for the first time,” said Armstrong.

Besides burgers, fans ordered chili cheese fries, onion rings, chocolate shakes and pineapple and vanilla soft serve ice cream. The menu also has vegetarian burger patty options and a classic Canadian poutine — French fries topped with savory gravy and cheese curds.

The long line stayed steady throughout the afternoon, with tables full both inside and on the outdoor patio where Matheson sat with friends. Fans approached him for photos or just to say hello, and he shared the gratitude he feels to local community.

“I love Costa Mesa so much and I have been coming here for years, I have got a lot of really good friends here, and it’s nice to be able to serve cheeseburger to people,” said Matheson. “I am happy to be here.”

Dickies, the popular workwear and lifestyle apparel company, is moving its headquarters from Texas to Orange County.

COSTA MESA, Calif. (KABC) -- The workwear apparel brand Dickies is moving its headquarters from Texas to California.

The brand was founded in Fort Worth in 1922.

After 102 years its parent company VF Corporation announced it's relocating to an existing brand campus in Costa Mesa.

Dickies parent company, VF Corporation, also manages Costa Mesa-based Vans.

"Headquarter jobs are high-paying jobs," said David Neumark, professor of economics at UC Irvine.

He said the move to California doesn't establish a trend.

"There's 40 million people in California. There's over 20 million employed people. There's hundreds of thousands of companies and we often don't hear anything about them because they're doing fine," Neumark said.

The Dickies move will impact about 120 Fort Worth employees.

In a statement VF Corporation said, "These kinds of decisions are never made lightly. We are deeply grateful for our Dickies associates' dedication and hard work and want to recognize the camaraderie and commitment they have shown to the brand."

"While this was a tough call, we are confident this change will help us revitalize Dickies so we can carry on the brand's heritage for years to come."

Right now it is not known how many jobs it would create in Southern California.

Gov. Gavin Newsom praised the company's move.

"We are pleased to welcome Dickies to the Golden State - the fifth largest economy in the world and a welcoming place to grow and support their ongoing success," Newsom said.

Professor Neumark commented: "The thing you would certainly expect a politician to make the most of is a company coming and maybe try to ignore a company leaving. Take credit for the former and pretend the latter had nothing to do with them."

Neumark said other high profile companies like SpaceX and Chevron have made headlines by announcing they're moving out of California - but that shouldn't have a huge impact.

"There's lots and lots of company headquarters that have neither come here recently nor left recently and there's way more of them than the ones that have left," he said.

Neumark said people should focus on the companies dedicated to calling California home.

"The health of existing businesses and what's going to make a business grow a little faster or stay open or what's going to maybe lead somebody to start a business is so much more important than whether a business comes or goes," Neumark said.

Dickies relocation to California is expected to be completed by May of next year.

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Dickies, long a staple in the Texas apparel industry, has announced the relocation of its headquarters to California, shaking up its centennial roots. According to an official statement from the company, they will settle into a new base in Costa Mesa, California. The move, scheduled to occur in early 2025, reflects California's allure as a business hub, boasting the world’s fifth-largest economy and the majority of Fortune 500 companies residing within the state.

The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, weighed in on the company's relocation decision, stating, "California continues to lead the way with a strong job market and consistent economic growth. We are pleased to welcome Dickies to the Golden State — the fifth largest economy in the world and a welcoming place to grow and support their ongoing success." The inclusion of Dickies is anticipated to swell the job market and accentuate the state’s dominant economic position. This move positions the workwear and lifestyle brand alongside Vans, its sister company under the VF Corporation umbrella, which already calls California home.

Per the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the state of California maintained its rank as the fifth-largest global economy for the seventh year running in 2023, charting a nominal GDP nearing $3.9 trillion and an impressive year-on-year growth of 6.1%. On a comparative scale of large economies, California also ranks the second-largest globally when assessed per capita.

California hosts the highest number of Fortune 500 firms, trumping competitors like Texas and Florida. Amidst 1.7 million private sector establishments, California's businesses contribute to almost 87% of the state's employment opportunities. The state prides itself on having equitable tax structures and has consistently led the nation in various sectors, including new business starts, venture capital funding, and high-tech industry innovation, as well as in the manufacturing and agricultural arenas.

The entrepreneurial spirit is matched by the state's vibrant tourism sector, with a record-breaking $150.4 billion in travel spending in the previous year, beating the pre-pandemic high of $144.9 billion initiated in 2019. The fiscal contribution of tourism to state and local taxes amounted to $12.7 billion last year, fabricating, cumulatively, a considerable number of employment opportunities in the region. By continuing its strategic push towards economic expansion, the California governor's office aims to promote job creation and statewide economic development through initiatives like the forthcoming California Jobs First Economic Blueprint, which will strategically guide state investments into the next decade.

Los Angeles-Retail & Industry