TimesOC: Latest news in Orange County

Good morning, and welcome to the TimesOC newsletter. It’s Wednesday, Dec. 16.

My name is David Carrillo Peñaloza, the author of the TimesOC newsletter and an editor for Los Angeles Times Community News.

The COVID-19 vaccine has arrived in California. Getting everyone vaccinated is the next hurdle.

The state received 327,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in its first allocation. An additional 1 million doses are expected to arrive this month.

The pandemic is surging in Orange County and throughout the state. The county is nearing 110,000 cases and the state 1.7 million.

The Orange County Health Care Agency on Tuesday reported just 10.4% of beds are available in intensive care units throughout the county.

Here are the latest headlines for our Orange County readers:

Gov. Gavin Newsom, right, watches as nurse Helen Cordova, center, becomes one of the first Californians to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center on Monday.

(Jae C. Hong / Getty Images)

NEWS

— With vaccine, California enters new phase in the coronavirus pandemic

— Orange County breaks 100,000 COVID-19 cases as demonstrators protest to reopen businesses

— Court orders Orange County sheriff to cut jail population in half to prevent spread of COVID-19

— New California COVID-19 guidelines put high school sports on hold, but revisions expected soon

— California expects 1 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses this month

— California health officials scramble to staff medical facilities amid COVID-19 surge

— Orange County healthcare system ‘in crisis’ as COVID-19 hospitalizations hit record

— Your questions about COVID-19 vaccines answered

— California demands that Amazon comply with COVID-19 investigation

— Column: Why the ‘beginning of the end’ of COVID-19 is further away than some think

— Bill Gross denies harassing Laguna Beach neighbor with ‘Gilligan’s Island’ music in dispute over sculpture

— Environmentalists advocating for enforcement to protect sand berm at Aliso Beach

— Huntington Beach City Council gets on board with Community Choice Energy

— JSX files lawsuit against Orange County, John Wayne Airport after operation rights terminated

— Newport Beach gets in S.H.I.P. Shape just in time for the holiday shopping season

— Night of Lights OC brightens skies, holiday outlook for Orange County fairgrounds crowd

— Sherman Library & Gardens light up the night in Corona del Mar with Nights of 1,000 Lights

— Fire damages the ‘Castle House’ in Huntington Beach

— Orange Coast College Professor Emeritus John Upton, noted photography icon, dies

— Citing family, Coastline College president announces retirement

— Orange Coast College names its new vice president of instruction after months of searching

The Rose Bowl might not be played in Pasadena because of the coronavirus pandemic. The last time the game was played elsewhere was in 1942 because of World War II.

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

SPORTS

— Officials consider moving Rose Bowl game for college playoffs

— UCLA-Long Beach State men’s basketball game postponed for second time because of coronavirus

— USC men’s basketball team postpones or cancels next three games because of COVID-19

— CIF to advocate for playing sports this school year

— LeBron James says community hub he’s building is about creating change

— Scott Boras: MLB needs to hire a CEO

— Rams’ Cam Akers gets long-distance love from his parents

— Chargers hope their penchant for picks will frustrate Derek Carr and Raiders

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