'Fastest Wiener;' Penguin Party; Ice Cream Day: Saturday Smiles

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — To keep your weekend light, Patch presents some positive Southern California stories from the past week — many that hopefully will brighten your day.

Animals

27 Kittens Sent To Oregon To Help Overcrowded San Diego Humane Society

San Diego Humane Society is at 143 percent capacity for cats and 173 percent capacity for dogs.

Dachshunds Battle To Win 'Fastest Wiener In The West' Title Saturday

About 108 dachshunds will line up to sprint or sashay across the Los Alamitos finish line at the 26th Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals.

'He Heard A Faint Meow': Murrieta PD Cops Rescue 3 Kittens

Several kittens were trapped inside a piece of heavy equipment near police headquarters. A detective and an officer saved them.

Endangered Red Panda Born At San Diego Zoo

The not-yet-named cub is the first red panda born at the San Diego Zoo in nearly two decades.

Horse Rescued In South Orange County Retires From Therapy Service

At his retirement, firefighters looked back at the successful but precarious rescue of the San Juan Capistrano therapy horse known as Choco.

Little Blue Penguins Celebrate First Anniversary At Birch Aquarium

Birch Aquarium at Scripps celebrated the occasion with a pool party complete with bubbles, fish "cakes" and beach balls.

Ninth Endangered Milky Stork Hatches At San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Through a breeding program, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park has worked to save the critically endangered coastal bird species.

Rescued Black Bear Cubs Get Second Chance At Ramona Wildlife Center

The 5-month-old cubs were rescued in the San Bernardino National Forest after their mother was found dead.

Business

3 Orange County Ice Cream Experiences Like No Other

From made-by-the-scoop to world-inspired flavors, Orange County's ice cream scene has an array of options for National Ice Cream Day Sunday.

7 Los Angeles Ice Cream Experiences Like No Other

From made-by-the-scoop to world-inspired flavors, Los Angeles' ice cream scene has an array of options for National Ice Cream Day Sunday.

Bob Iger Will Remain On As Disney CEO Until 2026

The CEO says working with the board on a succession plan is one of the most important parts of his return to Disney.

Frontier Launches Taylor Swift Sweepstakes, Will Fly 2 To LA Eras Tour

Didn't get Eras Tour tickets? you may be out of the woods soon. Frontier Airlines is flying 2 lucky ones to the Los Angeles Aug. 7 concert.

Morongo Filling Up To 60 Positions During July 18 Hiring Fair

The job fair will include possible on-the-spot offers for several departments.

National Ice Cream Day 2023: Where To Score July 16 Specials

Stay cool Sunday with these freebies, steals & deals at shops throughout California.

Schiaparelli Opens Boutique Inside Neiman Marcus In Beverly Hills

Check out photos of the French fashion house's surreal and whimsical boutique — the third in the U.S. and first on the West Coast.

Community

Carver Tract No Longer 'Where The Sidewalk Ends' In Coachella Valley

The "orphaned" community of the Carver Tract, between Indio and Coachella, built during World War II, is at last gaining key infrastructure.

'Extremely High Demand' For US Passports Prompts RivCo USPS Events

The U.S. Postal Service is hosting "a blizzard" of passport fairs to meet the high demand.

Laguna Beach Lifeguards Have Safety In Mind As Beach Crowd Grows

Amid the coming inland heatwave, Laguna Beach lifeguards know more people will flock to the coast. They're ready.

San Diego Area Post Offices To Host Passport Fairs Ahead Of Holidays

It takes three or more months to process new passports due to "extremely high demand," according to the U.S. Postal Service.

Temecula Kids 'Caught' Wearing Bicycle Helmets: New Safety Promotion

Temecula first responders, businesses and a local nurse have partnered to reward kids for following bicycle safety guidelines. What to know.

Woman Hiking In Blackstar Canyon Texts '911' For Help... They Answered

While hiking on a blazing hot day in a remote South Orange County canyon, a woman in medical distress sent out a 911 text message for help.

Events

Advance Passes For Stagecoach Festival 2024 Go On Sale July 14

Sales of the passes for the April 26-28, 2024, festival in Indio begin at 11 a.m. Friday, July 14, and will continue for 48 hours.

Cardiff Dog Days Of Summer Slated Sunday In Encinitas

The 18th annual event will feature booths of pet products, people products, contests, food, a libation lounge and more.

Temecula’s 16th Annual Ralph Love Plein Air Competition Kicks Off

Canvas submissions must be stamped between July 28 and August 10 to qualify for judging.

Tickets Now On Sale For 2023 Taste Of Encinitas

The 34th annual event will feature tastes from local restaurants, wine and beer samples, and live music.

Schools

7 San Diego Area Students Receive 2023 National Merit Scholarships

This year, 153 colleges and universities sponsored more than 3,800 Merit Scholarship awards.

South Bay Backpack Drive Helps Provide Students With Needed Supplies

South Bay-based Kinecta Federal Credit Union is hosting its annual backpack drive to provide aid for underserved families.

Sports

El Toro High School Baseball Alumni Earns #1 Pick In 2023 MLB Draft

Paul Skenes, a Lake Forest native, recently won the national championship. This week, he was selected as the 1st pick in the 1st round.

Padres To Open 2024 Baseball Season In South Korea

The pair of games will mark the first regular-season Major League Baseball games ever played in Korea.

PGA's Michael Block Celebrated As Hometown Hero In Mission Viejo

Michael Block, PGA Championship hole-in-one golfer, will be at Tuesday's City Council meeting, where he will be named a "Hometown Hero."

South OC Golf Champion Who Made Iconic Hole-In-One Honored By City

Mission Viejo resident Michael Block was honored with the city's Hometown Hero award this week.

Weekend Events

IE Weekend: 'Real Housewives' Star In RivCo; Cowboys4Cause Concert

Looking for some cool things to do this weekend, July 15-16, throughout the Inland Empire? Patch has you covered.

LA Weekend: Immersive Van Gogh & Vatican; Tattoo Expo; Greek Festival

Looking for some cool things to do this weekend, July 15-16, throughout Los Angeles County? Patch has you covered.

OC Weekend Guide: Orange County Fair; Weenie Dog Races; Plant-O-Rama

Looking for some cool things to do this weekend, July 15-16, in Orange County? Patch has you covered.

San Diego Weekend: Dog Days Of Summer; Watermelon Fest; Pride Parade

Looking for some cool things to do this weekend, July 15-16, in San Diego County? Patch has you covered.