After taking Supercross standings lead, Aaron Plessinger intends to hold onto it

• January 26, 2024

Red. It’s a color that represents many different things. Passion. Anger. Stress.

For Aaron Plessinger, however, it serves as a badge of his hard work and dedication.

When he pulls into the starting gate on Saturday at Angel Stadium, a big red number plate will be on the front of his KTM.

He earned it by moving into first place of the 450cc Supercross rider standings last weekend in San Diego. Plessinger holds a one-point lead over his teammate Chase Sexton.

This marks the first time in his career that Plessinger has been No. 1 in the premier class in dirt bike racing.

“It (the red plate) means everyone is chasing me now, and it feels good,” he said. “It means confidence. It means I got to go out and keep the color red on my bike.”

Battling for a championship is nothing new for him. He won the 250cc West title in 2018. But since he moved up to the big bikes the following season, it has been a struggle. Broken bones and disappointment have been easier to come by than victories.

He broke his wrist training in the summer of 2020 and missed the majority of the 2022 Supercross season with a broken arm.

But it was the broken wrist, he said, that seemed to put the brakes on any momentum that he built on his 250, saying it was “a really, really hard … hard thing” to overcome.

“I just had to keep working. I just put my head down and keep myself on the straight and narrow,” he said, “I just had to really listen to the people around me, saying you will be there again. Self belief and hard work. Look what it has done for me now.”

Last Saturday at Snap Dragon Stadium marked the 68th start of Plessinger’s 450cc career. When he flew over Ken Roczen as he tumbled to the mud, Plessinger took over the lead and paced the final 15 laps to win the first main event of his career.

Plessinger has been among the most consistently fast riders this season in some of the most trying conditions a rider can face. The last two events in San Francisco and San Deigo have been waterlogged, turning the tracks into treacherously slick mud bogs.

Yet Plessinger was the fastest qualifier in San Francisco, and he won his heat race in San Diego to earn a starting spot in his historic main event.

His worst finish in the first three races is fifth.

San Diego, though, could have and probably really should have been victory number two.

Last season, Plessinger dominated in Detroit, leading 20 of the 22 laps until his bike wobbled and he face planted on jump, leaving him with a broken helmet and spirit.  But in the end, that crash might have been fortunate in a way.

That devastating loss, he said, just might have set him up for the breakthrough triumph in San Diego.

“That race put into perspective how good I am on a dirt bike, and I can beat anyone with what I got going on,” he said. “That race really showed me that I was one of the heavy hitters. Everyone thinks that race was detrimental, but no one could touch me.”

Plessinger said the ghosts from his past went through his mind when he was leading in San Diego, but he said they “went in and out” quickly. Dwelling on the past, he knew, would likely result in another disaster, so the rest of the race, he said, “I just clicked off laps and didn’t let anything else distract me.”

He will need to be focused once again this weekend.

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Saturday’s race in Anaheim poses a unique challenge for Plessinger. This is one of the three triple crown events on the 17-race schedule. Rather than competing in a 20-minute main event, riders will race in three 12-minute races, accumulating points based on their finishing position to determine an overall champion.

While he is not a huge fan of this format, he feels quite confident, heading into Saturday’s race.

“I think I’m in people’s heads now that I have the red plate, and I am looking forward to keeping it,” he said. “I feel confident … confident in my starts … confident in my body. Overall feeling good about it. I am going to do everything I can to hold on to this red plate for as long as I can and put myself in a good position to win this championship. I am ready to go.”

RELATED:

Rookie Jett Lawrence wins 450 Supercross debut race

Chase Sexton expects competition as Supercross opens a new season at Angel Stadium

​ Orange County Register 

Highland man gets 140 years for Orange County rapes lawyer blamed on twin brother

• January 26, 2024

A Highland man who violently sexually assaulted a girl and a woman more than two decades ago in South Orange County — crimes his attorney blamed on his twin brother — was sentenced on Friday, Jan. 26, to 140 years to life in prison.

An Orange County Superior Court jury early last year found Kevin Konther guilty of raping a 9-year-old girl in Lake Forest in 1995 and a 32-year-old woman in Mission Viejo in 1998 as well as committing lewd acts on a girlfriend’s pre-teen daughter at the couple’s homes in Huntington Beach and Highland.

While handing down the longest possible sentence, Judge Richard M. King described Konther, now a 58-year-old Highland resident, as “a sexual carnivore.” Both rape victims were attacked in public, pulled by Konther into secluded areas.

“This is like a cat, a lion, a cheetah looking for prey,” King said. “Vultures don’t do this to their young, rats don’t do this.”

Deputy District Attorney Juliet Oliver described Konther as a “calculated” rapist who “thought through every single act. … The defendant committed heinous acts upon these women in a serial manner. This is a man who deserve no leniency.”

Konther won’t be eligible for parole until serving the 140 years.

One victim testified that a man came up to her while she was walking home from a store, put his hand over her mouth, told her he had a knife and pulled her down an embankment into Serrano Creek Park in Lake Forest. She pleaded that he not kill her as he forced her to take off her clothes and raped her. She told the rapist she was only nine and he laughed.

Three year’s later, a 32-year-old woman running along a secluded bike trial in Mission Viejo was attacked, dragged down an embankment and raped.

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Investigators quickly determined through DNA that the same man committed both rapes, but at the time were unable to identify a suspect. The case was re-opened in 2018, when Orange County sheriff’s investigators worked with the FBI’s Genealogy Team to use cutting-edge familial DNA searches.

That led investigators to Konther and his brother who, because they are twins, share DNA. Both were taken into custody and secretly recorded while sitting in a police vehicle and waiting to be booked into jail.

Prosecutors argued the recorded conversation between the brothers essentially amounted to a confession by Kevin Konther, who repeatedly apologized to his angry and confused brother. At one point, Kevin Konther told his brother, “I’m a criminal in my past. I have serious issues. Now I’ve got to pay for it, and I don’t want to.”

He talked about a “chemical imbalance in my brain,” telling his brother, “I’ve been fighting that demon for a long time. I just hate women, that’s my problem.”

Deputy Public Defender Jessica Ann Sweeny argued during the trial that Konther had decided to take the blame for crimes committed by his brother. Konther could have heard details of the sexual assaults from investigators and may have been simply repeating those details, knowing he was being recorded, the defense attorney added.

Investigators, after identifying Kevin Konther as a suspect, also learned of accusations made against him by a girlfriend’s daughter. She said Konther would enter her room naked while she was pretending to sleep and would stand uncomfortably close to her, sometimes pulling down her pants and underwear.

​ Orange County Register 

Palm Springs midcentury home built into the mountain seeks $8.8 million

• January 26, 2024

A Palm Springs midcentury-modern home, originally designed by architect John Kaptur and built into the base of the San Jacinto Mountains, is on the market for $8.75 million.

Cascading rock waterfalls and native terrain surround this 2,932-square-foot house. It has three bedrooms and four bathrooms with boulders integrated into the structure that rises from a massive stone wall.

“Kaptur considered the entire parcel when creating an unmatched environment to enjoy the spectacular setting,” the listing reads.

Large expanses of glass and a graphic roof-line canopy frame the panoramic city and mountain views. A covered patio, pool, spa and koi pond add to the outdoor amenities.

Dubbed “Bougain Villa,” the house dates to 1958 and has only had two owners since then.

The home’s original furniture and artifacts from around the world are available for sale separately, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. That same article mentioned that the original owners hired modernist architect Albert Frey in the 1980s to renovate and expand the home with a mirrored guest house. They then quietly sold it.

Records show it traded hands for $1.09 million in 1999.

Sean Stanfield of Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty and Craig Chorpenning of Desert Sotheby’s International Realty share the listing.

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​ Orange County Register 

Angel City FC adds veteran midfielder Raquel Rodriguez in trade with Portland Thorns

• January 23, 2024

Angel City Football Club added midfielder Raquel “Rocky” Rodriguez in a trade with the Portland Thorns Tuesday in exchange for $275,000 in allocation money.

Rodriguez, 30, has spent the past four seasons with the Thorns, making 72 appearances across all competitions.

“I am so excited to be joining ACFC,” Rodriguez said. “I can’t wait to play for the city of Los Angeles. I want to bring the very best of me to help this team be successful and bring excitement to the fans.”

Rodriguez has also made 85 appearances for the Costa Rican national team, including at the 2023 FIFA World Cup.

Before joining Portland, she began her NWSL career as the No. 2 draft pick in the 2016 Draft by the Sky Blue FC out of Penn State. She earned NWSL Rookie of the Year honors.

“Rocky brings a high level of professionalism and presence to Angel City’s midfield and that’s combined with a tremendous amount of experience in this league and internationally as well,” General Manager Angela Hucles Mangano said. “We’re beyond thrilled that we are able to have her join our squad.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Villa Park girls basketball heats up as CIF-SS playoffs approach

• January 23, 2024

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Villa Park’s girls basketball team is showing its promise at the right time.

With two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Spartans have climbed to No. 4 in the rankings for CIF-SS Division 3A, which could be one of Orange County’s most exciting groupings for the playoffs.

Villa Park (13-10, 3-1), featuring three sophomores in its starting lineup, made the jump after an eye-opening 65-38 victory at Yorba Linda on Friday. The triumph pushed the Spartans closer toward earning an automatic playoff berth in the four-team North Hills League.

“We are starting to get things churning in the right direction,” Villa Park coach Brad Willis said. “(We’re getting) contributions from multiple players in different categories. Not one player has to score 25 for us be successful. We have a balanced attack.”

The triumph against Yorba Linda was a prime example.

Sophomore guard Suriah Auerswald produced 15 points and five rebounds off the bench to help pace Villa Park. Sophomore guard Sabina Patel, a transfer from Sonora, had 14 points and two blocks while junior wing Marina Trumpour added 11 points, eight rebounds and six steals.

Villa Park starts sophomores Patel, Olivia Sturdivant (Mater Dei transfer) and Bailey Roczey, Trumpour and senior Kaitlyn Ith.

The Spartans play host to first-place Canyon (15-8, 3-0) on Tuesday and close league on Feb. 1 by playing host to Yorba Linda (11-12, 1-2).

JSerra and St. Margaret’s are ranked ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in Division 3A. Dana Hills is positoned fifth.

CALVARY CHAPEL, ST. MARGARET’S RIVALRY EXPANDS

Orange Coast League members Calvary Chapel and St. Margaret’s will extend their rivalry to the Nike Extravaganza with a clash Friday at 4:30 p.m. at Mater Dei.

The schools play their second league game on Tuesday, making the showcase a nonleague game.

In the teams’ first league meeting, the Eagles (16-8, 9-0) edged the Tartans (19-5, 8-1) in overtime 67-65.

Calvary Chapel coach Jon Hughes and St. Margaret’s coach Josh Markum have a friendly rivalry from their days coaching boys basketball.

“I’m just excited for our girls to play in an event like this against a solid opponent,” Markum said of the Nike Extravaganza.

SHORT SHOTS

Huntington Beach plans to honor coach Russ McClurg before its game on Thursday for recently earning his 500th career victory. … Buena Park junior post Tamila Fanene has enrolled at Anaheim, Colonists athletic director Alfonso Rodriguez confirmed. Fanene’s eligibility for the remainder of this season is unclear. … Seniors Erin Choi of Sunny Hills and Sydney Peterson of San Juan Hills recently reached the 1,000 career points milestone.

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​ Orange County Register 

Turkey’s parliament OKs Sweden’s NATO membership

• January 23, 2024

By Suzan Fraser | Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish legislators on Tuesday endorsed Sweden’s membership in NATO, lifting a major hurdle on the previously nonaligned country’s entry into the military alliance.

The legislators ratified Sweden’s accession protocol by 287 votes to 55, with four abstentions. The ratification will come into effect after its publication in the Official Gazette, which is expected to be swift.

Hungary then becomes the only NATO ally not to have ratified Sweden’s accession.

“Today we are one step closer to becoming a full member of NATO,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. The U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Jeff Flake, also welcomed the Turkish parliament’s decision calling it a “great move” for Sweden, Turkey and NATO.

NATO-member Turkey had been delaying Sweden’s membership for more than a year, accusing the country of being too lenient toward groups that Ankara regards as security threats. It has been seeking concessions from Stockholm, including a tougher stance toward Kurdish militants and members of a network that Ankara blames for a failed coup in 2016.

Turkey had also been angered by a series of demonstrations by supporters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, in Sweden as well as Quran-burning protests that roiled Muslim countries.

Last month, parliament’s foreign affairs committee gave its consent to Sweden’s bid in the first stage of the legislative process, after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent its accession protocol to lawmakers for approval.

“In the past, Sweden was a country that had become a center in Europe in terms of the existence and of the activities of the PKK,” Fuat Oktay, a senior legislator in Erdogan’s governing party and the head of the parliament’s foreign affairs committee told parliament.

Sweden had since, among other things, amended its anti-terrorism laws, curbed the PKK’s financial activities, convicted a suspect for alleged money laundering and financing terrorism, extradited another suspect and lifted restrictions on arms sales to Turkey, he said.

“PKK-affiliated circles no longer find a comfortable room for maneuver in Sweden as they did in the past,” Oktay said, explaining why the ruling party was now supporting Stockholm’s bid.Sweden has pledged deeper cooperation with Turkey on counterterrorism and to support Turkey’s ambition to revive its EU membership bid.

Turkey’s main opposition party also supported Sweden’s membership in the alliance but a center-right party and the country’s pro-Kurdish party were among parties that opposed it.

“Sweden’s steps concerning its extradition of wanted criminals or the fight against terrorism have remained limited and insufficient,” Musavat Dervisoglu, a legislator from the Good Party told parliament.

Erdogan has linked ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership to the U.S. Congress’ approval of a Turkish request to purchase 40 new F-16 fighter jets and kits to modernize Turkey’s existing fleet. He has also urged Canada and other NATO allies to lift arms embargoes on Turkey.

Koray Aydin, another Good Party legislator, urged parliament to hold out on ratifying Sweden’s accession until the F-16 sales and the modernization kits are approved in Washington, saying Turkey would lose an important bargaining chip.

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration never formally tied the sale of the F-16s to Turkey’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership. However, numerous influential members of Congress had said they would not support the sale unless and until Turkey signs off on Sweden’s accession to the alliance.

Administration officials say they expect relatively quick action on the F-16 sale after Turkey’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership.

In Washington, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that Sweden is “more than ready to become a NATO ally.”

He added, “It’s time for Sweden to become a NATO ally. They have a modern, advanced military– one that we’re very comfortable with. And they’ll add real significant military capabilities to the alliance.”

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Sweden and Finland abandoned their traditional positions of military nonalignment to seek protection under NATO’s security umbrella, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Finland joined the alliance in April, becoming NATO’s 31st member, after Turkey’s parliament ratified the Nordic country’s bid.

Hungary has also stalled Sweden’s bid, alleging that Swedish politicians have told “blatant lies” about the condition of Hungary’s democracy. Hungary has said it would not be the last to approve accession, although it was not clear when the Hungarian parliament intends to hold a vote.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced Tuesday that he sent a letter to his Swedish counterpart, Ulf Kristersson, inviting him to Budapest to discuss Sweden’s entry into NATO.

NATO requires the unanimous approval of all existing members to expand, and Turkey and Hungary were the only countries that have been holding out, frustrating other NATO allies who had been pressing for Sweden and Finland’s swift accession.

Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani and Matthew Lee contributed from Washington.

​ Orange County Register 

Norms is marking its 75th anniversary with $5.99 deals

• January 23, 2024

Norms Restaurants will celebrate its 75th anniversary throughout 2024 with cheap eats, according to a news release.

The current deal is seven meals for $5.99 through March 30.

Items include a half rack of baby back ribs with fries; chicken tenders with fries; a crispy chicken quesadilla; garlic parmesan fettuccine Alfredo; a half sandwich with choice of soup or salad; a sausage breakfast burrito; and a Breakfast Trio with two eggs, two hotcakes and choice of two bacon strips or sausage links.

The offer is available Monday through Thursday for dine-in customers only.

The seven for $5.99 menu will change every four to five months depending on demand, the news release said.

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Also through March 30, Norms is also serving four-course meals with entrées ranging from wild-caught whitefish, $13.99, to a sirloin steak trio with chicken tenders and shrimp for $22.49.

The name Norms comes from founder Norm Roybark, an auto dealer who opened the first restaurant in 1949 in Hollywood, according to the company. It was at 6353 W. Sunset Blvd., across the street from where the Cinerama Dome is today.

Norms now lists 23 locations across Southern California on its website.

Information: norms.com

​ Orange County Register 

Street in Orange named after William Steiner, a ‘tiger in defense of children who had nobody’

• January 23, 2024

There’s taking work home from the office, and taking work home from the office the way William Steiner would do it.

“We all have our memories,” Jim Steiner, Steiner’s eldest son, told the Orange County Board of Supervisors. “He would often bring children home to spend time with us for the holidays, to experience love and family and laughter.”

But the thing that really showed the young Steiner that his late dad was something special was the day they had to run by the office — Orangewood Children’s Home for abused and neglected kids, which William Steiner muscled into existence by sheer force of will. As they entered a room filled with children, “every kid ran toward him and threw themselves in his arms screaming ‘Mr. Bill’s here!’ He called every one of them by their first names. That’s who our dad was. He truly was a special human being.”

County supervisors were more than pleased to approve a street name change to honor Steiner, who died in 2022, on Tuesday, Jan. 23. The street in front of Orangewood Children’s Home in the city of Orange will heretofore be known as Steiner Way, rather than Justice Center Way.

“My last conversation with your dad was about, of course, a project he was working on in Tustin to help families,” Supervisor Katrina Foley told the Steiner children assembled. “He was very passionate about it – he was really a great example of how, after leaving office, he continued to serve the community. He stayed involved, always tried to find nonpartisan ways to support the community.”

Supervisors and Orange city councilmembers spoke about the support and advice William Steiner gave them on doing their jobs (including the advice his mother once gave him: “You want to hold public office? No! Don’t do it!” He didn’t listen either).

Orange city councilmember Jon Dumitru hopes that, years from now, people will wonder “Who was this Steiner guy?” Google his name and learn about him. “He was an absolute tiger in defense of children who had nobody,” Dumitru said.

This cements a piece of history, honors Steiner’s work, and hopefully inspires others to lean in and do the same, Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento said. “He had a special place in his heart for our most vulnerable children.”

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​ Orange County Register