Call Center Company in Huntington Beach, CA

A dead 25-foot grey whale washed ashore near the Huntington Beach pier on Friday, April 11. The Orange County Register cited the CEO of the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, Glenn Gray, to report that the Laguna Beach-based program responded to the situation early Saturday and a necropsy is underway.

Photos of the dead mammal, as long as a stretch version of SUVs like the Cadillac Escalade, surfaced on social media.

Read More: Surviving inside a whale: Kayaker's shocking experience in Strait of Magellan. ‘I closed my eyes, and…’

“Sad to see a large gray whale beached itself this morning in Huntington Beach……supposedly weighed 60,000 lbs which I understand is about average for an adult whale…..now this is the extent of my expertise on gray whales,” a local real estate broker, Lytle G. Warren, wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

They also posted a photo of the dead grey whale. The cause of death of the female whale is unknown at this time, Gray confirmed to The Orange County Register. The publication further quoted city spokesperson Jennifer Carey saying that the whale washed up Friday near Tower 7. The area has been cordoned off by Huntington Beach Marine Safety.

Read More: Man on solo ocean row surrounded by dozens of whales for hours in surreal encounter

The local media outlet reported that Huntington Beach's Public Works Department has received authorization from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and PMMC to bury the whale on Sunday morning.

Rare minke whale in Long Beach’s Rainbow Harbor

Only last week a rare minke whale had washed up in Long Beach’s Rainbow Harbor. The mammal had to be euthanized on Tuesday, April 8, after getting stuck in shallow waters near the Emeryville Marina in California's San Francisco Bay.

Marine Mammal Center posted on X that the whale had been swimming in the bay when it was ‘temporarily immersed in mud in shallow water at low tide, but remained calm before moving to deeper water on its own’.

The minkewhale was then trapped and was unable to be freed from the mudflat. The organization further stated that because of this ‘the animal was suffering and had little chance of survival’.

Staff Writer

A desirable stretch of oceanfront land in Huntington Beach could switch from an oil and gas production complex to housing, a hotel and more.

Energy company California Resources Corp. (formerly Occidental Petroleum’s California operations) has announced it has applied to rezone its 92-acre property, which runs from Goldenwest Street to Seapoint Street on the inland side of Pacific Coast Highway.

C.R.C.’s proposal seeks to transform the 1.2-mile long site from industrial use into space featuring up to 800 residential units, a hotel and open space.

“The goal of this project is to shape the future of the property with the evolving needs of the local community,” said Bob Grundstrom, C.R.C.’s senior vice president of business development, in a statement. “We recognize the importance of thoughtful growth and understand the community’s concerns about high-density housing — and that’s not what this is. By transitioning the property from an industrial site to a mixed-use community, we’re not only creating housing and economic opportunities but also ensuring that this coastal asset serves residents and visitors for generations to come.”

Nital Patel, C.R.C.’s external relations manager, said the company wants to build up to 800 residential units on about 53 acres of the property, or slightly more than half of it. They would be a mixture of single-family detached homes, townhouses and condos, with 10% complying with affordable housing policies.

The space would also include up to 350 hotel rooms on approximately 16 acres, which would also feature retail and dining options. The remaining 23 acres would be open space, including a 1-mile linear park along PCH.

C.R.C.’s application, submitted to the city on March 28, proposes to amend the city’s Palm/Goldenwest specific plan, which currently designates 94% of the property for commercial uses. The Long Beach-based company’s application also includes updates to Huntington Beach’s general plan and local coastal program, since the property is in the coastal zone. The California Coastal Commission would have to approve any change of the local coastal program.

The Huntington Beach Planning Commission and City Council also need to sign off on the rezoning.

“Following the required approvals, existing oil and gas facilities would be removed and the site would be restored for future development,” Patel said in an email. “We will work closely with the city of Huntington Beach and other relevant agencies to ensure that all environmental and regulatory standards are met throughout the remediation and redevelopment process.”

Patel added that development is not expected to begin for several years, and C.R.C. will continue to provide energy resources at the site in the meantime.

The development news comes months after the previous council unanimously approved the Magnolia Tank Farm Project, which would also be on the site of a former oil pumping and storage facility in southeast Huntington Beach.

The National High School Invitational is the most heralded high school baseball event in the country. The tournament puts all the best prep baseball programs in America into one bracket, which brings the MLB scouts out in droves with radar guns ... and saliva.

The lede for Day 1 of the tournament came from No. 1-ranked Corona (Calif.) vs. Casteel (Ariz.). The Panthers, who won the Boras Classic in Southern California two weekends ago, rolled into the first-round matchup 11-0.

The unbeaten streak was in jeopardy when Corona was trailing by two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning before Ethin Bingaman hit a walk-off single to clinch a dramatic 8-7 victory Wednesday afternoon in Cary, North Carolina.

Bingaman's clutch moment came with two outs on a 2-and-2 count.

Corona started Mason Sims on the bump, the team's No. 4 pitcher, to preserve standouts like Seth Hernandez and Jason Gerfers the rest of the way.

Corona will play Columbus (Fla.) in the quarterfinal Thursday. Corona is the defending NHSI champion after defeating Huntington Beach in the 2024 final.

HUNTINGTON BEACH WALKS OFF

Huntington Beach, another marquee Southern California program, needed some magic in Wednesday's 5-4 victory in eight innings over Poly Prep Country Day (N.Y.).

The Oilers overcame a three-run deficit before Cole Clark delivered a walk-off hit in extras to advance Huntington Beach to the quarterfinals against Collierville (Tenn.).

WEDNESDAY'S 1ST ROUND SCORES

Christopher Columbus 5, Edwardsville 3

Huntington Beach 5, Poly Prep 4

Corona del Sol 10, Granda 3

Venice 3, La Mirada 1

Trinity Christian Academy 8, The Stony Brook School 2

Corona 8, Casteel 7

Regis Jesuit 3, Wesleyan Christian 1

Collierville 8, Holly Springs 1

THURSDAY'S QUARTERFINALS SCHEDULE

Regis Jesuit vs. Trinity Christian Academy

Christopher Columbus vs. Corona

Collierville vs. Huntington Beach

Corona del Sol vs. Venice

Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school sports news.

To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app:

Download iPhone App | Download Android App

A judge on Monday decided in favor of Huntington Beach in the city’s legal battle with the state over an ordinance requiring voters to show identification when casting a ballot.

City officials contend that as a charter city it has special authority to approve an ordinance that conflicts with state law. State officials claim that California law takes precedence.

“There is no showing that a voter identification requirement compromises the integrity of a municipal election,” Orange County Superior Court Judge Nick Dourbetas wrote in his ruling Monday. “Municipal election results do not lack integrity because only residents of a municipality who are eligible to vote participated in the election.”

Huntington Beach voters approved Measure A by more than 53% of ballots cast in March 2024. The measure’s passage and subsequent City Council adoption prompted a lawsuit filed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber, along with Huntington Beach resident Mark Bixby. They asked the court to strike down Measure A because “the Huntington Beach City Charter is preempted by and violates California law,” Bonta argued.

Mayor Pat Burns said the ruling “is a huge victory not only for our city but charter cities throughout the state. … We have not only successfully defended our city’s voter ID law, but also the constitutional authority of charter cities rights from attacks by the attorney general and the state of California,” he said in a statement. “We will not back down in our efforts to secure local control over our local issues and will continue to fight for the city.”

City Attorney Mike Vigliotta said he was “pleased that Superior Court carefully analyzed the law and came to the correct conclusion” based on the state Constitution giving charter cities the authority to govern their own affairs.

“The U.S. Supreme Court has already determined that voter ID does not violate the right to vote,” Vigliotta said in a statement. “While we anticipate this fight isn’t over, we are pleased with the court’s fair and just evaluation of the weakness of the state and Bixby’s legal case.”

State officials blasted the judge’s decision.

“Yet again, we believe the Orange County Superior Court got it wrong,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. “Earlier this year, the California Fourth District Court of Appeal wrote that Huntington Beach’s argument that ‘it had a constitutional right to regulate its own municipal elections free from state interference … is … problematic.’ We agree.”

Bonta’s office intends to appeal the ruling and is “confident that Measure A will ultimately be struck down,” he said.

“The court got it wrong. Access to the ballot box is a key component of our democracy,” Secretary of State Shirley Weber said in a statement. “The court’s order is in direct conflict with California election laws and will result in disenfranchising California voters.”

If courts OK the ordinance, it would go into effect in 2026.

Huntington Beach officials got approval from an Orange County Superior Court judge to move ahead with implementing voter ID rules.

Judge Nico Dourbetas’s Monday ruling could mean Surf City will be the first California city to mandate voter ID for in-person voting, despite state Attorney General Rob Bonta’s objections.

The lawsuit from Bonta focuses on a ballot measure approved by Huntington Beach voters last year, allowing city leaders to require IDs for in-person voting in Surf City.

The ordinance was quickly challenged by both Bonta and California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, who argued cities can’t override the state law banning voter ID.

[Read: CA Attorney General Sues Huntington Beach Over Voter ID Law]

Dourbetas ruled that they can, so long as the voter IDs are only required to vote in local elections and not statewide races.

That means if the city moves ahead with voter ID, officials could have to send voters two separate ballots – one for statewide races that require no voter IDs, and a second for local races that do.

“There is no showing that a voter identification requirement compromises the integrity of a municipal Election,” wrote Dourbetas in his ruling. “Municipal election results do not lack integrity because only residents of a municipality who are eligible to vote participated in the election.”

In a statement issued Monday afternoon, Attorney General Rob Bonta said they would be appealing the decision.

“Yet again, we believe the Orange County Superior Court got it wrong,” Bonta wrote. “We remain confident that Measure A will ultimately be struck down.”

In a statement last February, the appellate court also raised concerns about Huntington Beach’s elections being consolidated with the state’s if they implement voter ID.

“Municipal elections, including those in the City, are typically held in conjunction with statewide elections, and involve the same ballot, personnel, infrastructure, polling places, and voter registration,” the judges wrote. “Consolidation with the statewide elections takes the City’s municipal elections outside the home rule doctrine.”

Huntington Beach Mayor Pat Burns and City Attorney Mike Vigliotta said the city would continue the fight in court to ensure voter ID moves ahead.

“We will not back down in our efforts to secure local control over our local issues and will continue to fight for the City,” Burns wrote in a Monday statement.

It’s one of the few issues where the city has won in court against the state of California over a series of lawsuits regarding voter ID and housing, with the city’s legal team arguing that as a charter city, Huntington Beach has the power to write its own local rules.

Monday’s ruling came after Dourbetas previously said he couldn’t rule on the issue because the city hadn’t written its specific rules on how voter ID would be rolled out yet, but an appellate court ordered him to make a decision in February.

Noah Biesiada is a Voice of OC reporter and corps member with Report for America, a GroundTruth initiative. Contact him at [email protected].