1. Todd Sousa, the private swim coach who is charged with having sex with a 15-year-old student, is apparently back in business. Sousa's Swim Venture has been shut down, but Sousa appears to now be involved with a business called Atlantis Aquatics Swim School. Read the compelling evidence in Jenna Chandler's story. 2. Without question, the best class at Santa Margarita Catholic High is Model United Nations. Earlier this year the class went to France. Last month, it went to China. How's that for a field trip? Three of the nine students received the highest award, and the Eagles—the only U.S. …

1. Capistrano Unified School District trustees restored 6½ furlough days for non-classified employees, and it voted to drop its appeal of a 2010 court decision that it had committed open-meeting Brown Act violations. The Saddleback Valley Unified School District will vote today to determine who will serve on a committee that will advise whether three schools that are considered for closure are surplus properties.  2. Gov. Jerry Brown was in Orange County and talked taxes and the state budget. He's pushing for a special election to authorize taxes that will help fix the state deficit. 3. Ted …

1. The man who confessed to killing 19-year-old Donna Jou, a Rancho Santa Margarita woman, will be paroled from prison on April 15, according to the woman's father. John Steven Burgess, a convicted sex offender, admitted in 2009 to giving Jou a lethal combination of cocaine, heroin and alcohol during a party; in his plea agreement, in which he would only serve five years in prison, he confessed to involuntary manslaughter and concealing an accidental death. If he is released on Friday, he will have served a little less than 23 months. Look for the story later today on Patch. 2. Driving around…

1. If you're out and about in Rancho Santa Margarita and you venture anywhere near Lowe's shopping center, you may want to check out Blockbuster for the last time. The store is open from 9 a.m. to 5  p.m., and after that it's closed forever. You might discover that hard-to-find (previously viewed) DVD on sale for $4.99.  2. Kelly Crean, a Santa Margarita Catholic High alumnus, has a role in the new movie starring Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid and Carrie Underwood called Soul Surfer. Catch up to Crean and hear what she's doing these days, besides acting. 3. Mike Casey's Lacrosse Notebook has plenty…

1. The interview process for selecting the person who will replace Gary Thompson on the City Council for Rancho Santa Margarita got under way on Thursday in a special meeting. We break down the interviews with the pro, the con and the lasting impression.  2. Two Coto de Caza 19-year-olds were accused of committing a hate crime after they allegedly mugged another man in a local park and shouted anti-Semitic slogans. 3. For the most part, Rancho Santa Margarita schools have it easy in an earthquake. But not everyone's out of the woods. Three schools are in liquefaction zones. Be on the lookout …

1. Everything is all set and in order for the special meeting called for Thursday, 6 p.m., at RSM City Hall. Six candidates will be interviewed by three councilmen, and next Wednesday the remaining six candidates will be interviewed by the same group minus Jesse Petrilla but including Mayor Tony Beall. We also have another story asking readers to submit their own questions that they would like to hear answered. 2. A big week for some underclassmen in key games. Santa Margarita Catholic won a lacrosse match on an overtime goal by freshman Mitchell Kingsley (see video here) and Trabuco Hills …

1. If there is a specially called city council meeting on Thursday—the agenda must be posted by 6 p.m. today—we at least know who among the 12 applicants vying for the seat vacated by Gary Thompson will be interviewed. A second set of applicants will be interviewed on April 13 during a regularly scheduled meeting. 2. A couple of would-be carjackers are at large in Las Flores. The two knife-wielding men fled though when a woman in the car did something that any of us could do. However, our favorite item in the Police Blotter this week involves a man trying to talk to his parents on Skype—…

1. An aging ex-sportswriter goes to the gym to work out. Is there anything good that can come from this, other than another column by An American Idle? John Weyler writes about weekend warriors, wives and what's on his iPod. 2. A request for an emergency city council meeting was made on Monday—at the exclusion of the mayor—and now it appears six of the 12 candidates for Gary Thompson's vacated seat will be interviewed on Thursday, 6 p.m., while freshman councilman Jesse Petrilla is in town on leave from training in the California Army National Guard. The other six candidates will be …

1. The American Heritage Girls, who have a first-year troop backed by Serra Catholic School, had a bake sale over the weekend. You can read about the group and how much they raised for Japan earthquake relief, and some of the pictures (there are eight) by Rick Belcher are too cute to ignore. 2. If you're a business owner, especially if you have anything to do with restaurant service, be sure to check out the story about Trabuco Hills High's PTSA fundraiser, "Taste of the Hills." The first meeting is Tuesday; check the story and then get the information on where to meet. 3. Ever wonder what …

1. There's a great opportunity for low-income residents of Rancho Santa Margarita to make alterations and improvements to their homes. It's part of a program run by Habitat for Humanity, and it's definitely worth investigating if you're a homeowner and you're not pulling six figures. 2. Ready for some pigskin? Although high school football doesn't begin until September, today is a big day for local players participating in the Nike Football Training Camp at USC. Here is a list of athletes expected to attend, including a few representing Rancho Santa Margarita. We'll give you a hint: They're…

1. Even if you normally have no need to read Matt Garvey's high school tennis notebook, it's worth checking this week—especially if you're a Republican (is there anyone in RSM who isn't?). Garvey talks to A.G. Longoria, who instructed the first George Bush in tennis—while he was the sitting president. In addition to the interesting story—you have to scroll down to find it—there's a video offering some of the advice Longoria gave to the former president. 2. Police were on the lookout the other day for a man who was passed out against the side of a pickup truck. Apparently he was originally …

1. He's free on bail, so you have to wonder what happens when you make eye contact with Coto de Caza's William David Robin, who is accused of being the ringleader of a scam that bilked homeowners and banks of $8 million and that resulted in 16 homes being lost to foreclosure. He is one of five people being arraigned over the next week, including Agida Jamil of Rancho Santa Margarita. Robin's next day in court is scheduled to be April 7. 2. There's not a lot of nightlife in Rancho Santa Margarita, but some of the most dependable entertainment is the Arroyo Vista Children's Theater, which …

1. An autopsy showed that the injuries suffered when her car rolled over her is what killed Glenna Doke, 74, in a freak accedent. There had been some question about whether she might have been in cardiac distress, causing her to get out of the vehicle; that, apparently, wasn't the case. 2. Trabuco Hills' baseball team continues to roll, improving to 10-2 on the season with a victory over San Juan Hills on the strength of Jake Chutney's shutout. 3. Today we'll have a Viewfinder feature on the St. Baldrick's Foundation head-shaving event to benefit the fight against pediatric cancer. If you …

1. It's pretty easy to understand why the cops took this phone call so seriously. Wouldn't you if someone let you know that you had been told about a badly beaten man—who was not yet dead—laying somewhere with a five-mile vicinity. And then when you ask for more information, the informant grows strangely quiet. Check out the Police Blotter, where a couple of guys loaded for coyotes is sure to draw discussion, and kids hang some inappropriate artwork on a man's house. 2. On the table today as part of our weekly Wednesday package are a discussion of pets, some cool things to do, and a closer …

1. Three schools, including Trabuco Elementary, remain the primary choices for closure as the Saddleback Valley Unified School District considers its options for slicing the budget. Also on table are job cuts, the threat of which occur every year but are particularly troublesome now. 2. After going 15-38 the past two seasons, the baseball team at Trabuco Hills is enjoying a turnaround so far in 2011. The Mustangs are off to a 7-2 start, matching the win total from the entire 2010 season. Read about it in Tyler Donohue's Baseball Notebook. Also, the Mustangs have moved into the top 10 in the …

1. Sentencing is expected today for Scott Andrew Christensen, the after-school child-care worker convicted of molesting a boy he was babysitting. The Rancho Santa Margarita resident could face up to 10 years in prison. 2. The first of at least two galleries from the St. Baldrick's Foundation fundraiser Sunday at the community center can be found here. We should have another one on Thursday as part of our Viewfinder feature. Early estimates are that the community raised $125,000 to fight pediatric cancer. Among those who got their hair cut—albeit not all the way—was city councilman Steve Baric…

1. When RSM Patch went online in December, there were literally dozens of readers. Well, now there are thousands. If you missed it the first time around back in December, take a look at one of the features stories that got us off and running:  Repairing a Broken Palace. It's about a local organization that is doing some important work with troubled youth. 2. The City Council will be taking a closer look at 12 residents who are hoping to be appointed an interim council member through November, 2012. As a part of your civic duty, scroll to the end of the story where you have an opportunity to …

1. It rained this week but that didn't create the kind of leak that bothered one Coto de Caza resident—and rightfully so. After a man sat in his car for several hours, he got out and did his business in the neighboring yard. It's unclear whether this is what Neighborhood Watch is really supposed to be about. Nevertheless, it made our Police Blotter.  2. It looks like the logistics aren't adding up, and the Capistrano Valley Unified School District is readying for a worst-case scenario as it relates to the 2011-12 budget. Gnashing of teeth? It's possible. Read Penny Arévalo's story. 3. Todd …

1. The farmers market in Rancho Santa Margarita has an expanded selection of items. After about a month of being limited to produce and flowers only—per the permit that was granted—the crafts people are back. Owner Verge Hagopian had the permit amended. Check out handmade crafts, as well as the assortment of fruits and vegetables. It's next to the Big Lots. 2. An autopsy will be conducted today on a 74-year old Idaho woman who was run over by the vehicle she had been driving. The tragedy took place in Trabuco Canyon after Glenna Doke got out of a Ford van. 3. The Capo Unified School District …

1. The Rancho Santa Margarita City Council meeting on Wednesday was an all-timer. The meeting began at 7 p.m. and ended at 12:52 a.m. One of the funniest moments came about 12:40 when director of administrative services Paul Boyer was addressed for the first time and he responded, "Good morning, Mr. Mayor." Jerry Holloway, on the board since 2002, said he had never been at a longer meeting. He asked original council member Carol Gamble what the record was. "One-ish," he was told. If the meeting wasn't the longest in city history, it's on the short list. Council members went almost two hours …