Spectrum SunWheel gets a closer look after Spectrum opening. The Los Angeles Times Daily Pilot featured Saturday the new 132-foot Spectrum SunWheel at Irvine Spectrum Center, which replaced the longtime Giant Wheel after a January farewell and a September 19 ribbon-cutting. Built in Italy by Fabbri Group and assembled on site, the ride has 27 gondolas seating up to six passengers each, programmable LED rim lighting, and in-gondola audio. General manager Blake Windal said software upgrades cut typical waits from about 90 minutes to roughly 45. Hours are 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Sunday–Thursday and 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Friday–Saturday at 670 Spectrum Center Drive; tickets are $10, or $15 for a skip-the-line speed pass, at guest services or irvinespectrumcenter.com.
Council keeps Target ’28 on track after 5–2 vote. Following Tuesday’s special budget meeting, Irvine City Council voted 5–2 to continue studying staff’s “Target ’28” plan to erase a projected General Fund structural deficit of about $37 million by July 1, 2028 (and as much as $47 million by 2030 if trends continue), Voice of OC reported. Staff propose roughly $27 million in spending cuts and about $10 million in fee and cost-recovery revenue by 2028, mainly by leaving vacancies unfilled through attrition rather than a blanket hiring freeze. City Manager Sean Joyce said the organization has grown “too tall and too wide” since 2019. Councilmembers Mike Carroll and James Mai voted no after a failed motion to also cut council stipends and office budgets; Carroll warned fee hikes would still hit residents. Staff return in October with more detail and in February with revenue and vacancy updates.
Irvine named OC’s Best City to Live In for an 11th year. The City of Irvine announced that Orange County Register readers again voted Irvine “Best City to Live In,” marking 11 straight years in the Register’s 33rd annual Best of Orange County guide. Mayor Larry Agran credited residents and community values. The city highlighted 2026 milestones including hosting the U.S. Men’s National Team’s World Cup base camp at the Great Park, the inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival, Gateway Project construction, a new innovation center, the Jeffrey Open Space Trail bridge, and a professional baseball franchise planned for the Great Park in 2027.
Police say two arrested in ~$24,000 Extra Space Storage burglary. Irvine Police detectives arrested Zachary Wayne Malloy, 34, of Huntington Beach (Aug. 25) and Gustavo Montano, 49, of Irvine (Sept. 22) in connection with a burglary at Extra Space Storage on El Camino Real that took nearly $24,000 in property, New Santa Ana reported Friday, citing IPD. Both were booked into Orange County Jail on suspicion of burglary and related counts; Montano also faced allegations involving burglary tools, fraud, and drugs, according to the report.
스펙트럼 SunWheel, 개장 후 상세 소개. LA Times Daily Pilot이 토요일 어바인 스펙트럼센터의 새 132피트 Spectrum SunWheel을 조명했다. 기존 Giant Wheel을 대체해 1월 운행을 끝내고 9월 19일 테이프커팅으로 문을 열었으며, 이탈리아 Fabbri Group이 제작·조립했다. 최대 6명 탑승 곤돌라 27대, LED 조명, 곤돌라 오디오를 갖췄고 대기 시간은 약 90분에서 45분 수준으로 줄었다고 한다. 영업 일–목 오전 10시–오후 9시, 금–토 오전 10시–오후 10시(Spectrum Center Drive 670). 티켓 10달러, 패스트패스 15달러.
시의회, Target ’28 5–2로 추가 검토. 화요일 특별회의 뒤 시의회는 2028년 7월 1일까지 일반회계 구조적 적자 약 3,700만 달러(추세 유지 시 2030년 최대 약 4,700만 달러)를 줄이기 위한 ‘Target ’28’을 계속 검토하기로 5–2 의결했다. 지출 약 2,700만 달러 절감과 수수료 등 수입 약 1,000만 달러 확대가 골자이며, 전면 고용동결보다 자연감소로 공석을 비우는 방식이다. Sean Joyce 시매니저는 조직이 “너무 높고 넓어졌다”고 했고, Mike Carroll·James Mai 의원은 의원 수당·사무실 예산 삭감안이 부결된 뒤 반대표를 던졌다. 10월 세부안·2월 세입·공석 점검이 예정돼 있다.
OC Register ‘살기에 가장 좋은 도시’ 11년 연속. 시 발표에 따르면 레지스터 독자들이 33회 Best of Orange County에서 어바인을 다시 1위로 뽑아 11년 연속 기록을 이어갔다. Larry Agran 시장은 주민과 공동체 가치를 공로로 들었다. 시는 그레이트파크 월드컵 베이스캠프, Daisy Chain Fields, Gateway 착공, 혁신센터, Jeffrey 트레일 교량, 2027년 프로야구단 계획 등을 올해 성과로 꼽았다.
엘카미노 레알 Extra Space Storage 절도 용의자 2명 체포. 어바인 경찰은 Extra Space Storage에서 약 2만 4,000달러 상당 물품이 도난된 사건과 관련해 헌팅턴비치 거주 Zachary Wayne Malloy(34·8월 25일)와 어바인 거주 Gustavo Montano(49·9월 22일)를 체포했다고 New Santa Ana가 금요일 IPD를 인용해 전했다. 두 사람 모두 오렌지카운티 구치소에 수감됐으며, Montano는 절도공구·사기·마약 관련 혐의도 함께 받았다고 보도됐다.
Sources / 출처: Los Angeles Times Daily Pilot (https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/entertainment/story/2026-09-26/reinventing-wheel-spectrum-sunwheel-debuts-at-irvine-spectrum-center); Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/2026/09/irvine-scrambles-to-curb-budget-shortfall/); City of Irvine (https://cityofirvine.gov/news-media/news-article/city-irvine-named-orange-countys-best-city-live); New Santa Ana / Irvine PD (https://newsantaana.com/irvine-police-arrest-two-suspects-in-24000-storage-center-burglary/)
