Pet Potbellied Pig Reunited With Family | Pizza: Saturday Smiles

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — Here are some of the stories from around Southern California that Made us smile this week —

Firefighters Rescue Baby Raccoon During Weekend Storm

• Orange County Fire Authority's finest were out in force this weekend, rescuing a four-legged resident from harm's way.

Charlotte, Where The Freak Were You?' Indio Pig, Family Reunite

• The wily 200-pound potbellied pig named Charlotte used her wits to escape past three gates before heading out to stroll Indio's streets.

OCFA Firefighters Visit 'Smokey' Rescued Barn Owl

• OCFA firefighters rescued Smokey the Barn Owl from a burned avocado orchard. This week, they visited him at Serrano Avian Rehab Facility.

Bobcat Burned In Wildfire Turns Corner Toward Recovery In Ramona

• The team at San Diego Humane Society's Ramona Wildlife Center hopes to return the bobcat to the wild next month.

Bus Driver Wins $30K On 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?'

• Essential worker and Santa Monica bus driver Eric Bailey won $30K on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" this month.

Louis Gossett Jr. And Others To Be Honored At Heroes Of Hollywood

• TV personality and restauranteur Lisa Vanderpump will receive the Mary Pickford award.

Disney Vacation Club Reopening At Disneyland Resort

• Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa reopens to Disney Vacation Club members in December.

Dear Temecula: Never Forget Pechanga Pu’éska Mountain Day

• For those who lived through the tumultuous years-long battle that finally ended Nov. 15, 2012, Pechanga Pu’éska Mountain Day is personal.

Poetic Kinetics 'Skynet' Takes Over Heisler Park

• Art and nature collide again thanks to an installation presented by the Laguna Art Museum.

Venice Beach Neighbors Show USPS Worker Some Love (Video)

• A crowd of Venice Beach neighbors on Saturday celebrated a local USPS worker who was distributing packages. Check out the video.

Hiring Announced At San Diego County Post Offices

• The U.S. Postal Service announced it is hiring across San Diego County.

Internship To Focus On South Bay Youth

• Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center is teaming up with A Reason to Survive on a year-long internship for young people.

TEDxTemecula Hosting Free Watch Parties For 6 New Talks

• In addition to watching the talks, online attendees are invited to discuss ideas presented by each speaker, the event host, and each other.

Campaign Underway To Benefit Pets At Wildomar Animal Shelter

• The annual “Presents for Paws” campaign kicked off Thursday and benefits three SoCal shelters, including Animal Friends of the Valleys.

Fly Well Clinic Takes Off At John Wayne Airport

• Hoag is opening Orange County’s first-of-its-kind health clinic inside the terminal, with a popup clinic starting Monday.

Santa Monica Reacts To Projected Biden Win

• People cheered, honked and danced in Santa Monica following the news that Joe Biden is the projected winner over Donald Trump.

Venice Beach Reacts To Projected Biden Win With Dance Party

• People were cheering, honking and dancing in Venice Beach following the news that Joe Biden is the projected winner over Donald Trump.

Callaway Golf Posts Record Earnings As Other Industries Struggle

• Carlsbad-based Callaway Golf Co. Monday reported record net sales and earnings for the third quarter.

Urban League Of San Diego County Gets Grant For Digital Resources

• The grant from CIT Bank will enhance digital access for underrepresented individuals in San Diego County during the coronavirus pandemic.

1 RivCo School District Returning To The Classroom: Here's How

The Corona-Norco Unified School District will resume in-person TK-6 classes in January. Here's the plan.

Nonprofits Invited To Host Blood Drives: Riverside County

• The nonprofit LifeStream is offering to contribute $10 for each pint of blood that participating charities receive through donors.

91 Freeway Bottleneck: Crews Begin Work On New Westbound Lane

• The additional lane will stretch for approximately two miles between the Green River Road on-ramp and the southbound 241 connector.

$10 Million Hollywood House Is A Dream Come True

• Everything you could ask for and then some.

Free COVID-19 Testing Comes To Mt. San Jacinto College In Menifee

• The free screenings will take place 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 22 and 23.

First-Ever International Desert Conservation Summit: Tickets

• The virtual gathering organized by the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Food and Restaurants

Gino's East Expands Outdoor Dining Area For Pizza Lovers

• The restaurant can now seat up to 40 diners inside their covered outdoor patio.

Famed Prince Street Pizza Arrives In West Hollywood Saturday

• A slice of New York will soon be on Sunset Boulevard.

French Bistro Gigi's To Open In Media District This Friday

• An ornate dining room will seat up to 60 guests, but for now Gigi's will welcome diners on its outdoor patio.

Councilman O'Farrell Partners To Provide Food Boxes In L.A.

• O'Farrell will host a food distribution event at his district office this Friday.

Veterans Day

Boeing Announces Orange County Veterans Grant Partners

• In a continued tradition of supporting veterans in the workforce, Boeing gifts over $14 million to these local causes.

Santa Monica Pier Honors Veterans With American Flag Design

• The Santa Monica Pier's Pacific Wheel will feature an American flag design to honor veterans for their service on Veterans Day.

Vets Get Free Entry To San Bernardino, Cleveland Natl. Forests

• The fee-free implementation is part of a Veterans Day salute that may be indefinite, with no sunset date announced.

SD Workforce Partnership Searches For Veteran Employment Answers

• Some find difficulty translating military skills to the civilian world, according to a study by the San Diego Workforce Partnership.

San Diego Reports Progress In Reducing Veteran Homelessness

• This year's Point-in-Time count showed a 43 percent decrease in the number of veterans experiencing homelessness from 2019 to 2020.

Santa Monica Hosts Live Veterans Day Celebration

• The city of Santa Monica will join the Los Angeles Army Recruitment Battalion for a live-streamed Veterans Day commemoration at 11 a.m.

Turkey Trots — Register Now!

Don't let the pandemic keep you from this holiday tradition. Many runs still are planned, with local charities relying on the proceeds.

• Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trots 2020 Guide: Greater L.A.
• Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trots 2020 Guide: San Diego County
• Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trots 2020 Guide: Orange County
• Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trots 2020 Guide: Riverside County