Remote Surveillance Trailer in Costa Mesa, CA

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COSTA MESA, Calif., Feb. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Avid Bioservices, Inc., a dedicated biologics CDMO, today announced the grand opening of its new Early Phase Center of Excellence, a state of the art 78,000 square foot facility located in Costa Mesa, California. Purpose built to support early clinical programs, the new center expands Avid's development footprint and strengthens the company's ability to provide end-to-end services from cell line development through commercial manufacturing.

Designed to accelerate clients' early development timelines, the facility brings together Avid's core scientific and technical capabilities including:

The Early Phase Center of Excellence was purpose-built to further accentuate Avid's capabilities, to streamline early development activities, and enable a seamless transition into full scale CGMP operations. The center houses experienced, hands on scientific and manufacturing teams, established platform processes, and harmonized quality systems aligned with Avid's commercial manufacturing facility. This alignment ensures consistency, eliminates rework, and provides a smooth progression as programs advance from preclinical through to commercial supply.

"Our new Early-Phase Center of Excellence is purpose-built to help both established pharma and innovative biotech companies move into the clinic faster - in a predictable way, with quality and stability as the foundation. Our mission is to strengthen early drug development here in the U.S., accelerating the journey from scientific discovery to patient impact." said Kenneth Bilenberg, Chief Executive Officer of Avid Bioservices. "The industry has been asking for a U.S.-based development and manufacturing powerhouse that combines speed, quality, and scientific rigor and we built it."

The Costa Mesa expansion enhances Avid's overall capacity to support a wide range of biologics including monoclonal antibodies, recombinant proteins, and other complex modalities. The center's integrated workflows and technology platforms are engineered to reduce program risk, compress timelines, and ensure phase appropriate development from the earliest stages.

The new Early Phase Center of Excellence is now fully operational and accepting new programs.

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Major grocery and retail drug stores in Costa Mesa will be required to heavily regulate self-checkout under a new law that city leaders say will combat retail theft and protect jobs.

The City Council adopted an ordinance this week that will bring sweeping changes to retail operations’ self-checkout lanes: requiring one employee to oversee every three checkout stations, capping self-checkout transactions at 15 items and barring the purchase of any item kept in a locked case.

In approving the new rules, Costa Mesa became just the second city in the state to regulate self-checkout lanes, roughly half a year after Long Beach passed its first-of-its-kind legislation.

Costa Mesa’s measure, which diverges from Long Beach’s model in just a few ways, is expected to affect nearly two dozen retail establishments in town — the threshold is more than 15,000 square feet of space.

Violations of the rules could prompt fines of $100 for each incident, capped at $1,000 per day.

“Costa Mesa has a proud history of championing pro-worker and public safety initiatives, and by passing this ordinance, Costa Mesa will provide thousands of workers – union and non-union – with extra support and better service for customers,” Jose Perez, president of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 324 shared in a statement following the law’s passage. “UFCW members look forward to seeing additional cities in Orange County pass legislation like this to ensure quality jobs and safe, positive shopping experiences.”

A heated discussion over the self-checkout ordinance proposal lasted more than two hours at a January council meeting, with more than two dozen people arguing in favor and against the proposal. Grocery store workers spoke in support of the law, which they said would address the pressure of being overworked and bearing the brunt of customer frustration. Store managers and trade group representatives, meanwhile, argued that the regulations were an overreach of local government authority that would not meaningfully curb retail theft.

In response to public feedback, the City Council made several changes to the proposed ordinance: businesses are given 60 days to comply with the mandates and the right to cure — the timeframe for correcting an issue — has been extended from seven to 15 days.

City staff will report back to the council within a year on the law’s implementation, officials said.

The final measure passed in a 5-2 vote on Tuesday, Feb. 17, with Councilmembers Jeff Pettis and Mike Buley opposed.

Pettis said he had spoken with a handful of Long Beach grocery store owners in recent weeks, 90% of whom reportedly hated the self-checkout law. Two large supermarkets he visited closed some kiosks to avoid having to hire more workers, Pettis said. Some Costa Mesa shoppers, he said, told him they’d switch to shopping at the Ralph’s in Westcliff for a less cumbersome retail experience.

“I’m very concerned about migration of our sales tax dollars to other cities and I am about free market capitalism and regulating business,” he said.

Mayor John Stephens, who acknowledged his colleagues’ concerns, said the city has implemented a few “fail-safes,” including the one-year review, should the measure become too onerous on residents. He also urged residents to report back if they’re being negatively impacted by the new regulations.

Councilmember Loren Gameros said the ordinance will protect people from working-class families who are overworked at grocery stores.

“I wonder how many of those who speak against this ordinance this evening actually has to sling groceries for 8 hours to feed their family to make ends meet,” he said. “I wonder how many people have to run back and forth to a liquor cabinet while they’re watching three, four, five, six registers at the same time, stooping, bending, rushing.”

Air Water Car Show is coming back to Costa Mesa for 2026.

Set at the OC Fair & Event Center, this show centers on Porsche, bringing the marque’s full spectrum into one place, from early classics and air-cooled icons to modern water-cooled cars and newer performance builds. If you like walking lines of cars and catching the details up close, paint, fitment, wheels, interior touches, period-correct finishes, this one’s built for that.

Organized by Air|Water, the event leans into the bigger Porsche story: roots in Germany, years of evolution, and a scene that’s been shaped by owners, builders, racers, and collectors across generations. The organizers position it as Southern California’s largest gathering of the marque, which usually means wide variety and plenty of “haven’t seen that in a while” moments.

Expect a steady, photo-friendly pace: lots of time to compare generations side by side, talk shop with other Porsche people, and learn what’s factory, what’s upgraded, and what’s a personal signature choice. It’s the kind of show where small details matter, badges, trim, engine bay presentation, and the way different eras of design sit next to each other.

So if you’re itching for a proper Porsche-heavy day, good cars, good conversations, and a solid walk through the marque’s past and present, Air|Water in Costa Mesa belongs on your list.

Air Water Car Show - Orange County, California

Date: Saturday, April 25th, 2026Location: OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Dr, Costa Mesa, CA 92626Starts: 10:00 AMEnds: 3:00 PMAdmission: FreeVehicle Registration: HERE

*Please note: iDriveSoCal is not hosting this car show. To learn more contact Air Water Car Show organizers HERE. Including details about attending and displaying your car. Also about becoming a car meet vendor or sponsor.

Additionally, for more of the best Southern California automotive events click HERE.

And, ever wonder how cars and coffee events got started? Check out this podcast on !

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