Print Like other cities in Orange County and around the world, Newport Beach is not alone in its experiences in a year shaped largely by the ongoing pandemic and sweeping shutdown orders. The city saw beach closures, tragedy, new members of its City Council, a presidential visit, an agreement for a homeless shelter and the cancellation of a time-honored Christmas tradition as part of a number of events that rocked 2020. Here are some of the top stories of Newport Beach in 2020: A woman prays at a makeshift memorial for Lakers legend Kobe Bryant outside Pelican Crest, the gated community in Newport Coast where Bryant lived with his family. His daughter Gianna, 13, died with him in a helicopter crash in Calabasas.