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Check out our OC photographers’ favorite images from February 2023

The team from Orange County School of the Arts celebrate after winning the final against El Dorado in the Orange County mock trial competition by the Constitutional Rights Foundation at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana on Wednesday, February 1, 2023. Pictured, from left, Josie Wang, Toby Izenberg, Emma Kay, and Emily Kim. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Valerie Wraith, black hat, and Olivia Krotts, white hat, take a photo with their soccer teammates during National Signing Day at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, CA on Wednesday, February 1, 2023. Wraith committed to play at Claremont McKenna College and Krotts at Princeton University. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

John and Marcella Vella, left, the parents of fallen Huntington Beach Police Officer Nicholas Vella, and Vella’s brother, John Arthur Vella, attend an emotional dedication in Huntington Beach on Saturday, February 4, 2023. A portion of PCH will be named the “Officer Nicholas Vella Memorial Highway.” (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A squirrel looks up for moment as it sits on a large horizontal branch of a tree holding on to, and eating an orange from a nearby tree on Sunday morning, February 5, 2023, in North Tustin. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Tiffany Phan, left, with DeMille Elementary School, reacts as fourth-grade student Jacob Sivilay-Nguyen, 10, lifts a yoke, or Vietnamese carrying pole, during the school’s annual Vietnamese Culture Day in Westminster on Tuesday, February 7, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Hikers make their way past a colorful hillside of California poppies as they make their way along Weir Canyon Trail in Anaheim Hills on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Hikers view California poppies and green hills along a trail in Anaheim Hills on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. in Anaheim Hills, CA on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Sewa Valencia, second from right, leads the druming group, One Drumm, in a Native American prayer during a vigil at the Anatolia Cultural Center in Irvine on Thursday, February 9, 2023 to remember the victims of the deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Girl Scout Hailey Heren stands among some of the 10,000 boxes of cookies she expects to sell this year at her home in Stanton, CA, on Friday, February 10, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Colleagues in the Orange County Public Defender’s Office who worked with Elliot Blair, the former Orange County deputy public defender who died recently under mysterious circumstances in Mexico, gather in front of hundreds during the memorial service for Blair at the Christ Cathedral Church in Garden Grove on Saturday, February 11, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Camp Pendleton Marine Pfc. Will Tully, left, shows off his prowess in the ring with American Professional wrestler Lucas Riley, right, after winning an arm wrestling match with another wrestler. About 500 Marines were at a Super Bowl party sponsored by Crisp Imaging, Inc., at America Legion Harbor Post 291 in Newport Beach on Sunday, February 12, 2023. The wrestling show was just one of the festivities before the game. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Super Bowl LVII MVP, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, greets fans on Main Street., U.S.A, during a cavalcade through Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, on Monday, February 13, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Javier and Veronica Medrano’s 22-month-old son, Thiago, wants to get in on the hug after the couple marry at the Old Orange County Courthouse in Santa Ana on Tuesday, February 14, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Bob Truemper and Michele Gibson snuggle together as they fly a kite on Main Beach in Laguna Beach, CA, on Tuesday, February 14, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Canyon’s Tyler Howard (32) and JSerra’s Diego Martinez (13) scramble for the the ball during a game in the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS Division 1 boys basketball playoffs at Canyon High School in Anaheim on Tuesday, February 14, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Canyon’s Brandon Benjamin (24), left, reacts after hitting a last second shot to defeat JSerra’s in the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS Division 1 boys basketball playoffs at Canyon High School in Anaheim on Tuesday, February 14, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Members of the Huntington Beach High School surf team prepare to make their way into the water to practice lifesaving techniques they learned from members of the Huntington Beach Marine Safety Division in Huntington Beach on Wednesday morning, February 15, 2023. The knowledge gives surfers the skills they need to help someone in need when out in the water. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

City officials and family of Helen Shipp celebrate after an honorary street sign is unveiled at the new Black History Square at the corner of Raitt and Willits streets in Santa Ana, CA, on Thursday, February 16, 2023. Helen M. Shipp Way is named for the late founder of the Orange County Black History Parade & Cultural Faire. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Chará Swodeck, founder of the African American Advisory Alliance at the Alliance Community Cultural Center in Pomona on Thursday, February 16, 2023. Artwork in the background by Nychole Owens. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Julie Mammone speaks about her husband, Dr. Michael Mammone, as hundreds attend a celebration of life for Mammone, an emergency-room physician at Mission Hospital Laguna Beach, at the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach on Thursday, February 16, 2023. Mammone was hit by a car and then stabbed to death on Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point on February 1st. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Orange County artist Allison Adams is shown with her new portrait exhibit, “Groundbreaking Girls,” at The Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton on Thursday, February 16, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Four-year-old Elle Page gets high fives from her teacher Lisa Garceau during a jog-a-thon at St. Mary’s School in Aliso Viejo, CA on Friday, February 17, 2023. The event was a fundraiser for the school’s athletic department. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Swordfighters compete during SoCal Swordfight 2023 in Costa Mesa, CA, on Friday, February 17, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Alta Loma’s Natalie Abril blocks a Marlborough shot on goal in their victory over Marlborough, 13-6, for the CIF Southern Section Division 4 girls water polo championship at the Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine on Saturday, February 18, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Maddie Heinecke, 15, and her super hero foster dog, Swift, from Promise 4 Paws rescue, watch the Kids’ Pet Parade hosted by the San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association on Saturday, February 18, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Second Baptist Church Music Ministry performs on Sunday, February 19, 2023 as the Black church celebrates its 100 years in Santa Ana. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Second Baptist Church in Santa Ana celebrates its 100 years with a balloon drop at the end of services on Sunday, February 19, 2023. Lester Cranford, center, was baptized at the church in 1968. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Hansel Cisneros, sales director at E-Ryde Electric Bikes is pictured outside the store, located directly across from the El Segundo Oil Refinery in El Segundo on Monday, February 20, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Wanda McCargar of Laguna Woods, cracks up after receiving a rose from another patient at Hoag Family Cancer Institute in Newport Beach on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. She is being treated for metastatic lung cancer.(Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Ruben Torres lights a candle at a memorial outside the home of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell in Hacienda Heights, CA on Wednesday, February 22, 2023. One man has been charged in the bishop’s murder. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Windsurfers ride their boards offshore of Seal Beach as a major winter storm moves through Southern California bringing rain, snow, wind and cold temperatures to the region on Wednesday afternoon, February 22, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Maria Kobylianska, 38, shown at her home in Dana Point on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, holds an oil painting titled, “Ptashka” (Birdie), of Kateryna Polishchuk, a volunteer paramedic from Azovstal that was held as a POW by the Russains. The oil painting will be one of the items auctioned off to raise money for Ukraine. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A man is reflected in a puddle at Yorba Regional Park in Anaheim, CA on Thursday, February 23, 2023. Storms were moving through Southern California and expected to last into the weekend. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Rialto girls basketball players celebrate their come-from-behind victory against Buena Park during the CIF Southern Section Championships in Huntington Beach on Saturday, February 25, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Sage Hill’s Carter Bryant, left, has a shot blocked by Jerome Wilson of Long Beach Jordan in the CIF-SS Division 4A boys basketball championship game at Edison High School in Huntington Beach on Saturday, February 25, 2023. Long Beach Jordan won the game 68-57. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Tesoro teammates celebrate their win over Orange Lutheran during the CIF-SS Division 2AA boys basketball championship game at Edison High School in Huntington Beach on Saturday, February 25, 2023. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The women’s group La Cloud from Los Angels setup a cell phone camera to take a photo of their group outside Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. The group traveled to Orange County to see the exhibition, “13 Women.” OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Museum visitors view the new Daniel Arsham exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa on Sunday, February 26, 2023. OCMA has seen over 100,000 visitors since its opening last October. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Clouds are the backdrop for hikers on a hill at Peter’s Canyon Regional Park on Sunday, February 26, 2023. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Sandra Rivera greets her son, Juan Rivera, as he arrives from outdoor science camp at George B. Miller Elementary School in La Palma, CA, on Monday, February 27, 2023. A truck accident and the recent blizzard delayed the return of 72 sixth graders from the San Bernardino Mountains by four days. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Nancy Truong comforts her daughter, Alyssa Tran, after she arrived from outdoor science camp at George B. Miller Elementary School in La Palma, CA, on Monday, February 27, 2023. A truck accident and the recent blizzard delayed the return of 72 sixth graders from the San Bernardino Mountains by four days. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)