Santana: Is Orange County Poised to Depoliticize Its Public Health Officer?
After months of OC’s public health officer dodging important COVID questions and downplaying trends, there seems to be movement to professionalize the role of Orange County’s chief public doctor.
Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks City of Orange from Evicting Mary’s Kitchen
A homeless kitchen which feeds, clothes and bathes people in Orange lives to fight at least a few more days.
Orange County’s First Poet Laureate Sets Her Own Agenda
Natalie Graham wants to do things that are unusual and interact with the community as the county’s first poet laureate.
Orange County School Districts Grapple With COVID-19 Testing for Students
As COVID-19 is spreading among younger age groups, school districts across the county discuss testing policies — addressing a gap left by the state’s classroom reopening guidelines.
Ocean View School District Parents Call on Trustees to Resume Bus Services For All Students
District officials say the expensive cost of transportation has made them get rid of some bus services. Now parents are speaking up to get those services back.
After Months of Restrictions, OC Got a Taste of Full 3-Minute Public Comments. Will It Last?
OC remains the largest county in California to not offer call-in comments during the coronavirus pandemic. Residents can only comment live if they go into an indoor meeting room.
OC Asian American Community Leader Says Hate Crimes Spike During COVID-19 Surges
People have been insulted, coughed on and hit, Mary Anne Foo said. Meanwhile, the OC Human Relations Commission is expected to release its 2020 hate crime report on Friday.
OC Electric Utility One Step Closer to Turning Lights On After Approving Financing Plans
The approved contracts set up a line of credit for the newly formed agency and established rules for purchasing power from suppliers.
Anaheim Council’s Appointment of a Resort Ally Stirs Calls of Rushed, Politicized Process
Some officials and residents are questioning whether the public was short-changed on the appointment of Gloria Saha’gun Ma’ae to the councils’ District 2 seat.
INSIDE THE NEWSROOM
CNN Features Voice of OC Publisher, Editor Norberto Santana, Jr. to Discuss Newsom Recall Effort
Voice of OC Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Norberto Santana, Jr. is often a featured speaker across politics, government transparency and nonprofit news. His latest? A CNN segment on the Newsom recall effort.
TRENDING
PUBLIC TOWN HALL
We hosted another COVID-19 public information town hall on Sept. 9. Click the button below to watch the recording. To suggest topics for potential future town halls, send us an email.
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CORONAVIRUS
DAILY: As of the COVID update on Friday, Sept. 17, the OC Health Care Agency reports 394 new daily reported cases, 7 new reported daily deaths over the weekend (5,344 cumulative) and 367 current hospitalizations (-4 from yesterday) and 108 of those hospitalizations are in the ICU (+6 from yesterday). The county health department does not update data over weekends.
VACCINES: As of the most recent vaccine data through Sept. 16, a total of 2,069,128 people are fully vaccinated (+25,435 since Sept. 9) and 2,289,266 people have had at least one dose.
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ARTS & CULTURE
COLUMNISTS
NORBERTO SANTANA, JR.
A pioneering leader in the nation’s rising nonprofit news movement and an award-winning journalist. Santana has established Voice of OC as the county’s civic news leader, uncovered the truths across Southern California governments for more than two decades and reported on Congress and Latin America.
ANNE MARIE PANORINGAN
Voice of OC’s food columnist — reporting on industry news, current events and trends. Panoringan has been writing about food for 8 years — interviewing more than 330 chefs and industry professionals. She has been recognized by the OC Press Club and is a recurring guest on AM 830’s SoCal Restaurant Show.
JULIE LEOPO
An award-winning photojournalist and visuals director. Leopo has captured a wide array of photographs visually documenting the news and soul of Orange County local government and community. Her work has also appeared in Vice, KCET, Ed Source, The California Endowment and OC Weekly.
PAUL HODGINS
An award-winning arts journalist, co-founder of Voice of OC’s Arts & Culture section and a USC professor. He was previously, an arts writer and critic at the OC Register and San Diego Union-Tribune. He holds degrees from USC, the University of Michigan and the Royal Conservatory of Music.
