After sidestepping a ban last year, Irvine leaders approved new local restrictions on synthetic kratom products.
Author Archives: Angelina Hicks
Angelina Hicks is Voice of OC’s Collegiate News Service editor, leading the newsroom’s partnership with Chapman University that gives students the chance to report on civic news across Orange County.
Hicks was named the inaugural Tracy A. Wood Fellow in 2022, but she has been filing stories and mentoring students with the newsroom since her freshman year at Chapman in 2020. She reports on south county news and civics, including issues along the coast, the county-run animal shelter in Tustin and the OC Fair & Event Center. Her “Pets of the Week” series, published each Friday, highlights dogs and cats available for adoption at local shelters.
Hicks graduated from Chapman in 2023, where she was editor-in-chief of The Panther, the university’s student-run newspaper. She earned a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California in 2024, where she was managing editor of Annenberg Media. She is an assistant professor of journalism and interim director of the journalism program at Chapman’s Wilkinson College.
Since she became Collegiate News Service editor, the number of student stories published on Voice of OC each year has nearly doubled.
Posted inALL TOP STORIES
Election Night 2026 Results: Mission Viejo City Council
All five city council seats are listed on the ballot this year in Mission Viejo; at least three new council members are guaranteed.
Posted inALL TOP STORIES
Election Night 2026 Results: Irvine City Council
Irvine could get up to four new city council members.
Posted inALL TOP STORIES
Election Night 2026 Results: Irvine Ranked Choice Voting
Irvine could see an election overhaul as residents consider using a different voting method.
Posted inPolitics & Elections
Election Night 2026 Results: Tax Measures Across Orange County
Here are the initial results for a host of tax measures voters are deciding on in the November 2026 election.
Posted inNEWS
Irvine Looks to Bridge Great Park, Train Station & Spectrum Center With Housing, Retail
Leaders kicked approvals for the project’s conceptual design to the new year, after November’s election could see up to four new council members.
Posted inCountywide
These Orange County Dogs And Cats Need Homes As October Ends
As of Oct. 29, there are 95 dogs and 160 cats at OC Animal Care in Tustin waiting to be adopted.
Posted inALL TOP STORIES
Irvine Officials Sidestep Additional Financial Audits Amid Rocky Budget Outlook
Leaders aren’t going to be reviewing previous spending decisions with a formal audit process as leaders attempt to dodge a looming structural budget deficit.
Posted inALL TOP STORIES
GKN Aerospace to Finally Host Town Hall Five Months After Garden Grove Hazmat Crisis
The company will host the town hall on Oct. 27 in conjunction with the opening of their $100 million claims program for people and businesses hit by the evacuations Memorial Day weekend.
Posted inCountywide
Meet Some of Orange County Animal Care’s Longest Residents
As of Oct. 22, there are 107 dogs and 178 cats at OC Animal Care in Tustin waiting to be adopted.
