Officials are spending $12 million to get a new building for city staff and vehicles, along with plans to build some bridges and trails near city hall. But some question the transparency of the plans.
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 inHousing & Homelessness
San Clemente Holds Off on Private Security to Clear Out Homeless People, For Now
The debate on whether the council moves forward with hiring a security company is expected to continue at the April 18 meeting.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
San Clemente Considers Private Security to Push Homeless People Off the Beach
City Councilman Gene James is calling for city leaders to hire a private security company to push homeless residents off the beaches, despite having nowhere to send them.
Posted inLaguna Niguel
Laguna Niguel Strips Mayor’s Power to Single Handedly Agendize Discussions
After Laguna Nigeul’s mayor abruptly resigned, the council changed rules governing how items get put on the agenda.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Huntington Beach Moves on New Laws Targeting Homeless People in Parks and Parking Structures
The new rules that would effectively block homeless people from sleeping in parks and loitering at the parking structure come as the new council pledged a 90-day plan to end homelessness.
Posted inGovernment
How Much Taxpayer Money Should a Public Agency be Able to Spend Without a Public Vote?
City managers across Orange County can sign off on as much as $200,000 for contracts without a public vote. This week, Buena Park will ask whether their city manager’s signing authority should go up from $30,000 to $80,000.
Posted inMission Viejo
Mission Viejo Scraps Term Limits And Anti-Nepotism Proposal for City Commissions
The Mission Viejo City Council is set to remove term limits for all city commissioners after the ordinance’s second reading later this month.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Huntington Beach Leaders Consider Enforcing Anti-Camping Laws on Homeless People
While the new council majority is focused on enforcement efforts, nearly half the council is worried they’ll neglect other essential services by focusing on policing.
Posted inTop Stories
Huntington Beach To Ban Anonymous Code Violation Reports Despite Warnings From ACLU
The City of Huntington Beach will soon ban anonymous reports on businesses for potential code violations, despite warnings from the ACLU that the move could be unconstitutional.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Newport Beach’s New $3 Million Animal Shelter Set to Open in February
Residents fundraised $2.9 million to help purchase and construct an animal shelter and donated the facility to the city of Newport Beach.
