County officials are looking to start a new office aimed at helping immigrants and refugees navigate a new life in Orange County as they try to achieve the American dream.
Author Archives: Brandon Pho
As a Voice of OC reporter, Brandon Pho covered north/central Orange County, as well as broader regional issues around law enforcement, transportation, the environment, the OC Fair and Little Saigon.
He joined in 2018 as an intern, shedding light on turmoil and corruption claims in Westminster and uncovering a now-fired OC Fair executive’s suspect fundraising relationship with a nearby, private Christian college that the Fair had sponsored with public money.
Later, he published a number of investigative stories on local law enforcement agencies; detailed political jockeying around a controversial seawater desalting plant proposal in Huntington Beach; narrated a racial reckoning inside one of the county’s largest school districts; and tracked various quality of life issues across the region.
Before Voice of OC, Brandon worked as a reporter and editor at Cal State Fullerton’s independent student newspaper, the Daily Titan, and won a number of accolades for his reporting in 2018, including a 1st and 2nd place Los Angeles Press Club award and 1st place national College Media Association award.
While at Voice of OC, Brandon was a member of Report for America, a national network of local reporters committed to bolstering democracy throughout the U.S.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
With Key Rent Control Vote Coming in Sacramento, Local Eyes Focus on Two Senior State Legislators
In order for California tenants to see stricter rent controls, the bill proposing it must make it out of an 11-member committee that meets Tuesday, where two OC state senators sit.
Posted inSafety, Security & Justice
Canines, Oversight and Housing for Cops: Policing Increasingly Punctuates Santa Ana Meetings
An existential Santa Ana policing debate is regularly punctuating public policymaking – and reshaping an often hard to predict dynamic of a council split on law enforcement.
Posted inWestminster
Will City Officials Ever Tell Westminster Taxpayers Why They Sold Off a Slice of Liberty Park?
OC’s top prosecutor hasn’t investigated the questionable sale of public park land in Westminster, waiting for a city probe that seems to have stalled.
Posted inTransportation
Can OC Cling Onto Its Iconic But Threatened Coastal Rail Line?
Amidst new announcements of county task forces and rail relocation studies, officials were clear last week about their goal of maintaining the rail corridor wherever they can.
Posted inSafety, Security & Justice
Lawsuit Against District Attorney’s DNA Program Revived, Raising Constitutional Concerns
Should Orange County prosecutors be allowed to collect DNA in exchange for dropping misdemeanor charges? A recent appellate court decision puts the lawsuit back in the spotlight.
Posted inCountywide
Orange County’s Coastal Train Service is Back; But for How Long?
How far can nearly $14 million in emergency repairs take you on a rail line that’s slipping into the sea?
Posted inSafety, Security & Justice
District Attorney Says Santa Ana Police Failed to Oversee Inmate Who Committed Suicide
While investigators say the department failed to follow inmate welfare protocols, they declined to file charges citing insufficient evidence it led to the inmate’s death.
Posted inSanta Ana
Santa Ana Officials Fight Over Who’s Too Biased for New Police Oversight Commission
One Santa Ana resident found himself at the center of an unfolding debate over the punitive extent of a civilian panel looking at officer misconduct complaints – and whether police critics should be disqualified.
Posted inTop Stories
Top Brass Salaries or Boots on the Ground: Santa Ana Debates the State of Police
The mayor’s idea to freeze leadership promotions in the police department led to a broader debate about costs, overtime pay and more street patrols.
