Thousands of people flocked to Santa Ana to hear the Democratic presidential candidate take aim at the establishment and President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Sanders told reporters he feared California’s No Party Preference voters – in a key national battleground like Orange County – would be restricted from voting for him.
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 inCountywide, Government, NEWS, Politics & Elections, State, Top Stories
Orange County Gears Up for a New Approach to Voting
All the changes are under the watchful eye of county political activists, partisans and pros looking for the new model’s possible effects on voter turnout and whether those effects could shift the balance of power in the county’s local, state and national elected offices during a crucial election year.
Posted inGovernment, NEWS, REGIONS, Safety, Security & Justice, Stanton, Top Stories, Westminster
Westminster Could Change Who Shelters City’s Stray and Rescued Animals
City officials could end their relationship with a longtime animal control provider. Activists want council members to hold off on their decision – which could impact thousands of the city’s shelter animals and strays — until an ongoing period of political turmoil at City Hall dies down.
Posted inGovernment, NEWS, Politics & Elections, REGIONS, Safety, Security & Justice, Santa Ana, Top Stories
Santa Ana Disbands Public Safety Board Amid Police Union Demand for Council Critics’ Removal
The union in a memo to the council last month criticized Villegas and Iglesias and requested their removal from the public safety board, questioning their commitment to the city’s police officers and their ability to make key public safety policy decisions.
Posted inGovernment, NEWS, Politics & Elections, REGIONS, Safety, Security & Justice, Santa Ana
County Certifies Recall Efforts Against Santa Ana Councilwoman Ceci Iglesias
The recall campaign was largely funded by the city’s police union after Iglesias opposed controversial pay raises for police officers last year. It’s one of the city’s first recall campaigns in years that’s been successful enough to go forward with an election.
Posted inGovernment, NEWS, Politics & Elections, REGIONS, Safety, Security & Justice, Santa Ana, Top Stories
Santa Ana Police Union Wants Council Critics Off Public Safety Committee
Santa Ana’s police union has backed recall efforts against two council members: Juan Villegas and Ceci Iglesias, who vocally opposed the scale of $23 million in controversial raises granted to police officers last February. Now the union wants both off a public safety board, which could be disbanded or restructured by council members today.
Posted inGovernment, Investigative, NEWS, Politics & Elections, REGIONS, Top Stories, Westminster
Eleven Candidates Hope to Replace Westminster Council Members in Recall
Here’s a run-down of who’s hoping to take the seats.
Posted inEconomy, Government, Investigative, NEWS, Politics & Elections, REGIONS, Top Stories, Westminster
Recalls, Lawsuits, Financial Struggles and Leadership Vacuum Ahead For Westminster
The City of Westminster faces a political “perfect storm” this year, with upcoming recalls for elected officials and lawsuits involving the police department — not to mention tough choices between higher sales taxes or cuts to public services, and finding a new city manager.
Posted inCountywide, Government, NEWS, Outdoors, REGIONS, Santa Ana, Top Stories, Transportation
Santa Ana Wants to Extend $408 Million Streetcar to John Wayne Airport, Anaheim’s Resort District
A resolution approved by the city council at their Tuesday meeting advocates expansions to the route north up Harbor Blvd to Anaheim’s tourist-heavy resort district, and down Bristol St. toward John Wayne Airport.
Posted inEconomy, Government, Housing & Homelessness, NEWS, Outdoors, REGIONS, Santa Ana, Top Stories
Lawsuits, Referendums on Horizon for Santa Ana’s Controversial 2525 Apartments
Council members initially approved the project last year, despite a push by some against the much-disputed 2525 N. Main St. apartments in the city’s north-end Park Santiago neighborhood.
