Officials across Orange County are looking to get residents and businesses impacted by the chemical tank crisis compensation but details on what that would like and when it will roll out are unclear.
Author Archives: Hosam Elattar
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC/ Report For America reporter covering Anaheim & North Orange County, food insecurity, housing & homelessness, the Arab & Muslim American community and education.
Elattar started at Voice of OC as an intern in January, 2020 and has covered local food banks’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic, School board debates on how to teach history, the decades long push by Arab American business owners to recognize Little Arabia and a corruption scandal at Anaheim City Hall.
He has won several awards from the OC Press Club including Best News Story, Best Political Story and Best Religion Story.
Elattar is Egyptian American and has lived in Botswana, Nepal, Uganda, The Dominican Republic and India.
Posted inEmergencies & Disasters
Evacuations End in Garden Grove Chemical Tank Emergency
Firefighters lifted the final evacuation orders on Tuesday evening after days of questions from residents on when they could return – sending roughly 16,000 Garden Grove and Stanton residents back home.
Posted inEmergencies & Disasters
State of Emergency Declared Over OC Chemical Tank at Risk of Exploding
Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared an emergency over the faulty chemical tank at risk of blowing up in Garden Grove after OC Fire Authorities said the toxic liquid inside is heating up on Saturday.
Posted inSanta Ana
Santa Ana Moves to Ban Police Officers From Moonlighting as ICE Agents
Santa Ana officials are taking the first steps to ban police officers from moonlighting as federal immigration enforcement officers under a new proposed ordinance as state legislators consider a similar state bill.
Posted inSanta Ana
Santa Ana Considers Banning Police Officers From Moonlighting as ICE Agents
Santa Ana and state leaders are looking to ban local law enforcement from taking a side job as an ICE agent almost a year since deportation raids hit Orange County.
Posted inSanta Ana
Budget Cuts Loom for an After School Program and Park Repairs in Santa Ana
Officials are expected to make a host of cuts to programs and services – like park maintenance and security – in an effort to bring down a projected $13 million deficit.
Posted inOrange
Orange Inches Closer to Tax Increase Ballot Measures
Orange officials are eying a sales tax increase and other revenue generating measures as the deadline to place items on the November ballot approaches
Posted inEducation
Many Critical Student Programs Are About to Get Gutted at Cal State Fullerton
Longstanding programs including the speech and debate team, the student newspaper, theater productions and more are facing debilitating cuts at Cal State Fullerton in a few months.
Posted inSanta Ana
Santa Ana to Mandate Staffing at Self-Checkout Lanes
Santa Ana is the latest city in OC moving forward with an ordinance requiring supermarkets and pharmacies to staff their self-checkout aisles.
Posted inSanta Ana
Another Orange County City Considers Mandating Staffing at Self-Checkout Aisles
Santa Ana officials will be the latest to consider implementing staffing ratios and item limits at self-checkout stands in local supermarkets and retail drugstore chains.
