Orange voters could decide if their town will become a charter city this year as local leaders hope to wrap in new taxes in a potential ballot measure to bump up revenue.
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 inGovernment
OC Supervisors Say It’s Illegal to Slash Their Salary Hikes
OC Supervisors are largely rejecting a grand jury report critical of their pay hike last year and refusing to return the 25% increase they gave themselves.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Orange County Cities Grapple With Rising Rents & Tracking Evictions
Costa Mesa officials are expected to debate a rental registry this month while efforts are brewing in Anaheim to put a rent control ordinance on the November ballot.
Posted inSanta Ana
Santa Ana Cracks Down on Illegal Smoke Shops
Another Orange County city is tightening rules on smoke shops to curb underage use as local officials also crack down on drugs like Kratom and whippets.
Posted inAnaheim
Anaheim Might Require Staffing at Self-Checkout Stands
Orange County’s largest city could soon follow in Costa Mesa’s footsteps and mandate staffed self-checkout stations as industry groups say the move could increase prices.
Posted inAnaheim
450 Apartments Slated for Anaheim Hills Amid Fire Evacuation Concerns
Anaheim officials approved a new apartment complex at the Festival Shopping Plaza despite intense pushback from residents who say it will increase evacuation times in a fire prone area.
Posted inAnaheim
Another Orange County City May Require Staffed Self-Checkout Stands
Anaheim might become the latest Southern California city regulating self-checkout stands on the heels of ordinances being adopted in Costa Mesa and Long Beach.
Posted inTop Stories
Guilty Plea Sticks on Key Figure in Anaheim Corruption Scandal, For Now
A federal judge has yet to rule on whether or not former Anaheim Chamber of Commerce CEO Todd Ament can reverse his guilty plea to federal fraud charges.
Posted inSafety, Security & Justice
Immigrant Aid Efforts Expand Again in Orange County
Irvine is launching a $100,000 fund to help connect immigrant families impacted by deportation efforts to lawyers as an Anaheim official calls for a legal aid fund in OC’s largest city.
Posted inSafety, Security & Justice
Key Figure in Anaheim Corruption Scandal Looks to Backtrack Guilty Plea
A federal judge on Friday is expected to decide whether he will let Todd Ament, a key figure in Anaheim’s corruption scandal, reverse pleading guilty to multiple fraud charges.
