Dr. Clayton Chau was unanimously appointed by OC supervisors on Tuesday as county health officer.
Author Archives: Nick Gerda
Nick covers the city of Santa Ana, as well as the County of Orange, often reporting on issues like homelessness, public safety, mental health, and the role of money in politics.
Since joining Voice of OC in 2011, Nick has regularly shed light on topics that are often kept in the shadows. He’s reported on systemic problems in the county’s mental health system. He also led a reporting team that produced sophisticated looks at how the Disney corporation campaign contributions influenced recent elections in Anaheim.
Nick also revealed evidence of elected leaders using their official powers to apparently pressure government contractors into donating to their election campaigns, in an article that was awarded best news story of the year by the Orange County Press Club. He firmly believes journalism should inform the public and help hold the powerful accountable.
An Orange County native, Nick first started covering local government in his mid-teens, before attending Santa Ana College, the American University in Cairo, and UC Irvine, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
Languages spoken: English, elementary Spanish, minimal Arabic and minimal Japanese
Areas of expertise: Local government, local politics, homelessness, mental health policy, campaign finance, California Public Records Act, Ralph M. Brown Act, County of Orange government, Santa Ana city government and municipal finance.
Posted inCountywide
Orange County Supervisors Push For Language Translation at Main Coronavirus Test Site
Six weeks after the drive-through testing site opened at the Anaheim Convention Center, two county supervisors want to direct staff to translate sign-up forms for the testing site and create a call center in multiple languages.
Posted inCountywide
As Pandemic Slams Revenues, County Releases New Spending Plan
The proposed budget calls for cutting $50 million from what departments say is needed to continue their existing services. It’s up for public input at a Sept. 1 hearing.
Posted inCountywide, Investigative, Safety, Security & Justice, Top Stories
Raising Concerns About OCDA’s Handling of Rape Case, Judge Transfers It to State AG
“It would be impossible for the District Attorney’s office to prosecute this case in an ethical fashion,” said Orange County Superior Court Judge Gregory W. Jones.
Posted inCountywide, Investigative, Safety, Security & Justice, Top Stories
Will OC Prosecutors Be Kicked Off Newport Beach Surgeon Rape Case?
A local judge is deciding whether to remove the entire DA’s Office from the case and transfer it to state prosecutors under the California Attorney General.
Posted inCountywide, Emergencies & Disasters, Politics & Elections, Top Stories
How is Coronavirus Changing Voting? A Q&A With Orange County’s Elections Chief
As voters gear up for the November election, many residents are wondering how the voting process will play out.
Posted inCountywide, Education, Emergencies & Disasters, Health & Wellness, Top Stories
OC Continues to See Improvement in Virus Trends; School Openings in Waiting Pattern
The latest data showed 414 coronavirus patients in OC hospitals, amid weeks of declining from a peak of 722 patients in mid July.
Posted inCountywide, Emergencies & Disasters, Health & Wellness, Top Stories
Orange County Draws Questions Over Translation Priorities During Pandemic
It’s taken Orange County officials at least four weeks to offer a non-English sign-up form for their largest coronavirus testing site.
Posted inCountywide, Investigative, Safety, Security & Justice, Top Stories
Appeals Court Revives Lawsuit Alleging OC Sheriff, Prosecutors Illegally Use Informants
The court’s focus will be whether the informant program is ongoing and whether it is illegal, the appeals justices wrote.
Posted inCountywide, Investigative, Safety, Security & Justice, Top Stories
DA Spitzer Faces Calls to Resign from Families of Seal Beach Shooting Victims Who Allege False Promises
Several family members of victims of Orange County’s deadliest mass murder are demanding that District Attorney Todd Spitzer resign.
