The concerns are being raised as hospitals across the county face an influx of coronavirus patients at a faster rate than any other time in the pandemic.
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
OC Looks at Buying Motels for Homeless Housing As State Puts $550 Million on Table
OC officials say they’re looking into buying local motels and converting them into permanent housing for homeless people with support services, as the state offers over half a billion dollars for such projects.
Posted inCountywide
The Downplaying of Orange County’s Coronavirus Numbers
Health and business leaders are raising concerns the county’s top elected official is underplaying the truth of the pandemic’s continued spread.
Posted inCountywide
DA Spitzer Says No Chain of Custody Issue With Author Borrowing Golden State Killer Files
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said Monday there was no evidence of a breach.
Posted inCountywide
OC Sheriff Officials Allegedly Broke Chain of Custody with Half of Their Golden State Killer Evidence
Revelations of OC Sheriff’s evidence handling problems have now reached California’s biggest serial killer case in years.
Posted inCountywide
Orange County Starts Reading Aloud Public Comments Submitted by Email
Residents now can have their voice heard at public meetings of the Orange County Board of Supervisors if they can’t attend due to a disability.
Posted inCountywide
South Orange County Cities See Steep Increases for Sheriff Protection
South Orange County cities are watching their law enforcement costs soar by more than 20 percent over the last four years largely due to salary and benefit increases authorized by county supervisors.
Posted inCountywide
Santa Ana, Anaheim Residents Getting Hit with Coronavirus at Far Higher Rates than Other OC Cities
Residents of Santa Ana and Anaheim are home to 20 percent of the county population but 40 percent of county residents who have tested positive for coronavirus.
Posted inCountywide
Orange County’s Coronavirus Death, Hospitalization Rates Now Higher than San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties
In the past two weeks 83 people have died in Orange County and 364 people were in the hospital on Tuesday.
Posted inCountywide
When Will $75 Million in Coronavirus Aid Reach Orange County Small Businesses?
Most of the funds haven’t yet made it into businesses’ hands, though officials say the process is well underway and the money should be distributed by July.
