All seven of Orange County’s members of Congress are demanding to know why people who live in OC are getting coronavirus tests at far lower rates than San Diego and Riverside counties and what’s being done to increase access.
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 inHousing & Homelessness
Homeless Deaths Are Spiking in Orange County
April was the deadliest month for Orange County’s homeless in at least five years, according to the coroner data. Most of the deaths are still under investigation.
Posted inCountywide
Constitutional Rights Can Be Limited to Protect Public Health, Federal Judge Rules in OC Beach Case
Resident’s constitutional rights can be forced to take a backseat when compared to a state’s right to protect the public from a disease epidemic, a federal judge ruled Friday.
Posted inCountywide
When Will Orange County’s Recoveries from Coronavirus Be Reported?
After repeated questions – from Voice of OC, county supervisors and the public – officials say they’re now starting to look into collecting such information.
Posted inCountywide
Why Does OC’s Coronavirus Testing Still Lag Behind Other Large Counties?
When it comes to the share of residents who have gotten tested, Orange County continues to lag behind other large California counties.
Posted inCountywide
Judge Declines to Immediately Block Governor’s OC Beach Closures
The decision came in response to a lawsuit by coastal cities requesting temporary restraining orders against the governor’s closure of all beaches in Orange County.
Posted inEmergencies & Disasters
Gov. Newsom: Not Surprised by OC Lawsuit Threats Over Beach Closures
Gov. Gavin Newsom said he wasn’t surprised by the lawsuits that are gearing up from two Orange County cities over his beach closure, just as protests were gearing up in Huntington Beach and San Clemente.
Posted inDana Point
Gov. Newsom’s Closure of OC Beaches Stirs Confusion, Spurs Potential Lawsuits
Gov. Gavin Newsom said he’ll be closing all Orange County beaches beginning today, yet there’s still no order and only a letter on the issue as coastal cities are gearing up to file lawsuits against the state during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Posted inCountywide, Top Stories
Coronavirus Hospitalizations Have Been Rising in OC, Despite Claims of ‘Flattened’ Curve
Coronavirus hospitalizations have been rising in Orange County – up 80 percent over the last four weeks, according hospital data – despite widely-shared claims by county supervisors that the curve has “flattened” and is “trending down.”
Posted inGovernment
Orange County Supervisors Trigger Confusion With Reopening Guidelines
Orange County supervisors triggered widespread misunderstanding Tuesday adopting a set of voluntary guidelines for businesses that they were allowing businesses to re-open, when in fact they were not and acknowledge they have no power to do so.
