Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/author/nsantana/)
Norberto Santana, Jr. is an award-winning investigative reporter with nearly two decades reporting experience, most recently engaging Orange County government institutions and decision makers as the founding publisher of the nonprofit digital newsroom, Voice of OC. As publisher, Santana oversees all newsroom, engagement and fundraising operations and also writes a weekly Opinion column about Orange County government. In 2017 and 2018, the Orange County Press Club recognized Santana as Orange County’s best columnist. Before founding Voice of OC in 2009, Santana was a lead investigative reporter for the Orange County Register from 2004-2009, focusing on county government. He’s spent nearly two decades just focusing on local governments across Southern California, previously as a staff writer with outlets such as the San Diego Union Tribune and the San Bernardino County Sun. Santana began his journalistic career in the early 1990s as an apprentice reporter with Congressional Quarterly in Washington, D.C. covering daily floor action in the U.S. Congress and followed that up with a stint covering the territorial Senate for the U.S. Virgin Islands Daily News. In addition to his experience as a journalist, the Southern California native has a master’s in Latin American Studies, has worked as an elections analyst on National Endowment for Democracy programs across Latin America and was one of the founders of CubaNet.org, a website featuring the work of dissident journalists inside Cuba that has operated since 1995. Languages spoken: English and Spanish Areas of expertise: Orange County, southern California, investigations, politics, elections, government transparency, Congress, Latin America, local government, civic education and reporting education.
Brea City Treasurer Rick Rios along with Brea resident activist and downtown developer Dwight Manley keep pressing uncomfortable questions about the city’s main water wholesaler, Cal Domestic Water. Their probe, which has already drawn a DA review and state sanctions over past dealings, may soon be headed to OC Superior Court.
A defunct but popular Orange County fishing spot comes back to life on Saturday, Aug. 17 after Supervisor Don Wagner – who is up for re-election next year, successfully leads negotiations with two neighboring water districts to re-open Irvine Lake, which has been shut down since 2016.
Sheriff Don Barnes has set what is apparently a new standard at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, enforcing administrative discipline against deputies who plead Fifth Amendment protections. The OC Deputy Sheriff’s union is taking Barnes to court, saying it’s unconstitutional. But legal experts sought out by Voice of OC argue Barnes is right on.
Keeping the public out of the loop has become an extreme sport for our elected class as well as the greatest threat to our democracy. In recent times, we’ve seen efforts here in Orange County to illegally restrict public comment, destroy public documents, squash dissenting council members, delay release of police misconduct records along with the murky process of monitoring state harassment investigations or changing federal regulations.
This weekend’s earthquake, centered in the community of Ridgecrest, is a stark reminder that we are all behind in terms of being ready for the big quake. Voice of OC has been working on a disaster page project this summer, with the aim of providing readers with solid coverage and resources on disaster prep and response across Orange County. Help us source and fund the page.
Brough has reportedly withdrawn his request for a re-election endorsement from the OCGOP after several women, including Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, come forward to complain about harassment.
James Huynh and My Nguyen write that the LGBT Center OC should reconsider inviting uniformed police officers to this year’s Pride Parade and host open dialogue and community town halls about how to bridge relationships between law enforcement and the LGBTQ+ community.
Laura Kanter, a Queer and Trans Rights Advocate and co-founder of the Orange County LGBTQ+ Policing Partnership and the Orange County Equality Coalition, questions the decision by the Center OC to have police march in uniform at this weekend’s Pride Parade in Orange County, arguing T-Shirts are better than gun belts to show support.
The Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs paid out nearly $50,000 to Voice of OC, the L.A. Times and Southern California Public Radio this past month after deputies lost their bid in court earlier this year to seal deputy misconduct records.
An odd idea back in the summer of 2009 – a nonprofit, online newsroom covering local civics in a frank, nonpartisan, real time manner – has taken root in Orange County.