Former state assemblyman and lobbyist Jose Solorio resigned from his seat on the Board of Trustees for the Rancho Santiago Community College District Thursday evening, just a day after he moved out of his trustee area in order to run for the Santa Ana City Council.
Author Archives: Thy Vo
Thy is a reporter covering the cities of Anaheim, Garden Grove, and Westminster as well as transportation issues and the courts. She’s the daughter of two Vietnamese refugees and grew up in Anaheim and Orange County’s Little Saigon community. She speaks Vietnamese and conversational Mandarin Chinese.
During her time at Voice of OC, Thy has investigated nepotism and illegal contracts in the city of Garden Grove, an illegal pension arrangement by the Westminster city attorney and controversy over the use of publicly-funded mass mailers by county supervisors.
Thy has received accolades from the Orange County and Southern California Press Clubs, including a second place Best Public Affairs Story award from the OC Press Club for her story “Dick Jones’ Sweet Deal in Westminster,” and a third place Best Feature Story award from the SoCal Press Club for “Struggles of Second Generation Reveal Long Shadow of War.”
Before working for Voice of OC, Thy interned at the Santa Barbara Independent; China Economic Review in Shanghai, China; and Orange County Register. She graduated from Haverford College with a degree in political science.
Languages spoken: English, Vietnamese and Mandarin
Areas of expertise: Anaheim, Garden Grove, Westminster, immigration, pension issues, court coverage and transportation.
Posted inSanta Ana
Santa Ana Council To Ask Voters For A 700 Percent Raise
Santa Ana City Council members are asking voters to approve a ballot measure during the Nov. 8 general election that would raise their salaries by 700 percent, to the maximum allowed by state law.
Posted inWestminster
Former Westminster Planning Commissioner Charged With Bribery
Former Westminster Planning Commissioner David Phuong Dinh Vo was arraigned at the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana Tuesday morning on federal corruption charges after Vo solicited $15,000 in bribes from a confidential FBI informant in exchange for help obtaining a city liquor license.
Posted inCountywide, Santa Ana, Top Stories
Bustamante Serving Jail Sentence at Private, 20-Bed Facility
Former Orange County Public Works executive and Santa Ana City Councilman Carlos Bustamante is serving his one-year sentence at Montebello City Jail, a private facility where inmates pay to serve their sentence away from the general prison population.
Posted inAnaheim, Health & Wellness
Anaheim City Council Passes Strict Short-Term Rental Ban
After a marathon special meeting, a split council approved a ban that gives the city’s 363 permitted short-term rental operators 18 months to phase out their businesses.
Posted inGarden Grove, Safety, Security & Justice
Garden Grove Council Passes Budget That Strains City Resources
City Council members Tuesday approved a $218-million budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year that includes millions in new spending even though the city’s projected revenues are expected to fall more than $4 million short of its expenses.
Posted inGarden Grove, News Briefs
Garden Grove Council Approves $200 Monthly Vehicle Stipend for Themselves
Council members voted 3-2 Tuesday to implement the stipend beginning in the 2017-18 fiscal year. It is the first change in council compensation in 40 years.
Posted inAnaheim, Countywide, Top Stories, Transportation
OCTA Votes Unanimously to End Anaheim Streetcar Project
The Orange County Transportation Authority will stop all planning activities with Anaheim officials for the city’s controversial streetcar project.
Posted inWestminster
Sales Tax Increase to Go Before Westminster Voters
After a contentious meeting packed with residents and employees in support of putting a tax increase before voters, the City Council voted to approve the ballot measure on the condition that any tax increase expire after six years.
Posted inEconomy, Investigative, Westminster
Westminster Council to Debate Taxes vs. Spending Cuts Amid Dire Budget Picture
As the window rapidly closes on they city’s chances to prevent bankruptcy by 2018, council members will meet Wednesday to pass a 2016-17 budget and again debate whether the path forward should be shaped by a tax increase or major spending cuts.
