A Superior Court judge has placed a temporary stay on Garden Grove’s district elections process after a community group and former city councilman filed a lawsuit challenging the elimination of an at-large elected mayor.
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 inNews Briefs, Westminster
Westminster Settles Lawsuit With Former City Clerk
The city of Westminster will pay $150,000 to former city clerk Robin Roberts, who claims she was the target of harassment and intimidation after filing complaints about potential illegal activity by city officials.
Posted inCountywide, Government, Health & Wellness, Top Stories
Report: OC’s Safety Net Programs Do Little to Cut Poverty
Social safety net programs cut just 5 percent of the overall poverty rate in Orange County, according a new report by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), ranking it at the bottom among California counties.
Posted inCountywide, Investigative, Top Stories, Westminster
Dick Jones’ Sweet Deal in Westminster
Last year, Jones & Mayer, of which Richard Jones is the sole owner, collected at least $2 million in billings for city attorney services in several cities. On top of that, Jones received a $210,000 salary from Westminster last year and might be in line for a fat pension.
Posted inCountywide, Investigative, Top Stories
Bustamante Pleads Guilty to Sex Crimes
Carlos Bustamante — a former Orange County Public Works executive and one-time rising star in the local GOP — pled guilty late Friday morning to sex crimes and grand theft of public funds. He is expected to serve jail time.
Posted inCountywide, Health & Wellness, News Briefs, Santa Ana, Top Stories
Santa Ana Groups Celebrate Youth Empowerment
Santa Ana youth groups Wednesday evening celebrated youth involvement in their community and local politics.
Posted inCountywide, Health & Wellness, News Briefs, Santa Ana, Top Stories, Transportation
Santa Ana Hires Consultant for Bike Safety Campaign
The Santa Ana City Council approved a $100,000 agreement Tuesday evening for a city-wide bike safety education program geared toward reducing the number of people injured or killed in bicycle collisions.
Posted inNews Briefs, Santa Ana
Santa Ana Council Approves Salary Increases for Executives
Santa Ana City Council members Tuesday evening approved a 2.5 percent salary increase this fiscal year for its executive management staff, as well as another 2.5 percent increase in July 2016.
Posted inGarden Grove, News Briefs
Garden Grove Adds Further Protections to Nepotism Policy
Garden Grove City Manager Scott Stiles has instituted new rules regarding the promotion of city employees who have relatives also working for the city.
Posted inGarden Grove, News Briefs
Garden Grove Council Postpones Vote on Demolition of Galleria Project
The nine-story steel eyesore, which has been under threat of demolition for some time, will stay erect until at least the end of May after council members decided to postpose a demolition vote.
