The City Council approved a two-year contract with the firefighters’ union that boosts cafeteria and employee education benefits.
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 inCountywide, Garden Grove, Top Stories
Garden Grove Council Bucks Trend, Votes to Keep Red Light Cameras
The city’s unpopular photo enforcement program is here to stay — at least for now — after Mayor Bao Nguyen and Councilman Phat Bui failed again to convince their colleagues to kill it.
Posted inNews Briefs, Westminster
Westminster Seeks Volunteers for Financial Task Force
The Westminster City Council is seeking volunteers for a new financial advisory task force to help devise a long-term strategy to stabilize the city’s budget.
Posted inNews Briefs, Westminster
Westminster to Indemnify Police Chiefs in Federal Discrimination Case
Council members voted Thursday night to indemnify three former police chiefs and current chief Kevin Baker for $2.1 million in punitive damages leveled against them as part of a 2011 federal lawsuit.
Posted inGarden Grove, News Briefs
Garden Grove OKs $42 million Bond Payment for Waterpark Hotel Developer
The Garden Grove City Council approved payment to Colorado-based McWhinney developer of the Great Wolf Lodge Water Park Hotel as part of a 2010 subsidy agreement.
Posted inGarden Grove, Politics & Elections
Some in Garden Grove Worry About Mayor’s Role in New Electoral System
As Garden Grove begins transitioning to a system of electing city council members by district, some are concerned about what the changes will do to the influence of the city’s mayor.
Posted inCountywide, News Briefs, Top Stories, Westminster
Oil Hunt to Begin in Westminster
The Westminster City Council Wednesday night approved an encroachment permit that would allow Signal Hill Petroleum to conduct seismic tests in a bid to find oil reserves, after nearly two years of negotiating over concerns that vibrations from the tests could damage aging city pipes.
Posted inGarden Grove
Garden Grove Might Release Late-Night Recording of Mayor
A late-night recording of a conversation between Garden Grove Mayor Bao Nguyen and the police union president could be released to the public if two city council members vote to release it during a closed session Tuesday night.
Posted inCorrections, News Briefs, Santa Ana
Court Hearing on Pot Shop Raid Video Continued to Aug. 13
A court hearing to consider a temporary restraining order on a video showing Santa Ana police officers misbehaving during a raid of a marijuana dispensary was continued to next Thursday to give attorneys for the city of Santa Ana more time to respond.
Posted inCountywide, Top Stories, Westminster
Few City Managers Can Spend as Freely as Westminster’s
City Manager Eddie Manfro can authorize up to $175,000 in spending without City Council approval, which is more than top administrators are allowed in cities four times as large as Westminster.
