The Fullerton City Council Monday agreed to settle the suit brought by Ron Thomas, the father of the mentally-ill transient who died in 2011 after being beaten by six Fullerton police officers.
Author Archives: Tracy Wood
Tracy Wood oversaw Voice of OC’s civics reporting, including county and city government, the Orange County Transportation Authority, CalOptima, Anaheim, Santa Ana and other community coverage.
Tracy was a government reporter, foreign correspondent in Asia, California investigative reporter and editor. She covered the California legislature and governor’s office for both United Press International and the Los Angeles Times. As a UPI reporter, she was one of the few women combat correspondents during the Vietnam War. She joined the Los Angeles Times in California where she was an investigative reporter for 17 years, covering political and government corruption. Later she became the Orange County Register’s Investigations Editor, leading the paper’s investigations team when it broke the story of former Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona’s ties to Nationwide Auction Systems founder and former Assistant Sheriff Donald G. Haidl.
She won numerous awards for investigative reporting and in 2001 was named Los Angeles Print Journalist of the Year by Sigma Delta Chi, the professional journalism association.
Wood and eight other women reporters from Vietnam co-authored “War Torn, Stories of War from the Women Reporters who Covered Vietnam” (2002 Random House). She was also part of the Los Angeles Times staff team that won the 1993 Pulitzer for coverage of the Rodney King riots. The Pulitzer was for spot news coverage for balanced, comprehensive, penetrating coverage under deadline pressure of the second, most destructive day of the Los Angeles riots.
Posted inBrea, Countywide, Top Stories
Vietnam Veteran Gary Colletti Keeps Serving Fifty Years On
Gary Colletti left Vietnam in 1965, but the war hasn’t left him. He now helps fellow vets receive the benefits they have coming to them.
Posted inCountywide, Fullerton, Top Stories
Jury Selection Begins in Kelly Thomas Civil Trial
The father of Thomas, a mentally ill transient who died after being beaten by Fullerton police, has sued the city as well as the officers and two former police chiefs.
Posted inCountywide, Government, Politics & Elections, Top Stories
A Peek Inside the World of Todd Spitzer, Inc.
Over the past several years, county Supervisor Todd Spitzer has spent lavishly from an unusually large campaign account tied to his seat on the Republican Central Committee.
Posted inCountywide, Dana Point, Health & Wellness, News Briefs, Top Stories
Still No ‘Public’ Voice on CalOptima Board, Decision Delayed for Third Time
The Orange County Board of Supervisors this week again delayed adding a “public” representative to the board of directors of CalOptima, the health plan for low-income elderly and disabled residents.
Posted inCountywide, Top Stories
Constitutional Amendment Would Shine Light on ‘Dark Money’
Open government advocates are trying to get a proposal on the November 2016 ballot that would make Californians the first in the nation with a constitutional right to know about the big money behind political campaigns.
Posted inGovernment, Health & Wellness, News Briefs, Top Stories
Supervisors Reappoint Hospital Executive to CalOptima Board
Lee Penrose of St. Judes was reappointed to a second four-year term. Supervisors, however, again put off naming someone to the seat reserved for a member of the public.
Posted inCountywide, Government, Investigative, Top Stories
State Watchdog Closes Probe Into Supervisors, CalOptima Board
The investigation, launched by the Fair Political Practices Commission in 2013, concluded that allegations of conflict of interest were “too vague.”
Posted inGovernment, Health & Wellness, Investigative, News Briefs, Top Stories
CalOptima Slashes Rates Paid for Care of Medi-Cal Patients
The state had instituted raises in anticipation of increased workload due to Affordable Care Act. But the patients weren’t as sick as expected.
Posted inCountywide, Health & Wellness, News Briefs, Top Stories
Supervisors Delay CalOptima Board Appointment
Supervisors were scheduled to vote for one of two candidates for the year-old vacancy in the “public” seat, but appear to be seeking more candidates as both of the top contenders have strong ties to the hospital industry.
