New Santa Ana

Mandatory wood-burning ban in effect today for residents of the South Coast Air Basin

Posted on January 3, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Air Quality, Environment, Fires, Orange County, Santa Ana 8 Comments

NO-BURN ALERT: MANDATORY WOOD-BURNING BAN IN EFFECT TODAY FOR RESIDENTS OF THE SOUTH COAST AIR BASIN

All Indoor and Outdoor Residential Wood Burning Prohibited Due to High Air Pollution Predicted for Today, Saturday January 3

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) has issued a residential no-burn alert effective Saturday, January 3, 2015, for all those living in the South Coast Air Basin, which includes the greater Los Angeles area, Orange County and the Inland Empire. SCAQMD reminds residents in these areas that burning wood in their fireplaces is prohibited from midnight tonight through midnight on Saturday night. No-burn alerts are mandatory in order to protect public health due to a high concentration of fine particle air pollution forecast for the area. The no-burn prohibition also applies to manufactured fire logs, such as those made from wax or paper. Continue reading→

Santa Ana resident on leave from the Marines killed in head on crash in Whittier

Posted on January 3, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in Accidents, Military, Santa Ana 63 Comments

Photo Credit: Facebook, used with permission granted by the Tapia family

Two motorists, identified as Matthew George Tapia, 24, of Santa Ana, and Corina Villareal, 54, of Azusa, were killed Thursday at about 1:30 a.m. in a head-on crash near Whittier at First Avenue, near Candlelight Drive, in the unincorporated county area, California Highway Patrol officials said in a written statement, according to the Whittier Daily News.

Tapia was the son of George and Anita Tapia, who are members of the Tustin Calvary Chapel Church. He was home on leave from the U.S. Marines when the accident occurred. Continue reading→

Has First District candidate Andrew Do hooked up with Brian Probolsky?

Posted on January 1, 2015 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2015 Elections, Andrew Do, Brian Probolsky, Janet Nguyen, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party Leave a comment

By the OC Politics Blog

I am hearing that Orange County administrator Brian Probolsky has taken a one month leave of absence from his job at the O.C. Community Resources (after being on loan for awhile to Pat Bates, who like Janet Nguyen has left the O.C. Board of Supervisors) to help the campaign of Andrew Do, the former Chief of Staff to Nguyen. I am told that Do will retain Probolsky as his Chief of Staff if the First District Special Election goes his way.

Probolsky, moved to a position that was created for him, as Business Practices Manager at OC Community Resources, after working as a Bates staffer, in February of 2013. His new job came with an 81 percent raise, from $31 an hour to $56 an hour, according to the O.C. Register. Continue reading→

O.C. Auditor-Controller releases the CAFR and OC Citizens’ Report

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Jan Grimes, OC Auditor-Controller, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: December 30, 2014

For further information contact: Jan Grimes, 714.834.2457

Orange County Auditor-Controller Jan Grimes Releases the CAFR and OC Citizens’ Report

(Santa Ana, CA) Dec. 30, 2014 – The Orange County Auditor-Controller Department released the Annual OC Citizens’ Report today, also called the Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR). This report presents financial highlights for the County of Orange, California for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 and provides the general public a summary of the information contained in the County’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR).

“The OC Citizens’ Report is designed to be easily understood by non-accountants and helps provide the transparency in government that the public deserves,” says Auditor-Controller Jan Grimes. Continue reading→

O.C. Sheriff’s DUI sweep nets 25 suspects with outstanding warrants

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Alcohol, Crime, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

NEWS, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lt. Jeff Hallock, 714.904.7042, JHallock@ocsd.org

25 Suspects with Outstanding DUI Warrants Caught in Orange County Sheriff’s Department Sweep

SANTA ANA, Calif. – (December 30, 2014) – On December 15,, 2014, Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputies fanned out into neighborhoods in search of high risk driving under the influence (DUI) offenders with outstanding arrest warrants. Deputies served warrants and arrested 12 offenders who either failed to show up for a court date or violated terms of their probation in an outstanding DUI case. An additional 13 offenders turned themselves in to court during the two weeks following the warrant event.

“The best bet for anyone with a missed DUI court date is to go to court on their own now,” said Lieutenant Jim England of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Traffic Bureau. “If you don’t, that warrant isn’t going away. We’re going to come find you and take you to jail.” Those caught often face additional jail time for failing to appear in court or for violating probation. Continue reading→

Say adios to the Santa Ana Park Rangers

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Carlos Rojas, Civic Affairs, Crime, David Cavazos, Parks and Recreation, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 4 Comments

A couple of state laws that make it illegal for retirees drawing state pension benefits to also be employed as park rangers have led to the dissolution of the Santa Ana Park Rangers, according to the Voice of OC.

Apparently there are four Park Rangers and they are armed – they are all retired cops. They reported to the Santa Ana Parks and Recreation Agency instead of reporting to the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) which is a bit odd to say the least.

Our overpaid City Manager, David Cavazos, has come up with a very stupid idea to replace the armed Park Rangers with 15 unarmed “parks ambassadors,” who will “act as community servants, offering the public information about the parks reporting public safety issues to the police.” Continue reading→

Andrew Do sends out the first campaign mailer in the race for O.C.’s First District

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2015 Elections, Andrew Do, Chris Phan, Chuyen Van Nguyen, Democratic Party, Janet Nguyen, Lou Correa, Orange County, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Andrew Do appears to be the first candidate running for Orange County’s First Supervisorial District to get a campaign mailer out. The mailer is nothing special but it serves to establish that Do is backed by a bunch of mostly white Republican elected officials – and his former boss, Janet Nguyen. Notably he does not appear to be backed by any Latinos.

I checked Do’s campaign website and there also he does not list any Latino supporters. And his campaign Facebook page only has six supporters – which is probably why he needed to get the campaign mailer out right away. Do has been out of office for awhile, having resigned from the Garden Grove City Council a few years ago. I am not sure the voters know who he is. Continue reading→

Has the sun set on the Santa Ana Police Department?

Posted on December 28, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Carlos Rojas, Civic Affairs, Public Safety, Santa Ana 19 Comments

One of our top sources is reporting that morale at the Santa Ana Police Department is now at an all-time low. We previously reported about the problems at the SAPD that have erupted since the ouster of former Chief of Police Paul Walters and his replacement by Carlos Rojas, a police officer who had no previous executive experience. Now apparently things have taken a turn for the worse.

Rojas oversees an agency that had an annual budget of $103.8 million, in 2013-14 – about half the city’s general fund. Of the department’s 579 staff, about 325 are sworn officers, according to the O.C. Register. Why the Santa Ana City Council didn’t conduct a national search to replace Walters – and hired a guy with no previous experience as a Police Chief, to oversee such a huge police department is a very good question. Continue reading→

It was a bloody Christmas week in Santa Ana

Posted on December 27, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 2 Comments

The Santa Ana City Council members keep saying crime is under control but just look at what happened in our city during Christmas week this year. It was a very bloody week indeed.

Two 13-year-old boys were shot at around 2 p.m. Christmas Day along the 1600 block of S. Evergreen Street. The incident may be gang-related and may have been a drive-by shooting, according to the O.C. Register. The boys will live but they are not cooperating with the police. (This crime occurred in Ward 1, which is represented by Mayor Pro Tem Vince Sarmiento).
A man on leave from the military went to a Christmas Eve party where he met a woman. They later went to her apartment in the 300 block of South Garnsey Street, where around 4:30 Christmas morning he was stabbed by the woman’s ex-boyfriend, who’d been lying in wait, according to police, according to the OC Weekly. (This crime occurred in Ward 5, which is represented by Councilman Roman Reyna).
On Christmas Eve, at approximately midnight, SAPD police officers were dispatched to a call of shots fired in the area of 500 S. Sullivan Street. Witnesses informed officers they had heard approximately 4-5 shots fired. While at the call, officers were informed that a 17 year old male, later identified as Angel Arellano, arrived with multiple gunshot wounds at Coastal Community Hospital. Arellano was immediately transported to Western Medical in critical condition where he died from his injuries, as we previously reported. Arellano, a documented Townsend Street gang member, was one of the individuals trying to stop the Orange County District Attorney’s Townsend Street injunction. (This crime occurred in Ward 5, which is represented by Councilman Roman Reyna).

Continue reading→

Applications being accepted to replace Bao Nguyen on the G.G. Unified School District’s Board of Ed.

Posted on December 26, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, Bao Nguyen, Education, Garden Grove, Politics Leave a comment

GGUSD Board of Education Accepting Application for Provisional Appointment

The Garden Grove Unified School District Board of Education is currently accepting applications for provisional appointment to fill a vacancy created when former trustee Bao Nguyen was elected to serve as the mayor of Garden Grove.

The application and supplemental materials are available below and must be submitted to the Office of the Superintendent before 5:00 p.m. on January 6, 2015. All eligible Garden Grove Unified School District residents who are interested in the position are encouraged to apply.

In order to be eligible to serve as a trustee, applicants must: Continue reading→

Governor Brown pardons over one hundred convicts

Posted on December 25, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in california, Crime, Jerry Brown 1 Comment

GOVERNOR BROWN GRANTS PARDONS

12-24-2014

SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced that he has granted 105 pardons.

The individuals granted pardons all completed their sentences and have been released from custody for more than a decade without further criminal activity.

Individuals who have been convicted of a crime in California may apply to the Governor for a pardon. All applicants for a pardon who were eligible obtained a Certificate of Rehabilitation, which is an order from a superior court declaring that a person convicted of a crime is now rehabilitated. A gubernatorial pardon may be granted to people who have demonstrated exemplary behavior and have lived productive and law-abiding lives following their conviction. Pardons are not granted unless they are earned. Continue reading→

Christmas burglar arrested after homeowner wounds him with a shotgun

Posted on December 25, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Crime, Fullerton Leave a comment

Picture courtesy of ABC News

Anaheim Police Department
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 25, 2014
Released by: Lt. Bob Dunn, Contact: (714) 497-6330

Subject: Suspect Arrested in Anaheim Hills Residential Burglary

At about 11:30 p.m. on December 24, 2014, Anaheim Police were called to the 8300 block of E. Quiet Canyon Court for a burglary in progress. A homeowner saw a male with a ski mask trying to break into a downstairs window of his home. Before police arrived, the suspect fled on foot and was not located during an area search.

On December 25, 2014 at about 3:30 a.m., Anaheim Police were called to a residence in the 900 block of S. Country Glen Way reference a burglary in progress. A homeowner found a male wearing a black ski mask inside his home. The male resident confronted the suspect and a physical altercation ensued. During the altercation, the suspect struck the male resident with a metal object – believed to be a wrench. The male resident retrieved a shotgun kept inside the home. As the suspect began to flee, the male resident fired one shot at the suspect. The suspect continued to run and was quickly out of sight. Continue reading→

Teen named Angel Arellano shot to death in Roman Reyna’s Ward 5

Posted on December 24, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Gangs, Santa Ana 11 Comments

SAPD Homicide Detectives are currently investigating shooting death in the 500 block of South Sullivan, according to the SAPD’s Facebook page. The shooting appears to be gang related.

NBC News reported that a teenager was shot dead and that he was between 16 and 18-years-old.

He was hit at least once in the torso at the 500 block of South Sullivan Street before midnight, according to the Santa Ana Police Department said. Continue reading→

Why is the City Council going after food truck vendors again?

Posted on December 24, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Food Trucks, Politics, Santa Ana 2 Comments

Santa Ana leaders are once against considering options to regulate the catering and produce vending trucks that dot city streets and offer everything from heads of lettuce to tacos and gummy worms, according to the Voice of OC.

Apparently state and federal courts in the past ruled that previous city laws went too far and unfairly restricted the businesses.

Why is the Santa Ana City Council so upset with these food trucks? “City officials say they are prime targets for graffiti, produce a glut of trash and litter, are known to sell cigarettes, and block views at crosswalks and intersections.” Continue reading→

First District candidates forum set for January 6 in Santa Ana

Posted on December 24, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2015 Elections, Entertainment, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

PRESS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 19, 2014

Contact: Connie Hamilton, Connect-to-Council, 714-745-1692, connect-to-council@earthlink.net

Connect-to-Council to present Candidates Forum for Orange County Supervisor, First District, on January 6, 2014

Santa Ana, CA, – Connect-to-Council, along with promotional support from the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce, Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce and Westminster Chamber of Commerce, is presenting a Candidates Forum for the voters of Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Fountain Valley and Westminster. This forum will feature candidates that are running for the First District of the Orange County Board of Supervisors. This will be a special election taking place on January 27.

This forum will take place on Tuesday, January 6, 2014, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at the Rancho Santiago Community College District Board Room, located at 2323 N Broadway, in Santa Ana. Continue reading→

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