According to our sources, it looks like the Santa Ana City Council is going to pay Councilwoman Michele Martinez a stipend of $18,000 a year to sit on the Board of the Metropolitan Water District.
In years past this role was filled by a Santa Ana Public Works employee – who was not paid anything extra to attend the meetings. It was part of his job.
Even the previous MWD Commissioner, former Santa Ana Mayor Dan Griset, served on the MWD Board without asking to be paid. Continue reading
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Eric Eberwein, (714) 902-5716 | ocpabox@gmail.com
OCPA 20/20 – Celebrating 20 Years of New OC Plays
The Orange County Playwrights Alliance (OCPA) celebrates its 20th birthday in April with OCPA 20/20, a pair of Discoveries new play events at Santa Ana’s Theatre Out. The April 18 staged readings take a retrospective turn and present one-acts from OCPA’s 20 years; the April 25 staged readings present new one-acts referencing the theme “20 years”. Details on both events below – call 714-902-5716 for reservations!
The April 18 playbill: Continue reading
Santa Ana Police Department
UPDATE:
On 3-28-2015, Jesus Francisco Borrell was arrested by CHP Santa Ana Office for driving a stolen vehicle, narcotics violations, and failure to yield to law enforcement. CHP book Borrell into the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Jail.
Jesus Francisco Borrell, was also wanted by the Santa Ana Police Department for three residential burglaries occurring at 31 MacArthur Crescent in the City of Santa Ana between 1-31-2015 and 2-14-2015. Santa Ana Police Detectives will be submitting their case for three counts of residential burglary and USC 1702-1708 (mail theft) to the Orange County District Attorney. Continue reading
Santa Ana Police Department
The Santa Ana Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying suspects wanted for a sexual assault. If you have any information about this case or the suspects involved, please call Santa Ana Police Family Crimes Detectives at (714) 245-8378.
Case Synopsis: Continue reading
Orange County Children’s Therapeutic ARTS Center
LIBRERIA MARTINEZ DE CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY PROUDLY PRESENTS “ARTISTS GIVING BACK” TO BENEFIT ORANGE COUNTY CHILDREN’S THERAPEUTIC ARTS CENTER
Raffle tickets now on sale to win one of three art pieces
Santa Ana, CA: Librería Martínez de Chapman University and Orange County Children’s Therapeutic Arts Center (OCCTAC) cordially invite you to visit their exhibit, “Artists Giving Back,” from March 28 through April 4, 2015 at Librería Martínez de Chapman University (LMdeCU). Chapman’s College of Educational Studies community-based downtown bookstore will host the exhibit featuring works by professional artists Marina Aguilera, Fino Ortiz, and Maria Reyna. Each of the artists has selected a piece of their work to be raffled off with proceeds benefitting OCCTAC in Santa Ana. Raffle tickets are available for $5.00 each, 3 for $10; 7 for $20, or 15 for $50. Winners of the three featured art pieces will be announced at the end of an Artist Reception to be held on April 4th from 6 to 8 p.m. at LMdeCU. Winners must be present to receive art. Continue reading
Santa Ana Police Department
Santa Ana, CA – To save lives and educate all Californians, especially young drivers, about the dangers of distracted driving, the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), California Highway Patrol (CHP), Impact Teen Drivers, and more than 200 law enforcement agencies statewide are working together on increased education and enforcement efforts for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April and California Teen Safe Driving Week, the first week of April.
Throughout the month of April, Police, Sheriff and the CHP will focus on educating the public about the dangers of driving distracted through local media interviews, visits to schools, and traffic safety presentations. In addition, two dates, April 1 and April 15, have been earmarked for special statewide high visibility enforcement days for all law enforcement agencies that are participating in the national traffic safety campaign. Continue reading
Santa Ana Police Department
In an effort to provide a safe environment and minimize the impact on our local neighborhoods, the Santa Ana Police Department will be deploying extra police personnel to deal with the influx of cruiser activity experienced on Easter (Sunday, April 5th). Continue reading
Someone threw a Molotov cocktail at a Ford SUV that was parked outside a home on the 900 block of North Bewley Street, in Santa Ana’s Ward 5, at 1:30 am on Tuesday morning, according to the O.C. Register.
The owner of the SUV, which had exterior damage after the incident, said that the getaway car was a dark-colored truck – but the SAPD has not found it or its driver yet. Continue reading
Did the reliably lame Orange County Vector Control District screw up and poison our local honey bees?
One of our readers, David Marder, is a beekeeper, and he runs a bee control company here in Orange County, called Bee Busters. In fact he is the one who took care of the Africanized honey bees that killed three dogs in Santa Ana lost week.
Marder and his colleagues started noticing earlier in this month (with a huge spike right around the weekend of the 7-8th of March) unusual numbers of people calling about swarms and colonies of bees which upon their arrival they found to be dying from apparent pesticide exposure. So they immediately called the offices of the Orange County Vector Control District, because they seemed like the most plausible cause of bee deaths all over the county. Continue reading
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 30th 2015
Contact: Alicia Rojas, Santa Ana Community Artist(a) Coalition, artistacoalition@gmail.com or 714-907-5468
SANTANERO ZINE and the SANTA ANA COMMUNITY ARTIST(a) COALITION will be hosting the first Art Walk at the Art Alley /Callejon de Arte!
The SANTANERO Lit Slam and Community Mural Kick off!
The Art Alley is located in *Downtown Santa Ana behind La Calle Cuatro / 4th St. In between Bush and Main*
SATURDAY APRIL 4th from 3:00PM – 10:00Pm
Community Artist(a)s will be creating temporary murals in preparation of the next big Community Mural. Hear the voices of the Community and their input about what kind of public art they would like to see go up in their City walls! Hear slam poets; storytellers, and literary types drop word bombs!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 30, 2015
Contact: Jenny Wedge, (949) 252-5182, jwedge@ocair.com
JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT APPROVES PERMITS FOR RIDESHARING COMPANIES UBER AND WINGZ TO BEGIN OPERATING AT THE AIRPORT
SANTA ANA, Calif. – John Wayne Airport (JWA) today issued permits for two ridesharing companies to begin providing passenger pickups at the Airport. Uber and Wingz were the first two Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) to submit the documentation required to receive JWA’s new TNC Ground Transportation Permit. Wingz intends to begin serving passengers at JWA today, March 30, and Uber plans to begin service Tuesday, March 31.
John Wayne Airport has worked with TNCs for several months to create a permit that ensures they comply with state and local requirements, and provide a safe, secure and efficient service to airport customers. Earlier this month, the Orange County Board of Supervisors approved a ground transportation permit for TNCs that paved the way for ridesharing services to begin. Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE
Case # 10CF2478
Date: March 30, 2015
SANTA ANA – A woman was convicted today of the special circumstances murder of a man by driving over his head after following him home from a Hawaiian Gardens Casino to rob him of $10,000 in gambling winnings. Barbara Ann Hamel, 51, Long Beach, was found guilty by a jury of one felony count of special circumstances murder for committing a murder during a robbery, two felony counts of second degree robbery, and one felony count of attempted second degree robbery. Hamel faces a sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole at her sentencing on May 29, 2015, at 9:00 a.m., in Department C-41, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.
Hamel previously pleaded guilty in this case on Dec. 13, 2013, and was expected to be sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison on Feb. 21, 2014. During the sentencing the court allowed Hamel to withdraw her guilty plea based on the defendant’s request to have evidence in this case further analyzed. Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE
Case # 15CF0617
Date: March 30, 2015
MAN ARRAIGNED FOR KIDNAPPING AND THREATENING WOMAN AFTER CARVING HIS NAME ON HER CHEST
SANTA ANA – A man was arraigned today for kidnapping and threatening a woman that he had a romantic relationship with after carving his name on her chest. Sergio Joaquin Mendoza, 39, Santa Ana, is charged with one felony count of kidnapping, one felony count of criminal threats, two felony counts of domestic battery with corporal injury, and a sentencing enhancement for the personal use of a deadly weapon. At the time of the crime Mendoza had a romantic relationship Jane Doe. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 11 years and eight months in state prison. He is being held on $100,000 bail and is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on April 8, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.
Between March 17, 2015, and March 20, 2015, Mendoza is accused of living in a room in a relative’s house in Santa Ana. During that time, Mendoza is accused of getting into multiple verbal arguments with Jane Doe and punching her on several occasions. The defendant is accused of forcing Jane Doe to sit in his car while he was at work and threatening her with violence in order to keep her from leaving the car. Continue reading
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 30, 2015
Contact: Katie Ingram at katie.ingram@occr.ocgov.com, (714) 796-6413
OC Animal Care Needs Public Assistance Locating Dog and Owner
(Orange, CA) OC Animal Care is investigating a dog involved in an attack on two horses in O’Neill Regional Park on March 27, 2015. The horses were being ridden on Live Oak Trail at approximately 12:45 pm. The equestrians reported that both horses sustained multiple bites by the dog, which reportedly was being walked off-leash by its owner at the time of the attack.
Anyone with information on the dog, the owner or the attack is encouraged to contact OC Animal Care Operations at (714)796-6460. Please reference case A15-008874. Reporting parties are permitted to remain anonymous if they choose. Pending the results of the investigation, the case file may be referred for additional action to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Continue reading
Chairman Todd Spitzer, 2-1-1 Chair Alan Roeder, OC Veterans Advisory Council Chairman Bobby McDonald, SoCalGas Public Affairs Manager Paul Simonds and Supervisor Lisa Bartlett
By: OC Supervisor Todd Spitzer
Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) has supplied a $30,000 grant to help 2-1-1 Orange County develop and launch an internet site that will help Orange County veterans and their families gain greater access to services, it was announced this week at the Orange County Supervisors meeting.
The new portal is connected to 2-1-1 Orange County’s extensive database of regional services that include housing, legal assistance, counseling, child care and other services. The portal will serve as a central location for the most current information and relevant services for veterans and their families. 2-1-1 Orange County is also working with the Orange County Veterans and Military Families Collaborative to make sure that area agencies are trained to work specifically with service men and women as they transition back from deployment. Continue reading