Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Monthly Archives: December 2017

Santa and helpers to deliver gifts to 1,167 SAUSD students on Dec. 8

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Santa and Helpers to Deliver Gifts to 1,167 SAUSD Students on Dec. 8

Chapman University President Daniele Struppa will play Santa; the effort is organized through Direct Effect Charities

(Dec. 7, 2017) All 1,167 students at Madison Elementary School in the Santa Ana Unified School District will receive personal gifts from Santa Claus and his helpers on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017 through Direct Effect Charities, a Chicago-based charity that is currently expanding its hands-on programs to Orange County. Continue reading→

Free community food bank set for Dec. 16 at Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana

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Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana and the Official No One Left Behind Organization is hosting a Santa Ana/OC Community FOOD BANK on Saturday, December 16, 2017 at Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana, located at 2840 West 1st Street, in Santa Ana, from Time: 11 a.m. -1 p.m.

Come join us and bring any one that is interested in receiving FREE food items and books for kids. Continue reading→

The SAPD is conducting a DUI and Driver’s License Checkpoint on 12/9

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD conducting DUI / Driver’s License checkpoint Sat, December 9th, 2017, 9:30PM – 2:30AM, 3500 W 5th Street

SANTA ANA POLICE STEP UP DUI ENFORCEMENT

The Santa Ana Police Department will be conducting a DUI / Driver’s License checkpoint on Saturday December 9th, 2017. It will begin at 9:30 p.m. and is scheduled to conclude at 2:30 a.m. It will be conducted in the area of 3500 W 5th Street, in the City of Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Over 90 firefighters battling a fire at a Santa Ana business complex tonight

Posted on by Posted in Fires, OCFA, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Over 90 OCFA firefighters have been battling a five alarm fire that started at about 9:40 p.m. at a 2 story business complex fire, according to the OCFA. The fire is located at the 1500 block of East Edinger Ave. This is a few blocks south of Century High School, near S. Grand Ave.

In their last Twitter update the OCFA said that the fire attack was progressing well and they were attempting to keep the fire contained to the building of origin. Continue reading→

Man pleads guilty to a fatal DUI collision that killed a popular Santa Ana runner

Posted on by Posted in Accidents, Crime, Drugs, Fountain Valley, OCDA, Santa Ana, Westminster Leave a comment

John Motesharrei, a 40-year-old Westminster man, pleaded guilty on his birthday Tuesday to a hit-and-run collision that killed Juan Ramirez Garcia, a 48-year-old Santa Ana man who was jogging in Fountain Valley, according to the O.C. Register.

Motesharrei pleaded guilty to hit and run with permanent injury, a felony, and hit and run with property damage, a misdemeanor. Continue reading→

The SAPD is investigating an early morning fatal gang-related shooting

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Detectives Investigating Homicide 300 Block East 17th Street

Victim: Pending Notification – Male (36)

On Wednesday, December 6, 2017, at 1:41 AM, the Santa Ana Police Department received reports of a shooting and a man down in the parking lot of the 7-11 convenience store at 302 East 17th Street. Officers arrived and found a 36 year-old male suffering a gunshot wound to his upper body.

Orange County Fire Authority personnel arrived, treated, and transported the victim to a local trauma center for treatment. The victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at 2:12 AM. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man facing a murder charge after allegedly gunning down a man on Tuesday

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Felix Martinez Vargas, a 20-year-old Santa Ana man, is facing a murder charge that was filed on Tuesday, in which he is accused of shooting Mariano Labra Ramos, a 36-year-old Santa Ana man, to death outside of his apartment complex last week, according to the O.C. Register.

Prosecutors are also tacking on a sentence-enhancement charge against Vargas because he is an alleged gangbanger who caused great bodily harm while vicariously discharging a firearm. Continue reading→

The City of Santa Ana is making home down payment funds available now

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City of Santa Ana

Community: Down Payment Funds Available Now! / ¡Fondos de Pago Inicial Disponibles Ahora!

The City of Santa Ana offers assistance to first-time home buyers–up to $40,000 with 0 percent interest rate.

Minimum down payment assistance requirements: Continue reading→

High wind warning in effect in Santa Ana through Thursday

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City of Santa Ana

Advisory: High Wind Warning in Effect Now through Thursday, December 7, 2017 at 4:00 PM

The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning, which will be in effect until Thursday, December 7, 2017 at 4:00 PM.

WINDS

Areas of northeast winds of 25 to 35 MPH with gusts of up to 55 MPH are expected. Isolated gusts of up to 80 MPH are expected this morning and again on Thursday. Continue reading→

Santa Claus is coming to town for the 25th annual OCTA Stuff-A-Bus

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 4, 2017

Santa Claus is Coming to Town for 25th Annual Stuff-A-Bus

The yearly event brings people together to help collect toys for local kids in need during the holidays

ORANGE – Those looking to make Santa’s nice list this year can do so by donating toys at the 25th annual Stuff-A-Bus event on Friday, Dec. 15 at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

The public is encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys or sporting equipment to the Honda Center west parking lot at 2695 E. Katella Ave. in Anaheim from 4:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Toys will be distributed to children in need throughout the community. Continue reading→

Santa Ana’s City Council doles out cash to special interests as they slide towards bankruptcy

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Santa Ana 1 Comment

By the O.C. Register’s Editorial Board

Santa Ana city officials have long struggled to be responsible stewards of public money — and with many of the decisions they’ve made this year, they seem to only be moving further away from that basic expectation.

In July, the Santa Ana City Council approved a $510.7 million budget packed with add-ons and reliant on one-time funding. The following month its members approved the first city-wide project labor agreement in Orange County, a union giveaway expected to add millions of dollars in avoidable costs to city multi-trade construction and specialty contracts. Continue reading→

Youth invited to participate in the Santa Ana Library’s Hour of Code this week

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City of Santa Ana

Community: Santa Ana Public Library Invites Youth to Participate in “Hour of Code!”

Santa Ana, CA – The Santa Ana Public Library recently received a $25,000 grant from the American Library Association (ALA) to pilot coding programs for youth and young adults in the City of Santa Ana! The Santa Ana Public Library is one of 28 libraries nationally to receive a grant from Libraries Ready to Code, an initiative of the American Library Association sponsored by Google, promoting early development of Computer Science (CS) and Computational Thinking (CT) skills in young people around the globe!

International Computer Science Education Week kicks off programming events on Monday, December 4, 2017 and will wrap up on Sunday, December 10, 2017. The Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek) is an annual program dedicated to inspiring K-12 students to take interest and engage in computer science through free, introductory activities sponsored in communities around the world (https://csedweek.org/about). Continue reading→

A man died after being shot early this morning in Santa Ana

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Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: SAPD Detectives Investigating Homicide -900 Block South Standard Avenue

Victim: Raul Rios (26) Santa Ana

On 12-3-17 at approximately 2:03 a.m. the Santa Ana Police Department received reports of a man down in the alley behind 923 S. Standard Avenue. Officers arrived and found a 25 year-old male victim of a gunshot wound. OCFA personnel arrived and transported the victim to a local trauma center for treatment.

The victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at 4:19 a.m. Continue reading→