The ballots have all been counted in the First District Special Election and it appears that former State Senator Lou Correa is losing by two votes to Andrew Do, who quit the Garden Grove City Council in 2011, according to the Orange County Registrar of Voters.
Do was supported by former Supervisor Janet Nguyen and by the CA and OC GOP.
Correa had a lot of support from unions and from OC Sheriff Sandra Hutchens and OCDA Tony Rackauckas. Continue reading
The early results from today’s First District Special Election have been posted by the Orange County Registrar of Voters and former State Senator Lou Correa is in the lead by 149 votes. Former Supervisor Janet Nguyen’s henchman, Andrew Do, is in second place with 38.4% of the vote.
Garden Grove Councilman Chris Phan is in a distant third place with only 5,824 votes. While he did a lot of walking he didn’t get in the mailboxes and that is crucial in low turnout special elections. Continue reading
County Awarded $19.5 Million in Grant Funding for Homeless Services
(Santa Ana, CA) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded $19.5 million to the County of Orange and its community partners for homeless housing assistance and other programs under the 2014 Continuum of Care grant competition.
“This much-needed funding will assist the County in our regional approach to helping move families and individuals out of homelessness and into self-sufficiency,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Todd Spitzer said.
OC Community Services applies annually for grant funding to continue a host of critical homeless assistance programs, including the Shelter Plus Program administered by the Orange County Housing Authority and OC Health Care Agency. Shelter Plus provides rental assistance and supportive care to a targeted population that is both homeless and disabled, suffering from serious mental illness, chronic addictions or HIV/AIDS. Continue reading
Will First District candidate Andrew Do and his former boss Janet Nguyen succeed in fooling Republican voters in the Jan. 27 Special Election?
They already got busted when two Orange County employees were recently fired for politicking on Do’s behalf while working at the Westminster County office that Nguyen opened so she could pander to the Little Saigon community. Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE
Case # 13WF2913
Date: January 22, 2015
SANTA ANA – A man was sentenced todayto three years in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration for false imprisonment by violence and groping four women by grabbing them on the buttocks with sexual intent in public. Matthew Andrew Linville, 20, Westminster, pleaded guilty today to one felony count of false imprisonment by violence and four misdemeanor counts of sexual battery.
At approximately 6:45 a.m., on Aug. 28, 2013, Linville approached 34-year-old Jane Doe #1 as she was jogging through a neighborhood in Huntington Beach. Linville grabbed the victim on the buttocks, pushed her to the ground, and groped her. He then fled the scene. Continue reading
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 22, 2015
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Joel Zlotnik (714) 560-5713 , Eric Carpenter (714) 560-5697
Public Invited to Open Houses on I-5 Project in Irvine, Tustin
Measure M project is in the initial phase of exploring the addition of a general-purpose lane between I-405 and SR-55
ORANGE – The public is invited to two open houses next week to learn about proposed improvements to the Santa Ana (I-5) Freeway in Irvine and Tustin.
The Orange County Transportation Authority and Caltrans are holding the meetings, Jan 26 and Jan. 28, as part of the project approval and environmental document phase for the I-5 Irvine Tustin Freeway Improvement Project. Continue reading
Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido and Mayor Pro Tem Vincent Sarmiento as well as Santa Ana Council Members Michele Martinez, Sal Tinajero and Angie Amezcua are hosting a campaign fundraiser for Lou Correa, the only Democrat running for the First District of the Orange County Board of Supervisors in a Special Election.
The fundraiser is set for tonight, Jan. 22, 2015, at 6 pm, at Diego’s Downtown, which is located at 224 E. 3rd St., in Downtown Santa Ana. (Sarmiento owns this bar/restaurant). Continue reading
Cholula’s Bakery was expected to open Wednesday, after enduring a debacle over holiday sweet bread laced with a synthetic drug that sickened more than 40 people and that shut its doors for nearly two weeks, according to the O.C. Register.
What this means is that the Orange County Health Department has cleared Cholula’s – and they are now in compliance with all of the O.C. Health Codes. Continue reading
For Immediate Release: January 21, 2015
Contact: Nicole Stanfield, nstanfield@ochca.com, 714-834-2178
Ongoing Measles Transmission in Orange County
(Santa Ana) – There are now twenty (20) confirmed measles cases in Orange County, signaling ongoing measles transmission in Orange County and at Disneyland Parks. Measles is in the community and additional cases are expected to be identified. The best way to prevent the spread of measles is by getting vaccinated. Those who are vaccinated and become ill usually experience mild illness and do not typically spread the disease to others.
Eight of the confirmed cases acquired the disease in the community. Twelve of the confirmed cases spent time at Disneyland Parks since December 17, 2014. The Health Care Agency continues to coordinate with Disneyland Parks and other known exposure locations to help protect visitors, employees, and the community from the continued spread of measles. Continue reading
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE
Remarks by District Attorney Tony Rackauckas:
State of Public Safety in Orange County
January 20, 2015
Thank you, Supervisors Bartlett, Nelson, and Steel for allowing us to have this event at the Hall of Administration. We appreciate your hospitality.
Thank you, judges and elected officials who are here with us today. Continue reading
Exploring Orange County: OC Parks Introduces New Parking Passes
OC Parks is pleased to introduce new parking passes that will allow visitors to use a single card to park at all County regional and wilderness parks and/or beaches.
The new “smart cards” replace the entry cards and stickers that were previously used for annual parking. Unlike the previous OC Parks passes, which were fixed to a calendar year (January through December), these smart cards are valid for 12 months from issue date and can be renewed annually. Moreover, for wilderness and beach locations which previously required a sticker affixed to a visitor’s windshield, these passes can be used with any vehicle. The price for the new cards remains the same as 2014. Continue reading
Ean Keith Brown, Picture Courtesy of the Huntington Beach Police Department
ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE
Case # 12CF0072
Date: January 16, 2015
THIRD-STRIKER PAROLEE TO FACE TRIAL FOR STRANGLING-MURDER OF WOMAN IN RV
SANTA ANA – A third-striker parolee will face trial Tuesday for murdering a 21-year-old woman by strangling her to death in his recreational vehicle (RV). Ean Keith Brown, 41, is charged with one felony count of murder and sentencing enhancements for two prior strike convictions and serious felony priors for second degree robbery in 1995 and burglary in 2008. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 85 years to life in state prison. Opening statements are scheduled to begin Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015, at 9:15 a.m., in Department C-41, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.
Brown was released from state prison in 2010 and was on parole for burglary. After his release from prison and at the time of the murder, the defendant is accused of living in an RV in the driveway of his parent’s Huntington Beach home. Continue reading
Michelle Ghirelli
NEWS, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Lt. Jeff Hallock, 714.904.7042, JHallock@ocsd.org; Emily Osterberg, 714.647.1840, EOsterberg@ocsd.org
Teachers Arrested Following Allegation of Sexual Relationship with Students
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. – (January 18, 2014) – On Saturday, January 17, 2015, Orange County Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Unit investigators arrested South Hills High School teacher, Melody Lippert, 38, Covina and district teacher Michelle Ghirelli, 30, Covina; following allegations they engaged in sexual relations with students who attend the school. On the evening of Friday, January 16, 2015, the West Covina Police Department contacted the Orange County Sheriff’s Department after obtaining information about the inappropriate relationships and the alleged sexual relations that occurred in our jurisdiction.
In November 2014, Lippert is alleged to have met a group of male South Hills High School students at San Clemente State Beach. During the meeting at San Clemente State Beach, Lippert provided alcohol to the students and engaged in a sexual relationship with one of them. Several weeks later, Lippert orchestrated an overnight camping trip to the same location with Ghirelli and several of the same high school students. During the camping trip Lippert and Ghirelli are suspected of engaging in sexual relations with two students. The camping trip was not a school or district sponsored event. Continue reading
OCTA Delivers the End-of-Year Report Highlighting Initiatives and Action Plan
By: OC Supervisor Todd Spitzer, Portions courtesy of the Orange County Transportation Authority
At the Orange County Transportation Authority’s meeting this week, Chief Executive Officer Darrell Johnson summarized the activities and accomplishments from the 2014 Chief Executive Officer’s Initiatives and Action Plan for calendar year 2014. The Chief Executive Officer’s Initiatives and Action Plan supports the values, vision, mission, and goals of the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA).
Supervisor Spitzer, who serves as a Director on the Board commended OCTA for the great work that they have done in delivering projects in the Third District and the County. “Transportation is a vital part of the County’s infrastructure, I’m committed to supporting OCTA’s mission to enhance the quality of life and keep Orange County moving.” Continue reading
A Residential No-Burn Alert has been declared for Central Orange-2, CA, on Sunday, Jan 18
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) has declared a Residential No-Burn Day in your area.
Residents in your area are prohibited from burning wood or manufactured fire logs in indoor and outdoor residential wood burning fireplaces and stoves due to elevated fine particulate levels forecast by the SCAQMD.