Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana’s playgrounds, volleyball courts and tennis courts to close
March 31, 2020 - Civic Affairs, Disease, Emergencies, Parks and Recreation, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Sports, Youth Activities - No Comments

The City of Santa Ana is closing its playgrounds, volleyball courts and tennis courts beginning Wednesday, April 1, in order to prevent gatherings and protect the public from COVID-19. The City has already shuttered its enclosed parks, recreation and other facilities and canceled all programs and classes except the take-out senior meals program. Those include:…

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The County of Orange has launched an Economic & Business Recovery Call Center
March 31, 2020 - Business, Disease, Emergencies, Orange County, Santa Ana - No Comments

Effective March 30, Orange County Community Services has implemented a call center to meet the needs of businesses impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Economic & Business Recovery Call Center will offer information and resources to help Orange County businesses navigate the current economic climate. These resources will support businesses with challenges such…

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Santa Ana businesses can get help from a Small Business Incentive Grant
March 31, 2020 - Business, Civic Affairs, Emergencies, Santa Ana - No Comments

The City of Santa Ana is offering a grant of $2,500 to $5,000 for Santa Ana-based microenterprises through the Santa Ana Small Business Incentive Program. Applicants must qualify for the Small Business Incentive Grant. Details are available at www.santa-ana.org/SBIP. Eligibility Qualifications The program provides a reimbursement grant for eligible businesses on a first-come, first-served basis. Grant…

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Understanding Santa Ana’s moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures
March 31, 2020 - Business, Disease, Emergencies, Housing, Real Estate, Santa Ana - No Comments

The City of Santa Ana has created webpages in English, Spanish and Vietnamese to help residential and commercial tenants understand the City and State moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The webpages include frequently asked questions, a sample letter that renters can use to advise their landlord of their inability to pay…

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SAPD Police Chief Carlos Rojas has resigned

Posted on by Posted in Carlos Rojas, Crime, Santa Ana 7 Comments

Santa Ana Police Chief Carlos Rojas (pictured in the middle)

Santa Ana Police Department, Office of the Chief of Police

Memo To: ​​Gerardo Mouet, Acting City Manager​

From:​​ Carlos Rojas, Chief of Police

Date: ​April 19, 2017

Subject: ​Resignation

For over 27 years, I have had the privilege and honor to serve the business owners, residents and all community members of this wonderful city. This memo will serve as my intent to resign as the Chief of Police for the City of Santa Ana. Continue reading→

The City of Santa Ana launches an online pothole map (but we need a shooting map!)

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

Santa Ana Pothole Map

City of Santa Ana

Community: City of Santa Ana Unveils Pothole Map

SANTA ANA – The City of Santa Ana recently launched the Santa Ana Maintenance System pothole map—an online data tool that is linked to the mySantaAna app, a smartphone-enabled reporting tool for maintenance service requests. The user-friendly map displays all reported potholes, including their location, date reported, status, and date filled.

“The Santa Ana Maintenance System pothole map allows residents to easily see where potholes are and to track how soon they are being repaired,” said Mayor Pro Tem Michele Martinez. “By using data to map out potholes, we are able to better communicate to residents, repair potholes quickly, and ensure safer and more efficient travel on our streets,” she added. Continue reading→

The City of Santa Ana won a Best Water Program award from the CMUA

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

City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County

Water Resources Division Honored For “Best Water Program” in California for small communities

SANTA ANA, Calif., April 19, 2017—The City of Santa Ana won the 2017 Resource Efficiency & Community Service Award by the California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA) for its water conservation program called “Every Drop Counts: Let’s Not Waste It.” The best public utilities in California compete for this highly coveted award each year, and Santa Ana’s campaign was selected among all other utilities in its size category as the most innovative and effective community program designed to save water resources.

“Santa Ana has a consistent track record of implementing innovative programs to help our customers save money and conserve water,” said Orange County Water District Board Director and Santa Ana Councilmember Vicente Sarmiento. “’Every Drop Counts’ proved to be a highly successful community outreach program that created qua ntifiable results in reducing water use citywide.” Continue reading→

Santa Ana Graffiti Paint Out and Beautification Day with Children’s Day/Book Day set for 4/22

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Graffiti, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana

Community: Graffiti Paint Out and Beautification Day with Children’s Day/Book Day this Saturday / Día de Eliminación de Grafiti y Embellecimiento

SANTA ANA, CA – Join the City of Santa Ana, Public Works Agency for their Community Graffiti Paint-Out and Beautification Day in conjunction with the Children’s Day / Book Day Celebration event this Saturday, April 22, 2017 at the Santa Ana Public Library. This is a combined effort by City-contracted graffiti removal crews and volunteers from the community. Please come to the Children’s Day / Book Day event and check in at the Public Works Booth between 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. We’ll provide the tools, gloves, paint and training. All you need to do is join us to help beautify our community.

The graffiti paint out day will begin at the Public Works booth and will proceed to Sasscer Park and throughout the surrounding neighborhood. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man arrested after he pretended to be kidnapped in order to extort cash from his mom

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Robert Nunez, a 31-year-old man, was behind bars Tuesday, April 18, on suspicion of faking his own kidnapping and trying to extort $300 from his mother, according to the O.C. Register.

Nunez’s mother called the SAPD on Sunday, April 16, after she had received a text message saying he was dead. She had not heard from him in several days. Continue reading→

There was a drive-by shooting near Walker Elementary School this afternoon

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Gangs, Santa Ana Leave a comment

On Tuesday, April 18 at about 4:30 p.m., at 600 S. Standard, in a residential neighborhood, SAPD police officers were dispatched to the area after reports of a shooting that had just occurred, according to SAPD Case # CI#: 17-10369.

Upon arrival the police officers located several shell casings at the scene. Based on witness information, a Hispanic male adult was walking northbound on the west sidewalk of 600 S. Standard as a vehicle, occupied by several subjects, approached driving southbound. A passenger from the vehicle fired several gun shots at the subject walking on the sidewalk. Continue reading→

The City of Santa Ana approves more funding for housing for the homeless

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City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County

Community: City of Santa Ana Approves Funding to Provide Permanent Supportive Housing for Homeless Veterans and Chronically Homeless Individuals

At its last City Council meeting, the City of Santa Ana unanimously approved awards of 100 project-based vouchers to develop two permanent supportive housing projects with wrap-around supportive services for homeless veterans and chronically homeless individuals.

The first project, Santa Ana Veteran’s Village to be developed by Jamboree Housing Corporation, located at 3312 West 1st Street in Santa Ana, was awarded 75 HUD-VASH project-based vouchers to develop 75 units of permanent supportive housing for homeless military veterans. The design will feature two three-story buildings including a multipurpose space, a private meeting office for the service provider, property management offices, a central laundry facility, a fitness room, a community kitchen, a community garden, and barbecue grills. Continue reading→

Man who flipped out at a Santa Ana 7-11 arrested by the SAPD

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Advisory: UPDATE – Suspect Who Assaults Store Clerk Identified And Is In Custody On $25,000 Arrest Warrant

Suspect: Daniel Fine (41) Santa Ana

After completing this story with the media detectives received numerous tips and information from the community identifying Daniel Fine (41) Santa Ana, as the suspect in this incident. Based on that information detectives were able to obtain a $25,000 warrant for Daniel Fines arrest. On 04/18/2017 detectives arrested Daniel Fine for his warrant after locating him at a sober living home in the city of Santa Ana.

Continue reading→

A fire was extinguished at an abandoned Santa Ana house last night

Posted on by Posted in Fires, OCFA, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Nineteen OCFA Firefighters spent were able to put out a fire on Monday evening, at about 8 p.m., at a boarded-up, abandoned house located at the 2600 block of South Orange Ave., in Santa Ana, according to the OCFA.

The fire occurred in an industrial area just north of East Dyer Road, near South Main Street. Continue reading→

Will the Santa Ana City Council extend the current 50 year-old trash contract by two more years?

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

Image result for waste management truck, santa ana

City council members on Tuesday, April 18, will consider a two-year extension on a trash collection contract with Waste Management of Orange County – it’s Santa Ana’s largest agreement and one that has only gone out to bid once in about 50 years, according to the O.C. Register.

Get this – the current contract, with USA Waste of California Inc., which does business as Waste Management of Orange County, expires on June 30, 2018, and the city staff report says we don’t have time to do a proper RFP (request for proposal). If the city knew the contract was going to come up for renewal in June why in the world did they not get going on an RFP sooner? Continue reading→

Community forum on Santa Ana City Council elections set for 4/26

Posted on by Posted in 2018 elections, Civic Affairs, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Connect-to-Council, along with NeighborWorks OC, is hosting a public forum on Santa Ana local elections, past, present and future, on Wednesday, April 26, 2017, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Delhi Center located at 505 E. Central Ave., in Santa Ana.

The technical aspects of the Santa Ana City Council’s political process will be presented by Maria Huizar, the Clerk of the Santa Ana City Council. Huizar will discuss the intriguing history of why we elect our local Santa Ana City Council representatives with a city-wide vote and she will also explain the term limit rules that Santa Ana currently has in place. Continue reading→

The Godinez H.S. Boy’s Soccer team will be honored on the MaxPreps Tour of Champions

Posted on by Posted in Education, Military, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Soccer, Sports Leave a comment

The Godinez High School boys’ varsity soccer team will be presented with the Army National Guard National Ranking Trophy as part of the 12th annual MaxPreps Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard. Godinez finished No. 3 in the final rankings and is one of 10 boys’ varsity soccer teams that are being honored on this season’s tour. The presentation will be made during a lunch assembly.

This event is set for Friday, April 21, 2017, at 12:15 p.m. at the Cafeteria at Godinez High School, located at 3002 Centennial Rd., in Santa Ana. Participating in the event will be Godinez H.S. Athletic Director- Greg Coombs, Varsity Soccer Head Coach- Ruben Fernandez, MaxPreps Regional Representative- Josh Canales, and California Army National Guard Representative- SGT Marisa Danya. Continue reading→

A man was shot dead in Santa Ana early this morning

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Gangs, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Detectives Investigating Homicide 600 Block East Chestnut Ave.

Victim: Identification Pending Notification

On April 15, 2017 at approximately 2:10 a.m. the Santa Ana Police Department received reports of a man down on the sidewalk at 621 E. Chestnut Avenue.

Officers arrived and found a 19 year-old male victim of a gunshot wound. Orange County Fire Authority personnel responded and pronounced the victim dead at the scene. Homicide Detectives were called to the scene and determined the case to be gang-related. Continue reading→

The SAPD is not sure how a man found on a street was injured

Posted on by Posted in Accidents, Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Police were investigating how an unidentified man became injured, after he was found on a Santa Ana street at around 9:30 p.m. on Friday night at  15th and Bush streets, according to the O.C. Register.

SAPD police officers responded to the scene after receiving a phone call about a possible hit-and-run traffic incident involving a pedestrian, according to the SAPD. Continue reading→