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Voice of OC • April 15 2024

Newport Beach Harbor Commission Recommends Spiking Boat Mooring Rents

Newport Beach Harbor Commissioners unanimously approved a rental rate spike this week on offshore moorings that could increase boaters’ monthly bills by three or four times over the next several years.

Their action comes after criticism from Newport Harbor boat owners who’ve said they won’t be able to afford their moorings if their monthly bills increase by that much.

At the April 10 meeting, commissioners pushed back arguing the city has an obligation to charge a fair market value for mooring

Voice of OC • April 9 2024

Newport Harbor Boat Owners Confront Rent Spike on Offshore Moorings

Newport Harbor mooring owners could soon see their monthly payments increase by four or five times the amount they’ve paid for years.

That depends on the Newport Beach Harbor Commission, which is set to discuss increasing monthly rental rates and make a recommendation to the city council at its meeting on Wednesday at 5 p.m.

A mooring is a permanent structure for owners to store boats when they aren’t in use. Offshore moorings are placed away from land-connecting docks, requiring boaters to us

Voice of OC • April 3 2024

Mission Viejo Considers Creating a Multi-Million Dollar Theater

Mission Viejo City Council members are moving forward with plans to build a 300-seat performing arts theater — yet they’re unsure just where it will go and exactly how much it would cost.

Officials still need to find a building for the theater, in a city known for its athletics, especially its decades-long history of high-level swim and dive athletes in addition to the more than 100 Olympians that have trained in the city.

City officials are considering purchasing a building in the city’s Vill

Voice of OC • April 2 2024

OC Equestrian Center Boarding Rates Set to Nearly Double by Next Year

Rental rates to board horses at the OC Fairgrounds Equestrian Center are set to soar upwards, nearly doubling some residents’ monthly bills by next year.

The OC Fair & Event Center Board of Directors narrowly approved the rent spike last week, which actually includes three different rate increases by January 1, 2025.

Monthly rates will increase by 45% by June 15, another 10% by October 1 and another 10% by January 1, 2025.

That means renters who currently pay $644 monthly for a 12-by-12-foot

Voice of OC • March 20 2024

Two OC School Districts Hit With Layoffs, Personnel Shakeups

Students and residents in two North Orange County school districts are raising concerns about the loss of teachers and potentially top administrators.

In Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District there’s questions being raised that a number of principals and other top school administrators have been given the option to leave their jobs or take a demotion without any reasoning.

But district officials say there has been no mass firing of school administrators and chalked up the concerns to “

Voice of OC • March 19 2024

Laguna Beach Joins Other OC Cities in Strengthening Eviction Protections

Renters in Laguna Beach may soon have more protections against abrupt evictions after city council members instituted a measure to see how many notices are being handed out and make sure landlords aren’t evicting residents illegally.

The city joins other Orange County cities, like Costa Mesa and Buena Park that have bolstered renter protections.

[Read: The Year of The Renter: Orange County Tenants Get Some Relief]

Laguna Beach city officials will also start tracking certain eviction notices g

LA School Report • March 19 2024

New California legislation would mandate ‘science of reading’ to improve child literacy

Free New AI Tool to Help Americans Search and Compare Student Test Scores Across All 50 States

74 Interview: Why Social Media is Being Blamed for the Youth Suicide Crisis

Schools After COVID: 6 Ways For Districts to Better Engage Parents Amid Concerns About COVID Learning Loss

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With a majority of California third graders unable to read at grade level, proposed legislation would mandate teachers use the phonics-based s

Voice of OC • March 6 2024

Primary Election Night Results: Huntington Beach Decides on Voter ID Law

Huntington Beach residents voted on three different measures in the March 5 primary election — including a proposed voter ID law, dubbed Measure A.

In addition to showing a government-issued ID at in-person voting booths, the measure would also call for city officials to monitor ballot drop boxes.

At the end of election night, 54% of voters cast “Yes” ballots on the voting ID measure, according to results from the OC Registrar of Voters at the end of Tuesday night.

A total of 36,609 votes hav

Voice of OC • March 6 2024

Primary Election Night Results: Irvine Residents Vote On Creating District Elections

In Tuesday’s primary election, Irvine voters decided on a charter amendment that would add two extra city council members and create six districts in the city for elections moving forward.

61% of voters cast “Yes” ballots, according to 9:30 p.m. results from the OC Registrar of Voters.

So far, 24,228 votes have been counted, with 39% of voters having voted “No” against the measure.

Irvine has previously elected council members using an at-large system. In these elections, residents can vote f

Voice of OC • March 6 2024

Here’s Where Orange County Stands After Primary Election Night

Orange County could see some political upsets this primary election, as some races – one OC Supervisor race and a school board recall – showed some surprising initial results at the end of Tuesday.

Click here for the rest of Voice of OC’s coverage of some of the biggest races and measures OC voters decided on in the March primary election.

The Orange County Supervisor first district race could see a veteran politician square off against an underfunded candidate in the November election.

State

Annenberg Media • March 5 2024

Voter voices: Here’s what’s on their minds as they head to the polls

Nine Annenberg Media reporters asked California voters casting ballots a series of questions to get a sense of the mood of the electorate on Super Tuesday. They asked the voters who they chose in the U.S. Senate primary, which presidential primary they selected, to assign a score of 1-10 to President Biden and to describe the election in one word. Their answers and voices are below.

Describe the election in one word: Divisive

“[Biden] has passed meaningful infrastructure laws and is trying to

Annenberg Media • March 5 2024

2024 Super Tuesday Live Updates

Check back here, where we’ll be updating live news on Super Tuesday as it breaks.

So far, 57% of L.A. County residents have voted “Yes” on Proposition 1. Over 600,000 ballots have been counted so far in this race, and 43% of the votes have been against the proposition.

If approved, Prop. 1 would authorize $6.38 billion in bonds to build treatment facilities for those struggling with mental health and substance use problems. It would also reallocate some county funding for statewide care that i

Voice of OC • February 27 2024

Laguna Niguel Is Latest Orange County City to Tighten E-Bike Rules

Cities across Orange County have been debating electric bicycle regulations and adding new rules on speed and safety for the growing population of residents and teens using e-bikes.

Laguna Niguel is the latest city that’s taking a look at city law and tightening certain rules in order to keep bicyclists, drivers and pedestrians safe on the road.

City Council members voted unanimously last Tuesday to add more e-bike rules in an effort to address safety concerns.

“We’ve really pushed education

Annenberg Media • February 23 2024

Ballot Measure Looks to Create More ‘Healthy Streets’ Across L.A.

There’s one measure on the ballot for Los Angeles voters that could completely revamp city streets and create thousands of miles of street improvements.

The Healthy Streets LA measure (Measure HLA) is not proposing anything new. It’s not meant to create any new initiatives or use any additional taxpayer money to increase street safety.

Instead, it’s meant to hold city officials accountable for promises they’ve already made.

The L.A. City Council approved a 20-year mobility plan in 2015 which

Voice of OC • February 21 2024

Two More Orange County Cities Crack Down on Street Vendors

Officials in Anaheim and Rancho Santa Margarita are joining a host of their colleagues across Orange County to tighten regulations on street vending.

In recent years, city officials across the county have been introducing new laws to increase regulations on food truck owners, taco street vendors and paleteros who sell ice cream out of push carts.

Street vendor advocates argue that street vendors are often entrepreneurial immigrants trying to make a living and feed their families and benefit th

Voice of OC • February 21 2024

Making it Easy to Watch Local Government From Home

One of Orange County’s smallest cities this week plans to join the growing movement of agencies making it easier for residents to tune in online to city council meetings.

Laguna Woods previously only broadcast city council meetings on a government access television channel without any online archive to rewatch meetings.

Today, city officials are scheduled to roll out new YouTube and Zoom streaming options. That will include real-time captioning and a digital archive for residents to access mee

Voice of OC • February 19 2024

Orange County Voter Guide: March 2024 Primary Election

A host of congressional races, two OC Supervisor races, three county board of education races, a recall, a state proposition and a series of local measures are all on the ballot for the March 5th primary election in Orange County.

Mail-in ballots have been sent out to 1.8 million registered voters across Orange County and the first day of the mail-in voting process started on Feb. 5.

Drop boxes are open 24/7 and end on election day — March 5 at 8 p.m.

Click here to find a drop box location ne

Voice of OC • February 16 2024

OC Board of Education Incumbent Accused of Assault and Battery in Road Rage Incident

A civil lawsuit filed last month alleges Orange County Board of Education trustee Ken Williams Jr. attacked a 20-year-old driver on a street in Silverado, throwing him to the ground and choking him.

Court files describe that Williams was driving down a residential road in March 2023 when Caden O’Malley approached in his vehicle from behind.

The filings describe that Williams slammed on his brakes multiple times in front of O’Malley’s vehicle before they both pulled over and exited their vehicl

Voice of OC • February 13 2024

Irvine Voters to Decide on Changing City’s Election System

Irvine voters in the March primary election are set to decide on a charter amendment that would expand the city council and establish city council districts.

If approved, the measure on the ballot for Irvine voters would increase the city council from five to seven members and create six districts for council elections moving forward, while the mayor remains elected by a citywide vote — similar to Anaheim.

Click here to read the full measure and view the proposed district map.

Irvine city off

Annenberg Media • February 9 2024

Nikki Haley campaigns in L.A. after Nevada primary loss

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley started her campaign speech in Los Angeles with gratitude and a mistake.

“It’s great to be here in Orange County!” Haley said as she took the stage.

But the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador was met quickly with shouts and laughter from the audience of about 150 people. She was actually in Los Angeles County, speaking to voters at the Hollywood American Legion, a veteran’s center. This event was one stop on her visit to C

Voice of OC • February 9 2024

Lost a Dog During Storms? They Might be at the OC Animal Shelter

This week’s rain and flooding across Southern California have triggered an increased number of lost dogs surrendered at OC Animal Care in Tustin.

Over the past week, there have been 111 dogs surrendered at the shelter — 82 of them stray, according to county spokesperson Alexa Pratt.

Of those listings, 51 of the dogs were brought to the shelter this month.

In response to the increased intake of lost dogs, animal shelter officials are advising pet owners to bring their animals indoors during da

LA School Report • February 8 2024

LAUSD board backs street safety plan to appear on March ballot

Free New AI Tool to Help Americans Search and Compare Student Test Scores Across All 50 States

74 Interview: Why Social Media is Being Blamed for the Youth Suicide Crisis

Schools After COVID: 6 Ways For Districts to Better Engage Parents Amid Concerns About COVID Learning Loss

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Los Angeles Unified’s school board has endorsed a plan that would force city officials to complete stalled street improvements and help keep k

Voice of OC • February 5 2024

Vote-By-Mail Opens Today for Orange County Voters

The 1.8 million registered voters across Orange County should be receiving vote-by-mail ballots starting today.

It’s the first day of the mail-in voting process. All registered voters will receive a ballot in the mail and all drop box locations will open for voters to cast their selections.

Voters can return their ballots at one of the 122 drop-off locations across the county, with some located in every city.

Drop boxes are open 24/7 beginning today and ending on election day — March 5 at 8 p

Voice of OC • February 1 2024

Newport Beach Boat Owners Protest Proposed Rent Spike on City Moorings

There’s an affordable way to live and enjoy Newport Beach that some residents are worried could disappear forever.

A community of boat owners with mooring permits in the city is sounding alarm bells over proposed rate increases that would quadruple — or in some cases, quintuple — their monthly payments.

The Newport Beach Harbor Commission is set to discuss monthly rate increases for offshore mooring holders at a special meeting tonight starting at 5 p.m.

There won’t be a final vote at tonight