Yusra Farzan
Local news in Orange County has my heart: All those long meetings — city council, school boards, power authorities, housing commissions, planning departments — play a huge role in our everyday lives. So I take the time to synthesize how decisions in Orange County’s 34 cities affect your electricity bill, how your taxes are funding the next big project and the resources available at your child's school.
Even though I got my break in entertainment reporting, the pieces I am most proud of spotlight everyday people: teachers in Orange County, the duo who started a school for Ukrainian refugees, the women behind Ramadan markets and the teenager who invented a cancer-detecting toothbrush.
Ask me about the small liquor store in Garden Grove that also carries Sri Lankan snacks, the best places to get Arab food in Anaheim and why the drive to Laguna Beach is worth it for those warm, summer days.
I grew up in the Middle East, but I am of Sri Lankan descent. I used to live in Irvine, and I still have one foot in O.C. But now I also call Rancho Palos Verdes home — it’s also why I am so invested in covering the land movement here.
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The reasons are varied, ranging from fire dangers to a lack of funding, environmental concerns — and fears of ICE sweeps. -
The county is facing at least $400 million in liability claims related to the Airport Fire, which was accidentally started by public crews.
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The pandemic, a rail project and then immigration sweets have all disrupted businesses over the last several years — but not the community’s spirit.
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Activists say Santa Ana needs to start acting like the "sanctuary city" it claims to be.
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The defendant faces two misdemeanor counts for allegedly advertising, listing and eventually renting two properties at a cost that exceeds the limit set by the state.
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Santa Ana reckons with its designation as a "sanctuary city." That debate could play out at a City Council meeting tonight.
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Do is scheduled to be sentenced June 9 on a federal bribery charge. Prosecutors are asking for five years in prison.
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Disgraced former OC Supervisor Andrew Do has been volunteering at the Los Angeles Maritime Institute in San Pedro, teaching sailing skills to disadvantaged kids.
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The city will make presentations at several upcoming gatherings after LAist revealed $700,000 in contracts had been signed outside public view.
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Everyone agrees that Orange County needs a veterans cemetery. The debate centers around where it should go.
