August 19, 2020

Orange County

Daily Pilot: Orange County applies for state aid for permanent housing as coronavirus cases climb another 287

The Orange County Health Care Agency reported that 147 of the 44,212 cases and one of the 815 deaths to date in the county have been people experiencing homelessness. Orange County United Way reported in 2019 that 6,860 people in the county are homeless.

 

Voice of OC: How is Coronavirus changing voting? OC’s elections chief tells us

Orange County Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley believes mail-in voting remains more secure than in-person voting, noting that he’s preparing for the vast majority of OC voters – upwards of 95 percent – to cast ballots by mail in the upcoming election

 

OC Register: Orange County proposes $7.5 billion, largely status quo budget

The county Board of Supervisors approved a temporary “baseline” budget in June, but officials needed more time to determine the full impacts of the coronavirus on county operations and revenues. A comprehensive budget proposal was released Tuesday, Aug. 18.

 

Daily Pilot: Orange County congressman delivers pro-USPS messages outside Costa Mesa post office

Sonia Canchola, a representative of the American Postal Workers Union, listed the equipment removed from post offices statewide, including 74 of the bar code readers that scan mail-in ballots. Without those large machines, the workers have to scan ballots manually. She said they would.

 

Voice of OC: Criminal charges and residency questions amp up Westminster school board races

As officials reel from the voter fraud charges brought by Orange County prosecutors, community members envision new possibilities for the district pending the outcome of the contests and wonder how much more representative future policy making can be for the area’s children and their educational needs.

 

Labor

OC Register: U.S. theme parks lose $18 billion, cut 125,000 jobs amid pandemic, industry association says

New data released by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions offers a bleak assessment of the economic impact of closed theme parks and idled roller coasters wrought by a spring and summer of coronavirus closures and delays.

 

California

OC Register: California’s home prices set 7th record high in 27 months

The California Association of Realtors’ median selling price in closed deals for an existing single-family home was a record $666,320 last month. That’s up 6.4% from the former peak of $626,170 in June and it’s a 9.6% increase in a year. Home pricing, boosted by low mortgage rates and a limited inventory for house hunters, has been firm this year despite a pandemic that otherwise throttled the state economy.

 

Publication Date: August 19, 2020