Newsletter: TimesOC: Grand jury tells schools to report on safety measures

Good morning. It’s Wednesday, May 9. Here’s what’s been happening around O.C.

Top story

O.C. grand jury: ‘Some schools are not as safe as they could be’

The Orange County grand jury told area school districts to report back on how they have studied and improved safety at their campuses. Jurors recommended that all districts require their schools to conduct site safety assessments, identify security deficiencies, determine what is needed and recommend improvements to control risks. “… Wide disparities exist among schools in the way they control access to their campuses, and some schools are not as safe as they could be,” the grand jury said. Daily Pilot

Around the county

Student-run InSight Magazine explores poverty and inequality

InSight Magazine, a student-run publication out of UC Irvine’s Blum Center for Poverty Alleviation, focuses on poverty and inequality in Southern California. “It’s not about you being a savior for anyone, it’s about you engaging with poverty and understanding how poverty is constituted, regulated and lived,” said Aditi Mayer, InSight Magazine founder and editor-in-chief. TimesOC

Irvine mom who survived assault now helps other crime victims

In 2003, about a year after surviving a violent attack, Patricia Wenskunas founded Crime Survivors, an Orange County-based nonprofit that seeks to empower crime victims. TimesOC

Anaheim 6th-graders donate all-terrain wheelchair to outdoor school

At 6,500 feet up in the San Bernardino Mountains, San Gorgonio Outdoor Science School is nature’s classroom, where hiking along rugged terrain is part of the curriculum. When a group of sixth-graders from Lord Baden-Powell Elementary School in Anaheim attended the camp last year, many were disheartened when one of their classmates, who uses a wheelchair, was unable to enjoy the entire experience the way they could. TimesOC

Politics

Costa Mesa is O.C.’s latest city to oppose ‘sanctuary state’ law

The Costa Mesa City Council became Orange County’s latest governing body to declare official opposition to Senate Bill 54, a California “sanctuary state” law that provides expanded protection for undocumented immigrants. Daily Pilot

Faith

Catholic leaders take up mental health mantle

A grassroots effort that began in Orange County following the 2013 suicide of Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren’s son has yielded a spirited call to action for Roman Catholics throughout California to help addicts and the mentally ill. TimesOC

Life & arts

Santa Ana Sites spotlights immigration stories in a multimedia opera

What started as a listening party in a downtown Santa Ana loft has blossomed into a popular gathering of artists, performers and art fans that changes location with every new show. Santa Ana Sites, founded in 2013 by Allen Moon and Grand Central Art Center, is gearing up for its 20th production, “Canción del Inmigrante.” TimesOC

Voices of Hawaii will bring traditional music to Irvine Barclay Theatre

Hundreds of Hawaiian shirt-clad mainlanders will stream into the Irvine Barclay Theatre later this month to get a taste of the island life with a performance by music group Voices of Hawaii. TimesOC

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