ORANGE COUNTY Sheriff Sandra Hutchens talks to identical twins Olivia and Isabella Webster, 6, who was at the Solidarity March and Action Summit with their grandfather, Doug Webster, a member of the OC Sheriff’s Interfaith Adversity Council.
(Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC)

Sandra Hutchens, Orange County’s first woman sheriff, has died at the age of 65.

According to the sheriff’s department, she battled breast cancer since 2012. Hutchens served as the top countywide law enforcement officer from 2008-2019, succeeding Michael Carona, who was sentenced to federal prison for witness tampering.

The current sheriff, Don Barnes, praised her as someone who “put one of the nation’s largest law enforcement agencies back on track.” She is generally credited with helping to restore the reputation of the department, but her tenure did include some rough spots, including issues with alleged abuse in county-run jails and the use of informants.

In keeping with her wishes, no memorial service will be held. Instead the family has asked that donations be made in her name to Drug Use is Like Abuse (www.duila.org) or the Susan G. Komen  Foundation (www.komen.org).

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department provides police services to the City of Stanton, along with several others.

Man killed in crash at 5, 22 freeways

A pickup truck smashing into the center median on the Santa Ana (5) Freeway where it meets the Garden Grove (22) Freeway resulted in the death of the driver in the pre-dawn of Monday.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the incident took place at 4:34 a.m. The truck was southbound in the car pool lane when it slammed into the median north of  LaVeta Avenue. The vehicle, a 2020 GMC, struck a guard rail and eventually hit a concrete pillar.

The driver was declared dead at the scene. His name and age were not available.

City Hall closed, no street sweeping on MLK Day

In observance of the Martin Luther King, J. Day holiday, Garden Grove City Hall will be closed on Monday, Jan. 18. Street sweeping services will not be provided on the holiday. Streets will be swept as scheduled on all other days. Trash pickup will not be interrupted.