BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS

OCC wins national cheer and dance titlesOrange Coast College made a solid showing Friday and Saturday at the Universal Cheerleaders Assn. National Championships in Florida, finishing first in three categories.

The school took the top prize in open dance, open hip-hop competition and the community college cheerleading division. In all, OCC has won nine national dance championships and six national cheerleading titles.

“Our cheerleaders and dancers turned in an amazing performance in Orlando,” OCC cheerleading advisor Mike Reynolds said in a news release. “We’ve won a lot of national titles over the years but never three in a single year. This is unprecedented. I’m very proud of our students. They worked hard for this.”

KOCE anchor receives achievement awardEd Arnold, the co-host of the “Real Orange” news program on KOCE-TV, has won the Radio and Television News Assn. of Southern California’s 2007 lifetime achievement award.

Arnold, a broadcaster since he was 14, worked on radio before switching to television as a sportscaster for KTLA and KABC. He has won the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame’s distinguished citizen award, the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission’s award of excellence and other honors.

Arnold will receive his award at the 57th annual Golden Mike Awards banquet on Jan. 27. Also receiving the lifetime achievement award will be veteran Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully.

“There are so many other broadcasters who deserve this award more than I,” Arnold said in a prepared statement. “It is a distinct privilege to be given this kind of recognition by my peers, and I humbly accept it on behalf of the many producers, writers, editors and cameramen and women I’ve been lucky enough to work with over the years.”