Two bills recently introduced by U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) would restrict oil and gas developments on the Central Coast if passed, which the congressman believes will pave the way for a local renewable energy economy. The California Land Protection Act, introduced by Carbajal alongside Central Coast colleagues on Jan. 25, would block new […]
MALEA MARTIN
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Santa Barbara County short on second vaccine doses
Santa Barbara County still lacks enough COVID-19 vaccine doses to cover the most vulnerable community members, and officials say public health departments will soon be mostly out of the distribution picture. “By mid-February, there will be a new statewide vaccination distribution standard,” Public Health Director Dr. Van Do-Reynoso said at a Jan. 28 vaccine town […]
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NatureTrack found a way to keep honoring its mission while also filling a need in the community
NatureTrack’s mission is to foster a lifelong fascination with nature through outdoor field trips, but COVID-19 makes the logistics of these excursions more challenging. And with kids still mostly learning from home, it became more difficult for NatureTrack to reach its target audience. That’s when founder Sue Eisaguirre had an idea, a way to put […]
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Cunningham questions state’s vaccine allocation process
Some lawmakers are demanding answers from the state as to how COVID-19 vaccines are distributed to counties, while Gov. Gavin Newsom said the federal government sends doses directly to county public health departments. Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) and a group of bipartisan state legislators penned a letter on Jan. 21, asking California Health […]
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Newsom lifts regional order, Santa Barbara County back to purple tier
Gov. Gavin Newsom lifted his regional stay-at-home order on Jan. 25, but this doesn’t mean that all bets are off for COVID-19 restrictions. Instead, counties will be judged individually in the state’s tiered reopening system. Nearly all of California’s counties—including Santa Barbara County—remain in the purple, most restrictive tier. The stay-at-home order was first enacted […]
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Santa Barbara County has one of state’s highest COVID-19 spread rates
While the state recently announced that residents 65 and older would be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, public health officials say Santa Barbara County isn’t ready for that demographic yet. Meanwhile, the virus is spreading faster in the county than most other California jurisdictions. “The state does allow for local flexibility in the implementation, […]
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Santa Maria council majority supports increasing street vending regulations, but community members voice opposition
Street vendors in Santa Maria may soon be required to obtain a permit and undergo a background check under a new ordinance that has support from the majority of City Council but garnered significant community opposition. The ordinance would require street vendors to obtain a permit to vend from public sidewalks. Permit applicants must have […]
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CenCal Health earns top marks among Medi-Cal providers statewide for its local prenatal and postpartum care
For all the parts of everyday existence that were put on pause during COVID-19, one didn’t go anywhere: the miracle of life. “Our number of in-hospital deliveries has stayed steady,” Dr. Karen Hord, deputy chief medical officer at CenCal Health, told the Sun. “We haven’t had any clinics or hospitals close for this essential care.” […]
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Health officials say after-holiday COVID-19 surge is happening
The fears of a post-holiday surge in COVID-19 cases that public health officials warned about in December are coming to fruition as Santa Barbara County faces “off-the-chart increases,” Public Health Director Dr. Van Do-Reynoso said at a Jan. 8 press conference. “The data I am going to present today is almost twice as high as […]
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Northern Santa Barbara County public schools are back in session, at a distance
Public schools in Northern Santa Barbara County started back up during the week of Jan. 11, but will remain at a distance for the time being due to the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases. Students who attend schools within the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District returned to the virtual classroom on Jan. 13, […]
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Domestic Violence Solutions’ executive director looks back at a year of meeting unprecedented need, all while pivoting to the virtual realm
When stay-at-home orders first came down in March, Domestic Violence Solutions Executive Director Jan Campbell expected her organization to be flooded with calls from victims quarantined at home with their abusers. At first, the opposite happened. “The numbers in the beginning just clamped down,” Campbell recalled. “It was like people had never heard of domestic […]
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Santa Maria pool closed until Jan. 14, no additional cases reported
The Paul Nelson Aquatic Center will be closed until at least Jan. 14 to those who use its facilities, which averages around 100 people daily. According to Santa Maria Recreation Services Manager Dennis Smitherman, 20 percent of the pool’s lifeguard staff either tested positive for coronavirus or were exposed to someone who did. Those staff […]
