Unemployed people, senior citizens, households in poverty, children, people in mobile homes, and overcrowded houses in northern Santa Barbara County are the most vulnerable to climate change, according to a recently released county assessment. These frontline populations are going to experience climate impacts to a more severe degree, county Long Range Planner Whitney Wilkinson said. […]
Taylor O'Connor
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Behavioral Wellness says there are gaps in the county’s mental health services
The Santa Barbara County Department of Behavioral Wellness told Santa Barbara County supervisors on Sept. 20 that providing more beds for lower level mental health services will reduce the need for more intense, expensive care. “Gaps or insufficiencies can result in an overuse of higher care needs,” Deputy Director for Mental Health Programs Pam Fisher […]
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Santa Barbara County Main Jail COVID-19 outbreak increases
As of Sept. 20, 83 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19 due to recent outbreaks in Santa Barbara County’s Main Jail. During the COVID-19 update at the Board of Supervisors’ Sept. 21 meeting, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said that 24 of the inmates who tested positive were fully vaccinated, one had received their […]
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Communication challenges complicate process for providing resources to multilingual learners with disabilities
Mariana Murillo learned about her son’s special education needs through an interpreter. For two to three years Murillo sat through Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings that she couldn’t understand. “I remember having my first IEP meeting, and for me it was just a meeting. I don’t remember if someone explained the importance of the meeting […]
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Guadalupe plans to regulate short-term rentals
After a resident voiced concerns about short-term rentals during the Aug. 24 Guadalupe City Council meeting, City Attorney Phillip Sinco said he was interested in hearing what council members had to say about hosted versus unhosted short-term rentals. The Pasadera Homes resident spoke about a short-term rental near her home and asked for more discussion […]
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Santa Maria wants to keep Main and Broadway as district boundaries
The Santa Maria City Council voted to set Main and Broadway as major boundaries for the city’s redistricting process after hearing public comment and discussion at the council’s Sept. 7 meeting. Mayor Alice Patino said the boundaries would allow all council members to continue contributing to Santa Maria’s growing downtown. “We are divided in four […]
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Santa Barbara County’s homeless encampment strategy aims to get people housed
Based on data collected through the Homeless Management Information System, Santa Barbara County experienced a 34 percent increase in unsheltered homelessness from between 2020 and 2021. According to Santa Barbara County’s 2020 point-in-time count, 1,897 homeless individuals resided in the county in 2020, with the largest number in the city of Santa Barbara. To help […]
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Medical study shows pregnant women benefit from COVID-19 vaccine
Expectant mothers are encouraged to get the COVID-19 vaccine after data from the Journal of the American Medical Association Network (JAMA) released a study showing the vaccine’s safety for mothers-to-be and the dangers of the disease. The data from thousands of women enrolled in this study showed that those who got COVID-19 were 15 times […]
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COVID-19 quarantine protocol causes high student, teacher absence rates
Teacher shortages and student absences within the Santa Maria-Bonita School District have been increasing due to COVID-19 exposures and quarantine guidelines. From Aug. 5 to 31, the district saw 100 positive cases within the 16,800 student population, and 26 teachers tested positive and had to be off-site for the 10-day quarantine protocol set in place, […]
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California MENTOR Family Home Agency offers housing opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Tri-Counties
Central Coast residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities have the opportunity to find new spots to call home as the California MENTOR Family Home Agency opens its doors. The organization hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 2 for its new location in Santa Maria, which will serve those in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San […]
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The city of Lompoc proposes a new cannabis tax measure in order to generate revenue for the city
Seaweed Dispensary owner Todd Mitchell seized on Lompoc’s laissez-faire attitude toward the cannabis industry as an opportunity to open the first and only cannabis lounge on the Central Coast. “Lompoc is a great place [for cannabis businesses]. There are very few municipalities that went for the free market where as long as you meet zoning […]
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Santa Maria to experience temporary road closures and water shutoffs
Starting on Sept. 6, Santa Maria residents could experience temporary water service interruptions as the city replaces water line valves and other water distribution system facilities along Broadway. “This equipment is likely decades old and at the end of its expected life. We are going to go through different intersections and replace 51 valves,” said […]
