New child care operators will have an easier time beginning their programs as the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed amendments to revise permit requirements and standards for facilities. “This will afford operators of day care centers greater flexibility and options for running day care centers,” a staff report said. Now, small day […]
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Political Watch: December 8, 2022
• Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that $240 million is available from the Encampment Resolution Fund grant program to close down encampments and get people into housing and shelter, according to a Dec. 1 statement from the governor’s office. This move is part of the $700 million, two-year program to assist projects serving people living in […]
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County supervisors move forward with farmworker resource center grant
More than 20 farmworker families and advocacy groups demonstrated their support for a new farmworker resource center by sharing the challenges they face during the Nov. 29 Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting. The community members came forward as supervisors discussed applying for a new $833,000 state grant to create a resource center that […]
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Solvang officials consider new stormwater management measures
Solvang’s Public Works Department predicts the city will need to increase inspections of local businesses’ stormwater management practices, starting in 2024. “As I understand it, this is something that is looking to be added by the Regional Water Quality Control Board as part of our next general permit,” Rodger Olds, Solvang Public Works director and […]
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Voters pass abortion, arts education, anti-tobacco propositions
California and Santa Barbara County voters both said “yes” to abortion protections, arts education funding, and a flavored tobacco ban, but soured on the remaining statewide propositions, according to Nov. 8 election results. With 98 percent of the statewide vote counted as of press time, the seven proposition contests are all but decided. Of the […]
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New state program to fund housing navigation, medical services raises vacancy and start-up concerns
Less than 2 percent of the homes in Santa Barbara County are vacant. This makes it extremely challenging to find rentals for anyone, especially those experiencing homelessness, said Sylvia Barnard with Good Samaritan Shelter. “We find that for anyone experiencing homelessness, it’s over 120 days to get into housing,” Barnard said. “Having the resources available […]
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Political Watch: December 1, 2022
• The U.S. Department of Energy conditionally selected Diablo Canyon Power Plant to receive the first round of funding from the Civil Nuclear Credit Program, according to a Nov. 21 statement from U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal’s (D-Santa Barbara) office. “In the face of record heat waves and a deepening climate crisis, there is too much […]
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The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County hosted its annual holiday food drive, but it needs more to keep up with demand
Until 2020, the Letter Carriers Food Drive—a drive that used the U.S. Postal Service to pick up nonperishable foods from residents’ homes—was a major source of big food donations for the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County. Letter carriers would deliver brown paper bags to people’s mailboxes and people would fill them up with nonperishable foods […]
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A Buellton animal sanctuary launches a campaign to help save its feathered friends
Nikki Patterson had always been a huge animal person and knew one day she would work with animals full time. While she and her husband lived in Los Angeles, they had property in Buellton where they would vacation. When the pandemic hit, the two found themselves remaining in Buellton and decided to make the move […]
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Santa Barbara County has almost 3,000 votes left to count
Only 2,980 votes are left to be counted in Santa Barbara County after the Clerk-Recorder’s Office updated the election count on Nov. 18, bringing the county one step closer to finalizing the Nov. 8 midterm results—which have to be certified by Dec. 8. According to updated results, incumbent Gloria Soto is ahead of Steven […]
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Democrats Carbajal, Panetta lead local congressional races
The two congressional districts on the Central Coast lean blue, according to updated vote counts. U.S. Representatives Salud Carbajal and Jimmy Panetta, both Democrats, hold the most tallied votes for the 24th and 19th Districts, respectively. As of Nov. 21, vote counts show that Carbajal received 61 percent of the votes from the 24th District, […]
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Guadalupe passed two tax measures to finance the construction of a new school in the community
For a city with 37 percent of its population younger than 18, Guadalupe only has two schools to serve one of its largest demographics. Between the elementary and junior high schools, Guadalupe Union School District Superintendent Emilio Handall said there are a lot of portable classrooms to meet the needs of its students. “There’s a […]