Cover Story
Local schools, colleges, get millions from American Rescue Plan
Local K-12 schools, colleges, and universities are receiving millions of dollars in funds from the American Rescue Plan, aid that legislators and school officials say will help educational institutions stay afloat as the pandemic rages on. In Santa Barbara County, K-12 schools are receiving $208 million total, and in San Luis Obispo County, $68 million,…
Labor contractors, farmworker organizations agree that the Farm Workforce Modernization Act is the right step forward
Alexandra Allen, owner of Main Street Produce and Freshway Farms, has operated her Santa Maria-based businesses alongside her husband since the ’70s. But only in the last few years did they begin to use the H-2A program, which allows foreign agricultural workers to labor in the U.S. on a temporary visa. “The H-2A program has…
Political Watch: April 22, 2021
• Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on April 16 that he signed Senate Bill 93 into law, which creates a statewide policy for rehiring workers laid off due to the pandemic. “SB 93 requires employers in the hospitality and business services industries, including hotels, airports, and large event centers, to offer new positions to qualified former…
Santa Barbara County moves to orange tier for first time
For the first time since the state’s implementation of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy reopening guidelines, Santa Barbara County is in the orange, “moderate spread” tier, allowing an ease in restrictions for many business sectors. As of April 20, the county’s adjusted case rate sat at 4.5, its positivity rate at 1.8 percent, and…
Financial assistance is available for funeral expenses due to the coronavirus
Central Coast residents who lost a loved one to COVID-19 and incurred funeral expenses can now apply for financial assistance through a federal aid program. U.S. Rep Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) announced on April 14 that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) began accepting applications for funeral assistance through its COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Program. The…
Fourth commissioner resigns from Santa Barbara County Redistricting Commission
James “Chris” Hudley is the latest to step down from his post on Santa Barbara County’s Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission, marking the commission’s fourth resignation since mid-January. Hudley, a senior financial analyst at UC Santa Barbara, announced in a brief April 9 resignation letter that he’d accepted a new job and would soon move out…
In lieu of the annual Strawberry Festival, Santa Maria Fairpark brings the community Strawberry Cruzin’
It’s been nearly two years since the last Santa Maria Strawberry Festival, a beloved and emblematic annual tradition in the valley. Last year’s event was canceled on March 21, less than a week after the county reported its first case of COVID-19. While the festival in its usual form can’t return just yet, the Santa…
Redistricting drama
Santa Barbara County’s Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission is supposed to lead to something better than the alternative: A fair process of redrawing the lines that outline Board of Supervisors’ districts to create a less politically driven, more representative elected board. It’s supposed to be less controversial. And so far, it’s been anything but. Almost as…
Achieving sound public policy
The blatant and misleading political hit published in this paper last week deserves response (“Remember this,” April 15). (The letter writer, it should be noted, is the chair of the San Luis Obispo Democratic Party, and perhaps let partisan bias seep into a false narrative.) Since day one, our office has taken the COVID-19 pandemic…
Public policy should be carefully thought out
Have you ever made a decision that had unintended consequences? For example, you decided to paint your house, and the color swatch you chose to pick the paint didn’t match the final outcome when the entire house was painted. The unintended consequence was that instead of admiring the paint job, all you got were complaints…
Weston Scott and Adam Niemann dissect a Dr. Seuss classic during their new podcast, Green Eggs… and Man?
Two podcasters are kicking off their new improv series by breaking the “don’t judge a book by its cover” rule. Setting out to unearth the hidden philosophical implications of Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham, Weston Scott and Adam Niemann are thoroughly examining the book, page by page, starting with its cover. Each episode of…
Wildling Museum of Art and Nature presents new group exhibition, Art from the Trail: Exploring the Natural Beauty of Santa Barbara County
The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature in Solvang presents Art from the Trail: Exploring the Natural Beauty of Santa Barbara County, a new group show, which premiered on April 17 and is scheduled to remain on display through Oct. 3. Featured artists in the exhibit include members of the San Luis Outdoor Painters for…
Santa Ynez Valley Natural History Society hosts webinar with award-winning author Lyanda Lynn Haupt
On Thursday, April 22, the Santa Ynez Valley Natural History Society will host a webinar featuring author Lyanda Lynn Haupt (pictured right), who will be discussing her latest book, Rooted: Life at the Crossroads of Science, Nature, and Spirit, at 7 p.m., via Zoom. Haupt has described the new book as an invitation to acknowledge…
Based in Goleta, High Seas Mead offers sparkling libations made from organic, gluten-free ingredients
If you like “Meadacoladas” (and gettin’ caught in the rain), put those personal ads to rest; High Seas Mead is the escape you’ve been looking for. The Meadacolada (pineapple and coconut mead) is just one of the brand’s four core flavors, alongside the Cosmic Bandito (blackberry and pineapple), Cheap Thrills (raspberry and coconut), and Mystic…
