• Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) announced Transitions-Mental Health Association, or TMHA, as the Assembly District 35 nonprofit for September. The nonprofit serves San Luis Obispo County and northern Santa Barbara County. The nonprofit works to battle the stigma against mental illness. “I am extremely grateful for the services TMHA provides its clients and am honored to name them as the AD 35 Nonprofit of the Month,” said Cunningham in the release. “During National Suicide Prevention Month, we are encouraged to reach out to those who may be suffering silently. By assisting people suffering through mental illness with housing, work programs, and general mental health services, TMHA is reaching out and bringing critical services to those who need it most.” For more information, visit the nonprofit’s offices at 784 High St. in San Luis Obispo, its website t-mha.org, or call the confidential mental health hotline at (800) 783-0607.
• The Department of Homeland Security awarded the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Department (CSFD) a grant worth more than $71,000. U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) announced the federal assistance in a Sept. 18 press release. It will fund the purchase and installation of vehicle exhaust source-capture systems for the fire stations in Carpinteria and Summerland, which will eliminate the contaminants emitted by starting and running vehicles in fire stations. “I am thrilled that our Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Department has been awarded this grant funding that will help keep our firefighters safe while they protect our community,” Carbajal said. “This federal funding will have a lasting positive impact on our district, and I will continue doing all I can in Congress to support our brave firefighters and ensure they have the resources they need.” The grant is meant for equipment upgrades designed with the firefighter’s health in mind. Removing exhaust from engine bays at the fire station will prevent the exhaust from contiminating firefighters and their clothing, tools, and equipment. The press release states that even short-term diesel exhaust exposure increases the risks of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and lung cancer. “According to the International Association of Firefighters, over 50 percent of the firefighters named on the Fallen Firefighter Memorial Wall of Honor died from cancer,” the release said.
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) is involved in talks for the National Defense Authorization Act for the 2020 fiscal year, his office said in a Sept. 18 news release. Carbajal, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, already helped craft the act and will now help negotiate it with the Senate, the release said. “I’m proud to be selected to help deliver a final National Defense Authorization Act that will be signed into law,” Carbajal said in the release. “As we debate the best ways to protect our national security, support our troops, uplift veterans, and enhance local partnerships, I will ensure that our Central Coast values are represented at the table. I’m ready to keep working for funding priorities that help people across our state and country, as I’ve done throughout this process.” Carbajal’s inclusion in talks comes at a time of increased federal interest in Vandenberg Air Force Base, and the new U.S. Space Command presence there. Spending in the bill could influence what kinds of infrastructure expansions the base can make, according to base commander Col. Anthony Mastalir.
This article appears in Sep 26 – Oct 3, 2019.