Category: Business

Ventura County Animal Services: Suspended Pet Adoptions to be Reinstated in a Staged Approach Beginning May 2

by Community Contributor • May 1, 2020 • Comments Off

Ventura County Animal Services has received approval from Dr. Levin, Ventura County Public Health Officer, to reinstate pet adoptions on a limited basis at the Camarillo Animal Shelter. This authorization applies only to pet adoptions — all other COVID-19 restrictions are still in effect. All adoptions will be conducted by appointment only and the shelter still remains closed to the public for casual visitation.

On Saturday, May 2nd at 10:00am, VCAS will activate their online scheduling system for Adoption Counseling appointments and will begin scheduling these sessions starting Sunday, May 3rd.

SEEAG Launches ‘Duda Farm Fresh Foods’ Double Your Impact Challenge’

by Community Contributor • April 30, 2020 • Comments Off

Duda Farm Fresh Foods will match all donations up $10,000 for every dollar donated to Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) in the month of May during SEEAG’s “Duda Farm’s Double Your Impact Challenge.”

Bilingual commentary: Passing the Time

by Community Contributor • April 30, 2020 • Comments Off

Some fortunate souls are able to work from home during this pandemic, which seems to have no end. If some of the more pessimistic health experts are right, it just may not.

On the other hand, there are many of us who don’t have the luxury of working from home. We may be a service provider whose livelihood was suddenly yanked away. We might be in the retail industry, which in some quarters is struggling to breathe and may not survive an environment that is essentially hostile to its products (think clothing and fashion) or to sales in general (for traditional summer fun, back-to-school, Black Friday and Christmas), which are completely unpredictable at this time.

Museum of Ventura County — Ventura County’s Tiger Princess, Saving the Sounds of the Past, Historic Ventura County Tour, and more!

by Community Contributor • April 30, 2020 • Comments Off

This week we bring you the story of Ellie Langille and a new attraction that has opened in a midtown Ventura neighborhood: the Lemon Grove Neighborhood Zoo.

This zoo was spurred on by Ellie’s mom Summer Langille, who connected with their neighbors on Facebook and asked them to create a weekend pop-up zoo of stuffed animals.

Over the weekend, fifteen houses transformed into cuddly wild animal parks.

This is just one of many stories that demonstrates the creativity and resilience of our residents at this time.

Local Non-profit Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) to Participate in Global #GivingTuesdayNow Effort to Support Small Businesses

by Community Contributor • April 30, 2020 • Comments Off

Non-profit Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) is participating in #GivingTuesdayNow on May 5, 2020 to raise critical funding needed for Quick Response loans and training to help local businesses adapt and recover in the midst of the pandemic. To date, WEV has provided nearly $400,000 in emergency funding while also advocating on a national level for additional funds to support local businesses. For information about donating, visit www.wevonline.org.

Pioneer Valley High School Family, Career and Community Leaders of America take top honors at FCCLA State Leadership Conference

by Community Contributor • April 30, 2020 • Comments Off

Pioneer Valley High School Family, Career and Community Leaders of America zoomed their way to the top during the 73rd annual FCCLA State Leadership Conference recently.

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for April 29

by Community Contributor • April 29, 2020 • Comments Off

Chief Deputy Director of the Ventura County Health Care Agency Barry Zimmerman provided an update on testing this week. View the update here. The County of Ventura is focused on the ability to monitor and protect our communities through testing, contact tracing, isolating and supporting those who are positive or exposed. These steps are critical on the path to reopening.

Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Good news, expanded testing begins next week

by Community Contributor • April 29, 2020 • Comments Off

Good news, expanded testing begins next week, see below for details. Yesterday, Governor Gavin Newsom outlined the State’s plan to reopen the economy in four stages:

Stage 1: Improving testing and tracing, procuring personal protective equipment and ensuring hospital surge capacity.

Stage 2: Opening, with adaptations, school and child care facilities and lower-risk workplaces like retail stores, manufacturers and offices. Park and trail restrictions will also be loosened.

Stage 3: Opening higher-risk workplaces, like gyms, nail and hair salons, movie theaters, sports without live audiences and churches.

Stage 4: End of the stay-at-home order; reopen highest-risk workplaces, like concerts, convention centers and live-audience sports.

Sen Jackson Urges Governor to Safeguard Californians’ Privacy Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

by Community Contributor • April 29, 2020 • Comments Off

As California takes action to combat the coronavirus, in some cases through unprecedented partnerships between government and technology companies and with new and untested technologies, State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson’s (D-Santa Barbara), Chair of the California State Senate Judiciary Committee, urged Governor Newsom to do so without undermining Californians’ fundamental right to privacy.

Ventura College Foundation Launches ‘Stronger Foundation, Stronger Future’

by Community Contributor • April 29, 2020 • Comments Off

The economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis is impacting local nonprofit community organizations in unforeseen ways. One of those affected is the Ventura College Foundation. The foundation’s operating expenses are funded almost entirely from proceeds generated by its Ventura College Weekend Marketplace on the Ventura College campus. With the Marketplace closed until large gathering restrictions are lifted, funds to keep the foundation running are drying up.

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for April 28

by Community Contributor • April 28, 2020 • Comments Off

Good Evening Ventura County, Here’s your daily update on COVID-19 in the County of Ventura:

5 new cases
135 current cases
508 total cases
356 recovered cases
26 hospitalized (5 patients are long term care facility patients not in need of hospital care but being cared for at the hospital to protect others at long term care facilities)
11 in the ICU
17 deaths: age range 37-99 years; 9 males and 8 females.

Recursos disponibles para la comunidad afectada por el COVID 19

by Community Contributor • April 28, 2020 • Comments Off

Recursos disponibles para la comunidad afectada por el COVID 19

Housing Trust Fund Ventura County awarded $50,000 from Weingart Foundation in support of affordable workforce housing

by Community Contributor • April 28, 2020 • Comments Off

Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) has been named as one of 29 grantees receiving funding support from Weingart Foundation through their Unrestricted Operating Support (U.O.S.) program. Housing Trust Fund VC will receive $50,000 over two years to help with capacity building in support of the Fund’s overall mission to increase affordable housing options throughout Ventura County by leveraging public-private partnerships to provide low-cost, flexible loans early in the housing development cycle.

Registered nurse on the front lines against COVID-19 got her start at SBCC

by Community Contributor • April 28, 2020 • Comments Off

Kaitlin Shipley always knew she wanted to work in the healthcare field. After working as a medical assistant for several years after high school, she enrolled in the nursing program at Santa Barbara City College, graduating in 2019 with an associate degree in nursing. Fast forward less than one year, Kaitlin finds herself donning protective gear to enter the isolation room at Lompoc Valley Medical Center as one of the local heroes in the battle against COVID-19.

CLU Virtual Entrepreneur Speaker Series featuring Line 6 to be held at 7 p.m. April 27

by Community Contributor • April 27, 2020 • Comments Off

Susan Wolf and Marcus Ryle are the co-founders of Line 6, a company that makes musical instrument technology products for guitarists. Their journey began with a shared love of music and evolved into the creation of a leading international brand with hundreds of employees and millions of customers.

EDC — Paycheck Protection Program Reopens 4/27

by Community Contributor • April 27, 2020 • Comments Off

The SBA will resume accepting Paycheck Protection Program applications from participating lenders on Monday, April 27, 2020 at 7:30 AM.

If you are seeking additional capital through the Paycheck Protection Program, we highly encourage you to review our Federal Funding Preparation Guide in advance of any application you may submit.

Emergency Child Care Initiative serving additional essential workforce categories

by Community Contributor • April 27, 2020 • Comments Off

The Emergency Child Care Initiative (ECCI) was established to provide members of the essential workforce with affordable child care options to allow them to continue working in roles that are critical to our local COVID-19 response. Since ECCI was launched in early April, child care programs have been established serving most major health care providers throughout the county, including Cottage Health, Sansum Clinic, Lompoc Valley Medical, and the Community Health Centers of the Central Coast. With those programs firmly established, the Initiative is now shifting attention to other members of the essential workforce. This includes employees in food service, grocery industry, farm workers and agricultural production, nursing homes, sanitation, and other essential workforce professions. Children ages 6 months to 12 years will be prioritized.

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for April 26

by Community Contributor • April 26, 2020 • Comments Off

Good Afternoon, Here’s your daily update from the County of Ventura.

1 new case

209 current cases

497 total cases

271 recovered cases

29 currently at the hospital (7 are long term care facility patients that are not acute for hospital care but staying at the hospitals throughout the county to protect others)

7 ICU patients

17 deaths (9 males and 8 females ages 37-99, 11 passed in the hospital and 6 at home, all had comorbidities)

9,161 tested

Special thanks to our community members for following the soft closure guidelines at local beaches. Coastal law enforcement reported that beach visitors followed the rules and kept moving.

Stay informed at www.vcemergency.com.

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for April 25

by Community Contributor • April 25, 2020 • Comments Off

Good Evening, Here is your daily update on COVID-19 in the County of Ventura.

20 new cases
213 current cases
496 total cases
267 recovered cases
21 hospitalized
7 in the ICU
8,503 people have been tested

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for April 24

by Community Contributor • April 24, 2020 • Comments Off

Good Evening, Here’s your daily update on COVID-19 from the County of Ventura.

11 new cases
476 total cases
255 recovered cases
25 in the hospital
7 in the ICU
8,503 people tested
16 deaths

Uninsured Working Latinos and COVID-19: Essential Businesses at Risk

by Community Contributor • April 24, 2020 • Comments Off

“Seek treatment by calling your doctor” if you have a fever, dry cough, or breathing difficulties, says the State of California Department of Public Health. But how will you pay for the doctor’s examination, a coronavirus test, and, if you test positive, any subsequent costs for treatment for COVID-19? While much of the state’s population has been able to practice “social distancing” and stay home to avoid exposure to the coronavirus, Latino workers fill a large percentage of the essential jobs that make staying home possible for others. The nature of these jobs—from checkout clerk to nursing home attendant—exposes them to many potential coronavirus carriers and a consequent high risk of catching the coronavirus. Yet the Latinos working these essential jobs are twice as likely as non-Latinos to be uninsured:

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for April 23

by Community Contributor • April 23, 2020 • Comments Off

14 new cases
465 total cases
245 recovered cases
26 in the hospital *5 of which are not in need of hospitalization but are long-term care facility patients being cared for at hospitals to protect the other long-term care facility members.
7 in the ICU
8, 256 people tested
16 deaths
Age range of deaths 37-99: 8 males and 8 females. All individuals had comorbidities.
Unfortunately, a 37-year-old male died as the result of a drug overdose with COVID-19 infection as a significant comorbidity and contributing condition. Questions can be directed to the Medical Examiner’s Office at MeoAdmin@ventura.org.

Channel Islands Harbor — Beach Visitors Urged to Follow Social Distancing Guidelines

by Community Contributor • April 23, 2020 • Comments Off

Residents who visit County of Ventura-managed beaches are urged to follow guidelines outlined in the Stay Well At Home Order issued by County of Ventura Public Health Officer Dr. Robert Levin.