Do you have a will or a trust? If the answer is no, you are leaving your loved ones and your assets at risk if something were to happen to you. Regardless of your age or your income, estate planning is an important part of planning for the future for anyone! Join us to learn how you can prepare and protect yourself and your loved ones! With guest speaker, Roy Schneider, Attorney.
Ventura County’s Tale of Two Cities:
There is a saying in the medical field that states: Give me your zip code and I will tell you how healthy you are. A zip code may also predict financial health and safety. The challenge is to understand what the data is telling us and what we can do with it to make an impact.
Starting this Wednesday, vaccinated Californians will no longer be required to wear masks in public places, but the mask mandate will remain in effect for K-12 schools for at least two more weeks. Today, the state set February 28 as the date to consider lifting the mask requirement at schools. Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of the California Health & Human Services Agency, made the announcement today, saying that additional time is needed to evaluate the latest data about the spread of COVID-19.
UPDATED: California Department of Public Health:
Starting February 16, 2022, only unvaccinated persons are required to mask in all Indoor Public Settings. Universal masking shall remain required in only specified settings. Fully vaccinated individuals are recommended to continue indoor masking when the risk may be high. CLICK HERE for more information.
Covered California’s Board of Directors announced Tuesday the appointment of Jessica Altman as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Altman currently serves as the insurance commissioner for the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, where she is charged with regulating the Commonwealth’s insurance marketplace, protecting consumers and ensuring their health insurance needs are met. She will join Covered California with a wealth of experience concerning the Affordable Care Act, having played key roles in the Obama administration during the early establishment and implementation of the law, and as the chair of the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority, where she led the establishment of Pennsylvania’s state-based marketplace.
Happy Valentine’s Day from the team at the Clerk/Recorder’s Office! A sweet photo from the wedding room today. This all-star team processes marriage licenses and other vital records year round. 3,550+ marriage licenses last year. Big day for them, many appointments scheduled today! We are grateful for this special team!
Tax season is upon us and low to moderate income Santa Barbara County residents are invited to take advantage of putting more money back in their pocket with the help of United Way of Santa Barbara County’s (UWSBC) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA).
From February 2nd to April 18th, volunteers at VITA sites throughout the community will provide free tax filing services to local residents making $67,000 or less annually. IRS-certified volunteers will provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals. Last year, UWSBC filed 1,362 tax returns and gave back over $2,065,586 in federal refunds to local community members.
The Economic Development Collaborative encourages you to sign up for our no-cost webinars. Space is limited. Register today!
FROM LOCAL TO GLOBAL: CELEBRATING DIVERSITY
February 23 @ 11:00 am
In celebration of Black History Month, join the U.S. Commercial Service for the kick-off of their “From Local to Global: Celebrating Diversity” event series, as they feature a dynamic panel of Black founders and leaders from Southern California-based companies, who will share how they have successfully grown their businesses internationally.
February 10, 2022 Ventura County’s Indoor Mask Order Will be Lifted February 16, in Alignment with the State Masks required indoors for unvaccinated; strongly recommended for all; vaccines and boosters urged to strengthen defenses Ventura, CA – Ventura County Public…
As if we didn’t already have enough controversy around masking mandates in California.
Several days ago, Governor Newsom, along with Los Angeles and San Francisco mayors Eric Garcetti and London Breed, respectively, attended the National Football Conference Championship Game at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The problem that erupted shortly thereafter was the result of images of the governor appearing maskless at a mega-indoor event. These are precisely the types of gatherings that public health officials seriously warn us about attending. The governor’s pretext was that he had “removed the mask for a brief period,” but that excuse was widely dismissed as insultingly disingenuous.
OXNARD — The City of Oxnard is reopening its facilities for in-person services starting Monday, February 14, 2022.
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OXNARD – – La ciudad de Oxnard reabrirá sus instalaciones para servicios en persona a partir del lunes 14 de febrero de 2022.
Mark Lunn, Ventura County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters, announced the offices eligible for election in the June 7, 2022 Statewide Direct Primary Election; and the opening of the nomination period for those office on Monday, February 14, 2022.
Official nomination documents for candidates interested in the offices below may be obtained beginning at 8:00 a.m. on February 14th at the Ventura County Elections Division, Hall of Administration, Lower Plaza, 800 S. Victoria Avenue, Ventura. To obtain or file official nomination documents, appointments for in-person services are highly encouraged and can be made online at https://bit.ly/3zcjWWx. Official nomination documents must be filed with the Ventura County Elections Division by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 11, 2022.
Brian Pendleton, who has been at helm of the Ventura Port District since 2019, has been honored with General Manager of The Year by Ventura County Special Districts Association (VCSDA).
VCSDA Board President Bruce E. Dandy states, “All of the members of the Ventura County Special Districts Association are proud of Pendleton’s numerous achievements on behalf of the Ventura Port District, which is a valuable asset to our community and to Ventura County’s economy, fishing, recreation, and tourism industries. We all join in congratulating Brian for his accomplishments.”
Applications are now being accepted for the 2022-2023 Ventura County Civil Grand Jury session that begins on July 1, 2022.
The Civil Grand Jury is a panel of 19 Ventura County citizens who conduct investigations into the effective and efficient operations of all governmental entities within the county. Investigations originate either from a public complaint or from within the Grand Jury.
The California Department of Water Resources (CADWR) announced an updated 15% allocation from the State Water Project (SWP) following record precipitation events in late 2021. With a very dry January and recently published temperature and precipitation projections for February by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) showing continued dry conditions, the Conejo – Las Virgenes Regional Drought Partnership urges continued water conservation for our region.
and Net Operating Loss (NOL) deductions for California companies – including California’s Research & Development tax credit.Budget bill SB 113 (Economic Relief – COVID 19 Pandemic) passed the Assembly 68-0. Immediately following the Assembly Floor vote, members spoke to the public via LIVESTREAM from the Capitol Steps (VIDEO).
HOW TO CREATE A 2022 SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT CALENDAR
February 11 @ 12:00 pm
Who’s ready to get organized this 2022!? Let’s be honest, we all get overwhelmed by Social Media because we often wear too many hats and think we need to be on every platform. The fact is we only need to be posting on the platforms where our target market is spending their time. The best way to get organized and efficient is to create a social media calendar. Deborah has a saying: schedule it in your calendar, see it in your life and she will show you how to do it to save time, energy and make you money.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Now’s the time to plot an escape to the city of San Luis Obispo, the charming walkable town along California’s Central Coast. From February 1-March 31, 2022, the first 500 visitors who book a two-night consecutive stay at a participating San Luis Obispo “SLO-tel” will receive a complimentary gift card bundle worth $100.
Guests can take advantage of this offer by booking a two-night stay, Sunday through Thursday, at a participating hotel or inn. Travel must be booked and completed by March 31, 2022. Once the booking is confirmed, guest will then need to email their confirmation to info@visitslo.com to see if they are one of the first 500 to qualify for the offer. Blackout dates and certain rules and regulations apply, including valid for new bookings only and bookings made after February 1, 2022. Booking confirmations must be sent prior to arrival. Additional rules and restrictions can be found at visitslo.com.
(On Feb. 3), four County Agricultural Commissioners (CACs) announced a voluntary partnership with the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) to launch pilot projects to support DPR’s development of a statewide pesticide application notification system. The pilot projects will launch between February and July 2022 and will help inform the design and implementation of the state’s statewide notification system. The statewide system will provide more transparent and equitable access to information in advance of pesticide applications.
“The statewide notification system will complement existing pesticide laws and regulations that protect public health and the environment,” said DPR Director Julie Henderson. “The purpose of the notification system is to provide transparent and equitable access to information to enable the public to make informed decisions about actions they may take to protect their health. This voluntary partnership between County Agricultural Commissioners and DPR on pilot projects is an important step in the development of a statewide system. We look forward to feedback from community members, growers and commissioners on the pilots to inform the statewide system and improve community access to information.”
As a result of Governor Gavin Newsom’s announcement last year that California’s public ports will receive an allocation of funding from the state’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Port of Hueneme was awarded $2,337,563 in funds to help recover from revenue losses experienced in fiscal year 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The State Lands Commission administered the grant through a competitive process for California Ports and special districts.
ARPA funding is part of the state’s effort to invest in California ports that have lost revenue and experience increases in expenses directly related to COVID-19. The funding is intended to position ports with improved infrastructure as supply chain congestion challenges our economy. The Port of Hueneme serves 15 West Coast States, Hawaii and parts of Southwest Canada, with over 15,500 jobs that are supported by its active operations.
The Health Soils Program (HSP) Incentives Program provides financial assistance to California growers and ranchers for implementation of conservation management that improve soil health, sequester carbon and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Application Window CLOSES Friday, February 25!
Grant Award:
Growers and ranchers may request up to $100,000 to implement on-farm healthy soils practices.
Cal Poly’s Center for Health Research and ASU’s College of Health Solutions are seeking participants to conduct a 16-week NIH-funded project aimed at reducing sedentary screen time among adults.
The research study uses cutting-edge technology to identify the best strategy for changing sedentary screentime habits & improving health.
The Santa Barbara City College District (SBCCD) Board of Trustees seeks the public’s input as it moves forward with a process to evaluate and adjust the boundaries of the seven trustee areas of the district, a process known as redistricting. Redistricting is required following the release of data from each United States census, conducted every 10 years.
SBCCD has contracted the services of Cooperative Strategies to assist it with this process. Based on their analysis, it has been determined that the boundaries need to be adjusted due to substantial changes in population growth in the areas served by Santa Barbara City College.
After a nationwide recruitment, Dustin Gardner has been appointed as the next County Fire Chief. Appointed by the County Executive Officer, with the concurrence of the Board of Supervisors, he will be the 12th Fire Chief in the County Fire Department’s 94-year history. He will be responsible for the protection of life and property from fire and other emergencies by directing the activities of the Ventura County Fire Protection District.
Shout out to our Public Health lab! They have gone above & beyond during the pandemic, especially during this surge, to help us move forward. Their efforts studying communicable diseases often go unseen, yet they are so valuable. Thank you to this incredible team for their dedication to our community!
COVID-19 Update
Since Monday, there have been 1,241 new COVID-19 cases reported and 13,579 new tests completed. There are 245 people hospitalized and 38 in the ICU. There have been 16 additional deaths, 3 females and 13 males between the ages of 43 and 94. We extend our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the community members who passed away. The R-effective for Ventura County is 0.64, meaning that the spread of COVID is likely decreasing.
Want to catch Jessica Bruder’s pre-symposium chat with KCLU’s Lance Orozco?
Tune into 88.3 FM tomorrow morning at 7:45 a.m. or at 8:45 a.m. as a warm-up to Friday’s symposium!
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is still accepting requests for increases, reconsideration and appeals for the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program:
Increase Request: Borrowers can request increases up to their maximum eligible loan amount for up to two years after their loan origination date, or until the funds are exhausted, whichever is soonest.
Reconsideration/Appeals Request: Reconsideration and appeal requests for applications received on or before December 31 will be accepted and reviewed if the reconsideration/appeal is received within the timeframes in the regulation. This means six months from the date of decline for reconsiderations and 30 days from the date of reconsideration decline for appeals – unless funding is no longer available.
For more information CLICK HERE .
5 days until our second United to End Homelessness Ventura County Virtual Symposium on Feb. 4, 2022. There’s still time to register!
A panel moderated by Tony Biasotti, Executive Editor, Pacific Coast Business Times, includes:
Julia Brownley, U.S. representative (CA-26);
Mike Powers, CEO, County of Ventura;
Murtaza Sanwari, senior vice president and area manager, Kaiser Permanente;
Matt Capritto, realtor and housing champion; and
Amy Duganne, director, homelessness initiatives, United Way of Ventura County.
Jacqui Irwin, Assemblymember (AD-44) will lead a community conversation to close the symposium.
New Partnership will Ease Supply Chain Difficulties PORT OF HUENEME — Joined by FedEx executives, Dr. Udo Lange, President/CEO of FedEx Logistics; Patrick Moebel, President of FedEx Trade Networks; and Jim Rinchiuso Managing Director, Global Ocean Product for FedEx Logistics; the…
HOW TO CREATE A 2022 SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT CALENDAR
February 11 @ 12:00 pm
Who’s ready to get organized this 2022!? Let’s be honest, we all get overwhelmed by Social Media because we often wear too many hats and think we need to be on every platform. The fact is we only need to be posting on the platforms where our target market is spending their time. The best way to get organized and efficient is to create a social media calendar. Deborah has a saying: schedule it in your calendar, see it in your life and she will show you how to do it to save time, energy and make you money.
Ventura County education employees are going above and beyond to keep schools operating during the pandemic. And “thank you” is something they don’t hear often enough.
That’s why Ventura County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. César Morales, is encouraging everyone in the community to send a message of thanks to a school employee and email it to news@vcoe.org. We’ll highlight some of the messages on our website and social media. So please take a minute to write a note to that special someone who’s making a difference for kids.
You can also read Dr. Morales’s own message of gratitude to school employees at this link.
Due to continuing spread of COVID-19, the City of Oxnard is extending the temporary closures of City facilities and programs until further notice.
Community Resources
City employees will be available to address questions via phone, email and virtual appointments during regular business hours.
We are THRILLED to offer Fee-Waived Adoptions this weekend (JAN 29-30). This promotion applies to all dogs who have entered Ventura County Animal Services in 2021. Please view available dogs at www.vcas.us/dogs. Each animal’s “Intake Date” is located on each profile page.
Adoptions are by appointment-only. Sorry, no walk-ins! There are two (2) ways to schedule an adoption appointment:
1) Online at www.vcas.us/adopt, or
2) Email our Adoption Counselors at PetAdoptions@ventura.org. Please include the Animal ID# of the 2021 dog of interest. Only use this email address for dogs who entered our care in 2021.
Battery Streak’s proposal to demonstrate its fast charging battery technology at the annual ANTX-CT22 was accepted by the exercise organizers. Working with the NavalX and FATHOMWERX technology acceleration groups has helped Battery Streak present their technology to the Naval Research and Development Establishment.
The Naval Surface Warfare Center’s Port Hueneme Division will lead execution of its annual Advanced Naval Technology Exercise. ANTX-Coastal Trident 2022 will be conducted to accelerate identification and implementation of leading-edge capabilities by the U.S. Navy and its interagency partners in port and maritime security.
The Oxnard Harbor District/Port of Hueneme Board of Harbor Commissioners named its officers for 2022. Commissioner Mary Anne Rooney was unanimously voted to serve as President.
“It is truly an honor to serve as Harbor Commissioner President for a third time,” said Commissioner Rooney. “Along with my fellow Commissioners, we will keep our resolve and steadfast commitment to environmental progress, innovation and our community. We will continue to support our customers and serve as an economic force in the county by creating thousands of jobs and providing over $100 million dollars in tax revenues for our local communities.”
Since Monday, there have been 4,975 new COVID-19 cases reported and 19,054 new tests completed. There are 302 people hospitalized and 46 in the ICU. There have been 8 additional deaths of a 60 year old female, 69 year old male, 84 year old male, 84 year old male, 90 year old male, 94 year old female, 94 year old female, and a 98 year old male. We extend our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the community members who passed away. The R-effective for Ventura County is 0.58 which indicates that the spread of COVID is likely decreasing.
El Consulado de México en Oxnard agradece a todas las personas que votaron a favor de esta innovadora iniciativa en materia de combate al tráfico ilícito de armas. Desde la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores se continuará trabajando en acciones que contribuyan a la seguridad y bienestar de las personas mexicanas.
Elizabeth “Lizzy” Clews was 15 years old when, after multiple attempts to escape a toxic home life, she was placed in out-of-home care (formerly foster care). Without a stable home environment, Clews attended 13 different high schools leaving her feeling vastly disconnected. It was not until she was 17 and living in her second group home that Elizabeth met Damon, a mentor that completely changed the direction of her life. Now Elizabeth helps others in care.
“Just having that one solid person that I knew was always going to be there really motivated me and gave me a sense of confidence and just a feeling like I deserved to be loved,” said Clews. “It felt so good to have this person that I thought was successful also see that same potential in me at various stages of my life.”
With the final deadline for the current open-enrollment period quickly approaching on Jan. 31, Covered California announced that 1,744,000 people have signed up for coverage, which is a new record high for the start of a coverage year (see Figure 1: Covered California Plan Selections to Start a Coverage Year). The total represents an increase of more than 350,000 people compared to the start of 2020, as Covered California has used the increased financial help from the American Rescue Plan to expand coverage and meet the needs of people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic has highlighted the importance of having quality coverage, and with a surge of COVID-19 infections across the state, now is the time to make sure you have health insurance,” said Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California.
“We want to encourage anyone who is currently going without health care coverage to check out their options and sign up so they can be covered in 2022.”
Family Service Agency (FSA) of Santa Barbara County, also known as Santa Maria Valley Youth & Family Center and Guadalupe’s Little House By The Park, is pleased to announce the appointment of Santa Maria Police Lieutenant Paul Van Meel to its Board of Directors.
Paul has worked in various capacities within the Santa Maria Police Department since 1999 including in the Detective Bureau, oversight of the Special Enforcement Team, as Patrol/Watch Commander, and currently as the Administrative Lieutenant-Chief’s Adjutant.
Since Friday, there have been 8,484 new COVID-19 cases reported and 34,246 new tests completed. There are 320 people hospitalized and 52 in the ICU. There have been 3 additional deaths of a 51 year old male, 54 year old male, and a 71 year old female. We extend our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the community members who passed away. The R-effective for Ventura County is 0.71 which indicates that the spread of COVID is likely decreasing.
Cases included in our COVID updates are from tests that may have been taken before the last update. The tests are processed and then reported to Public Health which usually takes a few days or weeks.
HOW TO DEAL WITH PORT CONGESTION
January 25 @ 10:00 am
This panel discussion will examine the effects of port congestion with a special emphasis on the Long Beach/Los Angeles Ports and the Port of Virginia, and the impact this is having on small businesses from coast to coast.
The California Labor Market Information Division (LMID) released its December 2021 report on Friday the 19th, extending what’s become a five-month run of improvements in Ventura County’s unemployment rate, now at 4.2%, down from 4.5% in November. While the unemployment rate is moving in the right direction, the underlying numbers aren’t so encouraging. In what is usually a strong month for hiring, we picked up only 1,300 Nonfarm jobs—and only 500 in holiday hiring for Retail—and actually had a decline in the Labor Force by 400 workers. Further, what gains we did have were largely concentrated in only two sectors, Retail Trade and Leisure & Hospitality. For more context on what it means, read on; for the link to the monthly numbers click here.
We’re donating blood today and helping end the national blood shortage! Shout out to Adela Oregon with our Probation Agency, Robert Crawford of the General Services Agency, Leslie Cerda student worker with our Sheriff’s Office, and all county employees who made a lifesaving donation today! You can too: www.redcrossblood.org
Learn about the EMPRENDEDORES (Entrepreneurs), a small business training program offed by MICOP & WEV.
Last week, the new mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, quickly found himself embroiled in a self-inflicted controversy. At a press conference, he casually referred to cooks, dishwashers, messengers, shoe shiners and fast-food workers as “low-skill workers.” That got the attention of some powerful and influential people.
Liberal U.S. State Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez fired back via Twitter. She claimed that calling workers “low-skilled” plays into a “myth perpetuated by wealthy interests to justify inhumane working conditions, little/no healthcare, and low wages.”
But looking past the outcry over the mayor’s remarks, we might want to pause and consider the implications of the issues at hand.
Ventura County Animal Services participated in the #BettyWhiteChallenge, a nationwide fundraising event kickstarted on Twitter and shared by well-known celebrities. The trending movement, inspired by Betty White’s long history of animal activism, called upon the community to donate $5.00 to their local animal shelters on Monday, January 17, 2022, what would have been her 100th birthday.
VCAS set a modest fundraising goal of $10,000 and quickly launched our participation in the challenge. We are absolutely thrilled to announce that we exceeded our original fundraising goal by leaps and bounds, collecting an extraordinary $51,510! We received nationwide coverage on NBC4 and held a concurrent pet adoption event which resulted in 24 animals finding loving, forever homes. We were both surprised and honored by the massive outpour of support from our Ventura County community and we wish to thank all who participated in the Betty White Challenge!
