Category: Health

Community Environmental Council (CEC) — From the Birthplace of Earth Day: A Warning and a Way Forward

Last month, CEC convened environmental leaders from across the Central Coast with Congressman Salud Carbajal to discuss how federal climate rollbacks are affecting our region.

The resulting op-ed, “From the Birthplace of Earth Day: A Warning and a Way Forward,” co-authored by Congressman Carbajal and Sigrid Wright, CEC’s CEO, outlines what we heard and offers a blueprint for resilient, community-centered climate action.

Key takeaways from the op-ed:
• Abrupt federal funding losses are disrupting local climate projects
• Policy instability creates barriers to progress and planning
• Local partnerships are stepping up to fill gaps and protect communities
• The Central Coast offers a model for innovative, durable climate leadership

Community Environmental Council (CEC) — A personal note from Nadra: Help fill the gap

This holiday season, I’m proud to support the Community Environmental Council in protecting the Central Coast. But federal rollbacks have created a $1.5 million funding gap, threatening programs that keep our air clean, food systems resilient, and communities prepared. And with new proposals to expand offshore drilling along our coastline, it’s clear we must do more than simply fight back — we must strengthen the community-led solutions generations have worked to build.

Bilingual report — Ventura offers fifth Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) class

VENTURA — The City of Ventura, in partnership with the City of Santa Paula and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is excited to announce its fifth Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training class, now offering its second Spanish-language session.  

The CERT program is a free, 24-hour training opportunity open to 40 residents from Ventura and Santa Paula. Participants learn how to safely and effectively respond to local emergencies, including reducing fire hazards, providing basic medical care, assisting professional responders, conducting light search and rescue, and more. Graduates receive a certificate of completion, a training manual, and a disaster start-up kit with a helmet, gloves, vest, and safety goggles. 

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital named 2025 Top Teaching Hospital by the Leapfrog Group

“We are proud to be recognized as a Top Teaching Hospital by The Leapfrog Group,” said Barbara Conviser, Vice President, Quality Support Services. “Our residency programs have long been a point of pride for Cottage, and this recognition affirms the daily contributions of our faculty, staff, and resident physicians in delivering high-quality care.”

Bilingual report — Ventura Police urge responsible celebrations this holiday season

VENTURA — As holiday celebrations ramp up, so does the risk on our roads. In December 2023, 1,038 people across the U.S. lost their lives in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Ventura Police Department joins agencies statewide in urging drivers to celebrate responsibly and keep impaired driving out of their holiday plans.

Tthrough New Year’s Day, Ventura Police Department will have additional officers on patrol looking for drivers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. The high-visibility enforcement effort is part of a national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, with the goal of stopping suspected impaired drivers who put others at risk.

State-of-the-Art Indoor Pickleball complex coming to Santa Barbara/Goleta area this Spring

SANTA BARBARA — A new home to the pickleball community is coming to Santa Barbara County. The former Bed Bath & Beyond location, in the Fairview Shopping Center in Goleta, will soon be transformed into a premier indoor pickleball facility, The Picklr Santa Barbara, owned and operated by local residents Ted and Trish Guggenheim. The state-of-the-art complex will feature 7 professional-grade courts, including 2 official championship-sized courts. 

Allan Hancock College’s SkillsUSA Community Service Team organizes blanket drive donation

SANTA MARIA — Allan Hancock College’s SkillsUSA Community Service Team is collecting new and gently used blankets this holiday season to support individuals and families in need across the Central Coast.

Donation bins are available now through Dec.19 in the Mechanics Bank Student Center (bldg. G) at the college’s Santa Maria campus. Community members are encouraged to contribute if they are able.

The blanket drive serves as the team’s official SkillsUSA community service project for the year. Students on the team include Johana Diaz-Toscano, Alexandra Ramirez and Victoria Gama. The three students organized and launched the initiative entirely themselves. Diaz-Toscano said that blankets will be distributed to local shelters, many of which see increased need during the winter months.

Bilingual reports — County of Ventura wins gold from the Healthcare Digital Marketing Awards for fentanyl awareness website

VENTURA — The County of Ventura has received a Gold Award in the 6th Annual Healthcare Digital Marketing Awards for its Think Again Ventura Countywebsite, a centralized, digital resource supporting the County’s ongoing fentanyl awareness campaign. The national awards program, which recognizes excellence in healthcare marketing and digital communications, received entries from hospitals, health systems, and public health organizations across the country

Bilingual report — Ventura City Council approves water and wastewater rate adjustments

VENTURA — On Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at the Public Hearing for Proposed Water and Wastewater Rates, City Council unanimously approved five-year water and wastewater rate increases needed to maintain reliable water and wastewater service. The new rates will take effect July 1, 2026. Customers can use Ventura Water’s online bill calculator to estimate individual impacts to their water and wastewater bill.  

Climate Stewards Winter 2026 Enrollment: Turn climate anxiety into community power

As federal policy and funding rollbacks threaten decades of environmental progress, it’s never been more important for all of us to step up, care for our neighborhoods, restore our ecosystems, and protect the places we love.

CEC’s Climate Stewards Certification Program empowers individuals from all backgrounds to advance bold climate solutions right at home. High school and college students, recent grads, teachers, community members, non-profit staff, business owners, retirees, and more are all invited to join us as we take collective action to move forward meaningful climate progress.

UCSB — The Current — ‘UCSB physicists accept Nobel Prizes in Sweden’ and more news, events

In a ceremony full of splendor, music and admiration, professors Michel Devoret and John Martinis, alongside their mentor, UC Berkeley physicist John Clarke, on Dec. 10 officially received their Nobel Prizes from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

Bilingual report — Holiday Heroes to bring magic to children at Ventura County Medical Center

VENTURA — Ventura County Medical Center (VCMC) is excited to announce its upcoming Holiday Heroes Rappel event for pediatric patients. On Monday, Dec. 15, members of the Urban Search and Rescue Regional Task Force, including firefighters from Oxnard, Ventura City, and Ventura County, will dress as Santa Claus and beloved holiday characters such as elves and rappel from the hospital roof to the pediatric unit playground.

Bilingual report — City of Ventura continues public education on proposed water and wastewater rate adjustments

VENTURA — In October, the City of Ventura mailed Proposition 218 notices to all Ventura Water customers and property owners to inform them about proposed adjustments to water and wastewater rates. These adjustments are needed to ensure that Ventura Water is able to upgrade aging infrastructure, meet stricter state and federal requirements, and continue to provide reliable service for years to come.  

City of Ojai offers free compost and mulch to residents through Agromin partnership

OJAI — The City of Ojai has partnered with Agromin, California’s largest organics recycler, to provide residents with free compost and mulch through a new coupon program.

The program helps the city comply with Senate Bill 1383’s greenhouse gas reduction requirements while offering residents high-quality soil amendments at no cost.

Residents can order bagged or bulk materials directly from Agromin at www.shop.agromin.com by selecting their products and entering the corresponding coupon code at checkout.

Pickup is available at Agromin (201 Kinetic Drive, Oxnard) or Aqua-Flo Ojai (1940 E Ojai Ave., Ojai). Delivery is available for a fee.

Ventura College Nursing Program ranked #1 for NCLEX-RN Pass Rates

VENTURA — Ventura College is proud to announce that its Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program has been ranked first in the state of California and in the nation for its exceptional National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) first-time pass rate, according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN).

Bilingual report — Gold Coast Health Plan member information potentially exposed in data breach

CAMARILLO — Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) recently discovered that one of its contracted business partners suffered a cyberattack that resulted in the potential disclosure of member information to an unauthorized third party.

Conduent Business Solutions, a longtime administrative services vendor for GCHP, reported that the cyberattack compromised a single employee’s email account, permitting the attacker to gain access to some files between Oct. 21, 2024, and Jan. 13, 2025. Upon discovery of the incident on Jan. 13, 2025, Conduent immediately safeguarded its systems and started an investigation. Conduent notified law enforcement of the incident and engaged a leading cybersecurity firm to assess the potential disclosure of protected health information.

Join Hospice of Santa Barbara in celebrating 42nd Annual Light Up a Life ceremonies, honoring loved ones this holiday season (Dec. 6, 7, 13, 14)

SANTA BARBARA — Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) is honored to invite the community to its 42nd Annual Light Up a Life ceremonies. This cherished holiday tradition returns to offer a warm, uniting space for the communities of Goleta, Santa Barbara, Montecito, and Carpinteria to remember and honor the loved ones whose absence is felt during the holiday season. The ceremonies are free and open to the public.

While the holiday season is often associated with joy, it frequently stirs a complex mix of feelings. For individuals navigating this time while grieving a loss, the emotions can be especially raw. HSB understands that this period requires both remembrance and support, which is why we proudly host Light Up a Life annually to honor those who are deeply missed.

Bilingual report — City of Ventura reflects on eight years since the Thomas Fire with rebuild progress and safety improvements

VENTURA — This week marks the eighth anniversary of the Thomas Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California history. Since 2017, the City of Ventura has remained focused on supporting impacted homeowners, strengthening wildfire preparedness, and improving the transparency of the rebuilding process.

As of November 2025, 404 homes have been completely rebuilt and approved for occupancy, 31 permits are under active construction, and another 18 more are under plan review. The City’s Thomas Fire Rebuild Overlay Zone, established in 2018 to support recovery by reducing fees, simplifying development standards, and providing greater design flexibility, will expire on December 31, 2025. Property owners who wish to rebuild under these provisions must submit a complete and substantial building permit application, including all required plans, before the expiration date.

Bilingual report — County of Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors to meet on Dec. 9

View this email online The next regular meeting of the  County Board of Supervisors is scheduled for  10 a.m. Tuesday, December 9, 2025 County Administration Building Board Hearing Room, 4th Floor 105 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara The public may participate…

Friendship Adult Day Services — The Friendly Finch: December

How is it December… who did this?!? Between the holiday closures and the quick pace of this past month, it felt like we blinked and it was over. With three program closure days in November, and three again in December, I know how challenging that change in schedule can be for caregivers juggling a hundred things at once. That’s why I’m especially proud that this month, we’re once again offering three free Saturday respite days as a holiday gift to caregivers: a gift of time.

Bilingual report — City of Ventura’s Foul Weather Shelter Plan reactivated for 2025

VENTURA — To prepare for upcoming winter weather, the City of Ventura has reactivated its Foul Weather Shelter Plan to provide temporary shelter and “stay warm” packs to Ventura’s most vulnerable residents during extreme weather events, such as severe rain, high winds, or low temperatures. Effective December 1, 2025, the The Foul Weather Shelter Plan will run through March 31, 2026.

To date, more than 4,650 meals have been provided, 280 stay warm packs distributed, and over 435 individuals have received shelter through the program.

“Ventura has an active community of local social service providers and nonprofits that work together to serve the needs of our most vulnerable population,” said Housing Services Manager Leona Rollins. “This program is needed now more than ever to help protect those who face the harshest impacts of winter weather.”

Guest commentary — Central Coast Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) — Buy CA for CA – We’re Standing on Business

Whether you work in the field or an office, run a small business or a kitchen, raise children or are grinding through school – your hard work fuels the 4th largest economy in the world. The California you’ve built should work for you – not billionaires and corporations.

Small businesses, workers, and families like yourself keep our state running, not the billionaires. Our wallets should support the people who treat us with respect, pay fair wages, and reinvest in our communities.

That’s why today we’re launching Buy California For California, a campaign to use our buying power to support community over cruelty.

Until the end of the year, we’re asking you to boycott businesses that profit from our pain and instead spend your hard-earned cash on the people from our neighborhoods, who really fuel our cities, care for their workers, treat customers with respect, and reinvest in their community.

Bilingual guest commentary by Kaiser Permanente — Holiday Food Safety: Essential tips for preventing foodborne illness

Holiday gatherings are a time for celebration, family, and, of course, delicious food. However, with the hustle and bustle that comes with hosting, food safety can sometimes be overlooked. Understanding how bacteria grow and knowing the best practices for selecting, handling, serving, and storing food can help keep everyone healthy during your festivities. 

A Season of Giving: Port of Hueneme donates 1,000 turkeys to local families across Ventura County

PORT HUENEME — This year, the Port of Hueneme is celebrating a powerful season of giving with a series of hosted and partner-supported community events across Ventura County. In total, the Port helped distribute approximately 1,000 frozen turkeys and holiday meal kits to military families, seniors, farmworkers, local residents, and community members.

Throughout November, Port Commissioners, staff, volunteers, and sponsors came together to support multiple food distributions, each focused on uplifting and empowering families during the holiday season. These efforts included the Drive Out Hunger military and veterans meal giveaway, local community holiday distributions, and nonprofit-supported events across Oxnard and Port Hueneme, ensuring families from all backgrounds could enjoy a holiday meal at home.

Bilingual report — Ventura County Public Health — Tips for practicing safe food handling during Thanksgiving

VENTURA COUNTY — This Thanksgiving, add fresh flavors to your holiday meal while preventing foodborne illness with practical tips from Ventura County Public Health (VCPH) and Ventura County Resource Management Agency Environmental Health Division (EH).

County of Ventura District 2 Supervisor Jeff Gorell — Thank you! Update on food assistance, housing resources, crisis help, or mental health services

Dear Neighbors,

From my family to yours, I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful Thanksgiving!

The holidays are a time of connection and celebration, but they can also be a time of need for many families. If you or someone you know could use support — whether it’s food assistance, housing resources, crisis help, or mental health services — 2-1-1 Ventura County is available 24/7 to connect you with programs across our region.

For neighbors in the Conejo Valley, Food Share, Manna Conejo Valley Food Bank, Adelante Comunidad Conejo and other local organizations continue to provide essential support.

Community Environmental Council (CEC) — Don’t let 50 years of progress slip away

We need your help to fill a funding gap, so we can keep hard-won climate progress moving forward on the Central Coast.

Federal rollbacks and anti-climate policies terminated three of CEC’s federal grants — a $1.5 million loss for cleaner air, stronger local food systems, and new green jobs for working families. And now, with new proposals to open parts of the Santa Barbara Channel to offshore oil and gas drilling, the stakes for our region have only grown.

Our goal is to raise $100,000 by December 31 to replace lost funding and protect 50 years of local environmental progress from being undone.

AMR Ventura County urges families to recognize ‘holiday heart syndrome’ as seasonal cardiac risks rise

VENTURA COUNTY — As holiday gatherings begin and alcohol consumption increases, American Medical Response Ventura County (AMR) and Gold Coast Ambulance are encouraging families to recognize the signs of “holiday heart syndrome,” a condition that occurs more frequently between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Heavier alcohol use, rich foods, emotional stress and delayed care are key contributors to the seasonal rise in cases.

During the holiday season, individuals may disregard mild or atypical cardiac symptoms, attributing them to fatigue or stress associated with festivities. As the manifestations of holiday heart syndrome can be subtle and easily missed, it is essential to remain vigilant and seek prompt medical evaluation; early intervention may safeguard cardiovascular health and prove lifesaving.

VCCF Power of Purpose – November 2025

Dear Ventura County Community Foundation Family,

Yesterday, I was unexpectedly transported back to the very beginning of my career. I was 21, attending my first Chamber of Commerce meeting, nervous beyond words. In my attempt to discreetly stab a grape from my fruit salad with a plastic fork as everyone was making their introductions, it slipped, flew across the table, and landed directly in Michael Towbes’ lap.

He looked up at me with such kindness and without judgment as he picked up the grape, handed it gently back to me, and said, with a twinkle in his eye, “I think this might belong to you.” I am sure I turned the deepest shade of red imaginable, and I have avoided eating grapes with a plastic fork ever since.

Bilingual report — The latest news from the County of Ventura

6th Annual Holiday Food & Toy Drive Happening Dec. 6th!

The Ventura County Harbor Department and Harbor & Beach Community Alliance (HBCA) are teaming up to spread holiday cheer this season by hosting the 6th Annual Holiday Food & Toy Drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on December 6, 2025 at the Harbor Landing parking lot off Harbor Blvd.
The Holiday Food & Toy Drive will benefit Food Share of Ventura County and the Spark of Love Toy Drive, an annual effort coordinated by local fire departments which provide toys to thousands of children each year.
On the day of the event, donations will be accepted at a drop-off location at the Harbor Landing parking lot, located at the Channel Islands Boulevard and Harbor Boulevard intersection. Volunteers will be there to safely accept the donations and provide them to Food Share and the Spark of Love Toy Drive.

Bilingual report — Office of Traffic Safety awards $185,000 grant to the Ventura Police Department for Traffic Enforcement Program to increase safety on roads

“We are grateful to receive this grant, which will strengthen our traffic enforcement efforts and improve road safety,” said Traffic Sergeant Mark Knackstedt. “Through a combination of education and enforcement efforts, our goal is to reduce dangerous driving behaviors, prevent crashes, and make our roads safer for everyone.” 

Ventura County Animals Services (VCAS) #LongStayChallenge Hopes to Spur Dog Adoptions

VENTURA COUNTY — Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS) currently has over 200 dogs in their care, including 50 who have been at the shelter for more than 100 days and 6 who have been waiting over a year.

To help these long-stay dogs find homes, VCAS has launched the #LongStayChallenge, encouraging shelter volunteers to take dogs “on the town” and create fun, engaging promotional videos to showcase their personalities.

Family Service Agency opens new location at Escalante Meadows in Guadalupe, expanding access to free services for families, seniors, community members

GUADALUPE — Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara County (FSA) announced today the opening of a new on-site service location at Escalante Meadows in Guadalupe, marking a significant expansion of accessible, no-cost family support services for residents and community members. The location opened November 1, 2025, in partnership with the Housing Authority of Santa Barbara County (HASBARCO).

The new location, situated in the Wellness Center at Escalante Meadows, provides direct access to case management, resource navigation, parenting education workshops, and community-building activities. Services are available to all Escalante Meadows residents and Guadalupe community members at no cost, regardless of income, insurance status, or immigration status.

Bilingual report — Ventura County Board of Supervisors approve new ordinance to prohibit overnight parking and camping near farmland

VENTURA — On Tuesday, Nov. 18, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to pass a new local ordinance that will ban overnight parking and camping on certain roads next to farmland in County unincorporated areas. The goal is to protect local agriculture and the environment, while also ensuring public safety. The new ordinance, which was approved during the regular meeting for the Board of Supervisors, goes into effect January 1, 2026.

Guest commentary — Communities across California call unscientific regulation of Cancer-Causing 1,3-D racist. Demand phaseout of fumigants and 1-mile buffer zones around schools

Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes local guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805.

OXNARD — At five news conferences (on Nov. 18), farmworker communities across our State were scheduled to speak of their outrage over the Department of Pesticide Regulation’s recent policy regarding California’s third most used synthetic pesticide, the cancer-causing fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D; brand name Telone). They are also deeply concerned about the increasing use of not just 1,3-D but other harmful drift-prone fumigants near schools and daycares and call for significant changes to the regulation of fumigants, especially near schoolchildren in California. 

These news conferences, all sponsored by Californians for Pesticide Reform (CPR), will be held in Watsonville, Fresno, Modesto, and Oxnard, as well as a statewide event online.

Guest commentary — VCTA: Bankruptcy happens gradually, then suddenly

Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes local guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805.

The Ventura County Taxpayers Association (VCTA) has long supported responsible stewardship of County resources and transparent oversight of the Ventura County Medical System (VCMS). As we prepare to address the Board of Supervisors, it has become increasingly clear that VCMS is facing a financial crisis — one driven not by outside forces, but by management’s persistent failure to address its ongoing structural cash-flow deficit.

The Core Problem: A Structural Cash-Flow Deficit Getting Worse …

Santa Paula Police Dept. participates in ‘No Shave November’ supporting those with cancer

SANTA PAULA — The Santa Paula Police Department has once again launched “No Shave November” to support local charities that assist with those battling cancer. Police officers are growing their facial hair to help “grow” cancer awareness. The Santa Paula Police Officers Association (SPPOA) is coordinating this campaign, receiving donations from all Police Department employees in order to participate. The fundraising campaign will finish at the end of the month. Employees will be allowed to grow their facial hair fully and neatly trimmed over the next few months.

‘Smile Bus Grand Reveal’ — New Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics’ Mobile Dental Bus Brings Additional Dental Care to Greater Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics (SBNC) successfully unveiled its new “Smile Bus” Mobile Dental vehicle on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at the Santa Barbara City lot at Leadbetter Beach. The event brought together local officials, SBNC supporters and friends, and SBNC leadership and staff to celebrate the expansion of mobile dental care in the Greater Santa Barbara community.

Smile Bus Interior.
Dental care is important for kids to maintain good teeth and gum health, ensure that they can chew and speak properly, and establish lifelong healthy habits. Dental care is important for overall healthcare because oral health is directly linked to general health. Dental decay is the leading disease in children worldwide. Nationally, over 34 million school hours are missed each year due to dental-related treatment.

Health Care Foundation for Ventura County is an Action for Women’s Health Awardee  

VENTURA — Health Care Foundation for Ventura County has been announced as one of 80+ organizations that were awarded funding through Action for Women’s Health, a $250 million global open call, launched in 2024 to support organizations working to improve women’s mental and physical health around the world.  

Although women make up half of the world’s population, they face inequities in nearly every aspect of their health. Women’s health is chronically underfunded and under-researched, and even when resources and solutions do exist, they often aren’t reaching the women who need them.