Category: News

Port of Hueneme Strengthens Trade with Top Partner Mexico

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A delegation of Mexico’s top trade representatives visited the Port of Hueneme on Wednesday to strengthen their longstanding trading partnership. Led by Mr. Roberto Velasco Alvarez, Director General for North America and acting Undersecretary for North America at Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the delegation was welcomed with a socially distanced port tour and roundtable discussion of expanding and supporting trade between the Port and Mexico. 

“Our on-going trading partnership with Mexico continues to grow, from the establishment of a Sister Port relationship with Port of Ensenada in 2015, to supporting trade through our various local customers importing and exporting cargo between our two great countries,” said Oxnard Harbor District President Jason Hodge. “We are committed to supporting the growth of this fruitful partnership.”

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Employment Law Firm LightGabler Named Business of the Year by Simi Chamber

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Employment law firm LightGabler was named “Business of the Year” by the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce. The award was announced virtually on February 19 at the Chamber’s online Salute to Excellence Awards program.

The Chamber singled out LightGabler for “educating and assisting the business community with financial support, resources and compliance with legal and employment law changes throughout 2020.”

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Bilingual report — Vaccinations for Educators to be Accelerated in Ventura County

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The County of Ventura (on Feb. 24) announced a new goal of providing school employees with their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of March, which is significantly sooner than had originally been anticipated. This will be accomplished by working with local health care providers to administer vaccinations to educators in addition to using the County’s existing vaccination infrastructure.

“We are very gratified to see that the people who work in our schools are receiving high priority for vaccinations in Ventura County,” said Dr. Cesar Morales, Deputy Superintendent for the Ventura County Office of Education. “A fully functioning school system is one of the keys to getting our lives back to normal. The sooner we can get school employees vaccinated, the sooner we will be able to bring all of our students back to the classroom,” he said.

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Bilingual report — County of Ventura COVID-19 Update for Feb. 24 — COVID-19 Vaccine Information

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COVID-19 Vaccine Information

It was announced today that education and childcare, food and agriculture and emergency response sectors are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, effective today.

Information about appointments can be found at the following link.
www.venturacountyrecovers.org/vaccine-information/portal/. Appointments open every Monday.

If you have limited internet access you can also call the registration hotline at 805-477-7161. The phone line is staffed M-F 8-5. Appointments are set aside for both online registration and the phone line.

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Natalie Orfalea Foundation and Lou Buglioli Sponsor Hospice of Santa Barbara’s illuminate Speaker Series

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Natalie Orfalea Foundation and Lou Buglioli sponsor Hospice of Santa Barbara’s (HSB) illuminate Speaker Series, a virtual series that brings world-renowned speakers every month to discuss how COVID-19 is impacting us all.  

As local nonprofits are adapting to find new ways to serve their clients and causes, HSB is adjusting to the new realities that come with COVID-19 through their illuminate Speaker Series, which provides helpful resources to our community and beyond as we cope with our new reality. 

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Museum of Ventura County announces upcoming virtual Learning Modules Archaeology in Ventura County

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you like dirt, old things, and history…then you’re going to “dig” our two-part educational series on archaeology. In this first installment, you will learn about what archaeology is, why it is important, and what you can do to help preserve the past. At the end of the module, you will also find some fun activities to get you thinking like an archaeologist! Sound fun? Well, then let’s “dig” in!

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Local PODS® Moving & Storage Wraps Up Year Long 15th Anniversary Celebration with Multi Charity Donations

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Despite the challenges that accompanied 2020, Local PODS® Moving & Storage was committed to supporting as many nonprofits as possible in the community, donating over $20,000 between monetary and container donations. As the end of the year approached, Local PODS wrapped up their 15th anniversary celebration of business in Ventura County by providing some additional holiday cheer to their community.

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Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Multilingual and Migrant Education Program (MMEP) held a Health and Wellness Drive-thru Fair

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Nutrition knowledge and essential food help arrived for 150 Santa Maria Joint Union High School District families when the SMJUHSD Multilingual and Migrant Education Program (MMEP) held a Health and Wellness Drive-thru Fair at the Santa Maria High School student parking lot on Saturday, February 20.

MMEP along with community organizations from Mixteco Indigena Community Organization Project (MICOP), Community Health Centers (CHC), Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo (CAPSLO), Center for Employment Training (CET), and the Food Bank of Santa Barbara County offered families free information packets. Organization packets included information on health, dental, rental assistance, healthy food choices, COVID. Families also received hygiene kits, groceries/produce and pan dulce.

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Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara announces Collectors Series | Christie’s x MCASB

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Join us for the second installment of MCASB’s Collectors Series, a behind-the-scenes dive into the many facets of collecting art.

On Thursday, March 4, Vivian Brodie, Associate Vice President, Specialist, working in Private Sales at Christie’s in New York will lead a walkthrough and discussion of the Post-War to Present Day Sale. This exclusive walkthrough will offer an early glimpse of the exciting work on sale, including artists Elaine de Kooning, Ruth Asawa, Henry Taylor, Beatriz Milhazes, and Titus Kaphar, and will provide insight into how to work with an auction house.

Post-War to Present jumpstarts Christie’s Spring 2021 auction season in New York with artwork spanning the Post-War era to the most celebrated contemporary artists of today. Click here to read more about this event.

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Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — EDC Business Alert- Important PPP Updates

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On Monday February 22nd, 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration and the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced steps the agency is taking with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to further promote equitable relief for America’s mom-and-pop businesses.

Please review the following changes to the Paycheck Protection Program:

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Travis-Teague Appointed to Santa Barbara City Fire and Police Commission

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Dianne Travis-Teague has been appointed to the Santa Barbara City Fire & Police Commission. She brings a wealth of knowledge and lived experience that will benefit the Commission at a time when the city is focusing efforts toward racial justice and equity.    

As Director of Alumni Relations for Pacifica Graduate Institute, Travis-Teague has created and maintained numerous pathways for alumni engagement. Her capabilities include project management, financial analysis, training, team building, mentoring, and creative brainstorming. Travis-Teague earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Marketing from Northwestern University in Illinois and also currently serves on the Board of Hospice of Santa Barbara.   

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YMCA Branches Offering Kids’ Outdoor Enrichment Classes

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Branches of the Southeast Ventura County YMCA are offering outdoor, in-person enrichment programs for preschoolers through age 11.
The Yarrow Family YMCA holds classes Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Preschoolers get moving with “Preschool Hip Hop” on Mondays and “Preschool Ballet” on Thursdays and Fridays. Storytime readings are from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Thursdays.

Parents looking for creative after-school enrichment classes for their 5 to 11-year-olds can sign them up for “Theater Games” on Mondays, and “Move And Groove” and “Beginning Hip Hop” on Thursdays.

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February News from People’s Self-Help Housing

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Even with the challenges of the pandemic, students at our learning centers are working hard and excelling! Recent reporting from our educators have shown that 3rd graders participating in our Camino Scholars program are doing 35% better in reading and 48% better in math, compared to their peers!

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Bilingual report — County of Ventura COVID-19 Update for Feb. 23

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Sitas de vacunación COVID-19 disponibles para Fase 1A, Trabajadores de Cuidado de Salud y personas de 65 años y mayores. Prueba de sector o identificación verificando la edad son requeridos en la cita de vacunación. Las citas de vacunaciones son para las personas que viven o trabajan en el Condado de Ventura.

1)     Registrarse en línea www.venturacountyrecovers.org/vaccine-information-sp/portal-sp/
2)     Los que tengan acceso limitada a una computadora/internet pueden llamar a la línea de registración 805-477-7161. Esta línea telefónica está abierta de lunes a viernes de 8:00-5:00.

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Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — Free Webinar Schedule

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THE FUTURE OF TRADE- INTERNET TRADE FINANCE: EUCP & EURC

February 25 @ 10:00 am

Presenters John Dunlop, ITFGlobal Limited, and Simona Racek, EDC SBDC advisor, will discuss important information about trade finance documentary letters of credit that have gone digital and the new guidelines that were issued by the International Chamber of Commerce to supplement the UCP 600 for credits and URC 522 or collections, which have sped up collection time and will improve your cash flow.

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More Elementary Schools Permitted to Reopen as Educator Vaccinations are Set to Begin

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Ventura County has reached a COVID-19 case rate that allows all elementary schools to resume in-person instruction as early as today if they choose to do so and have taken required safety measures. At the same time, the County of Ventura will begin vaccinating teachers starting next Monday. “These two developments are encouraging steps in the effort to safely bring more students and teachers back to the classroom,” said Dr. Cesar Morales, Deputy Superintendent for the Ventura County Office of Education.

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Guest commentary — Reevaluating Your Retail Business Security Measures During Next Phase of COVID-19 Pandemic

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Almost a year into the COVID-19 shutdown, retail businesses must continually reevaluate their security needs as pandemic restrictions and public behavior change, says Access Patrol Services (APS), a security guard company serving California and Arizona.

“What worked early on in the pandemic may not make sense now,” says Fahim Abid, APS security director. “A strong retail security plan needs to have a two pronged approach—one, to ensure that safety and health procedures are followed by employees and the public, and two, that customers, employees and property are not subject to increasing criminal behavior.”

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Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) — State Aid for Businesses, Individuals and Families Impacted by COVID-19

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On February 17, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom reached an agreement on a package of immediate actions that will speed needed relief to individuals, families and businesses facing significant economic hardship from the COVID-19 Recession. The items detailed below are a part of the Immediate Action Agreement. Please note that many details on how these resources will be rolled out are still being developed.

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Bilingual report — County of Ventura COVID-19 Update for Feb. 22 — COVID-19 Vaccine Information

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More vaccine appointments are now available for those 65 or older or in health care. Please make your appointment by visiting www.venturacountyrecovers.org/vaccine-information/portal/.

If you have limited internet access you can also call the registration hotline at 805-477-7161. The phone line is staffed M-F 8-5. Appointments are set aside for both online registration and the phone line.

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Magana Education and the Ventura County Office of Education Announce New CyberLeader Lab

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Breakthrough, peer-reviewed research from Dr. Sonny Magana was shown to double student learning productivity regardless of grade band or content area. The Ventura County Office of Education has partnered with Magana Education to expand their highly successful CyberTeacher training system with the new CyberLeader Lab.

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VCCCD Issues Statement Regarding Video of Faculty Member. Please see related stories

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The Ventura County Community College District is deeply troubled by the behavior seen in a video posted on social media by students on Feb. 18, showing an interaction between a student who is hard-of-hearing and an Oxnard College faculty member. 

“The Ventura County Community College District is opposed to any language or behavior which is offensive or harmful to anyone based on gender, ethnicity, religion, sex orientation, age or disability,” stated Board Chair Joshua Chancer. “Comments in the video do not reflect the District’s values of integrity and honesty in action and word, respect and the constant pursuit of excellence.”

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CLU School of Management Community Newsletter

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Even in these unusual times, California Lutheran University’s School of Management continues to provide a stimulating environment for our learners and the community around us. Today, we are once again happy to share a selection of exciting news, updates, and upcoming events to our communities in Southern California and beyond.

If you want to stay current on what is going on at the School of Management, please follow our Showcase page on LinkedIn.
 

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Bilingual report — Call for Partners to Connect Struggling Tenants and Small Property Owners with the California Emergency Rental Assistance Program

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The State of California is launching an Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) to aid income-qualified tenants most at risk of eviction due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is calling on community-based organizations to sign up as partners to reach out to those who qualify.

In Ventura County, $52.2 million has been designated to assist households affected by COVID-19, with priority on those below the area median income and recently unemployed.

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Timely Vaccines Going Strong at GranVida

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Carpinteria’s only senior living and memory care community, GranVida, can rest easier, as almost all of their staff and residents received their final vaccinations.

Management has expressed deep gratitude to the residents for adhering to vaccination schedules, and for staff and residents’ immediate cooperation with COVID-19 protocols. 

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LULAC — Please Help Us Rush Assistance To The Worst Affected Areas Of Texas

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The situation in Texas is dire. Dozens of people have died and countless more have been hospitalized for treatment from hypothermia and other effects of freezing weather. Electric power for millions has been knocked out. This has left people trapped in their homes without power for heating or a way to cook meals. Major water supplies have gone dry as sources and pipelines have frozen. The situation has led to alerts for residents to boil all remaining drinking water. Seniors are at especially high risk, along with patients operating medical equipment at home and are now using portable generators. Many food stores and gas stations are unable to meet the demand for essential items or fuel.

Please help us rush assistance to the worst affected areas of Texas. Donate what you can and ask others to do the same.

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SBCC Vocational Nursing program ranked in Top 10 in western U.S.

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After closely evaluating 423 Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) programs across the western United States, NursingProcess.org has ranked Santa Barbara City College’s Vocational Nursing program No. 10 for 2021. Programs were ranked based on four important factors: National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-PN) pass rates, academic quality, the nursing school’s reputation, and affordability.

SBCC’s three-semester Vocational Nursing program prepares students to practice as competent, compassionate and ethical Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) in homes, clinics, extended care, sub-acute care units, surgery centers, and hospices. Classroom and laboratory courses include the foundation of nursing practice, nutrition and care for patients with gastrointestinal problems, administration of therapeutic agents, maternal and child nursing, pharmacology and medical-surgical nursing.

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Bilingual report — County of Ventura COVID-19 Update for Feb. 18 — Vaccine Update

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More vaccine appointments are now available for those 65 or older or in health care. Please make your appointment by visiting www.venturacountyrecovers.org/vaccine-information/portal/ or by calling 805-477-7161.

Frequently Asked Question: How do I get my 2nd dose appointment?

After receiving your first dose, you will become eligible for your second dose after a waiting period of 21 days if you received Pfizer and 28 days if you received Moderna.

You do not need to receive your second dose on the exact date you become eligible. You have a window of 6 weeks from getting your first dose to receive your second dose. Please do not schedule your second dose earlier than recommended. Refer to your vaccination card, which will list the date you received your first dose.

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Bennett, Rivas and Limon introduce Farmworker Resource Center legislation

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Assemblymembers Steve Bennett (D-Ventura), Robert Rivas (D-Holister) and Senator Monique Limon (D-Santa Barbara), introduced legislation today to establish a state-wide grant program for counties to create farmworker resource centers.

“The Covid pandemic demonstrated how valuable it was to have county employees who have developed trusted relationships with this important community,” said Assemblymember Bennett, “and the agriculture industry and the State of California need farmworkers who feel valued respected and supported.  There are so many things for low-income non-native speakers to navigate.  The Farmworker Resource program can help them tremendously.”

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Ventura County Board of Supervisors Approves Four New Workforce Development Board Members

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VENTURA COUNTY — Over the past year, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors approved the recommendation from the Workforce Development Board (WDB) to appoint four new WDB board members. Each will serve a three-year term. New member Shaffiq Rahim is…

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Bilingual report — Alexander Hamilton appointed Oxnard’s Fire Chief

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City Manager Alexander Nguyen has appointed Alexander Hamilton as Fire Chief, effective February 20, 2021. Hamilton has served as the Interim Fire Chief for the City following the retirement of Chief Darwin Base on August 31.

“Alex has thrived in the Interim Chief role, and I have faith in his ability to modernize fire services and enhance the fire department’s role protecting the safety of our community,” said City Manager Alexander Nguyen.

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Bilingual report — More Than $13 Million in Rental and Utility Assistance Funds Made Available by the County of Santa Barbara through United Way of Santa Barbara County

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United Way of Santa Barbara County (UWSBC) has more than $13 million in rental and utility assistance funds generously allocated by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors for eligible County of Santa Barbara residents, that have experienced a loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This Emergency Rent Assistance Program is intended to prevent homelessness by providing rent assistance to residents who can demonstrate the need for rental support. 

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Four Pioneer Valley High School Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) taking part in annual annual FCCLA competitions

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Four PVHS Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) members are competing in this year’s annual FCCLA competitions, with hopes they will place at region and move on to the state level where scholarships, prizes and awards can be earned.

Once students created their projects and the supplemental materials, they had to record a video of themselves as if they were presenting to a panel of judges. Results will be shared during this year’s virtual State Leadership Meeting in March.

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United Way of Ventura County — ‘Giving our children the smiles they deserve’ and more news

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February is National Children’s Dental Health month. Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease and unmet need of children in California. More than 50% of California’s kindergartners have a history of dental decay. Nearly 25% of California’s children, ages 0-11, have never been to a dentist. When children don’t get the care they need, there are costs to taxpayers and families – the cost of emergency room visits for preventable dental problems and missed school days resulting in a loss of attendance-based school district funding.

Through the Building Healthy Smiles Initiative, United Way and its partners work to reduce dental disease in Ventura County through education, care coordination, and advocacy. Our goal is to eliminate untreated tooth decay for children in Ventura County. Pre-pandemic, over 2,500 children received oral health assessments in 2019 alone.

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Bilingual report — County of Ventura COVID-19 Update for Feb. 17 — Vaccine Update

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Frequently Asked Question: How do I get my 2nd dose appointment?

After receiving your first dose, you will become eligible for your second dose after a waiting period of 21 days if you received Pfizer and 28 days if you received Moderna.

You do not need to receive your second dose on the exact date you become eligible. You have a window of 6 weeks from getting your first dose to receive your second dose. Please do not schedule your second dose earlier than recommended. Refer to your vaccination card, which will list the date you received your first dose.

There are three ways to secure a 2nd dose appointment:

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Bennett introduces legislation to provide remote access to courts

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Newly elected Assemblymember Steve Bennett (D-Ventura) introduced legislation today to modernize open court proceedings by requiring courts to provide remote access for the public and media.

AB 716 strikes a balance between meaningful access and court flexibility, without limiting a judge’s ability to hold closed proceedings. The bill would require courts to provide the public and the media with remote access to hearings, via internet or telephonic services, during open court proceedings.

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Improving COVID-19 Case Rates Could Soon Allow More Elementary Schools to Reopen

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Declining COVID-19 case rates could soon remove a roadblock that has been preventing some Ventura County elementary schools from reopening for in-person instruction. Several local school districts already reopened their elementary schools when Ventura County was in the red tier on the state’s coronavirus watch list or by receiving waivers while the County is in the more restrictive purple tier.

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Channel Islands Maritime Museum Sponsors Whale Coloring Page Contest as Part of its Ongoing 30th Anniversary Celebrations

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The Channel Islands Maritime Museum (CIMM) is happy to announce its March activity in celebration of its 30th anniversary year. Local artist Brett Bednorz has created a wonderful whale “totem” coloring page for the Museum in honor of the magnificent animals that are so often seen off the local coast. Coloring contest participants are invited to let their creativity and imagination run wild. There will be four age categories, Adults? 18 years and up, Teens ? 13?17 years, Kids – 7?12 years, and Kids ? 6 years and under. One coloring winner will be selected in each age group.

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Santa Maria High School breaks ground on new classroom/administration building

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The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Board of Education and district officials on Feb. 16 held a groundbreaking for the Santa Maria High School 50 classroom/administration building that is projected to be completed in April 2023.

The new building will help ease the congestion on Camino Colegio, that small dead-end street, now the front entrance. It will also create permanent classrooms and eliminate nearly all portable classrooms.

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Santa Maria High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) members shine at the Virtual Gold Coast Section Competitive Event Conference

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Fourteen Santa Maria High School Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) members recently shined at the Virtual Gold Coast Section Competitive Event Conference.

The students participated in various business & financial, entrepreneurship and software systems development career paths to qualify for the FBLA State Leadership Conference in April. The Saints Zoomed through the exams in professional business attire and captured several top awards.

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Bilingual report — County of Ventura COVID-19 Update

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Vaccine Update – now open to 65 and older. Appointments open weekly.

Vaccines are in limited supply throughout the State of California. Appointments are full at this time. The current phase in Ventura County is Phase 1A: Healthcare workers, long-term care residents and now 65 and older.

Appointments are limited because of the limited supply of vaccines. It will take time to secure an appointment if you are in the current phase. The County of Ventura wants you to have a vaccine and is advocating for more vaccines.

Once more appointments open a message will be sent. At that time, community members who are eligible to be vaccinated may:

1) Register online www.venturacountyrecovers.org/vaccine-information/portal/.
2) Those with limited computer/internet access may call the phone registration line at 805-477-7161. The phone line is open Monday through Friday 8:00-5:00.

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VCCCD Receives Statewide CISOA Technology Excellence Team Award

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When the COVID-19 pandemic required Ventura County Community College District’s employees to transition to remote work in March, the District’s information technology team faced a challenge. They needed to provide over 500 employees with an immediate, reliable secure process for accessing their core applications and files. A transition process that historically would take six to 10 weeks, the IT team did in 10 days. They accomplished this feat by evaluating, selecting and implementing Amazon AppStream 2.0, a fully managed application and desktop streaming service built on Amazon Web Services.

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Studies show CSUCI’s early shift to virtual instruction helped prevent further COVID infections in the county 

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Two national studies about college campuses and COVID-19 suggest that the California State University’s (CSU) early decision to pivot all 23 of the CSU campuses to virtual instruction went a long way toward keeping communities safer throughout the state. 

“Both reports carried a similar message that campuses can be super-spreaders of the virus,” said Vice Chair of the CSUCI Academic Senate and Professor of Mathematics Jason Miller, Ph.D., who reviewed the two studies and extrapolated the results for CSUCI. 

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Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Limited Vaccines Available for 65+ Starting Tuesday & More Mask Guidance

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Residents of Santa Barbara County who are age 65 and older will be eligible to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine beginning Tuesday, February 16, 2021. This expanded eligibility means that local health care providers, pharmacies, hospitals, and Public Health vaccination sites can open appointments to those 65+ once vaccines become available to them. Vaccine supplies are still very limited and health care providers are simultaneously ensuring those that received a first dose will also be able to receive a second dose.

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