Category: News

Bilingual commentary: Passing the Time

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. 

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for April 30

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

18 new cases
535 total cases
377 recovered cases
27 currently in the hospital (5 patients are long term care facility patients that do not need hospital care but are being cared for in the hospital setting to protect other long term care facility residents)
9 in the ICU
18 deaths (37-99; 9 males and 9 females)
9,962 people tested

Press Conference: Here’s an update from 4/29/20 https://vimeo.com/413333237. Tune in tomorrow at 1 pm for the Friday update. Streamed live on www.vcemergency.com.

Oxnard College Reopens Regional Firefighter & EMT Program To Support Region’s Emergency Preparedness

Oxnard College recently reopened on-site classes and operations for its Regional Firefighter Academy and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) program after closely collaborating with local and state officials to implement strict COVID-19 screening and safety guidelines. The facility plays a crucial role in training the next generation of firefighters and emergency response professionals who protect communities in Ventura County as well as throughout the state. The Fire Academy has also extended the application deadline for its Fall 2020 semester through May 1.

Moorpark College Nursing Science Program Students  Excel

Moorpark College Nursing Science program faculty members diligently prepare their graduates to enter the challenging and rewarding field of nursing. As proof of the students’ preparedness, the Fall 2019 class had a 100 percent pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) exam. The national average pass rate for first-time test-takers is 83.5 percent.

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

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

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

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.

Bilingual report: CenCal Health Procures PPE for Central Coast Hospitals, Clinics

CenCal Health, the publicly-sponsored health plan for Medi-Cal in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, has procured and is now in the process of delivering 100,000 disposable face masks, 100,000 disposable gloves and 20,000 protective gowns in order to protect and support local healthcare workers during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for April 29

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

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. 

VCOE Statement on Potential Early Reopening of School Campuses

The California Department of Education on April 29 announced it is studying options for reopening school campuses after Governor Newsom suggested they could open as early as July or August. Many questions remain about the safety, fiscal and labor implications of reopening campuses before the traditional start of the next school year. For now, there has been no alteration to existing school calendars.

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

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’

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.

Santa Barbara County Nonprofits Collaborate to Meet Critical Needs of Isolated Seniors During COVID-19

Many of our older community members, particularly those living alone, are not receiving the support they need during the coronavirus pandemic. To address this gap, several nonprofits in Santa Barbara County have collaborated to identify isolated seniors and connect them to essential services or critical needs, such as food and supplies.

UC Santa Barbara — The Current — A communication scholar explores the use of entertainment media as therapy for stress, anxiety and hopelessness

The Doctor Is On

A communication scholar explores the use of entertainment media as therapy for stress, anxiety and hopelessness.

Pioneer Valley High School moving forward with drive-through cap and gown distributions

Two schools within the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District are moving forward with drive-thru cap and gown distributions.

Pioneer Valley High School on April 28 passed out caps, gowns and a lawn sign to celebrate senior accomplishments.

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for April 28

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.

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

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

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.

Ventura College Foundation Announces Distribution Of Over $683,000 In Scholarships

The Ventura College Foundation is awarding scholarships to 248 students totaling $683,748, the largest annual scholarship distribution in the foundation’s history.

Students were notified this month of their scholarship awards ranging from $1,000 for continuing students to $4,000 for students who are transferring to four-year universities in the fall. Many students received multiple scholarships.

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

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

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

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.

Santa Paula Art Museum — Art Experiments, Art To-Go, ArtSPARK, and Art…Yoga?!

We’re feeling so inspired after our Earth Day virtual art class with Dr. Meg Handler from The Human Nature Center! Dr. Handler uses the arts as a way to teach ecology. That got us wondering how else we can explore science through art. Marbled milk art provides a fun lesson on chemistry and polarity while you create a colorful artwork on paper.

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for April 26

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. 

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

“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: 

CASA of SLO County A local non-profit gets creative with fundraising events

As you may know, Court Appointed Special Advocates—CASA of San Luis Obispo County had to cancel a major fundraiser, Hope for the Future. CASA relies on this event for a significant amount of their budget. They have moved all their auction items to an online format. The funds raised during this auction are vital to help them continue serving the children under the jurisdiction of the child protection court in San Luis Obispo County.

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for April 23

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.

Vulnerable Individuals and Families in Santa Barbara County Assisted through COVID-19 Joint Response Effort; also Supports Nonprofits Assisting Those Impacted by Virus

United Way of Santa Barbara County, The Santa Barbara Foundation and the Hutton Parker Foundation are leading a countywide funders’ collaborative, the COVID-19 Joint Response Effort for Santa Barbara County.  The Effort will provide assistance to individuals and families as well as organizations actively assisting members of the community affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Over $2 million has been secured and fundraising continues to help those most in need.

Commentary: A quiet resistance to light our way

Resistance. Quiet, persistent resistance.

Every once in a while, that resistance comes to everyone and everything.

As we note Earth Day this week, we are reminded of that resistance. In our stay-safe-at-home times, we are now seeing a world where the air is cleaner, the sound of nature is clearer and the Earth is actually healing itself a little at a time. There is a chilling, yet quiet beauty seeing the streets of Paris, London, Rome and New York virtually empty and nature going on quite well without us.

It’s as if Earth finally said, “ENOUGH.”

County of Ventura Prepares for Reopening

The County of Ventura has been taking steps to prepare for reopening. “We are positioned to focus on the road to reopening because our residents and businesses have sacrificed so much to comply with the Public Health Orders and slow the spread of the virus in our community,” said Mike Powers, Ventura County CEO. “Our current situation is further strengthened by the work of our local hospitals to expand their capacity.”

Port of Hueneme releases latest environmental ratings on Earth Day

The Port of Hueneme kicked off the 50th Annual Earth Day with a digital celebration, reaffirming their commitment to environmental sustainability and sharing the results of its Green Marine Certification assessment.

“The Port is leading the way forward into a green economy,” said Oxnard Harbor District Board President Jess Ramirez. “Our commitment to a cleaner, healthier, and greener community is stronger than ever.”

Unveiling the results of their annual environmental assessment and accreditation conducted by Green Marine on Wednesday, the Port continued its track record of high scores and transparency.

Announcing: A NEW ‘A Taste of Camarillo’ Online Fundraiser & the Cancellation of “A Taste of Camarillo” 2020

CAMARILLO — Introducing the new “A Taste of Camarillo” Online Fundraiser.  Meadowlark Service League is reaching out to our supporters of this fun-filled event to help us continue to fund our local charities through an online fundraiser.   Personal letters and…

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley (BGCGCV) Launches a $3 Million Fundraising Drive Now through the End of the Year

In light of the COVID-19 Outbreak and to face the challenge head on, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley (BGCGCV) is launching Part I of a $3 million fundraising campaign, “Rising Stronger Together” to ensure that the community and families have the resources and support they need during these trying times.

Santa Barbara City College — The Bridge — April 2020

Santa Barbara City College’s Community Newsletter APRIL 2020 SBCC Response to COVID-19 For the latest updates on SBCC’s response to the COVID-19 health emergency, please visit our information page. All credit and noncredit instruction has been moved online for the…

UC Santa Barbara — The Current

April 22, 2020 Top News ‘Rising’ Elizabeth Rush, author of the UCSB Reads 2020 selection, will discuss her acclaimed book about sea level rise in an online community forum. Read More ? A Bleak Picture Lost jobs and lost revenue…

Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Downward Trend

At today’s Board of Supervisors hearing, the Board received updated information on the outbreak at the Federal Prison in Lompoc, graphical presentation of Santa Barbara County COVID-19 By the Numbers, and a look ahead regarding Economic Reopening Plan development. As you can see from the graph above, although there is variability day-to-day, we are seeing a downward trend in the increase in total cases per day. The goal is to see some consistency in the downward trend and it seems we are headed down that path.

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for April 21

VENTURA COUNTY — Good Evening, Here’s your daily update of regarding COVID-19 in the County of Ventura:   15 cases 443 total cases 230 recovered cases 28 hospitalized 11 in the ICU 200 active cases under quarantine 7,881 tested Zip…