The new applied bachelor’s degree program was designed in close collaboration with regional employers and public-sector partners to address growing demand for skilled cybersecurity and network operations professionals. Graduates will be prepared for high-wage, high-demand roles securing critical infrastructure, defense, healthcare, manufacturing, finance and emerging technologies across Ventura and Los Angeles Counties.
Sigrid Wright and Joan Hartmann unpack why oil isn’t security — and what real energy leadership looks like for California and the nation.
VENTURA COUNTY — The Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 Ventura County Academic Decathlon, which was held last month. The winners were revealed at a ceremony this evening in Camarillo. The three teams with the highest overall scores this year are:
1st Place: Royal High School (Simi Valley Unified School District)
2nd Place: Westlake High School (Conejo Valley Unified School District)
3rd Place: Channel Islands High School (Oxnard Union High School District)
In the new year, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art offers a sweeping look at how artists engage with time. Works grounded in personal histories, inherited traditions, and collective memory speak to the past while giving us new ways to access it in the present. Contemporary materials and lived experience illuminate the world as it is now, yet they also open space for reflection and reinterpretation. Digital experimentation and visionary forms gesture toward the future, and at the same time expand how we record, memorialize, and remember. Seen together, these exhibitions reveal art as a continuum—one in which past, present, and future coexist, overlap, and remain vividly alive today.
“The addition of Jacky Holler, Dr. Mark Mitchelson and Tracey Mateko strengthens the Foundation’s leadership with expertise spanning finance, healthcare, operations and community engagement,” said Dr. Julius Sokenu, president of Moorpark College. “Their collective experience and dedication will help advance our mission to support Moorpark College students and programs.”
“In today’s environment, it’s a community win that our writing and work in Chicano literature is recognized at this level,” said Arce, who will formally receive the award Thursday, Feb. 4.
Read more about Arce’s writing
Much like the great religions of the world, the institution of classical music is rooted in centuries of tradition and culture. For me, attending a classical music event in some ways feels the same as attending a Catholic Mass.
The “priest” during a classical musical event is the conductor. We may not applaud during a Mass, or kneel during an orchestra’s performance, but we do rise, sit, and applaud at prescribed times throughout a classical music performance that conceivably dates back several centuries.
Last year reaffirmed what we’ve always known: lasting change is built together and it’s powered by community support.
Across the Central Coast in 2025, working-class immigrant communities organized to defend our neighborhoods and strengthen our shared power. Through conversations at the doors and on the phones, in community meetings and rallies in the streets, neighbors stepped forward as organizers and advocates, winning real protections for affordable housing, environmental health, and immigrant workers.
Our 2025 Community Report shows what our collective power made possible.
View this email in your browser January 2026 Taking the Helm in 2026: Jason Hodge Voted Board President of the Oxnard Harbor District Congratulations to Commissioner Jason Hodge on his appointment as President of the Oxnard Harbor District! Hodge brings…
OXNARD — Food Share of Ventura County announces the launch of Feeding Our Future, a capital campaign project to build a new 85,000-square-foot food bank in Oxnard, CA.With a 12-acre parcel already secured, the new facility is designed to meet the growing demand and strengthen the region’s hunger-relief infrastructure for the long term.
Demand for food assistance in Ventura County has tripled since 2019. Food Share currently serves more than 250,000 neighbors each yearthrough a network of 200 nonprofit and community partners operating 335 distribution sites countywide. Today, Food Share operates out of three separate warehouses to distribute 21 million pounds of food annually.
VENTURA COUNTY — Ventura County Credit Union (VCCU) on Feb. 5 announced a $500,000 commitment to Food Share of Ventura County to support the construction of Food Share’s new 85,000-square-foot facility. The partnership represents VCCU’s largest investment in the organization and builds upon decades of collaboration through donations and volunteer support.
“This long-term partnership with Food Share aligns with VCCU’s commitment to investing in the community and the organizations that ensure our community has access to essential resources,” said Linda Rossi, President and CEO of VCCU. “We believe in giving back to the organizations that enrich the lives of those we serve, and Food Share’s mission to address food insecurity is critical to the wellbeing of our entire community.”
Ventura County’s entertainment, wellness and retail selection expand through new partnerships
OXNARD — The Collection at Riverpark announces the addition of six new tenants, bringing the premier lifestyle destination to a 95% leased occupancy rate. The new additions reflect The Collection’s continued commitment to blending shopping, dining, entertainment and wellness into an environment that embodies the Southern California lifestyle.
Now Open:
SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation (SBTHP) hosted the 63rd Annual Meeting on January 24, 2026, in the Chapel at El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park. SBTHP members voted to elect new members Andrew Le and Qing Xue to the board for a three-year term.
SANTA BARBARA — Cottage Health is pleased to announce that Katy Bazylewicz, Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Population Health, has been selected as the 2026 Werft Fellow for Innovative Leadership. Bazylewicz is the inaugural recipient of the fellowship, which is part of the Werft Leadership Institute, established in 2025 to honor the legacy of Cottage Health President Emeritus Ron Werft.
On view now through March 8, 2026
Sponsored by Brokaw Ranch Company
Art About Agriculture was founded in 2007 by Santa Paula photographer John Nichols and painter Gail Pidduck. Growing up on a ranch in Santa Paula and spending her college summers working in Oxnard’s flower fields, Pidduck has long understood how deeply agriculture has shaped both the landscape and way of life in California and Ventura County.
VENTURA — Spectrum Sports Management Inc., a recognized leader in endurance and sporting events in Southern California, has announced the expansion of its popular “rules of the road” bike tour with the launch of Bike the Coast Ventura.
OXNARD — The West Ventura County Business Alliance (WVCBA) is pleased to announce a new partnership with the City of Port Hueneme. Through the partnership, WVCBA will help promote Port Hueneme businesses and City initiatives, host networking events and business forums in the community, and provide advocacy on issues that affect local employers.
“Having many of the larger businesses in Port Hueneme already as WVCBA members, we’re excited to introduce ourselves the business community as a whole and be a resource for them, as well as establishing a deeper connection with the City of Port Hueneme,” says WVCBA President & CEO Andy Conli. “Not only does this partnership expand our reach, it reinforces our position as advocates for the business community and regional economy.”
VENTURA — The Ventura College Foundation will hold a “Celebration of Success” on February 11 at the outdoor stage on the Ventura College Campus from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. to honor the inaugural class of the “Pirates of Distinction” and the official launch of the Foundation’s “Invest in Success” fundraising campaign to support the Basic Needs Centers and VC Promise Program. The public is invited.
SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara City College’s (SBCC) School of Extended Learning (SEL) will now offer FREE one-on-one mental health counseling to students for the first time ever.
Starting this week, SEL will offer mental health counseling and connections/referrals to resources on both Schott and Wake campuses. Students can access these services by visiting the office adjacent to the Welcome Center on each campus.
“The mental health counseling will help SEL students enrich and enhance their personal lives and personal growth, which will then advance them in achieving their educational goals,” said Monica Campbell, Director of SBCC’s School of Extended Learning.
Join the City of Moorpark, Accelerate CA and EDC for this workshop series, which has been developed to help advance business formalization, financial resilience and strategic visibility among small businesses in Ventura County. It addresses core areas where entrepreneurs often face barriers—legal compliance, financial planning, and marketing execution—offering hands-on, actionable training that leads to real outcomes: formal registration, funding readiness and customer growth.
“It’s a real honor to serve as president of the Trust, especially following in my dad’s footsteps,” Cody said. “With deep family roots in Santa Barbara, I feel a strong responsibility to help preserve the places and stories that make this community so special, and to ensure they can be shared with future generations.”
The fight for housing justice in Santa Paula is reaching a breaking point – and City Council must decide who they stand with.
For over a year, mobile home residents in Santa Paula have been living under constant threat of displacement, all because a corporate landlord is trying again and again to squeeze more profit out of our working class community.
Here’s what residents have endured over the last year:
Dear Friends,
Bear with me for a moment as I do what I do best (or worst), overshare:
February is wrapped in hearts and flowers and Valentine’s cheer, and while we’re leaning fully into that spirit this month over here, I do need to acknowledge that the ache in my stomach is more than just too much chocolate. This Valentine’s Day, February 14th, marks ten years since my dad died. As someone who has dedicated my education and career to bringing light to end-of-life work, it’s painful to admit that my own dad’s final chapter was quite dimmed.
“This partnership represents a meaningful investment in our local community and the future of healthcare,” said Scott Wester, President and CEO of Cottage Health. “By expanding access to educational pathways and engaging students early, we’re helping prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals and strengthening care across Santa Barbara.”
FREE ADMISSION IN FEBRUARY
Thanks to the generous support of Ventura County Credit Union, admission to the Museum of Ventura County is FREE for all visitors in February. This support helps the Museum welcome more visitors to experience Ventura County’s history, art, and cultural heritage.
VENTURA — Ventura County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters Michelle Ascencion announced the February 9, 2026 opening of the nomination period for the June 2, 2026 Statewide Direct Primary Election. Those who are interested in running for office should make an appointment to obtain their candidate filing documents from the Ventura County Elections Division for the following offices:
IN-PERSON EVENT: CITY OF MOORPARK: READY • SET • GROW: SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS WORKSHOP SERIES
February 5, 12 and 19 @ 8:00 am
Join the City of Moorpark and Economic Development Collaborative for a 3-part series to help business owners improve legal compliance, financial planning and marketing. Participants will receive hands-on, practical training to achieve real results, such as official registration, funding readiness, and customer growth. This 3-workshop series will be conducted in English, with the option to answer questions in Spanish. Hands-on materials will be provided in both languages. Address: Moorpark City Council Chamber 323 Science Drive, Moorpark, CA 93021
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
This opportunity is open to artists residing and working in the State of California. Special consideration will be given to those based in Ventura County and Santa Barbara County.
Based on community surveys and workshops, the project theme has been identified as a combination of Marine Life and Surf & Beach Culture. The artwork should serve as a cultural and ecological narrative, visually connecting visitors to the coastal marine life, beach and surf culture with a color palette of natural coastal tones
Pre-applications due this Tuesday, February 3 at 5PM
La fecha límite para entregar las presolicitudes es este martes 3 de febrero a las 5:00 pm.
