Beginning Aug. 1, all California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) students will have access to a popular campus chatbot named Ekhobot, after the University’s mascot, Ekho the Dolphin.
Ekhobot is a text platform that was designed for new freshmen and transfer students, but the chatbot is now coming to every student’s mobile digital device thanks to a $36,625 grant from CSU Northridge and the Irvine Foundation in support of the “CSU AI Consortium.”
Good Evening, Here’s your COVID-19 update form the County of Ventura. There are 104 new cases today (53 (51.0%) of which have a lab collection from July 22nd or earlier), 636 additional people tested, and 2 additional deaths (86 year old female and 90 year old male, both with comorbidities). Current doubling time is 41.2 days. Currently, the County of Ventura is on the state monitoring list for case rate per 100,000 population over 14 days and % of ICU beds available; in order for us to get off the monitoring list, we need to have less than 850 reported cases in a 14 day period which is an average of 60 cases a day. Total, there have been 73 deaths (age range 29-107 years; 45 males and 28 females; 35 Non-Hispanic White, 31 Hispanic, 4 Non-Hispanic Asian, 1 Non-Hispanic Black, 1 Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaskan Native and 1 Non-Hispanic Other). Current hospitalizations are 75 and current ICU is 25.
SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application deadline is August 8,2020. PPP is designed to help small business, nonprofits, veteran organizations, Tribal concerns, self-employed individuals, independent contractors, and other eligible borrowers keep their workers employed during the COVID-19 crisis.
For the first time, CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) is accepting first-time freshmen and both lower division and upper division transfer student applications for its Spring 2021 semester.
Applications for spring 2021 will be accepted beginning August 1 and continuing through August 31.
CSUCI typically opens spring enrollment only for upper division transfer students, but the COVID-19 pandemic has changed circumstances for many students and CSUCI is seeking how to best meet those needs.
A new book from Camarillo-based psychologist and author Dr. Noelle Nelson, “I Survived COVID-19, What Now?! Finding Happiness and Success in a Post COVID World” (available on Amazon), looks at how we can take what we’re learning from the pandemic during our forced introspection and turn it into a positive future.
“Whether it was our intention or not, we’re all learning things about ourselves during these long months of quarantine—how we think, work and dream, about how we interact with family, friends and the world,” says Nelson. “We are in a unique moment in time because of COVID-19. Everything is different now. It can feel positively overwhelming—one minute our lives are ‘reopening,’ the next minute they’re forced to closed again. It can drive us crazy if we’re not careful.”
As soon as COVID-19 made its way onto the scene, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater of Greater Conejo Valley (BGCGCV) was proactive in their response starting in the spring and continuing throughout the summer.
When the pandemic hit, the BGCGCV closed for two weeks to assess the COVID situation and then reopened under the guidance of health professionals and with the implementation of safety standards.
Agencies from across the County of Ventura have been recognized by the California Association of Public Information Officers (CAPIO) with Excellence in Public Information and Communications (EPIC) Awards. The County Executive Office, Ventura County Area Agency on Aging, and the Ventura County Fire Department received awards recognizing outstanding communications publications and campaigns. The County of Ventura publications and communications initiatives were chosen from among 275 award entries from across the state of California.
Superintendent/President of Santa Barbara City College Dr. Utpal K. Goswami announced an update regarding plans for the Fall 2020 semester. Given current community conditions, classes will start fully online.
Initial plans for the Fall semester considered offering the majority of courses online, with a small percentage of classes conducted face-to-face. The College has been working diligently on those plans for several months. However, since Santa Barbara County has been on the State of California’s Monitoring List since June 6, 2020, SBCC has had to reassess its plans.
Vitalant is collecting plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19.
To be eligible, you must have:
A prior laboratory diagnosis of COVID-19, either by a positive swab test OR a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies requested by your health care provider
Complete resolution of symptoms for at least 28 days
All other donor eligibility for an automated plasma donation
Learn more at: https://www.vitalant.org/covidfree
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors has approved the addition of ten mental health nurses in this year’s Health Care Agency budget. These nurses are a critical component of Ventura County Medical Center’s plan to expand the Hillmont Inpatient Psychiatric Unit from 30 to 36 beds.
“Expansion of inpatient and crisis stabilization services is a demonstration of the County’s belief that mental health care is an essential component of complete health. These expanded services will enable the County to increase capacity to provide care to individuals who are often in their most critical time of need. We recognize that this is one of many steps ahead and the County will continue to work with our local health providers, state and federal sources to continue to expand services in this vital area of healthcare,” said County Executive Officer Mike Powers.
The Community Environmental Council (CEC) announced the launch of this year’s Solarize Santa Barbara – a community-led, group purchasing program for solar and battery storage systems open to residents of Southern Santa Barbara County from July 28 – October 31. CEC’s 2020 program is offered in partnership with the cities of Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria, and the County of Santa Barbara.
The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District announces its policy to serve nutritious meals every school day under The National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. Effective July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals if the household income is less than or equal to the federal guidelines.
Since the start of COVID-19, with prolonged closures of businesses and isolation of senior care facilities, Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) has done outreach within the Santa Barbara community and discovered a shortage of support at Casa Naomi – a residential care facility with four homes in Santa Barbara serving developmentally delayed seniors.
Since the residents have been quarantined with the rest of the world since March, they have been in need of mental stimulation and emotional support. Jeanne M. West, HSB Community Engagement Manager saw an opportunity to help.
The Ventura County Public Works Agency, Roads & Transportation (VCPWA-RT), which is responsible for maintaining roadways and safety within the county road right-of-way, needs feedback from the El Rio community to secure Active Transportation Program?funding from the State of California.
These funds support projects that encourage active transportation which includes biking, walking, and safe access to public transportation (buses and trains), sidewalks for safer walking and biking as well as to build facilities that reduce greenhouse gases.
A newly detected cancer metabolic pathway could be a valuable target for therapy.
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All businesses in the County of Ventura are required to register at www.vcreopens.com. Even if your business never had to close during the pandemic you must register. There is no cost to register.
Thanks to the generosity of over 50 funding partners and service delivery partners, United Way of Santa Barbara County’s (UWSBC) Fun in the Sun program has the capacity to support up to 350 children and families this year through a virtual format in light of COVID-19. Seven virtual sites are serving students from Carpinteria Unified School District, Santa Barbara Unified School District (4 school sites instead of its usual 2 school sites), Goleta Union School District, and school districts throughout the Santa Ynez Valley.
Doctors Without Walls – Santa Barbara Street Medicine (DWW–SBSM) has been nationally recognized for its healthcare efforts to benefit the homeless in the Santa Barbara community. Nominated by local Medi-Cal managed care plan CenCal Health, DWW–SBSM received an honorable mention from The Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) at its fifteenth annual Supporting the Safety Net Award program held last month. The earned recognition honors community organizations and individuals nationwide that exceed expectations for care by implementing health programs to benefit underserved populations.
James Donlon: actor, director, and playwright presenting his original performance work internationally for 5 decades. Film coach to Oscar winners.
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Pre-registration required, no fees
Sign up now, send email to info@teatrodelasamericas.org
America, and even our community, is very divided on how to respond to the strange times we are in. However, we must be united in concern about the futures of our children and grandchildren, preserving lives, and saving as many jobs and people from poverty.
How can we do all that?
The Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation (OPAC) is teaming up with Oxnard photographer and filmmaker Christian Ramirez of Mezz Studio to offer a day of free professional headshots for those on the jobseeking trail. The event is scheduled for Thursday, August 6 from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm.
A professional headshot plays an important role in creating a positive first impression and can be used in many ways: email accounts, email signatures, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, personal websites, portfolios, guest blogs, resumes, and more. Sixty percent of employers research job candidates via social media and OPAC wants to ensure that community members who have lost work due to COVID-19 are supported and equipped in their career search.
Last week we rummaged through Oxnard’s past and found some interesting and unsettling history regarding the former Colonial House restaurant and motel complex in the city’s downtown. The ambiance had been designed to invoke the feeling of the “Old South,” as if people were visiting a Southern plantation, with all that that implied.
In a new release by the VC Star is was reported on Tuesday, July 21, 2021 that the, “Oxnard Police Department Will Work With District Attorney’s Office to Vacate Civil Gang Injunctions”
The Little House By The Park and the Guadalupe Community Changers will lead a 2020 Census Car Caravan on Saturday, July 25, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. to rally residents to complete the census. More than one dozen vehicles will participate in the caravan, including cars from the Guadalupe Fire Department, Catholic Charities, Dignity Health, Mechanics Bank, and City Council member Liliana Cardenas. Residents are invited come out and cheer on the caravan, and then attend a Census Clinic at the Little House By The Park, at 4681 11th Street, from 2 to 5 p.m., where they can complete the 2020 Census questionnaire.
Amidst COVID-19, PSHH’s educators have been working tirelessly to support students and families with the transition to distance learning. Educators have helped families obtain free internet access, secured chromebooks and laptops, taught internet navigation skills, facilitated meetings with school districts, delivered hundreds of free school meals, provided school supplies, and so much more!
During these months, we added 96 new students to our learning centers, raising our enrollment from 274 to 370 students – a 35% increase!
The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Board of Education adopted an action plan for the safe reopening of schools during a special meeting Thursday night, clearing the way for distance learning instruction to begin August 17.
The decision gives the district flexibility and the use of three models: distance learning, hybrid (only part of the students on campuses at one time), and traditional (full-time in-person) depending on the changing conditions and risks of the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan is available at www.smjuhsd.k12.ca.us.
Report no.7 of UCLA’s Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture addresses the effects of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on Latino communities. As of July 8, 2020, a total of 6,519 people in California had died due to COVID-19?associated conditions. These deaths did not occur randomly in the state’s population. Rather, they occurred more in some racial/ethnic (R/E) populations than in others.
Welcome to the finale episode of Season 1 “MVC Insider.”
Chief Curator Anna Bermudez, is joined by Government Archivist Amber de la Cruz as they discuss black voices in Ventura County’s past and present.
Here is your COVID-19 update for the County of Ventura.
107 new cases
6,156 total cases
1,641 new people tested
3,360 recovered cases
88 hospitalized
18 current ICU
2,733 active cases under quarantine
63 deaths
100,289 total people tested
VENTURA — On Tuesday, July 21, the Board of Supervisors received a report from the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force and approved the creation of a full-time executive position for a Diversity and Inclusion Officer. The position, which will operate…
