Business, Family, Government, Health, Local, News, Seniors, Women, Youth

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for May 26

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Resources

COVID-19 Testing: Information is attached and included at www.vcemergency.com.
Food: http://foodshare.com/covid19/
Senior Services: https://www.vcaaa.org/covid-19/
Unemployment assistance: https://www.vcemergency.com/resources
Business resources: https://edcollaborative.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/EDC-COVID19-BUSINESS-RESOURCE-GUIDE.pdf
Wellness: https://www.wellnesseveryday.org/coping-during-coronavirus
Coping with stress: https://habits.vcbh.org/
Support resources: https://www.ventura.org/departments/hsa/community-events/coronavirus-remote-resources/remote-resources-during-coronavirus/
Frequently asked questions about the Stay Well VC Order:https://www.vcemergency.com/staywellvc/faqs-general

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Business, Family, Finance, Government, Health, Home, Local, News

Section 8 Voucher Program Provides Ray of Hope in Bleak Time

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As America battles COVID-19, low-income individuals, families, seniors and those with special needs – people considered our most vulnerable citizens – are bearing the brunt of the ensuing economic fallout. The trickle-down effect of unemployment, standing at more than 14.7 % or 36.5 million workers applying for unemployment benefits over the last two months, directly impacts tenants who can’t pay full rent and landlords, many of which have mortgages on their rental properties. This negative trend is hitting home right now in Santa Barbara and elsewhere.

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Business, Government, Health, Local, News

Hair Salons and Barbershops Permitted to Reopen

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The Governor announced today that hair salons and barbershops in most California counties can reopen as the state moves forward on the path to reopening. The County of Ventura was approved for a state variance last week allowing the County to move faster through California’s reopening phases. This allows for local hair salons and barbershops to reopen.

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Education, Health, Local, News

CSUCI Nursing program’s virtual labs awarded $10,000 Minigrant

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When CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) went virtual in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nursing program had one of the biggest challenges on campus. The faculty needed to create virtual clinical labs for its students.

“Nursing programs require a certain number of hours of clinical experience in order to meet state requirements,” said Associate Professor of Nursing Jaime Hannans, Ph.D., R.N., C.N.E. “We have clinical courses in which students engage in patient-to-student experiences at a hospital, or other healthcare facility. We had to rethink how to deliver hand-on educational experiences virtually.”

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Education, Local, News

Kai Karamitsos awarded Northern Santa Barbara County Athletic Round Table Male Scholar Athlete of the Year Scholarship

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Righetti High School’s Kai Karamitsos has been awarded the Northern Santa Barbara County Athletic Round Table Male Scholar Athlete of the Year Scholarship.

Karamitsos, who was on the swim team and played water polo, will receive the $1,000 scholarship at Supervisor Steve Lavagnino’s office on May 26. Karamitsos has a 4.71 GPA and will major in environmental science at US Santa Barbara next year. His class rank is 2/512.

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Local

Pierre Clayessens Veterans Foundation To Honor Our Fallen Veterans With Memorial Day Special Broadcast on KEYT at 4 p.m. Monday, May 25

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As we wage war against COVID-19, which is causing us to make major changes to our way of life, it is important to continue time honored traditions that give us purpose along with a sense of normalcy during these challenging times. While we’ve temporarily given up certain freedoms in order to protect our health and that of others, we mustn’t forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice with their lives during times our country was engaged in war on foreign soil. This year, as in years past, Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation (PCVF) is pleased to present the 2020 Memorial Day community event. What’s special about this year’s program is that residents in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties have an opportunity to gather together remotely to view a televised broadcast in the safety and comfort of their homes. Thanks to KEYT, our local ABC affiliate, the program will air at 4 PM on Monday, May 25th. You can also watch the program after the broadcast, once it’s posted to the Foundation’s website, by going to PCVF.org.

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Commentary, Local, Veterans

Guest commentary — A tribute to a fallen veteran

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“We were stationed off the coast of Vietnam. When we got the command from up top we would bomb the mainland” those are precisely the only two sentences that my late brother Sergio ever spoke to me about his protracted stint in the Navy during the deadly Viet Nam war years of circa 1968-1971 where he was stationed secretly out there somewhere in the vast Pacific Ocean. I never pushed my older brother for more details. I could tell from that one short abrupt conversation that I had with him shortly after he was honorable discharged from his military service that it was a history that that he would discuss with no one. He made good on his word! Just this past week my dear brother past away and with him his memories, secrets, nightmares and ruminations about the war in Viet Nam that he participated in are gone with him forever!

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Business, Cultural, Government, Health, Local, News

700,000 Masks Being Distributed to Agricultural Community in Ventura County

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 The Ventura County Office of Emergency Services, and the California Departments of Food and Agriculture, and Pesticide Regulations together have provided over 700,000 facemasks to help provide protection to farmworkers and other agricultural operations. The Agricultural Commissioner’s Office has been reaching out to growers, farm labor contractors, packer/shippers and pest control businesses to make arrangement to distribute masks from the Commissioner’s offices in Camarillo and Santa Paula.

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Business, Government, Local, News

Amid COVID19 Budget Deficit, Jackson Bill to Bring Sunshine and Accountability to Corporate and Other Tax Breaks Advances

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As California lawmakers consider difficult cuts to address the $54 billion budget deficit resulting from the coronavirus, Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara)’s Senate Bill 956 to bring oversight and accountability to billions of dollars in certain corporate and other tax breaks passed the Senate Governance and Finance Committee today on a 4 to 2 vote.

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Cultural, Education, Family, Government, Health, Local, News, Seniors, Women, Youth

COVID-19 Case Rate and California’s Diversity — Patterns in Coronavirus Exposure

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Every case of COVID-19 is the result of someone having been exposed to the coronavirus. Here in California, as elsewhere, different people experience different exposures to the virus. Some individuals and families—those with work that can be done remotely, robust health insurance, and relatively easy access to a physician—have been able to reduce their coronavirus exposure by sheltering at home for the past eight weeks.

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Business, Commentary, Local, News

Guest commentary — Businesses Can Provide Mandated Harassment Prevention Training Even As Employees Work Remotely

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A California law requires that companies with five or more employees provide two hours of supervisory training and one hour of staff training every two years on harassment, discrimination, bullying and retaliation. With employees now working remotely, arranging in-person training in the workplace is not feasible. Employment law firm LightGabler offers an online training video course as an alternative solution that meets California harassment and bullying training requirements.

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Education, Family, Government, Local, News, Youth

Pioneer Valley High School Senior Awards Night (virtual) to be held May 26

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The Pioneer Valley High School Senior Awards Night will be a virtual experience on the school website at 6 p.m. May 26.

Panther staff, club advisors, counselors, and school administrators inside the Performing Arts Center recorded the event. A digital copy of the awards program is also available for downloading as a keepsake memory, according to Assistant Principal Greg Dickinson.

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Local

Board of the Northern Santa Barbara County Athletic Round-table will award scholarships to two Pioneer Valley High School athletes

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The Board of the Northern Santa Barbara County Athletic Round-table will award scholarships to two Pioneer Valley High School athletes at Supervisor Steve Lavagnino’s office on May 26.

Lauren Carandang earned the Female Athlete of the Year Scholarship ($1,000) and Christian Morin nailed down the Joni Gray “Heart and Soul” Scholarship ($1,500). Carandang ran track and X-country. Morin played football, basketball and baseball.

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Commentary, Government, Local

Bilingual commentary — Don’t Be a Towhee!

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We are summoned to “fly with the eagles” or “watch like a hawk,” but few of us have ever heard of a “towhee” (pronounced “toe-hee”), although the California variety is prevalent throughout the west coast, from the very northern part of California to the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico.  We’ll never hear anyone urge us to “be a towhee,” nor to act like one. 

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Cultural, Education, Family, Government, Local, News, Youth

Guadalupe Union School District — Kermit McKenzie Intermediate School Promotion

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About 150 Kermit McKenzie Intermediate School students will take their GUSD educational careers to the next level after they are promoted to high school on Tuesday, June 2.

There will be no physical graduation. Instead, a graduation video will include pictures of students and activities as well as encouraging words from current and former teachers. This video will be shared via email, ParentSquare, Social Media, and the school website.

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Business, Government, Health, Local, News

Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Late Stage 2 Businesses Can Now Open; State Just Approved Our County Attestation

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I am very pleased to announce the State Department of Public Health approved Santa Barbara County’s attestation to move further into Stage 2, which allows in-dining restaurants and retail stores to open as long as they follow safety guidance provided by the state and complete a self-certification of safe practices. The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department issued this Health Officer Order, which provides local guidance.

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Cultural, Education, Family, Government, Health, Local, News, Youth

Two Santa Maria public high schools will celebrate academic excellence during separate drive-thru events

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Two Santa Maria public high schools will celebrate academic excellence during separate drive-thru events today (Thursday, May 21).

Righetti High School’s senior awards are scheduled to be given out from 10 a.m. to noon in the bus-loading zone. About 190 students are involved, according to Daniel Solis, College and Career Specialist.

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Business, Education, Government, Health, Local, News

Fifteen global shipping companies slowed cargo ships for 99,000 nautical miles in 2019 program off California coast to protect blue whales and blue skies

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The partners in an initiative to cut air pollution and protect endangered whales announced results from the 2019 program and recognized the 15 shipping companies that participated, reducing speeds to 10 knots or less in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Santa Barbara Channel region. The voluntary incentive program ran May 15, 2019 through November 15, 2019. Partners hope to further recognize the companies at a ceremony at the Port of Hueneme later this year, depending on public health guidelines regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

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