Commentary, Cultural, Education, Family, Health, Home, Local, News, Seniors, Women, Youth

Coalition For Family Harmony Sees Increase In Crisis Calls To Its Hotline

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The Coalition for Family Harmony, which provides victims of family violence in Ventura County with the means to help escape from abuse, has seen a 10 to 15 percent increase in crisis calls to its hotline since the COVID-19 stay-at-home order took effect.

“Financial and emotional stresses are taking a toll. Victims are calling our hotline, fearful about staying in their home with an abuser but also worried about leaving and possibly being exposed to COVID-19,” says Dr. Caroline Prijatel-Sutton, Coalition For Family Harmony executive director. “They are in desperate situations.”

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

VCCDC Community Matters Newsletter – May 2020

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Now, more than ever, VCCDC strives for this unifying vision. Even during these challenging times, homeownership is still considered to be a foundation for building financial stability. As we pivot to address the recent challenges in our communities, we will continue to empower and connect people through all our programs.

After conducting a recent survey, we found that some of our most affected neighbors are homeowners at risk of foreclosure and frustrated tenants who are struggling to pay rent with limited understanding of their options or fair housing laws. We have also noted that a fair number of senior homeowners have reached out to us, asking about their options with their current mortgages. As a result, we are renewing focus on foreclosure prevention counseling, tenant education and reverse mortgage counseling to address these critical issues.

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Education, Family, Local, News, Technology, Youth

CSUCI to honor Class of 2020 with virtual celebration

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CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) will salute the Class of 2020 with a livestream celebration beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 23.

The celebration is being held on the same day the students were to graduate and President Erika D. Beck, Ph.D. stressed that this will not replace the in-person graduation, which had to be postponed because of the COVID-19 crisis.

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Entertainment, Government, Health, Local, News, Sports, Youth

CSUCI study seeks surfer input on beach closures

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State and local efforts to stem the tide of the COVID-19 pandemic have left many American coast dwellers without beach access and surfers landlocked.

CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Assistant Professor of Environmental Science & Resource Management Dan Reineman, Ph.D., is investigating the social ramifications of beach and ocean access restrictions across the state of California and the nation by launching a nationwide survey aimed at the surfing community.

Reineman is asking surfers across the nation to participate in a survey: www.coastography.org/SADsurvey and share it with their surfing friends.

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

Ventura County Animal Services: Suspended Pet Adoptions to be Reinstated in a Staged Approach Beginning May 2

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Ventura County Animal Services has received approval from Dr. Levin, Ventura County Public Health Officer, to reinstate pet adoptions on a limited basis at the Camarillo Animal Shelter.  This authorization applies only to pet adoptions — all other COVID-19 restrictions are still in effect.  All adoptions will be conducted by appointment only and the shelter still remains closed to the public for casual visitation.

On Saturday, May 2nd at 10:00am, VCAS will activate their online scheduling system for Adoption Counseling appointments and will begin scheduling these sessions starting Sunday, May 3rd.  

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Business, Commentary, Cultural, Local, News, Opinion, Technology

Bilingual commentary: Passing the Time

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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. 

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

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for April 30

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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.

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Education, Local, News

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

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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.

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Education, Health, Local, News, Youth

Moorpark College Nursing Science Program Students  Excel

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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.

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Business, Cultural, Local, News, Youth

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

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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.

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Business, Education, Local, News, Women

Local Non-profit Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) to Participate in Global #GivingTuesdayNow Effort to Support Small Businesses

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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.

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Health, Local, News

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

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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.

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

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for April 29

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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.

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

Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Good news, expanded testing begins next week

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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. 

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Education, Government, Health, Local, News, Youth

VCOE Statement on Potential Early Reopening of School Campuses

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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.

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Business, Government, Local, News

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

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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.

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Business, Education, Local, News, Youth

Ventura College Foundation Launches ‘Stronger Foundation, Stronger Future’

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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.

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

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

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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.

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

County of Ventura COVID-19 update for April 28

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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.

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Business, Health, Home, Local, News

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

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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.

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Business, Education, Health, Local, News

Registered nurse on the front lines against COVID-19 got her start at SBCC

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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.

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