A room full of fired up parents met last week to hear from 10 local school board candidates. The event was hosted by founder Tracy Henderson. The group was started during the COVID-19 pandemic and is known for opposing mask mandates and in-person school closures. About 15 people attended the forum. While the school board candidates discussed many topics, they all agreed about teaching politically conservative values and advocating for parents' rights in schools. Many of them said they were inspired to run for school board seats because they disagreed with how COVID-19 policies were enforced...…A room full of fired up parents met last week to hear from 10 local school board candidates. The event was hosted by founder Tracy Henderson. The group was started during the COVID-19 pandemic and is known for opposing mask mandates and in-person school closures. About 15 people attended the forum. While the school board candidates discussed many topics, they all agreed about teaching politically conservative values and advocating for parents' rights in schools. Many of them said they were inspired to run for school board seats because they disagreed with how COVID-19 policies were enforced...WW…

    ByThe home of tomorrow isn’t about Jetson-esque wonders and smartphone apps. It’s about home value, natural resources, and our lifestyles.To predict what home features will be most valued in 25 years, let’s focus on four rising trends:1. Extreme Energy EfficiencyUtility bills are expected to skyrocket over the next couple of decades. This will result in sustainable updates that push the green needle of household standards.Energy dashboards: You know how cars share the miles per gallon we’re getting? An energy dashboard will do the same for our...…    ByThe home of tomorrow isn’t about Jetson-esque wonders and smartphone apps. It’s about home value, natural resources, and our lifestyles.To predict what home features will be most valued in 25 years, let’s focus on four rising trends:1. Extreme Energy EfficiencyUtility bills are expected to skyrocket over the next couple of decades. This will result in sustainable updates that push the green needle of household standards.Energy dashboards: You know how cars share the miles per gallon we’re getting? An energy dashboard will do the same for our...WW…

    ByThe is creating objective design standards for multiple-unit and mixed-use residential developments, allowing for a more streamlined approval process.The standards are being developed in response to , adopted in 2017. It requires a ministerial approval process and limits any subjective review for qualifying housing projects.Qualified projects that follow the design standards will not have to undergo review by the or any other city boards or commissions, but will instead go through design review and approval by city staff using the objective standards.The...…    ByThe is creating objective design standards for multiple-unit and mixed-use residential developments, allowing for a more streamlined approval process.The standards are being developed in response to , adopted in 2017. It requires a ministerial approval process and limits any subjective review for qualifying housing projects.Qualified projects that follow the design standards will not have to undergo review by the or any other city boards or commissions, but will instead go through design review and approval by city staff using the objective standards.The...WW…

    ByAttracted by the prospect of helping in the fight against — and the offer of a $50 card to sweeten the deal — I agreed to be part of a recent trial for a new reusable, home-testing device to detect the virus.I was contacted about the study via email from , the Goleta company that has been administering COVID-19 tests to students and faculty.Aptitude got my name because, as an SBCC adult-ed student, I’ve been getting tested regularly at sites set up at either the Schott or Wake extended-learning centers before going to my Wednesday morning ceramics class.During the...…    ByAttracted by the prospect of helping in the fight against — and the offer of a $50 card to sweeten the deal — I agreed to be part of a recent trial for a new reusable, home-testing device to detect the virus.I was contacted about the study via email from , the Goleta company that has been administering COVID-19 tests to students and faculty.Aptitude got my name because, as an SBCC adult-ed student, I’ve been getting tested regularly at sites set up at either the Schott or Wake extended-learning centers before going to my Wednesday morning ceramics class.During the...WW…

However, council members vote to appoint a committee to work with industry representatives to review the city's regulations. The has rejected pleas to adopt an urgency ordinance to impose a moratorium for cannabis retail dispensaries, but it has agreed to appoint a committee to review the industry regulations in the coming months. On Tuesday night, the council voted 3-2 to adopt Mayor Jenelle Osborne’s motion to name two members to work with industry representatives and residents in reviewing the city’s cannabis rules. That committee will be made up of Councilmen Victor Vega and Jeremy...…However, council members vote to appoint a committee to work with industry representatives to review the city's regulations. The has rejected pleas to adopt an urgency ordinance to impose a moratorium for cannabis retail dispensaries, but it has agreed to appoint a committee to review the industry regulations in the coming months. On Tuesday night, the council voted 3-2 to adopt Mayor Jenelle Osborne’s motion to name two members to work with industry representatives and residents in reviewing the city’s cannabis rules. That committee will be made up of Councilmen Victor Vega and Jeremy...WW…

    New rules will be in place for two to five years while city officials work out a long-term plan for State Street downtownByClean up your act — sort of. That's what the Santa Barbara City Council on 10 blocks of State Street. The council voted 5-2 Tuesday evening to make swift changes to outdoor dining, a little more than two years after the city closed a portion of State Street to cars in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.Council members Kristen Sneddon, Meagan Harmon, Alejandra Gutierrez, Oscar Gutierrez and Mike Jordan were in support of the change, while...…    New rules will be in place for two to five years while city officials work out a long-term plan for State Street downtownByClean up your act — sort of. That's what the Santa Barbara City Council on 10 blocks of State Street. The council voted 5-2 Tuesday evening to make swift changes to outdoor dining, a little more than two years after the city closed a portion of State Street to cars in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.Council members Kristen Sneddon, Meagan Harmon, Alejandra Gutierrez, Oscar Gutierrez and Mike Jordan were in support of the change, while...WW…

    ByCOVID-19 booster vaccines that target Omicron variants are available from Santa Barbara County providers and approved for older children and adults, Deputy Public Health Director Paige Batson said Tuesday.“Essentially, if you are 12 years of age and over, you can get the bivalent vaccine, and the only requirement is you wait two months after your last vaccine dose,” she told the county Board of Supervisors.Federal and state regulators authorized Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna bivalent vaccines, which were developed to protect against the original novel coronavirus and...…    ByCOVID-19 booster vaccines that target Omicron variants are available from Santa Barbara County providers and approved for older children and adults, Deputy Public Health Director Paige Batson said Tuesday.“Essentially, if you are 12 years of age and over, you can get the bivalent vaccine, and the only requirement is you wait two months after your last vaccine dose,” she told the county Board of Supervisors.Federal and state regulators authorized Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna bivalent vaccines, which were developed to protect against the original novel coronavirus and...WW…

    Posted on September 21, 2022 3:40 p.m.Silent Stay was a peaceful retreat center perched on a mountaintop overlook in Vacaville, California. The retreat drew hundreds of enthusiasts of the silent withdrawal from the workday world for a few days of peaceful meditation and contemplation. Until it burned to the ground in the Napa Fire of 2020.Heartbroken, but undaunted, retreat owners Bruce and Ruth Davis moved south to Santa Barbara with the commitment to recreate that same serenity on the California coast; and they have — in Santa Barbara.Silent Stay retreats have been...…    Posted on September 21, 2022 3:40 p.m.Silent Stay was a peaceful retreat center perched on a mountaintop overlook in Vacaville, California. The retreat drew hundreds of enthusiasts of the silent withdrawal from the workday world for a few days of peaceful meditation and contemplation. Until it burned to the ground in the Napa Fire of 2020.Heartbroken, but undaunted, retreat owners Bruce and Ruth Davis moved south to Santa Barbara with the commitment to recreate that same serenity on the California coast; and they have — in Santa Barbara.Silent Stay retreats have been...WW…

September is a time to celebrate the nutrition that eating whole grains — over refined grains — has to offer. But what exactly is a whole grain? A whole grain contains three parts: the bran, the germ and the endosperm (refined grains only contain the endosperm). The bran and germ help keep your body healthy, your skin glowing and your hair shiny. Including whole grains as part of a healthy diet can help reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, constipation and some cancers.Here are some examples of whole-grain foods: barley, quinoa, oats, brown rice, amaranth and teff, as well as whole...…September is a time to celebrate the nutrition that eating whole grains — over refined grains — has to offer. But what exactly is a whole grain? A whole grain contains three parts: the bran, the germ and the endosperm (refined grains only contain the endosperm). The bran and germ help keep your body healthy, your skin glowing and your hair shiny. Including whole grains as part of a healthy diet can help reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, constipation and some cancers.Here are some examples of whole-grain foods: barley, quinoa, oats, brown rice, amaranth and teff, as well as whole...WW…

    Goleta official says one solution is to increase battery storage installation across the state that can support the power grid during high demandByHeat waves and blackouts are becoming more prevalent in Santa Barbara County and across California.During the heat wave in early September, when the county , state energy officials sent out  asking residents to conserve power.“With a warming climate, heat waves like the ones we’ve just experienced will become more common and can have significant implications and impacts on human health,” said Angeline Forshay,...…    Goleta official says one solution is to increase battery storage installation across the state that can support the power grid during high demandByHeat waves and blackouts are becoming more prevalent in Santa Barbara County and across California.During the heat wave in early September, when the county , state energy officials sent out  asking residents to conserve power.“With a warming climate, heat waves like the ones we’ve just experienced will become more common and can have significant implications and impacts on human health,” said Angeline Forshay,...WW…