They’re back!
Before tonight’s flight…
Monarch butterflies return to Goleta, and there are more than 15,000 of them. - A2
Our 166th Year
Santa Claus and his reindeer visited decorated Santa Barbara homes before the big trip. - B1
75¢
F R I DAY, D E C E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 21
Omicron variant not detected in SB County Surges in variant reported around the nation, world By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Cars travel through the rain on Highway 101 Thursday in Santa Barbara, where 3 inches fell. Several traffic collisions were reported on the highway, and the California Highway Patrol is urging motorists to slow down and leave more space in front of them during storms.
Downpour slams county 3 inches of rain strike Santa Barbara area By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
Santa Barbara County experienced heavy rainfall during a long storm that led to flooding, traffic accidents and a highway closure. Around 3 inches of rain fell in the Santa Barbara area during the storm, which started Wednesday evening and continued through Thursday afternoon. The National Weather Service predicted there would be more rain today and Saturday, then a break on Sunday before rain starts up again Monday and continues the rest of the next week. On Thursday, flooding was bad enough to cause the closure of State Route 1 in Orcutt, according to KEYT/KCOY-TV in
Santa Barbara. Just over 3 inches of rain fell Thursday in Goleta, and 2.61 inches fell in Santa Barbara, according to the weather service. Lompoc experienced 1.53 inches. Santa Maria saw 1.49 inches of rain, and Santa Ynez was right behind it with 1.38 inches. Along with the rainy weather came some chill: Highs Thursdays were in the upper 50s throughout the county, and the weather service predicted similar temperatures this weekend. As the rain fell, there were several weather-related accidents on Highway 101 in the county as well as flooding in Summerland and Carpinteria, according to the California Highway Patrol. “Stopping distance is greatly reduced in these conditions,” Please see RAIN on A2
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U.S. Supreme Court to review challenges to COVID-19 mandates By DAN MCCALEB THE CENTER SQUARE EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Water runoff floods State Street in downtown Santa Barbara.
At left, cars and pedestrians brave the rain near La Cumbre Plaza in Santa Barbara. At right, people brace for the rainstorm on State Street.
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Surges in the omicron variant have been reported around the nation and the world, and California health officials Thursday said the variant is present in 50% to 70% of new COVID-19 cases in parts of the state. But the variant hasn’t been seen locally. “There have not been any omicron cases detected in Santa Barbara County,” Ryyn Schumacher, assistant deputy director for community health for the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, told the News-Press Thursday afternoon. One case related to the omicron variant was reported last week in San Luis Obispo County. Elsewhere in the nation and overseas, an increase in COVID-19 cases was attributed to the omicron variant. New Jersey, for example, reported 15,482 new cases — a 59% increase in a single day. France reported 88,00 new cases, and Italy saw almost 45,000 new cases. The omicron variant now makes up 73% of the nation’s
COVID-19 cases and is seen as the dominant variant. Concern over the variant is affecting the New Year’s Eve celebration in New York City. A recent press release from New York Mayor Bill De Blasio’s office announced that this year’s celebration in Times Square will be scaled back. The square typically holds 58,000 but will be limited to 15,000, and guests will not be allowed in the square until 3 p.m. The event will be held outdoors and will require all visitors to wear masks and be fully vaccinated. Overseas, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced that a fourth dose would soon be rolled out for healthcare workers, those over 60 and those with suppressed immune systems. However, Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief scientific adviser, said he believes it is premature for the U.S. to be considering a fourth dose at this time. According to a CNN report, Dr. Fauci sees the only exception would be a fourth dose for those who are severely immunocompromised.
(The Center Square) — The U.S. Supreme Court early next month will hear challenges to two of President Joe Biden’s worker-related COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The nation’s highest court agreed Wednesday to hear oral arguments Jan. 7 on the Biden administration’s separate executive branch mandates that most health care workers and those employed by private businesses with 100 workers or more be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, be tested regularly, or face losing their jobs. Dozens of lawsuits were filed challenging the constitutionality of President Biden’s vaccine mandates, which he put in place without congressional approval. The private sector mandate, which would impact more than 80 million workers in the U.S., initially was ordered halted by the the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, which cited “grave” constitutional concerns over potential executive branch overreach. After more than a dozen
lawsuits against the mandate on private businesses were consolidated and sent to the 6th Circuit in Cincinnati, the Ohiobased federal court reinstated it last week. The reinstatement ruling was immediately appealed to the Supreme Court by multiple plaintiffs across the country. President Biden also mandated that the employees of all healthcare companies that receive Medicaid and Medicare dollars be vaccinated against the coronavirus. This mandate affects more than 2 million American workers. Conservative groups and free market advocates argue the president doesn’t have the authority to unilaterally make health care decisions for individual American citizens. The Biden administration has said it’s confident it does have that authority. The mandates are set to take effect Jan. 4, three days before oral arguments in the cases. Because of the timing of the effective date of the mandates, the Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision quickly. email: dmccalebthecentersquare. com.
INSIDE
L O T T E RY RESULTS
Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A4
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 11-16-20-21-26 Meganumber: 5
Thursday’s DAILY 4: 5-2-2-5
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 25-31-58-64-67 Meganumber: 24
Thursday’s FANTASY 5: 9-15-22-33-36
Thursday’s DAILY DERBY: 09-03-08 Time: 1:43.26
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: 7-16-19-48-68 Meganumber: 15
Sudoku................... B3 Sports.................... A3 Weather................. A4
Thursday’s DAILY 3: 2-3-2 / Wednesday’s Midday 7-1-2