Lights! Cameras! Movies!
History with a silver lining
Excitement continues this year on the big screen - B1
Columnist Elizabeth Stewart discusses what’s behind South American stirrups and cuff - B2
Our 166th Year
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City attorney drafts demand letter to SCE
Vaccine mandate put on hold Court temporarily halts federal vaccine rule for larger businesses By DAN MCCALEB THE CENTER SQUARE EXECUTIVE EDITOR
SB City Council to receive update on Community Choice Energy program
(The Center Square) — The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Saturday temporarily halted the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate on private sector businesses with 100 employers or more, citing “grave” constitutional issues. Ruling on lawsuits filed by Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, as well as a Louisiana businessman seeking to prevent the mandate from
taking effect, the appeals court issued a stay over constitutional questions. “Because the petitions give cause to believe there are grave statutory and constitutional issues with the Mandate, the Mandate is hereby stayed pending further action by the court,” the ruling reads. The Biden administration rule would require vaccines by Jan. 4 for businesses with 100 or more employees. email: dmccaleb@ thecentersquare.com
NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO
The Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for businesses with 100 or more employees has been put on hold by a federal court.
DAVE MASON / NEWS-PRESS FILE
The Santa Barbara City Council will consider a draft letter by City Attorney Ariel Pierre Calonne to Southern California Edison after the utility sent confusing and unlawful letters to thousands of city residents.
By ANNELISE HANSHAW
Pierre Calonne will present a demand letter he intends to send to Southern California Edison after the company sent confusing and potentially unlawful letters to 9,000 city residents. Following months of mass mailers from Santa Barbara Clean Energy, residents were
NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Santa Barbara City Council will receive an update on the city’s Community Choice Energy program, Santa Barbara Clean Energy, during its meeting at 2 p.m. Tuesday. City Attorney Ariel
automatically opted in to the community choice aggregation program, and service began Oct. 1. But in August, some customers received a letter from SCE titled “Rescheduling of Community Choice Aggregation Service Request” that said customers’ requested service transfer
date had moved. SCE later told SBCE that the letter was sent automatically when it corrected a mistake on the calendar. Customers were confused because they didn’t request a change of service; SBCE’s program is automatic. The SCE Please see COUNCIL on A4
Board of Supervisors to consider Main Jail renovations By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will consider options for the renovation of the Santa Barbara County Main Jail, ranging in cost from $24.2 million to $67.1 million, during its meeting Tuesday. Disability Rights California filed a classaction lawsuit after seeing the conditions at the jail and settled in 2020. The scope of the work exceeds the settlement requirements, the board letter says. The jail complex, which was built in sections between 1960 and the early nineties, needs a large number of emergency repairs annually. Renovations would include deferred capital work estimated at more than $14 million. Option one proposes an additional $6.16 million for improvements to programming space, mental health area and cell improvements. This option would take about four years to complete and would be paid through the general fund.
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The Sheriff’s Office is seeing a declining jail population it attributes to diversion efforts. Additionally, a North County jail branch is scheduled to open by the end of the year. Staff wouldn’t renovate portions it believes will be unused because of these changes, but Sheriff Bill Brown does not want to reduce the number of beds available. Additional options consider a shifting inmate population. Option two is the same as above but adds a broader assessment of long-term needs at the Main Jail. This option, recommended by County staff, is estimated at $24.9 million. Option three shifts the county’s inmate population to North County with the construction of a Sheriff’s Treatment and ReEntry facility at the Northern Branch Jail. The Main Jail’s deferred maintenance would be scaled down for a smaller size, and some portions of the jail would close. Option three is the most expensive, at $67.1 million. Option four involves shutting down portions of the Main Jail and building a new facility in their place. The pre-existing buildings would
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email: ahanshaw@newspress.com
By MADISON HIRNEISEN THE CENTER SQUARE STAFF REPORTER
(The Center Square) — California officials have launched a robust COVID-19 vaccine program to inoculate newly eligible 5-to-11-yearold residents with the PfizerBioNTech vaccine. The state announced last week that the federal government had allocated 1.2 million pediatric doses to be dispersed in California. More than 4,000 locations are prepared to vaccinate kids ages 5-11 as supply ramps up. In addition to medical providers, local health departments and schools, the state has partnered with afterschool programs, such as the Sierra Health Foundation and the Alliance for Boys & Girls, to set up 84 pop-up clinics statewide. “Vaccines are how we end this pandemic, and they’re how we keep our kids safe — it’s time to get our children the protection they need from this deadly virus, especially as we head into the winter season,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “California is leading the nation in vaccinations with 54 million administered and 87% of the
eligible population with at least one dose, and we’re moving swiftly to implement a robust and equitable vaccination program that will cover this newly eligible age group.” The state’s vaccine allocation came just days after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the use of a pediatric dose of the Pfizer vaccine among children ages 511 Tuesday, determining that the reduced-dose shot is safe and effective for use among this age group. According to the governor’s office, 3,100 school-located clinics are already established, with an additional 800 planned for November and December. The state estimates that these clinics will cover more than 2.4 million students. Madison Hirneisen covers California for The Center Square.
MORE INSIDE Proof of vaccination for children ages 5-11 could be required in roughly two months for indoor public settings in San Francisco. A4.
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be renovated, and the Northern Branch Jail would remain unaffected. Option four costs $56.9 million to $60.3 million. Supervisors will also receive an update on criminal justice projects, like a data dashboard. The board will also look at the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment, a 308-page informational document that projects changes in Santa Barbara County and highlights vulnerable populations. Board of Supervisors information and the meeting agenda are available at countyofsb. org/bos. The meeting will be streamed live at countyofsb.org/ceo/csbtv/livestream.sbc. To participate, members of the public can attend the meeting in-person at the Joseph Centeno Betteravia Government Administration Building, 511 E Lakeside Parkway in Santa Maria, or online at countyofsb.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ M7PJaki2RyG8RTpOMQUFVQ.
California starts efforts to vaccinate ages 5-11
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Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 11-17-20-27-34 Mega: 9
Sunday’s DAILY 4: 9-6-5-4
Friday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 10-15-20-66-68 Mega: 18
Sunday’s FANTASY 5: 6-11-17-30-33
Sunday’s DAILY DERBY: 03-06-09 Time: 1:40.44
Saturday’s POWERBALL: 8-30-48-57-64 Meganumber: 9
Sunday’s DAILY 3: 1-7-2 / Midday 5-5-6