Alisal Fire still at 97% containment
Remembered for 50-plus years of service
Damage assessment teams report blaze destroyed 12 residences - A2
Former 5th District Supervisor Joseph ‘Joe’ P. Centeno dies - A2
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T H U R S DAY, O C T O B E R 21, 2 0 21
Officials prepare for weekend rainstorm Santa Barbara County works to secure areas impacted by Alisal Fire By MADISON HIRNEISEN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
COURTESY SB COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
Crews worked to clear vegetation on Refugio Road on Wednesday ahead of this weekend’s rain storm.
A rainstorm bringing between one to two inches of rain is expected to hit Santa Barbara County over the weekend, and local officials are prepping for the threat of potential flood impacts near the burn scar of the Alisal Fire. The National Weather Service is forecasting a storm to roll through Santa Barbara County from Sunday night through Monday that is expected to bring up to two inches of rain to the region. Rain is also possible earlier in the weekend, with the forecast predicting less than a tenth of an inch of precipitation in the North
County on Friday and Saturday, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Ryan Kittell. While rain during a drought would typically be welcomed on the Central Coast, local officials are keeping a close eye on the potential for flooding or debris flow in the areas freshly scorched by the Alisal Fire. Fortunately, Mr. Kittell said the Weather Service does not expect this storm to produce “significant, damaging type debris flows.” “We can’t rule it out, but more likely than not, any debris flows would be minor, shallow and more of what we call nuisance-type events as opposed to destructive,” Mr. Kittell told the News-Press.
Harbor crew honored City of Santa Barbara issues proclamation for workers, disability employment
“Instead of taking down buildings and sweeping out campgrounds, it might impact roads and creeks. So those (would be) the type of impacts as opposed to destruction.” To prepare for potential flooding and debris flow impacts during the weekend storm, county officials are working on Refugio Road and at the Tajiguas Landfill to mitigate potential flood impacts, according to Lael Wageneck, the public information officer for the Public Works Department. “After a fire, these areas during rain are always suspect to flooding or debris flows, so we are making preparations for both currently at the landfill and along Refugio
Creek by Refugio Road,” Mr. Wageneck told the News-Press. Along Refugio Road, crews were on-site Wednesday to clear vegetation near Refugio Creek, Mr. Wageneck said. He noted that the bridge crossing on the road typically floods during rains, but officials are working to make sure water and material can flow easier and won’t get “choked up” at any point during the weekend storm. Crews were also on-site at the Tajiguas Landfill on Wednesday working to install a concretereinforced berm that will divert debris flowing into the upper part of Pila Creek into a sedimentation Please see PREVENTION on A4
FDA OKs J&J, Moderna boosters By MADISON HIRNEISEN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS
Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo holds up a watercolor painting by Brian MacLaren, a harbor crew member and Santa Barbara Art Works instructor, at a ceremony Wednesday at the Santa Barbara Harbor.
By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo presented a proclamation to the Santa Barbara Harbor Crew Wednesday. The occasion celebrated National Disability Employment Awareness Month and the 29th anniversary between the city of Santa Barbara and Momentum WORK Inc., which connects disabled people to jobs. (Momentum also offers
day services and recreational programs, like adaptive sports.) An enthusiastic Mayor Murillo shouted periodically as she read the proclamation, which ends by calling on other employers, schools and organizations to observe NDEAM too and “openly recognize that people with disabilities add value and talent to our workplaces and communities.” Kevin Smith, director of program services at Momentum, said the harbor respects the crew. The maintenance staff, boat crews
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and those who live on the boats know team members. “I know they’re known; they’re appreciated; they’re outside and not hidden away,” he said. “A real person belongs in the community, and that’s what they want.” Crew members, when asked what they enjoy about working at the harbor, told the News-Press they like the people. Brian MacLaren, a crew coach and instructor at Momentum’s Santa Barbara Art Works program, focuses on his team.
“I really really care about the crew, and that’s first and foremost and their well being,” he said. “I just want them to be productive and develop a real work ethic.” He said the harbor is a “nice office” that inspires him to paint. He is working on a series of paintings of the harbor and presented the first to Mayor Murillo Wednesday. She plans to display it in her office. Momentum isn’t partnered with Please see CEREMONY on A4
The Food and Drug Administration Wednesday authorized booster shots of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, taking a major step in distributing extra doses to tens of millions of Americans. The agency authorized the Moderna booster shot six months after the primary series for individuals over the age of 65 and young adults with underlying health conditions or occupational exposure to COVID-19. The recommendation for the Moderna booster shot aligned with the authorization provided for Pfizer boosters a few weeks ago. In addition, the FDA authorized the J&J booster for everyone over the age of 18 who completed the single-dose series at least two months ago. On Wednesday, the FDA also approved “mixing and matching” a booster dose of the vaccine, meaning that those who received the first series of a different vaccine are now eligible for a booster dose of any of the approved shots. “Today’s actions demonstrate our commitment to public health in proactively fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic,” Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement. “As the pandemic continues to impact the country, science has shown that vaccination continues to be the safest and most effective way to prevent COVID-19, including the most serious consequences of the disease, such as hospitalization and death.” “The available data suggest waning immunity in some populations who are fully vaccinated. The availability of these authorized boosters is important for continued protection against COVID-19 disease.” The FDA’s ruling will now move on to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for consideration by its vaccine advisory committee. The committee is scheduled to meet today to discuss the boosters. If the committee issues a recommendation for the booster shots, it will be left up to CDC
COURTESY PHOTO
Director Rochelle Walensky to stamp final approval. If she does so, booster shots would be available for millions of eligible Americans immediately. The push for boosters comes as case rates are declining in the U.S., averaging about 80,000 new cases per day, according to data from The New York Times. In Santa Barbara County, the Public Health Department reported 73 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the county’s active case rate to 298 infections. Officials reported 38 new cases in Santa Maria, nine cases in Santa Barbara, and seven cases in both the Santa Ynez Valley and Lompoc. Elsewhere, four cases were reported in the North County unincorporated areas and Guadalupe, two were reported in Orcutt, two in Goleta, two in the South Coast unincorporated areas and Carpinteria, and one case in the unincorporated Goleta Valley and Gaviota. One case was pending a location assignment on Wednesday. The department reported that 37 people were hospitalized for COVID-19 on Wednesday. Thirteen of those patients were recovering in the ICU. According to the county’s latest vaccination data, 78.1% of eligible 12-and-older residents are partially vaccinated, and 70.2% of that same population are fully vaccinated. Of the county’s entire population, 59.4% of people are fully vaccinated. email: mhirneisen@newspress. com
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L O T T E RY RESULTS
Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A4
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: N/A Meganumber: N/A
Wednesday’s DAILY 4: 6-4-0-1
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 3-12-13-19-52 Meganumber: 1
Wednesday’s FANTASY 5: 3-7-21-34-35
Wednesday’s DAILY DERBY: 02-11-07 Time: 1:44.62
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: N/A Meganumber: N/A
Sudoku................... B3 Weather................. A4
Wednesday’s DAILY 3: 8-1-9 / Wednesday’s Midday 7-4-7