Getting their feet wet
Unmasking history
Museum curator to discuss ancient Mexican city and its stone faces - A4
Our 165th Year
Both UCSB and Westmont get their swimming seasons underway - A8
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Reopening: the next chapter CDC research South Coast Chamber steers businesses to recovery
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brings more hope to schools Minimal transmission detected By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Center for Disease Control and Prevention research published Jan. 26 concludes that few COVID-19 transmissions occur in schools with precautions. The study found that a few students contract COVID-19 on campus, but the rate of transmission is much lower than in the community. It states “having attended gatherings and social functions outside the home as well as having had visitors in the home was associated with increased risk of infection; however, inperson school attendance during the 14 days prior to diagnosis was not.” The CDC looked at
schools nationally as well as internationally for transmission data. It references an outbreak at a high school in Israel that did not have good ventilation, exempted students from wearing masks and overcrowded classrooms. Otherwise, transmission occurred in fractional percentages in schools with proper health and safety standards. The Santa Barbara Unified School District’s on-campus cohorts (a select group of students in academic or athletic programs) have matched the study’s results. A total of 1,395 students are in academic cohorts; 982 are in athletics, and 395 teachers and Please see schools on A8
RAFAEL MALDONADO / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Things are looking sunny for local business in Santa Barbara as the rollout of the South Coast Chamber’s Roadmap to Recovery seeks to steer businesses towards a safe reopening.
By MADISON HIRNEISEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
After a rollercoaster year of reopenings, shutdowns and shifting restrictions due to COVID-19, the South Coast Chamber of Commerce is rolling out a new plan today to steer businesses through safe operating
procedures during the pandemic. The plan, known as the “Roadmap to Recovery,” gives an executive summary of the data the Chamber has collected since the start of the pandemic and provides recommendations for reopening procedures. Within the plan, the Chamber calls for more data-driven COVID-19 policies and requests
that pandemic restrictions be handled by county authorities. The plan also features a timeline with ambitious goals for reopening in the next six months, which includes reopening all businesses in the next 60 days, opening all South Coast schools by March 1 and Please see REOPENING on A2
Chase Restaurant on State Street reopened outdoor dining last week after Gov. Gavin Newsom ended an over a month long lockdown mandate.
Vista De Las Cruces School celebrates Kindness Week By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Vista de Las Cruces School in Gaviota commemorated kindness last week with five days of lessons. Principal and Superintendent Lois Peterson opened each day with a school-wide video chat. Last week, she used this time to encourage students as they learned about kindness at the elementary school, which encompasses the Vista Del Mar Union School District. It’s not any coincidence that she chose last week. It’s part of a worldwide initiative called the Great Kindness Challenge, which equips schools with steps to create a kinder classroom. As part of the week, each class completed projects to share with one another. Teacher Caroline Esdaile’s fifth-grade class created presentations highlighting charities. “I think it is always good to remind them that they are fortunate and that there are
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those that are less fortunate than they are,” Dr. Peterson told the News-Press. The students picked organizations that resonated with them. Fifth-grader Nathanael Jones researched the International Rescue Committee, a global humanitarian aid organization. “I picked the charity because I’ve seen refugees before, and it’s pretty sad to see them without food or shelter,” he said. The slideshow that he presented to the class first acknowledges the International Rescue Committee’s reliability and five-star reputation, showing the practical side of his selection. But Nathanael also saw the need for blankets and other survival needs, and he likes that the organization serves poor communities. “This may not be the most fun charity to donate to, but it is one of the ones that need help the most,” he wrote on his last slide. “I think kindness is important Please see kindness on A7
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Vista de Las Cruces School, Vista Del Mar Union’s elementary school, gathers each morning via Zoom to check in before class. Last week, the students learned about kindness every day.
Obituaries............. A8 Sudoku................. A6 Weather................ A8
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 1-6-13-19-45 Meganumber: 12
Monday’s DAILY 4: 3-7-5-5
Friday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 4-44-58-59-70 Meganumber: 3
Monday’s FANTASY 5: 1-10-12-13-39
Monday’s DAILY DERBY: 07-11-01 Time: 1:42.67
Saturday’s POWERBALL: 1-2-7-52-61 Meganumber: 4
Monday’s DAILY 3: 8-8-8 / Sunday’s Midday 6-8-3