Unemployment in region, state rose in December as pandemic worsened
The tri-county region’s combined unemployment rate shot up from 6% in November to 7.4% in December as a wave of COVID-19 cases brought the most widespread business closures since the spring. The rest of the state suffered a similar fate, with California’s unemployment rate going from 8.1% in November to 9% in December, according to Read More →
Ventura County sues more gyms, restaurants for defying health order
Mrs. Olson’s Coffee Hut in Oxnard lost its permit to serve food on Dec. 22, but it was open and serving customers both inside and outside as recently as Jan. 20. None of the restaurant’s neighbors at Channel Islands Harbor were serving diners on-site, following the state’s ban against indoor and outdoor dining service in Read More →
Southwest announces destinations for Santa Barbara flights
Southwest Airlines will fly direct every day from Santa Barbara to Oakland, Las Vegas and Denver, starting April 12, the airline announced Jan. 21. Southwest said in December that it would begin serving Santa Barbara Airport in the spring, but did not disclose its routes or its timetable at that time. The routes announced Jan. Read More →
CLU shifts biggest-ever gift to entrepreneurship center, scholarships
In the latest demonstration of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected philanthropy in the region, California Lutheran University announced Jan. 20 that a major gift to its School of Management will be repurposed to support entrepreneurship programs and scholarships. CLU President Lori Varlotta said Steve Dorfman, a retired technology and aerospace executive who had given Read More →
Community Bancorp of Santa Maria reports rising revenue and expenses
Community Bancorp of Santa Maria saw another quarter of continued growth, buoyed by federal Paycheck Protection Program loans, even as net income fell. The bank’s total income rose 4.3%, but net income fell by more than 19%, going from $2.7 million in December 2019 to $2.2 million in the same month of 2020. Net loans Read More →
Ventura’s Sespe Consulting acquired by Texas firm
Sespe Consulting, a Ventura-based environmental, engineering and planning firm, has been acquired by Trinity Consultants out of Dallas, Texas. Sepse specializes in land use planning, environmental permitting and compliance and worker safety. It works in fields including mining and construction materials, oil and gas, general manufacturing, agriculture, real estate development and local government. The company Read More →
Mission Produce reports earnings drop in first post-IPO filing
Revenue and net income took a hit in the fourth quarter of 2020 for Oxnard-based Mission Produce, as the company released its first earnings report on Jan. 19 since its initial public offering in October. Mission Produce reported revenue totaling $206.8 million for the quarter ended Oct. 31, which was an 11% decrease from the Read More →
