Opinion: Sorting the ins and outs of new Ventura County cannabis law
By Amy Steinfeld and Jack Ucciferri Ventura County was among nearly three dozen California jurisdictions to amend its cannabis policies as a result of last month’s voter initiatives. Ventura residents approved Measure O, which will open up portions of the county to commercial cannabis businesses, including cultivation, processing and distribution. At this time, no retail Read More →
Tri-county unemployment down to 6% in November
Unemployment in the Tri-Counties and all over California hit its lowest levels in November since before the pandemic began, though the latest figures come from surveys taken before the post-Thanksgiving surge in COVID-19 cases and the new round of stay-home orders and business closures. California’s unemployment rate in November was 8.2%, down from 9% in Read More →
Two Central Coast economic development nonprofits to merge
The economic development groups Reach and the San Luis Obispo Economic Vitality Corporation announced a merger on Dec. 17, one that will bring the EVC under the Reach banner in a combined effort to improve the economies of San Luis Obispo County and northern Santa Barbara County. The boards of both Reach and the EVC Read More →
‘Light at the end of this tunnel’ as health workers get region’s first vaccines
Four Ventura County health care workers received their initial doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 16, in front of the county’s Public Health Department offices in Oxnard. The four healthcare workers were Juliana Svolos, a certified nursing assistant from Adventist Health Simi Valley; Gavin Jones, a registered trauma nurse who works in the emergency Read More →
Southwest’s next destination: Santa Barbara Airport
Southwest Airlines announced Dec. 16 that it plans to start flying out of Santa Barbara Airport in the spring, something airport officials and frequent fliers have wanted for decades. The airline has not said yet which cities it would serve from Santa Barbara, or how often, but airport officials anticipate “several departures a day,” Deanna Read More →
Westlake Village BioPartners puts $500 million into new venture funds
Westlake Village BioPartners, a venture capital firm focused on biotech startups in the Conejo Valley and the rest of greater Los Angeles, launched two new funds Dec. 15 worth a total of $500 million. The first fund is $70 million and will be used for Series B or later financing into companies that Westlake Village Read More →
Nurses set to strike at Los Robles hospital in Thousand Oaks
Nurses at Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, the biggest hospital in Ventura County, are set to go on a 10-day strike starting Dec. 24. The nurses’ union, Service Employees International Union Local 121 RN, called the strike Dec. 14, four days after a vote of the union members gave the bargaining team Read More →
