Santa Barbara County wine group abandons bid for BID
The Santa Barbara County Vintners Association has abandoned its two-year effort to establish the world’s first wine business improvement district, or BID, as an answer to its longstanding problem of lagging behind other wine regions in marketing spending. Vintners Association Executive Director Alison Laslett said in an Oct. 29 letter to members, co-signed by the Read More →
NTSB: Night watch could have saved dive boat passengers
The sinking of the dive boat Conception in the Santa Barbara Channel last year and the death of 34 people on board was caused by the failure of Truth Aquatics, the boat’s owner, to properly oversee its vessel and crew, the National Transportation Safety Board ruled on Oct. 20. The boat, a 75-foot recreational diving Read More →
SLO County names interim airports chief
San Luis Obispo County has found a new airports director in its own deputy director. Courtney Johnson, who has been the county’s airports deputy director since January 2019, will serve in an interim role leading the agency after current director Kevin Bumen steps down on Oct. 10 to take a job at San Francisco International Read More →
Ventura County moves into reopening stage that allows gyms, restaurants indoors
Ventura County moved into the second tier of California’s COVID-19 reopening process on Oct. 6, putting all three Central Coast counties in that category. Under the rules for red counties, Ventura County gyms, personal care services, museums, zoos, places of worship, movie theaters and restaurants will be able to reopen indoor operations in a limited Read More →
Wineries spar over marketing district
A two-year push by the Santa Barbara County Vintners Association to establish the world’s first wine business improvement district is running into opposition from a recently formed coalition of wineries seeking a compromise more acceptable to many smaller producers. The Santa Barbara County Wine Country Coalition sent an email Sept. 25 to 300 wineries in Read More →
A tale of two forecasts: UCSB report describes strong 2018-19, disastrous 2020
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Wildfires hit tourism industry still reeling from pandemic
This is supposed to the time of year for clear skies in Morro Bay. The fog, when it comes in at all, usually lifts by noon, says Mary Robinson the owner of Paddlesports Morro Bay. But lately the San Luis Obispo County coast has been blanketed by a mix of fog, smoke and ash. Robinson’s Read More →
