••• “In a new twist to one of the most high-profile—and longest—beach access battles in California, Hollister Ranch sued state officials Thursday over a new law designed to open its exclusive coastline to the public after decades of stops and stalls. The law, which went into effect this month, declares that the public must be allowed to enter the ranch by land and access some of its 8.5 miles of shoreline by April 2022. Further access would be phased in under a comprehensive plan to be developed in the next two years. […] ranch officials, who opposed the legislation last year, call many of the provisions an overreach of the state’s authority.” —Los Angeles Times
••• Another day, another crash on Highway 154, a.k.a. Nightmare Alley. —Noozhawk
••• And someone else hit a bear on 154. —KEYT
••• “The air quality in Kern County already fails to meet California standards, but Kern and seven other counties, including Santa Barbara, now have a total of more than a million acres of federal lands open to bid for oil and gas extraction as of mid-December. Kern also fails to meet federal environmental standards, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said Friday morning while announcing a lawsuit to end the oil lease sales, the state’s latest fight against Trump administration actions. Earlier this week, Los Padres ForestWatch and seven other environmental organizations filed a similar suit against the federal Bureau of Land Management.” —Independent
••• “Carpinteria Moving Forward with Expanded Senior Assisted-Living Project [….] Planning Commission OKs 50-unit second phase of Gran Vida development east of Albertsons market […] The development will be built on a portion of the existing parking lot, facing the back of the Albertsons grocery store and next to Highway 101.” —Noozhawk
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