••• Noozhawk has a recap of the second debate between First District Santa Barbara County Supervisor Das Williams and challenger Laura Capps. Williams tried to dodge the issue of his taking more than $60,000 from the cannabis industry while working on regulations regarding it: “I really think it’s sad that our politics, which used to always be above the belt in this community, is being permeated by some of the acrimony you see in Washington.” The lapse of judgment in accepting that money boggles the mind.
••• “Equestrian facilities at the Earl Warren Showgrounds will be seeing long-awaited improvements in the next few months in a plan that will have several phases. A master plan of improvements and changes to the facility are still under discussion. The horse community united late last year when issues over finances, fundraising, events and improvements painted a bleak picture.” —KEYT
••• Edhat ran a press release from the Santa Barbara Unified School District: “The stadium project at Santa Barbara High School is nearing completion. By working together with the contractor, we feel that significant progress is being made. We have authorized overtime on Saturdays for critical path work [….] The most recent schedule we received indicates substantial completion by February 20, and a project completion date in mid to late April. Barring weather delays, there is potential for it to be completed sooner.”
••• “The Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve is still recovering from habitat loss and food-web changes that occurred after the 2017 Thomas Fire and subsequent debris flows. […] Led by Santa Barbara County flood control officials, a significant debris-removal effort followed the Thomas Fire and Jan. 9 debris flows, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hauled materials. The total amount of debris that entered the Carpinteria Salt Marsh would fill about 19,500 dumpsters. […] More than 250 species of plants, including many that are critically endangered, call it home, as well as more than 200 species of birds, and 150 species of marine and fish invertebrates have been observed.” The marsh is managed by UCSB; photo courtesy UCSB Natural Reserve System. —Noozhawk
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