BRIEFLY

COMPILED BY EVELYN SPENCE

Women in Communication group to host achievement awards

The Association for Women in Communications – Santa Barbara Chapter will host its 15th annual achievement awards on Thursday, April 27, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. in Santa Barbara. This year, Hillary Hauser, executive director of Heal the Ocean, and Dr. Leah Stokes, associate professor of environmental politics at UC Santa Barbara, will be honored.

The awards will be held at the Cabrillo Pavilion, 1118 East Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara. Tickets are $85 for members, $95 for nonmembers. For more information, contact Joan J. Tapper at joantapper@cox.net.

County seeks input on emergency planning

Santa Barbara County is asking residents to fill out a survey about their emergency plans, to help fortify the county’s emergency response plans. According to Public Information Officer Kelsey Gerckens Buttitta, the survey will help the county “understand constraints and behavior during emergencies such as wildfires, floods, chemical spills, etc.”

The survey will help craft the county’s Evacuation Modeling and Planning Project. It is approximately five minutes long. Both English and Spanish versions can be found at sbcsurvey.kld.engineering.

Carpinteria veterinarian to leave in June

Carpinteria veterinarian and part-owner of the Carpinteria Veterinary Hospital Justin Fischer will leave the hospital in June, Fischer said in a newsletter sent out earlier this week. Fischer and his family are moving out of state.

Covid-19 numbers as of April 6

Reported Covid-19 cases dip

The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department reported a dip in the average number of reported PCR-confirmed Covid-19 cases, at 20.6%. The department reminds residents that cases are often underreported in Santa Barbara County due to the rise in rapid at-home testing.

Covid-19 community levels in Santa Barbara County remain low. No new deaths related to Covid-19 were reported over the last week. It is recommended that everyone over the age of six months receive an updated bivalent booster. See more at vaccines.gov.

“This has been an extremely difficult decision for me. The staff, my colleagues and the clients of Carpinteria Veterinary Hospital have made the last decade an exceptional experience both professionally and personally,” Fischer said.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for the last 11 years. It has truly been a pleasure growing relationships with you and caring for your furry family members. This is an amazing community, and it has been an honor,” he added.

Dr. Toby Hill, from Sydney, Australia, will join the Carpinteria Veterinary Hospital next week. Dr. Hill graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in London, and worked at a companion animal practice treating pets, local shelter animals and British wildlife; he then moved to Sydney, where he worked in a small animal general practice.

The Carpinteria Veterinary Clinic is located at 1037 Casitas Pass Rd.

State of the City Luncheon: April 20

A State of the City Luncheon, featuring Goleta, Santa Barbara and Carpinteria mayors, will be held on Thursday, April 20, 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort.

Guest speakers include city of Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte and City Manager Robert Nisbet; city of Carpinteria Mayor Al Clark and Assistant City Manager Michael Ramirez; and city of Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse and City Administrator Rebecca Bjork.

“We are thrilled to bring together the Mayors of Goleta, Santa Barbara, and Carpinteria for our annual State of the City event,” said Kristen Miller, president and CEO of the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce. “We believe it is essential for the business community to understand our region’s strategic focuses and hear directly from our elected officials about the issues that matter most to our local economy and community.”

Each mayor will present on their visions and give updates on their cities, and city managers sit on a panel discussing budget, public safety, homelessness, housing and more. Learn more at SBSCChamber.com.