Remembering Officer Gina Battaglia
Nature’s playground Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is creating its new Backcountry - B1
Santa Barbara police honor dispatch supervisor during ceremony - A3
Our 166th Year
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F R I DAY, J A N UA RY 2 8 , 2 0 2 2
First COVID-19 cases found at North Branch Jail
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
The newly opened North Branch Jail near Santa Maria has reported its first COVID-19 cases.
By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO
Supervisor Steve Lavagnino said he doesn’t want to move forward with a Santa Maria homeless shelter without a collaborative partnership with the city of Santa Maria.
Santa Maria homeless shelter effort delayed
Six inmates at the newly opened North Branch Jail have tested positive for COVID-19. Two inmates at the jail near Santa Maria tested positive on Sunday. Another three tested positive Monday, and one tested positive Tuesday. All of the six inmates are asymptomatic, said Raquel Zick, the public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. Use of the new jail started Saturday when 244 inmates were transported from the county’s Main Jail in Santa Barbara to isolate them from the inmates who tested positive during that
jail’s COVID-19 outbreak, which began on Dec. 8. Ms. Zick said all the transferred inmates were quarantined and tested daily since their arrival. It was during this surveillance testing that the COVID-19 positive inmates were identified, according to a news release from Ms. Zick. Since the Jan. 18 update by the sheriff’s office, the Main Jail has identified 28 additional COVID-19 positive inmates. There have been a total of 249 cases in this outbreak, which includes 37 active cases, 208 recovered, and four inmates who were released. Please see OUTBREAK on A4
County puts aside application after objections from the city of Santa Maria
By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Santa Barbara County is postponing a step in the process to turn a Santa Maria motel into a homeless shelter. The Board of Supervisors, in partnership with the Housing Authority of the County of
Santa Barbara, has delayed the application process for a state grant. The $17.9 million grant would fund the purchase of a 75-unit Motel 6 on East Main Street, which would be turned into a homeless shelter. The deadline to apply for the grant is Monday. At this time, the Board
of Supervisors will not be moving forward with the grant application, after facing significant resistance from the city of Santa Maria. At its meeting Tuesday in Santa Maria, the board decided not to allocate the $3.5 million needed to qualify the housing authority for the grant. “At the end of the day, you have
Please see SHELTER on A2
Breyer announces retirement from Supreme Court By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
STEVE PETTEWAY/U.S. SUPREME COURT
Justice Stephen Breyer said he will stay with the Supreme Court until his successor is confirmed.
Justice Stephen Breyer, the oldest Supreme Court justice and the oldest one in the liberal wing at age 83, made it official Thursday. He’s retiring. Justice Breyer told President Joe Biden of his decision in a letter dated Jan. 27. The justice wrote that he wants to stay on the bench until his successor is confirmed. News of the retirement was leaked Wednesday and appeared in national media reports. Justice Breyer’s retirement sets the stage for President Joe Biden to keep a campaign promise to nominate the court’s first black woman.
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It also sets the stage for a debate in the Senate with 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats (technically it’s 48 Democrats and two independents who caucus with the Democrats). If there’s a tie, Vice President Kamala Harris would break it and no doubt vote for the nominee. Liberals encouraged Justice Breyer to retire while the Democrats still had control of the Senate ahead of this fall’s midterms. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, promised a quick and fair process in reviewing whomever President Biden nominates. At a White House event Thursday, President Biden Please see BREYER on A4
Economic growth exceeds expectations
to put these people somewhere,” 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino told the News-Press, referring to the homeless who would have lived in a motel renovated to serve as a shelter. He said the city assured the county that wrap-around services
NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO
President Joe Biden said he expects to pick a Supreme Court nominee by the end of February.
By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE SENIOR REPORTER
(The Center Square) — Newly released economic figures showed that the U.S. economy grew more than expected last quarter. The Commerce Department released the data Thursday showing that Gross Domestic Product increased 6.9% in the last quarter of 2021. That figure exceeded experts’ predictions of 5.5% growth and far outpaced the previous quarter’s 2.3% increase. “The acceleration in real GDP in the fourth quarter primarily reflected an upturn in exports, accelerations in private inventory investment and PCE, and smaller decreases in residential fixed investment and federal government spending that were partly offset by a downturn in state and local government spending,” the Commerce
Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis said. “Imports accelerated.” The increase in economic growth from October through December led to a healthy growth year in 2021, despite weaker growth earlier in the year. “GDP growth dramatically outpaced forecasts made a year ago. Most forecasters expected the economy to grow 3 to 4% this year,” said Jason Furman, former adviser to President Barack Obama and senior fellow at the Peterson Institute. “Instead it has grown 5.5%. That is more than a percentage point faster than even the most optimistic forecast was expecting.” The federal agency said COVID-19 is still a significant factor affecting economic increase. “The increase in fourth quarter GDP reflected the continued economic impact Please see GDP on A2
INSIDE
L O T T E RY RESULTS
Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A4
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 6-7-17-31-44 Meganumber: 12
Wednesday’s DAILY 4: 00-2-7-9
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 3-12-38-53-58 Meganumber: 13
Wednesday’s FANTASY 5: 13-31-32-38-39
Wednesday’s DAILY DERBY: 11-01-09 Time: 1:48.55
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: 4-11-38-49-69 Meganumber: 16
Sudoku................... B3 Weather................. A4
Wednesday’s DAILY 3: 1-6-4 / Wednesday’s Midday 4-7-8