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Rules for parklets
Dudley to retire as district attorney
State Street businesses must comply with updated fire lane regulations by Tuesday
County official to step down after Jan. 3 By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
DAVE MASON/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Dining parklets continue to grace State Street, but a new Santa Barbara ordinance requires them to leave room for fire lane boundaries for emergency vehicles.
By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Businesses along the State Street Promenade have until Tuesday to update outdoor dining and merchandise structures to comply with new fire lane boundaries. A temporary ordinance put in place at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic allowed for businesses to operate outdoor facilities in the road for dining, shopping or other activities. An updated version of the ordinance — unanimously approved by the Santa Barbara City Council last month — mandated outdoor businesses must ensure structures leave at
least 20 feet of the center of the roadway clear for emergency and fire vehicles. Outdoor businesses must also leave an unobstructed vertical clearance of at least 13.5 feet for emergency services. The updated ordinance gave businesses a March 8 deadline to comply. “We’re starting to see some businesses with early compliance, which we’re extremely thankful for, and next week we’ll be doing reviews,” Jessica Grant, the interim Public Works downtown manager, told the News-Press. “Some businesses have Please see PARKLETS on A4
Local resident Kerri Murray is waiting to hear when she will be going to Poland to help with humanitarian efforts for Ukraine. Ms. Murray is president of Santa Barbara-based ShelterBox USA, which offers critical household supplies and temporary shelters. It’s affiliated with the international ShelterBox nonprofit, which already has a team in Poland. “There’s talk of me deploying initially to Poland. I don’t have a date,” Ms. Murray told the News-
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program in Goleta — Joyce led with professionalism, fortitude, and has a great collaborative spirit,” Supervisor Hartmann said. “I wish her the best in a well-earned retirement.” After she leaves office, Ms. Dudley told the News-Press she plans to work with 911 At Ease International, an organization that helps first responders with trauma-informed counseling and other mental health support. She also plans to teach a leadership class at the Santa Barbara College of Law, spend more time with her loved ones, continue to work on her athleticism and travel to Ukraine where she has family. Her goal in office, she said, was to be an “advocate and voice for the voiceless,” pointing
NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Work continues Thursday on parklets.
Press Thursday. She added that Ukranians could be displaced it’s possible other ShelterBox USA within their country and another officials would go as well. four million may become refugees “Our in neighboring Norwegian countries. “Most and English are going into counterparts, Poland.” The Russian invasion of Ukraine is based in Europe, Ukraine has affecting oil and gas prices. A3. had to deploy a population of immediately,” 44 million. The Ms. Murray said. U.N. statistics She said ShelterBox and other place the internally displaced/ humanitarian organizations are refugee number at more than 25% coordinating their efforts with the of the population. United Nations. “We are looking into who’s the Citing United Nations figures, most vulnerable and where people Ms. Murray said 6.75 million are fleeing,” Ms. Murray said.
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After she leaves office, Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley plans to work with 911 At Ease International.
By KATHERINE ZEHNDER
ShelterBox USA president said there’s talk of her going to Poland to help By DAVE MASON
RAFAEL MALDONADO/ NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO
Please see DUDLEY on A4
Police investigate reports of sexual assaults in IV
Watching crisis in Ukraine
NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley will retire after about 12 years in office. Ms. Dudley, 69, announced her retirement in front of the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Thursday afternoon and immediately threw her weight behind John Savrnoch, the assistant district attorney. “This has been my dream job because of the people I have worked with, my friends and family who have supported me and this county, this incredible, incredible county that I have had the honor to serve,” Ms. Dudley said during an emotional press conference. “I can proudly say every decision I made I felt was the right thing, and I’ll miss all that,” Ms. Dudley said. Ms. Dudley would have been up for re-election in the statewide June primary. She said she will remain in her position until Jan. 3. “District Attorney Dudley is a beloved institution in our county and a community builder extraordinaire. It has been a great honor to serve alongside her,” Joan Hartmann, the chair of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, said in a statement to the News-Press. “She helped to revolutionize the D.A.’s office in a progressive direction — from treating survivors of sexual assault with deep compassion and respect through the extraordinary Victim Witness Program to her leadership in facilitating significant public safety improvements for Isla Vista, and with her recent announcement launching a restorative justice
She said ShelterBox is looking at Ukranians’ immediate needs such as blankets to survive the winter cold. She listed other supplies as sleeping mats, ground mats, solar-powered lanterns, water purification devices, diapers, baby formula, kitchen sets, etc. “The numbers are increasing every day,” Ms. Murray said. “Many are fleeing with very little. People are forced to flee with little more than their clothes.” “We anticipate this is going to get worse,” she said. “This could be not just weeks. It could be months.” Please see SHELTERBOX on A4
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate reports of sexual assaults in Isla Vista. The investigation began after several reports of possible kidnappings in the area were received Monday by the sheriff’s office and UCSB police. At 5:05 p.m. Monday, an indecent exposure was reported followed by similar incidents in rapid succession on the west side of Isla Vista, said Raquel Zick, the sheriff’s office’s public information officer. At 7:05 p.m., near Camino Del Sur and Sueno Road, a suspect reportedly approached a victim, fondled her breast while covering her mouth, then fled in a vehicle, Ms. Zick said. An additional non-consensual fondling was reported to UCSB police at 8:30 p.m. Monday in the vicinity of West Campus family housing. The suspect was described as a college-aged male
with dark hair and associated with a tan colored 1990s model Toyota Camry or possibly a 1990s Honda. Deputies searched through the night for the suspect, starting the search from the time the calls began coming. County Air Support and a Sheriff’s K-9 unit responded to assist with the search, but did not succeed in locating the suspect. The Sheriff’s Office received several reports of possible suspect sightings throughout Isla Vista and responded to the area of each of the calls to check, but again they did not locate the suspect. On Tuesday, the sheriff’s office assigned these cases to deputies who have been following up on the case, while deputies in Isla Vista have continued to respond to each of the reported possible suspect sightings. Additionally, Sheriff’s Office personnel have fielded numerous calls from community Please see ASSAULTS on A4
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L O T T E RY RESULTS
Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A4
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 6-14-16-19-38 Meganumber: 8
Thursday’s DAILY 4: 0-1-8-8
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 18-22-38-39-50 Meganumber: 18
Thursday’sFANTASY 5: 4-16-21-28-33
Thursday’s DAILY DERBY: 04-03-01 Time: 1:43.39
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: 19-37-48-61-63 Meganumber: 12
Sudoku................... B3 Weather................. A4
Thursday’s DAILY 3: 1-1-1 / Wednesday’s Midday 4-9-3