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Cunningham open to gas rebate proposals
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS
Gas prices are shown Thursday at the Arco gas station on Casitas Pass Road in Carpinteria. The average price in Santa Barbara County Thursday was $5.94 a gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.
By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Northbound US-101 traffic is at a standstill as seen from the Casitas Pass Road overpass in Carpinteria in the aftermath of a truck fire.
Traffic halted on 101 Part of freeway closes after big rig carrying green beans catches fire
By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
A semi-trailer truck carrying green beans caught fire on Highway 101 early Thursday morning, shutting down parts of the highway as well as an alternative route for hours. Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection Department units responded at 5 a.m. to the fire, which was just north of the Padaro Lane on-ramp. The fire shut down the entire northbound lane of the highway and an alternative northbound route on Via Real due to a supply line providing water from a hydrant to extinguish the blaze, Chief Michael Gallagher of the California-Summerland FPD told the News-Press. The shutdown lasted for several hours, causing traffic to back up in the area.
Montecito Fire Department and Santa Barbara City Fire Department responded to the fire. A Caltrans front loader also assisted by removing the siding off the semi-truck to assist fire personnel, Chief Gallagher said. No injuries were reported, and no other vehicles were involved in the incident which is still under investigation, officials said. Compressed air foam was used to put out the fire, and the big rick was eventually moved onto the shoulder. As of 11 a.m. Thursday, only one northbound lane of Highway 101 was opened. The truck carrying the nowcharred green beans was traveling from Florida to Guadalupe in northern Santa Barbara County, an official said.
Carpinteria to consider maps for council districts By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
email: kschallhorn@newspress.com
Yardi gives $100,000 to ShelterBox USA for aid to Ukraine
By MARILYN MCMAHON NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
ShelterBox USA, a Santa Barbara-based global disaster relief organization, has received a $100,000 contribution from Yardi to support ShelterBox’s response to the crisis in Ukraine. Yardi, a leading provider
of real estate and property management software, is headquartered in Santa Barbara and has offices around the world, including Eastern Europe. For more than 20 years, ShelterBox has provided shelter and other essential items to the most vulnerable people forced from their homes by disaster
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As multiple gas relief proposals are floated by the governor and state lawmakers, Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham said he’s open to the different options. “I will support any and all proposals to give folks some relief from these gas prices,” the San Luis Obispo Republican, whose district includes northern Santa Barbara County, said on social media Thursday. On Thursday, California’s gas prices continued to climb, reaching $5.88 a gallon. The national average fell to $4.24 Thursday.
In Santa Barbara, the average fuel prices are even higher: Regular fuel is about $5.94 a gallon while diesel is $6.25, according to figures from the American Automobile Association. A representative for Assemblymember Steve Bennett, D-Ventura, whose district includes the Santa Barbara area, did not immediately return a request for comment. Sen. Monique Limón, a Democrat who represents Santa Barbara in the upper chamber, previously told the News-Press to expect multiple proposals to counter rising costs from legislators. Please see REBATE on A6
and conflict. It is responding to the crisis in Ukraine, setting up multiple relief programs both inside and outside Ukraine to help the more than 3.5 million refugees who have fled Ukraine and the millions who remain internally displaced within the country. “ShelterBox USA is deeply grateful for Yardi’s
contribution,” said Kerri Murray, ShelterBox USA president, who recently traveled to Poland’s border with Ukraine and met with refugees. “This charitable support will enable us to deliver critical relief supplies to Ukrainians who need them most. Please see YARDI on A5
meeting scheduled for March 28. “I truly believe it’s important to have options that we’re bringing to our community to ensure that we’re choosing the best map,” Councilmember Alarcon said. “I cannot say that A2 is the best map for our community at this time.” Mayor Wade Nomura said the decision to reconsider would give the community another opportunity to weigh in on the redistricting process. “I personally want to make sure we have it. The last thing I want is to have a divided community,” said Mayor Nomura. Councilmember Roy Lee was the lone “no” vote both on the reconsideration motion and to consider Plan A3 at the upcoming meeting. Councilmember Gregg Carty voted in the affirmative on both measures but said he is still in favor of the A2 map. Plan A2 takes a portion of District B further down Sterling Avenue, with a sliver of it continuing past Azalea Drive and covering Eleanor Drive and
In what was described by some on the council as an effort to increase options and transparency, the Carpinteria City Council voted to add another redistricting map to consider at a meeting later this month. The council voted 4-1 last week to reconsider a previous move that resulted in just one map approved for consideration for the March 28 meeting. The council also decided to still consider that proposal but add another map to the discussion. Both maps to be considered — Draft Plans A2 and A3 — keep two of the five districts on the coastal side of El Camino Real. The city council is transitioning from at-large to district elections for this November’s elections. Councilmember Natalia Alarcon, who brought the recommendation to reconsider the maps along with Vice Mayor Al Clark, said it was “premature” to have already decided on a map ahead of the fifth and final Please see REDISTRICTING on A6
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L O T T E RY RESULTS
Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A6
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 24-25-32-38-41 Meganumber: 23
Thursday’s DAILY 4: 4-2-3-1
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 8-15-21-27-61 Meganumber: 8
Thursday’s FANTASY 5: 9-30-31-32-39
Thursday’s DAILY DERBY: 05-09-08 Time: 1:49.25
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: 31-32-37-38-48 Meganumber: 24
Sudoku................... B3 Weather................. A6
Thursday’s DAILY 3: 1-2-4 / Wednesday’s Midday 0-3-7