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T H U R S DAY, M A RC H 16 , 2 0 2 3
The day after the storm Impact felt after rain stops; man still missing in Santa Maria; cruise ship arrives in Santa Barbara
Report: Newsom could personally benefit from federal help with SVB failure By COLE LAUTERBACH THE CENTER SQUARE
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
The cruise ship Discovery Princess sits off Stearns Wharf Wednesday in Santa Barbara.
By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
The cruise ship Discovery Princess visited Santa Barbara Wednesday morning, bringing many tourists to Stearns Wharf on a day where the sun and blue sky returned. But the sun wasn’t everywhere
in Santa Barbara County. Clouds blanketed the sky above Solvang, and fog dominated the area at the top of State Route 154. In fact, the impact of Tuesday’s storm, which dumped 4 inches of rain on San Marcos Pass, was still being experienced on Wednesday. You could hear the storm’s impact at Montecito Creek, where
Members of Congress seek to extend FEMA deadline for aid By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, has joined 25 members of the California congressional delegation in calling for a delay of today’s deadline for families impacted by January’s severe storms to apply for federal aid. Amid multiple new storms that have caused renewed flooding and displacement of families on the Central Coast, the bipartisan group of lawmakers asked the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday to extend today’s deadline for support to cover home repairs, temporary displacement and other costs. Joining Rep. Salud Carbajal in the effort for the extension were U.S. Reps. Julia Brownley, whose district includes most of Ventura County, and Jimmy Panetta, whose district includes northern San Luis Obispo County. They joined the other members of Congress in signing a letter, dated March 15, to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “Our constituents are currently facing yet another flood event, and many have been displaced right before the March 16, 2023 deadline. Extending this deadline will
allow victims to focus on their safety, instead of paperwork, as they continue to experience the fallout from current winter storms,” the group of California lawmakers wrote. “We are confident that FEMA did not anticipate this current storm when setting the current March 16 application deadline. We urge you to extend this deadline for our constituents who have been unable to recover between historic storms and have faced emergencies and losses twice in the past three months.” Reps. Carbajal and Rep. Panetta successfully urged President Biden to unlock the FEMA aid for residents of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties earlier this year. While President Biden has approved a federal emergency declaration for the most recent storms hitting the central coast, applications for FEMA disaster relief can’t be used for damage caused by the most recent flooding events. For the full text of the letter, see panetta.house. gov/sites/panetta.house.gov/ files/documents/2023.03.15_ LETTER_FEMA_ Relief%20Deadline_ NEW%20Letter.pdf. email: kzehnder@newspress.com
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there was the sound of what NewsPress photographer Kenneth Song called a “hearty, healthy flow.” You could see the storm’s impact on places like Santa Barbara’s Miramonte Drive, where the portion off West Carrillo Street was barricaded because of an apparent mudslide. The impact was also experienced in Santa Maria, where David Navarro, 32, entered the area around a flood control reservoir on Tuesday night and didn’t return. The reservoir is in the area of Blosser Road and Canal Street, and Santa Maria police officers were dispatched there around 10:59 p.m. Tuesday. The Santa Barbara County Fire Department’s water rescue team assisted the Santa Maria fire and police departments. County Fire used a rescue boat and utility vehicle to search the water’s surface and embankment. At 3 a.m. Wednesday, County Fire reported that only a single article of clothing had been identified. It was Mr. Navarro’s jacket. A citizen reported seeing Mr. Navarro entering the fenced area around the reservoir, but Santa Maria police said no one saw Mr. Navarro go into the water. The search continued
throughout the area, including flood channels, and the California Highway Patrol searched by helicopter. Santa Maria police are asking that anyone with information call 805-928-3781, ext. 2277. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office is assisting Please see STORM on A4
(The Center Square) – New reports say California Gov. Gavin Newsom might be one of the account holders that will benefit from federal aid propping up the now-insolvent Silicon Valley Bank. Gov. Newsom announced Saturday that he was “in touch with the highest levels of leadership at the White House and Treasury. Everyone is working with FDIC to stabilize the situation as quickly as possible, to protect jobs, people’s livelihoods, and the entire innovation ecosystem that has served as a tent pole for our economy.” The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation took control of the bank after a disclosure showing steep losses to maintain liquidity created a panicked rush to pull funds by account holders. The FDIC announced Monday that it had transferred the remaining bank assets to a bridge entity and that accounts with more than the governmentinsured cap of $250,000 would be made whole. As first reported by the Intercept, some of those bank clients include California-based businesses formed by Newsom.
The Intercept found SVB listings of clients that included CADE, Odette, and PlumpJack wines – all owned by Gov. Newsom but operated by family members and held in a blind trust managed by an attorney. The Intercept spoke to an anonymous source who identified as a former employee of Gov. Newsom. The source said the successful California businessman also had personal accounts at SVB but the Intercept didn’t confirm that information from Newsom’s office or SVB’s bridge bank. California laws regarding conflict of interest by public officials say “a public official has a disqualifying conflict of interest in a governmental decision if it is foreseeable that the decision will have a financial impact on his or her personal finances or other financial interests.” The rules do provide exceptions that allow for participation “if the effect on the official’s interests is indistinguishable from the effect on the public.” Federal officials noted that aiding the bank was an attempt to stop a larger panic that put the American financial sector as a whole at risk. Gov. Newsom has yet to comment publicly on the matter.
SB’s Rotary Club honors Dos Pueblos teacher Douglas Caines stresses his passion for education By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
SANTA MARIA POLICE DEPARTMENT
The Santa Maria Police Department is seeking the public’s help in finding David Navarro, who went missing after entering the fenced area around a flood control reservoir Tuesday night in Santa Maria. Anyone with information is asked to call the department at 805-928-3781, ext. 2277.
Montecito Creek flows underneath Jameson Lane in Montecito.
The Rotary Club of Santa Barbara recently honored Douglas Caines for his leadership as a teacher at Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta. Mr. Caines, whose school is part of the Santa Barbara Unified School District, was awarded a plaque and a $1,000 check for classroom needs. “I don’t think any high school teacher gets into teaching for awards or accolades,” Mr. Caines told the News-Press. “I don’t like to toot my own harm. I am a longterm educator. I never intended to be in education, but once I found it, it was so natural. “I don’t need outside validation, but it is nice to hear it,” he said. Mr. Caines teaches in the Dos Pueblos career technical education media pathway, which includes courses in advanced broadcast journalism, animation and graphic design. Prior to his teaching career, he worked as a freelance journalist, audio engineer and graphic designer. Mr. Caines also mixed and mastered music for local artists, ran the front of the house for small plays/productions and did some print/graphic design work. And he worked for several local nonprofits with students.
Douglas Caines
COURTESY PHOTO
Mr. Caines was the broadcast director of Santa Barbara Teen News Network and taught a media literacy program at the Westside Boys and Girls Club. He holds a bachelor’s in business administration from American InterContinental University. Mr. Caines told the NewsPress why he’s so passionate about teaching. “For me, it boils down to (that) I genuinely enjoy media creation of all forms,” he said. “The passion for the art form is where it starts. “I think digital literacy is the Please see TEACHER on A4
LOTTERY
i nsi de Classified.............. B4 Life..................... B1-2 Obituaries............. A4
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YESTERDAY..........................97” 0.00” SEASON TOTAL ...................31.63” 0.00” 749.29 CACHUMA LAKE LEVEL ....000.00
Sudoku................. B3 Weather................ A4
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 6-9-20-28-30 Mega: 6
Wednesday’s DAILY 4: 1-8-2-6
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 1-7-23-38-55 Mega: 2
Wednesday’s FANTASY 5: 11-18-26-34-39
Wednesday’s DAILY DERBY: 06-11-08 Time: 1:44.55
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: 16-18-33-37-50 Meganumber: 8
Wednesday’s DAILY 3: 9-4-9 / Midday 2-1-8