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(The Center Square) California has endured its 12th atmospheric river since late December, and the state said it is taking swift action to respond. “We’re continuing to mobilize an all-hands-on-deck response to protect Californians during this latest round of devastating storms,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a press release. “With communities from San Diego to Siskiyou County reeling from recent storms, the state is working closely with federal and local partners to provide immediate relief and support the ongoing recovery.” Since late February, Gov. Newsom declared a state of emergency in 43 counties, and President Joe Biden has issued a Presidential Emergency Declaration, authorizing federal assistance to assist in storm response and recovery efforts, per Gov. Newsom’s request. The governor’s office said it is working to maximize federal aid to storm-impacted areas. It also said that state and county officials are conducting preliminary damage assessments and figuring out the total financial losses endured. They want to see if California meets the federal Major Disaster Declaration requirements. The state got a Major Disaster Declaration earlier this year in response to severe storms that started last December. In response to the storm’s impacts, the state is taking various actions for assistance and recovery. More than 4,000 California Department of Transportation

More than 4,000 California Department of Transportation crew members are working 24/7 in shifts to keep roads open and respond to emergency situations.

City receives $7.35 million in sales tax revenue SANTA BARBARA — The city of Santa Barbara received $7.35 million in sales tax revenue during the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2022, which is 0.7% below the same quarter last year and 5.4% above budget. This result reflects a flattening in economic activity, following the post-pandemic pent-up demand from the previous year and higher inflation. The city has collected $14.9 million through the December quarter, which is the second quarter of the city’s fiscal year. For fiscal year 2023, the city’s sales tax revenue budget is $26.6

crew members are working 24/7 in shifts to keep roads open and respond to emergency situations; the department has also expedited its road repair process and put equipment at “critical locations to prepare for flooding, slides, and heavy snow,” according to the release. Meanwhile, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has 33 active crews statewide, including five damage inspection teams and two incident management teams to help in the process. Plus, they will be using two fire engines, one helicopter and a mobile communications center in the effort. The California National Guard has three helicopters deployed for the situation: one to support heavy lift operations regarding the Pajaro River levee breach and two for search and rescue missions in Northern California; plus, the guard has deployed 125 troops and 48 high-water vehicles across seven countries to help in the flood and rescue operations, and 58 more in Tulare, Mono, and Placer counties helping with snow and debris removal. Plus, the state will use personnel and resources from the Emergency Medical Services Authority, Department of Water Resources, Department of Social Services, Department of Food and Agriculture, Labor and Workforce Development Agency, Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), and State Water Board in its response effort. The governor’s office urges Californians to take these steps to keep themselves and their communities safe during the storm: • Visit CalAlerts.org to sign up for local wireless emergency alerts. • Pack a go-bag with important items for each member of your household, including pets, in case you’re evacuated. • In the instance that it’s safer to shelter in place, add items to a stay box to prepare for at least 3 days without electricity. • Please stay off roads and out of mountain areas to allow for first responders to clear roads and get communities back open. • If told to evacuate, do so immediately.

million. The city of Santa Barbara collected $1.65 million in Transient Occupancy Taxes for February 2023. Although TOT revenues in February 2023 were about 3.2% below the monthly budget, year to date they remain at a healthy level of approximately 15% over budget. The city has collected $20.6 million through February, the eighth month in the city’s fiscal year. Santa Barbara’s adopted TOT budget for all funds is $28.3 million, of which $23.6 million is budgeted in the General Fund. The city’s TOT tax rate is 12%, of which 10% goes to the city’s General Fund and the remaining 2% goes to the Creeks/ Clean Water Fund. — Neil Hartstein

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness month. In light of that, Sansum Clinic is highlighting the alarming statistics surrounding this type of cancer. Current statistics show an increase in cases among those under age 50, while the overall rate of colorectal cancer is dropping. “Colorectal cancer is a term used to describe cancer in the colon or rectum. It is two entities because the anatomy is different. Typical patients have one or the other,” Dr. Cristina Harnsberger, a Sansum Clinic fellowship-trained colorectal surgeon, told the NewsPress. Statistics show that approximately 153,000 patients will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the United States this year, and 10% of those diagnosed will be younger than 50. While the overall rate of people diagnosed with colorectal cancer has been dropping since the 1980s due to screenings, the number of people younger than age 55 diagnosed with colorectal cancer nearly doubled from 11% in 1995 to 20% in 2019, according to the American Cancer Society. Experts say colorectal cancer is on track to become the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50. In the U.S., colorectal cancer is the third most commonlydiagnosed cancer and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths overall. According to the American Cancer Society, there are now 106, 970 new cases of colon cancer and 46,050 new cases of rectal cancer. Screenings and colonoscopies, though, are making a difference. “The decrease overall is because more people are being screened,” Dr. Harnsberger told the News-Press. “A colonoscopy detects and prevents cancer. The cancer can be prevented by removing small polyps before they develop into cancer. “The rate is increasing, especially those between (ages) 20-50 increasing steadily since the mid 90s,” she said. “Because

Statistics show that approximately 153,000 patients will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the United States this year, and 10% of those diagnosed will be younger than 50.

of the increased rate of this type of cancer in those under 50, the recommended screening age has been moved down from age 50 to 45.” The News-Press asked Dr. Harnsberger about what is causing this increase in colorectal cancer in those under 50. She said this is an area of “active research” and that the cause remains undetermined. Signs of colorectal cancer include rectal bleeding, change in frequency and consistency of bowel movements, and abdominal pain or anemia. Dr. Harnsberger advised against ignoring symptoms. “A colonoscopy is a safe test and the best test for diagnosing and preventing colon and rectal cancer,” she added. Factors that can place an individual more at risk include obesity, diabetes, smoking or heavy alcohol use. Additionally, genetic syndromes that can place an individual more at risk — Lynch syndrome is one example — are more common in younger patients. “There are a number of pathways by which colorectal cancer can develop,” Dr. Harnsberger said. “One is chromosomal instability, which is when the cells lining the colon can develop mutations that cause them to grow abnormally, which usually manifests as a small polyp,” she explained. “As more mutations develop, it has the ability to invade and spread into many types of mutations in the cells. “Another way is when the repair mechanisms for mistakes in the cells don’t function properly, when the machinery of the cells develop problems and cells with mistakes are allowed to grow. “A third way is through inherited genetic syndromes, which accounts for about 10%, and Lynch syndrome accounts for less than 5%,” said Dr. Harnsberger. Hannah Andrews, a genetic counselor at the Ridley-Tree Cancer Center in Santa Barbara, told the News-Press that Lynch syndrome is a genetic change, harmful variant or mutation. She said it’s a hereditary condition that increases the risk of certain types of cancer. “The general population has a 4% chance of developing colorectal cancer,” she said. “Those with Lynch syndrome have a 20-60% lifetime chance of developing colorectal cancer.” “When we evaluate an individual personal or family history to see if Lynch syndrome is likely, we look for certain features,” she said, citing the inclusion of individuals diagnosed with cancer at an early age or colon cancer before age 50. “We also look for a diagnosis for multiple types of cancer or for multiple people diagnosed with colon cancer,” said Ms. Andrews. She said genetic counselors can assist patients by looking at their family history and doing risk assessments. “If you have questions, speak with your healthcare provider to see if it would be helpful to meet with a

Emergency ordinance approved by City Council EVICTIONS

Continued from Page A1

tenants without truly showing just cause. “This is a very real problem affecting very real people,” Councilmember Kristen Sneddon said. She and other council members insisted that all they were doing by passing the emergency ordinance was cleaning up the language contained in the original ordinance. The only landlord concern that some council members resonated to was requiring any landlord who permanently removes a unit from the rental housing market to also permanently remove the other units on the same parcel. Assistant City Attorney Hentschke said the goal was to prevent a “piecemeal” approach that removes one unit but not the others. But the landlords and some council members agreed it would be unfair to owners of buildings with three or four units to make them permanently give up the income they would make from the other units just because one is withdrawn. They also questioned whether units removed from the market could be temporarily withdrawn and then put back on the market. Staff was asked to look into the matter further and report back to the council. email: nhartsteinnewspress@gmail.com

genetic counselor.” The treatment for colon cancer is quite different from the treatment for rectal cancer. “The treatment for colon cancer is surgery, if there is no sign of it having spread,” Dr. Harnsberger told the News-Press. “Potentially there is chemo afterward, but no

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radiation.” She explained rectal cancer requires a treatment involving radiation and chemotherapy. “Then more chemotherapy and only then surgery, and usually there are two separate surgeries.” email: kzehnder@newspress.com

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Teresa Patino questioned what loopholes council members believe they’re closing by passing the emergency ordinance. “If there’s a bad actor, go after them under city law,” she said, “You’re opening up a can of worms.” Council members and the tenants who spoke Tuesday said no one was pointing a finger at the landlords in the room, or saying all landlords are culpable. Tenants complain that their particular landlords use plans for substantial renovations as an excuse to make them leave, then end up doing nothing or only making cosmetic changes. The tenants again pressed the council to pass the emergency ordinance requiring landlords to show “good faith,” including taking out work permits to actually do the demolition or substantial renovations. “We wholeheartedly support the staff recommendation to satisfy the original intent of the just cause ordinance,” Nadia AbuShanab said. She said she’s heard stories of people being evicted after a private landlord says he’s going to do renovations, and then puts in a new sink, or paints a cabinet, or installs new landscaping. “They could easily have

remained in the unit while the work was being done,” she said. Many tenants couldn’t be there, she said, “because they’ve already been displaced and are out of town. The law is absolutely being circumvented by bad actor property owners.” Councilmember Alejandra Gutierrez suggested more needs to be done to define “good faith” on the part of landlords. “We need something a lot stronger,” she said. “Based on experiences in my district, I don’t want a property owner who owns a complex of 30 units who says he wants to remodel and get permits, but then just sits on it. “I don’t want to see those types of scenarios,” she said. “People who need housing need it right away.” Assistant City Attorney Dan Hentschke, however, said “good faith” can be defended in court. “If you do something in good faith, you’re doing it for the right reason,” he said. “If you’re not doing it because you’re out to hurt the other person, if you’re not doing it for the right reason, then it’s not good faith.” In the end, council members approved the emergency ordinance, which took effect immediately upon adoption, saying they believed the stories the tenants have shared. Council members said that more needs to be done to prevent “bad actors” from evicting

Dr. Cristina Harnsberger, left, and Hannah Andrews.

CALIFORNIA

By TOM JOYCE

Colorectal cancer rises among younger patients

NEWSROOM

California announces new actions for storm response and recovery

THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2023

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