*
Electric bike sharing program
Spirited celebration
Transportation option proves popular in SB, extended for three more years - A2
Return to Freedom’s American Wild Horse Sanctuary to celebrate Spirit the stallion’s birthday - B1
Our 167th Year
75¢
T H U R SDAY, M AY 4 , 2 023
NEWS-PRESS EXCLUSIVE
Hearings set for project to replace Goleta drive-in SyWest plans to build 70,594 square-foot industrial warehouse; environmental hearings officer to conduct May 17 meeting By ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
There are new plans in the works for the demolition of the old drive-in theater on Kellogg Avenue in Goleta. The 11.71-acre plot is currently unoccupied after the closure of West Wind Drive-in Theater in September. SyWest proposed a project that involves the demolition of existing structures
Fed hikes interest rates for 10th time
including a concessions building, freestanding movie screen, three ticket booths and an approximately 200 squarefoot projector building. A pad-mounted transformer, storm drain and two dewatering wells will also be demolished in the process. As proposed, SyWest would then construct a 70,594 square-foot industrial warehouse with 60,939 square feet of landscaping, 102 parking spaces and six
loading zones. There are currently hearings being held for the SyWest industrial building project, ensuring the safety and environmental repercussions of the build. An Environment Impact Report is being created to present to the public regarding the construction of the building. As part of that process, the city of Goleta’s environmental hearing officer will conduct a public scoping hearing on
May 17. That hearing will take place over Zoom and in-person at the Goleta City Hall’s council chambers, 130 Cremona Drive, Goleta. To participate via Zoom, go to www. cityofgoleta.org. After operating for nine years, the West Wind Drive-In first closed in 2019 but reopened in 2020 when indoor movie theaters were closed to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. The drive-
in theater enjoyed a renaissance and became a setting for first-run movies and some classics. UCSB Arts & Lectures used it for its summer movie series, and Cottage Health and other organizations held special screenings there. The drive-in theater became a packed facility and provided entertainment during a time when options were limited because of the pandemic. Please see SYWEST on A4
New emergency trailer Fire department’s vehicle is first of its kind for Santa Barbara County
By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE
(The Center Square) – The U.S. Federal Reserve Board Wednesday announced another increase to the federal funds rate, inching the target range up to 5% to 5.25%, an increase of a quarter of a point. Wednesday’s announcement is the tenth rate hike since March 2022. “We are prepared to do more if greater monetary policy restraint is warranted,” Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said in a news conference after the announcement. The Fed bases its decision largely on the health of the economy and whether the agency thinks it can withstand the economic pain of another rate hike. “Economic activity expanded at a modest pace in the first quarter,” the group said. “Job gains have been robust in recent months, and the unemployment rate has remained low. Inflation remains elevated.” The Feds’ key interest rate was 1% to 1.25% just before the COVID-19 pandemic. In the middle of March 2020, the rate dropped to 0 to 0.25%. The federal government soon kicked off a several trillion dollar spending spree over the next two years in response to hardships during the pandemic, which were fueled in large part by aggressive lockdown policies. Please see FED on A4
Jerome Powell
COURTESY PHOTO
Sentencing set for Friday for Erik Rocha Fernandez By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Santa Barbara County officials celebrate the ribbon-cutting Wednesday for the Solar & Hydrogen Mobile Nanogrid Emergency Response Trailer at the Santa Barbara County Fire Headquarters.
By ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department announced the arrival of its brand new gadget on Wednesday: a state-of-the-art emergency trailer. Through funding from the Community Power Resiliency Allocation, the County Office of Emergency Management purchased a Mobile Nanogrid, developed by Sesame Solar, that generates carbonfree electricity from onboard solar panels, battery packs and a fuel cell powered by green hydrogen. This is the first of its kind for Santa Barbara County. The trailer will be deployed during power outages to assist various types of emergencies in order to provide a charging station for personal and medical devices, as well as be a point of information for communities impacted. The trailer will be showcased at community events as a model for resilient power projects. Most recently, the trailer made its debut at the Earth Day festival on April 29. Many people got the Please see TRAILER on A4
FOLLOW US ON
66833 00050
3
District Attorney John R. Savrnoch announced Wednesday that Erik Rocha Fernandez pled guilty to the 2021 murder of a Santa Maria man. The defendant, 22, pled guilty to first-degree murder and admitted an enhancement for intentionally and personally using a firearm that caused the death of Frankie Hernandez on May 21, 2021, in Santa Maria. Mr. Rocha Fernandez also pled guilty to the attempted murder of another man and conspiracy to commit witness intimidation by force or fear. He will receive a sentence of 10 years, followed by 25 years to life in state prison. Sentencing is set for Friday in Santa Barbara County Superior Courts-Santa Maria division. Senior Deputy District Attorney Madison Whitmore prosecuted the case. The case was investigated by Santa Maria Police Detective Zack Robbins. email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com
State gives grants for addiction prevention By RIA ROEBUCK JOSEPH THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR
The trailer is equipped to handle many needs during a disaster.
(The Center Square) - Fortyfour community-based and tribal organizations received almost $17 million as part of Elevate Youth California, a program administered by California’s Department of Health Care Services to Please see GRANTS on A4
LOTTERY
i nsi d e Classified.............. B4 Life..................... B1-2 Obituaries............. A4
6
Man pleads guilty to murder
Sudoku................. B3 Weather................ A4
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 17-20-21-24-44 Mega: 26
Wednesday’s DAILY 4: 8-6-1-6
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 3-15-16-32-41 Mega: 9
Wednesday’s FANTASY 5: 5-13-35-37-39
Wednesday’s DAILY DERBY: 01-06-10 Time: 1:42.15
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: 21-26-30-45-47 Meganumber: 23
Wednesday’s DAILY 3: 7-3-0 / Midday 0-7-9