Running dry
Health care coverage
Water cutbacks to impact 6 million people in Southern California- A2
California expands Medi-Cal eligibility for people 50 and older - A3
Our 166th Year
75¢
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Thanks for the memories
Who’s registered to vote in Santa Barbara? By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Nearly 79% of Santa Barbara County residents who are eligible to vote are registered, according to a recent report from the California secretary of state.
Santa Barbara locals and visitors had a chance to take in the full Santa Barbara Fair and Expo experience for the first time since 2019, with the event concluding on Sunday night. Above, attendees are strapped into the Free Fall ride as others watch or wait their turn. At right, a pair of fair-goers enjoy some of the wide variety of food that was available at the event. For a photographic farewell to the fair, see pages B1 and B2.
RAFAEL MALDONADO / NEWS-PRESS
Voting stations are set up at the Carrillo Recreation Center during the 2020 election.
Ukraine sinks more Russian ships following Pelosi’s meeting with Zelensky By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Santa Barbara County population increases while state sees decline By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Although California’s overall population declined last year, Santa Barbara added to the number of people in the county. A new report from the California Department of Finance found the state’s population dipped by more than 117,000 people last year. Its estimated total population as of Jan. 1 was 39,185,605 people, according to the report released Monday. The Department of Finance pointed to a slowdown in a natural increase in population — meaning, more people have died and fewer younger people are having children — as a reason for the decrease in population. It said population totals were also impacted by COVID-19 deaths, federal policies restricting immigration and more domestic out-migration. The report said every coastal county except Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Santa Cruz saw population decreases. The Department of Finance attributed the return of college students to campus for the growth seen in those three counties. An estimated 445,164 people lived in Santa
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Barbara County as of Jan. 1, according to data from the Finance Department. That’s a 0.3% increase from 443,674 from Jan. 1, 2021. However, the cities of Buellton, Carpinteria, Goleta, Guadalupe, Lompoc, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and Solvang all saw decreases in population from 2021 to 2022. Buellton and Solvang clocked the greatest decreases at 2.5% each. Carpinteria and the city of Santa Barbara followed at 2.3% and 2.2% respectively. Unincorporated Santa Barbara County increased in population by 4.5%. San Luis Obispo County had a 0.4% increase in population from 2021 to 2022 with an estimated 280,721 people living in the county as of Jan. 1. The city of San Luis Obispo reported a 0.2% increase in population, but Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, El Paso de Robles, Grover Beach, Morro Bay and Pismo Beach reported slight population decreases. Ventura County had a 0.8% decrease in population from 2021 to 2022 with an estimated 833,652 people living in the county as of Jan. 1. Santa Paula had a 0.9% increase in
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population from the previous year, but Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, San Buenaventura, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks all reported population decreases. The 10 largest cities in California are: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento, Long Beach, Oakland, Bakersfield and Anaheim. Only San Diego, Fresno, Long Beach and Bakersfield saw population increases in 2022 from 2021. The 10 fastest-growing cities are Santa Cruz, Lathrop, Seaside, Irvine, Menifee, Berkeley, Stanton, Delano, Chino and Manteca. Santa Cruz’s population increased in 2022 from the prior year by 11.3%, according to the report. Yolo and San Benito were the only two counties to have growth above 1%. Yolo’s population increased 1.8% due to increases in college group quarters, and San Benito increased 1.1% because of housing gains. More on California’s demographics can be found at https://dof.ca.gov/Forecasting/ Demographics/. email: kschallhorn@newspress.com
On Monday morning, a Ukrainian drone destroyed two Russian Raptor-class patrol ships near Snake Island in the Black Sea. This follows the weekend visit of a congressional delegation led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to Ukrainian Chief of General Staff Valeriy Zaluzhniy, the Russian vessels were destroyed in a dawn attack. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has become the highest ranking U.S. official to visit Ukraine during the war. The surprise visit added fuel to a growing fire of Western support for the Ukrainian resistance. The trip follows Moscow’s refocused military campaign that is struggling to make notable gains in eastern Ukraine. As Kyiv’s allies are increasing military support, both sides seem to be preparing for the likelihood of a long conflict. “We are visiting you to say thank you for your fight for freedom. Your fight is a fight for everyone, and so our commitment is to be there for you until the fight is done.” Speaker Pelosi said during a meeting with Ukrainian officials, reported NBC News. President Zelensky expressed his gratitude for the “powerful signal of support.” “This shows that the United States today is a leader in strong
support for Ukraine during the war against the aggression of the Russian Federation,” said President Zelensky. Accompanying Speaker Pelosi on the trip were Reps. Jason Crow, D-Colo., Jim McGovern, D-Mass., Gregory Meeks, DN.Y., and Adam Schiff, D-Calif. This is the second major trip by U.S. officials, following a visit the previous weekend by Secretaries Lloyd Austin and Antony Blinken. Also part of the delegation were Reps. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., and Bill Keating, D-Mass, while it is not clear whether or not they were on the trip. “Our Congressional Delegation had the solemn opportunity and extraordinary honor of meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other top Ukrainian officials in Kyiv. Our delegation traveled to Kyiv to send an unmistakable and resounding message to the entire world: America stands firmly with Ukraine,” said Speaker Pelosi in a press release on Sunday. The congressional delegation is continuing on to Poland after their weekend visit in Kyiv. According to the UN’s Human Rights office, more than 3,000 civilians have died in Ukraine since Russia began its invasion. “The EU Commission is currently considering the inclusion of a total embargo on Russia’s fossil fuels in its sixth round of sanctions against Moscow,” reported Forbes. email: kzehnder@newspress.com
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i n s i de Classified.............. B4 Life..................... B1-2 Obituaries............. A4
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Of the 299,059 individuals eligible, 234,772 are registered — meaning 78.5% of eligible voters are registered, the report found. Registered Democrats make up the largest chunk of voters in Santa Barbara County (47.05%). Following are Republicans, Please see VOTERS on A4
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Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 3-15-21-35-46 Mega: 18
Monday’s DAILY 4: 2-5-4-0
Friday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 9-11-34-49-66 Mega: 15
Monday’s FANTASY 5: 11-13-29-34-38
Monday’s DAILY DERBY: 04-09-10 Time: 1:44.67
Monday’s POWERBALL: 18-27-33-39-44 Meganumber: 8
Monday’s DAILY 3: 0-2-8 / Midday 9-3-4