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Space Force at VAFB
Heat warning issued for SB Barbara County National Weather Service urges caution; Las Padres National Forest closed By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
STAFF SGT. BRITTANY E. N. MURPHY PHOTOS
2nd Lt. Olivia Gillingham reads the Oath of Enlistment to 21 new Space Force enlisted members at the induction ceremony Sept. 1 at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The ceremony marks a milestone in developing the U.S. Space Force in California.
Vandenberg welcomes new members and continues push to establish U.S. Space Command headquarters By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Vandenberg Air Force Base welcomed 21 new officers and enlisted members to the U.S. Space Force last week. The ceremonial induction tradition was held on Sept. 1 in front of the Headquarters’ Building, marking a significant step forward in the development of the U.S. Space Force. The branch organizes trains and equips forces to protect the U.S. and allied interests in space, along with developing space professionals and maturing the military doctrine for space power. The new inductees joined amid a region-wide push to headquarter the U.S. Space Command at Vandenberg. Organizations backing the push say the $1 billion establishment would boost the Central Coast’s economy, with 1,400 service members and international liaisons contributing locally, millions of dollars in contracts and services, and the ability to make the state a global leader in the commercial space industry. The Regional Economic Action Coalition has provided momentum behind this push, and said in a news release Friday that this will be a “huge boost toward establishing a thriving commercial space industry on the Central Coast, attracting investment and high-quality jobs in a $425 billion industry expected to grow $3 trillion over the next three decades.” REACH’s letter to the assistant secretary of the Air Force said Vandenberg’s region “exceeds the requirements of each basing selection criterion,” citing UCSB and Cal Poly, which produce nearly 9,000 engineering and science graduates each year,
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email: gmccormick@newspress.com
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS
Maj. Gen. Jon E. Shaw gives the enlisted oath to four enlisted members assigned to Vandenberg. These new members join amid a large community push to headquarter the U.S. Space Command at Vandenberg, resulting in a huge economic benefit to the Central Coast.
The marquee in front of Cold Spring School in Montecito indicates upcoming events. Students are expected to return to the building Sept. 22. The district has applied for a waiver to allow for in-person learning.
alongside the three community colleges and the region’s number of highly specialized manufacturing and tech firms. The letter was signed by Cal Poly president Jeffrey Armstrong, UCSB chancellor Henry Yang, Allan Hancock College president/superintendent Dr. Kevin Walthers, Cuesta College president/superintendent Dr. Jill Stearns and more. “While the selection of VAFB is no-guarantee, the process was a tremendously valuable effort for our region to exercise a newly forming muscle of regional cooperation across
Cold Spring School District seeks building improvements
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As the heat waves and dry conditions increase the risk of wildfires, Santa Barbara County is encouraged by county, state and national officials to use extreme caution with potential fire ignition sources. The county is also being advised to prepare and assemble emergency kits. On Monday, the National Weather Services issued a “red flag warning” for the South Coast and mountains. The warning means critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly as a result of gusty winds, low relative humidity and very hot temperatures. “The very hot and unstable conditions will continue to bring a significant threat of large plume dominated fires,” the NWS warning stated. “Gusty Sundowner winds across southern Santa Barbara County and gusty northerly winds in the Los Angeles and Ventura county mountains will likely bring critical Red Flag fire weather conditions to these areas.” The NWS also issued an Excessive Heat Warning for Santa Barbara County over Labor Day Weekend, encouraging residents to take precautions. The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department told
the county to “stay cool” by wearing lightweight, light-colored clothing, avoiding the outdoors during the hottest hours, knowing signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and avoiding leaving children and pets in unattended vehicles. The department also reminded residents to drink plenty of water throughout the day, eat cold snacks, place a cool washcloth on the back of the neck, keep shades closed, avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest hours, maintain physical distancing, and provide water and shade for animals. Also on Monday, the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region announced the temporary closure of Los Padres National Forest, along with the following national forests: Stanislaus, Sierra, Sequoia, Inyo, Angeles, San Bernardino and Cleveland. In addition, campers and visitors are prohibited from using any ignition source (campfires, gas stoves, etc.) on all National Forest System lands throughout the state. “Most of California remains under the threat of unprecedented and dangerous fire conditions with a combination of extreme heat, significant wind events, dry conditions and firefighting resources that are stretched to the limit,” the U.S. Forest Service stated in its news release.
political aisles, county lines and community sectors,” Melissa James, the president and CEO of REACH, told the News-Press. “The effort brought together the expertise of over 30 leaders from the U.S. Congress, CA Assembly, U.S. Space Force, the State of CA, leaders from the county governments and workforce development boards of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, five higher education institutions, and the coalition of chambers of commerce.” Letters of support for Vandenberg have also come from Gov. Gavin Newsom, 3rd District
Supervisor Joan Hartmann, the mayors of Santa Maria and Lompoc, and U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris. “Vandenberg’s existing spacerelated missions and assets, along with its proximity to the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base, would offer Space Command unique and unparalleled advantages,” read the letter signed by U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, and Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, both D-California. “The region offers Please see vafb on A8
By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Nov. 3 is prominent on many’s minds — but it’s especially important for voters within the Cold Spring School District.
The Montecito district’s board is asking to sell $7.8 million in bonds to pay for improvements to its elementary school building. The initial budget presented in February estimated $9.8 million. Please see cold spring on A8
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Comics................. A6 Classified............... A7 Life.................... A3-4
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 24-27-36-40-46 Meganumber: 10
Monday’s DAILY 4: 5-4-2-4
Friday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 19-22-24-28-53 Meganumber: 25
Monday’s FANTASY 5: 9-21-23-37-39
Monday’s DAILY DERBY: 07-08-02 Time: 1:41.82
Saturday’s POWERBALL: 1-4-11-20-69 Meganumber: 18
Obituaries............. A8 Soduku................. A5 Weather................ A8
Monday’s DAILY 3: 5-8-4 / Sunday’s Midday 5-5-7