Vectors Aren’t Just Mosquitoes

Environment
Mosquitoes aren’t the only danger—Santa Barbara County residents also need to watch for ticks and rodents that can spread serious diseases by Elizabeth Ann Morabito For centuries, people believed rats were responsible for the bubonic [...]
Still water in the Goleta Slough along the California Coast reflecting the water afternoon light

Busting Mosquito Management Myths

Environment
Science-based mosquito control strategies in Santa Barbara County challenge long-held public misconceptions and highlight how residents can help by Elizabeth Ann Morabito Did you know people once believed mosquitoes were created from mud? In the [...]
Flower pot base with water
Environment

Stop the Bite Before It Starts

Santa Barbara County residents can take these simple steps to protect themselves, their pets, and their neighborhood from mosquitoes by Elizabeth Ann Morabito Did you know that you can single-handedly stop thousands of mosquitoes from […]

Santa Barbara Downtown, aerial view from Santa Barbara County Courthouse.
Environment

Teaming Up Against Tiny Threats

Santa Barbara County’s public health and vector control experts join forces to monitor and prevent the spread of diseases from mosquitoes, ticks, and other vectors by Elizabeth Ann Morabito Mosquitoes and other disease-carrying vectors have […]

Two close up photos of Aedes aegypti mosquito, the one of the left with a thin dark abdomen before feeding, and the one on the right with an engorged, reddish abdomen after feeding
Environment

Unmasking Local Bloodsuckers

Mosquito species in Santa Barbara County vary by habitat, behavior, and disease risk—knowing the difference can help prevent bites and protect public health by Elizabeth Ann Morabito Did you know Santa Barbara County is home […]

Mosquito & Vector Management District of Santa Barbara district office
Environment

Winning the Fight Against Dangerous Biters

The Mosquito & Vector Management District of Santa Barbara County protects public health by controlling mosquitoes, ticks, and other disease-carrying pests by Elizabeth Ann Morabito In 2020, a Santa Barbara resident noticed something strange—mosquitoes biting […]

Two silhouetted people standing in a flooded street
Emergency Preparedness

Allied Against Poverty

Canal Alliance provides a bridge between communities and local/state disaster resources by Anne Stokes Omar Carrera knows his community. He’s been the CEO of Canal Alliance for more than eight years and has worked in […]

A Latino man at an El Sol booth at an outdoor event speaks to a Latina woman
Emergency Preparedness

Save Your Breath

El Sol helps communities brace for emergencies, including wildfires and lingering smoke by Anne Stokes Wildfires leave behind more than scarred landscapes and burnt remnants. The resulting smoke, ash and toxic chemicals can travel hundreds […]

Seven Latina women in a large classroom reading from informational sheets
Emergency Preparedness

Promoting Health and Safety

Visión y Compromiso has built a comprehensive network of health and social service resources by Jason Cassidy In California, underrepresented communities are often left out of the loop of mainstream health and safety efforts. So, […]

Two women looking at earthquake preparedness information
Emergency Preparedness

Resilience is Important

Veteran 911 dispatcher helms organization that helps the most vulnerable in times of emergency by M.S. Enkoji During her nearly two decades of dispatching 911 calls in Sonoma County, Alma Bowen saw one thing clearly: […]

A photo of seven girls in traditional Mexican outfits sitting in the middle of a crowd at an event
Emergency Preparedness

Mixtec Messaging

Filling the unmet needs of oral languages by Andy Furillo Turn around—don’t drown!” The National Weather Service coined this simple catchphrase as a warning not to cross flooded roads and risk the deadly danger of […]

A Catholic charity booth at a large outdoor event
Emergency Preparedness

Fire Watch

Catholic Charities of California is ready to help—before, during and after the next wildfire inevitably strikes by Andy Furillo In a state where some 22 percent of the 33 million acres of forested land has […]

A Valley Civic Committee member looking down at an informative sheet about extreme heat
Emergency Preparedness

Hotter Than Hot

Comité Cívico del Valle and Universidad Popular tackle rising heat risks head-on by Dorothy Korber “Heat cramps and heat exhaustion can develop in individuals with overexposure to this heat, and without intervention can lead to […]

A group of Asian community members around a table at an event
Emergency Preparedness

Compassion and Relief

Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation engages hard-to-reach populations about the importance of emergency preparedness by M.S. Enkoji Sitting in the dark with no power is the wrong time to contemplate what you need to do in […]

A small crowd of homeless and low-income individuals gathered at night with Down But Not Out employees
Emergency Preparedness

Coming Up for Air

LA nonprofit Down But Not Out helps the unhoused find protection and respite from wildfire smoke by Anne Stokes As wildfires rage—and even after containment—the resulting smoke, particulate matter and toxic chemicals create air that’s […]

Several Latina women sitting around a table at a community event
Emergency Preparedness

Lifesaving Lotería

Community Emergency Response Volunteers use Cultural connection to prepare families to weather what’s next by Jason Cassidy When severe storms batter California’s central coast, bringing high winds and further risks of falling trees, flooding, and […]

Several people in green safety gear looking at papers
Emergency Preparedness

Neighborhood Heroes

Long Beach’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) trains volunteers to step up when disaster hits by M.S. Enkoji A 6.4 earthquake shook Long Beach in 1933, killing at least 120 people who were mostly crushed […]

Katie Brisbon standing in front of a United Way branded vehicle
Emergency Preparedness

Fire on the Frontier

United Way of Northern California builds resilience in California’s most fire-prone regions by Andy Furillo Don’t Wait, Evacuate”—in the far north of California, widespread and deadly wildfires have tragically fused with everyday life. Eight times […]

St Barnabas Employee helping senior citizens
Emergency Preparedness

Keeping it Cool

Los Angeles organization strives to protect seniors, the most susceptible population to extreme heat by Anne Stokes UInlike major earthquakes or sudden tidal waves, severe heat waves are a seasonal fact of life in much […]

Angelique Ashby at a podium speaking into a microphone
Emergency Preparedness

Protecting What’s Most Important

State Senator Angelique Ashby shares the importance of having a family preparedness partnership in times of emergency by Dorsey Griffith For 12 years, California State Sen. Angelique Ashby represented an area in Sacramento with a […]

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