Public Safety · Los Angeles County
The National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard issued a coastal flood advisory Wednesday at 11:39 a.m., in effect until Friday at 2 p.m., covering beaches from San Luis Obispo County through Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties including the Malibu Coast. High tides are expected to reach 7.5-8.0 feet (MLLW) late Thursday morning, 1.0 to 1.5 feet above astronomical projections, decreasing somewhat Friday but remaining near 7.5 feet around noon. Minor to moderate coastal flooding is likely in low-lying areas including beach parking lots, bike paths and harbor walkways, with moderate to significant beach erosion expected and isolated structural damage possible in the most vulnerable areas. The NWS advises residents in flood-prone areas to move to higher ground and warns against driving through floodwaters.
Local Business · Santa Barbara County
Registered nurses at three Cottage Health facilities in Santa Barbara County officially filed Tuesday for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board, seeking to join SEIU 121RN. The vote would cover 40 nurses at Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital, 103 at Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, and 1,153 at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Union organizers cited wage transparency, executive compensation, high cost of living, and changes to a long-term leave policy as motivations. Cottage Health management said it prefers direct communication over third-party representation and noted nurses have received annual raises ranging from 5.4% to 6.3% in recent years. The NLRB is expected to schedule the secret-ballot election within the next few weeks.
Community News · Goleta, CA
Here We Grow Early Learning Center will permanently close its Goleta campus at 7433 Hollister Ave on Dec. 31 after enrollment plummeted following the relocation of Goodland Guns next door in September, according to owner Heather Robbins. The facility dropped from 14 enrolled children to seven with zero new enrollments despite open houses and outreach efforts. Robbins plans to relocate remaining students and long-term staff to Here We Grow's Turnpike Road campus, which is currently full with more than a dozen infants on the waitlist. In response to community concerns, the Goleta City Council passed a temporary ban on new gun shops while researching possible buffer regulations between sensitive uses.
Local Politics · Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County election official Joe Holland received a letter from Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, demanding verification of 180 names suspected of noncitizen voter registration within 48 hours before the November 3 midterm elections. Holland did not respond to media calls and delayed notifying county supervisors, the county executive, and county counsel after receiving the letter. Essayli appeared in federal court Tuesday to deny he was threatening anyone. The article notes that DOJ's original list of suspected noncitizen registrants had shrunk from 252,000 to 20,000 before reaching California counties, and Secretary of State Shirley Weber questioned the accuracy of the names.
