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Ventura County Strawberry Festival proves to be berry successful
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Music, lively chatter and the sweet smell of strawberries wafted through the air at the Ventura County Fairgrounds on May 17 and 18, as organizers, entertainers, vendors and community members gathered for the thirty-ninth annual California Strawberry Festival. Over 40 vendors and 24 live music acts were featured at the event, which is run…
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Ventura County and Wellpath face federal charges
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The County of Ventura and Wellpath, a company that provides health care to inmates, is facing a federal lawsuit filed by relatives over the death of Joshua Johnston. Four days after being placed into custody, Johnston was found dead in his cell from a perforated esophageal ulcer. A hole had formed in his esophagus,…
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Efforts underway for homeless housing
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Following the death of 56-year-old homeless man, Brian Ashheim, Ventura County Supervisor Jeff Gorell held a press conference regarding the cause of Ashheim’s passing, focusing on the county’s unhoused population. Ashheim was found dead on Feb. 8. People at the encampment where he died said it was raining and he was sleeping beneath a…
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VCAS makes a difference one paw at a time
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One of the busiest times of the year for shelters is after the holiday season, during which many have surprised their loved ones with furry companions. Although some opted to buy and others chose to adopt, adoption fees at Ventura County Animal Services (VCAS) have been lowered to accommodate the capacity of the shelter.…
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Ventura County plans to improve and expand fairgrounds
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In late Feb. 2023, a deal was made by a private company known as Pacific Sports Group (PSG) with the Ventura County Fairgrounds. In this deal, PSG obtained exclusive rights to set forth a proposal for a large developmental project in the fairgrounds. In this proposal, PSG plans to rebuild and expand the fairgrounds…
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Homelessness reaches crisis levels in Ventura County
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Homelessness became a problem in the U.S. in the 1870s, when large amounts of unhoused people began to live in massive urban centers. This issue has grown to become more large-scale affecting people and cities in the U.S. According to the 2021 point-in-time count, there were 1,584 homeless individuals in Ventura, up from 1,320…
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Our community must reckon with hatred
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On Feb. 12, White supremacists rallied over the Borchard Road overpass, hanging signs covered in hate speech. In response, Claudia Bill-de la Peña, a Thousand Oaks City Council member, proposed a resolution which strives to condemn all acts of hatred. It passed at the Feb. 22 city council meeting in a 4-0 vote with…
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Protesters march for female reproductive rights
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On Saturday, Oct. 4, a march to protect female reproductive rights was held at Ventura County Hall. The protesters held various signs that read “Reproductive Rights are Human Rights,” “Keep your laws and paws off my body,” and “I support a woman’s right to choose.” Many different people spoke out to the crowd about…
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NPHS Mock Trial serves in semis
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Complete with virtual backgrounds and business attire, both Mock Trial teams succeeded in making it to the top eight. After a week-long competition against 26 schools in Ventura County, the Panther team placed sixth and the Gold team placed fifth on March 1. Students put in long hours and late nights in preparation for…
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Teachers must be prioritized to receive the vaccine
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State and federal governments have conducted an inadequate rollout of vaccine doses. With a change in national leadership, hopefully our government bodies will be able to do better. However, the root problem behind the lack of vaccination for teachers goes much deeper than just the quantity of doses. If reopening schools is truly a…