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City addresses issues over street vendors By NEIL HARTSTEIN
Officials: Don’t drink and drive
Message is stressed on Goleta road where drunk driving accidents have happened
NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
In response to growing concerns regarding public safety and the well-being of local businesses, the city of Santa Barbara is implementing a series of proactive measures to address fire code violations, health and safety concerns, and improve working conditions for sidewalk vendors. “The city of Santa Barbara is committed to ensuring the health and safety of the community and overseeing and enforcing ordinances that facilitate that overarching goal,” Kacey Drescher, the city’s communications specialist, said. “The city recognizes the importance of maintaining a safe and thriving community for all of its residents and visitors.” A three-hour community meeting to update the public about street vendors and listen to people’s concerns about sidewalk vending and safety was held Monday at Casa Azteca, 1433 State St. Hosted by the Greater Santa Barbara Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the city invited all stakeholders to attend and participate in the discussions that will shape the future of public safety and local business operations. “Attendance was robust, standing room only,” Ms. Drescher said. Representatives from the city of Santa Barbara and County Public Health Environmental Services Division were on hand to share information about how to become a licensed and permitted vendor in Santa Barbara, and to share the guidelines that need to be adhered to when vendors are operating. In addition, the city’s Sidewalk Vending Program Information Guide (available in English and Spanish) was distributed at the meeting. Barbara Andersen, assistant to the city administrator, told the audience how the city is responding to unlawful activity. Top concerns voiced by those attendance centered around vendors operating with open flames, propane tanks and a cooking operation with fire near grease. In most of these cases, a fire extinguisher has not been present. According to Assistant City Attorney Denny Wei, two criminal cases for fire code violations have been filed, “which is the strongest enforcement tool that we have,” Ms. Drescher said. City Administrator Rebecca Bjork initiated a Sidewalk Vending Task Force in Please see VENDORS on A10
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Supreme Court strikes down Biden’s student loan cancellation
By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE
DAVE MASON / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch discusses DUIs as Victoria Placencia of Mothers Against Drunk Driving listens during a news conference Thursday on Cathedral Oaks Road in Goleta.
By LIAM HIBBERT NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
Santa Barbara County and Goleta officials met Thursday afternoon along Cathedral Oaks Road to urge the public to be safe this Fourth of July and avoid drunk and drugged driving at all cost. The meeting’s slogan “Drunk and drugged driving is 100% preventable” underscored the mission of the discussion. The county leaders met on Cathedral Oaks — an unfortunately common road for drunk accidents — to explain the dangers of drunk or drugged driving, as well as the various ways the mistake can be avoided. “As much as we love our country and love celebrating the Fourth of July, it’s sadly the most deadly time to be on the roads,” said County Supervisor Laura Capps during a news conference. “Be smart. Don’t drink and drive.” Every 96 seconds someone is inPlease see DRIVING on A6
Several drunk driving accidents have happened on Cathedral Oaks Road, where a news conference took place at the intersection with Kellogg Avenue.
(The Center Square) – Canceling hundreds of billions of dollars in student loan debt cannot be done by President Joe Biden and his administration, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday. In a 6-3 opinion, the court said President Biden’s administration did not have the authority to unilaterally cancel student loan debt, blocking the president’s plan to cancel $10,000 per borrower. Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented in the case known as Biden v. Nebraska. “The issue presented in this case is whether the Secretary has authority under the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003 (HEROES Act) to depart from the existing provisions of the Education Act and establish a student loan forgiveness program that will cancel about $430 billion in debt principal and affect nearly all borrowers,” the court said. The court ruled that the previous legislation allowed for tweaks to student loan forgiveness but did not allow for the sweeping forgiveness President Biden tried to enact. “The authority to ‘modify’ statutes and regulations allows the Secretary to make modest adjustments and additions to existing provisions, not transform them,” said the majority opinion, written by Chief Justice John Roberts. The court also ruled that the state of Missouri, a lead challenger in the case, would suffer injury from the plan and therefore had standing to challenge the forgiveness Please see LOANS on A10
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COURTESY PHOTO
President Joe Biden
Ruling keeps estimated $430 billion in debt principal with borrowers
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