|
|
The new version of the map includes 13 zones, with the addition for the first time of zones 12 (50-60 degrees F) and 13 (60-70 degrees F).
Gardening Map Of Warming U.S.
Has Plant Zones Moving North
It's official: Gardeners and farmers can count on warmer weather. If that's you, it might be a good time to rethink those flower and vegetable beds for this year's growing season.
That's the word from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which released a new version of its "Plant Hardiness Zone Map" this week, the first update since 1990. The color-coded zones on this map of the United States are widely used as a guide for what perennial flowers will survive in a particular area, or when to plant your vegetables. Here's how it works: The higher the zone number, the warmer your average low temperature during wintertime. Now the zones have shifted northward. The new map shows that in much of the country, winters aren't as cold as they used to be, and spring planting comes earlier.
— NPR – 201201261404
— Migratory Birds Struggle to Adapt to New Climate
— Care2 – 201201261430
•
INCF WEEKLY PACKET •
(February 2, 2012)
- Planning Commission Meeting
Oxnard City Hall, 305 W. Third St. –
Thurs., Feb. 16, 7:00 p.m.
(May be viewed live on TWC Ch. 10 or Verizon Ch. 35
or Oxnard CityWatch TV Feed via streaming video - Media Player)
- Transportation Policy Committee Meeting
Human Resources Activity Room, 300 W. 3rd St. –
Thurs., Feb. 23, 4:30 p.m.
 TALK PAYS!
1-800-222-TIPS (8255)
Ventura County Crime Stoppers:
• You remain anonymous and there is
no fear of retaliation.
• It is not necessary to testify in court.
• Cash rewards up to $1,000 for information
leading to an arrest and issuance of a complaint.
Crime Stoppers of Ventura County allows anyone in the community to anonymously give information regarding any felony crime committed in Ventura County.
• OPD Program Details
• "What Is Suspicious?" •
|
|
|
|
|
Republican energy bill would allow
oil drilling off Ventura County coast
New oil and gas drilling would be mandated in federal waters off the coasts of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties under a transportation and energy package that Republicans are pushing through the U.S. House. GOP leaders say the energy component, which passed the House Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday, would create jobs, lower energy prices and provide the money necessary to help pay for repairs to the nation's aging roads and bridges. But the proposal has infuriated congressional Democrats and many California officials who argue that drilling in areas that are currently off-limits would threaten the environment and the state's multi-billion-dollar tourism industry.
— Ventura County Star – 201202031744
Police offer tips for Super-safe Sunday
DUI checkpoints all over our county
The California Highway Patrol and local police will be looking for drunken drivers on Super Bowl Sunday. The Avoid the 14 DUI Task Force will have roving patrols Sunday in Oxnard, Thousand Oaks and other communities. CHP officers from Moorpark and Ventura will also conduct DUI enforcement Sunday afternoon and evening. The CHP advises that people drinking during the game shouldn't wait until the fourth quarter to find a designated driver. The "Fans Don't Let Fans Drive Drunk" campaign is sponsored by the California Office of Traffic Safety, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management. Officers arrested 452 motorists across the state last Super Bowl Sunday for driving under the influence, and two people were killed in alcohol-related traffic collisions.
— Ventura County Star – 201202031209
U.S. Economy Added 243,000 Jobs in
January; Unemployment Rate Is 8.3%
The United States economy gained momentum in January, adding 243,000 jobs, the second straight month of better-than-expected gains. The unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent, giving a cause for optimism as the economy shapes up as the central issue in the presidential election. The Labor Department’s monthly snapshot of the jobs market uses a different survey, of households rather than employers, to calculate the unemployment rate. Measured by both the unemployment rate and the number of jobless — which fell to 12,758,000 — it was the strongest signal yet that an economic recovery was spreading to the jobs market. The last time the figures were as good was February 2009, President Obama’s first full month in office.
— New York Times – 20120203
— Editorial: Jobless rate falls once again — VCS – 201202031542
— Jobs report may be turning point in election year — LAT – 201202031350
Housing assessment needs for
Ventura County mapped out
Let the number crunching and debating begin. It's a ritual called the Regional Housing Needs Assessment, mandated by state law, that plays out every few years throughout the state. Cities and counties are assigned a number of housing units they are responsible for during a window of time to meet existing and projected housing needs. The Southern California Association of Governments' Regional Council on Thursday approved the distribution of draft numbers for its member cities and counties for 2013-2021. Communities can request their number be revised and appeal if they are unhappy. The numbers, which the state hands down, have prompted negotiations and debates among cities.
— Ventura County Star – 201202021916
Violent, property crimes down in Oxnard
Violent and property crimes were down in Oxnard last year, according to figures released this week by the Police Department. Violent crimes, including rape and robbery, decreased by about 10 percent in 2011, and property crimes dropped by about 13 percent, Oxnard police said. The same was true across California and the United States, but police said no single factor explains the trend. While Oxnard police tallied eight homicides in the city last year, the same as in 2010, the Ventura County Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office counted six. The coroner's list excluded two deaths in which the violence occurred in Oxnard but the victims died at hospitals outside the county. Violent robberies showed the largest drop in 2011, with 55 fewer than in 2010, police said.
— Ventura County Star – 201202021844
Oxnard's No. 2 administrator now
in charge of city operations
At 9 a.m. Wednesday, 12 hours after Oxnard's city manager was ordered on paid leave, business at City Hall continued more or less as usual. On the fourth floor of the annex building, down the hall from the city manager's office, a City Council committee met to discuss sewer and water rates. Numerous top officials were present, including the city attorney, finance chief, interim public works director, staff from the city manager's office and two council members. But no mention was made of the previous night's special meeting, at which the Oxnard City Council decided during a closed-door session to put Ed Sotelo on paid leave after a monthslong evaluation process. Sotelo's absence makes Assistant City Manager Karen Burnham the acting city manager, said City Attorney Alan Holmberg. In theory, the status could last indefinitely, he said.
— Ventura County Star – 201202011928
— Editorial: Oxnard's action on city manager needs a reason — VCS – 201202011715
— Oxnard puts City Manager on leave — VCS – 201201312200
It does not matter how slowly you go
so long as you do not stop.
—
Confucius —
(551 BCE - 479 BCE)
NATIONAL AND WORLD BREAKING NEWS
UPI Sports • Reuters Business • AP Health • VCS Local Sports
KABC News • KCBS News • KEYT News • KNBC News • KTTV News
More News Links . . .
|
|
|
|
