Tourism numbers for Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties have topped pre-recession figures in recent years and that upward climb is expected to continue in 2014.
Ventura County’s hopes to be designated a Federal Aviation Administration test site for drones were dealt a setback on Dec. 30 when the FAA picked six winners in the first round of a nationwide competition.
The Port of Hueneme announced Dec. 26 that it has secured more than $3 million in federal funds to reduce air emissions, improve its infrastructure and facilitate food distribution and education in Ventura County.
Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, a Catholic four-year liberal arts college, has prevailed in a lawsuit challenging the birth-control mandate of the Affordable Care Act, the school said Dec. 23.
The U.S. District Court judge, however, ruled against Thomas Aquinas’ co-plaintiffs, including the Catholic University of America and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington, in the suit over the new health-care law.
After several false starts over the years, the Fess Parker family is moving forward with revised plans for its second waterfront hotel in Santa Barbara, one of a few hotel developments in the city that could see progress in the New Year.
Atara Biotherapeutics, a Thousand Oaks firm that emerged last year with major Silicon Valley backers and licenses to develop six Amgen assets, has raised $38.5 million to pursue treatments for dialysis complications and ovarian cancer.
The Lompoc Tourism Improvement District was unanimously approved by the City Council on Dec. 5 and has overwhelming support from hotel owners in the city. The district will take effect Jan. 1, assessing a 2 percent tourism fee on hotel stays to generate funds to advertise the city to potential travelers.
