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Sparked in Santa Paula and pushed by Santa Ana winds, the Thomas fire streaked along the southern slopes of Sulfur Mountain. Consuming an acre a second, it crossed 11 canyons before reaching eastern Ventura late on the night of Dec. 4. Now the clock is running. Most insurers cover two years of rent and give homeowners two years to replace their belongings. Those who are displaced feel the pressure. With all the damage and the work that lies ahead, they anticipate a bottleneck of demolition...

Starting Jan. 1, people with felony convictions across California will have a chance to do that. That’s when new “ban the box” legislation goes into effect, expanding an older state law that covered only public agencies to every business with five or more employees. At issue is that one little box on an employment application — the one that requires the applicant to check “yes” if she or he has a criminal history. Knowing they are likely to be screened out, job-seekers who would have to...

As 2017 comes to a close, many teens are feeling the effects of devastating events, including school shootings , natural disasters and terrorist attacks. "They are bombarded constantly, and they are very connected to it," says David Head, director of mental health and wellness for Communities In Schools Houston, part of a national nonprofit that provides services to underserved students. Students directly and indirectly affected by these events may be feeling the effects of trauma –...

Today's Press Democrat featured this promising article: "Sonoma County supervisors Tuesday created a new government office to help the region bounce back from this year’s devastating wildfires and assist with charting a formal vision for the long-term recovery of the local housing supply, the economy and other key areas. The new Office of Recovery and Resiliency will have its own budget and seven staff members, three of whom will come from the ranks of current county employees. Housed within...

As wildfires rage across Southern California, many parents with babies and young children will be affected. Whether you’re in an evacuation zone or in an area where you can see, smell or sense the smoke, adults and kids alike will feel the stress. Some may be significantly impacted. Here are some tips for parents of babies and young children to help with the whirl of emotions and anxiety you may be experiencing. Pay attention to your facial expression and body language. Your baby or young...

Gov. Jerry Brown warned that the state’s fire seasons will continue to get longer and more volatile, and called for a global fight against climate change after visiting devastated parts of Ventura County on Saturday morning. “This is the new normal,” Brown said, in a news conference after his tour. “We’re facing a new reality where fires threaten peoples’ lives, their properties, their neighborhoods and cost billions and billions of dollars. We have to have the resources to combat the fires,...

Residents said what makes moving forward difficult is not just the devastation that the fire left but the fact that everyone knows someone who was directly harmed by the fire. "In Ventura there's one degree of separation," Rosales said. "Many of us have friends or a friend that were impacted by the fire." At the Ventura County Museum on a Monday evening, close to 60 merchants sat at round tables as they spoke about what role they could play in helping the city recover. One woman urged...

FREE YOGA FOR ALL THOSE WHO ARE DISPLACED OR LOST THEIR HOME E-mail Jai Rhythm Founder Colin Brightfield at colin@jairhythm.com to Register in this Program Please spread the word to people you know about this program! STRESS REDUCTION CLINIC FEATURING ACUPUNCTURE AND REIKI Monday, December 18th 3pm to 6:30pm Gentle Ear Acupuncture offered by a partnership between Acupuncturists Without Borders, Emperor’s College and Krystal Pearson of Blue Jasmin Yoga Reiki offered by Jenette Traverson,...

We all here at Yoga Jones send our deepest condolences to those that suffered lost due to the fire. We would like to extend our studios talents to all Fireman, Policemen, Support staff, Volunteers and those who have lost their homes, for the month of December-on us. We hope the experience of Yoga will aide in the healing. Yoga Jones - 105 S. Oak St, #200, Ventura, CA 93001 FREE parking for all of downtown till January 2nd. Lost your home in the Thomas Fire? Fox Jewelry, in Downtown is giving...

Since we began systematically tracking and recording incidents of human trafficking in 2014, the Ventura County Coalition Against Human Trafficking has identified 57 victims (the actual number is likely much higher, as cases can be difficult to identify and are often mischaracterized or unreported). And Los Angeles County is the epicenter of the crisis. While law enforcement, survivors and advocates have been doing everything they can to attack human trafficking head-on, the average Ventura...

To see the conference agenda, list of all-star speakers, and to register go to: http://www.theresourceinnovationgroup.org/california-2018-conference/

Thanks to Alejandra Labrado from First 5 Sacramento for providing the links to these resources! Sesame Street's Traumatic Experiences: https://sesamestreetincommunities.org/topics/traumatic-experiences/ When a child endures a traumatic experience, the whole family feels the impact. But adults hold the power to help lessen its effects. Several factors can change the course of kids’ lives: feeling seen and heard by a caring adult, being patiently taught coping strategies and...