CAMPUS
Second-year history and psychology double-major Parker James Williams passed away near Campus Point and Manzanita Village last Wednesday in what police reported as an apparent suicide. A jogger called 911 at approximately 7 a.m. that morning after finding the body. Williams was 20 years old.
UCSB Health and Wellness is offering the first nap station on campus this quarter. Located in Building 434, room 147, the nap station is open to undergraduate students on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
Associated Students is hosting the second annual UCSB Mental Health Conference this Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Student Resource Building. The conference will include student panelists and storytelling for support and healing, keynote speakers, educational workshops, and free breakfast and lunch. Students are encouraged to RSVP to attend the conference, and those in need of volunteer hours may also sign up to help run the event. Both sign-up links can be found on the event’s Facebook page.
ISLA VISTA
An Isla Vista resident was allegedly robbed at gunpoint on Sunday evening at approximately 8:30 p.m. on the 6600 block of Del Playa Drive. The victim was approached by a male riding a bicycle when the male displayed a handgun and demanded the victim’s personal property. The victim handed over his wallet and the male fled the scene immediately, riding his bicycle north on Del Playa.
Isla Vista residents and officials are continuing to advocate for Measure O, a ballot measure that will annually raise approximately $250,000 for the Isla Vista Recreation and Parks District (IVRPD). With revenue from Measure O, the IVRPD could improve Isla Vista parks by installing lighting and recycled water infrastructure, among other upgrades. Voting for Measure O will occur by mail only; Isla Vista residents who have already received the ballots must return them via mail by May 9. The measure requires a two-thirds vote to pass.
COUNTY
Local residents held a protest on State Street on Monday when the United States Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke visited Santa Barbara. According to the Indivisible Santa Barbara website, the protest was in response to Zinke and President Donald Trump’s plans to open the Santa Barbara channel to offshore oil drilling. Zinke visited Santa Barbara to speak at an invitation-only event at the Reagan Ranch Center, though police allowed protesters to occupy the sidewalks and parking lot directly outside the building, KEYT reports. “We can’t let Zinke come to Santa Barbara, with our history of oil spills, without making a statement,” the Indivisible website reads.
The cities of Goleta and Santa Barbara are in dispute over approximately five acres of airport land due to the proposed construction of an industrial-commercial space at 6100 Hollister Ave. in Goleta, the Independent reports. While Santa Barbara city officials believe that the site will increase revenue for the Santa Barbara airport, Goleta officials were more concerned about the traffic impacts that the project would create, such as having to redesign freeway on- and off-ramps and installing new traffic lights in the area. Goleta repeatedly requested a formal agreement with Santa Barbara over a fair-share contribution of funds to mitigate the traffic impacts, but Santa Barbara repeatedly denied these requests and decided to move forward with the project, although they agreed to continue negotiating.
NATIONAL
Over 200 communities nationwide participated in a Tax March on Saturday to demand for a fairer tax system and for President Trump to release his tax returns. In Santa Barbara, the event included a march down State St. to De La Guerra Plaza. Although U.S. presidents are not required to release their tax returns, they have done so voluntarily since the 1970s, the Washington Post reported. Many believe that releasing this information is the only way to ensure transparency about potential conflicts of interest. Over 25,000 people participated in the Washington D.C. event alone.