News in Briefs: May 16 to May 22

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CAMPUS

A staff member at Tropicana Gardens Apartments was assaulted by a resident on Saturday at about 7:50 p.m., according to the UC Police Department (UCPD). After displaying strange behavior, staff approached the suspect, who was brandishing a knife. In the ensuing struggle, the victim was struck with a lamp, causing minor injuries. The suspect is not affiliated with UCSB, and is described as a 5’10″, African American male. He has been placed under arrest and booked at the Santa Barbara County Jail. UCPD is still currently investigating this crime and encourages anyone with information to contact them at 805-893-3446, or to report information anonymously at http://www.police.ucsb.edu/contact-us/report-crime.

On Sunday, the UCSB baseball team lost 7-2 against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The game marked the UCSB baseball team’s ninth consecutive loss against Cal Poly this year. Sunday’s loss came on top of two previous losses against Cal Poly; one on Friday when UCSB lost 5-3 and another on Saturday when UCSB fell 4-2, despite an early lead.

ISLA VISTA

A UCSB student was injured on Sunday from a 15-foot fall off of a roof, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. When emergency personnel responded around 1:30 a.m., the victim was unconscious but breathing. The fall occurred on the 900 block of Camino del Sur while the 20-year-old Isla Vista resident was trying to take a photograph of a group of friends. The victim is reported to not have been aware of how close he was to the edge when he fell from the roof. No further details have been released about the victim at this time.

COUNTY

On May 16, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office announced that 18 new medicine disposal kiosks are now stationed across Santa Barbara County, funded by pharmaceutical companies selling their products in the county. Fifteen more kiosks will be installed outside of CVS store locations in the near future, accessible when the facilities are open. As part of Santa Barbara County’s Med-Project, the kiosks will replace the Sheriff’s Office’s Operation Medicine Cabinet program. These kiosks will require producers of prescription and over-the-counter drugs sold in the county to participate in an approved program to collect and dispose of unwanted medicine.

The Santa Barbara Independent reported that the Highway 101 Widening Project received $183.8 million from the state gas tax fund on May 17. The new funding, in addition to the $226 million awarded in March and $140 million from the Measure A funds, almost hits the total cost of the project, which is estimated at $585 million. In addition to adding lanes, the project also includes sidewalks, bikeways, coastal access parking, and signage. However, Supervisor Janet Wolf warned that an effort to repeal SB 1, a bills that provides funds for transportation, is underway for the November ballot.

STATE

Former resident advisors at UC Davis accused their Student Housing department of perpetuating a culture of fear among student staff members, reported the California Aggie on Sunday. The former RAs were inspired by former UC Davis senior resident advisor (SRA) Angela Kim’s senior thesis, which focuses on the experiences of herself and her staff. The staff, whom she called the most diverse staff of the 2016–2017 academic year, consisted of seven people of color and one white person. According to Kim, the coordinators described them as “loud women of color” because of their vocalness on issues of inequality and lack of inclusivity. Kim plans to meet with some Student Housing staff and present a list of demands to improve the experiences of RAs.