By Chris Frost chris@tricountysentry.com   Ventura—Ventura Harbor was the picturesque backdrop for the Ventura Art & Street Painting Festival, Sept. 7 and 8, which combined street art with other members of the artistic community selling treasures to brighten people's homes.   Attendees enjoyed incredibly intricate works of art on the sidewalks that were made with chalk while enjoying the ambiance of the harbor, full of shops, restaurants, and majestic ships.   The free event drew a vast crowd, and they spent the weekend talking to...

By Chris Frost chris@tricountysentry.com   Oxnard—The Oxnard City Council returned from hiatus, Sept. 3, and heard complaints during public comments about the homeless situation in the city.   City Manager Alex Nguyen introduced a housing first plan to the council before the break and told them to be patient with the plan, which can take up to 10 years to rectify the situation.   Pat Brown suggested setting off stink bombs so the encampment would smell so bad they would leave.   Paul Barickman told the council that he was...

By Chris Frost chris@tricountysentry.com   Ventura—The Ventura Pet Barn was kitten central, Sept. 8, as the retailer hosted a kitten adoption party in conjunction with Surfcat Café and Adoptions.   The event featured a large group of kittens experiencing their first trip away from their home. They were a little nervous at first but settled in and made the day a big kitten party for attendees captivated by the fun.   Surfcat Café and Adoptions is dedicated to compassionate care for cats that end up with everyone in a forever...

By Jake Coyle   NEW YORK (AP)—Ever since it was first announced, the idea of Tom Hanks playing Mr. Rogers has seemed like dream casting, a match as snug as a warm zip-up sweater. “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” starring Hanks as the host of “Mister Rogers Neighborhood,” premiered Saturday night at the Toronto International Film Festival, revealing a nuanced and layered performance by Hanks that goes well beyond the cardigan. The film, which will open in theaters Nov. 22, isn't a Fred Rogers biopic but dramatizes the true story...

By Jessica Gresko   WASHINGTON (AP)—Comedian and media mogul Byron Allen wants TV viewers to watch the channels his company produces—from one that runs “Judge Judy”-like shows all day to those dedicated to comedy, cars, food and pets. But while many distributors carry Allen's channels, two cable giants have refused. Allen says the reason is that he's Black, and so he's sued for racial discrimination. An appeals court has let his lawsuits go forward, but now the Supreme Court will weigh in and could deliver a setback. The justices...

By Marian Wright Edelman   It happened again. On August 31, a gunman in West Texas armed with a semiautomatic weapon killed seven people and injured 25 others. One of the victims was 15-year-old Leilah Hernandez who had just celebrated her Quinceañera in May. Her friends remembered her as someone who “could turn a bad day into a good one.” She was walking out of a car dealership next to her 18-year-old brother Nathan who’d just bought a truck he’d been saving up for. Nathan tried to shield her in his arms but was shot and injured...

By Jonathan Landrum Jr.   LOS ANGELES (AP)—Johnny Gill might be considered an old-school crooner these days, but age has only been a number for the R&B veteran who is still making his presence felt. Gill's “Soul of a Woman” topped Billboard's adult R&B songs chart in June and “Perfect” featuring New Edition bandmate Ralph Tresvant recently reached No. 22. The songs are lead singles for his eighth studio album “Game Changer II,” which arrives Friday. At age 53, Gill said he's grateful to still be musically...

OXNARD, Calif. – Tamale season is just around the corner! As the City of Oxnard prepares for its annual Tamale Festival on December 7, 2019, vendors are invited to register for booth space at the City’s most anticipated event. Each year more than 8,000 community members fill Downtown Oxnard’s Plaza Park for the Tamale Festival. The City’s Recreation Division, which plans the event, is now accepting booth applications from the following: tamale vendors, other food vendors, and non-food spots for commercial or arts and crafts sellers. Booth space is assigned on a...

By Chris Frost chris@tricountysentry.com Oxnard— The Oxnard City Council welcomed its newest team member, Sept. 4,  as Communications Manager Katie Casey was formally introduced to the city.   Casey joined the staff on Aug. 26, and she brings more than 15 years of strategic communications experience in both the public and private sectors to the position.   She will plan, organize and manage citywide communications, public information, community, and media relations, and offer guidance to City departments in public relations...

By Chris Frost chris@tricountyserntry.com Oxnard-- The conversation about the local coastal plan amendment (LCP) continued with Channel Islands Harbor Director David Sandoval saying that the only way to redevelop the harbor is by mixed-use residential development.   The Oxnard Planning Commission rejected a Local Coastal Plan Amendment during a special meeting, Aug. 15, designed to accommodate a known development project at the corner of Channel Islands Blvd. and Victoria Ave.   In the Oxnard 2017 mid-cycle 2013-2021 housing update, Sandoval said the...