Oxnard Mayor Pro Tem Carmen Ramirez, Esq. announces she has gained key endorsements for her run for Supervisor in the 2020 primary election to be held Tuesday, March 3, 2020. The Ventura County Democratic Party voted to endorse Carmen on December 10th. Carmen has also earned the endorsement of the Greater Oxnard Organization of Democrats, Ventura Democratic Club, and the Ventura County Women’s Political Council.  In response to the party’s endorsement, Carmen shares, “I have fought for the people of Oxnard for over forty years, from our environment to legal aid...

By Nekesa Mumbi Moody   NEW YORK (AP)—Lena Horne was a fierce advocate for civil rights in her later years, but that part of her legacy is often pushed behind her glamorous image. Her good friend Harry Belafonte hopes that a new award in her honor will push that aspect of her life front and center. “She had a huge burden. She was Black, she was hugely popular, and she had to continually safeguard that environment of hers, the celebrity,” he said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. “Her outspokenness didn't come until later in...

By Andrew Dalton   LOS ANGELES (AP)—Gabrielle Union and NBC both said Wednesday that they have had a “productive” first conversation on her firing from “America's Got Talent” and her allegations that she was removed over her complaints about racism and other troubling on-set behavior. “We had a lengthy 5-hour, and what I thought to be, productive meeting yesterday,” Union said on Twitter. “I was able to, again, express my unfiltered truth. I led with transparency and my desire and hope for real change.” NBC said...

By Mark Kennedy   NEW YORK (AP)—If you're lucky enough to be invited to a dinner party hosted by Questlove, be aware that nothing has been left to chance. The guest list has been carefully chosen, as have all the dishes. The music starts off with piano-heavy tunes and then builds as the evening goes on. The amount and quality of the booze is also carefully staged. Now the drummer of the hip-hop group The Roots is revealing some of his secrets in his new book, “Mixtape Potluck.” It includes crowd-pleasing recipes from more than 50 friends and...

LOS ANGELES (CNS)—A liver condition long associated with Type 2 diabetes might actually cause the disease, and testing for it could provide an early warning for at-risk individuals, according to a Cedars-Sinai study. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, a condition that affects more than 30 million Americans. In Type 2 diabetes, chronic high blood sugar levels can lead to serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, vision loss and kidney disease. Although it is sometimes called adult-onset diabetes, the disease increasingly strikes children as well,...

SACRAMENTO—With flu reaching levels typically seen later in the season, including widespread influenza activity throughout California, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is reminding people …now is the time to get a flu shot. Since September 29, 2019, when the flu season started, there have been 16 influenza-coded deaths identified on death certificates. In addition, two influenza-associated deaths in children under the age of 18 have been reported to CDPH. Measures of influenza activity monitored by CDPH are showing flu season has started earlier in...

By Marilynn Marchione   SAN DIEGO (AP)—A company that claims to have the first drug to slow mental decline from Alzheimer's disease made its case to scientists Thursday, disclosing more results that may help explain why one study of the experimental medicine succeeded and another failed. Excitement and skepticism have surrounded aducanumab since its developers stopped studies earlier this year because it didn't seem to be working, then did a stunning about-face in October and said new results suggest it was effective, at a high dose. Thursday's...

By Chris Frost chris@tricountysentry.com Oxnard-- It was a rainy Friday night in Plaza Park, Dec. 6, but the city held its tree lighting ceremony and kicked off the holiday season in a festive way.   The event drew a small crowd of onlookers, as the tree outdid the raindrops while the crowd cheered and celebrated the start of the holiday season.   The event also featured a performance from NEMA, which braved the cold and rain while entertaining the crowd with three standout performances.   Emcee Pablo Ortiz came down from Oregon for the...

By Chris Frost chris@tricountysentry.com Oxnard-- The conversation about the new ordinance that allows retail cannabis in Oxnard continues with public comments from Lonny Jarvis, who said that he saw the remarks from Gold Coast Church previously and wanted to reach out, as the head of Safe Port Cannabis in Port Hueneme.     On first reading, Dec. 3, the Oxnard City Council amended the Oxnard City Code to create Regulations for Cannabis Retail Dispensaries.   "Several meetings occurred, and we talked to them about what their concerns were,...

By Chris Frost chris@tricountysentry.com   Oxnard—The weather outside was cold and drizzly, but the tamales were hot as ever as the 12th Annual Oxnard Tamale Festival brought out great fun, long lines, and best of all, great food at Plaza Park.   Vendors had the pots blazing and tamales cooking, while attendees purchased the great food that warmed up a cold and dreary day.   A tamale is a traditional Mexican American food item made of masa or dough that is wrapped and steamed in a corn husk.   Recreation Coordinator Julie...