Good morning, Ventura.

Two men who stayed at The Shores Inn in Ventura in February 2020 were awarded a combined $2 million after painful bed bug bites led to medical treatment—each received compensation for personal injuries and punitive damages.

The hotel said it may challenge the decision—jurors raised concerns over its handling of earlier infestation complaints.

Oxnard police investigated the apparent homicide of a man aged 66 found dead with a head injury near Centerpoint Mall on June 5 — first responders pronounced him dead at the scene.

Alfredo Vasquez of Moorpark was convicted on June 4 for a gang-related knife attack that injured a hiker on the Simi Valley Cross trail in July 2020—he faces sentencing on July 3 with a potential 14-year prison term while in custody.

Two 15-year-olds admitted to felony charges after making a bomb and shooting threat at Ventura High School in May, which led to a full lockdown and a law enforcement response + one minor's case was transferred for sentencing on June 10 while the other received wardship.

Rio Mesa High School celebrated the graduation of 450 students (Class of 2025) on June 4 on campus in Oxnard.

NASA dismantled the historic Coca test stands at Santa Susana Field Lab — key structures used in rocket engine tests for Apollo and Space Shuttle missions — and transferred artifacts to museums while preparing for groundwater cleanup with public comments open until June 10.

Ventura County will use $93.76 million from Proposition 1 funds to build a 38-bed locked rehabilitation center near Camarillo and a 16-bed inpatient psychiatric facility in Simi Valley by 2030—projects designed to lessen the need to send patients out-of-county for care.

California health officials reported that a new COVID variant, NB 1.8.1, was first confirmed on April 17 through airport screening and reached 19% of cases by May 29—though overall cases remain low.

The CDC advises Ventura residents to follow current vaccination recommendations, including age-specific booster doses.