Jennifer Best on Muck Rack

Jennifer Best

As seen in: Noozhawk, Yahoo News, Yahoo Sports Canada, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., EIN News, Fresno Bee, NewsBreak, The San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Weekly, Santa Maria Times, EIN Presswire and
Covers:  Wheelchair sports; city government; features; wine; travel

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Jennifer Best’s Journalist Portfolio

Growing frequency of commercial launches prompts change in Jalama Beach park evacuations

Growing frequency of commercial launches prompts change in Jalama Beach park evacuations

With the growing frequency of commercial launches, Santa Barbara County and Vandenberg Space Force Base are d…

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Santa Maria airport ups hangar rent 50% to meet costs

Santa Maria airport ups hangar rent 50% to meet costs

The Santa Maria Public Airport board has increased hangar rents 50% in an effort to begin addressing mounting…

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Sierra backcountry offers obstacles, bugs, beauty following epic winter

Sierra backcountry offers obstacles, bugs, beauty following epic winter

Deep in the northwestern corner of Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park, just south of the Sierra National Fore…

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Articles

Supervisors green-light $1.78B budget, which includes money to finish Santa Maria Levee Trail

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By Jennifer Best
| Santa Maria Times Verified
Santa Barbara County supervisors deliberated for nearly two hours Tuesday before unanimously approving the county’s $1.78 billion 2026-27 budget with $51.9 million cuts countywide, the first reduced budget in more than a decade. The spending plan includes $600,000 to finish the Santa Maria Levee Trail. Supervisors and staff had worked through the budgets of all 21 county departments over the course of the past year through workshops and public meetings before consideration of the final document.
Open in Who Shared View Duplicates (6) Issue with article?

Nelson decries process that funnels North County housing funds south

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By Jennifer Best
| Santa Maria Times Verified
Fourth District Supervisor Bob Nelson is tired of seeing funds collected from the North County flowing south to fund projects up to 80 miles away. So on Tuesday this week, he cast the sole dissenting vote on a $1.1 million county loan to developers of a multi-family affordable housing development in eastern Goleta Valley. “I think there’s something very inherently unfair and inequitable in our county if this is the route we’re going to go for these types of housing projects.
Open in Who Shared View Duplicates (6) Issue with article?

Santa Barbara County to review 2026-27 fiscal year budget June 16; public encouraged to participate Original

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By Jennifer Best
| Santa Maria Times Verified
Santa Barbara County is encouraging the public to follow the proceedings and comment on the recommended budget during the June 16 hearing. The public may participate virtually or in person at the county board hearing room in Santa Barbara or Santa Maria; information about public participation can be found on the Clerk of the Board’s website.
Open in Who Shared View Duplicates (6) Issue with article?
See all 1,263 licensed articles (1,537 Total)

Interview

What was your first job as a journalist?

Unpaid: elementary school newspaper; paid: Daily Utah Chronicle

Awards

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CNPA Journalism Awards

2025 - Local News Coverage - multiple awards

2nd place recognition for coverage of homelessness in Santa Maria 2nd place recognition for a profile story on the retirement of Solvang librarian Carey McKinnon. 5th place for coverage of local government (shared with mike Hodgson of Santa Maria Times) for our series of stories about a Santa Barbara County decision to limit the number of roosters kept on agricultural parcels

CNPA Journalism Award

2024 - Feature Story

2nd place Feature Story for "Sierra backcountry offers obstacles, bugs, beauty following epic winter" which ran 9/4/2023 in Santa Maria Times. The print awards were announced by the California News Publishers Association during its July 13 awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

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CNPA Journalism Award

2024 - Writing

3rd Place, writing category, for story "Sierra backcountry offers obstacles, bugs, beauty following epic winter" which ran 9/4/23. The story also earned 2nd place in the Feature Story category.

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California Mid-State Fair

2006 - Professional Photography

Second place child portrait in the professional category

John Swett Award

1999 - Education coverage

Top award for coverage of education. The award particularly noted "In Plain English," a package covering the proposed Unz initiative, second-lantuage students at every level of education.

California Newpspaper Publishers Association

1999 - Public issue coverage

"In Plain English" - Santa Maria Times

John Swett Award

1998 - Certificate of Merit for Continuous Coverage of Education

Santa Maria Times - education beat reporter covering 14 school districts in two counties

Pulitzer Prize

1998 - Pulitzer Community Newspapers Award of Excellence

"In Plain English" package, Santa Maria Times, April 1998

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National Newspaper Association

1997 - Weekly Newspapers - Health Issue Coverage

"Littlest Lives," New Times, Jan. 30, 1997

National Newspaper Association

1996 - Weekly Newspapers - Environmental Coverage

"Condors," New Times

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