HELPING HAND: Disaster officials have released a...

HELPING HAND: Disaster officials have released a list of the counties that received the most disaster housing assistance after this winter’s storms. . . . Surprisingly, Ventura County didn’t make the top 10. Hard-hit Monterey County topped the list, with 769 households getting more than $2 million. In Los Angeles, 837 households received about $1.2 million, and Santa Barbara was third with 336 households getting more than $833,000. . . . In Ventura County, 79 households received about $93,000 in housing assistance.

EXTRA, EXTRA: Not just any street improvement project gets its own newsletter. . . . But then, the notoriously congested Victoria Avenue interchange at the Ventura Freeway is not just any intersection. Ventura city officials have unveiled “101 Victoria Interchange,” a slick compilation of facts detailing the $13-million plan to improve the intersection. The newsletter’s mailing list includes 500 area business owners and residents. The city publishes a similar newsletter updating the downtown improvement project. . . . “It’s well worth it to keep the public informed,” said transportation engineer Nazir Lalani.

CYBER CONNECTION: A brave new world of information awaits novice users of on-line computer services (Ventura County Life, Page 12). . . . Navigating the maze of services provides ample opportunity to learn about sometimes obscure topics or participate in intimate E-mail conversations with complete strangers. Another popular option in cyberspace: Just plain waste time browsing the Internet.

WOOF WOOF: Firefighters at Point Mugu will be in the doghouse this morning. . . . The Fire Department for the Naval Air Weapons Station is opening a training center dubbed Sparky’s Dog House, where they will teach children how to prevent fires and how to escape them after they start. . . . Schoolchildren can look forward to instructional programs with names such as “Stop, Drop and Roll,” and a robotic fire hydrant named Pluggie.