There’s something extraordinary about being an aunt to a 5-year-old, but I’ve learned it’s even more special if you live exactly 200 miles away from one another. For the better part of my auntie-hood, I’ve lived in San Luis Obispo while my nephew Miles Sanchez is growing up in Torrance—in Los Angeles County. Although 200 […]
KAREN GARCIA
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The U.S. Census Bureau is looking to fill temporary employment positions, locally.
The federal census is around the corner. It’s slated to begin on April 1. The U.S. Census Bureau’s mission is to ensure everyone is accounted for, everyone is counted once and in the right place. To reach that goal, the bureau is recruiting to fill hundreds of thousands of temporary positions across the country, including […]
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Assembly Bill 5 hinders local independent contractors
Sarah Levanway has been a sign language interpreter on the Central Coast for more than 15 years. She provides her service primarily in medical and educational settings. Her job gives her a sense of fulfillment because she’s able to bridge an important gap of communication in a medical environment. “If the patient does not understand […]
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Oceano will vote on tax to fund Fire Authority
The Oceano Community Services District (CSD) boardroom was full on Jan. 25. Residents were there to hear presentations from the Five Cities Fire Authority fire chief and general manager about Measure A-20. Measure A-20, if passed, would maintain rapid response times for medical emergencies and fire protection services, provide 24/7 staffing and emergency services, and […]
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Follow Lompoc resident Stephanie Recio-Soltero through the Grizzly Youth Academy’s 22-week program
Editor’s note: Between August and December 2019, New Times Staff Writer Karen Garcia profiled several cadets in the Grizzly Youth Academy, including Stephanie Recio-Soltero from Lompoc. Recio-Soltero’s story is compiled here, from her admission to graduation. The last of the fog is melting away from the hills that surround Camp San Luis Obispo on this […]
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An all-Spanish magazine coming to SLO County, Santa Maria
One Templeton resident and her partner are putting together the only all-Spanish magazine in San Luis Obispo County, which will be available through the county and in Santa Maria starting in January 2020. Latinos make up 23 percent of San Luis Obispo County’s population, and 18 percent of the households speak a language other than […]
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Central Coast residents prep to change their citizenship status
Four people faced regional librarian Aracelli Astorga in a fluorescent-lit room where she stood in front of a dry-erase board. That day, Astorga was going over a portion of the application to become a naturalized citizen of the United States, a form known as the N-400. Her students range from 30 to 40 years old, […]
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After deportation: Agencies and community groups support local families after an undocumented family member gets taken away
It’s been a little more than a year since Susan Valerio left her friends, a job as a medical assistant, and her boyfriend behind in San Diego to take over as the head of the household after her mother, Neofita Valerio-Silva, was deported in January 2018. Her father, Carlos Bernal, was deported the year before […]
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Community college programs offer financial paths to higher education
Current Allan Hancock College student Kailia Villanueva has big dreams for her future. “I see myself down the line as an entrepreneur, and I want to own a business,” Villanueva said. Going to college was always part of that dream, but it wasn’t until Allan Hancock College established the Hancock Promise in 2017 that Villanueva’s […]
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Students and faculty learn to take control with new active shooter safety protocols
On Tuesday, Jan. 15, San Luis Obispo High School is buzzing with students getting from first period to second. After students reach their destinations, campus is silent except for the light rain hitting the pavement. Fifteen minutes into the class period, an announcement comes over the public address system: “We are currently in a drill, […]
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Eliminate the chemicals in everyday makeup and skin care with natural and CBD products
Jessica Blanco, the owner of Central Coast Beauties, vividly remembers her abuelita (grandmother) creating homemade ointments and salves for the family with organic ingredients. “If you got a cut or a burn she would go get a fresh aloe leaf from the backyard for you,” Blanco said of the woman who raised her in the […]
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Cal Poly and SLO Noor partner to offer free health services in North County
Cal Poly and local nonprofit SLO Noor Foundation are collaborating to provide free women’s health and newborn care in Santa Maria and Guadalupe. Suzanne Phelan, who heads up Cal Poly’s Center for Health Research, said the partnership came together easily. Dean Wendt, the dean of the Math and Science Department that oversees the center, is […]