Spotlight

St. Joseph High School student Paige Beal said she always wants to seize her moment and be present in life.  “For me, I see so many people on electronics these days; some people close to me spend [a lot] of time on their electronics, and they regret it, and they say they wished they experienced […]

Marian Regional Medical Center’s Extended Care Center started with a few nuns and 10 patients who needed extra care after hospitalization. Now, the center serves 95 patients at a time and is celebrating its 35th anniversary, Jill Ledbetter said. The skilled nursing facility serves community members who need some assistance with daily tasks like bathing, […]

Kids learn about the water cycle, soil, and plants in their science classes at school, but there’s something about seeing it in real time that enhances the experience and understanding, Seth Wilmoth said.  Wilmoth is the education program director for Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG)—a Ventura County-born education nonprofit that teaches kids the importance […]

Small townships and rural settings like those in the Santa Ynez Valley used to have trails to connect the areas and make it easy for people to get around. As time went on, the trails in the valley became overgrown with trees and shrubs, or they intersected with private property, shifting communities to rely on […]

Thanks to an anonymous donor, Marian Regional Medical Center recently acquired new mammogram technologies to detect breast cancer at earlier stages.  The first is 3Dimensions Mammography System, available at Mission Hope Breast Imaging Center, takes high quality, clear images, from which radiologists can detect smaller cancers that would have slipped through the previous system, radiologist […]

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse was founded to help the Sheriff’s Office maintain efficiency, improve morale and effectiveness, and help come up with solutions to the issues surrounding law enforcement.  As board Chairman Richard Kline explained, the 501(c)3 nonprofit raises funds to supplement equipment and training for the office. Thus far, the posse […]

Carmen Ramirez was a trailblazer in the social justice realm of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. She was the first Latina woman to be elected to Oxnard’s City Council, and the first Latina woman to serve on the Ventura County Board of Supervisors.  She also helped Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) […]

COVID-19 may have compelled Central Coast musician Pete Pidgeon to open a distance-learning music school, but the concept had been on his mind for years. “When I was living in Denver in 2015, I had the idea to start a music school online. The biggest complaint from people was if their child was taking a […]

Santa Barbara County is participating in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 100-day challenge to reduce homelessness as part of the state’s $2.5 million California Encampment Resolution grant to move people indoors and reduce fire danger and car accicents involving pedestrians.  Encampments along transit corridors are the county’s focus during the 100 days because of the dangers that […]

The Model A Ford—a vehicle built by the Detroit-based company from 1928 to 1931—brings together car lovers around the country and creates community through car clubs that recognize the vehicles’ uniqueness.  The Santa Maria chapter of the Model A Ford Club was founded in 2003 on the 100th anniversary of Ford Motor Companies, and the […]

Up to 40 percent of domestic violence victims report they’re unable to leave their abusers because they’re concerned about what will happen to their pets when they leave, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.  “What we’ve learned is that pets are used as pawns in domestic violence situations where the abuser is using […]

Housing, food, child care, and energy bills often come before paying for doctor’s appointments in some low-income households, which can cause people to avoid primary, preventative care, leading to future emergency room visits—particularly in northern Santa Barbara County, according to Eryn Shugart.  Shugart is the executive director of Savie Health—a 501(c)3 nonprofit clinic based in […]