Spotlight

What started as a way for his son to get Boy Scout credits became a passion for Chad Hinkle.  The president of Santa Maria Valley Open Space—a grassroots organization dedicated to establishing public trails in a natural setting for hikers, bikers, and recreaters, and works to maintain trails through cleanups and advocacy—was Hinkle’s son’s scoutmaster. […]

When the Women and Infants Mobile Health Clinic opened to see women after the pandemic, staff saw conditions, illnesses, and pregnancies further along than most doctors prefer, Operations Director Dr. Suzanne Phelan said. “There’s a pressing need for health care and general women’s wellness because many of the health care facilities have been impacted [by […]

About 26 percent of women and 15 percent of men will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime before age 18, according to the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Nearly 1 in 11 female high school students and 1 in 14 male high school students reported experiencing physical dating violence in the last year. In […]

After a family member faced a lack of understanding of their gender identity from the community, Lata Murti decided to create an LGBTQ-plus educational opportunity for Santa Maria’s residents. “We may know about diversity in gender and sexual orientation, and we may not have anything against anyone’s identity, but there’s this idea that it exists, […]

Cancer research funding at the American Cancer Society (ACS) dropped by more than 50 percent in 2020.  “Unfortunately, just because COVID is here doesn’t mean cancer stops,” said ACS Santa Barbara County Development Manager Heidi Gavlak. “For the first time in ACS history, it’s been challenging to get funds for cancer research.”  With a goal […]

National Alliance on Mental Health’s (NAMI) parent-to-parent instructors have experience helping loved ones with mental illnesses, and they can provide insight to other families facing similar issues.  Santa Barbara County NAMI President George Kaufmann is one of the instructors for the parent-to-parent program at the national nonprofit’s new Santa Maria location, which opened in early […]

Pediatric cancer is already one of the worst predicaments that a child and family can face. Having to contend with that illness and a global pandemic at the same time is almost unthinkable. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Senior Development Director Brittany Avila Wazny with the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation—which has served families […]

The Dana Adobe and Cultural Center held its Heritage Day on Sept. 11, a gathering celebrating the historic landmark and the mid-19th century Californio era that it signifies. “We’re trying to bring it back annually, because it’s really a big event where there’s reenactments and so many community groups that come together to celebrate,” Executive […]

Central Coast residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities have the opportunity to find new spots to call home as the California MENTOR Family Home Agency opens its doors. The organization hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 2 for its new location in Santa Maria, which will serve those in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San […]

After months of lockdown and social distancing, Santa Ynez Valley Riders President Kathleen Rosenthal is eager to hit the trails once again and invites others to join the club, with half-priced memberships offered through the end of 2021. “It’s a good way to get outside and get exercise. It’s really good for your health; it’s […]

While working at the Long Beach Parks and Recreation Department early in her career, Alicia Welch turned over her pay stub to see that the city’s fire department was recruiting females. Immediately she knew she wanted to become a firefighter.  More than three decades later, she continues to pursue her calling as Lompoc’s new fire […]

Math didn’t come easily to Immanuel Williams, who now teaches math boot camps and a computer science academy for students through his company, the GATO365 Learning Center. The Cal Poly statistics lecturer’s story begins with him “not being particularly good at mathematics” in elementary school, he said.  Williams received poor marks in math, and his […]