Spotlight

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 […]

After opening an office in Santa Maria in 2019, the Mixteco Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) quickly became a fixture in North County communities, particularly known for its translation and outreach services that helped get critical information to local residents during the pandemic. But locals might not know that the organization has actually been around […]

The Camino Scholars program, quite literally, meets kids where they’re at. People’s Self-Help Housing (PSHH), the biggest affordable housing organization on the Central Coast, offers a variety of free, site-based services to its residents. One of those services is Camino Scholars, an after-school education program offered on-site at PSHH properties.  “We have 11 learning centers […]

San Barbara County has close to $5 million available as part of a $12 million effort to get roughly 1,000 new electric vehicle (EV) chargers installed in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and SLO counties.  On Aug. 5, the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP) will start accepting applications on a first-come, first-served basis. And the money […]

Allan Hancock College’s Viticulture and Enology Program is the epitome of hands-on learning. Students not only learn the science behind grape growing and winemaking, but also how to operate a winery and actually harvest the crop. Walking into the college’s winery, one is met with wine-stained barrels stacked on top of one another. Against the […]

Like many child abuse and domestic violence prevention organizations, Child Abuse Listening Mediation (CALM) saw a sudden drop in calls at the very start of the pandemic. But the abuse that was being reported was worse. “Our referrals went down, but acuity was higher,” CALM North County Regional Manager Yvonne Nelson said. “Of the calls […]

Although the traditional Santa Barbara County Fair isn’t happening this year, those seeking this quintessential summer fun can still get their carnival fix at the Santa Maria Fairpark. Helm and Sons Amusements will continue its Greatest Portable Theme Park at the fairgrounds from July 8 to 11. Helm and Sons is the same company that […]

What comes to mind when you hear the word “luffa”? Is it the brightly colored, meshy plastic bath sponge? The rough, dense exfoliator, often tacked to the end of a wooden stick, that you might find at the drugstore? If you haven’t yet visited The Luffa Farm in Nipomo, chances are these are the only […]

Brittany Gonsalves was looking to get her creative juices flowing last year after the pandemic halted her business operations.  “I was trying to find something to keep occupied, be creative, and have an outlet to stay hopeful and keep going,” she said. She and her husband, Rigoberto Guzman, had started the Central Coast Tacos Catering […]