Spotlight

Tastefully Simple, an award-winning direct sales company specializing in easy-to-prepare foods, recently welcomed Santa Maria resident Jessica Elledge as an independent consultant.   Elledge will offer the company’s gourmet foods at home taste-testing parties, where guests get product samples, recipes, and serving suggestions.   Tastefully Simple is based in Alexandria, Minn., and was inducted into […]

Cell phone and service store Total Wireless is now under new ownership—and adding more carriers to its lineup.   Joining the T-Mobile service already offered, Sprint and Boost mobile services will now be available to Total Wireless customers. Owner Maggie Stukas, who took over on Oct. 1, invites the public to visit the store and […]

Female small-business owners can learn how to take advantage of federal contracting opportunities thanks to a new online U.S. Small Business Administration training course.    The free tutorial, Winning Federal Contracts: A Guide for Women Entrepreneurs, is part of a government-wide initiative to promote opportunities for women-owned businesses in the area of government contracting. It’s designed […]

Suffering from chronic headaches? Dizziness? Clicking jaws? They could all be signs and symptoms of a neuromuscular imbalance.   Dentist John Orchard is launching a campaign to bring awareness to neuromuscular dentistry and the health benefits it can bring to sufferers of a poor bite. He encourages the public to visit his practice and learn […]

School supply store Anything Educational is moving to 1930 S. Broadway from 1545 Stowell Center Plaza, where it’s been located for the past nine years.   The shop specializes in wholesale school supplies, office supplies, and stationery. Owner Marc Canigiula has made life easier on teachers and parents since he opened it, donating thousands of […]

Offering an alternative to traditional fitness centers, national chain Snap Fitness will be celebrating its grand opening in Nipomo on Oct. 24.   Visitors will be treated to free gifts and food, and the event promises fun for kids as well, with a bounce house and other activities.  The club will also hold a drawing […]

The Cancer Center of Santa Barbara has hired a new specialist for its medical team, Dr. Alan Bryce, who will work with mid-county cancer patients from the center’s Solvang offices. For more information, visit the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara website at ccasb.org. m Biz Briefs is compiled by Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas. Information should […]

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and for the second consecutive year, city and county organizations that serve the disabled are showcasing employment opportunities in Northern Santa Barbara County. Aimed at adults ages 18 and up, the Santa Maria Opportunities Expo takes place Oct. 22 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Veteran’s Memorial […]

The California Energy Commission announced it will honor homebuilder Trilogy Central Coast with its 2009 Platinum Award for energy efficiency on Oct. 17. The award will be presented to Trilogy by Shea Homes at the Go Solar celebration at the Monarch Club. The public is invited to attend the free event from noon to 3 […]

More than 100 cattle ranchers and dignitaries recognized Nipomo’s Jocko’s Steak House as the best beef restaurant in the state on Oct. 6. At the event, the California Beef Council awarded the restaurant its 2009 California Beef Backer Award, which recognizes restaurants that promote the beef industry through menus, promotions, and popular entrees. After almost […]

InterContinental Hotels Group recognized Holiday Inn and Suites Santa Maria for its superior guest satisfaction, making the hotel one of just four in the state to receive the group’s award for quality excellence.   The award is based on scores compiled from guest surveys, in which visitors evaluate hotels on the quality of product, service, […]

The Orcutt Lions invite the public to have a spooky old time at the club’s Halloween cook-your-own dinner event on Oct. 16.   Taking place at 126 S. Broadway, the fun begins at 5:30 p.m. and includes a costume contest, prize raffles, a 50-50 drawing, and a no-host bar. The cost is $10 per person. […]