Spotlight

United Staffing Associates’ Vice President of Human Resources/Operations Jeannine Young received the 2009 Suggs Distinguished Employee Award from the Rotary Club of San Luis Obispo. The award was established in honor of former SLO Rotary Club president Gary Suggs to recognize superior Rotarian employees. It distinguishes Young for demonstrating the highest level of ethical standards […]

To help those in need, Spencer’s Fresh Markets is asking shoppers to join it in its support of 211 SLO Hotline. As part of its “Give a Buck, Get a Buck” program, Spencer’s will give shoppers who donate $1 to the hotline a $1 off coupon toward their next purchase of $10 or more. The […]

The Santa Maria Chamber of Commerce will cut the ribbon for the grand opening of Autoprofessionals’ new location in Orcutt on July 24 at noon at 3415 Orcutt Road. Barbecue tri-tip sandwiches will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Autoprofessionals is a AAA-approved facility with ASE-certified technicians. Owner Roger Thornhill first opened the […]

The Santa Barbara Chapter of the American Red Cross announced the appointment of David Almeida as its new board chair. Almeida began volunteering with the county’s Red Cross in 2004 and has worked on numerous local disasters since, including the La Conchita landslide, the Zaca Fire, the Gap Fire, and the Jesusita Fire. He’s actively […]

Santa Maria businesses can train supervisors to prevent sexual harassment with a two-hour course presented by United Staffing Associates. Enrollment is open for the two-hour class, led by 20-year human resources veteran Betsey Nash. The course includes a PowerPoint presentation, interactive student materials, proof of attendance, and certificate of completion. An online version of the […]

Businesses that have suffered property damage as a result of the Jesusita Fire have until July 20 to apply for a Small Business Association Federal Disaster Loan. Low-interest loans are available in the disaster-declared counties of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo and are available to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private, nonprofit […]

Women’s Economic Ventures recently named Elena Brokaw and Doug Halter to the group’s Board of Directors. Brokaw currently serves as director of the Community Services Department for the city of Ventura, where she oversees cultural services, recreation programs, social services, and golf. She previously served as manager for the Cultural Affairs Division, where she oversaw […]

Carpinteria City Councilman and Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association Executive Director Joe Armendariz will be the guest speaker at the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce’s monthly luncheon on July 21. Armendariz will talk about the financial crisis and solutions to the problems faced at this critical time in the state’s economy. He also represents […]

The California Department of Toxic Substances Control has issued an alert to manufacturers and vendors supplying jewelry for fairs and festivals to watch for lead-tainted items. The Lead-Containing Jewelry Law went into effect on Sept. 1, 2007, and limits the amount of lead in children’s jewelry to either 220 parts per million (0.02 percent) or […]

Bringing Our Community Home, an organization dedicated to ending chronic homelessness in Santa Barbara County, recently announced John McInnes as its new governing board member. McInnes was recently appointed assistant county executive officer and interim housing and community development director for the county. He’s responsible for managing the county’s Tea Fire Recovery Services, economic stimulus […]

The Santa Barbara County Chapter of the American Red Cross recognized the generosity of 11 businesses and foundations that have lent financial assistance to its efforts in responding to the Jesusita Fire. In addition to a $40,000 grant from the Santa Barbara Foundation, the chapter received $10,000 gifts from Blue Cross/BlueShield, the Hutton Foundation, Sempra […]

The Committee to Improve North County announced that former Santa Barbara County supervisor Harrell Fletcher will be honored with a lifetime achievement award at the group’s luncheon on July 15. Each month, Committee INC features speakers and subjects important to Northern Santa Barbara County. Fletcher, this month’s keynote speaker, is a longtime member of the […]