Local

By McKenzie Jackson | California Black Media

Diablo Valley College student Ivan Hernandez realized his family didn’t have enough money to support his dream to go to college. However, he has been able to successfully apply for financial aid and is currently enrolled in community college.

“I have been very lucky that financial aid has been such a big factor in my education,” said Hernandez, a double major in Business Administration and Computer Science. “Without financial aid, I don’t think I could be in the education system like I am now.”

The California Community Colleges education system (CCS) enrolls 2.1 million students. Fifty-five percent of those students at the system’s 116 colleges receive financial aid.

According to CCS, 5%, or about 10,500 of its students are Black. Asians account for 11%, Whites, 23%, and Hispanics make up 48% of the student body.

Hernandez was among the speakers during an Aug. 15 press conference hosted by Ethic Media Services, California Black Media, and the California Student Aid Commission, geared at highlighting the Sept. 3 deadline for community college students to apply for financial aid for the 2024-25 school year through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application.

CSAC Executive Director Dr. Daisy Gonzales said financial aid makes education beyond high school financial possible for all students.

“Financial aid is the most important ingredient in student success in higher education,” said Gonzales, who noted she was a foster youth who used financial aid to attend community college and went on to earn her master’s degree and Ph.D. “I have walked the path of many students in California. Stories like mine do not happen by accident or luck.”

FAFSA is federal aid for students.

The application process for this school year requires students and parents to report their income from 2022.

Funds from FAFSA and the Dream Act help the state’s community colleges serve a substantial percentage of students who qualify as low-income students — with annual income $40,000 — and those who are undocumented or from immigrant families.

“Students regardless of their documentation status or the status of their family members can quality to have their tuition coved as well as aid to help cover costs like rent, food, transportation, and books,” she said. “There is even additional aid to help cover childcare for student parents.”

The amounts in aid packages vary, but for example the Chafee Grant for Foster Youth provides students with up to $5,000 an academic year for up to five years, while the Dreamer Service Incentive Grant awards up to $4,5000 per school year to undocumented students who do volunteer services with an approved organization. The Cal Grant Students with Dependents Grant gives up to $6,000 a year to student-parents to help cover costs associated with being a parent and student.

Applying for financial aid has been a challenge this year for many students due to delays and technical issues complicating the online form caused by the rollout of the FAFSA Simplification Act, which seeks to make federal student aid more gainable by widening Pell Grant eligibility and simplifying the form.

Six of the state’s community colleges — Irvine Valley College, College of San Mateo, Moreno Valley College, De Anza College, Saddleback College, and Santa Rosa Junior College — were listed among the top 20 community colleges in the U.S in a study conducted by WalletHub, a personal finance company, which was released last week.

The study looked at data from 650 schools nationwide that belong to the American Association of Community Colleges. Seventy-seven California community colleges were on the list.

For more information or to apply, visit Better FAFSA, Better CADAA or call 1-888-224-7368

SACRAMENTO – Recently, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks announced the establishment of a first-in-the-nation partnership with the State, news publishers, major tech companies and philanthropy, unveiling a pair of multi-year initiatives to provide ongoing financial support to newsrooms across California and launch a National AI Accelerator.

Together, these new partnerships will provide nearly $250 million in public and private funding over the next five years, with the majority of funding going to newsrooms. The goal is to front-load $100 million in the first year to kick-start the efforts. The total investment could increase over the next several years if additional funding from private or state sources becomes available.

“This agreement represents a major breakthrough in ensuring the survival of newsrooms and bolstering local journalism across California — leveraging substantial tech industry resources without imposing new taxes on Californians,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “The deal not only provides funding to support hundreds of new journalists but helps rebuild a robust and dynamic California press corps for years to come, reinforcing the vital role of journalism in our democracy.”

Assemblymember Wicks authored AB 886 to help ensure the sustainability of local journalism, as news outlets across the country are downsizing and closing at alarming rates. A Northwestern University study published last year found an average of two and a half newspapers in the United States close every week, and that our nation has lost two-thirds of its newspaper journalists since 2005. California has lost more than 100 newspapers in the last decade alone.

The new suite of initiatives includes multi-faceted support for publishers across California to address challenges that have impacted the depth and breadth of news coverage in the state. They will help ensure the sustainability of existing and new online publications – with an emphasis on small, local outlets and community-facing journalism.

“As technology and innovation advance, it is critical that California continues to champion the vital role of journalism in our democracy,” said Assemblymember Buffy Wicks. “This partnership represents a cross-sector commitment to supporting a free and vibrant press, empowering local news outlets up and down the state to continue in their essential work. This is just the beginning. I remain committed to finding even more ways to support journalism in our state for years to come.”

California news publishers will be the beneficiaries of a News Transformation Fund, to be administered by the UC Berkeley School of Journalism, providing financial resources that preserve and expand California-based journalism. The funding will include contributions from technology platforms and the State of California, supporting innovative new investments that promote local journalism. The funding will support California-based state and local news organizations, particularly those serving California local news deserts, underserved and underrepresented communities, and outlets that prioritize California coverage.

“The University of California is proud to partner with Governor Newsom and legislative leaders to bolster the critical work of local news organizations and journalists in California,” said UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D. “Californians depend on robust local and diverse news organizations to stay informed about their communities, and the University and specifically the UC Berkeley School of Journalism stand ready to support this endeavor.”

Funding for the initiative would be complemented by direct support from the State, helping news organizations keep and grow newsroom staff and offsetting the costs of producing local news and information.

“A vibrant press is crucial for strong communities and a healthy democracy. This is a first step toward what we hope will become a comprehensive program to sustain local news in the long term, and we will push to see it grow in future years,” said California News Publishers Association CEO Chuck Champion and Board Chair Julie Makinen. “We will work with the state and tech companies to make the most of this initiative. We’re grateful to Assemblymember Wicks for her passionate advocacy on behalf of our 700-plus member newsrooms.”

Partners in this initiative also reiterated their strong commitment to strengthening newsroom and ownership diversity for ethnic and underserved communities. The Governor also announced his support for AB 1511 (Santiago), which aims to increase the state’s ongoing commitment to place official marketing, advertising and/or outreach advertising with local and underrepresented media outlets.

“Ethnic and community media outlets in California have a long history of serving as trusted messengers of culturally responsive news to historically underrepresented and underserved communities,” said Assemblymember Miguel Santiago. “These initiatives ensure that California is embracing private sector innovation while developing partnerships with and seeding investments from the public sector to empower local publishers and journalists that are vital to a healthy, thriving democracy.”

Additionally, researchers and businesses will have access to new resources to explore the use of AI to tackle some of the most complex challenges facing society, and strengthen the workforce through a new National AI Innovation Accelerator. This will be administered in collaboration with a private nonprofit, and will provide organizations across industries and communities — from journalism, to the environment, to racial equity and beyond — with financial resources and other support to experiment with AI to assist them in their work. The AI accelerator will empower organizations with the new technology, and complement the work of the Journalism Fund by creating new tools to help journalists access and analyze public information.

“We appreciate the thoughtful leadership of Governor Newsom, Assemblymember Wicks, Chair Umberg, and Senator Glazer on these issues,” said Kent Walker, President of Global Affairs and Chief Legal Officer for Alphabet. “California lawmakers have worked with the tech and news sectors to develop a collaborative framework to accelerate AI innovation and support local and national businesses and non-profit organizations. This public-private partnership builds on our long history of working with journalism and the local news ecosystem in our home state, while developing a national center of excellence on AI policy.”

“A strong press is a key pillar of democracy, and we’re proud to be part of this partnership to utilize AI in support of local journalism across California,” said Jason Kwon, Chief Strategy Officer for OpenAI. “This initiative builds on our longstanding work to help newsrooms and journalists around the world leverage AI to improve workflows, better connect users to quality content, and help news organizations shape the future of this emerging technology.”

Work will begin immediately to stand up both initiatives, which will go live in 2025. Included below is a range of quotes from additional supporters.

__________

What others are saying: 

“The work of local independent publishers is essential to a well-functioning democracy, and this new public-private partnership provides immediate and needed relief. Lawmakers should be proud of this program, which builds on California’s innovative Local News Fellowship with millions of new dollars in a way that prioritizes small publishers and those serving underrepresented groups.” – Chris Krewson, Executive Director of Local Independent Online News (LION) Publishers, a national nonprofit with 76 of its 600 publisher members in California

“California is leading the way with this first-in-the-nation investment to protect the press and sustain quality journalism. This fund will help news outlets and journalists adapt to a changing landscape with new tools and funding to embrace emerging technologies. This is especially helpful for ethnic and community media which is comprised largely of under-resourced family businesses whose strongest connections are to their community.” – Regina Wilson, Executive Director, California Black Media

“California is home to the largest concentration of multilingual news outlets serving immigrant and ethnic communities in the US. This breakthrough public private partnership to support local journalism brings welcome recognition of the ethnic media sector’s indispensable role in connecting these diverse communities to each other and to the wider public realm.” – Sandy Close, Director of Ethnic Media Services (EMS), a California-based nonprofit which works with 2000 ethnic news outlets nationwide, including over 300 in California

“It represents an equity-media model for the nation,” added Julian Do, EMS Co-Director

“Protecting and rebuilding California’s robust media ecosystem and ensuring it serves immigrants, Latinos and communities of color equally requires an important role for philanthropy, our tech and private sector, and yes, California’s State Government. We see this historic agreement as just the first major step where the State of California can lead the way in building a sustainable media ecosystem for the most diverse state in the Union,” – Arturo Carmona, President of the Latino Media Collaborative

“This is a win for all Californians. Disinformation flourishes when quality journalism disappears. This critical funding will help local publishers survive and keep their communities informed and engaged.” – Neil Chase, CEO of CalMatters and former editor of The Mercury News and East Bay Times

“The new public-private partnership provides a pioneering, ambitious program that will offer significant help to local newsrooms that give Californians the information they need to participate in a healthy democracy. It’s encouraging that lawmakers and tech platforms found a way to work together to forge an innovative solution that can be a model for other states.” – Lance Knobel, CEO of Cityside Journalism Initiative, the nonprofit behind Oaklandside, Berkeleyside and Richmondside

“The revival of a strong, independent community-minded local press is vital for California. All things considered, this agreement both injects new money into doing that and helps spur the innovation, tech and otherwise, required at this moment. As a companion to the California Local News Fellowship, it’s another brick in the rebuilding of California journalism.” – Ken Doctor, Newsonomics news analyst and Lookout Local founder and CEO

“Supporting local news and journalism is vital to enabling a fully informed and engaged community. We are very pleased to see California as a leader in building this public-private partnership that will substantially impact local journalism and essential news coverage in communities throughout California. This vital funding will support our local news and will enable an expansion of our initiative to add to the depth of our bilingual coverage and journalists in Napa Valley – where 40% of the population is Latinx.” – Marc Hand, CEO and Board Chair of Highway 29 Media, a publisher of newspapers serving communities in Napa Valley

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

Medi-Cal, California’s version of the federal medical assistance program Medicaid, has announced that it is expanding access to maternal health, including doula services.

The expansion is expected to have a critical impact on the health of Black mothers and expectant moms. Nearly half of Black Californians are enrolled in Medi-Cal.

Black mothers are approximately four times more likely to die than their White counterparts to die from pregnancy-related complications, according to The California Department of Public Health (CDPH). The Black maternal mortality rate is three times higher than the rate of mothers of White Hispanic and Asian moms. And Black babies are two times as likely to die before their first birthday than White babies.

Erica Holmes, Chief of Benefits Divisions for the California Department of Health Care Services spoke during an online news briefing in June organized by Ethnic Media Services (EMS) to provide more details about Medi-Cal’s expansion into the doula space.

“The department has issued a standing recommendation for doula services. Medi-Cal members don’t have to get a separate written referral for services. All they need to do is find a doula who accepts medical to start receiving care. The department also has a doula directory where members can find doulas who accept medical by county.”

According to Medi-Cal, the doula services are available to expectant moms as a birthing care pathway for members who elect to use it from conception through 12 months. It is also available to new moms with services such as postpartum care, parent-child dyadic care, and other benefits.

Kairis Chiaji, a Medi-Cal approved doula services provider with 25 Years of experience, spoke during the online news briefing, informing attendees about the value of doulas and the services they provide.
“A lot of people don’t know what doulas do. I would liken it to a personal trainer, but for childbirth. Our job is to get to know you, what your goals are for your body and baby, to help you come up with a plan and remember your plan,” she said.

Doulas are trained professionals who provide physical, emotional and informational support to patients before, during and after childbirth. In the past, their services were not covered by most medical insurance plans.

Now with Medi-Cal’s new expansion, they are.

Public health professionals in California largely agree that doulas are essential to closing racial and ethnic disparities in outcomes particularly for Black, American Indian, Latino, Asian American and Asian Pacific Islander parents and infants. They help improve birth outcomes and reduce the number of c-section births, epidurals, premature deliveries and prevent post-natal problems like low birth weight, anxiety, and labor length.

Chiaji spoke about the value a doula of color brings to the birthing process. The disparities in care and service women of color experience in medical care are well documented. Chiaji says her practice prioritizes Black and indigenous women.

“As people of color and community members, we also have shared experience with our clients. We have been those birthing people in the various environments,” she added. We have encountered the same language or culture barriers, we have had the same unanswered questions and understand the benefit of having someone who not only can explain it but really be a bridge between the community member and the birthing environment, especially in hospital settings.”

Due to the Medi-Cal expansion, doulas will now be reimbursed at the same rate as other service care providers, which Chiaji says is a game changer for individuals in the field.
“We were able to move our state into a position of understanding that a large part of healthcare is leveraging relationships. And the group who have the ability to found and maintain those relationships are birth workers.”

As of June, 455 group and individual doula applications had been approved in California with 336 of those being approved individual doulas.

“We know that our country and our state are in a maternal health crisis,” said Chiaji. “There are injuries and losses that statistics say 80% of which are preventable. As a birth worker and doula, we are able to fill in a lot of those gaps. We are able to amplify the voices of families, we are able to recognize with something is not ok earlier on. We’re able to help our clients navigate healthcare

By Bo Tefu and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media??

During the California Assembly floor session on August 12, members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) joined their colleagues in the Legislature to approve statewide recognition of Black Girl Joy Day last week and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) week next month.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 226, introduced by Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) officially designated August 10 as Black Girl Joy Day in California.

“This day is not just a celebration, but a profound acknowledgment of the vibrant roles that Black girls play in enriching our state’s diverse tapestry,” said Wilson.

“Black girls in California embody resilience, creativity and potential despite facing systemic challenges from a young age, including higher rates of school discipline and exposure to violence. They continue to make significant contributions across various fields,” added Wilson.

The Assembly voted 75-0 in favor of recognizing Black Girl Joy Day in California.

During that same floor session, the Assembly passed Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 222 with a 76-0 vote.

ACR 222, introduced by Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa), officially designated the fourth week of September as Historically Black Colleges and Universities week in California.

“For hundreds of years Blacks were not allowed to attend American institutions of higher learning – not because we weren’t smart enough, but because of racism and segregation. So, we created our own institutions of higher learning,” said Weber, representing her alma mater, Xavier University, in a white and gold letterman cardigan.

Weber noted that although HBCUs represent only 3% of institutions of higher learning in the country, they produce 24% of Black STEM professionals.

Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) spoke about his experiences as a proud parent of Morehouse and Hampton graduates.

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) shared her perspective as the daughter of a Prairie View A&M Graduate. Her mother relocated from Texas to Los California, where she was born.

“In September of 2023, President Biden proclaimed September 24th through 30th as national HBCU week, Weber continued. “In an effort to align with what has already been done on the federal level, I respectfully ask for your I-vote on ACR 222 to declare the fourth week of September as HBCU week.

By Bo Tefu and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media??

On August 13, the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) elected Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa) and Assemblymember Isaac G. Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) to serve as its next Chair and Vice Chair, respectively.

“The CLBC has a long-standing tradition of excellence in its ability to represent and advocate for the needs of Black Californians, a responsibility that I deeply care about,” Weber stated.

“As I begin my tenure as Chair, I am committed to ensuring that the CLBC upholds its exceptional legislative advocacy, strong partnerships, and exemplary programs as we focus on the major issues impacting our communities,” she continued.

In her new role as Chair, Weber replaces Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City) and Bryan succeeds Vice Chair Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood) who is termed out at the end of the current legislative session and announced that he is a candidate for Lt. Governor.

“I want to thank our immediate past leadership team for their unwavering commitment to lead during these past two years,” Wilson stated. “Together, we have been a powerful force, championing legislative policies and budget items with the purpose of enriching the lives of Black Californians. I look forward to working with our new leadership as we continue to work to uplift over two million Black residents living in California.”

Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Alameda) has been elected Treasurer and Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley) will serve as Secretary.

The newly elected officers will assume their two-year terms in December.

California is transforming Medi-Cal to better support and meet the whole-person care needs of members experiencing, or at risk of homelessness.

Medi-Cal provides members with access to new and improved services to get well-rounded care that goes beyond the doctor’s office or hospital and addresses their physical and mental health, and also social drivers of one’s health such as housing.

Medi-Cal is opening the door to essential health care services for the most vulnerable populations, no matter where they live or seek care.

Enhanced Care Management

Enhanced Care Management is a new Medi-Cal benefit that assigns a dedicated Lead Care Manager, a personal guide who helps qualified Medi-Cal members navigate all medical, dental, social, and community services such as housing navigation, housing deposits, and more.

Enhanced Care Management takes a whole-person, interdisciplinary approach to care to address clinical and non-clinical needs of members with the most complex medical and social need and serves as a safety net of care coordination for high-risk groups, including, but not limited to, individuals experiencing homelessness.

“Our unhoused population has inadequate access to shelters and experiences a lack of food and care,” said Glenn Tsang, Policy Advisor for Homelessness and Housing for the California Department of Health Care Services. “These members tend to have extensive medical and mental health needs that are difficult to address in an unstable living environment. To help address their needs, the Enhanced Care Management benefit builds consistent connections to medical care, mental health care, substance use disorder treatment, and housing stabilization services.”

Addressing Health-Related Social Needs through Community Supports
Community Supports are services or care settings, in addition to those required under the California Medicaid State Plan, that Medi-Cal managed care plans may elect to offer. The goal of Community Supports is to provide services that address a member’s health-related social needs that may be exacerbating their health condition, such as housing instability. Among the 14 services available as Community Supports services, six are specifically focused on helping unhoused members.

Many of these services empower high-risk individuals and families to live healthier lives in less restrictive settings and avoid unnecessary emergency visits and inpatient nursing facility admissions. They include services that go beyond traditional care received in a doctor’s office and may include housing deposits, housing transition and navigation services, housing tenancy and sustaining services, short-term post-hospitalization, recuperative care, and day habilitation.

Street Medicine
Street medicine is a set of health and social services developed specifically to address the unique needs and circumstances of individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness, delivered directly to them in their own environment. The fundamental approach of street medicine is to engage people experiencing unsheltered homelessness exactly where they are and on their own terms to maximally reduce or eliminate barriers to care access and follow-through.

Medi-Cal Expansion
Starting on January 1, 2024, all eligible Californians qualify for full scope Medi-Cal coverage, regardless of immigration status.

This expansion allows even more Medi-Cal members to potentially qualify for Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports, among other services, to improve outcomes for California’s most vulnerable populations.

“By expanding Medi-Cal, we’re addressing the root causes of health disparities and providing equitable access to quality health care, leading to a healthy California for all,” said Tsang.

How Providers Support Members
Providers are vital in delivering Medi-Cal’s expanded services, ensuring the most vulnerable members receive the care they need. These providers include, but are not limited to, housing service providers, housing organizations, and other organizations that have an existing footprint consistent with Community Supports activities and in the communities they serve. Providers are essential in providing dedicated care management, ensuring seamless transitions and continuous support across various housing settings.

Street medicine providers also offer direct medical care to individuals on the streets, build trust by consistently providing compassionate services, and use comprehensive care management platforms for efficient coordination. Providers include Federally Qualified Health Centers, mobile medicine units, and many other organizations that provide care to unsheltered members living on the street.

They collaborate with community-based organizations and community support systems like schools, food banks, and housing agencies, and offer proactive support when patients transition through emergency departments, homelessness, or incarceration.

Encouragement to Seek Services
If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness or is at risk of homelessness, Medi-Cal’s expanded services offer vital support for members enrolled in a managed care plan to improve their health and well-being.

For more information, call the state’s Medi-Cal Managed Care Office of the Ombudsman at (888) 452-8609 or email MMCDOmbudsmanOffice@dhcs.ca.gov.

In San Bernardino County, Medi-Cal recipients can contact:

*   Inland Empire Health Plan: 800-440-4347

*   Kaiser Permanente: 855-839-7613

*   Molina HealthCare of California Partner Plan, Inc.: 888-665-4621

So, if you are at risk of or experiencing homelessness in San Bernardino County, your health and well-being matter. Medi-Cal’s expanded services are here to support you every step of the way.

By Ashley Craig, Navy Office of Community Outreach

MILLINGTON, TN – Petty Officer 3rd Class Vanessa Garcia, a native of Hesperia, California, serves the U.S. Navy and is assigned to U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Garcia graduated from Hesperia High School in 2020.

The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Hesperia.

“Growing up, I learned that one of the most important things in life is having good friendships,” said Garcia. “My closest friends live in Los Angeles; I’ve known them since middle school. I also made good friends when I was stationed at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Virginia. Back home and everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve met some amazing people who are all very different and I’ve appreciated all of it because it shows me different aspects on life. These people have been there for me during my hardest times and have been a great support system to me. I want to be part of that support system for others.”

Garcia joined the Navy three years ago. Today, Garcia serves as a hospital corpsman.

“I joined the Navy to get a head start on life,” said Garcia. “I was looking for opportunities to learn new skills and wanted to be good at something. I wanted to be a cryptologic technician interpretive (CTI), which is a language analyst, but they didn’t have any billets available at the time. I knew I wanted a job that included helping people so my recruiter gave me the option of hospital corpsman.”

Garcia works in the emergency department at Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay and is training to become a corpsman assistant for sexual assault medical examinations.

“I like giving people the care and support they need,” said Garcia. “When I was a kid, I used to watch ‘Avatar: The Last Air Bender.’ The TV show’s main character brings peace and balance to the world and the spirit realm during a time of war. The characters had to work together to end the war and destruction. They demonstrated leadership, friendship, finding inner strength and showing positivity in the face of adversity. I wanted to emulate these qualities in my own life. I wanted to be part of a team.”

Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay provides health care to the U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay community, which consists of approximately 4,500 military members, federal employees, U.S. and foreign national contractors and their families. The hospital also operates the only overseas military home health care facility providing care to elderly special category residents who sought asylum on the installation during the Cuban Revolution.

With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.

Garcia serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.

“We will earn and reinforce the trust and confidence of the American people every day,” said Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations. “Together we will deliver the Navy the nation needs.”

Garcia has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.

“My proudest accomplishment is hard to define,” said Garcia. “I’ve learned so much in three years. Working in labor and delivery taught me about patience, working with different personalities and how to interact with patients while learning skills from the nurses. They gave me my first real experience in how to be a leader. I surprised myself and did more than I thought I was capable of, and it made me see that I’m a hard worker who can do hard things and see those things all the way through.”

Garcia is also proud of serving in the intensive care unit aboard USNS Comfort during Continuing Promise 2022, a humanitarian mission that saw Comfort complete mission stops in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti and Honduras.

During these mission stops, Continuing Promise medical teams focused on working alongside partner nation medical personnel to provide care on board and at land-based medical sites to increase medical readiness, strengthen partnerships and enhance the combined capabilities of the U.S. Navy and partner nations to respond to public health disasters and humanitarian crises.

Continuing Promise 2022 saw more than 13,000 patients, participated in more than 25 subject matter expert exchanges, conducted five humanitarian assistance and disaster relief workshops, shared in 18 Women, Peace and Security initiative events and partook in 11 community relations engagements.

“We visited South America, offering aid to every country we visited,” said Garcia. “We faced challenges because of the language barrier and didn’t have many translators so we had to learn phrases in Spanish to try to communicate. The great effort the medical team put toward helping people made a difference in countries that didn’t have much medical support. I felt proud to be part of that support.”

Garcia can take pride in serving America through military service.

“I get to be part of something greater by serving my country and the Navy,” said Garcia. “I get to be part of history.”

JOANN’s newest store in Rancho Cucamonga, California recently celebrated its Grand Opening weekend! The new, 35,000-square-foot store showcases the latest JOANN branding, broadest category assortment, and experience for customers – the team couldn’t be more thrilled to open the doors of creativity to this community.

Customers couldn’t wait to get inside and shop the new JOANN, and more than 125 waited patiently for the 9am official opening on Friday, 8/9. Those in attendance enjoyed special offers, gift cards, and swag for joining the celebration.

The Rancho JOANN location will be partnered with a local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital and Kids in Need Foundation organization, who will enjoy monetary and product donations throughout the year.

Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Elijah Rodarte, a Hesperia, California native, uses night vision goggles to search for surface contacts from the bridge of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25) during Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024, July 25. Twenty-nine nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, more than 150 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC in and around the Hawaiian Islands, June 27 to August 1. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2024 is the 29th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

By Manny Otiko | California Black Media  

SAN BERNARDINO – Julie Michaels has been appointed Executive Director of Inland (spacing) Action, a non-partisan, business-oriented nonprofit group which works with public and private organizations to better the economic climate of the Inland Empire and Southern California.

A resident of the Inland Empire since 1987, Julie is the founder and owner of JB Michaels Consulting, a private firm providing leadership, board development and project management services.  She has a wealth of experience across diverse fields, having worked as a contracts and senior business administrator for TRW at Norton Air Force Base, a teacher and National Academic Advisor serving the western region of the United States including both Redlands Unified and San Bernardino City School District, and a senior healthcare executive.  Julie most recently served as Executive Director of Plymouth Village LPC in Redlands where she was involved in advocacy work in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., on healthcare bills and initiatives.

Julie has served on numerous local boards including the University of Redlands Trustees, the University of Redlands Alumni Association (Past President), Redlands Symphony, United Way and the Redlands RotaryClub, where she was Rotarian of the Year in 2005. She is a current member on the Redlands Community Foundation Board of Directors.

Julie has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Mathematics from California Lutheran University, an MBA from the University of Redlands, both multiple-subject and single subject California teaching credentials, and a California senior care license. While she has lived across the country, both Julie and her husband Barry have called the Inland Empire home since the late 1980’s. Barry is a 34-year employee of Esri, and together they have two grown children.

Julie succeeds Carole Beswick, who served as CEO for 17 years, and Deborah Barmack, who served as President for 12 years.