Celebrate 10 Years at Cambria Veterinary Clinic
Doctors Alex and Casey Erickson are celebrating 10 years of practice ownership at Cambria Veterinary Clinic. Visit the clinic on Saturday, January 24 from 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. at 1500 Main Street in Cambria. Community members and their social pets are invited behind the scenes for tours and demonstrations, free food, giveaways and a photo booth!
BBBS and Local Businesses Celebrate National Mentoring Month
Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Luis Obispo County and local businesses are celebrating mentoring and the positive effect it can have on young lives. January marks the 24th year of National Mentoring Month, a nationwide initiative to raise awareness of the power of mentorship. All month long, local businesses are supporting National Mentoring Month by helping to raise money or showing appreciation for our volunteer mentors through the Pints & Plates and the Big Appreciation campaigns.
Every Thursday evening in January, local breweries and restaurants are teaming up to raise critical funding to support youth! Participating businesses will donate a portion of their sales to Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of SLO County, helping fuel our mission to ignite the power and promise of youth through mentorship.
“We deeply appreciate each business for standing with us to celebrate National Mentoring Month and make this month truly special,” said Stacy Salame, executive director BBBS.
“Their commitment helps us create life-changing connections for youth in our community is inspiring. Together, we’re building a stronger future—one mentoring relationship at a time.
When folks dine or grab a drink at participating establishments, you’re not just enjoying a great meal, you’re investing in brighter futures. We encourage our community to visit these establishments and thank these amazing partners for supporting SLO Bigs!”
In addition, local businesses have joined in honoring the mentors who make a lasting impact on the lives of youth and families in our community. Through the Big Appreciation Campaign, these partners have committed to offering exclusive discounts and special perks to mentors throughout National Mentoring Month. Their contributions not only show heartfelt gratitude for the time and care mentors invest but also demonstrate a shared commitment to strengthening our community.
“Find a list of participating businesses for Pints & Plates as well as Big Appreciation by visiting slobigs.org National Mentoring Month focuses attention on the need for mentors, as well as how everyone — individuals, businesses, government agencies, schools, faith communities and nonprofits — can work together to increase the number of mentors to help ensure positive outcomes for our young people,” said Salame.
Cambria Art and Wine Festival Jan. 30 – Feb. 1
It is time to grab your passport book and venture into shops, galleries and restaurants in Cambria. Celebrate the 22nd annual Cambria Art and Wine Festival on January 29- February 1 featuring over 35 wineries, artists, live demonstrations and raffle prize giveaways.
There is a kickoff party on Friday that features a five-course meal showcasing some of the top chefs in Cambria with courses elegantly curated by Robin’s, Madeleine’s, Indigo Moon, Moonstone Beach Bar and Grill & Black Cat Bistro.
Parr Collective will also host a featured wine seminar on the Jan. 29 where attendees can mingle and educate yourself on the art and philosophy of exquisite wine featuring three of our Pacific Coast Wine Trail wineries and nibble on delicious food.
Next, enjoy art and wine throughout the town. Each pass holder will receive a wine glass for the Saturday Grand Tasting.
Tickets include Sunday with complimentary champagne and raffle prize giveaways. Tickets are on sale now for both VIP and General admission. Go to www.cambriaartwine.org or www.cambriachamber.org, for more details. Passes are limited and going quickly, get yours today
French Hospital Medical Center Welcomes County’s First Baby of 2026
Rylie Ryann Todey was the first baby of the year at French Hospital Medical Center.
Welcome 2026’s first baby. French Hospital Medical Center announced the arrival of San Luis Obispo County’s first baby of 2026, a healthy baby girl named Rylie Ryann Todey. She was born at 8 pounds, 8 ounces and measured 20 inches long.
Rylie’s arrival was a welcome event for mom and dad, Carli and Jake Todey, of Paso Robles. Rylie is the couple’s second child.
The Stollmeyer Family Birthing Center at French Hospital Medical Center celebrated Rylie’s arrival by presenting the family with a gift basket filled with essential items for the newborn. Both mother and baby are healthy and doing well.
State Ranks Eighth in Small Businesses Success
California ranks as America’s eighth-best state for new business survival according to a study released by ringy.com, a cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software platform for sales, marketing, and recruiting.
The comprehensive analysis examined Bureau of Labor Statistics data across all 50 states plus Washington D.C., tracking which regions offered the strongest foundation for business longevity between 2019 and 2024. West Virginia topped the charts with 57.6% of businesses surviving five years after formation. Small ventures launching in the Mountain State face significantly better odds of weathering early challenges that typically force closure, giving local entrepreneurs a distinct advantage over business owners elsewhere in the country.
Connecticut scored 57.5% business survival, trailing West Virginia by a razor-thin 0.1 percentage point for second place nationally. The Northeast showed strong overall performance in the rankings, with Pennsylvania securing a top-five position at 56.0% survival rate.
Alaska matched Pennsylvania’s 56.0% business survival figure to share third place. The northern state achieved this impressive result despite recording only 1,071 new business formations in 2019 – the second-lowest total among all states evaluated in the study.
Midwestern states dominated many top positions in the rankings. Ohio and South Dakota both reached identical 55.0% survival rates to tie for fifth place. Illinois followed closely at seventh position with 54.9% of businesses still operating five years after launch.
California saw 139,250 new business formations in 2019 – more than any other state – yet still maintained a 54.6% survival rate for eighth place nationally. These figures challenge common assumptions that highly competitive markets necessarily reduce business survival chances.
North Carolina and Minnesota rounded out the top ten with survival rates of 54.4% and 54.2%, respectively. The geographic and economic diversity among these high-performing states demonstrates business sustainability remains possible across widely varying environments.
Washington ranked last among all states with a dismal 41.1% five-year business survival rate. Just 9,183 businesses remained operational by 2024 from 22,326 formed five years earlier in the Pacific Northwest state.
Missouri and the District of Columbia joined Washington at the bottom of rankings with survival rates of 43.2% and 44.7%. A massive 16.5 percentage point gap separates Washington from chart-topping West Virginia, revealing striking regional disparities in business sustainability.
The analysis found limited correlation between total businesses launched and survival rates. States launching modest numbers of new businesses, like Alaska (1,071) and West Virginia (2,663) achieved stronger survival rates than states with enormous volumes of new ventures, including Florida (64,120) and New York (42,471), which recorded rates of 50.1% and 49.5%.
“This analysis shows that the success of a new business can vary significantly based on location,” said Carlos J. Correa, Chief Operating Officer at Ringy. “New entrepreneurs should consider these survival rates when deciding where to establish their operations.
“States like West Virginia and Connecticut appear to offer environments conducive to long-term business success. These findings could be attributed to factors such as lower operating costs, less competition, or more supportive local policies.
“The five-year mark represents a critical milestone for new businesses. Companies that survive their first five years have typically established solid customer bases and operational efficiencies that position them for continued growth.”
Nationally, roughly half of all new businesses survive beyond five years, according to the research. Average survival rates across all states reached approximately 51.0%, suggesting certain locations provide entrepreneurs statistical advantages up to 6.6 percentage points above national averages.
Is your business, including non-profits, supporting our community? Maybe you’re launching a new business, or you’re making updates to your current business model, or re-opening. Perhaps you have a job opportunity, or have been doing some volunteer work, or are collaborating with another business or a non-profit. Or maybe you know someone who is. Submit your awesome local efforts for publication to EditorEBN@gmail.com.
