By Dianne Anderson In this world, bad things happen. The why of it all is the question of the ages. Pastor Ivan Pitts, reminiscing about an old friend’s birthday, recalls the basis of Habakkuk’s entire argument about how the rain falls on the just and the unjust, why some get blessed, and others don’t. His ...

By Dianne Anderson Black men are being called to man up for an upcoming life-saving prostate health awareness event where they can freely ask – or anonymously write down – what’s stopping them from getting tested. This time around, no women are allowed. Rev. Gary McKinney said that before COVID-19, they averaged about 50 to ...

By Dianne Anderson Juneteenth events are buzzing everywhere this year, almost one on every corner, but Trudy Coleman remembers when her Pomona Valley event was the only option for miles and miles around. Until about the mid-1990s, for the most part it was a little-known celebration, except for its Texas roots. She and her colleague ...

By Dianne Anderson Half of America is dealing with the Omicron surge, which in its first wave was supposed to be the less-lethal variant of COVID-19 Delta. But that’s not the case under the highly transmissible stealth BA.2. For the unvaccinated, the numbers this month are just as harrowing as last year, even as COVID ...

By Dianne Anderson Pastor Ivan Pitts likes to put the money where his heart is. Over the past two years, he has given hundreds of thousands in the church’s tithes to support local programs, giving thanks to the organizations that do good work in service to the community. In the midst of COVID, the church ...

By Dianne Anderson In the past few weeks since Santa Ana Councilmember Johnathan Ryan Hernandez began calling for justice surrounding the police-involved killing of his cousin, he continues to receive a steady stream of hate and death threats in an attempt to silence his voice. He emphasized that a Brown man with a platform for ...

By Dianne Anderson Fire up the old computer, dust off the laptop, or get the smartphone palm ready. Residents over the next week will start receiving their special Census code by snail mail. They are expected to fill out that form, or they can expect the knock at the door. For those that need extra ...

By Dianne Anderson Anti-poverty activist Connie Jones officially retired in August, but is still trying to pry away from the family food pantry that became the mission of her lifetime. During the next few weeks, she is finishing up the final touches on paperwork to hand over the reins to the Community Action Partnership of ...

By Dianne Anderson Love jazz? Love kids? Standout musicians are bringing their sparkle center stage at the upcoming Jazzy Christmas concert to help support the muse for some of Santa Ana’s most promising young violinists. In the spirit of the season, jazz enthusiasts and the entire community are invited out for an evening featuring top ...